The Shield of the Emperor
ME:1/ME2 Bridge
Chapter 5
A vast fleet forms at the Naval Base Bakka, bastion which is in the Bastion System Bakka. It sits at a major relay hub. This hub, along with its three brothers, were created when Hoeth, sneering at the over reliance that these races have on the relays used his vessel to collect one fourth of the relay pairs and moved them to this system. Anyone wanting to reach the heart of Imperium would have to brave the ever growing defenses of this the four bastion systems.
He has mustered fifty ships to begin his raiding campaign against the Batarians. He has two carriers, three dreadnaughts, five battlecruisers, fifteen cruisers, eight destroyers, and sixteen frigates. All of these ships have been equipped with energy based weapons and pseudo-macro cannons along with their traditional mass effect guns. Though outnumbered by a huge margin Hoeth's steely gaze burns with fierce pride as he surveys the surrounding void.
He has his first target, the Inquisition has given him the name and location of a planet that is a major staging ground for Hegemony backed slavers as well as a naval supply base. His fleet will head through the relays while Hoeth stalks through the immaterium, homing in on the physic beacons already placed on the planet. His ships will lure them out from their protective gun batteries and slaughter them in open combat.
At the predetermined time the vessels head into the relay network. With tendrils of blue lightning enveloping them, they disappear. "Warp jump. Now." Commands the Lord Solar. His voice booms across the cavernous bridge. Chimes sound altering the crew to the impending plunge into the miasma of hell. A blood red rift is torn in the fabric of reality. The ships massive and ancient plasma drives push out stellar levels of pure power. The eighteen kilometer long battleship slides slowly into the maw of the immaterial.
In the buried command complex of the Hegemony Naval Outpost Bravo-22 a sensor tech shouts to his CO, "Sir the relay is lighting up."
"Anyone scheduled for today?" comes the annoyed reply.
"No sir. Should we rise the alarm?"
"No. It's probably some slavers coming back from a run." The CO said with the air of dismissal.
The Batarians vessels in system were spread out. Most were in close orbits of the planet, others on in system patrols. Only a pair of frigates were guarding the relay when it lit up and out poured forty-nine warships in several tight combat wedges. Those guard ships had little opportunity to do much more than die uselessly.
Rear Admiral Invictus, one of the handful of surviving Turians that joined with Ignis, orders over the vox, "Advance toward the planet at battle-speed. All ships maintain forward fire until ordered otherwise. Target the orbital guns first, then the warships. Planet side impacts are to be disregarded."
Warnings blare in every command center above, on, and below the planet. A massive fleet of sharp dagger shaped warships colored in a deep blue with dark green spines is sweeping through the system on direct course to the planet. Each vessel bears several massive twin headed golden eagles upon their thick armored hulls. Ranks after ranks of guns line their flanks as huge spinal turrets swivel, tracking distant targets. (AN: They look like Chaos Ships from Battlefleet Gothic. Thought that would best comprise between 40k/ME ship design.)
Sitting in the primary command bunker the Batarian Commander remarks to his assembled staff, "They're idiots. Coming at us straight in line with the planet. They won't be able to use their spinal cannons with risking hitting us. Even we don't shoot indiscriminately at habitable worlds. Order all ships to converge and kill them."
Invictus smiles as the Batarians waste no time in rushing toward his battle wedges. They have formed three indistinct groups as the various captains try to assert their will on the assembled flotilla. Good he thinks they will be using standard battle doctrine; one group fighting, one group maneuvering, and the last group venting heat and static build up. We can over run them and pick them apart. Time to see if they can stand up to the Imperium's way of waging war.
"Spinal cannons fire. Orbitals first, then disruption barrage on their fleet." As one, the fleet fires their main guns. Three salvos rush forward, nearly one hundred and fifty projectiles of various sizes fill the void. The Batarians are stunned. They just fired capital grade kinetic impactors toward a planet. The defense platforms crumble and fall toward the planet surrounded by missed shots and their own torn off shards of armor.
In the Imperium, its navy relies on massed torpedo volleys to disrupt formations and provide a powerful forward weapon. The Imperium Secondus cannot produce or use the three hundred foot long missiles, so their spinal guns are used in the role. The disruptive blanketing fire engulfs the mob of charging Batarian vessels. Most miss as they are fired out of effective range. Some however glance off barriers or drive deep inside enemy hulls. Chaos reigns as ship are forced to dodge the hypervelocity projectiles.
As Invictus bleeds his foe a section of space located between the Batarian ships and the planet folds in upon itself before exploding outward in a cloud of red energy and purple lighting. From this rift slides the massive bulk of the Asgardia. Hoeth steel eyes take in the battlefield at a glance smirks. The defending ships have left the safety of the planet and are now caught in open space between the hammer (Invictus and his ships) and the anvil (the Asgardia and Hoeth). A smirk forms on his chiseled features. A slaughter is about to commence.
"Group 1 increase vertical altitude by twenty thousand kilometers relative to the battle plane! Group 2 decrease vertical altitude by twenty thousand kilometers relative to the battle plane! All ships commit to close range battle! Maintain combat wedge." Hoeth orders with cold dispassion over the vox. Two groups of roughly the same size splits formation. One heading over the top, the other down below. They reorient themselves and pour enfilading fire into the now panicking Batarians.
Hoeth spins his ship one hundred and eighty degrees and hangs motionlessly. "Milord all targets, both void-based and terrestrial, are programed into the guns. We are awaiting your orders." Intones the Master of Ordinance. Hoeth eyes gleaming with cold fire never breaks his battle ward gaze nods in acknowledgement. "Firing." Comes the simple reply. The Asgardia ships shudders and quakes as gun after gun spits forth its fury.
The ship sized macro-cannons rounds tear into the paper thin xenos ships. Hulls visibly ripple as the kinetic energy and explosive energy rips them apart. Dozens die within in seconds, lost with all hands, reduced to expanding clouds of charred debris. Others are melted and left streaming in the void. Two massive salvos are fired before the rest of his vessels enter the fray. Hoeth turns his attention to the planet, with fires raging from his previous bombardment.
Invictus picking himself off the floor with a growl, wipes the bloody gash on his forehead as an after though, yells, "Burn retros and come about. Lock on to thee nearest ships that are shooting at us and destroy them her!" His dreadnaught swings in space, tongues of flame erupt all over the outer hull as the retros scream silently. As it lines its heavy broadside guns with its intend targets a frigate flies across its bow, one snap shot later the small hundred fifty meter long ship is turned into a ball of fiery shrapnel. The dreadnaught's Its barriers flash a solid gold as a pair of cruisers open fire with their main spinal guns.
In reply to the offending warships the three layers of broadside cannons fire as they bear. A long rolling barrage is sent at the charging cruisers. Lines of laser and plasma clouds form as the macro-cannons open fire. The cruisers barriers flash orange as they are shoved backwards in space by the sheer number of impacts. With an electrical crack the barriers are stripped and the hulls laid bare. They are quickly cut to pieces as more and more shells strike true. Both vessels tumble from the battle plane burning wrecks.
The rest of the battle is a furious close ranged affair. The Batarians, already a mob of frighten leaderless ships, areis quickly routed by the body hammering blows of Hoeth and Invictus. Losing all sense of coherency and morale the ships break and run for the relay. Invictus has his destroyer and frigate groups run down and kill the stragglers. The Batarians have lost eighty warships destroyed, ten mission killed, twelve orbital defense posts to the Imperium's losses of five frigates, three destroyers, and a cruiser.
While the fleet reforms and begins post battle repairs and maintenance, Hoeth has invaded or destroyed everything of importance on the planet's surface. He is standing in the main hangar bay of his vessel overseeing the transfer and sorting of the freed slaves and captured enemies. "Any prisoners of war," he says, his cold voice easily cuts through the general chaos of the hangar deck calling everyone's attention, "Will be sentenced to Servitude Imperpituis! Those freed slaves who do not embrace Warmaster Horus as guided by their true savior, the God-Emperor of Man as their savior and leader, both physically and spiritually shall be labeled Xenos Maleficent and are to be summarily executed! By the Grace of the Golden Throne we seek purpose in our service."
A look of panic sets in among the POWs, some try to break free and run. As the guardsmen gun them down Hoeth sneers, "Where do those soulless fools thing they could run to? This ship is sitting in hard vacuum. Clearly mental retardation is a trait common among the Batarian Xenos breed." With a sidewards glance he beckons the confessors, pyskers and tech-priests forward.
Groups of freed slaves are brought one at time before the assembled confessors and pyskers. They move down the enforced ranks quickly and efficiently. Those who accept are lead to the decontamination rooms. Those who do not or lie are lead to another hangar bay. Those sentenced to death are herded before the grim scared visages of the war-harden Elysian and summarily shot, their corpses are vented out the airlock accompanied by the monotone voice of servitor.
A company of the 1st Guard Regiment, the Cavaliers, are brought in to assist the firing squads. The company is made up of primarily humans with a large amount of Turians and Asari. It has a human in command with a former Asari Commando as the senior NCO. A Kasrkin Sargent orders them to kill the next batch of heretics, traitors, and xenos. The human in command has her men form into a two rank firing line. They stand stock still, weapons held at the ready waiting, staring at the blood and pockmarked bulkhead in front of them.
As the broken and scared mass of former slaves are forcibly herded into the gore soaked air lock the Kasrkin nods at the second lieutenant in command Asari. Her voice trembles, "First rank knee. All ranks make ready." She draws and points her pistol at the cowering people in front of her. Some human, a large mix of the Citadel races, and a significant number of women and children. Taking aim she watches the looks of terror and tears form a child no older than ten. "Take…Aim…" letting loose a large sigh, "Stand down," her voice quakes.
The Guardsmen and Kasrkin present freeze and affix her a hate-filled glare that could stop a titan in its tracks. "Follow your orders Lieutenant., you have sworn a scared oath when you were rescued. These before choose to turn their back on their saviors. Now follow your orders." The Kasrkin commands the hatred coming off of him in waves. Contempt fills his eyes as he levels his hell-pistol at the back of the lieutenant.'s head.
"No…" CRACK. Her headless body falls to the deck smoking. Turning to the platoon sergeant he repeats himself, "Follow your orders." The Asari human sergeant looks at the huddle mass of broken beings, the hate-filled stares of his brother warriors who just hours ago locked in deadly combat together on the planet's surface, and finally to his former CO.
With conviction she calls out, "In service to the Emperor, who we have given a scared pledge of service, First Rank Fire. Second Rank Fire!" The troopers fire upon the now screaming victims. In seconds it falls silent.
Over the servitor intoning the airlock warnings the Kasrkin and the rest of the guardsmen look on them with friendly eyes. "You have done well. All of you. Test of faith are the most harrowing. Only those with steadfast and true faith can follow the Emperor and fight in his name. Others revel their weakness, their doubt, and such are weak to corruptive words and influences of the enemies of man. You however and those under your command both man and xeno have done your duty to the Emperor in a manner fitting to those who serve him. Welcome to the Guard."
The executions continue as every local Guardsmen is tested over and over. Hoeth's fleet embarks to their next target, another outpost similar to the one left burning beneath them. Before he leaves Hoeth makes arrangements to transfer the tens of thousands newly converted servants of the Emperor and servitor material back to the Imperium. With a genuine smile Hoeth gazes longingly at the stars. Making the holy symbol of the Aquila on his chest he takes pride in his duty, to conquer the stars for Mankind and the God-Emperor. It is a noble task. One that was handed down from god to demi-god to finally mere mortals. I will be remembered for my service Hoeth vows quietly. And when I stand before the Golden Throne I can hold my head up with pride as I am judged. The Emperor Protects.
Author Note: I have one more Bridge Chapter to go before Book 2 starts. Shepard will be brought back with Kasrkin Upgrades. I choose this best he could/will be useful to the Inquisition. Please Review. I may be done with the last bridge by tomorrow night. So Book 2 will start around New Years or earlier.