201This story is a tie-in to HALO: The Terran Republic Affair by UH-60 Nightstalker. His story is awesome and by far the most reviewed fanfic in the Halo/Star Wars section to date. These are a series of chapters that take place after the Evacuation of Coruscant. Characters you know (Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Rex, etc.), new OC characters from Nightstalker (Morrison, Ross, Roberts, Escandor,etc) and totally new characters are going to be the in this story. This story is a great opportunity to see the aftermath really sink in for individual characters. I own nothing, but my OC characters. To new readers, I suggest you read HALO: The Terran Republic Affair first or you will be lost. I also am going to take liberties as to answer some questions in the war and after that.
I own nothing except the OC characters later in the story. Halo is owned by Bungie 343, and Star Wars belongs to George Lucas, and now Disney (Here's me hoping they won't make a musical)
Episode 1: The New Dawn
{5 minutes after the rescue op in Coruscant.}
Overwhelming sadness.
That was the excruciating feeling Ahsoka is experiencing after she got onboard the UNSC Infinity class Reach.
She heard the Younglings, crying and sobbing with the Masters doing the best they can to calm them down, but the Masters themselves look sorrowful and lost. And who could blame them? Everything that she had known, the Order, what they believed in and what they had had been blasted all the way to Coruscant's lower levels is enough to break even the most resilient of Jedi. She had been prepared for this scenario, the inevitability of casualties, but the actually experience it nearly crushed her completely. The clones, who she regarded as friends, have turned on her. The Chancellor, whose nice guy act was a cover to his most evil persona of Sith Lord Darth Sidious. But the most horrible part of it all: The Jedi was played from the start, and all the horrible things she experienced, and committed, during the war, all of the sacrifices done, were meant for nothing. She too would have been dead had the UNSC not interfered.
Normally, being rescued and being alive is supposed to be a good thing. Yes she was grateful, but the friends who had died, both in the Ion Cannon attacks and the ground-fighting, and the only home she knew burned into ashes, she felt, for the first time, at a loss. Her outward appearance depicted her as a courageous and spunky Jedi, who her friends looked up to in times of need. She had that emotional mask on until she found a secluded maintenance room near the hangar, and then began to weep. Her emotional peace that had been trained into her had disappeared with the Temple. Everything she experienced in the last few hours has physically and emotionally drained on her, if only she saved that youngling from the Clones, she wouldn't feel so depressed. The only thing that saved her from certain death was the sniper from Spartan Trinity team. She was grateful, but she wished she could have done more.
"Hello?" a male voice came from behind the door she came in. "Who's in there?" It didn't sound familiar, so Ahsoka guessed one of the marines heard her.
"Oh, um," Ahsoka stuttered "I'll be ri-"The doors opened up and the person on the other side was none other than Admiral Morrison. Ahsoka jumped slightly, earning a chuckle from the Admiral.
"I figured I'd check on our guests to see how their doing, but seeing you here is all I needed to know how you guys are holding up." Morrison remarked. Ahsoka blushed and quickly rubbed her eyes.
"I'm sorry; I should go find Master Obi-Wan and Skywalker." Ahsoka stepped out and began to walk but Morrison clasped a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry we didn't save more of your friends in time. I truly am. If this provides any consolation, our people are gonna take you to Worth and you can stay there as long as you like, or until HQ says otherwise." The Admiral offered. Ahsoka was still somber, but gave a small smile and hugged the admiral, much to his shock and Ahsoka's.
The admiral simply smiled and hugged her back. She let go after a while, and looked completely embarrassed. "I'm very, very sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" Ahsoka said in panic. Again, Morrison chuckled. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm a Jedi! We're supposed to be calm and peaceful, and I blew that out of the sky. We're supposed to be the peacekeepers, but after everything that happened…" she trailed off, looking more somber than before.
"I don't know much about alien emotional processing, but if you didn't do what you just did, I'd be even more worried." Morrison replied "Besides, someone needed a hug anyway. " Morrison smiled, and Ahsoka smiled too.
"I should go. Thanks admiral." Ahsoka ran off when the Admiral called her.
"You know, kid, Jedi or not, we all have a breaking point. I don't care how great a Jedi you are, we all have something to lose, and something to gain. In this case, you've lost and gained a lot. Remember that and count your blessing s." Touched by the admiral's generosity, compassion and kindness, Ahsoka smiled brightly at Morrison's remark. And she went to the main hangar.
Morrison simply smiled and took out of his pocket a small holo pic of him and his family, a lovely wife and 2 sons, twins. He sighed contently. Even though he missed them, he would never abandon his duty to the UNSC. Besides, Morrison thought, Most of these Jedi were taken in a fashion similar to the old Spartan II project. At least let these kids have someone to look up to.
Even dark times have small silver linings.
{15 minutes later…}
Ahsoka helped around here and there, trying to see where she was needed the most. After the fall, most Jedi inserted themselves amongst the Reach crew trying either to heal the wounded, console the grieving, making friends, or, for the most inquisitive of Jedi, learning more on the history of the Terrans, to see how they became the superpower that they are now today. Ahsoka, both feeling the need to help others and her curiosity creeping up on her, she naturally juggled all of them like a pro.
She helped out her friend Barriss Offee with the wounded Jedi and Marines in the sick bay for 3 hours, tending wounds and administering some medicine to the more severe cases. Thought Barriss was a good healer, the wounds needed some Bacta or Medifoam . Though the Reach was full of Bacta tanks and cans, they still ran out as the amounts of Jedi wounded were using them generously. Morrison realized that they needed to ration them down so that some of the more critically wounded could stay alive long enough to reach New Plymouth and their advanced med facilities. The Medifoam stores were put in place in the event that the Bacta ran out. In foresight, that was a smart move.
She felt relieved knowing that some of her friends, like Master Plo Koon, was okay, but she still felt sorry for those she couldn't other Jedi that didn't make it. The Jedi initiates Byph, Katooni, Ganodi, Zatt, and Gungi, the initiates she took Ilum to help build their lightsabers, were alive as well, but Petro did not make it, as he was shot in the back by a Clone Trooper, who paid for it with a bullet to the head by one of the Spartans.
The Padawan Pack, led by Zule Xiss, survived as well, which brought relief to Anakin Skywalker, who has lots of friends in that group. Unfortunately, not all of made it without wounds. Windo "Warble" Nindo and Tae Diath were seriously injured, with the latter losing his left leg to a thermal detonator. Doctors assured Zule that they would recover, to which she breathed a sigh of relief. Her true leader, Aubrie Wyn, was still unconscious by a falling beam but aside from the bruises on her head, amazingly survived with little to no scars present.
While helping Barriss out, she also talked to some of the marines and found them more personable than the clones. Granted, she made friends with some of those clones and she knew not everyone in the Clone Army was a robot, but still acted with an obedience that disturbingly seemed to coincide with the Droids they faught. However, with the Terrans, every person she talked always have their stories, motivations, and even families of their own, whilst the Clones, no matter how smart or how likeable some of them were, are single-minded in their obedience to their superiors, and aside from the ARC troopers, Null Troopers and The Commandoes, she found out that the majority of the Clones were described as "Trained Animals carrying guns," by one observant marine she fought alongside during the battle in Coruscant.
One order from anyone from higher that their immediate commanders and they fell in line, regardless of their own opinions in the matter, as she found out the hard way.
The Chancellor played them all from the start, and she was mad. A Jedi was not supposed to feel anger, as that led to the dark side, but the years of pain she endured throughout the Clone Wars, coupled with the betrayals of the clones that they used to call friends made her more volatile than a Mustafarian volcano.
She seethed from time to time, but eventually calmed down. It wouldn't do well to anyone anyway.
Ahsoka also joined Jedi Master Lar, Librarian Jocasta Nu, and a few padawans in arranging the data crystals and storage devices from the Temple, or at least, arranging what was left. The rest burned with the Temple to stop the Sith Lord from claiming the knowledge in the Library. As she was doing her tasks, she also found data ports on the history of the Terran government, courtesy of Six, the AI in the ship.
She was fascinated and horrified with the history of the Terran humans. She was amazed by how many cultures in the Terran society, from an outsider's standpoint; they would be a galaxy of their own, regardless of their discovery of the Andromeda galaxy.
She also found some Terran novels fascinating, like Lord of the Rings. She took to reading these during her free time and enjoyed it immensely. She shared her discoveries to her fellow Jedi and they too were reading it as well. She particularly liked Aragorn, as it reminded her of Anakin.
Speaking of her old master, she bumped into him and Senator Amidala on her way to one of the cafeterias on the Reach.
"Oh, hey Sky Guy. I was wondering when I'd find you. When the Terrans said that this ship was large, I thought they were exaggerating." Ahsoka said. The ship was really impressive.
"Well, Snips, they do seem more advanced than we thought. If not for them, we'd be dead and still being kept in the dark." Anakin replied.
Ahsoka was about to say more until she noticed one little detail: The two of them were holding hands.
"Wait, why are you guys holding hands?" Ahsoka asked.
Padme and Anakin exchanged glances and came to a silent agreement. While the Council has been informed and gave their blessings to the married couple, the majority of the Jedi are still unaware of the news yet.
Anakin decided to break the news to her. Hopefully she'd take it well.
"Ahsoka, this is a long story and I think you may need to sit down for this."
"WHAT?!"
Well, that went well, Anakin thought.
"You're telling me that not only are the Jedi allowing relationships, but you're married to Senator Amidala?! AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!" Ahsoka yelled that last part out.
"Well, actually I was married before that. Like about 3 years ago, so technically I was -"That was as far as he got before a well placed slap from Ahsoka shut him up.
"You were married before we met? Is this some kind of joke?! Why didn't you tell me?" Ahsoka asked.
Anakin was rather annoyed at this line of questioning. He knew that she wouldn't take it well, but this seems excessive.
"Why are you making this such a fuss? I'm under the assumption that you'd understand!" Anakin said in irritation. When he turned to look at Ahsoka, she seemed rather subdued.
"I'm just saying, you're my master and I've looked up to you and you've never kept anything from me. We're partners, and I thought you could share everything with me?" She snapped.
Anakin pursed his lips together and began to say in a tight, yet controlled voice, as if the next words to come out of his mouth will disgust him.
"It's because I'm afraid." Ahsoka's eyes widened. Anakin Skywalker, THE Chosen one of the Force, was afraid?
"Before I became a jedi, I lived in Tatooine. The place is summarily described as a "hive of villainy" by the Jedi. I was a slave to a Junk Dealer, Watto. Me and my mom were the slaves to help around his shop. He wasn't bad per se, but he ain't a saint. He cheats people out of their money usually. I helped around and that made me a bit of a whiz with mechanical objects and a good pilot. I was miserable, let me tell you. And I wanted to be more. To be more than a slave, but I was scared, "
"I was afraid that because all my life before I met Qui-Gon, I was nothing more than that slave boy who followed a toydarian junk dealer to survive. When I met him, I wanted to be just like him, and I did. But I also loved my mother, and when she died-"He cut off there as if the memory of her passing was too excruciating to bear. Ahsoka now felt bad she brought it up. Anakin recovered however.
"When she was gone, the person who stood with me was Padme," He took a moment to glance at his wife, who smiled at him "and I loved her, but I also want to stay as a Jedi. As a protector of the innocent and upholder of the just, I wanted to save lives like Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan did. But I also loved her, so I married Padme in secret." Ahsoka took a moment of silence before asking her former master.
"How were you found out?" Anakin smiled a bit.
"Let's just say that Master Yoda is very smart. I won't put it past him to not notice these types of things. I mean , I tried, but like he said, the only thing permanent in life is change. I think he knew for awhile, I don't know precisely when, but I do know that when he came to me, he was understanding and, praise the Force, he accepted it. I was nervous at first, when he brought me to the Council to address that issue, but in the end it worked out." Anakin smiled at Ahsoka, who returned that smile.
Ahsoka began to understand where his master was going through. Even though she started angry at the deception her master fed her, she ended up feeling sorry and happy for her master. To choose between the life you lived and the love of your life, Anakin was stubborn to have both.
She now wondered what would if feel like to fall in love. But that was a subject that would be brought up later, with Padme. Anakin saw in his former apprentice that he got his point through.
"I wished I shared this with you earlier. I'm sorry I did not trust this with you earlier."Ahsoka held her hand to signify she was fine with it.
"You have anything else to share with me?"Ahsoka prodded. Anakin's face became a bit somber, but not enough to wipe the smile he had in his face.
"I do, but I want to share it with you when the time is right. This secret is more than enough to satisfy you, I hope?" Anakin looked a bit nervous with that last part, but Ahsoka gave a sly grin.
"Don't sweat it, Sky Guy. I just hope from now on, you'd be more honest with me." Anakin smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder, then slung his arm across her back. "Don't mention it. Now, I think Padme was going to tell me something. Care to share it with me and my friend?" He and Ahsoka grinned mischievously.
If Padme didn't know better, she'd think those two were related. She was still deciding whether to be blunt or cautious about it; a funny situation, considering that she is a senator, and her foremost talents were diplomacy and speech; well, that and her blaster skills notwithstanding. She fiddled with her fingers for a while them clapped her hands together as a sign that she made up her mind.
Ah, Sithspit, let him have then, he can handle it. After all, he is a Jedi anyway. Padme thought. Taking a deep breath, she said:
"Well, I'm pregnant." A silence came over the trio. It was so silent, that one could hear a pin drop.
Well, the thing that DID drop in the hall was Anakin, who staggered at first, muttering incoherently except the words "pregnant" and "father" before passing out. His protégé didn't take the news as bad as he did, however.
Ahsoka took this to mirth as she laughed soundly at the good news and her master's newfound ability to faint like a little girl. Padme simply smacked her head with her palm. Both women said the same thing at the same time with different tones as they said:
"Men."
{S-Deck, 45 minutes after the conversation}
The S-Deck was a level of the Reach dedicated solely for Spartans. With the Jedi, however, the place had to make room for the refugees Besides, Trinity was the one that suggested that the Jedi took refuge there for awhile, and Morrison obliged.
Ahsoka was in amazement as she saw row upon row of similar looking cylindrical devices that seemed to hold the armor of the Spartans. Their armors, weapons, and even skills went beyond the most skilled Jedi combatant. Even though with their mastery of the Force, if they faced a Spartan, chances are they may get horribly wounded or killed considering how they fight. She also found out that the term "Spartan" is actually an old race of humans whose whole livelihood is revolved around warfare. Fitting, considering their combat prowess and adaptability in combat, that they be the name of their super-soldier program.
She saw Cin Drallig, The Jedi Battlemaster , with his former apprentice and now Jedi Knight Serra Keto look over some plasma sabers on a table with some other UNSC, Covenant and even some Forerunner weaponry on it. She decided to see what they were up to.
"Master Drallig, Serra. How are you guys?" Ahsoka Inquired. Cin Drallig gave a nod to Ahsoka before replying.
"Very well, thanks to our new friend s in the UNSC. I must say, for a primitive race, they seem to have a very advanced set of technology not seen in this Galaxy." He said, holding a Type 25 Directed Energy Pistol, or Plasma Pistol, as it is most commonly called by the UNSC.
Serra nodded "That's an understatement; some of this tech is so advanced, there's no way any weapons company I know can recreate this, and believe me, I know a lot of them." She replied, while marveling at a Z-130 Directed Energy Automatic Weapon, or Suppressor, and aiming downrange at a nearby target. She squeezed the trigger, and energy rounds ripped the target in seconds, turning the target dummy into a smoldering stump. Serra grew wide-eyed at the results and she smiled wryly at the gun.
"You know, for a Jedi, you seem to like these weapons a lot." Ahsoka pointed out.
Cin responded "Well, just because we are Jedi, and that we use elegant weapons does not mean we appreciate the weapon, Young Jedi. These UNSC soldiers use primitive slug throwers, yet have such advanced weaponry in their armory. As a battlemaster, one must wonder at how well such weapons work, to understand their workings, and in more desperate scenarios, use them as well."
Serra agreed with her former master, but she was bothered with one thing "No argument there, master. But I wonder why they don't just use this more often? These guns are obviously more advanced, so why still stick to slug-throwers?" Ahsoka was about to say her mind on the matter, but the marine in charge, Sergeant Alex Rasco, answered Serra's question.
"Well lady, it's because while advanced, those weapons don't have the versatility to adapt to an extreme environment. Sure our weapons are primitive, but they last longer and we can carry ammunition for it, but the Covenant Weapons need a large plasma generator to recharge, and the Forerunner guns are simply too costly to manufacture, produce and even reload. Only Spartans and certain ODST and STARU units get dibs on the guns. We grunts can use this when the situation demands it, of course, but that is few and far in between."
"But don't you think it'll be worth manufacturing it? This could save a lot of lives more with the type of firepower in your normal stocks. The plasma batteries on the weapons could be adapted to accept smaller batteries. And those silver weapons can be reloaded."Serra asked.
The Sergeant simply shook his head.
"Lady, those "plasma batteries" are prone to overheating. Even if you switch the power cell to have a more replaceable power source, the weapon would still overheat and the battery would be rendered useless as a result. Any other power source is too inefficient and can result in the weapon running out of juice faster. The Energy inside is very superheated gas, and the weapon keeps it cool within a magnetic field until fired. So in short, your idea could make the gun even more useless than before. And with those Forerunner guns, yes they can be reloaded, but the ammunition is still rare, since we are still experimenting with Hardlight tech. So before we jump to the energy guns, we stuck to the ones that shoot lead. You get my explanation?" The Sergeant asked.
Serra sighed, but nodded. "Yeah, just seems like a shame though."
Alex just scoffed. "Please, they superheat flesh, yet when you want to make a statement, bullets can chew enemies in a way that energy weapons cant. They cauterize the wound on contact, but OUR guns can bleed the enemy, so in short, OUR weapons do the most damage." He emphasized OUR as the Terrans.
"So your saying when it comes to putting some fear in the enemy, you believe your weapons do the job well?" Cin asked.
Alex nodded "Master Drallig, is it? Well, Master Drallig, the reason is that when a bullet impacts on skin, it tears flesh, muscle, bone, nerves, and blood vessels. The enemy bleeds, and gets a wound far worse than a blaster shot. After all, these "primitive weapons" can make someone bleed. Trust me, our bullets are meant for collateral damage."
"That's just cruel." Ahsoka snapped "Why do you have to do such a thing?"
Alex gave her a hard stare "There's an old saying: Know your enemy and know yourself, find naught in fear for 100 battles. Know yourself but not your enemy, find level of loss and victory. Know thy enemy but not yourself, wallow in defeat every time. Do you know what that means?"
Ahsoka and Serra shook their heads, but Cin Drallig understood.
"It means to say that knowing yourselves and your enemy, you can use strategies your enemy is not accustomed to, and you can use it against them as a result."
"Exactly. These slug-throwers are completely unknown weapons to you, but everyone in the Andromeda figures that their still primitive and as a result, think it is also inefficient." Rasco gave a rolling gesture with his hands, gesturing the Jedi Battlemaster to continue.
"So as a result, you are underestimated and put in a position where the enemy believes you can do no harm to them and giving you the ability to move to a position of strength. By the time the enemy realizes they you can punch through them as easily as they can, they will be caught off guard. Isn't that right?" Cin finished, asking the last part to Rasco.
Rasco nodded his head. Serra was impressed of the soldier's knowledge and asked "Where did you learn that from?"
Alex Rasco grinned "We learned it when I was still in college. Corbulo Academy was where I got my combat knowledge and tactics. The person who I got that phrase from is from an ancient Chinese general who was named Sun Tzu." He walked over and typed a few commands in a nearby console, which then turned to a holographic image for all three Jedi to see.
They saw an old man in rather ornamental armor, with a white wispy beard on his face and he was on a creature with four legs, a hairy tail and a long head.
"He was the military strategist in China, a country located on Earth, and he was famed for creating rather unorthodox, but very effective strategies and battle plans when fighting his foes, and he wrote a book called the Art of War, which details all his battle plans and theories. It also works in helping curb some problems in economy." Alex walked over and provided a holopad with the said book and gave it to the Jedi.
Cin, Serra, and Ahsoka looked it over and were impressed with it. Ahsoka realized that the Terrans were more adept in war than she thought, and judging by the looks of deep thought and concentration her companions had on their faces, they were also impressed.
She decided she lounged around long enough, and headed over to the other table.
She was amazed at the complete differences of their weapons, from the bulky ICWS that the majority of the UNSC use, to the powerful yet slim looking Z-250 Directed Energy Engagement Weapon, aka the Lightrifle. This latter weapon made blaster rifles look like primitive slug throwers. She was amazed at how the rifle constructed itself when Cin held it up, and he too was impressed. Serra found some fondness with the Needler rifles. Even though they were Jedi, the variety of firepower they were browsing was very impressive.
Another thing that Cin and Serra pointed out was why the UNSC still used Kevlar armor, when it is practically useless against blasters. Alex Rasco was unable to answer until Six, the AI of the ship, came to answer that question.
"I've been listening in on your conversation and I can answer that one."
"The R&D guys in the CBMI have been researching armor that was durable enough to last 5 or more blaster shots while still keeping the lightweight form of the Kevlar. The new armor, dubbed the Crysis armors, is the ultimate in nano technology, with some abilities that are still classified to tell. The prototypes are coming here to arm some of the STARU and ODST units. For the soldiers, a less powerful yet more easily available version is still in development, but estimates show that it will be available for the jarheads in about a month or so, with another 2 months getting a shipment here."
Seeing as though she stayed around long enough, Ahsoka walked away, bidding farewell to Alex, Cin and Serra, to head over to the rooms occupied by the Spartans. Her curiosity about the fabled super-soldiers was based on their combat performance on Coruscant. No normal human can do what they do, so she decide to head in and ask how they can do the things they do.
She had met Trinity team in one of the armor rooms, as they were polishing some of their guns, exercising or just lounging around. She had a rather thoughtful chat with those Spartans and thought they were more than just scary metal giants with golden visors and weapons that tear clones in half. She was in a chat with the team's medic, Mary about her encounter with General Grievous.
"No way, you killed Grievous?" Ahsoka asked in shock. Mary simply shrugged but had a rather smug grin on her face.
"For all of that stupid cyborg's posturing, his bark was simply worse than his bite. Besides, once he realized that our armor is more than 5 times his body weight, he simply broke like a child's toy."
Ahsoka was amazed at some of Trinity's exploits. The fact that their medic took on Grievous single-handedly and won over him is a testament to how good the Spartans are in combat. She was actually amazed that their group was the one that lopped off the leadership of the droid army, or rather, the former Seperatist leader, as the coup that was pulled off by Mina Bonterri had severely weakened Dooku's position.
Raymond, Trinity's leader, laughed when he recalled to Ahsoka the looks of Dooku's followers as he and Daniel blasted through those ranks like wheat before a harvester. Even Dooku was easy kills as he literally vaporized in a bloody manner, leaving his hands and lightsaber to confirm the kill. She asked where the Sniper of Trinity team was. Jackson, the team's heavy, was the one to reply.
"I think he's with his wife to be. After everything that's happened I'm sure a little privacy for those two is a well deserved one."
It was no secret that Daniel and Riyo Chuchi were engaged. Ahsoka decided to talk to Trinity's sniper for another time. She then asked about the history of Spartans and the details of the Scandal that rocked the UNSC and sent ONI out the window. She knew of the Scandal through talking some marines during the beginning of the Clone Wars, but has yet to fully find out the details of it. She was also told that the Spartan IV program allowed its members to leave at anytime. Ahsoka was mildly surprised, but it was only a moment. She was amazed at these super soldiers that she momentarily forgot that they were people and sometimes people find something worth doing more than their profession. She then decided to find about the history of the Spartan project before the Spartan IV program and left the room.
Before she did, Raymond directed her to Six, the ship's AI. Thanking them, she left to find Six.
Ahsoka learned a lot through the AI, Six, who was also based from a Spartan as well. Six also informed them of their pasts, and she felt a sense of, well, shame and pity.
When she first heard of them, it was the Spartan scandal that was gossiped and rumored around Mesa. She was with Senator Amidala as she was unsuccessfully trying to rally the Terrans' support. She overheard some soldiers talking about it and decided to inquire upon it. Those soldiers told her about the scandal, how it destroyed the lives of children and how the now defunct ONI got away with it, until the leak. She was shocked at how the situation developed at the time. The disturbing part was how similar it was to how the Jedi recruit younglings, but the difference was that the Terrans didn't even need to be subtle, unlike the Jedi, who had to endure Anti-Jedi sentiment due to the process.
The Terrans however, covered their tracks and even cloned an imperfect copy so that the family will believe that their child died naturally, when in fact, was taken away to become super-soldiers. The Office of Naval Intelligence, or ONI, was frankly more brutal than the CBMI. She hoped that the CBMI would do no such thing in the future.
The Jedi garnered much hate from the populace due to the fact that they take newborns and younglings away from parents, with the "Baby Ludi" case the most notorious. She opened a holo tab and it read:
Ludi Billane, a young force sensitive Human, was discovered on the planet Ord Thoden, after an earthquake shattered the city Domitree, a city where she and her mother, Jonova Billane, lived. She was brought to the temple, and gave her a new name "Aris-Del Wari" before inducting her as a youngling trainee in the temple.
Her mother found out, and the Anti-Jedi sentiments came to flare at the peak. She was very young when the protests outside the Temple began rallying against the Jedi. Although the case was later forgotten, the anti-Jedi sentiment prevailed. She came to know of it fully when she was a Padawan, when she looked around the Holonet while researching on the topic of "Jedi status in the Galactic Stage"
Ahsoka hopes that one day, the Jedi can come back stronger than before, and hopefully, better than before. The steps taken to improve that image has already begun.
The announcement about Anakin's marriage to Padme sent shockwaves throughout the Jedi populace of Reach. Some hardliners took it badly, but the rest were accepting, some more so. It turns out, some Jedi have also had relationships and because of the changes, felt better than before.
Etain Tur-Mukan was among the first to admit her relationship to Clone Commando Darman of Omega Squad. Many were shocked that she married to a Clone, since many of them felt bitter about the loss of their friends and their home at the hands of the Clone Army. More Jedi came forward, either declaring love to another Jedi, or telling the others they had a loved one but are located in different areas of the galaxy for fear of the war spreading. Zule Xiss was also part of such confession, with the bounty hunter Marik Mereel-Orar, and newly Knighted Jedi Kass Tod and Mak Lotor kissed right there and then, with a few Marines and even some Jedi cheering them on.
Even Obi-Wan was acting a bit strange around Siri Tachi, who herself was acting just as awkward. Unfortunately, Raymond called the two out on it, since he recognized such signs when he himself met his wife. Eventually the two talked about it, and decided they would continue this matter some other time, preferably when there were not a lot of people to watch them. But judging the happy looks on their faces, they may do actually pursue a relationship.
Of course, some Marines decided to try their luck and hit on some lovely Jedi females. Ahsoka found some funny moments as most of them got shot down by some rather pretty, yet uninterested Female Jedi warriors. Serra Keto, however, was asked to go out on a date with a nervous looking Marine, who actually was only 21 when he enlisted. The girl was about his age and she even winked at him before walking away. The boy walked over and the Marines cheered for him, and some cashed checks in. The boy himself, however, looked like he won a million credits. Ahsoka later learned that he was Corporal Charles Witterfield, a young man hailing from the Milky Way galaxy, specifically planet of New Harmony.
This is not the first time they met, but that story was for another time. He and Serra would later go on a date in New Plymouth, much to Cin's dismay (and secret approval).
All in all, the atmosphere was one of joy and celebration, a far cry from the despair seen a few hours ago
Just as they thought things could not get any better, Admiral Morrison came as well with an announcement that shocked the Jedi: Some of the clones actually defected.
Ahsoka was ecstatic to learn that Rex defected, as his crew and that of the Torrent Company and the Slice Hounds had defected as well. As a bonus, they have a Venator class Cruiser that they and a few Spartan teams hijacked (That's a story for another time). Best of all, according to them, they had schematics on the New Ion Cannon weapons that was used to disable the Reach. Morrison assured the Jedi that they can make good use of those. A few more clone battalions rebelled but are still in hiding until they can move to TUG territory. Mantis Company and the Whole of Hades Corps, led by Clone Commander Trips, are already in Andromeda with some of the Jedi that didn't make it to the Temple before the attack. Some more Jedi are out there but Morrison received communication that those other Clone Battalions are moving in to pull them out.
Etain breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that her husband and the rest of his brothers and her "Father" Kal was able to get out in time. But she was also confused as to why their transmission was in being tracked at Kashyyyk, but got her answer in the form of a hulking blue figure standing behind Kal, who was the one who responded the transmissions.
He had a large white metallic chest plate, with a blue eagle crescent on the left breastplate and a red helmet on the right. He had rather bulky shoulder plates and was wearing a helmet that had a slick blue visor. (AU Note: Think a cross of Commander Palmer's Helmet in Spartan Ops Episode 9, and his chest plate a bulkier and more armored version of the Commando Chest Plate in Halo 4).
The Jedi were wide-eyed at the man's appearance. She knew Spartans were tall, but the way he towered over Kal seemed a bit intimidating. It was still a sight they were getting used to.
"I think I can answer that, Master Jedi. Commander Lance Escandor, of Lost Legion. I lead a battalion of Spartan IVs on the UNSC Preston Cole, but we came in advance. Sorry we only just arrived to the party. We took our party to the jungle, instead." He then turned his armored head to Morrison "Primary objectives completed, admiral. We are on route to New Plymouth. ETA in 5 hours." Escandor acknowledged Morrison and saluted.
Admiral Morrison returned it and replied "Acknowledged, Commander. I trust Operation Blind Side didn't have any setbacks?"
"Affirmative." Escandor replied "We got the plans for their "Secret" Weapons, especially one called "Ion Cannon". Not so secret anymore when the eggheads scan them."
Morrison nodded. "We got hit hard by those bastards with that Ion weapon. Hopefully, we can develop a countermeasure to that one with those plans. Excellent work."
Escandor then turned his attention to Etain. "You must be the lovely lady that Darman and Kal Skirata's been swooning about." Etain, to her credit, kept a straight face.
"I am flattered, but unfortunately I am already married." Etain answered. "Can I talk to Darman? I want to ask him about our son's whereabouts." Inwardly, she was worried. The last 24 hours were stressful and in that time she forgot about her son. She was frightened that she forgot little Kad'ika in Coruscant.
Lance sensed her discomfort because he answered her immediately.
"Well I was told by Darman that your friend Nyreen took your kid off Coruscant before he came over, so your son is probably at Glinn's Field by now." Etain was now visibly relieved. Her family was safe.
"It's been fun talking to you all but we should be heading out now. We will debrief Fireteam Trinity later when we reach the base. Signing off." And with that, Lance disconnected the link. Ahsoka thought she saw Morrison shake his head. Morrison then turned to the Jedi and informed them of their location: Glinn's Field, Angelika Island, which is about half a mile from New Plymouth itself. They were still out by 2 hours, but they would get there.
{Glinn's field, Angelika Island CDF base, 24 hours later}
Glinn's Field is New Plymouth's premier air base. It is an artificial island located south of the city and houses most of the airpower of the UNSC in the island. Armed with anti-air guns, anti-armor laser defense grids and even some bunkers surrounding the island, it is clear that any attack would give the enemy massive loss of life in trying to attack it. Underneath is where the main complex and the hangars are present.
Although the times were grim, some didn't let it get them down.
She looked over and saw more good tidings: Etain and her Husband, Darman hugging and kissing one another, with the former holding her son Venku in one hand, and another around her husband's head. The Clones and Kal Skirata, who was with Darman the whole way, watched nearby. Ahsoka also caught glimpse of Spartans in different armor specs and colors moving to a room nearby.
Must be from Lost Legion, She thought.
The Clone defectors and the remaining Jedi soldiers arrived recently after gathering the hiding elements of the Jedi scattered in the Galaxy.
A few hollers and wolf-whistles from the CDF and even some the Clone defectors echoed around the complex, as they saw some Jedi rush and hug people in a manner that can only be described as intimate.
Some of the Jedi were still scarred with the events of the battle, so they were recommended by Morrison to see some psychiatrists in the base. The first patient in was Master Shaak Ti, who had really took the loss of Coruscant hard, and Ahsoka hoped to the Force that these Terrans can help her in recovering swiftly. More would come in the following months.
She was also seeing some Twi'Leks and Togrutans around, helping out the Terrans, or in some cases, patrolling around in UNSC armor. These new aliens that have been taking refuge in New Plymouth actually had become part of the Terran colonists, helping out and some of them joined the UNSC and CDF forces, a fact which stunned both Jedi and UNSC personnel alike, as both know that the UNSC is always comprised of humans. The fact that aliens were now part of the UNSC and CDF represents significant change within the galaxy at large. The repercussions of this move would be unclear, so only time can tell if this was the right move, allowing the aliens to join the UNSC.
Ahsoka smiled as she and her friends watched a film from one of the soldiers, who went by the name and rank of Private 2nd class Jason Surlis, as they kept their guests entertained. It was called Batman Begins, which is followed by The Dark Knight and the The Dark Knight Rises, which his buddy, Corporal Duran Gento, also brought. Their CO ordered them thrown to the garbage but then changed the order at the last minute to entertain the guests. Ahsoka looked on as a couple of Padawans and even some Knights took interest about a man dressed as a bat doing things a that even a Jedi could not do is well, interesting to watch. The Padawan Pack, all healed up, watched as well, some holding hands with loved ones. Aubrie Wyn looked in the direction of Ahsoka and smiled at her, gesturing her to join them.
The Togrutan smiled brightly. The Jedi may no longer have a home, but they had friends. And hopefully, someday, they would win the galaxy back from the Sith Lord that held the Republic at the reins. She still has hope that things will get better.
And with the UNSC, that hope will turn to reality soon enough.
This is only the beginning. This story will have multiple story arcs and will take place before and after the end of HALO: The Terran-Republic Affair.
I have two story arcs coming up, one dealing with the Skirata clan in the wake of the discovery of Order 66, and their involvement with Fireteams Crimson and Outlaw, and the other will take place during the early parts of the war, during the Jabiim campaign. IF you know the Padawan Pack, then you know where I'm going, with some major differences.
I have one more story arc coming up, and is tying in with a recent Spartan Ops episode 9, The Janus Key. This will take place in the when the UNSC Preston Cole enters into the fray, and we will finally discover how humans populated the Andromeda Galaxy.
This is a rather new thing for me, so I will wait at least a week until sufficient reviews are made.
Also, Kudos to Patriot-112 with some of his characters, who he allowed me to borrow and write them in. They are awesome to read.
I would also like to point out that none of this would not have been possible if UH-60 Nightstalker did not allow this to happen. I will wait for more reviews so that I know what the readers think before going on the next one.
Reply and Review please.