The Prelude of War - Chapter 6 - Indigard (2024)

Chapter Text

The sound of battle and heavy artillery grew farther and farther away. Yesterday, Benezia could still feel their vibrations on the two-meter-thick concrete of the underground bunker beneath the Kaiserhausen city hall, but now even the newly replaced thin panes of glass in the Governor's office trembled slightly whenever an 855mm Little Hans shell landed somewhere on the city's outskirts.

She went out onto the balcony, gazed up at the sky above, and smiled contentedly. The sky was blue and clear, and the air was cool and pleasant, but her nose could still detect the burning odor, the stench of death and devastation from the great fires that razing the northern sectors of the city since the second day and the fierce battles to the east. The Mucolid Spores, the eerie jellyfish-like creatures created by the Hive Fleet to seal off the capital's skies, had vanished, and the Gargoyles, the nightmare of Kaiserhausen's honest residents, were now nothing more than stinking corpses on the roofs of tall buildings, on the streets that ran around downtown, on Ash tree's strong, hefty branches in Hindenburg Central Park, or someone's outdoor swimming pool.

The battle was over, the enemy was driven back from Kaiserhausen and Silberlachbach. Moritz Krauss, the commander of Army Group Center had personally come down to the bunker to tell her so. His gray military uniform was covered with a thin layer of battlefield dust, his complexion had darkened from the smoke, and his whole body was stiff as he suffered Benezia's false embrace. This man was not easy to control, she realized. Moritz was a field commander on par with Martin Steinbauer, but unlike her fiancé, he was unpretentious and suspicious of flattery.

The commander of the Army Corps Center had no liking for the acting Governor of Eden, but the Gods were on Benezia's side this time. He was the run-of-the-mill German. For most Asari, that reality often reminded them of a joke, something uncivilized, a catastrophe, especially after Henckel von Streckenbach nearly captured Thessia 65 years ago, but a cold loyalty was still loyalty, and it was far better than a warm betrayal. As long as Benezia was able to keep her fingers around the field marshal, Moritz wouldn't become too much of a problem for her.

The Field Marshal's men had taken Ostengard and joined forces with the Army Corps from the south. Thank God, it's about over.

This good news was brought to her by the mayor of Kaiserhausen, a proud, gray-bearded old man who often got emotional about every small and large development since the war began, and Benezia had to restrain herself from telling him that the war was far from over, that it had begun long before he emerged from his mother's womb, and this was just a new chapter in a very, very long book.

The blessings of short-lived species. Benezia's mother, a wise Asari, told her so when they were in exile in Umbra, and with each passing year, her assessment came a little closer to the truth. Martin Steinbauer, Morizt Krauss, the mayor would have the chance to enjoy this victory. They would participate in grand parades in their honor, bathe in praise and glory, then live the rest of their lives in contentment knowing they have fulfilled their duty, but Benezia T'soni didn't have that luck. Her battle would continue as before, and it could only cease when she breathed her last.

This was the price of being born as an Asari. The cost of being a Matriarch and keeper of secrets existed long before the time when the Germans still roamed freely in their black forests back on Earth, before the Salarians learned how to count to ten, and before what the Turians referred to as the 'Wars for the Hunting Grounds' on the Palaven.

Secrets capable of extinguishing the light of the stars, sweeping away nebulae, and destroying civilization. The power was on par with the gods, too powerful for a mortal body to bear, and as a consequence, their keeper was poisoned and corrupted, living only to imagine how many people would come to her funeral. Such a life was nothing but a curse, and therefore, it would not be for her beloved Liara. Benezia had done all she could, including undermining her daughter's self-esteem, so that she didn't want to be his successor and chose a more pleasant path. Archeology wasn't the type of more pleasant path to Benezia's liking, but it was undeniably a success at the moment. Liara despised Benezia, and the more she despised her, the more she fulfilled her responsibilities as a mother.

Benezia would find someone else to carry on this cause. Someone more qualified, less holy, more ruthless. Someone more like her, a…

"Another child of yours?"

The hoarse voice startled Benezia, making her turn around. Many times she had specifically told him to stop sneaking behind her like this, but it seemed moving without making a sound while wearing full armor and carrying weapons had become a habit, a part of who he was. The Citadel's number one Spectre unexpectedly appeared outside Eden's orbit 2 days ago, aboard the stealth vessel Harkin wearing the silver color of a burning star and instead of waiting, the Starfighter Laikon himself piloted piercing through the crimson clouds born of the air battles between the Tyranids and the Luftwaffe, layer of the Mucolid Spores floating above the Kaiserhausen and the thick air defenses on high alert to come to Benezia's side. The Turian claimed the foolish venture was the result of love and passion, but Benezia was not an innocent Maiden to believe in flowery words and sweet talks.

"Saren." Her thin eyebrows furrowed. "You shouldn't be up here."

"Why?" He questioned back, a scornful sneer on his face. "You want me to rot under that bunker and miss out on a beautiful day like this?"

"You know why." She sighed and continued her unfinished business. From now until tonight, she must assess the damage the city had suffered during the fight, write speeches to reassure the public, and more importantly, prepare a welcome ceremony for the hero returning victorious from the battlefield. The plan was still on track, but they were approaching a critical juncture, and no matter the reason, they must not let their guard down. "Martin isn't as dumb as you like to believe."

"Martin? Since when did he become your Martin?"

"Since he put this in my hand,"

She raised her hand above her head, revealing a beautiful black Apranser on her index finger. The Field Marshal insisted on proposing to Benezia before going into battle, saying it was an ancient custom on earth and refusing meant a harbinger that the soldier would never return home. Benezia did not believe in human superstitions, but since Steinbauer had knelt and offered her this ring in the presence of his general staff and political leaders of Eden, she didn't have many left but to agree.

"The mineral is taken from the core of a dying star," Said Saren, sounding more surprised than jealous. "Well, well, I have to admit this man is madly in love with you. Something like this must have cost him a fortune."

In fact, it cost him none. According to Benezia's inquiry, the origin of this stone could well be traced back to the Vasians' capitulation in 2815, when their territory was assaulted by three armies of the Reichswehr at the same time. The decision to abandon neutrality in order to join the anti-German coalition was as naive and foolish as the Vasian ruling council's assumption that the Citadel Alliance would send a large army, suffering millions of casualties, just to protect a region that offered little strategic advantage, but who could blame them? The Vasians had been living in the Reich's shadow for so long that their envy had blinded them, and the optimistic thinking easily pushed an entire respected Republic into the traps that minor races frequently fell into.

A badly injured and crippled Krogan was nonetheless a Krogan, and should never be mistaken for a Salarian.

The Germans, despite suffering heavy losses on the central front in 2811 and being driven back to their old border, were more than able to deal with a second-rate army, a third-rate navy, and outdated Titan cannon. A boring one-sided war, casualties were acceptable but Berlin's punishment afterward was extremely harsh as Reichskanzler August von Löwenhügel wanted the catastrophe that befell the Visians to serve as an example for all others.

.One-third of the territory owned by the Visian prior to the war was confiscated, the Reich's war expenses during the campaign had to be paid in full within four years, and half of the treasury's gold and gem reserves had to be immediately transferred to the Reich's annual defense spending, and the Visian army was limited to 1 million troops per planet. This Apranser stone was part of the humiliation, the price the Visians had to pay to avoid watching Martin Steinbauer and his 12th Army march triumphantly through the streets of their old city Bazon.

"Our high and mighty friends on Palaven have agreed to your plan, Benezia." Informed Saren Arterius before walking over to her side. The gentle sunlight reflected off the pale skin of the Turian Specter, making him look like a statue cast in pure silver. "I can understand why you want to have it done this way, but please, don't ever think I like it."

"This is the most feasible option right now." She pointed out, "No one has been able to find Helios for the past two hundred years and it may be the time for us to accept the fact that it will never be found."

"I understand it well enough." The Specter nodded quietly, but Benezia could see that he still hadn't given up on the idea from seven years ago. "However, you still haven't let me try. You know I'm capable. If it hadn't been for Shanis and her stupid wars, I would have found it a long time ago, and these bugs wouldn't have even arrived at our door."

Matriarch Shanis and the Eleventh Council had made a serious mistake. They thought that instead of having to confront the two Human Empires in the near future, they could confront them one by one. That was what was suggested and agreed upon in the final meeting between the holders of the 'Great Secret' before a complicated scheme whose purpose was to push the Asari Republic to the brink of war with the German Reich was commenced. The territorial dispute between the two greatest powers of the Milky Way had existed for a long time, and tensions had only been heightened by German support for a unified and independent Krogan state. All they needed back then was to get enough members of the warring faction into the Asari Parliament, a failed assassination attempt on President Daliah Reyni, and a German radical from the Die Treuen who was more than willing to claim responsibility and die as a martyr.

A brutal war they had, but not the outcome they wanted.

"Perhaps you may, but it is too late for such searches now. We should…"

Their conversation was interrupted by buzzing noises coming from above. Four shadows glided past Kaiserhausen City Hall's highest tower, screaming proudly like four ferocious monsters dominating the sky in Asari folklore, sounding a trumpet to announce the approach of hundreds of Donnervogels (Thunders). Bird), Starfighters ME 414 Feuerfalke (Fire Falcon), stealth bombers Sturmkrähe (Raven Strom), gunships Tigerhai-4, and Kolibris, which flew at a considerably lower altitude and at a much slower speed.

Luftwaffe victory parade and morale booster for the people of Eden. So said Moritz Krauss when he informed Benezia that four combat squadrons would fly over Kaiserhausen at exactly 8:30 this morning. An act of Prussian militarism so obvious it was comical, marching through a battlefield still fresh in memory, leaving the acting Governor with little option but to rub the bridge of her nose and nod her head. To be honest, she really doubted the effectiveness of this method. As far as she knew, the people of Eden were very different from the inhabitants of planets like Beckenheim or Weiben, whose military traditions were deeply ingrained, and such demonstrations of authority would elicit unfavorable reactions. She was, however, mistaken. Not even a thousand-year lifespan would help her comprehend the Germans like their own people.

On the front yards of villas, on the balconies of apartment buildings, on the streets, and on the roofs of bomb shelters throughout the city, thousands of hands were raised in resounding cheers like thunders. using a visor with a view of over 500m, Saren pointed and showed Benezia the women of Eden central hospital rushing outside with pinky babies in their arms before lifting them up in the air as if they were offerings to a God. These poor little creatures were born to the sound of artillery fire and the very first thing they saw was what the Germans considered the greatest glory of all glory. The glory of a victorious army.

So a wolf was still a wolf in the end. 300 years of living in peace, separating themselves from the endless conquests of the Reich, discussing the beauty of Asari poetry and Nyda under the shade of blossom trees, but just right after hearing the sound of battle drums, smelling blood, the inhabitants of Eden enthusiastically put on their boots and march to the front with flowers on the barrels.

Benezia sighed heavily. If this is truly human nature, then there was no hope in negotiating with that power. There was a time when they considered it a viable option. There was a time they thought that Human Empire would be no different from the Germans, militarists seeking glory and territory. Good treaties and proper diplomacy would cool down hot heads and thus peace shall be maintained.

"Stupid Xenos. What peace are you babbling about? There is no peace between the Emperor's children, the faithful, the martyrs, and the filth like you. Your doom is near, blue-skinned witches. Our warships will tear your fleet as if they were pieces of paper, the iron heels of the Imperial Guard regiments will trample the hole you call home, and your skies will be shattered by the millions of our guns. We will not retreat, we will not submit, and we will not stop until all of your seeds have been eradicated. There is no peace among the stars! There is only war!"

The white-haired woman who called herself Sister Mirena Bale had told them so after being asked if the Imperium would accept a peace proposal. By that time she had been imprisoned beneath Ashuko Fortress for almost 10 years. She was thin and filthy, her eyes sunken, her body so feeble that she didn't need to be restrained when questioned. The basic amenities and food were no mean lacking, but Justicar D'Avo, who was in charge of this specific prisoner, stated that Mirena ate and drank very little and refused practically everything handed to her, including clothes. The filthy rags she was wearing during interrogation were the same attire she was wearing when they found her inside the cryogenic chamber 20 years earlier. D'Avo then persuaded Benezia to end the imprisonment and release her prisoner, stressing that Mirena would not betray the so-called Emperor of Humanity or the Imperium no matter what they did to her.

"She is like us, Matriarch. I can feel it." The Justicar said, "We will not betray the Republic at any cost. Please relieve her of the agony of rotting behind these walls. Free her from the burden of waiting for those who will never come. Lady T'soni, I beg you."

Mirena Bale died about 3 months later. A bullet in the back of her head while she knelt down, praying. She didn't resist, according to D'Avo, and even thanked the Justicar in Asari before uttering her last words:

"From the lightning and the tempest, our Emperor deliver us"

That was the story of 150 years ago. Ashuko was destroyed during the Fourth Galactic War by the German Little Hans and D'Avo went missing at the Third Battle of Torin. Benezia was now the last person to know of Mirena Bale's existence.

"Time is running out." Benezia continued, "If the Tyranids were here, sooner or later the others would come too. We need to reshape this Milky Way for the coming storm. We must prepare it for a fight for our survival, and we need the Germans to be on the right side when the time comes."

"You are asking them to take up arms against their own kind." The silver Turian warrior sounded strangely concerned. It was rare for Benezia to see him like that. Saren she knew treated things lightly and would never let trivialities ruin his day. "An outrageous request if you ask me."

"We don't ask them to do anything, Saren. When the pieces are in place, the Reich and its people will either fight for us voluntarily or, in the worst-case scenario, for no one. When these Tyranid threats are removed, you will see a very different Milky Way. Just wait and see."

The corner of Saren's lips curled up, forming a sarcastic smile. "Every time you Asari say those words, the Milky Way is a little different than before, yet not for the better.

"You are losing faith in the cause, Saren?"

"No. I'm just a little tired of secrets and conspiracies and long discussions behind closed doors." He shook his head. "I was not born for these things. By the time I was nominated for Specter, the galaxy was a very different place, too. Turian, Salarian, and Asari allied themselves against German expansion and it was my job to simply fight. Fight and survive so I could live to fight one more day. The world is simple when you have a leader who makes decisions and at least the Germans are an honest enemy. It may be hard for you to understand, but I felt comfortable as the Germans greeted me with a hail of bullets instead of their red carpets, the boring nonsense they call a ball, and their tasteless hunting sessions. "

Benezia put her hand on the shoulder of the Turian Spectre, the one that was replaced by Nanocomposite, Aether, and Corrodium. The sharp cold of the metal surface gave her goosebumps, but she managed to muster a cheerful smile:

"Then leave that burden to me." She remarked, "You just have to make sure that any hurdles in our road are eliminated gently, and that Palaven will support the Reich joining the Citadel in the future."

Saren suddenly fell silent. His eyes gazed into the distance and Benezia immediately understood that something bad had happened. His melancholy didn't spring out of nothing.

"Your people don't accept the Reich joining the Citadel?"

There was a hint of surprise in her voice. The Turians were arguably the most amicable of all the opponents the Germans had faced in the Milky Way. If the Turians wanted an orderly society, the Germans were law-abiding citizens. If the Turian army liked a fair fight in the broad daylight, the Reichswehr wouldn't mind providing it either. Ornately, through war, iron, and blood, the two races have found respect for each other.

"The Primarch of Palaven has no objections to it, and I think other Primarchs will as well. We Turians have long known that allowing the Reich to join the Citadel is the most efficient strategy for avoiding territorial wars. All the Germans want is just a piece of cake commensurate with their status in the Core world, and once that demand is satisfied, there is no need for war." Saren suddenly turned to look at her, "Still, they do have a problem with you and your Republic, Benezia. Primarch Cabius has decided that the Turian hierarchy will not join your anti-Tyranid alliance and the Turian naval units will be withdrawn from the Citadel joint defense force next year."

"What?" She exclaimed and withdrew her hand. "You're not mistaken, are you, Saren?"

"How could I be mistaken? Cabius invited me to his residence and showed me the speech that would be delivered at the upcoming Primarchs' Congress." His laughter became dry, and it was clear that he was laughing at himself. "Do you know what he said when I inquired why I was shown such a vital document? The best way for the Republic to learn we Turians' intentions was through Benezia T'soni's comfortable bed. That's what he said."

She felt like she was being punched in the stomach. If the Palaven decided to stay on the sidelines, the Alliance would lose a quarter of its strength, not to mention Volus' financial assistance and access to Elcor's heavy industrial worlds. By the Gods, something like that could ruin everything they were trying to build!

The war against the invading bugs would end with a victory for the Alliance, that was certain but Benezia had to make sure it was a quick and clean victory. Another long, costly war with massive casualties would be devastating to the Reich's already depleted economy and society after a century of warfare, leaving its elites and citizens split over a new Milky Way, a bright future under the leadership of the Asari Republic.

Despite the carnage it had inflicted on Terminus Zone, the Hive Fleet provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to unite the Milky Way and fight off even greater threats in the future, and thus she couldn't let it slide through her fingers at any cost. Something had to be done to get things back on track. There had to be a way to persuade Palaven's leader to reconsider. Perhaps...another push was required.

"The last war was the final straw, Benezia. For two thousand years, the Turians have placed their faith in the Citadel and the leadership of the Republic, yet all they have gotten is one disaster after another." Saren continued, "It's been four generations, yet the Primarchs are still talking about councilor Matora's mistake in the Geth issue, and I'm afraid they'll be talking about the Krogan Rebellion until the end of this millennium"

Once again, the ghosts of the past continued to haunt her. At times, Benezia thought it was unfair that she had to bear the consequences of others' mistakes, but when she looked back at the current mess, the brutal war with the Germans, and Citadel's dwindling influence, she couldn't deny that they all stemmed from apathy, smugness, and a lack of vigilance, all of which she was a part of. After reaching the pinnacle of its authority, the Republic began to downplay threats to its rule and this was the inevitable result. If the old Matora hadn't been so arrogant and uninformed about Quarian AI projects, the catastrophe known as Geth would not have occurred, and if it had, she should've helped the Quarians in the Morning War rather than standing by and letting them be slaughtered. Since then, cracks in the dam had appeared, and by the time Benezia was named Matriarch, the flash flood had reached the foothills, sweeping away the reputation that the Republic had struggled to build for 20,000 years.

"An unwanted annoyance that you can easily deal with." Said quickly the Matriarch, doing her best to make Saren think things were still under their control. "We need to find a way to make Cabius reconsider his rash decision before announcing it. When will the Primarchs' Conference be held?"

"In six Palaven moons. 35 standard Earth days." Saren replied and sighed, "Don't tell me you're going to be using your old tricks again, Benezia. They will not work this time. Primarch Cabius is 143 years old and was once a field commander, so I can't think of anything that might scare him right now, not even death. Most of Cabius's friends died either in war or in their sleep, as did his wife. That old Pyjack must be waiting for the day when the Spirit takes him to the Promised Land and reunite with them rather than running away from it."

"Nobody dies here." Benezia asserts. "But it's necessary for you to serve as Special Commissioner of the Citadel for a time. A negotiator if you put those fancy words aside."

Saren immediately reacted like a Wartos upon seeing his cage, and Benezia secretly thought his reaction would be even more dramatic when he heard the rest of the plan.

"You know I don't like that."

"I know, but please take all the sling and arrow for me this time, for the whole Galaxy. We cannot afford to lose Palaven's support in this war. Don't worry, Tevos and I will handle the politic as well as the trouble it brings, you just have to be the messenger."

"And where will the message be sent?"

"Irune, Dekuuna, Borr, Nepheron. If the Turian Hierarchy doesn't want to join the anti-Tyranid alliance, we'll be reaching out to client races and members of the Stytax Commonwealth."

The Turians were hellbent on preserving two things beyond all else: The capital planet of Palaven and the Stytax Commonwealth. Turian Navy nearly destroyed itself in suicidal attempts to repel the attack of Krogan fleets on the Palaven in 2522, while their ground troops suffered the most horrible casualties in the early years of the rebellion so the Hierarchy's flag could fly high on a desolate planet that offered little strategic advantage, despite the fact that evacuating to a more defensible position was entirely possible.

Palaven is the birthplace of all Turian, the plain where our ancestors had hunted and roamed free. Palaven is the Spirit, the reason we live and the reason we die. I am not asking you to follow me but I wonder when a Turian could live more fully than now? Is there anything more glorious for a Turian than sacrificing his life to protect the temples and tombs of his ancestors?

The younger version of Benezia had shed tears upon hearing those words from Primarch Marcus Aggatus, the hero who led a hastily assembled army to the Palaven's rescue and lived a full Turian life in a battle that took place on the planet's southern continent. His death has inspired hundreds of poems, dozens of Citadel monuments, and four Navy flagships, but it also illustrated how far the Turian would go for the sake of their motherland.

The Commonwealth of Stytax was just as important as the Palaven, but for more practical reasons. As a race with mandatory military service and 60% of the population having served in the military or a military-related field, the Turians must rely on mischievous midget creatures like Volus to oversee the trade and banking system, pushing the hard and dirty labor of mining to the Elcors, taking full advantage of the Okvas and Vorchas' high population density and simplicity for cheap labor. Without these cogs and wheels, the glorious Turian Army would have no ammunition to shoot, the Navy would not be able to move out of any star system, and the Hierarchy would be thrown into disarray.

If Palaven was the soul of the Empire, then Stytax was its flesh and blood. Without either, the Turian Hierarchy would cease to exist.

"You act like those terrified Volus or Elcor would suddenly rediscover their bravery somehow." Saren frowned, "They sh*t themselves whenever the name Cabius is mentioned, let alone rebel against him. Besides, how are you going to bargain with them anyway? Asking them to go against their overlord will cost you an enormous amount for sure."

"How about leaving the commonwealth, becoming a special region under the protection of the Republic, and 300 trillion paid gradually in 100 years? "

Saren took a step back after looking at her in disbelief and terror. As a Turian, he understood what this meant, and as a lover, he was concerned. A risky endeavor, with frightening ramifications if they failed, but they didn't have many options left on the table right now. The cards had been dealt, the dice had been cast and they were forced to continue the game until the last minute.

"You...that would be tantamount to declaring war on the Turians. Cabius and the other Primarchs would never allow the Volus to leave the Commonwealth, even if its rule permitted it. They will send a fleet to Irune and start a war to prevent that from happening."

"Starting a war?" Her laughter echoed through the windy balcony, "How much of a chance do you think Hierarchy has against the Citadel Alliance, the Germans, and the Krogan at the same time? of course, they may show some teeth and beat the drum for a time, but in the end, they can't do much more than that."

"Perhaps but I can guarantee that Cabius and the Primarchs will never let anyone leave the Commonwealth of Stytax. You know how important it is to the Turians, don't you?"

"Then they should nod their head and join the Anti-Tyranid Alliance or keep the status quo of the Turian fleets in the Citadel joint defense. Whichever way they choose, my Alliance will get what it needs to win this war."

The trade-off, however, would be the 2,000-year-old relationship between the Turian Hierarchy and the Asari Republic. The Primarchs would never forgive anyone who dared to threaten them in this manner, but what triumph didn't come with a cost, she wondered? The Turian Army and Navy had been long the Citadel's tip of the spear for a long time and perhaps it was time for them to retire and pass the torch to someone else. The Germans could not have been more perfect substitutes. They were tenacious, stubborn, and willing to use force to settle the matter, and they also had something that the Turians lacked.

Their ambition.

Ambition had enabled them to expand their empire at an astonishing rate, but it would be too their fatal flaw, the gap in their formidable armor that rendered them open to manipulation.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Benezia." The Turian warrior coldly reminded her, but as expected, he did not have any objections to the plan. Saren well understood his own weaknesses as well as acknowledged his lover's strengths. "There's no going back if you decide to do such a thing."

"Ever since we heard the whisper of the Machine, there is no turning back."

Messages from an ancient entity that claims to be the guardian of the Galaxy, the father of all civilizations, the destroyer of the Prothean Empire, and the founder of the Republic. The horrifying revelations of the past were provided to them 200 years ago, along with a warning about the dangers of hubris. Reaper was their name and darkness, secrets, riddles, and prophecies were the foundation of the 11th Council, an underground organization formed within the Turian, Salarian and Asari governments for the purpose of preserving and protecting the Galaxy from this unprecedented threat.

Matriarch Shanis told Benezia all this when she attended Daliah Reyni's inauguration in Thessia. t was a sweltering and particularly intense summer day as protests against a President inclined to yield to German demands entered their fourth week, but Benezia's blood was frozen when Shanis mentioned that their Navy had encountered a small warship from that nation called the Imperium of man in Terminus Zone and took some prisoners.

"The 11th Council was skeptical at times about the Machine's warnings." Shanis told her, "But now we can confirm that the danger is real."

Since then, 157 years had passed, not particularly long for an Asari, but a lot had changed. Matriarch Shanis, the head of the 11th Council, had died, a horrific war had swept over their Galaxy, the geopolitical situation was a mess, and the danger from another dimension had become worse.

"We also have another issue to deal with. There are a few obstacles on our path." Benezia went on. " Remember the Salarian scientist named Sanaris?"

"That troublemaker again? What else has he discovered this time?"

"His understanding of the secret remains very limited, and the whole scientific community regards him as nothing more than a total joke, as I have assured they will always do." She gave a small shake of her head. "Though he has lately taken the initiative to contact the famous Admiral of the Schutzengel Fleet and had some very disturbing conversations."

The goddess of fortune was plainly playing a joke on her. The chances of a human dreaming the Titan dream were one in a billion, a meager odds than the Reich lottery, but for some reason, the winner this time was an exceptional member of the Kriegsmarine, son-in-law of the powerful Einzberg, an ancient aristocratic family, and destined to be Eden's savior. Benezia felt no ill will against the Admiral, even admiring a man as talented, honorable, and charming as he was, but she had no option at this point. Given the fleet admiral's unflinching integrity, it was only a matter of time until someone in the Kaiser's court started to take his words seriously.

It's not time yet. It was still too early for the Germans to learn this secret and therefore she was forced to act.

"So you want me to take care of the scientist or the Admiral?" The corner of Saren's lips curled up into a wicked smile, "I hope it's the Admiral. Scientists don't usually pose a challenge to me."

"You don't have to worry about the Admiral, I have everything sorted and we just have to wait. Don't let your guard down, Sanaris is a much bigger problem than you think. He's from the Goban clan and as far as I know, the clan's principle of revenge still applies to the outcasts."

"So if he is assassinated, the whole Goban clan will be drawn into this, complicating things further for us" He reflected, "A natural death or accident would be safer but such a thing would take time."

"Three or four years is no problem but it is best to give him a pathogen with a long incubation period to avoid suspicion. Pick someone qualified with skill and patience for the job or you should do it yourself, Saren because…What are you doing?"

She was taken aback upon seeing the pistol had left the holster on Saren's belt and gone to his hand ever since. The Specter's entire body was so tensed that the air seemed to shrink around him, his breathing was deep and rhythmic, his eyes glaring at the large, beautifully decorated wooden door of the Governor's office. Benezia had no idea what was going on at first, but then she heard unusual sounds coming from the corridor. Gunshots, screams, sounds of fighting, and then as if dispelling all suspicion, blaring alarm.

"How…how is that possible?"

She stammered before turning around, her gaze drawn to the tranquil scenery in the background. The sky was still blue, there was no sign of enemy attacks and people were celebrating on the streets of Kaiserhausen. The war was still far away, there was no way the enemy could reach her fortress unless…unless…

"Is there a way out of here?" Saren asked.

"The wall on the left, behind the bookshelf."

"Good, then you should get out of here quickly."

Benezia grimaced upon realizing Saren's absence in this retreat. "What about you?"

"Me?" He smiled and reloaded his gun, "I think I'm gonna do what i always do then."

---V---

"Why do you have to go?"

Asked the 12-year-old kid, his eyes drifting to the distance, beyond the icy black waters of Crab Bay, where the capital of Beckenheim looked like an extension of the starry sky above, in stark contrast to the shore over here, where darkness reigned since 8 pm because the rusty fusion plant had to be maintained every 12 hours of operation.

"I do that so we could live over there."

That unsatisfactory answer caused the boy to turn his head to look at Johannes, revealing a small bruise over his left eye. Since he was not an alien, he must attend a human school, a place where patriotism and a sense of duty are held high among teenagers, and here was the proof of that. He didn't fight back and remained calm, the discipline teacher had told Johannes so before exultantly advising him to have Kaidan join the Young Wolf, a paramilitary organization with a tradition of training candidates for prestigious Fallschirmjäger divisions. However, he flatly refused.

"They say it's no use. They say you are going to desert and we'll have to stay here for the rest of our lives."

"And you believe that nonsense? Do I look like a deserter?" He smiled and asked, "I've been in Drocan, Maan, Aelimani, the worst places they could ever imagine and I've never run once."

"They also said you were brave only for the enemies of the Reich, not for her." The boy coldly pointed out, "That's not true, is it?"

In fact, he had never been brave for anything but his family and himself. Grandeur concepts, the glory of the nation, the loyalty to the Fatherland had never been his concern, but the boy had put Johannes in a position where he had to lie:

"Of course, that's not true. Just wait and see, Kaidan. One day I will return here as Hero of the Reich and when that day comes, we will move to that city in a Volkswagen Corsaire."

Johannes….Johannes…Johannes….Wake up, Johannes…..Johannes….

A ghostly voice called his name in the sound of waves crashing on the rocky shore. It sounded familiar, but Johannes couldn't say for sure who it belonged to.

Johannes….Johannes…Johannes….Wake up, Johannes…..Johannes….

He turned around, eyes widening in terror. Instead of the rows of old concrete building blocks for low-income residents and aliens, which they had called home for the past 5 years, he saw only a black hole that was slowly devouring reality around him. Panicked, Johannes intended to grab Kaidan and run away, but when he turned back, the boy was already standing in front of him. His blue eyes stared at Johannes while his left hand slowly reached up to his chest.

"Do you promise?" Kaidan asked. "Do you promise to return as Hero of the Reich?"

Johannes felt his whole body stiffen after hearing those words, as if he'd met Medusa's eyes and when he tried to give an answer, a force as fierce and powerful as the Omio Demos technique pulled him backward, straight into the black heart of the hole. He didn't remember much after that except for the darkness and his cry echoing back and forward in the void.

Johannes….Johannes…Johannes….Wake up, Johannes…..Johannes….

The voice called out to him again, but this time much louder and clearer. It was Anka Haberlin's distinctive nasal accent, he suddenly recognized. This is just a dream then. He told himself before trying to move his eyelids, a trick that previously helped him out of horrifying dreams since he was a child. However, when he succeeded, the first thing he saw was Gabi's injured face, not his Ritterkreuzträger's. The girl's injuries were rather severe. Her left face was covered with burns and scrapes, blood clots in her eye, and the flesh from her temple to her neck had turned scarlet red due to a wound on her head.

"Gabi…?"

He staggered to his feet, his palm held over his face to block the blinding light shining through the shattered window. His body ached terribly and the pain was almost unbearable when Gabi suddenly hugged him, bursting into tears.

"Calm down, girl. Calm the f*ck down." He told Gabi with the groans of two broken ribs, "You want to kill me or something? Let go of me."

"Johannes, what should we do now? She would not make it. I've already given her Medi-gel, but it still doesn't stop the bleeding. Do something, Johannes!"

Who wouldn't make it? Johannes had asked that question when he saw their host, Laura, sprawled on the wooden floor, motionless and staring at him with her lifeless eyes. The blood coming out of her mouth and nose looked like turpentine as it froze on her bluish-gray dead skin. She died shortly after the explosion and he would have suffered the same fate too if he hadn't activated the kinetic barrier beforehand.

"Where's Anka?" he asked, suddenly realizing who Gabi was talking about. "Is she hurt?"

Gabi pushed him away, wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and pointed to a room that looked like Laura's bedroom: "In there, Johannes. I put her in there…I…I don't know what to do. God… She's still awake but weak, very weak. She didn't have the kinetic barrier like us so…" The girl burst into tears again, "Why is this happening? Who attacked us?"

Anger welled up inside Johannes, yet he hated himself more than he hated the perpetrator. He had been careless, shortsighted, and blind to the truth, but a part of him also wondered if he had the ability to doubt Karl before he threw that grenade. That bastard was the one who killed Purii. He was the winner of the Iron Cross and if he survived this battle then perhaps the title Hero of the Reich would too belong to him.

A truly perfect cover, helping Karl avoid any suspicions aimed at his dubious background, not to mention helping him pass the mandatory medical test for recruits. Gabi had told Johannes a few days earlier that Anka had exempted him from that part since she believed it was ludicrous to suspect the man who had slain the Genestealer commander.

The sergeant shuddered briefly. Everything happened since he stepped into that cursed power plant was just a distraction? A minor part of a much broader scheme? If it was true then the scheme of theirs had to be something so grandiose, so important that even the sacrifice of the chief Genestealer was seen as a reasonable price to pay. And, more importantly, why did Karl choose this particular moment to show his true colors? There must be a reason behind this.

"Okay, okay. Don't freak out like that. Let's check on our captain first and then talk about it later."

The room reeked of death when he entered. Anka was placed on a bed with blankets and pillows that gradually turned crimson. Gabi had taken off her jacket and cut her T-shirt in half, so Johannes could see all the injuries his commander had suffered in the past 24 hours. Two little holes caused by Tyranid bio projectiles slept blissfully under Karin Chakwas' purple bandages, the slowly healed burns on her arms, and the tiny wounds from grenade shrapnel all over her neck, chest, and stomach. At first glance, Anka's condition wasn't too serious and Gabi was exaggerating, but as the sergeant saw the blood seeping from the wounds was darker than normal, nearly black, an unsettling silence descended over him. This was why Medi-gel couldn't stop the bleeding, this was the reason behind Gabi's tears.

"Sergeant…Johannes." Anka called him by his name. Her voice was weak and he was painfully aware of the absence of her familiar chuckle. "Sergeant…come here."

He trudged closer to the bloodstained bed. His leg was uninjured and the delay could only be explained by fear.

"I'm sorry, Anka."

Sorry. He couldn't think of anything else to say as he took her delicate hand and felt the life fade away in it. Sorry? Sorry for what? Sorry for not realizing Karl's betrayal sooner? Sorry for leading them to this trap? Sorry for blowing everything up for everyone because of his personal feud with Weidemann? He wanted to tell her more than that, but his guilt wouldn't let him.

"Johannes…you have to go to Kaiserha..the capital right now," Anka told him with all the strength she had left in her. "He took my…Knight's cross. He's planning something…"

He held her hand tighter but… remained silent.

"Stop him…stop him, Johannes. Please. Only you…can do that."

"Anka, I…"

"Promise me…promise…I can't die knowing the Reich will bleed for my mistake. I..beg you, Johannes."

Gabi collapsed to her knees after hearing those words, hopeless tears streaming down her blank stare. It was all over. Anka would never leave this bed and perhaps, Gabi had realized that for long but was too stubborn to accept the truth.

"Promise me, Johannes, I beg you."

How could he promise such a thing? Karl had left this place for more than three hours, he could be anywhere. Anka believed he was at Kaiserhausen, and if she was correct, this was nothing more than a suicide mission. Every security unit must have a wanted warrant for Johannes by now, and they would not hesitate to shoot him dead on the spot rather than listen to his explanation of a deadly menace lurking on the capital's streets.

I cannot die. I have to live to return home, back to Kaidan.

Home? His real home had burned to ash many years ago and now he couldn't even return to his makeshift home on Beckenheim. The Reichswehr would hunt him down no matter where he ran to. Deserters would be entered into a criminal record, their names would appear all over the news, and their faces would be recognized in every Spaceport they go to, on any public transport they took and only idiots would think about using services that required fingerprints.

It was all for nothing.

Johannes had a plan, one that he thought would leave no one disadvantaged at the end of the road: escaped Hornwald, took Anka to the hospital, hide and wait for their Captain to persuade her superiors that what he did was just for the sake of his kamerad and that Weidemann was nothing more than a lunatic. Major General Faulkner trusted Anka, and that exquisite aristocrat had previously protected Johannes from unfair treatment, so there was a high chance that he would handle this in his favor. Honorable discharge was the finest possible outcome he could hope for, but he was also satisfied with the demotion, wage reduction, and extension of service. At least in those less favorable scenarios, he would still be alive, and as long as he was alive, he still had a chance.

I should have put a bullet in your head right then and there, Karl. Despicable traitors.

"I..I can't, Anka. I still have a family." He replied.

"Then do this for them. Kill him and all allegations against you will be dropped. Have you… forgotten your purpose for coming here? Your kid won't be able to continue living on Beckenheim if you run away here. You know what happens to families of deserters, don't you?"

They would be stripped of their citizenship, becoming creatures living in the underground city, never finding a decent job, no future, no sunlight. He had seen the place once, the home of real Obiliks, where even the brightest sections of it made the low-cost flat appear like Silberlachbach. No! It was not a life for his family, not for Kaidan.

One day I will return here as Hero of the Reich and when that day comes, we will move to that city in a Volkswagen Corsaire.

That was what he had said. In the dream as he had in real life. A promise broken resulted in wounds that would never heal. Kaidan had long endured the punishment for a crime he had never committed, guilt born of the wrong decisions of those who came before him, and as his father, there was nothing Johannes could do beyond giving him promises and dreams. He was a failure of a father who always disappointed his children at every chance he got but this failure, this disappointment would put an end to everything.

"How do you know for sure he's in Kaiserhausen?" He asked, "He could be anywhere, Anka."

"My Knight's cross….he only took it because…he might…want to approach someone important…"

Anka started coughing terrible coughs and that black blood began to pour out of her mouth, indicating that the poison had spread to her lungs and caused an internal hemorrhage. She didn't have much time left, Johannes sadly realized. He was going to lose a good commander, a good friend, but Gabi's loss was many times greater than his. Screaming in agony, the little girl rushed up to the bedside, her hands clutched together as if asking God above to save her Captain.

Gabi never said she believed in divine power nor did she deny its existence. It was clear that she didn't give much thought to the subject and Johannes could hear her giggle every time he made the sign of the cross during a meal, but like the priest at that Catholic church once told him, death was so powerful that even an atheist could turn into Saint Joan in the blink of eyes.

"Hang in there, Anka! Do not give up on us, please! Don't leave me here." The girl begged in vain before looking up at Johannes, "Do something! Are you going to leave her like that?"

Nothing could be done to save Anka from certain death, even if they somehow got her to the hospital in ten minutes. It was all too late, but Johannes could still do her one last favor.

"Gabi, go outside." He coldly ordered.

"Wh..Why?" The little girl was dumbfounded for a few seconds, confused by the strange command, but as soon as she realized what he was up to, she yelled "No! You can't do that! I do not allow it!"

"Outside. Now."

"No!"

The girl reacted rather violently when Johannes pulled her out of the room. First with fists, then with nails and teeth, but all in vain. The Sergeant was a grown man with arms as hard as steel and didn't have the habit of being gentle with women or children. With a hard slap and a kick, Gabi's resistance quickly ended on the other side of the door. Her small fist pounded relentlessly on the big piece of heavy wood until she was exhausted and collapsed. The whimpers sounded very dreary, her pleas behind the closed door were sincere, but he was determined to not change his mind.

One day you will thank me. Johannes told himself and walked over to the side of the bed with a small knife taken from his right boot. The blade was milky white and the handle was made of Utho, a type of rare metal that lay deep on the ocean bed of Razair. The only memento of his service in the Crimson Guard that Johannes still kept.

"I know…I'm asking for too much..but…" The Ritterkreuzträger murmured, a terrible pain inflicting on her with each word she uttered,"But..can you bury…Laura? She.. treated us well…"

"I understand." He cut in softly, "Anything else?"

Anka nodded slightly, "Take care…Gabi. Tell her..tell her.. I'm proud to have her…under my command."

"And I am honored to fight under your command. One couldn't ask for a better commander than you, Anka."

She was the bravest woman he'd ever known, but it wasn't because she was always there to lead the charge or because of the extraordinary feats she had achieved. After all the suffering this woman has endured, she still didn't give up on life; she always knew how to crack a smile in the darkest of nights and sought the bright side of each individual rather than falling into sadness, bitterness, and cynicism. Johannes wished he could do the same. He had always wished he could be as brave as Anka. How much easier life would have been if he could still keep the same happy, optimistic thoughts when they put the red cape of Crimson Guard over his shoulders. It could have been a much better life but God, I blew my chance and fate has led me here, to this place where my friends are dead or dying and the way home is so far away.

"Ready?"

Asked Johannes as he placed the tip of the knife on the Captain's left chest. That would be a fatal wound. She would feel any pain.

The woman looked at him. The familiar chuckle danced one last time in the room reeked of blood and death, "You…you know what, Johannes? I was..so disappointed..when I found out you were married. I wish.. I wish…we could meet sooner."

"Me too, Anka." Johannes replied sadly. "Believe me, I too was disappointed for knowing you too late."

He didn't quite remember what he did afterward, after he pressed the blade to Anka's heart. Perhaps he had cried for a moment beside her body before stumbling out of the room like a drunk. He remembered Gabi kneeling in front of the door with lifeless eyes, and showing no resistance when he lifted her up and carried her out into the garden in the front. He remembered the orange flames licking the red brick walls before slithering onto the roof and turning Laura's little ranch into a torch. The job was simpler than he thought. Laura had been selling oil extracted from the black resin of Viskander oak and had a few barrels in storage, so all he needed for the pyre was a little spark.

It was a strange sight.

Two people. One male, one female. One old, one young. One experience, one immature. One still had a reason to live and the other seemed long dead. The two couldn't be more different, but for some reason, they both had their gaze on the raging fire smashing through windows, embracing beams, and knocking down walls as if there was nothing else in the world that was worth their attention. The heat from the pyre was great, but their hearts were as cold as an icy hell. This equanimity was so strange, so unusual, that they were surprised themselves. They should have cried, cursed, and sworn revenge with their fists raised in the air, but they didn't. The only thing that existed here was silence. A long, awkward silence before it was broken by the man.

"I will go to Kaiserhausen." The man said, "I will find Karl and kill him. That was the last order she gave me."

The girl said nothing in return, her gaze still fixed on the flaming pyre.

"You can follow me or stay here. The choice is entirely yours." He continued, "If I don't come back, then find somewhere far away from here and lie low for a while." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small purple purse, "I found this in Laura's room. She doesn't keep a lot of cash, but it's enough to keep you from hungry for a while."

"Did she… did she mention anything about me?" The girl asked.

"She…" The man paused, apparently uneasy about discussing what had occurred in that room, "She said she was proud of you. "

"Is that all?"

"That's all."

Was she disappointed or satisfied? He had to ask that question when he couldn't feel any hint of emotion in her voice.

"I understand." The girl replied coldly then limped away from the pyre. She wasn't hurt in the blast and his kick wasn't that strong either. "I need five minutes to start the Hover truck."

"You should know that I have no escape plan." He warned her, "To complete the mission I may die there...No. To be more precise, dying there is my real mission. "

"Fine by me."

The man said nothing more after that. To the desperate, to those that had nothing left to lose, death was as light as a feather and when he was watching the small figure limping towards the barn, he saw his own reflection.

--V---

8:30 a.m. October 10, 2839

Prinzenplatz, Central District, Kaiserhausen

They found the Mammoth in a small alley between the restaurant le Moisson Sous-Marin and a women's luxury store called Urbane Eleganz on route 7, near the city hall. The tracking device on the Hoverbike had not been turned off, indicating that Karl was careless or naively thought that no one would go after him.

Luck was on their side. Again

On their way from Laura's farm to the city center, Johannes worried they might come across a police patrol, a random interceptor, or worse, Totenkopf Kommando's distinctive black uniforms, who had long ruled Kaiserhausen with an iron fist, arrests, and raids since the invasion began two weeks earlier. A food-transporting Hover truck wasn't up to a high-speed chase, and a shotgun, a Lasergewehr, and a few grenades weren't going to cut it when their opponent was the Reich's elite special forces.

Yet, none of these dangers appeared.

Luftwaffe aircraft had been mobilized for the parade, the police's attention was on the rowdy crowds flooding the streets, and despite his effort, Johannes could not find any skulls hanging around here. Their Tamiya entered the capital's airspace on standard traffic lanes at medium speed, then freely roamed the city's finest streets without any hindrance but annoying flag-waving and slogan-shouting crowds; drunkards celebrating the recently canceled Oktoberfest due to the raging war; expensive convertible hovercars and sentimental ladies; Volkssturm soldiers of the defense of the capital, who survived the war without firing a bullet; the nuns and orphans of Teresa's church.

No one bothered to notice the two wanted deserters as confetti fell from towering buildings like November snow and Alte Kameraden's cheery music was broadcast over public loudspeakers. A group of Feldgendarmerie (military police) had stopped them on Pfirsichbaum because they were too near to General Moritz Krauss' headquarters, a modest villa at the end of the road, yet instead of an identification check or a search, they were just advised to turn around and take another route.

As they passed the Kaleidoskop Art Museum, Gabi discovered that the Tamiya and Mammoth had been using Gemini, a type of navigation system that allowed one vehicle to know where the other one was within a distance of 10 kilometers, and thus they knew they should find their way to Prinzenplatz instead of wandering around Kaiserhausen until they ran out of fuel or ran into a skeptical policeman.

The goddess of fortune was on their side, yet what Johannes found most amusing was that she was only doing so to get them closer to their death.

"If he leaves the hoverbike here, his target can only be that one."

Johannes said, looking up at the ancient gothic towers of the city hall, where six days before, Benezia T'soni had delivered an eloquent speech. She was still there, from what he heard. A wise political move. There was no better way to reassure the people of a besieged city than to demonstrate complete confidence in their army's capability, but it appeared that the acting Governor had forgotten that when confronted with an enemy like Karl, then even the elite soldiers, mighty Panzer divisions and advanced aircraft were as useful as the spike on the Pickelhaube.

Sometimes danger didn't come from an army of million but from a shady bastard and a loaded Luger.

"Are you sure?" Gabi asked, voice skeptical. "General Krauss is also nearby."

"I hope I'm wrong, kid. I really hope I'm wrong."

Because if his deduction was correct, there were only difficulties laying ahead. The City Hall was the most heavily guarded building in Kaiserhausen at the moment. With high walls, security checkpoints, drones, Brimir combat droids, it was truly a fortress that could not be penetrated, especially for two injured fugitives with nothing but a handful of equipment and despair. Oh yes… Despair. It was the despair that had got them here, something that was thought to be impossible, yet how much despair was enough to get them through the main gate?

"Then we should go."

Gabi said and turned away, not caring about where they were going or what they were going to do. It was the attitude that had haunted her since she left the forest, and Johannes was beginning to feel he had made a grave mistake by bringing her here. When their vehicle was stopped on Pfirsichbaum, the cold, hateful gaze of a fifteen-year-old child had drawn the attention of the Feldgendarmerie, and everything would have turned out badly for them if Johannes hadn't been quick to recall a harrowing tale of a young girl whose mother was eaten by the Hormogaunts.

Gabi is no less dangerous to me than Karl. He realized in shock and horror, but thankfully, the situation was not that dire. A ticking time bomb in his line of sight was preferable to a bomb that wandered the city and could explode at any moment.

"Wait a minute.." He placed his rough hand on Gabi's shoulder. The girl was thinner and much older than she was last night, "The Governor's residence is not a place where you want to go in and out as you like. Without a plan, we are as good as dead."

"I thought that was what you wanted."

This problem needed to be dealt with once and for all. Johannes quickly made up his mind and pressed Gabi against the white wall of Moisson Sous-Marin. The girl cried out in pain and attempt to resist, but before she had her chance, Johannes' fingers had wrapped around her petite neck and crushed the intention. His teeth clenched, his voice venomous as he delivered the threat.

"I don't care about your take on the whole thing, but I want to kill Karl, not to die in vain." He said, "There will be three rules here and the first of them is that you must absolutely do what I say. To the letter, if I found it necessary. Do i make myself clear enough?"

She answered Johannes with an obnoxious face, just waiting for another slap from him. The sergeant sighed and continued:

"Second rule. No one die today but Karl. We can knock down the guards' shields, kick their ass, blow up some of those annoying Droids but under no circ*mstances, you are allowed to kill people."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

No matter what happened in that building, whether they succeeded or failed, the Reichswehr had to look at this and conclude Johannes was a loyal soldier who risked everything to stop an assassination attempt on the Governor of Eden. The stench of corpses would sting their eyes and make it impossible to see that conclusion.

"And what is the third?" Gabi asked with a snort. "Do you want me to salute and wave my tail whenever you call?"

"No." He replied, his fingers slipping away from her neck. His gaze softened, and his voice gentle "I want you to do your best to survive."

The corner of Gabi's lips curled up, and for a few seconds, the only thing Johannes could hear was her dry laugh, shriveled and malicious like a self-inflicted wound.

"That's rich, Johannes. Very rich. You drag me into a suicide mission, and now you're telling me to do my best to stay alive. Unbelievable." Her voice turned harsh, "Why should you care anyway? All of this means nothing to you. Hey, don't look so surprised. I'm not deaf and I'm not blind either. Everyone in the company knows you don't give a sh*t about this war, this planet, or even our survival. Do you think I believe you took us all away from Hornwald just to save Anka's life? You think I don't know why you want to kill Karl?" The accusing finger was pointed at his face. "You're just an asshole who doesn't care about anything but your own interests. I, Anka, and even Karl are just tools to help you achieve your goal."

That wasn't the truth, never was. Ever since Johannes met her in the power plant, ever since he saw the female captain sitting by his bed with a red book resting gently in her hand, an invisible thread had bound them together. Gabi was like the head-strong daughter he never had and Anka was the woman he wished he had met sooner. Even Karl. ...yes, even their traitor. Johannes understood it was all a hoax, an act the Genestealer had put up to get closer to the target, yet the sergeant really liked the man Karl pretended to be. He had had a lot of fun with him when they confronted the Purii, as they fought side by side in the muddy trenches of Hornwald, as they dodged spray after spray of bullets from that Tigerhai in the dark forest.

All of that was true, yet the Sergeant refused to argue. What needed to be said, he said it all and…. He also had nothing to back up his claims other than his words.

"Because that's what Anka wanted and because she made me promise." Johannes replied calmly before pointing out the obvious fact, "We both know what will happen if I leave you behind, don't we? You would turn into a corpse, and I would become an oathbreaker."

It would be a Viskander oak with a big dark trunk and strong branches, where she ended her life. That dark prospect was evident in her eyes, in her gait, in each of her breaths, and so Johannes was forced to act. A ticking time bomb in his line of sight was preferable to a bomb that wandered the city and could explode at any moment.

"Anka wants you to live." The sergeant reminded her, "Don't let her down."

"What the hell does that have to do with you?"

"Because I want the same thing." The weight of the truth made Gabi fall silent, "If it weren't for my son, not for you and not for future generations, everything we've done will be meaningless. Thousand of planets that had been burned to ash are meaningless, billion of corpses lying on the battlefield are meaningless, and Anka's death is meaningless."

They didn't say much to each other after leaving the alley. Johannes ordered Gabi to take the wheel and took him to Allee des Ruhms, a wide, tree-lined boulevard leading straight to the golden gate of the city hall and sought a discreet parking spot. The latter could not be met. As the 662nd Foot Guards Battalion marched back from the front with dented Pickelhaubes and dirty boots, there was nowhere that could be considered discreet. The exhaustion of a week of defending the capital city against Tyranid onslaughts was visible on their dusty features, but the Reichswehr poster children never forgot the rhythmic, proud way of walking to the beat of the drums, another role they must perform besides combating the Reich's enemy.

The spectacle captivated the crowd. Foot Guard units had always been heroes in Prussian blue uniforms, silver Infanterie Kürass engraved with golden eagles, and with a few marks of war, they looked like heroes more than ever. The inhabitants of Kaiserhausen only asked for that. An elite unit marching through their streets signaled the end of the war and, with it, their misery.

"Up there," Johannes said and pointed at the tall building with a huge hole in the middle. A secluded place but too far from the target. "Not ideal, but not bad either."

"What are you doing? The city hall is over there."

"Easy. Like I said before, we can't just simply walk into that building and survive. We need some preparation."

A diversion was more accurate because they didn't have time to find a secret passageway to the inside of City Hall, better equipments, or anything. It was obvious that they had to play the hand dealt to them. Karl was always one step ahead, yet Johannes was still able to make miss a step and roll down the stairs like an idiot. All he needed was an Omni-tool and time.

"Use the autopilot to calculate the distance and time we need to reach the main gate." He told Gabi, "All the energy to the propulsion. Max speed. Check the emergency brake, we'll need it later."

The girl shot Johannes a suspicious look, "Don't tell me…."

"Trust me, Gabi. I know what I'm doing."

The sergeant activated his Omni-tool and sent a message to the Kaiserhausen police force. It was brief and for the most part, it contained the truth. Genestealer was currently using the Knight's cross to approach the Governor of Eden, but in order to strengthen his persuasion and prevent being perceived as a random foolish prank, Johannes had blended some fictional details into the truth. First, he informed them that the assassin had been a member of a military unit and had murdered a female Ritterkreuzträger. Then he revealed that the killer was not operating alone, but was accompanied by two accomplices who are assisting him in recreating the incident in Kristallhalle.

Kaiserhausen police would quickly connect the info to Weidemann's report of three deserters kidnapping a Ritterkreuzträger in Hornwald. That was what he expected them to do. They would issue a warning to Benezia T'soni's security personnel, raise the alarm, dispatch a Totenkopf Kommando unit to City Hall, and force Karl to act prematurely. The situation would be chaotic but chaos was the only thing they could count on right now. Storming a heavily guarded building through the main gate was never a smart idea in general. Yet, they still had a chance if the guards were distracted by their own hunt for an intruder.

"What now?" Asked Gabi.

Johannes reached out his hand and touch the small television screen in front of his seat. Of 17 channels operating on Eden, he chose Die Bürgersicht, a media outlet constantly criticized for its cheap entertainment and poor taste in art yet fast to respond to events big and small. A female broadcaster was reading the news about Steinbauer's victory in Ostengard and the fierce fighting in a small town called Tallar. Johannes grimaced. Her curls carried the color of autumn leaves, her eyes were emerald green and a crimson red dyed the cloth wrapping around her slender figure. Red. Red like Anka's blood on that bed. Red like when he pressed the blade into her heart.

"Now we wait."

Waiting, as usual, annoyed Johannes the most. His entire life had been spent waiting for things that never came. The war would end in 2815 and he would return home to his father's little shipping company on Razair. President Vylmeck would soon change his mind, and the human population would be compensated. After seven years of settling in, hard labor, and no run-ins with the authorities, Beckenheim would recognize them as second-class citizens.

Now he would sit here in silence, waiting for his death, but it was going to be the biggest f*ck-you ever if it, too, never came.

"She would still be alive if it weren't for me." Said Gabi, breaking the silence, "When you were unconscious in your bed, they refused to let Karl join the unit, saying he was just a retarded that couldn't count to ten."

The sergeant said nothing in response. His head rested on the moist earth-scented chair, eyes closed.

"I told them Karl could count to 100, hit a target 50 meters away, and wouldn't mind kicking their asses in hand-to-hand combat. A mechanic named Ansgar or Agron refused to believe it and accepted the challenge. He was a tall guy, probably over 130 kg, so it took three people to get him to the dispensary." The girl smiled bitterly, "I'm such a moron, aren't I? Why did I think that was a good idea anyways? I should have collected my reward and f*cked off to Harongen when I had the chance."

And perhaps Johannes shouldn't turn a blind eye to those deserters who led him to the power plant in the first place. He should have asked one question or two after Herr Faulkner and Peter in turn said they probably had met Karl somewhere else before. One could be a coincidence but two were definitely not. He had ignored that warning just as he had ignored Karl's uncanny understanding of Galaxy's history, of the sumptuous partridge and he didn't stop for a second and wondered whom that stinking Genestealer prayed to in the pouring rain.

All the red flags were there to see but for some reason I behaved like a blind man, rushing into a trap as if it were a set of fates.

"Beating yourself won't bring Anka back." Johannes told her and then pointed out, "All we can do right now is honor her memories."

Gabi tilted her head and looked at him like looking a stranger. "That doesn't sound like you at all, Johannes."

"Perhaps this is who I really am." He sighed, "I have been sleeping for a very long time, but now I'm finally awake."

The moment they had been waiting for arrived at 9:30, when a squadron of Sturmkrähe (Raven Strom) soared above the city hall's tallest tower. Death rode on the wings of darkness. As true in the proverb as in real life. Though it was brief, Johannes caught a glimpse of terror in the anchor's green eyes as she listened to the breaking news over her earpiece. Her beautiful lips were tightly pursed, her hands trembling, yet as a good reporter she was, she quickly regained her composure and did what was expected of her:

"Breaking news. According to many of Die Bürgersicht's sources, there is a shooting occurred at the City Hall. In the meantime, we are still unable to determine if this is another attack orchestrated by the Genestealer cult or not, but eyewitnesses reported gunfire and possibly an explosion coming from upstairs. The alarms have been raised and reinforcements are on their way. Hold on… ladies and gentlemen, there is another development. Our sources have confirmed that our Governor, Lady T'soni is still in the building, her situation is unknown and…."

The screen went off as it was touched by Johannes's finger again. The sergeant then activated his shield and switched off the safety on his pistol.

"It's time, Gabi." He told her gently, "Maximum speed until we get into the building. Use the brakes only at my command."

Gabi nodded, hands on the steering wheel. The Hovertruck's propulsion roared like a beast as an abundant source of energy was pumped into its body.

"Für Gott Kaiser und Vaterland" Gabi said, "Für Anka."

"Fur Anka." He replied.

Their final mission began to the astonishment of the Foot Guards, paramilitary policemen, men with their toast of victory, women with full baskets of cherry blossom petals in their hands and smiles on their lips. Every soul on the Allee des Ruhms at the moment was taken aback by the sight of a Tamiya hurtling towards the town hall like a blue bullet. The wind howled along its path, and sensitive noses wrinkled at the distinctive scent of element zero leaking from the ancient engine.

The golden gate, cast with gold from the deepest mines of Eden, was blown away in the impact. Herr Seidel the Brave, founder and first Governor of the planet lost one of his plaster arm. The Fountain of Friendship shattered as if it were made of ceramic. A group of guards, both Asari and human, tried to stop the Tamiya with a Biotic barrier on the long steps leading to the main hall. A stupid move, thought Johannes. That B tier skill couldn't stop an object moving at 200 km/h and weighing over a ton. What they are doing here is improving our chances of survival.

"Now, Gabi. Now" He shouted after the Biotic barrier was pierced. "Pull the brake."

The poor Tamiya shook as if it was about to break in half as the gravity distribution system suddenly pull it backward. The vehicle whirled in the air for a few seconds before slamming into the granite floor, dragging itself ten meters more, and ending its journey beneath one of the main hall's great stone pillars. The landing was a rough one, but at least they were still breathing.

"Are you doing alright?" Johannes asked with a taste of iron on the tip of his tongue. Looked like he had bit his lip during the crash.

"I.. fine… Godamn it, it's hurt." Gabi answered with a groan, "I almost broke my neck."

"Our work is not done yet." He reminded his young companion and thrust into her hand a grenade with a white circle running around its warhead. "Throw this out the window. Count to 3 before stepping out."

A thick blanket of white smoke enveloped the Tamiya as they jumped out with their heads down, and as if it were a pre-scripted movie scene, the security forces immediately greeted them with a storm of bullets. Most of the threats flew past their heads whilst those aimed at their necks, chests, and limbs were blocked by their kinetic barriers. The smoke had obscured the vision of their attackers, yet the situation was dire nonetheless. This was still a kill zone and the smoke wouldn't remain forever.

"This way, Gabi," Johannes shouted and shot a glance in the direction of a nearby corridor. "I will cover you."

Talking cover behind the battered wreck of the Tamiya, the sergeant began to open fire. His bullets had no specific destination as the smoke also affected his field of vision, but hitting something wasn't his intention here. As long as the guards understood Johannes was still alive, the Walther G in his hand was a fearsome weapon capable of tearing apart anything closer than twenty meters and wisely decided to keep a safe distance, then considered half of his job was done. The rest depended on how fast Gabi could run.

"Run, Johannes. Hurry up."

Gabi urged him from behind the big stone pillar. Six laser shots were fired from the girl's Lasergewehr. Two were aimed at a brave guard, unwary of Walther's destructive power and intended to flank Johannes from the left. His shield was instantly burned, forcing him to find a cover behind the weeping statue of Brunhilda. The rest of the laser beams were for two Einherjar combat droids slowly approaching them with the MP-25K submachine gun on their mechanical arms and the clanking sound in every step, in every movement.

They didn't have the Kinectic Barrier like organic guards, but their lacking was compensated for by emotionless bravery. Gabi had punched a large hole in one of the Einherjar, cutting off the other's arm, yet they continued to advance forward and unleashed a hail storm of bullets on Johannes.

"What a drag!"

The sergeant came out of his cover and stretched out his hand towards the stubborn enemy. His whole body was covered in a beautiful blue flame as a mysterious white energy mass formed in the center of his palm. The mass of energy was initially just a little larger than a pea, but within two seconds or less, it had grown to the size of a soccer ball, and as Johannes launched the ball forward at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour, he felt like his arm was torn apart. The Biotic Lance was its name, an attack developed by the Thessian Legionaries. A complex technique reserved only for A-tier specialists, and because of that, clumsy combat Droids, weighing no more than 300 pounds like these two Einherjars, could do nothing against it but get thrown into the air like ragdolls before falling into a shallow pond in the middle.

"Next time...aim for the head."

He told Gabi so as he made his way to the stone pillar, hand leaning against the polished granite surface, trying to catch his breath. High-level Biotic attacks like this were specifically created for the Asari whose biological mechanism was way different from that of humans and thus the pain running through every part of his body was inevitable. The sergeant pull the pin of his last smoke grenade and threw it to the floor. A wall of smoke was erected as he and Gabi moved deeper into the corridor. Swearing and screaming were heard on the other side of the wall of smoke, mixed with gunfire and golden flashes.

"The emergency staircase must be somewhere. Keep looking" Johannes remarked as he gazed down the long, narrow, windowless corridor. A cleaning droid was diligently cleaning cream-colored ceramic tiles with two automatic mops. Looked like it served as an entrance for the City Hall's staff and the culinary workers. The walls bore no decoration, and there were only monotonous white neon lights on the ceiling.

"Elevator is faster." Gabi disagreed.

"They can cut off the power, turn off the exhaust fan and suffocate us in a metal box. Stairs are safer."

They found what they were looking for behind a green door, next to a room with a sign saying 'Equipment Room'. It was a spiral staircase with a width just enough for two people, perfect for defense. Johannes checked the building plan via the Omni-tool one more time before concluding:

"She's probably on the 15th, 17th or 22nd floor." The top floor functioned as the Governor's office while the other two were the recreation room and her private residence.

"We don't have time to check them one by one."

Said Gabi before poking her head out into the hallway. Even from here, Johannes could hear furious sounds of jackboots hitting the floor, the commands shouted among their pursuers, short and rough. They were coming this way. Two dozen guard and combat droids at least.

"No need. It doesn't seem like our friend is able to approach T'soni discreet any longer." Johannes pointed out with a smile. "Blood will lead us to him."

On the steps between the 15th and 17th floors, they discovered two bodies sprawled on a pool of bright red blood. Questions probably were asked as a muscular, six-foot-tall man with a knight's cross dangling around his neck had been seen on the whitewashed steps, and once satisfactory answers were given, the rest of the story was more predictable than those Leopod Zimmermann's crappy movies. A horrible stab in the throat and four pistol shots at close range.

He was in haste and reckless.

"Look," Gabi informed Johannes quietly, her finger tracing the trails of blood that led up to the higher levels. "Those are..."

"Our little traitor has been wounded." Johannes gave a nod. "Wonderful."

Their joy was cut short by a bullet coming from below, slamming hard into Gabi's barrier. The caliber of this Stg must be larger than usual. The stone railing had been penetrated as effortlessly as a sheet of paper and had she not been properly equipped, Gabi would have been torn in half. The sergeant was about to return the favor, but after catching a glimpse of the gunman, he quickly changed his mind.

His armor was as dark as the night, as were his gloves and boots, as was the HKG-2 on his hand. He was a crow in every manner, and the only thing separating him from that annoying creature was the ghastly white skull carved on his helmet.

Totenkopf Kommando. The Reich's most feared. Their certain death. Yet the worst part was that there were more than a dozen of them down there.

"Go, Johannes. Just leave them to me."

The request was given when another shower of bullets rushed toward them. Debris scattered in the air and the two of them were forced to crawl up the steps instead of running. Right after realizing the enemy was equipped with a kinetic barrier, the messengers of death had switched to Phasic (Anti kinetic barrier ammunition), which only shields deployed alongside juggernaut battlesuit could hope to withstand.

"Don't be ridiculous !" He shouted. "What did I say about trying your best to survive?"

"I won't die." Her eyes were as bright as starlight. Determination was as hard as cold steel. "If that's what Anka wants, I'll never die."

Johannes eyed his young kamerad with concern. He didn't want to leave Gabi behind. If he did, the girl would be in severe danger, if not death, yet he was also well aware that none of them could survive long enough to put a bullet inside Karl's thick skull with Totenkopf Kommando breathing down their neck. The warrior instincts and old lessons told him to split up, distract their enemies and increase their chances of success, even if it meant ruthlessly sacrificing the lives of his Kamerad.

There would come a time when the commander would have to make tough decisions, he could hear the calm, dignified voices of the Centuri generals in the damp command bunker shrouded in the thick mist of Drocan's hinterland, after another of their reckless attacks had been approved. Such justifications were often followed by the cold remark, 'Sometimes sacrifice is unavoidable.'

Johannes spat on all of them. Those stupid fancy hammerheads and their bullsh*t reasoning.

"Don't let me see you down there, kid" growled the sergeant. A bullet hissed just above his head, so close he could feel the smoothness of its ogive shape surface. "Otherwise I will kill you again."

Gabi smiled wryly, "I'll do my best. It's tiring enough to see your face up here."

"I admit it's an ugly face, but it's the only one I got." Johannes' index finger lightly pressed the mechanism next to the trigger. The Walther was switched to full auto "On three?"

Within the next 5 seconds, they had thrown everything they had at those cursed skeletons below. Melting hot laser beams, high-velocity projectiles, armor-piercing round, incendiary, and a stun grenade whose explosion was so loud that one of Johannes' ears was deafening and bleeding. It wasn't a coordinated attack devised by professional soldiers, just two drowning bastards struggling with whatever strength left, yet it seemed that even such a desperate attempt would cause the best of the Reich to falter.

"Don't die, kid."

His concern was kind and gentle like a breeze and in return, Gabi gave him a silent nod. Gunshots and swearing were heard again as he departed. Short steps and long bloodstains led him to the top floor, where a scene of desolation awaited. In the finely adorned Gothic hallways, carcasses of humans and combat droids were sprawled beside puddles of red blood, puddles of black oil, and smoky bullet holes. At the end of it was a large brown wooden door.

Karl is somewhere around here.

That conclusion was easily reached. Their traitor was a giant chunk of meat when he was alive; as such, he would also stand out in death.

Quite. Too quiet for my taste

There was the sound of the wind blowing through the broken glass, yet Johannes couldn't see it nor tell where it came from. A guard was dying on the ceramic tile floor, his right breast crushed like minced meat, mouth muttering something Johannes couldn't comprehend.

"Gov...Gover..Kein...he..is"

Johannes decided to free the man from his agony with a bullet to the head before moving forward. The muzzle of his Walther moved from right to left, scanning every corner and blind spot before careful and gentle footsteps brought him closer to the great wooden door. Karl was probably the most dangerous enemy Johannes has ever faced, so there was no room for mistake.

Yet, there was no surprise attack, nor Karl or his corpse.

Did he get what he wanted and left?

Johannes was forced to ask that question as he nestled against the hard and smooth surface of the large wooden plank. The 22nd floor had a simple structure with a single pathway, a single corridor leading to the Governor's office and thus, if Karl wasn't here then there was only one place he could go. The fresh layer of paint made Johannes' nose itch, but nothing bothered him more than the thought that he had arrived too late, that T'soni was dead or that he was about to deal with a hostage situation.

Both were equally bad, yet the latter was more jeopardized to his mission. All it took was a little negligence, some bad luck, and things would go really bad for Johannes. T'soni might get killed and all the blame would be put on him even if he managed to send Karl to the underworld.

Cursing under his breath, Johannes shoved a Hummel (a micro reconnaissance drone) through the crack of the door to see what awaited him on the other side. His restlessness grew. The room looked intact, no signs of fighting nor were there any movements detected. Biometrics showed that three living creatures had been in the room a few minutes before and one of them was a human, yet Johannes had no way of knowing if it was Karl or someone else.

The large and heavy wooden plank shifted slightly, creating a gap wide enough for Johannes to squeeze through. His eyes narrowed as he observed the surroundings. The governor's office was a large windowless and lavishly decorated chamber yet oddly gloomy. All the lighting devices were off for some reason, hence the only source of light he had came from the walkway leading to the balcony. On its four walls hung portraits of aristocratic men and women, important figures in Eden's 300-year history, long dead and unknown to Johannes.

The last part wasn't entirely true. Johannes knew one of them, all too well.

Behind Benezia T'soni's polished wooden desk was a portrait of a tall, muscular man wearing an Imperial suit cut for civic officials. In the twilight, his hair was brown yet as Johannes comes closer with wide eyes opened and a gaping mouth, it was like a golden crown bright as the sun. The Reichs' ideal gentleman. Wealthy, powerful, good-looking, pleasant smile, the kind of man that rats like Johannes would never dare claim to know.

Normally that was the case.

Even if he burned to ashes, Mary could still recognize him.

The words Laura had said to him in that house, the words of another who was also dead, echoed in his head.

"Karl?" The shock turned Johannes' astonishment into a whisper. Below the portrait, a small sign with embossed black letters read: "Governor…Dominic Keiner?"

"Former."

Just like the time disappeared before their very eyes, Johannes had not heard his footsteps or sensed his presence. He was like a mirage, a phantom whose existence had yet to be confirmed, only his fists were real and heavier than necessary. Johannes thought he had a short flight before landing on the marble floor with a new nose, broken and bleeding.

"You are a brave and intelligent man, Sergeant Alenko." Karl said. Polite yet pretentious and grotesque. "I respect that. We respect that."

He emphasized 'We' for some reason and at the end of his monologue, a kick was given to Johannes' mouth as he tried to sit up. The sergeant fell to the floor again, a groan of pain escaped his lips.

"These poor mortals think they have won. They think the war is over and now is the time for celebration, now is the time for marching and kisses. Naive they are yet you should expect something as such from less sophisticated creatures. The secrets of the universe are as numerous as they are ancient whilst what they know is so pathetic that it is hardly worth mentioning. Make no mistake Alenko, this is just the prelude of war. The Star God will need many warriors like you in his ranks. He needs you for the wars to come."

"If that god talks as much as you... "He chuckled with three broken teeth, "...then thank you, I pass."

Karl planned to kick him again but this time Johannes was faster. He caught Karl's leg in midair, locked it, and pulled it towards him. The giant lost his balance and fell. Taking the opportunity, Johannes climbed onto his colossal body, sending punch after punch to his ugly face. Those were very powerful ones but sadly, they excited Karl more than they hurt. With even more impressive agility, Karl's hand, large and hard as cold steel, managed to grab Johannes by the neck, choking the life out of him. The difference in strength had never been so obvious.

"You know what you are doing is meaningless, do you not?" The giant threw him a question before literally throwing him aside. "Even if you kill me, nothing will change. You and your little Kaidan will be deemed traitors no matter what. The Reich has no heart, Alenko. Unlike our great savior, it is indifferent in your existence."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Johannes shouted and lunged at the Genestealer with a raging blue flame winding around his right arm. This was not going to be a fair fight. Karl was much stronger than him and even the Drell assassins could hardly match his inhuman speed. Johannes would need something stronger than physical power and more unpredictable than bullets if he intended to come out on top.

One hit is all i need

The Biotic Fist is a mid-tier technique that any Biotic user could master, yet its power cannot be underestimated. If the gravity around the hand was manipulated properly, Johannes can knock Karl down with a single punch, rendering his Infanterie-Kürass useless and breaking his arm in case the Genestealer attempted to block the blow.

One hit is all i need

That, however, wasn't something Johannes was gonna have. In a heartbeat, before Johannes' brain could make sense of what his eyes were seeing, his fist was already in Karl's palm, an equally powerful force shattered the black energy he had accumulated, and on the Genestealer's arm was another burned blue flame, much larger and brighter.

"In his youth, Dominic Keiner won third place in a Pidavi (Asari biotic contest)." Karl explained with a faint smile on his lips. "Of course, you would never hear of it. Information was kept hidden as the political climate demanded a peace-loving and cooperative leader."

"From what i heard, he was a f*cking moron."

Johannes replied, a milky white blade sliding off his left sleeve and falling into his palm. Surprise flashed in Karl's deep blue eyes, yet before he could react, the knife dug deep into his massive neck, piercing through the muscle fibers and then the aorta. Johannes could smell panic in the blood spurting from the wound.

One hit is all i need

"This is for Anka, you son of bitch."

A fiery blue punch was delivered into Johannes' front plate, so fast it was like a blurred shadow and so powerful it broke his ribs. The second one caused blood to gush out of his mouth, a sign of his lungs had been damaged, and after the third aimed at his liver, Johannes could no longer feel his legs.

Yet, his fingers still gripping tight around the knife's hilt. Even if the apocalypse came and went, he would not let the darn thing go. The stab wound had grown into a nasty cut, and thankfully, as Johannes' endurance reached its limit, Karl's knee touched the floor as well.

"You won't leave this place alive, Alenko."

Karl whispered. Strength and arrogance had gone with the flow of blood running down his chest.

"Fine by me," he replied. "Since... i didn't plan to do so either."

Then everything went blurry and the room started spinning. Johannes' consciousness quickly left him but with the last of his strength, he made sure his fingers were still gripping the hilt of the knife as Toptenkopf Kommando burst into the room. To the eyes of a dying man, these bastards looked more like wandering spirits wearing black cloaks than men and for some reason, stood among them a beautiful silver angel.

They then opened fire on him, probably. Johannes saw blue sparkles born and died in a mere second as the bullets slammed into his kinetic barrier, but he felt no pain. Karl was probably dead long before a bullet blew off part of his head, severed his left leg and sent both him and Johannes to the floor.

It's over. Johannes thought as he lay motionless in a pool of his own blood, as the darkness slowly filled his eyes, as sharp orders were shouted amidst hurried footsteps. Dad…Mom… I'm sorry.

"This one is dead, Herr Saren." Someone was reporting to their superiors, "This one isn't."

"Thank you for reminding me that, sergeant but i can see that myself…hey, hey, take it easy. It's possible that you just killed your own people."

"He is the intruder, the accomplice of this impostor. The bastard destroyed the main gate with a Tamiya and plotted to assassinate Lady T'soni."

I'm sorry Wilma.

"What kind of accomplices stab each other in the necks, I wonder?"

"You never know what these animals are up to, Herr Saren." Another voice confirmed, sounding disgusted. "Murderers, terrorists, abomination."

"Liar too. That genestealer girl kept insisting that they were here to save the Governor's life. Lying little bitch. If she was older, she would get a bullet in the head instead of a handcuff."

"Genestealer girl? Who the hell is that?"

Kaidan… I'm sorry.

"His accomplices I'm told. She had a brief shootout with us on the emergency stairs, trying to slow us down so it seems. Yet once running out of ammunition, she came out of her cover with her hands raised. Damn, that bitch must have known we weren't going to shoot her."

"You surprise me, Totenkopf."

Someone sighed, "Everyone has their limits, Herr Saren. Even if she's a genestealer, a child still. No one wanted to be branded as a child killer and since she didn't kill anyone of us so… Look at that, what is our pretty boy doing? Is he... smiling?"

"Good observation." Herr Saren said. "The story of a whole Totenkopf platoon being thwarted by a girl is funny enough to put a smile on a dying man's lips.

Johannes Albert Alenko didn't hear his own laughter though. His eyes gradually closed his body as light as a feather. It was going to be another long deep sleep, he knew, but unlike before, he wouldn't have to wake up again.

---V---

12:00 PM October 6, 2839

Unknown location, 100.000 km from the planet of Eden

Headquarter of Schutzengel fleet. Battlegroup C

Battleship Frederick II

"And you didn't think of Nora? Think of me? Do you want her to lose her father and make me a widow?"

Erina's hands trembled as those words were spoken. For a moment, Michael thought she would burst into tears and fall into his arms, but the daydream soon passed. Tears were a sign of weakness, proof of helplessness, and Julian von Einzberg's eldest daughter was too arrogant for that. Instead, she reminded the Admiral of the battles from the days when Maximillian VI was still in his crib, the obligations Michael had never forgotten, the oaths he had never broken, the responsibilities he had never ignored.

Normally, being treated like a child would be a vexing thing for any husband, yet at this point, Michael couldn't find any reason to be angry with Erina. After a brief and short and unhappy exchange with Benezia T'soni on the bridge, the most distinguished officers of the fleet had flocked to his private room to give advice, to punch holes in Martin Steinbauer's plan, and begged the Admiral to cancel the 8:30 a.m attack. It was an act of folly, they had all agreed, Battlegroup A wasn't ready for battle yet and even if it was, a direct and muscle-against-muscle attack would still be too risky to carry out. Reiner's mistake was still fresh in people's memory and thus an urgent message was sent to the cruiser Brunhilda 205 with urgent words. Subordinates' warnings and concerns might be ignored, but surely a wife would know how to change her husband's mind, or at least that was what they assumed.

"You know too well that I can't disobey Steinbauer's orders, no?"

Erina snorted, "The man I've considered my husband for the past 15 years will refuse to obey that order even under the threat of demotion and court martial." She crossed her arms, "You're walking down this path on purpose, Michael, and as the mother of your child, I want to know why."

And as a husband and father, Michael wouldn't dare to tell her the truth. A f*cking snake you are, Benezia T'soni. The Asari woman had already calculated Michael's reaction before showing her hands. At first, he thought the confession was a grave mistake on her part, but gradually he realized that this arrogance did not come about by accident. Benezia knew Michael wouldn't dare disobey orders and entrust the fleet to a stranger who could lead those he loved to doom neither would he reveal his new discovery to anyone.

Before Sanaris finished his research, all Michael had was an outcast and a story worthy of competition at the Citizen from Mars ( a fiction convention). Another reality, another galaxy that exists parallel to their own, and in that place, a different but not so different race of human dwelling and thriving was something that belonged to the twilight zone and hence it wouldn't be irrational for Michael to place too many expectations on his fellow countrymen. Warlord Rok Drukar once said the Germans had the imagination of an old Mameh and though Michael didn't know what Mameh was, he was pretty sure that wasn't a compliment. Still, Erina would listen to what he had to say as she had always done since their first kiss on Löwenzahnfeld with the soft grass beneath their feet and the blue sky over their heads. A woman's trust was as sweet as her lips, but now it was nothing more than the poison most deadly to him.

Benezia didn't hesitate to kill him, an Admiral of Kriegmarine to preserve her great secret, so it would be naive to think she would spare Erina or…Nora. The thought sent chills down Michael's spine, but at the same time, it also made his blood boil. If the Asari woman dared lay one finger on Nora, he would gut her like a fish, Michael was sure of that.

There would be a day when this secret was revealed and Benezia's head ended up on a spike, but that day was not today.

"There's no other reason than I think I can pull it off." He replied. "The enemy took serious losses from the battle at Elise and my warships have the strongest firepower in the fleet. Frederick II, Kaiserin Catherina, Barbarossa can one-on-one with any Hive Ship and if i can support them with units formed from the ruin of Battlegroup A, the new line of fire will be even more impressive than the last. "

That was the explanation Michael had given Vice Admirals Rottmann and Hackett but considering that Erina was here now, he didn't think they were convinced. Theoretically, Schutzengel's chances of winning were feasible enough yet of course, people had all the right to call this a reckless gamble.

The reaction would have been even more intense if I had revealed the whole plan to them.

"And if the Hive Fleet concentrates on a specific point of your line, all is lost. You have no reserves to repel them. Your Battleships are too slow to perform the maneuver like Reiner's even if I throw everything i have at the enemy vanguard," She protested. "Nor can you use Franz's carriers as bait and create a second Elise. The fleet doesn't have the strength for that kind of offensive again as Tyranids are not stupid enough to fall into the same trap." The noblewoman shot Michael an accusing look. "But you are well aware of it, aren't you? Don't take me for a fool, Michael. I'm your wife. I know the face you make when you're up to something!"

I am up to do my duty as an Admiral, as your husband, and as Nora's father. Michael was about to tell her, but instead, he said:

"It has been decided, Erina. The fleet will form up at Vector 429 and engage the enemy forces at 8:30 tomorrow. I need you to return to D-88 tonight and send me units drawn from Battlegroup A. Prioritize cruisers and destroyers fit for offensive operation and not so heavily damaged if you please."

"Don't treat me like one of your subordinates, Michael! I am…"

"Erina Ludovica von Einzberg, the eldest daughter of the mighty Einzberg and a captain in the fleet I command." Even he got goosebumps from the sharpness of his voice. "You may have forgotten this, but I am the one giving the order here, not you. If you think you are incapable of doing what you're asked to do, I'll find someone else who can, is that clear enough?"

A tear rolled down her cheek, icy and beautiful as a pearl, "You're a cruel man, Michael." She said. "One day your daughter will ask questions. One day she'll look at her mother and wonder why I'm alive while her dad isn't."

"I pray to God above that the day may never come." He replied, "Still, if that's what you fear, then tell her the truth. No bayonets nor bullets that killed your father, it was loyalty."

He remembered coming across that phrase somewhere in Paul von Oberstein's Mothers from Weiben, a fictional novel, yet nonetheless reflected the harsh reality of the age of Conquest and Expansion. Too many orphans, too many widows, and too many tears. They said the male population in some planets had become so low that local governments had to import male citizens from different areas, and when that solution soon proved ineffective, unscrupulous things like Industrial reproduction were not out of the table.

Let's hope it won't be that bad when this damn war is over or another war will be needed to sort things out.

A fragile prospect, too bright and innocent to be true, yet more optimistic thoughts had existed and extinguished and men had not given up hope. If he could survive this ordeal and expose Benezia, the Reichswehr's resources shall be focused on finding Helios, severing the link between the two galaxies, and once they managed to do so, the Tyranid War would be a way shorter conflict.

"Promise me, Michael. Promise me" His proud Erina insisted, almost begging, "Promise me you won't throw your life away."

He rose from his chair, walked up to her, and answered with a kiss. How sweet it was! The last time they touched each other was in May, before the battle at Masari-1. Since then, so much has happened. The retreat under fire, the endless debates at Kriegsmarine's headquarter, Eden, Genestealer, Martin Steinbauer, Benezia, Reiner, the funeral, the secret.

And there I thought a leisurely career as a peacetime soldier was awaiting me after the conference on Sur'kesh.

Sometimes, the responsibilities and burdens of the era made Michael so depressed that he just wants to run away to a tropical planet with Erina, where they could enjoy the sunshine on strange golden beaches, co*cktails made of wild and unnamed fruits, the sun sets over the warm purple sea just like when they were newlyweds. Perhaps he would do something like that one day, perhaps.

"After this is over, we should return to Earth and take some time off" He whispered in her ear, "Paris and London? Rome and Athens? I have always wanted to see what Langläufer called 'Pillars of Humanity' since I was a child. Or we can visit your parents with Nora."

"I don't think Oberkommando will..."

"They won't be able to refuse. I have written a report on your contribution to the victory at Elise. Sooner or later, you'll have everything a seaman can ever want. Medals, titles, royal invitations. Even the rank of Admiral and a fleet of your own is not out of reach."

He kissed his wife again, trying to hold on as much as he could before bidding her farewell and good luck at the door. Nostalgic glances and warm hugs were given, but the words stuck in their throats. The silhouette of her beloved figure dwindled down the long corridor before disappearing at the turn, leaving a strange emptiness in Michael.

Why do I have the feeling this is the last time I'm allowed to see her?

He quickly dismissed the thought. The night before the battle was always traditionally hard, filled with bleak visions which likely came true if people kept swimming in them. That's strange. When Michael was still an inexperienced young officer, easily intimidated by so many red dots on the radar screen, what happened tomorrow wasn't that big of a deal to him. But since having a ring on his index finger, he rarely went to the observatory if there were enemy ships operating within 300 km.

No wonder the captains of far-reconnaissance vessels often remained single until they retired. A good woman made a man's life meaningful but also weakens his resolve in the face of death.

And she also caused me to lose my appetite, ironically.

Beef stew, grilled carrot soup and strawberry ice cream were served to Michael shortly after Erina left, but after a few spoons of soup, the Admiral climbed into bed on an empty stomach. Sleep came with difficulty and when he managed to shut his eyes, the cursed dream came again.

Still the same gray sky, still the long slopes low slopes on the polluted plain, yet there was no sight of Tyranid nor the monstrous city. Instead, he had a long dead tree and an old acquaintance. The giant knight's beautiful blue armor looked out of place and contrasted sharply with the dreary gray of his surroundings, but unlike them, this man was the only thing that felt real around here. He was watching the dead tree with absolute concentration as Michael approached from behind. Yet the Admiral had no doubt that the knight was fully aware of his presence.

"Rafeus said you would come finding me again, demon." The knight told Michael, his voice slow and calm, "I would have liked to get rid of you, but Rafeus insists this is a good chance to discover the true intentions of the Ruinous Powers. They don't choose you by chance, Zad and we need to know why. That's what he said to me and what could I do but follow? When it comes to the Archenemy the Librarian's authority trumps the Captain's."

Nothing in it made sense to Michael, so he could only deny the accusation: "I'm not a demon."

There was a flash of surprise in the knight's brown eyes as he turned around "Of course, no minion of Tzeentch brands themselves villains, but I must admit you deserve praise. I barely remember what my home planet looked like but you seem to have no trouble remembering it, even the taste and smell are right. Still, you have missed a small detail. We Rolindians are not Kriegers. Our birthplace is not that far from each other, yet the difference is night and day."

"I don't get what you're saying, sir." Michael grimaced, "I don't know anything about Rolindian or Krieger. Never heard of them in my life."

"You speak the language of Death Korps, dress like one of them in a way and yet claim to be ignorant?"

The language of Death Korps? Michael was confused for a few seconds, but then his eyes were as white and big as chicken eggs. The giant knight was speaking to him in standard German, not Latin. Is this real or my mind is playing tricks on me?

"You must believe me, sir. I do not…"

"I must?" The knight asked darkly. The sudden coldness gave Michael a shiver, "You've forgotten who you're talking to, demon. None of the Emperor's servants have to do as you please."

"I am no demon. My name is Michael Shepard. Michael Cornelius Shepard, Admiral of the battlefleet Schutzengel, Sector Babbel. I know nothing about Rolindian, Death Korps, Tzeentch, or Emperor nor do I serve any of them. My allegiance is to the Reich, Kaiser Fredrich XVII, Kriegsmarine, Erina, Nora, whose lives are under the threat of Tyranids invasion while I stand here talking."

The knight shot Michael a suspicious look, "Those names mean nothing to me." He said, "But I know Tyranid. The great devourer, alien abominations, the enemy of humanity."

There was a terrible animosity rising from those words, a hatred Michael thought best kept unknown to him.

"That I don't doubt it, sir. Last time I was here, I witnessed you and your men battle those monsters with my own eyes." He shuddered at the memory of the battle beneath the giant city. To this day, its brutality still caused his stomach to turn, "A valiant fight though I have to admit I didn't want to be a part of it. No one in my galaxy wants to be a part of it."

The knight raised an eyebrow, "Your galaxy?"

Now came the hardest part. Michael's compatriots wouldn't hesitate to refute this story as a joke, Michael was pretty sure of it but still, he found himself wondering how a sword-wielding monster slayer would react to the tale. Though the man was nowhere near a persuasible type, he spoke of supernatural things like demons with certainty that Michael had never witnessed.

After some deliberation, the Admiral concluded that there was no harm in trying and so he began to tell the stranger everything; The arrival of the Tyranid four years ago, the battle at Masari-1, the war in Eden, what he knew about his world and what he thought he knew. Of course, a few details detrimental to the conversation had been ruled out. The great devourer, alien abominations, the enemy of humanity. Well...some people took offense at the sight of aliens more than others and thus the Reich's foreign policy was put aside for the greater good. The knight listened attentively to his maddening tale with a face carved from stone before the first question was asked:

"How do I know you are telling the truth? Do you have proof?"

At least he didn't think I'm crazy. A good sign, Michael supposed.

"For the time being, I don't have any." He replied, "But take a look at me, sir. I don't belong here. You must have realized that from the last time we met on the battlefield. Someone with an open mind told me…"

"The eyes can deceive even the most faithful. And an open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded"

A super soldier, a monster slayer, and now a poet? Perfect, just bloody perfect!

"It's a pity, but I can only ask you to have faith in my words at the moment." Michael shrugged, "Of course, it wouldn't be surprising if you chose to do the opposite. Where I come from, demons always ask their victims to put their trust in them."

"Where I come from, they do much more than ask." His face darkened. "However, there is a bit of honesty in you regarding the thing you called Helios. I've heard the Rouge Traders talk about a strange object emitting red light in the Camora cluster. Its origin unclear, its purpose unknown."

"Rouge Trader?"

"Adventurers, travelers, merchants, sometimes pirates. Who are they depends solely on your perspective but I know a few trustworthy among them and they all tell the same story over and over again. Some personal attempts had been made by members of Adeptus Mechanicus. To uncover the mystery behind and to deny the Tau from obtaining Imperium's technology they said yet none came back to tell the tale."

It seemed that the search for that damn thing was more dangerous than Michael imagined. Krähenholz and his sons were also legends of their day, but they all disappeared without a trace. All Mass Relays found in the Galaxy were unarmed and only dangerous when malfunctioned, but none could say for sure whether the same principle applied to the portal connecting the two galaxies.

"And what will your people do if they manage to find Helios?" Michael asked, not naive enough to believe that the humans on the other side would share his idea of destroying the portal. Tyranid was from their Galaxy and if those monsters migrated to a new hunting ground then…

"That depends." The knight replied. "Tell me. Who built Helios? Is it Xenos tech?"

"Xenos tech? Oh…it's alien technology you mean. Well, as for the fool that came up with this silly idea I am completely ignorant but my best guess is Asari or Prothean or someone more ancient than them. Though nothing is certain, I'm pretty sure humans don't have anything to do with Helios. We have only been a space-faring race for the last 800 years whereas the portal probably is older than the Republic itself."

"It's only been 800 years, yet you are able to resist the Tyranids?"

I'm walking on very thin ice here. They said there was alien contribution in every achievement of man and that was no exaggeration. Their Mass effect technology came from the Prothean ruin on Mars, German scientists built their research on the strong foundation of Salarian science. The Turians showed them how to establish an Interstellar empire through iron and blood while the Asari Republic taught them how to manage it. True be told, if the Germans were alone in this galaxy, the battle at Eden would have turned into a slaughter.

"We have great warriors."

The corner of the knight's lips curled up and a faint smile pierced the lie like a thin sheet of paper, "Did you say your name was Michael Shepard?"

"It is me."

"My brothers in Blue Storm call me Zad. I am an Astartes but I wonder if it means anything to you."

Michael shook his head, "All I can say is the word fits someone like you very well, sir."

"Perhaps that was his intention when bestowing that name on us." Zad nodded. "If time allows, I'd be happy to tell you what it really means."

If time allows? As Michael still perplexed as to what those words meant, Zad's left shoulder b started to disintegrate into white mist. The knight exhibited no signs of discomfort or agony, and before the question was given, Michael realized the same thing was happening to his right hand.

"Out of a billion people and I am the chosen one," Michael spoke wearily as he watched the tips of his fingers fade away in the milky white smoke.

"If what you say is true, our meeting has been carved in the stars, Michael Shepard. The Emperor has chosen you for his mission and he must have a reason that humble servants like us don't need to know."

"I told you, I don't serve…"

"Those who protect humanity from alien tyrannical rule all serve the Emperor in one way or another." Zad gently interrupted, "You will do your duty as I will do mine and if that is his intention, we shall meet again. Be careful, Admiral. The road ahead has never been easy for the devout, the faithful, and the brave. Ruinous powers besieged us at every step and the only faith in the Emperor of Mankind keeps the darkness at bay."

Zad had long since vanished as his ominous words were spoken on the desolate plains, yet Michael could still hear them, especially the last three words:

The Emperor Protects.

Then he found himself lying on his familiar bed in the dark. The fleet commanders' quarters were always a windowless room deep inside the hull for safety reasons, and as the ship was still in the night cycle, the only source of light coming from the night lamp/clock on the wall. 5:30 a.m Eden time, 3 hours before the attack. A tremor occurred as he rose from under the duvet. Rather quiet, lasted about 3 seconds, and repeated every ten seconds.

"Krueger and his overcaution." The admiral grumbled to himself before speaking to the air literally. "Inform the chief engineer that the thrusters don't need to be checked. That was done yesterday and any test runs need my permission first."

"I will be done, Admiral."

A female voice echoed in the darkness but it was not Nina's. Oh right, she was sent to the Communications and Signals sector to observe the fleet's disposition and write a report.

"Tell Lieutenant Weiss to come to see me." He ordered. "Before that, breakfast. Toasts, eggs, some bacon, and a pint of beer if you don't mind."

"Understood, Admiral. I will send words to the kitchen staff right away."

Nina then presented herself while Michael was peeling his first egg. The secretary's red curls burned brightly against the dark blue background of the Kriegsmarine combat uniform. Vacuum protective gear, specialized shoes and boots, upper body armor, and even the Walther pistol attached to her waist all carried the same color. Tyranids had a habit of using amphibious vessels in naval warfare and though very few of them survived the fleet's well-prepared anti-air defenses, Michael was still uneasy about letting his subordinates carry out their duties without personal firearms.

"80% of the fleet is in position, Admiral. Commander Hackett has extended his line at your request, but he also emphasized that more destroyers were needed to counter the smaller enemy vessels and starfighters. Vice-Admiral Rottermann said 450 Starfighters and interceptors will be ready for the first wave and the estimated interval between attacks is 45 minutes."

That was too slow for Michael's liking. "My calculations say it would be 25 if Franz used all the hangar bay he has."

"The numbers of Worker Drones and refueling craft are insufficient, sir. We have lost a considerable quantity of support vessels, and transport ships at Elise. Mother ship Miranda is currently operating at half capacity. If we had more time to…"

"It's a luxury we'll never have," Michael put the egg aside, hand reaching for the pint of beer. "Have Erina share what she can with Hackett then inform the fleet that there will be a small change in the chain of command. If I can no longer give orders, Erina will take over. Franz has always been my favorite successor but he's too far from the front line whereas I've always believed a commander can only fight what he sees. What do you think of it, Nina?"

As always, Nina's eyes darkened whenever his presumed death was mentioned but as a Kriegsmarine officer with a professional demeanor, that anxiety of hers was transformed into an ambivalent answer.

"I believe you have your reasons, Admiral."

"You put too much faith in me, Lieutenant."

"Why shouldn't I? You are..." She hesitated, "You are our commander who saved the fleet from destruction at Masari-1 before leading it to victory at Elise. Pardon the rudeness, but no matter what history may say, you are the true commander of Eden, not that arrogant idiot Steinbauer. All his achievement so far is from his ride on your tailcoat, nothing more. Eden still stands strong because of you, we are still alive because of you."

Erina is right all along. This woman is not simply my subordinate and secretary. Michael felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner, but he also wondered what it would be like if he did. Betraying a woman was never a good idea and in Erina's case, the danger could not have been greater. His wife could send him a bullet to his back as easily as sending a kiss to his cheek.

"So you're willing to obey my every command?" Nina was a better choice than Hackett. The secretary did not question his private investigation when she was asked not to and above all, she was in love. "Even if that order sounds nonsensical and ridiculous?"

"Of course, sir. I am ready for a thousand orders like that."

"Two is enough. First, I want you to establish an open communication channel. I have a speech that everyone needs to hear."

"But Battlegroup C alone has three channels of internal communication, sir. Why do you…"

"When I say 'everyone' I mean literally everyone. Us, the ground forces fighting on Eden, whoever can pick up the radio signal, Hive Fleet included." Especially them, he thought." I wanted an open, unencrypted, and easy-to-locate communication channel."

Erina might be right when saying they could no longer use the aircraft carriers as bait. The bugs were getting tired of that but when the head of Michael Cornelius Shepard who kicked their ass at Elise and Masari-1 was offered, they certainly wouldn't refuse either. The following 45 minutes would be tough. The fleet's biggest battleships and Friedrich II would endure tremendous pressure from the enemy's relentless attacks while Erina and Hackett approached from the flanks. Still, if they managed to do so, victory wouldn't be out of reach.

"So?" He continued, "Can I count on you?"

"I think… you can, sir, but I need your authorization so that the liaison officer can carry out the order. Your request violates at least ten of the Kriegsmarine's regulations and he won't want to risk it."

"You'll have all you need, Nina." He nodded, "My second command is much more important and dangerous than the first, so you need to think about it carefully before deciding. There would be no shame in refusing."

The secretary smiled gracefully, "Admiral, you once imply that we were facing an unprecedented danger, didn't you? If the Tyranid doesn't scare me, nothing will."

You couldn't be more wrong, my dear, "There is a file on my personal computer that needs to be returned to Earth before the battle. A Delphin scout ship will take you somewhere safe, Bastian-tor perhaps, but once there, you're on your own. The file also contains money to cover the expenses and the list of people you need to meet."

She gave him a quiet nod, "I'll let you know when I find a suitable means of transport."

"It is for the best if we don't contact each other until you see the green planet." The admiral reminded her, "No matter the outcome of this battle, whether I'm alive or dead, you'll carry on with your mission." That was the most essential, Michael thought briefly. Somehow Benezia learned of their conversation on this battleship, even when a secure line of communication was in use. Such a mistake couldn't be allowed to happen again. "I'll have Hoch falsify a report so it looks like you were wounded in battle and in need of a very long recovery."

"May I ask a question, Admiral?"

Michae looked at the red-haired woman thoughtfully for a moment before deciding, "You may."

"Is Benezia the one you fear?"

How much did she already know? Quite a few people witnessed their argument on the bridge but no one really understood what was going on because of the lack of context. However, Nina Weiss was a different story.

"Let's assume it's the case." He replied, "Would having Asari Matriarch as your enemy make you change your mind?"

"Actually I have a proposal. T'soni is a shark, a very big of that, and if you have to confront such a creature, you need a shark of your own."

"Wish I could." He sighed. "If someone like Steinbauer is under her thumb, there's no one in the government we can trust."

"So an entrepreneur, an investor would be a more feasible option. The Illusive Man may be a controversial figure, but you cannot deny that he has money, influence, and great hostility toward the Asari. Seven years ago, he accepted all slings and arrows to speak out against the Sur'Kesh Peace Agreement, and recently he also give support to radical politicians, pro-war factions within the Reichstag, and even terrorist and militant groups according to some. Anyone who boldly says that this Galaxy is not big enough for the Reich and the Republic to coexist is no friend of Benezia T'soni and you know what they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

A friend whose goals and movements were no less shady than the Asari Matriarch. The powerful tycoon had never been seen in public and exists only through intermediaries, signatures, and digital transactions in the banking system. Some say he was not a real person but a front for money laundering of an economic criminal organization, and yet there were also rumors that he was low-born, got where he was through dirty schemes and low cunning and therefore do not wish to be exposed. With each passing year, the theories got crazier and crazier. When the Thule corporation was acquired and merged into the so-called Cerberus, many political commentators/conspirators believed The Illusive Man was a product of the Reich Central Bank to deal with bad debts.

"For the time being, keep that option as a last resort." The admiral said wearily, "That man conducts his businesses like a Godfather and his favor will always come with a price. I would rather chop off my arm than be seen walking with the like of him but if the situation turns bad or you feel like you're in danger and can't get out on your own…well, let's hope he hates Benezia as much as you think."

When Michael entered the bridge at 8:00 p.m., everyone, from nervous radar operators to brave gunnery officers, instantly stopped what they were doing to raise their hands and give him the salute. A hundred times he had seen them do this but never before had the weight of respect and expectation been this great. The battle ahead was no doubt a difficult one, almost suicidal in some ways, and the only thing stopping them from running for the escape pods was confidence in his ability.

What would they think if they know my hands are trembling just like theirs? After recent events, he was like a desert waiting for the rain of honesty but there were also truths that should be forever asleep.

"Tiedemann, notify the fleet that I have a message for them." He told his Chief officer, a bald middle-aged man who had served four captains of Frederick II for 60 years. Quiet and frank, Marco Tiedemann didn't hesitate to let Michael know that he was a more competent captain than his predecessor but still far behind the first master, Kriegsmarine's legend, Augustin von Lohengramm. "Use the communication channel that Lieutenant Weiss has prepared for me."

"Yes, Admiral."

Later, once seated comfortably in his chair and informed that the line had been established, Michael found himself at a loss for words. Speeches were always Franz's domain and this whole puppet show was just to lure the Hive Fleet into a trap. However, for some reason, the image of little Nora appeared in his mind. It was a beautiful sunny day on Eden when she was almost 6, small and angelic in her new white dress with red lace around the collar and sleeves. Her finger was pointing to the sky, at an object floating between the clouds…Oh it was Frederick II on its way to the Helga Shipyard for maintenance. She had said something about someone and Michael couldn't help laughing, but he couldn't remember what it was. Why don't I remember that? Such a nice memory.

"Men, words cannot express my gratitude for your dedicated service over the years. You were brave when Kriegsmarine needed you to be brave, so that the Reich had victories that would be hailed for generations to come. You have stood faithful in the most terrible defeats, crawling through the mud, blood, and even corpses of your kamarads, enduring every hardship imaginable known to humans so that one day opportunity will come and German honor will be restored. From the bottom of my heart, as the commander of the fleet, I want nothing more than for you to enjoy everlasting peace and this shall be the last time the flames of war burn in your eyes. Still, I'm also an honest person and thus I can't lie.

The war against the Tyranids will go on for a long time before the final victory comes, but even then, our struggle is not over. The Reich is besieged by a sea of enemies of all shapes and forms. Enemies are ready to invade our borders, wreak havoc on our planets, enslave our people without a second thought, but there are also enemies who do not claim to be enemies but our friends.

Both no doubt pose the greatest threats to the Reich, to your homeland, to your loved ones but I believe you will always be ready and able to defeat them no matter who they are or where they come from. You are the ones who carry the banners of Barbarossa, Frederick the Great, Bismarck, Maximillian, Streckenbach, Lohengramm into battles. You are proud members of the Kriegsmarine, the conqueror of the stars, the destroyer of the Batarians, the nemesis of the Turian navy, and the bane of the Republic. The spirit of martyrs will strengthen your arms as you thrust the blade into the enemy's heart.

Fur Gott Kaiser und Vaterland. For those who are dead as well as alive. Foward!"

The Naval Battle of Eden, commonly known as the Third Engagement or Shepard's Final Attack, was one of the fiercest battles fought during the early stage of the Tyranid War. Despite being criticized for putting his fleet at risk of total annihilation, Admiral Michael Shepard was successful in trapping large numbers of bio-ships and concluding the battle with flanking maneuvers led by two skilled captains, Steve Hackett and Erina Shepard, (Von Einzberg). Reports indicate that the Hive Fleet responsible for the invasion of Eden lost more than a third of its Bio-ships in this military disaster alone and, as a result, was no longer able to support the defenses of Ostengard which easily fell into the hands of the 12th Army a few days later.

The 117th and 82nd Panzer divisions under Martin Steinbauer's command crossed the Mander river on 6 October, completely surrounding the city of Ostengard and cutting off the Tyranid eastward retreat. The siege ended after only three days. The force consisted of units unsuitable for defensive operation, lacking in support or reinforcements soon found themselves overwhelmed by the fierce German assaults. Moritz Krauss launched his own counterattack almost immediately after the fall of Ostengard and achieved great results in a very short time. Neue Bautzen was recaptured in just 32 hours, marking the beginning of what Steinbauer would later call the greatest encirclement of all time. The entire Tyranid ground force was annihilated after a week of ineffective resistance due to the lack of a clear defensive strategy, and support from naval forces while the Reichswehr enjoyed the superiority in artillery and air power.

Realizing that everything was lost, the surviving Bio-ships began retreating from Eden and the Theta star system on October 12, leaving the besieged Tyranid units to their fate. The retreating Hive fleet suffered considerable damage from the U-boot packs stationed at the edge of the star system and was ordered to destroy any bio-ships that were out of formation. Of the 10 Hive Tyrants seen on Eden since September 20, only one survived the battle with severe injuries and later was captured by a company of Jaeger infantry. Field Marshal Martin Steinbauer had planned to have his only "prisoner of the war" serving as the main entertainment in the grand victory parade held in his honor but the specimen had died of unknown causes after three days in captivity.

Martin Steinbauer and Benezia T'soni were married on 16 October 2840, on the anniversary of the victory on Eden, but the heroic Marshal soon passed away in the spring of 2841 due to kidney failure at the age of 146. His widow and all true Germans mourned his passing. Steve Hackett and Erina Shepard were promoted to Commodore by special decree of Fredrich XVII in 2839 before receiving the title Hero of the Reich and the rank of Admiral at Nago, a major naval engagement between the Hive Fleet and the combined fleet of Asari, German, Turian, Salarian, Krogan took place in 2843.

A very different Galaxy has begun to emerge since Eden. In a gesture of goodwill and friendship, the economic sanctions imposed by the Republic on the Reich and its allies during the war were lifted. In return, the Reichstag passed a bill explicitly allowing Asari to become second-class citizens on the planets under the Reich's control in Kernwelt which only existed in the most imaginative minds 100 years before. The Turian Hierarchy initiated the border demarcation with the Krogans although a unified Krogan government had not yet been established and it was rumored that the Batarian Hegemony was seeking a non-aggression agreement with the German Reich.

A very different galaxy indeed and Michael Shepard had missed it. At 9:42 a.m. on October 10, as the naval battle of Eden came to a close, a fortunate bio-plasma shot had pierced the Battleship Frederick II's Ion shield and contacted the bridge directly. Only half of those presented survived the impact and when Erina Shepard asked about her husband's fate, she received a message from Chief Officer Marco Tiedemann with the following content:

"Mrs. Shepard, the Reich and the Kriegsmarine extend their deepest condolences to you and your family during this difficult time. Your husband, the father of your daughter, and our brave commander, Admiral Michael Cornelius Shepard had been killed in action. He attained the glorious fate that every true soldier of the Reich strives for. To die for those he believes and loves."