Die for the cause (ME AU - competent Council)
- Thread starter Illuviar
- Start date
Spectrum
Tell me a secret~
- Location
- Behind you~
This codex entry: Quarian Envoy Ship
Taisei
Conglomeration of past failures
I don't believe Tali would have smuggled literal schematics or anything but she must have given a high level overview of how the Normandy stealth system worked... probably just excitingly talking about her time working on it.
That's kind of crazy to think about, she totally leaked some protected info to the flotilla, lol.
I mean, we know she brought back a lot of info on the Geth to the flotilla. I could see her bringing back a lot of data on the Normandy by virtue of her notes on whatever engineering stuff she did + she was probably asked about her time there. She may not have set out to commit espionage but she effectively did so.
Chapter 9 Part 5
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
4.05.2183 GS
Armali Council Corporate HQ
Armali city, Thessia
Parnitha system, Athena Nebula
It was a sad reality that for all their experience, Asari Matriarchs could be as short-sighted and petty as a stereotypical, particularly loathsome Salarian Dalatrass. This was especially true for those who spent many centuries climbing the corporate ladder and solidifying their position on top.
The esteemed leaders of the Armali Council conglomerate were no different.
"Ma'am, you can't go in without an appointment!" an aide waved her hands in exasperation at Matriarch Ilena T'Meni.
Commandos serving five different Matriarchs who were part of Armali's Council board of directors had their undivided attention on the intruder and her companions. Ilena walked into the building flanked by two Justicars, which ensured no one was foolish enough to bar her path until she reached a conference room where her newest headaches were busy bickering like unruly Maidens.
"Child, mind your next words," Justicar Valira chided gently. "We are here to meet your Mistresses and won't be barred."
The Commandos had the intelligence to look uneasy at that statement. As a member of Thessia's High Command, Matriarch Ilena had significant power and influence. However, that didn't usually extend to barging into a meeting among the most powerful Asari in one of the Republics. However, the situation was highly unusual, disturbing, and potentially dangerous.
One of the Commandos tilted her head, obviously speaking with either the Matriarch she served or the head of security for the building, before nodding sharply.
"Lina, we will let the Matriarch and the Honored Justicars through," The Commando ordered, offering Ilena's companions a traditional bow of respect. Her battle sisters did the same, moving in such a way to demonstrate they did not intend further confrontation.
Ilena walked into the conference room. Five Matriarchs were present in person, while the holograms of six others hovered over otherwise empty seats. A few CEOs gave the intruders irritated looks. However, the rest had the grace to hide their displeasure well enough.
"Matriarch Ilena, to what do we own the dubious honor of your presence?" Matriarch Parina, arguably the most powerful Asari in Armali, inquired in a voice dripping with poisonous honey.
"Given recent developments, I am here to ensure there will be no short-sighted actions that might threaten Thessia's security in particular and that of the Republics in general," Ilena's voice matched Parina's tone. "If your sources on the Citadel are as good as they should be, you must know that Benezia has been compromised instead of going rogue."
More than a few of the gathered Matriarchs apparently cared not about the implications but only about the opportunity that the fall of House T'Soni offered. That was one of the primary reasons Ilena was here today – to forestall the feeding frenzy those fools were about to facilitate if not outright prevent. With a potential full-scale war against the Geth on the horizon, such economic and political upheavals were best left for later. More importantly, the chaos caused by the fall of House T'Soni could make the water murky and make Ilena's job that much harder.
"I will spell it out for you as if you are young, inexperienced Maidens because you surely don't act like the Matriarchs you are all supposed to be," Ilena ignored the bristling of her audience. "We don't know for how long one of the Council's most decorated Spectres and Matriarch Benezia have been compromised by the Geth. As importantly, we don't know who they have compromised in turn. The Armali Council and other opportunists moving in to devour House T'Soni's assets can destroy evidence and ensure it will be much longer before we know how deep this rot has spread. To ensure no one would think themselves particularly clever opportunists, the Thessia High Command has decided to call in the Justicar Order as a participant in the ongoing investigation."
Ilena watched with satisfaction first the mounting fury, then apprehension and a trace of fear exhibited by the Matriarchs. For all their power and influence, they weren't beyond the reach of the Justicars. No one in Asari space was. A sufficient number of the Republics on Thessia could overrule the decisions of Thessia's High Command even in a crisis. Doing the same with the Justicars was much easier said than done. After all, interference in their affairs was a clear reason for investigation by local authorities and the Justicar Order as a whole….
4.05.2183 GS
Cronus Station, Anadius
Horsehead Nebula
Chaos presented boundless opportunities to advance Cerberus' and Humanity's interests. Sadly, it also presented new challenges and dangers. This was particularly true for the ongoing Geth incursion and its wide-ranging consequences.
The attack on Eden Prime was yet another example of the failures of the Systems Alliance in protecting Humanity and advancing its agenda. Just over a week after that event, recruitment was soaring. Cerberus and its affiliates were making a bank through donations and new supporters willing to back the cause in one form or another. Further, support for the Alliance in almost all outer colonies was at all times low, opening even more doors for Cerberus and ensuring the organization grew in an impossible way when it was a mere Alliance black operations outfit.
Unfortunately, there were drawbacks, which were about to compromise certain operations. First, Harper had to ensure Cerberus cut all ties with Binary Helixs, burned all bridges, and salt the ground. There could be no trace to follow, and no one could know they had procured a handful of Rachni warriors and workers to experiment on. Without a Queen, their options for turning the long-believed extinct species into shock troops would be limited. Either way, cloning was an option, and it would at least ensure they had enough specimens to figure out the best ways to kill them. Humanity had to know how to deal with those things most efficiently, especially if the Council managed to tame the Queen and build their own expendable army of monsters.
Despite the need to cut ties and burn assets, Cerberus' relationship with Binary Helix proved worth the invested resources.
The growing ExoGeni problem was a different beast. Harper sat at his desk sipping whiskey while his cybernetic eyes went through a tremendous volume of data. Cutting ties with ExoGeni would hurt their bottom line. Many assets and loyalists were working within or with the corporation. Further, it was a major supplier of technology, know-how, and support for many smaller colonies, which were fast becoming Cerberus strongholds. Replacing ExoGeni would prove problematic and come at the expense of slowing the growth of the organization as a whole and curtailing various expensive projects until more long-term revenue streams could be secured.
Jack was loath to do it, especially when recent events allowed Cerberus to hit the ground running and grow at an unprecedented rate. At the same time, slowing down for a bit would ensure they could better screen new applicants and mitigate the risk of cells going rogue and doing their own thing.
In the end, there wasn't much choice. ExoGeni was already on the radar of Alliance Intelligence, and Saren's involvement meant that obstructing the investigation was no longer desirable.
ExoGeni would fall, Harper decided. Cerberus affiliated would be best served in managing said fall, which could be beneficial.
"Operative Lawson, report to my office. I have a task for you," Harper ordered before typing a message to Henry. Miranda's father was best situated to take advantage of ExoGeni's crash and burn. Where he went, other Cerberus backers knew to follow.
Meanwhile, Cerberus had to properly cut ties and ensure they had those creeper things under lock and key in facilities where they couldn't be traced to. At worst, those things could become cheaper alternatives to basic industrial mechs, and at best, they could be expendable cannon fodder. Either way, they could become useful to Cerberus.
Chapter 9
=DC=
Part 5
=DC=
=DC=
Part 5
=DC=
4.05.2183 GS
Armali Council Corporate HQ
Armali city, Thessia
Parnitha system, Athena Nebula
It was a sad reality that for all their experience, Asari Matriarchs could be as short-sighted and petty as a stereotypical, particularly loathsome Salarian Dalatrass. This was especially true for those who spent many centuries climbing the corporate ladder and solidifying their position on top.
The esteemed leaders of the Armali Council conglomerate were no different.
"Ma'am, you can't go in without an appointment!" an aide waved her hands in exasperation at Matriarch Ilena T'Meni.
Commandos serving five different Matriarchs who were part of Armali's Council board of directors had their undivided attention on the intruder and her companions. Ilena walked into the building flanked by two Justicars, which ensured no one was foolish enough to bar her path until she reached a conference room where her newest headaches were busy bickering like unruly Maidens.
"Child, mind your next words," Justicar Valira chided gently. "We are here to meet your Mistresses and won't be barred."
The Commandos had the intelligence to look uneasy at that statement. As a member of Thessia's High Command, Matriarch Ilena had significant power and influence. However, that didn't usually extend to barging into a meeting among the most powerful Asari in one of the Republics. However, the situation was highly unusual, disturbing, and potentially dangerous.
One of the Commandos tilted her head, obviously speaking with either the Matriarch she served or the head of security for the building, before nodding sharply.
"Lina, we will let the Matriarch and the Honored Justicars through," The Commando ordered, offering Ilena's companions a traditional bow of respect. Her battle sisters did the same, moving in such a way to demonstrate they did not intend further confrontation.
Ilena walked into the conference room. Five Matriarchs were present in person, while the holograms of six others hovered over otherwise empty seats. A few CEOs gave the intruders irritated looks. However, the rest had the grace to hide their displeasure well enough.
"Matriarch Ilena, to what do we own the dubious honor of your presence?" Matriarch Parina, arguably the most powerful Asari in Armali, inquired in a voice dripping with poisonous honey.
"Given recent developments, I am here to ensure there will be no short-sighted actions that might threaten Thessia's security in particular and that of the Republics in general," Ilena's voice matched Parina's tone. "If your sources on the Citadel are as good as they should be, you must know that Benezia has been compromised instead of going rogue."
More than a few of the gathered Matriarchs apparently cared not about the implications but only about the opportunity that the fall of House T'Soni offered. That was one of the primary reasons Ilena was here today – to forestall the feeding frenzy those fools were about to facilitate if not outright prevent. With a potential full-scale war against the Geth on the horizon, such economic and political upheavals were best left for later. More importantly, the chaos caused by the fall of House T'Soni could make the water murky and make Ilena's job that much harder.
"I will spell it out for you as if you are young, inexperienced Maidens because you surely don't act like the Matriarchs you are all supposed to be," Ilena ignored the bristling of her audience. "We don't know for how long one of the Council's most decorated Spectres and Matriarch Benezia have been compromised by the Geth. As importantly, we don't know who they have compromised in turn. The Armali Council and other opportunists moving in to devour House T'Soni's assets can destroy evidence and ensure it will be much longer before we know how deep this rot has spread. To ensure no one would think themselves particularly clever opportunists, the Thessia High Command has decided to call in the Justicar Order as a participant in the ongoing investigation."
Ilena watched with satisfaction first the mounting fury, then apprehension and a trace of fear exhibited by the Matriarchs. For all their power and influence, they weren't beyond the reach of the Justicars. No one in Asari space was. A sufficient number of the Republics on Thessia could overrule the decisions of Thessia's High Command even in a crisis. Doing the same with the Justicars was much easier said than done. After all, interference in their affairs was a clear reason for investigation by local authorities and the Justicar Order as a whole….
=DC=
4.05.2183 GS
Cronus Station, Anadius
Horsehead Nebula
Chaos presented boundless opportunities to advance Cerberus' and Humanity's interests. Sadly, it also presented new challenges and dangers. This was particularly true for the ongoing Geth incursion and its wide-ranging consequences.
The attack on Eden Prime was yet another example of the failures of the Systems Alliance in protecting Humanity and advancing its agenda. Just over a week after that event, recruitment was soaring. Cerberus and its affiliates were making a bank through donations and new supporters willing to back the cause in one form or another. Further, support for the Alliance in almost all outer colonies was at all times low, opening even more doors for Cerberus and ensuring the organization grew in an impossible way when it was a mere Alliance black operations outfit.
Unfortunately, there were drawbacks, which were about to compromise certain operations. First, Harper had to ensure Cerberus cut all ties with Binary Helixs, burned all bridges, and salt the ground. There could be no trace to follow, and no one could know they had procured a handful of Rachni warriors and workers to experiment on. Without a Queen, their options for turning the long-believed extinct species into shock troops would be limited. Either way, cloning was an option, and it would at least ensure they had enough specimens to figure out the best ways to kill them. Humanity had to know how to deal with those things most efficiently, especially if the Council managed to tame the Queen and build their own expendable army of monsters.
Despite the need to cut ties and burn assets, Cerberus' relationship with Binary Helix proved worth the invested resources.
The growing ExoGeni problem was a different beast. Harper sat at his desk sipping whiskey while his cybernetic eyes went through a tremendous volume of data. Cutting ties with ExoGeni would hurt their bottom line. Many assets and loyalists were working within or with the corporation. Further, it was a major supplier of technology, know-how, and support for many smaller colonies, which were fast becoming Cerberus strongholds. Replacing ExoGeni would prove problematic and come at the expense of slowing the growth of the organization as a whole and curtailing various expensive projects until more long-term revenue streams could be secured.
Jack was loath to do it, especially when recent events allowed Cerberus to hit the ground running and grow at an unprecedented rate. At the same time, slowing down for a bit would ensure they could better screen new applicants and mitigate the risk of cells going rogue and doing their own thing.
In the end, there wasn't much choice. ExoGeni was already on the radar of Alliance Intelligence, and Saren's involvement meant that obstructing the investigation was no longer desirable.
ExoGeni would fall, Harper decided. Cerberus affiliated would be best served in managing said fall, which could be beneficial.
"Operative Lawson, report to my office. I have a task for you," Harper ordered before typing a message to Henry. Miranda's father was best situated to take advantage of ExoGeni's crash and burn. Where he went, other Cerberus backers knew to follow.
Meanwhile, Cerberus had to properly cut ties and ensure they had those creeper things under lock and key in facilities where they couldn't be traced to. At worst, those things could become cheaper alternatives to basic industrial mechs, and at best, they could be expendable cannon fodder. Either way, they could become useful to Cerberus.
Chapter 9 Part 6
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
5.05.2183 GS
Council Chambers, the Citadel Tower
the Citadel Station, Widow Nebula
Tevos stormed back into the chambers after concluding an exhausting talk with the 'esteemed' Matriarchs from Thessia. Sparatus glanced at her, and his fringe drooped even further. That was a rare feat highlighting how done he was with the Turian side of the ongoing crisis.
"That bad?" Valern didn't even bother to look up from his omni-tool.
"I have Matriarchs whining at me because they can't take apart the assets of House Benezia before their rivals can react. Others require me to facilitate a hostile takeover of said assets for the 'good of the Republics'," the Asari made exaggerated air quotes with her index fingers before beelining for the bar. "The next group is screaming to Athame that we are overstepping our authority by moving to lockdown and investigating all of Benezia's holdings and people. That group demands we cease and desist intervening in internal Republics' affairs…"
"Another group wants us to intervene more radically while blaming us for Benezia's compromise in the first place because we should have prevented it?" Sparatus suggested. "The Primarch has been on my case because of Saren, while others are in full blame mode for everyone who ever promoted him." That naturally included the Council because they approved every Spectre application.
"Half the Dalatrasses want to know why the STG failed to see this coming and didn't nip it in the bud before it became a problem. They want more direct control over STG operations and assets. Our military is maneuvering to get more funding at the expense of the STG because now they might actually need to fight a war. It is a distracting mess overall," Valern blurted out in commiseration.
Tevos groaned and grabbed a whole bottle of sweet Serice wine. Nothing she just heard surprised her. That didn't make her feel any better. She poured herself a tall glass of dark blue beverage and drank it in one go. One of these day, this job was going to make her replace her liver, the Asari was sure of it.
All the eezo in the wine acted as a kick to the system, staving off a rapidly building headache. Tevos poured herself another drink and briefly gazed at the bottle with longing before pushing it away. She sadly contemplated that Aria might be right about this one thing — Council politics were best endured if not handled when drunk. The same was doubly true about the tangled web that was the Republics' politics.
"I need a distraction from the horde of Matriarchs eager to mishandle my azure. Valern?" Tevos didn't quite whine. She didn't do whining! She was the Asari's long-suffering Councilor, for Athame's sake!
"We have the preliminary medical report of Benezia and her daughter," Valern waved his omni-tool Tevos' way. Her own device chimed, announcing it just received a classified file.
The Asari activated her omni-tool with a flick of her wrist and glanced at the report. It was full of technical terms that made her eyes cross. In all her centuries, Tevos' medical interest could be summed up with first aid in case of an assassination attempt or an accident.
"Valern, please summarize it for us," Tevos requested. It was either that or spending the next half an hour being lectured by the Council's personal physician, who was also their medical expert. That ensured they were a practicing doctor, and one less person had to be read in various sensitive matters, like the counselor's medical status.
"There is nothing to pick on standard scans. Benezia hasn't been compromised by active hardware or wetware implants in her brain, which complicates things. How much do either of you know how brains generally work and how they interface with the right kind of technology?" Valer inquired.
"Getting information out, or basic feedback for prosthetics is relatively simple," Sparatus noted. He used to be a combat medic, so he should know, Tevos recalled. "Neural interfaces to aid in controlling implants and such for crippled people fall in that category. Where things get complicated and problematic is getting complex data into the brain in a way that makes sense without intrusive and damaging implants."
"You've done your homework, good!" Valern eagerly nodded. "Various direct and crude methods of controls can be achieved easily with intrusive implants. The Batarian-sourced slave chips are a key, if distasteful, example. Even a cheap omni-tool can detect such things with a cursory scan. More refined technology implanted by specialists can be less intrusive and damaging but no less noticeable. All attempts for editing memories and personality to create loyal sleeper agents have failed to the best of my knowledge without implants to both maintain the conditioning and compensate for any damage caused by the process."
"Typical STG…" Sparatus grumbled. "I will pointedly not ask how you know that for a fact and who I want shot for running the experiments that found out for sure."
Tevos glumly agreed. If the STG weren't so damn helpful…
"STG dealt with the people responsible. The aim of the experiments was the eventual subversion of STG elements…."
"Valern, you can't drop such a bomb in our laps without elaborating properly!" Tevos snapped.
"I don't know what you are talking about. We are discussing Benezia and how she was compromised, not ancient history of no relevance," Valern sounded serious at that. "The only thing standard scans could detect wrong with Benezia were clear indications of extremely high-stress levels, which are to be expected even if she wasn't compromised," Valern nodded twice at whatever he was reading and looked up at his fellow Councilors. He smiled at them. "There is no trace of nanites or any medication used to alter Benezia's brain chemistry."
"If that's the case, why do you sound convinced she has been compromised instead of a traitor…" Tevos trailed off. That was both a relief and a big problem. It would have been simpler and better if they had reasonable proof that Saren and Benezia went crazy before going rogue instead of being subverted.
"The deep scans in the specialized facility we have the Matriarch held at was telling," Valern's eyes shone in the excitement in a way that was quite disturbing. Tevos was sure he was deliberately playing to the stereotype of the crazy Salarian scientist. "When our specialists looked close and hard enough, there are traces of swelling and agitation around the neurons within Benezia's brain. It is subtle, far subtler for regular omni-tool scans to detect it. Modulated hand-held scanners might even cause a similar enough reaction due to the energy involved to account for false positives. For now, finding similar traces would require specialized sensitive medical equipment. I already have people looking for a way to upgrade omni-tools to do it properly."
"How did the Geth compromise Benezia?" Tevos demanded.
"Until she is willing to talk, or we authorize distasteful methods of extracting information, I can only point at the suggestions in the report. We might be looking at extremely refined old-fashioned methods, possibly only viable with the control and patience of an AI. We are talking about direct manipulation of the brain with sound and electromagnetic waves to cause a gradual change in personality and allegiance. Such methods are generally considered ineffective and impractical, considering the time investment required. Depending on your goal, other more direct methods tend to be more reliable and practical."
"How was Benezia exposed? Where? For how long?" Sparatus demanded answers. Those were good questions, too. Tevos wanted them answered ASAP.
"We currently don't know. In a related topic, we will be undergoing deep brain scans shortly. It is mandatory," Valerie grimaced. "The waste of time is worth the peace of mind. Our security and a Spectre cadre will oversee the procedures and ensure neither of us avoids it."
"That's sensible," Sparatus grudgingly agreed. "What kind of intrusive methods did you have in mind for Benezia? We all know that torture is not an effective method of interrogation, and I am reasonably sure that's doubly so when fanatics and brainwashed people are concerned."
"If all else fails, brute-force memory extraction. With the right stimuli and intrusive implants, we can get images from uncooperative subjects. It is rather crude and final, so that would be a last resort if conventional interrogation and deprogramming methods fail. As I noted, getting information out of the brain is vastly simpler than trying to edit what is already there."
Chapter 9
=DC=
Part 6
=DC=
=DC=
Part 6
=DC=
5.05.2183 GS
Council Chambers, the Citadel Tower
the Citadel Station, Widow Nebula
Tevos stormed back into the chambers after concluding an exhausting talk with the 'esteemed' Matriarchs from Thessia. Sparatus glanced at her, and his fringe drooped even further. That was a rare feat highlighting how done he was with the Turian side of the ongoing crisis.
"That bad?" Valern didn't even bother to look up from his omni-tool.
"I have Matriarchs whining at me because they can't take apart the assets of House Benezia before their rivals can react. Others require me to facilitate a hostile takeover of said assets for the 'good of the Republics'," the Asari made exaggerated air quotes with her index fingers before beelining for the bar. "The next group is screaming to Athame that we are overstepping our authority by moving to lockdown and investigating all of Benezia's holdings and people. That group demands we cease and desist intervening in internal Republics' affairs…"
"Another group wants us to intervene more radically while blaming us for Benezia's compromise in the first place because we should have prevented it?" Sparatus suggested. "The Primarch has been on my case because of Saren, while others are in full blame mode for everyone who ever promoted him." That naturally included the Council because they approved every Spectre application.
"Half the Dalatrasses want to know why the STG failed to see this coming and didn't nip it in the bud before it became a problem. They want more direct control over STG operations and assets. Our military is maneuvering to get more funding at the expense of the STG because now they might actually need to fight a war. It is a distracting mess overall," Valern blurted out in commiseration.
Tevos groaned and grabbed a whole bottle of sweet Serice wine. Nothing she just heard surprised her. That didn't make her feel any better. She poured herself a tall glass of dark blue beverage and drank it in one go. One of these day, this job was going to make her replace her liver, the Asari was sure of it.
All the eezo in the wine acted as a kick to the system, staving off a rapidly building headache. Tevos poured herself another drink and briefly gazed at the bottle with longing before pushing it away. She sadly contemplated that Aria might be right about this one thing — Council politics were best endured if not handled when drunk. The same was doubly true about the tangled web that was the Republics' politics.
"I need a distraction from the horde of Matriarchs eager to mishandle my azure. Valern?" Tevos didn't quite whine. She didn't do whining! She was the Asari's long-suffering Councilor, for Athame's sake!
"We have the preliminary medical report of Benezia and her daughter," Valern waved his omni-tool Tevos' way. Her own device chimed, announcing it just received a classified file.
The Asari activated her omni-tool with a flick of her wrist and glanced at the report. It was full of technical terms that made her eyes cross. In all her centuries, Tevos' medical interest could be summed up with first aid in case of an assassination attempt or an accident.
"Valern, please summarize it for us," Tevos requested. It was either that or spending the next half an hour being lectured by the Council's personal physician, who was also their medical expert. That ensured they were a practicing doctor, and one less person had to be read in various sensitive matters, like the counselor's medical status.
"There is nothing to pick on standard scans. Benezia hasn't been compromised by active hardware or wetware implants in her brain, which complicates things. How much do either of you know how brains generally work and how they interface with the right kind of technology?" Valer inquired.
"Getting information out, or basic feedback for prosthetics is relatively simple," Sparatus noted. He used to be a combat medic, so he should know, Tevos recalled. "Neural interfaces to aid in controlling implants and such for crippled people fall in that category. Where things get complicated and problematic is getting complex data into the brain in a way that makes sense without intrusive and damaging implants."
"You've done your homework, good!" Valern eagerly nodded. "Various direct and crude methods of controls can be achieved easily with intrusive implants. The Batarian-sourced slave chips are a key, if distasteful, example. Even a cheap omni-tool can detect such things with a cursory scan. More refined technology implanted by specialists can be less intrusive and damaging but no less noticeable. All attempts for editing memories and personality to create loyal sleeper agents have failed to the best of my knowledge without implants to both maintain the conditioning and compensate for any damage caused by the process."
"Typical STG…" Sparatus grumbled. "I will pointedly not ask how you know that for a fact and who I want shot for running the experiments that found out for sure."
Tevos glumly agreed. If the STG weren't so damn helpful…
"STG dealt with the people responsible. The aim of the experiments was the eventual subversion of STG elements…."
"Valern, you can't drop such a bomb in our laps without elaborating properly!" Tevos snapped.
"I don't know what you are talking about. We are discussing Benezia and how she was compromised, not ancient history of no relevance," Valern sounded serious at that. "The only thing standard scans could detect wrong with Benezia were clear indications of extremely high-stress levels, which are to be expected even if she wasn't compromised," Valern nodded twice at whatever he was reading and looked up at his fellow Councilors. He smiled at them. "There is no trace of nanites or any medication used to alter Benezia's brain chemistry."
"If that's the case, why do you sound convinced she has been compromised instead of a traitor…" Tevos trailed off. That was both a relief and a big problem. It would have been simpler and better if they had reasonable proof that Saren and Benezia went crazy before going rogue instead of being subverted.
"The deep scans in the specialized facility we have the Matriarch held at was telling," Valern's eyes shone in the excitement in a way that was quite disturbing. Tevos was sure he was deliberately playing to the stereotype of the crazy Salarian scientist. "When our specialists looked close and hard enough, there are traces of swelling and agitation around the neurons within Benezia's brain. It is subtle, far subtler for regular omni-tool scans to detect it. Modulated hand-held scanners might even cause a similar enough reaction due to the energy involved to account for false positives. For now, finding similar traces would require specialized sensitive medical equipment. I already have people looking for a way to upgrade omni-tools to do it properly."
"How did the Geth compromise Benezia?" Tevos demanded.
"Until she is willing to talk, or we authorize distasteful methods of extracting information, I can only point at the suggestions in the report. We might be looking at extremely refined old-fashioned methods, possibly only viable with the control and patience of an AI. We are talking about direct manipulation of the brain with sound and electromagnetic waves to cause a gradual change in personality and allegiance. Such methods are generally considered ineffective and impractical, considering the time investment required. Depending on your goal, other more direct methods tend to be more reliable and practical."
"How was Benezia exposed? Where? For how long?" Sparatus demanded answers. Those were good questions, too. Tevos wanted them answered ASAP.
"We currently don't know. In a related topic, we will be undergoing deep brain scans shortly. It is mandatory," Valerie grimaced. "The waste of time is worth the peace of mind. Our security and a Spectre cadre will oversee the procedures and ensure neither of us avoids it."
"That's sensible," Sparatus grudgingly agreed. "What kind of intrusive methods did you have in mind for Benezia? We all know that torture is not an effective method of interrogation, and I am reasonably sure that's doubly so when fanatics and brainwashed people are concerned."
"If all else fails, brute-force memory extraction. With the right stimuli and intrusive implants, we can get images from uncooperative subjects. It is rather crude and final, so that would be a last resort if conventional interrogation and deprogramming methods fail. As I noted, getting information out of the brain is vastly simpler than trying to edit what is already there."
Last edited:
Chapter 10 Part 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
5.05.2183 GS
THWS Death Dealer, Turian Assault Cruiser
Attican Beta cluster
A small task force dropped from a lowered-mass tunnel between two relays with minimal drift. Sensors swept through the surrounding area, looking for danger, while hot lasers tracked potential targets. The only objects near the relay were tiny debris consistent with communications satellites cut to pieces by GARDIAN lasers.
"That's a confirmed hostile incursion in the region. Comms, send a word to the Citadel. Ops, deploy communications satellites and plan to drop a chain of them all the way to the Thessus system," Captain Icicia Duviso ordered. Her fingers twitched – a nervous tick demanding she rub the edges of the armored plates covering her face. Unless they left a guard at the relay, which was out of the question considering the size of her command, there was no way to ensure their communications lines would remain intact. That could be a big issue if the Geth disturbing dreadnought that struck Eden Prime was in the area, no matter how unlikely.
Captain Duviso waited a few moments for her crew to carry out her orders before issuing more.
"Comms, link us with the rest of the task force and put up the principal commanders."
With an enemy incursion confirmed, they would implement one of the contingencies hastily disused before racing here. Besides the Normandy, Duviso had a division of scout frigates and their command light cruiser under her command to use as her eyes and ears. Then came the heavy hitters – her assault cruiser optimized for the planetary attack, a heavy cruiser, a division of Salarian state-of-the-art cruisers, and their escorts. It was a respectable task force that had no business tangling with a dreadnought.
From her perch above the CIC, the Captain surveyed her crew's work. At the same time, holographic windows popped all around it, obscuring the big map of the Attican Beta cluster.
"The Normandy and our scout frigates will enter the Thessus system first to locate any hostile space elements. They will relate the locations of such enemy assets to the Cutting Wind and remain quiet until the rest of our task force arrives. If the correlation of forces is favorable, we will secure the system before deploying ground forces to figure out exactly what went wrong on Feros. If we find an overwhelming Geth or pirate presence, we will either remain hidden until reinforcements arrive or harry them until reinforced."
Icicia Duviso was a firm believer in giving her subordinates context for her orders when the situation permitted. That way, they would know what the primary objectives were and could better adapt instead of rigidly following the last orders given. That was the best way to work with what some saw as a weakness of the Turian military—their outright devotion to the chain of command and following orders.
SSV Normandy
Thessus System, Attican Beta Cluster
The Normandy drifted out of FTL with her engines cool and stealth mode engaged. This method took the frigate longer to reach the edge of the system than otherwise, and in exchange, it ensured her hull was cool enough that nothing short of fiendishly lousy luck or an extensive surveillance system had a prayer of detecting it. Passive systems slowly mapped the region, looking for anything unusual.
"Bring us in deeper, Joker," Shepard allowed after they found no surprises in the rough vicinity of Logan – the fifth planet in the system.
On the face of it, the gas giant was a standard example of its kind. What made it curious were the initial survey reports from twenty years ago—they indicated the presence of large objects below its upper clouds, though no trace has been found of them ever since. Like with the other planets in the system showing more substantial traces of Protean presence, investigating this properly was one of the long-term goals of establishing a proper colony in Thessus.
"That's how many horror movies begin," Joker quipped. "I'm just saying, Commander, there're supposed to be space zombies where we're going! Who knows what else is out here!?"
Shepard wasn't sure if Joker was genuinely concerned or merely excited and messing with him. Nevertheless, the helmsman did have a point. They first faced people turned into cyber-zombies by the Geth, and now those creeper things were waiting for them on Feros.
The Normandy swept silently deeper into the system, for the first time taking full advantage of the unique properties of her drive core, which allowed her to maneuver using artificially created gravity wells. That was, of course, after accelerating using the gas giant as cover and cutting power to the engines before emerging from behind it. Their target was the second planet in the system, which is currently on the other side of the star. The rest of the scout force should have arrived in the shadow of Quana, which had the local star between it and Feros. Doing so ensured the best possible cover for the less stealthy Turian frigates.
They spent the next day skulking around, doing what the Normandy was built for. Shepard quickly decided that, despite all his training done to prepare him for such periods of tedious boredom, it wasn't his cup of tea, so to speak. Tea, huh? Anderson was rubbing off on him.
The Normandy eventually got close enough to Feros to be able to passively detect ships that weren't broadcasting their presence for the whole system to see. Sure enough, they found a Geth flotilla hanging above a region of the planet covered with extensive Protean ruins.
Two insect-like cruisers and a spread of frigates had their guns pointed at the planet. They also maintained a rough defensive formation around what had to be a logistics vessel.
This complicated the situation. Unless they handled the enemy in orbit just right, the Geth might obliterate the colony before going down.
"Joker, comm lasers only. Contact the Cutting Wind. We have our work cut out for us."
Shepard wondered if a distraction to get the enemy out of position before striking might work.
"What can passives tell us about the situation on Feros?" The Spectre asked.
"There's a lot of power, heat, and interference down there, Shepard. For what it's worth, it's not consistent with indiscriminate orbital strikes. We'll need to get closer to give you more, and if they detect us…" Joker trailed off, speaking without his usual sass for once.
Chapter 10
=DC=
Part 1
=DC=
=DC=
Part 1
=DC=
5.05.2183 GS
THWS Death Dealer, Turian Assault Cruiser
Attican Beta cluster
A small task force dropped from a lowered-mass tunnel between two relays with minimal drift. Sensors swept through the surrounding area, looking for danger, while hot lasers tracked potential targets. The only objects near the relay were tiny debris consistent with communications satellites cut to pieces by GARDIAN lasers.
"That's a confirmed hostile incursion in the region. Comms, send a word to the Citadel. Ops, deploy communications satellites and plan to drop a chain of them all the way to the Thessus system," Captain Icicia Duviso ordered. Her fingers twitched – a nervous tick demanding she rub the edges of the armored plates covering her face. Unless they left a guard at the relay, which was out of the question considering the size of her command, there was no way to ensure their communications lines would remain intact. That could be a big issue if the Geth disturbing dreadnought that struck Eden Prime was in the area, no matter how unlikely.
Captain Duviso waited a few moments for her crew to carry out her orders before issuing more.
"Comms, link us with the rest of the task force and put up the principal commanders."
With an enemy incursion confirmed, they would implement one of the contingencies hastily disused before racing here. Besides the Normandy, Duviso had a division of scout frigates and their command light cruiser under her command to use as her eyes and ears. Then came the heavy hitters – her assault cruiser optimized for the planetary attack, a heavy cruiser, a division of Salarian state-of-the-art cruisers, and their escorts. It was a respectable task force that had no business tangling with a dreadnought.
From her perch above the CIC, the Captain surveyed her crew's work. At the same time, holographic windows popped all around it, obscuring the big map of the Attican Beta cluster.
"The Normandy and our scout frigates will enter the Thessus system first to locate any hostile space elements. They will relate the locations of such enemy assets to the Cutting Wind and remain quiet until the rest of our task force arrives. If the correlation of forces is favorable, we will secure the system before deploying ground forces to figure out exactly what went wrong on Feros. If we find an overwhelming Geth or pirate presence, we will either remain hidden until reinforcements arrive or harry them until reinforced."
Icicia Duviso was a firm believer in giving her subordinates context for her orders when the situation permitted. That way, they would know what the primary objectives were and could better adapt instead of rigidly following the last orders given. That was the best way to work with what some saw as a weakness of the Turian military—their outright devotion to the chain of command and following orders.
=DC=
SSV Normandy
Thessus System, Attican Beta Cluster
The Normandy drifted out of FTL with her engines cool and stealth mode engaged. This method took the frigate longer to reach the edge of the system than otherwise, and in exchange, it ensured her hull was cool enough that nothing short of fiendishly lousy luck or an extensive surveillance system had a prayer of detecting it. Passive systems slowly mapped the region, looking for anything unusual.
"Bring us in deeper, Joker," Shepard allowed after they found no surprises in the rough vicinity of Logan – the fifth planet in the system.
On the face of it, the gas giant was a standard example of its kind. What made it curious were the initial survey reports from twenty years ago—they indicated the presence of large objects below its upper clouds, though no trace has been found of them ever since. Like with the other planets in the system showing more substantial traces of Protean presence, investigating this properly was one of the long-term goals of establishing a proper colony in Thessus.
"That's how many horror movies begin," Joker quipped. "I'm just saying, Commander, there're supposed to be space zombies where we're going! Who knows what else is out here!?"
Shepard wasn't sure if Joker was genuinely concerned or merely excited and messing with him. Nevertheless, the helmsman did have a point. They first faced people turned into cyber-zombies by the Geth, and now those creeper things were waiting for them on Feros.
The Normandy swept silently deeper into the system, for the first time taking full advantage of the unique properties of her drive core, which allowed her to maneuver using artificially created gravity wells. That was, of course, after accelerating using the gas giant as cover and cutting power to the engines before emerging from behind it. Their target was the second planet in the system, which is currently on the other side of the star. The rest of the scout force should have arrived in the shadow of Quana, which had the local star between it and Feros. Doing so ensured the best possible cover for the less stealthy Turian frigates.
They spent the next day skulking around, doing what the Normandy was built for. Shepard quickly decided that, despite all his training done to prepare him for such periods of tedious boredom, it wasn't his cup of tea, so to speak. Tea, huh? Anderson was rubbing off on him.
The Normandy eventually got close enough to Feros to be able to passively detect ships that weren't broadcasting their presence for the whole system to see. Sure enough, they found a Geth flotilla hanging above a region of the planet covered with extensive Protean ruins.
Two insect-like cruisers and a spread of frigates had their guns pointed at the planet. They also maintained a rough defensive formation around what had to be a logistics vessel.
This complicated the situation. Unless they handled the enemy in orbit just right, the Geth might obliterate the colony before going down.
"Joker, comm lasers only. Contact the Cutting Wind. We have our work cut out for us."
Shepard wondered if a distraction to get the enemy out of position before striking might work.
"What can passives tell us about the situation on Feros?" The Spectre asked.
"There's a lot of power, heat, and interference down there, Shepard. For what it's worth, it's not consistent with indiscriminate orbital strikes. We'll need to get closer to give you more, and if they detect us…" Joker trailed off, speaking without his usual sass for once.
Last edited:
Chapter 10 Part 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
5.05.2183 GS
THWS Death Dealer, Turian Assault Cruiser
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
Data gathered by the scouts flowed into the CIC so it could be refined before ending in holograms before Captain Icicia Duviso. There was no sign of additional Geth forces in the system beyond Feros. That was less reassuring than it should have been. A star system was a large place, and given the timing, it was perfectly feasible that the scouts had missed well-hidden enemy ships waiting somewhere out of sight without radiating heat and power.
In a place like Thesus, stealth in space was much more feasible than a well-developed star system with a decent sensor grid. In such systems, the best way to do stealth was misdirection – pretending that you weren't what you appeared on sensors and hiding in plain sight among the traffic. Here, the once-mythical concept of stealth in space was possible. Duviso knew it was more or less feasible for some time now, thanks to the Salarian STG skulking everywhere they weren't wanted. The Normandy's very existence was partly an answer to that gap in capabilities present in the Turian Navy. There were two related gaps: the stealth component and expertise in dealing with enemies possessing such capabilities. It wasn't a secret that after it entered full production, the Normandy class would serve as an op-force in extensive training exercises with large segments of the Turian navy.
Instead, due to the ongoing troubles, Duviso was in the unexpected position of working with one such stealthy asset while wondering if the Geth had vessels with similar capabilities waiting for someone to pounce on the obvious bait waiting at Feros. On the face of it, this was a trap with a Geth battle group acting as bait. That was why the Death Dealer and the core of her task force remained outside the system for hours, waiting for their scouts to find the enemy ambush forces.
The frigates found nothing of consequences away from Feros, and the Normandy kept sending more and more intelligence gathered by her passive sensors. This led to the Captain's current dilemma. She already had her forces in the systems, hiding behind a gas giant and ready to either attack or retread depending on what surprises the enemy had in store for them. Taking the bait was tempting. If they struck fast and hard, they had more than a reasonable chance of knocking out the ships above Feros, then jumping away and avoiding an ambush… If there was an ambush in the first place.
The newest data from Normandy painted a different picture. It wasn't what Duviso would have done in the enemy's place, even if ordered without having a covering force at her back. Adherence to orders went only so far if you were a Turian worth your rank and citizenship rank. Risking your command, the soldiers, and the assets you were in charge of without a good reason crossed said line.
Like the Asari liked to say, and the humans more recently, the enemy got a vote, too. Leaving yourself exposed, especially if you believed to be safe, was an excellent way to end up dead.
Icicia glared at the orbital images of their target on the ground. It was an ancient Protean arcology, which now housed a human pilot colony holding over fifty thousand specialists busy restoring the place for future colonists. ExoGeni had its local HQ in a nearby part of the long-abandoned mega-city. That much was expected.
A mass effect shield protecting the place from orbital strikes was something no one saw coming. However, it neatly explained the current situation on the ground and in orbit. The anomalies detected by the Normandy were dead ringers for the few such systems Captain Duviso knew of – they all protected key cities or facilities on Palaven and a handful of the oldest and most important colonies in the Hierarchy. While highly potent defenses, the resources needed to make such a thing feasible were nothing to scoff at for even civilizations that were space-faring for thousands of years. Otherwise, every major city in existence would be protected that way against attacks or accidents. It was no wonder the Humans weren't sure what they were looking for – to the Captain's best knowledge, such defensive systems were only theoretical exercises. It would likely be centuries of development before such investments become feasible for humans compared to expanding their fleets.
Heavy ground combat within the Arcology between the Geth and the colonists could explain most other anomalies in the raw and refined data from the Normandy. The Geth were attempting to disable the barrier protecting the Arcology with ground forces, and their ships in orbit were ready to open fire when it was disrupted. Anticipating a success in a short order explained their otherwise unwise positioning. There was something valuable down there that Geth wanted to be destroyed.
This was a neat explanation that made sense and accounted for the intelligence gathered by the scouts. It in no way disproved the notion that Duviso was looking at a trap she was ready to spring.
In the end, the Captain has a task and a duty. She was also responsible for giving her people the best odds of surviving the coming battle.
"XO, I want two of our frigates to remain inconspicuous and leave at the first sign we've sprung a trap. We can't rely on our communications remaining intact or not being compromised along the chain between this system and the Mass Relay. We will send an update on our plans going forward after we execute our attack on the Geth."
The Death Dealer and her consorts dropped out of FTL in orbit of Feros, using the planet's curve to hide them from the enemy's sensors. Hangar bay doors opened, releasing shuttles and fighters, which rapidly plunged into the atmosphere, trusting that their barriers and armor would protect them. Meanwhile, the task force maneuvered into optimal firing positions and opened fire, shooting barrages of slugs much slower than usual. Each shot was on a trajectory carefully calculated to use the gravity of Feros to slingshot around the planet and end up intercepting the course of the Geth ships above the colony. With their small craft on their way and shots fired, the Turian ships jumped into FTL, maneuvering to attack the enemy from another angle just when their first shots reached their targets.
Under most circumstances, such an attack would have only worked against stations unable to maneuver because every defensive fleet in the galaxy worth their salt knew to regularly shift vectors to avoid precisely this kind of sneak attack. FTL communications and extensive sensor nets further mitigated the odds of successful sneak attacks within well-developed systems.
Out here, clever tactics that wouldn't have worked under most circumstances were suddenly viable, and Captain Duviso had no intention of fighting fairly.
The barrage struck just as Death Dealer emerged out of FTL in a flash of blue light, quickly followed by the rest of the task force. Even the Geth were too slow to react, in no small part because just as they detected the incoming threat, their ships faltered, struck by the earlier bombardment. Shields flared, straining power systems as drives went from idle to full power in a jolt. The Geth ships did their best to go evasive. However, they were starting from being practically dead in space. Physics was a harsh mistress, and it dictated that they didn't have enough time to accelerate and move into vectors that would make it possible for the Turian ships behind them to miss. Nevertheless, the correlation of forces was such that at least a handful of Geth vessels might have gotten away from the position they got themselves stuck in before the enemy could cripple or destroy them.
The opening sneak barrage changed the equation. Already weakened barriers popped, and at the end of the day, the armor covering the rear arc was weaker due to the engine placement. Slugs slammed into engines, fuel lines, and fuel tanks before penetrating into engineering compartments, wreaking further havoc. Hydrogen and antimatter fuel pods lost containment, igniting chain reactions that tore apart the rear sections of multiple ships before the rapid fire of the Turians could cause even more damage, ending the fight in a brutal, one-sided slaughter.
Chapter 10
=DC=
Part 2
=DC=
=DC=
Part 2
=DC=
5.05.2183 GS
THWS Death Dealer, Turian Assault Cruiser
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
Data gathered by the scouts flowed into the CIC so it could be refined before ending in holograms before Captain Icicia Duviso. There was no sign of additional Geth forces in the system beyond Feros. That was less reassuring than it should have been. A star system was a large place, and given the timing, it was perfectly feasible that the scouts had missed well-hidden enemy ships waiting somewhere out of sight without radiating heat and power.
In a place like Thesus, stealth in space was much more feasible than a well-developed star system with a decent sensor grid. In such systems, the best way to do stealth was misdirection – pretending that you weren't what you appeared on sensors and hiding in plain sight among the traffic. Here, the once-mythical concept of stealth in space was possible. Duviso knew it was more or less feasible for some time now, thanks to the Salarian STG skulking everywhere they weren't wanted. The Normandy's very existence was partly an answer to that gap in capabilities present in the Turian Navy. There were two related gaps: the stealth component and expertise in dealing with enemies possessing such capabilities. It wasn't a secret that after it entered full production, the Normandy class would serve as an op-force in extensive training exercises with large segments of the Turian navy.
Instead, due to the ongoing troubles, Duviso was in the unexpected position of working with one such stealthy asset while wondering if the Geth had vessels with similar capabilities waiting for someone to pounce on the obvious bait waiting at Feros. On the face of it, this was a trap with a Geth battle group acting as bait. That was why the Death Dealer and the core of her task force remained outside the system for hours, waiting for their scouts to find the enemy ambush forces.
The frigates found nothing of consequences away from Feros, and the Normandy kept sending more and more intelligence gathered by her passive sensors. This led to the Captain's current dilemma. She already had her forces in the systems, hiding behind a gas giant and ready to either attack or retread depending on what surprises the enemy had in store for them. Taking the bait was tempting. If they struck fast and hard, they had more than a reasonable chance of knocking out the ships above Feros, then jumping away and avoiding an ambush… If there was an ambush in the first place.
The newest data from Normandy painted a different picture. It wasn't what Duviso would have done in the enemy's place, even if ordered without having a covering force at her back. Adherence to orders went only so far if you were a Turian worth your rank and citizenship rank. Risking your command, the soldiers, and the assets you were in charge of without a good reason crossed said line.
Like the Asari liked to say, and the humans more recently, the enemy got a vote, too. Leaving yourself exposed, especially if you believed to be safe, was an excellent way to end up dead.
Icicia glared at the orbital images of their target on the ground. It was an ancient Protean arcology, which now housed a human pilot colony holding over fifty thousand specialists busy restoring the place for future colonists. ExoGeni had its local HQ in a nearby part of the long-abandoned mega-city. That much was expected.
A mass effect shield protecting the place from orbital strikes was something no one saw coming. However, it neatly explained the current situation on the ground and in orbit. The anomalies detected by the Normandy were dead ringers for the few such systems Captain Duviso knew of – they all protected key cities or facilities on Palaven and a handful of the oldest and most important colonies in the Hierarchy. While highly potent defenses, the resources needed to make such a thing feasible were nothing to scoff at for even civilizations that were space-faring for thousands of years. Otherwise, every major city in existence would be protected that way against attacks or accidents. It was no wonder the Humans weren't sure what they were looking for – to the Captain's best knowledge, such defensive systems were only theoretical exercises. It would likely be centuries of development before such investments become feasible for humans compared to expanding their fleets.
Heavy ground combat within the Arcology between the Geth and the colonists could explain most other anomalies in the raw and refined data from the Normandy. The Geth were attempting to disable the barrier protecting the Arcology with ground forces, and their ships in orbit were ready to open fire when it was disrupted. Anticipating a success in a short order explained their otherwise unwise positioning. There was something valuable down there that Geth wanted to be destroyed.
This was a neat explanation that made sense and accounted for the intelligence gathered by the scouts. It in no way disproved the notion that Duviso was looking at a trap she was ready to spring.
In the end, the Captain has a task and a duty. She was also responsible for giving her people the best odds of surviving the coming battle.
"XO, I want two of our frigates to remain inconspicuous and leave at the first sign we've sprung a trap. We can't rely on our communications remaining intact or not being compromised along the chain between this system and the Mass Relay. We will send an update on our plans going forward after we execute our attack on the Geth."
=DC=
The Death Dealer and her consorts dropped out of FTL in orbit of Feros, using the planet's curve to hide them from the enemy's sensors. Hangar bay doors opened, releasing shuttles and fighters, which rapidly plunged into the atmosphere, trusting that their barriers and armor would protect them. Meanwhile, the task force maneuvered into optimal firing positions and opened fire, shooting barrages of slugs much slower than usual. Each shot was on a trajectory carefully calculated to use the gravity of Feros to slingshot around the planet and end up intercepting the course of the Geth ships above the colony. With their small craft on their way and shots fired, the Turian ships jumped into FTL, maneuvering to attack the enemy from another angle just when their first shots reached their targets.
Under most circumstances, such an attack would have only worked against stations unable to maneuver because every defensive fleet in the galaxy worth their salt knew to regularly shift vectors to avoid precisely this kind of sneak attack. FTL communications and extensive sensor nets further mitigated the odds of successful sneak attacks within well-developed systems.
Out here, clever tactics that wouldn't have worked under most circumstances were suddenly viable, and Captain Duviso had no intention of fighting fairly.
The barrage struck just as Death Dealer emerged out of FTL in a flash of blue light, quickly followed by the rest of the task force. Even the Geth were too slow to react, in no small part because just as they detected the incoming threat, their ships faltered, struck by the earlier bombardment. Shields flared, straining power systems as drives went from idle to full power in a jolt. The Geth ships did their best to go evasive. However, they were starting from being practically dead in space. Physics was a harsh mistress, and it dictated that they didn't have enough time to accelerate and move into vectors that would make it possible for the Turian ships behind them to miss. Nevertheless, the correlation of forces was such that at least a handful of Geth vessels might have gotten away from the position they got themselves stuck in before the enemy could cripple or destroy them.
The opening sneak barrage changed the equation. Already weakened barriers popped, and at the end of the day, the armor covering the rear arc was weaker due to the engine placement. Slugs slammed into engines, fuel lines, and fuel tanks before penetrating into engineering compartments, wreaking further havoc. Hydrogen and antimatter fuel pods lost containment, igniting chain reactions that tore apart the rear sections of multiple ships before the rapid fire of the Turians could cause even more damage, ending the fight in a brutal, one-sided slaughter.
Last edited:
Chapter 10 Part 3
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
Thirty shuttles escorted by two squadrons of Turian fighters screamed through the shadows of vast city canyons. With the enemy ships in orbit destroyed and the orbital secure for now, speed was more important than stealth. It was a race to reach their target before enemy reinforcements appeared in space.
While his shuttle hurled past surprisingly intact skyscrapers, Shepard could only marvel at how intact the cities they flew past were after tens of thousands of years without maintenance. At a glance, he would have said that the place had been abandoned a few decades ago at worst. Watching the city outside drove the point about why everyone held the Proteans in such high esteem, even more than the Relays and the Citadel itself. The former were just there; as a crew member, you only saw them if you were stationed in the cockpit or had a reason to be there during a transit. On the always-bustling Citadel, it was effortless to forget who built the place and how old it was.
For some reason, the long-abandoned cities on Feros profoundly affected Shepard, even if he wasn't sure why.
"Sergeant Taylor, make sure everyone's seals are rechecked. We are five minutes out from the Arcology. I want no avoidable casualties!" Shepard ordered after checking his omni-tool. He ignored the Marines' bustle to examine the latest sensor data from the ships in orbit. They were approaching on vectors carrying them towards the docks. The infrastructure would allow easier logistics, reinforcement deployment, and wounded evacuation, if even partially intact. Taking the security center responsible for the docks might even net them an up-to-date map of the Arcology or at least a way to feasibly contact any friendly forces in the area. Either way, the mission had already changed – they had to secure whatever machinery kept a barrier above the city and keep it operational in case the enemy brought reinforcements. Once that was done, they could proceed with their original mission – figuring out what the Geth wanted on Feros, securing evidence against ExoGeni, and finding the source of the zombies.
Sadly, saving any of the locals, provided they weren't compromised already, was way down on the priority list. Shepard couldn't even find pragmatic reasons to disagree. It wasn't like he had standing orders from the Council to ignore the Colonists; it was just that their lives weren't critical in the grand scheme of things.
"Seals are fine, sir. I need to check yours," Taylor reported.
"Do so, Sergeant."
"We are three minutes out," The Pilot informed them. "I'm detecting faint thermal blooms consistent with weapons fire. There's something hot a few miles from the barrier's edge, low in the row of skyscrapers at nine o'clock. It's faint enough that the ships in orbit might not have detected it with all the sensor ghosts thrown by the barrier."
"We're going in hot then. Mark the heat signature as a point of interest. We might send someone to investigate after we secure a landing zone," Shepard thought aloud.
"Geth?" Taylor asked while waving his omni-tool over Shepard's armor, looking for anything out of order.
"We might be looking at a forward base or staging ground for assaults on the Arcology. The Geth were ready to pulverize the area from orbit. If that place isn't theirs, the odds are good they would have taken it out before we arrived."
Shepard could think of reasons why the enemy would want to destroy the Arcology while preserving something valuable nearby. However, he couldn't count on that. Either way, investigating the location to confirm whether it needed to be taken and protected or destroyed was now yet another mission objective.
"Vasir, Shepard," Johh contacted one of the nearby shuttles carrying the Asari Spectre. Sensibly, there was no more than a single officer or VIP on each shuttle – only fools put all their eggs in one basket if they could avoid it. "You should already know about our new point of interest. Thoughts?"
"We secure an LZ first and push to whatever part of the Arcology holds the barrier generators. There would be no point stretching ourselves thin and risking destruction from orbit. That would make pursuing any other objectives moot."
"We might ask one of the drone operators to investigate remotely. Most of them will remain near the LZ during the first phase of the operations," Shepard suggested.
"That's a good idea. At the very least, we should have eyes in that direction to avoid unpleasant surprises. Biotic specialists are taking point as planned, followed by heavy infantry and combat engineers."
"We're on a final approach, going below the barrier," The Pilot informed them just as the shuttle's center of gravity shifted despite the inertial dampeners. "Talon Squadron is on CAP. Bayonet squadron is taking point, followed by the assault shuttles….The Docks are in sight, and we've got a firefight in there…" The Pilot kept them up to speed with the ongoing assault, narrating calmly as if discussing nothing more consequence than a weather forecast in a temperate world. "Sir, I'm seeing those Creeper things attempting to swarm Geth fire teams while local security is shooting the flashlight-heads. They aren't engaging the zombies," At that, the Pilot did sound baffled for a moment before his voice turned back to being disturbingly calm. "We have active defenses and two Geth drop ships shooting at each other… the fighters are going in…"
"ExoGein either found a way to control the Creepers, or the locals are compromised," Shepard concluded grimly. "We hit the Geth hard and purge the Creepers. If the locals fire on us, lethal force is authorized. When practical, use concussive rounds and tech attacks to incapacitate. We need prisoners for interrogation and medical examination."
John didn't let any of his unease at issuing those orders show in his voice. His N7 training helped a lot in that regard.
Despite the shuttle's armor, the sounds of rapid-fire cannons, explosions, and the snap-crack of GARDIAN lasers in the atmosphere rumbled through the hull, echoing inside.
=DC=
Three Turian fighters went for each of the enemy transports. The Geth reacted faster than a living gunner could have comprehended their arrival, and side-mounted weapons spat lasers and plasma in defiance. At this range, sensors and weapons meant for space combat couldn't possibly miss. Barriers flared, deflecting solid shots or blazing when plasma-coated rounds splashed over them. Lasers cut through, carving into ablative armor. GARDIAN shots found the cockpits of two Turian fighters, sending them spiral out of control. Disruptor torpedoes and missiles followed rapid-fire cannon rounds while two shielded defense turrets hammered the insectoid dropships.
The next wave – six heavy armored and bulky assault shuttles entered the fray, adding firepower to the onslaught. That was too much for the Geth vessels. Their barriers popped, and ordnance slammed into their sides. Disruptor torpedoes broke through and went to carve deep channels into the Arcology's super-structures. Missiles, rockets, and cannons chewed through the compromised side armor, some detonating inside and causing secondary explosions. One dropship tore itself apart, while the second broke in two and crashed into the hangar's floor.
That should have been it for the Geth assaulting the docks. Caught between the defenders and the Citadel force, they should have been annihilated quickly. Instead, the active defensive turrets switched targets and opened fire on the newcomers, followed by missile teams. Lasers and slugs carved off the wing of a fighter, sending it to crash into a nearby crane. They locked on an assault shuttle and hammered at it while the remaining fighters and armed transports responded in kind. The next wave of regular shuttles flew into the hangar. Instead of facing suppressed Geth units under fire from multiple directions, they had to go for a hot landing with both sides attempting to engage them.
Chapter 10
=DC=
Part 3
=DC=
=DC=
Part 3
=DC=
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
Thirty shuttles escorted by two squadrons of Turian fighters screamed through the shadows of vast city canyons. With the enemy ships in orbit destroyed and the orbital secure for now, speed was more important than stealth. It was a race to reach their target before enemy reinforcements appeared in space.
While his shuttle hurled past surprisingly intact skyscrapers, Shepard could only marvel at how intact the cities they flew past were after tens of thousands of years without maintenance. At a glance, he would have said that the place had been abandoned a few decades ago at worst. Watching the city outside drove the point about why everyone held the Proteans in such high esteem, even more than the Relays and the Citadel itself. The former were just there; as a crew member, you only saw them if you were stationed in the cockpit or had a reason to be there during a transit. On the always-bustling Citadel, it was effortless to forget who built the place and how old it was.
For some reason, the long-abandoned cities on Feros profoundly affected Shepard, even if he wasn't sure why.
"Sergeant Taylor, make sure everyone's seals are rechecked. We are five minutes out from the Arcology. I want no avoidable casualties!" Shepard ordered after checking his omni-tool. He ignored the Marines' bustle to examine the latest sensor data from the ships in orbit. They were approaching on vectors carrying them towards the docks. The infrastructure would allow easier logistics, reinforcement deployment, and wounded evacuation, if even partially intact. Taking the security center responsible for the docks might even net them an up-to-date map of the Arcology or at least a way to feasibly contact any friendly forces in the area. Either way, the mission had already changed – they had to secure whatever machinery kept a barrier above the city and keep it operational in case the enemy brought reinforcements. Once that was done, they could proceed with their original mission – figuring out what the Geth wanted on Feros, securing evidence against ExoGeni, and finding the source of the zombies.
Sadly, saving any of the locals, provided they weren't compromised already, was way down on the priority list. Shepard couldn't even find pragmatic reasons to disagree. It wasn't like he had standing orders from the Council to ignore the Colonists; it was just that their lives weren't critical in the grand scheme of things.
"Seals are fine, sir. I need to check yours," Taylor reported.
"Do so, Sergeant."
"We are three minutes out," The Pilot informed them. "I'm detecting faint thermal blooms consistent with weapons fire. There's something hot a few miles from the barrier's edge, low in the row of skyscrapers at nine o'clock. It's faint enough that the ships in orbit might not have detected it with all the sensor ghosts thrown by the barrier."
"We're going in hot then. Mark the heat signature as a point of interest. We might send someone to investigate after we secure a landing zone," Shepard thought aloud.
"Geth?" Taylor asked while waving his omni-tool over Shepard's armor, looking for anything out of order.
"We might be looking at a forward base or staging ground for assaults on the Arcology. The Geth were ready to pulverize the area from orbit. If that place isn't theirs, the odds are good they would have taken it out before we arrived."
Shepard could think of reasons why the enemy would want to destroy the Arcology while preserving something valuable nearby. However, he couldn't count on that. Either way, investigating the location to confirm whether it needed to be taken and protected or destroyed was now yet another mission objective.
"Vasir, Shepard," Johh contacted one of the nearby shuttles carrying the Asari Spectre. Sensibly, there was no more than a single officer or VIP on each shuttle – only fools put all their eggs in one basket if they could avoid it. "You should already know about our new point of interest. Thoughts?"
"We secure an LZ first and push to whatever part of the Arcology holds the barrier generators. There would be no point stretching ourselves thin and risking destruction from orbit. That would make pursuing any other objectives moot."
"We might ask one of the drone operators to investigate remotely. Most of them will remain near the LZ during the first phase of the operations," Shepard suggested.
"That's a good idea. At the very least, we should have eyes in that direction to avoid unpleasant surprises. Biotic specialists are taking point as planned, followed by heavy infantry and combat engineers."
"We're on a final approach, going below the barrier," The Pilot informed them just as the shuttle's center of gravity shifted despite the inertial dampeners. "Talon Squadron is on CAP. Bayonet squadron is taking point, followed by the assault shuttles….The Docks are in sight, and we've got a firefight in there…" The Pilot kept them up to speed with the ongoing assault, narrating calmly as if discussing nothing more consequence than a weather forecast in a temperate world. "Sir, I'm seeing those Creeper things attempting to swarm Geth fire teams while local security is shooting the flashlight-heads. They aren't engaging the zombies," At that, the Pilot did sound baffled for a moment before his voice turned back to being disturbingly calm. "We have active defenses and two Geth drop ships shooting at each other… the fighters are going in…"
"ExoGein either found a way to control the Creepers, or the locals are compromised," Shepard concluded grimly. "We hit the Geth hard and purge the Creepers. If the locals fire on us, lethal force is authorized. When practical, use concussive rounds and tech attacks to incapacitate. We need prisoners for interrogation and medical examination."
John didn't let any of his unease at issuing those orders show in his voice. His N7 training helped a lot in that regard.
Despite the shuttle's armor, the sounds of rapid-fire cannons, explosions, and the snap-crack of GARDIAN lasers in the atmosphere rumbled through the hull, echoing inside.
=DC=
Three Turian fighters went for each of the enemy transports. The Geth reacted faster than a living gunner could have comprehended their arrival, and side-mounted weapons spat lasers and plasma in defiance. At this range, sensors and weapons meant for space combat couldn't possibly miss. Barriers flared, deflecting solid shots or blazing when plasma-coated rounds splashed over them. Lasers cut through, carving into ablative armor. GARDIAN shots found the cockpits of two Turian fighters, sending them spiral out of control. Disruptor torpedoes and missiles followed rapid-fire cannon rounds while two shielded defense turrets hammered the insectoid dropships.
The next wave – six heavy armored and bulky assault shuttles entered the fray, adding firepower to the onslaught. That was too much for the Geth vessels. Their barriers popped, and ordnance slammed into their sides. Disruptor torpedoes broke through and went to carve deep channels into the Arcology's super-structures. Missiles, rockets, and cannons chewed through the compromised side armor, some detonating inside and causing secondary explosions. One dropship tore itself apart, while the second broke in two and crashed into the hangar's floor.
That should have been it for the Geth assaulting the docks. Caught between the defenders and the Citadel force, they should have been annihilated quickly. Instead, the active defensive turrets switched targets and opened fire on the newcomers, followed by missile teams. Lasers and slugs carved off the wing of a fighter, sending it to crash into a nearby crane. They locked on an assault shuttle and hammered at it while the remaining fighters and armed transports responded in kind. The next wave of regular shuttles flew into the hangar. Instead of facing suppressed Geth units under fire from multiple directions, they had to go for a hot landing with both sides attempting to engage them.
Last edited:
Chapter 10 Part 4
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
Biotics jumped out of descending shuttles surrounded by coronas of power. In a flash of blue light, they slammed into clusters of Geth and Creepers, releasing pulses of dark energy that pulverized flesh, bone and shattered armor. Marksmen and support gunners provided suppressing fire while regular infantry rapidly deployed and engaged the enemy.
Rockets and Geth pulse rifles fired at the shuttles, hitting barriers. Slugs bounced off, plasma clawed at the defense fields, and warheads detonated, weakening them. One shuttle was particularly unfortunate to get the attention of the presumably compromised locals and Geth rocket troopers. Its pilot aborted the troop deployment and went evasive. However, missiles followed, detonating against its barrier until it popped like a soap bubble. A warhead detonated against the heavy frontal armor, rattling the pilot. Another tore off one of the engines before a third flew into the open troop compartment just as a Turian tried to slam the door shut. The resulting explosion sent the shuttle spinning out of control, and it crashed through a couple of catwalks before slamming into the solid foundation of the hangar.
Shepard hurled himself out of the transport, followed by Taylor and the rest of the Marines. While in mid-air, he sent an overload program at a nearby Geth, burning through its shields and staggering it. The Spectre landed hard and bounced forward, gripping his rifle with both hands. He fired burst after burst at the weakened platform until his shots perforated its armor and sent white conductive liquid everywhere.
The sergeant and his squad joined the fray, hitting a Geth fire team already engaged with many Creeper things. Up close, those greenish zombies looked particularly wrong and offensive. Concussive shots blew them into chunks of thick green goo before incinerate programs set it on fire. A Geth flamethrower unit had the same idea, turning zombies into screeching torches. The fire burned hot enough to rapidly burn through flesh and lock joints in position, quickly neutralizing its targets. However, there were simply too many zombies coming from too many directions. They swarmed the Geth pyro unit, and to Shepard's unpleasant surprise, their clawed hands were up to the task of slicing through armor. One of the strikes compromised the fuel tank on Geth's back, while another splashed charged conductive liquid into the bursting fuel. The resulting explosion nearly threw Shepard off the catwalk he was on and obliterated almost a dozen zombies.
"Don't let the Creepers close! They can compromise armor!" Shepard barked into the chaotic command network. His unit finally finished off the last Geth in the immediate vicinity. It focused on clearing the swarming Creepers crawling from below. The damn things were good climbers, too, further increasing the danger they presented if not engaged in the open.
Shepard winced when he glimpsed an assault shuttle spiraling out of control, carved open by the laser turret, moments before the rest of the air assets finally silenced it. They then focused on the other heavy emplacement, hammering them with rapid-fire shells. Effective air support was out of the question until that turret was out of commission, and they hunted the remaining rocket troopers.
Vasir apparently had the same idea.
"All units, focus on the enemy anti-air assets!" The Asari Spectre barked into the command channel.
"Rocket troopers are priority targets! Marksmen focus on them!" Shepard added. He sent an incinerate blast into the face of an approaching zombie while putting his rifle to a magnetic clamp so he could get his shotgun. There were no more Geth nearby, and his inferno-rounds modified Katana would serve him better against the Creepers.
Vasir was in her element. She used her Biotics to flash between groups of Geth and Athame, damned zombies of all things. She released pulses of dark energy, blasting apart Creepers and damaging Geth. If practical, Tela left the odd live grenade as a present before charging into another group of enemies to disrupt them. A handful of Commandos, Turian Cabals, and human Biotics did the same. Their primary task was keeping the enemy off-balance and allowing the remaining deploying soldiers to annihilate them. Vasir and a handful of other, more powerful Biotics were more than capable of tearing whole squads apart within moments, leaving crippled survivors behind to be finished off. The rest acted as power multipliers, greatly simplifying the job of their allies.
Vasir charged past a rocket flying her way and slammed a dark-energy-coated fist into the flashlight head of a Geth with a missile launcher. The metallic flaps around the camera eye burst away from the impact. At the same time, the lens imploded, driving shards into the electronics behind it.
Most people would have died from such a blow, having their brains turned into mush. The Geth merely lost its primary sensors and reeled from the strike. A shotgun blast at point-blank range sliced through its chest armor. Vasir immediately slammed a Warp field into its guts while her overloaded barriers absorbed all incoming fire. Her blood sang with power, and her nerves were on fire, sparking with dark energy.
Vasir jumped out of the platform she was on and flashed to another catwalk before Creepers swarmed her former position, eager to tear her apart. Instead, they fell upon a crippled Geth fire team, none-the-wiser of the grenade Tela left as a parting gift.
The last turret blew up, and the assault shuttles could finally turn their attention to the enemy infantry. The remaining Turian fighters joined the fray, strafing Geth and Creepers, turning them into chunks of flesh and shards of sparkling metal with rapid-fire cannons. The air support focused on the Geth first, and the rapid decline in their numbers had a cascading effect, disrupting the remaining platforms and decreasing their combat effectiveness at the worst possible time. Citadel forces and Creepers tore them apart before focusing on each other.
The air support was useless in close-quarter fighting, so they focused on the compromised locals. The remaining assault shuttles pushed forward, deploying their troops to flank the defenders. ExoGeni security forces and local militia held their ground with suicidal tenacity when they should have retreated.
Air strikes blew up HMG emplacements and cover, while Biotics danced in and out of the fray, knocking out whole squads. When fire teams from the hangar proper fought their way to the locals' positions, it was all over but the screaming.
Chapter 10
=DC=
Part 4
=DC=
=DC=
Part 4
=DC=
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
Biotics jumped out of descending shuttles surrounded by coronas of power. In a flash of blue light, they slammed into clusters of Geth and Creepers, releasing pulses of dark energy that pulverized flesh, bone and shattered armor. Marksmen and support gunners provided suppressing fire while regular infantry rapidly deployed and engaged the enemy.
Rockets and Geth pulse rifles fired at the shuttles, hitting barriers. Slugs bounced off, plasma clawed at the defense fields, and warheads detonated, weakening them. One shuttle was particularly unfortunate to get the attention of the presumably compromised locals and Geth rocket troopers. Its pilot aborted the troop deployment and went evasive. However, missiles followed, detonating against its barrier until it popped like a soap bubble. A warhead detonated against the heavy frontal armor, rattling the pilot. Another tore off one of the engines before a third flew into the open troop compartment just as a Turian tried to slam the door shut. The resulting explosion sent the shuttle spinning out of control, and it crashed through a couple of catwalks before slamming into the solid foundation of the hangar.
Shepard hurled himself out of the transport, followed by Taylor and the rest of the Marines. While in mid-air, he sent an overload program at a nearby Geth, burning through its shields and staggering it. The Spectre landed hard and bounced forward, gripping his rifle with both hands. He fired burst after burst at the weakened platform until his shots perforated its armor and sent white conductive liquid everywhere.
The sergeant and his squad joined the fray, hitting a Geth fire team already engaged with many Creeper things. Up close, those greenish zombies looked particularly wrong and offensive. Concussive shots blew them into chunks of thick green goo before incinerate programs set it on fire. A Geth flamethrower unit had the same idea, turning zombies into screeching torches. The fire burned hot enough to rapidly burn through flesh and lock joints in position, quickly neutralizing its targets. However, there were simply too many zombies coming from too many directions. They swarmed the Geth pyro unit, and to Shepard's unpleasant surprise, their clawed hands were up to the task of slicing through armor. One of the strikes compromised the fuel tank on Geth's back, while another splashed charged conductive liquid into the bursting fuel. The resulting explosion nearly threw Shepard off the catwalk he was on and obliterated almost a dozen zombies.
"Don't let the Creepers close! They can compromise armor!" Shepard barked into the chaotic command network. His unit finally finished off the last Geth in the immediate vicinity. It focused on clearing the swarming Creepers crawling from below. The damn things were good climbers, too, further increasing the danger they presented if not engaged in the open.
Shepard winced when he glimpsed an assault shuttle spiraling out of control, carved open by the laser turret, moments before the rest of the air assets finally silenced it. They then focused on the other heavy emplacement, hammering them with rapid-fire shells. Effective air support was out of the question until that turret was out of commission, and they hunted the remaining rocket troopers.
Vasir apparently had the same idea.
"All units, focus on the enemy anti-air assets!" The Asari Spectre barked into the command channel.
"Rocket troopers are priority targets! Marksmen focus on them!" Shepard added. He sent an incinerate blast into the face of an approaching zombie while putting his rifle to a magnetic clamp so he could get his shotgun. There were no more Geth nearby, and his inferno-rounds modified Katana would serve him better against the Creepers.
=DC=
Vasir was in her element. She used her Biotics to flash between groups of Geth and Athame, damned zombies of all things. She released pulses of dark energy, blasting apart Creepers and damaging Geth. If practical, Tela left the odd live grenade as a present before charging into another group of enemies to disrupt them. A handful of Commandos, Turian Cabals, and human Biotics did the same. Their primary task was keeping the enemy off-balance and allowing the remaining deploying soldiers to annihilate them. Vasir and a handful of other, more powerful Biotics were more than capable of tearing whole squads apart within moments, leaving crippled survivors behind to be finished off. The rest acted as power multipliers, greatly simplifying the job of their allies.
Vasir charged past a rocket flying her way and slammed a dark-energy-coated fist into the flashlight head of a Geth with a missile launcher. The metallic flaps around the camera eye burst away from the impact. At the same time, the lens imploded, driving shards into the electronics behind it.
Most people would have died from such a blow, having their brains turned into mush. The Geth merely lost its primary sensors and reeled from the strike. A shotgun blast at point-blank range sliced through its chest armor. Vasir immediately slammed a Warp field into its guts while her overloaded barriers absorbed all incoming fire. Her blood sang with power, and her nerves were on fire, sparking with dark energy.
Vasir jumped out of the platform she was on and flashed to another catwalk before Creepers swarmed her former position, eager to tear her apart. Instead, they fell upon a crippled Geth fire team, none-the-wiser of the grenade Tela left as a parting gift.
=DC=
The last turret blew up, and the assault shuttles could finally turn their attention to the enemy infantry. The remaining Turian fighters joined the fray, strafing Geth and Creepers, turning them into chunks of flesh and shards of sparkling metal with rapid-fire cannons. The air support focused on the Geth first, and the rapid decline in their numbers had a cascading effect, disrupting the remaining platforms and decreasing their combat effectiveness at the worst possible time. Citadel forces and Creepers tore them apart before focusing on each other.
The air support was useless in close-quarter fighting, so they focused on the compromised locals. The remaining assault shuttles pushed forward, deploying their troops to flank the defenders. ExoGeni security forces and local militia held their ground with suicidal tenacity when they should have retreated.
Air strikes blew up HMG emplacements and cover, while Biotics danced in and out of the fray, knocking out whole squads. When fire teams from the hangar proper fought their way to the locals' positions, it was all over but the screaming.
Chapter 10 Part 5
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
From Shepard's position, the end of the fighting for the hangar bay was anti-climatic. With the Geth fire teams neutralized, he and most marines had to deal only with waves of swarming Creepers. Air support managed to nail some of them before they could reach the catwalks, while the rest were manageable as long as you could keep the range open. That is not to say that neutralizing the threat came without casualties. If one of those things came into range, its claws were sharp enough and had sufficient power behind them to breach hardsuits. Anyone hit that way was potentially compromised and thus a medical casualty, even if they were otherwise intact. Shepard had five soldiers that way and had to deal with them. At the same time, Sergeant Taylor got him a complete casualty list and policed the battlefield for any Geth or Creepers playing dead.
"Put the wounded under quarantine. We'll use a proper defensive position that can't be easily swarmed. I want them disarmed—weapons, explosives, tools, comms… and put under guard. We will need a long-term holding facility until medical can clear them out. That will be either one of our ships in orbit or a local building well away from the active combat zone."
Shepard didn't have to see people's faces to figure out that no one was pleased with his orders, though save for some expected grumbling, there were no signs of protest. It was a good thing that everyone was briefed on the kind of mess they willingly walked into.
"Sergeant Taylor, walk with me and report," Shepard ordered, heading for the hangar control facilities. Behind them, combat engineers went salvaging Geth data cores for intelligence while marines made sure the platforms wouldn't be able to rise again without a complete rebuild. Others ensured the Creepers were really dead, all acting in a way that would be considered war crimes if they were dealing with a proper military or even criminal organization.
Unless it was pirates or slavers. Most 'civilized' people agreed that the old-school methods of killing them all, unless you needed information, were for the best. If you were nice about it, you could give any prisoners you bothered to take a military tribunal, where the outcome was usually guaranteed.
"Two shuttles gone with everyone on board, eighteen dead there. Four fighters were shot down, and one pilot might be recoverable. A shuttle is going to check on their crashed site. We have two dead, thrown, or fallen from the catwalks and five wounded, presumably compromised. The butcher's bill about the assault on the locals' defenses is still in the air, sir."
Shepard was glad his helmet hid his grimace. If the locals weren't compromised or simply insane, then the casualties would be a fraction of what they suffered. Ideally, heads would be rolling for this on the Corpo side, yet if they were all brainwashed… Shepard cursed in his mind before shoving those thoughts away for later.
"Sergeant, we have guards covering the catwalks and possible infiltration sites. If we can do anything about it, we can't be swarmed by the Creepers again."
"I'll see it done, sir," Taylor nodded and jogged back, shouting orders.
Shepard climbed two flights of stairs and carefully walked through an area blasted by air power. The smoking remains of turrets rose above him like demented smoke stacks. A makeshift barricade made of crates had been blocking the path before missiles blew it apart, defenders and all. There were pieces of people in dark-green hardsuits – the colors of the local militia and ExoGeni's private security.
The Spectre passed more destroyed strongpoints, taken out by air strikes, or stormed by Biotic specialists. The former left pieces of people everywhere, and the latter was arguably worse, considering the twisted, deformed, and broken bodies they left behind. At least those would be easier for the medics to examine, so as morbid as it sounded, that was a silver lining.
"Shepard, you're intact, good!" Vasir's boisterous voice made John's head snap up in its direction.
The Asari Spectre sat on a crate near what appeared to be a fortified building or perhaps standard Prothean construction. While the place had windows, they were covered by shutters, which were slabs of dark metal. Engineers were busy cutting their way through the door, and it wasn't happening very fast if the Salarians' curses and sharp gestures were anything to go by.
"Protean engineering at its finest," Vasir waved at the hangar's presumed control center. Blowing ourselves a way in will require enough ordnance that any computers inside will be destroyed, which will be counterproductive. The docks seem sealed except for this access point. We're stuck here for the moment.
"Alternative insertion points?" Shepard suggested.
"I just got a report from your Sergeant. We suffered three more dead and four wounded, taking apart the militia and corpo mercs. They didn't falter or show any trace of fear even as we took the last of them out. They were all fighting with the discipline and determination of veterans, Shepard. Some of them are kids who couldn't have much training or experience."
"You have prisoners?" Shepard inquired. That was the first piece of good news he got today.
"All knocked out. No one was in a surrendering mood. They're under guard and sedated. As I said, some look to be seventeen or eighteen," Vasir grumbled. "We need to reevaluate the threat being compromised by these spores presents."
Shepard's mind raced with the implications, and he didn't like any conclusion he could think of.
"We need heavy reinforcements. There are two more waves for the shuttles to bring down. We can't rely on air support in the Arcology."
"Apparently, your people wanting to wait until they had a battalion ready with its logistics before sending you in was a good call. More troop transports and associated escorts should be assembled as we speak. We must hold a beachhead and ensure the Geth don't manage to shut down the barrier generators before we're reinforced," Vasir grumbled. "There's no chance of us securing this place ourselves if this engagement indicates what we will face going forward."
"We should fortify the hangar, then send in drones to find us either a source of intelligence worth securing, the generators, or a target worth hitting. Either way, going blind is not a good idea. We can get swarmed and torn to pieces or compromised," Shepard's voice sounded as frustrated as he felt.
"If it wasn't for the Geth being ready to blow up the place from orbit, I would say it would have been better if we had waited for more reinforcements before heading here," Vasir stretched as much as her heavy armor allowed. "Chin up, Shepard. If the mission was easy, they wouldn't have sent us. You are your people's first Spectre, and with our luck, we'll make you a legend in no time at all."
"Shepard, Presley," The XO's voice sounded in John's helmet. "It's good to hear you've secured the LZ. The shuttles are returning to pick up the next landing wave. So far, we've got no sign of enemy reinforcements in orbit. The only issue here is your pet Krogan is making a ruckus in the med-bay."
"Presley, Shepard. That's good to know. What's up with Wrex?"
"He wants to fight," Presley said in a flat tone, indicating he wasn't enjoying Krogan's temper tantrum.
"He always wants to fight. Isn't he still on medical leave?"
"Dr. Chakwas is still ensuring his plates and skin regenerate properly from all the Rachni acid he drenched in. She is still plucking bullets and shrapnel out of his hump that should have been removed years, if not decades, ago. Chakwas isn't letting him out of the medbay before she's done with him. Your Krogan disagrees."
"Tell him we'll be here for the long haul. He'll have enough time to have fun bashing heads before we're done with Feros," Shepard wondered when a babysitter became a part of his job description.
Chapter 10
=DC=
Part 5
=DC=
=DC=
Part 5
=DC=
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
From Shepard's position, the end of the fighting for the hangar bay was anti-climatic. With the Geth fire teams neutralized, he and most marines had to deal only with waves of swarming Creepers. Air support managed to nail some of them before they could reach the catwalks, while the rest were manageable as long as you could keep the range open. That is not to say that neutralizing the threat came without casualties. If one of those things came into range, its claws were sharp enough and had sufficient power behind them to breach hardsuits. Anyone hit that way was potentially compromised and thus a medical casualty, even if they were otherwise intact. Shepard had five soldiers that way and had to deal with them. At the same time, Sergeant Taylor got him a complete casualty list and policed the battlefield for any Geth or Creepers playing dead.
"Put the wounded under quarantine. We'll use a proper defensive position that can't be easily swarmed. I want them disarmed—weapons, explosives, tools, comms… and put under guard. We will need a long-term holding facility until medical can clear them out. That will be either one of our ships in orbit or a local building well away from the active combat zone."
Shepard didn't have to see people's faces to figure out that no one was pleased with his orders, though save for some expected grumbling, there were no signs of protest. It was a good thing that everyone was briefed on the kind of mess they willingly walked into.
"Sergeant Taylor, walk with me and report," Shepard ordered, heading for the hangar control facilities. Behind them, combat engineers went salvaging Geth data cores for intelligence while marines made sure the platforms wouldn't be able to rise again without a complete rebuild. Others ensured the Creepers were really dead, all acting in a way that would be considered war crimes if they were dealing with a proper military or even criminal organization.
Unless it was pirates or slavers. Most 'civilized' people agreed that the old-school methods of killing them all, unless you needed information, were for the best. If you were nice about it, you could give any prisoners you bothered to take a military tribunal, where the outcome was usually guaranteed.
"Two shuttles gone with everyone on board, eighteen dead there. Four fighters were shot down, and one pilot might be recoverable. A shuttle is going to check on their crashed site. We have two dead, thrown, or fallen from the catwalks and five wounded, presumably compromised. The butcher's bill about the assault on the locals' defenses is still in the air, sir."
Shepard was glad his helmet hid his grimace. If the locals weren't compromised or simply insane, then the casualties would be a fraction of what they suffered. Ideally, heads would be rolling for this on the Corpo side, yet if they were all brainwashed… Shepard cursed in his mind before shoving those thoughts away for later.
"Sergeant, we have guards covering the catwalks and possible infiltration sites. If we can do anything about it, we can't be swarmed by the Creepers again."
"I'll see it done, sir," Taylor nodded and jogged back, shouting orders.
Shepard climbed two flights of stairs and carefully walked through an area blasted by air power. The smoking remains of turrets rose above him like demented smoke stacks. A makeshift barricade made of crates had been blocking the path before missiles blew it apart, defenders and all. There were pieces of people in dark-green hardsuits – the colors of the local militia and ExoGeni's private security.
The Spectre passed more destroyed strongpoints, taken out by air strikes, or stormed by Biotic specialists. The former left pieces of people everywhere, and the latter was arguably worse, considering the twisted, deformed, and broken bodies they left behind. At least those would be easier for the medics to examine, so as morbid as it sounded, that was a silver lining.
"Shepard, you're intact, good!" Vasir's boisterous voice made John's head snap up in its direction.
The Asari Spectre sat on a crate near what appeared to be a fortified building or perhaps standard Prothean construction. While the place had windows, they were covered by shutters, which were slabs of dark metal. Engineers were busy cutting their way through the door, and it wasn't happening very fast if the Salarians' curses and sharp gestures were anything to go by.
"Protean engineering at its finest," Vasir waved at the hangar's presumed control center. Blowing ourselves a way in will require enough ordnance that any computers inside will be destroyed, which will be counterproductive. The docks seem sealed except for this access point. We're stuck here for the moment.
"Alternative insertion points?" Shepard suggested.
"I just got a report from your Sergeant. We suffered three more dead and four wounded, taking apart the militia and corpo mercs. They didn't falter or show any trace of fear even as we took the last of them out. They were all fighting with the discipline and determination of veterans, Shepard. Some of them are kids who couldn't have much training or experience."
"You have prisoners?" Shepard inquired. That was the first piece of good news he got today.
"All knocked out. No one was in a surrendering mood. They're under guard and sedated. As I said, some look to be seventeen or eighteen," Vasir grumbled. "We need to reevaluate the threat being compromised by these spores presents."
Shepard's mind raced with the implications, and he didn't like any conclusion he could think of.
"We need heavy reinforcements. There are two more waves for the shuttles to bring down. We can't rely on air support in the Arcology."
"Apparently, your people wanting to wait until they had a battalion ready with its logistics before sending you in was a good call. More troop transports and associated escorts should be assembled as we speak. We must hold a beachhead and ensure the Geth don't manage to shut down the barrier generators before we're reinforced," Vasir grumbled. "There's no chance of us securing this place ourselves if this engagement indicates what we will face going forward."
"We should fortify the hangar, then send in drones to find us either a source of intelligence worth securing, the generators, or a target worth hitting. Either way, going blind is not a good idea. We can get swarmed and torn to pieces or compromised," Shepard's voice sounded as frustrated as he felt.
"If it wasn't for the Geth being ready to blow up the place from orbit, I would say it would have been better if we had waited for more reinforcements before heading here," Vasir stretched as much as her heavy armor allowed. "Chin up, Shepard. If the mission was easy, they wouldn't have sent us. You are your people's first Spectre, and with our luck, we'll make you a legend in no time at all."
"Shepard, Presley," The XO's voice sounded in John's helmet. "It's good to hear you've secured the LZ. The shuttles are returning to pick up the next landing wave. So far, we've got no sign of enemy reinforcements in orbit. The only issue here is your pet Krogan is making a ruckus in the med-bay."
"Presley, Shepard. That's good to know. What's up with Wrex?"
"He wants to fight," Presley said in a flat tone, indicating he wasn't enjoying Krogan's temper tantrum.
"He always wants to fight. Isn't he still on medical leave?"
"Dr. Chakwas is still ensuring his plates and skin regenerate properly from all the Rachni acid he drenched in. She is still plucking bullets and shrapnel out of his hump that should have been removed years, if not decades, ago. Chakwas isn't letting him out of the medbay before she's done with him. Your Krogan disagrees."
"Tell him we'll be here for the long haul. He'll have enough time to have fun bashing heads before we're done with Feros," Shepard wondered when a babysitter became a part of his job description.
Last edited:
Chapter 10 Part 6
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
"Mistakes were made," Vasir concluded in a voice drier than desert wind.
Shepard had to agree, and he didn't see this particular issue coming. The second reinforcement wave was already on its way; there was no sign of Geth naval reinforcements – so far, so good. On the other hand, they were still stuck in the hangar, with the engineers busy cutting through the damned door to its control center. By now, Shepard was sure that the locals held out until now, not just because they offered stiff resistance and the Creepers were aiding them. If the rest of the Arcology was locked down like this place, their progress would have been slowed to a crawl even without effective resistance unless the Geth brought the right tools for the job.
"We are almost through!" A Salarian engineer eagerly exclaimed.
Vasir pointed out, "We might have to cut or blow our way out of the command center, too…"
"Did ExoGeni set up in a military base instead of a regular city?" Shepard wondered aloud.
"I might be a few centuries old, but I am not a Prothean expert," Vasir shrugged. "We need a few of those here yesterday."
They requested such experts with any future reinforcements, though those would be at least a day or two away. It would take longer to reach them without a hastily assembled quick reaction force.
A piece of the thick, rugged armored door fell to the floor with a long clang, prompting ragged cheers of relief. The engineers scampered away to avoid potential nasty surprises and sent in drones.
"Clear! The computers are shot up but might be recoverable," One of the Salarians reported.
"And the door leading deeper into the city is locked down?" Vasir prompted.
"We'll begin cutting through it immediately. Get the computer specialists in here to assess the damage. If we're lucky, only the user interface is destroyed," The Salarian ordered and nimbly went through the still-glowing hole.
"Unless the recon drones and flight find us a better insertion point, we'll be stuck here for some time," Shepard concluded. There was the standard hurry-up-and-wait inherent to most military operations, but this was ridiculous!
"Commander, we finally got drones close to the thermal signature outside! You need to see this! I'm sending you a live feed!" Taylor's voice interrupted Shepard's mussing.
"Finally, something interesting…" Vasir trailed off as she stared at her omni-tool.
"That's a mech production line operated by the Geth…" At least they weren't building more Geth as reinforcement besides the Arcology, but this was bad enough. Apparently, it took a swarm of recon drones to push through enemy counter-measure and defensive emplacements to glimpse what looked like a brand-new production line and other assorted equipment with ExoGeni logos on them.
Before being destroyed, the drones that got farther could record just a few seconds of video and transmit it back, showing what might have been originally a cavernous warehouse before the ExoGeni and the Geth set up shop.
"Those are Lokis, state-of-the-art mechs you can find on the civilian market, complete with a production line. They've been in production for just a few months now and are still considered untested…" one of the drone operators explained what they were looking at. "They aren't very smart; you can consider them turrets on legs. They're supposed to be cheap, easy to produce, and maintain."
"That's one way to counter zombie swarms—unleash those things on them," Vasir hummed as if she were pondering the merits of the idea.
"I don't think we will have the time or resources to purge the software of that production line if we can take it intact…" Shepard thought aloud. "We might have to replace all drives, and even then, nasty surprises might be left in other parts of the hardware with its own controlling software."
"Then we take it out. The last thing we need to worry about is a synthetic army hitting us from behind. At the same time, we're busy with everything else," Vasir decided. "We're redirecting the second wave to neutralize that facility."
Doing so, unfortunately, meant that even if they found another good way into the Arcology, they would have to wait for the shuttles to complete their current flight. It was unfortunate they didn't have time to wait for a proper assault ship or two to join them – those had the landing assets to get their whole ground forces complement in one go. Instead, they went with what was available. They packed their ships with as much additional infantry as they could safely carry. That had apparent drawbacks as far as logistics were concerned….
"Why is it there, anyway?" Shepard asked. "It's not like there's a lack of space in a mostly empty Arcology…"
"The production line?" Vasir inquired. "The Corpos knew about the Creepers for some time."
"They set it up as a contingency or to keep them bottled down. The source of those things can be either below our feet or the nearby buildings with the mech fabricator in them," Shepard theorized. Either way, dealing with that infestation and its source would be a major undertaking, for they simply lacked the numbers. It was a good thing that doing so wasn't the key objective of their mission.
"Who says there's just one source of those Creeper things?" Vasir just had to point out how things can get even worse.
Being forced to wait had a few unintended benefits. First, the engineers managed to splice a way into the shot-up computers in the control room, which netted them some valuable information.
"We've got a map of the nearby levels," A Turian combat engineer announced and sent everyone data packages. "The place is built like a fortress," he said with approval ringing in his voice. "Various corridors and junctions have been sealed, or otherwise blocked, with the few remaining paths heavily fortified."
"We'll have to advance down long corridors without any cover. If the walls are anywhere as tough as those doors, making our own entrances won't be viable," Vasir didn't sound happy. That kind of head-on assault was something even the best Asari Commandos avoided like the plague if they had a choice.
"It appears that all elevators have been locked down and the shafts sealed. They apparently have armored shutters at every floor, ensuring that any assault up or down the transit shafts would be a slow and loud process," The Turian continued. "The stairways lack such shutters on regular intervals, though every platform there has been built as a strong point," He pointed at red symbols identical to those present at various junctions along the available transit corridors.
"Unless all colonists and ExoGeni personnel have been compromised, I don't see how they could man all those locations even if using a lot of mechs. There are a couple of hundred positions on these plans in our immediate vicinity alone…" Shepard grimaced. "We might have to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about ExoGeni's operation here."
"We should be able to speak with a few of the prisoners soon," Vasir noted, clearly unhappy. "As things stand, going in blind might be an exercise in futility."
Shepard pointed out, "They're unlikely to talk," He said, "even if they want to."
"If it comes down to it, I will do my best to tear the knowledge from their minds," Vasir promised darkly.
"Forced mind-meld?" Shepard asked warily. "Isn't that ineffective unless the partner is willing?"
"It is extremely tiring under the best circumstances, not to mention a taboo. In combination with the right sedatives, it is possible to glimpse bits and pieces. It is not an effective interrogation tool," her frustration was evident in Vasir's voice. "However, it is not like we have many good options right now."
Chapter 10
=DC=
Part 6
=DC=
=DC=
Part 6
=DC=
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
"Mistakes were made," Vasir concluded in a voice drier than desert wind.
Shepard had to agree, and he didn't see this particular issue coming. The second reinforcement wave was already on its way; there was no sign of Geth naval reinforcements – so far, so good. On the other hand, they were still stuck in the hangar, with the engineers busy cutting through the damned door to its control center. By now, Shepard was sure that the locals held out until now, not just because they offered stiff resistance and the Creepers were aiding them. If the rest of the Arcology was locked down like this place, their progress would have been slowed to a crawl even without effective resistance unless the Geth brought the right tools for the job.
"We are almost through!" A Salarian engineer eagerly exclaimed.
Vasir pointed out, "We might have to cut or blow our way out of the command center, too…"
"Did ExoGeni set up in a military base instead of a regular city?" Shepard wondered aloud.
"I might be a few centuries old, but I am not a Prothean expert," Vasir shrugged. "We need a few of those here yesterday."
They requested such experts with any future reinforcements, though those would be at least a day or two away. It would take longer to reach them without a hastily assembled quick reaction force.
A piece of the thick, rugged armored door fell to the floor with a long clang, prompting ragged cheers of relief. The engineers scampered away to avoid potential nasty surprises and sent in drones.
"Clear! The computers are shot up but might be recoverable," One of the Salarians reported.
"And the door leading deeper into the city is locked down?" Vasir prompted.
"We'll begin cutting through it immediately. Get the computer specialists in here to assess the damage. If we're lucky, only the user interface is destroyed," The Salarian ordered and nimbly went through the still-glowing hole.
"Unless the recon drones and flight find us a better insertion point, we'll be stuck here for some time," Shepard concluded. There was the standard hurry-up-and-wait inherent to most military operations, but this was ridiculous!
"Commander, we finally got drones close to the thermal signature outside! You need to see this! I'm sending you a live feed!" Taylor's voice interrupted Shepard's mussing.
"Finally, something interesting…" Vasir trailed off as she stared at her omni-tool.
"That's a mech production line operated by the Geth…" At least they weren't building more Geth as reinforcement besides the Arcology, but this was bad enough. Apparently, it took a swarm of recon drones to push through enemy counter-measure and defensive emplacements to glimpse what looked like a brand-new production line and other assorted equipment with ExoGeni logos on them.
Before being destroyed, the drones that got farther could record just a few seconds of video and transmit it back, showing what might have been originally a cavernous warehouse before the ExoGeni and the Geth set up shop.
"Those are Lokis, state-of-the-art mechs you can find on the civilian market, complete with a production line. They've been in production for just a few months now and are still considered untested…" one of the drone operators explained what they were looking at. "They aren't very smart; you can consider them turrets on legs. They're supposed to be cheap, easy to produce, and maintain."
"That's one way to counter zombie swarms—unleash those things on them," Vasir hummed as if she were pondering the merits of the idea.
"I don't think we will have the time or resources to purge the software of that production line if we can take it intact…" Shepard thought aloud. "We might have to replace all drives, and even then, nasty surprises might be left in other parts of the hardware with its own controlling software."
"Then we take it out. The last thing we need to worry about is a synthetic army hitting us from behind. At the same time, we're busy with everything else," Vasir decided. "We're redirecting the second wave to neutralize that facility."
Doing so, unfortunately, meant that even if they found another good way into the Arcology, they would have to wait for the shuttles to complete their current flight. It was unfortunate they didn't have time to wait for a proper assault ship or two to join them – those had the landing assets to get their whole ground forces complement in one go. Instead, they went with what was available. They packed their ships with as much additional infantry as they could safely carry. That had apparent drawbacks as far as logistics were concerned….
"Why is it there, anyway?" Shepard asked. "It's not like there's a lack of space in a mostly empty Arcology…"
"The production line?" Vasir inquired. "The Corpos knew about the Creepers for some time."
"They set it up as a contingency or to keep them bottled down. The source of those things can be either below our feet or the nearby buildings with the mech fabricator in them," Shepard theorized. Either way, dealing with that infestation and its source would be a major undertaking, for they simply lacked the numbers. It was a good thing that doing so wasn't the key objective of their mission.
"Who says there's just one source of those Creeper things?" Vasir just had to point out how things can get even worse.
=DC=
Being forced to wait had a few unintended benefits. First, the engineers managed to splice a way into the shot-up computers in the control room, which netted them some valuable information.
"We've got a map of the nearby levels," A Turian combat engineer announced and sent everyone data packages. "The place is built like a fortress," he said with approval ringing in his voice. "Various corridors and junctions have been sealed, or otherwise blocked, with the few remaining paths heavily fortified."
"We'll have to advance down long corridors without any cover. If the walls are anywhere as tough as those doors, making our own entrances won't be viable," Vasir didn't sound happy. That kind of head-on assault was something even the best Asari Commandos avoided like the plague if they had a choice.
"It appears that all elevators have been locked down and the shafts sealed. They apparently have armored shutters at every floor, ensuring that any assault up or down the transit shafts would be a slow and loud process," The Turian continued. "The stairways lack such shutters on regular intervals, though every platform there has been built as a strong point," He pointed at red symbols identical to those present at various junctions along the available transit corridors.
"Unless all colonists and ExoGeni personnel have been compromised, I don't see how they could man all those locations even if using a lot of mechs. There are a couple of hundred positions on these plans in our immediate vicinity alone…" Shepard grimaced. "We might have to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about ExoGeni's operation here."
"We should be able to speak with a few of the prisoners soon," Vasir noted, clearly unhappy. "As things stand, going in blind might be an exercise in futility."
Shepard pointed out, "They're unlikely to talk," He said, "even if they want to."
"If it comes down to it, I will do my best to tear the knowledge from their minds," Vasir promised darkly.
"Forced mind-meld?" Shepard asked warily. "Isn't that ineffective unless the partner is willing?"
"It is extremely tiring under the best circumstances, not to mention a taboo. In combination with the right sedatives, it is possible to glimpse bits and pieces. It is not an effective interrogation tool," her frustration was evident in Vasir's voice. "However, it is not like we have many good options right now."
Chapter 11 Part 1
AN: I'll appreciate some feedback, especially on the first part from Shepard's POV. It is supposed to be disjoined, for obvious reasons, however I'm not sure if I got it right in tone or presentation.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
Considering how well things had been going since Shepard became a Spectre, he really shouldn't have been surprised that the universe, in general, and the enemy, in particular, got a vote, too. That said, there was no way in hell he could have foreseen this kind of horror. Turning people into cyber zombies like the Geth did was one thing. This was something else entirely, or so Shepard's mind screamed.
"We are all under quarantine. I will shoot anyone trying to breach it myself. And Shepard, if I suddenly have the overwhelming desire to mind-meld with one of those things, do us all a favor and shoot me in the head. You can consider that a standing contingency order," Within moments, Vasir's whole bearing changed.
Shepard couldn't blame her. Or the medic choking in his helmet while two Marines wrestled him to the ground to prevent him from breaching his suit's integrity. Other medics and troopers wrestled with the supposedly sedated enemy wounded. The prisoners were trashing and doing their damned best to get free and fight, no matter their injuries. Yet, it all appeared to happen somewhere far from Shepard.
"We don't have the facilities or personnel to keep them contained," Vasir said in a dead, detached, yet infuriatingly calm voice. "On my authority as a Spectre, we will execute the prisoners."
Above the law or not, any proper soldier should have balked at such orders. Perhaps not the worst stereotypical Turians, or particularly fucked in the head Category Sixes, but everyone else? Shepard dully noted that he was shocked by what he just saw. His mind was still trying to process it, trying to unsee. Shepard was sluggish to react. Hell, he was trying to think about everything around what just happened, but the event that prompted Vasir to give this order.
Three-round bursts and shotgun blasts sounded like cannons. Helmets shattered. Skulls fractured. Fragments of bone, blood, and brain splashed over the metal floor. There were wriggling root-like things in the gore, the same things Shepard and the medics saw in the eyes of the enemy prisoners. More shots, including inferno rounds, put an end to the wriggling. Within moments, all prisoners were safely dead.
"Make sure the enemy dead stay that way!" Vasir snapped.
People looked at each other in what had to be stunned disbelief hidden by their helmets and got themselves moving. Vasir looked around, but her helmet stopped pointing at John.
"Shepard, don't fall apart on me now!" The Asari barked like a Drill Instructor. "Focus, soldier!"
Shepard finally shook himself out of his stupor with a full-body shudder.
"Fuck, that was…"
"It was bad, all right? Only a few nastier things I've seen are plaguing my nightmares, and this place might just top them all…" Vasir shook her head as if she was trying to chase the nightmare away. She angrily flicked her hand to activate her omni-tool.
"Captain Duviso, Spectre Vasir. I am declaring Case Sweet Dreams, Clarion Note Contingency. Feros is now under full quarantine. Every ship that received a shuttle from the surface is under quarantine, too. I confirm the presence of a biological self-replicating weapon able to infect, subvert, and potentially change people into other organisms. I am sending you files for direct transmission to the Council and the Republic's High Command," Vasir sighed and looked at Shepard. "Get the engineers to stop cutting those damn doors. We will hold the position until we know more about what we are dealing with and, ideally, until we have heavy mech and drone support."
Shepard nodded stiffly but ran towards the hangar's control center. Every time he blinked, the image of wide, bloody eyes with roots moving within them flashed to the forefront of his mind. What in God's name did they walk into?!
"Fuck me! The dead are moving!" Taylor shouted. More shots rang throughout the hangar.
Shepard decided he would rather fight a horde of Husks with a spoon than deal with whatever infested Feros.
6.05.2183 GS
Nazara
former Rachni space, the Terminus Systems
Even with information taken from the mind of a Rachni Queen and the calculating prowess of Nazara, locating the Mu Relay within a charged nebula left behind by a supernova was not trivial. A third of their Geth fleet was in the area, scanning for the device.
Through his implants, Saren could feel how frustrated and bored Nazara was with the task at hand. This was wasted time, time they might be unable to afford to lose. Fortunately, the Council was operating under flawed assumptions. They would unlikely sufficiently reinforce the Citadel with fleet and army elements instead of focusing on blocking and quick-reaction forces, which would prove useless. However, the longer the crisis continued, the more likely it became to turn the Citadel into a major military logistics hub. In that case, the available Geth ships, platforms, mercenaries, and Krogan might not prove up to the task even with a surprise on their side. Nazara was beyond mighty, yet for all its bluster, there was a reason it didn't directly assault the Citadel alone.
Saren winced at that thought. He sagged in his seat when his mind wavered under the attention of those infinitely his greater. Nazara's frustration burned hotter than the heart of a star, and Saren had the dubious honor of feeling it firsthand.
"The Geth failed again," Nazara's voice thundered in his mind, echoing repeatedly as if it was a grand chorus speaking, not a single entity… which was the truth of the matter.
Fragments of intercepted transmissions burned themselves in Saren's brain.
"Clarion Call. Sweet Dreams…" The Turian Spectre rasped. "Feros. It is a distraction we don't need!" Saren clawed within the walls of his mind for an answer that would satisfy Nazara. He had to keep proving that the Turian as a whole could be useful to the Cycle; otherwise, annihilation would be awaited! "We can't afford to lose more assets at Feros! We find the Mu relay, transfer all assets we can through it, and relocate to Ilos! We're in Terminus space! The Council must think long and hard before risking a confrontation given the present strategic situation! We will locate the other relay on Ilos!" Saren wasn't sure if he was promising or begging.
The overbearing presence of Nazare in his mind made it hard to think clearly.
"I will secure the Control Center on the Citadel! You will lead the Geth fleet and bypass the Citadel fleets before locking the relay behind you! We can do the same with the Mu Relay after bringing in all our assets to Ilos!"
Nazara retreated, leaving behind a sense of approval. This was a test, Saren understood as he collapsed on himself in exhaustion. He proved himself still useful, and that was all that mattered.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. It isn't for sale or rent.
Chapter 11
=DC=
Part 1
=DC=
=DC=
Part 1
=DC=
6.05.2183 GS
Feros
Thesus system, Attican Beta cluster
Considering how well things had been going since Shepard became a Spectre, he really shouldn't have been surprised that the universe, in general, and the enemy, in particular, got a vote, too. That said, there was no way in hell he could have foreseen this kind of horror. Turning people into cyber zombies like the Geth did was one thing. This was something else entirely, or so Shepard's mind screamed.
"We are all under quarantine. I will shoot anyone trying to breach it myself. And Shepard, if I suddenly have the overwhelming desire to mind-meld with one of those things, do us all a favor and shoot me in the head. You can consider that a standing contingency order," Within moments, Vasir's whole bearing changed.
Shepard couldn't blame her. Or the medic choking in his helmet while two Marines wrestled him to the ground to prevent him from breaching his suit's integrity. Other medics and troopers wrestled with the supposedly sedated enemy wounded. The prisoners were trashing and doing their damned best to get free and fight, no matter their injuries. Yet, it all appeared to happen somewhere far from Shepard.
"We don't have the facilities or personnel to keep them contained," Vasir said in a dead, detached, yet infuriatingly calm voice. "On my authority as a Spectre, we will execute the prisoners."
Above the law or not, any proper soldier should have balked at such orders. Perhaps not the worst stereotypical Turians, or particularly fucked in the head Category Sixes, but everyone else? Shepard dully noted that he was shocked by what he just saw. His mind was still trying to process it, trying to unsee. Shepard was sluggish to react. Hell, he was trying to think about everything around what just happened, but the event that prompted Vasir to give this order.
Three-round bursts and shotgun blasts sounded like cannons. Helmets shattered. Skulls fractured. Fragments of bone, blood, and brain splashed over the metal floor. There were wriggling root-like things in the gore, the same things Shepard and the medics saw in the eyes of the enemy prisoners. More shots, including inferno rounds, put an end to the wriggling. Within moments, all prisoners were safely dead.
"Make sure the enemy dead stay that way!" Vasir snapped.
People looked at each other in what had to be stunned disbelief hidden by their helmets and got themselves moving. Vasir looked around, but her helmet stopped pointing at John.
"Shepard, don't fall apart on me now!" The Asari barked like a Drill Instructor. "Focus, soldier!"
Shepard finally shook himself out of his stupor with a full-body shudder.
"Fuck, that was…"
"It was bad, all right? Only a few nastier things I've seen are plaguing my nightmares, and this place might just top them all…" Vasir shook her head as if she was trying to chase the nightmare away. She angrily flicked her hand to activate her omni-tool.
"Captain Duviso, Spectre Vasir. I am declaring Case Sweet Dreams, Clarion Note Contingency. Feros is now under full quarantine. Every ship that received a shuttle from the surface is under quarantine, too. I confirm the presence of a biological self-replicating weapon able to infect, subvert, and potentially change people into other organisms. I am sending you files for direct transmission to the Council and the Republic's High Command," Vasir sighed and looked at Shepard. "Get the engineers to stop cutting those damn doors. We will hold the position until we know more about what we are dealing with and, ideally, until we have heavy mech and drone support."
Shepard nodded stiffly but ran towards the hangar's control center. Every time he blinked, the image of wide, bloody eyes with roots moving within them flashed to the forefront of his mind. What in God's name did they walk into?!
"Fuck me! The dead are moving!" Taylor shouted. More shots rang throughout the hangar.
Shepard decided he would rather fight a horde of Husks with a spoon than deal with whatever infested Feros.
=DC=
6.05.2183 GS
Nazara
former Rachni space, the Terminus Systems
Even with information taken from the mind of a Rachni Queen and the calculating prowess of Nazara, locating the Mu Relay within a charged nebula left behind by a supernova was not trivial. A third of their Geth fleet was in the area, scanning for the device.
Through his implants, Saren could feel how frustrated and bored Nazara was with the task at hand. This was wasted time, time they might be unable to afford to lose. Fortunately, the Council was operating under flawed assumptions. They would unlikely sufficiently reinforce the Citadel with fleet and army elements instead of focusing on blocking and quick-reaction forces, which would prove useless. However, the longer the crisis continued, the more likely it became to turn the Citadel into a major military logistics hub. In that case, the available Geth ships, platforms, mercenaries, and Krogan might not prove up to the task even with a surprise on their side. Nazara was beyond mighty, yet for all its bluster, there was a reason it didn't directly assault the Citadel alone.
Saren winced at that thought. He sagged in his seat when his mind wavered under the attention of those infinitely his greater. Nazara's frustration burned hotter than the heart of a star, and Saren had the dubious honor of feeling it firsthand.
"The Geth failed again," Nazara's voice thundered in his mind, echoing repeatedly as if it was a grand chorus speaking, not a single entity… which was the truth of the matter.
Fragments of intercepted transmissions burned themselves in Saren's brain.
"Clarion Call. Sweet Dreams…" The Turian Spectre rasped. "Feros. It is a distraction we don't need!" Saren clawed within the walls of his mind for an answer that would satisfy Nazara. He had to keep proving that the Turian as a whole could be useful to the Cycle; otherwise, annihilation would be awaited! "We can't afford to lose more assets at Feros! We find the Mu relay, transfer all assets we can through it, and relocate to Ilos! We're in Terminus space! The Council must think long and hard before risking a confrontation given the present strategic situation! We will locate the other relay on Ilos!" Saren wasn't sure if he was promising or begging.
The overbearing presence of Nazare in his mind made it hard to think clearly.
"I will secure the Control Center on the Citadel! You will lead the Geth fleet and bypass the Citadel fleets before locking the relay behind you! We can do the same with the Mu Relay after bringing in all our assets to Ilos!"
Nazara retreated, leaving behind a sense of approval. This was a test, Saren understood as he collapsed on himself in exhaustion. He proved himself still useful, and that was all that mattered.
CaramelTheMoo
Rat and Cow combined
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Fuck, those things are worse than in the game. Fucking Feros