Lately, I have received questions about how did the Asari obtain the technology of Lasgun or how much do they know about the Imperium. All of their questions are valid so I think I have to replied with a chapter which can partly explain the connection between two galaxy.
-V-
The town of Gulden, Dreizack Plain
October 5, 2839
Spectre Tela Vasir
98th Panzer Brigade, Army Corps North, 12th Army.
The smell of a corpse-filled battlefield was never pleasant to any nose and that statement could not be truer when it was filled with hundred thousand Tyranid carcasses and soak in the stinking green and yellow chemical fluid. The Northern counter-offensive, the first phase of a complex plan devised by Martin Steinbauer himself had entered its fourth day with mixed results. On one hand, Army Corps North had successfully beat the enemy back and established control over 45% of Dreizack Plain, some key cities, and strategic locations but on the other hand, no decisive battles, which was one of the main objectives of the beginning, had been fought.
The aim was trying to destroy as many Tyranid swarms on the Northern Front as possible before marching south, joining Army Corps South at Ostengard, and creating the biggest encirclement that had never been seen in two centuries. However, that beautiful prospect seemed increasingly unlikely to materialize as Tyranids continued their retreat, avoiding direct battles with Steinbauer's Panzer divisions and each time a courageous and daring Obersturmbannführer forced march his men to reach the enemy's rear guard, it always resulted in costly battle like this one in Gulden, where most of Tyranid was killed in the exchange of 20% of brigade combat strength, 65% ammunition and uncontrolled shouting from the field marshal on the com.
98th Panzer Brigade was among the best of 12th Army and Obersturmbannführer Kurt Ebner was far from an amateur but that didn't make the job easier as the enemy had entrenched inside the rubble of Gulden with several anti-tank creatures called Exocrine, Carnifex with bio cannon that could damage even Landkreuzer's front armor and a ton of Termagant, Ravener, Tyranid warriors willing to fight to the last. The Brigade had lost 15 Wisent IFV, and 7 Jaguar tanks only to reach the edge of Gulden but that was nothing compared to the initial assault on the town which witnessed more than 2000 casualties, a company of Panzergrenadier wiped out, and the loss of 2 Ritterkreuzträgers.
The situation was so dire that Tela Vasir and a detachment of Asari Commando, who was assigned as observers in the battle, had to put on their armor and join the fight as biotic shock troops to push Tyranids out of their defensive positions. The help was largely welcomed by the Germans who were running low on biotic specialists and close-quarter combat against opponents like Hormagaunt inside the ruin of Gulden proved to be very deadly to Sturmpioneers armed only with shotguns, bayonet, grenades, and tech-armor, an unreliable weapon that required more balls than skills to utilize.
It must be quite a sight to be witnessed, Tela Vasir quietly thought. Asari Commando, the cream of ASDF charged right into a heavily fortified position with vanguard ability, sending Tyranid into a state of disarray which provided German infantry time to establish a foothold and cut down the majority of them using the infamous MG-774S.
The sound of those fast-firing weapons startled Tela Vasir and her sisters a bit as it brought back some bad memories to them.
There were several horrified weapons deployed by Reichswehr during the war. From the humble Schu-mine that could be made from the cheapest material available like wood and plastic to the complex and high-tech war machine like Königstiger XII, all had a certain amount of psychological impact on the Reich's enemy but none of them was like MG-774S. German Infantry tactic heavily focused on suppressive fire so there would be always a higher number of machine guns presented in a platoon, allowing it to engage a larger enemy force and causing massive damage to the attacking force. It was the lesson that ASDF and its allies had learned in the harshest way possible after the German failure in Operation Dämmerung when they thought the enemy was about to be defeated as its soldiers were outnumbered 5 to 1. Casualties, panic, and terror caused by MG-774S were so great that the Citadel High Command had to devise a special training program to give its soldiers the confidence needed to overcome this particular German weapon but the results were mixed. If an Asari veteran was asked to make a list of the most dangerous weapons during the war, MG-774S would be always in the top 3.
"Never thought I will live long enough to have my back watched by a German" Said Nymera, the oldest member of the group and veteran of 3 wars, with the barrel of Pavorosa rifle rested on the head of a Tyranid warrior that was still twitching on the ground. There was a cracking sound and half of the monster's head immediately was turned into hideous purple flesh and blood "But I think they also have the same idea about us over there."
That was what Tela Vasir thought when she took the command of a Sturmpioneer company after its commander had perished in a previous assault. There wasn't that much of question and objection on her authority to be said though cause Obersturmbannführer Kurt Ebner had made it very clear to them but that didn't prevent cold obedience and glances she received afterward. It was indeed annoying but understandable at the same time. Many of these Germans had spent half of their lives fighting the Republic so it would be too optimistic of her to think they would rejoice at the prospect of fighting alongside a squid head after 7 years of peace.
"I must say they are not as bad as I thought them to be. Despite the dullness, they appear to be a decent and honest race"
Said a Commando sitting on the smoking carcass that was used to be a Tyrant Guard. She looked rather young and cheerful for an Asari Commando and the fact that she didn't carry a Cinder blade confused the Spectre even more. Tela Vasir never saw a Commando without Cinder before as the blade was their main melee weapon and the proof of their passing the trial.
"I suspect you will say something like that, Ayla." Nymera commented with a smirk "You only participate in the later phase of the war when the German knew they couldn't defeat us anymore so they tried to be nice in the order to have a better treaty. If you were on somewhere like Pheros during Operation Dämmerung, where your decent and honest german thought they could win then you would have a very different opinion."
Shelling cities without allowing civilians to evacuate, refusing humanitarian corridors due to security risks. Requisition of personal property, resources, and means of transportation for the war effort. Serious violation of individual rights, harsh treatment, and providing insufficient basic supplies in the occupied areas. Asari was one of the longest living species in the galaxy so this wrongdoing of the Reich wouldn't soon be forgotten and given that was the first time the Republic had to fight for their capital planet, declare the first general mobilization in ten millennia, the talk would last many generations to come.
"Enough chattering, ladies. Let's get out of here. Our job is done for now" The stink didn't get Tela Vasir in the mood for a political debate " I need a casualty report."
"Ours or the German?" Asked Nymera.
"Both. Lady T'soni may want to send condolences to families of fallen German soldiers."
Nymera then grimaced at the notion " I don't understand what our Matriarch is doing anymore. I know we must cooperate with humans in this war but why should we care more about them than our own? There is fighting on Zelia and we should be there defending our land, not here babysitting some German."
It didn't make much sense to Tela either. As far as she could see, the Reich was totally capable of defending Eden with the intelligence provided by the ASDF. There was no need for the material or military aid and it was absolutely unnecessary for Lady Benezia T'soni to share her bed with that brute. Amazing tactical mind he was but an arrogant and uncivilized brute, nevertheless. It was all a part of the game, the Spectre was well-aware of it but she didn't see the endgame here nor she was sure there was one from the beginning.
"Lady T'soni always acted on the benefit of our people, our state, and Republic." The Spectre coldly reminded Nymera. " Do not let me hear you question her decision again, Asari."
Not many could threaten an Asari Commando and fewer were still alive to tell the tale but Tela Vasir could do both on daily basis. Not only because she was a Spectre nominated and appointed by the Citadel council but also a very powerful biotic that could lift a light tank up to 7 meters without much effort. Nymera had the taste of that power a month ago in the training yard and since then, she had never had any questions about who was in charge.
"Forgive me. I have spoken out of turn." Nymera respectfully dips her head down. "It won't happen again."
"That's good to hear. Now, go gather our people and find out what the fuck is wrong with their com. I have been trying to contact them for ten minutes and not a soul respond to me"
"Could be Zoanthrope again." Ayla told them before jumping down from the Tyrant Guard "I hear some Germans saying it is interfering with their communication line and a Brandenburger squad is sent out to hunt it down. By the look of it, they haven't succeeded yet."
That was new to Tela Vasir. She knew nothing about this Zoanthrope but she was too tired to care "Then we will do it the old way. Find a nice spot then shoot up some flare. Use the purple one. The German doesn't have that color so our people will know it comes from us."
That was supposed to be Tela Vasir's last order today before a hot bath and hearty meal but as usual, someone had fucked up something along the way. Ayla quickly approached her and brought up a question that should have been brought up a long time ago.
"What about Little Lady? She won't recognize our signal and we can't leave her here among the German."
The Spectre was confused for a few seconds, wondering whom Ayla was talking about before widening her eyes.
"And you didn't see the need to tell me that before?" Tela grit her teeth "How did she get here and why didn't you do something about it?"
To that, the young Asari calmly replied " Traveling with the Sanitäter Korps is my best guess. I saw someone wearing Beos academy's gear on the top of some medical APC passing by the town hall we took a few hours ago but it never occurred to me that it was her until now. Well, there aren't many Asari on this part of Eden and I am pretty sure she is the only Asari around here studying at Beos."
Relentless that girl was. Sometimes, Tela thought she would make a better Huntress than an archeologist but then again, a military career wasn't favorable for people of her status and pacifism had no place in the army.
"Do what you are asked to." The Spectre said in frustration "I will take care of our little lady."
The task then proved to be more difficult than Tela Vasir had expected. The once-proud industrial town of Gulden had been decimated so hard that people would have trouble believing there was one in the first place. Most of the buildings that used to be shops, apartments, offices or factories were completely destroyed by artillery fire and Feuersturm ground-attack aircraft in an attempt to bury Tyranids hiding inside. Those still standing looked nothing more than empty concrete boxes with scars of war all over of them and damaged streets littered with Tyranid corpses and burning wreckage of IFVs, Panzers, and trucks. The Spectre immediately noticed the lack of human bodies among them. Their casualties were high in this battle, that was for sure, but Tela Vasir saw nothing human on this street except for a poor fellow's arm stuck in the jaws of a dead Ravener.
So either the bugs ate all the corpses or the Sanitäter Korps had got here first.
The Spectre took the second explanation and climb on the top of a Jaguar without its turret, probably got torn up by the Carnifex lying nearby, who also was shot down afterward. The acid emitting from the monstrous corpse stung her eyes but she still managed to see a group of gray and green uniforms at the end of the street. There was no typical white vest of Sanitäter among them but directly asking for information seemed to be the best option at the moment as Tela checked her com again and found nothing but silence.
The German was busy gathering Tyranid corpses and stacking them up for some unknown reason when she arrived. Judging from their appearance, Tela Vasir could tell that they were not entirely a regular unit. Some of them were clearly Panzergrenadiers who were easily recognized by their typical Stahlwolf armor and Stg-270 Ringo rifles or Panzer fusilier armed with Infanterie-Kürass and battle rifle while the rest had less standard than a Vorcha mercenary band. They wore armor from various designers and levels of protection, some even couldn't protect them from anything larger than a pistol round and their main weapons were the Lasgun not standard Stg.
"Berg!" She told the soldier on guard duty and received rather confusing looks from the man "This is the part where you must say 'Fluss', soldier."
"Fluss?"
"Our Password. Berg and Fluss" She let out a sigh, completely defeated by his incompetence "Where is your commanding officer? I need to speak with him now. It's urgent."
The soldier took her to a half-collapsed building which was probably a food store before the war as all the shelves inside were empty. The Spectre was then introduced to the officer in charge, a human with rather curious features that Tela had never seen before. She could tell that he was a human but his skin was slightly darker than his soldiers, his facial structure was different and he had an unusual name. Patrick William instead of Baudric Wilhelm.
"You want to find Sanitäter Korps?" The young lieutenant looked rather surprised by her intention "I advise against it, madam. I don't think they have the medicine required to treat yours or your soldier's injuries."
The man wasn't a mere officer. Well-manner, polite, and quite handsome. He must come from an educated middle-class family or a noble house with a position in the Reich but whatever the case, Tela Vasir knew she couldn't talk to him the way she talk to Nymera for the sake of the Matriarch's reputation.
"I'm looking for an Asari, lieutenant. She is very important to my mission and according to the last report she was traveling with Sanitäter Korps."
"In that case, we will assist as much as we can. Albert!" Patrick William called and a red-haired soldier in a green jacket immediately ran up to him with haste, carrying a bulky backbag with an antenna poke up over his shoulder. "Our state-of-the-art communications systems are temporarily crippled by the enemy, but older transmitters like this one can still get the job done. However, it will take some time to contact headquarters and find out the location of Sanitäter Korps."
Not a great solution but still better than walking around this ghastly town aimlessly and getting ambushed by some lone Ravener. Moreover, Tela also needed some rest, replenish her ammo, tend to minor wounds caused by those cursed Termagant at the town hall, and got some updates on the war through lieutenant Patrick William with a steaming cup of coffee.
"The 98th Panzer Brigade will be on the road before dark if the information I received is accurate. The next objective may be Aleburg if Steinbauer still wants to force Tyranid into an open battle but I really doubt that. Aleburg is bigger than Gulden and everyone has already had a bad taste in attacking heavily defended positions. The smart thing to do now is to keep haunting the enemy in every step and let Luftwaffe do their job, smashing Tyranid columns into pieces then moving forward and finishing off the survivors."
"So… why are you guys still here?"
"Units that have taken heavy beating or consist of mostly Volkssturm will station at Gulden and smoke out any bugs still in hiding. Those Panzergrenadiers you see outside are the survivors of 2nd Company that got wiped out this morning."
"It must be a hell of a task for your men. Very few things come close to having a Hormagaunt jump right at you inside a building."
"In fact, smart and independent creatures likeTermagants are our main concern. Hormagaunts without Tyranid warriors are nothing but animals triggered by scent, light, and sound. They can be easily lured into a trap but Termagants, more often than not, act like trained soldiers and I have already lost four brave souls to their Fleshborer rifle in the previous contact. That was unfortunate but my men feel they are way luckier than those Volkssturm of Army Corps Center. General Kraus is still holding strong but some reports say the Tyranid has double-down on their effort and his troop has to retreat to the third line. "
It was a meat grinder at the Centre but Moritz Krauss had exceeded all expectations and successfully defended Kaiserstadt with limited losses. Casio Raiz must be rolling in his grave, knowing his creation was now utilized by those he hated the most but once again, the Turian General should have expected something like this to happen. Reichswehr commanders were well-known for copying the enemy's tactics, doctrine, and weapons and using them to maximum effect. Their long-range reconnaissance units were developed on the model of the Salarian army, German Biotic forces were built on what they learned from their engagements with the ASDF, and Kriegsmarine's battleships had a lot of features that could only be found on vessels built by Turian navy. Their way of war was pretty amusing, given how their society reacted to new fashion trends from the Asari Republic, Salarian cuisine, Quarian workers or anything that come from planets that weren't considered German enough.
"Their only salvation is our attacks in the north and the south." Patrick William continued "Steinbauer needs to reach Ostengard in the next two days or the situation will become critical. Once Tyranid reaches Kaiserhausen, it may be too late."
The city will not fall. Benezia T'soni had told her so when she begged the Matriarch to leave Kaiserhausen. You will see young ones, those foul beasts will soon be dead and from the ash of their defeat, a new galaxy shall be born.
Poetic, persuasive, and mysterious as always. Tela Vasir had worked with many Matriarchs as a Specter, but none could make her feel uneasy like Benezia T'soni did. The Matriarch seemed to have a reasonable answer to every question but no matter how hard she tried, Tela always knew she simply wasn't telling the truth. The surprisingly accurate intelligence they had on Hive Fleet came out of the blue and the explanation she could come up with was 'The joint effort of the Salarian Union, the Republic of Asari and Citadel intelligence committee'. The hell it was! Tela Vasir had friends inside Citadel intelligence committee and none of them ever mentioned anything like that to her until a few months ago.
Lady T'soni was lying about the source but why? Tela Vasir couldn't understand it as she couldn't understand why an Asari Matriarch accepted to share her bed with a human.
"They say there will be naval reinforcement from the Republic." There was disbelief in Patrick's voice "Here? Not Zelia?"
Even a human was astounded by the decision of Asari High Command so perhaps she shouldn't have been that hard on Nymera for acting like a whiny bitch.
"Perhaps my people think the situation on Eden is more critical than Zelia. Schutzengel fleet is very effective in supporting our defense till this point but it lacked the number and firepower to finish off the Hive Fleet." Said the Spectre although she didn't think they would manage to do it even with the strength of the Republic navy. That thing was simply too big to be destroyed in one attack and thus Kriegsmarine activities merely consisted of small skirmishes, long-range bombardment, and destroying troops and biomass transporting vessels. "Whatever the case, the sight of 150 warships and 2 million Sentries (Asari foot soldiers) may be enough to force Tyranid to give up their invasion."
Patrick was pretty amused at that prospect "So you Asari will be the Rohirrim charging across the field of Pelennor on their thunderous steeds? Forgive my gibberish, madam. A nerd I am and sometimes it cannot be helped."
"Elf would be more appropriated, giving our long lifespan and ivory-tower attitude." Tela Vasir then couldn't help but burst into laughter at the dumbfounded look on Patrick's face " Don't be that surprised, lieutenant. Before the war, a lot of Asari took interest in your culture and I was no exception. They aren't my favorite movies of course, I prefer sci-fi horror stuffs like Aliens over fantasy but I must give your people credit for perfectly describing the Asari even before meeting one."
The Lieutenant chuckled: "You really make me wonder what life was like before all these things."
"Hmm… that depends on the person you ask. Several will have different answers on the subject as they experience different things. Your students had less motivation to study harder or pursue higher education as there was no conscription. Young Asari, under the drug of nihilism, though strippers, mercs, working at bars and orgy parties was the right way to go. Swiss Chocolate wasn't a luxury commodity and the Asari almost abandoned traditional tea to switch to coffee. There was something called Grand Tour of Capital Planets where they take you to Palaven, Thessia, Sur'Kesh, and Earth in five months as traveling wasn't limited like nowadays. Things looked fairly great to a lot of people back then but if you had four eyes, it was the worst time to live. I have no trouble believing that the German would have destroyed the Batarian state if they hadn't been busy fighting us."
"I see…But what about you, madam? What was it like to you?"
"As a special agent of Citadel Council, I must say the fewer people shooting at me the better and I prefer crossing Siegfried line on a diplomatic vessel than a military one. It has been a while since I last…"
She paused upon seeing the radio operator walk into the room with a datapad. The red-haired man raised his hand up to salute the lieutenant before passing him the datapad.
"There has been a confirmation of Sanitäter Korp's location, madam." Said Patrick William "After finding survivors and collecting bodies of the fallen, the Korps had moved to Babelsberg airfield where it was transported to Kaiserstadt under the request of General Krauss two hours ago."
"What a lucky day! She jumps from one frying pan to another and I'm one step behind again." Tela bite her lip "Lieutenant, where can I find an aircraft? Something fast and 2-seats like Tigerhai will be more than enough."
"There is no need, madam. Albert also asked them about the Asari you are looking for and they said she had parted way with the Korps outside Gulden. She's probably still there at the moment we speak. If you want to depart now I can give you one of our spare Husar. Traveling on foot isn't a wise option."
"I'm forever in your debt, Lieutenant. Please, lead the way."
When Tela stepped outside the building, a bonfire was lit from the pile of Tyranid corpses she saw earlier. The cracking sound of burning bugs' meat filled the air and the smell made her wince. Soldiers, mostly Volkssturm began to gather around the fire but the purpose of their action was lost to her. It wasn't that cold for them to warm their hands and feet and if the German wanted to dispose of Tyranid corpses then this was the least efficient way to do it. To her astonishment, the men then took out magazines from their Lasgun and pockets before placing them next to the fire as if this were some kind of ritual.
"What are they doing?" She had to ask Patrick. "Damaging your own equipment in the middle of the fight is not the brightest idea"
"Madam?" The man looked rather stunned as if the Spectre had said something that she wasn't supposed to "They…are replenishing ammo for their weapon. I'm sorry madam, i thought you have known about it since Lasgun is an invention of your people."
Yes, another mystery that kept bugging Tela since she accompanied the Matriarch to Earth. The origin of this weapon was also unclear like the intelligence they had on the Hive Fleet. Officially, Lasgun was a product of the Asari defense industry after 30 years of secret research but the more she looked at the weapon, the more human it was to her. Tela Vasir and her Commandos all found this rifle very uncomfortable to carry and shoot meanwhile, the men and women of Volkssturm used Lasgun like it was designed for them in the first place.
"We have specialized devices to recharge the magazines but we are advised to use it only in a combat situation. When there is no combat, we simply make a fire and use the heat to recharge. This method proves quite useful. A simple Volkssturm requires minimal supplies to sustain combat effectiveness, meaning every time the supply truck come by, there will be more room for food, grenade launcher, machine gun's ammo."
One more reason to believe this thing didn't come from her people. Whoever designed Lasgun clearly had the stomach for a long, gruesome, bloody war where mass infantry formations were deployed and destroyed within hours, resource efficiency was more important than lives and commanders were more than willing to redden the land with their men's blood. Needless to say, it didn't fit either Asari's mindset of war or the German ones.
So if they weren't the inventors then who? Salarian? Turian? Prothean?
That question haunted her mind as she rode the one-engine scout bike Husar through the desolate streets of Gulden which now looked even less appealing in fading light. It would be dark soon and it meant Tela would have more reason not to be around here. The Specter had always had the feeling of being watched by milky yellow eyes ever since she passed by the high-speed train station and that premonition was continuously reinforced by distant gunfire and explosions.
Luckily, there was no attack till she reach the field outside Gulden as most Tyranid was dead and those still gasping for air on the ground were mercilessly put down by Rearguard units and Killerbee drones circling above. Two monstrous Landkreuzers were moving across the field plowed by artillery shells and littered with corpses and vehicle wreckages. Their gigantic tracks created deafening noises as they moved and their massive platform cast great shadows over the land. Fewer and fewer of them were seen after each year as high maneuvering warfare had no place for a slow-moving Panzer and production costs were simply too high for the Reichswehr's shrinking budget. Now the mighty steel beasts that used to put fear into the heart of the Reich's enemy with 280mm twin cannons and indestructible frontal armor could only serve as self-propelled artillery and Brigade command post.
"I'm looking for a young Asari wearing Beos protective gear. Do you see anyone like that around here?"
She asked two soldiers who were busy sticking their bayonets into the head of a Termagants that was still twitching a few second before. They simultaneously looked up at her then turned to each other, but gave no answer. At first, Tela Vasir thought they didn't hear her question because of the noise from the Landkreuzers or simply didn't understand because of her accent but she soon noticed winter on their beards and clear disgust on their face. Veterans of the last war, no doubt about that.
"See nobody like that." One spoke up "Try your luck somewhere else."
Tela smirked "Really? She wears all-white protective gear. It's very hard to miss."
"He said we saw no one like that. Are you deaf, squid?" The other soldier growled. He had a scar on his nose and one cybernetic eye "Get your ass out of here before I piss off."
The Spectre then got off her Husar and walked to them. Her hands were kept far away from her rifle and pistol but she could tell the two perceived her approach as a threat nonetheless.
"Someone is going to be pissed off, I'm sure of it." She said, "But it won't be you or me."
"Who then?"
"Obersturmbannführer Ebner will be the first. Then when he sends his report, Fieldmarshal Steinbauer will be the second ones." As one could expect in a Kraut, the two were immediately startled at hearing their commander's name "Do you ever wonder why a Spectre wants to find someone in this rotten pile of garbage? Does it look like she's doing it because she likes to? Of course, someone has ordered her to do so, and that someone won't be kind to any pyjak shits dare to obstruct his affair."
They looked at each other again but this time, an answer was given "Ja, we saw her wandering over there 20 minutes ago" The one that had a cybernetic eye told her and pointed to the west. "She asked us if we saw any Tyrant Guard nearby or not"
"Did she tell you why?"
"Didn't say much except she need to find it." He shrugged "Something about gene or mutation. I…I honestly don't understand half of what she said."
An archaeologist suddenly found her interested in the biology of invading space bugs? That was unusual but definitely not a surprise, given how unorthodox and stubborn she was. Rarely any student of Beos could get a better score and almost get kicked out of the academy at the same time.
"Do you have any surveillance drones left?" The Asari asked. "I lost all of mine in the battle."
The soldier then activated something through the control panel wrapped around his arm. A tiny oval-shaped drone detached from the back of his armor and circled around them with a small humming sound.
"Scan the area where you last saw her. We need to bring her back before nightfall."
It took ten minutes but they finally found their target on a specific part of the battlefield where the earth was darkened, smoky, and burned to a crisp after several drops of incendiary bombs. She was kneeling next to a thing that looked like a smoking black stone from above but Tela knew very well it wasn't. The ground was still hot when they arrived. The chemical in the air was so thick that the Spectre and her companions had to put on their breathers for safety.
The little lady, as expected, didn't wear a breather or anything to cover her nose and eyes. As was a feature of the profession that always had to deal with a specific level of toxicity, Gene enhancement, and immunity enhancement was obligatory and the only daughter of Benezia T'soni would always have the asset to the best of them.
"You aren't supposed to be here, Liara." The Spectre told her "Your mother won't be happy to know you get too close to the frontline."
The young Asari turned around and faced them. She raised her arm up and wiped the sweat off her blue forehead with the back of her hand. The girl didn't strike Tela as the daughter of Benezia T'soni when they first met and with all those dirt, Tyranid blood, and filth on her white Beos suit and face, the Spectre was even more confident in that assessment. The Matriarch would rather die than let people see her in such a state and certainly wouldn't act like a cornered mouse when speaking to a Spectre.
"I…I'm very sorry, Miss Vasir. I…" As always, finding an excuse was a true struggle for Liara " Dr. Sanaris has called upon his close students, colleagues, and researchers at universities within the territory of the Citadel alliance and beyond to send him any kind of information they have on Tyranid. He's desperate as the Salarian Union is about to join the Anti-Tyranid war and he will soon be appointed as an advisor to the alliance. He contact me yesterday and specifically asked me to get him a marrow sample of a Tyrant Guard because I'm the only one he knows on Eden so…"
"Listen, girl." The Spectre softly cut her off "I don't know who Dr. Sanaris is or why he wants you do what you are doing right now." Only half of that was the truth. Tela know who that Salarian was. In fact, her knowledge of him might be even better than Liara's. "This is a warzone, not some Prothean ruins where you only have to deal with thousand-years-old security measures which may or may not work. Your mother will have my head if anything happens to you."
"She won't"
Said the young Asari. For the first time, there was some certainty from her although it came along with sadness and evading eyes. The Spectre couldn't say she know exactly what happened between Lady Benezia and her daughter behind the closed door but by the look of it, lady Benezia was deliberately acting cold toward Liara and pushing her away for a reason. Normally, Tela Vasir would be more than happy to find out what it was but after so many usual and absurd things happening around the Matriarch, she didn't bother to try.
"Beside, I need to take a marrow sample for Dr. Sanaris. It's essential to prove his theory." She continued " It will not take long, I promise. But I need your help."
"Out of the question, you go with me now."
"But he said it…can help us win the war!"
Typical Salarian, Tela let out a sigh. Always so certain about their reports, their numbers, their science, and that Pỵjakshit religion of absolute logic no matter how many time they blew off in their faces. 400 years ago, they convinced everyone that genophage was in fact a very good idea, that the Krogan would learn their lesson and rejoin the galaxy community in peace and there was absolutely definitely no way that lowly Krogan could cure the genophage themselves. Well, given all of those predictions turned out false and both of her parents were killed by the Krogan Liberation Front, Tela Vasir had even less reason to believe Dr. Sanaris could help them defeat the Tyranid. However, younger races that didn't spend much time around the Salarian more than often, fell victim to their pretentious nonsense.
"What do you need, Fräulein?" The German with one fake eye stepped up, somehow forgetting his hatred for the Asari race. "Any kind of special equipment?"
"I think I have enough to take a sample but the problem is I can't reach its cervical spine. None of Omni-razor and laser cutter I bring can penetrate its scales." Liara'heart fell "It seems we can't follow standard procedure anymore but i have another solution. How many grenades do you have?"
"Uh…Let me see." He checked the small pack wrapped around his thigh then turned to call his friend "I only have 1 left, Dieter. Bring me yours."
It turned out that Dieter had spent all of his grenades into the last brood nest so Tela ended up donating everything she had to the young archaeologist. Although Tela didn't agree wholely with Liara's little project, she was also well- aware that getting it done might be the fastest way to get the girl out of this place besides dragging her across the battlefield kicking and screaming.
"Hope you know what you're doing." She reminded the girl as handing her three photon grenade "These aren't toys."
"Don't worry. I know how to handle weapons." Said Liara with a smirk "Members of T'soni family are all trained in combat before leaving their home."
And she didn't lie about that. Liara quickly tied three Photon grenades around the German Potato masher with tape to create a small time bomb. This method was also sometimes used by ASDF soldiers as Photon grenades only exploded on impact while German grenades often had a timer. Tela and two German then found themselves a nice cover behind the badly burnt corpse of an undefined Tyranid while Liara delivered her pack of explosives into the jaw of the dead Tyrant guard. The young archaeologist also ran into a bomb crater nearby afterward and about 15 seconds later, there was a flash, a loud 'Bang' and the head of that Tyrant Guard was no more.
Pieces of flesh, bone, and muscles were strewn across the ground, and at where the creature's head had been, flowed a stream of bright red blood. Tela and the two Germans, three veterans of many battles, were amazed by what they saw. The thing that come out of that Tyranid looked like human blood and when the Spectre took off her breather for a few seconds, it also had the smell of human blood.
"Do you guys ever see anything like that before?" Asked Dieter "All Tyranid I kill always has green or yellow liquid inside them."
"No, but that doesn't matter now." Replied Tela "Go ask her about what to do next and be done with this shit show."
The rest of the job was less eventful than they expected. Two humans and two Asari just simply got their hands dirty, scavenging every shattered bone they could find before putting them into a sealed canister provided by Liara and leaving the site. The sun was finally set on the low slopes of Dreizack when Liara and Tela enjoyed their ride to the supply depot on the back of an 8-wheels-truck. The Husar was a one-man vehicle and her little lady embarrassingly admitted she had never ridden anything that had wheels before.
"Military surely love their wheels and tracks." Liara commented as taking off her blood-stained white gloves "I rarely see anything utilizing hover technology out here."
"Wheel and track vehicles can carry more weight, are more durable, and easier to maintain and produce. Our army once was very excited with hover tanks but we soon learned our lesson after several encounters with German Panzer forces." The Spectre ejected the half-full thermal clip from her Drakan rifle before replacing it with a new one. "The human often says armies win battles, Logistics win wars and it can't be more true in a prolonged conflict with an enemy like Tyranid. No surprise if they try to wear us down with their seemingly endless resource in many years to come."
"And many more will die. Asari, Human, Turian, Salarian. Many more." The young Asari concluded with a sigh. She reached for the sealed canister in her backpack and held it in front of her chest with both hands. "I told you he could help us win the war but it's more like my belief than the truth. I guess it's because I want to do something, to be more useful than a condescending upper-class girl who gets praises for bringing some Prothean artifact back to Thessia. Dr. Sanaris is…well, his theory is just too bizarre to be true."
"How come?"
"Uh..uh.. I don't know how to explain it properly but do you ever of multiverse theory or there is another reality existing simultaneously alongside ours?"
Tela's lips twisted into a grin "You mean like in 'The Adventure to Nayu'? That's new. Not many Salarian I know like that type of novel. Too much illogical for them, I guess."
"I'm not sure he's a fan" She shook her head "I only know Dr. Sanaris believe Tyranid doesn't come from our galaxy nor any neighboring galaxies like many people think. His argument sounds reasonable, his evidence seems reliable but the theory is very bizarre nonetheless."
Nomadic invader theory was widely accepted when it came to explaining Tyranids' origin. Due to the unusual genetic patterns, strange compounds found in individual Tyranids, plus their sudden appearance at the edge of the Terminus Zone, scholars believed Milky Way was facing an extragalactic species that had journeyed across the unspeakable cold of the void for new hunting grounds. The oldest report on Tyranid was made by a long-range reconnaissance group of the Asari Navy back in 2728, describing a strange phenomenon they encountered in Terminus Zone. Primitive civilizations supervised by the Republic navy at the edge of Terminus vanished, unusual nebula appeared then disappeared within 24 hours, and planets that were reported to be suitable for colonization turned into cold bare rocks for reason unknown. There was plenty of rumor among those living around the White Veil about empty space stations, vanished communities, attacks on merchant vessels by unidentified ships, and interplanetary communication interrupted. However, there was no further investigation back then as the Fourth galactic war broke out and all naval resources were concentrated on defending the southern frontier against the onslaught of the Kreigsmarine.
"And a marrow sample of Tyrant Guard will help prove that theory." The Spectre put aside her rifle "Okay, now you have my attention. How does it work exactly? I must admit I have never seen any Tyranid bleed like that before."
"Tyranids are classified as arthropods so they don't 'bleed' like mammals, except for that creature. Dr. Sanaris had noticed the difference about two years ago when the very first anatomical reports on Tyranid were sent to him by the Germans. He then tested every blood sample, and marrow sample that he could get his hands on before comparing them to human genes. The result was astounding. Undoubtedly, Tyrant Guard carries a significant amount of human genes inside. Super-human to be precise."
"Super-human genes?"
"Heavily mutated and artificially engineered beyond out understanding and old. Very, very old. At least 40 millennia."
"You can't be serious, Liara." Tela Vasir chucked. That number meant the combined age of the Asari Republic and the Old Empire "Sanaris would be digging his own grave if he published his theory to the scientific community. No way they are going to believe him"
"I think it's the reason why he only asked those close to him for help." She nod "scientists and scholars are merciless like Krogan Warriors when it comes to this particular topic. I remembered my mentor, Lisar Becci was ridiculed for merely suggesting that the author of Adventure to Nayu might have truly reached the other dimension."
The Spectre was taken back. Sanaris might just be a con artist but the renowned professor Becci herself? No con artist could become a member of the Scientific Council at the age of 134 and be responsible for the chronicle of the Asari people in this millennium.
"My Goddess, what an era we are living in!" Said Tela Vasir in disbelief. "Galaxy united under a common cause and a third-tier novel written by an anonymous author became a research topic. I hope Becci had a good reason for this claim."
"The professor once told me all could be found inside chapter 17." Liara shugged "I haven't read that novel yet so I can't tell you where did her claim come from."
Chapter 17? If her memories served her well, that was the part where the main character Kearin wandered on an unnamed arid rocky planet to find the lost members of the survey team. She did find them in the end but had to leave them behind for a reason that Tela had long forgotten. It had been 225 years since The Spectre pore over silly novels, the poetry of the Late Empire, and idealist philosophy under the great dome of Gray Temple, dreaming of traveling to Earth and attending Kaiser's Grand Winter Ball. 225 years had passed and as she got older, it was harder to imagine such a version of her had once existed.
"So we got someone's genetic sample older than the Republic and a famous historian think other dimensions exist because a novel told her so " The Spectre scratched her nose "Friendly advice, Liara. Don't ever put your name anywhere near that Salarian if you still want a career."
"I just help him out. It isn't like we are co-workers or something."
"Make sure it stays that way. People will forget who Sanaris is in the next 30 years but I cannot say the same about you."
At the supply depot, they were welcomed by Nymera and the rest of Commandos detachment which was now down to 25 members. Five were wounded in action, Nymera reported, but no fatality. Ayla also got herself injured shortly after she departed. Apparently, they ran into a Ravener when searching for the others and the cheeky commando got a horrible slash on her chest. The second layer of Thorax had saved her life but Ayla still had to be transferred to the nearest military hospital for further treatment.
'Thank the Goddess.'
Liara whispered beneath her breath before stepping up and shaking hands with each member of the detachment, thanking them for their service and praying to Valrie, the Goddess of the hunt, to guide their hands in the coming days. Dull and boring words that often came from high-born Asari but at least, Liara T'soni said them with all sincerity. The Commandos didn't really need more motivation as they were a tough bunch, hand-picked, vigorously trained from their early maiden age, and gladly laid down their lives in the service of the Asari people, but some gratitude from a beautiful, educated, and innocent noble lady was always welcome.
"As a soldier, there is no higher honor than to fight for a noble cause, my lady." Nymera declared proudly with a clenched fist on her chest "You can rest assured that our Republic will see victory at the end of this war."
"My good soldiers, I'm all confident in your skills and valor but please don't throw your lives away needlessly. A victory with few people left to raise a toast is nothing more than a hollow one."
While Liara was doing the duty required of her, Tela went to the quartermaster in charge of the supply depot to ask for a shuttle or any kind of transport able to take Liara back to Kaiserhausen. The young Asari couldn't stay here for long. It was still too close to the front and if Patrick William was wrong about Steinbauer's next move then there would be even more fighting in the area. The quartermaster was another veteran of the Fourth Galactic War and clearly didn't like being told what to do by a blue skin alien but even if he did, he was unable to provide what she needed.
"You have to wait until morning." He told her "No shuttle, Junkers, Kolibri can take off at the moment."
"Why? You are in lack of pilots or fuel?"
"None of those." He replied impatiently "Navigate system no longer functions, coms is also down so if you don't mind flying blind in a contested airspace then be my guest."
It was that Zoanthrope again and at this point, Tela Vasir had to question the competency of those who were sent to hunt it down. Brandenburgers were no doubt elite troops but they were trained saboteurs and ambushers, not trackers like Asari Huntress. Totenkopf Kommando was better suited for this job but last time she checked, most of them were stationed in big cities to combat Genestealer threats.
The Spectre checked the time on her Omni-tool then let out a sigh. 8 Earth hours till the next sunrise and they had no other option but to wait.
" Lady T'soni needs a private quarter to rest." She pointed at Liara, who was standing among the Commandos in her distinguish white protective gear "And dinner, a proper dinner. No canned food or that crappy pineapple juice, please. We are getting sick of it."
"She can stay in one of the cabins reserved for high-ranking officers near the motor pool." Snorted the quartermaster before handing her a card key which had a number 17 imprinted on it "But I can't promise anything about the food. You will get what we have. This is not Hilton."
And what they had was the infamous canned stuffed cabbage rolls and mashed potato, a type of dish that gave Germans the reputation of being an unimaginative and dull race. It wasn't as bad as Salarian ration but growing up in the exquisite Asari heartland cuisine meant there were very few things that could satisfy Tela Vasir's palate. The Asari then quickly finished their bland meal and went to bed. Only Liara had a real bed. The specter and her commandos had to be content with their cushions placed on the top of the IFVs, with the dim light of Eden's moon and the sound of distant artillery putting them to sleep.
Tela, however, couldn't sleep. A dream came to visit her when she closed her eyes and it was a weird one. In her dream, she stood alone in Gray Temple as a young deacon once again but it was not really the Gray Temple she used to know. Everything still looked exactly as she remembered it, but the temple was enveloped in a desolate, cold, and melancholy darkness that gave her goosebumps instead of the warmth from the underground hot spring on which the temple was built, the beautiful twinkling light from crystal lamps hovering under the dome and sweet singing of Asari children in the back garden.
There were buzzing noises like a thousand bugs flapping their wings at once along the marble corridors surrounding the altar of Athame, but when Tela Vasir listened to it more closely, they were essentially Proto-Asari words repeated over and over by thousands of mouths.
The truth is waiting for you. Come and see. The truth is waiting for you. Come and see. The truth is waiting for you. Come and see.
The noises got louder and louder to the point Tela had to beg it to stop as it seemed to be drilling into her skull but to no avail. She then ran, ran with both hands covering her ears, and ran until found herself standing in front of Liara's cabin with cold sweats rolling down her neck. A yellow number of 17 was painted on the closed steel door, looking dim in the weak green light from the control panel. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.
What is the meaning of this?.
This was her first sleepwalking in 327 years and also the first time the number 17 was mentioned thrice in her day. Tela Vasir believed in no higher power, omen or fate but she trusted her instinct, the thing that had kept her alive so far, and now it was telling her to take a look in chapter 17. The Spectre did right just that after she found a quiet corner inside a Wisent IFV and gain access to Extranet through the vehicle's outdated computer.
"Let's see what is so special about you."
Tela mumbled as she opened the folder containing the 2600 edition of the novel 'Adventure to Nayu', which was most likely the same edition she had had at Gray temple. She jumped right into chapter 17 and began to read. It was rather disappointing at first because the story largely played out like Tela remembered, with nothing unusual happened and very soon she began to feel like she was walking into a maze. However, things changed when it came to the last part of the chapter, Kearin'fifth and final day on the unnamed planet.
"The sounds of explosion woke me up at dawn. At first, I was a bit confused because since i arrived in this dimension, and reached this planet, I had not yet discovered any intelligent beings or primitive civilization, let alone creatures capable of waging war with artillery. Although I was no soldier, I was sure what I heard was not thunder or a product of nature. Those were the sounds of battle and things couldn't be more right when I climbed the highest rock to see what was going on below the valley with my binoculars. It was the last stand. Two dozen or more soldiers claded in sandy color armor were trying to defend their position against an opponent in green combat gear that outnumbered them ten to one. The faces of the defenders were not clear to me as they all wore helmets with small square visors in front but I was pretty sure they weren't droids. One of them got hit by some kind of red laser beam and dragged to safety by his teammate. Droids simply didn't act like that.
To my astonishment, both sides all used energy-based weapons and there was little to no projectile weapon on the battlefield except for the attacker's big machine gun that was shooting non-stop at the enemy's position. The fighting was short but brutal. The attackers attempted to close the distance between them and their enemy but suffered terrible casualties as they had no kinetic barrier nor any real covers to protect them from blue energy shots. However, with larger numbers, they soon got what they wanted and started taking down defenders one by one with precision laser shots and grenades. A whistle was sounded in the midst of battle which was followed by a thunderous roar of the bayonet charge. The position of those soldiers cladded in sandy color armor quickly fell apart and was overrun after a short melee.
It was all over so I activated my Stealth Camouflage and proceed to climb down the valley. I wanted to have a better look at the victors who were like blur shadows in the hot dust rising from the battle at this distance though it would also endanger my life greatly. My curiosity got the better of me and add more fire to my courage but none of them couldn't prepare me for what I was about to see. The victors of the previous battle bear more resemblance to Asari than any species I knew. Except for their pale skin, purple eyes, and visible hair on the top of some individuals who didn't wear head covers, they looked like us so much that some might think they came from a different branch of Asari.
However, whatever resemblance our species might share ended when they began to drag the survivors to the open and execute them in the most horrific ways possible. Some were shot right through the visor, some were stabbed and some were clubbed to death by bulky laser guns. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Raa and Myre among them. Raa was half-dead when the victor took her to the killing ground but Myre was still quite awake. She was on her knee, crying and begging those strangers to spare their lives but when the young biologist saw how pointless it was, she desperately used her body to shield her dying friend. The girl was brave, very brave. She didn't scream when dozens of bayonets dug into her back, a hot laser beam piercing through one of her legs and as the murderous knife of the leader of those savages touched the skin on her neck, Myre had no reaction but a tear rolling down on her cheek.
Many times in my life, I had cursed my own worthlessness and cowardice but every time I thought of this day, I just wanted to head off the cliff and end my eternal shame. I had failed my mission and more importantly, I had failed them."
Tela Vasir thought she had been sitting dumbfounded on the bench of the Wisent IFV for a few minutes after finishing chapter 17. As a Spectre, she had seen things so bizarre and unexplainable that she assumed nothing in this galaxy could shock her anymore but this revelation almost blew her away. According to the description, 'Adventure to Nayu' was first published in 2350, meaning seventy-five years before the first contact with the German Empire at Turian southern border but somehow the author had perfectly described both the human and the weapon that was thought to be a new invention by ….human nowaday.
This can't be coincident
There had to be an explanation for all of this! There must be an answer but Tela knew she wouldn't get it from Citadel, her government or her Matriarchs. If Benezia T'soni had something to do with these lies then there was a fat chance that someone in the highest echelon also got involved. The Spectre was walking on the edge here. If she talked to the wrong Asari and asked the wrong questions, she would likely got herself killed in a stupid accident next month. They had gone this far to hide the real story so it would be hard to believe they would hesitate to kill a Spectre.
Tela Vasir would get the truth eventually but not from them. There was another person in the Galaxy who could help her obtain that kind of information, a very influential figure that wielded no less power than Asari Matriarchs but the thing he wanted in exchange was so precious that very few was willing to give.
Loyalty. That was what he want. However, to her, this loyalty was no better than slavery.
The morning then came along with her final decision and finally some good news. It appeared those Brandenburgers had managed to kill the Zoanthrope and thus their communication, extranet, and navigation systems were back to normal again. With no more technical problems in the way, Tela Vasir activated her Omni-tool and send a short, blunt message to a very special address that every Specter had in their contacts :
"Shadow Broker. Volaran. 2 days."
-V-