AN: We're back to it. "MElessSmasher," this is a cultural exterminatus, the other Legio are not built for that. "wolves567," the Legio have existed since the prologue. "Slim A Lou Prime," they would probably just burn everything not a slave…and the Emperor has plans. "John092," that was never a concern. "Clare Prime of Ultra," He'll show up at some point. "Captain Titus Invictus," who says he hasn't. By the end of the campaign he'll have one. Edge of the Empire is a Total Waresque series. Let's just say, very complete, and leave it at that. Anyways, let's get down to it.
Speech
Thoughts
Radio/machine speech/scene change
The Death of a Culture
Batarian Space, Hegidor Prime: Ten minutes after the last chapter
The Hegemony didn't listen to the Emperor's warning. This was mainly due to the fact that they had ALREADY prepared before launching the assault. While the political big wigs on Karshan might think no one would dare go to war over a simple raid, no matter how large, their military knew otherwise.
Fortified combat stations filled the space around the primary world, each armed with a cannon as powerful as a dreadnought; backed by a fleet of one hundred ships of various classes. And on the ground they had emplaced numerous anti-orbital batteries, as well as deploying over a million slave soldiers specially trained for war.
The only reason the desolate world of Hegidor had been given such a defense, was because it was the main relay into the Batarian Hegemony from the Imperium. There were more fleets held in reserve behind the lines, waiting to crush the Imperials when they finally arrived.
The Hegemony's military was fairly confidant of victory, and had even pre-recorded speeches for when the Imperium failed. Unfortunately, all their bragging and confidence would come to nothing.
Jagged tears in the fabric of reality opened up, and the Imperial task force slid out back into real space. Shock and horror filled the minds of the defenders when they caught sight of the massive warship in the lead, the massive "Bearer of the Word."
Hangers of the Bearer of the Word:
The massive hangers were full of activity. Drone fighters and MS were being pumped out at an extraordinary rate, as were "pacification droids." But despite this, there was a calm mass of ten thousand Legionaries standing in formation.
In front of the Legionaries stood two figures; one in chaplain armor, and the other in the armor of a Legate. They were Chaplain Kerubiel and Legate Rogziel respectively. The Legate spoke firmly: "Brothers and sisters, as you are all aware, the Emperor has ordered us to chastise the Batarians for their attack upon the Imperium, and upon our recently reclaimed Quarian cousins."
"Today we embark on an operation not seen since the Great Crusade over ten thousand years ago; we are setting out to annihilate not a race, but a culture. The Emperor demands that no trace of Batarian culture be left once we are done." Here he paused, as pre-prepared automatons came up from the elevator behind him, and opened several crates containing seals and parchment which they handed out.
"I thought it fitting, since we are to resurrect one facet of the Crusade, to resurrect another. I call upon each of you, to join me in making an Oath of Moment." The hanger seemed suddenly devoid of all noise as that pronouncement was heard. Then, as one, the Legionaries dropped to a knee with their various melee weapons before them.
Nodding once, the Legate continued: "Do you of the Sixth and Seventh Battalions of the Imperial Heralds swear to uphold Imperial Honor in the face of the enemies of the Imperium? Do you swear to bring ruination upon the enemies of the Imperium, leaving not a single stone upon another of their old culture? Do you swear to bring honor back to the name of our Legio, and leave a campaign that will aid in wiping away the stain our forbearers left?"
As one, the ten thousand Legionaries replied: "By this matter, and these weapons, we so swear! None shall find us wanting!"
Rogziel smiled beneath his helm as he ordered the tenth company of both battalions to the surface to cleanse it of the slave soldiers guarding it. By the time the drop pods were loaded and launched, two minutes later, the Batarian orbital defenses had been smashed and their surface guns silenced.
As soon as the pods cleared the ship, the fleet split up into multiple pincers, their goal to overwhelm the Batarians before they could form a cohesive response. The Fleet Carrier, "Watchful Gaze," would remain behind, deploying extra ships to capitalize on momentum.
Planet's surface: Slave Soldier X-0894
X-0894, a Turian born in captivity and raised from birth as a soldier of the Masters, waited along with his platoon for the inevitable assault. The defensive guns had been silenced by the invaders, and the masters' fleet was in ruins. But they, the loyal defenders of the masters, would hold their ground.
They were armed with the best weapons and armor the Hegemony could produce, Raider Power Armor and Kartak general use weapons. They had learned well from their experiences fighting the Blue Suns. The sound of objects breaking the sound barrier drew his eyes sky word. For the first time in his "service," the slave soldier felt fear.
They had all seen the reports on the Raven Guard counter attack, they knew what these pods were. While they didn't bear the livery of the Ravens, that just meant they didn't know the fighting style of their attackers. Though one thing was for sure, no matter what it was, it would be unstoppable unless they concentrated all their firepower against the armored butchers.
The commanding officer on the ground, another slave soldier, ordered a concentration of force as soon as they knew what was coming. Watching the pods for a second before following his orders, he knew the pods were dropping far from their positions. Part of him hoped that it was a mistake on their part, but a larger part he ignored through training, knew it was to allow them to gather together, rather than having to chase them down.
It took a half an hour for them to gather, a half an hour before the Legionaries moved from their drop zones. Finally though, the Legionaries advanced on the defenders. Despite being infantry, the radar clocked them at a speed of one hundred fifty kilometers per hour. Within a minute they were within firing range of the heavier ordinance.
The rounds they fired were dead on, and a ragged cheer went through the ranks as cruiser and frigate weight ordinance slammed into the targets. That jubilation ended when they realized they were still coming, their armor not even scratched. More and more fire poured in against the attackers, but still on they came those two hundred.
Then, the Legionaries returned fire, their shots were dead on despite being outside small arm range. Hundreds fell every second. Bolter shells ripped the slave soldiers apart, body parts simply vanishing where the high caliber rounds impacted, leaving only bloody mists. Laser rounds burned through armor and organic materiel alike, causing flesh to melt or explode from overheating.
But the plasma rounds were both the best and worst, as they exploded on contact, and killed all those in a five meter radius from each hit instantly; those that were out of the blast range had their armor fuse to their bodies, resulting in them screaming in agony as they writhed on the ground, before dying of nerve damage.
The horrifying shooting resulted in half of the defenders being dead before the Legionaries even entered melee range. That was when the true horror began. Nothing could touch these…these…GODS made manifest. They were faster than any being had the right to be, weaving their way through in a lethal dance of death. Whatever they touched, whether it be with melee weapons, or armored body, died horribly; those cut with one of their weapons died swiftly, their life essences sprayed everywhere from brutal wounds. But those hit by the body of a Legionary died in horrific agony as their body shattered under the physical force, but before their brain was overwhelmed in pain they would die from their blood no longer circulating, as their veins exploded upon contact.
X-8094 was the last to die, curled up in a fetal position; his mind shattered by fear and horror. In the last seconds before his death, his brain grasped the truth. There was never any hope for the Hegemony to stop the Imperials, and no power in the galaxy could stand before them should they unleash their full power. His last thought, was wishing that he could share his revelation with the galaxy, before a power sword decapitated him with a single stroke.
Karshan: Imperial Intelligence agent "Cypher 20:"
Cypher 20 was one of the Imperium's many infiltrators within the Batarian Hegemony. His age, name, gender, and race all deleted from records upon becoming a Cypher. He was currently disguised as a minor noble in the Batarian council, as he had been for the past six years. On the surface he had made "friends" in the "august" body, but in reality he hated nearly all of them.
He hated their arrogance, he hated their stupidity, he hated their looks…Anything he could find to hate, he did. In fact he only barely even tolerated the few reformers on the council, and it was only through a supreme act of will and obedience to his orders that he hadn't slaughtered them all.
Suddenly, as some worm was going on about how the Imperial counter attack would be crushed, his implant pinged. A new order, briefly reading it, a cold smile crossed his face. This coincided with the end of the councilman's talk. And Cypher 20 rose to speak.
After being acknowledged, his voice rang out: "Gentlemen, as you are aware I served on this council for six years. I would like to reveal something, before the end." Here the bombs he planted two years ago detonated, sealing the chambers.
The assassin allowed the Polymorphine he had been using to recede, revealing the form of an armored human: "I never was on your side anyway." After saying that he proceeded to leisurely cut down the members of the council, using blade and pistol; blood ran in rivers where his blade cut through concealed armor on politicians, full on armor plating of guards, and flesh; grey matter, blood, bone fragments, and other viscera stained walls where 1.00 caliber bolter slew targets.
The best part though, the assassin reflected, was that his massacre was being broadcast live across Batarian space. So they would know their civilian government was dead, leading to wide spread panic and horror…making them even easier prey for the invasion force.
Across the length and breadth of the Hegemony, similar decapatory strikes were occurring, ranging from killing certain public figures, to outright annihilation of military targets. This chaos did its job, and further eased the Imperial assault.
Torfan: Sergeant Shepard:
Shepard waited in the hull of the frigate Lusitania, he had been assigned, along with two companies of ODST and Stormtroopers, to take Torfan. It was an important hub for pirate activity, as well as home to several slave processing centers, vile places where the Batarians examined the slave intake and decided what their new life would be and what center would "bring out their true selves."
The one hundred organic Imperials were to be augmented by a force of twenty thousand war droids, and if they needed more they could construct foundries to mass produce more droids as well as heavier equipment. Then the order came down, it was time to drop.
The hanger opened, revealing the burning defensive fleet, and the planet below. The ODST jumped out of the hanger, their armor proof against the void and the stresses of entering the atmosphere, their targets being the slave markets and garrisons. Meanwhile the Stormtroopers descended slightly slower in gunships, they would hit the ports on the ground. Seconds after the organics deployed, the four Imperial vessels in orbit bombarded the planet, not with weapons, but hyper accelerated drop pods full of troopers in ODST and Stormtrooper style chassis.
The pods decelerated right before the ground, and deployed their compliment of Troopers a dozen feet above ground level. This was SOP for the Special Forces of the Imperial Marine Corps, shock and awe with overwhelming firepower at the right point. Most of the forces landed and found their areas as intel had described, Shepard however found himself facing longer odds than anticipated.
His target had been a simple structure with two stories and a basement, at least according to intel. But as he opened fire on a squad that exited an elevator that scans hadn't even detected, he knew he was in for an interesting time.
After he entered the elevator, the mechanism used to suspend it ceased to function, and plummeted. When it hit the ground it pancaked around him, though his armor protected him. Checking his location, the Sergeant was surprised to see he was now two thousand feet below the surface, to get back up he would have to take the stairs and fight through who knows how many Batarians… "Just your average Tuesday in the ODST," he thought with a wry smile.
As he headed into the facility, he sent a notice to the officer in charge of this blitz that droids were needed to prevent escape from the facility. He half heard the acknowledgement as he advanced into the facility, his gun in SMG mode.
He advanced methodically, checking every room. Most of the rooms on this floor were storage with one or two deserted barracks facilities. When he got into the stairwell, he came under fire from the Batarian defenders, two squads of them. However, much like on Arcadia, the rounds disintegrated on contact with his shield.
His return fire, on the other hand, had no trouble putting down the Batarians. It was over in ten seconds. Leaving the smoldering Batarian remains in their now useless defensive position, Michael continued further into the facility.
Floor by floor, corridor by corridor, room by room, the ODST cleared the facility in his relentless advance. By the time he hit the top floor he had killed another six thousand or so Batarians, and liberated forty thousand newly "acquired" slaves.
As the mass exited the base, they were greeted by the sight of fifty wardroids and an officer in an elaborate dress uniform. This new comer was easily identified as Ciaphas Cain, he had a wry look on his face as Jergan handed him a cup of tana: "Shepard, hell of a job down there. Intel really dropped the ball here. I'm putting you on for a DSC for this, it'll go nicely with the Star of Tera the governor of Arcadia put you in for."
Shepard nodded as he watched the recently saved citadel inhabitants get on the transport: "Yes sir, though I don't think I deserve either. I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Anyone could have done what I did."
Cain laughed as he slapped Shepard on the back: "That's half the secret to being successful in this trade, luck. By the throne, my entire career is built on being at the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time…you get my point on that though."
Taking a sip of tana, the colonel continued: "Just as a heads up, interested groups in the Imperium are going to take a vested interest in your career now. I wouldn't be surprised if several Legions had a cold war to recruit you."
The Sergeant grimaced: "Er, yes sir. I don't suppose that my saying I would prefer to stay in the ODST would dissuade them overly sir? I'd rather be on the front lines, rather than kept back for shows of force, or to counter the Western Front issues...There is still a more than half of the Galaxy unexplored, who knows what might be out to the east?"
The old vet smiled: "I imagine that some Legion Commanders will be disappointed, but we do need all the fighting men we have able to fight; and the ODST can't really spare a man of your caliber just so the Legios can boast of another hero in their ranks. I'll pass on your wishes along with the recommendation, doctored to be more 'polite' of course."
Shepard visibly relaxed: "Thank you sir. I appreciate it."
A mischievous twinkle appeared in the former Commissar's eye: "Though you might get a promotion instead for your modesty. Officers with clear heads and small egos are rare. See you around Shepard."
With that, the Hero of the Imperium left, whistling a jaunty tune, all the while ignoring Michael's protests that he didn't want to be an officer.
Karshan: Two hours into the invasion:
Karshan, capital of the Batarian Hegemony, in peace it was heavily fortified, and any willing visitors who could leave afterwards reported a feeling of malice and hate even looking at it. This feeling would now be suffocating as the defenses around the planet had reached double the size of those around Palaven pre-343.
The defenders hoped that the great distance between Karshan and the border would deplete the attacking Imperials. Indeed, the defenses of the worlds before this had been arranged in such a way as to attempt to bleed the Imperials dry. It was a sound plan, indeed if any other race in the known galaxy had tried it might have worked.
Unfortunately for the defenders, they were soon greeted by the sight of the Bearer of the Word emerging from slipspace; followed swiftly by one hundred other smaller ships. To their credit, the defenders didn't panic, and opened a disciplined barrage from every available gun in the system.
Despite the frenzied advancement since first contact with the Imperium making the guns defending Karshan some of the most dangerous outside of the Imperium, they had just as much trouble as the Turians at Pavalen over a decade ago even scratching the paint on the attacking vessels.
In fact even more so, as Aristotle, the AI aboard the Bearer, noted that none of the hits so much as registered on their shields. For a fraction of a second, the Imperials felt something akin to pity. But only due to how weak the defenders were, and how unworthy the Batarians were as foes. But then they got down to the matter at hand, and returned fire.
Brilliant beams of light and globules of plasma smashed into the comparatively primitive ships of the Hegemony. Each shot claimed at least one ship or station, vaporizing them under a barrage of intense heat and energy. Some rounds missed, and hit the planet. Those areas turned to glass, as everything was vaporized in a kilometer from the impact zone.
All the while, the Imperial fleet got closer to the planet, shrugging off every round that struck them. They were advancing slowly, more for intimidation than anything else. When the space around the planet was cleared five minutes later, the Bearer of the Word brought its special weapons to bear.
In a scene out of an early twentieth century disaster movie, the barrels on the EMP cannons glowed ominously. And then, without warning, they fired. The rounds moved slowly, it was over a minute from firing to it actually affecting the planet. But when it did, the effect was immediate, the whole planet went dark.
As soon as that happened, the ground forces deployed. It was time to seize the jewel in the Batarian crown.
Surface:
The previous encounters between the actual Imperial Military and the Batarians had been one sided slaughter fests as is. But that was with the Batarians armed. Imagine the scene now. Over three million combat forces, granted they were mostly trooper droids, descended on a world inhabited by over eighty billion. Eighty billion without power to their weapons and armor, twenty billion of whom were slaves, fie billion still with enough will to take a knife to their "masters."
It was a massacre of unprecedented scale in Citadel history. Millions died in seconds, unable to stop the slaves, or killed by Imperial Military forces. After the initial landing the Imperials spread out, "pacifying" the planet. Any who surrendered were spared and herded into concentration camps for "reconditioning," those who did not died in short order.
It was just a matter of mopping up for the most part, although the "Ashen Circles" who ran the camp had a bigger job. Destroying the Batarian mind set and culture, and rebuilding them from the ground up; it was a challenge they looked forward to. They would turn the Batarians from the scum they were, into nearly model citizens…Of course their genetics not being human prevented them from being perfect…But hey, the ISB was working on it…In the meantime they would be perfect fodder for the Western Front once reconditioned.
Similar things were happening all over the former Batarian Hegemony. Even though it would take another two hours before the invasion was completely done, the ground work for the future was already underway.
Tera: Imperial Palace: Four hours after the fall of Karshan, two after the end of all Batarian resistance
The Emperor stood before the Senate, waiting for the signal that the transmission was going out to the entire galaxy. One of his Custodian Guards, a member of one of the support cadres, nodded once to show they were ready. Taking a breath, the Emperor spoke: "Citizens of the Galaxy. As you all know, as of seven hours ago, the Imperium has been at war with the Batarian Hegemony."
Here he paused for effect: "I am PLEASED to report that the Hegemony has ceased to exist as of two hours ago. In accordance with the traditions of our distant past, we will rebuild the Batarians into a race worthy of the title 'sentient.' This is not for debate. Until we feel the Batarians are able to reintegrate with galactic society, we will be keeping them under guard; much like one would a dangerous criminal…"
The Emperor spoke for another five minutes, outlining roughly what was going to happen to the Hegemony without going too far into detail. As he finished, he felt a strange sensation in the Unknown Regions.
Next time: ?
Codex: Ashen Circle
A vestige of the old Legion formation; the Ashen Circle are experts in "re-education" and the destruction of knowledge. Silent and aloof, these warriors are one of the elite cadres of their legion. When rapid assaults are needed, they are called on. When cultures must be brought in line with Imperial doctrine, they are brought in, to subtly change them. And when the Emperor demands the destruction of a culture, THEY are brought in. They are the Ashen Circle. And you cannot hide your deviance from them.
Codex: Mysterious signals
Imperial Intelligence has detected several signals of unknown origins…Several in the space between galaxies, these are believed to be the signals of the ones controlling the Mega Nids. Several prowlers have been sent to discover the truth. There are also several in the region beyond the Citadel, and the Terminus systems. These are a lower priority to Intelligence then the ones to the West…As they have ninety percent of the Imperium's effective military might lock up there.
Codex: C.N.N. Poll on the opinion of the fall of the Hegemony
The poll on the overall opinion was positive, in favor of the Imperium taking control. Overwhelmingly so in many races cases, the Turians and Asari for instance. Really the only ones NOT pleased were the Batarians who had been outside the Hegemony, before they "vanished;" and the Hanar, still angered by the Imperium "discarding the gifts of the enkindlers."
Codex: Shepard, a Rising Hero
In the days after the Batarian conflict, an award ceremony was held for Shepard. It was an event full of all the proper military pomp and circumstance, during which Shepard was given the Star of Tera, a DSC, and an Iron Cross second class for his actions during the brief conflict. As well as this, he was promoted from Sergeant, to Staff Sergeant. Afterwards there was a lovely reception.
The only negative part of the day of the ceremony? Shepard had to be ORDERED to come and accept his award and promotion. The half Eldar was off fighting pirates to try and avoid his awards.
During the ceremony he gave an interview that contained a single line that summed up his view: "I'm just a lucky man. Anyone could be in my shoes, anyone could do what I did with what I had. If I deserve these medals, then the CDF troopers who died doing their duty deserve more." Indeed, it seemed the Imperium's newest hero was the most modest man to walk the galaxy.
We'll leave you with one other piece of information. Shepard, after the ceremony, "requested" to be redeployed to the front so he could: "Actually earn these medals fighting the enemies of the Imperium."
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