"So you think the Xilu people built so many border outposts to guard against this thing?" Lieutenant General He Ru asked, pointing at the sludge blanketing the screen.
"That's only a guess," Shepard said. "But we did find words like infection, transmission, and quarantine in the fragmented documents from those outposts. The three cruisers from the first reinforcement group sent to the outposts had orders to eliminate 'Mnggal-Mnggal' and prevent it from spreading."
(After thinking it over, I still feel 'Mnggal-Mnggal' rolls off the tongue better. 'Mangga-Mangga' doesn't sound good.)
"You mean this thing is Mnggal-Mnggal?" He Ru asked.
"Looking back, we forgot about that information at the time. In fact, throughout our campaign to destroy the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, we never encountered anything related to infection or transmission. I think... the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium may have deliberately concealed it," Shepard said. "Send technicians to thoroughly search the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium's databases. Interrogate their upper ranks. We have to find out exactly what Mnggal-Mnggal is."
Lieutenant General He Ru nodded grimly.
An officer approached and saluted Lieutenant General He Ru. He knew Shepard, so he saluted him as well before reporting, "General, the 24th, 15th, 16th, and 19th Combat Battalions have begun moving toward the prison sector. The Steadfast-class Cruiser Black Iron has entered the atmosphere and is preparing to provide fire support."
"Seal off that area. Use flamethrowers in large numbers. Set up high-voltage electric grids to stop the sludge from spreading!" He Ru ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
"General! The communications vessel has been dispatched to Dawn Star Planet," another officer reported. "As requested, robots were sent."
"General! The stargate has been sealed and is no longer allowing passage! We stopped seven forced-entry attempts and shot down three spacecraft!"
"General! The biologists and epidemiologists are in position. At their request, we'll establish a