In the command center, Hannah Shepard watched an apocalypse unfurl on the holo screens. Finally, Zhoru had called in an orbital bombardment, and the ensuing cataclysm was a staggering spectacle.
Searing beams of ruby light speared through the atmosphere and struck the ground in cataclysmic explosions that vaporized everything for miles and hurled shockwaves that wailed like banshees through the air. In the blink of an eye, entire forests disintegrated. And tsunamis of dust and debris swept across the land, flattening everything in their path.
And the Silent Ones bore the brunt of the destruction.
Sequential detonations annihilated scores of their constructs and atomized them into cosmic dust. And the aftershock tore the remaining stragglers asunder and scattered their remains into the winds.
As they perished, she could hardly move, nor speak. And she couldn't help but dread any scenario in which the quarians unleashed such destruction upon humanity.
She shook her head. No…
No, she couldn't think of something like that right now. She had to focus on the situation at hand.
The holo screens showed the remaining defenders retreating, carrying the wounded in stretchers or slung over their shoulders. Her heart shattered at their hollow stares, at the shell-shocked looks on their faces that couldn't help but remind her of her husband.
Looking at the ground, she gulped. To this day, he still grappled with what he had done during the Io Station massacre. She exhaled. No matter what, she would give him all the love and support he needed. It's not your fault. But at least now, he was doing well with Dr. Bhati. Yes, one way or another, she would survive this nightmare and live to see him heal.
Finally, the bombardment ended. In the aftermath, the air was viscous with lingering smoke and ash, blanketing a necropolis of smoldering craters and wastelands of ash.
Or so she thought.
Soon, the dust parted and revealed the base constructs standing tall and defiant amidst the charred earth.
"Damn it," she hissed.
How could they still be intact?
"Their shields are formidable," Zhoru said, standing right beside her. "But now we have delayed the enemy."
"I sure hope so," she said. She gritted her teeth, and the weight of every casualty bore down her like a mountain. "Let's make this time count."
"I could not agree more," Zhoru said. He turned and headed toward the exit. "Follow me."
She raised her eyebrows. Follow him? She turned. "Wait? Why?"
Zhoru stopped in his tracks. "This location is no longer secure." He opened a window on his omni-tool and typed in a few commands. "But fortunately for us, I have a fallback location."
She nodded. "Lead the way."
They exited the command center and stepped into an atmosphere reeking of ozone and the oppressive weight of a dark, metallic gray sky. As she took in the surrounding devastation – the skeletal remains of buildings, the pulsing red light of the base constructs in the distance – her stomach churned. And a dark cloud settled over her mind.
Goodness, this conflict had indeed sucked the life out of this colony and engulfed it in a shroud of despair.
Soon, they ran into a group of Malukors, along with a single human. Her eyes went wide. Wait? Governor Goto?
He looked at her. And in his eyes, she found only weariness and horror, a man hollowed out by what he'd witnessed.
Two of the Malukors lifted their face plates, and revealed themselves as Khaen and Shaani. Zhoru approached them and did the same. And then three began talking to each other in Khelish. Whilst they were talking, she couldn't help but notice how Shaani was looking at Khaen with such love and devotion.
Briefly, her mind went back to the aftermath of the fight Zhoru, Shaani, and that other Malukor had with that…abomination. At one point, Shaani seemed so tense, so ready to explode into a maelstrom of violence. Was she worried about Khaen?
Khaen's hand brushed up against Shaani's, and Shaani gave it a light squeeze.
She smiled. A part of her found it surreal that Malukors were capable of love, but now it seemed they hid much beneath their cold, professional exteriors.
That thought only seemed more valid when Zhoru actually smiled, flashing his pointed teeth.
Finally, the three Malukors lowered their face plates once more and they proceeded onward. Following Zhoru, she fell into step with Governor Goto.
"You've seen some things, haven't you?" she said.
Goto sighed, then slid one hand down his face. Goodness, the man looked drained and exhausted. "Oh, you have no idea." He pointed at Khaen. "You see that soldier there. He just picked me up as though I was a child, then started jumping across rooftops, with me in his arms." His posture looked more slumped than usual, and in his eyes, she found a hint of shame. "The whole experience…I must admit that it was humbling."
Briefly, her mind went back to when Zhoru, Shaani, and another Malukor were fighting that abomination. During it, she had felt so powerless, like a child watching demi-gods battle a force of nature. "I see what you mean. I was in your exact situation."
Goto huffed through his nose. "If the galaxy is filled with threats like the Silent Ones, and the Thessian Empire, then I pray for the future of humanity. We are heading straight for a long, dark era."
Her heart sank. Indeed, whether she liked it or not, soon, humanity would be thrust into an age of bloodshed and darkness, into a constant, brutal struggle for survival. Soon, the golden age of progress and expansion would be over. "True. Let's just hope the quarians will be there to struggle alongside us."
"Time will only tell…" Goto said. He sighed. "Time will only tell."
Soon, they came upon a column of human and quarian soldiers trudging their way to behind the last defensive line. Amidst them, she spotted Zaeed, who was carrying a wounded comrade on his shoulders.
"Zaeed!" she called out. "Zaeed!"
Immediately, Zaeed noticed her and gave her a salute. Meanwhile, the others did the same, but in their eyes she could tell they were still grappling with the horrors of what they had endured, of what was yet to come.
"You know him?" Goto asked.
"I do," she said. "She's one of my husband's friends and colleagues – an ex N7."
Goto took a deep breath. "An N7? Then no wonder he is still alive."
Soon, they arrived at the new command center. Within, it was bustling with quarian and Malukor officers, absorbed in their tasks. But as soon as Zhoru entered, all activity ceased, and every eye turned toward him.
"Return to your duties," Zhoru commanded, striding toward the central terminal with an air of unshakable authority. "This fight is not over; we can not afford complacency." He turned to her and Governor Goto. "Khanah, Governor – your attention, please."
"What's next?" she asked. Adrenaline surged through her veins.
Zhoru pointed at two empty stations. "I've arranged for these interfaces to be in your native languages. With them, you will coordinate with your contacts to manage the evacuation as you see fit."
For the first time in this harrowing campaign, she felt empowered. "You can count on me," she said, her voice tinged with newfound resolve.
"And you have my commitment as well," Goto added.
They took their seats in the grav chairs before their stations, and haptic displays flickered to life. Just as Zhoru had promised, the interface was intuitive and in English. Swiftly, she navigated through it and pulled up live feeds of the remaining refugee columns.
Meanwhile, Governor Goto cleared his throat and began broadcasting, "Citizens of Mindoir. Despite all odds, I remain. You should–"
The ground lurched. Alarms wailed and jolted the entire command center into action.
"Zhoru?!" she shouted. Her gaze locked onto the central holo-screen, where an unimaginable horror unfolded. Her heart plummeted.
No…
Her mind went back to Khaen and Shaani's briefing…
"And lastly, we have the Emperor class construct…"
The commanders of Silent One armies.
On the central holo screen, the Emperor class construct emerged from the depths of one of the base constructs, its silhouette almost blurring the sky behind it. Standing as tall as a small skyscraper on Earth, it was humanoid but devoid of any human softness.
Its armored exterior was a nightmarish blend of oily flesh, dark metals, and pulsating vein-like conduits that seemed to channel an arcane energy source. Clusters of glowing red eyes – to many for a face – were scattered across its face, clustered around a larger, central one filled with an unknowable, unfathomably old intelligence.
With every step it took, the ground trembled. Around it, it carried a miasma of dark energy that seemed to distort the air around it, as though reality was bending to its alien will. And behind it, a swarm of lesser constructs followed.
A host that eclipsed anything they had faced before.
Unflinchingly, Zhoru met its gaze. And the emperor class construct gazed back, glowing ominously, before it released a pulse of energy that knocked out the recon drones recording it.
"Hannah," Goto's voice broke through her daze. "We need to focus. Our people are depending on us."
Nodding, she re-centered herself. "Agreed."
With renewed determination, she began coordinating the evacuation, connecting with Anderson and Harper as if lives – and perhaps they did – depended on her every keystroke.
On the bridge of the MFV Endaara, Captain Rael'Zorah sat regally in his command throne, his gaze transfixed on the forward viewscreen, where a desolate, barren planet loomed. On its surface, swarms of Silent One constructs were hard at work nano-assembling colossal structures and fortifications. And above, the Silent One armada was clustered around the planet's orbit, arranged in an impenetrable blockade, in a defensive lattice set up to repel any assault from any angle.
Closing his eyes, he exhaled sharply. It had been seven agonizing hours since Han's fleet had arrived and tipped the balance in their favor.
But the Silent Ones were learning, adapting.
"Damn them," he muttered under his breath. Six times, they had attempted to harass the enemy stronghold with guerilla strikes, only to take unacceptable casualties. The enemy ships were meticulously positioned to maximize the number of overlapping fields of fire.
So that an attack on one was an attack on them all.
Anxiety churned in his gut. By all accounts, it looked as if the Silent Ones were awaiting reinforcements. And the planet they hovered around would be a great staging ground for an incursion into human space.
He clenched his fists, gripping the armrests of his command throne. "Kharro," he said, his voice a blend of urgency and fatigue.
"Yes, Captain?" asked his executive officer.
"This stalemate has gone on long enough," he said, standing up. "For now, the bridge is yours. In the meantime, I'll contact Admiral Khairun and Koron to discuss our…situation."
Kharo saluted. "Understood, Captain."
He nodded, then left the bridge. After ascending one level, he made his way to the quantum communications center. And there, he activated his omni-tool and established a secure link with both Admirals.
As he waited, his mind wandered to Maeru and Tali. No matter the odds, he would make them proud and return to them in triumph. But Keelah, first, the Admirals needed to answer.
Finally, the sound of two quick crack-shwooms filled the air. And the hologram of each Admiral flickered to life.
"Captain Rael'Zorah," began the Prime Admiral, his hands clasped behind his back, "What prompts this call?"
"What is your status?" Admiral Koron asked. "I take it the campaign is proceeding as planned?"
"The campaign has been going as planned, Admiral," he said. "Of our ten evacuation ships, eight have made it safely to the system humans call Alfaa Xen'Taari…" He hesitated, his heart sinking as he prepared to share the grim developments. "However, the situation has changed."
He opened up his omni-tool, then shared the relevant footage and scans. "The Silent Ones have altered their tactics, fortifying themselves on and around this lifeless planet. All hit and run strategies have failed and led to…unacceptable losses."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the comm link.
Momentarily, he clenched his fists, and a cold, hollow sensation sprouted in his chest, as his thoughts drifted to every quarian that had died on this campaign. You will not die in vain.
"I suspect that they are waiting for reinforcements," he continued, "and plan to use that dead world as a staging point to launch an invasion of this region of space. Time is running out, and I need support to help destroy whatever they are building on the surface of this planet."
"Your intuition is correct, Captain," Koron said. "I have no doubt that the Silent Ones are waiting for reinforcements." Admiral Koron huffed through his nose, then clasped his hands behind his back. "But I also know what they are building on the surface of that planet."
His eyes went wide. His jaw dropped. And he braced himself for whatever Admiral Koron was about to say. "What?"
"It seems the Silent Ones have underestimated the resistance they would face," Koron said. "And now, they are resorting to orbital defense batteries and interplanetary artillery platforms to turn the tide against us." Briefly, Koron clenched his fists. "During the Silent War, I've seen such weapons burn entire continents to ash." Koron's blazing red eyes met his, and he couldn't help but feel like a child. "So you must delay them, Captain – by any means necessary. The fate of this campaign depends on it."
Momentarily, he broke eye contact. Keelah, what was he going to do? How could he possibly delay the Silent Ones when their new base was an impregnable fortress?
Suddenly, Tali and Maeru sprang into his mind, and he clenched his fists. I'll find a way.
"In the meantime," Khairun said, "rest assured that we will do everything we can to cut off their line of retreat." Khairun's amber gaze met his, and he could feel the weight of the Prime Admiral's authority. "You are doing a commendable job, Captain. Carry on."
An invigorating sensation rushed through his limbs, and his mind felt steeled with resolve. "I will Admirals." he saluted. "Keelah Sel'ai."
The Admirals returned the salute. "Keelah Sel'ai."
He nodded, then cut the feed. In the ensuing silence, he took a deep breath. Ancestors, help me.
An alert popped up on his omni-tool, and it was an urgent comm request from Han'Gerrel. His pulse spiked. Keelah, what was happening now?
He answered it, and in the background he could hear the sounds of plasma bolts and mass accelerator slugs whooshing through the air.
He gulped. "Han?"
"Rael, they've boarded our ship!" A few plasma blasts and explosions raged in the background. "This was all a distraction!"
His heart sank, and his gaze went toward the deck. No…
Just then, the battle alarm blared, and alerts flooded his omni-tool – informing him that his ship was being boarded.