A/N: This is my shot at a full AU OC story. This story use to be on the website and than deleted it because I lost motivation to write it. I thought I had lost this story to the digital trash but while going through old stuff I found this story along with a couple chapters and decided to republish this story. This story is used to be called Crescendo Emanation by that title didn't make sense so I changed it to the new title Batarian Dominance.

Prologue

Kovas Ukvenk

"M'Lord we have full linked with the relay."

Kovas looked up from his report. After two years in this backwater system I finally make progress. He thought. Two years ago he had received orders from the Hegemony to investigate an usual mass relay. When he began his investigation he found out the relay was capable of linking to more than one relay. He had then been ordered to gain control of the relay to further the reach of batarian influence.

The batarians over three decades had slowly taken the Attican Tranverse and a part of the Terminus systems. Kovas knew the turn purpose of the slow expansion. The Hegemony had been on a quest of dominance, to rival the Council races. Batarians wanted full galactic dominance. Kovas got up from desk and went over the scientist caste batarian.

"Can you control the relay?"

"Yes m'lord, I'm getting information on relays we can travel to. I'll put up on the map."

Kovas turned to aerogel map hovering in the middle of the room. The map showed the galaxy and the current activated relays. The relay they were by was highlighted on the map. Within seconds lines branched out some linking to known relays. He nearly stopped breathing when he saw one of the lines go directly to the Citadel the main hub of the Council. Other lines went to unknown systems and inactive relays. The Batarian lord grew excited. We can expand extensively with this relay.

"Start sending the probes and give me the information as soon as it comes in. I must report this to Hegemony."

"Yes m'lord."

Kovas went back to his desk and turn on his console.

I have great news. I have finally been able to link to and control the Alpha Relay. The relay has unlocked to possibility to travel to far known systems and a large amount of undiscovered systems. We have also discovered a direct route to the Citadel. I'm am sending with this report a consist stream of probe data and the new relay paths.

From:

Lord Kovas Ukvenk

Kovas pressed send and the report was off.

Ghenoa

Ghenoa Hekophilas woke alone in her little ship far off outside the Bahak system. She was a Council Spectre sent out to monitor comm traffic deep in Batarian space. This current assignment was what she called fun. She had spent the last six months drifting between systems in Batarian space listening to comm traffic and reading reports. Hardly a job for Spectre but she followed orders.

Getting out of bed she went to bathroom to freshen up from sleep. She looked in the mirror checking her face paint. It was a little faded and she began to touch it up. When she was finished the red of her colony markings stood out. Why should I worry about this, it's not like I'm sharing this ship with anyone. She told herself. It would be nice to share this ship with someone at least but what can you do when you're a Spectre and work alone.

She left the bathroom and went to cockpit and got on the monitoring equipment. She pulled up the comm traffic in the past twenty four hours. Most of it was just standard messages between civilians. She then came across a military transmission. She tagged it for the decryption program. She went through the remainder of the transmissions tagging a couple more. She got up and went back to the cabin and sat down. The female turian picked up a datapad that held a library of books and games. Picking one Ghenoa relaxed and began to read.

A couple hours later Ghenoa received an alert that the decryption had finished. Going back she opened the decypted messages. Most were standard requisition reports. One was very dirty message sent to a mate using military channels. When she opened the last message she was nearly floored. A relay that can be controlled and have direct access to the Citadel. Spirits I have to get this directly to the Council. The turian hopped into the pilot seat and activated the engines.

Since it was going to be a long trip back to the Citadel, Ghenoa began to process the information that was intercepted. The Council had not deemed the Batarians a threat to Coucil space. Batarians had stayed in the Attican Traverse and the Terminus System. They never attacked Council territory. The Traverse was not under Council control. The message and data showed that Batarian were willing to attack Council space. They were now in control of a relay that would take them directly to the Citadel.

A couple relays later the Turian Spectre was almost out of Batarian space. She was looking forward to getting back into friendly territory. Finally get some R&R, oh who am I kidding as soon I show the Council this all Spectre's and the turians are going on high alert. Ghenoa told herself. She was an hour away from the next relay when she picked up a faint distress signal. She began to debate with herself. The information was top priority but she couldn't in her right mind leave a ship to die. Her Spectre training told her it could be a trap to lure people in. She decided to investigate. She homed in on the beacon signal and found it lead to a bulky shuttle. The sensors detected one life sign. She did a quick scan of the space around her ship. A small planetoid blocked a section of space. There could be ships waiting behind that rock. The ship doesn't seem to be in major distress. No damaged engines or missing pieces of the ship. This screams trap. Ghenoa opened a comm channel to the ship securing transmission would be ship to ship so no one could listen in.

"This is Council Spectre Ghenoa Hekophilas. What is the state of your distress, do you need any assistance?"

There was nearly a full minute before a reply came. The voice was feminine in a strange language and accent she couldn't place. Ghenoa had traveled a lot in her career in the Spectre. She had heard a lot of languages.

"Thank the gods, I'm an escaped slave. My ship is out of fuel and I hold vital information on batarian military operations that will harm the Council. I offer this information in exchange for asylum."

The Spectre was a little skeptical of the ship and its single occupant. A voice nagged in the back of her head telling her to leave and head to the Citadel. She trusted that voice and put the ship back on a heading to the relay. Ghenoa thought she was in the clear when a several large ships came out from behind the planetoid. S'kek, it was a trap. The ship didn't have much for weapons. It was a ship to scout out and observe. The Spectre threw the ship into some fancy evasive maneuvers. One of the ships began to deploy fighters nad they took off in hot pursuit of the Spectre's ship. Ghenoa could see the mass relay off in the distance weighting the odds of making it. Checking the sensors she found the fighters were rapidly closing in. Making a quick decision she started to compose a tight beam message to Spectre containing the report and data she had intercepted. She had almost finished the message when am impact rocked the ship. The cockpit started to flicker before it went dead.

"No no no no no!" Ghenoa screamed aloud.

The fighters had taken out the reactor. Exiting the cockpit she went to her arms locker and pulled out a shotgun, assault rifle, and pistol. I am not being taken as a slave. She took a relatively covered position that gave her a line of sight on the airlock and the door to the cargo hold. The fighters hadn't taken any more shots. So looks like they are after slaves. Time went by slow as she waited for the bigger ships. Calming herself, she readied herself for a big fight. It didn't take long after feeling the shudder of a ship being docked when the batarians started to breach the ship. The airlock door slid open and a batarian came through. The shotgun ripped through his shields and the body dropped. The slavers started to flock into the ship in twos. The bodies kept dropping. When the shotgun overheated she switched to the pistol.

The bodies continued to pile. Why don't they just destroy the ship? I have killed a lot of their men and I am not going to give up. The cargo hold door burst open and flashbang was tossed in. Ghenoa dived behind her hoping to get behind more cover before the flashbang went off. She wasn't that lucky.

Vaul'Fessa nar Hastreq

Vaul did a double check on his items that he was carrying. He had his father's old assault than checking the pack he made sure he had a month's supply of nutrient paste. A beat up looking datapad loaded with his favorite books were below the tubes of paste. He checked his pockets for other crucial items. In a secret pocket he felt a credit chit loaded with about five hundred credits. His other pockets were filled with odds and ends that he believed would need. Turning on his omnitool checking to see all the proper programs in place and did a quick search on the extranet. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning to look he found his father with his hand on his shoulder and mother behind him.

"I wish you luck on your pilgrimage." His father spoke pulling him into a hug. "Remember always be on your guard. We are here safe in the Flotilla but it is a whole different environment in the galaxy. The majority of the galaxy thinks us vagrants and thieves. To let that get you down, I have faith that you will find a gift that will make a captain proud."

Vaul always enjoyed his father's pep talks. They always made him feel good and picked up his spirits.

"I know I'm supposed to ask since this is a learning experience where would you recommend I go?" Vaul asked in a whisper.

His father leaned forward and put his helmet to his son's.

"Avoid the Terminus Systems and the Attican Traverse. Your safest bet is Council Space, you may be treated like caekkit there but it is still safer." His father replied.

His father stepped away and was replaced by his mother.

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes mother, I've checked multiple times." Vaul said in mock indignation.

"You can never be sure."

Vaul and his mother exchanged a couple more words when the call for pilgrims went out. He turned and proceeded to the shuttle. A quarian pilot stood waiting at the entrance to the shuttle.

"Destination? Keep in mind it has to be a central hub of transportation, can't be hopping all over the galaxy for a tiny colony world." The pilot asked.

"The Citadel."

The pilot poked a thumb over his shoulder. Inside the shuttle over half the seats were full with other pilgrims. Taking a seat near a wall he looked at the other quarians heading out into the galaxy. Most were male and were fiddling with either their omnitool or weapon. Most of females were chatting up a storm with other females. Vaul didn't socialize much, usually kept to himself. Pulling up his omnitool he got on the extranet and pulled up information on the Citadel. Most of the pictures he saw were of the presidium. He remembered someone telling him that quarians were never allowed there.

The shuttle door closed and the pilot spoke up.

"We have two more pickups and then we had to Omega, Illium, and the Citadel. This trip will take about four days. Prepare to make those chairs your beds for the time being."

There was some grumbling but nobody said anything. Vaul slouched in his chair and got comfortable; it was going to be a long trip.

Lieutenant Kevin Neves

It was a cold cloudy evening in Boston as Kevin drove his son home to his ex-wife. Kevin looked at his six year old son in the back seat through the rearview mirror. His son was dozing from going to a baseball game. The excitement of the crowd and the game made his son go a little wild. He loved spending as much time as he could with his son but since he lived in California time was precious.

Kevin was career military in the Army. He was between tours and was living in California to be near his unit. Six years ago he had met his ex-wife at club hanging with some members of his unit when he was an NCO. A month later they were married and she was pregnant. Kevin was away in Iraq when his son was born. This had been the first strike against him according to his ex-wife when the divorce was going through.

Four years what Kevin had thought a happy marriage was shattered and his ex-wife moved east. She won custody of their son. Maybe it's time to retire? I want to be there for my son. Kevin thought to himself. Sometime later he pulled into the driveway of his ex-wife's home. He got out opened the back door and took his sleeping son into his arms. Carrying him he walked to the front door and knocked. Seconds later his ex-wife answered.

"Hey Kevin, how is he?"

"He is good, took him to a Sox game. Had a really fun time booing my favorite team." Kevin chuckled. "Going to have to make a Frisco fan."

His statement got a smirk.

"Janet, I want to let you know I go back on tour in a week. Being sent to Israel to short out the mess going on with Iran, but before we get into it can I put our son to bed."

Janet frowned and nodded. Taking a couple minutes Kevin took his son to the room, changed him into his pjs, and tucked him in. He gave him a parting kiss on his forehead before rejoining Janet.

"You just got back from tour a month ago." Janet said with an irritated tone.

"I know, our presence in the Middle East isn't exactly popular anymore. Recruitment is at a low and people are leaving left and right. I'm sure it's going to be short tour like the last one."

Janet looked like she wanted to say more. She had wanted Kevin to leave the service before he made officer but heavy family tradition kept him there.

"I want to talk about this more but I have to catch an early bird flight back home."

"Well have a safe drive to your hotel." Janet looked him straight in the eye. "I know I have said this bunch of times. Comeback to your son, I don't want to tell him that his father won't come to see him anymore."

"I will, I have been thinking it's time to stop but I don't know." Kevin replied.

He smiled at Janet and then walked out the front door. Getting back in the car with his son on his thought he drove back to his hotel. The soldier was at a stoplight when a bright flash raked across the sky. Nothing could be seen through the clouds to find out where the flash came from. Hmmm strange. Kevin thought. He continued driving to his hotel.

Addison and Vander Scott

It was a cloudless night in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. A lone car weaved through the twisty roads deep in the mountains.

"I'm glad we come here every anniversary. It's still the most romantic spot." Addison said softly to her husband.

"It has a very nice view of the coast."

"Yes it does."

For seven years Addison and Vander had come to a spot deep in the mountains that presented a beautiful view of Monterey Bay. At that spot Vander had proposed to Addison. Both of them were engineers at well-known companies and had a stable life. Vander pulled to the side of the road and turned off the engine. He leaned over and gave a quick kiss on Addison's lips.

"Bundle up its cold out."

She smiled and got out of the car. Vander followed her lead and got out. He went to the trunk and opened it, pulling out two flashlights and his coat. Addison put on hers and took a flashlight from Vander. They grabbed hands and proceeded into the forest to their spot. After about twenty minutes of walking they came to a clearing that stood atop a mountain. Addison no matter how many times she came here she always loved the view. Off in the distance she saw the lights of Santa Cruz and Monterey. Vander brought her into his arms burying his face into her neck. He held her there for a couple minutes before he spoke.

"Addison, I want to say it has been a great seven years. I'm glad I met you and have been able to share my life with you."

She looked up into his eyes.

"I feel the same way. I am really happy these years have treated us well."

Addison brought her husband's head down and brought him into a deep passionate kiss. She held him there for a bit. He broke away and looked into her eyes.

"I want to say even though you can't have kids it doesn't matter. I'm happy with or without kids."

"Well we can look into adopting."

Addison had been devastated when she found out she could not have kids. Vander had told her that he still loved her no matter what.

"I have thought about that. We have a nice stable life going for us and I would like to share it with a child who doesn't. You know I didn't grow up in a happy home. I wouldn't mind giving someone a chance to live better than I did."

"I know you do." Addison said smiling.

They kissed again and brought each other close. They decided to lie down in the grass and stare up into the stars. Farther you went into the mountains the more stars you could see away from all the city lights. For the next hour they pointed out the different constellations, spotted a couple stars, and watched a satellite cross the sky. When they had decided to head home a flash came across the sky. The origin looked deep in space. Addison turned to Vander with an eyebrow raised.

"What do you think that was?"

"Didn't look like anything local in our neck of woods."

They exchanged ideas and headed back home. Far above Earth a probe came to a halt and started to observe. It tapped radio waves and took video and photos. After observing for several hours the probe went back through the relay that had been activated. Once it arrived back at its point of origin it transmitted its recordings.

Kovas was sitting at his desk when the report came in. As he read it a smile came across his face.

"Get me a priority link to the Hegemony."

"Yes m'lord."

"Today is a very good day."