Wing Commander: End of an Era
Chapter 7

Two days before Citadel meeting…

Crescent Nebula
Illium Orbit
TCS Jutland

"Are you detecting any more Kilrathi craft in the system?" Colonel Blair asked Lieutenant Colonel Marks over the Jutland's bridge communications.

He stood there waiting for her reply, his impatience getting the best of him. Colonel Marks' patrol was only one mass relay away but having no means of their own for communicating over this vast distance, the Confed fleet was forced to piggy-back onto the communications network established by the Citadel races. It worked well enough but the comm satellites operated on a buffer system that prioritized messages by importance. Rear Admiral Eisen hadn't been willing to allow the ship's techs the chance to break the encryption codes for the Citadel's higher priority channels, so that left them to deal with the small delay. It was a short delay of only a few seconds but still enough to make him worry that something may have occurred in that short time span.

::No Kilrathi ships to report but we do have eyes on one of those Collector cruisers. Colonel, those ships have been shadowing us for over two weeks. I think it's time we introduced ourselves, if you get my meaning.:: Marks replied back from the cockpit of her Arrow.

She had just completed a small strike on an equally small Kilrathi convoy that was trying to slip by their makeshift blockade. Over the past two weeks the Kilrathi had sent numerous small fleets to infiltrate the large expanse of space known as the Terminus systems. Many of these recon fleets were long gone and out of their reach, but every now and again word got back to the Confed forces that the Kilrathi were close by and they were quick to eliminate the cats whenever the opportunity arose.

One problem however was that whenever a strike group was sent out across the relays and travelled away from the safety of the main task force, they encountered these strangely shaped large vessels. After the first flight of fighters came back reporting this occurrence, Eisen contacted the Asari to find out what species they belonged to. The information sent to them revealed that it belonged to a relatively unknown race of humanoid insects called the Collectors.

It was decided that as long as the Collectors didn't mess with them, they wouldn't bother them in return. So Blair continued to send out reconnaissance flights to try and locate the Kilrathi ships and had given orders to allow the Collector ships a wide berth. Over time though every flight sent out began reporting that somewhere along their patrol routes they eventually encountered the Collector ships. No hostile action from the Collectors was reported but their cruisers were always close enough to make things tense, and that's how it remained until five days ago when a group of four Hellcats went missing. Blair personally led a second flight to investigate what had occurred. Not a trace of the four fighters remained in the system but one Collector cruiser was parked in orbit around a nearby gas giant. Nothing pointed directly to the Collectors and they could have just arrived in the system along with Blair's flight, but everyone in the Confederation fleet had already guessed they were up to no good. When Blair had attempted to hail the ship it quickly retreated using their faster-than-light engines and no recon flights since then had encountered those ships. Until now it seemed.

"Any hostile moves on their part?" Blair asked back. Another delay, just long enough to mess with his mind.

::The ship hasn't moved from its spot, even after we engaged and destroyed the Kilrathi. We know they're not friendlies Colonel; we should take one of them out to show them we mean business. Remind everyone out here we aren't to be messed with.:: Marks called back with a slight edge in her voice.

Blair hoped it was just the adrenalin left over from her recent fight, but he was pretty sure that wasn't accounting for all of it. The entire task force was getting more and more on edge. Three days after Admiral Eisen had sent the destroyer back to Confed space it had returned, alone. The message it carried was just a repeat of their standing orders, stop the Kilrathi from acquiring anything that may alter the balance of power in their ongoing war. With the knowledge that no one of a higher rank was going to be sent to attend the coming Citadel meeting, Eisen was forced to send a second destroyer. Three days after that it too returned, again completely alone. The new orders it carried did however guarantee that more ships and another Admiral would arrive in time for the meeting.

So for the past two weeks, the personal of Task Force 54 were forced to hunt down and eliminate any Kilrathi presence encountered over this increasing hostile region of space. With the impressive galactic communications network set up across the mass relays everyone in the galaxy knew about the attack on Illium. They knew about the Kilrathi and they knew about the Confederation. The Kilrathi were raiding the worlds of the Terminus systems, killing anyone in their way and yet, to the galaxy at large, this was business as usual. Apparently the idea of a new and hostile race emerging onto the galactic scene was something common enough to not really garner attention. Most were happy the Kilrathi were avoiding 'civilized' space.

What they couldn't accept was the Confederation. Everyone had their own opinions on what was really going on now that a second human society had been discovered. None of the theories showed the Confederation in a good light. Most blamed the Systems Alliance for hiding advanced weapons technologies. Even more wanted these technologies for themselves. This meant that not only did Blair's fighter strikes need to be on the lookout for Kilrathi ambushes; they were also to be aware that every planetary warlord or mercenary group wanted to capture them and their ships. Obviously, this hostile reception was wearing a bit thin.

"Negative, you are to return to the Jutland now that your strike is finished. You're in an Arrow Marks, not really a ship designed for assaulting capital ships of undetermined strength." Blair tried to explain to her.

Another pause and this time Blair was certain it was because Marks was trying to find a reason why she should be allowed to attack.

::Understood, Colonel. We are heading to the relay now, see you soon.::

Blair was about to make his way off the bridge and head down to his office when Eisen called out for him, "Colonel, our reinforcements have just entered Illium space."

Admiral Eisen was standing at his usual place next to the holo table. Blair made his way over and stood next to him as he looked over the inbound Confed fleet. He was a little disappointed by what he was seeing. Two Yorktown-class light carriers, two Southampton destroyers and only one Tallahassee cruiser had just passed through the mass relay and were heading towards their task force and the planet.

Blair turned to Eisen, "I was expecting something a little more than this sir."

Eisen nodded in agreement, "Yes, so was I. It may just be the first wave however; perhaps the Admiral can enlighten us when he comes aboard."

One of the sensor officers called out across the bridge, "Admiral. There is a shuttle inbound for the Jutland."

Eisen looked up, "Well looks like we need to get down to the hanger and welcome our guest aboard."

Less than two minutes later Admiral Eisen, Colonel Blair and a number of other officers were lined up on the hanger deck waiting as the shuttle came to a stop before them. Blair was anxious to see who had been sent this far out of Confed space with such a small escort and he did a double take as he saw the thin, nearly bald Admiral make his way toward them. It was none other than Admiral Vance Richards, the man in charge of Confleet Intelligence; someone Blair had only seen once before in the briefing above Earth.

"Welcome aboard the Jutland Admiral." Eisen said as he and all the other officers came to attention and saluted the elderly man in front of them.

Admiral Richards retuned the salute, "Thank you. It should be a pleasure traveling aboard the class leader for our new attack carriers." He said as he took in the new ship around him. "I have a number of staff coming aboard with me. I hope this increase in personal won't put you out too much."

Eisen just smiled, "Not at all sir. We'll find room for all."

"Excellent," Richards replied in good cheer. "Now then let's get this fleet moving. I want a course laid in for this Citadel I've been hearing so much about. Should be a sight to see."

Eisen looked only slightly phased, "We will proceed as soon as a number of ships return from their patrols. When they have landed I'll give the word."

"Excellent," Richards repeated from before. "Let's dismiss this group and adjourn to your ready room." He didn't wait for a reply and was already making his way down the line of officers and off the hanger deck.

After dismissing everyone and dealing with the commotion of the Admiral's arriving shuttles the same time Marks' flight had returned, Blair found himself being paged across the ship's comm to make his way to Eisen's ready room.

Upon entering Admiral Eisen's office he was immediately greeted by Richards, "Colonel Blair!" Richards stood up from his seat at the desk and offered a handshake to Blair, "Nice to see you again since our brief encounter over Earth. How have you been?"

Blair returned the handshake and took the seat alongside Richard's, "It has been a hectic few days but everything has been going smoothly sir." He then turned to Eisen, "Colonel Marks and her flight just landed. The fleet is ready to depart."

Eisen nodded and reached over to his comm, "Nav, take us to the Citadel." Upon receiving the acknowledgement he turned to Richards, "I think we are going to frighten a few people moving our entire force like this to their government center."

Richards just cracked a smile back to him, "That's the idea. Always start negotiations of with just a hint of intimidation." Seeing Blair's look of surprise he added, "Don't worry Colonel. I wasn't being literal. For now it's just safer keeping our forces together. The Kilrathi communications traffic has increased significantly and we know they are up to something out here."

"Anything we need to worry about in the future?" Eisen asked.

Richards sighed, "In the past two weeks since you left Confed space the Kilrathi have restarted their campaign against us. In just the past few days alone they have taken a third of Vega sector and we have already lost two battle groups. To try and halt their advance it was decided that we would increase our behind the line raids, with the intention of cutting off their supply chains. It has worked to a point but revealed certain facts that we had been hoping weren't true.

With their failed attack on Earth, we had hoped that the resulting shame would upset the balance of power for the Kilrathi royal family. However, it seems that the Emperor is even more cunning than we had originally anticipated. He has used the situation to bring the other seven ruling families together on the premise of creating a new fleet crewed by all of the clans. He is tearing down old rivalries and using the threat of the mass relays to spur the other clans to obey him, even while he pretends to give them more power. Where once the Kilrathi race was divided, it has now come together and formed a more cohesive force. Divided they were a threat, but now fighting as a single entity the Kilrathi are truly a lethal species."

He shook his head looking to Blair and Eisen, "The bitter and classified truth is that when the Kilrathi struck us during the fake armistice, they inflicted a fatal wound on the Confederation. We simply lost too much. If the current trend of fleet losses continues, the Kilrathi will be victorious in little more than a year. They simply outnumber us by so much that our slight technological advancements are losing their edge."

Richards let that final thought hang in the air before he began again, "As for the Kilrathi communications I mentioned earlier, it appears the Kilrathi know us to be beaten. It seems that we no longer register as a significant threat and now they have begun to focus on…other targets."

"You mean the Citadel races." Blair spoke up.

"Correct, with the ability of the mass relays at their disposal the Kilrathi plan to move a number of large fleets through and strike while they have the element of surprise. Just the same way they first engaged the Confederation at the beginning of our war." Admiral Richards explained looking solemn. "What the two of you need to know is that, yes the Confederation has fallen on hard times in this war, but we are not beaten. The Kilrathi's arrogance will be their undoing. We have a number of secret projects in the works that will turn the tide of battle in our favor. We simply need time and the right opportunity to deploy them. That is what the Citadel races are going to give us."

Richards then turned to Blair looking cheerful once more, "But enough about that. Colonel, I hear that you suffered significant losses in your first tangle with the Kilrathi."

Blair opened his mouth to explain but the Admiral just cut him off, "I wasn't blaming you. It was simply bad luck and you were heavily outnumbered. What I am trying to say is that I didn't come this far out without bringing you some replacements. I may not have the exact number of craft you wanted but I'm fairly certain you'll be happy with what I did bring."


Krogan DMZ
Aralakh System
Tuchanka

Shepard rolled her eyes and decided to just tune out the mad ramblings of one Gatatog Uvenk. She honestly couldn't believe the Krogan had the guts to show up at the end of Grunt's rite and try to intimidate them after her group had just downed a thresher maw; on foot!

A thresher maw, Shepard internally mused as she began making her way to Grunt's side. I bet Wrex is just laughing his ass off right now. She stopped walking forward when she was just behind Grunt. Shepard could still hear Uvenk ranting so she zoned out again. Seven Krogan warriors, plus one annoying warlord. Honestly, that's all he brought? Wrex could wipe the floor with these guys and Grunts proven to be just as strong; maybe not as disciplined and experienced, but he's still a genetically perfect Krogan. I wonder who would regenerate faster between the two…

Uvenk seemed to be winding down so she decided to at least pay attention to the last bit.

"…and you will not be allowed to breed or have any official status, but we will accept you as a member of our clan." Uvenk stopped pacing and faced Grunt fully, "Urdnot Wrex is a fool who will lead the Krogan away from our true destiny. Only in clan Gatatog will you survive, we are a better option."

Oh man, so that's how he is going to end his speech? Shepard could only shake her head in disbelief.

Grunt turned to look at her, his face full of determination as he cracked a smile, "Shepard, I will need your help to respond to this coward."

She nodded and reached back for her sniper rifle when Grunt stopped her, "No. I meant that." He finished his sentence nodding to the only other weapon on her back.

She looked at him evenly and couldn't help smiling as she pulled the flamethrower off her back and handed it to Grunt, the young Krogan's smile widening even more.

"You know, there isn't much of Tuchanka left," She joked to Grunt as he turned to face Uvenk and his warriors. "Try not to burn down the rest of the planet. It does have a certain charm."

As Grunt marched to battle, Shepard heard his classic chuckle, "Heh-heh-heh."

After the very brief battle, that felt more like an exercise in overkill with Grunt using the flamethrowers potential for violence to the utmost, Shepard and her ground crew found themselves back at Wrex's main base. Zaeed and Garrus were comparing tactics with Urdnot clan's chief scout; Grunt was in a head butting contest with anyone dumb enough to go against him. Jack was, surprisingly, sitting off to the side petting the local varren named Urz with Kasumi watching close by; apparently recording the tender moment on her omni-tool. She had no idea where Samara and Thane had disappeared to but with their impressive abilities, and Wrex's personal guarantee of safety, she was confident the two were fine. Mordin had earlier returned to the Normandy after she had helped him find Maelon. After that whole debacle he had wanted some privacy, so Shepard was happy to allow him the time he needed to himself.

She felt a little more at ease knowing the Salarian was no longer on Tuchanka. She was certainly concerned for his safety but she had an ulterior motive. Standing with Wrex near his makeshift thrown she casually glanced around to make sure everyone was out of ear shot before she turned back to her close friend.

Reaching into her suits many pockets she pulled out a data disk and gave it to Wrex.

"So this is the data?" the Krogan asked her.

Shepard nodded, "That's everything that was on Maelon's computer. I downloaded a copy just before Mordin wiped the main drive. He has the only other surviving copy of what Maelon was able to discover towards curing the genophage."

Wrex studied the disk with a hungry look before depositing it in one of his own pockets on his suit, "I appreciate this Shepard. Coupling this with the data we downloaded from Saren's base on Virmire, the Krogan are one step closer to curing ourselves. Clan Urdnot is once again in your debt, and you know how I hate to owe others," he finished giving her a friendly smile.

"Just promise me you'll have the Krogan ready to fight when the Reapers arrive," Shepard replied. "The council may not want to admit it but we will need every races help to fight them off."

Wrex laughed openly, "Once again the Krogan will prove we are the only ones capable of destroying the galaxy's scary monsters." He then turned to look at her, "Speaking of galactic monsters, how's your fight against the Collectors going?"

Shepard crossed her arms over her chest and looked toward the ground, "Could be better. Could be worse." She glanced up and watched as Grunt began daring two other Krogan to head butt him simultaneously. "Honestly, for the past two weeks there hasn't been a single report of any attack on human colonies in the Terminus systems. I'm glad there hasn't been any more loss of life but I wish I had something to go on. I just hate waiting."

Nodding in understanding Wrex added, "And Cerberus? They been giving you a hard time since you kicked them in the quad?"

Shepard smiled at his phrasing, "Nothing yet. We reached a certain understanding but I'm sure they know that as soon as the Collectors are finished I'm coming for them. I've never hidden my distaste for the Illusive Man, or his organization."

"Watch your back then Shepard," Wrex said turning serious. "I'd be happier if they were openly gunning for you."

She turned to him raising an eyebrow.

Wrex just smiled, "At least that way you could shoot back."

They laughed together and watched as Grunt received a blow from the two Krogan he had been goading earlier. The young Krogan fell to a knee but came up laughing as he began daring them to try again. Shepard just raised a hand to her forehead and shook her head, Wrex chuckling at her expression.

"He seems tough enough," Wrex said. "It's good to know you still have a capable Krogan watching your back."

Shepard just sighed, "You mean I'm watching his back. Normally I'm hard pressed to keep him in line." She did crack a smile though when Grunt began tossing out his own head butts, sending a number of Krogan to the ground. "He may not be a legendary Battlemaster like yourself but I haven't seen him struggle with anything I have asked him to handle."

Wrex nodded sagely, "True. It is hard to find Krogan of my amazing caliber these days. You have my sympathies."

Shepard gave him a playful punch to the shoulder as she laughed along with him.

"I am worried about what I have heard regarding the race that attacked Illium," Wrex said as he turned to face her once more. "The Asari may be weak and tiny but they build quality warships. Rumors are that the race that defeated them are as fearsome as my own species was at the height of our rebellion. Is it true?"

"Well the Kilrathi certainly have some of the most powerful warships in the galaxy," Shepard explained. "I wouldn't want to face a fleet without substantial back up. I don't know what rumors you have heard but according to the Confederation, they have already used biological weapons and destroyed entire worlds with radioactive bombardment."

Wrex looked thoughtful as she explained to him her opinion. He then asked, "You were present for the meeting on Illium. What was your take on them?"

To his eyes she actually looked relieved, as she began to give her impression. "To be honest they look scarier than they are. Giant cats with very large claws and the ones I saw easily stood at three meters. But they don't have personal kinetic barriers like we do. Their only real advantage is their laser weapons and biotic barriers have already been proven as an adequate personal defense." She gave him a smile as she continued, "They don't even have their own biotics. I'm sure you could easily defeat their best fighters in any close quarters fight. Infantry versus infantry we win hands down. It's their fleets that give them real power."

Wrex said nothing as he mulled over the things he had just heard. Shepard couldn't decide if he was actually worried or if he was looking forward to fighting them.

She decided to press him and jokingly said, "Don't tell me your sad that the Krogan aren't looked to as the galaxies only fierce warriors now?"

The fact Wrex didn't chuckle back or even crack a smile as he looked at her left Shepard stunned. Apparently it showed on her face because Wrex explained, "The Krogan have no fleet Shepard. If the Kilrathi come looking for a fight, we can offer them nothing but challenges shouted up at their orbiting ships. Until the genophage is cured my people are vulnerable and if the Kilrathi truly live as warriors just as Krogan do then they will look to us for a challenge. Or my own kind will hunt them out to fight them. Either way, conflict between us is on the horizon. And we both know that the Citadel fleets can't effectively protect anyone after the loss at Illium."

Shepard took in what he was saying and finally understood what worried him so much. In the time since her death, Wrex had truly become a leader for his people. Someone who wasn't simply looking for power but a leader that cared for everyone under his rule. Wrex wanted nothing more than to see his people free of their centuries long sentence of the genophage and now being so close to that end, another race had arrived that could wipe them out in less time than it took to blink. Shepard knew he would never say he was scared out loud but she could see that he was simply by looking him in the eye. And the fact that Wrex, a close friend and amazing warrior with centuries of experience, was afraid of what the future could bring hit her like a punch to the gut.

She racked her brain trying to come up with anything to say to cheer him up but nothing came out of her mouth. After a moment of silence, Wrex let out a bark of laughter that held no true humor behind it.

"Listen to me! I sound like a whining pyjak," he then turned and gestured to the area around them. "Tuchanka and the Krogan have survived the ages because we are the strongest and the toughest. We destroyed the Rachni. We continue to survive the genophage. We will drive back the Reapers." He looked at her with a feral smile, "We will defeat the Kilrathi. I look forward to the day I meet them!"

Watching him give his little speech Shepard could see he was doing it for his own benefit as much as her own. They had spent too much time together for him to fool her and she could still see the uncertainty in his eyes, and Shepard knew that he knew she saw it. Before she had a chance to say anything else her omni-tool came to life as Joker called her.

::Shepard, I just received a call from Councilor Anderson. He wants the Normandy back at the Citadel A.S.A.P.::

Raising her arm up she asked, "What's going on Joker?"

::Apparently the Confederation fleet has received reinforcements and is now heading to the Citadel,:: Joker explained over the comm. ::The official meeting was supposed to be in another two days but it looks like they are done waiting. With the Normandy being one of the ships present during the last battle, Anderson wants us supporting the Citadel fleet in case things go sideways.::

Shepard had to question that, "The Confederation seemed more like allies than anything else. I don't see the need to worry."

Joker merely huffed on his end, ::I don't know anything else. Anderson just wanted us present. Probably pressure from the Turians seeing as how they were beaten up so badly.::

"Alright. Spread the word for everyone to report back to the shuttle. See you shortly." She then closed the channel and looked back to Wrex, "Sorry our reunion is being cut short. I promise the next time I visit won't simply be about business."

"And I promise I won't make you fight another thresher maw," Wrex chuckled as he shook Shepard's hand in farewell. "Look after yourself out there. Tuchanka will always be a 'relatively' safe harbor as long as I have anything to say about it."

"So long, Wrex," she then turned to see everyone making their own way back to the parked shuttle. Everyone except Grunt. "Grunt come on!" she called out. "We are leaving for the Citadel…No, you can arm wrestle the rest of the clan when we return."


One day until Citadel meeting…

Terran Confederation Space

Vega Sector
Vega System
Sector HQ Battle Station

Captain Jason Bondarevesky stood in Admiral Tolwyn's office gazing out of the window and at the Confederation fleet just outside. Arrayed just next to the battle station was the entire seventh fleet. Jason hadn't seen a singular force this size since the Battle of Earth. It was an impressive sight to see. Over two dozen destroyers and cruisers supported by even more frigates and corvettes. All of these ships centered on the power of two Jutland-class carriers.

But those weren't the only ships in the Vega system. Along with the powerful seventh fleet there were two light carrier battle groups along with Jason's own four escort carriers. All of these ships in one place could lead a person to think just one thing. Confed HQ was planning something big and that thought left Jason with mixed feelings.

He was happy that this many ships in one place proved that the Confederation was still a powerful player in the ongoing war with the Kilrathi. He knew that eventually this fleet would strike the opposition and undoubtedly destroy anything in its way. What worried him was what part his own force would play in the upcoming fight. He was no coward and would do his duty for Confed, but the last time a strike like this was formed he was sent on a suicide mission to raid the Kilrathi home system as a 'diversionary force'. The only reason he was alive today was because of Admiral Tolwyn's efforts in refusing to allow him and his force to die needlessly after the main battle had been won.

As his thoughts turned to Tolwyn, Jason realized how much of an impact that man had on his career. There were numerous times in Jason's military service he should have been killed in combat or discharged for his actions on the fighting lines. Each time it was Tolwyn that would ultimately vouch for him or come to the rescue in another carrier. It was because of Tolwyn that Jason was not only a Captain but leading his own force of four escort carriers. Jason looked up to the man and Tolwyn had always treated him fairly. Lately though, he had been noticing changes in his old mentor's behavior.

Before the Battle for Earth, Admiral Tolwyn was a man who honestly cared for the people under his command. He would never ask anyone to accomplish something if it was beyond their ability to achieve. If someone needed assistance, it would be Tolwyn that would ask what they needed and then he would personally see to it that the resources were received in proper time. The man was a brilliant strategist and was personally responsible for keeping the Confederation on its feet after the Joint Chiefs had been killed in the Kilrathi's cowardly suicide bombing. He was a man that just inspired others to do their best simply with his presence.

It was just after the Battle of Earth that Tolwyn had begun to change. He would no longer wait for others to be ready for action and he would push them aside if they slowed him down. The man had become colder and began using ships more like pieces on a chess board rather than seeing the actual men and women that served on those ships. He now took greater risks and expected others to keep up and if they died in the process, Tolwyn no longer mourned them, he would simply allocate additional resources to cover what was lost.

It was a trend that concerned Jason greatly but so far the man had yet to steer humanity wrong. Jason would simply hope it was a temporary change at most and that the old Tolwyn would reappear after the war was won.

Just then the door to the office opened revealing the man himself.

"Jason, good to see you," Admiral Tolwyn stated cheerfully as he walked over to stand by his side.

Jason came to attention and saluted, "Admiral, sir."

Tolwyn returned the salute still smiling and shook the younger man's hand, "At ease. How was your flight in system? I've heard the Kilrathi have begun to push farther into the sector."

"One Kilrathi light carrier along with two destroyers but nothing we couldn't handle sir," Jason reported back.

Admiral Tolwyn looked uneasy, "Blast! Another recon force pushing deeper toward HQ. Third one this week." He then looked out the window as he muttered something Jason couldn't hear.

This left Jason wondering if the Admiral really was interested in his voyage or if he just gave an unofficial debriefing for the man. Before he could speculate any more Tolwyn began speaking to him again.

"In any event glad you made it here in one piece. Our escort carriers may be small but so far they have an astounding success rate against Kilrathi capships."

"I have yet to encounter anything my force couldn't handle sir," Jason replied back neutrally.

"Well I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you here," Tolwyn said bringing them both back on topic. Jason nodded in response allowing Tolwyn to continue, "No doubt you have heard of the recent attack on Locanda IV."

Jason tried to remember what he had heard, "Kilrathi blasted the planet and now the entire system has been quarantined…odd to not send in any relief force," he finished letting the unspoken question hang between them.

"Yes that would be strange," Tolwyn answered looking deeply troubled. "The cats used a new bioweapon loaded onto their skipper missiles. Everyone on the planet is dead. Prince Thrakhath launched the strike personally."

Jason took in the news and felt sick inside. Another attempt made by the Kilrathi to not just win the war, but to exterminate all life in the Confederation. It seemed the cats were done entertaining the idea of subjugating the humans and had simply decided to wipe them out. With the war's casualties numbering in the billions already, this new tactic was certainly guaranteed to make it even worse.

"Obviously the military leaders of the Confederation are deeply disturbed by the tactics the Kilrathi Empire has taken in the last few months," Tolwyn began explaining as he walked over to his desk taking a seat, Jason following his lead. "For over thirty years our two societies have engaged in battle, neither one of us violating the unspoken agreement to limit collateral damage as much as possible. With the Kilrathi violating this agreement, the Confederation has decided to respond accordingly. We will not go quietly into the night. We will end this war on our terms."

As he spoke Jason noted Tolwyn's voice becoming almost wistful at the end. If anything what the Admiral had just said deeply disturbed him. If the Confederation intended to respond to the recent Kilrathi attacks 'appropriately', just what did that entail?

Tolwyn brought his full attention back to Jason, "What this means for you, and the rest of our forces at Vega HQ, is your complete dedication and a fighting spirit to topple any Kilrathi resistance." Tolwyn stood and walked over to the nearby briefing table located to the side of the room, Jason following behind. As the two came to a halt, Tolwyn activated the holographic emitters and began his briefing, "Jason, I need you to scout out these two systems here. Your primary goal is reconnaissance. Gather as much information as you can on the Kilrathi's military presence. Obviously the Kilrathi won't like you in their territory and you are free to defend yourself but I'm not interested in kills. I need data."

Jason looked at the two systems. Loki VI and Nephele were both known for having a Kilrathi presence. He hoped he wouldn't be facing too much resistance. His escort carriers may be suited for recon missions like this but they weren't designed to actively fight the enemy in large numbers.

He looked to the Admiral, "What kind of data are you specifically looking for about the Kilrathi?"

"Just what I said," Tolwyn responded back. "Get me a detailed look at the Kilrathi's military presence in both systems. Anything and everything is to be recorded and brought back to Sector HQ. We need to know how the Kilrathi are defending these worlds."

Jason held back his grimace. So much for avoiding a fight. Scanning the entire system would alert the Kilrathi to his presence and was just asking for a fight. He could limit his carrier's vulnerability by using long range recon flights but they wouldn't be able to get the detailed readings his carrier's scanners could. Looks like he was going in and going in hard.

He resigned himself to long day ahead and turned to face Tolwyn, "We'll get you everything you need. If I may ask, what is going to be done with the data we gather?"

Tolwyn saw right through him, "In other words, what is Confed's ultimate agenda for the near future?" Jason nodded back sheepishly. He had a reputation for asking these types of questions and Tolwyn was usually willing to give him what he wanted.

It seemed luck was on his side again as Tolwyn finally nodded and began, "We are sending out three other recon forces with the same task as your own. All are looking for a suitable target for Confed's response to the Kilrathi attacks. A response which will be arriving here at Vega Sector HQ in two days."

"If I may Admiral, what is our response?" Jason asked pushing his rank a little more.

Tolwyn smirked at his junior officer, "Something that is extremely classified and on a need to know basis. However you, as a battle group commander, do need to know." Admiral Tolwyn noted the small look of triumph on Jason's face and added sternly, "The rest of your carrier personal are not to know under any circumstances is that clear?"

Jason quickly sobered up, "Yes sir. Crystal clear sir."

"Good," Tolwyn said softening slightly. "When you're out on your recon mission I need to know which planet has, not the largest, but what you think is the most significant military force. Something the Kilrathi will defiantly notice and miss when we remove it. With this." Tolwyn finished as the table produced a warship that Jason would have sworn was a glitch if it wasn't for the Admiral's grinning features.

Jason's voice caught in his throat causing him to swallow and try again, "What exactly am I looking at sir?"

Tolwyn's smile grew even wider, "The Confederation dreadnought TCS Behemoth."

"Damn…", was all Jason was capable of replying back as he looked over the image of the massive vessel. A Jutland carrier was displayed alongside it to provide some semblance of scale. The fleet carrier, large in its own right, was utterly dwarfed by the Behemoth.

The Admiral let out a soft laugh, "Yes that is the general feeling most people have when I reveal this ship to them." The holographic image began to list off the ships statistics as Tolwyn explained, "It is the largest warship ever built by humanity. A series of superconducting energy amplification conduits focuses an output of 500,000,000 gigawatts onto a single point of impact on any target. The target at the end of that point be it a warship, space station, or even a planet, is utterly destroyed. We will not fight to destroy the Kilrathi presence in the desired system, we will remove it from the galaxy completely in one swift stroke."

The table powered down and Tolwyn turned to face Jason, "The Kilrathi have raised the stakes in this war. We intend to show them what that means and end this conflict now."

Clarity dawned on Jason as he realized what Admiral Tolwyn was ultimately referring to, "You're going to take this ship all the way to Kilrah aren't you."

Tolwyn let out a satisfied smirk, "Well what would you aim for if you had the biggest gun in the universe?"

The Admiral then walked over to the window and gazed across the ships arrayed outside, "I had originally hoped to have a smaller force for an escort in order to conceal the Behemoth until the last moment, but the Kilrathi's rising fleet presence in this sector has demanded that I now use a carrier battle group. Once the scouting missions are concluded your own ships will also provide another layer of defense for the dreadnought."

Tolwyn glance back at Jason who was still behind him, "I have never lied about odds to you Jason. Every day the Kilrathi grow stronger while we barely scratch by. Adding this with the discoveries made beyond the mass relay we are now forced to move quickly and decisively, before our enemy gains any new advantages."

Jason still felt uneasy about the Behemoth, "And what about the things we could gain from beyond the mass relays. If things go well we may not be alone in this war any longer. Not that I'm dismissing the potential for this new ship, but it does seem to me that as soon as we deploy it the Kilrathi will spare no expense in hunting the Behemoth down and destroying it. Perhaps it would be better to wait until we have no other options available to us."

He immediately regretted voicing his doubts about Tolwyn's plan but Jason couldn't shake the feeling that the Admiral was pushing his luck by placing all of his faith in this one ship.

Tolwyn seemed to take his concerns at face value however when he answered, "Judging by what we have seen so far, the races of the Citadel have no means of even reaching Kilrathi space. Our territory lies to far from the mass relays and they have no jump capability, instead relying on a form of faster-than-light travel that is severely limited in range. Even if they could reach us we have already proven to be the more advanced in military starship technology." He walked away from the window and back to Jason, "No, we are alone in our fight. The Behemoth will be our chance at final victory."

"Understood Admiral," Jason relented. It still felt like a long shot but if anyone could pull this off it would be Tolwyn.

"Good. You are dismissed than. Get me the data I require Captain," Tolwyn finished the meeting as he walked back to his desk. "Then prepare yourself for the end."


Serpent Nebula
Widow System
Citadel

Colonel Blair exited the elevator with the Admiral Richards, Admiral Eisen, Spectre Vasir along with Spectre Shepard and let out an appreciative whistle at the sight before him, "Wow, this is something you don't see every day."

Spectre Vasir turned around as she still lead the group forward, "What? You don't have numerous trees and fountains on your space stations?"

Admiral Richards chuckled at the thought, "No we don't, but now I can certainly see the appeal. Maybe we should change a few things when we get back to Confederation space."

"It can be very relaxing," Shepard added as they continued up a number of stairs.

Looking around, Blair could see numerous aliens all going about their respective businesses. Each one was garbed in formal clothing denoting their status as political leaders for their people. Seeing as how this was the center of the Citadel's government, he had expected something more than just a few people walking around. The main body of the Confederation Assembly had hundreds of senators alone. When in full session the capital was a crowded and noisy place. It seemed government life ran a bit differently here.

As the group continued forward and Blair glanced around, he noticed a subtle movement above at his one o' clock. Casually glancing up it was at that moment he realized that he had just seen a sniper post. Now on alert, Blair focused more intently on anything else he noticed out of the ordinary and came to the conclusion that he was being followed by at least three other snipers, and two plan clothes security guards that had been trailing his group since they left the elevator.

He apparently didn't hide his surprise well enough because it was then that Shepard came up beside him, "Don't take it too personally. I'm a Spectre and yet every time I come here they always follow me around to."

Slightly more at ease Blair said back, "Well this is your capital and we are the visitors. I would feel better if it wasn't for the snipers though. The ones I know from the Confed marines are all crazy. They relish the solo missions deep behind enemy lines and all of them are trigger happy psychos."

It took him a minute to realize the reason Shepard had a smile on her face the entire time he was complaining. He sighed and dropped his head, "You're a sniper aren't you?"

She chuckled back at him, "Systems Alliance Marines, N7 infiltrator class. I do resent the idea that I am trigger happy. I have never wasted a round from my rifle in my entire life."

"But you don't deny being a psycho?," Blair responded losing the fight with his own smile.

Shepard glanced at him grinning, "Oh, I'm definitely crazy. With the missions I've gone on, my crew can confirm that."

They continued walking the rest of the large audience chamber as Vasir lead them to a large door along the back wall. Upon entering Blair, was treated to the sight of a grand room with a window on the far wall that gave an excellent view of the entire station. Already inside were three aliens and one human, all of them seated at the large table in the middle of the room.

Once his group was inside the four of them stood and it was the Asari that welcomed them, "Greetings and welcome to the Citadel. I am Councilor Tevos, representative for the Asari Republics. With me are fellow Councilors Sparatus of the Turian Hierarchy, Valern of the Salarian Union, and Anderson of the Systems Alliance. Please take a seat and join us."

"Thank you for meeting with us," Admiral Richards said as he and the others took seats opposite the Council. Shepard and Vasir seating themselves alongside their Councilors. "A seat would be most welcome after all of those stairs," he finished smiling.

"There are a lot of them isn't there," Councilor Anderson spoke up chuckling lightly.

"Yes," Richards replied back. "Well I suppose introductions are in order for us. I am Admiral Vance Richards. With me are Rear Admiral William Eisen and Colonel Christopher Blair. We are the ranking officers of the task force just outside."

"Once more we welcome you to the Citadel," Tevos began. "But I must say that we had been expecting you to arrive tomorrow along with the Kilrathi delegation."

Blair had been wondering that as well. He didn't like the idea of being so near a Kilrathi fleet but the Admiral hadn't given any indication of why he was moving up the meeting date since he had arrived. Apparently he still wasn't ready.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and thought why not see this grand station today and not tomorrow," Richards answered back coyly.

Blair could see the subtle disapproval from Tevos but she appeared willing to let the matter drop, "In any event it is good we were able to meet. It isn't everyday a new society enters the galactic stage and another human society at that. Perhaps you could tell us a little about your Confederation."

"Certainly," Admiral Richards then cleared his throat and began. "The Terran Confederation is a democratic republic comprised of hundreds of mainly human systems. It has a President as head of state. Governing bodies include the Confederation Congress and a Senate known as the Great Assembly and headed by the Assembly Master. We are governed by the Articles of Confederation, our main body of laws. We are however, currently in a state of martial law and the congress and senate now defer to the military joint chiefs alongside the president."

It was Councilor Valern who spoke up next, "You say that the Confederation has hundreds of worlds under your control and yet you have never encountered the mass relays? How were you able to accomplish such a feat?"

"Our ships are equipped with a different means of faster-than-light travel," Richards explained. "A ship's jump drive opens a space time rift between two celestial bodies. We travel instantaneously between these naturally forming points regardless of distance."

"And yet you have never encountered a mass relay until now?" Sparatus pressed.

Richards shook his head, "None. As I have read over your codex I must tell you all that while the Confederation may control a great many planets, we do not cover a sizable portion of the galaxy as you do. The mass relays allow you to travel across the galaxy and you colonize planets based on their placement. The jump drives of our ships mean we travel from star to star in most cases. Sometimes we find a jump point that takes us a great distance but never in the terms of a relay."

"And none of these worlds you have settled on have held traces of element zero?" asked Tevos.

"None," Richards replied simply.

Valern was the next to ask, "I noticed you said the Confederation is made up of 'mainly' human systems. What is the exception?"

Richards smiled at that, "Yes, I wondered if you would catch that. While humanity makes up the vast majority of the Confederation, officially there are two other species that also comprise our society. The reptilian Varni and the avian race called the Firekkans. We have encountered several other species besides the Kilrathi but only those two are members of the Confederation."

"And what are these races status inside your Confederation?" Sparatus asked.

"Full citizens with the right to vote and run for political office," Richards replied. "Neither race has much of an influence as of yet. The Firekkans only have their home world and one other colony in their main system. We found them a decade into our war with the Kilrathi and have pledged to protect them ever since. They are not an independent space faring people as of yet but with our continued help they are progressing quite well."

"And the Varni?" Tevos inquired.

Richards sighed, "The Varni are a broken people trying to rebuild. They had their own advanced, and peaceful, space faring republic until they met the Kilrathi many years before we even had first contact. The Kilrathi attacked and quickly enslaved or killed any Varni they found. In less than thirty days the entire war was over. We discovered them when refugees first fled into our systems. That was how we came to know of the Kilrathi Empires existence. There are only a few hundred thousand of their people left trying to rebuild on the far side of Confederation space, as far away from the Kilrathi as they can get. They mainly have been working alongside our researchers and technicians, helping us build better ships and weapons for our ongoing war."

"Exactly how many species have you encountered in your region of space?" asked Councilor Anderson.

"Well that is a difficult question to answer," Richards said looking to Anderson. "We have the three that officially make up the Confederation. We are fighting the Kilrathi. The Kilrathi have already conquered and either enslaved or destroyed four other separate races." He then turned to face Eisen, "I'm sure I'm forgetting something…"

Eisen nodded, "There was the Mantu. They also fought the Kilrathi but the outcome of that war is unknown to us." Eisen glance to the Council to explain, "The Mantu are an advanced spacefaring race on the opposite side of the Kilrathi from us so we have had no contact other than rumors from captured Kilrathi prisoners."

Blair remembered a news briefing and spoke up, "There is also the Double-Helix race."

Richards snapped his fingers in triumph, "That's the one! The Double-Helix is another species but we have ignored them so far because of their distance from Confed space." He then looked at the stunned faces of the Council across from him, "Yes that should be about it. Unfortunately, except for the Mantu we are the only ones who have been able to fight the Kilrathi this long."

"Incredible. All of those races in one region of the galaxy," Valern exclaimed excited. "This is the most new species we have ever discovered!"

Colonel Blair looked toward him, "It can't be all that impressive. After all, you have the mass relays coving the galaxy from end to end. Surely you have just as many species walking around on this station."

Tevos nodded, "Yes we do, but it has been sometime since our last discovery. To have all of these new species discovered simply by meeting you is a great change of pace for us."

Sparatus quickly interrupted, "And one of them is more dangerous than a Krogan. You all would do well to remember that." Sparatus then turned to face Blair and the Admirals, "How have you survived your war longer than any other race before you? You make the Kilrathi sound nearly invincible in battle."

Blair snorted, "They are hardily invincible. I've personally sent a number of the cats straight to hell. The problem is when we kill one of them, three more seem to take their place."

Anderson decided to voice his question, "Now you say that you have personally engaged the Kilrathi in battle?" Blair nodded and Anderson continued, "If I remember correctly you were a member of the Space Forces and yet the Admirals are not. How is your military divided? For the Alliance we have the Navy which consists of all warships in space, and then we have the Alliance Marines that handle ground operations."

"We have a Navy, which is composed of all capital ships and space stations along with their personal," Blair explained back. "The true power of the Navy lies in our carriers which hold our strike craft. All strike craft are in the Space Forces. The Admirals take us to where the action is and we support them with our firepower and flexibility. There is also the Confed marines and regular army for ground offensives."

"Carriers, you say?" Valern spoke up. "Your fleet's power is centered on smaller fighters and bombers? From what we have read about the battle over Illium, your warships hardly seem to have the need for such smaller craft."

Blair just shook his head, "Our capships may be powerful, but I can destroy a small fleet with a single bomber."

From the looks of confusion he was receiving across the table Blair decided to explain, "Our military might is based off the power of the torpedo. A missile that is capable of penetrating shields and destroying a larger warship in a single strike."

"That's what happened to the Turian ships that attacked us," Eisen added looking to Sparatus. "Each one of my ships launched a number of torpedoes at your own. The result was easy to see."

Sparatus narrowed his eyes but his voice remained calm, "Yes, their power does seem to be immense. I take it the Kilrathi use a weapons system along the same lines as your own?"

"Correct," Richards stated. "We however hold a slight technological edge in starship and fighter design. It's what has kept us in this war for so long."

"A war you have now dragged us into." Sparatus stated bluntly.

Richards however remained unfazed, "That is entirely incorrect. The Kilrathi were the ones to first discover the mass relay. We merely sent this fleet after them. You would have lost Illium if not for us."

"That is also incorrect as we had already sent a fleet to assist the Asari." Countered Sparatus.

"You do remember we destroyed half of your ships with only five of our own, right?" Blair asked, amazed at the Turian's arrogance. "Before we arrived the Kilrathi had a fleet large enough to conquer a system. Your ships stand no chance of beating the Kilrathi in a fight."

"Something that has been made abundantly clear to us," Sparatus said. "So now I am forced to ask why you have come to the Citadel in the first place."

Richards smiled back and looked to Vasir, "Weren't we invited?"

Tevos answered for her, "Yes, you were asked to come here but this is an entirely unique situation with many factors being involved. We had originally intended to discover how two separate societies of humans could arise in this galaxy. Both the Systems Alliance and yourselves claim to be from Earth. This is very troubling."

Richards chuckled in agreement, "Yes that is very confusing. But as far as I can tell, you would have better odds on discovering the answer to the meaning of existence."

Shepard, who had remained quiet for the meeting so far, raised a fist to her mouth and coughed something that Blair could have sworn sounded like "42".

When everyone looked to her, she just smiled, "Sorry. Itch in my throat."

Tevos continued on, "We had also hoped to bring you and the Kilrathi together and try to work towards a lasting peace. One reason we had hoped you would arrive together tomorrow. With the Council acting as mediators, hopefully we can help you end this war you have found yourselves waging."

At that Richards finally turned serious, "I can tell you now that no peace is possible. This war ends with either the Kilrathi Empire in ruins or the Confederation destroyed. Against the wishes of the military the civilian government tried peace and it nearly cost us everything. No, with our new president and joint chiefs now in command this war ends on our terms or not at all."

"Surely you cannot mean that Admiral," Valern added in support of Tevos. "From what you have already told us, this war with the Kilrathi has cost you billions of lives. Is the fate of your people is not worth the chance to work towards a lasting peace? Our own races have experienced the tragedy of war on a galactic scale. You would not let emotions influence you on the field of battle, do not let your stubbornness influence you now when peace could be at hand."

"And I will not allow you to speak as though you know of our suffering," Richards said as his voice turned darker. "I have spent my entire life fighting the Kilrathi. So have Eisen and Blair. Our war has lasted over thirty-six years. Neither of you have seen the horrors of war and neither of you have the right to criticize how we have waged ours. The only races who do have the right to speak to us as equals are the Turians and the Krogan for they are the only ones who have truly fought and suffered the same as us. If I wanted battlefield advice I wouldn't go to the Asari or Salarians. Have either of your races even won a war? You both needed the Krogan for the Rachni and then you needed the Turians to fight the Krogan."

Blair was as taken aback as everyone else in the room. Richards had been nothing but friendly and cheerful since Blair had known the man and then suddenly he changed into something much darker. His face had become hard and his eyes held back barely contained hatred. This man was dangerous when provoked and Blair now understood why Confed Intelligence was so feared in the Confederation and throughout the Kilrathi Empire. Richards didn't destroy his enemies with grand fleets, he just uttered the word and the threat was removed.

As Blair glanced back to the Councilors he could have sworn he saw a satisfied smile on Sparatus' face before the Turian spoke, "I think it's time you told us the true reason why you are here Admiral. You seem a man who doesn't do something without a great deal of thought."

Richards calmed down and his friendly demeanor reappeared as if nothing had ever happened, "Yes I suppose we are done making pleasantries. I'm here now because the war with the Kilrathi is going poorly and we need allies. I came to ask for your support and I have been authorized by my government to give you low grade energy weapons and phase shielding technology as well as schematics for your own jump drives. If you agree to help us fight the Kilrathi not only will you gain a great deal of new technologies, but our task force outside will stay and defend you against the massive Kilrathi assault fleet already headed this way that is scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon." He smiled again as he took in the shocked faces of everyone surrounding him, including Eisen and Blair, "So will you join us or do I wish you luck and return back to Confed space?"