Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait on this chapter. I had a hard time with it, and there's about double the usual amount of words. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy, and would love to know what you think.
So, without further ado, I give you chapter 3...
(Imperial Shuttle: 5 days later)
When the shuttle came out of hyperspace it was greeted by the Yaga Minor shipyards. The pilot and co-pilot immediately got to work. Their mission came from Lord Vader himself and they weren't going to disappoint him. They took note of everything—defenses, number of ships in-system, and, most importantly, the number and type of docked ships in the dockyard section of the shipyards. There were Venator, Victory, and even some old Imperial I-class Star Destroyers on base.
"So, what made you stay?" asked the copilot as he examined his screen.
The pilot considered the question with an ever-hardening frown.
"I worked as a fighter pilot assigned to Operation Stardust as a sentry. What I saw was…" he paused as he considered his words, "It was unsettling. In basic training we were told that the Empire would bring peace and security. The Death Star was not built for that purpose. It was built for the sole purpose of mass destruction. That alone was disturbing, and then there was the constant infighting it bred."
"Vader was a part of that project. So, my question remains. 'Why did you stay?'" the copilot pressed.
The pilot sighed, "Did you know that Tarkin was the one who ordered the destruction of Alderaan? Vader was there to keep the high-ranking officers in line, nothing else, or so I heard before the Death Star's destruction."
The copilot was quiet for a moment, probably to digest the pilot's words. "No, I didn't know." he murmured, "I thought that Vader oversaw the whole thing, not just keep the Moffs and Admirals in line."
"Yeah, I get why you would think that. However, those of us close to the project knew better," The pilot said before clearing his throat. "So, what has the computer listed?" he asked, getting back on task.
The copilot looked at the screen. "Let's see… there's 5 Venators, 6 Victories… damn there's even a couple old Imperial-Is out there. The nice thing is all of them have already had the Old Republic paint covered over. I can't see what they have in the hangars, but I'd have to guess squadrons of the old V-wing interceptors, ARC 170 heavy fighters, and Z-95 Headhunters. No telling if they have ground equipment though."
"Assuming the hangers haven't been emptied," the pilot noted.
"True."
"What about the defenses of the dockyards?" the pilot asked.
The copilot pressed a button and the screen switched to a list of the defenses the computer found.
"There's a Golan 1 Defense Platform, 4 XQ1 defense platforms, and 2 XQ2 defense platforms. There's also several standalone turbolaser cannons, proton torpedo launchers, and laser cannons surrounding the Golan. As for a defense fleet, there's 5 ISD-II's and 2 ISD-I's with a small support fleet." the copilot reported before adding, "I hope we're not attacking this unless we bring reinforcements with us."
"Stow that talk ensign. If we attack, then so be it," the pilot snapped.
"Who's going to know I said it besides you when it's just us here?" the copilot asked incredulously.
It was obvious that the pilot's nerves were frayed.
"Point." the pilot conceded, "But have more faith in our commander."
"I just hope we aren't put in those cramped TIE series if we come here." the copilot moaned, "I just can't get comfortable in the damn things and the controls aren't as sensitive as I usually have."
"Oh, stop your moaning and let's get back to work," the pilot chastised, "Lord Vader will be expecting this, and I don't want to keep him waiting."
Two hours later, they took the final readout from the sensors. After that, the shuttle jumped to hyperspace, on its way back to the remnants of Death Squadron—if that was its name anymore—to report to Darth Vader about what they found at the Yaga Minor dockyards.
(ISD Executor: 2 days later)
Vader was pleased with the information that he received from the shuttle mission to the Yaga system. He knew that he could take out the XQ1 and XQ2 platforms easily. The real issue was the Golan 1, the defensive emplacements around the space station, and the defense fleet in the system. He knew that he could smash the fleet or the defenses, but to do both would be costly. What he needed was the Rebellion X-wings, A-wings, and Y-wings. Oh, how he wished that the Y-wing wasn't phased out of service with the inferior TIE Bomber. Unfortunately, it was a symbol of the Old Republic that Palpatine wanted everyone to forget, even at the cost of replacing ships, fighters, and equipment with inferior replacements.
"Admiral Piett." he called after mentally shaking his head of such useless thoughts.
He heard footsteps coming closer to him before stopping.
"Yes, Lord Vader?" Piett asked curiously.
Vader turned to face the man who he was growing to respect and slowly trust.
"I am returning to my quarters. I am not to be disturbed," he ordered.
"Of course. Is there a problem?" Admiral Piett asked.
The entire exchange struck him as off. Vader was not one to waste words on announcing his activities.
"Something is happening. I am addressing it before our mission is compromised," he explained in a noticeably quieter voice.
"Of course."
Darth Vader did not miss the worry radiating out from his Admiral. Behind Piett's unreadable face, he was clearly concerned. However, the Sith did not have the time or patience to address the matter. As such he spun around and marched off the bridge.
(UNSC Infinity)
Admiral Hood walked onto the bridge to see Agent Dare submerged in a pile of data pads. She was clearly focused on something. The agent would read some, quickly scribble notes, then switch to another pad and repeat the process.
"So, what have found?" he quizzed.
Agent Dare let out a sigh as she looked up at the Admiral.
"A mess," she answered firmly, "I'm still reading through all of this, but I can safely say that this isn't a fight we should get involved in."
"Alright, give me details," Admiral Hood pressed.
Agent Dare shook her head as her eyes drifted to the data pad in her hand.
"I don't…"
She trailed off as she saw the Admiral's face harden up.
"Alright, I'll give you the tragedy of the 501st attack legion, and their commanding officer Anakin Skywalker. For three years, they acted as a shock trooper unit that was used in a similar capacity as our ODSTs. At first this wasn't intentional. It was a byproduct of Anakin's extremely aggressive strategies. Against all odds, the unit consistently succeeded with their bold strategies and reckless abandon," she began, "Command recognized the value of his unit in this roll and began bouncing him from hotspot to hotspot. At each place, his unit would break sieges quickly and decisively. Battles that had raged for months were being ended in a matter of hours with his unit. Despite, heavy losses—especially early in the war—his unit remained abnormally loyal to him."
"He commanded from the front, didn't he?" Admiral Hood inferred.
"Ninety-nine percent of all missions involving the 501st also involved General Skywalker leading from the front," Roland confirmed.
"This was the pattern for most of the war. After each fight, they would often rearm and refit close to the front lines and be immediately redeployed," Agent Dare picked up.
"So, what happened?" Admiral Hood quizzed.
"A trooper snapped and shot one a Jedi point-blank in the back of the head," Roland answered matter-of-factly.
"Three years is quite a long time to be on the frontlines," Captain Lasky noted, "Eventually, people crack."
"We would agree with you except for what happened after the incident. Records are spotty. However, we do know that there was an investigation. That and its findings were quickly and deeply buried by the Chancellor's office," the A.I. declared.
"Fast forward a few months after the investigation and the unit was quietly transferred back to Coruscant for a rearm and refit over the course of a couple week. However, they were not going out to the front lines. They were to be deployed in the Capital," Agent Dare added, "As the rest of the unit went 'home', their commanding officer, a clone Captain by the name of 'Rex', and a special detachment were redirected to the planet of Mandalore to deal with a Darth Maul, an enemy of the Jedi at the time. However, their General was not present. Instead it was Skywalker's former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano who led the unit. From what I can tell, she was on the ground already and had previous, extensive experience with Rex and the 501st. By the time 'Order 66', as it was called, came down, Ahsoka and Rex went AWOL and disappeared."
Admiral Hood frowned as he mentally called up what the Alliance delegation had told them.
"He knew what was happening," he noted.
"That's what I think. He knew and had no wish to be a part of it. Regardless, the march on the temple happened three days later as Mothma explained," Agent Dare confirmed, "From what I'm reading, it's like someone flipped a switch in the army and Anakin was lost in the attack as a result of it, probably trying to defend him fellow Jedi."
Hood nodded thoughtfully. "Did they ever find his body? He asked curiously, a theory starting to form in his head.
Dare looked through her notes and a couple data pads before shaking her head. "I don't think so. All the bodies were never searched by those outside the 501st besides the Emperor and close confidants. He could have survived but it's not very well known."
Admiral Hood nodded and followed up, "that proves that there is merit to their story about the Empire's rise."
"Yes, but Roland was able to slip into their internal systems and get records on the leadership. Most of them are ex-Imperials. Two are former senators, several are former officers, and others headed up other rebel cells on planets under Imperial control. They are all people who lost power and status due to the Emperor," Agent Dare warned.
"So, this is all just a power grab?" the Admiral asked skeptically.
"Probably not. However, we're sorting through thirty years of extremely muddy history. That Skywalker kid is a good example," Agent Dare corrected with a frown, "He shouldn't exist. His father was officially never married."
"Since when is marriage a prerequisite for having children?" Admiral Hood countered.
"The fact that he holds his father's name means that his father was relevant to his life's story in some way. I got to talking to Luke when I was on the Home One finalizing details for the supply order. He said he never knew his father. Instead, he was raised by his aunt and uncle," Agent Dare argued.
Admiral Hood nodded in understanding. There was a missing piece, and he was sure he knew what it was. His father's name had been mentioned in passing during the meeting. A look of sorrow flashed across his face before being replaced with an unreadable mask.
"Alright. Get a briefing packet together for HIGHCOM. Don't worry about the work crews. Commander Palmer is over there making sure that there's no trouble with them," Admiral Hood ordered.
Unfortunately, thirty years of war with the Covenant had forged an extremely xenophobic generation of soldiers and civilians. Given the mixed-race crews of the Alliance fleet, the less than sunny disposition of his men was making itself known. Luckily nothing had escalated past the occasional verbal altercation. However, Admiral Hood didn't want to just wait for that to happen. So, he had ordered Commander Palmer and several, more open minded, Spartans to keep the men in line while they worked.
Over the next five days, everyone fell into a rhythm with their work. Under the ever-watchful eye of the joint fleet, Admiral Akbar and his crew worked tirelessly to get their ships travel worthy again. Both factions had firmly refused to get involved in the conflict but were willing to let him repair his ships before leaving. While very disappointing, no one was surprised given that each faction had just come out of a major war.
It was on the fifth day that the Rebel's worst fears became reality. Commander Palmer was standing on the bridge of the Home One at the time. She looked up from the data pad in her hand just in time for alarms to start wailing.
"Admiral! Several Imperial ships have just dropped out of Hyperspace" the communications officer cried.
"Can you identify them?" Akbar asked, swiveling his command chair to look at the man.
"Markings match those of Vader's fleet," the officer reported.
Commander Palmer swore, put her helmet on, and opened a channel to the Infinity. Things just got complicated.
"Admiral Hood-"
"We see them. The fleet is holding station behind the moon with shields raised. Tell the Admiral not to engage unless fired on. They are probably going to hail us first as we are the biggest force. Also, the Arbiter is deploying his fleet to cover them. Vader has a lot to shoot through before he reaches those ships," the Admiral ordered.
"Sir would it be better that we don't get involved?" Commander Palmer suggested.
"We're not," the Admiral informed her, "However, I'm not going to allow open warfare in UNSC space."
"Understood sir. Should I return to Infinity?" Palmer asked.
"No Commander, stay there and keep an eye on things. I don't trust them not to do anything rash. That said, see that the work crews evacuate to the Infinity. I'd prefer to have all non-combat personnel behind some thicker armor if things go bad," the Admiral answered.
"Understood sir they'll be off ASAP." Palmer replied before cutting the channel and taking off her helmet.
She turned around to see the Admiral looking at her expectantly. Commander Palmer quickly and concisely relayed Admiral Hood's orders to the Admiral and other officers on the bridge.
"He's going to start a fight," warned Leia.
"If he does then he's dead." Palmer retorted, "He knows it and should act accordingly."
"You haven't seen him in action, have you?" General Graven challenged.
Commander Palmer allowed a thin smile.
"When you've seen the Covenant in a fight, you've seen pretty much everything, including suicide charges." she said bluntly before smugly adding, "Besides, we have just a bit more discipline as a military. Only the Split-lips have something that could beat us in that."
General Graven shrugged and whispered something to Leia that Commander Palmer didn't hear. However, she didn't care. The message had gotten through.
"Alright. We'll try it your way," Admiral Akbar agreed reluctantly, hoping that nothing would blow out of proportion.
Satisfied, Commander Palmer went to work on her second task of getting the noncoms off the ship.
(SSD Executor: Same time)
Darth Vader stared at the holotable with the same worried expression as his Admiral. They had not stumbled onto some small group of ships like he saw from the probe data. No, the fleet orbiting the planet was hundreds of times his own fleet size. Buried deep within their ranks was the Alliance fleet. In the Force, their fear and hatred radiated out like an infrared beacon. However, on the table, they neatly blended with the rest of the ships. Vader dove deeper into the force as he attempted to determine which ship to hail.
"Infinity," whispered the Force.
"That ship," he announced, pointing to the larger angular ship, "Hail the one called the Infinity."
"I beg your pardon, but wouldn't it seem more logical for this one to be the flagship," Admiral Piett offered, gesturing to the larger, more organic looking, ship.
"No. I have felt it. That ship is the one we must speak to," Vader declared as he stabbed the first ship with his finger.
"Yes, My Lord," Admiral Piett answered crisply.
The Admiral recognized the tone in Darth Vader's voice. Arguing his point anymore would surely be a fatal move. On top of that, the Admiral had little reason to argue with his superior's "feelings". Though he did not understand the Force, Piett could remember no instance of Vader being wrong when he used it, discarding his facing the young brat Skywalker. Even then, his predictions had been almost always accurate. His ability to counter the much younger, less predictable Rebel left some to be desired, though.
Admiral Piett flushed the thoughts from his mind and set to work on the task at hand. He signaled the comm officer to follow Vader's instructions.
A moment later, the holotable lit up and showed a human wearing a strange uniform.
And the galaxy gains a new facet, Piett thought, looking at the elderly man.
"This is Admiral Piett of Death Squadron." he announced, "Please identify yourself."
The man's gaze hardened, and his lips formed a thin line.
"I am Fleet Admiral Hood of the UNSC. Why I am protecting the 'Rebels' as you call them is because I will not have a battle started by foreign powers in UNSC territory. If you wish to speak diplomatically then do so. If not, you are welcome to leave without your quarry." the man said firmly.
His tone brokered no argument from the Admiral he was speaking to. Darth Vader immediately had the information he needed and stepped up to the screen.
"We intend to open diplomatic talks with you, the group you are allied with, and the Alliance leadership," Darth Vader declared.
Admiral Hood blinked twice as he processed what he had just heard.
"It was my understanding that the fleet was wanted by your Empire," he countered.
"They are not the only ones. We have much to discuss and little time. My Admiral is sending over a file of information. I trust that you and the Alliance will find it to be sufficient proof of our motives," Darth Vader declared.
Taking his cue, Admiral Piett inserted a data card into the holotable, and used his code cylinder to send the information to both the Infinity and the Home One. Admiral Hood stepped back and conversed with someone on screen. After he was done, the Admiral addressed the two Imperials.
"We have received it and will review it immediately. I will contact you again in one hour. Until then, hold your position," he announced.
Admiral Piett nodded and the UNSC admiral disappeared from the screen.
"It seems that we have natives to work with now." Piett muttered to no-one.
Vader heard him anyway.
"This is the risk of meticulously thought out plans." Vader said, "When an error makes itself clear, you must revise the plan with that error in mind. If done correctly, the error will degrade into a nuance of the plan."
Piett nodded thoughtfully. He had served under Vader enough to know the man was trying to teach him something valuable. That same experience told him that the Dark Lord had no intention of repeating himself.
Vader walked to the front of the bridge, intending to study the ships that could either be his enemies or, he hoped, his new allies.
(UNSC Infinity)
Admiral Hood looked first at Captain Lasky, then Roland.
"Alright, what did we just get sent?" he began.
Roland didn't miss a beat as he answered, "Personnel files, fleet deployment orders, and…"
The AI trailed off into a blank stare that concerned the Admiral.
"Snap out of it, Roland!" Captain Lasky barked.
Roland jumped as he was snapped back into his avatar. The A.I. didn't neglect his avatar often. It only happened when he got especially lost in something interesting or concerning. This time it was both.
Roland's avatar started moving again after Lasky spoke. Lasky had seen this before many times over the years serving as Captain with Roland as the Infinity's shipboard AI. He shook his head and looked at Lasky gratefully, silently thanking him for snapping him out of his trance, before sobering up and looking at Admiral Hood with a serious expression.
"Sorry sir, I tend to neglect my avatar when new information is interesting or concerning enough." Roland apologized.
Hood nodded thoughtfully, having heard of the AI's fits of "zoning out" in Lasky's reports.
"What has you so interested Roland?" Hood asked seriously, knowing that Roland was going to drop a bomb of information on them.
"I know what happened to the kid's father sir, and it isn't pretty." Roland said.
"Spit it out Roland." Lasky groaned, knowing that Roland would keep hesitating if he wasn't ordered to spill the beans.
"It would be easier to show you sirs, preferably in private." Roland answered truthfully. He didn't want this information getting out, especially to the Rebels. It would shatter their trust in the young kid if they learned this the wrong way.
Hood nodded and motioned for Lasky to join him in the captain's ready room. He caught Agent Dare making to follow them, but he motioned for her to keep on her current task. They had to know what they were dealing with as in depth as they could. He would brief the Agent later. They didn't want a repeat of their naivete before the War.
The door hissed shut behind the two officers, and Roland instantly re-appeared on the holoprojector.
"That suit isn't a combat suit," the A.I. quickly began, "It's a life support unit."
"What happened to him?" Lasky quizzed.
"In short, he got cut to pieces and left to die. That said, he deserved it in my opinion," Roland answered.
Admiral Hood opened his mouth to speak but closed it as the lights dimmed. Roland pointed to a regular screen on the back wall. In response, the two men turned and watched.
"What you two are about to watch happened twenty years ago. It is a collection of videos and images from a mining complex on the planet of Mustafar," Roland explained.
Admiral Hood nodded and watched the screen. The first images were still shots. He recognized the man in each shot as General Skywalker. His gloved hand and wavy hair were hard to mistake. However, these images were far different than the Clone War images he had seen before. His sharp blue eyes and set jaw were replaced with yellow eyes of fire and a tight, maniacal grin.
"I know that look," muttered Captain Lasky.
Admiral Hood slowly nodded in agreement. He knew it as well. The man was consumed by some power. It was clearly new to him, and he had not yet learned to keep it in check.
For the next several minutes, Admiral Hood watched the unfolding of a horror story. He tilted his head curiously as a ship landed on the outside landing pad. It was a smooth silver vessel, with foreign markings. Down the ramp walked a woman in her mid-twenties with tightly braided hair and a horrified face. The audio was hard to hear. However, Admiral Hood didn't really need it to know what was happening. Skywalker's movements became more frantic as he paced the landing pad.
Get out of there, he thought.
Admiral Hood had to remind himself that the woman would not have had access to the same information that he had just seen. He winced as he watched the scene unfold. As the woman collapsed, another man in tan robes entered the frame. Admiral Hood recognized him Obi Wan from the packet of information he obtained from the Alliance. The battle that followed was equal parts disturbing and awe inspiring at the same time. Various cameras, security or otherwise, caught the duel as the two men cut their way through room after room. It eventually came to a stop the shoreline of a lava flow.
"It's over Anakin! I have the high ground," announced the man in tan robes.
"You underestimate my power!" Skywalker shouted back.
"Definitely drunk on his power," Admiral Hood whispered.
Like many things in the video, what happened next played out in the worst way possible. Anakin jumped. It was high jump to be sure. Admiral Hood judged it to be a vertical distance of at least eight feet. However, in the end, his teacher's blade still met him at knee height. Limbs flew, and Anakin dropped to the ground in agony. Obi Wan shouted at the dying man from on top of the rocks. Between the man's wavering voice and the poor audio, Admiral Hood could only guess at what he was saying. It was only the last sentence that came in loud and clear.
"You were my brother Anakin! I loved you!" cried the man on the shore.
Even with the distorted audio, his anguish came through loud and clear. The only response was an inhuman scream as the what was left of Anakin went up in flames. Obi Wan stared at his former padawan for another minute before finally turning his back and walking away. As he disappeared into the ash and smoke, the screen went blank. For several seconds, silence reigned as the two officers considered what they had just seen.
"That explains the suit. What does it have to do with the younger Skywalker?" Captain Lasky finally asked.
"Remember the woman at the beginning?" Roland needlessly asked.
Lasky nodded.
"Here's another shot of her, from ground level," he declared.
On cue, a second shot of the landing pad appeared on screen.
"She was his wife," Admiral Hood noted before finishing in his head, "And very pregnant"
Captain Lasky turned to his superior and skeptically asked, "Are you sure about that? She could just be-"
"No," the Admiral cut in sharply, "Look how she runs down the ramp and then look at her eyes. She trusted Skywalker, and she loved him."
"So, she he was pregnant with Luke at the time," Captain Lasky continued.
"Plus, another. One of the medical records has her bearing twins. According to planetary records, she died on the table," Roland added clinically, "I'll send the particulars to a data pad for you to read later. However, in short, Imperial records have her dying 'on mission' two days prior. Vader didn't kill her, but that's the story he was told for years."
Admiral Hood swore as he realized what Roland was alluding to.
"Was any of this sent to the Alliance?" he asked with obvious worry.
He didn't want to find out the hard way how the Alliance felt about family connections.
"No. We were the only ones to get this information. They just got his medical records and suit blueprints," the A.I. reassured him.
"Good. See that it's all they get," the Admiral ordered.
"Yes sir."
Roland disappeared, and the two men exited the ready-room.
"Why would he give this information to us?" Captain Lasky asked, "He doesn't strike me as a man that takes pride in failure or stupid decisions, and that was both."
"The Alliance is going to claim that he is a liar who can't be trusted. They have and will continue to label him a murderous, blindly devoted tool of the Empire. What we were given is a story that thoroughly undercuts that," Admiral Hood explained, "He was a man who got drunk on power, sobered up, and is now going after the people he holds responsible."
"And the Alliance isn't genuinely on his short list," Captain Lasky reasoned.
"Precisely."
"Doesn't mean he isn't dangerous," cut in Agent Dare.
"Of course not," Captain Lasky readily agreed.
"No. You don't get it. I just got done putting together a profile from what Roland got me. He is fucking dangerous," the Agent emphatically restated.
"Explain," Admiral Hood ordered.
"Here's a datapad with the full workup. In short, he's a mess. He has a pattern of intense and unstable relationships, that is quite evident- even through the tinted lens of official reports. He's impulsive and takes extremely unnecessary risks. I think you'll find he has a mood that can change on a dime. His life story is basically one traumatic event after another. If he has what I think he has, Vader is a loaded gun, and no one will want to be around when he goes off," Agent Dare explained.
Lasky smirked slightly.
"You didn't get all of that from what they gave us did you?" he asked knowingly.
Dare glared at him but nodded grudgingly, knowing that she shouldn't keep secrets from UNSC brass, and especially not the captain of the flagship of the UNSC.
"I might have done some extra digging," she allowed.
"Well, you're out of luck. Commander Palmer says the Alliance wants to have a talk with him. They are requesting that it happens either the Infinity or the Shadow of Intent," Roland declared, as if he didn't hear Lasky's question.
Admiral Hood didn't immediately respond as he considered his options. Both ships had their pros and cons. However, Admiral Hood wanted control of every variable possible.
"Bring everyone to the Infinity. Captain Lasky, prepare a conference room and recall Commander Palmer. Have her work with the Arbiter to set up security for the meeting," Admiral Hood ordered before turning to Roland, "Contact the Executor and tell them the decision. I am allowing three people from each party. Only one person from each may be armed, and it sure as hell will not be Vader.
He turned to the holotable that displayed Vader's fleet and leaned on the table.
"He has enough weapons as it is if the reports are true." the Admiral murmured under his breath.
"Yes sir," Roland and Captain Lasky responded in unison.
Roland's avatar disappeared and Lasky moved away, planning on following his orders to the letter.
(Shadow of Intent: 10 minutes later)
Arbiter Thel 'Vadam was as skilled being a leader as he was a warrior. Sadly, this included politics. He seemed to have a gift for diplomacy. It was what the UNSC would call aggressive diplomacy, but still diplomacy. He had little to fear as he boarded the Phantom that would ferry him to the Infinity. His secret was that he knew and highly respected both men running the ship.
Adding to this sense of security, he was quite familiar with all the Spartans that Commander Palmer had assigned to security for his group. All of them were Spartan IVs, but they had helped him end the war on Sanghellios years ago a few years ago. After Sunion, the Arbiter and Spartan Locke had a few bumps in the road, as the saying goes, but they soothed it over in the occasional joint mission and sparring match. That said, his ultimate respect for any human went to the Demon, the Master Chief. The Arbiter recalled the memories with pride. They had both fought valiantly and with great honor.
The Arbiter reflected on this and more as his streaked across the star-studded vacuum of space. Minutes later, he felt his stomach drop as the ship set down on the cold, titanium deck of the Infinity. In the split second it took for fireteam Osiris to greet him, the Arbiter noticed that most of the hanger's crew had been replaced by fully armed Marines and the occasional ODST added in the mix.
"This is quite the welcome," the Arbiter observed mildly.
"Sorry about the cold welcome Arbiter. Security is tight across this level," Spartan Locke explained, "It's nothing personal."
'Vadam nodded his head. His mandibles tightened slightly in the Sangheili version of tightening their lips. It hadn't taken him long to realize his ship was the only one in the hanger.
"And what of the other two parties? Have they not arrived yet?" the Sangheili followed up.
"They have. Each ship was sent to a different hanger. We are trying to minimize their contact. That way there is less risk of conflict," Locke reassured him.
"Good. Then let us not keep them waiting," the Arbiter concluded as he marched for the rear blast doors, knowing exactly where to go.
After all, he had been in that very room not so long ago. It quickly became clear that Locke wasn't lying when he said that security was tight. The marines at every bulkhead quickly gave way to ODSTs; who later gave way to Spartan IVs. After what felt like an eternity, fireteam Osiris lead the Arbiter into a massive room with grey walls and a massive oak table. At this table were enough chairs for twenty people. Nine of the chairs were occupied by people from the Alliance, Empire, and UNSC, while three Sangheili Spec-Ops soldiers helped the infamous "Blue Team" stand guard along the walls.
∫∆πµπ∆∫
Hiss-puff
The sound was constant, loud, and rhythmic. It also cut deep into Leia's mind. When she had first walked in, her eyes turned to saucers as her breath caught. No one said a word, but it was obvious that no one missed the reaction either. Leia quickly found her breath. Oxygen flowed, and her chest tightened. As time marched on, the pain grew and sweat coated her hands.
Leia closed her eyes and took a deep breath of her own. She had to ease the tension if she was going to be of any use in this conversation. While the highly visible security was good, it did little to ease her fears. The memories were too recent and the pain too much for her to simply push aside. Leia had been this close to Vader twice in her life. The first was for a series of ever worsening interrogations on the Death Star. The second was on Bespin when Lando sold them out.
Leia allowed sigh of relief when the last member of the meeting walked into the room. He was a tall, bipedal humanoid with four jaws and shining gold armor. Everything about the "Arbiter", as he was called, demanded respect. The Arbiter was a towering creature that held his head high and carried a clear air of authority.
"I presume you are the Sangheili that Admiral Hood spoke of," she began.
"I am," the Arbiter confirmed.
"It is good to finally meet you in person," Leia acknowledged with a well-practiced smile.
She noted that the sight of Vader did little to phase Arbiter. It was almost as though he regarded Darth Vader as simple fact of life and not an actual threat.
"Can I interest anyone in a drink?" asked Captain Lasky as he made his way to the back-wall liquor cabinet.
Leia smiled softly as she politely rejected the offer. It was a well-executed diplomatic move that was as old as time itself. The offer of alcohol not only broke the ice but would often loosen the lips of anyone that indulged. Thus, tense conversations became easier. Admiral Hood accepted the offer—as expected—along with Admiral Piett, and Mon Mothma. Vader didn't answer, while Commander Appo, the Arbiter, and Luke also rejected the offer.
Captain Lasky took note of the answers and poured an appropriate amount of glasses. At the table, a tense silence reigned as each person sized up every other person around them. Once Captain Lasky took a seat, Leia took the lead.
"Alright. Everyone is here and listening. What is it that you want, Vader?" Leia demanded.
Vader didn't miss a beat as he answered, "To form an alliance against the Emperor. He is not the man that he was, and I refuse to let him destroy the galaxy more than he has already."
Leia bit back her knee-jerk response and followed up, "How, exactly, has he changed in the last twenty years?"
Vader didn't immediately respond, and Leia thought she the Commander smirk ever-so-slightly as he traded looks with Admiral Piett.
"He's all but abandoned his empire in favor of personal power," Admiral Piett finally answered.
"He has made the Imperial government unsustainable and has committed atrocities for which there is no excuse," Vader declared.
"You're one to talk," Mothma retorted, "Many of his war crimes have been carried out by you."
"Most of the crimes that you know of. The galaxy is a large place Senator, and I am not always in its darkest corners. I suggest be more mindful when you cast blame," Vader corrected.
That once declaration sent a shiver down Leia's back. At best, it implied that the Alliances intelligence on the Empire was focused on the wrong person, and at worst it implied that absolutely nothing about this war was as it seemed.
"What do you mean?" Luke picked up.
"All in due time young Skywalker. We have more pressing matters to discuss at this time." Vader replied vaguely.
"And what would these 'pressing matters' be Vader?" Leia asked.
Her voice was calm but laced with venom.
"Perhaps you would like to start with killing Emperor Palpatine before he finds a way to destroy most of the known galaxy," Vader suggested coldly.
Admiral Hood's eyes visibly widened at the comment. It was obvious that Vader had hit a nerve with the man.
"How would he do that?" the Admiral demanded.
"The Emperor has been looking to achieve immortality. There are ways that one can do that through the force. However, most of the known ones involve mass death on a planetary or interplanetary level," Darth Vader elaborated, "At the very least, I presume you want to kill him while that is still an option."
"That would be ideal," Mon Mothma conceded before skeptically adding, "While I am not well versed in matters of the Force, I presume that immortality is not easy to achieve."
"No. The ancient Sith took most of the required information with them to the grave. What wasn't lost to history was destroyed by the Jedi over the course of the next millennia. The knowledge Palpatine has is purely academic at this point," Vader confirmed.
"Make no mistake. It will not stay academic," Commander Appo added gravely.
As he spoke, the Commander passed over two data pads. One went to Leia and one went to Admiral Hood—that one being translated to their script.
"Admiral Hood, your fleet wishes to visit the deep core region. Why?" Vader quizzed.
Leia turned to the Admiral just in time to see him lean back in his seat. She could see the gears turning in the man's head.
"Lord Hood, we have provided you with extremely compromising information. This was provided in good faith. We are simply asking for the same courtesy in return," Admiral Piett slightly pressed.
Leia watched the Admiral's face instantly harden.
"If you are expecting us to share confidential information to those who have proven that they cannot be trusted, from both parties here, then you are gravely mistaken." The Arbiter declared in lieu of Hood's silence.
Leia opened her mouth to protest.
However, it was Darth Vader's voice that boomed out, "There is plenty of information proving the accuracy of our claims."
"As there is with ours," Leia added.
Admiral Hood held his hand up to silence the two.
"For starters, princess. I've done my time fighting Insurrectionists… Rebels as you know them. I know how information is twisted and withheld," he began before turning to Vader, "You are right. Personal opinions aside, I do not doubt the information you provided. I want to know what you assume is our mission."
"Your systems were untouched. I know not what this fleet is after. However, I have foreseen certain events. You wish to go into the core. If things continue as they are, only death and destruction will be the result of your mission," Vader elaborated.
Hood nodded, but was unsettled seeing the Force, as they called it, at work for the first time.
"What did you come here for Vader? I know it wasn't to say hello and sell girl scout cookies." Hood asked, getting to the point.
Vader looked at Hood in annoyance beneath his mask, not liking the tone that the elder Admiral used. Leia found it alarming that she knew Vader enough to read the subtle changes in his body language.
"What are 'girl scout cookies'?" the young Jedi curiously whispered.
Hood and Lasky gave him a look that said, 'seriously?' before focusing back on Vader, who they knew was about to answer.
"No. I did not. I have come to discuss the formation of an alliance against the Emperor," Vader confirmed.
"The Emperor that killed your family?" Hood asked.
Vader nodded and Mothma froze with her drink halfway to her lips, her hand nearly letting go of the glass. One could hear a pin drop as looks of shock flew across the room.
"Your family?" Mon Mothma asked incredulously.
Both her and Leia watched Luke shift ever so slightly in discomfort.
"Yes," Darth Vader answered with a nod.
In one swift stroke, every assumption they had about Vader was thrown into question.
"What were you told?" Lasky asked, knowing where this was going and curious to see if it would be revealed in its entirety.
"Enough," Vader deftly sidestepped, "The fate of my family is not why we are here."
Leia looked over at Mon Mothma with a worried expression. There was nothing in their packet of information to explain the Captain's question. What had the UNSC been told? That was something that she was concerned about, and she would do her best to find out what it was. If the Empire was sharing lies with the UNSC, this could be a very one-sided alliance between the Rebels and Vader. However, now was not the time or place for those questions. There was the faintest hope that they could create an unstoppable- even if temporary- alliance and getting sidetracked was not the way to create it. She learned that the hard way while trying to convince potential allies of the Rebellion to join them. After losing a couple to her curiosity, she swore to never let it get the better of her again.
"Alright. So, what are the principles neither side will compromise on?" Admiral Hood prompted.
"That is what we were trying to establish, Admiral," Commander Appo responded sharply, getting thoroughly annoyed with this meeting, "This war is yours as well. So, I will ask again, what is your purpose for visiting the core?"
Hood looked at Appo sharply, making the commander shift slightly in his seat.
"This war?" he asked, "This war is not the UNSC's or the Swords' war. I suggest you and your subordinates appreciate that. Compared to what we have just finished less than a decade previous, this squabble is nothing."
"Do not be so proud of your survival Admiral. The inability of one race to effectively wage war does not make the other a Master of It," Vader snapped back.
"Wage a thirty-year war against a superior foe that destroys your planets and massacres your civilians and we shall see if you keep that sentiment," Admiral Hood argued.
"The core planets are the seat of power for the galaxy. Whatever you do there will have a profound and historic impact on the entire galaxy. The Emperor will not take lightly to an incursion of that magnitude. He will follow you back and his invasion will be much bigger than that of the Covenant," Admiral Piett cut in.
Leia shook her head as Admiral Hood defiantly responded. As much as she wanted to jump into the middle, she knew better. There was no way that the Admiral or the Arbiter were getting out of this. However, it was going to take quite the intense conversation to accept this fact. Leia didn't like to admit it, but there were no better people to convince Admiral Hood than Vader and Admiral Piett. The two men knew the Imperial military mindset far more intimately than she ever would. All she had to do is make sure that Vader didn't play the UNSC against the Alliance.
"Even if they could do that, as you suggest, we have ways of insulating ourselves from invasion," Admiral Hood finally declared.
"And how many of your citizens will have to die?" Darth Vader retorted before tilting his head, "I feel the fear rising within you. What do you fear so much that you would risk condemning billions in order to destroy it?"
"Something that would put all of your technological achievements to shame by the push of a button. This 'Death Star' that the Rebels destroyed is nothing compared to what we are planning against." Hood said cryptically grim before adding, "You must pray that it has not been found by the Empire or that it has been unleashed or we shall all pay the price for it."
Much to Leia's surprise, it wasn't Vader who spoke next. It was the commander she had never met before this meeting. Commander Appo leaned across the table and locked eyes with the Admiral.
"No. That is not good enough," Appo hissed, "I have put up with twenty-three years of backstabbing and lies. I have played the games and performed the dances. Just this once, I need a straight and complete answer on what the hell is happening to the galaxy I swore to defend."
Much to the princess's surprise, the soldier's expression softened ever so slightly. While his face remained stone-like, the ice in his eyes cracked to reveal years hidden of pain.
"If you earn the trust that is required, you will know what we are facing. Not before." Hood said.
"And who made you the expert on this mysterious catastrophe waiting to happen?" Appo retorted.
Hood shook his head, "I'm not even the expert on what we are facing, the Arbiter and the Master Chief are. Convince them that you won't destroy the universe and you'll convince me."
Appo turned to face the Master Chief, who was facing the table but not showing any other movement, as if he was a droid or robot.
"Why would I need to earn the trust of a common soldier?" the Commander demanded.
"He has the most experience with this object," Admiral Hood answered coolly.
It was at this moment that Mon Mothma felt it was time to get between the two.
"Alright. It is clear that we have hit an impasse. Instead of outright rejecting what is being said, I believe our time would be best considering what has been said. In my time, I have seen too many people jump or not jump without looking. I know the Alliance will need to discuss what Vader has put on the table," the former Senator suggested before turning to the Imperial delegation, "If in two hours these people still hold the same position, both of us will back off and discuss the terms of an alliance without the Swords or UNSC."
Admiral Hood turned to the Arbiter and shrugged. Unlike the other people at the table, they had time. They were not wanted men, and from what he could tell, the site had not been found yet. The Arbiter nodded, and Admiral Hood turned to Mothma.
"Alright. We will take a two-hour break to consider things. There are common areas on either end of the wing. Each delegation can consider matters in one of the areas, and we will remain here," Admiral Hood agreed.
The Imperial and Rebel delegations rose and left through opposite exits, escorted by their own squad of ODSTs. This left Admiral Hood, the Arbiter, and the Master Chief to discuss what they should do.
Hood turned to the Chief, who was still at the wall, and gestured him over.
"Since you and the Arbiter have the most experience with the Halos, what are your opinions on what each brings to the table?" Hood asked.
The Arbiter turned to the Demon and nodded his head only slightly, indicating that he speaks first.
"Neither side wants to fire the ring," the Chief answered, "I can't say the same about the Emperor."
"I agree. If he learns about the ring, he might try to use it as a weapon," Admiral Hood affirmed.
"Then there is the Flood. If they get released, the no one from that side will be equipped to deal with the threat," the Chief added.
"Not with the fleet before us. However, one does not simply take over a galaxy. I will reserve my tactical judgement of the Empire as a whole until I have seen them in battle," the Arbiter added in.
"That is true, but their ascendance was, in reality, the Great Schism of the Covenant in reverse. Politics played a much more central role than conventional warfare," Captain Lasky noted.
"Hmm… built on the back of another government… Then I stand with the Demon. They are tactically compromised and will not survive an outbreak," the Arbiter decided before adding, "If the core is, in fact, their seat of power, then it is only a matter of time before this "Empire" discovers the ring. Given the instability of their leader, the firing of the ring will come shortly after."
"What about Darth Vader? He isn't nearly as unhinged as I expected," Captain Lasky added.
"No. He is a man with a mission. I didn't miss the way he deflected the question of family. I did however, notice how Skywalker fidgeted when the topic of his family came up," Admiral Hood agreed.
"The man's drive could make Vader a vital ally, or a terrible enemy," the Arbiter warned, "I dealt with his kind within the Covenant. Whatever our decision is, I would advise staying out of that man's way."
"If it reaches that point, we will deal with him with no restrictions on lethality," Hood stated, having done the same thing with some ONI agents gone rogue in the past, "But until he becomes a problem, I will be the last to stand in his way."
"Both Vader and Leia had a point. Whether we like it or not, the UNSC and Swords are about to become part of a much larger universe. As it stands, the Empire has also shown itself to be the most relevant threat in this new galaxy," Captain Lasky admitted.
"They have, but we can't afford to get drawn into a long, protracted war while that Halo ring is a factor," Admiral Hood countered.
"No. We cannot. However, neither side appears to be interested in a protracted war either. Vader is clearly in the endgame of whatever he is planning against the Emperor, and the Alliance isn't far behind. The groundwork for a conventional military is present," the Arbiter declared, "There could be value in hearing their plans. If the strategy is adequate, we could decisively neutralize the Imperial threat and destroy the Halo in one decisive blow."
"It'll have to be a damn good one. I know we have the fleet to go to war, but if we lose it all over there, our respective societies are going to be on thin ice," Admiral Hood warned.
For the rest of the hour, every party considered what had been revealed in the meeting. Ideas were reconsidered, and concerns were raised. At the end of the hour, the parties came back together and discussed what the exact agreement would be.
"The UNSC and Swords of Sanghellios have considered what you both have to offer and we have decided that there is only one question we need answered," Admiral Hood declared before turning to the Imperial party, "What is your strategy for quickly destroying the Emperor."
Admiral Hood had expected this to be the killing blow. The stunned silence on the part of the Alliance leaders seemed to prove him right. After a couple seconds of tense silence, Vader plugged a data card into the table's holoprojector.
"Put simply I intend to march on Coruscant, the Emperor's capital," Vader announced.
Admiral Hood blinked.
"Just like that?" the man skeptically asked.
"No," Vader corrected as he called up the holomap, "First we move on the Yaga Minor shipyards and seize the warships docked there. Then we move on the old Rothana industrial complex and take the resources abandoned there. After that we move on Coruscant."
"And that plan won't last beyond the first battle. The Emperor's grip has loosened, but he still maintains too much control to risk an actual military offensive," Mon Mothma quickly protested.
Admiral Piett took over from there, knowing Vader's plan nearly to the letter, "You are thinking of the Clone Wars era tactic that the Separatists used, which was to use overwhelming force. What we are proposing is much like what you have been doing to evade us, hit and fade attacks, attacking, doing as much damage as realistically possible, then retreating to the fleet. Yaga Minor has a poultry defense force that even Death Squadron and your fleet could defeat easily. Leave the military tactics to those suited to create and use them senator. Your field is in politics. While that in itself is going to be important later in the campaign, it is not relevant now."
Mothma ignored the thinly veiled insult and quizzed, "And how, exactly, is my expertise in politics going to play a part?"
"That shall be revealed in time Senator." Vader rumbled
"No," Leia cut in forcefully, "We are about to put everything we believe in and everything we have ever fought for on the line. I want an answer to that question."
"Explanations do appear to be lacking in this discussion," Vader shot back as he turned to Admiral Hood.
Admiral Hood let out a dejected sigh and shifted his gaze to the holoprojector.
"Roland, display the halo array," the Admiral ordered.
"Are you sure that's the wisest course of action," questioned a disembodied, male voice.
"Just do it before I change my mind," Admiral Hood ordered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
An image of 7 rings appeared via holographic projection.
"Master Chief, if you would," Hood sighed, knowing that the Spartan would get the point across far better than he could.
The spartan nodded and stepped forward.
"These are the Halo Array, the most powerful weapons of mass destruction ever built, and there is one in your galaxy. Right in the middle of it." Chief said in his deep and gravelly voice.
Everyone was confused as to why these rings were such a threat.
"Alright, I'll bite, what do these rings do and how big are they?" Leia asked skeptically.
The Arbiter answered her question, "They create a fire that consumes all life within its blast radius, leaving nothing but ash and barren ground in its wake. They are 10,000 kilometers long and have a range of 25,000 light years."
Hood took over from there, "The last time the Halos were fired, all of them at the same time, all life within our galaxy, and quite possibly your galaxy, was wiped out. To make the situation graver, every ring we have found was completely operational and ready for activation."
Leia was completely appalled at the reality that was the Halo Array. If just one of those rings was activated, it would spell complete and utter destruction for whatever area the Ring was in, be it the Core or Wild Space.
"W-Who could build something like this?" Piett breathed in horror.
"A race of very desperate people. The men and women who built this knew exactly what they wrought. However, they saw what they did as a rebirth for others without them or who they were trying to fight, a parasitic race that is contained on all of the rings for research purposes," the Arbiter explained.
"As you can imagine, we are in quite the rush to disable or destroy this last ring. Given what we've heard of your Emperor, we are also interested in destroying it before he finds this Halo ring," Admiral Hood began before declaring, "As such we are inclined to make this offer. We will aid you in this operation of yours as long as it directly aids us in our mission. The moment that campaign stops helping us in our mission to destroy the ring, we are finished. We will leave the alliance and its members to their own devices and go for the ring ourselves."
"Agreed," Vader said immediately after, "I only hope that the Emperor is dead before such an event occurs,"
They then discussed the alliance between Death Squadron and the Rebellion, which wasn't easy in the least. With every passing minute, Admiral Hood found himself feeling more and more his age. The ideological rift between the Alliance and former Imperials was wide. The only things they seemed to agree on were the need to dethrone the Emperor and the need to destroy the Halo ring.
After an hour of going back and forth, Hood stepped in, "This is getting us nowhere. Make a temporary alliance, including a non-aggression pact, and be done with it. You can decide specifics later. Now we need to move to the Yaga Minor shipyards and start our campaign."
"Alright. In short, all we want is a formal agreement to cease hostilities. In this agreement, we are asking that Death Squadron and any other joining imperials answer to Alliance command, as we do with any other joining person or group," Princess leia declared, "We are also requesting that you split the captured warships between us and your fleet."
There was a tense moment of silence the former imperials considered the offer. Across the table, Admiral Hood resisted the urge to shake his head. He felt that the young woman was reaching too far with her request to keep some of the destroyers. Vader surely wouldn't go for that while he still held the leverage in this discussion.
"Very well," Vader decided, "Transmit the agreement to the Executor. I will see that it is signed upon my return."
Leia nodded in agreement with the thinnest of smiles while Admiral Hood nodded his head ever-so-slightly in approval. After all of the arguing and unbending stubbornness, Vader had agreed to her terms as stated.
"Don't act so smug, Admiral. I am capable of seeing the larger picture," Darth Vader chided.
Admiral Hood hid a startled feeling behind his perfect poker face. He still wasn't used to having someone around him who was capable of "feeling" his emotions.
"Of course," he quickly responded, "Just glad that you could finally agree on something."
And so, it was. The three delegations returned to their respective ships with a fragile truce in place. Next came the relatively easy task of planning their first move. For this task, Admiral Hood, Captain Lasky, and Agent Dare all retreated to the bridge.
"Officers are up on channel 3," Roland reported.
"Put them through," Admiral Hood ordered from the holotable.
He was immediately greeted with two groups. The first group was made up of Admiral Akbar and Princess leia, while the second was made up of Admiral Piett and a second officer that Admiral Hood did not recognize.
"General Veers, I presume?" Agent Dare began, as she locked eyes with the officer.
"Yes ma'am," Veers confirmed crisply.
"Alright, where's Commander Appo or Vader?" Admiral Hood demanded.
"Appo is technically my subordinate. He only came along for security and to prove that Vader had control of the Stormtrooper corps within the fleet. As for Vader himself, there were other… details… that need attended to," Veers carefully answered.
"What other details?" the Arbiter quizzed.
"He wouldn't say. Vader's been working on another angle since we first engaged the alliance fleet a few weeks ago," Admiral Piett explained.
"Alright, you two will do," Admiral Hood decided.