Hi guys, its me again. Sorry for updating this late. Also, I'm going to be gone of the next week or two, so I won't be able to update. Well, anyways, enjoy!
35,000 Light Years Away
This time period
ONI Command
"Are you sure this data is correct."
Yes, my AI has double checked hundreds, if not thousands, of times. There are gravity fluctuations in the system LP 656-38 similar to the mass relays." The voice of the woman was tainted with annoyance, "Now, I suggest we take a proactive approach than reactive. A prowler should be launched there to investigate."
"And you are positive that these are not related to the reports regarding the Yanme'e."
"Yes." The scientist sounded even more impatient. A risky emotion to show towards the Director.
The figure in the shadows spoke, "I will see what I can do. Protocol reminds us that I must ask the fleet admiral, but I think we should keep this... Secret." There was calm in that voice along with command. Unknowingly, the scientist had bound herself to ONI secrecy, a highly illegal activity. "A prowler will be sent, rest assured, but remember, if there is no anomaly, then consequences will follow. No one here wants another... Incident that will reform our already strict regulations. And mostly when that incident ended with no knowledge gained."
"Now, go back to your station. I have arrangements to make."
The researcher thanked the shadowed figure and walked out the door. While inside the room, the Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence began thinking of a way to get this past the noses of rest of the USSC military. Obtaining a prowler was easy, the crew however. They must be trusted to hold a secret, a trait rare nowadays. But the Director could make do. A join species crew would be the safest option. It would also look less suspicious if anyone discovered this. But, the Director couldn't trust the new races. Too much risk. With a push of a button, a detailed report was sent, and with it, orders to examine this gravity phenomenon.
"Life support - check. Basic systems - check. Engines - check. Weapons - ready to blow shit up - double check. Camo - check. Yep, we're all good here." Pushing the button for radio, he contacted the control tower, "Final checks are done, are we clear for exit?"
The static-y noise of the control tower operator filled the cabin, "Yeah, you're good to go. Thanks for choosing ONI airlines."
The prowler lifted off shortly after and sped towards the exit of the hangar. Once a few kilometers from the carrier, observers could see the Kig-Yar pilot do a barrel roll before stopping the standard 1,000 kilometers and repositioning itself. After a few seconds, a blue and black portal appeared and the spy ship sped through.
Using military grade ship space generators, the trip would only take an hour. This was more than enough time for the crew to review the orders.
"So, the mission is to look for what's making the gravity fluctuation. Take scans and report back; should be short and simple. However, in the event of an alien structure, we go inside to take samples. If we find a spaceship, we do normal first contact signal to see if they are intelligent and disappear after that. This leaves them thinking about what the hell they saw and us a safe trip home. At the slightest sign of danger, like unknowns killing us, I want Thez to get us away.
"But that's only if something like a spaceship. Now, if it's another relay, we'll send the standard activation code. Now, tell me what the the activation code is boys!"
"Why won't you freaking do something you damn alien fork!" The voices of the 10 crew members shouted. The crew was a well trained one. The two T'vaoan, a subspecies of the Kig Yar, were pilots and a human, along with two Sangheili, acted as security. A Huragok acted as a scientist and had an Unggoy companion as a translator. The last two humans were the captain and 1st mate. This diversity was to ensure that the chance of insubordination and mutiny were slim, and safety (as each species specialized in a job in some way) was maximized.
The Captain smiled slightly and thought, Hah, it gets me every time. Best activation sequence ever... Of all time.
A hologram of a Kig-Yar male appeared. He was dressed in Great War era armor and carried a shield. "We will arrive at our destination in a few minutes. You are advised to sit into your seats."
The crew and captain complied, eagerly awaiting what lay in real space. You could only take so much of the dark, swirling abyss of Slipspace.
Meanwhile, at the destination of the prowler...
{====================}
Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay sat with the other members of the Admiralty Board. Currently, they were deciding on when to move out of the system, which was very soon, most likely in 2 weeks and solutions to the issues of the Migrant Fleet. Meanwhile, the civilian council, the Conclave, was discussing resource recovery and their wrapping up of said recovery. They had been this system for many months and it was dangerous to be so far from known space and so close to unknown space.
"I believe this has been a very productive meeting. We will talk more in 22 hours. I bid you good bye and a nice travel back to your ships."
The others gave their farewells and thanks. Minutes later, several small shuttles exited the huge ship and headed their different ways.
As her shuttle docked, Shala thought about the Flotilla's problems. Although trade and resource harvesting as proceeding well, it just wasn't enough. Whole ships had to be scrapped on the account of wear and tear. Ships that were needed for the housing of other Quarians. Space was already crowded as of right now. And an request for help from the Citadel Council was met with rejection.
"It seems we are alone in our struggles." Shala mumbled under her breath as she stepped onto the bridge of her ship, the flagship of the Tonbay. As she stood there she heard a voice in the back of her head. A feeling. Her instinct have never lied, so Shala went with it.
"Gather a small patrol; two light frigates. I have a feeling we will discover something interesting." Shala ordered.
The two frigates broke off from the main sphere of the Migrant Fleet. Floating towards the Tombay, they arrived minutes later.
As soon as the light frigates entered formation, Shala gave the order to move out on a standard patrol, although they strayed farther from the fleet than normal. They continued on this path before reaching the apex of their journey, near a moon, the farthest point from the Migrant Fleet. Just as the patrol reached that point, the Admiral stopped them. She had a feeling something would happen.
The patrol waited patiently for hour, but unfortunately, nothing happened. There is no use for these frigates to be here, the Admiral thought, I might as well send them back.
Shala said to the bridge crew, "Inform the two light frigates that them staying with us is now voluntary and that they may leave if they choose to do so. We, however, will stay. I have a certain feeling it will be worth the wait."
Knowing their answer, Shala watched as the Tombay's escorts floated back the main mass of the Flotilla. She couldn't expect their captains to wait for an event that may not happen, especially when they all had business to finish. Shala turned away from the sight if the fleet and back to the inky darkness of space. Black yet filled with the endless light of stars, it was a truly unique sight.
After approximately 15 minutes, the crew became restless. Such idling was not healthy. Shala was just about to give the order to leave and apologize on her part for acting on such unreliable information when a ensign yelled.
"Admiral, small amounts of Hawking radiation has been detected! It's not originating from the sun, it's somewhere in front of us. The radiation only lasted for a fraction of a second. I don't think this is a natural event."
So it finally happens, the Admiral thought, "Try to pinpoint the location of this burst of radiation. I want all scanners looking for whatever caused this. Bring shields up to maximum charge and warm up guns to 33%."
An uneven chorus of "Yes sir" was heard as the crew worked to finish their Admiral's commands. In the minutes that followed, nothing was seen or heard, which was quite the opposite for whatever caused this phenomenon.
{====================}
The prowler exited Slipspace in the moon. A swirling black and blue portal appeared and the vessel lazily moved forward out of the rip in space and time. But of course, no one could see the ship. To any observer, only if they knew when and where the prowler would appear, all they would was a small black portal, the same color as the inky blackness of space and a small bending of the light coming out.
"I want report of ship vitals, make sure we can retain active camouflage at all times." The captain, Lewis, said.
The dumb AI spoke, "Despite the rough exit, the ship has only sustain hull damage so minor, it has no effect. However, the shield generator is unstable. I suggest that Almost Too Heavy try to stabilize it until we receive proper repairs."
The captain told all of the crew, "You heard the AI. Almost Heavy, you try to fix the damaged generator. Gok (the Unggoy), go with the Hurugok and tell me of any progress. Thez, you keep the active camo online. Drive around the system. Whatever we're here for might not be a big ass fleet of 50 thousand ships, so make it detailed."
The crew replied with, "Yes sir!" and continued working. The invisible ship pulled away from the unusually large moon's shadow. Right as they went around the moon to look what lay on the other side, only one thing could be heard.
"Holy shit..."
Of course, with all this shock, each species reverted to their own native language. So, to an observer, it would sound like a random jumble of grunts, shouts, and, of course, worts; all of which translates to the same two words.
What lay before them was the huge Migrant Fleet. 50,000 ships carrying 17 million Quarians, it was a sight to behold for some who didn't know it's tragic history.
The Captain spoke first, "Well, shit, I can predict the future. AI, how many ships are there?"
"Our basic scans show approximately 49 thousands ships of varying size, possibly more. The most notable are the three in the middle of the formation. These ships are 2.2 kilometers in size and seem very important as seen from their position in the alien fleet.
"A lone alien ship has been found 23 hundred kilometers from us. I infer that this is a patrol. I suggest we follow procedure and use the Intelligence Confirmation Signal."
After the AI gave its report, the captain thought for a bit. "Okay people, we got first contact. Like always, we need to not screw up. We got the Mantle, so making another Great War ain't healthy for it. Let's back the prowler up farther to not threaten thm and them move forward to the standard USSC 1.5 thousand kilometer followed by the ICS signal. I want all weapons cooled. We don't want to look threatening at all."
"What if they aggressive? Won't have anything to be protected!" Gok exclaimed from the maintenance room.
"Hold yer pants, I was about to get to that," the captain replied, "We'll get the shields up as far as possible and the Slipspace drive ready for escape. Remember, no weapons. Do I make myself clear?"
"Sir, yes sir!" The crew replied.
A few minutes later Thez yelled back, "We are at the 15 hundred kilos. Am I clear for the camo deactivation."
"Go for it."
"Okay, deactivating active camo, moving forward, and sending the signal."
{====================}
"We cannot find any sign of where or what caused this. It's gone."
The report saddened Shala. Nothing was gained in this small expedition but a headache.
The Admiral spoke to the bridge crew, "I am sorry for bringing you all here, away from you personal tasks for just an odd feeling. I guess it it time to -"
"Sir, scanner picked up something in front of us! It just appeared out of nowhere, we never found them until now!"
Everyone rushed to see the object, no, ship. The ship was black with avian-like wings. Shala had never seen anything like this. The ship was approaching at a slow pace. Eventually it stopped a fair distance from the Tombay and stood still.
"Everyone back to stations!" The Admiral ordered, "What are the specifications of that ship?"
"The ship is 200 meters long. It's design does not match any of the Flotilla or Council race. From its unique design, it may be an experimental craft."
Shala asked, "What is it doing with its lights?"
This focused everyone's attention on the lights. They seemed to be flashing randomly:
Flash
Flash flash
Flash flash flash
Flash flash flash flash flash
Flash flash flash flash flash flash flash flash
...
Flash
Flash flash
They just started repeating.
"Sir, it is still too near the Migrant Fleet, should we shoot it?" The weapons ensign asked.
Shala responded like lightning, "No. No, don't shoot. It has not passed the line. It may be a fellow Quarian bringing back his or her gift, most likely this new ship design, from their Pilgrimage.
"This flashing may be a signal given by this quarian's captain to indicate success."
An ensign asked, "Then why is it not contacting us?"
"Perhaps the ship's communication systems are not done or they are damaged." Another ensign replied.
The bridge became a crowd of voices, each stating their own opinion on the matter. Suddenly the voice of a crew member was heard above all the others, "I know it! I know what they're doing!" The bridge hushed at the sound of that.
"It is the ratio! The golden ratio in which most life uses! Plants, animals, architecture, spiral galaxies, nucleic acids; they all use this ratio. This is first contact and they are trying to test our intelligence! To see if there is life other than themselves!"
Upon hearing the words 'first contact' Shala sprung into action, "We will give them 30 seconds to leave, they present an enormous danger to the Flotilla since we do not know their capabilities. Fire a warning shot and if they are not gone by then, than we must destroy them."
The same crew member as before spoke again, "No, we can't! This is a new species, we can not just kill them!" He exclaimed
"You will stand down or I will have you removed from the bridge. This new race poses a threat to the whole Migrant Fleet! For all we know, they could be like Batarians and want to know if we are smart enough to be enslaved. I will not risk the lives the last 17 million Quarians on a guess." The Admiral's voice rang with steel. She then responded more calm and understandingly, "But, I do understand your point. This is why we will fire a warning shot and if they do not move, then we will destroy the ship. I will give them one more minute."
They people on the bridge felt like that was an appropriate compromise. Sure enough, one minute later, the main gun warmed to fire the warning shot.
{====================}
"What is that ship's status?"
"Nothing. They're still wondering what this flashing is. I can relate. If I saw a flash, then a flash flash, and then a -"
"I didn't need your life story Rog, just a report." The captain chuckled.
The Huragok, Almost Too Heavy, started whistling furiously at his/her station. His Unggoy translator nodded a few times and looked alarmed, "Increased power levels from ship; alien ship! Almost Too Heavy think is weapon. Need to run, shield generator not working at best!"
The Captain spewed orders to the crew, "Thez, get us out of here. Sub-light engines until we are out of view. Then, go into Slipspace, make sure this new species does not know our full capabilities. Rog, get active camo up and put shields at max. If they shoot, return fire only once. Teach them aliens not to shoot again.
"AI, cyber-warfare suits are a go. Go get em, but show some restraint. We are stopping the signal and running! Tell Almost Heavy to calculate Slipspace coordinates. C'mon people, our lives are on the line, get in your stations and hold on!"
From the window, a 18 kilogram metal bullet could be seen tearing through space and skimming the shields of the prowler. Even though it skimmed the ship, the vessel rattled from the almost hit. The already sputtering shields failed and one bolt from the Amplified Pulse Laser sped away from the prowler just before it's active camouflage engaged.
"AI, give me a report!"
"Our laser hit the enemy ship, but damage is unknown. My attacks have temporarily disabled all enemy functions save life support. Our shields are offline and will be at maximum recharge in 10 minutes. No other damage was made to us. Active camouflage is running at optimal capacity." The synthetic sound of the ship's AI filled the silence.
The Captain sounded relieved, "We were lucky. Thez, get us on the other side of the moon. We'll be coming back with bigger guns."
The near invisible ship raced away into the shadows of the nearby moon. After making sure no one could see them, the ship de-cloaked and was swallowed in a black portal into another dimension.
{====================}
THUMP. A dull sound indicated the firing of the main cannon. The metal round flew at thousands of kilometers a second towards the still flashing, unknown ship. Rather than flying close to the ship, like a warning shot should be, it skimmed of the shields of the vessel, which flared blue like a bubble before bursting.
"WHO FIRED THAT CANNON!" The angry voice of Shala quieted all other noise. "I said warning shot, not killing shot. Even if they were a peaceful race, they now have the proper justification to attack us. We may have caused the next galactic war."
Under her breath, the admiral mumbled, "...Another first contact gone wrong. They could be as fierce as the Rachni for all we know now that we may have killed them." A few of the Quarians closest to her shivered at the thought of that.
A purple lance raced across the empty vacuum. The alien ship had retaliated. And then, with everyone's eyes glued on to the ship, it just disappeared. It vanished from every perspective: radar, thermal, visual, and so much more. This technology was the envy of even the most imaginative Salarian's dream.
Milliseconds later, the purple bolt hit. The ship rumbled as the bolt melted through meters of ablative armor, boiling it; the mass effect shields doing nothing to protect the Tombay. The air-filled compartments burst as gasses rushed out through the opening. The resulting burst of air leaving at such high speeds caused an implosion, further damaging other systems and in some cases, causing other compartments to burst. Automatic containment doors activated quickly to contain the air, but were not fast enough.
"What the hell was that! Give me a damage report!"
The voices of multiple ensigns reporting damage sounded.
"...decompression of floors D through J..."
"...damage to remote controls to..."
"...None dead, almost 20 injured..."
"...decompression has been contained. Armor was penetrated through..."
The admiral's voice was heard above the clamor as injured was rushed quickly to sterile rooms and people generally panicked. "Get me coms to the other admirals! We need assist now!"
The communication ensign types buttons quickly and pushed a button. After a brief, the ensign repeatedly hit the button. "Sir, coms are blocked, I can't reach the the fleet!" His voice was littered with fear, "I think they got us with a cyber attack. What do we do?!"
The admiral raised her voice so everyone could hear, "Stay calm everyone. Stay calm. We must -"
The lights flickered like a cheesy horror vid before turning off completely. A few seconds later, the emergency generators turned on and harsh red lights appeared.
The admiral shouted, "Report! What just happened?"
An ensign panicky responded, "I'm locked out! Whatever program they released in our system killed all system except life support. The air filter are still working!"
Finally, good news. Without those filters, many Quarians on this ship would die from infection, even with personal air filters inside their suites. After a few minutes, the initial hysteria wore off. The occupants on the ship were caught off guard. A alien ship shoots a directed energy weapon, disappears, and all system become disabled. Compared to a full on Geth ambush, even this still seemed crazy. At least there were contingency plans for that scenario.
It would take nearly two hours for a fellow Quarian ship, one of the light frigates that escorted the Tombay in the beginning, to rescue the Tombay as the patrol was unofficial and communications were off. By that time, all panic had disappeared and basic repairs were being done to decompressed rooms. Upon investigation of the Tombay's logs, it was apparent that the alien virus had erased all data, including external video footage, along with destroying intra and inter ship communication. One day later, the destroyed code somehow repaired itself and the ship acted as nothing had happened...until you saw the hull.
The laser bolt had hit the Tombay at the bottom of the hull. The best and brightest Quarian scientist were called upon to inspect the damage and what they found confused them. Directed Energy Weapon damage. Deemed impossible by even the stubbornest Asari, this new species seemed to use this regularly. It bypassed the mass effect field and melted the hull. They theorized that the damage was done by super-heated plasma. The exact temperature was unknown, but estimates had put it at 3,500 Celsius.
This incident was kept a great secret. Member of the crew were to keep this event dark from even their closest family member. The only people who knew the full details were the Admirals of the Migrant Fleet and the most prominent Conclave members. After debriefing the entire crew, both the Admiralty Board and the Conclave agrees to cease and recall all activity and leave as soon as possible. Three days after the incident, the Flotilla withdrew, leaving no trace of their visit besides mined asteroids, and was in the process of traveling to a Volus colony.
Five days after the incident, a small Battlegroup of prowlers examined the system and found no trace of the giant fleet of aliens. All evidence of their existence went with them when they left. Strip mined asteroids were the only abnormal objects found in the system. External cameras from the prowler captured everything and the footage would be only seen by a couple of people. Similar to the Quarian, this incident was kept top secret. However, ONI never told anyone else. Not the military. Not the Assembly. Just themselves.
So I've decided, the USSC won't have the powers of The Force. Thanks to all who gave their opinion.