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.

Two more weeks from now, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor will be coming out. Once I've had a chance to look at the entire game, I will begin writing new chapters. Just hang in there, people. We're almost there!

As always, leave a review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or Star War franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, Disney Films, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to it's original developers, producer 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 it's original composers and/or artists.


UNSC Infinity

Geosynchronous Orbit, Pantora

June 5th, 0BBY (December 19th, 2558)

Just another day in the life, Jordan thought as he walked down the hallways in Engineering. Another subsystem to fix, another tweak to be made, more studies to be made on the Slipspace Drive. Life is as it should be.

He had more than that to be thankful, though. Those Hyperspace Drives are quite intriguing, he noted. They seem to utilize one of the eleven dimensions that are used by Slipspace Drives. Further studies on them could yield answers as to why hyperdrives are so fast.

He was in deep enough thought that he jumped when something bumped into him. Catching his balance, he quickly found what, or rather who, it was. "Oh. Sorry doctor," he said. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's all right," Halsey said. "I was a bit deep in thought myself. So, what are you currently up to?"

"Studying the hyperdrives we got from the Rebel Alliance. I have to admit, for a civilization that is very much backwards when it comes to certain technologies, they really hit it out of the ballpark with the hyperdrive. Compact, fast, safe… It's no wonder they were able to colonize the entire galaxy… or rather most of it."

"Indeed," Halsey agreed. "However, we don't have to map out any routes when we're using Slipspace. Imagine the expense that would result if we had to map out our own hyperspace routes. I don't suppose you're studying those drives in order to work out how to make our own small and compact, yes?"

"That's correct. From what I can gather, they can scale down their hyperdrives by a significant amount, though they lose out on range and travel time as a result. If I can find a way to make our CODEN Series VI Drives small enough to fit inside of something like the F-41E Broadsword, then we'll have FTL capable fighters. The possibilities are endless."

Halsey smiled. Looks like Jordan's gotten his wish, she thought. Give him a challenge like this, and his skill really comes out. Not bad for a former Marine Scout Sniper. "That they are," she said.

Jordan was about to speak when another voice interrupted him. "Dr. Halsey!" a woman's voice shouted. "Dr. Halsey!" A split-second later, a young woman with blond hair and green eyes came rushing around the corner. "I finished up that project you told me to do."

"Good work, Olivia," Halsey said. "You're starting to do quite well."

"Who's this fine young lady, Halsey?" Jordan asked. "You never told me you had a protégé."

Halsey smiled. "I didn't; my apologies. This, Jordan, is my protégé Olivia. Olivia, this is Chief Engineer Jordan MacCallum. He is in charge of ensuring that the Infinity runs smoothly."

"Pleased to meet you, Jordan," Olivia said, extending a hand.

Jordan shook it. The strength of his grip surprised Olivia. "The pleasure is all mine," he said. "Hang on… Have I seen you before? I'm getting a strong sense of déjà vu here."

"You probably have," Halsey said. "Do you remember seeing her somewhere on the ship?"

Recognition blossomed on Jordan's face. "Yeah, I do. I was down in the medical bay getting my shots. You were with a bunch of old salts like me down there."

"Yeah," Olivia said. "They're my friends. They're currently suffering from an aging disease that I'm working to cure."

Jordan's expression became one of sympathy. "Ah, I see. I know what that's like. One of my brothers got hit with Werner Syndrome. He got it fixed eventually, but still, it was hard seeing him not being able to reach puberty. Your desire to cure that aging disease your friend's have got is a noble one. Keep pursuing it."

"I will," Olivia said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jordan said. "Now, I've gotta go head to one of the frigate sub-hangars. I've heard that we've got another ship coming in. Good day."

As he disappeared around a corner, Olivia leaned in to Halsey. "Um… should we tell him about that?" she asked. "I mean, you did find out what ship he was assigned to. Right?"

"I want to see his reaction," Halsey said. "Let's shadow him and see what happens. In case he blames us, I've got evidence to show that it wasn't me or you."

"Then let's go," Olivia said…

Jordan's ears were promptly assaulted by the sound of engineers working the moment he entered the sub-hangar. The moment he entered, he was surprised to find that the hangar was unoccupied. There should be a Strident-class Frigate in here, he noted. Confused, he tapped the shoulder of a nearby technician. "Shouldn't there be a frigate in here?" he asked. "Where's the ship I've been assigned to work on?"

"It's here all right," the technician said. "You're looking for Sub-Hangar #4, right?"

"That's right."

"You've come to the right one," the technician said. "Just take the lift down and you'll see the ship."

"All right." Walking onto the lift, Jordan roughly jabbed a button. The lift shuddered, then lowered just enough for him to see the ship. It was a very small ship, around as long as a football field and half again. The moment Jordan saw it, he frowned. I know that ship, he thought. Then he saw the name. Oh no… Don't tell me…

Halsey was just about to head to the lift when she heard a thunderous, "HALSEY!" erupt from down below. She barely contained her laughter when she saw Jordan stomp off the lift, his face beet-red. Even Olivia was nearly unable to contain her mirth upon seeing his expression. "Of all the ships you give me, you give me that ancient pile of junk?!" he growled. "This had better be a joke!"

Halsey shook her head, while Olivia smiled. "It's no joke," she said. "Your new ship is the UNSC Pony Express, one of the few remaining Mako-class Corvettes in the UNSC. And, for the record, I never requisitioned that ship for you."

"Then who did?" Jordan asked, the red color leaving his face. In reply, Halsey handed him the datapad. Swiping it from her hands, Jordan quickly read it over. When he lowered it, he said, "I see. I apologize for my outburst, Dr. Halsey, Dr. Olivia. It was… unprofessional. However, I cannot say the same for a certain Rear Admiral that has decided to pull this elaborate prank on me. Excuse me. I have a sordid affair to tend to." He walked through the doors.

Olivia, unable to contain her mirth any longer, burst into laughter. "HAH!" she nearly shrieked. "I never knew Jordan was so funny when he's angry!"

"He definitely looked a tad… constipated," Halsey said, a smile creasing her aged features. "I wonder how Rear Admiral Osman is going to handle this."

"No idea," Olivia said, though she guessed that it was going to be hilarious. "Why does everyone blame everything on you?"

"I don't know," Halsey shrugged. "I guess I'm just a convenient scapegoat."

. . .

Up in her office, Rear Admiral Osman was finishing up the paperwork she'd been assigned to. Two days into my new post, and things are already starting to warm up, she noted. Who would've thought that being on the Infinity would actually be exciting. Certainly beats the days when I was at Earth, listening to constant arguments from the other Admirals and Generals. She sighed. Oh well… Perhaps this latest decision on my part will alleviate some of the boredom.

She had just reached for her cup of coffee when Roland appeared over the room's holo-table. "Yes?" she asked. "What is it?"

"I think you might want to batten down the hatches," Roland said. "I just picked up Chief Engineer MacCallum coming towards your office. Judging by his biometrics, and the color of his face, I'd say he just learned of the prank you pulled on him."

"So it would seem," Osman agreed. "Well, at least I won't be bored by what happens next. Do keep a recording of this, please."

"That I will."

At that moment, Jordan burst into the room, his face beet-red. The two guards following him moved to restrain him, but stopped when Osman said, "No need. I can handle myself if need be. Return to your posts." She clasped her hands. "Well, Jordan. I see that you've come across the ship that I assigned you to."

"I did," Jordan growled. "What's this all about, Osman? Is this revenge for the that one ship I made two decades ago? If it is, then I am not amused. Do you realize the number of engineering problems that a Mako-class Corvette has?"

"Enlighten me."

"Nearly five hundred and thirty two!" Jordan growled. "Those things are hangar queens, Osman! They're unreliable, poorly made and stupid! So why would you give me what is, effectively, the equivalent of a junker car?!"

Osman smiled. Jordan liked to pride himself on his engineering capabilities, but the man had quite a few flaws. It's so easy to push his buttons, she thought. "For starters, it is revenge for a few things you did during that time. HIGHCOM hasn't forgiven you yet for butchering one of their Gladius-class ships."

"It was perfectly viable!" Jordan growled. "They only hate me in that regard because they didn't use it properly! If they listened to my idea instead of being the usual idjuts they usually are, we would've done far better during the Covenant-UNSC War! I -"

He stopped when Osman raised a finger. "Would you let me finish? Good. The other reason is quite simple, Jordan. I requisitioned that ship so that you could use her as a test bed for some of your experiments with the Andromeda Galaxy's technology. We need as much technical information as we can get in that regard, and you're the perfect man for that job. I didn't just assign you the Pony Express out of a desire for revenge."

Jordan took a breath, let it out slowly. "I see… I suppose that a testbed would be an excellent idea. I'd need to train up someone that can take over in my stead while I focus my attention on any technologies that ONI acquires."

"Good," Osman said. "That being said Jordan, there is one other matter."

"Oh?"

"Do not raise your voice towards me," Osman said. "You may be former military, but I can still have you court-marshaled for insubordination. Given the circumstances we are in, combined with the fact that no one told you of your new assignment however, I will pardon your behavior this time around. You understand?"

Jordan took another breath and let it out. She got my ass fair and square, he thought. Besides, she is right. My behavior was… less than professional. "Understood," he said. "I'll make good use of this… opportunity." He turned on his heel and walked out the door."

As soon as he was gone, Osman let out a sly chuckle. "That went better than I expected. Roaland, did you catch all of that?"

"I did," Roland said with a chuckle. "Some people can become quite comedic when they're angry."

"Indeed. I'll have to see how far I can go before his buttons are pushed a little too much."

"Just be careful," Roland said. "Jordan's known for being creative when it comes to getting revenge. Just ask the Covenant when the Battle of Earth occurred. He converted a mining tool into a weapon, and then used said mining tool to kill several Covenant troops. Never thought that you could pin so many Covenant troops to the wall with a converted spike driver."

. . .

Up in his flag quarters, Lasky intended on having a similar conversation. Hitting the call icon for the holo-tank in his quarters, he keyed in Admiral Hood's contact information. As the HoloCOM began to make a connection, he began tapping his feet.

Ever since I learned that I'm Hood's replacement, it's always bothered me, he thought. Why did Hood chose me to be his replacement. He knows as well as anyone else that I don't approve of the things that happen in the battlefield that is politics. Plus, why now of all times? Why now instead of after I retrieved Dr. Halsey from Kamchatka.

His thoughts were interrupted when the call finally went through. Instead of Hood, he heard a woman's voice speak up. "Rear Admiral Lasky," she said. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you could inform Admiral Hood that I would like to speak to him," Lasky said. "Would you be willing to do that?"

"Of course," Hood's secretary said. "One minute please."

Don't take too long, Lasky thought. I don't want to be here all day.

Thankfully, the problem didn't last long, as Hood's hologram came up in the HoloCOM within a minute. "Rear Admiral Lasky," he said. "Is there something you needed?"

"I wanted to ask you a few questions," Lasky said. "I recently heard that you intend to make me the next Chief of Naval Operations. Is that true?"

Hood pursed his lips. "I take it Fleet Admiral Harper informed you of that?"

"Yes."

"It's true," Hood said. "I am thinking of making you the next Chief of Naval Operations."

"Why, if I may ask?"

Hood clasped his hands around his back. "For a number of reasons, Lasky. I'm getting old; I won't be around forever, and I'll need someone to take my place when I reture. Second, you're the better option out of the two choices that I have. You remember Del Rio?"

"I do," Lasky said. "Wait… don't tell me that you were seriously considering Del Rio for the job."

Hood smiled ruefully. "I was, still am in a way. He has greater political experience, but there's one reason why I'm going for you and not him."

"That reason being?"

"We need people that have paid the price of war in blood, sweat and tears," Hood said. "To put it simply, Lasky, we have too many politicians in HIGHCOM that will squabble over every minor detail that comes our way. Any more, and the UNSC will become paralyzed by indecision and inaction. We need soldiers, people that have made the hard choices, people that have sacrificed of themselves to buy Humanity another tomorrow.

"Del Rio is the optimal choice from a political point of view, but he's not the best choice for the UNSC. That is why I've chosen you, Lasky. Unlike Del Rio, you are not only aware of the burdens of command, you've been in combat before. You've had to make those decisions in a split-second, with only the information you had on hand during those times. Your service record from before, during and after Requiem is indicative of the qualities needed for leadership. That's why I've chosen you, Lasky, as my successor. You have the right stuff needed to lead the UNSC. Besides, the Chairman of the Navy is also the Chairman of the UNSC; would you want a politician to advise the UEG President on how to handle military affairs?"

Lasky remained silent at those words, though he winced at Hood's last question. So that's why he's chosen me to be the next Chairman of the Navy, or even the head of the UNSC for that matter. He feels that I'm the ideal candidate to get the job done. Besides, I don't want to see Del Rio in that position either. It'd be a nightmare. "I see," he said at length. "All right. I don't like doing that kind of a job, but if you and everyone else feel that I'm the best person for it, then I'll do it."

"Good," Hood said. "Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Yeah. Why did you put Del Rio in charge of the Infinity initially, instead of someone like me?"

Hood, again, smiled ruefully. "To be fair, it was a political choice, but it was also a choice made out of spite."

"How so?"

"You don't know, do you?" When Lasky shook his head, Hood sighed. "I see. You're the only other person that'll know of this. Are you aware of Parangosky's history?"

"Not really," Lasky said. "I know snippets of it. Why?"

"Because she and I go back a long ways," Hood said. "I'll tell it to you straight: we don't like each other. We each have our own ways of doings things, and we rub each other the wrong way. That wasn't more evident when we had to pick a person to be the Infinity's CO. Parangosky wanted you, while I wanted Del Rio."

"Parangosky picked me?" Lasky asked, surprised. "Why?"

"She felt that you were the better person for the job," Hood said. "She thought of Del Rio as more of a manager, a man in a suit rather than a leader. I thought otherwise, and I had the final say in the end. As we both know, though, my decision turned out to be the wrong one. I still regret putting Del Rio in command instead of you. Had I listened to Parangosky, we might still have Requiem, and the Didact would be in prison, or dead."

"That's the first time I've heard you make an admission."

Hood shrugged. "I'm willing to own up to my mistakes, even if doing so bites me in my ass, and I'll bet that my ass will be thoroughly chewed out before long. Still, you wanted an answer to that question, you've got it."

"That I do," Lasky said. "I won't keep you any longer, sir. I hope your day goes well."

"With the luck I've got, going well would be a welcome reprieve," Hood said. "Admiral Hood out." The hologram winked out of existence.

Lasky tapped his feet onto the ground. Well, I got answers all right, he thought. Still, I'm surprised that Parangosky wanted me to be the CO of the Infinity instead of Del Rio. Well… she got her way in the end. I wouldn't be surprised if she was listening in to our call and smiling the whole time. If she wanted me to be in command of the Infinity, then why did she try to have me killed through Osman. He shrugged, then turned towards the exit. "Cortana, you there?" he asked.

"Of course," Cortana said. "What'd you need, sir?"

"I would like to speak to Rear Admiral Osman when she's got the time. Is she available?"

"She is," Cortana said. "She just finished up a conversation with Chief Engineer MacCallum. Apparently, as a prank and a means of developing new technology, she gave MacCallum the Pony Express."

Lasky frowned. "I thought that bucket of bolts was retired a long time ago."

"Apparently not," Cortana said. "I did warn her to be careful with Jordan, though. He's one of the most creative engineers we've got. Are you aware of one of the skirmishes that happened at Earth, in Africa?"

"Yes," Lasky said. "I read the AAR myself. You're right in that he's creative. Who would've thought that a converted titanium spike driver would be an excellent weapon to use against Elites?"

"No one but Jordan apparently. It makes sense, though. He's a former ODST Sniper, did a stint as an officer, and got an astrophysics and engineering degree at the Annapolis Naval Academy. For someone from Reach, that's to be expected, in a way."

. . .

The mood was decidedly less jovial where Amassador Cleese was concerned. Rain whipped past him as he strode down the walkway into the Imperial Palace. Around him, the Stormtroopers and Palace Guards escorted him inside, with nary a care for the weather.

The Imperial Palace is one dull and dreary place, Cleese thought. Too much black, gray and red. I much prefer the colors in our buildings. They seem vibrant and alive, while this place is too much like a tomb. He could also swear that, at times, he could hear the sounds of children weeping behind him, though when he had glanced behind himself to look, he hadn't seen a thing.

Not that there was much to see until he was in the throne room. Stepping out into the room itself, Cleese found himself looking at the Emperor and his right hand man, Vader. Palpatine looks like a man that was recently brought out of a retirement home. Outwardly, he said, "Good day, my good sir. I'm Ambassador Cleese, the UEG's official Ambassador to the Galactic Empire."

Palpatine smiled. "Greetings to you as well," he said. "I am Emperor Palpatine, and this is my right hand man, Darth Vader. I trust that your journey was well."

"It was. The weather does put a bit of a damper on things, but then again, one cannot allow the weather to dictate policy. It would be too jumbled up otherwise."

The jab at the weather was enough to elicit a slight smile from Palpatine. "Coruscant has always had inclement weather like this. On the worst days, few people leave their homes for fear of being struck by lightning. Perhaps by working together, we might remedy that, and a few more pressing matters."

"Indeed," Cleese said. "With that in mind, I was wondering if I could speak some more with Economic Analyst Morlen on economic relations. I was also wondering when we might be able to open an embassy and consulate here."

"You need not worry," Palpatine reassured him. "I am making arrangements for potential locations for you to set up an embassy and consulate. As for Morlen, he is currently handling other affairs. Given that you've only just arrived, I would recommend that you take today to rest and prepare yourself for intergalactic politics."

"That I will," Cleese said. "Before I go, though, there is one question I would like to ask you."

"Of course. Go ahead."

"Why build an enormous space station just to crush dissent?" Cleese asked. "In the UEG, we don't resort to that sort of thing when dealing with an insurrection. The public outcry would be immense, and we'd all be looking for other jobs by the end of the day. Plus, there are easier, and less expensive means to handle the problem. Why go for something like that?"

Palpatine mulled the question over. A most astute question, he thought. I cannot tell him about the Far Outsiders yet, however. "To send a message," he said at length. "The Death Star is more than just a tool for destroying planets, it is also a symbol of our wealth and status. Do you know of any governments, past and present, that could have built something like the Death Star, with the resources that they have?"

The Forerunners and Covenant could, Cleese thought. They had the resources and money to get the job done. Hell, even High Chairty was bigger than the Death Star. "Only one that I know of: the Covenant," he said honestly. "Since their schism and dissolution...?" He shook his head.

"Exactly," Palpatine said. "Besides, what rebel force would want to attack a station that is that large and that impenetrable? I cannot think of any myself." He smiled, then he said, "We will convene more tomorrow, and discuss some of the niceties of the treaty that we will be signing shortly. You may go."

"Thank you," Cleese said. Back inside of the turbolift, he shivered. I really don't like that man, he said to himself. I'd much prefer talking with Director Parangosky instead of that decrepit old man, and that's a first, even for me.

As the turbolift doors closed, Vader leaned in towards Palpatine. "He doesn't trust us," he said. "I sensed distrust flowing from him like a spring."

"I did as well," Palpatine said. "He is willing to work with us, but that is all that we can expect from him. I anticipated that, however, and it is to be expected given events that have bothered the UEG in recent times."

Vader nodded. Much of the distrust that he had sensed coming from Cleese was due to the war the UNSC had finished fighting eight years ago. "We will have to work to gain his trust. Only then can our plans move forward."

"Yes," Palpatine said. "That we must."