AN: Before we get into the chapter I just want to preference by saying that I really have zero understanding of military structure or procedure. So if some of the terminology or actions seem off just know I did the best I could. Also, I can already tell that some people will take issue with the characterization of two specific high ranking individuals in the Alliance. Tough shit. Just because someone has massive amounts of power does not mean they need to be all stoic and boring all the time. Also, Gaia is genderfluid. Not because I'm trying to push an agenda, but because he/she/they is literally a 9 kilometer tall automaton made from the collective minds of 100 men and women. It just made the most sense to me.
Anyway, please do enjoy this mediocre shitstorm of a rushed chapter. Try not to hate it too much.
Chapter 2: Shock and Awe
When Resolution arrived back in the Sol System, after making several trips through other star systems to throw off any possible tracking, Vanessa Drake, the High Admiral of the Human Systems Alliance, had already put the entire Alliance on high alert. Earth was immediately reinforced by the Arcturus, Euler, and Hydra Fleets. Over 15,000 ships arrived to further bolster the defenses of the home planet on top of the 5,000 ships and the wall of defense satellites that were already there. Now Director Drake sits with the Board of Directors in the Capitol Room onboard Requiem to discuss their actions moving forward.
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"I truly don't understand what all the fuss is about. Captain Walsh said that the aliens largest ship was barely half the size of the Resolution which is half the size of our dreadnoughts. Hell, even their 'Citadel' is dwarfed by Requiem. These aliens are clearly no match for us." Said the Director of Sol Affairs, Elias Stevens. The Alliance Board of Directors is made up of 14 individuals who were elected to serve as the overseer of each colonized system. Each of these Directors answers to Vanessa Drake who has the final say on every major action the Alliance takes as a whole. Each of the 14 systems has a defense fleet of around 5,000 ships
Vanessa is of Italian and African American descent giving her a light brown complexion and curly brown hair that she kept in a pixie cut style with slight bangs off to the right of her face. Thanks to advancements in medical technology and the ever increasing lifespan of the human race, despite her being over the age of 80 she appeared to be half her age. Her hazel colored eyes were what really showed her age and battle experience. She'd seen and done a lot in her long career and even when she was smiling and relaxed, there was no mistaking the pain and heartbreak she had experienced. Right now those eyes are filled with concentration as she listens to all of the options being laid out before her.
"Did you ever stop to think that perhaps these ships were just the ones they had nearby upon our arrival? The simple fact is that we don't know what they are actually capable of. To say nothing of the fact that this 'Matriarch Lidanya' mentioned the fact there were many different alien species across the galaxy, all of whom answer to this 'Council.' If we make the wrong moves, step on the wrong toes, we could have a war against God knows how many different species all working together to take us out." This voice of reason was none other than Delilah Blake, Director of Arcturus Affairs. Arcturus is the system where Requiem resides and is the first line of defense against any hostile attack on Earth and the Sol System.
"I agree fully with Director Blake, I say we enter into negotiations with these aliens in the effort to avoid any future conflicts. Though we may be in a much better state than we were at the end of the war, we are still in the midst of rebuilding Earth and our other colonies. I think it best if we are able to focus solely on that until without an enemy force looming over our heads." Said Director of Asgard Affairs, Allan Smythe. The Asgard System is the home of Recovery which is now the largest off-world colony humanity has to offer. The planets of Asgard are also the only known worlds where Phrik metal can be found.
"If we are to open negotiations with these aliens, I think it pertinent to do so with a show of overwhelming force." This came from the Director of Euler Affairs, Samson Clarke. Euler is the closest system to Arcturus and shares the role of immediate protector of Earth.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Asked Director Stevens, still not convinced this was even worth the effort.
"Isn't it obvious?" Said Director Clarke. "We arrive on Requiem… with Gaia leading the charge." Though he hid it well, everyone present could practically hear the smirk he was suppressing.
"You would have us send our second largest colony right to the doorstep of these aliens? Along with Gaia, our steadfast protector? Have you lost your mind, Samson!?" Berated the Director of Utopia Affairs, Destiny Gonzalez. The Utopia System is the home of Eden Prime which is the largest tourist colony in Alliance Space.
"I think it's a phenomenal idea, actually." Said Vanessa, immediately bringing all eyes to her. "Continue Director Clarke."
"Admiral, surely-" Started Director Gonzalez, only to be swiftly cut off by the Admiral.
"You can at least hear him out before shooting him down, Director Gonzalez. Especially since you have yet to voice an alternative. And need I remind you that the safe study of the Artifact was your responsibility since it is located in the Utopia System?" There was no real edge to her tone but it was clear that she was not pleased.
"No ma'am, you do not." Destiny said, avoiding the gaze of her superior.
"Clarke." Vanessa said, inciting the man to continue.
"Thank you, Admiral. I understand your concerns, Director Gonzalez, but they are unfounded. Gaia is nearly indestructible with their Phrik armor, and Requiem has since been outfitted with the absolute strongest shields ever created, able to block an attack from the main gun of an Obitus-Class Super Dreadnought. By the time they managed to put so much as a dent in either one of them, we would already have arrived en masse to defend. The simple fact of the matter is that these aliens need to be shown, unequivocally, that humanity is not to be trifled with. That to start a war with us is to court death. It is the only way to ensure peace for all time." The room was silent as he finished speaking, Samson Clarke was always good for a rallying speech and this one was no exception. It was practically his signature.
"Well spoken as always, Director. I agree with you, we need to show exactly what humanity is capable of if we are to attain true peace. Any opposed?" When no hands were raised, she continued. "Then it is decided. Requiem, led by Gaia, will enter into alien space on Friday, September 28th where I will meet with the Citadel Council and discuss the details of our working relationship. You may all return to your stations and begin preparations. Meeting adjourned."
As the Directors filed out of the room, each giving Vanessa a respectful nod, the Admiral remained seated, locked in thought. This was a monumental day, quite possibly the most important event since the beginning of the Kaiju War. And she was at the center of it, the woman in charge, and by her order humanity would either prosper or fall. Admittedly she should have expected this, they had found those artifacts ages ago so they knew that something was out there. She had just never believed that they would come into contact during her time.
In fact, it seemed almost impossible. Every precaution had been taken while examining the Artifact, it never should have activated when it did. They had been studying it extensively for years, the first thing they learned was how not to turn it on. The only logical conclusion was that it had been deliberately activated.
"Ainsley?" Vanessa called out from her seat. A moment later a blue ball of pixelated light appeared above the desk.
"Hello Admiral, what can I do for you?" This was Ainsley, Vanessa's personal A.I. Artificial Intelligence was created just after the end of the war to help with the rebuilding of Earth. Since then it was repurposed to serve specific roles in the military and Space Force with varying levels of intelligence. Ainsley acts as Vanessas' secretary of sorts and is fairly average in terms of intellect.
"Could you make a call to Captain Walsh? I'd like to speak with him."
"Right away, Admiral." A dial tone sounded across the room and two rings later Ainsley's visage was replaced with the pixelated face of Inigo Walsh.
"High Admiral Drake. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He said in his aged and gravelly voice.
"I'm calling to inform you that the talks have just finished, we will be beginning preparations for a proper contact with these aliens." She said, eyeing his holographic expression intensely. Looking for any tells.
Of course Inigo was old and jaded, not to mention incredibly cunning. "That's incredible news Admiral, here's hoping everything goes smoothly. But I'm sure you didn't call lowly old me to fill me in on details that are above my paygrade."
She couldn't stop herself from chuckling at his consistency, Inigo Walsh was never one to beat around the bush. "You're very right, Captain. I'm calling to ask you how exactly you and your crew managed to activate the Artifact that we had been studying for decades?" She wasn't yelling, she didn't need to, the threat was evident. Even for someone as jaded and unshakeable as Inigo, there was no denying just how deadly the Admiral is when provoked.
"I assure you the matter is being investigated. We believe it was a disgruntled engineer, heavily disgruntled. He had been caught slacking off one too many times and we were planning on giving him the boot. We believe he activated it out of spite, probably hoping the thing would send the ship somewhere it could never be found or maybe just destroy it outright. He's been detained and we're just looking for some concrete evidence. Believe me though, we'll find it."
Vanessa didn't respond immediately, opting instead to let Inigo stew in her silence. Something was off about his story, it was a little too cut and dry. Too easy. But she couldn't exactly call out the oldest and most decorated war veteran in the Alliance with zero proof. Well she could but it wouldn't exactly go over well. "Alright then, Captain. I trust you will keep me posted."
"Absolutely Admiral. You'll be the first to know." A second later Vanessa cut the call and Inigo's face disappeared. The room fell into silence once again as Vanessa was left alone with her thoughts.
Earth - Mount Everest - Gaia's Throne
About 80 years after the war, while humanity was still rebuilding, it was decided that their protector needed a place to rest. And so it was that Mount Everest was reshaped into a throne for the towering mech. The inside of the mountain was fashioned into a sprawling military complex that also serves as a home for Gaia. It was really more of a mansion with several floors and a balcony above the main floor where the master bedroom and bathroom were located. There was a pool, a VR Game Room, a bowling alley, a theater, six bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a lounge, a sauna, a banquet hall, a gym, and a miniature golf course.
Currently the sentient automaton was piloting their synthetic, androgynous human body. This was possible because in a lot of ways Gaia was similar to an A.I and could interact with many electronics wirelessly. In fact, Gaia was simultaneously piloting a Ranger-Class Javelin on the planet Supay in the Outer Rim of Alliance Space, commanding the soldiers of Task Force 111 in their mission to exterminate the lingering infestation of Lesser Kaiju.
Not long after the war Gaia made their first of very few requests to be given a body that would allow them to interact with humanity on a more personable level. Immediately the finest minds in bio and robotic engineering got together to build a body for humanity's protector made to their liking. The first thing Gaia requested was for their body to be both racially and sexually ambiguous. Gaia understood that for their body to resemble any specific subset of humanity could potentially cause a divide with the more radical thinkers of humanity. Gaia's body is 5'10 with pale blue skin, low cut white hair. The body has a slender build that could easily be seen as male or female and both sets of genitalia.
At the present moment Gaia wore a simple baggy white t-shirt and black basketball shorts as they lounged about on the sofa watching a very very old show from the early 21st century called Supernatural and picking mindlessly at a bowl of popcorn. This is how they spent most of their time after the war ended and the rebuilding of Earth got to a point where their original body could no longer safely move around on the planet. They were allowed to venture out into the world and mix and mingle, even mostly unsupervised as although the body itself was as fragile as any other human, the only way to kill Gaia would be to destroy their original 9 kilometer tall, several hundred million ton, quite possibly indestructible Jaeger body. A feat that thus far was considered impossible. There was also the fact that in any form Gaia was a master in hand-to-hand combat and an exceptional marksman.
Despite the freedom granted to them, Gaia still preferred to remain at home and usually kept a small circle of friends, not all of which were military personnel, some he had met simply out and about on the streets. Unfortunately, due to the fact that they are functionally immortal they tend to outlive their friends. Even still Gaia still made an effort to keep in contact with the outside world and often remained close with the descendants of their earliest friends.
Speaking of friends, Gaia was abruptly torn from their focus on the television when a water balloon smacked against the side of their head. "What th- What the fuck, Vanessa!? You couldn't just say hi like a normal person?"
"You're supposed to be the 'Protector of Humanity'. You should be alert of your surroundings at all times." She reprimanded though the smile on her face showed that she was only joking.
"Oh I heard you coming, I just didn't think I would be assaulted in my own home by the single most powerful woman in the Alliance." They said while wiping the popcorn off of the couch. Gaia reached over to the remote and paused the show. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, because truly I am, but what are you doing here?"
"Because the galaxy is an ever changing landscape and shit happens regardless of how hard we try to stop it… We just made First Contact." Vanessa said with a smirk as Gaia's face turned to stone. Gaia was usually a pretty easy going individual, provided there wasn't a war going on, but when there was a threat to humanity it was plain to see why they were the one that stood between humanity and those that would harm them.
"War or Peace?" A simple question but one that would determine every last one of Gaia's actions going forward.
"Peace. For now." She informed and Gaia visibly loosened as this meant they wouldn't have to 'lace up their boots' so-to-speak. Gaia stood from the couch and made their way through the very spacious home, heading for the bedroom.
"How long ago?" Vanessa could very clearly see that Gaia was in Protector mode. Heavy voice, expressionless face, short sentences. The time for games was over.
"Four days." She answered.
"Plan?"
"Shock and Awe."
"Smart. What do you need from me?"
"Just a little showboating. Nothing you aren't used to. We'll come in on Requiem with you riding on top, gun in hand."
"Gun? Since when do I have a gun?" Gaia asked, perplexed.
"Since we made you one. We turned the main cannon of the Obitus into a full scale rifle just for you. It comes in at four kilometers long and packs just as much of a punch. It only fires once every twenty five minutes but I'm certain you can handle yourself until then."
"Fair enough. I'm guessing you'll be going to meet their leaders. Who is your security detail? Besides me, of course." Whilst speaking to Vanessa, Gaia was also getting dressed. They put on a black flight jacket, cargo pants and combat boots. Nothing fancy, but Gaia wasn't a very showy person in general anyway.
"How bold of you to assume you'll be coming." She replied, a hand on her hip and a sly smile on her lips. Gaia simply leveled a blank stare at her in response. "It hasn't been decided yet. Though I don't suppose you have any recommendations?"
"Well if it's shock and awe we're going for then I have an even better idea. I'll fill you in on the way."
Jaeger Training Grounds - Recovery
Lieutenant Commander Hannah Kawata came from a long line of decorated soldiers. In fact her ancestors Shoji Kawata and Michi Kawata (nee Nakanishi) were the pilots of the original Tokyo Avenger. Since then there has always been a member of the family serving in the military and racking up countless awards and commendations while doing so. In fact, her brother Damian Kawata was lead-pilot of the current iteration of Tokyo Avenger.
She stood watching her brother and his three other co-pilots training in the VR Simulators. Tokyo Avenger was quite possibly the most important Jaeger in mankind's Arsenal, maybe even more-so than Gaia. Though the original was destroyed long ago, the name itself held immense prestige. It was with Tokyo Avenger that humanity made its first steps toward combating the Kaiju threat and showing the enemy that they would not go quietly into destruction. If Gaia's Revenge was the Protector of Humanity, then Tokyo Avenger was the Heart of Humanity.
Hannah was proud to say that a member of her family had piloted every single iteration of the Jaeger since its conception. Which was an incredible feat in and of itself since during the war most Jaeger pilots only retired upon their death and didn't always get to leave a child behind. And not a single one of them had simply been given the position. They had earned it through grit and determination, proving themselves to be above all others in every field of training. Some would call it nepotism regardless, but that was just jealousy speaking. The Kawata Family knew the truth. That the blood of warriors simply ran through their veins.
Hannah herself had also built an impressive reputation, making herself known as the fiercest operator of an Interceptor-Class Javelin to date. Her skill on the battlefield was legendary with there being tales of her taking out several Lesser Kaiju nests back to back single-handedly. She had come to be known as "Lightswitch" for how quickly she could "cut the lights out" on an opponent. It was cheesy as all hell but she had grown fond of the nickname.
"Sorry to interrupt ma'am, but there's a call for you. It's the High Admiral." The woman who informed her of the call could not hide the surprise in her voice. It was well warranted too. It wasn't often that the Commander in Chief made a direct call to anyone other than the Directors.
"Thank you. I'll take it in my quarters." Her voice was level but underneath she was confused and a little worried. She wondered what the Admiral could possibly want with her. Without wasting any time she lifted up her SmartWatch and opened a short range Portal directly to her quarters in the base.
The SmartWatch was yet another post-war invention. It had many uses from making simple calls to opening small Portals between the wearer's location and a preset destination. As opposed to a full blown ship or Jaeger which could open a Portal anywhere in the galaxy up to a certain range, the SmartWatch could only do so provided there was a Transmitter Satellite to lock onto that would generate the Portal for the wearer.
Hannah stepped through the Portal and immediately raced into her office to answer the call. She steadied herself and made sure her clothes were prim and proper before answering the holocall. "High Admiral Drake. It is an honor to speak with you." Hannah said as Vanessa's form appeared before her through the holographic emitters set around her office.
"The honor is all mine, Commander. How are you doing today?"
Hannah was taken aback by the casual tone the woman held but did not let it jar her. "I am doing very well ma'am. I was just on leave visiting my brother and watching him train in VR with his co-pilots."
"Ah yes, your brother is the head pilot of Tokyo Avenger. It's true what they say that wherever Tokyo Avenger appears, a Kawata isn't far behind." Hannah couldn't help but bask in the subtle compliment from her superior.
"Absolutely ma'am. We have a legacy to uphold after all." Though she was enjoying this casual conversation, Hannah couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this call. As it happens she wouldn't have to wait much longer to find out.
"Then allow me to help you bolster that legacy even further. I'm sure you've noticed how the fleets have been moving about recently. Several fleets have been brought in to bolster Earth's defenses. To put it simply, Commander, we have officially made First Contact with the possible creators of the Artifact found floating in the Utopia system."
"Oh Christ. Is it war ma'am?" Hannah asked with good reason. Humanity didn't have a very good track record with meeting new species.
"Not at the moment, no. And if our gamble goes correctly then we may just be able to avoid war entirely."
"Alright then. And what do you need from me?"
"Well, at the behest of none other than Gaia themself, you have been assigned as a member of my security detail for when I go to speak to the leaders of this 'Galactic Council.'"
Hannah's eyes widened considerably at this information. Gaia had singled her out? She knew she had built a reputation for being capable and reliable, but she didn't think she had made her way onto Gaia's radar. "Once again I'm honored, High Admiral. I won't let you down."
"I know you won't, Hannah. I have nothing but faith in you and your abilities." And with that Vanessa ended the call leaving Hannah in stunned silence.
Supay - Matano System
Major Marcus Shepard was a highly decorated soldier and had served several tours on the Outer Rim planets working hard to eliminate the last vestiges of Kaiju left over from the war. He was also one of the finest Colossus pilots to ever live and could even hop in a Jaeger and produce amazing results. All-in-all he was one of the finest soldiers in the Alliance.
He now stood on yet another battlefield with the decimated corpses of Lesser Kaiju lying at his feet. Marcus operated a Colossus-Class Javelin, the largest and most heavily armed and armored of all Javelin types. His Colossus was colored red and gold and he wielded a massive tower shield, a bulky heavy machine gun, two shoulder mounted launchers, a chainsaw wrist blade, a forearm mounted grenade launcher, and a monstrous heavy cannon held in the lower back that wreaks monumental damage but requires an extensive recharge after three shots.
Combating the remaining kaiju had been an on-going and seemingly endless endeavour. Unlike the main, gargantuan Kaiju, Lesser Kaiju had the ability to nest and breed thus allowing them to spread far and wide across a planet. If left unchecked then Lesser Kaiju would eventually grow into Greater Kaiju, the much larger and much more deadly versions, which then had the potential to gain the ability to tear open Rifts throughout the galaxy and wreak havoc once again. Thus it was up to soldiers like Marcus and the rest of Task Force 111 to eradicate all signs of the enemy and prevent them from ever evolving to a threat to humanity once again.
Of course, that was all about to change as Marcus and his men and women were about to be reassigned.
"All hands be advised, Gaia's Revenge is inbound. I repeat; Gaia's Revenge is touching down." said the communications officer assigned to the operation.
"Well shit, boss, any idea why the general's bringing in the big guns?" Wondered First Lieutenant Ryleigh Nicholson in his thick Aussie accent.
"No idea, but I'm sure it's nothing good." Marcus remarked as everyone present watched the gargantuan form of Gaia land in the distance. The sheer size and weight of the Jaeger was enough for them to feel the ground shake even from miles away. "Alright people, enough gawking. Let's get back to base and see what our great leader wants. Move out!"
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Task Force 111 Alpha Base
It was plain to see the gravitas that General Gaia held. Everyone at the base stood in reverence for their commanding officer. Gaia stood before the gathered soldiers in their Ranger Javelin form as always, only there was added weight to their presence as rarely did Gaia's main body ever leave Earth. If Gaia's Revenge was being mobilized then it could only mean one thing: War.
"Take your seats, this won't be long." Gaia said to the crowd and they all followed suit. Marcus was seated in the center of the front row as he was the highest ranking officer and served directly under General Gaia, relaying orders and serving on the front lines. Although Marcus sometimes felt that he was the one truly in charge here, as did many others, there was no denying that Gaia's strategic mind was second to none.
"Task Force 111 has been momentarily reassigned." Gaia gave the crowd a moment to rabble in discussion before promptly silencing them with naught but a raised hand. "You all will be joining me aboard Requiem as we go with the High Admiral to make contact with a thus far peaceful alien civilization. That's a lot to drop on you all, I know, so if you have questions, ask them." Immediately several hands flew in the air. "Lance Corporal Holland." Gaia said, pointing a robotic finger to the man in question.
"What information do we have on these aliens, General?" Asked the young man.
"At the moment, not much. They were encountered only a few days ago due to the accidental activation of the Artifact found floating in the Utopia System during the Exodus. A report by Captain Inigo Walsh states that from what he and his crew aboard the Resolution saw, these aliens possess ships that are dwarfed in size by ours. He also claims that they have a large space station of some sort which they call the 'Citadel.' This is where their seat of government is located and where we will be venturing to so that Commander Drake may meet with their leaders. Next question!"
"Lieutenant Cole." Gaia selected.
"Are we sure this ain't a trap? I mean what if they try and hold the High Admiral for ransom or something?" She questioned, earning a few murmurs of agreement.
"A valid question Lieutenant. But one we've already taken into account. The Admiral's security detail will consist of myself, Major Shepard, and the venerable Lieutenant Commander Hannah Kawata. On top of that we will have Requiem as well as my main body to dissuade any hostile action. We're going for Shock and Awe here people. Trying to stop a war before it can even begin." Gaia looked out at the crowd and saw faces of determination and resolution.
"What do we do if it doesn't work?" This came from a voice way in the back and slowly everyone present turned their heads to look at the speaker, even though they all knew who it was.
Elias Walsh, the great grandson of Inigo Walsh himself. If ever there was an advocate for military action, Elias was that person. Of everyone present in Task Force 111, Elias was possibly the most giddy to be on a battlefield. He relished war and often said that his biggest regret was not being alive during the Kaiju War and having to simply mop up the remains instead.
"What if these aliens give us no other choice? Is our illustrious High Admiral prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure our survival?" He was now out of his seat and slowly making his way to the stage, making eye contact with as many people as possible. "I don't think she is. She may have fought in a few battles against Lesser Kaiju, won a couple medals, but she doesn't know real war. None of us do. Not like my grandfather does." At this the crowd groaned in annoyance. Elias loved to throw around his lineage like a badge of honor. And it was certainly no secret that when Inigo ran for the position of High Admiral, Elias was his biggest supporter both financially and through word of mouth.
"Oh my god, man. Enough about your fucking granddad." Yelled Nicholson in exasperation. "That old man is more likely to keel over before he could even finish his term." That got a laugh from the crowd and a look of pure contempt from Elias. Before Elias could respond Gaia brought everyone to immediate silence with a thunderous shout from the loudest source available, their 9 kilometer tall Jaeger body parked right outside.
"ATTENTION!" In zero seconds flat everyone in attendance was on their feet, chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in. Gaia then switched back to the speakers of the Javelin before continuing. "Frankly Second Lieutenant Walsh, I couldn't give a rat's ass about how you feel about this operation or your thoughts on High Admiral Drake. In the future I demand that you keep your useless, scatterbrained thoughts to yourself. If you ever speak out like that again in my presence I will have you scrubbing the exterior of the Obitus, bare ass necked with my foot up your ass. And I don't mean one of the small ones. Is that clear?!"
Begrudgingly Elias lifted his arm into a sharp salute. "Yes sir, General Gaia, sir!"
"Good. Now, enough talking. All of you get your shit together and load into Gaia's Revenge. We will be departing in one hour!"
Citadel Traffic Control - Several Days Later
Valea T'Vani had been working in Citadel Traffic Control for only a few years now and in that time she had come to one startling revelation about her feelings toward her job… she hated it. She was so incredibly bored it was a miracle she hadn't died yet. Unlike most Asari who could remain static for decades and barely even notice, Valea absolutely abhorred monotony. She had signed up to be an actual officer of the law, working beats, solving crimes, defending the safety of the Citadel and all its citizens. Instead she was sidelined to this damnable control center, staring at these fucking blinking lights and stupid monitors as if anything different would actually happen.
It was just her luck that she had been on vacation when those new aliens arrived and thus missed out on quite possibly the only excitement she'd ev- "By the Goddess! Alert! Alert! A-Assemble the Defense Fleet!"
Valea was on her feet and to her co-worker's station in a fraction of a second. "What is happening, Sylia?" She asked, somewhat excited that something, anything, was actually happening.
"S-s-sphere!" She barely managed to squeak out. Valea looked to her screen and her own eyes widened in horror and surprise. Sylia's screen was showing the presence of a massive spherical construct 160 kilometers in diameter. If it wasn't for the fact that the scanner had already detected various power signatures and engine systems coming from the object, Valea would be certain she was looking at an asteroid or a small moon.
"Where in Athame's name did that come from?"
"The Defense Fleet is mobilizing, but I'm not sure what they can d- what the fuck is that thing!?" Exclaimed a turian. Standing atop the massive ship was a robotic figure carrying what looked to be a rifle of some sort built to scale. It was metallic blue in color and had the same general shape of a batarian male: two legs, two arms, five fingers. On its chest was a blue glowing engine of some sort judging by the way it endlessly spun as if teeming with energy. It looked to be wearing a helmet with an orange visor and even without any actual specs on it, it was clear to see that this… robot could take a hit and likely give one in return. This was further supported by the fact that it was about nine kilometers in height according to the scanners. The towering automaton also carried what looked to be a massive rifle that was almost half its size. The rifle was held by the grip over its right shoulder in a way that kept it pointed away from the Citadel but still showed that it was armed and dangerous.
"This has to be those aliens from two weeks ago, right? The ones who refused to speak to the Council." Said Valea.
"But what are they? That sphere is so much larger than the Citadel and the robot is larger than the rings of a Relay. How advanced must they be to have crafted such incredible things?" Said a salarian.
"I fear we are about to find out, Gralin. We can only hope that they come in peace like so many before them."
Gaia's Revenge - Command Suite
Although Gaia is a fully sentient being, their original design had not anticipated such an event. As such Gaia is capable of housing a substantial population of people within their body. Mainly engineers in case they suffer any internal malfunctions, which have yet to happen. These engineers are mainly situated in the chest and limbs of the robot, while Gaia's head is reserved for their own mind and, when needed, they have a room where the High Admiral of the Human Alliance can issue orders to every fleet and warship in the Alliance Navy. In times of war the body is emptied out entirely to allow greater range of movement without endangering the organics inside.
"Well, Gaia, you ready to meet the locals?" Asked Vanessa as she stared out of the viewport of Gaia's head, arms folded behind her and back straight. Immaculate poster fitting for a leader.
"This is quite literally what I was made for, Admiral. There's nowhere I'd rather be." Gaia, instead of their usual synthetic body, was using an eight foot tall Ranger-Class Javelin to interact with the Commander. This particular Javelin was unique in that it had much the same appearance as Gaia themself, the only difference being the digitigrade legs that all Javelin suits possess.
"C'mon Gaia, you're allowed to be at least a little excited. The last time we encountered alien life we lost Earth. At least these ones seem interested in talking with us." Vanessa and Gaia had built up quite the rapport in the past five years since she was elected as HAotHA. She was one of the few people who treated Gaia as an actual person instead of just the great and powerful "Protector of Humanity."
"I am excited, Vanessa, believe me. But duty comes first. Only when I am certain that these aliens mean us no harm will I allow my excitement to run free. You'd do well to do the same."
"You're giving me orders now?" She joked.
"Only a suggestion, ma'am." Gaia said cheekily.
"I'm certain it is. Shall we depart then?"
"At once." A moment later Gaia leapt from atop Requiem and activated their thrusters on their back and the soles of their feet. Jaegers are fully capable of achieving FTL and even opening Portals, this made them the most effective and maneuverable "ships" in the galaxy, able to flip and spin about the void in ways no regular ship could ever hope to replicate. As Gaia soared through the void, Vanessa opened a channel to the ship that fit the description of the one Captain Walsh believed he spoke with during First Contact.
"Matriarch Lidanya, do you read me?" It took a few moments but eventually the same feminine voice from the recording answered.
"This is Matriarch Lidanya of the Citadel Defense Fleet. Captain of the Destiny Ascension. To whom am I speaking?" There was strength in her voice, admirable considering the circumstances she was in.
"A pleasure to meet you, Captain. My name is Vanessa Drake, High Admiral of the Human Alliance. I am here to speak with your Council and discuss relations between our peoples. Do we have permission to dock?"
"I am honored to speak with you, Commander. The Councilors, as well as everyone else aboard the Citadel and in the galaxy at large, have been waiting to hear from you and your people. You do in fact have permission to dock, however I'm afraid we don't have the means to accommodate such a… large ship."
Vanessa couldn't help but chuckle at the woman's fluster. "Worry not, Captain. I am currently inside of the automaton that I'm sure you see flying toward your station. Simply direct us to the appropriate docking location and I will exit in a… shuttle of sorts along with my guard."
"Am I just a robot to you, Vanessa?" Gaia asked with faux offense.
"That's right you bucket of bolts." They both shared a laugh before Lidanya finally answered.
"Okay, Admiral. We're sending you coordinates to Bay D24. Make your way as close as possible and wait for us to signal you to embark upon your shuttle. May I ask how many guards you will be bringing?"
"I'll only be bringing three. We will await your signal. Drake out." She closed the call and turned to Gaia. "I think this is going to go rather well."
Citadel Wards - Citadel Security
'This is not going to go well.' Thought Executor Venari Pallin as he rushed through the halls of C-Sec toward the docking bay where the aliens were supposed to land. He was followed by a six man squad of officers, he would've brought more, but the Council didn't want to give the wrong impression by having too many armed guards, especially since the alien diplomat said she would only be bringing three guards. He tried to argue that if their leader felt she only needed three guards then those guards were probably incredibly dangerous individuals. The Council begged to differ.
"Executor, do we even have a plan? This is all so sudden." worried Officer Castis Vakarian.
"We have the idea of a plan, Vakarian. The Council wants us to show off the Citadel a little. A response to their show of force with their massive ship and their robot. There are already officers preparing a path to the elevator to Citadel Tower. We will be the ones escorting them. I doubt there will be any major issues, these people have essentially no public image so it's not like we'll be protecting them from assassination attempts or anything. They are sending a Spectre with us, but he'll be keeping out of sight just in case anything does happen." Executor Pallin explained as they continued their half sprint to Bay D24. They could already see waves of civilians and news reporters making their way there as well. It was basically impossible for the people to not have noticed the massive alien ship floating in space, or the somewhat less massive robot now flying over the wards.
"They want to show off? I somehow doubt that these aliens will be impressed."
"I don't think it's the worst idea. They're doing the same thing to us, demonstrating their technological advancement and military strength without directly saying anything. The fact that they most likely built that ship themselves and the robot while we merely found the Citadel and the Relays says a lot about the disparities between us, even if they don't know it themselves." said Pallin as they finally reached Bay D24. A crowd of people, mostly reporters for various news outlets, were gathered around behind a waist high barricade that was set up. Outside of the massive window that looked out over the Zakera Ward of the Citadel, the massive spherical alien ship could be seen eclipsing the entire station. The massive robot was floating laterally in the center, chest pointed "down" toward the 28 floor central "skyscraper." By zooming in with his visor, Venari could see three more robots standing on the finger of the robot's outstretched right hand. The foremost one looked almost identical to the massive one only its legs were digitigrade like most other species of the galaxy. The other two looked completely dissimilar to one another, one was shorter than the other two by a good margin and much more sleek. This one had a purple and green color scheme.
The third one was the tallest and looked to be the most heavily armed and armored. It had a very angry shade of red for its color scheme.
"Spirits. Look at that thing. What could have possessed them to build something that massive? And how do they get the eezo to move it?" wondered Castis.
"Apparently the scanners have picked up zero eezo readings."
"What?!" exclaimed Castis in wide eyed bewilderment.
"Believe me, I know. Though apparently there are signs of gravitational fluctuation along the lines of what one would see in an Element Zero powered ship. No idea how they're doing it though."
"So they've synthesized the effects of Element Zero. These aliens may be more advanced than anyone could imagine." said Castis, his chin in his hand.
"I would've figured the giant mech and the ship the size of a small moon would've given that away. I think it's about time we called them in." Venari turned to his men and gave them a sharp nod. "Send them the signal. Keep all civilians behind the barricades and the path clear. We'll be escorting them on a scenic route through the Presidium and then up to the Council Chambers. Be on your best behavior, we don't want to piss these people off."
The Hand of Gaia
"Time to make an entrance. Let's go, people." She leapt off the hand of Gaia along with the two soldiers assigned to her guard duty and activated the Javelin's thrusters.
The beautiful thing about Javelins are their impressive speeds in spite of their lack of Quantum Drives to lower their mass. Ranger-Class Javelins are capable of flying at up to Mach 2 in atmosphere, this speed is increased to Mach 3 in the vacuum of space. The Interceptors can fly at Mach 4 in atmo, and Mach 5 in vacuum. Colossus-Class Javelins are the slowest, moving at Mach 1 and Mach 2 respectively. And lastly the very rare Storm-Class Javelins are capable of flying at Mach 3 and Mach 4. This is all to say that Vanessa and her team reached the assigned airlock in a short time. The door opened for them and, after a quick decontamination sequence, the Commander of the Human Alliance, the Protector of Humanity, and two of the greatest soldiers known to mankind stepped foot on The Citadel for the first time.
"What can you see that we don't, Gaia?" asked Vanessa as they stood before a crowd of various alien beings. What she very quickly noticed was that there were several different types of species aboard this station. Most prominently she noticed the ones with guns; the most common among them were tall, mandibled aliens with thin mouths and spikes atop their heads. They seemed to be very militant, certainly disciplined judging by their limited reactions to the menacing sight that is a fully armed Ranger-Class Javelin. She took note of the fact that their weapons, though not drawn, were fully visible. They wanted to show that they were not hostile but were fully capable of defending themselves.
Alongside these aliens were beautiful blue women of various shades. They looked remarkably human though they did lack any hair whatsoever on their bodies. She used the lenses of the Javelin to zoom in closer just to make sure and she saw that their skin was slightly scaled in some areas but smooth in most others. It made it difficult to pinpoint just what they had evolved from. The thought then occurred to her that they could have easily evolved from a completely alien species that was nothing like humanity had ever seen. She also noticed the lack of any male equivalent to these aliens. Perhaps they had a matriarchal society. Or maybe their species was highly sexually dimorphic and one of these other species were in fact the males.
Time would only tell.
"I see six different species amongst the crowd. All varying greatly in appearance. Though I am certain you have seen that for yourself. What you haven't noticed is that the foremost guards, the tall aliens with mandible mouths, have traces of thulium in their skin which will no doubt make them somewhat more resilient than others. The weapons these aliens carry are collapsible, judging by their holstered sidearms on their hips. I see no evidence of a magazine protrusion so it is possible that they fire something other than the bullets we utilize. Perhaps energy or even plasma. That's all that matters for now. We are being spoken to."
Vanessa looked down to see one of the mandible aliens looking up into the lenses of the Javelin. This particular alien had dark brown skin with what appeared to be blue paint covering most of his face. "I am Executor Venari Pallin, head of Citadel Security. It is my pleasure to be the first to welcome you to the Citadel." He spoke with the proper respect for another sentient being, something that Vanessa appreciated. It was a good sign that the coming talks would go well.
"Is the air safe to breathe, Gaia?" Vanessa asked, external speakers still muted.
"Perfectly safe, Vanessa." replied Gaia.
"Then I think I should greet the people properly." She activated the ejection protocols and the back of the Javelin opened with a hiss of air. She hefted herself up by the latches on the inside of the back plate that was now above her and then dropped down the ground with a soft thud. When she stepped around from Gaia's Javelin form, arms folded behind her back and head held high, she was treated to a small gasp from the crowd of aliens, especially so from the blue women. She appeared regal in her dress, which was fitting since she was practically a Queen, though an elected one. Vanessa wore her formal Dress Whites, which were entirely unique to the HAotHA, everyone else wore blue. The outfit consisted of a white military coat with golden buttons going down the right side and golden epaulets or shoulder tassels. There was an abundance of medals adorning her chest, each one indicating the incredible achievements she has accrued throughout her lengthy military career.
This particular outfit was made from a specially woven material made from blending Phrik metal with leather made from the hide of Godzilla, the material was called Z-Leather. Underneath she wore a sort of Powered Armor that, while it did not do much to block damage, had a built-in Anti-Gravity Suite to allow her to move freely while wearing the Dress Whites.
"A pleasure to meet you, Executor. I'm High Admiral Vanessa Drake, Head of the Human Alliance. Take me to your leaders." If it were possible, Gaia would have rolled their eyes at Vanessa's inside joke, especially after she had the nerve to perform the Vulcan Salute.
