Previously, on the Reclaimer Effect: First Contact

The impossibly loud shouts of agreement filled the ship, and Commander Jill Samson's heart filled with pride at her crew.

They would all die today…but so would many of the enemy.

As the Nile entered slipspace, the Vaal charged the enemy.

"Those people that live in the Ascendency- most of them, anyway- think that the Mantle is what the Ascendency is based on. Is it? Imperialism and upholding the Mantle are synonymous if it is, then. Many in the New Terran Alliance and the United Terran Republic are slightly wary of the Ascendency, especially due to the Ghost Incident. The Protoss, and the Sangheili are officially 'allied' with the Ascendency…but how long will that last? Many seem to forget that the Unggoy and Kig-Yar were once client races of the Sangheili Imperium, and are now client races of the Ascendency. If that isn't imperialism, then I don't know what is."- Kaidon Netra'Modan (Clan Leader of the State of Modan)

Pacifica, Pacific Ocean
Earth, Sol System
Orion Arm
RSC: March 13, 2614

In the aftermath of the devastating Human-Covenant War (2525-2553, although 2552 is generally widely accepted as the end year), Earth was in ruins, and nearly all of the human outer colonies had been ravaged and burnt down. Reach, one of the industrial pillars of mankind, was gone, and several other important inner colonies had also suffered greatly. Add in the destruction of nearly all the Outer Colonies, and one could wonder how the human race hadn't broken apart after the war.

Of the twenty-five billion deaths (out of sixty-one billion people) suffered during the war, nearly half had occurred on Earth alone. 12.4 billion people had lived on humanity's homeworld, and out of that number, less than three hundred million had survived the darkest hour of the human race.

The catastrophic loss of life on Earth prompted the remnants of the UNSC, and the Ascendency after it, to vow that never again would the cradle of humanity be ravaged and burned. Cities were rebuilt, with defensive capability in mind. Antiaircraft batteries littered the cities and towns, and military bases were never too far from major metropolises. Massive Anti-Glassing Bunkers capable of holding millions were built. Wide roads allowed for easy transportation of forces, while Heavy Shield Generators were installed in many major cities. A total of five point five billion now repopulated the homeworld, and of that 5.5 billion, nearly a billion alone were military forces. A water-based naval armada was based out of various ports, all armed with Ground-to-Space Weapons Systems.

It was a veritable fortress, much like Reach, and the sheer number of space-borne defenses further proved this as well. Five hundred Orbital Defense Platforms defended Earth alone, in addition to smaller defense satellites that had payloads of nuclear missiles and railguns. Fighter bases built in holed-out asteroids were placed in geosynchronous orbit, capable of mustering two thousand fighter craft and bombers in mere minutes alone.

That was before factoring in the massive Sol Defense Armada, which had nearly 800 warships. Of that number, over four hundred defended Earth and Earth alone, as part of the Earth Defense Fleet. The rest guarded the terraformed world of Mars, along with the Luna Colonies, and other settlements within the Sol System.

The last of these defenses had been completed in 2590. When interviewed about it, Rear Admiral Jeremy Chang, who was tasked with the Mars Defense Fleet, stated that the only thing capable of smashing past all the defenses was a Forerunner fleet.

That reinforced the truth that Earth was the heart of the military might of the Ascendency.

Politically, Earth was just as important.

The old capital of the UEG had been in Geneva, but Geneva had been torn apart by the Covenant, and by the end of the war not much had remained of it. To showcase the newfound power of humanity, the civilian leadership of Earth wanted to build a new capital city…but that plan was shelved when the UNSC protested against it- the sheer cost alone in materials could easily be used to build a battlegroup of warships, which would be much more useful at the time, considering the perilous state humanity found itself in.

By the time the Ascendency came into place, the plan, codenamed Pacifica, was initiated. A massive floating city the size of Rhode Island, shining silver in the daylight sun, would be constructed in the Pacific Ocean. Defended by a force of newly constructed Ascendency Water Navy warships, along with a host of airbases and fifty thousand soldiers, the Pacifica would serve as the capital city of the Reclaimer Star Ascendency.

When the Chiss joined, the capital city stayed the same- the Chiss themselves could have cared less for political posturing, especially since they were on the same side, not to mention the war that was raging on at the time.

The center of Pacifica was home to the Capitol Rotunda, a building that served as the home to the Triumvirate, Senate and Assembly, the three political bodies of the Ascendency. On this very day, the Rotunda was packed with every Senator that could physically attend- the others did so through hologram. The three Triumvirs were at their raised platforms, while important members of the AI Assembly took their places at the holographic projectors.

The Senators themselves knew little of what had occurred, and as such listened intently to the military officer who began speaking.

"At approximately 1625 hours of March 11 of the Reclaimer Standard Calendar, the RMS Moscow and her escorts made first contact…"

The silence was deafening, and barely bated breaths were easily heard, more than likely coming from the Senators. A few other muffled curses were thrown around as well, already predicting the bad news.

"…Hostile alien contact. The Keyes-class Frigates RMS Narmada (FFG-344), RMS Parana (FFG-459), and RMS Nile (FFG-464) suffered varying amounts of damage and the Stanforth-class Cruiser RMS Moscow (CG-103) suffered a light amount of damage. The Science Vessel RSS Curious Flames has been confirmed to be destroyed, with Cole Protocol in effect, while the Frigate RMS Vaal (FFG-403) is Missing-in-Action, presumed destroyed as well. As of 0900 hours on March 12 of the Standard Calendar, Red Harvest is in effect."

Before the senators could have said anything, the Supreme Commander of the Reclaimer Ascendency Military Forces and Triumvir of the Military, Grand Admiral Terrence Hood, spoke. His voice was authoritative, and it demanded to be listened to.

"After a brief review of the evidence we have, and by the unanimous decision of the Triumvirate, and with the approval of the Assembly, I hereby declare the state of war existing between the Galactic Reclaimer Star Ascendency of Worlds and her new foes."

This time, the Rotunda burst aloud, Senators demanding things that they themselves actually had no authority to do. The AIs that observed the exchange merely shook their virtual heads, a select few speaking to the Triumvirs as the Senators did what regular politicians did best- waste time.

"Enough!" roared another voice, coming from the Triumvir of the Citizenry, the democratically elected Adjudicator Jan'theor'indeo. "As respectable members of the Ascendency Senate, you will not reveal this to the public until the Triumvirate makes a public statement, which will happen in a few hours. Until then, this information is classified Top Secret, and anyone guilty of leaking such information will be tried, prosecuted and punished as criminals in violation of the Wartime Measures Doctrine of 2575."

The Senators, now made aware of the consequences, became more hushed, and soon enough, began filing out.

The Chiss Adjudicator, only recently elected to the post, slumped down in his seat as the windows in front of the Triumvirate's Platform darkened, a frown clearly visible. Called 'Jan' by his close friends, the new Adjudicator had won the elections in a landslide victory, his honest and humble charm along with prior military and government service making him a good match for playing the role of the political and civilian leader of the Ascendency. He knew that there would be disasters and snafus along the way, but a war? And right after the end of the Second Covenant War, at that? No, he did not expect this to happen-

"Adjudicator," the Councilor of Artificial Intelligences-effectively the leader of the AIs- said in a hushed tone, though she was clearly heard by the Chiss, though he clearly was lost in thought.

"JAN!" the voice of a respected acquaintance, known to the public as Cortana, boomed through his earpiece.

"What is it?" he quickly recovered, mentally beating himself up for losing focus- such a thing was heavily frowned upon in the more strict Chiss society, and had the cultural impression of an airheaded fool.

"We have the latest status reports from Shanxi…General Williams and Governor Leng have prepared as best as they can, and all the civilians that aren't capable of fighting have retreated to the Anti-Glassing Bunkers," she reported in a rapt military fashion. Nearby, Grand Admiral Terrence Hood nodded in appreciation, having heard the report as well. "That was about two or so hours ago."

"Battle Group Infinity is being recalled to New Harvest to be combined with the 1st Strike Armada under Fleet Admiral Lasky, as well as Battle Group Orion, under the command of Rear Admiral Tara Shepard. I've also assigned Battle Group Anubis, under the command of Commodore Cain to assist the fleet; they'll meet up at New Harvest as well. They will be the main force behind the counterattack after they hit Shanxi, since mustering there now would not give us enough forces," Cortana continued. "The 1st Shadow Regiment's 4th and 5th Battalions are loading up to join the force as we speak, though the 3rd Battalion will have to stay on Reach. Spartan Division Golf, the only full Spartan division on Reach, has also loaded up."

The Prime Ascendant, the last member of the Triumvir, who had up till not said nothing, then spoke, his gravelly voice having a mixture of cool calmness, reassurance and firmness.

"Golf is good, they'll do fine as an attack force," the man stated, his specially made uniform standing out. "Anything else-"

"Oh, crap…" sighed a new voice, this one synthetic as well, though it was decidedly more British in accent. The Vice Councilor of Artificial Intelligences, a veteran of the Human-Covenant War, was named Serina, and aside from Cortana she was the most influential AI 'alive.'

"What is it, Vice Councilor?" prodded the Adjudicator. Despite his misgivings on Serina's sarcastic, near-fatalistic attitude, she was someone you just had to respect/fear, considering her large influence in the Assembly and the Navy.

"I'm afraid that shit has officially hit the fan…we're going to have to move the public declaration of war forward…and we're going to need to do it soon."

War Room, RMS Orion
Slipspace, En Route to New Harvest
Orion Arm
RSC: March 13, 2614

What did we ever do to deserve this?

Tara Shepard was, by nature and necessity, a pragmatic woman. She was an optimist, but not the starry-eyed idealist that was now a dying breed within the human race. Yet, for all her pragmatism, she couldn't help but ask herself the same question over and over again.

Born into a prominent military lineage, she knew from experience and historical truths that most First Contact situations ended in war. Her grandfathers and one of her grandmothers had served in the First Human-Covenant War (commonly referred to as the First Covenant War), all of them gladly putting their lives on the line to defend those who couldn't.

Her parents, several aunts and uncles had also served in the military forces during the Vargr War.

The Zerg had killed her father, Vice Admiral Victor Shepard, during the start of the Koprulu War. She had seen him get torn apart by a Zerg creature that would be named a 'Hydralisk' with her own eyes, before witnessing the slaughter of fifteen more crewmen and crewwomen.

No, it wasn't much of a surprise that she didn't think much of First Contacts.

She had always hoped for a First Contact that didn't involve the two sides shooting at each other first, but that was akin to a blue moon in the present era. Even the Protoss and Chiss First Contacts were made in times of war- the lack of hostility to each other was due to the need for allies against a mutual foe.

With a remarkable service record spanning from the mid phases of the Koprulu War, to the Second Covenant War, and numerous other successful ops in between had made her somewhat of a famous name within the Navy.

And to think that we just ended another fucking war last year…if there's a higher power out there, he, she or it must enjoy yanking us around like this…

The veteran Rear Admiral gave a quiet sigh as she watched the command crew of the RMS Orion, a Hood-class Supercarrier (CV-109), file into the 'War Room,' as she had named the unofficial meeting room/lounge that the officers onboard the large aerospace craft carrier used.

As the commanding officer of the Independent Battle Group 15, aka Battle Group Orion, Tara Shepard knew all of the officers onboard her flagship very well. She had trained several of them as protégés, and the rest had served alongside her for years, if not decades.

What she knew of the new war that they had been plunged into was…slightly disturbing, to say the least. The enemy used kinetic weapons, which the Reclaimer military starships were actually more vulnerable to than energy weapons. This was due to the focus on shielding technology against energy weapons (which, up till the new foe appeared, was the only type other races used), not kinetic ones. After all, no other faction in known space used kinetic-based weaponry, save for the Terrans (but their lack of shields meant that it was a simple matter to eliminate them if they went to war), and the Terrans were either allied to them or too busy to cause much trouble.

Since the enemy never used kinetic-based weapons in space, there was little point in improving the shields against those types of weapons. Reclaimer energy shielding technology had progressed much in the past half-century, so much that if a Keyes-class Frigate from the current day and age had been the standard for the human fleet during the First Covenant War, the Covenant would have been bloodied, repelled, and possibly defeated.

Improving the shielding systems against kinetic weapons wasn't that hard, of course, considering that learning how to make and maintain the shields was the harder issue in the first place. Now that they understood the principles, it was surprisingly easy to improve on shield systems. The major problem, however, was power.

It was glaringly obvious that due to the improvements on human technology- the reloading speed of the MAC, the addition of shields and the higher resistance to energy weapons, as well as the newer Slipspace drives- human warships needed more power. In fact, the main reason for the Charon-class Light Frigates being retired after the First Covenant War was due to the lack of power to simultaneously have an improved MAC reloading and firing rate, a shield, and a new Slipspace drive (the last ate up much, much more power than even the Covenant one during the war). This was why the newer class of Frigates was slightly larger than the older class- to make room for the Shield Generators, Power Generators, and other systems needed to maintain them.

There was also enough power to increase the shield's resistance against energy weapons, but not against the kinetic ones as well at the same time. Changing it from energy to kinetic resistance was relatively simple, but would require time in a shipyard, something the Orion didn't have time for. In any case, it was a Carrier, so if their shields were being taxed then they were probably screwed anyway.

Hindsight, in this case, was truly 20/20.

Or, in Tara Shepard's more uncouth terms, hindsight was a bitch.

And they would have to make do with it, as they had always done before.

As the last of the officers needed to form a battle plan for the Battle Group filed in, she gave off another unnoticed sigh.

Here we go again.

Cipritine
Palaven, Trebia System
Apien Crest, Perseus Arm
RSC: March 13, 2614

"I find it strange, though," Primarch Loren Valorus of the Nova Vestin Cluster stated in a conversational tone, before explaining it. "The Asari have always strove for peaceful relations with…well, everyone! Even the spirits-damned Batarians! Why this race?"

"The AIs?" suggested Primarch Antonus Quinn of the Azeri Cluster, looking around at the few who had arrived extremely early to the convening of the Hierarchy Primarch Council. "The Asari were the ones who passed the law, and they did so before the Geth even existed."

A slam on the table by two older talons quieted the discussion. "It doesn't matter! The Asari Republics have just formed a unified military command, and the last time they did that was during the Krogan Rebellions!"

Silence filled the room for a moment. The Turian who had slammed the table then stood up. "Like it or not, the peace-loving Asari have begin waging war on this new foe. This is the first time we've seen them unite under a single banner since the Geth Uprising against the Quarians. And I don't need to remind you about how intense the decade after the Uprising was."

Another brief silence ensued, before another Turian, this one with the rank of a Navy Admiral, spoke up.

"I do not mean to sound like a Salarian…but we have little to no information regarding these new beings. They evidently have a new FTL method of unknown capability- one that they weaponized- and their cruisers have cannons with yields higher than that of the Destiny Ascension. Their only weakness seems to be their range, but their micro FTL jumps make that a nonissue," the Admiral continued. "They have shields with unusually high amounts of power, and the armor on their cruisers are nearly as strong as the ones on our Dreadnoughts."

"Supreme Admiral Destrius, you make it sound like we are outmatched," stated an Army General who had just entered the room.

"That's because we most likely are outmatched, technologically-wise. We don't know their ground warfare capabilities, but what we do know of their space-based ones is…concerning," Supreme Admiral Jovar Destrius stated in a serious tone. "I do not underestimate the Hierarchy's might, but neither do I underestimate the potential might of our enemy. The lack of Element Zero alone should not discount the potential power these new beings can wield, and like it or not, they are more than capable of at least matching our forces in space."

"In any case," interrupted the Primarch of Palaven as he strode into the room, all the other Turians immediately saluting as soon as they saw him, "the Turian Hierarchy doesn't have much of a choice in the matter."

A few moments of discussion continued, before the last few Primarchs and important military officials took their places.

"How many?" demanded the Primarch Aderi Falconus of Palaven, effectively the head of state for the Turian Hierarchy. The table he was at the head of had the most powerful Turians in the galaxy sitting around it.

"The diversionary attacks on the other systems containing a 'Reclaimer' presence were successful, and they managed to split the fleet that was supposed to defend the homeworld-" the Hierarchy Military Intelligence Corps Colonel, Primus Vakarian, was cut off there by the Primarch Falconus.

"Colony."

"Sir?" a confused Navy Admiral inquired.

"It's not their homeworld, it's a colony," Falconus stated in a calm tone. "The estimated population level of the world doesn't exceed twenty million, and the combined population of the colonists in the nearby systems only adds a few million more. For an advanced spacefaring race to have less than a billion people would be…unlikely."

The others conceded the fact to their leader, seeing the logic in the argument.

"In any case, Operation Crimson Blade was a partial success. The composition of the forces sent on the diversionary attacks were Asari, Salarian and a mix of the other Associate naval fleets," Colonel Vakarian continued.

"How is that a partial success, Colonel Vakarian?" another Turian, this one with a General's stripes, demanded, emphasizing the word 'colonel,' as if to remind Vakarian of his lower rank. The others at the table somewhat expected it. Hierarchy Blackwatch General Desolas Arterius was known to have had a rivalry (for reasons unknown to most) with Primus Vakarian for ages.

"The enemy naval forces were spread out to most of the worlds due to the first few attacks. While this allowed for the success in leaving their main colony undefended, it also caused the failure of most of the other attacks," a small grimace appeared Intelligence Corps Colonel's face at that moment, "most notably the Asari Tevura-class Dreadnought Sunlight Glory and the 145th Flotilla of the Salarian Naval Armada."

Silence filled the room for a short moment right after that, broken by General Arterius, who recovered first.

"How in the spirits' name did these aliens destroy a dreadnought?"

To everyone's great surprise, Colonel Vakarian didn't seem fazed. "Superior firepower. The initial engagement between the Joint Patrol Fleet Theta and the Reclaimer flotilla at Relay 314, despite numerical superiority on our side, ended with seven Hierarchy frigates, one Hierarchy cruiser, five Asari frigates, and one Asari cruiser destroyed, in addition to four Turian frigates, three Asari frigates and a single Asari cruiser damaged. The Asari Tevura-class dreadnought Sunset Hazel also suffered moderate amounts of damaged."

The Hierarchy Primarch Council was the one and only ruling force within the Turian Hierarchy. Composed of the leaders of each Colonization Cluster, and led by the Primarch of Palaven, the Primarch Council was the Hierarchy. Each and every one of them had served their race with loyalty and honor for decades, at the very least. And all of them didn't get there by being dumb either.

These were smart people, and they clearly saw the facts.

"Spirits," another Hierarchy Army General cursed. "That many losses, just for damaging three cruisers, a dreadnought and destroying a single cruiser and a noncombatant vessel?"

A grave look crossed Primarch Falconus' face. "I cannot stress this enough to all of you. This new enemy is one that more than likely outguns us, and might just be the single greatest threat to our existence, whether we wanted it or not. General Arterius, I'm authorizing the deployment of Blackwatch units to the new battlefront…gather whatever intelligence we can, and make sure that the enemy prisoners, if there are any, are treated with some form of respect. If all goes well, we'll have a new client race, new technology, and it's in our best interest to make sure they won't be too hostile."

Nervous chuckles from all around the table filled the air, knowing all too well how likely it would be for that to happen.

Spirits help us if the worst happens.

Captain's Cabin, RMS Anubis
Prospect (High Orbit), Zeta Ariadne System
Orion Arm
RSC: March 13, 2614

It was a dark cavern, with the sound of skittering creatures being echoed repeatedly by the walls. Saying that it was disturbing was an understatement of the century, and saying that it was cause enough for fear was something that Captain Helena Cain and her surviving naval crewmen could agree with. Armored in the Naval Shipboard Combat Skins (which were wholly inadequate against even a Zergling) the crewmen and crewwomen of the RMS Elbe had crash-landed on the worst place they could have.

Char.

The Marine and ODST detachment onboard the Elbe had mostly been deployed to assist with Commander Raynor's Alliance forces' push into the Central Hive. The last of the ODST Pods had been launched when a massive swarm of Scourges and Mutalisks came upon the Elbe, the 'suicidal flying bombs' of the Swarm (the Scourges) depleting the shields of the Elbe. More Scourges and Zerg flyers soon reinforced the Mutalisks, and soon the armor of the Elbe had been pierced.

The damage done was severe enough that the Elbe could not escape into the upper atmosphere, and was forced to make a vicious crash-land…right atop of a minor Hive.

Minor indicated a small one, but the Zerg didn't do 'small.' Instead of millions of Zerg, the crew of the Elbe would only need to contend with hundreds of thousands.

'How fortunate,' Cain thought with a snort as she assisted the other crewmen with setting up barricades, machine gun emplacements and landmines. A few New Terran Alliance Marines that had been onboard at the time were lugging mortars and salvaged railguns from the downed frigate to a suitable location. Judging by the fact that there were more than a few hundred ships crashed on the surface of Char, it wasn't likely that a rescue would come soon. Most of the allied forces had been deployed to the Central Hive FOB anyway, to ensure that the Artifact had a chance to do what is was supposed to and wipe out all the non-Overmind Zerg near the Central Hive, so that the Strike Force would be able to plant the beacons and nuke the Zerg Overmind to kingdom come.

The slight shaking of the ground then snapped her out of her daydream. A shaking ground on Char could only mean one thing.

"Incoming Zergling rush!" roared an NTA Marine as he fired the machine gun from the emplacement he had been assigned to. Crewmen fired the mortars as accurately as they could, tearing apart tens of Zerg with each shot. Yet all veterans of conflicts with the Zerg would know that tens, hundreds or even thousands of casualties were small potatoes for the Zerg. They were inconsequential losses, and the continued charge of the demonic purplish creatures only reinforced the fact.

"Fire, fire!" cried out a naval Chief Petty Officer as she tossed an incendiary grenade into the midst of the charging Zerglings, the nearby members of the Naval Combat Team 6794 firing their heavy machine guns and rifles at the seemingly endless horde.

Then the first of the Zerg hit the landmines. Beautiful explosions of yellow and red replaced the purple horde of devils…for a short moment. The NTA Marines had continued firing into the unseen horde, and the naval crewmen and crewwomen soon followed. The railguns salvaged from the Elbe fired into the swarm of hostile creatures and blew them up with contemptuous ease, but the sheer numbers of the enemy negated any effect it might have had.

The Zergling charge then suddenly withered down and died as more lead was poured into them. A few Naval Combat Teams armed with the Directed Energy Sniper Rifles began firing, each shot collecting a single kill, sometimes even killing two or three Zerglings at once.

The ground then seemed to shake even more…

From the north came a wave of banelings, the sickly green bulbous forms of the creatures reminding the Reclaimers of the Flood. The NTA Marines grimaced as they focused their fire on the banelings that would explode when they were near enough for their acid to melt through the strongest armor.

From the south came a horde of more Zerglings, rushing towards them, with hydralisks firing their poisonous spines at the defenders. The snipers concentrated on these deadly hydralisks, letting the machine gunners handle the zerglings. To the east, the skies parted to allow a force of Mutalisks, but the salvaged point defense lasers of the Elbe handled these. Then, when hope arose that the Zerg might be defeated, the ground exploded.

A massive worm-like creature literally pushed the ground up, and gave off a fearsome screech. But the worm itself was not the immediate threat. The Zerglings and Roaches it spewed out were. Zerglings could easily be brought down by rifle fire, but the armored hides of the Roaches proved troublesome for the under-armed naval crewmen and crewwomen.

Cries of pain and agony filled the air as Roach Acid and Zergling claws tore through the ranks of the crew, butchering the loyal and honorable warriors who served their race with pride.

And Helena Cain could only watch helplessly as she fired her light machinegun at the enemy horde, the surviving members of her crew retreating to higher ground where more emplacements had been set.

The attack tapered down after that, and as night fell, only minor Zerg incursions occurred. The despair from the slaughter mere hours ago was replaced with the grim determination to survive.

"Abura Kazarn…the will to survive" the Chiss Lieutenant who served as the XO of the Elbe had said during this time.

Then, the same deep, haunting voice boomed, as the same Chiss Lieutenant was burnt to death by acid. Screams of anguish echoed from the dying in the soot-filled air, and Cain watched helplessly.

"Fools. You will not survive this, you will die! And you, Captain Cain," an invisible sneer could be heard when Cain's voice was called, "shall watch them scream and die!"

The woman jolted out of the bed, panting heavily as she relived the worst experience she had lived through. Over five hundred men and women had survived the crash-landing of the RMS Elbe, but in the three days they had been down there, their numbers were whittled down to a mere seven.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Char, Captain Helena Cain was promoted to Commodore, and soon after, Rear Admiral. Her meteoric rise to Rear Admiral was also clouded by a series of brutal actions that might have been classified as war crimes, had they not ended up resulting in decisive victories for the Ascendency, and eventually these 'black marks' caused her demotion back to Commodore. Had she not been such a valuable military genius and strategic resource, she would have most definitely been dishonorably discharged.

She was a woman to be respected and feared, but from her current state, one could question that.

Her momentary ponderings were interrupted by an alert message to her wrist-mounted PSI-Band, which allowed her to tap into the Psionic Network and the military-exclusive MILNET.

With a sigh, she brought it up, the light blue holographic screen being expanded and scanned through by Cain's Optical Implants (something she had to get after a Zergling's claw managed to tear out one of her eyes).

BEGIN

Priority Alpha Level Transmission

From: Grand Admiral Preston Jeremiah Cole (RSN), Reclaimer Military HIGHCOM

Commodore Cain, this Transmission is a formal order to take command of the Independent Battle Group 27 and set course for New Harvest, whereupon arrival you will join the First Strike Armada and IBG-15, and wait for the arrival of IBG-1, before commencing Operation PEGASUS.

Details regarding Operation PEGASUS will be made available for your perusal. Good luck, and godspeed.

END Priority Alpha Level Transmission

Armali
Thessia, Parnitha System
Athena Nebula, Scutum-Crux Arm
RSC: March 13, 2614

The Matriarch Council was the obscure seat of power behind the seemingly free and democratic Asari Republics. Representing the two hundred fifty colonies within the Republics and the hundreds of outposts were a mere thirty-five Matriarchs, each wielding a ridiculous amount of power within galactic politics and economy. The speaker at the moment was one of their most powerful and ruthless members, Matriarch Ilya Sederis. While a shrewd businesswoman, she largely stayed out of the limelight due to her line of work.

"This new race is a clear and present threat to galactic stability. As the leaders and pioneers of this stability, it is in our interests to end the menace before it ever can begin," the old (even by Asari standards) Matriarch said in a forceful tone. "The Protheans have left many warnings, the most important one being the dangers of AI. The Quarian suit rats learned that the hard way, after ignoring our wise counsel."

The use of the racist term surprised no one, considering that nearly everyone with a modicum of power in the Asari society knew of the Matriarch's hate for the Quarian race due to a 'violation' of mining rights, which happened multiple times. It was a mutual feeling between the Migrant Fleet and House Sederis, so most of the Matriarchs in the Council ignored it.

"Is it not possible to make peace with this new race?" interrupted another Asari Matriarch, this one of the Lower House Kaleus. "They might even have succeeded in controlling the AIs."

"Don't be a fool," responded Sederis with a derisive snort. "The Protheans, the most advanced race we know of, couldn't do so. The Quarians, while a plague to the galaxy, are masters at technology, and they didn't have the capabilities as well. What makes you think that these newcomers do?"

"Their technology is advanced too, Matriarch Sederis," interjected Matriarch Binna Dantius of the Upper House Dantius. "It would be unwise to think them primitive…"

"They do not even have EEZO tech!" snorted Matriarch Tola Janiris of the Lower House Janiris. "All advanced tech requires EEZO, even the Vorcha know that."

"We don't know how advanced their technology is," pointed out another Matriarch, one from the Lower House of Valis. "Making assumptions based on the lack of Element Zero is a foolish thing."

The hidden message was there. 'You're a fool.'

Before Matriarch Valis' comment could start up another hostile House-to-House confrontation, Matriarch Benezia T'Soni intervened.

"Quiet!"

The tone in which the Matriarch of one of Thessia's most influential families spoke would be chilling to most, sending shivers down some of the present Matriarchs' spines…not that they would admit it.

"Advanced or not, there is little question as to whether they are deadly," she continued after the silent pause. "The loss of several warships, in addition to a Dreadnought, is proof of it, whether we like it or not."

The pregnant pause afterwards was soon seized by Matriarch Sederis as she saw a way to gain more influence.

"To that end, the Eclipse Private Security Force will deploy half of its Corporate Assault Fleets and a quarter of the Eclipse ground forces in aiding Asari forces," she stated in a matter-of-fact manner, her genius intellect allowing her to improvise upon such plans and use it to her advantage.

With luck, Eclipse and House Sederis will gain this newcomer's technologies as well…

Xin Taiyuan
Shanxi, Theta Majoris System
Orion Arm
RSC: March 13, 2614

It was barely dawn. The sunrise on Shanxi had long been considered a marvelous view, making it an up-and-coming hotspot for tourism, especially considering the colony's location in the 'safe' zone. Fewer than sixteen and a half million people lived on the beautiful planet, and other than several smaller issues, life was good for them, and more importantly for the eighteen year-old Pavel Ivanovich Petrenko, life was good for him.

Of course, that all changed today.

The labored breaths of Serviceman Third Class Pavel Ivanovich Petrenko were hard to hear, given the amount of gunfire and explosions filling the air. The human fired a wild burst from his SBR-11 at the supposed location of the enemy, hoping that there would be friendlies nearby to help him out from the situation that he was stuck in. The rifle that rightfully held a respected place in the gun industry for being reliable and accurate (with a good amount of firepower too) spat out a stream of artificially accelerated rounds, set to explode when they hit a solid object. A series of small 'pops' came from whatever the weapon hit, though it was easily drowned out by the sheer loudness of the SBR-11's firing.

It was good that the weapon was this loud as well. At least no one would be able to listen to Petrenko's incessant cursing in Russian. Not that it mattered much, considering the deceased state of his Colonial Defense Force squad.

It happened so fast, the eighteen year old thought as he fumbled with the magazine that he was supposed to reload, managing to plug in the new magazine after several inexperienced and shaky tries. As he took a deep breath and steeled his nerves, he couldn't help but wonder at how a peaceful colony prospering away from all the fronts of war could turn into a hellish warzone. Granted, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but war was hell no matter how it was waged.

Rumors had spread ever since several heavily damaged Navy warships returned from their supposedly 'harmless' scouting/exploration duties in the nearby system. The next day, an official statement was released, with the promise of a shitload of reinforcements from the rest of Ascendency space.

Reinforcements that would take too long to arrive.

Mere hours after that, the shit hit the fan…and splattered all over his face. A veritable armada of alien warships began arriving into the system, sweeping through the small Colonial Defense Force flotilla stationed in orbit, along with the two ODPs. From what the scattered reports could get out, they had made ET bleed badly for each CDF personnel killed. The sheer numbers of the alien force, however, meant that there were ample amounts of alien soldiers coming down.

His squad was a newly graduated one, all of them fresh-faced and inexperienced. The local Army garrison (a half-strength Division) had managed to tie down a portion of the invaders in one of Shanxi's main cities (Xin Cheng), but the capital city, Xin Taiyuan, was largely empty of any 'official' military forces, with only a small CDF battalion to provide any form of defense. This was due to the fact that Xin Cheng was the main military base of operations on Shanxi, while Xin Taiyuan was the administrative capital.

In any case, it mattered little now.

Unlike the Army or Marines, Colonial Defense Force troops were mostly made of conscripts. Despite being 'trained' in warfare, these weren't necessarily the men and women that had the mindset for a battlefield. Their role reflected that. If CDF troops had to be used, it meant that things were going really, really bad. Practically none had experience in combat duties, and the CDF Ground Armor was rather pitiful when compared to those used by the Army and Marines.

Weak shields and thin armor provided them some form of protection from the alien invaders, and while their shields did seem to be effective against the strange weaponry utilized by the aliens, the projectile weapons the enemy used were far superior in terms of armor-penetration, though this was in regards to CDF Ground Armor.

The rest of the squad could have vouched for that…if they were alive. Then again, they wouldn't be able to vouch for that had they been alive, so…

A burst from one of the invaders peppered the impromptu barricade he had hunkered down behind, some of the rounds penetrating and rendering parts of his cover into Swiss cheese.

"Son of a whore!" exclaimed Petrenko as he gaped at the hole that resulted from a round punching through it…and it was uncomfortably close to him.

More rounds started peppering the barricade, some of them punching through as well, ruining more of the already trashed convenience store that had been turned into a battlefield.

The CDF soldier/militiaman let loose another uncontrolled burst, but all he managed to do was force some of the invaders down, which wasn't really helpful, considering that the rest of the invaders were now able to fire right at him.

The weakened shields on his Armor gave out as soon as the first few bursts hit him. An observer trained in the arts of war would have remarked upon the invaders' discipline under fire, along with their teamwork. Petrenko, however, could only curse as he managed to leap behind a sofa, providing a reprieve, no matter how brief it would be.

And then...

Weightlessness. That was the only way Petrenko could describe it. The panicked eyes of the militiaman caught the bluish glow surrounding him, his mind unable to comprehend what was occurring at the moment.

The darting eyes managed to spot the probable source of this glow, an astonishingly humanlike alien, who was also surrounded by the blue aura. It exuded power…and elegance. Petrenko, who had realized that he was now up in the open, somehow being levitated into the air, began to feel fear finally creeping up to him, the adrenaline rush wearing off.

In the span of the few seconds this had happened, another alien, this one not at all like the blue-humanlike one, raised the rifle in his hands (or talons?).

The last thing Serviceman Third Class Pavel Ivanovich Petrenko saw was the smug smirk on the blue humanlike alien's face. After that, it all went dark.

"The reason for the Ascendency having a law that states that no pre-spaceflight races should be contacted is simple. The cultural aftereffect of First Contact situations with Extraterrestrial Races is a well-documented thing. The Vargr-Mon Calamari First Contact is an example of a worst-case scenario, similar to that of Humanity and the Covenant's. The Chiss-Mon Calamari First Contact, for example, was what we can refer to as a best-case scenario. These were two interstellar races with the mindset for coexistence, if not cooperation. That having been said, the Mon Calamari-Chiss First Contacts would result in quite a few periods of tense negotiations, due to the 'fear of the unknown.' Now, these were culturally and technologically advanced races- their mindset, in our point of view, has little to no 'barbaric' traits, and their tech bases were similar. Contact between a less advanced race (in terms of technology and cultural development) and a more advanced one- especially if there is a massive difference- will result in a disaster for the less advanced race. It could be through war, where the reason for the disaster is evident. Alternatively, it could be that they would be culturally stunted. They would not have the time, nor capability, to build up their own distinct cultural identity, and in terms of Extraterrestrials and Interstellar Relations, this is a very bad thing."- Section Director Katarina Schmidt, Reclaimer Directorate of Intelligence Section Three (Public Relations)

AN: I'M BACK BOYS! WHO MISSED ME?

Before you guys start picking up the shotguns and Molotov cocktails, I need you boys and girls to listen. Now, the issue of shields on human warships after the war was widely debated before Halo 4 came out.

In my opinion, the reason why Covenant ships that had capital ship-grade shields were always above a kilometer long was due to the larger power sources they'd need to power their shields, energy weapons, and Slipspace drives, and as such they had better generators to go with it.

Keep in mind that Covenant tech was reverse-engineered, and as such is far, far more inferior to Forerunner tech. When humanity gained the Janus Keys, and through them, the locations of the location of Forerunner artifacts, we managed (in this piece of fiction, at least) to reverse-engineer a more improved version of the Slipspace drives, and shields.

Note that I used LOCATIONS- just because they know a Forerunner artifact is on a planet doesn't mean they know exactly where on a planet it is, and despite what you might think, finding Forerunner artifacts isn't exactly easy. Look at the Portal! It was on Earth, it wasn't hidden under the ocean, and we didn't find it UNTIL THE COVENANT DID IT FOR US!

The shields gained from this scientific endeavor were then improved upon to have a higher resistance against energy weapons, considering that the enemy humanity faced only used energy weapons. This is taxing enough as it is on the power generators, especially those onboard Frigates and Destroyers (both about the same size), since they are much smaller. Add in the strain of the newer, more powerful and power-hungry Slipspace drives, and faster reloading and faster firing of the MAC, and you can see why the scientists didn't think it was worth it to improve resistance to kinetic weapons.

Now that they do know of new enemies who use kinetic weapons, however…you can guess, right?

Next: I've been replaying Mass Effect 2 and 3, and I realized something. In ground combat, Mass Effect troops are far better than Halo troops during the Human-Covenant War…

Don't get me wrong, a SPARTAN will beat the crap out of any unit from Mass Effect (they might run into a bit of a small issue at Asari commandos, Geth Colossi and actual Reapers though…a bit), but there are only so many SPARTANs.

Your average Mass Effect infantryman has access to Kinetic Barriers, Medi-Gel, and a whole set of 'powers.' The average 'Soldier' can will themselves into an artificial Adrenaline Rush, which allows for a short moment of time in which they will react faster. Like Spartan Time, but less advanced. They also have some genetic enhancement, increasing their strength, though again, it doesn't come close to a Spartan's. The fact that ALL soldiers have it though…

And the armor! Some armor can increase the user's strength (though this is customized, so I don't think the average infantryman has it), though I doubt they'll reach a Spartan's level.

Also, Mass Accelerator small arms is superior to most Halo projectile small arms in Armor Piercing capabilities. This is why. A shot from an MA5 series rifle will hit a kinetic barrier or shield with the same amount of force as one from a Mass Accelerator. The difference, of course, is the SIZE of the round. The Mass Accelerator delivers the same amount of force onto a smaller area. Naturally, this will increase armor piercing capabilities, as the force is more focused. On shields or barriers, however, there shouldn't be a difference. Then again, Mass Accelerators can change ammo types with a flick of a button (Incendiary, Armor Piercing, Disruptor, Cryo, Warp).

Halo troops, on the other hand, use similar equipment to what the US military uses nowadays (discounting ODSTs and Spartans). While it is more advanced than our currently used gear, the lack of shields/kinetic barriers doesn't help much. In addition to that, bio-gel, as we can agree, is inferior to Medi-Gel (Medi-Gel doesn't hurt like a bitch when applied, and has the same properties and purposes).

It's just my opinion, however. PM me if you want to have a civilized debate about it! Also, I would like to request some Original Space Factions, sent through a PM.

Format:

Faction Name: (Example) Dog Federation

Faction Government: (Example) Democracy (officially), de jure Military Dictatorship

Faction Capital World/City (if they do not have a whole planet): (Example) Dog World (population: 4.1 billion) or Dog City (population: 1 million)

Important Worlds/Cities (use cities only if they do not have an entire planet): (Example) Dog World 2 (Important Industrial Colony) or Dog City Bravo (Important Agricultural City)

Faction Species: (Example) Uplifted Golden Retrievers

Faction Behavior: (Example) Isolationist

Faction Size: (Example) 2 Planets (state amount of planets/colonies controlled by faction, or state the size of the faction's territory if they do not have an entire planet)

Faction Technology: (Example) Spaceflight (pre-FTL). Options are: Pre-Industrial (you'll have to include a more detailed explanation in the PM), Industrial Age (has factories), Pre-Spaceflight (no space shuttles yet), Spaceflight (can go to a moon, no FTL), Interstellar (has FTL). Explain their tech level in detail.

Faction Military: (Example) Dog Federation Starfleet (Space Navy), Federation Army (defense of the nation), Federation Marines (offensive duties), Federation Intelligence Agency (intelligence agency)

Faction Leader: (Example) Glorious, Democratically Elected, Honorable, Supreme President for Life Doge (if you are making up your own title, please explain if it is for males/females/unisex)

Faction Bio: (Example) The Dog Federation is a government spanning two separate planets in the Doggy System. Ruled by a tyrannic oppressive ruler, who overthrew the previous (corrupt) government in a deadly coup, the Federation seeks to control the lives of their citizens, while slowly expanding. (Explain more in your bio)

IMPORTANT: Your Original Factions can be human, human-alien (like the Asari or Chiss), alien, or Cthulu's great-grandmother. It's your choice.

THANK YOU!