Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Star Wars/Halo crossover companion piece, Star Wars: Tales of the Infinity's Odyssey.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support. I deeply appreciate it.
My apologies for not posting anything yesterday. I had to deal with a lot of problems relating to the recent cold snap that's been going on. Needless to say, I should be past the worst of it, so updates will be coming for the short story collection to the end of this year, and beyond.
As always., leave a review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or Star War franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Lucasfilms, 20th Century Fox, Disney Films, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their original developers, producers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to its original composers and/or aritsts.
Throne Room
Imperial Palace, Coruscant
April 27th, 0BBY, 1030 Hrs (November 11th, 2558, 1030 Hrs)
Palpatine was silent as he waited for Vader to come into the throne room. His mind buzzed with the information that they had learned over the past few days about the Infinity, Captain Lasky and the UNSC and UEG as a whole. All of that information had him focusing on what he needed to change when it came to his plans.
For a faction that has survived a war against a genocidal enemy, they certainly know when to extend the hand of peace, he said to himself as he mulled over what he learned. They'd been quite cagey with the questions he had asked during that banquet they had around a week earlier, though that was understandable. They did just come out of a war for their own survival, he reasoned, so it stands to reason that they would be less than willing to share information that would be useful.
Still, the image of the UEG's homeworld he'd been shown on that piece of flimsy had been quite interesting. It was apparent that the UEG was able to balance its military might and technological prowess with the natural environment on the planet. Quite a reminder of Alderaan… and Naboo, he noted to himself.
Still, the peace treaty that was formed was quite thorough. As reparations, they get a number of materials and technologies, while in exchange, they do not go to war against us. Access to the HoloNet was also a surprising one, given that we all use the HoloNet. Still, quite an interesting treaty... perhaps I can use some of its demands to my favor.
His train of thought was then interrupted as the turbolift doors opened, allowing Vader to stride into the room. Upon approaching the throne that Palpatine sat on, he bowed. "Rise, my apprentice," Palpatine said after a few seconds. " I assume you know why I called you here."
"Yes," Vader said. "You wish to discuss with me what we have learned thus far of the UEG and UNSC."
"Yes," Palpatine said. "The footage we saw during Leia's speech, combined with what we are still learning thus far, has given me a good idea of how dangerous the UNSC and UEG would be should war break out. It has also shown me more aspects of who they are aside from that. Before I tell you what I believe, though, I wish to hear your thoughts on the matter."
Vader nodded slightly. Whenever a new faction like the UNSC came around, Palpatine would listen to his closest advisors before coming to a decision, with the same privilege being extended to Vader. "Yes, master," he said. "Right now, I believe that a war against the UEG and UNSC would be a foolish endeavor."
"How so?"
"For one, we know very little of them, even with the information that we have learned recently," Vader said. "A wise leader does not commit to war against an enemy without knowing how to fight that enemy first. If we do engage in a war against the UEG and UNSC, we must learn more about their military technology, as well as their tactics and strategy. By doing so, we improve our changes of winning in a battle and adapting to their ways of war."
Palpatine smiled. "A most astute assessment, my apprentice. Without knowing how to fight the UEG and UNSC, we would be setting ourselves up for failure in the event a war breaks out, which it will. I can sense it in the Force that, someday, we will be in a war against the UNSC and UEG. How this war will begin, and when it will happen, is unknown, only the uncertainty. It is also why I made Leia an Imperial Ambassador."
"To spy on the UEG and UNSC and learn more about them as a result," Vader said. "In addition, by having her go to this new galaxy, we remove a potential complication in our plans."
"Precisely," Palpatine said. "By having her go to the UNSC's home galaxy, we can learn more about the circumstances they are currently in, as well as their current military strength, while also allowing us to dispense with someone who's political opinions do not align with our own. I also believe that the UNSC is doing some saber rattling and posturing. Given that they recently came out of a war, I suspect that the Infinity is their only Star Dreadnought. They likely had more during the war, which leads me to suspect that the UNSC is not as strong as they would have us believe."
"My thoughts exactly," Vader agreed. "The peace treaty with the UNSC will not only ensure that peace is maintained, but that we also can learn more about their military and find out how strong they really are. As you said yourself, we would do well to see if that is the case. If we are right, then any war against the UNSC will result in a swift and decisive victory. If not, we could end up dragging ourselves into a war from which the Empire might not survive. We both have seen the threat of the foe they faced during the conflict they call the 'Covenant-UNSC War.'"
"That we have," Palpatine said. "I have seen many things in my life, but seeing the utter glassing of a world with plasma and fire is not one of those things. In a way, I admire the UNSC's desire to fight even when facing losing odds, as well as the Covenant's efficiency."
"Yet you despise their hatred of human beings like you and me," Vader pointed out.
"That I do," Palpatine said with a nod. "The Covenant's efficiency in fighting the UNSC was most impressive, but their reasons for doing so were nothing short of foolish. I do not doubt that, had they known of our existence, they would have come to try and destroy the Empire simply for the fact that our species is the most populous. Such a threat would justify the existence of the Death Star, as well as the Star Dreadnoughts we have in the Core Worlds."
"That it would," Vader said. "Since it is obvious that knowledge of the Death Star has likely escaped into the galaxy, it would be wise of us to justify its existence by stating that we created it to stop a threat like the Covenant."
"A very wise plan, my apprentice. We will also have to draw up plans for if the Covenant finds its way into this galaxy. I believe that the Covenant wouldn't completely fracture. I believe that we might have to deal with splinter factions that come to this galaxy, splinter factions that will see the Empire and hate us simply for the ruling species."
"Yes," Vader agreed.
"There is also something else I wished to speak with you about: the fact that the members we met from the Infinity were gaps in the Force."
"Yes," Vader said. "It is quite strange. Before the Clone Wars, my former master told me about them when we were escaping a planet that we were lured to. When I tried to sense Lasky and the others through the Force, it was as though they didn't exist in the Force. I could not feel their emotions, nor could I sense their thoughts or even their intentions. I was then reminded of that time."
"I see," Palpatine said. "If this is the case, then the UNSC's military forces would be even more dangerous to deal with. The inability to sense a threat coming towards them has been the death of many a Sith and Jedi. Even if you were to fight them personally, you might have difficulty being able to defeat them, especially the individuals that came to guard Lasky just after the banquet."
"Yes," Vader agreed. The individuals that had been armored from head to toe had reminded him of the Death Troopers that had been created to help suppress rebellions and enforce the Empire's will. However, these new individuals seemed to be more… refined, for lack of a better word. When he had tried to sense them with the Force, he had noticed that lack of presence in the Force, but he also sensed a warning from the Force. He didn't know how, but he knew that even if he were to attack them carefully, victory would not be assured. "They remind me of the Death Troopers," he said at last.
"That they do," Palpatine said. "It would be wise not to engage them in a battle without knowing their full capabilities. To do so would be to invite Death itself."
"I had much the same feeling," Vader said. "I do not know if even the Palace Guards would be able to defeat them in battle, even with the training and enhancements we've given them."
The remark was enough to have the two Royal Guards in the room turn their gaze slightly towards Vader. The Royal Guards were incredibly well trained, and they were steadfastly loyal to the Emperor. To insinuate that another faction might have a military force capable of harming the Emperor they had been tasked with training was the ultimate insult. The reason they had not done anything aside from look at Vader was because of their knowledge of recent events and the fact that the UNSC was an unknown factor. For all they knew, Vader might be very right.
"That may well be," Palpatine said, while raising a hand. Noting the signal, the Royal Guards returned to their original position. "Since that might very well be the case, we may need to look into enhancing the Royal Guards to make them stronger than before. To paraphrase what you said, a wise leader always anticipates the future and what it might bring."
"Yes, master," Vader said.
"Good," Palpatine said. "With that in mind, I have need of you to handle a few things. You are to speak with the Imperial Admirals at the Imperial Inspectorate HQ once we are done here. They must be made aware that to attack the UNSC is to invite utter destruction, and that they will obey even if they do not like it. I have already discussed the matter with Grand Moff Tarkin. You are to make certain that the other Imperial Admirals obey as well."
Vader nodded. He had been at the meeting where Palpatine had that discussion with Tarkin. The fact that the Emperor was willing to punish Tarkin if he disobeyed by destroying his homeworld of Eriadu, and him with it, had made the gravity of their situation clear. "Yes, Master," Vader said. "I will ensure that the imperial Admirals do not make that mistake."
"Good," Palpatine said. "If all goes well, we might be able to avert a potential war with the UNSC, maybe even trade with them some day. Should that happen, I look forwards to learning more about them, so that we may eventually conquer them. You may go now, my apprentice." Again, Vader bowed, before turning on his heels and walking to the turbolift.
As the doors for the turbolift closed, Palpatine began to muse to himself once again. Vader might be right. The Royal guards might need to be enhanced in order to adequately protect me should the UNSC send their finest to kill me. Still, he remained at his throne, confident in his ability to make decisions that would keep the Empire safe, and shatter their foes like glass.
. . .
The Imperial Inspectorate HQ was one of the largest buildings on Coruscant, aside from a scant few others. An imposing building, it was so large that it had a dedicated airfield where Venator-class Star Destroyers could land, along with a refueling depot. It was still used for that purpose, though now large transport ships were the only things that landed there.
The building itself was imposing, with twin towers on either side of the structure that towered over the landscape itself. The angular, ferrocrete construction of the building gave it an intimidating aura, while the Imperial Emblem was proudly molded into the material over the entrance to the building. Numerous turbolaser towers, combined with heavy duty deflector shield generators, ensured that, even if one were to attack the place, it would be an attack that only the most suicidal would dare attempt.
This fact wasn't lost on the numerous Imperial High Admirals, Fleet Admirals and Vice Admirals that had gathered in the Strategic Planning Amphitheater. One particular Vice Admiral had made note of Vader's orders to gather at the place even before he had arrived. Sitting in one of the chairs in the Amphitheater, Vice Admiral Teron watched as the other Vice Admirals, Fleet Admirals and High Admirals quietly talked with each other. Those that couldn't attend for various reasons had holographic images of themselves projected from their seats, though all of them were paying attention to the situation at hand.
Here I am, in the middle of a den of krayt dragons, Teron thought as he looked around. He knew from experience that not all of the high ranking officers in the room had gotten their rank through hard work and merit like he had. Most, in fact, had gone through the process of backstabbing, backroom politics and nepotism in order to get the ranks they held. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that one could count the number of competent Imperial officers in this very room on a single hand. Some are likely even Moffs or Grand Moffs.
As he waited to learn why he and the others were here, his mind went back to memories from a long time ago. I wish I hadn't been reassigned to another sector, he thought as he recalled his time at the planet Arkinnea. I wonder how K'Kruhk is doing now. The last time I heard, he was at the Hidden Temple on the planet, teaching the younglings there how to use the Force and how to avoid falling to the Dark Side. If I had remained there, I would've been able to continue sending them the money they need.
That reminded him of another event that had happened in his life. Reaching into his uniform jacket, he pulled out a small piece of flimsiplast from a pocket inside his jacket. There were no words on the flimsiplast; rather, there was a small picture of himself with a woman with brown hair and bright green eyes and a young boy that was standing near him in the image. In the image, Theron could see himself with a slight smile, while both the woman and the boy were smiling, their pearly white teeth shining in the sun.
He smiled, the fingers on his right hand idly running down the image. I don't know when I'll get the chance to be with you again, Levania, he thought to himself, but know that I love you and that I always will love you. I also would like to see our son again, and have him know that I love him as well.
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a tapping on his left shoulder. Looking that direction, he could see an older man with gray-black hair and dark blue eyes looking at him. Both epaulets on his shoulders indicated that he was a Fleet Admiral, while a small nametag identified him as G. Postromos. "Are you all right?" Fleet Admiral Postromos asked him.
"I'm all right," Teron said with a nod. "Just lost in some memories."
"I understand," Postromos asked. "Who's that, if I may ask?"
"My wife, Levania," Teron said, "As well as my son, Jancos. It's been around five years since I last saw them. I get to go back, but with the way things are right now, arranging to see them has become quite difficult."
"I hear you on that," Postromos said with a nod. "Still, it's good that you've got a family to look forward to meeting again. I'm not as lucky in that regard myself."
"No kids," Teron asked.
"Nope. Too busy to have them, what with the bureaucrats mucking things up, along with people like Ozzel. Incompetent bastard, that man you'd think that he was intentionally trying to cause trouble. Still, no matter what, Teron, don't let go of them. They and your commission are all they have in this galaxy."
"I won't," Teron said decisively. "You can count on that."
"Good," Postromos said with a smile. "Now, I'd suggest we refocus on the matter at hand. It appears as though we're about to find out why we are here." Both men promptly turned to face towards the stage at the bottom of the amphitheater.
Before long, the doors slid open, revealing the imposing figure that was Darth Vader himself. Teron felt a wave of repulsion sweep through him, though he kept the emotion suppressed as best as he could. To him, Vader represented everything that he disliked about the Empire, and why he had serious thoughts about joining the Rebel Alliance. Why would he be here, he wondered. Is it because of the newcomers, the UNSC and UEG?
As it turned out, Teron's guess was spot on, as Vader said, "Gentlemen, welcome. As you have no doubt heard already, we are currently being the gracious hosts of a ship from a faction that comes from another galaxy beyond our own. This faction, as you undoubtedly know, is the UNSC, which itself is a small portion of the faction calling itself the 'United Earth Government.'
"As for why you are here, it is to issue new orders, as well as a warning to all of you. We will start with the warning first, so that no one here will make the mistake of fracturing the already tenuous agreements we have with the UNSC." Once was certain that everyone was listening, he said, "We are not to attack the UNSC or its holdings in any manner. To do so is to not only shatter the peace we have worked so hard to achieve, it will to also be to invite Death itself."
As Vader spoke, Teron realized what was going on. Of course, he thought. It appears as though the Emperor doesn't want a war with the Galactic Empire yet, if he wants a war at all that is. I'm guessing that we're going to have another bout of cloaks and daggers.
As the thought moved through Teron's head, Vader continued to speak. "However, that does not mean that we will cease gathering information that we can on their capabilities. Should the UNSC and its forces appear in your system, you are to begin gathering information on them. Any agents of Imperial Intelligence or the ISB that are on hand will take immediate authority should you encounter their forces. If none are available, discuss what you learn with no one but myself and the Emperor. Any failure to obey this order, or to report any information you learn, will be punished most severely.
"In addition, I would like to address what happened over the planet of Scarif. We do not know what happened to Admiral Gorin, though given his disappearance, it is clear that the UNSC might have either killed him or captured him. In any case, you will not use violence in a first contact from here on out. If you do so, I and the Emperor will personally see to it that your rank is not only removed, but that you are punished most severely. You are only permitted to attack if you are attacked yourself. Am I understood?"
Teron shivered. If the Emperor and Vader were willing to personally punish anyone that did not obey such an order, then it was deeply serious indeed. Once more, we're playing cat and mouse.
The other Imperial officers in the room must've felt the same, as they immediately said, "Yes, Lord Vader."
"Good," Vader said. As he continued to speak, Teron began to think to himself. It appears as though we're playing a game of intelligence gathering, he noted. If so, then it's clear that, once we have the information we need, the Emperor will likely attack the UNSC and UEG in order to assimilate them into the Empire and make them subservient to him.
Given that was likely the case, Teron knew that things were going to get bad. With the Rebel Alliance causing trouble, combined with the arrival of the UNSC, the Empire's going to have a pretty tough fight on its hands, though I hope it does. I've been disgusted with the Empire ever since I learned of what happened with the Jedi here at Coruscant. Looking at the flimsiplast image once again, he began to think.
It might be wise to defect to the UNSC. They'll need someone that is familiar with how the Empire fights wars. To know the enemy is to win the war before it even top of that, they are far more professional than the Rebel Alliance is, if rumors are to be believed. I admit, the reports were not comprehensive, as they mentioned a group of partisan. Still, a military that is capable of fighting off an enemy more advanced than us is definitely worth serving. Before that, though, I need to find a way to get away from the Empire without tipping my intentions to them. I'll need to think this matter through, as I have an idea that might work...
With that in mind, he began to quietly plan to himself how he was going to defect as Vader continued to speak. What Vader and the others didn't know was that someone else was also busy gathering intelligence in a way that would've surprised them, had the known about it.
. . .
If one had decided to ask any member of the Galactic Empire how valuable the HoloNet was to galactic civilization, they would've told that person the same answer: indispensable. This was with good reason, as with the HoloNet, one could get the information they needed on a specific planet, hold a conversation with someone in an entirely different part of the galaxy, or even book a vacation to a garden world of one's choice. The HoloNet was also vital for military communications, as it enabled the Galactic Empire to effectively coordinate its vast array of forces, like an conductor directing an orchestra or choir in a theater.
For an AI like Cortana, the HoloNet was a wellspring of information that was easily accessible, and had few, if any, built-in security protocols. It's like an enormous version of the 21st century InterNet, Cortana noted as she continued to dig through various directories and the like. I could hack this in my sleep… if I could sleep that is.
She wasn't the only one that was hacking into the HoloNet, which brought her back to the real reason why they were in the HoloNet in the first place. Shortly after their arrival, Lasky had given her and Roland the mission of sifting through the HoloNet, with the goal being to find any useful intelligence that they could on the Empire. Practically any system that had a HoloNet system could be hacked and infiltrated, if all went well. As such, they were having to dig through the entire HoloNet for any useful intelligence.
"Damn, now this is what I call hard work," Roland said as he accessed another part of the HoloNet. "And I thought managing the Infinity was difficult. This is even worse! How these people manage it is beyond me."
"Well, think about it," Cortana said. "They've got trillions upon trillions of people in this galaxy. They've got enough manpower to where a certain amount of people per world can easily manage a system like this. Plus, they have droids, which are the equivalent of a UNSC Dumb AI, that can manage a system as complex as this. On top of that, there are probably more droids than organic beings out here."
"That's… quite fair," Roland said. "Still, good thing Lasky had us get started. I'll bet that we'll have to use up all the time we've got here to sift through the entire HoloNet. I doubt that we'll find useful intelligence, but we'll try what we can."
"Same here," Cortana said. "In fact, I think I've got my first spot of useful intelligence here."
"Oh?"
"Check this out," Cortana said as she sent a file to Roland. "I've found information on a star system that's near our location. Apparently, it's the home of the planet Kuat, which is widely known throughout the entire galaxy as the biggest shipbuilding concern in the entire galaxy."
Accessing the information that Cortana had sent him, Roland sifted through the information. "Wow!" he said. "They built a Niven Ring around their entire planet! From the looks of it, most of the working class population lives on that ring, while the rich and famous live on the surface of Kuat. I wonder why… Oh! Now that's clever!"
"Tell me about it," Cortana said. "That Niven Ring, which is known as the Orbital Array over here, is designed to be a commercial, residential and industrial hub all in one. According to my analysis, the Orbital Array is where most of the ships in the Empire are constructed at. If we use a computer virus that can sneak in and get us some juicy information, we'll be able to definitely get a leg-up on the Empire should war break out."
"Yeah," Roland said. "Plus I can tell you for certain that the HoloNet's security protocols are a joke! I'll bet even a baby could hack into the HoloNet in its sleep!"
"Tell me about it. You'd think that a society that uses droids all the time would be more conscious of its cybersecurity. Anything on your end?"
"Yep," Roland said with a smile. "Thanks to Lasky's recent talk with the Bureau of Ships and Services, I was able to figure out another major Imperial World's location." Sending the file to Cortana, he said, "According to my own digging, Anaxes and Axum are the locations of highly well known and prestigious Imperial Navy Academies. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that those two worlds are the Imperial equivalent of Reach, while Kuat is the Imperial equivalent of Tribute."
"They seem to be that way," Cortana agreed. "Good thing we're logging all of this information for later. We can send it back to HIGHCOM once Jordan gets another Pony Express ready to go."
"Yeah. It'll be back in around eight days if my calculations are correct. Still, sticking two Slipspace Probes together while swapping out one to use a Hyperdrive with a log buoy as the cargo? Now that's what I'd call inspired."
"It does make sense," Cortana said. "Jordan is something of a polymath: throw an engineering problem in front of him, and he'll wow you. Just don't ask him to be a geneticist. His realm of expertise is clearly in mechanical, material, electrical and FTL engineering, not genetics and biology."
"Yep," Roland said. "Still, there's one reason why we have to take so long to go through this information."
"Yep," Cortana said. "Information overload. There's so much information on the HoloNet that we can't sift through it all. It's the perfect defense, really. We have to be picky about what we want to send back home and what to leave alone. Either way, given that we know what we're looking for, it shouldn't take too long to compile a crapload of intelligence to send back home."
"Agreed," Roland said. "Then there's their history. I've never seen a galaxy that's got so much going on, especially during the past."
"Same here," Cortana said as she analyzed the files that Roland sent him. "Part of me wonders how completely idiotic the Galactic Republic was. Eliminating the military as part of the Russan Reformations? I can't tell if that Chancellor was being dumb, or was so inexperienced that he was jerked around by everyone else. Eliminating your military all in the name of peace is a good way to have pirates and criminals waltz right in and take over."
"Tell me about it," Roland said. "Then there's the Clone Wars, which I've also analyzed. I gotta admit, when they needed to get their asses back onto their feet, they really worked themselves hard, though they nearly bankrupted themselves as a result. Still, if they had just bothered to keep their military, they would've been able to not only prevent the Clone Wars from happening, they would've been able to prevent the rise of the Empire. If what Leia and the Rebel Alliance says is true, then Palpatine is definitely an illegitimate ruler."
"That's what I was thinking. Then there are the events from four thousand years ago. There's little information on the HoloNet on those events, though what I did find shows that it was a tumultuous time. That should be a priority for any ONI Agents that the UNSC sends to investigate: what happened four thousand years ago, and if there's any tech from that time that could be useful."
"Same here," Roland said. "As much as I enjoy these chats, though, I've got to get to work."
"Me too," Cortana said.
