Gundam belongs to Bandai. Mass Effect to EA. Star Trek to Viacom. I own none of the material mentioned here.


0121.10.04

Entrota System - Fallback Point Gama

Expeditionary Fleet

Reinhard von Lohengramm

Reinhard softly groaned as he pushed off the Command Seat and rubbed his aching neck, they had managed to pull back the day before after the Blitzkrieg that aliens had thrust upon them since leaving the God's Gate. The attack had come without warning, which confused many in the fleet. Thankfully, the Captains had responded in good fashion and started to fight back. Yet there was still the simple fact that so many had been lost, in the opening salvo, that they had been forced to begin a fighting retreat.

Sure, they could have won, given what he saw when he reviewed camera footage from various Mobile Suits and Fighters. The vessels seemed to buckle under Beam fire compared to solid slugs which were intercepted by shielding before they could strike the vessels themselves.

"Ben, what is the status of the fleet?"

A question that had been plaguing him for some time now. The last day had been spent with the crew. While he was at his heart a Noble, high above the Peasantry. He had been trained in a plethora of services. So for the last day, he had been hands deep within the various crew members that had been otherwise injured during the battle before they had pulled back.

Ben, a young man in his twenties, would turn his head towards Reinhard before beginning to list off the various damages to the fleet overall.

"Well out of the vessels we had in system, we lost Eight Imperial Escort Ships, Four Imperial Medium Cruisers, Three Tadugane-class, One Walkit-class. The Federation took substantial losses, with Fifteen Salamis and Salamis-Kai Class, Seven Garfish class, Three Oberth class, and a single Armor Class. However our allies amongst Zeno have yet to file their report losses."

Well that was something of a surprise. He felt that his efforts had mattered to less as the enemy has scored more kills. Yet given the state of his fleet what good mood he felt had been whittled away as a result. Not a single ship wasn't in some state of damage. Five hundred against one was never a good set of odds and these aliens had assaulted them without mercy. They almost seemed fervently furious. On at least two occasions, the faster vessels of the invaders had rammed one of his in an act of mutual destruction.

Yet that number was to much for his liking to begin with. They had thankfully already determined that between the two sides, they possessed the better pilots and vessels, but after the initial surprise of the fighting breaking out, the two sides had broken apart and been reduced to close knife fighting. Mainly in an attempt to limit the use of those dreadnaughts primary guns.

After all they had lost their only Walkit-class vessel to a single shot from their dreadnaught.

"How are our mobile suit and fighter squads holding up? What kind of situation are we looking at overall for the state of our mobile suits and how many managed to get planet side ?"

Ben frowned as he withdrew a piece of paper before humming as he drew his hand across his chin for a few seconds.

"From our forces, the "Union Jack", "Avalon's Pride", and "Yohtenheim's Progress" are reporting ten percent losses amongst their Mobile Suit forces. Though most of their Mobile Suit and Fighter Contingent have received some form of structural damage due to over penetration. The enemies weapons systems seem to possess incredible penetrating power but lack an explosive means to damage internal systems after doing so. Unfortunately this means most of their Mobile Suits and Fighters are damaged in some way, making them unable to be fielded before repairs. Estimates by Neo-Mobile Doll Inquiries put the repairs at three days without Auxiliary ELS presence onboard ships to speed up repairs."

Looking outside, Reinhard watched as a pair of Murasames flew past the bridge window, escorting several damaged AMX-011 Zaku IIIs and RMS-108 Marasais towards the Artemis III Asteroid Defensive Base. One of a dozen scattered across United Earth Alliance Star Systems to act as early warning or staging grounds for forces in the event of say a return of the Devil Gundam, Logos, or even Blue Cosmos launching attacks against a system. The massive Asteroid, based on the original Artemis that was used by the Eurasian Federation during the Bloody Valentine War which had engulfed most of Space and Earth at its height. The large Asteroid Base had lowered the Umbrella System which had been the primary means for its Original to stay active in a war where Space was heavily contested by several factions of those at war with earth based super powers.

"That is a heavy blow but if the Neo-Mobile Doll Systems believe that our best bet is to request support from our allies then so be it. Shatra, put in a request for a Contingent of ELS to be assigned to our battle group. Benny, I want reinforcements here yesterday, I don't care where they come from, even if they are purely ELS. We can't leave the Shanxi System unattended for to long. We have already been gone for eight days since the siege began, and I will be damned if we leave it for more time then that."

Yet even still, with how far they were out on the Frontier of the United Earth Alliance space, it would take some time for the Noble Houses to work out who they will send to provide aid to the planet. Yet aid will come, there was no doubt about that. Humanity was tired, exhausted really, of the conflicts that had plagued it for the last few centuries. So it would come as no suprise that, despite beaten, bent, and cracked, its back was still unbroken. As Shatra, Ben, and Benny all got to sending our their various reports, the overall fleet was starting to undergo repairs.

All the while, Hungry Eyes watched the fleet from within a cocoon of stone and ice. If the God Gate had interested the whole of humanity, then the Devil created by said Humanity would of course show interest.


0121.10.02

Alien System - Alien World Orbit

Batarian Hegemony 65th Pirate Fleet

High Admiral Octab'noel

High Admiral Octab'noel grunted as another shudder rocked his Dreadnaught, a light green beam of energy puncturing through one of the port decks. These new species were proving as tenacious as a rabid Varran when it came to their retreat. Their Direct Energy Weapons had otherwise played havoc with his vessels but thankfully, their retreat and his own ships superior numbers were working in his favor.

He watched as one of their more sluggish ships, one of the green ones, became flanked by two destroyers and was subjected to the withering fire. Their hulls may have been thick, but the combined fire eventually weakened sections before one of the Cruisers fired its Primary Gun and gutted a weakened sector of the strangely designed ship, splitting it in two.

However his good mood was somewhat soured by the reports.

"The Lesenta is venting atmosphere!"

"We just lost the Ventora, we can't get near that Flag Ship, their mech squadrons are just to nimble for our fighters and keep bringing down any vessels that get to close."

"Admiral! The Yunto is requesting permission to retreat to begin repairs."

On and on it went. Octab'noel was really regretting bringing such a large force, even as he watched the new species vessels finally pull far enough back from the planet that his landers could start moving planet side.

"Alright, move the fleet directly towards their retreat coordain. Try to cut off their escape. We have the higher numbers. Bring the Joh'thalin up to the crippled ships and start Boarding Procedures. The more salvage and technology we can bring back, the better."

Sitting back, Octab'noel sighed as his fingers ran down his face. His fleet of five hundred had been cut down to a meager four, one hundred for a total of sixty vessels. This warfare wasn't what he was accustomed to. He was so used to the conventional style, fighters barely saw use in fleets in the Citadel Species, Kinetic Barriers and Vi driven intercept systems made sure of that.

Yet this species turned their established doctrine of fighting on its head. Those Mechs would take on Anti-Ship roles or just, shrug off what would normally cripple a fighter. They lacked Kinetic Barriers but made up for it by using shields of all things! These primitives still used metallic blades, but it was that lack of conventional weapons which played havoc with his fleet. His fighters were all gone. Every last one had been torn to shreds by the mechs they used.

Normally this was supposed to be fine. Fighters shouldn't be able to do anything against vessels, yet these mechs, they brought anti-ship based weapons. He had seen small what could only seem to be energy rifles drain a cruisers shields before moving in and shoving an actual blade through the command center. Thankfully the vessels weapons were controlled by Vis and they managed to finally bring down the mech and then continue working to intercept.

Yet there were other Mechs, those damn black mechs that kept transforming which proved to be capable ship killers. Though they seemed to use all manner of weaponry, ranging from simple metallic blades to large scale shoulder mounted missiles.

"Aden, send word to the rest of the fleet to begin operations, I don't care how strong their defenses are planet side, we will be cracking open that shell no matter what. Keep a picket to ensure that they don't try to return as well. Hop to it."

With a grunt, he sat back and looked towards the planet that he had sacrificed ships and good men to claim, and could only smile sadistically. Barring the unmitigated disaster that would stem from the fact he had openly initiated hostile first contact with a new species, the Citadel Fools would likely handwave that once they knew that the species dabbled in Artificial Intelligence. His musings were broken when Aden spoke up again.

"Admiral, the Nebalu is hailing, requesting permission to use their Mechs and provide low Orbit support."

Mechs hu...after all this species had given them trouble with mechs, it would do them some good to return the favor. They had them disorganized and only reacting to attacks, not preforming counter attacks from the information coming back to the fleet in space.

"Granted. Oh and Aden, tell the Nilok and Yotok to salvage vessels and those mechs, prepare an escort convoy with the Holenta of Sharkesh as the primary vessel. Get them starting home immediately."

Not waiting for an answer, Octab'noel would grin towards the planet as he watched Slave Ships descend towards it. Then an alarm began to blare as an emergency call was placed and sent to his ship. With a nod he accepted it, causing a holographic screen, two in fact, to appear. The first was none other then the good Ambassador Jath'amon and the other was a suprise, a Turian of Eclipse that, like many vessels in the fleet, had accompanied them. The first to speak was not Jath'amon, but Kalgrath. Whom seem panicked and excited.

"Admiral! You need to see this...the enemy ships...they just vanished!"

Before he could even inquire what this Turian was going on about, himself and the confused Jath'amon both were treated to a video. A small Wolf Pack of Frigates, supported by two Cruisers, were hard on the tail of a limping vessel. One of the larger ones. However as they watched, green beams lancing out and striking a cruiser, gutting it and causing it to detonate, the large mechs that these primitives were using suddenly turned and flew back towards what appeared to be hangers on the ship. Then, with a shudder, the space ahead of the vessel, about three kilometers away from it, would begin to shudder and shake, before the vessel itself elongated and shot forward at impossible speeds. The bow connecting with the ripple before it pushed inward and then wobbled as the vessel vanished a few seconds later.

Alternative means of Faster then Light Travel...not relying on the use of Relays. Perhaps this was even more of a boon then they originally thought.

"Well...that is unsettling...Admiral...I was just in a council meeting when I received reports of this. I have to say that the Data you've acquired from this venture will likely double if not triple the overall sales of the upcoming ventures. New Technology, New Slaves, and to top it off, a new race that we could potentially enslave as well. What however I want to know...is WHY YOU DECIDED TO FIRE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION!"

Ah, it would seem that Jath'amon was rather furious. After all, he had been funding this entire venture, and now, while the expenses from the battle were likely to be dragged from Jath'amon's wallet, they could still recoup losses from the selling of this new technology. Which seemed to slightly calm Jath'amon down only ever so slightly before he regained his composure and grunted. Locking eyes with his High Admiral.

"I am sorry for starting aggressions early but...they were using highly Illegal Artificial Intelligence! Once we realized that not long after they attempted to contact us for some reason. We all know the stance on such things. I think it might actually effect the overall amount of credits we will get from selling salvage rights to the vessels. Not to mention their lack of conventional weapon systems, and their mech fighters. I've had my fleet savaged and we only drove them off through suprise attack...our shields did nothing to keep their weapons from piercing our hulls."

Well this new information did seem to calm Jath'amon somewhat while he seemed to be contemplating over the current situation. Octab'noel himself had seem over two hundred of his vessels reduced to slag or bisected by the mechs or by the vessels in orbit. Their weapons were powerful, and they needed a numerical advantage to overcome them as it were. Still, nothing some good Batarians couldn't handle.

"Ambassador, if I may. I would suggest using the funds we acquire here and in the future to fund new projects. Try to find shielding to counter this species weapons. Otherwise every battle will require numerical superiority and I don't like the odds of us always having more numbers then them. This fleet we faced, it wasn't a Home World Defense Fleet like what we and other Citadel Worms use. This felt more like a cobbled together collection of ships. They were barely showing cohesiveness in their tactics, showing they hadn't been together as a fleet long enough to iron out placement of vessels.

Yet even then, they managed to down two hundred of my ships, thankfully none of the Dreadnaughts, but at least six Battleships were taken out. My losses in manpower and ship strength are astronomical and given our current location, I doubt I can see us getting reinforcements anytime soon. Jath'amon, it is my personal opinion that the Hegemony start ramping production of military vessels."

Say what you want about your average Batarian, they were dull witted and arrogantly, but Octab'noel was one of the smart ones. He understood the position he was in...but this wasn't a galaxy run by the strong, not in his eyes. After all, his fears were handwaved by Jath'amon a few seconds later. Politicians after all could never grasp the situation that conflict produced.

"Bah, you are being overly cautious High Admiral. What is two hundred ships compared to the bounty that we will rake in. Divert what ships from the Main Cluster you can and begin your home trip. Have them salvage and bring back as many vessels and corpses as possible from the wreckages. We'll turn a profit out of this and maybe you can buy your fallen soldiers drinks after you get home from subjugating these primitives. Do not fail my expectations Octab'noel. Jath'amon, Out."

As the screen cut to just himself and Kalgrath, Octab'noel pressed his face into his hands with a sigh. He was a Batarian at heart, he understood his duties to the Two Gods, but the fact that his own leaders didn't understand just showed a prime example of why he hated politics in general. With a grunt he turned towards Kalgrath and nodded, as if coming to some kind of an idea.

"Take your forces and return, I want you heading all salvage operations from now on, I'm putting the other Salvage Ships under your command Kalgrath. As you heard, our "Glorious" Ambassador wants us to bring back as much technology and biology from these new species. Likely so we can get better equipment and better ways to break them into slaves."

The Turian looked to have calmed down some, before nodding his head.

"Of course Admiral, Kalgrath Out."

Octab'noel sat back with a tired sigh, watching as so much debris floated before the planet they had just fought for. Somehow. He felt as if this was nothing compared to the future, a brief skirmish and a sign of the reality to come for them and the Galaxy.


0121.10.14

Shanxi System - Shanxi Capital: Auttobenid

45th Nonable Street

Endrota Noble House

Duke Isenho von Endrota

Isenho grunted as his Machine stepped back from another incoming volley of fire from low orbit. Shielding thrust between himself and Escaflowne. Thankfully the Gundanium Shield managed to deflect any shots that struck it, but small dents were starting to form across the shield after nearly eighteen days of nonstop assaults by the aliens. After the Fishermen had been brought down, the aliens had dropped across the planet, some outside their orbital range, but others had landed directly outside Auttobenid.

Other smaller cities weren't so lucky as they were set upon and went dark in mere hours, the few mobile suits that had been stationed there obviously destroyed.

High Bove, even the few remaining fighters that the planet still had operational strafed landing ships, sending them smoking and crashing into the hard ground below, retaliatory fire from oncoming anti-air platforms caused them to break off, lest they were to be knocked from the sky.

Mobile Suits such as Escaflowne weren't as useful here compared to Wanzers, Battlemechs, HOUNDS. Mobile Suits, NEXTs, and Tactical Surface Fighters, had been dictated to act as Anti-Armor and Anti-Ship rather then their intended purpose. Already, the hard grounds outside of Auttobenid's walls were littered with the destroyed remains of both sides, though the Aliens had more casualties then themselves. As Isenho raised his shield to intercept another series of strikes from on high, one of their corvettes had entered the atmosphere to act as orbital strikes for their troops, a detonation down the wall caught his attention. One of their Suicide Vessels had finally breached the wall.

"...I repeat, the enemy has breached the Southern Wall and is now moving in mass towards the City. Any forces that can intercept move now. Between 23rd Buckner Street and 12th Leamon Street."

Yet even as he hefted a Beam Rifle he had picked off a damaged Zaku III earlier, returning fire towards the Corvette, he could see that the enemy was rushing towards the breach, hundreds of them. The soldiers on the walls and in the forward trenches were dead at this point, bodies having piled up from the eighteen days of nonstop fighting. Yet even as his fire clipped the Corvette and caused it to slowly pull back out of range, a wide band broadcast echoed across the city. A voice that radiated Malice and Echoed with Indignity, and one that brought a cheer from the men and women near.

"The Foe has breached out lines, they have slain our brothers and sisters in arms. We move now to close the gap. Hold Fast, Men of Shanxi. The Walls are secured, We hold the Line in the Name of Queens and Country! Knights of House Gremory. Let's not keep the Demon Waiting."

The Knight House, one of dozens that had sprung up in the wake of the revitalization of the Aristocracy following the End War. A close friend to the Endrota family, House Gremory had always kept a few of their Squires and a Knight posted on their planets. More for ceremonial purposes and to show a solidarity with their old friends. Now, as he watched, from the smoke, the hulking forms of Minovsky Ultracompact Fusion Reactor Powered Semi-Autonomous Power Armored Frames or Type-6 Power Armor marched through the dust.

A single Knight, flanked by half a dozen Squires in stark Chrome colored Armor, dropping into cover as the Knight moved forward. The Knight of House Gremory would show the Aliens the Folly of their ways.

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