Alternate Past: Uncertain Future Mk II

Chapter 28

Shadow War: Edge of Apocalypse

"The Great War was perhaps, ironically, that which gave humanity the most freedom it had since the formation of its first nations. It was a war that nothing was held back, nothing was immoral, and all restraints cast aside in an effort to simply survive. Now though, many fear that should humanity ever return to war again, will we be able to show restraint again? Or have we become so addicted to the taste of total freedom in war, that we loathe to abandon it?

-Jacob Keyes, UNSC Navy Captain(Rtd). On the subject of Humanity's future.

Crossed Lines

In the skies above Crematoria, the Hegemony task force was now finalizing their formations above the planet. The bows, or fronts, of their ships aiming directly at the planet below. Within the craft, autoloaders locked solid shells of metal into place, missile batteries were priming as both warheads were armed and boosters were ready.

On the bridge of each of the ships, gunnery crews were working frantically as they calculated firing solutions. In spite of all the advances made in technology, the mathematics still needed a living touch.

And watching the multitude of officers aboard his personal dreadnought Loyal Servant, was the High Admiral Datak Korra himself. Under most circumstances, many others of Datak's position would have simply delegated others to carry out the heinous task that was about to executed. But that was just another point where the High Admiral stood out from amongst his 'peers'. He preferred taking a personal hand in whatever he ordered his subordinates to do, circumstances permitting of course. Even when he had first obtained his rank of High Admiral, he still personally lead entire legions of troops during campaigns in the Terminus systems.

Gaining the respect of the non-commissioned officers under his command, while sending a message to his opponents. 'I am not afraid to walk through the blood and the mud of battle, and my skills are still sharp because of it. Challenge me at your own risk.'

Currently, the entire task force was centered around his dreadnought, with cruisers creating an inner ring around his flagship, the frigates and destroyers creating outer rings outside that. Considering the opposition that they were likely to face, it was probably overkill. But that was the point.

"How much longer until the firing solutions are completed?" The Admiral called out.

"Sir, two minutes until all firing solutions are finished, as according to your orders, sir." An officer answered. "It'll be another four after that for all munitions to be primed and ready, as per your orders again, sir."

"And the fleet?"

"In formation, as of five minutes ago sir. The firing solutions are taking longer to calculate due to how you specified them sir." The same officer answered.

Korra nodded in appreciation of their competence. Events were proceeding according to his schedule. He and his staff had planned this operation in exacting detail. The admiral wanted to leave nothing to chance. Because what Korra had planned was NOT a battle.

It was a statement of intent, for both Datak Korra and the Batarian Hegemony itself. That the Hegemony, no, that he would not stand for such, insubordinate behavior. That no matter how large, or however 'successful' that these unruly slaves, these self-proclaimed 'Rebels' became, that he would turn every single one of their major victories, into a crushing defeat. That they may think they can upturn the Hegemony, but their efforts will only end in annihilation, and the strengthening of the Hegemony's position for centuries to come.

"Just a little while longer, and all this notion of 'Rebellion' will soon die."

**APUFMKII**

Done on the planet below, the scene was best described as controlled chaos. While there were many who were panicking when the news of the Hegemony fleet in orbit directly above them began to spread, the vast majority were shaking in anticipation.

Everyone was assuming that the fleet above had several armies worth of troops, intent of reclaiming the entire mining colony through a conventional ground invasion. The vast majority were eagerly awaiting said army, as they relished the chance to take out all the hate, pain, and anger that had been building up inside them since they had been sentenced to work to death Crematoria, although those who had been born into slavery had far more to avenge.

Scavenged weapons, armor pieces, and the rare kinetic barrier were being passed out among those with the training and experience to use them. Everyone else was in the processing of maintaining their mining tools, many of which were still caked in the blood of their Hegemony victims.

Prisoner 626 was clutching his hammer tightly as he sat listening in the main communications hub of the colony. No one was really trying to direct people from one place to another, aside from picking up water, rations and equipment as needed. So someone like 626, who had no experience with the technology around him, was more or less ignored as he sat and listened in.

"Has anyone managed to break through the jamming signal?" Someone, an asari 626 noted, shouted out. She, and several other asari, had been part of a group that immediately after their arrival, talks of rebellion and insurrection began to break out amongst the slaves. 626 would bet what little he had that she had been part of the initial instigators.

"Negative! I've tried every damn possible technique I know, and even a few I just made up, nothing is getting through." Another asari shouted back. "Damn, since when in the Void were the Hegemony this good at telecommunications?"

"What about the Fleet itself, has anyone managed to open up a communications channel with them at all?"

A batarian signalled no, gesturing that he was still trying but they were ignoring him. The batarian, 626 noted, was using the handsigns taught to all slaves, to communicate with those who had their tongues cut out for one reason or another.

"Where are the troops transports? Why aren't they deploying the army yet?" one of the de facto rebel leaders asked the universe at large, nobody had appointed or elected him to the position, but he seemed to know what he was doing since he arrived a month ago, so everybody tended to listen to him.

The rebel leader was actually a former Hegemony soldier himself. Sentenced to slavery for accidentally causing the death of a high ranking officer, though in truth, the man had died more a result of his own stupidity than anything else. The former-soldier was grimly looking forward to bleeding the army that had casually rejected and thrown him away, disregarding his years of loyal service.

But the Hegemony fleet showed no signs of deploying troops. The radar screens were utterly void of any contacts or IFF, Identify Friend or Foe, tags. All of the craft that the Rebels had managed to seize were all grounded, none of them were currently in the air.

"Someone get two teams together, and get them onto two of the freighters we have docked." The soldier ordered. "I want one of them to approach the fleet in orbit, try and open up communications with them. The other freighter to head off-world, try and get past the fleet and get our message across the extranet. Maybe it's the planet's weather system jamming us, maybe its the Fleet, but I don't liking sitting around with my thumb up my ass waiting for something to happen."

To the surprise of 626, several of those present ran off to do what they had just been ordered without hesitation. Even those who had not been part of the asari group. After some deliberation, he rose to follow them, thinking that it would interesting to see them carry out their orders.

The few former slaves with any piloting skills raced to the ships. Intent on using the freighters to defy the Hegemony, at least one last time. Spreading the message of Rebellion even farther.

But the Hegemony was expecting them.

As the freighters lifted off the surface of Crematoria, the batarian warships targetted them. Powering up their vast arrays of weapons. Aiming enough destructive ordinance at the unarmed merchant vessels to destroy cities. Ignoring the freighters attempts to contact them.

Then they opened fire.

Shells meant for capital-ship combat and hardened installations all but vaporized the virtually unarmored freighters. Passing straight through them as though they were naught but air, sometimes striking more freighters behind them before impacting against the planet below. Ice cracked and shattered as the sheer kinetic energy broke through millennia old ice shelfs, enormous slabs the size of frigates tilting into the air before crashing down below, while shards of ice jumped into the air, and came down with lethal speeds.

In only a single salvo, almost every freighter was vaporized. A few escaping the slaughter by flying down and hugging the planet's surface, avoiding detection and shells alike.

626 looked upon the sight in awe, as the salvo had also utterly destroyed the spaceport as well, simply by sheer location. Almost on instinct, 626 looked towards the sky, only to see more shells shooting down from the sky.

It would be the last thing he, or anyone else on Crematoria for that matter, would ever see again.

**APUFMKII**

High above the planet, the High Admiral watched as a barrage of shells fired by the spinal-cannons of the ships streaked towards the planet, followed by a salvo of cluster missiles, all of them heading straight for the colony.

While most would have seen the planned barrage as gross overkill, or a 'misallocation of valuable resources', Korra did indeed have a reason for it. The opening salvo was meant to utterly level the entirely colony. Living quarters, barracks, the spaceport and communications hub, all of it was to be turned into nothing but rubble. If the shells didn't destroy the buildings outright, the shifting and cracking of the ice would do the job. The shells were also meant to pierce through to the underground sections of the colony.

The clusterbombs were meant to clear out and destroy the rubble created, incinerating any survivors from the initial salvo and clearing out the entire surface to give as much as a clean access to the underground network and as a result, the mining tunnels themselves.

"Firing final salvo."

Datak Korra savored the moment. He knew that, considering all the firepower that had already hit the colony, virtually all the rebels were already dead. But this was meant to annihilate any survivors, and destroy any monuments to this uprising. Smiling as the nuclear missile struck the surface.

The nuclear detonation all but disintegrated what remained of the heart of the colony. The force of the nuke melting everything directly outside ground zero, moments later smashing through the remaining tunnels. Nuclear fire raced through them, incinerating everything inside the tunnels, the walls themselves melting from the heat and radiation, burning as deep as they could before losing their energy. The radioactive fallout scarcely beginning to fall from the sky before a second city-buster Class nuke slammed into the crater, further deepening the hole, and sending fire up the tunnels yet again. Water poured in as the flame and radiation melted the surrounding ice, steam bellowing into the air as water was vaporized by radiation.

Then a third one hit, splitting the bedrock apart, it created a new fissure in the now exposed planet's surface. The nuclear fire reaching the deepest parts of the tunnel, ensuring that nothing survived. As the nuclear fallout began to finally fall, water still poured in from the leftover heat, melting the long frozen ice. In time, it would freeze again, forever trapping the radioactive dust and ash, all that remained of the mining colony, within the ice.

Datak Korra had decisively ended the rebellion on Crematoria. By ensuring that there was nothing left to recapture. And nothing left for anyone to save.

Yet, for all his experience, he failed to recognize one thing. Throughout this 'conflict', if it could be called that, many lines had been crossed by both sides. The Rebellion in particular. But with his actions, it now meant that quite literally, nothing was off the table. Not anymore.

**APUFMKII**

"So...we're 'cousins' to the filthy hairy mongrels then…" Treeya Nyxeris muttered to herself as she nursed the drink in her hand. Several bottles littered the floor of her Palaven apartment, the result of the quote unquote 'news' that she had just seen, broadcasted through all of Citadel space, and more than likely human space as well. "Pathetic, people are so afraid of the humans that they'll do anything to appease them. Cowards, the lot of them."

Tossing back the rest of her drink, Nyxeris thought to herself, 'Those two so called doctors have to be frauds, peons of some higher power dancing them around like puppets on strings.' She looked at the glass in her hand, a reflection of the viewscreen on it, which was still playing repeats of the interview and the reactions of people, some of whom were apparently actually pleased by the news. Thinking that perhaps it could be the stepping stone to some greater alliance and improved relationships with the humans. "Damn traitors, all of them!" She threw the glass at the screen, shattering them both.

Her chest heaving, her inebriated mind cleared somewhat as traces of adrenaline, or the asari version of it, coursed through her system. As clarity returned somewhat, she registered the fact that someone was at the door and was ringing the bell. Quite incessantly actually. "Who in the name of the Goddess is that?" She grumbled, walking towards the door. As soon as it opened, she shouted, "What?!"

Pallin Jared, chairman for the governing board of the Sons of Impera, stared in surprise at the usually composed and well dressed matriarch. Treeya Nyxeris stank of sweat and booze, her clothes were mismatched and rumpled, and her eyes looked bloodshot. Frankly, if Jared had just stumbled into her by accident, he probably wouldn't have recognized Nyxeris.

"Well," the chairman started, "I first came to check if you were well. You haven't been answering any of our calls or messages. Apparently you are not."

"Yeah so what if I didn't answer my messages?" She spat. "I'm entitled to my own life."

"Yes, you are." Pallin agreed, "But considering that you always promptly answer any calls or messages from the Board, or me for that matter, I thought something had happened." Glancing over her shoulder he asked, "Maybe we can continue this inside? So as not to be so public?"

.

"Oh come inside then." Nyxeris said irritably, stepping aside to let the turian in.

Pallin nodded his thanks, taking care to avoid the liquor bottles scattered here and there throughout the apartment. "So," he started as he sat in, what he hoped was, a clean chair. "Just what happened that you were ignoring us?"

"I just needed...to clear my head. After hearing those awful lies that fat traitor Cardiga is spouting." Treeya slowly said. But even though she didn't want to admit it, even to herself, Nyxeris wasn't certain that Doctor Cardiga was lying. Because the humans WERE too similar to asari, physically anyway, for it to just be a coincidence.

"Clear your head…" Pallin started as he looked over the mess that was the apartment. "Well, perhaps you should actually try thinking about it, instead of drowning yourself in cheap booze?" He asked.

"The only reason I can't afford GOOD liquor is because I gave most of my money to the Sons when we were still getting started...REMEMBER!" Nyxeris replied indignantly.

"Yes, I do remember. And the entire organization is extremely grateful for your early donation." Pallin tried to appease, after all things considered, those credits had been what allowed the Sons to become such a political powerhouse right from the start, rather than having to grow from an extremely small group reliant on mass donations. It was also the reason why the Matriarch was made the treasurer, aside from being the one who would most effectively ration out the funds as needed, the vast majority of it was still her money. "Still, whatever you or I may believe about those doctors, it has created a new, and rather considerable, problem for us. Or for you, I should say."

"WE'RE NOT RELATED TO THOSE HAIRY APES!" Nyxeris shouted. The asari had hated humanity with a passion ever since the humans had destroyed Impera. Killing most of her family and destroying the business she had spent a lifetime building. Leaving her with little more than her money and hate.

The money was long gone now, spent to build up the Sons, but the hate remained just as strong.

To Pallin's credit, the shock from Treeya's reaction didn't complete paralyze him. Though he did feel the need to tap his earholes as he felt slightly deafened. "Considering your reaction, I guess that you already understand the problem. The asari are going to be seen as, if not allies, than sympathizers with the humans. That is going to generate mistrust, which will turn into caution. You can see where I'm going with this."

"The humans will attack asari worlds too eventually." Nyxeris said with conviction. No doubt in her mind that humanity would eventually hurt the Asari Republics the same way that they had scarred the Turian Hierarchy. "And once that happens nobody will doubt that they're our enemies."

"I stand corrected, you are still failing to see my point." Pallin countered. "What I was implying was that until something happens that irrefutably mark the humans as enemies of the asari, people will see the asari as secret agents or sympathizers of the humans." Before Treeya could answer, he pressed on. "I very much doubt that the UNSC will do anything to achieve that. The only other option is for the asari to prove that they are against the UNSC, not just by words or promises, but by action. Until either of those happen, you should know as well as I do, virtually all asari will now be viewed with suspicion."

"You want the Republics to war to war with the humans now! But, *hic* but they're not ready! My people would just be slaughtered!" Nyxeris protested, her drunken and hate filled mind automatically going to the worst case scenario.

"And did I ever say it had to be the Republics that would be doing this?" Pallin asked. "I said the asari. That means individual, small groups, independents, etc, etc."

"Like that mercenary you recruited? Jona something?" Nyxeris said in confusion. Not sure where the chairman was going with this.

"Not quite. Rather than all of the asari, it is a better idea to solidify your people's reputation in our organization first and foremost." Pallin explained. "There are many amongst our numbers that would love nothing more than to fight the humans and their traitorous allies in the Hegemony, yet many lack the means to do so. If the asari were the ones to lead the charge...you recall the idea I suggested in one of our last meetings; that of a 'splinter' sect? A more militant sect?"

"Yeah...but what does that have to do with that slut Rayna Cardiga and her lies?"

"Spirits, give me strength and fortitude…" Pallin muttered to himself at the usually perceptive Matriarch's thickheadedness. "I'll speak more plainly; having our asari members entering the Hegemony to fight the Rebels and their human allies will wipe away any, or at least most, notion that our asari members will ever betray the Sons."

"You want unrestricted access to treasury funds to build your private army." Nyxeris replied, finally figuring out what Jared was getting at.

"You want unrestricted access to treasury funds to build your private army." Nyxeris replied, finally figuring out what Jared was getting at.

"Your private army, Treeya. Not mine." Pallin gently corrected. "If the asari are to regain their reputation as reliable allies within the Sons of Impera, it must be an asari leading them all in the fight against our common foes. If I were to lead them, it would be cause for doubt. If you were the one to lead them, there would be little cause for doubt." Anticipating her possible protests, he continued, "I have already taken steps for that goal. I have a list of those within the Sons that would be most useful for this operation, as well as possible trainers and teachers. Along with the...tools, for such an endeavor. It's all been bought and paid for already." Pallin said, answering the unspoken question.

The STG was also a fan of this idea, which was why the covert ops group was willing to give Jared the funds to get started, though acting through several intermediaries. But Pallin's STG contact had made it clear that this was a one time thing. In the future, Jared had to find the money to keep the militia running himself. Which was why he was here.

However, Nyxeris was in no state to question Jared about these things.

So she simply said "Mine?...but but I'm no warrior."

"I'm not saying that you have to be in the frontlines yourself, but you can be the face of the organization. Proof of your own resolve and that of the asari race itself." Jared replied.

"Think of it: Treeya Nyxeris could be the asari who showed the galaxy that the eldest Council Race WON'T bend their knees to humanity. And be the one who showed off the strength of the daughters of Thessia."

Nyxeris was an old and experienced matriarch. Intelligent, shrewd, and well-informed. She was not usually somebody easy to trick or manipulate. But Treeya was drunk, angry, and afraid. So it was all too easy for her to believe the much younger turian male.

"Alright, I'll do…" Treeya agreed. "But I'm going to need help with this. A lot of help. I wasn't one of those maidens who ran off to join a mercenary guild. I paid my dues, I lived the good life. This, this is beyond me."

Pallin just smirked as he withdrew a datapad from his person. "I think, that you'll find that these people will be more than enough."

Treeya briefly scrolled down the names, a few briefly catching her attention but most were unknown to her. Then one captured her attention, Desolas Arterius.

**APUFMKII**

UNSC HIGHCOM prided itself on being well informed. It was why they had given the Office of Naval Intelligence so much free reign before, during and after the Great War. Because whatever unscrupulous activities they may have been up to, with or without HIGHCOM's approval, they had always delivered on intelligence. So when Doctor Cardiga and Smith's public announcement hit the extranet, without their prior knowledge, the entire command sect was very annoyed. As a result of this, Lord Hood had summoned what was perhaps the only high ranking member of ONI that he trusted. Ambassador Alan Denton.

Well, Section III of ONI if one was to be precise. There was less animosity between HIGHCOM and the other branches of ONI in comparison to Section III. While most of Denton's time was now preoccupied by his diplomatic role, he was still a member of ONI. And so still had the clearance to learn of less...official, actions and meetings. There was also the fact that compared to Paragonsky or even Halsey for that matter, he was far easier to deal with. While direct like Halsey, he wasn't as manipulative as his supposed superior, the Section III Director.

Hood set down the approval requests as his personal AI's, Geronimo's,avatar materialized. "Sir, Doctor Denton has arrived and is waiting outside the door."

"Send him in." Geronimo nodded before dematerializing, the doors to Hood's office opening with an almost silent hiss.

Denton stepped into the office, stopping before Hood's desk and standing at attention. An unusual sight from the doctor who usually disregarded titles, ranks and formalities unless it was called for. Though admittedly, Hood was one of the few individuals that Denton actually both liked and respected and behaved as such.

"You called for me, sir?"

"Yes ambassador. I wanted to know what ONI knew about our connection to the asari" Lord Hood said bluntly.

"Permission to relax first, sir?" Hood nodded and gestured for him to take a seat. "To answer your question sir, they don't. Or rather, they didn't until today. Suspected perhaps, but not known."

"Go on." Hood encouraged.

Denton was not surprised at Hood's lack of outward reaction. It was why he respected the man, he didn't overreact. "ONI, Section III in particular, suspected that either the Forerunners, or even our Ancestors, had interfered in their natural evolution at some point. UNSC Smart-Type AI Mjolnir was the first to arrive at such a suspicion, during our...second negotiations with the Citadel Council." Referring to the 'negotiations, if it could be called that, aboard the UNSC Era of Retaliation several years ago.

"And you did not see fit to tell the rest of us?" Hood asked coldly.

"It was only a suspicion, and it was included in the final report from that day." Denton replied. "Though admittedly, I did confirm the connection for myself, relatively recently."

Hood did recall a footnote mentioning such an idea, but compared to the rest of the report, it had seemed largely inconsequential at the time, especially without concrete evidence. "How?" Though admittedly, Hood was using all of his self-control by this point to contain himself. While having been kept in the dark by ONI was nothing new to him. Keeping information this magnitude was testing his patience.

"The Forerunner Archives." Denton answered.

"The Forerunners created the asari?" Hood replied, wondering why the ancient aliens would do such a thing.

"No, the asari were their enemies." Denton corrected. "Or rather, they fought with our ancestors. According to what little historical data I could find, the asari lived among First Ascension Humanity, and fought beside them in the Human-Forerunner war. Though, it seems their biotics was a later addition by a third-party. While it does suggest an ancient asari empire, I think our ancestors bio-engineered them, or at least, genetically modified them. It would explain why they look so much like us."

"The last part is all theory though," Denton added, "Still, it's the only one that fits. Sir."

"But why would the ancient human empire create blue women that can breed with anything?" Hood asked. Of course even as he asked the question some rathered perverted possibilities occurred to him. But the admiral hoped that there was no truth to such thoughts.

"I don't think they did." Denton began to explain. "That little genetic trump card of theirs, being able to be impregnated by choice and virtually any sapient, possibly sentient race, might not have been their design. Or at least, it wasn't planned. It's possible that it might have been a stroke of good fortune. Unplanned, unexpected, but seen as incredibly beneficial. The other possibility is whoever gave them their biotics, gave them that ability as well."

"That doesn't sound plausible. Our technology isn't nearly as advanced as theirs was, and we wouldn't do something like that be accident." Lord Hood said doubtfully.

"As for your other idea; do you think it might have been the Protheans? Doctor Cardiga seems to think that they are probably responsible for our races Common Ancestry." the admiral continued, thinking back to some of the things that the asari doctor had said during her public interview.

"The biotics? Most likely. Their reproduction? Possibly. The Asari themselves as a whole? I can say with certainty, no." Denton ticked off. "Our Ancestors and the Forerunners were capable of genetically engineering themselves in such a way, that it would make the Spartan's augmentations seem like child's play in comparison. They were able to create entire worlds and installations nearly the size of a moon if what has been uncovered in the Archives are accurate. The creation of the Asari was well within their reach."

"Assuming that the ancient humans DID create the asari WHY did they do it? I can think of some rather unsavory reasons a man would create a beautiful woman with complete control of her fertility, and I hope that we don't have to admit to the galaxy one day that our ancestors created them for perverted reasons." Hood asked.

"That might very well be why." Denton admitted. "Perhaps they were made as a servant race, or it was a gimmick of an idea that took off. We don't have much knowledge of our ancestor's society. For all we know, they could have been one that thought slavery as socially acceptable. The asari do certainly fit the bill as a perfect servant race for them, when one thinks about it."

"Yes, well I hope you're wrong. Our status as Reclaimers is built on the achievements of our ancestors. But if those ancestors were slave owning perverts, that puts everything in a very different context." Hood explained.

Denton shrugged slightly. "As I said, it's a possibility. Unless we find an intact Ancestor Database, which I doubt since we haven't even found scrap metal from them, its going to stay a theory until someone invents time travel."

"All right, that just leaves the most important question, Denton: why didn't you see fit to tell me or somebody else outside of ONI?" Lord Hood said coolly as he stared straight into Denton's eyes.

"ONI doesn't know either." Denton corrected, to Hood's shock and surprise. "I learned of the connection almost three years ago. I sometimes spend my free time looking through the Archives, and it was right there in front of me. I had assumed that someone else would find the same data, since I didn't make any attempts to actively hide it. And respectfully sir, I didn't want all the attention and red tape that would come with revealing it."

"Do you think Parangosky and her inner circle knows?" Hood asked bluntly.

"I doubt it. The data wasn't anywhere where Section III would want to look in the archives. The only ones who would find it are those who wanted to learn more about the Forerunners."

To Denton's surprise the usually surprise professional Hood chuckled and said, "You really are an arrogant young sonuva bitch, aren't you? Denton you might be the smartest person working for the Office of Naval Intelligence, but they have many, many smart, curious, and dedicated people. Parangosky already knew I'm sure of it now."

"If she or any of her lapdogs do, I haven't heard anything."

"I wouldn't have told you in her position, and to be blunt I'm not sure that I can trust you after learning that you were keeping something this big to yourself." Lord Hood admitted.

Denton frowned. This was not the way he had wanted to foster relations with Hood, especially if he was going to get any answers on what was happening within the New Covenant, specifically with his assistant. Since she had been called back by High Charity, he had been using many of his favors to find out why, where she was and how she was doing. Only to be stonewalled at every turn. He had hoped to use this meeting to get Lord Hood's help, but apparently that was not happening.

"I am sorry you feel that way, sir."

"But not sorry about what you did and you would probably do it again if the circumstances were the same." Hood guessed aloud. Denton just nodded.

"Do you know why I've come dislike ONI Denton? It's because they seem to have forgotten that the Office exists to serve the UNSC and humanity not the other way around. I thought that you had somehow remained untainted by that kind of thinking but apparently I was wrong." Lord Hood said heavily.

"I haven't forgotten that, sir. After all, I'm the one who is constantly trying to ensure that a pan-galactic war does not break out."

"You are a member of ONI, which is part of the United Nations Space Command; humanity's military. And that makes you a soldier, whether you carry a weapon or not. And soldiers MUST obey orders, not blindly but obedience is still required." Hood lectured the younger man.

"Understood, sir." Denton ground out.

"No you don't. You think I'm being unreasonable I can see it in your face. Now tell me if a member of your staff kept something this important from you ambassador, how would you react?" Hood asked critically.

"That's different." Denton protested.

"How?" Lord Hood demanded, and for all his intelligence Denton didn't have a good answer. "Keep me informed next time you learn something like this. I have enough issues with the rest of Section III, I don't need to add you to the list permanently."

As Lord Hood moved to leave, Denton said urgently, "Sir, I was hoping that you could help me find my assistant, Serana. She's been missing since all Covenant citizens were recalled."

"I'll look into it." Lord Hood said dismissively as he left the room. Refusing to say anything more. Because unlike ONI, he didn't make promises he knew that he couldn't, or simply wouldn't, keep.

**APUFMKII**

The leaders of the New Covenant didn't like surprises when it came to humanity. This was because experience had taught them that most surprises were usually bad, such as the revelation that their human enemies were actually the Forerunners chosen successors. Unfortunately the universe did not care about such concerns. As a result, the Arbiter and his advisors had to discuss the latest shocking revelation about humanity, aboard High Charity.

"My Arbiter, I do not see why you are so shaken by this, revelation." Rtas 'Vadum, Thel's closest friend and advisor said.

"I don't see why anybody's that surprised, the asari look like blue hairless humans." Volo Durgan muttered, less to anybody in particular than the universe at large. Several of the other people there just shook their heads in annoyance, because the bitter old warrior always seemed unhappy with everything. "The Forerunners have left their marks on entire worlds, our race's and that of the San'Shyuum before their extinction. It is not difficult to fathom that when they chose the humans as their inheritors, they altered them as well."

"Perhaps the asari are simply descendants of human females, ones the Forerunners blessed with long life and other gifts." one of the more pious sangheili males there suggested, with many others nodding in agreement.

"How will the asari and other Council Races react to this?" Thel asked as he turned towards Kal'Reegar, his quarian adviser and the closest thing amongst his inner circle to an expert on the Citadel Races.

"In the short term, or in the long term, sir?"

"In both cases. I have long since learned that to disregard any possible option or outcome, is to invite failure and defeat in more ways than one." the Arbiter answered thoughtfully.

"In the short term, sir, there is going to be friction between the asari and all the other races. If they are treated like how my ancestors were treated for creating the Geth." Reegar started.

"These Council races seem to enjoy a liberal application of, as the humans say, 'guilty by association'." Rtas commented.

"Quite so." Thel agreed. "So this, revelation, will turn the others against the asari then?" He held up a hand when Kal was about to answer. "I do not expect them to be treated the same as your ancestors were. I recognize the asari have, no insult intended, far more prestige and apparent worth than your ancestors had."

Kal nodded his agreement to the Arbiter's words, feeling pleasantly surprised that the Arbiter had recognized that fact on his own, though felt somewhat stupid as he based his assumption that the Arbiter would be like the few politicians he had met in his life: only seeing what lay right before them, and nothing more.

"Long term will the asari be forced to leave their Council?" Volo Durgan asked, sounding pleased by the thought of the blue aliens suffering such a misfortune.

"Probably not, the asari built the Council and have helped shape and define it over the centuries. What will probably happen is that they will feel compelled to more openly oppose humanity and human influence to prove their loyalty to the other Council Races." Kal'Reegar admitted. "If they do not, they will be kept on the Council but their influence among their peers will diminish."

"That begs the question then." Rtas intoned, "The asari who was a part of this, she must have known of what would happen."

"Not necessarily, every race has their fools and dupes." Durgan said one could deny the aged Sangheili's point. Stupidity and naivety seemed to be a universal aspect, no matter what the species.

"How will the humans react to this? can we expect more ONI trickery?" The Arbiter asked his advisors, or more specifically, Serana Ke'dar. Wanting to hear in particular from those who, like him, had a great deal of experience dealing directly with humans.

"I, don't think that we can expect much action from them, milord." Serana had served as a double-agent for the New Covenant since before she had been recruited by Doctor Denton. Relaying back as much information as she could to High Charity. While it may have stopped only a few of ONI's plots, it had given them far more valuable information as well. It was how they had learned of all of ONI's stations in their territory. "Nothing that we need be concerned about. They will likely try to use this to their advantage, an attempt to use the biological relation to promote better relations. Even perhaps a Republic/UEG Alliance. "

"That would be...bad, sir; the asari Republics are probably the richest nation in the galaxy and they have more industrialized worlds than anybody else in Council space. A real alliance with them would make humanity much much stronger." Kal'Reegar told the sangheili leader. He didn't think such an alliance was a real possibility but he felt compelled to bring it up. Continuing, he added, "But I doubt that would ever happen: the asari are too cautious and the humans are far too treacherous by Citadel standards. Still, if we ever see such an alliance taking shape, it would be in our best interest to sabotage it by whatever means necessary."

While Thel agreed as he listened, it all came back to a single point for him"Whatever the reasoning behind their relation may be," Thel said before it could continue, "It is of very little importance. It does not make them Reclaimers like those of Erde-Tyrene." Using the Forerunner name of the human homeworld. "As of right now, there is little reason to believe such a threat is possible, or that one even currently exists. Until that time comes, we shall set aside this discussion, and focus on other matters."

"Speaking of which milord: one of our patrol fleets near the Terminus systems have intercepted a radio transmission. It appears to have been relayed through a number of sources, and it is impossible to tell who it had been." Kal mentioned. "The shipmaster mentioned that he had seen some human vessels in the area at the time of the interception and believes they have been the ones to relay it."

"Does the shipmaster have reason, outside of his own personal beliefs, for such an implication?" Thel all but demanded, not wanting for this meeting to be the start of blaming the humans for any and all events.

"His reasons were the information itself, my Arbiter." Kal answered, trying to getting used to the honorific his 'peers' as it were, favored using. "That the information gathered could only have been obtained by the Office of Naval Intelligence…" He trailed off, biting his tongue so as not to say anything unnecessary.

Thel however, sensed the quarian's slight unrest still. "You feel as though the shipmaster is wrong? That there is someone else equally as capable of collecting this information?"

"Yes, si-Yes, my Arbiter." Kal admitted. "There is an information broker in the Terminus systems, a gatherer, purchaser and seller of information, known only by their alias: the Shadow Broker. I've reviewed the information and it could have been collected by the Shadow Broker as well."

"And just how effective is this 'Shadow Broker' then?" Rtas asked. "If they are a private party, their abilities and resources can not match that of any true nation's."

"Regarding anyone else, I would agree with you. But not when it comes to the Shadow Broker." Kal began to argue. "The Shadow Broker's network is reported to be so expansive, that they have access to virtually every source of information in Citadel space. Even within the Council nations. When information or intelligence was needed, the Shadow Broker was, is, without peer."

"Why would the Council nations allow such an obvious threat to operate in their territory?" The Arbiter asked in confusion, for the Covenant, Old or New, would never have allowed an independent operator within their own empire to become so powerful.

"Because there is nothing they can do." Kal replied grimly. "Aside from the Council's inability to exercise absolute authority over their citizens, the Shadow Broker has taken great pains to protect themselves. The Shadow Broker works through a network of intermediaries. Their location, identity or even species is unknown. The only things that are known about him, or them I suppose, are what they are potentially capable of, their infamy and little else."

"So the Council governments are weak then." Thel concluded. Kal nodded, as would have almost all quarians. After seeing the level of authority the Arbiter possessed and exercised over their own people, along with their military power, the Citadel Council seemed pathetic in comparison.

"But still strong enough to be a threat." the disagreeable Volo said. "They are like the Unggoy; individually they are weak and feeble, but collectively, they can be formidable in a fight."

Many of those present nodded in agreement, some recalling the history of the Unggoy Rebellion, which was only put down with the partial glassing of Balaho, the Unggoy homeworld. Thel simply smiled at his quarian advisor, while he personally believed that it was likely the humans, Reegar was still not blinded by animosity towards the humans, and so could still see other possibilities. "Still, let us review this information, whatever the source may be."

An holographic projection soon appeared just before them, a great globe so that all those present could see the same images. "This was the first piece of information that was found from the intercepted data packet." Kal began, as he was controlling the projection.

An image of a truly odd world appeared before them all. Half the planet appeared to be frozen while the other half was a burning inferno. Words beneath the holo-image identified the world as Crematoria, though for almost all present, this meant little to them except as another Hegemony held world, and an incredibly inhospitable world at that. Then the recording showed the few dwellings, small city, on the planet being destroyed from orbit, as Hegemony naval vessels rained destruction on those unfortunate enough to live on the surface.

No one present gaped or was shocked by the devastation, as they had all seen, done and ordered worse with the glassing of entire planets during their long lives in many campaigns.

"Why do you show us this?" Rtas asked. "There is little of surprise here, unless you are showing us the power of a new weapon the Hegemony may have in their possession. Even then, there is little to be concerned."

Kal openly gaped beneath his mask at how they had all dismissed the damage done to the world, not believing how they could do so easily. He quickly composed himself however, "This is the world of Crematoria, a strange planet that served as a valuable mining colony for the batarians. Owned and operated by the Batarian Mining Consortium, and run by legions of slaves. The living conditions were appalling even by the Hegemony's own awful standards. It was one of their primary sources of raw ores and minerals." Taking a breathe, he added. "It was also the first world that has declared themselves to be independent from the Hegemony in its entire history. The slaves that worked the mines had led an uprising and successfully revolted and took the colony."

"Past tense." Rtas pointed out.

"Yes, the Hegemony responded to the revolt by destroying everything from orbit. The information packet revealed mentioned their own communications show the the batarian military never had any intention of fighting the rebels to retake the colony." Kal'Reegar informed them. "Though admittedly, the actually communications were not attached in the packet data."

"Cowards." Rtas replied with disgust.

"Not necessarily, Sir. The packet also held another broadcast. This one of the rebels publicly announcing that they would destroy the colony before surrendering it to the Hegemony. And that they welcomed a batarian invasion force, because it would give them a chance to kill more of their oppressors before the end." the quarian explained. "If you wish to listen to the broadcast itself, I have submitted it to the database."

"So they knew they were doomed." Thel thought aloud, a note of respect in his voice. "They faced certain death, and yet stood tall. Respectable."

"From the rumors I've heard about Crematoria, being sent there was already considered a death sentence. The rebels probably thought that they had nothing to lose by revolting." Kal'Reegar replied, his disgust for the brutal system obvious even to aliens as unfamiliar with his kind as the Arbiter's other in his tone and his body language.

"Prior to their...annihilation, the rebels had managed to broadcast a message; proclaiming Crematoria as the FIRST free batarian republic. And they were calling on several governments to recognize their sovereignty and aid them against the Hegemony. They specifically asked all of the major powers: the Turian Hierarchy, Asari Republics, the United Earth Government, Salarian Union, Krogan Empire, and the New Covenant." the quarian continued, hoping that this audience could take the news as rationally as his own people would, circumstances having forced the quarians to take a very pragmatic approach to foreign affairs for centuries.

Instead, their reaction utterly shocked him. They started laughing, but it wasn't a joyous laugh. No, it was snideful and demeaning. Kal got his explanation as Volo began speaking. "What naivety! They truly thought that we would recognize their sovereignty, simply for usurping their masters on a single world." His laughter having died down by this point, as had the others. Now sneering, he added, "They must not realize that we only recognize our enemies when they have earned our respect. Perhaps if they usurp the entire Hegemony, then we shall recognize them."

"Still Arbiter, we must demonstrate our strength. WHEN are we going to invade the Veil and destroy the quarians rebellious machines!" Volo Durgan demanded to know. He wasn't a very zealous supporter of the quarians, not by any means. Rather, he was sick of the weak image that he, and many of his generation felt was being projected by the New Covenant. Compared to when they were at their height, he felt that they were only a shade of their former self. Now that they had regained some of their former strength, he wanted to show the humans that they were rising up again, and the growing strength of the New Covenant to the Citadel Council.

Kal'Reegar felt conflicted. He wanted to encourage the New Covenant to begin their campaign against the Geth ASAP, moreover he knew that he many of his own people, including some of the admirals, felt the same way. But the former quarian also thought that their forces weren't ready for a war. And one lesson that had been drilled into his head over and over again as a soldier was, never start a fight that you can't finish.

"Peace, Volo. Do not think that we, that I, have forgotten the promise made to the quarians to reclaim their world for both them and our Covenant." Thel spoke calmly, but anyone could easily pick out the threat undertoning the words spoken. Volo bowed his head in submission. Disagreeable and stubborn as he was, the bitter old warrior knew better than to defy the Arbiter directly. Seeing his advisor's submission, Thel continued. "It is far too early for us to act, to see if these Rebels are indeed worthy of our recognition, or to reclaim a homeworld. Let us not again repeat the mistakes of charging headlong like an unblooded warrior in his first battle, like we once did with the humans. But with a cool head, wizened from both mistakes and experience."

"As you decree, My Arbiter." Everyone, including Kal'Reegar chorused. Though the galaxy did not know it yet, it was now only a matter of time before the New Covenant would show that they were strong, once again.

**APUFMK*8

"To be honest Tya, I think this is good news. Now that humanity and the asari know were related, it gives us a reason to put aside our differences." Matriarch Benezia told her bondmate Matriarch Aethyta.

"You're being naive, Nezzie. The humans did pretty much nothing but fight each other before they met other intelligent life." Aethyta said cynically. "They've as much said so themselves before, remember?"

"I am sure the accounts of their history that they gave us were heavily censored." Benezia replied.

"Which means the truth is probably even worse." The other matriarch pointed out.

Benezia just sighed at her bondmate's pessimism. They had been bonded for almost thirty years when they had had their first child, Liara. Another fifty years after that, they had their second child, Tia. While she did indeed love her bondmate with all her heart, times like this often made her wonder what she had seen in Aethyta in the first place.

"Tya, I love you and respect your decision, but why are you so adamant against giving the humans a chance? Or giving the galaxy a chance at peace?" Benezia pleaded. "Do you want the children, our children, to grow up when the galaxy is at war?"

Aethyta sighed and rubbed her face. Suddenly glad that they were having this conversation through the extranet instead of face to face. Admitting to the mother of her children, "Even if the humans DON'T take anymore aggressive action, it doesn't matter. The turians want revenge for Impera, and the Republics will probably get dragged along with them. Besides, now we have to worry about the Covenant Races too. I'm sorry, love, but the days when we could rely on diplomacy for everything are over. We need to be strong to discourage any would-be attackers if nothing else."

"You say that you want peace, Aethyta." Benezia's tone raising with her anger, "But your actions say differently. If you really wanted peace, you would be agreeing with me and doing everything to support me. Instead you're supporting that warmonger of a Council! I pray to the Goddess, Aethyta, that you see reason soon. Before your work tears our family apart."

"They destroyed one of our worlds, Nezzie, and their special forces are trying to overthrow an Associate Race's government. We HAVE to do something, otherwise the other Council Races will force us to! You have no idea just how much the turians HATE them and the krogan are getting just as bad." Aethyta replied, hating the note of pleading she heard in her own voice.

"A nation that spits in the face of everything we stand for. Slavery! Aristocracy! An oppressive government!" Benezia shot back. "The humans are only doing what the Council should have done centuries ago, when they first discovered the Batarians. Instead we allowed it to fester and grow like an infection in an open wound."

"I am sorry for interrupting your call, matriarch. But a VIP is demanding to see you." Aethyta's assistant informed her as she entered the Security Advisor's office.

The matriarch had actually asked that nobody disturb her unless it was an emergency. But she wanted an excuse to end the call before the argument with her bondmate got any worse. So she shot her assistant a grateful look as she told Benezia, "I'm sorry Nezzie but I have to take this now give Liara and Tia my love."

Then the matriarch hung up, taking a minute to compose herself before asking the asari maiden "So who is demanding to see me anyway?"

The maiden seemed to be trying to stay calm, but her apparent excitement was leaking through and breaking the facade easily. "It's uh, well uh..." A face-splitting grin was plastered on her face, excited giggles breaking through as she tried to speak.

Aethyta, getting tired of her assistant, demanded, "Spit it out, kid! Who is it that has you so damn excited?"

"Its a Justicar! THE Justicar Taiba! She's here!" the maiden replied brightly. Overjoyed at the chance to meet one of her heroes. Thinking that her friends would be so jealous. Assuming that the Justicar coming had to be good thing.

Whereas Aethyta's thoughts were going in a very different direction. Although she was a saint compared to the recently deceased Vendula, Aethyta had lived a wild life as a maiden. Doing quite a few things that she wasn't exactly proud of, some that were morally dubious at best. She was scared by the notion that the Justicar had come to judge her.

A voice shocked her out of her thoughts. "Security Advisor Aethyta, I presume?" The matriarch blinked owlishly as her senses returned to her, with her eyes spotting the Justicar directly before her. Or rather, towering over her. Justicar Taiba was tall, freakishly so, by asari standards. She actually as tall as many krogan, taller in many cases. In fact, Aethyta blankly thought, she's as tall as those human 'Spartans'. Though you would only realize that when you saw her in person or something to compare her to. Taiba was certainly not fat, nor was she especially muscular, all her proportions were more or less normal for an asari. Her entire body simply seemed to be built one size category bigger than normal. Her face was stoic, pretty, and unscarred, but the Justicar's hands were covered in old scar tissue.

'Perhaps she prefers unarmed combat?' Aethtya mentally shook her head, ridding herself of such useless thoughts. "Yes, I'm Aethyta. What can I do for the Justicars today? It would be an honor to aid the Justicars in whatever capacity I am able."

To Aethyta's shock the Justicar actually smiled and said politely, "The honor is mine matriarch. I am here to inform you that the Order approves of your Initiative and we wish to help."

Aethyta's eyes shot open. The Justicars, while they did all in their power to fight against that which went against their code, only aided others through circumstances. Getting directly involved in politics was completely out of character for them. At least it had been, until the asari met the humans.

"How...how so, Justicar?" Aethyta asked cautiously.

"While the Republics have become weak and decadent without the guiding hands of the Justicar Order, Matriarch Abene does not believe they are beyond redemption. We understand the work you do, and that there are corrupt individuals who impede such progress that must be dealt with." Taiba explained with a fierce look.

"You're offering to kill my political enemies" the matriarch exclaimed in shock.

"You misunderstand. We will not kill the innocent, no matter what opinions they hold. But we realize that some the wicked hide amongst those who impede the Asari's return to power, and so my Order is duty bound to eliminate them." The tall Justicar replied with a fierce look. "My Order will be however, reliant on you and your allies to inform us of who these...individuals are."

The matriarch now realized that regardless of how the Justicars phrased it, or even thought about it, they were offering to kill her political enemies in order to advance their own agenda. Countless ambitious asari throughout history would have been overjoyed at such an opportunity. But instead Aethyta felt afraid, not for herself, but for her family.

Because she now knew that, much like herself, the Justicar Order was pursuing a political agenda centered on militarizing the Asari Republics. And that they were perfectly willing to kill any who would stand in the way of that goal, not just their political enemies. Unfortunately, one of the most prominent and influential voices against asari militarization was Benezia T'Soni.

Aethyta, putting on a stoic facade, bowed her head. "Thank you, Justicar. I am grateful for this aid."

Justicar Taiba simply nodded before turning on her heel and leaving, Aethyta hearing her assistant all but jumping onto the Justicar as soon as she walked through. As soon as the door closed, Aethyta slumped into her chair, her arms slack. "Goddess….what am I going to do?"

**APUFMK**

The most famous couple living on the Hierarchy colony of Jarum was easily Rayna Cardiga and Michael Smith. Thanks to their recent press conference on Common Ancestry, which was being still being broadcasted throughout the galaxy, their faces were plastered on virtually every extranet browser from here to the Terminus.

In the wake of the press conference (and all the free publicity it had brought), donations to their clinic had more than doubled. Giving Rayna and Michael enough funds to hire other full time employees. In fact, with other doctors working at the clinic now Smith and Cardiga suddenly found themselves with a lot of free time on their hands. As a result, they had asked a friend to babysit their girls for the night, so that they could enjoy a romantic evening at home.

What they hadn't counted on was the press. Reporters of all races were constantly ringing the doorbells of their modest house, aiming cameras at all their windows in order to catch them on film, and even looking through their trash.

"Why won't they leave us alone Mike?" Rayna asked her lover as the doorbell rang again, appearing on the verge of tears.

"That's what the media does. They don't care about what they do and how it might affect us." Mike answered as he held her close. "They just want a story, something to plaster on the front page, something to make their name be heard."

"But a lot of what they're saying has NOTHING to do with Common Ancestry. They're saying such awful things about our family, appearance, and even our sex lives." Rayna replied, hurt and offended by the way that so many in the media were openly speculating about their lives. "Don't they have any decency!"

"And that's what they want. It doesn't matter what they write about, as long as people want to read it."

"I WISH we had never even done that press conference now, that we had just leaked our research anonymously to the extranet." Rayna complained.

"And what then?" He asked. "No one would have taken the information seriously, it would have been seen as a human ploy. To try and turn the galaxy against the asari. And even then, if it was taken seriously, they probably would have found out who we were."

"Maybe one of our friends has some idea how to handle this." Rayna replied, more out of desperation than any real expectation that any of their friends could actually help with a problem this big and unusual.

"Maybe, maybe." Though if Mike was being honest with himself, he wasn't entirely sure if anyone could do anything. He had some ideas sure, to keep the paparazzi away, but they all needed money and wouldn't be effective for long anyway. And even with all the donations as of late their funds were all too limited. "Hopefully, they-"

"Oi! Get the hell out of here you damn parasites! Shoo! Or I'll Throw you to the other side of the colony!" The shouting was loud enough that it apparently had silenced the paparazzi outside into the silence, then chaos erupted again, this time focused on whoever was shouting.

'No, I think I know who those people are.' Mike thought to himself. When he started to hear people shouting and the occasional scream, he thought, 'Correction, I don't know who those people are.' It sounded as though one or two people had actually been thrown from the crowd. Not with biotics, but physically thrown.

"Let me in!" a familiar voice said, as the doorbell rang again. The couple recognizing the woman who had knocked Rayna down the day they went public. Rayna and Michael also the woman's asari companion with her. Both of them throwing venomous looks at the reporters waited outside the front door. Katya was cracking her knuckles, and judging by the wary looks they were giving her, chances were that she had been the one, if she had, throwing them.

"Oh thank god!" Janice said as she all but barged into the room, Katya following soon after, but not before giving one last glare before the doors shut. "Sorry for barging in, but we were out when you called us. I thought you might have needed help." Glancing towards the door she added, "Guess I was right."

"But what you can do?" Michael asked with a helpless shrug.

"Even if you punched them all, they would just come back later AND probably sue you for assault." the normally pacifistic doctor continued, the reporters behavior making him more upset than anything that had happened since his wife abandoned him and their young daughter.

"Well I could help you move to Omega." Katya suggested, "If any reporters were crazy enough to follow you, they won't last long." She was using her 'backstory' as an asari that had been born in the Terminus, and had left the lawless regions relatively recently.

Both doctors gaped at the suggestion as Janice chided her, "Katya! What are you thinking!? Omega of all places!?"

The 'asari' just shrugged. "You got a better idea?"

"I do, actually." Janice looked towards the doctors. "I've got a few friends working in a PR, Public Relations, Firm. Pretty high up actually." Seeing the couple's wide eyes, and about to protest, she added. "It's not like a news company or anything! They just help companies when they have issues with the press. I could probably convince them to help you pro bono, or least for a lower rate."

"But we're just doctors, not celebrities!" Rayna protested.

Katya just shook her head at her 'fellow' asari's denial. Her face was plastered on every screen between her and the Citadel. Her name was now known by virtually every asari and possibly every human, at least amongst those that paid any attention to the news or current events. Her part in the work had immortalized in her in history, and yet she still thought that she wasn't a celebrity. Deciding to shatter that naivety, she snarked, "Of course you are. You're just as well known as, if not more, Councilor Tevos herself."

"It wasn't meant to be about us. We were simply telling the galaxy something that everybody needed to know, hopefully lowering the chances of the UNSC and the Council going to war again in the future." Michael said sadly.

"And you didn't expect that everyone would want to know about the people that made such a discovery?" Katya pointed out, practically disgusted by the naivety.

"To be honest, we assumed that bigger names in the medical and diplomatic world would take hold of the issue and seize all the glory for themselves. We certainly had no intention of fighting anybody for it." Michael admitted.

"Then you should have just given it to one of those 'people'." Katya was still surprised as how naive they were being. "This is the consequences of your action. And you might as well enjoy the peace that you still have."

Michael and Rayna shared a look. In retrospect what Katya was saying seemed obvious. But it hadn't occurred to them because they were idealists, rather than schemers, by nature. However, they were still intelligent people. Intelligent and humble enough to see when they were completely out of their depth.

"What do you think we should do?" Rayna asked her 'fellow' asari.

"If you don't plan on moving to Omega," The pair shuddered at the thought, "Then you might as well ask Janice's friends for help and hope they can do something."

Michael took Rayna's hand and a gave her a meaningful look. Recognizing the signal from her lover, Cardiga initiated a brief Meld with Michael, sharing her thoughts and feelings with the man who was her spouse in all but name. Her eyes momentarily turning black, then she gave Michael a kiss, to show her acceptance and agreement.

"We'll do it." Rayna told Janice. The ONI agent smiled, the loving couple totally unaware that this had been ONI's plan all along, and they had engineered everything after the announcement, it had been no coincidence that the press had found Cardiga and Smith's house so quickly.

**APUFMKII**

Silence dominated the Rebel Headquarters. Almost all present utterly shocked beyond word and emotion by what they had learned. "By the Goddess...how could they do something like this?" Cara managed to whisper, her throat completely dry. She was glad that the two young ones were not awake, sleeping soundly back in her and Jella's quarters.

Similar whispers began break through the silence, yet it did not take long for those whispers to die away yet again. Even the Spartans themselves were unusually quiet. Since the new ones had shown up, the Rebels rarely had a moment where they did not hear a Spartan's voice. Whether they be berating, training, discussing strategy or simply talking with someone. The silence from the human super-soldiers was frightening for them.

Unknown to them, the Spartans were having a silent conversation, their external speakers shutdown and internal comms activated.

"So. That's it then." Mike's usually arrogant and joking tone was gone from his words. "Permission to finally stop pussy-footing around, sir?" Since the beginning of Operation Spartacus, the Spartan-IVs involved had been giving it their all, the Spartan-IIs had been holding back considerably. The latter had been given strict orders to limit their performances. Under the pretense of; "allowing the Rebellion to grow of its experience and actions, rather than being carried on the backs of the Spartans." In theory, if the entirety of the Spartan-IIs had been deployed, with little restrictions on how to end the Hegemony, the aristocratic nation could have been brought to its knees already.

That was not to say contingencies had not been put in place. ONI had also added in their orders that should the Batarian Hegemony escalate their actions, then the Spartans had permission as well. Up to and including total carte blanche.

"Permission denied." John's tone brooked no argument. "While the Hegemony have escalated their actions, they have not completely crossed the line, not yet at any rate." As though sensing what the others were about to say, he added, "That does not mean we will let this stand."

"Understood, sir." Mike didn't bother arguing, as he had a feeling what the Spartan Captain-Commander had in mind. That, and he rather avoid another dressing-down from his 'sister'.

"Does the news about the asari affect the mission, sir?" Jai asked the Spartan Captain-Commander. Voicing the thoughts of many of the younger Spartans. Who took it for granted that the human involvement in the revelation of the asari's relation to humanity meant ONI involvement. When 117 didn't respond, Jai asked again.

"Negative. The mission remains the same." 117 answered, though admittedly, that was only because he was being professional about it. John, as were the other Spartans present had been shocked as much as the Rebels, though they had hidden it far better. On a personal level though...he wasn't sure how to respond, so he was just setting it aside from now. Setting those thoughts aside, he 'focused' on 058. "Linda, you scouted the city, you learn of any good locations?"

"More than a few." The red-headed femme-fatale answered, "These Batarians have sloppy security, worse than the First Insurrection. I've started setting up nests for later." Linda-058 had been spending the majority of her time scouting out the city they were based in and several ones nearby. Searching for places where she could be most effectively provided extreme long range support. "Don't look now, John, but I think one of them wants to talk with you."

John saw that Linda was right and Jella was approaching him. He turned on his external speakers and depolarized his visor as she got closer. "Korragan, are you going to be okay?" While he wasn't the best when dealing with people, he could still recognize stress and distress, even more easily in this situation having gotten used to the batarian woman's mannerisms and behavior.

"I, uh. Yeah, I think I'm going to be okay." She answered, though she seemed to be shaken. "Just not often you hear that an entire colony was turned into a radioactive crater."

"The shock of it will pass with time. How are the others handling it?" He asked, at the same time, peeking over her head and at said others. "You think they'll be fine?"

"They're in shock. Even for the Hegemony this is...brutal. Everybody expected the military to fight and bleed to recapture Crematoria. That WAS the plan after all." Jella explained.

"Try not to take it as badly, but this is actually a good sign." John tried to assuage. "Remember, everyone that went was prepared to die. You didn't order them to their deaths, they marched towards it willingly."

"Yes but they were SUPPOSED to get a chance to hurt the Hegemony. To make the fuckers suffer for every inch of ground that they took, instead the assholes just blew up everything from the comfort of orbit." Korragan practically growled.

"And it also means the Hegemony is taking us seriously." John pointed out. "Before they treated us as uppant slaves, then gangs and after, as real guerillas. But they never truly considered us a threat. The fact that they were willing to use an exorbitant amount of ordinance to destroy such a small target means that the Hegemony now sees the Rebellion as a real threat. And they are afraid." John was partially lying between his teeth on that last part, as he wasn't really sure if they were afraid, simply trying to send a message, or both. But Jella needed some comforting words right now, however true they may or may not be. Not that she would ever know of that, not from him.

"So what if they're angry or afraid or whatever! if they start destroying everything we take at the end, all we'll have is a smoldering wreck and an EMPIRE of corpses." Jella shot back.

Oddly enough, her crude statement showed the character growth that Korragan had gone through since John first met her. She would have once gladly sacrificed her own life, and the lives of everyone around her, just to severely hurt the Hegemony. But thanks to factors like her relationship with Cara, and to a lesser extent John himself, Jella had come to genuinely care about her followers.

The Spartan felt somewhat, strange. Proud, he guessed one could call it, of how she changed. Ironic, since he never thought he would feel that way about a non-human. "And they will pay dearly for it, Jella Korragan. They will. This Rebellion has perhaps gone on for long enough." Jella stepped back, a hand falling on her sidearm, misinterpreting the Spartan's words. Unperturbed, he continued. "It is time to come out of the shadows."

"You mean to destroy the President and the Senate...now?" Jella said slowly in amazement.

The rebel leader had fantasized about bringing justice, or at least vengeance, down upon the leaders of the Hegemony for as long as she could remember. But until today it had been little more than wishful thinking. What John Doe was saying suddenly made it seem far more real.

The Spartan nodded. "Cut off the snake's head, and the body will die. But if we do this, you have two options. Let me and my Spartans handle this, or launch an assault on the capitol building. But if you launch the assault, there will be casualties. Far more than we have seen so far, barring Crematoria. It's your decision." Almost as though an afterthought, he added, "You have three days to make your decision. If you have not by then, my Spartans and I will go it alone."

Jella Korragan's initial reaction was to defiantly reject the idea that her followers wouldn't participate. That they would not take part in the mission to stab the heart of the Hegemony was inconceivable. But as she saw Cara in the corner of her eye, Jella reconsidered. Imagining all the people in the room who looked up to her, trusted her, and believed in her, dead.

"I will think about it." Jella said coolly.

John just nodded in understanding. "It is not an easy thing to commit oneself to such a course. But remember this Korragan, that in a war, there are always casualties. What matters is if this: were those lives spent, or were they wasted?" With that said, John polarized his visor and walked away, his Spartans leaving with him.

"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

-Isoroku Yamamoto, after the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Author's Note (aDarkOne):

So the Rebellion is finally heating up. As many of you have been asking for, but don't praise us yet. I do not believe in Character Shields, so ANYBODY in this crossover can die.

I figure we will have succeeded if most readers are either very pleased or pissed off by the way that we finish the Batarian Civil War story arc. Because the worst reaction a writer can get is indifference.

Follower38: Yeah, we more or less have made it that the asari, sans biotics at least, creations by First Ascension Humanity. Yeah, I know, there is canon for that, but personally, I don't see the Protheans as having completely engineered the asari from scratch. Adding on, yes, but from scratch, I have my doubts. Thankfully, this is a fanfiction so that gives me and aDarkOne the liberty of throwing certain aspects of canon out the proverbial window.

Please, leave us a review.