To those who have not played Sins of a Solar Empire: It's essentially TEC (normal humans) vs Advent (psychic humans) vs the Vasari (actual aliens) where the goal is generally to conquer the other side. And since conquering planets involve bombing it till there's no one left and sending in your colonists to repopulate it; there are probably billions dying in each game. Though I did change it so those planetary invasions actually do occur; otherwise ground units would be redundant in the story.
It called "Sins of a Solar Empire" for a reason. All three sides seem okay with committing genocide on each other and believe that they're the 'good guys' while doing it. Of course since I'm an Advent player and writing from their perspective; whatever they do will be seen in a brighter light that what others would see it. I'm not saying that the Advent is better than the TEC or the Vasari but they are not worse than them too.
Sorry for not writing too much; I'm focusing more on my other story and this is only something I write when I'm out of inspiration for the other. Once I got it back; I just leave this for a behind for awhile before I run out of ideas again.
He slid behind the burning wreckage of a TEC tank. Behind a hooded helmet mask; the Advent man breathed hard as he caught his breath.
All around him; a city burned. The sky was dark with flames as a massive space battle raged over the planet. More than once; the remains of a vessel would descend planetside; killing all those unfortunate enough to be under it.
The screams of the dying echoed throughout the dense urban jungle. Corpse of Traders and Advent lay scattered everywhere. Their blood painted the grey walls a crimson red.
The city was in ruin; building collapsed on a regular basis and no one expected to live the next few hours. Artillery from Advent plasma missiles and TEC ballistic missiles rocked the city; the distinct chilling sound marking death for all those they hit.
Gripping his gun, Acolyte Ziander of the Hand of Illus peeked around cover. Immediately he was shot at by TEC soldiers; their bullets missing him by a hair as he quickly pulled back his head behind cover.
He could hear the Traders shouting out his position; marking it for any allies. Ziander did likewise; though he made no noise.
Advent military didn't need to waste their breath on words. Words were kept for when there was time to spare and therefore had no place on the battlefield. Instead, like all Advent, he used his mind to alert his comrades of the Trader's position.
This was far more efficient than what the Vasari and Traders used. Battle information could be shared within milliseconds; allowing Advent military personnel to better co-ordinate their efforts. It also had the effect of scaring the enemy; our silence disturbing to TEC soldiers and Vasari Warriors.
A long beam of energy zoomed over the tank wreck. There was a gargled choke of agony from where the Trader was at. He didn't need to look to confirm the kill as the sniper already did so for him.
Peeking out again and seeing that the coast was clear; he pushed himself out of cover and sprinted to the closest building. Ducking underneath the broken doorframe; he checked the room he was now in.
It looked like a small reception to the high rise apartments that Traders lived in. Live wires jutted out of holes in the ceiling as the building shook from all the artillery hitting the city. A small pile of TEC troops lay dead near the entrance; their corpses bearing the distinct burn marks of Advent beam weapons.
Ziander cautiously trekked across the room; his eyes shifting to stare at the shadows for any hint of danger. His footsteps made loud cracks as he broke snapped off plaster with every step.
A whimper to his right; attracted his attention. Turning quickly; he opened fire at the shadowy form blending in with the shadows. The shadow tried to flee but was far too slow.
A woman screamed as the blue lasers pierced her body. She collapsed and dropped the small bundle that she was holding to her chest. Snivelling in pain and crying tears; she turned around to lie on her back as she faced Ziander with a pleading face.
"P…Please d…don't shoot… I…I give up." she begged of the Advent. Her arms weakly reached towards the small bundle of cloth; which was now giving out small cries. Seeing that Ziander was not going to lower his weapon; she turned hysterical "Why?! Why are you doing this?" she demanded as she lifted her arms as to try and ward him away.
Ziander hesitated at the sight of the mother and her baby. Shaking his head; he reminded himself of his purpose and hardened his heart. His face grew dark behind his helmet as he stiffly lifted his gun and trained his sights on the head of the woman.
"This… is war." he softly whispered to both himself and to the woman.
With a heavy heart he pulled the trigger and two shots were fired in quick succession as the blood of the innocent was spilled.
The Highest Coalescences of the Unity were intrigued. They had assumed after their performance during the Advent-Council War would have scared away all the Council's client races. Their mighty strength deemed too threatening to approach.
It appeared that the four eyed ones were not so easily intimidated.
Their emissary had journeyed to Sanctuary to meet with us. His dreadnought sailed uneasily under the watch of the two alien fleets guarding Sanctuary.
The Batarian Ambassador was given an audience with a telepath that would link him to meet with the nine Coalescences.
Taking hold of the Batarian's head; the Advent telepath instructed him to close his eyes and clear all thoughts. The Batarian did so and found him in a completely different reality.
The mindscape the alien found himself in was interesting… to say the least. It was like space with small and distant stars being the only light within the otherwise cold void. He was standing on a pure white triangle platform that was the only thing preventing him from falling.
Floating gracefully in the void was the nine white robed female Advent Coalescences; the highest authority of the Unity. Their unified decisions were law and are always geared towards the greater good of the Unity.
They formed a semi-circle around the wary Batarian as he watched them cautiously.
"What does the Batarian Hedgemony desire from the Unity?" the one in the centre of their formation asked. Representing the Cult of Celebri; Asfeli was the Coalescence nominated to be their spokeswoman.
Trained to maintain composure at all times; the Batarian did not hesitate to put forward his proposal.
"The Batarian Hedgemony would offer an exchange of technology with your Unity."
Though the Coalescences showed no outward motion; they all shared a discomfort with sharing with a race that used slaves as its power base. Slavery was a detestable practice and they couldn't understand why any space-faring race would actually practice.
It was such an issue that had nearly compromised the alliance between the Vasari and the Advent against the TEC. It was only because the Vasari slave base was slowly being replaced with a mass use of drones that the treaty was pushed through.
However unlike the Vasari; the Batarians showed no signs of stopping any time within the near future.
"We are aware of this." answered Asfeli; her voice neutral; though it possessed a darker undertone.
The Batarian was intelligent enough to read the mood and could already tell that the Advent was not in favour of slavery or even impartial to it. With only a sentence; his job was already that much harder.
"The Batarian Hedgemony is proposing to share our Mass Effect technology in exchange for your own."
The alien was bold if nothing else. To ask what the Citadel regarded as a hostile species for their technology so soon was courageous.
"And why should we do so? With time our knowledge of Mass Effect technology would match your Citadel Councils'." replied Asfeli.
In fact within a century; it was likely they could reproduce their own Mass Relays. While they were unlikely to travel as far as the originals; it would be a huge step above the Citadel's stagnant technology.
"But is it enough time to prepare for the hunters of the Leviathans?" answered the Batarian ambassador; quoting our own message to the Council.
Asfeli scoffed at that. So that was the alien's plan. He would think that by using the looming threat against the Advent to persuade us trade our technology for theirs; instead of taking the time to develop it on our own.
While Mass Effect technology would greatly benefit their own; it would only be subpar if it couldn't be integrated with Psitech. And integration couldn't be rushed if it was to have no flaws.
She couldn't deny that having Batarian Mass Effect technology would speed up the process; but she was certain that the Unity would prefer to develop it without needing the assistance of a race that used slavery.
"Perhaps not… but why should we accept when there are others who can provide the same technology at a much lower price? The Quarians for example; we're certain they would trade their own more advanced Mass Effect technology for the usage of our shipyards." she countered.
The alien couldn't hope to win any form of debate with the Coalescences of the Advent. Where he was one mind; we were nine working together.
"Those space rats cannot be trusted. They are likely to just give you outdated technology and run off once they get what they want." The Batarian spat out.
While she did not share this opinion; there were others in the Unity that had less than stellar thoughts of the Quarians. A significant portion of the Unity sympathized with their plight; being forced out of their homeworld played a familiar tune with many of the Advent.
They called for the Advent to aid them in their time of need. This was especially within the Xon Precept, Voice of Senar, Rolus Solbane, Ast Eternal and the Raesaedia Sect; as their Coalesences voiced their opinions. They proposed to send gifts of material and supplies to the Migrant Fleet though none were so bold as to propose giving up a planet.
Yet there was another side that opposed this and it was growing in both popularity and size. She did not believe that the Quarians were as bad as the Batarian made them out to be; yet she also didn't believe that they deserved the aid of the Unity. Even if the majority of the Unity still favoured the Quarians; it was only by just as the remaining Coalescences were against aid.
While it was true they were forced out of their homeworld; at the base of it: it was their own actions that brought about their exile; their unprovoked military action against their Geth workers being the cause of the Morning War. From all records; the Geth had shown no hostility towards their creators until they started disabling them en masse.
Stuck forced to choose between extinction of their race or war with their own creators; the machines had made the same path any other sentient being would follow. While the Quarian's exile brought sympathies; the Geth's struggles against their much more powerful creators reminded some of their struggle against the TEC.
Their circumstances were not too different; a much more powerful force deciding to attack the smaller unprovoked. And like the Advent against the TEC; the Geth struggled and defeated their creators who threatened to destroy them.
Instead of aiding the Quarians; this faction wanted first contact with the Geth. First contact with the Geth was also a completely viable option to the Advent. And if it resulted in friendly relationships with the synthetic race; then it neutralise the only faction that was capable of withstanding our psionic control as machines were immune to our mental influences.
But there was small but influential faction that stayed in the shadows; influencing the moves of the others. It was this group that she represented. While the other Coalescences could debate which to aid; the Cult of Celebri would see the best of both worlds.
The hunters of the Leviathans were coming and we need more allies; no matter how weak they are. Our prophets had already foreseen their arrival. If it was anything like the Leviathan Wars; then numbers would play a large role in who would win the inevitable war.
That was why they proposed a bit of both. Individually the Geth and Quarians would be a powerful ally in terms of the Citadel. As both were unlikely to join or re-join the Citadel; they would play a powerful role in galactic politics.
But if the two were to merge as one united front; then it was likely their combined might would more than a match for the Turian Heirachy, the now third most powerful individual military in known space after the Advent and Vasari.
Plans were already being drafted in how they could get creator and creation to make peace. While it was unlikely the Unity could control them due to the presence of the Geth; they were likely going to need allies in an otherwise hostile galaxy.
Quarians were considered the trash of the universe and useless vagrants by all. Even if they had the largest fleet in the universe, outnumbering even the Advent's massive armada, it did not mean they were the most powerful. It was likely after centuries of use; they were in desperate need of repairs and it was doubtful that all were dedicated military vessels.
Likewise the Geth were the 'bogeyman' of the universe. Considered to be building up a massive fleet behind the Perseus Veil to eradicate all organic life; they were registered as a high level threat, on the same level as the Advent and Vasari, according to the STG files they 'picked up'.
Caught between the Council and the Advent; they would have to choose a side to avoid being swallowed by the larger sharks in the galaxy. The Council was likely to regret their discriminative policy against the Quarians and Geth. With centuries of hostile relations with both; the only realistic choice for allies was the Advent.
All this was processed through Asfeli's mind within moments. Dedicated decades of honing her mind have allowed her to identify, analyse and pass judgement on hundreds of viable options within a second. It was time well spent.
"Perhaps so but you cannot deny that even 'outdated' technology would be of aid to our own research." she said. "And there are the negative connotations that are associated with your… culture."
"So would be racist and refuse to negotiate with us because of our culture?" demanded the Batarian with mock outrage. His pretence did not fool the leaders of the Advent.
"We are not…" started Asfeli.
"What you do now is what the Council would do. You would have us renounce our cultural heritage and throw away our identity. What you do now is blatantly prejudice against all Batarians." The ambassador interrupted; using the same excuses he fed to the Council. By playing the injured party; they could gain more gains as the other party tried to smoothen over the negotiations.
"Yes." she replied simply. "Slavery is abhorred by the Unity and unless it is dying out in your culture; the Advent will not recognise any negotiations made with your Hedgemony while you insist on maintaining your culture of slavery."
The Batarian widened all four eyes in surprise. That was surprisingly… blunt. "But…"
"It is just as you have said. We will not negotiate with the Batarian Hedgemony until there are reforms about your slave policy." informed the Coalescence of the Cult of Celebri.
"As such this Meeting is over." intoned all of the Coalescences as the fake reality crashed back to the real world.
The Batarian Ambassador recoiled back from the Advent telepath. His guards watched him silently in concern as he took quick deep breaths. Gritting his hands; he slammed his hand onto the smooth marble floor in frustration.
Not sure whether I should put in Codex Entries since I'll probably just be copying the game's descriptions of vessels. I'll have to make up my own ground based units since the game doesn't have anything on ground warfare. That's what's good about writing about this game; it has hardly any story to it besides a few minutes of cinematic scenes at the beginning. Though its a bit disappointing to see that not too may know of the game.
