The Shadow of Old Transgressions (Homeworld/Mass Effect Crossover Quest)

Aethon Cluster

System Aru
Irune Financial Sphere

It only makes sense to visit the Irune Financial Sphere first. Your little fleet has made a home there as much as the Bentusi make a home anywhere. Your hyperspace plots a route with an alacrity you didn't expect and you make your first jump using Bentus's core. It's significantly different that any jump you've ever experienced. You aren't entirely awake, but you aren't as deep in the hyperspace dreams as you usually are. You can see hyperspace swirl around you and distantly sense others shunting through the strange space. You can almost make them out, graceful Bentusi, direct Kushan, stalwart Taiidan, and discordant Wraiths.

The galactic tapestry spools out around you. It's an immense thing that threatens to fill every corner of your mind as your hyperspace core overwhelms you with reams of new knowledge. But fortunately before you can sink too deeply you are shunted out into real space. You have arrived at the Aru system.

The formidable fortification spheres remain as you remember them. They bristle with weapons and project their gravitic interdiction array into hyperspace. But it feels almost ephemeral. Like a bubble you could push past with just a little more effort. Fortunately your mind shakes off the last dregs of hyperspace before you do something that'll raise every alarm in the system. Instead you simply broadcast your identification and pass through the shell like any normal visitor.

You vector towards the shipyard where you usually do business and are pleased to find Aurora there directing drones on the construction of the new harborship. It seems that Gallus has moved into its new vessel.

Third Generation, Elder Tender, Specializes in Drive Design, Somewhat Cowardly

A wisp of a thought flashes through your mind. You salvaged as much of the Eldest as you could and while its intelligence did not survive an echo of Bentus's Gestalt remains with you. You aren't sure how useful it will be, but it comforts you to have some measure of Bentus's wisdom to advise you.

"Valerius! You're alive!" Aurora's greeting pulls you out of your musings as she excitedly sends you a handshake to connect once more.

"Yes, I managed to get through the portal in time."

"We hoped you had. We tried to open the portal again, but we were attacked by Wraiths. They forced us to retreat."

You suspected as much, "Well it's good that you survived. Where are the others? Did something happen to them?"

"No, no fortunately we all survived," Aurora sounds very relieved at that, "But with both you and Bentus lost everyone was reeling it and tensions were running high. Ulysses and Iuno got in a big fight over what to do next. Iuno wanted to return the Kushan survivors. Ulysses wanted to take the fight to the T-Mat immediately. Well suffice to say that when the Wraith showed up we just scattered instead of retreating as a group. I'm glad you were able to fight through them."

"They weren't there. No one was. I wonder why," you both fall into silence as you consider that.

"So what now?"

"Hard to say. The T-Mat definitely need to be dealt with still, but it seems like the Wraiths are starting to move as well. First I'm going to gather the fleet again."

"I figured. Unfortunately I'm stuck here. Gallus's harborship is nearly complete. I have to stay and help them finish. I can tell you where Iuno is though. She said she was going to the new Kushan colony world. And I'm pretty sure Laverna went to the Galactic Conclave. She said she wanted to investigate something odd with the station. I'm not sure about Ulysses, but you can check at the Bastion. The Sentinels might have more information on his current location."

[ ] Stay with Aurora
You'd rather not leave a member of your fleet behind right now. You can stay with Aurora and help her calibrate Gallus's harborship. With the new data from Bentus's Hyperspace Core you think you've got a few tricks that could speed that up.

[ ] Kushan Colony
On the other hand Aurora is pretty safe where she is. You could try and find everyone else first. Aurora said Iuno is working with the Kushan at the colony world you "gifted" them. It might be a good idea to check on how she's doing first.

[ ] The Grand Conclave
Laverna is probably still at the Conclave. You vaguely remember what she was talking about. The Conclave's network felt like an echo of something familiar. Plus you'll still be able to gather more galactic news there.

[ ] Halcyon Bastion
It doesn't sound as if Ulysses is actually at the Bastion. But the Sentinels are your best bet to figure out where he is. If he's attacking the T-Mat he's probably doing so in conjunction with other Sentinels. At least you hope so. Ulysses isn't usually one to be rash, but Aurora's recordings of the aftermath got pretty heated.

The Polar Void

Bentusi Bastion Halcyon

You jump to the Bastion again in a single leap. This new hyperspace core is rather incredible.It looks almost exactly the way you left. There are sentinels patrolling the area and tenders repairing damaged bentusi. The only difference is that there are distinctly less mothballed vessels remaining. Clearly many Bentusi have activated their war forms since you were last here.

As you suspected Ulysses is not here. However by joining the sentinel gestalt you are able to gain a greater understanding of the current situation. Unfortunately the destruction of Ninhursag was not as impactful on the T-Mat movements as you might have hoped. However they have fallen back closer to their regions. These areas have already been largely denuded of life by the past millennia of T-Mat wandering. So the Sentinels have been able to concentrate their forces considerably better.

Unfortunately the galaxy is not yet safe. Two new threats have arisen. Or rather two old threats have returned. One is the Wraiths. They have returned to raiding. Your infection counter measures seem to have spread sufficiently to stop them from simply claiming whole ships, but they remain incredibly advanced compared to most galactic races. The Galactic Council, and specifically the Taiidan are fighting back as best they can, but it is going poorly.

The second threat is even older. The Vaygr hordes have stirred in the galactic north. They have begun streaming through the systems near the rim looting and pillaging. On the one hand they are not quite on the level of the Wraiths, but they are still more than most of the local races can handle. On the third hand at least they are not killing everyone.

For his part Ulysses seems to have gone to assist the Taiidan fighting the Wraiths. You calculate the quantum algorithm and make the jump.

Unsurprisingly the Sentinel's information is old. Ulysses isn't in the system, but the locals tell you how he protected them from a wraith attack. They point you on and you repeat the process a few more times. The rumors get more and more recent. Until at last you jump into the aftermath of a recently completed battle.

Ulysses is examining a destroyed Wraith carrier, but the moment your sensor cone hits him he leaves that to his resource drones and burns over to rendezvous with you. "Valerius, you're alive." His realm is as steady as ever, but you can tell he's happy to see.

"And you as well Ulysses. I see you've been busy. Give me an update with the Wraith situation."

"They've targeting worlds in the eastern rim. They've gone beyond raiding convoys and started attacking colonies. Unfortunately they've been abducting any populations they can land troops on. I think it's their response to the anti subversion modules."

"And of course once they land they've bypassed all those defenses. That is bad news indeed. Have you found a way to counter this tactic?"

"In the long term not yet. However I have located their nearest base. It's another of those megaliths. I don't have sufficient firepower to assault it alone, but with the two of us." Ulysses pauses as he runs a simulation.

"It would be possible."

[ ] Attack the Megalith
You and Ulysses together are much much more powerful than you were the first time you attacked a megalith. It would be difficult most likely. Not a certain thing, but your chances are good and it would save the worlds in the area from further attacks.

[ ] Try to find Laverna
Your chances would however be much better with fighter coverage.With your new hyperdrive you could warp to the galactic conclave with ease. Hopefully Laverna is there and you can easily convince her of the necessity of attacking the Megalith. It will however take more time even with your faster jumps.

Core Space

Arak System
The Grand Conclave

It is a strange thing to go into hyperspace with someone else. Oh sure you've done formation jumps before, but this is the first time you've extended the field of your hyperspace core around another vessel. It feels as if you and Ulysses are somehow merged, but yet distinct. It is a very odd experience and you have much to consider as you make your way to the Galactic Conclave.

Once there you note that it is the same as ever. A grand station with ships arriving and leaving at all times. The military presence seems to have lessened since you were last here though. The conclave must feel safer with the Kushan truce and the T-Mat pushed back.

Finding Laverna is not terribly hard. There are never many Bentusi vessels at the conclave. Here at the heart of the galaxy they feel unwelcome even if the flicker races have mostly forgotten those past grudges. So finding Laverna is as simple as looking for the golden gleam of Bentusi hull armor. The spectral pattern is quite distinctive.

Of course if that failed you could have asked traffic control, but in this case there was no need. You spot Laverna at one of the Conclaves lower docks, and a quick radio ping alerts her to your presence. "Ulysses, Valerius! Good to see both of you! I knew you'd be okay."

"Laverna, how have you been? I heard you were looking for something at the conclave."

"Yeah, there's some kind of echo here. Like an Unbound, but not quite. I heard it when we first came here, but never had the chance to track it down. I've been trying to find it again. It's definitely here. I've managed to find wisps of its presence, but nothing concrete yet."

Ulysses tires of the usual pleasantries and interrupts, "That will have to wait, Laverna. The wraiths are attacking colonies on the eastern fringe and we need your help to stop them."

"Oh no! How can I help?"

"I've found a megalith that seems to be their base. We plan to assault it and put the wraith fleet using it out of commission."

"Just the three of us though. How big is the wraith fleet?"
"Five carriers, three missile cruisers, and the usual swarm of frigates and fighters. It's nothing we haven't fought before."

"With the whole fleet sure, but we're missing drone support."

"And that's why we came to you." Laverna is after all sporting a brand new temple carrier. Her hangars are more than capable of building new drones. Both your own designs and ancient Bentusi strike craft.

"Well true."

---

Unknown Regions

Ancient Megalith

In the end it isn't really a question. Of course Laverna will help you. Protecting flicker colonies is far more important than chasing down a phantom in the conclave. And so your abbreviated, but still potent fleet jumps towards the location of the Megalith that Ulysses has tracked down.

It takes several weeks. Weeks in which you worry that ever more colonies will suffer. But eventually your arrive at the desolate system. Only a few planets orbit this sullen red star. And one of them in turn is orbited by the megalith.

Its shell is mostly rocky debris, but a pit has been carved to access the interior and a few wraith carriers and cruisers are floating outside it taking on supplies. While you and Ulysses contemplate strategies to take on the Wraith forces, Laverna starts deploying resource drones to harvest nearby asteroids and build up a bit of a strike force.

However to your dismay you soon see several more wraith carriers exit the megaliths interior. They link up with the ones already standing ready and start powering up. You feel the discordant wail of wraith hyperspace resonate through your own hyperspace module. They're preparing to leave. Whether to attack a colony or simply perform some other strange wraith business you do not know. But can you risk it?

[ ] Intercept the Wraith
Grab Laverna and Ulysses with your Far Jump core and immediately jump on top of the Wraith fleet. You are not prepared fully, but you can still take them if you're quick and careful. And doing so will prevent any more potential civilian losses.

[ ] Build Up Your Forces
Let Laverna build some drones before you attack. You don't just have to worry about the Wraiths you can see, but any more that might be lurking inside the Megalith after all. Plus you're fairly certain you can jump faster than they can. If the wraith forces are divided you may be able to finish up here fast enough to follow them wherever they're going.

[ ] Follow the Wraith Force
You could build as many drones as possible while you wait for the wraith force to jump out. With a few of Laverna's ghost fighters nearby you'd be well positioned to track their jump and follow them.