Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars crossover redux.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support. I deeply appreciate it.
Just so you know, I've decided that I'll be temporarily putting the story on hiatus after the next chapter or two. The reason for this is two fold. First, I want to do work on other stories that I haven't had time to work on in quite a long while. The other reason, however, is because I am going to be looking at the next Star Wars game that is coming out this year so that I can begin looking at introducing another character. I will not be abandoning this story. I'm just going to wait for more Star Wars content to come out before continuing on.
In the meantime, I will be updating the short story companion piece for this crossover: Star Wars: Tales of the Infinity's Odyssey. Once the story is on temporary hiatus, expect a few more short stores to be coming out for that collection.
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, Lucasfilms, 20th Century Fox, Disney Films, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music lusted in each chapter. Any material listed belongs to its original composers and/or artists.
Halo: Combat Evolved OST – Opening Suite
UNSC Infinity
Geosynchronous Orbit, Pantora
June 3rd, 0BBY, 0900 Hrs (January 16th, 2559, 0900 Hrs)
It was another busy day onboard the Infinity, with each member of the crew going about their daily business onboard Humanity's most advanced warship. The same was true for Cole, who was going about on his rounds for the day. Walking past some members of the crew, he returned their salutes as he walked onboard the command bridge for the Infinity.
It's been a rough road, but we're doing good so far, he thought to himself. Ever since the signing of the treaty, the Pantorans had been quite cooperative in helping them get the much needed essentials that the crew needed to survive. While the crew of the Infinity hadn't been able to conduct shore leave yet, Cole knew that they would need to do so when it was possible. Too many days in space, and you end up with cabin fever, or something like that. He'd experienced it himself a few times on occasion, and cabin fever wasn't something that he found to be fun.
He was about to get to the usual duties for today when Lieutenant Jespersen said, "Sir, I've got a transmission from the surface. Message ID indicates that it's Captain Hadjo, the current head of the Pantoran Defense Fleet. From the sounds of things, he wants to have a talk with you."
"Inform him that I'll contact him from my quarters shortly," Cole said.
"Aye, sir." Jespersen returned to his normal duties, while Cole turned on his heels and strode towards his flag quarters. Moving through the hallways of the Infinity, he quickly entered his flag quarters, whereupon he entered the private WAVE/SLIPSPACE COM room that was installed. Once he was inside of the room, he keyed the incoming call.
The holographic image of Captain Hadjo appeared over the holo-pedestal a moment later. Like all Pantorans, Hadjo's skin was a dark blue color and his eyes a gold color. His hair, though, was brown with a streak of gray, an indicator that time, and the stresses of his life, were starting to wear on him. Despite that, his eyes still shone with the vigor of youth.. "Captain Hadjo," Cole said, "I was informed you needed to speak with me."
"Yes," Hadjo said. "Before we get to the usual business, I wanted to check in on you and see if you were doing all right."
"If it's about what happened during the coup, then I can assure you that I am fine. I've dealt with pirates that were just as dangerous as what Forad brought along during the coup. Besides, as I've said before, he was an incredibly foolish and stupid man for doing what he did."
"That he was," Hadjo agreed. "I wonder how agreeable your ship's brig was for him."
Cole had a very slight smile at that. Once Forad had been arrested and placed in custody, there had been a hearing after the signing of the current treaty to determine if Forad was to be held in Cole's custody or the custody of their people. It had been decided in a narrow vote that the Pantorans would try Forad first and decide his fate. As part of his punishment, Forad had been publicly disgraced, stripped of his power, and then sentenced to life in prison without parole, during which, while the Infinity was in the system, he would be periodically shipped to the Infinity for questioning.
He certainly didn't expect our interrogators to be what they are, Cole thought to himself. "Just fine," he said to Hadjo. "He didn't seem all that uncomfortable, though from what the warden of the prison told me, he keeps on ranting on how the Pantorans are trading away their freedom for security. Some of the other prisoners decided to inform him to remain silent."
Hadjo smiled. "If that means they decided to beat him into a bloodied pulp, then I'm all fine with that/ Forad was an asshole, moron and a traitor all rolled into one. I'm not sad to see him in prison. In fact, I think he's gotten his just desserts."
"Agreed," Cole said. "So, is there anything else you wanted to speak with me about?"
"Yes," Hadjo said. "Ever since the coup nearly three weeks ago, I've been wanting to learn more about the UNSC's rank system and military organization."
"And you want to do so because?"
"Because we're not where we need to be," Hadjo admitted. "I won't lie to you, Cole. The PDF, while effective enough to deal with small incursions by pirates, is not nearly strong or organized enough to take on a major pirate force like the one that Forad brought along during his attempted coup. If we're attacked again and you're not around, we'll be swept aside like leaves in an autumn windstorm.
"That's why I wish to talk to you today. What I want to do is learn more about how the UNSC is organized and how its internal bureaucracy works. If I can do so, and if you're willing to teach me more on that front, I can reorganize the PDF Navy into an effective fighting force that's capable of fighting off pirates any day of the year. Learning about your organization's internal structure will also enable the current bureaucracy to work more effectively and to make decisions faster than they can currently."
As Hadjo spoke, Cole realized what Hadjo's intentions were. He wants to make the Pantoran Defense Force stronger by having their internal structure emulate the UNSC's. To him it made sense, especially given that the UNSCs military structure was based on that of the defunct United States Armed Forces military organization which, even to this day, was seen as one of the best. "I see," he said. "Perhaps there is a way that we an arrange that."
"There is?" Hadjo asked.
"Yes. I'll hold a meeting with you at 1300 hours tomorrow to discuss how we can better organize the PDF. However, when it comes to fighting off pirates, you'll need to have a shipyard built to build new ships, as well as a recruiting drive to recruit new members into the organization. While you can go ahead and get recruiters on your end going, you'll need to wait until the UNSC fleet arrives to speak with them, if they've sent a fleet that is."
"Agreed," Hadjo said. He then inclined his head as though he was listening to someone speaking with him in the background. "I must be going now," he said to Cole. "I have other matters to tend to. Talk with you later?"
"If my schedule permits it, yes," Cole said. "Fair winds and following seas, Hadjo."
"What?"
"It's a traditional farewell adopted from the defunct US Navy," Cole explained. "It's one way of saying, 'have a smooth and safe voyage.'"
"Ah, I see," Hadjo said. "The same to you as well." With that, Hadjo's holographic image faded into nothingness.
Once the transmission had ended, Cole heard a PA announcement. "Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole, RDML Lasky, Report to CIC Immediately. Cole and Lasky, Report to CIC Immediately."
Looks like I've got something else to take care of as well, Cole thought as he strode out of his personal COM room and towards the command bridge. As he walked along, he watched as Lasky came out of a nearby hallway. "Lasky," Cole said.
"Sir," Lasky said. "What's going on? I was informed that I had to head to the bridge immediately."
"I have a feeling that we're going to find out in just a moment," Cole said as they reached the doors to the command bridge. Standing on either side of the door were four Marines, each one armed with an MA5D, Magnum and accompanying ammunition and armor. One of the things that Lieutenant Colonel Parisa had decided to do, under RADM-117 and Colonel Sarpong's direction, was create the Marine Security Force, an onboard security force that was designed to supplement the military police and security forces under Lieutenant Commander Phillip's command. The Marine Security Force had two major goals: to protect the CO and XO of the ship and their officers, while also assisting the onboard security force in their goal of ensuring that no mutinies arose. They were also a standby in case the security forces themselves were compromised.
As soon as Lasky and Cole had arrived, the two of them closest to the door advanced. One of them pulled out a handheld scanner and swept it up and down before the two. After a few moments, she said, "You're clean. Sorry for the delays, sirs."
"That's all right," Lasky said. "You're doing your jobs. I applaud you for that, in fact."
"Thank you sir. Have a wonderful day, sirs."
"You too," Cole said. With that, he and Lasky advanced into the command bridge for the Infinity. Apparently, whatever required their attention was so important that the entire bridge was abuzz with activity. Everyone was busy at their stations, with Lieutenant Ryder shouting occasionally from his station.
Appearing over the holo-table, Roland, Cortana and Gabriela looked at the two as they entered. "Admiral Cole, sir!" Roland said while saluting. Both Gabriela and Cortana did the same, with the two perfectly mimicking Roland.
"At ease," Cole said. "What's the situation?"
"We've got multiple Slipspace signatures approaching the planet, sir," Cortana said. "No word on if it's a UNSC fleet, a Swords of Sangheilios, Forerunner or Storm Covenant fleet, but it's big. I estimate between 500 to 750 slipspace signatures."
As soon as the two heard that, a cold chill ran through their bodies. "The Covenant," Lasky said with a frown. "If that's one of their fleets -"
"-then we have a major problem on our hands," Cole said. "Roland, send Hadjo a message immediately. Inform him that we've detected incoming Slipspace signatures and that we don't know who it is. Just in case, though, inform him that I'm requesting that he sortie his fleet and get it into position. We might have a fight on our hands if things go to shit."
"Affirmative," Roland said. "In fact, Hadjo's wanting to speak with you, sir."
"Send him through," Cole said.
A moment later, Hadjo's voice came in over the COM. "Captain Hadjo to Vice Admiral Cole. Our ships FTL sensors are picking up anomalous energy signatures. What's the situation?"
"We've got an incoming fleet," Cole said. "One of our AIs has informed us that we've got five hundred to seven hundred and fifty Slipspace signatures moving in towards us. Given how little we know, it could be anything, possibly even a Covenant or an Imperial fleet."
"If that is the case," Hadjo said, "then we're in for a long day. What's the plan in case this is an attack?"
"Your fleet will link up behind our ships," Cole informed him. "Once the Infinity has deployed her docked frigates, we'll move into formation and prepare to intercept the incoming hostiles. If it is the Covenant coming towards us, then all we can do is buy time for the civilians to evacuate from the planet. It'll be the same scenario with the Imperials."
"And if it's a UNSC fleet?"
"Then we'll make contact and prevent any misunderstandings from breaking out," Cole said. "Have you informed your Chairman as to what is going on?"
"I already have," Hadjo said. "She's ready to issue an evacuation should this turn out to be a major attack. I just hope we can hold out long enough if that is the case. We may have to retreat if so."
"Agreed," Cole said. "Cortana, what's the status of the incoming signatures."
"They're about to exit Slipspace right now," Cortana said. A moment later, she brought up a holographic map of Pantora and the nearly aerospace sectors around the planet. At the same time, a visual feed of the area in question appeared.
As soon as Cole looked at the visual feed and holographic map, everything changed. Within second, numerous ruptures in Slipspace opened, each one belching out something before closing. At the same time, numerous contacts came up on the holo-map, each one marked in white, indicating that they were unknown contacts. "Cortana, can you get any information on them?" Lasky asked.
"Scanning," Cortana said.
"Checking," Roland said. After a moment, a grin appeared on his face. "Cole, Lasky, I've got good news. All of the ships that are coming in aren't Imperial, Covenant or Forerunner. They're UNSC."
As soon as Lasky heard that, he felt his heart skip a beat. "A-are you certain?" he asked.
"Yep," Roland said. "I'm seeing numerous UNSC IFF signatures, as well as a few Swords of Sangheilios IFF signatures. Scans indicate that the ship leading the fleet is the CV001 UNSC Epoch." Moments later, information on the UNSC Epoch and her ship class appeared over the holotable.
As soon as Cole saw the information, he knew what was going on. It was Lasky, though, that voiced his thoughts. "They did it!" he shouted jubilantly. "They got our probes and sent a fleet to our position! I knew they wouldn't abandon us!"
"Same here," Cortana said. "I knew the UNSC was going to send someone to find where we had gone. The question is, why so many ships?"
"Good question," Gabriela said. "I did a number of scans on the incoming ships, Admirals. According to said scans, most of the ships are older classes of ships, such as the Charon-class light frigates and the Halcyon-class light cruisers, accompanied by some of the newer classes of ships. Based on my analysis, I believe most of the ships were in the mothball fleets, where they were upgraded since the end of the war before being brought back into service."
"Sounds like it," Cole said. "Make sure that Hadjo's on the COM still."
"Aye, sir," Gabriela said.
. . .
Onboard the Pantoran Guardian, Captain Hadjo's eyes began to widen as multiple Slipspace ruptures began to open up, with the crew onboard the bridge working feverishly at their stations. Many of the eyes of the crew had gone wide as soon as they saw the massive ships that were moving towards them. None of them resembled any ships that they had seen before, with each one having sharp, geometric angles, dark gray hull plating and weapons that would make mincemeat out of a ship as large as the Pantoran Guardian. Most were roughly the same length, though they were undoubtedly larger.
"Sir, what's going on?" a Cadet asked him, her eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. "Who are these guys? Are they friendly?"
"I don't know," Hadjo said, "but I'll bet we're gong to find out. We also have to trust that Cole knows what is going on. Be ready for anything in case a fight breaks out. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," the Cadet said.
As she returned to her station, Hadjo looked outside at the growing chaos that was present. What is going on? He wondered. Why are there so many energy signatures present? Are these incoming ships part of a fleet from the UNSC, or are they enemies that we need to be worried about. These questions roared through his head with the fury of a waterspout.
Get a grip on yourself, he growled. Time to put those questions aside and treat with reality. "Helm," he said, "Bring us about on heading 2-7-0 mark 0-3-0. Have the rest of the fleet follow on our trajectory."
"Aye, sir!" the Navigator said. She quickly sent the coordinates to the rest of the fleet before manually flying the ship towards the area in question. "ETA to coordinates: three minutes." Looking at him, she said, "You are aware that takes us behind the Infinity and her ships?"
"Yes," Hadjo said. Having heard Cole's plan for what they were going to do, he knew that it was a good one. As such, he had decided to preemptively move the ships behind the Infinity and her escorts so that, even if a fight didn't break out, they would be able to give a good showing for any newcomers. "Comms, inform Vice Admiral Cole that we are moving in position behind and next to his fleet."
"Aye, sir," a nearby Lieutenant said. After half a minute, she said, "Sir, I've informed Cole that we're moving into position near his fleet. He wishes to speak with you."
"Put him through," Hadjo said.
A moment later, Cole's voice ran through loud and clear, "Vice Admiral Cole of the UNSC Infinity to Captain Hadjo. Do you read me? Over."
"This is Captain Hadjo of the PDF Pantoran Guardian. I read you loud and clear. Do you know what is going on?"
"Yes," Cole said. "We just performed a scan of the incoming fleet. IFF readings indicate that we're looking at a UNSC fleet that's moving towards us. You can call off the evacuation. These guys are on our side."
A wave of relief rushed through Hadjo as he heard those words. "That's excellent news," he said. "However, we'll continue to move into position near your fleet. Might as well make as good of an impression as we possibly can, even in our current state."
"Understandable. We'll see if we can initiate contact with the lead ship of the fleet. We've also got a few ships from the Swords of Sangheilios, the allied alien faction that I spoke to you and the others about in the previous meeting we had. You can inform Chairman Chuchi that she can call off any potential evacuations."
"Understood," Hadjo said. "We'll keep this COM line open in case something happens. Captain Hadjo out." Putting the comm line on hold, he turned to the Comms Officer and said, "Get me a direct line to Chairman Chuchi."
"Aye, sir," the Comm Officer said. "HoloCOM line established. Ready at your go."
A moment later, the hologram of Chairman Chuchi appeared in the small holopedestal in the bridge. "Captain Hadjo," she said, "what's the current situation?"
"The fleet we detected entering the star system is friendly," Hadjo said. "According to Vice Admiral Cole, the UNSC sent a fleet to our current location in order to find out where the Infinity was. You can call off any evacuations that were planned to be issued."
Riyo sighed with relief. "That's excellent news! I'll reassure the public right now. Thank you, Captain. You just spared us another unneeded scare. Chairman Chuchi out."
"Understood. Captain Hadjo out."
. . .
There were few things that Fleet Admiral Harper found uncomfortable. One of them, unfortunately, happened to be cryonic stasis, the same kind of stasis that was used by the UNSC before the war had begun. Groaning as his cryopod opened, he waited for his vision to clear up before beginning the arduous process of clambering out of his cryopod and into his ship's personal cryochamber.
Sitting down, he waited until his drowsiness wore off before standing up. Moving to a small cabinet near his cryopod, he pulled out his clothes and quickly began to put them on. As he did so, he croaked, "Socrates, are you there?"
"Yes, sir," came the AI's voice. "Are you well?"
"As well as I can be," Harper said dismissively. "Have you begun to thaw the crew?"
"Affirmative. The crew will be out of cryonic stasis in roughly ten minutes."
"Good," Harper said. "Inform the crew to head to their posts when possible. I'll be headed to the bridge ASAP. Inform the other AIs in the fleet to do the same with their officers and to have them be ready for combat operations if need be."
"Understood," Socrates said. As the AI went about his usual business of ensuring the ship's continued operation, Harper quickly got himself dressed. Once he was fully dressed, he strode out of his cryo-chamber and towards his quarters. As he did so, he sent a message to the flag cook, along with a small sum of credits.
By the time he got there, his flag officers were awake, as he found his flag cook approaching his door, meal in hand. A tall and thin man with wiry dirty blond hair, Harold Steeds was an excellent cook, courtesy of his former career as a gourmet chef before he was recruited into the UNSC. On a plate in his hand was what appeared to be bacon, some beans, as well as a biscuit that was cut in half, allowing a pair of eggs to be rested on them. There were also what appeared to be mushrooms, onions and garlic on the plate as well. The aroma from the food was so good Harper could feel his mouth watering already.
As soon as Harold spotted Harper, he smiled. "Ah, there you are, sir! I was just bringing this to your cabin, sir. I take it we had a lovely rest?"
"Yeah," Harper said. "As lovely as being put on ice can be. I take it you fared well yourself?"
"Indubitably, sir."
"Good. You remember that message I sent you, along with the small fee of credits?
"I do, sir. Cooked the meal to your orders. Pan grilled mushrooms, onions and garlic with butter, along with pan cooked bacon deglazed with apple moonshine, pan seared biscuits and scrambled eggs with butter, salt and chili peppers."
Harper could hear his stomach growling at the sight and smell of the food in question. "Sounds appetizing," he said.
"It is," Harold said. "My mother used to cook that meal for me every time I got up for school. She was a gourmet chef like myself."
"So you cooked the meal not only because I asked you too, but also because it reminds you of home."
"Yes," Harold said with a smile.
"I see," Harper noted. Smiling, he patted Harold on the shoulder as they entered Harper's flag quarters. "That's very kind of you, Harold. It's always good to bring a little bit of home with you. Never forget where you come from, otherwise you lose yourself."
"Thank you, sir!" Harold said. "I will keep that advice close to heart. Enjoy you meal, sir!"
"You too!" Harper said with a smile as he sat down. An excellent cook that makes food that is a feast for the eyes, he thought has he sat down, napkin tucked into his tunic and silverware at his table. An Admiral couldn't ask for a better cook. With those thoughts running through his head, he began to eat.
By the time he was done eating, his other flag officers had arrived, with his Flag Lieutenant handing him his schedule for the day. Looking at it, Harper immediately knew what was going to be happening today. Once we drop out of Slipspace, we'll have to see if the Infinity is still in the Pantora system. If all goes well, she will be, and then we can find out what Lasky and Cole have been up to in the meantime. Once he had memorized his schedule for the day, he quickly got up and advanced towards the bridge.
The bridge of the Epoch was already a maelstrom of activity, with officers and crew quickly move to and fro about their stations. The viewports were fully covered up with armored shutters, preventing anyone from seeing outside. Not that there was anything outside of the ship; Slipspace was such an alien place that, when looking outside, all one saw was blackness. As soon as he was at his command chair, Harper asked, "Status?"
"All systems are running nominally," he heard his Chief Engineer say over the COM. "I was worried about our ol' girl having trouble, but it looks like the refits are working smoothly."
"COM systems are active, sir," the COM Officer said. "We're good."
"Weapons are tight," his Fire Control Officer said.
"Sensors are currently dark," the Sensors Officer reported. "We'll know more about where we are once we emerge from Slipspace."
"Same here," the Navigation Officer said.
"Understood," Harper said. "Comms, can you get me a direct line to 'Juran's flagship?"
"Aye, sir." After a few moments, she said, "Sir, COM channel is open."
"All right," Harper said. "Time to see how this new 'Holographic COM' system works." Getting up, he moved towards the holo-table in the center of the room.
A moment later, Tul 'Juran's image came up in the center of the holotable. While she was a female Sangheili, 'Juran was tall enough that she stood a good head and shoulders above Harper. Much of her body was covered in a tech suit that had silver colored armor, with the chest and arms having engravings on their outer surfaces, similar to that of the Arbiter's former armor. Unlike the old armor the Arbiter wore, however, 'Juran's suit was a modern design, as it was more angular and geometric in shape, while running lights were present on the chest.
As soon as the COM channel was open, her amber colored eyes focused on Harper's light blue-gray eyes. "Admiral Harper," she said with a slight bow of respect. "How goes the journey?"
"Very well so far," Harper said. "How about you?"
"Excellently. My crew have left their stasis pods and are now working at their stations. I have also ordered the rest of my ships to do the same."
"Good," Harper said. "According to Socrates, we'll be exiting Slipspace in roughly ten minutes. Once that is done, we'll perform a scan to see if the Infinity is within the area. If so, we'll reestablish COMs and see if we can speak to Lasky and Cole."
"Very well," 'Juran said. "I will inform the Shipmasters of my fleet to be prepared and to follow our lead once we exit Slipspace. Fleetmistress 'Juran out."
"Understood," Harper said. "Fleet Admiral Harper over and out." Closing the COM-link, he asked, "Socrates, what's the status of the ships in the fleet?"
"All officers have reported in," Socrates said. "All ships are currently on course. ETA to Slipspace Exit: ten minutes."
"Very good," Harper said. "Inform me when we are about to drop out of Slipspace." Sitting down in his command chair, Harper began waiting for the moment they were going to exit Slipspace.
Those ten minutes seemed to pass by with the speed of a mountain river engorged by melt-water, as before long, Socrates said, "Sir, we are thirty seconds away from Slipspace exit."
"Understood," Harper said. Keying the fleetwide FTL COM, he said, "All ships, prepare for Slipspace Transit termination in thirty seconds." Looking at Socrates, he said, "Begin countdown."
"Aye, sir," Socrates said. "Slipspace exit in fifteen seconds." Soon, he said, "Slipspace exit in five… four… three… two… one… zero."
As soon as Socrates finished his countdown, there was a rumble as the Slipspace Drive onboard the ship fired up one of its dormant modules. Within seconds, it made a tiny hole into realspace, before rapidly expanding that hole to the point where the Epoch could safely exit without any damage. The ship shot out of Slipspace at high speed, before RCS thrusters slowed it down to a safe speed. At the same time, numerous other ruptures opened, with each one belching out a UNSC or Swords of Sangheilios ship.
As the ships came to a halt, the shutters/camera systems on their bridges activated, allowing their officers to see outside. Once the shutters retracted, Harper could see that they had arrived in orbit over a planet. The planet's appearance reminded him of that of Chi Ceti IV, which had been described as a 'mudball' of a planet. Nearby, he spotted a much bigger planet, large enough that it could be easily classified as a 'Super Earth.' It, however, was a cool blue with streaks of white, indicating that it was a frozen world.
As soon as the shutters had retracted, the Sensors Officer said, "Sir! I'm picking up numerous unidentified contacts in the system! All of them are closing in on our position!"
"Is the Infinity in the system?" Harper asked. He needed to know if the unknowns were hostiles, or if they had simply arrived while the Infinity was away in another part of the galaxy they were now in.
"Checking… Yes! I've got the Infinity's IFF signature! I'm also picking up the IFF signature of the Everest, as well as the Infinity's frigate fleet! I've also got numerous unidentified signals! They're currently holding off behind and to the starboard side of the Infinity and Everest!"
"Socrates?" Harper asked.
"Confirmed," Socrates said. "The UNSC Infinity and Everest are in-system, along with an unidentified fleet. Based on the coordinates that we are at, and the information that we intercepted in the probes, I believe that it is the Pantoran Defense Fleet."
"Understood," Harper said. "Jul 'Turan, are you getting this?"
A moment later, 'Turan's holographic image appeared over the same holopedestal that Socrates was using. "Yes," she said, "I've also picked up the Infinity and Everest's signals. It appears as though they have friends."
"That they do," Harper said. Looking at his COM Officer, he said, "Establish a COM link to the Infinity." Once she signaled that she had done so, he said, "This is Fleet Admiral Joseph Harper of the UNSC Epoch to the UNSC Infinity. Do you read me? Over." Having sent his message, he waited for the reply.
He didn't have to wait long, as a voice said, "This is Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole of the UNSC Infinity with RDML Thomas Lasky. We read you loud and clear, Fleet Admiral. It's good to hear from the UNSC again."
"I'll bet it is," Harper said. "I hear that you had a really long nap that Lasky woke you from."
"That I did. I would also like to introduce Captain Hadjo of the Pantoran Defense Fleet. He, along with the leader of the Pantorans have been very gracious hosts to us."
"This is Captain Hadjo of the PDF Pantoran Guardian," came Hadjo's voice. "It is an honor to be meeting the UNSC formally."
"The honor is all mine," Harper said. Hearing the door to the bridge open, he turned to see a woman with dark brown hair, green eyes and dark skin walking into the room. She wore a three piece charcoal-and-black colored suit, as well as black dress pants ad black high-heels. "I would also like to introduce Veronica Janice, our new Deputy Secretary of Intergalactic Affairs. She, along with Ambassador Richard Cleese were able to come with us on this voyage."
"Greetings," Veronica said in her silky smooth, African accented voice. "I am Veronica Janice, the UEG Deputy Secretary of Intergalactic Affairs. It is a privilege to be speaking with another species."
"The honor is all mine," Hadjo said. "I look forwards to when you meet the Chairman of the Assembly."
"And I as well," Veronica said. "With that being said, I will allow the good Fleet Admiral to carry out his duties."
"Thank you, ma'am," Harper said. "Once we've gotten into a holding position, I will be coming over to the Infinity to speak with you and RDML Lasky. Understood?"
"Understood," Cole said. "No matter what happens next, sir, it is good to see you again."
"And you as well," Harper said. Once the COM-line ended, Harper said, "Socrates, inform Spartan Fireteam Crimson to accompany me to the Infinity. Inform Fleetmistress 'Juran that she may come if she wishes."
"Aye, sir," Socrates said. "Do you expect any trouble?"
"No. Just being cautious is all. Still, thank you for asking, Socrates."
"You're welcome, sir," the AI said.
. . .
A few hours later, the Epoch had drawn up alongside the much larger Infinity. Walking into one of the hangar bays onboard the Epoch, Harper quickly boarded the Pelican that was waiting to take him over to the Infinity. Moving quickly, the Spartans of Fireteam Crimson boarded the ship, weapons on their backs as they loaded up. Once they were onboard, and the troop bay had been sealed, Harper said, "We're good to go, Pilot!"
"Copy that," the pilot said. Keying her COM, he said, "Echo 3-4-2 to Flight Operations. Requesting permission to take off. Over."
"Copy that," came Flight Operations, "Echo 3-4-2. You are cleared to initiate take-off procedures. Handing off to Infinity Flight Operations now."
"Copy that," Echo 342 said. "Beginning take-off now." Outside, the fusion drives that allowed the Pelican to fly flared, with the VTOL lifting up and off of the deck. Before long, the ship had flown past the magcon field and into the vacuum of space. As the Pelican flew, the pilot said, "Echo 3-4-2 to Infinity Flight Operations. Requesting permission to come onboard. One VIP and four Spartans onboard. Over."
"Copy that," came Lieutenant Murphy's voice. "Echo 3-4-2, you have cleared to land at Hangar Bay 21-Delta. Approach on the flight vector being sent to you now."
"Understood. Echo 3-4-2 over and out."
While the pilot of the Pelican continued to perform his duty, Harper moved into the cockpit and gazed at the Infinity. She still looks as good as ever, he thought to himself as they flew closer. Well, hopefully Cole and Lasky have been getting along. From the sounds of things, they're quite the team. As they approached, he sat himself back down and waited for the Pelican to land.
It wasn't long before he felt a muted thump, indicating that they had arrived onboard the Infinity. "We're aboard," the pilot announced. "I hope your visit goes smoothly, sir."
"Me too," Harper said as he got up. "Fireteam Crimson, form up around me."
"Yes, sir," the members of Fireteam Crimson said.
As they walked alongside him down the ramp, Harper looked around to see the interior of the Infinity. As expected, it still looked as good as ever, though he noted that the ceiling had what appeared to be docking clamps. That's consistent with Lasky's first report, when Ambassador Leia had her ship come inside, he noted.
He was about to advance forwards when he heard the sound of a Phantom approaching. Turning to his right, he was just in time to see 'Juran land on the ground. Next to her were a pair of Sangheili Honor Guards, their white and silver armor glinting in the light of the hangar bay. Both of them had what looked like polaxes in their hands, though the blades were made of high energy plasma, rather than metal. As she came over to him, he said, "Beautiful ship, isn't it?"
"It is," 'Juran said. "I've heard many tales of the Infinity, as well as the exploits of her current Commanding Officer. We actually had a name for Vice Admiral Cole in the Covenant."
"And that would be?"
"Vushkna Moda'tum," Tul said. "In Sangheili, it means 'enemy of great skill.' Cole was the only Human that was capable of defeating any member of the Covenant that was his equal. Even the Arbiter, when he was Supreme Commander, was wary when it came to fighting Cole."
"That's interesting," Harper said.
As the two spoke, they soon caught sight of another squad of Spartans that were approaching them. Between those Spartans where two men, one of whom Harper recognized as Thomas Lasky. The other was almost immediately recognizable from his fame. As soon as they were within speaking distance, Cole said, "Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole reporting for duty."
"At ease," Harper said. "May we speak in one of the meeting rooms here?"
"Yes," Cole said. Noticing 'Juran, he said, "And who may she be?"
"That is Fleetmistress Tul 'Juran," Harper said. "The Arbiter sent her with some elements of his fleet as a show of cooperation."
"Greetings, Vice Admiral Cole," 'Juran said, bowing with a fist to her left breast. "It is an honor to be meeting you."
"Likewise," Cole said. "Will she be present at the meeting as well?"
"Yes," Harper said. "Given that she is of equal rank to me, along with the fact that this is a joint UNSC/Sangheili operation."
"All right then," Cole said. "Then let's go. My flag quarters will serve the purposes for the meeting. Follow me." With that, both Harper and 'Juran began to follow Lasky and Cole. Moving through the hangar, they quickly reached the tram that would take them from the hangar bay to the Flag Quarters that Cole was currently staying at.
It wasn't long after doing so that they reached the meeting room in question. Once they were inside, they sat down at the long table that was in the center of the room. Once the guards were in position, Cole closed and locked the door before sitting down. "Now that we are all gathered here, we can begin, with your permission of course," he said.
"That we may," Harper said. "During our transit to the Andromeda Galaxy, the civilian fleet that is coming informed us of an interception of a third Slipspace Probe that was heading to Harvest. I take it that was from you, yes?"
"Yes," Cole said. "It was an update on the events that have happened since the attempted coup that happened at Pantora. You know about everything that's been going on here, though. What about back home at Earth?"
"I can explain that much," Harper said. "Fleetmistress 'Juran has also been granted clearance for the information that I'm about to share for the sake of cohesion, as well as the fact that, as the only Sangheili Fleetmistress in this galaxy, she has to have up-to-date information in order to be effective."
Clearing his throat, he began. "Once we received your first probe, and learned of what was going on, we began formulating a plan for eventually taking on the Empire, as well as on how to reach your position. I can credit Specialist MacCallum for enabling the latter, as it was his findings and information that allowed us to make refits to our Slipspace Drives. We've also begun plans for dealing with the superweapon that is known as the Death Star."
"The Death Star?" 'Juran asked.
"A superweapon that the Empire developed," Lasky explained. "It's a 160km large space station that is designed to destroy entire worlds with a high powered particle lance. It was created as part of the Empire's policy of brutally suppressing any rebellions or insurrections against its government."
"I see," 'Juran said with a quiet snarl. "It sounds as though the Empire is little better than the Covenant was when the Prophets were in command." She spat at the floor. "I spit on such people. Vile beasts, the lot of them."
"That they are," Harper agreed. "If anything, they're worse than that. Once we learned about what was going on, we spent a month or so getting a fleet put together in order to establish a new presence in this galaxy, as well as to give a show of force to the Empire should they try anything. Due to the fact that Sangheili were onboard the Infinity when she misjumped, it was decided that the Arbiter would be kept in the know as to what was going on. Once our fleet was ready, along with the civilian fleet, we began our journey here."
"There's a civilian fleet coming here?" Cole asked.
"More like 'construction and transport fleet', to be honest," Harper said. "Given that we have little to no infrastructure here, it was decided that a separate fleet would be put together, with that fleet being dedicated to troop transport, logistics, so on so forth. They're behind where we're at by around three days, so they're within this galaxy. According to records I looked at, they've just installed the latest of the modified Slipspace COM buoys we'll be using for intergalactic communications. Once they get here, they'll install the last one, but they've already notified us that it's ready for use."
"I see," Cole said. "Sounds like you and HIGHCOM have a routine going."
"That we do," Harper said. Looking at Lasky, he said, "I've also got news for you, Lasky. Your request for NOVA Bombs was approved by HIGHCOM. As we speak, two of them are being loaded onto the Infinity while the rest are being held in reserve."
"Thank you sir," Lasky said. "When I saw the Death Star, I realized that we needed a few of those. Good to see that we've got an insurance policy in case something happens."
"Indeed. That being said, one of the discussions that we all had was what to do with you, Cole. We already know that you're still loyal to the UNSC. Personally speaking, I trust Lasky's judgment in that regard, but HIGHCOM wants to be sure you're loyal. As such, we'll be relegating you to a desk job once a formal treaty has been signed with the Pantorans. It wasn't my decision in the first place. I'm just telling you what HIGHCOM has ordered me to do."
Cole shrugged. "I understand," he said. "HIGHCOM wants to make sure I'm loyal to the UNSC before sending me gallivanting off into the black on high risk missions. To be honest, that's what I was expecting them to do, and I fully agree with them. No hard feelings."
"That's good to hear," Harper said. "Given the current state of affairs that are ongoing, we've decided that, should Ambassador Cleese and Veronica Janice manage to formulate an effective alliance between the Pantoran Assembly and UNSC, you and General Jared Michaels will be in charge of making sure the defense fleet here can perform its duties adequately. As such, once she's fully repaired, you'll be in command of the Everest once more. Might take us around two to three months or so to get her fully ready for war again, but you have my word that you'll be in command of that ship once more. Understood?"
"Perfectly," Cole said, getting up. "Should I dismiss myself?"
"No," Harper said. "You will remain here for the time being." Turning to 'Juran, he said, "I will also ask that you step out for a minute, Fleetmistress. While I am confident in your abilities, I will have to tell Lasky information that can only be known between him, Cole and me."
'Juran nodded. "I understand," she said. "Sometimes, we need to keep secrets in order to conduct our missions effectively. I will be outside should you desire to speak with me some more." With that, she got up and bowed before stepping outside, while Cole sat back down.
Once the door was locked again, Harper looked at Lasky and said, "I've got two pieces of news for you, Lasky. One of them is good, and the other might be bad, depending on how you look at it."
Lasky shrugged. "All right," he said. "I've gotten used to hearing bad news all the time, as well as good news. So, what's the good news?"
"The good news is that you've gotten a bump up in rank. In accordance with UNSC protocol, which has been long overlooked in this regard, I'm pleased to announce to you that you are going to be promoted from RDML to RADM. Would you like to know why?"
Upon hearing those words, Lasky's mind was in another whirl. I'm being promoted… again, he thought. What's going on? I was stuck at the rank of Captain for a while, then I was rocketed up to RMDL. Now I'm RADM. I sure as hell want to know what's going on. "Sure," he said.
"I've been wondering the same thing myself," Cole said. "Hood has been rather… evasive in that regard, from what Lasky has informed me."
"Fair enough," Harper said. "The reason why you're being promoted, Lasky, is due to two factors. The first is your service record throughout the Covenant-UNSC War, as well as the recent conflicts such as the Requiem Campaign. You've shown gallantry and valor above and beyond the call of duty. As such, we feel that your promotion to RADM is long overdue. That also means you are the Infinity's CO once more and you are also going to be in command of naval forces. I will also see to it that, by the end of the day, you have your own flag staff."
"And the second of the two?"
"Terence Hood is considering as one of his potential successor as Chairman of the Navy," Harper said.
At that, Lasky's eyes widened, along with Cole's. "Hood is considering me as a potential candidate for Chairman of the Navy?" Lasky asked, shocked. "Why?"
"I'm wondering the same thing," Cole said. "To be honest, it does seem to make sense for Hood to be eyeing Lasky for the job." Deep, down, he was thinking on why Lasky was a good choice for the position. The kid's got brains, and the guts to use them, he thought. Plus, after reading his service record, I can say he's good for the position. Kid likes to jump in every bush out there, regardless of whether there are snakes in the bush or not. Unlike most, though, he can adapt fast to the job, fast enough to get things done. Plus, he's able to work with people that he doesn't like, a necessity in the field of politics.
"It's rather simple really," Harper said. "Firstly, Hood isn't going to be Chairman of the Navy forever. He's getting old, so he's looking for a suitable replacement. In addition, politics has something to do with the entire affair. Hood wants you to have the job, Lasky, but he's also considering Andrew Del Rio for the job."
"Del Rio?!" Lasky asked, aghast. "You must be joking!"
"I hope he is!" Cole grunted angrily. "If not, I'll eat my own socks! Figuratively speaking of course."
"I'm not," Harper said. "Hood has him as a secondary candidate in case you bite the dust, and he used the treat of having him as Chairman of the Navy to get Osman and Parangosky to fall in line. However, given your service record, as well as the fact that you're a natural leader, Hood's got his eye on you for the position. Does that help explain the shenanigans going on?"
"Yes," Lasky said. "I'm still a little confused, but now I understand a little more about what's going on. Now, what's the bad news?"
"I'll let the bad news speak for itself when it arrives. Right now, I've got orders for Cole." Looking at him, he said, "Once we're done with this meeting, you and Melody, Cole, will be speaking with the other UNSC Generals and Admirals that have come along on this trip. One of them will be speaking with you via HoloCOM to ensure that the meeting goes along smoothly. Also, if you can, Lasky, I would like you to attend the meeting in person. If not, you can use the COM system to attend. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir," Cole said.
"Understood, sir," Lasky said.
"Very good," Harper said. "Since we've just arrived, we'll speak more on what we're going to be doing now that we've arrived tomorrow. All of you are dismissed." With that, everyone stood up and walked out of the room. As they left, Harper found 'Juran waiting for him and said, "We'll speak more as to what we're going to be doing tomorrow. Right now, I strongly advise that we take today to get ourselves collected and ready to go for the next part of Operation INTREPID EXPLORER."
"That I shall," 'Juran said. "I might also visit Pantora to see what it is like, once my body's defenses have been prepared in that regard."
"Smart idea," Harper said. "I'd rather not catch any foreign illnesses myself. It'll be like what happened with the Aztecs when they met the Spanish conquistadors."
"Pardon?" 'Juran asked. "I'm familiar with Sangheili history, but not Human history."
"An event that happened around the 15th to 16th centuries," Harper explained. "During that time, we were still exploring our own homeworld, which led us to discover a new continent. The Spanish during that time ran into a large tribal state known as the Aztecs. They got into a fight, but one of the things that led to the Aztec Empire's downfall was that they didn't have any resistance to the diseases that the conquistadors brought with them. When the Spaniards attacked, the Aztecs were dying from smallpox, a disease that has been, thankfully, eradicated for good."
"Ah, I see," 'Juran said with a sagely nod. "That is a cautionary tale that we would do well to remember. Perhaps we should visit the healers to ensure that we do not suffer the same fate."
"Good idea," Harper said. "I'll speak with the doctors onboard the Infinity and see if they've got immunizations specifically for Sangheili as well. Don't want you getting sick now, do we?"
"You are very considerate."
"Thank you," Harper said. "Meeting adjourned."
. . .
Back in his office, Lasky clasped his hands as he thought about what had just happened not five minutes ago. Damn, he thought to himself. Talk about being rocketed up the ranks. At least I understand why Hood had refused my request for a fleet and a Rear Admiral after that encounter with the CSO-class Supercarrier. He wanted me to become a Rear Admiral so that I didn't have to worry about all of that. Plus, he wants me to become his successor. Even now, he was seeing the cleverness in Hood's plans. It irritates me, though, to hear that. I don't want to become the Chairman of the Navy. Too much politics for my liking, and I like being out in the field, getting my hands dirty. Still, not much I can do about it right now.
He was about to return back to work when he heard his COM caller ping. Keying it, he said, "RADM Lasky here. What do you need?"
"Sir, I've got a transport coming in," Lieutenant Murphy said. "The pilot says that he's got your newest intelligence officer onboard the ship."
That makes sense, Lasky thought. Harper did tell me that I was going to have a flag staff of my own, now that I'm an RADM. "I see," he said. "Go ahead and have them come onboard. Who is the new intelligence officer, if I may ask?"
"One Rear Admiral Serin Osman, sir," Murphy said.
At that, a jolt of surprise ran up Lasky's back. What?! Osman is my newest intelligence officer?! What the hell is going on?! Containing his surprise, he said, "I see. Inform her that I will be speaking with her immediately."
"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Murphy said.
"Very good." Closing the COM call, Lasky opened another one. "RADM Lasky to Vice Admiral Cole. Are you there?"
"Yes," came Cole's reply. "What is it?"
"You remember my boss, Osman?"
"Yes," Cole said. "Why?"
"Apparently, she's been reassigned to me as my flag intelligence officer. Can you confirm if that's the case, please?"
"Wait one," Cole said. There was a few minutes of silence, then he said, "Yes. Osman has been reassigned to you as your flag officer pending an investigation."
"I see," Lasky said. "Thank you for checking for me. Can you have Osman come to my quarters?"
"Sure," Cole said. "When you can, I would like to speak to her as well. I have a few words for her."
"Sure," Lasky said. "I'll send her over once I'm done speaking with her."
"Very good. Vice Admiral Cole out."
"Copy that. RADM Lasky out." After cutting the COM channel, Lasky rubbed his face with his hands. Damn, isn't this a crazy day, he mused. First I get promoted to RADM, and now I learn that Osman is my subordinate. Now I wonder if I've ended up in another universe entirely… With that in mind, he bgan filling out some paperwork. the door chimed. "Yes?" he asked.
"Sir, Cadet Erso is requesting a meeting with you," he heard one of the guards say over his earpiece.
Jyn Erso? he thought before remembering. Ah, I see. Maybe she has something to share with me. Send her in," he said. The door hissed open, with Jyn walking inside. In her UNSC Navy uniform, she cut an impressive figure. "Cadet Erso," Lasky said once the door closed. "Is there something you need?"
"More like I want to tell you something," Jyn said. "I've been thinking over how I could be an excellent guide for you in this new galaxy and I had a thought. There's a planet that I think might interest you should you decide to take me up on the lead I'm going to share with you."
Lasky was about to speak when he heard the door chime again. "Come in," he said. When the door opened, he watched as Osman walked inside. "Osman," he said. "Need something?"
"Just here on orders," Osman said. Noting Jyn's presence, she asked, "Is this a bad time?"
"Not at all," Lasky said. "Cadet Erso, this is RDML Serin Osman, my new intelligence officer. Osman, this is Cadet Jyn Erso, our first recruit in this galaxy, as well as our Navigator-in-training. She's going to be our guide in this newfound galaxy."
"Pleased to meet you," Jyn said, extending a hand.
"The pleasure is all mine," Osman said as she shook Jyn's hand. "That being said, I am quite curious about the woman who allowed Lasky to operate so well in this brave new galaxy. However, I will put that to the side for the time being for a more important mission." Clearing her throat, she said, "You are aware that the UNSC doesn't have many of the technologies that the Galactic Empire has, yes?"
"Yes," Jyn said. "I take it you're going to ask me if there's any locations that I know of that you can acquire some tech?"
"Yes," Osman said. "A proper intelligence gathering team will be created for that, and you might be on that team. However, given that we're currently not ready to gather our own leads yet, I wanted to ask you if there was any known locations that we might be interested in. Are there?"
Jyn nodded. I can see why Lasky was respectful of Osman, she thought. She's quite… intense. "Yes," she said. "I was also going to tell Lasky, given that he might be interested. There's a world that you two should know about. It's a junk world, but I think it could interest you."
"Junk world?" Lasky asked. "I take it that means the entire planet is a polluted wasteland, correct?"
"Pretty much. Lotho Minor, the world in question, is a junk world, but it's been one for over four thousand years. There's technology there that dates all the way back to what's known as the Jedi Civil War, though I know little about the war itself, only that it happened. When you get time, you might want to check out that planet."
"I see," Lasky said. "Thank you. Is there anything else you're willing to share?"
"Yes," Jyn said. "Osman might find that information interesting. I know how to forge Imperial documents. If you're wanting to get anywhere, as well as to get to certain places, you'll need the correct documents to get inside."
"I see," Osman said. "That is a useful skill."
"That it is," Lasky said. "I take it that you also know about Jyn's father?"
"Yes," Osman said. "One Galen Erso, if I recall correctly. That being said, do you know much more about Galen Erso's projects?"
"Not much," Jyn admitted. "He did mention that he was a minerologist, and that he was working on something known as 'khyber crystals', though I don't really know what those are. I just know that the Death Star uses it as fuel for its main weapon. I do know that some of his work was at a homestead we used to live at. I'll send you the location soon, though I don't know if you'll find anything."
"I see. Thank you," Osman said. "Well, if you remember anything else, I'll speak with you. Also, if all goes well, I'll have you on my intelligence gathering team. We'll need someone that is good at document forgery. You are dismissed." Once Jyn had left, Osman said, "I like her, for some reason. She kinda reminds me of myself."
"That she does," Lasky said. "That being said, I'm quite curious as to how you ended up being demoted to one rank below my position."
"Indeed," Osman said. "My demotion to RDML was due to my mistake in having Ferdinand clandestinely assigned to the Infinity. In addition, Parangosky learned of my dislike of you, so she assigned me to you to teach me some valuable lessons."
"Ah, I see. I've got one more question for you. Are you comfortable working with me as my intelligence officer?"
Osman pursed her lips. She knew that Lasky had done some irritating things in her past, and that it was rather humiliating to be his subordinate. However, she knew that Parangosky needed someone to be in this new galaxy, and that she needed this lesson. "No," she said truthfully, "but I've got no choice. I have to work with you, otherwise the Empire will overrun us in no time."
Lasky nodded. "That's understandable. To be honest, I'm not comfortable being a RADM, but now that I'm permanently at that position, I've got no choice but to adapt to my newfound responsibilities and grow. Is there anything else you wished to discuss with me?"
"Yes, sir. I've been placed in command of the Port Stanley, as well as Spartan Team Kilo-5 by Director Parangosky, though given that you're of a higher rank that I am, you can decide if I should be in command of that ship or not.."
"All right," Lasky said. "I believe that being in command of the Port Stanley is a good position for you, along with Kilo-5. We'll need them in the coming months. Anything else?"
"No, sir."
"Very good," Lasky said. "Inform Vice Admiral Cole of what you've informed me. Dismissed." With that, Osman left, leaving Lasky to take care of business...
Meanwhile, Cole was waiting for the intelligence officer in question to show up at the flag quarters he was currently staying at. Serin Osman, he noted to himself. According to her file, she was part of the Spartan-II Project before she was rejected as a candidate. Then there is the record of her past actions. Already, he could tell that, under Osman, ONI had a considerably troubled history. Failed operations, operations that didn't have the UNSC Security Council's authorization, hidden plots and plans. It's like ONI is attempting to run things by itself. He shook his head, before a chime at his door sounded off. "Yes?" he asked.
"Sir, Lasky's intelligence officer has arrived," came his Flag Lieutenant's voice.
"All right," he said. "Send her in." The door hissed open, with Osman walking through the door. Looking up at her, Cole noted that Osman was a tall woman with black hair, pale skin as well as brown eyes. She walked with confidence, though Cole noted a hint of irritation in her gait. Best be careful when speaking with her, he thought.
As soon as she was inside, Osman said, "RDML Osman reporting for duty, sir!"
"At ease," Cole said. "We're all Admirals in here, so we can cut some of the formalities down." Once Osman relaxed, he said, "Very interesting service record that you have, Osman. Not bad for someone that was rejected from the Spartan-II Program. That being said, I have a few questions for you."
"And those would be?"
"For one thing," Cole said, "I was present when Captain Ferdinand attempted his coup against Lasky. Mind if I ask why you were trying to kill Lasky, or have him removed for that matter? In addition, why did you threaten a UEG Envoy? That's technically treason."
Osman's lips pressed into a thin frown. "Killing Lasky and threatening Melody were not my intention," she said. "Parangosky made it clear that I was not to harm Lasky in any way, though at the time, I didn't know why she asked me not to. As such, after the Requiem Campaign and after he defied my orders to assassinate Halsey, I had Ferdinand and a Prowler tail the Infinity so that, should Lasky step out of line, he would be temporarily removed from command."
"So Ferdinand was disobeying orders when he made it clear he intended to kill Lasky and Melody?"
"Yes," Osman said. "Clearly, Ferdinand was not the right person for the job, a dreadful miscalculation on my part."
"Indeed. I take it that's why you are a RDML instead of an actual Admiral now."
"Yes," Osman said. "President Ruth Charet made it clear as to how displeased she was with my actions, which led to her using her powers as Commander-in-Chief to demote me. Parangosky, who was reactivated as the Director of ONI, was also quite disgruntled, leading to her demoting me and assigning me to Lasky as punishment. She, however, said that I was 'lucky' to have the opportunity to go to another galaxy."
Cole smiled slightly. So that's why she's here, he thought as he realized what Parangosky had done. Parangosky assigned Osman to Lasky in order to teach her a lesson in humility, as well as to teach her how to work with people she doesn't like. Masterfully done, Parangosky. "I see," he said aloud. "From the sounds of things, you really got hammered over there."
"I did," Osman said. "However, I'm willing to put aside any grudges I have for the sake of organization cohesion. Besides, what happened was a mistake on my part, and I fully intend to clean up the mess I made."
"Good," Cole said. "I admire your desire to be responsible. It shows good character." Looking at the time, he said, "Now, I'm going to have to be going to a meeting with some of the other high ranking officers in the fleet. We're going to have a lot of work ahead of us, especially given our newfound enemy and goals. Understood?"
"Yes," Osman said.
"Very good. Dismissed." With that, Osman stepped out, with Cole doing the same after making sure everything was in enough, he was heading towards one of the meeting rooms onboard the Infinity. As he walked along, he thought about his reassignment, as well as the events that had happened today. Got moved to a desk job due to concerns about my loyalty, he thought to himself. That's understandable. If I were in their position, I'd have done the same thing.
As he walked along, a question nagged at the back of his mind. Why is Lasky being rocketed up the ranks? he wondered. I know I was provisionally responsible for doing so, but this is a surprise. It made him wonder what Hood's plans were. Still, he knew that he would get his answers eventually, so he proceeded along the hallway.
Eventually, he turned a corner and proceeded to the meeting room that he needed to head to. He quickly identified the room from the pair of UNSC Spartans standing outside, as well as the pair of Sangheili Honor Guards that were doing the same. One of the Spartans, spotting him, advanced and asked, "Name and order?"
"Vice Admiral Preston Cole, here on orders from Fleet Admiral Harper."
"One second," the Spartan said. For a few moments, he remained still as he checked his HUD and keyed his COM. "Sir, I've got one person requesting permission to enter the meeting. Sending you his ID now." After a few seconds, he said, "Understood." Looking at the him, he said, "You're cleared to go in. Enjoy the rest of your day, sir."
"Thank you," Cole said as he walked inside of the meeting room with. The meeting room they entered was exactly like the one that Cole had been in when talking with Lasky, Harper and 'Juran. The primary difference, however, was that there were more people inside of the room. One of them, a woman with graying hair and dark skin, came over to them. "Vice Admiral, sir," she said. "Glad you could join us."
"The same as well," Cole said. Looking around, he noticed the people in the room, as well as a pair of Sangheili that were present in the room. "Mind if we begin with introductions?"
"Good idea," the woman said, "I'm General Crystal Speakman, one of two Generals that was sent with the fleet. With me is my colleague General Van Zandt, as well as Vice Admiral Ned Rich of ONI and General Jared Michaels of the UNSC Air Force. We also have Admiral Kovalic and Rear Admiral Lasky, who are currently communicating with us via HoloCOM, as well as two Sangheili that the Arbiter sent along as part of the joint operation. They are General Rok 'Vrotam and Special Operations Commander Hro 'Zhortum, respectively."
"Nice to meet you," Van Zant said. Van Zandt was an older man with white hair, tanned, weathered skin and bright blue eyes, while Jared Michaels was a short but stoutly built man with black hair, brown eyes and pale skin. Ned Rich was a tall man with graying hair, and green eyes that had flecks of gold in them.
The two Sangheili in the room advanced forwards, with both of them bowing while placing their fists on their left breasts. "Greetings, Cole," Rok, who had dark green eyes and gold colored armor, said. "It is an honor to be meeting one of the few humans capable of matching us in the previous war."
"One that I can share in as well," Hro said. His eyes were amber in color, while his armor was a glossy black color. "It is an honor."
"The honor is all mine," Cole said. Once introductions were over, all of them sat down at the table once more.
"So, I take it we're here to discuss what we will be doing at Pantora, once a formal treaty's been signed, yes?" Lasky asked.
"Something like that," Ned Rich said. "Given that we're all mostly the same rank in here, I figured that it was a smart idea for us to know what the other is doing. That way, there are no fuck ups when the going actually gets rough."
"Language, Rich," Crystal said. "My apologies for that, Cole. Rich has always been something of an irreverent officer."
"That's all right," Cole said. "I've had irreverent officers before. So long as they do their jobs competently, I can tolerate some eccentricities. In fact, we might even get along quite well."
Ned smiled. "Hah! I knew he would say that." Looking at the others, he said, "Y'all should loosen up a little. Learn to have a little fun. Still, now is not the time for fun. Now's the time for a serious discussion."
"Agreed," Rok said. "Idle chatter will not advance our goals. One thing that we will have to discuss is how we are going to set up ground forces once Ambassador Cleese and Deputy Secretary of Intergalactic Affairs, along with Envoy Melody, work out a permanent treaty with the Pantorans. We'll need a good location for a military base on the ground."
"That we do," Cole agreed. "However, we're going to need the civilian/construction fleet here in order to get that going." Looking at the holo-projector, he asked, "Is Admiral Kovalic in on this meeting?"
"Yes," came the reply as the holo-projector lit up, showing a man with dark skin, black hair and brown eyes. "Sorry I wasn't present earlier," Kovalic said. "I was handing a few things with the civilian fleet." Looking at Cole, he said, "Never thought I'd be meeting a legend in this sort of situation. Good to see you alive and well, Vice Admiral."
"Thank you," Cole said. "So, what's the status of your fleet, if I may ask?"
"I would like to know too," Lasky said. "We'll have to coordinate with your fleet once you arrive."
"Good so far," Kovalic said. "We're en route to Pantora right now. The WAVE/SLIPSPACE COM buoy that we set up is working properly, and Pantora's just inside the outer proximity range for its transceivers. That means that we can communicate with Earth in near-real time. Should be back to real-time once we get another pair of COM buoys built at Pantora."
"Very good," Cole said. "So, what's the plan for when you reach Pantora?"
"Provided that the Pantorans accept another treaty with the UNSC, we're going to build a base wherever they say is best for us," Kovalic said. "Given that we've got some Swords of Sangheilios ships here, we should be able to establish a base for the Swords of Sangheilios as well. We'll also begin building some shipyards so that we can service any other ships that have come along.
"That's good news," Lasky said. "We'll need a shipyard to make sure we can service our ships and build new ones too."
"Indeed," Rok said. "However, all of this hinges on whether or not the Pantorans choose to ally themselves with us."
"Exactly," Lasky said. "That being said, I'm curious as to what y'all are planning to do should the Pantorans agree to a treaty with us. The political situation's good so far, so it shouldn't be too hard to get things done."
"Well, once the base is established, we'll have to make sure that all of our facilities are up and running," Van Zant said. "Once that is done, we'll be working with each other in order to get a military force properly established on Pantora. I'll also be coordinating with Michaels and his subordinates in getting those defenses set up."
"Yes," Michaels said. "Once Kovalic arrives, we'll get to work building ODPs so that, should the Empire find out that we're at Pantora, we'll have a solid line of defense set up. We'll also have a base established for our vehicles, including the Sabre fighters that we'll be having on hand here."
"Sabres?" Speakman asked. "I thought those fighters didn't exist."
"They do," Michaels said. "They're just a really well kept secret."
"Sabres?" Cole asked.
"Aerospace fighters designed for colonial defense. We were given a token number due to the fact that I command the Air Force personnel in the Andromeda Galaxy. However, HIGHCOM is worried that the Sabre might be obsolete, and they are thinking of designing a new fighter for the Air Force to counter threats like the X-Wing and TIE Interceptor."
"Ah, I see," Speakman said. "That being said, I wonder what our Sangheili colleagues will be doing should a treaty with Pantora go through."
"That I am pleased to share with you," Rok said. "Once your base is set up, we will be establishing our own base nearby. Given that we are allies working hand in hand, we will also be doing what we can to aid you in your efforts. That being said, the Pantorans will likely panic if they learn that the former enemies of your organization are on this planet."
"Yeah," Van Zandt said with a frown. "We'll have to account for that. I'll speak with Ambassador Cleese to begin a public relations campaign to allay the Pantorans fears. We'll also have an embassy set up so that, should any trouble arise on the civilian side of things, we can easily work through those problems and ensure that no further conflict breaks out as a result of xenophobia." He gave a pointed glance at Speakman when he said this.
"Indeed," Speakman said, having caught Zandt's glance. "We'll also do the same so that any interspecies relations are no compromised as a result of the joint operation."
"Good," Lasky said. "The last thing we need is more infighting. That sort of thing nearly led to the Infinity being overrun last time infighting happened."
"Agreed," Hro said. "To fight among ourselves is to invite destruction, especially in the face of a foe like the Galactic Empire. We will also need to learn the secrets of our enemies if we are to be victorious against them."
"I'll be taking care of that," Rich said. "Once we're set up at Pantora, I'll have all ONI personnel in this system begin establishing shell companies in order to acquire technology from the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance through legal means. For any technology that is illegal, we'll be employing black-ops teams to acquire that tech and bring it to Pantora and Earth for study and reverse-engineering. We'll also be employing teams to gather intelligence on the Empire's military and counter-intelligence to foil some of their attempts to learn more about us."
"Disgraceful methods," Rok said, "but one cannot deny the effectiveness of such cowardly tactics. If it requires a small stain on our honor to be victorious against the Empire, then so be it."
"Agreed," Hro said. "I will be coordinating with Rich to ensure the success of our mission."
"Excellent," Rich said. "That being said, we're going to have to do something about the Rebel Alliance. Lasky? Do you have intel on the Rebel Alliance's current state of affairs?"
"Yes," Lasky said. "The Rebel Alliance is currently badly disorganized; they have no civilian government that can handle the day-to-day affairs of things, and their military leadership is compromised by incompetent personnel. I've also noted that Alliance soldiers were not highly professional and that there was noted drug abuse among some of them. That leads me to suspect that the organization has a number of criminal elements that have been ignored in favor of fighting the Empire."
"I see," Rich said. "Good thing that this sort of of thing is my forte."
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"Simple really," Rich said. "I'll have agents infiltrate the Rebel Alliance while Harper and Veronica Janice work with the Alliance leadership to get the Rebel Alliance organized. We're also going to be sending military advisors to help get the Rebel Alliance's naval and planetary forces organized into an actual fighting force."
"And the agents that have infiltrated the Alliance?"
"They'll begin weeding out the more… undesirable elements of the Rebel Alliance, such as the criminals and the like. It'll be fun having the CAA Marshals go to work weeding them out for good. We'll also be infiltrating the cells that have broken off from the mainstream Rebel Alliance in order to get them to go back in. One of those cells was known as Guerrera's Partisans, correct?"
"Yes," Cole said. "According to intelligence from a reliable source, Guerrera's Partisans are a highly militaristic cell in the Rebel Alliance that was cast out due to it's hardcore militarism and use of child soldiers. Given that their leader, Saw Guererra, is now dead, we're going to have to worry about them performing strikes against us due to our temporary peace with the Galactic Empire."
"That we will," Rich said.
"What if the Pantorans refuse to have a base set up on Pantora?" Speakman asked.
"We'll set up a base in another star system, once that is preferably uninhabited." Rich said. "Well, that seems to be all for today. We'll reconvene within two weeks time once we've gotten our base of operations established on Pantora. Dismissed."
. . .
While the Admirals and Generals were talking with Cole and themselves, Melody was having a meeting of her own. Working at her desk, she was so busy that she almost didn't notice the chime that reached her ears. "Come in," she said while putting away the last bit of paperwork that she had to take care of for the day.
The door opened, permitting two people inside of the room. "Greetings, Veronica Janice," she said. "What can I do for you?"
"We'll get to that eventually," Veronica said. "However, I would like to begin with introducing Ambassador Richard Cleese, your newfound colleague."
Cleese, a tall and thin man with brown hair and green eyes, smiled warmly at Melody. "Top o' the morning to you, ma'am," he said, his ulster accent adding a hint of huskiness to his voice. "It's good to be meeting with you, Melody."
"I can say the same as well," she said. "I take it you are aware of the current situation, yes?"
"I am. I read up about what happened during the attempted coup. Dreadful business, that entire affair. Still, I'm glad that you came out of the affair with nary a scratch. I also heard that you negotiated a temporary treaty with the Pantoran Assembly. Excellently done on your part, I must admit."
"Thank you," Melody said. "Now that we've been introduced, I should probably inform you as to the political climate that is currently at Pantora."
"That you probably should," Veronica said. Once all three were seated, she said, "Now, from what I recall correctly, the Pantorans are split into two main political parties, as well as a third that has recently been dissolved. Correct?"
"Yes," Melody said. "When we arrived, one of our newest recruits, Jyn Erso, informed us about the political climate of Pantora twenty days ago. The Pantorans then were split into the Republicans, Appeasers and Expansionists. When I was invited to speak with them, I told them a little about our history, as well as our desire to be protectors rather than rulers. The Appeasers and Republicans were impressed with the speech. The Expansionists… not so much."
"Yeah," Cleese said. "We gathered that much from the second probe when we caught it. Nasty business, all that. So, what is the current political situation on Pantora?"
"To be honest, it's quite favorable," Melody said. "When we dealt with the Expansionists and stopped their coup d'etat, the public approval rating for the UNSC climbed from 58% to roughly 89%. However, there was some lingering irritation over the fact that Cole had been running an intelligence gathering operation without their consent, though they did say that the personnel in the op played a pivotal role in saving the government from being completely destroyed.
"Right now, though, they're quite desperate for an ally in these dark times. The fact that the UNSC turned up when it did has gotten them very interested in creating an alliance with the UNSC, and some are even saying that membership might be possible. Personally, I don't think membership will happen, as we want to be allies, not conquerors and overlords."
"My thoughts exactly," Veronica said. "We're a republic, not a dictatorship, even if we have stumbled from time to time in that regard."
"Exactly. In addition, their economy is currently in a shambles. It might look all well and good from orbit, but I can tell you that the situation on the ground isn't very good. They've got plenty of water and food, but they've had to do trade with the other worlds around them, a distasteful prospect given that those words are infested with slavers and smugglers."
"Indeed," Cleese said, his eyes having hardened out of anger. "What kind of madman would allow slavery and piracy to continue about unabated?!"
"The kind that exploits an event like the Russan Reformations to do maximum damage to a republic," Melody said. "That being said, we'll also have to worry about the Galactic Empire. I don't suppose you have a plan for establishing relations with them, yes?"
"We do," Veronica said. "While the military is getting their infrastructure set up, we'll be heading to Coruscant in one of our courier ships to speak with the Emperor and negotiate trade agreements with him. We'll also have to establish an embassy and maybe even a consulate at Coruscant in order to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Would you be willing to inform Ambassador Leia Organa as to this arrangement?"
"Yes," Melody said. "I'll be certain to inform her and request that she help get a meeting arranged. That being said, what will be going on with me and Cleese?"
"Cleese is going to be our official Ambassador to the Galactic Empire," Veronica said. "You, however, are going to be promoted to full time Ambassador for your expert handling on the Galactic Empire, Rebel Alliance and Pantoran Assembly. We already have an Ambassador that will be filled in on the political situation at Pantora. We also have a number of economists that will be working to establish a currency exchange, as well as companies that will be ready to begin providing the Pantorans with jobs, while modernizing their infrastructure."
"Good," Melody said. "They really need it, I can tell you that."
"Indeed," Veronica said. "That being said, is there anything else we need to be made aware of?"
"Yes," Melody said. "During our stay here, I was informed that there is another alien species known as the Talz that inhabit the system. They're currently sequestered on the Super-Earth type planet that Pantora is currently orbiting. From what I've heard, they're a fairly primitive society, but they've had access to advanced technology before. They're also quite hostile."
"I see," Veronica said. "We'll reconvene later to determine what we'll do about them. For now, we've got to get settled in and then speak with the Chairman of the Assembly. See you then."
"You too, ma'am."
. . .
A few hours later, Riyo Chichi was waiting in her office for the arrival of the newcomers. Nearby, the guards remained resolutely silent, though their nervous anticipation was clearly noted in their facial expressions. Even the room was nearly silent, with only the hum of the climate control systems disturbing the silence.
It's been one hectic day, Riyo thought to herself. First, I'm told that I might have to begin Pantora's evacuation, then I learn that it's a false alarm and that the UNSC has arrived. I had a feeling that they would arrive soon, but not with this much fanfare.
She recalled what had happened shortly after the announcement. Upon hearing that a massive UNSC fleet was in orbit, the Pantoran Assembly had called for a session on what their next step was going to be. Some of the Senators were nervous about the UNSC fleet, and demanded a meeting to determine if the UNSC was going to conquer them, or if they had simply sent the fleet to reunite with the Infinity. Others that were calmer and more amenable to reason had calmly asked for a meeting with the UNSC's ambassadors and with Melody.
It was this latter decision that had been agreed upon by the Senators in the Assembly, though some were still quite nervous and wondering why the UNSC had sent such a massive fleet. Who knows, Riyo thought. We'll probably find out very soon.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Chi Eekway walked inside. "Ma'dam Chairman, I present to you the official Ambassadors from the UNSC and UEG." Stepping to the side, she allowed three people wearing facial masks to walk inside. The first of the two was a woman with dark brown hair, green eyes and dark skin walking into the room. She wore a three piece charcoal-and-black colored suit, as well as black dress pants ad black high-heels. Her eyes held a sadness that came with age, as well as a wisdom that came with experience.
The second of the two was a man that was dressed in a similar attire, though he had a blue tie around his neck, as well as black dress shoes that were polished to a sheen. He was also a tall man, with dark brown hair and green eyes that also held the same sadness and wisdom, though to a lesser degree. Another man was standing nearby, though he was smaller, had brown eyes and gray-white hair. The fourth of the four people was instantly recognizable, with Riyo smiling at Cole. "Welcome to Pantora," Riyo said a moment later. "I am Chairman Riyo Chuchi of the Pantoran Assembly. This here is Chi Eekway, the Speaker of the Assembly."
"Pleased to meet you," Veronica Janice said. "I'm Veronica Janice, the UEG Deputy of Intergalactic Affairs. With me is Ambassador Richard Cleese of the UEG and General Van Zandt of the UNSC Army. I'm sure that you're already well acquainted with Vice Admiral Cole and Envoy Melody. It is a pleasure to be here today."
"The pleasure is all ours," Riyo said as she shook their hands as well. Once they were all seated, she said, "I must admit, you gave us quite the scare earlier when you arrived with that large fleet."
"You know the UNSC," Veronica said. "They rarely do anything small nowadays, though tat's understandable, given what happened in the Covenant-UNSC War. That being said, we were hoping to discuss the possibility of a more permanent treaty with you than what is currently in place."
"We're more than willing to sign a permanent treaty," Riyo said. "With the events that happened during the past thirty days, the UNSC has shown the Pantoran Assembly and the public at large that they're more than capable of protecting us. We'll also have to discuss trade agreements over the next month or so, given our current economic situation. I take it that Melody has been honest with you in that regard, yes?"
"That she has," Veronica said. "From what we've gathered so far, the Pantoran economy is currently in the middle of an economic depression due to being isolated from the wider galaxy."
"That we are," Riyo said. "Food lines are a common sight, and what food we can get has to be bartered from the worlds surrounding us, a distasteful process given their less… legal activities. The fact that, until now, we were politically divided only added to the troubles that we were having."
"Indeed," Veronica said. "Fortunately, we're more than happy to help in that regard. We have a number of economists that are ready to begin calculating exchange rates in order to ensure that Pantorans are paid a reasonable wage. We also have a number of corporations that have expressed a willingness to come and help Pantora modernize it's infrastructure."
Riyo sighed. "That's excellent news. We'll be able to tend to the public without having to give them half-assurances and the like. That being said, there are some that have been quite disgruntled about some of the UNSC's actions, especially during the coup."
"We are aware of that," Cleese said. "We've decided that a public relations campaign will help ease some of the tension. That being said, before we came here, we were informed of a potential landmine that might derail all of this. Given that we want as little trouble as possible, we decided to be straight out in that regard."
"And that potential problem would be?"
"After the Covenant-UNSC War, the Sangheili and some of the races in the Covenant allied with us," Veronica said. "Our worry is that, given what the Pantorans likely know about the Covenant-UNSC War, they might panic upon learning that we're working with our former enemies. As such, we wanted to create the public relations campaign in order to not only ease your people's fears on our government, but also do the same with the Swords of Sangheilios, the government that we've been working with after the war."
"That is a problem," Chi Eekway admitted. "If the public learns about that before the public relations campaign begins, there will be riots in the streets."
"Agreed," Riyo said. "I believe that a public relations campaign is an excellent idea. No only will it allay my people's fears, it will also defuse any potential riots and crimes directed at the Swords of Sangheilios. That being said, I'd imagine that the UNSC is wishing to establish a base on Pantora."
"That they are," Cole said. "In addition, with the arrival of the fleet, I've been informed that Zandt and myself will be in charge of coordinating the coalition between the UNSC and Pantoran Defense Forces. As such, it's been requested that, as a part of the treaty, that a UNSC officer be assigned to Pantora to act as a military officer in a coalition, as well as a coordinator to aid in the defense of Pantora."
"I see," Riyo said. "Given the events that have happened recently, I believe that would be a wise decision. With that being said, I don't know of any suitable locations that a UNSC base could be built at."
"I do," Eekway said. "The Havorten Mountain Range is fairly close to Pantora City. It's an isolated region that gets little through traffic. All you have to worry about is the swampland, but there are areas of solid granite that can serve as an excellent foundation."
"All right," Zandt said. "We'll also be working with your Defense Force to set up defenses in orbit over Pantora as well as on the surface, once we have obtained permission from the Pantoran Assembly and from you. Given the frequency of pirates that are present here, we might also have a permanent fleet stationed here. The other UNSC officers will likely have a plan that they'll share with you shortly."
"Good," Riyo said. "One of our concerns has been with security, especially with the coup that happened as of late." Looking at the time, she said, "It's starting to get late. Perhaps we should continue this discussion at a later time?"
"Sure," Veronica said. "Do you have a place we can stay?"
"Yes," Riyo said. "However, you'll have to wait until you receive your immunizations before using the Pantoran Senatorial Suites. Melody can stay, though, along with some of the UNSC's soldiers."
"That's an excellent idea," Melody said. "I hope that things go better than they did last time."
"Me too," Riyo said.
. . .
While most everyone onboard the Infinity was in a good mood, there was one man that was in a particularly sour mood. Sitting down on his bunk in his prison cell, Admiral Gorin looked outside of the transparent metal viewport to see the rest of the prison block that he was in. Harsh white lighting illuminated the chamber that held the cafeteria that was down below, along with the tables and chairs present there. On a walkway sealed off from the rest of the prison block, guards were keeping a close eye on the prisoners to ensure that they didn't attempt anything untoward.
As if being defeated by a foreign military force wasn't bad enough, he thought. Now I have to deal with the indignity of being locked up in a prison run by primitives! I hate how they run everything, but I suppose it's better than being killed on the field of battle. He shivered slightly at the thought, though he was still quite angry that he had been taken prisoner by a government that didn't even have proper turbolasers for their ships.
He would've continued with this internal musing when a buzzer sounded off. At the same time, the door to his cell opened, with a pair of ODSTs walking inside. In the middle was a single man that wore a slate gray uniform with a diamond shaped symbol on the shoulders. "Admiral Gorin, you are to come with us," the man said. "Our superiors wish to speak with you."
Gorin sighed. He knew better than to resist being taken to one of the interrogation rooms onboard the Star Dreadnought. He had tried that one, and it had earned him a shock that was so painful he didn't sleep for a full day. Standing up, he walked over and held his wrists out. Nodding, the officer clamped a pair of cuffs onto his wrists, while guards attached cuffs with an expanding section onto his legs. Once he was fully secured, they moved out, with the cell door closing behind him.
They continued to move through the hallways of the ship, with the guards pulling him towards a particular hallway once they reached an intersection. Looking at the ODSTs, Gorin knew that while they looked relaxed, they were more than ready to kill him should the man that had cuffed him ordered them to do so. As such, he had realized even before his imprisonment that to try anything funny with the guards was to invite Death. As such, he didn't resist when they manhandled him into one of the interrogation rooms onboard the ship, before latching his cuffs to the table before him. Before the man left, he asked him, "Why am I here?"
"You'll see," the man that cuffed him said. With that, he closed the door, leaving Gorin to wonder in silence what was to come of him, while the guards kept a close eye on him.
He eventually got his answer when two men walked inside. The first was a man that had brown hair, dark brown eyes and tanned skin, while the other had gray hair, blue-gray eyes and tanned skin that was wrinkled from age. Both men walked over and sat down in the chairs furthest from the door, before taking out a pair of folders and laying them on the table. For a long time, there was naught but silence, then the second of the two men said, "You know, it's not every day that you speak with the man that fired on the Infinity rather than talk and find out what's going on. Kinda stupid if you ask me. Wouldn't you agree, Cole?"
"Definitely," Cole said. "Not the smartest decision if you ask me."
"Say whatever you will!" Gorirn snarled. "It doesn't matter in the end. Right now, I want to know who are you two and what you want!"
"Touchy," the second man said. "Well, that is reasonable enough. I'm Fleet Admiral Joseph Harper, in command of the fleet that is now where the Infinity is at. With me is Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole." Looking around, he said, "I thought there was supposed to be another man here."
"Yeah," Cole said with a shrug. "Must be late. No wait, actually, here he is." At that, another man walked in, with Gorin noting that his eyes were also blue-gray, but his hair was salt-and-pepper in color, rather than gray. "There you are," Cole said. "Gorin, this is Vice Admiral Ned Rich of the Office of Naval Intelligence. What took you so long, Ned?"
"Busy with internal affairs," Rich said. Seeing Gorin, he said, "I see that you've finally gotten around to talking to him. A pity. I would've liked to have fun with him on my own."
"You'll have plenty of opportunity for that, if he doesn't see reason that is," Cole said.
'What do you want?!" Gorin snapped. "You've already humiliated me by taking me prisoner. First, you strip away my fleet from me, and now my dignity! You'll rue the day you crossed the Empire!"
"Really?" Rich asked. "Well, here's the thing, Gorin. Nobody knows you're here. You don't exist, and if you don't cooperate with us, then there is nothing I can't do to you."
"The Empire will find me soon enough!" Gorin snarled. "When they do, they'll destroy your precious little Star Dreadnought and conquer your precious nation!"
"Arrogant isn't he?" Harper asked Cole.
"That he is," Cole agreed. "Hate to break it to you buddy, but they won't; In fact, scuttlebutt says that the Emperor is most displeased with you."
"What do you mean?" Gorin asked, confusion replacing his defiance.
"To put it simply, you fucked up big time," Harper said. "You actually violated standing orders that the Emperor had, which were not to fire on unknowns that just happened to stumble onto Imperial controlled space. In addition, you failed to cover up your little fuck-up, which means that the Emperor found out. The way we hear it, he punishes failure with death. Which brings is to where we currently are. You currently have two option, Gorin: you can either make a deal with me, Col and Rich here in exchanged for increased freedoms, or you can refuse to work with us."
"And if I refuse?" Gorin asked uncertainly.
"Then you'll be shipped back to our homeworld of Earth, where ed Rich will have all the permission he needs to drain you dry of information."
"Yep," Rich said. "And let me tell you something, Gorin. You should take the deal with Cole and Harper. If you don't, well... let's just say that, by the time we're done with you, you will be begging for the Emperor to kill you. Alas, you will not be killed. Instead, you'll be locked up inside of a prison cell, where you will be subjected to rather... disturbing things for the rest of your miserable excuse of an existence, and no one will ever care."
As Rich said this, Gorin's mind began to race as he processed this new information. His defiance now morphed into terror, a dark, hot terror that threatened to seize hold of him at any moment. The world outside seemed to shrink down, until it had only himself, the table and chair he was sitting in, Vice Admiral Cole, Fleet Admiral Harper and Vice Admiral Ned Rich. At the same time, he could see the two possibilities laid out before him. On one side, there was the option to capitulate. While it meant that he would be betraying the Empire, he already knew that, if Cole and Harper were right, his life was forfeit anyways. On the other was the option to remain defiant. While it would spare him his honor, it would result in him being interrogated anyways, until he was nothing more than a blubbering mess of his former self, a fate that was worse than death.
In the end, the decision was easy for him to make. Looking at Cole and Harper, he asked, "What do you want to know? What will I get in exchange for information?"
"In exchange for information, you'll get a larger cell, and you won't have to worry about your cellmate shanking you," Cole said. "As for what we want to know, that's easy. Where does the Empire have its most prestigious naval academies?"
It took a moment for Gorin to recall the information. "Axum," he said. "The most prestigious military academies are at Axum. There are two planets with those academies: Anaxes and Axum. They are heavily defended, however, so taking them is impossible."
"We'll determine what's impossible or not," Cole said. "I've heard that word often enough to know that it's an excuse not to try, not a legitimate reason. Anything else?"
"Yes," Gorin said. "I also know of a few ship classes that will be coming out in the future, as well as locations on shipyards, strategic worlds, as well as a few other things. I managed to keep the information on my person in the form of a data disk. I was going to upload the information into my Star Destroyer's databanks when the Rebels attacked. It was confiscated when I was captured by your soldiers, though."
"Roland?" Rich asked.
"Affirmative," Roland said. "According to the Marines that brought him onboard, Gorin had what looked like a disk of some kind. According to Gabriela, it was similar to a storage medium known as a CD-ROM. It's currently in storage in the Infinity's main computer rooms. Should I put in a request to have it analyzed?"
"Yes," Rich said. "We'll need that info in the future." He looked expectantly at Gorin. "Any other locations you can think of?"
"Yes," Gorin said. "Kuat. It's a planet in the Core Worlds that is home to Kuat Drive Yards. They're the largest ship manufacturing company in the entire Galaxy. Is there anything else you wish to know?"
Cole held up a hand. "I believe that is enough, Gorin. As per our agreement, you'll be moved to a safer cell." At that, the two guards in the room unlatched his cuffs from the table and hauled him out of the room.
Looking at Rich, Harper asked, "You think he was lying?"
"No," Rich said. "I didn't see any indicators that he was practicing deception. In addition, I had Cortana run a biometric scan while he was talking. There was no increased blood flow to various parts of his brain, nor was there increased activity in regions that would be used during deception. We'll double check his information, but it's a safe bet that he was telling the truth. He looked terrified enough as it was."
"Indeed," Harper said. Standing up with the others, he said, "Inform Lasky and Osman of what we have learned. Given how busy they're going to be, this information will be crucial for them."
"Yes sir," Rich said. With that, all three men left the interrogation room. The dice was cast. Now it was up to fate to determine the outcome.
