Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars short story crossover collection.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support. I deeply appreciate it.
Having read your reviews in the main story chapter that was published last time, I've decided to make some changes to them when possible. Thank you for the feedback on that chapter. Your words are deeply appreciated.
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 their original composers and/or artists.
UNSC Infinity
Geosynchronous Orbit, Pantora
July 18th, 0BBY, 1030 Hrs
As far as detention center cells go, this isn't as bad as I thought it'd be," Teron thought. The bed is a little narrow, but within reason. Same goes for the rest of the cell: narrow, but reasonably so.
He sighed. I hope they're treating my men well. They chose to come with me on this flight from the Empire. Deep down, he hoped he hadn't made a terrible mistake.
A sound drew his attention to the door. Before it were a pair of guards, each one clad in heavy body armor and armed with powerful weapons. The door opened with a quiet hiss, permitting the guards into the cell itself. Following them was a single officer with a diamond shaped symbol on his uniform. "Vice Admiral Teron. Would you be willing to come with us?"
Teron sighed. "I don't suppose I have any choice in the matter?" The question was met with silence. "Very well. I'll come because I wish to cooperate. I do not want any trouble."
The officer nodded. "Guards, secure Teron and bring him with me." The guards nodded. Getting up from the bunk, Teron didn't struggle as they fitted cuffs on his hands. Once secured, they gently, but firmly, pushed him forwards. A black bag was put over his head, blinding him.
Still, he could clearly hear what he couldn't see. They're likely bringing me to an interrogation cell. He shuddered imperceptibly. I've seen some of the 'methods' the Empire uses to gather information. I hope that the UNSC has more restraint in that regard.
He didn't have to wonder for long.
After moving down hallways that he couldn't see, the guards stopped him short, then moved him again. The sounds from the hallway tapered off sharply, indicating he was in a room. The guards then stopped and pushed on his shoulders. Kneeling down, Teron was relieved when he felt the cold surface of a chair against his buttocks. What now?
"Do you know where you are?" a woman's voice asked.
"No," Teron said.
"Good. Remove the hood." The guard removed the hood from Teron's head, nearly blinding him with the room's lighting. Once his eyes adjusted, Teron flicked his eyes around.
The cell he was in was spartan, with a single mirror, gray walls, black floors and gray ceiling. No cameras, he observed, but that doesn't mean that I'm not being observed. Both guards took up position behind him, their hands clasped near their weapons.
His gaze shifted to the woman before him. She was a pretty thing, but a deadly sort of pretty, the kind of beauty that came with seeing a fully loaded and primed weapon. Her eyes, however, promised swift retribution if he chose to lie to her. That woman is far more frightening than Isard and Armand will ever be, he decided. Those two were frightening enough, but one knew what to expect from them; this woman was unpredictable.
She smiled, having gauged his observation of her. "You've taken a tremendous risk coming here, Teron," she said. "Not many Imperials would be brave or foolish enough to defect from the Empire."
"Not many have thought the matter through as I have," Teron said. "And those that do not defect either want power, are too cowardly to do so, or are being held at gunpoint. What do you see me as?"
"I'll be asking the questions here, Teron," the woman said calmly. "However, I understand your feelings. I see you as one of the few willing to take a stand against a totalitarian regime, though you are much more professional than the Rebel Alliance."
"Yet you seem to have allied with them, have you not?"
The woman smiled. "Very astute. Without further ado, however, we will begin." Clearing her throat, she said, "The records you handed over to us indicate that you were a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. If that is the case, why did you betray the Republic to serve the Empire?"
Teron sighed. "I didn't betray the Republic. The Republic betrayed me, and then metamorphosed into the Galactic Empire. While the Empire might have betrayed the values that the Republic stood for, I have not, and I never will."
"Is that why you chose to defect?"
"Partially," Teron said. "The other is that I recognize the Empire for what it is: a tyrannical regime that is not only illegitimate, but one that is not merely satisfied with this galaxy. The Emperor intends to expand his grip outside of this galaxy, now that you have shown yourselves."
"Why?"
Teron frowned. "Because it is his nature. Not many know this, but Palpatine is not the kindly, grandfatherly victim of the Jedi that people know him as. He is smart, but most importantly, he fears anyone that calls him a tyrant and a murderer and possesses the will to stand against him. He fears it so much that he will go to any lengths necessary to make sure no one can face him, not even his own forces. Just look at the Death Star to see what I mean."
The woman nodded. "I gathered as much. Palpatine seems like the standard run-of-the-mill dictator that can't stand someone saying no to him. "
"He's no 'run-of-the-mill' tyrant'," Teron cautioned her. "Again, few people know of this, but I know more than most. I know that he is a Sith, and that he uses his powers to influence those that would stand against him."
"He's a Force Sensitive?"
Teron nodded. "I believe so. No mere man could keep the Jedi from learning his true intentions long enough for him to take power. It takes a Force Sensitive to be able to fool them, and one that is well trained at that."
The woman frowned, tapped something into her datapad. "So the other reason you wish to defect is to warn us of his intentions?"
"Yes," Teron said. "I do not know what he fully intends, but I do know that he plans to conquer your government when he feels it is time to do so."
"We will keep that in mind. Your report says that you had the hull of your ship extensively scrubbed of any tracking devices. Is this true?"
"Yes," Teron said. "If there's one thing that the Imperial Navy is paranoid about, it's losing their Star Destroyers. To them, the Star Destroyer is the ultimate symbol of power, the ultimate deterrent to rebellion. The loss of one is a blow to their reputation that they can ill afford. They install tracking devices onto every Star Destroyer, hence why I had to scrub it thoroughly, otherwise there's no point to a defection."
"I see," Osman said. "That lines up with what our engineers have told us. Your crew was quite thorough in its sweep for such devices. They are to be commended."
"My crew were veterans of the Clone Wars," Teron said. "If they weren't competent, I daresay they'd be looking for other jobs by this point.
The woman smiled, then focused on the next question. "We are aware that you are a Vice Admiral in the Imperial Navy. Do you have knowledge of any locations or projects that we are unaware of?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because the UNSC would like to know," the woman said. "You said it yourself; war against the Empire is inevitable. Try as they might to deny it, the politicians are firmly aware that the Empire will not accept simple platitudes and treaties. Subjugation is their ultimate goal, a goal that the UNSC wishes to thwart."
Teron smiled. So there is some hope after all, he thought. If the UNSC and Rebel Alliance are firmly aware of the Empire's plans for the galaxy, if not the entire Universe, then there is no chance of the Empire winning. "It's good to hear that someone is willing to take action."
"As you said yourself, most are too cowardly, greedy or have been held at gunpoint to make them comply. With that being said, would you be willing to answer the previous question?"
Teron nodded. "Yes," he said. "Within my quarters on the ship is a data disk that holds the locations of various Imperial research facilities. Some are developing more powerful weapons, while others are developing new fighters. Given your faction's show of force, I daresay that some of those projects have been accelerated."
"Thank you. Now, I have this to ask you. You are aware that, if you choose to defect to the UNSC, you will only serve in an advisory role, and not an actual military one. Correct?"
Teron sighed. She's right, a part of his mind decided. Can they trust you not to go over to the Empire's side? "Yes," he said at length. "You wouldn't want someone with fickle loyalties to return to the enemy. A traitor once is a traitor twice, wouldn't you agree?"
"Indeed," the woman said. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"
Teron shrugged. "Not like I have a choice. This is your ship. You do with it as you please."
"Not exactly, but close." Getting up, the woman stepped outside and into the room next to the interrogation room. "So, what do you think, Lasky?"
"I think he's telling the truth, Osman," Lasky said. "Taking an entire Star Destroyer with him, only to defect to us? Some would find that fishy. I, however, have a good feeling that he's actually trying to defect."
"Let's see if Roland can tell us more," Osman said.
"I can," Roland said. "Teron's bio-readouts barely fluctuated throughout the entire interrogation session. Either he's a really good liar, or he really means what he says he means."
"I'm inclined to believe the latter," Lasky said, flashing a datapad into view. "According to your subordinates, Osman, this is Teron's diary. Now, I know that you've read it already, but I want you to tell me what you saw inside of the diary."
Osman sighed. She'd read the diary herself, so she knew exactly what Lasky was saying. "I saw the frustrations of a man that was dissatisfied with the Imperial government. Much of his ramblings are rather calm and detailed, which tells me he's had some time to think this over. Many of those ramblings, however, are quire right."
"Exactly the conclusion I came to, Osman. What we have here is a man that is thoroughly fed up with the Galactic Empire, has disliked it from its very inception, and has been yearning for a way out. The only reason why he's waited until now is due to the fact that the Empire, as he's told you, is paranoid. They won't let their officers leave, and they constantly set themselves against each other, if his journal entries are to be believed. By recruiting Teron, we can get an idea of what the Empire's true intentions are, and get a glimpse of how they conduct their own military operations."
Osman smiled. "And that will enable us to defeat them. Reminds me of a certain general from Ancient China's Wu Dynasty."
"You got that right," Lasky said. "So, now do you understand what I'm getting at?"
"I already did from the start. I take it you still wish to recruit him?"
"Yes," Lasky said. "However, given what we know about traitors, we're going to have to put him in a purely advisory position. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up advising either myself or Vice Admiral Cole."
"Agreed," Osman said. "Shall I inform him as to your decision?"
"Go ahead." With a nod, Osman walked out of the room.
Hearing the door behind him open, Teron looked to see Osman walking inside. "I have spoken with my superior," she said. "He believes that you are not only telling the truth, he thinks you will be an asset to us given your high rank in the Empire before your defection. If you are willing to join, we are more than happy to allow you to."
Teron smiled. "Of course," he said. "I don't care if it's for an advisory role. My military days are done, especially given a… diagnosis I received."
"Roland?"
"Teron's right," Roland said. "I did a brief scan when I noticed some anomalies. It turns out, he might not have long in this world. I'm detecting signs of stage two liver cancer."
"I see," Osman said. "We can deal with that shortly. However, there is one thing that can be done. Guards, would you be willing?"
Both men nodded, then they unlocked Teron's cuffs. "Thank you," he said. "I look forwards to working more with the two of you, however long I have."
"So do I, Teron."
. . .
At the Bravo-6 facility in Sidney, Hogan facepalmed himself. "This is embarrassing. Ackerson was allowed to get away with all of this? I'm shocked that he would turn children into animals!"
"I am surprised as well," Parangosky said. "Ackerson was not just good at coming up with results, he was good at covering his tracks. Still, the information yielded from Project CHRYSANTHEMUM will greatly benefit any future attempts to create new Spartans."
Hood nodded. "It's good intel, but the cost was far too high."
Strauss shook his head. "It's also partly my fault he he could get away with this. If I hadn't been so weak-willed back then, this might never have gone this far!"
"There wasn't much you could do, Strauss," Parangosky said. "For one thing, you were in the Army, not ONI, which mean you didn't have the authority to stop him. Secondly, Ackerson was being protected by Vice Admiral Stanforth, who outranked you at the time. Still, I understand why you feel that way. Personally, if I had known about this, I would have silenced Ackerson myself, even if Stanforth was protecting him. Still, what matters now isn't what we could've done; we must focus on what we can do now."
"Agreed," Hood said. "Following the conclusion of this meeting, and after I promote Cole to the rank of Fleet Admiral, I will posthumously discharge Ackers0on dishonorably, and have all of his accolades stripped from him. He may have escaped justice in this life, but he will not escape justice in death. From now on, I won't be a blind, ignorant fool any longer. You all can count on that."
"That would be a nice change of pace," Parangosky agreed. "So, I take it you have work to do."
Hood nodded. Internally, however, a vicious grin cross his face. I do, he said. For too long, I've been far too nice and polite. Now, the gloves come off. "The Armed Services Committee will want to hear about this. I'll be speaking with them shortly."
"Please do," Parangosky said. "They have to know about this."
"That they do," Hood agreed...
This is going to be fun, Hood thought as he strode through the doors into the Armed Services Committee room a few minutes later. Well… I can't pick when they choose to call a meeting or not. Might as well get this over with.
Sitting down, he observed the other members entering the room. A frown crossed his face when he saw Del Rio among the members of the committee. I wonder how that weasel managed to land a position here, he thought. I don't suppose it was too surprising. Del Rio is quite adept at politics
"Ladies and gentlemen," Stuart, the committee leader said. "As all of you are likely aware, the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the various failings and ethical breaches concerning ONI, as well as what we are to do following those concerns. So, without further ado, we will begin." He cleared his throat. "Are you willing to answer our questions, AoN Hood?"
"Yes," Hood said.
"Then we may begin." Taking a few moments to read some of the document, stuart said, "It has come to our attention, Hood, that the UNSC is not being fairly represented on the UNSC Security Council. Eyewitness testimony states that some branches of the UNSC are being represented by Major Generals, RADMs and RDMLs rather than actual Admirals, Generals and the like. Is this true, and if so, would you care to explain as to why?"
Hood sighed. I had a bad feeling that practice would come to bite us in the ass someday, he thought. Oh well… time to face the music. "Yes," he said. "As to why, it was due to the pressures of the Covenant-UNSC War. We were losing good officers faster than we could recruit them, and bad officers even faster. As such, to ensure that leadership roles could be filled, my predecessor authorized Major Generals and Rear Admirals to represent branches of the UNSC."
"Why did you not repeal the practice?"
"Given the current circumstances at the time, it would've been harmful to leadership cohesion if I had done so," Hood said. "As such, I allowed the practice to continue. It wasn't without its flaws, but it did get us through the Covenant-UNSC War."
"Then why did you not repeal it when the war was over."
Hood frowned, but answered the question. "An oversight on my part. The war had recently ended, and to change leadership then would've jeopardized the leadership of the UNSC. As such, I allowed the power structure to remain in place, though recent events have shown that it has gone on for too long."
The committee members looked at each other. "I see," Del Rio said. "There is also something else related to that matter. Records indicate that, after becoming the Chairman of the UNSC, you neglected to promote Cole to the position of Fleet Admiral.
"In addition, given his recent reappearance in the Andromeda Galaxy, you placed him in a desk job to ascertain his loyalty. Given that he's clearly proven his loyalty to the UNSC, why is he still a Vice Admiral stuck in a desk job, rather than a Fleet Admiral onboard a ship? To further cast doubt on your decision, there are rumors that the reason you haven't promoted him are due to personal reasons. So tell me, Hood, have you failed to promote Cole to the rightfully deserved position of Fleet Admiral due to a personal grudge, or out of fear of his actual loyalty?"
The question deepened Hood's frown. "If you are referring to the rumors, they were true, twenty one years ago that is."
"Would you kindly elaborate?"
"Very well, since we're airing my dirty laundry in public," Hood said. "I was in command of the Roman Blue at the time the Battle of Arcadia occurred. You are familiar with that battle, yes?"
"Yes. Records indicate that it was the battle where the Spirit of Fire went MIA. Correct?"
"Correct," Hood said. "During the battle, I was tasked with retrieving the log buoy by Vice Admiral Cole and to keep out of the battle." He sighed. "In my blind rage and arrogance, I ordered the ship to attack a Sinaris-class frigate in the area. While we succeeded in the battle, we didn't recover the log buoy, a mistake that continues to haunt me to this day.
"When Cole learned of this, he officially reprimanded me for following orders, but did not demote me. At the time, I was a young, reckless and foolhardy young man, which led to me becoming disgruntled with him As the years passed, however, the guilt overcame my anger, and when I became the Chairman of the UNSC, the anger had long since died out.
"As for why I failed to promote Cole, despite him being presumed KIA or MIA, it was due to the fact that we had more worrying matters to deal with. We had a war to survive, and I had more noteworthy things to take care of than promoting a dead man. When I learned he was alive, I placed him in the desk job to ascertain of he was loyal or not."
"So the reason you didn't promote Cole was because you wanted to know if he was loyal after being gone for so long?" Del Rio asked.
Hood nodded. "Yes. However, as reports from Lasky and Harper have shown, Cole has not only proven his loyalty, he has earned his rank. Following the conclusion of this meeting, I will be prompting him to his richly deserved rank of Fleet Admiral. He's earned it at this point."
Del Rio and the others nodded. "We will discuss that with him at a later time," Stuart said. "That being said, the information that Parangosky has shared with us is quite… disturbing."
"That it is," Del Rio agreed. "Tell me, Hood, are you aware of the Spartan-III Program?"
"Yes," Hood said. "It was a successor to the Spartan-II Program. Why?"
"Are you aware of the fact that Colonel Ackerson was using the Spartan-III program to turn children into mindless, berserk animals?"
Hood stiffened. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"The intelligence report Parangosky shared with us details what happened," Del Rio said. "According to records, Ackerson made use of a drug known as 009762-OO, known as a 'Smoother', which was designed specifically to alter key regions of the subject's brain to enhance the aggressive response while depressing higher level reasoning over time. That drug, along with the drugs designed to counter the effects of 009762-OO, were made illegal by the UNSC Medical Corps. So, would you care to explain why Ackerson was allowed to get away with this atrocity? By all rights, we should hand this over to the Human Rights Committee and see what they think."
Hood was quiet, but his lips pursed into an ugly frown. "I was not aware of his actions in the Spartan-III Program," he said.
"If that is the case, were you aware of his assassination attempt on the Master Chief's life, as well as Stanforth's attempt to cover up the crime?"
Hood shook his head. "I was not aware of those either. However, I will make this loud and clear to you. If I had known Ackerson's actions, I would have ensured that he would've been eliminated… via MAC gun."
"I see," Del Rio said. "If that's the case, why weren't you aware of Ferdinand's failed attempt to assassinate Lasky until recently? It seems to me as though you're allowing ONI to have the run of the UNSC."
That single statement ignited a fire inside of Hood. He held back a sharp retort, then answered. "As you all well know, I dislike ONI and its current leadership. We both have differing opinions on what the UNSC should be doing to ensure the survival of our civilization. As such, I've been working to gradually take away the control that ONI has gained over the UNSC. However, as you can see, some of my attempts to do so backfired. In fact, those efforts are the reason why you, Del Rio, were placed in charge of the Infinity, before we removed you for your lack of competence."
Del Rio's expression stiffened. Before he could speak, Stuart interceded. "Gentlemen!" he said. "Do try to keep yourselves civil. We are here to discuss amicably what happened, not devolve into a shouting match!" Looking at Hood, he said, "I understand that you've been attempting to take control back from ONI. We are all aware of their recent actions. That being said, Hood, they have the run of the mill for HIGHCOM's meeting location."
"I am fully aware of that," Hood said. "Bravo-6 was built as an ONI facility for HIGHCOM."
"Then why not simply drop a bunker buster through the building and be done with it?"
"For a number of reasons," Hood said. "Firstly, Bravo-6 is underneath a building that not only houses innocents, but also serves as a facade. Secondly, I do intend to drop a bunker buster… of sorts."
The members of the committee looked at each other uneasily. They had no idea what he meant, but it sounded serious. "I see," Stuart said. "If that is the case, then I have a question for you. Why should we not defund the UNSC or ONI for that matter? If this gross level of incompetence is going on, then it makes sense to cut the budget on an organization that is clearly failing. So, what reasons do you have for us to not do so?"
Hood frowned. Those idiots! a part of him raged. Don't they realize what is on our doorstep?! Stifling his rage, he said, "For a handful of reasons. The first is that, by defunding the UNSC or ONI, you will be harming our efforts to prepare for a war against the Galactic Empire. One of those efforts is the reverse-engineering of Imperial technology. In addition, a lack of funds will prevent us from building the required number of warships needed to fight the Empire."
"Why not simply move the engineering departments frim ONI to the UNSC Engineering Corps? In addition, why does ONI need a Star Destroyer?"
"Because doing so will take time," Hood argued. "Time that we do not have. You know that it takes, on hand, roughly five months to reorganize even a small part of the UNSC. If we do so right now, we will be slowing down our efforts to prepare for the war that is sitting at the doorstep. As for the latter question, they don't, and it is a matter that has been settled."
"Then why were they trying to acquire one?" Del Rio asked.
"I am unaware as to why, but I fully intend to find out." Hood said.
"Then how do you intend to keep ONI in line, especially since they are in another galaxy?"
"I plan to lean on Parangosky to ensure that ONI remains compliant," Hood said, "even if it means taking a gun to the heads of each Section Chief in ONI. You have my word that they will toe the line."
"Are you sure?" Del Rio asked. "Because it doesn't seem like you are in charge of the UNSC. Who is, really?"
Damn, Hood growled. "I am, gentlemen," he said. "However, the Covenant-UNSC War has blinded me to the reality of the situation: ONI has become too powerful, and my actions haven't been drastic enough to hold them in line. This time, however, I will be taking direct action to ensure they remain in line, even if I have to drag them back into line kicking and screaming."
The others exchanged frowns, but remained silent. "So it would seem," Del Rio said. "One more question, Hood. Why were you unable to prepare the Infinity for a coup?"
"It's hard to prepare for a coup when your own intelligence agency prefers to play chess with you rather than tell the truth," Hood said. "It was an oversight, one that has been corrected already."
"Very well then," Stuart said. "We have a ruling. While your actions in attempting to correct ONI were grossly inadequate, recent events have shown us that you are more than willing to take action. As such, we will not defund the UNSC or ONI but on one condition: that you ensure ONI remains firmly under UNSC control, and that all facilities built by the UNSC and claimed by ONI are returned to their proper owners. In addition, you will be promoting Cole and Parangosky to their rightful positions. Is that clear?"
"Crystal," Hood said.
"Then this meeting is adjourned." With the bang of a gavel, the members of the Armed Services Committee left the room.
. . .
Never thought I'd find myself in an ecumenopolis, Sergeant Terry Haines thought. I must admit, the idea of a city covering an entire planet is not one that I'm too keen on. This place must be massive in terms of the population burden.
He looked up, gazing into the sky. Like all of the buildings on Coruscant, the UNSC Embassy & Consulate towered into the sky, a showcase of Coruscanti engineering prowess. Now, the facade of the building had flags with the symbols of the UEG and UNSC draped from them. Two more guards like him were standing at the base of the stairs connecting to the pedestrian street nearby.
"I gotta admit, you've got to give the Republic… er… Empire credit. They do know how to build massive cities," his partner, Stefan, said. "If it weren't for their проклятый тоталитарный policies and racist ideology, we'd get along quite nicely."
"Wouldn't want to work with them anyways," Haines countered. "You hear about that Emperor of their's?" He shivered. "He has about as much cheer as a graveyard, and his partner is quite… intimidating. I wouldn't want to meet either of them in a dark alley."
"True, plus, their military leaves something to be desired in terms of competence. I heard that their forces literally got their asses wiped on the floor at Scarif. Plus, their equipment is shit. What kind of military gives its forces weapons and armor that do jack shit to us?"
"The kind that don't give a damn about their own forces," Stefan grumbled. "Проклятые имперские отморозки. My question is, why do they give their forces shitty equipment?"
Haines shrugged. "Stingy politicians, if you ask me. We argue with them all the time back home. Every damn line item is debated before the ham fisted politicians hand the money over. If we didn't have to deal with those greedy bastards all the time, we'd have all the money we'd ever need to keep Humanity safe. It's thanks to them that we nearly lost the Covenant-UNSC War."
"Not exactly," Stefan countered. "The Covenant had significantly more advanced technology than we did, including our allies descended from them. Secondly, we had to deal with the Insurreciton, and crushing a civil war takes more time and money than you think."
Haines was about to counter when they heard a voice yell, "GET BACK HERE, SLAVE!" Looking at the platform, Haines caught sight of a rich and corpulent man trying to tear something out of the hands of a small child. Said child was fighting like mad, with screams and feral sounds tearing their way out of his throat. Before the two could continue, the two embassy guards closest to them forced them apart.
Stepping down into the group, he asked, "What's going on here?"
"My slave was stealing my money!" the corpulent man complained loudly. "I demand that her hand be severed as punishment for that act!"
"NO!" the child screamed. "I won't give it back! I WON'T GO BACK! I WON'T!"
"You'll give it back, even if I must kill you!"
"Everyone, settle down!" Haines shouted. When everyone did, he continued. "Before we continue, I'd like to hear the child's side of the story. Go ahead, young one."
"The bad man took my parent's money," the child said, her voice on the verge of breaking. "My mommy and daddy are dead, and this man wouldn't give me money. I'm so hungry and so cold, but no one will give me a home! No one will feed me and no one will give me water to drink! Then he enslaved me and made me work without feeding me!"
"A punishment that you deserve," the corpulent man snarked. "Little vermin like you ought to die and decrease the surplus population, wretch! When you're back at my place, I-"
Before the man could continue, Stefan slapped the man in the face. It wasn't a hard slap to make him cry, but a sharp one to let him know he was in disgrace. "Shut up, you fat bastard!" he yelled. "Here you are, making a fuss over a tiny amount of money, while threatening a child that has done nothing to you other than attempt to get the money she needs to survive! On top of that, you enslaved her and forced her to work for you without any hope of relase! How dare you threaten a child with death! Shame on you! SHAME! ON! YOU!"
"That's enough, Stefan," Haines said. "Personally, I don't give a rat's ass about this stupid fucking argument. However, Stefan is right in that you have no right to threaten a child!"
"I have every right," the man haughtily declared. "I am an Imperial citizen of the highest social order, and you will accord me the proper respect, peasant."
"That is where you are wrong," Haines said. "You are currently at the UNSC Embassy & Consulate, which means that you are on UNSC territory and are subject to UNSC law. That means that I have the power and authority to arrest you on the spot for child abuse, attempted battery and intent to commit premeditated murder. In addition, I am a man that finds slimy and fat parasites like you to be disgusting and filthy. Personally, I'm surprised you've lasted this long. If you were on a UNSC world, you'd be shot dead where you stand."
The Imperial noble's face went red with rage. "You dare threaten me?!" he shouted. "I'll have your head on a pike when I am through speaking with your boss! Guards! Arrest these two!" Two Stormtroppers advanced to take the child. Before they could reach her, Haines and Stefan raised their weapons. The noble's face turned even redder. "You dare resist?!"
"We resist because you are partaking in an unlawful action!" Stefan growled. "Back off, or we will open fire!"
"I will not, peasant!" the noble screeched. "I will gun you down where you stand! I -!"
"Actually, you won't," another voice said. Ambassador Cleese came into view, his business suit prim and clean. "And don't attempt to accuse these men of threatening you. Haines, explain to me what was going on?"
"We were standing on guard duty when the noble here tried to take this girl away, claiming she was his slave," Haines said. "We stepped in to deescalate the situation when he began to threaten us with violence if we did not comply with him. When we refused to cease our involvement, he attempted to get these Stormtroopers to shoot us."
Cleese sighed, then turned towards the noble. "Technically speaking, this situation requires that my boss, President Charet, speaks with your boss, sir. However, I can clearly see that you have abused this child. I cannot trust you to be honest with us when it comes to her condition. I will have her give back the money she took from you, but if you attempt to harm her in any other way, I will see to it that you are punished to the fullest degree of the law."
The Imperial noble paled. It was clear to Haines that the man was used to getting what he wanted all his entire life. To be threatened by two soldiers and an employee that held sympathy for the child was something he'd never faced before. Ignoring his expression of shock, the woman turned to the child. "Give him back his money, child."
"But what about me?!" the child asked, nearly on the verge of tears. "I'm hungry and thirsty!"
"He'll continue to threaten you otherwise," Cleese said. "Besides, I do not intend to allow a child to go hungry or thirsty. If he tries anything, he'll regret it. OK?"
The child nodded, then hesitantly returned the money. The Imperial noble swiped the credit chit from her, then pointed a dagger-like finger at the others. "You will rue this day, peasants!" he growled, before stomping off.
"What a bastard," Cleese grumbled. "I trust that you gentlemen are well?"
"Definitely," Haines said. "You showed up in the nick of time, Cleese. We would've had a sticky situation on our hands."
"Indeed." Looking at the child, he said, "Would you be willing to come inside, young one? You said your parents were dead, right?"
"Yes," the child said numbly. "No one will accept me, not even the orphanages."
Cleese's face hardened with lines of cold fury. The child, seeing this, stepped back, only for a reassuring hand to rest on her shoulder. "I'm… I'm so sorry," Clese said. "I'm not angry at you, miss…?"
"Chanila," the child said.
"Chanila. I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at the people that forced to turn to thievery and pick-pocketing to survive. If you want, I can have you come to our apartment building. We have plenty of food and water for you, as well as a warm bed to sleep in. OK?"
Chanila looked at Cleese, as though she was testing him. Then, after a minute, she nodded. "OK…" she said numbly.
"Good," Cleese said. "If you'll come with me, we'll get you good food and a warm bed to sleep in. I'll also have to speak with my boss in this regard."
"Here," Stefan said, pulling out a small candy bar. "This'll help with the hunger." Chanila, seeing it, swiped the bar from his hands. "Easy! Don't wolf it down too fast, or you'll give yourself a stomach ache." Chanila didn't listen, her hands tearing off the wrapper before stuffing the candy down her throat.
Damn, Haines thought as Chanila and Cleese walked away. She must be starving if she's eating that fast. "Damn… that got dark really quick," he said.
"It did," Stefan agreed. "Let's hope that the rest of the day is without incident."
Unfortunately for Stefan or the others, fate had taken his words as a challenge, and was more than happy to meet it.
By the time their shift was ending, the sun was beginning to descend, and the lights of the city began to shine in the encroaching darkness. Haines was about to turn in when he heard Stepan cuss. Turning around, he found a small boy trying to tear his arm out of Stefan's grip, eyes wide with fear as he held a candy bar in one hand. "You OK?" Stefan asked.
"I'm fine," Stefan said. "Little guy pickpocketed me, but I caught him." Bringing the child closer, he said, "You didn't have to pickpocket me, you know. I would've given you the candy bar, free of charge. Why?"
The young boy's voice was so quiet, Haines had to strain to listen. "I'm hungry," he said, "and so are the others." Haines was about to ask when he saw movement. Turning on his helmet light, he banished the darkness and looked around.
The sight that he saw broke his heart.
Dozens of children were approaching the two men, their bodies clad in ragged clothes that had been patched endlessly until there was no trace of the original clothing itself. Boys gently held the hands of girls, their faces solemn and quiet, yet their eyes were full of pleading and longing. Some even clutched small toys in their hands, remnants of a happier time that they barely remembered anymore.
For the first time since the Covenant-UNSC War, Haines could feel tears running down his cheek. His heart screamed, both in horror and in grief. It was Stefan, though, that voiced his feelings. "Mother of…" he gasped. "Chanila wasn't the only exception at all. She was the norm."
"Damn him," Haines said. "Damn that fat bastard and all his friends! What monster denies the existence that is right before himself?!"
"The kind that have no milk of human kindness." Pulling out more candy bars, Stefan extended a hand to them. All of the children rushed forwards, reaching out with bony hands and arms to grab at the candies. Some of them even began to fight to get a bar.
Wading into the mix, Haines separated the kids that were fighting, while handing out candy bars of his own. "When we're done here, Stefan, have Deanne call Procurement. We're gonna need more candy bars, maybe even a field kitchen out here. I suspect that this is just the tip of the iceberg."
"We'll also need the Medical Corps too," Stefan added. "Some of these kids are badly malnourished. No wonder they're fighting like mad to get these candies. They're practically on the verge of death!"
Haines looked at the children, all of them pleading with their eyes. Someone is going to answer for this, he thought. Anyone that starves a child deserves to be starved themselves. I just hope that Deanne can convince HIGHCOM to sponsor a humanitarian mission. These kids need all the help they can get.
. . .
Despite being little more than a hologram, Charet's face was filled with anger. "Are you certain that's what happened?" she asked.
"Yes," Cleese said. "The camera footage indicates that Stefan and Haines were telling the truth. Current footage shows that they're currently dealing with a mob of children asking for help. If this is an indicator of how bad it is in the lower levels of Coruscant, then we've got a lot of work on our hands."
"Indeed. I'll speak with Palpatine about this tomorrow, but rest assured Cleese, that I'll see to it that these children have a place to go to where they'll be warm and happy. What's going on here is unforgivable, and it makes me think the Imperial Nobility are little more than fat wolves in fine clothing. For now, continue with the relief efforts until a permanent solution is reached."
"Understood," Cleese said. "I'll put in a request to Procurement and the Medical Corps for the necessary equipment needed to tend to these street kids until a proper care facility can be set up. I'm also requesting a larger contingent of Marines. We're underprotected in the event of an attack. I would also like personnel from the CAA Marshals and ONI to find out where these people are coming from."
"You'll get the equipment, and the personnel that you need. I'll also make sure that the CAA and ONI send the pertinent personnel your way. We'll get this figured out, Cleese. I promise. President Charet over and out."
. . .
At the entrance to the lower levels, a group of kids waited for one of their compatriots to return. All of them jumped when he did, his small hands and legs barely reaching the steps of each ladder. "Is it true?" one child asked.
"Yes," the first said. "All those people from the 'Euegee' are handing out candies to the group that reached them. They defended Chanila when the bad man tried to take her."
"Then that means we can go to them for help," one of the older kids said. "Tomorrow, we'll send up another group. Hopefully, they'll know what to do then." Around him, all of the other children gazed at the ladder with a hungry expression before turning to leave, disappearing into the underbelly of Coruscant once more.
