Star Wars: Odyssey of the Infinity

by IX404

During a routine safety test, the Slipstream Space Drive of the Infinity malfunctions, catapulting them into unknown space. Little do Lasky and the members of the Infinity know is that they will soon change the fate of a far away galaxy.

19. The Fall of Genarius Part One

Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars crossover redux.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a surpise for you. After setting the deadline, I decided to challenge myself and see if I could write two main chapters in one week. I succeeded, but it was really tiring and challenging. As such, if there are any errors in the story that I and my beta-reader have missed, then I deeply appologize. For those of you wanting to see Jyn finally rescued, this chapter, and the next one, are for you.

Either way, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and I hope to see your continued 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 its 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.

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Sabaton – Stormtroopers

Corellia

Axial Garden, Coronet City

August 2nd, 0BBY, 0700 Hrs (March 12th, 2559, 0700 Hrs)

Not the worst place I've been to, Calvin thought as he gazed around Coronet City. It's not the best either. I much prefer Sydney to this place, though I will admit, it is beautiful in a way.

Nearby, the other members of his team sat at benches. Coronet City was one of the most beautiful places on Corellia, but Axial Park was, by far, the most beautiful part of it all. Mixed among pastures of green grass and beds of flowers were sculptures and works of art the like of which hadn't been seen by Terran eyes until now. I kinda prefer the parks were we come from, though, Calvin thought.

His concealed COM-piece crackled. Opening his mouth slightly, he faked a yawn, then said, "Anything yet?"

"Nada," came the reply from his team XO, Frank. "So far, that one lead that we have hasn't shown up yet. I just hope he didn't blab it to anyone after we asked him for assistance in gathering that information while making sure he would keep silent to everyone else on the matter."

"He could've been delayed," another agent remarked, her eyes focused on a holo-tablet. "It's not uncommon for people providing information to intentionally take longer than normal routes out of fear of being discovered. For all we know, he could be entering the park right now."

"We'll remain here for a few more minutes, then relocate," Calvin decided. He was just about to give his next set of orders when he spotted a flicker of movement. Looking left, he watched as a middle aged man in civilian clothes sat down next to him. "You OK?" he asked.

"Just a little hurried," the man said. "I've got work to do, but my oncologist is being insistent that I wait on the appointment for a little bit longer."

Calvin's memory flashed to the forefront of his mind. This is the guy that contacted us, he realized, his mind decoding the code-words the man said. "I see," he said aloud. "So, do you have the information?"

"Yes," the man said. "Do you think the ISB will notice us?"

"No. For all they know, we're just two ordinary men doing small talk with each other."

"Good," the man said. "Now, listen. I've seen the woman that was in that watch-list message you sent out. However, it wasn't an actual living person that I saw, but rather a holographic statue of her."

Calvin glanced at the man. "You have my attention. Go on, Mr…?"

"Tenebren." Reaching into a pocket in his jacket, Tenebren handed Calvin a small piece of flimsiplast. "The holo-statue in question was moved to a maintenance/storage shed not too far from here. There's a constant stream of maintenance workers coming in and out, so just follow one and you'll get there. It's near shift change, so you'll have around fifteen minutes to get the info you need before they come around. The code to get inside is on that piece of flimsiplast."

"Got it," Calvin said. "Your efforts and candor have been noted." He handed Tenebren some money. "There. That should provide you the financial support you need to take care of your kids. Should we require anything else of you, we will contact you at the earliest possible convenience. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Tenebren said. "Oh, and I was never here. I'm supposed to be somewhere else, as my son's waiting for me to come pick hiim up from school, but I finished work early, so I had enough time to do this. See you around." Getting up, he quickly began making his way towards the park's exit.

"You got what we need?" Frank asked.

"Yeah," Calvin said. "Follow me. We've got a location on potential information we can use."

"I hope its worth it," Frank said…

The maintenance/storage shed wasn't that far off from the park, though it was more of a small warehouse than a shed. Keeping himself concealed behind a pair of bushes, Calvin watched as the last few maintenance workers left the building, each one chatting about some mundane topic. Keying a small device on his belt, he asked, "Alexandria, are you ready?"

"Of course," came the team's Smart AI. "I've hacked into the security protocols for the park. I can have the cameras play a loop, but if we don't leave within ten minutes, someone's gonna get suspicious and investigate."

"Copy that," Calvin said. "Let's go. Alexandria, keep an eye out for anyone approaching the place. The rest of you, on me."

"Time to sneak in and get out," Quincy, another member of the team, said.

"Been hammering Splinter Cell lately?" came Lisa's voice.

"What? It's a classic; I appreciate the -"

"Cut the chatter," Calvin growled. "We're here to gather intel, not crack jokes or jab at people." Moving towards the entrance, all four agents gathered at the door. "So glad I decided to learn how to read Basic," Calvin muttered as he punched in the code. There was a beep, then a click as the door slid back into the wall. All four agents immediately moved inside, tranquilizer weapons at the ready.

The storage/maintenance shed wasn't that large, but it was tall enough to warrant a second level of catwalks. Looking at the flimsiplast block again, Calvin said, "According to our contact's information, holo-emitter T35-84D is the one we need to find. Spread out and search for it."

All of them began scouring the shed for any sign of the holo-emitter in question. There's hundreds of the damned things, he thought as he checked the labels for each holographic emitter. In addition, there's a data disk that accompanies each one. If I had to guess, it's a record of that individual's life, and their accomplishments. It's like finding a needle in a haystack.

A triumphant shout caught his attention around five minutes later. Looking up, he found Frank holding up a holo-emitter, as well as its accompanying data disk. "I found 'em!" he said. "The data disk looks really old, but it's well maintained."

"Excellent," Quincy said. "Just gotta plug it into the portable information copier we brought with us, and then we can replace it and get the hell outta dodge." He pulled out a small, rectangular object barely the size of a man's hand. Opening the lid on it, Frank quickly slotted the data disk into the reader. Within moments, small sounds came from the device.

"How long until it finishes?" Lisa asked.

"Given the condition of the disk and its age, it'll take around three minutes for it to complete the copying process. Once that's done, we can take the duplicate with us, and leave the original here." Pulling out a small cable, he connected it to the holo-emitter in Frank's hand. "We'd be smart to copy the information used to generate the holo-statue. Shouldn't take too long."

"We're down to three minutes," Frank said. "Can that thing hurry the fuck up?"

"Almost there," Quincy said. "Just gotta verify the final part…" He input a few commands. "There, the holographic statue info, along with the stuff on the data disk's been copied. Time to get the hell out of here."

"Our AI at the ground station has hacked into the city's historical archives," Lisa said. "We should have all information pertaining to the individual that the holo-statue depicts. Let's get out of here!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," Calvin said. Taking the original disk and holo-emitter, he quickly put them back exactly as they were. "Let's get back to the surveillance station outside of the city limits and take the Prowler back to Pantora. Ground team stationed permanently here should keep it locked down. Time's a-wasting."

. . .

Onboard the Infinity, Lasky waited for the last member of HIGHCOM to appear on screen. This is it, he thought. Now we find out if we're go for this operation or not. "Madame President, greetings," he said when Charet's hologram came up. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes," Hood said. "Everyone on both security councils are here."

"Good," Charet said, "then we can get this over with." Clearing her throat, she said, "I've got some good news for all members involved. The UEG Congress has decided, in a unanimous vote, to approve the UEG's invasion of Genarius and the city of Despatar."

There was a sigh of relief from everyone in the meeting. "A unanimous agreement?" Hogan asked. "That's as rare as diamonds in a pig's trough."

"Yeah," Russel added. "I thought we were going to get a lengthy debate. Why the unanimous agreement?"

"UEG and UNSC law," Charet said. "According to the UEG penal code and the UNSC regulatory code, any attack on a member of the UNSC, regardless of citizenship status, barring any extraordinary circumstances, is to be considered an attack on the entire UNSC and UEG. The crime lord and the pirates he hired abducted a member of the UNSC, making it paramount for the UNSC to retrieve the abductee and bring justice to the perpetrators responsible. In addition, they attacked the UNSC, and by extension, the UEG, which is an act of war."

"Aren't they worried about what might happen if the Empire notices?" Patricia asked.

"No," Charet said. "Technically, we are not attacking the Galactic Empire. We're attacking criminal syndicates that have been not only making a nuisance of themselves, but has also been responsible for a direct attack on the UNSC. The Empire has long since neglected taking care of the problem, so we're going to be cleaning it up for them. The politicians have also agreed that allowing the Empire to watch will showcase a reason why attacking the UNSC is a bad idea."

Lasky nodded. "I definitely think that's pretty smart: allow the enemy to see how strong we are in an effort to dissuade them. Now that we have the Senate's approval, General Speakman and I can share our strategy for taking down the City of Masks."

"Go ahead and show us," Hood said. "If there's anything that needs to change, we'll let you know."

"All right," Lasky said. "Roland, inform General Speakman that we're ready, and bring up the plan of attack for the city."

"You got it," Roland said.

Speakman's hologram shimmered into existence, along with a layout of Despatar. "Is everyone attending?" she asked. When no one answered, she said, "All right. If there's anyone else coming, they'll have to take notes from y'all. Lasky, go ahead and start with your end of the plan."

"Yes, ma'am," Lasky said. Shifting the hologram to an image of Genarius, Lasky said, "According to intelligence gathered by ONI Prowlers, Genarius is defended by a large pirate fleet that is located near Ostfrei and Eskaron, two of Genarius' four moons. Most of their ships are converted bulk freighters, but we have a few ships that, according to ONI, are of Mandalorian design.

"This is the battle plan we've drawn up. Battlegroups Delta and Epsilon will exit slipspace at the pirate fleet's locations and wait behind Ostfrei and Eskaron. The Infinity, under my command, will broadcast a message to the city of Despatar, demanding them to surrender. If they refuse, and I believe they will refuse, the Infinity and all accompanying ships will deploy their fighters to secure aerospace superiority over Despatar and a safe corridor to the planet while the other ships engage the rest of the pirate fleet.

"While doing so, we'll deploy SOIEVs to Despatar, with a drop ratio of eight ODSTs to one Spartan-IV fireteam, and continue to keep Despatar and Genarius' aerospace under UNSC control. Cortana and any other AIs will use their ECM and cyberwarfare specialties to prevent the criminals from calling in any reinforcements they have. Once we've eliminated the pirate fleet, we'll hold position near Genarius and quarantine the planet."

"This is where I come in," Speakman said. "Once Lasky and the flyboys have secured a safe corridor, Pelicans and Condors will be deployed to transport troops, supplies and vehicles to the surface. We'll also be deploying Mammoths and Elephants to the surface to serve as mobile command centers. At the same time, we'll deploy two divisions of UNSC Army Troopers and Marines to the city to conduct an encirclement maneuver with the armored regiments and any aerospace assets assigned to the ground attack, but this is where things are gonna get dicey."

"How so?" Hogan asked. "I'm confident in our Marines ability to kick these pirates in the ass."

"Same here," Strauss said. "Unless, of course, there's something you know that we don't."

Speakman smiled grimly. "There is. According to Osman's intelligence, which was gathered over the course of two days, the criminal gangs in the city are badly disorganized, but the crime syndicate's forces are more professional. They've also got some level of training, and there are rumors that some of them are clones that survived the Clone Wars.

"Despatar is also a sniper team's dream come true; every one of the rooftops is a potential sniper's roost. There's also some circumstantial intelligence that they might also have anti-armor weapons. The worst part, however, is that they've also got access to exotic weapons, and there have been reports of illegal life forms being sold in the city. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they had a dragon in there."

"What's the Swords of Sangheilio's role to play in all this?" Hood asked. "It's not called a joint operations mission for nothing."

"That is where I come in," came Tul 'Juran's voice. The hologram of the Sangheili Fleetmistress came into existence, along with the holograms of General 'Vrotam and Commander 'Zhortum. "My apologies for I and my colleagues tardiness. We were tending to matters in my fleet, but courtesy of your AIs, we did have a direct line to this meeting."

"Speakman?" Hood asked.

Speakman frowned, then nodded. "A good question," she said. "Fleetmistress, General, Commander, if you could?"

'Juran smiled. "Of course. Speakman and I have spoken with each other, and we've agreed that Despatar's defenses might cause sufficient trouble to stall the UNSC's advance. My ships will be assisting Rear Admiral Lasky's naval forces in defeating the pirate filth. Like him, we will also be deploying our fighters to clear a safe path to the City of Masks."

"That is where 'Vrotan and I come in," SpecOps Commander 'Zhortum said. "Should the UNSC's advance into the city stall, I will deploy, with Fleetmistress 'Juran's blessing, highly skilled teams of Zealots into the city to clear out any stubborn holdouts of resistance, They will work with your teams of Demons to eliminate any resistance in the city and allow the main forces to come through."

"While my fellow warrior and brother-in-arms is doing this, I will deploy ground forces to assist where possible," 'Vrotan said. "While we will not be deploying in numbers as great as that of your own forces, they will deploy in sufficient numbers to keep the criminal scum off balance. However, I do not anticipate an easy fight. We will likely lose many warriors in this battle."

Hood nodded. So far, this is coming together quite nicely. "What are the estimated casualties?"

"Roland, Gabriela and Cortana have run the casualty figures," Lasky said. "In terms of the naval battle, we're estimated to lose between fifty to seventy ships. The ground is where things will become much costlier."

"Yep," Speakman deadpanned. "Casualty rates, we believe, will be somewhere between thirty to fifty percent of all available ground forces. I believe we might even face a sixty percent casualty rate."

Hogan and Strauss winced at that. "Why the high casualty rate?" Strauss asked. "I'd expected it to be lower."

"To be fair, that's what I asked Cortana. Cortana, would you be willing to explain the casualty rates to those gathered here today?"

"Of course," Cortana said, her avatar shimmering into existence. "Roland, Gabriela and I have run the numbers. After a thorough analysis of all potential outcomes, we've agreed that the casualty rates are likely due to the advanced technology we'll be encountering in the city. On top of that, as Speakman here has said, not all of the pirates will be your average thug with poor aim. There's a 80% chance that some of them will be former members of the GAR, Imperial Army or Stormtrooper Corps.

"We'll also be facing exotic weapons down there, ranging from advanced nuclear warheads to biological and chemical weapons we haven't faced before. As such, HAZOP teams will be sent down to the planet to clear any areas of potential nuclear, biological and chemical weapons before allowing soldiers through. As for what our part in the battle will be, I and a few other AIs will be attacking the city's cyber defenses in order to make things easier for the ground forces."

"So the criminals will be facing a three pronged assault," Hood surmised. "A naval battle to distract their naval assets, a ground battle to take the city, and a cyber attack to cause havoc and mayhem by disrupting their ability to coordinate their forces." He nodded after a bit. "That definitely sounds like it'll work. However, I do have a question."

"And that would be?" Lasky asked.

"Why use over half of the fleet to accomplish this mission? I know that we don't know the enemy's full capabilities, but that seems excessive to me. You'd only need half of the ships you've got to handle the defense fleet at Genarius."

"I can explain why," Lasky said. "The reason why we're going to have that many ships in the naval battle is for two reasons, the first being that we'll need reinforcements if we start losing ships. The other, however, is for political reasons. By using a large fleet, I intend to make it clear to the Empire that, while we do not wish to fight them, we'll destroy them if they give us no other choice."

"So you intend to use this battle as a message to intimidate the Empire into not fighting us."

"Exactly," Lasky said.

Hood nodded. That makes sense, he decided. It's exactly what I would do if I was facing someone like the Empire: psyche them out and make them think the UNSC is more dangerous than it really is. "All right," he decided. "What's ONI's role in all this, along with the CAA Marshals?"

"I was wondering the exact same thing," Parangosky said, breaking her silence. "

"Osman has assured me that ONI Section One will also be assisting in the battle," Lasky said. "Section Three will also be sending some of their black-ops teams to eliminate any HVIs. Kilo-Five, in fact, will be sent with one of our Special Assets, to rescue Jyn while using the battle as a smokescreen. They'll only be sent in near the battle's end, though, to prevent catastrophic loss of life."

"And the CAA Marshals?" Alexander Holt asked. "Including NAVCOM CID?"

"They'll be traveling with some of the Marines and ODSTs to capture and arrest as many of the criminals as possible using non-lethal methods. CAA Chief Marshal Knox has informed me that his XO, Deputy Chief Marshal Oscar will be working with SAC Tennent to conduct this operation, and that the CAA Marshals are authorized to use lethal force if necessary."

"Good," Holt said. "It sounds like you five have covered all of your bases."

"Indeed," Parangosky agreed. "The amount of planning that has gone into this operation is quite impressive. Now, it is up to us to decide if we are to go ahead with the plan. I, for one, am in favor of this operation."

"Agreed," Hood said. "All in favor, say 'aye.'"

"Aye," came five replies.

"Then it's settled. The UNSC Security Council fully approves of this plan. Madame President?"

"As the Chairman of the UEG Security Council, I approve of this plan as well," Charet said. "The only request that I have is that war correspondents are sent in with the attack. We need to show the public that the UNSC is still effective, even when operating in a galaxy that doesn't follow the rules as we know them."

"I can agree to that," Lasky said.

"As can I," Speakman said. "However, I would request that they be well protected and made firmly aware of what might happen to them, even if we do our jobs. I'm certain that you share my request, Lasky. Correct?"

"That I do," Lasky said. "It wouldn't do well for our war correspondents to be killed in action due to them not staying with the men."

"Agreed," Charet said. "Beyond that, you have my full approval for this operation. My colleagues are currently busy with other affairs, but they've assured me that any plan that you, Speakman and your colleagues have drawn up would have their seal of approval."

"Then it's settled," Lasky said. "We'll begin the mission to invade Genarius, Operation KOBANÎ will commence two days from now at 0700 hours local time. We will be leaving in around two hours from now."

"Then you'd better get to it," Hood said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can not only show the Empire how tough the UNSC is, the sooner we can rescue Jyn and teach the crime syndicates of the galaxy a lesson they won't forget in a million years. Any other questions?"

"I would like permission to have access to and permission to use nuclear weapons, Madame President," Lasky said. "If we can intimidate the criminal city into surrendering, it'll go a long way to save lives."

Charet thought about it for a moment. "Granted, but do not use any nuclear weapons against the city itself. I don't want to be responsible for numerous civilian casualties. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then we'll let you get to it," Hood said. "HIGHCOM over and out."

"Well, I'd best allow you to get to work too," Charet said as HIGHCOM's holograms faded out. "It'd be rude of me to keep you from your work. President Charet out."

Lasky nodded as her hologram faded. "Any other concerns?" he asked the others.

"No," 'Vrotan said. "I trust in your capabilities, Rear Admiral. You have shown yourself to be a far more honorable warrior than these criminal filth. I have full confidence that you will purge this galaxy of a threat that has bothered it for far too long."

"As do I," 'Juran said.

"Good," Lasky said. "We'll head out at 0900 hours today. Rear Admiral Lasky over and out." Hitting the COM, he said, "Inform the crew that we're about to head out."

"Aye, sir," Roland said. "Also, sir, an ONI team, during the meeting, sent back some information to us from their intelligence gathering station at Corellia. It's on the individual you've requested information on. Should I go ahead and display it?"

Lasky shrugged. "We're in my quarters, so why not?"

"Got it. Sending you the info now."

Sitting at his desk, Lasky looked up the info they had sent. Time to see who it was I saw in that hologram. Selecting the file, he began to read.

Within a few minutes, he got an idea of what he'd just been sent. Ah, so it appears that the woman in the hologram I saw was one 'Bastila Shan', he thought. Very interested. Apparently, she was a member of the Jedi Order during the Jedi Civil War, and was one of their more powerful members, able to use an ability called 'Battle Meditation' to sway the tide of battle in her side's favor.

Then he spotted the most surprising part. "What the hell…?" he muttered. "Bastila lived over four thousand years ago?!" He looked up from the computer screen. "Cortana, is that information correct?"

"Just checked it over," Cortana said. "Roland just shared that info with me, and it looks good. Why do you ask?"

Lasky let out an annoyed sound. "Somehow, I've fallen ass over teakettle for a woman that lived, and presumably died, over four thousand years ago, unless Jedi are immortal, though that's highly unlikely." He smiled in rueful amusement. "Man… that is the most embarrassing crush I've ever had, and I don't really know why I had a crush on her. A real fixer-upper." Under his breath, he said, "She also reminds me of Chyler."

"You didn't know that she was dead for that long," Cortana said. "If I was in your position, I'd have a crush on her too, to be honest. However, there is some ambiguity surrounding what happened to her.

"How so?"

"According to the records we recovered from the historical archives and the holo-statue, she went missing around when she was estimated to be seventy five years of age. The investigation into her death, according to the records at Corellia, stalled after a bit and was called off. Plus, they never could rule a cause of death for her."

Lasky shrugged. "She likely died of natural causes. Did they recover anything else, the ONI team that is?"

"A lot of information on what was called the 'Jedi Civil War'," Cortana said. "Apparently, their Smart AI managed to recover some, but not a lot, of information based on that time period. Should I send this to HIGHCOM?"

"Yes," Lasky said, "including a detailed report on what we know about Bastilla. Also, inform ONI Section One's Section Chief to conduct an ongoing investigation into the Jedi Civil War and to have him inform me as soon as he finds anything, even the smallest tidbit of information. Something tells me that we might know more about how the Sith and Jedi came about if we learn more about the circumstances of the war. I might even show us a means of defeating them.

"Understood," Cortana said…

Two hours later, Lasky stood at the bridge of the Infinity, heart racing as the moment approached. This is it, he thought. Today, we go to Genarius and rescue Jyn while showcasing our might to the Empire. I do not feel sorry for the bastards that abducted her. They're going to learn a very hard lesson very shortly.

Shaking the thoughts away, he said, "Roland, can you establish a fleetwide COM channel. Inform 'Juran of this too."

"Aye, sir," Roland said. "Fleetwide COM channel has been established. If you want to say something to the fleet, now's the time."

"Thank you." Lasky cleared his throat, then keyed the COM. "To all ships in the UNSC fleet participating in Operation KOBANÎ, this is RADM Lasky speaking. We have our orders: invade the planet Genarius in the Cularen System and take the city of Despatar.

"I won't lie to you, this is not going to be an easy fight. We'll be facing enemies that we still do not know much about, even though we have fought them many times before. Our enemies will believe they can defeat us, but what they don't know is that their hubris will be their end.

"The UNSC needs to do this, not just for the UEG or the people back home, but also for the people in the galaxy that live under the fear of retaliation from the powerful crime lords in this galaxy. Today, we will show those crime lords that the UNSC will not back down like so many other governments in this galaxy have! We will rise up, we will fight, we will show them that we will not allow them to make us their overlords, that we will defeat them and show them why we, the UNSC, survived the war against the Covenant, against an enemy that makes them look like wimps in comparison!

"Remember the vows that you swore to the UNSC, to the UEG, to all the people back home in our galaxy! Fight to liberate the people of Genarius! Fight to show the Empire that we are not an enemy they wish to face! Fight, so that the people may begin to know a galaxy free of criminal overlords and criminal tyrants! As of now, Operation KOBANÎ is underway!"

The bridge was nearly deafened by the cheers and roars of approval that came in over the speakers. Even the bridge crew cheered, encouraged and emboldened by the words their newest Rear Admiral had just spoken. "Well said, sir," Roland said. "Slipspace jump commencing in five… four… three… two… one… now!"

All across the fleet, ships surged forwards as portals into Slipspace opened up. One by one, the ships of the joint fleet slipped into the non-dimension of slipspace. Before long, even the Infinity slipped inside. Behind it, the portal closed, releasing a burst of gamma radiation, the quantum equivalent version of a shrug.

. . .

Vantor Jarkeem was bored, and he didn't attempt to hide it. Swirling the cup of Corellian brandy in his hand, he took a swig out of it, then lazily looked outside the window of the building he was in. Just another day at the City of Masks, he thought. I thought we'd have a little excitement here. Boy was I a sucker to think that.

His expression of solemn boredom became a sneer of contempt as he looked at his partner. Laying back in another chair, Gesvor was snoring loudly, his large, muscular frame barely supported by the comparatively tiny chair. Damn, Vantor thought. Every time that man snores, it's like a turbolaser tower firing its main guns. It's a wonder how he does his job so well.

He sighed. To be honest, I don't know why the boss paired me with him, though I'm not going to complain about it. Geotor might not be the smartest guy around, but at least he rewards competence quite handily. Pulling his blaster pistol out of its holster, he idly examined the weapon.

Now this is a beaut, he thought, a smile forming on his face. DH-17 blaster pistol. I remember snagging this from the black markets at Corellia. Needed it's actuator module replaced, but after that, I could nail a Gundark out to near maximum range. He smirked, then stuffed the weapon back into its holster.

He was just in time. The door opened with a loud beep, startling both Vantor and Gesvor. The latter fell out of his chair with a meaty thump. In contrast, Vantor stood up smoothly, while Gesvor spluttered loudly before standing up. Both of them spotted a tall man with pale skin, and a single blue eye, the other having been replaced by a prosthetic eye that glowed a malevolent red.

Vantor swallowed. Geotor was an intimidating man, both physically, as well as in terms of personality. The man could throttle me dead and not bat an eye, he thought. Rolling his neck, he asked, "What can I do for you, boss?"

Geotor regarded him coldly for a second, then spoke. His voice was low and rough, like sandpaper across one's face. "Is she being compliant?"

"Yes, sir. Our resident Weequay, Laroshar the Punishing, is currently tending to her. According to him, Jyn is being quite… compliant, especially after he gave her a beating with that modified stun baton."

Geotor's smile was cold and predatory, like a Krayt Dragon sniffing out its next meal. "Good," he said. "She cost me quite a fortune when she let those slaves go, and I fully intend to make that fact known to her. Instruct Laroshar to be careful, however; I want Jyn to suffer for the rest of her miserable life, not to have her die because one of my men got too liberal with the stun baton and the whips."

"I will, boss. I might even have a bit of fun with her… within reason, of course."

"Within reason," Geotor agreed. "I may be a cold, heartless bastard of a man, but at least I know better than to turn myself into an animal… unlike some members of present company."

Vantor frowned. Gesvor was known within the small crime syndicate for some of his more… sexual fetishes. "Yeah," he said. "That means I'l get to handle her, not some Gundark that doesn't know to keep his business inside of his pants." He sneered at Gesvor.

"Hey, don't you be looking at me like that!" Gesvor protested. "I was just wanting to have a little fun with her, then you and that Weequay came and and ruined it before it got started!"

"And with good reason too," Geotor growled. "If you had succeeded in doing what you intended to do, Gesvor, I would have personally removed your manhood myself and force fed it down your throat. It is only because of Vantor here that I have not decided to do that yet, though given your recent conduct around Jyn, I might do it anyways, just to send a message. Vantor, go and take care of her. Gesvor, you stay here, or I will gut you myself."

The large man gulped loudly. If there was anything that Gesvor valued more than his carnal desires, it was his life. Sitting back down with unnatural speed, he began to show increased interest in the security cameras the complex had. Vantor simply nodded, then proceeded out of the room and down a lift. Before long, he entered the room where Jyn was being held at.

The stink inside of the room flowed over him like a ocean swell. Sithspit! he thought, retching as the stunk of shit and piss flooded his lungs and nose. I know that we don't haul them in the best conditions, but at least they could clean the place every now and then. Fighting back the urge to vomit, he proceeded deeper in the room. Feeling a hand grasp at his jacket, he glared viciously at the child that did so, sending her scrambling with a shriek.

Reaching the cage near one of the windows, he looked inside to see Laroshar standing over Jyon, the electric baton crackling in his hand. Before she could speak, he solidly whacked her across the back, sending a howling scream from her mouth. Laroshar laughed cruelly, only to stop when Vantor knocked on the cage. Laroshar snarled, then relaxed when he saw Vantor. "What do you want?!" he growled. "I'm having fun here!"

"The boss doesn't want you to continue today," he said. "You go any farther, and you might kill her."

"Why shouldn't I?" Laroshar sneered. "I like beating her with my batons. The little bitch deserves it, and I intend to carry it out." He whacked at Jyn again, eliciting another scream from her.

Vantor stepped inside, closed the hatch behind him, then delivered a solid haymaker to the Weequay's head. A loud CRACK erupted in the room as Vantor's fist impacted, sending shooting pains up his arm while sending Laroshar tumbling against the cage's wall. Before Laroshar could react, Vantor snatched the electric baton from him and tossed it out of the cage, causing a loud cracking sound to erupt when it hit the back wall. "Enough!" he growled through his teeth. "Either you listen to the boss' orders, or I'll beat you into a pulp here and now!"

Laroshar snarled loudly, then shook his head. "Fine, but you'll pay for that, you nerfherder!" Getting up, he viciously kicked at Jyn, sending her naked body tumbling to the ground. "You and I'll have more fun soon," he snarled, giving her hair a harsh yank. Vantor pulled him out, before slugging him again as they left.

Jyn breathed in and out, the pain from her torture racing through her body. Pulling herself to her feet, she looked outside the window. The winter sky of Genarius came through the hazy atmosphere bright and clear. Stars twinkled overhead, each one promising freedom and liberty to the imprisoned rogue.

I hope you come soon, Lasky, Jyn thought. I don't know how much longer I can hold out in here. Eventually, either they drive me crazy, or they kill me, but I do not intend to become their toy to play with! Sliding down, she came to rest on the one patch of floor that wasn't covered in feces and filth.

Feeling a small hand on her shoulder, Jyn looked to see a small child looking at her. "Are we going to get out of here some day?" he asked. His voice sounded defeated, as though he was on the verge of giving up.

Jyn smiled, then rested a crusted hand on his cheek. "We'll escape someday," she said. "I know it. A friend of mine is coming to liberate all of us."

"Does he like children?"

"Of course!" Jyn said. "He's one of the best people I know of in the entire galaxy. I think that, once he arrives, he'll be able to save all of us, or as many as he possibly can. I'm sure of it! We just have to hang in there long enough for him to do that. Can you do that for me?"

The child smiled at her, the fire of hope that had been guttering now returning to his eyes. "OK. I'll do that… for you."

"Thank you," Jyn said. "Just remember, all it takes is a spark of hope to survive. My mother once told me that we must hope and trust in the Force. I didn't believe her at first. Now, they're my one reminder that, no matter how bad it gets, there's always hope that we'll escape." Both of them turned and looked out at the stars, hoping and praying that, somewhere out there, someone was coming to rescue them from the nightmare they were trapped in.

. . .

What none of them knew was that liberation was at hand. Stepping onto the bridge of the Infinity. Lasky checked the time on the mission counter. T-Minus five minutes, he noted. The holographic number seemed to tick downwards, with each tick feeling like the hammer of a gun being slowly cocked back.

The tension extended to more than just him. Across the bridge, every officer that was on station could feel that same pressure. Conversations were carried out in hushed voices, tasks done without a word of banter, and orders given in near-complete silence. Everyone' feeling the pressure, he thought. Well… just like old times, during the war. Picking up the mug of coffee he had, he took a sip.

"Captain are you all right?"

The sudden question made Lasky jump. Coffee raced up into his nose, causing him to sneeze loudly. The brown liquid shot out of his nostrils and mouth like a bullet, splattering the nearby ground. Coughing loudly, he looked at Roland, who held his hands up placatingly. "S-Sorry, sir," he said. "I-I didn't mean -"

"No, no. It's all right," Lasky said. "You just startled me is all. Give me a minute." Pulling a handkerchief out of a pocket in his BDUS, he blew into it. While a crew member cleaned up the messy result of his jumpscare, he said, "What is it?"

"We're about to exit Slipspace in ten minutes, sir," Roland said. "I've informed Fleetmistress 'Juran of this as well. Admittedly, she was in the middle of a spar and…" He shrugged.

"That's all right," Lasky said. "You're doing what we agreed you should do." Tossing the handkerchief into a waste bin, he said, "Inform the crew that we're about to exit Slipspace. FCO Austen, bring all weapons online, Ryder, I want you checking the sensor screens ASAP. The rest of you, to your stations! We've got a battle to begin!"

"Aye, sir!" Roland and the others shouted.

Alarms began to blare as the crew of the Infinity prepared for battle. "This is not a drill!" Lasky said into the fleetwide COM. "This is not a drill! General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands, man battle stations!" Across the ship and the fleet, crew members and soldiers scrambled to their battle stations. "Roland, inform me when we're about to exit Slipspace!"

"You got it," Roland said. Before long, he began a count down. Once it reached the last few seconds, he said, "Slipspace exit in five... four... three... two... one... now!"

The ship shuddered as it exited Slipspace. The inky black non-dimension of Slipspace was promptly replaced by the star speckled blackness of space itself. Up ahead, Lasky could see the gas giant that they had been traveling towards. What an ugly ball of white and orange, he thought when he laid eyes onto it. Genarius seems as ugly as the city that Osman infiltrated. I guess some crime worlds are not gilded in gold.

"We've exited Slipspace, sir!" Roland said. "Fleetmistress 'Juran has reported that her fleet has exited. All ships are at the rendezvous point."

"Understood," Lasky said. Looking at the clock, he said, "Operation KOBANÎ will commence now!" Keying the COM, he said, "All ships, split into your assigned Battle Groups! Battle Group Delta, you'll engage the enemy fleet at Eskaron. Battle Group Epsilon, you'll engage the pirate fleet at Ostfrei. Battle Group Alpha, you'll remain with the Infinity, while Battle Groups Rho and Chi from 'Juran's fleet will assist Delta and Epsilon. Her ship will remain with mine throughout the entire battle! Let's go!"

More Slipspace portals erupted into existence, with UNSC and Sangheili ships disappearing into them, while the Infinity and 'Juran's flagship, the Everlasting Penitence, moved closer and closer to the planet of Genarius. "Sir, I've got a number of contacts near the planet!" Roland reported. "Looks like the pirates and criminals have a fleet where we need to be!"

"Understood," Lasky said. "Launch all fighters! When the battle begins, we need to clear a corridor to the planet!"

"Got it," Melissa, Murphy's replacement, shouted. "Fighters are launching now!"

"Point defense systems are online and operational!" Austen reported. "Archer missiles armed and ready to fire at your discretion!"

"Sir, Battle Groups Delta and Epsilon have arrived at their destinations," Jespersen said. "They're near the moons in question and are ready to strike if the pirates refuse. I've also got an incoming Holo-COM burst from the ships near the planet."

"Put them through," Lasky said.

The holographic image of a Twi'lek came into view. The Twi'lek, seeing Lasky, snarled and sneered at him. "So, the UNSC decides to come and grace our presence," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "You do not belong here. Leave, or you will regret it!"

"I cannot do so," Lasky said. "You attacked the UNSC at Pantora, and abducted one of our members. An attack on the UNSC is construed, by law, as an attack on the UEG and its citizens and is, therefore, an act of war.

"However, I am giving you this one chance to hand over the person we are here for peacefully. Do so, and we may let you go. Refuse, and we will not hesitate to destroy you and your criminal enterprise. This is your only warning. You have thirty seconds to comply." Deep down, he had a feeling the criminals would refuse.

"Hang on a minute," the Twi'lek said. "Let me contact my bosses." He stepped out of sight, then began talking to someone. When he came back into view, he said, "The bosses would like to talk to you."

"Put them on."

A holographic image showing five individuals came on. Two of them were humans, while the rest were species that Lasky hadn't seen before. "This is the Despatar City Council. Identify yourself!" one demanded.

"Rear Admiral Thomas Lasky of the United Nations Space Command," Lasky said. "I'm here because you've not only attacked the UNSC, you have abducted one of its members. Both acts can be construed as acts of war."

"Who are you looking for?"

"Jyn Erso," Lasky said. "She was abducted by a crime lord by the name of Geotor."

The council members looked at each other. "Do we have records of a 'Geotor' in the city?" one asked.

"Yes," another said. "He paid for a permit to be here, stating that he was hauling slaves. He practically bragged about capturing an 'Erso' for his pleasure."

"I see," the first Council member said. Looking at Lasky, he said, "Yes, she is here, but we reserve the right to deny access. You come here with an army, threaten our people, and then demand to have us send someone to you? You must be really stupid to think you can mess with us. How about a counteroffer: leave us in peace, and we'll pay you a very nice sum of credits. We might even send the person you are looking for to you. Do we have a deal?"

While he remained calm outside, Lasky was aghast inside. Do they think they can bribe me?! He shook his head. "I cannot comply with that."

"Why? Can't we work out a deal?"

"No," Lasky growled. "My honor is not for sale. Last chance: hand over Jyn Erso and surrender unconditionally. I won't offer a third chance."

The council member's face hardened. "Then you will die!" he defiantly declared. None have withstood our might, and while you might've survived a war for your survival, you will not take our city from us! Leave, or our forces will crush you like the arrogant bug you are! Vekotar, crush this pathetic insect."

"Very well," Vekotar said. "You will regret coming here, UNSC. I will drink out of your skull when I'm done with you!"

What is it with pirates, their melodramatic and megalomaniac tendencies? Lasky wondered. "Very well," he growled. "You were warned." Closing the Holo-COM, he said. "Roland, target the largest ships in the pirate fleet with the main guns! Adjust trajectories so that they don't hit any cities down there!"

"Aye, sir!" Roland said. "Austen, I need control of the main MACs!"

"Control transferred!" Austen reported. "She's all yours, Roland!"

"Primary MACs at 90% charge!" Gabriela reported.

"Projectile trajectories plotted!"

"Adjusting projectile trajectories by .0254 degrees!" Roland said.

"MACs fully charged!" Gabriela said. "We're ready to fire on your command, Rear Admiral!"

"Sir, the ships at the other coordinates are ready to engage!" Jespersen ordered. "Waiting on your go!"

"Power flares in the enemy ships!" Ryder reported. "Looks like they're powering up weapons!"

"Fleetmaster?" Lasky asked.

"My ship's weapons are primed and ready," 'Juran said. "It is time to crush this pirate filth once and for all! Awaiting your command, Fleetmaster!"

That's a first, Lasky thought. She called me Fleetmaster. Still, given my job, it is fitting. Pushing the thought out of his mind, he took a deep breath, then roared, "FIRE!"

Outside, the four primary MAC cannons of the Infinity adjusted their aim, altering their trajectory to ensure that not a single shell would hit a city on Genarius. Nearby the Everlasting Penitence's weapons did the same. Down below, the pirate ships began to turn, weapons powering up for the battle.

For all their experience in raiding and skirmishes, the pirates and criminal syndicates of Genarius were not prepared for the devastation the UNSC and Swords of Sangheilios were about to unleash upon them.

Just when the first pirate ship turned to engage, the Infinity fired its MACs. Inside the ship, a tremendously loud sound, like an enormous bell ringing, resounded throughout the ship as the MAC's fired. Ferric-tungsten slugs the size of a house shot down the barrels of each MAC at speeds approaching that of Super-MACs. In just three seconds, the MAC slugs crossed the distance between the Infinity and the approaching pirate ships.

All four pirate ships that were targeted by the primary MACs promptly disintegrated. In an instant, the particle and ray shields on the four ships were overwhelmed by the sheer kinetic energy of the slugs. Another instant later, all that was left of the ships were violently swirling clouds of molten metal, free floating organic and polymer molecules. The four slugs that were fired traveled on into Genarius' atmosphere, their velocity barely reduced by the ships they had just annihilated. Not one came close to hitting one of the cities on Genarius, even as they burned up in Genarius' atmosphere.

A similar fate was suffered by the pirate ships targeted by the Everlasting Penitence. Twin energy beams lashed out from the Kerel-pattern Assault Carrier, tearing into the pirate ships approaching the fleet. The deflector shields on the two targeted ships instantly failed, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the attack. Both ships were promptly split in half, each half slowly drifting away from each other.

In response, the ships in the pirate fleet opened fire on the joint UNSC/Sangheili fleet. Turbolaser and heavy cannon bolts zipped through the distance between the two ships. Lasky watched as only a few turbolaser bolts splashed harmlessly against the Infinity's shields. At this distance, even a single hit is a lucky shot on their part, he thought. The ships in this galaxy were not built for extreme range engagements.

"An excellent first blow!" 'Juran shouted, the battle fury racing through her veins.

"We're not done yet!" Lasky said. "All ships, fire at will!"

Across the fleet, all of the UNSC/Sangheili ships in the fleet opened fire with their main guns. A Mulsanne-class Frigate fired it's main laser, tearing into an Interceptor IV frigate's hull. The ship's left engine was promptly blown off, with a line of explosions racing up through the ship's interior to the main engine room. Seconds later, a spectacular explosion rang out as the entire ship went up in flames.

A similar fate happened to another frigate of the same type as it came across an Ester-pattern Armored Frigate. Approaching the Covenant ship, the Interceptor IV fired off a salvo of missiles that raced towards the Sangheili ship. Pulse lasers lashed out from the Sangheili ship, swatting the missiles out of existence. The Ester-pattern Frigate then fired it's Plasma Lance, splitting the Interceptor IV in half from bow to stern. Explosions rang out as the two halves of the ship fell away.

So far, so good, Lasky thought. We're about to get into the thick of it now!

"Enemy fighters are being launched from the enemy ships!" Ryder reported. "They're moving to engage!"

"Order the fighters to engage!" Lasky shouted. " Roland, fire missiles at your discretion! Cortana, get to work doing what you do best!"

"Got it!" Roland said. "Archer and Howler batteries Alpha through November firing! Targeting the enemy fighter bays! That should put a dent into their reserves and prevent them from resupplying!"

A few minutes passed, then Ryder said, "I'm detecting detonations in the enemy fighter bays, as well as secondary detonations in their ships! Good effect on targets!

"Communication jammers are active!" Cortana reported. "I'm about to begin hacking enemy ships!"

"Copy that!" Lasky said. "You may begin doing so at your discretion!"

As the ships drew closer and closer together, the pirates fire started to become more accurate. Now, turbolaser bolts were hitting the energy shields on each UNSC and Sangheili ship with acceptable levels of accuracy. Zipping through space, the UNSC Panama fired its main weapons into a Keldabe-class Battleship, the lasers and Mini-MACS on the ship raking the hull and shields. While the Keldabe's shields held, the Panama quickly avoided its retaliation.

. . .

Out in space, Robert watched as the enemy starfighters began moving towards them on an intercept course. Here we go! he thought as the enemy starfighters began closing in. Keying his COM, he said, "Sigma Squadron, report in!"

"Sigma-2 ready!" came a reply.

"Sigma-3, ready to go!"

"Sigma-4 here. All systems green."

"Sigma-5, weapons online."

"Sigma-6, ready for action!"

"Good," Rober said. "This is it, people! We've got a massive swarm of enemy fighters coming in on our position. Lock your targets and engage!" Switching to missile systems and to RADAR guidance, Robert could hear a beeping, then a constant tone as the Medusa pods on his fighter locked on. Fox Three!" he shouted.. Sending a mental command via his neural lace, he watched as HE missiles from his fighter along with hundreds, if not thousands, of other fighters streaked through space at hypersonic velocities, each one disappearing into the blackness of space before long.

The long range attack, combined with the use of homing missiles, threw the pirate fighters into disarray. Numerous pirate starfighters threw themselves into evasive maneuvers to avoid being destroyed. Dozens of fighters, unable to maneuver quickly enough, were promptly destroyed, while dozens more barely escaped annihilation. Of the five fighters Robert targeted, only one managed to avoid destruction, its pilot wrenching the fighter into an extreme g turn. The rest promptly exploded as the missiles found their target, blasting each one to pieces. "Splash four!" Robert reported as several bandits disappeared from the RADAR screen. "Tally multiple bandits!"

"Copy that!" Sigma-2 shouted. "Got an incoming furball up ahead!"

"Sigma-2, Sigma-3, Sigma-5, break left and engage the bandits harassing the Longswords! Sigma Four and Six, with me! Let's get control of the air!"

"Copy that!" Sigma-5 shouted. Three of the fighters in the squadron promptly banked left, missiles firing as they engaged multiple enemy fighters. Before long, all of the fighters were engaged in a mid to short range firefight, known to UNSC fighter pilots as a 'furball.'

Zipping into the massive dogfight, Jones threw his fighter into a series of maneuvers to avoid being hit by blaster cannon fire. I might have energy shields, but that doesn't give me an excuse to be lazy, he thought. Need to make the pirates work incredibly hard to get at me.

"Guns, guns, guns!" Sigma-5 shouted. The twin-linked MLA's on his Broadsword erupted to life as he pursued a pirate Z-95 Headhunter. The pirate, terrified for his life, threw his fighter into a series of evasive maneuvers. "Maneuverable bastard, aren't you!" Sigma-5 growled. "Try this on!"

Throwing his fighter into an incredibly harsh turn, Sigma-5 fired his MLA's again. This time, the slugs tore into the Headhunter, shearing off one of the wings and sending the fighter into an uncontrollable spin as the pilot tried to turn. Moments later, the pirate smashed into another enemy fighter, the two immediately tearing each other apart. "Splash two!" Sigma-5 reported. "If this keeps up, I'll be an ace!"

"Too late for that!" Sigma four shouted. "Fox One!" Several Medusa/C missiles streaked out of his Broadsword's missile pods, tearing into a pair of enemy starfighters. "Bandits splashed! Tally multiple bandits in the immediate aerospace!"

"Continue to engage!" Jones shouted.

"Epsilon-3 to all friendly fighters, I've got an enemy on my ass! I can't shake him!"

Jones gaze whirled to the right. Nearby, another Broadsword was actively evading blaster cannon fire from an enemy fighter. Looks like a series of leaves put together, he thought. "Sigma-1 to Epsilon-3, hold tight! I'm on my way!" The fighter shot through space as he gunned the throttles. "Guns, guns, guns!" he shouted, depressing the trigger on his joystick. 30Mm ferric-tungsten slugs tore out of the muzzles of the twin linked MLAs, shredding the enemy fighter to pieces.

"Thanks!" Epsilon-3 shouted. "You're a life saver!"

"Just doing my job," Robert said. "Sigma Squadron, status?"

"Doing go so dar," Sigma-3 reported. "Gone one hell of a furball over here, but we're doing good! We've lost some Longswords though…"

Robert frowned. That's a real damn shame. "I'm diverting to your location now. What's the status of the fighters in the fleet?'

"One hell of a shitstorm," Sigma-5 reported. "The pirates are literally throwing everything they've got at us over here!"

"Understood!" Jones said…

Onboard one of the Longsword fighters, Benjamin Graves was having the time of his life as he wove the massive fighter through the vacuum of space and towards any enemy targets they could find. "Target locked! Fox Two!" The ship shuddered as a flight of missiles streaked out from underneath his fighter, before blasting apart a few enemy fighters. "Splash five!"

"Tally multiple tangos!" his copilot reported. "Multiple bandits at 0-3-5 mark 3-5-0!"

"Got a bandit on our six!" The systems operator shouted.

"Letting lose with the one twenty mike mikes!" the copilot shouted. Outside, the twin 120mm cannons mounted on the ventral section of the ship let loose. The enemy bomber managed to avoid one of the shells, but the other one cored the fighter. The enemy ship promptly exploded, scattering pieces of debris everywhere. "Splash one!"

"This is Longsword Delta-4! I need help!" came a shout over the COM.

"Moving to your position!" Graves shouted. Using the control yoke and flight systems, he threw the Longsword he was on into a high g right turn. His chest felt as though an elephant was sitting on it. Breathing hard, he pulled the fighter out of its hard bank.

Up ahead, another Longsword was literally being swarmed by enemy starfighters. Much of the hull armor had been torn off, and there were sizeable holes in the hull. "Delta-4, evac, evac!" Graves shouted.

"I can't!" the other pilot shouted. "Systems failing! I- AAAGHH!" Moments later, the Longsword exploded violently, scattering pieces of debris everywhere.

"DAMNIT!" the copilot shouted, kicked at the console.

"We'll make 'em pay for that!" Graves shouted. "Thrusters to maximum! We're going in!" The Longsword surged forwards, engines screaming as they threw the vehicle through the vacuum of space. The swarm of hostile fighters, spotting them, immediately began flying towards them, blaster cannons firing rapidly.

Rolling the fighter, Graves threw the ship into a series of maneuvers that tested his very limits. The hull groaned loudly from the g forces, while his copilot and the systems operator began using every means available to them to eliminate the enemy fighters. Depressing a firing stud, Graves smiled with grim satisfaction as the nose mounted autocannon tore through a slew of pirate starfighters. "Incoming proton torpedoes!" the copilot shouted.

"Activating ECM!" the systems operator shouted. On the viewscreen, Graves watched as two magenta glowing dots approached the fighter, before wildly swerving away. "Hah! That did the trick! Firing ventral cannons!"

Another rumble shook the fighter as the cannons fired. "Got 'em!" the copilot shouted. "Splash two bandits! How's the corridor looking?!"

"We're almost clear!" Graves shouted. "Keep fighting until the last shell is gone, then we'll head back, rearm and refuel! We've only just started this battle!"

. . .

Before long, the ships within the joint UNSC/Swords of Sangheilios fleet had entered atmosphere, a fact that Captain Deckard was well aware of as they engaged a Keldabe-class battleship. "Fire the main gun!" Captain Deckard thundered.

"On it!" his FCO shouted. The deck of the Constantinople shuddered as the MAC installed aboard the Halcyon-class light cruiser fired, sending a MAC round straight through Genarius' atmosphere and towards its target, a Keldabe-class Battleship. The MAC round hit with tremendous force, tearing off a copious amount of armor and breaching some of its decks.

"MAC round effective!" the ship's AI, Charlemagne, reported.

"Maneuver to begin broadside!" Deckard shouted. Just as he did, the ship's light seemed to flicker somewhat. "What the hell was that?"

"Sir! I'm detecting an energy drain from our shields!" his sensors officer reported. "Scans indicate that the ship is attempting to drain our energy shields, and I'm reading a drain on our MAC gun as well as the loading systems for our weapons! I'm also detecting a heat flare from the ship's weapons!"

Fuck! Deckard realized. They're draining our ship's power to power their weapons! "How the hell did they manage that?!" he shouted.

"Incoming!" Charlemagne warned.

The ship shuddered as the enemy ship began firing its now supercharged weapons at them. A mass driver round pinged against the shields, penetrating them before smacking into the hull. In a showcase of the UNSC's engineering prowess, the Titanium-A armor only crumpled slightly, with the slug ricocheting away into the atmosphere. Blaster bolts began splashing against the armor, digging out pits and craters.

"Target whatever they're using!" Deckard thundered. "Activate the secondary reactors to counter the drain!"

"Secondary reactors online!" Charlemagne said. "MAC drain has stopped."

"MAC charged!" the FCO reported.

"FIRE!"

The MAC fired again, this time it was aimed directly at where the Keldabe's shield draining system was at. The immensely heavy slug smashed through the particle shielding and tore through Mandalorian designed armor plating, before ricocheting inside of the ship. Tearing through the module in question, the slug came to a stop.

Onboard the Constantinople, the lights stopped flickering as the shield drain stopped. "Shield drain halted!" Charlemagne reported. "Shields coming back online!"

"Take that ship out!" Deckard thundered.

The side mounted guns immediately opened fire, tearing into the Keldabe's amplified particle shields. Both ships exchanged fire, with the Constantinople taking damage. Eventually, however, the mini-MAC rounds broke through, tearing into the armor plating of the Keldabe. Weapons were torn off, and large holes were hammered into the side of the ship. One shot got lucky enough to tear through one of the engine modules, igniting a fuel line in the process. Explosions ran along the length of the engine module, before one massive one tore it off completely.

"Enemy ship foundered!" Charlemagne said. "I've got reports of another enemy ship like that in the AO. A joint UNSC/Sangheili strike team has boarded and they're making their way to the bridge."

"Good," Deckard said. "The UNSC's gonna need to study that tech to find a countermeasure for it. Draining our shields? That was a new one."

"Shit!" the Sensors officer shouted as a massive explosion erupted from a nearby Charon-class Frigate. "The Twilight is down! I repeat: the Twilight is down! Two of those Interceptor IVs tore it apart!"

"Then let's teach them a lesson!" Deckard decided. "All engines ahead full. Bring the reactor from 95 to 100% and divert power to the weapons! Let's send those son of bitches back to where they belong!"

The engines of the Constantinople roared, shoving the ship through the vacuum of space towards the enemy frigates in question. Seeing the larger ship, both Interceptor IVs turned to engage the larger ship. Flying between them, the hull mounted guns on the Constantinople let loose. Shields were assailed and armor plating shattered as slugs and turbolaser bolts were exchanged between the trio of ships.

There was a particularly hard rumble on the ship, with Deckard stumbling. "Status?!" he shouted.

"Hull breach on Deck 50!" Charlemagne reported. "Bulkheads have sealed and internal pressure is holding!"

"Casualties?"

"Twenty people," Charlemagne said. "However, both enemy ships are foundering and their reactors are going critical." Outside, the AI's report was proven correct when both Interceptor IV's exploded, sending pieces of debris and burnt bodies flying everywhere.

"Good," Deckard said. "We taught those bastards a thing or two about space fighting. What's the status of the rest of the ship?"

"Green, sir. I'm detecting moderate armor plating damage from when the shields were being leeched, and the hull breach that was mentioned earlier. Beyond that, our systems are green and we can continue the engagement if you wish."

"Continue the engagement," Deckard said. "Let's send these pirate bastards back to the Age of Sail, where they belong!"

. . .

Onboard the Everlasting Penitence, 'Juran smiled with a cold, malicious glee as the pirate ship that had foolishly decided to assail hers was promptly cut apart by the ship's plasma projectors. How pathetic, she thought. First they attempt to drain our shields in an effort to power their weapons, then they try to attack us. I wonder if these pirates are really insane, or are simply very committed to their cause. If it's the latter, then I must commend them for their loyalty, even if their loyalties are a tad skewed.

"Fleetmistress, we have two more enemy ships approaching our own!" one of the sensor officers reported. "I believe they intend to broadside us!"

"Let them come!" 'Juran said. "They will learn why they have made a terrible mistake. Destroy the first ship, but keep the other one intact." Turning to a Sangheili General that stood at her side, she said, "Inform the boarding parties to prepare to assault the pirate ship and take it as undamaged as they can. The UNSC will want one of these pirate ships to study for themselves."

"Why would they?" the Sangheili General in question asked. "They seem to be rather… poorly crafted compared to what the Humans use."

"Because it is never wise to assume that you are always better than they are," 'Juran said. "In order to defeat an enemy efficiently, you must study their equipment and their craft. To refuse to do so is to set yourself up for failure and destruction."

The Sangheili General's mandibles spread slightly, the Sangheili equivalent of a smile. "I see," he said. "I shall prepare the boarding parties at once. The pirate filth will soon learn to fear the might of the UNSC and the Swords of Sangheilios!" 'Juran's only reply was a cold smile.

The Everlasting Penitence's repulsor engines flared, pushing the massive ship forwards through Genarius' atmosphere. Both of the pirate ships opened fire, only for their blaster cannon and turbolaser bolts to splash harmlessly against the Penitence's shields. In contrast, the Penitence's energy projectors tore into the enemy ships, with one set of energy projectors effortlessly slicing through the armor on one of the ships, destroying the engines and causing them to sputter out.

"One of the enemy ships has been dealt with," a sensors officer reported. "It has been halted."

"Good," 'Juran said. "Launch boarding parties. The pirates will soon learn to fear the Sangheili and those they have allied with."

. . .

Onboard the Infinity, Lasky watched as the pirates fighter screen was slowly, but surely, whittled down to nothing. "Looking good so far," Roland said. "In around another ten minutes, we'll have cleared out all hostile starfighters. The pirates might've had large numbers, but we had the skill needed to counter that."

"Agreed," Lasky said. "What's the status of the fleet?"

Roland shook his head. "The pirates got in a few kills. We've lost a few Mulsanne-class frigates, including the Panama, as well as a few Charon and Paris class frigates. The Constantinople is reporting moderate damage to the hull, and a we've lost a few of our Lancer-class corvettes. Overall, sir, we've lost around sixteen ships, but we've eliminated the pirate ships protecting this part of Genarius. On top of that, we've entered atmosphere, so we can easily conduct ground support operations."

Lasky frowned. Not too bad, he decided. I think the casualties would've been worse, but sixteen here is not too bad. "Status of the enemy ships?"

"They're falling apart," Roland said. "Cortana and Gabriela have been really busy causing havoc. They've managed to shut down some of the pirate ships, and a few more have gone critical from reactor failures. I'm also picking up a lot of pirate COM chatter, but according to Cortana, she's got that in the bag. They're calling for help, but thanks to her, no one's listening."

"Very good. Have the Pelicans begin sending people down to the surface. Orient our ships to begin sending SOIEVs to Despatar and have the Charon and Stalwart-class frigates move in to provide fire support and to begin landing ground troops. Now that we've eliminated the pirate ships, the Broadswords can move in to begin providing ground support and the Longswords can begin precision bombardments."

"Understood," Roland said. "Want me to establish a Holo-COM channel with the other Battle Groups?"

"Yes," Lasky said. The holographic images of the other fleet officers came up. "Status report?" Lasky asked.

"We're having some difficulty, but we're doing good so far," RDML James of Battle Groups Delta and Rho reported. "We've lost around sixteen ships, but all pirate ships have been terminated. I will say, however, that we managed to destroy a good number of the ships in a surprise attack."

"Same case with our fleet," RDML Richard of Battle groups Epsilon and Chi said. "The pirates are really undisciplined, and while there are a few ships led by competent officers, we were able to catch them off guard. Our AIs have also been able to hack into a few and cause them to blow themselves apart. Still, we've lost some ships. The pirates are really motivated to keep what they've got."

"Unfortunately for them, we're highly motivated to win," Lasky said. "They might be good, but pirates are no match against a professionally trained military force. Just don't get cocky, otherwise you might make a mistake that'll cost you lives."

"You got it," James said. "I'll have some of the ships set up overwatch around the planet, while the others begin landing reinforcements for the ground attack."

"Same here," Richard said. "We'll monitor the system's hyperspace exit point for any signs of activity. If we notice anything, we'll let you know."

"Understood," Lasky said. "Continue with your efforts and get back to me when you're done." Closing the Holo-COM, he said, "Roland, what's the status of the ground forces?"

"They're heading towards Despatar now!" Roland said. "Cortana's going to go ahead and start causing havoc for the criminal syndicates there. Once the battle up here's done, I'd suggest getting some popcorn and watching the show."

"That won't happen until after the battle's over," Lasky said. "The naval battle won't take long to finish up, but the ground battle…?" he shook his head. "That's where the real trouble will begin. I can only hope and pray that the ground forces have as easy of a time down there as we did up here. To be fair, though, I don't think that'll be the case."

"They'll be all right," Roland said reassuringly. "While I will admit that the pirates and criminals down there are something else entirely, I believe we'll have it in the bag. We've fought off worse enemies than them before."

Lasky nodded. "We have. Inform Speakman that we're landing ground forces now. The sacking of Despatar is her show now."

. . .

Jyn could barely keep herself from falling over as the slavers shoved her and the rest of the slaves through the streets. Man, they really are in a hurry, she thought. And I can see why.

Looking up, she spotted the cause for the pirates concern. Turbolaser and mini-MAC rounds were being exchanged between the last remaining pirate ships and the UNSC fleet that had arrived overhead. Now, Starvipers, Broadswords and Longswords were engaged in an all-out battle, each one working to gain supremacy over the other. Looks like we're winning, she thought as a Broadsword easily destroyed a Starviper.

A hard shove to her back nearly sent her tumbling to the ground. "Get up, meatsack!" Vantor growled. "We've got to get a move on, now!"

"I'll motivate her!" the Weequay that had been torturing her snarled. "Just let me hit her. Just this once."

"No," Vantor said. "You hit her, I'll blast your head clean off. Understand?"

As the two slavers kept shoving her and the others along, Jyn glanced to the sky one more time. Hurry, Lasky, she thought. I don't know how much longer I can hold out.

. . .

Onboard the Infinity, Thorne and the rest of Fireteam Majestic ran through the hallways of the ship, weapons primed and ready as they stepped into their assigned SOIEVs. "Cortana, are the SOIEVs ready to go?" he asked.

"Affirmative," Roland said. "All systems are green. I'll be helping coordinate the ground battle for you and the others that've been assigned to the city of Despatar. Gabriela will be coordinating the space battle, while Cortana'll do what she can to help us out. To help out, I've got a couple dozen other AIs helping coordinate the attack. If all goes well, you should land inside of the city."

"Copy that," Thorne said. Keying the TEAMCOM, he said, "Fireteam Majestic, COM check."

"Majestic-2 here," Anthony said. "Ready and waiting."

"Majestic-3, ready to go," Grant said.

"Majestic-4, ready and waiting," Hoya said.

"Majestic-5 here. All systems green and ready," Ray said.

"Majestic-1 copies all," Thorne said. "Listen up! We're about to drop in behind enemy lines at the city of Despatar. Our orders are to eliminate any high ranking officers we find, and to sow chaos behind enemy positions. Fireteam Crimson will be working alongside us to help eliminate any obstacles in the way of all friendly ground forces. We'll also have teams of Sangheili Zealots and SpecOps assisting us in our job. Understood?"

"Understood," the others said.

The PA sounded off. "All Spartans and ODSTs, prepare for orbital drop. Repeat: prepare for orbital drop."

The pod shuddered as it was loaded into the launching bay. Outside, Thorne could see dozens, if not hundreds, of SOIEVs ready to be deployed to the city of Despatar. The launching bay doors opened, with the gas giant coming into view down below. One by one, each of the pods were launched out of the bay. Here we go, he thought. Time to 'introduce' ourselves to the hostiles down below.

The SOIEV he was in shuddered, then within a split second, it shot out of the launching bay and down towards Despatar. Hundreds of other pods like his own raced down towards the planet at speeds most people would be terrified of traveling at. Down below, the hazy orange atmosphere of Genarius, and the city of Despatar, awaited him.

Thorne grit his teeth as AA blaster fire zipped past the SOIEV. No turning back now, he thought. We have to get down there right now if we've got any chance of taking Despatar without the syndicates fortifying the place. Checking his team, he smiled when he saw that all of them were behind his own pod and fully operational. Down below, the city of Despatar could be seen, with buildings and houses illuminated by bright white lights. Blaster cannon fire was already streaking through the air, though it was so sporadic and inaccurate that Thorne wasn't worried.

Neither was his team, as Anthony said, "Looks like we caught them off guard really badly."

"Yeah," Thorne said. "Don't expect them to remain off guard. The moment they realize what we're up to, they're going to fight like mad to drive us out. Nothing's worse than a cornered enemy." Changing the topic, he said, "Landing coordinates in sight. Preparing for impact!"

On his pod, four large flaps of metal held in place by a central connector deployed from the top. The cable they were attached to snapped taut in an instant. The pod jolted as its velocity sharply began to slow down. A number displayed on Thorne's HUD went from red, to yellow, then a cool white as the pod slowed down to safe levels.

Within seconds, the tops of buildings hurtled past the pod's viewports, then the pod itself landed. There was a loud shriek of metal being torn and crushed as the pod smashed through a glass roof, before hitting the ground with an almighty THUD. The impact shook Thorne, but not once did he lose his bearings.

The moment he landed, he immediately thrust out with both of his legs. The pod door fairly shot out from him, crushing a small table. Snatching his weapons and ammo from the magnetic holsters in the pod, he leaped out of the pod, weapon raised. A flash of motion caught his attention, prompting him to aim and fire. There was a loud coughing sound, then a criminal thug behind the counter of the bar he'd smashed into slumped to the ground, three holes neatly drilled into his chest.

Four more criminals popped into view, blasters firing, while one prepared to bring a disruptor about onto him. Targeting the last criminal first, Thorne fired three times, drilling the man's chest, and causing his head to explode. The corpse of the criminal flopped to the ground, while arterial blood splattered the walls and floor. The other criminals howled, with one dropping his weapons as he screamed. Before long, the other three joined their dead compatriot.

Another criminal leaped out from behind a counter, only for another loud CRASH to erupt. In an instant, Thorne watched as another SOIEV landed directly onto the criminal. Blood and gore splattered everywhere as the man's body was compressed by forces no living organism could've hoped to withstand. A few seconds later, Anthony kicked his way out of his pod, snagging his weapons in the same moment. Seeing the corpses, he said, "Looks like the locals had a welcoming party for you."

"They did all right," Thorne said, "and you literally crushed your welcoming party."

"Yeah. Ho-hum. Say, where are the others?"

Keying the TEAMCOM, Thorne said, "Majestic-3, 4 and 5, sitrep?"

"We've just landed outside of the building your in!" Grant reported. "Got quite a few criminals out here, but we're holding them off! A few of them just threw down their weapons and surrendered, but they got killed by their compatriots! We'll rendezvous with you at the entrance to the building!"

"Understood," Thorne said. Closing the COM, he said, "We need to regroup with the rest of the team! Let's go!"

Both Spartan IVs began moving, weapons aimed as they checked every shadow they could see in the place. Motion tracker's got nothing right now, Thorne thought. At least on this floor. On the tracker, he could see dozens of faded out dots, each one representing an enemy that was below their position. "Multiple tangos on the floor below."

"I see them," Anthony said. "Any ideas?"

"Roland, can you access the building schematics?"

"I can do that for him," Cortana said. "Roland's busy helping the naval forces and their AIs coordinate with each other. As for where you're at, the building you're in has two elevator shafts that lead to the ground level. Security footage shows that they aren't paying attention there."

"Then that's where we're headed. Anthony, you take the one on the right. I'll take the one on the left. Move out!"

Both Spartan IVs moved towards the elevators in the building. Forcing one open, Thorne pulled out a magnetic zipline device, then latched it onto one of the beams in the lift. He dropped down, the powerful electromagnets slowing his descent. Reaching the bottom door, he hopped off, then forced a hand into the doors. Pulling them open, he and Anthony emerged at the same time.

Ahead, the pirates were paying close attention to the doors to the building, blasters and disruptors aimed at the doors. Muting the helmet speakers, Thorne said, "Anthony, you take the guys on the right. I'll take the ones on the left."

"Blitzkrieg them?" Anthony asked.

"Yep."

Anthony nodded, then both Spartan IVs moved into position. Pulling out his M20 SMG, Anthony took aim, while Thorne did the same with his MA5D. A trio of red lights in their helmets counted down to one, then the final light turned green.

Both Spartan IVs exploded into motion, weapons roaring as they charged into the lobby. The criminals, not anticipating an attack from behind, were all but defenseless. Several criminals fell down before enough of them turned around to open fire. Even then, their blaster fire's accuracy was horribly degraded. Only a few remained calm enough to land a few shots onto Anthony and Thorne, and even then, the shielding on their armor blocked it.

The same couldn't be said for the criminals. One of them howled as his hand was blasted off at the wrist, only for his scream of agony to end when his head exploded. One man fired his disruptor, scoring a hit on Anthony. The shields popped, but Anthony didn't slow down. Firing a single burst, he riddled the man full of bullets in retaliation. The criminal slumped to the ground, dead.

Within just fifteen seconds, all of the criminals in the room had been killed. Blood of all colors pooled on the ground, ruining what seemed to be expensive carpeting. Moving forwards, both Spartans forced the front doors open and advanced outside.

The silence that had been the interior was now replaced by a cacophony of sound. Gunfire and explosions could be heard, while air raid sirens wailed loudly. Before Anthony and Thorne, there was a firefight as the criminals before the entrance worked to keep the Spartan IVs pinned down. One of them was now hefting a missile launcher, fully intent on blasting Grant, Hoya and Ray apart.

Not this time, Thorne thought, firing a single shot from his rifle. The criminal screamed as his arm was sent flying, the launcher it was attached to falling to the ground with a thump. The thugs, whirling around, raised their weapons, only to be cut down by Grant and the others. "About time you showed up," Grant said. "What kept you?"

"Rough landing," Thorne said. "You?"

"These hobos." Becoming serious again, she asked, "What's our next objective, Cortana?"

"New objective," Cortana said. "The frigates and troop transports we've got are coming in, and they're gonna blow the doors to the city open, but we've got trouble. ODST teams near the entrances report that they're taking casualties from snipers, and they're worried that if the Marines get in here, they're gonna get slaughtered."

"The pirates are rebounding back fast," Anthony said.

"Understood," Thorne said. "We'll eliminate any sniper teams that are near the entrance we're closest to. Fireteam Crimson can likely handle the others. Any word on the space battle up above?"

"The last of the pirate ships are being mopped up right now," Cortana reported. "The battle groups are taking up formation around the planet and near the hyperspace entry point. If the pirates send for help, they're gonna get a nasty surprise. We'll also have a steady trickle of reinforcements coming in."

"Copy that. Send us a waypoint towards the gate in question, and we'll clear them out."

"Understood," said. "Be advised, drones are showing a large amount of pirate activity on the way there. Make sure you're stocked up on ammo. You're gonna need it."

"Can you direct another squad our way to provide us reinforcements?"

"I've routed another squad your way," Cortana said. "Got a bunch of ODSTs ready to help you out. Now get going! Time's a-wasting!"

"Understood." Closing the COM channel, Throne said, "You heard the man. We've got to get to the gate and eliminate the sniper teams there before the Marines get here! Any others we come across are to be terminated as well!"

"Wilco!" the others said.

"Then lets move out!"

All five members of Fireteam Majestic moved out, weapons at the ready. As they advanced, Ray frowned. "Shit," she growled.

"What's wrong?" Thorne asked.

"I'm getting reports of Spartan IV fireteams taking casualties. Fireteams Sword and Talon lost a member to syndicate forces using disruptors and anti-armor weapons, and Fireteams Wolf and Bailey have gone dark. No word on what's happened to them as of yet."

Thorne frowned. That's bad news. The criminal syndicates are getting really desperate. "And the ODSTs?"

"A few squads were wiped out, but most are completing their objectives. Still, if our own special forces are taking casualties already…"

"Then the conventional ground pounders are going to be having one hell of a time," Anthony finished.

"Agreed," Thorne said. "We'll keep moving. As long as the objectives are being completed then that's all that matters. Let's go."

They continued on through the streets of Despatar, weapons raised and eyes alert for any threat. Spotting a flicker of movement, Grant ducked down, then a blaster bolt whipped through the air where she was at. "Sniper! One o'clock high!" she shouted as the others took cover

"I saw him!" Anthony said, sniper rifle in hand. "Time to give him my 'Greetings from Fireteam Majestic' gift package." Taking aim, he slowly leaned out, eyes focused on a single high rise building up ahead. Seeing the glint again, he pulled the trigger.

A loud KRA-THOOM erupted as the Series 5 Sniper Rifle fired, sending a 14.5mm APFSDS round through the air at extreme velocities. There was a meaty THWACK as the round hit something, before the upper half of a syndicate sniper fell from the building. Seeing movement, Anthony fired three more times, each round spelling the death of another criminal. "Sniper team down," he said, smacking the empty mag out and replacing it with a full one. "We're clear."

"Keep moving," Thorne said. "Good call, Grant. Inform us if you see anymore movement."

"Copy that," Grant said.

As the twilight slowly turned to dawn, Fireteam Majestic moved through the streets of the city. The long periods of silence were marked by minutes of sheer terror, during which they engaged pirates and criminals that had decided to defend the city at all costs. I don't like the lack of activity, he thought. Something's wrong.

His instincts were proven right when Ray slowly rounded a corner. In a flash, she whipped back behind cover, just as a disruptor bolt and missile flew by. A loud BOOM resounded as the missile detonated, scattering debris and dust everywhere. "Hostiles ahead!" she shouted.

"I see them!" Hoya shouted. "P-VISR shows roughly thirty hostiles dead ahead! A few of them are manning E-WEBs and we've got a sniper team and anti-armor team too! Looks like they've got a professional leading them too: they're in battle formation!"

"Then we need to attack them from the sides!" Throne said. "Hoya, Grant, you flank them from the right! The rest of us will attack from the front and draw their attention long enough for you two to get into position. Go!" Both Hoya and Grant immediately doubled back, while Thorne, Anthony and Ray began firing from their position. Another disruptor round answered, just as Anthony fired off another shot.

"Got the sniper!" he reported, "but I don't want to get hit by that anti-armor crew!"

"Good idea," Ray said. "I just got word on Fireteams Wolf and Bailey. Both of them lost a member to anti-armor teams. Apparently, the warheads aren't powerful enough to kill a Spartan in a single hit, but they're firing missiles in pairs."

"Hoya and Grant are in position!" Thorne said. "They're attacking the hostiles in three… two… one… now! ENGAGE!"

The trio of Spartan IVs immediately rushed out into the open, just as Hoya and Grant opened fire on the hostiles. Multiple criminals and pirates fell screaming to the ground, but one lasted long enough to pull the trigger on his missile launcher. One missile flew straight towards Hoya, while the other careened wildly upwards. Hoya was thrown backwards a few feet from the detonation, and a loud SNAP-CRACK filled the air.

"HOYA!" Grant shouted.

"I'm OK!" Hoya shouted. "Shields are down, but they took the brunt! Keep shooting!"

Redirecting her aim, Grant was about to fire when several pirates and criminals fell to the ground as gunfire erupted. Looking behind Hoya, she watched as ten ODSTs fired their weapons as jetpacks on their backs fired, pumping the hostiles full of bullets. Behind him, several Marines quickly followed suit, weapons firing away as they too came in via jetpack. When the gunfire settled, one stood up and said, "Need a hand, Fireteam Majestic?"

"Good timing!" Thorne said, advancing towards the man. Both grabbed each other's hand in a soldier's greeting. "What's your name?"

"ODST Colonel Michael Simoya, 105th Shock Troopers Battalion!"

Thorne nodded. "Good. You here to assist us?"

"Yep. Roland informed us that you might need a hand clearing out a few sniper teams. We've been up to our necks in enemy sniper teams and infantry squads. We lost a few people, but we've completed our objectives aside from our current one."

"Can you show us what you mean?" Thorne asked.

"Sure! Patrick, map!"

"Understood," the ODST's AI said. A small holo-emitter on his armor lit up, displaying the part of the city they were in. A red dot showed where the team was at.

"We're located here, near one of the bazaars in the city," Simoya said. "Our objective is to capture this plaza near the entrance to serve as an LZ for our Pelicans as well as a FOB."

"I take it there are problems to be had?" Thorne asked.

"Yep. We've got an enemy tank that's sitting in there. Intel suggests that its a TX-130T Saber Fighter Tank."

Thorne frowned. That thing's armed with dual heavy blaster cannons and a beam cannon, along with missile launchers. "Do you have an M41 SPNKr?" In response, another ODST hefted the twin tube launcher. "Good. How many shots do you think we'll need?"

"Well, given that the armor is thinner on the top, we just need one good shot," Simoya said. "Ever since the Covenant-UNSC War, the Spanker's been refitted with a targeting module that allows for an top-down attack. All we need's a good lock-on, and then we can blast the sucker to pieces. The problem, though, is that there are a lot of thugs guarding it, and they won't take kindly to an enemy attack on their tank. They've also got some E-WEB turrets nearby."

"Then here's the plan," Thorne said. "Fireteam Majestic will help you keep the hostiles distracted while your anti-armor team gets into position. Once they are, we'll keep any hostiles off their back while they help destroy the tank. I'll call in fire support from the Infinity. Got it?"

"You got it!" Simoya said….

As it turned out, the plaza wasn't too far from their position. Leaning around a bend, Thorne could see the hover tank floating in the air. Nearby, the pirates and criminals guarding it were keeping an eye on the surrounding area, but not enough to where they could cause a considerable amount of trouble. "Anthony, get into position and begin taking out the E-WEB turrets," Thorne said. "The rest of us will engage any sniper teams in the area and distract the tank long enough for our guys to destroy it. Go!"

Anthony and Grant quickly moved out, while the ODSTs got into position. Thorne watched as a light in his helmet turned amber. We're ready when you are, Anthony, he thought.

Then the light switched green. "Now!" Thorne ordered. Multiple ODSTs popped up out of cover and began firing with pinpoint accuracy at the pirates and criminals. Several of them went down before they whirled their weapons around and began firing. The gunner on the Saber tank's turret rotated around before firing, sending a beam of green energy towards the ODSTs and Majestic.

Thorne ducked just as the beam washed over him. A loud, insistent beeping ran in his helmet as his shields came perilously close to breaking. Nearby, several ODSTs and Marines screamed as the beams cut them in half. One man, despite the agony he was in, continued to fire even though his upper body had been severed fro his lower body. A disruptor round from a pirate soon put an end to that.

Loud booming sounds filled the air as Anthony and Grant eliminated the E-WEBs. "NOW!" Grant shouted. "Take the tank out now!"

"Suppressing fire!" Thorne shouted. The remaining seven ODSTs opened fire alongside Fireteam Majestic."Fireteam Majestic to Infinity, requesting missile support!"

"Roger that," Roland said. "Rapier missile on the way with an HE warhead. Take cover!"

While Thorne requested fire support, Simoya, having snatched the M41 from his fallen comrade, took aim and fired. A 109mm missile streaked out of the missile tube before arcing upwards in the air. The pirate on the turret, seeing that, laughed maliciously, only for that laugh to turn into a scream when the missile came directly back down onto the tank. There was a tremendous explosion as the 109mm MAHEM blasted against the tank, penetrating the armored compartment and tearing into the fuel. There was a muffled boom as the fuel detonated, killing a couple of the crew inside and filling their bodies full of shrapnel.

Then the Rapier missile from the Infinity came down like the hammer of an angry god. The missile detonated, tearing apart the Saber tank and sending shrapnel flying. Thorne ducked down, barely avoiding having his head taken off by a slab of armor plating. When he stood up, he found that both of the tank's left and right pods had separated, each one resembling a mushroomed gun barrel. Fire billowed from the hollowed out central section, sending smoke up into the sky. "Good work!" he shouted. "Target is terminatted!"

"Glad to help," Roland said. "I've got more fire support requests coming your way. Rerouting Longswords and Broadswords to Despatar now. See you on the flipside."

"LZ secured!" Grant said. "Now it's time to get the ground army down here!"

"Yep," Thorne said.

"I've just got reports that the other landing zones have been opened!" Ray said.

"Roland, Cortana, are you there?"

"We're here," Cortana said. "The criminal syndicates have just issued a general order. They're pulling back all pirate forces towards the center of the city and towards their headquarters. They're also fortifying the streets wherever they can, and they're busting out the heavier weapons."

"Then it's going to get a lot harder from now on," Thorne said. "Let's set a landing beacon for the transports and have them set up a field HQ. This fight is going to become incredibly hectic."