HSC Pillar's Glory, Above Eden Prime, June 15, 2192 AD, 04:22 PM Local Time
"Sir, our troops have already rounded up what slaves they can, but we have only barely passed the halfway mark for the quota. I would prefer if we held off leaving for another half-cycle."
Dorik wasn't exactly thrilled about it either, but they running on borrowed time. There was a Mass Relay on the other side of the system, and one of the Human ships had sent a message that his ship had intercepted. He knew that the Human reinforcements would arrive from that Relay, and he wasn't willing to wait for them to arrive. No, while in technicality, they had almost filled up their quota, that was only because the rest of the fleet had been counted along with his group. He didn't intend on staying around when the Humans arrived in full strength. The defensive flotilla that the enemy had protecting the planet had made the decision to preserve themselves and fled when it had become obvious that they cannot hold the planet in their current state.
A decision Dorik had concluded to be a wise one, which is why he would be following suit soon.
"I understand Z'roan, but I don't trust Dov'tok to properly command the fleet anymore. Our collective strength is down to just above a third of our original numbers. We can't survive another attack from these Humans."
Unlike many officers in the Hegemony's armed forces, Dorik respected most of his subordinate's opinions. Unlike Dov'tok, who was a straightforward glory seeker, Dorik was more calculative. While his peers often criticize this trait and call it cowardice, he preferred to let his service record speak for itself. Among the Navy's officers, he had the lowest casualty counts and a higher success average than those of his rank.
"Yes sir, but I'm not sure the Chairmen would be too pleased with our results." Z'roan replied.
"They will take what they can. This secret war of ours is costly, they can't afford to execute us whilst in the middle of it." Dorik had said, his words were final on this matter. "Send the order to what's left of our ground forces on the planet, I want them to have boarded our ships before the Humans arrive. We cannot afford to lose more soldiers in this blunder."
Z'roan gave him a nod and went off to make sure the order was done, leaving Dorik alone in the front of the bridge.
Left to himself, the Batarian commander continued to formulate and strategize. He would have to use the ensuing chaos caused by the Human fleet to take his 15 ships and make run for the relay they came from. Dov'tok was having the rest of the fleet form up defensive positions over the planet. The idiot had still believed that he could hold the planet, thinking that if he defeated the retaliatory fleet the Humans would simply run away and never come for the system again. A foolish endeavor, but the plan that Dov'tok and his staff could work, if they had more ships.
Dorik found himself looking to the side of the system where the other relay was. As he looked at its direction he saw small flashes. Flashes that would have been otherwise indiscernible from the stars in the background. Dorik new better than that though. Everything seemed to have slowed down, the air became tense and he felt a shiver run through his spine.
"We've ran out of time"
-000-
At the edge of the system…
The idle mass relay that stood at the edge of the system began flaring. A streak of blue moving faster than the eye could see seemingly flashed into existence by its side. The light had gone as quickly as it had come, leaving behind it a wedge-shaped space ship. This repeated again, and then again, and kept repeating itself. Two flashes, three flashes, five, eight, twelve. This kept going and going for the next minute when it had finally come to a stop. As the last flash disappeared, leaving behind it a little over 120 of these wedge-shaped ships, they moved into battle formations in anticipation of the coming battle. Colored in a majestic silver and blue, the ships soared through the empty space with a vengeance. Vengeance for those who died in Eden Prime, vengeance for those who died in Shanxi, vengeance for all those who died in this bloody unprovoked war that stretches among the stars.
At the heart of the fleet was the SSV Jerusalem. A second generation Spacecraft Carrier. Barely over a year old, but already holding an impressive record. And commanding this majestic ship? The notorious Admiral Kastanie Drescher. Infamous for her 'no survivors' policy when dealing with the enemy, the Drescher was put in charge of the 9th fleet after the humiliating defeat during Operation Chain breaker where it's the previous leader, Admiral Rosenberg had died during the attack. Elements of the former 2nd fleet were reformed into the 9th and refitted with the latest weapons and technology.
Hangars on both sides of the Jerusalem opened its blast doors releasing dozens upon dozens of Python fighter crafts, zooming towards their intended enemies. Though not as agile as their Batarian counterparts, the Pythons moved much faster than them, zooming through the void at over speeds of Mach 8, the fighters moved into formation in front of the fleet, becoming its spearhead. Behind the fighter formations came the wing shaped XB-92 'Phantom' ODC Bombers. The Ordinance Deployment Crafts, which as its name suggests, would deploy its ordinance of anti-ship torpedoes against the invader's ships. As the fighters and bombers began to engage the invading fleet, personnel in the Jerusalem's *AWACS center hurried about their jobs, as they sorted through the information being received and relayed between the engaging crafts and the rest of the fleet.
The Admiral moved through the AWACS center quietly, careful not to run into any of ACI personnel working through the organized chaos. She stepped towards the holo-table in the middle of it all and took stock of the battlefield.
"Alistair, report."
"Communications with Eden Prime has been reestablished, General Volter reports that majority of the Alien forces planetside has been recalled. Hackett and his new best friends are still en route from off system, ETA one hour and a half. The Alien fleet is currently in a defensive position, protecting the transport ships." The intelligence officer reported. "Though because of the nature of the attack, those transports are likely to be filled with our guys."
"That scratches off a blitz attack." Drescher said, gritting her teeth. "Deploy the second wave."
Her brutal tactics generally came from a full-on attack using overwhelming firepower and speed. She would not be able to utilize such tactics at the moment, depriving her of a fast route to victory. Instead, she and her fleet would have to rely on the naval fighters and bombers to hammer out the enemies before moving the frigates and destroyer to disable or corral the remaining transports.
"Second wave deployed."
"Excellent. Have the first wave bombers return to rearm immediately once they've expended all their payload. No sense in keeping them in the fight too long."
A couple red blips, the ones that mark the enemy ships, began to disappear. The swarm of blue blips that mark friendly fighters bombers began was seen to dominate the field, throwing attack after attack against the Alien position.
"Move Destroyers and Frigates into optimum firing range. Have the Cruisers provide long-range support." The Admiral ordered. The Destroyer and Frigate packs would support the attacking fighters and bombers, who in of itself wasn't dealing as much damage as she preferred. The Cruisers would, in turn, support the smaller ships as the space battle equivalent of a designated marksman, forcing the Alien ships to choose between getting pummeled up close, or be shredded from far effects of the maneuver was apparent as soon the Frigates and Destroyers began firing. The Alien's defensive positions had begun to buckle under pressure. One of the Batarian ships had broken apart from the fire.
The effects of the maneuver were apparent as soon the Frigates and Destroyers began firing. The Alien's defensive positions had begun to buckle under pressure. One of the Batarian ships had broken apart from the fire.
She enjoyed watching it happen. Enjoyed watching as hundreds if not thousands of Alien were killed from a salvo of shots from a cruiser. Enjoyed watching the worthless scum die above Eden Prime. Soon over Shanxi, and then wherever these four-eyed fucks called home.
And when they did find whatever shithole the slaver bastards had crawled out of, she would have her revenge.
-000-
HSC Shadow of Bahak
"Ropha, order Captain Har'varash and his ships to reinforce the front!" Dov'tok barked. The line was falling and the ship's main guns are hardly useful against fighters, add to that the Human ships forcing them to divide their defenses, then you have a recipe that will leave the Hegemony ships as wreckages by the time the battle was over.
"Admiral, he's not responding." The officer replied
This shocked the Admiral. The Captain and his ships had not been hit by a single attack, it was impossible for them to be out of communications. The Captain was not responding intentionally.
"What? Contact him again!" Dov'tok all but shouted.
It took several moments before the officer spoke again.
"Still no response, sir."
"That imbecile! Call them again, this time use priority code 'Charvak'."
This time Dov'tok only had to wait several seconds before a screen opened with the rogue captain's face on it.
"Captain Har'varash, I expect an explanation on why you denied opening a communications channel with my ship." Dov'tok said, staring daggers straight into the captain in question. "I do not take kindly to rebellious individuals."
"It is simple Admiral, I am ensuring the success of the mission."
"How are rogue actions ensuring the mission's success? I should have you thrown into the pit!" Dov'tok threatened the captain.
"That's where you're wrong, Admiral. As I recall, my ships have more than half of our combined quota. The moment you make a move against me, I'll have the captives thrown out of the airlock." The Captain said with a sneer.
"You wouldn't." Dov'tok glowered
"Wouldn't I?" The Captain said before he laughed. "If I fall, you fall."
The video feed was then promptly cut off.
"It seems that they've disabled the communications override, sir." The communications officer said.
Looking over the tactical display, Dov'tok saw that the ships under the captain's command began to break away from formation, and turning towards the Relay that they came from.
The ship shook as a volley from a Human cruiser slammed into its side. Klaxons blared around the bridge as a technical officer reported.
"Right side hull is breached! Drive core is at 56% power, main battery is disabled. We can't fight on like this!"
Most of the other bridge crew had already resigned their fates. Much more had already given up on any hope of victory. A deathly silence had descended upon the bridge, broken only by the occasional screech of the klaxon.
As the Pillar's Glory and its followers jumped to light-speed and fled from battle. They flew towards the Mass Relay that they had come from, fleeing the system and returning to that which they came.
Seeing this happen and growling in anger, Dov'tok lashed out in a fit of rage.
"I Curse you Dorik! I curse a thousand curses upon you and your name! We will meet again, in another world, in another lifetime!"
As he finished, another volley slammed into the ship, another, and then another. One such shot pierced the ship's drive core and detonated. The explosion tore the ship in half, killing all of its crew.
As the explosion died down, leaving the Shadow of Bahak as pieces wreckages and scrap. Its allies soon followed suit. One by one they fell to the Human ships and their relentless assault against them.
The Humans had secured the system. Hegemony ground forces left on the planet was hunted down with extreme prejudice. Not a single Batarian was spared.
The Battle of Eden Prime was over.
But The Great War had yet to see its end
-000-
A/N
So that finally wraps up the first arc, which is technically the introduction/prologue/kick-starter of this whole story... thing.
I don't want to go straight into the diplomatic introductions, plans to retake Shanxi, instead, I want to bring around the council POV, and how this new council works as opposed to the regular one. I will also be taking some uh... creative liberties with some of the existing characters, Wrex, Matriarch Aethyta, Sparatus, and Balak to name a few.
Between the onslaught of ideas that I somehow come up with every night before I sleep, I'm thinking of starting a side-story thing which would be where all the ideas that I can't fit into this story specifically.
Thanks for reading and being patient throughout the first 10 chapters. The next chapter should be up in a few weeks, write down your thoughts in a review or PM me if you feel like doing either of them.
Enjoy the rest of the day and remember...
The Great War isn't over yet.