Chapter 116

Above Shanxi, the battle raged on. The weapon-ships darted through the remains of the shattered Turian fleet to provide air support for the ground forces. Turian soldiers put up a fierce resistance, their disciplined ranks trying to hold the ground against the incoming enemies.

One moment they were patrolling the surface of the planet, while in the next moment, the world erupted into chaos and gunfire. The sky was filled with strange ships which they had never seen before, and they were attacked by strange troops which they had never seen before. Their kinetic barriers proved to be ineffective against the incoming fire from the attacking troops aliens.

Among the Turian soldiers on the surface was Thracius. He had fought through countless battles, but he had never seen such a display of force. His breath hitched as another round of weapon-ships descended from the sky.

"Stay in formation!" The order came from his superior. The Turian soldiers complied, digging in and forming a perimeter around their current position against the onslaught of alien forces.

Thracius squeezed his trigger, firing at one of the alien soldiers. He knew they were outnumbered and outmatched, yet he refused to surrender.

Back on his command ship, Vice Admiral N'that 'Kongamee watched the battle unfold. The updates from Miranda were nothing short of a surprise; it seemed like the Citadel council was more interested in preserving decorum than doing what was right.

Despite this, Vice Admiral N'that 'Kongamee continued his invasion while liberating the planet from the Turian occupation.

Back on the ground, Turian General Venarix was engaged by a Battalion of Brute soldiers. He clutched his rifle as he led his unit against the alien behemoths. He fired a barrage of rounds into their ranks, but it was like throwing pebbles at a mountain.

"I need fire support!" Venarix barked into his comms, but the only reply he received was static. He glanced around and saw his men falling one by one against the approaching alien forces.

At the heart of the storm was Thracius, who clung to life amid the wreckage of his platoon. He saw General Venarix fighting tooth and claw against the alien invaders. A wave of determination washed over him, pushing through the fatigue and pain. He rallied the remaining soldiers with a war cry that echoed across the battlefield.

"Turians! We fight for honor!" His voice was a beacon, calling to every Turian in earshot, and they responded, reigniting their struggle with new vigor. If they were to fall, they would fall fighting.

In the chaos of the battle, Thracius spotted one of the aliens' commanders. A monstrous creature, larger than any Turian he'd ever seen, leading the alien forces against their lines. With no backup in sight and death staring him down, Thracius made a decision.

Drawing upon every ounce of his strength and anger, he charged through enemy lines towards the commander. His eyes were focused solely on the figure ahead of him as he fired round after round into the host of aliens surrounding the commander.

However, his fight was futile, as he got close one of the brutes had grabbed Thracius by the shoulder, lifting him off the ground with a horrifying strength. The world spun around him as he was thrown clear across the battlefield, his weapon slipping from his grasp.

He felt his armor crack and break against rock and dirt. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pushed himself to his feet and reached for his sidearm.

The Brute commander, seeing the lone Turian soldier still standing, had rushed towards him. Thracius fired his sidearm as the commander charged towards him. His rounds hit the Brute's commander shield but did little damage. Thracius tried to dodge aside as the Brute command swung his massive armored first at him, but he was too slow, and the Brute commander landed a direct hit against him.

In his final moments Thracius looked at the face of his enemy, as his conscious began to fade. The rest of the battle played out in a similar way as the Turian forces were overwhelmed by the Brute soldiers.

However, against all odds, General Venarix still lived. His armor was broken and scorched; blood seeped from his wounds. Still standing amongst his fallen soldiers like an indomitable monument of defiance and courage.

"Retreat? No," he addressed the remaining Turians through his comm link as he sneered at death itself. "We stand our ground! For every step they take, they will remember the price paid in Turian blood!"

His rallying cry was met with weak cheers from the few who remained. With one last glance at the desolate battlefield littered with the bodies of his comrades, he charged towards the alien forces one last time.

Venarix met his enemy in a brutal melee. His finely honed combat skills, honed through years of rigorous training and countless battles, gave him an edge. He brought down several grunts before he was eventually surrounded.

The last resistance of the Turian soldiers had ended with the death of General Venarix.

As the war was over, the Ascendency forces had begun to provide food and supplies to the colonists of Shanxi and free the captured Alliance soldiers.

Meanwhile back on the Citadel, a few hours had passed since the meeting between Miranda and the other councilors. The news of the Turian patrol fleet that was destroyed above Shanxi had reached the ears of the Councilors, as well as the news that the Turians were preparing for a full-blown war in response.

But the council had intervened before that happened and called an emergency meeting. They could not ignore the severity of the situation any longer, and as much as it pained many of them to admit, Miranda's actions had been right.

"War...is not something we should rush into," Valese began, standing and addressing the rest of the councilors. "But neither can we stand aside when injustice is committed." Her gaze rested upon Katius momentarily. "Diplomacy has always been our strength. We must exhaust all peaceful avenues before resorting to violence."

Katius held Valese's gaze steadily. He was the youngest among the council, "We have always sought peace," he conceded grimly. "But we must also protect ourselves and the innocent. Shanxi... we owe them that much."

Everyone present agreed and had invited the Turians, Ascendency and the Systems Alliance to the negotiating table to establish peace between the three.

Above Shanxi, an Alliance fleet had jumped into the system through the Mass relay, luckily Vice Admiral N'that 'Kongamee was able to defuse the situation and explain what was going on. Admiral Kastanie Drescher of the Alliance 2nd fleet had contacted their government and negotiations were scheduled to take place at a neutral location onboard an Asari ship.