The silence spreads. I talk and must talk. So I speak to him and say to him: "Comrade, I did not want to kill you. If you jumped in here again, I would not do it, if you would be sensible too. But you were only an idea to me before, an abstraction that lived in my mind and called forth its appropriate response. It was that abstraction I stabbed. But now, for the first time, I see you are a man like me. I thought of your hand-grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellowship. Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony — forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? If we threw away these rifles and this uniform you could be my brother, just like Kat and Albert. Take twenty years of my life, comrade, and stand up — take more, for I do not know what I can even attempt to do with it now."
- Paul Bäumer, All Quiet on the Western Front.
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The Three hundred and first siege division gathered together for the final review on the upcoming operation. Dozens of the trained soldiers of the Alliance were ready and itching to not only bring the fight to the Turian's soil but to show off what new tricks Humanity had thought up in the wake of the Shanxi disaster. For many this mission would show that not only had humanity survived nuclear devastation, it got a lot fucking stronger.
"Operation Falling Stars is set to commence in one hour." Major Montag stated loudly, beginning the briefing for his squad, "The purpose of this plan is to secure a front line staging point in Turian territory. Humanity is going to establish here and now that we are a dominant military power in the galaxy to not piss us off again. This battle will be fought with all nine methods of Shock and Awe. Needle teams have been deployed as an advanced scouting and espionage strikes. By the time we arrive the military command chain should be assassinated and dozens of UR-86 warheads set up in key areas for maximum chaos.
When we enter Altakril's orbit the Ninth Fleet will commence a series of bombing runs using fusion lances for the defensive guns and missiles armed with the new UR-86s for any leftover military ordinance. After the initial bombing then were going to soften up any possible resistance with some sleep supplying Zeus strikes filled to the brim with the new Predator mech. Once the robots have cleared some landing zones Infantry will land outside the city centers and set up a perimeter.
Command wants to be able to set up negotiations in the future, so any and all Turians that can be captured are to be scanned and tagged with a Peacekeeper. All Saints will have an injection pack with plenty of chips for each squadron."
Montag prepared for a migraine and asked the one question that all those in teaching or command hated to ask. "Any questions?"
A Private First Class raised his hand, one of the newer recruits that signed up after Shanxi,"Sir, why are we using peacekeepers? Aren't those used for criminals?"
Montag resisted rolling his eyes, determined to look professional, "Alliance Command has realized that even with the new Tempests and other tech that the Turians might still have fleet superiority. If such a thing is true, they will be hesitant to fire on an occupied world with the entire population of thirteen million taken hostage. It is a fact that while we cannot tag all the Turians we can, however having a large grouping of the population implanted with peacekeepers will keep them from being too rebellious."
Another grunt raised a hand, "Why are we attacking this world? It's a frozen rock! Does it have some sort of strategic value?"
For a moment Montag missed the pre-war methods of training grunts to just follow orders and not question the higher ups."Altakril is considered a Turian Garden world, deep in their territory. The Brass want to target it for three reasons. First of all it's lightly defended with only its anti-space guns on the surface to defend it. No fleet support. Second, it's a purely Turian world, lacking any large concentrations of any other races. Command doesn't want to win the war against the Turians only to have to fight off the rest of the Galaxy. Finally, if Humanity can seize this world and keep the population from pushing us off the rock, we will be establishing the front line in our war against the Turians."
"We're the first in?" Blurted out another rookie, "I thought XCOM would have..."
A lieutenant scoffed, "XCOM is spec ops grunt." he stated condescendingly, "They get sent in for special assignments. Stealth. Assassination. Sometimes assault missions. Otherwise they're stretched out way to far to be effective. Alliance Infantry is the backbone of the Human Race."
"Back to the briefing children, " Major Montag interrupted mockingly, "As I was saying, Command wants us to use the planet as a combination of front line and hostage for this war. This will be a long and pointless war if all our attack forces have to move straight from the Sol System. Now any more questions? And for the love of Buddha, Ares, and Jesus Non-existent Christ, make it a good one."
There were no more questions.
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Captain Kar'Danna vas Rayya was bored. As a male of action, administrative duties were incredibly dull to him. Scientific expeditions were even worse. When word of the Garden world of Shanxi reached the migrant fleet many were excited at the possible addition of a new race to the galactic community.
Then they learned of the Turians actions. They had heard of a colossal space battle, of the millions of lives lost, and the nuclear fire that the Turians unleashed upon a new race. The whole event ended with half of the Turian fleet damaged to a crippling degree and another race wandering homeless across the stars.
It was unbelievable. However it granted a certain opportunity as well.
The Admiralty board had voted swiftly to send a combination of scientific teams and medical aid to the destroyed world. If any survivors could be found, help them. If there were no survivors encountered, recover as many samples of the new race's technologies as possible. Many captains in the Migrant Fleet felt that grave digging was a dishonorable action, many others felt that the remains of Shanxi could be key in aiding the Quarian people in the future.
Kar'Danna just wanted the stupid expedition to be over. When he had volunteered the Rayya to examine Shanxi he had expected the Turians to be swarming all over, desecrating the ruins of the people they had just attempted genocide with. The tactic of pillaging the dead was not one the Kar'Danna wanted to embrace. He understood the reasons behind it and if it meant the survival of himself or the Quarians he protected he would strip a corpse to its bones if need be.
However, Shanxi turned out to be less of a gold mine and more of a crypt.
The shattered remains of the two fleets had already been stripped, the fragments of the Human fleet was more intact, however the metals of the Human wreckage was unnaturally resistant to salvage techniques. The unknown material required extreme force, even when heated, to manipulate in such a way to remove it from its position.
Salvage on the planet's radioactive surface was even less profitable. The collapsed husks of thousands of buildings lay in heaps across the landscape. Dust and poisonous clouds blocked the sun, chocking what little wildlife and plants that survived the astral bombardment. The remains of half melted vehicles clogged the cracked skeletons of what had once been impressive roadways. The collapsed shells of homes had been exposed to the ash stained skies and were filled with broken toys and tools that had once been the cherished possessions of the residents.
What had been an impressive world at the height of its people's growth was now the barren monument to what could have been. In some ways it was a grim reflection of what had happened to the Quarians themselves on Rannoch. It was a depressing thought, one that didn't help Kar'Danna with his discomfort over his people picking at the recently made wasteland.
Several discoveries had been made, if only in counter intelligence techniques. What little had been discovered; computers, data storage units, entertainment devices, all of them had some manner of self destruction device hidden within them. It was vexing, frustrating, and proved that the Humans had massive trust issues with either themselves or something else. Either way the new ways to prevent and utilize sabotage discovered would be of great use when used against the Salarian Special Tasks Group or gods forbid, the Geth.
What really worried the engineering teams that had been assigned to taking the recovered items apart was how well the design for the sabotage devices fit into what they had recovered. The extensive and detailed way it combined electric bursts, the way acid packs had been inserted inside the frames to spatter across the inside but not spray outside of the device's casing, even how the machines would instantly push themselves to overheating to cook themselves in an instant. The end result was the same: The data wiped, the circuitry fried and the case lit ablaze.
The lack of a real technological gain wasn't really Kar'Danna's concern. The Migrant Fleet Captain's job was the protection and the guard of the engineering and research teams. To that end several platoons of Quarian marines had been assigned to a protective details. Many of them were less than excited to guard their people while they looked at scrap and rocks. It didn't mean they weren't vigilant. Several dozen motion sensors were placed around the camp site and areas nearby to keep an eye out for any possible threats.
It was to Kar'Danna's surprise that two daylight cycles later the motion sensors activated.
Someone was approaching from the south, moving at little faster than a limping Varren.
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When Williams had evacuated Shanxi, having called for a full retreat, he expected to serve some form of punishment for the loss. A demotion. Imprisonment. Being removed from command. Something. Instead, the long reach of Jack Harper wormed its fingers into the issue and shifted blame. Brigadier General Hummel's nit picking of Harper and his desire for revenge had helped alleviate the issue as well.
When Alliance command demanded military action, Williams volunteered. The chance to regain his lost honor by crushing a threat to humanity was something the general would not pass up. Seconds after volunteering, the remodeled rearmed and refurbished ninth fleet were assigned to his commands. Then they began planning the invasion.
Several ideas had been passed around, everything from the basic hit and run attacks to the point of no return planetary bombardments. The point of no return strategies had been vetoed immediately. They were at war but committing what could only be called over-kill or war crimes was too much. Several more strategies had been developed using the newly devised technologies.
The Tempest Barriers, the Lock-Down missions, and the EEHC Particle Cannons. The new weapons and defensive technology had been assembled by Alliance scientists with one idea in mind: counter the Turians. The Tempest Barrier system was an invulnerable shell of woven barriers. The Lock-Down missiles disabled anything powered with or used element zero. Finally the Elerium and Element Zero Hybrid Charged Particle Gun was made to be a fifty caliber sniper rifle equivalent for the Alliance dreadnoughts. With one shot the EEHC Particle Cannon would not only destroy a Turian dreadnought, but pierce it and strike anything behind it.
The attack on Altakril would be a test run for the new weapons and tactics. Just like Invictus, the first strikes into the war was to be an experiment.
"General Williams," interrupted central officer Andrews, "the Hyperwave beacon is active and holding a steady orbit over Altakril. We can make the jump to the planet at any time."
"Mr. La Rose, what is the status of the fleet?" General Williams asked, keeping his tone steady. Full of authority. Confident. Ready for what was to come.
"The fleet is ready and waiting for your orders sir. Infantry is loaded in the Zeus pods alongside the mechanized division. Carriers are ready to deploy bombers at a moments notice."communications officer La Rose replied.
"Prepare for jump."
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Ven Calimorn liked looking at the stars. Having grown in the poorer cities of an isolationist colony for twenty-two seasonal cycles, the idealist Turian female had developed the habit of stargazing with an antique telescope, a model hundreds of years old that relied on focused glass lenses rather than computers and camera lenses that made up every camera that pointed skywards in the modern era. It was a peaceful and relaxing night on the ice covered planet. A clear sky with only the hint of a wintry chill sweeping over its surface. As such Ven leaned back in a block-like seat as she continued sipping a dextro based energy drink to keep sleep at bay.
Ven's telescope was facing the northern stars, allowing a clearer view than could be seen to the south. The southern skies tinted by the troublesome light of the bigger cities. Ven's practiced eye gazed lazily down the antique scope expecting to see a view of distant stars, celestial bodies in the background, and possibly a trade ship or two. What the young stargazer did not expect was the odd shaped piece of metal he spotted floating in orbit over the planet.
Ven shuddered unconsciously at the sight of the thing. The silver shape made skin crawl with ominous discomfort. The metal was a large spike-like shape, covered in dozens of flashing lights and odd formations. A large orange glow could be seen flowing out of an oval shaped appendage that stuck out of the top like the head of an insect. The light wasn't consistent, it was pulsing. Like a signal or a countdown.
Hesitantly, Ven activated the communication link on her omni-tool with an idle hand. The entire time her tool called out her eye never stopped following the piece of metal. Someone else had to see the object, had to know it was there, had to know what it was.
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Kar'Danna felt a headache starting to build in the back of his head, even as he kept a tight grip on his rifle. Behind him several Migrant marines remained hidden among the ruins and rocks that had once been the capital of Shanxi. The remainder of the marines had reinforced the makeshift base. As leader of the expedition, Ka'Danna volunteered to intercept whatever had crossed the detectors.
It did not take long for the Quarian captain to spot his target. The figure was bipedal, limping towards the captain. The figure wasn't Turian, lacking the bulky metal armor and aura of arrogance. The figure had the height and a similar figure to an Asari, but lacked the breasts. Kar'Danna would swear it was a male Quarian if it wasn't for the lack of a helmet and dark flesh with a small patch of dark fur on the top of its head. Across its body were signs of injury: tears in its armor, what appeared to be blood stains of a sort, and multiple cuts and other small wounds that were easily seen. Kar'Danna felt sympathetic for the poor thing. From the lack of familiar hints, it had to be a Human.
The figure approached, clearly unarmed.
As a Captain of the Migrant Fleet, Kar'Donna was required to know all first contact procedures in the event of a hostile or peaceful first encounter. Sadly the protocols did not cover how to have a peaceful first encounter with a race that had just recently been bombed by bosh'tets from space. Following the protocol the captain held up his hand, palm held flat. His gun was pointed to the side but with a ready and firm grip.
The headache from before was increasing. "Probably from the stress..." Kar'Donna thought with droll annoyance. The Captain stood his ground and waited for the limping survivor to reach him, despite the pity based urge to help.
"Help. Me." the Survivor croaked out in a crude version of the Turian language.
Kar'Donna nearly dropped his rifle.
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Needle Team Seven was an infiltration unit. They had no names, they had no titles, they had no ranks. The needle teams were an experiment by the Alliance Infantry, a theoretical way to wage war: Mind linked teams.
The needle squads were six man teams held under a permanent group meld. There was no difference between the six after a year under the link. They shared thoughts, ideas, dreams, quirks, memories, even senses. Each needle squad was six bodies with one person holding the reins. An ideal for a military unit. However like most of the Alliance military, they had never been used in combat after the Ethereal war had ended. The lack of a domestic foe had cut the possibility of real combat experience from humanity as a whole.
The mission for Team Seven was simple, and executed to perfection. The Alliance infiltrators landed their dropship outside of their target city and set up several of the new lock-down warheads. When the fleet gave the signal, the area would go dark as every bit of technology that relied on element zero failed at once.
Needle Team Twelve was assigned an assassination mission.
The Target was Orin Tega. A Turian General in charge of the planet's infantry forces. With the fleet's signal, the General was to be killed in the most public and brutal way possible.
Like an intangible shadow the six man squad stalked the target, watching and waiting for the most demoralizing time to strike. The team kept hidden with Ghost Armors, keeping them in a constant state of invisibility. Mind control techniques were liberally applied to any Turian that even showed a hint that they had detected the Alliance infiltrators.
As they followed their prey, the infiltrators left psionic commands in the heads of those they passed by, sowing discord and chaos deep in the minds of those that could not see them. The seeds of any rebellion.
Needles Sixty-six to seventy were engaged in a tactic not seen since the Ethereal war. Psionic Disruption. The technique that at one point had turned an entire XCOM base against itself.
The Five teams of six had to guard and link to an Ethereal Transmitter, a device normally given to the Volunteer class XCOM soldiers. The violet sphere pulsed and swirled with the thoughts of the teams. Normally the device would require the powerful psionics of a volunteer to even activate, but so many combined minds worked just as well.
With the arrival of the fleet, the team would direct their chaos inducing signal across the planet, triggering the implanted thoughts of the other Needle teams. Hundreds of loyal and patriotic Turians would turn on their friends, family, and government in an instant.
There was thirty minutes until the operation began.
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Ven was getting increasingly upset, no-one at the spirits be dammed traffic control or planetary defense network could see the strange mass floating above them. "I'm telling you I am looking right at it!" Ven screamed into her comm set, "I don't give a thrice damned spirit if your computers aren't detecting it!"
The administrator on the other end of the comm-line was irritated, "Listen Calimorn, I don't give a shit about what you think your seeing. There is nothing up there!" the Turian shouted back.
"Did you idiots ever think that it could be hiding from your sensors?" Ven shot back, "It's not anything I have ever seen before! It might be Prothean or perhaps a probe from a new species! I am clearly seeing it with a goddamned antique scope, if you sent someone with a shuttle to the coordinates I've told you for the last hour you would see the damned thing from a port side window!"
"Fine, a shuttle is en-route to where you say the debris is at. Is there anything else?" The admin asked with biting sarcasm.
"Yeah, so suck a thresher maw." Ven quipped, disconnecting the line.
"What in the spirits is that thing..." she thought, determined to learn what was floating above her before it killed her.
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CODEX ENTRIES (Human Systems Alliance):
(*Some information has been redacted by Alliance Command*)
Alliance Navy - Hyperwave Beacon - Model Eighteen:
A stealth variation of the Alliance communication satellite. It is used by the Navy forces by extending transmission ranges and help function as a lock on marker for a Relay-less mass Jump. The beacon is protected by dozens of different methods of encryption, cyber-warefare, and booby traps, including (*Censored*). If the Beacon is ever captured or compromised, they self detonate to prevent capture of any sort.
Alliance Navy – Heavy Ship Weapons – Elerium / Element Zero Hybrid Charged Particle Cannon
Based on a hybridization of salvaged Turian weapons and MEC weapons programs the EEHC Particle Cannon is the Alliance Navy answer to Turian fleet superiority. (*Censored*) Using its dual power sources the EEHC is able to penetrate all forms of armor, barriers and biotic energies. (*Censored*)However the power drain and heat produced is dangerously high, requiring seventeen minutes before it can fire again, and at least several hours before the weapon can be fired without damaging itself or eroding its own parts from its own discharge. (*Censored*) In an Emergency the weapon can be fired in rapid succession, but only three times before the burden will cause the gun to critically fail. (*Censored*)
Alliance Infantry - Templar-Class Shock Troopers:
Developed during the Second Contact War (See Human-Alliance Conflicts), to counter Turian Biotics. It has been discovered by thorough alliance testing that Humans cannot naturally use biotic abilities. The Templar model titan armor is covered in hundreds of synthetic element zero nodes, allowing human soldiers to use a limited form of biotics. Due to the extra power supplies needed to properly fuel the armor, mobility is extremely limited by the addition of several micro-elerium power cells located in the (*Censored*) The armor is designed to provide comfort in any hostile environment, even able to withstand temperatures generated by jellied Elerium fueled flamethrowers. It is impregnable to small arms fire or laser shots, and is capable of withstanding sustained fire from both plasma and mass accelerator rounds. If power is diverted from biotics to the shield emitters the barrier created is capable of blocking several shots from a P4M1 Plasma Cannon before failing, however the increase in defensive power renders the user incapable of (*Censored*).
UR-86ED Lock-down Missiles:
Created as the final countermeasure to element zero based weaponry, Lock-down missiles work by (*Censored*). The resulting impact temporarily disrupts any attempts to use element zero in any form. The warhead's payload blocking biotics, mass accelerators, and even electrical power. Depending on the size, impact zone, and amount of element zero exposed to the blast, the affected Element Zero could be rendered useless from a time span ranging from hours to weeks. It is theorized, (but untested) that if a large enough payload could be fired into the core of a mass relay, that it could be permanently crippled. The (*Censored*) in the UR-86ED has no effect on Elerium-115 or hybrid systems that use Elerium to fuel the Element Zero reactions.
Alliance Super Heavy Infantry VehicleLQ-84i "Predator":
Created to exploit the Turian weakness to close range combat, the Predator-Class mech was designed with speed and ferocity in mind. Numerous characteristics were taken from various quadrupedal animals on earth and recreated in a streamlined metal body. The mech is equipped with new model shield system which rather than projects a protective barrier, forms a field of energy similar to the Turian's disruptor ammo. This field allows the mech to bypass most element zero generated fields and barriers. Each Predator is armed with one back mounted P9M11 Heavy Plasma Rifle, four sets of high frequency monomolectular edge claws, and a set of Injection fangs located in its mouth for any non-lethal missions. In order to support it's high speed anti-armor load out the predator mech is very lightly armored, and easy to damage. To cover for the weakness predators are dispatched in packs of six to eighteen, and its attack patterns focus on using demoralizing hit and run tactics rather than direct combat. In the event that the Predator is cornered or required to fight in direct combat it is equipped with a self destruct protocol, where the Predator will cripple the armor or shielding of an enemy before self-detonating in order to do the most damage.
Alliance Mechanized Exoskeletal Cybersuit Model Number 22 "Subjugation Mech":
Created with Shock and awe in mind, the G78 Subjugation Mech was designed and modeled after the giant combat machines in popular twenty-first century media. The smallest designed models are over sixteen meters in height. The weapon load out on a M22 are refit models of various MEC and aircraft weapons, including but not limited to: The Model Seven Fusion lances, M110 Gatling Plasma, Nuclear-Class Charge Particle Cannons, Elerium Hell-fire Flamethrowers, Elerium Enhanced Plasma Grenades, and Electric-Field Generators. The weapons load out is designed for maximum collateral damage and enemy demoralization rather than direct combat. However if needed the Defensive load out is as just as good if not better, requiring sustained artillery fire from several MEC Troopers just to break the shields.
Alliance POD-33 Drop-ship "Zeus":
Designed by Alliance Scientist, (*Censored*), The Zeus Drop-ships were rushed to production during the Turian-Alliance War after the destruction of the Colony world of Shanxi. Equipped with heavy armor, Fusion lances, Tempest Barriers and multiple deploy-able Barracks the Drop-ships are not only capable of deploying troops but can be quickly converted into a front line base. (*Censored*)The Zeus gets its name from its unique way of deploying troops while still in space. (*Censored*)When in orbit, the Zeus is equipped with a modified Fusion lance, that instead of launching artillery shells like its weapon counterparts, will instead fire an Atmosphere-resistant Delivery Vehicle, or ADV containing four to six Troopers inside.
Alliance Infantry - Lance Class - Assault Troopers:
Created to exploit the lack of maneuverability and speed that most if not all Citadel soldiers possess, Alliance Lancers were created as a next generation rapid assault specialist. (*Censored*)Lightly armored and lightly armed, skilled Lances are capable of rushing across a battlefield in an instant, their speed boosted by Elerium fueled jump jets attached to the back, hands, and feet. (*Censored*)Apart from the usual infantry load outs each lancer is equipped with an extendable plasma rod that functions as an arm blade. (*Censored*)When used with the jump jets an Alliance Lancer could cut a MEC soldier in half with very little resistance.
Alliance Infantry – Needle Class - Sabotage Specialists:
(*Censored*)
Alliance Infantry – Saint Class – Field Medics:
During the Ethereal War humanity realized that there was a drastic need for a better field medics: A superior method to healing the wounded, and a way to ensure that the medics would survive a conflict with enemy forces. Before the programs could be finished the Ethereal war was over. However the program continued, eventually creating several types of medic titan armor and various healing devices and techniques. (*Censored*)(*Censored*)(*Censored*)(*Censored*)(*Censored*) After the Start of the Alliance-Turian War, the various technologies were combined to create the Saint Armor. Focused on mobility and armor, the Saint armor lacks the Elerium Batteries that other Alliance soldiers use for weapon recharging, instead having a small reactor for recharging the power packs of other soldiers and fuel its own load out. (*Censored*)
"Peacekeeper" Bio-Chips:
Modified versions of the Bio-Chips used by the Alliance Penal system. The Peacekeeper chips control a swarm of nanomachines that are injected into the host's body while the chip is implanted. (*Censored*) When activated the nanomachines target and disable the muscular system. (*Censored*) Several stages of muscular paralysis can be inflicted by the chips ranging from simple weakness or numbness to instant death. (*Censored*)(*Censored*)
"Tempest" Barriers:
Created by XCOM Research and development teams by reverse engineering Turian Mass effect technologies.(*Censored*) The Tempest Barrier is formed by layering several forms of Kinetic, Biotic, Elerium, and electromagnetic barriers.(*Censored*) As long as it has sufficient power the Tempest Barrier is invulnerable, however due to the overprotective nature of the shield, once it has been activated it creates a bubble where nothing can enter or exit without deactivating the shield first. For Infantry the weakness is minor, as an emergency oxygen supply is build into all Alliance armor. For Alliance vessels the Tempest Barriers cause major complication in combat, as the vessels cannot fire upon enemies without dropping their major defense. (*Censored*) (*Censored*)
Atmosphere-resistant Delivery Vehicle (AVD):
(*Censored*)