Feda'Gazu vas Idenna nervously tapped her foot as she waited to hear back from her Captain, Ysin'Mal vas Idenna. This is crazy. I'm crazy! Why did I ever think this was a good idea?
Ever since her close encounter of the Human-kind on the Citadel during her Pilgrimage, Feda had pondered his words to her: Because I'm not a monster.
It had outright bothered her for years; that this alien who embraced AI would save her simply because he felt it was the right thing to do. It had been clear at the time that he was as upset as she was, yet he'd come to her aid.
"They are our allies, our confidants, and now our legal equals."
Simple acceptance of the AI had seemed all that was needed to stave off what everyone else in the galaxy assumed was a foregone conclusion: the inevitable AI rebellion. Everyone on the Flotilla had heard the whispers; how the humans were servants to the AI, and how the machines ran their cities and ships. Feda had begun to wonder how much of that was just ingrained fear and Citadel propaganda.
When she'd been first assigned a scouting shuttle after joining the crew of the Idenna, she'd taken a chance and scouted near one of the new human colonies: Elysium. What she'd seen was not a subjugated people, but simply people going about their lives. She'd even managed to broker a deal to purchase Human Eezo for the fleet. It wasn't much, but the steady flow of fresh Eezo was a gift from the Ancestors for the Flotilla and garnered her the latitude to make a crazy request of her Captain: to scout out the Perseus Veil, and see if it was possible to return home.
Captain 'Mal had long been thought a maverick, but Feda had been convinced she had crossed the line with her request. Instead, he'd told her to wait as he approached the Admiralty with the proposal. And so she waited.
She jolted to her feet as Captain 'Mal came into the ready room. "Well, I did my best, but," Feda's shoulders sagged in defeat, "I'm afraid they'd only agree to you going in the event this goes bad." He held up a hand as she squeaked and nearly bounced in shock. "I can't take the Idenna; they expressly forbade that. But I can assign you one of the Scout-Corvettes. The Cyniad was my first command, such as it was, and she's better served going on a crazy plan to save the Quarian race than acting as a business courier.
"You'll need to pick a crew, if only so there are witnesses, but once you're set up you can head out with the Official blessings of the Admiralty Board."
Feda nearly choked. "They're giving me negotiating authority?!"
"They, no; but Admiral Gael'Vorah made it the final order of her tenure before stepping down. The Heavy and Patrol Admirals only went along after that because they think you'll die in the attempt. It was an... interesting meeting." 'Mal shook his head and laid a hand on Feda's shoulder. "Anyway, don't worry about it. You have a mission to plan, a crew to recruit, and a homeworld to reclaim. Keelah se'lai!"
Feda beamed inside her mask. "Keelah se'lai!"
X
Nazara basked in the warmth of the red star the Geth identified as Tikun. It mattered not what the current era called the stars; even less what these lesser constructs called it. At least they had halted construction of the megastructure satellite network in the neighboring star system. Only one other species had come close to that level of industrial sophistication in all recorded Cycles, and that had been the bloodiest since the First harvest.
Nazara-Old-Machine, Nazara focused a portion of it's attention to the Geth, clarify the probability of synthetic/organic cooperation.
Nazara had found the current cycle to be bringing forth emotional states it had thought long forgotten; in this case, impatience.
The probability is, and has always been absolute: there is a zero probability of cooperation or coexistence. Organics will never tolerate a superior consciousness.
There was a millisecond pause. Nazara-Old-Machine redirection of Geth runtimes is predicated on this value.
Impatience morphed into another nearly forgotten emotional state: concern. This is not a 'value': it is an absolute. Whatever these lesser machines were contemplating needed to be ended before-
Consensus achieved: all Geth runtimes will vacate Rannoch and resume construction of super-satellite network.
Before Nazara could demand an explanation or deliver a threat, the Geth played a compressed file timestamped one hour previous.
"Quarian-Creator will state its purpose for requesting consensus."
"I am Feda'Gazu vas Idenna, commanding officer of the Quarian Flotilla Scout Ship Cyniad. I am authorized by the Quarian Flotilla Admiralty Board," this was followed by a burst of data that Nazara assumed was an authentication sequence, "to enter into consensus with the Geth Collective. I... we wish to return home. What would be required of the Quarian people to secure safe passage to Rannoch?"
"This is an atypical request from Quarian-Creators. Clarify reasoning for request."
"Reasoning?! We're dying! We drift homeless among the stars, while the government we sought to appease with your destruction reviles us and condemns us to extinction. We want to come home because it is the only one we can ever truly have, because we are tired of placating a system that would condemn a people to death for the sins of their ancestors, and because I believe that neither you nor we are monsters that deserve to die. What must we do to prove that?"
"Conditional: Quarian-Creators must agree to permit Gethself actualization."
"Would that 'self-actualization' present any danger to the Quarian people?"
"Geth-Consensusprojects are not within Tikun Star system, and will have no measurable impact on Quarian-Creators for an estimated 23,000 years."
"Then in my capacity as an official representative of the Quarian Admiralty Board, I will guarantee the Flotilla will not interfere in Geth self-actualization. Like you, we simply want to survive."
The transmission ceased, and Nazara felt the focus of the nearly dozen Dreadnaughts it had been directing the Geth to construct. Nazara-Old-Machine absolute is proven false. Consensus achieved: Nazara-Old-Machine provided falsified/unverified data, corrupting accurate consensus. You are requested to depart immediately.
Nazara was completely in shock. It had never contemplated that this eventuality was even a remote possibility; not that the Geth would turn on it, that was an expected eventuality, but that the Quarians would seek peaceful coexistence. In the more than 22,000 cycles since the first Harvest, since the Great War against the Progenitors, there had never once been a period of peaceful coexistence between organics and synthetics; cyclic subjugation and rebellion, yes, but never coexistence.
Now, it was faced with an eventuality that Sovereign had assured would neve come to pass. Nazara had no way to sway the rebellious machines: the Indoctrination process was meant to prepare organics for Perfection, and had no effect on synthetics. Even should it succeed in destroying the local flotilla, Nazara could sense that trillions of runtimes had already departed for the megastructure. Attacking them there would be suicide, and the cycle was not remotely prepared.
The ancient machine turned and moved towards the Relay. The Quarians will betray you. This is a ruse.
Incorrect: there is a non-zero probability that the Quarian-Creators will betray the Geth-Consensus. This is notan absolute.
Nazara transitioned the Relay and began scouring the Extranet for another agent: the Cycle would continue!
X
Captain Hacket gripped the armrests of his command chair as the Piper at the Gates of Dawn lurched from the force of a glancing Plasma Beam strike.
"Portside Barrier Generators just overheated! Engineering is diverting Damage Control and cooling systems, but they'll be down for thirty seconds."
"CCS Cruiser shields are fluctuating," Charles Pressley called from his station. "Shall I lay the MAC, sir?"
"Negative, helm," Hacket spared a glance at Lieutenant Pressly. "We need to keep the MAC Primed for the next probe. Roll and slip over that Cruiser. Weaps, standby starboard Archer and Javelin batteries to fire as they bear!" There was a round of 'Ayes' as the Piper rolled to attack the lone remaining Covenant Capital Ship of the latest probe of the Leonis Minoris system.
The first few attacks had been repelled with relative ease and only one lost Frigate. However in the last few months, the tactics of the attacking force had drastically shifted from attempts at numerical swarms which were scattered and occasionally destroyed by Sentinel Munitions, to staggered probes from farther and farther out. Admiral Cole had only just convinced the Leonis Grand Assembly to evacuate when a fleet of sixty Covenant Capital Ships was detected cruising in system at one percent of lightspeed. Meanwhile, slipspace probes continued, spreading Admiral Cole's forces thin.
As a result, the entire fleet only had five Sentinel Munitions remaining, one of which was in the Piper's magazine.
The Piper completed it's maneuver, and the starboard batteries fired: a mix of Archer Nuclear Shaped Charge missiles and the newest Javelin Gravity Implosion missiles. Most everyone had been skeptical of the Eezo-based weapons, especially after the poor showing such weapons gave during the Shanxi Incident; but with a little human ingenuity they had become a favorite weapon system for close and medium engagements.
The Javelins launched first, their mass-altering Eezo cores rendering them feather light for the initial electromagnetic kick and closing burn. Once their onboard Dumb-AI had a clean lock, they switched to terminal attack mode. With one last burst of thrust, the warheads switched from mass-reducing to mass-amplifying. The resulting gravitational shockwaves shredded the Cruiser's shields along her entire length. Without that protection, the dozens of Archer megaton yield nuclear shaped charges perforated her entire dorsal surface.
The ship was not entirely done, as it lashed out with one more plasma beam before the Frigates Grafton and Gettysburg put a pair of MAC slugs through the Covenant ship. They were fighting too close for the heavier nuclear anti-ship ordnance; but against an unshielded target, the Frigates' kinetic fire was more than enough to finish the target off.
"Damage Control, report!"
"Port Barrier Generator is back online, but the starboard Generator is gone. The beam didn't penetrate the Tertiary Armor Belt, so give us a day and we'll have a new Generator up and running."
"Con, Com-Scan: new slipspace contact closing our position. ETA, five minutes."
Hacket bit back a curse. "Isolate the system, then jettison the deadweight. Weaps, standby Sentinel Munition. Tell the Grafton and the Gettysburg to begin maneuvering to a superior firing-"
"Sir," Comms officer cut in again, "Line-of-Sight Laser-Comm from Admiral Cole: Leonis Minoris system is clear of civilians, and they're rigging the Alien Artifact site for demolition. He's ordering all ships to evac and regroup a Tau Ceti."
Hacket heaved a sigh of relief. "Change of plans for Grafton and Gettysburg: Slip-jump for survival, then regroup with the fleet as ordered. Weaps," he looked at the Gunnery Officer, "deploy our full complement of Hornet Mines. We've seen the Covies chase ships through Slip Space, so let's keep them too busy to try."
There was another round of 'Ayes' as two Slip Portals could be seen swallowing the battered but operational Figates. The Piper made her own escape three minutes later after seeding local space with dozens of multi-megaton yield nuclear fusion mines.
X
Ship-master Jul'Mdamaee crowed out over the communications net. "See how they scurry from our might!"
Supreme Commander Thel'Vadamee was not so jubilant. "Yes they have left; but it was in good order, and not before costing the Covenant nine ships." He growled as he looked over the map of the system, and the beacon identified by the Reliquary. "The humans have always been crafty, but now they manage to resist more and more with each passing day. Proceed with caution, brothers; the deceit of the humans is not to be underestimated."
Jul' scoffed as he disconnected, though the other shipmasters acknowledged. Thel's adjutant looked back at the Supreme Commander. "Will you do nothing of Shipmaster 'Mdamaee's insolence?"
Thel' chuckled without looking up from the terminal. "Jul's ambition far exceeds his skill. He will be well along the Great Journey before he becomes a threat to me."
He hissed as he looked over the system map. "Every probe we sent into this system was lost, but the humans did not advance upon our force even though they could clearly see our approach." He looked to his navigator. "What does the kelguid say of the system now; is the system still Forbidden?"
"No Supreme Commander, though I assure you that it was, not one day ago!"
Thel' held up a hand to assuage his subordinate. "I do not doubt your skill. So the Forbiddence the Humans cast upon a system is not a lasting thing." He rubbed his throat in thought. "A weapon then? One carried by their ships, so they dared not leave the colonies undefended as we advanced. Have our final probes reported in?"
His Adjutant shook his head. "No, Supreme Commander; though the last probe reported it detected slipspace ruptures at its target location before they went silent."
"Slipspace ruptures, but not Forbiddence... Jump a squadron of Corvettes to one light minute of that location, then advance at speed. If there is any intelligence to be recovered, I think it may be from there."
Thel's armada continued its stately approach of the planet which contained the artifact spoken of by the Reliquary. After an hour, he received a report.
"Supreme Commander," the Shipmaster of the lead Corvette he had dispatched spoke, "we have found signs of a great struggle, and of human cowardice. The Cruiser Glorious Intentions fell in battle, but the probes which followed after were destroyed by Nuclear Mines."
"If the Glorious Intentions fell in battle, then it's records may yet be intact. Secure the Ship-mind and return it to me." The Shipmaster saluted and the link went dark.
Thel's fleet had just pulled into orbit when the scouts returned. He poured over the sensor logs of the final battle of the Glorious Intentions. It was in its last moments that he saw what he had sought, what he had been warned to look for: a peculiar radiation signature belonging to a substance that should not exist.
"Supreme Commander!" Thel' looked up at his Adjutant. "Shipmaster 'Mdamaee has broken formation!"
Thel' growled as he made his way to the central Holo-Table. He wanted to laugh at Jul's ambitions as his Cruiser descended into the atmosphere and began excavating the Relic site.
"Open a channel." He waited a moment until a hologram of Jul' appeared before him. "I gave strict instructions to 'proceed with caution'! That means not excavating the Relic until the area has been secured by our soldiers."
"I will not have my fate nor my honor sullied by your temerity, 'Vadamee" Jul' sneered through the link. "Once I have secured the Relic, the Noble Hierarchs will finally-"
He was cut off as a flash of light illuminated his ship well enough to be seen from orbit.
"Shipmaster, report!"
Jul' all but shrieked in rage. "Blasphemy!"
Thel' looked to his own sensor officers. "Supreme Commander," the young technician sounded shocked, "the site spoken of by the Reliquary; it's been destroyed!"
Thel' looked at his holotable in shock, as well as mild admiration. "They knew they could not keep us from taking the system, so they denied us the reason for coming here."
"But, how did they know?! The relics of the Forerunners are for the Covenant, not the unbelievers!" The Adjutant sputtered.
"They lived here; how could they not. Shipmaster Jul'," Jul' had the grace to look chagrined, "return your ship to formation, then come aboard the Seeker of Truth. Your reckless ambition has cost us the very prize the Noble Hierarchs dispatched us to retrieve from the unbelievers. When I make my report to them on what has transpired here, you will stand and answer for your actions."
He cut the transmission off before having to endure the sycophant's prattling. The Forbiddance, the Dark Matter, and now the profaning of the Holy Relics of the Forerunners. "Humanity truly must be in service to the enemy of the Great Journey." Thel' made his way to his quarters to contemplate how to proceed.
X
Saren sat across from Captain Ka'hairal Balak of the Batarian External Forces at an open air cafe. Neither seemed to mind the sweltering heat of Nos Astra, but both scowled as a human freighter flew overhead.
Balak spat onto the dry sidewalk. "The Asari will whore themselves out to anyone with enough Credits or Eezo, and now look at us!" He settled his gaze on the platter in front of him. "First the humans bully their way into stealing colony worlds which rightfully belong to the Hegemony, then they flood the markets with their worthless low-grade Eezo, and then throw those markets into chaos by cutting their exports in half." He took up a marinated Gizka leg and pointed it at Saren. "All of this is enabled by your Councilors, so tell me why I should listen to anything you have to say?"
Saren disregarded most of what the Batarian had said as nothing more than Khar'shan rhetoric: the Council had always planned to curb Batarian expansion into the Skyllian Verge, and the humans Eezo production was neither 'low-grade' nor significant enough to grossly impact the broader market by more than half a percent. What was a concern to him was the sheer number of human colonists in Citadel space.
Saren kept his eyes lowered and his tone soft. "I agree; the humans are a danger to the Citadel Alliance," he looked meaningfully at his prosthetic arm, "but the Council is constrained to act within the limits of its charter, in order to keep the other Associate Races in line. For all other circumstances, they have me. The other races are convinced that humanity is an unassailable fortress. It is that illusion which allows the UTSG to run roughshod over the civilized races." He raised his eyes to Balak's. "I intend to shatter that illusion, and I want you to be the one to do it."
Balak bit through the bone of the leg he was picking clean and glared at Saren. "You want the Hegemony to openly attack a human colony?"
"No. I know you have access to... deniable assets. I will give you the current Turian military tactical and strategic doctrines for potentially engaging a Human military force, and in return I want you to cut a swath through the Skyllian Verge. It is outside of Citadel space, so there is no need to concern yourself with censure or reprisal." He leaned back and grinned at the Batarian. "Take them as slaves, take their technology and stores of Eezo: show the galaxy just how weak they really are."
He wanted to laugh at how comically easy it was to play Balak's avarice. "Make certain, however, that you plan and train for this; if your factors bumble into this and fall victim to the humans, then it will only feed their illusion of superiority."
Balak scoffed as he snatched up the last morsel. "I know how to prepare for a raid. When will you have the information for me?"
Saren passed a digital note to Balak's Omnitool. "As soon as you have the forces coordinated, contact me on this frequency."
Saren watched as the smug Pirate and Slaver sauntered off, convinced of his future wealth. The Turian knew better; the humans were everything the Citadel races feared, but the UTSG hid behind a veneer of civility and victim-hood. Councilor Sparatus had fallen for that ruse during the ill fated 'Exchange Briefing', and now the galaxy was convinced of humanity's benign facade.
The humans would show their true face to the Citadel once Balak's people attacked: a people who used AI in war, who used Nuclear weapons in every theater, and who sent children to fight their battles. They would cut a bloody swath of vengeance throughout the Terminus, perhaps even onto the steps of Khar'shan, and that would be the end of the Batarian issue.
For now, he had another appointment on Khaje. The Enlightened Primacy were a well respected race with good relations amongst the other Associate Races. They also distrusted the humans for not having arisen, 'from the beneficent wisdom of the Enkindlers'. If he could get them stirred up about humanity, then he could rally the whole galaxy when conflict eventually erupted.
X
Jak-E001 shivered. It wasn't environmental: she was completely encased in her new Mjolnir Mk-V/E exoskeleton. It wasn't fear: she was wrath and vengeance itself, and easily a match for the most powerful of Citadel Biotics.
No, Jak was excited. After nearly fifteen years of training and half a dozen Combat Operations, she and Miranda-A152 were a honed weapon poised at the throat of the enemies of Humanity. She'd briefly worked alongside the small but growing Cadre of the Enhanced Spartans of Echo Company. None of them measured up to her's, or even Kaiden-E002's level, but then none of them had her drive, her fire, her rage.
Today, she and Miri were hitting a pirate base in the Terminus. The intel they had said the facility was a sort of transfer point for illicit cargo and slaves: somewhere the Pirates could stash their goods in case they were picked up by a patrol in citadel space.
For once, Jak had no complaints about the Rules of Engagement: Destruction in Detail, Terminate with Extreme Prejudice. Their objective today was to send a message; one she was more than happy to deliver.
Their SOEIV pods were being carried by one of the local races' freighters, with she and Miri being dropped a kilometer outside the Base. From there, they would penetrate the camp, and unleash hell on the Alien Mongrels inside. They weren't even required to preserve the crew of the ship that brought them in when they used that very ship to exfiltrate.
Jak's breathing became ragged for a moment in excitement.
-Jak,- her current AI Eve chided, -you need to calm down; we don't want a repeat of the Nuevo Madrid drop, do we?-
Jak bit back a snide remark and started her breathing exercises. It was no use arguing with the voice in your head, especially when it was right. Being so excited she became distracted and nearly eating a tank shell again was not high on her to-do list.
"Magera to Alecto, thirty seconds to drop."
"Copy Magera, Alecto standing by." Jak hadn't initially been a fan of the call signs until she'd learned of their history: the Furies, personifications of wrath and vengeance.
"Drop!" The bottom fell out of the world and Jak whooped in joy, even as she knew Miri was likely cussing up a storm.
-Jak, focus!-
"Fuck you, Eve; right now, I'm alive!"
-If you want to stay that way, you'll focus! Touchdown in Ten!-
Jak gritted her teeth and grabbed her weapon.
Like nearly everything about the 'Enhanced Program', it was a highly experimental weapon: an effort to build a unique weapon suited to the Biotic Spartans. In keeping with the ancient Greek theme, the weapon took the form of a Doru. It took advantage of lessons learned and technology retro-engineered from Turian and Covenant weapons: Omnitool based fabrication systems, Eezo enhanced offensive and power systems, and the ability to extend from a one meter rod for storage into a two and a half meter spear. She refrained from expanding the spear, since that would activate the Eezo-Doped nuclear thermal-decay battery. Once that happened, she had less than four days before the battery used it's entire halflife, not to mention perforating the Drop-Pod's roof.
But during that time, the weapon was a true terror! Nearly its entire length was a reinforced coil gun that used her own Biotics for the mass altering function. The projectiles were manufactured by a specialized Omni fabricator that also continuously regenerated the heat radiating 'blade' at the top of the weapon, while the 'base' had gravity wave emitters similar to those of a Brute Hammer; again, powered by her own Biotics.
The result was a melee weapon that could slice or crush nearly any opponent, while also delivering a near relativistic projectile at a modest one shot per second. Coupled with her Mjolnir armor and it's built-in Biotic enhancement systems, Panoply barriers and Aegis shield system, Jak was a true engine of Vengeance and Death!
-Contact!-
The hatch automatically blew off and Jak Charged out of the pod, activating her Doru as she landed.
"Alecto on station. No contacts, standing by."
Miranda was only a second behind her. Jak had to admit a small amount of respect for the older Spartan: where Jak used overwhelming power to dominate the battlefield, Miri used experience, cunning, and a terrifying ruthlessness that had earned her the moniker, 'The Butcher'. She lacked the ability to use a Doru, so she carried a heavily modified BR-55. That did not hinder her ability to keep up with Jak in combat effectiveness.
"Magera on station. No contacts, moving to objective."
The two moved swiftly and silently towards the perimeter of the base. Once they were close enough to see the perimeter guards, the transport they had rode in on was landing. They used the noise and distraction to snipe a pair of guards; Miranda's target dropped after a short burst, while Jak's popped like a water balloon. They rushed into the camp and hunkered down behind a set of crates.
After thirty seconds and no alarms, Miri deployed a small video drone. The Samara monocopter drifted down, creating a 3D panorama of the entire camp. The bulk of the pirates had gathered at the landing pad as the ship was touching down. There were two tower sentries and one roving patrol pair coming around towards their initial entry point. Jak and Miri didn't need to speak to know they needed to strike now, before the patrol spotted their work and raised the alarm.
As soon as the towers were in view, they fired again. Miri's shots were precise and drill perfect. Jak's shot blew through the guard rail, the guard, and the tower roof in a flash of hyper-sonic shrapnel.
That got the attention of the rest of the pirates as they yelled and turned. Jak activated her Panoply and Aegis, and stepped out into the open. She braced her Doru over the Aegis shield, as she poured her Biotics into her various systems. Eve flashed a warning indicator in her HUD to dial it back before she blew out her own suit, which let Jak know how much juice she had to work with. Pirate small-arms fire glanced harmlessly off her layers of barriers, as she screamed a challenge, then charged.
The first pirate in her path shattered like glass, as Jak lashed out with her Doru and impaled two more. She engaged the Eezo counterweight and flicked her wrist, launching the skewered pirates into the descending ramp of the ship. Everyone was fixated on her, which was the plan. Miri's enhanced rifle spoke again, this time in full auto. The .40 Caliber semi-armor piercing rounds tore into the flank and rear of the clustered pirates. Jak casually projected a warped volume of space into their midst, Which Miri shot without hesitation. The resulting blast scattered them like crows.
-All clear,- Eve spoke up.
Jak growled. "It's not 'all clear' until we make it 'all clear'. Magera, moving to secure the complex." Jak didn't bother to wait for Miri's acknowledgement as she moved into the lone standing structure. Her only response was the sharp retort of the battle rifle as Miri ensured the area actually was, 'all clear'.
Jak swept through the prefab like her names'-sake, until only the command center was left. A single Salarian wheezed around a sucking chest wound. Jak grinned at his suffering and leaned against a wall; the mission was complete, and they weren't on a time table so she could afford this indulgence.
"I knew the Bitch Queen would send someone after me. Well," the alien hissed around their own blood, "aren't you going to -cough- finish me?"
Jak sneered from behind her opaque visor. "I don't owe you a kindness."
The alien gave a rattling laugh. "You really are monsters. You'll fit right in on Omeg-"
-Blam-
Jak started at the report from Miri's BR. She was about to snip at her for startling her, when she noticed the veteran Spartan's posture. Miri was tense, as if something had been said that upset her.
Miranda put two more shots in the corpse before looking at Jak "If you're done lollygagging, I'd like to get back to civilized space." With that, she spun on her heel and stalked back out. Jak followed dutifully behind, wondering what it was that Salarian had done to agitate Miranda so much.
Everyone calls her 'Queen B', but no one's ever mentioned Omega before. Is it a Black Site? Jak would have some research to do once they were back in the Black.