29 March 2156
Turian dreadnaught Hierarchy fist
Admiral Arterius wasn't at all happy with this invasion. Being forced as an advisor under fleet admiral Julrus Marthus didn't do much to ease his fear of the terran coalition and their technological advantage. He knew that even if they succeeded, many lives would be lost and total victory was uncertain. Councillor Tevos was right. No matter the potential benefits, attacking the humans without reason, only to conquer them, was very wrong, logically and morally.
"I see you aren't very enthusiastic about the coming battle." said fleet admiral Marthus.
Desolas turned towards his superior, his disdain clear as day:
"With all due and respect sir, but I believe this attack is wrong. Not because they defeated me, but now we are attacking them again just to force them to become a client state. I will follow my orders, but it doesn't mean I have to like this mission."
he said truthfully.
Marthus sighed and sat next to Desolas:
"I don't like it either Arterius, but orders are orders and we are expected to follow them. I appreciate your input nonetheless. Anything else I should know about the humans?"
"Well sir, there is one thing that is bothering me. The STG said that their fleet and land army is small and that they possess no dreadnaughts because apparently they have centuries to see combat. But isn't the fact that they sent 10 heavily armed ships to protect a relay opening suspicious? It's like they waited for something to come out from the other side. Also, their commanding officer, Lana Kushner, who destroyed my fleet commanded like she fought a thousand battles. She managed to separate and weaken our formation and made excellent use of these stealth ships. I don't care what the STG said, the terran coalition works like they are in full mobilization and high alert. I highly doubt they don't possess dreadnaughts and their army is complacent. I am certain they have an enormous army hidden and a fleet that could match ours. I'm sure that we are heading to a trap sir. This is what you should know." Desolas finished.
"I pray to the spirits you are wrong admiral Arterius. But no matter what happens, we will show them the might of the turian people. We survived the krogan rebellions, pirates and slavers and there's no way I will betray the memory of the fallen."
Marthus said.
"I also hope that I am wrong fleet admiral, I really do. Because if I am not, Shanxi will be painted blue from turian blood." Desolas said.
Shanxi, same time
"All the civilians are in the underground bunkers. 3rd, 5th and 8th SMACC trooper corps deployed defences, repair stations and trauma centers in strategic positions
and are garrisoned in all major cities. Thanatonaut corps Charlie, Lima and Quebec are battle ready and awaiting for further orders. Director Espinoza sent us CISP cell Cerberus and director Omega 100 psychic commandos. Director MacLeod sent the 2nd and 5th fleets under admiral Kastanie Drencher. They will arrive shortly. Overall, we have a strong land army, but not enough ships to rout the incoming turian fleet yet General Williams."
"Thank you Gerald. That will be all." Williams said and dismissed his AI assistant.
Williams sat down and did the numbers himself. Total land forces were 150000 SMACC troopers with 3000 tanks and walkers, 150000 Thanatonauts fully armed and armored, 5000 CISP operators, 100 psychic commandos. Not bad at all to stop the invasion force. The Shanxi defence fleet was consisting of 15 cruisers, 25 destroyers and 60 frigates. Also, captain Kushner's additional 2 cruisers, 4 destroyers, 4 frigates and 3 batarian destroyers. Total, 133 ships, no dreadnaughts or carriers. Which meant the incoming turian fleet was almost 3 times larger and the ground invasion force almost 2 times larger. Williams would have his work cut out fofor him.
"Gerald, send a message to the captains of all fleet assets. Tell them to avoid direct confrontation with the turian fleet unless ordered otherwise. What is the ETA of the reinforcements arrival?"
"Message sent general. Also, the reinforcements will come in 9 hours."
Gerald answered.
"Now we wait." General Andrew Williams said, putting his elbows on the desk and linked his fingertips together, waiting for the coming invasion.
Shanxi, Garrison 2B
"BY THE PILLARS! What are these things?"
Abakor yelped at the close view of Zaeed's desolator type 1 power suit.
"This is my power armor. Desolator type 1. These hoses spray a deadly liquid that strips flesh off the bone and later disintegrates them both in a few seconds. This cannon fires globs of corrosive material that melts metal, polymer and even ceramic into goop. The older versions were using nuclear waste, now we make the ammunition with special nanomachines."
"You really are a ruthless bastard, aren't you Zaeed?" Abakor said, used to his companion's terrifying demeanor.
Zaeed laughed and answered:
"Haha, flattery won't earn you a rematch junior. Try not to die and if we both survive... Oi, Tadius, we have any spare power suits around here?"
Tadius Ahern was the leader of the 6th platoon thanatonaut were Zaeed was serving. Being a no nonsense leader and a tough as nails bastard, made Zaeed treat him with respect. However, that didn't keep Zaeed from running his foul mouth and also completely disregarding proper rank and protocol, even in front of rear admiral Boris Mikhailovich, when he started shouting to his commanding officer, lieutenant Girard, and finished with the phrase: "Go and shove it up you ass you godamn pencil pushing turd!"
because he considered Zaeed too reckless for the thanatonaut corps. Tadius didn't mind his attitude as long as he got the job done.
"Yeah. Why you asking?" Tadius asked.
""Nothing. Just want to show this four eyed mook here our tools of the trade."
Zaeed said innocently.
Tadius didn't really buy it:
"I recommend a juggernaut or an incinerator. Easier to use." he said as he left.
"Hoohoo, it's your lucky day kiddo. You will wield a power armor. Come, I will show you where we can find one." Zaeed said and pulled Abakor from the hand. A bit later, they reached a warehouse that looked deserted. Inside where a few power armors on reserve. One of each kind. Just perfect.
"Like all thanatonauts say, pain and death come in many flavors. Which one you prefer Abakor?" Zaeed asked.
"Can you tell me what each of these do before I choose?" Abakor asked back.
"Well, ignoring the technobabble about power sources, circuits and and all that crap, the black one is the incinerator. Dual wield flamethrowers and incendiary missiles. A real tongue burning piece of engineering. You already saw the green one, the desolator type one, the red is the deaolator type 2. It utilizes a rad gun that turns anything it shoots into a radioactive pile. It can also contaminate the ground with lethal radioactivity. You can change the firing mode into the plasma beam to turn enemy armor into boiled sludge.
And last but not least, if you prefer the classics, the blue one is the juggernaut. Dual chainguns and dedicated SAM system. Sweeps the ground and the skies.
You don't have to worry about ammo or energy either. They possesses top of the line energy reactors and ammo assembling nanomachines. So, what do you pick?"
"Hmmm, I'll take the incinerator." Abakor chose.
"You are a bit of a psychotic arsonist yourself too huh? Excellent. I'll help you wear it and teach you the basics."
Zaeed said.
4 hours later...
Turian dreadnaught Hierarchy fist
"We are closing to Shanxi fleet admiral."
shouted the XO.
"All stations, get ready for battle! The humans killed 30000 of our fellow soldiers and compatriots. They will pay with blood and tears their sin. Shanxi will burn and humanity will learn to fear the wrath of the hierarchy. Get ready for war brothers and sisters in arms! It's time for war."
Fleet admiral Marthus ended his speech to rouse the turians to fight better. The resounding cheers meant it worked.
"Ready the guns for orbital bombardment.
When the troops get groundside, provide support only on their say so." Martus ordered further.
"Sir. The humans are hailing us!" the XO said.
Marthus was intrigued and ordered to put them through.
"This is general Andrew Williams of the Shanxi defence forces. You entered human territory without permission. Leave immediately or you will be destroyed." he warned.
Admiral Marthus was aware of the nerve these humans possessed, but to hear it with his own ears sent a chill to his spine.
"This is fleet admiral Julrus Marthus of the turian hierarchy. The destruction of our patrol at relay 314 won't go unpunished. Surrender or Shanxi will burn." he tried to intimidate the human general.
General Andrew 'I don't give a fuck' Williams didn't earn his nickname by being polite. Protocol demanded patience and politeness, even against enemies. But when someone ignored him or his warnings, the gloves were off.
"I tried to warn you metal faced cunt. Well, if you insist... papa spaaaank." he said in a joyous tone and closed the commlink. He turned to his tactical display and ordered his frigates to strike as many turian targets as possible.
Back to the Hierarchy fist
"SIR, WE HAVE MULTIPLE CASUALTIES!
WE CAN'T DETECT ANY ENEMY..."
someone screamed over the comm, which suddenly went silent.
Admiral Desolas didn't like that at all. Having to see so many more dying from these invisible frigates. It made him sick in the stomach. The strategist in him admired humanity's capacity of dealing death at such scale and efficiency, but it still didn't feel right.
He had to do something, anything to help.
There was only one solution:
"Fleet admiral. Please send me groundside. We cannot hit their fleet if we can't see them. We have to take Shanxi and their fleet won't be able to fire at their own planet. We have to beat them on the ground." Arterius pleaded.
"Alright admiral Arterius. The glory of victory or, spirits forgive, the consequences of defeat are yours."
They both exchanged salutes and each went to his position.
Shanxi, general Williams's combat center
While the frigates were successful at the most part, turian blind fire and overwhelming numbers managed to destroy 2 cruisers, 5 destroyers and 3 frigates. While inflicting about 30 casualties to the enemy, he just didn't have enough firepower to attack them directly. That let a lot of turian dropships land planetside intact despite the ground defences high volume anti air fire.
"Well, gotta hand it to the turians. They know shock and awe. Let's see how they can handle our ground forces." he monologued.
Shanxi, Garrison 2B
Abakor really enjoyed his time in the incinerator armor. Scorching turians and letting them die screaming in agony, trying to roll and extinguish the flames just put a smile on his face. Along with the 6th platoon thanatonauts, they were picking any turian unlucky enough to land close to them.
"Looks like I was right junior. You really are a deranged piece of shit." Zaeed goaded while spraying a turian squad that tried to take cover behind the wall. All except one were completely melted. The last one lost his right leg. Zaeed stomped on his skull to kill him.
"What can I say? I had the best fucking teacher... HEY YOU! MEET MY FLAMING FRIEND!" Abakor was interrupted by a turian who tried to tried to shoot him with a sniper rifle, only to take an incendiary missile to the face.
"...but seriously, thanks a lot. These suits make killing turians my favourite pastime."
Abakor finished, grabbing a flaming turian, who tried to crawl away, by the leg and throwing him on another.
"Say whatever you want, but if you really think you are the best, you are in for a nasty shock!" Tadius said as he shot a lightning bolt to what looked like a female turian, making her pop like a baloon. They all shared a laugh and continued killing turians, laughing and cackling like the madmen they were.
Shanxi, Garrison 6F
Sergeant Ronald Taylor of the SMACC corps was tending to a few injured civilians who didn't hide at the bunkers in time. He enlisted to help the building of new colonies and settlements. He didn't expect any of this. Despite his dislike of war, he focused, trying to heal a young boy with the new healing ray. Healing rays were a relatively new invention, made only 5 years prior, to treat frontline infantry. It worked pretty well so far and all the civilians were escorted to a safer location.
He had to survive for the sake of his wife. He would survive to teach his unborn son not to fall to the same mistakes he did.
In a corner he saw an injured turian soldier. He looked pretty bad, blue blood seeping from his abdomen. He tried to talk, but no voice was coming. Ronald knew he was the enemy, but leaving him to die like that was a mistake. So, he took the healing ray and pointed it towards the turian, who closed his eyes thinking he was about to die. To his surprise, a green ray jumped out of the nozzle, closing his wounds and allowing him to breath again. When he was finished, Ronald slapped a pair of handcuffs to the turian's wrists and
showed him a place to sit. They couldn't understand each other's language, but gratitude was visible to the turian's expression.
AN
This battle was long coming. I know, the final scene is a bit cheesy, but I don't consider humanity a bunch of ruthless killing machines, so here is Ronald Taylor who saved a turian but had the sense to take him prisoner.
