DISLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SINS OF A SOLAR EMPIRE OR MASS EFFECT
AN: So, here's something that I've been wanting to do for a while, hope anyone who reads this enjoys it.
DON'T MIND ME I'M A LINE BREAK
8000 BCE
Due to a mysterious force destroying both their colonies and fleets, the Vasari are forced to abandon their home galaxy after the destruction of their galaxy-wide empire. Consolidating their remaining population into an enormous fleet numbering ships in the tens of thousands, they embark on an exodus, gathering what supplies they can and leaving beacons in their wake. As they reach the edge of their galaxy, they are forced to make a disparate trip through the dark space between galaxies, hoping that their supplies will last until they can find new systems to harvest, and that their mysterious pursuer will be unable to follow.
700 CE
While sending envoys to all human colonies with an invitation to join the newly created Trade Order, a governmental system spanning hundreds of worlds, a single planet orbiting a red star is discovered. Long since cut off from all other human contact, the colony had long since abandoned moral and ethical restrictions, delving deep into restricted sciences banned from human worlds. The Trade Order comes together, and banishes their estranged brethren from Trader Space, exiling them from their desert homeworld.
1700 CE
The Trade Order, after millennia of peace and prosperity, comes under attack by a mysterious enemy. The outer colonies are ravaged as the Trade Order's meagre planetary defences and fleets are devastated. Colony after colony is lost as the Trade Order struggles to reach military parity with the invaders. Outmatched in both space and ground forces, millions of human lives are lost until military technology is brought up to a level that can contest the Vasari Fleet. After devastating defeats due to poor leadership and logistics, the Trade Order is abolished, and martial law put in place, creating the Trader Emergency Coalition.
The TEC begins to drive back the invaders, stalling them in some areas, while taking back other systems. With their vast economic infrastructure retooled to drive the human war machine, the war grinds to a stalemate. Until the return of the Advent, the exiled colony. With advanced technology matching that of the alien Vasari, and a vast fleet, the Advent ravage the unprotected colonies of the TEC, forcing conscription across the Coalition to provide enough forces to repel the exiles.
1730 CE
After thirty years of war, the casualties number in the billions, particularly from the TEC. Diplomatic talks between the Vasari and the Advent begin, and after months of negotiation, an alliance is created. The Vasari will be given a vast sum of resources, enough to supply the Exodus Fleet while it continues it's journey to find a haven, safe from the enemy that destroyed their empire. The Advent will receive the colonies of the TEC, free to create their own empire and to live in peace. Within two years, the TEC has been crushed, reduced to a handful of isolated colonies, including the Sol system and the homeworld of Earth.
The Advent rapidly begin the colonisation of as many planets as can be found, expanding the Unity to a size never before seen. An exchange of technology is made between the alien Fleet and the Advent, technologies including cloning, direct energy weapon, and psychic technology from the Unity, and phase, nanite and terraforming technology from the Vasari. The resources are handed over, and the Vasari Exodus Fleet departs, still running from the mysterious threat that still looms on the horizon.
1800 CE
Element Zero is discovered by the Advent, and experimentation with the substance brings new possibilities to the Unity. After discovering the possibilities for enhanced shielding and faster than light travel without the dependence on phase lanes, mass effect cores become standard for all Advent spaceships, alongside the standard antimatter generators. Expansion of the Unity continues, prompting the discovery of the Mass Relay system. Examination of the enormous structures begins, in the hopes of learning how to create new Relays.
1820 CE
Experiments with Element Zero leads to several explosions on the colony of Cheka, dispersing the substance into the atmosphere. A large number of children are conceived in the following years with tumours, which are treated in utero. A small percentage of the children are born with nodules of element zero throughout their bodies. Upon injection of the nanites now used to construct the cybernetic implants standard to all Advent citizens, the children suffer fatal seizures. Autopsies and tests reveal that Psitech and element zero are inherently incompatible.
2155 CE
Growing complacency amongst the Unity causes less resources to be dedicated to orbital defences around new colonies, although the Advent continues to increase the number of ships in it's fleets.
A research team studying a deactivated Mass Relay is attacked and destroyed by a Turian patrol fleet for the crime of interfering with dormant relays, a criminal offence since the Rachni wars. The colony of Cereth is attacked by the Turians, thinking that it is the homeworld of the aliens. Lacking the orbital defences that used to be standard for their colonies, the Advent world is quickly invaded by Turian ground forces, seeking to pacify and take control of the world as a new client race of the Hierarchy. The local militia is quickly routed by the invading Turian forces, and the civilian population is advised through the Unity to surrender rather than be forcefully enslaved. Thinking that the fight was over, the Turian forces begin peacekeeping duties in the colony, although the treatment of Advent citizens in some areas degrades over time, as the soldiers begin to take advantage of their power. Reprisals over citizens defending themselves are common, and the body count steadily rises as the occupation continues.
Meanwhile, the Advent war machine stirs to life. A huge construction effort occurs on all colonies, orbital defences erected, starbases built, and defensive fleets are posted at every colonised system. A war fleet is created to take back Cereth, while a larger invasion fleet is pulled together to move into Turian territory. Information gathered from Turian soldiers and dispersed into the Unity allows the best target to be picked for the first strike.
The first real battle of the war, above the garden world of Cereth, is close to a massacre. The Turian fleet is is caught off guard, outnumbered and outgunned by the Advent Fleet. The kinetic barriers of the Council species are able to block the plasma torpedoes favoured by the Advent, but laser pulse and beam weapons pass through them and strike directly at the ships. Ablative armour prevents it from becoming outright slaughter, the metal plating liquefying and deflecting incoming fire, but it only lasts so long.
Mass accelerated rounds and disruptor missiles are fired in return, but the shields of the Advent are far superior to anything based on mass effect technology, and only a handful of frigates are destroyed in the first volley. The sole dreadnought of the Turians fires it's main cannon as fast as it can, destroying frigates with every shot, along with the occasional cruiser. It draws enough attention to allow several frigates to escape, jumping to FTL speed to reach the nearest Mass Relay in an attempt to warn the Hierarchy. The remaining ships of the patrol fleet make a desperate decision, choosing to dishonour their culture, performing suicide attacks on the colony below, crashing their ships into the planets surface.
One and a half million Advent citizens die in the explosions, along with ten thousand Turian soldiers. The colony is destroyed, and the Unities rage increases. By the time the surviving Turian ships arrive to warn the Hierarchy, several colonies have been razed from orbit by Advent invasion fleets. Turian defenders are swept aside by the sleek, more advanced warships, and planetary assault lasers burn millions of sentients to ash, and sear the cities around them.
Several skirmishes occur as the Turians mobilise their fleets, and attempt to deal with the invaders. By the time the Asari and Salarians have been notified of the conflicts going on, full scale war is almost breaking out. A ceasefire is called for by the other two races of the Citadel Council, and envoys of the Unity are invited to the Citadel for peace talks. While some in the Unity feel as though the fighting should continue until victory is achieved, the leaders of the nine Coalescences rule that it is for the greater good of the Advent if they join diplomatic talks.
DON'T MIND ME I'M A LINE BREAK
Citadel Presidium, Council Chambers
It was a tense moment for the three Councillors. Selected by their respective governments to represent their power and authority over Council Space, Councillors Valern, Sparatus and Tevos. Currently, the Turian representative Sparatus and the Salarian representative Valern were being glared at by the Asari representative Tevos. After discovering the Turian patrol fleet taking justice into their own hands, with the full authorisation of the Hierarchy none the less, and attacked an alien colonisation.
And look where it had gotten them! Eleven turian colonies had been sterilised from orbit, unknown laser weaponry being used, a technology that the Council had thought impossible due to the extreme power requirements. With sixteen million civilian casualties alone, and three small fleets of thirty assorted corvettes, frigates and cruisers along with three dreadnoughts destroyed, the war had gone on long enough. The Salarians hadn't helped either, dispatching a dozen of their best STG agents to infiltrate the perceived threats, all of which had been killed immediately upon entering Advent space. They still hadn't worked out how they had been detected either.
"Councillor, sensors detect a single vessel, not matching anything we have on record approaching the Presidium. Scans indicate no weapons, but the shields are raised." A group of nine Spectres was assembled to protect the Councillors, consisting of Salarians and Asari. One of the Asari had a comlink directly to Citadel Defence Fleet, and was monitoring the approach of the Advent diplomats.
"Thank you, Udryn." Turning to face her fellow Councillors again, she fixed a stern look on her face, "You will both be polite, if you cannot, then you will not speak at all." She raised a hand to cut off any protests, "No, you and your superiors have done more than enough already. I have orders from Thessia to keep both of you in line, we don't want an intragalactic war to break out, we couldn't afford to protect colonies from the Terminus systems and the Advent at the same time." With one last glare, she turned back towards the door.
Tevos took a slow, deep breath and re-established her calm and warm mask. She needed to present the best possible face to the Advent diplomats. The Asari were the only Council race that the aliens had not had negative or positive contact with, and first impressions contributed a great deal to future relationships.
They waited several minutes as the envoys docked, and were guided to the embassies. The Presidium was deserted for the moment, all residents being barred from entering to prevent any incidents. An Asari guide led the envoys to the Council Chambers, and led them in, closing the doors behind them.
The Advent diplomats were dressed in white, long robes and hoods covering everything but their faces. The Councillors were surprised to see how similar they looked to the Asari, being identical except for their pale, almost white skin tone. It was eerie, and even the almost Matriarch age Tevos found herself lost for words for a moment.
"Welcome to the Citadel." She began, "I'm pleased that you accepted our invitation. I am Councillor Tevos, representative of the Asari Republics, to my left is Councillor Valern, representative of the
Salarian Union. And to my right is Councillor Sparatus, representative of the Turian Hierarchy."
Sparatus and Valern nodded as they were introduced, although the Turian barely restrained himself from glaring at the aliens. The envoys were arranged in a loosely spaced line side by side, and as one they bowed. From the middle of the line, one of them spoke, "Greetings Councillors, and thank you, for your warm welcome. We are the Coalescences of the Unity, each a representative of the nine Coalesces that constitute the Advent."
Valern spoke first, seeking information as always, "The Unity? Coalesces? Could you explain?"
The same being spoke again, although none of the Councillors were familiar enough with the species to be able to tell if it was male or female. "The Unity of the Advent is the collective mind of each and every member. We are all one within the Unity, shared minds, thoughts and emotions. What one of us feels, we all feel. A Coalesce is a particular region of Advent territory, of which each of us is a leader of sorts."
Tevos leaned forwards, fascinated, "A true psychic collective! We have encountered a race that shared a similar hive mind, a race called the Rachni." She grimaced, "Unfortunately, they were set on the genocide of all other races, and as a result, they had to be destroyed in order to save the sentient species of the galaxy." Shaking her head, she moved back on track, "Back to the reason why we invited you here."
Sparatus spoke for the first time in the meeting, "Yes, why don't we talk about the eleven million Turians, slaughtered by your warships! Not to mention the ships destroyed by your fleets while they defended our colonies!" With mandibles flaring, the Turian Councillor tried to calm himself down, feeling the anger radiating from Tevos.
A dark look crossed the faces of the Advent representatives, and the speaker stepped forwards. "Sixteen thousand in the local garrison died during the invasion. Two hundred and eighteen rapes. Three thousand nine hundred and five public beatings. Countless thefts, vandalism and destruction of property. Seven hundred executions. One and a half million killed when the ships in orbit crashed into the planet rather than lose the battle. This, is the result of Turian 'justice', for crimes that we had no knowledge of!" The speaker stepped forwards, cloak rippling around them.
Sparatus blustered, "For all we know, this could be a pack of lies! As you said, the colony was destroyed in the battle, how could you know the state of the colony during peaceful Turian occupation?"
In a move that startled the living daylights out of the Councillors and Spectres assembled, the Advent envoys spoke in perfect unison, "We are the Unity, one mind, one being. We felt their fear, their pain, their cries for help. And we answered."
The original speaker took up where the Unity had left off, "Understand, that you are not the superior species in this room."
Alerts began to sound from every omnitool in the room, and the Coalescences spoke in unison again.
"We are."
DON'T MIND ME I'M A LINE BREAK
So, tell me what you think please. And I think it goes without saying that this will not follow canon Mass Effect. Although, the TEC is still out there . . . . . . .