For The Republic
They have us surrounded? Those poor bastards!
Colonel Franklin Williams during Siege of Saigon
"I am a Ranger. To defend my nation I have sworn. I am a Ranger. Enemies of the Republic consider yourself warned."
The Ranger's Warning
The thundering of artillery fire sounded throughout the streets of Saigon. The city above was an unrecognizable warzone. The attacking aliens learning their lesson from the outskirts would call in artillery bombardments and airstrikes anywhere they got an inkling of enemy presence. The bunker or Vault the citizens and soldiers of Vietnam were currently hiding in was luckily built to the best construction standards the Republic has.
After the Second World War the Wanderer feared Germany, Russia, or Rome would build nuclear weapons and use them on the Republic. Project Safehouse was started to address those fears. In the United Republic and allied city-states large state-of-the-art bunkers called Vaults would be built and stocked in the event of nuclear war. They were created to hold a large population for an indefinite timespan so theoretically the populace could remain inside forever if they didn't run into any problems like water purification/reactor failure. One guy actually wanted to turn the Vaults into a social experiment of some kind but he was promptly demoted and told to get a conscience. The Vault was the safest place on Vietnam and Harris' squad was about to leave it.
The enemy was swarming around the city and the squad was tasked with keeping them busy. The relief fleet was only hours away and the aliens needed to be distracted until then. If they weren't then there was a chance they could find one of the Vault entrances. Nearby was a small office building with a great view of an adjacent square. The enemy was sighted in this section of the city yet but is was best to be on the safe side. The squad moved slowly and made sure each floor of the 3 story office building was clear. When they got to the top floor they were surprised to see someone was already there. At the window wielding a Barret 50 caliber sniper rifle was a Ranger. The Ranger was already overlooking the square and didn't react to their presence. After a while the Ranger said "You guys should try being quieter. With all the noise you were making an enemy would have already set up several traps and ambushes before you got to the second floor."
"Just what are you trying to say?!" said Ellis
"I meant no offense." Said the Ranger still looking through the scope of his rifle. "I meant it as a bit of constructive criticism not an insult. Besides its best you learn that lesson now and not in a combat zone."
Ellis looked like he was going to say something else but Harris put and hand on his shoulder. Harris the turned to the Ranger and said "It's good we at least got help in keeping this square secure. With all of us we definitely take out any enemy squads that come this way."
It was then then the Ranger finally turned to face them. His face was completely obscured by the iconic helmets rangers are known for. It is said those helmets contained Night Vision, Thermal Vision and every other type of vision there was. "That might be a problem." Said the Ranger standing up.
"What do you mean?" asked Harris
"A couple of other Rangers further up the road radioed me that a large column of enemy troops are fighting their way to this location. Last count puts them at a company level strength along with a couple of armored vehicles."
"Damn! We can't handle that kind of force! We're gonna have to pull out."
"We can't do that sergeant. This square is more important than you think."
The Ranger then pointed out the window to another corner of the square. There was a ramp leading underground and above was a sign in Hanoian and English. In English it read Diamond Plaza Vault Entrance.
"What the hell!" said Harris "That was supposed to be sealed!"
"I was my mission to destroy that entrance but the charges were duds. I decided to protect the entrance until reinforcements arrive."
"How long do we have to hold out and how many are coming?"
"We have to hold out an hour or two at most so command can rally the necessary forces. We'll be relieved by a full company and a couple of Heavies. With their help we can hold the area until the relief fleet gets here."
The squad perked up at the mention of heavies. Harris then voiced what the squad was thinking "What the hells are Heavies doing here on Vietnam?"
"The Hanoians have been requesting that the Republic help shore up its defenses. Hanoi has poured everything it can into this colony. Vietnam is the seat of its power and without it they'll just be a tiny city-state relying on the Republic for everything. So the Pentagon sent a Heavy Squad to help with defense."
"And just what is the plan?"
"We're going to have to spread the squad out. Hit them from as many directions as possible. Should keep them confused and make them think they're fighting a much larger force. I have a small stock of ammo and weapons that should give us an edge."
"Hold out for two hours against a numerically superior armored supported alien force while waiting for reinforcements? Well hell. Sign us up."
"Damn these primitives! We should just bomb them from orbit!" yelled Desolas as he got word of the latest setbacks.
"Using Mass Accelerators on a habitable garden world is against Council Law…sir" said Captain Gaius Rurik adding the Sir at the end just in time because an unfortunate ensign questioned the legitimacy of this invasion and Desolas had him sent to the brig for 'insubordination' and of 'improper respect towards a superior'.
In other militaries an Admiral is not in charge of Army forces and a General is not in charge of navy forces. In the Hierarchy however this is normal. The change came about during the Krogan Rebellions in which turian forces of different branches would find themselves stranded so they would unite under one singular commander of the highest rank regardless of branch. Some Salarians hypothesized this was due to the turian's ancestors being pack hunters so their descendants would always gravitate towards the strongest or most experienced to lead them. So that meant Desolas outranked Rurik which is lucky for him since if he had his way Desolas would have been thrown in the brig a long time ago.
He had the fleet fire upon a species whose only crime was curiosity. True they might have opened a mass relay but they weren't a member of the Citadel meaning they weren't bound by the law. Not only that but they didn't even know it existed! They were supposed to be supporting another fleet attacking a pirate base. The other fleet would be able to take the base without their support but not without some casualties. When this is over Desolas would most likely be facing a very long prison term for deserting his post and purposefully botching a first contact scenario. Not to mention his family will have a black mark that will last centuries. He could only hope this species wouldn't hold too much of a grudge after this. If peace was even possible by this point…
Desolas attacked the city in a typical fashion. Infantry supported by armor units and gunships. Artillery would shell sections of the city in which enemy forces were spotted and then ground forces would be sent in to mop up. Unfortunately this plan had many flaws. The constant shelling was reducing the city to rubble and Rurik knew this was going to haunt the Hierarchy later. The enemy also wisely Rurik thought never attack Turian troops in groups larger than 10. They would open fire on a column, kill a few soldiers, and retreat before they can take any losses of their own. They would then keep this up attacking the convoy at irregular intervals and rigging traps along their route. This left the turians on the ground to become increasingly paranoid about when and where they'd be attacked. One platoon actually opened fire on an empty building after they got startled by a falling piece of rubble. Rurik knew a lot of troops would have PTSD when this was over.
This conflict had to end before it got worse. Rurik was trying to come up with some way to relieve Desolas of command. The problem was he hadn't actually done anything illegal yet. Anyone with common sense would know these aliens weren't bound by Council Law. Unfortunately the law wasn't written with Non-Citadel species in mind. Some arrogant Asari probably thought any species advanced enough to use Mass Relays would follow Council Law regardless of membership. In that idiot Asari's defense most non-citadel species like the Quarians or Terminus Systems still followed the law. Though this was mostly out of fear of the unknown and unwillingness to bring the Council down on them. The 'Abandoning his post' and 'getting scores of good turians killed in a personal matter' weren't enough to convict him until the Hierarchy, specifically someone of superior rank, actually called him out on it. In his free time Rurik poured over Hierarchy Regulations trying to find…something to relieve Desolas of command before this descended into a war that will shake the very core of the galaxy.
An alarm rang out signaling an incoming transmission from the ground. Some of the troops found an entrance to what is most likely an underground complex defended by enemy forces. They were being fired upon from multiple sides so they guess around a platoon worth of enemy soldiers. As soon as he got the message a malicious grin crossed Desolas' face.
"So that's where they've been hiding." He said before turning to an ensign. "Send the word to all ground forces. Reroute troops to that position. Once we take the entrance anyone in that bunker that does not surrender will be put down."
"But sir. That bunker is most likely filled with nothing but civilians." Said Rurik dreading Desolas' response.
"This species is obviously as vicious as the Krogan. The 'civilians' are just as big as a threat. Any and all of these aliens will be treated as combatants whether armed or unarmed. Make sure this is sent to the troops."
"Shit! Medic!" yelled Ellis as he clutched the bleeding wound on his side.
McCoy rushed over and injected him with a pain killer. "Hold still! I'm trying to heal you!" said McCoy as he got out a small bundle bandages.
"Bandages?!" yelled Ellis "What is this the 19th Century?! Don't you have any Stims or Medi-gel?!"
"I only have a few left since you guys insist on getting shot! It's not being used until one of you is close to dying! No hold still!"
"It's not our fault every time we poke our heads out a platoon worth of bullets comes flyin through the windows! Ain't that right Shepard?!"
"Less talk more shooting!" yelled back Shepard as he fired an assault rifle burst out a nearby window.
Harris and the Ranger were in a building on the opposite side of the square. Shepard was put in charge of Ellis and McCoy with orders to shoot anyone heading towards the Vault entrance. The aliens probably thought the entrance was to a subway but it wasn't long before the jig was up. Large amounts of alien soldiers and armored vehicles poured into the area letting the squad know this was probably the final move of the Siege of Saigon. It was only by luck the Ranger managed to raid the Vault Armory before coming up here. The LAWs and Barrets let them dispatch any vehicles. The extra ammunition was a most welcome blessing since a half hour into the fight it was starting to run low. Thankfully Vault Security had reinforced their side of the Vault Entrance.
"Shepard!" came Harris voice through the comlink. "We got bad news. The Heavies are pinned by a gunship a block from here due south and are requesting assistance. Take a LAW and help them out. We'll cover you."
"Roger!" said Shepard
Shepard grabbed a LAW and stepped down the stairs. Ellis called out from behind him "Wait for the signal and head on out! You'll know when you see it."
Shepard put a fresh clip into his assault rifle and waited for the signal. After a few moments a huge explosion engulfed the square. That was probably the signal Ellis mentioned so Shepard took off down an alley unseen by the aliens who were too disoriented by the explosion. Shepard hurried to his objective and for a moment his mind wandered to just how did Ellis cause that explosion since they didn't have anything with that kind of power.
Up ahead he saw a squad of aliens taking potshots at someone from behind a small wall. One of the aliens was hit by a literal swarm of bullets that would have left most a walking pile of holed cheese but when Shepard saw a flare of blue he swore to himself. The defenders of Vietnam learned the hard way that quite a few of the aliens had these type of personal shields. They were nicknamed 'Bullet Shields' by a lot of the troops due to them protecting their users from bullets or shrapnel but not energy based weaponry like the few laser weapons they were lucky to have. The shields seemed to shut down if hit with enough bullets so there was that. Shepard's measly M-4 had served him well the whole battle but it won't help him against these guys especially since they have shields. The lone grenade might get a couple of them but after that he was on his own.
The bullet swarm hitting the aliens seemed to get larger and larger until after a few short moments there was nothing but a pile of blue holed filled corpses. Well. Apparently they didn't need help. Shepard peeked around the corner but quickly retreated when a bullet impacted on the wall a couple of feet away.
"Identify yourself!" came a gruff voice
"Corporal Thomas Shepard! URGF Serial Number #11202007!"
"Come on in before someone spots ya!"
Shepard rounded the corner and in the alley before him were two heavy troopers in full power armor. Shepard wasn't by definition short. He stood at a reasonable 5'7 but the man in power armor was a whole head taller than him. If he was not mistaken the model they were wearing was T-45d which is one of the smaller simpler models. The Heavies were both packing miniguns that they wouldn't normally be able to carry if it wasn't for the strength boost the power armor gave them. One of the heavies was sitting on the ground as if he was injured. The standing heavy unclasped his helmet which hissed as the air escaped the pressurized environment. The man's face was heavily scarred telling stories of past battles.
"Captain Black of the Heavy Corps. Nice that you got here Corporal. We've ran into a problem. One of those alien fuckers managed to get a lucky rocket launcher hit in and wounded Lieutenant Isle over there." He said pointing in the direction of the wounded soldier. "He'll live but his leg is busted. You are going to have to wear his armor."
"What?! I don't know how to wear power armor and I heard the training is long and tedious."
"I'll let you in on a secret kid. It's kind of an exaggeration. The 'training' is mostly teaching us to handle the newfound strength and the armor's limits. The suits pretty much run themselves."
Even with that assurance Shepard still wasn't sure. He watched as the wounded soldier stood up and spread his arms. The back of the suit slid open and the soldier stepped out before collapsing on the ground in pain.
"You alright son?" said Captain Black in concern
"I'm ok sir. I'll lay low while you guys take care of business." Said Isle as he limped into a nearby house. "Oh yeah and don't scratch my armor."
Sergeant Harris and the Ranger had to retreat back to Ellis and McCoy's position once their ammunition ran dry. Unfortunately their ammo situation wasn't much better leaving each man with only a few clips each. The aliens having guessed their low ammo situation pressed their attacks. The cracks of gunfire in the square were interrupted by loud clanking noises echoed over the sounds of battle. From out of the smoke like two Gods of War were two soldiers in power armor. The power armored soldiers gazed at the alien invaders before them until one pointed at them and then drew its finger across its neck in a slashing motion. The afternoon sun glinting off the shining surface and miniguns barrels already rotating in preparation for the slaughter. The picturesque moment was interrupted however by Ellis yelling out "Oh My God will you guys stop showing off and help us already!?"
And with that the carnage began. The aliens were shocked at their appearance and armor but to their credit recovered fairly quickly. Shepard was getting shot at from so many directions it was like someone painted a target on his chest and there was a million dollar reward for the one who could hit it the most. The armor's auto targeting system informed him of a couple of aliens cowering behind a planter taking potshots at him. Shepard then pointed at them and watch as the planter was turned into a piece of hole-filled rumble. Shepard looked over to Captain Black and saw he wasn't even letting his finger off the trigger. Black was sweeping his miniguns across the square putting so much fire on the aliens the barrels were beginning to turn glow red from overheating. One of the aliens fired a rocket launcher at Black and watched in horror as Black just raised up his arm and let it explode harmlessly on him.
"I didn't know the armor could do that!" said Shepard through the comlink.
"It's best not to try. Stings like hell and the engies don't like it." Replied Black. "Say it drops the gauntlets lifespan by 30%"
The aliens seeing their attacks were useless against the armored soldiers began to retreat. An APC was providing cover fire for them. With a nod Shepard and Black walked over to the burnt out husk of a car and using their armor's strength picked it right up. They then tossed the car at the APC crippling it. The alien crew then climbed out of the burning wreck and ran off without a backwards glance.
"Ha Ha! Run you cowards run!" came Ellis' voice as the last aliens retreated from the square.
"Damn fine work there kid. Damn fine." Said the Ranger over the comlink "You ever think of joining the Rangers?"
"No Thanks. Ranger life isn't for me. My son on the other hand has already made up his mind to join the Rangers though. Could you maybe watch out for him Ranger…?"
"Anderson. Ranger Anderson. Don't worry I'll look out for him."
The conversation between Ranger Anderson and Shepard was interrupted by a message from command. "Attention all troops. This is Colonel Williams. Give yourselves a pat on the back. The relief fleet has arrived. I repeat the relief fleet has arrived. Let's hope they brought beer."
Civilopedia
Power Amor- Developed by the United Republic in the early 1990s Power Armor is one of the most powerful weapons at the Republic's disposal. A single power armored soldier has the combat capabilities of an entire company. Their strength is increased allowing them to carry weapons usually restricted to vehicles and can take large amounts of damage. This is offset however by the armor's expensive cost and manufacture. It takes an engineering team and entire 6 months to build a single suit of T-45d Power Armor and the more complicated models take even longer to construct. There are currently 3 models of Power Armor. T-45d, T-51b and T-60 though newer models are rumored to be in development for XCOM.
After the Vietnam War the other Human powers have implored that the Republic release T-45d for at least for UN use. It is unknown if the talks are going to go anywhere.
AN: Due to reader reviews (some less polite than others…) I am going to stop with the big Civilopedia Chapters… unless it's a pretty big info dump. That's why I have those. If I put that information at the end of a regular chapter there would be more civilopedia than chapter. That's why I mark the Civilopedias differently than regular chapters so you can skip it if you want.
Oh yeah and before I forget. The weapon I was talking about in the previous chapter is the Merchant of Venice. When you complete the Patronage Tree allied city-states will start gifting you great people. Under normal circumstances only the Venice civ can get MoVs but the now any civilization that completes the Patronage tree has a rare chance to receive them. The MoV's special ability allows the civilization to effectively 'buy out' a city-state allowing you to puppet/annex it. I haven't quite decided it yet to allow the Republic to buy out Illium during the Mass Effect 2 arc since technically Illium isn't an Asari world. They state this in the game so that means Illium is effectively a city-state making it a prime target. I might put it in a poll or something but we're a long way from the ME2 Arc. So until next time.
