Year 2899 GS, THS Indomitable, Relay 314 System
"Confirmed hit! Enemy ships are scattering!"
This was unnecessary. Captain Kaeeus Protanis, of the 14th Turian patrol fleet was a lot of things, but he wasn't a butcher. He disagreed with his orders. In fact, he had made sure to put that disagreement on record. That didn't mean that he wouldn't obey them. He was a Turian, and good Turians follow orders. But it still left a bad taste in his mandibles. Fighting pirates was one thing. Putting down primitive fleets without even a warning beforehand was another. His second in command, Calaion, didn't seem to mind, but then again, he was always eager to follow orders, no matter what they were.
"Captain, the enemy flagship is putting itself in front of the rest. I think it's covering their fleet's retreat sir." one of his officers reported.
"They are brave, I'll give them that." Kaeeus muttered "Fire disruptor torpedoes and get ready to pick up any escape pods."
"Aye, sir. Firing torpedoes now. Disruptor torpedoes en rout- Wait, what? Sir! The enemy fleet just disappeared"
"What? Did the sensors malfunction?"
"No sir, I've just triple checked it. The enemy fleet is just not there anymore."
"What do you mean it's just not there anymore? Fleets don't just disappear. Is it some kind of stealth syst-"
"SIR, AN ENEMY SHIP JUST APPEARED AT OUR PORTSIDE!"
As if on cue, the entire dreadnought shook violently. Whatever the enemy had hit them with, it had hit them hard.
"Spirits! What happened?! Where are our shields?!" The captain asked frantically.
"They are raised and still at full power, sir! It just bypassed them like they weren't even there!"
"Decks 5 through 11 have been breached, dispatching damage control"
"Sir, two of our frigate escorts have been destroyed. The rest of the fleet is reporting moderate damage. What are your orders?"
"What are you waiting for?! Maximum power to GARDIAN lasers, fire at will!"
"Aye, sir. Firing GARDIANS, maximum output"
The broadside of the dreadnought lit up as numerous GARDIAN lasers fired away. But the enemy ship had been ready.
"No effect, captain. The enemy ship just raised some kind of energy shield and took the barrage with no damage. Wait, they've just disappeared again. Actually, no. We're picking up something... Oh, Spirits, it's a-"
As miniature suns appeared between the ships of the 14th Patrol Fleet, the THS Indomitable shook again, even more violently this time.
"SIR! We've just lost 5 other escorts. The Talek'ahr is reporting critical damage."
"We've also suffered considerable damage, sir. Weapon systems at half capacity. The hangar has been breached as well, and we've lost most of our landing crafts. Getting a casualty report now."
What on Palaven was going on? Who were these primitives? They had outnumbered them almost 4 to 1, attacking with the element of surprise, and they were still taking a beating. This shouldn't be possible. Spirits, he didn't believe he was about to say this, but…
"Helmsman, get us back to the other Relay. Tell the rest of the fleet to do the same."
"Sir..? Are you sure? We shouldn't fall back because some primitives got lucky with a surprise attack" His second protested.
"You heard me, Calaion. This was supposed to be OUR surprise attack. We underestimated them, and they punished us for it. We need to fall back and regroup."
"A-aye, sir. You heard the captain, get us out of here."
As the patrol fleet exited the FTL retreat, Protanis started to formulate a new strategy. These 'primitives' somehow had not only energy weaponry, but also shields capable of defending against their GARDIAN lasers. And the way they just appeared on their side… He wouldn't waste time saying this was impossible. Kaeeus Protanis wasn't blind. It had happened. He saw it. But still… He had indeed seen it. And he had noticed some interesting things. Well played, primitives. But next time, he'd be ready. He wasn't haughty enough to think they were invincible. Eventually, someone would come along, and the Turian Hierarchy would be bitterly defeated. It was inevitable. But he wasn't going to be the one to suffer that defeat, he could promise that much.
June 1st, 2399 CE, CSS Gorgon, Unexplored System
Rear admiral Christina Garvey was pissed. Actually, she was kinda pleased. But also, she was very pissed. Why? Why did they do that? What had they done to justify such an attack? As the 5th Exploration Fleet finished it's teleport jump, the rear admiral's mind was racing with thoughts.
"Ma'am, jump complete. No significant damage to the fleet. The Fromer is reporting that their portside repulsion projector was hit and is no longer operational. A lucky shot. Other than that, the Prydwen Maneuver was a complete success. They didn't know what hit them."
As the ensign finished the report, Christina felt a surge of pride. They really didn't know what had hit them, did they? The first real space confrontation in their history, and they had won flawlessly. And she was the one to do it. If her name was already going on the history holotapes humanity's greatest explorer, it now was going to be mentioned to every class on the Navy's Cadet School. The first human to encounter an alien and then the first one to kick said alien's butt. Alright, alright, enough daydreaming. The battle wasn't won just yet. They still had to go back to finish them.
"Great job everyone. Just like we trained. Adams, tell the support ships to go back through the relay. We don't need them here, and it's better if they are safe on Shanxi. Actually, tell Dukov to go back with them, just to be sure."
"Aye, ma'am. Relaying it to the Fromer."
"By the way, how many did we get, Nicky?"
"We sunk 7 of their ships, rear admiral. Visual reports also indicate that we heavily damaged 6 others, with a 7th one in critical condition." The AI dutifully answered.
"That'll teach them. Garret, what's our status? Are we ready for the next round?"
"Almost ma'am. The TP Drive just finished recharging, but the enemy fleet fell back to the other relay. They are still on the system, but it seems they are ready to jump out at any moment."
"HA! Guess they weren't expecting us to be so good, huh?" The rear admiral was shining with confidence now "Ready the plasma batteries and reload the fusion mines. We're going to hit them with everything at once."
"Ma'am, are you sure?" Hornwood, on the other hand, wasn't so sure about this. "The enemy commander was wise enough to know to fall back. Perhaps they'll be ready for us now. We have no orders to be in this fight. We should retreat with the support ships and wait for reinforcements from admiral Gunderson. Despite our apparent advantage, we're still outnumbered at least 3 to 1."
Ugh, he just had to mention Gunderson, didn't he?
"No way, James. We've got them where we want them. We have this. Besides, I doubt they could have noticed the flaw with the repulsion fields. If they try to retaliate we'll either jump out or raise the shields. We're doing this. Ready for teleport jump."
"As you wish, ma'am. Prepare to jump." The captain replied.
Year 2899, THS Indomitable, Relay 314 System
"-and I think that's the key to their barrier system." Protanis finished.
"Are you sure about this, captain? If you're wrong, we could lose another set of ships."
"I'm sure, Calaion. Prepare the disruptor torpedoes and the GARDIAN lasers. Next time they jump in, we'll be ready."
"By your command, sir" The officer accepted the order.
"Sir, we've got activity on the 314 Relay!"
"Is it enemy reinforcements?"
That would complicate things. He was confident in his plan to take out 9 ships, but he couldn't face them with equal numbers.
"No sir. It seems that 4 of their ships just jumped back to the other system."
Well, would you look at that. It seems that the Hierarchy really wouldn't be defeated today.
"That's good, but it also creates a whole new problem. We've got to finish this before they can mount a proper defense on their end. We can't wait until they make their move. All ships: Advance slowly towards the 314 Relay."
If they weren't going to jump in, he would bait them into doing it.
"Aye aye, sir. Advancing slowly." The helmsman replied.
"Any sign of them? Be ready to unleash our weapons as soon as th-"
"ENEMY SHIP, PORTSIDE!"
"FIRE!"
In the vacuum of space, a symphony of lights was played as both sides exchanged a barrage of laser beams, plasma bolts, fusion mines and disruptor torpedoes. While the damage was great for both sides, only one of them had a numerical advantage of 6 to 1. The Turians suffered terrible casualties, but the enemy was completely decimated. Only the heavy cruiser, battered with heavy damage, managed to jump away, while the four other ships exploded in four gigantic balls of atomic fire.
"STATUS REPORT!" The captain barked.
"Sir. Heavy damage to propulsion systems. We're dead in the water. 8 other ships have been destroyed and 6 others are reporting heavy damage. We're down to 22 ships. Only 15 are undamaged."
Spirits...
"And the enemy?"
"2 cruisers and 2 corvettes sunk. Only the flagship managed to escape."
A small cheer could be heard from the crew.
"An honourable victory, captain." Calaion commented.
"For them, perhaps" Kaeeus muttered.
5 'primitive' ships had been enough to cause this much damage to a full Hierarchy fleet… He had been against this from the start, but now it seems he was justified. Still, good Turians follow orders.
"Any survivors from the enemy ships?"
"None, sir. They were completely atomized."
"What a mess. Still, they put up a valiant effort. They bravely fought against a superior aggressor until the very end. May their people remember their names."
A mixed reaction could be quietly heard from the crew on the bridge. It seems not every Turian still held the old principles of honour that the captain maintained. It didn't really matter, he supposed.
"Captain, activity from the relay. It seems the flagship just jumped back. The system is clear."
"That 's it then. Get me a comm line to the Vanker. I'll be transferring over to continue the assault. Caleion, you have command of the Indomitable. Fall back with the damaged ships and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Actually, try to collect any remnants from the destroyed enemy ships. Any insight we can get to their technology could prove invaluable."
"Aye aye, sir. Good hunting."
The captain walked out of the bridge without answering his second.
June 2nd, 2399 CE, CSS Gorgon, Shanxi System
This was bad. The rear admiral was in a coma. Their entire fleet, destroyed. James Hornwood knew they should've fallen back. It was his fault, he knew. Everyone knew about the rear admiral's beef with Gunderson. He hadn't even realized his mistake until after he had mentioned the man. And now, here they were. The Commonwealth's most advanced ship, a wreck with a half dead crew. They had only managed to escape thanks to his quick thinking to order a jump back to the relay. And to Adam's fast reaction. He should recommend the ensign for a commendation after this. That is, assuming he survived his injuries. Now they had to defend Shanxi with their crippled, rest of a fleet. At least the rear admiral had the foresight to order the Fromer and the support ships to fall back. With both a hospital ship and a ground support ship, they actually stood a reasonable chance to defend the little colony.
"Nicky, what's the status of the ground forces?"
"The CSS Bunker Hill has finished unloading all of its Gen 4s. The Marines are on standby for teleport insertion."
"And the fusion mines?"
"What little we had left is in position around the relay and armed. This should be our final stand, captain. You still have time to abandon ship."
"Didn't you know, Nicky? A captain always goes down with his ship. Hopefully Dukov will be able to hold our ground until Gunderson arrives. Is the crew transfer finished?"
"The rear admiral and the other wounded have been transferred to CSS Mercy. What few able bodied crew we had has reached the CSS Fromer. The science ship has already left the system. It's just you and me now, captain."
"Wouldn't have it any other way…"
"Activity from the relay. Enemy fleet is jumping in. It's been an honour, captain."
"Likewise, Nicky. Overload the core and advance. Let's finish this fight."
The CSS Gorgon's last stand was able to destroy another three Turian ships. Ultimately, it was not enough to prevent the Siege of Shanxi.
CODEX - Gen 4 Synths
The Generation 4 Synthetics are the most common robots in the Commonwealth. Developed almost 100 years ago, these general purpose androids are based upon the earlier Gen 2 models. They are used in almost every single level of the Commonwealth society, with at least one unit present in most Human households. From construction workers, to infantry units, to store clerks, to house maids, the Gen 4 has replaced virtually all menial work in the Human society. The androids have the same silhouette as their male creators, but a quick inspection easily reveals the dull grey "skin", bright yellow eyes and a complete lack of hair that marks the great differences between the two. Although they do not look dissimilar to the previous Gen 2, their innards are much more sophisticated. Their streamlined and robust internals made of a reduced number of nonessential parts allows for a large number to be produced in a very short time, greatly accelerating the ongoing reclamation process of the Human homeworld of Earth. Due to their robust construction, they are extremely durable and reliable, with a considerable amount of shots being necessary to take one down, as even with both legs disabled one will still "crawl" torwards an opponent. They can also operate in virtually any ambient, from pristine garden worlds to planets composed of toxic and radioactive wastes. Because of their semi-autonomous capability of repairing one another, units nearing 100 years old are still common in the Commonwealth.Despite their high intelligence and the possibility of installing an aftermarket personality emulator and various voice modules, they are not true AIs. Their cognitive abilities are permanently limited on purpose, unlike their far more advanced predecessors, the biomechanical and self aware Gen 3. Although a newer model exists, the superior and sturdier Gen 5, with the added remote virtual cognitive control capacity, the far cheaper Gen 4 is still being heavily produced, with minimal modifications to the original design. A few Gen 4 have been exported to the Citadel, but public reception has not been successful so far, with many complaints about being unnerved by their "life-like" appearance. On the other hand, they have become an increasingly common sight in the Terminus, being sought after by a large number of mercenary companies. A fair number has been sold to Batarians buyers as well.
Author's note:
Had some free time yesterday. Decided to sit down and finish this chapter earlier. I've been finding it really easy to write this. The words just flow out, like I'm telling a story I already know. Which is strange, since I have no idea where I'm going with this and am just making it up as I go. Oh well, I'll see if I can write another chapter soon. Siege of Shanxi is coming up and after… I don't know. I'm sure I'll figure something out. See ya later.