August 17, 11,958 CE
Near Lasalkan Asteroid Field IV, Lasalkan System, Miridem Sector, Exodus Cluster…
A small Quarian smuggling vessel, the Cykire, dropped back to sublight speed as its FTL drive cut off.
"Did we finally shake them?" The co-pilot, Haalo'Xigar nar Ledoruk, questioned nervously as soon as the stars reverted to normal.
"Yeah, I think we did," Captain Feemi'Yuram nar Vaechol sighed. "Who'd have thought our client would double-cross the Batarians, of all people?"
"That's your fault," The ship's gunner, Zaaha'Yaenn nar Sheeji climbed down from the turret she had been manning. "You should have researched the client background beforehand! Then we wouldn't have the four-eyes on our tail!" She paused for a moment and looked to the ship's only non-Quarian crew member, the ship's engineer, a Batarian exile named Krank Garbarah. "No offense meant."
"Eh, I'm used to it by now," Krank waved the comment away. "Get me another drink- basic functions are working, but navigation is a little wonky, and it will take a while before I get comms back online."
As Zaaha passed Krank a can of Batarian ale, Haalo looked on skeptically. "Are you sure you should be drunk when working?"
"Nah, he's always drunk," Captain Feemi dismissed, propping her feet up on the dashboard, and letting the back of her seat incline backward until it was nearly horizontal. "I'm going to take a nap. Wake me if something happens, or if repairs are done."
1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
About five hours later…
Zaaha finished another round of cards and pumped her fist in the air. "I win again!"
Haalo groaned and dropped the cards he had left, begrudgingly shoving some of his tokens to Zaaha.
"Uh, wait, where did my winnings go?" Zaaha questioned, puzzled. She looked around the cabin, until she found Krank, who was now snoring, smelling of ale. And right beside him was a little pile of tokens.
"Damn kleptomaniac," Zaaha grumbled, swiping them back.
Krank had been a pickpocket once, and had a psychological compulsion to nab just about everything not nailed down. But he almost always returned what he took, sometimes before anyone noticed it was missing... and eventually, and the crew had gotten more-or-less used to his antics over time.
"New game," Haalo insisted. "I won't lose this time!"
"Uhh... guys, have you been paying attention to the sensors?" Krank exclaimed, crawling up from his drunken nap.
"What- ? Oh, crap!" Co-Pilot Haalo realized, rushing back to his console. "Shit, shit, shit!"
"What is it?" Zaaha demanded.
"A whole bunch of unidentified ships incoming! Capital ships, classification unknown! They look about... three cruiser-sized, six destroyer-sized, ten frigate-sized. Fighters- drones? Thousands of them!"
"Get up sleepy-head!" Zaaha hurled an empty drink can at the dozing Captain Feemi, who woke up, startled.
"Wha- what-"
"Unknown contacts incoming! Thousands of fighters! 19 capital ships!"
Feemi came awake in an instant. "Powering up engines! Haalo, set nav points!"
"Wh-Where-?"
"Doesn't matter, anywhere but here!"
"Th-It- needs to take awhile-"
"Just do it!"
"Looks a little late for that!" Zaaha warned, as the first wave of enemies, appearing to be some sort of small, nimble drones, began bombarding the ship. Zaaha scrambled up the ladder to the turret pod, and began firing incessantly, chopping into the ranks of the enemy drones.
Captain Feemi attempted to navigate the ship, dodging both asteroids and enemy drones, as difficult as the latter was. Many drones refused to get away and ended up getting crushed against the ship's kinetic barriers or its hull.
"Hurry- hurry-!" Captain Feemi warned, watching enemy capital ships advancing ever closer.
"There, got it!" Haalo shouted. "Punch it."
With that, the Cykire activated its Mass Effect Drive, and it leapt into FTL travel, instantly leaving the hostile drones in the dust.
On board, the crew members sighed a breath of relief.
"What... the hell... was that?!" Zaaha exclaimed.
"Some... sort of automated drone?" Haalo stated. "But... soo many..."
"Maybe they're Batarian? Who knows, perhaps the Batarians have a secret facility here."
"They're not Batarian," Krank scoffed. "That's ludicrious. The design is nothing alike. How do we know it wasn't the Turians... or the Salarians? I wouldn't put it past STG..."
"It doesn't matter," Captain Feemi waved it away. "Whatever it is, perhaps it's best not to know, or we could get on the bad side of some very nasty people."
"Just like you did, dealing with that dumb Volus..." Zaaha muttered darkly.
"I'm sure we can all agree we don't want to go there again?" Haalo questioned, and all the crewmembers nodded in unison.
"Great! Then let's get this cargo down to the Nemean Abyss, and forget any of this ever happened," Captain Feemi declared.
1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Priority Transmission Omega-Alpha
Queen Sheebaloth-3 to Organization -
At 23:41 Earth UTC on August 17, 11,958 CE, my drones had a surprise encounter with an unidentified alien vessel with Element Zero signatures in the Lasalkan System, and engaged it with limited force, as per the Onager Protocol. Despite possessing weaponry, the ship did not appear to be a warship, but rather a scout or stealth ship. Predictably, the vessel escaped, after inflicting minor losses on my drones.
Three hours after its departure, a large force of about a half-dozen frigate and corvette-sized warships entered the system. This time I kept my drones hidden in the asteroid field, but surveilled them. These ships appeared of radically-different design, but all still registering Mass Effect signatures. The vessels did not act like an invasion force, but rather like a search or hunting party. A rivaling faction or civilization, perhaps?
Awaiting further orders.
1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Priority Transmission Alpha-Omega
Organization - to Sheebaloth-3
Excellent work, Queen. Clean up as much Locust debris from the system as possible, and remain prepared for the possibility of evacuation. If further alien vessels are seen, withdraw forces from the Lasalkan System. Otherwise, in 72 hours, you are to continue business as usual. When at all possible, avoid all possible conflict or engagement of any kind with alien forces. If unanticipated engagement is underway, disengage whenever reasonably possible.
The Organization thanks you for your continued service. For Organization -!
1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
August 17, 11,958 CE
Organization ? Headquarters at Svalbard, former Kingdom of Norway, Earth, Sol System, Earth Sector, Earth Cluster…
For once, Deputy Director Manah wasn't sure where to start at an Organization meeting, and one attended only by Templar Paladins, no less. All the Specialized Android Agents, and even the Templar Knights were being kept in the dark.
"So… I guess our first encounter with a spacefaring race?" Templar Paladin, Agent P-L- also known as Leah, shrugged, covering for Manah. "Or I guess it should be the Locusts' first encounter, more like. I mean, Earth has seen the invasion of those Alien motherships in 5012, but none of us were around to see that."
"Well, we don't know if the aliens that the URDC ran into on Geonosis are spacefaring. Or if they're related to the ship the Locusts encountered in some way."
"Regardless, I think this encounter only proves the effectiveness of Project Locust," Agent P-F pointed out, adding in her two cents. "I confess I had my doubts, but the project seems to be working out swimmingly so far."
A chorus of nods ran through the Organization Templars gathered in the room.
Finally feeling the words she wanted, Manah began to speak up.
"Right… so you know why we can't allow a formal first contact scenario to happen just yet. Think about- if they were the fringes of a vast galactic civilization- or even just an arm of the galaxy- imagine how many resources, worlds, population, ships they might have. And imagine if they were hostile to us." Manah paused to let the words sink in.
"We don't desire to make enemies of the galaxy, we wish to establish peaceful relations," Manah continued. "But the other side may not extend the same courtesy to us! And we currently don't have the power to fight off an entire galaxy, not by a long shot."
"You got that right, red-eyes," Templar Paladin P-000 snorted derisively.
"Pot calling the kettle black," Manah stopped to give P-000 a glare before continuing. "And perhaps we will never have the ability to single-handedly seize the galaxy for ourselves. But that's okay, because that's not our intention. We just need to assemble enough force to decisively thrash the other races in a decisive engagement should they come looking for trouble, and force them to the negotiating table. A quick, decisive war with limited casualties. Not that I expect the peace to last in such a case. This will likely lead to subsequent conflicts, a cold war of sorts, proxy wars, and an arms race. And there- that- is where our true goal lies."
"Do you think the other spacefaring races will come looking for trouble?" Paladin Agent P-U asked. "You seem awfully convinced that is the case."
"I would be pleased to be proven otherwise," Manah raised her eyebrows. "But even in such a case, an arms race is all but unavoidable. Even if their politicians play nice, it's hard to imagine their military brass won't eye the Union with suspicion. And we should welcome that."
"The matter remains on whether we should make this matter known to the rest of the Organization, Manah," Paladin Agent P-N, or Nowe, offered. "If not the SAAs, at least the Templar Knights?"
"That does sound like a reasonable idea," Agent P-E concurred slowly, as did Agent P-S.
"Very well, Nowe," Manah's voice softened considerably. "We'll make this known to the Templar Knights, but not to the SAAs. At least for now."