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Stargate: Mass Effect
Chapter10: Collectors
July 5th 2005
Tollan System
In orbit above Tollana
TSAS Normandy
Cockpit
The planet known as Tollana, a world that was once the pinnacle of human society in the Milky Way Galaxy was now nothing more than an oversized graveyard filled with countless dead after Anubis' servant, Tenith bombarded the world four years ago. Its vast continents were now nothing more than cool glass from continuous plasma bombardment from Goa'uld staff cannons and the world had been rendered uninhabitable.
Last year following the defeat of the Replicators and Anubis, both the Terrans and the Asgard had come to the planet searching for survivors. They found several thousand of them, mostly women and children in a number of underground shelters. The survivors were mostly taken back to Earth and settled down on the neighbouring planet Mars which with the help of the Asgard was now terraformed enough for colonization. This was done because of the Tollan survivors having been raised on Tollana which was one third the size of Earth and by proxy only a third the gravity as well.
In orbit above this once glorious world was a single ship, about the size of a Goa'uld Ha'tak and cylinder in shape with numerous metal spikes sticking out of its frame. It appeared strangely organic even with the large metal engine on its aft hull, pushing the ship forward into a more stable orbit.
Just then two hyperspace windows opened near the unknown ship's location and two ships dropped into normal space. The Normandy quickly accelerated towards the unknown while the Asgard ship, the Daniel Jackson moved between the planet and the organic ship.
"Hail them," Jack ordered as they closed in.
"No response," EDI informed. "Unknown contact is orientating...it's charging weapons."
"Shields up," Jack ordered.
"Contact is firing," EDI stated.
The 'barrel' on the front of the large organic ship glowed for a second before a large beam of accelerated metal lanced out and shot towards the Terran frigate. The blast splashed across the Normandy's shields and died down a moment later.
"Enemy ship's weapon matches the design of Reaper mass accelerator weaponry," EDI reported. "Shields are holding," she added.
"It'll take more than that now that we have a ZPM powering the shields," Sam said with a small smile.
"Lock on Thanix cannons and return fire," Jack ordered.
The Normandy continued to accelerate, opening its forward gun-ports and charging the two main guns of the warship. They fired in unison, sending out two blue streams of energy which slammed into the organic ship and broke through its shields.
"Their shields are down and they've sustained minor damage to their space frame. They're running," EDI reported.
"Keep firing," Jack ordered. The Normandy fired again, this time with a spread of disruptor torpedoes which the organic ship narrowly escaped by jumping away.
"Contact has jumped away," EDI informed. "It was definitely a Mass Effect FTL jump judging by the radiation signature it gave off."
"They've got Reaper guns, just not their shields," Cam spoke up.
"Our own Thanix cannons are reverse-engineered from the ones employed by the Ancients during the Reaper War. They became obsolete when they invented plasma drones," Sam mused.
"O'Neill this is Thor please respond," Thor spoke through the comm.
"We're here," Jack confirmed.
"I was able to scan the alien ship and identify what species was operating it. According to my scans the crew were Protheans," Thor continued.
"I thought you said they disappeared?" Cam asked.
"According to my scans they have gone through extensive genetic manipulation," Thor clarified. "They are no longer Prothean, they are the result of Reaper tampering and cannot be returned to their original nature."
"Servants of the Reapers huh? Just what we need," Cam deadpanned.
"Can you track them?" Jack asked into the comm.
"I already have," Thor replied. "According to my ship's sensors they appear to be heading for the Omega 4 Relay, in the Sahrabarik System."
"I thought you said the Mass Relay network was buried?" Jack asked. "I mean besides the ones we've excavated."
"The Omega 4 Relay is the only Mass Relay we were never able to deactivate," Thor explained. "Unlike other Mass Relays it was moved into the system through another Mass Relay in a similar way that you moved the Citadel through the Mass Relay network. The Omega 4 Relay was deployed there by the Reapers themselves during the Reaper War. We never found out its purpose and any ships sent through never came back."
"Well if they're allies with the Reapers then they need to be stopped," Jack said simply.
"It has been hypothesised by my people for years that the Omega 4 Relay operates with an advanced friend-or-foe system which identifies ships that pass through it. Ship's without an IFF are unable to arrive safely on the other side of the relay," Thor commented. "A hypothesis that now appears to be correct; I detected an IFF signal being used when the ship jumped out."
"Can you recreate it?" Cam asked.
"Already done, there was also a virus programmed into it but it has been destroyed by my computer. I am uploading it to your ship's computer now," Thor confirmed. "Be advised I managed to access their database prior to their escape...they call themselves the Collectors now."
"That explains the grave robbing," Cam commented.
"I have the IFF," EDI stated.
"Power up the Hyperdrive and set a course for the Omega 4 Relay. We're going after them," Jack gave the order. "Dispatch a message to Alliance Command; tell them we're going to need more ships for this."
"I will calibrate my ship's re-sequencer to neutralise the Collectors themselves and leave their homeworld and all technology intact. We may be able to find out what allies the Reapers have in this galaxy and beyond," Thor concluded.
July 6th 2005
Sahrabarik System
In route to the Omega 4 Relay
TSAS Normandy
Cockpit
The Normandy eased through space near the unusual red coloured Mass Relay that floated silently in orbit of the nearby star. Behind the frigate were three more frigates, the Ark Royal, the Kashin and the Ting Yuen and the large Iwo-Jima-class Carrier called the Balboa.
"We're entering the range of the Mass Relay now," Sam reported.
"Send a message to the other ships, we'll go in first and if they don't hear from us within the next ten minutes then tell them to call it off. They'll have to find another way," Jack ordered.
"Initiating transmission sequence," EDI informed as the Normandy continued to accelerate towards the Mass Relay. "Relay is hot, acquiring approach vector," she continued.
"All stations secure for transit," Sam said into the comm.
"The board is green; approach run has begun," EDI concluded as the Normandy came up beside the 'barrel' of the red Mass Relay. "Activating IFF now...hitting the relay is 3...2...1..."
They were gone a moment later...
July 6th 2005
Galactic Core
Debris Field
TSAS Normandy
Cockpit
"Brace for deceleration," EDI warned as the Normandy lurched back into normal space. Immediately the sensors detecting large clusters of debris in the area and she quickly sounded the alarms. "Alert, debris field detected. Attempting evasive manoeuvres," she said as the Normandy narrowly avoided a collision with what looked like a destroyed ship.
"Sensors show we are in the Galactic Core," Sam reported. "There's damaged and destroyed ships all around us. Some of them look...ancient, pardon the pun."
"Any sign of the Collectors?" Cam inquired.
"Not yet," Sam shook her head. Suddenly her screen lit up, "but I am detecting a number of defence drones in the debris coming online now."
"Send a message to the fleet; let them know where we are," Jack ordered.
Six small probe-sized drones activated upon detecting the intruding Terran frigate just as the other four Terran warships jumped in. The drones immediately moved to attack the Normandy and fired beams of crimson energy at the frigate.
"The drones are equipped with high-powered laser cannons," Sam informed. "Shields are holding," she added.
"Mitchell, see what you can do about them," Jack said over his shoulder.
"Yes sir," Cam nodded and took off down the hallway.
One by one the Normandy's compliment of F302s launched from its hangar and veered away. Cam was the last one out and almost immediately one of the attacking unmanned drones fired at him. He quickly evaded the barrage and moved deeper into the debris field as a single drone pursued him. He past another destroyed hulk and quickly ducked behind it before cutting the engines.
"Got you now you little bugger," Cam muttered as he waited.
The drone past him as he locked on to it and fired a barrage from the F302's laser cannons. The blasts broke through the weak shields of the drone and destroyed it within seconds. He then powered up the main engines again took off to aid the others whom were still dog fighting the remaining drones.
"The damn things are only two meters wide," Cam said annoyed. "Even with the Asgard and Ancient upgrades they're a hell of a lot more manoeuvrable than our fighters," suddenly the point-defence cannons on the Balboa opened fire and destroyed the remaining drones. "Well I guess that works," he admitted before veering away and taking up escort positions near the Balboa along with the rest of the F302s.
"We're clearing the debris field," EDI informed. "I am detecting a large structure ahead...estimated size is thirty kilometres long and eleven kilometres wide."
"The Reapers built something that big surrounded by black holes," Daniel blinked. "That thing is three times the size of a Wraith Hive-Ship...there must be hundreds of thousands of Collectors over there."
"They probably moved it here using the Omega 4 Relay like the Ancients moved the Citadel to the Serpent Nebula," Sam countered.
"I am detecting four ships launching from the station," EDI reported. "They match the design of the ship we engaged over Tollana earlier."
"Have all 302s maintain their defensive formation around the Balboa; they won't be of any use here," Jack ordered. "Tell the rest of the frigates to close in and destroy those cruisers. As soon as the ships are out of the way, have the 302s destroy any defence platforms on the station."
The four Terran frigates accelerated towards the Collector cruisers and opened their gun-ports. The cruisers were the first to fire, sending out four beams of accelerated metal at the approaching Terran warships. They impacted the shields of the frigates almost instantly but the ZPM-powered Asgard shields of the Terran vessels simply shrugged off the blows.
The frigates returned fire a moment later with their Thanix cannons though they travelled much slower and took several seconds to reach their target. Unlike the Collector ships where they separated their fire between the approaching frigates, the Terran ships paired off and concentrated their fire on two of the Collector cruisers.
The eight beams of energy from the Terran ships struck two of the four Collector cruisers and smashed through their energy shields. They shattered under the barrage and their reactors exploded, lightly damaging the remaining two cruisers.
"Take evasive action now," Jack ordered.
The four frigates broke apart as the Collectors fired again, this time copying what the Terrans did during the previous salvo and fired on the Ting Yuen only. The four beams were able to penetrate the small frigate's shields and tear into it, cutting it two. The other frigates fired again and destroyed the third Collector cruiser leaving only one damaged cruiser remaining.
"They're trying to reacquire a weapon's lock," Sam spoke up.
"Angle to port, thirty degrees and return fire," Jack ordered.
The Normandy rapidly decelerated, shifted to port and took aim at the Collector cruiser, using its momentum to acquire the right firing solution. The Thanix cannons fired a moment later, spewing two beams of blue energy across empty space and right into the gun-port of the Collector cruiser, consuming it in secondary explosions and destroying its drive core.
A moment later the 302s quickly moved towards the surface of the Collector station and strafed the numerous mass accelerator turrets on it. After the last of the turrets were destroyed the Balboa moved in towards the hangar where one of the Collector cruisers had launched from.
"The outer enemy defences have been neutralised," Sam reported.
"I am detecting multiple hyperspace windows opening," EDI informed. "Reinforcements are arriving now."
"Prepare boarding parties," Jack gave the order.
"The Daniel Jackson has just jumped in; Thor's using the Asgard re-sequencer on the station," Sam continued. "Collector life-signs are dropping...estimated time until the station is clean is forty-two minutes."
"Take us in...nice and slow," Jack ordered.
July 6th 2005
Galactic Core
Debris Field
Collector Station
Section 32-F
"It's a good thing Thor cleared this place out," Cam commented. "This place is creepy enough as it is without those...what did you call them? Swarms? Those things flying around."
"I'm detecting a power reading from down that tunnel," Sam spoke up as she pointed towards the massive hallway. "This platform should take us to it," she added as they stepped onto the nearest platform and it started to hover.
"Not exactly what I would call a fun ride," Jack quipped as the platform moved down the tunnel.
"General O'Neill," Thor said through the comm. "According to my scans you are nearing the heart of the station; be advised I am detecting human bio-matter in the area."
"Yeah Thor...I think we got that," Jack commented as he looked up.
"Is something wrong?" Thor inquired.
"Yeah Thor there is," Jack confirmed.
"I'm sending you a visual now," Cam added as he turned on his shoulder-mounted camera. Directly in front of them, hanging from a large assembly line was a massive machine with numerous characteristics of a human skeleton.
"Oh dear," Thor commented.
"That is one large Terminator," Jack quipped.
"They used human bio-matter to build it," Sam said horrified. "They must have been abducting humans from all over the galaxy for years to build this thing and it's not even half finished...this is only the avatar."
"The Collectors were building a Reaper," Cam concluded.
"This is worse than we thought," Daniel nodded.
"O'Neill to Normandy, beam this thing out into open space and destroy it EDI. Shove an accelerator round through its head," Jack said into the comm.
"Roger that General," EDI replied and the Human-Reaper disappeared in a column of light.
"Carter, see what you can find in this station's database," Jack ordered before turning to Cam. "Once she's done I want you to set one of our Mark IXs right here at the station's core...we're going to destroy this thing."
"Yes sir," Cam said nervously. Being the first man to detonate the most powerful nuclear weapon in the history of mankind was not how he had planned to go down in the history books.
Author's Notes:
This chapter was more of a standalone-episodic chapter than anything else showing the fate of the Prothean's-Collectors. I know it seems I've kind of overpowering the Terrans since they just keep kicking ass but if you've noticed in SG1 and Atlantis we do beat the odds all the time (except in alternate timelines and realities).
The Mass Effect Universe Earth builds ships at an alarming rate, usually dozens at a time since they had two hundred ships during the First Contact War. The Stargate Earth is capable of building two ships a year depending on resources, construction time and off world mining operations. In this story Earth can build roughly seven ships a year on average, that's with development costs and construction time so it reaches closer to Mass Effect Earth's build rate.
There is nothing else to really say other than I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you look forward to next time.
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See Ya Later…