Chapter 2 : Hostile Contact

Despite what most sci-fi movies would have you believe space is completely silent. There's no atmosphere whatsoever, making it impossible to make a sound. So no one could hear the loud music being played in a small two man fighter patrolling Rivane's mass relay.

The Sentinel was stuck in the pilot seat while his gunner, The Tracker, was singing along to the music he had blaring from the ships audio system.

"...I can climb the highest mountain. Cross the wildest sea. I'll be where the griffin's flying higher and HIGHER!"

Sentinel winced. It wouldn't be so bad if only Tracker could carry a tune. He transmitted as much annoyance as he could through the taint but Tracker was too enraptured by the music to notice.

"Gunna be a spawn in motion. All I need's this pair of wheels. Take me where the futures lying SAINT ANDRASTE'S FIRE!"

Finally Sentinel could take no more "WILL YOU STOP THAT!"

Tracker pushed a button, turning off the music. "Be reasonable! There's nothing to do out here accept guard a dormant relay!"

"It won't be dormant much longer." muttered Sentinel.

Outside he could see the small science vessel hovering in space close to the relay. Once the giant space station was active again it would unlock a whole new star system for the Darkspawn to colonise. Already he could see the blue lights all over the rely turning back on. Then it's rings began rotating around it's element zero core.

The relay was back online.

"Umm Sentinel?"

"What?"

"There's a ship coming through the relay."

"Impossible" Sentinel looked over at a display on his left. If the reading was right then a ship was indeed coming through the relay. "Impossible" he repeated "We only just turned the relay back on so how could one of our ships be returning?"

"It's not a Darkspawn ship you twit!"

Finally Sentinel realised what was happening. Quickly he began to bring the ship out of its power save mode, activating all the systems they'd need for battle. A loud beeping from a front console told him that a ship had just dropped out of FTL.

It was huge. Defiantly a cruiser class ship. It was made up of one almost cylindrical centre section with two 'wings' on either side, near the back.

'Please be friendly' he thought. There were more loud beeps from the console. "Power surge detected!"

"Where?"

"Front section!"

Tracker squinted to get a better look at the ship, then his eyes went wide. "Shit! Those are gun ports!"

Sentinel almost smashed the intercom button "All craft! Enemy ship is powering weapons! Be taking evasive action!" The warning came too late for two ships who were blow apart in the opening salvo, one of which was the science ship. The rest began waving their way through the barrage of enemy fire.

"More ships coming through!" yelled Tracker. Sentinel could see them. Five more ships had joined the first and the relay was still active. Years of military training told him there was no way they were going to make it out of this. He transmitted his feelings to Tracker.

"Oh." he said when he realised his partners plan. "It has been...fun." He started pushing buttons on his consol as Sentinel set a course for the nearest enemy ship.

"What are you doing?"

"If I 'am to be dying, it will be to a decent sound track."

Sentinel shook his head, then chuckled. "Go for it."

Tracker taped a button and the speakers began playing a song by a group called 'Thirty seconds to Anderfel'.

"A warning...to the people..."

"Impact in fifteen seconds."

"The good and...the evil..."

"Guiding us to their bridge!"

"This..."

Several lights went out as the small craft took a hit but still it carried on.

"Is..."

"Five seconds!"

"SMILE YOU SONS OF NUGS!"

"War."

The small craft passed right through the Turian cruisers kinetic barriers and slammed right into its bridge, causing it to depressurise. In moments the space around the bridge was full of debris and frozen Turian corpses.

Bridge of Turian Cruiser 'Victory'.

Captain Vanrick was absolutely furious. Not only was this new, unidentified species blatantly tampering with mass relays but they had damaged one of his ships and taken the lives of officers under his command.

The last enemy ship had run past the fleet of turians and made it to the relay, where it had promptly gone to FTL.

"I want to know where the enemy home world is NOW!" yelled Vanrick.

"Sir" officer Nurel responded "There's only one planet in this system in the habitable zone. It's likely they came from there."

"Excelent." breathed Vanrick "Helm! Set a course for the second planet from the star. We'll make these scum pay for their actions!"

"Sir?" interjected Nurel. "With respect, this race doesn't know about citadel laws regarding mass relays. Is conquering them really the best course of action?"

Vanrick nearly leapt out of his command chair "They murdered good turians! They have defied Citadel law! They cannot go unpunished!"

"But sir, we fired first, all they did was defend themselves."

"Any more insubordination out of you Nurel and I'll personal throw you in the brig!" Nurel seemed to shrink slightly, then he turned back to his console. Vanrick smiled to himself. Today was going very well. Soon the Hierarchy would have a new territory and a new client race. He was going to get medals for this, maybe even a promotion.

Nurel continued to quietly simmer while the turian patrol fleet made its way towards the systems second planet. He mentally began to note down every breach of protocol and authority his superior made. He knew that Vanrick only really cared about advancing his own career and all his 'righteous' anger was just a smoke screen. When this was all over he would make sure that the first thing Vanrick saw when he got home was the inside of a court marshal.

Thedas, Beneath what used to be Val Royeaux.

Within twelve hours of the Turians' arrival, news had already reached Thedas. It was still close to midnight on the Darkspawn home world and the council were less than happy about being woken up.

Vanguard, the current Omega, was on his way to meet with the rest of the council. He marched through large stone corridors decorated with carvings and painting but pausing to admire neither. Around him other Darkspawn were bustling about their daily lives. There were Hurlocks discussing the weather, Genlocks carrying large files and Shrieks constantly checking their omni-tools for news updates.

Eventually he arrived at the door to the council chamber. It was large and ornate, decorated with Orlisian style artworks and guarded by two armoured Ogres. They both moved aside to let him past, one of the holding the door open for him. The council chamber the group resided in was a large, high ceilinged room, based on Orlisian church design. It was decorated with a number of statues and portraits, each depicting a hero of the Darkspawn race. At the centre was a circular table around which sat the councillors themselves. Vanguard took a deep breath and told the rest of the council what he himself had just been told, and could scarcely believe.

"Are you telling us that Rivane is being invaded by aliens?" asked Wynne, the Hurlock broodmother.

The Vanguard gave a slight sigh of annoyance before repeating himself. "Roughly twelve hours ago a fleet of hostile alien ships appeared in the Rivane system and attacked the stations defence forces. We still don't know who they are or what they want but their intent seems clear. Our destruction."

"Do we know what they are doing now?" asked a shriek broodmother named Vanderhal.

"Last reports have them moving into orbit above Rivane. They appear to be attempting a ground invasion. Local forces will not hold without reinforcements."

"Could this be a prelude to a larger invasion?" asked The Found, High Emissary, and a Genlock.

"Maybe. Other colonies have doubled their patrols and we are sending them extra ships but it seems this is only in Rivane."

The Ogre broodmother Saarebass spoke next "We cannot sit idly by while we are being invaded! We must counter attack!"

There were murmurs of approval from around the table. "I've already ordered both the second and fifth fleets to meet in the Par Vollen system. Plans are being made for a mass troop transportation to Rivane." said Vanguard.

The Found cleared his throat "The College is at the Omega's disposal. We are ready when you call for solders."

Vanguard nodded in approval. "Weisshaupt also knows of the situation. The First Warden himself has pledged the support of the Grey Wardens. The invaders will be torn apart!" There were roars of approval from all around the table.

The Darkspawn were going to war.

After he'd left the meeting, Vanguard had gone straight to his office and was now pouring over ship reports. They could have two fleets ready in just two days but he had a nagging feeling that they might need a little extra. He tapped out a quick code on his computer, starting a video call with the Genlock Forgemaster in charge of the 'Archdaemon project'.

The Forgemaster was still asleep when his computer began beeping, reluctantly he touched the answer button. "If this isn't an insanely beautiful broodmother, I'm hanging up." he said, groggily.

"Redsteel? It's Vanguard. Rivane is under attack by an alien force. We need the Archdaemon."

Redsteel got up out of his bunk so fast he banged his head on the bed above. "OW! Are you being serious?!" he asked, while rubbing his head.

"Yes! We need it ready in the next two days."

"Two! It hasn't even been out of dry dock yet, and you want to send it in to a warzone!"

Vanguard rolled his eyes. Genlocks could be so protective when it came to technology. "It will have two whole fleets with it. Now can you get it done?"

Redsteel rubbed his chin, then smiled. "We'll have it ready before you are." then he cut the link. He ran out of his room and made straight for the nearest intercom. Soon his voice was being projected all over the station.

"Attention! All workers! Rivane is being invaded. This not being a joke! The Omega had ordered us to lose Dumat! All hands on deck people! We have two days to get him ready!"

All over the kilometres long dry-dock teams of engineers began furiously hammering, welding and nailing as the raced to prepare their secret weapon.

Redsteel smiled as he looked down from the observation deck at his creation. Whoever these aliens were, they were in for a nasty surprise.

Two days later. Near the Par Vollen mass relay.

After two days of frantic preparations two entire fleets of Darkspawn warships and their support were assembled. Vanguard was on the bridge of the command cruiser for the second fleet, sitting in the captains chair not a few feet away was Admiral Returned. He was an old Hurlock, nearly five hundred and his skin seemed slightly grey in colour.

There was a buzzing noise then a mechanical voice said "All craft in formation."

"Fifth fleet is ready to move." said Admiral Meredith over the ships com. Meredith was in command of the fifth fleet and had been for sixty years now. She was a Shriek broodmother whose intelligence was only surpassed by her viciousness. She had once been called 'the scariest Darkspawn alive'. Vanguard could see her ship now, a large cruiser called 'the Highever' at the head of her forces.

A little to the left was another cruiser, the 'Amaranthine', flagship of the Grey Wardens. The orders own small fleet of twenty was trailing in its wake. From where he was Vanguard could make out the red dragon insignia painted on the side of each ship.

"This is Redsteel." Meredith's voice was replaced by the Forgemaster's. "Sorry we're late. Dumat's all ready, we'll be a minute behind you."

"Confirmed Redsteel. See you on the other side." said Vanguard. He took one last look at the fleet. There were one hundred and twenty ships in total, ranging from arrow shaped frigates to large, bulky battle cruisers, and they were all making their way towards the mass relay. It was an impressive sight to say the least.

"All craft in position. FTL jump in...three...two...one."