2020 Annual One-Shot Anthology
A selection of short stories
This is a document that will list many one-shot stories from the Premiseverse. The majority of these stories come from the members of the Premiseverse Discord community.
LP's A/N: The second winner at the apprentice level of writing is Vundar. Like Aberron, he also chose to submit a pair of pieces. Now keep in mind as you read these that the 'apprentice' level is really meant for people who haven't written much of anything before, much less in the Premiseverse with all its evershifting lore and trolling hidden behind hints.
To quote myself in the comments to him, 'Wonderfully done piece that expands on the absolute tiny bits of lore proffered so far to expand and provide vorcha that demonstrate they are not mindless idiots as they are in canon.' Again, I'd be pleased if I'd written these myself.
Vundar's A/N: The genesis for this story is a throwaway line in That Which Cannot Die about the Volus recruiting Vorcha pilots and my own imagination wanting to crash that idea into Top Gun. Then I thought, "Hey, the other races would be pissed that they didn't think about it first and would try to cause issues." I'm still disappointed that I couldn't work in a volleyball scene but I'm overall happy with the result.
(In regards to the second piece): I love mecha fights. Giant robots doing awesome stuff will never get old for me and I saw the opportunity to fill in a small gap in the Premiseverse so I took it. This has aspects taken from Mechwarrior, Starship Troopers, and Mass Effect itself.
Vundar: on the worth of words to a Vorcha & Ragnarok
"...the request of the subcommittee for sapient rights to look into the alleged abuses by the Volus is approved so long as there is no dissent amongst the Council. Do any oppose?
Let the record show there was no opposition and the subcommittee request is approved."
~Councilor Tevos, Citadel Council Meeting Minutes
An Open Letter from Clan Leader Mee'er to the Citadel Council
Clans of VDF want reply to bad-talk made by Council against our brothers and our lives. Clan leaders found calling beyond and above the offer of Heshtok, combat, and even spawn.
Six clans called by Vol. Three clan for void, two for soil, and one for rescue. We serve Protectorate in ways that they cannot serve themselves or others. Vol-Brothers ill suited to struggle. They offer reward for those who take their place. Heshtok-Clan take training, equipment, and direction from Vol-Brothers. We Heshtok-Clan have been given fair treatment by our Vol-Brothers. They say enemies outside. We see enemies attack Vol-Ships. We protect. They say friend need help. We help!
No more better tribe to remove people during Ilium trah-jah-dee than Rescue-Clan. We remove more non-combats than any other. VDF suffer rad death to four of eight clan-mates sent to surface. Vol-Brother tell us search teams find Ninety-Hundreds of Thessia-Tribe, otherwise lost to rad death. Who do better? Cerbrus and Alliance not even try! They have rad death in nine breaths anyway. Last teams on ground are Heshtok! Most Thessia-Tribe found by Heshtok!
No more better tribe to make Vol-Brothers safe in void. We hear of Earth-Clan void fighters who say they best. No Earth-Clan void fighter raised on heavy-grav space colony. Heshtok-Clan void fighters raised with one-fist grav level base. Earth-Clan fighters stop fight at three-fist grav level, Heshtok-Clan train to fight at five-fist! Heshtok-Clan pilot even break record of Moreau from Earth-clan! Void-Clan Commander Shiarx land two torpedoes in Relay 314 Incident, Battle of Terra Simlation on lead Palavan-Clan Dreadnaught. His wingman landed third, destroying it. If Earth-Clan had help from Heshtok-Tribe as helped by Vol-Brothers during incident Earth-Clan would have won. Thessia-Clan help not even needed.
These feat are nothing when compare with offering of soil clans. Clan Mee'er and Clan Hail given training and gear to make all soil tremble! Vol-Brothers train for Art-Strikes and Orb-Strikes. Biggest and longest of booms! Anything closer handled by us. Armour Grav Tank and Mec-Soldier taken by Mee'er. Ground slog by many number handled by Hail. Vol-Brother estimate that our clans take any planet if you give six-fist days. Me think Vol-Brother wrong. Give me two-fist days of how I want fight and only Heshtok-Clan will stand at end.
We are VDF. We fight for Vol-Brothers. We fight for Council brothers and sister. We do the needful because the needful needs be done.
*original document "signed" with the bloody claw print of Clan Leader Mee'er
Battlespace Interview
"What do you mean interview a bunch of Vorcha? What do I even ask? How many babies have they eaten this week? Ask how many colonies they've raided this month?"
~Diana Allers
Diana Allers: "I'm here on the VDF Consequtio with two soldiers of the Volus-Vorcha Combined Fleet. My viewers have been screaming to hear more about our newest allied forces after the incendiary open letter sent by Clan Leader Mee'er. We'll start with you, Clan Leader Hail. Can you tell us what you do within the VDF?"
Clan Leader Hail: The massive dark furred Vorcha nods and leans forward, "We clan leaders roughly same rank as Alliance General. Each clan have separate specialty and focus. Clan Hail mostly charged with scouting, guerilla ops, and chaos. We cover light infantry duties but also offer troops for ship to ship boarding action."
DA: "Assuming it's not classified, may I ask how many troops you command?"
CLH: "Clan Hail have 140,000 troops at ready and 27,000 more ready next month. Vol-Clan math people think that this time next cycle I be in charge of one third of one million soldiers."
DA: "And changing gears a bit, Commander Shiarx, can you remind the viewers what you do with the VDF?"
CS: A lanky, lightly brindled Vorcha leans forward with a toothy smile, "Shiarx is top rated pilot in the VDF. The Consequtio is part of a three ship 'tachment. When combined drop happen, Shiarx commands combined wing of fighters. Otherwise in charge of local squad."
DA: "I understand that the ship we're on is one of the most recent refits in the VDF. Do you know how it was altered?"
*Footage plays of a ship. It's the size of a large Turian destroyer with fighter craft bolted across almost any available space and missile ports taking up much of the space left over*
CS: "I'm no engineer, but I learn these ships old model refit for escort carrier. Take old Claw Destroyer hull, remake for fighter carrier and other fun… boarding torpedo, ewar burst. Meant as alpha striker. Come, drop chaff, fighters, torp, missile, more chaff, get out. Best when behind lines after fight start… How we dropped in Sol sim-lation. Very effective, nobody expect, nobody train for respond to this."
DA: "That leads us to one of the most asked questions of my viewers. How did you manage to outperform the entire SOLGUARD and land those torpedo hits? The top rated Systems Alliance pilot managed one in a sim and was shot down shortly after."
CS: The Vorcha chuckles slightly, "Two big thing we have for advantage. First and main is that Vorcha are just better for fighter. VDF only space force where pilot need hold back from cause ship shake apart from g-force. Earth-Clan pilots can only handle 10g before needing to break off. Heshtok-Clan handle 15, some as high as 17 before damage to pilot. Ship have cut off at 14g to stop damage to hull. Second advantage almost as large. Cost for every two squad of fighter any other clan have, Heshtok have three. That many more fighters on field mean that many more torps to maybe hit. Number game… Irune-Clan brothers big fans of more missiles so we follow.
Answer for actual question is tactics and numbers. In history, Sol-gard mount final defense of Sol system near orbit of Jupiter. Fifty-six Cruiser and support scraped from anywhere. Our sim take three destroyer from that line and set two light minutes below orbit of planet. When fleets engage we FTL hop to behind Palaven-Clan dread group, drop wing, and fight to last. We manage take down dread, five cruiser, and four frigate before going down. It good fight but not have mattered in end. Thessia-Clan still need have helped."
DA: "Even with that being the case that's an amazing feat. Can you tell us how it is that the Vorcha pilots can perform so much more effectively?"
CS: "It mostly come to training and upbringing. Heshtok-Clan set for VDF service taken at eight month mark, given tests for which combat clan best, then train from there. Void-Clan fighter pilots moved to station that 4g heavy at all time then trained for how handle more. Normal Vorcha off street can handle 13g, but we train and adapt for higher. Void-Clan force natural Vorcha adaptation to handle stronger and greater bloodflow. Even after training done, most VDF ships left at 3g normal to keep us strong. As a point to compare, the best trained Earth-Clan fighter pilot only takes 10g for short time before go sleep."
DA: "I have time for one more question. What was your reaction to the letter sent from Clan Leader Mee'er?"
CS: looks to Clan Leader Hail and receives a nod before answering, "First I hear of it was after your interview request… Talk about it to squad, most asked question was how terrible was threat to Vol-Clan message translator have been to send it in clear? Troops in Void-Clan amused, surprised at mention of myself."
CLH: "First thought was greenware concerning etiquette malfunctioned. Then saw request that anger was directed to. Something all other clans must understand… Heshtok and Vol clans are now same clan. Training methods seem harsh, but no species handle harsh like Vorcha. If you want see harsh visit Heshtoc yourself."
DA: "Thank you for your answers. That's my time. Until tomorrow this is Diana Allers. Goodnight, and stay strong."
O-ANTHOLOGY-O
Ragnarok
"Hammer 18, drop in 10,"
"Targeting VI set top priority to any Asari in red,"
" ...six, five,"
"Second priority any unarmed Asari,"
" … two, one,"
An Atlas MKII launches from the frigate hovering in low orbit. Thrusters burn to give speed and adjust course towards the landing zone.
"Tertiary targets are heavy weapon carriers. List remaining armed Asari as low threat."
Speed increases as omni-dispensers start creating ablative shields to protect the suit from the imminent heat of reentry.
"VI set reactor to 105 percent. Direct additional energy to the Plasma caster."
The pilot swats the automated warning message away. In the distance he sees several figures engulfed in flame along his flight path. Superheated air around the craft begins to roar as the reentry plasma begins to chew at his heat shields.
"VI begin playlist three, ten percent volume."
The scream of reentry is met by the scream of battle metal starting. The suit is fully engulfed in plasma as the pilot tunes his communications gear onto the Cerberus network. The fire ends as soon as it began as retro thrusters begin their job of slowing and maneuvering the craft to the target zone.
"Hammer 18 comms check."
"Five by five. Nice of you to join us Djinn. Would have been nicer twenty thousand feet ago. Status?"
"Some tech fucked up my comms, had to fix them while dropping. Seems I have time to spare so it's all good."
The ablative shield ejects from Djinn's suit with explosive bolts, launching to a safe distance before exploding into large chunks of sensor reflective material. Djinn laughs lowly at the wonderful day that the Ilium GTS techs must be having.
Hammer 11's voice crackles across the comm, "Alright puppies. Your coordinates are locked in. Remember that our target is the Asari army. I don't give a shit what grudge you've got against any Blue Sun punk or whatever goddamned mishmash of bullshit we're dropping to protect here. These witches have been killing anything that moves so we're coming to stomp them fucking flat for it. Comprende?"
A chorus of Aye's echoed across the comm as the wind howled around the suits. Jets fire and the suits turn vertical in their fall. Details of the city they're dropping into start to become visible. Explosions and all out biotic combat can be seen from the projected landing zone.
"Forty seconds to landing. Take them. But then your asses are mine. Hammer 11 out."
Nos Astra is huge on the screen. The targeting VI gets in range and lights up in a cacophony of colours as the Asari echelon gets ever closer. The final retro rockets burn as the altimeter falls. Djinn watches several Asari look up in awe as the shadow of the suits falls over them. Many more look up in terror as they realize the landing zone is their location.
The Atlas suits land like a pack of pissed off meteorites. Asari go flying from the shock waves. They don't even have time to land before Hammer goes to work. Anti-Vehicular missiles fly towards the Priestesses creating large barriers, pulling them down as plasma from Djinn's mech falls across dozens of the mid and back ranks of the echelon. Two more suits land in the middle of the priestess cadre, cutting down another with a burst of heavy cannon fire.
Shoulder mounted launchers begin pumping out brownish smoke as the main guns of Hammer open up. The asari nearest the suits cough as their biotics sputter and go out. They begin to scream in agony even before they are hit with the overwhelming firepower brought to bear.
Djinn hears an order from the Republican Guard commander to surrender ring out in a strained contralto voice before she is cut off by Hammer 11's mocking reply. His comms automatically lock onto the source and he sends a spray of plasma her direction as he begins to plod forward. Stunned and choking Asari are crushed underfoot. The targeting HUD shows that low threat Asari behind him are getting mowed down by the foot troops that dropped in behind them as Djinn focuses on creating chaos ahead.
Several Justicars make a combined sword kanquess against Hammer 13 as he passes an alleyway. Warp swords flash and take out both legs of his suit. As it begins to fall Djinn launches three anti-vehicular missiles towards them. One manages to kanquess back into the alley but her sisters aren't so fortunate as the missiles rip into them and Hammer 13.
"Shit, Hammer 13 are you ok in there?"
"Affirm. Fuck you whoever launched those rockets but you saved my life."
Djinn smirked as he moved forward to protect his downed comrade. Asari burned along the path. The Asari formation was beginning to fray with the younger ones near the front fleeing from the unexpected attack. Several others of the Hammer team began to cut their way to their fallen brother.
"Hammer 13. Sit tight and play dead. We'll get you out once these witches are dealt with."
"Wilco boss. Just let me know when to pop the hatch and I'll join up with the infantry."
More Asari began to flee outright as they saw the hundreds of their sisters dead on the field. Hammer kept pouring on the fire but the target density ran out quickly. The fight came to a sputtering halt, the suits too slow to keep up with the routed Asari and the infantry not willing to get too far ahead of their armour support. The occasional sniper shot peppers shields.
"Right. One echelon down. I'm seeing more fighting about a click downriver so we'll head that way. Damage reports?"
"This is Twelve. Took a gyro hit. Bit wobbly but am fine otherwise."
"Thirteen. I'm setting self destruct and joining up with the footmen."
Fourteen through Sixteen reported no damage.
"Seventeen. Main weapon is fried. I'm down to my flamethrower and a rack of AA missiles."
Eighteen and Nineteen also reported clear.
"Twenty. Suit took an anti-tank rocket to the ankle. I can limp after you or I can join Thirteen on foot."
"Right. Detonate the suit and go with Thirteen. We need to move faster than it can go."
"Wilco 11."
Thirteen and Twenty pulled Mattocks out of cockpit side holsters and quickly joined the company of foot soldiers. The entire mixed unit began moving through the city as fast as the Atlas suits would allow. The sound of heavy fighting came closer but was hidden by a large aircar parking garage.
Djinn grinned as he saw it and confirmed fuel reserves. "Hey bossman I've got some jumpjuice left. Do you mind if I make a splash to start the fight? It'll be a bitch to just run up to them."
"Sounds good Eighteen. We should all have some left. We'll tuck the troopers into the garage and jump down together."
With the sounds of heavy warfare covering their advance they moved into the garage. A short firefight was ended with a heavy cannon shot as some Asari sentries tried to stop them. They began to rush as their presence had to be known, the suits running up to the seventh floor before forming up.
"Alright puppies we've already done this today so the second time should be even easier. Kick ass, cover your brothers, and dog be with you."
A chorus of groans went across the unit as they loped towards the edge of the garage. Jets thrust as each suit made the leap into the midst of the second echelon. Hundreds of Asari looked up in amazement as the clunky Human suits dove into their midst. The impact was not as catastrophic, but was still sufficient to jar the concentration of many of the Asari nearest each point.
Each Atlas began to clear Asari in the vicinity when a resounding curse came across the comms, followed immediately by Hammer 12 being removed from the HUD. The sound of an Adept Rail Cannon shrieked in from the distance.
Three of Hammer turned and launched their remaining anti-vehicular missiles at the approaching enemy suit and scored at least ten hits.
"This is Eleven, focus all possible fire on that Paladin suit. Close range units try to keep… FUCK,"
Hammer Sixteen disappeared from the HUD as the Adept fired again, leaving charred carnage behind her glass shield,
"… try to keep the rest of the witches busy."
Djinn advanced on and pulsed his plasma fire over a nearby War Priestess. Her barrier hardly even fluctuated as she threw a massive Blade invocation his way, slicing into the right arm and canopy of his suit. The VI lit up with damage warnings as he reached out with his pincer arm and cut her in half.
To his left a massive burst of warpfire burned its way directly into the garage, causing a massive explosion and the structure to begin listing dangerously towards the fighting. He could see a Centurion covered in flames ragdolling his way down the side of the building.
Hammer 19 winked off the HUD another victim of the Adept cannon. 15 was calling suit down and was going to self destruct to cause as much damage as he could. The mercs across the river were taking what shots they could and had restarted using their plasma mortar to add to the devastation. Each Atlas suit had caused dozens of casualties, but was being ground by the sheer number of Asari around them.
The Paladin suit moved in even closer, seeing fewer than a half dozen enemies nearby and knowing none of them had weapons that could seriously injure it. Hammer 14 made a charge, firing her last missiles and heavy cannon from an arms reach away. The Paladins warp sword lit an incandescent blue as 14's pincer arm lashed out and cracked the canopy of the suit. 14 was bisected as 11 moved in and put three cannon shots into the rear shoulder of the hostile suit.
"Gonna need a hand here boys. Ignore the witches, we take this suit down, we'll be goddamned legends."
Sparks shot from the Royal Paladin's sword arm as the warp flickered and left the blade. Djinn keyed up his remaining missiles, a rack of high explosive laced with good old fashioned white phosphorous. He charged as the missiles cleared a path, Hammer 17 using his rapid-fire flak cannon to cut remaining opposition down.
11 managed to hold the rear arc of the Paladin for another six seconds, hammering cannon shells and even bathing the suit in flame with his aux-flame thrower. The suit finally got around and put an adept round into his shoulder, taking off his cannon. His audio crackled to life, "Tank you very much you blue fucking bi," but was cut short as the adept fired a second round directly into his cockpit. The two armoured suits crashed messily together, spiderweb cracks going across the entirety of the Paladins screen.
"Djinn, your plasma caster wont hurt that thing. Cover my advance so I can crack the bitch at close range."
"Wilco 17."
The two remaining suits charged clumsily through the ranks of burning and broken Asari. Djinn triggered bursts from his plasma caster in an attempt to give at least visual cover. The screeching of shattering metal was the first indication he got that it hadn't completely worked. Damage notifications rang out as his pincer arm was shot off.
The Paladin was backing away slowly, but the remaining Atlas suits would still be on her within seconds. 17 was firing as fast as he could, peppering the Paladin with his flak cannon. The adept fired again. 17 screamed as his mech was hit in the hip, taking off both his and its leg.
Djinn closed the remaining distance as fast as he could and jammed his plasma caster into the canopy of the Royal Paladin. He could hear the pilot scream as the Silaris encrusted material crushed into and started to cut her. He triggered his plasma even as her sword swung down. An inferno of flame coruscated over the pilot, popping the barrier she put up in a panic in a split second. The sword came down, unlit but still bearing a great deal of kinetic power. Djinn eyed it in terror as it cut through his suit slowly, lacking his pincer arm to try to stop it.
The sword came to a rest inches from his face. He gently backed his suit off enough to pop his canopy and the world went sideways. His suit registered a magnitude 4 earthquake and buildings around him began to collapse.
"Lion, this is Djinn, I'm the last man standing down here. Requesting pickup. Also what the fuck just hit? I thought this was a stable planet."
"Djinn, Lion, pickup request acknowledged. The Geth just launched a massive orbital strike, hold position a Kodiak is inbound."
"Wilco Lion."
Hammer 18 reset his sensors for life-signs and picked up several surviving Cerberus personnel nearby. He gingerly worked his way out of the cockpit, avoiding the razor sharp sword inches from his face. He pulled his Mattock from the back of the mech and ran towards his downed compatriots.
He managed to dig out three troopers and a Centurion before the Kodiak appeared in the distance. Two of the less injured troops are digging for another of their comrades while Djinn moves quickly between the downed Atlas contingent, confirming that they are KIA before setting their self-destructs.
The Kodiak arrives and sets down near the ragtag bunch. The survivors of the Ragnarok drop collectively stumble towards their transport. The pilots looked around at the carnage,
"Jesus. Is this all that's left?"
"Sure, but you should see the other guy. Get us the fuck out of here."