Note: Due to yesterday's accident of me uploading the same chapter twice. I deleted it. Here's the new chapter.
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Welcome back to Citadel News Network Saren!
Today's date is 2499 GS 10/27
Here are Today's Top Stories we think you'll be interested in:
Turian Hierarchy Announces Blame For Relay Patrol Fleet 300-400 Destruction, Names Aria T'Loak as Prime Suspect, Demands Surrender for Interrogation and Trial (Recommended by: Personal bookmark: "Relay 314 incident")
Infamous Crime Lord Aria T'Loak Made Enemy of the State! (Recommended by: Hierarchy Required Reading)
Quarian Migrant Fleet Passes Through Serpent Nebula (Recommended by: Personal bookmark: "Quarian Fleet Travels")
Batarian Hegemony Chastised After Skylian Verge Raids, Hegemony Denies Claims.
Continue….
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Would you like to check your mail Saren?
Sender: Turian Hierarchy Government, RE: Required reading for citizens, updated list of enemies of the state, daily newsletter Date: 2499 10/26 Files Attached: Pictures, Links, Text Doc, STATUS: Unread must read
Sender: 212th Marine Legion Colonel Caraa, RE: Read Immediately All Recruits Date: 2499 2/1 STATUS: Replied
Sender: Palavan Conscription Commision, RE: Request for posting, Granted Date: 2498 10/10 STATUS: Read
Sender: Varia, RE: My Posting, want to see you there :) Date: 2498 9/29 Files attached: Pictures, STATUS: Replied
Sender: Mom, Dad, RE: We're So Proud Date: 2498 5/31 STATUS: Read
Sender: Des, RE: I'll be home soon little Bro. Date: 2493 1/1 STATUS: Replied
Record Keeping: 50 Files, 1,363 messages combined
Spam File: 234 messages
No more Messages
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Required reading for citizens, updated list of enemies of the state, daily newsletter
Here is an updated list of names of enemies of the state. If anyone has any information on their whereabouts, all citizens are reminded they're duty bound to report at the earliest opportunity. Tips and information will be generously rewarded. Actual apprehension will get full bounty.
1: Asari Pirate Queen Aria T'Loak, wanted alive for questioning and trial for the disappearance of Relay Patrol Fleet 300-400. [Attached picture and file] Bounty amount: 1,000,000,000 credits, lifetime protection, crime forgiveness level 3
2: Krogan Warlord Hurgott Phen, wanted alive or dead. Wanted for genocide, and the murder of several Turian and Salarian colonies. [Attached picture and file] Bounty 500,000,000 credits
3: Batarian Crime Lord Hes'ka Phouth, wanted alive for trial. Murder of a Turian ambassador in 2488. [No attached picture, File] Bounty 10,000,000 credits
Still at Large Enemies of the State[Attached pictures and files: 4,324]
Daily Newsletter
Turian Hierarchy Announces Blame For Relay Patrol Fleet 300-400 Destruction, Names Aria T'Loak as Prime Suspect, Demands Surrender for Interrogation and Trial. T'Loak Spurns Justice by Refusing
Today on 2499 10/27, the Hierarchy Military Police released their report explaining that Terminus pirates worked together to ambush the fleet. The fleet as most know, but I will explain for new readers, was made up of nearly 200 ships, with a dreadnought leading it, and having command of the 945th Turian Army Group under the joint leadership of Field General Desolas Arterius and Admiral Yulgir Trisun. This joint task force was one of the thousands of building blocks making up the Turian armed forces, and its loss was felt galaxy wide, as it was crewed by nearly half a million soldiers and sailors. It was particularly hard felt on Palavan, where nearly 25% of the lost were from there.
T'Loak's refusal to attend her trial has resulted in it being held in absentia, with her found guilty until further proof could be found exonerating her….. Click to read more
Hierarchy Government Makes List of Prime Associates to Relay Patrol Fleet Destruction, Demands Arrest for Interrogation
Early last night Palavan Military Intelligence announced the names of over a thousand pirate captains who are wanted for possible connections to Relay Patrol 300-400. The captains range of notorious to innocuous, and almost all of them have previously been found to have former Hierarchy ships under their command, or fought against the Hierarchy vessels that patrol the borders between citadel and Terminus space. Some even fought alongside ships formerly belonging to the fleet itself…. Click to read more
Hierarchy Conscription Commission Announces Expansion of the Armed Forces
Citadel Council Expresses Caution on Warring with Aia T'Loak, Against Popular Opinion
Turian Protesters Mass on Presidium demanding Council Honors Treaties
Matriarch Aethyta Joins in Calls for Trade and Immigration Embargo with Terminus, Gathers Followers
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Turian Sector Station Hesperus
2500 GS 1/08
"Hey Saren." Looking over Saren smiled, waving.
"Hey Varia, off so soon?" He asked as he scooted over on the tale he was eating at. She sat down with her own tray of food and one armed hugged him. He returned it with a kiss before they turned to a more professional manner.
She took a bite of her food before looking nonchalant and speaking in a whisper, "I heard something about an upcoming operation Say."
Say was Saren's pet name by Varia, and she only used it on base in the most serious of matters, "You know you should keep that to yourself, loose flanges void ships after all." He cautioned, it was their way of keeping themselves compartmentalized, no one cared if soldiers and sailors had feelings for one another on the side as long as it didn't interfere with the mission or operational integrity.
"You have to hear it Saren, you're probably going to get the briefing in a few days anyways, and I can trust you." She looked both ways before turning on close to him and speaking deeply so it would be hard for others to parse their conversation if they tried to listen in, "It's happening soon. Soon those responsible will pay."
That made him sit up and then lean back down, under the guise of cuddling with his lover, "You sure?"
"Plan is to strike all the way to Omega. Not much more than that I know of, but…" He hugged her close, and they both nearly cried. Soon they would have revenge.
"All Marine units, please report to your unit's briefing room for operational updates."
The PA system for the base sounded out and Saren hesitated only a moment before releasing Varia, "I'll see you soon."
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Turian Sector Station Hesperus
2500 GS 1/08
"Welcome Marines, as I'm sure the rumor mill has sowed, you've heard things about the invasion of the Terminus systems and the extradition of the criminals for justice. Well it's true. As of yesterday we have been given the green light for Operation Triarii. As the name suggests, we'll be spearing into the heartland systems of the Terminus, wrest control over major relay clusters, and divide and conquer the wanted criminals, closing the net around their territories before crushing and capturing them." That was the extent to what Saren and his legion would be informed of the greater operation.
"Our mission, is to strike here, the Caleston Rift, as we all know it's the biggest relay nexus in the Attican Traverse, its the gateway to the Terminus, and with it in hand we force every two bit pirate, slaver, and criminal to meet us here or risk being cut off entirely from suppliers in Council space and the Traverse." It was risky, criminals weren't known for playing nice and to what one expected, but Saren could see how it would be important, millions of soldiers would be just the first wave. Planetary landings would be necessary to crack pirate strongholds.
"Our primary objective is the moon of Arvuna, in the Aysur system." The picture zoomed in to the water planet, with several spots highlighted in red showing pictures of Salarian Eclipse. "Our primary enemy will be Salarians, they're at home in this terrain, and we all know, we don't swim that well. Ain't that right Legionnaire Tercia?" Chuckles at the memory of Tercia floundering in a small shallow pool in training.
"On to matter's, our objective is to take these landing pads, and hold them until general and specialized army units can be moved into wipe out the insurgency, there is no civilian life on the planet to speak of. Thats our leg of the operation, and we don't expect to be alone for more than an hour as we land, with the fifth Palavan Legion. We'll be supported by the 994th Patrol fleet…."
"Hey Arterius, I guess you're chick friend will be watching your back~" One of his squad mates catcalled him from behind, he just looked back and had a subtle nod with a hidden smile. The relationship wasn't exactly secret, but who he was with was confidential, he had a bit of a reputation as a lady bird.
The briefing officer was just continuing on, "Once the positions are taken we'll move in and make the kill, after that we get extraction a hot meal, showers, and then we move onto system security, making the rounds and checking every insignificant rock that looks suspicious."
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Caleston Rift, Aysur System, Moon of Arvuna
2500 GS 1/20
"Well bugger me sideways. They're actually doing it." The Asari said in its unfamiliar tongue.
Julen Dee, Eclipse Biotic Specialist, and secret STG implant looked at the strange Asari Maiden. She had to be from some far flung lost colony that messed with genetics. Her shoulders were much wider, her hips slightly narrower, and she had such a small mammary protrusions that may as well not exist.
In that way these Asari were close to the Lystheni in their tampering of their genetic code. But it was not Julen's business. His business was to sabotage the defenses in expectation of the coming invasion that was incoming. As part of the STG's duty to the Citadel. This sabotage would result in less casualties and a cleaner victory for both sides.
This had been muddled with the sudden and inexplicable arrival of these Asari mercenaries hired by Eclipse. Mostly it was a squad of commandos under the title of "Ess Bee Ess". An acronym of some sort.
They had made their preparations separately, and he had no actionable intel on them for his erstwhile allies. Even his Eclipse commander had been given no more information then to let them be.
And they were admittedly a bit scary, most of them towered over him, and they worked with a level of efficiency that made typical Asari "Commandos" in the Terminus pale in comparison. Their weaponry however was much different then one would expect a highly trained commando unit to be equipped with, mostly chemically propelled weapons with only a single traditional accelerator. However their effectiveness was surprisingly good from his observations.
The Asari Commando spoke some more in her entirely alien language, likely invented specifically for her planet's field agents, turning to him she sighed heavily, "Well I count at least three legions, I'd suggest surrender."
"Our contract was to hold this world at all costs." Julen replied neutrally, "If I remember correctly, we paid you good money for your expertise. So what is your suggestion?"
The Asari chuckled, "Alright, well first off, I'd kill the spy." The Asari looked at him with a glint in her helmet's optic piece.
Julen only had a moment to react before a serrated wire went around his neck and started to squeeze and saw. An audible crack was the reward after a second more, Julen's body was strangled more and then decapitated.
Operator Jack Green tuted sadly as the Salarian's body weakly sprayed blood before dying completely. "Chum his body up, remove the charges he set, and get the thermonuclear charge in position. I want this victory to turn to ash in their mouth. Oh and wipe the laser batteries, he may have implanted a virus."
"Yes boss. And if the frogs ask about him?"
"Him? He was a defeatist, and suggested surrender which would have forfeited the contract."
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"Why aren't they softening them up with orbital bombardment again?" Tercia asked.
"The fortifications are on small islands and underwater marine. The defenses they could have on these puny islands aren't worth the damage we'd do the ecosystem if we fired at them, and the underwater ones are immune from bombardment anyways. Our job is to just take the beachheads and let the Amphib specialists do their job." Sergeant Yismin barked from his seat at the head of the dropship.
"Yeah and by this time tomorrow we'll be sipping fruit drinks on those tropical beaches, right sir?" Mercia joked.
"If all goes according to plan, yes." Yismin shouted, the scream of reentry was almost unbearable even using radios.
Saren finally spoke, "As Primarch Vaduvious said, no plan survives the enemy sir."
Everyone heard the Sergeant laugh, "And that's right marine! We're fighting Salarian Eclipse Operatives, so stay sharp, these guys aren't paid premium for nothing. Thankfully we got a little ace in our-" The sound of screaming on the chatter over came comms discipline.
"Shuttle Alpha's been hit! What kind of Guardian laser did that?!" Mission Control, Varia, came over the radio, "Alert, missile launches detected. Evasive maneuvers!"
The shuttle lurched violently and everyone struggled to stay conscious as the blood rushed to their legs. "Watch it! We're still in here!" Yismin shouted.
A series of expletives came from the cockpit, "What the fuck was that?! They got an anti orbit cannon on that fucking island! I thought it was exposed to be knocked out. Shit they just dusted Yewei."
"Sir… What's going on…." Asma looked ready to regurgitate.
"It seems our ace… has not delivered." Yismin gasped out as the shuttle made more evasive turns.
The sound of metal whizzing past the shuttle at hypervelocity deafened the entire crew. "That was fucking close! It had to be a ten pounder!" Harmaj, their weapons specialist screamed out in pain.
"Shit shit shit! Request to abort!" The pilot asked as the incoming fire intensified. Saren and the rest of the squad were left in the dark, fearing for their lives and that of their fellow marines in the other landing craft.
"... Negative Dropshuttle 6-7, continue as planned, command says we won't get another shot at this for a whole planetary cycle otherwise." Varia sound truly pained, but Saren could see the wisdom in it, time was of the essence, the longer those troop ships in orbit were not on the ground landing their specialists the longer Terminus raiders would have to attack them. More lives than their own relied on this attack succeeding.
"Beginning deacceleration. Air brakes up." The minutes were tense, more rounds came close but missed. "You guys back there get ready."
"Final suit checks, you better be tighter than a Quarian." Yismin shouted.
Everyone began final suit checks, they'd already checked a dozen times over, once everyone was green Yismin nodded in approval, "Alright Marines, so far the plan's gone to shit, expect mechs, auto turrets, an army of krogan, Asari Commandos behind every fucking moss covered rock."
"30 seconds!"
"Alright marines, this is for the fleet, for your fellow marines."
"20 seconds!"
"For all those lost in the patrol fleet,"
"15 seconds!"
"for your family, your honor, and most importantly,"
"5 seconds!"
"For your lives."
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Consciousness returned to Saren, and it was bad. He must have lost consciousness when he impacted the water, he was still in his drop seat. The shock absorbing gel in it had saved his life as it was designed to do when dropping from such speed. "Arterius. You still alive?" Yismin asked.
"Yes sir. How long was I out?" Saren replied as he began to unbuckle himself.
"Not long son, hold still, you're next to a mine." Yismin said as casually as asking the time of day. "There we go, disarmed. Cheap little thing." Saren felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him and pull him free from his chair.
"Alright that's Asma, Mercia, Tercia, Arterius, Harmaj… Can't get a bead on the rest of the squad's trackers." Yismin complained.
"Damn thing's made of plastic sir. The salt in the water's probably already corroded it. If we stay in here for long it'll start to corrode our suit seals too." Tercia commented. Everyone looked over to him as he held onto a bit of rock, bouying himself. "What? I know stuff."
Mercia elbowed him, "Yeah yeah mister smarty fringe. Anyways sir, what about the rest of the squad? There's some pretty deep holes in this beach."
Now that Mercia mentioned it, Saren looked and he had landed barely a meter away from one such hole, looking down it he couldn't see the bottom in its murky depths. He looked away, the fear inside of him gnawing at his natural distaste for deep water.
Looking away he gazed to the beach ahead. "Sir it looks like the fighting's already started." Yismin looked and then shook his head.
"Alright, we'll pick up whoever we come across, we'll storm the beach in Claw formation. From what I can see from our periscope we got an MG bunker and several snipers." Saren grabbed his gun in its waterproof case. Its sensitive electronics and firing mechanisms would be ruined by the salt water if it was allowed so soak.
It was a couple minutes of walking up to the beach before they got in position, reconnecting with Lieutenant Hereldi who was organizing the platoon. Saren's heart sank when he barely saw half of his platoon here.
Hereldi got ready, "Alright marines, move forward, I want that bunker taken, and those snipers exterminated, we won't let some mercs beat us. Our mission has also changed, we're to also take out that anti orbit cannon to allow the others to drop. We have three full legions on this mission, and we won't shame the hierarchy with failure."
A round of hurrahs met him as they charged out of the water.
By the spirits it was bloody. Some of the marines had dropped right on the beach, and their capsules were just perforated tubes that occasionally leaked out blue blood, those that managed to get out were dead where they stood, and half a dozen bodies were floating on the beachline and another dozen were on the beach itself, having attempted to strike forward it seemed.
"Suppressing fire!" All the squad leaders shouted and with discipline nearly thirty rifles began to lay down fire on marked out snipers and the MG gun. Immediately as their techs began scanning, mines popped up on the beach. "By the spirits look at that! They must have been expecting an entire army!" Hereldi shouted, "Good thing we're marines! Marksmen, counter sniping, AT I want that bunker destroyed."
Replies from the indicated soldiers showed they were listening, Harmaj pulled out his AT rifle and took aim and the snipers began picking off their targets. Next to Saren a Turian marksmen had his visor shattered and rendered dead when a sniper took him out. The professional in him thought it was a hell of a shot, down the holographic optics and right into the head from a hole the size of his fist.
However the constant chattering of the MG bunker was silenced when a rocket and a dozen AT rifles fired at it. They remained on the beach for a quarter hour as the snipers were one by one picked off or forced to retreat with the power of a half platoon bearing down on them one at a time. Now the tedious part, the minefield before them.
"1-12, this is 1-6, requesting frigate fire support, over."
"Roger that 1-6, where do you need it? Over." Varia's voice came over the radio.
"We got a minefield fit to stop an army. Requesting light bombardment. Over."
"Roger 1-6, I'll see what we can do but that AOC did a lot of damage, we lost an escort frigate already, and we've taken some light damage elsewhere. You maybe on your own."
"Understood 1-12, some indirect would be appreciated at the very least. In the meantime give us a countdown before firing, we'll try to clear it ourselves. Over and out."
"1-12 copies all, stay safe there."
"Alright you birds, shoot the mines."
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"They've breached all the beachheads around the island. Mines will slow them down but I want ambushes set up here here and here." the Eclipse commander ordered from his command bunker. He looked disdainfully at the Asari, "Some help would be appreciated, so far you've only sat there."
The Asari nodded, "My compatriots are in position for harassment and are setting up some booby traps. But I do have some suggestions." Standing up, the disguised SBS operative looked over the map, "We're fighting Turian marines, they'll be self sufficient for at least 10 planetary cycles before needing resupply of food and sensitive equipment. We've halted the deployment of amphib forces with that Anti Orbit Cannon." He looked meaningfully over to the Salarian who refrained from scoffing, he had been highly resistant to it thinking the Turians would never be dumb enough to actually declare war on the Terminus. "They'll be expecting ambushes, and I want that cannon ready to fire at all hours. Instead of ambushing them, let's lure them in. They'll move in Shell formation, expecting ambushes, anything we throw at them will be fruitless and our numbers are limited."
The asari had a strong almost natural grasp of Turian military tactics, while the Turian textbook was open to the public, anything else being impossible to keep secret, its as if the Asari had been practicing and fighting with and against Turians all her life. It was creepy, she had an unnatural obsession with Turians. And the loss of his lieutenant would have sparked worries over betrayal if it weren't for the fact he had been revealed as a spy.
"My team has planted defoliating gas in a ring here, before the rough terrain in this 2 meter ridge. I've already marked good sniper posts and lookout positions, when they trip the gas we can use our local superiority to crush the formation. We can continue this for a day, as the Turians will have some trouble adapting to the situation. We use that time to set up more traps in the interior, and use our tunnels to attack Turian camps from behind. We deny them sleep, we constantly bombard them with mortars and field artillery."
"This doesn't guarantee success." The Salarian said meaningfully.
"This battle never had guaranteed success for us. We only need a Pyrrhic victory." An unusual turn of phrase.
"My translator didn't quite catch that."
"A costly, almost crippling victory for the victors. One where they cannot do anything else for they have already lost by the point of victory. We can't win in space, but we can win down here, by killing a hell of a lot of turians and delaying their plans for weeks, maybe even months in this sector."
"Ambitious."
"Perhaps, not my first fight with the birds. Right, we need to hold the AOC for as long as possible, every day is another day for our employers to get their shit together. Once we can't hold any more we use the tunnels and submarines to got to the other islands. We'll leave the island and we've got a few presents for them when they do, they certainly aren't going to use any of the infrastructure here." The Asari darkly chuckled, "No they will not."
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The platoon got a half hour rest as more marines emerged from the water, and the minefield was cleared out, everyone was on high alert, and adrenaline had only just stopped pumping in them. No snipers, and it was quiet, and the rest of the fighting around the island had stopped.
For now at least.
Saren took the moment to clean and wipe down the exterior of his rifle, making sure all the saltwater was off and away from damaging the weapon. The rest of his squad were relaxing, except Harmaj who was helping disarm the mines. If the entire island was like this, they could take days taking it.
That was bad, casualties had come in and a quarter of the three legion force sent was either dead, wounded, sick, or missing. That was 2,225 marines out of action in an hour of fighting. And they couldn't get medevac because of that damn triple A, and orbital support was out of the question as the AOC would chew anything sent to soften the island up, and the risk of hitting them was great as well. It was like shooting the little ball end of a pen with a sniper a hundred meters away. And the pen was moving constantly. And you're getting shot at!
Yeah, he couldn't blame the navy for being less than ecstatic to shoot at them.
In short this invasion was shaping up to be a disaster by all accounts. Thankfully the only change in the mission was to take that damned cannon, and then they could get evaced and have the army do its damned job.
Saren was left to sit in silence until their break ended, not many people were talking, friends had been lost, their remains carefully sealed up and put ashore out of the reach of the waves. And then they moved inland in Shell formation, which had two squads strung forward in a convex perimeter, with the rest of the platoon in the middle ready to provide fire support to the perimeter good against Asari and salarians as once they attacked the squad, the target was located, tracked, and cut down with the full firepower of a platoon.
It was quiet, only the cawing of the local flying mammals, and the prodigious noise of insects produced any noise except for their walking. This continued for a fifteen minute hike until chatter on the radio, "All units this is 2-1-6, has anyone encountered the enemy? Over."
A resounding chorus of nos answered him from all the legion platoons. "All units, all units, prepare for ambush, it's too quiet. Those outer defense shouldn't have been it."
"I just wish they'd puff up and fight us head on, this sneaky shit is too intense." Terica complained.
Yismin seized on it, "Quiet, keep an eye out, it's the Salarian's modus operandi for ambushes in wetlands like these.
They kept marching for five more minutes before the sound of an explosion far off erupted. "All units this is 2-29-6, we've just his a trip wire, defoliating gas everywh-" The sound of a machine gun cut him off and 2-29-6 was marked KIA.
The sound of light artillery firing and machine guns echoed across the whole island and deaded the sound of the animals. "All units be advised, Platoon 29 of the 934th Palavan Marines has just been wiped out." Varia's voice came over the radio, "Anyone got a lead on what happened? All their helmet cams show is green smoke and fire."
"This is 2-15-6, we're pinned down by enemy fire, 29's platoon got gunned down once their cover was melted by the defoliants. By the spirits it was a bloodbath. They appear to be on a-" The sound of a plastic rod being snapped or what it sounded like was followed by a call for a medic.
"All units be advised: be on the lookout for ambushes…." Sighing one could almost hear Varia place her talon on her face, mumbling, "yeah no shit be on the lookout for ambushes…. Sorry, be on the lookout for Defoliant explosives, they likely command an elevation advantage and have emplaced positions covered by foliage."
"You heard the chick, be on the lookout!" Hereldi spoke in the radio and the platoon advanced again. Saren's squad was in the lead.
"Hold up, there's a couple meter ridge ahead." Mercia commented. Indeed there was a moss covered ridge ahead, hell Saren could have walked right up to it and not notice it until he was a few meters away.
"Check carefully." Hereldi ordered, Saren and the squad did so, and found nothing out of the ordinary, just ten meters away from the ridge.
That was until a barely audible click behind Saren and his team a few dozen meters. The scream of someone as the roar of an explosive blew apart their lower half soon transformed into billowing blooms of orange smoke began to detonate all around behind them. The plants started to melt and burn, dissolving their previous cover. A previously hidden bunker covered thoroughly by moss and a fake cover opened fire. Saren and his team was lucky to be so far ahead as they immediately went to ground. The rest of the platoon not so much, as name, after name flashed on their huds,
Marine Kias KIA
Marine Urtesia KIA
Lance Lead Opeisa KIA
Marine Yulsfea Wou- KIA
Marine Herad Wounded
Marine Qucsix Critically Wounded
Marine Nar'Yarna KIA
Marine Parki KIA
Marine Operaisa Wounded
Marine Looniafa Wounded
And then the mortars started firing. It was all Saren could do to find a little shallow water logged hole to hide in.
Marine Asfera Critically Wounded
Lance Lead Joesa KIA
Lance Lead Harma Wounded
The sound of a tree smouldering and then crashing down as it it took too many bullets.
Marine Karen Wounded
Marine Isatia KIA
Marine Uersa Wounded
Lieutenant Assistant Yulgrim KIA
Lieutenant Hereldi KIA
"For fucks sake, Harmaj, snap out of it! Shoot your AT at it now! Now Harmaj now!" Yismin screamed at the Turian who had been momentarily locked up with indecision and fear as the rest of the platoon behind him died under the guns and mortars of the Bunker and artillery. As he heard his name screamed he snapped out of it and lifted a small tube about as long as his arm, and fired it with a gout of flame behind him. It went right into the little bunker hold and exploded with incendiary fury. The hatch snapped shut and the gunfire stopped. Until a second later they realized it hadn't stopped and and second bunker was firing at them.
Marine Hersia Wounded
Marine Jakasto Wounded
Harmaj repeated the shot quickly as the squad out of its momentary shock started suppressing fire. The incendiary explosive caused secondaries as whatever was inside the bunker exploded and shattered the concrete and rock casement.
The mortars stopped firing after another minute of bombardment, luckily, or perhaps more indicating, no one else was wounded or killed.
As soon as a minute of silence passed, with only echoes of gunfire and fighting on the rest of the island, Yismin cautiously spoke, "Wound check! Squad move up, secure those fucking bunkers!"
Saren with an order didn't hesitate and stood up from his hole and dripping filthy and stagnate water charged forward with all that his legs could do. Immediately upon where the bunker that closed was he waited for Mercia to reach him before boosting the other turian up who then placed a demo charge and the two sprinted away. They were rewarded with an almighty explosion before Terica and Yismin breached. "Clear! Spirits fucking DAMNATION! It's a fucking auto turret!"
Asma, the Squad medic, approached, "Sir, Hereldi and his second are dead. You're in command."
Saren looked back, to the melted and burnt cinders of the jungle, in ti were mounds of thick melted biological material, or Turians covered in ash and soot and slime who had died or were wounded. The entire platoon, minus Saren's squad had been wounded or killed in just ten seconds of fighting. 'Is this what it was like brother? When you died? Was this the fighting you face?'
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Human Alliance Manual: Book 2 Know Your Enemy
Turian Hierarchy Marine Doctrine (314th "Saren's Seeker's" Marine Legion)
A Turian Hierarchy Marine Legion is a self sufficient all in one Space to Ground attack force, typically broken up ad hoc among a flotilla, One platoon of a Legion may not see another part of its parent formation for years at a time.
Because of this, Turian Marines are often more self sufficient, internally reliant, and known as rule breakers among their fellows as they must often if not always rely upon themselves and their squad. Typically a Marine can last on his own suit and rations for 300 hours at minimum, and if properly kitted out can last for months.
The only time they're used in large formations is for the assault of a planetary object like an asteroid or planetoid. Typically a Legion will have 2000 combat personnel with half that in support in naval personnel.
Their main conveyance to the battlefield is by foot or drop shuttle, the newly developed drop pod is also a popular method but results in similar actions to World War 2 paratroopers.
Considered light infantry, they lack any heavy vehicles and almost any form of integrated artillery, only reforms instigated by General Saren Arterius, Brother of Desolas Arterius, has any change in over 500 years happened to their base kit.
General Arterius has instituted major reforms, namely the development of the drop pod, the Radio beacon for on call support, and the Turian Hierarchy Marine Year 2510 Series combat armor, fit for any environment. They also have access to light artillery like mortars and squad support weapons.
Armaments:
Phaeston Assault Rifle
Grenades
Man Portable Pneumatic Launcher
Omnitool
Demo Charges
Radio Beacon
THM-2510S Marine Combat Armor
Support Package Tree:
Marines specialize in fast and quick hits, lacking staying power and any vehicles, they melt away to the foliage and terrain and wait for another chance to ambush. When assaulting a target they only do the bare minimum necessary to secure the beachhead for army units to come and support them and carry the battle. They typically deploy to take and hold objectives, and are one of the few doctrines that can call on devastatingly accurate Orbital support.
A: Marine Squad call off: Call off a quad of Turian Marines for free. Faster than normal infantry, and with light anti armor and building capabilities.
B: Drone Reconnaissance: A squadron of drones are released from your HQ, flying over areas and revealing enemies.
C: Mortar Team call off: A Marine squad is called off with a heavy 100 mm mortar firing a variety of shells, from incendiary to high explosive.
D: Isphaxtus Gunship run: A Isphaxtus gunship squadron provides close air support and bombs a area.
E: Orbital Drop Sky Talons: A squad of Marines inside Sky Talon drop pods crashes into the ground, causing moderate damage to impacted buildings and vehicles.
F: Indirect Orbital Support (Passive): Double resource gain.
G: Orbital Bombardment: One of the few armies able to use orbital bombardment in a tactical setting, especially in the danger close settings that would forbid even regular artillery.
Special Victory Condition: Objective Secured!: Only applicable as attackers on Rush and Assault missions, it is done by destroying enemy anti air defenses(From light to heavy anti orbit cannons), And by taking and holding 25% of the control points on Assault or beating the first round on Rush.
A decade later in the year 2000, after substantial military build up, a general offensive is undertaken into the Terminus systems to bring them to justice for their transgression.
Saren and Varia go into the army and navy respectively and fight like demons against those who they think killed their family.
After the war rumors of a new race enter circulation, but most reports dismiss it as a long lost Asari colony.
This is actually Human military Intelligence, (Full title, General United Military Intelligences) deploying agents into the now chaotic and unstable terminus systems to make way for the Alliance in the Attican Traverse and the Batarian Hegemony as well as border Turian colonies are infiltrated.
Due to the lack of industrialized assets, they take this opportunity to start scouting out places to seize for military invasion from "Mercenary warlords". The Turian Hierarchy, uncaring of Terminus politics that don't affect them after the devastating decades long war, doesn't interfere or notice it. STG agents are lead astray by the dedicated Human agents who fight the STG tick for tack in all skirmishes and on the electronic battlefield.
The 1st Human Assault Division cuts its teeth on the Terminus battlefields securing industrial assets and going into unexplored space to recover lost Prothean loot and communication beacons filled with valuable information. The discovery of the Crucible project is found, unfortunately the last missing piece is on the temple of Athame at Thessia.
This would require a war with the Council, as the Asari would be unwilling to even admit its existence.