Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Star Wars/Halo short story collection, Star Wars: Tales of the Infinity's Odyssey.
Thank you all for your wonderful patience and support. I deeply appreciate.
My apologies for being a day late. Life's been quite busy for me as of late, so I haven't been able to take care of things as soon as I would prefer to. Still, I hope you thoroughly enjoy my short stories, and I hope that you continue to provide feedback and support.
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, 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.
Core Worlds Region
Imperial Palace, Coruscant
April 26th, 0BBY, 1030 Hrs (November 10th, 2558, 1030 Hrs)
What is it with the Emperor and all of these banquets? Melody thought irritably. Part of her had thought that, instead of using the money that he had for banquets and feasts, he would divert some of the money towards making the lives of Imperial citizens easier. I guess it's another one of the major differences between the UEG and Galactic Empire, she conceded.
A slight shove from behind brought her attention to the two people dancing nearly. They smiled apologetically. "Sorry," the woman's partner, a tall man with gray hair and blue eyes, said. "Are you all right?"
Melody smiled. "I'm fine," she said. "No harm done."
The couple smiled at her. "Good," the man said. "I'd hate to cause a diplomatic incident by bumping into someone on accident. Good to see that not everyone is an uptight gundark."
"Honey," his dancing partner said. "Manner."
"Ah. My apologies. Shall we dance later?"
"Maybe," Melody said. As the couple danced off, she brought her attention back to the event she was attending. It was the second banquet that Emperor Palpatine was hosting this week for the UNSC and UEG as part of his welcome to them. Across the table, there were foods that Melody didn't know half the names of, though all reminded her of foods from across UEG controlled worlds.
Unlike the previous banquets, where she had been unable to do anything but watch, she was now having a hearty meal. It certainly tastes good, she thought as her fork darted from the plate to her mouth. Good thing we got our immunizations taken care of. I don't have to wear that insufferable mask anymore. I understand the need for it, but it wasn't too comfortable to wear.
Her gaze traveled up towards another part of the room. Near the doors, she spotted Captain Lasky, who was having a discussion with one of his bodyguards. Like her, he no longer needed to wear his mask, allowing his full face to be visible. That wasn't all good news, as he now had a large congregation of women that were admiring him. I guess there's a such thing as being too handsome, she thought with a chuckle. That chuckle faded when she realized that some of the women seemed very young. A few, she realized, seemed to be in their early teens.
The sound of footsteps approaching her diverted her gaze towards another familiar face. "Leia," she said with a nod. "I didn't expect you to be here. I take it that all is well?"
"Yes," Leia said. "Aside from a complication that happened yesterday, all is well."
Melody frowned. "What kind of complication?"
Leia leaned closer to Melody. "Vader was in my apartment yesterday."
"That's strange. Why would he be there?"
"According to him, he was checking over the security measures to make sure they were adequate," Leia explained, then frowned. "I've got a funny feeling that he was there for more than just a security review. Something tells me that he was looking for something. There was even a technician in my quarters that looked like… like…"
"A deer caught in the headlights?" Melody suggested.
"Why… yes," Leia said. "What do you mean by that, though?"
"It means that you caught him doing something he wasn't, and he froze," Melody explained. "That's something you'll have to get used to in the UEG. We've come up with many different ways of saying the same thing, like pushing up the daisies, beating a dead horse and all that."
"Ah, I see. Still, why would you beat a dead horse, and what's a horse anyways?"
"I'll tell you about that when we're in private," Melody said. "So, what do you think they were in there for, anyways?"
"I don't know," Leia admitted, "but I do intend to find out." She stared off for a moment, then gasped with a start. "Oh! I forgot to tell you yesterday, but I'm now the official Imperial Ambassador to the United Earth Government. When I can, I will be heading to your galaxy to begin diplomatic relations."
Melody's eyebrows went up. Now there's a surprise, and a pleasant one, she thought. Smiling, she extended a hand and said, "Congratulations, Leia! I had a feeling that you'd become the official Imperial Ambassador someday. Still, congratulations."
"Thank you," Leia said as she shook Melody's hand. "To be honest, I feel like I'm dreaming. If so, then this is a dream that I do not wish to wake up from."
Melody laughed. "You and me both," she said half-jokingly. "I had a feeling that would be the case, though. Your quick work at Scarif prevented an all-out war from breaking out. The Infinity is tough, but even she can't take on a galaxy's worth of Star Destroyers all at once. Besides, we never came to cause war in the first place. We were just there by accident."
"Yes, and that is the reason why we avoided war in the first place." Glancing around, Leia asked, "Shall we discuss a few other things in private when we have time? I need to go over a few things with you before I leave for your galaxy, when that is able to happen that is."
"Sure," Melody said. "I can do that."
"Thank you. Also, are you enjoying your food?"
Melody smiled. "Yes, I am. This is the first time I've been able to eat the food here. Our doctors had to check to make sure that we wouldn't have any trouble with it. It's also well cooked, though I know of a butcher at Earth that makes fine kebabs."
"What's a kebab?"
"It's meat that's skewered alongside vegetables onto a stick that's then grilled," Melody explained. "I know of a cook and butcher named Jonas that made some of the best kebabs when I was a kid at New Mombassa. From what I hear, he survived the Covenant-UNSC War, and now he gives out free kebabs to refugees of the war and runs a successful restaurant business at the city."
"Really?" Leia asked with genuine surprise. "What does he look like?"
"Here." Pulling out a photograph, Melody handed it to Leia. In the photograph, Leia saw an immensely large man with merry dark brown eyes, black hair and skin that was identical in color to his eyes. He wore an equally large cook's dress and in his hand, crossed over his chest, was a cleaver. His other hand was rested on a table, where a series of kebabs were lined up neatly for sale. "That's Jonas," Melody explained.
"He's quite enormous," Leia said. "No offense meant."
"None taken," Melody said. "He is quite large, though he put that to good use. When I talked with him when the war was over, he told me of a time where he put an annoying car driver in his place by sitting on the hood of his car. When the man decided to be an ass, he put his cleaver through the hood, then convinced the man to go away. Beyond that, he's very gentle and kind."
"I'll take your word for it."
Melody was about to speak when another woman came over. While Melody didn't recognize her, Leia did, as she smiled and said, "Hello, Naberrie. It is good to see you again." Noting Melody's confusion, she said, "Melody, this is Pooja Naberrie. She's the Ambassador from Naboo. Naberrie, this is Melody Azikiwe, the Infinity's Envoy from the UNSC."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Naberrie said, extending a hand.
Melody shook it. "Likewise. I must admit, it's an interesting occasion today."
"It is, and it's been an interesting time too," Naberrie said. "I didn't think that there were any other human beings that existed in the universe. Imagine my shock when you guys came along and blew that assumption clean out of existence." She laughed, a pleasant, bell-like sound that caused a few people to look at her. Seeing nothing wrong, they returned to their business. "That being said, I'm rather curious about Earth. What's it like there?"
"It's a beautiful planet. I've visited a number of places there, especially since my father and mother traveled a lot. When I get the chance, I could take you to New Mombasa, the place I was born. It's a beautiful city, and I know of a man that cooks wonderfully well at that place. I was just showing Leia a photograph of him."
"Mind if I take a peek?" Melody nodded, then handed Naberrie the photograph. "Wow, that's a big guy. What's his living, if I may ask?"
"Jonas is a butcher and a cook. He survived the Battle of New Mombasa at the end of the Covenant-UNSC War, and he's now the successful owner of a string of restaurants in New Mombasa. As part of a charity program he runs, he cooks and gives away free kebabs to the survivors of the war."
Naberrie smiled. "He seems like a kind man."
"He definitely is." After a glance, Melody asked, 'Is there something else you wanted to talk about?"
"Definitely," Naberrie said. "I was wondering if, at some point, we could have a night out on the town. I would love to show you some of the sights that are here on Coruscant. I also know of a few shops that we could visit. I'll even buy you a few things too."
"That's a kind offer, but I must decline."
Naberrie frowned. "Why?"
"Security reasons," Melody explained. "I have to have bodyguards with me at all times, a requirement that went into place when the Covenant-UNSC War came to an end. In addition, in order to do something like that, I have to ask the Captain for permission to do so. I might have the equivalent power of a Vice Admiral, but Lasky is in command of the Infinity. He has the final say when it comes to matters like that."
"Do you think he could permit you to come with us if you asked?"
Melody shrugged. "I'll definitely ask him, but he might say no. Given recent events, he would be quite right to do so. Still, I appreciate your offer, and I really do wish I could go with you without having to ask the Captain."
Naberrie frowned. "I understand. From what I remember, the Covenant-UNSC War was quite brutal, more so than the Clone Wars. It makes sense that he would likely say that." Glancing towards him, she said, "However, I think that he's got a few other matters to tend to."
"Yeah, such as the women," Leia noted. "I've never seen that many women flock around a man before. I wonder why?"
"Lasky does look quite good," Melody said. "I guess some women like men in military uniforms more than they do men in suits. He's not quite my type, but I do respect him for his actions and beliefs."
"Same here," Naberrie said. "Still, I feel for the poor man. He can't go anywhere without attracting attention to himself. It's almost as though he deliberately looks for the biggest bush and then jumps right into it, even if there are snakes in it or not."
"Especially if there are snakes in there," Melody said. "You should've seen him a few months ago. We got boarded at one point due to some shenanigans that happened when I was away. The man literally picked up a shotgun and started fighting the boarders, all while announcing general quarters."
"That's impressive," Leia said. "Most Captains I know of would bail out and leave the crew to their fate." Noting the time, she said, "I'll have to be going now, Melody. I have a few other matters to tend to. Talk with you later?"
"Sure," Melody said. "Naberrie?"
"All right," Naberrie said. "I hope you have a lovely night."
"You too." Leia and Naberrie got up, before leaving the room together. Getting up from the table herself, Melody quickly moved to where Lasky was. The gaggle of women, upon seeing her, quickly stepped back and began doing other things. "You all right?" Melody asked.
"Fine," Lasky said. "Certainly had a groupie going on here. I was just about to fake a request to go to the heads when you came over. They kept asking a lot of questions, and ones I wasn't comfortable asking. Some even asked if I would be willing to go out with them. I had to repeatedly decline their requests, but they kept on asking. Talk about annoying."
"Tell me about it," Melody said. "I take it you're not enjoying the banquet?"
"It's certainly a feast for the eyes, but not my sort of thing. I much prefer being onboard the Infinity instead of down here, making nice to politicians. It's peaceful when you're on the bridge of your own starship."
"That I can agree with," came another voice. Melody jumped, while Lasky turned towards the source of the voice. To their surprise, the voice belonged to an alien that seemed almost human, only there were a number of stark differences. For one, his eyes were a crimson red, while his skin was a sky blue color. Noting Melody's momentary jump, he said, "My apologies if I disturbed you, my lady."
"It's all right," Lasky said. "Ever since Scarif, we've all been kinda jumpy." Extending a hand, he said, "Captain Thomas Lasky. Who might you be?"
The man smiled, even as he shook Lasky's hand. "Vice Admiral Mitth'raw'nurodo of the Chiss Ascendancy, though you may call me 'Thrawn.' Most humans tend to have difficulty pronouncing my name properly, hence the nickname."
"Ah, I see." Looking the Chiss up and down, Lasky asked, "So, what brings you to Coruscant?"
Thrawn smiled. "I was performing my usual duties when I heard that another faction had been discovered, one from outside of the galaxy. That piqued my interest, so I came here to see what was really going on. Then I learned that this new faction was composed of humans from another galaxy, humans that had fought a war for their very survival."
"You must've been impressed, yes?"
"I was," Thrawn admitted. "What impresses me more, though, is that you learned to destroy the Covenant simply by striking at the one thing holding them together: their religion. Showing that it was a lie was very well done. It reminds me as to how I would've defeated them, had I been in your place."
"You're a military theorist?" Lasky asked.
Thrawn smiled. "An astute observation, Lasky. I do more than just study an enemy's battle tactics. I study their philosophy, their culture, and most importantly, their art. To defeat an enemy, you must do all of that, otherwise there is no point in entering battle against them. Wouldn't you agree?"
Lasky nodded. Ironically enough, it was that one aspect that had finally allowed the UNSC to defeat the Covenant and survive the Covenant-UNSC War. The destruction of Alpha Halo at the Soell system had been the lynch-pin to all of that happening. "That I would," he said. "In fact, I've got a question for you, Thrawn. When you look at the Infinity, what do you see?"
Thrawn smiled. He had seen the Infinity shortly after his arrival at Coruscant from the Unknown Regions after dealing with some other business of his own. "A faction that prizes survival above all else. The angular shape of your ship, the strong lines and curves of its hull all speak to the strength of the people that made it. The very way your dress uniform is made tells me of a nation that takes great pride in its military, and ensures that it has the means to defeat any enemy that it comes across. The movements of your soldiers also suggests a great deal of discipline, as well as an experience that only comes during war. The weaponry they carry also suggests a practical mindset, where anything that does not allow them to survive is simply discarded, while what does is further integrated into their doctrines."
Lasky's eyebrows went up slightly. Now that is impressive, he thought. All of that simply from observing the appearance of our ship and the way our soldiers move and dress. In the back of his mind, Lasky noted that, if Thrawn were to become an Admiral or even a Fleet Admiral some day, he would become a force to be reckoned with. "Impressive," he said. "You gathered all that simply from looking at us?"
"Of course," Thrawn said. "You can be surprised, Lasky, by what you can learn about an enemy simply from studying their art. I gathered a similar assessment when I looked at the footage that was shown of the Covenant. A large difference, however, is that I noted that the way their ships were shaped showed that they were a highly pious people, though the clear presence of one species as the leaders indicated that they were a fractured society, simply waiting to shatter when pressed in the right location." Noting the time, he said, "I would certainly love to speak with you more, Lasky, but I am afraid that I have other matters to tend to. May your endeavors prove to be fruitful."
"And yours as well," Lasky said.
As Thrawn left the room, Melody leaned in towards Lasky. "Did you notice that? How he was able to say all that simply from studying our appearance?"
A shiver ran up Lasky's spine. "Yeah. He was able to guess all of that simply from studying the appearance of the Infinity, as well as the appearance of our soldiers. Something tells me that, if he were to become an Admiral some day, he would be a terrifying foe to face in battle."
"I agree," Melody said. "There's only one other person that I know of that would be able to defeat Thrawn, if we are to ever enter into battle with him."
"Yeah," Lasky said. "If he were still alive and well, Cole could beat him. Still, we won't know how effective of a commander Thrawn is unless we face him in battle. That's what worries me: that what we've seen is but a taste of how effective he really is." Noting the time, he said, "We should be getting back to the Infinity. Perhaps we can discuss this more in detail later?"
"Sure," Melody said.
. . .
Inside of the Throne Room, Palpatine looked towards the night sky, eyes focused on a tiny dot of light that remained fixed in the sky. That there is where the Infinity is, a part of his mind reminded him. The one ship in the entire galaxy that does not fall under my domain.
The thought wasn't a pleasant one, but it wasn't a foul one either. The possibility of human life in other parts of the universe was, to Palpatine, a given. The Universe itself seemed to demand that human beings were the most numerous lifeforms, while throwing in a smattering of other living beings as well. It is almost as though we are part of some immense cosmic joke, he thought. If so, then it was one that he found amusing.
His train of thought was interrupted when the doors to the Throne Room opened. Turning the chair, he smiled when he spotted Thrawn walking into the room. "Vice Admiral Thrawn," he said, his smile not fading. "How goes the banquet?"
"Quite well," Thrawn said, "though I have little time for formalities like banquets. You requested my presence?"
"Yes," Palpatine said. "Tell me, Thrawn. Did you find anything unusual when your shuttle was coming down to the planet's surface? Anything strange about its flight path?"
Thrawn smiled. "Of course, my lord. I believe that you might have intentionally rerouted the flight to take us as close to the Infinity as was permissible according to the current agreements we have with Captain Lasky. Am I wrong or not?"
Palpatine's smile grew. Thrawn was a highly astute individual, which was one of his greatest strengths. "That you are not," he said. "Tell me, what is your assessment of the UNSC at this time? Are they a threat to be dealt with, or something else entirely?"
Thrawn mulled over those words, spoke honestly. "I believe that, some day, they will become a threat. However, I do not believe that fighting them would be a very wise endeavor, especially when we know so little about them. What I have learned, however, tells me that, when faced with an enemy that threatens their subjugation or destruction, there is little they will not do to ensure their survival, even if it the actions required are morally reprehensible. Their war with the Covenant showed as much, and what happened at Scarif shows much of the same."
Palpatine nodded. That was the very same assessment he had come to when he had used the Force to find out more. Everything about the UNSC showed that, when faced with a threat like the Empire, there was no level too low, no weapon too great for them to use to ensure their own survival. Vader's words were true when the Force warned him not to fight the UNSC, he thought to himself. "I see," he said. "You are right, Thrawn, in that we still know too little about them. That is why I chose you to go with Ambassador Leia Organa to the galaxy the Infinity hails from."
"To study them and learn more about them, so that, should a war begin, we can defend ourselves adequately."
"Precisely," Palpatine said. "However, should war begin between the two of our nations, I will not have you participating in the war. I still have need of you to be a watchful warden of the Unknown Regions. The Far Outsiders you mentioned might sense what is happening here, and if they sense a weakness, they will strike. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, my lord," Thrawn said. "As much as I would relish the chance to fight the UNSC, you are right in that we must keep our flanks covered. I will continue to keep watch over the Unknown Regions once I am recalled from my position as a member of Leia's retinue."
"Very good," Palpatine said, "You may leave now, Thrawn. Report to me when you are able to."
"Of course, my lord."
Bowing slightly, Thrawn made his way towards the turbolift. Hearing a chiming from his chair, Palpatine keyed the incoming HoloCom signal. The image that appeared before him was the face of a man with black hair and heterochromatic eyes. His nose was smaller than most average human beings, and his hair was tied up in a pony tail. A shadow of a beard was present on his face, giving him a rugged appearance. Palpatine pursed his lips. "Admiral Michael Garon," he said. "I presume that you intend to send me a progress report, yes?"
Garon nodded. "That I am," he said in a calm and musical voice. Spotting Thrawn, he said, "Thrawn, it's been some time."
"It has," Thrawn said. "I was just about to take my leave."
"Do not let me stop you then." Once Thrawn had left, Garon said, "The CIS Remnants that have been plaguing the part of space I'm in have been dealt with. I will soon be moving on to the next sector of space where CIS activity has been reported."
"Good," Palpatine said. "We do not need any more trouble from the remnants of the CIS, especially after recent events."
"I beg your pardon, but what recent events?" Garon asked.
"You have not heard, have you?" When Garon shook his head, Palpatine sighed. "Understandable, given your current mission." Clearing his throat, he said, "A short while ago, a new faction arrived in the galaxy, one from another galaxy that is far from our own."
That piqued Garon's interest. "Really? What new faction is this?"
"The United Nations Space Command. They arrived here when their form of FTL flight malfunctioned, sending them into a pitched battle being waged between the Empire and Rebel Alliance. It is only thanks to Ambassador Leia Organa that we avoided a war that we neither wanted nor needed. I will be sending you a HoloNet feed of their actions at Scarif shortly. There is also something else that we need to discuss when you return."
"And that would be?" Garon asked.
"The Senator of your home world wished to have a discussion with you on what he calls 'family matters.' Apparently, your family wishes to make certain that you are faring well."
Garon nodded. "I see. I'll be certain to swing by and check in on them. In the meantime, I will continue my duties here."
"Good," Palpatine said, closing the HoloCom link. With that ended, he turned back towards gazing at that spot in the sky, his mind quickly calculating his next step.
