The Spirit of Thessia

by NewWorldFiction

For several decades the Spirit of Fire has lumbered through the empty void to find not the UNSC, but something terrible: The destruction of the newly space faring civilization of the Asari by the hands of the Batarian Hegemony, a slaver species. Now, forced into a war that is impossible to win, the crew will face insurmountable odds against a enemy that cannot be beat. One-shot.

1. Chapter 1

The Spirit of Thessia

By NewWorldFiction

A Mass effect and Halo Crossover

A one shot

James Cutter cursed as the Spirit of Fire shook from the colliding Batarian Mass accelerated slugs. He was sure he lost some armor in that barrage.

"Armor integrity at 43% port side Captain!" Responded Serina calmly.

"Weapons! Get me a MAC Firing Solution on that Batarian Dreadnought! I want it out of commission now!" The Captain yelled.

"Sir, yes sir! Firing solution ready and locked!"

"Fire!"

Just as James Cutter finished his command, a 600-ton slug shot as 30,000 meters a second. The Batarian Dreadnought stood no chance as it's kinetic barriers were quickly overwhelmed, resulting in the MAC slug piercing the Batarian ship. Seconds later, the Batarian ship was engulfed in a explosion.

The deck cheered only to be cut off by James.

"Were not done yet! Get us some cover for the Asari! The Batarian cruisers are hellbent on getting through the Asari's lines. And we cannot allow them to invade Thessia!"

"Sir! We only have enough missiles for three more salvos!" The Weapons officer responded.

"I know! But if we do anything less than a ATAF strike, those Batarian cruisers will get through the Defense Fleet."

"Understood sir. Firing solutions ready and locked. Twenty ATAF missiles a cruiser and fifteen a frigate."

"Good, Fire."

At James Cutter's word, the massive human vessel flashed with bright flashes as hundreds of ATAF missile turrets let loose their individual magazines. Each one following their set guidelines; they went empty quickly, But not in vain.

All around the Spirit of Fire, any Batarian ship within a hundred thousand kilometer were either destroyed or wounded. Already the Spirit of Fire's ship kills were in the hundreds due to the extremely underpowered batarian ships in which the Hegemony fielded compared to an average UNSC frigate. It was like the Covenant all over again. Except James Cutter was the Batarians' Covenant Super Assault Carrier.

"Serina Status."

"Thirty-five kills captain, and a good two dozen more severely damaged. Well done, the Batarains are retreating."

"Yes, indeed." Cutter responded as he surveyed the holographic map. His ship singlehandedly destroyed a third of the enemy fleet. But it wasn't enough. For what the Batarians lacked In firepower, they had in numbers.

"Comms. Get me a line with the Goddess' Light."

"Sir, yes sir." Responded the officer. "You are live In three, two, one..."

"James. Thank you for that. I didn't think we'd survive that one." The Blue human female looking Asari said the moment the line was made.

"Yes. But we have a problem Liara."

"What is it?"

"That last salvo of missiles was all I had left. The MAC gun only has about seven rounds left and our Pin Point Defense Cannons are running on their last ammunition belts. What's the status of the factories?"

The Asari sighed. "The last salvo from the Batarian navy completely passed our lines and destroyed almost all the orbital refueling stations. As for the factories? Ever since the Batarian's last assault, we are still working on fixing the damage done."

Cutter exhaled a light breath as he attempted to make sense of the situation. Ever since Harvest, it seemed like his whole life had gone from terrible to worst. The Shield world was tough enough, with the parasite and the Covenant about to take control of those ancient ships. Then to top it off, he lost his SlipSpace drive In the fight to take out that Shield Word.

For the next forty five years the Spirit of Fire had drifted through dark space only to arrive in a system claimed by the Asari and under attack by the those four eyed slavers. After that he was faced with a choice: One that involved both moral and UNSC code issues. It wasn't in his right to make the decision to declare war on the Batarians, even though they shot first, and help the Asari. But for god's sake, the Asari had just began to travel the stars. They only had about seven interstellar colonies before the war with the Batarians.

The Batarians were the Asari's Covenant. Except this time, the Asari didn't even have a fully functional starship infrastructure or the population to fight back. Not only that, from hacked records, and some of the ground battles on the Asari colonies, Cutter had seen what they did to their Asari slaves. As well was the fact that the Hegemony had three more species entirely enslaved to them.

Could he had allow a species to such a fate?

He had said no, and with the agreement of the the crew, he had set the Spirit of Fire sailing into another war.

He remembered that day so well. The day he put his crew in another war, but this time far from home. And this time, their bodies wouldn't be going back to their respective birth worlds. To their families. How many people he wondered that day would he be signing up for death far from human space.

He didn't want another Shield World. Not another John Forge...

Three months prior

"Serina, status." Captain James Cutter commanded as he entered the bridge flanked by the various crew that would commodore the ship's systems.

"Well Captain, you may not like to hear what I'm about to say. So what do you want first? The bad news or the good news?"

"Give me the bad first Serina." Cutter replied as he sat into his command chair and activated the switch for the blast window shields to roll up.

"Well first, my navigation system seemed to malfunction during our trip unknowingly. As of a result, we actually have been moving away from human space. And that brings up the next bad point; we've been drifting for forty five years Captain. In fact, we would had been continuing drifting if we hadn't been pulled into the system we are currently in due to gravity."

Cutter gazed out of the now unprotected bridge windows and into the bright red star a few hundred AU from them. "And the good news?"

"There is a habitable world within the system."

"Your answer is too vague. I think there may just be something else, isn't it Serina?"

"Sadly, yes. I'm currently detecting numerous transmissions and ship energy spikes around the planet. As well as about seventeen signatures moving toward us."

"And how is that good news Serina?"

"Because Captain, these signatures are not Covenant. They don't match any ship logs. In fact, from my readings, they are extremely inferior to even UNSC ships. Energy output, speed, heat suppression systems, in fact, it seems the ships acting as frigate escorts are only the size of Corvettes."

"You said they're slow?"

"Yes Captain."

"How slow?"

"Well, at their current rate, it would take seven hours to reach us. That's half the speed of a UNSC Cruiser."

"So we're facing first contact?"

"Yes."

"With no backup and any chance to contact the UNSC?"

"Yes. Also, I'm getting some strange anomalies from those ships."

"Like what."

"Gravity changes... Mass changes..."

Cutter gazed over the data on the main screen Serina was displaying.

Captain Cutter though for a moment. "Serina, send a first contact message. All hands, battle stations!"

The ship's alarms suddenly began to blare along with Serina's voice in a automated message: "This is not a drill."

About three minutes later, however, the new contacts began to halt their speed. Thankfully they understood that 100,000 kilometers was a suitable distance.

"Serina?"

"Possibly reviewing the situation Captain. I recommend the crew remain at battle status."

"Very well. Serina, could you get Ellen up here. If this is genuine first contact and not some insurrectionists or some lost Covenant colony, I would like her on the first contact team."

"I will inform the Doctor." Serina said assuringly as she flashed out of existence from the ship's holo table.

A few minutes later of intense observation and whispered commands, the Doctor entered the bridge.

"Captain."

"Doctor. Good to see you didn't get a freezer burn."

"Same to you. But, is it true? First contact... Again?"

"Yes. And I don't want it to end up in explosions. That's why you will be the lead of the first contact team."

"Are you sure Captain?"

"Ellen, you've seen more alien artifacts, organs, culture, and have the most contact that does not involves killing aliens then anyone else on this ship. You're the best one for the job."

"If you think so Captain."

"Sir!" The Comms. officer Patrick Star yelled. "We've received a message from the largest vessel." The officer referred to the UNSC Cruiser weight vessel which seemed to lead the battle group of ships that had approached.

"Are you detecting any malware?"

"No sir. Well... I don't think I could even do so. Much less them infecting our systems, the code is indeed compatible, but only on some levels such as view screen audio and visuals. But anything much more complex such as holo tech or basic systems such as engines... I don't think it would work."

"Alright then. Play it. All bridge view screens."

The various screens that were mounted around the bridge suddenly flashed from the extensive lines of information feeding into them and into a lush rolling hills, crystal blue lakes, and extensive flowing rivers. Then the feed changed into vast cities. The skyscrapers sleek and alien. Hundreds of flying cars seemed to move in set lanes throughout the cities' air space.

Already Captain Cutter began to wince. Not because it was hostile; No this was better than he could had hoped for so far. No claims of human destruction is a good sign in his book. What had made him uncomfortable was the idea of what the UNSC would be like if sky transportation was keyed to civilian hands like that. The Insurrectionists would had gone crazy. Well actually... More crazier.

After several more minutes of vast cities and landscape the scene shifted to a women. A blue women with crests instead of hair. She wore a bright yellow dress which really made her uncomfortable to look at; Complementary colors don't go well together. But none the less, the alien was strikingly similar to a human.

"Holy shit." A officer whispered in surprise. These aliens looked so human.

Then the blue alien smiled. Smiled. She then spoke one word as she pointed toward herself. "Asari." Then the alien humanoid pointed toward the ground in which a image of a a blue green planet appeared. "Thessia."

Despitethe situation they were in, many of the crew including the Captain smiled. They knew the name of the aliens and the name of their home world. Could it be? Non hostile first contact?

The video seemed to continue with similar aspects all promoting peace and friendship. Children laughing and playing. But something nudged in the back of the crew's mind. Why was there only females? Was it a Matriarch society? No matter what it was, at least the aliens were making good first impressions.

Final the video ended, but not before a Asari appeared surrounded by activity in which seemed to be a command room. She wore what looked like more of a restrictive type of clothing which matched the Asari crew behind her. On her breast were several shiny medals and tokens. A military officer. Made sense at least; use your military but promote peace. Sudden she spoke several non understandable words, however implying what seemed to be a message. Whatever it was it did not seem a bit threateningly but more cautious.

As the crew cheered due to the successful first contact, Captain Cutter examined the Asari. She was so human looking. And he could see that most definitely. But no in her physical appearance, but her eyes. They were tired, like the officers he fought with to take back Harvest.

"Captain." Serina spoke, catching the Captain's attention. "I'm detecting another message. It seems to be a key."

"A key?"

"Yes. A key for their language. If you allow me, I can download the message and form a matrix for these... Asari and possibly translate it to our own language."

"How long do you think it would take?"

"Based off the content size of the message and if they made a very decent key, and that I am in fact a Artificial Intelligence, no doubt a minute."

"Very well, you have full permission, but please isolate the data. I don't want them somehow hacking our files."

"As you command Captain." The A.I. Said as she flashed away.

"What do you think Captain? Are they peaceful?" Doctor Ellen Anders asked.

"The question more likely to ask is why they sent a full battle group to us. I think there may be something else going on."

"Do you think-"

"That they sent to us a military fleet and the last message was by a, no doubt based off those medals, a military veteran? That they have, according to our sensors a hundred various classes of Warships in orbit of a extremely underdeveloped world." The captain brought up on the holo table the habitable planet in the system which had only two cities. Two cities that weren't even large enough for a million people if the Asari used similar living condition as Humanity did.

"So, they are at war?"

"Possibly."

"Sir?" The A.I. Flashed back into existence. "I have the Matrix."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. And based off the simplicity of that key, they have no doubt made first contact before, or they are simply well prepared. As well as According to your conversation with the Doctor, I think the first solution is more likely."

"Well then." Captain Cutter looked toward the Comms. Officer Patrick Star. "We now got to ask them. Comms. Open a line with those ships. The one that hailed us."

"Sir, yes sir!" The officer responded with excitement.

Captain James Cutter adjusted his uniform making sure his medals were in place.

"I want full efficiency. No one does anything without my consent."

"Opening line, in three, two, one... They are pinging. And you are live!"

The view screen flashed alive to the same humanoid human before. The same Asari.

But James took the first step in the first contact message.

"I am Captain James Cutter of the UNSC Spirit of Fire, representing Earth and all her colonies. May I know who I am speaking too?"

The Asari, despite her obvious commanding stance, she was a little hesitant. Why, James didn't know. But she quickly ended that.

"I am Captain Liara T'Soni of the Thessian Light representing the Asari Republics, Thessia and her colonies."

James studied the Asari as she spoke. She did seem tired... And scared?

"Now, before we get to pleasantries, I believe you are a military officer based off your ships, and as am I, but may I ask, why is there a decent sized battle group knocking on my front door."

"I'm sorry... What?"

Suddenly the Captain felt like smacking himself. "I apologize. I used a human idiom. As for what I meant, why is there a fleet in battle positions ahead of me and a large number of military ships in orbit of what is a obviously very undeveloped world?"

"Oh, I see. Well..." The Asari Captain seemed deep in thought.

A few moments passed before Captain Cutter started. "Well...?"

The Asari Captain seemed to blush in embarrassment. Her cheeks turning a darker blue than her already blue skin tone. "I am very sorry. I was an archeologist before I enrolled in the military. I was, we, analyzing your idiom and well thinking up various answers to it. Please forgive me." The Captain blabbered un military like.

"As for why we have a fleet 'knocking on your front door' well, to tell you the truth, this is our only remaining colony."

"Remaining? You had more?"

"Yes. We did. About a year ago we made first contact with a race. A hostile race called the Hegemony."

Captain Cutter was suddenly feeling a sense of dread.

"Before, we had six other colonies... The Hegemony... They conquered them. Enslaved them. Even... Used them as their playthings." The Captain said with venom in her voice.

"My mother was on the first colony to be attacked..." She murmured quietly.

The crew of the Spirit of Fire were suddenly not liking their new position even further.

"From what we know, they have already enslaved three other entire species. All space faring. As for us. We are extremely inferior to the Hegemony in all aspects of technology. To take down one of their cruisers, it takes four of ours."

"So they are like the Covenant." Captain Cutter blurted out.

"The what?"

"We... We made first contact with a alien union some time ago. Technology superior and religiously driven they Assaulted one of our colonies and killed every single civilian on it."

"...yes."

Captain James Cutter looked to his crew and back to the Asari. "Understand that my stance is... Complicated. Could you give me a minute to discuss this with my crew."

"Of course! There is no harm in that. We will be awaiting your reply."

Captain Cutter nodded as he gave a signal for the Comms. Officer to end the line.

"So. We are several hundred of light years from human space, in the midst of first contact and witnessing the destruction of a species to another crazed alien species." Cutter summed up.

"Sir, it seems so." Serina responded calmly, contrasting the emotions of the crew.

"Sir." Ellen said. "We are far far away from human space. Our ship, will no doubt fall apart if we attempt to leave for human space again, and I'm not even sure there will be any outer colonies for us to return to. We saw how quickly the Covenant swatted away our navy, and burned Arcadia and Harvest. If, in a year, the Asari lost six of their colonies. How many did the UNSC lose in forty five?"

"So your opinion?"

"I believe we should stay here. Attempt to signal the UNSC from their long distance FTL satellites; if they have any. We need them as much as it looks like they need us. If the scans are correct, we are light years ahead of them in tech. Perhaps we might be the game changer for them. We get a chance to contact the UNSC and they get a chance to live. A win-win. And Captain, I don't think I could leave a species to the fate of slavery. I'd hate myself for it."

"Very well. But it's not just your decision. Serina, relay all the information we've gathered too all the crew. Let them decide. I'm putting this up for majority vote." Cutter said after a moment of hesitation.

"Yes sir. Going to turn our ship into a democracy and let the grunts make the decisions? Good choice."

"Just do it Serina." Cutter grumbled.

"Already have." Serina smiled back. She loved messing with people when they didn't want it.

"...I guess we wait now."

It seemed like hours. Yet it was only a about thirty minutes. Thirty minutes to make a decision. But in the end, it all came down to Captain Cutter as the answered ratio of Aye and Nay were equal. It was such an accurate 50-50, it would be the Captain's vote to decide what their decision would be. Who would had thought

"Well Captain, It seems that, statistically speaking, you have really bad luck." Serina said after giving Cutter the report.

Now Cutter wanted to help these people. Really, but he didn't want to die here, which most likely would occur. He wanted his crew to be safe, but how could he doom an entire species like that.

But finally he came to a decision. Looking out to the star, he remembered the loss that the survivors of Harvest felt. What John Forge would had done.

"Aye, we are staying." He looked around the crew. Their faces were tired; all of them. But he knew full well, as did they, there wouldn't had been a chance to get home even if they choose to leave.

"Navigation prepare a course for the Asari fleet. Comms. Open a line with the Captain."

"Sir, yes sir."

Suddenly the Sensors officer screamed. "Sir! Two hundred and twenty five Unknown signatures have just emerged into the system! I'm not detecting anything similar to Slipspace transit but instead the. Same anomalies of the Asari! Asari ships are repositioning themselves toward these new signatures!"

"Then it's the Batarians." Cutter mumbled before looking back at the Comms. Officer. "Ensign! Get me a link to that Asari Captain now! All hands, Battle-stations! And Doctor! I need you back into the compartment."

"Captain?" Ellens asked confused.

"This may get risky. And I need somebody who knows not how to kill something in a dozen ways with just their hands talking to the Asari on even ground!"

"Sir, I-"

"Now Doctor! If something happens to the Spirit of Fire , I need someone to relay something to them! I'm assigning you a fighter Squadron to a pelican dispatchment on Hanger 2-B! Get there, now!"

"Fine. But I will be back after this!"

"Noted."

Then bridge turned into a mess of dialogue and information as various officers relayed info.

"ATAF Missile systems online!"

"Point Defense systems online!"

"MAC gun online!"

"Comms! Where's my link!?" Cutter demanded.

"I'm trying Captain... But-" the Comms. Officer was cut off by the Sensors Officer. "-but the new contacts are jamming the signals!"

"Serina! Can you get us through?" Cutter asked quickly. He had to make a decision!

"I am captain. But I don't have the required information to make it quick. We have a good twenty minutes until I might get though. And by then, the Asari could already be wiped out if the Battles of Harvest or Arcadia say anything about superior technological enemies.

"What about the ships jamming us?"

"Contact them? Why Captain?" Serina asked.

"So I at least know who's jamming my signals! Comms. Get me a link to those ships! Pronto!"

"I am... And we are good. I sent a handshake message in Asari. Hopefully they pick up the phone and they aren't living under a rock Captain."

"Alright then. Serina could you-"

"I got a reply on the handshake! Opening Comms!"

"Put it only on the Main screen!" Cutter commanded.

"Online in three... two... one... Your are green!"

The Main screen flashed alive and for a moment, there was no activity throughout the bridge.

Probably because of the hideous yellow four eyed creature on it.

"You are not the Asari! Who are you, scum?" The thing demanded.

"I would ask the same!" Cutter replied taken aback from the insult. Humanity just likes to get disrespected.

"I am High Admiral Koturn Hadu of the Hegemony vessel Rightful Rule.You..?"

"I am Captain James Cutter of the United Nations Space Command Spirit of Fire, representing Earth and all her colonies."

The alien smiled predatory. "Too bad those colones and you homeworld will be the Hegemony's when we are done with you."

The Captain grimaced. "Tell me... Admiral, how long have you been space faring? How many worlds do you stand at?"

"Ha! Comparing now? The Hegemony stands at 200 worlds. We control a vast area of the Mass relays as we have done for nearly three thousand years!"

Mass Relays? Cutter thought. "To bad the UNSC stands at a 1000 and we have been a interstellar peoples for three centuries. And two hundred more if you consider Interplanetary as well."

"Only three hundred years? What a young arrogant species you are! But I must say... The fact you took two centuries to leave your home system is... Different. No doubt there was no Mass Relay in your system... Well, it just makes you easier to destroy!"

Suddenly the Main screen cut off to a black panel.

"What happened?" Cutter demanded.

"Sir! They cut Comms!" The Sensors officer yelled, "and there are a two dozen Hegemony contacts moving toward us at 24,000,000 kilometers per a hour! They will be arriving in MAC gun range in twenty minutes!"

"Only 24 million clicks? I think we can use that. Serina have you managed to get through the Jam yet?"

"No sir."

"Sensors what is that Asari battle group doing?"

"They are retreating toward their planet."

"Then were alone... Weapons, do we have any nukes?"

"Sir, in fact we do."

"And let's say, Ensign, this Hegemony accidentally stumbled upon a nuke attached to a dormant ATAF missile that happened to stop when it was half way from crossing the distance between us and them."

"And we accidentally hit the activation for the nuke to blow?" The Ensign caught on.

"Indeed. Comms. Have engineering get a Shivia on one of the ATAF missile. Tell them to handle it carefully. Weapons, when they are finalized, we will fire frontal ATAF missile when the Hegemony is 2 million kilometers out. By then, at 1 million clicks, when they pass by the nuke, which you will have it directed in their current path, we hit the switch. Also, make sure to use as little fuel as possible. I want it to have some room to correct its course should they change paths."

"Sir, yes sir!" The Comms. And weapons officer bellowed.

"Alright, men! Today we make or bust!"

Fifteen minutes later, the Hegemony was nearing the two million kilometer mark.

"Weapons, you know what to do."

"On your mark, sir."

"Fire."

From the lumbering 2.5 kilometer ship, on its prow, multiple plumes of fire emerged. A split second later, trials of missiles soars out. It would take them three minutes to reach the 2 million kilometer mark, the same time as the enemy forces. Now they had to hope the Batarians don't change course drastically.

Now, due to the fact only a few ATAF missile were fired, the Batarian defense network proved effective. But then again, their were only three missiles a ship. But it was a screen, not a assault. But the Batarians didn't know that.

As the missiles were cut down, no doubt causing the Asari to be disappointed with the show of force and the Batarans to become more arrogant. Their mistake.

As the Hegemony ships Accelerated faster, Cutter couldn't but help grinning. "Comms. Call 'em up."

The officer understood. "Yes sir."

A split second later the Batarians appeared on screen.

It was the same commander as before.

"Ha! I knew your super Dreadnaught was underpowered! Is that what you call a show of force? An attack? I knew that a non FTL race would had nothing to back up their ships! You don't even use any mass effect fields!"

Cutter finally understood. The strange gravity anomaly on the Asari. The arrogance and belief that the Hegemony had. They used another form of FTL.

Cutter made a quick check of the timer. It read: 00:20. Twenty seconds he had to talk.

"Well Admiral I would like to disagree. We don't use Mass effect, yes. He hoped that was the name of their FTL. "But we have our own type."

The Batarian's eye opened in surprise.

"Sadly," Cutter saw the clock read 00:05. "You won't live to see it."

In the background of the bridge, Serina smiled as she took over the activation for the nuke. It would be the last thing the Batarian would see.

Then a flash of light ignited in the middle of the Batarian battle group.

The core of the fleet was instantly vaporized. One UNSC cruiser weight, which later would be classified as a Batarian Dreadnought along with a half a dozen frigate weight and another half a dozen corvette weight. What remained of the battle group was hit by a EMP blast quickly shutting down their systems.

"Navigation, forward thrust! Weapons, ten ATAF missiles a corvette weight and fifteen a frigate weight. Give those Batarians Hell!"

"So, starting a new war Captain?" Serina asked.

"As always."

"Captain! Missiles solutions locked and loaded!"

"Fire."

From all across the Spirt of Fire, fire ignited outward. It was in some ways beautiful. A cloud of fire with the Galactic background as it's stage to dance upon. The Asari and Batarian fleets it's audience.

The ATAF missiles soared to the Batarian ships. Upon collision, there was only chaos. The Batarian ships stood no chance as they had little to no armor having only relying on their kinetic shields for years.

The ships crumbled and blew up. More stars to add to the dance of fire.

As each individual vessel ignited into plumes of fire, signaling the end of the dance, the audience was shocked.

"Navigation, Get me on a course to the Asari fleet! Serina, status of the Comms!"

"Well, Captain, with that EMP, Comms came back up. It was the commanding ship that was jamming us."

"Good. Ensign Star. Get me a link to the Asari fleet."

"I am contacting them sir... And I'm linking up with them. However the line is being redirected to a different ship then the Captain's."

"Good job. Inform me when the link is complete."

"Alright sir... You are green in three... Two... One..."

Once again the Main screen ignited into a image of a Asari. This time, the blue humanoid alien had a uniform which was much more intricate the the Captain's. Obviously she was of a higher command.

"Captain Cutter of the UNSC Spirit of Fire, I am Admiral Shila L'Trica. On another day I would had demanded an explanation why your ship was on a course for my fleet and how you thought about that plan to take care of the Batarian Battle group after you, but that is not this day. No, I will express heavily, that I need your help. We are equal in numbers with the Hegemony but we are technologically inferior to them. We'd fall in a hour if we fought alone. Now with your current course, I can only imagine you intend to fight beside us, yes?"

"In glad to hear that, and yes I'm coming to form up with your ranks. However, if we live after this fight, we will need to discuss about my crew's situation."

"That would be the least I could do." The Admiral looked away for a moment before saying, "I have sent you coordinates–hopefully you understand them–of where I want you and need you to be... That's if you're fine with that Captain?"

"That depends Admiral; what role will my ship be acting?"

"Captain, does your ship possess a Spinal Cannon?"

"A main gun? Yes we do."

"I hope it has some backing power because I'm assigning you as a capital class role. You will be tasked with two Dreadnoughts," a image of a 1 kilometer ship appeared, "and you will be attempting to destroy any Batarian cruiser and Dreadnought that nears our lines."

Cutter thought, for a moment. If he was acting as a Capital class role, he'd have covering fire from other Asari ships, most notably frigates. Cutter had to admit, it was better then the support role he had been tasked with back over Harvest.

"We will do it."

The admiral's stern expression collapsed into relief. "By the Goddess thank you. If your weapons have the firepower as our sensors read, you could take a battle group of Batarian Dreadnoughts head on... I think we can actually win this now..."

With that, the feed cut off leaving a sense of importance. If anything, the Asari Admiral had given them the kill-every-single-one-of-them-and-no-mercy role. And Cutter intended to fulfill it with everything he got.

"Navigations, Can you understand the coordinates?"

"Sir, yes sir. It very simple."

"Then lead us in. And Comms. contact our fellow capital class ships we're operating with."

"Sir, yes sir."

A few course changes later, along with a few raises in velocity beyond that of the approaching Batarian fleet could manage, the Spirit of Fire made it's way into the Asari lines. The lumbering mass of metal surprisingly maneuverable as it filled into its assigned spot.

Around the two and a half kilometer human warship, the two fellow Asari Dreadnoughts–Serina scoffed at that– formed up a decent 10,000 kilometers distance between each other with 10 Asari cruisers holding ahead the battle group of Capital class warships at 11,000 kilometers and 20 frigates at 10,000 kilometers.

Around the Asari Defense fleet it was a similar story as a simple Defense Line formed up from the various Asari patrols that had made best speed back to the planet.

The fleet was arranged in a series of lines and stacks. In the front were Cruisers about 1,000 kilometers ahead of the frigates while 10,000 kilometers behind the Cruisers were the Dreadnoughts and support ships. It was a simple firing line. The frigates provide support for the Cruisers while the Cruisers take the heavy hits. This lead the Capital class ships to essentially snipe their enemy while the lower tonnage ships took the hit. It was a simple design, but one that held many casualties. There would be many deaths today.

But the design also raised questions. Like why the Dreadnoughts were so far back. A standard MAC gun would take about 5.5 minutes to reach the cruiser line. So why were the ships so far back? Were they just going into a boxing match?

"Captain, I'm hooking up to the two other Asari Dreadnoughts and guess what?"

"Ensign, there's a battle about to occur; I'm not going to guess."

"Sorry, sir." Comms. Officer Patrick Star apologized. "What I found it one of our fellow Capital class ships it the same one we contacted upon first contact."

Cutter raised an eyebrow at that. He had assumed a while ago that one kilometer was a huge ship for these aliens, but for a obviously clumsily and distant minded officer to command a capital ship was not the best idea. This war had to be very brutal for the Asari if they were putting less qualified personnel in such positions. The Captain suddenly began to wonder if the UNSC had to do that. It was a bad thought.

"Connecting link. Link formed... Creating Battle Group Channel Alpha... Were good Captain." The Comms. informed.

"Thank you ensign. Open the channel up."

"Here we go..."

The Main screen flashed alive to one familiar Asari, and another not so familiar.

"Captain Liara T'Soni, Captain..?" Cutter left off allowing the other Asari to fill in.

"Captain Aeest T'neis. I hope your ship will actually be able to do something. You may had destroyed that last fleet, but your EMP knocked their shields down."

Suddenly Cutter and his crew stopped for a moment. Fear coursed through then as they heard the word shield. The Covenant had shields, and it was in many ways the only reason the genocidal aliens had an advantage over the UNSC. But these ships were... Underpowered compared to a UNSC frigate much less a Covenant starship. They had to have weaker shields right?

"You said shields... How much damage can they take?"

"Depends on what you use. Is seems your missile would prove slightly effective as the Hegemony's Kinetic barriers don't block heat, but keeping that heat burst long enough to do damage to their heavy heat resistant hulls is always the hardest part." Liara informed. Man, Cutter was beginning to take back his opinion on this officer. She seemed to know her stuff.

But now Cutter also felt somewhat frustrated; the UNSC re-outfitted his Phoenix-class vessel for a support role rather then a heavy hitter. Archer missiles would be great for this.

"In fact, both ours and their shields only block kinetic weapons. It's why we can't shoot our main gun for too long or we will basically cook us inside our ship. The hull makes a shell. I don't believe you have any Directed Energy Weapons perhaps? If you do, and it's stronger than a high powered X-ray pulse fire away! Their shields won't do anything."

In some ways Cutter was relieved. At least they didn't sound as advance as Covenant shields.

"As for how many loads of kinetic energy their shields can take? Honestly we don't know. It usually takes a battle group's full salvo to take out a single ship's kinetic barriers."

Suddenly things began to piece together. Why their ships were so underpowered and the extreme range in which their capital class ships were holding back. "How large of a shell does your main gun fire. And how fast?"

"We fire a twenty-kilogram slug to a velocity of 4025 kilometers a second, every two seconds. Each slug has the around the kinetic energy of about 38 kilotons. Why do you ask?" Liara asked confused.

Surprised by the speed, Captain Cutter responded with the information around his own main gun. "We fire a 600 ton slug at 30 kilometers a second. But it only deals have the energy your shell does..."

"That will be a problem. Especially with how the lines are set... Does your ship have kinetic barriers?"

"No. But we have armor."

"Then we are going to have to move up to the cruiser line. It's the only way you will get the best shot with the gun. I'll alert Admiral L'Trica."

"Alright."

With that the line closed and Captain Cutter was really beginning to wonder if signing up for this war was a good idea. But he chance to turn back had long since passed.

With the relayed message to the Asari Admiral, Cutter's group of Capital class warships swooped in and laid about 2,000 meters behind the cruisers' ranks. It was strange; a straight series of lines then suddenly a jagged back line. And for the two Asari Dreadnoughts with the Spirit of Fire, they were feeling a little too exposed.

Asari and Batarian war doctrines centered around two things based on the situation: in large numbers, set up a series of lines and prepare for a boxing match. For a small skirmish, it was all about maneuverability.

But for Cutter and his crew, despite the fact they may just get blown up by a heavy weapon that deals two times the load of kinetic energy as his Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, they were feeling right at home. As a support role in Admiral Preston Cole's fleet, the Spirit of Fire usually was in the front lines, acting as support for the heavier hitters like the Marathon class cruisers or the first line of Defense for the Carriers.

For Cutter, this is the role he knew how to play. And the game was about to begin.

On the holographic radar, the world behind their armada was shown, then them in blue, and right after a series of similar line setups of red pings moving up on their position.

"Alright... Crew, I don't if we will live this. But I sure as hell rather die fighting for a good cause then in some Cryo pod failure. We have fought against impossible odds. At Harvest, at Arcadia, at that damn Shield World! We stopped the Covenant from destroying our species! What have we not done? I say, we give these Asari a chance at that too and show those four eyed slavers that Humanity is not a force to be trifled with. That just one of our ships, can destroy a dozen of their own on the even battlefield!" Cutter cried. He knew this may be the day he died. Hell, he may just find out that the Batarians can rip through his ship's Titanium A Battleplate like paper. But hey? Inspiration counts.

"Serina, can you get us a lock on the first ship to enter the Asari's frigate range?"

"Of course Captain. We've already kicked the hive, no sense in not kicking it some more." The AI replied with her own sense of humor.

The sensors officer spoke up. "Batarian ships inbound... It seems they want some payback Captain. We have more Hegemony vessels approaching our vector then any other of the whole Asari fleet!"

"How many?" The Captain demanded.

"Human or Asari tonnages?"

"Give me theirs."

"Well sir, I'm counting... 23 Frigates, 10 Cruisers, and 3 Dreadnoughts."

"Well then, we're in for a fight now."

"Sir! Batarian Cruisers are approaching Asari Frigate range!"

"Time to test out how powerful their shields are on those ships! Weapons fire the MAC! Drop 20 prow ATAF missiles into that volley with that volley as well. Prepare the missiles for redirection should the MAC gut their frigates!"

"Firing the MAC! MAC shell away! Reloading now, 20 ATAF missiles away as well!"

The Batarian Cruisers were about 10,000 kilometers out, already taking the damage from Asari frigates and cruisers and vice-versa.

As a result, when the MAC gun was fired, Batarians all around mocked the shell's speed. It would take 5 minutes to cross the distance the gap between the two fleets, so the Cruiser that laid in the MAC shell's path did not move. His funeral.

The MAC shell may had done little Kinetic damage, but it was designed to pierce unlike Asari and Batarian shells that flattened on impact. As of a result, the MAC shell pierced the Cruiser, the 600-tons of mass destroying everything in it's path; creating a heavy internal chaotic hell unlike a Asari or Batarian dreadnought could ever achieve.

With the Death of the Cruiser the incoming ATAF missiles changed course and collided with another Cruiser, also doing heavy damage. However rather than piercing the shields, the sheer quantity overwhelmed the kinetic barriers leaving room for the final few missiles to destroy the hull and deal heavy damage. Shortly after, the ship's mass effect drive went critical and the ship was engulfed in a blue explosion.

Just like that, the Batarians lost two Cruisers in a fair match. And just like that, as the Cruisers' mangled corpses began to lose whatever power they had left, all of the Batarian Frigates charged pass their Cruisers and engaged into a knife fight with the Asari lines on the Galactic alley so to speak.

This is when Cutter made his move.

While the Asari Dreadnoughts held and sniped the Batarian frigates, The Spirit of Fire charged right into the group.

All around the mass of metal was death. As Asari ships collapsed to the combined effort of several Batarian frigates and Cruiser fire, the UNSC Warship swooped by, spitting fire all around as it's Captain ordered for the ATAF missiles all around to take out anything within 3,000 kilometers. In this instance quantity was better than quality as 20 ATAF missiles were assigned a ship. The sheer amount passing by the defenses of the Frigates and outright annihilating them.

That's when the Cruisers fired.

A dozen Batarian Mass Accelerated slugs collided into the Human warship at little over 4,000 kilometers a second. In the eyes of the Asari, they expected the human ship to be outright gutted. It was quite the opposite.

The bridge shuddered violently as the dozen of shells collided causing Captain cutter to hold onto his command console.

"Status!" He yelled.

"No damage to any systems! All systems green and functional! And the Batarians are retreating! They suffered the loss of... 21 frigates! The 2 remaining frigates have retreated into their Cruiser line which is now falling back to their Dreadnoughts!" The sensors officer yelled back.

The deck cheered.

Cutter smiled. This was very good.

Suddenly Serina spoke up. "Well Captain, it seems their shells flatten upon impact. We practically lost only a few millimeters of armor on our prow, while three of their shots were deflected."

"Then it's our time to shine. Navigations, set us a course to the Cruiser line. Fill in the gap. Comms, Inform the pilots it's their sky to take."

"Sir, yes sir!"

Moments after Cutters command, the outfitted Phoenix-class warship pulled to port, spilling it's contents of fighter craft. Multiple Longswords soared out of their respective hangers and formed up squadrons of 12. By the time The Spirit of Fire was slowing down the Longswords had formed up fully. On each broadside of the Two and a half Kilometer long starship were a wing of fighters. In the rear, there was two wings serving as back up along with three in the prow and two wings worth of Longswords guarding the respective "top" and "bottom" of The Spirit of Fire.

"Captain!" The Comms. Officer Ensign Patrick Star called out. "We are being hailed through Battlegroup."

"As well, their Dreadnoughts are moving up in what seems to be on a course to fortify our rear guard." The Sensors officer added just as Captains Liara T'Soni and Aeest T'neis.

"Goddess!" Liara exclaimed, "That was amazing! You just practically took out their frigate screen!"

"Liara! Don't get so hopeful yet. We didn't take as heavy losses that's true; but only in our vector of the fleet. The rest of the fleet can't report the same."

Suddenly the previous Captain's spirit just dropped then and there. That's one thing Cutter could really relate to: When you find out that some people didn't make it. When you knew the crews, the captains, yet it was you that survived.

"If it wasn't for Captain Cutter, we'd all be dead. He made the Batarians think less brashly and caused them to fall back."

"So we're getting ready for round two." Cutter piped up."If I could make a suggestion, could you link me to the Admiral."

Aeest T'neis though for a moment before saying, "Why not?"

Moments later after some work on the Asari's end, Admiral L'Trica appeared.

"So I'm under the impression you have a plan?" The Asari Admiral directed toward the Human Captain.

"Yes." Cutter confirmed, "If you want to keep your world, we're going to make a bold move. The Batarians are coming back, and unless we kill their new commander, we won't have the edge over them. I suggest we take a battle group – allow me to take the lead – and we take out their lead dreadnought."

"And leave the fleet without the ships it needs?" We need every ship we can get to fight the Batarians or our lines will fall!"

"Or have no fleet at all! My ship is so far the only warship here capable of destroying several Batarian ships and I'm quite certain my ship can't be everywhere in this fleet. If we hold and don't make this move, your fleet will be whittled down!"

The Asari admiral looked straight at the Human officer and despite the fact she was a hundred kilometers away and it was just a screen allowing her to see him, she was very menacing.

"Then in that case, you're in control of the Battle group Cutter. I'm reassigning a few cruisers, frigates, and Dreadnoughts to you. Make sure my crews come back in one piece." With that, the Asari Admiral signed out.

"Well Captain," Serina smiled, "Looks like you got some Responsibility now."

"Serina shut it. Comms. Where's my new battle group?"

For the next few minutes, as the Batarians obviously were discussing how to counter the human warship, the Asari lines were reforming.

As for Captain Cutter, he got what he wanted. 10 frigates, 5 Cruisers, his original pair of Dreadnoughts and four more. According to Liara, the Admiral was putting everything on Cutter to make this work if he had six Dreadnoughts under his command. Talk about trust.

With all the ships locked into Cutters Battle Group Alpha Channel, he sent his various commands.

The frigates would get wiped out by the heavy hitting Dreadnoughts line the Human Captain intended to Compromise, so he threw them in the back, acting as support and the ships that would finish off what the heavier ships didn't. The Cruisers were re tasked as escorts for the Dreadnoughts while The Spirit of Fire sat In the front middle.

Once ready, Serina went ahead and tracked the Batarian signals to a single Dreadnought in the very center of the fleet. Yeah this was going to be fun.

"Alright." Cutter said as he was prepping the Asari Captains of his battle group, "we are going to swoop 'under' their lines. However, we can't do that without a distraction. That's where my Longswords come in. Aboard one of the Longswords is a nuclear device which will be guarded by a wing of fighters. Upon entering their front line, the nuclear war head will detach from the Longsword and drift until the Longswords are out of the EMP range. That's when we strike!" Cutter exclaimed fiercely.

"Is that understood?"

The various Captains nodded or made some signal of understanding.

"Good. Now..." Captain cutter looked away from the command screen and gazed through the glass windows. "It's time for the fly boys to finish their job."

...

"Alright boys, It's time to dance!" Called Cobra 2 "Lanky" as his Longsword soared past the lumbering mass that The Spirit of Fire was. It definitely stood out from the organic shapes of the Asari as the human warship was the largest ship in the fleet.

"Hell yeah! Can't wait to drop some bombs on those idiots! " Responded joyfully Cobra 3 "Cantaloupe."

"Let's give them something to remember!" Cobra 4 "Moony" cheered.

"How bout you all shut your mouths! We have a job to do, and it's guarding Eagle squadron!" Cobra Leader "Square" Scolded. "We and Griffon Squadron are what's keeping Eagle Squadron flying! I expect discipline!"

"Yes sir." Grumbled Lanky.

"This is Eagle 5, carrying the heavy payload. We are approaching the enemy fleet. Captain wants us to drop the Shivia behind their front line so it drifts closer to the Dreadnoughts."

"We copy Eagle 5." Square confirmed, "We got your back."

"I damn hope so. Eagle 5 out."

"I don't think Eagle squadron really likes us square." Cantaloupe chuckled.

"Of course they don't." Moony laughed, "We got the most air kills back in Harvest. It's been a sore wound for them since!"

"Don't forget no one likes square." Cobra 5 "Jacks" snickered.

"I swear to god, I will beat the shit out of you when we're done with this." Square cursed.

"If we get out of this." Lanky said, killing the mood.

"This won't be the shield world Lanky, we're-" Shit! Incoming." Jacks Longsword suddenly twirled out of the way of a Batarian fighter's stream of tracers. "What the fuck? Those fighters came out of no where!"

"They're stealth fighters! Lock ons won't work, fire free, I repeat fire free!" Square commanded a he shot apart one unfortunate Batarian fighter that didn't maneuver out of squares line of sight fast enough.

"Here we go." Lanky whispered to himself as adrenaline began to pump.

Ahead of Lanky was a Batarian fighter that swooped down on a Eagle Squadron Fighter who was a decent flier enough to dodge the incoming fire.

Lanky lined up on the fighter slightly aware of the efforts of his own squadron and the multiple dying Batarian fighters. Lining up his shot, he gripped his stick and pulled the trigger.

Multiple yellow tracers flew out ahead of his Longsword and nicked the Batarian fighter, causing it to veer off.

"Thanks for the assist!"

"No problem!"

With that, Lanky veered off and continued his Assault on the fighter.

The Batarian was smart; Lanky would give him that. The Fighter was constantly making unusual and random maneuvers to lose the human fighter but Lanky was experienced. He wouldn't fall for that easily, all he had to do was wait until the Batarian made a mistake.

Suddenly his radio set flared to life. "Use your missiles! Set for heat seeking, their have made them targetable!"

Lanky grinned. Switching from his guns to his missiles, a single lock on formed based off the faint heat signature of the Batarian stealth fighter. In seconds the missile caught up to the Batarian who was desperately trying to lose the missile but alas, his efforts were in vain as the missile collided with him, sending him to oblivion.

"Hell yeah!" Lanky cheered as he veered off to his group.

The squadrons were faring well now that the Batarians element of surprise had disappeared.

Spotting another fighter, he locked onto it and released another missile which just as easily took him out as well.

"Do these guys even have flares?" Cantaloupe questioned as he knocked a Hegemony fighter out of combat.

"I don't know, but I'm glad they ain't using it!" Jack responded as he tallied up his kills to five.

"Alright men! We are approaching the drop point!" Called Square. To backup his claim, high powered x-Ray beams from Batarian warship point Defense systems began to lash out, catching one Griffin Longsword by surprise.

"Evasive Maneuvers! Don't let those beams hit you!"

Lanky twirled dodging a x-Ray beam that had flared on his warning systems, then quickly veered right to bypass the explosion of a fellow Longsword only to receive a stream of bullets from behind.

"Shit!" Lanky screamed as his systems reported lost of armor. "I have one me! Can anyone see where he is?"

"You have two bandits on your six! I'm coming in!" Jack cried as he began to spit fire at the two Batarian fighters. "Hold on!"

"I am!" Lanky gritted his teeth when another stream of billets collided with him.

Suddenly one of the fighters exploded causing the other to veer off.

"Thanks Jack!"

"That wasn't me! Shit... It was guy from Eagle squadron."

"Ah Man, now we own that guy a drink. God dammit Jack!"

"Sorry!"

"This is Eagle 5, payload away! I repeat, payload away!"

"Well guys, it's time to go home!" Square cheered as he pulled back.

...

"This is Eagle 6, payload away! I repeat, payload away!"

Cutter immediately jumped into action just as the last Longsword exited the kill zone.

"Weapons, hit it!"

With that command, the shiva missile that had drifted behind the Batarian cruisers and in front of their Dreadnoughts flashed alive.

The core of the blast was close enough to immediately incinerate a few cruisers while many In the cruiser line were either knocked out of power or heavily damaged while the Dreadnoughts were blinded.

"Navigation, bring us in! Weapons, Five ATAF missiles a EMPed cruiser and frigate! Get me a MAC solution on the lead dreadnought!"

"Sir, yes sir."

Within a split second, the battle group swooped in under the knocked out Cruiser line while simultaneously taking the Cruisers out shot after shot while the Dreadnoughts attempted to shake off their confusion.

"Sir! We are approaching the Target Zone!" The Weapons officer called.

"Good, fire the M-"

"Sir! The Dreadnoughts are accelerating... Holy shit, they set a ramming course for the fleet!"

"Change of plans; Weapons keep the MAC on the flagship! All ATAF missiles are to take out the Dreadnoughts' thrusters. Comms, relay plan to the Battle group!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

With that The Spirit of Fire, along with it's battle group, attempted to take out the Batarian Dreadnoughts which resulted in a new course. Due to the sudden change of angle, The Spirit of Fire slowed down whole the Asari's smaller frames to a accelerate ahead of the human warship.

But that didn't hinder the Human warship's missiles at all. The ATAF missiles effortlessly passed through the void and collided with the Hegemony ships due to the lack of support. While the Human warship was successful in destroying two Dreadnoughts' engines, while in the case of the Asari, they nearly angered the Hegemony warships. As of a result, four warships changed course, directed for the four Asari Dreadnoughts.

Cutter's eyes widened in surprise. "Comms. Tell them to get out of there!"

But it was too late. It was all up to the respective captains of the ships. One ship, veered off with emergency thrusters just in time before firing a full broadside missile volley that engulfed the ramming warship. Captain Aeest T'neis' warship collided head on to a Hegemony dreadnought resulting in a terrible plume of flame as did another Asari warship. Captain Liara T'Soni attempted to veer off only to have the rear of her ship ripped off. In moments her ship lost power and she was adrift.

Captain Cutter slammed his fist down in anger as he felt the helplessness of the situation. He was trusted to lead them, and he just got those people killed.

And now, he and to keep watching it as the Hegemony Dreadnoughts keep moving on a ramming course for the Asari fleet. While the frigates and Cruisers were able to maneuver out of the way, the Asari flagship could not. The Asari dreadnought line collided with the Batarians attempting to ram them, and it ended with fire.

Batarian ships collided with Asari. The plumes of fire ignited in flashes as most of the slow ships couldn't get out of the way.

Never had Cutter felt so helpless.

"Sir..." The sensors officer spoke, "the remaining Hegemony ships are retreating... We won."

"No. No, we got slaughtered."

The bridge became cold as the pyrrhic victory dawned on them.

"Sensors, can you scan the wreckage for any signs of survivors..?"

"Sir, yes sir." The officer answered solemnly.

Moments passed as The Spirit of Fire drifted by the wreckage of the three Asari Dreadnoughts.

The corpses of the once proud ships were darkened from fire, and blue bodies littered the area around the ships.

"Sir, I'm picking up some faint signals... Possibly life pods, sir."

"You know the drill. Comms, call up the Pelicans." Cutter said tiredly. It reminded him of the clean up after taking back Harvest.

...

The Pelican drifted silently through the wreckage of the Asari capital ship. It was the only one that was slightly intact, and it had been ripped in half. At the moment, the Pelican was trying to find the sources of the signal. It was faint, almost unnoticeable.

As the Pelican's thrusters burned red and the lights reflected off dead bodies and metal, the signal began to get stronger.

Navigating under a floating beam that no doubt had been a major component of the ship's superstructure, the pilot of the Pelican spotted it. A small blue circular shuttle. In fact their were multiple, but only one was undamaged. The others looked scorched, no doubt due to explosions.

The pilot radioed in calling out he found some escape pods and he was going in to check. But he had a bad feeling about this all.

The pilot navigated the Pelican up to the pods, allowing his systems to scan them. The first one read nothing. No heat signature or bio signs. No shit. The pilot thought. The escape pod was scorched black. The survivor probably got cooked up inside.

Moving over to next one, he didn't need to scan it. The little glass window on the pod was shattered allowing the Pelican's light to expose the corpses within. Poor Bastards.

The next few pods shared similar stories. Scorch marks and ripped open hull. Finally the pilot got to the last one, and it too was ripped apart.

Calling in, he informed the Captain there were no survivors.

Turning the pelican away with a pained grimace, the pilot prepared to leave before he saw the one pod floating by what once looked like a deck.

Maneuvering the human transport craft, he tried to get a better angle. The ship was starting to give off heavy loads of radiation now, probably due to a exposed reactor, and it was messing with his equipment. He had to check the pod the old fashioned way.

Moving up he tried first to aim his light through the small window, but the pod window was at a angle he couldn't reach. The pilot sighed.

Looking back, he called out the few recovery soldier with him to prepare for EVA.

After a minute, the troopers were in their suits and the pilot had his room sealed. Hitting a series of buttons, the back door opened, depressurizing the cargo hold but allowing the troopers out.

Experienced, they agilely moved their way to the pod. Attaching on via Magnetic boots they switched on their lights and marched their way up to the window. Expecting dead bodies they were pleasantly surprised when they spotted the Asari survivors looking back at them.

Radioing it in, the pilot smiled for once this whole trip. At least some survived.

...

Captain Liara T'Soni had nearly lost all hope. Her pod hadn't been picked up, and it was possible at the time that their wasn't even a Asari fleet left. But that was in the past. Now she was aboard the human warship: The Spirit of Fire. Too bad she was aboard it like this. When she was rescued, she had hoped her and the few others in the pod weren't the only survivors, but when she was told that wasn't the case, her spirits dropped. She had lost her whole crew. Everybody she was responsible for had died. She felt like a failure.

At the moment she was in a sanitized white room, along with the other five Asari that survived. Human doctors were checking on them, using medical data from what remained of the Asari fleet to check if they were healthy. Apparently they were quite fine other than minor radiation exposure.

It had surprised Liara when the humans subscribed a medication to treat the radiation. For the Asari, they had to undergo massive medical procedures under the care of dozens of machines to cure the radiation sickness. Yet the humans had a pill for it.

"Captain T'Soni I presume?" a human female asked. The human female wore a white coat and had black fur upon her head. It still unsettled but also intrigued the Captain that the human species looked so similar to hers.

"Yes, that is me." Liara nodded back. "But please don't call me Captain, I lost that right when I lost my crew. Just call me Liara."

"I'm sorry Liara, I know full well how it is to lose friends." The human's eyes suddenly turned dark and far away. "To see people burned..."

"I'm sorry," the human shook her head, "My name is Doctor Ellen Anders. And, I would like to talk with you further but the Captain wants to speak to you."

"Thank you Doctor-"

"Just call me Ellen. Practically everyone does."

The Asari nodded. "Thank you Ellen."

Moments later, a few human troops, marines they were called, escorted Liara up to the bridge. It was much different from a Asari bridge was the first thing she noted upon entering it. The room was very simple and practical. The ceiling was low, and everything was crammed yet the equipment still had room to use. The floor was a grey metal paneling as was the walls. What really got Liara was the striking contrast in color. The computers glowed blue as did the holographic table I the center of the bridge.

In fact, she could see the Captain talking with someone on the holo table. Amazing, Liara thought, They have holographic communications.

Suddenly the Captain turned around as did the holographic human female figure. It was then she noticed that the figure was indeed a person but had a different air to her. Then Liara realized, the figure wasn't a person talking through communications but a Artificial Intelligence!

"Wow." Liara aired out in awe. For her people, A.I.s where out of there reach. They just did to have the technology.

"Captain T'Soni." Captain Cutter nodded in her direction. With his words, the beside crew stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

Liara suddenly felt very uncomfortable, which the Captain immediately saw. "Get back to your stations!"

The bridge crew got back to their work fast while the marines escorting her snickered.

Walking up, the human captain put his hand out. "Welcome Captain T'Soni, I wish you were aboard my ship under better circumstances."

The Asari was puzzled as the human held out his hand causing her to look up in question. She assumed it was some sort of greeting which she confirmed when the Captain's cheeks burned red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, it's a human greeting ." He said as he brought his hand back to his side. "We're suppose to shake hands."

"Oh! I was wondering of it was a form of greeting."

"Well you weren't wrong." The Captain replied before turning around and putting his hand out, presenting the figure on the holographic figure. "She is Serina, the ship AI. I figured you may had asked from the way you looked at her upon entering the bridge."

"Hello." The AI greeted respectfully.

"She's usually tame like now," Cutter began, "but watch out, she had some sass."

"Only when you're about to crash the ship Captain." The AI responded. "I will be back, engineering is freaking over the Batarian wreckage retrieved." With that the AI flashed away.

"As I said... Anyways, Captain, I'm deeply sorry for the lost of your crew. I can guarantee you everybody on this ship knows some part of what you're feeling right now. But I need to know, do you have FTL communications?"

Thankful for what seemed to be a sincere apology but the strange request caught Liara off guard. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because, Captain, our FTL drive was destroyed in a battle far from humanity's space, and we've been drifting for forty five years. And The only way you have a chance of getting through this war alive and free is if we can contact the UNSC."

"Captain." Liara responded suddenly slightly angry. "Is that why our helping us, to just get back home?"

"Yes and no. We pulled a vote to help you. We've seen what happens to those one the receiving end of a insane alien civilization. Before I lost my FTL drive, my people were being outright slaughtered by the Covenant. Me and my crew decided we couldn't sign a species a similar fate if we had anything to do about it. We're helping you for both our needs and yours."

Liara signed. "Fine. By tell me, why are you so... Faithful to helping us."

"Because I keep my promises..." The captain gazed out into space through the foot long glass. He had just gotten the message that the admiral had died along with a numerous amounts of the Asari's Dreadnoughts. Things were going to get much more difficult. "And we are going to need each other to survive."

Present Date

And with that, Cutter did everything he could do. He gave the Asari the basics of Slipspace even though they still had to create their first functioning Slipspace drive, as well as the secrets to the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. However, due to the Asari's ship size restriction due to Mass Effect FTL travel, only Cruisers and Dreadnoughts could use them; particularly light MAC cannons, which couldn't even mount up to a UNSC frigate's MAC.

"What about the beacon. Has there been any response?" Cutter asked Admiral Liara' T'Soni.

"No. Even though we increased the bandwidth toward UNSC Space, we haven't gotten a response. Captain, there may just might not be any a UNSC left there if the war with the Covenant went bad."

"I hope that's not the case. Can you try-"

"Captain!" The Sensors officer screamed. "I'm detecting Mass Effect transits one million kilometers ahead of us! Batarian signatures just popped up! It them!"

"Shit! Serina, Get us a course in the middle of the Asari fleet. We'd be overwhelmed on the edges of the Asari fleet. Admiral T'Soni, prepare your fleet for battle!"

As the Spirit of Fire inter grained herself into the Asari lines, Captain Cutter began to sense a emotion of foreboding. The Batarian fleet ahead of the. Was growing larger and larger as more Mass Effect Transits appeared behind the Batarian lines. The invasion fleet was in the thousands, and the Asari fleet was only a meager two hundred underdeveloped and inferior ships compared to the Batarians.

They would not survive this. But the captain would be damned if he didn't go down without a fight.

"Ship wide message Comms. Please... No, make that fleet wide."

"Sir, yes sir. You're live."

"Crew. Asari. Today, we defend the Asari homeworld from The Batarians once again. But we are outnumbered and outgunned..." The Captain let it sink in. "Most likely, we will die today. But I don't expect it that we won't go down without a fight! I intend to take out four Batarian ships for every ship we lose, and I expect the same."

"Even if we die today, the Batarians make crush our ships. Burn your planet and slaughter millions... They will never be able to crush our spirit. No matter what, understand, that your people will remember a time before this war. And They will continue to fight for something that cannot be killed."

"My species has only known yours for a few months. But yet, I see you not as allies but a my own. They way I saw the soldiers and crew of the dozens of Human ships that once sailed beside my ship. Not as a political ally. But as Brothers and Sisters in arms."

"Do not run. Do not cower. But most importantly, never, allow them to break your spirit. For all they can do to us, is take our lives. But, eventually, no matter how hard they try. We will rise up."

Captain James Cutter shut off the bridge mic, and gazed out tithe thousands of Batarian ships charging full ahead.

Only if they were so small.

"Weapons. Prime the Shivia. If we go critical... I intend to give one final goodbye to our friends."

"Sir, yes sir."

As the Batarain ships closed in on the inferior Asari vessels and the Human Warship, sensors on both fleets skyrocketed.

"Captain! I detecting high radiation spikes about five hundred million kilometers from Thessia! I'm detecting.. Detecting Slipspace ruptures!"

"Sensors! Can you get us a visual?"

The officer quickly responded. "Sir, yes sir! Visual in three, two, one..."

The front view screen suddenly came to life, showing the familiar disk of a Slipspace portals. But what came out of it was not of a ship design Captain James Cutter was quite familiar with but instantly knew who it belonged to.

From the portal, the familiar dull grey titanium battle plates continue to emerge. Upon the battle plates, blue lines and windows were everywhere along with hundreds of no thousands of missile launch pads and turrets. But what caught Captain James Cutter's eye as the 5.6 kilometer war ship emerged from the Slipspace portal was the blood blocky white letters on it's side.

It read: UNSC Infinity.

Reinforcements had arrived. Quickly as the Warship came, more Slipspace portals emerged behind it. Dozens of UNSC warships emerged until a full battle group was present.

Captain James Cutter quickly analyzed the UNSC fleet. Beside the Infinity was two four kilometer Super Carriers. One which names really caught Cutter's interest. Preston J. Cole. It left several questions in James Cutter's head.

As for the rest of the fleet, some names brought recognition such as the cruiser tonnage vessels: The Jacob Keyes and Miranda Keyes. Who are these Heroes?

"Sir!" The Comms. Officer yelled in excitement. "I'm getting a hail from the UNSC Infinity!"

"Accept the hail! Connect Admiral T'Soni as well."

"Sir, year sir!"

Quickly the officer went to work, slightly aware that the Batarian fleet had stopped in it's tracks.

A moment later the view screen switched to the familiar face of the Asari Admiral and the UNSC commander.

"I am Admiral Thomas J. Lasky of the Fourth Quick Response Fleet and commanding officer of the UNSC Infinity." Thomas Lasky seemed to look confused for a moment as he saw the Asari, no doubt through his own viewing screen. "May I know who I am speaking too."

The Asari quickly responded. "I am Admiral Liara T'Soni of the species: Asari and commanding officer of the Goddess' Light. Thank you, for coming. I didn't think we could survive any longer."

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Captain Cutter. Could you please inform me of the... situation?" IT was more of a command rather than a question, but the Captain was happy to answer.

"Sir, at the moment Thessia, the world the Spirit of Fire is currently in orbit of is the homeworld of the Asari. The Asari are a young civilization only recently space faring. In the last year, the Asari, have lost all of their seven interstellar colonies to the Batarians, a slaver species which had already enslaved three other entire civilizations."

"So you saw fit to ally with them and start a war against the Batarians?"

"Sir, the Batarians attempted to attack upon my ship in first contact. We had even contacted them and held a conversation which revolved around then conquering us. I only retaliated in self defense. As for allying myself with the Asari. It was the best choice and still is. Both on moral and strategic grounds. We had no Slipspace drive, and the Asari were losing a war that they could not win. The Asari had the infrastructure where we could hopefully send a distress beacon back to UNSC space and we had the most powerful ship the Batarians have ever seen."

"You know ONI will want you Court Marshaled for this?"

"Sir, I know sir and I will accept all and any punishments."

Suddenly, the Human Admiral smiled. "Good. Because there is no way the public or the UNSC would let ONI get it's way with you. And as for my opinion, Captain, you did good. Now. What of the Enemy's capabilities... It seemed that they've decided to hold a position of about half a million kilometers from your fleet. Let me guess? Is it that kill tally on your broadside?"

Admiral Lasky was in some ways right. The Spirit of Fire had indeed got several hundred kills. Now sadly, the kills weren't on the UNSC or Covenant scale of challenge, but it would cause any officer to immediately know the ship's crew had definitely seen a lot of battle.

"I can answer that Admiral Lasky." Liara T'Soni said. "The Batarian ships have shields. Kinetic Barriers but they can only block, as it names says, Kinetic weapons. However, when compared to a MAC, those Shields are nonexistent. It just centers too much force on one area of the shields for it to handle. After that, they have no armor in which a good handful of ATAF missiles can destroy a Batarian ship."

"And your ship capabilities Admiral?"

"My ships have even weaker kinetic barriers, but we have a slight layer of Titanium Battle Plates, thanks to Captain Cutter. As well as we have MAC cannons. But they are extremely underpowered. We can only fire 100-ton slugs at 16,000 meters a second. Not only that, our last defense, the Spirit of Fire is on her last leg. She has no ATAF missiles left and only a few MAC slugs left."

"Understood... It seems the Batarians have made up their mind. Splitting their fleet up to take us on and you. But if what you said is true, you won't last a second more... Navigation. Plot a micro Slipspace jump ahead of the Asari Defense fleet. Fleet form Battle Formation C-7."

Suddenly ahead of the UNSC fleet, Slipspace portals appeared in which the UNSC ships quickly slid Into, only to reappear in flashes of Slipspace portals a tenth of a million kilometers ahead of the Asari fleet.

"We will take care of this Batarian Fleet." Thomas Lasky said, right before he cut the link in between the Spirit of Fire and the Goddess' Light.

The Batarians, all though surprised by the human's fleet action, quickly reorganized and raced toward the UNSC battle group.

"What's he doing!" Liara panicked. "He's going to get his fleet killed! For Goddess sake his fleet his out numbered one to a hundred !"

Which was true. The UNSC battle group consisted of 30 ships while the Batarians had slightly over 3000.

"No..." Captain Cutter murmured as he looked over the power signatures over the UNSC ship. "He's got them where he wants them."

As the Batarains closed in to the 250,000 kilometer mark, the UNSC main cannons began to charge. Then, when the Batarians reached the 200,000 kilometer mark, all hell broke loose.

The two frontal Series 8 MACs on the Infinity fired along with the Main guns of the 29 other ships. Their slugs soaring a intense rates and within seconds reached the Batarian fleet. Due to the mentality the Batarians were using to invade the Thessia system, they had clumped up to rush the Asari Defense line. They understood their would be major losses due to the Human Main gun, but they were not one bit expecting another human ship much less a fleet to appear. As a result, their formation proved to be their greatest flaw.

About 40 MAC rounds collided with the Batarian fleet, some later than others, but all with extreme effect. The rounds punched through the Batarain's front lines and continue to pierce the Lines behind it. Chaos and death were everywhere, as three hundred ships flashed into bright light.

Within moments, the Batarian fleet was down to around 2900 ships. But the UNSC wasn't done yet. From the Infinity alone, 8400 Archer missiles emerged from its sides. Disappearing in exhaust fumes and the missiles' flames, a wall of Archer missiles rushed toward the Batarian Fleet.

Compared to Archer missiles, ATAF missiles were very weak. As a result, Lasky maximized his kills, by assigning three Archers a Corvette log, five a Frigate Log, and seven for a Cruiser Log, or four the Batarians, a Dreadnaught.

What occurred was absolute carnage. The sheer numbers of the archers along with their firepower, overwhelmed the weak kinetic barriers of the Batarian fleet.

Ships were torn apart, as archer missiles collided with them. For the ships that managed to avoid the missiles were shredded apart by the wreckage and explosions of fellow starships. Within a few minutes since the UNSC arrival and attack, the once mighty Batarian fleet was nothing more than a few three hundred heavily damaged ships.

But as they retreated Thomas Lasky gave no quarter. His fleet rushed ahead and quickly caught up with the Batarian stragglers.

From the UNSC ships, Rapier Missiles emerged and collided with the running Batarian ships. The result was the same. But this time, no one survived.

Although Cutter expected something along those lines of firepower, he hadn't expected that. Maybe a longer drawn out battle but that... That was a slaughter.

The bridge was silent as the crew of the Spirit of Fire witnessed the final explosions be snuffed out by the cold vacuum of space.

"By the Goddess..." The Asari Admiral mumbled in awe. The Captain had forgotten she was still on the line.

"...Comms. Get me Lasky." Captain Cutter managed to mutter.

"I'll do that Captain." Serina said.

A second later, Thomas Lasky appeared on the view screen.

"Captain Cutter. Admiral T'Soni. I believe we can now discuss the events prior to this whole situation now in much more depth, yes?" The Admiral asked with a sparkle in his eyes.

With that Cutter new it was over. That finally, after forty five years, almost forty six years, from human space, they'd be returning home.

It felt good to know that.

70 years later

Unity drifted through a spectacular red nebula while thousands of ships fluttered around the massive 300 kilometer long space station. It was like a giant spear where instead of a spear head, there was a huge upside down bowl which measured 50 kilometers in diameter and that contained numerous land masses and cites which thrived under the Artificial atmosphere. The Space station was also surrounded by the most powerful force in all of the United Republic; the United Republic Space Command Home Defense Fleet which was at the moment, hard at work protecting Unity from any enemy force bold enough to attack the heart of the UR.

But at the moment, the capital was not discussing political matters but instead the twentieth anniversary of the United Republic. Formed forty five years after the five year war against the Hegemony and the absorption of the various races the Hegemony had waged war upon or enslaved, it was a symbol of freedom.

But nothing was more of a symbol then the restored vessel that hovered over Unity's capital city:

Procurationem Novae Pacis, New Peace. The Spirit of Fire, had become as much of a symbol as had the Pillar of Autumn became after the end of what was known as the Great War. It was a symbol of Hope, Perseverance, and strength in the wake of overwhelming odds.

It was something to celebrate. That was why they were here. But there was another reason.

As it was also a time for mourning. Many of the crew aboard the Spirit of Fire had passed away by this point. Including Captain James Cutter, who died a short few days before the celebration.

It was why Liara was wearing black clothing along with many others. They were still going to celebrate yes. But they were laying to rest a hero, a Hero both in the eyes of the Humans, the Asari, the Quarians, The Salarians, and the Turians. If the Captain had not acted, the Asari would had been enslaved and the other species would continue to be exploited.

Upon the podium, that laid under the hovering Spirit of Fire, the President of the United Republic spoke. But the words were lost over Liara. All she could do was remember the greatness of that man and what he had done for her people.

It was something she could never repay him for.

Hello! I'm back and with a one shot. Now before you ask what's going on with my Last Son of Earth fic, the next chapter is ready and just being betaed. Okay? As for time wise, in writing another chapter as we speak. I'm currently on a road trip across the Continental US and have plenty of time to write!

(Also, I suck with Conclusions and fighter battles. Just found out.)

So don't worry guys, the next chapter will be up soon! Oh, and thanks for reading!

-NewWorldFiction