Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars crossover redux.

Thank you all for your wonderful patience and support. I deeply appreciate it. I also hope that you had a wonderful New Years Day.

With that, I am announcing my return to writing the main story Star Wars: Odyssey of The Infinity, which is the main piece to the short story collection you are reading, Star Wars: Tales of The Infinity's Odyssey. I will write new short stories when I can, though expect the main story to have more frequent updates as a result.

As always, leave a review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or Star Wars 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 respective developers 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 artists.


UNSC Infinity

En Route to Pantora

May 12th, 0BBY (November 27th, 2558)

There were few events in life that the Master Chief would've called 'mundane' or 'normal.' Such words tended to be used to describe people who's lives would be considered uninteresting, dull or boring. Chief's life, on the other hand, could be described with the words 'awe inspiring', 'turbulent' , 'titanic' and the like. Mere things that were mundane usually didn't belong in such peoples lives.

Yet Chief could finally name one thing that would've been considered quite mundane for a man like him: sitting at a table, filling out forms, requests and the like. He could already see why some people felt that such a life was boring, and why some people would desire the fire and intensity of combat to the dull life of sitting behind a desk all the time. Indeed, he could already feel that same desire as well, though he was more irritated by the fact that he'd ended up in this position.

Still, it couldn't be helped, and he knew it very well. Vice Admiral Cole made his decision when he provisionally promoted me to RADM. I won't go against his orders unless an officer of higher rank than him orders me to do so, and even then, I would do so with the greatest hesitance. He knew that Cole had his reasons for doing so, though a part of him wondered why such an experienced and decorated soldier was sitting behind a desk filling out and filing paperwork, or at least the digital version thereof.

As such, it was a bit of a relief when the door chimed. "Come in," he said as he filled out the last piece of paperwork. The door opened a moment later, revealing the weathered face of Colonel Sarpong. "Colonel," Chief said. "Is there anything you need?"

"Just reporting in as ordered," Sarpong said, wiping the mop of black hair on his head. "You wanted to discuss the matter of ensuring security on the Infinity with me, yes?"

"Correct," Chief said. "Given the events that happened during the coup, it's come to my attention that we will need to conduct training for the naval personnel in order to ensure that another coup like this does not happen again. In addition, I would like to discuss the possibility of having Marines performing regular patrols and security on the ship, while also ensuring that no boarding actions happen again."

"That we can do," Sarpong said. "For starters, we're going to have to create a training regimen for the Naval personnel to follow without disrupting their regular duties on the ship. I would suggest that we do short, three hour training sessions at the firing range, and inside of the simulator decks for the War Games. In fact, if I may, sir, I would like to request the use of the War Games Simulators that the Spartan-IVs typically use. Given the number of people onboard the ship, I believe that it's the only way that we'll be able to get everyone trained properly."

Chief clasped his hands in front of his face. It was true that the Infinity carried a considerable amount of naval personnel, nearly nine thousand to be exact. Attempting to rotate training for those people with only a few simulator decks would, indeed, be taxing those rooms to the very limit. As such, he found Sarpong's request to not only be reasonable, but sensible as well. "You may do so," he said. "In fact, given the amount of crew that is onboard the ship, it is necessary that we do so. Three hour training shifts is an excellent idea, though we'll only be able to do that once we are in orbit of a planet that has allied with us."

"Thank you, sir," Sarpong said.

"Are there any other considerations that you would like to present to me?"

"Yes," Sarpong said. "We're going to need a Lieutenant Colonel that can act as the head of the Marine Security Forces, and as a secondary security officer. As we know from the attempted coup two days earlier, when Phillips went down, the entire security for the ship was at the mercy of the ONI Captain that attempted the coup. We'll need someone that will not only act as a secondary security officer in case Phillip is knocked out of action, we'll need someone that is also loyal to the Captain of the ship, rather than to some outside organization like ONI."

"Who would you recommend for this task?" Chief asked.

"There's one Captain that I've been eyeing for some time, mostly due to unusual anomalies in her record." Pulling out a manila file, he handed it to Chief, who quickly checked it over. As expected, it was a dossier on a member of the crew. "You remember this woman?" Sarpong asked.

As soon as he saw the image, Chief immediately recognized who the woman was. Still, he knew he couldn't say yes, as that would be a breach of numerous security protocols. "No," he said. "Do you know who she is?"

"Captain Parisa Monica of the UNSC Marine Corps." As soon as Sarpong said this, Chief's mind was transported to a place that was deeply buried in his mind. A memory of a different place, and a different time.

. . .

Several Decades Earlier

Lying on his back, John looked up towards the skies of Eridanus II, the colony that he'd been born on. It had been around two days since he had saved Parisa from drowning in the waters of Lake Gustav, and things had been going smoothly. His father and mother were doing well at work, and his friends had lots of things to do and say about life.

If there was one person that John held dear in his heart, though, it was Parisa. It wasn't hard to see why either; she was smart and kind, and there was nothing that he could find wrong with her. In a way, he felt that he was likely meant to be with her for the rest of his life, though he had no idea as to why. Just nerves, I guess, he thought.

Tonight, however, he had come outside with Parisa, with their parents permission of course, in order to look at the stars. For some reason, John found that the stars in the skies of Eridanus II fascinated him, but it wasn't just the stars themselves that fascinated him. Like any smart young boy, John had a fascination for science-fiction novels, especially the classics written by novelists such as Ray Bradbury, Issac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and the like. The only thing that rivaled his love for science was his love of sports, though that was rare.

As he gazed at the stars, a thought came to him, one that Parisa expressed for him. "I wonder what's out there?" she asked. "Do you?"

"I do," John agreed, his eyes gazing at the stars in the inky blackness of space. "Maybe someone up there's wondering what it's like here."

"I guess?" Parisa said uncertainly. "Do you think we'll ever meet them?"

John smiled. "I hope so. Don't you?"

"I guess I do," Parisa said.

. . .

Present Day

As the memory traveled through his mind, Chief returned his focus to the business at hand. "Why do you believe that she will be suitable for being the Chief of the Marine Security Forces?"

"For a number of reasons," Sarpong said. "For one thing, she was the first to rally people to head to the security center to take back the ship. For another, she was the only person that led a squad to get to the bridge in order to retake the command bridge and the Infinity with it. Say what you will about her, but Captain Parisa is a lady with balls of steel. That's the kind of person that we in case everything goes to hell: someone that has the balls to rally the soldiers together to protect the ship or retake it if need be.

"Then there's her service record. She has numerous combat medals and citations, and her service record can be described with one word: distinguished. She's one of my best soldiers, and I've recommended her many times for promotion. The trouble is that my requests that she be promoted above the rank of Captain have been repeatedly denied by HIGHCOM. It's almost as if she got onto the wrong side of them."

"What did she do to get on the wrong side of HIGHCOM?" Chief asked.

"No idea. There's nothing that would get a promotion committee concerned. I've asked her myself on a few occasions, and she doesn't know either. It's almost as though someone's stonewalling her for some unknown reason."

Chief nodded. It was clear that Sarpong was right to choose Parisa as the chief of the Marine Security Forces for the ship. Her service record had made that more than clear many times in a row. Then it occurred to Chief as to why. ONI likely doesn't want her to find out about me, he realized. Being the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel would give her the security clearance to figure out what happened to me. Still, there was one question that he needed to ask Sarpong. "Why do you wish for her to be in ship security and not part of the ground crew?"

"Out of necessity," Sarpong said. "We're going to need the Marines to fulfill a role that they once had historically: ensuring the safety and security of the ship and the man or woman commanding it. We cannot afford to have someone incompetent in that position, or someone that is serving another organization in the UNSC, to be in that position. Parisa is not only a full blooded Marine, she is also a highly competent person. In addition, she's a veteran of the Covenant-UNSC War, which makes her supremely qualified for the position."

"I see," Chief said. After a few seconds, he said, "I'll speak with Admiral Cole on this, as well as the anomalies in her service record. In the meantime, could you have her come to my office please?

"Certainly," Sarpong said.

As Sarpong used his TACPAD to contact Parisa, John thumbed a communicator on his desk. "Cortana, can you prepare a dossier on Captain Parisa please?"

"Sure," Cortana said. "Sending it to Cole?"

"Yes," Chief said.

"Copy that," Cortana said. What she didn't tell Chief was that she had analyzed his voice during that time, and found that he had been practicing deception. I wonder why my favorite Spartan is so interested in a lowly Captain, she thought. Perhaps there's something that needs my attention there. "Dossier ready," she said. "Also, mind if I ask why you were practicing deception when you were talking to Sarpong?"

Chief remained silent on the matter. "OK, then," she said. "If you want to be all silent and mysterious, then you can." Still, Cortana knew that there was something going on, especially after she checked John's personal file against Parisa's. Looks like my Spartan has a soft spot for Parisa. Not too surprising from what his file says. Still, that is something worth looking into.

Once she said this, Chief keyed his COM. "Sierra 117 to Vice Admiral Cole. Do you read me?"

In response, a woman's voice spoke up. "Lieutenant Jessica Reed here," came a voice. "Rear Admiral 117. How can I help you?"

"May I speak with Vice Admiral Cole?" Chief asked. "There's a matter I need to discuss with him."

"One moment please," Jessia said. After a few seconds, she said, "You may go ahead and do so. He's ready to speak with you."

"Thank you."

A moment later, Cole's voice came in over the COM. "Rear Admiral 117, this is Vice Admiral Cole. What do you need to speak to me about?"

"About a potential candidate for the security forces on the ship," Chief said. "I'm sending you her dossier now." A moment later, Cortana sent the information directly to Cole.

"Just got it now," Cole said. "Can you hold for a few minutes?"

"Yes, sir."

For over five minutes, there was silence as Chief waited for Cole's response. "Very interesting," Cole said. "I find it odd that, despite serving for over twenty eight years in the UNSC Marine Corps, Parisa has not had a promotion, despite easily passing the tests and receiving numerous promotion recommendations from Colonel Sarpong. I think Sarpong is right in that someone might be stonewalling her. His comments on that were added to her dossier, including an audio log of your meeting with him. So, why send me this?"

"We were considering Parisa for a two step promotion," Chief said. "We've decided that she will be tasked with commanding the Marine Security Force that we've been setting up for the past two days since the attempted coup. Given her experience in the Covenant-UNSC War, she is qualified for the position. I also believe that ONI might be stalling her rise through the ranks due to the fact that... well... she and I were close in the past. As such, they don't want her to find out how I became a Spartan II."

"I see," Cole said. "I believe that those suspicions might be correct. I'll have to check to make certain, but given ONI's recent antics, stalling a person's rise through the ranks wouldn't be too far past them. Etiher way, I believe that Parisa an excellent recommendation for that position, Chief. You may promote her with my blessing."

"Thank you, sir."

Sarpong smirked as he listened in on what was going on. So Parisa was a sweetheart of Chief's in the past, he thought with some surprise. That's some good stuff there. I think I'll keep it to myself, though. No need to go about spreading rumors, which would make me look bad.

. . .

On another section of the ship, Captain Parisa was sitting in her quarters reading a novel. There were few personal belongings that she had, mostly due to the weight limits that were imposed for ships like the Infinity. What she did have, though, mostly consisted of books, which she used to distract herself was she was on her free time.

There was one distraction, though, that would never completely go away. Looking at a small cubbyhole where her bunk was, she could see that photo from long ago, when she was just a small child. Smiling, she said, "I wonder what you'd be thinking of me, John," she said quietly. "I wonder…"

She was about to continue when a voice came over the PA. "Captain Parisa Monica, report to Colonel Sarpong immediately. Captain Parisa to Colonel Sarpong Immediately."

Parisa sighed. Duty calls… again, she thought. Closing the book she was reading with a snap, she quickly got out of her bunk and threw her uniform on, along with her body armor. Ever since the coup attempt, she had felt an underlying tension, enough that she didn't feel safe outside of her armor. Only when she was within the shell of ceramics, composites and metal alloys that formed the new Marine BDUs did she feel safe. Keying the COM on her earpiece, she said, "Captain Parisa here. Where do you need me, Colonel?"

"Come to my location," Sarpong said. "I'll send the coordinates to your TACPAD." Feeling a vibration in her arm, Parisa looked at her TACPAD to see the coordinates in question.

"Copy that. On my way," she said. That's one of the unused offices on the ship, she thought as she made her way towards the coordinates in question. Why would Sarpong wish to meet me there? She decided to find out once she got there.

As it turned out, the offices in question were no longer unused. Parisa was surprised to see Colonel Sarpong nearby, along with two Spartan IVs that were standing outside of the doors. "Good timing, Captain," Sarpong said. "I was just about to come and get you myself. Can you come inside for me?"

"Sure," Parisa said. "Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"What's this all about?" she asked. "Is there something you need of me? Is something wrong?"

"That remains to be seen," Sarpong said cryptically, though she noted the hint of a smile on his face. "However, there is someone I would like you to meet first." With that, he moved towards the door, with the Spartan IVs coming inside. Following Sarpong inside, Parisa found that the room was sparsely decorated, aside from a holo-frame picture that had various vistas of Earth and a few other colonies that changed every so often. There was only another chair, as well as a small filing cabinet and a mostly empty bookshelf.

It was the man in the desk past the chair that had Parisa's attention. For starters, he was practically as white as the snow, likely from months, if not years, of not being in the sunlight at all. For another, he was a huge man, with Parisa estimating that he would be able to stand well over seven feet tall if he wasn't in his chair. The final detail that caught her attention were his eyes: they were blue in color, with both eyes having an intensity that reminded her of images of a lighthouse in a storm.

As she walked in, the man spoke in a gravely voice. "Captain Parisa, welcome," he said. "You may sit down if you like."

As soon as Parisa heard that voice, she thought it was awfully familiar. Sarpong, though, was the one that confirmed it. "Parisa, meet the new head of the Spartan forces and the ground forces of the Infinity: Rear Admiral 117."

As soon as she heard that, she immediately recognized who the man was before her. Straightening in her seat, she asked, "What do you need of me, sir?"

"At ease," Chief said. "We wished to inform you of a decision that we've made." Clearing his throat, he said, "We've done an extensive review of your military service record in accordance with protocol. In light of said service record, Parisa, I've decided to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel."

Hearing that, Parisa straightened up again. "I… uh… thank you, sir," she said. "What's my newest assignment?"

"You will be in charge of a new force onboard the Infinity," Chief said. "The recent coup that happened exposed a glaring weakness in the security forces onboard the Infinity. As such, we've been setting up an onboard Marine Security Force to ensure that another coup does not happen again. You will be in command of that task force given your service record, as well as your gallant actions during the coup attempt."

For a moment, surprise caused Parisa's mind to go blank. What, she thought. I'm being put onto a new security force?! What did I do to piss this guy off?! "Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted," Chief said.

"Why am I being taken off of the ground force and put on guard duty, sir? I don't think this is an excellent use of my talents. No offense intended."

"None taken," Chief said. "Normally, it would be, but recent events have shown otherwise. You were the only person to take a squad to the bridge in order to protect the Captain and liberate him if need be. As such, given your actions, we've deemed it necessary to have you as the CO of this new security force. Understood?"

Parisa sighed. It was clear that Chief was not going to budge in this regard. "Yes sir," she said. "I don't like being removed from front-line duty, but I understand why you need me in this position. I'll make certain that the ship is secure."

"Very good," Chief said. "Colonel Sarpong will be the Colonel that you will report to. At 0300 hours today, you and he will be discussing measures that will ensure that the Infinity is not boarded or taken over. Dismissed."

As she left Chief's office, Parisa's mind was in a whirl. Well, I finally got a promotion, he noted, but not the kind I wanted. Looking at Sarpong as he left alongside her, she asked, "What did I do to get on yours and the Rear Admiral's bad side? Sarpong's only reply was a smirk, which only confused her even more. Then there were the photographs in the holo-frame. Most of them were of Earth and other colonies, but a select few were of Eridanus II before its classing. To her, that meant something, though she didn't know what it meant.

Ah, what the hell... I'll figure it out eventually. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why one of the most legendary soldiers in the UNSC had put her on guard duty.

. . .

While Parisa was having to adjust to the newfound realities of being a Lieutenant Colonel, there was a decidedly different scene going on in one of the rooms onboard the Infinity. Standing near a crate, N'tho watched as a pair of Sangheili sparred with each other, their nearly naked bodies glistening with sweat as the two fought to gain supremacy over the other. Nearby, several bored Sangheili roared with excitement, or shouted with words of encouragement.

That roaring reached a fever pitch when one of the younger Sangheili was promptly dropped to the ground by the other and held in place with a foot. The younger Sangheili immediately tapped twice on the ground, indicating submission, with the other letting go. Both of them stood up, patting each other before going to get their sweat soaked bodies cleaned off.

"That was a most excellent spar!" one of the Elites roared happily. "If that is the best our future generations have to offer, then I can die a content Sangheili."

"Same here," another one said.

It was then that another voice made itself apparently. "Hello? Can I come in?" Turning around, N'tho and the others saw a human that was standing in the doorway. The Human was around average height for his species, had black hair that was cut close to his head, as well as a robe that he wore underneath what appeared to be a belt of some kind. What had N'tho's attention were the man's eyes. Both of them were a milky white, though it was more like a fog, as he could see other colors underneath. In his hands was a staff, though the warrior inside of N'tho had no doubts that it was more than just a simple walking-stick. "You can," he said a moment later. "Who are you?"

"Chirrut Îmwe," the man said. "You?"

"N'tho 'Sraom. With me is Usze 'Taham, B'rok 'N'tham and C'rodus 'Matum. Is there anything you need?"

"No," Chirrut said. "I was investigating what I thought was a glow of some kind in the Force. Part of me wishes that you could feel the Force, so that you could sense it, if not see it."

"See it?" B'rok parroted. "You must be mad, Human. There is no such glow, and I think you are wasting your time."

"B'rok," N'tho growled. "There is no need to be rude to a guest onboard our ship." Turning to Chirrut, he said, "I apologize for B'rok's behavior. He comes from a highborn family and often thinks that he has privileges that do not belong to him."

"It's all right," Chirrut said. "Many people mock me for my blindness, yet who is blind? The blind man or the man that calls him blind?"

C'rodus laughed. "Well met!" he said. "Looks like you should mind your mouth, B'rok. Otherwise, a Human might teach you some manners."

B'rok snarled, while muttering something in Sangheili that had the others growling at him. Looking at Chirrut, he said, "Well, then. If you seem to think that I am a blind fool, then I challenge you to a spar. Fight me in the circle of honor. Prove to me if you are as wise with your arms as you are with your mouth."

"You don't have to accept," N'tho said to Chirrut.

"I will," Chirrut said. "Who knows? B'rok might learn something that will make him wiser. What are the rules?"

"No lethal implements," B'rok said. "Only your stick, and mine." He hefted a thick wooden pole that he had used in an earlier spar.

"Very well, I accept," Chirrut said.

N'tho became worried. "Chirrut -"

"No," Chirrut said. "Sometimes, one must prove their worth in order to be recognized." As he said this, he stepped forward, holding his staff in a warrior's pose.

B'rok laughed. "Come then," he said. "I shall beat you until you cannot sit for a week!"

"You would do well to be more cautious," Chirrut said. "Arrogance has hamstrung more warriors than any injury." Insulted, B'rok charged at Chirrut, before swinging hard and fast.

It was then that Chirrut surprised everyone. Rather than meeting the blow, Chirrut leaned back just enough for the wood pole to pass over his head. As it passed, he planted his right hand onto the ground, before pivoting his legs to the right, catching B'rok off guard and knocking him onto the ground. B'rok let out a surprised squawk as he fell to the ground, but he quickly recovered, with the two combatants circling each other.

What N'tho and B'rok didn't know was that while Chirrut was physically blind, he was not blind in the Force. Watching B'rok as the two circled each other, Chirrut could see the flow of the Force darken slightly. Be careful, he heard a voice in the Force whisper. His strength exceeds your own. At the same time, Chirrut watched as a future event showing B'rok charging at him flashed before his eyes in the Force. Since he could not defeat B'rok using brute force, he had to use other tactics to win.

True enough, as the Force predicted, B'rok charged at him, swinging his stick in a manner that would keep his legs protected. Reacting fast, Chirrut blocked the blow with his staff, while quickly sliding to the left. B'rok's much larger and heavier body missed him by mere inches, with Chirrut slapping B'rok across the back of his legs with his staff, causing the Elite to stumble slightly.

The spar continued like this for some time, with B'rok becoming increasingly angry and frustrated at his inability to land a blow on Chirrut, while Chirrut remained as calm and collected as ever. Eventually, B'rok roared, before charging at Chirrut, keeping his arms spread out in order to catch Chirrut if he dodged. It was here that Chirrut surprised everyone.

Rather than dodge to the left or right, Chirrut charged forwards as well, only to drop to his knees and slide right between B'rok's legs, while swinging his staff upwards. A pained roar came from B'rok as his family jewels suffered a direct blow from Chirrut's, with the male Sangheili turning in rage towards Chirrut. This time, however, Chirrut went on the offensive, using a combination of unarmed strikes from his hands, and sturdy whacks and disarming blows from his staff. Under such a fusillade, B'rok quickly crumpled, falling to the ground as his tired limbs buckled. Before he could recover, Chirrut placed a foot onto B'rok's head for the prerequisite five seconds. "Do you yield?" Chirrut asked.

B'rok merely snarled, which prompted Chirrut to push harder with his foot. "Enough!" B'rok snarled. "You win, Human." At that, Chirrut released the pressure on B'rok's head, with the Sangheili growling and grumbling as he got up, his pride beaten to soreness.

All the other Sangheili, however, began to clap and cheer. "That was excellent!" Usze said with a smile. "I've known greater warriors that would've struggled with someone like B'rok. You are a skilled warrior, Human."

"Thank you," Chirrut said. "As I said earlier, arrogance has hamstrung more warriors than injuries. Had B'rok been more cautious with how he approached me, he might have stood a greater chance of winning. I shall be taking my leave now, if you don't mind."

"We do not," N'tho said. "In fact, should you have spare time, I will be more than happy to spar with you. I believe we have much to learn from each other."

"That we do," Chirrut said. As he left the room the Sangheili were using to spar, he thought back on the glow that had drawn him to them earlier. It was quite strange, he thought. For some reason, it seemed to be centered around N'tho. Why, I do not know, but it could be he is meant for greater things. Still, it could also be just my imagination. With that, he walked off, puzzled, but with more answers than questions.