Beyond the Horizon

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 38

Imir System, Early January 2165

“The first of the shipyards over Korlus is coming online now,” Dr. Rogers said as she submitted her reports on the construction. “Using the Omniforges to print most of the ship using a mixture of materials from where we’re from and this strange new Galaxy looks to be fairly efficient. And given that our first shipment of Element Zero is supposed to be here by the time the first Glamdring needs her core.”

“Good,” I said as I glanced down at the report. “Any word on the yards over Veil, yet?”

“Yep,” Rogers said as she relaxed on my sofa. “The First one should be operational in March, with the first experimental Warship coming off of the yard in December of this year.”

“Dr. Kelley sent me figures for how fast we could be producing the Glamdring class destroyers a couple of weeks ago,” I said as I opened my slate and found the document that I was looking for. “He said that once we get both yards operating over Korlus at full capacity we could be looking at something like six to ten ships a year, and that number jumps up to a dozen ships a year once we really dial in the shipbuilding practices.”

“That doesn’t take into account us deciding to add another yard or two to the yards over Korlus,” Rogers said as she looked at the file I had just sent over to her slate. “It also doesn’t consider us deciding to begin production of the Glamdring in the yards that will be in place over Veil.” She sent over some revised numbers with explanations detailed in the margins.

“That’s nearly five ships a month,” I said as I flipped through. “Sixty ships a year will be more production out of one system than we ever had back home.”

“Now granted,” Rogers said as a caveat. “These kinds of numbers are only possible with one more Shipyard in Imir, and us utilizing the ones over Veil as support for building up a fleet of Destroyers before we get the rest of our fleet up and running.”

“Nothing in Imir will be over a cruiser,” I said with finality. “We’re going to be building the Carriers and Narsil class ships over Veil. That’s going to be hidden barring any major emergencies.”

“Then you’ll be restricted in fleet growth,” Rogers said bluntly. “Now, I am tired and have been up since yesterday. I’m going to bed.” The woman stood up and left my office without so much as an extra goodbye.

–
–
Veil, late January 2165
“Yvonne!” Natasha stood up and greeted the once Khan of the Jade Falcon Clan. “How are you enjoying motherhood?” She asked as she scooped the three-month-old baby out of the young mother’s arms.

“Why did you ever do this?” Yvonne asked as she rubbed at her tired eyes. “While it is satisfying in an odd way, I am tired and have no clue what I am doing.”

“You will get used to it,” Natasha smiled at the other woman as she held the girl that was trying to pull on her fiery hair. “MacIntosh seemed to be treating you well.”

“Yes,” Yvonne smiled tiredly. “I believe that he is the only one keeping me sane at this point.”

“That is how I felt when Mark and I first had David,” Natasha confided to Yvonne. “And I was terrified of doing something wrong because I had no idea what I was doing.” Natasha met Yvonne’s eyes. “Don’t make the same mistake I did. Be present for the formative years, and be an active presence in her life. You’ll be happier that way.”

“I want to return to the Ducal Guard,” Yvonne replied. “I have been held back for too long.”

“Your body is still in need of rest,” Natasha said in response as she passed the baby MacIntosh/Hazen back to the new mother. “Have the two of you decided on a name yet?”

“Neg,” Yvonne shook her head as she began breastfeeding the young girl. “Ian wants to name her Elizabeth, but I am not sure as of yet.”

“Elizabeth Hazen or Elizabeth MacIntosh works,” Natasha replied. “She’ll be a right terror when she gets older though.”

“She’s a terror now,” Yvonne complained. “I’ve not had a full night's rest in days.”

“You will have to get used to that for the next couple of months at least,” Natasha grinned. “It’s not something we ever thought we’d deal with is it?” Natasha reclined in the chair she was in to look over the mountains of Veil that the house was built on. “We are Clan Warriors, we never were intended to become mothers. And so there is so much that we lack in our education of these things.”

“You did this twice!” Yvonne yelped as the babe accidentally bit her nipple a little hard.

“Yeah,” Natasha smiled. “It was more fun the second time.” her cheery face and smile died down. “Until it wasn’t.”

“Takashi paid the price for that,” Yvonne reminded Natasha. “We made the Combine bleed for their transgressions.”

“And it still did nothing to fill the hole that was ripped out of my life,” Natasha stated. “No parent should outlive their child, it leaves you distraught in a way that not much else does.”

“I think it is time to put you to bed, Elizabeth,” Yvonne said as she pulled the babe away from her chest and covered herself up again before beginning to burp the little one. “And then I get to sleep as well.”

“I’ll head on home,” Natasha said as she stood up and held the door open for Yvonne. “Mark is probably still working. I shall have to drag him away from his desk.”

“I thought Melissa was handling things in Imir in his stead,” Yvonne said.

“She is,” Natasha shrugged. “She’s doing a damn good job of it too, but you know how Mark is.”

“Goodnight Kerensky,” Yvonne said as she closed the screen door. “I should be back on the deployment list in a year or so.”

“Just try to take my words into consideration,” Natasha said. “It will only help you in the long run.”

–
–

“I thought you would be working or going over reports or something,” Natasha said as she saw me on the floor of the living room playing with my godson Arthur Steiner.

“No,” I shook my head. “I left the work to Melissa,” I shook a set of uncut keys at the little one as he smiled wide and took them from my hands before beginning to chew on them. “I’ve got other priorities for the next couple of weeks.”

“Such as?” Natasha raised an eyebrow at me from where she was leaning against the doorway.

“Such as reminding my wife that I still know how to have fun,” I said with a laugh as I gestured towards one of the Steiner Bodyguards that guarded both Melissa and Arthur.

“What did you have in mind?” Natasha asked.

“This,” I said as I chucked Natasha over my shoulder and threw her over the balcony and into the cold pool below.

“You’re a dead man Mark! Dead!” Natasha shrieked.

“You’ll have to find me first!” I laughed as I bolted from the balcony and into the house.

“You’re on!” Natasha said as she pulled herself from the cold water. “I shall have my revenge, either now or later.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 39
Omega, February 2165

“Push up, do not let her escape,” Ka'hairal Balak ordered his men as they breached the front doors to Afterlife. “It’s us of the SIU who have been given the honor of taking this station from the Asari bitch that rules over it with an iron fist.”

The first squads of the SIU breached the doors and immediately opened fire on the mercenaries and guards that were inside. Aria T’Loak watching from the top of her stairs as if a queen watching her subjects arguing.

“Aria T’Loak, we control all of the spaceports and the area surrounding your little nightclub here,” Balak stated over an open comms channel. “Surrender and we’ll allow you to escape with your life, resist and I will personally see to it that you are enslaved and made to be my family’s slave for the rest of your days.”

“How about I kill you and all of your men instead,” Aria retorted as she spat on the ground.

“Hahahahahahahaha,” Balak began to openly chuckle. “You don’t have the forces available for that, o’ ‘Queen’ of Omega. Now your reign is coming to an end and what are you left with at your side? A bunch of dancers and old dried-up guards to defend your throne? You are a pathetic has-been, and your time has come to an end.” The firefight in the nightclub dragged on as the Batarians wore down the Asari’s biotic and kinetic barriers before ripping them to shreds with hellish crossfires.

Aria then came down in the midst of a group of Batarians, a biotic glow filling the air as she fell, cratering the ground and sending what was left of the group of soldiers in every direction. “Fall back to the VIP section,” She commanded what was left of her defensive forces while she held a massive handgun in one hand and gestured with the other, a flick of her wrist sending a singularity out that caught several squads of soldiers before she detonated her own singularity with a smaller second wave of biotic energy.

As she fought on, more and more Batarian SIU and regular soldiers filed into the club, the sheer amount of weapons fire driving the Asari Matriarch back as she slowly gave ground to the Batarian soldiers, eventually falling back to her personal quarters where she shut and locked the reinforced bulkhead doors before turning and looking at the dozen or so Asari “dancers” and mixed species guards that remained.

“Saddened intonation: I regret that I could not hold them off for longer,” the lone Elcor stated as he tried and failed to form his biotics into something coherent. “Determined declaration: If you wish my death I will give my life so that the rest of us might make it out.”

“That will not be necessary, Xalinos,” Aria said as she used her biotics to rip a section of the wall out, revealing a large lift that led into the underbelly of Omega. “We’re going to come back, and when we do we’ll show exactly why I am the only reigning Queen of Omega.”

“Gleeful Jubilation: Then let us leave this place immediately. I desire to rest so that I may have my revenge,” the massive Elcor Biotic said as he gestured for the Asari to get on the lift first.

“This takes us straight down,” Aria told the remaining people that were with her. “So you may want to hold onto something.”

Pressing a button on her Omnitool after they had all piled into the lift, Aria triggered the lift. Sending them plummeting down into the depths of the station, through several areas that were eerily empty of everything but some drones and what may have been mutated Vorcha but didn’t look like anything familiar anymore.

“Go directly to the ship and board it when we reach the bottom,” Aria instructed. “Don’t try anything funny.”

—
–-

“This has to be the worst defensive position I’ve ever seen,” Balak muttered to himself as he looked over Afterlife. “For an Asari of her age, she should have known better.”

“Sir, we have a ship launch from some sort of hidden cavern,” an officer reported.

“Let her go,” Balak told the soldier. “She’s lost this one, and should she come back then we’ll have prepared for her.” He looked at the club. “Tear this thing down, we’re going to be putting a proper command and control center in its place. And start setting up the AA guns, I don’t want Omega to be vulnerable while we’re getting everything set up. Also, get me a priest. I’m not willing to let these men have died for nothing. They did well to face a Matriarch without flinching. They’ll be assured a place at the end of time.”

----------------------------

Citadel, February 2165
“Omega is now in the hands of the Hegemony,” Tevos shared with her fellow councilors. “One of our Spectres was nearly caught up in the crossfire but managed to get away and was able to bring me this intelligence.”

“This war seems to be slowing down overall though,” Sparatus stated as he took a sip of his beverage. “In fact, these newcomers seem to be hiring mercenaries left and right to harass and slow down the Hegemony.”

“Don’t remind me,” Vedol sighed. “I have been petitioned to sanction these mercenary groups many times over the last few weeks by Ambassador Dosk.”

“The mercenary groups are now going through a third party,” Tevos complained. “Matriarchs are now hiring groups of Eclipse to work as their private security and it is all verified and contracted through this ‘Mercenary Review Board’ that has seemingly sprung into existence on Illium with branches here on the Citadel and many other worlds.”

“Well, regardless of the headache that this MRB might become, I’m more concerned with the Terminus and Batarian Hegemony at the moment,” Sparatus steered the conversation in a new direction. “There seems to be a new bloc forming in the Terminus, and I’m not certain how stable it will be in the short term, but my analysts tell me that should this Terminus Commonwealth survive the next five years that they’ll be a good influence on the Terminus as a whole.”

“My people tell me much the same,” Tevos said with a small frown. “My concern is that they may try to change things too quickly, and that could prove disastrous for us all.”

“The STG has orders to recover samples of any technology that might be viable for future research,” Vedol chimed in. “But the current focus is on figuring out what the Systems Alliance is negotiating with the Migrant Fleet.”

“Keep me updated on that?” Sparatus asked his Salarian counterpart.

“Affirmative will update as relevant information becomes available,” Vedol responded. “Becoming older, not as easy to work for long hours anymore.”

“Go get some rest,” Sparatus nodded at the Salarian, grateful that he was obviously keeping the Turian’s plans quiet for now. “We’ll make sure that the SA’s new Embassy opening goes smoothly.”

“Thank you,” Vedol said as he left the room with a slight hitch in his step.

“Now, all that is left is to watch the flames begin to rise as these humans begin to run roughshod over everything we have built,” Sparatus muttered as he watched the Citadel News Network run a special on the new embassy that was opening.

“I’m sure it will not be as bad as you are thinking, Sparatus,” Tevos chided him. “After all, they are a new species, and will be willing to learn from those who are much more experienced at this than they are.”

“Will they?” Sparatus challenged. “Because I believe that the galaxy is shifting, and we will either shift with it or be left behind.”

“You worry too much,” Tevos gave an Asari half-shrug that meant she wasn’t concerned, then looking at Sparatus directly said something that made Sparatus feel strange. “Go relax some, and try not to worry about things so much.” She smiled at the Turian. “Unless there’s something you feel should concern me?”
“Sparatus’ head started to hurt over the course of Tevos' little speech and he stood there for a moment before he shook his head. “I’m not concerned about things, I’m just looking towards the future, and I’m not sure I like what I see.” Sparatus stood up and began to leave the room. “And I’m not sure that you will like it either.”


Making his way to the apartment that had been set aside for him, Sparatus sagged against the door, his head pounding as if he had been without water.


"She talks way too much," Sparatus muttered as he tried to locate some painkillers to mute the headache. "Avina," Sparatus called. "Turn off all notifications for the next twelve hours barring emergencies. I'm going to bed."

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 40

Citadel, Serpent Nebula, June 2165

“Thank you for being willing to meet with me without requiring a private audience,” Ambassador Anita Goyle of the Systems Alliance said to the trio of councilors that were seated at the table before her. “We’ve been deep in negotiations with both you and the Quarian Migrant Fleet for the last year or so, and I’m grateful that you’ve managed to make the time for this.”

“Well, I hope you are aware that there are some concerns with you taking in the Migrant Fleet,” Vedol said rapidly. “While grateful that as a species they are no longer at risk, there is a danger in them potentially deciding to continue down the same path that led to their current exile.”

“I am aware of those concerns,” Anita replied. “As are the Systems Alliance as a whole. Our negotiations included several restriction clauses involving research into Artificial Intelligence and advanced VIs as well. This was in exchange for the chance to settle down on the first Dextro world that we come across and with potential support if a chance to retake Rannoch ever appears.”

“While we trust that you will be watching them with a close eye, I would like to request permission to send in advisors and personnel to help in ensuring that the proper laws and procedures are followed,” Sparatus stated. “I am aware that there is still some enmity between our species, and I would like for this to be the foundation of trust built between us if you are able to persuade the Systems Alliance of the benefits of this.”

“I would have to bring it back to Parliament as I am merely their representative here,” Anita responded. “But I would hope that they see reason in this and would be amicable to building bridges instead of burning them.”

“The Asari would, of course, be interested in supervising these meetings,” Tevos spoke up. “Seeing as we were the ones responsible for ending your conflict previously.”

“Would need to be civilian contractors in order to avoid the appearance of favoritism,” Vedol stated. “Already can see the potential issues on the horizon should we fail to do this properly. My solution, is mixed species groups sourced from those less likely to spark conflict, contract sourced through current trusted third party group the MRB.”

“While I would rather not give over power to the MRB in any way, that solution does seem to be the wisest in this situation,” Tevos sighed as she agreed. “We shall have to negotiate this with one of the MRBs on hand lawyers at a later point in time, this meeting is supposed to address our concerns about the Migrant Fleet after all.”

“You’re going to have to limit their Pilgrimages,” Sparatus said as he went over the list of negotiation points that had been sent to him by the Council of Primarchs. “We have had many issues with the Quarians over the years involving members of their young ones who have gone on Pilgrimages being willing to do whatever they believe is necessary to acquire their Pilgrimage gift. While the Hierarchy understands service to the main governmental body more than most, the way that the Quarians go about it currently has set them up for conflict with us in many ways, and we would prefer it to cease before some hothead decides to attempt to fix the issue and bungles it up the way that we did the Relay 314 Incident.”

“I was not aware that there were issues involving their pilgrimages,” Anita Goyle said as she listened intently. “Tell me more about this and we’ll work through some potential fixes.”

–
–

“That was productive,” Sparatus said to his two fellow Council Members. “We’ve accomplished much over the last few months.”

“Yes, and you seem to have pushed our interests much further than you used to,” Tevos stated with a smile. “You haven’t been this proactive and helpful in decades.”

“I’ve made time to meet with the Council of Primarchs more often,” Sparatus said as they began to walk to the private and hidden chambers. “The number of different viewpoints and arguments has been refreshing to hear and to try to analyze,” the Turian shrugged. “That, and I’ve been able to visit the Armax Arsenal Arena over the last year or so. The stress relief of being able to relive my days as a mere grunt has been wonderful.”

“Basic training does sound like paradise after having spent years making difficult decisions,” Vedol agreed. “Being able to spend months at a time with your face down in the mud or merely following the instructions of someone yelling at you would be such a relief over the decision-making process that I have had to follow over the last few years.”

“Ahh basic training,” Sparatus said dreamily. “How I miss those days.”

“I do not understand,” Tevos said with a confused expression. “But I do not think I truly want to understand either.”

--------------------------------------

September, Imir System 2165

“We just completed three of the Glamdring class destroyers,” I sighed. “And you already want a Block II?” I asked rhetorically.

“Yes,” Dr. Kelley stated with a shrug. “We’ve finally fully deconstructed the local method of manufacturing spinal guns, and we believe that we can manufacture the Glamdring with one added without doing more than a small redesign. A redesign that we are already halfway through the process of.”

“Will it be more effective?” I asked as I looked over the files and data that had been forwarded to me. “Because if it takes longer and is less able to be implemented then I’m not sure it will be the better option.”

“Simulations have shown that the combination of the spinal gun and sub-capital lasers will be much more effective than just the lasers and standard armament that we’ve produced so far.”

“We’ll make one of the Block II,” I said after looking it over. “If the Block II is that much more effective then we’ll swap overall production over to it.”

“It will be,” Dr. Kelley stated.

“I certainly hope so,” I replied. “Now, I’ve got a meeting with the Mech and small arms design teams leaders, so I’ll see you in a week or so for the standard update.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 41

Imir System, October 2165

“Well, it looks like the Batarians are on the move again,” I muttered as I looked at the latest report from the Eclipse that had been harassing the Batarians since the start of the contract. “Margaret, I need our MRB contact to meet with me. We're due for a renewal or renegotiation of the contract with the Blood Pack and Eclipse and I’d rather get it done now.”

“I’ll add it to your list,” my new secretary replied cheerfully. Your 12 O’ Clock is here to meet with you.”

“Send her in,” I replied as I stood up. “I might as well get something productive done today.”

“Duke Hull,” Aria T’Loak greeted me as she walked into my office. “We have much to speak about.”

“Indeed,” I replied as I shook her hand. “I understand that you want our aid in taking back Omega, and I’m willing to do so, I just have a few requirements that need to be negotiated on.”

“What is it you desire?” Aria asked bluntly. “I’m too old to play the same games that the other matriarchs enjoy.”

“Wait,” Natasha said as she burst into my office, closely followed by Aethyta. “Did you start yet?”

“No,” I shook my head. “I was about to start negotiating.”

“Good,” she said as she immediately took over. “Because I know exactly what to say.”

“So, you are asking for help because the Matriarchs back on Thessia denied any assistance to you despite the benefits you have provided them over the years right?” Natasha started with a rhetorical question. “Well, we’re willing to help you, but you need to start acting like the Queen of Omega that you claimed you were. A nightclub? As your base of operations? Where is your sense of fucking decor? The name was alright, a palace named Afterlife works well, but you have to fix some things. You want our help. Then you go legitimate, make yourself a real fucking Queen. You have been playacting long enough, it is time for you to act like the ruler you have claimed to be for decades.”

Aria’s biotics flared for a second before Aethyta’s clamped down and overpowered Aria’s.

“Settle down,” Aethyta barked at the younger Matriarch. “And listen to them. You’re currently learning something the hard way that I’ve known for a century or so by now.”

“And what might that be?” Aria asked through gritted teeth.

“The Matriarchs on Thessia don’t care,” Aethyta dropped her biotics after Aria stopped trying to flare her own. “They only cared about helping you stay in power while it didn’t cost them anything. Now that you’re gone? They’ll negotiate with the Batarians for access to the eezo stores on Omega and everything will continue like it’s business as usual. They don’t care about how many Maidens end up enslaved while going out and learning about the galaxy. They don’t care about how a new species acts unless it’s something that helps them. And if it doesn’t help them, they’ll push and nudge said species until it does what they want. The Matriarchs were willing to sacrifice you because you brought nothing new to the table, and by assisting you they’d disrupt their precious ‘status quo’.”

“What would you require of me going ‘legitimate’ as you put it?” Aria asked after a moment of considering everyone’s words.

“No slavery, and no supporting piracy,” I stated simply. “We don’t care if you legalize and tax drugs and their use or anything like that, Ilium does much the same, if you want a Monarchy or a dictatorship we don’t care. Establish laws and enforce them, so long as slavery and piracy are banned then we’ll be good neighbors and even join with you in an alliance if you wish.”

“This is…” Aria trailed off. “Quite a lot to process, and I’ll need time to consider my options.”

“Take your time,” I replied. “We have to deal with the force moving on Imir before we render assistance anyway.”


----------------------------------------


Imir System, November 2165

“You’re sure that they’re mercs?” I asked the MRB liaison that we had been assigned.

“Quite sure,” the Asari replied. “They do originate from Hierarchy space, but they’ve got all of the proper paperwork sorted out and have even included no small amount of Asari and Salarians specialists in their available forces.”

“Well, their rates are good, and they’ve requested more pay than salvage,” I said as I looked over the contract. “I’m approving the hire of this Brotherhood of Steel, provided their credentials clear.”

“I’ll have everything drawn up and ready for you to sign in an hour or so,” the lawyer said. “The MRB thanks you for your patronage.” She left to go get the paperwork prepared.

“You know what this is right?” Aethyta asked as she lounged on my couch, having made it her favorite place to be when Natasha was busy.

“Of course,” I replied. “I’m surprised the Matriarchs haven’t done anything about it yet to push back against it economically.”

“They’re not as united as they’d like outsiders to think,” Aethyta explained. “You’ve got a couple of economic blocs that will be assisting the Turians in this because it will assist them in making greater inroads to the Turian Economy.”

“And I assume that they’ll face some sort of pushback from the Asari-based economic blocs?” I asked.

“Yep,” Aethyta replied. “It’s what’s allowing the Turians to finally do something about the Batarians without them losing face legally and culturally. Your MRB has given them an avenue to deploy and utilize deniable operations on a level that they’ve never seen before. They’re used to only having limited amounts of Spectres able to handle business, and so they’re going to be taking full advantage of this while they have the opportunity.”

“I’ve noticed that the MRB has gotten some complaints from some clubs on Ilium,” I said. “You wouldn’t happen to know why, would you?”

“Asari Maidens typically go and strip and whore themselves out during those years,” Aethyta shrugged. “I may have put the word out that there’s an alternative, and even though I’m not as influential as I used to be I’ve still got some pull with a few Matriarchs. So there’s been a swing downwards in the number of Maidens swinging their tits and asses around a pole and an uptick in Maidens willing to learn the trade of a soldier.”


“Huh,” I said in thought. “Should I also expect an uptick in immigration then?”

“Maybe,” Aethyta shrugged. “It depends on how you handle this mess with the Batarian Hegemony. I fully expect to be approached by some of the more independent systems if we manage to drive the Hegemony off a second time.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 42


Khar’Shan, November 2165


“May your conquest be swift,” General Grey said to his old friend Grand Admiral Orosk Drac'newar. “I managed to get some of our more efficient troops out in the conquest of Omega, and should you need them they’ll be available. Unfortunately, I am to remain here as I am still trusted as a military officer, but am not trusted enough to conduct a conquest or anything beyond a raid at the moment.”


“Be safe and wary,” Orosk said as he clasped forearms with his old friend. “They will be looking for any reason to be rid of you.”


“They may try,” Grey scoffed. “I have been a loyal servant since before most of them were born.”


“And they will not care,” Orosk replied. “Now, I’ve wasted enough time, I must go board the Hegemon’s Fist, and begin moving on Korlus. That we’ve been forced to waste this much time has already set us back significantly. I would have left last week, but I had to requisition more supplies out of my pocket because the quartermasters had falsified reports.”


“Yes,” Grey agreed. “I’ll see what I can do to burn out the corruption among our forces while you are gone.”


The two friends then left each other, with the Grand Admiral boarding a shuttle headed for his Flagship, the dreadnought Hegemon’s Fist, and the General heading for a meeting that he had been putting off while his old friend was still on the planet.


–

–


“Is everything prepared?” Grey asked the group of Batarians that were seated at the bar.


“We’ve just been waiting for your signal,” the leader said. “We’ve got the personnel in place, and we agreed that waiting on the Grand Admiral to leave was the best plan.”


“Good,” Grey said as he switched on a kinetic barrier belt that lay underneath his coat. “Let’s get this started then.”


“We should manage to silence all comms that might try to leave before they reach the next world with a buoy,” a tech specialist said. “We’ve been working out people in over the last few years after all.”



------------------------------------


“So the traitor makes himself known,” Dhorlak Son'dahan said as he and the Hegemon raised a glass of some kind in salute. “Come, drink, we’ve been expecting you.”


Grey, flanked by some members of his personal bodyguard merely walked up the steps and glared at the other Batarian, murder evident in his eyes.

“It is time for a new Hegemony to rise, one that is reborn from the ashes of the old,” Grey said as he pulled out a handgun. “Are there any words that you would like to say now before I tear out your eyes and feed them to the carrion?”


“Die scum,” Dhorlak snarled as he pulled out a knife and jabbed it into the general’s side, “Your little coup dies here with you.”


“No, it doesn’t,” Grey said as he shot the other Batarian and watched as blood splattered out the back and over the table that the Hegemon was seated at. “This is just the beginning,” he then aimed his weapon at the Hegemon only for a sniper round to take his arm off at the elbow.


“Open fire,” the Hegemon ordered as he stood up and activated a switch that triggered a massive kinetic field. “I don’t want any of them to survive.”


“Your will be done,” a Batarian bowed his head to the Hegemon before beginning to issue orders.


“Pull back,” Grey ordered through clenched teeth as he did his best to staunch the bleeding of his arm stump. “Start issuing the backup orders.”


“Aye sir,” one of the soldiers said as another one pulled the general up and over his shoulder. “Sending out orders to the fleet now, may the pillars be with us.”



-----------------------------------------------



The space around Khar’Shan was calm, almost eerily so as the fleet that normally guarded the Batarian homeworld patrolled and stayed in their assigned sectors, never straying. Then, a cruiser turned and pointed its main gun at one of the trio of dreadnaughts that guarded the system and broke the calm with a single round. As if a signal had been sent off, many of the ships began turning on the other, with small wolfpacks of frigates surrounding a cruiser still loyal to the regime and turning it into scrap before being shredded by a series of rounds from another set of frigates and cruisers. The Batarian Civil War had begun, but there would be nothing civil about this war.


Author's note: I'm aware that this is a touch shorter than usual. And I apologize for that, but I wasn't sure how to end this chapter and transitioning back to Hull and Co didn't feel quite right.

 

[MarkWarrior]

Systems Alliance Interlude 1


Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert. I know how to patch up gunshots holes, stab wounds, and how to splint you up and take care of shock in an emergency, Please do not quote me on any of the medical stuff I used here.

Arcturus, December 2165


“Ambassador Goyle,” Prime Minister Jack Harper greeted the woman responsible for representing the Human race to the Council as she walked into his office.


“Jack,” the woman replied with a smile. “Always a pleasure.”


“Alright, the man put out his cigar into the ashtray on his desk and triggered a small vacuum to remove the smoke from his office. “I’ve managed to get most of the measures that you negotiated approved with Parliament, but I’m still struggling to find a way to back the requirement that we have observers in place to ensure we’re compliant with Council Law. It took me years and a lot of favors to get them to agree to the Treaty of Farixen. And I had to show them the classified documents detailing our ‘pocket’ dreadnaughts and carriers before they were willing to hear me out on that. Then, we had to get them to agree to gift the quarians a world we can’t even use!” Jack Harper pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the stress headache. “So please, explain to me how I’m supposed to persuade them to fall in line on this one because I’m at the end of my term, and I’m going to retire soon.”


“I managed to work in quite a few economic concessions into our negotiations with the Citadel races,” Anita said with a soft smile. “I know our companies have been eager to break into the fresh markets, and with the future economic boom that will occur once we get everything lined up you’ll have your leverage to push the agreement through.” She met the cybernetic eyes of her friend. “I take it your meds are still becoming less effective over time?”


“I stopped taking them a couple of weeks ago,” Harper sighed. “They weren’t doing anything to mitigate the headaches, and I knew that I was going to need to be clear-headed with the arena that we were stepping into.”


“Jack, you know that those medications are the only thing preventing your brain from frying itself,” Anita chided the Prime Minister. “We can’t afford to lose you at this stage in our plans.”


“Anita, I’ve set us up to push Humanity as far forward as we could have under my leadership, military funding is through the roof, as is recruitment. And you’ve seen our training budgets, our troops will be some of the hardest-hitting SOBs out there when we start expansion. I can handle a few more weeks without the medication.”


“Have you seen your doctor lately?” Anita asked bluntly. “Because if I get any answer aside from yes then we’re taking you to get checked again. You’re the current leader of Humanity out here in the galaxy, we can’t have you keeling over dead and leaving us in a state of confusion right as we’re emerging onto the galactic stage.”


“I know,” Jack sagged and seemed to age a dozen years in a moment as he did so. “I’ve had the projections run by the Intel guys, and if I die before my term is up it’ll likely look like I was assassinated by one of the big three and we’ll be at war within a half year at best,” Jack reached for his cigar and lit it despite Anita’s visible disapproval. “That’s a war that we can’t afford to have yet. If we’re to truly win, then we’re going to have to wage a culture war, the Asari have been dominating the culture of the galaxy for centuries, and they’ve sat there thinking that their position is unassailable. They control the pornographic industry, they set the standards of beauty and fashion.” Jack trailed off and then gave a slightly mad grin. “They’ve never had to deal with the likes of us before. We’re not as universal as the other species were culturally, we’ve tried it all, hell, we’ve done it all. And we’ll prove that ours is superior in time. But first, we’ve got to finish getting our foot in the door.”


“Well, given the concessions I got from the negotiations involved the entertainment industry as well as the rest of our industry we should be fine,” Anita said with a shrug. “Now, I’m canceling the rest of your appointments for the day, and you’re going to see a doctor. Lord knows what the long-term effects of exposure to a Prothean Beacon will do to you.”



–

–


“Well, you were right to bring him in,” Doctor Narayan Shaan said to the two politicians. “His brain is constantly fighting between whether to shut down and repair, or to stay awake and maintain function for as long as possible. I take it you’ve been having frequent dreams and nightmares again?”


“Every night since the meds wore off,” Jack said as he sat up out of the scanning bed. “Got to the point lately where I just try and stay awake as long as possible, it’s the only way I sleep without the night terrors.”


“Your brain is overclocking itself while you dream,” Dr. Shaan said bluntly. “It’s causing more wear than you should be experiencing at this age and is likely to cause mood swings and potential Alzheimer-like symptoms over the long term. Now, we can treat the base issue, which is the lack of sleep; with some medication, but we’re not going to be able to repair the damaged brain cells, your body will have to do that on its own. Now, I’m going to ask you to stay overnight so that I can continue to monitor the situation, and we’ll discuss potential treatment plans in the morning.”


“Alright doc,” Harper replied. “I’ve got to be back up and working again in a week though, that’s when the deadline for the final vote on integrating into the Council laws will be taking place.”


“As long as you’re willing to actually follow proper medical advice then I’ll have you back up and to work by that time,” Dr. Shaan smiled. “Now, I’ll let you two have the room for a minute while I start the paperwork for the overnight stay.”


“I can stay on Acturus for the next week if you need me to,” Anita said.


“No, you were elected as the Ambassador, and we need you to go be our representative,” Jack said with a smile. “I’ll be fine, Dr. Shaan knows what he’s doing, and if Murphy decides to strike then I’m well prepared with some of my contingency plans.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 43
Imir System, February 2166

“Everything looks good so far Captain Smith,” the engineer monitoring the testing of the new eezo core said as they finished down the shakedown run. “We’re going to have to reinforce the dropship collars should we want to bring escorts with us for long distances. They just weren’t designed to handle this kind of stress, and even with the inertial dampening it’s causing some minor damage that we’ll have to repair.”

“I assume it’s the same sort of damage that the Redemption and Defender II faced?” Captain Smith asked.

“Yes,” the engineer replied. “It’s why they’re both down for repairs and replacements.”

“We’re slotted to be up-armored after they’re finished with the other two,” Smith said as he looked at the data. “The new armor is supposed to be some sort of combination of our current stuff and the kind of armor that the ships of this universe use.”

“It’s an interesting alloy,” the engineer said. “And it’s very good at handling kinetic impacts, but it’s not so great at handling energy weaponry or the kind of damage our nukes cause.”

“Well, we’ll have to see how it handles. I know that it added tens of thousands of tons of armor to the new Glamdring destroyers,” Smith said as the Manassas rounded the far side of the system before using the gas giant's gravity to boost its speed.

“Captain, do you still want us to swing by the Relay to check on the status of the defenses there?“ Ensign Paul Jones asked as he prepared to lay in any course corrections.

“Affirmative, Ensign,” Captain Smith replied. “And have our escorts come in a bit closer, I understand they’re mostly crewed by the rookies from Korlus and Torfan, but that’s no excuse to be lazy.”

“Aye sir, laying in the course for the relay now,” Jones replied as his hands flew across the console.



Omega, Sahrabarik, Omega Nebula

“Grand Admiral, are you sure that this is the route you want to pursue?” General Balak, the current head of the SIU asked bluntly. “I’m much less risk averse than much of our commanders, and I still view this as foolhardy.”

“Any smart enemy will be monitoring the relays to get an estimate of any arrival time,” Grand Admiral Orosk Drac'newar replied. “And given that we’ve already lost one battlegroup I believe that we can ill afford to underestimate this foe.” The Grand Admiral sighed, suddenly showing his extreme age for a Batarian. “Balak, I am over one hundred and twenty years of age, I am old and weary, but I will see this new foe broken and enslaved before I die. But if we are to do this, then it will take unusual strategies and tactics.”

“I understand,” Balak bowed his head slightly in respect. “I’m just concerned that you may face issues with the troops that you have with you. Some of them seem to have questionable loyalty to the Hegemony, and I fear that if you spend too long in the void between systems then they will mutiny.”

“We’re going to be arriving at the primary relay first,” Orosk explained as he laid out the course his fleet would be taking. “Omega’s relay directly links to the Eagle Nebula after all. From there, we’ll spend some time acquiring extra supplies before making our way to the Imir system via FTL.”

“So it is not as risky as I first feared,” Balak said as he looked at the plan. “I’ll send some of the supply ships that we seized when we took over Omega with you, I have a feeling that you might need the extra resources.”

“Thank you,” Orosk responded. “We’ll be leaving by the end of the week.”




Imir System, February 2166

“Everything checks out,” the comms officer reported. “Our listening station at the primary relay says that there hasn’t been anything critical through the relay since our last shipment of eezo was delivered.”

“I’m still concerned,” Captain Smith said as he looked at the console in front of him. “We know that a Batarian fleet came through the primary relay a couple of months ago. But we haven’t seen any sign of them.”

“Captain! I’ve got contacts that just appeared on the other side of the relay. Looks like we just found our missing fleet.”

“Alright, have our Stings detach from their collars, and have our ASF launch when we get closer. We’re going to have to bait them in close given we’ve only got eight escorts and none of them mount the spinal guns yet,” Captain Smith strapped himself into his chair out of habit and then turned to his XO. “Go ahead and head to the secondary bridge, and make sure that everyone is in their Mithril. The last thing we need is to lose the crew to a big breach.”

“Aye sir,” the woman saluted before marching off of the bridge.

“Check your helmet seals people, and Jones, bring us around towards the relay, I want it between us and the enemy for as long as possible, they can’t shoot what they can’t see after all.”

–
–

“Grand Admiral, we detect nine enemy ships near the relay, it seems that our gambit worked,” the captain of the Hegemon’s Fist reported.

“Sir, they’re using the relay as a shield, I’m unable to get a good lock on any of the enemy vessels,” the weapons officer reported.

“What are your orders, sir?”

“You command the greatest ship ever designed by the Hegemony, I expect you to be the captain of this vessel while I coordinate the rest of the fleet,” Orosk replied. “I was unaware that I needed to multitask the workings of every ship in my fleet.”

The captain then turned away and began to issue orders to his bridge crew while the Grand Admiral turned his attention to the FLEETCOM’s tactical console and began to coordinate the movements of the fleet as a whole.

Author’s Note: I hope this is better. It’s more of a setup for the big space battle, but it felt a lot better to write and flowed much better IMHO.

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 44

“Keep the relay in between us and the enemy fleet for as long as possible,” Captain Smith ordered both his bridge crew and the escorting ships. “We don’t outrange them so we have to fight smarter than them, we wait until they push up, and then we move as fast as we can into one of the groups that will likely be coming around the relay.”

“Aye sir,” Jones responded as he shifted the maneuvering thrusters to continue to hold position behind the relay.

“I estimate five minutes before they circle the relay,” the sensors officer, Lieutenant Erika Johnson reported. “Looks like they’ve split into two groups with differing numbers of ships.”

“Prepare to push the group that’s the most numerous on my mark,” Captain Smith said as he looked at the current data. “Launch our ASFs as well, we’re going to need all of the firepower we can get.”

The small group of nine ships plus the twenty-four aerospace fighters began to push their thrusters to the max, using the small amount of gravity that the relay put out to boost their speed as they moved into what the local universe called the “knife-fight” range.

“Coordinate PPC and naval autocannon fire,” Smith ordered. “Knock out their frigate’s barriers and then hammer them with ballistics and missiles while our lasers focus on the cruisers.”

“Aye, sir,” Lieutenant Junior Grade Amanda Grace responded. “Ordering all of our gunnery teams to coordinate fire.”

“Escorts are to target enemy vessels as they see fit,” Smith relayed to the comms officer. “ASF are to stay close and only hammer targets of opportunity.”

–
–

“Grand Admiral, the enemy battlegroup is coming right at us, and they’re speeding up,” The Captain of the dreadnaught reported.

“Then fire at them as they come in!” Orosk roared at the timid captain. “Are you an officer of the Hegemony or not?!” The Grand Admiral punched the captain hard enough that he not only broke his hand but also broke the Batarian’s nose and sent him into sweet nothingness. “Open fire on the enemy battlegroup,” he calmly ordered as he tore a part of the captain’s uniform off to wrap his broken knuckles with. “We need to cause what damage we can while we are at range.”

“Yes Grand Admiral,” the weapons officer responded, and the dreadnaught shuddered as the first of many rounds left the spinal gun.

“No impact,” the officer reported. “Recalculating for enemy velocity and attempting to hit the target again.”

“Good,” Orosk said as a medic finally reached the bridge and began to tend to his hand. “Continue to fire as we cross paths, the closer they are the easier it should be to hit them.”

–
–

“Enemy forces are firing,” Johnson reported. “Current volley of fire mainly missed, but as we get closer it’s more likely that they’ll hit, at least for that small window of opportunity.”

“I’m aware of that Lieutenant,” Smith said calmly. “Start firing with the PPCs as soon as we are within range, I want us to use our forward firing arcs while we can.”

“Aye sir, entering PPC range in about thirty seconds or so,” LTJG Grace reported.

“Impact on our barriers,” Johnson reported. “Minor hit, barriers still near full strength.”

“In range now, Gunnery teams opening fire with forward PPCs.”




The Manassas and her escorts began to close in on the enemy fleet, the Hegemon’s fist occasionally striking her barriers with a round while most of them missed, the enemy frigates and cruisers making up for the dreadnought’s inaccuracy with their shots striking the Manassas and her escorts. One of the Stings escorting the Manassas spun out of control and struck an enemy frigate, the Sting continuing to pour fire into the enemy ship while the momentum drove them both into a Batarian Cruiser, the trio of ships vanishing as the frigate’s reactor went up, the mass effect field generated by the exploding cores sending both battlegroups off course as the new gravity well exerted its force for a brief moment in time before vanishing.

The Manassas continued to carve a swathe through the enemy frigates, her PPCs shutting down their barriers while her missiles and autocannon shredded chunks of armor before cutting into the ships and exposing them to the void while her broadside lasers began to cut into the enemy cruisers, their armor not designed to withstand lasers beyond that of the usual Guardian systems.

While the Manassas and her escorts were trying to deal with the Hegemon’s Fist and the battlegroup that surrounded her, the rest of the Batarian fleet rounded the Relay and came up in a flanking pattern, lashing out with massed but focused fire that began to pick apart the escorts one by one, eventually leaving the Manassas herself the only Commonwealth ship remaining. One final shot from the dreadnaught seemed to shut the ship down for good, but leaving her surrounded in a graveyard of Batarian vessels and the skeletons of her own escorts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------


“Ugh,” Jones muttered to himself as he shook himself back awake, his Mithril’s HUD flashing a warning that let him know that he was operating on the internal oxygen supply. “Captain Smith,” he twisted and turned on his helmet light to see what had happened to the rest of the bridge crew only to find that they were all either unconscious or dead.

Jones unstrapped himself and found that there was still gravity, which meant that there was still power to parts of the ship, which also meant that his job wasn’t over just yet.

“This is Ensign Jones, I need a status report from any gunnery crews left alive,” he said over his Mithril’s comms system.

“This is the Port side gunnery commander, James Porter, I’ve got some wounded, and we don’t have but a couple of areas with atmosphere, but we’ve got guns if you can get our targeting back up.”

“Copy that,” Paul Jones said as he walked over to Grace’s terminal. “Give me a few minutes to reroute the targeting systems over to your direct control.”

“Understood,” Porter replied. “You sure we’re still in the fight though?”

“I have not yet begun to fight,” Paul Jones stated. “But I’ve got a new plan. I’m going to link all of the energy weapons to the main console, I want you to gather up what personnel you can and link up with what Marines are on board. We’ve got some small craft still in the hanger and a gorgeous dreadnaught out there just waiting to be taken from the Batarian bastards.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 45


“Colonel Paige,” Porter reported to the Marine CO. “The Bridge crew is dead or unconscious, and we’re abandoning ship. Ensign Jones is the only command staff member able to give orders still he’s rerouting the weapons to his station.”

“I take it we’re going to be moving to the enemy dreadnaught?” Paige asked as she slapped the bolt on her rifle forward, chambering a round into the massive rifle.

“Aye ma’am, He figured he’d keep their attention on the Manassas while we boarded and took over the enemy vessel.”

“Go see if any other gunnery crews are alive,” Paige ordered the NCO. “We’re going to need the extra personnel.”

“I’ll have some of my people get to it,” Porter responded as he began to distribute rifles and carbines to his current group of sailors. “I hope we’ve got enough weapons for all of them.”

“I wouldn’t be too concerned about that,” Paige said as her group of thirty marines stood up, their Medium Battle Armor making them stand head and shoulders over the group of power-armored sailors. “Just stand behind us if things get hairy.”

“We only have enough small craft for about half of us, ma’am,” Mathias reported. “Some of us are going to have to leave via the escape pods or stay here.”

“Alright, listen up!” Paige yelled out in the small craft bay, getting the attention of all of the sailors and marines. “We only have space for half of us to go and board the enemy dreadnaught. If you board the enemy ship it’s certain that some of you will die. Either on our way to the ship or in the process of boarding it. If you stay here, your chances of survival go up, if you come with us, you’re more likely to die. Anyone who’s willing to step into the void step forward.”

The entire group of sailors stepped forward. Not a single one of them was willing to stay behind and wait for their end.

“Then we squeeze as many of us into the small craft as possible,” Paige shrugged. “And the rest of you get to the escape pods. If you wanna head into hell with us, then you’re going to be riding in hard.”

–
–

“Colonel Paige, you ready to depart?” Jones asked through what was left of the internal comms systems. “Because I’m ready to start the distraction.”

“Give me five minutes, and then start firing,” Paige ordered the junior officer. “How many weapons systems were you able to tie in?”

“I’ve got two of the lasers up and running, the light PPC, and one NAC/35,” Jones replied. “It’ll have to be enough.”

“Copy that Jones,” Paige said. “Make sure to take as many of the bastards with you as possible.”

“Godspeed Colonel,” Jones replied as he shoved the captain into the lone escape pod and launched the still-unconscious bridge crew into the void. “I’ll try to keep them busy for as long as I can.”


--------------------------------------------------


“This is a disaster,” Grand Admiral Orosk muttered to himself as he looked at the wreckage of nearly two-thirds of his fleet. “Begin scanning our vessels and mobilize S&R teams, we’re not going to leave any of our people to die in the void.”

“Sir! We have an energy spike from the enemy cruiser, it’s still active!” the sensors officer reported as one of their frigates that had moved closer to the port side of the enemy cruiser seemed to fall apart to enemy fire before one of their remaining cruisers also began to drift due to taking more damage.

“Open fire on that cruiser,” Orosk ordered. “It’s clear that we’re going to have to make sure that they’re dead.”

The Dreadnaught fired its spinal gun, and the ship shuddered for a brief second as the round left the end of the gun. The impact on the enemy cruiser seemed to finally cut all power off to the vessel.

“Have at least two frigates monitoring every enemy ship that is drifting,” The Grand Admiral ordered. “We won’t be taken by surprise like that again.”

–
–

While the remnants of the Batarian Fleet maneuvered around and began to scan for their own survivors, a group of small craft and escape pods used the debris field generated by the conflict to drift close to the Dreadnaught, making sure to keep some of the larger pieces of debris in front of them to conceal any movement from the sensors.

“Colonel Paige, we’re about a klick from the enemy dreadnaught,” the pilot of her small craft reported. “If we wait too long to engage our thrusters then we might miss our window.”

“Just wait for it,” Paige ordered as she looked at the data from where she leaned over the shoulder of the pilot. “There’ll be an opening, we just have to wait for a minute before we take it.”

“There,” Paige called out as they saw some sort of small hanger where shuttles were being launched. “Odds are that’s where they launch Search and Rescue operations from.”

“Sending data to the rest of the pods and small craft,” the pilot replied. “Moving now,”

“Punch it,” Paige said. “We don’t want to miss.”

“This is going to be close!” The pilot yelled as he triggered his lasers and autocannon, shredding one of the shuttles that were in the way and flying through the debris left behind. “We’re in,” the pilot said. “I’m opening the doors now, but I’d be prepared to deal with some company.”

The marines and sailors aboard the M-1 immediately jumped out of the small craft and began to open fire on the Batarians that were working in the Dreadnaught’s shuttle bay, clearing the area and making sure that the doors remained open for the remainder of the Manassas’ crew to make it aboard.

One more M-1 made it into the shuttle bay, and then two escape pods before the doors shut themselves after being overridden by someone else that was on the enemy ship.

“This should be enough,” Paige nodded to herself as he did the grim calculus of war. “Odds are that anyone who didn’t make it in time won’t be making it at all.”

“Mathias, grab one of these Batarian’s Omnitools,” Paige ordered the NCO. “We’re going to need some credentials if we want to make our way around our fine new ship.”

“Aye Ma’am,” Mathias replied as he yanked the bracelet off of the Batarian with the most ornate armor.

“Stack up on the door,” Paige ordered the rest of her Marines and some of the sailors. “They know we’re here by now, and they’ll be waiting for us.”


---------------------------------------------

“Grand Admiral, we’ve got boarders, they’ve breached one of our shuttle bays and are working their way through the corridors.”

“Do not open fire on the Hegemon’s Fist unless it is clear that we’ve been captured,” Grand Admiral Orosk ordered the remnants of his fleet. “I’ll deal with this myself,” he turned to one of his aides. “Find me some armor and a weapon. I’ll be damned if I let someone take my ship from me without killing me first.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 46

“Ready?” Paige asked her marines as they stacked up on the door.

“Yes ma’am,” they replied as Corporal Mathias used the stolen enemy Omnitool to bypass the door’s locks.

“Let’s move,” Paige ordered and Mathias triggered the door controls, the Marines rushing through and clearing their sectors of any enemy combatants before pausing to allow the rest of the marines and sailors to catch up.

“Engine room is towards the aft,” Mathias reported as he looked through the Batarian’s Omnitool. “Expect heavy resistance towards both it and the bridge as we move forward.”

“And where is the bridge located?” Paige asked her marine.

“In the center of the ship,” Mathias reported. “Seems they wanted it away from any potential enemy fire. The secondary C&C is located opposite the engine room, and will likely be fairly easy to seize”

“Fireteam Alpha,” Paige indicated a group of six marines. “You’re heading to the engine room, take some of the sailors with you, you might need their expertise.” She then looked at the remainder of the group as the designated marines and sailors began to move toward the engine room. “Bravo, you’re with me, we’re moving to the bridge. Charlie, I’m afraid that I’m splitting you up, I want half of you to head to the secondary command and control center, while the rest of you sailors and marines hold down the shuttle bay. In the event that everything goes sideways, we’ll need a speedy getaway”

The groups began to split up, and the marines and sailors that were to hold the shuttle bay began to pull some of the wreckage left from the destroyed shuttles into the main corridor to use as barricades.

–
–

The Batarians, meanwhile, were not idle. While the remaining crew members of the Manassas were spread throughout the Hegemon’s Fist, the Batarians were arming themselves, with Grand Admiral Orosk having authorized heavy weapons based on the small amounts of intel that they had received on these Commonwealth savages.

“Commander Daccachar,” Grand Admiral Orosk greeted the SIU commander that was in command of the special forces aboard his dreadnaught. “I suppose you have a plan to deal with the boarders?”

“Yes, Grand Admiral,” Daccachar replied. “We’ve moved some of the spares that we had available for the shuttle's main guns to the corridors outside of the bridge. We’ll be able to operate them as long as the power sources we rigged up are working. We also have distributed some of our heavier weapons throughout the teams that I have on board. If the enemy comes, we’ll be able to deal with them.”

“I’ll leave it in your capable hands then, Commander,” Orosk said as he turned to see the sniveling coward of a captain finally waking up. “Now, as for what is to be done with you,” Orosk said as he hefted the younger Batarian up and threw him up against a bulkhead. “I ought to have you killed for your cowardice, but I believe that I have another use for you. Daccachar,” Orosk called out the name of the SIU commander. “Send him out first,” Orosk ordered. “I do not want him to come back even when we win.”

“Yes sir,” Daccachar grinned savagely. “I’m certain that something can be arranged.”

–
–

“Moving up,” Mathias said to Colonel Paige and the rest of Fireteam Bravo as he peered around the corning and down the corridor. “I can see some sort of barricade set up near the bridge, we can try to divert, but there are only two entrances, and the odds are that they’re both heavily defended.”

“We push up,” Paige said as she did a rough count of her grenades. “I’m not sure what they have to use against us, but we don’t have time to waste. They’ll be sending in reinforcements from the other ships if we take too long.”

“Copy that,” Mathias said as he rounded the corner, a shot from some sort of massive gun carving through his barriers, and caving his chest plate in.

“Mathias is down, I’m using grenades and suppressive fire.” the leader of Fireteam Bravo said as he tossed a concussion grenade towards the bridge followed up by a frag.

“Mathias is dead,” the Corpsman reported as he dragged the body of the marine out of the corridor. “Round didn't just penetrate his Mithril, it also ricocheted around in there.”

“Someone grab the omnitool,” Paige ordered as she grit her teeth at the death of another one of her marines. “And get me a visual of exactly what we’re looking at down there.”

“Looks like one of the guns from a shuttle,” the fireteam lead reported. “There are two of ‘em down there and one of them was taken out by my grenades.”

“I’m using the laser,” Paige said as she linked her HUD to the small laser that was built into the shoulder of her suit.

“Copy that,” the fireteam ducked out of the way as the Colonel rounded the corner and melted the enemy guns and the ones firing the shuttle guns.

“Big guns are down,” Paige said as she ducked back into cover. “We should be able to move to the bridge now.”






“Let’s go,” Sergeant Rick Manning ordered his fireteam as they neared the engine room. “Considering we’ve only faced minimal resistance up til now, I believe that they’ve been holding back their people to defend or scuttle the ship should we get too close to taking the engine room,” Manning looked at the sailors with him. “I’m going to need you to prevent that from happening while we take care of the enemy forces.”


“Understood,” SCPO Porter replied. “We’ll take care of it.”

“Breaching!” Manning’s pointman said as he popped the door seals and tossed a flashbang in.

–
–

“Man, why do we always get the shit jobs,” Private Gonzales from Fireteam Charlie complained as they made their way toward the secondary C&C. “I mean, we’re experienced, we’ve taken ships before.”

“Contact!” the pointman yelled as a net made out of electricity descended on him and blinded him to the grenades and rockets that were about to impact.

“Perez is gone!” Gonzales said as he shouldered his rifle and began to fire in short controlled bursts. “It looks like they’re protecting the secondary C&C better than predicted.


“We’ll take it,” the Fireteam lead said as she triggered her jump jets just enough to give her a boost as she tackled an enemy Batarian to the ground before stomping on its head and crushing it underneath her boot.

“Oorah!” Gonzales said as he moved forward, dodging in and out of cover to hose the enemies with more bullets. “Get some!”

–
–

“Stupid,” Paige muttered as she stepped over a body that was on the bridge. “This thing isn’t going to be able to run this dreadnought for a while.”

“I’ll say,” The Corpsman said with a sigh. “We’re lucky that we only lost half of our guys with the amount of firepower they had concentrated here.”

“I’ve got a live one here,” one of the remaining marines called out. “He’s in some sort of fancy armor or something.”

“You think you have won?” A rasping voice said through the translator. “The Hegemony will soon make this place your tomb. You are deluded if you believe otherwise.”

“HVT?” the Corpsman asked as he looked with scorn at the obvious officer.

“Tag him,” Paige nodded. “And make sure that he stays alive long enough that we can get some useful intel out of him.”

The Corpsman went to treat the Batarian’s injuries, and as he began to go over him, the Batarian’s breathing slowed and then stilled as he expired.

“No dice ma’am,” The Corpsman shook his head. “He’s gone.”

“Let’s move to the secondary,” Paige instructed. “We’ve got control of the critical areas, and it’s not as if they’ll be using this shit show for anything.”

“Aye ma’am,” the marines responded.

“I just hope that we’ve got the rest of the fleet on their way out here to help,” Paige muttered. “Otherwise we’ll have done all of this work for nothing.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 47

“Alright people, we are currently sitting ducks unless reinforcements have already made it here,” Paige said as she entered the secondary bridge of the captured Batarian Dreadnaught. “So give me some good news.”

“Looks like we have total control of the engines and every weapon except for the Spinal gun,” one of the sailors said as he looked over the rough translation of the text on the screen. “Spinal gun has to be directly authorized by someone from the main command and control center according to this.”

“Then we may have just captured the biggest and most expensive lifeboat ever,” Paige said with a sarcastic lilt in her voice. “Start boosting us around the Relay st maximum forward speed.”

“We may not have to do that, ma’am,” the sailor manning the sensor station said. “The Redemption and the Defender just jumped from Veil and seem to be moving to assist, they’ve got two Glamdrings and five Stings as escorts.”

“Open comms to the Redemption,” Paige ordered. “Authorization Code Alpha Papa Mike Zero One.”

“Aye ma’am,” the sailor responded. “Transmitting now.”

“They’re asking for vocal confirmation, Colonel,” the crew member of the Manassas stated. “I’m patching you into the channel now.”

“This is Colonel Felicia Paige, acting commanding officer of the captured Batarian Dreadnaught Fuck Around and Find Out. I assume that it’s you commanding the Redemption, Victoria?”

“It is damn good to hear your voice,” Admiral Victoria Jewel’s voice responded. “Hull called us as soon as the Batarians appeared on the long-range sensors. But it appears we’re a touch too late.”

“You’re just in time to help us clear out the rest of these bastards,” Paige replied. “I’ve got a decent portion of the crew with me, but I don’t know how many escape pods managed to get out or how many we ended up leaving on board.”

“We’ve got the local fleet moving to assist in either killing the enemy or with search and rescue operations,” Admiral Jewel replied. “You just try and keep that Dreadnaught clear for the rest of the fight.”

“Wilco,” Paige responded. “We’ve got most of the Batarian crew sealed up in various parts of the ship, we’ll clear them out while we make our getaway.”

“Just do your best to stay alive,” Jewel replied. “We’ll take care of the rest of the fleet from here.”

------------------------------------------------------------------


“Am I clear to go look at the Manassas now?” I asked angrily while glaring at my bodyguard. “Or am I still under house arrest?”

“You were never under house arrest,” Melissa’s voice came from the now open doorway; Natasha standing beside her with arms crossed and a scowl on her face. “We just didn’t want you to end up dead because you were angry”

“I wouldn’t have done anything stupid,” I protested. “I don’t go running off half-cocked when I’m angry.”

“No,” Melissa agreed. “You’re normally fairly even-keeled when angry, but in this case, I think it’s time that I address something I’ve noticed over the last few decades.”

“And what might that be?” I asked as I finally uncrossed my arms and prepared to actually listen instead of being angry.

“You have never really dealt with Sapphire’s death or the loss of your first family,” Melissa said bluntly, knowing that it was the best way to get through to me. “You’ve been burying yourself into work and making everyone else’s life better, and while you always seem to be fine on the outside, I’m fairly certain that you’ve just been bottling up all of the pain that you’ve endured over the entirety of your life.”

“No,” I shook my head a bit. “I’ve dealt with the loss of my first family. It took me a while to get through it, but I had dealt with that before I even met Nat,” I nodded my head at my wife. “But you may be right about Sapphire’s death.”

“I thought we had dealt with this,” Natasha said. “I thought we had settled everything on Luthien.”

“No,” I shook my head with a sad smile on my face. “Luthien helped you more than me. I spent years having some of the spy ships we were reactivating on Luyten comb through systems that were close to Robinson in the hope that we’d find more than a lump of misshapen metal.” I looked at my wife. “I’m sorry I never told you, but you had moved on, and I didn’t want to burden you with my false hopes. Especially when we started raising the twins, because you were happy, and so I pushed everything down and just decided that I would take it to my grave. The Manassas is just a ship, I know that. But she was more than that to me. For over fifty years of my nearly eighty-year life, she has been present.”

“The space battle is over,” Melissa said simply as she looked at me with sad eyes while Natasha moved in and forced me into a hug. “We’ll tow what’s left of the Manassas into orbit near the shipyards, and we’ll let you decide what you want to do with her.”

Melissa then left the room, leaving me to deal with a Natasha that was torn between taking me to the sparring mats or giving me a hug.

“I love you,” Natasha said as she met my eyes and gave me a kiss before twisting and throwing me over her shoulder. “Now, we are going to be dealing with this the way we did before we got married.”

“Fuck me,” I muttered as I stood up.

“That too,” Natasha smirked at me. “But only after I am done showing you the error of your ways. We are partners are we not?” She asked me as she lost her playful attitude. “I truly thought we had worked through this together. Why would you have concealed this from me?”

“I honestly don’t have a good answer for you,” I replied with a half-shrug. “I’m only human, and even though I helped you deal with your grief and anger, it’s oftentimes easier to help other people work through things than to do it yourself,” I looked down at the ground. “That, and it’s always going to be easier to push something down than to actually deal with it. It’s going to take some time to work through this, and it’s worse when it’s been bottled up like this.”

“I have an idea,” Natasha said. “But I want you to listen before forming an opinion.”

“I can do that,” I replied. “But can it wait until after I’ve seen the Manassas?”

“Bargained well and done,” Natasha smirked as she pushed me through the door. “I can tell you my idea while we are on the way.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 48

Imir System, Late February 2166

“So her keel has been nearly torn in half from one of the enemy eezo core detonations?” I asked as we circled the wreck of the Manassas.

“Yes,” Dr. Rogers said as she stood at the small craft’s viewport with me as we looked at it. “Just about the only things that are still functional are the thrusters and the bridge. If we wanted her functional again we would have to do a complete rebuild and overhaul.”

“Our yards above Veil will be up and running soon right?” I asked as I looked at my broken ship, my heart sinking as we looked at the damage caused by a sudden and intense gravity appearing within a half dozen klicks.

“In half a year or so,” Rogers said with a shrug. “But you’re not going to be able to move the Manassas. Its K-F drive was one of the few things that were completely ripped apart by the gravity, and it’s too big to tow via the method we worked out for getting to Torfan.”


“What do you recommend then?” I asked as I looked at the entirety of the damage reports while also looking at the broken cruiser before me.

“Use the Germanium that we’ve mined on Veil to manufacture a new K-F Drive while redesigning all of the NACs to utilize eezo tech, that’ll boost the range exponentially, and then we can also use it as a testbed for any new tech we come up with as it gets closer to completion.”

“How long do you think it’ll take?” I asked. “Because I want her rebuilt no matter what resources we have to put into her.”

“It’ll take us five or more years to build the proper facilities to manufacture K-F drives at Veil,” Rogers said as she reviewed her information. “That’ll give us time to build a separate yard specifically for repairs and equip some of our vessels specifically with K-F drives. But if you want one in Imir, then we’re going to have to go to great lengths to conceal it.”

“I have some ideas on that,” I said before turning and looking at the petite blonde. “I’ll have to get with Melissa and Kerlin’s advice on it though.”

“Then I’ll assign a couple of teams to work on the Manassas’ redesign,” the woman smiled at me. “Trust me, we all want to see the old girl back in action.”

“Thank you,” I pulled the woman in for a hug. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.”



Citadel, Widow system, Late March

“We have to intervene in this conflict,” Tevos said to her two fellow councilors. “I was willing to tolerate it beforehand, but it has gone too far now.”

“Why should we intervene?” Sparatus asked with crossed arms. “The Batarians have never done more than pay lip service to our laws, and the Terminus is becoming a haven for trade for the first time in decades if not centuries. On top of that, the Batarians have not requested our aid. They are in the middle of a civil war of their own making, and now they will pay the price for their arrogance.”

“The Terminus Commonwealth has captured one of the Batarian's dreadnaughts,” Tevos said with a sigh as she sent the data over. “I received this from one of our spies that’s within the Hegemony.”

“This doesn’t seem to be our problem,” Sparatus shrugged as he exchanged glances with Vedol. “I would say that the two of them can fight it out.”

“The Terminus Commonwealth now has two dreadnaughts,” Tevos said as the other two councilors looked over the data. “Does that not concern you?”

“Ahh yes,” Sparatus said with a smirk. “Two dreadnaughts, we have dismissed that claim within the Hierarchy.”

“Second large vessel does not have a spinal gun, and therefore does not qualify as a dreadnaught by any of our definitions,” Vedol spoke up. “In fact, would be unsure as to how to define a large ship in that vein properly.”

“Do you not see that galactic stability is falling?” Tevos asked the other two with shock in her voice.

“Numbers would point to opposite effects,” Vedol said as he sent over the latest in economic reports. “All signs point to an economic upturn, and with piracy taking a downturn, improvements are almost certain.”

“But the long-term ramifications could lead to issues later down the road,” Tevos protested. “We have no clue what the Commonwealth will end up being in the long run. At least with the Hegemony, we had something that was stable.”

“Clearly not,” Sparatus pointed out. “If all it took was a minor power for them to fall into a civil war. Besides, the Terminus Commonwealth seems a viable option to keep the pirates and other minor powers of the Terminus systems in check.”

“Would point out,” Vedol chimed in. “That we are not even certain of the species of the leaders of the Commonwealth. But all signs point to much lesser population growth than Krogan, thus factors for that kind of expansion are greatly diminished.”


“Tevos, it’s not that we aren’t concerned, it’s that we aren’t seeing this in the same way that you are,” Sparatus explained. “Maybe you’re seeing something that we’re not, but the Turian Hierarchy is only seeing benefits to this. In fact, we’ve been approached by several local manufacturers who would like some tax breaks for expanding into the Terminus Commonwealth. They’ll be hiring Turian Mercenaries, and expanding our interests into the Terminus Systems in a way that doesn’t make them react in a negative way. The Volus have also begun putting together a large trade expedition that will be departing for that area soon.”

“It is possible that I have not looked at all of the data,” Tevos said as she pinched her nose. “I apologize for my outburst, there are many Matriarchs in the Asari Republics that are trying my patience currently.”

“There is nothing to apologize for,” Sparatus said. “There are three of us for a reason. Pointing out blind spots is a part of our job, we would be remiss if we failed in that.”

Author’s Note: Sorry that this took a while. I took some time off for Thanksgiving and spent time with family. (Along with having to work on Black Friday and this weekend with all of the craziness that that entails.)

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 49

Imir System, Late May 2166

“So you and several other planets with colonies on them wish to join our Commonwealth?” I asked the Terminus Quarian sitting across the table from me. “I take it that you’ve reviewed the laws that you’ll be required to submit to?”


“My people have no issues with following the rules and laws that we will submit to,” the male Quarian sitting across from me stated. “Your tax rates are fair, and the establishment of a permanent fleet and militia force is something that we are more than willing to comply with as well.”

“Once everything is settled we’ll start shipping the equipment that the militia will be using, we’ll also be sending over some trainers to go with your specialists.”

“We’re good with scouting and weapons modifications,” Kaem'Veem replied. “But despite being better than our cursed cousins in many ways, we do not have access to their level of technology.”

“Well, you’ll start having access to technology on the same level or greater soon enough,” I replied. “We’ll need to establish a full trust and relationship before we end up handing over any of our secrets or extremely advanced tech, but we will be assisting in establishing a functional militia force and a recruiting station for the Terminus Commonwealth Armed Forces.”

“That sounds like it will go well,” Kaem stated as he stood up. “I will return and inform my people of the decision that we have reached.”

“I’ll station a small group of ships above each of your planets for both training and defensive purposes,” I replied. “We’ll have to see how many of your people need to be trained on the ships coming off of our yards. They’re not quite the same thing that you’ll find in most nation’s navies.”

“We’ll welcome whatever you can provide at the moment,” Kaem said with relief evident in his voice and on his face. “While pirate attacks have been low for the past couple of years, we were still incredibly vulnerable to them and have lost many people to slavers over the last few hundred years. If not for the Lystheni that dwell among us we would have technologically regressed centuries ago.”

“Well, we’re not quite done eradicating what pirates remain, but we will be pursuing any that cross our borders,” I replied.

“Should you manage to take out some more of the pirates towards the rim, then I may have more people willing to join in this Commonwealth,” Kaem smiled. “There are independent Batarian and Turian colonies that have been separated from their nations for centuries and may be looking to others for aid after many years of not having a large defense force capable of holding off many of the pirate and slaver attacks.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Kaem,” I said as I shook his hand. “I’ll assign some escorts to go with you on your return along with having the shuttle you arrived in worked on and improved before you go.”

“You have been a most gracious host,” Kaem inclined his head, the trophies of his dead enemies rattling around on the necklace that he wore. “But before I depart, I would like to at least see what has become of the cousins of ours that decided to cross you.” The Quarian grabbed his helmet and sealed it as we left my office. “I’m curious to see if there has been any improvement in their attitudes over the last few decades.”

–
–

“You’re sure that this is what you want?” Melissa asked as we all sat around a simulated fireplace eating some of the food that I had cooked for Natasha’s birthday.

“Once this war with the Batarian Hegemony has been finished I will be taking a yearlong sabbatical,” I confirmed. “I’ve not had time to rest and fully process things in a couple of decades despite having retired five years ago. You’ll do well as a steward, and you’ll have plenty of assistance. Besides, if things take a turn for the catastrophic then I’ll come back and take the reins from you.”

“I understand that,” Melissa said as she leaned back, the seven-month-old cooing in her lap as she fed him. “I assume that part of this is spending time with Natasha and repairing some of the damage you did to your relationship?”

“Yes,” I nodded as I pulled Nat in close. “I’ve got some explaining and soul-searching to do for a little while.”

“He has also agreed to go on some adventures with me,” Natasha smirked. “It is a part of the payment that he owes me for keeping secrets.”

“Anyway,” I changed the subject. “I’ll make sure that everything is sorted and ready for you to take over once we’re ready for it. I don’t think the Batarians will be able to stomach much more of a war out here in the Terminus systems. Once we retake Omega for Aria then we’ll be in a position to block them out while their civil war lasts.”

“It looks worse than the Marik Civil War,” Melissa said as she moved Arthur to a playmat on the ground. “I’ve been looking into what little we know of the Hegemony’s society, and I’m predicting that they won’t survive for very long after the civil war is over. They’ve got slaves that now will have a chance to actually make a difference, and I’m sure that quite a few interest groups that will be funneling weapons and funds to said slaves once things begin to start falling apart for one side of the war or the other.”

“I tried to stay out of the Free Worlds League,” I replied with a shrug. “They’re probably one of the only states in the Inner Sphere and Periphery I didn’t directly interact with in one way or another. Colonel Stone, on the other hand. I think he had something of a personal vendetta against them given how many raiding contracts he took while they were killing each other.”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t retired yet,” Melissa shrugged as Arthur Steiner began to snore at our feet, having tired himself out while playing on his mat. “The man never seemed to love the mercenary life despite his success in it.”

“I think he was planning on taking Sheppard’s place as head of the academy once Sheppard finally steps down,” I replied. “But given how much Sheppard loves his job I’m not sure that it’ll happen.”

“I miss the Inner Sphere,” Melissa said after a few minutes of us just processing. “This is a new adventure, and it’s fun not having all of my old aches and pains, but it’s not home yet, and I’m not sure when it will start to feel like home.”

“I believe we all miss the Inner Sphere,” Natasha spoke up. “I desire to hold my children and grandchildren again, but we must make the best of our situation and push on through the difficulties. That is what makes us Human, the ability to struggle and make our own place in the universe regardless of where we may find ourselves. Perseverance in the face of disaster and strength that appears when needed are things that we have cultivated in both ourselves and our people for decades. And now we see how well we have done in a way that few will ever get to experience. In spite of the difficulties that have arisen from us being here in this new universe, I am grateful that we have the opportunity to make a difference, meet new people, and see things that would have been considered the wildest of science fiction back there. We are on the greatest adventure that life could have possibly thrown at us,” Natasha said joyfully. “How could we not push it to the limits?”


Author's Note: Natasha decided to get all introspective on me this chapter. Shrugs, I guess I'll just roll with it.

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 50


Omega, Sahrabarik system June 2166


“General Balak!” An SIU Lieutenant saluted as he entered the fortress that the nightclub Afterlife had been turned into. “We’ve finally found where T’Loak was mining the eezo from.”


“I assume there was some sort of secret entrance into the core of the asteroid? Balak asked rhetorically. “We knew that she had to be shipping it off of the station somehow.”


“Yessir,” the junior officer replied. “Most of her operation seems to have been automated and capable of being run by a handful of trained individuals. But we did manage to seize some of the workers that were left behind.”


“Good,” Balak said as he stood up. “Take me to this location, and fetch me some of the more skilled of our civilians and slaves. With Torfan denied to us the Hegemony will need another supply to make up for the loss, and as minimal as such losses may be, we will still need eezo.”


“But what about the Civil War, General?” The Lieutenant asked.


“What civil war?“ Balak asked nonchalantly. “We are the SIU, we serve the Hegemony, not whoever is in charge of it at the present moment. Besides, I have plans for how we will deal with who is left after the fallout,” Balak continued walking with the junior officer. “Tell me, Lieutenant, what is your name?”


“Lieutenant Darok Kapkedah, sir!“


“You must be fresh from the academy Kapkedah,” the General said as he stopped walking. “While here in the SIU we welcome the hard questions, it only strengthens our faith in the Pillars and the Hegemony. Many of my fellow senior officers would prefer their men left in the dark. But we are the SIU, if you have made it into our ranks then you have earned the right to know what it is about the Hegemony and the poison that is contained within.”


“Poison sir?” Kapkedah asked worriedly.


“Yes,” Balak stated. “Poison. You see Lieutenant, the truth of our society is that without an influx of fresh slaves the Hegemony will collapse. This is well known to the SIU and given our latitude in operations we have conducted independent studies over the last few generations. This Civil War, Kapkedah will be the end of the Hegemony whether we like it or not, and all that will be left afterward is the SIU to pick up the pieces and rebuild. This is why it is required to learn a trade aside from your specialty in the SIU, we are to build a nation should the Hegemony come to ruin.”


“Is that why we didn’t make any of the people on Omega our slaves?” The Lieutenant asked.


“I see you are starting to catch on,” Balak said with a nod of approval. “The slaves that we brought with us are those with skills that are necessary for keeping the automated facilities running without dispatching groups of troops to do it instead.”


“Then why capture Omega at all?”


“Because it was the best opportunity I was given to remove all of the men under my command from the cesspool that is Khar’Shan, politics has no place in the SIU, we are a brotherhood, and we will fight and due to ensure that the Nation survives.”


“I see, General,” the Lieutenant said softly before pointing his rifle at the leader of the SIU. “I’m sorry to see that intelligence was right about you.”


“Right about me?” Balak scoffed. “You are a fool if you believe that I go anywhere without a personal guard.”


A shadowy figure appeared at the edge of Kapkedah’s vision, a traditional blade now held to the lieutenant’s neck.


“I wouldn’t recommend the suicide pill,” Balak smirked. “We’ll just bring you back if you do.”


“You are a traitor to the Hegemon,” the treacherous Lieutenant spat in Balak’s face. “And one day you will pay for your treason.”


“Take him away and lock him in the cells,” Balak ordered his protector. “You know what to do should he attempt to escape.”


“As you command,” a feminine voice replied as more figures appeared and injected the eared, injected the spy with some sort of drug cocktail, and carried his now unconscious body away to the cells set aside for interrogation purposes.


“Dagger, please accompany me to the eezo mining stores,” Balak instructed his faithful shadow. “We have much to discuss if we are to execute our plans properly.”







“Okay, if we’re going to retake Omega for you then we’re going to need to know some of your secrets,” Captain Jordak Bragus said as he looked at the holographic representation of Omega that was before him and other Commonwealth Armed Forces commanders. “For the Mechs and tanks we’ll need to know if they will be able to support the weight, or if they’ll collapse under the strain and cause catastrophic damages. We’ll also need some back doors, I’d rather not have to take on the entirety of the enemy troops in a frontal assault,” the Krogan shook his head. “That way lies madness.”


“I’m going to give you some of my secrets,” Aria T’Loak informed the various officers that were there for the debrief. “But I must retain some if I am to retake my throne.”


“We know that they have deployed AA batteries, and so we’ll be limited in being able to drop off any of our people if those batteries are manned by Batarian soldiers instead of VI,” Winson stated as she twisted the hologram to highlight the areas that most likely contained the batteries. “Likely locations are indicated here, but it is just as likely that there are some hidden as well,” Nadia cracked her knuckles. “We don’t know how the SIU operates, so we will be proceeding with the utmost caution at first, once we get some armor onto the ground though, that’s when things start to change.” Nadia grinned savagely. “Keep in mind, people, the armor is tough, and it is even tougher with the Kinetic Barriers. But that doesn’t make you a god of the battlefield. You can and still will die if you are not paying the proper attention to your surroundings and your fellow soldiers.” Nadia Winson depolarized her visor and met the eyes of each of the people surrounding the holotable. “You are not individual warriors anymore, we have forged you into soldiers, whether you be Krogan, Batarian, Asari, or Turian, you all have a place here and a group of people to put your trust in. Let your steel shine through and we will carry the day regardless of the difficulties that may lie before us.” Nadia turned to Aria with a grin on her face as the senior officers seemingly stood up taller. “Now, I believe you have some sort of secret entrance to your castle oh Queen.”


“There are three hidden entrances…”


Author's note: This may take a backseat for the rest of the month so that I can finish the novel that I'm writing currently. There may be updates as the muse hits, but I'm mainly going to be focusing on my original work for the rest of the month barring a Christmas episode. (Hint: it's going to go in the "Universes considered for insertion" Area)

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 51
Omega, Sahrabarik system Late June 2166

“Approaching Omega now,” the pilot of Brotherhood of Steel frigate Crest of Honor relayed to the mercenary ship’s captain.

“Good work Lieutenant,” Captain Manitus Adration replied as he stood and looked over the rest of the duty stations. “Our employers have issued us the task of assisting in the retaking of Omega, let us not disappoint them.”

“Aye sir,” the bridge crew replied as they moved about their various duties.

“Sir, I’m not detecting very many enemy power signatures on the station,” the sensors officer relayed. “I’m seeing some AAA guns, but they seem to be firing on predetermined arcs.”

“What have our employers said?” Captain Adration asked.

“That we’re to escort our designated troop carrier to drop off and then break off for a recon patrol,” the comms officer replied.

“Then we do that,” Captain Adration stated. “But keep an eye on the situation in case anything develops. I don’t know about you, but that bonus looks really good.”

“Agreed sir,” the comms officer replied. “I’ll monitor communications in case something goes wrong.”

–
–

“I want those AA guns down,” Nadia Winson ordered as the lower bomb bay of the Sting began to drop off the Krogan in their battle armor onto the station's surface.

“We’re not encountering any resistance,” Captain Bragus reported as he moved into the command and control center for the anti-aircraft gun that they were shutting down. “It seems they installed a VI and left.”

“Have the techs triple-check it,” Winson replied. “The last thing we need is to lose a bunch of troops to a large trap.”

“Copy that,” the massive Krogan replied. “Standing by for the technicians.”



“What have they done to Afterlife?!” Aria roared as she saw what had become of her nightclub.

“Exclamation: Aria, there is a note on the door, and it has your name on it,” Xalinos reported.

“Let me see that,” Aria snatched the note off the door and read it before crumpling it in rage. “Balak, I will have your head. Should we ever meet again then you are a dead Batarian.”

While Aria was ranting about the SIU general, Xalinos discreetly slid the note over to one of the Terminus Commonwealth members that had accompanied them as escorts.

“Let’s see what they’ve done to the inside of it,” Aria said after she had calmed down a bit. “If they destroyed my communications suite then I’m going to be truly pissed.” She flung open the doors with a flick of her biotics and walked into the building that had been rebuilt from a club into a fortress.

“Optimistic statement: At least the place is more defensible now.”

“I know, Xalinos,” Aria sighed as she replied to the Elcor bouncer and now her chief bodyguard. “But we’ll have to do some redecorating after we check on the secure eezo stores.”

–
–

“There is nothing in the systems of the AA guns that would make them explode or turn on us,” the Turian Technician who was looking at the systems left behind by the Batarians said as he closed a program on his Omnitool. “I’ll take a look at the rest of them just in case, but aside from the copious amounts of porn that were on them. I don’t know who this ‘Lawson’ fellow is, but he seems to be featured in just about everything since the humans joined the Citadel.”

“So we’re good to power the AA guns back on and put them to use for Aria?” One of the Batarians that worked directly for the Asari asked.

“You should be,” the Turian shrugged. “I’d have them wiped and reset completely though before I’d try powering them up and using them. You never know if something is hiding in the system, Sometimes things can hide from a cursory inspection like the one I just gave.”

“I’ll relay that to Aria,” the Batarian sighed. “Let me know when all of the AA guns have been inspected. We’ll hire some more people to take an in-depth look later on.”

“I’m just here to get paid,” The Turian shrugged. “I’ll send it up the chain and get someone more qualified to take an in-depth look soon.”

“Thanks,” the Batarian said as he closed his Omnitool’s messaging system. “The boss is upset, but she said that it’s better to just leave them off for now until we can get some people in to triple-check everything.”
“Sounds good,” the Turian said as he packed up his gear and moved to the next AA gun. “Just send me a message if you need me to come back for something.”

“Will do,” the Batarian replied. “Thanks for your help.”

----------------------

In a small system on the edge of the Batarian Hegemony at the same time…

“It looks like our gambit worked sir,” the shadowy female voice said from behind General Balak as he sat in his office. “The Hegemony believes that we were wiped out to the last man, and the Terminus Commonwealth is confused as to why Omega had no garrison to speak of.”

“They can be confused,” Balak said as he reviewed the footage that he still had a copy of. “We’ll be returning to the Hegemony in secret in small groups, if we want our plans to succeed then we must do this properly.”

“The Shadows are in position,” the feminine voice stated. “We simply are awaiting the signal.”

“The Shadows are our last resort,” Balak replied. “You know that,” He sighed. “Besides, we have to allow them to reach their lowest point before we move in, otherwise it won’t work.”

-------------------------------------

Conversation between Henry Lawson and Prime Minister Jack Harper, Estimated date 2164

“You’re certain that the spy software is undetectable?” Jack asked the Billionaire turned Pornstar.

“Absolutely,” Henry replied. “I based it off of something from the early twenty-first century.”

“What are you talking about?” Jack asked as he raised an eyebrow while puffing on a cigar.


“So, the terms and conditions of downloading Fornax onto an Omnitool, tablet, or any sort of computer says that we have access to the microphone, the video, and many other things that may be utilized with our virtual reality based porn systems. But, unless you’re looking very closely, you’re not going to realize that you’ve given us access to every single piece of data that you access on your omnitool. And when someone logs in, that data is sent to the Fornax servers and hubs here in the Systems Alliance. Which, given we have Intelligence agents on our payroll, they’ll sort through the data with VI assistance and pass it on to the proper agency to deal with said intelligence.”

“You’ve tested this?” Jack asked. “What if people actually read the terms and conditions?”

“Then all they see is the standard access for any other app made in the Systems Alliance by my company. After all, data mining to get more customers is an accepted practice in modern society.”

“Alright,” Jack replied with a sigh. “I’m going to hell for this, but I’ll set up a new branch for monitoring the data we get from Fornax, and we’ll have to start doing some research into advanced VI, that’ll be a lot of data to sort through.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Beyond the Horizon Chapter 52

Omega, Sahrabarik System July 2166

“So, where do you want us to start with the hydroponics installation?” Melissa asked Aria as they stood in the fortress that was once a club known as Afterlife.

“We’re still reorganizing the layout of the station to make us self-sufficient,” Aria said as she made a holographic map of the station appear over a table that was in front of them. “I’m buying some of the surplus prefabs that you are selling from Korlus and am destroying the slums that used to exist in much of the station. A Queen must have a place of living that reflects her power.”

“Sure,” Melissa replied with a roll of her eyes behind her helmet. “We’ve got several places that would work decently according to this map,” She tapped a couple of the locations. “These would be the most central locations if you’re planning on making this work long-term, but if you want something a little more secure then you may want to have some backups hidden in an area outside of the usual locations.”


“I’ll take a look at your recommendations,” Aria sighed. “I appreciate that the Commonwealth has honored our alliance.”

“As long as you hold to your oaths then we will do the same,” Melissa replied. “We would much rather have allies than enemies in the universe.”

“Agreed,” Aria said as she looked down at the map again. “I’ll take your recommendations for the public hydroponics labs and sections. But I’ll be placing the hidden ones where only myself and some of my most trusted lieutenants are aware of. Now, was there anything else that needed to be communicated?”

“No,” Melissa shook her helmeted head. “That was everything. You know where to find us should you need to call for aid or anything else in the future.”

“Then get off of my station,” Aria said bluntly. “I tire of all these conversations.”

“We’ll be gone in an hour or so,” Melissa said after listening to some of the comms chatter. “So try to keep a civil tongue in your head until we’re gone, yeah?”


Imir System, August 2166

“How long do you think the alliance will last?” I asked Melissa as we sat in my office.

“She’ll try and find a way to twist things to her advantage and to make a move against us in the next few years,” Melissa replied. “She doesn’t like the fact that she’s in debt to us currently, so as soon as she’s able to pay us back and avoid any further dealings with us she’ll do so.”

“We’ll have to arrange things so that we can acquire more stores of eezo from another location then,” I said as I looked at the tall blond sitting in my office. “With the Turian Mercenaries that we’ve hired we have part of a backdoor into the Turian Hierarchy, and with that we can probably convince the Volus to begin trading with us if we can protect the routes they have to take.”

“Ooh,” Melissa grinned at me. “Gonna let me negotiate with the business oriented people of the universe?”

“Absolutely,” I replied with a matching smile. “I doubt they’ll know what hit them.”

“Given that the Batarian Hegemony seems to be collapsing, are you planning on taking that year yet?” Melissa asked as the thought occurred to her.

“I’ll wait until January to make sure that everything continues to check out,” I replied. “We still have to set up a centralized government, after all.”

“You going to be modeling it off of the Lyran Commonwealth?” Melissa asked.

“I’m leaning for a mixture of the Fedsuns and Commonwealth,” I replied as I leaned back into my chair and popped my neck and back. “We already know that both of those systems work, so finding a decent blend, while difficult; should be something that we can accomplish.”

“Sounds good,” Melissa yawned.

“Looks like you need to get some rest,” I said. “Arthur keeping you up?”

“He’s good for the most part,” Melissa replied as she stretched. “But there are some nights that he just doesn’t seem to want to sleep.”

“I take it last night was one of those nights,” I said.

“Uhuh,” Melissa popped the recliner part of my sofa out and closed her eyes. “Wake me up when Natasha drags you away from the paperwork for the day.”

“Will do,” I chuckled as the Steiner blond fell asleep.

–
–

“Melissa, we’re heading back to the main house to cook dinner,” I woke the younger woman up. “I’m making breakfast for dinner if you want something.”

“What are we having?” Melissa blinked herself awake.

“I’m making waffles, eggs, bacon and whatever else anyone wants me to,” I replied.

“Some French toast sounds good,” Melissa stood up. “Just let me grab Arthur and I’ll meet you there.”

“We’ll go ahead and get everything set up,” I replied as we all walked out of my office. “I can make some stuff that Arthur can eat too.”

.

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 53


Imir System, November 2166


“The Volus have agreed to basic trade terms, but they want to meet us in person on the Citadel for more formal and standardized trade negotiations,” Melissa said over comms as I moved my Warhammer through its paces in the simulation.


“Alright,” I replied as I exchanged fire with Natasha’s Nightstar at long range, narrowly evading one of the rounds from the experimental eezo-boosted gauss rifle. “What’s your game plan here?”


“Well, while I have your authority to negotiate deals like this, I would rather you come with me to lend a bit of presence to our negotiations,” Melissa stopped talking as her Alacorn shattered armor off of Nat’s Nightstar, causing the woman to fall back and hide behind a simulated building.


“Trying to give off a ‘Don’t mess with me’ vibe?” I asked as I flurried my jump jets and tagged Melissa’s tank with a PPC while I let myself and my mech “float” down. “I can dig it.”


“That, and I haven’t negotiated a deal this big in years, I’d rather have you there to bail me out if I screw up somewhere,” Melissa replied as her tank’s turret shifted and aimed at me. One of her gauss slugs tore the armor off my Warhammer’s knee, the second savaged one of my PPCs, and the third went wide, missing me entirely.


“Well, if you can convince Natasha to run the ship while we’re gone then I’ll go with you,” I said as I knelt down, hiding my knee and damaged left side behind a boulder while I exchanged fire with the Alacorn that was keeping me at range.


“I already did,” I heard Melissa’s smug voice say over the comms in my simulator pod as my computer screeched a warning at me, the sensors telling me that there was an enemy mech right in my blind spot.


“Well, if I’m going down,” I said as I slowly turned around to face the Nightstar that was facing me. “I’m at least taking one of you with me!” I cackled over the open channel as I flared my jump jets in a DFA maneuver, my eighty-ton overpriced assault mech screaming with alarms as I fired all of my weapons at Melissa’s Alacorn while my mech overheated, my legs impacting the Nighstar while my mech fully shut down, the heat generated by the pod causing sweat to drip down my face as my Warhammer fell off down and crashed into the surface of the urban environment that had been simulated for us.


My pod shut down after my simulated Warhammer hit the ground, telling me that I had been eliminated by my last-ditch effort to win the scenario.


“Well?” I asked as the two women got out of their own simulator pods. “How do the new simulated weapons feel?”


“They wrecked you, didn’t they?” Melissa snarked as she and Natasha both high-fived each other.


“Bah,” I said with a smile and a shrug. “I still made you both pay for it, didn’t I?”


“You barely tied with us due to that stunt,” Natasha said as she crossed her arms at me.


“Yeah!” Melissa agreed. “If your mech wasn’t an overpriced assault mech that could jump and move like a medium mech then you would have never managed to pull that off.”


“Alright,” I chuckled. “I’ll go to the Citadel with you and help move these negotiations along.”


“Thank you,” Melissa smiled sweetly. “Thanks for watching Arthur while I borrow your husband,” She thanked Natasha who gave the younger woman a mock glare.


“You are lucky that I enjoy children,” Natasha grumbled. “Going on adventures without me will not be permitted in the future. No matter how many baby snuggles I am bribed with.”


“Noted,” Melissa laughed. “Now, I’ve got to figure out what ship we’re taking and get the security worked out with Mathis.”


“Yep,” I replied with a shrug. “Just let me know what the details are when we get closer to actually leaving. I’ve still got to oversee the local elections after all.”


------------------------------------



Citadel, Serpent Nebula December 2166


“This is Citadel control, you have permission to dock in bay 17-C, TCV Mother Goose,” the Citadel traffic control said to the pilot of the Glamdring class Destroyer that was carrying the delegates.


“Roger that, Citadel Control, Mother Goose is moving to bay 17-C now.”


–

–


“So, we’re supposed to be here for a week or so depending on how long the negotiations take,” Melissa said as we left the docking bay with Mathis and a handful of bodyguards. “Unfortunately, due to us not being recognized by the Council as of yet we won’t be allowed to carry more than our handguns on us. They're only letting Mathis keep his rifle because they think he’s some sort of Krogan underneath the armor.”



“As long as we have a secure location to bed down we should be fine,” I said as I let my hand drift over my holstered handgun. “I’ve got some recommendations from Aethyta, and we’ll bunk down in one of them for the rest of the week.”


“Copy that,” Mathis spoke up. “I’ll make sure that the location is secured before we bed down.”


“Looks like we have a plan together then,” I said as we continued walking, eventually stopping by some sort of holographic Asari Cortana lookalike to get directions to the hotel that Aethyta had recommended to us.



-------------------------


Two days later…


“Is everything set up?” A feminine voice asked.


“Yes,” a distorted voice replied. “We merely await your signal.”


“Good,” The female voice echoed. “Execute.”



Author's Note: Here we are at a place that I've been waiting to write for pretty much the entirety of the fic. Also, I'm going to have y'all decide what universe you want the Christmas Apocrypha special to be. Whether it's a continuation of the SGA/BT or if it's something else entirely is going to be up to y'all.

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 54

The Citadel, 0030 Local Time


“Ready?” The shadowy figures all nodded as their dark armor blended in with the current environment.


“Affirmative,” one of the other figures responded.


“Breach,” the command was issued as the figures overrode the door locks and threw some concussion grenades into the bedroom


The first figure to rush through the door was met with some sort of light before she collapsed, her helmet and chest melted due to some sort of weapon.


“Use Biotics,” the commander of the squad ordered. “Even if they’ve got portable energy weapons the refraction might help.”


“Putting up barriers,” the next two squad members through the door died, but not before having used a Biotic Pull to force one of the armored figures out of the cover they were in.


All of the dark-clad figures opened fire on the figure as floated into their view, the sheer concentration of rounds ripping into the lower torso and causing the figure to slump to the ground, leaking blood out of several wounds.


Taking advantage of the decrease in fire, the group continued to feed bodies into the crossfire, seemingly not caring for the amount of blood and bodies that they were leaving behind.


As they pushed in, they left the bodies of six armored figures behind before pushing in and finding the last armored figure standing in wait, some sort of pistol in his hands and an unpolarized visor, fury clearly shining through his eyes.


“You may take me alive,” the armored figure stated as he killed two of the figures that charged him, their biotics doing nothing to divert the laser weaponry that was coming his way. The handheld weapon also managed to wound and kill another three, their bodies lying on the floor as a stronger biotic finally entered the room, pinning the man to the ceiling and restricting his movements while another strong biotic tore the weapon out of his hand as a trophy while a third ripped his helmet off with biotic assisted strength and looked in surprise at the surprisingly human face of the figure they were capturing.


“Change of plans,” the leader said as she stepped forward and grabbed the man’s chin. “I think you’ll find that we can sedate him properly if you check the contingencies kit. “Now, you will tell us all that we need to know, and we will grant you a quick and merciful death instead of subjecting you to some of our less strenuous methods.”


“Burn in hell,” the man spat a mixture of blood onto the Asari’s face. “We’ll get revenge, one way or another, and when we do.”


“You’ll do nothing,” the Matriarch laughed before turning to the Asari that were still restraining the man. “Clean this up and plant the evidence, we’re taking this one back to the monasteries of Thessia. It’s clearly time for an introduction to the reason why we are the ones who guide the galaxy.”







“Fuck,” Melissa breathed as she came out of the hiding place she had been in, checking the bodies of both her and Mark’s bodyguards as she went, hoping that one or more of them were still alive in some fashion. “Mathis,” she called out as she reached the giant of a man. His corpse was surrounded by what appeared to be dozens of Batarian bodies.


“They took him,” the man seemed to snap his eyes open and jolt up for a split second. “They took Hull,” his eyes closed as he seemed to collapse back into unconsciousness.


“I know,” Melissa said quietly as she cradled the large man’s head as he faded from life. “I’ll get him back, I swear it.”


Moving forward, she checked the last of the bodies, one of her Bodyguards assigned from the Fourth Royal Guards, and found that she was still alive and somewhat mobile, a lucky shot having hit her helmet and not penetrated, but having thrown her back and given her a concussion.


“Come on Serena,” Melissa helped the woman stand up as she grabbed a rifle from one of the nearby bodies. “We’ve got to get back to the Mother Goose. We’re not safe on the Citadel, and I don’t think that the Volus are going to be investing in any trade deals with us anytime soon.”


–

–


“This is a catastrophe!” Sparatus roared as he entered the private Council Chambers. “I want to know exactly how a hit Squad managed to kill foreign ambassadors under our watch without C-Sec even getting wind of it.”


“STG is looking into the matter now,” Vedol said hurriedly. “Nothing is conclusive as of yet, but the Terminus Commonwealth did collect their dead and left an hour ago.”


“Preliminary evidence suggests the Batarians are behind this,” Tevos said calmly as she sipped some tea. “I recommend we not do anything rash until we have gotten to the bottom of this though.”


“No,” Spartacus said softly but firmly. “I’m going to be personally overseeing this one. We have over a hundred dead Batarian corpses, and nothing to show for proof that we weren’t behind any of this.”


“STG will be sending several experts to assist,” Vedol told Sparatus with a nod. “A head of state has gone missing on the Citadel, the loss in reputation is too great to properly define, but I fully expect future’s to suffer for the short term.”


“Our ship will survive the turning of the waves,” Tevos said with a wave of her hand. “This isn’t the first time clandestine agents have broken the quiet on the Citadel, and it will not be the last.”


“It’s the first time in most species living memory,” Sparatus said as he crossed his arms. “If we do nothing to address this then we will pay in our living memory, and I will not put the Hierarchy through that if at all possible. I am a representative of my species, and if my fellow Turians would not let this rest, then neither will I,” Sparatus turned and began to leave. “Until you have come to your senses and looked at the short term, Tevos. I will not be back to this chamber for anything less than a galactic scale emergency.”



Author's Note: The best part about the Asari going loud, is that the Commonwealth can claim that it was the Republics all that they want to, but no one will believe them. After all, it's the Salarians that deal in that kind of behavior. Not the Asari...

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 55 Part One (Awakening)

Location: Unknown
Date: Unknown

“Is he awake yet?” I heard a voice break through the dark of unconsciousness as my brain warmed up to full alertness again. Maintaining my breathing pattern, I simply lay there and listened, hoping that someone would give me some usable intel.

“He should be alert and able to communicate in around five minutes or so,” another voice responded. “We’re flushing out the sedatives from his system now.”

“Thank you,” the first voice said. “You may leave now, I will watch over our guest here.”

I strained my ears as I heard footsteps walk out of the room.

“That one may be young and unobservant,” the first voice stated. “But I am not so young and easily deceived. You woke up when I walked into the room, now open your eyes so I may take your measure.”

Opening my eyes, I glanced down to see that I was naked and suspended in some sort of gel-like bed a handful of feet off the ground. “I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I drawled as I cast my eyes around the small room I was in, looking for some sort of weapon I could use. “But that would be a lie.”

“Oh, I quite like you,” a very dark blue Asari stepped forward, her eyes shining with a slight purple tinge as if her Biotics were always active. “It’s not very often that we get quietly defiant ones here after all,” She glanced at the door. “Screaming and crying is typically the response I am met with. Closely followed by attacks on my person.”

“And how exactly would I be able to escape right now?” I rolled my eyes as I tried to stand up and instead collapsed back down onto the strange mattress. “I’m not exactly capable of doing anything physical at the moment, after all. So are you here to give me your supervillain monologue so that you can bore me to death? Or are we going straight into the torture?” I began taking stock of my body. Starting with my legs and moving my way upwards. “You motherfuckers,” I muttered as I realized what was missing. “You shaved off my beard! Do you have any idea how long it took to get it that long without it just being a rat’s nest?!”

“I will not even pretend to understand what it is you are talking about,” the Matriarch said as her eyes glowed before her body was suspended in a biotic field that reclined her. “But, I do think it is time that I establish our future relationship. You are here because you are a threat to Asari’s dominance of the Galaxy, and we are going to be combing through your mind to see exactly what secrets you are hiding.”

“Oh,” I raised an eyebrow. “Are we starting now or are we going to be going through my mind later?”

“Later,” the Matriarch waved her hand nonchalantly. “I have a ‘monologue’ to finish first, after all.”

“Telling me all your dark secrets because you know I’m dead already?” I asked. “Not like that’s ever been done before.”

“Something like that,” the Matriarch agreed. “And, I’m not even the one who will be conducting the interrogation. I would break your mind should we meld, the weight of my experience alone would kill any Asari who I melded with, much less you or another species. No, we are going to be bringing one of my proteges to go through your mind.”

“Let me guess,” I said. “You’ll be ripping through my mind with some of your space vampires?”

“Ardat Yakshi,” She laughed. “That is a carefully engineered deception, in some small part because it is backed by truth, but that delves into things that you need not know,” the Matriarch stood up to her full height. “Now, I will take my leave and give you time to consider whether you are going to be volunteering the information that we desire or whether we will be taking it by force.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked before she left the room. “What did we ever do to cause you to have issue with us?”

“You and your Commonwealth pushed too far and too fast,” the Matriarch turned around in the doorway. “And in doing so have wrecked thousands of years of planning. I was responsible for much of that planning, and while I am capable of finding alternative solutions to problems, the younger among us are less willing to bend. And while I still possess much power and authority, I have been an old woman for a long time, and even Asari can have short memories at times. And regardless of my personal feelings about what is occurring, I will always put my people first. For you see, I have been called many names over the millennia, but the name that most know me by is the one that is the most important. Should you be willing to speak in the future, you may call me Athame.”

 

[MarkWarrior]

Chapter 55 Part Two (Shifting Points of View)

“Sir, all signs are pointing towards the Batarians having done this,” the investigator for the recent incident said to Sparatus. “While it’s possible someone faked this scene, it would have taken a tremendous effort to do it this well.”

“I know that,” Sparatus sighed as he looked at the large amount of data that was trying to prove his instincts wrong. “But it seems too easy of a solution to this problem,” The Turian Councilor looked at the Salarian investigator for a minute before nodding his head. “Thank you for your hard work, you may go.”

“Always a pleasure, Councilor,” The Salarian gave a small bow before leaving.

Opening up his terminal, Sparatus sent a message to the two people he was certain would not have been part of a cover-up, Spectre Vasir and the Volus Ambassador that had been ready for negotiations.

“Let’s hope that they’re able to connect me with the right people,” Sparatus muttered as he combed through the data he had gathered on the incident, hoping to find something amiss. “Something is off about this, I can feel it.”

The Councilor then stood up, sighing as he opened his Omnitool to search for a place to get some food. “Might as well get something to eat while I try to make sure that we’re conducting the investigation properly.”




“What do you mean the media we have released has been censored and called out as lies?!” Natasha asked as she slammed her fist down. “We have not doctored any of the footage, and it is easy to prove that we haven’t touched it.”

“The videos are removed as soon as we upload them,” Melissa replied, the rage silently emanating from her. “We’re lucky that we keep hard copies and backups of everything. Because our Salarian expert has found several places where there was something in the system trying to erase the videos in their entirety.”

“It’s clear that someone is trying to ensure that what you have to say is disproven in every way,” Aerdin said as he tried to find workarounds to get their version of events posted on the extranet. “Whoever is behind this is capable of stonewalling pretty much everything I have tried, including the use of several tricks that are only known to the STG.”

“Keep trying please,” Melissa told the Salarian. “We’re tracking down Mark’s Mithril suit, but the transponder is only able to be sensed if there’s a Black Box in the area, and so we’re having to comb through different trade routes little by little to try and get a signal back.”

“Am unaware of what these ‘Black Boxes’ are,” the Salarian responded. “But will continue to try and assist as best capable.”

Natasha just sat there silently, her anger silently pooling out as an almost physical presence in the room.

“I’m going to go blow something up,” Natasha stated as she stood up. “And have Aethyta meet me in my husband’s office once I am done. We are going to have much to discuss.”




“I want my security detail increased,” Anita Goyle informed Jack Harper. “If someone is willing to do something like that then I want to have my people as secure as we can make them.”

“I’ll get some N series graduates assigned to your detail,” Jack replied. “And see if you can persuade the Council to allow us to provide some heavier security in the form of snipers on adjacent buildings and such. We’ll even coordinate with the Volus and Elcor’s details if necessary,” Jack sighed. “Parliament is pushing for us to remove our embassy and work remotely with the Council races. It’s taken most of my influence to keep the lid on and the anger down for now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Anita replied as she looked at the man via the comms. “I’ll start negotiations for more security and will see if I can persuade some of the other species to assist in providing security.”

“Well, our intel-gathering hasn’t quite figured out what happened yet,” Jack said as he opened up a terminal in plain view of Anita before showing her the results. “But our VIs haven’t crunched all of the data yet either.”

“Well, should you manage to filter through things and get something viable, I’m sure that the Terminus Commonwealth would be grateful. They’ve been stating that they believe the Asari are behind this despite all evidence pointing to the Batarians.”

“When we have something I’ll have our intel people get it to you,” Harper responded. “But we’ve got a lot of data to go through, and we’re still working on more advanced VI systems for filtering it out properly.”



“Sir, I’ve gone through everything two or three times with you,” Tela Vasir told Sparatus as they sat in the Councilor’s office. “And while I agree that this doesn’t fit the SIU’s methods, we can’t prove anything. Even when I paid the Shadow Broker for information he gave me data on a planned operation that he intercepted from the Hegemony to do something like this.”

“Can you get me in direct contact with the Terminus Commonwealth?” Sparatus asked as he flared his mandibles. “I need you to bring them a message.”

“I can go there as soon as you give me the leave to do so,” Tela stated. “The Volus Ambassador has asked for an escort to directly negotiate with the Commonwealth anyway.”

“Good,” Sparatus stated. “I’ve got several things that I need to be relayed, and I want you to work with them on trying to track down whoever did this. If they can do something like this and can do a cover-up that holds up to our scrutiny then who knows what else they’re capable of?”

“I have no idea, sir,” Tela stood up. “But I’ll go ahead and get moving, I’ve got a Volus to escort.”




“Aethyta, I need your help,” Natasha said to the Asari Matriarch as she took off her helmet and finally showed her face to the alien woman. “And I’m willing to put our complete trust in you so long as you’re able to actually accomplish it.”