A/N- I listened to this music while writing the battle scenes in this chapter: watch?v=VbdTeKo14Jw
Chapter 9, Alliances
May 9th, 2160. Bahak System
The human-batarian task force entered the system, the batarians undocking from the human ships as soon as the portal closed. Over the past few months, the new batarian republic had been securing former hegemony colonies, with aid from their human allies. Some colonies had joined as soon as the republic fleets entered the system, with rebels being prevalent in the colony. However, other colonies had resisted, requiring republic troops to be sent in. Many resisting colonies surrendered as soon as republic soldiers landed, but others fought until the very end. Aratoht was one of the latter colonies, and unlike many other resisting worlds, it had a significant military presence on the ground. A dreadnought led the orbital defense force, and more than two hundred thousand troops waited on the ground below. Any rebel presence on the world had been slaughtered within days of the rebellion. Now, it was the last hegemony stronghold remaining. The human first fleet, as well as the entire Republic home fleet, made up of a combined 253 warships, faced down against the last 49 ships of the once proud hegemony navy. Outnumbered five to one, the Hegemony prepared for its last stand.
The human fleet opened fire, their republic allies closing to broadside range. Many hegemony ships would only get to fire once, but they made their shots count. The hegemony dreadnought blasted a republic cruiser into dust, before being reduced to a shattered hulk several minutes later by three human antimatter shots. The first volley left 8 hegemony ships intact, which engaged their republic counterparts, using their opponents' ships as shields to impede human antimatter cannons. They would destroy several republic ships in their last stand, but in the end they were all destroyed, either by antimatter shot or repeated volleys of mass driver shells. The hegemony navy was no more.
Ka'hairal Balak looked up into the sky of Aratoht, watching as debris from shattered ships began to rain down on the last hegemony colony. He clutched his Terminator rifle, tensing, ready to fire at the first rebel or human that he saw. The Aratoht system was the last hegemony world, and it was his honor to die defending it. He was the highest ranking officer remaining in the hegemony military, making him the acting hegemon. He knew that the defense of Aratoht was futile, as the enemy in orbit outnumbered and outgunned his own. The only thing this last stand accomplished was an honorable death for him and his loyal troops.
A rumble was heard in the sky, as the first human shuttles descended. They streaked overhead, releasing barrages of rockets, before their side doors opened and human troops jumped out, thruster packs slowing their descent. The city was filled with the sound of weapon fire, as human and rebel troops stormed through the small city. A group of shuttles landed in front of the government building, disgorging their cargo of soldiers. Several of them planted charges at the door, while others threw grenades into low windows, killing anyone inside the rooms they landed in. The charges detonated, sending the heavy metal doors flying off their hinges. Balak and his guards opened fire, blanketing the doorway with a storm of bullets. Human soldiers charged in, their cursed null barriers absorbing the incoming fire with no visible effect. Their rifles melted through several guards' armor, bypassing their kinetic barriers, leaving burnt corpses behind. Balak fled, along with most of his surviving guard, making it to the elevator, the doors barely closing in time. The elevator slowly ascended, heading to the roof, where a shuttle was waiting for him. The elevator reached the top, and Balak exited it, only to be confronted with a squad of rebels, guns already aimed. They opened fire as soon as the door opened, killing the elevator's occupants in seconds. Balak was unlucky, taking two shots to his legs, and another to the lung. Collapsing, he died slowly. The communications jamming field over the city suddenly broke, and Balak heard the sounds of battle over his communicator, hearing his forces being overrun as he died.
"Hegemon! We're being overrun! Where's our air su-WHAM"
"They're everywhere! We can't hol-"
"We've lost our tank! Gunships inbo-"
"Where's our air support! We need those fighters go-BOOM"
"Hegemon? Hegemon! Are you there? We need backu-THWACK"
"This is Demon squadron! We've taken heavy damage and need to return to base! We're outnumbered! SHIT DEMON 2! ON YOUR SIX! We've lost half our gunships! We can't provide support anymore BEEEEEEEPPP! DAMMIT MISSI-BOOM"
"Fight to the last man! We'll die an honorable dea-WHAM"
The Batarian presence on Aratoht had been eliminated. Two thirds of the colony's population had been killed in the fighting, the last hegemon found dead in an elevator in his palace. The attack had been a success, with the batarian republic's forces securing the colony, stamping out any remaining pockets of resistance. The human ships in orbit prepared to exit the system, before one of the destroyers, the UES Leipzig, detected something. Captain Garrett Paulson hailed the fleet, telling them that he would be staying behind to investigate the strange signal emanating from the asteroid field. The human vessel closed in on a particularly large asteroid, from which the signal originated. A shuttle was dispatched to land, and a discovery was made.
"Ground team, what have you found?" Captain Paulson asked over the communications channel.
"Something extraordinary! It is ancient, and get this, it is made out of relay steel! Whoever made this, also made the mass relays! This artifact, which we are calling 'Object Rho,' could herald many new insights into the people who created the relays!" The ground team member answered in an overexcited tone.
"Good. Bring this 'Object Rho' aboard, and we will exit the system."
"I am afraid that that is not possible. It is too big to be loaded onto the shuttle, and we'll need some heavy duty blasting caps to free it from the rock its embedded in. Assuming those don't destroy it in the process. Our best bet is to build a small research base here, and study it in this system." The ground team member replied, before cutting the channel. The shuttle took off shortly afterwards, and as soon as it entered the hangar, the destroyer jumped out of the system.
2 days later, Citadel presidium
"I am afraid that the batarian republic will have to respectfully decline your generous offer of re-joining your council. You turned us away when we needed your aid, leaving us to seek it from our new human allies." The batarian ambassador said.
"We understand your reasons behind this, but your kind have been productive members of galactic society for centuries, and this council could use your return into our community" Tevos replied.
"For your willingness to let bygones be bygones, we are willing to return all living slaves taken from council colonies by the old hegemony government. Our race is planning on joining the human alliance as thanks for their aid during our glorious revolution, and slavery is illegal under their law." The batarian replied.
"If you are planning on joining with the humans, your kind are to immediately relinquish all claims to any of your colonies within council space." Verlin said.
"We will be able to do that, as the humans have promised us several colony worlds in return for our joining them." The batarian said.
"I beg your kind to reconsider. Your people have been longstanding members of this citadel, and we are truly saddened to see you leave us." Tevos said.
"Our people have cast their votes, and I am simply their voice." The ambassador said, "If all you are going to do is beg us to stay, I will now take my leave."
The ambassador then walked out, the door closing behind him.
"And so, another race joins humanity." Sparatus said.
"Based on how you are so quick to praise them, one might think you are about to join them yourself." Verlin said.
"I admire the humans. They are so much like us, a picture of what our race can become." Sparatus replied.
"The first human-asari child was born three days ago, and hundreds of humans now call this citadel home. Now, the batarians have joined them. At least the humans are cooperative, and not overly aggressive." Tevos said, absentmindedly.
"They only are cooperative because they don't think of us as a threat! Should we ever show the slightest sign of rivaling them in power, they will annihilate us." Verlin snapped.
The councilors argued for a few minutes, before leaving to their separate quarters.
A/N: Here you guys go! The conclusion of the batarian separatist arc! Per popular request, I will do the ruins on Eden Prime next, before finally initiating quarian/geth contact. After all that, I will debate on whether or not to add Shepard and the Normandy.
Also, I am thinking of writing an XCOM/Mass Effect Crossover. Should I start it now, or wait until some more progress has been made on this fic?