Draft

The guard pushed Ryan, Mandalorian armor and all, into the Council Chambers. Readjusting his DC-15a on his back, the general shook off the push and glared back at the guard angerly. Ryan walked forward and looked up to see both IceBite and the Council infront of him, and an audience on either side of him. To his left, he sees old friends; Zack, Leandra, Lucius, and Sen, along with others such as Serah, Adriana, Natalia, May, and Fast Saber. Looking to his right, he sees a more friendly crowd. He sees Spartan Team Maximus, the children he had raised and loved, along with their husbands and wives. Next to them sat the figures of dear friends Nyhlus, Aleksander, and Kayla. He takes one last glance around, failing to spot his beloved wife, Claire. He finnaly takes a deep breathe looks up at IceBite and the Council. Instantly, his heart dropped and the confidence he had moments before dwindled into nothingness. Behind IceBite stood Claire, a blank expression on her face. A mere second later, IceBite's voice echoed throught the room.

"Ryan Ferran, have you any defense?" asked the Commander, rightfully sitting at the head of the Council Chamber. Ryan, still shaken from Claire's presence next to IceBite, spoke up softly.

"No, commander, I have no defense."

"Well then, your verdict is in," said the Commander, sounding more serious then ever. IceBite looked over at the other council members, who gave him a slight nod. IceBite looked back at Ryan and stood up.

"Exile!" yelled IceBite. As soon as he finished his word, murmers and calls let out from the audience.

"What!?" yelled Raynor, jumping out of his chair with eyes wide open.

"No!" yelled Claire, breaking her silience and running up right behind IceBite. Immediatly, guards began walking into the room and started shoving Ryan out of the room. As soon as he was out the door, a monitor that the entire room could see clicked on. It was a zoomed out view of Ryan getting tossed out of the Council chambers. They saw a Phantom Legion clone trooper run up to him and help him up.

"General, you have to go, now!" The clone picked him up and began rushing him inbetween two rows of Phantom Legion soldiers. The soldiers were standing shoulder to shoulder, guns drawn, holding back a horde of Coalition troops. To any passerby, they would think the Coalition was in Civil War. Suddenly, a rock struck Ryan's head. They were followed by a barrage of stones and other items able to be thrown from a distance. The wall of Legion soldiers continued all the way to the landing pad, where Ryan's two ships, the Empire's Demise and the Wind of the Lost were waiting. He ran up the ramp of the Wind of the Lost, quickly preping it for launch.

Back in the Council Chambers, things had begun to get tense. Raynor hopped the small wall separating the audience from the open floor. He shoved a UNCS Marine out of the way, ripping the soldier's pistol out of it's holster. The marine quickly regained himself, grabbing Raynor's shoulder. Raynor delivered an elbow to the man's nose, knocking him back a few feet before unloading a pistol shot into his leg. The marine collapsed, grabbing his leg. Three more guards grabbed Raynor, who easily threw them off him. Samir and Andre quickly jumped the wall as well and charged past the guards. Samir drew his own pistol while Andre ignited his dual lightsabers as the pair surrounded Raynor, protecting him agaisnt the guards. The group of guards stopped dead in their tracks, just staring into the Spartan's faces. After a few moments, Raynor looked up, aiming the pistol at IceBite. Samir turned his head slightly so that Raynor could hear him better, but not for a second letting his aim or vision stray from the guards.

"Don't do anything rash, ner vod." Raynor remained silient. He quickly adjusted his aim to the left and fired once, missing IceBite by mere inches. Unflinching, IceBite stared at the Spartan, much like the guards were doing to Andre and Samir. Finnally, Raynor let out a angry huff and slid the pistol across the floor before turning and storming out of the room.

"From this point forward, command of the Phantom Legion will be entrusted to my sister, Adriana. We are overlooking rank due to the relationship between Ryan and the other ranking officers in the Legion. Meeting abjurned," IceBite said, leaning back in his chair.

"IceBite, please, I beg you to reconsider," pleeded Claire. "This is my husband we're talking about."

"He used us. He used us to gain power for himself at our expense," IceBite said, watching Raynor storm out.

"He did what he thought was best for the Coalition," said Claire, barely believing what she had just said.

"He did what he thought was best way to become leader!" IceBIte snapped back. "He did what he thought was right, and I'm doing what I think is right."

"Please, don't do this," Claire said, tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

"He's doing what everyother Shadow Alliance member has done before him; sacrifice others for his own gain. He is following in the footsteps of tyrants like Tartorus, and if he returns, I must follow in my own footsteps and defeat him," IceBite said, watching the audience leave as medic arrive to help to wounded marine.

"You will never be as good as you were before!" Claire said before running out of the room, crying. IceBite just sat their with a shocked look on his face, unable to comprehend what she had just said.