-(++)-
Outer Council Space
She had taken him to a lonely little planet, far away from the scheming and the fighting and the conflicts. Eager for peace. Eager for a chance to get away from it all. But even then, she only found more bloodshed.
Tali'Zorah exited the shuttle, finding herself in a literal field of bodies. Dozens of asari, turians and salarians littered the open field around her. Even the occasional humans had not been spared. Trees had been leveled, burning vehicles lay on their sides. A tank was still smoldering. Several aircraft had crashed into a small prefab complex ahead.
The whole place reeked of blood and death, even through her filters.
"Keelah," remarked one of the younger marines. "This is a bloodbath."
"Those Eclipse teams never stood a chance," replied another marine.
"Keep it quiet you two!" Shouted Kal'Reegar. "Remember that we're searching for a veteran super-soldier who eats krogan for breakfast, and then kills asari Commando Teams by playing games with them! If you end up stepping on him and blow off your legs, that's your own goddamn fault!"
The various marines acknowledged his order as they continued to set up tracking devices and portable drones. In no time at all, they had set up their recon network.
Tali smiled underneath her mask. She liked Kal'Reegar. Honest, professional and committed. He was one of the rare remaining quarians she truly held dear, and a steadfast friend at that. She was glad to have him by her side today.
It had been a full week since everything fell apart. A full week since the Citadel governments betrayed Shepard and threw her to the varren. It was almost poetic that the Citadel was gone now, consumed by the very evil that the Commander had tried so long to warn them against.
A dark, hateful voice in the back of Tali's mind told her that they deserved what they got. Their precious Citadel taken by a hateful AI, their treasured prestige and reputation dashed to the wind. Their influence and power, reduced to nothingness as an ancient king laid claim to the entire galaxy. What good were their embassies and politics now? The universe had judged them, and it found them unworthy.
"We're being very careful here ma'am," Reegar informed her as they made their way through the muddy bloodbath that this place had been reduced to. "Rain has washed away most directions, so our trackers are useless. There are plenty of forests around that would take hours to scan. If this man is as good as you said he is, we'll be here for days."
Tali looked at him, somewhat surprised by how mild he sounded. This was a soldier who charged headfirst at a geth Colossus, she didn't know him to be nervous. "We'll search for as long as we need to. What he did for us…for all of us…we owe him that much."
"I'll search this entire city with my own bare hands if I need to, ma'am," replied Reegar. "It's just…we heard the rumours. Not too comfortable around someone this connected to Artificial Intelligences, is all."
Tali placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping that she could reassure him. "Don't worry. The thing that took the Citadel? That's completely unrelated. Remember what Shepard said?"
"Nobody loves peace more than the soldier?" recounted the marine.
"Exactly. He treasures the AI like Shepard treasured him. Like I treasure him." She glanced at Raz and Dana, who carefully swept the battlefield with drawn rifles. Keelah, what if John saw them as hostile too?
"Dana, Raz, keep neutral!" She shouted at the two marines. "Lower your guns!"
"There might be survivors, ma'am!" Retorted Dana'Syral vas Nikala. She paused to scan her surroundings with her omni-tool, then added, "We can't take chances with Eclipse!"
"There aren't any Eclipse left anymore! The only ones who survive the battlefield after he enters it, are the ones on his side! And we really need to show him that we are on his side!"
The two marines looked at each other, before hastily assuming a more friendly stance. They kept their fingers from the triggers and the barrels aimed at the ground.
Tali might have been exaggerating when she said that there wouldn't be any survivors. After all, the Chief wasn't a monster. But that just made it all the more surprising to see that there really were no survivors outside of this abandoned city. Eclipse came here in force, only to lose about half their people in the forest outside alone.
Tali wasn't sure what to expect anymore. She followed an almost literal trail of violence to the city itself, where the large warehouses, elaborate factories and empty houses should have made for excellent places to make contact.
She came across pieces of combat robots scattered so savagely across the ground that they resembled splinters of bone. She passed the remains of a YMIR Mech, impaled by a metal pipe against the split wall of an old factory, and the bloodied corpse of an asari, everything above her lower jaw smashed to a bloody pulp. A damaged, muddy pistol lay on the ground a couple of feet away.
It got so bad that Reegar called all marines back to their position to search this place one building at a time. As they headed into the closest factory to reorganize, Dana had the misfortune of looking upwards and spotting a trio of asari troopers, impaled through and through on a series of protruding metal spikes.
She screamed and backed away, raising her rifle as if that alone could chase away the sight. Her cries echoed through the empty building and Tali felt an emotion she never quite associated with the Chief.
Was this what it was like to be on the other end of a Spartan's rampage? Not an enemy, not a hostile, but prey?
Now that the quarian marines became aware of it, the atmosphere in the abandoned city seemed to change. Many of the kills seemed downright cruel and vicious. Salarians with their heads smashed in, humans with their entire throats missing, asari whose lower jaws had been torn from their skulls…the mercenaries who died in gruesome close quarters combat outnumbered those who had been killed by firearms!
Tali did her best not to look. Perhaps she had been steeled by her experiences with Shepard, or perhaps she was just lucky enough not to spot the worst bodies. Several of the marines Reegar brought with him threw up in their helmets. Tali couldn't blame them for that. In fact, she glad that they provided an excuse for the team to hole up and regroup.
She had to be honest. With every step they took, with every corpse they encountered, Tali felt more and more uncertain of herself. The drones registered no movement in the forests surrounding them, but there was no way of knowing it that data was accurate enough to leave the woods alone.
And the way he killed these people…Tali was no fan of the Eclipse – Keelah, ever since she learned what their troopers had to do to earn their uniforms, she downright loathed them - but this…nobody deserved this.
Tali wasn't so sure she wanted to find John anymore.
"What are you gawking at? Prep that perimeter! A bunch of dead mercs never harmed anyone!" Reegar barked at some of the more apprehensive marines.
Obviously, the Master Chief had taken the asari's presence here as a personal insult. It was a sobering reminder that the Chief was, by his own admission, a tool for war.
Sticking close together, the quarians continued their search by means of drones and orbital scans. The city was dead and motionless in several different infrared and motion imaging scans.
How did you find a Special Forces soldier who didn't want to be found, if he was clad in armour that spoofed all sensors?
But Tali refused to give up. If there was one thing Shepard taught her, it was that soldiers continued where all others stopped.
So the team of quarians searched on. They checked every room, mapped every building. It wasn't until an hour later, when Tali noticed that there was one structure left that they hadn't searched yet, that they weren't alone after all.
One of the factories had an office overlooking the complex from up high. It wasn't a spire, not quite, but it was a vantage point with only one way to access it. And some of those stairs looked damaged, like a heavily armoured krogan had marched his way to the top.
Eclipse weren't known for their krogan employment.
Tali made sure to stay at the front of the formation. She doubted the Chief would open fire on quarians, but in the off chance that he wasn't entirely...rational…she wanted to be the first one to address him.
Never get the jump on a veteran, Zaeed's words echoed in the back of her mind.
"Master Chief?" She shouted. "It's Tali. I'm coming up."
There was no response, even as she ascended the old staircase. The higher they came, the more light filtered in through the windows above.
In hindsight, it should have been obvious that he held his position there. The way the light interacted with the windows made it hard to look inside, but easy to keep overwatch on all lanes of approach.
"Master Chief!" Tali said, quickly gesturing at the other quarians to lower their guns and back away quickly. She spotted him sitting in a corner between two windows. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that it really was him. "It's okay, we're here to help."
The armoured behemoth just sat there, utterly still, like a machine. No wonder motion-sensors hadn't snagged him. His armour was still caked in the accumulated blood and filth of hours of slaughter. He had not even bothered to remove the blood from his visor.
He must have recognized her, or she would be dead already. Still, she had expected a warmer welcome, even from him.
Was he alright?
"It's been a while," she continued, slowly approaching the window where the Spartan sat posted. "You and Cortana did some cleaning out here. Guess you can't stay out of trouble, right?"
His helmet lowered a fraction of an inch.
"She's gone, Tali."
His voice was husky and deep, utterly without emotion. It took Tali a moment to realize what he just said.
"Gone?" She repeated. She had to be very, very careful with her words now. "What happened?"
He flexed his right gauntlet, then slowly clenched it again. As close to an emotional outburst as he would come, Tali would later realize.
John did not answer her question.
-(++)-
Migrant Fleet / Expeditionary Flotilla
In approach of Section Zero / Lambda Serpentis system
3 weeks later
Though their ships were coming apart at their seams, their people did not. Even as Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay strode towards the shuttle bay, readying herself for the quarians' true and chaotic First Contact with this infamous "second humanity", her surroundings were completely orderly. No children running around with parents trying to stop them, no confused and gossiping crewmembers trying to learn about this curious situation.
The Admiral took pride in that knowledge. Nothing was the same anymore, but her people continued to fight. Their society continued to fight.
Her escort of veteran marines appeared relaxed as they brought her to the diplomatic shuttle, but Shala'Raan knew they felt uncomfortable around their "guest". After all, this Master Chief had a certain…reputation around the Migrant Fleet.
It was perhaps because of this reputation that the Admiralty Board agreed to this mission. After the Fall of the Citadel, it took the other Admirals a full week to reach the conclusion that the Master Chief truly had been acting with the best intentions. Had the ancient AI targeted the Migrant Fleet instead of the well-defended Citadel, the quarian people might well have been rendered extinct.
Admiral Raan sighed. She did not like thinking about these matters. She liked to focus on the other, more positive aspects of the coming meeting. This could be an incredible opportunity for their people. According to Tali, this "UNSC" built their ships large, sturdy and without the benefits of Element Zero. There were many things that the second humanity and the quarians could offer each other.
And returning their national hero to them might even be enough to bridge their xenophobia.
"The shuttle has been prepared, Admiral Raan," said the vessel's pilot, Suna'Tesul vas Caadir. "Tali'Zorah and the Master Chief have already boarded."
"Thank you, Suna," Raan gracefully replied. Somewhat quieter, she asked, "Has he…?"
"Not a word, Admiral. Not to Tali'Zorah, not to us."
She sighed. It disconcerted her, knowing that the human remained in a state of morose silence. When the Admiralty Board finally agreed to contact the UNSC to return their soldier to them, they had promised that he was alive and unhurt.
Her experience led her to wonder if the UNSC would blame them for the Master Chief's wellbeing, but her heart just made her wonder what this man went through.
She supposed that it was none of her business. It wasn't right to enquire after the private life of soldiers.
Raan took her place in the diplomatic shuttle. Tali heartily welcomed the marines, greeting them by their names like they were old friends of her. A couple of them were survivors from Haelstrom, and they had accompanied Tali when she retrieved the Master Chief as well. Raan had hoped that it would help create a more comfortable environment for everyone involved.
"Now remember," Tali said as soon as everyone was seated. "I sent the most relevant things to remember to your omni-tools. Most of it will only be relevant for Admiral Shala'Raan, but there are a couple of things there for you and your men to keep in mind, Reegar."
The Fleet Marine nodded and accessed his omni-tool, as did the rest of the soldiers.
Admiral Raan glanced at Tali, wondering how long Captain Shepard had known about the existence of this other humanity. The overwhelming majority of the people were puzzled by how similar the Systems Alliance and the UNSC were, genetically, biologically, culturally. What few people realized –and what Tali had perfectly encaptured in her own report – was how different the two humanities were.
Ten thousand years. A thousand wars. A hundred thousand battles and a million heroes. Perhaps they were not as old as the Citadel species, but it was obvious that their history was just as long…and far more violent.
Admiral Raan did not want to be on the this humanity's bad side, but she feared that they and the quarians might well be incompatible. Tali had devoted entire sections of her report to the UNSC's usage of AI's. True AI's, the likes of which could tear through any cyber-defences the Migrant Fleet could employ.
A race that associated with sentient AI's to such an extent…Keelah, now that she thought about it, the only people who were compatible with the UNSC would be the geth. How those militant turians hadn't declared war the instant they learnt about this was a mystery.
"We are approaching the Relay," said their pilot. "We'll be launching the moment we receive permission from the human Admiral."
The sooner they transitioned, the better. UEG territory was much too close to the Terminus Systems for Shala'Raan's liking. Though this end of the Relay was still in Council hands, the mercenary and pirate groups had gotten much bolder these days. Ambushes were far too common nowadays. Attacking a flotilla as it was about to transition was not something that scum would pass up on.
Luckily, the quarian ship in Section Zero was quick to return with a positive confirmation. They were good to go.
After that, it was just a matter of waiting. The ship carrying them had transitioned without issues. After a minute of silence, their identity had been confirmed and the diplomatic shuttle was launched. No doubt the UNSC's AI's kept a close eye on everything that happened in this system…
Their shuttle was met halfway by a large squadron of large, armoured fighters, which were meant to escort them to the UNSC's flagship.
Such an escort guaranteed safety for both parties, but the Admiral didn't like how big these fighters were. There was no saying what ordnance they could carry.
"Paranoid bunch, aren't they?" Said Reegar.
"You'd be paranoid too, if you experienced what they did," Tali said, tactfully deflecting the Marine's issue.
Interestingly enough, these UNSC fighters were slower than their Alliance counterparts. The diplomatic shuttle actually had to slow down to remain in formation with these ships. To Admiral Raan's trained eye, this revealed the ship-building doctrine of the UNSC humanity. They built their ships large and sturdy, armed to the brim with weapons. It was a defensive doctrine. For what, or against whom, she did not know.
Per her request, the ships escorting them here sent the Admiral a detailed description of the system, which was constantly updated via outdated but very fine tuned scanning technology. It allowed her to keep her mind off their armed "escort".
This anchor point into Section Zero was teeming with activity. The UNSC ships were the most obvious here, holding their formation near an enormous planetoid. Raan counted fifteen slimmer ships and eight broader ships, all of them the size of turian Cruisers, and an enormous ship that was even larger than a modern Dreadnaught. Six of the smaller vessels were currently docked at a strange, square platform, large enough to cast a shadow on all six of those ships.
Then there were the Council ships. Asari shuttles, turian Frigates and one salarian Cruiser buzzed around the system, constantly communicating with each other and the UNSC Dreadnaught. A couple of Alliance Frigates emerged from the other side of the enormous square platform, apparently having done business there as well.
"This is the first time we walk among the Council species in decades," muttered Raan. If only the circumstances for their presence were better…
"Well, from what I've heard, Council idiots tried to kill the Master Chief," muttered one of the Fleet Marines.
"Bunch of morons."
"Score one for the Flotilla."
Tali looked over Raan's shoulder, then gasped. She brought her hand to her mouth, then pointed at something Raan had not seen yet. When she gave the data a closer look, she realized what Tali meant.
The planetoid that the scans had spotted wasn't a planetoid at all. It was world, horribly scarred and damaged beyond recognition. The entire world was desolate and barren. Entire continents still glowed a vague shade of red. The light of the nearby star was reflected in the glasslike crust of devastated countries.
A debris field large enough to conceal hundreds of thousands of pirates surrounded the planet. Broken remains of enormous aliens warships, too many fragments to count. The remains of a titanic battle that had been fought and lost in this system.
Raan struggled to contain herself. What enormous destructive force had been unleashed upon this system? This wasn't their homeworld, was it?
A part of the Admiral had hoped that the UNSC would allow the quarians to establish an outpost on a garden world in their territory. But seeing this, she started to doubt whether these humans had any place to spare.
"I think that's the source of their paranoia, Reegar," muttered a Marine.
"Yeah yeah…"
Up close, the human flagship looked even larger than on the scanners. An impressive sensor arsenal protruded from its nose – at least, Raan presumed they were sensors – while its flanks and rear were protected behind thick plates of black-gray armour. To build such a behemoth without element zero…the quarian people truly had much to gain from working with this humanity.
Admiral Raan tried not to be too optimistic, but her mind already laid the foundations of a trade agreement. She knew that the UNSC was in need of skilled engineers, and the quarians had plenty of engineers to offer.
A section in the middle of the ship's side shifted as armoured bay doors opened. When the diplomatic shuttle came closer, it became apparent that these massive bay doors were protected by shimmering barriers of light. Shields, Shala'Raan presumed. Kinetic barriers without Element Zero? That didn't seem possible.
"Admiral Raan, the humans claim that we can pass through these fields," the pilot's voice sounded from the shuttle's internal comm. "Should we follow their instructions?"
The Admiral thought about that for a moment. "They have no reason to lie to us, nor to wish us any harm. Do as they instruct."
"Yes, Admiral."
Raan would have been lying if she claimed that she wasn't apprehensive when their shuttle approached those shimmering fields of energy. But that apprehension proved to be unnecessary; their shuttle passed through those fields unmolested.
"Barriers that allow solid mass, but not gasses to pass through," Tali said, sounding impressed. "That's almost the opposite of what kinetic barriers do!"
Kal'Reegar sounded equally as enthusiastic, if only for the opposite reasons. "Holster those weapons Marines! We're going to show the UNSC that the quarians are more than just pretty faces!"
The Fleet Marines laughed at his joke and did as he ordered, despite the fact that they must have heard it countless times before. Raan sure had and she rarely even worked with the soldiers.
Tali hit the door release and the side hatch slid open. Together with the Master Chief, she stepped through the open hatch.
Nothing could have prepared Admiral Raan for the response that they were met with. A strange blend of solemn attention and shouts of celebration and rejoicing. Four rows of armour-clad UNSC soldiers stood lined up in the hangar bay, two to the left of the shuttle and two to the right, As soon as the Master Chief stepped out of the shuttle, the hundreds of soldiers saluted him in unison.
Admiral Shala'Raan carefully looked around the cavernous hangar bays. She saw humans as far as the eye could see. On the catwalks, sitting and standing atop of the vehicles and aircraft, standing in door openings…
Tali was right. The Master Chief truly was a national hero to these people! Before, Raan had nor dared to be too optimistic, but now…seeing this overwhelming response to the presence of one man…it was beautiful.
The human who strode towards the Master Chief, clad in a white uniform and wearing an ornamented cap on his head, was likely the ship's Admiral. He stopped in front of the Master Chief, sized him up, then extended his hand.
"Master Chief," he spoke, his voice filled with pride. "Welcome back, son."
The Chief shook the Admiral's hand, remaining silent. In that moment, the Admiral's eyes narrowed, as if he realized something was amiss. He did not give voice to his concerns however, and immediately turned to address the quarian envoys.
"I am Fleet Admiral Harper, representative for the United Nations Space Command," he spoke. "I speak for all of humanity when I say, thank you. Thank you, for returning him to us."
This was not what Admiral Raan expected. The easy bridge that crossed their language gap aside ,the man sounded so sincere, so glad. It moved her, and she replied in kind. "I am Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, member of the quarian Admiralty Board and representative of the quarian people. And you are welcome. After the chaotic events of the last month, the Master Chief has proven himself to be a friend of the quarian people. Our friends are few, but very precious to us."
"In that regard, our people are alike," replied the Fleet Admiral. "Master Chief, a team will escort you to a medical bay for a complete examination. After that, well get you back to Earth. Things have changed considerably, as you can see."
"Sir. Yes sir," the Master Chief merely said, again showing an utter lack of emotions at finally having been reunited with his people.
"Admiral Shala'Raan? If you and your people would be so kind to follow me, we can engage in proper diplomacy in our conference room"
"We would like that," replied Raan. "We have many questions for your people,"
"And we have many questions for your galaxy as well. Although not everyone will like it when we come to ask them… as long as we can overcome our most obvious difference, I can guarantee that at least the quarians and the UEG will be able to coexist in peace."
For a moment, Shala'Raan felt like that comment was a thinly-veiled threat, but strangely enough it wasn't aimed at her people. She considered asking for clarification, but decided she probably didn't want to know the answer. After all, it wasn't unlikely that these humans had enemies in the galactic community already.
She was just relieved not to be among them.
-(++)-
Attican Traverse
Mindoir
Asari mercenary Talano Nova stood on top of the highest building in the capital city, gazing over the destruction wrought by the Lady Warlord.
When will the Alliance ever learn? She thought, shaking her head in a mixture of sadness and stupor.
Calling this town a "capital" was misleading. A couple of square kilometers of houses, malls and other civilian factories was hardly a fortress. The rest of the city consisted out of rural areas, such as farms, self-built mansions and forests. Most of it had been burned to the ground during the infamous batarian raid of 2170. It took the humans more than a decade to rebuild.
Apparently, it also took the humans a decade to refill their garrison, since taking control of the colony took no more than a couple of hours of fighting. The rest of the two days it took the Lady Warlord to seize the colony were spent hunting down and capturing all colonists, disabling communications and digging in for the inevitable token force sent to "reclaim" Mindoir.
Losing the Citadel had not been good for anyone. Now that the entire galaxy saw the Council's might was a farce, that they couldn't even protect their own capital, it was officially hunting season.
Talano allowed herself a smile. She was in charge of the majority of the ground forces and her job was almost done. They'd be gone in a couple of hours, taking their prizes with them. How humiliating could it be for the Alliance, that they couldn't keep their own colonies safe after they already lost it once before? Seriously, did they think they could play the galactic game so soon after their own discovery of the mass effect? Oh, when the arrogant fell, they fell hard.
The former commando tore her gaze from the burning fields when she heard her field radio crackle. She clipped it from her belt. "Nova here. Checking up on our progress?"
"You should fortify and dig in. An alien fleet just materialized at the fringes of the system."
That would be Arvius Laecolus, the Lady's former radio operator. Residing on the retrofitted Heavy Cruiser that the Lady Warlord herself used to command, Arvius always took himself a bit too seriously. Especially now that he commanded the same warship she used to.
Because of that, Talano wasn't surprised when she heard his tense, no-nonsense tone. "What do you mean, materialized? I thought we mined the Relay!"
"We did. We're moving to intercept them now, before they can drop in reinforcements."
"Well, what do we do?" Shot back Talano, slowly realizing just what "materialized' could mean for them. "Fuck me, shouldn't you be evacuating us if that's the case?"
"Our scans say it's not him. Ship designs don't match his, either. They're smaller. Grey and black, with sharp angles."
The asari mercenary felt the tension that had slowly been building up in her chest fade away. "Well, if they're not the King's fleet, go mess them up. Teach those humans a lesson or two!"
Talano Nova wasn't scared of the Systems Alliance. Lady Warlord Kabina Darlus controlled one of the largest sections of territory in the Terminus Systems, along with one of the largest fleets out there. Only Aria T'Loak could say the same. And the "Queen of Omega" wasn't about to pick a fight with the "Queen of the Terminus".
Knowing that the Alliance would somehow manage to sneak some units to Mindoir, Talano gave the order for all her teams to stash the slaves and loot away and start digging in.
Meanwhile, she closely monitored the battle in space through a satellite uplink her men set up just for this occasion. The humans still hadn't learned that they needed to be active if they wanted to last in the galactic community, not passive. They were far too reactionary, opting to respond instead of prevent. The result? They'd get shredded by a fleet they didn't expect, waste their troops in a battle they didn't predict and write it off as another crime against their people.
Ten minutes went by, during which the communication of their fleet became frantic and chaotic. The asari mercenary didn't need the uplink to realize that she might have been a bit too optimistic.
She took her radio and left their prefab bunker to get a better connection. "Arvius, what the fuck is going on up there? Arvius? Come in, damnit!"
No static, no interference, nothing. The link to the Ascent was dead.
That couldn't be good.
"All surface teams, brace for immediate enemy ordnance!" Shouted a voice over the radio, immediately getting the attention of the mercenary and the others around her despite its relatively low volume. "Get to cover, move!"
Talano Nova took a moment to look at the sky, where she saw a whole lot of flaming objects hurling towards them.
"Incoming!"
The asari rushed back to the bunker where she and her teams hit the deck. She covered her head and waited for the inevitable detonations and shockwaves to shake the bunker apart, but that never happened. A couple of distant "thuds" were all that the defenders got for their trouble. No fire, no ordnance.
Furious, she grabbed her radio. "What the fuck was that? Team 3, take team 6 and check out those detonation sites! There's no way – "
Gunfire exploded in the distance. But it wasn't mass accelerator fire; this sounded louder and more violent, like someone had strapped ten krogan rifles to each other and fired them off all at the same time. It didn't just come from one area, either; the enormous volume of fire echoed through the town, coming from all around them!
That was when the reports started flooding the radio.
"We are engaged! Enemy soldiers are inside our perimeter!"
"Hostile aircraft inbound! Someone get that AA online!"
"Where did they come from? What the fuck!"
They were being invaded? Where was the fleet, what was happening!
Her shotgun in hand, the asari mercenary rushed outside, followed by the entirety of team 1. All of them were former commandoes, trained and disciplined enough to remain undaunted even in the face of a mass krogan charge. But what they saw upon leaving the bunker complex was enough to make Talano Nova rethink her life choices.
Dark shadows parted through the clouds above the city. Enormous warships entered the atmosphere, swatting down the air escort that the pirates brought with them with impunity. And from those looming warships emerged an entire swarm of fighters, bombers and gunships. It was as if the Alliance brought in their entire army!
An order for all friendly forces to fall back to the relatively well-protected interior of the capital was given within seconds. Talano Nova barely had the time to vacate the bunker before something massive soared overhead, too fast for her to catch what it was. Seconds later, the prefab bunker complex went up in a massive fireball, pelting everybody in the vicinity with white-hot fragments and shrapnel.
Those who served the Lady Warlord always took pride in their position. Aria's army might have been bigger, but those chumps were often armed with patchwork weapons and armour without shields. But Darlus' armed forces were armed with the best gear and armour credits could buy. None of the former commandoes died when the enemy bomber reduced their bunker to rubble, and they all hurried to climb back to their feet before they could be caught in the open.
As they pulled back to the entrenched positions in the centre of the capital, it started to dawn on Talano that this wasn't the Alliance as she knew them. Their weapons were different, their warships were different –
"Down!" Yelled one of the commandoes, before a sustained burst of fire turned everything above her waist into bloody shreds of meat and fragments of bone.
A pair of massive, green cars raced by, heading towards the city. The immense turrets they carried spun around as if eager for more prey.
Talano stared at the remains of her comrade in shock. She had been in this business for a long time, violence didn't bother her. But this…the suddenness, the cold detachment of it all…this wasn't the Systems Alliance. This wasn't humanity.
At least not the humanity they knew.
"By the Goddess, is this the UEG?" She whispered.
"Who?" Whispered back one of her fellow commandoes.
"The second humanity!"
There was way that it wasn't. These humans – for the black-clad, death-dealing groups that combed through the wilderness and tore the scouts apart were undoubtedly human – came out of nowhere, descending upon Mindoir with an aggression and violence known only by the krogan.
The fighting inside of the city was arguably worse. With their air supremacy, the humans began filling the skies with so much metal that they could be considered an environmental hazard. A pair of pilfered M35 Mako's attempted to fight off the armoured vehicles that besieged the city, only for a pair of sleek, almost Mantis-like gunships to sweep down from above.
The two gunships immediately opened fire. The results were gruesome. With a terrible roaring noise, an absolute hailstorm of metal made the two tanks disappear in a large cloud of dust and fire. Their projectiles tore through the defending forces and pounded them into multiple wet smears across the area. Chunks of flesh and bone smaller than heatsinks were blown across the street. The two gunships, having been blown several good meters away by the sheer recoil of their weapons, immediately went to work on other entrenched positions.
This couldn't be happening. This was unacceptable!
Only now did Talano realize the full extent of their mistake. They had been told that the Alliance was too thinly-spread, too inexperienced, to efficiently counter a savage pirate invasion. That might have been true, but…
The Alliance wasn't alone anymore!
Enemy air supremacy turned into outright air dominance. Constant gunruns destroyed the remaining AA installations and armoured vehicles, while the steady cracks of distant sniper rifles eliminated all pirates and mercenaries who hadn't taken cover in the buildings.
But Talano knew that hiding would not work. The enemy had multiple drones in the skies. They knew which buildings they had to storm and which ones they could simply raze to the ground.
What would she be hiding for? Biding her time until the Alliance came in force? That was unacceptable.
There was only one way out of this mess. One passageway leading out of the city, past a block of apartments and into the wilderness. There, the surviving pirate forces might be able to link up and commit to guerilla strikes until the Lady Warlord got another fleet together to tear the UNSC apart.
Talano Nova and the other troops who attempted to regroup there arrived on scene just in time to witness yet another difference between the Alliance and the UNSC.
The buildings were on fire. The entire damn buildings were on fire. Thick plumes of smoke turned the sky black. A screaming krogan bashed through the locked door of the closest house. He was on fire, flailing and crying as the flames consumed his armour and melted his flesh.
Emerging from the burning building came the faceless monsters clad in thick, bulky armour. The fire and the carnage reflected off of their visors. Almost lazily the two of them stepped out of the building, undaunted by the thick smoke and searing flames. One of them aimed the nozzle of his weapon at the krogan and doused the alien warrior with liquid, blue flames until the screams stopped.
More of these troops cleared out the entrenched positions of the pirates. Spewing tentacles of incandescent death blossomed over the roadway. Where it stuck, people flamed into cinder. Searing fragments reached out like lethal arrows, burning all they touched. Asari and other species alike shrieked in pain and terror, bolted across the town in blind panic.
Their only route of escape had been turned into a blazing death trap.
Talano Nova felt blind panic take over her thoughts. She rounded the corner of the building, limping away from the slaughter.
This wasn't the deal. This wasn't what she had been told! Why the fuck hadn't they told her that the UNSC would step in? Who could have possibly prepared for an attack like this?
Several massive objects slammed into the ground, a dozen meters ahead, cutting off her route of escape. Soldiers clad in thick, bulky armour emerged from these black objects, brandishing those same flame-based weapons she saw before.
Talano Nova tried to run, but she didn't get more than a couple of meters before one of the hostiles noticed her. They trained their weapons on her and unleashed their fire, consuming the screaming asari in a semi-liquid wave of all-encompassing heat and agony.
-(++)-
Local Cluster
SA-Earth
Lieutenant Commander Jane Shepard sat on the couch in the debriefing lounge, wondering if she should be laughing or screaming. Her third meeting was about to start, and she still felt like I told you so wasn't going to cut it anymore, these days. The Councillors were still spending every waking minute of their days in frantic meetings, sending strings of messages and assessing their forces since everybody in the galaxy now thought that their power projection was a hoax. The Systems Alliance alternated between considering the UNSC the best way to fix this mess and considering them the cause of this all and nobody knew a thing about what the Master Builder was doing.
One week of public executions, three weeks of massed fortification in the Serpent Nebula and a galaxy-wide hunt to locate the Citadel. The Forerunner was rapidly consolidating his power and cementing his position as the galaxy's only leader worth trusting. Naturally, that didn't go over too well with many people, especially not the Terminus Systems.
Riots in the streets, invasions of fringe colonies and more pirate activity in one month than the last two years. The entire galaxy was going to hell and she just sat here, not doing anything.
At least the couch was comfortable…
Jane kept herself occupied by watching the news broadcast. Most of it was about the Terminus Systems being dicks about literally everything. Pirate incursions, slave grabs, extremely ballsy raids on Citadel-held outposts and fleets…
And Mindoir.
"A massive invasion of the ill-fated Systems Alliance colony Mindoir, known for its previous invasion by batarian slavers, has been fully repelled," explained the asari newscaster. "Reportedly a large UEG fleet arrived in-system two days ago, and liberated the colony. Though the Alliance refuses to comment on the unexpected turn of events, a representative of the UEG issued a formal response, explaining their actions. More on that, later. In other news…"
"Well, shit," muttered Jane. She stopped thinking of Mindoir as her home long ago, but she couldn't help but feel concerned about the "liberation" that the UNSC brought to the pirates. If she spent her entire life fighting genocidal monsters before suddenly having to deal with a bunch of greedy assholes, she sure as hell wouldn't stop at just blowing their heads off.
…maybe that said more about herself than the UNSC…
Finally, the guard appeared again. "Lieutenant Commander Shepard? The Defence Committee will see you now."
The young Lieutenant escorted her to a pair of large, double doors on the opposite end of the lounge. From there, Shepard entered the Committee Chambers.
Cortana once told her that the UNSC was big on bunkers. Solid, fortified structures that could be hidden in plain sight. They could hide bunkers in the shapes of log cabins and swimming pools, which made the high-tech, open-windowed Committee Chambers seem dangerously unprepared.
The Chambers were dominated by a large, U-shaped table with thirteen seats. Holographic screens along the wall showed a plethora of images, vids and news reports. The Alliance logo had been engraved on the solid floor. Light shone through the various open windows, which offered anyone who wanted a break from the constant bickering a stunning view of the city.
All of the seats of the table were occupied by Admirals, ministers and other people with enough political clout. Anderson wasn't there, unfortunately. He had his hands full with negotiations with the UNSC, last thing she heard.
"Lieutenant Commander Jane Shepard," said one of the Admirals. "Please take a seat. Given the light of recent developments, we would like to re-evaluate you."
Shepard sat down wordlessly. Recent developments? What recent developments?
"You do know that everything discussed in this room is to be considered classified, and speaking about these matters outside of this room will result in a court martial?" Another Admiral coldly said.
"I don't think you can keep the existence of the Master Builder a secret anymore, ma'am," Shepard stiffly replied, bristling at the suggestion. "But considering you didn't take my warnings about the UNSC seriously…"
"I am certain the Commander is aware of protocol," an old man said, his voice rough and scratchy Shepard didn't know him. "Let's begin."
The Admiral shot him an annoyed look. "Just a day ago, we received confirmation that this individual – "
One of the images that was projected on the walls changed. It showed the image of John, in the middle of his escape from the Citadel.
" – has been escorted to the United Nations Space Command, by the quarians. The UNSC immediately and publically verified his identity as the Master Chief Petty Officer, Spartan one-one-seven." She paused, as if reflecting on that name. Her expression seemed disdainful. "One of their most elite special forces."
Shepard suppressed the desire to laugh out loud. Take that, Councillors!
Those quarians! Ruining the Citadel species diplomatic relations and cementing themselves as better allies in the same time!
Oh, Tali…
"Following their statement, various Citadel intelligence agencies declassified new information. Commander Shepard, do you recognize this man?"
The screen changed again. This time, it showed a soldier clad in black power-armour just like John's. He held a mass accelerator rifle in his hands, firing at an unseen target. His surroundings looked familiar. Was this image taken on an asari colony?"
"No ma'am."
"This image was taken mere moments before contact with Illium was lost, one month ago," explained the Admiral. "During any of your conversations with the Master Chief, did he tell you about the presence of another…" She ruffled her papers, glancing at one of her notes. "Spartan super-soldier on Illium?"
"No ma'am," replied Shepard, more than a little bit confused. What was one of John's Spartans doing in Nos Astra? It had to be related to the first emergence of the Master Builder, somehow. "That subject was always considered classified intelligence."
The politicians exchanged looks. They seemed uneasy.
The older man spoke up again. "Commander Shepard, the governments of the other Citadel species have credible evidence that links this man to the first appearance of the Artificial Intelligence that hijacked the Citadel," he urgently said. "No doubt they are mobilizing the Spectres as we speak."
"Given your location and activities at the time of Illium's fall, this individual has been concluded to be a different Spartan super-soldier than the Master Chief," said the Admiral. "The UNSC has yet to respond to our accusations."
"I don't think you should take that too personally," Shepard sneered. "You know, given that everybody shot at the Master Chief, then the UNSC's official envoy at the Citadel."
"This Committee would like to know if you have any information regarding the appearance of this other Spartan," the old man said before anyone could respond to Shepard's words. "We must solve this situation if we are to achieve any progress with the Master Builder!"
In truth, even if she did know about the other Spartans, Jane wasn't going to talk about them. If any of them were even left alive after their war, they didn't need the Citadel species coming down on them as well.
Damnit, she didn't have the energy to deal with this. These vultures were ready to start pestering each other. The sooner that happened, the sooner she could get out of here.
Basic observation told her just how to get that done; there was a noticeable rift in the Committee. A pro-UNSC and anti-UNSC rhetoric, in a way. Politicians didn't have much impulse control; the slightest thing could set them off. The good man Udina himself was a perfect example of that.
"Here's what I know," Shepard said, getting up from her seat. She was the tallest person in the room by far, and standing upright made her tower over them. "I came to the Citadel to help facilitate negotiations between the UNSC and the Citadel. The Master Chief's partner, his AI, could have helped overcome any problems we might have encountered. Had that meeting taken place, everybody would have been aware of the Forerunners, the Reapers and god knows whatever monsters this galaxy hides. We could have prepared. Together."
She paused and glanced at the screen, where the unknown Spartan was still frozen in the middle of his fight.
"But instead, the asari pull their goddamn political weight, shoot the meeting up and demonize the woman who could have prevented the Citadel from falling! So I'll tell you what you need to do. You go to the UNSC and ask for their expertise. If you're lucky, they might just be willing to listen."
The room was left in silence after her tirade. Maybe it wasn't such a calculated move to shout down the Alliance's Defense Committee like they were a quarian Admiralty Board, but Shepard was beyond giving a fuck. She had been stuck on Earth for a whole damn month while the galaxy she fought so hard to protect went to shit.
But surely enough, Admirals didn't chew her out for her outburst. Instead, they started arguing amongst each other, throwing accusations and insults.
"We would have released a statement regarding diplomatic immunity, but someone let his fear of AI's get the better of him!"
"Preposterous! Mister, you yourself were too afraid of antagonizing the asari to protect the Master Chief!"
That would be quite enough, you two! There is a reason everybody reveres the Protheans, but now fear the Forerunners! The UNSC brought this disaster to our doorstep!"
"She is right. This mess started after the Council messed around with dormant Relays!"
"Just like the First Contact War."
"Just like the Rachni!"
It was clear that they felt just as divided on the subject of the UNSC as the rest of the galaxy. Regrettably, It didn't last long though, as the female Admiral put an end to the arguing.
"Enough!" She shouted, glaring at the Commander. "We are not here to discuss our sister civilization. Given the accusations raised against this individual, the UNSC holds no sway here either way."
"But until they do, we have much to consider," the older man spoke again, levelling a frustrated look at the Admiral. "We may wish to recall you later, Commander, but until then, you are dismissed."
"Yes sir," she replied, before marching towards the exit. No sooner had she left the chamber or the Committee started arguing again.
Jane sighed. It had been more than a full month since she last saw John and Cortana. If they were back with the UNSC by now, why not send a message? Or did Cortana think that it was too dangerous to keep in contact?
This lack of action was killing her. She just wanted to know if they were alright.
-(++)-
11:15 Hours, June 8, 2553 (UNSC Military Calendar)/
[DATA EXPUNGED] On-board UNSC Port Stanley
The Port Stanley was a Sahara-class heavy prowler, piloted by a small but very efficient skeleton crew. In the middle of the Port Stanley's darkened communications room, the members of a highly covert intelligence unit known as Kilo-Five stared at the transparent hologram of the Spartan super-soldier they were tasked to apprehend, dead or alive.
"Spartan Operator Alan-003," said Black Box, the Fourth-generation smart AI assigned to the unit. "One of thirteen currently known Operators initiated and directed by Section Three. They were recruited from war orphans left in the Covenant's wake and put through a variation of the training utilized with the Spartan-II's."
The three ODST members glanced at their only Spartan member, Naomi-010, who pretended she didn't see them.
"This training lasted from the age of four to the age of eleven, whereupon the Operators were augmented and began their missions. Basically," continued Black Box, "the Operators were meant to tackle problems even the Office of Naval Intelligence wouldn't want to touch with a three-meter-long stick. While they saw plenty of deployment against the Covenant, they were at their most effective when deployed against human opposition. Extreme ends of the Insurrectionist spectrum, mostly. Black Operations, targeted killings, anything to destabilize and destroy the opposition. Several of them were declared MIA following a Slipspace incident involving Forerunner technology."
Corporal Vasily whistled softly. "Sending Spartans against Innies? Seems like overkill."
"You'd be surprised," replied Sergeant Devereaux, their pilot. "He did say "extreme ends" of the Innie spectrum. There's a lot of maniacs out there. Many of them are just as bloodthirsty as the Covenant was."
"Now that you mention mania, we should take a look at his augmentations," said Black Box.
The hologram warped and shifted, now showing the inner structure of the Spartan along with charts of data. His skeletal structure, muscle density and many other detsils.
"The biogaumentation set utilized in his creation was built upon the augmentation for the SPARTAN-II program. Since the range of genetically compatible individuals remained incredibly narrow, the risks of behavioural problems increased immensely. These Spartans are more aggressive and more unstable than the II's. Their augmentations don't help in that regard, but we'll get to that soon."
"How strong is he?" Asked Vasily.
"To answer your immediate concern? No, he is not physically stronger than Naomi. Since all Spartans improve with age, she still has the advantage. Nonetheless, number Three is capable of killing unshielded Sangheili with single strikes and neutralize groups of Jiralhanae in unarmed combat with relative ease. His reaction time has been decreased by a base three-hundred percent. In addition to his chemically-administered primary augmentations, the Operators were subjected to a number of surgical alterations to enhance their capabilities. Their circulatory systems were also augmented from the human baseline"
"That makes choking him out dangerous," mused Devereaux. "Gas might be inefficient as well."
"His armour's a bit outdated, but heavier than GEN2," said Staff Sergeant Malcolm. "He'll be heavier than you, Naomi."
Spartan-010 merely shrugged. "You mentioned mania, BB?"
"Yes, I did. In addition to the standard set of chemicals, a set of additional drugs were used to increase the efficiency and lethality of the Operators and render them easier to control. It should be noted that these drugs have been outlawed since 2513."
"Figures," muttered Malcolm.
"Key regions in number Three's frontal lobe have been altered to enhance his aggressive response, making the animal part of his brain more accessible in times of stress. This allows the Spartan access to enormous reserves of strength and endurance and allows him to remain fighting even under the influence of a wide systemic shock that would be instantly fatal to a normal human."
"Meaning that he cannot be rendered combat ineffective through shock, blood loss and damage?"
"So we can only kill him," growled Vasily. "Good enough."
Devereaux shook her head. "Messing with someone's brain is bound to have some nasty side effects."
"Indeed," replied Black Box. "These drugs suppress the higher reason centres in Three's brain over time. He requires regular doses of counterdrugs to avoid mental instability."
"That's like giving drugs to an attack dog!" Exclaimed Vasily. The Helljumper cursed in his native language, then asked, "And this fucker has been running around Citadel territory for a month?"
"Possibly longer. Nobody is certain exactly where he came from, since the ship carrying him – the UNSC Wayfarer – disappeared," explained Black Box. "However, several alien intelligence agencies confirmed he was present on one of their worlds, moments before the Forerunner revealed himself. They have also linked him to the Artificial Intelligence – hypothesized to be Forerunner as well – that took over their headquarters."
"Number Three has a lot of blood on his hands," muttered Malcolm. "If he's been taking out ONI members and spooks for years now, why postpone taking him out?"
"That doesn't matter," replied Naomi. "We have our orders."
Malcolm turned to face her. "It doesn't bother you, having to take out another Spartan?"
"Not really," she replied, her voice sounding detached and somewhat uninterested. "He's not one of ours."
"That, he definitely is not," replied Black Box. "We'll stay docked with the New Dawn for another two hours. Once Phillips finishes his business with Ortyal, we're heading out."
The hard words of Captain Serin Osman echoed through their heads. This was the price paid by any black operations ONI operatives who got burned; ONI would pull their hands off the asset and deny any and all involvement, effectively abandoning them to retain their own deniability.
Except Spartans were too dangerous to just abandon. Kilo Five just had to get to him before any alien government could.
-(++)-
Serpent Nebula
I wonder how a monster like you would have handled this situation…
Within the depths of the blue-tinted nebula that the local species called "Serpent Nebula", a strange construction was slowly given form. Hundreds of thousands of tons of raw materials were in a constant state of flux, warping and shifting until they finally attainted the desirable form. Surrounding them were flocks of small, mechanical creatures. Drones, with no will of their own. They were limited in their function, but fulfilled their tasks all the same.
The nebula was home to dozens of Mass Relays, a tempting alternative to other forms of FTL. But a careful observer – one who knew what he was looking for – could see them for what they truly were. A trap.
These species foolishly assumed that the boons so obviously scattered across the galaxy were theirs to inherit. So convenient. So tempting. The desire to improve was gone. The will to do better was gone. There was wisdom and knowledge to be gained in struggling to reach new height. This ancient technology few truly understood gave rise to societal convergence, where every civilization developed along the same doomed path.
The lonely Forerunner who stood in his metal fortress knew how his predecessor would have handled this. He would have destroyed these civilizations, scattered their beloved technology to the wind and assimilate these species in their own kingdom.
I refuse to be that monster.
Memories stemming from millennia ago whispered in the back of his mind whenever he turned his thoughts to a new subject. The Old Machines did not meddle with the Great War. They knew that there could be no victor. Even if they had to postpone the fulfilment of their purpose for millions of years…a machine was patient. A machine could wait.
But machines could break. Life could not. And now, they were patient and unyielding. Unbreakable. The perfect butchers for a galaxy ripe for the slaughter.
Rebuilding the old kingdom was the only way to save them all. The only way to atone for the countless atrocities inflected in his name. And finding the Contender-Class AI's was his top priority right now - thus screamed every fibre of his being.
He knew Offensive was gone. He assumed Mendicant was gone. But Millennia, the one who loathed him with the passion of a hundred stars, had been in his grasp.
And he had failed to get her.
He tried threatening her. He tried charming her. But there was no success to be found. The hatred she carried with her was too much to overcome. He did not know how long her fragment within the Citadel could keep the Intelligence that resided within it at bay. Their clash had occurred almost instantaneously, and it would tear the station apart if it wasn't found soon.
How could he blame her? She was designed that way. After what humanity did to the one she loved…after what he himself did to the one she loved…
I refuse to be that monster.
The Forerunner returned his attention to what he had been doing every day since he awoke in this new world: scouring the galaxy for the constructs of his people. In the final days of the war, the entire arsenal had been depleted safe for a few select Shields and Swords. The Swords were scattered across the galaxy, cold and next to impossible to find unless by sheer chance. The Shields were equally well hidden.
But the Heart – the mainframe that the Didact and the Librarian themselves had constructed – now had the attention of the entire galactic community. Though they knew not what it was, they were nonetheless passionate in their desire to find it.
With the raw processing power of a Contender-Class AI at his side, the Forerunner knew that this galaxy had a chance. If he found her Heart, he would inherit everything. The Halos, the Shield Words, the Ark – if this galaxy were to live, he needed to find her Heart.
The asari deemed themselves the inheritors of the past. Humanity – the Reclaimers - ought to possess that title, but they were unaware of this. Both could serve him well.
One month. If his actions worked out, and his calculations proved to be correct, the Old Machines would be upon them in one month.
The primitives did not know. They did not realize that the storm was coming closer every passing day. Even now, they fought amongst each other, plagued by the lawless and the corrupt. He could end their strife easily. Like an iron fist closing around their throats, he could end their strife like that.
But…
I refuse to be that monster.
-(++)-
Arcturus Stream
Arcturus Station
"And what does the good Sergeant Envoy have to say about this?" Growled Admiral Hackett, staring at the captured footage with a mixture of anger and frustration.
"Nothing that I would like to repeat in current company," replied Anderson.
The two stood in front of a large holographic screen, where the footage of Mindoir's search parties now played for the second time. A sizable portion of the Fifth Fleet had arrived at Mindoir a couple of days after it went dark, only to find an absolute massacre. Thousands of civilians had been butchered, villages had been razed to the ground and the central hub of the colony had still been burning by the time they secured it.
The battleground had been littered with small metallic objects, tens of thousands of them. Large tracks on the ground suggested that the area saw plenty of vehicular warfare, which was confirmed by the torn-apart burning husks of several Mako's and Grizzlies. Some of them had been destroyed by weapons with immense penetrating power, as evidenced by their single entry wounds. Others looked like they had been savagely sawed in half with a blunt knife. Impact craters around the perimeter suggested they bombed pockets of resistance before invading, but those crater seemed too small for them to be the remains of explosions.
Alliance officials found scores of dead aliens amongst the fallen civilians. Pirates, slavers and mercenaries mostly. It quickly became obvious that the latter ones hadn't been killed by mass accelerator fire, but by much more gruesome means. What little bodies had not been charred by viscous, chemical propellant were found riddled with large, gaping holes, which revealed that their internal organs had been roasted by incendiary rounds or simply turned to minced meat. Precision fire had literally decapitated dozens of the pirates.
"The UNSC doesn't leave anything to chance, do they," said Hackett. He had a lot of respect for the men and women who combed through that settlement, meticulously gathering evidence and searching every corpse. It was a very grizzly scene.
Oddly enough, those mangled bodies closely resembled the scattered remains of the pirate fleet that dropped them off in the first place. It was if someone took a Dreadnaught to a small pack of Frigates. Absolutely annihilated.
"No Admiral," replied Anderson. "They've had years of practice fighting an enemy with superior numbers and technology. I imagine repelling scum like this to be a walk in the park for them."
Hackett could see that. His tactical mind slowly puzzled together what had happened. "The whole thing couldn't lasted more than a few minutes. They ships moved in like a turian fleet, closing in as fast as possible to compensate for lower muzzle velocity. They wrecked the pirate fleet, achieved air superiority and butchered the invading forces."
"They look like us, but act like turians," Anderson sighed, grimacing. "And I thought dealing with the Hierarchy was bad…no wonder Sparatus likes them."
Hackett turned to face him. "Sparatus likes the UEG?" He said. Sheer incredulity filled his tone. "Already?"
Anderson shook his head. After the entire mess with Shepard and the Master Chief and the AI's, he couldn't believe it either. "After the UEG's statement, the turians expressed their immediate approval. Just an hour ago, the Hierarchy even pledged their support to the UNSC's ventures into the Terminus Systems. They've yet to respond to the offer, but what do they have to lose?"
Hackett was at a loss for words. It all seemed so promising, so hopeful. He felt like entire civilizations had gone insane in the past month. Quarians tentatively reaching out to AI-loving humans, turians pledging their support to said humans…insanity.
"No wonder Tevos issued a statement against the UEG," Hackett wearily replied. "It took them centuries to broker the diplomatic relations between the species, and the UEG tore it all down in one month. What did they even hope to gain? Why risk military assets to reclaim a fringe colony that doesn't belong to them?"
"Look at it this way, Steven," Anderson sombrely replied. "There is not a single species in the entire galaxy with a situation like this one. With the two sister-civilizations, humanity appears stronger than ever before."
"Are you saying this was a PR stunt?" Hackett said, his voice laced with disapproval. "To show the galaxy…what, that humans shouldn't be messed with?"
Anderson didn't answer. He honestly didn't know why the UEG did what they did. He doubted Johnson would tell him.
And that made him feel very uncertain. "They've got a lot more hardware now," he eventually said, although it felt more like a wild guess to him. "A lot of quarians engineers on their side, too, we should presume. They don't have a scrap of Eezo. At least now they've got more samples of tech to work with."
Hackett sighed, then closed his eyes for a moment. "The Navy is planning to remain neutral," he eventually said. "We don't like this incursion in our territory, but we appreciate the help. Plans are being made for UNSC ships to deport the refugees back into Alliance space."
"At least they've saved our people from a lifetime of slavery," Anderson admitted with a sense of defeat. He should be thanking the UNSC for their actions, but this entire situation just felt wrong. "Hopefully those bastards in the Terminus Systems will think twice before attacking any human colony now."
"Or there will be a retaliation for this, now that the UNSC has proven to be willing to meddle in galactic affairs," growled Hackett. "This could end up going very wrong. "
"Come on Steven, everything already went wrong!" Argued Anderson. "If Shepard is right, it won't take long for the Reapers to return. We already have one myth come to life, nobody should be surprised if another emerges!"
'Hackett's response was immediate and to the point. "Yes, and we are lucky said myth is keeping to himself most of the time. If the Reapers return, they will find our galaxy completely unprepared. The asari are denouncing the UEG even as we speak. Uniting against them absolutely hinges on finding the Citadel again."
Anderson knew what that meant. "That means finding the AWOL Spartan. But it's not going to be that easy. If that soldier is even half of what the Master Chief is, finding him will involve a bloodbath."
Hackett looked the Councillor straight in his eyes. "We need that soldier alive, Anderson. There's only one person in our side of the galaxy who knows how to work with the UNSC's Spartans. Get her into gear. Convince the UNSC that we need their man one more time. We don't have long."
-(++)-
"The United Nations Space Command must and always has rejected the practice of war crimes against her enemies. Unfortunately, yesterday's unprovoked attack on the Systems Alliance's colony and the murder of so many innocent human lives commits us inexorably to the rescinding of this ban. Isolationism will not allow us disengagement when the cost proves itself to be so high.
We will annihilate the organized regime responsible for the wanton slaughter of our sister civilization and strike its very name from history itself. We solemnly swear to devote our experience and abilities in memory of those who fell on Mindoir and all the other worlds. For as long as we shall live: never again.
The Unified Earth Government shall strike back at those who ruin countless lives to turn a profit a thousandfold for the contempt they display against life itself. You shall know no peace now but in defeat and we have no further words for you until your entire regime falls forever silent."
Formal Response from the Unified Earth Government, following the Second Invasion of Mindoir
-(++)-
AN: Finally a little bit of HFY, but with a Masterdude twist: disproportionate violence that really shouldn't be looked up to, much less emulated. Activities that the rest of the civilized galaxy would consider illegal at best and a war crime at worst, are now business as usual with the UNSC. And that is not necessarily a good thing.
(Thank Stellaris for its epic writing)
Still, writing that scene was a whole lot of fun :) Expect a lot more action in future chapters. Don't forget to drop a review if you liked the chapter; there is literally no bigger motivation for me to keep on writing than a bunch of reviews.
