Okay, here we go again! Another chapter for you all, enjoy it and leave a review!
Forerunner Capital World, Forerunner Capital System
"We must make contact with the other races of the galaxy, to help them prepare for whatever the Precursors have planned. With out us they are as good as dead." Bornstellar said, hid voice echoing through the silent council chambers.
"And make ourselves a target? Didact, secrecy is our weapon here, no one knows we are here, we are safe. Let the races of this galaxy fend for themselves." The Master Builder countered.
"The Mantle shelters all-"
"The Mantle? Do you still believe in it's teachings? After all we seen, after all we have had to do?" The Master Builder interrupted Bornstellar.
"We must not falter in it's teachings as we did before. Before we used it as means to control the other species, to make us the sole dominant power in the galaxy. Here it is different. Here there are a dozen races, all of them space faring, able to protect themselves against each other. They will need our help to defeat the Precursors test." Bornstellar said. "Your own people discovered the devices used by the races of the galaxy, these 'Mass Relays' are of Precursor origin."
"Indeed they are. They are different in their construction but they are still Precursor."
"Different? How?" The First Councillor said.
"It does not appear to be controlled, or constructed by neural physics. It uses an artificial element that when given charge can alter the mass of an object."
"An artificial element? Are you sure?"
"Yes, it can be created naturally, but it is rare. The sheer quantity being used in just one of these relays is more than we ever encountered in our home galaxy. My Builders believe that the majority of it has been artificially created in mass quantity."
"That is an uncomfortable truth. Didact, prepare our forces, we don't know when the Precursors will strike, but it will not be long I am sure. Accelerate the building of new war ships and Master Builder, make sure you give the Didact whatever he requires. For the sake of our own people." The First Councillor said. The two powerful men bowed their heads in response.
"What about contact with the races of this galaxy? Are we to just sit and hide in the shadows and only reveal ourselves when the test has already began?" Bornstellar questioned.
"Do whatever you think is necessary Didact."
"Of course." Bornstellar said before leaving. He was glad to be out of there, everyone still referred to him as the Didact. He wasn't he was just Bornstellar with the Didact's memories. A useful tool when fighting a war, but not with a delicate situation like this.
X
Elizabeth was once again being escorted around. Something that got old after a while, but the idea of going home, seeing her grandparents again after nearly a year made it worth the small embarrassment of being escorted everywhere. The ship they were travelling on was a Harrier-Class vessel, a little under two hundred meters it was shaped a bit like a Hammerhead shark, with a hammer shaped head and thinner body, only it's tail was more bulbous and contained powerful engines that worked in ways she couldn't even begin to understand. She'd heard a story about a Forerunner Commander during their war with the Flood who had a fleet of over seven hundred thousand of these ships, along with twelve of the massive 100km long ships. A feat of engineering she couldn't get her head around.
To think the Forerunners had a fleet consisting of millions of ships, now it was down to a less than ten Capital grade ships. Although the Alliance had way more ships she doubted it would be enough to destroy a Forerunner ship. Maybe if every single ship in the Alliance fleet fired at the same time at the same spot it would do some damage, but she wasn't sure. She was sure she didn't want to find out though. Bornstellar had brought her to the bridge of the ship, it was almost empty except for a few Forerunners working on large holographic displays, similar to the one in front of Bornstellar.
"Open your arms and do not move. You will need armour if you are to survive to see your family again." Bornstellar said. His own armour seemed to power up fully, as his hands and head were covered in armour and energy.
"Oh," Was all Elizabeth said, she put her arms out to her side and stood still, waiting for the armour to attach it self to her. A feat that took nearly an hour as it had to read her and her body for reasons she didn't understand before she was finally covered head to toe in armour.
"Greetings." A small blue female popped into her head, it was one of those A.I things she knew existed, she didn't think she would have to deal with one though.
"Ahh!" Elizabeth cried out in surprise. One of the Forerunners on the bridge turned to look at her but said nothing before returning to his work. "You didn't tell me I'd have one of those A.I's in my head!"
"It will not try to kill you. Your Ancilla will do what ever it takes to keep you alive." Bornstellar replied, not taking his eyes off the screen in front of him. "Prepare for departure."
"Locking your armour." The Ancilla in her head said as the armour became locked around her, she couldn't move a muscle.
"Wait what?"
"The acceleration of the ship would kill you otherwise." The little blue lady responded in a calm voice.
"Don't you have inertial dampeners?" Elizabeth questioned.
"Yes but they would do no good at the speed we are accelerating at."
"And how fast are we going?"
"41, 970, 944.1 meters per second." The A.I responded casually.
"That-that's like ten percent the speed of light! You could out run the shell of a Dreadnought's main cannon at that speed!"
"Fourteen percent the speed of light to be precise." The Ancilla responded.
"It'll be an hour before we arrive." Bornstellar said, his armour, and her own, relaxing to allow them to move around. Elizabeth smiled, an hour, an hour before she was reunited with friends and family. After nearly a year of waiting, an hour seemed too long.
X
Citadel Defence Fleet, Flagship, Destiny Ascension
"Matriarch, unknown spacial anomaly detected four thousand kilometres from the relay's." A sensor operator called out, breaking the silent monotony of the bridge. Quickly Lidanya moved to the operators station. The display showed a large burst of radiation and gravitational distortions four thousand kilometres from the relay's. The reading however was quickly replaced with that of a ship, it was a completely unknown design, it was completely alien. It had a large thick head with a thick but narrow body and a bulbous engine section. It was Frigate sized but the design and power readings made her think twice about being in the more superior ship, that combined with it's speed, it was moving almost too fast to acknowledge. The vessel came to a stop just inside of their weapons range, far enough away that it could still use it's ridiculous speed to avoid being hit.
"We are Forerunners, we have come to seek partnership with your Council." A deep voice came from behind her, turning with her biotics ready Lidanya came face to chest with a large hologram of a species she didn't recognise. It was tall, at least four meters tall with arms and legs as thick as tree trunks and packed with muscles. She had no doubt that the being was far stronger than her. It was in full armour, it's face covered in a gold visor with a blue and gold cape coming off its shoulders.
"I am Matriarch Lidanya, Captain of the Flagship Destiny Ascension. As we were not expecting you it will take some time for the Council to convene in a suitable manner." Lidanya said, her mouth dry. It took all she had, nearly a thousand years of life, to keep face in front of the massive alien.
"So be it." The creature said before the hologram disappeared. She noticed the guards had drawn their weapons with the appearance of the hologram but now they stood back in their position, weapons at the ready.
"Get the Councillors on the line, they'll want to hear this." Lidanya said with a slight sigh, she cursed herself for wishing something more interesting would happen in her day. Now she had a feeling today was going to be the source of the mother of all headaches.
X
Citadel Docks, Forerunner Harrier-Class ship.
Elizabeth would have to wait, if she walked out now it could cause a political mess, at least that's what the Forerunner Life worker leading the delegation had said. She watched as Bornstellar and four Warrior-Servant Promethean's stood at the hatch, waiting for the go-ahead. The ship had docked at one of the small docks at the base of the Presdium tower, away from the bustling crowds in the wards. This way it was easier for C-Sec to enact security measures for the arrival of the new aliens. The Life worker stood in the centre of the delegation next to Bornstellar. Elizabeth had met the woman before and she was likeable, at least she seemed to be.
When the hatch opened there was still a half dozen meters between the ship and dock. The leading Promethean, a female known as Glory-of-a-far-dawn, took the first steps, the C-Sec guards watched in fascination and horror as she did, but instead of falling to her death a blue bridge formed beneath her feet, a bridge made of pure energy. She stormed across, shortly followed by the other Prometheans. The C-Sec guards tensed as the four meter tall aliens stormed across with incredible speed, wielding large weapons they had never seen before. Weapons designed to fit in the large six fingered hands of Forerunner Prometheans. Bornstellar and the Life worker moved onto the dock behind the Prometheans.
Bornstellar looked over the crowd of guards, they had blue armour and small projectile weapons that would do little to stop him or his Prometheans. One of the aliens, a Turian, stepped forward.
"I'm Executor Pallin, head of C-Sec. Myself and the guards here will escort you to the Council chambers." The Turian said.
Bornstellar said nothing as the C-Sec lead them through the station. It was definitely Precursor in origin, but the technology used to build it was primitive, especially for the Precursors. Maybe this galaxy was an earlier test bed than the one used back in the Forerunner home galaxy.
The Council chambers on the Citadel were lavishly decorated with plants and décor from the various races that inhabited the station. Bornstellar felt pity for them- for being naive enough to believe that the station had just been abandoned and left for them to inhabit. The crowd of aliens stopped and starred at the Forerunner party, a Krogan in the crowd looked ready to start a fight but was wise enough to not attack. Walking up a set of stairs the Forerunners had to be careful; the steps weren't long enough to allow Bornstellar or the other Forerunners to put their entire foot on, meaning they had to walk up the stairs on the tips of their toes.
"Sorry about that, we haven't had a race with such large feet so we haven't made stairs large enough." The Executor said.
"It is of no consequence." The Life worker said. Growth-Through-Trial-of-Change had overseen humanities reseeding in the home galaxy and was more than capable of bringing peace between the Forerunner Ecumene and Citadel Council.
Glory and the Prometheans stood at the base of the narrow platform that Bornstellar and Trial walked down. At the end of the walkway was a gap, beneath it was a glass panel which allowed those beneath to peer up at them from park like area. When the Citadel Council finally arrived, Bornstellar scoffed, these three people were meant to lead an entire galactic civilisation? He was surprised anything got done at all by these aliens.
"Welcome to the Citadel, I am Councillor Tevos and these are my compatriots, Councillor Sparatus and Councillor Valern, the Turian and Salarian representatives and I represent the Asari Republics." The blue humanoid in the centre said. Despite the platform they stood on being placed in a position above the one he was stood on Bornstellar was of equal height with them, something thy didn't expect nor appreciate.
"I am Growth-through-Trial-of-Change, a Forerunner Life worker." Trial introduced herself. Bornstellar stood forward and did the same.
"I am the Didact, Protector of the Ecumene, a full rate Warrior-Servant, a Promethean. I am in charge of the entire Forerunner Military." Bornstellar said, dazzling them with names and honorific titles. If they were in awe of him than they would be easier to manipulate into forming an alliance that favoured Forerunners. Something they weren't inclined to do by themselves.
"Surely it is dangerous to place you people's entire military in the hands of one man." Councillor Sparatus said, his voice dripping with distaste and disapproval.
"As opposed to having only three people rule an entire galactic civilisation?" Bornstellar countered causing the Turian to bristle with anger. Trial stepped in to prevent it from escalating.
"Perhaps it is best not to judge each others ways of thinking. The Didact has commanded Forerunner Warrior-Servants for twelve millennia and through the bloodiest wars in all of Forerunner history, his actions prevented our species becoming extinct, along with most of the other races in our home galaxy." Trial said, it was a small lie, the Ur-Didact had lead Forerunner Military for twelve thousand years, not Bornstellar, but the Citadel Council didn't need to know that. They didn't need to know a lot of things.
"Twelve thousand years? No one can live that long, not even Asari! And to say your from another galaxy? Preposterous! If you were so advanced we would have made contact long before now. " The Turian Councillor shouted in denial.
"It is true, Forerunners lead very long lives and yes, we are advanced enough to travel between galaxies. The earliest we managed to accomplish such a task was ten million years ago when our people wiped out our creators." Trial said, Bornstellar watched with a slight amusement as the Citadel Council stood there in shock, unable to comprehend the information they were being told.
"Interesting." Valern said, rubbing his chin in deep thought.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Their ship doesn't even use Element Zero, there is no way they are that advanced!" Sparatus shouted, Tevos sighed and turned to face him.
"Did you not see how they entered the system Sparatus? They obviously have some sort of advanced Faster Than Light drive. If they are as advanced as they say they are than it is possible that they didn't want to be found." She said. Bornstellar and Trial nodded their agreement.
"If you are indeed from another galaxy how long have you inhabited ours exactly?" Valern asked, it was Bornstellar who answered, his head hung low.
"Five hundred years after a hundred years of travel from our home galaxy." He said.
"And why did you leave? Exploration perhaps?"
"No, Forerunners had interfered enough in the lives of the species from our home galaxy. We left to live peaceful lives without causing trouble for other species, however that plan is now at risk." Bornstellar said.
"At risk how so?"
"Everything you use, even this Citadel was created by our enemies, our creators." Bornstellar said, "It is not the same technology but it theirs, I can see it in the outer shell. You Mass Relay's as well, constructed by the Precursors. I believe this galaxy is a test bed of some sort, I just do not know what for." Bornstellar said, he noticed the Councillors shook their heads in disbelief.
"The Citadel and Mass Relay's were constructed by the Prothean Empire fifty thousand years ago, not by these 'Precursors', who by your own emission was wiped out ten million years prior if you are to be believed, which I do not, and furthermore these Precursors of yours, according to you, were able to create life, if they were able to that their technology would be far more powerful that the Citadel and Mass Relay's. You are nothing but some upstart race looking for attention." Sparatus said, shaking his head in dismissal.
"I am in agreement with Councillor Sparatus, while not everything he said is true I'm sure, some of the stuff you have said is ridiculous, it completely rejects every theory our peoples have come up with on the creation of life in the galaxy." Tevos said, Valern stayed silent but nodded his head in agreement.
"The Precursors had technology so old and so advanced relics have been known to be swallowed by plate tectonics and resurface again during volcanic eruptions. They had star roads stretching between worlds and connecting entire solar systems. It was with Precursor technology that our ideological enemies were able to hold out for over fifty years while I sent wave after wave of warships to assault their Capital world." Bornstellar said, his anger rising, the Didact's personality threatening to break loose.
"If they were that advanced they would not have been wiped out by your people ten million years ago." Sparatus commented, not believing.
"They didn't expect our ancient Warriors to rise up against them. They were not prepared to fight, but they got their revenge." Bornstellar replied. Trial stood still by his sides, the C-Sec guards were tense- a stark comparison to the stock still and calm Prometheans.
"This is ridiculous, we should just move on to the sanctions on becoming a member species on the Citadel." Sparatus said, waving a hand to dismiss the Forerunners.
"The Forerunner Ecumene will not bow down to your Council. We came here to form an alliance to prepare for whatever Precursors have planned." Bornstellar said, his anger fully coming to the surface. "But you three are too thick headed, too close minded to accept what we said, Forerunner military strength is at the lowest it has been since before we can remember. When the Precursors come your people will be unprepared, and you will fail to stand up to the." Bornstellar said, his calm façade replaced with the old Prometheans infamous anger. He turned and left, not willing to deal with them any more. A C-Sec officer tried to stop him at the Turian Councillor's orders. The Officer was batted aside with a simple gesture from Bornstellar's left arm and landed in heap twenty meters away, alive and unharmed but unconscious.
When more tried to prevent their departure Glory and the Prometheans readied their weapons, most officers backed off, not ready to deal with the Ecumenes most fierce Warriors. One Turian was too forceful, even opened fire on Bornstellar, only for the rounds to bounce off his shield. Glory opened fire, a blue bolt struck him, the round instantly breaking the shield and armour and passed through him, killing him instantly. A harsh reaction but it worked on keeping everyone else, from moving against them.
"An overreaction do you not think Didact?" Trial questioned as they moved through the empty walkways, evacuated from inhabitant just in case the Forerunner Warriors fired on them. C-Sec was smart enough to not try and stop them as they marched back to the Harrier.
"They are too conceited in their views and will not see us as equals. Because of that we will have to double our production efforts, the Builders will have to devote everything they have into preparing but I fear it will not be enough." Born replied easily. Entering the bridge of the Harrier he spied Elizabeth leaning against the fake transparent wall that allowed the bridge crew to see the space beyond. She was waiting for news on when she could go back and Bornstellar cursed himself that it would not be so simple any more, not for her at least. As he walked in she looked up and noticed him and moved.
"So can I go now?" She asked, excited that she would be back with her own people.
"Yes, but you cannot tell anyone what you have done, what you have seen. None of it." Born said, with a slight movement of his sixth finger he activated the ship and a device which would alter her memories, removing them from her. She wouldn't know how she got to the Citadel or what she'd been doing for an entire year.
"Sweet!" She cheered as Born swept his hand and activated the Slip-space translocation device and teleporting her to the Citadel tower, her now empty armour crumpled to ground lifelessly as it no longer had a master to protect. The Harrier pulled out of the Citadel as Born ignored the persistent communication requests from the Citadel Council. Maybe they could still work something out but not here, not now. Born piloted the Harrier away from both military and civilian traffic before jumping to Slip-space and leaving the Precursor station behind.