Chapter 170

As the Ascendency fleet began final preparations for their assault, Axel stood on the bridge of his flagship which buzzed with a sense of urgency, everyone focused on their tasks as the Quarian and Geth forces started to work side by side. This alliance could change the tide of not just the battle, but the war itself and shape the future relationship between the Geth and the Quarians.

"Omni, status report on fleet readiness," Axel commanded.

"Fleet is at 90% readiness, sir. All ships have completed their pre-launch checks. Geth forces are integrating seamlessly with our tactical systems," Omni replied.

"Excellent. Once the Quarian ships have finished their final adjustments, we'll proceed with the plan. Ensure that Cortana is ready to relay any last-minute intel from the Geth network," Axel said, glancing at the Quarian admirals, who were deep in discussion with their own officers.

Admiral Nira'Khal stepped forward, a determined look on his face. "Emperor, we are grateful for your leadership. The Quarian people have been waiting for this opportunity for too long. We will reclaim our home, together."

Axel nodded, appreciating the resolve of the Quarian leaders. "We will. But remember, the key to victory lies in our unity. Trust in our new Geth allies; they know Rannoch's defenses better than anyone."

As the final moments passed, Axel reviewed the tactical overlay of Rannoch on the main display. The Reaper-controlled device was still transmitting from the surface of the planet, but Cortana kept updating him with everything that was goin on. The device not only placed the Geth under Reaper control but was also transmitting upgrades to the Geth Intelligence.

On the tactical display, the strategic locations of the Reaper's ground-based cannons flickered in red, showing their exact positions and their weapon range.

Once the fleet was 100% ready, Axel gave the command for the fleet to move into position. 2,000 Geth ships plus 800 Reaper ships stood on one side, while 3,000 Ascendency, 800 Geth ships, and 10,000 Quarian ships.

The Quarian ships didn't have the same range as the Ascendency ships so as the battle began, they remained behind the Ascendency ships as they drew the Reaper-Geth fleet away from the planet.

On the tactical display, the enemy formations began shifting in response to the approaching allied forces. "Sir, the enemy fleet is taking the bait," Omni reported. "They're moving out of the planetary defense cannon's range to engage us."

Axel nodded, "Excellent. Commence long-range bombardment. Let's keep them focused on us."

The space between two fleets lit up as the Ascendency ships used long range weapons to bombard the Geth fleet. The enemy fleet returned fire, but their weapons were less effective at this range.

"Now," Axel commanded. "Execute the slipspace jump."

In an instant, 400 Ascendency ships appeared behind the enemy fleet, directly above Rannoch. Before the Reapers could react, the ships unleashed a barrage of MAC rounds, each targeting a specific ground-based cannon or strategic defense point. The surface of Rannoch erupted with explosions as the orbital strikes hit their targets.

"Ground-based cannons neutralized, sir," Omni reported. "Planetary defenses at 30% capacity and falling."

"Excellent. All ships, close in and engage. Quarian fleet, move up and provide support. Launch ODST and Spartan drop pods as soon as we're in range." Commanded Axel.

The allied fleet charged forward, targeting the Geth ships' weak points so that when Reaper signal was destroyed, they could bring the Geth to their side. As the battle raged on, and the fleet got closer to the planet, thousands of drop pods broke through Rannoch's atmosphere, carrying elite ODST and Spartan units. Their mission: take out the remaining defenses and secure landing zones for the main ground force.

A separate team was already heading towards the Reaper device to blow up the facility where it was transmitting from. As the drop pods hurtled toward the surface of Rannoch, Axel's attention shifted back to the tactical display. "Omni, what's the status of our ground forces?" he asked.

"Drop pods are on target, sir. ODST and Spartan units are deploying into designated landing zones. Initial reports indicate that they've encountered light resistance, but the Reapers are mobilizing," Omni replied.

"Good. We need to secure those zones quickly. The longer we wait, the more time the Reapers have to reinforce their positions." Axel glanced at Admiral Nira'Khal, who was monitoring the same feed. "Are your forces ready to move once we establish a foothold?"

Nira'Khal nodded, his expression resolute. "Our ground forces are prepared to assist as soon as the area is secured. We'll need to establish a link with your command center to coordinate our next moves."

Just then, a massive explosion occurred on the surface of Rannoch. "Sir, the Reaper device has been destroyed."

While he didn't doubt his own forces abilities, he was a little surprised at how fast the facility was destroyed "Already? That was faster than expected. Cortana, status report on the Geth network."

Cortana's hologram flickered to life on the command console. "The Reaper signal has been terminated, Sir. I'm detecting widespread confusion among the Geth platforms. They're disengaging from combat."

"This is our chance," Axel said, turning to Admiral Nira'Khal. "We need to broadcast a message to the Geth immediately. Let them know we're here to help, not destroy them."

As Nira'Khal nodded in agreement, Axel opened a channel to all allied ships. "All forces, cease fire on Geth ships. I repeat, cease fire on Geth ships. Target Reaper vessels only."

The space battle shifted dramatically as the allied fleet redirected their fire towards the Reaper ships. The Geth vessels, now free from Reaper control, began to power down their weapons systems.

"Omni" Axel called out to order him to start communicating with the Geth. But Omni already knew what needed to be done. "Already on it, Sir."

"Excellent work, Omni," Axel nodded. "Keep me updated on their response."

The tide of battle was shifting dramatically. As the Reaper ships faced a renewed assault from the allied fleet, Axel watched the Geth vessels begin to change their course. Many of them, now free from the Reaper's grasp, were positioning themselves alongside the Ascendency and Quarian fleets.

The Geth had joined the allied forces, and the Reaper ships were showing signs of retreating. Some deployed to the surface of the planet fleeing the battle and hoping to cause as much damage to the ground forces as they could and reinforce their own ground forces. But these Reapers were met with the Ascendency Titan units and other ground teams designed to fight Reapers and made quick work of the Reaper forces.

In the end, the Reapers were defeated in orbit after another hour of fighting, while the ground fighting took another week before Rannoch was successfully retaken. With Rannoch in the hands of the Quarians once again after centuries, the Geth and Quarians had signed a new treaty named the 'Treaty of Reconciliation'.

The Treaty officially saw the Quarians acknowledge the Geth as sentient beings with their own rights and autonomy while the Geth recognize the Quarians as the original inhabitants of Rannoch and respect their right to reclaim their home. The Quarians were given control over the planet while the Geth agreed to assist the Quarians and allies going forward.

Axel had established a massive terraforming facility which would begin to repair and transform the surface of Rannoch to a more agreeable atmosphere and fix the damage caused from the battle.

After all this, Intelligence reports had found out that the last remnants of the entire Reaper fleet were holding out near the edge of the galaxy within the Heleus Cluster. This was their chance to finally end the Reaper threat once and for all.