The planet Rhuban IV. A calm, tranquil place, if such a thing exists in this Galaxy,thought Commissar Urivin. Though he was born on Bonaventure, his duties as a Commissar brought him to the peaceful planet in the Ultima Segmentum. Far from the Eye, far from the Tau Empire and far from his home planet. Arguably, the most tranquil sliver of the Imperium. It's oceans were turquoise, the beaches were made of an exquiste purple sand and large palms sprouted along the coasts of the large, Island Hives.
Urivin was standing at the edge of the Imperial transport convoy. The large ships grumbling in the distance. He and his men, the newly conscripted Rhuban 175th. Convicts and foster children. All of them. Clad in their dull, newly issued grey and darker grey fatigues and their autumn flora colored Flak armor. They'd never seen action, yet still souvenirs and trophies cling to them, around their necks anywhere they could tie them off. All of them were waiting to load up and get sent off to some far, war torn hell hole. He stared out into the oceans. He was the last to load onto the troop transports.
"Ready to go when you are, sir," Corven told his Commissar. Corven was Urivins aid, and was quite useful... at the best of times. At most times though, he clung to the Commissar reporting the most annoying minor details.
"All right, buckle up and les'get this boat off the ground." Urivin replied, pulling on the stifling harness.
"Yes sir, right away sir," Corven moved and spoke into a Vox box,"Get us in the air, pilot."
Corven barely had time to sit back down and strap in before the ship lurched as in slowly gained altitude to the waiting, Battleship, Gallop of Justice. As they left the planet's atmosphere the mighty ship came into view. A grand sight. Spires reaching off from the hull, massive weapon batteries and guns protruding from the boxy stern up to the finely carved ram. Gothic architecture decorated the area around the ports.
The ship grew larger and larger until eventually they landed into port.
The port was large, massive actually. Capable of holding a couple of the transport ships. The small auxillary ports of the transport opened as the Commissar and his aid climbed out. It took about ten minutes to get to the other side of the port from the middle.
When they finally arrived at the briefing room, all the other Commissars and commanders accompaning Urivin were already seated and sipping Amaseac.
"Ah, Commissar Urivin. Glad of you to make it." A large set man stated noting the Commissars impiled tardiness.
"Shut your grubbin' slop hole Mengsk. Where we headin'?"
"Off to the Alcarus Sub-scector." Another, lean man said.
"Isn't that sector cut off by a Warpstorm?"
"Untill recently, yes. It's open now, and we've got simple enough orders: (1) Secure the sector and subdue any resistance and (2) thoroughly log the planets."
John Shepard, the only human Spectre to serve the Council; the embodiment of government in Citadel Space, was bored. Bored and annoyed. After his defeat of Saren, he lost his purpose. And now he was sitting, sitting and watching the vast cloud of the purple solar system in his quarters, the Citadel far off in the distance.
"Commander Shepard," chimmed his radio.
"What is it, Joker," Shepard replied
"Getting a message from the Council, should I patch it through?"
"Go ahead." The panels to the western wall lite up, and three holograms of the Council memebers took place.
"Commander Shepard," The female Asari began,"We have some news that you might find... interesting."
"You may be aware of the Mass Relay E-LC-451," The Turian said.
"Of course, it's in the Local Cluster, close to Earth,"
"Well, it's now full operational. The Relay signalled the Citadel on it's restart. We don't know why it suddenly activated. We need you to check it out,"
Shepard saw where this was going,"...and since it's in the Local Cluster, any attempt for a non-human expedition could draw Earth's attention,"
"Exactly. We need the Normandy to check it out and report it back to the Citadel."
"Alright, i'll see what I can do." Shepard stated before closing the link, Finally a nice,simple misson to ease my mind.
The Enclave were encroaching on the Capital Wasteland and it's inhabitants daily. The Brotherhood of Steel was strected thin already in dealing with the Super Mutants. Sentinel Sarah Lyons doubted if they could hold out aganist such treahts. Not to mention the Lone Wanderer was long gone, somewhere off in the Wastes after being captured by the Enclave. Things were grim.
Though the Brotherhood had secured Megaton and their outposts in the city and began emergency recruitment, they were still undermanned. Not to mention the significant man power they had to divert from fighting the Mutants, and to protecting Megaton. Very grim.
And the Vertibirds, those damned aircraft that allowed the Enclave to spread like a wild fire. She was often told by scribes how they'd kill for the chance to study one of them.
The brotherhood was in trouble, and desperatly needed help.