Mass Effect: The Terran Gambit

by informedterran

AU: A quickly advancing Humanity discovers early on the fate of the ancient Protheans and the threat of the Reapers. Instead of exploring the galaxy with wonder and optimism, the leaders of the Terran Nation prepare their young race to save themselves. When they finally make First Contact, they begin their ultimate gambit; To ready all the galaxy to fight the Reapers!

36. 35: Magic Indistinguishable

Chapter Thirty-Five: Magic Indistinguishable...

---

Eighteen Years Earlier

"Steady now, line your scope."

"Yes, Admiral."

Deep inside of the Rayya, Admiral Vali stood over his young student. Around fifty meters ahead of their booth was a mass effect generated holo-image of a standard Geth unit. The student kept adjusting his sight, lining up his sight, while getting familiar with the unusual position of having to look through his facemask. Vali was looking at a screen in their makeshift booth, seeing the same view the student was from his scope.

"Fire when ready."

"Yes, Admiral Vali."

He nudge a bit to his left, than fired a shot. The sand grain round coursed through the old cargo bay turned shooting range, and hit the back of the bay, old segments of ship hull acting as a block for stray rounds. Frustrated, he dropped his rifle on the table, frustrated.

"I missed again!"

Vali kept looking at the screen, seeing where he readjusted and took the sight off the target at the last moment.

"Don't fret now. Learning to use a scoped weapon is an in-valued skill. We all learn to do it," he said to calm the young boy.

"But I can't hit it from even that length! With a rifle locked to the post! What if that geth was charging me or my friends out in the open? How can I pull off a shot that could save my life, of my squad?"

"Now, now," Vali turned around. Hearing his words, he remembered saying the same thing to someone else many years ago. This time, Vali wanted to respond differently. He knelled down to the student to look him at in the eyes, "I know this isn't easy. Nothing is easy for us, as Quarians. But we are a resourceful people. We survived, when we have loss everything, we made something from nothing. That doesn't take simply skill, so much as determination."

"But I been trying to learn this for weeks now."

"And you gotten this far," he placed his hand on his shoulder, "Look at you. You done so well in your training," Vali chuckled, "Your father would be proud to see how far you grown. And..." He turned away, sadden, "I wish he was here to see that."

"I, uh, would like that, admiral."

"Make him proud, lets try again."

He nodded, more assured, "Yes, Admiral!"

As he went back to try again, the bay doors opened. Vali and the student turned around, seeing a woman and a young girl with a rifle walk in. The girl ran up to them, entering the next booth.

"Hey Zaal."

"Oh, hi, Shala."

"Still practicing?"

"Uh? Oh yah, haha."

The woman stayed near the bay doors, arms crossed. She turned her head to Vali and spoke coldly.

"Vali, we have a meeting. Let's go."

"Oh, right, Admiral Ghirn." He turned around, "Keep practicing, Zaal. I'll be back later."

"Yes Admiral."

Vali rushed to leave as Ghirn walked out ahead of of him. As they left, Shala turned to Zaal.

"Well, show me something."

"Uh, sure. Watch."

Zall lined up his scope. He took a few deep breaths, than fired. The round coursed through the air, leaving a thing plasma stream. By a tiny margin, it once again missed the geth and hit the hull plating, which ricocheted it back and up and into a lighting fixture, smashing it to pieces. As Zaal turned to see, the fixture fell and crash into the geth unit.

"Wow! That was an amazing trick shot, Zaal."

"Uh, yah. That's what it was..."

---

Part 1:

Miri Ghirn and Zaren Vali– New Tucson, Arizona, USNA
The Second Day of the Turian Vendetta
September 5, 2168 – 10:00:00 UTC

"Against the request of the office of the POTUF, the five major trade markets of the Federation: New York, Shanghai, London, Eden Constant and Noverian Hanshan, have opened earlier today. In just minutes of trade, the Dow Jones, the FTSE, and the Bishop-Hanshan Index fell in the hundreds of thousands of points, triggering the greatest freefall since the end of the Great Revival."

-static-

"Reports coming from the Goldston system today, where the Twelfth and Sixty-Third Flotilla of the Fourth Fleet sustain heavy causalities in a delay action to evacuate the 10,000 colonists of the planet Mathewson. No report on what ships were lost..."

-static-

"The Council's veto against fleet withdrawal have led to a near instant collapse to the Unified Council Military Command. Unable to withdraw ships, the Terran military have begun transferring millions of personal back home to man mothball ships for the Second Fleet, leaving many ships of the First and Third Fleet with skeleton crews. On the Turian end, entire flotillas are abandoning their post altogether to join National and Imperial Forces back home."

-static-

"As admiral of the Ninth Fleet, we stand by the Nation! The Terrans will pay for their crimes! Today, Shanxi! Tomorrow, the human homeworld!"

-static-

"The Armiger Legion will not succumb to such sensational news and treacherous actions. We stand by Admiral Fedorian and the Grand Hierarchy. Death to the traitors! Glory to the Empire!"

-static-

"Turian Council Forces have bordered on disarray, as nearly the entire fleet have unilaterally withdrawn against Council orders. This comes as important leaders, generals, and admirals publicly declare their loyalty in the conflict, pledging to either Admiral Fedorian's Loyalist, or Primarch Arterius' Nationalist in the emerging civil war. At the moment, only the First Guard Army on Palaven have pledge loyalty directly to Hierarchy Primarch Cassiud..."

"Ancestors damn it!"

"I know..."

Zaren sat on the couch as he kept changing the channel on their TV. Both of them were home in the 'Wall Garden' condominium, preparing to leave for New Haestrom. Miri was moving about, preparing herself and checking her suit and hair, as Zaren looked on at the clear screen TV.

"It's horrible, isn't it, Zaren?"

He turned around, tapping the remote screen on his watch, "Huh? Oh yes, that… Now, what channel was that cartoon Kal watched? I can't find it."

-static-

"After a high-level meeting between Old Earth leaders, including President Lee of China, President Romanov of the USNA, Chairman Botha of the AU, and Chancellor Victoria of the EU, Terran President Bowman appeared to have won the support of the old nation states for the war and his immediate plan. A meeting has been set later today with the colonial state governors, as polls now indicate a 30% drop in his approval ratings..."

-static-

The office of the POTUF has announced that the election on Tuesday will go ahead as scheduled. In spite protest by some, many analysis have agreed maintaining the election in core Terran space will maintain internal stability and maintain international legitimacy.

-static-

"Several Congressional leaders have called on President Bowman to order a convening of Congress, which can only be called to order by the President in the first September days leading to Resiliency Day. Few have also demanded that Second Fleet Fleet Admiral, and Nationalist Whip Debra Weatherman's husband, Andrew Roland be removed from his position…"

-static-

With reports of the Turian Nation using Hyperspace enabled ships, outcry has arisen among congressional leaders on how humanity's most advance technology has fallen into enemy hands…

-static-

"… With a motion amounting to a vote of no confidence of the Head Primarch, the Hierarchy Senatoria have bestowed Fleet Admiral Tiberius Fedorian all power necessary to fight the Turian Civil War. This marked the first time the senatoria has openly bypassed the highest-ranking citizen in over fifty years..."

"Tens of thousands of channels, and nothing to watch..."

"… With many swearing their loyalty to him after his decisive actions in the Battle of Rubico, Admiral Fedorian has emerged the new, de facto leader of the Hierarchy."

"You know, I worried for Tibe. He turned out alright… for a Turian."

-Static-

"We now return to our normal program, My little Elcor: Friendship is Magic!"

"Ah, there it is!"

Miri looked at him, her face glowing red, "Zaren, we have a war on our hands!"

"Fleet Ops have it handled," he rolled his eyes, "My fleet is stuck on the other side of Terran space. Uh, you'll be staying with the Faunz's kid after Koris' Rally, right? I'm due back on my ship after it."

Miri walked over and took control of the TV herself, "This is serious. We have the entire galaxy up in arms against us. All over that damn accusation. With your voice print in it!"

Zaren stood up in an uproar, "Its all lies! Of course they want to throw a Quarian in just to piss those bosh'tets off! And me of all people? Those idiots in Council Space would believe anything!"

"And there are repercussions," Miri sat down, "Our people are able to spread across the galaxy thanks to Terran protection. Now that the humans can't enforce that, many are endangered."

"I thought we got rid of pilgrimages?"

"But many are still out there in the galaxy with the humans. If they are now a target, so are we! And remember, a part of the Sol Fleet is constantly following and motoring that small remains of the flotilla that refused to integrate. If people are now embolden to attack terran vessels..."

"Bah!" He wondered around the living room of their condo, "Those idiots refused paradise. And they drain our resource still wondering the Terminus, inviting every pirate and slaver to attack them. They should be thankful Bowman feels its needed we protected them anyway. Thank the ancestors they're just a few thousands. From New Haestrom, we have a real chance to take back the old one, and our true Walled Garden."

"Keelah, this is too much… Shala! I haven't heard from her since Saturday. I have to get in touch before we leave."

"You do that," He wondered into their bedroom, "I need to get something before we leave."

---

Miri waited, sitting in front of the TV. On it was a four-way call, her screen split between Admiral Gerral, Candidate Koris, and the final black screen being dialed, with the old terran buzzing and all. They were scattered across different parts of the Terran galaxy, looking to Arcturus. Miri was on Earth, Gerrel behind the lines in the Fourth Fleet's defense, and Koris on Ontarom while campaigning for election day tomorrow. They all waited for Admiral Raan.

Finally, the black screen with a loading bar disappeared, with Raan on the other end in her private quarters on Arcturus Station.

Miri spoke immediately upon the sight of her, worried nearly to death of her niece, "Shala, are you all right?"

"Yes Auntie Miri. I'm fine. We arrived from Shanxi yesterday after the retreat. We been on lock-down since," Replied Raan as she drank some tea, her desk chair turned to the screen.

Miri took a deep breath in relief before she responded back, "We were worried when I received the reports. I can't believe the turian rebels got such a victory."

"We lost more than a quarter of the fleet. If we had loss those same numbers with the Flotilla, we be sentenced to extinction."

Gerral spoke, "Those damn birds are trying to do just that with all of us!"

"The news stations all across the Federation is talking about nothing else but this," Said Koris, "It's nothing less than a disaster."

"Diplomatically, it is one," Miri rubbed her chin as she thought about it, "Much of the Federation's clout has been through the power of our military and what we did last year to get our seat. The turian rebel's victory as shown that the navy isn't invincible as the galaxy feared them to be. Our failure to make the Council return our ships ruined our diplomatic clout. And this 'Illium Conspiracy'… the galaxy turned our back on us, at the very least."

"The turian's attack have made the Humans look like us after we fled from the geth! I'm getting flooded with emails from voters of where I stand with President Bowman's actions. Already, some are demanding impeachment."

"What matters right now is repelling the turians!" said Gerral as he looked through the battle report from another holo screen on the bridge of the Marie Cooper. "If we push them back out, we can regain our position. I am confident the humans won't take the Turian Vendetta without just retribution in return."

Koris shook his head, "Keelah, retribution? I fear this won't end until we're marching an army on Palaven, Han."

Raan sipped from her cup, a bit unnerved as she thought about the war coming. "This is going to be a war that won't have any winners. If the Hierarchy or the other Council races joins in…"

"These are rebel forces! Why would they support a rogue force attacking a council member?" asked Koris.

"Because this can be their one shot to remove the Humans out of power. As far as they care, we stole it, I as well as Goyle knows that. They have the ability… if they have the numbers… If Fedorian decides to join Arterius..." Miri worried.

"Shala, how did they stop Roland's fleet?" asked Gerrel, "I thought the humans had the best computers in the galaxy, but to get shutdown like that..."

"I don't know how, but with that new hacking system. Roland has yet to debrief us of anything new."

"That reminds me. How is Admiral Roland coping with this?" Asked Miri.

She placed her tea down and sighed, "He's was in utter shambles when we got back."

Koris shook his head, "From the same man who defeated an entire race in only a week… it most likely killed what confidence he and every terran had in themselves. You're right, Shala, this war just got too real for them."

Raan put her tea down, "But my guess is the humans won't back down though. You're familiar with the politics of the humans, Auntie. What's going on there?"

Miri thought about that for a moment, tapping her open helmet, "They are scrambling to fix this. Bowman already went to the council and didn't opt to withdraw from it to get the fleet back. He's playing a long game if he thinks sticking by the Council would be of any good. Goyle is personally handling all top level foreign affairs, basically taking control of the entire state department herself. Admittedly, just too much is happening since yesterday. Though they try to keep things 'Business as Usual,' on the homefront."

"I worry. If… no, when we win this. We can only hope the congress refuse to declare war on the galaxy for all this," Koris tapped his finger on his desk as campaign workers rushed around behind him, "My sources say the congress is in an uproar. They'd take action themselves, if they weren't campaigning against Bowman's decisions right now. But I have my doubts though. More of what they call 'warhawks' are likely to be elected as a result. Too many of them in the Nationalist Party are keen to win."

"How has your election been going?" asked Raan as she poured herself another glass.

"I'm leading well in the polls, actually. Most Quarians and the frontier humans don't want war, so if I push more on that, I may lock the vote in the Kepler Verge." said Koris before he looked to at the background of Miri's screen, seeing Zaren stumbling across the room, pillaging through a box he was holding. "The same would be for Don'Xen."

"It'll be just you and Xen on Arcturus for us. There are more AIs representatives than us aliens, and they all want war," said Gerrel. He shook his head in bitter amazement, "As simple minded as their creators."

Miri spoke, "Well, it's why me and Zaren are about to attend a campaign rally before the elections. Get more people to side with Koris."

"Which I am very appreciative of, Ambassador Ghirn."

In the background, Zaren can be seen walking about, lifting objects and furniture as he kept searching for something. From the other side of the screen, Raan noticed.

She asked Miri, "Auntie, what is Uncle Zaren doing?"

She turned around, "I'm not sure. Wait right there."

Miri stood up and walked over to Zaren at the back of the living room, who had her mahogany jewelry box in his arm while he examined a Quarian suit buckle. This was a special buckle with the emblem of the old Quarian government before their flight from the Geth, it was used to secure the strapping of a Quarian's suit. Miri noticed and grabbed her jewelry box, arguing with Zaren. All the while, Raan, Gerral and Koris watched from their screen. Zaren haven't notice them.

"Zaren, what are you doing with that?" asked Miri as she took back her box and sealed it.

"Why do you have a jewelry box?" said Zaren, "You never wore jewelry before."

"I got it last year before we went to the citadel. Their fashion designers help rebuild my ancestor's suit beforehand. I can now put diamonds in special sockets on the suits."

He chuckled, "Oh, how the humans spoil us. But its what one of their general said… uh, 'The devil on the details'?"

"Its 'Devil in the details', Zaren," She looked at his hand, where the buckle was. "Why are you holding Dorin's old buckle?"

"What do you mean? This was my old buckle."

"And you gave it to Dorin, remember? This is one of the few memorabilia we have left of him."

"Yes, I know," He waved the buckle in his hand, "But this buckle is a fleet heirloom as well. It was passed down from the first admirals since our race's exile, and Admiral Tredis gave it to me when I completed my pilgrimage. I should continue it down to the next worthy successor."

Miri looked at him in bewilderment, "What the hell do you mean Zaren? Who are you giving it to?"

Zaren groaned as he thought of how he was going to phrase it to her, "Well… my mentor gave it to me. So I'm going to give it to my mentee, Koris."

At the other side of the room, Raan and Geral snickered.

"Oh, Shala, look. Someone here is Vali's favorite."

"Haha, yah."

Koris quietly groaned, not bringing Zaren's attention, "Keelah..."

Miri dropped her jewelry box, littering the floor with diamond-encrusted suit bolts. She grabbed the buckle from his hand, waving it in front of his face. "You were going to give it away? To Koris?!"

"And he earned it!" he said, trying to solidify his position. Zaren went on, and Koris buried his face in his hands, "Look at what he achieved. First an admiral, then he's going to be a congressman. That's a big position in the Terran government! So much like his father-"

"Unbelievable, Zaren! This isn't some hand-me-down. This is our son's buckle!" She pointed and stabbed at his chest, "The only reason he ever even got it was because I had to force you to give it to him, you uncaring bosh'tet of a father!"

Zaren gasped at the accusation, "I gave it to him because he earned it when headed out on his pilgrimage early, like his father, me. Damn it Miri, you know I loved him!"

She pushed him away, "Don't give me that, Zaren. You pushed him to leave early, and he wasn't close to being ready for pilgrimage. You only cared he be so much like you, and you never cared for how he felt. Its the reason for what happened on Triginta Petra. Dorin tried so hard, but never you gave approval or love!"

Zaren quickly replied, "B-But that's not true!"

She gave him a mean look, in utter disgust, "And having Koris as your apprentice? I know you only took an interest in him, because you got his father killed under your command! And the fact you were more of a father to him than your own son-"

Zaren grabbed the buckle from her hand, "I was just as good a father to Dorin as I was a mentor to Zaal!"

Miri kept poking at his chest, "Don't. Flatter. Your. Self. Zaren! You were barley a good mentor at that. Just like Dorin, Koris did everything for your approval. If you cared, you should have given him this buckle when he went on his pilgrimage! Hell, you could have supported him by at least accepting him on your ship when he returned!"

"He needed to branch out. Half my crew were from the same ship he was from before pilgrimage. He could have any ship he wanted to be crew of. Make his own mark in the fleet!"

"Zaren… The Qwib-Qwib… Qwib-Qwib! Dear ancestors, do you have any idea how he felt when he had to join that ship. He cried on my shoulders when you rejected him. And I think he purposely gave himself an infection for three weeks when he finally transferred over."

"Wait, what? Why was he depress about it? The captain of the ship I tried to join didn't accept my gift."

Miri scolded him, "That's because you stole it from the Turians after having half the council fleet chase you across the galaxy! It doesn't even count because Tredis let you be your own captain anyway."

"Koris turned out fine. He even became an admiral at a younger age then I was. I mentored him, I cared for him, and I am damn proud of him!"

Miri bent over to pick up her jewelry, "Fine Zaren, do what you want. Since you're damn mentoring seems to be so good." She stood back up and walked into their bedroom, slamming the door shut with full force. "You ended up just like Admiral Tredis!"

Zaren screamed at the door, "Damn it, Miri! If I raised him the same way Tredis raised me, it would have end the same way! With him being an ass and me being dead!"

Miri yelled through the door, "Why don't you tell him how proud you are? He's on the screen right now!"

"Wait, what?"

Zaren walked over to the television screen on the wall, seeing Raan, Gerrel and Koris.

"Uh… Hi… Uncle Zaren." Said Raan, waving nervously, all of them embarrassed from hearing their arguing.

Zaren stared at them for a moment, his face completely plain and emotionless. He then walked away and left through the front of the door. After a moment of silence between them, Gerral turned to Koris.

"You purposefully got yourself sick?"

"I rather not talk about." He immediately cut the line.

As the screen readjusted to just them and the empty room, Gerral spoke once more.

"So I'll see you in Arcturus than?" asked Gerrel to Raan, a bit unnerved just talking to her.

She doesn't notice and replied, "I'll see you than Han. What ever plan he have to stopping them, we'll need the Fourth Fleet."

"Ah, yes… This war is going to be a brutal one."

"Then it's best we get to work."

They nodded and ended the video chat.

---

Part 2:

Jack, Ben, and Eva – Outside Pingyao City
The First Day of the Turian Vendetta
September 4, 2168 – 14:00:00 UTC

"Check the corners."

The three of them, Colonel Jack Harper, Captain Ben Hislop, and Agent Eva Coré, rushed to the side of an abandon barn. They emerged from the wheat field and hugged the wall. Ben took rear as Jack rushed to the corner at the front. Rifle raised, he peered over the corner. Beyond it, there was but the empty front yard of a prefab farm house. The wind blew clumps of dust about as Turian fighters flew around in the far distance. They were alone.

"Clear."

Jack sighed and broke from cover, walking calmly unto the yard. At the center, two tattered flags clanged onto the flagpole. One of the Federation, its blue tone and silver outline of the old world, and one of the state of United Sol, a red phoenix rising against the black. The house and barn were already ransacked. They stood among the remains.

"My God..." Ben rushed over, "Come on, Jack. Help me lower it down."

The two walked over and began lowering down the flags. Eva meanwhile looked around, before checking her watch.

"Nothing… The Turians really did it. Shanxi is there's."

"And I worry of what really lead to all this," Jack looked up around him as he upholstered the flag of the Federation, before folding and storing it in his armor. As he did so though, another thought crossed his mind, "Eva?"

"Yes?" she turned and walked to him.

Harper rubbed his forehead in the thought of it, "Why are you here?"

Ben walked over, "I'm guessing you know each other?"

Jack shy from the question, "Uh, yah."

She smiled, "The name's Eva Coré, Captain Hislop."

"You know my name and rank?"

Jack answered before her, "Ev… Ms. Coré here is an FIA agent."

He grinned and chuckled, "So we have another spy here than?"

"Ben!"

"Drop the act, Jack," she rolled her eyes, but smiled in amusement, "I wouldn't be here if my favorite Section agent didn't need my assistance."

Jack looked at her, framing dumbfounds, though his confusion over how she knew grew legitimately.

"A Section agent? I'm an Army Colonel."

This time, she was just annoyed, "Well, allow me to name some examples, to jog your mind of what one is. Examples of a Section 14 agent include: Sabotage missions in the outer colonies, burn mission on rogue agents and contacts, manipulating corporate agendas... Oh, how about planning detailed foreign operations at the very dawn of First Contact, and infiltrating Turian naval bases and sabotaging ship production?"

Ben grew concerned as well and turned to Jack. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I had a bad feeling that that was you." After a moment, Jack smiled, "That was some aim."

Eva frowned, "I had Arterius in my scopes several times. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have taken that shot instead. Harper…" she grabbed his armor collar and yanked him close, "What the hell do you know about all this? Because I damn well know Section 14 has some role in all this."

Ben raised his rifle, but Jack stopped him. He looked back at her and answered, "We are both looking for the same answers, Ms. Coré. It may not seem like it, but we are the same boat."

She stared him down, trying to deduce his intent. A moment pass, then she push him away.

"We'll see than." She then tapped his cheek and smiled, "And don't be so formal, Jack. Its been years!"

He groaned and looked around the ruined farm, "What a time for a reunion…"

A shuttle then zoomed by above their heads. They turned to see it was begun turning. Now in their sights, the three ran into the house and took cover. The shuttle made another pass, first air dropping an APC into the courtyard before slowing to drop a squad of National Turians. As two held position at the APC, the rest slowly advanced towards the front porch.

Eva peered over and noticed the vehicle.

"Oh good, our chauffeur has arrive."

Harper glared at her from the other side of the front door. "What do you…"

She broke from cover and rushed out the door, sniper rifle in arms. Before the turians could twitch at her appearance, she stepped fast onto the porch and opened fire. Rifle at the hip, five successive trails of plasma air followed each round that poured out her barrel and straight through the five closest turians to her. The others scrabbled and returned fire, and she dropped her rifle and rolled left. Wood splinters from the porch railing filled the air as she dodged, and in the chaos, Jack and Ben rushed out to fight.

"Damn it! Go, go!"

The turians turned to face them as Eva jumped off the end of the porch and made a rush for the APC. She flanked the rest of the squad all the while and fired back with her pistol. There, the driver rushed to get in and opened the side hatch. Eva rushed her and they quickly traded hits between the heavy bruising Turian Marine and the agile Terran Agent. But activation of her watch meant she had no intent to fight fairly. Her palm landed and the marine was electrocuted. With one hand on her, Eva turned and gunned down the rest of them.

She pulled her hand back and search the deep fired Turian for an authentication key. She grabbed the disk before gently pushing her over and signaled to the Section agents.

"Come on now. We don't have all day!"

Ben chuckled as they ran over, "She ain't no ordinary FIA Agent."

Jack shook his head, looking around the yard and her handy work.

"As good as most special force operative go."

"Target suppressed…"

Inside the APC, Eva was already on the Turian's comms. Using a voice alternator and the key, she faked an all clear for the dead squad outside.

"Confirm, Aurora-Actual. Begin search and patrol on route Foxtrot One."

She shut off the comms and turned to them.

"Where to, Jack?"

"There's nothing for us on Shanxi." Jack turned away to think, "We need to get off world."

"Where to?" asked Ben, "I'm guessing Hierarchy Space, but that would be a tall order, Jack."

"We need a Turian shuttle. Spaceport?"

Eva shook her head and spoke, "They dropped Paris' carrier ship right on top of it. Turian Occupation procedure would move shuttle ports to the main city."

"To the city. Then Turian Space. This war, whatever really caused it, it's there. General Williams seemed to know. Now we have to find out too."

---

Part 3:

Desolas and Toma – TNV Spirits of Illium
September 4, 2168 – 16:00:00 UTC

"Operational status?"

His executive officer reported in from the neighboring command post.

"Scout squadrons have finished reporting in, Admiral. The Humans have been confirm driven from the system."

"Status of their army?"

"One armored division has been crushed, two others are scattered. However, stray Terran planetary ASBs have came back online and are preventing enough ships from creating a full security net on the invasion zone. The army have only landed 65% of main force, but General Partinax has not requested additional navel support."

"Keep ships in random formations around the planet. I don't want to lose a ship to an uncoordinated gun crew."

"Yes sir."

Toma leaned his elbows against his command post. His hands grasped, he looked down at the main holographic map and at the numerous ship formations. Most of the ground support ships were in high orbit, attempting to take out any remaining ASBs as a few ships ran pass low orbit to run high precision atmospheric strikes. Beyond the planet, his fleet was in position around the two relays in the system, with a strike force preparing to cross deeper into Federation space, while new ships took formation as they arrived from Nation controlled space. Finally, he stared at the empty space above the system plane, where the Corival squadron was, keeping radio silence. Equipped with the secret Turian Hyperdrive, the Turians now had two unprecedented weapons to fight the Terrans, for the time being.

"Admiral, sir. A shuttle carrying a Council Spectre is requesting to make landfall in the captured capital city. A Spectre Arterius."

Toma turned to his comms, "Occupation status?"

"Two battalions are still locking the city down. Partinax's First Legion, assigned to Hastatim duty, has only began setting up occupation camps."

Toma's attention wandered away from the call to his screen. A moment of reading another update, he snapped his attention back to the alert. "Clear his landing, have light cruisers run screen on the descent."

"Yes, sir."

After the comm ended, Toma walked off from his post and towards his main office aside from the CIC. At his desk, he opened his comms to a direct line to the main troop carrier.

"Admiral?"

"Desolas. I trust everything has been to your satisfaction?"

In a private room overlooking the planet, the primarch nodded to his old mentor, smiling, "By all means. We have achieved an unprecedented victory. This may be a small planet, but it is only one of many!"

"Yes..." Toma sat down in his chair, "I have received news from home..."

Desolas gave a solemn and calculated nod, "Yes. The Hierarchy has made its choice. Admiral Fedorian's opposition is not an ideal."

"He has a fleet at least equal to mine. And he is as arguably good as I or Junius."

"As Junius, yes… but he is one man. He has neither the trained staff or skilled personal to fight either us or the Terrans. While I will admit we have not the manpower to take the Hierarchy by force, he wouldn't dare waste Turian lives against us. Once we overcome the Terrans, he would be force to concede to us."

"I hope you are correct Desolas. For all of Fedorian's misgivings, I have no intent to spill out own people's blood. It only helps the Terrans."

"Agreed."

"Well than, uh, a Council Spectre has apparently been en route to Shanxi. I feel safe to presume you know which spectre that is?"

Desolas turned away for a moment, trying to do a quick check of personnel, but he turned back to Toma quickly with an apparent assured expression. "Yah yes, Saren. He don't feel his presence would be of any consequence. He's more than able to take care of himself planet side." Desolas expression faded, "Uh, please keep me updated though of his whereabouts."

"Oh course Desolas. I just wanted to everything was in order. Now, if you please excuse me..."

"By your leave, Admiral," Desolas immediately rushed to a wall terminal, bringing up personnel records. A quick searched confirmed what he just told.

"Now than, Saren. Let's see what you are doing..."

---

Downtown Pingyah

"Check corners."

"Left clear. Right hallway, clear."

"Quick, go."

The four continued down the hallway of a battered office building. Outside, the main Turian occupational force have begun their move into the city. Heavy cargo shuttles began moving in stationary defense structures at key city buildings and street intersections, while advancing APCs loaded with soldiers from the captured Fort Bao rushed to man them. They stopped to wait as a shuttle took a slow pass of the building, searchlights peering in through the half-closed office windows.

"Stay low, we don't want to get caught by their sensors," said Satorius.

"Hey Satorius, who is this soldier anyway?" asked the Asari.

"That's Sergeant Massani, Delcia. He was part of the liberation force from Camala last year."

"Good you found him when we did. We'll need a soldier to get out of here."

"Wait, wait. Hold up," Zaeed kept still, waiting for the lights, "This is an old Mark 9 colonial commercial prefab. They been known to do well in concealing body heat…" The lights then left as the shuttle moved on through the skyline. He got back up, "We trained to better detect signatures through other means. Apparently, they haven't."

"We may be fortunate. Hastatim squads have yet to move in."

They rushed to the other side, where there was an enclosed catwalk connecting over to the building across the avenue. Down below, several patrolling squad was hastily on the move.

"Hastatim Squads?"

Satorius looked out the window, "Specialize Turian Occupation Force. The main Army provides manpower and support, but Hastatim handles enemy civilians in occupied zones. As efficiently and brutally as possible."

The asari remarked, "I heard of their police actions on rogue Council colonies in the Terminus."

"How so?" asked Zaeed.

Satorius spoke, "Turians don't do well in distinguishing enemy combatants and civilians in the sense the Terrans or Asari may. In an occupied zone, Hastatim troops round up civilians and place them in 'Safe Camps'. The idea being you are incapacitated as a potential combatant." Something caught his attention. After another look through the windows, he prompted Zaeed to take look for himself. Below, there was a small group, consistently mostly of humans and a batarian, being scurried over by a few soldiers following from the rear towards the park. "Their tolerance to civilians tend to be thin. If you fail to surrender and enter the camp in the allotted time, you are considered a combatant. Very often, they won't apply Council War Convention if your caught."

"Meaning they shoot you," They crossed over to the other end of the building. "Room clear."

"Against Turian or small colonial populaces, it works, by reputation. But I wouldn't know of a predominate human settlement."

They spread out across the room, Zaeed heading to the window to take look on the main avenue leading out the city. With an infantry column moving down across the avenue, they held up where they were.

"We'll have to wait before heading down to cross," He turned to Satorius, "What makes you think that?"

"Other aliens aren't incline to fight. Even other turians won't waste lives fighting against other turians who have won on the open battlefield, unless they're fanatical. But from how the terran militia trains, I don't see the terrans surrendering so easily. Not when your main doctrine is suppose to resort to guerrilla warfare."

Zaeed chuckled as he walked away from the window, "And that is your opinion, as a Turian yourself?"

Satorius sat down across from him on the sole remaining chair of a broken dining set. He leaned forward on his militia AR-25 as Zaeed leaned back against the wall.

"As a former Hastatim," The Asari and Salarian turned to him in amazement of hearing that, but Zaeed simply raised his eyebrow in curiosity, which Satorius smiled in acknowledgment to continue, "Serving as a Hastatim is never a… tour worth talking about. 41st Legion," he looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then back to the Sergeant, "Fighting against enemy soldiers is one thing, but civilians is something else. Treating them as combatants only proves problematic..."

"More so when they become combatant," Zaeed sat up, "You're right. Humans are not the sort to surrender. Not without great cost. That's coming from a man who has far more human blood on his hands than the birds out there. Trust me, from someone who has grown ever more numb to the idea of spilling more, red or otherwise."

Satorius nodded, "That Revival war?"

He sighed, "Yah… And you?"

"Council forces operating in the Terminus," He sighed, "A long while back. We took a small rogue colony that was a base for pirate activity. The pirates refused to let any of the colonist surrender. We didn't spare much thought of the fact. Many paid with their lives for that. But someone must had someone close among them, and wanted vengeance. On a raid of an asteroid base, my platoon was ambushed by mercenaries. Too organized to be anything but to take us out the way they did. Of those captured, I was 'mercifully' sold off to Batarian space. The others, shot or sent to the darkness that is the Terminus."

"Jesus," Zaeed looked back out the window, the street still filled with troops arriving in the capital city. "I'd rather shoot myself than risk that fate," He checked his combat watch, but any feed from an organized command or control was replaced with static. He turned back to the avenue and the park, "So, you stayed with us than, after Camala?"

"For many of us, there's not much back home. The only option was to restart. If Junius was willing, why not us?"

"Junius? Oh, he was that bird leading you all," He turned back to the asari and salarian with them, standing by the far wall talking to themselves. Hearing Zaeed, they walked over to join the conversation, "And them? In the rush to get out of here, we weren't introduced."

"Its not just those you rescued who cast their lot with you, sergeant Massani."

She holstered her Phaeston rifle, "The names Delcia. Immigrated here almost immediately after your race's stunt to get a seat on the Council."

"Something tells me that wasn't why you moved here?" asked Zaeed.

"I heard you had technology beyond our own, open borders, and jobs a plenty. A young woman could make something of herself here."

"I'm a bit afraid to ask how old you are, actually," he said, grinning.

"Eighty-Five. I'm twice as old as my new home. But I'm still a toddler back in the Republics. I have a thousand year lifespan, and here, I can make every year count, like you humans."

"The Terran Dream. Good to know someone believed in it," he turned to the salarian, "And you?"

He replied with a high trebled voice, "I, uh, am here on a refugee program. The government called it Operation: Free Genome"

"What?"

"Oh that, yes. You see, I'm not a salarian."

Zaeed stared at the salarian, "Uh, what?"

"I am a Lystheni. A genetic "off-shoot" of the main stock salarian. We, well, are not welcome in Council Space, so we forced into exile in the Terminus. But you Terrans opened your doors, and borders, for us to enter."

"Genetic offshoot?"

"Oh yes, if you look closely you see some differences."

All three of them look at him. Satorius and Delcia noticed the apparent difference with a fascinated surprise, but Zaeed seemed lost.

"Horns, big eyes, conclave chest. I ain't the kind to say I don't see color, but I don't see any difference."

"Its not color," said Satorius, pointing over, "See?"

"That's not what I meant, I just…"

"Warsaw-1, to all units. Warsaw-1, anyone out there!?"

Zaeed's radio came to life, locking on to a military air traffic frequency while it was scanning all the empty military channels.

"Stealth compromised. Two Turian fighters are on my tail. Moving away from designated retreat point. Moving along a fast approach trajectory to city from southwest-"

They rushed to the window, where a lone Terran fighter was being pursued high above the city skyline. Two Turian fighters were pursing him in an open formations behind him, switching off between firing angles at him. Warsaw-1 then dived down into the skyline, both him and his pursuers disappearing behind the buildings.

"Shields out! Left wing shot up. Mag control systems down! Warsaw-1, ejecting!"

From a distance, his pilot seat was seen rocketing up from behind another building. A turian fighter stopped almost instantly and went into hover-mode as his parachute opened, following the terran pilot's slow decent to the ground.

"Damn, they got another fight- Oh crap, run!"

---

"Sir, we have arrived at the City Outpost."

Saren turned to the screen, seeing an outside image of the city park and skyline. He unbuckled his strap and stood up to open the side hatch. As the shuttle began its slow decent on a makeshift landing pad near the administration building of the park, he took in the fresh air and view while hanging onto the railing. Below, soldiers were setting up the Hastatim civilian camp near the subway entrance, while the perimeter of the park was fortified with quick-building metal walls, a staple of Turian front line defense setup.

"Colonel."

The officer accompanying him turned to him, "Yes, Spectre Arterius?"

Saren took out a tablet and turned to him, "Our control of the colony site is full?"

"Nearly, sir. Remaining enemy forces are being squashed. The farmlands are being fully locked down."

"Good," He handed the tablet over, "See this?"

"Yes, its a personal dossier."

"With the authority of Primarch Arterius, you will utilize all available assets to find this man. He is of the highest value targets, short of Terran General Williams himself."

"Yes, Spectre… A Colonel Jac-"

"Evade! Evade!"

The shuttle banked a hard, fast left. The colonel grabbed onto his seat strap as Saren held on, his boots mag locking to the floor. Saren turned to see as a burning terran fighter blazing over the park, leaving a trail of smoke of just where they were.

---

Across the park, the burning terran fighter emerged from the skyline. The turian fighter still pursuing pull up, along with several shuttles that were landing on the park grounds. The four of them, along with those on the street below, ran away from the window and into the building as the fighter stabilized for a direct path to the office building they were in. In a single second, the fighter crossed the park and crashed into the floor several stories behind them. The explosion rocked the building, lights exploding from the sockets as drywall gave way to splintering steel girders.

They ducked to the floor. The building made a loud moaning sound as some secondary explosion rocked out from above.

"Get out of here! To the catwalk!"

But before they could fully stand to run out back where they came, the floor itself gave way. They feel through one floor, startling another group who were making their way through the building. Before Zaeed could turn to see, the floor under them collapsed as well, sending the four down to the next floor.

Dust blew out and consumed the new room they were in. Zaeed looked around for his rifle, covering his mouth from the dust. He reached for his rifle a meter away, when a foot stepped hard on it. He looked up, seeing a bright red glow above. As the dust cleared, a Phaeston rifle and a turian emerged with the glow, aiming it at him. Five together than came into view for the four of them, surround them at gunpoint.

"Shit..."

"Cognosco! Cognosco!"

Satorius rolled over, "Translator off. He's asking us to say our identify who we are."

One turian solider pointed at him, "Vos, cognosco!

Satorius quickly replied in Turian Roma, "Melchan, Satorius, Tribunus Angusticlavii, Hastatim, Hastatim!"

Hearing both the rank and the designation of Hastatim, they turned to each other in confusion. Before they could react to it, gunfire erupted from the hole of the floor above them. Two fell immediately as the others turned above. From above, a marine and two soldiers jumped down to attack. Hitting the floor, the soldiers rushed to hand-to-hand combat with a turian counterpart. The marine, with a maneuvering rocket pack, did a slow decent down, gunning down the turian officer nearest to Zaeed. Foot on the ground, she turned to a doorway and opened fire with her Lancer as a few more turian soldiers rushed in.

Two more terran soldiers dropped down to support as another turian squad converged on their position. As they rushed to take one entrance to the room, a few turians burst through a door on the other side of the room. They quickly took aim before the terrans could pivot around, but Zaeed rolled over to his rifle and pulled the trigger as he gripped the handle. A spray of rounds showered the other side of the room, before he got a hold and took proper aim at the others.

The battle quickly ended, numerous dead Turian Nation soldiers littering the abandon apartment. There was another comotion outside, which was drawing attention from what was happening inside the buidling. Zaeed and the others got up, turning to the other.

He turned to the highest ranked one among them, the marine captain. "Crap, a marine save my ass," He whispered before he turned to give a quick salute, "Captain."

"Sergeant," she saluted back, "Massani, correct?"

"That's right."

"Captain Accardo, 2nd company." she turned around, "I presume this is your squad?"

He looked over her shoulder, seeing two of his men, Holst and Tabco, standing over a dead turian solider. One was taking a detailed look of a Turian Phaeston rifle, and the other was cautiously tapping the dead turian with his boot to make sure he was dead.

"That's my Able. So, may I ask why a marine is leading my army squad?"

"Nationalist forces counter-attacked after you went MIA. Naval support collapsed and they moved in full force-"

"Wait," Zaeed prompted her, "Nationalist?"

She activated her watch, remembering his situation, "Right, right. Your Command collapsed before they were informed by the Zona Rosa. Admiral Rashan sent out a final communique packet before the ships was lost. The data was raw, but well, take a look, it only take a moment to see what it means."

Zaeed opened his watch to look at the data she sent him. Skimming through transmission transcript sent to the Zona from the Brighton, the revelation became a bit more clear. He walked over to a dead turian soldier. Crouching, he got the other two to turn him over as he searched his armor for his personal IFF. A quick scan from his watch of the computer core for the IFF information confirmed what the marine captain said.

"Its not Hierarchy."

Satorius walked over, "What's going on?"

Accardo rushed in between them, "This turian here..."

"He's militia, he's with me," He stood back up, "Satorius, I presume you are, uh, acknowledged in Hierarchy politics?"

He chuckled, "Hard not to. Why does it matter? Anyone can tell Federation-Hierarchy Relationships have not been warm."

"Yah..." Zaeed looked back down, then reached over to grab an armor plating that had a military emblem on it. He handed it over.

"A Major, like I was. Hierarchy Hastatim as well… Wait, this looks recently repainted..."

"Neither you or this bird are Hierarchy," He sent the data to the rest of the group, "We aren't fighting Hierarchy troops. We are fighting the 'Turian Nation'."

Delcia gave a bewildered look, "The Nation? The Turians have one united nation, like you humans."

"Well, they either still are. Or, that isn't fact any longer..."

"So what, a coup? Or a rogue group attacked the Federation? But this is a full invasion. Unorthodox tactics, it is still organized. Either there was a clear change in government, or they got very large portion of the military to defect," Satorius took a glance out the window, "Spirits. For now, we can't stay here anymore."

"We'll fare better outside the city. A couple of reactivated ASBs on planet are preventing them from locking down the country side," said Accardo.

"Getting out will be difficult," Satorius spoke, "The city is bound to have been ranged in. And trust me, they can and will fire on so much as a small squad racing block after block."

"Your turian friend here is right. Turians guns are far more accurate. They can nail a fly from high orbit."

"And the navy can't hit a city in an atmospheric run." Zaeed direct his squad to rally and prepare to leave, "But what of civilians? There still many stuck at the park evac point a flew blocks from here."

"We are in no position to try and rescue them. Outnumbered, outgunned, even than, we need to find a designated officer just to know where to regroup with whatever remains of William's Army."

Satrorius added on, "As much as I hate to say so, but they're safer there. If the Hastatim forces with the 'Nation' still works the same way, getting them out could risking a lot of civilian casualties. With them, they have proper care, food, medicine-"

"They are our people!" Zaeed looking back and forth between the park a distance from the window, and them, growing upset all the while. "And we don't know of these 'Hastatim' are the same! They probably rebelled just to wage their own war against us! What real mercy can they expect?"

Accardo interjected, "We can't save them, Sergeant. We barley have a full size squad! There are at least a hundred down at the park alone, setting up defenses. Without any kind of support, and be aware my entire platoon could very well be dead, we'll just end up dead with nothing to show," she pointed out the window to the park, "And they might even punish our people in retaliation for attacking!"

"Damn it. We-"

An explosion rang out from the street below. They ducked to cover as stray round shredded the window glasses.

---

Part 4:

Harper and the Shanxi Resistance – Pingyao City
September 4, 2168 – 17:00:00 UTC

"I can't believe you just hijack a Turian vehicle," Ben snapped his fingers, "Just like that!"

"It was a team effort, go us," Eva said as she piloted the APC.

"She said the same thing years ago in training," remarked Jack as he fiddled with his gear. "Now, that barfight in Oakland. Now that was some teamwork."

"A casebook example of the Army and Navy working together," Ben laughed.

"Yah, uh, I remember hearing of that," she turned back to the APC's dashboard, "Jack, what can you tell me about this whole mess?"

Though such information was sensitive, Jack was less incline to protocol than to getting to the bottom of what was happening.

"Section observation post in the Turian side of the border went from green to red only an hour before the invasion. That's five hours after the blackout."

"FIA sources were green the whole time. Hell, I checked before the last main hyper-sat went down. It still was… Did William knew?"

"Of the invasion? Crap... Damn, that answer is growing slowly, but very steadily to yes. He knew these Turians were not Hierarchy. And that our main target, Primarch Arterius is leading them."

"You'll want to take a look at this, than," She quickly swiped the last data packet sent from the Zona Rosa to Harper, "They call themselves the 'Turian Nation'. And they are mad."

Jack sat back in his seat, not bothering to read it since he already knew, "God damn. He was right."

"The Damsel?" she asked, turning to him to give an angry, smirked look.

Jack frowned, "Yes… that damsel."

Ben interrupted, "But how did they get such information?"

"Section 14 has a serious leak on hand to let this happen."

Jack thought about that, "Traitors… or something else…"

"Damn," Eva pointed at the holograpic screen acting as a front viewport for the APC, "There's a check point on the avenue into the city."

Jack searched his armor for his gear, "Shit, Ben. Take this."

"Holo-cloaks?"

Eva took one from his and attached it to her armor as she entered the city proper, "You don't honestly think we can bluff a Turian road block with a disguise like this, do you?"

"These prototypes should be able to mask vital signs and even molecular scans," Jack finished configuring the device. With a quick engulfing of protons, his appearance changed to a turian soldier. His height increased by an additional thirty centimeters, and his armor changed to a Turian Ghost special force.

"Well? How do I look?" he asked.

"Like some Pterodactyl," Ben chuckled before he attached his.

"Aren't you a handsome dinosaur," Eva smugly answered. She activated hers as well.

With three "turians" in the APC, they slowed to a crawl as they moved behind a small troop convoy ahead of them. On either side of them, Hastatim squads were pouring into the buildings, searching for any terran civilians inside. The convoy ahead of them consisted of a mix of captured civilians with guards, heading to the park for internment. Most of the trucks, though, were filled with captured crates of food and supplies, each box earmarked originally for Fort Bao. These primary levo-based food and medicine were useless to the invading turians, but desperately needed for the primarily human population in their control. Clearly, in the rush, they were not equipped for a full term occupation, where logistics of this nature was often handled by allies than themselves.

Eva checked the comms, "They want someone to exit the APC and show credentials."

"I'll go," Jack checked his watch, "I should have some papers here to clear us by."

"Those guards probably wouldn't want to waste the time and anger a Ghost agent," remarked Ben.

"Why would they? There's a war to win."

Jack opened the side hatch and walked out as the APC continued to slowly roll down the road with the convoy. As he looked around outside, an army MP walked over from the truck ahead of them.

"Identifications," The MP asked.

Jack raised his wrist, his watch displaying an Omnitool display. His new cloak altered his voice too. Turian pitch, giving it the distinctive buzzing sound, "You would think that wouldn't be necessary."

"You never know with these humans," he chuckled as he scanned Jack's watch, "They're still putting up heavy resistance, even as their own ships fell down from orbit."

"Your telling me," he gave a fake smile. Where Jack's forehead really was, the disguise's mouth spoke, matching as much of his facial expression to his actual face movement, "We must have been ambushed twice by army regulars and militia just getting to the city from Bao. Damn crops make a good hiding spot."

"They should give up. Or the only thing staining their only food supply would be their red blood..." He double checked the falsified paperwork, "But damn, have you heard of Colonel Duvitis?"

"What about him?"

The MP seemed surprised, "Spirits, you Ghost can be cold. A civilian took him and an entire platoon out by blowing an entire house up with all of them in it. But get this, the civvy was a turian!"

"A traitor," he gave the expected response, but added on, "But Duvitis shouldn't have let his guard down."

"Neither will we. So, you are..."

Jack's eye strolled back to the cover name in the corner of his HUD, "Colonel Casin Lucid, 41st Legion, Ghost Operative. I'm a detachment from Primarch Arterius."

"Huh, didn't think they have special forces down here already." There was now a slowly growing suspicion emerging. But Jack knew that that was more from his own perspective, and that simply playing the conservation out will drop it, "This APC is registered marine."

"It is," telling the truth, is a way, helped, "We found it at a farm with it's assign squad, dead. An unfortunate loss, but my mission takes precedence regardless."

"Another squad? Spirits… I'll go ahead and report that in. Go on ahead."

"Thank you-"

"Casin?!"

From up ahead, another MP ran up to them. It didn't take much in the way of alien facial recognition to see that he apparently recognized the face of the disguise. Unlikely odds that someone recognized the person the program has created from files of the actual person in question.

"Major?" Jack asked, now actively hiding his unease manner.

"Major? Come on now," He gave a quick salute as part of the formality, "Come on, colonel. Its me, Hedrin!"

"Oh yes, Hedrin," No immediate file popped out, promoting him to start improvised, "I didn't recognized you there. Its been a while."

"Same here. This the man I was talking about, lieutenant."

The first MP nodded, "The major have told stories of your exploits."

"Really now?" Jack continued, putting natural charisma to authenticate the conversation, "That's too flattering of you Hedrin."

"Isn't he so modest, ha!" He took a good look of the disguise's body, "so you joined up with Primarch Arterius?"

"Part of his personal guard. Was en route to return from Fort Bao."

"A Ghost, that pretty amazing."

"Is it not?"

"Well," the second MP asked, nervously confused, "You were on a Havok Marine Team last I talked to you. I'm surprise to see you as a Ghost."

Jack had one quick moment to answer. He was matched to the closest resembling turian agent. But in a glaring failure that was the prototype cloaking system, it didn't copy their designation, but assigned a comparable one, due to him being an Army B7. Now close to being outed, it was less of what his answer was but his delivery that would save him.

"Thats the key word," he said immediately, before getting the needed pause to think what that word was, "'Were'. There was an opportunity for a promotion. I had the skills, and a rather notable recommendation. The Primarch also preferred Ghost anyway?"

"Someone wanted you as a spirit?" The second MP chuckled, showing Jack's success.

"Right? Now than, Hedrin. I need to be on-"

A quick blur across the sky was followed by a massive explosion as a Terran fighter crashed into the building ahead of them. A shock wave past through as they took cover. Instinctual, Jack rushed back to the APC. But as he ran back, the second MP turned to him. There, he saw as the holographic cloak distort from the blast. In that distortion, he saw the outline of a human under the false turian body.

"Hey!"

Jack closed the hatch and rushed to his seat.

"What was that?" asked Eva.

"A distraction, if I ever saw one. Now drive! We can make a rush for the park in the confusion."

The APC began to move out of line. The MPs rushed to stop and block it, but Eva gunned it and force them out of the way. The MPs fired at the APC as soldiers in the trucks rushed out to stop the APC as it drove by. Gun fire bounced off the APC's shields, but ahead of them was a road block squad with an anti-armor weapon. Ben rushed to man the turret, but they fired a rocket first. It exploded from under their front carriage, picking the APC up and throwing it up and over to the front of an office building.

From a blown out hole, Jack crawled out the APC. He hit the ground and rolled over to the curb. His cloak kept distorting, showing his true self under the hologram. A few turian soldiers cautiously approached him, before gunfire erupted from the front entrance of the building.

---

Part 5:

Williams and Paris – Shanxi Grasslands
September 4, 2168 – 17:00:00 UTC

"What do you know, Williams?"

"What do you mean, 'What do I know'?"

A slam of the foot down and a hard right twist of the wheel, and the jeep jolted in response. A sharp right drift followed, leaving a long burnt rubber streak down the road as it came to a halt. Williams grabbed hold of the frame, Paris' glare locked on him as he banked back left and brought the vehicle to a halt.

"Jesus, Paris, what the hell was…"

"I know you and your Section 14 has something to do with this war!" He slammed his fist on the wheel, "So help me God and Terra, you will tell me!"

Williams looked at him, in humored contempt, "Admiral, you must be deranged-"

A pistol drew, and the business end of a modern Phalanx graced Williams' cheek, the notable sound of the expanding weapon alerting its presence and use. As Paris moved his mouth open, the click of a cocked hammer came from underneath him. He didn't need to look down to see the ancient Peacemaker stabbing at his ribcage.

A moment of silence passed between them. Smoke and dark clouds hovered above in the sky, only the occasional sound of gunfire and explosions interrupted the stared down.

"Well than," Williams broke in at last, "What is it you want, Agent Y?"

Paris frowned, "How did you know?"

"Admiral, you accuse me, yet you know not of what you actually accusing me of? Come now, Paris. I expect more from the opposition. Though, getting this far is worth giving credit to."

"No more games, Williams. In just hours, millions are dead. How many more in the next few days? How many more if this war turns into something more than an incursion into our space?"

He gave a cold smile, "I asked that same question, once. How long does a fire burn?" Williams gestured to the world around them, burning in the aftermath of the battle, "Man wills it to burn and scorch what he wishes. But fire set aflame has no master. It consumes until nothing left."

Paris stared at him in confusion, then grew tired. "Enough poems. What is Section 14 doing?"

Williams turned away, "Nothing. This, I bear on my own." He looked back and lowered his pistol, "So where do we go from here?"

"Christ damn," Paris lowered his gun and sat back on his seat, "What the hell is going on?"

Against the push of the cool breeze, a feint snap of a broken corn stalk momentarily filled the air. Instantly, the two officers pulled their weapons, this time aiming above the shoulders of their counterpart. From the corn fields on each side of the road, several Turian soldiers burst out and surrounded their jeep. A shuttle jetted from the horizon and began circling their position, with more marines jetting down as one manned a machine gun aimed at them.

"Drop your weapons! You're surrounded!"

"Ambush," Williams grunted, before staring at Paris in annoyance, "Couldn't you have a least kept driving while confronting me on some massive galactic conspiracy?"

"You have five seconds to comply!"

"Go to hell, Williams. Well? Count of three?"

"Just fire, you moron."

Paris oblige and fired over Williams' shoulder and at a soldier. Paris ducked as Williams slid out the jeep, firing a magnetically propelled .45 round into a marine overlooking Paris. He hit the ground and rolled, dodging two more turians before jumping back up. Paris turned to block another marine charging into his seat. He pivoted around and double kicked him, then lunged out.

Williams turned and fired another hefty round, bashing barriers and metal skin of one as he reached for an electric prod in the jeep to shock the next one. One Turian marine lunge at Paris with her rifle, but Paris quickly side stepped her and bashed her behind the head. Two more took aim at him, one with a rocket launcher holstered on his back, but Paris rushed to grab the debilitated marine and turn her to face her own. In the hesitation to fire, Paris fired back at them, forcing them to scattered before he shoved forwrad and shot her as well. As he reached for a fallen rifle, he turned back and fired at Williams' way, downing another solider.

Williams quickly emptied his revolver, blowing away another solider before he electrocuted a marine charging at him, omniblade at the ready. He quickly reloaded another moon clip in as the shuttle began firing down. Paris finished dispatching the last solider on his side, then turned to fire at the gunner, where his special forces training equated to numerous pistol rounds effectively suppressing the gunner from firing. Paris attempted to delay the gunner, Williams opted to quickly end the shuttle threat.

He got into firing position, legs parallel, and aimed for the main thruster. With a gasp of air, he fired an energized round. Coursing straight through the barrier, he intended it to strike the inside of the thrust vent, shattering an inner ceramic plate. The pieces would scatter inward into the engine, striking vital engine parts. One small round in just the right part would down the shuttle completely.

Paris turned to look. The round had missed, penetrating the kinetic barrier, but ricocheted off the armor. He turned to Williams with a disappointed look, who in turn just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Paris swiped the launcher off one of the dead marines, and launched a rocket that did the shuttle in instead.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Some gunslinger?"

The shuttle crashed into the ground, unleashing a fierce blast, but Williams looked to revolver in confusion, "I swear I pulled that same shot of just hours ago…"

A moment passed. The two stared at the wreck as a dozen dead turians littered the road around them. The day grew closer to an end; the sky darkening, yet the flashes of skirmishes all around them still consuming the sky and the horizon all around. The first day nearing its end, but far from over.

They both quietly sighed, then turned and raised their pistols at each other.

"Well, Williams?" Paris demanded once more.

Williams stared at him for a moment, then lowered his revolver.

"I might as well," he chuckled, gesturing to all around them, "I doubt either of us is making it out of here, so what's the harm, right?"

Paris slowly walked back to the driver's seat, "How comforting..."

Williams holstered his pistol and pulled off a dead turian that had fell into his seat, "Just drive."

---

Part 6:

Fedorian and Victus – THV Proficio
September 4, 2168 – 20:00:00 UTC

Victus sat in his cell bunk, waiting to hear of news from the outside. A few guards stood there, guarding the general. There was than a slightly moaning sound resonating from the super structure of the ship. From all the regular stress the ship went through in combat, the guards didn't notice. But Victus could distinguish the sound. Unlike mass effect FTL drive, there was a notable amount of stress on a ship leaving warp. It was nothing a war ship couldn't handle, but the way the stress came onto the ship was unique, and was something Victus, who headed Research and Development, was well aware of.

"Where have we arrived?"

"We are not allowed to disclose that, general," said the guard, who had already disclosed more than he should. Without sensors or a view outside, leaving FTL was hard to notice.

"Of course…"

The main brig door opened and Admiral Fedorian walked in. They saluted to him, then left when he dismissed them to be alone. Victus stood up and saluted him as he walked up to the sealed glass hatch separating them.

"Are you allowed to disclose where we are?" he said with amusement.

Fedorian simply saluted back, then replied, "We arrive over Palaven. As for what happened in Rubico, the situation…"

"The battle of-"

"The Situation at Rubico was inconclusive. But costly."

"So, here we are," Victus sat back down and began contemplating, "So many dead in a single day. How many more… How much longer?"

"The stars are far and vast. But the area of Primarch Arterius' campaign is small. The humans lost Shanxi, and their heart of Arcturus is exposed. They lose it, and the war is over. At any rate, that's just days away. We have little time to act"

Victus leaned back against the bulkhead, "Whole millennia can pass by, and the waters would remain still and calm. But a mere second, and whole tsunamis have risen to wash everything away."

Fedorian gave a small nod. In just two days, the galaxy has been utterly changed. As much as he tried to think about, any sign of it happening simply didn't seem even remotely enough to warn of it. Of course, First Contact just a year back had no warning. As he turned to grab a seat and sit down across from Victus, the odd change in position wasn't loss on him. But to each man, his own trouble.

"The professor tells me this hacking program they have is Terran based?"

Victus nodded, "It was news to me too. The Terrans are being torn to shreds by their own creation."

"We both are. But I worked with Arterius. He may know more. To think I supported the man. I wanted this build up, these tools and technology to prevent a war, not give the means to start one." He gave a chuckle, mandibles wide open, "I helped him start a war with the Terrans, and now I started a civil war to stop it."

"We're both in trouble, from the looks of it."

"Maybe…" He sat up and leaned over, "But what's left of the Hierarchy needs an Admiral trained to use all our new tool at our disposal-"

"So, save your plates." Victus gave a smug smile.

"And the man who help created those tools."

Fedorian stood up and pressed the adjacent console pad. Victus' cell opened in front of him.

"Whats going on?"

"Adrien, I have to fight what will surely be a short, yet massive civil war in our own home space. Arterius has too much of an advantage, so I need people who can get me what I need to even the odds."

"Me?"

He pulled Victus out the cell, "If we're lucky, I'll have to chase that barefaced traitor across the galaxy. Every planet, Hierarchy and Federation, he takes, and I will take back. And I'll need everyone on board."

"Good to know I can be of use."

Fedorian gave a short chuckle, "That, and your mother would never forgive me."

Victus nodded, "That I understand. I might have an idea of the next project we should call into service."

"What we have is at your and the Professor's disposal."

"Yes..." Victus thought about it, "And if the odds are not in our favor?"

Fedorian gestured to follow him out. The guards looked surprise that Fedorian was leading Victus away from his cell.

"Then I need everything possible to reunite the Turian race. Because the Human race will be gunning for us next."

---

It's an idea that shaped modern humanity. Something, that I hoped, our children would never understand in its old form. My son, the United Generation, saw it unite humanity for the first time. My grandson, The Revivalist Generation, saw it save man from disintegration when the Angels fell on old Earth. And now the Contact Generation would now see it unite entirely different races on a mere idea that transcend evolution and thinking.

But for us old Founders, we remember when this word was not some name of a now failed political party, but an ideology that shaped the course of modern history. We lived to see it rise, then crush humanity once. Now we will live to see it as the means for Terran greatness, and as the tool to destroy what we made, all in its name.

You see, Nationalism was like a promise. One that promised a new greatness as we fought for the future, but was perverted by the evils of man. People united by an idea, and a few willing to use the collective power of so many for their goals. Nationalism forged new nations. From a common language, faith, traditions, nations like France, Russia, or England were born. As we evolved, ideologies united us and gave birth to America, Europa, the Commonwealth. People looked beyond tribes and blood, and they forged world powers. But the idea of unity is dangerous. The call for unity can breed the opposite. Democracy always tends to provide the means to its own destruction. We saw the rally call for nationhood turned into a force for oppression, an idea to uplift and unite as a divider that bread hate for our fellow humans. The Twentieth Century saw nationalism bring out the worst of humanity. The Twenty-First Century and the Great Decay saw how it divided ourselves and nearly denied us the future.

But the idea still promised greatness to whoever can wield it, to whoever can use it. As odd as it is now, Terran Nationalism was an oxymoron in my youth. Sure, people liked the idea of a united humanity. But through the structure of a single nation? The Alliance, the Union, the Commonwealth, Coalition, they came first before Earth, before Terra. More so the smaller groups of people in them that united out of common interest and defense than love for the larger entities. But a few said no. 'Damn the old boundaries, the divisions of ethnics, language, faith'. There was only Terra, the Terran People, the Terran Race.

It reminded me of that old motto of the Terran Union-Nationalist, before their breakup: Globalism-the new Nationalism. Loyalty to Terra, only to Terra.

And in time, it did become that. The Federation gave us a nation state above all else. We were told, learned, sometimes force to turn our backs to the past, only the future belong to a united humanity. Ironically, the resistance to that, the Great Revival, wiped away all the old bounders, the blood ties to the past. For too many, 'Terran' was the only way to identify themselves against everything else that, in a single moment, nearly destroyed what we forged. To be Terran, only Terran, saved us. But we should have foresaw that some would think such a title, such citizenship, was exclusive.

Damn this now long life. Oh god, the irony of the thing. As an American, I remember when we asked, 'What would the Founding Fathers have wanted?' Now I am one, and as I see humanity divided between the Terran People, and the Terran Race, I know this wasn't what we wanted. But no one really cares what we want though; just the idea of what we wanted. Again, we are willing to use our evil, and pervert what saved mankind. Now I fear the thing we created will destroy itself. What a time, and tragedy, to be alive. No dull moment in the Terran Nation…

Section 14 'Eye of Providence' High-Value Civilian Surveillance: Written Entry from the private journal of Terran Founder and Business Magnate Althea Bishop. Set as the "Shadow Civil War" between Section 14 and Cerberus escalates. Date Stamp: March 15, 2180.

---

'Service Guarantees Citizenship'? What? I mean, like who is this even aimed for? We're on Earth! Virtually everyone who sees this is already a citizen. How is this going to convince people to join the mil… 'Would you like to know more?'

Oh hell no. We allocate billions of dollars to Military Recruitment, and the best they can think of was stealing a line from that stupid damn movie?! Someone at the DoD is gonna get my holographic foot up their ass!

A recorded audio file of AI Congressman Kelso of United Sol, upon seeing the latest Terran Military Recruitment Poster during a private Congressional committee hearing on military recruitment: July 17, 2170

---

CNN: Special Report: Terran Date: August 1, 2168

Terran Citizenship and the idea of Unity

In the small, Terran colonial border world of Shanxi, several dozen people gather in a small auditorium. Hailing from different worlds in Council and Terminus space, and all of different races outside Terran space, today they will officially be bestowed citizenship into the United Terran Federation. For them, they are being welcomed into a galactic power who would see and view them as one of their own people. For the Human-lead terrans, just as they sang during the Skillian Blitz, they "Welcome into (their) ranks, a million freeman more". All of them shouting the Terran "Battle Cry of Freedom".

With this, it is important to understand how the concept of "citizenship" differs from how many of the different nations in the council view it versus how the humans have. After thousand of years, citizenship has become a technical term in Council space. Each nation in the Council, through having an established structure for immigration, are more concern with what benefits their people, or more accurately their race, could gain with being a part of the greater Citadel Council. Adding to the fact that movement between each nation state is unrestricted, and most have lax laws on their own people's movement and activities, holding citizenship to any of the nations states in the Council is more of a formality than a definitive status.

In Federation space, this is a far more important issue. As humanity only united within recent memory for them, identity as a Terran is very important to maintain unity for their race, whose division and their will to crush dissent still dominates the mindset of every human today. Citizenship, for both human and alien, is an important tool to enforce this unity. As more enter their ranks, humanity have taken to great length to promote the idea of single national unity. This is something that is nearly non-existent in the Salarian Union, remains a back-burner situation in Asari politics, and is something the Turians fought themselves for, but could only apply to their own race, and not their client members.

Now citizenship in the Federation has its perks, including what many would expect from being a citizen of the Council nations. The Terrans are quite protective of their people on the intragalactic stage, given the rather extensive means the Terran Diplomatic Corps have gone to resolve problems caused by their people. Broadcasting themselves as a land of opportunity, the humans have backed that claim with an expanding economy and a well structured welfare system, promoting economic ventures and risk in an economy demanding a larger workforce and a massive influx of investing capital to go around. Finally, with a surprisingly lax immigration policy, the Terrans have welcome both those who feel suppressed in the Council worlds and those in the Terminus that have been shut out of the prosperity of the Council. This has become a propaganda piece in showcasing the seeming moral supremacy of the Federation over the Council.

But its important to know what position the Human-Terrans are in. Welcoming the Quarians and Batarians in have sparked massive dissent and even rebellion the past year. Federal policy has been clear to suppress those opposing, with anti-alien speech being all but illegal and any sign of rebellion being crushed by the massive terran military. Separatist ideals are illegal, as all colonial ventures must be government approved and are part of the Federation, so independent worlds are not possible. Citizenship itself can not be renounced, making being a Terran permanent and hard to remove, even if only by name. Though taboo to say openly, the Terrans have constantly used the Great Revival, the civil war rebellion on the human homeworld, as both a demonstration and a precedence of what the government is willing to do to crush 'dividing dissidents'. Let it be reminded that the Human Great Revival claimed between 1.1-3.9 billion lives, a three year war that equal to half the amount that died in the centuries long Rachni War or a quarter the amount in the century long Krogan Rebellion.

To the many getting or apply for Terran citizenship, there is much optimism. The hope for a better future, for political and economical freedom remains, one the humans will anything to grant. But in that willingness, the Federation is willing to crush any internal, let alone external, threat to secure it, and many are ready to fight back. Terran unity remains quite artificial in a way, but it is clear that the Human-lead Federation has devoted all effort to promote the idea of the Terran People and Terran Way of Life. The stability and even survival of the Federation, and humanity really, rest on protecting this idea. Those joining will have much to gain, that would be for sure. But they will face their own, new challenges with being citizens, and being Terrans.

Authored by: Serena A'sora, Citadel News Network

---

CNN: Sports Analysis: Special Report. Terran Date: July 15, 2168

Terran 'Kinetic' Officer Reginald Mitchells sweeps Thessian Biotic Competition to Finals!

The Thessian Biotic Competition! The premier biotic competition in the known galaxy. From across the galaxy, the best biotics from all walks of life come to Thessia, the heart of Asari civilization. As a race of all biotics, the Matriarchs of Thessia, the unofficial but all powerful governing body of the unified Asari Republics, have been hosting this competition for nearly a millennium.

With the Federation's entrance into the galaxy, many new biotic contenders, called 'Kinetics' in the Federation, have arrived from the Terran worlds to compete in this great galactic competition. With the terrans, a variety of competitors form different races under the terran banner have come. This includes the return of Batarian Yohaen Mivon, the former Champion of the competition in 2889 GS that was charge for political dissent and imprisoned nearly twenty years ago. In an interview, he remarked of his safe return and expressed his happiness in competing, stating he'll do his part to make his new nation proud.

New to the arena were the few and rare Quarian biotics, including the skilled Terran Naval Commander Iskra'Sacco Vas Putingrad. Since the Geth rebellion, the quarians were banned from competing. This was reverse by the matriarchs six months ago in a politically high profile decision. This in part of the rebuilding of Quarian relationships in the galaxy, another in part that Sacco was trained by a high ranking matriarch, and mainly since Fleet Admiral Darya, Sacco's direct senior officer, threaten 'boycotting' the event if she and her kind were not allowed to compete. Military analysts believe 'boycotting' was a Human term for placing her ships into orbital bombardment position.

Gunboat Diplomacy aside, one of the most prominent terrans competing was the human Terran Naval Lieutenant Reginald Mitchell. A member of the terran marine's elite N7 special forces, he was infamously nicknamed 'The Butcher of Torfan', where he incurred heavy casualties in leading a team in eliminating, if not massacring the entire Hegemony-in-Exile government. Officially, he has transferred to the Navy to continue his military career up the rank. According to rumors, he was transferred over as punishment for a fight during the Liberation of Illium.

From the very first round, he dominated the competition. Like other human biotics, he was one of the second generation of biotics, born from the eezo poisoning of Earth during the Terran Civil War. With humanity still new to the potential of biotics, his skill set was rather limited. But what he excelled at was part of the human's quick adaptation to utilizing their biotics. With skill set akin to the 'Vanguard' style biotic soldier, his performance was simple, yet brutal.

From his first match, he made his way up the chart, with a spectacular Round 10 fight with former Cabal Nyreen Kandros to his semi-final upset against Asari Spectre Tele Vasir, a fellow Vanguard. His performance showcased the pure strength that a human biotic could wield.

To simplify his crowd-grabbing performance, he simply charged at all his opponents. The Biotic Charge is the staple of the Vanguard style biotic ability. High risk in charging an enemy, but with very high reward. From the start, he knocked out one opponent after the other. No matter how strong a barrier the best 'Adept' competitor could do, he smashed through and as the humans say, 'cleaned house' throughout the competition. His finishing technique, which he called a 'Nova' blast after each charge, is already being rumored to being adapted into use by many different matriarchs into Vanguard training.

In the finals, he came up against Matriarch Benezia, the head matriarch who trains the famed Asari Commandos from the many republics on Thessia. With his sudden raise, he was placed at the high success rate of just 1:50 in beating the champion of 378 of the last seven hundred hundred years. Unsurprisingly, in the end, the more skilled and experience Benezia won. As soon as the match began, Mitchell threw several shock waves to distract the matriarch. But she saw through it and when Mitchell charged, she used her powerful biotic and stopped him in his track. She then picked him up into the air and smashed him to the ground, knocking him out.

Still, in spite second place, his performance has fired up audience across the federation. In an after-match interview, he stated "Given my first time here, I am very proud of my performance." When criticized by one human reporter, Mitchell responded in the time-old human tradition of punching them. Many more terrans of all races place high in the competition. Many more are expected to be turning out in the coming years as biotic type sports become popular in terran space.

Authored by: Joplin Morris, Citadel News Network

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\/\/\/\/\/\/ A/N \/\/\/\/\/\/

Hello everyone!

Sorry for that massively long delay.
In short, I tried to do a two part with this again, and all I got
was a bad case of Writer's Block and life getting in the way for all my trouble.
In any case, I'll be trying to set more realistic standard to getting this out.

If you can, give me feedback. The past chapter and this one (and the next one)
is jumping back between the first and second day of war. Do you find that confusing?
Or are you okay with that?
My promise it stays time organized after Ch 36.

Just as well, while feedback had been mostly good for the later part of this story, I am getting
negative feedback on the first part of this story.
All of you reading to this point and staying with me,
Should I do a rewrite of Chapter 1?
Is there anything that could be improve to better support the later part of the story?
Your feedback would be very appreciated in improving this story.

Anyway, and as always, thanks for reading and please feel free to review and comment.
I welcome all constructive comments, for I always aim to improve my writing!
If you got any questions or opinions to voice, always feel free to add it to a review, or PM me.
I'd be glad to answer!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

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Posted on November 1, 2018