Normandy SR2
"Shepard, I see you don't really check your messages. The council sent you two and Cerberus sent you three, all regarding the same subject."
"What may that be? More political bullshit?" Shepard replied angrily.
"In case you didn't know, my fleet is being decimated by a whole squad of reapers. You already have the location in the message I sent you. I expect you to go there immediately."
"Anyone else besides Cerberus there?"
The Illusive Man puffed out a cloud of smoke before replying "Ashley Williams is leading a group of Alliance vessels. They haven't arrived but will be there shortly. It seems part of the Migrant Fleet is there too."
"Alright, I get the idea already. This isn't a Cerberus planned joke." He turned around and got Joker to plot a course to the coordinates given.
"Aye aye commander. We are half an hour from the mass relay."
"Remember Shepard, scan every possible piece of reaper technology. We will never know when they will come in useful."
"Alright mom," Shepard angrily crossed his arms at the Illusive Man's constant nagging about 'saving technology' and 'it could be useful to us'.
"Speaking of which, someone would like to meet you. Patching through this channel now." He tapped a few controls and he disappeared. Moments later a hologram of a woman appeared on screen.
"Mother?" Shepard was surprised she managed to contact him. But via Cerberus? Cerberus? "How'd you contact me here?"
"Alex I haven't seen you for so long! Ever since Ashley told me about you joining Cerberus that's where I get all my information. The Cerberus representative is quite nice I must say." All Shepard could do was to use his palm and smack his face oh so comically.
"I don't mean the Illusive Man of course! I'm referring to Ms Lawson. Hmm, what's her name… ah yes, Miranda." Shepard finally dragged his hand away from his face and looked at his mother. She had changed over the years. Still the same person who was concerned for her son but she definitely looked older than when he first joined the Alliance.
"So you have been obtaining information from Miranda?"
"Not only her. She also allowed me to get info from your ship's AI. I love the look of the new Normandy. It's interior is quite amazing I must say." She smiled widely and hugged his hologram. Of course her arms just went through.
"It's just that I haven't seen you for so long. So many things have changed. Ever since you died in the first Normandy, everything just went down. People went their own ways, although most of them cried buckets full before moving on." She used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears that were gathering.
"But then I heard that Cerberus brought you back. They're a terrorist group but they brought you back. You don't know how much that means to me. And here I am now talking to you."
Shepard didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He may have wanted to do both, but that would be weird.
"Anyway, I heard you have reapers to fight. You think we could meet up after that? I always wanted to see your new girlfriend."
"New girlfriend?" A puzzled look appeared on Shepard's face.
"Oh don't try and act dumb! Ashley was ranting about it all day. I'm still with the Alliance remember."
"OH! Oh, alright I get it. Either way, how much of the security footage did you see. All the arguments between the crew?"
"Not much. Just a few pictures of the exterior and the interior of the Normandy. And also a few security footages of the captain's cabin that Joker insisted that I see."
"Oh fuck that can't be good!"
"Alex! Watch your language!" yup, one part still doesn't change "And it is quite, 'interesting'."
"Oh come on mother, don't embarrass me!" Shepard could feel his face turn a bright right.
"I think I may have forgotten to mention that Joker is monitoring this conversation."
"Stop toying with me! Ahh!"
"I'm just kidding! But I wasn't kidding about watching the security footages of the Captain's Cabin."
"Ugh, I'll see you next time. I think entering the mass relay will cut the transmission anyway."
"Goodbye, and make sure you don't get into anymore trouble. And take care of Tali as well" were her last words before she cut the transmission.
I'll definitely take care of her. I'll protect her with my life.
Unmapped sector at the edge of Galaxy
"This is commander Karla, captain of Cerberus vessel T-12. State your business here!" Karla Henderson was a very prominent commander in the Cerberus military. She was one of the very few females who made it to high ranks.
"This is Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema. We have been told by the council to report here, supposed to help defend against the reapers and to test our new super weapon."
Karla picked up a datapad. "It seems that you WERE asked to come here. We've already marked your ships and friendly. But any act of aggression towards us and it goes to hostile. Got that?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"You sure about this? Siding with quarians just like that?" Lieutenant Patrick came up from behind.
Karla turned around to face him "They had what it takes to build an entire synthetic race. I don't see why they can't build an anti-reaper super weapon."
"I wasn't questioning their ability to do so. I mean, they're a bunch of vagrants who may just stab us in the back!"
"Ugh, that's the downside of joining Cerberus I suppose. Damn racists." She rubbed her temples as she walked back to her quarters. "Notify me if anything else pops up on radar."
Aboard the Neema
Admiral Han'Gerrel was having a hard time trying to explain what the ships had to do to make their super weapon work.
"It's like this. When I give the order, ships A,B,C and D will take their places around the reaper. And when I give the second order, all of the ships will activate their transmission dishes that were specially installed into the side of the ship. Is that clear?"
The room erupted into a series of 'yes sir' and 'affirmative'.
"At least this was easier than the last time."
"Admiral! We're picking up multiple hostiles coming in fast."
"Alright, everyone get to your stations. Get the four projector ships ready." Han'Gerrel shouted as people scrambled to man their positions. The assault ships that the Quarians had weren't equipped with the newly developed reaper-busters. Their only job was to take out their barriers.
Suddenly, five massive reapers emerged from their short slip-space jump. They quickly shifting to their usual offensive pattern, spreading its tentacles out, firing red laser beams from the tips.
Commander Karla was shaken from her seat in her quarters, making her run to the bridge. "Status report, now!"
"Ma'am, we just got hit by one of those big red lasers. Kinetic barriers holding at 80% and climbing."
"Evasive maneuvers!" she shouted into the com link that fed her orders to all of Alpha 2 and 3. After which she opened a channel to the Neema.
"Admiral! You have to get your ships into position fast! We're getting toasted out here."
"We are in position. My ships are already charging up the singularity. Try and draw the fire off them." The Admiral nearly fell from his seat after a violent explosion.
"All ships, try and take the fire off those four ships over there," she instructed while marking them on radar "If they don't survive we don't survive!"
She was responded by the change in formation, the T-class ships moving in to literally shield the four singularity generating ships from oncoming fire.
After a minute that seemed like an eternity to them, Karla saw the reaper's barriers flicker and die.
"We have an open target. I repeat, we have an open target. A-2, A-3 fire at will!" Almost instantly she could see two slow missiles being launched. This gave the four Quarian ships time to escape. The missiles were also designed to track massive energy signatures, meaning they would follow a reaper if it moved. Of course, reapers move too slowly to out run them.
They all watched in suspense as the reaper was torn apart with the two missiles. Each missile was nothing more than an armour piercing round, using obsidian, the only material known to cut reaper hide, to make an entrance for the explosive to move inside the reaper and detonate. Despite the thick armour on the outside, the reapers were defenseless on the inside.
"Everyone double time! We need to take out the other four of them."
"Admiral, you think those ships need long to recharge?"
"Not at all, they are back to full capacity. Sending them to target number five."
"Ma'am, we just lost T-2 and T-6. T-3, 7, 11 and 9 are heavily damaged." One of the crew members drew her attention to the rising number of casualties. "On the bright side, the charge is at 80%"
As the order was given, the 6 attack ships had their weapons at ready. Once the reaper's shields flickered out, there was no hesitation as four missiles were fired. The previous reaper still had bits and pieces left and they weren't taking any chances.
"We just lost A-5 and 6! The reapers are now targeting the assault ships. They're doing their best to stay out of the firefight now." Karla began to grow worried at the increasingly high number of friendly ships being blown out of space.
"Commander," an image of Han'Gerrel flickered onto her omnitool "We just lost three of our assault carriers and one of our charger ships. With just three we can still charge a singularity but it will take longer. We can't go on like this."
"Try to hold on, I'm sure we'll find a way." Just as if her prayers were answered a very loud voice came over the communications.
"Fellow countrymen, lend me your ears. This is Joker Jeff Moreau proud driver of the Normandy. I have a big fucking EMP in the back of this ship. Where do you want it." There was a bit of static before a more serious voice filled the com channel.
"This is commander Shepard, captain of the Normandy SR2, how may we be of assistance Commander Karla?"
"How did you know my name? The Illusive man sent you the dossier didn't he?"
"You bet he did. Anyway, as my over-enthusiastic pilot mentioned," Shepard glared intently at Joker "we rigged some parts to form an EMP bomb. It's capable of just knocking out engines and kinetic barriers."
"Oh thank god we have something else that's anti-kinetic barriers. I can't describe how helpful your Quarian buddies are. They took out the barriers of two reapers already."
"I see Cerberus got over the whole xenophobic thing. You think we could drop our bomb over the reaper that doesn't have tiny ships circling it? What are the tiny ships doing anyway?"
Almost instantly the face of Han'Gerrel appeared in front of him "They are creating a massive singularity capable to taking out the reaper's kinetic barriers. It's something like using biotics to create a singularity to destroy a barrier, just on a larger scale and artificially done."
"Alright, sit tight people, this is gonna be close!" the Normandy weaved in and out of reaper tentacles before dropping the payload. "It's shields are down already! You gonna sit there and piss in your pants or are you going to attack?"
Karla grunted at the direct insult by Joker "We heard you the first time dickhead! My ships are already opening fire." With that the four remaining assault ships made short work of it
Back on the Normandy, Shepard was getting worried. Their kinetic barriers had already dropped to 20%. Another well placed hit by the giant red laser would put this Normandy in the same fate as the first.
Dammit! When they say be careful what you wish for I think they're right. Shepard held tightly to the side of Joker's seat as they saw a giant flash of red in front of them. After a few brief flickers it started to pulse a deathly red, about to unleash hell on them.
When it was about to fire, something big appeared in front of them, something REALLY big.
"Long time no see skipper. How'd you like the Alliance's new ship?" Why do I have the feeling that back up only arrives just in time to save your ass? This is happening waaay too much. "I see you've quite forgiven me, seeing that you just saved my ass."
"We can talk about that later. But I'm fine with you, until you make another mistake that is."
Shepard watched in shock as the SSV Turtleback just shrugged off the laser blast. Upon checking database, he found out that it was designed to be a tanker, with very little armament, but with armour as thick as a reaper's. The main offensive of the new design was something even Joker was surprised of.
With just two reapers left and the shields of one of them disappearing, the huge vessel did something which most ships only considered a last resort. It rammed headfirst into the reaper which had its shields at full. After watching the kinetic barrier flicker and die, almost everyone was shocked that it had received no visible damage.
"Oh man I want to drive one of those!" Joker raised up his hands in utter amazement. "But the Normandy is still my baby."
After the destruction of the fourth reaper, the last one did something quite unexpected. In a burst of red pulsating energy, it destroyed all ships that were close to it, including the three quarian vessels. Those outside the blast area were hit by a devastating EMP.
Convinced that all hostiles were neutralized, it began to talk through the communication channels of all ships.
"I bring a message from Harbinger" Han'Gerrel gasped audibly as he never knew a reaper could talk or communicate. "The destruction of Sovereign means nothing" Even Ashley felt afraid. "Your actions mean nothing human. Harbinger will come. You will all be afraid" were its last words before disappearing in another flash of red light.
"I… I think he was referring to you Shepard" the once brave Commander Karla stammered at her sentence.
"I don't know what it meant. But whatever it is, I'm sure with the galaxy under one force, we still have a fighting chance. We will have a fighting chance."