Alternate Past Uncertain Future Mk. II
Chapter 23
Shadow War: Escalation and Hubris
"Dead or Alive, no one gets left behind."
-Unknown
"We can't stop them!" A Hegemony Lieutenant shouted into his radio. "We need reinforcements! Th-gurk!" Blood gushed from his throat, cutting off his words and life as he futilely tried to stem the flow.
"They got the officer!" A soldier screamed, "We got to get out of here!" Before he could even turn, a boot slammed into his back and slammed him into the ground. Snapping his spine and crushing his organs as the Spartan jumped back using his thruster pack, drawing two M7s and cutting down the entire squad with 5mm rounds.
"If these guys are their elite forces, they really need to rethink what that word means." Palmer ground out as she eviscerated another hegemony soldier with her hand cannon before clicking empty. The cylinder tossed out the side, twelve shells ejecting and dropping to the floor before Palmer slammed in another load attached to a disintegrating ring. "Sir, how much longer are we going to be here?"
John paused to bring up his jackal shield, stopping the bullets from striking the delicate console before returning the favor with his Cerberus rifle. "Kalimaya, time?"
"Another ten seconds." Kalmiya, the first teacher of the Spartan-II after Mendez, answered. "Despite my intrusion and cyber warfare suites, these batarians are redundant. There's so much here that the sheer volume is actually slowing me down."
"Just what are we evening waiting on?" Demeneux asked, his MA6A chattering as it spit out twice-over accelerated rounds. "I mean, she's an AI, it shouldn't take this long."
"I may not be as capable as my 'sister'," Even for a dumb AI, Kalmiya sounded peeved, "But I am working on copying, deleting, sabotaging, and tracing as many files as I can, all at the same time."
Entering the facility without anyone noticing had been easy enough. Even without an active camouflage modules, their training was enough to get them deep inside, and kill as many guards as they could get away with.
It was only when they had to insert Kalmiya into the system, that someone had noticed their presence. By notice, a guard, on sheer chance, had walked right into a Spartan. Reporting the intrusion just as he was shot down. Of course, by then it did the Spartans no good. The enemy knew that the Spartans were inside, and were rapidly re-deploying their own forces in response. Of course, neither did it mean it did the defenders any good.
Nevertheless, the fact that they had faced so little opposition yet convinced John Doe that he had been right. The obvious weak-points in the Castle Facility's defenses had been nothing more than cleverly disguised traps. And by going through the apparent strong points instead they had evaded the teeth of the defenses.
'Of course they were still strong enough to be dangerous' John thought as an armor piercing bullet smashed into his visor. His shields preventing any serious injury, but the kinetic force still knocking his head back a little.'And they're learning.' Before this engagement, the Hegemony forces were barely capable of depleting their shields. Now they were using more exotic munitions, something John hadn't seen before. Whatever these new rounds were, they were doing a far better job of tackling their shields than before.
The last of the Hegemony forces slumped dead as Demenux bashed his body against the wall with his Jackal shield, crushing him.
"Looks like its clear sailing from here" Palmer said arrogantly. Then though as summoned by her words, a dozen fresh troops stormed into the room. Without pause, the fresh group immediately opening fire on the Spartans. Two of them charging Palmer with all the fearlessness of krogan gripped by bloodrage.
To the Spartan's shock, the pair actually managed to knock her back. Hitting her harder than anything other than a Hunter or Elite warrior had before. Doing their best to pin the woman beneath them. "Get the fuck off me!" Her hand cannon having skid away when she was tossed to the floor, she started punching the soldier, trying to knock them off.
Once, twice, three times she hit the head with all her might, and still the soldier did not budge, nor did it try to attack. Neither did its partner. Both intent and content on keeping their quarry pinned. "A little help here!"
In response, John Doe shot the one of the soldiers through the chest, shredding the armor. However, the soldier didn't react to being wounded, even more ominously, he didn't bleed either. Continuing to do his best to hold the Spartan woman still.
Forgoing his rifle, he grabbed the one he had shot by the back of his armor, tossing him into the others, who were firing at the other Spartans, knocking them down like pins.
Both her arms now free, Palmer grabbed the head of the one pinning her to the floor before twisting it hard. But instead of hearing tearing muscle and snapping bone, she heard the snapping of plastic and metal as the entire head came clean off. "They're drones!" She realized, before hearing a slight whine emanating from the body.
In truth the Spartan had brought this on herself. Since her arrival on Khar'Shan, she had been excessively violent against her targets. Brutalizing them to the point where it was almost an act of cruelty. She had not curbed her behavior in the slightest on this mission. As a result, among the Hegemony forces at least, Palmer had become infamous, her now signature Scout-type MJOLNIR Gen-II armor making her a priority target for all Hegemony forces.
As soon as they had been discovered, the new batarian sized mechs had engaged and spread throughout the facility. All of them searching for the intruders, and already calculating how best to deal with an threat. Even a Spartan like Palmer.
Palmer felt herself being pulled away just as the robotic soldier detonated. Turning what would have been an explosion at point blank range into something merely disorienting as she and her rescuer was knocked off their feet by the blast.
Their helmets blared, reporting shattered shields and structural damage in their armor. "How did you know?" she asked John Doe as her he helped her to her feet.
"I didn't."
Palmer was gobsmacked, not sure how to respond. Not that she had time to as another squad rounded the corner and charged forward.
The Spartan-IVs realized the easy part was definitely over. They were now in what might be the fight of their lives. As the one of the most well defended fortresses in the Batarian Hegemony to devote its full resources to crushing them.
Kalmiya's voice filled their helmets over the cacophony of fire. "I've got their database and the location of our Spartan. I'm placing a waypoint on your HUDs." As she said, the waypoints appeared pointing to a location deeper into the facility. "You better work fast though, I'm getting reports of heavy reinforcements approaching the facility."
**APUFMKII**
Far from the battle raging inside the mountain, Datak Korra watched from safety. Seeing the carnage unfold from the cameras scattered throughout the facility. "Hmm...juggernauts, devastators, analysts, strategists and infiltrators, it seems I was wrong about these Spartans." Datak leaned forward, seeing again a Spartan emerge from the shadows as though it were part of it. "They are not simple super soldiers, they are the ultimate soldiers. This, changes things…"
As though it knew he were watching, one of the larger Spartans made a cutting motion across his neck. Not a moment later, the feeds were replaced with static. "Yes, this changes things immensely…" When it came to super soldiers, everyone had their own opinions, but more often than not, every design exemplified a certain skill. Whether that be infiltration or frontline combat, an unparalleled strategist or combat engineer. Even the special forces were designed as such. Biotics, biology, technology,etc...Evidently these Spartans were designed and trained to excel in virtually every facet of modern combat, or least that's what Datak assumed.
"Well, the program will certainly have its work cut out for them." He mused, thinking of those in charge of the Hegemony Super Soldier program, codenamed: Golgatha. His fingers danced as he tried to bring back the video feeds from the Castle, but try as he might, the static never left.
Despite not being able to see or even hear just what was happening, Korra felt what the outcome would be. He was not young by his race's standards, having gained a wealth of knowledge and experience from both his time on the battlefield and in the political arena. In both cases, he had usually emerged triumphant.
And all that experience had proved that he should trust his own instincts. Datak's intuition had saved him from misfortune numerous times. Abstaining or distancing himself from what seemed like a great opportunity, only to be proved right when it began to fall apart. Of course he had used this to great effect as well, but that was a story for another time.
And what his gut was telling him now, was that everyone inside that facility was now as good as dead. Along with everything inside it. Of course, this would mean that he would be the one informing the Citadel Council about this failure, since the others would most likely be dead. Still, he could manipulate this, to an extent. Drawing up his files, he began pulling every video he had on the Spartans. Whether it be in action, or after-action analysis, compiling it together with a number of files written up already in regards to those events.
He hesitated though, seeing a certain set of files. These were his own personal copies of the Spartan's autopsy report and the armor analysis. Right now, the Hegemony was the only one to have this prize: a detailed, if limited, analysis of a Spartan. If he kept it to himself, it would give him a powerful bargaining power during any future meetings with the Council, or any race other than the humans for that matter. But if he somehow were to die…
Korra grudgingly and reluctantly sent those files to the Council as well. While he would continue to seek advantage for the Hegemony and himself, the high admiral knew that he needed the Council Races. Without their support the Batarian Hegemony stood no chance against the military juggernaut the UNSC represented. Unfortunately, the Asari Republics, Krogan Empire, Salarian Union, and Turian Hierarchy all feared humanity (with good reason) and disliked the Hegemony, so Korra needed to do all he could to cast the Hegemony as useful and the humans as vulnerable in the eyes of the Council Races.
'What we need to do is make this about human aggression, instead of whether or not people like the Hegemony.' Datak thought as an idea began to take form in his mind.
"Contact the Department of Information Control, tell them I need them to start making an...export." Korra ordered as he also sent all the Spartan files to the institution responsible for censorship and propaganda in the Hegemony.
As a loyal servant of the Hegemony, sharing classified information with the public went against the grain. But if the Citadel Council tried to bury the human connection to and Spartan involvement in the rebellion, leaving the Hegemony to wither on the vine with only minimal support. He would ensure that all their plans for secrecy came to naught. And reveal just what humanity was trying to do in Council space to the entire galaxy.
If the Hegemony were to fall to these humans, that Datak Korra would ensure that it wouldn't be going down alone.
**APUFMKII**
Spartans were used to fighting living troops. Soldiers who experienced fear, who needed to breath, and who would have difficulty standing utterly still. Unfortunately for, none of these qualities applied to the batarian sized mechs (all dressed as regular Hegemony soldiers) that were assaulting them in ever increasing numbers as they ventured deeper and deeper into the Castle Facility.
Unlike their living counterparts, the machines were unrelenting aggressive. Some marching forward, heedless of the danger. Others unrelenting firing upon their quarry. And some simply charging head on, trying to rush the Spartans.
Having seen what these machines could do, the Spartans took no chances, blowing off heads to shut down them before they could even get close, or blowing off limbs when that didn't work. Yet for everything they did, the Hegemony proved they were learning.
Demeneux was the first to fall to the damned machines. Literally. A pair of them falling onto him, from where they had been waiting near the ceiling, and grabbing onto the Spartan around the neck and torso. Detonating just as he tried to engage his Armor Lock. But it was almost futile, the armor ability had not been able to fully engage. The force of the explosion shattering his visor and sending shrapnel into his eyes. The rest of his armor fared just better, blackened and slightly warped by the explosion.
Were it not for that split-second decision, there was little doubt there would have been much of Spartan left at all.
However, the blinded Demeneux was still a pitiful sight. Reflexively trying to use his ruined eyes as he rapidly turned his head back and forth. Becoming more and more panicked as he realized just how injured he truly was.
"Someone grab Demeneux and pull him back!" John ordered, taking his attention from the battle for a split second. A split-second was all three mechs needed, leaping off from behind other mechs, pushing off from the ceiling and tackling the Spartan Captain Commander to the ground. A faint whine could be heard coming from all three drones as they primed their charges.
But he was not known as the commander of the entire Spartan corps without reason. John ditched his rifle, letting it fall from his fingers before they rolled up into a fist. A plasma dagger snapped into existence from his knuckle-plate, a gift from the Arbiter himself. Skewering one of the drones and lifting into the air, even as he forced himself back onto his feet, the other two drones still clinging, still charging.
He punched the air, with the drone still skewered, throwing the drone off the dagger and away from him.
His other hand forming a fist and a second plasma dagger snapping into existence as well. Severing the arm of a drone at the shoulder before he grabbed its neck and crushed it into dust. Tossing it aside and then seizing the third and final drone, he ripped off its head and threw it at the other mechs in a single move.
The exploding drone caused the other military mechs to detonate too. The resulting massive explosion all but wrecking the hallway they were in. Knocking the Spartans back onto their asses as the explosive shockwave slammed into them. One of them, a Spartan-IV by the named of O'neill, crashed headfirst into a wall, a sickening crack could have been heard, if not for the blast.
"Sound off, assist the wounded!" John moved to O'neill, bringing up his biosigns on his HUD. The young Spartan was still alive, but nearly unconscious. According to the suit, O'neill had suffered considerable head trauma, possibly had a concussion and spinal fractures. It couldn't tell him if it was severe or not, but John wasn't going to take any chances.
"How's Demeneaux?"
"I'm fine sir." the Spartan said with apparent calmness.
In truth Demeneaux was far from fine. But once the initial shock had worn off his own martial pride and rigorous training he had undergone to become a Spartan kicked in. Demeneaux might have been blinded, he might be weakened, but he could still fight. Any emotional breakdowns could wait till later.
"Just hand me my gun and tell me where they are." All Spartans had gone under sensory deprivation training, though no one had ever expected to need to use it. His fingers fumbling around until Palmer shoved his rifle into his hands.
"Just keep close to me." She said to him, with an unusual softness to her voice. She lifted the blinded Spartan to his feet. "What about O'neill?"
"Moderate head trauma, possible concussion and spinal fractures." Kalimaya told her. "He can move, but he's not going to be fighting anymore unless he has to."
Palmer focused on her CO. "Sir, is it wise to keep moving in? If we keep advancing, it's sure that we'll be facing more of these guys." Referring to the mechs that had almost just killed two of their number.
"I'm sure of that as well." John agreed, pausing to strip a block of ammo from a Hegemony weapon. The bottom of the weapon clicked open, releasing a strip of metal, grated so much it was thin as paper, the air warping from the heat coming from it, before being slammed shut as John slotted the stolen ammo block. "But we still have a mission to complete."
"Guess we can't leave that kind of tech around for the four-eyes to copy." Palmer admitted. To her surprise, the Spartan-II shook his head.
"That's not the reason, Spartan Palmer."
"Then what then?"
"No one gets left behind, dead or alive. I thought that you, of all people Palmer, would understand that."
Palmer simply nodded in understanding. Feeling a weight in her chest as she remembered times when her fellow ODSTs had refused to leave her behind. But the touching moment was ruined as a door exploded inward, and living troops rushed into the room.
"Turian Blackwatch and Cabal. Special Forces." John Doe answered as the turian special forces and the Spartans prepared to open fire at each other.
"Just regular turians...ha, we can take them easily." the blind man replied with false bravado.
At which point the turian soldiers began to glow blue as they biotically grabbed nearby explosives and other weapons. Hurling them at the Spartans with lethal force.
"You just had to say it." Palmer muttered sarcastically as she rolled her eyes, bringing her hand-cannon to bear.
**APUFMKII**
Despite being center of galactic commerce, politics, and diplomacy for many people throughout the galaxy, the Citadel was in many ways a world unto itself. This was sometimes even true for the Councilors, who had their own private dining room in the Citadel Tower. The dining room was large, well furnished, soundproofed, and about as well protected against electronic surveillance as they could make any location.
Theoretically the Councilors could stay in the dining room as long as they wanted. Untroubled by the outside world. In practice however, the Councilors always brought their problems with them into the dining room. Moreover, ever since First Contact with humanity, the things that demanded their attention seemed to increase.
So as usual, this would be a working lunch.
"So how is your brother doing on Khar'Shan?" Cicero asked just before he put a spoonful of his favorite dessert into his mouth.
In other circumstances it would have been a casual question. But since Wreav was leading the krogan special forces assisting the Hegemony to root out the Rebellion, the question was actually quite pertinent. Especially given what had happened recently to the asari commandos sent there.
"He's keeping a cool head for now." Wrex replied, cutting into his Varren steak with a precision one would expect from someone of his size. "Though, I worry about him. We've just managed to connect since our broodling days."
"That's the problem with living so long...eventually you outlive most of your friends and family." Tevos said softly, a distant look in her eyes.
Annoyed by the commentary, because as hardened as he was, Wrex still didn't like being reminded that most of his friends and family were dead, the krogan Councilor asked, "And how are the commandos you sent to the Hegemony?"
"They...haven't reported in for some time now." Tevos was eating, even by her standards, an unusually light meal. "I have started growing concerned…"
"When soldiers go missing in action in hostile territory, it is logical to assume that they have been killed or captured." Valdn pointed out.
"But we sent over twenty of our best." Tevos tried to explain. "Some of our best, all of them with centuries of experience and combat." She didn't sound confident when she asked, "Has any of your forces reported anything?"
"No, not yet." Wrex answered with a shrug.
"High Admiral Korra might be restricting their communications." Cicero said suspiciously. The turian might be the biggest supporter of the Hegemony on the Council, but that didn't mean that Cicero liked or trusted the batarians.
"Perhaps." Valdn admitted. "If he is, we'll need to discuss with him how...disadvantageous, his his usual practices will be for us. Until then however, I think we should focus on matters closer to home."
"The New Covenant is taking a harder stance in their negotiations...its as though they don't want an embassy or freer trade with us anymore." Tevos explained. Switching to what she considered the more important topic.
"That's going to be a problem for us." Wrex interjected. "We were banking on trading with them to get our hands on their slipspace technologies. Or least their theories. Would have made our work a lot easier." Finishing off the last of his stake, he thought to himself, 'We're missing something here, and whatever it is, it's going to hit us like Kalros charging a Tomkah."
"Perhaps the humans are somehow keeping the Covenant Races from reaching out to us...it would certainly be in their interest to do so." Valdn suggested.
"I doubt it." Cicero objected. "They were never truly interested in establishing trade or formal diplomatic relations with us, yes. But they at least made a half-hearted attempt to establish an embassy and trade by private citizens was considerable, if not substantial."
"Your point?" Valdn questioned.
"If you would let me finish, I could tell you." Cicero pointed out. "I've never believed the idea that the Covenant were the glorified varren, leashed by the humans. They are far too powerful to be anything other than equals, or even their technological superiors." He shot a glare at his salarian counterpart to prevent him from interrupting. "My point is, something has happened within the New Covenant. Something that made them give up entirely on diplomatic ties to the point they outright reject them. Trade by private citizens from the New Covenant has also dropped, but not disappeared. So its likely that any sort of trade or commerce with us has been discouraged, but not outright banned."
"The humans certainly don't see them as their equals. Whenever I talk to them about the Covenant Races, I am struck by the raw hatred the humans feel towards their former enemies. Especially among the generation who fought the Covenant." Tevos explained.
"Well, its no reason to not keep trying, after all-" Valdn paused as they heard the door chime. "-we ordered no interruptions" the salarian continued irritably as Saren Arterius entered the room.
"I know...my apologies Councilor but this is urgent." Saren announced. The four Councilors shared looks before motioning to the ex-Spectre to continue. Saren explained as he keyed his omnitool, "Again, I apologize, but we've received a data packet sent from within the Batarian Hegemony."
"By our forces?"
The turian advisor shook his head. "No. From Datak Korra himself."
Valdn looked at his barely touched meal in annoyance and said. "We should probably watch it in the War Room then."
All the other Councilors made sounds of displeasure, but nobody disagreed with Valdn. The computer systems in the War Room were probably the most sophisticated and secure in the Citadel. Unlike the relatively basic gear in their private dining room.
As they followed the turian, Tevos asked, "Just what is the nature of this package? Even if it is that important, I can sense that something about it is cause distress for you." The others picked up on the observation, now that Tevos had mentioned it. Saren was showing signs of stress; his nervous tick of touching his prosthetic arm, a slightly hurried walk, and the other signs.
"You're correct, Councilor...However I think I should let you see the video first before you hear my impressions." Saren said professionally.
Once they entered the War Room, Saren immediately brought up the data files on the holographic projector that was in the center of the room. Showing his superiors the videos that Korra had sent them. Images of Spartans fighting and killing Hegemony troops, scenes of the human super soldiers slaughtering (the word 'battle' didn't apply to such one-sided fights) batarian soldiers, and finally the image of a Hegemony gunship taking out a Spartan in a suicide attack.
Wrex managed to summarize what everyone in the room was feeling with just two words: "Well….shit…." No one felt the need to try to argue the point. "I assume you've already confirmed the authenticity of this data packet?" He asked, receiving confirmation in return.
Cicero impassively stared at the final image of the gunship smashing into the Spartan. His eyes focused on the impact point. "So...that's what it takes to kill one of these spirits-forsaken abominations…"
"Yes, apparently our regular troops CAN take out Spartans. But only with superior firepower and overwhelming numbers on our sides...much like fighting their naval forces." Saren explained.
"But not without significant casualties, evidently." Cicero countered, referring to the trail of dead left in the Spartan's wake.
"I do however, have some relatively good news on that front." Saren added as he brought up the last video file on the holoprojector.
Showing a scene of asari commandos fighting a lone Spartan warrior. Taking heavy casualties until they used their biotics to get the upper hand. Apparently in the process of killing the Spartan until rebel reinforcements arrived and wiped out the severely distracted and wounded commandos.
"You call that good news! all the commandos died and the human got away!" Tevos exclaimed in rare show of anger.
"You are right Councilor, BUT may I call your attention to the fact that a group of Council soldiers without heavy weapons or vehicles was able to take down a human super soldier. It was only due to bad luck on their part that the Spartan managed to get away." Saren calmly explained. "They used their biotics to effectively immobilize it."
"You mean nearly." Wrex shot back. "In my book, it doesn't count until it's actually dead."
"The Spartan may very well HAVE died. All we know is that rebels killed the remaining commandos, and dragged the Spartan away." Saren argued.
"If asari biotics are effective against Spartans…" Valdn said in musing tones. "Although…" He trailed off, lost in thought.
"Then we need more trained asari soldiers...significantly more considering the fact that they still need superior numbers to take down Spartans and for all we know there are THOUSANDS of the damn things" Cicero confidently stated.
"That is not going to be possible, or at the very least extremely difficult." Tevos tried to argue. "The kind of power we all just saw it, it can not just be trained. It must be grown. Asari biotics grow in power as we age, any experience we obtain just adds to it. The kind of power they used takes decades, if not centuries to obtain."
"Then do it artificially." Cicero countered, not in the mood for an excuses. "Amplifiers, augmentations, gene-splicing. Use Red Sand if you have to!"
"We may not actually have to do so…" Tevos began with a note of desperation in her voice. Amazed at what circumstances were forcing her to do.
"There is an ancient sect of warriors among my people. Those are perhaps the peak of Asari skill and power. The Order of the Justicars."
"Justicars are tough no question. Hell the toughest female I ever met was one, but they only follow their Code. They won't fight the humans just because we tell them to." Wrex said skeptically.
"The Justicars fought against the Rachni. Once they realize that humanity is a threat to all the asari and their allies, I am sure they will see reason." Tevos replied with a smile.
But in truth the Councilor was filled with doubt. The Justicars were all fanatically devoted to their Code, and slavery was against that Code. Regardless of the larger social-political concerns, convincing the Justicars to overlook that fact would not be easy. She didn't want to consider how the public would react if the Justicars ever publicly stated they would not fight the humans in the Hegemony.
However, Tevos had to. Because without the Justicars support, the Asari Republics would have no choice but to ask their own people to fight. And Tevos doubted that the Republics or their people had the strength to do that.
**APUFMKII**
"We're here!" Palmer told the others, slamming her hand against it. "I don't think a regular breaching charge is going to work."
"Place a demolition charge! Shaped Charge setting, maximum yield." Palmer nodded and pulled a small box attached to her lower back. Which unfolded before being magnetically attaching to the door. It was a little trick they had learned from Covenant technologies. Being able to create a single explosives pack that could be programmed from a number of detonations and explosive power.
Inside the lab containing Diego's corpse and equipment, the scientists who had been fortunate enough to have been here when the attack began, were hiding in various parts of the lab. Clutching tools turned into makeshift weapons.
They had heard fierce fight coming from outside the door, but none of them had been brave enough to approach it. Knowing that only three sets of blast doors separated them from the deadly Spartans. The distant sound of an explosion signaling that one of the doors had been breached.
But after a moment, one of the scientists said "this is stupid...were not soldiers" as he dropped the tool that he had been about to use as a makeshift club. Turning to a control panel as he activated something.
"What are you doing Gothel?" one of his colleagues asked as the scientist began the process of awakening one of their other projects in a nearby room.
"You KNOW what I'm doing" Gothel replied grimly.
"BUT HE'S NOT READY FOR COMBAT YET!" his comrade shouted.
"He's ready enough. We'll never finish working on him if we're dead." Gothel said as the 'male' in question entered the room.
"Xero Heavy Assault Mech online." It was a massive quadruped mech, taller than even a krogan, and several times as heavy.
But what made the Xero Heavy Assault Mech truly special was its software. Although it would be considered among the dimmest of Dumb AIs by the UNSC, it was nevertheless still an artificial intelligence (and therefore very illegal in Citadel space). Programmed to analyze its targets and destroy them in the most efficient manner possible.
"Awaiting commands…" It droned, just as another, louder boom thudded from the entryway, signifying another door had been breached. "Threat detected. Weapons systems coming online." From its back, a heavy chaingun unfolded, flanked by two smaller machine guns. From its shoulders, thin blades unfolded from inside, its lethal claws already unfolded.
It also had numerous internal weapons systems that could spring out at a moment's notice, such as a sonic cannon, flamethrower, and poison gas emitters. But its most devastating weapon was its reaction time. Because although its 'thoughts' were relatively simple, it could still come to decisions and react faster than virtually any organic.
A loud clank resounded through the room from the door, prompting the scientists to cower behind the Xero-mech. The AI quickly focusing on the door, just in time for them to blow open, ripping outwards from the blast. Infrared sighting cutting through the smoke, outlining the hostiles behind. One of them even starting to charge forward.
"Targets identified. Human: Spartans. Calculating stratagem."
The Xero had files on many potential enemies, including Spartans, and it had come to the conclusion that it might not be able to kill the Spartan in one strike. Therefore the machine had decided that its best option was to severely decrease the human super soldier's speed and maneuverability. By literally breaking their knees.
"Firing." The heavy cannon on its back roared, as it fired a round at the ground right before Palmer's feet. The Spartan-IV just grinned as she activated her thrusters, propelling herself sideways and away from the blast, only to fly straight into another cannon shell at her feet. The blast sent her tumbling, almost flying through the air, her hand cannon clattering across the room for the second time that day.
when she came to halt and looked up, she found herself staring straight into the polarized faceplate of the mech. "Target Identified: Spartan, Banshee. Neutralizing." It raised one of the giant paws and brought it crashing down on one of Palmer's legs, even as she tried to roll away, her shields doing nothing to stop it.
Palmer screamed as over a ton of metal came crashing down on her right knee. Crushing both flesh and metal in the process, destroying her joint, and leaving her in agony. Palmer had never experienced such pain before. In moments her aura of invincibility had been shattered, as an alien machine (created by a species she thought of as primitive and inferior) crippled her. It raised the leg again, preparing to exterminate the traumatized and humbled Spartan with its next blow.
Only to be knocked back as rounds hammered the faceplate, John shouting into the coms, "Spartans, move in and neutralize target!" The Spartan in question was leading the charge.
The mech briefly looked at the approaching threat, rounds pinging off its armor, before looking back at the crippled Spartan beneath it. "Target threat: Minor. Prioritizing; new targets acquired." It kicked Palmer away from it, slamming into a wall.
The mounted guns cut loose, the chaingun roaring again as it fired shell after shell at the lead Spartan, its machine gun focusing on the other Spartans. But the leader managed to dodge all its shots, and the ordinary bullets did nothing to the other Spartans armor, the shields stopping them cold. So the Xero decided to change tactics.
A faint hum could be heard, even over the pinging of bullets, as it charged up its speakers. Indifferent to the fact that its relatively fragile creators were in the room with it. Its unfinished programming not covering what to do in situations with nearby friendlies. A sonic blast SHATTERED all the glass in the room, deafening to scientists, those closest bleeding from their eyes and ears. The Spartans forced to their knees as the sonic blast pierced even their helmets, some reflexively grabbing their helmet where their ears would be.
"Noooo...you stupid machine you supposed to PROTECT us!" Gothel whimpered as he clutched his bleeding ears. One of the scientists, either in fear or stupidity actually charged at the mech, a plasma torch clutched in their hand. Stabbing the cutting tool straight into one of the rear leg servos.
"New targets acquired. Threat analysis: Significant. Intimate knowledge of this platform. Exterminating."
Another whining charge could be heard as it brought up and charged up its railgun. But it didn't fire the weapon at the batarian male. The angle made such a move impractical, moreover against such a threat the firepower was unnecessary. The mech simply smashed its gun into his head with enough force to crush his skull. Literally destroying the brains that had helped design it.
Mere seconds later it fired the railgun at Palmer. Attempting to finish the crippled Spartan off. Only to have something get in the way. Spartan-IV Thomas Lasky, diving right between Palmer and the Xero-mech. His Jackal Arm-Shield snapping into existence as he dove. In the span of a second, the hyper-accelerated round slammed into the shield, trying to burrow its way straight through the hardened plasma, Lasky forcing back the round with his arm, just as he was about to give way, the round ricocheting off.
Just as the railgun charged up again, Lasky raised Palmer's hand-cannon and fired, the twin rounds slamming into the gun, knocking the gun away from and severing exposed cables. But not before it fired again, a hapless scientist exploding and painting the room and his colleagues in gore.
The Xero responded to Lasky's aggression by simply ramming into him. Knocking the shield aside as it prepared to launch its remaining arsenal at him. Tilting to the left as its bad leg, damaged by its creator, strained under the Xero's massive weight.
Both Spartans were thrown again, the shield holding, but doing nothing to stop the Xero's charge. Lasky landing on top of Palmer, who was starting to fade from the blood loss. Lasky barely managed to roll of his fellow Spartan before he heard the Xero-mech. "Threat status elevated: Highly lethal." Small nozzles popped out from beneath the faceplate, small flames at their tips. "Exterminating with extreme prejudice."
Just as it was about to incinerate the two Spartans, John leapt onto it, kicking the mounted guns and shearing them off at the same time before grabbing the Xero by the faceplate. It tried to buck off the massive Spartan, but to no avail. Even as it tried to throw him off, John drew his own hand-cannon, blasting at the mech's back until it clicked empty. "Hostile found! Reassessing threat level!" John slotted the hand-cannon against his hip and made a fist, a plasma dagger springing to life before he buried it in its back, the smell of ozone and melting plastic permeating the air, the xero screaming even as he punched it again, burying his fist inside. The mech still trying to buck off it's rider. "Warning, warning! Energy-core damaged. Energy core exposed."
Then John Doe pulled its heart sized power cell out. The thing emitting intense enough heat that the Spartan could feel it even though his armor (knowing that without that protection, the heat would be enough to burn his hand away). Tossing the power cell away before it could eat through his fingers.
The Xero-Mech managing a few last words. "Threat Status Elevated: Hyper-Lethal Vector. Recommendation: Total retreat..."
John focused back on his Spartans, the others who had been by the door since it began were fine, or at least had not earned any new injuries. "Lasky, what's your status? And Palmers?"
"I'm fine, Sir." Lasky pulled a small pack from the back of his armor. "Palmer isn't though. Her left leg is just meat now, not much left except above the knee. Biofoam's working its magic, and I've given her some nanites to help with the blood loss, but we need to get her out of here."
"Can she move?"
Lasky shook his head. "Not without help. I'll hand her off to O'neill for now. But we need to report all this back to command." He didn't need to add that they also needed replacements for the wounded Spartans.
"Understood. Move the rest of the exfiltration point and back to base. I'll make my back alone."
"Understood sir." Lasky gave a salute before addressing the others. "Spartans, we are leaving! O'neill, you've got Palmer. Demeneaux, just follow our voices, keep a hand on Palmer if you have to. I'll take point."
John watched as they left, eyeing the batarian corpses as they walked over them. "Kalimya, the scientists, were there any-"
"Survivors? Unfortunately yes. We gunned down most of them as they tried to flee but two of them managed to escape through an exit we didn't notice until then." the AI explained. "All of them targets of opportunity as well."
John frowned beneath his helmet. While the survivors would build the reputation of the Spartans, which was already considerable, the fact that any managed to escape irked him. It was almost an insult to the Spartans, that people could actually escape him.
"Diego's body is right through there, by the way." Kalimya's voice returning him back to reality as a waypoint appeared on his HUD. Following it, he found the room holding the fallen Spartan. Parts scattered across the room, under a variety of instruments. Their comrade reduced to little more than hunks of meat, metal, and plastic. A dead thing to be studied by hostile alien eyes.
A state of affairs John Doe considered intolerable. Diego may have been a fool and an arrogant thug but he had still been one of their own. Besides, too many humans had suffered and died to create the Spartans for John to allow immoral alien monsters such as the Hegemony to benefit from their techniques or technology. He grabbed Diego's helmet from one of the stands, yanking out the helmet-cam footage and dropping the helmet. Maybe this would provide insight as to how this mess even happened.
John approached the body directly, eyeing the dead Spartan. Diego's eyes still open, terror etched upon his face in his final moments, his head was the only part of his entire body to come out relatively unscathed. Despite everything, and however he personally may have felt, the man still a Spartan, and thus deserved some respect. He closed his eyes and made it so that Diego might have appeared asleep, before tearing the dog-tags off him.
Securing the dog-tags, John removed a Covenant-detpack from a pouch. Tapping a few buttons to arm it. When it detonated, the plasma would incinerate everything in a twenty meter radius, turning it to less than ash. Under other circumstances, he might not have even needed the detpack. Instead setting the armor's microfusion reactor to overload for the same effect. As it was, that was impossible since the armor had been more or less crushed.
Then John Doe prepared to leave. Knowing that the mission had been (or at least was about to be accomplished). More than ready to leave this wretched place.
But then his sensors picked up the sound of more incoming enemy reinforcements. Telling him that the fight was not over. And even the though the Hegemony may have lost this battle, there was still the war to win.
**APUFMKII**
When Velo 'Mdama first became the New Covenant ambassador to the UEG, he had been a young and optimistic sangheili. He was chosen for his curiosity, wit, and (not least) because unlike many of his older peers, he had never hurt any human civilians or soldiers.
That, and he was the few remaining scions in his Keep, or clan, that were in any sort of position to redeem their the Keep after the actions of their previous Kaidon or Clan Head, Jul 'Mdama.
But after being stationed on Earth for three decades, his optimism was long gone and his youth was rapidly fading away. Thanks to all the ways that the UNSC in general and ONI in particular had taken advantage of, manipulated, and hurt his people since the end of the Great War, Velo tended to view anything they said skeptically at this point. Thus he was not a receptive audience when listening to ambassador Denton (who wanted to discuss setting up a meeting between the Arbiter and Lord Hood).
"Look, I'm trying to tell you that's WHY Hood wants to meet with Thel; to try and apologize for everything ONI's done."
"And why, after all this time, would he do that?" Velo questioned. "You humans seemed content with trying to, to use one of your sayings, send my people back to the Stone Age."
"That was Section III of the Office of Naval Intelligence. Hood may be the de-facto head of everything, but ONI never played by the book. It's only recently so much of this has even been hinted at, let alone come to light as it has now." Denton tried to explain. Though, he had to admit, even though it was the truth, it sounded incredibly flimsy to him. "Will you at least forward the message to the Arbiter?"
Velo nodded. "That at the very least, I will." Despite his own personal feelings, Velo wasn't about to utterly alienate the humans, considering how Denton and Hood had actually taken steps to be, if not friendly, were amicable to the New Covenant.
"I have to admit those fighters you used against ONI were very impressive." Denton said as he fished for information about the New Covenant's acquisition of Mass Effect technology.
"Another of your baseless accusations?" Velo prodded, not surprised at how Denton openly challenged him.
"More like process of elimination." Alan countered. "It's not as though the Citadel Council have managed to understand Slipspace at all."
Velo actually laughed at that. Saying after he got ahold of himself, "You sound as dismissive as our leaders once did about humanity. The old Covenant might be gone but your kind have been quick to embrace their brutal arrogance."
Denton nodded. "Perhaps, I think both our nations have learned much from the other, some could be done without."
Velo narrowed his eyes as he studied Denton. While his experiences kept him from trusting the human completely, Denton did seem somewhat sincere. Prompting him to say "let's assume for the moment that you and your superiors are sincere...what do the leaders of the UNSC really want now ambassador?"
Denton sighed as he was pinching his eyes. "I'm not going to beat around the bush too much but let me say this: if it were up to me, I'd ask you about this off the record, or however you wanted it. That being said: how in the Forerunners did your nation manage to adapt Mass Effect drives to your ships? You specialize more in dogma, not innovation, no offense."
"I've noticed that humans tend to say that immediately AFTER saying something truly offensive... Still you have a point, but why should I tell an ONI agent such sensitive information? Wouldn't helping someone such as you be a betrayal of my people?" Velo asked, genuinely curious as to what Denton would say.
"It would, if you were to give me the actual blueprints or any related data." Denton admitted. "But that's not what I'm asking for. What I am asking for, is how did your people manage to integrate this technology to your own so quickly? It is, after all, spitting in what we've known regarding physics for centuries, or millennia in your case. And that is not including what we are still learning about Slipspace."
Velo 'Mdama paused in thought. He was supposed to formally announce it soon anyway. If only to prevent any future diplomatic incidents. Perhaps he could garner some goodwill by telling ambassador Denton now.
"My new assistant would actually be the one you should talk to about that" Velo said, then he hit his intercom and stated "Corr'Voreem could you please join me in the office please."
Less than a minute later, a slender figure in an environmental suit entered the sangheili ambassador's office. His appearance making Alan Denton gasp aloud. As the blunt genius rapidly realized the implications of what he was seeing. His mind was racing, a million thoughts going through his head. And just one rose above the rest, 'Oh this is not good, not good at all.'
"An educated man like you no doubt recognizes a Quarian when he sees one...the newest members of our Covenant" Velo says with a cold smile as he observes Denton's reaction. Proud of the fact that he had finally been able to get the better of an ONI official.
**APUFMKII**
Spartans never die.
The phrase had emerged during the Great War as a defiant cry in the face of the seemingly overwhelming Covenant onslaught. It represented human strength and resolve, and was an open challenge to their enemy's might. A boast and claim to raise morale and create legendary figures for the people to believe in.
It was also strictly speaking a lie.
Something John Doe was all too aware of as he approached the last enemy strongpoint blocking his way to freedom. Tired and alone, while facing apparently overwhelming odds. Yet in an odd sort of way, the situation was pleasantly familiar to the jaded old warrior.
Days of never ending combat, being shuttled from one firefight to the next planet under siege. He cracked a smile to himself, whatever strain he felt upon his body, was nothing compared to what he been through during the Battles of Reach and Earth.
Still, He and his brothers and sisters had earned that reputation of being impossible to kill. Each of them had, at minimum, six-figure kill count, pushing seven. While he was push eight figures. If it were up to him, and had the ammunition, he'd take the time to sweep this installation from top to bottom and clear it out completely.
As it was, he didn't have that luxury. Kalimya had kept feeding him, and presumably the others, about what was happening outside. Apparently, at least two divisions of ground forces were moving towards the installation. Along with a small force of frigates from high-orbit. Even for a Spartan, those numbers were suicide. The ground forces they could have handled, but the frigates, they had no chance.
"Lasky, what's your position?" He sprinted down the halls, seeing passageways littered with bodies or caved in by explosives. "Have you made it out of the installation yet?"
Gunfire could heard over the radio. "No sir, we had to detour to the original infiltration point, we-Damn! Someone take down the Shellhead!" Another double-crack from a KG .50x.50 was heard. "Sorry sir, but all the other exit points were locked down, and this was the closest one otherwise. We've made contact with hostile forces, but these aren't Hegemony! I-Shit!"
"Calm down Major." John chided. "Are they Citadel Forces? What strength?"
"It looks like Citadel Elites, sir. They've the training and the hardware to match. Palmer is fighting back, but from a fixed position. O'neill is recovering, but he's nearly 100%. Demeneux is just keeping their heads down."
John kept sprinting, his HUD telling him he was only a hundred meters away, nothing for a Spartan. "Does O'neill still have his active camouflage module? And his C-12 explosive?"
A rough, French-accented voice filled the comms. "Oui, captain! Still a little dizzy, but all good. What's the plan, sir?"
John filled in everyone on his plan, getting a few shocked gasps and silent treatments before they all confirmed their acceptance.
A short distance away, on the opposite side of the entrance in question, Nyreen, Kirrahe, and Wreav were preparing for the Spartan assault. Dozens of bipedal mechs in dressed as regular soldiers were positioned to face the Spartans first. Over twenty turian biotics were stationed to concentrate on the human soldiers as they entered the room, and thirty-five STG snipers were positioned throughout the area so that they could target hostiles wherever they might come in. With ten heavily armored (two ton) mechs held in reserve to be positioned however Kirrahe saw fit.
Kirrahe had even seen fit to equip his forces with anti-vehicle weapons. Knowing just how tough Spartans were. With the forces at their command, Kirrahe was convinced that he could destroy an army of regular troops ten times his forces size. But he was still going to play it smart, and let the humans come to him.
"Keep them pinned!" Wreav shouted, blasting away with his Graal Spike Thrower, a weapon usually reserved for killing Thresher Maws. "Don't let them take a shot!" As if to prove his point, another thunderclap cracked the air and a krogan beside him dropped dead, missing half his hump. "Someone tell me, just why we're not shelling them?!"
"Because we want a body, not bloody pieces of meat!" Nyreen shouted, firing her sniper rifle, only to curse as her target dodged the shot, again. "Kirrahe, you got anything?"
"I'm picking up an encrypted transmission fortunately its one of the codes we decrypted...apparently most of the Spartans are wounded and calling for reinforcements." Kirrahe calmly announced.
"They're bringing more Spartans?" Wreav grunted in horrified disbelief.
"That, or they are calling for their terrorist friends." Nyreen suggested. "That just means we can't stand around anymore. Either this becomes a worse bloodbath than it is when their reinforcements arrive, or when the Hegemony reinforcements do." The other two commanders weren't sure if that was the greatest of ideas. They understood the logic behind it, yes. But they weren't exactly overjoyed by the prospect of facing a Spartan in close-quarters combat. "Well, unless either of you have better ideas?"
Kirrahe was about to protest, declaring the suicidal nature of the plan when lucky shot hit him between the eyes. Killing the STG captain instantly as his corpse fell to the ground. The sight of their intrepid superior dying shaking the resolve of the remaining STG agents.
Wreav could see it, and knew that their living troops were all too close to panicking. Moreover, if Kirrahe had been right the enemy probably had reinforcements on the way. They had to end the battle NOW.
"You heard him, there's more of those unholy monsters on the way!" Wreav shoute. "We move now!" Not even waiting to give an order, he leapt over his cover and charged for the entrance! The Krogan under his command, and a few salarians and turians following after him, discipline and training forgotten in both their fear and desire to kill Spartans.
"No, you idiots, get back!" Nyreen shouted, launching herself forward using her biotics.
But it was too late.
With Kirrahe dead and Wreav ordering an all out attack their defensive line was coming apart. Even some of Nyreen's own turian troops were following Wreav's example. While the rest looked uncertain and confused, hanging back while the others charged forward.
The krogan warriors were simply slaughtered as they charged forward. The legendary krogan toughness no match for Spartan-grade weapons. The STG operatives fared a little better, managing to dodge some of the Spartan attacks. While the few biotics that joined the charge had taken no damage at all so far. Their speed, agility, and the fact their enemies were in such a target rich environment protecting them from harm for the moment.
But the Spartans had tricked them. As the special forces and their robotic minions charged ahead the human super soldiers moved around them. Explosives planted in the ceiling detonating just as Citadel troops moved into the area the Spartans had just occupied. The Spartans fleeing TOWARDS the formerly fortified position, tossing flashbangs and smoke grenades as ceiling caved in on the charging Council forces.
Wreav was buried under the rubble along with most those who had followed him. As Nyreen's remaining biotic troops realized that they alone stood between the Spartans and for them, the Spartans were more intent on getting out alive, then killing. Tossing more flashbangs and EMP grenades while laying down suppressing fire, forcing everyone to get down, deafened and blinded or risk getting shot.
As the dust cleared and their hearing and sight returned, it was very apparent just what exactly had happened.
The Spartans had escaped.
In the aftermath, as they cleaned up the damages the Spartans had wrought during their brief time here, it was apparent that whatever they may have done to the Spartans, their foes had come out far, far ahead. They had lost the Spartan corpse and equipment. None of the Spartans involved in the attack had died. Millions of credits lost in equipment, mechs and material, and valuable assets. Not to mention the death of many of the Hegemony's best and brightest. The few survivors suffering from PTSD and shellshock. Not to mention the death of almost all of the entire Citadel force. And as though the universe was adding insult to injury, they couldn't even find Nyreen's body.
**APUFMKII**
From his office within his underground bunker, the unofficial leader of the Hegemony observed footage of the Spartans escaping. Something he was able to see thanks to the Hegemony restoring communications with the Castle Facility (several hours after the Spartan infiltration).
The battle had been a complete disaster. The Spartan corpse and equipment his scientists had been studying was destroyed. Over four hundred Hegemony troops had died, and so had some of their best scientists. The number wasn't higher by the sheer fact that most had been patrolling the outside, rather than the inside. While the Castle Facility itself had sustained extensive damage.
The human terrorists and their rebel pawns were even more of a threat than he had anticipated. They might actually be able to overthrow the Hegemony if they weren't stopped soon.
But aside from the turians, none of the Council Races seemed fully committed to saving the Hegemony. Content to use the same sort of half measures they had employed against the batarian regime itself in the past (which had been equally unsuccessful).
'No...I can't afford to let those pigheaded fools on the Council bury this' Korra thought as he called the head of the Department of Information Control.
The batarian male who answered was about as old as Datak Korra. But unlike Korra, he had become fat and infirm in his old age. But despite his physical weakness, the head of Information Control was of the few who felt confident enough to address the high admiral Korra almost like an equal (and Datak permitted it because the man was so good at his job, moreover he had been prominent in the Hegemony even longer than Korra himself had) saying simply "I'm guessing this is about that data you recently sent me."
"Yes Malik."
"Well, are you sure you want to go through with this Korra?"
"At this point we don't have a choice...show the galaxy just what the humans are doing."
"No one ever really liked Diego. Once he became a Spartan, he was arrogant, brash and had a massive ego. But he was still one of us, a Brother among Spartans. I guess we all forgot about that, in our moments. All of that is, except for him."
-Spartan Sarah Palmer's private journal, upon return from mission to deny Hegemony Forces UNSC assets.
**APUFMKII**
A/N: Well, people as you can see, the Hegemony has paid out its ass for killing a Spartan. Not only did they lose their 'spoils of war', they lost a lot of people. On the flipside though, they are learning how to fight better. For those of you wondering just what kind of bullets they were using for the shields, it was disruptor ammo. I figured it would be developed to counter Spartan shields rather than Geth Shields like in Mass Effect 2. Least by my understanding.
I've created a new story entry on my page for an update archive/codex for this story. Entries on the Spartans, Project Cerberus and the Timeline have been posted already. Next ones for the archive are the UNSC Navy and Small Arms. If you have any suggestions, drop them in a review on that archive story or PM them to me.
Remember to review for this one as well, thanks!
