(short) AN: Two years and I am back! You can thank Rangle for the final kick in the seat I needed to get this out. Big AN at the bottom, carry on, may the Force be with you and Merry Christmas!
I do not own Star Wars, Harry Potter nor Mass Effect... I wish I did...
Peace and War
Relay 314
Turian Border Cluster
The Victorious
The Victorious, a heavy class Turian Cruiser, shuddered under another barrage of alien energy projectiles. Commander Aventus watched with growing despair as he watched the fleet he had only commanded for the last few hours crumbled around his breast plates. His mandibles twitched with a mix of dread and resignation. The 87th Scout flotilla had been strong and whole, at its over compensated sixty seven ship ballet had jumped into the system. They had the simple orders of securing the reported Relay for the main fleet to transit through. Though the Spirits had damned that plan when they jumped straight into the alien trap. Aventus didn't know how they did it, but the aliens had created a system wide gravity well, preventing his fleet from jumping to safety. As it was now, gravity was so strong that if they jumped their ships would explode from built up static electricity just from the power needed to escape. Eezo cores were not meant for high gravity FTL jumps...
He grasped the railing, his talons digging into the metal as the ship shook, one of the officers crying out,
"Engines are down and emergency hatches have been deployed across engineering. All hands lost, Sir."
He groaned and looked at the central tactical display and watched as the recon force that he had led was systematically destroyed, already fearing for when the main fleet jumped into the system. The ship jolted again, despite the inertia dampeners and he turned towards his Comms officer.
"Report..."
He offered solemnly, discipline long since lost in the face of mounting losses, the officer spoke quietly as his talons danced across the holo panel.
"Some sort of spike imbedded itself into the hull a deck down. The tip is sticking out into the hall just inside the crew quarters and its glowing according to ship security."
The officer turned towards him and his mandibles stretched out in a Turian shrug before he continued.
"It's also sealed the hull of any pressure leaks..."
The ship rocked suddenly and a scream echoed through the hull.
"Enemy boarding party has been spotted, five security officers are already down. Unknown aliens are making their way through the ship, Commander."
He turned towards the security chief,
"I want these beasts pushed back, I don't care how they got on, just make sure we know how they get off!"
Aventus turned to look out the main view port, flashes of light and death flared throughout the void of space and he knew that even if they held off the boarding party his ship and he himself were doomed...
Planet Antrost
Frost system
Joy cluster, Sector 42
Raven city, Refugee sector
Antrost was a unique temperate world in the fact that it was only temperate at the equator. It's North and South Poles were overrun with massive glaciers that combined, would constitute for more than fifty percent of the planets landmass. The downside to this was a lack of any sort of ocean, the upside was the fact that almost all of the water on the planet was fresh and massive rivers cut swaths through the massive temperate ring.
Being a newly colonized world, only three cities have been built as of yet, the largest city and the world's capital was Raven City, so named for the shiny black granite shelf it was built into. This was also deemed the best location for the refugee quarters to be built.
Over ten thousand freed slaves have been transported to Antrost over the last three weeks, the prefab city built for their comfort and safety have been hastily erected with the help of both magic and droid power. The refugee sector was ready to handle its new charges the moment they entered the system, ready to prepare a true shock to the system of all the former slaves, ready to show both the might and the mercy of the Sith Empire.
It had gone unspoken that the rest of the planet and several other colonies were being prepared for a larger influx of refugees as the war with the Batarians ran it course, already reports of another twenty thousand slaves would be enroute as the Emperor cut his way through the slaver infestation.
Krya was one of the first to step off the shuttle that led to their newest home, fearing that the hope of freedom might be dashed and that this had all been a elaborate trap by this Empire to lure them into a sense of cooperation.
Thus when she took in the waiting city, the growing trees and paves throughways, she stood in shock. The buildings were obviously prefab in their design but it was less clear how a prefab city could still be so remarkably picturesque.
Lines of uniformed humans, both security and medical waited for them as dozens of shuttles landed and unloaded their living cargo. All the while Krya could only watch in some awe as the former slaves were masterfully arranged and ordered, that is until a scream broke out. She turned her head and noticed that alongside the humans were mechs and that one of those mechs, colored in white and blue, tried to calm down an Asari as she failed to keep it away.
"They're AIs, they're just like the Geth!" Krya blinked, her mandibles twitching in surprise, bordering shock at the idea that these humans could so trust something as vicious as AIs and around weekend refugees of all people.
"Attention all refugees, due to a lack of man power, Droids have been added to our roster of support and care givers. Please remain calm, they are made for this purpose and the circumstance of their creation should not bring about alarm." The voice echoed out over the gathered refugees who were being calmed by the various support personnel, the various medi-droids joining them in their efforts. So lost in the slowly tampered chaos that Krya never noticed that the announcement had been given in perfect Asari.
Turian Space
Near Established Front Lines
Council Diplomatic Vessal, Divine Waters
Matriarch Hihani made herself comfortable as she sat down, once more, on the Bridge of the ship offered her by the Citadel Council. Captain Jaml of the Salarian Union stood in front of the holodisplay as they sat in geosycn orbit of the unnamed gas giant below, overseeing the discharge of the ships Eezo core. For the two weeks since they were organized and launched they have crept their way through Turian space, doing their best to remain undetected on the off chance that the Turian Hierarchy has indeed turned hostile. With the support of the Salarian STG they had made it all the way towards what was believed to be the front lines of the ongoing war between the Turians and the still unknown alien race. Hihani was unimpressed with the Turian's ability to wage their current war considering that they had been pushed back almost a half dozen sectors over the past three weeks, their original invasion fleet having to have been reinforced multiple times in order to keep from being routed all together.
This only made her more weary of approaching the race had been sent to parley with. The fact that they were waging such an effective war and the fact it had been raging for weeks now, made her fear that they would be fired upon long before they got the chance to establish contact.
Hihani tapped her indigo fingers along the arm rest as she contemplated the matter.
"Captain, over a dozen signatures just dropped out of FTL on the edge of the system. Profile match with Turian designs."
Hihani snapped her head up in surprise, according to the latest STG report there shouldn't be anybody near this deserted system.
"What's the state of the fleet?" Captain Jaml asked, his voice calm even as his amphibian eyes narrowed in thought.
"Sending spy drone for more details... Captain, a hundred signatures just dropped into the system alongside the previous. Scans show that many are inactive, no doubt towed." Hihani could only conclude that these were retreating forces then. But if that was the case, her eyes widened.
"Then we are far closer to the front then we assumed." Jaml said, voicing her thoughts.
"Have we been detected?" The Captain asked, a hint of worry filtering into his question.
"No, the moment they were detected I took it upon myself to begin Stealth procedures." Another Ensign spoke up, matter of factly. Hihani watched the Captain merely nod, taking note that he allowed his crew to make snap decisions with some mild surprise.
"Send word to the Cyber warfare team to hack their communications. If we are so close to the front that retreating forces are nearby then we need up to date information." More nods came at the order as the Command deck began to liven up.
Hihani stood, brushing her crimson dress subconsciously as she did so, and made her way to her partner in this operation.
"Captain, I overheard the situation, this may be our chance to make contact." She kept her features calm, something she had become well practiced with over the last few hundred years. Something, she noted, that the Captain still hasn't fully learned, not that any Salarian outside of the hellish STG training. Jaml's eyes widened with some surprise at her desire but slowly nodded. He was far more cautious, something he expected to share in such an elder Asari.
"If we do gain the data of their latest conflict, an approach now might be... Fatal." The Captain drawled as he turned back to the tactical display. Hihani agree that that might be an issue but she felt that this might be the best opportunity.
"Fortune favors the bold, Captain. Every report states that as the Turians lose ground they are becoming more and more standoffish with the rest of the Council races. Fear breeds foolishness, desperation. Making contact with these aliens and hopefully negotiating peace may be the only way we can prevent a civil war." It was their best chance and if they couldn't, then they would need to negotiate an alliance with these aliens and allow the Turians to lose their war and fall. Otherwise the Turians might turn on the rest of the Council.
"Captain, we've cracked their encryptions and have discovered the location of the nearest battle. It's... Not going well for the Turians, sir."
Turian Space
Traktish System
Turian Preventative Fleet
The Arm of Palaven
Admiral Fedarain leaned heavily over the partition surrounding the tactical holodispaly. The past three weeks had been hell for him and his command. They have arrived on the edge of Turian space prepared to invade an alien territory and show the Council just how powerful the Turians still were, instead it had been a series of traps and barefaced defeats. Hundreds of ships have already been lost and already the bulk of the Turian fleets had been sent as reinforcements, leaving the Asari to assume more and more power militarily. This entire operation had become a disaster and was now nothing more than a fighting retreat as they were picked apart piece by piece.
Fedarain's talons gripped the barrier as his ship shook around him, the lights flickering as the ship was once again struck critically.
"Admiral, Sixth Element is reporting that their fleet is beginning to break and that they need to be rotated immediately." Fedarain merely nodded, this had become their best strategy in delaying their defeat. Each fleet element, a small fleet in itself would engage and slow the alien fleets and then retreat to be replaced with another element. While it was effective, it did nothing if the aliens unleashed their gravity well generators and trapped them in system and pulverized them while they switched. It was nothing more than a delaying tactic but it was the best they could do against such a... Superior force.
"Order the Eighth forward and give me a status report on the Fifth!" He needed to know how long their repairs would take, having an entire fleet element cropped would force them to retreat to the Septim cluster, leaving this section of Turian space to the invaders.
"They just sent their update, they retreated to an uncolonized system and are currently undergoing repairs. However they are reporting seventy percent fleet casualties. They had to tow half the element." Admiral Fedarain groaned, his normally calm mask broken by the continuous loss. That meant that the fifth was all but crippled and thus worthless in the coming days.
The dreadnought shook once more, one of the comm stations shorting out and nearly killing the officer manning it. Fedarain merely took it as another omen that he was fighting a losing battle.
Turian Space
Traktish system
Imperial Invasion Fleet
The Draco
Admiral Crassus grin turned feral as he watched another Turian fleet forced into retreat.
"Admiral, estimates report that if we force the Turians from this system then they'll retreat from the sector all together." Crassus nodded in satisfaction, this would go down in history as one of the Empire's best run campaign. The casualties has been light so far due in fact to their advanced shields and superior weapon systems. He barely had to keep an eye on the battle at all, since they were taking their time and keeping the outer galaxy focused on the fight here so the Emperor could annihilate the Batarians with impunity. He held no doubt that the Emperor wouldn't succeed, though he had taken it upon himself to at least try to put up a good race to see who could conquer their targets first. A little competition was good for everyone, he always thought.
With that thought Crassus stood, drawing attention of the command deck.
"I tire of this battle, activate Operation BM." The command deck descended into chaos as they relayed their orders, many relieved they could actually do something other than relay reports.
Across the Imperial fleet Sith Masters knelt down in specially crafted meditation chambers, each drawing deeply upon the Force and creating a circuit amongst themselves increasing their range and effectiveness. Their wills crossed over the vast expanse as fighter fought and capital ships pounded in drawn out fights, neither side previously uncaring of how fast the fighting went, their minds washed over those of lesser beings, giving confidence to the Imperial forces and sapping it from the Turian soldiers.
"Operation Battle Mediation is in effect, Gold, Silver and Bronze Squadrons perform the Pincer." Commander Kim Jae ordered as he brought his fighter and wing out of the prolonged dog fight they had partaken of for far longer than any of his pilots preferred. Around him hundreds of fighters disengaged, leaving the Turian pilots reeling at the sudden change of pace, and formed above and below the battle plain.
"Operation Start!"
The fighters dived down, Flashing past the fighter screen that tried to block their assault and tore their way through the Turian fleet, engines exploding, bridges torn asunder and left and right fighters dodged blows that should have killed them, they danced the dance of death with aplomb that could only be achieved due to the Force.
As the fighters did their part the Imperial fleet had pulled back, allowing the Turians to regroup. Just what they wanted.
Without warning hundreds of Imperial battleships preformed tactical jumps as the gravity well generators were temporarily shut down, flanking the Turians at near knife fighting range. Before the Turians could even think about fleeing, the crushing weight of the gravity week activating returned and the flashing light of death and turbo lasers took their toll.
With perfect coordination the front screen of the Turian defensive line was crushed, unable to escape, leaving the heart of the Turian territory open for the taking...
Turian Preventative Fleet
The Arm of Palaven
Admiral Fedarain stood tall in the face of defeat, the command deck eerily silent as the largest defeat in Hierarchy since the Krogan Rebellion took place around them. There were no boarding craft, there was no parlay, no warning. The alien fleet had merely regroup and within in minutes the situation had changed for the worse.
The worst of it wasn't the fact that the crew, that the Turians fighting for the pride of their race were about to die, it was the fact that hope had been torn from them. For a brief moment the gravity well had suddenly fallen, they could finally and totally retreat and find a better position, dig in and keep these invaders away from their heartlands, instead the enemy had surrounded them and the crushing gravity had returned, trapping them once more and in even more desperate straight then before.
Fedarain was unaffected by the shaking of his ship, three alien Dreadnoughts were bombarding them, and slowly came to the only decision he could.
"To all surviving Turian ships. I officially signal... Our surrender." The first surrender offered in Turian History rang out in the silence as it was sent out on all channels. He bowed his head, his mandibles flexing in grief in the knowledge that he would never be looked kindly upon by history.
One by one, ships throughout the remains of the Turian Preventative fleet signaled their surrender, offering their defeat in return of their lives.
Admiral Crassus Malfoy could only grin viscously as the Turians capitulated to his command. Now they would be disorganized, their territory open to his fleets as they reorganize.
"Admiral, we are picking up a hails!" His comes officer said, interrupting his train of mind.
"Ah yes, the Turian Admiral no doubt." He would take pleasure in seeing the man surrender in person instead of his impromptu broadcast.
"Negative, it's coming from a ship that just appeared on the scanners and they are claiming to be a part of the Citadel Council's Diplomat Corp." Crassus blinked, he wasn't shocked but he was surprised. Who tried to open up diplomacy after their an antagonist held a major victory? He nearly laughed at the idea that they might actually be surrendering since the race that supplied their military was losing, surely not.
Turian Space
Divine Waters
"Jaml, what's the latest on the Turian's loses?" Hihani asked in the echoing silence of the Divine Waters' command deck. The sight of the devastated Turian fleet hanging outside their view ports. The small cruiser had just dropped out of FTL twenty minutes before, just in time to see the end of the fight and the first surrender in recent Turian history.
"According to latest reports, close to a thousand ships, including those that just surrendered. Though that's merely an current estimate. This, of course, means that the Turians are down two fifths of their naval strength." Hihani feared as much, this would definitely put the Turians in dire straits.
"Comms, broadcast a message on all channels. Ask for diplomatic parlay, these aliens are now a threat that we can't afford." Nods accompanied the Comms officer's affirmative, The Salarian crew knew what was at stake and with the Turians growing more and more desperate as their pride was constantly shattered...
"You do realize that they will be negotiating from a position of strength. Even with-"
"I understand but if we don't try, the entirety of the Council races could be at stake." Hihani stated, cutting off Jaml. She understood just how weak this would appear but if they were going to do any sort of damage control then they needed to take action now. The Turians were already showing signs of rebelling against the Citadel due to this war and if the Council was going to survive the, they needed to control the outcome of this war or even end it before it reached into the heart of Turian and by association, Council space.
Palaven
Turian High Command
General Adrien Victus watched as the room around him boiled in chaos, the Primarch trying but failing to return order among the arguing and obviously panicking generals and admirals of what was once considered the strongest military in the galaxy. Victus felt that this had been viciously disproven over the past several weeks, if not by having close to a third of their forces destroyed, crippled or otherwise captured then by the fact that the famous discipline of the Turian military had been utterly abandoned by its highest ranked leaders. The worst part was the fact the Council had been all but silent on these matters though he felt that was also due to the fact that the Primarch had called their Councilor home and have otherwise refused to comment on their vast losses.
"Interesting what happens to the greatest military minds in the galaxy once they have been shown defeat, is it not General?" Victus turned his head, his mandibles widening in surprise at being addressed. Before him stood a beautiful vision of the female Turian form. Her face was well angled, her mandibles thin and short allowing him to view her well formed fangs. Her waist was wide while her chest was lithe and well rounded. Her dark eyes and red face paint, which only brought her features to the fore even more, occupied a well organized part of his mind. In a blink he knew who was before him.
"Admiral Minerva Demetrius, a pleasure." He said as he took in the chaos once more.
"I can't say that I don't disagree. This is most certainly not the way we should proceed." Especially since it held his hands and he was incapable, in fact, ordered to not do anything. His daughter was still out there somewhere, luckily his son was safe.
"Yes and even the Primarch can't bring order anymore. If things continue as they are, we will be conquered and the Council shall watch from the sidelines." She wasn't wrong, this was obviously a war of conquest, their navies defeated and worlds blockaded until they were crushed and could be assimilated. Victus paused, his daughter was out there somewhere, no doubt in the hands of these aliens. He held little doubt that the slavers she had been put up with had been destroyed, the spy drones they had had in that system showing the conquest of the slaver world and the civilian ships that came in afterwards before the drones were destroyed.
"I agree though I don't see how we can do anything. I am currently on the outs with high command and while you hold no small amount of power as Admiral of the home fleets..." He trailed off.
"No, you are correct but as commander of the home fleets, which your fleet is currently in a part of, I can give you orders." He blinked and had to hold back the response to gasp in shock.
"What orders could you-" She placed an hand on his shoulder and nodded towards the nearby doors, both having been towards the back of the assembly. Standing he joined her and they both left through the auto doors, the swish of the door closing behind them. She led him down the hall and out onto one of the balconies, the night sky showing Menae high above.
"This should be a safer place to confer, wouldn't you agree General?" Minerva said once they were out under the open sky. Victus agreed, nodding as he turned to face her.
"Your orders, Admiral?" He asked bluntly. He noticed that she seemed disappointed by his desire to get down to business. Victus wasn't exactly surprised, the good Admiral was known for her... Particulars.
"Straight to business, pleasure later perhaps..." She chuckled, her sub harmonics purring pleasurably. She continued shortly, the informal tone of her voice deepening into one of a seasoned leader of soldiers and ships.
"We know nothing of these invaders, these conquers, we have poked the Dorak nest and now they are coming for us in spades. We have yet to attempt to even communicate with them, Admiral Fedarain so assured of victory and now he has been captured. Surrendered to the enemy and we are weaker than ever. I order your fleet to approach the invaders and open communications with them, unofficially of course. Discover their desires and then decide what to do from there. Officially hold them off by any method available, you of all our generals have the best chance of holding back an force with more than just brute force." She looked out over the capital city of Palaven and let out a sigh.
"We are no longer what we once were and this war, what happened with the Asari, have shown that for truth." She turned to him and her eyes hardened.
"Either we change or we die. These aliens wish to conquer us and they will succeed, due to our own pride and weakness. Discover their mettle, learn their purpose and tell me the future of our people..."
Batarian Space
Camala, Batarian Eezo Colony
Imperial Invasion Fleet
The Veil
Camala was a beautiful world, covered with affluent cities and dark forests, a jewel in the eye of the Batarian Hegemony. It was a world rich in Eezo, leading to it become a massive spaceport and economic center. This also meant that it was an important military defensive objective for the Hegemony. Which, Harry supposed, was the reason why there were nearly six hundred Batarian ships ready to forestall his offensive. The bridge of the Veil was dark but for the flash of turbo laser fire and the death of another ship, he watched as a the Batarian cruiser which has just tried to complete a suicide run on his flagship, explode only a few kilometers away.
A boxy ship, which now erupted down the middle, its core over clocking and sending its debris to bounce off the Veil's kinetic shielding, took place just above him and Harry watched with a detached kind of interest. The war had been going strong the last few weeks as his fleets spread through Batarian space, destroying their fleets and crushing their armies. Close to seven million slaves have been discovered and freed though as of now only a few hundred thousand have been prepared to return to Imperial space. Though once they were done here, Harry supposed that this would be Imperial space as well, certainly the Empire would have a far greater access to Eezo.
With another flash another Batarian ship collapsed under the laser barrage of a trio of Interdictors, it's nose breaking off before its Eezo core exploded in a brilliant azure sun.
"Milord..." A lazy drawl drawing him away from the battle above. Harry turned his head with a small grin.
"Admiral, I'm assuming the battle goes well?" Harry's small grin grew in satisfaction. Admiral Severus Holmes snorted with as much indignity as he could afford.
"An understatement, I assure you, Milord. No, I bring news." With the battle going as well as it was, Harry wasn't surprised that the good Admiral could take time to act as delivery boy. Harry merely nodded and raised an eyebrow in question.
"I'm afraid that an Citadel ship was spotted observing a battle between the third wing and an routed Batarian fleet. I'm afraid that we have been compromised." Severus let out an annoyed sigh, this was an complication that they could have gone without. Harry merely nodded in understanding and waved away the Admiral's concern.
"We knew this was a possibility and besides, I have the feeling that the Council has already contacted Crassus, that should serve an sufficient distraction." Severus silently disagreed, one could easily offer peace on one hand and then wage war on the other. They were prepared to do exactly that after all.
"Don't worry so much, Holmes..." Harry's eyes twinkled in amusement,
"Life wouldn't be exciting if something didn't go according to plan on occasion." Besides, he felt that their position was rather well founded, his thought being validated when the Batarian dreadnought shuddered and imploded under the bombardment it was suffering under from all sides...
AN: I know, no Codex this chapter. There will be one next chapter and there will be a next chapter. This one proved beyond a doubt that this is not abandoned, merely delayed. This chapter is also an early Xmas present for all you amazing fans who stuck with this story, reviewed and PMed me over and over again in search of a continuation of this story.
I have an excuse but I suppose it doesn't really matter, I am just happy I got this out at all. This chapter, while lacking in overly detailed action, is an precursor chapter. This is setting the stage for the events coming in the next several chapters. I know it's not quite as large as I wanted it to be but it achieved what I wanted and what had held me up for so long. Lots of throw away OCs but it was bound to happen considering [[EDIT]]. Bear with me and we will get back to the characters you love as well as the crazy action you desire.
I shall do my best to get out the next chapter within the next month, end of January at the earliest. Drop a review, tell me what you think, just remember that I launch Flames out the airlock.
Thank you all and I wish you all a wonderful Holiday!
WiseSilver
[It was brought to my attention that in the AN above I had mentioned it was an hundred years past Canon, in reality its closer to sixty past canon First contact. This is part of the issue when you don't update for two years. Sorry for the mistake, hopefully it didn't confuse too many people and I thank the whiny bastard that made that huge review about all the little nitpicks he had. This was the only thing he said that actually had any real value.]
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