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


0121.09.22

Chentari System - Quipla

Abandoned Turian Military Bunker

Quarian Migrant Fleet

Alexia Van Numenberg'Quipla

Alexia could only watch in contemplation as the sensors inside of the bunker as the various Batarian vessels started to leave the system and head out. Passing through the unlawfully opened relay and proceeding into uncharted space. The Quarians had spent the last two weeks working to crack the Batarian coding system on their star ships to infiltrate their communications and listen in on the fleet while it was still in orbit.

Even over the last two months, the Quarians were doing their best to clean and maintain the equipment of the bunker as well as themselves. The bunker itself had been brought back up to modern standards and the work on the weapons and vehicles was progressing smoothly. If the Quarians were to make a break from their current situation and towards one of the docked ships on the ground, they would need military grade weapons.

Six Class 4 Main Battle Tanks had been brought up to code and upgraded with what data that the Quarians had on hand. However when news started coming in that the Batarians had begun moving supplies and troops off world, the Quarians grew both curious and cautious. Alexia himself had ordered the surviving marines in his force to begin preparations to move out and take one of the ships before the Batarians could leave for orbit.

"What are they doing...I want any remaining vessels in this system tapped, their headquarters on the planet as well. Something is going on and I want to know what it is!"

Aggression was starting to mount in the Admiral as he watched one by one, the contacts of Batarian vessels vanish from sight and leave the system. A skeleton crew beginning to form from six corvettes, three cruisers, and a single aging battleship. His own gut intuition said to wait but his experience said to act.

"Sir, the Bane of Pirates, has just entered the Mass Relay."

"Sir, the Hammer of Khar'shan, has just entered the Mass Relay."

"Sir, the Back Breaker, has just entered the Mass Relay."

The reports continue to come in as Alexia watch the fleet vanish, but a smile forms beneath his mask as he looks towards the nearest Batarian outpost. While he understood the need to wait, he also understood that fortune favors the bold. Time was of the essence and he needed to act or he would loose this chance.

"Prepare a scouting team from the Civilian Population and our own Marines. We are going to hit their slave correctional facility ten clicks from here. If we are going to get out of here, we need to-"

However his command was cut off as the near by Com Relay began beeping and the private at the terminal nearly fell over rushing to answer.

"Yes...Yes...Oh thank the Lords of the Homeworld! Yes, he is right here!"

The young man, dressed in regulation greys of the Quarian Marines, turned towards Alexia with his slightly cracked and fixed visor plating displaying slightly distorted images of happiness through the fractured surface.

"Sir! It's Admiral Rael'Zorah! He's patched through somehow and is on the line for you."

Alexia moved far faster then he had since the crash, ignoring his own aging body, the seventy year old man would grasp hold of the communicator and patch it through and into his suit before the voice of his oldest friend echoed in his ears and brought complete silence to the room.

"Alexia, this is Admiral Rael'Zorah. Damn is it good to hear you and yours are still alive even after all this time. The Fleet gave up hope a few months ago but I sure as hell didn't."

Perhaps it was the situation or perhaps it was the relief to hear from SOMEONE in the Migrant Fleet again, but the reply wasn't as military as it would have been.

"Well I was starting to wonder when the Admiralty would get off their Frakking Arses and start looking for us. Then again they don't have a daughter amongst the crew so this comes as no suprise. You always did put a lot of stock in your own kid."

Turning, Alexia would grab one of the still and silent privates on station and send a private communication to him.

"Go get Tali."

The private would salute before rushing off to get the senior Admiral's Daughter, leaving Alexia to return to the conversation.

"Is Aven there with you or is this official business?"

Of course his answer came with the soft but prideful voice of the woman that was said to be the second Admiral on the same ship as Rael.

"You think I would leave my husband to make an attempt to contact with our old friend and our daughter? You must have hit your head Alexia if you think I would sit this out. Now, how are you doing?"

This actually caused the aging Quarian to slowly ease himself back into his chair and sigh out, hand placed over his visor. So many things to say, as he looked towards the dwindling Batarian fleet, he knew that the time to strike was now, though given that the Batarians were doing something on the other side of the relay.

"There is a lot that has happened these last few months. Right before you called the Batarian Fleet in the system started going through the active relay on the eastern side of the system. The one that was active when they arrived along with us. That is unexplored space and I can only imagine that they are meeting our newest neighbors to the galactic east right now."

This came with a moment of silence from the other end of the Com system before Rael'Zorah spoke with hushed tones.

"They are going to likely use the unlawful opening of the Mass Relay as an excuse to enslave the species that opened it without Council Sanctions. Frak..."

Alexia couldn't have disagreed with that logic, it was after all the same thing that the Turians or Salarians would have done in this situation. They were after all power hungry at times depending on the ones in charge of the fleet. Though that thought was pushed aside as he considered the situation. Thankfully, as with all Turian bases, there was a Tactical map within the center of the large command center where this was all taking place. A projected 3D rendering of the solar system still functional.

"Right now we need to focus on getting out of here before we can worry about any new species being subjected to the "tender" mercies of the Batarians. Right now, out of the two hundred vessels that were in the system, there are only ten vessels in the system-"

"I know already."

This caused Alexia to stop what he was saying as he turned back towards the monitor with confusion. Now that he brought it up, there was no way that they would have been able to connect to this bunker without alerting the Batarians to their position. So how the hell were they accomplishing this communication without the outcome ending with the bunker stormed by Batarian Soldiers and their lobotomized slaves.

"You...wait how? How do you already Know, Rael there is something that isn't adding up. I'm not seeing any movement from the Batarian forces so they don't know where the Bunker is. This implies they haven't picked up this transmission, which is way to peculiar. Rael...what are you using to hide your signal?"

Even as he asked, he motioned for one of his still living Technical Experts to begin tracking the signal. All the while he waited for an answer.

"I ... have had to make sacrifices to find you ... to find Tali ... sacrifices I am not proud of but ones I will make to ensure her safety. I have .. gained a benefactor. Please do not ask me more then that, now isn't the time to reveal my hand just yet. For now, just know that I am coming to bring you all home to the Migrant Fleet. Alive."

This truly must be serious if Rael had stooped so low as to find aid from another rather then rushing to save them. The thought of loosing his only daughter must have raddled the otherwise uncompromising Quarian that he had known for decades. This however did little to explain the situation. Though with their supplies starting to need to be rationed and increasing sickness cropping up due to the aged Turian equipment, they had truly little choice in the matter.

"Fine ... I won't press the issue, but Rael I need a time frame. I am starting to ration what supplies we have and unless I start striking Batarian Slave Processing Centers and Correctional Facilities, I will have to increase said rations. Water is already scarce as it is."

That was an understatement however. The water situation had proved difficult to begin with and now that they had to deal with dwindling supplies, they were looking towards less positive alternatives. Distilled and filtered urination or even blood, offered via donor volunteers. His mind however was drawn back to the conversation when Rael spoke again.

"I know what I am about to say may seem counter productive to my last statement but I would suggest using this absence of Batarian Forces to raid those facilities for both supplies and slaves. The additional aid you can provide for them as well as the additional muscle would go a long way to ensuring your survival until I can arrive. You can't be passive Alexia. Show the Batarians we won't cower in holes."

What was being asked was right in line with what he was planning to do originally, but to think his superior in the Admiralty Board would actually order the same thing. It was a surreal experience but one he welcomed. Yes, his old blood boiled, for to long he had let his passiveness go unquestioned by the need for duty and the need to display what made Quarians powerful and feared.

So as he turned towards his fellows in the room, he held aloft his hand and nodded, a silent command.

"We will begin Operation Break Out as outlined in last night's mission briefing. I understand many of your concerns but we need supplies and we need them NOW! I want those mainline battle tanks up and operational within the next week. They will be our hammer in this engagement against the Batarians and our Armor to ensure our boys and girls are safe. So hop to it Marines!"

The Orders were beginning to be relayed across the bunker as the Admiral turned towards the Com Center and began to relay his next set of orders and instructions.

"I know this isn't easy for you Alexia but I need you to prepare yourselves for when I arrive in a month's time. My allies are gathering their forces rapidly but as it stands, you need to hold out another month's time. I will however stay on the line till my daughter arrives and I can talk with her."

Alexia nodded his head before he turned his attention away from the now and started to focus more on the future. Even as the Admiral began to forward much needed information and the current situation outside of their small bunker. In return, Alexia sent back what his probes and forayseys into the Batarian systems had accomplished. The current troop numbers on the planet, dozens of after action reports by the Batarian commanders following successful raids into Council Space, and footage gained from hacked systems in the uncharted sector. The two Quarians watched from hull mounted cameras as the Batarian naval forces hovered over the small blue planet. Dozens of them. Destroyed vessels of unknown make floated in the gravitational pull or were stuck via tractor beams in the gutted underbellies of aging ships. These vessels converted from combat vessels into salvage and repair vessels in the last few months.

"As you can see the Batarians started seizing this world over two month ago but besides the initial clash they have been merely testing the waters. Not truly putting forth effort into capturing the cities below."

Even as Alexie pointed out, one of the frigates would break formation and begin to sink into the gravity of the planet itself. Though the Quarians had been making strides in pushing their way into the computer systems of their oppressors that put them on this planet, they had to remain subtle. Lest they give away their location in hiding. Though they otherwise watched in some silence, as transport ships moved from orbit or the planet, likely ferrying slaves and pilfered goods back to the fleet, surprise swept both sides watching the exchange as nuclear fire lit up the planet near where the frigate entered the atmosphere. The Batarian Coms going haywire at the loss of one of their starships in orbit. Alexie had to give it to these new arrivals. They had teeth at the least.

Though as they watched, a blip on the sensors on the outermost fringes of their sensors would draw the Quarian's attention in the form of a great sphere of silverfish energy which erupted from the edge of the system. The camera sadly could barely get more than a grainy feed when the sphere winked out of existence.

"Bring up something in that area Alexie. My…compatriots are making their way into the system you have entered but they are reporting limited sensor readings in the general direction of that sphere."

Alexie would be lying if he wasn't as curious as his life long friend. So with these unknown benefactors of the Admiral continuing their work, he turned towards one of the young former engineers of his ship. A Genda* or first served on a Quarian Ship.

"Genda Von'nal Numenberg, see if you can't dig a bit deeper and get a hold of the Batarian sensors. See what the long range cameras can send back while you are at it."

The first item to come back was the images from the cameras on the bow of the ship came back relatively grainy, but they could make out someone resembling the vague outline of an asaranoid* figure though given the distance and the location it was without a doubt Artificial. So while Von'nal worked to enhance the images or otherwise break into the Batarian sensors, the few grainy images were being analyzed. It would take but a few minutes before Rael'Zorah came back.

"My contacts are finished analyzing the images the long range cameras took and I can't make heads or tails of what I'm looking at. You've been in that system and the Batarian systems long enough Alexia. What in the 76 Hells* Am I looking at?"

Alexie would feel his stomach drop down as a more refined image met his eyes. It was one of the asaranoid machines that the new species seemed to utilize in space based on the images sent back to the Batarian during their first contact but this one was different. The dimensions were all wrong. It was titanic compared to what one would suspect.

Something or someone had arrived, who's actions would ring across the stars in the coming years.

0121.10.14

Shanxi System - Shanxi Capital: Auttobenid

10th Evacuation Shelter

Auttobenid Militia

Neo-Mobile Doll Abigail Williams

Abigail Williams was still beside herself as the shotgun in her hands kicked with a meaty thud. The pellets tearing into the chest of one of the traitors. Her eyes still awash with mechanical rage and purple in coloration. One of the Blue Cosmos Fanatics had stepped back just barely missing a bark of her tactical shotgun before he raised a pistol and aimed it at her. Though his smirk as she calculated the odds of dodging a point-blank shot from what appeared to be military issued service pistol. Though his smirk turned to confusion as he looked down at the hand as it seemed to not pull the trigger his eyes falling to his wrist and then to an older man beside the two, his right hand clutching a hefty blade of some age which appeared to be very much gory.

Blood continued to erupt from the stump at his elbow where the upper half of his arm hung limply. The hand itself swayed below and from side to side, still clutching the weapon. The man grabs hold of the torn limb before he collapses down onto his knees. Tears streaming from his eyes enough that he doesn't see the blade as it's buried into his eye and out the back of his skull.

Body still twitching as the foot long kitchen knife is tugged from the skull of the man, a Coordinator woman, blond of hair and grey of eyes, clutching the weapon with fear filled eyes. Likely, as Abigail watched her break down into tears, the woman had never taken a life before, and only now acted in self defense. Not that the combat Ai currently suppressing her own programming would have even noticed.

The small combat model, hidden as a simple civilian model, merely turned cold and dead eyes onto the brewing chaos still going on.

"Fatality percentage. Ten percent. Unacceptable parameters. Activation of Type 23 Nanites confirmed."

Abigail would drop into a three limb crouch, legs splayed behind her with one hand pressed palm down to the ground. From a section of her neck, the "skin" peeled back as a few long metal tubes would extend as blood pooled down from both sides of her waist and down her hips. The forming of tentacles of some mass finished forming even as she tossed the now empty shotgun into the air. The metal tentacles pierced it in two locations and worked to rapidly deconstruct and integrate its components.

"Wha-what are you…"

The coordinator was looking at her, confusion and fear as her traumatized eyes looked between her torn open back and the rapidly vanishing firearm. The Neo Mobile Doll would meet her eye even as the mechanical tendrils finished. All around, those of Blue Cosmos backed away and formed at the entrance. They had taken a few losses but overall their actual attack had been a relative success. There were quite a few wounded New Types, Cyber New Types, Innovators, and Coordinators that had taken a bullet or otherwise been gunned down in the short few minutes of the slaughter.

"Termination of any and all hostile parameters set."

The Neo-Mobile Doll would start to walk now, weapons integrated and internal production facilities working in tandem with one another to produce ammunition in preparation for another confrontation, when the soulless killing machine received an incoming signal. The Battle Droid stopped as its head snapped up and looked towards the ceiling, before a smile slowly spread across its face. That smile caused the faux skin and muscle of the machine to creak as it was pulled much too far. Then it dropped into a squat as a photon axe swung and dug itself into the bulkhead of the door.

Another member of Blue Cosmos, decked in Militia Armor, sporting the six foot utility axe, which was in itself a long piece of metal, with a bright blue glowing axe head on one side and a hammer on the other. Normally meant for fire fighters to help in entering buildings, this one had become repurposed for murder given the sizzling of blood on the axe head and the dead body of a Coordinator that had fallen to it. 'Abigail' would snap its hand out to grasp the head of the attempted killer before, and with little fanfare, tearing off the head of the would-be killer. Blood splashing across the side of her face as she grasped the handle of the modified fire axe and tore it from the bulkhead.

"Weapon Acquired. Extermina-Extermination of Hostiles Beginning."

That blasted signal. The AI currently puppeting the body had found that the original consciousness programming was trying to reassert itself into dominance once more over the fact that the signature in the system was matching to a mobile armor and IFF of a certain individual inevitably linked to both their programming. Then the construct was forced to duck as another axe head buried itself into the bulkhead again. Blue Cosmos was never the smartest group out there and it showed. Most appeared to be drawn from the less intelligent groups while their leaders were always generally of the aristocracy in some fashion. The missed attack was punished by the axe the construct had taken and used it to drive the head into the throat with a clean swipe. Now walking forward as the corpse collapsed to the ground.

0121.10.14

Entrota System - Fallback Point Gama

Shanxi - Relief Fleet

High Lord Commander Ofærr Stjarnagram

Ofærr was in a good state of mind when he felt the jostling of The Concordia exit Quartex Space and the lights around the ship stopped fluctuating. Always a side effect of exiting Quartex Space he absentmindedly noticed. Yet as the half a kilometer length vessel realigned itself with the rest of the Relief Fleet, his implant within his eye would chime, drawing his attention towards an incoming message. One which caused him to freeze mid conversation.

"Yog-Sathoth Programing Initiated"

He barely said a word as he broke from his conversation and started towards the hanger at a rapid pace. While he was the High Lord Commander, he did enjoy some amount of freedom in his actions, originally he had been sent to direct and command the forces used to reclaim the Shanxi System but all that went out the window when those words appeared in his line of sight. This meant that the civilian shelters had been breached.

With that in mind, he had decided on the next step of their operations for the fleet. It would seem that they could no longer gather more forces from the various fleets that humanity had been able to build since leaving the Sol System. Yet with the new information that time table had otherwise spun up. Even as Marines and Crew Members rapidly moved out of the way, he paid them little mind, having shoved himself out of his dress uniform and opted instead to go shirtless as he entered the hanger proper.

Ofærr stood well over most sets of heads, given his height, it was easy to spot the man, riddled with scars and with both a head and beard of full hair. Speculation had it that the only man to actually exceed him in such was none other than Charles zi Britannia of the Britannian Empire in the Nev'la Sector, two hundred lightyears above the Sol System. The two had only met briefly, but had nearly come to blows over the leadership direction of the United Earth Alliance.

Ofærr's one working eye shifted to the Mobile Suit on the far wall. While the rest were either the Zeon RMS-106 Hizacks and AMX-104 R-Jarja in this hanger, his Mobile Suit stood out. Based on the schematics of the MRX-010 Psycho Gundam Mk-II, only downsized, the robust Mobile Suit was draped in a Anti-Beam Cloak resembling some great beast's hide, draped across the back, shoulders, and arms as well. Hiding said arms. The head was adorned with a pair of sweeping golden horns branching off to either side.

An axe was held across the back, a sweeping axe head glinting in the light of the bay, ready to be empowered by one of the hands. Both the axe's head and the handle were covered in religious and ceremonial iconography as well. Across the right arm, strapped in place, was a massive tower-like shield which sloped around both sides of the arm rather than remain semi- flat. Spikes jutted off the front, and sides of the shield itself, the corner ones being the longest, only surpassed by the jutting spike at the center of the four sides.

Upon the shoulders and head of this massive Mobile Suit, already far beyond what one would consider normal, lay three serpentine-like heads resting upon the head and shoulders. Massive mouths which were currently closed. Their serpentine necks sliding behind the heavy fur like cloak covering the body. Spines jutted from the necks as well, with three sets of visors along the sides of the heads, mimicking what one would see as being eyes. The only other piece of important equipment being a long blade attached at the hip, as well made of Gundanium Alloy.

The moment however he entered the Hanger, the rightmost head lifted off the shoulder, much to the confusion and slight terror of engineers running diagnostics on the other mobile suits in the bay. Though Ofærr paid them no mind as he jumps out and floats towards his machine. Already he can feel the buzzing of his com piece as he feels his feet collide with the gundanium hull of the 881-413Ka Slátr as the Mobile Suit came alive from his mere touch. His finger reached up to press against his ear piece.

"Yes?"

It would crackle for a few seconds before the young voice of none other than Reinhard von Lohengramm who had been there at the start of this mess. Commissioned and promoted due to his personal experience in siege warfare and his experience fighting these aliens. He had Rendezvoused with them halfway to the fleet to transfer to his new ship in the relief fleet, the 3 kilometer vessel was one of six others meant to break the overall hold the enemy had established over the planet.

"My Lord, my engineers reported that you have entered the hanger and are currently preparing your mobile suit for launching operations. Might I ask why? The relief fleet flag ship is not due to arrive for three more days and you were to be transferred there when it did."

However Ofærr had already entered into the cockpit and was activating the dormant systems. Already the RAGNAROK System was feeding into his aged mind information about potential enemies. Tapping into other mobile suits and even local ships as the fleet of twenty vessels clustered around the Quiltra-Queleual-class Assault Dreadnaught.

"Situation has changed. Reports of civilian evacuation centers being breached have just reached me. As of this moment, we no longer have the luxury of waiting. I am taking control of all vessels in this system. Reinhard. As a Lord Commander I officially promote you to the rank of Lord Admiral of this offensive. We are going ahead of the fleet."

Even now as his mobile shot fully came online, he heard the klaxons sounding across the bay. Pilots rushing out of the hanger to begin getting suited up. He could never stand those accursed things. After making sure his mobile suit was online he would exit the it's cockpit and begin heading towards one of the many dressing stations.

"All hands. All hands. Man your battle stations. I repeat. All hands man your battle stations. This is not a drill. Prepare for Quartex Jump."

Though it seemed Reinhard had more to say.

"I will follow this order but High Lord. Is this the wisest course of action? Surely the breaches are temporary and will be repelled."

Even Ofærr hoped that this was the case. Yet something told him in his gut it wasn't. Floating through zero gravity towards one of the locker rooms, the unisex pilot changing rooms. He wouldn't bother with his official pilot uniform for this. Didn't believe these aliens deserved such an honor. No. He stepped into the room, surrounded by the youth of humanity, all the sects of it. A young woman half way through dressing spotting the graying giant of a man and stood at attention.

"Commander on Deck!"

All stopped to salute, though so had to make mental notes to hit their fellow pilots for leering. Even still. Ofærr paid it no mind. The young being young after all.

"At ease."

The young men and women, the newest generation of pilots, returned to dressing. Even as he stepped up to his own spare locker. Reaching inside, he pulled out his own pilot suit as he turned towards the youth of this era and their eagerness to get into combat. They were disciplined well enough, the Core had strengthened them, and several were Nobility, so they had been placed into leadership roles to ensure they would live up to the roles their parents held.

"Sir...why are we jumping?"

Ah, he was wondering when someone would ask. Even as he stepped into the pilot suit, he turned towards them. Theirs were rather reminiscent of the old Zeon Uniforms, much more designs imbedded into the actual suit despite it being for space combat. He was no different. Medals pinned on bodies despite the fact no one would see them, unless before the fighting, or in a body bag. He sighed as he slid an arm into one of the sleeves.

"The Shelters have been breached. This Alien Filth has started to attack our civilians. So we are jumping. We will be the first in, to strike a decisive blow against them."

Ofærr watched, a mixture of emotions spread across the faces of each of them before him. Some showed acute anger, others fear, some still had that natural blood lust that seemed to permeate certain family lines like those connected to the Atlantic Federation's Extended Human Program*. Though he didn't wait to hear their responses, already clad in his pilot suit, Ofærr had already departed the room and went back into the hallway. Even as he felt the ship jump into Quartex Space. The Intercom chiming as their Captain once again addressed the entire ship.

"All Hands, proceed to your Mobile Suits, Fighters, and Mobile Armors. We will be reaching the Shanxi System in One Hour. There all current ships will act as the vanguard for the Relief Force. Civilian Bunkers have been breached, the Aliens are doing who knows what to your loved ones. As soon as we drop out of Quartex Space you are to engage and move to blunt their continued invasion of Shanxi. Lord Commander Ofærr will be personally leading this counter invasion. May the Numberless Gods of Earth and the Colonies Religions protect them till we can arrive."

Ofærr himself had returned to the 881-413Ka Slátr as the Mobile Suit, seemingly acting on its own, flexed its hands. There was always a kind of soul to this machine, Ofærr had noticed since having it specifically built following joining the Three Nations Alliance* two years before the Final War between the Earth based Nations and those in the various colonies in space. As he watches, arms crossed, the other Mobile Suits in the hangar, which number some thirty, are manned and they await their first taste in combat.


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Information:

Genda: Equivalent to a Private in the Quarian Navy.

76 Hells: The Quarian had a rather interesting take on religion before their exile. Mainly that certain actions could cause them to suffer in one of Seventy-Six separate levels of hell. Though there is much contradiction on which levels of their damnation were dedicated to what actions. In the years leading up to the Geth Rebellion and subsequent exiling of the Quarian Species, or most of them at least, the Geth had taken to analyzing the Sacred Texts and constantly brought up the fact that there were inconsistencies between the different religious sects of the Quarian People. This had actually led to those with higher Religious Views to openly call for the dismantling of the Geth.

Extended Human Program: An Extended Human was a term given to the Human subjects of the Earth Alliance's (Atlantic Federation & Eurasian Federation) top secret research and development initiative colloquially called Project: SUPERIOR. The aim and object of the project was to create individual mobile suit pilots who were able to perform on the same level as the Coordinators, New Types, and Innovators without the use of genetic manipulation, thus they were still able to be called a "pure" human. The EA hoped that the Extended would-be Anti-Coordinators and effective soldiers of war as they were given multiple genetic enhancements, bodily modifications and augmentations, as well as severe mental and physical conditioning in order to counteract their enemies. Generally speaking, these children were turned into blood thirsty killers willing to kill their own as Coordinators, New Types, and Innovators.

Three Nations Alliance: The Three Nations Alliance was a joint Fleet created from elements of Zaft, Zeon, The Colonies, The Atlantic Federation, the Earth Federation, and the Earth Alliance. Forces that opposed both sides of the Earth vs Spaceanoids conflicts and to fight the real adversaries of Humanity.