A/N: A little late for a New Years' gift, but I hope you all enjoy this nonetheless. Also, by the time this chapter is released, the first installation of The Human War: Tales from the Front should also be out. More on that below.
"My first thought upon seeing the Oreha was that it was one of the ugliest warships in the galaxy outside of the Batarian fleet. My second thought was that I was seeing a piece of history, sitting right there in front of me... I can safely say that both of those thoughts were correct." - Excerpt from 2184 CNN Interview with Garrus Vakarian.
Chapter 9: A Step Towards Heroism
It was amazing to see just how much Palaven had changed since the war had started, Saren mused as he walked along a hallway in the Cipritine Capitol. The building was a mixture of classical, millenia-old Turian architecture and sleek, modern expansions and reconstructions built after the Unification, and from its position on Capitoline Hill he could see the entirety of Cipritine spread out before him.
Or rather, he used to be able to. When he had first visited the building for an interview after awakening from his surgery, the city glowed with electric light, so much so that only the moon was visible in the sky. Now it was pitch black, the stars having returned in full force now that a blackout had been placed into effect. Now, the only light in the city came from the anti-orbital batteries that were being set up, immense floodlights illuminating the sites where the cannons, some of which matched the skyscrapers in height, were being erected.
Up above, hundreds of glimmering lights moved across the starry sky, each speck denoting the presence of a starship or space station. Joining them were several asteroids, visible from the ground as small black dots. These had been towed into position to act as gun batteries, further bolstering the formidable defenses of the Turian homeworld.
Against any Citadel race, maybe even against all of them combined, such a panoply of defensive might would have been capable of blunting any attack. However, against the aliens from beyond known space...
"Commander Arterius?" One of the guards at his destination spoke up, breaking him from his thoughts.
"Yes. I was told to report here." Saren replied, producing an ID card as he did so. The guard took it, passed his omni-tool over it, and handed it back.
"Your appointment is in ten minutes in Room Three." Saren thanked the guard as he took his card, then proceeded onward into the waiting room for the Cipritine quantum entanglement communication hub. A secretary greeted him as he settled down to wait in one of the few empty chairs.
The room was filled with important-looking Turians, including several generals. All of them watched the doors on the other side of the room.
"General Keras, Room Two is available." As the secretary spoke, one of the doors opened and a frustrated-looking Turian walked out.
"Any luck?" One of the seated Turians asked.
"No. Apparently there aren't any convoys available to take our cargo to Sur'kesh." The other replied.
"You're kidding me, right? One of our Spectres died to get those samples, and we're just going to have them sit in the docks?"
"I tried telling them about how time-sensitive the material samples are, but she wasn't having any of it."
"Damn. Hopefully she'll listen to me. This is the stuff that all the alien tech runs on, and it's got a fifteen day half life outside of whatever techno-magical bullshit stasis chambers they keep it in! At this rate, half the sample will be gone by the time the Salarians get their hands on it!"
Saren tuned the rest of the discussion out, his thoughts moving to his own appointment.
The quantum entanglement device in Room Three was linked directly to the Citadel, and was used primarily as a way of communication between officials on Palaven and the Turian Councilor.
Just then, the door to Room Three opened, and Saren instantly recognized his brother when he stepped out.
"Commander Arterius, Room Three is available." The secretary spoke up. Desolas looked over at that, quickly picking him out from the rest of the waiting Turians.
"Saren! I suppose congratulations are in order." Desolas greeted, walking over to him.
"Congratulations? For what?" Saren asked.
"You mean you haven't been told? Well, then I won't spoil the surprise. Suffice to say, your days of cooling your heels on Palaven are over." Desolas replied.
"What? You mean I'm being deployed?" Saren asked.
"In a sense. The Councilor didn't mention much when he was briefing me." Desolas replied.
"Briefing you? So you're being deployed as well?" Saren asked.
"Yes. I've finally gotten my command back at least, and now I'm off to protect the Terminus Refuge Zone." Desolas replied.
"You mean that you've been sent to fight pirates while the aliens are on Palaven's doorstep?" Saren asked.
"Someone has to protect the refugees, and the Asari aren't doing it." Desolas replied.
"Have they done anything useful in this war?" Saren asked.
"They let our refugees pass through their space, so that's something. Anyway, the councilor is waiting for you, and I think you will like what you hear." Desolas said, before turning and heading for the door.
"Very well. Stay safe out there, brother."
"You too."
With those words, Desolas exited the waiting room, and Saren took that as his cue to enter the communications room.
The door slid shut behind him, and the dark communication room lit up a moment later.
"Commander Arterius, reporting." Saren spoke first, saluting the hologram of the Turian Councilor that had shimmered into being in the center of the room.
"At ease, commander." The Councilor replied, returning the salute.
"I trust your new arm hasn't been giving you any trouble?" The Councilor asked.
"It's better than the original." Saren replied, twitching the prosthetic limb as he did so. His left arm had fused with his armor when his APC was hit, and the army doctors hadn't gotten him to nerve regeneration gear in time to save what remained of the limb. Originally, he had been issued a standard artificial limb, but a few days ago it had been replaced with a high-grade combat prosthetic. Saren still had no idea who had arranged for the limb replacement, or why they had done so, especially since his brother had denied any involvement.
"Good. I would hate to have seen my efforts to get it to you go to waste because of something as silly as prosthetic rejection."
"T-Thank you, sir! I ha-" Saren exclaimed, but the Councilor's raised hand cut him off.
"You can thank me later, my time is short. The purpose of this meeting is to inform you that, thanks to the recent death of SpecTRe Gerastos, the Asari councilor has finally approved my push to appoint a new SpecTRe, on the condition that you be that SpecTRe." That surprised Saren, to say the least.
"What- Me? A SpecTRe? And why would the Asari Councilor-"
"Several reasons. The Asari believe that by turning around and plugging their ears, they can avoid the war that's blazing on their doorstep. To that end, Tevos is trying to obstruct our efforts in order to force a quicker end to the conflict. Evidently, she believes that your brother is still disgraced, and that your association with him would reduce your influence and effectiveness. My recent request to put Desolas in charge of Terminus defense has only solidified her opinion on the matter, and has allowed for your appointment to your new position."
"I... I understand, sir." Saren replied.
"Good. Normally your promotion would be in a grand ceremony on the Citadel, but as you can see, circumstances dictate otherwise. Your status has just been updated in official databases. As a SpecTRe, you are the secret executor of the Council's will. In your case, you will primarily be receiving orders from myself and Councilor Verlin. You will also be given the authority to pursue missions independently according to your own assessment of the situation. I caution you, however, about doing so against our current enemy. That is what got your predecessor killed, after all."
"What happened to him?" Saren asked.
"SpecTRe Gerastos attempted to mount a raid on alien-held territory with the intent of capturing alien technology for analysis. Her ship returned with several interesting samples, but she was killed in action. Indeed, your first order from me will be to oversee the transport of those samples from Palaven to Sur'Kesh."
"It will be done, sir." Saren replied.
"Good. A ship has been assigned to you, fresh out of drydock. Its captain will brief you on its unique capabilities."
"Understood, sir. Is there anything else?" Saren asked.
"Yes... Saren, you were chosen specifically because one of my fellow councilors thought you would fail. I want you to... No, I order you to prove her wrong. I've looked at your files, and where she sees potential for failure, I see opportunity. In every war that we have fought, there are names that go down in history. Generals who prevailed against overwhelming odds, soldiers who performed above and beyond the call of duty, commanders who led their troops to victory and turned the tide of conflict... All of them are heroes, and you have been given the opportunity to become one. I suggest you take it." Saren nodded.
"I will do my best." He replied.
"Oh, and one more thing. We will need heroes after this war is over too, so be careful."
"I will, sir."
"Very well. You are dismissed." At that, the hologram shimmered out of existence, and Saren left the room.
Upon exiting, he quickly spotted the two Turians who had been discussing the fate of a certain sample. Walking up to them, he introduced himself.
"Good afternoon. I am SpecTRe Arterius, and I believe I have a solution to your little transport issue." Their faces lit up as they heard those words.
"Here we are, sir. The Oreha... Or, at least part of it." The shuttle pilot spoke, gesturing at the ship that was sitting in the orbital cradle several hundred meters ahead of them.
"It certainly looks... Odd." Saren commented, taking in the view as the ship... His ship, grew on the monitor.
"That it does. It was a collaborative design with the Salarians, and they insisted on building half the damn thing on Sur'kesh. It's still there, so we'll have to spend a few days in drydock, putting the ship together. Still, this half of the ship was made with good Turian engineering, and it's a damn good vessel if I do say so myself!" The pilot replied.
Saren scrutinized his ship as the shuttle began to circle around it, comparing it to the more common frigate classes in service with the Turian navy. Visually, there were many striking differences. He had seen frigates in similarly sized cradles before, and the Oreha was significantly smaller, at least in terms of length. Even more unusually, where most Turian ships had two engines located in the roots of their backwards-swept wings, his ship had four, tightly packed above and below the roots of the forward-swept wings. Missile pods were visible on the wings' undersides, along with what appeared to be oversized attachment rails.
"I don't see a main gun anywhere." Saren commented.
"Yeah, that's what the Salarians were working on. They've claimed that it has the power to take out an alien dreadnought, but you know how it is with the Salarians. Always overstating the capabilities of their tech." The pilot replied as they swung around the cradle, an open hangar bay coming into view as they did so. The pilot deftly squeezed the shuttle inside, barely managing to not scrape the side of a Markata IFV, which bore the clear signs of being modified for aerial drop operations.
"Here we are, sir! Oh, and before I forget, I am Opius Elvodos, Airman First Class, Pilot of the Oreha's shuttle compliment." The pilot introduced himself as the door slid open.
"I look forward to working with you, Ariman Elvodos." Saren replied, before walking out into the cramped hangar bay. The crew had evidently been forewarned of his arrival, and they had assembled in the hangar bay to greet him.
"SpecTRe on deck!" An officer called out, and fifty two Turian sailors saluted. Saren returned the gesture, realizing as he did so that he had no idea what to do next. Still, Desolas had told him time and time again that a leader must never give off an impression of indecision, and so he cleared his throat.
"My name is Saren Arterius, and I am a Council SpecTRe. Upon my shoulders, and on yours as well, lies the duty of the protection of the Turian race and its allies. Right now, that duty means eliminating the alien threat that has already taken so many of our worlds and extinguished countless billions of lives. For those we have lost, for those who even now must suffer under a cruel alien occupation, and for those of us who still live free, we must now fight. We must stand as part of their bulwark against the enemy. We must fight on, even in the face of overwhelming odds! Even if it takes our lives, we will eliminate our enemy! We will show them the true mettle of the Turian Hierarchy!"
Some of the crew cheered at that. Even more of them clapped politely, but Saren could see that many of them had uncertain looks on their faces. Saren ignored them. He knew that he would have to prove himself to this crew.
"As many of you are already aware, our first mission will take us to Sur'kesh, where we are to deliver a vital sample of alien material to the Salarians, as well as receive our vessel's primary armament. We will depart as soon as possible. You are all dismissed." Saren finished somewhat lamely. The crew dispersed, save for one officer. His rank insignia proclaimed him to be the ship's captain.
"That was a nice speech, SpecTRe." He greeted as Saren approached him.
"Thank you." Saren new forced politeness when he saw it, and this captain wasn't putting much effort into it.
"I am captain Vilneas Astekis. Welcome aboard my ship." The captain introduced himself, placing emphasis on the 'my'. Saren quickly realized what the problem was.
"Thank you, Captain Astekis... May I speak frankly with you?" Saren asked, deliberately pausing for effect.
"Yes?" Astekis replied, uncertainty leaking into his voice. Evidently he had been expecting something else.
"Thank you, captain." Saren replied, before once again pausing as he began to formulate his next speech.
"I... I am a soldier, not a sailor. This ship may have been assigned to me, but I am not in any way qualified to command it in battle. As such, I do not, in any way, intend to infringe on your command duties with regards to this ship." He finally said.
"I see." The captain replied, his voice neutral. Saren considered continuing the conversation, but ultimately decided against it.
"Now, how much longer until we can leave for Sur'kesh? From what I was told, the sample we are transporting is time-sensitive." He finally asked, changing the subject.
"We should be in five hours. When is this sample scheduled to be delivered?" The captain asked.
"In two hours, assuming everything happens according to schedule." Saren replied.
"Good. Now, shall we proceed with the tour of the ship?" Astekis asked.
"Yes. Thank you." Saren replied, and promptly followed the captain deeper into the hangar bay.
"The Oreha is a one-of-a-kind ship, sir. As you may have heard, it was a collaborative project between the Turian hierarchy and the Salarian Union, with our people providing the spaceframe while the Salarians provide the main gun. We've upheld our part, building a spaceframe that has not only surpassed the unusual requirements that the Salarians made, but is also is a capable warship in its own right. It may lack a spinal cannon in its current state, but it is the fastest ship in the Turian fleet. Right now, it is armed with one hundred and sixty disruptor torpedoes, stored in sixteen wing-mounted launchers. She also has six fixed, forward-firing three-hundred-thousand megajoule broadside guns in her bow, and twelve more one hundred and sixty thousand megajoule guns in dorsal and wing-mounted turrets. Finally, we have been authorized to carry four two-hundred megaton antimatter mines." Astekis explained as he led Saren to the elevator.
"Three hundred thousand megajoules? I thought that those were cruiser caliber weapons." Saren commented.
"We quite literally took the broadside guns off a cruiser and stuffed them into our bow." The captain answered, before continuing.
"In terms of defenses, her armor is paper thin. The upper echelons figured that we can't make anything capable of withstanding a hit from one of the enemy's main guns, and as such they've stripped off what little armor this ship should have had in exchange for extra speed. Our kinetic barriers are fairly strong though, given how they were designed for a ship one and a half times bigger than ours, and thus gain greater reserves as a result. We've also got six GARDIAN point defense lasers, latest model." Astekis paused at the entrance to the ship's main elevator.
"This hangar has capacity for up to three shuttlecraft, although we're only carrying one at the moment. We're also carrying a hot-drop Markata, for your personal use in ground ops. Aside from the hangar, this deck also houses our cargo hold and the mine deployment system." Astekis finished, before opening the elevator.
As the two of them entered, Saren noticed that several of the buttons leading to the lower decks were covered with a clear plastic screen, which had been crudely taped to the elevator control panel.
"What is..." Saren gestured towards it, and Astekis quickly explained.
"Ah, the bottom few decks are a few thousand light years away, above Sur'kesh. For now, don't hit those buttons. The elevator will drop down into empty space and it's a pain to get it back into the shaft." Saren nodded at that, and Astekis hit the button leading to the third deck.
This deck was much more populated, with several crewmen saluting them as they stepped out of the elevator.
"This is the crew deck. Our sleeping quarters, mess hall, infirmary, and arena are all located here. Our marine compliment will have its armory located in the bow on this deck as well, once they actually come aboard." Astekis explained, leading Saren through the mess hall to a door on the left side of the room. The door slid open to reveal a large bedroom, with a built-in washroom.
"These are your quarters, sir." The captain said simply, before turning away. The door slid shut behind Saren as he followed suit. He was led sternward, entering a large room that held the clearly recognizable drive core.
"This is our primary drive core. It's sized for a three-hundred meter frigate, which means it's producing enough power for our ship and then some." The two engineers saluted as they passed by, circling the drive core as they made their way towards the door on the other side of the room.
"In here is the secondary bridge." Astekis explained, opening the door to the cramped room. Saren looked around for a few moments, before turning back and allowing the captain to lead him back to the elevator.
"This is the command deck. Welcome to the Oreha's bridge." Astekis said as they entered the uppermost deck on the ship. Said bridge was filled with crew, all of whom were absorbed in their work.
The two of them walked a circuit through the bridge, returning the occasional salute, before finally heading towards the stern.
"Aside from the bridge, my quarters are also located up here, along with the communications room. The Salarians have claimed that they've already prepared a QEC linked to the Citadel for installation on Sur'kesh." Astekis finished.
"Just what exactly will this ship be gaining on Sur'kesh?" Saren asked.
"Several things. Two extra decks, for one. We will also be gaining our primary armament, which I am told is some sort of antimatter cannon, along with a second drive core to power it all. Finally, there is an emission sink system designed to aid in our vessel's stealth. I'm forwarding the full data on this ship to you now." Astekis replied.
"Thank you, captain. If there is nothing else, I will leave you to do your duty." Saren replied as his omni-tool chimed.
"No, there is nothing else, Commander Arterius. Assuming all goes according to schedule, we leave for Sur'kesh in five hours." Astekis replied.
"Very well." Saren said, and left.
"Target, distance four hundred meters, red building." Zaeed said, eyeing said building through his helmet visor's magnification sight. A moment later, a bolt of plasma flew through one of the building's windows, eliminating the alien that had been highlighted within.
"Another one down." Vido reported a moment later.
"Any more left?" Maria asked.
"Briefing said four squads, and that was the sixteenth. Given how we were fighting Ogyres and Rock Wolves, that means we've downed them all." Zaeed replied. As if on cue, the scenario ended, and the room lost its texture, shifting back into the grey holographic training hall that they had entered. Buildings folded back into the walls, and the exit doors opened.
Zaeed quickly leaped down from his crow's nest and rejoined his squad as they headed towards the exit. Sergeant Hardy greeted them there.
"Congratulations are in order, cadets. Your group's caught the eye of some very important people." He said as they saluted.
"Sir?" Zaeed risked a question.
"I will let them explain themselves. Suffice to say, you four have made me very proud." At that, Hardy stood aside, and two uniformed officers stepped in to take his place. Zaeed stifled a gasp when he saw the insignia on their uniforms.
"Earth First..." Victor breathed, his voice amplified by his helmet speakers.
"Zaeed Massani, Vido Santiago, Maria Stephanova, Victor Harris..." The first officer, a tall man with greying black hair and sharp blue eyes, began.
"The four of you have performed exceptionally well in the initial few rounds of small-unit simulated combat scenarios, with a casualty rate of zero percent and a one hundred percent mission completion rate. When coupled with your prior combat experience on Shanxi, you have attracted our attention." Zaeed's mind began to work with that information. That was when the other officer, a younger blonde man, took over.
"Every year, several million of Luna's best cadets are accepted into the Earth First training program. This year, you four will be among them. Your training begins next Monday. Your room assignment changes will be transmitted to you by the end of the day, and you are expected to transfer any belongings and training equipment you may have to your quarters by the time training starts. All prospective Earth First cadets will be addressed in Auditorium One at 16:00 hours. Tardiness will reflect poorly on you. Congratulations." With those words, the Earth First recruiters turned and left the room.
The door had barely slid shut behind them when Sergeant Hardy spoke again.
"I'm not supposed to tell you what you will be facing, but what I can say is that the scenarios you've ran through so far are child's play in comparison to what you will face in Earth First training. You will be training to operate behind enemy lines, to fight and win hopeless battles, and to change the tides of war. Every year, millions are chosen for the Earth First, but only a few thousand make it through training." He explained. Then, he reached into his rucksack and pulled out a bundle. He handed it to Zaeed, who opened it to reveal a bottle of whiskey.
"It's a tradition among us drill instructors to hand these out to any squads that make it into Earth First training. You're supposed to open it when you finish. Good luck, to all of you." Hardy finished.
"Thank you, sir." Zaeed replied, his words echoed by the rest of the squad.
"Don't thank me yet. Thank me when you've opened it and shared it with the rest of your future squadmates." Hardy replied. Then, he turned and left the room. The door slid shut, leaving the four of them alone in the room.
"Whoa..." Vido whispered. Then, a moment later, Maria leaped into the air.
"We did it!" She cheered.
"Goddamn... I'm almost tempted to open this here and now." Zaeed said, absentmindedly high-fiving Maria.
"Was that really Sergeant Hardass? He sounded like a complete different person." Victor commented.
"Still, the Earth First! They're considering us!" Maria exclaimed.
"First things first. We've got to pass through their training first." Zaeed cautioned.
"How hard can it be? We've aced every scenario Hardass has thrown at us!" Vido replied.
"I swear Vido, we're all going to be eating those words before the first week is out." Victor sighed.
"Forgive me for being optimistic!" Vido replied.
"Still, we should get moving. Training starts up in two days, so we should get settled into our new quarters as soon as possible." Zaeed pointed out.
"Good point. Let's go! I can't wait to see our new quarters! I heard the Earth First cadets get their own showers!" Maria exclaimed, and a few moments later she was leading the charge back to the Shanxi cadets' barracks.
Unusually, the barracks were already occupied when they arrived.
"Let me guess, the Earth First also tapped you guys?" Claudia Fontaine, whose squad had also managed a flawless record in the early simulated scenarios, asked as they entered.
"So we were not the only ones?" Zaeed asked.
"Nah. Counting us, there's been three squads so far. We ran into Ling's squad after we were informed, although they've already packed up and left."
"Wait, what? So many of us?" Maria asked, referring to her fellow Shanxi cadets.
"Sixty three of us came in from Shanxi, and twenty four of us went to the Navy. That means that damn near a third of us regimentals were picked for the Earth First so far." Zaeed replied.
"It must be the combat experience. I heard the Earth First gives veteran recruits preferential treatment when it comes to selections." Claudia mused.
"I heard the same." Zaeed replied, heading over to his bunk and beginning the simple process of packing up his belongings.
"Claude! We got it all!" Zaeed looked over at that just in time to see Claudia's three squadmates exit the girls' restrooms. Two of them held large bundles of toilet paper in their arms, while the third carried a mixture of towels, soap packages, and other miscellaneous hygiene supplies.
"Good work. I've just about finished with the bedding. Shame about the mattresses, but everything else's been stowed away." Claudia replied, gesturing towards the overstuffed bag at her feet.
"What are you doing?" Victor asked.
"Being prepared. I don't know what to expect, but I sure as hell am not going to let them take away my squad's comfort! Don't worry, we left the boys' bathroom untouched, you should be able to loot it just fine." Claudia replied.
"Good idea. Victor, Vido, get on that." Zaeed replied.
"What about... Well, you know..." Maria began.
"Oh, right. Sarah, mind sharing some of your goods with her? Not like the boys will find any of them in their bathroom." Claudia replied, and the girl complied.
"Whew, thanks! I should get packing." Maria replied, taking the offered package of feminine hygiene supplies.
"Yeah. Can you help me with the bedding?" Zaeed added, starting to strip his own bed.
"Alright." Maria replied, doing the same for hers. By the time Vido and Victor returned from the bathroom, their beds had also been stripped, their sheets all folded away into Zaeed's bag.
"Alright boys, we'll be seeing you there!" Claudia said as they began to pack up their personal belongings. With a parting wave, she walked out of the room, her squad following right behind her.
"You know, I wouldn't mind working with them." Vido spoke up a few moments after the door slid shut. That earned him a light smack upside the head from Maria.
"Focus... And not on them!" She chided.
"Yes mom!" Vido replied, sketching a salute as he did so.
"At ease, soldier!" Maria laughed, before turning to Zaeed.
"Got everything?" She asked.
"Pretty much. Not like we were able to bring much here in the first place." He replied, gesturing to his bag as he did so.
"True, true. They didn't even let us run home before herding us onto the transport." Maria said, lifting her own bag as she spoke.
Soon enough, they too had left their barracks.
"Captain, relay transition has been successful. Drift is under two thousand kilometers, and our ID codes have been transmitted to the Salarians. We have arrived at Sur'kesh." The Oreha's helmsman, Aplius Turonicus, reported.
"Excellent work. Set a course for Orbital Shipyard Complex number forty-seven. The rest of our ship is currently being prepared in Cradle Two." Astekis ordered.
Saren watched all this from the bridge, his face set in an mask of polite interest. In reality, he was bored out of his mind. Watching the ship operate without actually doing anything to help, had made him acutely aware that his presence aboard the Oreha was currently unnecessary. Even worse, the ship's marine compliment was not actually onboard, having been held back on Palaven until the ship had completed its shakedown run.
That meant that almost all his time was spent either trying to interact with the rest of the crew in the mess hall, or using the simulators to teach himself how to drive the Markata in the hangar.
"Captain, I will go and prepare the sample for transfer to the Salarians. Tell them that I will be handing it over to them in person." He finally said.
"Very well." Astekis replied, before turning to his communications officer and relaying the order. Saren took that as his cue to leave, and headed down to the cargo bay. The sample was in a small case, and he easily lifted it and carried it back to the bridge.
Soon enough, he was back in the same position he was before, but now the sample case rested by his side.
After what seemed like an eternity, the orbital shipyard finally appeared on the screen. Its bottom half was already occupied, making docking a somewhat slow procedure. Still, the helmsman managed to get the job done, and soon enough the boarding tube extended and connected with the ship.
Almost immediately after the door opened, two labcoated scientists all but sprinted onboard.
"Where is it?" One of them demanded. Saren barely had enough time to lift the case before one of the scientists snatched it out of his hand. He promptly sprinted back out of the ship.
"Thank you very much. Depending on what is actually in there, you might have already helped turn the tide of the war." The other scientist replied, before following his colleague out.
"Well, that's the Salarians for you. Barely even a thank-you for something good Turians died for." Astekis muttered. Fortunately, he had kept his voice low enough that the engineers who boarded next did not hear it.
"Greetings. I am Senior Engineer Simant Dalon, and I will be supervising the installation of this ship's primary armament. For now, I request that all crew vacate this ship until installation is completed. Appropriate quarters have been prepared for you in the meantime." Their leader greeted.
Astekis looked mortified for a moment, before composing himself.
"Very well. I expect that this job be done as efficiently as possible. Lineus, order the crew to vacate the ship." The communications officer promptly relayed the order to the rest of the ship, while Astekis turned back to Simant.
"I do not want a single speck of paint to be out of place when we return, understood?" He asked.
"Understood." Simant replied, before turning to his subordinates and barking out an order to secure any loose objects onboard.
Soon enough, the ship was evacuated and the real work could begin. The Salarians worked fast, and barely three hours later the main cannon was slowly pushed upward by a squadron of micro-tugs, eventually settling into position between the frigate's downward-canted wings. Two large, curved booms had been clamped into place on the underwing attachment rails, serving to hold the cannon steady while the workers wielded it solidly into place.
"She looks a lot uglier now." Astekis pointed out from beside him.
Indeed, it was plain to see just which part of the ship was built where, with the primary hull being built in the angular Turian style and painted a standard grey and orange, while the bottom was sleek and Salarian in design, and was painted a bright white.
"I'm more worried about the logistical requirements of that monster. I've read through the specifications, captain, and this thing eats antimatter like a cruiser three times its size." Saren replied.
"True, but at the same time the projected firepower of that cannon is huge, easily a hundred times that of one of our dreadnoughts' main guns! Think of what it would do to an alien ship!" Astekis replied.
"That's only if it gets through the shield. If it hits the hull, it's practically a guaranteed kill on anything we've got, but antimatter can't exactly react against an energy shield." Saren pointed out.
"That's what the counter-projectile is for. We're shooting a reactant projectile alongside the antimatter stream, so that even if the shot misses or hits enemy shielding, some reaction will still take place. Granted, it won't be a particularly efficient one, but a gamma ray burst at point-blank range is bound to do some damage." Astekis replied.
"I'm still not sure this whole system will work. Plus, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence when one stray shot can set off a couple gigatons worth of antimatter in tanks not even a hundred meters beneath my feet." Saren said, gesturing at the immense white antimatter containment systems currently being tugged into position for attachment to the cannon stabilization booms.
"Given how little armor this ship has, one stray shot anywhere will probably take out something vital. Thankfully, we have enough speed to compensate."
"Yet another reason as to why this ship eats enough antimatter to fuel a cruiser."
"I bet you'll stop complaining once it helps us dodge enemy gunfire."
"Maybe I will."
"That day will probably come sooner, rather than later. There aren't many relays between the invaders and Palaven any more."
Saren was quiet for a long moment as those words sank in. Finally, he voiced the fear that was doubtlessly on the mind of every Turian in the galaxy.
"Do you think Palaven will be able to hold?" He asked. Astekis gave him a long look, before shaking his head.
"No. If we had a few more months to prepare, to get our next generation of weapons out of the labs and into the field like this..." He trailed off, gesturing at the Oreha.
"But no. We have days, weeks at most before the aliens are at the gates of Palaven, and all our R&D crews have to bolster our defenses are a few cruisers and dreadnoughts with glorified nuke launchers and one frigate with an experimental antimatter gun." He finished.
There wasn't much that Saren could say in response to that.
Luna Academy Auditorium Number One was by far the largest room that Zaeed had ever stood in. Millions of cadets stood all around, above and below him on the thousands of stacked seating decks that encircled the stage.
His squad had arrived early enough to secure seating low enough to not require a holographic display of the speaker, although still high enough to require speakers to amplify his voice.
Said speaker had just walked out onto the stage, the room falling silent as its occupants noticed his presence. Within a minute, the only sound in the immense room was that of breathing.
Then, the man cleared his throat and addressed the assembled cadets.
"Good afternoon. In the interests of time, I will keep this brief." He paused for a moment.
"Three million, two hundred and fourteen thousand, five hundred and forty-four. That is how many cadets are currently sitting in this auditorium, and how many individuals have been granted the chance of a lifetime. The best among you will graduate and join the ranks of the Earth First Regiment. While only a few thousand of you will be chosen, all of you have the potential to be a part of those thousand. We invite you to make the decision making process as difficult as possible." That got a few laughs out of the room.
"As many of you are already aware, all exercises will be performed in teams of eight. Many of you have already met your teammates, and many of you have not." Zaeed frowned. The other half of his training team had already left their assigned quarters by the time his squad had dropped off their belongings.
"This first week of training will be comprised of simulated combat scenarios. The second will be comprised of blind-entry team exercises. We expect all teams to put forth all possible effort towards succeeding in their assigned training." The man paused again, allowing the room a brief moment to process this information. Then, he spoke again.
"During these first two weeks, there are two ways you may be discharged from this program. The first is by simple failure. Should your team fail to meet the standards we place on you, your team will be discharged from the program. Whether it is an honorable or dishonorable discharge is dependent on the severity of your failure. Secondly, there is an individual discharge. There are three causes for this. The first is in the event of severe injury. The second is a dishonorable discharge for disgraceful individual conduct. Finally, you may request an individual discharge at any time... But I doubt any of you will want to do that." That caused Zaeed to chuckle. Nobody in this room was chosen for their tendency to take the easy way out.
"That said, should you do your best and prove yourselves to be the absolute pinnacle of what the human race has to offer, you have absolutely no reason to fear a discharge. I wish all of you the best of luck in the coming weeks. It cannot hurt to have it on your side. Dismissed!" Immediately, millions of cadets stood from their seats and began to leave the room.
"Come on! Let's try and beat our comrades to our room!" Zaeed shouted, leaping over his seat in an attempt to beat the pileup that would inevitably happen at the auditorium's exits. His squadmates followed his lead, and while they weren't quite able to beat the pileup, they managed to end up near the front of it and thus left the auditorium with minimum fuss.
Their quarters were still empty when they arrived.
"Good, we beat them here. Let's get our stuff unloaded." Zaeed ordered, and his squad rushed into action. He was thankful for Claudia's foresight, as the beds came with pillows but no blankets or sheets.
By the time the rest of their team arrived, four neatly made beds occupied the side closer to the restroom, while four unmade ones sat closer to the door.
When the door slid open, the four of them turned just in time to see a tall, red-haired boy enter the room. Behind him marched two brown-haired girls who must have been twins, judging by their identical heights and emotionless expressions. A blonde boy brought up the rear, an easygoing smile lighting up his face as he saw his new comrades.
"Hello! That was quite the speech, wasn't it?" He asked.
"I've heard better." Vido replied, extending his hand. The boy shook it.
"Jurgen Elmar. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself.
"Vido Santiago. The pleasure's all mine." Vido replied.
"Maria Stephanova, looking forward to working with you!" Maria introduced herself a moment later.
"Victor Harris." Victor said, voice soft.
"And I'm Zaeed Massani. We're in from Shanxi. What about you?" Zaeed finished, looking the rest of the new arrivals in the eye.
"Kristian Hansen. These two behind me are Trista and Sotka. We're all from Earth." The other boy introduced himself and his teammates.
"No last names?" Zaeed asked. This time, the girls spoke up.
"I am Trista, ward of the state, designation Volgograd-401-300."
"And I am Sotka, ward of the state, designation Volgograd-401-100."
They spoke in sequence, their voices having little inflection. Zaeed stifled his frown at the information. The two girls weren't just sisters, they were clones.
"It's nice to meet you all. Have you guys had dinner already? My squad arrived here pretty late, so we didn't get to eat before the speech." He finally said.
"Nah, we arrived early enough to have dinner beforehand. What held you guys up?" Kristian asked.
"We had to travel halfway around the moon on the trains from where they kept us." Zaeed replied.
"But why would... Oh, you must be from the colonies. I thought you guys were from the Shanxi development zone." Kristian said, an almost dismissive tone entering his voice.
"Nah, we're in from the frontier colony of Shanxi, left right after invasion season ended." Vido replied.
"Invasion season?" Trista, or was it Sotka, asked.
"Aliens invaded, but we kicked them off." Zaeed elaborated.
"So, you guys have combat experience?" Kristian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Zaeed replied.
"Good, then I don't have to worry about hauling your asses through the next few weeks." Kristian said. He smiled, evidently having tried to make a joke, but the effect was the exact opposite.
"Excuse me? What the hell was that for?" Maria exclained.
"Sorry, I was under the impression that the training facilities out in the colonies aren't as good as the ones on Earth. I was just worried that my squad-"
"Your squad? Who the hell said that this was your squad?" Vido demanded.
"I didn't see anyone else stepping forward to lead." Kristian replied.
"I am." Zaeed declared in response, stepping forward as he did so.
"And we can vouch for him." Maria added, stepping up to stand beside him. Vido and Victor followed suit a moment later.
"And my squad vouches for me." Kristian replied. Before he could move, however, Jurgen stepped between them, turning to face his squadmate.
"Look, let's not start fighting each other five minutes into training. How about this? Zaeed leads us through our first scenario, you lead us through our second, and we vote on a leader once everything is all said and done. That sound good?" He asked.
"Sounds good to me." Zaeed replied, extending his hand.
"Alright..." Kristian replied, taking it in his own.
"But, if it looks like you're screwing up, I'm taking command. I've not come this far just to have my chances ruined by bad leadership." He continued. The subsequent handshake was rather painful, but Zaeed thought he'd given as good as he'd taken.
"Dick." Victor muttered as they left for the nearest mess hall a minute later.
"You said it. The rest of them are alright though." Maria replied.
"Once again, I implore you to reconsider! The cannon has yet to be tested properly! We have no idea if any damage occurred during the installation process! Could catastrophically explode during first combat firing!" Simant's irate voice crackled through the bridge.
"And once again, no! We've been sitting in this cradle for days now, and the aliens have advanced up to the Sulerian Nebula! That means that we either have to get through the Doven system before it falls as well, or take the long route around through the Citadel! Our orders are to reach Palaven as fast as possible, and that means we cannot wait for you people to prepare a target drone for a test firing! Helm, take us out of here!" Astekis shouted in return.
"Understood!" The helmsman's voice was eager, and a moment later the Oreha rocketed out of its cradle. Saren watched the ship circle around on the holomap, its helmsman setting a course for the Sur'kesh relay.
"Course plotted, maximum cruising speed reached." Astekis nodded at that report, before turning to Saren.
"Well, nothing for you to do now but to hurry up and wait." He said.
"True. At least this time, I have our STG friends to talk to." Astekis made a disgusted face at the mention of the STG.
"Pah! Give me a few good Turian marines over some glorified spies any day. I'm still not sure why you let them come aboard in the first place." He replied.
"They have their uses, and thanks to their presence, we now have contacts in Salarian intelligence. They're the best source of information in the galaxy, and they don't charge through the nose like the Shadow Broker." Saren replied as he headed for the elevator.
"I know. Still, I don't like the thought of them nosing around our ship. Keep an eye on them, alright?"
"Don't worry, I will." Saren said as he stepped into the elevator and headed down to meet with the newest members of the Oreha's ground team.
A total of three STG members had joined the ship's crew, that having been the prearranged number set by Turian and Salarian high commands.
"Ah! Greetings, SpecTRe Arterius! Was about to come and see you. There have been some... Issues in integrating my equipment with the ship's systems. VI seems to think I am installing illegal software... Well, I am, but I have a license to use it." Doctor Atlon Welano greeted him as he entered the observation room that the scientist had commandeered.
"Illegal software? I was under the impression that you were a doctor." Saren replied.
"Of course I am! Earned a doctorate in cyberwarfare studies at the University of Mannovai. STG career as hacking specialist was natural next step afterwards." Atlon replied. Saren sighed.
"Just what were you trying to install on my ship?" He asked.
"Nothing invasive, simply essential programs required to carry out my duty. Crypto-cracker VI design banned for being too effective at hacking into encrypted financial records, standard STG net portal officially banned to preserve secrecy of information, and augmented cyberdefense VI that seems to have insulted the unit currently installed on your vessel. It appears to... Strongly dislike your unit." Atlon answered.
"That's... What? I can understand the STG net portal, but a bank robber VI? And how can a cyberdefense VI dislike anything?" Saren exclaimed.
"I rarely used decryption VI for bank robbery... Sometimes necessary for depriving targets of financial assets, but otherwise primarily used for decrypting coded messages. As for dislike of ship's VI, my cyberdefense VI is... Special. Many customizations made over long service life. Expresses compatibility issues as dislike."
Saren weighed the advantages of the systems, before finally admitting defeat.
"Very well. I will use my SpecTRe override to authorize these installations. However, if I hear even one complaint about you stealing my crew's credits, I'm throwing your computers out the nearest airlock." He replied.
"Don't worry. If I were to commit such theft, crew would not even notice." The Salarian replied, smirking. Saren shook his head and left the room, heading for the armory. Inside, he found the other two members of the STG team.
"I trust that there have been no... Compatibility issues with your equipment?" Saren asked as he entered.
"Oh, no. Quite the opposite. There is plenty of room for all of it, and I had enough left over in my locker to help my partner with his." The first Salarian, Specialist Hersal Gabam, replied. Which made sense, considering how he was an infiltration specialist who had little use for bulky equipment. His partner, Specialist Munart Bilon, was the exact opposite, being a demolitions specialist.
"I trust the explosives have been properly stored away?" Saren asked.
"Of course! All safeties triple-checked and fuses stowed separately." Munart replied.
"Good. Is there anything else?"
"Negative, there have been no problems so far. We are ready to deploy on your orders, Commander Arterius." Hersal replied.
"Actually, Commander, I would like to request permission to inspect the vehicles you have in the hangar. We haven't had much of an opportunity to work with Turian-built equipment before, so some time to familiarize ourselves with them would be much appreciated." Munart interjected. Saren smiled at that.
"Permission granted. Should you desire, both vehicles have simulator software installed, although before using it on the shuttle I highly suggest asking the pilot's permission first." He replied.
"Thank you, Commander. If there is nothing else, we would like to head down to the hangar." Saren nodded at that, and the two Salarians left the room.
They may have been STG, but at least they weren't like Atlon. That meant that, unless they did something drastic, he could easily tolerate them.
With that in mind, Saren retreated to his quarters, and from there spent the rest of the day reading the latest news from the front.
"Commander, we are about to enter the Doven system. Yesterday's report said it was clear, but I've ordered all hands to battle stations nonetheless." Astekis reported as Saren entered the bridge.
"Good. Let's hope the system is still ours." He replied.
"Captain, we're about to hit the relay." Aplius reported.
"Do it. The sooner we get this over with, the better."
"Understood."
A moment later, the ship shuddered slightly, and the exterior displays flashed white as the ship was catapulted through space.
"SHIT! HOSTILE CONTACTS!" Aplius' shout was unnecessary, as Saren could clearly see the dagger-shaped silhouettes of two alien ships appear barely a hundred meters away from the bridge's exterior display screens.
"Damn! Engine control, get our FTL drive ready! Emergency discharge! Helm, as soon as the drive is ready, jump to the relay! Until then, weapons free! Gunners, target the frigate on our port side!" The orders were shouted at a rapid pace, carrying over the sudden din on the bridge.
Saren could hear the ship's engines roar as additional fuel was dumped into the reaction chamber, accelerating the ship out of the way of the aliens' opening broadsides.
"Gunners, belay that order. Helm, get us behind that cruiser and keep us there! All guns, focus fire on the hostile cruiser!"
Saren fought to keep his footing as his vessel's inertial dampeners were strained past their limit by Aplius' subsequent turn, the ship's engines and maneuvering thrusters working in tandem to spin the ship around until its nose faced the engines of the alien cruiser. The nose gun battery opened fire a moment later, the six cannons firing in sequence to send a constant stream of tungsten downrange. At such a close distance, it was impossible to miss, and the slugs caused portions of the alien shield to visibly flash where they hit. Comparatively little fire flew back at them. Evidently, while the alien ships were able to focus immense amounts of firepower ahead, they lacked much in the way of rearward defenses, and what little return fire they were able to put out was not enough to wear through the ship's kinetic barriers.
Then, the floor beneath him swayed again as Aplius forced the ship into another evasive maneuver. Saren blinked as a blinding streak of white light passed just under the ship, another one passing just off the Oreha's bow a moment later.
"Gunners, lock on to the cruiser and fire all torpedoes! Now!"
Astekis' command was obeyed, and two seconds later the missiles began to stream from their box launchers. At this range, it was once again impossible to miss, and while blue beams of light cut several of the missiles out of the sky, most of them slammed into their target. For a moment, the rear of the alien cruiser glowed a bright blue-white as the disruptor torpedoes did their work.
"Their shield is down!" The missile operator reported, and Astekis grinned.
"Bridge to main cannon control. Fire on the alien cruiser." He ordered.
"Understood! Convergence set. Ferrofluid chambered... Antimatter pressure normal..." Simant's voice read through a pre-firing checklist.
"Fire, now!" Astekis screamed.
"Firing main cannon!"
A moment later, the ship shook as the main gun fired. Two bright streaks of light exited its barrel, one comprised of high-density ferrofluid while the other was pure anti-deuterium encased in a mass effect field. Before Saren could blink, the two streams slammed into the alien cruiser in a blinding flash of white light.
"Target destroyed! Alien cruiser kill confirmed!" The entire bridge cheered as a secondary explosion ripped alien vessel apart.
"Gunners, change target to nearest enemy frigate! Engines, how much longer until the FTL drive is ready?" Astekis shouted over the celebration.
"Emergency discharge is almost complete. One more minute." The reply came moments before a barrage of blue-green bolts slammed into the Oreha's port side.
"Kinetic barriers critical! One more salvo like that and we're dead!"
"I'm doing the best I can!" Aplius shouted in response. The Oreha returned fire as he spoke, its secondary turrets tracking the alien frigate. A moment later, the alien ship passed within meters of its Turian counterpart, both ships' subsequent salvos falling behind their target.
"Main cannon ready!" Simant reported.
"Helm, bring us around and orient for a cannon shot on the far frigate. Main cannon, target the far frigate, fire when ready." Astekis ordered. Once again, the deck swayed as the helmsman forced the frigate into a spacefaring equivalent of a power slide, bringing its nose around to point at the more distant alien frigate. That ship had also come around, and its nose now pointed directly at the Oreha.
"FIRE!"
A moment later, the twin cannon spoke again. There was a bright flash of light, and the aliens' own primary weapon was thrown off target, passing just twenty meters off the Oreha's starboard wing.
"Negative, target's shields held."
"Evasive maneuvers, now!" The frigate barely dodged the next incoming shot, turning around until its nose faced the exposed side of its nearest opponent.
"All guns, fire on near frigate!" Astekis ordered, and the ship's secondary batteries did just that, although much of the fire was evaded.
"FTL drive is up in thirty seconds!"
"Good. Deploy antimatter mine, thirty-five second fuse!"
"Done. Antimatter mine released."
"Main cannon ready!"
"Target near frigate. Fire when ready!"
The main gun fired again, but this time the twin streams went low, and a bright flash of light denoted where they had converged and reacted.
"Miss, negligible effect on target."
"Fifteen seconds!"
"Just a little more..." Saren prayed.
"Incoming! Hostile warships exiting FTL!"
"Evasive maneuvers!" A barrage of white bolts bracketed the Oreha a moment later.
"Drive is ready!"
"Jump! Jump! Jumpjumpjumpjumpjump!" Astekis continued repeating the word even after the Oreha had finished its FTL jump and the mass relay appeared on the viewscreens.
"Take us through, now!"
"Done!"
The screens flashed white again, and the Oreha made the final jump to Palaven.
All was quiet on the bridge for a few long moments, before Saren finally spoke up.
"We... We won!" Even he couldn't believe the words he'd just spoken. Just a minute ago, the Oreha had entered an enemy controlled system, destroyed a cruiser, and jumped away without taking any real damage or sustaining any casualties among its crew.
"Helm, take us to Palaven." Astekis ordered.
"Yes sir!" The helmsman sounded exhausted, and Saren could sympathize.
"Attention all hands..." The captain's voice sounded out, both over the ship's intercom and from beside Saren. Astekis paused for a moment, likely considering his next words.
"Good work out there. That is all." He finally finished, somewhat lamely.
"That was a nice speech, Captain." Saren said, smiling.
"Thank you." Astekis replied, before returning his attention to the holomap as the Oreha made its way back to Palaven.
A/N: Here it is! I had originally intended to get this chapter out before 2018, but it was unfortunately delayed. Of course, in addition to this chapter, some of you may have already noticed the little extra gift I posted yesterday, specifically The Human War: Tales from the Front. That little story will serve as a repository for any side stories that do not quite make it into the main narrative of THW. Side stories written by other authors will also be considered for addition to that repository, and anything in there will be considered THW Canon.
Now that that's over with, on to my standard recap of this chapter. First and foremost, Saren now has his Normandy-equivalent. The Oreha is about the same size as the Normandy SR2, at least in terms of length, although it has twice the engine power of a normal Turian frigate compressed into a spaceframe with about two-thirds the displacement, making it an extremely agile ship. It also has an emission sink system like the Normandy, although given how that technology is still in its infancy, the system on the Oreha is significantly less efficient than that of the Normandy, and is much more vulnerable to technological malfunction.
In terms of armament, the Oreha has six cannons taken from a cruiser's secondary armament fixed in its nose in an arrangement similar to that present in some WWII-era American attack aircraft such as the A-26B Invader, along with a more standard array of frigate-sized turreted guns, GARDIAN lasers, and missile batteries.
Finally, there is the ship's main gun, which is what really sets this craft apart. The weapon is powered by its own secondary reactor, and possesses two barrels. The first fires a stream of high-density ferrofluid in a manner similar to the Thanix cannon, while the second fires a stream of antimatter. The two streams converge on the target ship after firing, and in the event of a miss they will react with each other to release a burst of energy near the target ship, which could potentially screw with its sensors and inflict minor shield damage. Should the cannon hit an unshielded target, however, the results are devastating as I showed with the space battle near the end. Thus, such a system is best used after another weapon, in this case the Oreha's entire missile supply, is used to strip the enemy's shields, opening them up for a single, lethal shot.
Aside from that, I have finally moved Zaeed out of basic and into Earth First training, where he can become the special forces elite that we all knew he would become. While some teenage drama is to be expected (they are teenagers, after all!), I will keep it to an absolute minimum, while also sticking to my promise of no love triangles or romantic subplots while in the academy.
As for the Earth First, I imagined it to be the THW equivalent of classic XCOM, being comprised of small, elite forces operating mostly independently throughout Human space. These small teams are expected to do the impossible, going up against immense odds and succeed, much like the original XCOM did (both ingame and in THW canon).
With that said, I believe I've said everything necessary. I hope you all enjoy this latest update to The Human War.