Author's Note:
I know it's been forever since my last upload, I am truly sorry for this turn of events. However, I am now back into writing form and am confident to continue this story once more. I thank everyone who stuck with me this far, and look forward to your thoughts for the coming Chapters.

Chapter 4: In the Shadow of Giants

Sharp footsteps clacked on the hard floor. The moist fragrance of cherry blossoms filled the air, and the hurrying figure breathed deeply as she passed under the pink canopy. She rushed across the chamber, her heels echoing in still air. In her arms she held a small transparent slate, clutching it tightly against her chest. Glancing down to it, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Hold", a voice startled her, causing her to trip inelegantly to a halt. She blinked as a three-fingered gauntlet was raised before her face. "This area is restricted", the turian C-Sec officer spoke in a deliberate tone, his other hand edging towards his sidearm, "An ID-pass is required past this point."

"Oh right", the woman spoke with a deep British accent, her eyes blinking rapidly as she fumbled to access her omni-tool. The officer regarded her coldly, lowering his hand. "I have an urgent message for Councilor Anderson," she said as she raised the orange glowing interface on her forearm to the security scanner. A few seconds later the scanner blinked, a green light appearing next to her image. "Lieutenant Deanna Troi, Alliance Intelligence", the computerized voice intoned. The officer relaxed and stepped aside, motioning her to proceed. "Welcome to the Citadel Tower, Lieutenant", he said calmly.

Deanna walked quickly through the bright corridors, finally reaching a set of automatic doors, emblazoned with the symbol of the Alliance. She hesitated slightly, before pressing a button on the wall. "Its open", a deep voice emanated from behind the doors. She gave a quick moment to compose herself, and entered the office. The room was spartan in its accommodations, a single desk situated in the middle. Behind it sat a dark-skinned man, his severe face seemingly carved from solid oak.

"Councilor, my deepest apologies for disturbing you…" Deanna began as she stepped briskly into the room. Anderson looked up from his monitor, his piercing eyes causing her to stammer to a halt. She closed her eyes momentarily, and then extended the slate in her arms to him stepping up to the Councilor's desk. "We just received this report from an outpost in the Traverse; I thought you might want to see it." Anderson took it, his eyes squinting quizzically. "When I got the message from Admiral Hackett, I had thought the Reapers were arriving." Deanna shook her head, "No Sir, this is something very different."

[Kepler Verge, Attican Traverse]

Sergeant Sidonus growled in his throat. In response, the dull edge of a rifle butt impacted against his skull. "Quiet Xenos!" A soldier in yellow fatigues yelled behind him, as the turian stumbled from the impact. "Who are you?" he hissed, as the soldiers arm gripped his shoulder. "Are you with Cerberus?"

Another dull blow to the back of his head came moments later, his vision blurring as he lost his footing. "One more word…", the soldier said menacingly as he pulled the turian up, "And I will gladly put a bolt in your foul head." Sidonus narrowed his eyes, but remained silent. He glanced over to the rest of the group. Lieutenant Tracy and her men were also being led at gunpoint through the thick undergrowth. The men leading them were unlike anything he had ever seen before. They wore yellow combat fatigues underneath long, dark cloaks. Heavy armor plates were attached to the chest and other areas of their bodies, and they wore large goggles over their eyes which glinted red in the slowly darkening forest. Their weapons drew the most of his attention though. They guns they held were massive, each easily the size of a Revenant, and bore a resemblance to the pictures he had seen of human automatic weapons used in their wars on Earth. Then his gaze wandered to one the giant armored figures from the front of the group. 'Well', he thought, 'At least they aren't Krogan.'

Sidonus was shaken from his thoughts as the group reached a clearing. They were standing on the edge of what looked like a massive rend cutting straight through the forest, the ground churned and blackened for kilometers. Twisted tree trunks were scattered around them. But what appeared at the end of this path of destruction caused Sidonus to gasp in awe.

Before them, backlit by the setting sun, was a smoking mountain. Sidonus vaguely registered the gasps of the others emerging from the tree line, his eyes transfixed by the gargantuan shape before them. The ship's hull extended impossibly into the evening sky, towering over the canopy like the edifice of great cathedral, spires jutting from its superstructure. Extending in either direction, the ship was larger than anything he had ever seen, and he wondered if it was perhaps even larger than a Reaper. Emblazoning the side of the ship was an image of a two-headed eagle. As he ran his eyes across the hull, Sidonus saw black streaks, probably charring from the reentry, running across it, like wounds on the flank of some great beast.

A sharp prod in his back woke him from his awed stupor. "Keep moving!" They descended into the blasted clearing, the ships form looming above them. They stopped a few dozen meters from the hull, before what appeared to be the outline of a massive door. One of the giants raised a gauntlet to his ear. "Kelman", his voiced echoed, "This is Captain Dragus, open ground airlock Delta." Moments later, a hiss of steam exploded from vents above the door, and in a slow, deliberate motion, the door fell open before them. More giant yellow-armored figures appeared behind it, and they fanned out across the broken ground, their massive weapons trained at Sidonus and the others. The last figure off the ramp drew stares from the group.

"So", his voice was soft and measured, yet filled the air with undeniable presence, "you are the natives of this world then?" The armor the figure wore was very different from the rest. The suit was baroque, with dozens of symbols and markings dotting its surface. Talismans and fluttering sigils hung from it, and the man's head was encased in a glowing headpiece inlaid with tubes and wreathed in an unearthly light. Looking at him made Sidonus's head ache.

Lieutenant Tracy stepped forward. The soldiers surrounding them raised their weapons slightly, all eyes fixed on the young woman. Taking a deep breath she looked the strange glowing figure in the eye.

"I am Lieutenant Tracy Wilson of the Alliance Navy. We come to you in peace and good faith" She said with as much strength as she could master. A soft laugh echoed from the figure, his eyes piercing into her. She blinked and averted her gaze, her head suddenly spinning.

"You did not answer my question, Lieutenant Tracy", he said softly, "I asked if you were natives of this planet." He slowly stepped down from the lowered doorway, his boots clanking against the thick metal. Tracy shivered at his approach, her skin tingling.

She willed her knees not to start shaking. "No we are not", she said, "My men and I are garrisoned here at this colony, which is under the protection of the Alliance Navy." She added a menacing note to her last statement. The armored figure seemed unfazed; at least that was what she thought looking at his face. His expression was unreadable.

"Alliance Navy…" he said slowly, "Then can you explain what that is doing here?" He pointed at Sergeant Sidonus. The turian's mandibles twitched and clenched his fists. "My name…is Sergeant Sidonus Antica of the Turian Hierarchy." The surrounding figures turned to him, voices rising in curses and threats, the sound of weapons readying filled the air. The soldier behind the turian, which Tracy had come to see as probably a skirmisher, considering he, and the others that had ambushed them, wore lighter armor than the giants that surrounded the group, raised his weapon to strike the Sidonus in the back.

"Enough!" A powerful voice tore through the air. All grew silent and the soldier behind Sidonus lowered the rifle slowly from above his head. Captain Dragus stepped forward, the halo around his head crackling."This is not the time or place for such things, Librarian." He spoke calmly, his face turning to the other ornately-armored figure. His gaze swept once across the assemblage. "Take them up to the holding cells, we shall have need of them in due time." He turned and stomped up the armored doorway. The rest of the group was lead at gunpoint into the inky black of the ship. Tracy looked at the turian Sergeant. As their eyes met, Tracy thought she saw a hint of fear in Sidonus' eyes.

As they approached the dark maw of the airlock door, the ships vast bulk extending into the heavens above her, Tracy felt like a pig being led to slaughter. The skirmishers that had escorted them split off from the group at this point, turning back and disappearing into the trees like ghosts. The heavy door began to rise from the charred ground, closing ominously behind them. As the door's shadow crept up the walls, the Lieutenant glanced to her captors. All but the two in more ornate armor wore full helmets which covered their faces, glowing red lenses concealing their eyes. The armor itself seemed incredibly heavy, and thicker even than what she had seen on the few Krogan she had met in her time. Their massive weapons were also a mystery to her, lacking as they did the plastic look and smooth feel she had grown so accustomed to. 'They even have magazines', she thought, 'who in the hell are they?'

[Meanwhile]

Captain Dragus felt uneasy. He thought about what he had seen so far, drawing upon decades of experience fighting the Imperium's foes. This group that had stumbled onto the scene troubled him. He recognized neither this, 'System's Alliance' the human female had spoken of, or the 'Turian Hierarchy' the alien had mentioned. Their armor was also of a strange design, not to speak of their weapons. 'If one can even call those…things…weapons', he thought, picturing the plastic shapes they had fastened to their backs. The elevator they were in was nearing its destination.

"Captain Dragus", the human female spoke up. His Brother-Marines raised their bolters slowly. "Hold Brothers", he said calmly, turning to face the woman. He towered over her, and looking down he saw the tinge of fear in her eyes. "You may speak Lieutenant", he spoke commandingly. She gulped audibly, staring up at the etched face of the giant man.

"You never answered our question, Captain", she said with as much strength as she could muster. Dragus narrowed his eyes. "Who are you exactly?" she finally managed to ask, "Where are we, and what are you going to do with us?" The Captain gave a small smile. 'This woman has steel', he thought. He looked straight into her eyes, and spoke softly, "You wish to know then?" She nodded. "Very well."

He rose to his full height, the Aquila on his chest blazing in the cold light of the elevator, his hand resting on the carved hilt of his power sword. The Iron Halo blazed behind him, the sigils of his armor glowing slightly. The room seemed to darken around him, as if the light had been shied away by his presence. His stern face looked down at the woman, her eyes widening slightly.

"I am Brother-Captain Dragus Havern of the Imperial Fists Space Marine Legion, 2nd Crusading Company!" he intoned, his voice booming in the cramped space. "We are the Emperor's mailed fist, we are his will made manifest, his Angels of Death." He raised a fist. "We are Space Marines, And We Shall Know No Fear!" All around him his brothers repeated the mantra raising their fists in salute.

Tracy's feet collapsed from under her, knees buckling uncontrollably. Silence filled the air of the elevator. With a lurch it reached its destination, the doors opening with a loud clanking noise. The massive man before her turned to the exit, sigils fluttering. "Come Lieutenant", he said, "we have much to discuss."