When your defending against an invading army with victory in sight, there are few things that can ruin your impending victory, most of them meaning a disaster is at hand. "General Williams!" The operations watch officer called out in panic, "The Relay has gone active, a large number of enemy ships have entered the system and are en-route to our location!"
"How many ships?"
"Too many for the sensors to pick up, they're moving in faster than we can scan them. From what the sensors can determine they are Turian ships!" The man paused, rechecking his screen, "Sir, the relay is still active, the its still pouring out ships!"
The general was not pleased by the news."Warn all ships in the system, and signal Shanxi order all ground defense forces to prepare for invasion."
"Sir, should we order the civilian evacuation?"
"Send the evacuation order, get as many out of here before the bastards arrive. Command has ordered that civilian losses are unacceptable. Send word to Earth, the Turians are reinforcing." The general reached out to his crew, reinforcing their will and easing their nerves. The impending reinforcements would make the battle more even but humanity would still win.
"Send word to the cruisers and carriers. Friendly fire is allowed, get those evasive bastards out of the way and regroup. All carriers are to launch all remaining interceptors in defensive formations. All ships with nuclear artillery are to prepare missiles for launch. Use of Self detonation devices is now approved. All ships are to make avoiding capture a priority. The enemy might try to overwhelm us with numbers, but we're not going without a fight."
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The news of Turian reinforcements was not unexpected by XCOM. Aboard the AXV Malice ,Dr. Knives had been increasingly through with his interview of the Turians. All aspects of Turian strategy, military power, and the chain of command were pulled out of the captives bit by bit. When one of the Doctor's victims fainted, or expired the next in line was reviewed. Each of the captives was a different level of command, and knew different details of the invaders' plans and tactics. One Turian was different from the rest, and therefore the Doctor's favorite.
Saren Arterius, the dearly loved brother of the Turian General leading the invasion forces. A perfect hostage, prisoner, and source of information.
Being the brother of a General gave Saren access to information that was very valuable to his captors. Unlike the rest, Saren was actually being treated for the various injuries and drugs he was subjected to. The rest of the Turians were test subjects as well as prisoners. After all, XCOM scientists couldn't perfect the art of killing Turians without a few to experiment on, and Dr. Knives loved to experiment on alien subjects. For nearly eighty years Knives had to use cloned versions of the Ethereal army, but Turians were something new, and there was still so much to learn about them.
As the Alliance fought and Turians died, both sides preparing for a much larger conflict, The XCOM Doctor was busy performing a vivisection of a Turian lieutenant, humming merrily in a psychotic synchronization with the prisoner's screams. The sadistic scientist made a few gestures with a free hand, opening a direct comm line to the Commander, "Sir, We have a small problem with Project Entropy." Knives said calmly, raising his voice over the still screaming alien strapped to the table in front of him, the old man's steady hands continued to cut as talked to his superior.
The commander eyed the cut up Turian with disgust, "What problem Doctor?"
Knives sighed, applying an injection to his patient, who ceased screaming as his vocal cords paralyzed. "The Thin man's venom isn't as potent as we hoped. I've tested it on several Turians, each with various compromises and still it does little more than give them a difficult case of the flu. I'd be excited if I wasn't so disappointed. As it is, even in massive numbers this would be little more than a demoralizing weapon, not the planet cleaner that Entropy calls for."
Commander Harper sighed, this was expected, but certainly not desired. "Can you use the Thin Man DNA for anything else? Perhaps an infiltrator like the Ethereal used against us?"
"It would be Possible," Knives thought aloud, "however it would take months. We'd need to create replica Turian tools, armor, and we'd need At least one psi-operative within close range to keep it under control and pilot properly. Right now, without more data on Turian culture it's not viable."
"The Turians are sending reinforcements to Shanxi, right now it looks like the defensive force will be overwhelmed. As of right now, covering the evacuation of the civilians is XCOM's priority. All XCOM units are to suspend other projects, unless the Alliance units are overwhelmed, then I want you to activate the Ethereal Network. All Psi-Volunteers are to use base disruption tactics."
"Sir, I've received word from General Williams. The use of Self Detonation devices has been approved."
Harper paused, thinking. "We don't have enough intelligence on Turian technology, the last thing we need them to get is the link-less relay system. It is regrettable, but it is a smart move." The XCOM Commander opened another link, this one to General Williams. "General, I know this is unorthodox, but I have a request for you."
Williams nodded at his fellow officer. "What do you need Harper?"
Jack Harper lit one of his trademark cigarettes, "I would request that all the Alliance Military vessels wipe their databanks of all entries related to the Sol System. I'm not saying I believe your ships will get captured, but we cannot allow the enemy to have any chance to locate our homeland. If Shanxi is lost, Earth cannot be at risk."
Williams nodded, in a situation like this any risk was unacceptable, "Agreed. I take it the Doctor has told you that self destruct protocols are in order?"
Harper took a draw on his cancer stick, letting the smoke drift out of his mouth, "He has. I take it you would be glad to know that while Turian armor is thick and blocks a good number of projectiles, a close range nuclear blast would decimate their ships and disrupt their systems for a short while. It would be a little more than a desperation move, but it could change the tide if any of your ships steered into their fleet before detonating."
"I will, consider that tactic, " Williams said, hesitantly, "Is XCOM going to aid us?"
"Partially. XCOM's priority is the civilians. Once the evacuation is complete, they are to reinforce you with using every disruption trick we have. The Alliance Counsel has ordered all non-defensive fleets to regroup in the Sol system. With the new data they are growing increasingly concerned that Shanxi will be lost-"
"Shanxi will not fall!" The General yelled, losing his calm, "Even if they outnumber us a thousand to one, we will crush them!"
"I understand General," Harper said charmingly, "However, command wants to prepare for the what if's. Even with the relay, Shanxi is a day away, we cannot reinforce you in time."
"Gaia's Shield is already rebuilding the drones lost in the initial engagements, and the last of the invaders are being shot down or regrouping with the next wave. They have barely touched the fleet."
"I hope you are right General. Harper Out." The Commander stated, cutting the link, "Knives, how effective would information warfare tactics work on the Turians?"
"They're about sixty years behind us. They use individual VI systems instead of networking them, some garbage about outlawing Artificial intelligences. So our VI attacks should work to some degree."
"Good. What is the condition of the prisoner named..." Harper gazed at one of his many screens off camera, "Saren?"
"Ah, my pet!" Knives exclaimed, "He's currently undergoing his seventh round of drug treatments. I assume you want me to make him presentable?"
"No, just the opposite in fact. As long as he can talk clearly and show signs of life. Prepare to send a transmission to the Turian fleets and prep a dozen of the prisoners for a messy execution as an example. I want to have a stalling tactic in case things go south."
"I suppose I should patch this up, then get to work then." Knives replied, drawing a needle and thread out of pocket.
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Saren was wishing for pain. It would be better than the world he was in now. The cords kept pumping in drugs, the screams of his fellow Turians rang in his ears. If he had the strength, the young Captain would tear himself from his bindings and bleed to death. The monsters that held him were clever. He was bound far to tightly to escape, or to even move.
There was no hope. He was their hostage, unlike the rest, he knew his value to his keepers. Saren had felt them pull the memories from his mind. They would use him as a shield, and his brother Desolas, the sentimental fool, would ignore command and halt any assault if it would see Saren safe.
Not for the first time and certainly not the last Saren tried to wiggle out of his bindings, to open his wounds, to do something besides lay back and be used. The monsters were clever. If Saren started to bleed too much more drugs would be forced into his veins, sealing his wounds and dulling his mind.
Still he struggled, his mind hazy.
He had to be free.
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General Desolas Arterius could not have been more relieved when the reinforcements arrived. Twelve thousand of the hierarchy's best and finest warships ready for war. His dreadnaught, Palaven's might, was swarmed with field repair ships, the tiny vessels hard at work repairing damage inflicted by the Alliance interceptors. The general was quickly transferred to the new command ship, the Turian dreadnaught Sanctuary. The twenty-five thousand meter long command ship carried the largest armament of any vessel of the Turian fleet, including a five-hundred meter long rapid fire mass-accelerator called 'the talon'.
The moment he stepped aboard several officers approached, each awaiting orders, "I want all ships to have disruptor rounds loaded, The enemy ships have poor long range capabilities. To prevent them us from taking massive losses, we will keep our distance. All ships will focus fire in squads, except for the dreadnaughts. Once the engines are repaired they will take down any pests."
"Sir," cut in a younger officer, "What about the enemy dreadnaughts?"
"They've been working as the planet's last line of defense, only attacking when our ships get within their range. Just one shot of their lasers will cripple if not destroy our cruisers. Command has ordered us to subjugate this species and make them a client race. They have already broken several laws of the Citadel Council Including activating a mass relay without permission and using biological weapons."
"Once the enemy fleet is crippled, " Desolas continued, "We will begin an orbital bombing on the planet. These creatures have shown that they are as devoted to war as we are. However scans of the planet and ships show that we greatly outnumber them. There has been no reinforcement from the relays, so thus far we believe that this is their planet of origin."
"That's one hell of a way to make first contact. " One officer remarked to another.
Desolas glared in the direction of the comment, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it! Whomever made that remark, come forward now!"
The officer in question nervously approached, weary of his superior's ire. "Tell me Captain, which is preferred? War with the Rachni or war with a species that has barely three hundred million on their origin world?"
"The newcomers, sir." The captain said, hesitantly.
"Exactly. For all we know they could have opened a door to our extinction. As it was perhaps we wouldn't have bothered from there, a force sent out to tell them of what happened and why. However, they struck next. A cowardly attack, poisoning our people with biological weapons and terrorist techniques! We still can't account for all our dead!" The general yelled with venomous passion, "Even now they continue on their warmongering ways! Before we could even offer them a chance to surrender they attack us again causing severe damage to our fleets and destroying a dreadnaught! This may be their first conflict, but with the way they act it may damn well be their last!"
The officer looked ashamed, "Understood, sir." He said, submissively
"Good, you've volunteered to command some of the ground assaults. I expect that there will be results!"
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"General, we are almost within range of Turian firing range!"
The view on the Combat Information Center was almost a mirror image of what it had been earlier. Where before it had barely been a thousand ships against the Alliance, there were now several thousands with more coming in by the minute. The machines monitoring the relay were still reporting activations as more vessels poured into Shanxi's system. The advantage of numbers was quickly ended, with only the advantage of heavier firepower remaining.
"All carriers launch interceptors!" General Williams commanded fiercely, "Dreadnaughts are to focus on enemy command ships, cripple them and then support any carriers that are in peril. Ship to ship boarding techniques are to be used if at all possible. Cruisers are to focus on on on one tactics, and target their main guns. Frigates and other support ships are to use hit an run tactics. Any ship that is under threat of capture or destruction is to use Kamikaze protocol, the enemy cannot be allowed to gain any information!"
The remaining thousands of Alliance interceptors swarmed from the hulls of their hosts, the pilots inside preparing for their death and preparing to take as many Turians with them as possible. Using the late Captain Hiller's combat info, many pilots psyched themselves to plunge into the enemy vessels for a effective kill.
Soldiers aboard Alliance cruisers prepared for treacherous jumps across a war zone, protected by little more than the orbital drop pods that were prepped by MEC Engineers as fast as their robotic arms would move. The drop pods would be aimed at any damaged Turian vessel hopefully allowing the soldiers to infiltrate and disable them from the inside.
Frigates were armed with hastily loaded nuclear armaments. Their quicker speed was the key to the battle, while enemy forces fought to a stalemate the selected Frigates would fire at any section where the Alliance was losing. Before the Turians could pass the nuclear blast would cripple both sides by the hundreds.
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The fleet wide mind merge activated and the Alliance ships charged the Turians at few speed, denying them them long range advantage within a minute. Using the reckless move a few ships misjudged the distance and slammed into the invaders, the crew following the plan and self destructing shortly after impact.
The suicide bombing of dozens of their ships stunned the Turians, it was a deadly hesitation that allowed the defending fleet precious seconds of opening fire. Piercing lasers and streams of plasma scarred the hulls of hundreds of Turian vessels, an unlucky dozen were swarmed and destroyed by the swift interceptors.
The Turian counterattack was brutal, their defensive turrets tore into the hulls of any Alliance ship the moment the target lost its barrier from numerous disruptor rounds. Hundreds of alliance cruisers fell to barrages of concentrated fire, and the giant cannons of the Turian dreadnaughts cleaved dozens of cruisers with or without their shields.
With the majority of the defending fleet preoccupied with the bulk of the Turian force, the invading frigates ignored the fight and swooped towards the planet with the cargo of thousands of Turian troopers prepared to subjugate the lesser species. The Archangel network fired upon hundreds of Turian drop-ships, the fusion lances shredding the light armor warships. The Turian pilots were prepared, many playing dummy and floating past the debris of their fallen before resuming their decent to the planet below.
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Captain Anderson was normally a patient man. Tried not to swear, never let his anger get the best of him (outside of work), and tried to be a good person.
However the Turians' unwillingness to just lay down and die was swiftly pissing him off. For what seemed like the millionth time after he got the alert, his mind was ripping into a Turian's and shredding the inside to a swift brain death. "Seventy-Seven!" he called out, rushing at another cluster of Turians freshly unloaded from their damaged ship.
Beside the captain a dozen of XCOM's finest were hacking, slashing, stabling, and shooting the various flavors of Turian infantry that descended to their death. While the Shanxi defense force protected the civilian evacuation zones, XCOM troops swept the cities for any whom had been left behind. Along the way dozens of Turian soldiers were slain with devastating efficiency. While in space the mass accelerator cannons were capable of doing serious harm against the Prothean-Titan Armor, the Turian infantry weapons did nothing at all to Alliance infantry armor.
The sand sized fragments might be devastating against other species, but Human infantry were prepared for it. That preparation showed on the faces of thousands of Turian troops as XCOM troops tossed them aside like paper, and ripped into them with absolute ease. The XCOM troopers dodged grenade blasts, walked thru gunfire and could outmatch a Turian soldier in any mode of combat. The advanced gene-mods of XCOM's elite made what was expected to be a devastating ground war into total overkill.
The Turians had known about the ship size energy weapons, but was utterly shocked that the technology was equipped on the infantry as well. Shots from the turret mounted VI aimed Gatling lasers mowed into anything alien on approach tearing Turian ships out of the air and cutting them to seared ribbons on the ground. Bursts of plasma cooked Turians alive, the armor melting into slag and eating into their flesh the unlucky few to not die from metal melting into them were sent to the afterlife after a few eternities of pain by a second shot to the face. Command had been clear, if a Turian landed on Shanxi, they had to die.
And die they did.
Turian tanks were ripped open by shredder missiles, Turian infantry outmatched by the defenders, Turian commandos slain by their XCOM counterparts. In all aspects of ground warfare the Turians were quickly confirmed as overwhelmed. Their best tactics were ripped out of the minds of their commanders and used against them. Turian transmissions were intercepted and used against the invaders who still believed they had a chance. While the bulk of the forces survived the defense net, covering the planet they died shortly after at the hands of the very pissed off humans.
When the calls for a retreat were sounded, many teams couldn't receive it, the comm officers and commanders had been the priority targets of a quickly demoralized invasion force. The surviving members of the Turian forces quickly realized that not only was it a mistake to attack, but that it marked the end of their thousand years of military superiority.