Happy New Year everyone! Welcome 2024 and goodbye 2023. Let's hope for a slightly less turbulent time for us all. May you all enjoy your winter holidays and stay safe out there!

I wrote this up during a brain freeze, figured I should get this out asap and start up a better habit.

Vinny out!

Meeting Room 8, MOB Schwarzkopf, New Kashgar

August 12th, 2916

"Ladies and gentlemen, organics and synthetics, welcome to New Kashgar and the beginning of Operation Borough Barrage," Victor stated to the rest commanding staff.

Operation Borough Barrage was a name that had quite literally been selected out of a hat. While some commanders liked to name their operations for special occasions, like during the War on Heaven or the Liberation of Mistral, most were randomly selected. And Victor decided to continue the tradition.

That and Borough Barrage was a tiny callback to the Gulf War, in Victor's mind. Akin to Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Considering they were supposed to be fighting in a city, it made him a little nostalgic for the old Pre-FTL times.

There were dozens of military officers from across the galaxy seated in front of him, mainly observers or advisors from SATO's many associate member states, interstellar allies, and even a few members of the Elder Alliance.

They came wide and far. From the aquatic species Alor and Pators of the Federation Free Nations (another Stellar Federation comprised of dozens of smaller species), the Maweer Caretakers from the same Federation, the Solarian free vassal species Omnear defence commanders, commandos of the Valurt of the Eldar Alliance, and many more.

Curiously, no one from the Commonwealth of Man. That was the exception.

But relations with them and SATO had been fried with their new chancellor, so there was nothing much Victor could do.

Put the 6 Generals or General equivalents in the front row were the most important.

UNTA General Kim Halabi is the current commander of the 1st Army group and a skilled commander in the art of mechanized armoured and infantry warfare. Victor promptly decided that the man responsible for holding the line would keep his position as the CO of the 1st Army. It did pain Victor for losing his old command but, life was life.

Vissari Defence Force General Wetarie Claude of Flock Deltiarie hailed from the Vissari Tropical Worlds of Wetarie. He was a veteran of Operation Grimm Reaper and the defence of the Aurara Belt. One of the younger members of the commanding officers and one of the most nervous and cautious of the size, he was still a competent commander and was in control of the artillery-heavy 5th Seltishi Army Group of the Vissari Planetary Army Defence Forces.

By contrast, Ztraphor Royal General Princess Laurentien Kiranka commanded the Legendary 9th Spaceborne Army Group. In the many SATO wargames in the past several years, the 9th proved itself the most adept at landing on any planet, establishing a foothold, and out-maneuvering opposing forces even on a battlegroup level. A veteran of the War on Heaven and Hell, Laurentien once served under Victor's command as a Sergeant equivalent. Now, she was back under Ross's command as a proud general.

The Kel-Azaan sent Legionary Warden-General Aretia Montelies of Clan Itzu. Another Veteran of Operation Grimm Reaper. Like the first, his Solaris Legionary Corps were experts in mechanized warfare but also specialized in urban combat and close-quarter battles, although was much slower to respond compared to the first.

Roccian Paladin General was a fellow veteran of the MSI-SATO war, also known as the Corporate Domination War, the War on Heaven and Hell, and Operation Grimm Reaper. Like Victor, she had also been called from retirement, being an expert (arguably better than Victor) on bug hunting (which made some sense since the 2nd Independence Legion considered actual special forces). Mobility, adaptability, and sabotage were their game.

And finally, the only synthetic general of them all, General Gabriela 'Gater' Galatron. A Human AI that had immigrated to the Coalition, he commanded a force using a terrifying wide concoction of different unit types. And by units, they were some of the sluggish and slowest, but good damn terrifying and dangerous units. Cybrex war mechs, Titanic beasts, nanodrone swarms, and psionics warriors.

"In 3 days, we will enact an offensive against the alien swarm known as the Beta. As we speak, our artillery units are pounding the Beta swarms on the other side of the portal with fusion shells and cruise missiles. I'll be going through all the phases of the operation. I know most of you are familiar with the plan of action but for some of you, particularly our foreign liaison officers, I'll give you the rundown of the plan."

Gone was the age of the reluctance to use nuclear weapons. First the Age of Conflict, then the Cooperate wars, then the Triple Crisis, and the Remnant Campaigns. Where Humanity's once vast (and admittedly ridiculously large) nuclear arsenal would have been seen as the end all, be all, the advent of cheaper shielding technology, orbital Directed Energy Weapons, Kinetic yeeting hundreds of tons of metal around, FTL, and the Colossus class made nukes, even the upgraded Fusion nukes were merely the regular tools around.

Good for him. More boys and girls going home at the cost of nukes is a good trade.

"Once the initial bombardment phase is over, several automated drones will move through the portal to gauge the strength of the Beta defences and forces. This will begin Phase 1. As soon as we have data, United Nations Aerospace Bombers and Vulture Gunships, courtesy of the 52nd Strategic Bomber Flock and 602 Special Operations Squadrons, will move in to saturate enemy air defences. As soon as the bulk enemy air defences have been neutralized or occupied, fighter bombers and air attackers will begin funnelling in to begin striking at Beta hordes."

The hologram showed a 3d map of the other side of the portal, at least what was mapped out. It had several red blocks or blobs that represented tens of thousands of Beta (probably get a better name) before dozens of blue models of United Nations Rapier Strategic Bombers and Vulture Gunships poured out of the portal and mock firing at the Beta. They were later joined by hundreds of smaller models, A89 Warthogs, F-62 Super Tridents, More Vultures, Coalition Scythe Interceptors, and many more.

All of them firing on the Beta.

"As soon as the Beta around the Portal has been neutralized as a coherent fighting force, Phase 2 will roll out with the deployment of the Noble Nova Division of the Ztrakphor and the United Nations 10th Assualt Task Force. They will transverse the portal to the other side, engage and neutralize any surviving Beta forces, and establish a beachhead for engineers and reinforcements."

The Hologram in front of Ross showed several tanks and armour vehicles, representing entire battalions, rolling out from the portal, shooting at Beta and causing blobs and blocks to disappear. Then several blue engineering vehicles appeared from the portal and began the process of forming a base like in an RTS game.

"Phase 3, the expansions of the Beach will continue. At this point, divisions and additional aircraft will be mass-deployed through the portal. The goal here is to expand our beachhead to allow the deployment of more forces, eliminate all hostile formations of company size and above, as well as engineers to expand our base."

Entire buildings in front of the portal arose and more models of combat vehicles rolled out of the portal, with them advancing outwards.

"Phase 4 will be the destruction of a major Beta Installation" The map shifted to a towering, almost crystalline but dirty appearance of a Beta hide.

"Phase 4 will be the destruction of the Beta installation, designated as Mound 1. Intel has classified these as Hives and given them the designations. This will be significantly more difficult than the removal of hives from New Kashgar, as at the moment, naval assets are null and we can't just yeet thousand-ton tungsten rounds at them yet. That means the navy gets to set back and we get our hands dirty."

There was nodding of approval and acknowledgement from the room.

"So the destruction of Mound 1 will come down to the Vissari. Our friends from the oceans have deployed several of their strategic Plasma Launchers for Hive busting. We'll be using that to crack the hives open. Once then, conventional and nuclear artillery will demolish the interior and underground portions of the Hive, followed up by a massive drone and Jauger force ensuring that the Hive will not give us trouble."

Now the hologram was showing several models of super heavy Vissari Plasma Artillery Vehicles lopping balls of superheated plasma across hundreds of kilometres, followed up by tactical cruise missile and shell launches from various SATO formations.

Hive, which the holographic map shifted to, erupted into a spectacular fire bow.

"Phase 5, we dig in and hold. Engineers will erect automated defences, aircraft landing bays, barracks, and more. We turn our little beachhead into the toughest planetary fortress nut to crack."

The hologram shuts off and the lights return to normal.

"As of now, all 6 Army groups of the Combined Stellar Expeditionary Assualt Forces of New Kashgar are being prepared and assembled. This is the largest combat formation of expeditionary airborne and ground forces seen since the Galactic Crisises and the Remnant Campaigns. We have more firepower assembled here, on this very planet, that eclipses our combined militaries a mere 600 years ago."

Victor took a breath.

"Yet like our very first battles of the Age of Conflict, we will once again step into the unknown, we will be fighting a foe with no regard for treaties and honour. We will be fighting a foe with numerical superiority and the will to kill regardless of whether their foe wears battle armour or a dress."

"Today, for many of you, you will be in the same boots as your ancestors, fighting a foe that knows no honour, no restraint, and no regard for the civilian life. You will fight to avenge the millions of deaths caused by the Beta. And we will once again fight in the galaxy, our ideals, our people, our passions. We will fight to uphold the laws and morals of your races, nations, clans, families, and all that binds us together! And we will fight, to show that no matter what type of species they are, who colour their carapace and skin is, what gods they worship or masters they obey, we will show them they have kicked down the wrong door!"

And Victor looked into the eyes of all those witnessing. "And show they've messed with the force! The Wrong Nations! The Wrong Army! The Wrong Galaxy!"

And he practically growled. "So when you go out there, when you engage the Beta, show them that they've messed with wrong people, and knocked on the wrong door.

"Kick ass Troopers, I'll see you on the front."

Victor turned and began marching off away from the podium, but not before shouting "Radii solares omnes!"

"Vicit per Unitatem!" the entire shouted back in cheers.

It brought back memories for Victor, of four brand new armies brought together by treaty, by blood, by circumstance, by war.

Of the good, the ill, the unfortunate, and the lucky.

Still got it. Victor thought to himself.

()

30 Minutes Later

Victor's Office

It was getting late, but Victor was finishing up some last-minute paperwork regarding logistics and politics.

He should probably get some sleep, the last chance to get a full 8 hours.

Victor frowned as he looked at the acquisition email he received and sighed.

It was bolded: VULTURE GUNSHIP REACTIVATION DELAYED

"Of course." Victor sighed. The UNAF hasn't had a true gunship since the retirement of the Talons three centuries beforehand. Instead, the forces of Earth and her colonies relied on fixed-wing air assets, ground artillery, and heavy gunships like the Vulture. A floating brick, but a brick that could hit hard, take a beating, and dash around

Whose platforms were deactivated 60 Years ago for a bigger budget the Specter Gunships.

He could work with the Specters but they were Corvette-sized aircraft, bigger than 21st century frigates. And that was going to be problematic in the initial wave.

But people were still calling for vengeance, so he was going to have to run with what he had-

He took a sniff of his cup of apple cider. It was off.

"Dill, Garlic, paprika, and Cinnamon powder? And you really had to dump it into my cider? Really Anna?" Victor said out loud.

Behind him, the old field marshal heard giggling from an old friend. "You're working way too hard Vic. Seriously, you should be retired. Hell, why don't you have a secretary?"

The field marshal heard the crackling of an old cloaking device deactivating behind him. "You can take the man out of the army but not the army. Just like we can't cut the spy from you. At least not without being stabbed fifty times of course."

Victor turned around to see a familiar face. Anastasia Carras: another 1st Generation Crusader hailing from Greece, a close friend,...and the former head chief of the United Nations Intelligence Services.

She was wearing a skin-type body suit, the sort of thing mech pilots, starship crews, cybernetically enhanced beings, and spies. Especially the tech-savvy ones with stealth suits and cloaks.

And it was a good way to….distract the more…. unsavoury types of people. The pervs as one might call them. Especially how well the suit moulded to Anna's still impressive body despite being a head smaller than Victor.

"Anna."

"Vic. You're busy for being in retirement." Anna held out her arms.

"Same to you, you should be in cryo for therapy." Vic hugged his old friend, perhaps even an adopted sibling.

"Snuke out at the last moment. I already got my treatment early in the decade so didn't need it. Figured you needed the company." Anna enjoyed being embraced in her friend's arms. "Old times bro?"

"Old times. Shame everyone else is asleep, you don't get the chance to invade a world every time." Victor released his spy friend.

"Speech was good. It's also a shame I am the messenger of grey news. Part of the reason I said up. I've been keeping an eye on our wayward cousins." Anastasia sighed.

"Commonwealth I'm guessing?" Victor raised an eyebrow.

"Yup. It's their chancellor," Anna groaned. "He's raising a hailstorm over the new SATO presence in the neutral zone."

"Several million people got eaten, including hundreds of thousands of humans, and all he gives a fuck about is the relieving SATO presence? Even the pro-Commonwealth of Man worlds showed approval." Victor growled.

"Not just that, he's demanding that Operation Borough Barrage become a G.C. operation," Anna added.

"And let me guess: under their leadership?" Victor wasn't surprised anymore.

"Correct. Something along the lines of "maintaining the careful balance in the galaxy" and "not starting another Age of Conflict" hubbub crap," the former spymaster curled her fingers and did the air-quote gesture. "Load of bullcrap."

"Can't say I agree. As far as I know, we're not the ones who doubled our cruiser fleet production in a decade, added 200 new army groups, and tripled nuclear weapon stockpiles. Gonna be a mess when I get back," Sydney took a sip of the 'poisoned' cider and internally regretted the decision.

"Stenee' fee'lee, I? Oh hell no. Not in a hundred years. I'm coming on this trip?" Anna growled, pushing away the cider mug.

"You? What are you gonna do against the Beta? Pepper spray them like that crocodile in 37?" Sydney snickered.

"Ha! No. I know the intel. You to. Chances of native governments still being active is high enough that HighCom agreed to a dedicated Intelligence Unit." Anna sniggered.

"By Intelligence Unit, you mean a bunch of old buddies from across SATO. Some of your old Highway My War Ops friends." Sydney smirked. "Well with a team like that, we couldn't possibly lose to some ancient black ops team."

"There's the spirit. Like old times bro."

"Like old times sis."

There was a few seconds of silence.

"How likely do you think we can end this BETA, deal with the Commonwealth, and be back before the rest of the gang wakes up?" Sydney wondered out loud.

"Not a chance. But, wanna bet on?" the Greek Spy master cackled.

"2 months of paid meals at Larange's Cafe."

"Deal."

()

Somewhere on Alternate Earth

At the same time

"(Comms) Sweet fucking Jesus Christ."

"(Comms) I'd say language but….damn. Someone does not like the Beta."

"(Comms) do..do we report this in?"

"(Comms) To whom? Is that someone out there who is relentlessly nuking the Beta? If people haven't found out, they're going to find out in a week at max."

"(Comms) Front's got scouts over the mainland. They'll get the word out eventually…"

"(Comms) Aurora six, the hell am I looking at?"

"(Comms)...I…honestly couldn't give you an answer, sir."

"(Comms)...RTB. You got all the data back. Get out, son."

'(Comms) Copy that. Bugging out."

Galactic Wiki…Paragon list….UNSA…Intelligence Director Anastasia Carras (Summerized)

The galaxy is a whirlwind of conflict and battles. From simple inter-academy science competitions to duels between battleships, and sports games between two rival teams to armies squaring off in long-range artillery duels. Whether with violence or skill, the galaxy is fraught with conflict. Seldom talked about are the battles happening behind the scenes, away from the Cameras, away from the masses and parliaments: the realm of espionage. And there are few paragons of that craft that compare up to one Misty Mistress or the Eyes of the Black Hole herself: Head Director Anastasia Carras of the United Nations Intelligence Services.

Anastasia hails from the human nation of Greece, born in 2005 UNC. Her family moved to Canada when she was a child and when enrolled in an academy, she befriended or acquitted herself with many students including one Victor Ross, with whom she had a frosty but respectful friendship. This odd relationship with her fellow classmates, along with genetic, biological, and political factors, was what led to her abduction along with 150 other children, a quarter of whom were from the same academy. Like Victor, Anastasia was moulded into the best and perfect soldier for humanity. Unlike Victor Ross, Anastasia was also trained in the field of spycraft as a means to conduct more effective infiltration of the European Union.

This training backfired on the Red Dragon Alliance, whose brainwashing failed to suppress the test subject's memories and relationships. Anastasia helped Sydney gather the necessary information and together with the remaining survivors of the first-generation crusader program, broke out of the Red Dragon Alliance facility and led an escape that would ultimately see all 48 survivors being picked up by the USS Carl Vinson and into the hands of Task Force Cerberus. Keen to use her skills for their own use (and for a better cause), Cerberus completed Anastasia's training with instructors from the CIA, MI6, MOSSAD, and other NATO-aligned intelligence services.

Much of Anastasia's service history was classified by NATO nations and later the UNE for centuries and even when the secretive nature of her operations was lifted, not much is known to this day. What is known is that Anastasia piggybacked on NATO and Cerberus intelligence missions to gain experience before eventually leading her own operations against the RDA. She's also a member of the strike team Pacifica alongside Victor. It's not known which battles Anastasia participated in during the Third World War but is assumed to either have been a part of UN intelligence teams working in laboratories or in the field alongside Victor.

Like many of the First-Generations of Crusaders, Anastasia faded into the background after the Third World War and into the Solar Age. (Post 2030s). It is believed that she participated in clean-up operations against the RDA but records of her activities are hazy at best. It is known that like all Crusaders, Anastasia went to post-secondary school, focusing on arts and cultural work. There are prominent rumours during the 2030s - 2200s period that Anastasia Carras is actually the famous cultural celebrity Aurora Avalanche, a famous dancer, actor, and activist of this time.

When FTL was achieved and the United Nations Allied Forces were established, the Unified Intelligence Community, the predecessor to the modern United Nations Intelligence Services, was formed as a community of Earth's intelligence agencies to cooperate on interstellar operations regarding surveillance, espionage, recon, and research. It's still not clear what part Anastasia Carras played in this community but it's known that she was among a fairly high rank in the European Union Intelligence and Situation Centre's portion of the UIC (note that the UIC is completely separated from the UNAF before the combination of various branches). Anastasia is known to have operated against both rebel forces during the first Human colonization wave and pre-FTL races, researching newly discovered alien life while evading detection.

Anastasia Carras stepped into the true spotlight during the Vissari-Human First Contact, the exploration of the wider galaxy, the ascension of Humanity and Vissari into the Galactic Community, the initial tensions before the age of conflict, and the first tentative defensive agreements with the Vissari. Anastasia Carras is known to have played a major role in the first contact party, then later headed up the budding Reconnaissance of Interstellar Entities Division (RIED), the predecessor to the Foreign Intelligence Branch. She's known to have led several operations against several other empires, but the only known empire was the Kel-Azaan Republic during their initial involvement during the age of conflict.

During the age of conflict, Anastasia was in command of the newly formed Foreign Investigations Branch of the UIC. She commanded both espionage and special forces operations against a wide variety of opponents, most notably against the Voor Technocracy, Commonwealth of Man, and several smaller powers. Again, her operations were classified by the highest level however it is known that her leadership and skill are known to have brought down several planetary and system-wide governments of occupied states.

When the age of conflict ended, Anastasia took over as head of the UIC (after the wartime leader stepped down and retired) and followed Victor's lead and began a process of unifying all of Earth's various national intelligence bodies into one primary organization. Unlike the unification of Earth's conventional militaries, the intelligence agencies were less willing to work with their rivals (even during the Age of Conflict) and the streamlining and integration of the various Human intelligence branches took right until the MSI-SATO War, where Anastasia finally managed to rally all intelligence groups under the banners of the newly formed United Nations Intelligence Services.

While foreign media and propaganda depict the UNIS as one monolithic entity, the truth is that it is more akin to the separated intelligence branches of old Earth nations all under one trench coat. Under Anastasia's leadership, UNIS is separated into four major branches: the Foreign Intelligence Branch (FIB, focusing on affairs outside the UNE-later the UNSA), United Nations International Agency for Internal Affairs (IAIA, focusing on issues within the borders of the UNSA), the United Nations Strategic Intelligence Directorate (UNSID, a small branch that provides critical intel and responses to major galactic crisis, first contact parties, non-conventional threats, and more), and the United Nations Supporting Intelligence Apparatus (UNSIA, bureaucratic, financial, research, and logistical branch, crucial in supporting the other branches). While these branches openly operate away from each other, it is believed that their upper leadership enjoys comradery amongst each other and works side by side to achieve tasks. The various branches of the UNIS have a director, who all chairs a council. They in turn answer to the head director of the United Nations Intelligence Services who answers to the Prime Minister and General Secretary of the United Nations Solar Alliance. The UNIS also cooperates heavily with the military and law enforcement, so much so that the UNIS has often been listed as a branch of the overall United Nations Allied Forces. While this is technically true, it operates fairly independently and is still a 'civilian' '-run body with a lot of military hardware and personnel.

Anastasia completed the reforms of the intelligence branch of the United Nations just when the MSI-SATO war erupted. The director's initial findings of the poor state of Minimar Specialized Industry's client states were more than enough to sway the SATO public to outright declare war on MSI, and the UNIS was crucial in pinpointing key MSI military strongholds to bypass that allowed the UNAF's tenth fleet and 1st army group to bypass fortifications and run a blitzkrieg through MSI space. Anastasia led recon operations against MSI, fermenting dissent and unrest in MSI client space that eventually resulted in the Green Wednesday, a multi-system uprising against MSI that would eventually lead to the founding of the Free Temina Coalition.

Anastasia retired from her posting in the UNIS after the war concluded, seeking to do some vacationing and exploring of the galaxy for herself. However, she returned during the Triple Crisis War, commonly known as the War on Heaven. After the previous head director was killed from the Taidai crossfire, Anastasia took command of the UNIS and led a brutal espionage campaign against the ancient powers. Themselves unfamiliar with covert-level intelligence gathering and espionage, the hostile ancient powers were constantly misdirected, confused, and tied down thanks to Anastasia's work and she is credited with buying SATO and allied forces several months to mobilize additional forces.

When the League of Non-Aligned Nations was formed to defeat the three crises, Anastasia was placed in Defacto command of all intelligence and lone special forces operations against the ancient powers. This included everything from Pathfinders hailing from the Commonwealth of Man, Stellar agents of the Federation's Bureau of Interstellar Analysis, Roccian Pack Raiders, United Nations JSTF operators, and more. She effectively did everything in her power to make life hell for the ancient powers and many Ancient Power leaders often blamed the director for their trouble. She has garnered the Nickname Misty Misstress, often leading operations in person and often escaping with [redacted]. It was her intel that allowed the 2309th Unified Assault Division and the 9th Sunray Shock Orbital Drop Troops Division to launch a raid on the Fanatic's world called the Archives, and her work resulted in many captured ancient technologies being researched, dissected, and analyzed by her people.

Like most other Crusaders, Anastasia retired from her work once the war was over and occupational and recovery operations were well underway and under the hands of equally capable leaders. She is known to have instructed further intelligence operators on the art of old Earth spycraft and even as an advisor during Operation Grimm Reaper, as well as aiding in the intelligence branch of anti-piracy operations. It is believed that she now rests on the Cybrex Ringworld, living a quiet life of-

[Warning, high-level user detected!]

[Edits in the process!]

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-As of 2916, Anastasia has chosen to leave retirement and join the Stellar Expeditionary Assault Forces as an intelligence advisor. Her work with dealing with the unusual and outright unknown has thickened the already well-experienced officer and leadership corp. If there's anyone who can make the Beta tick, it is with the prowling owl-like eyes of Anastasia Carras.