12-25-2156, 1736 hours (Alliance standard time)

Arcturus Station

Arcturus Stream

Prime Minister Chambers

It was the gateway to Earth, humanity's homeworld. Some called it Alliance Head Quarters, others called it home. Arcturus station, the central hub of the Alliance fleets and the capital of the Systems Alliance, housed more than a few high-level commanders and politicians.

Arcturus was a marvel of modern engineering, built over twenty years at tremendous expense. The iconic space station was the single largest construction project undertaken by the Alliance. Over fifty million tons of refined materials had been brought into the system through the Mass Relays, and entire asteroids were broken down to create the massive five-kilometer wide cylinder. Its length had been capped at three kilometers, but held potential for future growth.

Since its original design was for defensive purposes, the station had been sheathed in layers of armor and heavy shielding. The thick sides were then studded with missile launchers, VI controlled turrets, hundreds of fighter and bomber hangars and even a mass accelerator cannon angling through its entire length, icing on the proverbial cake. The design was expanded and re-purposed as a joint political/military station merely two years after its inauguration.

Now, even after the mammoth project was completed, Arcturus still required nearby stations to supply it and the nearby naval shipyards with needed resources. Even the defensive batteries that surrounded the local Mass Relay, intricate constructs of automated weapon platforms and stealth nuclear mines, needed huge amounts of raw materials to continue functioning.

The heavy layers of defenses may seem extreme to an outsider, but considering that nearly every decision made on the station affected billions of lives, every precaution had to be taken. As an example, the decision facing Prime Minister Carlo Bonaventura, a native-born citizen of the European Federation, would affect humanity as a whole.

Bonaventura was in his late seventies with gray hair, slightly pale skin, and green eyes. He was no stranger to politics or making difficult decisions. He'd made many during his term as Prime Minister and according to polls and surveys he was doing a hell of a good job. For the past several hours however, he'd been worrying that the exact opposite was occurring. Ever since Shanxi's data burst had reached his terminal, he'd been stressing over the situation. Bonaventura had consumed far too much caffeine that his legs couldn't keep still, shaking to the point of madness. It was understandable of course. Like many members of the parliamentary and military leadership, he'd been briefed on a new race nearing the Shanxi-Theta Relay. The realization that more than one alien race existed, with space faring ships and numerous colonies just outside of one of the Alliance's own, was enough to send shivers down his spine. At minimum.

Bonaventura sat in the swivel chair, heading the long glass table that, by its appearance, could accommodate another twelve people. Before him was a long transparent window overlooking the gas giant orbiting the station. Through it, he could see the ships of the 5th fleet, passing by its expanse as if in a parade. The Arcturus' Fleet, much like the station itself, stood proudly as it was being geared up for war.

Bonaventura sighed, returning to his work. To his right stood General Alexei Volodin and to his left sat the Admiral Michael Spencer. Alongside the officers hovered their subordinates, all in ceremonial uniform. Further back circled an array of high ranking parliamentary politicians, all of whom possessed immense foreign affairs experience. As they all sat, the walls around the room darkened by a reflective black coating, a security precaution insisted upon by the section builders.

General Volodin was the first to speak. "Mr. Prime Minister, I believe that you've been updated on the situation in the X-1 system?" His cold, veteran eyes seemed to pierce through the minister's soul.

"Unfortunately yes, general," Bonaventura replied gloomily.

"Then you would also know that humanity is in danger," Volodin said, his stare perforating into the Prime Minister.

"Yes. While I do not know how widespread the danger is, I believe we must treat this as such." Bonaventura shook his head. "I never believed that it would be my duty to handle an emergency like this. What do your people say, Spencer?" He turned to the navy admiral.

The admiral keyed his omni-tool, the holographic projector on the board shifting to display a large-scale model of Shanxi's system. Near the Relay floated the familiar models and signatures of forty-four Alliance navy ships. On the other side of the system hovered fifty alien ships with strange designs. They were all blue colored, with a slightly aquatic appearance. The prows of their ships were curved, very much like a bird's beak. In the middle of both fleets, stood a small diplomatic ship, the Campoformio, in which first contact talks had taken place, and still would be occurring had another improbable event not occurred.

"This was the situation until about half an hour ago," began Spencer. "First Contact with a new race, with a more than decent chance of diplomatic success." He scowled. "Then long-range scans from sensor probes found this."

Spencer manipulated the hologram. The image rotated by one hundred and eighty degrees, expanding to show two separate systems, simultaneously rendering the prime minister speechless. The digits showed over four hundred and fifty ships colored in red, in battle formation, and charging towards the now-discovered Theta Relay, merely one Relay jump from Shanxi's system. Bonaventura imaged that they were powering up weapons and kinetic barriers, if they haven't done so already. On the other half of the hologram, Alliance and Confederate vessels were beginning to take a defensive position around the planet.

"We found a large number of unidentified ships on the margins of the system. They appear hostile based on initial intelligence. Judging from their power signatures, they appear to have loaded weapons and full-powered kinetic barriers. We do not know their intentions," Spencer highlighted the attack formation, emphasizing their destruction of multiple probes, "but they seem to be anything but peaceful."

"Has the Alliance navy already been informed, or anyone on Earth?" The minister asked, worrying for the billions of lives located on Shanxi. Never in his lifetime had Bonaventura thought he would live to see alien contact, let alone lead humanity against alien invaders. His mind immediately went to Star Wars, an old and beloved cinematic franchise, pondering how they must've felt in times like these.

"Yes sir. Earth has been put on high alert, and a QRF from the Fifth Fleet is currently being assembled; it should be ready to leave here by the end of the following week. The entire Fourteenth Fleet is being readied for combat as well, but our best estimates indicate they'll be ready for deployment inside a month at the earliest."

Bonaventura evaluated the impassive faces surrounding the room. It was evident the answers he was receiving were perceived as unsatisfactory.

"All civilian ships with sufficient transport capacity stationed at Shanxi have received orders to evacuate the colony; although I should note that in major urban centers, the evacuation is progressing slowly. Our detachment and apparently our new friends, the Raloi, are regrouping in a defensive perimeter around the colony," Spencer said. He nodded at the minister. "That is a summary of all we know at the moment."

"My God," Bonaventura uttered. He could certainly see all the parliamentary members' confusion, he was baffled himself. Not only had one sentient race been discovered, but a second as well, all within the span of a few hours of each other.

"Has parliament already met?" voiced Volodin.

"Yes," Bonaventura replied, knowing where the conversation was headed.

"Who is leading the session in your absence?"

"The Deputy Prime Minister, Philippe Lacroix."

"Can the Deputy Prime Minister start a vote in your absence?" The general had a … cagey look. From what Bonaventura knew of the man, the general was attempting to corral his response into an irrefutable point.

"Yes, he can, but-" Before Bonaventura could continue, he was cut off by the general

"Then do it! We have already put all our forces on high alert throughout human space. If you declare Sigma Tau protocol, then we have some hope of saving Shanxi!" Volodin hissed, looking almost glacial. Something told Bonaventura that if he hadn't held the position of Prime Minister, Volodin wouldn't be asking as nicely. Or at all for that matter.

Bonaventura still hesitated. Declaring Sigma Tau, an actual state of threat against humanity, was tantamount to depriving each sovereign government of their powers, which would then be conferred to the Alliance, which in turn proceeded to administer them. Unfortunately, the stronger national governments would no doubt oppose the resolution. They placed the welfare of their own citizens before those of other nations, making cooperation difficult. But the current issue wasn't about a relatively simple terrorist group threatening to release a virus, or an assassination attempt on political leaders; this was about openly hostile aliens threatening all of humanity.

He paused. There was only one way to find out; either this would serve as the event to unite the nations of Earth, or shatter their union beyond any hope of reconciliation. Bonaventura opened his omni-tool. "Philippe, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Mr. Prime Minister. Where are you, sir? The Parliament is awaiting your arrival," the Deputy Prime Minister informed him.

"There have been some unexpected developments. High command has asked me to initiate the Sigma Tau protocol." He paused, letting the gravity of the moment sink in. "In my absence I hereby authorized you to start the vote."

There was no answer on the other side, only the steady breathing of his subordinate. He had to be shocked. Bonaventura couldn't blame him for that, or anyone for that matter; this was the first time in recorded human history that such measures had been taken.

"Can you hear me, Lacroix? This is General Volodin," the general snapped, adding himself to the conversation. "I'm sending a file with all the necessary explanations. Give it to your colleagues and begin the vote. We're talking of the fate of our species here," It was more of a demand than a suggestion.

"I ... I will do it, sir," the deputy answered, stuttering before regaining his composure. "I've received the file. I'll begin the process immediately, but I suggest you come here as well. The other members of parliament will certainly have questions and things may … get complicated."

"Thank you, Lacroix," Volodin said. The deputy Prime Minister cut the link.

"I would say that we're done here," Bonaventura said, getting up from his chair, an action imitated by the other members and officers. "If I remember correctly, in situations of war, the three senior ranks of the armed forces are made available." He gave a faint smile to both men on his flank.

Bonaventura noticed the generals exchange a glance, then nod to a footman, whom in turn entered a smaller door to one side, disappearing within. A minute later, the man approached him, bearing three completely golden epaulettes on a platter, each with their own unique designs. The man's steps were solemn, bordering on reverential.

"I see that you had prepared everything," he said, in a tone of reproach to the two senior officers, who merely gave him innocent looks. "I only regret that it had to have been so private." He took a moment to compose himself, drawing his public speaking demeanor around him like a cloak. "Please take a step forward." He ordered.

The two officers stepped in front of the Prime Minister. They removed the epaulettes with four gold bars they were both wearing on their uniforms. Two officers gathered the epaulettes and walked away, protocol requiring them to be stored in the Alliance vault.

"It's in times like these that the true leaders of humanity come forward. Alexei Volodin and Michael Spencer, you two will be the respective supreme commanders of the Alliance ground forces and navy. You have both come from rival countries, but you have chosen to put the good of your race ahead of a single nation. A noble motivation. For that I promote you, Alexei Volodin, to the rank of Field Marshal of the Systems Alliance Army and you, Michael Spencer, to Fleet Admiral of the Systems Alliance Navy."

Bonaventura hooked the gold epaulets onto the shoulders of the two officer's uniforms, the physical evidence indicating they were now two of the most powerful military leaders of the Alliance. Upon closer examination, one would notice that Spencer's epaulets bore the symbol of the Alliance with three stars, while Volodin instead had a sword with two lightning bolts in the symbol of the Alliance.

"Humanity now relies upon you both. Do not disappoint us." Bonaventura paused wryly. "It is a pity Air Force Chief of Staff Helber Frederich wasn't here to receive his own promotion. He was intent on organizing our pilots for their deployment to Shanxi and couldn't have made it as a result." He grew serious once more. "However, I will make him aware of his new position as General of the Systems Alliance Air Force."

He stepped back. "This concludes the ceremony. Good luck, gentlemen."

The duo snapped to attention, while those present applauded. With the ceremony concluded, Bonaventura exited the room.

'Today we make history,' Bonaventura thought, walking towards the press room filled with many politicians that would no doubt be ready to demand answers from him.

Alliance Military Headquarters

New Denver

Shanxi

"General Williams, Admiral Talal is available through the vid-comm," Colonel Matthews' voice sparked through the personal communication set.

"Thank you, colonel. Patch him in." Williams was comfortably seated in his office, approving deployment orders and signing off on reports. Behind his chair was a large window from which, if one focused correctly, one could see the Shanxi's moon, Wuo. The general's study was a classic outer colony office, far different from a similarly positioned office at Arcturus, Earth, or the inner colonies. Unlike its trinket bedecked comparison, this study had a desk, a library, a swivel chair and a shelf adorned with photos of the Alliance. An added oddity was a shelf of model vehicles, assembled by the general himself during his free time.

Williams lowered the brightness on his computer and stood up, spreading the collar of his solid white officer's uniform a little. Certainly, Alliance uniforms exuded seriousness and professionalism, but they were highly uncomfortable. Though produced by the best European textile companies, they were modeled after the uniforms of the European Federation Armed Forces of World War III, which in turn were, modeled after the German uniforms of World War II. Professional, of course, but the collar was a bit too tight for his liking.

The vid-screen came online and Williams saw his first alien. The raloi was tall, but not significantly more so than him, and although some of them had been described as dinosaurs, they seemed more avian to him. The being in front of him was wearing a sort of silver-grayish armor with a few notches on the chest, which undoubtedly represented his rank. Making sure that his subcutaneous translation chip was active, he began briefing with the raloi.

"General Williams, Alliance Marine Corps," he said. He wasn't sure if marine was a word that existed in the raloi language, but then again, it existed in the human languages as a word imported from the Anglo-Saxon languages.

"Admiral Talal, Raloi Confederate Navy." The alien said, nodding as he understood.

'Confederate eh? If they are anything like the Confederates from more than three hundred years ago, then I have a feeling they won't be well liked.' Williams thought.

The alien's image darted in different directions, gazing at everything that was within the study. It appeared as if Talal was looking around the room, perhaps as a way to better understand humanity and its customs. Williams guessed this had to be the first example of human interior decoration for him.

"General, I would like to thank you for what your people are doing for us. Some of our ships needed supplies, and your generosity with your own stocks is appreciated," The admiral's pupils twitched slightly, although not threateningly.

"It's nothing. If we did not share our aid, what kind of friends we would be?" Williams replied with a smile on his face. He hoped the alien was not deterred by the scar that covered his left eye. "But then again, you have graciously offered to stand with us in our time of need ... who knows where they will be next without your help?"

"Generosity has a way of uniting people, general," Talal said. "As for the newcomers, if they truly have impure intentions then the longer they take to arrive, the more time we have to prepare our defenses."

"Well said." Williams was starting to appreciate his new ally more and more. Blunt honesty was in short supply further up the chain of command. "I'll be organizing my troops down here into defensive positions, and prepare for a ground invasion. Other than that, all we can do is wait for Arcturus to send more specific orders ... and some reinforcements. We are too few to be able to resist on our own for an extended duration." He said, not liking the odds.

Talal looked at him with a questioning look. "Arcturus? Is it that your home world?"

"No. Our homeworld is called Earth. It is a beautiful planet, I was born there. Arcturus is the name of the space station where lies our military and political leadership. Our capital, if you will."

The admiral seemed intrigued by Williams' words, which was understandable of course. What race would abandon the security of a planet to offer to its leadership a cramped space station, exposed to the dangers and weathering of space?

"Having all your leaders in one station, regardless of how well defended, is risky," Talal said, stating some of his own thoughts.

"True, however it's no less risky than putting them in a building where any armed militia can storm in if they have the strength and weapons. In space, any attack has to get through our fleets, battery emplacements, and station marines before getting to any military or political leaders. By that time our leaders would already be gone." Wiliams explained.

"Ah, I see," Talal said. He seemed to understand the Alliance's mindset and if he didn't, then he was one hell of an actor. "Any news from your central command?"

"No. But my AI will tell me when we get something. Until then we'll just have to survive without them for the time being."

"Would you like to connect to our communication frequency? This would diminish the waiting time between messages," the admiral suggested. "Hopefully, it will increase our coordination for the upcoming battle as well."

"That would be greatly appreciated, admiral. Thank you for the offer. I'll inform Captain Wang of your suggestion and he'll have his AI patch you into our comm. channels." Williams began to type quickly, lit from blue colored lights emanating from the holographic screen. After a few moments he stopped and activated his omni-tool. Talal's own instrument brightened at the same time. "I have arranged for a connection between your ships and those of Captain Wang's."

"Thank you."

"If I could do more ..." Williams stopped talking when the colonel entered the room. The younger man had a very serious air, but also looked quite scared.

"Sir," he said, making a quick salute "Arcturus wants you at the communication hub ASAP. They say it's important, something about the Parliament?"

"The Parliament?" Williams was thoughtful. "Did they say what it was about?"

"No, sir. But it appears to be serious."

Talal silently nodded from his place on the screen. "Go ahead general, I've more than taken up your time. I need to ready my own forces. Good luck, General Williams," Talal said, before cutting the connection. The vid-screen that once displayed his image now evaporated showing nothing more but the projector behind it.

"Take command of the base, Colonel." Williams said, rising from his chair. "Who knows what those politicians want?" If he hadn't been stressed before, he was now. Coordinating the entire human ground force was more than enough responsibility without having to listen to politicians arguing over technicalities as well.

The general walked along the hallway of the structure, getting occasional glances from the staff on duty. He guessed that they must've already have heard of the pending invasion, and gave a moment's thought to cursing how fast information spread throughout the base. Sometimes it was a military's best asset, other times a liability. He left the building and walked toward the building where the communication systems were secured. In the main square, platoons of marines moved quickly, marching toward their Mako transports or loading up equipment onto Kodiak shuttles. Preparing for deployment normally was given several days advance notice, now only the critical defense points could be secured. Cries of officers and platoon leaders resounded throughout the base, along with the barely audible sound of the many element zero vehicles cruising through the base. Some individuals stood to attention in front of Williams and remained so until Williams saluted them back. Those were few; the energy in the air was exceedingly high.

Williams walked into the base's communications hub, a rather large structure with numerous antennas on its roof. "General Williams, Field Marshal Volodin is waiting." A lieutenant sitting at a nearby desk said. "He says that it is an 'issue of great importance'." A sergeant compiling data on a computer glanced over alertly as if expecting orders. The room briefly reflected the computer screen's glow, making Williams question the sensitivity of human eye-sight.

"Thank you, lieutenant," Williams said as the lieutenant motioned inside, opening the door. Williams entered the room made of curved silver walls and positioned himself in the center of the projector, right in the middle point of the rectangle drawn on the floor. The room darkened and he was covered with a white grid that ran through his entire body. Accustomed to practice, he did not move a muscle until his body, or rather a room, was projected displaying a well-lit office in Arcturus station, whose window looked towards the boundless space to Benning, if he could correctly interpret the stars. He snapped to attention as a figure appeared.

"Field Marshal Volodin, sir!"

"Rest, Williams," the man said, waving deprecatingly. He was dressed in the same uniform as Williams, though with a few notable differences, notably the ceremonial cap that went with the uniform quite nicely. His face was clean-shaven, a few wrinkles in the face and blondish hair, but age betrayed him in the eyes; those blue orbs that as a young man had to have seduced many women, now gave off fatigue and age, though some fighting spirit could be seen in them. "How are you, general?"

"Well, sir. We are putting the planet on a war footing and I feel younger by at least ten years," Williams said with a light chuckle before seriousness returned to his face.

"Lucky you ... this story appears to be killing me slowly. I have seen too many fights as a young man, watched as many of my friends died in the line of duty. Now, I'd like nothing more than a little rest, but instead we learn of the existence of extraterrestrial aliens, one of whom appears to be hostile!" The field marshal's voice grew angry. He stood solid and proud, like a statute displayed at a museum.

Williams couldn't resist smiling at his former commanding officer. Volodin was an old veteran, vast years of war sculpted by the man's hands yet age did not erode his personality. Williams remembered his early days as an officer, a mere lieutenant serving under the man standing before him. He had fought pirates and quelled insurgencies for two decades before being assigned to a home division. Having seen all the colors during patrols on the ground and having survived several near-death encounters, Williams believed the man certainly deserved the promotion more than anyone else.

"Congratulations on the promotion, sir," He congratulated. It made him feel slightly better knowing that humanity had a great leader commanding the Alliance's troops.

"Thank you, but I fear it is only a formality, my boy. Rather tell me about those Raloi. Do you think we can trust them?" Volodin asked.

"I think so, sir. They seemed very courteous and polite, from what little I know of them. I would not know about their militarily capabilities, but their soldiers seem stronger than the average human, but with our genetic enhancements though, we should be able to reduce this advantage to at least a small margin. From what I've seen, the rest of their technology seems entirely reliant on element zero, more-so than our own."

The general went on to explain the other aspects of the situation. Integration efforts of Shanxi's multi-national defense force still had a long way to go, but could currently be used as an advantage. With the four mega powers assisting in the planet's defense, the aliens would have to conform to five battle strategies, fight five different forces, and be able to withstand each faction's strengths.

Volodin stood silent, deep in thought, hands behind his back. "I guess we have no choice but to trust them in this case. After the reports of those hostile ships appearing in the Theta system, we'll need all the help we can get."

"What is our state of readiness, sir?" Williams hoped, no he prayed that the Alliance wasn't just fully alert, but had already sent reinforcements.

"All systems connected to Shanxi are on high alert and are currently mobilizing their units, both local garrisons and defense flotillas. The Fourteenth Fleet is currently being readied for deployment. Lucky for you, a QRF from the Fifth Fleet, with the SSV Tesla serving as the flagship, should be prepared for arrival by the end of the following week. Reinforcements are on their way, but you and Captain Wang must contain this invasion in your system for as long as possible. Admiral Spencer wants to pour as many troops as possible into the system." The old man paused, taking a longer breath.

"He plans to contain, hold, and overwhelm the enemy in both ground and space combat. Currently, our top priority is to defend human colonies and the Relays. The navy has activated their IFF based minefields to prevent the enemy from safely jumping into other systems. It may not stop them, but it will certainly slow them down."

"Now, onto more important business: the state of Sigma Tau protocol has been approved by Parliament just a few minutes ago. This means that you have full control of all human forces on the planet. Use them wisely." Volodin acted as if the shell shocker he'd dropped on Williams was nothing. The expression on Williams' face would have been comical, if the situation hadn't been so dire.

'Commander of all the human forces on Shanxi? My god! It's not my birthday, but it sure seems like it!' Williams thought. Stunned, disbelief these words didn't even begin to cover his thoughts. The four nations, who hated each other with a burning passion, were now under Williams' command ... which made his appointment either a blessing or a curse. This certainly would be a historic day for humanity, a day which would either live on in virtue or be forever remembered as a day of infamy.

"Bonaventura must have had a heart rate of over a thousand when he asked the nations to make that sacrifice," Williams said, feeling sympathy for the Prime Minister. Thinking quickly, he stood at attention, demonstrating pride and honor in the acceptance of such a … questionable title.

"I wouldn't know. All I heard was that he spoke for half an hour, and the applause lasted nearly equally as long. The vote was almost unanimous. Only a few Russian, Chinese and smaller country deputies voted no, but overall the vote was four hundred favorable and twenty-five against. The prime minister is about to hold a press-conference to make the news public." Volodin said. His eyes looked foreboding.

'Even in the face of an alien invasion they still clutch onto old grudges. Hopefully they'll focus on slitting the enemy's throat rather than each other's.' Williams understood nationalism was a powerful driving force; he just hoped it would be of some help now.

"I will provide the information to my men. Have the other generals have been warned?"

"No, I'll leave that honor to you. Be cautious, telling this to the JSF, Enforcer, New Chinese Republic, and Spetsnaz commanders will be tense. If you can, tell your friend, Talal, to prepare his fleet. Has he promised to help us or not?"

"He has, and I think he'll do it gladly."

"Good. That is all for now, general. Make those alien bastards see what it means to attack humanity," Volodin snapped to attention in front of his subordinate, who did the same. The field marshal's omni-tool began to glow yellow, before he closed the link. Williams, or rather the projection of the room, evaporated and he found himself facing the projector's wall.

Before he could turn and leave, he knew he had to give one final message: tell the other four commanders that they were now under the command of the Alliance. Under his command. "Vianna, link me to Generals Bando, Chu, Parker, and Colonel Morgunov."

"With pleasure, sir," the AI replied. "Patching in…now."

The vid-screen split into four sections, before the holographic images of the commanding officers of all four armies appeared. "General Williams, to what do I owe the displeasure of seeing your face," Morgunov snarled, openly hostile. Such was the way of the Spetsnaz; they didn't respect title or rank, but merit and skill.

"This better be in important," Chu's image said. "I am deep in preparations." Williams could tell by the deep circles around his eyes, light rash on his neck, and the subtle trembling of his hands that the man was already stressed, relaying information to his commanders across the planet. Having to keep track of and manage the many men and resources the NCRA maintained wasn't an easy task. In fact, it must be a monstrous logistical nightmare, but the beast had to be satisfied if there was any chance of repelling the enemy.

It was a relief to be greeted by the Enforcer faction leader. "General Williams, I hope everything is alright with your men." Bando gave him a polite half-bow. As an Enforcer, General Bando had high expectations of discipline and respect, and he showed it to others. The Federation's soldiers were considered the most honorable armed forces humanity had, practically knights with advanced weapons and armor.

General Parker just stood there silently almost as if waiting for Williams to confirm what he already knew. The JSF's intelligence agency was second to none, but even they had to have their limitations. He made a mental note to scan his computer for bugs just in case.

"Who invited these sobakas?" Morgunov asked, flipping a hand gesture at the other generals.

"You called me here to trade curses with the Russian?" Chu raised one eyebrow, the most emotion Williams had seen from the man.

"The Russian, has a name!" Morgunov growled. The Chinese and Russians had long held animosity for each other, despite the several military and trade agreements shared over the centuries. Those were merely a deterrent to the close ties held by the European Federation and the UNAS.

"ENOUGH!" Bando bellowed, slamming his fist on the table. The sound clearly transmitted through the vid-com. He turned towards Williams. "General Williams, my apologies for my colleagues. Would you please explain why you have called us?"

General Williams took a deep breath, not knowing how to say it. 'God, there is no time.' He thought. "I have called on you because a few minutes ago, Parliament held a session. In a majority vote we are now under Sigma Tau protocol."

The four commanders, or three really seeing how General Parker had kept silent through the whole meeting, were shocked into silence. Difference emotions showed on the faces of each commander, Bando and Chu were clearly surprised but Morgunov was visibly angry. Parker maintained his stoic expression, making Williams a bit nervous. The lack of surprise made him suspect Parker had already been informed of the situation, even before he was.

Morgunov was the first to break the silence. "I am ordering my men to mobilize as quickly as they can. They're setting up a perimeter in a six-mile radius of the nearest city or town. Our vehicles and soldiers are perfect for armored assaults. If you want an army to defend cities use the Euros, they are the best at that. My men stationed on the Gian continent will defend the northern cities, towns, and coasts."

"Colonel wai-" Before General Williams could argue, Morgunov cut him off.

"Spetsnaz are trained to kill, not save. We operate the best in the cold, and fight the enemy to the last soldier, to the last rifle, to the last bullet. Hardly an ideal force for escorting citizens. You may have command of my men, but know this if you sacrifice them carelessly … the aliens will be the least of your worries," Morgunov let the threat hang in the air. "Besides many of our territories have AA guns, and planetary cannons. The Motherland Guard satellites in orbit are directly controlled through the uplinks in those same areas. I assume you'll want to use them in the upcoming naval battle?"

General Williams nodded. "Very well. Have your men defend your territories, but once the enemy is driven off I may need your forces in other regions."

"General, I may not like you, hell I dislike everything you stand for, but I promise you wherever the enemy is thickest you will find me and my men there." Before Morgunov finished his move to cut the link, he stared at the Williams. "If we all end up dying, you owe me a barrel of Vodka in whatever miserable afterlife awaits us." The general's avatar soon disappeared.

Williams felt relieved. In his own way, the Russian had said, 'I will not fail humanity, even if it means working with those beneath me.' It was a lightened load; Spetsnaz soldiers were never known for being sentimental after all, even for such an event as important as this.

General Williams turned his attention to the others, who stood as if nothing had happened. "General Chu, since you have the most men, I would like your divisions to protect the suburbs and evacuate the civilians in populated areas."

"Affirmative general." General Chu's even tones were soothing. "I will make sure as many citizens as possible are able to reach safety, but if I do this, I hope you are aware that I won't be able to assist greatly in other fronts?"

"I know, but I hope it won't turn into a world war style invasion."

General Chu disappeared, leaving Williams with Parker and Bando. "General Bando, seeing as your men are most skilled in urban warfare, I need them to take up defensive positions in major and strategic cities around the world."

"I will not let you down, general," Bando said with a curt nod. His avatar blinked out as well.

General Williams was left all alone with Parker in the room. As it had throughout the entire meeting, the JSF man's face betrayed no emotion. "General Parker I need you to strike the enemy where they are most vulnerable. Bando's men may be more mobile, but I need stealth not speed in this case. Where ever the situation arises, I need your force to be able to deploy anywhere on the continent they're stationed on."

"General if I may make a suggestion?" Parker asked. Williams paused, momentarily surprised, before nodding.

"Have the majority of the Enforcers protect major cities, but hold back some of their men to act as a QRF of sorts. They'll be able to beat us to any immense battles or faltering front-lines. The extra time, even if it's just be a few seconds, will make a difference. My boys and I will engage the aliens in key locations. We'll do our best to keep them from capturing vital assets. If necessary, the JSF will destroy any uplinks, ammo depots, or anything that can be of use to the enemy."

The general stretched. "I can have my air divisions engage the enemy before they land. It'll give General Chu's men more time to evac civies. Speaking of which, aside from evacuations, Chu's men can be used in conjunction with yours for mass redeployment. They can bring massive amounts of soldiers in one area; the Russians won't need our help, unless the aliens have far better strength than the Spetsnaz, which I highly doubt. For the most part they'll do fine on their own."

General Williams gave a nod, agreeing with Parker's analysis. Before the JSF general could cut the transmissions, Williams stopped him with a question. "You knew, didn't you?"

Parker gave him a minuscule smirk before answering. "I may have had an anonymous tip … but really, it wasn't that hard to figure out the situation would lead us here."

"Uh, huh." Williams replied, clearly skeptical of the general's intelligence gathering methods. "In any case, Godspeed."

Parker looked down thoughtfully. "Aliens invading on Christmas. Makes me wonder if they're the Dalek coming in revenge for so much bad press." A strange twinkle in his eye took years off his apparent age. He saluted. "Good luck, general. Make us proud." The avatar vanished from the room.

General Williams turned and headed straight for the door. When he walked out of the room he noticed the lieutenant had disappeared. The sergeant was still checking the computer probably checking the connections, and his computer still gave off a reflective blinding light. Somehow, although everything still looked the same, it was all different.

Trivia:

1. Doctor Who reference, who can resist? (Special thanks to ryuou)

2. This particular chapter went through an almost unholy number of edits. Some of the ideas were dropped simply because this chapter has achieved over 25 pages of Word document (approximately 6,500 words), and too much is too much.

3. The Field Marshal rank was originally an early Middle Ages position, given to the keeper of the king's horses. That was highly important, given that a good war horse was worth more than a dozen infantry, and became one of the highest ranks in military history. In France, Marshal of the Empire was bestowed upon only twenty-six individuals under Napoleon Bonaparte, notably Michael Ney, Louis Berthier and Andre Massena. The title was later changed to be a "Marshal of France," after the "Marshal General of France" was eliminated in 1848.

4. One of the factors regarding the time frame of Alliance reinforcements arriving at Shanxi was the fact, that in canon, it took the Alliance well over a month before any fleet arrived in the turian-occupied planet. Here the timeframe is much more reasonable, being realistic for counting the massive logistical nightmare that would ensue, making the proper arrangements both formal and informal for the war, and the fact that readying an entire navy to repel an unknown threat will take lots of time. But for our loyal fans out there don't despair, there will be plenty of action and despair.

5. Title is a tribute for all Endwar fans, where there is a Prelude to War campaign, hence the name.

6. Yeah, in this fic's universe, Star Wars exists.