Honestly, she didn't know why she'd even agreed to come in the first place. The opulence of the Senate where Politicians continuously bickered was enough to make any sane person sick. The people in ivory towers deciding the fate of an entire Galaxy, not just their represented peoples, all while slavers and creatures like the Hutts still existed and operated openly. She honestly partially understood the CIS's message.
Now, if they weren't run by something darker than the shadows it was hiding in, she'd probably have never joined the UNSC. However, she needed to right a wrong. To her comrades and to the Galaxy at large. So, she probably accepted to come with the Senate Guards to meet the Chancellor simply because she figured she could change a thing or two, or at least tell him to his face that things needed to change, for all the good it'd do.
The two guards, clad in that royal blue, stopped at the door to the Chancellor's office, turned about and saluted Meetra, who saluted back. The door ahead slid open, revealing walls of red, beautiful tapestries, ornate furniture and a central, round desk with a communication system in the middle of an indent in the floor, back against the massive panoramic view window that showed a minuscule chunk of the ecumenopolis.
She paused upon her first step inside, however. A feeling of weight suddenly pressed down on her shoulders, as if the Force itself, though not on the best of terms with her, warned her of something. She felt a chill shoot up her spine as a female voice shew as all too familiar with whispered to her, "Be careful, Exile..." only to cause her to cock her head back. Kreia?
It was possible, though she hadn't heard as much as a peep from the Force Ghosts of her friends ever. Still, that weight never left her as she stepped inside, walking over toward the desk. She saw it empty, surprisingly enough. Great, so the man wanted to meet her and he wasn't even here. She swore, she was about to- "Greetings..." Spoke a male voice that sent a chill up her spine, taking her out of her thoughts.
She turned around to see an old man in front of her, wearing a terrifyingly calm smile as he approached, "You certainly arrived fast, Master Surik," all while ensuring his clothes, a red robe with puffy, darker sleeves and, were properly arranged. The man had short, silver, almost purely white hair really that was slicked back and he had a certain Aura that was all too familiar to Meetra...
"Chancellor Palpatine," Meetra bowed, trying to be friendly to her host, no matter her feelings. She spoke, "I'm sorry if I caught you at a bad time..."
"Not at all. I called for you the moment I heard of your presence, after all. I must say, it isn't every day that one gets to meet a woman whom many thought dead. Much less a Jedi," The Chancellor offered curtly, though Meetra felt a little uneasy. Almost like the man was hiding something. The Force felt weirdly present here, though it was more pressing than normal, she thought as she watched him walk by.
"Indeed," She replied slightly defensively, then turned the attention back unto him, "And it isn't every day a simple Jedi's summoned to speak to the Chancellor of the Republic..." as she crossed her arms to her chest. There was something hidden here. Something odd. She cast sideways glances at the various artifacts in the room, wondering if... No, no way.
"Oh, please, I'm a simple servant of the people, much like you," He replied, attempting to be as non-threatening as possible, though she could see the focus in his eyes. Focus on maintaining a charade, she wondered, or just trying to make sure the Jedi who doesn't really like the Republic doesn't do anything too harsh. He motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk and offered, "Take a seat. We have a few things to talk about."
"Alright..." Meetra did as asked, while the Chancellor sat himself down in his chair. Meetra's gaze swept around the place, trying to find the exact source of the uneasiness she felt. Though she tried to be as covert about it as possible, she was sure the man could see her being less than calm about being here... If there was one thing she could say about the man, it was that he had good taste in decorations.
Palpatine cleared his throat, taking her attention toward him, then added, "Now that we're all comfortable... Refreshments, perhaps?" as he gently tapped his finger next to the PA system. Well, at least he was a nice host, too. Meetra took a moment to think about it and a moment extra to keep prodding around with the Force as covertly as she could...
She then nodded and replied, "... I could go for some. Thank you."
"Of course," The man answered kindly. He hit a couple of buttons on the PA system and, before long, a servant droid strolled inside, carrying a tray with two teacups and a teapot. The droid poured the tea into the cups and handed each over, then strolled out of the room, the door shutting behind it. Palpatine tapped his spoon against the side of his cup after stirring it, then said, "Onto the matters at hand, I'd like to confirm some rumors."
"Okay...?" Here we go, Meetra thought, then nodded, "Go ahead."
"Your alignment with our newfound allies, first of all," The man started, obviously with the most important bit. Why would a Jedi not rejoin the Republic's ranks and become an officer? He asked, "Did you join them for any particular reason?" before taking a sip from his tea. Meetra took a sip from her cup, too, pondering how to best answer this. She figured the truth would be fine. Or part of it, anyway.
"... Honestly, I just wanted to get off of Coruscant after years watching this place go to hell, pardon me saying so..." She replied, then, slightly guarded. She felt something poking her way through the Force and wondered if it was whatever she was feeling around her. Whatever artifacts were here didn't seem to emanate any form of Aura, but she could still feel something.
"Ah, so just to see the sights," Palpatine probed, then told her, "You could have rejoined the Republic's ranks as a soldier. We could use someone with so many years of experience leading the troops. Some of your exploits were quite legendary in the Grand Army's historical records. The Mandalorian Wars remain one of the most known formative periods of the Republic's military, even now."
"As much as I appreciate the thought, Chancellor, the Republic I served and the Republic today are two different beasts," She answered, maintaining her composure Centuries of stagnation after the High Republic Era led to the situation today. I'm... Not too fond of the idea of drawing my lightsaber for the government again. However, for my new allies and some of the new friends I've made here? Yes, I will fight."
"A noble and understandable reasoning, I suppose," He sighed deeply, then agreed, "Yes, the Republic has been facing a lot more crises in recent years, with this damnable war being the latest of them, but we've been trying to make changes and amends. I've only recently been elected as Chancellor and... Let me affirm your statement, yes, there is a lot wrong with this Republic... But, well, one can only do so much in a term, no?"
"Yeah... Maybe..." Meetra really wasn't gonna take the bait.
"Onto the second rumor... Which I presume is all but confirmed by the fact the Senate Guard had to bring you from the Temple. You spoke to the Jedi Council. Did they greet you coldly?" Palpatine inquired. She was surprised he wasn't asking about her being immortal, but, then again, he seemed to know a lot more than he let on. She kept probing and prodding, feeling as if... As if he was hiding his Force essence. Impossible? No. Unlikely? Hopefully.
"Not all of them," Meetra replied, then let out a derisive snort, remembering Windu. Regular old Vrookian, that son of a b-.
"I see. I guessed there'd be someone like that, at least," He offered, then put another bit of bait to the hook, seemingly testing the waters by stating, "Much like the Republic, the Jedi Order of today is steeped in dogma that means they seem to be stuck in their ways. I'd assume you coming in to speak the truth they didn't want to hear didn't help, either?"
"We'll see what they discuss at the next few meetings of theirs, not like I'm gonna attend. We've got a war to win," The General in her came out when she said that.
"Indeed. And that brings me neatly to our third point of discussion... What is a general without an army, General Surik?" Palpatine seemed to smile almost knowingly. Her heart paused for a quarter of a second as she stared at the man, wondering what this was implying. A general without an army was just a benchwarmer, she would've answered, but this felt like a trick question.
"... Chancellor, with all due respect, get to the point here..." She requested, concern filling her heart
"Of course. If you will have them, I am assigning you a newly-made Clone Legion directly arrived from Kamino," The man stated, causing Meetra to blank for a moment. He explained to her, "They are a little 'green' as our newfound allies would say, but, with someone competent, such as yourself, in the lead of their formation, I'm certain they can achieve great things." and he wore a genuinely weird smile at that last bit. She felt a small fluctuation in the Force again.
"... That's a surprise, alright," She nodded, blinking, then furrowed her brows and leaned forward, asking, "And why would I accept this kind of reinforcement? What's your caveat for this 'gift'?" before preparing to walk away. As much as she respected the Clones for fighting a war they were never given a choice not to fight. They were doing their duty proudly.
"My only caveat is that you assist the Republic in winning the war," The Chancellor replied, then handed her a tablet with the information, "As for why you should accept it, Casualties will start mounting for the United Nations Space Command..." And that felt almost like a threat to her. He clarified, noting the frown she now wore, "Nobody survives a war unscathed. These Clones would supplement their formations. They're also at an unusual size for a normal combat formation, numbering an experimental 12,137 troops."
"... Could be useful..." She murmured as she read the files. This still felt off.
"Indeed," The Chancellor nodded, seemingly happy.
"... I appreciate the gift. Should we go retrieve them from Kamino, or-" She wondered, then remembered she'd seen a bunch of new Starships come in for landing.
"They've already landed here, alongside your Venators and the Acclamator used to transport their equipment," The man offered, "You have a shuttle that will take you directly to them waiting for you on Landing Pad just outside," words which stuck a bit with Meetra. The man seemed prepared for the fact she'd accept the new reinforcements, but she still couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. She'd have to ask ONI to keep tabs on him. More-so than now.
"Oh... Well, I suppose I should go meet them, then. If that's okay with you..." She asked, standing up.
"Of course. Thank you for your time, General. To a speedy end to this war," He replied, then raised the teacup.
"Amen..." She sighed deeply. She quietly left the place, making sure to make it a point to tell Lasky about this. Palpatine felt off in more ways than one, genuinely almost like he was concealing his true self behind a veil of the Force. Though, how would someone like this exist and not be part of the Jedi Order? The more questions mounted, the more worried she felt in regards to what his ultimate end goal was.
It was why, while travelling toward the landed warships, she felt a bit off in regards to the Legion she was assigned. 12,000 troopers, armed to the teeth and with their support vehicles and elements already loaded. That feeling passed, however, when she saw the gathered battalions of troops down below, clad in the stark white Phase I Armors of the Grand Army of the Republic's new Clone Corps. The 337th Legion stood before her, a blank canvas, ready to be painted by their experience with their new general.
When the craft touched down in front of the assembled force and three landed Venators, Meetra stepped off, only to see the Commander of the force, a clone clad in white armor with yellow stripes and the four dots on the left side of his chest. He, alongside three clones clad in armors with red stripes, stopped in front of the General and snapped crisp salutes. The leading man spoke, his voice young, "General Surik, ma'am. I'm CT-543-3533, acting Commander of the 337th Legion. We are at your command."
Meetra saluted, then said, "At ease, Commander," before asking with an awkward smile, "Don't you have names? Aren't most clones coming out of Basic with nicknames nowadays?" as she looked at him. He and his officer cadre looked to one-another, before shaking their heads. She sighed deeply and murmured, "Guessing that goes only for the non-officer Clones..."
The rows upon rows of soldiers all seemed the same from here. Soldiers and officers, Troopers, Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, they all looked peculiarly same-ish, unlike Captain Rex, the 501st and Commander Cody and his men. She wondered jus how these men cooperating with her was going to change them, then hummed as she looked around. She probably should've radioed in, but she'd do that from aboard her lead Venator.
"Well... Guess it's time to give a short greeting..." She spoke, then stepped up in front of the troops and started, "Soldiers of the 337th!" only to hear boots clicking together in a thundering echo here, within the confines of the Republic Military Base on Coruscant. The HQ of the Republic Military glowed, the conning towers of the four docked vessels standing tall, almost part of the city skyline in the background.
... She was given command of her own troops again. While, yes, the UNSC trusted her to lead soldiers, too, those were still men and women under their command. Though she felt a weight unlike any previously felt and something tugged at the back of her mind regarding these troops, she still spoke, "My name is Meetra Surik and it seems that, henceforth, I shall be your General! It's going to be a bit interesting, since I haven't lead troops in a while, but I trust you men to be capable warriors and I hope you trust me to be a good General, despite being a lil' rusty," And she smiled awkwardly, before ordering, "First order of business. Let's get aboard and start preparations for launch. I need to contact our allies and let them know we're coming."
The troopers snapped a crisp salute, then began boarding. Meetra looked over to the Commander and said, "So, you don't have a name, right, Commander?" only to get a nod from the man. She hummed and asked, "What is your gene template? I never got to ask any of the other Clones we worked with, so I might as well ask you newcomers and 'shinies' as they call you."
"A Mandalorian, ma'am. By the name of Jango Fett..." He replied rather awkwardly, "Least that's what they told us. We never met the man."
"Mandalorian, huh?" Meetra smiled as memories came flooding back of a particularly grumpy comrade of hers. She could hear him cackling right now as if he read her thoughts through the Force, though it was rather obviously impossible, seeing as he, too, was dead. So, yes, she settled on a name, stating, "Then I can give you one, if you'll allow me..."
"It'd be an honor, General..." The Commander replied with a salute. She smiled and nodded.
Then she told him, "So it is, then. Commander Ordo."
On the RAS Prosecutor
The Spartan and Clone Commando pushed down the missile tube they'd landed within, Cortana stating, "There should be a terminal nearby that'll allow you to open the torpedo bay doors so we can enter. Though I'm also detecting a multitude of shipboard warnings... Let's be careful, everyone," only to hear affirmative replies from just about every member of the joint team. While Boss was trying to make contact with the Adviser again, Chief scanned the area ahead, feeling his heart beat faster.
As they entered through a side passage into what seemed to be a maintenance area, Boss remarked, "She's certainly good at her job..." only for both of them to see a part of the maintenance corridor had collapsed in on itself, fires as oxygen spewing from the lines mixed with fuel that now burned. Beside the rubble, however, was a still functioning terminal that Boss approached as Chief covered his rear. The Spartan motioned for him to let him take his place, then pulled Cortana's chip from his helmet and let her connect to the system.
When the screen flashed from red to green, Chief pulled the Chip, slotted it back into his helmet and said, "There's a reason I and her work well together..." which got a short chuckle out of Cortana. The two and their AI comrade then passed through the same door they'd used to get in, only to watch the massive, circular vault-like door crack open, oxygen spewing from the side of it as the seal broke. It slid to their right and several alien avians flew out from the cover of the torpedo bay, revealing the massive warheads utilized by the Republic ship to protect itself.
"Blasted mynocks..." 38 spoke, then looked to Chief and said, "Stowaway animals. They're vermin, chewing through wire and causing damage to the vessel's internals. If we're gonna recover her, she'll need to be scrubbed clean from bow to stern," as he led the way in. Moving through, the two took a right, past the Torpedo loading ramps and onto an ascending stairwell that led up to an observation point. Trash and cuts and marks and sparking wires greeted them, Boss commenting, "Someone needs to teach these hijackers some proper Republic discipline."
"Place is a mess," Fixer agreed as they advanced.
Sev quipped, "Can't be any worse than the way Scorch tends to leave our rooms..." which got a couple laughs from everyone. The Spartan and Commando Team Leaders pushed up through the observation area, finding blood stains, but no corpses, worryingly enough. The Spartan's suit first blared with a few warnings about issues regarding atmospheric disturbances as they walked through and crawled into a maintenance crawlspace.
"This is eerie... Where is everyone?" Scorch whispered.
Kelly added, "We're not deep enough yet, I don't think... Was there even any mayday from this ship when she arrived here?" as their footsteps became audible. There was a negative hum from Fred and Fixer as the group pushed on through, with Chief and Boss crawling over a bunch of pipes within the confines of the maintenance space, then reaching a corridor that went across a chasm.
The air around them seemed a tinge green when Chief first saw it, but he figured that must have been due to his VISR system acting up. He helped Boss out of the Crawlspace and the two saw there was another one ahead, with Cortana adding, "... I'm detecting atmospheric changes. Oxygen levels are all over the place, almost like Life Support is malfunctioning. Keep your suits sealed."
A distant groan filled the ears of the two men as they marched forward on the catwalk, weapons at the ready. Boss spoke, "Have you ever been on board a derelict or an abandoned ship before, Master Chief...?"
"No," He replied, "Not in space, anyway..."
"Fair enough, I suppose..." He replied. The two stopped as they heard something get kicked off into the chasm to their right. Both swiveled and aimed their weapons, only to see a Clone Trooper emerge out of the darkness, his hands raised. He seemed to be trembling, almost afraid. He only calmed down when he saw the human forms of Boss and the Chief.
"I'll be... Commandoes..." Murmured the Trooper, seemingly happy, though his voice cracked, "Good to see you, sir! And with one of our allies to boot!"
"Trooper," Boss stated, "Report."
"I... We... I don't know what happened, sir. The ship went into Red Alert while we were transferring from that system where we picked up the strange shuttle," The Trooper replied, continuously looking into the darkness behind him on the corridor. He continued, "I started hearing blaster fire, so I retrieved my rifle and tried to... Help the others. Something went really, really wrong, though. There's something on board this ship now, it's... Hunting us."
"Hunting you?" Boss repeated, "What exactly is hunting you, Trooper?"
"I don't know, sir... I came here to try and fire a torpedo, maybe send a mayday to the Republic since Captain Martz shut down our com systems and Hyperspace drive. Firing controls are locked, too," He replied, then motioned to the control system to his left. He spoke, clearly afraid, "And now I'm stuck here. There's something still around, sirs. If you came here with a team, I'd warn them to be careful-" only to pause as a noise came from the darkness, a low, modulated grunt. He swiveled about and raised his blaster, before calling out, "Topcat! That ain't funny! C'mon out, we might have a chance at rescue!"
A moment of silence passed that sent chills up both Chief and Boss's spines, though neither would admit it to the other. The Trooper called out again, "Top! C'mon, this ain't the time to kid around!" before looking back at the Commando and Spartan and stating, "S-Sorry, sirs. That's my Pod Brother, a bit of a joker. He's trying to keep morale up. I'll go try and find him, bring him here with the others."
"Trooper-" The Commando was about to speak to him, but both men watched him running into the darkness, calling out his Brother's name.
"Top! Oh, thank the Force, you're here... Top? You okay? Where's... Oh, no, no, NO!" The Trooper's panic rose with each word he spoke. Blaster fire began to echo, followed by the Clone Trooper's scream and a guttural growl, only for silence to immediately settle. Chief's heart sank the moment he heard that noise. He looked to Boss as the man hit the window separating them from the chasm and the trooper.
"Trooper!" Boss called out, then swore, "Kriff it! All Delta and Blue elements, keep your eyes open. Unknown hostiles are in the area. This doesn't seem like Droids or a mutiny..." and turned to the Chief, "Chief, we should move," which got a nod out of the Spartan. The two continued down the corridor, propping open the door to the next crawlspace and moving through. This one was wider, the pipes less tightly packed together, allowing them room.
"Any idea what this could be, Spartan?" He then asked. Chief nodded. He had a feeling he knew, yes...