Chapter 4: The Coming Storm
Alliance Security Checkpoint
Illyria Spaceport, Elysium
27 September 2176
20:30 Local time
"Come on, how long is this going to take?" complained Captain Webb angrily. "I'm sorry sir but I really can't say." Replied the Alliance MP manning the checkpoint nervously "But it'll go a lot faster if you let us do our jobs."
The security checkpoint provided the last barrier between servicemen returning from patrol and the freedom of shore leave. Usually it was a simple matter: Each crew member was checked through the scanner by the MP on duty, any assault weapons such as sniper rifles or shotguns had to be checked into the armoury and could be retrieved after shore leave; the only thing that was allowed past the scanner was the utility knife that each servicemen received after basic training, no exceptions. Normally for a crew the size of the Marathon's this would take maybe 15 minutes tops but unfortunately due to a policy shift whereby each crew member had to be manually searched, questioned and have his or her IDentiCard logged before stepping through the scanner this usually routine procedure had taken over an hour.
"Yet another example of bureaucracy trumping common sense." Thought Shepard as she waited to be checked through by the MP. Most of the crew had already been cleared the only people left were herself, Webb (who had opted to wait till last), Nevski who was almost finished, two other crew members and Hunter. Shepard smiled wryly "God help that MP." If there was one thing that stood out among Hunter's many hates it was his dislike of queues.
"All right, you're clear." Said the dark-skinned MP, handing back Nevski's card and gesturing for him to step through the scanner's blue holographics. As Nevski passed through one of the other crew members, "Gerald or Graham or something." Shepard thought but couldn't quite remember, stepped up and handed the MP his ID. At was that this moment that Hunter's not so legendary patience ran out. He barged past Shepard and the crew members, his face red, straight up to the checkpoint pushing Gerald/Graham out of his way.
"Now you listen here," he seethed leaning over the desk that housed the checkpoint's console "I've been waiting for more than an hour while you dick around! Do you even know who I am?! I'm Jack Hunter, William Hunter's son!" The SC stopped clearly expecting some kind of favourable reaction. There was a second of stunned silence then the MP rose out of his chair, came eye level with the Minister's son and said quite calmly. "Sir, I don't care if your father is Santa fucking Clause get the hell back in line before I have you arrested."
"Ouch" Shepard thought making a start for the checkpoint "This isn't going to end well." Indeed Hunter's face had somehow become even redder and he raised a clenched fist, about to lose it completely. "Oh no that's not how it's going to go down." Shepard's hand came out of nowhere wrapping her Commander's arm in vice grip, stopping Hunter's blow in its tracks. "Get off me!" Jack screamed attempting to wrench his arm free from the lieutenant's iron grip while raising his other to do violence to one or another. Just before the situation degenerated into an all-out brawl Webb decided to step in: more specifically between his two officers using his hands to pry them apart. "Knock it off both of you! I won't have my top officers killing each other." He bellowed fixing both with his trademark stare to emphasize his point. "This isn't over Shepard you're going to be sorry you were even born!" Jack spat fuming. Shepard stared him down an inferno blazing in her eyes. "Do your worst you self-serving son of a…" "That's enough!" the Captain interjected quickly still holding them apart. "Back in line both of you!"
"This isn't over Shepard." Growled Hunter unable to resist one final quip. "On that we can agree" Shepard thought giving him a look so hard it could have killed a Krogan. The two belligerents returned to their respective places in the line tension still arcing through the air like the jagged lighting outside.
MSV Petya
Vicinity of the Chandrasekhar Relay
Hawking Eta Cluster
27 September 2176
22:06 Elysian Time
The Merchant Space Vehicle Petya was a 350 metre long Parabola class cargo vessel of Volus design. Shaped like a capital I with the bridge and crew compartments at the top of the "I" and the engines at the bottom joined together by long crew tube. On the underside of this tube were the 120 magnetic docks for carrying the ships payload; in the form of external cargo containers.
According to the ships registry it was registered to an Epsilon Corporation headquartered on the Citadel. A quick extranet search would reveal that Epsilon was a small start-up shipping company with just two ships specializing in transporting raw materials in the Skyllian Verge.
But everything was not as it seemed: A search for the address of the company's headquarters would lead one to the premises of the Zarthara Bistro on the Presidium, a closer look at the ship's registry would reveal that the ship's previous owner had been killed in a pirate raid and that both ships were in fact stolen property but most telling was the fact that the "raw material" in the crates took the form of 120 fully armed pirates, slavers and mercenaries one to each container.
The Captain of the MSV 'Trojan Horse' was none other than Jihral Ka'Sarum, Haliat's second in command. The ship's reason for being in the Hawking Eta Cluster was as suspect as it's origins but to the casual observer it appeared for all intents and purposes to be a simple merchant ship preparing for a relay jump.
"That's the beauty of this plan." Jihral thought observing the relay from the Petya's bridge. "No one will ever see this coming, let alone the Alliance."
"Checks complete, we're ready to jump." Said Jihral's Asari helmsman. She was beautiful thought Jihral with her deep aqua marine skin and skin-tight Eclipse armour hugging all of her curvy figure. Of course she wasn't here for her looks; in fact the whole crew of the Petya (With the exception of Jihral.) that wasn't sealed in the cargo pods were Eclipse NetShadows. Eclipse commandos specially trained for Cyberwarfare and electronic subversion and they were here for one reason: to execute the first and most important phase of Haliat's attack.
"Take us out then; no point in sitting around." Jihral answered. The Asari nodded hands flying over the console as she propelled them into the relay and beyond the world of einsteinian physics.
Near Club Aqua
Illyria, Elysium
28 September 2176
00:03 Local time
Illyria, the capital of Elysium, was an interesting mix of old and new philosophy; the city centre was all towering arcologies and corporate glass spires. The area around the city centre however more closely resembled traditional sensibilities; wide streets with 2-4 story buildings on either side arranged in a grid pattern.
Club Aqua was located on the city outskirts just an hour from the spaceport and the local Alliance base; Joint Base Sentinel. This central location made a favourite among both marines and naval servicemen on shore leave.
That and the drinks were good.
Shepard cut a striking figure even in her off-duty civvies in this case a simple pair of blue jeans, a black top and a brown leather jacket. She set a quick pace through the rainy Elysian night not rushing but not exactly walking either.
The rain poured down around her pooling in puddles on the black road and gray sidewalk catching the light from dozens of streetlights and holographic signs and blurring them into an indecipherable, reflective menagerie of colours.
Shepard's Omni-tool sprang to life with a harsh electronic beep and dull orange glow. Without slowing her pace Shepard checked the inbound message:
From: JKeller
To: JShepard
Everyone's here we're just waiting on you.
Shepard cursed: she was later than she thought getting her stuff squared away at the base had taken longer than she'd anticipated.
The Alliance provided accommodations for all it's personnel on shore leave usually at the local base or a hotel. Of course this was strictly optional personnel were allowed to stay wherever they wished indeed it was not uncommon for soldiers to buy or rent apartments on the colony they were stationed out of. Even if it was only home for 1 week out of 4.
Shepard couldn't be bothered. When she joined the Alliance she'd had barely a credit to her name and she no point in squandering what little she had on an apartment she might only see for 1 month out of the year.
Arriving at the club Shepard stepped through the "whoosh" variety double doors and into an utterly bizarre landscape.
Club Aqua was so named because of it's aesthetics; namely the walls and roof which were all seamless, giant glass fish tanks filled with a myriad of strange and wonderful sea creatures from a hundred worlds. In the centre of this seascape was a huge cube ,at least 5 meters high, filled with water but was most strange were the two "dancing Hanar" inside. Around the this tank was the club's circular bar and around that was the pulsating dance floor and around the edge of the dance floor were the club's various booths and plush seats.
The whole club really did resemble some kind of strange underwater trapezoid.
Shepard's Omni-tool beeped once more with an incoming message alert:
Eyes straight ahead LT.
Shepard raised her eyes and sure enough she saw her team seated at the circular bar waving to attract her attention. Shepard smiled and started for the bar weaving between the club's patrons writhing on the dance floor.
Despite being a human colony almost half of Elysium's population was non-human and this club was no exception to demographics. Shepard could see quite a few Asari and Salarians on the dance floor, there were also a few Turians here and there and Shepard could have sworn she saw a Krogan lumbering around.
Shepard arrived at the bar and sat down on the empty stool next to Jared. "Finally," Jackson said from his seat on the other side of Keller, "We were starting to think you weren't going to make it." "Sorry, I got held up at the base." Shepard replied. "Don't worry," Jared said with a soft simile, "we've been running up a tab for you to pay off." "Great." Shepard groaned "I'm going to be bankrupt by morning."
This drew a laugh from all of them as Shepard flagged down the barman and ordered another round.
MSV Petya
On course for Elysium, Vetus System
28 September 2176
01:16 Local time
While Shepard and her squad enjoyed the Elysian nightlife 500 000 km away the Petya continued on it's deadly mission. Jihral wasn't worried the hardest part was already over and that been getting through the Exodus Cluster without alerting the Alliance which had been a lot easier than expected. "Apparently all you need to sneak past the Alliance 2nd Fleet is a set of fake transit orders." Thought Jihral chuckling slightly.
Getting from Torfan to Elysium wouldn't be a trivial matter for Haliat's fleet. First they had to jump from the Omega Nebula to Hawking Eta then from there they had to jump to the Horse Head Nebula and from there they had to transit through the Exodus Cluster before making the final jump to the Petra Nebula and Elysium.
Unfortunately for the pirates there were two huge obstacles in their way: the first was the Alliance's 2nd and 5th fleets stationed at Asgard and Arcturus respectively. Both were in striking distance of Elysium and each were capable of decimating Haliat's forces. Crucially the 2nd fleet was right in their way and one would think they would not react favourably if they detected over hundred pirate vessels pouring through their relay.
The second was the ARTEMIS net protecting Elysium itself. Which if left operational would, at the very least, disable most of Haliat's ships.
It was these two obstacles that Jihral had been sent ahead to remove… with extreme prejudice.
"We're about 15 minutes from Elysium." Jihral's Asari helm reported. "Their sensors will pick us up as soon as we drop out of FTL." "Good," Jihral responded. "Wake up the idiots in the cargo pods and tell your Shadows to get ready." The Asari nodded keying the intercom and relaying his instructions.
"Yes," Jihral thought. "The humans have no idea what's coming after them and after today they'll never set foot in the Verge again." The batarian smiled mirthlessly.