Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect multicrossover. I apologize for not updating this story yesterday. Whenever I attempted to look at it by going through the categories, I ended up getting a Type 1 Error on . As such, I didn't want to cause any problems by posting chapters that you wouldn't be able to read, so I decided to wait until the problem was resolved. It's still a little messy, as there are multiple copies of the crossover category selection, but it is accessible now. Thank you for your patience, and I hope to see you in future chapters. As always, leave a review and enjoy!

This chapter was inspired by the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini as well as the Dungeons and Dragons franchise.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo, MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, BioWare, Electronic Arts, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs and Piranha Games Inc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to it's respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises are of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.


MechWarrior 4: Vengeance OST - Stutter Shark

Fuchida IVb

Near Prothean Dig Site

January 19th, 3081

As soon as he landed on the ground, Shepard swept the area with his rifle, looking for any hostile contacts in the AO. With his suit's sensors showing no contacts, he took a moment to look around the area. The drop point they were at had placed them in a large, plain-like area that was next to a large forest, with grass that came up to Shepard's waist. The sky was blue, but it was clear that it was sunset, as the sun was hanging low in the sky, painting the horizon a neon red-orange that contrasted sharply with the dark blue sky. Up ahead, he could see trees that were located on top of a rocky embankment that held a small, tepid pond. After a moment, he said, "Alright, the dig site should be up ahead according to the coordinates. Kaidan, take point. Jenkins and I will cover the rear. Understood?"

"Affirmative," Kaidan nodded, with the experienced biotic moving forwards while Jenkins and Shepard followed closely behind, ready to provide backup in the event Kaidan needed help. The grass rustled and bent as they moved along, using said grass as cover in order to move up undetected. As they moved forwards, Shepard heard Kaidan shout, "Whoa! What the hell are those?!"

Moving up, Jenkins popped his head out from the grass to look at what Kaidan was seeing. It was a large, bulbous creature that floated in the air, with large, tan-gray sacs that pulsated while a number of tentacles extended downwards. It looked like a Huragok's ugly cousin, but Jenkins clearly knew what it was. "It's a gas bag," he replied. "I read about them on Fuchida IVb's tourist brochure; don't worry, they're herbivores. Ugly as fuck but completely harmless."

"Ugly indeed," Kaidan remarked. "They certainly won't be wining any fashion show awards anytime soon." Behind them, Shepard shook his head as he heard the lighthearted camaraderie between the two.

Moving on forwards, the team turned towards the left, heading down a path that cut between a pair of embankments in the region, with short, rocky walls on either side. As they moved forwards, Shepard thought he smelled something, almost like meat that had been cooked for too long on a barbecue. He was about to ask what the smell was when he saw a sight that made his heart sink. Two bodies were lying on a large rock, civilians from the looks of it; their bodies were burnt to a crisp, with smoke still wafting off of their corpses as they slowly cooled down. "Oh fuck," Kaidan remarked. "What happened here?"

"Nothing good," Shepard replied. "This was recent. Whoever did this was here roughly less than five minutes ago. Either way, whoever did this is a sick bastard that needs to be put down like a rabid dog." Looking around for a moment, he motioned with his hand to move forwards, with Kaidan once again taking point. Spotting something up ahead, Shepard motioned for the others to get into cover before doing so himself, taking up position behind a large boulder. Peering out from cover, he motioned for his team to move forwards, with his men moving from rock to rock in order to keep themselves from being caught off guard. That caution was well warranted as suddenly, a pair of silver-gray colored drones flew out from around the bend, firing what appeared to be plasma based weapons moments later. Almost immediately, Jenkins and Kaidan threw themselves into cover, dodging the superheated fusillade of projectiles before retaliating with their rifles.

One of the many differences in the Star League, with the discovery of Element Zero, was the technology that the Council Races and the Star League used. Due to their sole reliance on Prothean technologies, the Council had, much like the Covenant before and during the Interuniversal War, had stagnated in technology, with many innovations actually being the result of imitation. In contrast, the Star League, since it had no access to any Prothean or Forerunner technologies for much of it's existence, had developed it's own technology without any interference from other species; as a result, all of Humanity's technological achievements were made by it's own efforts, making the Inner Sphere a perfect example of what true innovation was.

The same could be said of the Star League's use of Mass Accelerator Technology. Unlike the Council Races, which imitated Prothean technology in order to achieve mass accelerator technology, the Star League had developed a similar technology on it's own: Gauss technology. Much like the Magnetic Accelerator Cannons that the UNSC used in it's arsenal, the Star League had developed railgun technology in the form of Gauss Cannons, Gauss Rifles and Mass Drivers, with the only differences being more advanced materials, faster recharge times, greater yields and significantly longer ranges. When Element Zero was discovered, as a result, railgun technology in the Inner Sphere had reached full technological maturity, with the creation of micro-scaled Gauss Rifles for use by infantry and Battle Armor Elementals. When Element Zero was discovered as a result, along with Prothean ruins, Mass Effect Field technologies weren't seen as the end-all-be-all of technological innovation as the Council believed it was. Rather, the Star League saw Element Zero as just another interesting branch of technology to explore, as this new branch would lead to innovations in other fields. Project ARROWHEAD was the Star League's fully successful attempt to upgrade it's existing Gauss technology with Element Zero, with yields being much more powerful than UNSC MAC's and Councilor Mass Accelerators due to the use of advanced materials design, nanotechnology and superior computer technology.

All of that meant one thing during this firefight: the unknown drones were about to be turned into scrap metal. As soon as Kaidan and Jenkins fired, the drones were reduced to scrap metal, ripped apart by sand grain sized HEAP projectiles traveling at relativistic velocities. More drones came out of cover, firing plasma based weaponry while using energy shields to keep themselves protected. While this did increase their durability, it wasn't enough to make a significant difference, as the tiny HEAP projectiles impacted with enough force to down the shields before tearing through the armor, destroying the drones shortly thereafter. Once all the drones were down, Kaidan moved up and kicked one over, exposing a symbol on the other side. "Shepard," he called out. "You recognize this symbol?"

Coming over, Shepard took a look at it for a good moment. "No," he replied. "I don't recognize it. Probably the emblem of whoever's attacking the colony."

"I agree," Jenkins nodded. "It's not any symbol used by the UNSC, Covenant or Star League. I think we're dealing with a new faction here. One that's apparently hostile to the Star League and it's member Great Houses."

"My thoughts exactly," Shepard nodded. "Keep moving up. If you see anymore of these drones, take them out immediately. We don't want to be dealing with a swarm of them." Nodding in agreement, the rest of the team formed up on Shepard, before moving out towards the colony. Moving forward, Jenkins spotted another one of the drones, blasting it apart with a well aimed shot to it's armored chassis, while Kaidan, spotting another one, used his biotics to rip the drone in half, sending both halves flying in opposite directions.

As they moved up, they got a COM burst from Saren, who was up ahead scouting the area. "I've spotted some structures up ahead," he informed the others. "A lot of bodies up here. I've also taken out some drones; looks like they're combat drones, and they've got a symbol that I don't recognize. I'll let you know if I find anything else. Over."

"Well, that's bad news," Jenkins remarked. "It could be that Saren either knows more than he's letting on, or he really doesn't know who these people are? Given how new he is to the job, I'm guessing it's the latter of the two."

"I agree," Shepard replied. "He sounded uncertain, confused even. We'll have to be careful though; I don't want to know what tricks this new faction might be able to pull out of their sleeves." With that, the team continued to move up some more, weapons at the ready as they moved forwards. As they would soon quickly learn, they weren't the only ones that didn't like the newcomers. As they moved forwards, Shepard thought he heard a loud crashing sound, like someone had hit the side of a thin walled metal trash can with an aluminum baseball bat. Taking cover, he and the others began to proceed forwards, reaching a clearing where the sound had originated from; on a signal from Shepard, they entered the clearing, with Shepard seeing a sight that had him surprised.

In the clearing was one of the Dragons of Fuchida IVb; the creature was massive, with a total size of roughly thirty meters in length and a wingspan of roughly thirty five meters, all covered in glittering green scales. Four, muscular legs supported it's massive frame, each muscle connected to hollow, but ultra-strong bones, allowing it to fly with ease. Two, muscular wings grew out of it's back, just behind it's front legs, while a long, muscular tail extended behind it's body for a good several meters. It's elongated neck attached to a triangular head, which had two horns growing out the back of it's head, with the horns curving down towards it's tail. Two slit, blue colored eyes were currently gazing at a drone that it had smashed with one of it's front claws, with the dragon's sharp, dagger-like teeth exposed as the creature barred them. A deep, rumbling growl rumbled out of it's throat as it looked at the machine that had intruded into it's territory. Behind the dragon, Shepard could see the reason why it was angry: a pair of hatchlings were behind the dragon, and a nest of eggs was nearby as well. In addition, Shepard could tell that it was a female, as it was smaller than the the male, which landed nearby moments later. As soon as Shepard spotted the female dragon, it turned it's head towards him, examining him with it's blue colored eyes. Apparently, with it's mate nearby, the female dragon decided that Shepard and his team was not a threat, as it went back and nestled onto it's clutch of eggs, while the male lumbered over and examined the team more closely. After sniffing the air near the squad, it decided that it's mate was correct, as the male dragon merely lumbered over it's mate and laid down, a contented huff coming from it as it got comfortable. "Whoa," Kaidan remarked. "Did that just happen?"

"Apparently," Shepard nodded. "Looks like the fauna doesn't like the invaders anymore than we do. Let's keep moving, though; I don't want us to overstay our welcome." With that, the team advanced through the clearing, keeping a wide berth around the dragons in order to avoid provoking them. Apparently, the dragons appreciated this, as none of them stirred as Shepard and his team moved to the other side of the clearing, moving into the brush once more. As they moved through the brush, Shepard heard a familiar sound. Gunfire, he realized, motioning for the team to move up quickly.

When they reached a small embankment, they found themselves at the edge of another large clearing, which had a few boulders, as well as some more tall grass. The clearing took a right hand turn, as it led into a wadi, a seasonal river that was currently in it's dry season, into another part of the region that Shepard couldn't see. What he did see, however, was a massive firefight that was breaking out between the drones, as well as a squadron of DCMS Army personnel that were fighting ferociously. A number of drones assaulted their position, only to be blown into scrap metal by the rifles that the DCMS Army soldiers were using. Since Project ARROWHEAD had only recently succeeded, most of the Inner Sphere was still using the M50 AGR. While an older system, it was battle proven and, as such, would remain in service until the newer mass accelerator rifles fully entered mass production. Leading the DCMS squadron was a woman that was fighting at the front, using whatever weapons she could get her hands on. The opponents they were fighting weren't just drones, though. Looking at the fight, Shepard could see what he thought were pirates, though their armor was in much better condition than what pirates tended to use. Something was off here, and he wanted to know what. As he thought the matter over, he heard Jenkins say, "Shepard, we're ready to provide assistance. Orders?"

"Move in and assist the DCMS personnel," Shepard replied. With those orders, he and the others moved forwards, taking aim and firing their weapons at the hostile contacts. The DCMS Army personnel were surprised to see their enemies being cut down, but they didn't lose their wits for a minute, as they continued to fire on the enemy drones and soldiers that were marauding the area. Within a few minutes, the drones and the pirates were down. Walking up to the squad, he asked, "Who's the commanding officer of this unit?"

"I am," the woman he'd seen fighting earlier replied. "Staff Sergeant Ashley Williams of the 212th DMCS Infantry Division, Draco Squad. We were sent here by our CO's on this planet in order to help the SLDF secure the dig site. We were performing a patrol when we were attacked. We managed to get off a distress signal, but I wasn't sure that anyone would pick it up."

"Do you know who's attacking the colony," Shepard asked.

"Not exactly," Ashley replied. "We don't know who they are, but we do know what species they are." Pulling the corpse of a pirate over, she kicked the helmet's visor off with a blow from her foot revealing who was underneath the helmet.

"Batarians," Jenkins asked, surprised when he saw the alien's distinct facial features.

"Correct," Ashley replied. "We also think that they're clones that have been bred with a high pain tolerance, since we blew one's arm off, but it kept on coming as though it wasn't injured at all, and they all looked identical when we removed their helmets. Whoever commands these guys obviously has a lot of financial support, something that would allow these fuckers to be bred in tanks like Clan Elementals. Either way, we're looking at someone that really doesn't care how many lives are thrown away in order to get the mission done."

"That's strange," Kaidan remarked. "The Batarian Hegemony was defeated during FRACTURED TERMINUS. Why would they be attempting to attack us when we clearly defeated them."

"I don't think this is the Hegemony-in-exile," Ashley remarked. "These guys are using more advanced equipment than the Hegemony ever did, and their training is fairly decent, though not nearly as good as what the Coordinator's Generals are capable of providing. I think we're looking at a terrorist group that has access to some decently advanced technology. We'll need to be cautious though."

"Alright," Shepard decided. "You want to come with us? You know the area better than we do, and we could use another rifle on our squad."

"Yes," Ashley replied. "It's time for payback." Turning to her squad, she said, "Return to the colony and help out where you can. I'll be heading with the SLDF personnel in order to guide them to the dig site. Understood?" The others quickly nodded, with the DCMS squad gathering their weapons before moving out. Making sure her AGR was ready to go, Ashley took point, stopping just around the bend of the wadi. "We have to hurry," she told the others. "It's highly likely that the Batarian clones are after the Prothean artifact as well."

"Roger that," Shepard replied. "Any idea as to what they want?"

"The Prothean artifact for one," Ashley replied. "On top of that, they were attempting to break into the buildings that the researchers were using for emergency shelters. I thought they were attempting to take the researchers hostage, so I ordered my men to terminate them immediately. We tried to interrogate one, but he wasn't willing to give up his secrets. Took one of my men's M14 PLP's and shot himself in the head with it." Moving through the wadi, Shepard thought he spotted something flying overhead. He was about to ask when Ashley said, "The attack's also stirred up the fauna on Fuchida IVb. From what I can tell, the dragons really don't want them here.

Just as she said this, a large dragon with bronze scales landed nearby, looking at the team with green colored eyes as it roared and snarled at them, teeth barred in an angry snarl. Apparently, Ashley knew this particular dragon, as she said, "Easy, Vormitar! Easy!" As soon as she said this, the large dragon relaxed, making half growl-half wining sounds as it eased forwards, licking Ashley's armored hand before nuzzling her with it's snout a moment later.

"You know this dragon," Shepard asked.

"I do," Ashley replied. "My dad tamed him when we moved to Fuchida IVb. I was born here, and my dad always took me to see the dragons at the zoo, so they got used to me. Vormitar was one of the main attractions before he was injured, after which my dad took him in and nursed him back to health." Looking at the dragon, Shepard spotted a large, ugly scar that cut across the dragon's face, particularly over it's right eye. Apparently, that eye had been replaced with a replicated version, as it looked newer than the other one. Looking at Shepard, Vormitar walked over before nuzzling him, making whining sounds all the while. "He likes you," Ashley remarked.

"Apparently," Shepard remarked as the dragon licked his helmet once, nuzzling him again before backing up. On a whistle from Ashley, the dragon flew off into the sky, quickly fading into a small, glittering dot in the sky. "Has that happened before?"

"A few times," Ashley replied. "Mostly to family members, though, since my dad raised Vormitar around me and my mom." After a moment, she said, "We'll talk about it a little later. Right now, we need to move for the beacon."

"Agreed," Shepard nodded. Making sure their weaponry was ready, the team moved towards the dig site. The dig site wasn't hard to spot, as the monorail that the construction team had been building terminated there, with a single, partially finished support beam being the primary marker for the site. Around the area were a few more of the Batarian clones, each one making sure that no one got close. Taking aim, Shepard fired a single round, blowing apart a clone's head in a gory shower of blood and brain matter. Sensing that they were under attack, the Batarian clones opened fire immediately, with Shepard and the others taking cover as they opened fire as well. Bullets and plasma bolts were traded between the opposing forces as they fought for supremacy. While the clones were good, they were not nearly as good as Shepard and his forces, as his team quickly cut down the clones before moving into the area. "Where's the Prothean artifact," he asked a moment later.

"I don't know," Ashley replied. "It was supposed to be right here! I don't understand!"

"Relax," Shepard replied. "Do you have any idea as to where it might be."

Ashley was silent for a few seconds, then her face lit up as an epiphany hit her. "It must've been moved to the spaceport," she exclaimed a moment later. "I just remembered: the team at the work site sent out a bulletin! Let me see…" Pulling up her Omni-Tool, she said, "Yes! They moved the artifact to the nearby spaceport so that construction could continue without damaging the artifact in the process."

"Then that's where we're headed," Shepard decided. "Ashley, take point. Jenkins, Kaidan, provide her with fire support if she runs into trouble. I'll be the rearguard in case any clones attempt to perform a backslap maneuver. Move out." With that, the team moved forwards, heading for the spaceport with best speed.

As they did so, Saren came in over the COM once again. "Change of plans, Shepard," he reported. "There's a spaceport up ahead. I'll rendezvous with you there. Over." Nodding in acknowledgment, Shepard continued forwards, checking his suit sensors to make sure no Batarian clones got behind him and the others.

They eventually came into a large clearing that held a number of prefabricated structures, most likely research facilities for the archaeologists that had come to the planet. A fire burned in the area, most likely due to an incendiary grenade that had been detonated in the area; large scorch marks covered the doors of the research structures, indicating the clones failed attempts to break through the tough, ferro-titanium alloy that the structures made good use of. What got Shepard's attention, however, were large, metal spikes that extended from tripod-like structures on the ground. To his horror, a number of human beings had been impaled by the structures, each one a corpse that was suspended in the air. Hearing some coughing, he turned to see a human being lying at the base of one of the objects; it was clear that he was sick, as he coughed violently. He was about to come over when the civilian groaned loudly. "No, stop," he groaned to them. "Stay away! I'm… infected! Don't get close!"

"Infected," Shepard asked. "By what?"

"The spikes," he said to them. "Don't get too close." Looking at Ashley, he said, "Toss me your weapon. I don't want to turn into one of those things!" Reluctantly, Ashley complied, ready to fire on the civilian if he fired on them. She didn't need to worry, as she was surprised when the man pressed the MPL pistol to his head and fired, killing himself instantly as the pulse laser easily cut through his skull.

As soon as that happened, however, the spikes retracted, with the corpses being dropped onto the ground. To Shepard's horror, each of the civilians had been mutated, turned into blue-gray corpses that had a number of glowing sections on their bodies, their mouths open as they howled at the others. "Open fire," he shouted, with the team immediately letting lose. The corpses were tough, but not tough enough to survive SLDF infantry weaponry. One that got close to Shepard immediately let out a surge of electrical energy. He noticed a drop in shield strength, but the Heracles-III shield generator in his armor was radiation hardened, with his armor and shields easily tanking the attack. Turning his rifle, he fired on the creature, killing it instantly. Just like that, the area fell silent as all contacts were eliminated.

"What the hell were those things," Ashley shouted.

"Whatever they were, they reminded me too much of the Flood," Jenkins replied, his face pale as he looked at the corpses. "They were almost like zombies. Mere husks of their former selves."

"Husks," Shepard remarked. "That's an appropriate name for them. Still, we can't let those clones get their hands on more civilians. If this is what they're doing…" he shuddered slightly at the thought. "We need to get to the spaceport. Let's check to see if the civilians here are OK." Following Shepard's orders, Kaidan walked up to one of the doors, before using his training to open up the door.

When it opened, Shepard saw a researcher that was standing at the door, M35 MPL rifle in hand. It was clear that he was former SLDF, as he remained cool and calm, even as Kaidan opened up the door. When he saw that it was a human instead of a Batarian clone, he said, "Whew, you scared me there, young man. I thought those Batarians were about to break through into the building."

"Are you injured," Kaidan asked.

"No," the man replied. "My colleagues are also uninjured. When the attack began, we immediately fled into the buildings and locked the doors. Even if they tried, those Batarians would've needed at least two days to break through that stuff with the gear they had. Ferro-titanium is extremely heat resistant, even when it's civilian grade." A moment later, he paused before saying, "Oh, excuse me. Where are my manners today? Dr. Ian Wright, Chief Archaeologist of the NAIS."

"Corporal Kaidan Alenko. Any idea as to what the Batarians were after?"

"Yes," Ian replied. "After we sealed ourselves into the buildings, the Batarians kept demanding that we come outside. When I asked why, they said their superior wanted to speak with us. I told them no, and that was when they started to try to cut through the door. As you can see, they barely made a scratch. I also thought I saw a Turian walking by, which isn't unusual since quite a few come to live in the Draconis Combine, mostly due to similar cultures."

"I see," Kaidan remarked. "Thanks for the information. Remain inside of the building until the all-clear is sounded. Understand?"

"Completely," the researcher replied. "Oh, and Corporal, kick those Batarians in the ass for me, would you?" Kaidan merely nodded as the door closed.

"What'd you learn," Shepard asked.

"The Batarian clones were trying to abduct the researchers," Kaidan replied. "From what I can tell, their CO is somewhere nearby this place. I think if we move towards the spaceport, we might have a run-in with him or her."

"Alright," Shepard nodded. "We'll keep moving towards the spaceport. Saren's expecting us there." With that, the men moved out towards the spaceport.

. . .

At the spaceport, Saren moved from crate to crate as he moved closer to where the cargo tram was at, weapons at the ready as he made sure no one spotted him. The spaceport was isolated from the rest of the area by a tall, military grade Ferrocrete wall that was designed to withstand an indirect attack from an antimatter-matter bomb, and a direct attack from a thermonuclear bomb. Currently, he was in the cargo loading area of the spaceport, where cargo crates carrying food, supplies and materials for the ever expanding colony on the planet. So far, no one had spotted him yet, but he knew that might not last for too much longer.

As he moved forwards, he thought he saw someone lying against the far wall on the other side. Peering out of cover, he was surprised to see that it was a Turian that was lying against the wall, his talons covering up a hole in his armor; dark blue blood was seeping out from the wound, and a small pool had formed around the Turian. At first, Saren thought the Turian was dead, only to gasp when the Turian groaned. Quickly moving over to the Turian, Saren realized that this was a former student of his. "Nihlus," he asked, surprised.

Nihlus, upon hearing his name, coughed as he came to, his green eyes weakly glancing at Saren. "S-Saren," he weakly gasped, before coughing up some blood. "I… I was hoping that you would come for me. I… I fear that it might be… too late." He coughed some more, with more blood coming out of his mouth.

"Don't worry," Saren replied. "I've got a blood pack in my pack. You'll be OK." Pulling out said blood pack, he removed part of Nihlus' armor, allowing him to push the needle on the IV into Nihlus' arm before placing it on an elevated position. As soon as the fresh supply of Turian blood entered Nihlus, he began to revive, as he slowly became more active. "What happened to you," Saren asked the younger Spectre as he treated Nihlus' wounds.

"It was those damned Batarians," Nihlus groaned. "They ambushed me when I was helping some civilians get to safety. They got me by the arms and dragged me over to another one. They called him 'Tarak' if I recall correctly. He asked me why I was here and I didn't answer; that earned me a shot in the stomach from his sidearm. In the end, he said that it didn't matter much, and that 'The Cycle will continue unabated.' Then he shot me up and dumped me here. I legitimately thought I was going to die here."

"You won't die," Saren adamantly stated. "I won't let you die, not on my watch. Still, I wonder what he meant. It can't be good, that much I know for certain. Still, if I find that bastard, I'll remove his limbs and force him to eat them. Still, how come the defenses didn't activate?"

"That's what I found out," Nihlus replied, his voice gaining strength as he was pulled away from the brink of death. "Tarak had sleeper agents that were able to disable the A-HPG and the defenses. They used some kind of tech that I've never seen before. It looked silvery-white and it was bulky, but streamlined at the same time. Completely scrambled the defense systems."

When Saren heard that, he remembered that, after he became a SLIC Field Agent, he'd been cleared to know of the Forerunner technology that the Star League was researching in order to advance their own. Did someone hostile to the Star League give these terrorists Forerunner technology, he thought to himself. It would explain why the defenses had remained inactive, even when the attack began, as well as why the A-HPG was inactive. "Do you know where the defense systems are located at," he asked.

"Yes," Nihlus replied. "You'll have to get a shuttle to the place, though. Unfortunately, all of them are locked down to keep the clones from using them."

Saren would've cursed, only he heard a flapping sound, like someone was shaking a leather jacket up and down. Turning around, he watched as a large, reptilian creature landed on the ground behind him, it's bronze scales glittering in the sunlight. It growled at him, clearly not happy with what was going on. He was about to raise his rifle when he thought better of it, putting it onto his back instead. Walking up slowly to the creature, he remembered that it was one of the dragons that were native to Fuchida IVb. Walking up to it, he gently placed a talon onto it's face, gently patting it as he did so. That was apparently enough to let it know he wasn't a threat, as it relaxed a moment later. I have an idea, he thought as he looked at the dragon, gauging how much weight it could hold.

Just as he did so, Shepard and the others arrived. "What's going on," Shepard asked. Spotting Nihlus, he said, "Is he…"

"He'll be OK," Saren replied. "I got him some medical treatment. He also told me what's going on." He took a minute to explain to Shepard what had happened, from the tech used to disable the colony's defenses, to when Nihlus was injured and left to die.

"That's some nasty shit there," Shepard remarked. "Well, at least we know what's going on. What do you plan to do?"

"I'll need to get the defenses online," Saren replied. "The only problem is that the shuttles are currently locked down to prevent the attackers from using them. I've got an idea, though. Has anyone ridden on one of these 'dragons' before?"

"Yes," Ashley replied. "Vormitar, the dragon you're petting, is trained to carry people. We use them as an alternative method of travel when the solar flares and CME's are powerful enough to cause interference in the electronics. I take it you're going to ride him to the defense center."

"Yes," Saren replied.

"OK," she remarked. "You're wearing armor, so that should protect the insides of your legs. Those scales seem smooth, but if you're riding a dragon, they can strip the skin off of your legs pretty fast." Walking over, she hefted Saren up onto Vormitar's neck. "Whistle once if you want to take off and twice if you want to land. If you need to go somewhere, push down and to where you want to go when you whistle and he'll go there.." Nodding at Ashley, Saren did exactly as told, with the dragon immediately taking off moments later, quickly becoming a bright glittering dot in the sky once again.

Turning to Nihlus, Shepard asked, "You need someone to help you?"

"No," Nihlus replied. "I'll stay here and catch my breath. I was close to death, though."

"I'll stay here with him," Jenkins said to Shepard. "I have some basic field medic training, so I'll be able to take care of him. Good luck."

"You too, Sergeant," Shepard replied. "Alright, team. We need to get to the Prothean artifact. Move out." With that, the team got their weapons together and moved out, while Jenkins remained behind to ensure Nihlus survived. Encountering more hostiles, Shepard and the others quickly took them out, the Batarian clone's armor not nearly advanced enough to withstand a direct hit from a Star League weapon. Reaching the loading docks, they ducked as the clones engaged them from a distance with sniper weaponry. Pulling out his new M80 Hammerhead SR, Shepard engaged the clones with his SR, with Kaidan and Ashley doing the same thing. Heads were vaporized and blown apart by the fusillade of high powered rifle rounds. Good thing Garrus taught me how to use a sniper rifle, Shepard thought. It hadn't been easy competing with the Turian, but eventually, he got as good as Garrus, though he wouldn't admit it to his friend. Once the area was clear, they advanced up to the cargo tram, where Shepard quickly identified where the Prothean artifact had been taken. Pressing a button, he felt the tram accelerate as it went towards it's destination.

. . .

Good thing Ashley gave me those instructions, Saren thought as he clung onto Vormitar's neck, his talons gripping the dragon's scales tightly as they flew along to their destination: the colony's Defense Control Center. According to Ashley, the colony was due to have a new defense AI installed within a day or two, which meant the attack was a stroke of very bad luck. From what radio chatter he could hear, the research labs on the planet's moon, as well as the defenses around Fuchida IVc were online and activated, having gone to high alert when the colony was attacked. Still, the attackers had only targeted Fuchida IVb, not the immensely more valuable shipyards and facilities on the other planets. That meant they were after the artifact, not the WarShips at the shipyards over Fuchida IVc.

As they flew along, Saren had to admit, there was something oddly appealing about riding on a species previously thought to exist only in mythology. True, the dragons of Fuchida IVb were not as intelligent as a human being, but there was just something oddly appealing when it came to riding one. Perhaps it was the fact that he was riding on an organism that was not only capable of flight, but capable of carrying other organisms on it.

He shook the thoughts out of his head when he saw the DCC to his left, prompting him to whistle and push in that direction. Having been trained on how to listen to instructions, Vormitar immediately understood what Saren was telling him, as the dragon banked to the left and began descending to the required area. The landing was a bit rough, but Saren patted the dragon's neck as they landed. "Good boy," Saren whispered, with the dragon growling in agreement. Getting off he gave it one more pat before proceeding to the center, weapon in hand as he proceeded into the defense center. The defense center was a large, rectangular building that stood about two stories above ground, with the upper level holding the actual control center. The door had been forced open, most likely due to a power outage. As soon as he entered the door, he ducked into cover, just as weapons fire opened up. Peering out of cover, he fired his weapon at the clones in the room, taking them out one by one as he proceeded through the hallways of the rectangular structure.

Eventually, he reached the control room for the DCC, where the defenses could be activated. Killing the clones inside, he walked over to the console, where he noticed the device that Nihlus spoke of. That's Forerunner technology, Saren thought, realizing his guess from earlier was correct. I wonder why this his here. Grabbing the object, he pulled with all of his might, with the object stubbornly holding on before it popped off. As soon as it did, the system came fully online, with the rumble of Calliope-V turrets resounding in the distance.

. . .

Shepard, who was on the cargo tram, could hear the SAM turrets firing as the tram traveled along. Looks like Saren reactivated the defenses, he thought as the tram traveled along the rails. At least we can… His train of thought was promptly derailed by a loud, bass roar that echoed in the air of the area. Turning around, Shepard watched as the ship he'd spotted on the distress signal lifted up and into the air.

"What is that," Kaidan shouted.

"It's a WarShip," Ashley called out. "Nowhere near as big as ours, but it's scary nonetheless. Looks like something from Lovecraftian horror novels I read before." Just as she said that, the ship rapidly accelerated, disappearing from sight as it left the atmosphere, before entering FTL flight. With the distracting sight gone, they turned their attention towards their destination, which was close by. The tram came to a stop a few seconds later, halting at what appeared to be a receiving station. Weight stations were present at the station, which was split into two platforms, each one connected by bridges that crossed the gap over the tram rails. Stairs led up to other parts of the station, which had a large, overhanging roof.

What got Shepard concerned were the cylindrical objects that were scattered throughout the area. Kaidan, having gotten training in explosives, immediately recognized what they were. "Demolition charges," he shouted. "The Batarian clones must have planted them! If they blow, they'll take the whole colony with them!"

"Hurry," Ashley shouted. "Shut them down!"

"Hang on," Kaidan shouted, using his Omni-Tool. "I've uploaded an automated defusal program to your Omni-Tools. They should shut off the explosives! Now get to it, hurry!" The last sentence had them racing off of the cargo tram as though it was a gunshot starting a race, with Shepard reaching the first explosive. Priming the program, he watched as a progress bar quickly filled, before a duo of beeps indicated the explosives were disarmed. Nearby, Ashley successfully disarmed another demo-charge. Proceeding forwards, they quickly found themselves under fire from the clones that were present, forcing Shepard to open fire while the others disarmed the explosives. After a tense few minutes of fighting and disarming, all of the bombs were disarmed and the explosives were disabled. "Whew," Kaidan remarked, taking off his helmet and wiping some sweat off of his forehead before putting it back on. "That was close. We only had ten second before they would've blown."

"That's cutting it a little too close for comfort," Shepard agreed. "Thankfully, we disarmed them all. Now we just have to find the artifact." With that, the team advanced to where the artifact was located at. The artifact was located at another part of the station, near a landing pad for VTOL's that would've transported the device to any science ships in orbit. The artifact itself was standing in the middle of one such VTOL pad, and was a stark contrast to the surroundings. It was a slate-gray, almost black color, with lines and seams that glowed an emerald green color. A single pillar of emerald green light emanated from the top of the artifact, which was shaped like a wedge that had a sculpted circular base at the bottom. In terms of height, it stood a good five meters in the air. Spotting the device, Shepard keyed his COM and said, "Commander Shepard to the SLS/HDF Normandy, we have secured the artifact. Requesting EVAC, over."

While he said this, Ashley and Kaidan were looking at the artifact with curiosity. "Amazing," he remarked. "Actual working Prothean technology. Not as amazing as our own technology, but still, it's a sight to see."

"It wasn't doing anything like that when they dug it up," Ashley remarked. "Something must've activated it."

Nearby, Shepard had confirmation that retrieval was coming. "Affirmative," he replied. "Standing by." Walking over to Kaidan, he began to inform him of what was going on. Nearby, Ashley was looking at the artifact. Part of her wanted to get close, but her better judgment decided against that. Listening to the cautious part of her personality, she turned and began to walk away.

Suddenly, Ashley felt as though a giant had taken a hold of her, as she began to be dragged towards the artifact, a faint nimbus of green glowing energy around her body. "HELP," she screamed, with her call for help reaching Shepard. Spotting what was happening, Shepard immediately moved, running over to her and grabbing a hold of her, before throwing her out of the way. Realizing it had caught a hold of him, he began to use the Myomers in his suit to pull himself away from the artifact. Suddenly, a surge of energy overwhelmed his boot's traction, causing him to slip and tumble to the ground. Now at the mercy of the device, he was hefted up into the air, where he was rotated around before behind help upright in front of the object. He could distantly hear Ashley calling out for him as images and sounds filled his mind, bringing nearly unbearable pain with it in the process. Moments later, that pain was blissfully ended as the device exploded, sending him flying back, where he impacted a metal crate, falling unconscious moments later.

Kaidan, who saw the whole thing, stumbled over to Shepard. "SLS/HDF Normandy, this is Corporal Alenko, we need medical help! Shepard's unconscious! The device activated and pulled him in from over 10 meters away!"

"Roger that," was the reply. "ETA: 2 mikes." Looking back at the artifact, Kaidan had one question: how would he explain this to the Captain?