Chapter 2: Gathering Shadows
Systems Alliance frigate SSV Marathon
On Approach to Elysium
26 September 2176
18:30 local system time
1st Lieutenant Shepard made for a striking figure as she advanced through the Marathon's CIC on her way to the Marathon's bridge. Fresh out of N-School she had just received her N6 designation and had every intention of returning to complete her training. Unfortunately due to the nature of N training a candidate could only progress up one designation per year due to the fact that only one set of 9 month courses are held each year which left 3 months of void that the recruits had to fill. Shepard had chosen to ask for a posting that offered space time because after spending 9 months under one of the harshest training programs in the galaxy she needed some time away from Earth. "Plus there's no substitute for experience." She thought as she continued her brisk pace through the CIC, the dull orange glow of the Haptic interfaces from a myriad of different consoles bathed the dimly light walls in colour.
The Marathon was a Midway class patrol frigate commissioned 5 years ago for the express purpose of patrolling humanity's sprawling network of colonies. She was built for endurance and could operate for a maximum of 3 months without resupply; this focus on long endurance meant that nearly everything else was neglected: the weapons consisted of only a single ventral mass accelerator and two torpedo tubes, there were only 8 sleeper pods to a crew of 22 requiring continuous "hot-bunking" and the Cord-Hislop Aerospace series 8 kinetic barriers were temperamental and prone to capacitor burn-outs, all in all not the most salubrious posting the Alliance had to offer.
The Marathon had just returned from a two week anti-piracy stint in the Petra Nebula with the 2nd Fleet's 42th Scout Flotilla with Shepard as the marine detail commander and was now on her way back to Elysium for a week's Furlough before continuing on her patrol. As Shepard entered the bridge she saw Staff Commander Hunter, the XO, chatting to the helmsman.
Jack Hunter was relatively short at 5'6 with crew cut brown hair; a swarthy complexion and a stocky build that made him look like he was constantly squaring his shoulders. "Perfect, this is all I need." Shepard mused to herself. She and Hunter had been at odds ever since she came aboard mainly because they were polar opposites: She had been a street kid from Earth; he had grown up rich on Terra Nova. She worked her ass off to get promoted; he'd simply name dropped his father and walked out with a commission but most of it was his attitude: his father held one of the conservative party's seats in parliament and he believed this entitled him to all manner of things including instant respect.
"Ah, Lieutenant" he said in his cocky, condescending voice while turning to face her "you're finally here, not that I expect someone like you to be punctual." Shepard's blood boiled at this "Son of bitch" she thought but out loud she said "You summoned me commander." In the most sarcastic, icy tone she could muster. This evidently went right over his head as he simply continued "Yes, I want you to brief your team before we land. I won't tolerate any unseemly behaviour while we're on shore leave got it?" Shepard briefly considered overriding the bridge's airlock and sending Hunter on a tour of space without a helmet but decided against it. "After all the bridge crew is worth more than this bastard""Aye sir I'll brief them now." She replied and turned on heel and started back towards the elevator at the centre of the ship that would take her to the staging area on the crew deck.
Moon of Torfan, Terminus Systems
26 September 2176
14:00 Citadel Standard Time
Elanos Haliat was not happy, not that this was an usual occurrence after all one did not become the most feared pirate in the Terminus and the Traverse by walking around grinning, as much as Turians could grin. The reason for his unhappiness lay on the other side of the door he was currently pacing outside of. "Fucking Batarians" he thought to himself. "Should have bombed them back the stone age once we were done with the humans." On the other side of the door lay his Batarian contact, the man who had promised him ships, weapons and credits if took control of the Terminus' many pirate gangs and turned them on the humans and while Haliat had become the veritable king of the Terminus Systems pirates the Batarians had been less then generous in their support. The ships they had provided so far had been workable at best and complete death-traps at worst and the weapons had been sub-par. "At least their cheques clear" he thought looking for something that wouldn't make him walk into the room and shoot the Batarian in the knees.
"Boss they're ready for you." Said Haliat's second in command Jihral in that strange, grating tone that all Batarians seemed to possess, tilting his head in deference and gesturing to the door he had just walked through. "Let's get this over with then." Haliat growled stalking past his second, two Krogan bodyguards in toe. The room they entered was Spartan to say the least; the roof and walls were jagged obsidian and the floor was the typical prefabricated white material found in outposts across the galaxy. A single metal table with two matching chairs had been placed in the centre of the otherwise bare room to facilitate the current meeting. Haliat's contact was seated on the opposite side of the table from Haliat flanked by four Batarians in full combat gear. "Balak" said Haliat by way of a greeting, "I assume there is a reason for all this melodrama." gesturing vaguely at the four armed Batarians as he sat down in the vacant seat. The Batarian bristled at the comment, eyelids flicking in annoyance. "Yes there is" spoke the captain "We have a… proposition for you." "I'm listening." Elanos answered. He was still less then pleased with the Batarian but he was willing to listen… for now.
"The humans have begun another big push into the Traverse." Balak begun, hints of revulsion apparent in his voice. "A… demonstration of the dangers of the frontier is required." Haliat rolled his eyes, he couldn't care less about the Batarian's little vendetta; he was in this for the money and power not the politics. "Let me guess" he said folding his arms and leaning back in his chair "You want us to hit another passenger ship?" The Batarians features took on a decidedly psychopathic slant as smiled and replied "No, this time we have more substantial in mind." He slid a datapad across the table which Haliat stared down at with first confusion and then shock. "Elysium!? No way we don't have the ships plus there's the defence net we'll never…" The Batarian held up a hand to stop the Turian and gestured for him to scroll down. Haliat did just that and what he saw made him smile "How much?" he said to Balak. "10 million for you and 500 million for your men plus expenses" Balak said standing to leave "and our support for any of your future actions." Balak turned and begun to make for the exit. "Wait," Haliat called after his employer "what should we do with the colonists?" The terrorist captain turned, smiling that malevolent simile again
"Kill them all."
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Author's Note: Yes I know in the game Haliat was a human but he was supposed to be a Turian you can check the ME wiki if you don't believe me; I don't want any parcel bombs in my mail.
