Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars short story crossover collection.
Thank you for your wonderful patience and support. I deeply appreciate it.
For the next few months, I will be posting short stories. Once I've looked at the upcoming game, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, I will make adjustments to the main story and continue posting new chapters for the main story. Either way, thank you for your feedback and support, and I hope you continue to support this story as time goes on.
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Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or Star Wars franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Lucasfilm, 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.
Yavin IV
Alliance High Command Base
June 16th, 0BBY, 1000 Hrs (January 29th, 2559, 1000 Hrs)
The wind rushed past Garm Bel Iblis face as he walked into the command center the Rebel Alliance was using. Wind and rain howled outside, with flashes of lightning capturing the movement of the personnel inside in stark white light. For a brief moment, during each flash, it was as though the world was frozen in time, then when the light faded, it became dim again.
The weather's been the worst since I've arrived here, he thought. Wiping raindrops off his face, he stepped into the warm and dry interior of the building. Here, the thunderous roars coming from the lightning were muffled, and the sound of rain went from annoying to pleasant. Soon he couldn't hear any of those sounds.
The mood among the people in the base was just as subdued as well. Following the Rebel Alliance being transformed into the New Republic, he'd gone to work cleaning up the organization as much as he could. The files and documents that Cole sent were a big help, he thought, but we've still got a long ways to go. Still, the recent string of disciplinary actions and court marshals had left many inside of the place wondering if they were going to be the next ones on the chopping block.
The meeting room was similarly subdued, with everyone in the Alliance Cabinet, from Vasp Vaspar to Mon Mothma, being present. Even Nower was present, though it was clear that, out of all of them, he was the most subdued. It was quite pleasurable putting that pompous ass in his place, Iblis thought. If he can straighten up his act, then there's hope for the rest of us. Sitting down, he said, "So, what is the current update on the representatives from the UNSC and UEG coming?"
"They'll be here shortly, Chancellor," Mon Mothma, now the Vice Chancellor of the New Republic, said. "According to their lead advisor, they've been in worse weather than this. He compared it to some place called 'Chi Ceti IV.' Apparently, it was known for poor weather as well."
"Indeed," Iblis said. Noting how quiet everyone was, he asked, "Is everything all right?"
"I don't know," Tynnra Palmo, the new Secretary of Education, said with a frown. "It's been an incredibly hectic few weeks after your talk with Vice Admiral Cole. For a while, I thought you had made yourself into a judge, jury and executioner, especially after all of the court marshals that were going on. I thought I was going to get axed for a while there. You certainly handed it to Nower here."
Nower glared at Palmo. Ever since Iblis had thoroughly called him out for all of his mistakes, as well as his cowardice concerning what to do about the Death Star, he had been very subdued and irritable. "I don't want to hear it, Palmo," he growled through clenched teeth. "Not a word."
"Whatever you say," Vasp said with the faintest hint of a smile. "Still, I now believe that a little humiliation, now and then, is a healthy thing. Makes me wonder why I didn't realize that until recently."
Iblis smiled. Out of all of them, it was Vasp that had improved the most. While there were concerns about making him the Secretary of Defense, those concerns had, for the most part, been allayed. Vasp had taken to the position with gusto, and had used his newfound influence to start getting the Alliance Military what it needed most.
Then there were the new members of the Alliance Cabinet. The first of them was another human being named Gezar Ovaz. A tall man with dark skin, brown eyes and black hair, Gezar was the official Secretary of Industry. A quiet and stoic individual, Gezar had been using his newfound influence to get the Rebel Alliance/New Republic more factories and industrial centers to use. While most of them were still being built, those that were already present were helping out the Alliance in a significant manner.
Following him was Edvard Gevar, their new Secretary of Supply, along with Deputy Secretary of Industry Ivora Yeska, Deputy Secretary of Defense Jekar Nokmas, Deputy Secretary of Finance Kentar Ulsar and Deputy Secretary of Supply Heldor Borku. All of them were new to their positions, each one created by Garm Bel Iblis in an effort to reorganize the Rebel Alliance/New Republic into a legitimate government that was capable of running its own affairs. Let us hope that the UEG and UNSC representatives can help us do the same, he thought as he glanced at the Generals and Admirals that were gathered in the room.
He was about to begin the meeting in earnest when a Rebel Trooper walked inside. "Sirs, the representatives from the UEG and UNSC are here."
"Good," Iblis said. "Send them in." Turning to the others, he asked, "Are we ready for this? Once we take this step, there's no going back."
A few members of the Cabinet looked uncertain. "I am," Mon Mothma said. "We have hesitated at important crossroads like this for too long. It is time for us to begin anew."
"I agree," Vasp added. "The time for hesitation has come and gone. Now is the time for action?" Turning to the others, he asked, "Palmo? Nower?"
"Y-Yes," Palmo said. "For better or worse, we have to do this." Nower simply nodded, too irritated by his chewing out days ago to give a verbal answer.
"Then we shall do so," Edvard said.
The door opened, revealing the Rebel Trooper from before, as well as the UNSC and UEG representatives. Leading the representatives was a familiar face, with Mon Mothma smiling as Ambassador Melody walked inside. Behind her were a few more people, likely military representatives and her staff. Several UNSC Marines, likely their bodyguards, were also present. As soon as they had entered, Iblis said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Rebel High Command. I am Chancellor Garm Bel Iblis. With me is my Vice Chancellor, Mon Mothma, and the members of our Cabinet. We also have Generals Davits, Merrick and Ceresar, as well as Admiral Raddus and General Hera with us. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Melody smiled. "The pleasure is all ours," she said. "I am UEG Ambassador Melody Azkiwe With me are UNSC representatives Colonel Harold Wright of the UNSC Army, Lieutenant Colonel Jessica Mead of the UNSC Air Force, Captain James Holmes of the UNSC Navy, Vice Admiral Ned Rich of the Office of Naval Intelligence and Colonel April Orenski of the UNSC Marines, along with my staff." Each of the representatives nodded as they were called by name. "Shall we begin?"
"Of course," Iblis said, motioning to extra chairs that had been set out just for them. Once they had all been seated, and the bodyguards that had come with the UEG and UNSC representatives arrayed around them, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. As you are all aware, the Rebel Alliance has been renamed the New Republic, and I and the others here have been working to reorganize the Rebel Alliance into a military and civilian force capable of replacing the Galactic Empire once its illegitimate rule has been overthrown. We are not here to bandy words and say pretty things to everyone. We are here to begin organizing the Alliance Military and the Alliance Civil Government into an effective government and defense force."
"Agreed," Vasp said. "That being said, I've been considering how to reorganize the military rank system that the Rebel Alliance uses. Currently, we're using the Alderaanian ranking system, as you've likely learned already."
"That we have," Olenski said, a frown on her face. "What sort of jacked up moron comes up with a system like this? I can understand the desire to use something that another planet's used, but there's no clear line of succession."
A few people in the room were frowning at her when Vasp said, "Gentlemen, gentlemen. Let's not start an argument here." Looking at Olenski, he said, "Yes, the rank system we currently have is trash, but that is part of the reason why you are here. We would like to have a few other suggestions on what we can use."
"Agreed," Olenski said. "With that in mind, for most of your ranks, I believe you should use the ranking system that UNICOM and NAVCOM make use of. Do you have the files for that?"
"I do," Iblis said. Slipping a data disk into the holoprojector, he quickly brought up the rank system that was used. "I have to admit, it's better organized than what I've seen so far, and it is much clearer on who has what responsibility."
"It also has more ranks than what we generally have," Raddus noted. "I, for one, never knew that the ranks of Fleet Admiral or Admiral of the Navy existed until I saw this. The responsibilities are also more clearly defined.
"Agreed. For instance, Lieutenant Commanders in the UNSC Navy are typically the first officers onboard a starship, with Captains being the CO's of a ship of the line. In the UNICOM rank system, Majors are generally the executive officers of a battalion." Looking at General Ceresar, a short man with gray hair and green eyes, Olenski asked, "How large is an Alliance battalion?"
"Around five hundred and seventy six troops," Ceresar said. "Why?"
"Most UNSC Army and Marine battalions are around eight hundred to a thousand troops. That's considerably larger."
"There's also the matter of how the Navy is set up," Captain Holmes said. "I cannot determine if y'all are attempting to sabotage yourselves. There's no military discipline on your ships, nor is there anyone in any of the fleets that has a clearly defined leadership role. That is also something that we are going to have to change if all is to go smoothly."
"But why?" Nower asked. "Surely what we have is good enough?"
"Hate to break it to you, but it's not," Ned Rich said. "A UNSC Captain worth his salt would easily be able to cause trouble for the Rebel Alliance, and that's not counting your other issues. Wouldn't you agree, Davits?"
Davits frowned. He knew that this had been coming towards him for a long time now, and there was no chance at avoiding it. "Yes," he said. "There have been many noted failures in Alliance Intelligence, mostly on my part."
"Indeed," Rich said. "Which reminds me. Who is your CO?"
"I am," an older man with graying hair and sea-green eyes said. "I am General Airen Cracken, the head of Alliance Intelligence. I heard, though, that you were a Vice Admiral, not a full Admiral. Correct?"
"That it is," Rich said. "However, I was sent here on a personal request by my superiors to give your intelligence agency a few pieces of advice on how to get things done. While I will admit that you've done an excellent job in getting the basics down, I will say your underlings have not."
Cracken nodded. "A poor judgment call on my part. I will be taking care of a few things on that part." Looking at Davits, he said, "I'm sure you understand what that means, yes?"
"Yes sir," Davits said.
"Good," Cracken said, a ghost of a smile on his face. "The fact that the UNSC had to send a Vice Admiral to sort you out says quite a bit about your recent… blunders."
"There are more matters to discuss as well," Melody said. "Harold, would you care to explain?"
Harold, an aging man with brown-gray hair and blue eyes, nodded. "Yes. I've been reviewing the training regimen that Rebel Alliance soldiers undergo, as well as their gear and equipment. It makes me ashamed to see good men and women being literally slaughtered because they do not have the equipment that they need."
"How can we, when the Empire treats us like criminals?!" Nower spluttered. "We have to make do with what we have, and we barely have the financial support needed to get our troops the proper training! How dare you do this, especially after your Vice Admiral, Cole, promoted Lasky to a position of power when he should have punished him?! I cannot tell you the list of complaints that has been formed because of -"
"How about you shut up," Vasp said with disgust. "I've had enough of your whining and complaining, Nower. Cole made his mind up on the matter, and he did not wish to change it, and likely does not. Personally, I believe he was right to ignore you. Besides, that is not your purview, Nower. Stick to finances if you know what's good for you."
Nower's face turned a bright shade of red, only for Melody to speak up. "There's also something else that all of you should be in the know on. James, would you kindly inform them?"
"Gladly," James said. Clearing his throat, he said, "As you are all aware, Lasky was promoted to Rear Admiral Lower Half during your meeting with Cole. What you may not be aware of is that he has been promoted yet again to Rear Admiral Upper Half. In addition, he has also been selected as one of two candidates to become the new Chairman of the UNSC Navy."
The moment he said this, almost everyone in the room fell silent, with Nower's face turning from bright red to white in color. "What?" Raddus asked. "Lasky is slated to become your Navy's new chairman?"
"He's one of the candidates, yes," James said. "Lord Terrence Hood, the UNSC Admiral of the Navy, has been considering Lasky for the post for quite some time due to his gallantry and the considerable level of competence that he showed throughout the Covenant-UNSC War, as well as the recent conflicts, including the Battle of Scarif. As such, given his capabilities, Hood has chosen him as one of two candidates for the position. As such, Lasky is the head of all Naval Assets outside of Planetary Defense, an is the direct subordinate of Fleet Admiral Harper, the CO of all UNSC forces in this galaxy and his deputy, Admiral Kovalic. So, if you want our help and support, you'd do well to have Lasky's approval, as he has some say in Naval policy and is the only one that can provide you all with heavy naval support.
"In addition, the Navy is responsible for transporting all of the assets in the UNSC Army, Marines and Air Force in this galaxy. While ONI is capable of shipping assets, they can only do so in limited numbers. As such, he has the final say in that regard, and given your tumultuous relationship with him, I would suggest getting onto his good side, otherwise he might decide not to ship personnel here to help you guys out." At those words, the Alliance Cabinet looked at each other with shock. It was clear that Lasky was the latchkey for making the Rebel Alliance better.
"I see," Mon Mothma said. Looking at Nower, she said, "In other words, you are insulting the one man that can help us. I would suggest that you be more cordial towards them."
"I agree," Iblis said. Turning to Nower, he said, "That, Nower, is why you shouldn't continue to go after Lasky. What if he becomes the UNSC's Chairman of the Navy and remembers all of the insults and complaints that you threw at him? Who knows? He might even chose to get rid of you for good, and I might not be able to stop him if he does. So, if you want to keep your post, you'd do well to stop complaining about him and do your damn job." Out of shock and realization of what he'd been doing all along, Nower quickly complied.
"Finally," Harold said. "Now, you said that your having financial difficulties, yes?"
Nower was about to speak when Edvard said. "He's only partially right. While he is right in that we're having financial difficulties at the moment, he isn't right in that we don't have enough equipment to give to our troops. I've had to dig into my own personal finances to get our troops what they need, but I can say that we do have enough for some time. That being said, training our ground troops is not my forte."
"It is mine," Ceresar said. "While I am confident in my capabilities when it comes to training Rebel ground forces, I wouldn't mind some assistance from the UNSC and UEG. Besides, using this UNICOM rank system will clear up any confusion about who is in charge of what. When it comes to training and equipment, I would need to speak to military advisors in order to get our troops up to speed."
"I can assure you that problem won't be around for much longer," Harold said. "Not only have I been sent as a military advisor, the UNSC is also going to be sending more military advisors, mainly Staff Sergeants and the like, to teach your ground forces how to operate effectively. A few Major Generals will also be along to get you up to speed on how you need to handle things as a military officer."
Ceresar smiled. "Good. I may have had Imperial training, but I can tell from the HoloNet videos that I've seen that Imperial training is nowhere near as good as UNSC military training."
"The same thing goes for the Air Force as well," Jessica Mead said, breaking her silence. "I'll see if we can get you better military equipment as well. Out of everyone that's in here, I will say that General Merrick is likely the only competent person, aside from Raddus, Ceresar and a few others, that's actually competent in military affairs."
While a few others frowned, Merrick smiled. "That's quite kind of you," he said, "though it wouldn't hurt to learn a few more tips and tricks from someone like you."
"Indeed," Melody said. "When it comes to the financial state of things, I am fully prepared to be speaking with you on how to get a loan set up from the UNSC."
"I'll also help you guys set up shell companies as well," Ned said. "Nothing like front companies to provide a steady influx of income."
"Do you mean to have us steal money from the galaxy we're trying to protect?!" Nower growled.
"Not exactly," Ned said. "More like provide the galaxy with legitimate services while discreetly sending some of that money to support the Rebel Alliance. You really should know this if you're the Secretary of Finance." Nower's face went red at that, though he wisely kept his tongue under control.
His Deputy Secretary, another small and squat man named Kentar Ulsar, though, was more amenable to reason. "He does actually have a good point. I wouldn't mind learning how to set up a shell company or two. In addition, we're not as short on money as many of us think we are."
That had Ned's attention. "Would you care to explain?" he asked.
"I've been getting some contacts set up in the business world, and I've been using my own financial and business connections to get us more money," Kentar explained, his blue eyes flashing slightly. "As such, I've been able to get us enough money that, should we be careful and wise with our spending, should last us until we get more financial assets on our side."
Ned cocked an eyebrow. "Looks like you could earn a thing or two from him, Nower."
Nower's face remained red, though he explosively sighed. "So it would seem," he said. "Still, even with such assistance, I do not believe the Alliance will last long, not in its current state."
"Then maybe it is time to allow the UNSC to help us," Mon Mothma suggested. "History shows that it was those that were willing to change and adapt that lasted the longest. The Old Republic refused to change, and it resulted in its destruction. Are we going to ignore the same lessons that they ignored?"
"A good question," Palmo said. "I, for one, will not throw the hand of friendship away so casually."
"Neither will I," Vasp said.
"Then let us continue," Garm Bel Iblis said. "What would you propose we do, Melody?"
"For starters, you'd do well to listen to the expert advice you are being given," Melody said. "You're talking to some of the best and brightest in the United Nations Space Command, veterans that have been blooded against an enemy that was far more dangerous and fanatical than the Galactic Empire ever will be. I would be a fool to ignore such advice. In addition, I would work with them to restructure the Rebel Alliance and to make it stronger than before. I don't know about any of you, but I'd say that sounds like a good idea, wouldn't you agree?"
The remark had the heads of more than a few people nodding. "That's a pretty good idea," Garm Bel Iblis said. "I never got to where I was by ignoring the advice and lessons I was being given. So, let's all do us a favor and actually go to work."
"Agreed," Orenski said. "There is also one more criticism I would like to share before we get down to the nitty gritty details. Why didn't any of you consider creating your own expeditionary force? That's, essentially, what the UNSC Marine Corps is: an expeditionary force that helps the other ground branches get things going."
"That was a question that I have been considering," Garm said. "In fact, I considered it so much that I've decided to create a new branch of the Alliance Military: the Alliance Marines. I currently have Generals Rickard Hedor as the overarching General of that military branch."
While Iblis was talking, another man walked to the table. A tall and stoutly built man with dark skin, green eyes and black hair, Rickard cut an imposing figure, especially since he was taller than anyone in the room. "This," Garm Bel Iblis said, "is General Rickard Hedor, the head of the newly created Alliance Marines."
"Good to meet you," Rickard said, his voice rumbling in the room.
"And you as well," Orenski said. "What was your training before you joined the Rebel Alliance?"
"Imperial Army," Rickard said, "though I led some of the special forces squads assigned to the Imperial Army. Managed to become a Commander before I saw what the Empire was doing. After that, I defected, but no one was willing to give me command, even though I had excellent ideas for the Rebel Alliance. Good thing Iblis is in charge and gave me the position. Hell, the whole Alliance Marines thing was my idea."
Orenski smiled. Finally, here was someone that was at least enthusiastic about the UNSC teaching the Rebel Alliance how to fight. "So you decided to fill in that problem?"
"Yeah," Rickard said. "I don't really have a good idea of how to fully fix it, but that's where you come in. You can teach me how to make a proper expeditionary force instead of me having to wing it. Who better to learn from?"
"A good question," Iblis said. "Does anyone else here care to ask any more questions about what they're here to do?" When no one said anything, he said, "Then let's get to work making the Rebel Alliance stronger, one meeting at a time."
. . .
A few hours later, Garm Bel Iblis was standing at the entrance to Rebel High Command. The storm was still raging outside, though it was now mostly just thunder and lightning, instead of a torrential downpour. It took a bit of effort on his part, though, not to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. And I thought things were bad when I left, he thought. I'm surprised that the Rebel Alliance managed to last this long without someone to keep them on the same team.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, he watched as Melody, Harold and the others approached. "Ambassador, is there something you need?" he asked.
"Yes," Melody said. "Mind if we speak in private?"
"Of course." Walking inside of the base, Iblis moved to where his office was located at. Reaching the door, he opened up the door and proceeded inside, with Melody and her bodyguards walking inside. Once the door was closed, he said, "I take it you have a few concerns about the Alliance Cabinet."
"I do," Melody said. "I'm surprised that they lasted this long without you around. Nower kept on saying no to every initiative that Ned Rich proposed, even though his Deputy Secretary agreed to them. Even Davits and Cracken were starting to get irritated with him. The others were also a little too passive for my liking. Only Vasp seemed to go about his job with any sort of gusto."
"Nower is something of a pompous ass," Iblis said. "If things have even a small chance of not going his way, he immediately shuts those things down and calls them too risky. Makes sense given that he came from a family that made their fortunes without having to lift a finger. Kentar, however, has had to literally work his way from the bottom rung of society to where he is. To use a cliché of yours, his life story is very much a 'rags to riches' sort of thing."
"What about Palmor and the others?"
"I agree in that they were being a little too… passive. Given the state that the Rebel Alliance has been in recently, I don't blame them, though as Vasp said, the time for hesitation has long since come and gone. Now is the time to act. Edvard was doing quite well in that regard, as was Kentar and a few of the others. I'm sure, though, that Harold and the others here have a few words of their own."
"That we do," Orenski said. "I have to applaud you, Iblis, for having Rickard create the Alliance Marines, even if they're just a name on paper right now. The man seems genuinely enthusiastic to have us around."
"He was one of the few people that approved of your actions at Scarif, and throughout the war you recently fought. Rickard has always been a man of action, as well as a good person, which is why I was mystified when I found out he wasn't being given a leadership position. As you can see, though, I rectified that."
"Your other Generals and Admirals seem competent, for the most part," James said. "The one person I'm worried about, though, is Admiral Dodonna. According to records we obtained from this place, he's been known to hesitate at times, especially when cornered by a superior combatant. This is rather odd, especially since he was an excellent Venator captain."
"Yeah," Iblis said. "Not sure why he tends to do that sort of thing. My guess is that, when cornered like that, he really doesn't know what to do to get his men out safely, or he's too worried about losing people should he attack."
"True," James said. "One of the mistakes that can cripple a General is caring too much about his men. We'll have to each him how to be willing to make sacrifices in order to get the job done. We'll also have to bump him down in rank, though that's a suggestion for you."
"That's understandable," Iblis said. "That's why I've been thinking of promoting Raddus to Fleet Admiral and making Jan Dodonna a Vice Admiral. That way, he can learn a few things from you guys, and from Raddus, before being fully promoted to the rank of Admiral." Noting the time, he said, "You guys should probably head back or get set up here."
"We'll definitely do that," Melody said. "I will have to leave, but I've been informed that Harold and the others are likely going to be conducting an extended stay. However, I'm certain that they can handle this place quite well."
"That we can," Harold said. "I don't know how we're going to get the Rebel Alliance back onto its feet, but I know one thing for certain: we'll do whatever it takes."
