ʀᴇᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴇɴᴠᴏʏ
OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR // ENVOY FIELD RECORD
TAVO HALOR
TAVO HALOR
LOCATION Deep Space, Iron Covenant Territory ⟡ OBJECTIVE Diplomatic Overture
The coordinates supplied by the Iron Covenant placed the meeting somewhere in deep space, away from any planetary territory. Tavo had expected as much after reading through the latest material on the Covenant. Their government travelled with its people, so there had been little reason to expect a conventional diplomatic venue.
The Republic shuttle reverted to realspace close to the position they had been given.
Tavo had moved forward for the approach some time earlier, leaving the actual flying to the pilot while he watched the handful of vessels resolve against the dark beyond the viewport. The navigation display identified the Gra'tua Dral among them, and he recognised the name. The warship had appeared more than once in the reports from Humbarine, though the difference between seeing it reduced to a line in a briefing file and sitting opposite it in open space was considerable.
His attention lingered on the hull as they approached. It was long and broad through the forward section, narrowing toward a heavier concentration of superstructure aft, with armour plating layered across the surface in uneven sections. The metal carried years of scoring and discolouration, darker seams marking places where panels had been replaced or reinforced. Warm light showed through recesses along the flanks, catching against exposed machinery. Broad fins and projecting structures broke up the silhouette, while the repairs drew his eye more readily than whatever the original lines of the vessel might once have been.
It looked well-used; and for a warship, that told him far more than polish would have.
"We are being hailed, sir," the pilot said, her helmet comm buzzing. She pressed several controls on the flight panel. "Sending codes now."
Tavo nodded. His datapad rested across one knee, the last of the material from the Chancellor's office already downloaded. The promised manifest had arrived before they crossed into the region, along with the Republic's current brief on the Mandalorian Empire. He had spent enough of the journey reading both and closed the screen as the shuttle's communications panel came alive a second time.
Clearance followed shortly afterward.
The pilot glanced toward him. "We've been given a landing assignment."
Tavo looked once more toward the Covenant ships before rising from the seat.
"All right. Take us in."
He remained forward during the approach while the pilot closed the distance, keeping closely to the assigned path. The Gra'tua Dral steadily filled the viewport until the shuttle passed into one of the warship's hangar bays.
The landing gear met the deck with a slight shift beneath his feet.
"Power us down," Tavo said as he stood, glancing once toward the shield controls. "No reason to look nervous."
The pilot acknowledged him and began the post-flight sequence.
Tavo crossed back through the shuttle corridor while the engine noise faded behind him. In the passenger compartment, he straightened the front of his jacket almost absently, checked the charge on his datapad, then returned it to his hand.
He had brought no entourage with him. The flight crew would remain aboard unless needed, and Tavo carried nothing beyond the datapad.
A change in the light above the hatch signalled that the compartment had equalised.
He waited for the ramp to lower, then stepped out onto the Gra'tua Dral...
HOUSE HALOR // SERVICE • DISCIPLINE • UNDERSTANDING