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CHAPTER 02 - REVELATIONS

Location: Orbit over Sanctuary, Fatum system

Timestamp: + 15 years since translation

Lord Captain Matthias Brusilov was observing the gentle curve of Sanctuary below him. Sanctuary had prospered since their initial landing almost fifteen Terran years ago. The colony which stared around at roughly seven hundred thousand souls had risen to more than a million. With his ship and his escorts contributing any excess populations from the ships holds as well. And on Tribute under the watch of Alexie and his tech priests a new forge world was taking shape. Development was slow with loss of the other two colony ships. But as per protocol each ship had enough equipment to start a colony on its own. And bolstered by the notion that they were on a divinely sanctioned mission by the god-emperor to claim this system for the imperium, morale had been good.

Alexie had been extremely busy in setting up the infrastructure for each world. First by jury rigging the damaged colony ship into an impromptu space station for processing asteroids that were brought by the two frigates holds. Also with the machine shops on board the Ignis and her escorts contributing to the whole endeavor, the materials produced were used to expand the orbital infrastructure above tribute in an ever growing complex of machinery and habs. Matthias had learned from his father that in order to set up a successful colony that the orbital infrastructure that should be built first. "It's easier to build down than up". His father said.

While on Tribute and Sanctuary, the mechanicus contingent of the colony ship were working with the other colonist to up infrastructure from agri-fields, Transport networks to manufactorums. The first infant groundside manufactoria on Tribute was consecrated over five years ago, industrial output had increased enough that more advanced structures and equipment could be produced. Sanctuary was slowly turning into a civilized world with a majority of it still reserved for agri-production. The local flora and fauna were compatible with Human physiology. A fact attributed to the guidance of the god-emperor by many. And in the skies a small fleet of Arvus lighters were swarming the virgin space lanes between the two planets the station and the asteroid fields with flights of Furies watching over them.

Matthias was surprised by the pace of progress himself. From a battered flotilla of four ships. They have turned this system into a growing hub of humanity. He wondered how long it would take for them to be strong enough to take on this new galaxy. He never got the chance to finish the thought as Syrene contacted him on the comm bead.

"Forgive me Lord Captain, but we have company"

XO Syrene Andros was looking down at the bridge deck from the elevated command dais. Since their abrupt and violent arrival in this galaxy over fifteen years ago. She had been Syrene had been working at her capacity to bring the ship back to her full potential. The Emergency wrap drop had damaged the ship but with the manufactoria on Santuary and Tribute. The Ignis had returned to almost her full capacity. She remembered the day where the captain had decided to reward her with a large tract of prime land on Sanctuary for her troubles. But she refused saying that the Ignis is her home.

Back in the present she kept looking at the junior crew and menial working about. It had been quiet for the last fifteen years on the bridge of the Ignis. With her holding position near the Omnissiah's bounty as a guardian. But she had kept the crew on their feet with constant drills and simulations with the escort ships. As per protocol they were actively scanning the system for any possible hostile contacts.

"Commander, There's something on the auspex" The technician in charge of the long range auspex said.

Syrene moved over to the console. There was a contact at the edge of the scanners range. It was tiny. Just larger than a Starhawk bomber. "Are you sure that it's not stellar debris or a sensor ghost?"

"No Commander. The scanner was empty one second and then that appeared out of nowhere. And it also gave of a gravity wave when it did appear" the technician explained.

"Any other contacts?"

"No commander just that one" Replied the technician.

"Get a hold of flight control aboard the Mortis Vox and ask them to send a flight of Furies to check it out."

Location: Near system Ulkor 6a1 / a.k.a Fatum, Terminus Systems

Timestamp: Citadel year 2137

On the edge of the Fatum systems a ship dropped out of FTL. Its mass effect drive powering down to sub light speeds. This was a Naa'la class automated surveyor ship designed jointly by the Salarian Union and the Asari Corporation Synthetic Insights. The ship was piloted by and advanced VI that was smart enough to pilot a corvette class starship without running into an asteroid and map out celestial bodies and anomalies for the STG.

The ships VI programmed to collect data from the edge of the system and identify targets for further investigation. But what it discovered was not an empty system like the ones it had visited before but an occupied system with regular artificial radio transmissions emanating mainly from the brown dwarf orbiting the system. The drone dropped a comm relay before transmitting the information on the radio anomaly as it was programmed. And continued into the system to document and map out the planter bodies and the anomaly.

The data sent back to the STG later kicked up a hornet's nest of activity in the STG.

Location: Near system Fatum, Terminus Systems

Timestamp: Citadel year 2137, 6 months later

STG agent Solan Halan Mal Dinest Git Verun Sur'Kesh or as is colloquial name Solan Verun, was seated on the command chair facing the screen depicting a passive scan of the space they are in. It's almost been a month since He and his crew of five were on a survey mission to chart unmapped star systems outside of the standard relay networks as instructed by his superiors after they had lost contact with an automated drone surveyor. It was boring and beside the three of them the Kas'ra class Stealth Corvette Solan had requisitioned had three more personnel. A medical officer and two engineers. Kas'ra class stealth corvettes are one of the most useful tools in the STG arsenal. At 115m in length and 45m width The Kas'ra are small nimble craft used for Long range scouting and covert planet side insertions operations. Covered in emission absorbing Meta materials, a radar minimizing silhouette and with advanced heat sinks they are invisible to all other council detection systems outside of the Salarian Union. STG keeps the exact number of ships a tightly closed secret, fearing the reaction of the council races on how many of their stealth ships are actually orbiting in their backyards. But for a corvette they also packs a formidable punch if needed with an internal spinal mass accelerator with a 9kt Yield and two adaptable missile pods alongside a terrifying array of ECM suites.

The Crews confidence lay in that they would see the enemy a long distance ways before the enemy would see them. Solan was still wary of what may lay in this area. If his initial briefing was of any worth, he had been told that radio emissions were detected before the probe was lost. He was to investigate the source undetected and return with confirmation. And not to initiate first contact if it was a new civilization.

"Sir, Radar and Gravimetric scanners are showing something near the epicenter of an anomaly" Ulan called out. Solan moved over to his console to a look. And there were a group of objects nearby each other. They were too large to be ships the largest was about five times the length of a Turian dreadnought, the other three were of roughly equal size. But still larger than a Turian dreadnought. At this range the scans were inconclusive he can't tell what they were until they got closer. While looking at the scans a cold pit of dread filled him as he realized something odd about the objects to be natural. They were in formation.

"Are you sure that you want to get closer sir?" Whined Korin. He was troubled that there was a group of space stations in the middle of nowhere giving off ridiculous amount of energy at whim. That was the working theory right now as all the evidence points to that conclusion. But until they get visual confirmation and if they were lucky to eavesdrop on their transmissions. Then they could return to the nearest comm buoy and send this up the chain. They were approaching the extreme visual range of their onboard optical sensors. So far there has not been any change in the four objects. Solan had decided to designate then object one through four. With object one being the largest one. All four were drifting in the same direction at roughly five thousand meters apart.

"Image rendition in five" Ulan called out. He was showing signs of nervousness. The mission wasn't turning out to be a boring scanning job as he thought it would have been.

"Images are coming through. Overlaying with thermal, gravimetric and passive radar scans and…. done. Image should be on screen now" Piped Ulan. But his smile froze when he saw the image on screen. "Umm… Boss? "

He was looking one of the most alien structures he had ever seen. Each object was extensively ornate. There were ornate spires hundreds of meters in length. There was a tapering end on the bow that were reminiscent of a blade tip. And the detail that shook Solan to the core was that on the aft there were tubular structures grouped into clusters which had the distinctive look of thrusters. "They are ships" Solan cried weakly.

"We've got inbound. Ten small contacts in formation heading towards us" Korin called out. "They can't see us can they? Was the only thing Solan could managed. The rest of the crew were as shaken as he was. But they were keeping their professionalism and he must too. They were in one of the most advanced stealth ships in the galaxy. How could have they detected them? Then again he was looking at a race that could probably build ships the size of small moon.

"Are you sure they are headed for us, Korin?"

"Affirmative. Direct intercept course to us, Sir".

Solan had a choice now. He could stay and try to make potential first contact with a race that has unarguably the most powerful ships in the galaxy. Or he could turn around and FTL out of the system to a random system in range and then contact the STG that the Turians are no longer the most powerful race in the galaxy.

Location: Near system Fatum, Terminus Systems. Fury Interceptor Halberd-1 ''Bloody Edge"

Timestamp: same time

In the space around the imperial flotilla squadrons of Fury interceptors were on patrol. After detecting a xenos probe in the system, Furies have been on patrol to give the fleet some advance warning and deterrent if someone came unannounced. The probe self-terminated before anyone could investigate it. Afterwards they were placed in optimum position to extend the auspex range of the ships as well as to provide a protective screen in case of an attack. One of these squadrons detached themselves from their designated patrol route and were ordered to check for any possible contacts in a certain volume of space. Wing Commander Abed Coyne was piloting his Fury the 'Bloody Edge' toward the location of a supposed contact. He and his squadron 'the Halberds' had been sent out of the hangers of the Mortis Vox. Abed had been a Navy pilot stationed on Port Salamis on the saint Karyl's Trail in Segmentum Solar before retiring only to go on to serve aboard the rogue traders fleet. He was old for a navy pilot. Most imperial pilots have short lifespans due to their job needing them to dive right into the maw of the enemy. But port Salamis not seeing much action for years and with fresh recruits pressing for slots in the flight roster. He was forced into retiring but he still needed to fly. Like most pilots the adrenaline, combat stimms and the sheer freedom of void flight makes it an addiction.

"What are we doing out here again sir?" Asked his sarcastic turret gunner Bek Verus over the intercom. Abed rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Bek have you been asleep during the briefing again?" He only got a chuckle in reply "You know me" Beks voice oozing a sense of misplaced pride. "Those briefings are boring and beside I can always ask from you, can't I?" Abed swore that one day he would teach his friend a lesson or failing that he would stuff him out of an airlock, arse first.

"Mortis control to Halberd-1, Sensor contact is moving do you have a visual?" said a rich voice over the vox. "Negative Mortis control I don't see anything yet, will vox soon as we do, over." He continued to check his auspex before looking out of the canopy. "Halberd-1 to Halberd squadron, break up into your designated flights and assume search pattern Reperio Aplha". The Three flights of Halberd squadron broke formation to search for their illusive bogey.

"Halberd-8 to Squadron, I see him on auspex. Sending coordinates" The coordinates sent from Halberd-8 flashed on his screen. "All flights box him in but do not engage. Alright let's get a proper visual" and he realigned the Fury as to move closer to the ghost contact. Now at this range he could finally see with the magnifying optics that it was a ship. A small vessel larger than a Starhawk bomber. It had a matt black surface with subtle curves hugging is frames. He could only barely make it out over the background of space. Only the image rendering of the auspexs machine spirit produces that he could see it. He couldn't see any gun port or any obvious weapons. And he couldn't say if it was xeno or Human but one thing was getting clear. It wasn't imperial.

"Halberd-3 to squadron, the bogey is moving" Abed watched as the little craft started to reorient itself in space. Its Pale blue thrusters ignited pushing it forward. But even before abed or Anyone in the squadron could get their hands on the targeting runes the little ship disappeared as if it was pulled way by an invisible force only leaving a faint blue afterglow.

"Sir, Did our bogey just FTL without using the warp?" Bek asked over the intercom. But Abed didn't say anything and kept looking at the empty space where for a moment a stood a starship.

Location: Port Nathur, Erinle, Osun System

Timestamp: +1 days, 4 hours since first contact

Solan was clasping his hands together in deep thought. He had taken the decision to retreat to safer space and send what data he had collected to his superiors. The smaller space crafts that had tried to intercept them must had been a fighter escort sent to investigate them. But there lies a bigger problem. That they had detected them at all. Which means they had very sophisticated and very advanced technology at their disposal and making decades of Salarian effort in stealth technology to go to waste. Add to that the so called fighters were forty meters in length and the size of a corvette. After the incident outside of the Ulkor system, Solan had initiated Gorrin protocol to make sure that the new contacts couldn't trace them back to an inhabited system. Solan encrypted and dumped the data into the STG's hidden comm buoy network and once when they were sure that they weren't followed they made their way to the Osun system where he met with his superior who had convened a hearing regarding his findings. In the Osun system the STG has a hidden base on the southern continent of the planet Erinle.

His handler, a male named Jorim B'au was going through the data with a panel of his peers. Solan tapped his fingers together in frustration. He and his crew had been debriefed several times to authenticate his outlandish claims. But with hard documented proof he hadn't need to worry about that too much. Solan looked out at the floor to ceiling window overlooking the toxic swamps outside. Erinle is a garden world in its last stages of habitability. While its soil can still supports agriculture, its animal biodiversity has fallen to pitiful lows, and the remaining life forms are toxic algae and a few insect-like species. The Salarian Union established a research colony here to rebuild Enriles dying ecosystems. Also it was a good excuse to establish a few hidden military bases here and there.

A chime on his omnitool notified him that he was to enter the meeting room. Solan took a deep breath in before entering the threshold. Solan entered through the door and into a spartan meeting room with a Telak wood topped table, behind which sat four senior agents of the local STG division with a fifth present as a hologram. The first was Jorin, to his left sat an older Salarian named Foran B'au a clan kin to Jorin and also the military liaison to the Union navy. To Foran left sat Aelen Kolos a renowned agent in his time now behind a desk job with his age. He was known for his savvy insight into clan politics and galactic affairs. To the right of Jorin sat another male named Padok Vass. A senior data analyst within the STG and lastly there was a hologram of Rentola. The renowned Xenobiologist is famous within the academic circles on the work he had done in successfully uplifting the Yagh. Jorin was the first to break the ice. "Solan, sit down if you may" he curtly said. We have all read the reports agent. If you don't have to answer any more tedious questions. But we need your personal opinions on a few things such as … "How were they able to detect a stealth ship?" interrupted Foran B'au. His implication that one of their most potent tools had been made irrelevant had made for bad reading. "And that these ships the size of them? Do you understand the implications that these claims brings?" Asked Foran B'au. Jorim raised his hands to stop Foran from asking anymore questions. "First of all were you certain that your ship had been compromised?" Solan realized that they were asking if he had jumped the gun and ran off when he wasn't truly detected.

"We were sure. The sensors painted them as deviating from their original course to a direct intercept course to us. I was truly surprised as you are now. We went into that region of space prepared for retrieving a defective probe, pirates or a covert black ops by a hidden party, we had no idea that we would run into something like this. So I took the most prudent course of action. If we had been captured or killed by the unknowns the Union and the greater galaxy would be ignorant this hidden danger." Solan exhaled. Jorim and the rest looked at him for more than it was comfortable. And finally they looked at each other and said "Acceptable".

"What made you say that this was a first contact event?" Asked Rentola. Solans report had mentioned that it was possibility of a first contact scenario. It crossed Solan mind that the good doctor must have been annoyed that a possible first contact scenarios was bungled by a field agent.

"The ships we saw were unlike anything we have ever seen. They were extremely ornate. The ships architecture was unlike anything we have seen. Not even Prothean ruins looks like that" He was referring to the Hi-res images rendered by his stealth ships sensor array. "And you know well as I that no race in the council space or other any other known party has the capability to make something that big. So the logical conclusion was that it should be a new race." Solan justified his actions. "Did you try to hail them?"

"No, we kept silent run protocols to observe and catalogue as much information about the contacts as possible as we believed our stealth technology would keep us hidden. And once we had enough information then we would had made contact. But we were discovered before we could collect enough data and chose not to."

"Did they try to hail you, then?"Dr. Morlan pressed.

"We detected no transmissions directed towards us, in any form." Solan was feeling the scrutiny on him getting to his nerves. As long as he kept his cool everything would be fine.

Dr. Morlan placed his hand s to his chin and looked was processing what Solan had divulged. He nodded silently to the rest of the group.

Jorim being the spokesman for the panel said. "Agent Solan you are cleared of any wrong doings as decided by this judicial panel. But you are ordered not pursuit the unknown contacts …..Alone" Solan was sure that Jorim didn't stress that last word without reason. "You will join a joint council task force to investigate these ships and whoever is inside them. And since you and your crew have prior experience with them you will join them in an advisory role. The job of the task force is to determine if they are a threat or not. If not a threat then establish a diplomatic channel. Baring that collect much data as possible. Is that clear?"

"Crystal" said Solan

"Good, you and your team will make your way to Jakku station, you will meet the rest of the task force. The council had deemed this a priority mission. It's not every day that a STG agent discovers a potentially new advanced species." Jorrim gave a small smile to his underling as he adjourned the meeting.

Solan left the meeting exhausted and craving for a Juu'na bean juice, a Salarians metabolism demands a constant intake of calories. He made his way to the base cafeteria hell-bent on getting some soothing juice into his primary stomach. But alas it was not to be as Ulan came running towards him holding a STG class tablet. "Sir, a moment" he said panting. "We have another anomaly, where we had the first one" That got Solan full attention away from his grumbling stomach. "When?" He said while grabbing the tablet.

"Less than an hour ago, sir. Does that mean we are going back again?" The navigator said with a hint of anxiety.

"No, we can't at least not yet" he said. "We are a part of a task force now. The higher ups want a proper team to investigate our big friends. The teams been assembled on Jakku Station, we are heading their now" he sighed. The sane part of him wanted nothing to do with such an unpredictable mission. He was always cautious with his work. But then again to be a part of the team that brought a new and powerful into the citadel council would propel his career forward by light years.

"I've got the dossiers from high command, our shuttle is leaving soon" Solan said as he gestured towards the hangar bay. "But first" He pointed his hand towards the food dispensers. "I'm hungry"

Location: Jakku Staton, Eagle Nebula, Attican Traverse

Timestamp: 4 days, 10 hours since first contact

He updated the rest of the crew to the developments of the mission in the shuttle. It took the better part of 36 hours for them to Sanctuary Jakku station. Solan took Ulan and Korin with him while he dismissed the others. Jorim had also joined them on the shuttle and had kept to himself mostly. He nodded to him as he disembarked from the shuttle only to disappear into the administration levels. He checked him omnitool. All of the task force members were to assemble in the main operations room. And that's where they went. Jakku station was a Turian Deep space resupply depot and a nexus for anti-piracy operations in the Attican Traverse. There were a wide variety of specialist on board and some were pulled out of previous assignments at the time. From Linguist, xeno-biologists, Cryptology experts, a few diplomats from all four council races and a squad of Asari commandos and another squad of Turian Blackwatch and a lone Batarian SIU agent.

"Damn! What else they didn't bring ? The kitchen sink?" Korin commented staring at the task force. Solan himself was surprised by the assembled team. There was enough brainpower to make him feel like a school kid in a physics convention and enough muscle to start a small bush war. He also was pleased that all the parties and individuals involved had agreed to meet on Erinle or have been escorted here. Solan shuddered at the thought having to fly around and gather everyone one by one.

"That would have been stupid."

He why the council had allowed a SIU agent to join. As got a closer look. He recognized the Batarian SIU agent. A broad muscular fellow named Bellor Cas'ba. He had a reputation. But not what you would expect from an agent of the Hegemony. Bellor was quite approachable, He wasn't obnoxious like most Batarians he had met. Civil but extremely lethal and his exploits were unmatched within the SIU. And would explain why they allowed him in the task force with the Batarians been denied another request for a council seat again, this would sooth their thick hides by allowing their best and famous into a prestigious first contact operation. However in Solans opinion Bellor represented what Batarian society's potential is if the council stopped dragging their feet and implemented a little regime change here and social engineering there on the Hegemony.

The doors of the ops room slid open to reveal that Jorim had returned with Dr. Morlan, Both Salarians moved to the Holotable at the center of the room.

"My friends and colleagues, as you know your respective governments and the council had pressed you here to take part in a momentous mission." Jorim continued.

"As of 106 hours ago, a STG recon ship on a mission to investigate a missing probe near the titan nebula managed to discover this." Jorim indicated at the holographic rendition of the massive ships Solan encounters. There was a slew of curses and exclamations of disbelief from the crowd. "Quiet" Jorim yelled. "It is the STG's belief that we are facing a first contact scenario. And this is why you have been assembled here. To make official first contact with an advanced race"

A hand was raised, one of the Asari diplomats. "How do you know that the aliens inside are the ones who built the ships? They could have hijacked them or just found them in their planet?" She asked.

"That's your job to find out" Dr. Morlan answered.

"So where are they now?" a Turian Blackwatch commando asked, Jorim brought up a Galaxy map. A red icon hung over the place where Solan encountered them. "This was where our STG ship encountered them" he pointed out. And the briefing dragged on for an hour afterwards, Solan feeling drained fell into his cot dreaming of wonders and fears that waited them.