Hey guys, sorry its been so long but life happened. Anyway, a special thanks needs to go to FlameRaven for this chapter, without who this chapter would have been a giant mess (Or more so than it is).
Oh and if any of you guys spot errors in my work or plot holes or what not please do not hesitate to leave me a review scathing me for it, I'm more than happy to fix whats wrong!
The blinding light and incredible sound produced as two of the three raiders burned its way through the hull was enough that for the most part, the entirety of the bridge crew felt like they had just witnessed a flash bang grenade explode up close, leaving them defenceless against the swarm of reaper ground troops that was let loose from the Raiders. By the time Picard had managed to recover slightly he was being forced to his knees by a powerful three pronged hand, looking around, his sight still mostly somewhat blurry and white washed, he noticed a few dead crewman that he couldn't immediately identify due to his current prediciment, a motionless Data, and alot of alien... monsters, for the lack of a better word, holding the rest of the bridge crew at gun point.
By the time he could swallow some toxic tasting flem that had built up in the back of his throat Riker was forced to his knee's besides him, a grotesque beast holding a gun to his head. Wanting to end this now Picard swallowed the flem and spoke. "Se..."
Picard suddenly found that a hand had come around his mouth stopping him from talking, while a grotesque beast that appeared to be burning red hot made its presence known, coming from behind it stood right in front of him and looked him in the eyes. "Picard, you are an outside factor inducing chaos. You have not evolved along the desired path."
The hand keeping Picards mouth shut released its grip allowing the captain to talk, but remained nearby for future use. "Are you a Reaper?" Picard needed to know what he was talking with.
"Reaper, a label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what you chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply are."
Picard took the chance to look around for any advantage he could utilise before giving his response. "Why are you at war with the people of this galaxy?"
"My kind transcends your very understanding. You could not grasp our reasoning."
Riker tried to speak, but his mouth was also being held shut. The grotesque burning reaper turned to him and the second it made eye contact the hand holding his mouth shut loosened. "Then help us to understand, and we can bring this war to an end."
"Your mind is small and your outlook smaller. You could not fathom our logic no more than an insect a humans."
"Then what do you want with my ship?" Picard could guess, but any additional information this thing could give would be useful.
"You have not developed along the desired path, you are an outside factor we have not anticipated in the equation."
Picard could hear Worf somewhat struggling behind him but the man was quickly silenced, by what means Picard was uncertain. "What are you going to do with my crew?"
The burning beast was silent for a short duration as it pondered the question, yes it could kill them with just a mere thought, but ultimately that would not be beneficial to the end goal of this mission, which had so far cost 13 Reaper brethren their lives. "Cooperate and your crew will be left unharmed as they become our servants, protest and you will witness horrors beyond your wildest imaginations."
"Servants? Why don't you just say slaves?"
Riker regretted the comment immediately as a gun shot rang out from behind, the blood stream that started to flow through Picards knees was a testament to the Reaper actions. "Your immediate actions define your future. Unlock your computer data banks."
Both Riker and Picard knew that to give the Reapers the data they desired was to hand the war to the Reapers on a golden platter.
/.../
Geordie shook his head. "Too risky, in the time it takes to beam them off they could kill the entire bridge crew."
It had taken a small time before the Engineering crew had realised the bridge was now being held at gun point, the first raider to burn its way into the Enterprise served as a decoy, something to distract the crew while the remaining two raiders hit the bridge. Beaming the first raiders occupants into outter space was as easy as hitting a big red button, but getting the Reaper troops off the bridge with the officers alive was another story.
"What if we beam into the captains office and lead the assault from there? Then while they are distracted we attack from the remaining vectors, them being the turbo lift and the tubes?"
The highest ranking security officer after Worf nodded his head at the idea. "It will be risky but I think we can do it."
That was what Geordie liked to hear. "Excellent. Get your men ready."
Just as Geordie was about to turn back around to the next highest commanding officer at his disposal a engineer from the opposite direction called his name. "Geordie, the central computer is acting up."
The chief engineer made his way over to the computer which the engineer was working, taking a quick inspection he got a sickly feeling in his stomach. "They must have managed to get a virus in before we locked the bridge out." There was very little time to waste, that virus could be doing anything to their systems. After ordering the security officer to full fill his assignment he refocussed entirely on the computer.
Geordie only required one look at the virus source code to know he was out of his league, without Data's help he had no options to combat the Virus before it got what ever it was after, grimacing he ordered the Enterprise to be crippled by shutting down the main computer. Just before Geordie could give the authorisation code for the computer to be shut down he was hailed by a panicked member of the security team dispatched to rid the ship of its intruders.
/.../
With the battle now over for them most of the Normandy crew had huddled around the Geth battle screen that Shepard had previously lorded over, hoping to watch the battle that was still being waged with the Reapers, with every destroyed reaper there was a thunderous roar of cheering, and with every destroyed vessel fighting the Reapers there was a muted sob or cry. Shepard however couldn't force himself to watch any more of the slaughter, he knew that getting the Enterprise out of danger was for the greater good yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he and this Geth Dreadnought should still be there and thick in the fight. Sighing he rested his head on a cold metal bunk head, hoping the cold material could help calm his thumping headache.
"Shepard Commander?"
The biotic didn't turn to face the geth platform that had called his name as he replied. "What now?".
"You are being summoned by NCC-1701-E Enterprise."
"Summoned huh?"
"To be hailed, called, requested for audience..."
Shepard wafted the Geth unit off. "Yeah yeah, I know what it means. What do they want?"
"To converse with Shepard Commander."
After a deep breath the commander pushed himself up and was escorted to a nearby terminal to take the call, the caller was not someone Shepard had been introduced to. "Commander Shepard talking."
"Commander Shepard, are you familiar with Reaper ground forces?"
Shepard pulled a hand down his face. "Intimately. How many got on board?"
"Too many. We have tried to eliminate them but we are having trouble."
"Can't you use that transporter thingy to get them off?"
"Not without risking the bridge crews life, in the few seconds it takes to transport the invaders off they could easily fire a shot or two."
The commander sighed, this day was getting better and better. "So you are wanting a hand."
The unknown crewman nodded. "If you wouldn't mind."
"You want to drop out of warp or whatever you guys call it and I'll come over with a team."
"We can transport you over as we move."
That was all Shepard needed to know, turning around to the crowd hovering over the battle screen Shepard cleared his throat. "Wrex, Garrus, Vega, Ashley, Tali and you Geth Prime unit thingy, kit up, shotguns and smg's." There was a loud grunt from Wrex, an equally loud "Ooh Rah" from James and a whole assortment of beeps and bloops from the Geth unit, probably protesting the Commander ordering it about as if it was under his command but the Commander didn't listen to any complaints it may or may not have had.
/.../
Geordie had beamed the commander of the Normandy and his small team directly to Engineering. "Commander Shepard?"
It took the commander a few moments to get used to his bearings before turning, it would take a while for him to get used to the transporter system yet. "Unknown Enterprise crew member."
"Sorry, It's lieutenant Commander Geordie LaForge." Geordie held a hand out towards the commander in greeting, the commander took the hand and give a brief shake.
"Lets not beat around the bush, where's your problem?"
The Enterprises's chief engineer took the Commander and his team over to a near by computer terminal that was powered by the Computer designated for engineering only, and so was isolated from the main computer that ran the rest of the ship. "The Reaper ground forces have our crew at gunpoint here." Geordie physically touched the display to show the location of the bridge. "There is 3 points of access, we can beam you into the Captains office, this is the best bet as you will have the most cover, or you can go up the tubro lift but don't expect any cover that way, and then there is the Jeffrey tubes, problem there is that by the time you crawl out you will probably be picked off."
Shepard cocked his head slightly as he thought. "How did the Reapers get on the bridge?"
"The Raider burned its way in."
Shepard nodded once as he formed an idea. "Then you missed a fourth access point. Why can't we come in from the hull?"
That was something Geordie hadn't thought of, partially due to the fact Federation EVA (ExtraVehicular Activity) suits were clumsy and not the best for combat, unlike the hard suits donned by Shepard and crew. "It's possible, but we would have to drop out of warp and you would have to find a way through the Raiders ships as they have lodged themselves into the hull. Then we would need to make some changes to emergency shielding protocols in place to protect the bridge crew from exposure to a vacuum, but it's doable." The fact the Raiders had become lodged could prove to be problematic, but they were not the strongest of vessels and a shape charge hopefully would have enough of kick to put a sizeable hole in the vessel, or so Shepard could only hope.
Shepard turned to the Geth platform. "Any reapers on long range scanners? Did they follow us once we hit FTL?" The Geth Platform give a nearly instant 'no' allowing Shepard to finalise his plan of attack. "Excellent. Geordie, do you know of anyone who saw what we are going up against?"
The engineer nodded before calling over a man with some blood splattered on his uniform. "This is Dale Bush, he is the currently the highest security officer after Lt Cmmdr Worf, and he participated in the failed attempt to free the bridge crew earlier."
Shepard give a brief nod before turning to the security officer. "What forces did you see?"
From the descriptions given Shepard concluded that there was at least 2 Brutes, 3 Ravengers, a good few Maruarders and Husks and nearly 10 Banshee's, one of which apparently glowed a bright orange and had one hell of a biotic punch. "That amount of Banshee's is an issue, and if my suspicions are correct about the orange one then getting your captain out alive is going to be a chow." Shepard sighed as he realised Geordie probably had no idea what the banshee's were if his facial expressions were in correlation to his thoughts. "Banshee's are the Reaper heavy hitters, when they want to eliminate light ground forces they send husks and marauders, when they want to eliminate heavy units they send Brutes and Ravangers, but when they want eliminate someone like me, or get a job done and have an assurance it will be complete they send Banshee's along with the rest. So I need you to understand when I say getting your bridge crew out alive is going to be a hell of a task." After explaining the Commander stared at the map for a short time longer deep in thought before turning back to Laforge. "Okay I have a new plan, how fast could you do that transporty thing to your crew members? Under 120 seconds? And could you disable artificial gravity on the bridge?"
"Sure, easy enough."
Shepard brought a hand up to rub his jaw in thought. "Right, well my plan is were going to space the bridge by detonating a raider, when we breach I need you to deactivate gravity and when your crew are blown out you can do your work. A human can survive up to 180 seconds in a vacuum before they pass the point of no return so your going to have to work fast. You may wish to inform your doctor to receive patients with the Bends."
Geordie looked at the map of the enterprise a few seconds before nodding, 'spacing' the bridge would require a few changes to protocols, most notably to the emergency shielding. "Sounds good, I'll inform the Doctor."
"Great." Shepard turned to his squad. "Wrex, Garrus, you two take the Elevator. Ashley, Vega, you have the Captains office, me Tali and the Prime unit will come from the hull. When we breach your going to experience winds which will knock you over and drag you along, so take cover wherever you can. I don't expect all of the Reaper forces or Enterprise crew to be sucked out, so when you feel like you can stand on your own do so, and start to do what's required. Vega, Wrex, no pellet rounds, as useful as they may be in this environment we can't have stray bullets ricocheting around. Finally, if you see a Banshee about to jump hit it with as much led as you can spare, we can't have those things getting up close and personal."
The commander turned back to the Engineer. "Were ready when you are."
/.../
/.../
As Tali placed the charges on the Raider vessel Shepard was forced to kneel and support his head through his hard suit, his head had been giving him nothing but grief over the last hour or so, it felt like something was drilling in to his skull with a machine that mixed the function of jack hammer and high powered drill in one. The Commander had no idea what was causing the pain but he knew he needed it checked out, sooner rather than later.
"Shepard?"
Shepard looked up from his knelled position. "Charges placed?"
Tali cocked her head to her side as she replied. "Are you okay?"
"Yea, just a bitch of head ache. Are the charges in place?"
"Yes and the elevator crew are reporting ready!"
"Oh." Shepard pushed his helmet up and down as much as he could to scratch a small spot on his forehead. "Captains office team, you ready?"
It was Williams who give the response. "Just give the word commander."
With all teams reported in and accounted for Shepard contacted the Cheif engineer once more. "Are your modifications to the emergency shields in place?"
"Sure are."
"Fantastic. Breaching in 10, 9, 8,7,6, f ,4,3,2,1." As Shepard pushed the button causing an explosion powerful enough to dislodge a raider and let the bridge vent into outer space Geordie turned off emergency shielding and artificial gravity.
/.../
Shepard breached the hole he created as soon as the wind died out, the blast did the required trick, many of the Reaper forces had been blown straight out of the ship, only a few Banshee's and one Brute managed to stay inside, however his first task was not to eliminate the Reapers, but secure any Federation crewman long enough so that they could be beamed out. Looking around Shepard found Riker and Picard were being held by two Banshees, without thinking about it the man let loose a Shock wave, with no artificial gravity holding people without MAG shoes to the floor, the Reapers and VIP's separated from one another and drifted in various directions. Just as Shepard was about to reach the Captain he felt a powerful force pull him back, and before he knew it he was starring into the face of one brightly glowing Banshee.
"Shep, focus on it, I've got the Captain."
Shepard quickly glanced to Garrus before turning back to the Banshee which was lifting him off his feat and into the air by his neck, the grotesque Banshee over powering the magnets keeping him on the floor as if they weren't there.
Shepard tried to break free, he tried hitting its arm to break its hold, he tried out right shooting it in the face, but with Harbingers improvements the Banshee didn't even flinch. Shepard needed muscle, and alot of it. "WREX!" The man could only croak, the armour protecting his neck was quickly buckling under the Banshee's grip. The commander didn't get all of the Krogans response, only hearing something along the lines of a Brute being in the way.
After another round from a heavy pistol did nothing Shepard resorted to a last measure, pulling a grenade out of a pocket he pulled the pin, the Reaper simply dislodged the grenade out of his hand and dispatched of it, before starting to walk towards the hull breach as if gravity was still active. Curiously the Reaper dropped him to his knees just before the hole, it easily could have thrown him into outer space and allow him to be spaced for a second time.
With EDI still on the citadel and not capable of providing electronic defences against the Reapers, the Harbinger controlled banshee did not take long to hack the Commanders local area communication system, something used for talking to crew in close proximity. "Commander Shepard, instruct the escorting vessels to destroy this ship, in return we shall immortalise your species."
Shepard chuckled as he attempted to get his breath back, and only replied when he felt like he had the ability to do so. "You mean like the Collectors? No thanks."
Before the harbinger Reaper could reply Garrus made his voice heard. "All VIP's accounted for. Need a hand Shepard?"
"Not yet. Are we all accounted for?"
There was a silence before Wrex's booming voice was heard. "Ashley took a rouge grenade to the face."
With the news that the entire bridge crew was accounted for the Harbinger Reaper grasped onto Shepard and spun a defensive barrier around them, in the time it would take for Shepard to be beamed out by what ever technology this alien ship had, there was more than enough time for the killing blow to be landed.
The Banshee leaned forward so its face was mere inches from Shepard's. "You fight to exist, yet when offered salvation from guaranteed extinction you deny."
Shepard snorted at the response from the Reaper.. "I wouldn't call being turned into a husk Salvation. Also what makes you think your going to win this war?"
The Reaper looked insulted, standing back up from its leaned over position it turned to the Prime. "Geth unit, destroy this vessel and we will uplift your species sentience so you may become our servants." The Geth unit just made some bloops and beeps, no response was given.
With the Reaper turned, Shepard cocked his head slightly as he debated about a certain action, eventually the urge got too great. Leaning onto his back Shepard positioned his legs so that when he kicked out, his feet would force the Reapers knees from under it, hopefully collapsing it on the floor. When he felt Ready Shepard kicked out as hard as he could, the Reaper not expecting the attack fell backwards. With the Reaper now ontop of him Shepard wrapped his arms around its head, locking it in a vice grip, with the Reapers extra strength he couldn't hold the flailing creature for long.
The remaining Normandy members took this moment to start blasting the barrier erected by the Harbinger controlled Banshee, with Shepard keeping it distracted the Barrier didn't take long to fall and within seconds Wrex was hauling the Banshee up and launching it out of the ship, dusting his hands off the Krogan looked downwards, however his initial joy of spacing a Banshee deflated, Shepard's helmet had been cracked and deformed, and the Commander now lay motionless on the floor.
/.../
Meanwhile in the Borg Collective mind.
'Technological distinctiveness has been added to our own. Advanced Relay technology has been acquired. Universe designated 017 evaluated, suitable for assimilation. Start construction of multi-verse Transmitter. Construction resource's required...'
/.../
/.../
/.../
Fun fact, they sometimes miss saying 'five' in count downs to explosions or what ever because it sounds too much like 'fire' Thus the 'f' instead of '5' during Sheps count down.
