Chapter 61
Shepard, along with the executive staff of the Normandy sat in the CIC paying rapt attention to the holographic image hovering before them. At a podium, Hannah shepard, first Prime Minister of the systems alliance of Humans, Rothschild, Quarians, Geth and Krogan stood in upsettingly formal business attire giving news she'd hoped she'd never have to give to the billions of Alliance and nearly trillion other sentient beings with access to their feeds.
"So it is with a heavy heart, that we the leaders of the Systems Alliance declare an open state of war against the Batarian Hegemony. Their incursions on our borders, attacks on our citizens, and abhorrent use and promotion of the vile institution of slavery can and will not be tolerated. It is our hope to limit warfare to military assets and personnel, and any of the Hegemony who offer to surrender In peace will be given sanctuary and treated with the utmost care and respect. " Hannah stated. She then paused her voice wavering
"God, I never wanted this. None of us did. We truly hoped the horror of war was behind our peoples." Hannah said, a tear tracking down her eye. A blue hand appeared, resting on her shoulder, Hannah looked up and nodded gratefully as her image was replaced by that of Matriarch Benezia T'Soni.
"For centuries, since the discovery of the Batarian people by our fleets, we have met constantly with abductions, territorial incursions, and until now our hands were bound and we were unable to respond. That ends today. We of the Asari Republics stand with our friends the Systems Alliance in their war against the Hegemony. Our war." Benezia said, before stepping aside and being replaced by Castis Vakarian.
"The Turian Hierarchy, for the same reasons, will join our Alliance and Asari friends to combat the scourge of Hegemony-sponsored slavery and conquest that has been a plague to our races for so very long. " Castis said, standing aside and being replaced again by Prime Minister Shepard.
"The Alliance is grateful for the assistance of our friends the Asari and Turians, it is our sincerest hope that we are able to prosecute this war quickly and with a minimal loss of life. I will now defer to Admiral David Anderson to answer your questions. The image panned out to show the central government hall on Earth full to capacity with people of all races clamoring to ask questions. Behind Anderson, Benezia was helping Shepard back to a private room behind the podium.
Minutes later Hannah Shepard was leaning over a trash can emptying her stomach, Benezia standing beside her rubbing soothing circles on her back.
"Thanks, Ambassador. I'm sorry you had to see that." Hannah said.
"Not at all Prime Minister, While I don't revel in your discomfort it is reassuring to see how reluctant you are to go to war." Benezia said.
"Agreed, Prime Minister. Mine are a warlike people, but I don't revel in the idea of sending our young soldiers into the meat grinder like that. My own son serves on your daughter's ship." Castis said.
Just then the door burst open and Admiral Raan came rushing up to Hannah, hugging her.
"Careful, Shala, I just vomited." Shepard said
"Shut up, Hannah, Keelah I was so worried. You looked so lost." Raan said.
"I hate the idea of war. More than a century of peace we've managed, it's been tenuous some times and there were a few close calls, but more than a hundred years of peace and I just ended it." Shepard said.
"No, the Batarians ended it, Prime Minister. Their decisions forced your hands, everyone can see that quite clearly." Castis said.
"Thank you. Castis. I think I needed to hear that. I'll be ok, I just need to keep working. Admiral Raan, is the first stage of our assault in place?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, Rothschild is finishing up the sensor net now. In a couple of hours if a ship larger than a Krogan jumps to light speed in Batarian space we'll know about it and where it's headed." Raan said.
"Good. We need to hit the Hegemony hard, and bring them down fast. Quality intel will be key to that." Hannah said. Shortly after Admirals Hackett, Xen, Chambers, Korris, Zorah and Gerrel filed in, and holographic representations of Uvenk, Wrex and Bakara as well as Rothschild and a Geth platform popped into existence
"What is our status?" Hannah requested.
"Our contacts within the Hegemony are in place and reporting. So far they are undetected." Xen said, with Chambers nodding next to her.
"We've got eyes on the Salarian councilor and all around Salarian space but not within, we're as closed to ready for Salarian interference as we possibly can be." Chambers added
"90% of the fleet not committed to planetary and station defense have been fully upgraded and are battle ready with the remaining 10% slated to be completed and in reserve by the end of the month." Gerrel reported.
"Our primary forces are amassed at the border to Batarian space and ready to push forward, until the Asari and Turian fleets have completed mobilization and arrive we're going to engage in "island hopping" overwhelming and hitting the nearest colonies and stations at first, and liberating every slave we find."
"Shanxi and Freedom's Progress report their readiness to receive maximum total of twenty million refugees and freed slaves, with readiness for a further hundred million by the end of the month, several Asari and Turian worlds are preparing to accept refugees as well, and will report when they are ready." Korris reported.
"Battle groups have been established with the best commanders at the lead. Commander Shepard has been chosen to be the tip of the spear so to speak, we've placed her in charge of Task Force Alpha, primarily because of her history with other species. I expected grumbling from the dreadnought and cruiser captains about having to report to a lower-ranked officer but when they found out who it was nobody lodged a complaint." Anderson reported. A sharp spike of pride shot through Hannah at hearing this.
"Task Forces Gamma and Epsilon are comprised of personnel transports, hospital ships, and even an old cruise liner donated by an Earth corporation to aid the war effort. That'll be one hell of a tax write off. Their primary goal will be treating the wounded, removing slave chips and bringing liberated slaves safely behind the lines. They are being defended by a swarm of autonomous fighters, Geth, and a super carrier with its escort group." Hackett said.
"Humanitarian aid, and we really need to come up with a better word for that..." Raan said glaring playfully at Hannah getting a small chuckle out of her. "Is in preparation and ramping up hard on Alliance worlds and Colonies. The Krogan have been working overtime in crop production since so much of their arable land has been purged of contamination, the Quarians have been turning out huge amounts of textiles for clothing and blankets, and on Earth medical supplies and prefabbed housing are being prepared by civilian volunteers and generous companies." Raan reported.
"All boarding ships have been assigned specially trained Krogan marine squads, and we've devoted a significant fleet to patrol our small border with Salarian space." Wrex reported.
"There are currently fifty Krogan working as body guards for highly-placed Council officers including Councilor Tevos. While I am reluctant to describe any information they gather from those pyjacks as "Intelligence" it will all be reported immediately via QEC." Uvenk said.
"Tuchanka stands ready for its first righteous war since the Rebellions. The hearts of race beat as one, and our enemies will cringe in horror at the rumbling quake of a million Krogan feet marching to battle!" Bakara bellowed. Hannah looked at Wrex confusedly, and he grinned.
"It's a pregnancy thing. Near the end they get... protective." Wrex said, looking in pride at his mate. Hannah nodded.
"The Kar'shan data banks are a playground to a billion Geth as well as my meddling ass. Gonna take a big-ass data dump all over the place in about three hours. We also have the sensor net going strong and our mini-fighters are in place and ready to deploy." Rothschild reported.
"What he said." said the Geth platform standing next to him, while pointing a thumb at Rothschild's hologram.
"You've been a terrible influence on them." Shepard said
"Yeah I have!" Rothschild said, beaming with pride at the Geth.
"We were unable to pull the Destiny ascension from the CDF, however Asari warships are already at your border with the Batarians assembling." Benezia said, reading from a data sheet on her omnitool.
"We regret similar news with the Tarka, Rek, and Juunal, they are to remain with the CDF for now, but we still have two dozen dreadnoughts and their support ships. We've interspersed our vessels with yours and have placed them under the command of your battle groups." Castis said. Shepard nodded.
"Thank you all, I hope some day we can put all of you out of work, but until then I cannot overstate how grateful I am for all of you and all who serve under your command. It is an honor to be amongst you all." Hannah said.
"Admiral Talas, I want your dreadnoughts prepared to fire on the outposts' primary defensive array on my mark. Avoid the power, life support and habitation sections at all costs." Shepard ordered.
"Aye aye, Commander. Talas out." The elderly Turian Admiral said. At first it felt strange for him to be receiving orders from a lower-ranking officer, but after meeting the young woman he immediately understood why she'd been placed in charge.
"Joker, status report." Shepard yelled from the CIC
"All systems green commander, we're holding steady at the rendezvous." Joker reported.
"Ash, is our crew ready?" Shepard asked
"Aye ma'am. All sections reporting full readiness." Ashley Williams said, her eyes never leaving the status panel.
"Open a channel to the battle group." Shepard said, and Ashley did so, shortly after a soft tone was emitted by the comm console.
"This is Commander Urdnot Jane Shepard Vas Normandy. Today we embark upon an unprecedented campaign. We are the tip of the spear. Do not be fooled, our enemy is greater than the foes we face today, because what we are making a stand against is more than just a heavily defended outpost and several thousand armed, trained defenders. We have committed ourselves to a fight to the death against the tyranny of conquest and slavery.
Know that today we have accomplished that which our dreaded enemy thought never possible. Today, Human, Quarian, Krogan, Geth, Turian and Asari forces along with Rothschild have stood united in arms against those would repeat the same mistakes our ancestors made. When you hear the call to charge, remember we fight for the oppressed. We fight for those who live in fear. Remember Shanxi! Remember Arcturus! ATTACK!" Shepard bellowed, then issued the commands for the dreadnoughts to open fire.
Across the battlefield a few silent bright flashes were spotted in the vicinity of the dreadnoughts followed seconds later by the earth-shattering boom of the AA guns across the surface of the outpost exploding and partially vaporizing. Turian tungsten was no joke, it seemed. After a few more volleys the Batarians were offensively crippled.
"Report!" Shepard yelled.
"All anti-aircraft defenses are down, power is at 75% and life support is holding." Ash reported.
"Kurg, is your team ready?" Shepard asked.
"Aye Commander, waiting on your word." Kurg responded from the docking bay.
"Dreadnoughts, cease fire. Cruisers and Frigates, move forward and prepare to deploy ground troops." Shepard ordered, shortly receiving acknowledgments from all ship commanders.
"Rothschild, what's going on over there?" Shepard asked.
"The Batarians are running around like chickens with their dicks cut off." Rothschild said.
"That's not how that saying goes." Shepard said.
"Shut up meatbag. Anyway they're handing out weapons to the slaves and ordering them to hold the entrances. They don't know that their slave chips are being interfered with." Rothschild continued.
"Excellent. Please broadcast our message." Shepard asked the AI. Rothschild nodded.
"Slaves of the Batarian Hegemony, the signal that controls your implants is being suppressed by the AI known as Rothschild. Your oppressors have just armed you, and have no way of controlling you with pain any longer. Please do with that information what you will." a monotonous computer generated voice announced over the outpost's PA system. The station then erupted in immediate chaos as slavers and hegemony-loyalists began dropping dead with smoking holes between their four eyes.
"Commander we've got heavy incoming. Looks like 12 dreadnought class ships and several dozen smaller vessels, ETA 2 minutes." Joker reported.
"That didn't take long. Let the rest of the Alpha group know. Rothschild you got any info on them?" Shepard looked over to see Rothschild's hologram looking confused.
"Oh my the plot thickens. Commander it looks like half of those dreadnoughts coming in are Salarian ships." Rothschild said.
"Oh that's very interesting." Shepard said, honestly not very surprised.
"Good news is they're ancient rickety pieces of shit." Rothschild stated. As if simply to prove his point the enemy ships dropped out of FTL and in the process one of the Salarian ships separated from its drive section, which immediately exploded leaving the rest of the ship adrift.
"Fuck! This is Commander Shepard to the Lokuu, engage stealth and head over to that debris field now, there could be survivors!" Shepard ordered into the communication console.
"Understood Commander." the the other ship's captain acknowledged as it broke off of formation and headed towards the crippled ship. The Quarian-designed cruiser was weaving in and out of the line of fire with agility one would expect from a ship a fraction the size, and less than a minute later it was scanning the derelict for survivors. Without warning the Normandy shuddered and the lighting on the command deck dimmed as a Salarian energy weapon tested the kinetic barriers.
"Joker Evasive maneuvers!" Shepard said, rather pointlessly as the Pilot was already in the process of some of the most impressive aerial acrobatics known to the Alliance fleet.
"Lieutenant Vakarian, fire at will!" Shepard yelled, and instead of acknowledging the order he answered by converting the enemy fighter that had fired upon them into a cloud of vapor and debris.
All across the sector fighting raged on. The Alliance were slowed by their insistence on disabling the larger ships instead of destroying them outright, given what they'd known of Batarian battle doctrine there was no reason to believe these ships weren't crewed by slaves.
"Rothschild, do what you can to save them, please!" Shepard yelled.
"Already on it Commander. Get your ships ready to collect survivors, the slaves are aware that the chip signal's down." Rothschild reported. Shepard looked at the holographic map in front of her and saw that all of the new ships had ceased fire and were no longer moving.
"This is a general order to Alpha group. Secure the enemy vessels." Shepard relayed.
"Commander Shepard. This is Captain Kana Duura vas Lokuu. We have secured the Salarian vessel and collected as many survivors as we could find. The rest of the ship's hands have surrendered and are being loaded aboard the Lokuu. No way of knowing how many were lost just yet." The captain reported.
"Excellent work Captain, you're a credit to us all. Keep me posted." Shepard asked.
"Acknowledged. Duura out." the captain announced.
"Status?" Shepard asked.
"Bringing down all the dreadnoughts took a lot of the fuck you out of them. The rest of the fighters and frigates are landing at the outpost. Looks like it's a ground war from here." Ashley reprted.
"Ok, let's go fuck some slavers up. All ground forces prepare to attack the outpost!" Shepard ordered.