Author's Note:
For note of some things to be said in this chapter and going forward, the relative sizes of ME ships to SE will initially be read as either gargantuan or dismissible from either side. As SE builds MUCH bigger, but lacks things like shields normally. Instead relying on heavy, and spaced armor. Thusly, such relatively lightly armored ships that are also seemingly small? Yeah, they come off as not much better than a patrol boat to the SE side, but the SE drones? Considering their size, might come off as a frigate to ME. Depending on if they're the large or small grid drones. As for SE armaments, there'll be some less canon stuff due to things I see as making sense via mod added content, but overall it'll be me trying my best to mostly stick to known stuff. Although some minor flavor may be added to some descriptions of things in visuals or feel. I don't have a set schedule yet, but I'm hoping to not take too long between chapters going up. Though there may be delays between major arcs. This chapter though does start the 'Shanxi Arc' with a name in the works. Please do leave reviews telling me how I did. I'd love useful criticism or just lore information I forgot/didn't know that I didn't retcon myself, or ignore deliberately, to write the best story I can.
GCI - Admiral Rike POV
To say the crew of the Yggdrasil were full of adrenaline was an understatement. Most of their reactors having gone cold when the anomalous fold had occurred. Leaving simple solar and batteries to power at least life support and basic sensors whilst the crew got the ship's reactors beating again with nuclear reactions. The situation on the bridge wasn't much better. With crew casualty reports declaring none harmed or killed, alongside what sensors they had showing the small fleet of small ships bearing down on them with high energy signatures. "Admiral Hellman, engines going hot in fifteen, and reactors firing in five minute intervals starting in thirty seconds according to last report from power. Security teams are heading to hangar bays to prepare for counter boarding actions. Point defense will be active in ten minutes with the second reactor," spoke an officer on the bridge which earned a small growl of frustration from said admiral.
"Sensors, what are we seeing? Any IFFs we can pick up yet? Who are we facing? What idiot sent out a bunch of patrol boats, and what looks to be a few frigates and a destroyer against a capital? Get me armaments," spoke Admiral Rike. Moments afterward, the first reactor went live. Even in such a large ship, the reactors it used were just as comparable in size. Roaring to life as the nuclear reactions picked up. Fusion and fission generating both heat and power. The mere activation causing the ship to lightly shake before settling again as it was akin to a star blazing to life due to the density of the reactions. Whilst not heard, it had certainly be felt. Much to Rike's pleasure. "Good girl, that's the Ygg I know... now reports," she spoke. Earning a nod from a smiling female sensors officer. "They're reacting to the energy surge. With power sensors are clearing. Twenty-three ships. One destroyer weight, four frigates, and the rest are patrol to fast attack. Super low weight. Getting readings on the planet. Looks like whoever they are, either just had their colony burned, or burned a colony. Who and why are not known yet ma'am. IFFs are there, but unreadable. New code, and possible language," spoke the officer. Gaining an affirmation of the male communications officer about the IFF code and language. "Armaments unknown. Design and energy readings indicate anomalous behavior regarding mass and gravity, alongside a possible frontal gun focused design," she then said. "Handlers, refit programs. Outfit fifty drones for combat once reactor two is online. Whether as suicide bombers, or flying guns I don't care. Comms, are we receiving hails? If so, let's hear them out. If not, hail them. Put out a warning," spoke Rike.
Turian POV
"Unknown contact just had a spike! Readings are far beyond anything we know! It's like they just detonated a star," spoke a sensors officer. Earning a growl from Novus. "All ships! Firing solutions! Communications. Are they not responding to hails?" Novus spoke. Earning an affirmation of no response. "Do NOT fire until they have! Spirits, how does that thing even exist. And you're saying no eezo, sensors?" Novus spoke, only gaining an affirmation in response. "Admiral! It's broadcasting in a wide wave! Unknown code or language. Systems are freaking out. Possible e-warfare attempt," warned the communications officer in a tone of slight panic. The translation VI was freaking out it seemed from attempting to read the message. Reading as a mix of several unknown languages that were similar, but not the same as the human code they had deciphered. Due to the structure of the code language used being almost wholly alien to the... aliens, the VI was mistaking it for hostile code.
"Spirits, all ships, open fire! Disable that ship. Assault teams, prepare for boarding actions to clean up opposition, rescue survivors, and retrieve data," Novus growled out. Watching the forward display as the shots from his ship, and the others around him under his command, opened up on the vessel before them. Though, much to his own horror, the rounds impacted into the ship, only to make at best several small visible dents in the armor where multiple shots struck the same place. Whilst there was no notice of any atmosphere leaking, there had been what appeared to be no damage done.
GCI - Admiral Rike POV
"Captain! We've been hit. Engineering is hastening reactor starts! Remaining four of five reactors going live in sixty seconds!" Shouted the sensors officer under the blaring of combat station sirens. The ship had just been attacked, and now, hell would be let loose. "Point defense online! Engines are still down for now, orders?" asked the weapons officer. "Damnit, do we have the ability to deploy RKVs? Range is still too far for tertiary and secondary weapons," Rike spoke up. Earning an affirmation from said weapons officer. "Then do it! Solutions on the three largest ships, or lines of ships. Deploy mid-fold reactionary RKVs from bays three and five depending on which side those solutions end up on. Split as you see fit. Save the other three for now," Rike commanded. Earning a 'yes ma'am' from the officer as her attention returned to several screens before her on her command consoles. Though she also prepared herself for the immediate quadruple reactor combat starts. "All hands brace!" Rike warned throughout the ship five seconds before simultaneous starts.
Though the starts weren't exactly simultaneous, they were close enough to be considered like so. Mere fractions of a second in delay between them as the ship roared to life within its confines. Shuddering and shaking for several moments whilst the hum of all the reactors reverberated throughout. Causing Rike to smile as she let out a small sigh. "Good girl. Now then, Ygg, clean up those who dare strike out at you," Rike almost whispered in her soft tone. Seeing the ship almost like a daughter. Afterall, it was HER ship that had been built by GCI, just for her, for her efforts. Even if it was a smaller capital class, it was still capital sized. "Weapons, get rails hot. Engineering, fire up the drive. These savages will NOT continue to fight in what may be their comfort. Standard procedures. Drop us on top of their formation. Utilize displacement to shred their ships in our way," Rike growled out whilst she noted three friendly dots appear on the tactical screen she had of the 'battlefield' in space they had before they vanished. And with them, roughly eight enemy ships effectively were reduced to scattered pieces that became like expanding buckshot, with two others critically damaged, and three more minorly damaged though she noted the shields that she could now see with their sensors being overwhelmed by the reactions.
"Enemy force down to fifteen intact ships. Two more losing signs of power from critical damage though heat is spiking alongside mass and gravity within them. Three others damaged, but not out. Enemy fleet down to one destroyer, two frigates, six patrol and six fast attack," replied the sensors officer once the RKVs had deployed. Their internal 'fold' drives having collapsed the encompassing wormhole. Generating momentum as they broke up. Turning them into, for but a fraction of a moment at best, hyper-FTL buckshot. Shredding the targets in their path. Only really breaking apart once they hit their first target due to the relatively short distance of combat. Rike was somewhat expecting the opposing force to have drives that disabled such weapons being used in the nearby area, like hers did, by overriding any other attempts to 'fold' space due to some technobabble her engineers understood she didn't. Regardless, she thanked whatever deity there was for the mercy. "RKVs noted as effective with the mid-fold variant. Still, those drives were not cheap.
Turian POV
Novus watched with further horror as the ship that had an almost immeasurable energy signature, spiked even further whilst three small vehicles were deployed from its sides from previously concealed doors. Though they didn't linger for long. Vanishing alongside several of his ships, as they registered as a gravitational anomaly. "Damn it! Relativistic kill weapons. All ships retreat! Communications, send out a priority one message. Warn the hierarchy!" Novus growled as he turned to his pilot. "Get us to the relay, and out of here. We have lost this battle. Spirits, let us get out with as many as we can and come back to crush these... spirits, these damned animals," Novus spoke quietly. Knowing of the shame and embarrassment he'd suffer for having retreated, if he survived the endeavor.
GCI - Admiral Rike POV
"Captain, they're turning tail. Chase and burn them? Or do we hold and handle ourselves?" Spoke the sensors officer. Noting the burns the attacking ships were performing to turn and run away from them. "Don't chase, but keep eyes on them. Dispatch those security teams to breaches and any damaged areas. Get me the heads of all teams in an hour. We've got to do some talking. Deep scan the system as well. I want to know where the hell we are, and maybe why if possible," Rike spoke. A small sigh escaping her as she watched the alien ships head for an object in the system. Cautious of their intents before there was both a gravitational, and mass anomaly detected next to the tuning fork-like object at one end of the system away from them. The ships vanishing as they got near it. "I'm going to the communications center. See if I can hail GCI. Ermins, you're on station in my stead whilst I do so, and while I hold that meeting. The Yggdrasil is in your hands, make sure she stays well," Rike spoke. A non-specialized male naval officer at a terminal a layer below hers turned and nodded. Standing up with a salute. "Yes ma'am. Johnson, get me ship status reports and reactor stability!" spoke the man as he turned back towards the bridge. Rike would get up from her seat and consoles. Trusting in her subordinate whilst walking off the bridge, deeper into the ship towards her destination. Afterall, who put things like bridges and communications centers anywhere, but the most secure and embedded parts of a ship? It would be beyond foolish to make them exposed.
End notes and tidbits:
Vikaes-Class Capital vessels
- Sized at 6km length, 4km width, and a height of 650m, with a usual mass of 40-60 million tonnes.
- Armament varies, but specializes with a carrier role
- Has onboard drone manufacturing and refitting
- Onboard refineries and mainly has point defense
- Carries 6 RKVs
- Has a twin MAG-478 as its prow weapon
- Has a crew capacity of 13,000 to 20,000 depending on modifications and use of stasis pods.
GCI Yggdrasil
- A Vikaes-Class carrier capital vessel
- Onboard advanced refineries and expanded material processing capabilities.
- Outfitted with the capability to create, deploy, and maintain outposts or colonies
- Is crewed by 15,000 individuals. All at minimum have engineering competency. A basic requirement of serving on a ship from the SE side of things. Afterall, someone who doesn't know how their ship works, and how to fix it, is usually dead within a week at best , or stranded to die, in the vicious frontier of space exploration.
MFR (Mid-Fold Reactionary) RKV
- Basically just a deployable space 1 use shotgun that's very expensive, but also very effective up close. However, their range is more limited than it may seem due to them disrupting the space-time folding process mid jump. Breaking up the RKVs and 'shooting' them in the desired direction. To put things simply. Wormhole gets blocked, and space doesn't like that. Spitting it back out in pieces. Very very angry pieces.
MAG-478
- Similar to halo's MACs, but different in that instead of firing a slug, these fire rods. Effectively making them AP MACs that fire slim, very angry, and otherwise entirely kinetic very dense rods from god. AKA a glorified upscaled railgun. The 478 fires a 478mm rod that has a length of 45m. It's designed to tear ships apart by using simple extreme kinetic energy to punch through layers of spaced heavy armor, causing the layers of armor to act like a pseudo hollow-point round as it is torn and collapses inwards towards the ship.