Alternate Past: Uncertain Future Mk. II
Chapter 29
Civil War: Aim for the Heart
The Office of Naval Intelligence wasn't supposed to be political. Theoretically it existed just to provide the UNSC with the intelligence it needed to function properly. But since it had been founded, ONI had taken on, often at its own initiative, many responsibilities.
While it had been interfering in alien politics, specifically that of the New Covenant's, for quite some time, and the UEG's for even longer,it was now exploring a new facet of foreign relations it never had before: Propaganda aimed specifically at non-humans.
Section II had always handled propaganda affairs within UNSC/UEG space, especially during the Great War. It had been their decision to make the existence of the Spartans public as well. Then it had followed up extraterrestrial affairs, but that was minor in comparison. Now, ONI as a whole, was attempting something that required the cooperation of two of ONI's Four Divisions.
Several days prior to offering aid to the Kissing Cousins, the somewhat patronizing nickname the media had given Rayna Cardiga and Michael Smith, the senior leadership of ONI was already debating how best to use the couple, within the most secure room of their headquarters on Earth.
"-precursor race all but certainly interfered in one, perhaps both species' evolution. But before you ask, it is impossible, for us at least, to tell if the DNA was taken from the asari, and implanted into humanity, or the other way around." Anything else said after was suddenly muted, even as the video continued to play.
"So…" Paragonsky began, "They've finally gone public with the confirmation of a relationship between humanity and the asari." Glancing towards her senior officers present, she was not disappointed, seeing that few were surprised by the fact.
"I ALWAYS thought it was too much of a coincidence they looked like blue women." Ned Rich muttered to the universe at large.
"Regardless of how obvious it seems in retrospect, we have to deal with this revelation now. What do you intend to do admiral?" Gibson asked as he stared coolly at Parangosky. "We're already stretching ourselves thin as it is. Rich is still trying to acquire funds for other projects. Since Hood's crackdown, we only have so much to go around."
"For Section III, that may be true. But not for all of ONI." The aged woman countered. "It is why I have called for a joint meeting with our Section II counterparts." A relatively unknown fact about ONI was that despite whatever animosity the various divisions, Sections 0 through 3 may have with each other, they would all keep the other's secrets, barring the overwatch division of Section 0 of course. Whether that was out of respect or threat, no one knew. It was just how it had been since ONI had first been established. "Rear-Admiral Dalia has a proposal that I think we will all find acceptable."
The Rear-Admiral in question rose and saluted her superior. "Thank you, ma'am." Relaxing the salute, she turned to the rest. "The Revelation, as it has come to be called, is the first POSITIVE publicity humanity has gotten since that fiasco with that rapist on Jarum. And I believe that we can further exploit it to alter humanity's perceived image amongst the Council races." Dalia Artmova said confidently.
"Who cares what aliens think?" A Section II officer replied disdainfully. "Our duty is to focus on our people, we don't need to convince the aliens of anything if we have the biggest guns."
"And you are incredibly ignorant if you have already forgotten how the Great War taught us that we can't afford to ignore what other spacefaring races think of us." Dalia argued.
"And you, Captain, should remember of how we should not fall to our own propaganda." Sarak Ackerson, daughter of the Late Colonel Ackerson, and Director of ONI Section II, chastised her officer. "And should any of you have forgotten, our perception by the Covenant was the only thing that saved our entire race from extinction!" The captain who had spoken out, now sufficiently cowed, slumped in his chair. "Now, then, rear-admiral, your Director said that you had a proposal to share?"
"Yes, I believe that we should make the Doctors Smith and Cardiga the centerpiece of our outreach to the asari. At the very least, we must convince the asari that we are distant relations with whom to reach out and connect to. Rather than the daemons that hamstringed their navy while kidnapping their leaders, among...other incidents..." Dalia continued. An uncomfortable silence descending on the group, as everybody there was reminded of the fact that Artmova was one of the people most responsible for the tensions between the Council Races and the UNSC as whole.
"You have a point, the asari DO have the biggest economy amongst the Council races, and possibly the greater galaxy. Establishing firm trade relations with them would help in bolstering and stabilizing the economy to a pre-First Insurrection state." An admiral from the Section II group admitted.
"And the more business we can direct towards humanity, or least away from their turian and krogan allies, the better. I'd like to see them try to fund their vast war machine without help from their bankers." Ned Rich said with an evil chuckle. "The turians and krogan might have their own economies but what they're bankrolling right now? They're probably in massive debt right now unless the asari are propping them up."
"This may not be true anymore...but the data we have now conclusively proves that it was mainly due to under the table aid from the Asari Republics that the Turian Hierarchy DIDN'T go into major recession in the immediate aftermath of their war with us." Ned added, having been constantly reviewing any and all information that came in regarding the economies of their enemies.
"What about all the 'reparations' we sent the bird-brains?." Habboi asked in surprise. "I didn't pay much attention but the amount that we sent...I think it would have been enough to build a CSO, maybe two."
"We didn't send the first shipment of raw materials to Jarum until over a month after the war. The turian economy could have easily collapsed by then without asari help." Ned explained. "With all the ships that they built before we started sending the raw goods, not to mention all the reconstruction they were forced to do, and they even started on several shipyards as well. Trust me, the money they spent, if we had the same amount, we could have built two INFs and their escorts."
"Back to the topic at hand," Ackerson's words drawing everyone's attention to her, "Just how do you propose of this 'exploitation', Dalia?" She asked. "While my Division's speciality may be propaganda, we aren't so foolish as to dive in without some sort of plan. My predecessor learned that the hard way during the Great War."
"We exploit the Kissing Cousins celebrity for all its worth making them the poster boys for promoting human/asari relations. They're almost ideal for it already: Michael Smith is a doctor and humanitarian whose dedicated his life to helping the less fortunate and so is Rayna Cardiga. I admit that their are plenty of more photogenic humans and asari out there but honestly I think the fact that they're not ridiculously good looking is a plus too it makes the couple seem less threatening and more genuine." Dalia carefully explained, having put a lot of thought what she was going to say. "The first step would be to offer them aid through one of our more legitimate fronts. I have several in-"
She stopped seeing the Section II Director raise her palm, signaling her to stop. "Enough, your proposal has been accepted, however," Ackerson shifted her attention to her Section III counterpart, "I hope you don't mind sharing your officers?"
Paragonsky simply smirked and nodded. "You may, now there is more to be discussed, however, this is beyond Section II's jurisdiction."
Ackerson almost told Parangosky what she thought of the old woman's rude dismissal, but then her own common sense prevailed. After all, she had no intention of going to an early grave like her father. So she and her entourage quietly left the room. Leaving Parangosky with her, more or less, trusted subordinates.
"What is the status of our operations in New Covenant territory?" Parangosky asked her people, seeing no need to beat around the bush.
"So far they've been leaving us alone." Habboi answered. "Our listening stations and intercept posts have remained unmolested for the most part, excluding the occasional independent action. Least, the replacements are." Since the New Covenant's unveiling of their new weapon, and Lord Hood's own actions, Section III had lost much of their intelligence gathering locations, resources and people behind New Covenant borders. While they did scuttle some of them as ordered, many more were left intact, but converted into remote stations, meant exclusively for listening in on Covenant transmissions. "There's been some...disturbing intel actually, quite recently."
"What do you mean, disturbing intel?" Osmin pressed. "Anything about the Covenant can be considered disturbing."
"Yes, it generally is, but this is different." Habboi argued. "My agents have deciphered several transmissions, and they report that the New Covenant is about to launch an invasion." Seeing the fear in his fellow officers, quickly added, "Not against the UNSC, but into the region known as the Perseus Veil. But that's not the disturbing part. What is, is that based on the intercepts, the New Covenant fleet is now considerably larger than what our projections predicted. Almost twenty percent larger."
The declaration snagged everyone's attention, as it meant several things. The first was that it meant the Covenant was recovering far, far faster than they had predicted or planned for. Which didn't make sense. While they knew to an extent that the quarians had allied, perhaps even joined, the New Covenant, that influx alone would not account for the discrepancy. Especially not in regards to resources.
"Do we know of how this happened?" Osmin asked. "I can only assume that it is because of your inept agents that this has managed to go unnoticed."
"Do not think to insult my people, Osmin." Habboi growled, reining in his anger lest he angered the dragon by insulting her protege. "They have not been slacking, but having to work with our new boundaries has crippled my efforts to learn of what happens in Covenant borders. Not to mention that since the quarians' arrival, they seemed to have learned from their mistakes."
Osmin scoffed, but held back her tongue seeing her mentor give her a look. Turning back to her officer in charge of operations in Covenant space, the Section III Director asked, "Any theories as to the reason behind this invasion? Along with any suggested courses of action?"
"In regards as to the why for this invasion, I believe there are a number, but the primary reasons are twofold. The first is to fully integrate the quarians into their society." The inquisitive looks of his fellows prompted him to elaborate. "The quarians, whether they are allied or joined with the Covenant, are not yet fully integrated into their society. An invasion of the Perseus Veil and taking back of their homeworld would permanently solidify any relations between the two parties."
"And the other?"
"Field-testing. They have a new fleet, and more than certainly, a number of new designs ready to be battle-tested. This war against the Geth, the Artificial Intelligence race that has terrified the Citadel Council for centuries, is a perfect opportunity to do so."
"As for my suggested course of action:" he continued, "Just observe. We can not do anything; either against the Covenant or for the Geth. For the former, we lack the ability to do so without a full-fledged war. For the latter, if the Covenant were to ever learn of our aid, then they would surely turn on us immediately. And even if that were not the case, we have no means of contacting the Geth."
"That's it?" Osmin snidely asked, "You would have us sitting our asses and twiddling our thumbs? I think you've lost your gu-"
"Serin, quiet." Paragonsky ordered. "These interruptions of yours and apparent desire for conflict will be discussed later, but he is correct. It is best to simply observe. Develop strategies and tactics for when they inevitably turn on us. I will leave the specifics to you." Habboi nodded in acceptance. "Are there any other issues?"
"What if the Geth win?" Dalia said boldly.
"Impossible, the Geth have the same tech base as the Council Races." Rich argued. "I've studied the history of their part of the galaxy, and technology is almost uniform across the board."
"So what? It's been more than three centuries since the Geth kicked out the quarians and nobody knows what a civilization of A.I.s would do if left to their own devices. they could have technology light-years more advanced than ours now or a fleet so massive that it makes combined forces of humanity, the Council Races, the Covenant Races look like a small task force." Dalia countered. "We simply can not make assumptions, at the risk that they be wrong."
"That is why we shall merely observe this conflict...if the Covenant Races wipe out a group that would become an enemy or rival to humanity we win and if the Geth somehow defeat the Covenant, we win." Admiral Parangosky declared. "That issue aside, there is still one thing left to be discussed.
"Spartacus is proceeding well...although I worry that the rebels are overreaching." Rear-Admiral Richard Ksmen reported. As Operation Spartacus had grown, he had been one of those in charge of watching over it until ultimately he was given total responsibility of operations in not just Hegemony Space but parts of the Terminus as well. "The latest dead-drop has outlined plans to decapitate the Hegemony's leadership in a single strike. The Spartans are directly involved in the plan's creation."
"But are the rebels in any position to takeover the Hegemony? If the Hegemony collapses and the rebels don't seize control, won't the Council Races just try to move in and take control?"
"No, they are not." The Rear-Admiral answered. "But the information given through the dead-drops all indicate that this is, almost literally, their only option."
"You can not be serious." Rich asked. "We spent blood Spartans to assist these people. What the hell could the Hegemony be doing against them that even Spartans can't handle."
"Base Delta Zero." There was a sharp intake of breath by those present. The UNSC had a number of codes for certain, extreme scenarios. Such as Code Hydra, for imminent threats from biological weapons of mass destruction, and Bandersnatch, for imminent threats from energy-based weapons of mass destruction. Base Delta Zero was code for total obliteration of settlements via conventional means with a nuclear finisher.
No one bothered asking if this had been confirmed. Spartans almost never delivered faulty intelligence.
"But we're fighting them IN the Hegemony! are you telling me that those four-eyed freaks are deliberately destroying their own cities just to kill rebels?" Dalia shouted.
"It seems that they've stopped caring about such frivolous concerns." Richard answered. "It hasn't been a single incident either. While there has been only one Base Delta Zero, there have been several significant smaller, but similar incidents throughout the Hegemony."
"And the Rebels have been forced to respond in kind, before the Hegemony breaks their back." Osmin muttered. "If the Hegemony continues to respond like this, it leaves only three options for the Rebellion, first, they are either broken or destroyed by Hegemony and the Rebellion is dead. Or they launch their own offense against the Hegemony." Richards nodded at the accurate summarization.
"They must cut off the head of the snake." Richards said, "Any fallout can be dealt with thereafter."
"But is this really a good idea?" Everyone's head turned towards Dalia, who had spoken. "The Hegemony has been in existence for even longer than humanity has been in space. If we force them into a corner, their backs against the proverbial walls, we cannot accurately predict how they will react."
"We beat the Insurrectionists and this is the same kind of war." Osmin said aggressively.
"But the Batarian Hegemony ISN'T a bunch of human terrorists, its an entire regime and culture that's been around much much longer than the UNSC. In that time it could have easily built fleets, armies, mega-weapons and a sorts of other things to bring out in an emergency. It's idiotic, and all too likely lethal, for our people on the ground to underestimate it." Dalia continued.
"But what are our options then?" Osmin all but demanded. when Dalia could give no answer, Osmin added, "If this is how much things have escalated, then perhaps it is time to bring down the Hegemony. There are still the regional governors so that will buy the Rebellion time to build infrastructure. And there is little to be worried about. The Hegemony for all it's noise and flare, is little more than a paper tiger."
There was a general consensus among most present. While even now a few of them had privately held doubts about Operation Spartacus, none of them shared Dalia's concerns. Certain that the Batarian Hegemony was a weak and corrupt institution, and that they only had to kick in the door to make the whole rotten structure come crashing down.
**APUFMKII**
There was probably no other leader in Citadel territory happier about the recent revelation concerning humanity and the asari than High Admiral Datak Korra. The high admiral was too much of a proud pragmatist let the fact that humans and asari were 'cousins' change his opinion of either species. But he knew that most people weren't so pragmatic.
He realized how he could manipulate the situation to his advantage. The Asari Republics, since the Revelation, had already stated that they would be increasing their aid to the Hegemony, increasing the originally planned forces more than twentyfold. All in an effort to prove how the Republics were not sympathetic, much less in league, with the UNSC.
The High Admiral already had plans as to how he would best utilize his new forces. Spartan Hunter-Killer squads. Of all the forces under or allied with the Hegemony, only the Asari Commandos had any real success that didn't require luck, prototype weapons or an excessive amount of ordinance. As was the case with the one confirmed Spartan death that the Hegemony had. The first major engagement with the Spartans, in the sewers with the initial commando group had almost resulted in the Spartan's death, were it not for the untimely arrival of the other Rebels.
In all likelihood, the Commandos would lose a significant fraction of their forces sent here, but that was to be expected as there was little less that could be done about that. But in the meantime, it would allow his regular and elite forces, along with what was left of the turian, salarian and krogan forces to direct all their efforts on the actual Rebels themselves, rather than their Spartan allies. With any luck, the Spartans would be too preoccupied with the Commando HK teams to worry about about their native allies.
Which such pleasant thoughts running through his mind, Admiral Korra contacted Doctor Enid Arash to check on the status of Project Golgatha. Offering a rare smile as the doctor promptly answered, her image appearing on his screen.
"Greetings Doctor, I would like a status report on Golgatha."
"Status report?" She asked, "Well depends on what you want by that. You want the good news, or you want the bad news first? Because I got plenty of both."
"The bad news." Korra said, his good mood already fading fast thanks to having to deal with the disrespectful doctor.
"Well I've got a couple of working solutions, but all of them bad. The best one I got, and really the only good one of them all, will be killing your men within a few years at best, a few months at worst."
"Explain." the admiral coldly ordered.
"We've got a new alloy substance to augment their bones and bodies, hardens and strengthens them to be almost unbreakable. But the stuff is radioactive. And the more active the people are with the augments, the more radiation gets released and the faster it kills them." She raised a hand before the Admiral could speak, "And no, I couldn't figure out a different method. Whatever the humans did to create a ceramic coating, I can't figure out. Everything else I tried blocked off the bone from everything else. No intake or output."
"Unacceptable! find another way, use as many test subjects as you have to." Korra angrily answered.
"Well you'll have to wait, oh say, another decade or two." Arash flippantly replied. "I'm having the time of my life with all these subjects but even I can't do miracles." She shrugged.
"I am not sacrificing loyal batarian soldiers on the altar of YOUR bad science! either figure out a way to make it work or I'll find somebody who can!" Datak demanded. When the Doctor began another snarky reply he simply hung up on her.
The horrible truth was, that there was nobody working for the Hegemony more qualified than Enid Arash for this kind of work. The fact that she was one of the few geniuses working in Hegemony R&D was the only reason she got away with frequently disrespecting and disobeying her superiors. Behavior that would have gotten virtually anybody else in the Hegemony severely punished.
'But I can't just throw away the lives of loyal soldiers' the admiral thought. For as ruthless as Korra was, he still felt loyalty towards the troops under his command. Remembering when he had been a low ranking soldier on the front lines. Risking life and limb for the Hegemony. He recalled the differences in opinion among his fellow troopers of the various commanders during that time. Those who fought alongside them and treated them as more than cannon fodder were extolled and respected, while many wanted to put a bullet in those who saw them as little more than disposable assets. In fact, he had seen that happen. Many officer deaths were chalked up as 'stray rounds'.
Such dark thoughts were interrupted by a message from the Senate. Summoning the High Admiral before the 'august' body to explain his recent actions. Korra was surprised that the politicians had found the nerve to do such a thing. Considering the fact that he controlled a large number of them through intimidation, bribery, or blackmail.
Nevertheless, he did still technically answer to them, and Datak Korra respected the institution of the Senate, even if he had nothing but contempt for most of the actual senators. Unfortunately his underground headquarters was isolated enough that it would be difficult to make it to the meeting on time. But the senators were just politicians, so the Korra doubted the delay would make much difference.
**APUFMKII**
The National Security Committee was the most powerful committee in the Grand Senate of the Batarian Hegemony. Because it was responsible for determining the funding that the military got every year. It also appointed the High Admiral of the Navy, who was effectively in charge of all military forces in the Hegemony. The National Security Committee also had the authority to fire the High Admiral, in cases of gross incompetence or treason, although that power had only been used twice in the history of the Hegemony. But the Committee was considering using it a third time.
As far as many senators were concerned, Datak Korra had stepped over the line when he destroyed an entire batarian colony without authorization. Depriving the people and corporations of the Hegemony of the many raw materials that Crematoria regularly exported. Including the Batarian Mining Consortium itself, which was outraged by what the High Admiral had done to its facility on Crematoria, and had bought the loyalty of even more senators than Korra himself.
"Korra's gone too far this time." Senator Chara Korus, the chairman of the National Security Committee said as he the paced the large conference room where the committee itself and other senators who shared their concerns about the High Admiral were currently meeting.
They were not meeting in the Senate itself, Korra had too much influence there. Both through the senators still 'loyal' to him and the security for the Senate building, which was provided by the military. Instead the high admiral had been summoned to Korus's private mansion just outside the capital. A large and extremely well fortified building guarded by security forces that answered directly to the chairman.
But since the mansion was so close to Overseer City and designed to keep guests in luxurious comfort the chairman and the rest of the committee often met there. Sometimes even for official business, which was technically against senate rules, but the senators were willing to bend those rules for their own convenience and comfort. Which made the summons directed at the high admiral look less suspicious.
"I have to agree." Melic Scorpus added, "The sheer amount of funding all of his 'operations' and 'projects' are demanding are taking a not inconsiderable toll on the treasury, let alone the budget." Melic was the committe member in charge of maintaining its finances and by extension, the treasury itself. Every request for funds was funneled through him, and more often than not, he had to allow whatever requests the High Admiral made, whatever his opinions were. "If this keeps up, coupled with the slave trade being shut down, the Hegemony will be in debt within decades."
"Despite all of the good business that this 'war' of his has given me." Felia Soro said, she was one of the few women in the committee, along with being the CEO of Batarian State Arms, the primary and practically sole, producer of arms and armor for the entire Hegemony. Making her one of the most powerful women in the Hegemony. "I have to agree with Melic. Eventually, Korra will stamp out this Rebellion, and peace is never good for my business."
"That's if the UNSC does not come in and interfere directly, rather than skirting around in the shadows." Senator Dormius, who was considered somewhat paranoid by his colleagues, interjected. "With the methodology that Datak is dealing with the Rebellion, I wouldn't be surprised if the UNSC is planning an actual invasion into our territory to save their allies."
"Which is why we are ending his idiotic 'crusade', and his reign tonight." Chara reminded them. "With him out of the way, we may be able to reach an accord, perhaps even a truce with these Rebels. And by extension, that may open up a chance for more...amiable relations with the UNSC."
"The UNSC will try to make it as enticing as possible for us to break away from the Council." Dormius openly speculated.
"While the Council will offer all they can to keep us allied with them." Felia finished.
"Precisely." the chairman replied with a smile. Imagining all the possibilities that would open up once Datak Korra was gone.
Unfortunately the High Admiral had been in power for a very long time, and many senior officers as well as rank and file soldiers were more loyal to him than the Hegemony as a whole. The committee had the legal authority to remove him from power, but many senators were leery of their ability to actually take power from him if Korra resisted. Therefore for the good of the Hegemony, and their own welfare, the senators gathered at this meeting had decided to 'permanently' retire the admiral.
**APUFMKII**
To the ignorance of the conspirators, their lives were already in the hands of another. On a rooftop far from the mansion itself, cross-hairs tracked their every move as Spartan Linda-058 watched them through her scope.
Guards and committee members alike were tagged on her HUD as she 'looked' through walls and glass. On the ground, closer to the mansion, John and the other Rebels were gathering. Multiple outlines appearing on John's HUD and those who had them as Linda marked them.
John clicked on his comm. "Everyone in position?" A small flurry of affirmatives was his answer, along with a silent status flash by Linda. The Spartan-Sniper was in what was called her 'Zen-state'. A state of mind where all there was for her was her rifle, the target and nothing else. The Peak of her operation.
This operation had been planned at the last minute, when they intercepted a communique. It detailed a meeting where the Committee and Datak Korra, or 'The Butcher' as he had become to be called by the Rebels, would be together, along with the time and location. The Spartans had been searching for an opportunity to take out the High Admiral since the Operation began, but he was always out of their reach. This was the first, and perhaps only, opportunity they would have to take him down. The fact that the NSC committee members would be there was just an added bonus.
When Jella had been informed of this, she had been adamant that the Rebels would be involved as well. No matter how many casualties they would suffer, or ordinance they would have to use, the Rebels were going to be involved, and they were going to kill the Butcher.
They had pulled out all the stops for this, codenamed Operation: Guillotine. Even Gray Team, who was doing what they were doing best. John clicked his comm again, "Gray Team, Jai, what's your progress?"
"We're inside. All objectives secured." Jai responded. Their orders had been to infiltrate the mansion and take out several of the higher-ranking senior officers present. The ones who would coordinate the entire security force if they were attacked. Without them, the security forces would, temporarily, be in disarray as someone tried to take command, with squads and platoons acting independently rather than as part of a single unit.
"Understood." John shut down the comms, just in time for Jella to come up behind him. "Everyone ready?"
"Yeah." The Rebel leader answered. She had brought fifty of her top people with her for this operation. Rebels with a great deal of combat experience and ferocity, though of course none of them could match a Spartan. Nevertheless, if the numbers alone would help. But John noticed a surprisingly absence.
"You didn't bring Cara along?"
"No…she needs to watch the kids." Jella said with unusual defensiveness. In truth, the rebel leader simply didn't want to bring her lover along due to the fact that she thought there would be heavy casualties. Unable to stomach the thought that the asari maiden would be amongst them.
"Understandable." The Spartan responded, taking the answer for what it sounded. He never really understood the nuances of the homestead, despite all of his new experiences since becoming the Spartan's Captain-Commander. After all, the Spartan-II's never expected to have an 'off-duty' life, as it were.
Radioing Linda again, he spoke only three words.
Back on the rooftop, Linda heard John's words. "Take, take, take." She picked her target, an officer sticking out of an APC. Her breathing slowed to less than a crawl, the cross-hairs steadied, settling on her target's chest. And she squeezed…
As pin struck primer, linear rails charged. The 20mm projectile rocketed forward, thrust forward even faster as magnetic rails discharged.
Across the distance, the officer saw a brief flash in the distance. Then, eternal darkness. The 20mm Armor-piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot round vaporized the hapless officer, piercing the other APC behind him, soon exploding in spectacular fashion.
Finally, the shockwave arrived. One after the other, six sonic booms shattered glass and pummeled bodies.
The security forces froze in disbelief. Not comprehending what they had just seen and felt. Then, they heard the roar. Several snapped out of their stupor, only to be shocked yet again by the sight before them, the rebels seemed to simply appear near the estate's front gate, screaming in defiance as the charged the defenders.
The security guards by the gate tried to rally, but any of them who appeared to be on the verge of taking command of the situation were quickly taken out by the Spartan sniper. They still managed to shoot down dozens of the rebels though, who charging straight at the guards, not bothering with cover or any other tactics beyond drowning them in bullets and bodies. Then the wave hit, as the rebels reached the guards, shooting, stabbing, and in a few cases literally ripping apart the outnumbered guards.
John was at the head of the carnage, using the distraction provided by the charging rebels to its full extent. Focused on clearing out and capturing as many Hegemony vehicles as possible for the Rebels to use later. Even as he dodged the weapons fire from friend and foe alike. A grim smile creeped on his face as he saw several of the security forces scream in panic when the odd stream of familiar plasma bolts cut through the air and incinerated their targets. ONI had supplied the Rebels with a few captured Covenant plasma weapons, and they were doing a fantastic job against the Hegemony. The hot plasma cutting through grunts like a hot knife through butter.
John and several others looked up as they heard a familiar whining noise; Hegemony gunships had finally lifted off, and the whining they heard was their charge. Six gunships strafed the grounds, their chainguns tearing into Rebels and Security Forces alike, their gunners and pilots heedless of their targets, firing blindly into the melee.
As the gunships roared overhead, they began turning back around, intent on another gun-run. But even as their chainguns begin to spool up, the shattering sonic booms hammered the air again. Two of the gunships began to spiral of control, grabbing the attention of all those present before they crashed down into the dirt below.
The remaining ships pulled up, thinking that something from below had taken out their fellow pilots. Only for two more to be shot down, thrusters cutting out in an instant before crashing down.
Far from the battlefield, Linda worked back the heavy bolt on her rifle, a smoking 20mm shell casing flew out from the weapon, clinking audibly as it hit the ground and joined the ever growing collection of pale-white shells scattered to her right. Lifting the massive weapon ever so much, she pulled out the massive drum magazine, tossing it join two others beside her. A cylinder ejected out from the center as the heat sink attempted to cool enough.
Even as she was pulling another magazine from the pack attached to her armor, she glanced at the rangefinder on the scope. There, clear as day, it read 3.9 kilometers. Even for her, this was extreme range shooting. Under normal circumstances, this would have been pushing her to the brink of her ability. But with this rifle, this L2 REX 'Last Light', it felt like she was firing at less than half that distance! Finally slotting the fresh mag, she slammed the bolt forward, sending a fresh round home, the scope linking with her HUD and giving her a crystal-clear view.
Even at this distance, she could see the battlefield as though she were there in person. She scanned the carnage searching for a single individual, locking in once she had found him. John. He was still alive, uninjured. For some reason she couldn't comprehend, that comforted her. That comfort was shot to pieces as John bolted from her view, only for the dirt to fly up as bullets filled the space where he had been.
A strange feeling flashed through Linda, at seeing someone trying to kill John. Scarcely did the gunship have a chance to try again before a single shot ripped through the cockpit, Linda working the bolt with blinding speed, the shots vaporizing the entire cockpit and then some. The gunship lights aflame right before crashing into a Hegemony tank and turning them both to a raging fireball.
Back on the battlefront, John is nearly dumbfounded, as that was incredible marksmanship, even for Linda, taking out two targets with one round. "Thanks for the cover, Linda. Prioritize any potential evacuation vehicles, do not let the HVTs escape." This time, instead of a comm. response, a screeching noise could be heard. Looking up, John saw a dropship flying erratically, moments later, a set of sonic-booms ripped through the area. He smiled at the sight.
"Gray team, what's your position?"
**APUFMKII**
"Clearing a path to you, sir!" Jai replied as he cut down another four soldiers as they tried to take the Spartan down, their faces shredded by 7.62 high velocity rounds. "Mike, focus fire on those APCs!"
"Already on it!" Mike shouldered the M200 Rapier, the smart-scope already linking with his HUD even as he did so. As the large reticle superimposed itself over his first target, a Hegemony made APC, Mike spammed the trigger five times. The Spartan's feet visibly digging into the dirt as the shoulder-fired recoil operated cannon bucked from the recoil. 65mm shells screamed across the air, racing towards their target.
The first round slammed against the kinetic barrier, flattening on impact even as the kinetic barriers exploded in a flurry of sparks, pinging against the armor. The three remaining rounds ripped through the armor, the first burying itself deep within the engine, the other two finding their way into the crew compartment, ricocheting with lethal velocity, perforating the crew. The fifth and final round cleanly missing the target, the recoil having knocked the Spartan's aim off.
Seeing their comrade knocked out of action, the remaining two vehicles, both IFVs, searched for the assailant. Hatches popped open as crew men stepped up and took control of the turrets, locking onto the Spartan and firing even as their quarry displaced.
Mike ejected the spent magazine, reaching for another on his hip when the main cannons fired, the shells exploding and throwing dirt and debris into the air. "Too slow, you four-eyed bastards!" He slammed the fresh mag in, charged the bolt and fired, emptying the gun. Each IFV took 2 rounds each, but the kinetic barriers held against the barrage, being far stronger than their APC 'cousins'. "Ah shit." Mike muttered as the cannons fired again, except the Spartan couldn't dodge these shots.
The area around the Spartan exploded, dirt and smoke obscuring the sight. The Hegemony gunners cheered, thinking that they had killed one of the vaunted 'super-soldiers'. Only for both vehicles to be utterly gutted as a hyper-velocity shell pierced them both, exploding as it hit the ground on the other side.
Adriana approached the site, loading a fresh slug into her ARC-920. "Mike, you okay?"
The smoke and dirt finally began to settle, a blue ethereal glow emanating from within. "Yeah, I'm fine. Armor-lock saved my ass." The glow faded as he released the lock. "Almost got me there."
"Yeah, well that'll teach you not to be cocky from now on." Jai chastised his squad-mate and 'brother'. "Sir, sector is secured. All hostiles down."
"Copy that." John's voice piping through their comms. "Make sure that no one escapes the area. Lock it down. The Rebels are mopping up here as well."
**APUFMKII**
Back with John, the Rebels were killing all remaining security personnel. Even those who tried to surrender found a bullet between their eyes, as the Rebels were not inclined on taking any prisoners, especially not after Crematoria. Even if they weren't, they didn't have time.
"John, we got a few squads mopping up the survivors." Jella reported, weapons firing coming from over the comm. "A few are taking over the intact vehicles, thanks for that. The rest are ready to breach the mansion."
"Do you have enough?"
"We took less casualties than we expected, thanks to you and your friends." She answered, "But it'd nice if we could get you to help too."
"Understood."
**APUFMKKII**
For all the precautions that the Committee chairman had taken to make the mansion as impenetrable as possible; checkpoints, pressure doors, auto-defenses and elite infantry, they did little to stop the Rebels. Plasma charges blowing the doors apart as though they were made of cardboard, and even elite forces would fall to sheer numbers and excessive firepower. The presence of the Spartans was just overkill.
Breaching the mansion and clearing a path straight to their targets proved easier than assaulting the grounds, and it wasn't long before John, Jella and the others found themselves at the final pressure door.
"You ready for this?" John asked, even as he was priming the breaching charge.
Jella, who was bloodied, though John wasn't sure if the blood was hers or someone else's, exhausted and looked as though she was about to collapse, replied, "Oh, definitely." The excitement in her voice not betraying just how exhausted she was.
"Get ready then." John stepped back and planted himself against the wall next to the door. "Breach charge set. Clear!" The shaped charge poured plasma directly into the door, superheating to extremes before the secondary charge exploded, explosively ejecting the now liquified door into the room beyond. Concussion and stun grenades were thrown into the breach, shockwaves, blinding light and piercing noise deafening those inside who weren't dead already. "Go, go, go!"
The Rebels funneled through the breach, tackling anyone who remained standing to the ground, those already down suddenly finding a foot on their backs and slamming them back onto the floor as they tried to rise.
"WHERE'S HIGH ADMIRAL KORRA!" Jella demanded to know, wanting to make sure that she got to kill 'The Butcher' personally.
Not everyone reacts the prospect of their own rapidly impending death the same way, and the terrified chairman found himself laughing at the absurdity of the situation. If the rebels had waited a few hours to launch their assault Korra would already be dead (killed while 'resisting arrest' once the senators stripped him of his position and ordered him imprisoned). Instead the rebels had probably saved Korra's life by taking down the politicians intent on murdering him.
His terror giving him a weird sort of false bravado, Senator Chara Korus pointed at the rebel leader and said "you're early you stupid bitch he's not here yet."
Jella Korragan replied by shooting the chairman down, Chara's four eyes widening in pain and surprise as his blood was sprayed over his horrified colleagues. Without Jella even being aware of the fact that she had just murdered what was probably the second or third most powerful person in the Hegemony. Not that it mattered, she would have gladly killed him just for being a Hegemony official.
"NO, PLEASE I'M THE HEAD OF BATARIAN STATE ARMS! I CAN GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT!" Felia Soro begged. The senator who had made several fortunes selling death dealing tools to the military, and saw violent conflict as a source of profit, suddenly finding warfare much more objectionable when her own life was on the line. Shivering and whimpering as blood she had gotten splashed with ran down her clothes.
But she received the same measure of mercy she had usually given. None, crying out briefly as Jella gunned her down. The rest of the also opening fire moments later. Killing the elite of the Hegemony's political establishment with glee. Finally bringing justice, or at least vengeance, down upon those that had oppressed them for so long.
John and the other Spartans watched impassively as all those present were summarily executed without even a 'by-your-leave'. This had been the plan after all. Normally the Spartans had issues against civilian targets, but this was an assassination mission after all. And the Spartans didn't exactly label the people here as civilians, they didn't deserve that luxury.
Even if that weren't the case, it had been a given since the start of Spartacus that virtually all leaders of the old guard would have to be eliminated. Letting even one of these people survive would have risked the eventual Batarian Republic becoming just like its predecessor…
John scanned the faces of the now dead, least those who still had them, identifying each of the bodies by one means or the other. A list of the side of his HUD crossing out names and faces as he found them. The 'List' as it had come to be called among the Rebels, was a virtual 'who's who' of people within the Hegemony hierarchy. The list kept growing increasingly shorter and shorter. Then, it stopped.
A dozen or so names were left on the list. Most of them relatively minor compared to those lying dead on the floor, but two of them stuck out. Datak Korra and Zolak Kol. They had never received any sort of confirmation whether or not if the Hegemony President was supposed to be at this meeting or not, but all signs had strongly suggested that both the Admiral and the President would be here. But they had launched this attack specifically to ELIMINATE the President, or at least the High Admiral.
Which meant that the both Hegemony's head of state and their top military official were still alive. And now in the wake of these high level assassinations, the Citadel Council and the Hegemony's own remaining political establishment would surely give President Kol carte blanche to crush the Rebellion without ANY restraints. After all, who would openly speak out against any measure to quell 'terrorist's and 'insurrectionists' , when said individuals had just executed over half of the Hegemony's ruling body.
Although she lacked John's training or experience, Jella was in her own way very shrewd, with an eye for the main objective. The batarian female and male Spartan turned towards each other, both of them thinking and speaking at the same time, "We need to find Kol, now."
**APUFMKII**
For the briefest of moments High Admiral Datak Korra simply stares at his screen in shock as he reads of the massacre that occurred at Senator Chara Korus's fortified mansion. Although Korra was a cold-blooded pragmatist most of the time, he was also a dedicated nationalist. Believing in the strength and power of the Hegemony. So hearing that the rebels had wiped out over half the senate was a terrible shock.
Although there were still dozens of surviving surviving senators, who didn't attend the meeting, the Grand Senate didn't even have enough members left for an official session at this point. Until more Senators could be appointed or elected, the national legislature of the Hegemony was effectively dead. Of the Hegemony's national political establishment, only the Presidency itself still functioned.
He had sent a small contingent of his personal guard ahead as a vanguard to his arrival. Only for them to report the carnage and smoking ruin that was the mansion. Burning wrecks and bodies scattered the lawns, smoke billowing from various areas of the building itself. And judging by the fact that his vanguard had told him that the entire area hadn't been thoroughly looted meant only one thing, they were on the move. And considering how many had just died in this attack, and that they didn't know of his location, that left only one option.
Korra cursed as he hastily tried to open up a channel. "C'mon, c'mon, pick up you arrogant trash." He uttered as he waited, not realizing the irony of his statement.
President Zolak Kol's cringing aide answered the call. His falsely friendly voice annoying the admiral, who considered the man as nothing but a self-promoting worm licking the boots of a near useless politician. But President Kol was still the head of state of the Hegemony, so Korra considered it his duty to protect the man. He certainly refused to let the rebels have him.
After rudely dismissing the aide and demanding to see the president, Zolak Kol's fat features suddenly filled Korra's screen. The President's middle aged body bloated from a life of excess and self-indulgence. A far cry from the military discipline Datak had lived under for virtually his entire life.
"Yes, what do you want Korra? You want to turn another city into an irradiated wasteland? I'm still dealing with the paperwork from that little tantrum of yours." Despite whatever opinions the High Admiral may have had regarding the president, he was indeed a competent leader. The fact that he had managed to contain the political fallout from Crematoria saying volumes about his leadership ability. Though, the same could be said for his failing to handle the Rebellion as well.
"Sir, the rebels have just mounted a successful attack against the Senate and killed over half the senators they're probably going to attack you next so we need to get you to a secure location immediately" Korra said urgently, respecting the office if not the man himself.
"What are you blathering on about? How could that be possible? They can't have attacked so many homesteads so quickly, elsewise I would have heard about it." He demanded, he turned off-screen for a moment, ordering another of his aides to confirm what he had been told.
"The Chairman of the National Security Committee was holding another semi-official meeting of his allies in the senate at his mansion. The rebels must have learned of it somehow and decided to attack all those senators gathered together to one place outside the Grand Senate building and its defenses." Korra explained, omitting the fact that the meeting had been about his recent conduct fighting the Rebellion.
The President scowled as an aide whispered into his ear, most likely confirming Korra's report. "Damn those Rebels to the Pits! And you said that they're on their way here? To the Presidential Estate itself?" He demanded, "And how did you learn about this before I did? You're not even part of the NSC."
"I've been using everything intelligence asset I have for MONTHS to track down and eliminate the rebels sir...and I have been doing my best to coordinate my efforts with the Department of Information Control. Frankly I am disappointed that it took us THIS long to find out about it. The rebels must have blocked communications somehow during their attack otherwise we would have received the senators calls for help" Korra said
"Well they're growing far bolder or suicidal if they think they can take the palace." The President replied confidently. "I'll end this damn Rebellion with this battle. They will learn what it truly means to anger the Hegemony."
Korra felt like pounding his head against the wall. The man simply didn't seem to understand what they were facing. People ready, willing, and able to kill all the leaders of the Hegemony if given half a chance.
"Sir I urge you to evacuate to a secure location now. For all its defenses, the Presidential Palace is still a planet-based target that can still be attacked from the air or ground. You would be much safer aboard one of our warships or lunar bases" Datak said in almost pleading tones, trying to get his superior to see reason.
"And risk looking like a coward in front of not only the Hegemony but the Galaxy? Fleeing from a pack of ingrates and thugs? Not likely."
Korra was a silent for a moment. If security for the Presidential Palace was provided by the regular military, he might have just ordered his troops to take the president to a secure location off-planet, by force if necessary. But security at the palace was done by the Presidential Guard, an elite military unit responsible for the safety of the president and his top people that answered directly to the Hegemony's head of state.
Supposedly the Presidential Guard was composed of the best soldiers in the Hegemony. But Korra knew that many soldiers had gotten into the prestigious unit through connections or bribery more than raw ability. And that many of those soldiers hadn't been in any real combat for decades.
"Please sir I urge you to reconsider-" Korra began to say, only to be rudely interrupted by the President.
"Enough. You do what you have to, to end these Rebels, and I'll do mine." The call ended as connection was abruptly cut off.
Korra felt like screaming but he knew that he couldn't afford to lose control right now. Ordering all available units to converge on and defend the Presidential Palace against the expected attack. Contacting those in command of the krogan and turian forces on Kar'Shan and asking them to send all available forces to help him defend the Presidential Palace. Wishing that the President had simply had the sense to retreat to a secure bunker like the one Korra himself was currently in.
"If he won't take this seriously, then I'll have to…" Datak said to himself, knowing that now circumstances might force him to do things that even the high admiral had considered previously unthinkable.
**APUFMKII**
The Presidential Palace was perhaps the most heavily guarded site on the batarian homeworld. The grounds of the Presidential Palace were surrounded by a large wall that covered all sides, while the building itself was surrounded by an inner wall protecting the palace from intruders. Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers patrolled the grounds at all times, supported by numerous tanks and lighter ground vehicles. Automated guns and security cameras seemed to be built into the wall every few feet, and there were many other defenses guarding the Presidential Palace hidden from view.
And more were on their way. Rebels posted in positions beyond the grounds were keeping watch on the roads, and were reporting that it seemed like an entire battalion of troops and armor were enroute. A battalion, at minimum that was a thousand fresh soldiers, with a lot of heavy support. So far it seemed like it was only the Hegemony, which was almost a blessing. That meant that the Council forces were either unaware of the situation, or trying to gather themselves. Either way, that was more time until the heavy hitters arrived.
The Rebels were throwing everything they had in this assault. Anyone who could reach the Palace or link up with the remainder of the Mansion assault force, along with every vehicle and heavy weapon in their arsenal. Including what they had they had managed to loot from the mansion, including APCs and IFVs. But still, it was a bloodbath.
Tanks were utterly shredding every vehicle the Rebels had with their massive dual cannons. Shells meant for enemy tanks blowing apart the Rebel vehicles as though they were nothing. One thing was sure, the Hegemony wasn't holding anything back in this fight.
"John, we need to get in there NOW...I intercepted transmissions between the batarian military and the turians and the goddamn bird-brains are sending forces to assist the defenders and it sounds like the fucking krogan probably will too" Linda reported. "I'm still displacing, so you're without support for another twenty-minutes."
"Understood, how long do we have?" the Spartan commander asked.
"Less than an hour." The sniper replied.
For the first time in his life, John was actually tempted to curse out loud. This battle, if it could be called that, was already bad enough as it was. They had underestimated the Presidential Guard in their haste, and the only reason the Rebels hadn't been routed was the Spartans themselves.
"Gray team, we've got a problem."
"So we heard." Jai replied, as he ripped off the hatch of an IFV and threw down a grenade. "We're taking out as many of these bastards as we can but-shit!" His HUD began wailing as his shields suddenly took a massive hit, dropping them to less than a quarter strength. Turning to where the shot came from, Jai cursed again as he opened fire. "We've got more problems! It's not just the Palace guards, we've got mechs here too!"
Even as he spoke Xero Mechs were being rushed onto the battlefield. Just like the one that had taken down a Spartan in the Castle Facility. But with upgraded weapons, armor, and programming. Loaded up into Armored Personnel Carriers along with regular troops (cramming as many people in as possible) to reach the battle in time.
Even as Jai sprinted, John called him up again on the comm. "Where's 120?"
"Right here boss man, just taking out the big boys as fast as I can." The Spartan answered, even as he dive-rolled again to avoid another tank-shell before returning the favor with his Rapier. Empty shells and magazines scattered the area as he emptied clip after clip. The thick armor and powerful kinetic barriers meant that every tank needed an entire magazine before it was out of action.
A half-dozen tanks that were either smoldering ruin or utterly silent stood testament to Mike-120's skill with the weapon. "Don't worry, these four-eyed freaks can't touch me!" As though to prove his point, he sidestepped another rocket, before vaporizing the gutsy Hegemony soldier who had fired it at him.
"Don't get cocky, Mike!" Adriana chastised, even as she fired another hyper-sonic slug at an approaching APC, stopping it cold as it penetrated, killing the driver and ricocheting around inside. "Take out that last tank already!"
"Don't worry, I got this." He replied cooly. He leveled the Rapier again at the final surviving tank, the kinetic barriers already shattered from an earlier barrage, this final volley would end it, its treads nothing but tatters from rockets, stranding it. As though knowing the Spartan had it dead to rights, the tank crew went for broke, leveling both its cannons at the Spartan and fired.
Across from it, a Hegemony Palace guard ripped a missile launcher from the hands of a dead compatriot. The guard knew he was dead already, he was losing blood at an alarming rate but the Pillars would break before he died without a fight.
Entering the state referred to as 'Spartan Time' Mike used his implants to their utmost as he dodged the cannon fire. But that put him almost directly in the path of the missile fired by the dying batarian soldier. A touch of panic beginning to set in as the missile approached. Grunting with effort as he hurled himself away from the incoming missile at the last second. The explosion washed over the Spartan, bringing his shields down to only a sliver, his HUD blaring at the loss in protection. Mike's sense of relief rushing through him as his heavy form touched down on a seemingly ordinary patch of ground.
Hellfire erupted.
Right below Mike had been an Hegemony Class-V Anti-tank mine, meant to penetrate the thickest of armor. The MJOLNIR armor with a Spartan weighed half a metric ton. More than enough to fool the mine into thinking a tank had just triggered it.
Heat and flame shot upward, metal and flesh soaring through the air by the force of the explosion. For a second, the battlefield seemed to still as every eye was glued to the Spartan as he flew through the air, rocketing towards a wall. A sickening crunch was heard by the Spartans, the explosion muting the sound for everyone else.
For a moment, for the Spartans, time froze as they locked onto to their frozen teammate. Gray Team silently watching, praying for their brother to still be alive. But their HUDs told them everything.
Spartan Mike-120, was dead.
Then, all Hell broke loose.
Gray Team, for lack of a better term, began obliterating the Hegemonic Forces. There were no roars of anger, no screams of anguish from the Spartans; simply death incarnate.
Adriana began firing on anything that moved in front of her, her Railgun blowing targets apart as fast as she could reload it. When she ran of slugs, she splattered batarian skulls against it as she ran by until it finally broke apart, picking up Hegemony weapons and opening fire until they overheated.
Jai though, Gray Team was considered the most 'unstable' of the Spartans, as they were relatively undisciplined, unruly and ruled by their emotions at times. Jai was particularly savage, the usually calm and collected soldier now gone. Using his enhanced strength and berserker rage to literally rip the arms off of batarian soldiers, beating their horrified comrades with their limbs, appearing like a demon in truth as he became totally drenched in his enemies' blood. A bloody spectre of death.
Among those that could, Rebels and Hegemony alike looked on in shock and horror, whispers among those not caught in the fighting, recoining an old term for the Spartans: "Demons."
But not all servants of the Hegemony were capable of fear. As the Spartans focused on slaughtering their mortal foes the Xero Mechs finally reached the battlefield. The relatively simple but powerful A.I.s that controlled them analyzing the human super soldiers. Scanning the 'demons' for weaknesses. Then immediately attacking once they had concluded what the optimum way to take down their enemies was.
An excess of overwhelming firepower.
Adriana was in the process of ripping another rifle from a Hegemony shoulder, arms with it, when the first of the shells struck. The solid-penetrator depleting her shields as it slammed into her midsection, flattening against her armor. It may not have penetrated, but it still had enough force to send the Spartan tumbling end over end. Ironically saving her life as a barrage of shells perforated where he had been moments before.
Jai however, wasn't so fortunate. The first shell striking his face and taking down his shields and two more striking his head moments later. Literally decapitating the Spartan as the force of the strikes ripped his head off. His body staying upright for a second as blood sprayed out of his neck. Finally falling as his corpse seemed to realize it was dead.
John watched in disbelief. Two of his Spartans down in a single firefight, both of them within hours of each other. He couldn't believe it, but those feelings took a backseat as his instincts screamed 'Get Down!'. Before he knew it, he was face first in the dirt, feeling the supersonic shells as they went past. Getting to his feet, he tracked where the shots had come from, only to feel his blood run cold.
**APUFMKII**
XERO-unit Alpha-02 analyzed the battlefield, focusing on the biggest threats remaining; the three Spartans.
Correction, two Spartans. Focusing on the dead body, its robotic mind concluded, "Test firing of Type-34 Hyper-velocity shell successful. Effectiveness against primary targets: acceptable." Moving on, it locked on to the other Spartans. "Locking on to new targets. Firing."
**APUFMKII**
John recognized the machines for what they were, he had seen their predecessor after all, and ended it. But these, they looked far better than the prototype John had gutted. And he wasn't so sure about repeating that event.
"Jella, where are you!?" He shouted into the comms, even as he sprinted towards a dead IFV, trying to use it for cover. "We've got problems."
"HEADING TOWARDS THE FUCKING PRESIDENT!" Jella shouted, as she and rebels still alive and mobile, a definite minority, continued to run towards the Presidential Palace. Charging through the few Presidential Guard forces outside the building that were still on their feet. Many of the rebels and presidential protectors fighting so close together that they were firing at each other at point blank range. "YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN! I-" Jella's voice suddenly cut out, but judging by how there were still sounds of fighting, she was still alive.
"Adriana, what's your status?"
A grunt was his answer. "Three cracked ribs and one broken. Got my common sense back though."
"Can you fight?"
"Out of ammo for my ARC, sir." Gunfire came over the comms. "But I can still handle myself. I'm heading for the palace, but I can't stay here. You're on your own sir, sorry."
"Understood, I'll see you inside." He cut off the comm. channel, again sprinting as he did so, to another wrecked vehicle. He was running out of options. Linda wasn't an option, as she was still moving most likely. And even if she wasn't, there wasn't a guarantee that she could aim at these things.
But his mechanical enemies had no such uncertainty or doubt. Slowly but surely coming closer and closer to the Spartans as they continued to fire at their enemies. John could see dozens of them in the distance, with more on the way. Fortunately, only about five were close enough to effectively fire on the Spartans yet. The rest still stomping towards them from the wrecks of their carriers. But the rest would get into effective combat range all too soon.
Something that John couldn't allow, as he searched the battlefield for options, his eyes landed on Mike's body, specifically his Rapier cannon. He clicked on his comm, broadcasting on all frequencies. "This is Spartan 117, to all Rebels in the area: I will be breaching the palace walls momentarily. Either evacuate the area or prepare to breach the palace! We have have enemy forces in-bound."
His orders given, John sprinted for Spartan-120. The XERO mechs locked on to the Spartan, their cannons firing as fast as they could cycle, trying to bring the Spartan Commander down. But Lady Luck favored the Spartan as she always did. Every shot narrowly missing the Spartan, sometimes by mere millimeters. Dirt exploding around him.
Approaching his fallen brother, John threw himself downwarding, sliding towards his target. He grabbed the Rapier as soon as it touched his fingers, bringing it to bear on his shoulders even as he got to his knees.
The XERO mechs tensed, ready to intercept whatever ordinance the Spartan was about to send their way. But that wasn't John's intent. He aimed past the mechs, and directly at the Palace itself. Unlike Jella and the others, he didn't see a door or other access ways into the Palace from his position. And trying to find one would give the XEROs time to close the distance. So he was going to make his own.
Three shells blazed through the air, blowing open a hole in the palace wall. The XEROs stopped for a moment, trying to understand the perceived waste of ordinance. But as the Spartan raced towards the hole, they realized what was going on. Diverting as much power to their legs as possible to reach the rebels before they could achieve their objective.
However, for all their mechanical might, the intelligent war machines had arrived on the battlefield too late. Jella and the others reached the outer ring of the palace and went inside just before the majority of the mechs reached optimum firing range. The Rebellion was literally assaulting the gates of the Presidential Palace itself now.
**APUFMKII**
Word of the Rebellion's recent victories had not yet reached the Citadel. Nevertheless human hostility was on everyone's minds. Other than the turian home system itself, no other place in their territory had been as rudely assaulted. Although the physical damage to the Citadel caused by humanity's ships and soldiers had been repaired years ago, the emotional trauma still lingered. Many of the Citadel's finest citizens had lost homes, friends, or family members during the UNSC's kidnapping of the Council, and it would be a long time before they could begin to forget, let alone forgive. The scars from that day felt as fresh as today as they did when Impera died.
Now with the Revelation that Humanity and Asari were related on the genetic level, the repercussions were felt far and wide by the asari. Fear has the power to suppress logic and reason. And in people's minds, the Asari were, if not in league with humanity, than its allies. After all, family stands together, does it not?
The effect was somewhat subtle, at least so far. Ambassador Anita Goyle herself had noticed that few of the many soldiers and C-Sec personnel that followed her, whenever she left the human embassy, seemed to be asari these days. Presumably, both because their superiors were less likely to assign asari to that duty now, and also because few asari volunteered for such duty, as they did not want to be associated with humans in any way.
But the effects went beyond Anita's 'Security Escort'. Had the Ambassador been in the know of C-Sec politics, she would have learned of how many asari had been demoted or reassigned. Once proud beat cops that patrolled the streets now finding themselves doing little more than pushing papers and reading case files for cold cases. Assigned to the most menial of tasks despite their experience.
It was not isolated to C-Sec either.
For the richest and most powerful asari, whose wealth and influence largely protected them from the effects of public opinion, life remained good. But asari without such advantages suddenly found their lives harder. From the simple Asari waitresses who now were less likely to get tips, to blue skinned real estate agents that now found it harder to sell property, asari bureaucrats and academics now more likely to be ignored by their colleagues and superiors, and even asari strippers all too likely to get boos instead of catcalls in the current atmosphere.
All of this found their way to a certain Councilor's lap as many of the asari asked, if not outright begged, for her to help them. Many of them suspected that it was the Revelation as the cause for this new found treatment. But they were powerless to change people's opinions. Few were willing to listen to their pleas and arguments.
Even the leaders of the Asari Republics had noticed a change. As elected politicians they were keenly aware of public opinion. And noticed that it appeared to be turning against the asari people. Motivating them to show their rejection of human expansion publicly. Giving Councilor Tevos the free rein to do something that would have been unimaginable months ago.
Tevos turned to the other Councilors in their private dining room within the Citadel Tower. Not wanting to discuss of this publicly before telling her colleagues first, when the Councilors were all alone. Informing them, "After a great deal of thought the leaders of the Republics have agreed to send more commandos to Kar'Shan in order to root out the human terrorists there."
"And just how many of these 'commandos' will the Republics be sending?" Cicero tapped his talons against the table. "You sent in a squad, and they were all wiped out in a single engagement. The Hierarchy has already dedicated an entire task force to the cause."
"The Republic of Thessia will be sending a hundred commandos within a week, with two hundred more commandos gathered from the other Republics joining them by the end of the month." Tevos replied firmly as she stared straight at the turian Councilor.
Cicero just glared back at Tevos, while he was glad that the what were considered the elite of elites in Council space would finally be dedicated en masse, it was the fact that it took so long that irked him.
"Well you can let them gather for a while longer then before you send them off." Wrex advised. "Since the CASTLE engagement, the Empire has been searching for its Battlemasters. We've found a few willing to fight the Rebels. But it'll take time to gather them." While that was the truth, it was only a half-truth. The Battlemasters willing to fight had already been gathered together, but Wrex was trying to simply delay their deployment.
Although he did not like the thought of a human-backed Batarian Nation and government, he was still hesitant about letting the current regime stand, or at least unchanged. He hoped that this bloody conflict would beat some humility into them at the very least.
"No, we must wipe out the insurrection now, before the situation in the Hegemony further deteriorates." Tevos replied. Which was actually true considering what was going on in the Hegemony at that very moment. But Tevos had no way of knowing that things on Kar'Shan had begun falling apart.
In truth she and the other asari leaders were motivated by political rather than strategic or military concerns. Wanting to be SEEN doing something to combat the human menace, even if that was the WRONG thing. Tevos just hoped that few of her people's own loyal warriors wouldn't have to die for such political expediency.
"But is it truly wise to send so many of elites, rather than some regular units?" Valdn suggested.
"What are you talking about?" Cicero pressed. "If you haven't realized, even our special forces are not enough to stand against Spartans without large numbers. How long do you think a regular platoon will last against them?"
"That we can agree on, but sending so many, are we showing our hand too soon?" The Salarian pointed out. "With this conflict, the humans have the opportunity to see how our elites operate, and devise counter-tactics and strategies. And the more we send, the more they will learn."
"They don't need to." Cicero said with a sigh as he remembered how humans forces had beat the Hierarchy over and over again both on the ground and in space during the brief Council/UNSC War.
Then he glared at the other Councilors as he said venomously, "I would think that YOU of all people would remember that they were able to easily fight through our warrior elite when they took you off the Citadel. It is OUR special forces that need to learn their weaknesses, NOT the other way around."
There was a deathly silence in the room as Cicero critically brought up one of the most awful experiences in the lives of Tevos, Wrex, and Valdn. The salarian Councilor was completely silent and utterly still, which was a never a good sign when it came to Valdn. Whereas Wrex looked like he wanted to reach across the large table that they were all sitting at and throttle the turian. Finally Tevos spoke and said "We HAVE to send the commandos because although the Republics have other military forces, they are little more than heavily armed police and would be useless in an environment like the Hegemony."
Although the Asari Republics had once had a great military, they had always relied on their elite special forces and a relatively small number of very powerful warships to intimidate any would be attackers. But new circumstance meant that they could no longer do so. It wasn't just the human factor, their allies were well on the path to surpassing them in military strength. The turians already were fielding more warships than the asari had in the past several hundred years. If the Republics did not change their ways, they would soon be left behind, and no longer the strongest of the Council Races.
The conservative leaders of the asari had resisted this pressure for years. But it now appeared that they were giving in. Thessia had just announced that it was increasing its contribution to the Citadel Defense Fleet, and that its own shipyards were increasing military production, with several of the more prominent Republics making similar announcements.
As an afterthought Tevos added, "Despite however many of our elites we may lose in this conflict, I feel as though our victory is assured. With the backing of the Council, what hope do these Rebels have to stand against us?"
**APUFMKII**
A/N:
Follower 38.
Right, I can assume that several of you readers are extremely shocked and pissed by the fact that in the span of two back-to-back engagements, two Spartan-IIs are now dead. One by an AntiTank mine and the other by experimental weapons. Well before everyone gets mad and starts throwing theories and reasons at me, let me explain mine. First off, I wanted to prove that no one's death is off the board. Everyone has an equal chance of dying in this story. The Spartans, for all their advantages and power, are not invincible. As for Mike-120, he died because of sheer bad luck. While he did have Armor Lock, in my story, it is rated for everything short of Tank Shells, and two of them were coming straight at him. As for the mine, well unlike in Halo 3, these mines were actually hidden beneath the ground so they couldn't be seen. And as the explosives in the mine were meant for something with approximately twenty-times the amount of armor as the MJOLNIR. The armor triggered the mine due the mine only requiring two things to be set off: presence of metal and a certain amount of weight on the trigger. As for Jai-006, he was in a berserker state, which meant he was not thinking clearly, along with the hyper-velocity round being just that powerful. As for the Berserker state, when seeing that you lost a 'brother' who survived two Insurrections, an attempted genocide by an alien race and an alien civil war, only to be killed by those thought to be 'lessers', I think even the most disciplined would break. John was the exception as he wasn't as close to Mike like the rest of Gray Team, who had been living with each other since Pre-augmentation in the Spartan-II Program.
Well, things are really ramping up now. And its only going to get worse from here on out.
Please review. :) I fully expect to lose people today from the fact that I killed Spartans.
aDarkOne here:
As I said before, anybody in this story can die (even Spartans). But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to tell you about a different elite warrior in this story.
Wrex.
I realize that he's acting more calculating and less straightforward than the canon one. But keep in mind that the Wrex in this setting has spent a long time playing politics on the Citadel. Whereas the one that fights besides Shepherd in the games spent the last few centuries as a mercenary.
Benezia and Aethyta aren't quite the same either, because they stayed together and had another kid. This is an alternate universe, so lots a of the characters are a little different (or very different) from their canon counterparts.
