A/N: Unfortunately, incorporating elements from the movie accurately into the story is both time-consuming and boring, so for the next chapter I do plan on scaling back on the amount I draw from the movies and leave all that up to the assumption that you, the readers, being avid fans, will be more than familiar with all of that. For this chapter at least, the plot retreading was an unfortunate necessity to clarify that certain key events do happen the way they do in the movies in spite of the crossover.

Gateway

Chapter 16

Fire and Brimstone

Open Circle Fleet
Republic Fleet Staging Grounds, Coruscant
Destination: Utapau System

General Kenobi felt a distinct sense of discomfiture at the presence of the power-armored SPARTANs, despite having served with them on several previous occasions over the long conflicts of the Clone Wars. There was something about their superhuman abilities combined with their inhuman coldness that seemed unnatural to him, wrong. Then again, there were those that leveled the same complaints against the Jedi, and Obi-Wan feared that the psychological toll of the Clone Wars had begun to spread such sentiments ever-deeper in the populace of the Republic.

The misfortunates and tribulations of Jedi internal politics and the Order's identity crisis in the conflict probably did little to help matters.

Still, such backup would be extremely helpful on the mission he was about to undertake. Dooku's body may never have been recovered, but all intelligence intercepts from the Confederacy seemed to indicate the Count's demise in the Battle of Coruscant. The same intelligence reports traced the Supreme Commander of the droid armies, General Grievous, back to the sinkhole world of Utapau. If Kenobi and the Open Circle Fleet could strike and eliminate Grievous, the Separatist threat and the entire war would be effectively over.

Kenobi wrapped up his briefing with Commander Cody. It was curious that clones so identical in so many ways could be such individuals, and that Obi-Wan could form the close bonds of friendship with them he now had. Such was the weight of war.

"Just don't take to long," he jibed at Cody.

The clone commander scoffed. "When have I ever let you down?"

"Ha. Very well, the burden is on me not to destroyall the droids before you arrive."

Leaping up over the wing of his Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor, the Jedi master waved off to his clone troops. The squad of SPARTAN commandos boarded their own specially-modified Pelican transport, rigged with a hyperspace booster ripped out of an ARC-170. Next stop: Utapau.

BB-109 Napoleon
UNSC 5th Fleet, UCS Task Force Tranquility
Outer Rim Sieges
Cato Nemoidia

It wasn't strictly necessary and probably somewhat hazardous for Vice Admiral Arthur Kessler to be watching the massive battle for Cato Neimoidia from an external balcony, but the old sailor in him loved the feeling of rushing air and the slightly singed smell of the air around a battle. The air blossomed with multicolored explosions from the raging battle over one of Cato Neimoidia's arch-cities some distance away. Kessler could see a Republic Venator-class star destroyer angled ventrally against the flak, its dorsal hanger open and deploying starfighters into the fray. Another Venator stationed itself higher up, nearly brushing the down-hanging structures from the city's arches. Torrents of incoming fire from a droid Lucrehulk core parked against another spire sailed overhead and hit the structure, collapsing the center of the arch. Against the weight of the collapsing arch, the Venator's shields collapsed and the vessel cracked in half, going down in flames with thousands of civilians.

Kessler palmed the hatch and reentered his ship. "Order a secondary MAC to lock a firing solution on that Lucrehulk," he spoke into his mouthpiece, "and Nelson, give me an update on the orbital battle."

An AI hologram helpfully projected from a wall console.

"UNSC Fifth Fleet losses projected at a marathon-class cruiser and several frigates. Twelve other ships have suffered varying degrees of damage. Task force commander Zeno 'Moram's battle-net indicates four CCS-class battlecruisers lost along with ten support vessels. Enemy fleet combat readiness estimated at below 40% and dropping."

"Very good, Nelson. Tell the fleet to recall fighter-class combat elements; we cannot sustain the attrition losses that both the Republic and Confederacy can."

The AI's acknowledgement of the order was drowned out bone-jarring shudder of the vessel as a MAC discharged.

General Kenobi
Utapau

"Greetings, young Jedi. What brings you to our remote sanctuary?"

"Unfortunately, the war," Obi-Wan responded.

The Utapauan arched his head. "There is no war here, unless you've brought it with you."

Kenobi overlooked the remark. "With your kind permission, I should like some fuel, and to use your city as a base as I search nearby systems for General Grievous."

The alien motioned to some workers to begin refueling, before leaning in conspiratorially.

"He is here. We are being held hostage," he whispered. "They are watching us."

"I understand."

The Utapauan leaned back. "Tenth level. Thousands of battle droids."

"Tell your people to take shelter. If you have warriors, now is the time."

Obi-Wan instructed his astromech to fly the Eta-2 away as he slipped into the city's shadows. Distantly, he could hear the local delegation's departing murmurings.

"Is he bringing additional warriors?"

"He… didn't say."

"I'm in the city; I'll see if I can make my way towards Grievous." Kenobi spoke into his UNSC-issued mouthpiece as he headed towards a creature pen. From what he understood, his allies were waiting in their dropship, which they had rendered invisible with some sort of cloaking device.

SPECWAR/Group Three
Operating Unit Wolf
Utapau

"Do you reckon those tin cans can hear us breathing in here?"

Brian could have sworn he heard Kim groan into her helmet. "Charles, anyone can hear you breathe."

"Bullshit."

"No, she's right," Brian interjected, "I'm surprised you even qualified for the SPARTAN program given your complete lack of stealthiness."

Charles grunted. "Good thing the IV series doesn't go through that insane stuff the IIs did."

Matthew motioned with a hand to a viewscreen. Outside the hovering pelican, the broad Utapauan balcony was crawling with droids.

Brian banged on the cockpit door. "Does this stealth field hold if I pop the hatch?"

He received a grunt to the affirmative, and palmed the activation button next to the door. Dropping to one knee, the SPARTAN-IV leveled his M101 linear accelerator to his shoulder, allowing the smart-linked scope to auto-calibrate to the wind conditions, gravity, and minor movements of the Pelican.

"Wolf actual has eyes-on VIP targets."

Brian could see Grievous shepherding what appeared to be most of the separatist council away from the balcony. It was tempting to take a shot – a good gauss hit could probably tear at least three of them to shreds or take out General Grievous, but it would be instant death from the hundreds of droids milling about. Atop a rafter, he could see General Kenobi.

Brian lowered his rifle and zoomed in with his helmet's in-built function, enhancing audio. He saw the Jedi Master lithely drop two stories down right behind General Grievous.

"Hello there!" Obi-Wan chirped cheerfully.

Brian was certain every member of Wolf Team was internally groaning. The Jedi were certainly skilled, preternaturally so and perhaps more so than SPARTANs, but their tactics and situational awareness could use some significant improvement.

"General Kenobi," Grievous wheezed, "You are a bold one. Kill him."

Several magna guards advanced, and Brian was almost prepared to go loud with his rifle, but Kenobi effortlessly pulled on a loading trolley with the Force, smashing it down onto the group before casually bisecting the surviving droid.

Brian didn't think anyone in from his universe ever truly acclimated to the very magical and supernatural qualities of the Force. He certainly hadn't.

All the remaining droids, several hundred of them, leveled weapons at the Jedi.

"Back away!" Grievous ordered, "I will deal with this Jedi slime myself."

The droid commander reared up to his full height.

"Your move," Kenobi quipped.

"You fool! I was trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku!"

Grievous shrugged off his cape and disconnected his arms, activating four lightsabers at once.

"Attack, Kenobi!"

The Jedi Master, readied his lightsaber in his opening stance. Grievous began rotating his forward blades, moving forward in an intimidating shower of sparks and light. Obi-Wan darted in with a rapid strike, and the duel began. The flurry of Grievous's four lightsabers was nearly impossible to follow, even for the enhanced reflexes of a Spartan, but Kenobi managed to deflect all the blows. A repositioning counterstrike on one of his blocks severed a hand from Grievous, dropping the lightsaber count down to three.

Grievous renewed his attack with vengeance, battering the Jedi's defensive stance. Kenobi parried a locking blow and slid his saber down, severing another hand before Grievous could react.

Brian noticed a beeping on his tactical display, followed moments later by the rocking of atmospheric explosions. The Open Circle Fleet had arrived. On the observation deck, several gunships swooped down and deployed troops that opened up in a fusillade against CIS defenses.

Brian motioned to his team. "You know the drill. Fire support and elimination of VIP targets if possible. Let's not get sloppy, people."

Guardian of Sangheilios
UCS Flagship
Geosynchronous Orbit, Coruscant
Force Composition: 1000 Vessels

Xylan 'Jar Vadam sipped at his human coconut milk through a straw, the only effective way to consume human drinks with his mandible mouth structure. He had always found that particular beverage strangely addicting. Perhaps he would ask Admiral Xiang to allow the Sangheili to plant some trees in the Keep of Vadam.

The massive sangheili reclined in his hovering chair, contemplating the star map that filled his command room. With the disastrous strike at Coruscant and the inexplicable doubling of the Republic's standing troop numbers, the long, dragged-out war had suddenly flipped decisively in the Republic's favor. It was almost magical.

Coalition losses over the long months of conflict had been mitigated by smart deployment, but Xylan knew each soldier lost was far more expensive than anyone in this universe could understand. Coalition numbers were peas to the sheer volume the Republic and CIS fielded in battles for single star systems. Nor could the Coalition long sustain such a large scale conflict with trouble brewing on the homefront – the Insurrection gained momentum by the day, and Jiralhanae raids had never truly settled down after their disastrous strike at Sangheilios.

The massive sangheili shifted his bulk slightly, as he heard the voice emanating from a pulsating holographic globe – the relay for one of Xiang's listening devices tied into Republic systems. This one had something interesting to say, for once.

"I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi," echoed the deep baritone voice of Master Windu, "the Dark Side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor."

Another Jedi chimed in, though Xylan did not so easily recognize the voice. "If he does not give up his emergency powers after the destruction of Grievous, then he should be removed from office."

"The Jedi Council will have to take control of the Senate in order to secure a peaceful transition," Windu responded.

The gravelly and wizened voice the popped in could only belong to the venerable Master Yoda. "To a dark place, this line of thought could carry us. Hm… great care, we must take."

Xylan clacked his mandibles. This could prove quite an interesting turn of events indeed. He palmed the floating light-interface above his throne-chair's elevated armrests. "Xiang? Your devices have intercepted something I think you will find most interesting…"

SPECWAR/Group Three
Operating Unit Wolf
Utapau

A large-bore blaster bolt tore through the air where Brian-768's MJOLNIR-encased head had been milliseconds earlier, leaving a distinctive, warbling sound and superheated air in its wake. The SPARTAN slid down towards the ground as successive shots tracked his moving body. His momentum carried him in behind a crate. Before he could feel the thud of his boots making contact, Brian pushed off to the side with his hand and lurched back upwards as the crab droid obliterated that potential piece of cover. The brief moment of respite as the droid's sensors retargeted gave Brian a split second to scope, aim, and fire his M101 gauss.

In under half of a second, his SPARTAN reflexes dispatched a single high-velocity tungsten-jacketed round into the nexus of the droid. His HUD painted the outlines of his team members in a comforting green glow as the volume of return blaster fire from droid forces dwindled. The Republic's elite 501st was rapidly smashing through the increasingly disorganized CIS army.

"Lieutenant, Republic ComNet is reporting that General Kenobi is engaged in a high-speed duel and pursuit with General Grievous," Kim's voice chimed, "Caesar has extrapolated out the General's path to a small landing bay a few klicks from here."

"Acknowledged. Wolf team, form up and push to the outer sinkhole platforms so we can rendezvous with the Pelican."

Out of the corner of his eye, Brian caught a 102 mm high-explosive anti-vehicle rocket burst against the side of an AAT, cracking the tank open.

"Score fifty for Charles!", the SPARTAN's voice bellowed.

Kim huffed. "That's only forty-one. You're still behind."

"Tanks count as ten, Kim. They're big and bad and mean."

"And you have a rocket launcher, so grow up," she scolded.

"Keep the chatter down, team. The landing pad's up ahead."

The team boarded their Pelican, letting loose a few potshots as the dropship angled upwards and away, out of Utapau City's primary sinkhole and towards the much-smaller secondary location that Grievous and Kenobi were rapidly heading towards. The air bloomed with multicolored airburst flak in green and blue and red every which way as the Battle of Utapau raged. A wing of LAAT/i gunships swooped by, their characteristic engine warbles carrying over the din of battle.

"I wish we had dropships like those beauties," Charles sighed.

Kim murmured her assent. "Pelicans are rugged and reliable, but they can't hold a candle to a Larty. Speed, firepower, maneuverability, capacity, space-worthiness, everything about that thing is a beauty of engineering."

"Not enough, sometimes," Brian noted as a vulture droid strafing from up above clipped a gunship's engines, sending it into a death spiral. The transport and all thirty clones aboard perished in a ball of fire against the side of the massive sinkhole, lost amidst the thousands of other explosions.

General Kenobi
Utapau

Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Jedi Master, sitting member of the Council, and one of the finest Jedi of his time.

That didn't make his foot any more effective against General Grievous's duranium-alloy body.

"Augh!" the Jedi Master vocalized as that foot ricocheted off of Grievous's alabaster leg armor.

The General cackled, flinging Obi-Wan to the edge of the platform where he lay dangling precariously off the edge. Kenobi could feel the wind snapping at his legs, whirling about the sinkhole that went thousands of feet down were he to fall. He could hear Grievous picking up his electrostaff, leisurely clanking towards Kenobi as the Jedi hauled himself arms-first over the edge.

In his limited field of view, Kenobi spotted Grievous's hand-blaster lying discarded on the far side of the platform where he had knocked it out of the droid general's hand earlier. Summoning the power of the Force, Obi-Wan willed the blaster towards his hand. It skittered across the platform towards him, and he caught it as Grievous raised his staff for a deathblow.

A precisely-aimed shot hit Grievous in his exposed midriff where Obi-Wan had pried open the protective duranium plating, lighting his organ sack ablaze. Grievous emitted a noise between a strangled groan and an exclamation of startled surprise as he caught bits of flaming gut in his metallic hand.

Obi-Wan kept firing, lighting what was left of Grievous's organic body alight in furious flame that rushed through the internals of the armor suit and burst out of the General's eyes before the combustion reached critical heat and Grievous burst open with a light pop, scattering flaming bits of Kaleesh organ across the landing pad.

Kenobi pulled himself back up with a groan, tossing away the blaster as he approached Grievous's well-scorched remains.

"So uncivilized," he intoned.

The Jedi Master heard the soft rushing sound characteristic of a UNSC Pelican, and a shadow fell over him as the vehicle descended vertically from the sinkhole's upper levels. A blue-armored soldier leapt off the tail end of the vehicle, landing on the platform beside Grievous's body with a heavy metallic thud.

"General Kenobi! We heard you were in pursuit of Grievous, but clearly you have the situation under control."

"Of course, Brian. I'll catch a ride with you back to Commander Cody's staging area, if you don't mind. I should alert the Jedi Council that Grievous has been eliminated."

Jedi Master Mace Windu
Office of the Chancellor
Coruscant

Jedi Masters Windu, Fisto, Tiin, and Kolar marched into the office of Chancellor Palpatine, elected leader of the Galactic Senate and the Republic. The Chancellor swiveled around in his high chair, a half smile tugging at his face.

"Master Windu!" he greeted, "I take it General Grievous has been destroyed."

The Chancellor paused briefly as the Jedi stopped, not responding to him.

"I must say you're here sooner than expected."

Mace Windu pulled out his lightsaber in a deliberate motion as his fellow Jedi did the same. "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor," he proclaimed, activating his saber.

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?"

Windu's face was nearly expressionless, with only the barest hint of disdain. "The Senate will decide your fate."

"I am the Senate!" Palpatine intoned, his voice suddenly raspy and menacing.

"Not yet."

The Chancellor stood, his robes flowing outwards. With a flick of his wrist, a lightsaber that had lain unused for so very long materialized in his hand.

"It's treason, then."

Sidious's red saber ignited, and before the party of Jedi could so much as twitch the Sith Lord had vaulted in a flip over his desk, corkscrewing towards the Jedi with a roar. Agen Kolar went down almost immediately as Sidious's blade impaled him, unable to react to the sheer speed of the Sith's assault. Master Tiin moved to attack the Sith's exposed back as his comrade fell, but Sidious slashed backhandedly and killed him instantly.

Kit Fisto and Mace Windu managed to repel the whirling frenzy of strikes that was Lord Sidious, being forced into a desperate defense even though they had Sidious flanked on both sides. As Windu managed a single hefty blow against Sidious's saber, the Dark Lord pirouetted and slashed across Master Fisto's chest, ending his life as well.

It was only Windu and Sidious left now, possibly the two mightiest duelists in all the galaxy. Their sabers crashed furiously, Windu's concentration never wavering as the Sith forced him back blow after blow. Every millisecond felt like a fraction of a breath away from death as the Jedi Master fought for his life.

Sidious swung at Windu's midsection, and the Jedi Master barely jumped back in time to avoid it before clashing sabers with the Sith once more. A few more powerful swings later and Windu was left staring at Sidious's blade pointed directly at his chest. Summoning the ferocity and agility of his Vapaad lightsaber form, WIndu suddenly brought his saber down and around Sidious's, turning critical vulnerability into a saber lock. Sidious's strength was nothing in the face of Windu's, and the Jedi Master mercilessly pushed the Sith back.

The pair fought on, with Sidious utilizing the full array of his acrobatic abilities to dance around Windu and strike at him with unbelievable speed and anger, but they could not stop the Jedi's slow and unstoppable advance. Windu kept striking with a consistent rhythm, forcing the increasingly desperate Sith Lord back. With a one-handed swipe, both lightsabers burst the large window pane of the office's observation deck.

Sidious renewed his offense, attempting several inwards and feinting strikes that nearly put Windu off-balance. Seeing an opening, the Jedi lashed out with a powerful force-aided kick that threw Sidious back and his lightsaber out of the window. The Sith shimmied backwards, writhing almost like a fish out of water.

Windu leveled his lightsaber at Sidious's face. "You are under arrest, my lord," Windu said, the last part spoken with a mocking contempt. Windu felt a profound sense of serenity and relief. The Sith threat was contained. The Republic would survive.

BB-109 Napoleon
UNSC 5th Fleet, UCS Task Force Tranquility
Outer Rim Sieges
Cato Nemoidia

The plastering of Admiral David Xiang's face across a 90-inch viewcreen did little to improve the admiral's deeply concerned expression. Vice Admiral Kessler was probably even more concerned than his boss, since in most circumstances Xiang never seemed to display any sort of outward negativity.

"Admiral Kessler, I want half of the 5th Fleet to be ordered back to Gateway immediately under the command of Commodore Boufin. We're receiving tremendous amounts of unusual back-channel chatter in Republic MilInt channels."

"Acknowledged. The battle is in our favor at the moment anyway; we can spare the ships."

Xiang's face blurred out for a moment from interference before clarifying again. "Arthur, watch your back out there. I wouldn't trust anyone if I were you, and make sure you've got your drives spooled up for an emergency slipspace jump if the shit hits the fan."

"Yes sir."

Xiang's face blanked out and was replaced by a tactical map of the arch the Napoleon was drifting under, exchanging light weapons battery fire with anti-air artillery located on the arch's underside.

"This is the Admiral speaking. Commodore Perry will take a detachment of ships and proceed to Orbital Staging Alpha, and then depart for Gateway. All remaining vessels, cease individual actions and conform to battle pattern D-12 around the Napoleon in a holding pattern. Recall all groundside troops if possible and stay restricted to support actions."

Vice Admiral Kessler watched as his ships moved in elegant arcs across the deep-blue sky, an increasing sense of unease gnawing away inside.

Jedi Master Mace Windu
Office of the Chancellor
Coruscant

Mace Windu could sense Anakin's presence before he noticed the young Jedi Knight out of the corner of his eye. Skywalker exuded all the same roiling confusion and uncertain loyalties that he had when he told Windu of the Chancellor's treachery. If anything, he was more conflicted now than ever.

"Anakin! I told you it would come to this," Sidiuos sniveled, feigning weakness. "I was right. The Jedi are taking over!"

"The oppression of the Sith will never return," Windu snarled. "You have lost."

"No, no, no! You have lost!" Sidious growled, flinging a wall of lightning at Mace Windu. The Jedi Master ably deflected the lighting with his saber, forcing it back onto the Sith with raw brute strength.

"He's…a… traitor!" Palpatine cried out as his own lightning licked at him.

"He is the traitor!" WIndu insisted, keeping his attention focused on Sidious rather than Anakin as he barely managed to keep the power of Sidious's force lightning at bay. The young knight had proven his allegiances by telling the Jedi of the Chancellor.

"I have the power to save the one you love," Palpatine cried weakly, "you must choose!" Windu wondered briefly, but paid it no mind as he struggled with the sheer power of the dark lord's lightning.

"Don't listen to him, Anakin!"

"Don't let him kill me," the chancellor implored, "I can't hold it any longer. I-I-I.. I'm too weak. Anakin! Help me! Help me!"

Master Windu now saw the full danger posed by Palpatine. The Sith Lord was more powerful than any Jedi save Windu himself or Master Yoda, and his grip on the Republic was absolute. The Force guiding Windu left no room for doubt – if left alive, Sidious would spell the doom of the Republic and the entire Jedi Order.

"I will end this, once, and for all."

"You can't," Anakin protested, "He must stand trial."

"He has control of the Senate and the courts. He's too dangerous to be left alive."

"I'm too weak," Palpatine dissembled from the corner, sounding about as authentic as a sniveling child. "Don't kill me. Please!"

"It's not the Jedi Way," Anakin insisted, and had Windu been paying attention, he might have noticed the young Jedi's increasing pallor and the yellowing of his eyes. "He must live!"

Windu thought for a moment, feeling the guidance of the Force. There could be no other way. The Sith Lord had to die.

"Please don't," Sidious begged.

"I need him!" Anakin thundered, but Windu was no longer listening. He raised his blade for a single, deadly kill.

"Please, don't!" Sidious begged for the hundredth time.

"NO!" Anakin roared, activating his blade and in one fell swoop severing Master Windu's arm.

Windu felt pain, searing pain such as he had never, ever known, and he screamed in agony.

"Power!" Sidious yelled as lightning lanced forth from his fingertips once more. Anakin only stared, unmoving as one of the most legendary Jedi in history melted away before him. "Unlimited power!"

And with that, Mace Windu was no more.

"What've I done?" Anakin sank to his knees.

"You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin. Become my apprentice. Learn to use the Dark Side of the Force."

"I will do whatever.. you ask."

"Gooood."

Anakin's eyes were red and brimming with tears as he looked up. "Just help me save Padmé's life. I can't live without her."

Sidious's voice was gravelly, low, and halting. "It is a power that only one has achieved, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret."

Anakin crawled to Sidious's feet on his knees. "I pledge myself to your teachings."

"Good," the Sith's voice rasped, "the Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith, you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth.. Vader."

"Thank you, my master."

"Rise."

"Because the Council did not trust you, my young apprentice, I believe you are the only Jedi with no knowledge of this plot. When the Jedi learn what has transpired here, they will kill us, along with all the Senators."

Anakin voiced his assent. "I agree. The Council's next move will be against the Senate.

"Every single Jedi, including your friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is now an enemy of the Republic," Palpatine declared as he raised his black hood.

Anakin bowed his head for only a moment. "I understand, Master."

"We must move quickly. The Jedi are relentless; if they are not all destroyed, it will be civil war without end. First, I want you to go to the Jedi Temple. We will catch them off balance. Do what must be done, Lord Vader. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy. Only then will you be strong enough with the dark side to save Padme."

"What about the other Jedi spread across the galaxy?" Vader asked.

"Their betrayal will be dealt with," Palpatine said with a note of joy. "After you have killed all the Jedi in the Temple, go to the Mustafar system. Wipe out Viceroy Gunray and the other Separatist leaders. Once more, the Sith will rule the galaxy, and we shall have… peace."

A/N: There's Part 2 of the 3-parter plot arc covering the events of Revenge of the Sith. The last, I promise you, will be fittingly spectacular and will very probably defy a lot of expectations as to what goes down.

To Greed11 - yes, that last part was a bit rushed. I guess I was getting a little too excited to rush that chapter into publication to finally be back in the swing of things.

To MordalfusGrea - Given that the Republic has even larger ships like the Mandator-II class Star Dreadnaught, I'm sure the Coalition's larger ships don't seem all that large. Supercarriers are perhaps an exception to that, but then again it's easy to lose sight of the fact that fleets, armies, politics, and life in general in the Star Wars universe exists on a scale several magnitudes larger than that of the Halo universe.