Five hours after the announcement. Serpent Nebula. Citadel.
"Councilor Tevos." One of Benezia's aides addressed her, as she entered the compound reserved for to Matriarch Benezia. "Matriarch Benezia has left instructions in case of your arrival. Please follow me." She nodded and followed the Maiden Asari into the personal chambers of the prominent Matriarch, coming to the doors of the chamber, where the Maiden went, before coming out and offering to let her in, with Tevos finding Benezia already in talks with fellow Matriarchs.
"This is a complete disaster! Not only have we failed in culling the Humanity, but now we've been betrayed by those damn Turian martinets!" Matriarch Rhona raged before all. "And all because of those thrice damned Salarians and their secrets… What in Athame's name had compelled them to launch that damn attack, and why did we know nothing of it until it began?!"
"The Dalatrass Assembly had made that decision independently, right after we've come to an agreement upon the matter of Skyfall and Terra Nova. According to my own sources, it would seem they've considered our proposed actions to be, quote: "sufficient only for bruising, instead of an effective pacification." Matriarch Kyrissa informed them all. "Based on the analysis performed by the STG, they decided it would best to use overwhelming force on Humans, and since Primarch Fedorian's stance towards Humanity made him unwilling to commit to such action beforehand, they decided to carry it out on their own."
"Using forces that we had absolutely no knowledge of, not to mention that thrice damned AI and the Rachni of all things… What were those lizards thinking?" Kalla asked aloud, before letting out a sigh. "Did they even achieve any sufficient result against Humanity in their invasions, aside from just destroying all our supporters on Arcturus Station?"
"In that regard, they have succeeded spectacularly, for we've lost every asset, supporter, friend, spy and agent within the Alliance in one fell swoop, as well as all those from colonies and Earth." Kyrissa reported with an irritated sigh. "All our carefully cultivated supporters financed and brought into their Parliament and governments are gone, and now there is political vacuum among people of Earth and Humans as a whole."
"And what of their military assets?" Kalla asked. "If we act now, deploy our own Fleets, we could subdue them now, and use it to our advantage. Maybe force Fedorian…"
"Fedorian has already made his commitments, and the Hierarchy is in support of his decision, even the militarists of Tarsis are falling in line, seeing how we've acted against the laws, ignoring how it was in the best interests of all." Rhona stated to them all. "The last messages I received from Palaven is that Fedorian has mobilized the fleets, and has ordered withdrawal every single asset of Turian Navy and Army out of our space and onto staging areas. He has also been in talks with Alexander Drake and Human admirals, most probably preparing to coordinate an attack against us and the Salarians."
"Do the Humans even have the capacity for anything now? Salarians sent at them everything they had, and even if they have won, they must have taken catastrophic losses. We can use Aria and the Batarians to tie up what little is left of them in defense of their colonies." Kalla suggested.
"I've already made calls to them, but Aria did not even deign to respond to me, and I hear from my sources that she is currently planning some sort of a conference among the pirates of Terminus. As for the Batarian Hegemony, they currently have their own problems, another civil unrest within their lower casts and among slaves." Kyrissa responded. "It is unlikely they'll help us, and as for the Salarians, they have suffered the worst single-day losses since inception of their Union, with not even the Krogans having done so much damage. The Assembly are scrambling to regain control of their own people, but it's most likely that those Dalatrasses will be history soon, and now we may be facing the same problem."
"That is putting it lightly. With Drake releasing everything out into the Extranet, everyone knows of our arrangements, and association with the Dalatrasses and we cannot play the ignorance card." Rhona stated. "My office and supporters have been getting calls from all over our Republics, with questions or worse. We are losing supporters every second, and that's not just within the populace, but with the local governments and even our direct supporters. They are calling us traitors to our own people and principals, and are starting to renounce us… And worse yet, they are turning to our opposition for guidance. I have reports of the dissident units within the army and Navy, administration of Thessia, as well as colonial officials. Hundreds of thousands, millions, all are flocking to our oppositions…"
"You overestimate them, Rhona. We've culled those Matrons and rebellious Matriarch enough just to make a show of an opposition, and even if the people think we are wrong, we are still those who lead them. Ours is the wisdom that shaped this Galaxy for hundreds of years." Larentha stated. "The Navy is well in our hands, as well as Thessia and our key worlds, and we can easily stamp out any attempt at seizure of our power, and remind our people why we are at their head."
"And exactly how do you plan to achieve it? By using force?" Tevos asked with clear anger, drawing attention of the Matriarchs. "Those people have every right to renounce and demand your heads, because you've brought war to us! This very system that we've created is crumbling because of your decision to attack Humanity without any sufficient reason!"
"Watch your tongue, Tevos! Do not forget who you are speaking…" Rhona tried to shut her up, but Tevos wasn't having it.
"I am speaking to 25 women, who have caused the greatest political crisis since Krogan Rebellions, and who have put their own interests and believes over the needs and responsibilities to our people." Tevos stated to them with anger, before she calmed herself a little. "And if you think that you will just be forgiven for what you did and people will follow you again, you are sorely mistaken." At that moment, Tevos activated her Omni-tool and brought up something that horrified the Matriarchs.
"They are voting on impeachment already?! Those traitorous whores how dare they… Solana, why did you not prevent it?! You are in charge of the information control, how did you miss this?!" Rhona demanded of one of the Matriarchs. "We've ordered you to block access to it and Extranet already, so why…" And then they saw how almost half of the Matriarchs disappeared before them, their connections cut.
"What just happened?" Kalla asked, before reports began come in. "A relay station over Thessia has been seized from our control. This is not just…" Then Kalla's transmission was cut, as well as all others, safe for Larentha and Kyrissa.
"Damn it! I thought I've it under the control... Larentha, how soon can you get your troops on the ground?" Kyrissa asked of her.
"Already sending out orders, the forces under my command are still the strongest in our space. We'll easily scatter those dissidents." Larentha stated, before she turned to Benezia. "Benezia, your orders are to protect our interests here on the Citadel, and to make sure that the populace here doesn't…" And at that moment, Benezia disconnected and let out a tired and frustrated sigh, before turning to Tevos.
"I imagine you have questions, Councilor Tevos." Benezia said with a tired voice, as she walked out of the communication room. "Same questions that my daughter had asked me right…"
"What I want to know is how did you let this happen? You were the loudest proponent for the Alliance and Humanity, and you have let them carry this travesty out, without even putting up a fight." Tevos told her. "When I took this office, I knew what my role would be here, and I accepted it because I knew I would be promoting decisions of people, who truly knew what was best for all. So why… Why was this decision made towards Humans?" She demanded to know, with Benezia shaking her head at that.
"If I told you the true reasons, Tevos, you would know why they made it, but I can't divulge them, even now." Benezia told her. "All I can say, is that Humanity's progress and growing power were enough for them to view them as not just a potential, but future threat to our position in the galaxy. We had decided on a preventive action, to drop Skyfall onto Terra Nova, and use it to assert greater control over Humans… However, the Salarians had a different, more radical idea in mind, and decided to implement it. In their mind, Humans were too much akin to Krogans, and they believed that if a war was inevitable, then they may as well fight it while they are strong and they are weak."
"And yet Humans won." Tevos stated to Benezia, who agreed with her. "You realize that after what has happened, the public will want to blood for this? We have all but agreed to utilize Rachni and AI, broke every law regarding warfare and conflict engagements, and for what? The Council must retire, before…"
"If you expect them to simply retire and relinquish the power they and their predecessors cultivated since before we ventured out into space, Tevos, they you are just as naïve as they are." Benezia assured her. "We may be called a democratic species, but in reality, it was the Matriarch Council who has always directed us, and it is they who truly select their successors, ensuring that their vision remains undisturbed and unchanged no matter what. And it has been so for thousands of years, as the Matriarch Council reigned, with its members appointed not through merit, but because of their lineage, groomed by their mothers to continue their work. This power has been our birthright, and they will never relinquish it."
"But that would mean civil war." Tevos stated to Benezia. "You must surrender this power, or else our race will be dragged into a two way war, one with itself and another with the Turians and Humans. We barely were able to rebuild from the Rachni and Krogans, but against this… We would collapse, and who will be there to stop this galaxy from plummeting into absolute chaos?"
"Tevos, if you think that just I surrendering my power will make them comply, then you are mistaken. Even now, Larentha is already deploying troops into our cities, with orders to stop all civil unrest by any means, while Kyrissa and Solana are cutting off information, while Rhona institutes martial law and populace control." Benezia informed Tevos. "They will not let go of this power, of their positions, because in their eyes, they are the Asari, and it is their destiny and duty to shape this galaxy as they see fit. The one that the Protheans left for us…"
"Is that what you all think?" Tevos asked of her. "Because right now, I have a feeling you think differently on the matter, and if that is the case, then you should know, how imperative it is for us to stop this before it escalates. And if those Matriarchs won't step down, then we must stop them, by any means necessary."
"I know, Tevos." Benezia told her. "Hence why I need you to find a way to reach Fedorian, and make it clear to him that not all Asari are with them, and that… That some Matriarchs were not in on this plot."
"Yet you were aware of it." Tevos told her. "Fedorian may be lenient, but not Humans, not after what had happened. Drake will want blood, and he will never listen or believe a word of what you say."
"You are correct… but he will listen to the words of my daughter." Benezia said, with Tevos looking at her with complete shock. "Alexander Drake is a man of many things, but above all, he values family. He will listen to Liara…"
"And if he does not?" Tevos asked of her, and Benezia chose not to answer that, before Tevos departed to make preparations at saving her civilization from complete collapse.
Exodus Cluster. Asgard System. Skyfall Station. Angelus Spire's Medical Wing.
The medical wing of the Angelus Spire was fully packed with the victims, doctors, nurses and more, yet even in this seeming chaos, there was a quiet little room, where Rhea Grissom found herself, with Ereshkigal running tests on her. The augmented human still found it so hard to believe that the world as she knew had changed so much, yet somehow, all of that was secondary to what truly bothered her, and the questions she wanted answered. She could only hope that she would have a chance to get them answered by Alex, though logically she understood that right now he had far more pressing matters to attend to, having now become a de-facto leader of Human race. Meanwhile, as she pondered about matters, Ereshkigal finished her tests and spoke up.
"Regeneration process is complete, all inflicted damage is healed, so you are free for discharge in a few hours, after you've recovered from the IVs and regeneration." Ereshkigal informed her, with Rhea nodding, only giving her token attention, with the blonde girl knowing why. "If you are asking yourself, if he lied to you all this time, and if he didn't care for you, then I'll tell you: no, he cares for you, Rhea." Rhea didn't need to ask what Ereshkigal implied, simply turning to her looking straight into her eyes.
"So you knew? Both you and Ishtar?" Rhea asked of her, with Ereshkigal simply nodding. "How long?"
"Since the day he first met us." Ereshkigal admitted. "He told us himself, and if he didn't at that time, we would never have trusted him, because we would've known if he were lying or hiding something. He came open on everything… And that's how we knew we could trust him."
"How would you know if he was lying, when not even I didn't know it?" Rhea asked, before she suddenly heard Ereshkigal's voice in her head.
"It is not easy to lie to a Psyker." Ereshkigal said, with Rhea widening her eyes at that. "And before you ask, no, this is not Biotics, or some ultra-wave transmission, but a genuine psychic ability. This is how Ishtar and I talked our entire life, and he was the first person we talked aside each other."
"So he is also… But I thought that he only had precognition." Rhea commented, with Ereshkigal nodding.
"He does, though not to the same extent as he used to." She admitted, before her face became more serious. "Rhea, despite what you may be thinking, he was always genuine with you, and he cares and treasures you more than anyone."
"Then why did he not tell me anything?" Rhea asked of her. "Why did he trust you and Ishtar, but not me? He is my first and best friend, he saved… Hell, he gave me a life to live, all without asking for anything in return. Why wouldn't he tell me anything?"
"Because he was afraid." Ereshkigal said to Rhea, surprising her, before she stood up and went to the door. "Just give him a chance to explain himself, Rhea. Please, he needs it." Rhea waited a few seconds, before nodding, and with it Ereshkigal left, and a mere moment later came in Alex, with Rhea deducing that Ereshkigal felt his presence.
"How are you doing?" Alex asked of Rhea, clearest concern in his voice heard by Rhea, who gave him a weak smile.
"Well, I don't look like a beaten up prune, and don't feel like your boxing bag." Rhea admitted, with Alex giving her a relieved look. "So, should I congratulate you, or offer condolences?" She asked him, with Alex pulling up a chair to sit in.
"I take it you've heard the news." Alex commented.
"Missed the live speech, but I did catch it on YouTube. Congrats, by the way, you are now the proud holder of the most viewed video in Human history." Rhea joked, with Alex chuckling to it. "But seriously, whose idea was it? The referendum and your candidacy as… What do I even call you now? Prime Minister? President? Emperor?"
"Still up in the air about that, and as for whose idea it was… Well, it was my idea, the referendum, but not the candidacy." Alex admitted, with Rhea raising a brow at that. "Right after it was all over, Goyle was all but ready to take full power, while admirals were opposing her. She wanted to reinstate the Alliance and use the dirt we had on Council to gain support and help for us, while Admirals wanted to impose a martial law and were unwilling to do any compromise with others, so before it devolved, I offered a referendum. Let the people decide who they wanted to lead them."
"And did you really think that after that speech, they'd want anyone else but you?" Rhea chuckled at him.
"Guess I didn't exactly gauge properly what an effect it would have." Alex admitted, before he looked Rhea in the eyes. "But I think that's not what you want to talk about, Rhea." Alex's smile faltered, and his face grew serious, with Rhea's also changing to a similar one.
"Yeah, you are right, though I will admit that I am unsure, if I want to know it all." Rhea admitted to her friend. "Look, before we begin, I want you to know that I… I am not mad at you, Alex. Confused, surprised, shocked even- yeah, but not angry. Maybe feeling slightly betrayed that you didn't tell me first… But I'm guessing given your circumstances, you would be reluctant to be open of such things with anyone who couldn't fully comprehend it."
"Yes, and thank you. It… It means a great deal to me, knowing you are not angry and willing to listen to me." Alex admitted to her. "I… I should have told you of this a long time ago, Rhea, I know, but I… I was afraid of how you would react, that you… You would turn away if you know the whole truth." Alex admitted to her, with Rhea, for the first time hearing and seeing him so vulnerable.
"Well, now is the best time for it, but before you tell me everything, I have some questions. Questions, I have had for some time, and I want answers." Rhea told him, and he nodded to her. "Okay, first: who are you really? I know you are not a simple human, Alex, but I need to know for certain, who exactly are you?"
"My name is Alex Drake, and I was born in this universe, but this is my second life. In my first life, I bore the name of Primarch of the IX Legio Astartes Blood Angels and served my Father as one of his twenty foremost generals and sons." Alex revealed to her. "My name is Sanguinius, Angelus Sanguis of the Imperium, and after my death, I was reborn here as Alex Drake. I am both, Sanguinius and Alex Drake." Any other time, Rhea would have thought it a joke, but not now.
"I… I had my suspicions that you were more than just normal augment, that there was more to you… But I never would've imagined this." Rhea admitted. "E-Even when I saw the armor, and how you fought and those things you did… You are one of the Primarchs, Sanguinius… But… But how is this possible?" She asked of him.
"It… It would be easier for me to show it to you." Sanguinius told her. "It isn't easy to say through words, but if you may allow me, I can show you everything, without anything left to hide." He asked of her, with Rhea nodding, and so Sanguinius reached out through the Warp to touch Rhea's mind, connecting it with his.
Within an instant, Rhea saw everything that her friend wished to show her, all that could answer her questions and left nothing out, as Rhea witnessed the entire life of Sanguinius in a way as if she was there with him. From deserts of Baal to the Vengeful Spirit, Rhea witnessed things she only read and attempted to imagine before, the scale and mass of which were beyond belief, yet as real as day. She saw the day Sanguinius knelt before the Emperor, his reunion with the Blood Angels, their first Crusade and glories and battles. She witnessed the Imperium of Man, the dream of the Emperor and Sanguinius to which they worked, for which Primarch existed, and she saw how it all crumbled.
She witnessed the horrors of Signus, the betrayal of Horus and terrible battle with Ka'Bandha, the doubt and weakness of the Great Angel, saved only by the sacrifice of Meros. She saw Imperium Secundus, Davin, Beta Garmon, and every single battle in which Sanguinius took place, every single day of Siege of Terra. She saw his defense of the Eternity Gate, duel with Angron and wounds he took, a rematch with Ka'Bandha and everything the Great Angel did. Then she was there, when Sanguinius finally broke the shackles of fate and slew Horus, before salvaging Imperium and his sons, but at the cost of his own life, and she heard the last words of the Emperor to his son.
After witnessing the universe of Warhammer become reality, she saw her own world, but through the eyes of Alex, seeing all that he witnessed and live through, before she saw his soul awaken fully on Shanxi. Rhea witnessed and saw all that Sanguinius and Alex Drake were, and had all of the answers she could ask for and way more than that, and after Sanguinius broke the connection, she looked at him with shock in her eyes, before she finally spoke.
"It… It is all real." Rhea said with a hushed voice. "You… All you did, all those… H-how do you even live with all of this?" She asked of him, with Alex letting out a sigh.
"I just do, Rhea, though before I met you, I more or less just… Existed, you could say." Sanguinius admitted. "Being a Primarch afforded me a lot of things, some of which carried over here, like my mind and powers. I comprehend and know who and what I was and am now, and I live, like my Father wished me to, before I passed away."
"Yeah, you certainly do so." Rhea commented. "Do… Do you miss it all? Being Primarch?"
"At times, I do, but I do not regret being who I am now." He admitted to her. "I miss things from my past life, my sons and brothers, Great Crusade and Imperium… But I treasure and care for what I have in this world and now, and I wouldn't throw it all away for anything."
"But you were a Primarch, heck the best of them all! Why are you so okay without it?" Rhea asked of him.
"Because of you, Rhea." Sanguinius answered, surprising her. "You showed me what it means, to live a life as a human, to be human, and how special it is, to treasure what we have… Who we have. You showed it to me, Rhea, and I could never repay to you for this. You are not just my friend, you… You are the dearest person I have, and I… When I learned that you were hurt and taken captive… I was scared, more than ever was, scared that I may lose you and that thought, it still make me quake internally."
"And I thought your kind are supposed to know no fear." Rhea finally joked, with Sanguinius smiling to her at that. "Well, on a more serious note… Thank you, for showing it all to me. You… You have no idea how frustrating was, to not fully understand you at times, but now… Now I get it."
"I am glad that you do." Alex told her. "So… Where does it leave us?"
"You mean, as in the two of us?" She asked of him, with Sanguinius nodding to her. "You ask me, then nothing had really changed between us. You just opened up, came clean with me, like I did with you in the past, so you could say we are even. After all, I myself wasn't completely true with you… Come to think of it, guess that's one more thing we share."
"Yeah, I guess we do." Sanguinius agreed. "Thank you, Rhea. This… You have no idea how much it means for me. Honestly, I now feel rather stupid for being afraid before."
"Eh, I can understand. I mean, we humans are pretty emotional and irrational beings, who can do stupid stuff without even thinking about. I mean, just look at Lorgar." Rhea tried to joke, with Sanguinius not really taking that joke well. "Sorry, couldn't hold it me. You know my thoughts on him and his Legion."
"Yeah, I do, and you are right." Sanguinius added, before letting out a sigh. I wish I had Roboute to turn to. He would be right in his element, with the mess that Humanity is in right now."
"Maybe, but I know you'll do even better than him, because you know and understand this Humanity, Alex." Rhea told him with a reassuring smile. "And considering where we are now, it would take someone like a Primarch, someone who had crafted a business superpower out of scratch, developed and discovered technologies Protheans had no idea of, and who saved a doomed to die clone from shortened lifespan. Heck, without you, Angelus Corporation and your tech, we probably wouldn't even have survived this day."
"That is one thing, but leading our race… I never wished for power, always feared for what it may do to me, and after I saw how it changed Horus. And let's not start about the Imperium Secundus." Sanguinius told her. "Humanity needs someone who knows where to lead them…"
"We both know it was not bound to prosper, we even discussed it at length, remember? And who else but you can see what is best for us, for the people? All these years, you've dedicated your efforts to improving lives of people, Sanguinius, and look at what you have achieved, and don't even say that it's the Alliance's achievement mostly." Rhea told him. "Alex, I know you, what is inside of your heart and mind, and I know that out of anyone granted with power, you would only use it for good. Look at what you did with the power you had so far, with AngelCorp, and now… Now you can do it for all of humanity. And you have the knowledge and skills to do it, you've trained under the greatest man in history, and you've learned from Roboute and more. You were right- humanity needs to be united, but it needs someone who can unite and lead them, to show them the way forward, who can stand above our petty nature and help us rise. You have done that for tens of thousands already in AngelCorp, Alex, and you can do it for the humanity as a whole. I believe in you." Rhea assured him, and Alex listened to her, believing her words.
"Thank you, Rhea, I…" And in that moment his Omni-tool came to live.
"Drake, where are you? You are supposed to be…" The irate voice of Goyle was quickly interrupted by Admiral Hojo.
"Mr. Drake, apologies for interrupting your time off, but we have urgent matters to attend to, regarding the state of your government and other issues." Admiral Hojo than hung up, with Alex letting out a tired sigh.
"Guess I don't have much a choice." Alex said, as he rose up. "I should be going, but… Thank you, Rhea, for everything."
"Don't mention it. Oh, and one more thing – you decide to go for the Imperial route, be sure wear all gold and make a flaming sword." Rhea joked, with Sanguinius shaking his head at her joke. "But in all seriousness, just make sure you have competent people dealing with day to day stuff, lest you want to drown in the paperwork."
"Basically do the same thing I did when started to expand this company?" Alex gave her a humorous smile, with her nodding. "Got it. I'll keep the head of government position open for you." And with that he left, with Rhea not fast enough to respond.
"Head of government… So I'm now his Malcador?" Rhea asked aloud. "I can live with that. Wouldn't mind grabbing Mona Lisa for myself…" She said with a chuckle, as she relaxed on her bed, catching what few free moments she had.
"Apologies, I was visiting my friend, while I had a chance." Alex stated, as he entered the conference room, filled with currently highest officials of Humankind and de-facto members of his government. "Now then, before we begin actually formulating our government, I want the status report on our Navies, Colonies and Earth. Admiral Hojo."
"We already know the status, and hearing about it will not change it." Goyle stated. "What you need to be doing is restoring the Parliament and…"
"And you need to shut up, Goyle, because in case you've forgotten, the Alliance is gone, and you are basically a political nobody now." Governor Michael Klaussner, the newly elected leader of Terra Nova, stated with disdain towards the former Ambassador. "And honestly, I do not even know why we need her here, sir."
"I second it." Admiral Alexei Orlov of the Second Fleet agreed, before he turned to Drake.
"Just because the Arcturus and most of Parliament are gone it doesn't mean that the Alliance is simply up and gone." Goyle stated to them. "You all signed an oath to serve the Alliance, and I am…"
"Our oaths and loyalty are to humanity first, Goyle, and Humanity has chosen Alexander Drake to lead it, and for him to form a proper successor to the Alliance, which has officially been declared dead." Hojo stated to her. "You can remember your duty and accept this reality, or you can leave." Without wasting her breathe, Goyle decided to simply take her leave.
"This takes care of her, for now at least." Jack Harper said, present in a holographic image. "Now then, sir, what is our first order of business?"
"Let's start with the situation back on Earth." Alex stated, as he turned to Harper. "Harper, report."
"As was reported earlier, various terrorist, anti-government and opposition groups have launched coordinated strikes all across key points of Earth's infrastructure, along with targeted assassinations of leaders and governments of most countries. Additionally, we have multiple local military commanders starting putsches in hopes of seizing power in the sudden absence of power. The precise and simultaneous occurrence of those was not coincidental, but predetermined by their backers- Salarians, who acted through close to a dozen shell companies." Harper informed them. "Though those dissidents had success in eliminating and targeting government officials in most countries and causing serious damage. Our intervention caught them off guard, once we began our attack on them. Cerberus troops, along with Marine contingents and Earth-based loyal military elements have been able to marginally stabilize the situation across Eurasia, Americas and Eastern Asia, but Africa and Middle East remain unstable and dangerous. As per your orders, we've instituted martial law, which has helped to improve the situation, but it is still far from being resolved or any semblance order being restored."
"Civilian casualties and damage reports?" Alex asked of the man, with Harper taking a smock.
"We've tried to prevent major damage from being done by those terrorists, along local police and military forces, but they've managed to do massive damage still. Most of the governments were hit, with large portions of their cabinets are killed, with public order near breaking point, plus there were numerous virus attacks on various of our servers and systems, most targeting civilian sector and basic amenities, such as electricity, water and such. As for the casualties, we are still doing the head count, but it is as bad if not worse than in the colonies, and areas I mentioned and there the situation is far worse, as the civilian and government infrastructures are collapsing or gone entirely. It almost reminds me the early 21st Century terrorist surge, only even worse." Harper reported. "In light of such chaos and lack of any coherent response and government, people look to our new Head of State as a saving straw, and we are seeing a massive surge in volunteers for military service, several times over what Alliance could muster. We are attempting to restore civil services and public order, as well as dealing with the terrorists, but it is a long way and it will be difficult to get things done here as they in such a chaos. Most of those we haven't caught have already began to go into hiding, and as for would be military dictators, most of them were actually apprehended by their own troops, with only one requiring our own intervention. However, overall, situation is dire, and much of Earth has gone dark because of those viruses shutting down our energy grids, and that is affecting Earth the worst. "
"Maintain the martial law. We will dispatch all necessary aid at once, including technical and medical help to deal with it. Use every means to restore order and deal with all of this. And regarding the civil administrations of the nations, this question will be decided soon. I want full report later." Harper nodded, as Drake turned to the Admirals. "What is the status of the Navy?"
"We've finished our full casualties report, and now have a precise picture of what we are dealing with, sir." Orlov spoke up, before he handed Drake the pad with numbers. "In short term, the Navy's casualties are 47.2 percent destroyed, and further 26.1 percent damaged and in need of repairs. Heaviest casualties suffered First Fleet, which lost 82 percent of it's entire navy, with 3 dreadnaughts in it, much of the command staff and officers lost with Arcturus. Concerning our Assault Fleet Carriers, we've managed to keep them all alive, but Zheng He, Spee and Nimitz are need of repairs, with only Spee soon to be repaired. Aside from that, the total numbers are in the pad." Drake quickly looked through them, before he surmised the situation.
"Our Navy now down to one fourth what it once was... With these numbers, we cannot effectively patrol or protect our frontier colonies or even those closer to home." Drake surmised, with others agreeing with him. "Contract every civilian manufacturing plant, dock and shipyard, our main priority is to repair what we can, so they must now work for it. Make priority for our least damaged down to the most damaged, scrap those ships that are deemed beyond repair, and have the crews supplement other ships. And pull out everything we have in mothball, from Geneva, Washington and even Tokyo classes in cruisers and everything we have in frigates and carriers. Closest to completion ships are to be finished earlier, all crews and shipyards are to work around the clock, with civilian shipyards included, either to be used for repairs, or for refits of the oldest vessels to make them more viable. Also integrate Cerberus fleet into the Navy, along with their facilities." Harper understood the need for it, and agreed with it.
"Tokyo and Washington classes may not win any battles, but as auxiliary forces they'll do, if only to shore up our defenses." Orlov concurred. "I'll give the orders, sir. Luckily, the Salarians had spared much of our infrastructure, so at least those in place." And he immediately began sending out appropriate orders.
"Regarding the state of Marine Corps, they've also sustained some serious casualties, but it could've been worse, if not for the CDFs." Rear Admiral Arthur Drake spoke up to his son. "The Colonial Defense Forces on site have proven to be an effective counter to the Salarian Army units and mercenaries they've employed, and though they've suffered substantial loses, we are already having reports of volunteers joining up in hundreds and thousands across the colonies. And while they are largely proven, they are still not sufficient to stand up to all out planetary assaults. In light of our current disposition, the Strategic Command, or what remains of it, wish to make several proposals."
"Go on." Alex said, with Arthur beginning to list them.
"Firstly, in order to bolster the defense of our colonies and supplement the CDF, while allowing redeployment of the Marines, we use Earth's standing forces and deploy them around our Colonies." Arthur said, before letting out a sigh. "There are two ways we can go about it: either we make a request to the individual governments, which are in shambles, or… We integrate them into our standing armed forces outright."
"Considering the circumstances, the latter is the best option, and you won't find any detractors there." Harper voiced his opinion. "Earth's combined armed forces outnumber CDF and Marine Corps several times over, and they could plug the holes we have. The Alliance should've integrated them since the moment they've become a government."
"There were reasons for not doing it, with the nations viewing any such attempt as a direct threat to their sovereignty." Hojo reminded Harper. "But considering the situation, it would solve our manpower issue, at least with our land based forces."
"Then make it so." Alexander gave his consent. "Right now humanity needs to stand together as one, above past grievances, ideologies, disputes, political and national differences. If we are to pull through, Earth needs to be united for good."
"I'll lay the ground work for it immediately." Harper stated, as he left the conference for the moment, before returning. "Just gotten new reports from the Middle East: our operatives, in conjunction with the local forces, have prevented an energy plant near Bagdad from going critical, but we still have red flags all over Africa and the region, and that's not to mention other areas."
"Which means that the Earth's forces need to be formed into a singular army at once." Orlov said. "But what about the opposition from remnants of the governments and populace."
"We'll tell them the truth, what they need to know." Drake simply stated, before he sent a message to prepare for a press release. "Make it clear that this is as much for the benefit of Earth as it is for the rest of Humanity. Now, what was the next proposition you had?" Alex turned to his father again.
"I have conferred with Quentius, and he has informed me that the Primarch will be dispatching humanitarian aid to the afflicted colonies, but he is also offering to expand the diplomatic relations that we now have." Arthur told Alex. "Along with humanitarian aid, Fedorian is prepared to dispatch a contingent of Turian Navy into our systems, in order to provide additional protection from raiders and pirates, as well as deter the Batarians. Considering our current state of affairs, the Strategic Command is ready to accept it."
"Hm, it is an odd day that Turians are the one race that isn't out to get us." Governor Andrew Williams said, having not attended Arcturus due to a sudden medical emergency. "This could certainly help bolster our defenses, but it could also prove disastrous for the morale of people around the colonies."
"They would view it as an invasion or subjugation of our people, and us as surrendering to the Turians, if not handled correctly." Harper chimed in. "But we do need more ships if we are not to lose the Skyllian Blitz and frontier."
"Which is why we will accept under the condition that any presence of the Turian naval forces is to relegated to the patrol and anti-piracy duties, and that Turians will act jointly with our Navy, which will need to be reorganized to accommodate our changed situation." Alexander Drake stated, with others agreeing. "Best people view this as a show of equality and respect between us and Turians, an acknowledgement of our valor and courage if you will. I will discuss it with Fedorian… Now, anything else in regards to the navy at the moment?"
"Only one more thing, sir. With the loss of Arcturus Station, both First and Fifth Fleets have lost their respective commanding officers, who were attending Arcturus Station at the time. With the losses sustained by the First Fleet and Fifth's unfinished formation, it was decided to merge the two fleets together and form the new First Fleet." Hojo informed Alexander, who nodded to it. "Considering the lack of capable officers, the Strategic Command nominates Rear Admiral Arthur Drake as the commanding officer of the First Fleet." Alex looked his father in the eyes, and then asked him.
"What is your opinion on the matter, Rear Admiral?" Alex asked of him.
"It is as sound suggestion, and with the losses of Arcturus, they have none who can lead this new First Fleet. With your permission, I will accept the responsibility." Arthur responded in a military tone.
"Then you are to leave at once for Arcturus System, Admiral Drake." Arthur saluted at the sudden promotion. "Coordinate your efforts with Harper in regards to Earth and surrounding colonies. Your primary goal is the protection Arcturus system."
"Understood, sir. With your permission." Alex then walked to his father and offered him his hand, which Arthur shook. "Good luck, son. You are gonna need it."
"Safe travels, dad." Alex responded, and the two men parted, as Arthur departed, with Alex returning to the immediate business. "Now the colonies. What's the status?"
"We have compiled the reports from them." Klaussner stated and sent them to Alex's omni-tool. "Regarding particular cases, the worst hits came on New Rheinland, Benning and Bekenstein, with the latter having suffered the worst casualties and devastation, due to its proximity to the Citadel and since CDF was not deployed there. We are still counting the casualties there, but the damage there is considered massive, and there the industrial damage is extreme, since it was bombed from orbit. Rheinland is still putting out forest fires as we speak, while Bismarckburg was hit the hardest of the cities there, but fortunately, manufacturing plants were spared, along with fuel depots. As for Benning, Salarians limited their attacks to just shipyards, orbital stations and maintenance docks over the planet, but the debris fell onto the planet. Most of it came down onto the agricultural sectors, which were destroyed, or into the ocean, causing tsunami, which hit several towns. There are other colonies, of course, but they've already began to clear out the rubble and damage done, thanks to your construction robots and suits, but we are still talking about hundreds of thousands of dead and many more injured…"
"I've already sent out word to prepare humanitarian aid for he affected colonies and dispatched all of AngelCorp ships with it medicaments, food and supplies to affected areas. Medical ships have also been dispatched, and will be coordinated, but what we really need right now is to reorganize the territories, or else our efforts will be far less effective." Ishtar reported. "They can't run purely on martial law forever, and people need to know what their government is called now."
"That's true. You currently have most power than anyone in history, sir, but not even you alone can handle everything." Orlov commented. "And as much as I may not like speaking ill of the dead, but the Systems Alliance's government had failed to address a lot of issues once it formed, both in the colonies and Earth, focused far more on their own affairs and playing galactic politics. This has led to some Colonies outright breaking away from them, like those in the Terminus Systems, and we can't afford it anymore. There is also the growing sense of people no longer connecting to Earth, and while we already have a full generation born and raised out in the space, it would not do for us to just forget our roots."
"He is correct, sir. Whatever government you mean to form, the Colonies need to know that they are a part of something, part of humanity as a whole, instead of being semi-rump states." Andrew Williams stated. "And what we need is decisive actions and less bureaucracy, especially the kind that the Alliance Parliament had in place. Hell, with the way we are now, we might as well revert back to Roman times and name you Dictator, sir." Williams let out a grim chuckle.
"I hear you, Governor, and despite how some may think of it, I am not simply out for power." Alexander assured them all with a bit sharper tone than he would have wanted, though he could sense that this was not necessary for the people here, but more as a reminder to himself, as he let out a hard sigh. "My apologies for this outburst. I… We all have had a difficult day, and it's not over yet."
"It is understandable, sir." Orlov assured him. "Perhaps a little recess would do us some good, if only to get a cup of coffee to keep going. You could use it yourself, or a bottle of vodka, if you ask me, sir."
"Trust me, it'd not do a thing to me, especially with my digestive system." Sanguinius answered, as he gathered his thoughts, and quickly relayed his ideas to Ishtar to collaborate through the psychic link, who agreed on some of them. "Now then, gentlemen, let's get to real work…" And so the people in that room began to shape and form up the future of the Humanity.
Five days later. Exodus Cluster.
"In today's press release from Angelus Spire, Alexander Drake has informed us of the integration of the Earth's numerous military forces into the Union's Armed Forces under the branch of the newly formed Planetary Defense Forces, formerly known as Colonial Defense Forces. In last day's news, we've discussed how the Provisional Government has now been given the name of Interstellar Human Union, with Alexander Drake now assuming the role of Chancellor." The reporter on the newsfeed continued. "Today, we were elaborated on the internal structure of this new government and its relations with Humanity's various subjects, such as Earth, Colonies and more. Unlike the System's Alliance, the Interstellar Human Union, or the Human Union, as it is already known, will function as a federal state system, with high degree of centralization, with the Union Senate formed as the legislative body with the Prime Minister at its head. Currently, we know that every Colony and Earth will be granted representation within the Senate, and it is currently being formed. While we do not know the finer details, we are aware that it will supersede national powers of Earth and will function and act as a unified government of Humanity, instead of simple representative of Humanity in the Galaxy."
"Aside from those news, the Chancellor's office has reported, that the humanitarian aid continues to be delivered to every affected colony, both from other worlds of the Human Union and Turian Hierarchy, who have openly supported us in this dark hour. Even now, joint Human-Turian fleets are patrolling the fringes of our space, protecting our borders from incursions, with a Turian embassy now being formally established on Skyfall Station, the unofficial capital of the Union. News from Earth, martial law continues to be in effect, but the rapid and decisive actions of the Cerberus and local forces are maintaining control and expanding it into the areas lost to chaos. Already, nearly all of power plants affected are back online and civil services are returning to their normal functions. At last, it seems that the crisis is finally beginning to pass on our home world, and we can only pray, that it will bring an end to the misery and death which has gripped our birth world." Report continued. "On to the galactic news, it has now been confirmed that Asari Republics have entered into a state of civil war, following the discovery of Matriarch Council's actions and crimes against Humanity and other races, such as the Turians, with their support of the infamous Terminus Systems' pirates. While we do not have confirmed reports, we are told that the Asari people are split and fighting is being waged all over their space, with the fiercest of it last confirmed on Thessia, their home world. Currently, we do not have any solid reports on the next actions of the now Union Navy, but rest assured that…" And at that moment the feed was cut, as Liara looked up from her seat to Shiala, one of her mother's aides and leader of the Commandoes sent to find her and escort her to Skyfall Station.
"We have arrived in the system, Liara. You best get ready." She told her. "It will not be long before we are detected."
"I know, and I am ready, or at least as ready as can be…" Liara said with clear nervousness, as they ventured forward from the cabin into the ship's bridge. "I still cannot believe that all this is happening to our people, and I… I am not cut out for this. I am not a negotiator or diplomat."
"No, but you are our only chance to put an early end to what is happening to our people, dear." Shiala told her. "Your mother may be one of the Matriarchs', but you are her daughter, and you know Alexander Drake."
"We have only met once on the Citadel, nine years ago and he was less than interested in diplomacy." Liara told Shiala. "And after what they had done, what my mother has…"
"Lady Benezia did not give any form of consent to this atrocity, and even if she knew of it, there was nothing she could've done to stop it." Shiala defended her mistress with fervor, with Liara simply shaking her head. "Liara, you are your mother's daughter, and she believes in you. Your bloodline is one of great diplomats and…" At that moment the sensors flared up, and then came the call over comms.
"Unidentified Asari vessel, this is SSV Verdun. You are in violation of the Human Union's borders. Turn off your engines and shields and prepare to be boarded, or we will use force to stop you!" Came the warning from the Human frigate, as it approached them with a wing of Raptors. "This is your first warning, you have 30 seconds to comply."
"This is diplomatic shuttle Anatha'era. We are on a mission of diplomatic nature to Skyfall Station, transporting a representative to meet with Chancellor Drake." The captain of the vessel transmitted. "We are travelling under the diplomatic…" And then they saw a kinetic round traveled over their hull.
"This is your final warning, Asari. 15 seconds…" Liara could already see the others panic.
"Do as he says." She commanded, with others looking at her with shock. "We best comply, or else we will be just destroyed." And the Asari did as ordered, turning off their engines and shields, and soon the Human frigate docked with them, and a squad of Marines entered inside, finding the Asari already waiting them, but not in a hostile manner.
"Captain, we got eyes on 7 Asari, unarmed." One of the Marines reported, while he and his men pointed their guns at them. "Hands in the air, slowly and without any biotics." He ordered.
"We told you, this is a diplomatic shuttle, and we are on a diplomatic mission to Skyfall Station." One of the Asari tried to speak her mind, but the loud enough click of the gun stopped her.
"Until you are all searched and detained, this ship and you are hostiles. Now, hands in the air…" And so began the process of getting to the Skyfall Station for the Asari.
Three hours later. Skyfall Station.
The lone shuttle, still bearing the colors of the now defunct Systems Alliance touched down in one of the hangars of the Skyfall Station, before it's doors opened and out came Liara, Shiala, and seven Marines. They were greeted by a contingent of 8 Myrmidons and one human, who now wearing the official military colors, instead of his previous SSF ones.
"Sergeant Cooper." John Connor greeted the man, before he looked at the Asari. "Are these two diplomats."
"The white dressed one is, the second is her aide, supposedly." Sergeant said. "We gave them the injections, and the rest of their entourage are under guard."
"Understood, we'll take it from here." And then the Marines finally retreated, and Myrmidons took their place. "I'm Lieutenant Commander John Connor of the Union Marine Corps. I was ordered to escort you to meet with Chancellor Drake. And before we go, in case you didn't figure it out, the injections you were given suppress your biotics, and if you try anything funny, these robots will kill you faster than you can blink. So my advice is not to do anything funny. Are we clear?"
"Commander, your tone is completely inappropriate towards a diplomatic emissary of an esteemed…" Shiala tried to voice her displeasure, but was interrupted.
"As far as I know, she is a daughter one of those pole dancing bitches because of whom over 12 million human lives were lost all, so excuse me if I'm not feeling particularly diplomatic." Connor responded. "You are lucky that Chancellor decided to hear you out. Now, if you would…" And with that, they left the hangar and proceeded inside the Angelus Spire, where soon they were in front of Drake's cabinet, and allowed in after a proper scan of the Asari.
"Chancellor, your guests are here." Connor informed Drake, who was currently sending out orders throughout the Union, before he turned around.
"I see. Thank you, Commander. You are free to go." Alexander stated, with Connor obeying, while the Myrmidons moved into positions around the cabinet, but ready to fire upon the Asari. "Doctor T'Soni, under different circumstances, I would say it is good to see you again, but I fear the circumstances do not offer such an opportunity. I hope you know the reasons for those, or have your escorts not mentioned it?"
"I am perfectly aware of what has transpired, Mr. Drake, and allow me to offer my sincerest condolences to you and your people." Liara responded. "What had taken place was a tragedy, but I do not believe that open hostility is the answer for it."
"No, it is merely a natural reaction, when someone attacks without provocation or warning, seeking to destroy us. And in case you've missed the news, I am now Chancellor Drake. Curtesy of your mother and her associates work." Sanguinius responded with coldness in his tone. "Let us dispense with the pleasantries, Doctor, since you clearly do not belong here as a diplomat. Now tell me, what is it that you are doing here?"
"Chancellor Drake, my Mistress did not…" At that moment, half of the Robots trained their guns on Shiala, the moment Sanguinius sent a mental command to them.
"I speak to the Doctor here, not to you." Alex simply stated, as he turned to Liara. "Now, Doctor, why are you here?"
"My mother, Matriarch Benezia, had asked me to come here." Liara finally answered. "She wished… She wished for me to establish a dialogue with you, one that could help resolve our current situation."
"Is she and her associates prepared to surrender?" Alex asked of Liara, who didn't know how to answer to that. "Then you may tell her, that I will only open dialogue under a single condition- complete surrender of the Matriarch Council and every one of their associates involved in the attack on Humanity into the IHU's hands."
"My mother had told me that this may be your response, and in case it was, she instructed me to give you this." Liara then took out of her pocket a slip of paper, which Drake took, read, and then tapped on his omni-tool, opening up a link between his cabinet's holo-monitor and Benezia.
"Chancellor Drake." Benezia greeted Alexander, before she turned to Liara. "Thank you, for receiving my daughter. I am glad, that even in these turbulent times, you and your people remain open to a dialogue."
"We are not open to any dialogue, not after what you and your friends have done to us." Drake responded. "The sole reason I allowed your daughter to come here is curiosity. And now I can see that you wish to cut a deal with me, is that it?" By the slightest twitch of her facial features, Sanguinius could tell that he was right.
"I wish to put a stop to the chaos, that is threatening to unravel a galactic society that had existed for thousands of years, and now…" Benezia was suddenly interrupted by Alexander.
"Cut to the chase, Benezia. I do not have time for another one of Asari grandiloquent speeches, so tell me what you actually want, or get lost." Drake commanded.
"Insolent whelp, how dare you interrupt Lady Benezia?!" Shiala could not control herself.
"Shiala, calm yourself, at once." Benezia ordered her with a sharp tone, before she turned to Alex. "Apologies for my follower, Chancellor Drake. As for what I want, I wish to put an end to this conflict, for good and prevent any further atrocities and losses on all sides, but most importantly, I wish to preserve my people's civilization. I assume you have already heard the news about what is happening in our space."
"I have. Primarch Fedorian and I have discussed your civil war four hours ago." Drake responded.
"Then I am sure you have sufficient amount of information on what exactly is happening in Asari Republics. The Matriarch Council is currently engaged against a loose coalition of opposition all across the Asari Space, with most of the Fleet and Army under their command. Portions of those forces are scattered across our colonies, but the main force remains over Thessia, where all Matriarchs are gathered." Benezia stated. "I can offer to you and Primarch Fedorian their location, complete list of forces, and even a secret passage into Parnitha System, known only to the Matriarchs, if you are prepared to cease hostilities with my people afterwards."
"As well as leave you alive, so you may pick up the piece, am I correct?" Drake asked of her. "The way I see it, you wish to use the Union and Hierarchy to remove your rivals and leave you as the undisputed ruler of the Asari."
"You may interpret this whichever way suits you, Chancellor. My priorities are the same as yours, and that is the security and prosperity of my people and this civil war threatens to destroy it all." Benezia stated to him. "I am prepared to offer you the means to put a quick end to this conflict, and all you need to do is limit your vengeful wrath to only Matriarchs and allow me to assume their place. Considering your current state, I would say this is the best offer you will hear."
"The day is not over yet." Alex responded, before adding. "I will confer with Fedorian on this matter. In the meantime, your daughter will remain as a guest on Skyfall Station, alone."
"A-Alone?" Liara finally spoke up with clear fear in her voice.
"No, you cannot allow this! Lady Benezia, this… I will not leave your daughter alone with this man, to be used as tool for his low desires." Shiala's implicating did not go unnoticed by Drake.
"If you are concerned for her purity, you can rest easy, for I find you and your kind as attractive as squids. She will be offered all of the amenities a person of her status deserves." Drake stated, with the Myrmidons already leading the two out, as he turned to Benezia. "I assume you are currently not on Thessia."
"I am not. I assume you have agreed to my proposal?" Benezia asked of him.
"You assume correctly. I will contact you after I have conferred with Primarch Fedorian, and I expect that data to be transmitted to me then. Have a good day." Drake disconnected, before opening up a different link. "Did you catch all this, Harper?"
"I have." Jack Harper answered. "I'd take that deal, for we are not in any shape to wage long wars right now. She may be a manipulative crone, but she is at least the devil that we know."
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I'll simply let her use us for her own means." Alex stated. "Have you managed triangulate her exact location?"
"Naturally. I can have a team assembled and ready to go within the hour." Harper offered.
"No need for that. Once she has delivered the needed data, we will just transmit her location to the opposition and Asari Justicars. Considering their rigid and unforgiving Code, it will compel them to deal with Benezia, and the Asari revolutionaries will only be happy to deal a killing blow to one of their enemies." Sanguinius responded. "In the meantime, what is the situation on Sur'Kesh?" Alex asked.
Annos Basin. Pranas System.
"We have entered the range of their comms, Captain Petrovsky." One of the officers reported. "Establishing connection, running their codes. Codes accepted we are now in their net, sir. We have direct access to civilian, industrial and several science networks. STGs remain unavailable, and if we try to connect them, we will be detected."
"No need to attempt it, Lieutenant. We have all that we require." Captain Oleg Petrovsky stated, as he turned to observe the planet. "Status of our stealth systems?"
"Stealth systems active, heat emissions are contained within the sinks. We have 1 hour and 19 minutes of time before we need to disengage." Helm reported. "Salarian navy is focused around Relays Alpha, Gamma and Delta in preparation for attacks. Their automated early warning system hasn't detected us."
"Then let us not waste time. Comms, do you have a stable link?" Petrovsky asked, and the officer nodded. "Upload the virus." Comms officer acknowledged the order and did so.
"Virus is uploaded, connection is secure, Noosphere security protocols are engaged." Comms reported. "Detecting virus' spread… Bloody hell, it's spreading faster than a forest fire." Comms officer was unable to contain his amazement, with Petrovsky agreeing with the man.
Captain Petrovsky, like some in the Cerberus, was aware of their boss' agreement and arrangement with Alexander Drake, made before he became Chancellor of the Union, and he was smart enough to know that Cerberus owed that man a great debt, for helping them grow like it did. And now that they were officially folded into the IHU, this was their first mission on behalf of the Humanity, their first retaliatory strike, and Oleg couldn't help but find it ironic and fitting.
Humanity was in no way to conduct a full scale interstellar warfare, but that didn't mean they could inflict damage upon their enemies, and this was the way they decided to do it. Utilizing USS Saint-Nazaire, a specially modified Austerlitz class Frigate, created by Cerberus for covert operations and electronic warfare, they were ordered to get into the Salarian home system, connect to the Salarian net. Once it was done, they were to upload a virus, and then monitor it's spread and affect, and what an effect it had on the Salarian network, one that was even more profound than had been expected.
Within 42 seconds, it had spread to nearly every civilian net, multiplying in a near logarithmic way, and then finally reaching Shroud network, designed by the Salarians to restore their world's damage atmosphere and ozone layer through dispersal of atmospheric particles. Two minutes later, military firewalls failed and the virus was inside without any knowledge of the Salarians, and after three minutes since upload it was firmly in every possible system, virus finally activated itself in full. This was the moment when the true chaos ensued, as every single electronic system, all of Salarian technological prowess began to break down, as the virus, or Scrapcode, as Alexander Drake called it, completely disintegrated the carefully arranged order of bits into a chaotic mess, turning elegant and ordered systems into maddening jumbled mess.
In mere moments, Petrovsky and his people watched as Sur'Kesh's entire infrastructure, physical and electronic, disintegrated, as power plants either shut down or began to go critical, while Shrouds began to let out poisoned particles or shut down. Networks, operation systems, data banks, everything that made a modern society was now gone and destroyed, and the chaos began to reign, much like the one that Salarians introduce on Earth, with their viruses that causes the most amount of damages to people and infrastructure. But the horror that Alexander Drake had engineered was tens of times worse, as it spread and destroyed modern Salarian civilization in a nigh Biblical fashion
"This is for Earth, you cold-blooded frogs." Petrovsky heard one of his officers say out loud, making him turn to him. "Apologies, sir."
"No, Ensign, you are correct." Oleg agreed with him. "Soldiers of Humanity, take a good long look at this, at how Salarian homeworld is going dark. This is what they have done to Earth, what our people are desperately trying to repair, and what has taken millions of lives. Let these Xenos feel what it is like, to suffer the same fate as we did."
"Sir, virus has spread to their ships and hatcheries. Effects are taking place already taking place." Officer reported, with Petrovsky nodding. "Orbital platforms are losing orbit as well, projecting courses…"
"No need, officer. Helm, take us out of the system. Lay in course for Skyfall." Petrovsky ordered, before he went to report full mission success.
Well, looks like Sanguinius has read Mechanicum, and took some notes, and now we have a glimpse at the full extent of damage done to Humanity, and it is MASSIVE, but Humanity is still alive, and ready to bounce back. Now, I was absolutely floored with your support and suggestions regarding new government and names, and while going full Imperial is tempting, I do not believe it is time for it, yet. But rest assured, the Interstellar Human Union will claim it's place among the stars. Now, I have to warn you, that I know next to nothing about intricacies of political systems and such, so do not expect full lectures on political state of Humanity.
Also, as for what is happening now on Sur'Kesh… Imagine if every single piece of your tech, network, every bit of information in the net either shut down, went haywire or malfunction, all at the same time on entire world? I believe the word "civilization apocalypse" is an apt description… Alpha Legion and Malcador Approve!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and will share your opinion about it in the reviews, as well as offer you suggestions, regarding it's progressions and ask questions about it. Your participation helps make this story better.
Next time: Humanity Strikes Back on Thessia!
See ya!
