Ts'o Barak stood as the 'pirates' sent an activating code to the once-inactive Relay, the giant metal construct becoming alive, the core shining increasingly bright as nearby ships bathed in it's brilliant-blue light of the speed of light being exceeded.
It had took the Hegemony years. Years to earn the necessary capital from various shady groups. Years to form contracts and alliances with different groups within C-space and the Terminus, to increase political support for the Hegemony, allowing them to gain the prestige and the money to bribe several high-ranking politicians, and blackmail those against them. Simple political maneuvering.
It had also taken them quite a lot of funds to divert the Turian patrol fleet's attention from this side of the galaxy, which had proven to be extremely difficult to pull off, and to 'arrange' the distruption of this sector's comm buoys.
Finally, after all those years of hard labour, and with the 'help' of the announcement of limited Relay activation, the Hegemony's petition to spread out it's own territory was granted by the Citadel.
Of course, while the Citadel allowed the activation of some Mass Relays, what the pirate fleet was about to do was illegal.
"Captain, we have already sent the activation code for the other Relay. Though there was some... problems on the other side, it is now ready for use. We await your command."
"Hmm..." the Batarian thought. He tried to think of the odds, whether it be worth it or not. Certainly, the pay-offs would be large if they succeeded, but the Turians were going to be suspicious. And the Salarians, even more so. If they were caught, the repercussions would be huge, especially considering that this Relay wasn't actually allowed to be activated.
That is, if they are caught...
"Let's enter the relay and scout that system." he said. It was too late for doubt and other such thoughts, the action was already done, and they only need to follow it through.
"Aye aye, captain."
The closest ships to the relay, a repurposed Turian cruiser (which was the flagship of their fleet) and two salvaged frigates, began performing burns towards the core. As they got closer and closer, the electricity within the core began to arc, touching all three of the ships. Their mass effect fields began to glow visibly, blue light covering the spacecrafts like a warm blanket.
And suddenly, they were flung towards the abyss, at speeds faster than light itself, travelling until they reached their destination.
Ten other spacecraft followed them, disappearing within a blink of an eye.
█
The fleet emerged from the Relay, bathed in the light of a distant, yellow, K-class star. From what their sensors managed to gather, there were five rocky planets, two gas giants, two ice giants, and some asteroids and dwarf planets.
This system didn't have any garden worlds inside it, but there were a couple planets or so that could be made into dome worlds. Not bad... The Hegemony can use this system as a forward base, to extend their reach into C-space. Using this system, they can expand their own territories, their own industries. More funds. If they, this fleet, can pull this off... If they can succeed in this mission, the payoffs would be huge. They would not only earn credits, but also empower the Hegemony while doing so.
However, their sensors also detected activity. Their fleet was utterly swamped with radio waves, so much in fact that at first they thought their own systems were malfuctioning and producing error signals.
These were not errors, nor were these radio signals the result of natural activity.
These were artificial, made by a technologically capable race. A spacefaring race, with countless artificial satellites littering the system, with colonies on various planets and moons.
And their technology seemed primitive, without even a trace of Eezo in their construction. Their ships seemed small, puny in comparison to theirs.
He observed their current location. A small planet, a small colony. There seemed to be no warships in orbit, or, at least, nothing that would challenge their superiority in battle.
Ts'o Barak smiled.
For once, luck was shining in favour of the Batarians...
█
"Angel Wreckage, this is Peaceeater reporting. Holy shit did you see that?!"
"Copy that, Peaceeater. We saw that event. We must evacuate all the civilians in orbit immediately."
"Negative. Our ship is still undergoing repairs with our engines. It'll take us about five hours to get it working again. Blasted ship... Until then, we can't do anything."
"Screaming Silence, report in."
"This is the Screaming Silence, over. We're outta this."
"Negative, Screaming Silence. Evacuate the civilians in orbital space to the ground."
"I'm sorry Captain Schaeffer, but we won't take orders from you. We're leaving. Screaming Silence out."
The captain of the Angel Wreckage wanted to smash the control panel infront of him out of anger. He wanted to scream and berate at his counterpart on the other ship, but he composed himself. It would not do to appear flustered on the comms, that would only incite panic and disloyalty amongst everyone else within hearing range.
"Captain!" shouted Astrogation. "The Screaming Silence is performing orbital maneuvers, they're planning to intercept a Methane tanker."
"They're really leaving..." muttered one of the astrogators.
"Ignore them, let them do what they want." Schaeffer grumbled. "We don't have the time nor the delta-V to waste chasing them. Focus on the evacuation of the citizens in the orbital space."
"Captain, the thirteen bogeys are beginning to move. Fuck, they have torches!"
Torches?
"Confirm that?!"
"Sir, the bogeys are currently thrusting at speeds faster that what we are capable of." an astrogator replied. "Either their specific impulses are bad... Or, more likely, they have torch-drives, with high thrust and specific impulses."
This was bad... On one hand, there were actual real life aliens emerging from what remained of Charon. On the other hand, Charon exploded, and the resulting ablation cascade would impede any sort of space activity within Pluto's orbit for centuries, if not millenia. Not only that, it would also affect Pluto's orbit, the disappearance of a major gravity well and it's remnants turning into smithereens is more than just a major catastrophe.
If the aliens that just appeared were capable of doing such destruction...
The captain took his mind off that train of thought. It's still too early for assumptions, they still didn't know what exactly caused Charon's destruction, aside from the obvious fact that the strange construct had something to do with it. Fighting the aliens would come later, the civilians are their priority first and foremost.
A few minutes later, the Angel Wreckage began to turn. It's engines roared to life as it performed the interception burn. Their target was a small orbital colony, estimated to be able to contain 150 civilians. While said orbital station had engines to alter it's trajectory, it was only enough to dodge trash moving at hypervelocity.
The logistics officers protested at the captain's order, citing that it was impossible, beyond their own capability to evacuate citizens. They barely have the crew capacity to save even a fraction of them, much less 150 of them. The captain threatened to throw them out of airlock for disobeying orders, replying that 'if they would not help then he'll throw them out of airlock to accommodate more passengers.'
Of course, none of the logistics officers wanted to die, and thus were given the impossible task of planning out on how to evacuate the citizens.
"Does he think we're fucking magicians?!" roared First Lieutenant Lee Taiping. "We're logistic officers, we can't conjure up a magical fucking plan just to save some fucking civilians out here in goddamned Pluto!"
"Shut up, Lee. The captain might hear you!" replied First Lieutenant Anya. "Just help us here and get to work, else we all get spaced for mutiny. So, getting back to the point, just how in the fucking hell are we going to evacuate an orbital colony of 150?"
"We barely have enough space here as it is," mumbled Lieutenant Young. "I don't think that we can feasibly evacuate anyone with what we currently got, especially not in the limited time we are given with."
Meanwhile, Commander Lao was silent. He was floating eeriely still, legs and arms crossed, in sharp contrast to his much more animated crewmates.
"I have an idea," he said. "I'm not sure if it would work, but we won't have any other choice."
█
Erik clambered towards airlock. Though he sure as hell wanted to go to sleep, it seems that the universe itself actively stopping him from getting his well-deserved rest with all the weird shit that's happening.
He was currently fitting himself with an MCP-type EVA suit, removing the easily foldable spandex from the helmet. While wearing the suit in itself was quick and easy, it was rather... difficult to wear.
"Move your arms upwards."
"Yes, yes..." he replied, raising both his arms upwards as the other crewmember fitted the arm portions of the suit.
His arm ballooned as he put his arm in, and as soon as his arm went all the way through, it was depressurized, sticking on his skin.
His companion, an ensign by the name of Lily Han, was draining all the air from his suit. Spaces within the suit like the armpits and the back of his knees would swell and expand like balloons if the suit wasn't totally depressurized, and that would limit his mobility even more. Especially on the crotch. He did not like how the suit hugged his crotch, even through a special protective panel.
Most of the EVA suits used by the Space Forces of the various factions in Sol were skintight and vacuum depressurized. These kinds of suits were much more mobile, and left far more room to maneuver than the soft-suits used by pre-Cataclysm Earth and the hardsuits that functioned more like powered armour than spacesuits. And if they were ever punctured, the user will only receive bruises rather than the certain death of soft-suits and hardsuits.
Erik then took out some pills. Aspirin, he muttered. There wasn't enough time for pre-breathing, and thus he has to endure the agonizing pain of having his lungs almost explode from having higher pressure compared to the helmet.
Oh boy, what fun...
"Is the neckdam secured?" he asked as he put the helmet on his head.
"Yep." Lily replied, tapping the neckdam and securing the helmet. If this isn't done properly, the helmet would pop out like a cork in a pressurized champagne bottle.
"Is it good? Do you feel fine?" she asked.
The suit felt tight as it grabbed to his skin, his sense of touch was magnified. He felt rather dizzy, and his heart began to beat even faster, he could feel the pressure building up within his body wanting to escape.
A second later, he farted, the air inside his colons evacuating quickly. That certainly made him feel better. At least he wouldn't die from his body exploding from internal/external pressure differences, he thought.
"Certainly." he answered. "My lungs still hurts as hell, but I should be fine."
And my crotch feels itchy and sticky, he wanted to say, but it would be embarrassing to say that infront of a woman.
"And is it still itchy down there?" she asked.
"Damn you." he answered back, trying to supress his amusement. Of course, they had shared living spaces here with everyone aboard the ship. They were already like family, spending almost five years aboard the gunship together. Of course there wouldn't be secrets in between them in the first three months.
"Okay, okay." she laughed it off as she floated above him, standing upside down as she did one last check. "Remember what the doctor said, don't expose yourself to more than 300 millisieverts, or else you get cooked and your balls would be beyond saving." she snickered.
Oi, don't jinx it! Breathing was already painful enough, and he wanted to sleep, but he did not want to end up being sterile! Not to mention that he'd lose the job in doing so.
Well, that was a rather good reminder... 400 milliSieverts and I'm sterile, and also I get fired. Oh joy.
"Okay, let's remember the essentials." Erik spoke. "Fuel?"
"Tanks are at a hundred percent capacity, and there ain't no leaks, so that's a check." said Lily.
"Oxygen?"
"You've got enough oxygen in there to burn yourself in case of leaks." Lily snarked.
"Oi, don't make fun of me." he rattled back. "I dare you to get into the suit if you dare to keep making fun of me in an MCP suit."
"Fine~ fine~ I'll stop all the jokes."
"Radio?"
"The radio system's functional, alright. There's gonna be some static if you pass through the reactors and the engines, so don't spend more time than you have to." she said.
"Yes, ma'am. Batteries?"
"Enough to last for a day." she replied. "Don't waste around your fuel and your batteries, and always check your oxygen levels. If you feel that something's wrong, just return to the nearest airlock as soon as you can."
"Yes, mother..." he groaned jokingly, and Lily began looking at him strangely, a mix of amusement and fake shock.
"
Ohoho~? So you swing that way, eh? You sick bastard. Didn't think you're into tha--"
"Hey!" Erik shouted, catching the female ensign in surprise.
He sighed. "Let's just get on with it so I can get back to sleep."
"Yes, yes."
As soon as he got used to the pain, Lily evacuated the airlock and the whole room was depressurized.
"Okay, let's go check the engines and fuel lines." he muttered to himself.
I just hope Lao is right, and maybe we can get the civilians evacuated with this crazy plan of his...
Erik stifled a yawn as he headed towards the rear of the ship.
█
Ts'o Barak looked at the reddish-orange planet underneath them. The primitive's colony on this world was extensive, and there were even hundreds of stations orbiting it. No doubt it holds quite a wealth, but he was rather wary. The amount of ships he have are limited, and he won't be wasting it on an attack that isn't planned.
"Captain, let's raid this planet already!" Weapons said, his trigger finger already itching for combat.
"Hold it Lieutenant." he replied. "Not yet."
"Why not?! They're primitives! They don't even have Eezo!" Weapons replied. "We can easily defeat them if we attack now! Are you a coward, Ts'o Barak? Are you such a cowar--"
BLAM!!!
The captain went towards the offending batarian and shot him with his pistol without further warning, surprising everyone. Blood was splattered all over the place, his guts scattered on the control panels. "They said that you were the best amongst their pirating group, Lieutenant Yomak. I do hope they are wrong, on that. The Red Stars were rather delightful to work with."
He shot at the dead lieutenant's body thrice, to make sure that he was dead, and looked at everyone. "Anyone who would want to ask questions? I do hope you won't follow this failure of a Lieutenant over there."
Everyone was silent. Nobody on the CIC dared to question the captain.
"If we don't gather the necessary information, even backward primitives like them could wipe us out." he said. "Order the Hy'kshan to gather information about these primitives, and see if we can get to learn more about them. Make no attempt to attack them unless fired upon, are we clear? I don't want to waste more ships than what I have to."
"Aye aye, captain." they said in unison.
"Also, clean up this mess, and get someone better on the Weapons." he said. "
What a bloody waste..."
"Aye aye." they answered back. A salarian went towards the weapon controls and took away the corpse of the former lieutenant and wiped out the blood around the panels and the floor. A krogan went towards the weapons control and sat there, he seemed oddly giddy as he touched the panels.
Now, let's get to work.