Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or Halo. Also, spoilers for both games.
Quick explanation: I was trying to find some Halo/Mass Effect Crossovers to read and I noticed most had the Covenant War and then the First Contact War with the Turians. I decided to try the reverse. We'll see how that goes. Mostly, I just want Turians and Sangheili in the same story.
Important Facts:
The human fleet is called the Alliance (not the UNSC).
The First Contact War or the Relay 314 Incident happened in 2157C.E.
The story begins in 2183 C.E.
I'm admitting that I've reduced the sheer power of the Covenant and tried to fit the weapons more with the technology of Mass Effect's world. I see the Mass Effect world as a fraction more realistic than the Halo one.
I cannot figure out what Covenant ships were used for what missions or what types of Covenant ships are what. I spent several hours trying to research it properly, but couldn't figure it out. Therefore, any Covenant ships probably will be wrong or made up.
I will not be explaining things already explained in either games more than necessary. If you are confused about a species, concept, or artifact, please look it up. You're already on the internet to read this story; Google isn't that far away.
Also, I'm not dedicated to this story and am only pursuing it because of boredom. Be advised: if I'm busy, bored, or otherwise occupied, I will not write and I probably will not warn you the story is on hiatus.
Chapter One:
Thel'Vadamee stared at the hologram of the planet situated miles beneath his ship. Around him, Sangheili soldiers hurried through their preparations while AIs chattered out information gleaned from the Extranet they were hacking. His mandibles fluttered with excitement as an image replaced the planet, showing him the Beacon. If all went well...and he was certain this fragile species calling themselves "humans" were not going to be any real threat...the Forerunner artifact would fall under the protection and control of the Covenant. This task was an honor and one he was determined not to fail.
Turning away from the console, he faced his team, growling with anticipation of the mission. He was met with similar enthusiasm as the Sangheili finished arming themselves.
Today was already a good day.
Miranda looked over her shoulder at the armored man standing, slightly hunched, in the back of the shuttle. She realized as she adjusted her Alliance uniform she should be referring to him as a boy. John-117, as he was titled by the Illusive Man, was the only survivor of the SPARTAN-II program conceived by a Dr. Catherine Halsey, and already he had earned her respect. Although she had gone through genetic modifications to make her "perfect" in the eyes of her father, Miranda was not nearly as elite a soldier as the sixteen-year-old being debriefed behind her.
"Your mission is to retrieve the Beacon," Jacob was informing the Spartan. "Before the rogue Alliance troops can. They are working with a Spectre, a turian, by the name of Nihlus Kryik, and are being led by a Commander Shepard. We are not expecting any other hostilities on Eden Prime. You must get the Beacon, but Admiral Hackett would prefer you not harm any humans in the process. As for the Spectre, it is preferable you bring him in alive, so we can turn him over to the Council. Any questions?"
"Sir," John-117 began, his deep voice sending a thrill up Miranda's spine. "Are we certain these soldiers have gone rogue?"
"No," Jacob answered in his best military tone. "Which is why Admiral Hackett wants you to spare as many of them as possible. It is likely they have been deceived by the Spectre."
"Yes, sir."
"Cortana will be in reach throughout your mission," Jacob continued. "Should you have questions or lose contact with the Pillar of Autumn."
"We've reached the drop zone," Miranda interrupted them.
"You have five hours to retrieve the Beacon," Jacob finished as the hatch opened.
The wind drowned out whatever else he was saying, but John-117 gave a sharp salute of acknowledgment before jumping out of the shuttle. Miranda closed the shuttle doors, allowing the vehicle to hover for a few moments longer as she watched the Spartan make his way down the rocky cliff. She knew Jacob had arrived behind her when she heard his exhausted sigh.
"Lying to the Master Chief doesn't sit well with me," Jacob grumbled, placing his hands on the back of the pilot seat.
"Do you really think he would listen to us if he knew we were Cerberus?" Miranda questioned as she began to maneuver the shuttle higher in the air. "The only reason he joined up with our team is because we pretended to be Alliance troops rescuing him from the Cerberus compound."
"Not much of a rescue," Jacob reminded her. "How many of the scientists and guards did he kill before we even got there? Fifty? Weaponless without armor, and he takes them all out. We had some of Cerberus's most well-trained troops guarding that facility and he just decimated them."
"He's supposed to be the perfect soldier," Miranda replied coldly. "I still can't get over him being sixteen."
"Yeah." Jacob shook his head. "Let's not talk about that."
"Hopefully," she began. "All goes well."
As if on cue, a hologram of the Illusive Man appeared on her console and she immediately knew something bad was about to happen.
Shepard moved through the SSV Normandy, taking in the crew around her, noting their uniforms and ranks as she passed them.
"The Arcturus Prime relay is in range," the pilot's voice said over the com. "Initiating transmission sequence."
She dodged a young soldier named Jenkins whom she had met earlier, thankful the eager recruit was too busy to pester her with questions of Akuze.
"We are connected," the pilot continued. "Calculating transit mass and destination."
Operating at the galaxy map, Navigator Pressly looked up from his console to give her a welcoming smile and a nod as she passed him.
"Relay is hot," the pilot informed them. "Acquiring approach vector."
She marched passed more operators as she made her way towards the cockpit.
"All stations secure for transit."
She arrived beside the Turian Spectre Nihlus Kryik just as the relay came into view ahead of them.
"Board is green," the pilot stated. "Approach run has begun."
Her heart was hammering as she stared at the glowing blue light growing larger before them until it was all they could see out the forward windows, leaving all remaining navigation to the sensors in front of them.
"Hitting the relay in," the pilot counted off slowly. "Three...two...one."
Shepard felt her stomach drop as they were launched light years into space.
The pilot began to check off the ship's functions: thrusters, navigation, internal emissions sink, and systems, finishing with drift at under 1500 k.
"Fifteen hundred is good," Nihlus commented, causing Shepard to smile at the layers of his voice. "Your captain will be pleased."
The Spectre turned, giving her a curt nod, before exiting the cockpit.
As soon as he was gone, the pilot, who was named Joker, gave an annoyed sigh.
"I hate that guy."
Shepard understood Joker's logic, knowing that having a Council Spectre aboard as well as highly decorated Captain Anderson for a mere shakedown run was downright suspicious, but she was a soldier just like everyone else aboard the SSV Normandy. She could be suspicious, but unless she had undeniable proof something was wrong she would obey the orders given to her.
When first she had heard she would be boarding the Normandy for a shakedown run, Shepard had been thrilled. A simple quiet mission had sounded refreshing after several chaotic missions going not according to plan, but after only three days, she had decided "simple" and "quiet" were two words best used in small doses. To say she was thrilled a Spectre would be aboard the Normandy was an understatement, though she kept her excitement to herself. The idea this was more than a shakedown run had her blood pumping and working alongside a Spectre was an opportunity she had never dreamed she would be given. Being able to get away with staring at an attractive Turian was simply an added bonus.
Called into the war room, Shepard dismissed herself from the cockpit and headed towards her new destination, hoping and ready for action.
Saren's mandibles clicked against his jaw in agitation as he scanned the latest report and he angrily ordered the Geth to work quicker. Two ships, desperately trying to disguise themselves from sensors, were already in orbit around the planet and a fourth would be in the system within minutes. He didn't need Sovereign to tell him this boded ill for their mission, but the sentient machine did anyways, a chastising and demeaning tone highlighting the ramifications of any failure on Saren's part.
"Kill everything," Saren snarled at a Geth. "Do not waste time creating husks. We must locate the Beacon immediately."
Sovereign disagreed with this action, but the Spectre ignored the machine. He had his mind free of the indoctrination for a reason and he would be damned if he didn't use his intelligence to finish this mission expediently. Stalking past Matriarch Benezia, the Turian ordered she remain behind as Sovereign descended upon the planet.
As prepared as he would ever be, Saren equipped his favorite pistol before exiting the ship.
The moment the Rebuke slipped through the clouds and Thel was provided his first glimpse of the massive ship waiting for him on the surface of the planet, he knew the "easy" mission they had planned would be far from any predictions. Orders flew from his mouth, preparing his men as an AI maneuvered the Rebuke away from attacking energies Thel didn't recognize. Cursing to himself, he braced against a wall as the shields took a hit and then powered off a second later.
"Get us out of its range!" Thel barked at the AI before grabbing one of his men. "Get a shuttle ready! We'll have to reach the Beacon by foot!"
The soldier rushed off to do as he was ordered as Thel took command of his remaining men.
"Is it human?" Thel demanded, careful no one heard the fear he felt. Surely, they had not underestimated their enemies.
"No," one of the soldiers replied, scanning the data on his screen. "It's not like any technology we have listed."
Thel's mandibles twitched as he gave the order to assemble in the cargo bay. Inspecting the ship now a hazy silhouette on the screen as the Rebuke raced away, he tried to reason with his unbelieving mind, willing himself to determine the strength he was witnessing was capable of being defeated.
Giving a final order to his AI that it record as much of the foreign ship as possible, Thel exited the control room.
John-117 was accustomed to being thrown into combat with little notice, so he was in his element when he stepped into a narrow canyon and was met by dozens of Geth who did not wait to begin shooting at him. The firefight drained the minutes out of his hours like oxygen from a burst airlock and already the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky a brilliant red. He ejected his final thermal clip from his sniper rifle and made his way into the compound, following Cortana's directions in order to reach the Beacon's last known location.
As he reached a docking bay, he was met with a surprise as two Turians came into view. Crouching behind a crate, he peered around his hiding place to watch as the two Turians conversed.
"The red one is Nylus Kryik," Cortana informed him. "The other is Saren Arterius. Both are Council Spectres."
He was about to consider what the second Spectre was doing here when Nylus turned his back on Saren and the latter brought his pistol up to the other Turian's head. Without thinking, the Spartan took aim and fired, the bullet piercing through Nylus's shields and armor. Blood sprayed out from the back of Nylus's knee and he buckled with a yell before falling to the ground.
Flinging the sniper rifle onto his back, the Master Chief rushed towards the two Turians, not surprised when Saren took off running. Ignoring the Spectre he had shot, John-117 raced after Saren. Cortana egged him on, but the Turian was fast and Geth quickly got between him and his target.
"The Geth are working for Saren," Cortana said in alarm. "Since when do the Geth work with or for anyone?"
He didn't reply as he bunked down for another long firefight.
"The Beacon has been moved," Cortana suddenly informed him. "Saren is heading towards it now on the tram."
He acknowledged her before diving over a crate to tackle a Geth. After ripping it apart, he gathered as many thermal clips as he could and reloaded his guns.
"Ready now?" Cortana questioned sarcastically.
"Get me to the Beacon," he ordered.
Shepard motioned Kaidan and Ashley to guard positions as she rushed up to Nihlus. The Turian had his back against a wall, his hands on his wounded knee as blue blood oozed down his leg. She wasted no time kneeling beside him and applying medi-gel before asking how he was and what had happened.
"I'm fine." Nihlus waved away her concern. "As for what happened: Saren Arterius is here. He's a Spectre and my former mentor. When we were conversing about why the Council sent him, we were attacked by a sniper. My leg was hit. The next thing I knew Saren was gone, probably chasing after whoever just shot at us."
"A Geth?" Shepard questioned.
"Probably."
"That's not what happened!"
The new voice startled them and Shepard yanked out her pistol to point it towards the source. When she saw the terrified man behind a counter, his arms raised defensively, she lowered her gun, reprimanding him for nearly getting himself killed.
"I saw the whole thing!" the man informed her as he motioned towards the Turian. "That one called Saren, he pointed a gun at you!"
"What?" Nihlus shot back, disbelief in his flanging voice as he forced himself to his feet. "That's impossible! Saren is my friend and my mentor as well as a Spectre!"
"I'm just saying it as I saw it!" the man insisted. "When you were shot, he took off running and this small Mech chased after him!"
"A Mech?" Shepard questioned, her own disbelief surfacing.
"Yes. It was human shaped, but too big to be human unless there's a new armor out that I don't know about."
"And it chased after Saren?"
"Yes, it did."
"Saren wouldn't try to shoot me," Nihlus objected again.
Shepard shook her head.
"I'm not picking anyone's sides," she told them. "Right now, I have to consider that possibility."
"You're not seriously," Nihlus began, but Shepard cut over him.
"This man gains nothing by lying," Shepard argued. "Maybe Saren did point his gun at your head. Or maybe he was pointing it at whoever was about to shoot you. Maybe Saren ran and some Mech chased him. Or maybe Saren chased after a Geth Prime. I'm leaning towards the latter."
Nihlus gave a huff, but agreed they needed to not make rash decisions or quick judgments.
"Just answer one thing for me," Shepard demanded as she faced the Turian. "If Saren really did attempt to shoot you and if he really did run away from some giant Mech or Geth Prime, who's side will you be on?"
She was glad when the Spectre didn't hesitate.
"Yours."
"Good," she drew her gun and replaced the thermal clip. "Are you fit to finish this mission?"
"Of course," he answered, an elated trill in his voice.
"But this time, no "I work faster on my own" crap," she said as she moved towards the tram station. "Let's move out!"
Thel waved his men into position, activating his stealth systems as he crouched behind a wall. Beneath him, the machines called Geth were setting up charges around the tram station. He didn't know much about the Geth, though they had been a thorn in the Covenant's side ever since the machines had crossed the Perseus Veil. This put them dangerously close to the Covenant's relay and he had heard reports of Covenant forces clashing against the Geth. Seeing them here, now, so close to the Beacon sent white pricks of anger through his body.
As soon as his men were ready, he gave the signal and they quickly took out the Geth before rushing down towards the station.
"Should we be concerned about the charges?" one of his men questioned, inspecting the explosive.
"No," Thel snarled as he glanced at the timer his AI had put on his HUD. "Locate the Beacon and we will leave before they detonate. They will cover our tracks."
His men didn't hesitate to obey.
John-117 wouldn't say he was scared so much as unsure what course of action was appropriate as he stared through his scope at the aliens prowling the station, corpses of Geth scattered upon the ground. He couldn't identify the species, admittedly believing they were Geth initially due to the similar shape, and Cortana wasn't any help either. Meanwhile, any attempt at contacting Miranda or Jacob or the Pillar of Autumn had failed.
He shifted, checking his ammo count, and then went to move around a corner.
Instead, he slammed into something hard and stumbled back, lifting his gun up to point at whatever he had run into. A roar sent a tremor through his armor and he waved the tip of his rifle around, searching for the source. The air seemed to ripple in front of him and something massive slammed into him, knocking him over the railing behind him. He had enough reflexes to latch onto the railing of the platform beneath him, hauling himself over just as the new species opened fire.
The plasma rounds ripped through his shields and he hissed in pain as one pierced his armor, burning it and the flesh once safely housed beneath. He found cover and listened as one of the aliens barked out an order.
Ordering Cortana to target the one that was speaking, he activated disruptor ammo through his omni-tool before he rolled out of hiding long enough to fire a shot at the indicated individual. Shields flickered, a wave of white erupting from where the shot had hit, but they appeared to remain intact. Ducked behind another hiding place, he began to formulate a plan based on the new information he had gathered.
The aliens were huge, larger than even Krogan, at an estimated 259 centimeters. Their armor was similar to the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor Cerberus had crafted specifically for the Spartan Program. Because of his genetic modifications, John-117 could withstand the combat exoskeleton's weight while normal humans would be ripped apart just trying to move the half-ton suit. Seeing he had adversaries in similar gear did not bring him any comfort. The fact they also had shields, which appeared to be stronger than his own, and weapons which could pierce through his shields was more demoralizing evidence the creatures were to be approached with caution.
"M-Mast...Chief..."
Miranda's voice came through his HUD's com, intermittent with static.
"Cortana, clear this up," he ordered and the AI obliged.
"Reporting," John-117 spoke into his communicator before peering over his hiding place.
Two of the aliens had remained behind, but the others were gone.
"You have no orders," Miranda stated in a serious tone, but there was an edge to her voice he didn't miss. She was anxious. "The Beacon is lost."
He didn't demand a repeat, but Miranda gave him one anyways.
"The Beacon is lost. Your new orders are to salvage this mission as best you can. Kill one of the new hostiles and bring it in."
"Permission to speak freely," he huffed as he changed weapons.
"Granted."
"Why have my orders changed?"
"The Beacon is lost and salvaging this mission is more important than leaving with nothing."
"And the purpose of bringing in one of the hostiles?"
"This was supposed to be a shakedown for the MJOLNER," Miranda explained. "To test its new abilities. We've already gone over the results Cortana has sent us. This new species's armor may provide breakthroughs the Alliance needs."
"Kill a hostile, bring it in, and Alliance studies its armor."
"Yes," Miranda confirmed. "And we can also present the new species before the Council. Hopefully, the Council will then recognize the threat to humanity and send us reinforcements to guard the Terminus System."
"What about the Beacon?" he demanded. "We can't let it fall into the wrong hands."
"You have your orders," Miranda stated coldly.
He closed his eyes, willing himself to believe what Miranda was saying was right.
This is the Alliance, he thought to himself. They're experimenting and studying too, but they're not like Cerberus.
He wasn't sure he convinced himself before he accepted the new orders.
"Spirits," Nihlus gasped as the tram came to a screeching halt.
In front of them, the station was in ruins, fires flickering between twisted metal and sparks flying from dismembered consoles. Disabled Geth were scattered about on the ground, torn to shreds by whatever explosive had gone off in the area.
"Four explosives," Shepard confirmed as she climbed over some of the rubble. "But only one appears to have detonated."
"Someone didn't want any trace they had been here," Nihlus commented as he followed after the Commander.
He made a sound when he tripped over something and spun around to see what it was.
"Tactile cloak," he muttered, giving the nearly invisible body a kick. "Geth Hunter probably."
"What about the Beacon?" Shepard stated as she reached a ladder. "Are your sensors picking it up?"
"Negative," Nihlus replied, tailing her.
A few moments later and they had reached the platform where the Beacon had been, but as their sensors had indicated the artifact was gone.
"SSV Normandy," the Spectre hailed. "We've got a situation."
"We've identified two of the ships which touched down on Eden Prime," Matriarch Benezia informed Saren. "The Cerberus vessel Pillar of Autumn and the SSV Normandy, a human Alliance vessel under the command of Captain Anderson."
"And the Beacon?" Saren snarled.
She hesitated to answer.
"One of the humans may have used it."
The fit of anger the Turian fell into was one the Matriarch had not seen before. She was genuinely terrified for her life as he clawed at the interior of the cockpit before rounding on her and clutching her face in his talon-adorned hands. Never showing her fear, she stared into his glowing blue eyes as his face leaned in close to her own, rage in the fluttering of his mandibles and downward shift of his facial plates.
"This human," he hissed, releasing her. "Must be eliminated."
"Was leaving the Beacon behind truly wise?"
Thel didn't turn to the soldier who had spoken to him as he gazed out a window at the passing stars.
"We have the information," Thel stated. "The artifact will have to be retrieved later."
"And what of the repercussions of a failed mission?"
Thel scoffed, slamming his fist against the wall before glaring at his fellow Sangheili.
"This was not a failure," he snapped. "Retrieval of the data was priority one. Ensuring no one else has the data is priority two. Now, engage stealth systems and enter pursuit of our target."
"But what about the Beacon?"
"As soon as we have eliminated the Turian who retrieved the data, we will ensure the artifact is safe within Covenant hands."
The soldier seemed ready to question his commanding officer further, but appeared to think better of it after Thel scowled at him.
"Engaging stealth systems," the soldier informed him quietly.
Mandibles twitching with a new thrill, Thel returned to inspecting the data.
Miranda circled the Beacon, her omni-tool scanning it for any remnants of data while Wilson prodded the alien corpse John-117 had slung onto an examination table a few minutes before. The Spartan had been tense, replying to Miranda's questions in short answers, and deliberately avoided answering any inquiries pertaining to his lack of following new orders. He had gone after the Beacon as soon as he had finished dealing with the two hostile aliens and even managed to get out of the area before the place blew. Alliance troops were all over the platform now and Miranda was simply grateful the incident hadn't broken out into further conflict. Killing humans was only ever done out of necessity and valuable soldiers like Commander Shepard couldn't be wasted over tiny steps in progress.
"I'll worry about the Beacon later," Miranda finally said, giving up on her scan when it produced nothing. "Wilson, go check up on the Master Chief and ensure his wounds and suit are being tended to."
"And this?" Wilson asked, motioning to the alien.
"I'm not much interested in the creature," she admitted as she stalked towards the table. "I want to know how its shields are as strong as they are."
"Are you hoping to apply it to MJOLNIR?"
"Why else would I be interested in it?"
She paused, glancing around the room, before calling out Cortana.
"The Master Chief is getting suspicious," Miranda informed the AI. "Try to reassure him if he brings anything up and warn us if he's figured it out."
"This is already written into my AI constraints," Cortana said in a snippy tone. "Reminding me is unnecessary."
"Just making sure you're not growing a conscience," the woman began and then quickly added. "It's an expression and, no, you do not need to explain to me how an AI is not capable of "growing" anything."
"Understood."
"That's all for now."
"Logging out."
Miranda gave a tense exhale and cast a glare at her assistant.
"Master Chief. Now."
He gave a jerky nod before dashing out of the room.
Relaxing only a fraction, Miranda returned to her work.
"What are we going to report to the Council?" Shepard demanded as she paced in the war room.
Nihlus was leaned against the console, his green eyes staring at the floor in deep contemplation, and Anderson stood in the center of the room, his back straight and his hands clasped behind his back. Ashley and Kaidan both stood near the exit, looking apprehensive.
"We cannot inform them of Saren's possible betrayal," Nihlus stated.
"What?" Kaidan objected before Shepard had the chance to. "If he's behind the Geth attacks then the Council needs to know."
"Stand down, Lieutenant," Anderson ordered.
"He said he would chose Shepard's side," Kaidan argued. "And now we have proof..."
"Saren not being there when we arrived is not proof that Saren is working with the Geth," Nihlus snapped. "And I never said I didn't think it wasn't a possibility."
"You're emotionally involved," Kaidan stated. "You're compromised."
"I am well-aware that Saren was my mentor," the Spectre growled. "But if he has betrayed the Council and especially if he has joined the Geth then he is a danger to everyone."
"And you will go against him?" Anderson questioned.
"If we can prove he is guilty," Nihlus elaborated. "But we can't jump to conclusions, especially since you are involved, Captain."
"What does Captain Anderson's involvement have to do with this?" Shepard cut in.
The Spectre and her Captain exchanged a meaningful look before Anderson turned towards Ashley and Kaidan, dismissing them to the Med-bay. They left reluctantly.
"Saren and I have a history," Anderson explained and held up his hand when he noticed her about to speak. "And I do not want to say anything more on the topic. The Council will see this as personal, just like Kaidan sees Nihlus's reluctance to accuse Saren as personal."
"Which it is," Shepard pointed out.
"Which it is," Nihlus agreed. "I will be looking for information to clear Saren's name, have no doubt about that; however if my investigation turns up evidence to the contrary then I will bring this evidence before the Council against Saren."
"But we need his Spectre status revoked," Shepard insisted. "Otherwise, he can hide behind his station and accessing any information about him will be next to impossible."
"You're forgetting that I am a Spectre," Nihlus reminded her. "We'll find out what we need to find out, Shepard. You can be certain of that."
"I'm more interested in the location of the Beacon," Anderson interjected. "The Geth abandoned Eden Prime prior to the disappearance of the Beacon signal, which means it was there right up to the explosion on the tram station."
"Someone else has it," Shepard agreed. "The Geth did not take it, which means if Saren is with the Geth, he does not have it, but if he isn't allied with them he could have it."
"I'm going to message him," Nihlus declared, pushing away from the console. "I'll record the interaction for you to view later, but I'm going to pretend I'm unaware of his betrayal."
"Good idea," Anderson nodded. "See if you can't get him to slip up, that is, if he has gone rogue."
The Spectre gave a sigh, his mandibles quivering, and Shepard recognized exhaustion in the Turian's eyes.
Shepard watched Nihlus leave before turning her attention to Anderson.
"Do you trust him?" she inquired, studying her Captain's features.
"Yes." Anderson's words surprised her. "Nihlus is better than Saren. He's a true Turian and hasn't let the Spectre status go to his head as much as his mentor. He also doesn't have a stigma against humans. He'll help us, but his willing attitude is not as honest as it seems. He'll be working to prove Saren is clean. You'll be working to prove Saren is dirty. I'm sure you'll both come to the same result."
Shepard gave a weak nod, staring at the door Nihlus had departed through.
"Get some rest, Commander," Anderson drew her attention back to him. "It's been a long day."
"Yeah." She exhaled shakily. "And it's only going to get longer."