Chapter 17 : Teacher
July 19th 2091 - CLASSIFIED - Australia
Urdnot Wrex was not a krogan prone to hobbies or leisurely pursuits. Unlike many of his fellow krogan who'd taken up the life of a wandering mercenary, he wasn't partial to hedonism or the cheap thrill of sporting competitions and battle.
That said, Wrex had always been somewhat interested in history, the idea that one could learn from the past what would occur in the present and future. He'd read the works on figures like the Silent Queen, a technological mastermind from the asari industrial era. The first batarian Emperor, who'd conquered a planet in a generation and Shaman King Uluk, the last and greatest salarian warlord who'd opposed Daltriana Shego. Beings who thought brilliance, will or luck had bent entire civilisations to their will. He wondered sometimes how it had all gone so wrong for his own species. Why his grandsire hadn't accepted that the krogan would need to make do with the worlds they had, why wretched Okeer had betrayed his people, why his father had been so against changing the krogan for the better.
The humans, Wrex mused, had some interesting figures of their own. Philosophers like Confucius and Voltaire, great conquerers like Genghis Khan and Shaka Zulu, even great speakers had left their mark on the human species, with William Wilberforce and Martin Luther King Jr being of equal importance on the great map of human history. Wrex had gone though book after book in search of what humans said about themselves, and what they said about others, the fundamental essence of what made the humans different from the animals which trod outside their vaunted cities.
Naturally, Wrex had found what the humans wrote about their wars. It had taken time, especially given his consistent trawling of philosophical and linguistic works in his initial decades stranded on the planet. But eventually he'd read about and investigated almost every single war the humans had undertaken in almost three thousand years. Oh how their viciousness had surprised him, the lengths they'd gone to were nothing compared to krogan or even turian warfare of course, but the deceivingly meek looking humans were perfectly capable of the sort of war that would leave a foe bleeding and collapsing upon the ground for years afterwards.
Wrex had been asked by the new Union of Sovereign States, to help with determining the direction the humans would be taking their ground forces. He supposed it wasn't surprising, he was the only being in the system with any combat experience in the wider galaxy and had also seen more wars than most of the human leadership put together.
A grimace crossed his face as his listened to the latest complaints the Swedish attache. It was something he could tell by the way they were arguing with him right now.
"We cannot afford to just give up on Main Battle tanks as a military concept!"
The sighs from the portion of the room aligned with Wrex were almost audible. The motley collection of his former pupils was far smaller than it had been in that first class almost four human decades prior, but they'd be forming the nucleus of the new USHS military. Over four dozen warlords...well he supposed the humans called them 'generals' but to Wrex they'd always be warlords, all of whom were trained in krogan style warfare. Massed light armour, concentrated decapitation strikes by biotics or artillery, and utterly overwhelming firepower. The bread and butter of the dozen or so wars Wrex had fought on Tuchanka and beyond.
Wrex knew some of his kin would probably say that aliens couldn't fight a war like a true krogan, and they'd be right. Years of observation taught him that humans were prone to breaking far too easily if untrained unlike turians or asari, and they didn't posses the durability of elcor or the batarians when it came to taking casualties. Nevertheless the human forces he'd fought in the war-games and simulations had been interesting fights, very hard to squash if they retained leadership and capable of some utterly murderous urban warfare tactics. By Kalros they'd turned ryncol into a weapon!
One of Wrex's proteges, a Sri-Lankan woman who'd earned the nickname "Shorty" during her time under his tutelage, was the first to answer the Swedish attaches third objection to basic military sense, her voice carrying derision even through Wrex's translator.
"Mr Lindholm, the next war humanity fights will not be one in which main-battle tanks are useful. Mass effect weapons make unshielded vehicles useless, and even if we did fit a shield to a MBT it would be far too vulnerable to both the orbital and ground weapons of almost a century ago in the wider galaxy, let alone what they will have constructed by the time we actually meet any of them."
The attache made a few more heated arguments about why the USHS should keep heavily armoured fast vehicles, and even though Wrex admired the concept of the 'MBT', the limited technology he'd brought with him did not include miniature level shields needed to make it viable, something that was acceptable for infantry, not assault vehicles. The humans would have to sole that issue on their own. Something the abyss-be-damned prothean library they'd uncovered on Mars would probably be helpful with.
Wrex started paying attention again as what was supposed to be one of the final speakers stepped up to the podium he and the military officials were looking down on. The man stumbled up to the podium, as Wrex couldn't call the arthritis riddled gait actual walking, was evidently very old by human standards. Easily 80 at the least, that he still held influence enough to be where he was interested Wrex greatly.
To Wrex's right the newly appointed Marshal of the USHS forces, an elderly Chinese general by the name of Hu Jieshi, addressed the middle eastern looking man in the slow methodical tone which had seen him through campaigns in Xianjing and Qinghai.
"Mr Amir Badri, Minister of Defence for Sudan, you have been summoned before this most esteemed gathering as to inquire about your proposed 'Miliary Intelligence Committee.' The review team deemed your suggestion worth the Union Armed Forces time, would you care to inform the present personnel as to your proposal?"
The elderly Sudanese man bowed deeply to Marshal Hu before activating a slide on the board behind him. A variety of pictures and statistics began to appear on the board as he spoke in a rasping and heavily accented english.
"Generals, Admirals and honoured representatives-"
The man gave a slight nod to Wrex as he spoke before continuing in the same raspy if enthusiastic voice.
"Historically, having a single intelligence agency police the actions of both civilian and military affairs has proven... dangerous, for a variety of reasons.. In my own country it even allowed for a coup which killed the first President I served under. The current proposal by the new Union of Human States government would allow an overarching intelligence organ to have complete control over both internal, external and military intelligence efforts, and while that might work in former Korea or New Zealand, the sheer scope of the difficulties a single organisation would face, let alone the risks of corruption and potential foul play, mean that we cannot allow such to occur."
Mr Badri paused as another of Wrex's former students, the newly appointed Admiral Einstein, interrupted him to speak.
"Mr Badri, while we understand your point, we would appreciate if you could get to the part of this which relates to the military."
The Sudanese man nodded quickly before continuing.
"My apologies Admiral, my proposal is that rather than the current inefficient system, a new and independent intelligence organisation be created under the direct supervision of the Marshal and the General Secretary, details of the actual organisation are in the folders on your desks."
Hu was the first person to answer as all the others began to read their copy of said files. His voice holding just a hint of interest.
"Mr Badri, we shall consider you proposal."
-
Archives - Advertisement for Lunar Colony - New Herat
Overhead view of Lunar landscape viewing the Earth - Narration begins
"Are you tired of life on planet Earth?"
Shot switches to slums of Mumbai, Rio di Janeiro, Chisinau. Highlighting the unhappy and decrepit looks of many inhabitants, poor quality of food, crime. - Narration Continues after several seconds
"Do you feel like you deserve better for yourself? For your family? Do you want more out of the lot you've been given?"
Cheerful music begins - shot switches to a tall series of arcology buildings against the Lunar landscape, surrounded by numerous fountains, trees, and underneath a clearly visible double layer shield and glass dome system to keep atmosphere inside. People from multiple different ethnicities in futuristic clothing are milling around, all have large smiles on their faces and appear to be enjoying themselves. - Narration begins again.
"Come to New Herat! A brand new Lunar colony, New Herat contains all of the most up to date safety measures and top of the line security systems without sacrificing luxury.
A row of fresh of the line PAUL security mechs stand in guard positions near a public entertainment arcology. They aren't obviously armed, and look eerily human.
"And if you ever feel homesick, Earth is only a day away, as the USHS Colonial Office is proud to state that New Herat will be the first colony connected to Earth by a daily transit network!"
Dramatic footage of lunar dust dispersing as a large cargo-shuttle comes into land, dispersing a number of fresh colonists and supplies.
"300,000 places in paridise, one could be for you, two could be for a new family, all could be yours, if you move beyond earthly limitations."
More pictures of idealic scenery, and a baby being delivered to tis mother in a maternity ward. The narrator then stands in front of the camera, and begins to speak. A tag reads "Comrade Yazov, space explorer
"I'm Cosmonaut Dmitria Yazov, and I implore you to consider your future -"
A woman and three children move to stand in front of the camera
"-and that of your family"
Screen cuts to a brief piece of text saying the add is supported by USHS government
Addendum : New Herat has received over 900,000 applicants within a week.
Authors Note:
Y'know I think one of the reasons I write might be because I feel anxious for whatever reason at the time.
Something to think about anyway.
Also i'm on my 5th cup of tea today. Should i stop?