Shanxi Sub-Sector M1.671
The Judgement has been patrolling the sub-sector for nearly four months. We have found nothing out of particular. With this in mind I have ordered The Judgement back to the Sector Dry-Docks at Port Lion.
The captain of The Judgement shut off his Audio-log. He reached into a compartment next to his throne and withdrew his ration of alcohol and poured himself a glass. "By the Primarch and the Emperor!" He yelled to no one in particular. He then threw his head back and swallowed the contents of the glass. "It has been over six hundred years since the Primarch arrived at Terra and founded the Nova Imperialis, and STILL we have not found anything worth fighting!" He finished off the contents of his glass and poured a new one.
"Be careful what you wish for captain." The captain shot his gaze at the voice. He spotted the figure of Commissar Williams.
The captain drank another shot. "What do you know, commissar? The Primarch came to this galaxy to Purge the Xenos. How can we, his servants do that when there are none?"
"You should know that he came to our Universe for more reasons that just to kill but one of the Emperor's many enemies, captain."
The captain snorted, "You believe that fable the Ecclesiarchy tells us growing up commissar?"
"I always took my faith in the Emperor and his son very seriously." The commissar said narrowing his eyes. "And I would remind you, captain, that I am here to ensure the faith of this vessel." He said in a tone of anger.
The captain realized the slip that he had made not only in front of the ship's bridge crew but the commissar no less. "I apologize for my lack of faith Commissar Williams." He said quickly in a hope for forgiveness from the commissar.
The Commissar continued to stare at the captain. After a pregnaught silence the captain noticed that the Commissar slowly reached for his laspistol. "Captain!" The Auger midshipman called for him. Hoping to evade the Commissar's judgement he quickly made his way to the Midshipman.
"Report Midshipman." He said when he approached her close enough.
"Sir we have located a Mass Relay in the system."
"Do you have the coordinance." He saw the Midshipman nod. The captain than turned towards the Navigator. "Set a course for the relay and mark it. I want to activate it so we may send an exploration team to the other side."
"Yes my lord." The Navigator said.
The Captain turned back to the Commissar who had removed his hand from the side arm, but he continued to stare at him.
Attican Traverse 2167
According to our deep space scanners we have noticed anomalies near Relay 314. In response Turian High Command has dispatched my squadron to investigate. By the Spirits I pray that the scanners are not functioning properly.
The Turian Commander shut off his Audio-record. He left his personal quarters and made his way to the bridge. 'I've had a bad feeling about this mission since we left Palaven.' When he walked onto his platform overseeing one of the most skilled command units of the Hierarchy.
"Commander," He looked at his Navigator. "We have spotted the Relay."
"Good. Are our scanners picking up anything near the Relay?"
"It's a ship that appears to be opening a relay, however…" After a long silence, he heard the navigator mutter an expletive and the silence return to the bridge. "It's unlike anything I have ever seen."
"Bring it up on the screen." The Turian captain said. Suddenly a ship appeared. His Navigator was correct. The ship did not fit the profile of any craft of Turian, Asari, or Salarian design. He brought up the ship's records of Rachni, Krogan, Volus, Quarian, Elchor, and even Geth ships. None matched.
"This must be a new race or perhaps pirates. If this is a new race The Council's policy is to begin diplomatic response and ask them to cease." One of the bridge officers said.
"Comm officer, bring up communications with the ship." The captain said.
"Aye sir." After a long minute the comm officer spoke again. "Sir, they are not responding to our hails."
The captain thought for a second, weighing his options. "Try again, if they do not respond we must assume that they are pirates."
Shanxi Sub-Sector M1.671
"Sir!" The Auger operative yelled. "I've eight unidentified ships on my screens!"
The captain stared at her. "Are they Mechanicus, or Astartes!" He said hopeful.
"No, their signatures are not matching any known signatures." She responded back. "Nor are they responding to our vox comms."
"Astropath! Send a message explaining this development." The captain barked the command whilst taking his throne. As soon as he took his seat he flick the comm switch. "Master Gunner Adams we have spotted eight unknown ships. You are to prepare the ships batteries immediately!"
"Yes Captain." He heard from the other end of the comm system.
The Commissar quickly stormed back upon the deck. "I was informed about a new development."
"We've spotted a new group of ships, possibly non-Imperial." The captain said with a worried tone.
Williams snorted, "Careful what you wish for."
The captain lowered his head in shame. "But suddenly the ship was rocked by a barge from the now confirmed hostile ships."
"Adams open fire!" He yelled into the comm.
The ship sent out a broadside from it's starboard side. After a short pause the Auger operative shouted, "Sir one of the hostile ships has been hit and appears to have taken heavy damage."
"Good now…" Another barrage had ripped through the ship. Suddenly a delayed explosion rocked the ship. In the confusion most of the power of the bridge was shut off and the captain had fallen out of his throne.
He opened his vox comm. "Report on what had just happened."
"Sir, a round from the enemy ship had just ripped through the ship and detanted our generators. I also not receiving anything our plasma cannons." The master gunner responded.
"Tech priest!" He switched his comm relay. "What is the damage report."
"Decks 4, 7, and 8 have collapsed which had destroyed half of our plasma generators. In addition Decks 5 and 6 have been breached and crew's have been lost to the void." The mechanical voice responded.
"Do we still have for an emergency warp jump?" The captain asked much to the horror of many of the bridge crew and Commissar Williams.
"We could move power to the warp drives and allow us to make the jump to Shanxi." The Tech priest responded to the question.
"Than do it!" The captain yelled.
"Oh God-Emperor." Commissar Williams began to pray out loud and as he continued several others began to join. "Protect us your loyal servants. Deliver us from enemies of Man and grant us safe passage throughout the warp." Without warning the Captain felt familiar feeling of The Judgement entering the warp.
Once inside the warp they entire crew took a collected breather. Although the warp was calmer that it was in the old universe, at least according to what Williams had heard; it was still a dangerous game to launch an emergency jump. "Captain." Williams said to the captain. "Were our void shields up during contact?"
The captain stared at the angry Commissar. "I...I…"
"Um, Commissar Williams." He heard a young voice behind him. When he looked back he saw a young lieutenant. "I can confirm that the void shields had been lowered prior to our investigation of the Mass Relay, and were not raised prior to the engagement."
"Did you receive an order to raise said shields?" Williams asked.
"No sir." The young lieutenant said.
"Than." Williams turned back to the Captain. "I hereby sentence you to death for incompetence and lack of faith." He withdrew his pistol and executed the captain before anything could be said.
Which is when he turned his attention back to the young Lieutenant. "What is your name Lieutenant?"
"F...flag Lieutenant Steven Hackett, sir." The Lieutenant responded.
A pair of servators arrived to remove the captain's body from the throne. "With the recent events I have found the previous captain ill fit for command, with that in mind you are now Captain Hackett."
Author's notes
SO this is incredibly short I know please don't tell me that, I know. The issue is that I've written, rewritten, and rerewritten this chapter since I finished this. I started off telling the story from Jonson's and the Armada's conquest of Terra. I hated it and wasn't going to shove something I consider poor quality. Then I wrote this from the point of view of the start of Mass Effect. There was soooooooooo much stuff that I'd have to explain the history as I went and I didn't want to end the chapter with that Codex thing 'cause I'd have to do like a hundred a chapter. I didn't want to. So I decided to start from the start of the First Contact War. I am sorry for the wait and now that I hopefully do have to rerewrite a chapter they'll come out more frequently.
