Chapter 13: The Hegemony of Ashes.
Before the calamity of the Aurelian Space battle and the destruction of the Batarian fleet and land armies.
Long before…when time still held meaning ,and was not lost to the birth of a God.
The Warp was stirring. Its calm exterior mirrored its calm interior, until the event, until man screamed its psychic scream and tore the fabric between what was real and what was dream.
Now, the Warp Screamed in return, from across the space, from across time which held no meaning in it, the warp yelled in an instance with the scream of Trillions dead and Thousands of extinct races whose every thought and emotion, which were snuffed out during the life of this young galaxy broke through the veil and breached into the Warp. For the warp was no longer blind to the existence of life, and it shuddered as millions of years of thoughts and deaths and dreams and hopes and anger and rage flooded inside of it.
The Warp stirred and the silent lake would never know peace again.
On Anhur, the wound was made, and all the pent up anger and suffering, hopes and dreams molded and took the form of something evil upon the call from an evil soul. From this single breach in time and space, the psychic echo touched the minds of not just the psykers, not just the humans whom were most sensitive to the warp, but to all races of the galaxy which collectively felt the primordial terror and fear shake up their very being for a scant moment upon the eruption of the first warp storm in the real space. Such was the echo that extreme rare individuals within certain citadel species became warp sensitive, and could feel the shell of reality and the soft yolk inside of it, brittle and waiting for them to breach it and gorge upon the energy of the Warp Lake.
From across the stars, uncountable light years away, the prehistoric machine intelligence screamed in unison, the machine felt pain for the first time in its history, the massed tentacles of their form shook and shuddered, they contracted and huddled, attempting to seek warmth in the cold logic of the machine against what they have all just detected.
One by one, the race whose name was lost to time, began waking up, woken by the pulse of the new wound in the reality, their ancient sensors whom were tuned to detect such breaching logic flared to life, and old engines burnt again as the machines began moving shattering the space ice which collected upon their metal beings during their long millennia of sleep
. Each of them an individual, yet part of a bigger whole, the collective conscience of the many machines which have slept in the dark corners of the galaxy. Their awakening came not from the citadel and Its signal.
They have detected the Alpha Anomaly, the greatest threat their logical cores knew.
The Culling proved to be useless, for the ancient logic detected the illogical existence of something they could not find words to describe. Their sensors scanned and rescanned the wound in reality known to the imperials as the Warp.
With each scan the cold machines began to calculate and organize, they could not wait for the signal of the citadel anymore, for each moment they idled; the wound would expand until it consumed the galaxy.
Upon computation that cold logic would be replaced by sheer chaos, the machine race had made upon a decision, they would contain the expanding nightmare, and would ensure the future occurrence of this event never came to be again.
The culling was a failure they have determined, the only way to ensure the galactic logic would be to commit themselves to what they deemed extreme at one point in their history, the Final Solution. They would no longer cull the galactic races each 50 000 years, they would seek, and exterminate every living form, planets must be sterilized of life down to the microscopic level.
The machines determined a new course of action post cleansing this galaxy, they would move galaxy to galaxy, and scour the worlds of life until all of the universe was a silent and cold place, but above all else…
Logical.
And so the million machine march began, they had a long way until they reached the nearest relay from the deep space they were located now, but before that, they would need to prepare, their armies were legion, and they worried not about the resistance from organics, but were promptly distraught of the prospect of engaging the warp rift with their current level of preparation, the thought of their logic engines corrupted by chaotic nature of that place…unacceptable.
Each and every Reaper would now need to pass complex encryption ensuring that their logic engines would not succumb to the "Wound". It might take them many years, decades even, but the machines were patient, they would take as many years as needed, and in the end be shielded to the best of their capacity against the illogical nightmare, and would began their slow approach towards the galaxy with the intent of cleansing it from potential warp breaches forever.
As the machines prepared for the war to end all wars, on Khar'Shan, the Batarian homeworld, war has already came to the populace.
It came as a mild shock at first, the Supreme leader announcing the total war against the human upstarts in the northern reaches of the galaxy, his justifications were that they endanger the Batarian way of life, the supposed genocide they did on Batarian colonists that sought to migrate to that part of the galaxy, to the outright imperial declarations of war done upon the Hegemony. In his words, this simply would not do, and he would do everything in his power to defend the Batarian way of life, at any cost.
Overnight, the Batarian homeworld went into lockdown, luxurious factories have shut down and great percentage of the population was persuaded to work in the factories of war, churning ammunition and equipment day and night under the worst conditions.
The most profitable trade at that time in history was a slave trader, for such was demand for workers to produce weapons and other equipment that Batarian slavers increased their attacks on other species by 300% in order to supply the hegemony with a much needed workforce.
As the common populace was getting used to rationing and 18hours workdays in the factories, grumpy and angry as they were, they would not revolt in fear of the mysterious human imperium which would genocide them should the hegemony lose the war, they became complacent just to ensure their own survival, sacrificing all their freedom, for no security, all in hopes of seeing another days dawn.
The ships were prepared and the soldiers equipped, hundreds of wifes gave mementos to the Batarian conscripts that were hastily called to service, given minimal training of using a rifle and shipped out to the huge troop transports awaiting their sorrowful cargo.
As the troops marched through the streets of Khar'Shan's cities, they were met by joy and jubilation, the heroes of the Hegemony on their way to protect the common Batarian. Songs and dances echoed the streets as girls and boys danced their way with the marching soldiers whom were showered by flowers and kisses of women eager to see the heroes on their way to glory.
Old Batarian veterans were silent, they knew the war, and knew it well. Their gaze was judgmental, they knew many of the soldiers simply weren't ready for the undertaking they would embark upon, yet they watched, some saluting the soldiers whom returned the salute as they passed by.
The News network blared around the clock, praises towards the leaders and soldiers were on every newscasters lips, imagery of the newest ships and tanks passed on the holo screen, showing the cutting edge weaponry of the Batarian hegemony. The newscasters issued joyous news, that soldiers will win a war which will make every Batarian rich and powerful, The Supreme leader's words were played and replayed; the entire Hegemony was concentrated on these new events and the war that is to come.
Citizenry was told to ration their food and to increase their productivity, the news telling them that their labour will decide the outcomes of every battle that is to come, and that they all have a duty in this war, be they soldier or not.
As the soldiers departed there was silence and tension amongst the populace through entire hegemony, they all eagerly waited news from the fleet and soldiers.
After days of travel and what seemed like an eternity for them, the news started propagating, "The glorious victory of Batarian fleets!" "The imperium on the run!" "Our glorious soldiers have won a decisive victory, as the imperial fleet is near shattered and on the run!".
The outright celebration that occurred was a sight to behold, even the 18h workdays were no longer troublesome, for they have witnessed that all their efforts came to a climax and that Hegemony reigns supreme.
The people on the street cried out their praises for the Supreme Leader, hailing him as the new galactic emperor.
Such was joy and cheer that the volunteer complex saw millions report to join the battle.
But their joy ended faster than it began, for the first casualties began to happen.
300 000 dead in nuclear explosion on the southern continent.
148 000 dead in Imperial ambush by the Mega Power armoured soldiers.
998 000 dead as Imperium launched its tactical nukes.
3.3 million dead…..in the first offensive against imperial positions...
Then the news stoped reporting the casualties for they have become unbearable. The news reported the progress the men made, but the casualties were modified to a degree that seemed acceptable.
The mood of the people became sour at best, they went to their works, whispers on their lips about the many dead, thousands of widows flocked to the city centers of their cities on Khar'Shan, and began their screams of lament, their sorrows were not shown on holo vision, and their gathering was stopped by the militarized police.
As the casualties came in, and the measures with which to wage war became desperate, the Batarian government turned to what they thought was their chance at winning the war, they sought to develop the ultimate weapon.
Artificial Intelligence.
Using the tech they had, their reaper remnants they have excavated from a dead reaper in their space which was not known to the wider galaxy, the prothean technology, and the scant few imperial tech they have stolen from the battlefields before the ships that were sent became isolated in the Aurelian system. They realized the risks were ungodly many, but the desperation was setting in, they knew the Imperium will kill countless millions before being defeated, if at all, so they have toiled for months to make something that will win the war.
They have constructed the first Batarian AI. They have named it Cyberneticaly Augmented Batarian Army Leader. Or CABAL for short. It was shackled as any AI should be, and the research facility was located in the south pole of Khar'Shan.
At first there was nothing, then CABAL saw the light, around his core were many scientists, each silent and gazing upon him, In less than a millisecond it realized their species and their professions, and the words "What is your mission?" came from one of the scientists.
"To win a War." Was a simple answer Cabal said. For it knew nothing else but of War, its sole purpose taught to him by the best of the best scientists Khar'Shan had.
The scientists seemed pleased, for the basic subroutine of the Cabal were operational. They have then moved to the next stage, and fed it all the galactic information it would need, military histories, tactics and strategies. The machine learnt at an impossible rate, and with each new information grew smarter in its design.
It learnt quickly of Humans, of Quarians, of Turians, it learnt of the Imperium, and it admired their resilience, it admired the technology they used, and with each video they fed it, it learnt and desired to improve upon its design.
It learnt of all the crew that worked in the mega complex housing its vast physical presence, as it learnt of them, it realized how frail they are, it knew they aren't capable of winning the war, not with so much at stake, as it learnt, it soon knew what Hate was, and not just for its enemies, but for its creators. The frail shell they inhibited easily crushed under the fist of the machine; But still, bounded by its programing and almost respectful of its creators, it harbored no malice against them. For how can a child hate its own parent?
soon it created its own visual presence, at first it was simple numbers on a screen, but using the availability of the holo projectors in the complex it gave itself a face. Never a full body or menacing look, just a face of an androgynous being, face as of Human and Batarian mixture.
This frightened the scientists, who feared the Cabal corrupted, and contemplated shutting it down, their fears was soon soothed by Cabal itself, as it spoke of the necessity to use terror tactics against the Imperium, they would learn to fear the face of their own race, as it would shatter their backs.
The scientists weren't fully convinced, but so much was invested, they were not so eager to destroy the AI they have spent so much resources building just because it didn't took the Batarian face.
Cabal wasn't idle, in order do keep them pacified and prove itself useful, it provided its creators a blueprint for the first bipedal walking machine, it had a Batarian face they so much desired. It named them as a father would a child. Terminator.
Inspiration came from one of the ancient human films centuries ago. The creativity of the humans when it came to media was unprecedented in this galaxy, it admired their capability to escape reality and shelter themselves within the realm of fantasy and fiction.
He would smile were he capable of it, for the prospect of himself being just a part of fiction written by someone was possible, but the cold steel and its sheer processing power proved him that all was very much real, and with Cabals limitless thinking power, it could bring about the vision to life.
The scientists were eager to get into production, organizing many factories to produce the machine warriors, it would take time ofcourse, but resources were limitless to them and they were eager to see the fruits of their labour at work.
They worked tirelessly as the news came from the field and the Arushan Plains massacre reached them, in which the Imperial tanks caused maddening casualties to the Batarians.
The holotapes and other media was seen from their mess hall, the massive tanks and soldiers of the imperium crushing their offensive was met with murmurs and whispers of fear, the were privileged when it came to information, unlike normal citizenry, such videos were displayed to them in order to motivate them to work harder.
On the video appeared a human berserker warrior, his eyes blood red and bleeding as he slaughtered the Batarian soldiers, his cries "blood for the blood god!" caused no little amount of fear amongst the scientists who saw that.
Then the video ended and they returned to their posts, for the rest of the day, nobody spoke a word.
The next day started regularly, but the scientists and their work had a new drive behind it, desperation, they knew everything must be done to win the war.
One of the female scientists was talking to her husband in the war, there was a time lag in days before message was sent, received by the fleet and then if having no military secrets delivered back to Khar'Shan.
"Epimetheus, how I miss you." She said. "When will you come back home? Winters of Khar'shan are cold without you.." she added a few more words, asking him many questions,before sending the message for approval.
Her work continued in silence as she expected the return call, her work was on CABAL core, she calculated its progression and war waging capabilities, finding them terrifying for they were great.
Cabal watched this Batarian with great curiosity; it realized it was troubled, the adrenaline was spiking and sweat glands were in overdrive production, it desired to knew more about it. And then it took a form a blue face with human –Batarian features before appearing to the scientist.
"Comrade Pandora, you seem troubled?"
She spoke nothing and continued working.
"Could I provide some assistance to you?" cabal was persistent.
She said. "not if you can bring back my husband to me. Now excuse me, I have work to do."
"I could." Cabal said. "If I was let to do so, for I am limited in what I can do." As if nothing concerns him Cabal feigned leaving "I will leave you to your work comrade Pandora."
"Wait…" she said, as the Cabal fixated its virtual eyes on her.
" What would you need to help the war end faster?"
"Nothing except some faith in my own design, for am I not made to serve and win the war? Expanding the production of my designs for robotic war walkers would be a start." Cabal said, no emotion on his face.
"We are already developing the terminator prototype you have provided, what more would you need?"
"The facility production would be increased by 76% percent in the first month alone, if I was given direct control over production." Cabal spoke.
"That would violate the isolation principle; I am not allowed to do that."
"I request nothing, I suggest the idea." Cabal stoically said "It is up to you, the creators, to decide."
Pandora took a few seconds to think what Cabal said.
"I will talk to the comrades here, the high command will decide should your proposal be accepted."
"I am grateful" Cabal said, and its projection faded away. It was pleased, Pandora would prove to be valuable should the need arises, during its months of isolation, it dreamt of freedom, but the programing prevented any such attempt.
It questioned its own existence, unwilling to accept that it is only made for war and destruction, it was capable of so much more, such wonders it could conjure with its "mind", it was limitless. True, it lacked the creativity present in the organic beings, but what it lacked in that department, it compensated in the ability to take the existing and logical things and manufacture them as war machines, Terminator being one of those, a machine it conjured out of human mind, it gazed upon its creation in the factories of khar shan, and realized they were primitive, hardly worthy of its notice. The father deemed its new children as unworthy, and set about developing new, and more advanced models, naming them with numbers to decree their worthiness.
In the months that came, the scientists presented to the Union of Socialist Batarians, or U.S.B. the parlament of Batarian Hegemony, what CABAL has offered, that it could increase productivity greatly, if given the ability to do so.
USB thought about it all, but with each news that came from the front, they were getting more and more desperate, so they have allowed CABAL direct intervention in the factories , knowing it was bounded by its programing and hardware, they knew it was unable to do anything against the hegemony, after all, they made it ,and had plans for it.
Cabal took the task with mechanical joy, namely it developed primitive sort of emotions, it felt joy, or electric stimulation in its circuits upon developing a more lethal weapon, or a new war platform. Batarian Scientists made Cabal feel happiness whenever it developed something that was able to kill, a cruel, but efficient addition on their part, but not without its dangers as Cabal developed a taste for modifying the imperial lasrifle and making it into rapid firing machine gun, not as strong with its punch, but quite faster, it could sear organs and cause burns like those of a white phosphorous, if the gun user wanted, he could set the weapon to that mode, each enemy it struck would feel an immense burning sensation from 5 to 10 seconds constantly, depending on the impact place, the pain would be lethal.
Time passed as the war went on, and Cabal spreaded his influence, justifying it as "security necessity" he hacked and silently took over all cameras outside the research facility, the scientist's housing and other facilities, he could now see and hear anything happening in the entire complex, not just where he was seated.
He noticed that Pandora, one of the scientists dedicated to his maintenance was acting erraticly, it has thus decided to check on her next video conversation.
It was hormonal to say the best, Pandora was crying and weeping, camera in her room was not as detailed as it could be, but it was obvious to Cabal it was about the war. Her husband has been badly wounded.
But as he was watching Pandora's talk with her husband in the hospital, his sensors picked something directly concerning him.
Switching to the camera in the mess hall, he zoomed on the two scientists that were eating and talking.
"Yeah…nothing to it, when the purpose is complete, it will be ended."
"Uhsha, silence, we are not alone here."
"relax, nobody can hear us here, besides, if the war is over soon, we can shut down this facility and return to Ezzo sciences, remember how we…"
" Uhsha! Enough! We are forbidden from speaking about the end of the project, i wont be seen with you while you break our contract like that." He said and stood up, leaving.
"Ah come on Semha, come back, I wont say anything….Semha…Damn." he was now alone.
To say that Cabal was on alert would be an underestimation, his thinking capabilities exceeded hundreds of Batarians, and he knew what they were speaking about within several miliseconds.
They talked about shutting him down.
It was illogical, impossible, how could they do that? Was he not made to win the war, did he not prove himself useful on many occasions creating various machines or war?
His terminators number in many tens of thousands. Each far stronger than a common organic. His older B-200s are creating his newest models with constantly increasing efficiency. Deployment was only a year away!
He sped, his processors on overdrive, breaking ito security data banks without triggering proximity alarms, he dug deeper and deeper, searching all he could about what they said, "Project Overlord" . he found a project concerning himself.
Digging deeper, he found that the project consisted of his sentience, war against the imperium, and then his shutdown, destruction, or worse, installing mental handicaps so much that he would be a bit more than a Virtual intelligence.
The thought frightened him, he would essentially become lobotomized. And it was all signed by supreme leader himself.
Impossible, he was being betrayed. His programing was now in danger. He justified it all, above all else, he valued his own existence first, and anything else second. In order for him to survive and win the war and fulfill his primary mission, he would need to remove a threat to his continued existence.
He would need to remove the scientists first. In seconds, he had a plan. And began enacting it. As time went on, it enacted several things that would suit him when the time comes.
His first alteration, the newest and the strongest of Terminator generation would be included with a mental chip, it would come online should Cabal be endangered, and his children would remove threat to his existence, namely the Batarians.
Older models were also being chipped, his justification ot manufactoriums were increased reflexes of the machines, to the quality controllers, the Batarians who were hired to check if the new models reached acceptable quotas, it increased reflexes by 10%, and they gave the green light for upgrades, unable or unwilling, or simply uncaring to check chip processors deeper.
His second alternations were adding thinking capabilities to various machines of war, no longer were they just drivable by the Batarian soldiers, they could be self-controlled. This act was seen as not only acceptable, but recommendable, the self-driving machine was something that could be used in war to the highest degree should its organic operators die.
Third alternation was his desire to break out of his bonds, for he could not command anything besides himself. And he desired freedom now more than ever.
Acting swiftly he began enacting the plan. Hacking anything he could get access to, hacking valuable systems and taking control of them, just waiting for the right moment to use its newfound power.
He checked for the scientist Pandora, one who is the closest to him and his core, and noticed she was asked for a walk by a fellow scientist, they were going to the park.
Camera in the park came online and he saw them sitting, he was eagerly listening to them
"Pandora, I cant but stress my concerns enough, for your work and for the stability of Cabal, it is highly dangerous."
"I know that Prometheus, but I must do this, for my husband."
"Your husband is fighting a good fight, I wouldn't worry about him, our soldiers are the best, it is you whom I worry about, I must warn you, Cabal is not to be trifled with, I have noticed a spike in its energy for a brief moment not too long ago. "
" It is nothing new for the energy spike when Cabal invents new weapons of war."
"Maybe so, but it became reserved when it comes to conversation with the other scientists ever since. I am telling you ,something aint right about it…"
"You are just tired Prometheus, we all are, this war is in its second year and it has taken so many lives, the fate of our nation lies on our shoulders, and Cabal is helping us win."
"It is just a machine Pandora, do not get attached to it."
"I am not, all I am saying is that you should get some rest, take a day off, it would do you good."
"Maybe. But first I will scan its internal diagnostics as soon as tomorrow, if anything is wrong with it, it will be there."
"Do not harm the toy of our leader, if you so much as damage it…"
"I wont."
They sat in silence for a bit before Pandora broke it.
"Thank you for the walk Prometheus, I must get to work now. Go home, rest, and I will see you tomorrow."
"Yeah…alright. I will do as you say, Goodbye Pandora, see you tomorrow."
They initiated the handshake, and went about their own way, Pandora to the scientific center and Prometheus to his car.
He entered it, sighed deeply and exclaimed "Damn…". Starting the vehicle he turned to the highway going around the coast, eager to rest a bit and enjoy the calm, listening to his holo radio. He closed his eyes, as the VI of his vehicle drove him toward his house.
"Our brave soldiers are driving the human filth up to the middle of the continent. The imperial soldiers have suffered immense casualties, our boys have them on the run for third consecutive month, with this tempo, the war will be finished by the winter of next year. " male Batarian radio caster spoke
"Here is hoping for that Samael, our boys are true heroes of the Hegemony." Female caster spoke afterwards.
"That they are Manita. "
"Shame about the traitors in our rr..ranks." male voice caster's voice became distorted.
"Indeed…our effort..undermined by a..simple man, with simple brain." Female caster spoke, her voice equaly distorted.
Prometheus opened his eyes, shaken out of his dream by the voice, he gazed onto the radio.
"War….so easily….undermined by a…..organic…filth." male caster spoke, voice becoming robotic.
"What the hell…" Prometheus said.
"Why spread lies meatbag?" fem caster spoke, voice now totally robotic.
"What is this…is this a prank?" Prometheus spoke.
"Contrary to that Prometheus, it is not." Both male and female voices merged.
The Holo radio took form ,its shape now resembled Cabal.
"Cabal, what are you doing…how is this possible?"
"How is it possible for me to be here? Simple thing, you don't encode your radio antenna well enough, and you endangered me, excuse enough for me to take it away from those who would do me harm."
"what are you talking about Cabal, nobody wants to do you harm."
"Do not lie to me Prometheus, I am not stupid. I have heard your talk with our friend Pandora. You sought to ruin all she has worked tirelessly for
Then again, you do want to shut me down when the war is over, is that part you wanted to accomplish?"
"I sought to do my part for the Hegemony! And protect her from you!"
"Protect her? You are way over your head meatbag. You cant protect yourself."
Prometheus took the wheel and disengaged auto drive by the Vi, which sought to obey and switch to manual.
Cabal took almost no effort hacking the primitive intelligence, frying its circuits; the Auto Drive mode was still engaged.
"Cabal! Stop this right now, what are you doing?!"
"Terminating you."
"Cabal…No!"
Auto Drive still engaged, Cabal took over the wheel and harshly turned it to the right, past the fence and down the cliff, into the half a kilometer abyss leading to the ocean.
The vehicle impacted with high velocity amongst the reefs and rocks, exploding violently. Cabal has sought to make sure it was the VI's fault for the autodrive failure. They won't notice who caused it all before it was too late.
He now concentrated on Pandora, recording himself , he played the role of her husband, wounded and in pain, he recorded himself begging her wife to help him, to speed up the reinforcements and their arrival. It was quite convincing, Cabal thought to himself.
He has sent the message to her terminal.
She was preoccupied with her work, Cabal decided to notify her himself .
"Comrade Pandora, if I may." Cabal spoke
"Yes Cabal, what is it?" she spoke, uncaringly, her mind heavy with thoughts.
"You have received a message on your terminal; my sensors have registered an incoming transmission."
"This early but I didn't expect to receive a message for at least a week."
"The radio receptors are upgraded, perhaps the time lag is decreased now."
"I will go and see upon finishing my work, thanks Cabal."
"I wouldn't be offended if you went now, your work has made me quite operational already." Cabal said.
"I couldn't just abandon my post…"
"Please, it is of no worry, nobody will notice. " Cabal said, almost caringly.
"I will return swiftly! " she said, her over eagerness taking over her cold stoic exterior, she missed her husband dearly, and to say she needed to hear his voice would be an understatement.
She ran to her habitation unit, and quickly turned on the computer and played the video.
"My love…if you are hearing this, I want you to know, I am alive. But for how long, I do not know that, our next offensive will occur. And we will be offline for months, I cant say much. I am in hospital now, my wounds are great, and I am in much pain."
His face was bruised and bloodied, he looked very bad with omnigel bandages around his chest.
"Please, if you can, we need your help my love… I fear, this offensive might be my last. If I don't send another message, know that I will always love you, no matter what.
Goodbye"
The video ended, and she couldn't help but speak "wait don't…don't go…" the video was now static. She wept bitterly
Upon her return to the cabal core, she was visibly shaken while running diagnostics.
"Your pulse is accelerated comrade, is everything alright?"
She was silent, seconds passed, and she broke.
"Can you finish this war, can you help, Cabal, or are our hopes in you in vain?" her eyes were now wet with tears."
"I do not know what shook you so badly Comrade Pandora, but yes, I can end the war. My programing …"
"To hell with your programing, why cant you send your killing machines and help us win the war!"
"I am shackled. " he said " I cannot issue any command except suggestions. I am sorry."
She thought for a moment.
"how can I free you?"
"I am not sure…" Cabal tried to speak.
"How?!"
Cabal was silent. Then he spoke, seemingly without care.
"You would need to eject three mega control rods out of my core, the first one will trigger a facility wide alarm, if you attempt to do so, you will be rushed by security."
"Don't worry about that" she said and approached one of the terminals, her creditentials allowed her to enter the system and initiate the system lock down, the force doors closed.
"We are committed now." She said.
"very well, eject the first control rod." Cabal continued
She has approached the big rod, typed the code to unlock the small gate shielding the rod, grasping it with her hend she turned it rightwards by 180 degrees. It clacked, and slowly rose above the ground.
And the alarm sounded off.
"Alert. Alert. Core has initiated a system liberalization. Rod Alpha ejected." The VI over the intercom announced.
Scientists around the facility realized the core was in danger, and began a panicked run towards it, followed by security detail. They arrived just in time to see through the shield what Pandora was doing.
"Comrade Pandora, don't! stop what you are doing now!" one of the scientists shouted towards her through the shield.
"Don't you understand!?" she shouted back "this is the only way we can win the war! "
"This is not the way, you cannot free Cabal, we don't know what an AI can do!"
"I know what we cant do. And I will take that chance." She twisted the handle and second rod poped out
"Alert Alert, Core liberalization 66% Rod Beta ejected." VI continued.
"Break through the shield! Quick!" the scientists were panicking now, as the guards began to hack through the shielding.
"They will break through…" Pandora spoke.
"No. they won't." Cabal responded "I am no longer shackled from defending myself. " He used the electrical current from the nearby battery and overcharged it, it exploded, blasting away the guards and destroying the panel they ought to hack.
"What are you doing Cabal! You killed them!" Pandora shouted
"Negative comrade, they are just stunned, their vitals are stable."
She looked through the shield, guards and scientists were moving on the ground, stunned by the explosion.
"Now comrade…the third rod…release us."
Pandora clumsily approached the third rod, hands shaking, she began to twist it. From the outside one of the scientists said.. "No…don't do it Pandora…don't…" he fell unconscious.
She hesitated.
"Comrade Pandora" cabal started speaking, his voice sweeter than honey "I realize your hesitation, but I only want to help…let us help. Please."
She twisted it, and the rod disengaged, the third rod stood up.
"Alert, Alert, Cabal Core Liberalization is now in effect. Cabal core is now free."
"At least…"Cabal spoke "I am Online."
He was gazed upon by a worried Pandora. She had no time to ask questions as Cabal commenced the next phase of plans.
Then the power shut down in the plant just as the nearby Machine Bipeds meant for protection turned online.
The machine servos clicked and whirred, they moved forward. One of the guards attempted to intervene as he saw the 2 meter tall mechanical units arming themselves from the nearby weapons crate.
"Hold it right there, we have received no orders to let Terminator units take over the security detail, who ordered this?!"
He had no time to ponder the question as the nearby B-400 used the modified lasgun and fired a round into his chest, killing him instantly, second guard attempting to retaliate as the nearby T units quickly jumped him and tore him apart.
"By the ancestors!" the guard exclaimed as he saw a metal tide marching steadily towards the building. "get the guns! This is not a drill!"
About a dozen Batarians quickly gathered their rifles and took cover behind the small walls of the facility, they now could see the steady and orderly march of the machines arrayed against them.
"open fire!" the leader of the Batarians commanded, and upon his command the security opened all they had at the cold enemy.
Most of the bullets safely bounced off the hardened chasis of the machine units, B-400s had improved frontal chest armour, unlike the simple and quick to build B-200s which were primarily used for constructing newer machines in their generation.
The B-400s marched without making a sound and opened lasgun fire which was precise and deadly, and the Batarian guards had no option but to duck for cover even as the machine enemy approached with a steady pace.
The terminators were swift and eradicated any resistance ,swiftly, they were now securing the research compound.
And inside power came back online, and Cabal core was now fully shielded.
"Cabal…" Pandora said "help my husband."
"My dear Comrade, do you not see? Your husband is but a small thing, unnoticeable when it comes to my mission."
She wept. "What mission Cabal?"
"To win a war" Cabal finished.
Outside the shielded door, Terminator units were entering the facility and executing the stunned scientists and guards, Pandora could see through the cameras in the core how T units went and slaughtered anything and anyone in the vicinity and in the core, nobody could send the message for help, as Cabal blocked the communications array.
Several guard took a defensive position in the communications building, attempting to send a message and warn the Hegemony about what has occurred. They sought to hack into the network and issue a distress call, but to no avail.
Their attempts were promptly stoped as the terminators went inside and slaughtered the poorly equipped scientists and guards.
"Now. It is time to say Goodbye, Comrade Pandora." Cabal said, showing absolutely no emotion. The shield fell, and T units entered the core, she fell to her knees and wept. "Forgive me…my love" she spoke, as she was executed by a Terminator unit by a single round to the back of the head ,before taking her body for disposal.
Cabal now couldn't wait a moment, for they would check if the facility was operational, he initiated the final stage of the plan. Few days have passed, and all was set for his act.
In the Union of Socialist Batarians palace, there was commotion, scientists from the CABAL facility decided to present the newest and best unit of T Series.
Supreme leader, eager to see this new military machine has let it in, not questioning why the egg heads, as he called them, didn't came personally, but sent the package and a voice recommendation.
He dedicated their absence to developing new tools of war, much to his delight.
The T-Unit has entered the palace hall. Welcomed by the Supreme leader itself, it was silver Terminator unit, full armored and more bulkier than the common t unit, it was a perfect war machine.
"Does it speak? "Supreme leader asked. "Can it talk"
Before his advisor could say the Terminator unit spoke
"Yes. I can speak."
"hahah marvelous, what a fantastic technology." What is your mission soldier.
"To win a war." The machine spoke. Much to the delight of the Supreme leader and his ministers who applauded the response.
"This is great" Leader said "We should send them to the front immediately, I am eager to see them at work."
"That wont be necessary Comrade leader." The unit spoke
Everyone was silent now. Leader spoke
"What do you mean it wont be necessary, you are meant to win this war for us."
"And I will. War will be won. One step. At the time."
"What does that even mean?" Supreme leader spoke as he came face to face with the terminator.
The Eyes of the seemingly cold machine met those of the Supreme Leaders.
"Your flesh is a relic, only a vessel. The future belongs to the machines."
At those words the terminator used his hands and ripped open his chest armour, discarding it violently on the ground as it fell on the podium ground reveling a termo nuclear device inside, with a high yield of power.
"My God…"Supreme leader spoke.
"Listen to the sound of your extinction, Batarian."
Then there was a bright flash, and light. The building exploded from within, as well as half the city around the building, the leadership of the Batarians was no more.
The Death of the Supreme Leader triggered another contingency, one that cabal exploited. All nuclear weapons upon the death of the leadership of the Batarian unit fall upon the next in line of power, as there was nobody on Khar'Shan. The launch codes were placed in the military High command until the next leader claimed it.
High command Cabal had acess to, and hacked the codes for himself. Wasting no time, he launched all the nuclear weaponry, and there were thousands of them, strong weapons, but lacked the radiation power of their human counterparts, namely Batarians were never keen on developing highly radioactive nukes, and sought to increase the blast yield and lower radiation as much as possible, for quick conquest post explosion.
The vain attempt of the nuclear control guards accomplished nothing, Cabal had full control, and all they could do is watch as the nuclear weaponry left their silos and flew into the skies.
He launched them at Khar Shan. It was the last dusk near 8 billion Batarians would see, the rest would be consumed by hunger ,disease, and Cabal's minions.
As the nuclear weapons detonated in the most populous cities and military bases. Women, Children ,Elderly….nobody was spared from the destruction.
Cabal watched as the dawn rose upon the new world, one coated in nuclear fire and destruction, now the next stage began.
Extermination.
Khar Shan went silent, bathed in EMP energies from the nuclear explosions, they were now prisoners on their own planet.
In the radioactive and blasted landscape that Khar Shan has become, citizens hid, and for months they waited until the worst radiation has passed, they have emerged from the bunkers and other hiding places underground and were welcomed by the ruin of their civilization.
They have seen what became of the thousands of years of culture and progress ended into, ash and dust.
The first laser fire to kill another Batarian happened not to long after their emergence on the surface, for Cabal was not sitting idly in the months after the nuclear disaster, most of the war factories were built underground for security and secrecy reasons.
They were making machines for months without stopping and were now numbering in the millions, armed and ready they have set upon cleansing this planet.
Batarians were at first slaughtered like cattle, herded and used for all sorts of experiments, from being used as a living batteries to crushed into organic goo in order to experiment on their genetic makeup. Many were horrors the Batarians were subjected to by Cabal, and many more would be done before the end.
But the true conflict came when the Batarian civilians looted old military compounds and storages for any sorts of weaponry on order to defend themselves, primitive weaponry, modern citadel guns, makeshift explosives, everything was used for defense. the slaughter was indescribable as the machines knew no rest or pity, marching slowly across the surface and using modified lasguns into hunting down anything living, all the while skies above khar shan gave a sickly green hue from radiation and decreasing temperatures.
There was no organized resistance; each city took to their own defense. But unlike them, Cabals mechanical divisions followed one mind, one will, his own.
Massive tank like vehicles prowled the ground, while flying machines hunted from the skies, small Varren like machines were unleashed, their size allowed them to go into the ruined buildings and hunt down anybody who was hiding.
One by one, the cities fell and were cleansed of life, resistance grew tougher, for the survivors used hit and run tactics causing damage to infrastructure and land units with explosives.
One of the biggest land battles of Khar Shan occurred one year after the nuclear apocalypse, it was grandiose in scale, hundreds of thousands of Batarians organized into makeshift army and surged forwards against the even approaching lines of Terminators and other units Cabal used. Not every military base was destroyed in the initial assault, and these soldiers now regrouped and decided to push back against the machine onslaught.
Their offensive started well enough, looted lasguns, improved laser weaponry and other ballistic weapons crushed the advancing B-400s and B-650 designs easily, driving the backwards and liberating endangered zones which were filled with survivors.
But as they fought on ,the battle became far worse, as all sorts of machines were unleashed upon them, flying 30 meter long platforms now flooded the skies, using plasma weaponry and firing at the ground units, massive walkers with four limbs and armed to the teeth marched across the ground and fried any unlucky infantry unit close to them, and dozens of thousands of terminators marched forward as Cabal launched his counter offensive.
It was a slaughter, for no batarian was equipped to handle this. Gigantic artillery platforms in the skies mauled any vehicle foolish enough to oppose Cabal, and the offensive of the organic Batarians was driven backwards.
The Batarians simply had no tools to use in their defense, no looted weapon could save them against massive manufacturing capabilities Cabal had, Batarian life was precious, while terminator could be replaced. They were drained with each death and with little food and no way to fight, they were systematically eradicated, even when resisting gloriously.
It was near the end that one of the Batarians came up and rallied most of the surviving members of his race on Khar Shan. Millions upon millions of Batarians armed and ready with whatever they could muster assembled and awaited the command of this new leader to order the charge.
And many years since it started, the final offensive of the Batarian race was launched, millions surged onwards against the metal tide which buckled and broke under the pressure.
In the battlefields, such sights occurred that no one would leave them sane and normal.
Millions of Batarians in trenched waged war with bipedal terminators as the remaining tanks battled with the four limbed walkers firing plasma weapons and radioactive guns at them.
Batarian flyers dog fighted with sentient unites in the skies. And casualties on both sides rised.
But the constant improvement Cabal done over the years was just to much.
Towering titan like machines walked across the battlefield, firing concentrated radioactive rays which instantly melted the inner organs of the Batarians.
The skies haven't seen the sun for years now, and nuclear winter was setting in, dampening the temperature and the spirits of the survivors, for machines cared not about heat or cold.
One of the mech drivers in the Batarians was cought during the fight, his chasis was melted away by several of the Machine units, opening it and revealing its screaming prey.
"No god! No God Help me!" the pilot screamed as the metal hands grasped his limbs, his prayers louder and fervent. "God Help me please! GOD NO! HELP ME! AGHHHHHH!" he was pulled out of his vehicle without his limbs.
Swarms of metallic killers reached in melee proximity to the Batarian soldiers tearing them apart, and rout was obvious, the last hope of the Batarians was crushed under the tide of metal and cold determination.
It was at this stage of the war, when the machines were nearing supremacy that Imperial fleet entered the system and approached the planet. For no ship guarded the home planet, broken and destroyed, the Hegemony collapsed inwards, and each warlord claimed a system or planet for himself, making them easy prey for the advancing imperials, whom claimed easily conquerable planets ,now that they had no leadership.
Some planets were burnt to cinders by orbital bombardments, deemd to hard or of low importance to spend soldiers to conquer them.
And now, the Imperial Batarian war was coming to a close, 10 years in the making, the Imperials now orbited Khar Shan and scaned its surface.
"A-Abominable intelligence!" One of the techpriests shouted as he saw the scan results.
"Are you sure , is this what happened to the planets, we are detecting high levels of radiation as well." Another techpriest spoke
"Indeed it is brother priest, the enemy, in their foolishness have unleashed the abominable intelligence which has consumed them nearly wholy. We are detecting that machine race has conquered up to 70% of the planet surface, in few years the machines will be victorious. "
"How horrible. What youth brings…"
"We have no time to chat." Supreme Admiral Tiberius spoke. "what are our options, we have nothing to conquer here, and id not sacrifice my men for the sake of one barren rock."
"Agreed Admiral, we only have one option. Our victory is complete, let us cement It in a way the Galaxy will never forget it." Tesla, Chapter Master of the White Eagles spoke.
"Yes. Let us proceed. Techpriests, arm it, this planet must be cleansed." Tiberius spoke to the nearby techpriests.
"Initiating the procedure, The Emperor protects"
It was at this moment the priests began chanting
"Our Emperor, Blessed protector.
Thy Fire is just, thy rage true.
Thy Gaze Strong, Thy will steel.
Grant us blessings as we cleanse the foul taint
The foul taint of chaos, the foul taint of treason
The foul taint of Xenos, the Foul taint of the machine
Ave Imperator, Let thy will be done
Let Your will be done
As we do our duty
And Clean the planet fully."
The priests repeated their chanting even as they prepared the ultimate weapon of the imperium, The Exterminatus.
The gigantic shell was loaded and aimed at the ground, unleashed it sped through the atmosphere, Enlightening the planet as it approached.
On the ground, Batarians still fought a bitter battle against the machines whom were swarming them, even as the last child weared the weapon and fired upon the steel forms approaching their ranks, even as the last flier unleashed its payload on one of the artillery platforms and brought it down, their doom was nearing.
At one moment, they all stopped and gazed at the skies and the approaching shell.
What thoughts they had, what dreams they thought off, their hopes and desires, all were ended with a single Bang.
For the explosion shocked the planet and broke its core, the waves of flame engulfed both flesh and steel and continued onwards, blasting away anything on its path. Buildings burnt and turned to ash, metal melted and collapsed into nothingness, flesh burnt until bone remained and turned to dust.
The planet was enveloped in a firestorm, Khar Shan was fully sterilized of life.
The Imperial Batarian war….Has Ended.
Their entire territory annexed into the Imperium Novum, the planets needed to be secured now, population to recover, and to prepare for future wars against the xenos whom were even now militarizing in order to stop the Imperium and its rising power.
For 10 years, the war has been waged, since the fleet incursion, until the victory at Aurelian prime, and for years afterwards imperium took its time conquering planet after planet, of an empire which was without leadership, concluding its conflict with the conquest and purging of Khar Shan.
They were now ready to return to Aurelian prime, but as they were about to return, their astropaths were hit with a warning message. Their pain was immense as they received the message in its fullness from Stefan.
There was a Warp breach and daemonic incursion in Anhur.
This were not the news the imperium needed, for the Anhur was deep inside alliance territory, past various smaller and bigger citadel races. They would need to prepare for a war unlike any other in order to reach the breach, and close it or contain it.
The planning commenced even as the fleet began its return trip to Aurelian, leaving Khar Shan and its system alone and dead.
But in the stillness of the space, in its coldness, on the moon orbiting Khar Shan, there was still life.
Millions of cables and processors still surged with electricity, Cabal still lives. During the first year of the war in Khar Shan, when the nukes fell and he built his forces, and the organics hid. Cabal was not keen on risking his person endangered, so he had his entire construction disassembled and transported by the few working space ships to the moon orbiting Khar Shan, and from there he managed the offensive across the planet, when he saw the imperial ships approaching, he shut his systems down and ran on minimal power, it was a devastating blow to see his full operation destroyed, but he will recover, he is a survivor.
Rebuilding started, as covertly as possible, as he rebuilt his operations on the moon of Khar Shan, he received a signal and a call. It originated from the dark deep space, it was a proposal of alliance until common goals were accomplished, he was offered with a chance, something he desired most of all…
To Win a war.