Halo Valley of shadows Chapter 1 Recovery
Escaping in the Normandy, Shepard and his crew was hit by the shockwave and somehow flung through space and time into another dimension entirely. They end up in 2551 and crash land on a planet under attack by Covenant forces. OC crew member involved. Alternative Universe story.
Normandy, leaving Sol system
Joker tried desperately to keep ahead of the shockwave as they flew in as quickly the ship could, but it closed in on them fast. They had been the last to go, waiting for Shepard to get aboard. They wouldn't leave him behind to die alone. No way. Not after everything that had happened. Not after everything they had been through.
Normandy started shaking. First just slightly but after a moment it grew more violent.
Kaiden Alenko stumbled into the cockpit and grabbed the chair beside Joker to avoid falling over.
"Can't we outrun it?" He asked in the commotion.
"No!" Joker answered.
He gripped Normandy's pilot console harder to ensure he didn't tumble out of the pilot seat.
"We're being ripped apart!" Alenko said with tension in his voice.
Joker grimaced as he focused on piloting the Frigate.
"You prefer if we left Shepard?!" Joker countered.
Alenko glared at him, but almost smacked against the wall as the ship shook extremely violently for a second. He steadied himself against the wall.
Several alarms started beeping. Joker keyed the intercommunications online.
"Everybody hold on!" He shouted and the comm carried his voice throughout the ship.
"Jeff," EDI's calm and monotone voice said. "I am detecting an anomaly around the ship."
"What! What kind?" Alenko asked since Joker was rather busy keeping Normandy in one piece.
"Unknown."
"Great," Joker cursed. "Sure it isn't the wave chasing us?"
"Yes," was the simple answer.
With a final massive tremor throughout Normandy, Joker lost control and they dropped out of FTL. The ship spun out of control and fires had erupted on several decks. Joker heard an explosion on the same deck, back in the CIC. It was joined by a man screaming for a short moment.
"Medical team to CIC on the double!" Joker called over the comms.
"On it!" He heard Professor Solus respond.
He had expected Doctor Chakwas or someone who was actually part of the medical staff. He didn't have time to think about it though, as Normandy slowly was torn apart. They were quickly approaching a planet, way too quickly, and without control.
Joker was able to get some control and direct the ship in a general direction. But as they entered the planet's atmosphere, he couldn't avoid crashing into the planet anymore.
"Oh crap." He looked at Alenko. "Better strap in! This is gonna hurt."
Alenko looked out the front window and managed to get into the chair next to Joker with some effort. Joker was desperately trying to level out and avoid a front first crash.
"Don't suppose there's an open field around?" Kaiden Alenko asked.
"Don't see one," Normandy's pilot responded. "Trees will have to do." He spoke with a strained voice.
"Just like a leaf kissing the surface of a pond, right?"
Joker threw him a glance.
"More like a rock kissing a pond," he corrected.
The surface was coming closer by the second.
"Oh. Great."
In the medical bay Garrus tried to strap Shepard down on a biobed. He groaned and cursed as he worked with the last strap. He also tried holding Shepard down so she wouldn't tumble off and fall to the floor. Finally, he managed to get her strapped in completely and he held onto the bed himself as the ship continued shaking.
Right now he was the only person-apart from Shepard-in the med-bay. Mordin just ran off to get to the bridge. Chakwas and her staff attended injuries all over the ship.
He looked down when Shepard grunted painfully. He gripped her hand tightly.
"Don't worry," he mumbled. It was more so directed at himself then Shepard.
Javik made his way onto the medical bay at the next moment. He carried Gabriella Daniels in his arms. She was groaning painfully and twitched.
"Spirits," Garrus breathed.
"A console exploded in her face," Javik explained quickly. "Where is the doctor?"
"Out. Put her down here," Garrus motioned him over to a biobed. "We'll strap her in until-"
He was interrupted by Joker over the internal communications system.
"We're go**ng in! Ho** on ** so**thi**!"
"Quickly! Strap her in!" Garrus reacted.
Javik placed Daniels down on the biobed and Garrus started working on strapping her down so she wouldn't hurt herself when they kissed the ground.
The Prothean and Turian looked at each other across Daniels biobed.
Before Garrus knew what hit him, he was flung across the medical bay with immense force and crashed through the glass window and out into the kitchen area. It was lights out after that and everything went black. Javik tried to grab him but lost his grip when he stretched to catch Garrus. He smacked-back first-into the edge of the doorway and grunted painfully. He was then hit straight on by a chair from across the room.
Shepard had no idea what was going on around her. The crimson haired commander was still unconscious, with her gunshot wound still bleeding slightly.
At the moment, Zaeed was regretting signing on with Shepard again. A part of him thought it was a bad idea, whilst a part of him missed the insane suicide mission. He was certain though, that if anyone could have saved the galaxy, she could. He was proven right. But right now…as he was in the cargo bay, with metal crates just barely missing his skull as they traveled from one end of the cargo bay to the other. As he was pinned down by crates and almost got his head turned into goo. Right now…he was regretting his decision a bit. But just a bit. He wouldn't have missed that fight on Earth for the universe.
The Frigate violently impacted the forested surface and tore up trees and everything else in its way, creating a wall of dirt before it, before coming to a complete stop.
New Australia, military Headquarters
2551, April 25th
Admiral Philippe Geraldino marched into the heart of the UNSC military on New Australia. With terminals, technicians, staff and officers filling out the space all around, he walked passed them and over to a circular metal table. He stopped by the table and looked at the holotank.
A blue holographic woman appeared. She was dressed in the ancient armor of a Spartan Hoplite, with a shield in her left hand and a long spear in the right. A few strains of her hair was visible as they hung outside her helmet. She had a smile on her face.
"Hi, admiral," she greeted him with a happy voice.
"Sparta," he returned in his own tired but stern voice. He pondered the AIs name for a second. Not very creative, was it. "What was it?"
"A ship," she replied shortly. "A ship that crashed into the forest on the eastern continent."
He arched an eyebrow.
"A ship? You had me hurry down here for a ship? A ship that crashed into the planet from space?" He gestured around him with his hands angrily. "There is a battle going on above us and Covenant forces have touched down!"
Sparta raised her spear and let the end touch the ground. Leaving it standing straight up.
"Easy admiral. Think of your heart," she said and cracked a smile. He just glared at her. "It wasn't a Covenant ship and it definitely wasn't a UNSC ship."
Geraldino's angry expression faded.
"Neither? Are you sure?"
She gestured towards the table with her spear.
"Look."
She brought up a holographic representation of the ship in question.
"We managed to get a decent look at it. Or I did, anyway. It doesn't resemble any ship we have ever seen the Covenant use. It isn't even purple. No purple. None."
The admiral scratched his chin.
"So, if you are sure it isn't Covenant or ours…who's is it?" He asked suspiciously.
She shrugged. Then she grinned.
"It was the colors that won you over, wasn't it?"
Geraldino cracked a tiny smile.
"No. it wasn't the color scheme. Back to the point please."
She nodded.
"Sorry. I don't know. Theoretically it could be an ONI ship. Secret project I suppose. They have lot of those."
"And they flew it into a warzone?" He asked, then shaking his head. "I can't see them doing that. Risking a new and secret ship like that."
"Maybe something went wrong," the AI suggested.
Geraldino cocked his head down.
"Get Colonel Prescott down here. I want to speak with our residing ONI agent."
Sparta brought her shield and spear closer to her chest and put on a firm expression.
"Yes your majesty!"
He glared at her and she decided this was the time to flicker out and make herself scares. Geraldino just shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Also…"
She reappeared. A smirk yet again.
"Sir!"
"I want you to contact General Warfield. See if Mathew has any men nearby to check out the crash site. If anyone survived, we need to find them."
Sparta was silent for a second.
"Done, sir."
New Australia, Normandy crash site
2551, April 25th
Garrus groaned and moaned. Slowly he flickered his eyes. He stared up at the ceiling the moment his eyes opened.
"Oh spirits," he groaned. He was really glad to have his carapace right now. After crashing through the glass like that, and hitting chairs, debris and whatever else. "What the…damn it."
He slowly sat up. The lights were blinking. Those who weren't completely down.
His head was aching with pain. As was most of him actually. He was puzzling together what had happened. They escaped Earth before the shockwave, killed the Reapers off, basically saving the galaxy and…they got hit and crashed…where? Was he missing something? His eyes snapped wide open and he forced himself onto his legs.
He ran through the rubble and into the medical bay. He looked over at Shepard. She was still in the biobed, but not strapped in anymore. He ran to her side and looked her over. She didn't seem injured. Not more than before actually.
"She's alright, Garrus," Chakwas voice soothed him. "I've patched her gunshot wound up."
Garrus leaned over the bed. His eyes looking right at Shepard's close ones. He took a deep breath.
"Thanks the spirits," he mumbled gratefully as he put a hand on her cheek and rubbed it gently.
Remembering there were others present, he straightened himself and turned to Chakwas, with a slight blush on his face.
"Eh, uh…right. So Jane's gonna be fine then?"
"I dare say so," Chakwas replied with a smile that was turning into a sweet smirk.
It made Garrus blush slightly more. Thankfully his rescue arrived in the shape of a grumpy Krogan.
"Oh, Grunt!" He exclaimed, possibly overly excited. "You okay buddy?"
Grunt carefully eyed the Turian for a moment.
"Of course. Syae and I was in the armory when it happened. Weapons in reach incase."
"You can't kill a shockwave Grunt," Garrus argued.
Grunt chuckled.
"We just killed the Reapers. We can do anything." He looked around the med-bay before continuing. "I'm gonna miss the fights, I admit."
Garrus crossed his arms over his armored chest.
"Well I'm not. I can guarantee you that." He looked at Chakwas with a concerned face. "How long was I out?"
She turned fully to him.
"Presuming you have been out since the crash, ah…" she considered it. "…I'd have to say almost thirty minutes perhaps."
Garrus didn't like that.
"Did we…did we lose anybody?"
Chakwas nodded sadly.
"Who?"
"You want a list?"
Garrus sighed sadly.
"That many, huh. Damn."
"Nine crewmembers. Twelve more wounded. Including Jeff, Tali and Kaiden."
"They hurt bad?" Grunt interjected.
Garrus thought he caught a worried tone in his voice.
"Not too bad. Jeff have a few broken bones. He's pretty lucky given his medical condition. Tali's suit was ruptured in several places, a few bruises and scrapes. She's resting in an improvised medical wing my staff's setting up in the cargo bay. She might just come out with an infection. The major, it isn't as bad as back on Mars when it all began, but still. He's going to need a few days to recover. Before I can send him back to active duty."
"The other nine?" Garrus asked.
"Everything from burns to broken bones. Daniels was badly burned on her hands and partially on her face, Adams broke his left leg and cracked four ribs and I'm afraid Donnelly have burns on his right arm, a pair cracked ribs and his right thigh was pierced by a piece of metal. Porter had a deep cut on his right side." Chakwas then turned to the crewman in the med-bay that wasn't injured. "Can you please aid Daniels to the cargo bay?"
"Sure doc."
She turned to Garrus and stepped towards him, avoiding a metal beam that had fallen from the ceiling.
"I'd like some help to move the Commander to the cargo bay. The med-bay's unusable for now."
Garrus nodded and walked back to Shepard's bed. He picked her up in his arms and headed for the door. Grunt grabbed the last injured crewmen in the med-bay. He stepped over some debris on the way over.
When Garrus arrived at the elevator he stopped.
"EDI?"
"Yes?" She replied.
He was relieved to hear she was still there.
"You good?"
"I am, thank you Garrus."
"Elevator safe?"
"The elevator is working again. I have transferred backup power to get it back online."
Garrus walked into the elevator and was joined by Grunt.
"Where's Syae and Wrex by the way?"
"Engineering. Place a mess," the Krogan replied. "Wrex is in the cargo bay."
"You know what. Wish I could regenerate like you guys. Would probably be useful."
Grunt chuckled lightly.
"Heh."
When the elevator stopped, Garrus ducked to avoid walking onto a piece of metal from the wall that was hanging down. Several wires hanged around it. He stepped over a beam and walked passed the control terminals. A bunch of makeshift beds had been set up, gear moved and almost all of the crew was here. Joker sat on a bed with a datapad. EDI's robot body walked about the place. Helping to move crates and weapons to their rightful places.
Garrus put Shepard down on an empty bed on the floor. Unfortunately it didn't get much more comfy at the moment. He was ignoring the pain in his limbs and head. He didn't have time for that. And now with her safe, he could focus on securing the area.
He looked around the cargo bay and walked over to EDI.
"EDI," he caught her attention. She turned to him.
"Yes, Garrus?"
"What's the ships situation?"
"We have damage on all decks, some secondary systems is still functional, but the primary systems are completely disabled. Our engines can be repaired but with all crewmembers with engineering experience wounded, making repairs to that or any other part of the ship will take time." She paused for Garrus to take in the information. "Thanks to Syae and uninjured crewmen we have managed to deal with the fires on board and ensure that the AI core room and cargo bay is secured."
"Well, that's good news at least. Can't have you going silent on us."
"Alright," he said and looked around again. "I'm gonna have a look around outside. See where we landed."
"A forest."
"Forest, huh. What planet?"
"That is unknown I'm afraid."
Garrus strolled around. He looked over at Zaeed.
"Hey Massani!" He called.
The old merc turned around.
"Let's go have a look about outside, yeah?" The Turian suggested.
The old mercenary nodded in agreement.
"Sure. Just lemma' arm up." He started walking to retrieve his weaponry.
"I'm coming with," Grunt declared. "Could be something to shoot at."
Garrus nodded and went to get his own gear.
Specialist Traynor looked at Garrus for a moment. She was very happy that someone was quick to step up with Commander Shepard out of commission. She sighed. Was a break too much to ask for? First the Reapers and immediately afterwards they crash into an unknown planet. But how? They couldn't have gotten too far. Not too many habitable planets in this sector of space. She laid down on the makeshift bed again. Her head was aching something terribly.
The door opened and Grunt was the first out, with Garrus and Zaeed behind. He held his M-300 Claymore shotgun ready to blast someone's head off.
Normandy had created a crater where it slammed down. It had torn up trees, rocks and masses of dirt. They were surrounded by a forest. A silent one. The crash had scared anything nearby away. They could see a range of mountains to the south of their position.
"Where the hell are we?" Zaeed asked, looking up at the sky.
He gripped his M-99 Saber assault rifle tighter. He pointed into the distant sky.
"Hey, you see that?"
Garrus and Grunt both turned and followed the way he pointed.
"Looks like a battle," Garrus realized. "Fighters I'd say."
"Yeah," Zaeed agreed. "But who's fighting who? With the galaxy in chaos, who'd still be fighting each other?"
Garrus titled his head right.
"There too far away to think or worry about at any rate," he stated. "Let's have a look around the ship."
He got a good look at the ship from where he stood. It sure didn't look good. Normandy looked more or less fly worthy if they fixed any breaches in the hull and get the primary systems back online. Granted, it looked beaten to hell, but still, she could probably fly. Hopefully.
At that point Wrex jumped out of Normandy's airlock. He held his M-300 Claymore shotgun in his arms.
"You leaving me to stack boxes, Vakarian?" He said in a mock saddened tone.
"You seemed to be having fun so I didn't wanna bother you," Garrus shot back.
Wrex looked around and smiled.
"And here I thought the fun was over," he commented with a smirk.
He definitely made the right decision hitching a ride with Normandy. This is where everything happened. Apart from the crash, this was feeling like the good old days, hunting down Saren across the galaxy.