25/11 2052

HQ of the OKW, Germania.

"Give me the sitrep" Gottfried demanded as he entered the war room, where countless Generals and Admirals were busy coordinating the war effort. It had only been a few days since the Reich officially launched military action against the Batarians, yet they had already had their first victory.

Besides all the senior officers, the room was filled with light from the different holograms and monitors that showcased how the war progressed. The sound of computers crunching numbers, showed both current events and estimated scenarios. From here, they could lead the entire war.

"The Seventh fleet is still giving chase to the contacts they acquired and defeated in the Bahak system. Best projections say they are coming back to Kite's nest to regroup and relaunch an invasion." Gerhardt said from his position in his chair. Gottfried looked at the aging grand Admiral, and realized that this would probably be his last war before he retired, probably for the best, the man was pushing his late 70'ties now.

"And our troops are already on the ground on the planet Aratoht, not a huge population as far as we can tell, but it's close enough to our region of space to be a cause for concern if left unattended." A General added.

"Good... Any other theater we have opened up? Have the Kriegsmarine launched into Kite's nest itself?" Gottfried then proceeded to ask.

"Yes, the 3rd and 5th fleet are pushing into Kite's nest in key systems, as dictated in Fall Rot, the fall of Khar'Shan is the main priority. But we are bound to run into more enemy fleets. " Gerhardt responded.

"And what about the Luftwaffe?"

"Ready and primed for orbital bombardment and fleet interception. Any planet bases in our way to Khar'Shan have and will be nothing but dust before we reach the next sector." Stroman replied to the Generalfeldmarshall while taking a sip of his coffee. His uniform was still as shiny as ever.

"Good, we need to move as quickly as possible here. The Führer does not want a prolonged conflict, and while that is a wishful scenario… I'm hoping we can avoid a long and painful war." Gottfried preached to the room.

"We'll get it done, Kürger. No need to worry, the Kriegsmarine will defeat any and all fleets in our way." Gerhardt agreed.

"Our fighters are always ready, and always operate at optimal capacity. We'll give the Batarians hell, Generalfeldmarshall, don't you worry." Stroman was quick to boast.

The General staff went to work planning future operations. This was the first war plan that was launched, and so far, Gottfried's planning was still optimal. It was nice that they didn't really have to face a war on several fronts, but one could never really know with the council. Alexander Jäger must have been hard at work on the citadel making everyone stay neutral.

The Kriegsmarine had poured into several Batarian systems at once, pinning most of the Batarian navy down and within a month it was pretty much destroyed. That's not to say the Kriegsmarine didn't suffer some defeats along the way, by conservative estimates, they lost somewhere along 15-20 % of their forces in this push, but it was worth it. The path to Khar'Shan was clear, and there they would face their final challenge. The remains of the Batarian navy had regrouped there, for a final defense of their home planet. If they could defeat that fleet, they would be able to land troops on Batarian soil, from there the fight would be hard, but not impossible.

The Batarian had probably thought their defenses were prepared to meet any and all threats to their home planet, but not even their spies knew of just how advanced the German War Machine had become, the seeds that had been planted so long ago by General Deathshead were beginning to follow blossom.

The fleets clashed once more in the Batarian home system. The Batarian navy fought bravely, hoping for a miracle, or at the least hoping to take down as many of their foe as possible. At some point, when it was at its darkest, the Batarians used their resources to relocate the central government and a big chunk of the military out of the system, sacrificing what remained of the navy to the hungry German wolves.

Now the ground campaign could begin. Like always, it began with orbital bombardment of anything deemed military related. Plenty of civilian lives were lost in the process as well, as it became an effort to stumb the resistance. With the first phase over, the real ground invasion could begin. So far, this would be the toughest challenge yet faced in the war.

Even with all their predictions, calculations and military might, they underestimated the Batarians' will to fight, their willingness to defend what was theirs. Batarian armies and civilian militias alike fought together wherever the enemy was. Never ceasing to fight. The Wehrmacht, while successful in the field, had a hell of a headache trying to defend whatever territory they had conquered. The enemy was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Whatever the Wehrmacht did, it is not known to the public. No information left Khar'Shan that the German government didn't want to leave. Several months of constant bitter fighting left both sides scarred, but in the end it came to light that the Wehrmacht did have the upper hand with the help of the Kriegsmarine. The German government signed a treaty with some Batarian officials, effectively ending the Batarian state and making a new one. One under the Reich.

The Ideal situation for the Reich would have been full occupation, but manpower was too much of a hassle for that. Not to mention most of the Batarian army had refused to acknowledge the treaty signed, instead taking the fight to the countryside. The German controlled the cities now, with the help of loyal Batarian subjects, who were offered small favors in the new hierarchy in return for their loyalty.

The Reichskommisariat Kassan was born, amidst the wailing cries of killed men and dead, laughing gods.

The "occupation" of Khar'Shan, as most council races began calling it, was anything but. Occupations were meant to end, and the German officials' plans were quite the opposite. The war had ended in what both sides ordained a "Peace with Honor", yet everyone besides the ones signing it knew it was anything but.

Though military officials first granted leniency to the collaborating Batarians, this quickly changed after the first signs of resistance rose up. The first governor of Kassan was replaced, then again, and again, and again. Each one more brutal than the last, the leaders of the new Reichskommissariat were all men who were eager to please their overlords back home than ones willing to efficiently govern a developing nation. Their words during speeches were that of unity and cooperation, how if the Batarians merely just complied with German orders there would be peace between their two races. Each governor began their short reign with those words, but those were Germania's words, not theirs. For their words were spoken in their actions.

Corruption became almost a rule of law. Eager Batarians willing to to save their family from hunger would turn over friends and neighbors for scraps of food. Those who complied with the rules were left alone, for the most part. Those who resisted however, did not last long. Brutal crackdowns on any sort of organized resistance to the current government, and harsh punishments were dealt to any that were found "breaking the law".

The Germans controlled the cities, no one ever disputed that. But the countryside was a different matter entirely. There, the greatest modicum of freedom could be tasted by Khar'Shan's people, for what it was worth. Regular patrols often scouted and went through these lands in search of households harboring "dangerous partisans", convoys often escorted by military personnel, yet it was not the soldiers with guns the Batarians were afraid of, it was the single Commissar that led each of them. It was his word that determined whether a household would be burned down or not, his word whether the children would be separated from their parents and forced to watch them be shot down against the wall. The Commissar's word was life or death.

Tension in the factories was at a constant high, Batarians were forced to work in dismally abhorrent conditions. They were paid, but not by much. Those who did not work, whether it be from refusal or from falling over in exhaustion, would first be beaten by the guards, if they did not get back to work, they would eventually be taken outside the factory, and all the other workers could hear was a single shot from a pistol. There were always rumors of something larger brewing just beneath the surface. Loyal Batarian guards reported back that all was good, nothing to worry about.

It wasn't unusual that convoys would stumble upon burned towns, charred corpses of Batarians the Wehrmacht had deemed rebellious, a lot of these crimes were mostly pinned on the SS by the Wehrmacht, if indeed they were surfaced. And despite there being little to no SS presence within the occupying forces, the council races knew little of Germany's organizational hierarchies and chose to remain ignorant on the matter, just as the Reich planned. Hate for the Batarians brewed in the ranks of the otherwise "clean" Wehrmacht. Those serving their tours often came to despise the subjects they ruled over, random acts of cruelty were certainly not unheard of. Hate answered hate, and the Batarian freedom fighters answered back as much as they could.

The masterplan had paid off for the German Reich, but at what cost? No one really knows, no one talks about it. The council has requested an all out investigation of the planet six times now, each time it was turned down by the Ambassador. The odd Batarian that managed to bribe his way off the planet, and tried to expose the Reich to the galaxy, would only meet his end at the hands of a cleaner.

The rape of Khar'Shan had only just begun however.

14/5 2053

Council meeting room, Council chambers, Citadel.

"I suppose we all knew this was coming…" Councilor Tevos remarked as she rubbed her temples, as if the Asari was already expecting the quick retorts of 'I told you so'. Of course, no one could be certain of what happened on Khar'Shan, it was even less than when they were isolated. It had gone dark, and somewhere deep down she felt a guilt creeping up on her…

"KNEW? YOU DIDN'T KNOW SHIT TEVOS, REFUSED TO LISTEN TO ANY AND ALL REASON!" The Turian councilor ranted in pure anger. Almost loud enough that people passing by on the presidium could hear it. Tevos cupped her face in her hands as her Turian colleague continued his rageful rant. The worst part of it all, she knew just how right he was. "The time for pleasantries and diplomatic action is OVER! WE GO NOW! EVERY GUN AIMED AT THOSE SAVAGES! STRIKE THEM FAST AND WITHOUT WARNING, LET THE MONSTERS COWER WHEN THEY SEE WHAT WE'RE MADE OF."

"And break every known law against warfare we've created?" councillor Valern spoke, crossing his arms in annoyance to the Turian's anger. "We can't change the fact that the Batarians were not part of the council or citadel space. By law, we can't-"

"DAMNATION TO THE LAW!" Sparatus slammed his fists against one another. "DO YOU THINK THE GERMANS GIVE A DAMN ABOUT OUR RULES AND TREATIES?! THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING BY PROVOKING THE BATARIANS, THEY-"

"We don't know that." Tevos jumped in, trying to be the voice of reason and calm. "There is no evidence provided as to who was the initial aggressor in the conflict, we can't make such baseless accusations without first-"

Yet again, the Turian interrupted her. "BASELESS?! Tevos, your naivete has left me dumbfounded. Their cigars and alcohol have clearly muddled that bionic brain of yours if you think that even the Batarians would be so arrogant as to pick an open fight with those bastards!"

"If you wish to criticize Tevos' imports of German goods, perhaps we should then check on all that medi-gel your military has been secretly importing from Earth. Who knows, perhaps some of the German's haughtiness and arrogance has rubbed off on the Turian Hierarchy." Valern retorted, while Tevos appreciated the Salarian coming to her defence, she knew full well the following conversation would do anything but de-escalate the situation they're currently in.

"You walk a thin line Valern. I advise you to stop whilst you still have your legs." somehow, Sparatus' end to screaming was the most intimidating thing about that sentence.

"Enough." this squabble needed to be put to an end immediately. "I shall concede to both your points." even if it meant swallowing her pride.

"Of course you will…" Sparatus commented back almost immediately, yet kept his voice to a hushed whisper.

"However, the fact of the matter is that currently, we cannot do anything about this conflict. Upon the formation of this council, we did so with a very clear intent, to keep any and all races within it safe from the dangers this galaxy posed, to prosper and thrive as an intergalactic community of equals. It shames me to say this, but anyone who is not a part of the council…" the pain in her voice was clear, yet still she carried on. "Cannot… benefit from that goal. Nor should we intervene in matters that do not concern us. The Batarians have not asked for our aid, should they ever do so we shall grant it to them with open arms and honest hearts. But for now, we stay vigilant and we stay silent, our ears perched for cries of distress and accepting of any who come into our embrace."

"And so you would have us dig our own graves beneath the skulls of those we could not save…" Sparatus commented once more.

"No, as with all things that shall be decided in this council, Sparatus, we shall vote on it. The Asari propose a doctrine of neutrality on this matter, with limited support granted to any victims within Citadel Space. We, as representatives of this notion, vote in favor."

"The Turians vote in opposition." Sparatus gave the expected response, now only Valern was left to decide, the tie-breaking vote.

"The Salarians support the motion." Valern voted quickly and efficiently, not wasting a breath proceeding Sparatus, as any true Salarian would.

"Then it is settled, and the motion passes. From now on we as a collective council are neutral observers in this conflict, and any involvement by any citadel races shall be considered a breach of Council law, not supported by us in any means." Tevos then turned down below to the Spectre, overseeing the conversation.

"Saren, thank you for this revelation. Your actions were of great service to the Council once more. Consider yourself free of duty until we request for you again."

The Reichsführer's office.

Ost-Paris, Burgundy,

"Listen here you slimy little cocksucker, those jokes might work on Heydrich, but they sure as shit don't work on me. Now I suggest you come clean with me, before I throw your sorry ass in a camp!" Lorenz was fuming with anger over this whole conflict. He was the one to order Operations, not anyone else.

"Mein Führer I truly do not know what you speak of. Perhaps you have not been keeping track of my recent activities but most of my time before coming here to Burgundy has been spent in Ostland continuing with the newest studies procured from our men in deep space." it was often a sad thought to Volkert that he never took up acting as an alternative career choice, he was rather quite good at it in his opinion.

"You know exactly what I'm FUCKING talking about. You and that little rat Heydrich think you can do whatever the fuck you want?! You I can expect to not know how to keep his own men under control, but I thought that grey-eyed fuck was better than that. When he comes back to Earth, I want Wahler's head served to me on a plate so I can skullfuck it for all the insubordination he posed to me over the years!"

'Must he be so crass all the time…' Volkert thought, staring in bemusement at the Reichsfuhrer's pitiful attempts at intimidation. He was no Adolf Hitler, he commanded no authority, this little interaction between them was akin to a puppy trying to scare off a rottweiler with its barks. There was nothing Lorenz could do to even touch any of them, Reichsführer or not, his influence waned before he was even voted into the position. But illusions of power persisted in the old man, trying to cling on whatever was left. Growing increasingly paranoid with each passing day, like an Alzheimer's patient fighting against memory loss.

"You are entirely correct, mein Führer." but unfortunately, even headless chickens still had their uses. "I shall converse with my own men to find Heydrich and make him answer for this act of treason performed by his troops, Wahler as well, rest assured." Until he becomes obsolete to their plans, Volkert will have to listen to many more of these conversations. 'But when the day comes, you sniveling brat, I shall enjoy your muffled screams when I personally lobotomize you.'

"Good…" was all Lorenz could get out of himself, huffed and winded at his own little tirade. "Don't test me Volkert, you've no idea what I'm capable of doing to you."

'Oh I am very much aware Hans, you have very little clues just how much I know about you.' Volkert thought, yet suppressed his urge to speak out loud. "Of course, my Führer." he bowed his head low, a stoic expression on his face as he emphasized the poor man's title. Lorenz tried to make it a habit for people to refer to him as 'mein Führer' when not in official Reich territory. It did not catch on quickly, but eventually most did it to appease the oaf, even if most times it became a derogatory term.

Exiting out of the Reichsfuhrer's office, Volkert immediately turned towards the actual reason he was in Ost-Paris. A meeting between the true powers of the SS, something he could actually be proud to be a part of. The SS honor guard that resided in the Palast des Arischen Volkes were a cut above most men within the Himmlerite clique of the SS, yet time has made them sloppier, and lack of combat does not do wonders to soldiers already born out of it. Many times he has suggested a new formula to create and resume Deathshead's work on the Super Soldaten, to once more make the SS a force to be reckoned with even against the OKW's ranks. But like with all things, the fool Lorenz did not recognize true glory even if it were staring through his retina and out the back of his skull.

In his own chambers, he gathered a simple key from one of the hidden compartments littered in each room of the palace. A design made popular in recent times by many SS officers to hide anything from a bottle of Brandy to several prostitutes. He was glad that life did not make him descend into such degeneracy. 'What else could be expected from these barren oafs honestly, I am quite sure Schulberg's men have a higher intelligence than most of these gibbering imbeciles.'

Though the halls and corridors of the Palace might be something to behold in the layman's eyes, it is the keen eye that can spot its many secrets. One of which is the hidden rooms used for all types of skullduggery and intrigue that is so frequent with life in SS High Command. Indeed, Volkert made good use of these secrets, and even now they serve him, under Lorenz's scrutinizing gaze they could all never meet out in the open, but in the cold dark underbelly of Ost-Paris, they would attend to one another's strategies.

The room was pure blackness before he entered it, eyes long adjusted to the darkness as he passed swirling staircases and corridors with no sources of bright light anywhere.

"Über." he mouthed the codeword, and the room suddenly lit up with machinery, technology not found anywhere else in the palace. In the middle he sad down in his chair, and the hologram device surrounded him, recreating the table upon which they were all sitting.

"You're late." Heydrich noted, ever matter-of-factually.

"Indeed, I'm disappointed Konrad. It was always my impression that you never skipped out on scheduled meetings." Kaufmann commented, cigar lit in between his fingers as he was turned away from them all, no doubt staring away at the space refractory all the way in his little station.

"Humblest apologies to my dear colleagues and friends. I am afraid I was rather taken aback by Lorenz's brazen invitation to speak. He is most unhappy with our recent… activities."

"Let him cry and piss and moan like the child he is." Schulberg noted, his voiced distorted as if it was chewing on something, from his motions Volkert could see the faint outline of another table lining his hologram alongside a plate. The ape was actually eating during the meeting, probably gorging himself on some wild animal he hunted that day.

"Now now, Julian, let us not speak ill of our dear Reichsführer, he is, after all, the leader of our SS shadow nation, is he not?"

"Correct." Heydrich said.

"Ever the wordsmith you are my dear Wolfgang." Volkert retorted.

"Has all gone according to plan?" Kaufmann asked after taking a puff from his cigar. "I trust your men had no trouble taking down the xenos scum as your insubordinate so graciously worded it."

Perhaps it was a practical joke on Kaufmann's part, but last he checked Wahler's report it had no mentions of the word "xenos" or "scum". No, much more refined language was used, one that should not be spoken in such polite company.

"Yes." Heydrich replied.

"Good." and Kaufmann answered back. "Then we can begin the next phase of the plan. I trust you all know your roles in the coming weeks." silent nods came from each member on the table, Kaufmann did not even need to turn and look as he continued. "Volkert, you have been of great service so far, yet now is truly your time to shine, my brilliantly-minded friend. Though the cleaner program was met with success, there will come a time when they may need to be used against our own soldiers, dare I say even against the Wehrmacht. Can I trust you with this… contingent?"

"I am rather offended that you even need to ask."

"Very well then." Kaufmann's smile was visible even with the chair blocking the view of his face. "Schulberg, your men have long since wished to truly go on the hunt."

"They will rejoice at the opportunity to finally test their mettle."

"Excellent, but remember, we need examples, not corpses."

"They will bleed, they will pray, and I assure you of this most of all, they will scream."

"And Heydrich…" Kaufmann tapped his cigar, ash falling away from the hologram's perimeter. "Your task need not be mentioned. I assume you already know what needs to be done."

"I do."

"Good. Well then gentlemen, I propose a toast." a tray came into sight from Kaufmann's hologram as he grabbed a finely crafted glass cup. "To the beginning of a new era. The Era of Humanities Great Leap Forward."