EDIT: Updated the council scene a bit, should hopefully feel less like their shouting at each other for no reason.
Apologies if this chapter feels rushed.
Please, Do Complain, if there are bits of this chapter not up to scratch as I shall happily redo it when I have time. The though behind this was it's been quite a while, so I'd probably better give you guys something to read. Anyway, usual jazz, review, alert, PM whatever, I really want to hear your views of this fic. :D
There was once a time when the Galactic Council held sway over the races of the galaxy. Created by the Bentusi after a great rebellion in a distant past, the council was a sanctuary: a place for the younger races to assemble, set aside their differences and discuss and solve disputes amongst themselves peacefully without having to resort to the shadow of violence. For a time, the council excelled at its purpose. Indeed, at the very appex of its power, the Council contained sixteen independent Empires the combined military power of which was unmatched by any other single force in the galaxy. The council held such power over the galaxy that even the old Taiidan Empire at its peak still answered to the council.
But, like all great things, the councils power slowly started to whither and fade.
The return of the exiles under the leadership of Karen S'jet, the formation of the Taiidan Republic and the defeat of the old Taiidan Empire placed great strain on the council as an entity. Despite the addition of the Hiigaran people -whom had became a major nation almost overnight due to the defection of a dozen former Imperial worlds- and the fledgling Taiidan Republic, the councils power was permanently weakened due to lose of their largest military contributor.
One hundred years later, the Vaygr -led by the warrior lord Makaan- conducted a stunning assualt on the galaxy backed by the remnants of the former Imperialist Empire, with Hiigara the aim of their attack. Nation after nation fell before their onslaught; an unstoppable force led by a keen strategist. Even the Bentusi -the enigmatic traders and diplomats of the galaxy- were hunted until believed extinction for reasons only Makaan knows. Then, as the galaxy fell into chaos and with Hiigara blockaded by an immense Vaygr armada, the Hiigarans -led by Karen S'jet once more- counter-attacked, killing Makaan and obtaining the legendary progenitor warship Sajuuk. In the south, under mounting pressure from an unchecked Vaygr advance, a dozen minor nations and independent worlds formed the Farsaiini Interplanetary Alliance. United under this new banner, the Farsaiini -backed by a few friendly Turanic clans- not only single-handedly stonewalled the Vaygr advance but conducted a fierce counter assualt, pushing the Vaygr all the way back to their pre-war borders. In the North, the Frerrn Aggregate -a small, agressively territorial nation with a disproportionately large navy and a simmering hostility to the former Imperial Taiidan Empire- locked horns with Imperial forces under Makaans command. Unprepared for such fierce resistance, the Imperials were crushed but not before the Frerrn payed for their victory in blood and steel.
The destruction of Bentus marked the destruction of the Bentusi as a race. With it's founders gone and hostilities growing between the remaining nations, the council would have collapsed were it not for the intervention of the Hiigarans and the Taiidan Republic. However, despite their best attempts, the once wise and powerful council is now considered a joke by most of the galaxy. The Imperial Remnants and Vaygr Loyalists simply laugh off council sanctions against their wars of expansion and aggression against other star-faring nations or -in the case of the Vaygr civil war- their own kind. Lacking the military power needed to enforce these edicts, the most the council can do is condemn their actions with harsh words and attempts to ban already limited trade between them and its member nations. Even amongst its members, the council is looked on as a weak diplomatic barrier between nations, a minor bump in a nations path if it wishes to go to war. The present day council is a far cry from the great power it once was.
So, it came as a great shock when a cluster of grizzled, robed Hiigaran councillors, gathered before a conclave of representatives from numerous races, announced exactly what had transpired on their border with the Vaygr Reaches. Recordings of the spectacular announcement would be replayed across a hundred different information networks for weeks to come.
The silence in meeting chamber lasted for minutes after the announcement as minds raced to comprehend exactly what the Hiigarans had revealed. A truly alien nation from beyond the galactic rim. A race that hadn't hesitated to fire upon both Hiigaran and Vaygr vessels. Veteran Councillors stuttered and drooled in their seats. This was the largest event the council had had to deal with for decades. For a long time it had been expected any external threat would reveal itself through the hyperspace gate network (a network that was restricted to a select few gates due to Hiigaran paranoia) which itself extended to several areas beyond the edge of mapped space. Aliens from another galaxy were the stuff of creative science fiction vids. They were not something that existed in reality, and posed a very real and potentially devestating threat.
As one the council broke down into cries of outrage, fear and outright disbelief. A bought of shouting broke out, the sound of denial from those that did not wish to believe.
"Aliens from beyond? Pffft, thats impossible."
"The Hiigaran's expect us to believe these far-fetched tales?"
"Such drivel is to be expected from the sand-kissing Hiigaran's!"
It took but a single insult from a Frerrn councillor to turn the relatively calm (if slightly confused and afraid) council into a bickering, childish brawl. Men and woman, left and right either attacked the Hiigarans or jumped to their defence as old greivances and hatred floated back to the surface. It was the same reasons as usual. Several minor nations attacking the Frerrn over their aggressive border patrols. Several Turanic clans claiming infringement of their right to "defend" the Eastern territories. The tiny Khartun Empire threatening their smaller neighbours the Hazzurnii United Clans with war over illegal trade route... As more and more nations turned on each other,the Hiigarans saw the oppertunity for an Alliance fade faster and faster before them. Even as evidence was waved in their faces; Scans of the alien jumpgate; recordings of the battle; theorised power readings from alien shields... nothing staved the growing storm of voices as nation after nation turned on each other over even the most trivial of disagreements. A growing tide of councillors -surrounded by their armoured escorts- left for their shuttles as realisation kicked in: the once civilised meeting -like many before it- had broken down into a bought of petty name calling once again. Others remained seated, only to openly trade insults that were unexpectedly harsh coming from the mouths of fully grown, respected men and women. Amongst the carnage, a single cloaked form stood up amongst the growing rabble.
"The Taiidan Republic pledges to support the Hiigaran Republic, no matter the outcome."
Even so, the damage was done: relations between a dozen races slightly more strained than they had been going in. Thankfully, the meeting was not entirely for nought. Once the storm had passed and tempers had cooled, the council voted for the Farsaiini proposal of putting together a taskforce comprised of multiple vessels from the many different council nations. The Hiigaran request to lead the taskforce was denied, permission instead being given to the Farsaiini.
Two days later -against the will of the galactic council- the Hiigaran 6th fleet made its move on the jumpgate, ready to face whatever horrors lay beyond.
Commander Jarr Orr'lathe was not a happy Batarian. But then, considering the situation he was in, was it any wonder? Jarr and the nine-ship strong Batarian Naval squadron under his command, were currently deep within the heart of Terminus Systems, or, more precisely, they were nearing the position of a recently found Relay, which they'd been ordered to use without Council approval (Tampering with unactivated Relays was illegal under council law). Why had Jarr and his men been sent in the first place? In order to scavenge powerful alien technology of course. The jittery Hegemoney-backed pirate lord (Arlunn Der'Lorak: seemingly one of the most prominant in the Terminus Systems) who'd wandered into Batarian space and informed Jarr's superiors of his find (which he'd came across during a slave run) had been all too happy to describe the aliens directed energy weapons, their lack of element zero in their ships and the kinetic barriers capable of deflecting or at least weakening GARDIAN laser shots. What he'd failed to mention was he'd lost two ships during his little trip through the Relay... and he'd only mentioned the detonation of a thermo-nuclear device after he'd already been payed an obscene amount of credits for the information. Still, it was a chance too huge for the Batarian government to ignore. The Hegemoney had dispatched Jarr and his squadron immediately upon hearing of the pirate lords testimoney -probably already dreaming of massive Batarian Dreadnoughts armed with laser beams slicing their way through Alliance ships. They had declared that once the alien tech was safely in the hands of Batarian scientists, then, and only then, the Citadel council (the bunch of slow moving, unchanging cowards that they were) were to be informed and allowed to conduct proper first contact procedures.
Jarr's problem? The whole mission. He'd only been given nine ships -and even then one of them, the Kharto, was a bulky, armoured freighter carrying the scavenging team. So, in total, he had eight warships to conduct what was essentially grave robbery. It was madness. A pointless exercise that served only to highlight the utter insanity of the nation Jarr reluctantly served. The entire mission counted on the aliens being incredibly stupid: failing to secure both the only known Relay leading to their space and the wrecks of their fallen ships. Were his ships -by some incredible stroke of luck- to manage to reach the wrecks, he'd be lucky if the aliens didn't find him and shoot him on sight for desecrating the graves of their fallen comrades. The mission stank of idiocy. The Hegemoney should have informed the Citadel immediately instead of sending him on this insane mission that would only provoke the aliens to attack Batarian ships if they caught him, possibly sparking a war (or an extermination? The Hegemoney was barely a match for the Alliance) in the progress, depending on the "glorious" Hegemonies reaction. He was under-equipped to carry out a mission that, in all honesty, should never have been commissoned in the first place.
"Commander, we're nearing the Relay's last confirmed location. Estimated time of arrival, fifteen minutes."
Jarr merely nodded at the pilots announcment from his position deep within his cruisers darkened Combat information centre, his mind still partly lost within his own thoughts. Surrounding him worked dozens of black-clad Batarian crewmen, each one bathed in glow of their holographic consoles as they tended to the cruisers many needs. The Harta was ready for combat at a moments notice. Her core had been discharged only hours ago and coupled with her new static build-up dispersion system, could last twice as long in combat before requiring another core discharge. Coupled with a recent overhaul to her kinetic barrier system, the Harta was ready to face anything the known galaxy could throw at it. But could she face what the unknown could throw at it?
Directed energy weapons... The energy weapons the alien ship had used during it's brief engagement with the pirate fleet were short-timed, pin-point accurate, plasma stream emissions so concentrated they'd pierced the kinetic barriers and twenty-five centimetres of GARDIAN-rated ablative armour on a pirate frigate with minimum effort. Whilst plasma weapons weren't unheard of -the Geth, after the attack on the Citadel, were now well known users of plasma weaponry- Jarr had never came across a plasma weapon as potent as the one the alien ship had utilised. And the best part? Those weapons were what appeared to be nothing more than mere secondary weapons, mounted on a frigate who's primary weapons were a pair of rapid fire mass accelerator turrets which themselves were nothing to scoff at. If they could mount such potent anti-ship weaponry on a frigate... what did they put on their cruisers? Or their dreadnoughts? Assuming they even followed the same classification system, of course.
Jarr gripped the railing surrounding the CIC's holo-map. Maybe he should turn back and blame his hesitance on engine failure or reactor problems or... something along those lines. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced this mission was a one way ticket to the afterlife. He paused mid-thought. He couldn't turn back. There were die-hard Hegemoney supporters in his squadron: one of whom happened to be in command of one of his cruisers. Turning back without completing the mission would earn himself a point-blank mass accelerator shot to the reactor: fitting punishment for his and his crews "cowardness". Jarr grimaced. It really was a no-win situation, with all obvious options leading straight to a messy death.
"Once we're in range, immediately beginning scanning the area around the Relay for contacts." Jarr growled towards his crew. "Report anything, and I mean anything, no matter how small."
The Batarian Commander nodded to himself in satisfaction as his crew busied themselves readying their equipment in compliance with their new orders. If he had to do this cursed mission, the least he could do was try to cut down on unnecessary risks. Walking blindly into an ambush was one of those unnecessary risks, one that he'd rather avoid. But that was making the assumption the aliens would want to ambush him in the first place (if he remembered correctly, the position around the Relay was perfect for an ambush: the entire area a dust cloud large enough to hide an entire fleet). In all honesty, whilst he had a limited idea of their capabilities thanks to the information provided by the pirate lord, no one in the Hegemoney had the slightest idea what the aliens themselves were like. If the aliens had secured the Relay, (which, if they were competent, was more than likely considering it had been almost twelve days since the Pirate Lord "stumbled" across them) would Jarr and the soldiers and ships under his command be dealing with a war fleet with shoot-to-kill orders or a diplomatic envoy seeking peaceful relations? Jarr grunted and shook his head. Just one more reason to scrap this pointless mission. Whilst he hated to admit it, first contacts were best left to the Citadel council, whom had far more experience in dealing with new, unknown races and the quirks and challenges each brought with it. The Hegemoney should've sent an envoy, not a squadron of warships aiming to strip the carcasses of alien vessels clean of their technology and weapons. As always, the Batarian government had been blinded by their greed, ignoring the bigger picture.
"Commander." One of his subordinates called, finally causing Jarr to look away from the swirling holographic map before him. "We're approaching the Relay. Beginning scans of local area. Putting the images on screen..." The officer in-question trailed off as he typed in the last command. "...now."
The holo-map at the centre of the oval shaped CIC shattered, morphed and scattered, before reforming into a zoomed-in representation of the local area with nearby planets, identified vessels and other objects of intrest marked by colourful three-dimensional icons. It was one of the newer models of holographic tactical displays, a little extra addition the engineers had installed during his cruisers last refit.
Jarr physically recoiled from the railing as his eyes caught sight of one of the most terrifying situations he'd imagined happening during this mission. Right there, holding position in neat circular formations arranged infront of the dust cloud containing the mythical Relay, were ninety unidentified contacts. No, that was a lie. They were identifiable alright. He remembered the white winged insignia the pirate lord had mentioned: the same insignia emblazoned on the hull of every vessel before him.
It was an alien fleet. Scores of bulky frigates and heavier warships ranging in shape and size from just under five hundred metres to around seven hundred: each one a hulking armoured monster with a light blue hull plastered with gun turrets and missile ports. Multiple squadrons of delta-winged, pronged fighter craft swarmed around the capital ships, their hulking frames far larger and sturdier than any other fighter design Jarr had ever seen. Two massive "carriers" (a human term for a warship dedicated to carrying fighters) lurked towards the fleets rear, their front and left sides dominated by glowing hangar none of them compared to the three vessels the fleet was formed up around. Two 1 kilometre long prong-hulled almost sword-shaped dreadnoughts floated serenly alongside the carriers, their hulls pock-marked with large doublebarrelled gun turrets. The power readings coming from the two dreadnoughts were incredible, each one had to have been powered by multiple reactors judging from the readings his sensors were picking up. However, even they were dwarfed by the 1.6 kilometre monster sitting squarely in the centre of the alien fleet, completely eclipsing everything around it. Externally it resembled a longer, slightly wider version of the two 1km dreadnoughts, though Jarr noted the sloped armoured superstructure that had been built along the ships back. Dozens of large triple gunned turrets dotted it's surface, supplemented by numerous smaller secondary turrets and missile ports built into the hull. Too give a sense of the thermal readings the obvious alien flagship was emitting, the large, flat, oddly shaped dorsal and ventral turrets were each alone emitting the same thermal signatures as a modern heavy cruiser.
There was no way his paltry force of nine ships could stand up to an armada of this size. That single fleet almost had as many dreadnoughts as the entire Batarian navy. A glance at another readout revealed just how deeply screwed he and his men were. His ship...no... his entire squadron was being painted by radar, lidar and multiple sensor systems his ships VI couldn't even identify, from multiple vessels no less. No, retreat was the only option.
"Turn us around!" Jarr could feel the fear building in the pit of his stomach, his eye's glued to the holo-map, awaiting the moment one of the alien vessels attacked or gave chase.
"Turn us around now, you fools! Do it quick!" Jarr's mind worked furiously even as the view outside his cruisers tiny view-slits swirled as the pilot all to gleefully complied with his orders, the inertial dampeners kicking in to compensate.
"Someone send a message to command!" Screw the Hegemonies orders. Their secrecy died with the discovery of that alien fleet. What did they wish him to do now? attack them? "Tell them to inform the Citadel Council immediately, no matter what!"
"What will I tell them, sir?" The communications officer replied, fingers twitching over his consoles controls.
"Tell them, tell them it's worse than their wildest predictions."
Also, I know it's pretty short. As I said, complete lack of time. It was either get a chapter out now and then edit/redo it if people pointed out mistakes/complained or leave you guys waiting another month or so.
Anyway, as usual, hope you enjoyed the chapter etc etc, remember to review/alert/PM if you liked it. :)
Also, for you Homeworld fans: http:/www_youtube_com/watch?v=xWr0Ei1ePN0 (Replace the _ with a .)