Mass Trek
Chapter 14: Battle above Therum
The Normandy came out of warp at the edge of the Knossos system. They had already scanned the rest of the Artemis Tau cluster that wasn't in the clutches of the IHC. It wasn't long before the Federation starship had detected the two Geth cruisers in orbit around the planet known as Therum.
"There are three more warp signatures in the system," Ashley replied. "One that's geth, one I've identified as the Icarus- but it speeds away from the system. There's one more- a really old Klingon signature."
"Where is the location of that signature?" Shepard asked. "I doubt it's still a vessel serving the Empire."
"A quarter of the way around the perimeter of the system," Ashley replied. "She's cloaked, with the same level of cloaking technology that the Crete had."
"I bet the Klingons stripped the vessel of the military tech before abandoning it at the scrap yard," Shepard told the chief. "What can you tell me of their tactical capabilities?"
"She has old Turian disruptors and nothing by way of torpedoes. It looks like her engineers have given her a lot of TLC." Ashley looked over her sensors. "I'd hate to scratch her up."
"Let's avoid that, then," Shepard told her. "Let's take care of the Geth first. Red alert. Arm weapons and raise shields. Joker," she called as she returned to the command seat. "Take us in, full impulse power."
"Aye, Commander," Joker replied.
Garrus and Presley stepped onto the bridge. Presley relieved the science station. Garrus stepped into her view.
"I'm here to help in anyway I can, Shepard," Garrus announced.
"We're doing fine up here, Garrus. I'll need you and Tali to prep for the away mission to recover Miss T'soni."
Garrus gave her a look that seemed similar to raising an eyebrow. "Tali, Commander?"
"She has a wealth of intel on the Geth, so she'd be a huge help on this mission," Shepard explained.
"A single hit with her shields down and her life's in danger," Garrus warned.
"The same is true with anyone," Shepard explained.
"Except a glancing hit can be lethal to her," Garrus countered.
Presley turned from the station and interceded. "That's not going to be an issue. Commander, the armory chief had some time on his hands and asked permission to make additional armor for Miss Zorah. He managed to make a set that won't weigh her down significantly, but give her additional protection. It'll take a few minutes to don and doff, but the effort will be well worth it."
"Like I said, Garrus. Get ready to beam down."
Garrus gave her a Turian smile. "Yes, Commander," he replied. He made his way towards the rear entrance to the bridge. He sidestepped Wrex as the Krogan marched onto the bridge.
"We going into battle?" Wrex asked with an almost excitement in his voice.
"There are two Geth cruisers in orbit around Therum. Starfleet's orders state that all Geth vessels be detained or destroyed, and I doubt we'll be able to detain them with that IHC scout ship on the edge of the system. They have their own reasons for attacking the Geth, and I wouldn't put it past them to attack a disable Geth vessel."
"Can't you take all three of them?" Wrex asked. "The Normandy is at least a century ahead of their best tech."
"I don't want to begin hostilities with the IHC," Shepard countered as she turned her chair around to face him. "Their weapons might be antiquated and no match for us, but I am not going to undo everything that the Federation has done in reaching out to them."
"Commander," Ashley called out. "The Geth cruisers have turned to face us. They've armed their weapons and raised their shields."
"On screen," Shepard ordered as she turned her chair around again to face forward. The screen changed to display the cruisers, with the planet's atmosphere on the left. "How long until they are within weapons range?" Shepard asked.
"Two minutes until we can lock weapons," Ashley reported. "I don't know when they can lock those plasma weapons on us."
Shepard eyed the Geth ships. "Ashley, what can you determine how heavily armed they are?"
"Already did that, Skipper. They have one forward plasma torpedo launcher and one aft. They also have multiple plasma turrets that look like they're designed to fire pulses of plasma as compared to a whole torpedo. I guess those pulses are their version of phasers or disruptors."
"I guess we'll see first hand if they work the same," Shepard replied. "Ready, Williams?"
"We have phaser lock," Ashley reported.
"Fire."
The Normandy's forward phasers fired multiple pulses, which quickly impacted the targeted cruiser. The cruisers did not return fire.
"Direct hit on their shields," Ashley reported. "Geth shields are down to ten percent. Continuing to fire."
The phaser pulses to pound the cruiser. The shields failed to stop the phasers and impacted on the hull.
"Fire torpedoes at will," Shepard ordered.
Ashley fired a single quantum torpedo. The Geth attempted to shoot the torpedo with their plasma pulses, but failed to do so and the torpedo impacted the hull of the geth vessel. The cruiser exploded from the inside out as the torpedo detonated and tore the vessel to bits.
Ashley's console beeped at her. She looked down at them and blinked. "Commander, there's an energy buildup in the second cruiser. I think it's preparing to fire something."
"Commander, look!" Joker pointed. "There's something being lowered from the ventral hull."
"I don't like the look of that," Wrex muttered.
"Joker, evasive maneuvers!" Shepard ordered.
"Already on it!" Joker called back.
"They're firing!" Ashley warned.
The beam weapon missed them. The shields of the Normandy were bombarded with radiation, successfully keeping out the dangerous kinds. Joker evaded a second shot, then a third.
"Analysis!" Shepard ordered.
"It appears to be molten ore accelerated to warp speeds," Presley replied. "If we were hit with that, Commander, then they would have passed right through our shields, hull, and out the other side."
"Williams! Knock out that weapon!" Shepard ordered.
Ashley fired the dorsal phaser array multiple times at the weapon. The beams impacted the shield, but it did not falter.
"The second cruiser is more heavily shielded, Skipper," Ashley reported. "It must be because it's carrying such a devastating weapon. I don't think we're going to break though it."
"It looks to be on par with the strength of a starbase's," Presley added.
"They would want to protect such a weapon better than the ordinary cruiser," Shepard mused. "Joker, take us out of that weapon's range. I bet we're faster than that vessel."
"Aye, Commander."
Joker raced the Normandy around Therum and put the planet between them and the geth cruiser. The cruiser couldn't keep up.
"They can't hit us here, Commander," Joker pointed out.
"How can they launch molten liquid across space at warp speeds without forming a subspace bubble for it?" Shepard asked.
"I'm analyzing the sensor logs, Commander," Presley reported. "There appears to be a small subspace bubble generated inside the barrel of the weapon just before it fires. The liquid is propelled to warp speed inside the weapon, and allowed to decelerate once it leaves the cannon." He turned to face the Commander. "It's similar to what would happen if the Normandy suddenly lost its warp bubble, except not as chaotic."
"But how does it remain in a stream and not rapidly disperse?" Ashley asked.
"Perhaps the same way that plasma weaponry is kept from doing the same, except at a more efficient way," Presley supposed.
"No matter what the physics are, we have to disable that weapon before they hit us with it," Shepard pointed out. "Options."
Joker looked over his console. "We have to come up with a plan fast. We'll see them in a few minutes."
"So soon?" Presley asked.
"They turned around to intercept us," Joker replied. Presley grimaced, wondering why he, as an experienced navigator, didn't think of that.
Wrex scratched his scars. "What about what Kirk did to disable the Turian super-shield around the captured Druid-Four station back during the early part of the First Contact war?"
Ashley searched her memory. "He had the Remington modify its deflector array to emit a powerful pulse to knockout the super-shield. It became known as the Remington Maneuver. But it took eighteen minutes to charge and had to be fired as soon as it was ready and it burnt out the defector."
"Well, you've had over a century to advance your deflector technology," Wrex pointed out.
Shepard took a second to consider it. "Let's do it."
"Aren't you concerned about burning out the deflector?" Wrex asked.
"Deflectors are a lot more robust these days," Ashley explained. "Besides, we can repair our deflector array to an extent. Enough to get it working long enough to arrive at a starbase to fully repair it."
"Computer," Presley called out. "Display the calculations made for the Remington Maneuver." The calculations scrawled onto the screen. "I'll have to reconfigure the calculations to work for our deflector. Hold on," he added, looking at a footnote. "Apparently, a cadet at the academy already updated the calculations for 24th century as a final project. It was verified usable by Starfleet Command. It will take a significantly shorter time to adjust the calculations for our deflector." He turned to look at Shepard. "I need a large source of power to charge the pulse."
"Divert warp power for the pulse," Shepard ordered.
"Two minutes until contact," Joker warned.
"Buy us time, Joker," Shepard ordered.
Joker turned the Normandy towards Therum's north pole. "That should buy us some time."
"I'm almost done," Presley announced. "Chief, I suggest you start charging for the pulse."
"Charging," Ashley reported. Her console beeped. "Skipper, the Geth vessel has changed course to aim they're weapon at us."
"Joker, keep that weapon off us."
"Happy to oblige," Joker replied. He tapped a command on the panel. "We should be over the horizon before the weapon can target us."
Suddenly, the Normandy rocked, and a red beam shot over her.
"That was close," Ashley reported. "The shockwave was from the molten ore falling through the light barrier from warp speed."
"Sorry, Commander. I underestimated their turning speed," Joker replied. "Won't happen again."
"This is our first fight ship-to-ship with the Geth, Joker," Shepard told him. "We're all still learning. Damage report," Shepard ordered.
"Shields at eighty percent," Ashley reported. "That's about it, other than a few little bruises among the crew."
"I'm ready here," Presley announced.
"Same here," Ashley replied.
Shepard nodded. "Joker, reverse course. Get us on track with the cruiser."
"Right away, Commander."
"I'm going to need some of your fancy flying, Joker," Shepard warned him.
"I'm always happy to show you what my baby can do, Commander."
It wasn't long before the Cruiser was within sight again. Joker already was making it really difficult for the beam to hit them. The Geth made several attempts to hit them, but each missed.
"Can you fire the pulse, Chief?" Shepard asked.
"We have to get closer," Ashley replied.
"Getting closer will make it harder to avoid the beam," Joker warned. "Our best chance will be to flank them so they can't get a bead on us."
"Do what you have to, Joker," Shepard told him.
The Normandy shook again. "Another close call," Ashley announced.
Joker brought the Normandy hard and fast to starboard, then bore down on the Geth cruiser.
"Fire at will, Williams!" Shepard ordered.
"Firing!" Williams called out.
The Normandy rocked again, but this time by her own doing. The deflector let out the pulse with an almighty roar. The pulse hit the forward section of the cruiser, knocking the cruiser's nose towards Therum.
"Their shields are down! Firing torpedoes!" Ashley shouted.
Two quantum torpedoes streaked across the space between the Normandy and the Geth ship, impacting and detonating inside the cruiser. The cruiser blew apart spectacularly, and the Normandy flew through the flames.
Everyone exhaled in relief- except Wrex, who laughed in exhilaration, then looked around and wondered why everyone wasn't celebrating too.
"We've burned out nearly a third of our deflector circuits, Commander," Ashley reported. "Repair teams are already getting it ready."
"Thank you, Williams. Wrex, gear up. You're coming to the surface too. Presley, you have the bridge. I want a scan of the surface and Doctor T'soni's location before we complete the next orbit."
"Commander, that shield was of sophisticated design," Presley told her. "It's also inconsistent with what we know of Geth technology." Presley turned to look at her. "Someone has to be helping the geth."
Shepard nodded. "I agree. While we're on the surface, see if you can decipher anything from the sensors about that shield," she ordered as she lead Wrex off the bridge.
The first part of their walk was spent in silence before Shepard let her curiosity get the better of her. "Wrex, you don't strike me as the history buff."
"I'm not."
"Yet you were aware of the Remington Maneuver," Shepard pointed out.
"Not by name, but by experience," Wrex replied. "I saw it deployed myself." He smiled at the memory. "Twelve Starfleet vessels led by Kirk against thirty Turian vessels- a general whose name I don't even remember. The Turians were all formed up and ready to defend their captured station."
"If I recall," Shepard interjected, "the capture of the station was the highlight of the war for the Turians."
"And the loss a devastating blow," Wrex replied. "I was on a shuttle, watching the battle from the safety of the sidelines. I watched as Kirk's fleet battled the Turians, all the Federation vessels protecting the Remington. I thought the ship was loaded with your Marines or something, not boosting a weapon that could take down the station's shields. Then the damn thing fired, and I knew I was watching all the hopes the Turians ever had of turning the war around shatter." Wrex grinned.