A/N: Back again, and then some! Heres the long awaited Chaper 8!
I don't own Mass Effect
A few days had passed since Eric and the others returned home, and everything was busy as per usual. Even though the young Commander spent his mornings and evenings with Liara, the rest of the day was filled with meetings, going over reports and making sure that everything is running smoothly. Much like Liara had to do herself as the Shadow Broker.
However, the two worked together in perfect harmony. Eric made sure that the Shadow Army and their fleet was up to 100%, while Liara maintained the vast information network at their disposal.
It was a lot of work, but with the way things were going they would be ready for anything that came their way. But they were nowhere near ready to face the Reapers...yet.
X
Eric sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee and looking through the dossiers of the new batch of recruits Captain Winters told him about when he first arrived. Many of them were promissing. Others would need additional training in a few fields. All in all, they would all be good additions.
He looked up in time to see Liara coming down from their bedroom wrapped in a warm robe. "Morning beautiful. Sleep well?" he asked. The Asari smiled, "I did. Now our daughter is seeking breakfest." Eric pointed across from him where a plate filled with french toast, mixed fruit, and hashbrowns was waiting for her.
"Figured that our little one would have her daddy's appitite." Eric said smirking. Liara giggled as she sat down and started to eat. "What is the plan for today?" she asked digging into the fruit. Eric skimmed through the datapad again, "Captain Winters wanted me down on Helghan to see our new recruits in action." Eric replied standing up and setting his cup aside.
Liara took notice of his shirtless back, he had added a new addition to his small tattoo collection. In the center of his back, under the large letters across his shoulders, was a tombstone with an angel that looked like an Asari. Etched onto the face of the tombstone were names.
Pvt. Jason Fox, Pvt. Victor Ramerez, Sgt. Nathan Miller, Pvt. 1st Class Jane Valentine, Lt. Kaidan Alenko, Lazura Z'eno. The words, "Remember the Fallen" were on the top of the stone under the Asari angel.
They were all friends and comrads in arms that Eric had lost. And Liara had found it honorable to the deceased that he cared about them enough to have their names imbedded into his skin.
Eric slipped on a black muscle shirt that was hanging on the back of his chair before walking over and kissing his mate. "See you tonight beautiful." he said heading out the door. Liara smiled again. Her gaze shifted over to the corner of their living room where a tall glass case sat. Inside, Eric's old digital camo uniform stood on display along with hers and his old armor from the first Normandy.
Every so aften, the young Asari would look at the armor and uniform and remember all that she and her mate had been through in the last few years, and what they were about to face in the near future.
She rubbed her stomach feeling her daughter shift slightly as her gaze lingered on the uniform the ex-marine once wore. She didn't know what she would do without him.
X
Eric strepped off of the shuttle onto the landing platform, the massive complex before him was full of soldiers, engineers, and other personel making sure the facility was running smoothly. Helghan was mostly ocean with several large islands for land masses. This proved to be effective for setting up the various labs, barracks, armorys, and training areas that that took up not even 33% of the surface.
Captain Winters stood on the far side of the platform with Talon and Rico as the young leader walked up to them. "High Commander. We've been expecting you." said Winters. "Sorry, the commute was crazy." Eric said smirking. "We have the new recruits ready for their orientation." said Winters as he lead them into the complex.
"Whats your take on the rookies?" asked Rico. "A good number show promise. Others...may need a little persuasion." Eric said as they entered through the facility and passed several large rooms. "Nothing we can't fix." said Winters from the front.
"And if they don't pass?" asked Talon. "Either they find other work elsewhere in the nebula. Or they get shipped out of here to the nearest colony." said Eric bluntly.
They entered a large courtyard the size of two football fields where they saw all thirty recruits lined up in three rows of ten standing infront of a small stage. Eric smirked when he saw the mixed races. Human, Asari, Quarian, Turian, a Krogan, and even a couple of Batarians. The event had drawn a lot of attention as crew from the upper levels and the around the courtyard were watching.
Eric squared his shoulders and stepped up onto the stage and stood before those in assembly. Rico stood straight on his left, Talon on his right. Winters stood off to the side at attention.
"After noon recruits." said Eric addressing the crowd. "Your all here, because you've made the choise to stand up for what you believe in. You see the truth that others want brushed aside. You know the threat that this galaxy of ours is about to face."
He looked at all of their faces for a moment before he continued. "Two years ago, a dreadnaut ship attacked the Citadel with a fleet of Geth. Thats what the Council wants you to believe. In actuality, that ship...was a Reaper. An ancient machine by the name of Sovereign that, along side the rest of it's kind, have wiped out all life in the universe for millions of years. Including the Prothean empire before us." The statement caused gasps and horrified looks through all the recruits in attendence.
"Sovereign, was sent by it's breatheren to open the Citadel and release the other Reapers on the Traverse. Commander Shepard, along with his strike force and the aid of the combined efforts of the Alliance and the Citadel Fleet, stopped Sovereign and destroyed it. I should know, I was on that strike force." Eric said earning several loud 'oohrahs' from the other soldiers in the area.
"The threat however, is far from over. In the last two years, the Collectors have been kidnapping entire human colonies. We can safely assume that they are in league with the Reapers. And if the two are involved then we have to be ready to face anything they throw at us."
"You expect us to work with these things!" shouted someone from the front.
All eyes snapped to the lone human in the front row between a Turian and a Quarian. He was a little shorter than Eric with dark hair and brown eyes. Eric hopped off the stage and approached him with a calm expression. "What do you mean by 'these things'? he asked with a grim tone.
The younger man seemed to shrink under his steel gaze. "Y-You know...aliens." he wheezed out.
Eric grabbed the young man by the front of his shirt and dragged him infront of the stage. "Listen maggot! If theres one thing in this verse I can't stand it's prejudice!" he roared in the recruits face. "Did you know, that on Shepard's crew, I severed beside a Turian, an Asari, a Krogan and a Quarian? All of whom I owe my life to in one way shape of form?" Eric pulled him a little closer, "And did you know, that my mate is an Asari?"
The recruit paled and shook his head slowly. "Whats your name?" Eric asked calming down. "D-Derrick Tensen s-sir!" "Tensen, where the fuck did you learn your Xenophobia?" asked the young Commander.
"My dad...hes a was apart of Terra Firma before the Citadel attack." said Derrick. "I suggest that you un-learn everything your nearsighted father taught you. We can not rely on our race alone. When the Reapers arrive, we will all need to work together." Eric released him and addressed the rest of the recruits. "Here, it doesn't matter where your from. What race you are. What your insides are made of. Or what happened in the past. We are all people. We sweat, we bleed, we think, and we fight. To overcome what we have to face, we need to work together. Help each other, fight along side each other, as one."
"It won't be easy. The things you will face will push you to your boundaries and beyond. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. If you do not believe you can handle it, you may leave. I will not think of any of you differently." The recruits looked to each other before looking back at Eric with determined eyes. Not one person left.
Eric smirked, "Your training begins tomorow at 0500 hours. I expect good things from all of you. Dismissed!" The group gave a combined 'Yes Sir!' before dispersing.
Derrick went to leave when Eric caught his arm, "Tensen, a word." he said calmly. "Y-Yes sir?" he asked, fear etched across his face. "I expect a lot better of you in the future. Instead of being afraid of those around you. Get to know them better. You might be greatly surprised at what you will find out." said Eric.
"I understand sir. I'm...sorry for my outburst." said Derrick. "Its not me you have to apologize to. In order to fight as a team, you have to work as a team. Think about what I have said today. Dismissed." Derrick gave a strong salute before jogging off into the complex.
"That...was...beautiful." said Rico said wiping fake tears away. "Shut up asshole." Eric said slugging him in the arm. "Hopefully that taught the kid something." said Talon.
Looking across the courtyard, the group saw Derrick talking with the Turian and Quarian he was standing next to. The Turian laughed and clapped him on the back while the Quarian shook his hand. "I think he got the message." said Eric with a small smile.
X
On the anchor's bridge. Eric surveyed all of the data sent in from both Helghan and Haven. He needed to send out a few ships to mine planets for armor and weapons. There was also a report that stated that Haven had recieved a small ship containing 5,000 new refugees that needed to be processed before they could be given housing on the colony.
Running a hand over his face. Eric sent the files to the right sectors before heading out toward the mess hall. Running an operation like this was harder than anything he had before. A least with being a soldier all you had to do what point and shoot.
As he neared the mess area, the young Commander was approached by a Quarian with an armed escort. "Keelah se'lai, Captain Telsa'noir vas Ulany." said Eric. "Keelah se'lai, Commander Lachance. The Ulany has been fully repaired, my crew and I owe you a great debt." said Telsa. "It was my pleasure Captain. If the Quarian people ever need aid they will always be welcome. Do you have everything you will need before you depart?"
"If you are offering. We are very low on fuel. Our current reserves won't get us back to the fleet." Eric brought up his omni-tool and hit a few keys. "I sent a message to the requisition sector in the cargo area. Your ship will be refueled, and several containers of fuel will be loaded into the Ulany within the hour. More than enough to get you guys back to the Flotilla.
The Captain bowed his head, "Thank you, Commander. Never have I encountered one who is as selfless as you are." "As I said Captain, it was my pleasure." Eric gave them one last nod before entering the mess hall.
X
The rest of the day went by smoothly. After doing one final check to be sure everything was running perfectly. Eric headed toward he shuttle port to head home.
"High Commander Lachance! Your presence is requested on the bridge immediately!" blared the intercom system. Eric about faced and sprinted to the bridge. He was only refered to as 'High Commander' when it was an emergency.
He flew through the doors onto the bridge to see several people going over their terminals frantically. Infront of the main terminal stood Captain Winters and his whole crew. "Whats the situation?" he asked stepping infront of the terminal.
"We just got a message from one of our scouting parties." said Cat. Winters looked back at him as an image of the Collector ship appeared on the side of the Galaxy map, "They said that the Collectors have been spotted in the Terminus systems. And theres only one human colony in the vacinity they're headed too."
Eric looked at the large galaxy map before them. "Horizon. I want the Delta Division fueled up and ready to head out immediately, Code Red!" An alarm blared and messages were sent for them to get mobilized. "Cat, get the crew ready, we're leading the charge to the colony." Eric said over the alarm as he headed out of the room.
The bastards wouldn't be taking this colony without a fight.
A/N: Horizon in the next chapter. Lets see how the Collectors handle an army while trying to take the colonists! Eric pulling out all the stops, but will it be enough? Review.
