Tali and Jack stood close together, watching Kormah page through the datapad in his hand. Behind him, Ashley, Vega, and Cortez were handing different weapons and armor to Kormah's team for examination.
Kormah's team consisted of himself, a human male, a Caitian female, and a Bolian woman. They hadn't introduced themselves. Instead, they worked in perfect silence as Kormah looked over the designs.
"Delightful." Kormah said. "I assumed that your weapons would show a lack of innovation when I heard that you weren't at our universe's level of technology. Considering what your universe has achieved, these designs are amazing. Your universe must have some very vicious thinkers."
"Uh… thanks?" Vega said awkwardly.
"Starfleet is rather lax in its willingness to design infantry weapons. There have been improvements, but not at the rapid pace we once saw."
"We were hoping you could help us as well," Tali said softly. "We'd like to improve our weapons and equipments' efficiency."
"You want to improve your weapons?" Kormah frowned a bit. "You don't want to use phasers instead?"
Ashley walked up in time to hear that last question. "We do want to use phasers. But it's a huge mistake to force a soldier to use a weapon he isn't trained to use. We'll probably use them down the line, but right now, our guns are what make up half the threat we are."
"I see the logic." Kormah smiled just a bit. "Improving your weapons should be child's play. Especially the heat dissipation problems, which we are dealing with on your ship. Our materials and heat sink designs can disperse heat with immense efficiency. Your ammunition modifications are also intriguing. With some refinement, they could be very dangerous."
"And our armor?" Tali asked. "We wanted to know if you had ideas on modifying our shields to block phaser fire."
"Possibly, but there are no guarantees. At worst, installing a personal force field system could be a viable solution. Upgraded omni-tools would also be immensely useful. However, I have some questions about biotics. Can these implants be improved?"
Everyone looked at Jack. After a few seconds, she sighed. "Yeah, but it's fucking stupid to do it, because you need a hell of a neurosurgeon to replace one. Shepard got his upgraded, but that was when he was being rebuilt after crash landing on a planet. What you need to do is to improve the amps. They work with the implants and affect a biotic's efficiency and power output. Give someone a good enough amp and they can put out a fuckload of force."
"Hmmm. Something else to look into, then." Kormah mused. "Well, I suppose we had best get started."
"Thank you." Tali cocked her head. "By the way, we didn't get any schematics on your armor. Is that classified...?"
"Ah." Kormah took a second to respond. "Starfleet does not issue armor. It is, in part, a consequence of political decisions made over 75 years ago and current state of infantry weaponry."
"Wait, what?" Jack said. "How the hell do you tech geniuses not get killed?"
Kormah sighed. "Currently, the only personal defenses we have are personal force fields and beam resistant combat uniforms. Between the Federation Council's general reluctance to support purely military research over the past few decades, and the fact that even a hand phaser on its maximum setting can overwhelm a personal force field and vaporize the user, it should be no surprise that Starfleet prioritized starship technology over infantry weaponry and protection."
"So ... we're better at ground combat, because we haven't gotten to the point where our pistols can wipe out infantry, vehicles, and buildings," Ashley said.
"Correct. That, along with your governments' continued development of ground warfare technologies and techniques, makes your technologies and ideas invaluable in shoring up Starfleet's greatest weakness."
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Meanwhile, the Normandy sat in a spacedock in the Antares system. Although it had only been a week, the ship was crawling with personnel and equipment to study and repair the Normandy. Parts for retrofitting the ship were already being manufactured and tested in the nearby fleet yards.
"So booooored." Joker spun around in his chair. EDI gently smiled at him.
"I thought you were practicing the flight simulations that Starfleet gave you?" she asked.
"I was. I finished." Joker's voice was totally bland.
"Already?" EDI already knew the answer, having reviewed all the footage of Joker trying out Starfleet's various designs in a holodeck.
"It's a freaking video game. Even if you change where the buttons are, it's still a game. I can fly anything," he boasted. EDI avoided mentioning all the times he crashed the Enterprise NX-01 into Earth's moon.
Joker naturally found differences between each universe's methods of maneuvering starships. But the differences weren't so big that he couldn't get a grasp on this universe's way of doing things. There were still some kinks to work out, but EDI was confident that he would get the hang of things soon.
Her own efforts to understand the computer systems of this universe were going marvelously. She had learned that the most common form of electronic warfare here consisted of "jamming" signals designed to interfere with select systems on a target vessel. However, jamming in the traditional sense also existed. The merging of categories intrigued EDI.
But even better were the improvements she'd made with this universe's computer science. Using their research and programming knowledge, EDI had greatly improved the efficiency of many algorithms. Now she was developing viruses, firewalls, and intrusion countermeasures with input from the experts Odo recommended. One in particular intrigued her.
This person went by the handle 'Sh3rlockDix0n' – he was apparently a fan of detective literature. His responses set him apart from the rest of the experts. They were consistently faster than the rest, written at speeds beyond those any organic could write or vocalize. That meant he was an AI, probably in a humanoid chassis like her own. And if she could come to that conclusion, so could he. Neither had said anything about it, but EDI enjoyed conversing with another AI and mentioned its existence to the Geth on DS9. They already created a chat group to work on various projects together, along with formulating a proposal on how to improve Starfleet's cyber security.
Traynor walked in with two synthetics, distracting EDI. Traynor smiled at EDI and Joker, a datapad in her hand. "Morning, EDI, Joker."
"Good morniiiiiiing." Joker stared at the synthetics behind Traynor. One was Sophie, Shepard's mech dog that stayed in the cargo bay. The other was the Alliance Infiltration Unit, or AIU for short. EDI suddenly remembered that Joker was one of the few Normandy crewmembers that hadn't met it yet. EDI and the AIU shared a brief glance, then turned to Joker. He stared between them, mind as blank as his gaze..
Traynor, focused on her datapad, didn't notice what was going on. Sophie laid down at Traynor's feet as she began speaking. "The expert Starfleet called in is finally coming in today. Apparently, it took them a while to get a hold of him. Our liaison officer sent me his service record, and he's..."
Traynor's jaw dropped.. "Impossible! The things he's done, that he's seen? They're pretty crazy compared to our universe, including the Normandy." Traynor looked up and saw Joker, EDI, and the AIU focused on her, pretending they hadn't been in an awkward staredown. It was quite unnerving. "A-Anyway, he's about to beam over. Would you like to meet him?"
"…I believe we'll leave that for later," EDI said carefully.
"Yes," AIU agreed, her voice just a touch more robotic. "There are discussions we must have."
"Indeed." Joker somehow matched the monotone timbre of the synthetics. "We will join you when we finish."
"Oh. O-Okay then." Traynor was a bit nonplussed. "Come on Sophie. Let's let the crazy people talk in private."
Traynor walked away as fast as she could.
"Okay. EDI, I know you and Shepard agreed to let the Alliance copy you, but this?"
"She is not a copy," EDI said. "A copy is an exact replica, with small deviations or flaws. In this case, she is derived from my software and hardware. A unique being that is similar to me."
The AIU smiled at that.
"So she's, what, your sister?" Joker blinked. "Oh god. This is the multiverse punishing me for my Extranet searches, isn't it? My dreams come true, but my pelvis gets turned to dust."
"I… have questions." The AIU sounded a bit lost, even with her robotic tone.. It was something in her eyes and the way she looked at EDI. "I have been learning ever since I came online Mostly about combat, but the other units of my squad encouraged me to pursue other avenues of study. I became curious about my existence. Why… I was made."
"Oh god," Joker groaned, "next comes the 'kill all humans' phase."
"No Jeff. I don't think so." EDI's smile widened as her light-speed fast mind came to a decision. "I believe I have some things to teach you, Alliance Infiltration Unit. Starting with what I have learned on the Normandy."
Joker held back a smile as EDI and the AIU settled in to get to know each other. It was kind of cute.
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Traynor stepped out of the elevator and on to the cargo bay. Her fellow Alliance personnel, the people Shepard like to call the "backbone" of the Normandy, stood next to one of the Kodiak shuttles, sans Cortez. Gabby laughed as she smacked Kenneth in the arm, while he faked a wince. Engineer Adams chuckled at their little display before he turned and spotted Traynor.
"You got here just in time," he said with a warm smile. "Their guy is on his way."
"About time too." Ken swas a bit annoyed. "We've been here for a while, watching them putt around like wee chicks while treating us like primitives."
Kenneth was exaggerating, but some ensigns used the Normandy's less advanced technology as an excuse to act condescending to her crew. The stigma faded after Gabby shattered the self-confidence of an ensign that made one too many smug "suggestions." Luckily, the older Starfleet personnel were much smarter and more willing to learn and teach whatever they could.
Gabby spoke up before Traynor could respond. "Looks like he's here."
The other three turned to see about a dozen Starfleet officers materialize a few meters in front of them. A heavyset man with gray hair parted to one side and small mustache appeared to be the leader. He sighed in relief and grinned as he made his way towards the group of Normandy crew members.
"Thank you laddies, I couldna stand another autograph session." Kenneth's jaw dropped as he heard the engineer's familiar accent. "Captain Montgomery Scott, at your service. I hear your lady needs some work."
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Two days later, the first joint mission by Starfleet and the Normandy's crew was over. It was the first step in a partnership that would benefit both sides in the coming months.
In the here and now, Sisko and Shepard were more than a bit disappointed. Worf, Jadzia, Ashley, and Garrus had taken the Defiant to the Badlands in search of the Maquis missiles. But the results were less than spectacular.
"So no luck finding the missiles huh?" Tali stood at her desk in what was now dubbed the Weapons Lab. Weapons, armor, and tech components from both universes cluttered the room.
"No," Shepard said on the viewscreen in front of her. "They searched as long as they could, but they didn't find anything. Sisko is trying to get information out of a Maquis prisoner–one of their commanders–but we have no idea if he even knows about the missiles."
"I don't get it," Tali said. "What's the problem with these missiles? They're targeting the enemy, right?"
Tali heard a familiar voice behind her. "It's a bit more complicated than that."
Tali and Shepard looked at Liara, who walked in with Barla Von and Bray.
"What do you mean?" Tali asked, confused.
"Right now, there's a cold war with the Dominion. There are a few border clashes here and there, but everyone is pretending that war isn't on the horizon, while building up their forces." Liara frowned. "In the meantime, the Dominion is putting considerable effort into convincing planets to sign treaties and non-aggression pacts with them."
"They're doing it with everyone but the Federation and Klingons," Bray growled. "It's an old Batarian trick. Pretend you're a peace loving nation, then turn on your opponent when you're ready." He smirked. "Never liked it much myself. That's why I worked with Aria. She knew how to really fight a war."
"Agreed." Barla sighed. "Ms. T'Soni and I are reviewing the information on the Dominion and their forces. Even with the Federation and Klingons' advanced weaponry, it doesn't look good. It'll take a miracle for them to win, unless we get them to radically rethink how they treat warfare."
Liara, Shepard, Tali, and Bray shared a smug look. "Well Shepard?" the Batarian asked sarcastically, "What do you think? You got a few more miracles in the tank?"
"If not, we've got Sisko." Shepard's smirk turned into a thoughtful look. "Send me the data when you can. These people are good with tech, but they aren't soldiers. I'd rather see them make the change without losing millions or billions of people. We know how to fight a losing war and we'll teach them how to win this one."
The group nodded as Shepard continued. "Tali, you said you've got some prototype weapons and armor set up?"
"Hmm? Well, yes, but we still aren't sure how they'll do. We were going to do another round of holosuite simulations today."
Shepard frowned, thinking to himself. After a moment, he said, "Get as many combat ready as you can. We may need them soon, and I'd like the Weapons Lab to have some real world data. We need to survive this war so we can finish the Reaper War. One other thing." Shepard looked at Liara. "Get all the information on the Crucible together. I want their scientists to look over it. They may–no, make that probably–have some insights we don't into the Crucible. If they can figure something out we can't–"
Liara nodded. "Understood, Shepard."
"Sisko should be finishing up soon. Barla, we'll talk about business whenI get back to the station. You have the contract?"
"Yes. I will look it over. I'll have a response by the end of the day." You could almost hear Barla Von smirking. "Should be interesting. If the Klingons are one of this universe's analogs to Krogans, I suppose the Ferengi are my species'."
"Not as good at fighting though," Tali chuckled.
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Shepard signed off in time to see Sisko walk away from the holding cell. He didn't look happy.
"Stubborn, huh?" Shepard asked.
"Like you wouldn't believe." Sisko smirked just a bit. "Though I've been told you've encountered your fair share of stubborn people. No, Eddington might need a more, well, direct approach."
Shepard nodded. "You know I'm coming with you? And a few of my people as well."
Sisko raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think I'm going anywhere?"
"It's the next best bet we have," Shepard replied. "If Eddington won't talk, take him with you to the Badlands."
"Astute observation," Sisko said softly.
"I also think you might need some muscle. My men and I haven't been able to prove ourselves. I want to take this chance to show you what we can really do." Shepard grinned. "So you see, I'm doing this for purely selfish reasons."
Sisko chuckled. "Very well. My father once told me to never turn down a gift. I'll take you and two of your men. That should be enough for this mission."
"Usually is," Shepard said offhand.
"We'll leave as soon as security authorizes Eddington's release, then stop by DS9 to pick up your men." Sisko sighed. "Time to get to work."
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A couple of hours after Shepard's message, Ashley and Kormah were along in the Weapons Lab.
"I must say, your commander expects a lot out of you," Kormah said offhanded. He picked up a Jem'Hadar rifle recovered from the attack on the Normandy. He shouldered it, then passed it over to Ashley.
"He tends to." Ashley smiled just a bit. "That's nothing compared to how hard he pushes himself. He hides it, but Shepard puts a lot of hours into every detail of this war. He's probably combing over files every night, making sure he knows as much as possible about this universe and what we might encounter."
Kormah nodded as Ashley shouldered the rifle and aimed at a test target on the other side of the room. "I see. He did not seem to be the studious type when I saw him. I suppose it wasn't long enough to properly judge him." He picked up a datapad and pressed a button. "Fire when ready."
Ashley let lose on a mannequin wearing what appeared to be standard Alliance Marine armor. A force field flared where the beam hit it. It eventually failed, and when it did, Ashley set the weapon down. Kormah sighed sadly upon seeing several scorch marks on the armor. "Well, it was too much to hope the shields would hold forever." His face brightened. "Still, they held for eight point three seconds longer than last time, and the armor's new layer held up marvelously."
"And…" Ashley waited. After a moment, shields flared into place around the armor, then shut off. "There we go. The first set of shields and the first armor mod are finally finished. All we can do now is keep testing them until Shepard gets here."
Kormah nodded. "I will try to install them on the four armors we prepared."
"Is Sisko's Omni-Tool ready?" Ashley asked.
"Yes." Tali walked in with two compacted guns. "It's a simple arm band for now, since subdermal implants are technically augmentations." Tali's eyes narrowed into a smile under her faceplate. "But it will work perfectly for his purposes."
She laid the guns down. One was an M7 Lancer, the basis for the Alliance standard issue M8 Avenger. The other was a Prothean Particle Rifle, whose internal mechanisms glowed green.
"We finished modifying these with heat sinks and dispersal systems based on your universe's tech," Tali told Kormah. "Your team and ours checked everything three times to make sure they're ready."
Ashley smiled as she picked up and unfolded the Lancer. "I really want to use this thing."
She spun around and opened fire on the armor. She didn't take her finger off the trigger for a very long time.
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