Extra wait time caused partly by having to work on an essay for class (I don't really… 'get' Shakespeare very easily, so having to write a 1200-word essay on a Shakespearean subject was not easy for me at all), and partly by playing Super Smash Bros Brawl because I haven't played it in a while and want to finish unlocking everything (currently stuck trying to trophy-fy Meta-Ridley; have been trying over and over for days). In fact, those 'distractions' took up so much time, that I decided to divide what was originally planned to be a single Rannoch-arc chapter into two, just so you guys wouldn't have to wait even longer. As a consequence, however, the next chapter will be pretty short.
Actually, I want you all to tell me which you would prefer: shorter, 'thinner' chapters but less waiting time, or longer and 'fuller' chapters but with more time between them?
SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Far Rim sector, Dholen system
Normandy II, Deck Two, War Room
Jason Shepard looked up from the central holo-table as four Quarians entered the war room.
"Commander Shepard" Admiral Shala'Raan greeted. "A pleasure to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances."
"I'd hoped for your and the Geth's support in the fight against the Reapers" he replied. "What's going on?"
"10 days ago," Admiral Han'Gerrel spoke up, "the Reapers managed to forcibly gain control of around 5% of the Geth. We fought them off at first, but then something changed; in less than an hour, the Reapers managed to assert control of vastly more of the Geth…"
"And now," Admiral Zaal'Koris added in, "the Reapers have control of nearly 85% of the Geth. They're tearing us apart, Shepard."
"We should have foreseen this" Admiral Daro'Xen said. "Any machines can be co-opted by the enemy and turned against their former masters…"
"The fact you continue to treat the Geth as things instead of people is why you continue to fall short of any attempts to 'interact' with them" Koris chastised her. "It's why the few clandestine experiments you've attempted that some of the Geth have informed me about have all failed." He turned back to the Commander. "Again we find ourselves at war with the Geth. And this time, I fear there may be no escape."
"At the very least," Shala chimed in, "around 15% of the Geth have successfully avoided all Reaper attempts to gain control of them, and are fighting at our side even now. In addition, they managed to introduce a minor, simple virus that forces the Reaper-controlled Geth to display red photoreceptors and 'running lights' instead of the usual blue; that at least enables us to tell friend from foe amongst the Geth."
"Is Legion still with us?" Shepard asked.
Shala lowered her head. "We lost contact with it shortly before the Reapers' control spread. We have not seen its distinctive platform fielded against us, but we have heard nothing from it."
"We had driven the Reaper-controlled Geth back to the home system," Koris said as he called up a hologram of Rannoch and the surrounding space, "when this signal began broadcasting to all hostile Geth ships."
"The Reapers…"
"Under direct Reaper control," Gerrel said, "the Geth are significantly more effective. Our fleet is pinned in the home system. If we're going to win…"
"Where's the signal coming from?"
"Here: a Geth Dreadnought. It's around 1400 meters long, can outgun anything we've got, and has powerful shields and armor in addition to smaller capital ships guarding it."
"The Normandy II's stealth drive can get us in undetected. I could board and then disable the Reaper command signal."
"Yes," Xen replied, "cutting off the signal should throw the Reaper-Geth into complete disarray."
"And while they're confused, you get your ships out of the furball they've been pulled into, out to the system's edge with the DDF fleet."
"Are you certain you can disable the signal?" Koris asked.
"We'll get you out of there safely, Admiral."
"Our newest Admiral has also volunteered to offer technical expertise…" Raan said, turning to the door as a familiar Quarian in a purple-hued enviro-suit entered.
"Shepard" she nodded.
"Tali…" he spoke softly. "Admirals, I'll ready a team to hit that dreadnought."
"Thank you, Commander" Raan replied.
As the four older Admirals stayed to go over combat data in the War Room, Shepard and Tali made their way out into the adjacent hallway.
"So…" he started. "Admiral…?"
"It's mostly a formality" Tali replied. "I'm an expert on the Geth."
"That you are…"
"Heh. I'm glad you're here."
"Why didn't you tell us this was going on sooner? We could've helped."
"Thanks, but… I knew you had your own big problems. …I'm sorry about Earth. …We've got the largest fleet in the galaxy. If you can help us, we'll hit the Reapers with everything we've got… or however much is left from this." She walked up closer to him. "I've missed you…" she near-whispered, leaning against him a little.
"Same here" he replied softly. "I've been worried about you and your people from day one of this war."
"I know… All the same, Jason, perhaps we should keep 'us' quiet for now, at least in front of the other Admirals?"
"Sure thing… Miss vas-Normandy. Maybe you could come up to my cabin later?"
"Maybe I could…" she said coyly, walking away. "Oh, and for the record… Still totally worth it."
"Commander?" Traynor said over the intercom. "The Dimensional Defense Force fleet has been informed of things, and a couple of their people want to come over to assist in storming the dreadnought."
"On my way" Shepard replied, as he looked out the window at the mixed fleet of TSAB vessels, a few Cybertronian warships, the Starshot, and the massive Solaria. Heading out to the front of the ship, he waited by the airlock doors just behind the Normandy-II's cockpit. After about 10 minutes, there was a metallic 'thud' as a transport docked with the stealth-attack frigate, and soon the airlock doors opened to allow two young girls in, whom Shepard quickly recognized.
"Erika? And Homura too?"
"Yes, Commander" the stoic Puella Magi replied, as beside her the little Keyblade-Wielder shifted nervously. "While the others of our respective groups and of the other 'heavy hitters' aboard these ships assist in space or go groundside to aid Quarian and Geth forces against the Reaper-Geth…"
"…H-Homura and I want to c-come along with you guys" Erika finished.
"Any particular reason?" Shepard asked.
Erika's expression became one of conviction, and a little smile. "Because Tali is my friend."
"And Legion is mine" Homura added, a noticeable softness to her tone.
Shepard smiled and nodded. "Good enough for me. Get ready, girls; we'll be there soon."
-SCENE BREAK-
Perseus Veil sector, FTL en-route to Tikkun system
"We're approaching the Tikkun system" Joker reported.
"What've you got from the comm. buoys?" Shepard asked.
"Pretty much a big ol' shitstorm, Commander."
"I have detected several hundred unique ship signatures engaged in active combat" EDI clarified.
"Take us in, Joker" Shepard said.
Joker cracked his knuckles and keyed in a few commands. "Stealth drive engaged. The only way they'll detect us is if you all start singing the Russian national anthem."
A minute later, the Normandy II dropped out of FTL right into an enormous and chaotic space battle. Quarian and blue-lighted Geth ships traded fire with Geth vessels possessing malevolent red lights, including the massive (well, by Citadel-race standards) hostile Geth dreadnought hanging back toward the 'rear', pounding Quarian and non-Reaper Geth ships from range with its multitude of guns.
"My cyberwarfare suite has accessed their docking protocols" EDI reported.
As the stealth-attack frigate approached the hostile 'dreadnought', a Quarian cruiser took an unshielded hit mid-starboard from a Geth frigate's cannon, blowing a sizable hull breach; the ship's compartmentalized nature meant that the breached zone was quickly automatically sealed off, minimizing loss of oxygen, material, and crew as it returned fire on its attacker. The N-2 quickly pulled up alongside the hostile flagship, linking with a docking tube.
"All right," Shepard said as he, Tali, Kaidan, Erika, and Homura entered the airlock, Tali & Erika's enviro-suit and Keyblade Armor in vacuum-sealed mode while the other three wore sealed armored hardsuits, "once we're aboard, we find whatever's broadcasting the Reaper signal and shut it down. Tali's our expert on Geth software; she'll be handling hacking and security."
"Good to see you again, Tali" Kaidan said.
"You too, Kaidan" the Quarian replied. "How's the Omnitool? Still using the Logic-Arrest model?"
"It's still the best model."
"Not for running multiple attack processes simultaneously. You need a Nexus."
"Nexus shield enhancements are years behind the curve!"
"That's why you overclock the microframe."
"Shepard, there is a problem" EDI stated. "All tubes except one are physically secured."
"I see the free one" Joker added. "It's pretty torn up, though."
"Too risky for the whole team" Shepard said. "I'll secure the docking area; everyone else can follow me over."
"Roger that, Commander. We'll just stay here – y'know, quietly."
-Break-
Shepard took a deep breath to steady himself; he was almost to the end. Traversing this docking tube, filled with breaches & holes, with no gravity so he had to rely on magnetic boots and walk very carefully, was more suspenseful and nerve-fraying than moving through any combat zone; one wrong step, one plate of metal giving way, one stray shot from the space battle blazing all around the ship, and he was doomed.
"How you doing, Shepard?" Tali radioed.
"The lack of gravity is a little disorienting" he replied.
"The dreadnought has artificial gravity. You should be okay once you're on board."
"Take your time, Commander" Joker chimed in. "We're fine until they, y'know, look out a window."
"Geth don't use windows, remember? 'Structural weakness'."
"Like the Geth are just sittin' there, saying 'Those organics would never try the no-windows thing twice!'"
Soon, he approached the Geth ship's airlock. However, just as he placed one foot forward into the last section of the docking tube, the entire tube from the section behind him back came loose, slowly floating off into space; Shepard immediately detached his other foot from it as it began drifting, and stepped forward to anchor himself firmly in the still-attached part of the path.
"Well, it looks like the rest of the team isn't using the docking tube."
"So, I'm guessing you'd rather not solo the dreadnought."
"Not if I can help it. Ask Tali to get on the dreadnought schematics. If she can point me at another docking tube, I'll override the controls and let the boarding party on."
"That might not be necessary, Commander" Homura chimed in. "I have a… new trick that should make things easier. Let me know once you're inside the ship."
Confused, Shepard nonetheless went along with it, passing through the airlock door. After a couple more doors, he found himself inside the ship proper, looking over a fairly large hole.
"I'm in" he sent over the radio.
For several seconds, nothing happened. But then, as he turned and looked back at the door he'd come in through, a visual distortion appeared in the air a couple feet away, swirling and spiraling in an outward motion. He watched in surprise as Homura materialized, the gem at the center of her buckler being at the center of the swirling distortion that her body came out of. Seconds later, space-time visibly warped and spiraled again as the rest of the boarding team emerged from that same spot at the core of her shield-like device.
"Um…" Shepard finally spoke. "What was that?"
"That was Kamui" Homura replied as the others got their bearings. "Shortly before we took Malia down a few months ago, Hatake-san discovered that the other 'dimension' I store everything of mine in with my buckler is actually the same dimension that his technique accessed. In addition to my time-stop power, I had been using a form of Kamui to store my weapons and other supplies in all this time. Having discovered that, he taught me how to transport people the same way; it was useful in a surprise attack against Malia and her allies during that mission. Over the past couple months, he also taught me how to send myself to and from that other realm for a form of teleportation, just as he can do."
"Just a little bit disorienting," Kaidan commented, "but I suppose it's something you get used to."
"Could that get us out of here?" Shepard asked her.
"That depends. I had to home in on your energy signature to do it; since you aren't particularly powerful in chakra, magic, or Force, I only managed because you were the only person onboard who even had a life-force signature to home in on; with all the chaos of the battle outside, I likely won't be able to pinpoint the energy of any of the Normandy-II's crewmembers to jump to, especially if the ship is moving around a lot."
"So we'll need to find our own way out" Tali surmised.
"Well, regardless of how we're all in, we can get on with the mission now. Let's go."
As the boarding team moved on, they carefully maneuvered around the sizable hull breach.
"Admiral Gerrel tried a frontal assault" Tali remarked as she climbed over a fallen metal beam. "We lost six frigates. This tiny hole was the only damage we did."
"I wouldn't call it 'tiny'" Shepard replied. "Not the way you'd have done it?"
"No. He was too aggressive. I argued, but as Admiral of the Heavy Fleet, it was ultimately his decision."
They made their way up a ladder, through a couple doors, into another docking bay, and up another ladder. On the upper level, Tali got to work on a locked door, quickly opening it to reveal a short hallway.
"So where are we headed?" Shepard asked as they funneled into the passage.
"We're looking for an operations center" Tali replied. "I can disable the Reaper command signal from there."
"Where's the closest one?"
"Past their defense network and through a sensor cluster."
The next door led to a huge chamber of sorts. A handful of tower-like machines glowing with purplish light were in motion here & there.
"GARDIAN anti-fighter lasers…" Kaidan observed. "Are they using ultraviolet?"
"Expensive and difficult to maintain" Shepard said. "Bet it gives them an edge in close-combat, though."
"When the fleet rushed the dreadnought," Tali said, "those lasers carved right through our ships."
Making their way along the walkway, they came up to an extendable bridge. As Shepard sent it extending, however, a pair of Reaper-controlled Geth emerged from up ahead, their bright red optics turning and focusing on the team as they readied their pulse rifles. Everyone dove for cover, as Homura pulled a Sangheili T-55 'Storm Rifle' from her buckler's Kamui storage while Erika pulled her Needler from its place magnetically attached to her Keyblade Armor's back. A flurry of blue plasma bolts and explosive pink crystal-needles cut one of the Reaper-Geth down quickly, while precise pistol fire from Shepard and Kaidan dealt with the other one.
As they hurried across the short bridge, they again came under fire. A Reaper-Geth with shields and a rocket launcher fired a round that narrowly passed over Homura's head; Tali hit it with an Energy-Drain to deplete its shields, leaving it open to Kaidan's Overload. A couple more standard troopers engaged as well, falling to concentrated fire from Shepard and Homura, while a third that tried to jump out from behind a pillar and catch the group by surprise got its head lopped off by Erika's Keyblade. Team Shepard moved forward and down a short ladder, now finding themselves at the end of a long, straight pathway with smaller paths on either side of it; two more Rocket Troopers fired RPGs at them from further down. Shepard quickly pulled out his N7 Valiant and sniped the rocket-launchers, while Tali's shotgun put a few closer troopers down, and Kaidan Biotically launched two more over a nearby ledge. Homura fired her Storm Rifle in short bursts, taking down a couple more, and the last one was taken out as several pink crystal-needles lodged in its neck, their detonation tearing its head off.
Moving down the path, underneath some machinery and then back onto an open area of the walkway, Homura took point. Suddenly, she heard a click and a rising whine. Instantly she froze time, looking down to see an activating mine right at her feet. She took several steps back, right amongst the others, and then unfroze. The light anti-personnel mine's explosion left a charred mark on the floor.
"Okay," Shepard said, "I guess we'd better keep an eye on the floor, too…"
The team spotted and 'disabled from a distance' (shot) a couple more mines as they moved forward, heading right and through a door. A couple more hallways followed, showing progress reports of the ship's systems.
"The dreadnought's operation center is just ahead" Tali said as she got to work unlocking the next door.
"Good" Shepard replied. "Let's cut the Reaper signal and get the fleet out of here."
As the door opened and the team entered the ops center, they saw as a Reaper-Geth Hunter across the room activated its active camouflage as it drew its rifle. There were several more Reaper-Geth troops scattered about, as well as a few shimmers in the air of two more cloaked Hunters. As Kaidan and Tali started picking off the standard troopers, Erika pulled out her Keyblade and fired a Thundaga spell at an approaching distortion, stripping the Reaper-Geth Hunter's shields and frying its cloaking mechanism; she then pelted it with Needler rounds, seven crystal-needles reacting to explode with great force, tearing the hostile Geth apart. Homura spotted a second cloaked Hunter about halfway across the room, and she froze time; from an outside perspective, she appeared to 'waver' and reappear a foot to the left of where she'd just been, while a pair of plasma grenades were suddenly materialized attached to the hostile Geth, the ensuing double-detonation blowing it to bits.
Keeping his eyes sharp, Shepard suddenly dove to the side as the first Hunter – having gotten alarmingly close – fired its shotgun at where he'd just been. He hit the Reaper-Geth with an Overload, de-shielding and de-cloaking it, and then opened up with his N7 Hurricane SMG. Damaged, the Hunter tried to charge and fire its shotgun again, but he rolled under and to the side of the blast and brought his Omniblade to bear, jamming it through the Reaper-Geth's neck and then slicing upwards, tearing its head in half. With the Hunters down, the few remaining standard Reaper-Geth fell quickly.
"That's the last of them" Tali said. "Let's see if that console is operational."
With the way clear, the team made their way across the ops center, up to the main terminal on the other side. Tali had a look at the displayed data, and then let out a frustrated growl.
"Damn it, they've locked down the Reaper signal" she said. "We can't shut it down from here in the operation center."
She keyed in some commands, calling up a hologram of the Reaper Dreadnought with various internal sections displayed. After a few seconds, a certain location in the depths of the ship was highlighted.
"There!" she said. "The Reaper signal's coming from the drive core!"
"So if we get there," Shepard asked, "we shut it down?"
"Right, but how do we get there? The Geth have sealed emergency bulkheads to block us off. We need a route to the drive core that can't be blocked, a path that runs the length of the ship."
"What about the main battery? It runs right by the drive core."
"That could work…"
"But?"
"The Reaper-Geth still have us locked in here. We need to get these doors open. They've locked high-level processes. We need something basic – a ship-wide emergency, like a fire."
"What about the heat diffusion system?"
"Hmm… If I faked a thermal warning, it would open all maintenance tubes for emergency venting!"
"Would that override the lockdown?"
"Yes! Okay, I've got it primed. But be ready; I'm reading hostile Geth on the other side of the doors."
Tali triggered the command, and within a couple seconds the doors bordering the room unlocked and opened, allowing another squad of Reaper-Geth to stream in. As Homura and Shepard started picking off basic troops, a stray round clipped a Reaper-Geth Hunter, briefly distorting its cloak and revealing it, and Kaidan immediately blasted the cloaked Hunter with an Overload, frying its shields and its cloak; he then used a Warp to take it out. As Tali was firing at a Reaper-Geth trooper, Erika happened to turn and see a brief distortion approaching Tali from the left. She threw out a Reflect spell just in time to block the cloaked Hunter's shotgun blast from hitting Tali, and then hit it with a Strike Raid to unbalance it. Tali quickly spun to the side and blasted the Hunter twice, destroying it.
Shepard threw out a Shockwave-Chain, sending three Reaper-Geth troopers flying but also staggering and revealing a pair of Hunters; he blasted one with an Overload and then took it out with a few pistol headshots, while Homura focused Storm Rifle fire on the other one, downing its shields and melting through its metal body until it dropped. The few remaining basic troopers were quickly taken out by Shepard's Overload and Tali's Energy Drain, and the team hurried back across the ops center, through a door and into a hallway.
"I appreciate what you're doing here, Shepard" Tali said as Kaidan hacked a door open.
"Well," Shepard replied as the team moved into a large, multi-leveled room and started making their way down ladders, "I care deeply about the Quarian people."
"It's good to be back on the Normandy…"
"Lemme know if it's too quiet for you to sleep, and I'll find you someplace louder…"
"Mmm…"
"Um," Erika spoke up, "c-could we save the innuendo for w-when we're not in the bowels of a hostile ship?"
"Sorry" Tali replied sheepishly. "Oh, I've got Admiral Raan trying to establish a secure link."
"Put her through" Shepard said.
"Shepard, this is Raan. The Heavy Fleet is taking significant casualties; I don't know how much longer we can hold out."
"We'll have the Reaper signal deactivated shortly, Admiral."
The team moved through a lower-level door, entering a large, lengthy open chamber, with the row of magnetic coils of the main gun forming a large 'tube' that took up a portion of it. A catwalk ran parallel to that, populated by several Reaper-Geth, about half of which wielded rocket launchers. Shepard and Tali sent out Combat Drones, while Kaidan took out one launcher with an Overload and a Warp, and Erika destroyed another with a Needler super-combine explosion. Homura withdrew a UNSC ARC-920 railgun from her subspace storage, charged and fired a shot that blew another launcher-wielding Geth apart; the explosion also exposed a nearby cloaked Reaper-Geth Hunter, who was promptly sniped by Shepard.
They moved on down the catwalk, and very soon another batch of Reaper-Geth emerged up ahead. In addition, a pulse of energy came shooting through from far ahead down the main gun's 'barrel'; everyone ducked into cover as the electrical discharge shot by, their shields partially draining; if they hadn't been in cover, it likely would've left them completely drained. Tali used Energy Drain to down a rocket-trooper's shields so Shepard could head-shot it, while Homura's ARC-920 blew another one apart. Shepard tossed out a Singularity, 'grabbing' two standard troopers and a rocket-trooper Kaidan had de-shielded, and Erika blew the three of them to bits with a Needler super-combine blast. Tali shotgun boomed twice as a Reaper-Geth Hunter trying to sneak up on Kaidan got its head blown off for its troubles, and Homura's Storm Rifle dealt with the last two standard troopers. Another massive pulse of energy shot through, nearly knocking the team over.
"We need to shut that thing down!" Shepard said.
"If we find a maintenance lock, we can take this whole section offline" Kaidan replied.
Thankfully, the terminal they needed wasn't much farther ahead, and the team encountered no further Geth between it and them. Shepard triggered the maintenance lock, shutting the main gun down and opening a hatch in its 'barrel'. The team started making their way through the tube, when suddenly the ground lurched as a low, charging noise accompanied a brightening light up ahead. Realizing that the Reaper-Geth had already overridden the maintenance lock, Homura immediately froze time. She grabbed Erika's wrist with one hand and Shepard's with the other; Erika and Shepard then grabbed Kaidan and Tali, respectively, bringing them in as well. Being extremely careful not to let go, the quintet moved as one down the tube, and once they'd reached the other side and exited through another maintenance hatch, Homura released the time-stop, returning them all to normal 'color' and time-flow as the hatch snapped shut behind them, another round being magnetically propelled down the main gun's barrel.
Now finding themselves on another walkway on the other side of the main gun, Team Shepard took cover as another force of Reaper-Geth emerged and attacked. Shepard and Tali sent out Combat Drones, the constructs' electric blasters stunning and damaging Reaper-Geth troopers, leaving them easy pickings for the duo's pistols. Erika took out two rocket-troopers with Needler fire, while Homura's railgun and Kaidan's Overload and Warp attacks made short work of two more. Once the way was clear, the team hurried down the path, reaching the end and following a ramp on the left up. Shepard bypassed a door, and they moved through.
The next room contained a lift, and once everyone was onboard it was started up. However, as it passed the next floor up a pair of Reaper-Geth troopers came out from a door, one holding a rocket launcher. Just as the lift reached the next floor up, a rocket slammed into its underside, bringing it to a sudden halt. The platform lurched and tipped to the side, and everyone immediately scrambled for the nearby ledge, jumping on and climbing up. Shepard was the last up, Tali grabbing his arm just as the lift broke free beneath his feet and tumbled down into the shaft far below.
"I thought I'd lost you…" Tali breathed out in relief as she helped him up.
"You were worried?" he asked.
"You bet I was. You dying because the Geth overrode my hack? Think of my reputation!"
"Yeah, you were worried."
Fortunately, there were ladders along the room's edges that enabled the team to climb the rest of the way to the top of the elevator shaft. Passing through the door, they finally arrived at the drive core – a large but cluttered chamber, machinery and wiring going everywhere, and in the center was a black sphere-like object composed of interlocking plates, attached to the bottom of a sort of 'cage' that contained wavering bright-blue energy and electrical discharges.
"That's definitely Reaper tech" Shepard said, looking at the sphere as he walked up to a console at its base. "But what's…"
After a few button presses, the multiple interlocking parts that made up the sphere of black metal separated and shifted, retracting upwards or down, to reveal a lone Geth restrained by multiple machines clamped onto or hooked up to it – a Geth with a familiar hole in its torso-plating, and pieces of N7 armor.
"Shepard-Commander," it said, "help us!"
"Legion?"
"How did he end up like this?" Kaidan wondered
"We'll get you out of there, Legion," Homura told it, "don't worry."
"So what is this thing?" Shepard asked the Geth.
"It uses our networking architecture to broadcast the Old Machines' command signal to all affected Geth simultaneously" Legion replied.
"Then getting you out of here will shut off the Reaper signal."
"Wait. You cannot simply remove the restraints. We are secured via hardware blocks nearby that shackle our operating protocols. The hardware blocks are on the far side of the room." Legion looked over to a console up on a higher level of the room, to Team Shepard's right. "Deactivation should be simple; the Old Machines' Geth protected them against viral attack, not physical removal."
The team quickly moved over, boarding a small lift to bring them up a level.
"How did the Reapers get control of the majority of the Geth?" Shepard asked.
"We were able to successfully resist and repel indirect attack attempts on our network over the course of the war" Legion explained. "However, an Old Machine then arrived in the Tikkun System, and was able to initiate a hacking attack on the Geth directly. Most were able to resist, but around five percent of the Geth – the former Heretics – bore a slight defect in their counter-intrusion software that the Old Machine exploited. It was able to gain control of them, and was soon able to use its control over them to launch an attack on the Consensus from within. Only approximately 15% of the Geth were able to successfully defend against this new attack; the rest fell under the Old Machine's control."
"But we never saw any Reapers in the system!" Tali objected.
"It hid, powering down non-vital systems and hiding in the gas-giant Haza's outer atmosphere, waiting and observing. When it saw an opening, it struck before the former Heretics could react. At the moment, we believe the Old Machine is hiding somewhere on Rannoch's surface."
Shepard reached the console, keying in the commands to release the hardware blocks. The armored cables connecting Legion to the surrounding machinery detached and fell away, freeing the Geth soldier. The central part of the platform Legion was standing on lowered, allowing it to hop down to a lower level. Seconds later, the bluish energy contained in the 'cage' above shrunk down to a pinpoint, then dispersed in an apparently-harmless shockwave.
"As a gesture of cooperation," Legion said, "we have disabled the dreadnought's drive core. All weapons and barriers are offline."
Suddenly, a low-pitched alarm began blaring. Soon, a multitude of Reaper-Geth dropped into the room, including a Prime. Team Shepard took cover, Homura briefly popping out to take down a close standard trooper.
"The Geth fleet is destabilized" Admiral Xen was heard over the comm. "The signal is offline."
"Second Fleet, prepare to withdraw" Admiral Raan said. "The Patrol Fleet will cover you once the First Fleet is in position. Whenever you're ready, Admiral Gerrel."
Tali and Shepard sent out Combat Drones, distracting the Reaper-Geth and allowing them to take out a pair of rocket-troopers with Overload/Energy Drain and pistol fire. The team slowly made their way up, cover to cover, with Kaidan overloading a Hunter's cloak & shields so Erika's Needler could blow it to bits, while Shepard's SMG and Homura's Storm Rifle cut down basic troopers and a rocket-wielder.
"Gerrel, what the hell are you doing?-!" Admiral Koris shouted.
"Check your screens" Gerrel replied. "The dreadnought is helpless! No barriers, and the main gun is offline. We can remove their flagship if we strike now!"
"Uh, we're still on this thing!" Kaidan shouted into the general comm. channel.
"We can't waste this chance. First Fleet, all forward; take out the dreadnought!"
"Neema, this is Starshot!" Col. Holland's voice cut in. "If you fire on that ship while Commander Shepard and his team are still aboard, we will fire on you! Hold your damned fire and fall back to the rally point!"
"Colonel," Joker added, "we've got a lock on the Neema and our Thanix Cannon is powered up. Just give the word."
"You would fire upon a ship belonging to your allies?-!" Han'Gerrel said indignantly.
"Uh, you're threatening to blow to bits the man who's the galaxy's best hope for survival! Hell yes, I would! Now back off!"
"… …First Fleet, tactical withdrawal – cover the Patrol and Second Fleets and make for the rendezvous point in the outer system."
The danger from outside was dealt with, but now the danger inside was still a problem. Moving through the Reaper-Geth forces, the team had to dive for cover as a Reaper-Geth Prime fired its cannon at them, the huge red-plated mobile platform shimmering with a powerful energy shield as it sent a blue Combat Drone out. Kaidan took out the drone with an Overload, while Shepard, Tali, Homura, and Erika hit the Prime with Overload, Energy Drain, an ARC-920 shot, and a barrage of Needler rounds that took down its shields. Another railgun shot hit it right in the 'face', blowing its head off.
"Legion, how are we getting out of here?" Shepard asked as he Biotically pushed a Reaper-Geth Hunter over the nearby railing.
"Geth fighters are docked in the port-side fighter bay" Legion replied. "We can pilot one to safety."
The team hurried across the room, meeting up with Legion, and they all ran through a few doors and hallways until they reached a nearby hangar. Moving down the walkway, they were led to a waiting craft, and climbed aboard. The cargo compartment was a tight squeeze; Homura and Erika had to sit forward of it, scrunching in behind the pilot's seat as Legion sealed the hatches and powered up the engines. Soon, the insectoid-looking craft was away.
"Shepard to fleet, we're off the dreadnought; we're aboard a Geth fighter. Joker, I'm transmitting rendezvous coordinates."
"Roger that, Commander" Joker replied. "Just waggle the wings or something so I know it's you."
As the fighter got some distance, the Starshot – the sole DDF vessel actively participating in the space battle at the moment (while the other ships either stayed back at the system-edge RV point or assisted in ground ops) – pointed itself at the Geth flagship. After several seconds, the Forerunner-built vessel's particle cannon fired, burning a hole right through the Reaper-Geth dreadnought; the 1400-meter vessel was wracked with explosions that tore through it, a chain reaction gutting the disabled ship.
-SCENE BREAK-
Normandy II, Deck Two, War Room
"Shepard," Admiral Zaal'Koris' hologram greeted the Commander, "I'm glad you made it out in one piece. If that warhawk Gerrel hadn't backed down…"
"I heard you had a little trouble" Shepard said.
"To say the least… The Starshot intercepted a shot from a Geth surface-to-orbit cannon that had been aimed at my ship; her shields withstood the blast, but if it had hit the Qwib-Qwib there wouldn't have been much left of it… or of me. Gamma Team and the Autobot 'Jetfire' have disabled the cannon, thankfully."
"At least the Geth no longer possess the programming upgrades they had while enslaved by the Reapers" Shala'Raan remarked.
"Shepard-Commander," Legion said as it entered the war room, "we are prepared to offer assistance."
"Ah, Legion" Zaal'Koris said. "It is good to see you unharmed, my friend."
"Likewise, Creator Koris."
"The Reapers were using Legion like a signal booster to broadcast commands from the dreadnought" Shepard explained. "We freed him."
"It" Tali corrected.
"'Them' would be the most accurate pronoun" Legion replied.
"How might the corrupted Geth react without Reaper guidance" Shala'Raan asked Legion.
"That is a false assumption. You have cut off long-range control, but the Old Machines have placed a base on Rannoch for short-range direction."
"The Geth still have Reaper upgrades?"
"Correct. They are currently disorganized, but once the short-range signal is in place, they will recover."
"By the Homeworld…" Koris said with dread. "We need to warn the fleet! Xen, coordinate with Gerrel; I'll do what I can! Move!-!"
"Where is the Reaper base located?" Shepard asked as Xen departed and Koris' hologram dispersed.
"We do not know."
"Find it."
"Understood. We do know the location of a server from which Geth fighter squadrons are controlled. The squadrons are under the control of the Old Machines' Geth, and are targeting Creator liveships and troop-transports. Disabling them will limit casualties. We offer assistance."
"Thanks"
-CHAPTER END-
Next Time: the Geth Server mission and the final Rannoch bit; as Koris' ship wasn't shot down in this timeline thanks to the Starshot, there won't be a "rescue Koris" section.