Arcturus Station - July 29th, 2183 - two weeks after the Battle of the Citadel
"Admiral, Havoc Squad is waiting in Briefing Room Seven," the assistant to Admiral Steven Hackett informed him, drawing his attention away from the assorted reports he was still filing through on the Battle of the Citadel and the Reaper Sovereign.
"Thank you Lieutenant," Hackett replied as he stood up, and left his office, heading to the designated briefing room, upon entering he spotted a group of six soldiers, three males, three females, each clad in Alliance Fatigues as they sat in their chairs, leaping into salutes as he entered. "At ease Marines." The group sat back down. "As you know, around four weeks ago, two ships appeared over Eden Prime." The holographic monitor pulled up the image of two ships, clearly of an unknown design. "The smaller ship is the United Federation of Planets vessel Raging Tempest. Her registry is NCC-108597, and she belongs to their military/exploration branch, Starfleet. The bigger one is the USS Ra-Cailum, NCC-94517."
"What do we know about them?" the squad captain, Major Ryu Hisanaga, a 6'8 tall man with green eyes, short shaven brown hair and built like a bull. being a graduate of the 'Destroyer Soldier' of the N7 program had that effect on people. "I know they helped us, but beyond that not much is known publicly."
"Their ships are powerful." A vid showed the larger Ra-Cailum firing a beam at the Destiny Ascension, downing the shields without damaging the ship itself. "I've been told this ship is just one of thousands, and they outgun our dreadnoughts by leagues. The Raging Tempest is a miniature dreadnought by our standards. By theirs, from what little we've been told, it's only a cruiser-type. The Ra-Cailum is a light battleship."
"How are they on the ground?" the 2IC, Staff Commander Aina Sunderson, an N7 Shadow Infiltrator Operative, a lithe woman with tanned skin, black hair and blue eyes.
Another vid appeared of a man taking cover from a Krogan before using an odd rifle with two prongs to fire an energy beam at the Krogan, who just… disappeared. "That's one of their weapons. It's called a 'phaser rifle'."
"Doesn't look like the ground pounders have much for armor," Lieutenant Sasha Romanov, a somewhat short red haired, brown eyed woman and an N7 Demolisher Engineer commented. "How does it stand to our weapons and Biotics?"
"That man, Captain Pinkerton, faced a large number of Geth in open combat. They've got a personal shield that actually blocks energy weapons fire, and it's effective enough to block mass effect weapons. Biotics… we don't know. Commander Shepard hasn't sent us the full dossier. We haven't seen them wear armor, but considering what their weapons can do to ours, it might be superfluous. Regardless, Starfleet is something we need to take seriously."
"So, what's our mission?" Operations Chief Greg Anderson, a thin man with dull grey eyes and silver hair with N7 Vanguard training.
"I've asked the new local Starfleet head honcho if I could let one of my teams serve a stint in their universe, get the lay of the land. Admiral Sullivan said yes, so I picked the best I could get my hands on, besides Shepard and her team. That means you."
"Man, we're always second best to Shepard," Gunnery Chief Alex Ivorson, a purple eyed, green haired man trained in the N7 Paladin training with wiry muscles grumbled. "Then again, only the Major has gone toe to toe and not gotten his head blown off by that rifle of hers."
"She's also a Spectre, and outside my general jurisdiction at the moment." He explained as he handed Ryu a data pad. "You're to be transferred to the Kursk, which will take you to Illium, which is the main hub for transit between our universe and theirs. A Federation ship will pick you up and take you to their capital world on the other side, where you'll be assigned to another ship on general police duties. Your job is simple, Major: observe and record. you'll be under their command during that time, but you'll be allowed your weapons. From what I've seen of these...Borg, you might need them."
Ryu nodded. "How long till we leave?" he questioned.
"Four hours," Hackett informed the squad. "The ship you're going to be transferred to for the trip to the other side is the USS Brattain. Get your equipment ready. They don't have element zero on the other side for some reason, so your biotics might come in handy. Dismissed."
"Sir!" the squad corused as they saluted. "You heard the admiral, I want you in the hangar in four hours, loaded up and ready," Ryu called out, addressing the squad. "You forget anything, it's on your own head."
Systems Alliance frigate Kursk - 6 hours later, near Illium
"So, what do we know about this Brattain?" Alex asked, clad in his 'N7 Paladin' Armor, with his helmet's visor currently depolarized to allow people to see his face.
"It's a starfleet ship, mostly," Ryu explained, clad in his own tank-grade T5-V Heavy Battlesuit, with the helmet currently hanging from his waist. "We don't know what class it is, or who's in command. We're dropping out of FTL now."
The Kursk, at 150 meters, was roughly the size of the Raging Tempest, although slightly more maneuverable thanks to its' properly installed eezo core.
That didn't prepare them for the sight of their transport ship. It looked like a flying saucer with a roll bar at the aft section, above what appeared to be the engines (which were TINY) and two hatches for small craft to launch and land in. Under the saucer were two nacelles connected by pylons.
"That's… an odd looking design to say the least…" Corporal Lynn Callahan, an N7 Fury with dark crimson colored hair and biotic blue hued green eyes, commented, clad in her 'N7 Fury' Armor, with the hood down and mask off. "Wonder what it's like compared to the other two we've seen."
"The is Lieutenant Commander Asuka Hyuga of the Federation starship Brattain to Alliance frigate Kursk," the radio crackled to life as they were hailed. "We have you on sensors, and are launching a shuttle for transfer now."
The Captain pressed a button, activating the comm. "This is Captain Duvall of the SSV Kursk: we're awaiting your shuttle now," he responded. "The N7 team will be waiting for it." A craft left the starboard side shuttlebay, looking nothing like an Alliance shuttle. It had two nacelles attached to the sides, doubling as landing gear, and the main hull was hexagon-shaped with a curved forward section and large windows, likely for the pilot to see where he was going.
"Shuttlecraft McCoy to Kursk: requesting clearance to land." The pilot for the McCoy informed as it began to slow its approach.
"Granted, McCoy. Major, get your team down to the landing bay," the captain ordered, gaining a salute in response.
"You heard the man, let's get going," Ryu announced, as he began to move. "Be sure to grab your gear, we will need our weapons."
The shuttle was rather roomy-looking. Comfortable seating for at least 6 in the aft compartment, plus a co-pilot's seat in the forward end. Standing at the rear hatch was a man with blue skin, white hair and… were those antennae on top of his head? His uniform was more like a jumpsuit, missing a collar, with one pip near the neck hole and was colored black and ochre. "Major Hisanaga, I presume?"
Ryu nodded in confirmation as the squad set down their trunks, filled with personal effects and weapons, with each of them carrying second trunks filled with nothing but thermal clips. "Major Ryu Hisanaga of the N7 Havoc Squad," Ryu confirmed. "These are my squadmates, my 2IC Staff Commander Aina Sunderson, our infiltration and assassination specialist, Lieutenant Sasha Romanov, our explosive specialist, Operations Chief Greg Anderson here is our CQC Biotics Specialist, Gunnery Chief Alex Iverson is our tech specialist and finally Corporal Lynn Callahan here is our Biotics specialist."
The blue man nodded in greeting. "I'm Ensign Talan Seral, tactical officer on the Brattain. Please make your way aboard," he replied politely.
"Quick question: what… are you?" Sasha questioned, clad in her 'N7 Destroyer' Armor with her helmet removed.
"I'm an Andorian, Lieutenant. You'll see a lot of Andorians and other races on the other side, so I recommend you get used to it. Also, leave any racial problems here: we're all equals," he recommended neutrally.
Ryu shrugged. "Only races we have issues with are those that openly do slavery," he informed. "Other than that we have no problems with individuals."
"Good. Please take a seat: I'll be closing the hatch shortly." The team made their way onto the shuttle, with Ryu sitting in the co-pilot's seat in front. "Kursk bridge, this is Shuttle McCoy: requesting clearance to depart."
"Permission granted, McCoy." The hatch opened and the shuttle fired its' impulse engines, heading back to the Brattain.
"I take it you're not very impressed with the Brattain, Major?" the Ensign asked in curiosity.
Ryu shrugged in response. "Seems… fragile to me," he informed. "I'm a ground pounder, plus I'm used to being dropped from the ship in our Makos, or just jumping."
"Well, Miranda-Class ships are… rather cursed. Despite being made of titanium, which is around 20 times harder than diamond, ships of that class are easily… destroyed."
Ryu shrugged again. "Like I said, I'm a ground pounder, so half of that stuff means nothing to me, no offense," he informed with a slight grin. "Although, I give you designers props for chairs that can actually support the weight of my T5-V, even some of our ships can't handle this much weight."
"The seats are made of duranium," the pilot informed. "Shuttlecraft McCoy to Brattain: we are inbound for landing. Is shuttlebay one still clear?"
"Shuttlebay one is still clear," came the reply. "We're going through the gate in ten minutes, ensign: land quickly." The shuttle, which Ryu idly noted was called a 'Type-6' on one of the monitors, landed in the bay, whose hatch closed a moment after they entered the shuttlebay.
"Leave your luggage here," the pilot said. "We'll be transferring you to Earth Spacedock as soon as we arrive. But the Lt. Commander will want to see you on the bridge."
Ryu nodded as he looked around. "Which way to the bridge then?" he questioned. "First time on one of your ships."
"There's a turbolift just outside the shuttlebay. It works by voice, so all you have to do is say 'bridge', and you'll be sent there." He opened the rear hatch, allowing them to leave the shuttlecraft. "I'll fly you over to ESD when we get there."
Ryu nodded in understanding as he and his squad stepped out of the shuttle and headed towards the turbolift, their appearance garnering a few odd looks from the crew of the ship as they stepped in. "Bridge," Ryu called out calmly.
The lift took them upwards and forward, to the top of the saucer section. The doors opened, revealing a bridge with several stations, including a central chair, two consoles about five meters from the viewscreen. "Starbase Yucatan, this is Commander Hyuga: we're ready to head home." Asuka announced over the radio.
"Confirmed, Brattain. Safe journey." the radio operator for the Starbase responded before the link closed.
The woman in the center chair, wearing a uniform like Talan, only red and with three pips, two solid ones, one black. "you must be Major Hisanaga. I'm Commander Hyuga." she greeted with a small smile.
Ryu nodded in response. "I am, a pleasure to meet you, Commander," he responded. "We were told we'd be doing policing duties with your Starfleet, any ideas what that means?"
"Basically, you'll be joining away teams during their missions. In between them, we'll be conducting tests between your kinetic barrier technology, our personal shielding and our respective weapons. Maybe we can find a way to improve all of them at the same time." she explained hopefully.
Ryu shrugged. "Well, most of our tech depends on Eezo, and depending on what the Alliance Brass says, we may be able to help you survey any possible Eezo deposits," he informed. "But, other than that those duties suit us just fine, anything else?"
She handed him a PADD. "You'll be required to submit status reports, equipment needs and such through Starfleet channels, and Admiral Hackett has informed me that you will be keeping a record of everything." She pressed a button on the PADD, displaying a file called 'Personal Log entries'. "You'll also be required to make a daily log entry if possible, per Starfleet regulations."
Ryu nodded as he looked the PADD over, inspecting it. "Alright, am I the only one required to do the log entries, or is my entire squad expected to?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"You're to make entries relating to your squad, but personal log entries are required for all personnel: that way, people can learn from your experiences."
Ryu nodded in understanding as he stashed the PADD away. "Understood," he confirmed. "I also understand that we are being given some… souvenirs for this trip, any place where we can test fire them for practice?"
"This ship doesn't have a phaser range, but larger ones usually do. You will also need to keep records of what you've acquired from your missions for bookkeeping purposes."
Ryu nodded in understanding. "Will do," he confirmed. "We also brought our own supply of weapons and thermal clips, where would be the best place to store it?"
"You won't be posted to the Brattain: too lightly armed for where you're going. We will be returning to this universe after we drop you off." She sat back down in her chair. "Gate activating: coordinates, Sector 001." The gate activated and the Brattain entered the 'tunnel', exiting a moment later near a familiar-looking world: Earth.
The main difference between the earth they knew and this one was the massive station in orbit, and the traffic in and out of the system - none of the ships coming or going were ships they knew.
"USS Brattain, this is Earth Spacedock control," came over the radio. "You are cleared for transfer."
"ESD, this is Commander Hyuga: we'll send over the shuttle in a moment. Our guests are Systems Alliance, and have little to no experience with transporters," Asuka informed.
"Very well. We'll be expecting them," the space docks radio operator confirmed.
"Who are we to meet once we're docked?" Ryu questioned.
"Admiral Quinn will meet with you on the starbase. He's normally in his office. He'll have your new posting." She gestured to the turbolift. "Head back down to the shuttlebay, Major. It's been a pleasure, no matter how brief."
Ryu nodded in agreement. "Same, Commander," he agreed. "If you'll excuse us," he made a gesture to his squad before heading back down to the shuttlebay where the Ensign was waiting for them. "We're ready to go."
"Take your seats, everyone." The team went back into the shuttle, and the hatch closed after everyone was situated. The McCoy left the Brattain, heading for the giant mushroom-shaped starbase, passing a ship that looked much like the Brattain, only with a cone-like engineering section connected to the saucer section and two nacelles connected to the engineering section by two backward-swept pylons, and a ship that was far different.
The other ship had a saucer like the others, but it had what looked like a long strut sticking out the back, a swept-back pylon in the middle of the strut, and two swept-back pylons connecting to its nacelles. There was also an indentation in the front of the saucer, where there looked to be a glowing blue thing.
"What the hell is that?" Lynn asked in surprise as they passed the ship
"Patrol escort, Tempest-Class," Talan informed curtly, focused on flying the shuttle.
"And that blue thing in the center?" the N7 Fury questioned.
"That's the deflector dish. it deflects everything away from the ship, large or small, as anything can punch through the hull of a ship at FTL speeds." The McCoy entered the starbase, landing in the secondary hanger. "Major, we'll have your luggage transferred to your new ship while you meet with Admiral Quinn."
"Thanks, Ensign," Ryu confirmed with a nod. "Do you know where the Admiral's office is from here?"
"The Admiral's office is five decks up. An NCO can take you to the office." Talon informed.
"Thanks," Ryu replied as they stepped out of the ship and started to head towards the turbolifts. "Excuse me?" Ryu called out to a man who had what their briefing packet told them where the bars for a Petty Officer. "We're looking to get to Admiral Quinn's office."
"Follow me, Major." The team entered the turbolift, and it moved upward, taking them to the main holding area. The Petty Officer led them past a waterfall decoration, taking them to the Admiral's office. Two officers were talking outside it, and they moved aside to allow the team through. "Admiral, the Alliance team is here to see you."
"Amiral," Ryu greeted as he and his team saluted the man. "Havoc Squad reporting in for Cross Organizational Duty."
"At ease, Major," the admiral replied with a wave. "You don't need to salute: here, it's a mostly useless formality. Take a seat, Major."
Ryu looked at the seat warily for a moment before slowly sitting down on it, and when he saw it wouldn't break under the weight of his armor he relaxed. "Thank you, Admiral," he said as his squad stood at ease.
"I assume, Major, that you know that you will be heading to the frontier on one of our ships," the Admiral questioned, getting a quick nod in return. "We will also be pulling you aside on occasion for weapons and technology testing. Any questions?"
Ryu hummed for a moment. "What's the standard Operational Protocol when deployed?" he questioned. "And what will be the chain of command?"
"You'll report to the security chief on the ship. As for operational protocol, you will follow the orders of Starfleet personnel under the rank of Lt. Commander," he informed calmly. "Other then that, you will be allowed to deal with any threat as you see fit. However, if you are told to negotiate, you will negotiate with whoever it is. Starfleet protocols apply to you in this case."
"I see…" Ryu murmured to himself. "I was told that we were allowed to keep the 'spoils of war' as it were so long as we documented them properly?"
"You are, Major, but we can't just have you gunning down whomever you run into." the admiral informed with a sigh. "Captain Pinkerton might have done almost the same thing, but he's undergoing a review at the moment into his actions in your universe."
"I'd like to think, Admiral, that my team has more restraint than that," Ryu informed. "The Alliance ourselves suffered because we were subjected to the shoot first ask later method, we try not to do the same."
"I simply thought it needed to be said," Quinn informed. "You will be posted to the USS Falcon, under the command of Kevin Maxwell." He sighed. "He's… a bit more laid back than you might be used to, but he has the skills for commanding a ship."
"Understood sir, N7's are actually pretty laid back ourselves," he informed. "Is there anything else we should know?"
"Only that most other powers, like the Tholians, will try to kill you to gain access to your technology. Mass effect technology, according to Captain Pinkerton, reduces the mass of an object using dark energy. If anyone gets their hands on this technology and creates a hybridized mass effect/warp field projectile weapon, nothing would be able to stop the projectile. Try not to get killed, Major."
Ryu smirked as he stood up. "Sir, I would like to see them try," he informed. "There's a reason Havoc Squad was chosen sir, and quite simply, we refuse to die."
"Very well. A team of MACOs will be your counterparts on the other side. You're dismissed, Major."
"Sir," Ryu replied as he stood, snapping a quick salute before he and his squad left the office, heading back towards the shuttlebay. "Well… things should be interesting while we're here…"
Two hours later
A Type-7 shuttle flew the team toward the Falcon, which was the ship they flew past when they arrived. "Falcon, this is shuttlecraft Nadier: request permission to land."
"Falcon to Nadier: Permission Granted," came the reply. "We're ready for your passengers."
"So, know anything about this Lt. Commander Maxwell?" Ryu asked the shuttle pilot curiously.
"Captain Maxwell. Miranda-Class ships are dime a dozen. At least I THINK that's how the term works: we don't use money here. Tempest-Class ships are way more advanced, so they need actual Captains. Captain Maxwell was once the Tactical Officer of the Raging Tempest, until he passed the exams and got promoted. He's an above-average marksman with just about any kind of weapon, but rather laid-back… and has a bit of a penchant for pranking."
Ryu hummed in response as he lent back a bit. "Well, won't be a boring posting, that's for sure," he murmured to himself.
The shuttle landed in the Falcon's only shuttlebay, which was loaded with other shuttles similar to the McCoy. "The Captain will most likely be on the bridge, Major," the pilot informed. "Have a good day. Just remember not to leave your weapons behind."
Ryu nodded as he motioned to his squad, picking up his own luggage as they picked up their own and stepped off the shuttle and made a beeline for the Turbolift and requested the bridge.
The trip was short, and they arrived on the bridge seconds later.
"Ah, you must be the exchange officers from that universe my former Captain found," said a man with black hair and blue eyes, in the standard 'Odyssey' Uniform. "Captain Kevin Maxwell, at your service."
Ryu nodded as he and the other squad members saluted. "Havoc Squad reporting in for Cross Exchange positing," Ryu informed. "The pleasure is mine, sir, Major Ryu Hisanaga."
"Lose the salutes, Major," Kevin informed. "We only do those at really formal events - the kind that require Dress Uniforms."
Ryu nodded as he and his squad stood at ease. "I was told we were to be a part of the away teams during missions," he informed. "Any specifics we should know?"
"Just the basics: if it's hostile and refuses to stand down, shoot it. Preferably to disable: we're not exactly allowed to kill people just because we don't like them. Or the other way around."
Ryu smirked in response. "We'll do our best, captain, but… it is rather hard for us to ignore our training," he informed. "We can do capture missions, but… we find it hard not to kill what is trying to kill us."
Kevin shrugged. "The best is all I can ask. Just try not to get hit by disruptor fire: nasty effects on living tissue. Remind me to get you set up with personal shields later."
"With your permission sir," Alex spoke up as he stepped forward. "When possible, I would like to experiment with hybridising our respective technologies, is there any place I can do so safely?"
"Deck 6, science lab two isn't in use," Kevin informed. "I'll have to ask that you try not to get too attached to the work, though: I'd rather not get Captain Pinkerton in MORE trouble. He recommended this exchange program just before he went in for his review."
Alex shrugged in response. "It'll mostly be tinkering anyways, although… with your permission I'd like to put my stuff under lock and key," he informed. "Not to sound rude… but I don't exactly trust the crew yet."
"It's fine," Kevin replied. "That trust will come, in time. Though we don't really use keys anymore - I'll have one of our Security Officers run you through how we do secure locks."
Alex nodded as he stepped back, already planning on adding in his own security features. "Thank you sir, where can we set up bunk?" Ryu asked. "We'd like to get set up."
"Crew quarters are on deck 3," Kevin informed. "Hope you're used to bunk beds. You're dismissed, everyone. Welcome to the Falcon."
"Thank you, sir, glad to be aboard," Ryu replied. "If you'll excuse me."
Kevin nodded, and they left. After they left the bridge, Kevin started wondering what to do for a 'Welcome aboard' Prank - nothing too serious, just a way to welcome them aboard his way.
USS Falcon - crew quarters
"So, thoughts people?" Ryu asked as Havoc squad finished setting up their bunks.
"Sturdy ships," Alex commented. "Can't quite say the same about the crew just yet, although I find it strange that Personal Shields aren't standard issue."
"For what seems to be a dominant power, they're kinda… civvie styled," Aina commented. "Not that I'm upset that they're shoot first, ask later… but to actively try and not kill people trying to kill you…"
"Well, I read up on Starfleet during the flight over to Illium." Greg informed in a soft voice as he check his sword. "Their primary jobs are exploration and defense of the Federation. It's a mixed bunch: military training with civilian ways of thinking. Odd, but then again, they had a third world war. We didn't."
Lynn sighed as she looked over a pair of N7 Eagle Pistols, checking the modifications on them. "Honestly, I think that's a recipe of disaster," she commented, hefting the pistols slightly before frowning and got back to work on them. "Civilians in charge of Military Grade powers, doesn't seem… safe."
"It's worked for them for over 270 years, and Starfleet's only ever had one major internal incident." Greg expanded, running cleaning oil over the blade. "It was around 40 years ago, but the details are kinda sketchy. either way, I don't want to fuck with them if we try to push them into a corner."
Sasha shrugged. "Not like we're here to start fights," she commented. "But, from the sounds of it, the Alliance would have better training than them,"
"Krogan with full armor and shields. Vaporized in one shot." Alex pointed out "And we've never seen them in hand-to-hand combat. They might be as good as us."
Ryu grinned. "Single Krogan, only 50 years old if the reports are right, let's see them stand up to a goddamn Krogan Warlord or the fucking Blood Pack," he commented. "While we haven't seen everything they have, nor have they."
At that moment, the stars began to start moving at high speed, also with purple masses and red strings of energy before they disappeared, replaced with streaks of white light. "What the hell was that?" Alex asked in surprise.
"Must've been their Warp Drive," Ryu murmured. "I wonder if it's possible to get one for the Alliance to study…"
"Major Hisanaga to the bridge. Repeat, Major Hisanaga to the bridge." the comm operator called out over the shipwide comms.
"Duty calls." Ryu said as he stood up and left their quarters, finding the nearby turbolift and making his way to the bridge. "You called for me, Captain?"
"Yeah, I did. We're heading for the Jouret system: I think your team might want to be introduced to combat here with a bang."
Ryu smiled. "Throwing us into the fire, eh?" he asked humorously. "Let's do it."
"You'll be fighting a race called the Voth." An image of what appeared to be a reptilian being with a long crest on the back of its' head. "The Voth are a race from the Delta Quadrant: highly advanced. Question for you, Major."
"Shoot, Captain," Ryu said with a nod as he studied the creature.
"What do you know about the extinction event 65 million years ago on Earth?"
"Well, if it was the same as ours, then I'd say it was the comet that wiped out the Dinosaurs," Ryu answered. "I take it these are what the Dino's would've been?"
"Yup," Kevin replied. "They evolved and left Earth millions of years ago, making their way into the Delta Quadrant. We discovered them 40 years ago, when Voyager ran into them. It almost ended with Voyager nearly getting destroyed, but the Voth were convinced to let them go."
"So, why are we engaging them?" Ryu asked curiously.
"They want a Dyson sphere that generates something extremely dangerous," Kevin explained. "We know why, but we can't let them have the sphere. The… particles destroy subspace when they destabilize."
"So, deterring them then," Ryu confirmed. "Out of curiosity, what is their reason?"
"They want to isolate themselves: cut off access to their space. Just because they want to stop an invasion of their space does not give them the right to destroy subspace. The… directive in question forces us to take action."
Ryu nodded in understanding as he activated his Omni-tool and started taking down notes. "Any notable weapons, armor, natural abilities?" he asked.
"Strong as a bull, antiproton weaponry, heavy armor. All Starfleet personnel are required to wear armor if they want to enter combat zones. You'll be doing just that, but only after we modify your weapons."
Ryu smirked as he chuckled. "Well now, they sound like Krogans," he mused with a grin. "Any regenerative capabilities?"
"To a point, but they go down if you shoot them enough with a phaser on heavy stun or kill. They have personal cloaking tech, though, so watch yourselves."
"Well, Aina's suit is equipped with cloaking tech," he informed. "We also have gear for detecting stealthed enemies…"
"Different type of cloaking tech, Major: yours can easily be detected. Captain Pinkerton easily found Commander Shepard during a security check on the Ra-Cailum. You DO have two edges, however."
Ryu raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
Kevin directed his attention to a monitor. "For one, if properly modified, your weapons could down our personal shields. It would take a few bursts, but it could do the job. The only reason you can't punch through body armor is because you use tungsten for your projectiles. We'll supply you with tritanium for this. The second is your ammunition modes."
"I take it you mean the special ammo like Disruptor, Cyro, Incendiary and such like?" Ryu asked for confirmation.
"Righty-o. Disruptor is likely to be your best chance to down personal shields, but you'll need to up the effect: your shields don't work the same way ours do. Plus, this technology's actually rather new."
Ryu hummed in thought before grinning. "Well, then I suggest you watch our progress carefully, Captain," he advised. "You'll be given quite the show."
"I was talking about personal shields over here," Kevin informed. "We've only had them for five, maybe six years. Technology's advancing in the field real fast, but… I'd take advantage of your edges where you can. Eventually, someone's going to develop a countermeasure on this side."
Ryu grinned again. "Like I said, you're going to get a show," he informed. "Never seen Biotics, right?"
"Nope, but I bet the Voth will. I look forward to it. We'll be in the Jouret system in about two days. Enough time to get your equipment ready."
"Plenty of time," Ryu confirmed. "We'll be borrowing your firing range if that's alright."
"I'll have a cargo bay modified: we really don't have a firing range on a starship. But if you want to test your skills with an energy weapon, the holodeck is a good place to do it."
"A mix of testing out skill with them, and some experimentation," Ryu informed. "We have a few… ideas."
"Well, the lab is all yours. Have fun!"
Ryu nodded as he headed for the turbolift.
Solanae Dyson Sphere - Dyson Joint Command
The Solanae Dyson Sphere was massive, to say the least. Massive white arch-like buildings were the main things that caught their attention, plus the presence of an Odyssey-Class starship and what appeared to be the bird from hell alongside it. (They would later be told it was a Scimitar-Class warbird) "Welcome to the Solanae Dyson Sphere, marines."
Ryu out a small whistle. "Looks big," he commented. "And you say it's bigger on the inside of this thing?"
"You're only seeing part of the interior: 550 million times the surface area of Earth. And at the center is a star." The Falcon moved into position near the closest 'arch', which was labeled as Dyson Joint Command. "Subcommander Kohl will be wanting to speak with you. Head to the transporter room."
Ryu nodded in understanding and looked to his team. "Load up!" he barked out, "I want full tactical load out for this op, Biotics, grab your protien bars and I want you to have three before we touch down."
"Sir!" The group coursed as they saluted before moving to their lockers.
Ryu moved to his own and opened it with a biometric scan and omni-tool recognition before pulling out his standard weaponry, a N7 Typhoon Heavy Machine Gun that was stored in its compact form over his right shoulder and modded with a Stability damper and an upgraded magazine, a M-300 Claymore Shotgun on his lower back modded with a heavy barrel and a bayonet attachment, and a M-77 Paladin Heavy Pistol with a piercing and magazine mods on his right thigh before picking up the heavy weapon for the squad, the M-920 Cain.
Aina was packing an N7 Valiant Sniper Rifle modified with Ultralight Materials and Piercing mods and the lightweight and powerful M-5 Phalanx Heavy Pistol with Ultralight Materials and Stunner attachment, minimizing the weight of both weapons for maximum movement.
Sasha herself loaded herself up with the heavy Black Widow Anti-Material Sniper Rifle, modded with Extra Magazines and the heavy High-Velocity Barrel for the maximum punch, she backed this up with the M-96 Mattock Assault Rifle modded with an Omni-Bayonet blade and Precision Scope, as she stayed to the rear of the group she didn't need to worry about being weighed down by her equipment.
Greg grabbed only one weapon, the lightweight Asari-designed Disciple Shotgun with an omni-blade attachment and to counter the blade's weight he used an Ultra-light Materials mod to ensure that his Biotics weren't hampered by the weight.
Alex was packing the lightweight and multi-use M-8 Avenger Assault Rifle modded with Ultra-light Materials and Magazine Upgrades along with the devastating N7 Hurricane Submachine Gun, modded with Ultra-light Materials and a Recoil Dampener, ensuring light equipment as he relied heavily on his tech powers which were slowed down when he was loaded down with heavy weapons.
Lynn loaded herself, oddly enough, with a pair of Heavy Pistols, a pair of fully automatic N7 Eagles, both loaded with Piercing Mods and Ultra-light Materials to ensure they didn't get in the way of her Biotic powers.
Once the group was fully armed they put on their respective helmets and began their trip to the transporter room. "We're ready," Ryu informed, his voice holding a slight mechanical distortion to it due to the helmet he was wearing.
"Standby. Energizing."
The N7s were transported off the ship and into the spire, although there was a slight… problem. Ryu was alone. "What the hell?" Ryu shouted out angrily, taking his Paladin into hand.
"You must be one of the Systems Alliance Marines sent here by Admiral Hackett." Ryu looked at the speak, finding him to be a man wearing a Romulan Republic uniform. "I am Subcommander Kohl. Welcome to Dyson Joint Command."
"Where the hell is my team?" Ryu demanded angrily as he prepared to use his hand cannon to force the answered he wanted if necessary.
"Probably scattered throughout the spire: your mass effect fields have an effect on transporter technology. You should count yourself lucky that you weren't lost in transport."
Ryu's eyes narrowed in anger at the tech. "I suggest you tell me where and not just shrug it off or I will make you care," he informed in a low growl, something his helmet enhanced.
"Sir, the entire tower is filled with personnel. It's likely-"
"Terra to Kohl: I have two people down here pointing weapons at me demanding what the hell happened."
Kohl gave Ryu a look. "You were saying something?"
Ryu glowered at him from behind his helmet. "So this is how professionals act in Starfleet?" he questioned angrily.
"Major, is it?" At Ryu's nod, Kohl facepalmed. "Major, I am not a member of Starfleet. I belong to the Romulan Republic Militia, and to be frank, we were expecting you to have a clean beam-in like EVERYONE ELSE. It appears we're going to correct the issues with our transporters."
"I hope so, and next time this happens, I suggest you don't act so blase about it," Ryu growled. "Which way to this Terra?"
"It's likely she's already on her way here. She was four levels down, after all." The romulan subcommander led the way toward his office, past a circular door that opened when they approached. "Major, I expect you to prove yourself here. Starfleet provides a great deal of technical expertise, and I've been informed that your weapons aren't exactly standard issue."
Ryu looked at the alien impassively from behind his helmet. "Me and my squad are among the best our galaxy has to offer, of course we will live up to it," he informed. "As for the weapons… the best get the best."
Kohl looked at a datapad. "Reduced-mass weapons using… tungsten shavings as projectiles. I hope you have modified those weapons of yours for something different: they will not cut it against the Voth. They use a polyweave alloy for armor, and tungsten will only bruise them. It will not injure and it will only serve to make them angry."
"We already know that and have modified our weapons accordingly," Ryu informed. "And our guns are not the only weapons we have."
"Yes, I know, I've read the file Captains Pinkerton and Yamato sent over. Monomolecular swords, grenade launchers, something called a 'Cain'. Most of these won't be as effective against the foes you face here. The rules are different. You've going to need to rely on stealth rather than brute force. As such, I have your first assignment."
"Which is?" Ryu questioned.
Kohl pulled up a map of a section of the Dyson Sphere. "We are making a push on a key spire in the contested zone of the Dyson Sphere, which produces a large number of Omega particles. Two dozen ships have been mobilized to take on the Voth space forces. Your job is simple. Simple enough that you can figure it out yourself."
"Look into their forces, make assessments," Ryu concluded. "Targets of Opportunity?"
"You will be softening up the ground forces. Stealth is paramount, as you don't have personal shields like we do."
"We can manage," Ryu informed. "Plus, this armor of mine isn't exactly for show."
"Considering it's made of ceramics, we'll see how effective it is against particle weapons. Then again, you would know about that from Captain Pinkerton's… well, I assume you've seen the reports." The rest of his team entered the office, escorted either by Starfleet security, Militia officers or, in the case of a slightly bloodied up Greg, a Klingon.
"Greg?" Ryu questioned seeing his comrade.
"Apparently, he got into a bit of a fight in the Klingon part of the spire. The Klingons don't do very well with intruders. Usually they...well, you get the idea."
"You give as good as you got Chief?" Ryu questioned.
"Wouldn't have left until I did sir," Greg informed with as he moved to put his helmet back on. "Ready to go sir."
"The Falcon will take you to the location you're to be dropped in. And if you can, pay a visit to the Serenity: they might be able to fix your… transporter problems. If there's nothing else, you're dismissed."
Ryu nodded and motioned for his team to fall in as they made their way. "We're softening up some grounders for our first mission, by the books and give it your best," Ryu ordered as they moved. "Aina, Sasha, you're sniping targets, Greg and Lynn, I expect to see Biotic Explosions everywhere I turn, Alex, you're with me for attention grabbing duties, how well did the Omni-Shield tests go."
"Good sir, they blocked a few shots before needing a recharge," he informed. "So the Omni-blades should work as well, as should your T5-V."
Ryu nodded in understanding. "Right, let's show these people how we fight a war."
Dyson Sphere - Spire 487
The Falcon wasn't the stealthiest ship in the fleet, but they weren't being beamed in: the dark energy fields screwed with the transporters too much for a quick fix. That would need work done. So they were getting dropped in by escape pod. "Three meter thick titanium hull, large enough for you and your team. Get the mission done, people: the Voth can't get their hands on this spire."
"They won't," Ryu assured. "Worst comes to worst, I'll deploy the Cain… although I am uncertain if that would damage the Spire though..."
"If WE can't scratch them, YOU won't be able to, either. We've got MACOs standing by on the Everest, so make their lives easier. Good luck." The pod shut, and they heard a thud and a slight feeling of movement. "Uh… I think they just ejected us."
"Well then… this should be fun," Ryu commented with a grin behind his helmet.
The pod hit the ground outside the spire only moments later, and Ryu opened the hatch. "Nothing out here: everything's probably inside." The Voth were too focused on the boys on the ships, so much so they were ignoring the ground targets. Their mistake.
"Lynn!" Ryu shouted out to the Biotic Specialist who nodded, a bluish purple aura surrounding her before she thrusted her hands forward, creating a massive singularity that caught up several of the ground soldiers, shocking them. "Greg, charge 'em!"
Greg nodded as he let out a wordless shouted and seemed to push himself forward in a purple streak that impacted the singularity, detonating it into a massive biotic fueled explosion.
The Voth troopers caught in the singularity went flying, while the other Voth turned towards Greg, opening fire with their Antiproton weaponry, even as a Voth Battlemech dropped in to pick up one of the Voth soldiers. Also, several… the only word that could be used was Velociraptors… appeared and swarmed at Greg.
They didn't get a chance to swarm the Vanguard Slayer as Sasha lobbed several Arc Grenades into the groups, shocking them before a pair of Homing Grenades detonated in their midst, triggering a tech explosion as Ryu began to charge. "Devastator Mode Engaged!" he shouted out as his shields began to overcharge and his armors subsystems kicked it as he shoulder rammed a Voth, sending it flying back before unloading a blast from the Claymore into another.
By that point, the Voth knew they were up against a foe that, while even more technologically inferior to even their Alpha Quadrant foes, were no less tenuous, and were using abilities they could barely understand, let alone counter. That was when the saurians decided to unleash their trump card.
A puddle of water rippling and the ground shaking was their first clue before they saw it: what looked to be a fucking T-Rex with armor and a fucking LASER attached to its' head marching out of the spire. Then it roared. "We did not sign up for this."
It fired the laser (in reality an antiproton beam) at them, nearly snapping Alex into its' jaws upon charging at him while Greg tried cutting through the armor with his sword. Instead of cutting, the blade snapped in half, with the top landing with a clatter a few meters away. "You have got to be fucking KIDDING me!" he yelled.
The Voth infantry fired on the N7, the AP beams hacking through his shields like they weren't even there, knocking him to the ground.
"Foolish mammalians," one of the Voth sneered.
Ryu charged at the T-Rex, letting himself be picked up into its' jaws before unloading the Claymore into the dinosaur's brains.
As he leaped out of the now dead T-Rex's jaws, Phaser and Disruptor fire from the side caught the Voth troops off guard as Federation and Klingon Teams came to the support of the N7s.
They quickly proved that, despite their seemingly blaise attitudes, they were well trained and VERY good at what they did, downing the Voth troopers that would have overwhelmed the N7s (whether they liked to admit it or not) in a matter of seconds.
"And these guys were the same guys were ran into earlier? You know, the ones we THOUGHT sucked?"
The Starfleet security personnel, plus the Klingons, made their way into the facility while a few medics stayed behind to tend to the Alliance marines. "We'll patch you up and get you back to your ship," one of the medics told them. "Let the rest of them do their jobs."
Ryu sighed in response as he shrugged. "We've already applied Medi-gel to the wounds, we should be fine," he informed. "We're fine to keep going, even without it."
"Major, half your squad was taken down by the Voth: they'll be ready for your biotics this time. This isn't me talking: it's Subcommander Kohl, and he outranks you universally. Get back to the shuttles and back to Joint Command."
Ryu shrugged as he turned and began walking towards the shuttles, his squad forming up on his with assorted limps or strides. "I really don't like the way they act superior to us," Ryu growled in a low tone.
"Get over it: you got your asses kicked by those Voth reinforcements. You just aren't ready for dealing with them." The romulan-built shuttle headed back to a green-colored, bird-like ship. "That being said, you DID take down a V-Rex. That takes skill."
Ryu rolled his shoulders as he assessed the teams condition through his helmet's hud, already on the mend thanks to the Medi-Gel applicators in their suits, heck, they would've been in 'deployable' status back home. "How's that shin Greg?" he called out.
"Good to go sir," Greg responded. "Could go through boot with it twice over."
"Gladius, we are en route. Open shuttle bay doors." The shuttle landed in the warbird's bay, and the ship headed back to the friendly zone.
Dyson Joint Command - 30 minutes later
"You did an excellent job opening up a hole for the ground forces, but you weren't ready for the Voth. As such, Admiral Quinn will be reassigning you out of the Dyson Sphere."
"Where will we be heading to then?" Ryu questioned as he and his team stood at ease in the room.
"The Mustang will take you to Deep Space Nine, where you'll be dealing with someone a bit… easier." He brought up a file, showing a kind of insect-like ship. "Not that the Dominion are easy to deal with."
"What can you tell us about them?" Ryu asked.
"If you thought the Voth with difficult to deal with on the ground, the Jem'Hadar are worse. As such, Starfleet will be giving you access to their weapons and specialized armor. I can't believe they sent you here, almost completely unprepared."
Ryu shrugged in response. "Well, we're going to be needing to do some testing with the armor, Biotics can be finicky when it comes to certain types of armor," he informed.
"Which is why you're going on the Mustang, Major: it's a Constitution-Class starship, and Captain Pinkerton's given us information on your biotics." Kohl chuckled for a moment. "You underestimate the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. It's likely they can make your biotics work with your heavy armor, given time. 'Rocks to replicators', as everyone likes to put it."
Ryu nodded in understanding. "When do we leave?" he asked.
"Since you're so eager…" Columns of light surrounded the team, as they were beamed out. "Now."
They reappeared in a transporter room on a Federation starship. "Finally! We fixed it!"
"Warnings are appreciated," Ryu sighed as he shook his head, rubbing his temples between his forefinger and thumb. "And glad we didn't have a repeat of last time."
"Well, that's because we had time to adjust the confinement beam." The female transporter officer rounded the console. "I'm Ensign Frea Guton, Major. And no, I'm not human."
"Wait, what? I didn't say anything!" Lynn protested
"No, but you were thinking it."
Ryu's eyes narrowed. "You can read minds?" he questioned.
"Your thoughts were rather loud. I'm a Betazoid, so generally I don't read minds without permission. Keep your thoughts a bit quieter, so I don't comment on it. Major Hisanaga, you need to report to the bridge. The rest of you, the armory for your new equipment."
Ryu nodded in understanding. "Which way to the bridge?" he asked as he looked around.
"Turboshaft 4 is that way down the corridor. I'll take your team to the armory." She walked to the door and gestured for the team to follow her.
Ryu nodded to the squad before heading in the direction she had indicated the bridge was and stepped into the turboshaft and stepped back out. "Major Hisanaga, reporting a requested," He announced as he saluted she ship's captain.
An older man looked back at him. "Major. I'm Captain Bormann. We'll be your transport to DS9. Before we go anywhere, though, I want you to close your eyes."
Ryu narrowed his eyes. "For what reason may I ask?" he questioned, standing a bit stiffer.
"Just to check something. After all, we are going to be dealing with the Dominion there."
Ryu eyed him suspiciously for a moment before complying and shut his eyes.
His ass promptly fell to the deck a moment later as someone knocked him over. "We're going to have to get you ready for that, it seems."
Ryu's sidearm was in his hand even as his eyes snapped open and pointed at the captain. "An explanation might be nice," he growled.
"Computer, please bring up the file on the Jem'Hadar." A hologram of a being that looked reptilian, only like a ceratopsian dinosaur with proper hands, appeared. "The Jem'Hadar. The Dominion's rank and file soldiers. They age quickly: after two weeks, they are ready for combat. They are born addicted to ketracel white, but they don't need to eat or sleep. And..." the hologram disappeared, but it did NOT turn off. "They can naturally cloak themselves."
Ryu hummed as he scratched his chin. "Heat Sigs, EM readings or anything like that work?" He questioned. "Any regenerative capabilities or redundant organs?"
"Major, the stun setting doesn't work on them. The white makes them nigh-unstoppable. It took phasers set to just below the vaporization setting to KILL them. And the Dominion's only made them tougher since the War. We haven't heard much from them, aside from an incident with the 2800 six months ago. THAT required a certain ship to bring the battle to an end."
"So Krogan's minus regeneration and invisibility," he muttered. "Wonderful, any kind of passive scanning work?"
"Tricorders can't pick them up, and while they're nearly perfectly invisible, they are more disciplined the you could EVER hope to be. Helm, take us to the gateway. Then head for the transwarp gate. Captain Kurland will want to speak with them. Until we reach DS9, Major, you can spend time with your squad."
Ryu nodded, giving him a narrowed eyed look. "Alright," he said slowly before turning away. "Captain, while Humanity where we are from is not the most disciplined race in the galaxy - that distinct honor goes to the Turians - do you know what set us apart from the rest of the Galaxy?"
"Uniqueness. No two humans are alike, and we usually have the ability to think of things no one else has thought of. I've been told you have a low opinion of the Federation."
"My Opinion of the Federation has to do with your attitude," Ryu informed, "Since entering the Galaxy Humanity has been beset upon by enemies of all shapes and sized, from war to politics, and we stand strong as ever, and while I respect the progress you have made, I think the Humanity of this galaxy, dimension or whatever you want to call it lost one critical thing that allow us to survive even when we were crawling out of our cave, I feel that your years of peace made you lose the killer instinct that allowed us to survive and thrive on a planet that was capable of killing us in any way imaginable, that is why I have a low opinion of the Federation."
Bormann chuckled. "young man, if you were around during the Dominion War, you would discover that we haven't lost it. We've only repressed it. You didn't have a Third World War, and you didn't make first contact with an alien race ten years afterward." The Mustang left the Dyson Sphere, heading for the transwarp gate. "Starfleet's personnel ran into things worse then Krogan or Asari commandos during the Dominion War. Them, you can make doubt. The Jem'Hadar...not possible. They are BRED loyal. They have a phrase: 'Victory is life'. They will DIE to win a battle. AR-116 proved that."
Ryu looked over his shoulder. "If you know that, then stop underestimating us," he said coldly. "I will grant that most of your tech is superior, but I can assure you, the Alliance is tenacious, we will not stop, not one of us, will bear a wound of cowardice, and even if it kills us, we achieve our goal, after all, at least you don't have to go up against something like the Reapers."
"You would think that. Dismissed, Major."
Ryu nodded stiffly and headed towards the turboshaft, his personal displeasure obvious.
The Constitution-Class starship arrived at DS9 only a few hours later, and by that time, the team had repaired their weapons and equipment to deal with the Jem'Hadar. Luckily, the personnel onboard had kindly provided a tritanium monomolecular sword to replace the one lost during the incident with the Voth. "Captain Kurland will welcome you on the station: DS9 is a major hub. He gets his share of idiocy thanks to the wormhole."
The squad nodded their understanding as they gathered around. "What kind of hub is it? Wayfare, Military, trade?" Greg asked curiously.
"All." "We're in visual range, Captain." "On screen: let's show our friends their new home." The image of a sort of skeletal ball appeared on the screen, with six arms curving inward, and two central rings. "Doesn't look like ESD." "We didn't build it. DS9 was built by the Cardassians back in the 2330s, and was given up when they left the system. The Bajorans gave command to Starfleet, and once they joined the Federation, we posted more people here. This station has seen a lot of action."
Ryu looked it over. "Interesting design," he commented. "Doesn't exactly scream reinforced base to me."
"We didn't design it. Besides, DS9 has survived worse things then you can imagine, Major. I imagine you can imagine quite a lot." "DS9 Ops to Mustang: you are clear to dock." "Acknowledged, ops. Major, gather your things. I presume you want off my ship."
Ryu shrugged. "If they want me stationed here, I'm stationed here, if I'm stationed elsewhere then so be it," he informed. "I don't let my personal opinion get in the way of my duty or mission Captain."
"Good man. Maya, get their things transferred to the habitat ring. I need to make sure nothing happens-" An alarm sounded off moments later. "It appears you'll be cutting your teeth against the Jem'Hadar AND the Cardassians, Major: we just received a distress call from New Bajor colony. They're under attack."
Ryu nodded. "Squad, suit and arm up, be ready to move out in five," he barked out. "Where do you want us?"
"The Defiant will be escorting us to the colony: YOU have a choice. boarding actions or taking out the raiders. It's up to you."
Ryu thought for a second. "Havoc was always known for destroying things from the inside out, Captain," he informed, grinning viciously. "Get us on and we'll do some damage, although, do you want it intact or in pieces?"
"That depends on Admiral Hackett. Divert course! Maximum warp!"
The Mustang jumped to warp, followed by the newer Defiant. "New Bajor colony is two minutes out at Warp 8. We should-" The ship rocked from something hitting it. "Oh, hell: Jem'Hadar fighter, bearing 180 mark 148! Directly behind us!" "A fighter?" "Proper term is 'attack ship'. We normally call them 'bug ships'."
"What's the plan Captain?" Ryu asked as he gripped a nearby console to keep himself steady.
"Aft torpedo bays, fire! Major, get to the transporter room: you're boarding that ship!"
"Wait, you can BEAM people in FTL?"
"Don't question it, Marine, just GO!"
Ryu shrugged and looked to his squad. "I thought I told you to be in gear yesterday people!" he shouted as they moved. "I want triple time! Greg, Lynn, double up your usual juice intake before we leave, and bring more with out, you are not dropping on me!"
"SIR!" the squad corused as they thundered through the ship, the assorted personnel leaping out of the way as they ran.
The Jem'Hadar attack ship was small and purely utilitarian. Besides the crappy decoration choices, that was pretty much the only thing the N7s took notice of when they came aboard. "Anything?" "Not picking up anything on motion trackers. I think these guys know when to stop." A purple bolt narrowly missed Ryu's head, and he barely spotted a Jem'Hadar as it released its' shroud.
"Lynn! Annihilation Field! Prime them!" Ryu barked out as he activated the Devastator Mode and launched a group of five frag grenades towards the unshrouded Jem'Hadar.
Reacting instantly the Biotic threw up a massive inky black cloud that began to eat away at any hostiles within the twenty foot radius of her.
The Jem'Hadar silently made their next choice, shrouding and getting away from the cloud, using the ship's internal structure to their advantage. "Where the hell did they-" A blade narrowly missed Greg's head, attached to a fighting pike held by a Jem'Hadar. "You should not have come onto this ship, human."
Greg growled as his own blade lashed out. "Y'know, the last time I heard that, I fucking cut off a bastards head," he informed. "Let's repeat history."
"Havoc, prepare for close quarters combat!" Ryu shouted out as his Omnitool activated it's omni-blade and entered into a reversed blade configuration as he held a loose boxing stance. "Tear them up!"
The N7s would have their second trial by fire, and it wouldn't end as well as their first. Jem'Hadar died by the dozens, but Havoc took a great deal of damage: broken bones, punctured organs, a destroyed gun in one case. But when the Jem'Hadar First, an Honored Elder, finally fell to Ryu's hands, Havoc. Was. Victorious. Now they had a problem: they had no idea how to FLY THE DAMN SHIP.
"And this, ladies and gentleman, is why we need the geth as allies," Ryu groaned to himself as he looked over the controls, applying copious amounts of Medi-gel to his chest where a large gash resided. "How easy would it be to have one plug into here and take control from within."
Aina snorted in response as she and Alex looked over the consoles, Sasha taking care of the near unconscious Greg and Lynn, both of whom were suffering from severe calorie depletion, although the extra 'juice' - which was essentially calories in liquid form - were helping them along, even as Sasha patched their own wounds and set Lynn's broken shin.
"So… any ideas how we see outside of this rust bucket?" Ryu asked as he moved over to the consoles of the, honestly, rather cramped bridge.
"Not really, sir," Alex admitted as he looked over the console. "I think I might have found their communications suite… let's see if I can link the Omni-tool to it and get a hold of the Mustang… "
Alex looked at the body of the First, and pulled something off his head. "Sir? I think you might want to take a look at this." Alex said, holding up the item, an eyepiece, and when Ryu looked through it, he saw space.
"I think that's how we can see." Ryu said with a small frown as the possible applications for such an item flew through his head. "What about the controls?"
"I THINK the omni tools can translate the language. Starfleet must've added the Jem'Hadar language to the auto translator." Alex informed. "Yeah, I think I can manage this."
"Right, try bringing us about 20 degrees starboard," he ordered.
"Aye sir, glad to see the mandatory flight school training isn't going to waste today,"Alex muttered to himself as his fingers danced across the console, a holographic image from the Omni-tool superimposed over top showed the controls in standard english. "Twenty Degrees."
"Check," Ryu confirmed. "Aina, any luck with comms?"
"I think that last torpedo fried them. Hang on, I'll try something." A low pitched whine was heard for a moment. "I think that worked: they aren't shooting at us anymore."
"What the hell was that?" Ryu asked as he rubbed his ear.
"Subspace pulse. I think I was sending out morse code for 'friendly'." Aina informed.
"You think?" Ryu asked with a tired groan. "Wonderful, nothing like not knowing if we're saying don't shoot or insulting their mothers' sexual preferences..."
"Always could be worse, sir," Alex said chippily. "Not going to say how though, cause Murphy would just take that as a challenge."
"Murphy can go fuck himself for today," Ryu said with a sigh. "Hold on, I think I see one of the Fed ships…"
The N7 Major put the headband on his head, seeing the Mustang to port as the ship dropped out of warp, as well as the ultra-compact (and hyper-lethal) Defiant. "uh, sir? According to the translation, we have three ships bearing down on us. Bearing...015 mark 085. Galor and Keldon-Class, if the translation's right."
"The fuck are are those?" Ryu asked with a confused look on his face.
"Galors are cruiser-types: fast, heavily armed, agile. I think they'd take on an entire battlegroup, if it were back home." Alex informed looking over the data the console pulled up.
"And the Keldon?"Ryu prompted with a deep frown.
"A dreadnought. I REALLY don't want to take that thing on, sir."
"No one wants to take Dreadnoughts on," Ryu agreed. "What do we have for armaments, what survived the attack?"
"According to the computer, if the translation's right, we have two turret-mounted polaron cannons, three polaron beam arrays and a ion torpedo launcher with 67 torpedoes. I think we might stand a chance." Alex informed with a hopeful grin.
Ryu frowned as he mentally ran through the options. "Dammit… are they actively targeting us?" he asked hopefully. "Do they know we are in charge of this ship now?"
"Uh...according to the database, they have sensors that can pick up individual lifesigns." Alex informed.
"That's not what I asked."Ryu growled as he tried to think of options.
A yellowish beam was the answer to Ryu's question. "They know!" Alex confirmed.
"Bring us around, present as small profile," Ryu ordered, falling back on the tactical training he was forced to sit through on the unlikely event he was forced to take command of a ship… 'Right… unlikely,' he thought to himself sardonically. "Prep the Phasers and have torpedoes loaded, bring us right in the middle of the Cruiser and Dreadnought!"
"Aye, sir! But..."Elx started before trailing off.
"What?" Ryu snapped.
"I don't think standard procedure is going to work. This ship isn't one of our frigates, it's more like...a fighter. A 75 meter long fighter, but...a fighter, regardless."
"That works even better in our favor then," Ryu informed, getting surprised looks. "I don't want a slug match, I want you to dodge anything they shoot at us while we are between them, might not work for long, but it may give us the opening we need to sock them a good one and open a firing lane for our friends."
"Aye, sir, coming about. Our shields are at 32%. Weapons are online." The two Galors opened fire on the bug ship, but the new pilot had some idea of what the hell he was doing, and ably avoided some of the beams. "I've got a weapons lock on the Galor to port!"
"Hold fire for the moment!" Ryu ordered calmly, keeping himself collected. "Let them hit each other a few times first, see if the Dreadnought will take the bait."
"They aren't hitting each other: they're just aiming at US! Damned IFF is working in their favor!" A beam hit their aft end, and a console sparked in protest. "Uh, aft shields are at 25%, and it says there's a coolant leak in the starboard nacelle. I think." Alex informed.
Ryu's eyes narrowed. "Skim their shields, fly fast, fly low," he ordered. "I want to see their reaction…"
The bug ship moved toward the Keldon, which reacted violently by descending and firing torpedoes at them. Torpedoes that took down their dorsal shields. "Uh, Major, I think we're going to need to work with the Defiant!"
"Why?"
The answer came when the Defiant unloaded pulse cannon fire into the Keldon, followed by 6 blue torpedoes - quantums, Ryu idly noted - hitting the ship's spine, breaking its' back.
Ryu's eyes narrowed as he suddenly grinned. "Alex, get us to that Dreadnaught," he ordered. "Skim their shields just like before, keep the Cruiser with a clear firing lane, hopefully the Defiant can take the hint."
"Should we arm our weapons? I mean-" The attack ship rocked and a conduit breached on the bridge. "Oh, shit. The computer's saying the air's going to get toxic: that's plasma coolant!"
"Helmets on!" Ryu barked as he pulled his own helmet on and activated the closed filtration system for hard vacuum. "Havoc does not leave their post, now, once we are skimming their shields, drop torpedoes like their going out of style, carpet bomb out of the storage if you have to!"
"I'll try to bomb them, but the torpedo launchers-" The ship rocked once more, and Ryu wondered what the hell the ship was designed to fight, because any Alliance ship would have snapped in half from that. "Ok, fuck it. NOW you die!" The attack ship fired torpedo after torpedo from both forward launchers and the aft launcher, and the Keldon finally died, with a massive section hitting one of the flanking Galors, causing a warp core breach and destroying it.
"Nicely done Alex!" Ryu shouted as Havoc cheered. "Any other bogies on radar?"
"Just the remaining Galor, and she's… she's fucking running!" Alex informed with relief.
"Good, now… hopefully they'll let us keep this ship." he said with a grin.
"I think I've got communications back. Correction, I DO have communications back: we're being hailed by the Defiant." Aina informed, relief obvious in her voice.
"Put them on," Ryu said. "Defiant, this is Major Hisanaga, we have control of the Enemy Vessel, please don't shoot us."
"This is Captain Kurland. Copy that. We're detecting heavy damage to your new toy, Major, and I don't think you have the repair skills to fix her up. Mind if we lend a hand?"
Ryu let out a relieved sigh. "It would be greatly appreciated Captain," he agreed. "Also, please have Medical Teams on standby and as much calorie rich food or drinks as you can spare, took some injuries taking the ship and our biotics used up all of their calories in the fight."
"We'll send over as many medical personnel as possible, but New Bajor took a heavy blow, too. The Honshu will be here in 3 minutes: they'll get you patched up." Exhaustion and blood loss finally took their tolls on the Marines, and while Ryu was the last one up, he barely saw the Starfleet medics transport in before he fell unconscious.
Ryu's eyes snapped open as he returned to consciousness as he immediately took in the situation and his lack of equipment. His eye zero'd in on the person closest to him and immediately snapped his hand forward, catching their wrist as they held a device of some kind. "Who in the fuck are you and where is my gear?" he asked in a calm tone.
"Major, let go of him." Ryu's eyes caught the sight of Captain Kurland, who looked rather annoyed. "You're on DS9, in the infirmary. as for the state of your equipment… Whoever designed it didn't take Jem'Hadar weapons into account, because when they took it off of you to operate, it fell to pieces."
Ryu grunted as he let go of the person as he looked around. "Forgive me if I don't believe you, especially considering that my Battlesuit is considered to be on par with a fucking Tank," he said as he sat up slowly. "My Squad?"
"Recovering. We have what's left of your armor in a storage locker: didn't want to throw it away. Would you like to see what's left?"
Ryu nodded as he sung his feet off the bed and tested his leg strength, finding it satisfactory he stood up and rolled the stiffness out of his shoulders. "How long were we out?" he asked.
"18 hours. Enough time to patch your people up: they could walk out the door if the doctor didn't give them an extra dose of sedatives. He isn't exactly sure how to deal with the reprocessed trilithium in most of your people, and, to be honest, I think they need the rest."
Ryu nodded slowly. "Just make sure that when they wake up Greg and Lynn are to consume double their usual calorie intake, force feed them if you have too," he said. "Biotics eat away at a persons Calories at an extreme rate when in use."
"We have them on an IV: the doctor did see a lot of abuse on their bodies." he led them to the storage locker, and when Ryu tried to pick it up, the ceramics fell to pieces. "That always happens."
Ryu let out a tsk sound as he shuffled through the wreckage. "Well, the important parts are intact at least," Ryu muttered. "Shield generator, check, hydraulics, going to need to pop some dents for those ones, power generator, is good, well, that's something at least."
"We can provide better armor materials, but that's going to have to wait. Admiral Hackett contacted us about your new toy. He wants to talk to you."
Ryu nodded. "Well, better talk to him then," Ryu agreed. "Lead the way, Captain."
Kurland led him out of sickbay, and into the promenade. Civilians and personnel from Starfleet were all over the place, bartering and having conversations, mostly about their new trade partners. "Gossip runs fast around here." Both men entered a lift. "Ops."
"Am I going to have to worry about causing international incidences?" Ryu asked with a tired sigh.
"Starfleet personnel aren't just explorers: we're also ambassadors, soldiers, doctors. We always have to worry about not causing an incident. But not to worry: they're probably wondering what we can expect from your side in trade goods."
Ryu hummed in response. "Well, I wouldn't know to be honest," Ryu informed as he sighed again. "I don't know what the brass wants to try and trade."
"Well, that's for the merchants to deal with." The lift arrived at Ops, the nerve center of DS9. The prefect's office, which was now Kurland's, awaited them. "Let's not keep the Admiral waiting."
Ryu nodded in agreement as they stepped into the office.
"Computer, activate the holocommunicator." A static-filled hologram of Admiral Hackett materialized before them as the doors closed. "Computer, why is the transmission intermittent?" a beep preceded the answer. "Signal strength is weak. Problem is at transmission source." "Wonderful. Admiral, if you can hear me, boost your power: we're barely getting you."
The Hologram flickered for a moment before it solidified. "Are you receiving us properly now?" Hackett asked.
"Yes, Admiral. What seems to be the problem?"
"I've heard of the prize Major Hisanaga's captured. I'm sending an Alliance engineering detail to your station to take a look," Hackett said with an approving nod to Ryu, although there was a rather pronounced frown on his face.
"You don't seem pleased, sir," Ryu commented with a confused look.
"We… She's gone," Hackett informed with a heavy sigh. "Shepard has been reported MIA, most likely KIA during an ambush while on patrol for Geth strongholds."
"Shepard, sir?" Ryu asked, actually staggering slightly. "Sir, I'm sorry but that has to be a joke of some kind, Shepard doesn't die, she's the toughest goddamn bitch in N7."
"One of the Starfleet ships we asked in helping patrol the Terminus, the Ayalde, confirmed it. They picked up the Normandy's survivors. Shepard and Yamato, as well as 21 others, didn't make it."
"Do you need Havoc Squad to return, sir?" Ryu asked as he straightened his back a bit.
"No. I'm going to need you to recommend reinforcements for your team: you took one hell of a beating from the Voth and the Jem'Hadar, if the reports were correct. I want Havoc to be at full strength when they go to their next assignment."
"In that case then, sir, I have three personal recommendations that I would like for you to consider," Ryu informed instantly. "Non-Humans, a Quarian Marine by the name of Lea'Rarla nar Myni, if you can convince the Migrant Fleet to lend her, she would be extremely helpful, the next is a Krogan Mercenary, Brutus, he's a Battlemaster and a hell of a brawler, finally Foru Dau, he was a Salarian STG the last I checked and a damn useful tech specialist."
"Admiral Quinn will have to sign a few papers, but he'll authorize it. We'll also send you new armor. According to the report, you somehow got it destroyed."
Ryu nodded. "Apparently the ceramics in our armor don't agree with their weapons," he said wryly. "I can salvage the key parts to my Battlesuit, not sure about the others though."
"Make the most of it. Until your people get there, consider yourselves on leave. If I have to, I'll make it an order: enjoy yourselves. Hackett out." The hologram faded away. "Well, you heard the man. The station's facilities are open to you and your people. I suspect you'll want to inform them about Shepard. I heard she was a good person, at least from Captain Pinkerton's reports."
Ryu nodded. "She was our best, Captain," he informed. "She is the best survivor, the best negotiator, hell, she probably could've talked the Jem'Hadar into handing the ship over without a fuss… fuck… dammit, Shepard…"
Kurland shook his head. "She'd've made a fine Starfleet captain. I assume you know your way to the infirmary."
Ryu nodded and threw a quick salute. "If you'll excuse me Captain, me and my squad need to find a place to drink," he informed before turning and leaving the office.
"Shepard's dead?" Lynn asked in shock as she stared at her squad leader.
"Along with Hitomi and 21 others. Some ship came out of nowhere and blasted the Normandy to hell and gone. Some Starfleet ship saved the Normandy crew. That's about it." Ryu confirmed with a nod as he and the squad changed into fatigues.
"Goddamn," Aina cursed as she pulled on her shirt. "But… she's Shepard, she's walked through fucking Krogans!"
"Believe me I know," Ryu agreed as he and squad stepped out an started looking for a bar. "Fuck things are going to shit over there…"
"Looking to drown your troubles?" Havoc all looked to a being with a massive forehead and ears. "The local watering hole, as you hew-mons like to call it, is this way."
"Appreciated," Ryu said gratefully. "We have some fallen comrades to toast."
The being, which the working omnitools called a Ferengi, led them to a bar with what looked like a roulette wheel and plenty of tables. "DABO!"
"What the hell?" Greg asked as he looked at the game strangely.
"Dabo. It's a game. Win latinum, lose latinum." The Ferengi walked behind the bar. "Welcome to Quark's."
Ryu nodded as he looked around. "Alight then, since half of these alcohols mean absolutely nothing to me, what does the bartender recommend for toasting comrades."
"Depends: how strong do you want it to be?"
"I want us to be on our asses by the end of the night," Ryu informed.
"Then I recommend this." He pulled out a metal bottle. "Klingon bloodwine. You'll be on your rear ends before long, so long as I get paid before you do."
"And who are you?" He smiled, showing his teeth. "Me? My name is Quark. I'm the owner, bartender, and owner of Quark Enterprises. I mostly prefer tending the bar."
Ryu chuckled. "Gotta love the simple life, how much?" he asked as he began digging through the provided funds.
"One slip of latinum per bottle. And if you break anything, I'll have everything you own in a minute."
Ryu chuckled as he placed a slip on the counter. "Six shot glasses as well please," he requested.
"That'll be another two slips. Enjoy the bottle, but get ready for the consequences."
Ryu shrugged as he placed another two slips on the counter before gathering up the bottle and the glasses and moved with his squad to a table. Once they were all settle he poured out the drink into individual glasses and picked up his own. "To Shepard, the toughest Bitch to be ever produced by N7," he announced to the squad.
"To Shepard."
The toast would be the last thing they remembered of that night.
Ron the True Fan: Surprise, readers! Say hello to the Havocs, who will be showing off their skills in the Star Trek Online universe. And allow me to introduce Havoc's real life leader.
DragonKnightRyu: WHOO LET'S FUCK SOME SHIT UP!
Takeshi Yamato: Yep - Ryu's joining us here. When we get to ME3 in the main story, he'll likely be right there with us. :D
Ron the True Fan: We'll see you boys and ladies next time!
Ja Ne!