"Unholy Alliance"
SSV Black Typhoon, Minas-Kito System, April 3 ,2193
"I'm sorry, Captain, but Lieutenant Velasquez simply won't be walking anytime soon." The ship's chief medical officer reported. "The damage to his lower spine is far more severe than previously anticipated. We do not have the proper equipment to properly treat him here."
"That's bad to hear, doc." Anderson replied.
"It is." The doctor told him. "I'll leave you two for now."
With Anderson and Velasquez alone, the second-in-command finally spoke.
"Tell it to me straight, Captain." Velasquez asked. "How bad is it?"
"It's pretty bad." Anderson answered. "Not going to lie."
"Oof." The N7 subordinate sighed out. "Guess my legs really are gone for good."
"It's not like that." The Captain tried to reassure him. "They don't have the equipment to treat you onboard the Black Typyoon."
"So they're... they're going to ship me back?" Velasquez asked, his voice cracking slightly.
"It looks that way, yeah." Anderson answered.
"No chief... they're going to boot me out!" The Lieutenant cried out. "Fighting in the Corps, being N7 is my life, chief. You can't let them kick me out!"
"I... I can't make any promises, Vee." The N7 leader told his friend. "I'll try and put in a good word... but I really don't have much say in the matter."
"Thanks chief... it'll really mean a lot to me." Velasquez thanked his superior.
Anderson gave his friend a good pat on the back before excusing himself from the room.
The N7 leader was about to head back to his quarters when the ship's PA system called.
"Captain David Anderson, N7, please report to briefing room 4. I repeat, Captain David Anderson, N7, please report to briefing room 4." The announcer spoke.
The captain sighed. He had barely any rest since the operation.
It took him a few minutes to reach the briefing room. After all, the Black Typhoon was one of the larger cruisers the Alliance had.
When he reached the briefing room, he was greeted by a sight be was not expecting to see.
A dozen Turians, as well as several members of Alliance intelligence, other N7 operators, and a few COs were already there. Something big was going down.
"Anderson, you're here." Colonel Harper said. "Excellent. We can start the briefing now."
Anderson took a seat by one of his squadmates.
"Gentlemen, Turians, as of four Earth hours ago, the Alliance-Hierarchy Interstellar Defense Act has been passed by Congress and signed by the president. Effective immediately, we are now officially on the same team." The ACI officer announced. "Take a good look at each other; they will be your friends and brothers-in-arms in the coming operations."
Anderson looked across the room and saw Saren, who was doing the same. The two nodded at each other before turning back to Harper.
"I have recieced word that one Captain Quentius Trevanian of the Turian Navy will be joining us by the end of this week." Harper then told them. "He will be handling the Turian Blackwatch teams while we continue our investigations of these... attrocities."
A few murmurs on the Turian side were heard, though nothing came of it.
"Before we go any further, let me round up everything we've learned from this operation." Harper then continued.
A large holographic projector descended from the ceiling, projecting data, information, and images. The holographic light bathed the room a shade of dark blue.
"Thanks to our Turian friends here, we've been able to decipher, decode, and translate most of the data we pulled out of the facility's computers. A lot of it was corrupted thanks to whoever was running this place, but we've managed to piece together enough to make vague outline of what the hell is going on." The ACI Officer told them. "First off, the people running this operation are either well funded, or have some very powerful people looking out for them. Most of their equipment is considered state of the art. They also seem to control a large network of agents wherever they operate. One of the Turian deserters we captured mentioned that they were being payed large of sums of money to protect the facility."
"Do we know where they're operating from?" Someone asked.
"That is uncertain." Harper answered. "We found the name of a few locations on the data we salvaged. The most frequently mentioned ones were called Irune and Sur'kesh."
"Those are Council race homeworlds." Nihlus told them. "Centers of Citadel commerce and research respectively."
"A different location also popped up in the more recent messages we salvaged." Harper added. "We haven't been able to discern what it was as the data was too corrupted. We aren't sure exactly what it is."
"Before he died, the Salarian security chief talked about some place called Omega." Anderson informed them.
"We know exactly what that is." Saren interjected. "Omega is a pirate republic built on a converted eezo rich asteroid. Every Terminus personality worth their money has a presence there. The only thing keeping them in check is the warlord that runs the eezo mines, an Asari who goes by the name Aria T'loak."
"How so?" A Human officer asked. "Why don't they just gang up on her and take control of Omega for themselves?"
"Aria essentially has a gun pointed at the eezo mines. She had her people plant bombs all over the mines, wired to deadman switch. If Aria goes, so does the rest of Omega." Saren continued.
"She's also the biggest eezo supplier to the whole Terminus. Most warlords have a vested interest in keeping her alive." Nihlus added. "She's practically the pirate queen of the Terminus."
"Clever, for a pirate." Anderson commented.
"So what's the plan?" Another Human officer asked.
"The obvious answer would be to investigate Omega." Harper answered. "If we can discover the role that Omega plays in whatever the hell has been going on, we're one step closer to bringing whoever was responsible for this to justice."
"We'll dig up what intel documents we can on the station." Nihlus said."Brief you on what we know.
"That would be much appreciated." Harper thanked. "This meeting is adjourned until we can receive the documents. You are all dismissed."
-000-
Omega Lower Sectors, April 4, 2913.
"Move it more carefully!" Saleon protested.
The brutes and mercenaries currently assigned to him by the Dalatrass were anything but refined.
Saleon rushed over to the mercs carting over the vat of biological material which was his research.
"Any breach in the container could be cataclysmic for this station!"
The mercs looked to each other, then at Saleon, then shrugged. They moved the container slower this time, but the Salarian got the feeling that they didn't particularly care for what he said.
A vibration went off on his wrist, as well as a rythmic beeping tone. Someone was calling him on his omnitool. Saleon quickly checked the caller ID before answering.
"Dalatrass." Saleon greeted as he walked towards a more secluded spot on the hideout.
"Saleon." the Daltrass replied. "How are you settling in?"
"I could do with a more professional workforce." Saleon answered. "When will the new science team arrive?"
"They won't be." The Dalatrass replied. "You will have to do with the mechs you will be provided."
"What? What is happening?"
"Word has reached me that the Humans have become involved with the Blacksite raid in Minas-Kito." The Dalatrass explained. "Their ambassador will be arriving in the Citadel soon with whatever evidence they could have gathered."
"That complicates things."
"The understatement of the century." The Salarian politician replied snidely. "We can't be sure what they recovered from the Blacksite, which means we can't risk sending any STG researchers to help you."
"The Council doesn't even know what we're doing." Saleon tried to argue.
"They might not, but that doesn't mean we can't be discovered through them." The Dalatrass put her foot down. "You will make do with what you are given."
"This will negatively affect how soon the project is completed." Saleon tried to argue one more time.
"I am well aware of that." The Dalatrass sent her rebuttal. "Much of the timeline is being reworked to compensate with potential Human investigations. You focus on your research, I'll deal with everything else."
"I understand, Dalatrass."
"Good."
She nodded. "Get to work as soon as you can. The war effort is counting on us."
-000-
Galactic News Update:
Citadel Broadcasting Center: Allegations of an illegal biolab ran by the Salarian Union has surfaced recently as information leaks into the Extranet was published. The information being published follows STG document formatting, further increasing the likelihood that the leaks are true. The information presented seems to link the attack on Sur'kesh several months ago with these biolabs, but the incomplete data contained in these documents has lead some to doubt its validity. The STG representative in the Citadel has made no comments thus far, asking only to wait as the STG conducts an internal investigation on the matter...
Free Batarian Network: To say that the free people of the galaxy are disgusted at what has happened is to downplay exactly how severe a tresspass this has become! The tyrants at the head of the Citadel Council have sanctioned for the vile experimentation of biological weapons on our beloved brother and sister Humans. Do not believe the Council's lies! They will decieve you by denying their crimes, but we know the truth!
Colonial News Center: The disturbing sights found in the alien world of Minas-Kito has shook the Alliance to its very core. Human experimentation, live vivisections, dissections, and other such horrifying projects have since been unearthed by the navy's expeditionaty fleet. A wave of xenophoic rage has washed across the Alliance as the call to arms are heard in every single colony. The senate is expected to vote on further militarization of the economy. Any opposition for further militarization has evaporated over night.
Ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake; the people want blood... and they want it soon.
-000-
A/N: Sorry for the short and late update. Life is a mess right now. Will try to make a longer chapter next update.
Thanks for reading and sorry again for the late update.
Stay safe, good luck, and Godspeed to you.