V: ULTIMATUM - ACT III: EMANCIPATION, PART 1:
The following chapter outline details the first twelve chapters of ACT III: EMANCIPATION. As the act title suggests, it would have covered most of the Border War: the final conflict between the Systems Coalition and the Batarian Hegemony.
Chapter 32: Fighting on the Beaches:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Terez's POV. The Coalition parliament convenes on Epitaph to discuss the recent attack on Feros, and now Fargone, and the best response. Many argue that the Coalition is not ready to jump into another war after only fighting another ten years ago, while the others reply that the batarians have been impeding on human territory and enslaving their people with impunity since the First Contact War, and that enough is enough: war between humanity and the batarians is inevitable. In the end, parliament votes for an official declaration of war against the Hegemony. Terez passes the resolution, and the Coalition enters a state of war.
Section 2:
Section is from James' POV. James checks in with Major Coats, telling him that his company is fully equipped and ready for deployment. Coats informs James that the Coalition has officially declared war against the Hegemony, and that the entire Coalition military is being mobilized: he states that Hackett wants to reinforce the human colony of Memory, stating that, following the Hegemony's line of attack, Memory would be the most likely next target. He hopes to destroy the Hegemony raiding force. Coats asks if James is ready to fight in another war, to which the N7 replies that batarians brought it upon themselves, and that he's ready to fight the "scumbags."
Section 3:
Section is from Garrus' POV. Garrus talks with Kasumi regarding the Coalition's official declaration of war. He remarks on how it is now a new year (2198), and they're starting the year with another war. Kasumi states there's nothing they can do about it, and that must simply wait out the war and hope it ends quickly.
Section 4:
Section is from Samantha's POV. Locke organizes a meeting between geth representatives and Ann and Samantha. He explains that the aim of the meeting is to discuss the development and integration of geth plasma weaponry, stating that while they have replicated Reaper tech, replicating the superior geth weaponry will give them a larger technological playing field, especially if the war with the batarians (already being called the Border War) ends up going for a long time. The meeting ends well, with the geth agreeing to give the Coalition examples of their tech to help their endeavours.
Chapter 33: A Border War:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Xen's POV. A day later, at the El'Tivv State Penitentiary, Xen sits in her cell, awaiting execution. Sentenced to death for her crimes against the geth, Xen patiently awaits her death, cursing Tali and wishing they had wiped out the geth in the Second Morning War. One of the prison guards, a geth by the name of Evzones, comes to retrieve her, and orders the two quarian guards accompanying him to enter the cell and pick her up. Xen quietly lets them pick her up, before calmly telling the geth that the geth will never be her equal. Evzones tells her that her opinion means nothing to him, to which Xen just smiles and shakes her head, "It should." She is carried away to her execution chamber, where she is strapped down to a chair. The superintendent of the prison, Tax'Dor, reads out her sentence, ending it by telling her she will die by lethal injection. Xen closes her eyes, before mumbling random words in khelish as the needle pierces her skin and injects her. She blacks out, and Xen dies.
Section 2:
Section is from Hackett's POV. Hackett sets into motion Operation: Red Viper, and congregates with the new fleet admirals of the Coalition Navy: Admiral of the First Fleet, Awarnach Stanford. Admiral of the Second Fleet, Nathaniel Grosenhind. Admiral of the Third Fleet, Carrie Kellou. Admiral of the Fourth Fleet, Fred Weracht. Admiral of the Fifth Fleet, Abraham Mikhailovich. Admiral of the Sixth Fleet, Del Toro. Admiral of the Seventh Fleet, Gemma Steel. Admiral of the Eighth Fleet, Xerma Zphila. Approved by the defense department, Red Viper is a defensive strategy, with Coalition forces deployed across several key border colonies thought to be prime targets: Memory, New Constantinople, New Canton and Freedom's Progress. As such, numerous contingents of the Marine Corps will be assigned to key defensive positions in these colonies, awaiting for batarian attacks: these forces will then act as defenses against further Hegemony raids, giving the rest of the Coalition military time to mobilize. He informs them that they are expecting military aid from the quarians and geth, and are still waiting on word from the krogan, who are also expected to help them. Hackett asks who disagrees with the plan, and nobody objects. Red Viper is put into action.
Section 3:
Section is from Coats' POV. Major Coats and his company, the 411th "Firefox" Marines, deploy alongside that of Major Roma Vinh and his N3 company, the 13th "Jackals" Special Forces Company, on Memory. Their troops spread out across the main colony of Blindwave, with Roma's N3s setting up booby traps (such as EMP and explosive mines, barbed wire nets, sentry turrets, etc.) and digging foxholes. Coats and his men, accompanied by a squad under James' command, establishes themselves within the buildings, setting up machine gun emplacements and anti-armor weapons. Roma tells Coats and his men, especially James, to stay clear of his, and they should be fine.
Section 4:
Section is from Khabcass' POV. Khabcass and his fleet arrive over Memory, and immediately deploy to the surface, noting how odd it is that no fleet is present. Landing in shuttles, they find the colony empty, but Khabcass presses forward anyway, having Sacrosanct and his Tilthans take the right flank. His forward line are annihilated by the mines deployed however, and Roma, along with his N3s, spring up from their foxhole traps and attack them, the sentry turrets activating and slicing into Sacrosanct's Tilthans. Coats and his men attack from the rooftops, raining fire down on the batarian raiding party. Khabcass orders reinforcements deployed from his fleet above, before ordering his troops to push forward. The Tilthans destroy the sentry turrets, but are gradually overwhelmed and forced to retreat. Batarian reinforcements arrive just as Roma engages Khabcass in hand-to-hand. Finding himself outclassed, Khabcass flees Roma just as reinforcements arrive via shuttle. One of them is shot down by a rocket, whilst another manages to land and open its doors, only for its inhabitants to be immediately torn apart by machine gun fire. James arrives and storms a third shuttle, killing everyone inside with his Revenant following an EMP grenade, and then taking control of the shuttle. He crashes it into the fourth, before getting out and killing the survivors. The fifth and final shuttle is destroyed by another missile. Khabcass demands more reinforcements, only to learn that his fleet is under attack from a Coalition battlegroup, who had decloaked behind them. Realizing the battle is lost, he takes Sacrosanct and what few men are left, boards the last shuttle and escapes.
Section 5:
Section is from James' POV. Back on the ground, the marines round up batarian survivors as POWs. James celebrates their victory, but Coats reminds him that the war isn't over yet, and that the batarians will be back. Roma agrees, telling James that despite his hatred of the man, what he did with the shuttles was impressive. James thanks him, but Roma tells him to not get used to it, and that he still doesn't consider him a proper N7.
Section 6:
Section is from Hackett's POV. Hackett receives word of the successful defense of Memory, and that the batarian raid was repulsed with heavy casualties. He also receives word that Wrex has pledged to send weapons and supplies to aid the Coalition war effort, and the quarians will dispatch a few geth fighter squadrons. Hackett muses that the batarians have made a huge mistake.
Chapter 34: Crying Foul:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Cragrom Dref'bagar's POV. The batarian ambassador to the Citadel, Cragrom Dref'bagar, requests an audience with the New Council to discuss the developing Border War conflict. Cragrom pleads with the New Council for help, and when they refuse, calls them human sympathsizers and apologists. Din Korlack, the volus councilor, points out that the human, quarian and krogan councilors are not present due to the war, and have abstained until its end, and that Khabcass, the batarian councilor, has not been seen at all for sometime before the war even began. Quentius, the turian councilor, also makes note that the batarians struck first, and that the humans are only defending their territory. Cragrom argues that the land they hold is traditionally batarian, but Esheel, the salarian councilor, dismisses this as the same logic that drove the Skyllian Blitz. In the end, Cragrom storms out, declaring that the batarian embassy will once more be shut down, and that the batarians will be withdrawing from the New Council.
Section 2:
Section is from a quarian's POV. A lone quarian woman wakes up to find herself in a cell, drowsy and confused. Standing up and alert, she is approached by a single Prometheus agent, and the quarian is revealed to be Xen. She asks how she could possibly be alive, and he reveals that the injection they gave her was a special agent that rendered her chemically comatose, allowing for Prometheus to move her body without any backwards looks. In return for her survival, she will now work for Prometheus. Xen agrees, glad to have a second chance at fullfilling her ambitions.
Section 3:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Shepard, in his coma, finds himself on Noveria, overlooking the rachni queen. He is approached by Matriarch Benezia, who asks how Liara is doing. Last he checked, he says, she was the Shadow Broker, and doing well for herself. Benezia admits she is proud of her daughter, and the woman she has become. She goes onto point out that Liara came to trust Shepard implicitly, and that knowledge alone should give him strength. Pressly and Johnson later join them, asking if the Reapers were defeated...Shepard replies that they were, and they rest easy, although regret they couldn't be there to see it. They ultimately banter for a while before disappearing, leaving Shepard alone once more. He hears a hum in his ear, and it begins to intensify until dying off completely. He frowns at this, but ultimately pays it no mind.
Section 4:
Section is from Tali's POV. Tali organizes a joint meeting with the quarian military brass, and they discuss quarian-geth involvement in the Border War. In the end, they agree that a few geth squadrons should be all the involvement they make, as it is ultimately not their war. Tali agrees, and afterwards, talks with Meru and Shala. They all begin to wonder whether the unity Shepard created was as fragile as it seemed.
Chapter 35: Failure Costs Too Much:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Khabcass' POV. As the BRS Revelation, Khabcass' flagship, arrives over Khar'Shan, Ocrolya consults Bellerophon through an orb regarding his defeat on Memory. Bellerophon reassures him that Memory was not his defeat, but the Hegemony's, and that most of the men he lost were not followers of their cause. Khabcass acknowledges this truth, before having to leave as his flagship connects with a space dock over Khar'Shan. Sacrosanct, as his honor guard, asks to accompany Khabcass to the surface, but he replies that the Regent is not aware of the Tilthan's existence, and it must stay that way. Landing, he enters the Hall of the Regents, informing Supreme Regent Eghanis Bor'segar of the Hegemony's defeat at Memory. Bor'segar remains unfazed, announcing to his entire assembly that he will not rest until the humans are taught their place, their homeworld set on fire and their people enslaved. He names Khabcass the new Regent Supreme Commander of the batarian military, and tasks him with leading a 'grand campaign' against the Coalition. Khabcass nods, telling him he will need men to launch a second attack on Memory, as well as simultaneous raids on New Constantinople, New Canton and Freedom's Progress. Bor'segar nods, but tells him that Khabcass is supreme commander, and that he will have all the troops, ships and supplies he needs.
Section 2:
Section is from Hackett's POV. Hackett consults once more with the joint chiefs to discuss the Coalition victory on Memory, but declares they will not have the troops or ships for a prolonged war, and neither will the batarians. In that moment, he reveals that Zaeed Massani has committed the Red Sky to their cause, and will begin reinforcement of all major colonies, with projected completion of deployment being just over a week.
Section 3:
Section is from Pike's POV. Bray summons a meeting of Talon lieutenants, among them Pike, and informs them of a helium-3 shipment coming in from the Amada system, and that a small contingent of Talon forces will meet the ship at the dock to protect it as it offloads its cargo: the shipment will be used to fuel the Omega fleet: a new project by Aria T'Loak to militarize the Omega Republic. After being dismissed, Pike relays this information to Sata, and the asari decides to strike. Pike questions this sudden change in demeanour, but Sata argues that they'll steal the helium-3 and distribute it to civilian vessels trying to help the galaxy's reconstruction efforts. Pike nods, and Sata has him summon Samara and what men he can trust, before beginning to draw up an ambush plan.
Section 4:
Section is from Pike's POV. The next day, the MSV Argent Cascade, docks with Omega, with Talon forces led by Pike, with a few of Aria's loyal mercs, greeting them at the dock. As they begin to offload the cargo, Samara arrives, and kills several of Aria's men before they know what's happening. Pike orders the Talons to kill the rest, and then orders the crew of the ship to take their cargo to the Citadel, with specific orders to give the fuel to relief efforts. The captain of the ship agrees, and the ship departs. Pike reports to Bray afterwards that the captain had a 'change of heart', and escaped the system before he could do anything. Bray thanks Pike for his honesty, and that he will inform Aria that it was not Pike's fault, but laments that she will be pissed: after all, that ship had nearly 20 million credits worth of raw helium-3.
Section 5:
Section is from Aria's POV. Aria, from her position in the gunnery control, and flanked by a dozen of her mercs including Dreg, watches with seething anger as the hull of a half completed Everest-class dreadnought is towed further from the station: the ship is called The Patriarch, and is planned to be Aria's personal flagship. Bray, having recently just been told her of the failure of Pike's men to acquire the shipment, swings around and punches the nearest man in the face, who keels over with a broken nose. She screams in Bray's face, before telling him to find the ship and bring it back. Bray tells her it is long gone, and that the captain has likely already arrived in Council space. She nods, before ordering Dreg to dispatch more ships to find more helium-3 and palladium to build her ships. He nods, before departing. Aria begins further plans for Omega's militarization.
Chapter 36: Cleon Would Be Proud:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Adrian Atoll's POV. Coalition Army Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Atoll, commander of the 15th Elite Rangers Battalion of four hundred men, is taking a stroll through the empty courtyard of Little Rock on Freedom's Progress. His men, having been deployed following Coalition orders to protect the civilians of Little Rock against batarian raids, are also helping rebuild the colony following its abandonment in 2185. He takes a deep breath just as the siren goes off, civilians beginning to flee towards the back of the colony, army troopers escorting them there. Suddenly, a bombardment of missiles strike the colony from orbit, destroying several buildings and killing numerous civilians. Atoll grabs his combat armor, and orders his men to assume defensive formations and to get the GARDIAN online, fearing a batarian assault. The civilians are huddled into a underground bunker just as more missiles strike the colony, followed by chain gun fire: a dozen or so troopers are killed in the attack. Suddenly, a sniper on one of the scout towers is killed with a headshot, Atoll realizing batarian troops have already landed. A thousand or so shock troopers storm the colony, but Atoll has the gate sealed, and has all available men man the walls. Despite superior position, Atoll's men suffer heavy casualties, as the batarians use grenades, and one of them uses a commandeered Reaper Blackstar from the war to destroy a guard tower. Eventually, after four hours of fighting, Atoll's men mutiny against him, hoping the batarians will let them live, and they subdue Atoll. The rest of the garrison surrenders, and Khabcass overlooks the soldiers. He orders his men to have them and the civilians in the bunker taken back to Khar'Shan to be put into slavery. Just as he turns to leave, Atoll headbutts his captor, grabs his pistol and turns to shoot Khabcass, only to be impaled through the back by an omni-sword wielding Sacrosanct. Atoll just laughs at his men, musing that he will have died fighting, while they will live the rest of their lives as slaves. He then dies.
Section 2:
Section is from Terez's POV. Terez storms into Coalition Supreme Command on Epitaph Station, demanding answers from Hackett regarding the devastating surrender of 240 Coalition soldiers on Freedom's Progress (this battle was a clear reference to the Battle of Sphacteria during the Peloponessian War). He tells Hackett this makes humanity look weak, and that the fall of Freedom's Progress gives the batarians a straight shot to the Petra Nebula, where Epitaph Station is located. Hackett assures Terez that Freedom's Progress will be avenged, and that the batarian attacks will be halted before they reach Elysium.
Section 3:
Section is from James' POV. On Memory, Coats summons James and Roma, informing him that he and the N7 have a new assignment from supreme command: he informs them of the devastating defeat at Freedom's Progress, but states that in response, the Coalition will strike a crippling blow to the Hegemony by striking an ore refinery and weapons factory on Erszbat: deep inside Hegemony space. He informs the two of them that they will oversee the mission as part of Operation: Swordfish, the offensive equivalent of Red Viper. The SSV Sparta, a Normandy-class stealth frigate, will take them to Erszbat, drop them near the refinery, where they will set charges on the supports of the refinery, before then detonating the ammo dump in the weapons factory: they will then escape back to the Sparta, and escape the system before batarian reinforcements arrive. James agrees to the mission and whilst Roma is reluctant to work with the marine, he reluctantly accepts the mission.
Section 4:
Section is from Khabcass' POV. On the way back to Khar'Shan with his bounty, Khabcass heads down to the brig to see his new slaves. The soldiers were stripped of their armor and weapons and left naked in the brig, where some of them have died from hyperthermia: Khabcass orders them clothed, as they are no use to him dead. Some of the captured civilians have been put to work on numerous parts of the ship, but all of the children have remained below deck. He returns to talk with Sacrosanct and the rest of his council, asking for a status on their conversion campaign. They report that they have infiltrated the majority of the Hegemony's military command, and that, according to Bellerophon, over 48.6% of Khar'Shan's population have converted to Apexism, whether through indoctrination or by free will. Sacrosanct states it will soon be time to make their move, and Khabcass agrees, stating that the end is coming for the Hegemony.
Chapter 37: This is Sparta:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Samantha's POV. Ann Bryson and Samantha Traynor, following their discovery in regards to indoctrination, are informed of their transfer by Locke, effective immediately. Transported by a WRS (Western Russian States) shuttle, Locke rebutts their attempts to ask what is going on, stating they will find out once they reach their destination. After a few hours of flight, they dock with the SSV Beaugency, a Normandy-class stealth frigate, which then enters FTL, with Ann and Samantha being kept inside their shuttle. They are joined by a quarian scientist named Selu'Limas (who is actually Daro'Xen, with a few hints dropped as to her actual identity), who Locke says will be joining them on their new assignment after returning from the bridge. Finally, the ship arrives at its destination, and the shuttle departs for the surface. Locke finally informs them of their location: they are now entering Jupiter. Ann asks why the secrecy was necessary, and Selu responds for Locke, having already deduced why: if they had told them beforehand, they could have compromised the location, so they omitted it until they reached Jupiter, where all outbound comms are jammed using a similar device to Horizon's Sanctuary. Docking with Thucydides Station, Ann, Samantha and Selu are finally shown their new assignment: Samantha is horrified to find, in orbit of the station and suspended via tethers, is the corpse of Harbinger. Locke informs them that their exemplary work on the dead Reaper Destroyer, combined with Selu's excellent expertise in the field of robotics, has led to them being reassigned by Prometheus to Project Colossus: the application of Project Illusive's indoctrination discoveries to the reanimation and control of Harbinger's body. Locke leaves them to begin their work, but Samantha begins to have doubts about her commitment.
Section 2:
Section is from James' POV. The SSV Sparta arrives in the Vular system, immediately spitting out numerous LADAR decoys to trick any batarian warships in the area into investigating false readings, before immediately activating its cloaking device. The captain of the ship, an Austrian by the name of Dominik Konig, orders the Sparta to make a scheduled pass over Erszbat, deploying James and Roma in prototype 'orbital insertion pods'. They land on the surface a few klicks north of the weapons factory and ore refinery, before proceeding on foot towards it. They manage to avoid a patrol, where Roma suggests attacking them, but James suggests moving around so as to not draw attention: Roma expresses surprise at this, and James realizes the N7 was testing him. Moving forward, they eventually reach the ore refinery's entrance, where Roma uses a silenced sniper rifle to kill the six guards at the entrance, allowing them to move inside. Once inside, they are discovered by a batarian worker, who James proceeds to place into a sleeper hold through a headlock, putting him to sleep, before hiding him in a crate, and then helping Roma hide the dead guards. Roma chastizes him for sparing the worker's life, as he could warn others if he wakes up...James refuses to kill him, leaving Roma annoyed. James ignores him and places the first charge on a support strut, motioning for them to continue further into the facility.
Section 3:
Section is from Tali's POV. The RNS Revengeance finishes its first trial after travelling through six clusters, the crew celebrating its successful voyage. Kaidan wishes to speak with Tali, and they go into her private cabin. He informs her of his sense of duty to the Coalition, and feels the need to ask her permission to return to Coalition space to help fight the batarians. Tali is hesitant, but he reminds her of her duty to her people, and that he must be allowed to do the same for his own. Tali accepts this and Kaidan leaves to pack his things. Tali consults with NeoLegion and Moses regarding Kaidan's departure, as she is worried this could lead to her entire human crew leaving, and Tali does not want that, beginning to feel lonely once more.
Section 4:
Section is from Coats' POV. Major Coats runs over the plan with his men for establishing a planetary cannon on Memory to fight back another batarian fleet just as Khabcass returns with a fleet of eighteen warships. Like with Freedom's Progress, they bombard Blindwave from orbit first, killing dozens of Coats' and Roma's men. Finally, shuttles deploy away from the main battle site, and at least a thousand or so batarian troops, reinforced by a hundred Tilthans, assault the colony. Coats orders them to withdraw to the center after taking too many casualties, hoping to reinforce their position there and hold their ground. He tries calling for help, but finds his comms jammed.
Section 5:
Section is from Zaeed's POV. A Red Sky frigate, the RSS Javelin X, along with a fleet of six Red Sky corvettes and nine Red Sky transports, arrive over Memory, with Zaeed and Miranda leading them, to deliver the promised Red Sky reinforcements. They are surprised to find Memory under attack by a larger batarian force. Detecting them, the batarians dispatch eight of their own frigates to engage the enemy, but Zaeed is unfazed. Despite suggestions to the contrary, Zaeed brandishes Jessie, and the chapter ends with him saying coldly, "It's about to get fucking messy."
Chapter 38: Goddamn Space Theater:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Khabcass' POV. Khabcass, from the bridge of the BRS Revelation, watches as his ships move to engage the Red Sky vessels. He is annoyed to find the mercenaries coming in to support the besieged Coalition forces, but knows his ships will be sufficient to destroy their much weaker vessels. He instead contacts Sacrosanct on the ground, who is leading the assault, and finds that the Coalition have fallen back to the central colony, and have lost many men: he predicts total victory soon. Khabcass smiles, before contacting the ground troops on his ship being held in reserve and ordering them to send boarding parties to capture the Red Sky stragglers. Suddenly, his navigator warns for them to brace for impact. Before Khabcass can ask, he is thrown from his seat as the Revelation shakes violently.
Section 2:
Section is from Zaeed's POV. Back on the Javelin X, Zaeed contacts his fleet and orders them to deploy the 'Big Goddamn Hero' surprise 'package.' Miranda asks what he means, but simply watches as the nearest frigate fires this 'package'. In moments, the leading batarian frigate is enveloped in a gigantic flash, followed by the three immediately behind it, and finally the fifth one. The flash recedes, and Miranda is shocked to see little left but the bissected hulls of the destroyed warships: Zaeed reveals the 'package' to have been an antimatter bomb he scrapped off a krogan arms dealer a while back selling weapons and WMDs left from the Reaper War. The last three batarian frigates, still startled to find the odds shifted in their favour, desperately return fire with their point defense cannons and ballistic missile pods. The six Red Sky corvettes return fire, their much faster speed allowing them to outmaneveur the frigates and whittle down their shields. One corvette is destroyed in the process when a frigate overwhelms it with a point-blank missile barrage, but the three frigates are eventually crippled or destroyed. The Red Sky ships turn their attention to the now ten-strong batarian force, who has not acknowledged them. Zaeed orders his remaining five corvettes to escort the transports safely to the surface to reinforce surviving Coalition troops, while he deals with the enemy flagship, which he pinpoints to be the Kharka-class light cruiser in the middle. He orders the fifty or so Red Sky mercs onboard to prep for boarding and to suit up with EVA gear. Grabbing Jessie from the armoury, he suggests Miranda gear up as well, before doing so himself. Miranda questions this, just before he has the navigator plot a collision course with the Revelation, and evacuating the bridge. He heads for the airlock just as the Javelin X rams into the side of the Revelation, spearing it deep in the side and causing the ship to list. Zaeed then opens the airlock and, with his men, throw themselves towards the ship. Miranda, rolling his eyes at this "insanity", sprints out to join them.
Section 3:
Section is from Khabcass' POV. Khabcass, recovering, orders a status report, and finds that the Revelation has been rammed by one of the Red Sky corvettes, and that they are being boarded. Khabcass is startled by the sheer audacity of the Red Sky attackers to actually ram his ship, and orders all his men to assemble and repel the boarders. Taking a weapon himself, he rushes out to greet the attackers. An explosion rocks Deck 3 as Zaeed makes his explosive entrance with a grenade launcher, before dropping it, equipping Jessie, and gunning down three unshielded naval officers. The rest of his men follow through: a krogan, several salarians, turians, humans, four asari, several batarians and even vorcha. Miranda arrives last, using her SMG to gun down a trooper. Khabcass leads his men in a counterattack, and quickly encounters Zaeed, who punches him in the face. The batarian finds himself unable to defeat the mercenary, but notices that he seems tired, and taunts him. Zaeed ignores this, grabbing Jessie and unloading a clip into Khabcass, whose shields absorb it, but are drained. Equipping his knife, he charges Zaeed, only to be thrown aside by Miranda. The Red Sky pushes back the batarian troopers after a while, and Khabcass listens as Zaeed contacts his ship, ordering them to detonate the reactor and get to escape pods. Grabbing Zaeed's discarded grenade launcher, Khabcass kills the krogan and half of the Red Sky men, and is about to do the same to Zaeed, when a piece of shrapnel slices through his hand, amputating it from his hand. He is left to die as Zaeed, Miranda and the rest of his men use one of his ship's escape pods to escape. Khabcass bites through his pain and manages to crawl to an escape pod, managing to escape just in time. A second later, the Javelin X's reactor explodes, the shockwave sending Khabcass' pod spinning out of control into space.
Section 4:
Section is from Zaeed's POV. Zaeed, Miranda and Red Sky watch from safety as the explosion splits the spine of the Revelation, causing its own reactor to detonate, magnifying the explosion. One of the frigates moving into investigate is caught in the blast, leaving only seven enemy ships left. Zaeed laughs maniacally, before entering a fit of coughing. Miranda asks if he's alright, but Zaeed waves her off, joking that he hasn't seen fireworks like that since the Reaper War.
Section 5:
Section is from Coats' POV. In the midst of the battle, Coats and his men are down to their last clips. Just as all hope seems lost, a squadron of Red Sky gunships do a fly over, smashing the Hegemony lines with missiles and chain gun fire. This is followed by two thousand Red Sky mercs, accompanied by several tanks, storming the Hegemony force from the rear. The Coalition press the attack, and soon, the Hegemony forces are slaughtered as the tide of the battle turns on them. Coats uses his sniper rifle to shoot at Sacrosanct, but the Tilthan manages to escape through a gap in the pincer, while the rest of his men are killed.
Section 6:
Section is from Sacrosanct's POV. One of the Red Sky pilots of the shuttles is killed by Sacrosanct, along with his wingman, who then hijacks the shuttle and heads into space. Annoyed by their defeat, he finds Khabcass' escape pod in space and picks it up. Khabcass asks for a status, and Sacrosanct replies they were resoundingly defeated, with the entire force being wiped out this time. Khabcass nods, and contacts his fleet, ordering them to retreat and rendevous back in batarian space. He finds himself mentally drained and checks his cauterized and bandaged wound. He realizes this is because the orb he possessed was destroyed on the Revelation, and that he must get a replacement.
Section 7:
Section is from Zaeed's POV. Zaeed, picked up by the Red Sky corvette, RSS Escapade, watches as the rest of the batarian ships enter FTL and bug out. Later, he receives word from Major Coats on the surface thanking him for the quick save, and that he was sure they were done for: the Coalition owe Red Sky a debt of gratitude. Zaeed says they do it for free nowadays, and that they are in it together. Afterwards, he gloats that third time's the charm, and that the batarians won't try attacking Memory again.
Chapter 39: Gore For Some Ore:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from James' POV. Roma stands on a catwalk watching out for batarian guards whilst James plants a few charges on a series of support struts deep in the ore refinery. The two of them exchange back and forth regarding James' journey with Shepard, with Roma asking James if he truly believes he learnt anything. Eventually, James admits that he actually learnt most of his skills as an N7 from Keeling. Roma recognizes the name and falls quiet, piqueing Roma's interest: James questions him about it, but Roma says he will talk about it later. He announces that they have a guard approaching, and then realizes that it is actually two guards, escorting two batarian ministers inspecting the facility. The two of them hide under a grate as they pass by, overhearing the conversation: it is regarding Ocrolya Khabcass, who is revealed to be leading the batarian military. Afterwards, Roma suggests assassinating the two ministers. James asks if this is a test, but Roma reveals he is serious this time: James, after some thinking, shakes his head, voting they stay on mission. Roma agrees, but states they will have to split up to cover more ground. James agrees, and they split up, Roma going west, James east. James reaches central operations, and places a charge on one of the machines. Running up the catwalk, he is about to put some more on a support strut, but is distracted when he finds a batarian worker pulling a human woman around on a leash, abusing her. Leaping from the catwalk, he silently unsheathes his knife and stabs the batarian through the side of the head, killing him. He asks for the woman's name, who is revealed to be Lizbeth Baynham. James tells her to be quiet and do exactly what he says, telling her to follow him and not say a word, as he is on an infiltration op. He tries to radio Roma, but receives no response. Suddenly, he hears gunfire down in the refinery, followed by Roma's voice whispering, "Leave me."
Section 2:
Section is from Coats' POV. As Coats and his troops are aided by Red Sky forces in constructing a planetary defense cannon, they are contacted by a Red Sky corvette informing them a civilian shuttle just entered their airspace, and that they have a weapons lock and can shoot it down if he wishes. Coats lets it land, but has weapons aimed for it. The hatch opens, and to the audience's surprise, Javik steps out, particle rifle on his back as well as several unidentified weapons of prothean design. The prothean announces his intent to join the Coalition's war with the batarians, and when asked about the weapons, states he found an ancient prothean weapons cache on Eletania after some searching, and retrieved a prothean plasma launcher, a 'particle minigun' and an Archknight Scimitar energy sword. Coats welcomes him to the fight. They are also informed that Lieutenant Colonel Kaidan Alenko has just been assigned to Red Viper, and is returned from quarian space to help with the war effort.
Section 3:
Section is from Liara's POV. Liara, her operations now based on Alchera, receives word from her agents that Javik has joined the Coalition in their fight against the Hegemony: Liara is thankful, having long believed him dead after his sudden disappearance. Her book remains unpublished, but she hopes to publish it one day. She then receives word from her intelligence operatives in the Hegemony that a supply convoy of batarian tankers and cargo vessels carrying fresh helium-3, element zero and iridium is heading for the Kite's Nest, and is passing near Coalition space, with only a minimal escort of a few destroyers. She has this passed onto the Coalition's Prometheus, telling them to give a tip and tell them the Shadow Broker sends their regards. She then turns back to working on her message to Garrus and Kasumi.
Section 4:
Section is from Captain Del Toro's POV. Thanks to Liara, the Coalition got the tip on the supply convoy, and sent a 'wolf pack' of four Normandy-class stealth frigates to ambush the convoy: the SSV Marathon, SSV Teutoberg, SSV Abu Dhabi and SSV Carthage decloak in a pincer move, catching the lightly shielded ships in a crossfire of javelin torpedoes, Chimera class chain guns and mini-thanix strikes. Over twenty of the thirty transports are destroyed, with the responding destroyers unable to respond effectively as the stealth frigates fire, recloak and change positions, deploying LADAR decoys to throw them off. Only two of the thirty transports escape with their cargo, and the four frigates, their mission complete, jump out of the system, with the destroyers breaking off pursuit.
Chapter 40: Roma Invicta:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Garrus' POV. Garrus watches the news as the New Council convenes to once more debunk rumours that they are bankrolling and secretly supporting the Systems Coalition. They state they wish to remain entirely neutral in the Border War, and once again reiterate that the conflict is an entiretly human-batarian affair, but confirm that the batarians have indeed, once more, closed their embassy and that, in the absence of a batarian councilor, have been given a temporary ban from the New Council. The news cuts to new reports stating that a Systems Coalition battlegroup has ambushed and destroyed a Hegemony supply convoy yesterday, with the Hegemony claiming that they were civilian vessels carrying refugees, but with the Coalition reaffirming they were purely military targets. The New Council announces its intention to investigate the matter for a breach of the Citadel Conventions on Restricted Naval Warfare chapter, but Hegemony officials have impeded these investigations. Garrus turns it off, asking Kasumi what he thinks. She says they are her people, but that the war isn't hers to fight, and that it should be left to soldiers: the Reaper War was different, as all life as at stake. Garrus bets the Coalition will win, and that if they are clever, they'll bring down the hammer only when the Hegemony is suffocating. She comments on the overly tactical comment, but he replies that as ArchGeneral, it's his job. He insists they forget about the war however, and has cleared his schedule for a movie night. Before they can begin, they are visited by Solana Vakarian, Garrus' sister. It is revealed that Thotous died during the Reaper War trying to save his mentally disabled wife from a crumbling hospital, and Solana was the only survivor. Garrus looked after her after the war, but she eventually joined the military, becoming more independent. She asks to join them, and Kasumi eagerly agrees, leaving Garrus disappointed they won't get a private night. The three settle down to a night of movies.
Section 2:
Section is from Roma's POV. Roma is placing charges in the west wing when he sees the two ministers again. Taking the chance, he equips his sniper rifle, but is spotted at the last minute by a stray batarian worker who he couldn't see working under one of the machines. Killing him, Roma then turns and shoots one of the ministers through the face, only for the other to flee. In trying to get a clear shot on the second, Roma leaves himself exposed, where he is shot by a shotgun from the guard at close range. His shields absorb the shot, but a second shot catches him in the chest, armor taking most of it, but leaving him injured. Roma flees as alarms go off, the sounds of reinforcements arriving. He is found by a SIU (Special Intervention Unit) officer, but after a short scuffle, Roma kills him and escapes down a ladder. He is finally cornered by the shotgun guard, but Roma embeds his knife in the batarian's throat, equipping his rifle. He hears James' voice crackle over the radio asking for him, just as the enemy reinforcements round the corner. He shoots at them immediately, his valkyrie cutting them down. He equips a grenade, before responding into the comm, "Leave me". He tosses the grenade, and the explosion severely damages the surrounding machinery, but kills many more batarians. As he stands up, he hears James' response, asking for his position. Roma responds, "Be a good fucking soldier for once and do as I told you!" He is shot in the back by a surviving trooper, but he turns around and, after another hand-to-hand struggle, kills him as well. James insists on coming to save him, but Roma replies, one last time, "I gave you an order, soldier! Now pull out!" He screams in pain from the wound in his back as he disables his comm, ripping off his helmet and tossing it aside. He manages to fight off swarms of enemy troopers, until he is saved at the last minute by James. Roma chastizes him for saving him, asking if Shepard taught James to disobey orders, but James replies that he instead taught him that no man is left behind. Roma thanks him, and he, James and Lizbeth place the final charge before rushing to escape the facility. James begins to wonder just how they can possibly destroy the weapons factory now with the batarians alerted to their presence, but Roma has a plan. Moving to a safe distance, they detonate the charges, watching as the explosions tear the ore refinery apart, causing it to collapse and implode. His plan working, most of the batarian forces are drawn away by the event, allowing them to sneak into the neighbouring weapons factory. James commandeers a freshly made Ulanor main battle tank, and with Roma manning the main gun and Lizbeth inside, they fight their way through the facility, running over soldiers whilst ramming through walls. Eventually finding the ammo dump, they emerge from the vehicle, grabbing the last of their charges and planting them on a large pair of freshly forged napalm explosives. Using the tank to escape, they watch from a distance as the factory explodes in a great ball of fire. They are pursued by what little batarian forces are left, and Roma calls the Sparta for evac. A pair of batarian gunships are called to pursue them, and they disable the main gun. Leading them in a chase across the plains, they are finally rescued as the Sparta descends hard and fast, its chain guns blowing the gunships apart. It swoops down and opens its bay doors just long enough for the tank to drive in, before the Sparta shoots back into the atmosphere, firing two torpedoes at the pursuing attackers, killing most of them as the ship enters the atmosphere, reengaging its cloak.
Section 3:
Section is from Khabcass' POV. Back on Khar'Shan, Khabcass has a metal prosthetic hand built to replace his lost appendage, and is trying it out when he is visited by one of his men, who tell him that the Regent is displeased to hear about the defeat at Memory, and that he will expect more victories. Khabcass vows to never attack Memory again, but will attack an installation the Coalition will not be expecting him to. When asked what this is, Khabcass orders himself taken to his new flagship in orbit, a destroyer called the BRS Intermittent. There, he tells his commanders, including Sacrosanct, that he plans to attack Watson's moon, Franklin. From there, he will gain access to the facility's ICBM launch stations and devastate Watson with nuclear bombardment, before then destroying the facility: by doing this, they will destroy numerous weapons factories, population centers and military bases, severely damaging their morale and military infrastructure, whilst sending a small portion of his fleet to Terra Nova in a feint movement to draw Coalition forces away from their real target. With all of them in agreement, Khabcass goes to talk with the Regent about the plan.
Section 4:
Section is from Xen's POV. Back on Thucydides Station in Jupiter, work continues on Project Colossus in an effort to control Harbinger. Just as Samantha calls it a lost cause, Ann comes up with a breakthrough and, with Selu's help, finds a way to take control of Harbinger using their new indoctrination technique. They ask Locke for permission to enter the hulk, and they do so, finding the ship's "brain", and making the necessary modifications. Moments later, Harbinger powers up for the first time since 2186, this time firmly under Coalition control. This makes Selu smile, whilst Locke leaves to inform Prometheus of their breakthrough.
Section 5:
Section is from Aria's POV. After several more successful ambushes on her shipments, Aria decides to take action on the mysterious attacks. With Dreg and a platoon of handpicked loyalists, she takes a ship to meet one of the cargo ships before they can dock, the MSV Unlimited. She orders the cargo taken and the ship confiscated for her fleet, and when the captain objects, she has him killed. In a fit of rage, she then orders the entire crew massacred. Dreg is surprised by this, but nonetheless doesn't bring it up. He orders the ship steered to Omega. Upon returning, Sata asks how their mission went, to which Aria shrugs her off. She later explains to Bray that she had the entire crew killed for treason, before telling him to get out. Bray, shocked, leaves. Aria makes little note of it, and orders Dreg to step up patrols to find the attackers and deal with them.
Chapter 41: You've Already Lost:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Khabcass' POV. It is January 29, on the eve of Khabcass initiating his attack. He orders the Tar'hash and Grekk'car fleets to attack Terra Nova and knock out their orbital defenses, telling them they will be the first wave of a grand invasion. Meanwhile, he will take a fleet to Franklin, where they will ambush and take the facility, launch the missiles, and then escape. Having recently heard of the twin raids on Erszbat, he finds his mission even more necessary, but is summoned by the Leviathans to Titan. With no choice but to heed their call, he leaves command of the operation to his best commander, Krano Bag'nachar. Two days later, he, along with Sacrosanct, arrives on Titan, where finds the station far more developed than it had been before. He is surprised to find the Tilthans building an immense war fleet, but nonetheless takes a shuttle to Despoina to confront Bellerophon directly. On the surface, he discovers that the Leviathans have found yet another ally to call upon, and that they are far more powerful than they could imagine. Khabcass will go to Parnack and convert the yahg, who have recently built their first starship, to Apexism. Then, and only then, will the Hegemony be ready for its downfall. Khabcass nods, and tells him it will be done, but that it must be Sacrosanct, as he cannot blow his cover, and that his absence will be noted. Bellerophon acknowledges this and gives Sacrosanct several orbs to take to Parnack.
Section 2:
Section is from James' POV. Back on the SSV Sparta, which is heading for Franklin to refuel before being reassigned to Operation Red Viper, James visits Roma in the med bay. Left alone by the ship's doctor, the two of them talk, where Roma admits he was wrong about James. He explains that he knew Keeling, and that she was his mentor. She handpicked him from the marines to join the N7, and she considered him one of the most promising of the Gen II candidates. Shepard was a Gen III, while Keeling and Alec Ryder were Gen I, and James is a Gen V. Roma passed his exam with flying colors, and the two of them served together on several missions, earning many commendations: he even came to see her as his best friend. Roma jokes that he was criticizing James for being terrible N7, when it was he himself that was a poor role model: he had been training a few N4s when he made a decision that got two of them killed. Roma was court-martialed, but Keeling arranged for them to simply offer him early retirement, to save face. Roma hated her for it, but later came to see why she did it: it was only until the Reaper invasion of Earth they came back into service, fighting with Anderson's resistance: his bravery, courage and remarkable service led him to being reinstated post-war. Roma regrets that Keeling had to die at the hands of one of their own, but was glad Shepard avenged her and brought Leng to justice. The two share stories, until they both decide to get a drink. Roma laughs, whilst James thanks him for being such an asshole, joking that without him, James wouldn't have been as motivated to prove him wrong.
Section 3:
Section is from Hackett's POV. Hackett receives word from Promethean sources that two batarian fleets are heading for Terra Nova, and suspect a major offensive. Summoning the joint chiefs, he orders the Second, Fourth, Fifth and Eighth Fleets to be mobilized and head for Terra Nova, and that he will lead the forces himself. He receives word at the last minute that Prometheus will be sending a new superweapon to aid them, and that it will meet them at Terra Nova. Hackett, confused, reluctantly agrees, suspicious.
Section 4:
Section is from Shepard's POV. Shepard, in his coma, dreams he is on the Citadel, during that final moment with the Catalyst. He looks through the Council Chambers windows down to Earth, where he is approached by Saren. Saren admits just how wrong he was, and that Shepard actually managed to do it: he destroyed the Reapers. Shepard remarks that they didn't need to submit or go extinct in the end, and no union of flesh and steel was needed. Saren states that he still doesn't think humans are good by any means, but Shepard was a stronger man than he was in reality. The two of them look behind them to see Anderson's body, surrounded by all the dead Cerberus soldiers, Saren walking up and inspecting Anderson's body. Saren jokes that the man died as he lived: a stubborn man set in his ways. Anderson then appears, telling Saren to fuck off. The turian jokes that he'll "leave them alone", before disappearing. Anderson and Shepard share a moment in peace, looking over the destruction of the war outside.
Chapter 42: Switcheroo:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Hackett's POV. Hackett stands on the bridge of the CSV McKinley II as the Coalition forces arrive over Terra Nova out of FTL. They find the batarian fleets already ready and waiting, laying siege to the Coalition planetary defenses. Hackett, using tactics used by Coronati during Operation Uppercut in the Reaper War, has his forces enter and exit FTL inside the enemy lines and behind them, outflanking them. This tactic works, and the superior Coalition vessels sustain light casualties as they tear the weaker batarian warships apart. At the last moment, Harbinger exits FTL, much to the panic of the Coalition fleet, believing the Reapers to have returned. Instead, they are ordered to stand down as Harbinger attacks the batarian ships, carving through them. Hackett demands answers after the battle is over, and the captain of Harbinger, a geth, replies that they have found a way to power up Reaper ships and use them. Hackett expresses concern that the battle was too easy.
Section 2:
Section is from Krano's POV. Krano and a squad of SIU units deploy at Franklin's ICBM Launch Facility Gamma-9, quickly overrunning the security there and securing it. Smiling, he finds the supervisor of the facility, and demands that he hands over the launch codes and ignition. The supervisor refuses, and is executed. Krano has the office searched and finds them anyway, blowing open the safe with an EMP and a plasma torch. With the facility under full batarian control, he orders the first batch of missiles loaded and prepped to fire at Watson's capital, Blackburn.
Section 3:
Section is from James' POV. The SSV Sparta arrives near Franklin, and requires a dock with the nearest refuel station. The station replies that they are currently experiencing a crisis groundside, and that Hegemony forces have captured an ICBM facility and are preparing to fire nuclear missiles at Watson. James and Roma volunteer for the mission, and are once again deployed groundside in the prototype insertion pods. Once inside, they kill the majority of the attackers and surround the main operations control center. James suggests going inside unarmed to distract them while Roma goes around and surprises them. This goes as planned, with Roma shooting Krona and James killing the rest bare handed. Unfortunately, Krona manages to fire one of the missiles, before Roma finally kills him. James asks if the the Sparta can intercept the missile, but replies they wouldn't get there in time. With no kill switch, they instead redirect the missile to an open patch of land far from any settlement, watching as the nuclear missile detonates from orbit. Roma reports back to the Sparta that the threat is neutralized.
Section 4:
Section is from Terez's POV. A few days later, the Coalition parliament expresses outrage at the attempted nuclear bombardment of Watson, as to which Terez goes for a recess. Whilst eating lunch, he is approached by Faringar, the human councilor, who urges him to give the people what they want: go on the offensive and take the fight to the batarians. Terez agrees and asks for a vote on whether or not to extend resources from Red Viper to Swordfish. They are in agreement. The final stages of the Border War move into play.
Chapter 43: A Eulogy for the Hegemony:
Section 1:
Chapter opens from Hackett's POV. Hackett convenes with the joint chiefs to inform them that Parliament has provided extra funds for them to use in extending Operation Swordfish's scope of operations. In the end, he decides that following the attacks on Watson, Terra Nova and Memory, their defensive strategy isn't working well enough, and that simply starving out the Hegemony won't work: they reach the decision that the Coalition needs to launch a new offensive. Choosing a target for attack, the Coalition decide to pool resources in invading and taking the Uifa'ar Nebula, and establish a foothold. Hackett reluctantly requests Prometheus build a sizable Reaper force for the planned invasion.
Section 2:
Section is from Sacrosanct's POV. Sacrosanct and a squad of Tilthans arrive over Parnack and land, requesting an audience with the yahg's "Grand Warlord". Reiterating that they will not respond as leniently as the Council to an attempted assassination, Sacrosanct has one orb brought out, indoctrinating all the yahg in the room. The yahg agree to join what Khabcass calls the Covenant, and has the orbs spread across Parnack. They agree to pool resources to hasten the yahg's technological advancement.
Section 3:
Section is from Coats' POV. Major Coats on Memory summons Kaidan to speak with him, and tells him that they've been given new deployment orders: Red Sky will take over the defense of Memory, while all Coalition troops are being deployed to help with the invasion of Uifa'ar, and that he'll be pleased to know that he'll fight with James again. Javik agrees to come with them. Coats announces to the camp that they're moving out in 17 minutes, and order them to gear up and head for the shuttles.
Section 4:
Section is from Tali's POV. Back on Rannoch, Tali watches the news regarding the recent nuclear incident on Watson, and wonders just how far the Border War will escalate. Assembling her crew, they discuss the war, and in the end, Tali decides to join it. She orders the geth squadron committed to the Coalition side to accompany them as she takes the RNS Revengeance to group up with mobilizing Coalition forces near Uifa'ar. She is sick of doing nothing.
A/N:
And that's the first half of Act III: Emancipation. If its not already obvious, the Border War is a pivotal moment in FABT's history. It may seem insignificant, but Khabcass' worshiping of the Leviathans is what eventually leads to the formation of the Holy Covenant, which you know becomes a major pain in the ass fifty years later. The war also establishes the Systems Coalition as a major superpower, and serves as the first building block for the the Dominion later on.
Keelah Re'lai, troopers!