Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars short story collection: Star Wars: Tales of the Infinity's Odyssey
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support. I deeply appreciate it.
Just so you know, after next week, I will be writing a series of short stories while I wait for another Star Wars game I've heard of to come out. Once I've looked at that game, I'll continue updating the main story while modifying it to account for the new game in question. As such, the main story will be temporarily on hold after next week.
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, 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 artists.
UNSC Infinity
Near Pantora's Sun
May 18th, 0 BBY, 1000 Hrs (December 1st, 2558, 1000 Hrs)
While the mood onboard the Infinity was good considering what had happened in the previous naval battle, the mood in Hangar 42-C, the rearmost hangar on the Infinity, was somber and subdued. Inside the hangar bay, Cole and the others had solemn expressions as they looked at the five caskets that were before them. Each one contained the casualties that had been suffered during the mission to free the Pantoran Assembly from the Expansionists that had attempted to overthrow the legitimate government in a pirate coup.
The one person that was the most somber in the group, though, was Captain Dare. Her lips were curled into a frown, though she kept her head held high. What happened down there was difficult, she thought, but we did the best we could. The only reason we suffered these casualties was because we didn't' have sufficient intel on the weapons of this new galaxy. Either way, it is my responsibility to see these men receive this service, and I will not shirk from it.
There was also a single Pantoran that was present as a representative of the Assembly. Standing nearest to the caskets was Corthad, one of the members of the Pantoran Assembly. The man had a saddened expression on his face, and his lips were bent into a frown. Of all of them, he seemed the most contrite, which was understandable given what had happened during that mission. Looking at Cole, he gave a single nod.
At the podium that had been set up just for this service, Cole began to speak. "It is with great sadness and regret that we begin this service in honor of the fallen," he said. "During the mission to liberate the Pantoran assembly from the Expansionist coup, these men and women gave of themselves so that the Pantorans could live freely, without the threat of pirates overshadowing them. Their sacrifice and courage in the line of duty is an inspiration to us all, and a credit to their unwavering conviction. This day, we commit their bodies to the depths of space. Dust to dust, earth to earth, ashes to ashes."
As he finished speaking, Corthad walked over to the caskets and laid a single white flower on each one. According to Corthad, it was a tradition among Pantorans to lay a single white flower onto the casket of a family member, or someone that had died in the line of duty in the defense of Pantora. Once he was finished, the caskets were gently moved towards the magcon field, before being gently pushed out into the cold vacuum of space. Each one would slowly drift towards Pantora's sun, where they would be incinerated by the intense heat of stellar fusion. A fitting and rewarding end to five brave people that gave of themselves so that we could live in freedom, Cole thought as he watched the last casket being pushed into the vacuum of space. All the while, a single ODST in his dress uniform played Taps in honor of the dead.
As the service concluded, Cole walked over to Dare as they left the hangar bay. "Are you all right?" he asked. "That couldn't have been easy for you to deal with."
Dare took a deep breath. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"
"Granted."
"I'm… not all right," Dare admitted. "Those were five of the best men and women that I've served with on this mission. To have them die like that in front of me is…" She shook her head, the gruesome memories of what had happened flashing before her eyes.
In a rare show of affection, Cole gently hugged her with a single arm. "I know what you mean," he said. "It never gets any easier, especially when you're in a galaxy that runs by completely different rules. While it was inevitable that we were going to lose people on that op, I feel for you completely. I've been in the same position many times before. You know what I always ask myself?"
"No. What do you ask yourself?"
"Would the men and women under my command want me to be sad for them forever?" Cole said. When Dare remained silent, he said, "They wouldn't. They would want you to continue to do good by them by doing your duty, especially when it matters most. Remember their deeds in life, and let that give you encouragement."
"That's good advice, sir,"
"No one better," Cole said, memories of his strained marriage going through his mind. "Get yourself some rest, Captain. You have the next two days off-duty. Once you come back onto the job, I need you focused and well rested. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Dare said.
"Good," Cole said. "Dismissed." As Dare walked off, Cole noted that his pep talk with her had put some of the spring that she once had in her step back, as she seemed to be moving with more confidence. She did good, despite what happened, Cole thought. When the time comes, I'll give her a damn medal for how well she did.
That being said, Cole knew that he had another responsibility that he was going to have to handle. During the cleanup operation yesterday, he had been asked by Riyo Chuchi to come speak with her and Chi Eekway in private. They probably want to know why my forces were able to respond so quickly, he thought. I don't usually do that sort of thing very often. As he advanced towards the hangar bay, he said, "Roland, inform Lasky that he has command of the ship, and to perform an intra-system jump to Pantora. I will be heading to the surface to speak with Chairman Chuchi. Inform Blue Team to head to Hangar 35-Charlie."
"Aye, sir," Roland said. "You ready for the shitstorm that might happen?"
Cole nodded. "Yes, Roland. I've made my choices. I'm ready for the inevitable shitstorm."
"Roger that, sir," Roland said. "Blue Team is on their way. ETA: three mikes."
. . .
Down on the surface of Pantora, Chariman Riyo Chuchi felt drained as she finished the last piece of paperwork that had to be done for the day. As she put the datapad down, she looked at her hands, a frown on her face as she saw them shake. Even now, memories of what had happened yesterday were still going through her mind.
Get a grip on yourself, Riyo, she chided herself. What happened yesterday is over and done with. Forad and the other Expansionists have been arrested, the pirates have been killed and the government's rightful position has been ensured. Reminds me a lot of the time I was taken hostage with several others at Coruscant. Still, she knew that she had some questions to ask of Cole.
She was about to think them over when Chi Eekway entered the room, dressed in her usual overrobe with gold runes stitched into the material. "Chi," he said with a forced smile. "Are you doing all right?"
"Yes," Chi Eekway said. "I'm still getting over what happened yesterday. It seems as though you're having the same troubles as I am in that regard."
Riyo frowned. "Yeah, I still am. I just don't understand why Forad allowed a minor and petty grudge to over inflate to the point where he was willing to overthrow the legitimate government and attempt to have the pirates and slavers take over. It doesn't make sense. He used to be such a nice person too."
"It's always those closest to our hearts that can hurt us the most," Eekway said. "From what I recall, you and Forad didn't get along very well, especially during your teen years. The breakup, though, was one of the better handled ones, though I always had a feeling that Forad was going to be a rotten Corellian Melon some day."
"Yeah," Riyo said. "Still, the fact that he would attempt something as monstrous as this is… disturbing. Did the Clone Wars and the events that happened here turn him into a monster, or was he always a monster, and the war simply gave him a chance to show his true colors?"
"We may never know," Eekway said. "That being said, the failed coup has galvanized the other Republicans and Appeasers into action. The Appeasers that were initially opposed to Melody's proposal for an alliance have changed their minds, and are now her most ardent supporters. I'm thinking that the ground forces that Cole quickly deployed and the professionalism they showed in stopping the pirates impressed them."
"Yeah, about that… Did you notice something odd about those forces?"
"Yeah," Eekway said, her brow furrowing as she recalled those memories. "They responded really, really fast, almost as though they were already on the planet when the coup happened."
"Yeah," Riyo said. "It's quite suspicious to me. That's why I've decided to call a meeting with Cole in order to find out why his ground forces responded so rapidly. My guess is that he had an unsanctioned operation that was going on without our knowledge. The question, though, is why?"
"I believe that is an answer that we are going to have very soon," Eekway said. "My personal guards just sent a message to my 'pad. Cole's arrived with a contingent of bodyguards, and he's being escorted here. You ready for this?"
"I have to be," Riyo said. "I won't let the terror of what happened yesterday get in the way of my better thinking. Speaking of which, was Melody all right?"
"She was," Eekway said. "According to Captain Garo, RADM-117 saved her life when the assassin the Expansionists hired tried to kill her. They managed to kill the assassin and got her out of there before they could send another assassin to kill her."
"Good," Riyo said. "If Melody was killed, the entire peace talks would've been completely stopped. Still, Cole's soon to arrive, so let's be ready to talk with him, shall we?" With that, the two Pantoran politicians quickly settled in and waited.
It wasn't long before two members of the Pantoran Defense Force walked in, along with the two fully armored bodyguards from the Infinity. They were surrounding a Human that had black hair and dark brown eyes. The man was dressed in a white dress uniform that had no medals, and only a few ribbons on the upper breast of the uniform's jacket. When she saw his eyes, Riyo realized that this was a man that had seen war at its most vicious, yet had come out of it fairly well. This must be Vice Admiral Cole, she thought to herself. Huh… I expected someone with graying hair, not a handsome man.
As soon as he was inside of the room, she said, "Greetings, Vice Admiral Cole. It is a pleasure to finally be meeting you in person."
"The honor is all mine," Cole said as he shook her hand. "Do you mind if my guards remain in this room?"
"Not at all," Riyo said. "Our guards will also remain in this room, for similar reasons." Once Cole and she had sat down, Riyo said, "Thank you for coming, Cole. I wanted to ask you some questions concerning the events that happened yesterday."
"Yes," Cole said. "I believe that I owe you answers to those questions as well."
"Agreed." Making sure she was comfortable, Riyo said, "I wanted to congratulate you on your quick response to the crisis that happened, and to share my condolences with you on the people that lost their lives saving us. That being said, the response was much faster than I had expected it to be, almost as if you already had people on the ground. Mind if you explain?"
Cole sighed. He'd expected something like this. "When we learned of the Expansionists from you, and from Cadet Erso, I was worried that the Expansionists would attempt to derail the peace talks by sending assassins to kill Envoy Melody, a scenario that nearly happened yesterday when an assassin tried to kill her with an unidentified weapon."
"I know what nearly killed her," Chi Eekway said. "I saw it a few times among Pantorans that had the money to acquire them, and Captain Gato informed me that his subordinates found it. Even sent me an image. It was a Verpine Sniper Rifle."
"Verpine Sniper Rifle?" Cole asked.
"A powerful projectile weapon that the Verpine, an insectoid species of aliens, created. They're powerful enough to damage even armored vehicles, though Gato said that there was a second shot fired. According to him, one of Melody's guards was hit with the weapon, but her personal shield stopped the round from harming her. The weapons generally produce no noise when fired, making them a favorite for assassins."
"I see," Cole said. "I'll keep that in mind for when I speak with one of our engineers onboard the Infinity."
"Yes," Riyo said. "However, you mentioned that you were worried about the Expansionists attempting to kill Melody, like what nearly happened yesterday. Can you continue with that, please?"
"Yes. When we arrived at your planet and when Lasky spoke with you, I had concerns that the Pantoran Defense Fleet and the ground forces had Expansionist sympathizers within their ranks. To see if this was the case, I ordered one of my officers, Captain Dare, to begin a reconnaissance and intelligence gathering operation in order to find out who the Expansionists and their sympathizers were. That way, we could keep tabs on them and prevent them from trying to kill Melody should they attempted to do so.
"When the coup happened, however, and Melody was rescued from being killed, Dare and her soldiers were the only ones on the ground that could react quickly to the impending crisis. Therefore, I ordered her to take the two squads under her command and move into the Assembly Chambers to neutralize the pirates and to liberate you and the others from Forad's coup."
"So you sent those military forces on an unsanctioned intelligence gathering operation with the aim of protecting Melody," Riyo said. "Given what happened yesterday, as well as how troublesome the Expansionists were, I can understand why you would do what you did. That being said, you could've told me and Chi Eekway what you were planning to do. If we had known, we would've been able to sanction the operation."
"Yes," Cole said with a nod. "I wasn't sure if I could trust you and the members of the PDF at the time. Given recent events, however, I can say that those doubts have been laid to rest."
"Good. What happened will affect the negotiations. You'll likely be required to inform at least myself, Chi Eekway, or the Pantoran Defense Force of any intelligence gathering operations that your organization is conducting on Pantora for the sake of keeping us in the loop. Still, given what happened, I believe that you made the right choice. If it were up to me, I'd give you the Pantoran Medal of Gallantry for your actions."
"Understood," Cole said. "That being said, I take it you're both wondering if Melody is all right." When Riyo and Chi nodded, he said, "Well, I have good news in that regard. Melody is all right, and the doctors onboard the Infinity have informed me that she is fit to finish up the talks. It was an interesting coincidence that Forad chose to attack just as the treaty was to be drawn up and signed."
"Yes. The attack also did shift things in our favor. The Appeasers that were initially opposed to Melody's proposal have come around. Apparently, the quick response of your forces on the ground, along with their professionalism, impressed them greatly. Given how many people now support Melody due to your quick response in the coup, I can say that a treaty will have little trouble passing. However, as I have said…"
"I'll be required to inform you of any active intelligence gathering operations on the planet," Cole finished. "That's understandable. To be frank, if I was in your position, Chairman, I would be asking the same thing. Still, I am happy to hear that my actions, despite being unsanctioned, resulted in the safe rescue of all of the Republicans and Appeasers."
"Indeed. According to Captain Hadjo, your fleet had things handled quite nicely. According to his men, the pirates were begging for him and his fleet to arrest them, rather than face the wrath of your forces. He also said that one of your ships didn't participate in the fighting that was going on. Why?"
"That ship?" Cole asked. "That was my former flagship, the Everest. Part of the reason why she didn't enter the battle was because her munitions were depleted. The other is that, in an earlier battle that resulted in my arrival in this galaxy, she was damaged. While we did conduct repairs, the lack of energy shielding, combined with her depleted munitions, put her out of the fight."
"Ah, I see," Riyo said. "Well, that was all of the questions that I wanted to ask you today. As I said, while you should have informed us as to what you were doing, I believe that you made the right choice." Standing up, she extended a hand and said, "Given your performance yesterday, I look forwards to working with you more often."
Standing up, Cole shook the extended hand. "I look forwards to working with you as well. According to the ODSTs that were in the Chambers, you did a fine job knocking down Forad. With that being said, I must return to my ship. I hope the rest of our time here goes smoothly and uneventfully."
"Me too," Riyo said. "May the rest of your stay here be uneventful."
. . .
A few minutes later, Cole and Lasky were heading to the Engineering Deck to speak with Weapons Engineer Borodin. Moving through the hallways of the ship, they eventually came to the door that would permit them into the Weapons Engineering Bay. Walking inside, they found Borodin and several others at their work stations.
Seeing their CO and XO walking inside, the engineers saluted. "At ease," Cole said. As the others returned to their stations, Cole asked, "Borodin, can you give me an update on the weapon that was found by Blue Team yesterday and the weapons that killed five of our ODSTs?"
"Yes," Borodin, who was working at his workbench, said. "I've completed my studies of the first weapon that was sent to us, the Verpine Sniper Rifle."
"That fast?" Lasky asked. "I thought it would take days for you to complete the analysis."
"Normally, it would. However, the Verpine Sniper Rifle is a very similar system to another one that I've worked on during the Covenant-UNSC War, and has since resumed use as an anti-materiel rifle. Tell me, are you two familiar with the M99 Stanchion?"
Lasky nodded. "Yes," he said. "I practiced with one at Corburlo Academy. It's a man-portable railgun that fires 5mm slugs at hypersonic velocity. They're powerful enough to smash through buildings with little trouble and destroy the target on the other side. Why do you ask?"
"Because the Verpine Sniper Rifle is a nearly identical system," Borodin said.
"Are you sure?" Cole asked. "We're dealing with tech from another galaxy, after all."
"Yes," Borodin said. "However, as the old adage goes, 'the more things change, the more they stay the same.' The Verpine Sniper Rifle is very similar to the M99A2 Stanchion that I designed for use against Covenant targets in the war. The first difference, however, is that the M99A2 Stanchion is significantly more powerful. The Verpine Sniper Rifle can damage armored vehicles, but it is not capable of penetrating the energy shields on MJÖLNIR Powered Armor, something that the Stanchion is capable of."
"Makes sense," Cole said. "The other difference?"
"It's, to be honest, a very delicate system. One of my chief engineers dropped the weapon during testing. We found out, as a result, that while it is still operable, the weapon's long range capabilities are sharply curtailed. The rifle also had internal damage from before we acquired it, likely from when the assassin dropped it when Blue-4 blasted him apart with her SRS-99 Anti-Materiel Rifle."
"It's that delicate?" Lasky asked out of disbelief. "You'd think that those things would be made more sturdily."
"Yes," Borodin agreed. "My guess is that, since the galaxy has, as a whole, shifted to energy weapons rather than ballistic weapons, the priority on making durable and reliable projectile weapons isn't very high on their list of things to do."
"What about the weapons that killed our men yesterday?" Cole asked.
"The disruptors? We're still doing an in-depth analysis of them, but I can say that what we've learned so far is quite… disturbing. According to our current studies, disruptors fire a blaster bolt that, when it impacts something, creates a energy pulse that is designed to destroy the bonds between atoms inside of molecules. They, quite literally, disintegrate a target at the molecular level."
"Ouch!" Lasky winced. "No wonder we lost five men down there: they were literally being disintegrated. What about the two that are currently in the ICU? How come they survived?"
"Mostly out of luck. According to our studies, with our current armor technology, disruptors are invariably lethal, but with an exception. The chest and torso armor on ODSTs is particularly strong, given that it is meant to protect the vital organs such as the lungs, heart, liver and the like. As such, while the chest armor for that ODST was disintegrated, in doing so, it took so much energy out of the blaster bolt that it lost its killing power."
"And the second ODST?" Lasky asked.
"Same thing, only in that case, ODST armor is specifically reinforced against ballistic projectiles. As such, while the shot from the Verpine Shatter Gun we've been studying was powerful enough to crumple his chest armor, it wasn't powerful enough to penetrate and kill him. In short, those two ODSTs were saved because the attack was focused on the strongest part of the armor." Frowning, Borodin said, "Sadly, the same can't be said of the others that were killed."
"Yeah," Cole said. "Speaking of which, you said that you wanted to show us something."
"Yes," Borodin said, his downcast expression lighting up. "If you two could follow me into the firing range please?"
"Certainly," Cole said. Following Borodin, the two men walked into the firing range. The firing range was relatively small, with Cole noting that the range only extended to around 200 meters, with 25 meter increments posted. Targets were mounted at those distances, with some moving to the left and right, while others moved forwards and away. A few were even moving in an erratic fashion. Booths were present at regular intervals, with each having containers and racks for ammo, weapons and the like.
It was at one of these booths that Cole spotted what looked like an MA5D, but the design scheme wasn't like one. For one thing, he noticed that it lacked an ejection port. For another, he could see sections of metal where the barrel would be that were segmented. There was also an individual that Cole didn't recognize. While he had initial trouble keeping his impulses under control whenever he saw a Sangheili, Cole had done well in adjusting to the sight of a Sangheili on a UNSC ship.
As such, he didn't even flinch when he saw a male Sangheili standing near the booth. He wore a tech suit that was fully armored, but not in a way that suggested he was a soldier. The armor looked fairly ornamental, though Cole had reason to believe that it was much tougher than standard Marine BDUs. The armor was also white, and had markings that suggested that this Sangheili was less of a soldier and more of an engineer. "Who's this?" Cole asked.
"This," Borodin said, "is one of the Sangheili that was sent over to the Infinity following the Battle of Kamchatka. Vice Admiral Cole, I would like you to mee Geras 'Xhotum, one of the Artisan-Engineers that was sent to the Infinity as part of the envoy that came aboard just before our trip to this new galaxy."
Geras bowed, a fist over the left side of his armor's breastplate. "Greetings, Fleetmaster Cole," he said, his smooth voice rumbling deeply in the room. "It is an honor to be meeting one of the greatest Fleetmasters the UNSC has seen and ever will see."
"The honor is mine," Cole said in reply. "I'm surprised that the UNSC allowed a Sangheili, or even twenty four at that, to be onboard the Infinity. How did that happen?"
"It was the result of an arrangement that your Admiral of the Navy, Admiral Hood, had with the Arbiter; may his scales remain sleek, his body strong and his mind sharp. As for why the Arbiter would send me, a lowly Artisan-Engineer, along, I cannot say. I can say, however, that not all Sangheili are soldiers and warriors, even though we train to be. Some, like me, know that the greatest weapon is our intelligence."
Cole shrugged. "Fair point. I take it that the weapon we're seeing here is part of the reason you're here, yes?"
"It is," Geras said. "However, I can say that Borodin here masterminded most of our efforts."
"Not really," Borodin admitted humbly. "You're the one that worked out how to make it work, along with the dozens of other engineers that came along from the Rebel Alliance. Those people are highly talented, even though most of them are getting on-the-job-training." Clearing his throat, he said, "To summarize things, Cole, we've cracked the technology behind blasters, and have even made some improvements to the design."
That had Cole and Lasky's attention. "Really?" Cole asked. "Have you discussed this with Colonel Sarpong and RADM-117?"
"We will, but we wanted to get your opinion first," Borodin said. "Besides, we've put in a lot of work into the design, and given that you two were coming down here anyways, we decided to fold this demonstration into what we discussed earlier."
"Fair point," Cole said. "So, you're going to show us what you've got?"
"Yes," Borodin said. "However, safety first." At that, he handed Cole and Lasky two pairs of earplugs, as well as a pair of safety glasses. Once both men had put their hearing and eye protection on, Borodin did the same, while Geras simply activated the sound suppression system in the helmet he was wearing. Picking up what looked like a modified magazine off the table, Borodin loaded it into the rifle, checked to make sure the safety was off, then took aim down the firing range and pulled the trigger.
Rather than bullets coming out, Cole and Lasky watched as bright blue-white blaster bolts came out of the rifle's muzzle, along with a loud, chirping-like sound. The bolts flew very fast, fast enough to where they crossed the distance between Borodin and the target at the other end of the range incredibly fast. Before long, the target had several blaster bolt holes inside of it, with the edges glowing white-hot.
After around a few seconds of continuous fire, the weapon overheated, causing the segmented sections running along the barrel to open. Heat billowed up and out from the ports for a few seconds, before the segmented sections snapped shut against the rifle again. Putting the rifle down, Borodin pulled out the magazine, then his earplugs. "So, what do you think?" he asked.
Cole and Lasky shared a look. "Nicely done!" Lasky said. "You've made a working blaster!"
"That we have," Borodin said. "The model you're looking at is a working prototype based on the MA40 series that Misriah Armory sent to the Infinity for limited production before we left Earth. Still, I can safely say that, before long, the UNSC is going to have its own blasters."
"I see," Cole said. "Good work. Continue working on the design of the prototype blaster. Once the UNSC sends support, they'll want to see if this weapon can perform up to their standards. I'll inform the UNSC Ordinance Commission to be expecting weapon designs from you. I'll also ask them to inform you when testing of those designs are finished. Carry on your work."
"Yes, sir," Borodin said as Cole and Lasky left, leaving him to continue his work.
. . .
Two days later, Melody was standing inside of the Assembly Chambers, her eyes focused on the Pantorans that were gathered inside of the Assembly Chambers. In a trio of chairs that were reserved for guests, she, Vice Admiral Cole and RADM-117 were seated, the three of them focused on the major event that was happening today. At the back of the room, Riyo and Eekway were also focused on the task at hand. Some of the battle damage from the attempted coup was still present, though as a show of strength and solidarity, the Senators of the Assembly had decided to hold the meeting whether or not the repairs were completed.
It had taken them two more days to finally round things out, but now was the day. Today, the Pantoran Assembly would be taking a vote on whether or not they would not only sign the treaty that Melody and they had drawn up, but ratify it as well. This is it, Melody thought to herself. This is the moment that will determine what will happen in the coming weeks.
As she thought this to herself, Chi Eekway said, "This session of the Pantoran Assembly is now in session. Today's session will be the voting of both the signing and ratification of the UNSC-Pantora Treaty, which will establish an alliance with the UNSC and UEG, both militarily and economically. To the assembled Senators, you may begin tallying your votes now."
There was silence as the gathered Senators cast their votes. As the voting continued, Melody's heart began to hammer in her chest. Come on, she thought to herself as the Senators voted one by one. Lets see what we've got now. She shifted in her seat nervously
Before long, Chi Eekway said, "The votes have now been tallied. 245 Senators have voted for ratification, none have voted against ratification. The vote is unanimous. Following the signing of the treaty, it will be ratified.
Melody's heart practically melted with relief as the Senators inside of the room cheered. Walking to a chair that was in front of the desk that Riyo was at, Cole sat down, while Riyo signed her name on the treaty. Moments later, both Melody and Cole followed suit, with the Vice Admiral's and Envoy's signatures being forever recorded on the treaty. Before long, Admiral Goren and General Jorgen, the COs of the Pantoran Defense Force, signed the treaty as well. "The treat has been signed," Riyo said. "The people of Pantora have spoken. Until the creation of a formal treaty with the UNSC, this treaty will remain in effect. Let it not be said that we are not grateful to the UNSC for saving our government from the pirates that attempted to overthrow it. Let this treaty be a reminder to them that we will never bow to the relics of barbarism that have tried to plague us since. This session is adjourned."
. . .
Onboard one of the Condors that was leaving the Infinity, Jordan and the rest of his engineering staff were inside the troop bay, faces calm and neutral as the shuttle quickly made its way towards what would be Pantora's Inferior SSEP, or Safe Slipspace Entry Point. The mood onboard was quite relaxed, especially given that they knew that the system that Jordan had devised had worked, and was going to work again. It was improvised work, he thought. Touch-and-go, but it worked all the same.
His mind then drifted back to what had happened yesterday, after the excitement that was the attempted pirate coup. True enough, Jordan had been informed by Roland that, as part of his disciplinary action, Dr. Henry Glassman had been demoted from Chief Engineer of the Infinity to Assistant Engineer. That meant that Jordan had gotten a full promotion to Chief Engineer. In fact, as a Ship Systems Specialist, Jordan knew that he had been qualified for the job, but due to his relative newness in the UNSC Corps of Engineers, he lacked seniority, hence why he was a Specialist rather than a Chief Engineer.
Still, it's good to know that you've gotten a job that you were trained to perform, he thought. However, it also means that the entire weight of the Infinity is on my shoulders, figuratively speaking. I have to make certain that the ship is running perfectly 24/7. A huge responsibility, but one that I am honored to be given.
Gerald Green, noticing Jordan's facial expression, asked, "You all right, Jordan? You look quite happy about something."
"I am, though I'm also a little worried too," Jordan said. "You've probably all heard by now, but I'm the new Chief Engineer for the Infinity. While it is an honor to be Chief Engineer, it's also a huge burden on my shoulders."
"That it is," Jessia Barnard, another of his assistants, agreed. "However, I can reassure you, Jordan, that all of us are behind you, one hundred percent of the way. If you have any trouble spots in your newfound position, we'll be there to help get you back onto your feet and on your way."
"Yeah," Gerald said. "You can count on us to help you when you need it."
Jordan smiled. It always warmed his heart to know that the engineers that he had become close friends with where going to stick with him no matter what. Just like my old squad during the Covenant-UNSC War, he thought. Friends and comrades ready to do the right thing. "Good to hear," he said. "That kind of camaraderie is… deeply reassuring. I hope it continues to become stronger going forwards."
"Same here," Gerald said. "Well, we'd better get to it. We're about to arrive at the SSEP."
"Agreed," Jordan said, his voice becoming all business. "Let's go through one more systems check on the Pony Express. No need to get cocky now."
As the others prepared for the systems check, Jordan thought back to the Pony Express. After they had launched the first one, they had managed to get the second busted hyperdrive they had acquired from the Rebel Alliance working again. With the amount of time he had to study up on hyperdrives, as well as the Huragok's help, Jordan had been able to get it improved, moreso than the first. Should be able to go faster without consuming more fuel. He thought. By my estimation, it should now only take ten days to get to Harvest after the probe its piggybacking on gets past the hyperspace anomaly in the same amount of time.
By the time he had finished his train of thought, the Condor had come to a halt at Pantora's new Inferior SSEP. "All right," Jordan said, datapad in hand. Systems check ready. Dumb AI?"
"Installed and functioning properly," Gerald said.
"Log Buoy?"
"Installed and functioning as well," Jessica said.
"Slipspace Drive?"
"Functioning nominally," Gerald reported.
"Probe Integrity Checks?"
"Green" Jessica reported.
"FTL COM system?"
"Fully functional," Gerald said.
"Hull Integrity?"
"Green," Jessica said.
"Hyperdrive?"
"Functioning normally," Gerald said.
"All right then," Jordan said. "Systems check complete. We're ready to launch the Pony Express." Keying the intercom to the cockpit, he said, "Pilot, we're ready to launch the Pony Express. Inform the Infinity."
"Roger that," the pilot said. Keying his COM, he said, "Alpha 2-3-5 to UNSC Infinity. We are ready to launch the Pony Express."
"Solid copy," came Lieutenant Murphy's voice. "Vice Admiral Cole has received the report and has authorized launch. You are go for launch operations."
"Affirmative," Jordan said. Motioning to Jessica, he waited until her finger was poised over the command switch before saying, "We're go for launch. Launching the Pony Express in T-Minus five… four… three… two… one… zero." As soon as Jordan said zero, Jessica stabbed the launch icon on her datapad.
Outside of the Condor, the Pony Express detached from the shuttle, before the thrusters mounted on the twin-linked probes fired, moving the Pony Express away from the Condor. Moments later, the Slipspace Drive onboard the twin-linked probes activated, opening a rift in the fabric of space-time. Once the twin-linked probes slipped into the portal, it closed, emitting a burst of light and gamma ray radiation, the quantum mechanical equivalent of a shrug.
As the probe disappeared into Slipspace, Jordan smiled. "Probe launch successful," he heard Jessica report. "She's now in Slipspace, sir. ETA to the galaxy's edge: ten days. After that, ten days to the UNSC getting the latest information that we're sending them."
"Good," Jordan said. "Pilot, take us back to the Infinity."
"Copy that," Alpha-2-3-5 said. "Plotting and setting course now." The Condor quickly turned around, before firing its thrusters. "ETA to the Infinity: two hours."
"Copy that," Jordan said. "Well, folks, congratulation on a successful second voyage for the Pony Express. Once we're back at the Infinity, the drinks are on me."
"Yeah," Gerald said. "About that, some Sangheili were wanting to chat with you once you got back."
"About my remark from earlier?" Jordan asked. When Gerald nodded, he said, "Well, I was expecting this to happen sooner or later. I'll tell them in person that it was not meant to be seen as an insult. Hopefully all I get is a noogie on the head." The others chuckled at that, even as the ship flew back to the Infinity.
