Mass Effect X Halo: Spartan Dawn

Disclaimer: I do not own either games that are mentioned here, but I have played them. So let's leave it at that.

Chapter 8

Rescue and Negotiations…

( ): Thoughts

On Reach…

John and Jorge were currently looking at the valley beyond CASTLE Base as both Spartans were taking in the world before them. The images of the lush fields and the greenery, the weather, the lights…all of those images and feelings reminded the two Spartans of home. But it was still not their world so they knew that what they were feeling was different. They looked at the sun and Jorge replied as he looked at a nearby series of hills off the distance. They could not see THAT far, but Jorge knew those hills by heart and memory.

"You remember that place Squad leader?"

"Yeah...that used to be the boundaries to New Alexandria."

Jorge nodded at that.

"I used to go there as a kid, loved the place."

John nodded but the two of them decided to head back to the base as they needed with what Cortana had been devising in her free time as well as improving some of the technology that she had been able to get their hands on. The A.I was deeply interested in the various applications that E-zero had that no doubt would have never considered by the current races that inhabited the reality they were in, and already she had been working on some new designs and concepts. These had been kept something of a secret even from the Alliance and Citadel representatives that were there as Cortana decided that now was not the right time for such revelations to be done. Besides some of the concepts were still in the testing phase and would be too dangerous to be attempted by them unless they had the basic principles down right. As they went back into their Warthog, the two drove back into the base and once they were inside, and parked their ride, the two of them headed to the armory as Cortana was waiting for them.

Once they arrived, the A.I appeared from a nearby holo-table and smiled at them.

"Nice to see you two make it in here."

Jorge smiled at that and John nodded as he spoke.

"What's up Cortana?"

The A.I smiled and revealed her latest creation and it was a weapon that resembled the Alliance's basic Hahne-Kedar Lancer Assault Rifle but with a number of alterations and John could easily notice some Forerunner and Covenant designs there in the weapon itself. The two Spartans also noted something that appeared to be some sort of grenade launcher type weapon attachment built into the weapon itself. Jorge then spoke to the A.I

"Care to explain this new weapon?"

"I called it the Arballest, I managed to find out that E-zero's ability to manipulate gravity fields can be fine tuned to actually condense and guide plasma in the very same fashion, though as you can guess, it's a more compact form due to the collapsing ability of the Lancer testbed. It took some time to figure out how to manipulate the mass effect fields but with some help from the Sentinels and the data I got from all the technology, it can be done. The Arballest can fire smaller bursts of plasma and at a faster rate which can be the same as the MA7A we have here in the armory, but since it's collapsible, it's a bit easier to carry and a bit less obvious since it resembles the standard Alliance Assault Rifle. The launcher is a special variant I made from the Plasma Repeater that the Covenant used on Reach, but instead of plasma, this gathers heat generated by the weapon, using special mass effect fields to focus and contain the said heat and fire it out like a plasma bolt, though much larger and packing a higher level of explosive force. It works more as a napalm grenade and is more than enough to make people duck. But it does have a few bugs so I need to test it out."

John took off his helmet and so did Jorge as Jorge replied.

"What sort of bugs?"

"Most if not all weapons here have overheating issues and this one is no different only this makes a bit more heat which is the same as the Brute's version of the Plasma Rifle, I am still trying to figure out how to counter that but so far it's been a bit of trial and error, though that is how humanity got to where it was after all. Anyway, I recently added the same coolant we use in the Dawn to keep the weapon from exploding in our hands but the only way to test it is the traditional way."

Both Jorge and John looked at one another and John sighed a bit and placed back on his helmet and replied.

"I'll handle it."

Jorge was not liking that and made that obvious with the question that comes out of his mouth.

"You sure about that Squad Leader?"

John nodded and took the weapon which was still in the collapsed form and once it extended, he aimed at the nearby target that came up for him to shoot. The Spartan fired out a stream of plasma bolts, the end result was that the bolts were smaller than the ones unleashed Plasma weapons of the Covenant and the new Plasma Assault Rifle he had on his arsenal. But as Cortana predicted, they were smaller and faster in velocity and could be unleashed en mass. Cortana then placed a Kinetic Barrier emitter to shield the target that now sported a large number of scorch marks, but the barrier proves no defense to the plasma bolts. John's connection to to the Arballest told him that heat build up was now being directed into the special attachment and ready to fire, he located the command button and pressed it to see just what the result was. The result was obvious as a massive super heated beam of white energy came out can instantly turned the target into a pile of goo and the Kinetic Barrier could do nothing to stop the beam.

Unfortunately the weapon system data coming from the Arballest and into his HUDs told him that the weapon was suffering a system shut down and he managed to place it away as it folded back up into it's collapsible mode and seemed to be locked in. John picked it up and since it did not explode scanned it and found that the weapon's cooling system had been nearly burned out and caused a system lock down. He placed it to Cortana's inspection and the A.I sighed a bit as she replied.

"Well, it was a work in progress, maybe changing the coolant mix and improving the temperature controls could do the trick to prevent lock down."

"But can it open up?"

The A.I scanned it and so did a nearby Sentinel, it took a few minutes, but then the weapon opened up again and Cortana smiled a bit more.

"Yeah, but it's going to be out for a while, still not too bad for a first time run, and if it can't be repaired, then at least the data we got can help me perfect it."

They nodded and Cortana decided to see what else they could be able to test for the time being in the Armory, namely in terms of the other weapons that they could develop that would be able to take advantage of E-zero and the current weapons technology in present. Cortana also managed to take some data from the Citadel from a previous visit on the weapons used by Cerberus. These new technologies were certainly interesting but would need to be improved in the mind of the A.I since she felt that they could do better.

The next weapon was a Sniper Rifle that resembled the Harpoon Line of Sniper Rifles, but instead of Plasma this time around, Cortana had designed this to use Pulse Lasers, the weapon could collapse but was still bigger than the basic sniper rifle design to accommodate the increased chambers for the cooling systems and the fusion power pack. This version still used Mass effect fields, but instead, the e-zero in it was used to condense radiation and light particles to create a more intense beam of energy. The trade off was that it did not have the destructive potential of the Spartan Laser or the other Directed Energy Weapons in the arsenal. It also had overheating issues but less than the Arballest as this weapon Cortana called Sarissa was more than able to match the performance of the Assault Rifle variant. Though it was naturally more of a sniper rifle and as such could fire bolt after bolt.

Once that was done and the weapons placed aside for the time being, he and Jorge got the chance to look at what Cortana had been doing with their vehicles. There was no doubt in the Spartans' minds that sooner or later, they were going to have to take their vehicles out for a combat situation and they had to be tested soon to deal with the various environmental conditions that they were no doubt soon going to be dealing with. That was why Cortana decided to begin designing some new vehicles as well as improving the ones that they currently had with them. This way, they had a number of combat options that could be called in if they needed heavier armor, mobility, and weaponry plus anything that they could not afford to carry.

There was a new variant of the Warthog that was designed to still retain the look of the vehicle but had been elongated somewhat as well as expanded to allow the inclusion to some new features to deal with key operations. Since the Warthog was designed for all terrain operations and was constructed well, it was not necessary for it to be environmentally sealed. Though Cortana made sure to have the alloy plating re-designed and hardened. The elongation was not too much and was needed to install emitters that were built to emit the energy shield that Cortana had developed from the Forerunner, Covenant and UNSC data that they had as well as the Bubble Shields. Like the Bubble shield, this energy shield was different from the Kinetic Barriers as it could counter energy weapons and it was also reinforced by upgrades in durability and shield strength. This shield system was also able to recharge if given time and not being hit by weapons fire. Cortana however added a layer of Mass Effect fields as a way to counter Biotic attacks that the Bubble Shield might not be able to counter due to the unknown effects of Biotic attacks on the shield. And unlike the Bubble Shield, the new shield system on the Warthog model was designed to be smaller and actually hug the vehicle closely.

These changes naturally required the power systems to be replaced somewhat which was why instead of the original Hydrogen fueled engine, the new Warthog variant now had an engine powered by a pair of UNSC Fusion Cores that was redesigned to be safer and more durable and be housed in a special housing for better protection from damage. This was more than enough to provide power for all the key systems as the basic Hydrogen engine was unable to provide power for the shield system. This was supported by a small E-zero core engine to power the added shield to counter Biotic attacks.

The new Warthog variant's weapons were also different as the ones focused on dealing with light armor, infantry, and aircraft now could be outfitted with a Gauss Turret, Light Laser Turret, Plasma Repeater Cannon, and Pulse Laser turret to boot. This made the Warthog a deadly weapon in battle under the right hands and with the right gunner. The Warthog variant focused for anti-armor roles was also armed with a modified Gauss Cannon, Heavy Laser Turret based from the Spartan Laser itself, and also a specially made rapid firing Fuel Rod Cannon based cannon.

Cortana was also working on a variant for the Grizzly, one of the tank variants developed in the war which used the blueprints of the Scorpion, and was even considered as a replacement model if the UNSC needed more firepower. Developed by a veteran Sergeant named John Forge, the Grizzly had better armor, better weapons, and was a lot tougher than the regular Scorpion, the reason it was not released in larger numbers, was that it was a lot more expensive than the Scorpion and had a slower movement rate than the Scorpion. The plans were thought lost until it was revealed that some of the blueprints had been sent into the database on Reach and had been kept safe until the siege and fall. Cortana saved a copy of it and it had been locked away in the file pertaining to weapons research as UNSC scientists had been working on making the Grizzly more production friendly.

This new variant was now being loaded with a new cannon based on Gauss technology and was named the M90G Gauss Cannon and carried two of them for increased power and they had been conditioned by Cortana to be able to fire in rapid succession though it did need a rearming and charging period. It was also given the use of a special grenade launcher system that fired rounds that were able to tear apart infantry en mass. It was armed with a special shielding system that was also based on the Bubble Shield design and give it defenses against heavy attacks from anti vehicle weapons as well as explosive rounds of both solid and energy nature. This was also supported by a stronger Titanium A alloy armor skin that was further supported by a new ceramic ablative coating for added defense.

This new variant was still going through trials and was not yet ready to be sent into a live fire situation. So far there were only four of them so John, Jorge, and Cortana had no plans to make more of the tanks. They also planned to made a new set of Scorpion Tanks that were going to be based on some plans of their own and armed with even more technology.

But for today, now was the time for them to leave Reach and get some time to see what was going on in the Galactic Scene and also see if there were some concerns that they should be taking a more open interest in. The two Spartans moved out to see just what the others were doing in the base, Cortana reported to them that Selena was currently taking the time to meditate in her room, Christie was working out in the gym, Darell was at the shooting range, Jai was currently training with his Biotics outside of the base, Tarrek was currently running on some simulation runs in a place dedicated on helping keep pilots on their best, Franklin was reading on the files pertaining to the station that he was working with on the ship itself. The two then gave the call to them that they were going to go back into a galactic scene and see just what was going on in the galaxy.

The group agreed the call and soon all of them were in the docks where the Dawn was currently in, John and Jorge also decided to pack up some of the spare prototypes of the Warthog into the ship since if they found a chance to test the models, then they would take that chance to test them out. Once the prototypes were in the ship, along with the needed supplies they boarded as John had no doubt that they were going to be out of Reach for a very long time. As the Dawn was released and now gaining altitude over Reach, Cortana activated the lockdown command on the base to secure it as well as activate the security systems as well. The ship then was clear to initiate the Slipspace Jump and soon they were off with John aiming for a Mass Relay to access the comm. buoys in the area to access the network.

In the Dawn...

Cortana was currently checking on the incoming comm traffic from the nearby comm. buoys while the others were getting ready for their own duties, Tarrek was still looking over the schematics of the Pelican and Albatross Drop-ships and Franklin was learning more of the data that he had on the alien species in the universe while looking at the new technology that was on the Dawn, as even though he was able to understand it, it was still something he wanted to learn to the best detail. Selena was currently reporting to the Council in the comm. room that was conditioned to use the comm buoys of the Mass Relays and no doubt talking about what she had gathered thus far.

As for John and Jorge, they were currently running a few diagnostic checks on their MJOLNIR as standard protocol for them, along with looking at the latest Galactic News reports streaming in. So far it seemed that the galaxy was operating as normal, though rumors of activity in the Terminus Systems was a bit worrying. So far there seemed to be an increase of activity in the area uncontrolled by the Council and pirate groups seemed to be gathering though in very small numbers. Most would ignore that as pirate activity was still considered as an ignorable problem by the majority of the Galactic community unless Council held worlds were attacked, but the Spartans paid a great degree of attention to the reports.

Jorge shook his head and replied.

"I can't figure out just why there's so many pirates out there that haven't been dealt with already, leaving them to randomly attack is going to come back to haunt the Citadel or the Alliance."

"I know Jorge, I am curious about it myself though it would stand to reason that hunting them all down is going to be costly in more ways than one."

"I know Squad Leader, but I doubt those pirate groups are meeting for kicks, something major is going to happen soon, and I don't think that sitting around is going to help anyone, no matter who's side they're on."

John nodded at that as Jorge did have a point and it was here that Christie came in and looked at them, she was still amazed at how massive these guys were, sure they were not too tall, but they were not little either. But she placed that aside as she saw them working on their armor and walked over to the two as she could tell that they were listening to the Galactic News reports.

"Anything new that got your attention?"

Jorge turned and replied.

"Increased pirate activity and more than the usual, I have no doubt they're planning something major soon, you don't get that many people together just to say hello and have tea and biscuits."

Christie nodded at that.

"I know that much, I just hope that when they do make their move, there will be a chance to counter them."

Jorge nodded and then asked a question.

"Any word on the Alliance?"

"Nothing yet, though I have heard that they are halfway done with the new ship known as the Normandy. It's about half finished though it's costing the Alliance a hell of a lot of credits and time. Still, if it will help the Alliance in combating those nuts looking for a fight then I am not going to complain,though I am no fan of some of the Turian inspired designs in it."

Cortana then appeared at a nearby holo-tank and spoke to the Spartans.

"I've gathered all the data I can from the comm. buoys for now, it seems that some new attempts at colonizing planets at the Terminus Systems is happening, and by humanity this time. Looks like they are the independent type and want to be away from the Alliance."

Christie sighed at that and replied.

"I thought as much, those people do have a right to make their own choices, but settling in the Terminus Systems is a disaster waiting to happen."

Jorge and John knew about that situation and knew that the people who were taking the independent route in settling the galaxy had good reasons. The Alliance's tactics for defending colonies were not very helpful and since the two of them and Cortana had reviewed all the data, they had a feeling that unless the Alliance can step up their Naval strength, increase their military forces, and also improve their garrison tactics, something was going to happen that would really be a blow to their credibility. Naturally they knew that doing so was going to get a load of attention from the Citadel and from those with an axe to grind with Humanity, the people in question would start throwing accusations on the Alliance and that would also place Humanity once more as aggressors in the eyes of those in the Galactic community.

Cortana then spoke about that.

"Then we'll just have to make due for the time being."

The group continued with what they were doing as Selena came back and spoke to the Spartans about what the Council had said about the report and then mentioned that she told Jai and Tarrek that it was their turn to offer their reports to the Council. It was going to be a while before anything of importance was going to crop up so for now, they decided to go and locate a planet where they could test some of the equipment they had. They looked at the star charts that they had on hand and located a star system that was mapped but not colonized and activated the Slipspace Drive. Once they were on their way to the portal, the others of the crew looked to see what Slipspace was like. Unlike Mass Relays, Slipspace was a completely different world of possibilities to the people from both the Alliance and the Citadel.

Once they were able to reach their destination and exit the Slipspace portal, Cortana suggested an uninhabited world with several conditions for an all around field test when she picked up something.

"Hold up...I am picking up some sort of signal...it's pretty faint but a very good distance from us and is coming from one of the worlds."

The Spartans thought that over along with Christie and Selena and John then gave his order.

"Let's go check it out. And we'll have to be armed and ready on the off chance that this is a trap, or if we are on a rescue run."

Cortana then replied.

"Got it, I'll keep the Dawn out of sight on the off chance that we encounter the former."

...

Over the planet...

It did not take too long for them to get to the planet in question and once they were there, Cortana's choice to keep the Dawn hidden was the right one. The planet was taking the appearance of what would be best described as a desert world with a few oceans in some areas. Not exactly a safe place by most standards, but the planet's biosphere seemed habitable. But what was of concern was the large colony settlement that was there, and it was unregistered to boot. That meant either this colony was independent or belonged to less than savory characters. And the fact that there were some converted ships acting like they were on patrol meant that they had stumbled on something major.

Which was why they were currently in full combat gear...

John and the others gathered in the Dawn's tactical planning room with the Spartans already armed to the teeth, John carried a MA7A Laser Assault Rifle and two M8 Gauss SMGs while Jorge had on his back the power supply for a Plasma Cannon as he was going to serve as the heavy firepower of the group. The others were armed with their regular weaponry, but this time around, they were not wearing conventional Citadel or Alliance made Armor. They were wearing UNSC made Combat suits and these were already set for the mass production phase but John decided that these would serve as front line tests. Naturally the others were not too comfortable with the idea of wearing new technology but they had to admit that these were comfortable. John had made sure to equip Tarrek with the Pilot uniform even though he was not going with them to the ground just yet and Jai was armed with the full scale combat version and was able to function with his Biotics, much to his surprise.

As they were there, Cortana came in and spoke to them.

"It looks like the signal we picked up was a barely functional rescue beacon on the surface of this world here, and in a pile that I have not yet scanned due to radiation interference though I am betting that it might be the ruins of a ship. I've completed the scan on the settlement/base that the pirates are operating from as well as their little fleet, there seem to be a patrol of ships there, well armed by most Citadel standards and the settlement is also armed with heavy turrets for defense so I doubt that this is your conventional ragtag pirate group down there. There is also the problem of a considerable amount of radiation moving around the planet on regular intervals. These aren't harmful by any standard if the ships are radiation protected, but it renders any attempts at Teleportation to the surface to be risky."

John and Jorge took that in all right and decided not to make an issue on the matter, though they and Cortana were not too happy with the fact as they had planned to try and install some teleportation beacons on the suits to see if it can be viable for teleportation. That kind of test however was for a much later date as they doubted that any of their companions and observers were going to volunteer for that kind of test.

"So what is our best way to go down?"

"Not by Pelican or by Albatross at the moment, they might be armed with shields but it's not the healthiest of ideas since those are weaker than the Dawn's and can be overpowered by heavier weaponry. We need to rapidly deploy there and since there seems to be some craters on the surface consistent with meteor showers, that means that we can use the HEVs. Since meteor showers on the planet seem common enough, the HEVs can get by without too much trouble."

The others who were there had no idea what HEVs were but Selena did, thanks to her melding with John's mind, she gasped as she recalled seeing the HEVs in action as well as the people who were known to use them extensively...the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers or known to the regular UNSC personnel by two names, the ODSTs and the Helljumpers. The Asari Spectre had to admit that it was shocking to see humans who were actually willing to go down to the surface of worlds in what she could describe at best as burning coffins. She knew that such tactics were considered by many in the Citadel in the past...even the Turians thought of trying a rapid deployment force that could be sent out to secure the landing zone in advance for the legions they deployed, but that was scrapped. It was deemed too risky, costly, and impractical, not to mention that even the most skilled and experienced Turians thought it was nuts as the humans said it to try such a move.

"You three can't be serious about us using them are you?"

Jorge nodded and replied.

"It's the best option so far, we can't teleport to the ground to set up a landing zone, having you all go by Albatross or Pelican with those ships nearby is asking for a bullet to the head and no one wants that, and having the Dawn land to deploy us is bound to get some attention."

Darrell then asked.

"What are HEVs?"

...

In the Dawn's HEV deployment bay...

Selena groaned a bit, a rare thing for a Spectre to do, while the others from the Council and the Alliance stared in absolute shock at the HEVs that were all lined up and ready for use. John, Jorge, and Cortana had improved the HEVs previously as they were now designed to have stronger shielding from heat and also had improved thrusters for some increased maneuverability. They were also armed with a one use temperature cooling system to keep the occupants alive from the extreme heat as well as have improved computers to make the process a lot safer for the occupants once they were deployed. These pods had been also made to carry enough supplies though since the others were already armed with their own weapons which did not have ammunition requirements, the Spartans removed the spare ammunition though they stored food, medical gear, communications gear, and spare weapons that they purchased from the Citadel due to John and Cortana acquiring enough funds to purchase a number of licenses from several arms manufacturing companies and also buy the weapons in question.

The HEVs naturally were still the disposable type and they could be salvaged once they hit the ground but these improvements would at the very least allow them to be safer than the previous models. That however was not enough to make the others in the group relax for a moment as Selena had told them just what the HEVs were and who were the kinds of people who were known to use those in combat.

"By the Spirits...that is insanity."

Jai could not find the best way to describe the idea of him being in such a device and then riding down to the surface of a planet in what essentially a flying tomb.

Christie had to agree with that idea as she also spoke.

"I can't believe that there were even people who were willing to get into the darn things in the first place."

Cortana then replied.

"You guys don't have to worry, we have improved them so they are a load safer than the previous models, besides, we don't exactly have the luxury of time, I am going to leave a copy of myself to pilot the ship and take out the Fleet overhead while Tarrek will remain here along with Franklin to handle things here. We can deploy you in a viable area at least a few kilometers away from the target location and since it seems there will be some meteors coming in the planet's area in a few minutes, this is the best time."

John then replied.

"Jorge and I will go ahead and then you will follow thirty seconds after us, this is how we work, officers are first on the ground and will coordinate everything once the rest of the team deploys. So get ready and consider this your first time in the HEVs."

Seeing that they had little time to discuss the matter with the Spartans, they decided to just go ahead and do it though they were all very reluctant to do so. Once they were in Cortana had Tarrek go back to the bridge as she and the Turian began to guide the Dawn into the area of the planet's atmosphere with Cortana marking the exact location and counting down to the deployment order. Inside the HEVs the others were worried with the sole exception of the Spartans as they had done this before in their long careers. Though ODSTs were the most common users of HEVs, they and other UNSC Special Forces units were known to use these pods themselves when rapid insertion was needed.

As the Dawn moved closer to the planet, Cortana also tracked the movements of the pirates who were in the area and quickly deduced that they were not aware of them just yet. This was not going to last as far as she knew, but at least she knew that this mission was going to be a load easier for all involved. Once they were in the clear, she began to speak to the people in the HEVs.

"All right people, the Spartans will be deployed first, the rest will follow in thirty seconds, once deployed, the Dawn will engage the pirates to clear space and prepare for exfiltration. Don't expect air or space support so be careful."

John replied.

"We will Cortana, ready to go!"

Jorge nodded as he readied his massive weapon.

"Same here!"

"All right, thirty seconds."

Everyone tensed up while the Spartans merely played it cool.

"Twenty seconds."

The Dawn was now in optimal HEV deployment altitude and soon it was time to go as Cortana looked over the spot that they were soon over."

"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six."

John ran one last quick check on his gear while Jorge did the same, the others were praying to their respective faiths if they had any that they were going to survive this.

"Five...four...three...two...one! Spartans deployed!"

Sure enough the Spartans in their HEVs were shot out from the Dawn at high speed and were soon hitting the atmosphere, the HEVs began to glow red hot as the technology used to shield them from the extreme heat kicked in to keep the Spartans alive. The two felt the pod shake as atmospheric turbulence began to kick in as the temperature scanners of their MJOLNIR kept track of the temperature change.

The Spartans waited thirty seconds and then they heard Cortana speak out.

"HEVs deployed! Good luck people, you are going to need it!"

...

On the ground…

The place seemed calm and simple despite the high winds and the amount of sand flying about, there in the interior of the compound some of the guards turned to see several streaking objects in the sky a fair distance over some hills. They looked at them and shrugged, meteors were reported to be hitting the planet but on the far side and those looked too small to be of some danger. It seemed that it was going to be a calm day and soon they were going to sell their merchandise and newly gained slaves to the Terminus Systems and to anyone with the credits to spare. No one in the Alliance or the Citadel knew what was going on so they had nothing to worry about.

That is until today...

The HEVs screamed through the atmosphere and they were now in a loose formation though not too far from one another as John decided to call it in with the others, he started with Jorge first to see how his fellow Spartan II was handling things. He had not heard from Jorge in a while but he knew that this was only the fifth time Jorge had ridden down in a HEV.

"Jorge, what's your status?"

"Green all the way Squad leader, everything seems to be in order."

"Good."

John then directed his attention to the others and what he heard from them when he asked them how they were doing, was colorful to say the least.

Christie: "Damn it! I feel like I left my guts back in the ship!"

Darrell: "Oh man...I feel like I just left my brain in the Dawn!"

Jai: "By the Spirits...what am I doing?"

Selena: "By the Goddess...I feel like I am going to throw up!"

Shanni: "Join...the club!"

John could not help but shake his head and could not help but find some level of amusement over the whole thing but he did not comment on it as the HEVs were now reaching the target zone. Once they were at the required distance, the HEVs' breaking features kicked in and soon the chutes were unleashed. In that exact moment the Spartans felt the deceleration as the HEVs continued down at a slower pace than before, that was soon followed by the massive sound of their HEVs hitting the ground hard and fast. The two relaxed as the automatic systems kicked in as the doors were blasted away, allowing them to get out and take their weapons.

They looked up and then heard the HEVs roar down and hit the dirt with a bang, the Spartans looked at the HEVs and their scanners told them that the occupants were all right. But they had no doubt that they were going to be really feeling it the very second that they were soon out of the HEVs. They watched as the doors were blasted away and out came the occupants, Christie came out and hit the dirt and was on her hands and knees, Darrell leaned back on his HEV and tried to get his breath back, Jai managed to sit down and coughed while shaking his head, and both Selena and Shanni were helping each other stand.

Christie spoke out.

"Augh...I feel like I just gave birth."

Darrell was next to comment on his first HEV ride.

"Now I know how a ship going through a Mass Relay feels."

Jai was next.

"My spine..."

Selena spoke next.

"Let's not do that again please?"

Shanni nodded and replied.

"I'd rather take my chances in the teleporter or the drop-ships than do this again!"

Jorge sighed a bit and John shrugged, they decided to give their team a few minutes to get their bearings back and thankfully none of them decided to hurl. That would have really been an object lesson in humiliation in their minds. As for them, they were feeling all right and decided to secure the area and hold the fort until the others were ready. As soon as they told the Spartans that they were ready, the Spartans allowed them remove the supplies from their pods while he and Jorge took what supplies their pods had and when they were all fully booked with what they needed, they moved out.

It was going to be a while before they could make it to their target location but after the others got their bodies working better then seemed to be in much better conditions than before. In their minds the others were lucky, usually ODSTs would lose some of their comrades first time in the insertion run, though the two did not make an issue out of it as they moved through terrain before them with the NAV Markers showing the base. Cortana was soon able to contact them or rather her copy was as she spoke to them.

"The Dawn is now getting ready to engage the pirate fleet, it will clear the way once you guys secure the compound, be prepared, scanners indicate a great deal of activity down there, looking like the pirates might be getting ready for a party of some sort. No doubt for getting a big paycheck for whoever employs them."

John then replied.

"They are not going to have long to enjoy it."

"I know, the Dawn is already deploying Sentinels to create distortion fields to cut down any communications from the Fleet or elsewhere, so they will not be aware that their little fleet is about to be in for the fight of their lives."

...

It was after a few more minutes after pushing themselves to reach their target that the team finally arrived to face the compound and here was where John and Jorge used their MJOLNIR's long range scanners and spotted the pirates, this time there were Turians there as well. John pointed them out, Jai then pointed to the armor of the pirates as he himself looked at them with his own Sniper Rifle.

"Those are not standard pirates...they are Blue Suns."

Jorge was surprised by that and saw the emblem and spoke.

"You know them?"

"Yeah, there's a file on them that stated that they were officially registered as a 'Private Security Company', but in reality they are a mercenary outfit. They are rumored to be ruthlessly efficient and are not afraid to use any means needed to accomplish their goals so they are usually hired by paying a very sizable fee. They take in Humans, Turians, and Batarians into their ranks, though the majority of the bunch are Batarians even though one of the founders of the group was against the idea. That one was a human named Zaeed Massani, a former Alliance Marine who left and became a feared and respected mercenary soldier and bounty hunter, he was against the idea of hiring Batarians which was pitched by co-founder Vido Santiago also a mercenary. Vido betrayed Zaeed and shot him in the face...though it's known that Zaeed is still breathing and gunning for his former partner."

The Spartans shook their heads and Selena replied.

"If that is the case, then they must have been hired by someone to do pirate work or they are doing this on their own initiative since they are known to dabble in slave trading, and it'snot unheard of for them to betray their clients if they sense that they can earn more money by breaking their oath, as far as mercenaries and free-lancers go they are not to be trusted no matter what they say. if they can make more money as Jai said, they'd gladly kill anyone to get more money."

Jorge then replied with a slight growl.

"Let's see how they like it when we show up."

...

In the compound...

The three Turians who were on the wall and overseeing the place were grumbling at the fact that they were now at the party, they wished that they were able to get the chance to party. They had scored a good haul and the extra money they would get from their newly acquired 'organic merchandise' would really help. They were also thinking about paying the people a visit and have taste...

Their train of thoughts on the matter were broken however when two of them were suddenly grabbed by glowing hands made from orange energy and the other watched in shock and horror as his companions were suddenly crushed into pulp. The sounds of their armor cracking along with their flesh pulped and their bones crushed were soon drowned out as the Turian turned to suddenly see three massive figures appear from the wall. He barely had time to react as both Spartans smashed their respective left foot into his chest, and the weight of the Spartans even on one foot was more than enough to crush bone, ceramic plate, and flesh.

The Spartans quickly moved and headed right for the gate and the two now had their weapons at the ready, two Blue Suns mercenaries, both humans female spotted the Spartans and tried to fire but their attempts were short lived as John fired two bursts at their faces, the laser bolts easily cooking them dead as they fell. Once they were closer to the gate house, the Spartans quickly leaped down fast and hard, shocking the Blue Suns below them, they turned only to find themselves facing Jorge's Plasma Cannon as the cannon glowed and the Spartan spoke.

"Say hello to my little friend!"

The mercenaries were literally melted in half as the close range storm of plasma bolts easily burned through them, the other mercenaries who were there only had enough to time to gasp as several of them were cut down. This was enough to raise the alarms in the base as John made his way to the gate house and open the gate, once the gate was down the Spartan moved in to support his partner as plasma bolts and laser bolts were flying towards the Blue Suns mercs who were caught with their pants down, unaware of the fact that at the moment their space born buddies were being shot up by the Dawn.

The Spartans were soon joined by the others of their group and they were quick to unleash their own weapons and soon the plasma and laser bolts of the Spartans were joined by the mass accelerator slugs of the team. The battle was quick to turn into a dance of combat as the Blue Suns were facing something that they had not expected or had prepared for, even more so as the Spartans were unleashing plasma and laser bolts at them and causing all sorts of damage on them. The team began to move forward with the Spartans providing the fire support while the others moved in and got into cover when they needed to do so. They were soon followed by the Spartans with John reloading his weapon while Jorge stopped to allow his heavy support weapon to cool down and be ready for firing once more.

However as they moved forward, the group were caught into what was an open courtyard which was being filled by several more bands of Blue Sun mercenaries with John turning and speaking to Selena.

"We'll keep the mercenaries on that side occupied while you clear out the other end."

Selena nodded as she led the others to engage the other Blue Suns while the Spartans turned to face the attacking Blue Suns, the mercenaries thought that even with their unknown weapons, the two were nuts. They were out numbered ten to one and there was no way those two could handle all of them in one run...

If they only knew...if there was one thing the Covenant and the Covenant Loyalists learned about the Spartans the hard way...it was that being outnumbered was not a problem for them. It only presented the Spartans will a lot more targets to take out and many chances to find new ways to turn their foes into statistics.

...

The other group managed to fight off the forces on their side as they continued to advance, those of them who could use Biotics, which was most of them were able to unleash Warp attacks, Pull, Barrier, and a few more to even up the odds with their targets. But that hardly meant that their efforts were not taxing on them. Already Jai was panting and had to revert to using his weapons as his Biotics were getting weaker. Christie used her Assault rifle in place of her shotgun as she too was not able to use her Biotics, Darrel used his Sniper Rifle and so did Shanni. They had taken out a number of the Blue Suns but there seemed to be more of them and they were massing up near the water treatment plant that was their next area.

Selena got to cover as she was wearing her UNSC Armor as well as carrying her Sniper Rifle as the mass accelerator rounds hit the wall she was hiding behind while flying past her. The Asari Spectre looked to see that the others were also taking cover from the withering fire, and she used her Barrier to allow her to move to a better firing position. That allowed her to take down another Batarian sniper that had earlier tried to tag her, with his shot blocked by her Barrier.

She turned and spoke through the communicators.

"They have managed to mass up at the nearby water treatment plant! They have us pinned down over here!"

She heard Jorge's voice call out at that moment.

"Not for long they won't."

The roar of Jorge's Heavy Plasma Cannon was soon filling the area as rapid moving bolts of super heated blue-white plasma streamed out like a rain for hell itself. The Blue Suns mercenaries had little time to react as the massive streams of plasma bolts tore into them, some were lucky enough to have the common sense to duck while the less intelligent ones were instantly burned alive as the super heated plasma easily overpowered their Kinetic barriers and melted through their ceramic Combat suits' plating like it was nothing more than tissue paper. The screams of pain filled the air as well as the smell of burning ozone as more of the Blue Suns mercs were cut down. Jorge was soon joined by John who unleashed his newly charged MA7A. The two had already mopped up the remains of the Blue Suns they had engaged, leaving behind dead or dying Turian, Batarian, and Human mercs behind them along with the smell of death.

This was the opening that Selena and the others needed as she, Christie, Jai, Shanni, and Darrel moved in while they were soon joined by the Spartans as the fire fight was getting a lot more intense. John spotted a nearby command console from one of the larger buildings and spoke to Cortana as more of the defense towers were firing their Mass Accelerator slugs at them. If they did not take those out soon, they were not going to be able to move in closer and deeper into the compound.

"Cortana, can you hack into the base's networks in that console?"

"Yeah, just get me into it and I will handle the rest of it from there."

John nodded and quickly spoke to Jorge and the others.

"We need to get Cortana into the system so she can take down the defenses and isolate any more reinforcements, I need covering fire to get to the console!"

Selena nodded and so did the others as they all took out their Sniper Rifles.

"We can handle that."

Jorge then replied.

"I've got your back squad leader."

John nodded and that was the signal as the group got up as soon as the turrets deeper in the compound had to stop firing and vent out the heat in their systems. Once they did so, the Spartans quickly moved out from cover and were now moving at high speed with Jorge using his MJOLNIR's shield manipulation abilities to create a mobile defense barrier to counter incoming fire while John fired through the shields to counter the attacks thrown at them. They were supported by the others as well though Christie and Darrell were having some problems with the use of Sniper Rifles unlike Selena who was able to take down a heavy trooper who was trying to aim his rocket launcher at the two.

Jorge quickly got his Plasma Cannon primmed and fired out a massive barrage of plasma bolts right at the enemy, forcing them to take cover, even more so when they watched three of their friends literally cooked alive as the high speed plasma bolts tore through their Kinetic Barriers and melted their armor like it was nothing. The Heavy Weapons expert of Noble Team concentrated the fire in a wave over the aliens, quickly stopping if his weapon needed to cool down and avoid being severely damaged by overheating issues. This allowed the others to cover them as Cortana was now in the system.

It did not take long for the enhanced UNSC Smart A.I to start wrecking havoc on the systems of the base as the turrets began to fire so much without stopping that they destroyed themselves in a spectacular fashion. Alarms were killed all over the base and already several areas were being locked down by her to keep the pirates isolated and make sure that if there were other forces hidden in the complex, they were not going to go anywhere. This was enough for the group to move out and take the fight to the pirates as without their heavy turret support, they were now a lot more vulnerable.

The Spartans moved out as soon as Cortana allowed one of her copies to remain in the system to hack in and cause even more havoc while gathering any data that could be of use to them. This was also where the Spartans displayed their combat skills to their audience who were now recording the whole thing thanks to the recording systems in their omni-tools as par the requests of the Council.

The Master Chief quickly took to running at high speed while firing at a rapid pace, his MA7A unleashing rapid fire laser bolts that easily cut through the shields and armor of their targets. The Spartan then leaped over several crates and spinning in mid flight to shoot three Batarians in rapid succession. As soon as he landed he turned to smash the butt of his weapon into the face of a Batarian and smashing in the skull and turning to kick another in the chest sending his attacker flying. The Spartan then placed the Laser Assault Rifle on his back and picked up two discarded Assault Rifles and carried them in both hands without trouble.

He carried them like they weighed nothing and quickly fired three burst shots to the forces outside while Jorge hefted his Plasma Cannon and fired out more of the rounds until he also picked up a pair of Assault Rifles. They looked smaller than they were in the massive Spartan's hands as the two of them were firing away with terrifying accuracy at their foes. They also moved at a high pace and were cutting down their foes quickly as more pirates fell, showing that they had loaded their weapons with heavy upgrades to improve their firing rate and power and used Proton Ammunition to bypass shields. These rounds however were not too effective to the enhanced shields of the Spartans as the two behemoths crashed into the pirates.

The pirates realized that the real threat were the two massive figures in armor firing away at them and focused their attacks on them, but the speed and protection the Spartans had proved that their attacks were not going to be going anywhere. The pirates only saw flashes of golden light around the figures as the shields shrugged off the damage easily and more of them were dropping like flies.

John and Jorge carried on and quickly got into cover after the weapons overheated, forcing them to discard them as they knew that they had the initiative. They took out their previous weapons as John quickly used his MJOLNIR's Shield Manipulation functions to grab some crates and then toss them at the gathered Blue Sun mercs, forcing them to scatter as they came out and slaughtered the pirates once more. This was enough to send more of corpses to the ground, one armed with a Rocket Launcher tried to fire but Jorge spotted him and instead of reducing the Batarian into a steaming pile of goo with the Plasma Cannon, he instead used his MJOLNIR's Shield Manipulation function to actually surround the Batarian just as he fired the missile.

BOOM!

The Spartan moved the sphere away and the Batarian fell down in a VERY bloody mess. The shield sphere contained the blast as the missile hit the shield and this allowed the shrapnel and energy to be magnified and overpowered the Kinetic Barriers of the mercenary. The explosion and shrapnel did the rest as the Batarian fell into a smoking and unrecognizable pile of meat and torn armor. Jorge held his weapon once more and fired more of the plasma from his weapon but not before speaking to the dead Blue Suns mercenary.

"Never play with explosives Four Eyes."

John was not far behind as he reloaded his MA7A and spotted several more Blue Suns lining up to kill him and Jorge as he decided to use his MJOLNIR Shield Manipulation function and fired out a spear of glowing energy, the spear went between the pirates, seemingly missing them but that was what the mercenaries thought as John then altered the energy controls and the spear of energy unleashed several spears on the side. This quickly impaled the pirates in the chests and sides as their Kinetic Barriers were not able to counter the attacks. John retracted the energy spears as the six pirates fell down to the ground as the Spartan switched to using his M8 SMGs.

It was not long before the mercenaries in the area were now dead or dying in the battle field and the Spartans were the ones who were the only ones standing, and when the others came to the sight, they could not help but comment at the sight of the slaughter committed by the Spartans on the Blue Suns, all of which they had recorded in their own systems.

Selena could not help but gulp at the sight and spoke as the smell of ozone, burning flesh, and melted ceramic was still there.

"By the Goddess..."

Chrisitie spoke as well.

"Holy crap..."

Darrell replied to that.

"I second that..."

Jai then spoke.

"Now this is a mess."

Shanni spoke next.

"I thought I have seen everything...guess I was wrong."

The group recovered well enough and John decided for them to fan out and take out any other pockets of resistance left in the compound, it was not going to be an easy assignment but it was needed either way. The Blue Suns left alive in their part of the compound who tried to resist were taken out of the equation rather quickly and it was not going to be long before the outer area of the compound was secured. Cortana was in the system already and was making sure to guide the team into areas where resistance was thick, and she also turned several Drones that they were in the base to either blow up to deny the Blue Suns any support, or to support the team and then blow up. She also blocked down the alarms to prevent any other mercenaries in any other compound from being alerted to the attack to have the element of surprise.

And it worked to some extent, as the teams moved on until they reached the inner area of the compound and found more resistance but Cortana contained them as well since her copy was deep in the system while she remained in the MJOLNIR as well though the resistance didn't seem to expect them and were caught off guard. The teams fanned out in pairs with Selena and Darrell on group, Christie and Jai on the other while Shanni remained in the area by climbing to a high sniper tower to cover the others. John and Jorge moved into what Cortana showed was a holding compound, no doubt for whatever the Blue Suns had gathered and who they may have kidnapped to be sold for slavery.

...

In the main holding compound...

The Spartans fanned into the compound and took down more of the Blue Suns that were there,though these guys apparently were not expecting them. Cortana then explained that she had managed to hack into the comm systems of the Blue Suns in the inner area of the compound while in the system and scramble their communicators so they were not sure what was going on and chalked it up to some gag or a false alarm. There were not that many left and there the two found a large amount of supplies and cargo that could be worth trading. But it was not long before the two stumbled on a more serious discovery in the holding compound...

Living beings...

John and Jorge looked at the captive aliens and they saw that the majority of them were of a race they had not met yet. They appeared human but seemed to be wearing some form of environmental hazard suit, had three fingers, feet that seemed to be webbed in a fashion and their faces were hidden by what seemed to be a form helmet with a visor that was the same as their own MJOLNIR visors. They decided to worry about that later however as they still had to hunt down the other slavers and prevent them from escaping, and they seemed to be recovering well enough on their own so interfering with them was not needed.

The two quickly moved out and that was when they were contacted by Cortana who was inside the base's security network.

"Guys, we've got a problem, there are two Batarian Blue Suns mercs in here and they took one of those new aliens we found not too long ago, and apparently this one is female...and I can wager a guess what they intend to do to her."

That naturally was not unknown to the two Spartans as they hustled it to the other floor where Cortana had marked the room. They very second they were at the room, Jorge wasted no time and kicked the door hard.

...

Moments before the door gets booted by Jorge...

"Leave me alone you bosh'tets!"

The Batarians laughed and replied as they surrounded the young Quarian girl.

"No dice you little bitch...you are going to be interesting to have once we take that suit off you."

The Quarian trembled in fear of this as she tried to find some way to escape or a weapon, but she found none of the sort. She looked at the way the Batarians looked at her and saw the intent in their four eyes. Horror and revulsion filled her as she shouted once more, wishing that she had a weapon to defend herself with.

"No! You can't! I'll get sick and worse if you..."

"If you get exposed? Does it matter? At least we finally get to see what you women really look like without those suits on and see just how well you handle this."

The young Quarian screamed out in fear as they closed in to take her, one already removed a Combat Knife from a holster on his back and they were already getting ready to attack her. She felt like crying as fear and horror continued to flow into her mind at what would happen to her. She knew the second she was in the room that it was surrounded in sound proofing material so no amount of screaming could make her be heard, but she was not going to just give up, she reached for what was a pipe and then tossed it at one of the Batarians.

The Blue Sun mercenary screamed out at the unexpected attack on him and she tried to take off, hoping to avoid the other one and leave, but her actions were not going to help as she was suddenly tripped and fell flat on her face.

"Augh!"

She turned as the one she hit with the pipe glared at her and wiped some blood from his mouth and he shouted.

"I am so going to enjoy breaking you Quarian brat, and if you die, doesn't matter, at least I can finally see just what you younger Quarian females are like!"

She looked on and fear as she felt frozen as the two came at her, but suddenly a massive explosion was heard, all she heard and no doubt the Batarians also heard was the sound of torn metal along with the screams of hydraulics and electronics malfunctioning. She then saw two massive shapes suddenly smash into the Batarians. All she heard next were their screams and the sounds of weapons fire, once she got her wits back, she looked and saw the two Batarians on the floor in a ever expanding pool of their own blood. And in front of her were two MASSIVE figures who looked like machines or people in armor, but the armor was unlike any combat suit she had ever seen in her life.

The Spartans looked at the young woman and moved towards her, she panicked and tried to reach for a weapon until the one carrying the massive weapon spoke to her.

"Hey it's all right, we're not here to hurt you."

The young Quarian stopped and looked at them again, it was then that several figures appeared in the area, one of them being an Asari who spoke to the two massive figures.

"We've secured the base and driven off the last of the pirates in the area, looks like this place is finally free of the Batarians for now."

The green armored one nodded and looked to the other armored being.

"Jorge, go out and check the area with Selena and the others to see if there is anything worth taking with us and also if there are other mercs left alive."

"Roger that Squad Leader."

...

It took a while to take the base on lock-down and some more time to search for any more of the Blue Suns. Once they were done and were sure that there were no more threats for them to deal with, the group began to search the bodies of the pirates and take what they could from the base of the now dead mercenaries. Their ships were now ruins in space as Dawn took them out piecemeal and both the copy of Cortana and Tarrek also made sure to locate anything worth salvaging from them and took them into the ship with the aid of the Sentinels that were there on hand.

As for the team on the ground, John and Jorge as well as the others took what they could from the bodies of the pirates as well as their lockers, PDAs, and terminals. It was enough to net the group a very tidy profit and plenty to trade with when they made it back to civilized space, but right now they had other concerns as the two Spartans were soon brought up to speed on the people that the pirates and slavers had managed to take this time around as they found the Codex file pertaining to the race and their name...the Quarians.

They had already freed them just as Shanni confirmed that there was a large ship at a hidden underground area of the compound she found that apparently been chopped up by the pirates of all viable parts and had destroyed every inch of the remains of the ship, rendering it as nothing more than a burned and eviscerated husk of a machine leaving only the beacon as a possible lure to get more ships to be taken down. The news of the ship and it's name of Noira filled the Quarians with anger and despair, even more so for one who apparently was a high ranking officer in the group. It took some time for the Quarians to calm down and also tend to the wounded and dead and this allowed the three to read all they could about the Quarians from the Codex.

...

As John and Jorge along with Cortana checked on the now freed Quarians as the others were gathering what they could find, the Master Chief began to try and open some dialogue with the Quarians and find out just what he and the others could learn about the Quarians. Despite the Codex from the Citadel explaining to him, Jorge, and Cortana who they were, they had a feeling that asking the members of the ship themselves was a far better way to learn of a race. Selena had told of how the Quarians were seen by other races, and what they heard was less than pleasing. However John was not going to take that face value as he had no doubt that the Quarians had their own thoughts on the matter and how the other races saw them.

As he sat down to face the Quarians, namely their Captain due to the elaborate suit that she wore, he spoke to them.

"Now then, I need to ask you questions."

The Captain of the now lost vessel, named Darnass Vas' Noira replied in a voice that had suspicion laced deeply into it to the Spartan.

"What exactly to you want from us? Granted you saved us but that does not mean that you can interrogate us."

"This is not an interrogation Captain, I merely need to ask some questions, and I am..."

"We know of you Master Chief, you've made an impact in the galactic scene already, and while the Migrant Fleet do not want anything to do with the Citadel, we DO keep abreast of events that can may be of concern to us. So what is it you want to know?"

John could easily sense the hostility there in the Quarian Captain, even though her face was hidden by her mask in the same way his and Jorge's was, he could tell from the voice despite the mechanical way it sounded due to the speakers, and the body language. This alien woman had just been freed from slavers who would have done far worse to them but she was not going to go down without a fight. That was something that he could understand in the circumstances and decided to keep that train of thought to himself as he spoke.

"What are you?"

The Quarian Captain made a slight gesture and changed her posture that spelled tension to John and Jorge and her reply was more evidence of it.

"What sort of question is that? We happen to be Quarians, don't tell me those in the Citadel never told you of our race."

John shook his head and replied.

"We do not know much about your people since the files pertaining to your people in the Codex is not exactly recent or up to date. I have read the files but I prefer to learn from the people themselves than from another source. I have no doubt that a lot has happened to your people ever since the events stated in the file."

Darnass snorted and replied.

"The Council can all take their political bullshit and shove it up their collective asses. But if you really want to know who we are, then fine."

What came next was a discussion on the Quarian people and how they came to be where they were, John, Jorge, and Cortana listened intently while the others from the Alliance and the Citadel decided to stay out of the conversation. All of them already knew enough about the Quarians and while some of them were not too trusting of the Quarians, they kept that to themselves. The Spartans had read the Codex that spoke of the Quarians as well as the negative comments and views towards their race as well as the rumors about them being cyborgs. It all sounded odd to the Spartans and the A.I but they kept their opinions to themselves, though Cortana was not the least bit happy about what she heard when it concerned their war with the Geth.

This was also a sour point to the two Spartans as they had no doubt that their experiences with the Geth could very well make them hostile to the Huragok, the Sentinels, and to Cortana herself if they saw her. That was going to have to wait for another time as the conversation finally ended with Darnass. The Quarian Captain seemed to be seething with anger at what she had been talking about, which was something that the Spartans could understand well enough on their own terms. Once things seemed to settle down, the Master Chief spoke to the Captain.

"So what exactly does your government plan to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your fleet can't sustain your people forever, and despite of the size of the Migrant Fleet, and your people's unique skills, you cannot remain like this forever either."

Darnass then spoke darkly.

"What business is that of yours Spartan? You are not a Quarian so do not presume that you know our situation more than we do!"

The Master Chief expected that and decided to let the matter slide for now as he decided to let them calm down a bit more and see how things were going for the others. He then made a call to Tarrek who was currently back on the Dawn.

"Tarrek, can you hear us?"

"Yeah Chief, but the signal's a bit choppy due to the interference out here, what do you need?"

"Get the Dawn down here so we can get what we salvaged from the base and the whole compound that we can use and trade with. It looks like we're going to have a lot to take back with us before you and the others head back to give the annual reports."

"Thanks, give me a few minutes and I'll be down soon enough."

...

As the Spartans turned away, a young Quarian, a woman judging by the way her suit hugged her frame called out to them though John sensed that this particular Quarian seemed familiar to him and the and could be said for Jorge.

"Wait!"

Both Spartans turned and the young Quarian stopped and for a moment seemed to be struck silent, that did not take long before she spoke again while rubbing her hands together, in a gesture that was similar to a human's way of showing worry to some degree. This was not lost to the Spartans as they listened to what she was going to say to them.

"I want to thank you, and I...must apologize for our Captain, she has not taken the loss of her ship well... and talking about our people's...past and present is not really a good thing."

Jorge replied to that.

"I guess we can understand that, you have a name Miss?"

"Oh...sorry about that, my name is Tali, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. I serve as one of the engineers on the Noira, and you saved me from those..."

John and Jorge now recognized her as the young Quarian who was about to be raped by the three Batarians they had caught with their proverbial pants down when they attacked the complex once Cortana took down the alarms in the compound. John nodded and so did Jorge as the Hungarian speaking Spartan II spoke gently though he had regressed to using Hungarian.

"It's good to see that you are no worse for wear then Tali."

The Quarian cocked her head aside in what was confusion in her part, she had knowledge of the Alliance trade language of English but not much else so the language of the Spartan before her was odd, though she heard her first name there.

"Pardon? What was that you said earlier?"

Jorge realized his slip and spoke once more in English.

"I apologize for that, went back to my native Hungarian language, I said it's good to see that you are no worse for wear Tali."

"Thank you...at any rate, I am happy that you accepted my apology, and now I have to help my people at least find a way to be transported off this place. We might need to be here a while and since the Batarians took our weapons, we will have to find ways to at least try and get back to the Migrant Fleet."

John nodded and looked at one of the salvaged weapons and gave a slight shake of his head as the weapon was ruined, no doubt from being shot too many times. Tali noted that and walked over to it and spoke to the Spartans.

"I can repair that if you want me to?"

John turned and replied.

"You can repair that?"

Tali nodded and John decided to see what she could do and prove if her people had such skills as was stated in the Codex. He nodded and allowed her to take the weapon to show him, Jorge, and Cortana how good she was.

...

It took some time but Tali was able to get to work and she studied it carefully, then she worked on taking it apart bit by bit, locating the broken parts and taking out some spare parts and quickly getting the weapon again. She then tested several times, took it apart to improve it a bit more and then show it to the ones who rescued her.

Cortana commented on what she had seen Tali do her thing as she observed the young woman's work on the damaged weapon, which was a BSA Lightning Strike Sniper Rifle they salvaged from the slain Blue Suns but those had been damaged in the fighting.

"She's good, real good."

John nodded as he looked at the fully repaired weapon and spoke to Tali.

"You've got excellent skills in mechanics and engineering for one of your age Tali."

The young Quarian nodded a bit and replied.

"T-Thanks, I had plenty of time to work on machines, being in the Migrant Fleet kind of does that to you and it part of our culture and need for survival. here, you can take this now and use it."

The Spartan looked at the results of her work once more and in better focus to see just what he could make from the repairs. It seemed that the Codex was correct about Tali's people needing to work very hard to maintain anything that they needed to ensure their survival. This made what they learned a lot more sensible and he decided to give it to her.

"No, you can have it."

"Really?"

"Yes, you repaired it well so it should be yours since you placed a good deal of effort to make it work."

Tali took the weapon and nodded.

"Thank you very much."

The others arrived along with the Quarians and it was here that they saw the Dawn arrive. Tali was surprise by the sheer size of the vessel and so were the Quarians. Jorge smirked a bit and as soon as the Dawn landed safely at the outside of the compound, they trooped in and began to ferry the supplies as John turned and spoke to the Quarians.

"You can join us and we can drop you off at the location of the Fleet if you wish."

The Quarians looked at one another and they then looked at the massive vessel, even though John could not see their faces, he could tell that many of them were trying to come up with a viable response to what they were going to do. They had no ship and with no viable pirate ship to use due to the fleet being eliminated by the Dawn in space, they could not take any ship with them. Darnass looked at her crew and then to the Dawn and the Spartans and then decided that she had little choice.

"Very well."

...

As soon as everything and everyone were in the Dawn, the Spartans had the Sentinels and the Huragok take what they could and have them brought into the cargo hold. The Quarians were surprised by the sight of the Huargok and Tali wondered just what they were, directing her question to Jorge.

"They're called Huragok, or engineers to the UNSC, they are not organic but are actually living machines."

This made the Quarians tense up and some were not very happy with that particular revelation as Tali spoke in a very quiet voice.

"They are not organic beings?"

"No, but they are not Geth either, they are pacifists and are only concerned with studying technology, repairing broken or damaged devices, and building machines of any make. In essence they are not hostile and do not have any desire to harm living beings and in essence violence is abhorrent to them."

This did not seem to ease the Quarians very well but it was there and then that one of the Huragok moved over to one of the Quarians who cringed back as the creature began to scan the omni-tool he had.

"What is it doing?"

The Huragok turned and began to make several gestures to John who replied with sign language and then the Spartan spoke.

"It says that it has detected some sort of tracking bug software in that omni-tool of yours, where exactly did you get it?"

"I...I got it off one of the Blue Suns your group killed after they trashed mine...I had no idea it had a tracking bug in it. How can it possibly know?"

"It's one of the Huragok that worked with omni-tools before, if it says that it has a tracking bug in it, I suggest you either get rid of it or let the Huragok remove the bug and scan the omni-tool again."

The Quarian looked at Darnass and the captain was silent for a moment later and gave her order.

"Leave it behind, I have no doubt we can get a replacement back in the Fleet."

The Quarian did so and removed his omni-tool and tossed it away as the Dawn was beginning to close the loading bay door.

She then turned to speak to the Spartans.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but we're not exactly keen on the idea on working with synthetic beings, even more so with being around them. And if I recall what I heard about you, you also have an A.I on this ship."

"I see that now is the time to reveal myself."

That was Cortana's voice and sure enough, the A.I revealed herself in front of the Quarians while the others, seeing that this was a tense moment, decided to leave and hope that nothing dangerous would occur between the Quarians and the Spartans.

Darnass hissed a bit and spoke out with venom in her voice the second she saw Cortana.

"So this is the A.I that you have in this ship."

John looked at the Quarians who were not the least bit happy with the presence of Cortana as well as the Huragok after learning of the origins and natures of the creatures in the ship that they were now in and the appearance of Cortana. He, Cortana, and Jorge could see that even Tali was not the least bit happy with his long time friend's presence. He knew that their history with A.I made them not the least bit friendly with any A.I program but he was not going to let that be the reason for hostility. He did so by speaking to them in a very stern and no nonsense manner.

"Cortana may be an A.I Captain, but she is not the same as the Geth that you have told me of and what I have learned. She is as much a part of the crew on the Dawn and is someone I have worked with for years so I trust her. Do not make any hostile actions towards her and the Huragok in the ship"

The Quarians were silent at this though the Captain was not the least bit pleased with an A.I onboard the ship that they were now on for them to return to the Migrant Fleet.

"How can you be so sure that you can really trust an A.I?"

John replied.

"I trust her enough to risk my life to keep her safe, you can of course choose to remain in the base and wait for the Migrant Fleet to come and pick you up."

Darnass was not pleased by the way things were but she knew that despite the presence of her fellow Quarians and the supplies they did find in the base, their ship was utterly destroyed so they had no form of transportation off planet and with many of the ships of the pirates utterly destroyed they did not have much options in being able to go back to the Migrant Fleet. She looked at the others and saw that while they were not very comfortable with the idea as well, they knew that they did not have much in terms of options. The Migrant Fleet was currently a fair distance away from the nearest Mass Relay and without a ship, they had no way to go back to their people.

She sighed and replied.

"Fine, we will not do anything against your A.I, but only as long as she does not pose a danger to us and the Migrant Fleet. If she does become a threat then we will demand that you leave and never come anywhere near our people or the Fleet or we will shoot you and your vessel. "

Cortana nodded and replied.

"Fair enough, I will make sure to not interfere with your people unless I am given leave by those of your people who have a high position in your government."

This managed to make things a bit cooler as the group of Quarians relaxed a bit and it was here that John and Jorge decided to lower their guard slightly and show no hostile intent to their new guests. John looked at Cortana and spoke to his long time friend.

"Do we have enough rooms for Darnass and her crew?"

The A.I nodded and replied.

"Yes, there should be ample quarters in one of the lower decks in the crew's quarters."

"Good, I'll leave Jorge in charge while I escort them to their rooms for now."

Jorge nodded in agreement and as soon as that was done, the Spartan gestured to the Quarians to follow him, which they did so reluctantly as they were still not very calm with the idea of being in a ship which had an A.I on it. John could see that and he replied to their concerns while guiding them to the ship.

"Cortana is a Smart A.I and is not the same as the Geth, I have read the files on the Geth Rebellion and what happened to your people but I will make this clear that Cortana is not in the same league as the Geth."

Tali then spoke.

"What makes you say that? She is a machine isn't she?"

"I am not contesting that, but Cortana was created in a different fashion than the Geth and if you know about me then you should know that she and I come from an alternate universe. There...A.I are different from what you deal with here."

One of the Quarians then spoke, a male from the tone of the voice along with the design of the suit.

"And what makes her so special from any A.I?"

John could hear the venom there and that annoyed him a bit but he kept in mind what he learned of the Quarians and replied.

"She was created from the cloned brain of a living person for one, unlike the Geth who from what I have learned that rely on each other to learn and grow. Cortana is able to learn and advance on her own pace as she is able to think independently with whatever data she gains and does not rely on other A.I to learn, and is able to plan, and be creative with what she has on hand. In a sense you can say that she is the soul of a human made into a program."

That stopped the Quarians cold as Darnass spoke in shock.

"That...thing was created from a cloned brain? How is that even possible?"

John turned and replied calmly.

"That thing you refer to has a name, but I will let that slide for now, like I said, she, Jorge and I come from an alternate universe and where we come from, none of the races who are part of the Council, or not in the Council including your own race exist. We use A.I considerably and there are two types, Smart and Dumb A.I, each with their own purposes and functions, and we do have security measures for them as well."

John then gave the Quarians the 'nutshell' version of how the UNSC created Smart A.I like Cortana and needless to say, they were utterly stunned by the idea of an actual A.I that was created from an exact electronic map of a living being's brain. Most people whould have wondered why he did it, but John knew that making A.I was not too big a secret though he like all UNSC personnel understood the need to either protect A.I with sensitive information, or the need to terminate A.I who had gone Rampant. That had been enough to get the Quarians to their rooms and thankfully with little incident, though he decided to speak to Tali to see how the young Quarian was doing.

"Can I speak to you for a moment Tali?"

The young Quarian looked at the Spartan in surprise and made that obvious in her next question.

"You want to speak to me?"

"Yes."

Tali looked at her Captain and Darnass nodded reluctantly but not before glaring at the Spartan and replied.

"Do not harm her Spartan."

John nodded and he looked at Tali and spoke once more as he guided her to a nearby security station that was in the Dawn's design, once they were there, he motioned for Tali to sit down, she accepted the order and he looked at her. It was hard for him to imagine that the young girl had nearly suffering being raped by slavers and pirates, it made him angry a bit as such a crime to a youngster was inexcusable by any standard. He placed those feelings aside for now and spoke to her.

"Are you feeling all right?"

"What? Oh...I am fine,why do you ask?"

"I wanted to know if you were truly all right, the last series of events didn't scar you?"

The Quarian was quick to catch on and replied slowly.

"I am...fine, I really am...oh Kee'lah, I was nearly..."

The young woman trembled and John decided to let her show her emotions for a bit and she did as she began to sob, the fact that she had managed to keep herself together after such a traumatic event was commendable. Once he sensed that she had let some of it out he spoke to her a bit.

"You care to tell me what exactly happened before Jorge and I freed you?"

Tali nodded and explained what had happened and what the Batarians had planned to do her, the descriptions angered the Spartan even more and he mentally thanked the fact that they made it in time when they did. The idea of those pirates doing those things to a teenager was disgusting to him as despite the events that shaped him and the others in the Spartan II Program, they were taught that rape was a serious crime no matter the situation and circumstance. As soon as she was done talking, Tali spoke in a very tired tone as she was crying as the memories of what happened and the thoughts on what could have happened had John and Jorge had been too late began to fade away.

"Thank you for...coming when you both did, I owe you not just my life, I owe you everything Kee'lah se'lai."

"It's all right, but I should mention something to you first Tali. You might want to thank Cortana for that part as well."

Tali was confused at first and wary as she was still not trusting of A.I and replied.

"Why? What reason could I have to thank...you're A.I?"

"It was Cortana who discovered you being taken by the Batarians earlier, and she already knew what was going to happen to you and she quickly guided us to your location. If she had not done that, we would have not known and make it in time to save you from them."

In her environmental suit and her helmet, Tali was wide eyed, she could not believe what she had just been told, she owed her life, her health...and her...dignity to an A.I! An A.I had actually guided her rescuers to her location and helped save her! The idea sounded so preposterous to her, but while she could not see the Spartan's face, he seemed to be telling the truth, but she wanted to certain.

"Are you sure about what you are saying?"

John nodded and detailed what had happened to her and when he was done, he spoke once more.

"Cortana marked your exact location to my HUDs and to Jorge's own so that is how we came to your location and she was the one who told us of what exactly would happen to you if we did not make it in time."

The young Quarian was silent at this and did not know what to say, it was here that one of the nearby holo-tanks, a fair distance away from the two came online and there was Cortana herself. The A.I then spoke as she spotted John and Tali as she knew that they had to talk about some matters, namely concerning the trip to meet the Admiralty Board and the Migrant Fleet.

"Good to see that you're here John, I've locked in the coordinates to the exact location where the Quarian Migrant Fleet are so we can send them back to their people. It's a fair distance from where we are though, nearly to the Outer Rim of the Galaxy to be more precise."

John nodded and replied.

"All right, before we make the jump I want to cruise around a bit more to see if the Pirates have any more surprises in the area. Once we're done and this area is cleared, send word to both the Alliance and the Citadel Council of what we found here and have them mark this place as not a good place for colonization."

"Right, I've also done some scanning of the asteroids there in the area and there seem to be good deposits of metals there we can use, so I'll mark it so we can come back and harvest the stuff if we need it or we could send the information to those willing to pay for it. At any rate, we should hurry to meet up with the Migrant Fleet once we've made our guests comfortable. And when we get to the Fleet, we'll allow them to take what they want so we can drop them off and have them bring what they need for their people."

...

It did not take long for the crew of the Dawn to be given the location of the Migrant Fleet, the Fleet was currently moving to a faraway star system to do some mining work and it was Darnass who guided them there. John and Jorge were in the bridge and watched the Quarian captain as she and the other Quarians arrived to see the Slipspace Drive kick in. They were naturally surprised by way the Slipspace portal worked and soon in mere moments, they were near the Migrant Fleet, needless to say, the Quarians had not expected this as they had thought that they should have gone to the closest Mass Relay and then used FTL...instead, the Dawn was before the Fleet in record time.

Darnass gave the phrase to show that the Dawn was not a threat and that there were Quarians onboard who were unharmed as well as she. This was noted by the Spartans as well as Cortana as the Dawn was soon docking with what would be the main meeting ship of the Quarians' government which was the Conclave according to what they had learned, and the Admiralty Board. As soon as they docked, the two Spartans oversaw the thing and saw the Quarians return home happily, and saw a number of Quarian Marines who were armed approach the two of them and the leader spoke.

"Greetings to you Spartan, Captain of the Dawn, the Admiralty Board wishes to speak with you."

John and Jorge did not argue and they were brought deeper into the ship and there in the meeting hall/garden were several more Quarians, one of whom they saw as Tali who hugged another female Quarian and talking, they heard the name 'Auntie Raan' and then the word mother when another female Quarian. They did not have to wait too long as the Board appeared, it was here that Tali came and explained who the people of the Board were, one was Shala'Raan who she had been with earlier, then her father Admiral Rael'Zorah, Admiral Han'Gerrel, Admiral Xen, and Admiral Qwib Qwib.

It was here that the Admirals spoke to the Spartans, with Rael mentioning that he was thankful that they had saved his daughter from a very disturbing and bloody fate. John and Jorge nodded at that and listened to the Admirals carefully while also looking at the conditions of the Quarian people. They also got a feel of the Admirals, Shala'Raan seemed to be a neutral party and mediatior, Rael and Han'Gerrel seem to be more of the militant group though Tali's father seemed to be a bit more unique in his stance, Admiral Zaal'Koris was seen as a radical and sympathizer to the Geth though his desire for peace was understandable, and Xen...she was not someone the Spartans felt was ethical.

As soon as it was over, the Spartans decided to take their leave and were given permission to come and go to the Fleet if they wished. As the Dawn left the Fleet's range into the still surprising Slipspace Portal the Quarians thought that it would be the last they would see of the Spartans as they felt that they would not care for the plight of the Quarians despite their rescue of the crew of the Noira and the daughter of an Admiral...

They were unaware of the fact that their meeting with the Spartans was going to be a boon to them in the times to come.

...

Back on Reach...

John, Jorge, and Cortana were currently reading the Codex concerning the Quarians again as well as reviewing the records they had on their conversations with the rescued Quarians including Tali. At this time, the others were back with the Citadel and the Alliance and it would be at least four months or so before they would need to be picked up. This gave the three time to consider a number of options, as their time with the Quarians and the things that they had seen on Migrant Fleet had told them that they could get allies from them. But they needed something that would be a viable gift as asking for members of the Quarians to join them would not be well received by the Admiralty Board and the Conclave.

Jorge spoke.

"Any ideas?"

Cortana replied.

"We should at least focus on what these people need and the most critical of all. They need ships, space to house more of their people, food supplies, materials, spare parts, and more besides. They are a refugee population after all, they are like the Colonials in that old science fiction show Battle Star Galactica, but their situation is real, not some creation of a writer's mind."

John spoke next.

"What about giving them a colony to live on?"

"Not a very good idea, it will take generations for them to adapt to a new world John, and they cannot afford the risk either. Keep in mind that their homeworld was the only place where they could live due to their very weak immune system, and their time in the Fleet has no doubt weakened their immune system even more. Looking for a world that has the ideal conditions that would be able to help them would be very much impossible since the UNSC and Forerunner databases we have with us have no record of any world like that. Besides that, you can bet that there will be a lot of resistance to the idea of settling in a world not their own as many of the people there would have the dream of taking their world back from the Geth. We could end up sparking a civil riot on that ship, and from what we have seen, we have to agree that such an event is the last thing they need."

Jorge then replied.

"Then let's give them what they need, we're not going to take their old homeworld for them since we know nothing about the Geth ourselves, so we can give them the next best thing."

Cortana then replied.

"You realize how expensive that is?"

"I do, but we do have the materials and resources for it, plus we can order supplies since we do have the credits for that sort of thing. It might not be what some of them want, but at least they will have something to help them."

John thought it over and replied.

"We will have to modify them extensively for the Quarians though, but if it works, then they get something and we get something...all right, let's do it."

...

Months later...

The Admiralty Board and the Conclave could not help but look at the new ships in utter shock...and for good reason.

The Fleet had been working on some needed repairs on their ships when they were informed of the arrival of the Dawn itself, they had not expected this and wondered just what the Spartans wanted. The two figures arrived into the meeting ship where the Admirals were waiting for them and soon it was revealed that they had some gifts to gift to the Quarians. They wondered what that was and soon got their answer when four more Slipspace portals suddenly appeared. And from the hearts of the portals before them in the viewing screens came the ships that were more than enough to get the attention of the Quarians.

The largest of the ships were nearly the size of Dreadnoughts and they certainly looked the part of Dreadnoughts as well as the Quarians in the Board and the Conclave looked on, and no doubt so did the other other Quarians. The two ships were smaller but no less impressive and seemed to be full blown warships as well. They turned and demanded what was going on and John replied that there were the gifts they were going to give the Quarian people and handed them the schematics of the ships in question.

Shala'Raan and the other Admirals in the Board looked at the schematics of the four ships provided to them by the Spartans and John could tell from their body language and movements, the Admirals were still trying to grasp the scope of what he, Jorge, and Cortana had just given them. It was understandable as the two Phoenix Class Colony Ships which they had retrofitted well for combat and support roles while the Destroyers were fully made to fight as warships to defend the Fleet and provide heavy muscle as well since it did have a large number of newly developed Longswords and some Sabres in them to boot.

They looked at one another and soon it was she who spoke to the Spartans.

"You had these ships made for the Fleet and you are giving these to us?"

"Yes, they are free of charge as well. They are all fully stocked and supplied and ready for use with a number of changes that will be adequate to the needs of your people. They are also combat capable so they can be useful in whatever role you deem worthy for them to take though the two Destroyers are more suited for combat roles and so are their interceptors."

This sent out shouts of surprise, confusion and more through the audience in the garden and it took some time before the Board managedto gain some semblance of calm, it was here that Zaal'Koris spoke.

"You are giving us these ships free of charge? How can we be sure that this 'generous' offer is not some elaborate trap?"

Jorge replied.

"With all due respect to you Admiral, we are an independent party, in the same way as your people are, though we are watched by the Council and the Alliance. We know about what happened to your people as we have talked to your people who we rescued, and we have to admit that we are sympathetic to your situation."

Koris then replied.

"You are sympathetic to our people? And you had these ships built to be gifts to us? I find that hard to believe, even more so that you have the resources and manpower to even make them in such a short time of four months. And how can we be sure that those ships are even worthy for use?"

"We do have the means Admiral and there is no reason for us to lead you into a trap, you already know that we're not from this universe from what you have learned from galactic communications so what can we gain by making your people our enemies? And besides that, why would we make such ships and spend all that time, resources, credits, and manpower if we gave you faulty and untrustworthy equipment? We do know of the stigma for giving a substandard gift so we made sure that these are top of the line vessels."

The Quarians talked about that and it was here than John spoke.

"If you have doubts about our offer, you can dispatch any of your Fleet's Marines and available crew to explore and examine the ships for yourselves. If there are concerns that you have concerning the technology on the ships themselves there are files in the data-pads that can help as well as files we have on hand."

The Admiralty Board looked at one another and Shala'Raan spoke once more to the assembled group.

"Very well, we will dispatch Marine teams and engineers to scan these ships and see if they are indeed the genuine article, and while you and your companion are here in the Migrant Fleet, you are not to leave unless given leave by the Board. Is that acceptable to you Captain?"

John was still not all that comfortable with the idea of being a Captain when he did not ever earn the rank himself, but he decided to just deal with it at a later time. He nodded and replied to the question placed before him by Shala'Raan.

"I agree."

...

John and Jorge were currently there on one side of the ship while the other Quarians were still giving them something of a wide berth, not exactly an easy thing to do considering how space in the Fleet was at a premium. It was that bad that the Spartans had to find a place that was a good distance from the people without taking space that was in the ownership of any of the people there. John looked at the people and so did Jorge as they took in what life was like among the Quarians. The sight was not very heart warming and it galled Jorge a good deal and John could see it easily due to all Spartans being able to tell each other's moods through simple movement.

"What's the problem Jorge?"

"These conditions the Quarians live in Squad Leader, space is very limited, poor immune systems, moving from place to place, it's appalling in so many ways. Why didn't the Council even try to help them in a better fashion than this? They may have created these Geth but I don't think that they all deserve this kind of fate."

"I know, but we will have to wait and see just how things are going to turn out for them."

Jorge nodded as they were a neutral faction and they were not allowed to interfere with any sovereign nation or power unless they posed a threat to Humanity and as far as they knew, the Quarians and the Alliance did not have hostile relations. It was going to be a while so they stayed put until they were approached by Tali who spoke to them with surprise in her voice.

"You made those ships for our people? Why?"

John replied.

"We, Cortana included decided that we can do something to help you and your people to show that not everyone in the galaxy sees the Quarians negatively. We could not help fight the Geth for your homeworld or anything since despite our technology we do not have the knowledge of the Geth or manpower for such a move. So we decided to give those instead. You see, your people's plight reminds us of an old show known as Battle Star Galactica though in your case, it is all real."

"I have never heard of it, what is it?"

Jorge told Tali of the show in a nutshell and she was shocked that there was something like that at all. It took a while for her to get used to what she was hearing and then recalled that Cortana herself had helped in the making of the ships and spoke.

"Did your...?"

"Did Cortana help in the construction? She did, she also made sure to make some very critical adjustments and improvements to the ships as well. She did it since she felt that your people deserve a chance to live and be given hope, she knows that she cannot change your people's stance on A.I but she does not care. To her, to give your people a fighting chance is enough for her."

This left Tali silent for a while until the reports came back and the Admiralty Board recalled the meeting.

...

Shala'Raan then spoke to the assembled groups and then to the Spartans.

"Our engineers and Marines have not yet completed their work, but already they have told us of the ships being well supplied, built to a standard that is beyond anything we have seen, and being more than able to house nearly tens or even a hundred or more thousands of our people in comfort. They also are armed and equipped with remarkable technology that will be a great aid to our people in our needs to survive. These gifts are unlike anything that had been brought to the Fleet and as such are too valuable to turn down."

The other Admirals agreed to such an assessment and the Quarians looked at the two Spartans intently and waited for the words of the other members of the Admiralty Board.

Han'Gerrel then spoke next.

"I suppose that these gifts are indeed too valuable to turn down, as you guess that most if not all the ships in the Fleet are second hand vessels or older models, having ships fresh out of the shipyard is a dream come true for most of us, even more so when they are fully supplied, armed, equipped, and free of charge. But I suspect that you would want something in return, no one offers such gifts without an angle somewhere."

John nodded.

"You would be right, in exchange for the ships, we would like to ask if some of your people would like to work on our own ship. Naturally it is entirely up to the chosen members if they will to work on contract or permanent residence. We don't need a hundred, just a handful will do."

Admiral Rael'Zorrah then spoke seriously as he looked at the Spartan.

"Just a handful? What kind of people are you looking for exactly?"

"We mostly need veteran engineers, support crew, pilots, and Marines, we naturally require all of the ones we need to have combat skills as well so they can defend themselves when it is needed. There's plenty of room in the Dawn and we can condition them to allow the Quarian members to be in a safe and sterile environment. As I stated we only need a handful, not a large force, and it has to be a strictly all volunteer outfit."

The Admirals were deep in thought and then Admiral Xen spoke to the Spartans.

"I wish to know what exactly do you hope to gain with some of our people working for you and on your ship Spartan. You must have a very good reason for asking for a handful of our people."

John already had a reply to that.

"We saw how your people were able to make the most of whatever resources you have on hand, and the expertise your people have in technology, specifically the technology native to this reality can be helpful along with the other talents they can offer. Those are the kinds of skills that are very helpful to us, along with mining, converting new technology, as well as being able to learn quickly. We will ensure that when your people return they will be able to send whatever supplies, funds, and resources that you need in our forays into the galaxy."

The Quarians had to admit that it was a very promising deal, in fact a number of the younger and even older Quarians began to comment that this was essentially a massive win for the Fleet in every respect. And the Admirals knew it as well, they not only gained access to four new ships that could help them in many ways, but also be able to gain supplies and funds that the Fleet would need. But that was when Jorge decided to mention something that was going to seal the deal.

"And there is the fact that since the Council does recognize our group as an independent body, we do not fall under Citadel jurisdiction, so if there are some of your people that are with us, then they are our responsibility and not that of the Council. As such, they are not going to be under the Council's thumb and can work without having to worry too much about people watching over them like hawks."

The Admirals thought it over for a while and Tali's father spoke.

"We will deliberate on this matter further, and if we agree, we will send a volunteer group to be under your command."

...

In the Dawn's bridge...

It was not long before the Admiralty Board decided that they would agree with the terms of the Spartans, they had already began to ask any of their people who wished to take part of the group. And it was not long before the Spartans escorted the group in question, they comprised of seventeen Quarian pilots, twenty Marines, twelve engineers including Tali who had asked permission from her father, two Quarian doctors, one supply officer, and four technicians. The Spartans soon guided the Dawn away from the Migrant Fleet and once they left, they soon helped their new crew settle in for the day. They had made sure that a number of rooms would have Sterile Field Generators in them to help the Quarians should they wish to remove their uniforms.

Already the Quarians were moving about to see the Dawn in full detail though they heeded the rules of the Spartans and avoided key areas that were still on lock-down as John's order. The two were in the bridge when one of the Quarians came to them, and judging by the suit and the weapon he had in hand, he was a Marine, and a high ranking one at that.

The Quarian Marine carried himself like a professional, that much the two Spartans could see as he spoke to them after giving a salute that the Spartans quickly returned, though he was speaking to John himself.

"My name's Kal'Reegar, I'm the head of the Marine detachment that the Admiralty Board agreed to allow to work with you Captain."

John then replied.

"You realize that I am not a full fledged Captain?"

"That may be the case, but you are the one who commands the ship and you have a lot of authority here so that makes you the Captain in our people's eyes. It's a bit odd to most people Captain, but that's the way we work. And I think that would make your fellow Spartan and your...A.I as your two XO."

Jorge then spoke.

"You have an issue with having Cortana on-board the Dawn?"

The Quarian remained silent for a moment or two and then spoke.

"I'm usually a point and shoot man sir, tell me where to go and who to fight and I'll do it. I can't say that I'm a fan of that A.I of yours but since you seem to have a great deal of trust on...her, then I am not going to make a fuss out of it. Unlike the others of my people I know that your A.I was never made by any of us so judging it as a Geth creation is uncalled for. Besides I read the reports and what I have read tells me that your A.I is going to be a very interesting twist in how A.I work considering being able to do all that in the reports all by herself is impressive. if she's got my back and that of my team and not harm anyone in our delegation, then I am more than willing to work with her."

The Spartans could tell that he was telling the truth and John turned to a nearby holo-tank and spoke.

"So what do you think Cortana?"

Cortana appeared and smiled at Kal'Reegar as she spoke to the Quarian.

"I think I am going to like working with Kal'Reegar."

It was here that Tali arrived on the bridge and she spoke to the Spartans.

"I am happy to be here, it might take some time...to get used to a ship this size, and with such...company, but I feel that I can at least find a way to thank you for all you have done. I only hope that I did not get in way over my head though."

Cortana then turned to Tali and spoke.

"Tali, you will be a fine addition to the crew, and if it will make you feel better, I will only appear if you need assistance on a matter. You don't have to like me, you can of course try to tolerate me if you wish."

Tali looked and replied.

"I...will keep that in mind."

...

Despite the fact that this was happening...the results of the attack of the Spartans on the Blue Suns were already filtering into the rest of the Terminus Systems. The Batarians were naturally furious about what was going on and the death of so many of their people despite them being Blue Suns, the other races were also divided on the matter, some wanted to give the Spartans a wide berth as they did not want to die by their hands, the others despite the carnage wanted to try to get them, either for their technology, or the bragging rights to being the ones to kill these super soldiers.

...

In Omega's Afterlife Bar...

Aria T'Loak looked at the files and could not help but smile a bit as she listened to the din in the Afterlife, she had to admit that she felt a shiver of shock and unease at the reports of the slaughter in the Blue Suns base. The Blue Suns were furious and demanding that a bounty be placed on the heads of the Spartans, but she doubted that even the most rabid merc would try it after seeing the abilities of the Spartans. This was only possible due to the fact that the compound had some cameras which were in a stand alone server that was missed.

Still, she had to give the Spartans credit, they were impressive indeed...she had to admit that she was curious about them and after looking at the files on their physical appearance, that rose a few notches. The one known as the Master Chief was...attractive and so was the one known as Jorge despite the beard and mustache as it was called.

"I doubt they would come here though...but if they did, seeing them in action should be good."

The Asari placed the file aside and decided to focus on Omega for now...she doubted that the Spartans would come here, but if they did, thenlife here was going to become VERY exciting.

...

To be continued...

...

Author's Notes:

Finally an update...

I am sorry for the long delay for the updates for this story but with a lot of things going on in my life, I did not have the time that I wished, however, I do have some good news.

My computer is now fully operational and I have a UPS for surge protection as well as some new AV software in the computer, though I will need to wait for the right time to get a Broad-band kit to allow me to connect to the internet so I don't have to go out all the time from my new home. This means that I might now be able to go back to writing much earlier than I expected.

However, that is not a reason for me to be cautious with my computer, and also I need to be sure that as soon as possible, I can be able to work and earn money of my own that I can use. And this was sent via USB so I do not have internet yet.

...

As for the story...

As you can see, the story is alive and kicking so I hope to update this at a better time when I can finally get the kit, and for those who have been asking for me to take in Quarians into the Dawn then I hope that this will show that there will be some Quarians in the crew, the Salarians will come in at a later date. If this is a good chapter then I am happy as it has been some time, and if not,then tell me where I went wrong when you have the free time.

One of them is indeed Tali herself though she is younger in this story so she is not yet at the age that she was when she joins Shepard's crew and therefore her time in the Dawn will have effects on her when she does join the Normandy once she returns to the Fleet and soon takes part on her Pilgrimage. Don't expect her to be totally different though, she still will not trust A.I but she will be a lot more tolerant of Cortana and may have a bit of a rivalry with the A.I

This will naturally carry to her time in the Normandy 2 once I work on making the sequel of this story, she will a be a lot more calm around EDI though she will still be hostile towards Legion when they meet though not too much.

As for the idea of her having a relationship with the Master Chief as was shown in the previous poll, then I will try to make an effort of allowing the two to interact with one another while Tali serves her time in the Dawn, this might allow them to develop a relationship of trust which may or may not turn into a romantic relationship. I will also make sure to make that said relationship as realistic as possible and it is my hope that this idea will actually work out for the best.

Of course there will be some other female Quarians in the Quarian delegation who will serve as the liaison group for the UNSC to the Migrant Fleet so don't think that Tali is the only one there in the group.

And as you all have read, Kal'Reegar is with the crew as well, I liked him in ME2 and I did have his butt in Haestrom so I decided to bring him here and his time with the Spartans might even have some good benefits to the Quarians when we go to the sequel when this story is over. He might even be armed with a far different set of weapons when Shepard and company meet up with him.

Just so you all know, the Quarians in the group will not be there forever and some will go back to the Migrant Fleet, though some will remain and form a core group of Quarians in the Dawn. And they too will play a role once we get down to the events that lead to the war with Saren and Sovereign.

...

The addition of the two Phoenix Class Colony Ships and the two Destroyers might be a bit much to some, but I could not find any other way to have the UNSC crew give the Fleet something to allow them to take a number of Quarians to work with them along with Tali. Giving them a new world might have been a viable idea, but I decided against it as it is too common a move and could become a problem. Looking for a world that is viable for the Quarians and suitable for their biology has been used so I want to do things my way.

The ships are very much built to UNSC Navy ship building Code though they do have some new features to them to make them a lot different from the regular ships. The first is that they are armed with shields for defensive works and actually are larger than before and are able to hold at least twice the regular crew load. And they are larger and longer so they have an increased amount of space for the Quarians to make use of.

I don't exactly have the specifics on on the crew numbers needed in a UNSC Destroyer but since they are twice the size of UNSC Frigates, I can guess that they have twice the crew numbers of one. Add to that is the fact that there is room for the security detachments of UNSC Marines, and ODSTs,you can have a lot of room for the Destroyers.

As for the Phoenix Class Colony Ships, they have enough from for a baseline crew numbering at least 11,000, that's not counting the room for supplies, equipment, and vehicles. Now since the ships in this case have been reinforced and retrofitted into warships, there is enough room for thousands of Marine and ODSTs along with support personnel, along with equipment, vehicles, and supplies. You can bet that the Quarians are going to be happy for the extra space and supplies. Even more so with the case of the Phoenix Class ships as they are made to have far better armor and weapons as well as the shields

The two Phoenix Class Colony Ships are also retrofitted to be able to serve as agricultural ships which have been made to work for the Quarians to grow food and supplies for their own needs. This will certainly up the status of the UNSC group to the Migrant Fleet since they have added two more sources of food and living space to help support the three Liveships which serve as the source of food for the Fleet. This is possible since the ships have been increased in size and length so they have plenty of room.

And all four ships are equipped with special Sterile Field Generators that have their radiation fields calibrated to be harmless to the Quarians and physiology so they have the option to be able to move around the ships without their suits. I've got no idea what Quarians actually look like, just like the rest of us actually, so I will be using a reference to images I have seen made by artists not part of Bioware so do not mistake what I make for the real thing. Until Bioware does make official images of Quarians out of their suits, then I am going with what is present. The Sterile Field Generators emit the radiation in every corner of the interior of the ships in question so it is going to be a load safer for the Quarians.

Since these do not rely on E-zero for fuel and power, this limits the need for the Quarians to go to areas rich in E-zero but could bring them into conflict with people in the area. And sooner or later, once the Quarians understand the physics of Slipspace from the Spartans, that will help them a lot in the long run, though only these ships are armed with Forerunner built Slipspace Drives and not the other vessels in the Migrant Fleet.

The ships are also combat capable and armed with a good deal of weapons for defense and offense if it comes to it as they are built to UNSC Navy code so expect that Cerberus will have a hell of a time attacking the Fleet the very second that event from the novel occurs. But don't expect them to be sent into the front lines, the ships are critical in helping the Fleet so they are not going to used all the time, and you can bet that when their presence is revealed to the Citadel, there is going to be some serious discussions going on once the Council learns of the gifts given by John, Jorge, and Cortana to the Quarians. Giving them four ships that are as powerful or even more so than the Destiny Ascension is really going to get their dander up.

...

Will the UNSC group help the Quarians retake their homeworld from the Geth? Or will they find a way to foster a peace between the two races? That remains to be seen so I suggest not to get too wild with the ideas, but if you want to offer your suggestions then by all means...just try not to make suggestions that might be a bit much even for me okay?

And yes...you can bet that the scene in Afterlife WILL be fleshed out more in the second story once I finish with this one.

See you soon!