Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or the various X-COM games. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not written for profit. I make no money from it. It is not for sale or rent.
Chapter 4: The Spectre
=SF=
Part 6
05:30, 8 September 2176
XSV "Rhine"
Exodus Cluster
Next four days were frantic – we checked and rechecked our gear, ran simulated engagements against various Ethereal forces, made sure that Vasir was familiar with our proper war gear and tried very hard to not appear too bothered by the prospect of engaging the old enemy.
I spent almost half that time in medical while the doc was running tests on me and loading me with various meds that would ensure that I wouldn't freeze when engaging the Ethereals once again. The medics also made sure that all my implants were in all right after my encounter with that Asari on our last mission.
Long story short – the transit time and most of the one spent while the skipper was using the cruiser's stealth systems to skulk around and gather Intel went past me like a barely remembered blur.
The first thing I recall clearly was our final briefing before deploying. It was hard not to considering that I worked with Anderson and the ship's Intel section in order to compile it.
We were gathered in the docking bay, where the ship's AI was busy projecting a large hologram of a jungle world.
"For those who haven't paid attention in the last few days, this is our target." I pointed at the floating green sphere. "The planet is designated PX-165, codename for this operation Congo. Its approximately hundred light years from the nearest relay and our preliminary scans indicate that there are no suitable planets for discharging ME drive cores in a fifty light years radius making it unaccesible to Council spacecraft."
"As you can probably figure out by this picture," Anderson continued, "This is an inhabited world. Captured transmissions and stealth drone observations concur. A new species," The LT waved a hand and the image of Congo was replaced by two meter tall felinoid that resembled a mean tempered bipedal tiger, though the coloring was dark brown and black instead of red or white.
"They've encountered the Ethereals approximately twenty standard years ago and lost." Anderson spoke. Windows opened running, brief soundless parts of captured news emissions, showing various Ethereal species – from the small Sectoids to towering Muttons. Even worse… there were things that resembled hybrids between humans and the Ethereals.
That last part made us all bristle the first time we saw it.
"While the AIs still work on proper translation matrix for the local language, intercepted Ethereal transmissions and news sources indicate that they successfully invaded, set up a puppet government and have been running the show ever since. The one notable thing we've found out is that the locals, called The People, implemented an initiative similar to X-COM – the Empress' Claws. Unfortunately for them, at the time of the invasion they were about twenty to thirty years behind us technologically. We presume that was one of the primary factors for their failure."
"Our drones intercepted enemy chatter concerning remnants of the local military that are still fighting in the jungles and it appears that their equivalent of, well us, is still active if heavily pressed. In fact we've detecting signs that the Advent – that's the local collaborator government and Ethereal garrison forces are preparing a major offensive upon suspected Claws' bases." Anderson gave me a small nod.
"Our objective is simple – we're inserting via orbital drop, link up with local resistance, gain Intel on enemy force compositions and activities, then relay it to the Alliance and the Council." I nodded at Vasir. Our AIs should have a working translation matrix finished in twelve hours or so and that's when we're deploying. Captured Intel suggests that we'll be dropping in shortly after the Ethereal begin their offensive."
"This can be interpreted as an act of war." Vasir interjected.
"We've been in a war with the Ethereals ever since they invaded Earth. It never ended." Anderson countered. "If you so wish, Spectre Vasir, you can sit out the ground portion of the operation. Mission parameters are as follows..." The LT continued when The Spectre declined the offer to stay on the ship.
=SF=
Empress Claws' FOB Dauntless
Karank's Jungle
Marnloow
"For once Intel is right..." Lesser Claw Traaw hissed in annoyance and hugged the bottom of his muddy trench. Warm water and sogged soil clung to his fur making him itch all over – just another indignity that he and his unit had to suffer thanks to the never sufficiently cursed aliens.
Still it was better than pocking his head up to be vaporized by enemy mechanized units.
"Where is our damn anti-armor support?" The junior officer snapped.
"Our engineers are engaging enemy heavy infantry on the left flank. ETA unknown!" Traaw's senior still living NCO shouted from the neighboring trench.
"I shouldn't even pray for air support, right?" Thraaw grumbled to himself and clutched his heavy assault rifle. At least the weapon was rugged and reliable – the only reason it was still working in the damn conditions the remnants of the Imperial army were stuck in ever since their government was either gutted, overthrown or taken over by the damned enemy warlocks.
"Advent assault incoming!" A scout shouted from the right. The female's voice became a scream a moment later when the enemy located her and lit up the area with plasma fire.
"Blow the charges on my mark!" Traaw snarled.
The incoming suppressing fire intensified and he could hear many armored figures advancing through the foliage. The Lesser Claw used a hand held mirror of all things to glance above the edge of his trench. The traitors were almost in place…
"MARK!" Thraaw roared.
A sapper in a nearby trench did his magic and the whole front line under the Lesser Claw's responsibility lit up as dozens of directional mines and whatever horrors the combat engineers managed to cook up lit up as one. Even the advanced – for the People's standards at least – armor provided by the Ethereals to their slaves, wasn't enough to weather such an onslaught. At least a platoon worth of Advent troops who were leading the assault were simply shredded into chunks of bloody meat and shattered armor.
Their buddies were shocked by the sudden blow despite their mental conditioning and implants.
It would have been a great time for a counter-blow… if heavy Ethereal units weren't ready to cut to pieces any such adventure.
That left Thraaw stuck up into his nasty trench and hoping for a miracle – something he doubted would happen. After all, its been a very long time since the Sky Mother answered the prayers of the People.
The Lesser Claw didn't believe today would be different.
"Sir, we're ordered to pull back to secondary position! The enemy is hitting the flanks hard and will break through momentarily!" The dedicated comm operator shouted. He was a big damn fella who could easily carry a backpack sized wireless that could not only cut through enemy jamming but was reasonably undetectable to Ethereal scanners; at least the engineers swore that was the case and the fact that the comm operator hadn't been taken out with indirect fire seemed to confirm it.
"Tell them we can't move without someone taking care of those mech units! We lack heavy weapons and the anti-armor unit is bogged down by enemy infantry! If we move we die!" Thraaw snapped.
"There's no available support. Command expect us to slow down the enemy for as long as possible."
"It's been an honor! We hold and make as many of the bastards die as we can! For Clan and Empress!" Thraaw gave out an ancient battle cry.
Fuck, of all places it could have ended it had to be a fucking jungle! He loathed this place… The Lesser Claw mentally grumbled.
His wet and muddy fur stood up on end seconds before he could actually hear the loathed whine of enemy anti-gravity engine.
"The bastards get air support too, of course they do..." The so far silent private he's been sharing a hole with grumbled quietly.
"That's just one more reason to hate their guts" Thraaw sagely concluded.
The Lesser Claw glanced up, but he couldn't see much of the sky from his small trench. Not with all the foliage all around obscuring his vision. Even if the greenery had been cut down significantly by enemy fire, there still was too much foliage go properly see.
An orange lance descended from the heavens and disappeared in the direction of the enemy positions. A moment later his trench was shaken by a massive shock-wave and the horizon was lit up in the deep green fire of an Elerium detonation. Before Thraaw could process what was happening, he was shaken again as a lot of ordnance impacted in the general area where the enemy was coming from.
The rolling explosions continued for more than a minute and then there was unsettling silence.
=SF=
Part 7
15:22,, 10 September 2176
Empress Claws' FOB Dauntless
Karank's Jungle
Marnloow
"Did the honor-less bastards accident their own people?" The private wondered aloud.
"That wasn't us, that's for sure. All the air we have left is engaged to the north." Traaw frowned. "This was an air strike, not artillery, I'm sure of it." Besides, it wasn't like the People had enough of indirect fire support in the AO to hit Advent that hard.
"Sir, we've got incoming! Orbital drop near our position imminent!" The comm operator shouted.
"Look sharp! The bastards were clearing the way for elite troops!" Traaw roared and hugged his trench. He'd faced proper Ethereal infantry only once and barely made it out alive.
Series of supersonic booms shook the jungle, followed buy roar as drop pods suddenly bled off speed and opened just above three top level. Loud thumps and crashes could be heard on the right flank as the enemy's reinforcements landed, plowing straight through the trees.
Traaw braced for what he knew in his bones was going to be his last fight and waited for the inevitable attack.
The Lesser Claw could hear the tell tale sound of plasma weapons, the cracks of lasers and even railguns. It came from the right all right, yet the shooting was getting farther from his position – in fact if his sensitive ears didn't lie the firefight was centered at what Intel believed to be the Advent's forward positions.
"Not that I'm complaining, sir, but why does the enemy appear to be shooting each other?" The private asked.
"Don't know, don't care. Platoon, fall back to secondary positions. Odd sections lead the way, even provide cover!" Traaw ordered.
"Shoot do not. Come in peace we do!" An oddly accented synthetic voice shouted from the jungle.
"Do they think we'll buy that?"Someone exclaimed from nearby trench. It sounded like Norrrmar, but Traaw wasn't entirely sure.
"Who the fuck are you?!" The Lesser Claw shouted, hoping to buy time for the retreating portion of his platoon.
"Sergeant Delkatar Veil, X-COM Division, System's Alliance."
"What? You want us to believe you're the good aliens or something?" Traaw snorted.
"No. The aliens who fought out an Ethereal invasion and come looking for the murderous bastards." The same odd voice shouted back.
Traaw's ears flattened along the top of his head. It would be nice if it was true, but the very idea of allies against the invaders was too good to be anything but some kind of elaborate set up. It didn't matter. The longer that alien talked, the better the odds at least a few of the Traaw's people would make it to the secondary positions.
"Do you really think I'll believe something like that?"The Lesser Claw didn't even try to hide his disbelief.
"Your place, I believe this wouldn't." That man, Vael, Voal, whatever, continued to butcher the people's language. "Orders. Make contact."
"I'll try something. Let's hope he's not particularly bright." Traaw whispered to his trench-mate. "Show yourself if your a friend!" He shouted.
"Right. Shoot me, copulate backwards with you."
"You've got the be kidding me." Traaw groaned. "If were to die here, why do we have to listen to such Empress damned shite!?"
The Lesser Claw carefully glanced over the edge of the trench. A movement caught his eye and he looked straight at it. A heavily armored bipedal figure walked out of the jungle. Its hands were raised in something resembling a placating gesture. While the being was armed, its plasma rifle – which was on unfamiliar design, was strapped to its chest plate. The hands appeared free, not that it meant much. Traaw was sure that the alien had its buddies covering the People's position. That or it was either crazy, foolish or suicidal.
As it turned out, it was neither. One of Traaw's men snapped and opened fire at the figure and before he could either confirm or order cease fire, the remaining half of the platoon joined the fun. The Lesser Claw glared at the alien, who was unscratched. All the bullets either veered off course or slammed into a previously invisible purple barrier.
That thing was a damn warlock!
"ENOUGH! CEASE FIRE OR I WILL MAKE YOU EAT THOSE GUN!" An unfamiliar voice roared straight into Traaw's mind making him stumble back.
The shooting abruptly stopped and the Lesser Claw grappled for his sidearm, preparing for the inevitable. He was sure the aliens were going to kill the all or worse. What happened instead was that Traaw spaced out for a bit. He shook his head and looked around.
The Lesser Claw was standing in his trench and the alien was sitting on its edge and looking at him through the visor of its helmet. Traaw tried to get his gun, then a grenade or even a knife when he couldn't find his other weapons. The alien simply shook its head and pointed to its right.
Traaw glanced that way when he found out that his knife was missing only to find it along with his other weapons on a pile next to the trench.
"Can we talk now?" The same voice sounded in his mind. "The translator's glitching and this way there won't be any misunderstandings." The alien warlock asked.
"Its not like I have a choice." Traaw glared. "Talk."
"As I said, I'm Sergeant Delkatar Veil. Nice to meet you, Lesser Claw Traaw." The alien tilted his head. "Sir." He added. "You're outranking if our respective ranks structure mesh like I think they do."
Traaw gave the alien a dirty look. He didn't appreciate something reading his mind.
"We're Humanity." The alien waved around and Traaw looked beyond the trench to find his men in the same predicament he was. "We come in peace as far as your people are concerned and very much in war for the fucking Ethereals."