Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, Warhammer 40k, Stellaris, Kaiserreich, HoI4, Clannad, Star Wars, or Mass Effect. This is a fanfiction, and I don't have ANY monetary reward for making it. This is purely for fun.
WARNING: This is an M-rated fanfiction. Sexual content will appear from time to time.
Author's notes: So, because this is a cross-over at this point; I'm going to add elements of the "Warp" and "Chaos Gods" from Warhammer 40k. The power scale of the Alliance and Citadel got a huge buff. In my story; the reason people use thermal clips is due to the increased energy used in Mass Effect weaponry. This buff makes the Mass Effect factions competitive with the Reapers and baseline clones.
For those that don't like the increased power scale and inclusion of the "Warp," I'll probably do a rewrite of this story without the "Warp" element. However, this is just fun for me to write. Not going to lie, I watched a few videos on the Chaos Gods and they were cool. I've been doing fantastic during this semester, but writing has become purely for fun. I'm still not a hundred percent on how this story will go, but I have a solid idea.
I'll probably link in a few Mass Effect fanfictions I've drawn inspiration from. There's one where Miranda and Shepard knew each other during ME1, and one where Shepard was a biotic god. Erwin is overpowered, but he has to be. If you know anything about Warhammer 40k, you know the power scale in insaine. In this story, the Alliance could now easily conquer the Imperium of Man from Warhammer 40k.
In Mass Effect Cannon, the velocities of an Alliance dreadnought's main cannon was around 2% the speed of light. Now it's in the mid-90s.' A huge buff, and to give you an idea of how much more powerful that is: Kinetic Energy = (1/2) M V². This means an increase in velocity is exponentially greater than an increase in mass. The Mass Effect weaponry is still going to be firing tinny projectiles, but velocity is a bitch. So, yeah... I buffed the hell out of everyone in Mass Effect.
The reason I added the "Chaos Gods" was to increase the power of the Leviathans. When Erwin has his clone army, and the Reapers have multiple Galaxies to pull from; I felt they needed something of their own. Also, tell me what you think about Oriana's background. I figured if Shepard is going to be a badass biotic, why not give Miranda and Oriana a unique background. I had to do something, the Cannon explanation of them being female clones of Henery couldn't stay the same in my story. As Erwin said, how could primitives do what the Empire couldn't?
It's official, we're in ME2 now.
Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows. I appreciate the support, and hope y'all are doing well.
Chapter XI
Not So Peaceful Galaxy
Oriana couldn't stop shaking.
She didn't know what happened, but it felt like death was around the corner.
"Kami… why can't I stop shaking."
All the lights were on, and she was holding her pistol. Oriana made sure to lock the door, she didn't want her family to see her having a mild panic attack.
"Don't call. He'll only think you're weird."
Oriana couldn't let Erwin know about her phobia. He fought literal monsters as a child. What would he think of a grown woman afraid of the dark?
Her phone vibrated, indicating she got a text. Oriana quickly grabbed the phone, hoping it was from Erwin.
"I'm on my way."
Those four little words from her lover were able to get her to stop shaking. Now she just had to wait.
It didn't stop the feeling of dread, and impending doom.
Someone knocked on the door, and Oriana flinched from the sudden noise.
"Munchkin, are you okay?" Her mother softly spoke from the door.
Mom tried to open the door, but quickly realized it was locked.
"Please open the door, Munchkin." She tried again.
Oriana used her biotics to unlock the door, and turn the knob.
The biotics lessons with Erwin we're paying off. She's more powerful than ever, but it only made her more scared.
Mom walked in with a concerned look on her face. She could see the tear marks on Oriana's cheeks and the gun in her hand.
Her mother gracefully walked towards Oriana, and claimed into bed with her.
"Dear, what's wrong. Why do you have a gun?" Mom gently asked her.
She tried to gently take the gun, but Oriana shook her head and grabbed onto it harder.
"Dear, please talk to me." Her mom pleaded.
"I'm scared," Oriana admitted with no small amount of shame.
"Did your phobia of the dark act up again?"
"Kinda… I don't know… it's hard to explain."
"Try to explain, no matter how silly it seems." Her mom, softly reassured.
"I don't know… it felt like something wanted to eat me… then the dark seemed a lot scarier."
Her mom pulled Oriana into her chest as she used to when Oriana was younger. The scared teen held onto her mother but didn't dare let go of the gun.
Oriana wasn't scared just for herself, but her entire family. The fact her family was in the same house, made her fear for them.
"I'm sorry, Munchkin. Do you want me to lay with you?" Mom asked in her soft motherly voice.
Oriana nodded her head, she didn't want to be alone. Or, maybe she did want to be alone. She feared for anyone near her.
"Where's dad and the girls?" Oriana mumbled in her mother's chest.
"They're in our room. Do you want me to get your dad?"
"No, I'm fine... I want someone with the girls."
Her mom started to lovingly brush her hair.
"Do you want anything?"
"Erwin…"
Large thuds filled the main corridor towards R Primes secondary shipyard.
Ten large clones making up the Varagyr guard walked in perfect formation behind their Lord. Their heavy armor was a similar design as their Patriarch, each guard carried their heavy claw pattern bolters close to their chest.
Leading the Varagyr guard was an armored Erwin and Leman. The latter followed his father, with reference and duty.
"Ensure the Astartes are born at a constant rate and properly trained. They'll only have the experience of the regular clones. Run them through the simulations, and constantly update the Varagyr guard. I want all the Astartes ready for combat asap. The construction of Intrepidus is mostly automated, I'll make small adjustments from Illium." Erwin delegated.
"I understand, my Lord. Everything will be handled efficiently, Ares and I will ensure the industrialization of Vindicator stays on schedule." Leman assured his father.
"He's right, regular updates will be sent daily. The sub-crust cloning facilities are practically done already, and I'll ensure no one finds R Prime." Ares agreed with his younger brother.
"If the Reapers do somehow find R Prime, the Second fleet will repel the invaders. If they're foolish enough to enter Resonance's orbit, the plasma lances will deal with them." Leman added.
They were reassuring words, but Erwin knew better. In the face of a proper Reaper assault, the best course of action would be to implement a strategy of "Scorched Earth."
The group walked through a large twenty-meter door that led into the secondary hangar. On the other side of the door was a large platform that wrapped around the square hangar/shipyard.
Erwin and his men stood before a behemoth of war. It stretched just under twenty-three kilometers. The warship was blocky, tall, and thick; but unlike the droid warships, it had a bold, grandiose elegance.
Erwin had the bright idea to let the clones design the warship with Ares. The outcome was best described as a space-capable cathedral. Needless to say, Erwin heavily modified the design.
Armed with multiple Covenant pattern heavy plasma lances with three-hundred and sixty-degree coverage. Unlike true hard plasma technology, Covenant plasma lance direction could be easily changed with strong magnetic fields.
The Covenant fired plasma at near light velocity like the Imperial counterparts, but the mass of Imperial bolts was much greater. Plus the Imperial lances had better penetration.
The forward bow had a large barrel jutting out from the warship. It was a form of dark matter weaponry, and another one of Erwin's little creations. The science was far beyond a primitives understanding, but in simple terms, it shot Black Holes. Erwin called it the Decrusto.
Though the ship was designed to deliver heavy firepower from all directions, the broadsides were by far the deadliest firing arcs.
The super heavy gamma-ray lasers alongside the broadsides, are similar to the ones on the heavy droid starships. Photons created by the lasers had a tiny wavelength, the smallest possible with natural light. The major difference was the amount of energy designed to flow through the lasers, they had a lot of power to draw from.
Inside was a massive Forerunner zero-point energy reactor. It was inferior in design to the cutting edge Imperial models, but more than made up for its technological inferiority with size.
The anti-ship missiles were upgraded with antimatter warheads, and the smaller pulse lasers provided superior point defense capabilities.
For the medium-range option, the warship used Forerunner hard-light projectors. The weaponry wasn't used by the Imperium, as they simply didn't provide any benefits over Imperial weaponry. However, they'd gut Reapers with little difficulty.
The issue the Empire has with hard-light weaponry is their slow velocities. Light is transformed into an exotic solid and even disintegrates organic matter. Yet the simplistic and unfathomable power of relativistic Imperial solids still reigns supreme in the Imperium's book.
Then for the final weapon system, there were the torpedoes. They were probably the most destructive of the weapons. Each one held five hundred tons of condensed antimatter. The antimatter was about as dense as a neutron star's core. Then a dense core of neutronium would be turned into a jet of penetrating hard plasma. The torpedoes had to be stored in mass nullifying containers. Otherwise, the combined mass could affect the starship's mobility.
Erwin doubted the Reapers possessed any starship capable of taking a direct hit from a torpedo.
The defensive measures of the warship weren't lacking either.
The thick neutronium armor was truly impregnatable. It was the same neutronium used in his Armor, and it was truly magnificent. It could stand up to forces and energies that would turn advanced nanolaminate armor into melted slag.
That was if the Reapers ever got past the shields fed by the massive reactor. The shields were like most components, Forerunner in design. They were hard-light shields, the same concept used in Erwin's Armor's backup shields. Excluding the Empire, no race could create better shields.
The shields even had a smaller dedicated zero-point reactor to ensure quick recharging.
The engines and hyperdrive were also a massive upgrade over the droid warships.
The sublight engines were the Forerunner pattern reaction drives. The engines gave the warship an impressive rate of acceleration for its size.
Then there was the Forerunner pattern slipspace drive, which drastically increased the starship's range.
Finally, just like the droid warships; a mass effect Ezo core for more maneuverability and some mass negation.
The warship was meant to be the flagship for the Grand Army of the Ghost. Along with being the mobile headquarters of the Astartes pattern clones.
The regular Astartes were clones of Leman, a clone of a clone. They stood eight foot six and were built like tanks. Their armor was also forged with a neutronium alloy, and they'd be armed with bolters.
The Army of the Ghost was never meant to be composed of such clones, but these were desperate times.
The only ten Astartes born, so far, were the further upgraded Varagyr guards. The personality of each Astartes was still randomized, but each held three particular traits.
They loved war, hated Xenos, and were uncompromisingly loyal to Erwin.
The massive warship housed Erwin's starfighter in a specialized hangar. The starfighter was directly integrated into the behemoth, providing more power and unique abilities.
The Reapers touched something protected by Imperial law. Erwin never asked anything from the Empire, and it was time they repaid him for the years of service.
He was going to fully apply the knowledge entrusted to him by the Empire against the Reapers.
If the primitives managed to get their grubby little hands on any Imperial technology, then he'd simply fulfill directive five seven four.
The warship was one example of an application of mid-tier Imperial technology. It wasn't supposed to exist, but luckily the inevitable declaration of war gave Erwin more wiggle room.
The Reapers may have been used to taking what they want, but that was before an Imperial Enforcer arrived.
Erwin would show those savages what a single Spartan had his army of clones could do.
"It still needs testing," Ares warned.
"A field test then." Leman brushed off his warning.
Erwin agreed with Leman.
This was without a doubt the most advanced warship in this Universe. It was a merger of Forerunner, Mass Effect, and Imperial technology.
It had a name fitting for the destructive capabilities the warship possessed.
The Eviscerator.
"It'll be fine, Ares. The First fleet will assist if anything happens. The only untested technology is the Decrusto, and the prototypes worked fine." Erwin sided with his Patriarch.
"That fills me with such confidence." Ares sweatdropped.
"Hold down the fort, boys." Erwin ignored Ares' jab and bid farewell.
"Good luck, my Lord."
"Go take care of our primitive."
Leman and Ares said. Ares' hologram appeared next to Leman, and both snapped an Imperial salute.
Erwin raised his right hand.
"You both make the Empire, and the Wolff Dynasty proud. This Galaxy will be ours, then the Universe will follow. If the Empire ever finds us, they'll be gifted with a freshly conquered Universe."
"Imperium que Terranus!" Ares and Leman both shouted with pride.
He marched up the loading platform with his Varagyr guard loyally following.
Erwin made his way towards the bridge. It was like the droid ships; a domed room with a circular pit surrounding the Captain's chair.
The entire bridge crew stood up and saluted Erwin. He raised his right hand and locked eyes with the Eviscerator's Captain.
"At ease," Erwin said, and the clone ensigns went back to work in the pit.
Except for the Captain.
He was an Admiral-class clone, by the name of Raphael. He was nine and a half feet tall and possessed a similar brain as Leman.
There were only five Admiral-class clones, they were designed to lead the fleets. The Admiral-class were similar to the Astartes in being a clone of Leman and were the first non-reg clones born.
The Eviscerator was important enough to have an Admiral-class as Captain, and a fully manned clone crew. Along with four divisions of Clone Troopers, in case anyone wanted to board the warship.
The captain moved away from the command chair, and gestured to Erwin it was his.
"I'm just along for the ride, Captain Raphael. The Eviscerator is yours." Erwin told the Captain.
Another chair rose next to the Captain chair's back left, and Erwin sank into the large piece of furniture. It was exactly the same as the command chair, large and comfortable.
The dome's walls had a high-resolution screen, and primitive hard-light holograms floated around the room.
"Are you sure, my Lord? Your starfighter is integrated into our systems. This ship has high Imperial capabilities." Raphael was both nervous and honored to potentially command such technology.
"I'm right here, and I trust you, Captain. Just get me to Illium." Erwin assured Raphael.
Erwin honestly didn't have the stomach to command, he wanted to get to Illium as quickly as possible.
"Sir, we're ready for takeoff. Just awaiting your orders." Captain Raphael reported.
"Permission granted. Make sure we're cloaked when we reach the system." Erwin replied.
"Sir?"
"The ship is yours, Captain Raphael. I'm just a traveler, wake me when we're over Illium."
"Yes, my Lord."
Erwin walked into the main hangar of the Eviscerator. It had multiple sub-hangars and was designed to launch entire planetary invasions.
There was just one Pelican dropship in the hangar. It looked almost lonely in the massive hangar bay.
The Pelican was based on the original pelican dropship used in the early days of the Human-Covenant War. Erwin had many models within the Army of the Ghost. They ranged in their uses and internal technology.
The variant in front of Erwin was the T2M1 Pelican. It was the usual gunship/dropship variant but used extensive antimatter technology.
It didn't have any of the air intakes as the T1 models, and the back end was flatter with an extended crew compartment. Side doors were also added to quicken disembarkment.
Instead of the fusion/jet hybrid used in the T1 Pelicans, the T2s used an advanced form of the Covenant impulse drives. The gravitic-based engines gave the drop ship an eerie moan and a dark blue hue for engine exhaust.
The T2s also looked more sleek and aggressive. They were more like a prowling phantom than a pelican.
The final difference was purely aesthetics. It was painted black with crimson patterns and had an Imperial eagle on the nose of the dropship.
Next to the Pelican were ten Varagyr guards standing at attention with their fists on their hearts. They looked like walking tanks with a fetish for killing Xenos.
It probably wasn't the best idea to place them on a planet where interspecies relationships were common. However, Erwin trusted his men, and they were obedient.
"Get the men on board, Alpha," Erwin commanded after he raised his right hand.
"Yes, my Lord," Alpha responded.
The clones were only alive for a few hours, and they already chose names. Their personalities were geared to be more independent, while still loyal.
The Varagyr stood in two rows of five, at each end of the dropship. Their suits legs locked, and their mag boots stuck to the floor. For an added measure, large clamps held onto their pauldrons from the roof.
The two rows of Varagyr faced the center of the dropship. It still had enough room for another middle row, but Erwin didn't want to squeeze into an overpacked dropship. Plus it's hard to pack in five non-existent Varagyr.
Erwin stood between the two rows of walking tanks.
"Pilot take us out." Erwin talked over his shoulder into the cockpit. The Pelican had two regular clones as a pilot and gunner, an added safeguard for the advanced dropship.
He turned his attention back to the Varagyr guard.
"My name's Erwin August Wolff, I apologize for not birthing you men. However, a situation came up."
"It's fine, my Lord. Patriarch Leman informed us of the situation. We're fresh, but we'll get the job done."
The Varagyr guard leader was very professional, a stark contradiction to his looks. He was bald and had tribal Viking patterns tattooed on his head. The pattern was interrupted on the left side of his skull by a tattoo of the Imperial eagle.
The Viking aesthetic wasn't something Erwin picked out. It was Leman, he wanted the army to reflect Erwin's Germanic origins. Erwin was also every bit the Anglian, and by extension American. However, he supposed his Father's side didn't have an ancient tribal background.
"Alpha?" Erwin asked the professional-looking Viking.
"Yes, my Lord."
Erwin was amused by the name, it was borderline presumptuous.
"Why'd you pick the name, Alpha?"
"I'm the leader of the most elite unit in the Grand Army of the Ghost. It seemed appropriate." The large clone confidently explained.
"The most elite squad? What about the rest of you men, do you agree with that claim?" Erwin challenged.
"Sir! Yes, Sir!" They all barked.
"Hum… perhaps you're right."
Erwin held up his left hand, and a hologram of the Furukawa family and Oriana popped up.
"These are the people you'll protect. The main threats are primitives, but the locals will soon be getting an upgraded form of Ezo. For a series of convoluted and necessary strategic reasons, this entire Galaxy will become a lot more dangerous." Erwin informed his men.
Erwin had to keep in mind, the main enemy is the Reapers. The primitives needed to have the ability to bite back, in order to fend off the Reapers.
"I doubt the primitives could pose much of a threat to a platoon of clones, even with their upgraded Ezo. Why are we the ones guarding primitives?" A clone with a "V" shaped tribal tattoo asked.
"What's your name, Varagyr?"
Erwin knew his name, but it helped build connections to directly ask.
"Dogma, Sir." The large clone spoke in a respectful and professional voice, with a hint of cockiness thrown in.
"I'm worried about potential Avatars." Erwin admitted.
"Sir, would that explain our bodies?" Dogma asked.
"Yes. The basic artificial psionics in each one of you should be an effective counter to most Avatars. Even if the power is artificial, that doesn't mean it's not destructive."
"My Lord, why are we keeping them in a primitive building? Wouldn't they be safer on R Prime?" An unknown Varagyr spoke.
Erwin looked over to the unknown clone. He had a shortcut mohawk.
"Cree, my Lord." The clone introduced himself, guessing that was what Erwin wanted.
"Normally, I'd agree with you. However, I want more than just their physical protection. It's their home, and I don't want their bubble of peace to pop so soon. What'll make the mission challenging is the fact they're only baseline humans."
"Is that the reason for the odd rules of engagement, my Lord? It's Hevy, by the way."
Erwin could tell the new Varagyr was disappointed with the strict rules of engagement He didn't need an explanation for his name.
Hevy had a six-barreled, thirty-millimeter assault cannon. A large backpack held thousands of rounds for the heavy weapon. Its maximum fire rate was hundreds of bolts per second, and each bolt was even more powerful than the standard twenty-millimeter bolts. The thirty-millimeter bolts held a stronger antimatter charge and were much heavier. The fast-firing weapon could potentially wipe out entire platoons.
The Varagyr knew full well not to even fire the weapon around Oriana.
"Yes, even the sound from bolter rounds could be harmful. Be particularly careful around the children. One wrong move and you'd have a liquefied kid on your hands."
"We understand the parameters, my Lord. They'll be protected. If the threat is severe enough, we'll call in the First fleet." Alpha assured, and shut up his squad.
Alpha was slightly embarrassed by Dogma and Hevy's attitude.
"Thank you, Alpha."
The black pelican hovered with a ghostly hum, over the apartment's rooftop. The side doors opened, and ten Varagyr guards quickly disembarked. They were cloaked and were checking every possible angle for any threat.
Erwin thought it was a little excessive, but they were dedicated to their roles as guardians. It was a good sign.
He calmly walked down the back ramp, and the cloaked Pelican took off. The gunship would constantly patrol around the tower.
Only two Varagyr could fit in the elevator with Erwin. The squad would always have four guards on the same level as the apartment. The rest would take up various positions around the tower.
The elevator door opened, and Erwin made his way towards Furukawa's door.
Erwin could feel Oriana from the bond. She was scared and projected a constant call for him. He felt it since he left slipspace, and it broke his heart.
He wasn't there to protect her, and he could feel the residual presence of the Reaper.
The bond made him calmer, but his decision-making was severely diminished. The state of the System was a clear indication of that.
The Tasale System was technically under Imperial occupation. Every person and Xeno on Illium were now classified as Reaper war assets. He could glass the planet tomorrow and probably get a medal.
Especially, considering the culture. They were a planet of Xenophilic Xeno fuckers. The destruction of the world would be celebrated by everyone in the Empire.
Everyone, but Oriana…
She wasn't just an Imperial Noble to Erwin. She was his lover, and that mere fact muddied his judgment.
It was way too early to occupy a system.
Way too early to engage a Reaper…
Erwin opened himself to the bond, and almost immediately Oriana latched onto him.
He could feel her frantically running towards the door.
The door opened, and Oriana lunged at him. The bond was demanding her protection, and ease of mind.
Erwin projected protective and calming psionic intentions, backed up by a fraction of his Anglian power.
Oriana whimpered in need.
She needed only three things from him, it wasn't hard to tell what they were. She was screaming for them through the bond.
Protect me, protect my family, and most of all, love me.
The simple response Erwin sent was backed up by the power of the Wolff Dynasty was also simple.
Nothing will touch you.
Oriana nuzzled her head into his shoulder and securely wrapped her arms and legs around him. He didn't have to support her, she was not going to let go.
He gently and carefully embraced his bond-mate.
She was wearing one of her nightgowns. Erwin had to make sure the cold neutronium armor didn't hurt her soft creamy skin.
It was easier said than done. At the technological level, the Imperium reached, his Armor was more along the lines of a miniature Reaper capital ship. Picking up Oriana; was like picking up a fragile bubble and walking around the house with it, without ever popping it.
Erwin walked into the apartment only to find a relieved Sanae with a gun in her hand.
"Welcome back, Dear. It's late, so I'll be retiring to my room." Sanae said in her sweet voice, but there was a noticeable level of relief from the mother of four.
She was also slightly afraid of Erwin's Armor. He couldn't blame the primitive, it was designed to strike fear into the hearts of the Xenos.
Erwin still had his helmet on, so it only amplified the effect. There was no human face, just thick neutronium armor.
"Goodnight, Ma'am."
Sanae walked upstairs, as Erwin walked into the guest room. Oriana was practically glued to him, the entire way.
He's never seen her like this. It was like she was laid bare before him. His bond-mate was terrified, and she didn't know why.
He laid her on the bed and tried to step back.
Oriana wouldn't let him. He tried to rise from the bed, only for her to be stuck to his Armor.
"Baby Girl, I got to take off the Armor." He soothed.
"Hurry." She demanded, and reluctantly let go.
He stood back a good four feet from the bed and raised his arms.
The hissing and light clanking of armor filled the room, and Erwin quickly disconnected from the Armor.
Oriana was already under the covers but kept one side open. She was demanding him to join her.
It'd be cute if she wasn't so terrified.
Erwin could tell she was going to tell him something important. It was similar to when she confessed, but had more shame.
He was wearing only his underwear when he climbed under the covers with Oriana. Before he could even settle in, she was trying to latch onto him.
"Ori… let me settle. My body weight can hurt you." Erwin softly spoke, as he maneuvered her body around him.
By the time Erwin was on his back, Oriana was desperately kissing him. She was filling the bond with need, desperation, and love.
Love me. Don't leave.
Erwin couldn't deny the girl, and clothes started flying off. Before he knew it, they were fully connected.
Erwin was leaning against the headboard with Oriana laying across his abdomen. He held her protectively in his arms.
Erwin was still inside of her, she refused to let him go.
It wasn't sexual at this point.
It made her feel loved and protected. The Reapers really terrified his bond-mate, and he felt beyond guilty.
He knew what girls' psionic presences feel like just before they bond. They were stunning, absolutely beautiful. There was a threat of them gaining the attention of lesser Avatars, males, or Xenos. The threat was minor though, and there were warning signs within the girls' psionic presences.
It was recommended to give a primitive girl a transitioning period before they ascended. The longer Oriana had to adjust to her growing power, the easier it'd be on herself when she becomes half Anglian. It was recommended, but Erwin was having doubts about giving Oriana a long adjustment period.
She was probably the most powerful biotic in the Galaxy, only counting the primitives. Her intelligence was growing by leaps and bounds, and she's becoming more beautiful by the day.
Everyone was noticing. Hell, her little YouTube channel exploded to a couple hundred million subscribers. Ironically her YouTube channel was the primary threat to Erwin and Ares' political ambitions for Terra Firma. A well-spoken, compassionate, and beautiful girl like Oriana could potentially swing elections.
Unlike Erwin's Universe, people seemed to value the opinions of charismatic young people. The Americans and Anglians valued experience, and the Germans valued nobility.
However, this wasn't Erwin's Universe. Everything from politics to movies was radically different. Even this Universe's American would be unrecognizable to the one that founded the "Grand Republic." Erwin accepted this reality, but that didn't mean he liked it. One of the major downsides was how this Universe was starting to see Oriana.
Nothing in his Universe was suicidal enough to attack a potential bond-mate of an Anglian. The Empire viewed them as Nobles, and attacks on them were seen as an insult to Imperial domination.
It wasn't the fact a single girl was worth war, but rather the Empire didn't tolerate insubordination. Every single sentient being would be under the Imperial banner. Either the attackers were part of the Empire, or they were about to be forcibly annexed.
The lower caste of the Empire needed to know their place. As long as they respected Imperial rule, they could continue their way of life. Attacking an Imperial Noble's mate was one of the worst forms of disrespect a government could show towards the Empire.
There was no United Terran Empire in this Universe. Only the Wolff Dynasty, an infinitesimally small component of the Empire through Erwin.
In Oriana's case; Erwin assumed the Reapers wouldn't bother with a primitive, and the First fleet was nothing to sneeze at.
The Furukawa's were the most protected family in the Galaxy, but it wasn't enough to protect against an Apex race.
The threat was too great, and the First fleet couldn't immediately respond to a minor Reaper presence. Admiral Thrawn was furious with Ares for not informing him of the situation.
The Admiral begged for Erwin's forgiveness soon after Ares informed him of the situation. Erwin simply assured the member of the Second Legacy, he held no blame.
Hell, even Ares was right to hide his budding Grand Army. However, he'd never allowed anything to psionically violate his lover again.
Oriana started to lightly tremble in his embrace, and she was trying to hold back tears and fears.
She was brave, and Erwin was proud of her. Most people didn't keep their sanity after exposure to an Apex.
This girl… Many within the Empire would find the idea of a simple girl being the center of Galactic interest laughable. However, that's what she was. Just a girl, and it was too much for her.
"Please don't leave again. Please don't… If you love me, don't leave me… please, Erwy." Oriana begged in a quiet and breaking voice, on the verge of breaking down.
Erwin held her a little tighter and pushed more power through the bond. Then he channeled the calming, loving, and protective pattern, along with the representation of his true power.
He removed one arm, and she made a whimpering noise in protest. Erwin used his free hand to tilt her head up.
A wave of rage, protectiveness, and heartbreak filled Erwin's psyche when he saw her eyes.
Those crystal blue orbs were filled with fear, shame, desperation, and pain. She was worried he'd leave her again.
He could feel her through the bond, and she hid nothing. However, those eyes hammered home just how much she needed him.
Then Erwin had an epiphany.
"Have I been neglecting her?" He thought in horror.
At this point, everything he's done was for her. It wasn't necessarily a selfless action. He wanted her, needed her.
There were a few major reasons he was preparing to fight a Galactic war. However, there was only one reason he'd fight it with the ferocity he was known for.
It was her home.
Did she know that?
"I love you, never doubt that," Erwin assured her with a tender and quiet voice.
"Then why do you leave? Please… I don't want fancy phones, jewelry, cars, or a house. I just want your love…" Oriana somberly asked, using all her willpower to hold back the dam.
"I'm not going to leave you again. If I have to go somewhere, I'll bring you along." Erwin softly complied while boring into her eyes with his own fully unlocked.
Her eyes gained a spark of hope. Oriana raised her pinky finger.
"Promise?" She asked with hopeful desperation.
Erwin observed the small hand in front of him. The ODSTs would have a field day with a Spartan making pinky promises.
Not that he cared anymore. He outranked them and was a Noble. Most importantly, those simple little actions mattered to his lover.
Erwin's large hand engulfed hers from behind, and he wrapped his pinky around her own.
"Promise."
He held her smaller hand, as they locked eyes. A simple kiss turned into Erwin taking her again.
Erwin was laying on his side, spooning his lover. She was facing the edge of the bed and nightstand, she enjoyed the little flame hologram. Erwin's back faced the darkness, trapping the warmth and light around Oriana.
Like last time she wouldn't let him pull out, if he tried she'd freak out. Oriana wouldn't act like this unless she genuinely felt like her life was in danger.
It was time to find out what was going on.
"Oriana, you need to tell me everything," Erwin commanded tenderly.
Oriana didn't respond, she just tried to dig deeper into his embrace. It causes more pressure in a certain area, and Erwin had to draw on his willpower.
"Oriana." Erwin pushed.
"I'm scared, Erwy," Oriana confessed with shame.
"I know, that Baby Girl. What scared you so much?"
"No… I'm always afraid. This was just a bad episode." She quietly explained.
Erwin paused.
"Oriana, you need to trust me. I need to know what's going on, so I can protect you." Erwin spoke in a serious voice, but couldn't manage to remove an undertone of compassion and tenderness.
"Promise, you won't think less of me?" She nervously asked in a timid voice.
"Oriana; you accepted my darker sides, made me fall in love with a Xenophile, and are unnaturally pure. Nothing is going to make me think less of you." Erwin assured the scared girl.
Erwin was completely open on his side, so she knew exactly how serious he was.
Oriana looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with him. They were filled with love, worry, and faith.
Those eyes never failed to captivate him, and he'd never dream of escaping.
"I have Nyctophobia." She softly confessed.
He suspected she was hiding something, but he could tell it wasn't anything major. The bond told him it was an acceptable secret, but this seemed odd.
Most people would laugh at a young woman afraid of the dark, but Erwin knew better.
The vast majority of the time, the primitive part of the brain simply didn't like not seeing. It was the part that worried a tiger might be hiding in the dark bushes. The fear was to some degree rational but could be conquered with reason and willpower.
In Erwin's case willpower. The environments he was in always had something in the dark trying to kill him.
Some humans developed phobias of various other things, but they were mostly irrational. Darkness and spiders were some of the most common.
However, the phobia of the dark could potentially be a very real warning sign.
The lower dimension called the Shroud, or the Immaterium in Gothic was the realm of psionic beings. It was a calming, gentle, and peaceful realm.
Just like how there are dangerous people, there are dangerous beings inhabiting the lower dimension, malicious Avatars. Sometimes a person caught the attention of one of these Avatars. It was uncommon, the incorporeal Xenos were efficiently dealt with by the Imperium.
The United Terran Empire recently decided all the sub-dimensions were territories of the Imperium. Their continued stability was in the Empire's interest.
Erwin hasn't really bothered messing with this Universe's Immaterium. The Reapers were a bigger fish to fry.
"Since when?" Erwin asked.
"Ever since I can remember."
Oriana was still worried he'd think less of her, but his bond-mate's trust in him overcame her fears.
"Oriana, is that why you always sleep with the TV on?"
"I can't stay in the dark too long without freaking out."
That wasn't true, they slept in the dark plenty of times.
He turned off the phone's hologram, letting darkness settle upon the room.
Oriana wasn't scared but held his left arm close to her chest. This wasn't a phobia of the dark. She was fine.
"Oriana, we're in the dark," Erwin informed, looking for an explanation.
"I'm not scared when I'm with you."
That small confession warmed his heart but also worried him. She wasn't scared of the dark, rather what could come from the dark.
Photons are one of the purest forms of energy. It makes crossing over from the Immaterium into the Materium difficult. It also muddied what could be perceived by Avatars within the Immaterium.
Oriana wasn't scared because she subconsciously knew Erwin was scaring off any Avatar.
Erwin's psionic presence was tainted by hundreds of years of war. Avatars were naturally fearful around fully matured Anglian males. However, when they felt Erwin's presence; they ran for their lives.
There was a reason many Anglians considered Erwin the God of War's favorite. His psionic presence was potent enough to have primitives worship him as one.
"Oriana, do you trust me?"
"Always."
Erwin couldn't get over how much she trusted him. He'd be sure to repay that trust.
"I'm going to psionically hide myself. I'm still right here, and you'll never leave my arms." Erwin explained.
Oriana nodded her head, but a feeling of nervousness and dread crept into her psyche.
Erwin completely cut himself off from the bond and hid his psionic presence. At the same time, he touched the Immaterium.
Instead of the cool and calming effect, he was expecting; he felt sickness, heat, maliciousness, and chaos. It was embedded in the very fabric of this Universe.
Erwin was horrified.
"How could it be so sour. It's like the very Universe is ill, dying from a disease." Erwin thought.
"Ares." He called out through the neural lace.
"Yes, brother?"
"We have a new objective."
"What, you finally want to Exterminatus Extremis the Geth?"
"No, prepare for the construction of pylons. The state of this Universe's Immaterium is unacceptable."
"Hold on, somethings happening." Erwin cut off the connection before Ares could respond.
"Erwy, please come back!" Oriana was starting to freak out. She was simultaneously trying to turn the phone back on.
Erwin held her still and wrapped his arms around her protectively.
"Shh… trust me. Nothing will touch you. I'm right here, you just can't feel me." Erwin soothed.
He felt multiple Avatars surround her psionic presence in the Immaterium. They were innocent Avatars, barely even sentient. There was a little fox spirit that seemed to enjoy her presence.
More malicious Avatars started to appear but didn't approach Oriana. It seemed the fox spirit was strong enough to scare them off.
Fox spirits weren't actual foxes, but heavily resembled the appearance and behavior of foxes. The name stuck, and many in the Imperium tried to attract the cute Avatars. They were also powerful enough to ward off most malicious spirits.
The fox spirits were Terran in nature and origin, so they weren't considered Xeno.
Oriana was trembling in his arms. She was terrified but wanted to show she was brave.
Erwin didn't know what caused such fear of the Immaterium, well besides its horrid state. Calling it horrid was an understatement, the Immaterium resembled Hell. This was not the tranquil dimension the Empire groomed.
Still, she was stronger than that. A few scary psionic storms wouldn't utterly defeat Oriana like this. Scare her? Yes. But, not traumatize her into a child fearful of the dark.
She'd probably even enjoy the little fox spirit. It was rare for one to immediately become so protective over someone.
Though Erwin wasn't entirely enthusiastic about that. It meant even Avatars had an interest in his bond-mate.
A few more spirits formed around Oriana, and then mid-tier Avatars started popping up. They were mostly malicious. They were deformed and disgusting creatures.
They started to fight over Oriana, viciously killing each other. There were a few benevolent Avatars that joined the killing and wanted to protect her.
It was unheard of for so many psionic beings to take such an interest in a singular being.
Most of the weaker spirits ran away by this point. Only the little fox spirit remained. It growled at any malicious Avatar that was too close.
Oriana was hyperventilating, and Erwin lovingly caressed her cheek.
"I told you nothing will hurt you, my Love." He soothed. His actions and reassurance managed to calm her down.
Erwin locked onto all the malicious Avatars before his psionic presence exploded.
Most of the Malicious Avatars were quickly expunged from existence. Every deformed abomination was turned to the psionic equivalent of ash.
It went beyond his protection of Oriana. As a Spartan and Holder of the Mantle, it was his obligation to expunge any malicious Avatars.
The Avatars fighting to protect his girl were allowed to run. Except for the little fox spirit, he had a use for her. Erwin could tell the little spirit was female. Spirits didn't have a reproductive system, but some favored one sex.
Oriana managed to calm down considerably after she felt Erwin's presence. He pushed more psionic energy through the bond, and she mewed in delight.
"Oriana, I want to show you something." Erwin gently told her.
Oriana nodded.
Erwin pulled out of her, and she pouted at the loss of closeness.
"Don't be a little slut, Baby Girl." Erwin teased.
"Only for you, Erwy… By definition, that doesn't make me a slut." Oriana quietly but indignantly responded.
Erwin was glad the teasing managed to awaken a little spark in her. Oriana could feel him through the bond, she knew exactly what he was trying to do.
Erwin sat up and leaned against the headboard. He moved Oriana between his legs, then gently pulled her against his chest.
He wrapped his psionic presence around her, then solidified it. The psionic energies created an impregnatable barrier. The fully open bond further relaxed Oriana and provided her an extra level of emotional and physical security.
Oriana lightly moaned in contentment and snuggled into his embrace.
"You're not scared of the dark, but rather what could come from it," Erwin informed sagely.
"What's the difference?" She was curious but cautious.
"You remember what I've taught you about dimensions?"
"Each dimension is fundamentally connected to the other. The lower the dimension, the closer it is to the Universal Core." Oriana answered like a good student. The cute schoolgirl was proud she had access to knowledge no one else could know.
Erwin had to admit, her little schoolgirl thing could be good roleplaying material. He'd give her more time for that, Oriana was very… conservative.
"That's the dumbed-down version, but yeah." Erwin was careful not to let her become overconfident.
"Why can't you just say, 'good girl?'" She cutely pouted.
Erwin caressed her stomach with his psionically laced thumb. He was rewarded with a cute little moan and tremble from Oriana, it was one of her erogenous zones. Though, it seemed like her whole body was an erogenous zone.
"I have other ways to say that." He leaned down next to her ear and whispered seductively.
"Was I a good girl, Supreme Commander?" She huskily asked in a feminine and needy voice.
Erwin had to control himself, he was getting distracted. It wasn't uncommon for him to forget things around Oriana. The little spirit fox almost escaped his grasp.
"One of the lower dimensions is called the Immaterium in Gothic, the Shroud in Anglian" Erwin brushed off the invitation.
Oriana huffed before she started to intentionally move in a certain way around a certain body part.
"Okay... what's so important about it, what does that have to do with my Nyctophobia?" She carefully asked.
Erwin pulled the little fox spirit into the Materium. The spirit desperately tried to run away, and pull away from the transition.
Normally such a weak spirit wouldn't be able to materialize into the Materium. Only powerful Avatars had that capability, and it was much easier to do in the dark. The lack of energy, in the form of photons, in the dark made the transition infinitely easier.
Erwin was using his psionic power to pull the little fox into the Materium. It would never have the ability to transition over, otherwise.
In front of Oriana and Erwin, formed a little blue spectral fox. It was cowering in a little ball on the bed, its tail covering its face.
Oriana's eyes widened like dinner plates.
"Erwy… what-" She was going to ask in a little voice.
"An Avatar. They're beings that exist in the dimension beneath us. This is called a fox spirit, it's harmless. It even seems to like you." Erwin explained.
Oriana observed the fox with apprehension, but also with an a curiousness.
Erwin lowered the psionic barrier around Oriana, allowing her to physically touch the little fox. Erwin sent a psionic message to the little fox and surrounded the little spit in calming and protective psionic energies.
"You're welcome around her, but do not forget your place." Erwin decreed.
The little fox poked its head up and stood up before bowing to Erwin.
"Thank you, Holy One."
"Holy One?" Erwin thought in confusion.
"It can talk!" Oriana exclaimed.
"No, it's a form of telekinesis. Your brain just registers it as speech." Erwin gently explained.
"This is a friendly Avatar from the Immaterium. However, there are also beings with malicious intentions. They're disgusting and demonic. Those beings are the reason you're scared of the dark."
"Why only the dark?" Oriana asked.
"Light is made up of photons, it's one of the purest forms of energy," Erwin explained.
Oriana took a closer look at the little fox and seemed to just realize it was cute. That girlish part of her awoke, and he could feel her desire to pet the fox spirit.
"Hello, there! My name's Oriana!" She introduced herself with almost childlike excitement.
"I'm not worthy, Kannon." The little fox bowed.
"That's the Shinto Kami of compassion and mercy. I'm clearly not her." Oriana denied.
"That's what the Humans believe. It's a title bestowed upon the one with no darkness in her soul." The little fox explained in a little girl's voice.
"Oh… um… thanks?" Oriana was bashful from the praise.
"Curious, what makes you think she has no darkness?" Erwin interrogated.
"We all know of her. She's the second coming of Isha."
Erwin felt like every blood vessel was filled with ice.
He knew that name.
Isha was a powerful Avatar, worshiped as a goddess by the Ayleids. Perhaps she was formed from the Elves in this Universe, the Human religions of this Universe were the same. It would stand to reason that the Elven religions followed a similar rule.
Erwin remembered the Elven deity. She was one of the few beings he regretted killing. Her final wish was for her people's homeworld to be spared.
It was the only reason he convinced the Lord of Admirals not to glass their homeworld.
"What do you mean, 'all know of her?' Also, who's this Isha?" Erwin grilled with steel in his voice.
"She also called you, 'Holy One.'" Oriana quipped.
"She is the daughter of Isha. It's our duty to protect her, but we're too weak." The little fox explained with an undertone of shame.
"Wait! My biological mother!?" Oriana was shocked. She didn't know about her supposed clone origins.
Like a stack of cards, everything came tumbling down for Erwin.
Oriana couldn't be the offspring of an Ayleian deity. Erwin refused to believe such a thing.
At least not Isha's daughter.
"And this Isha?" Erwin asked. He was hoping the name was just a coincidence.
"She's the head Goddess of the Ayleid people before they were destroyed. Isha escaped the Horrid One's wrath, and eventually found herself here."
"Are you sure, she was my mother?" Oriana was excited to find out she was a deity's daughter. She was almost too accepting of the concept.
"Oriana… this is serious." He chided.
"Where is Isha? Why was she in the Milky Way?" Erwin interrogated.
"I don't know, Holy One. She rarely spoke of her past. Only that, Kannon be protected." The little fox humbly spoke.
"Erwin, maybe we can find my mother!" Oriana was excited.
Erwin was happy with her overall change in mood, and minimum fear. He was close to her, and she knew her freedom and life were protected.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons they soulmated. Deep down Erwin wanted a family, and someone to love him. Oriana wanted the same, but she subconsciously knew she was constantly in danger. A girl capable of handling Erwin's darker side was rare. A guy who could protect Oriana from the darkness? There was only one in this Universe.
Erwin didn't like boiling down their connection to such simplistic foundations, but they were there.
However, this was a serious issue. A being as powerful as Isha doesn't simply mate with a primitive like Henry. Plus the Rivendell Galaxy was conquered by the Reapers over six million years ago, why start having children now?
Oriana being the child of Isha would explain why everyone was trying to gain her affections. Isha was one of the purest beings in existence and didn't have a scrap of malicious intent.
The Lord of Admirals sent Erwin to kill her for that very reason. No other Spartan could go through with it. At least none that were as powerful as Erwin.
Isha never fought him. After Erwin killed Khaine, she knew there was no hope in stopping him. She simply allowed him to impale her with his sword. Her last wish was for the Ayleian homeworld to be spared, but her last words were used to forgive Erwin.
If Oriana was truly a parallel Isha's daughter, it would be a cruel irony.
"I thought Sanae was your mother?" Erwin softly accused.
"She is, and always will be! I just want to know more about my roots." Oriana defended.
"Then why are you so curious about this Isha?" Erwin pushed.
"I want to meet her. I've always wanted to see why she abandoned Miranda and me, leaving us with that bastard." Oriana huffed.
"Do you know where to find her?" She asked the cute fox. Oriana reached out and scratched the spirit behind her ear.
The little fox lightly purred, before speaking with a major undertone of pleasure.
"No one knows where she is, Kannon."
"That's a shame." Oriana was let down, she always had an urge to find her mother.
Erwin hoped she wasn't the offspring of an Elvish Avatar, but it would fill too many pieces of the puzzle.
He slowly brought his hand over to the little fox. It froze with fear whenever Erwin made contact with the blue fox.
Erwin noticed the fear and pulled his hand back. He couldn't blame the fox spirit, Erwin was a terrifying being to any psionic based being.
"It's okay, Erwin's nice once you get to know him," Oriana assured the fox once she noticed its reaction.
The fox spirit trusted Oriana and immediately nudged its head into Erwin's hand.
Erwin was surprised when the fox immediately changed its attitude towards him. It was odd having the weak spirit show Erwin affection.
"See! He's nice." Oriana praised the little fox.
"Thank you for protecting Kannon, Holy One. Be careful, there are powerful monstrosities who want her." The spirit humbly spoke.
Oriana froze in his arms, and he pulled her a little closer to his chest.
"Like who?" Erwin asked calmly.
"The Prince of Pleasure, Slaanesh. Then there's Nurgle, the Plague Lord. Fortunately, Khorne has little interest in Kannon, but her peaceful nature would put her at odds with the God of War. You must be wary of the Dark Gods, Holy One. They may have the same enemy as you, but they'll never be your ally. Don't listen to any of their words, especially if they come from the one called Tzeentch. Most of all, be wary of the Originators." The fox warned in a foreboding yet innocent voice.
"What do you mean, 'want me?'" Oriana asked fearfully.
"Don't worry about it, Oriana. They aren't a threat." Erwin reassured her while he sent calming psionic intentions towards her.
He didn't want the fox spirit spilling the beans, which would only scare Oriana. Any Avatar could be taken care of. Yet the chaotic nature of the Immaterium in this Universe was worrisome. If these "Dark Gods'' were feeding off the negative energies, then they could potentially be more powerful than Erwin. More importantly, there was a third player.
Oriana leaned back into his chest and meekly nodded.
"Why do you keep calling Erwin, 'Holy One?'" Oriana softly asked.
"It was foretold that a vengeful God would purge the dark forces in righteous fire. The Holy One would be a warrior of good, but he'll be more terrifying than any Dark God. The Holy One will bring peace once more, but only if he chooses to. You must keep him in the light, Kannon."
Erwin rolled his eyes. It was pathetic the passive Avatars of the Immaterium needed a little prophecy to retain hope.
"Oh… you're also a God?" Oriana asked him as she looked up with curious blue eyes.
"No." Erwin quickly crushed the notion.
"Permission to leave, Holy One?" The small fox timidly asked.
"Yes, but stop calling me that." He groaned in annoyance.
The fox seemed to evaporate into the darkness. Leaving Oriana and Erwin alone again.
"Oriana, that was a good Avatar. However, like people, there are also bad Avatars. Unfortunately, the bad ones tend to be vastly more powerful. The reason you felt terrified a few hours ago was due to a powerful Avatar. I scared it off, no I won't tell you how. Just trust that you'll never be targeted again." Erwin softly explained with steel in his voice.
"So, I have a real reason to be scared? I'm not crazy?" Oriana somberly asked.
"Yes. There are real reasons you're scared of the dark."
Oriana was stiff. The reality was full hammering home.
"Why couldn't I just be crazy?" She rhetorically asked in a somber tone.
Erwin could feel her fear and uncertainty from the bond. Fear for herself and her family.
I'll always protect you.
Erwin sent a simple psionic intention amplified with a large amount of potent power. She mewed in contentment and tried to snuggle into him more.
"Your family will be safe, Oriana. Just as important, you'll be safe." Erwin promised.
"You'll protect us?" Oriana asked hopefully.
"I figured that went without saying. For now, just forget all about the magical bullshit."
"How could I forget about all this? Magic is real, I'm a Demi-Goddess, and the dark wants to eat me." Oriana incredulously asked. She was slightly annoyed by the request.
"Trust me?" Erwin softly asked.
He felt her relax into his chest.
"Always," she softly answered.
"Then let me handle this," Erwin confidently said.
"Okay."
Erwin repositioned them so he was spooning her against the warm holographic ball of fire. They laid there for around ten minutes, simply enjoying the comfortable silence.
"I'm not going back to school," Oriana confessed.
"What?" Erwin was surprised by the snippet of news.
"I don't need it." She affirmed.
"Oriana, I wouldn't have taught you those things if I knew you'd drop out." Erwin scolded her.
He didn't really care if she was in school. Half the material was wrong, and the other half was very primitive. It was more about keeping her on Illium.
Illium was probably the safest planet in the Galaxy, right now. The First fleet was her silent guardian.
Out there was danger, but she was young. All she saw was an adventure.
No, that wasn't right. She wasn't ignorant, she just wanted to see the Galaxy. Oriana knew it was dangerous.
"Don't ever regret showing me anything!" Oriana snapped. He felt the hurt transformed into anger, through the bond.
"Oriana, I just want you safe. Plus a degree from the University is valued everywhere in the Galaxy." Erwin gently explained.
"I don't care."
Erwin sighed.
"There's no changing your mind, is there?" He asked hopefully in a weary tone.
"Nope!"
"Fine."
"I wanna go to Tokyo."
"Fine."
Erwin matched her excited peppy attitude with a bored and exhausted one.
"Then the Citadel."
"Sure."
"Come on, Erwy. It'll be fun, I promise."
"Yep."
"I love you." She cutely confessed.
"What do you want?"
"Maybe see Uncle Wrex on Tuchanka?"
Matriarch Bai Meios was the overseer of the military on Illium. She was in a situation room with a few other Matriarchs and subordinates desperately trying to figure out the situation.
"We don't know where it came from, but the explosion wasn't something the Asari Republics are capable of."
"It's a clear violation of Citadel law, of course, we wouldn't produce such a weapon!"
"No one should be capable of producing such a bomb. It seemed to be directional, and the yield was off the charts."
"Do you think it was the Alliance? They might be capable and have been becoming more belligerent."
"Way out here? No."
"Then who could it be? The Terminus system only has numbers, they couldn't possibly produce such a weapon. This nuke had to be produced by someone technologically equal with the Alliance."
Meios just observed the back and forth of her captains and advisors. A few of the Matriarchs were also getting into it.
"Enough!" Meios snapped, quieting the room.
"First off, are our forces on high alert?"
"Yes, Matriarch Meios. The fleet is on full alert, and early warning systems are in place."
"Good. Second, were there any sightings of unidentified vessels in the area before the nuke went off?"
"No, Ma'am. A large missile just came out of nowhere and detonated. It was away from the planet, and wasn't near any potential high value target."
"It could be a warning." A Matriarch hypothesized.
"Has anyone claimed responsibility?" Meios asked the room.
"No, Ma'am."
"I see… Have our defenses on high alert, I must inform the Matriarchy of the situation. You're all dismissed."
Matriarch Meios walked down the halls of Illium's capital building.
She couldn't comprehend the power of such a nuke that went off near Illium a few hours ago. It would undoubtedly destroy the planet if it went off near the surface.
The large missile simply popped up and exploded. She knew the people who made the weapon had to be brought to justice. However, she was frightened by the species that could produce such a weapon.
The Asari could hypothetically build similar bombs, but they'd be undeniably weaker than the one that momentarily created a second sun in the sky of Illium. Plus the missile was very small compared to the payload. If the Asari tried to build a similar device, it'd be larger than a dreadnought.
A war with such a species would be costly. The Turians would be hesitant to fight such a war, and Meios had no interest in sending their daughters off to a "meat grinder," as the Humans would say.
The Alliance would be perfect for such a war. They'd make the Turians more comfortable fighting the war, and it'd weaken the Human upstarts.
Unfortunately, Terra Firma seems to be on course for winning the Alliance elections.
In the event of a Terra Firma victory, the Asari had to find a way to coerce the Alliance to stay integrated into the Citadel. The Batarians also enslaved Asari, perhaps she could encourage the Matriarchy to throw the Batarians to the ravenous Humans.
Matriarch Meios was glad the Asari military was building up in response to the Geth and Human threats.
A few upgraded Destiny Ascension class dreadnoughts were under construction, along with more cruisers. Combined with the Turians and Salarians, the Alliance could be reminded of their place.
One way or another, the Alliance would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other Council races. Especially after this situation.
A horrifying possibly crossed Meios' mind.
"It could be the Geth!"
They were clearly technologically capable, their ability to build the Sovereign-class dreadnought was proof of that.
If it was truly the case, the Alliance had to help fight the upcoming war.
Captain Quasi was sitting in the command chair of the light warship. His ship was to monitor the far-off Human colony outside of Alliance space.
Quasi understood the necessity of it but was still put out that he had to monitor the backwater colony. Still, he was happy to command his light ship. It was an honor, and he was glad to serve his Lord in any fashion.
"Sir, a ship just exited the Relay!" A clone ensign called out.
The forward dome screen showed a large five-kilometer starship. It was cylindrical and looked insectoid in design.
"Have they spotted us?" Quasi asked through his neural lace.
"It doesn't seem that way, Sir. It's setting course for the Human colony." The ensign replied.
"The ship is far more technically advanced than anything currently fielded by the Council. It has to be Reaper in origin." A different ensign said.
Quasi wasn't qualified to engage a member of the Reaper faction, or worse a third party. His mission was simply to observe and maybe deploy his detachment of Clone Troopers. However, this was far beyond his pay grade.
He sent a high-priority transmission to Leman.
A screen appeared on the front wall of the domed bridge. It showed the stone face of Quasi's Patriarch.
"What is it, Captain Quasi?" Leman asked.
Quasi swallowed his nervousness and answered his superior with professionalism.
"Sir, we believe a member of the Reaper faction just entered the system. Sending the data now."
Leman seemed surprised and thought for a moment.
"Trail that starship. I want to see what their purpose is in this system. I must consult with Ares and our Lord." Leman commanded before the transmission ended.
"Helm, follow that ship! Everyone else, battle stations!" Quasi snapped.
The whining of ship alarms caused the clone crew and Clone Troopers to prepare for action. Quasi wasn't taking any chances. If they had to fight the much larger ship, they'd be ready.
Unfortunately, Quasi knew his light ship was no match for the significantly larger warship. However, his brothers and himself would give them one hell of a fight.
Rahul Irons gazed down at the city that never sleeps from his high rise. He lived comfortably with his family and was a hefty Terra Firma donator. He was currently in his office with his wife in his lap. The children were fast asleep, they had school in the morning.
Rahul was glad his sons and daughters would wake up with an Alliance Parliament governed by Terra Firma.
It was just past midnight when the results were announced.
Terra Firma won by a landslide. They had fifty-five percent of the lower house and won the race for Prime Minister. The upper house would undoubtedly support Terra Firma, their members assigned by the member states of the Alliance.
The streets of New York were bustling. Arcturus Station may have been the official capital of the Systems Alliance, but much of the Alliance's power structure was based in New York.
After the collapse of the Chinese Communist Party, America was once more the undisputed superpower. Much like the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was the beginning of a new age. The last bastion of Communism was gone, and the threat of nuclear war could finally be forgotten.
Over one hundred and fifty years of Communism and Fascism was finally put to rest. The Sol system was fully open to Humanity, and the World had a stable geopolitical foundation.
America pioneered space, but every human nation prospered. Trade was open and guaranteed by the US Navy. When the Alliance originally formed, it was from a reorganization of the United Nations. New York was also the largest city on Earth and had a long history of being the world's financial capital.
In a way, Arcturus Station was more of a propaganda measure. In the event of war, the Alliance Parliament would be moved back to New York. The Alliance military never truly left the Pentagon, Arcturus was more of an important naval base.
"Things are going to change," Rahul said.
"Hopefully for the better." His wife agreed.
The TV in his office gave an up-close view on the streets of New York.
People were cheering in the streets, and many Alliance flags were waved in the sky. In all his years of life, Rahul never saw such a reaction to an election.
"Down with the Batarians!"
"Never forget, Shanxi!"
"Alliance forever!"
Rahul could hear some of the people shouting through the TV and could see the street the news network was broadcasting from. The Empire State Building was lit up in Alliance blue and gold.
"Do you really think we'll go to war with the Batarians?" His wife asked.
"I don't know, but neither does the rest of the Galaxy. And that my dear, is the whole point."
"Sir, we suspect it was a Council Specter."
Hackett's headache was starting to get worse. The intelligence officer was explaining how the rest of the Citadel Council got the information needed to produce Green Ezo.
The new form of Ezo produced by SpaceX was unofficially called "Green Ezo" due to its slightly green hue. Now that secret process was stolen from SpaceX, undoubtedly from the Council.
The relatively new Alliance Parliament only had a few weeks to settle into their roles, now Hackett had to drop this shit show on them.
The Council was furious with Humanity for hiding away such a jump in industrial technology. Officially, it got out when some hackers managed to hack into SpaceX's database.
The fact a Specter was poking around SpaceX's headquarters was not a coincidence Hackett believed.
"That's unacceptable. The Alliance has its right to secrecy. This is a blatant misuse of Council power." Hackett angrily spoke.
"I agree, Sir. What do you think the new Prime Minister will do about this?"
"God knows," Hackett answered.
He walked towards the observation window and looked out into deep space.
Hackett observed the deep space construction platforms from his new flagship. Cruisers and frigates were starting to be produced a peek production capability. Most importantly a few more Mt. Olympus Mons-class dreadnoughts were almost complete.
His new flagship was the first one of its class, the SSV Olympus Mons. Hackett wasn't one for showing his hand prematurely, but perhaps the Alliance should unveil its new dreadnought.
The Council races may have the knowledge of producing Green Ezo, but it'd take them months to actually produce any in large quantities.
The Alliance could use its head start to quickly deal with the Batarians before the Council and Batarians got their hands on large quantities of Green Ezo.
"Well, son. Let's go face the music. The Parliament should be notified by us, it won't be long before the press gets a hold of this." Hackett exhaled.
Sounds of distant explosions and gunfire filled the room. It was an operating room with an unconscious man laying on the lone operating table.
The adrenaline and drugs were pulling him into consciousness. A disturbingly familiar voice was the final straw that woke him up.
"Wake up, John!"
His eyes fluttered open, and he massaged his sore jaw. His whole body was sore, and on top of that, his head was pounding.
The familiar and frantic voice called out again.
"John, please get up! This facility is under attack!"
John knew that voice from anywhere.
"Miranda?" A confused Shepard asked in a painful and groggy voice.
He slowly got off the bed and noticed he was completely naked.
"Where am I? What happened?" John slowly asked.
"There's not much time, John! Please trust me! There's a locker on the other side of the room with clothes and a pistol."
John made his way to the locker and roughly opened the door. The adrenaline was kicking in, and his years of training were taking over.
However, the clothes made him pause. Staring him in the face was an all too familiar symbol. There on the shirt's chest was a Cerberus symbol.
"Cerberus!" John exclaimed.
"John, please trust me! You need to get moving!" Miranda scolded.
"Fine."
John threw on the clothes, they'd have to do. Then grabbed the pistol from the locker. He examined the pistol it was new, or he'd never come across it before.
It looked more curved and specifically designed for Humans. He liked the design, but there was a missing gap in the grip. It was almost like it required a magazine.
It had to be an odd weight-saving method, why would someone design a weapon with magazines?
John noticed a small button on the side, it was similar to how every other weapon was activated. He pushed down on the small button, and a few lights indicated it was now powered up.
However, it was the hologram that popped up that surprised him.
"Please insert thermal clip." The hologram read.
"What, why does this thing need a clip?" John asked.
"The Phalanx requires thermal clips, there are a few in the locker. They're cylindrical and red." Miranda answered with her frantic undertone.
John placed the thermal clip into the pistol's handle, and it made a satisfying magnetic clicking noise. The hologram disappeared, and Shepard hoped it wouldn't be lighting up like a Christmas tree in combat.
"John, they're on their way! They're coming through the door! Get ready!" Miranda shouted with worry.
"Miranda, after we get out of this; you got some explaining to do."