Project Ares

What's the next move?

War Mantle truly disturbed the clones on the Dawn because it showed just how little value they really had in Palpatine's eyes. 10 years of rigorous training plus dozens if not hundreds of battles worth of experience per clone, traded for what? An army that was made up by arrogant teenagers or the bottom of society that had no other alternative. And the worst part was that this project had been going on for at least 9 months now and had at least 5,000 infantrymen ready to deploy. If he wanted, Palpatine could've sent them out to fight alongside the clones and save hundreds if not thousands of brothers from dying in a war that he started in the first place.

Lastly was Project Orion, and half-way though reading it all the commanders slowly stepped away from the Master Chief. Turns out that after being kicked out of the RSA, Tarkin gave all the files regarding 117 to a secret R&D group that then proceeded to try and recreate the original Project Ares. But according to the file, candidates were given less invasive augmentations than what Chief had received way back in the Old Republic days.

The candidates were given a cocktail of drugs that amplified their reflexes, muscles density, vision and speed. But because Tarkin wanted quantity over quality, less dangerous methods had to be taken, resulting in their performance not coming even close to the levels that Master Chief displayed during combat. However, the file did state that the new generation of spartans would be equipped with power armour that could apparently put them on par with 117.

Furious wouldn't even begin to describe how Chief was feeling, hence why all the clones in the Dawn had slowly backed away to a safe distance. Storming out of the shuttle and marching off into the forest, the clones soon lost sight of Chief. Deciding that they should probably go get Fives or another member of Blue Team to go talk to him, the commanders started running towards the Villa as if they were cadets being chased by Alpha-17.

Meanwhile deep within the forest, Chief was decimating the plant life, punching holes through trees that would be able to take a rocket and kicking over boulders that a normal person would never be able to budge. 117 was angry beyond words, would Tarkin's betrayal ever cease? How could they desecrate the memory of John's family by spitting in their image? To be a spartan was more than just having augmentations and a power armour. To be a spartan was to be the ultimate warrior, closing off emotional ties with everyone besides your fellow spartan, to channel your mind to pure warfare, and to keep pushing on, even when your body is broken beyond repair.

That's what it meant to be a spartan, that's why they were the best warriors in the galaxy. Because no matter the odds or the thousands of enemies they had to fight, spartans never gave up and fought to their last breath. That was how the original Blue Team went out, along with every other spartan besides 117. Taking off his helmet, John let a silent tear fall down his cheek as he relived the memory of how he lost his brothers and sisters in the line of duty against the Sith.

Now it here he was, in the middle of another galactic wide conflict against the same enemy that he had fought a 1,000 years ago. From behind him Chief heard rustling as he turned to see Blue Team, fully geared up and ready to go. Fives spoke up from the front. "What's the next move Chief?"

"We take the fight to Palpatine." Chief answered after putting his helmet back on. They were going to hurt Sidious and his Empire so badly that the Sith Lord was going to wish that he never joined the dark side in the first place.

Time skip

Imperial Black Site - Dagobah

Over the next three weeks Blue Team went on a rampage against the Empire, decimating any resistance they faced. They knew the GAR tactics, regulations, clearance codes and where the major bases and security posts were. Hitting their target which could range anywhere from a listening outpost to a supply shipment, Blue Team was constantly replenishing their resources, sending the abundance of surplus back to the fleet. While all this was happening, they were scouring Imperial databases for the location of Project Orion.

If what the file said was true, then the galaxy would not be able to stop Palpatine. With no Jedi Order to counter the supersoldiers, the new 'spartans' would be unstoppable. That's why Blue Team had to find where they were being trained so that they could end this before it even started.

They had just finished knocking out a secret Imperial bunker on the swamp planet of Dagobah containing a vast array of troop movements. As Static got to his station to process the intel, Hardcase and Jesse went to the showers, their part of the mission got a little sticky at the end. Suddenly, a message from the Autumn came through on the monitor, ordering the Spirit of Fire back to the fleet.

It was urgent, according to the transmission, the Bad Batch had found them and were trying to come aboard. Plotting a course for the fleet, Blitz engaged the hyperdrive as the Spirit of Fire jumped to hyperspace.