HALO: THE EMPYREAN EFFECT.
A few things I want to make clear first:
According to one reviewer I am making the Council highly susceptible to the deceptions of Averis. This is by design and you'll discover how he was easily able to manipulate them in this chapter.
Another reviewer has made the point of the Reapers not being interested in the Halo Array as it would destroy the fresh genetic material they need to "reproduce". However I have a slightly different system in mind for them. The Catalyst is practically the most powerful AI in the universe; with the collective processing power of trillions of Reapers at its disposal, I'm sure that the Catalyst would have found another way to create new Reapers…
Now, on with the chapter!
CHAPTER 3: SHOWDOWN AT SHANXI
OCTOBER 20, 2609: THE SUBLIME TRANSCENDENCE. IN ORBIT ABOVE SHANXI.
Fleet Master Cadram's attention was fixed on a tactical display that showed the positions of the enemy fleet. He could scarcely believe the fact that all this time, there was another galactic power here all along, and that it must be a great power to have marshaled this huge fleet. The Fleet Master's second-in-command came up behind Cadram and said, "It will be seven hours before the rest of the CDF can muster a fleet sufficient enough to counter the enemy. Now this will be a glorious battle!"
The Fleet Master asked, "What about 7th Fleet? They are perhaps a half hour's jump away."
The XO replied, "That won't be enough… The enemy's numbers are just too great."
The Fleet Master grunted in agreement. Even though the enemy ships were much smaller and presumably easier to destroy than CDF ships, he could not afford to underestimate them. The display showed at least eighty ships larger than 500 meters including twelve above 800 meters.
A communications officer announced, "Incoming message from Shanxi Command." Cadram's display changed to show the message, which was in both audio and text formats. Cadram elected to choose the audio version and listened intently.
"Fleet Master, this is General Williams. We've got incoming planetside right now; about 650 dropships are projected to touch down around New Roanoke within nine minutes. I expect this will be the initial wave, so we'll be dug in here. I've received word from Admiral Harmon that 7th Fleet will be here in 43 minutes with 30 ships. Until then we're on our own."
Cadram said with a hint of anticipation, "It is decided then. We shall hold them here and send our warriors to the surface to assist our allies."
The XO asked, "How much are you willing to commit?"
"All that can be spared."
"By your will Fleet Master."
OCTOBER 20, 2609. SHANXI, NEW ROANOKE.
"WE'VE GOT INCOMING, UP HIGH!" shouted one of the soldiers standing guard near the gun emplacement. Corporal Rodriguez fiddled with his MA-59 rail weapon system and his earpiece; something he'd do when he was nervous.
"Hey buddy, just stick with me and I'll make sure we both make it out of this in one piece." Corporal Rodriguez looked around for the source of that voice and saw his longtime friend Cpl Alexandrovic running toward him.
Alexandrovic continued, "I'll make sure you get home to Susanna… after all, someone has to care for you." Rodriguez pushed his friend away and motioned skyward. The dropships were just becoming visible to them.
The surrounding AA batteries lit up the afternoon sky like the hundreds of thousands of stars shimmering above every night. One AA missile battery scored a hit when the targeted dropship burst into flame and dropped down away from formation. Even with the AA batteries saturating the sky, the dropships seemed unstoppable. To Rodriguez and Alexandrovic, the fight of their lives was about to begin.
-ooo-ooo-
The CDF airbase hangar was a flurry of activity as pilots were priming and scrambling their F-75 Stiletto atmospheric jet fighters. The Stiletto fighters were created and launched in 2596 to replace the aging Sabre and Skyhawk fighters. Even though the Rapier singleship space fighters were capable of atmospheric operation, the Stilettos were far more maneuverable in an atmosphere since they were designed for it.
Each Stiletto was armed with twin ML-22 Pulse Laser cannons along with an internal magazine of eight 115lb. Skyhammer air-to-air missiles as well as four 320lb. Cestus air-to-ground penetrating missiles.
Major Michael Grimes strapped himself into the cramped seat of his Stiletto fighter as the canopy closed above him. He thumbed the biometric reader next to his fighter's instrument panel which caused the display in front of him to activate. The display showed the view in front of the fighter, since the design obstructed direct view of the outside space. Various information readouts and LIDAR spatial data populated the display as well. Grimes vectored the engines downward for takeoff and was preparing to increase the throttle.
A voice came through on the squad COM channel, "Squadrons A through F, you are cleared for takeoff. Give 'em hell Marines!"
Grimes opened the throttle and the fighter streaked out of the hangar at top speed, pinning him into his seat.
The six squadrons of Stilettos banked right and went into a steep dive in their final intercept course for the incoming dropships. The AA fire that was saturating the sky had just stopped as the fighters swooped in upon the unsuspecting dropships.
A new voice came through the COM, "Stiletto squadrons, this Captain Schmidt. General Williams has given me overall command of all aerial assets on Shanxi."
One of the pilots complained, "Oh come on! This is BS… why the hell have we got a bloody swabbie in charge now."
Grimes ordered, "Stow it Marine and suck it up."
Captain Schmidt continued, "The ROE is fire at will, I repeat… Fire at will!"
Another voice broke in, "Yea boys! Let's penetrate and annihilate!"
The COM channel was filled with metal music as well. Grimes rolled his eyes and activated his missiles. Unauthorized use of CDF communications equipment was punishable by a maximum of ten years in the brig, but in these circumstances it was almost welcomed as nothing came through from Command.
Grimes armed and fired one of the Skyhammer missiles. The missile streaked forward on a jet of fire and connected with one of the dropships, tearing it in half and shredding the rest. Grimes could've sworn he saw a body or two fall out of the wrecked ship as it went down. The other Stilettos found their targets and the dropships began dropping out of the sky like flies. But missiles were limited and there were a lot of dropships.
Several minutes later, after taking down a few more dropships himself, Grimes said into the COM with a grim tone, "This is Major Grimes to Air Command. We've engaged the enemy dropships and took out about thirty-four of them, but at least five hundred have made it past us and will be touching down shortly. Unfortunately we will be forced to disengage and resupply soon."
"Alright son, you and your guys have done a real good job. I'll buy y'all a beer when you get back to the coop."
All of a sudden the lock-on alarm sounded in the fighter, which indicated that someone was on him. Half of the display changed to show the direction that the lock-on signal originated. He saw a sleek grey ship above bearing down upon him. He grabbed the controls and went into a hard left to try and shake the lock. Grimes didn't know what types of weapons these aliens used, but he wasn't about ready to take a chance. The enemy fighter kept on his tail and the lock-on alarm continued to show on his display, with the NAV computer calculating and showing possible evasion vectors.
Grimes said on the squad COM, "I've got a bandit on my tail, trying to shake him. Need assist."
"This is S-16, I have you on scope, moving to intercept." The rear view on the tactical display now showed another Stiletto fighter moving in behind the enemy fighter. A few moments later the Stiletto lit up the enemy fighter with his pulse lasers, taking him out.
Major Grimes sighed with relief as he said, "Hey, thanks for the assist. I owe you one."
The reply came through, "Yea you do, sir. See ya back at base."
The trip back to base was otherwise uneventful. Grimes would get some chow while he waited for the base crew to rearm and refuel the fighters. All in all a twenty minute wait, but soon they'll be right back at it. Grimes got out of his fighter and went into the chow hall. It was filled with pilots and base personnel who had all their attention focused on the extranet displays on the walls, all documenting the invasion. The displays showed the dropships coming down into the atmosphere as well as the invasion fleet in orbit.
A minute later the display shifted to the Stilettos shooting some of them down. That particular scene elicited cheers from everyone in the chow hall as the display changed to show a female reporter in the New Roanoke central plaza, and the reporter said, "…and this is Reporter Lauren Anderson bringing you the latest in the crisis at Shanxi, live from the source."
As he was eating, Major Grimes noticed someone standing at his side. He looked and saw the muscular frame of Colonel Travis Mackensen.
Grimes stood up and saluted his superior, which caused the Colonel to chuckle and say, "At ease son. Your boys did a hell of a job takin' on those dropships. I know most of them went through, but I'll bet that Command appreciates what y'all did up there." He patted Grimes on the back and walked away.
A few minutes later the base intercom boomed, "Attention all Stiletto pilots, scramble your jets." In an instant, everyone got up from their seats, filed out of the chow hall, and began to prep their fighters. Grimes said under his breath, "Right back into it."
-ooo-ooo-
General Williams was hunched over the desktop display which now showed personnel lists and positions of all ground and air units. His Sangheili aide was not present, as he was coordinating the ground forces in the field. His display changed to show a fleet of dropships landing in the northern residential area and offloading alien troops. The display's corresponding camera was too far away to get a good look at the alien soldiers, and it didn't help that they were obscured by smoke drifting from a nearby house.
Williams said into his Comm unit, "This is Command to all tank units in Sector G, you've got incoming into your area, get your tanks ready and roll out the welcome mat for our guests."
Shanxi's tank units were basically equal to a token garrison, but they also had a handful of the new M-85 Phalanx tanks. The new tanks were armed with the powerful M-139 70mm rail cannon, two mortar launchers, and two pulse laser cannons with overlapping fields of fire; altogether combining to make a powerful war machine.
The tank commander replied, "Yessir! We'll bring some thunder down on them."
-ooo-ooo-
Colonel Andrei "Andy" Zhukov was in command of the 23rd Armored Cavalry Division, which was the only tank division currently deployed on Shanxi. He had his first taste of a tank battle during Operation RAPTOR and got his first command assignment during SCYTHE. He boasted to his crew on a regular basis that he knew more about tanks than he did about his own wife. Because of his name, his relatives had claimed numerous times that they were descended from the famous WWII Soviet field marshal himself, although the Colonel had denied it constantly.
Colonel Zhukov gathered his crew together in the tank depot and said to them in his somewhat noticeable Russian accent, "Alright boys and girls, we've got incoming enemy dropships about to touch down right on top of us. The General has tasked yours truly with rolling out the 65mm welcome mat and inviting our guests for dinner."
A crewman asked, "What are we expecting?" Zhukov knew his men were nervous. An unknown enemy rolling down a street that some of them have probably lived on at one point in their lives must have been like getting the sanctity of your home violated by some burglar.
The crewman continued, "I mean we got a load of alien uglies coming in to fight us on our own turf, with our families close by."
Zhukov replied, "Don't worry Davis, our tanks will give them the shock and awe treatment for good measure. Let's roll out."
Everyone got into their tanks and Zhukov climbed into his own. The displays inside the tank instantly came on and showed various status indicators overlaid on a 180 degree view out the front of the tank. He turned on the tank's repulsor engine, which caused him to feel weightless for a second. Even though he had received simulation training to get him to learn the Phalanx's new repulsor engine, no simulation was a substitute for the real thing.
The tanks moved out of the depot and entered the Sgt. Avery Johnson Memorial Expressway, which was the main artery of ground transportation into and out of New Roanoke. Zhukov panned his display's angle upwards, which showed enemy fighters slugging it out with the Stiletto fighters along with additional enemy dropships scattering and landing in various places throughout the city. Zhukov said over unit COM, "Looks like the flyboys are busy with our guests."
"Hell yea sir!"
"Yea, those guys get all the glamour while we get all the hard work."
"Don't forget they also get laid all the time while we gotta beat it to extranet porno."
"Hey Mendez, stow the BS and pay attention to your lousy driving!"
The COM channel dissolved into laughter for a moment then fell silent. Zhukov smiled at the COM banter as he returned the display's view angle back to the default position.
The tanks continued along the expressway for about five minutes until getting off at the exit leading to Sector G. In that direction a huge cloud of smoke was already high in the air. Zhukov said on unit COM, "Get off here and go toward that cloud of smoke. Do not fire unless fired upon!" On his display all the unit acknowledgement lights winked green.
The tanks slowly moved down the street, but so far there was no enemy contact. Zhukov was beginning to wonder where they were until he caught sight of some alien soldiers milling around next to a bus. They were man-sized aliens wearing distinctive armor with crests on their backs, and they wielded small weapons that somewhat resembled the old MA5B assault rifles from the days of the Great War.
Zhukov said, "Eyes ahead, picking up five hostiles 160 meters up the street. See the bus? Stay sharp, there may be more."
The acknowledgement lights winked green. Zhukov aimed his tank's turret towards the oblivious enemy hostiles and waited for the excuse to light them up like a Christmas tree.
He didn't have to wait long, as the aliens noticed them within a few moments of their arrival. They curiously approached the tanks part way, then suddenly opened fire. Their rounds made a deafening noise as they pinged off the Phalanx's advanced titanium composite battleplate.
Zhukov yelled, "Return fire, return fire!" All of the tanks opened up, Zhukov fired his M-139 cannon at the bus down the street since he had just seen a few more alien soldiers rushing to join the fight. The bus blew up in a huge fireball which cut down four of the aliens and probably wounded some more. He felt the blast from inside his tank and remarked over unit COM, "Oh my God, these busses are like bombs when they blow…"
"No sir, I think someone had a little surprise put in that bus."
"Yea, I'll bet that a lot of these vehicles are rigged."
Zhukov grunted in agreement and ordered, "Watch your fire. If you see a juicy opportunity, don't hesitate. ROE is fire at will from here on out. Stay sharp."
Zhukov's COM squawked and the voice of General Williams came through, "I have a priority target for you. The enemy is offloading heavy vehicles about five minutes due east of where you're at, on grid 5 by 5. Get in there and give 'em a reception."
Zhukov replied, "Yes sir, we're on our way."
-ooo-ooo-
The Sublime Transcendence and the rest of 31st Fleet was in high orbit above Shanxi, waiting for the enemy invasion fleet to make a move. Fleet Master Cadram was standing on the dais in the control room studying the surrounding tactical displays which showed the entirety of the enemy fleet, all 415 of them.
His own fleet consisted of only nineteen ships, including the 28km long Sublime Transcendence; whereas the enemy fleet's largest ships were a small fraction of that size, the maximum being approximately one kilometer in length. The display shifted to show the largest ship in the enemy armada, which had a highly unusual design. It looked somewhat like a cross shape and it took on a subtle pink hue in the sunlight from GV 2566.
The Fleet Master turned around to face the crowd of Sangheili gathered before him, "Stand with me this day, my brothers, as we engage these invaders in glorious battle! Their fleet outnumbers us thirty to one. It shall be an even fight!"
This elicited cheers from all the Sangheili officers in the control room as the Fleet Master continued, "Let us make ready for battle. Let them quake in fear when they behold our mighty ships and when we fill their hearts with our cleansing fire. Let them despair when we prevail!"
All the Sangheili cheered again, and this time the noise was deafening. The Fleet Master turned to face the main tactical display as he said, "Make your course for the enemy fleet and prepare for battle."
Every Sangheili in the control room said, "By your will Fleet Master!"
253:3792 OF CITADEL CALENDAR SYSTEM. RELAY 314 SYSTEM. BRIDGE OF TURIAN DREADNOUGHT TRASIUS.
Fleet Commander Desolas Arterius stood on the bridge of the Trasius. His second in command, Commander Averis, was on his way planetside to orchestrate the invasion itself. He had no trust in Averis, thinking him to be an overzealous megalomaniac; but by being a lifelong soldier he felt compelled to follow the Council's orders down to the letter.
A Nav officer announced, "We've got an enemy fleet on course to us. You should see the size of the lead ship Commander." Arterius' tactical display changed to show an image of the leading ship.
"By the Spirits…"
The XO said, "Commander. We'll need to focus our fire on that lead ship."
"Very well. Plot an intercept course and prepare for battle." Arterius stared intently at his main display.
The Trasius and the surrounding ships turned to face the oncoming enemy fleet.
-ooo-ooo-
The two fleets approached each other in the cold void of space and the tension between them almost made the void seem even colder and darker than it was. The massive Sublime Transcendence angled upwards slightly to give its energy projectors a better field of fire against the oncoming alien armada.
The Trasius was the first to fire, unloading a salvo of four magnetically accelerated 38kg slugs at the Sublime Transcendence.
Fleet Master Cadram ordered, "Incoming fire, focus power to bow shields."
The incoming slugs took only a couple of seconds to find their marks, pounding the Sangheili Supercarrier's shields. The impacts produced dazzling flashes of light every time a slug hit, but the shields held.
The Fleet Master asked, "Damage report?"
"No damage detected in any sections, shields holding at 80%." announced a Sangheili Ultra bridge officer.
Cadram said to the bridge officers, "We can take the punishment from only a few, but we cannot let them get the chance to focus their fire with the rest of their fleet. Return fire!"
The Sublime Transcendence launched four incandescent plasma torpedoes that seemed to radiate many colors like light refracted through a prism. The huge spear-like plasma torpedoes lazily drifted forward for a second then, as if being grabbed by some unseen force, they darted straight for the Trasius.
"By the Spirits!" gasped a shocked Commander Arterius, who then bellowed as loudly as he could, "TAKE EVASIVE ACTION NOW!"
The Trasius took a sharp turn to its right, desperately trying to avoid the oncoming spears that seemed to be composed of fire straight from hell. An Asari frigate moved forward in an effort to perhaps take the hit or throw the torpedoes off their trajectory.
Commander Arterius shouted into the Fleet COM, "Captain Arellia, I order you to return to your position immediately!"
"Not a chance sir." said the voice from the other end. The plasma torpedoes changed their trajectories to the Asari frigate, the crew of which were confident that their kinetic barriers would somehow stave off the impact to come.
"Give me a view of the Shi'ari right now!" shouted Commander Arterius.
"Yessir!"
The Commander's tactical display changed to show the doomed Asari frigate now silhouetted by the brilliant light from the incoming plasma torpedo. Arterius could only look away as one of the torpedoes instantly vaporized the Shi'ari and saturated the display with white static as the EM pulse temporarily disabled the cameras. When the feed was restored about thirty seconds later, nothing remained of the frigate and its gallant crew.
The other three torpedoes found their targets in the form of one Salarian frigate, a Turian cruiser, and a Turian frigate. All three were effortlessly vaporized within seconds, thus proving themselves to be no match against the plasma torpedoes.
Arterius stood up in front of his chair and looked at his bridge officers, who all wore expressions of pure, unadulterated shock and horror.
What could we do against such hellish firepower?
Arterius saluted the fallen crew of the obliterated ships and sat back down. He finally said, "We cannot hope to stand against firepower of this magnitude. Bring up the rest of the fleet to this position. That ship is THE priority target."
The rest of the Citadel fleet began to group up around the Trasius. This was to prove a fatal mistake for the blissfully unaware Citadel fleet, as the plasma torpedoes were only the opening act for the display of the CDF's might.
"The enemy has just sealed their fate. Prepare to fire energy projectors!" ordered an excited Fleet Master Cadram.
The Sublime Transcendence began to glow with a purplish light on its underside…
The Fleet Master said under his breath, "The enemy doesn't realize the horrors that they are about to experience." He then addressed the Weapons Officer, "Aim just to the right of that large ship in the center."
"It shall be done Fleet Master!"
"Energy projectors ready to fire on your command."
The Fleet Master thundered without hesitation, "FIRE!"
The Sublime Transcendence fired a brilliant, narrow purple beam of intense energy that crossed the distance between the two fleets in an instant.
"Commander, picking up intense energy and radiation spikes from the large ship in the enemy fleet." shouted one of the nervous bridge officers aboard the Trasius.
Arterius could only guess what that meant, but his questions were suddenly answered when his display showed that the large enemy ship fired a brilliant beam of intense purple light that seemed to split space in two. Arterius felt a searing heat wash over the right side of his body, as did everyone else inside the bridge.
Klaxons sounded throughout the ship as one of the bridge officers announced, "Critical temperatures detected throughout the starboard side of the ship."
Arterius squinted at the brilliance of the beam, even though the displays had automatically set themselves to their lowest brightness settings. The same bridge officer continued, "Commander! Sections 14 to 29 are… gone! They've literally vaporized."
Arterius was now panicking. He asked, "We were hit by the beam?"
"It was a glancing hit, sir." That floored Arterius.
"What of the other ships off the starboard side?"
"They… They're… all… gone sir. So far I'm counting twenty-nine ships missing in action."
However they really weren't missing in action, they had been obliterated by that impossibly powerful energy weapon. Arterius couldn't believe what his senses beheld… That light, the alarms, the bridge officers' heart-wrenching announcements… and that heat!
Another bridge officer spoke up, "The ship has taken tremendous damage. I've already sealed off the breached sections and decks, and the atmospheric decompression has been dealt with. However our engines have sustained serious damage and the drive core is not functioning properly."
Arterius knew the risks of operating with a malfunctioning drive core, and the potential effects sent chills throughout his body.
"We must retreat and fight another day." he said with resignation and defeat evident in his voice.
"Sir?" asked a young Turian bridge officer.
Another bridge officer asked, "What of the ground forces and Commander Averis?"
Arterius said with a hint of regret, "Leave them, we're in no condition to contend with those ships."
"Yes sir."
Commander Arterius sighed in frustration and ordered, "Belay that. Tell the other ships to remain here but avoid ALL contact with the enemy for the time being. However we have no choice."
The Trasius limped for the Mass Relay that was over 90 AU away. It was going to be a long trip.
OCTOBER 20, 2609. IN ORBIT ABOVE SHANXI. THE BRIDGE OF THE SUBLIME TRANSCENDENCE.
"We've done it Fleet Master! We have broken their fleet!" shouted a joyous Sangheili bridge officer.
Fleet Master Cadram himself could scarcely believe it. He had routed an enemy fleet that vastly outnumbered his own fleet almost single-handedly. However it was due to the "shock and awe" treatment he had meted out rather than any actual ship-to-ship fighting. He was almost disappointed that the aliens had not given him a real challenge.
"Prepare to deploy all available warriors to the surface." ordered Fleet Master Cadram.
-ooo-ooo-
"Let us prepare to take the battle to the enemy ourselves" shouted Field Master Kasu Moram.
All the heavily armed Sangheili soldiers geared up in their combat harnesses and checked their plasma rifles, energy swords, and grenades. They were ready.
Moram himself had no desire to use ranged weapons, for he reveled in the thrill of close combat with his dual energy swords. He wasn't above using grenades, as he had a half dozen attached to his combat harness' grenade slots. The Sangheili warriors then boarded the sixteen Phantom dropships that awaited them and sat in each seat. Everyone was silent in anticipation of the glorious battle that awaited them.
Moram paced back and forth addressing the Sangheili that were listening with rapt attention, "We will be getting into the battle now. Our objectives are to assist our human allies and destroy all enemy units we come across. We will not take prisoners and we will show no mercy. Let's move out!"
All of the Sangheili warriors erupted in deafening battle cries as the Phantoms left the cavernous hangar bay of the Sublime Transcendence. Every Sangheili aboard the Phantom dropships must have been thinking the same thing…
These invaders know not of death even if they see it before their faces. We will enlighten them.
OCTOBER 20, 2609. SHANXI, NEW ROANOKE. DEFENSE SECTOR G 5x5
The 23rd Armored Cavalry Division rolled along the streets of New Roanoke as they sped with all possible haste toward the priority target given by the General.
Colonel Zhukov signaled the unit to stop once they reached a shopping district. All the acknowledgement lights winked green. He panned the camera around to look at the buildings. The Pleiades Jewelry boutique was a shell of its former exquisite self, having been hit by enemy artillery a while back. Zhukov looked around the shopping center some more but saw no enemy units.
Zhukov said on COM, "No one's here. These buildings are…"
The distinctive sound of the alien firearms discharging filled the air and the deafening pinging noise of the enemy rounds hitting the tank's armor began. Zhukov put the tank in reverse and backed up behind a large chunk of duracrete. Almost like maggots working their way out of meat, alien soldiers began coming out and firing at the tanks. Zhukov noticed that some of the enemy units were slender aliens with large black eyes, and they lacked body hair of any type. The new alien units were clad in white armor, and were armed with submachine gun-like weapons in one hand and a glowing orange wrist implement in the other.
A gout of fire erupted out from one alien's wrist-mounted device which caused Zhukov to take cover behind the duracrete block again. He knew the fire wouldn't affect his tank, but the aliens held the high ground, occupying a piece of a building's roof that was on the road. He wanted to draw them towards his unit. So far they seemed oblivious to the other tanks in Zhukov's unit, which was fortunate as they were taking up flanking positions.
Now there were over thirty alien soldiers in the shopping center plaza, all in cover behind various blocks of duracrete or destroyed vehicles. Zhukov selected the mortars on his display and aligned the aiming arc over the enemy's cover so the rounds would explode right behind them. Once he was satisfied with the trajectory, he pressed the fire command. Two popping noises came from behind him as the mortars lobbed two 90mm M-28 incendiary anti-personnel rounds downrange.
The new M-28 mortar rounds are a brilliant combination of Covenant/Forerunner plasma technology and human ingenuity. Each round contains a magnetically compressed sphere of super-hot plasma that would release upon activation via a proximity sensor or timer. Upon release, the plasma would rapidly heat the surrounding air, thus making it expand and turning the area into a hellish inferno for a few moments. To prevent the round itself from melting, the plasma was insulated from the round casing by a vacuum. The M-28s first saw service during Operation SCYTHE and proved extremely effective as an anti-infantry weapon; as along with the obvious incineration of any unfortunate hostiles within its three meter area of effect, it also caused serious burns to any units within twelve meters as well as possible psychological breakdown. All in all, it found its niche as a go-to weapon for fighting entrenched enemy infantry.
The M-28s exploded downrange and engulfed the enemy with superheated plasma, causing any surviving alien units to flail around trying to extinguish their burning armor. The sight of this brought a grim smile to Zhukov's face. A quick scan with his tank's sensors revealed that while half the enemy force survived, they were in no condition to fight. He said into the COM, "Let's press on."
Sgt. Mendez replied, "Ain't no tanks here boss."
A nearby explosion proved him wrong.
254:3792 OF CITADEL CALENDAR SYSTEM. THE CITADEL.
Commander Arterius walked at a brisk pace through the Presidium, as he'd been ordered to present himself before the Council immediately after his crippled ship docked at a Hierarchy repair facility.
As he walked along the Presidium grounds, he drew much attention from just about every civilian he saw, regardless of species. It was now common knowledge that there was first contact with a new, unknown species and that the famous Desolas Arterius was in charge of a fleet that was dispatched to "mediate" the first contact event. Of course that was the "official" story…
Eventually he came to the elevator that led to the Council chambers. A group of well-dressed Salarian civilians filed out while staring at the Commander. He thought to himself,
Thank the Spirits that they don't know the entire truth.
Arterius got in the elevator and selected the only option available: the Council Chambers. He took a deep breath as the doors closed and the elevator began its agonizingly slow ascent to its destination. Upon arrival he got out and noticed that the Council chambers were packed with civilians, C-Sec officers, military officers, and politicians; all from the various Citadel races that had embassies on the Citadel itself. He felt eyes on him and everyone became silent, so he looked up and saw that everyone in the chambers was looking at him.
When he came up to the dais, he stood at attention.
Councilor Tevos was the first to speak, "Commander Desolas Arterius. You are called here to answer for your perceived belligerence against a new species." Arterius was shocked beyond belief.
"While they had broken Citadel law regarding the activation of dormant relays, we've come to the consensus that they were ignorant of that law and that your actions were unjustly excessive. Pursuant to Citadel directive C-63-G, you have been found responsible of unfair and excessive force against an innocent species, of which the punishment is confinement in an appropriately secure facility for the rest of your life. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
For a moment Commander Arterius was so stunned that he couldn't even speak at first. After a few seconds he began, "Honorable Councilors. It was by your orders that I led my fleet into battle against this new species. I have incontrovertible proof that this is the case."
Councilor Tevos interjected, "I have no memory of ever giving you any orders to go to war against an unknown species."
Both Councilor Sparatus and Valern added, "Neither do we."
Commander Arterius activated his Omni-tool and began transferring files that indicated that his orders were directly given to him by the Council itself. The files began appearing at each Councilor's displays as well as the large holographic projector to their right, for everyone to see.
Councilor Sparatus said with a hint of shock, "These files seem authentic, but we cannot know for sure until we have C-Sec analyze them. Until then, you will be confined to a C-Sec security cell. You will be brought back here as soon as possible so we can discuss your evidence further."
Two C-Sec officers, one a Turian with an orange eyepiece and the other an Asari, appeared behind Commander Arterius. They cuffed the Commander and led him away without a word.
When the Commander was gone, Councilor Tevos whispered to her fellow Councilors,
"The Commander's words make sense… When Averis came and relayed his account to us, it felt like there was a subtle voice whispering to me in my head… It was so subtle that, at first, I didn't notice it. But after Averis had left, the voice was no more. It felt as if a fog had descended upon my mind when he was here, and then lifted once he had gone."
Councilor Valern affirmed, "Yes, I noticed that too. It was certainly a very disturbing sensation. How could Averis do that? I have no clue."
Councilor Sparatus simply grunted in disbelief.
Councilor Tevos continued, "I don't know what he did, if he had a hypnotic or hallucinogenic agent smuggled into these very Chambers and circulated through the ventilation systems…"
Councilor Sparatus interrupted, "That is impossible. There are spectroscopic scanners all over the place that are programmed to detect and alert us of any chemical contaminants present within the Chambers. Also the ventilation system here is completely isolated from anywhere else in the Citadel. There is no way that Averis could have done any of that."
The same Turian C-Sec officer who led Commander Arterius away appeared before the Council again. He said with a very muted hint of contempt, "I am Officer Garrus Vakarian. How may I be of service Councilors?"
Councilor Tevos ordered, "You must analyze the files that Commander Arterius showed us. Tell us whether they're authentic and whether they've been edited or not."
Garrus replied simply, "It will be done Councilors."
A while later, Garrus had returned to C-Sec HQ and began to analyze the files. The final result was shocking. All the files were absolutely authentic and had never been tampered with. Garrus quickly forwarded a copy to the Council and saved the other on his Omni-tool. He rushed to the Council Chambers with his findings.
Once Garrus had arrived, Councilor Sparatus asked, "We've received your results just before you arrived, and I must say that I'm shocked."
Councilor Tevos said, "Officer Vakarian, we ask you to bring Commander Arterius before us as soon as possible."
Garrus replied, "Yes Councilors." He bowed and left.
After a while, Garrus returned with Commander Arterius, who was not wearing cuffs this time. Garrus backed away from the dais, leaving Arterius alone before the Council. He wasn't sure whether they would accept his files as being authentic or not even though he knew they were. Nevertheless he was very anxious to find out. He braced himself for their judgment.
Councilor Sparatus began, "Commander, we have reviewed your files and we have found them to be absolutely authentic and pristine." Arterius was again shocked but he was also greatly relieved.
Councilor Tevos said, "Yes, I cannot believe that Averis deceived us into unintentionally giving you orders to invade an unknown species' planet unprovoked. Averis has committed crimes of the highest magnitude and he will answer for them."
Councilor Sparatus proclaimed, "Commander Desolas Arterius. We, the Citadel Council, hold you exonerated from these charges that had been placed upon you and we shall have all mention of them struck from your record forthwith."
Commander Arterius replied, "I thank you Councilors, for seeing true justice being dispensed fairly."
Councilor Tevos stood up and addressed the crowd gathered near the dais, "I must ask everyone to leave these chambers immediately." All the civilians and military officers grumbled in frustration but began leaving in an orderly fashion.
Once all the crowd had left, Councilor Sparatus continued, "We would ask you to do something for us. You must return to the Relay 314 system, arrest Averis, and bring him back to the Citadel to face judgment for his crimes."
Councilor Tevos added, "Also we must reach a diplomatic solution with the new faction against whom Averis had drawn us into a needless war with. And we must do this before it escalates into a crisis of a level unseen since the Krogan Rebellions."
Commander Arterius replied, "Yes Councilors. However I must ask for a new ship, for mine has sustained crippling damage in battle against one of the new species' mighty ships."
Councilor Sparatus thought for a moment and said with a slightly anticipatory tone, "Granted. While it won't be a Dreadnought like you want, it will get the job done." Councilor Sparatus' voice took on a hushed tone, "And not a word of this leaves these chambers. Are we clear on that Commander?"
"Crystal."
"Good, you are dismissed." said Councilor Sparatus.
Little did anyone know that Averis had spies all throughout the Citadel and that they had funneled this new information to him.
253:3792 OF CITADEL CALENDAR SYSTEM. RELAY 314 SYSTEM. PLANETARY SUBJUGATION FORCE HQ.
Commander Averis was alone in his quarters. He had just received word that the Citadel Council was now aware of his machinations, and that Commander Arterius was on his way to apprehend him.
He walked to his table and discreetly attached a small device on the underside. He was confident that this device would erase all evidence of his crimes and that all suspicion would be thrown off him.
Averis drew out a curious looking black object from his pack and he held it before him. As he was holding it he began to marvel at its beauty, but he also began to feel a presence manifest within his mind as he held the mysterious object in front of him. This presence began to whisper to him, in a very subtle way.
Averis, you have served us well. All things are coming together as planned, and soon we shall return and bring forth the means of transcendence to all those who are willing to accept the truth. Now is not the time, so you must continue to prepare for our arrival. Before we leave you, we must mention that there is another organic like yourself in our service. You must join him and serve him…
The plot thickens. By now it's probably obvious as to who Averis really serves.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as it took me a good deal of work to type up in a convincing fashion. I hope you like my battle and dialog sequences especially.
I know that Desolas Arterius' role in this is significantly different from his canon role. Also I know I added Garrus into the story this early, which might make my fic appear to severely mess with the canon timelime. All this is according to my grand design.
In the next chapter I'm going to finish up the Battle of Shanxi and get into the real meat of the story. However I will be out of town to visit family for the holidays, but I'll try my best to get another chapter uploaded in time for the holidays.