SSV Toronto (Copenhagen Class Light Cruiser)
May 19th, 2205 (18+ hours after recovery)
"So what am I looking at Doc?" David asked as he entered one of the Toronto's medical bays.
Doctor Karen Stelwart, the overworked Japanese doctor on the ship, just scowled. "What's with the Shepards always finding something interesting at dig sites?"
"Excuse me?" David looked confused.
"Your father found out about the Reapers on Eden Prime, alongside a Prothean. Now we come to today and you find four Humans barely out of their teens with more questions than answers."
The N-6 winced. "Wasn't my fault!"
"I'm not saying it's your fault, Lieutenant." Stalwart stated. "It's just that your family has a weird relationship with things being dug out of the ground. Anyways, about the kids."
The two turn to face 4 medical beds with the kids laying on them. All four of them had been stripped of their original clothes and placed in medical patient gowns. (For those interested, they're laying on those medical beds like the ones in the Tempest from ME:A).
"Well, first things first. All of them have no actual wounds, just light bruising though there's evidence of them having taken cuts or various quantities. All four of them are suffering from sleep exhaustion and are hungry, at least according to my scans, so that needs to be addressed when they wake up. I've inserted the necessary vitamins and nutrients via IV tubes but that's not a substitute for actual food." Doctor Stelwart said.
"Got it, see to it that they get fed." David nodded.
"Yes, though there is something that has gotten my attention." The two walked up to the 2 meter tall, short black hair, and muscular teen. "According to the care card we found on them, this one's name is Yatsuhashi Daichi. Anyways, there's something unique about these teens, watch."
Doctor Stelwart pulls out a scalpel and looks as if she was going to cut an incision into his arm when a light brown force field violently appears as if it were trying to stop her.
"The heck?" David just stared. "Is that…some sort…energy shield?"
"Looks like it. All of these kids have this forcefield that envelopes their bodies. That's what made hooking them up to an IV drip difficult. Thankfully I got it down. Still, this raises more questions." Stalwart sighed. "Forgive me, I would be more excited about this if it weren't for the fact that I had to look over these four for the last 18 hours."
"No issues doc. Still." David taps the tall kid again and the light brown force field lights up again. "Too bright to be kinetic barriers, two widespread to be tech, doesn't even look like those new Coalition plasma barriers. They have no hidden barrier generators hidden on them, right?"
Doctor Stelwart nodded. "Yup, whatever this is, it's natural. And don't get me started on the little one over there."
Stalwart threw a thumb at the girl with the bunny ears and the pair walked over to her.
"According to her care card, this one's name is Velvet Scarlatina. You can probably guess what's up with her." Stelwart said.
"Let me guess, same energy barrier and she has hybrid DNA with rabbits," David replied.
"Correct, though there's something odd I found. Come here." David walked over to the terminal next to Velvet and turned it one. Suddenly a picture of her DNA here.
"As you can see and know, her DNA has been fused with, what the computers think, the Riverine Rabbit from Earth though this is new and as such, we're not too sure yet since we don't have an archive on rabbit species. I'll run another scan when we get to Bastion. But while I was during a further investigation of the DNA in her blood, I found some more interesting details."
Tapping on some buttons, a series of charts and graphs appeared. "What am I looking at here Doc? DNA isn't really my thing, engineering is."
Karen Stelwart rolled her eyes. "Short version, I was trying to figure out if any of them had any relations to any living or dead Human in the last 300 years. According to the computer, they have no relatives anywhere in Alliance or Commonwealth space. They're literal unknowns. But that's not what's interesting."
Some more charts came up. "The DNA for our rabbit friend is stable and from the looks of things, has been a genetic thing that has passed down at least hundreds of years. Short version without the science rabble, According to my research and scans, this isn't something you can whip up in the last 60 years; this genetic condition has existed for at least for her, 400 years."
"400 years?" David frowned. "So you're saying this isn't the product of some secret government shadow group."
"Unless they went back in time, then no. Short version, no Human organization would have the technology or resources to make such genetic modifications until maybe 50 years ago. Even alien organizations, barring maybe the Reapers, could have done the same as well. Even the Citadel Council would have caught onto genetic experimentation on pre-FTL species. But even the Reapers are unlikely due to Charon still being a hunk of ice for most of our history and the Reapers/Collectors having the subtlety of a Mako through the Citadel."
"There goes the Cerberus theory." David sighed. "Well, what else?"
Doctor Stelwart tapped on the console. "Something else I noticed. Out of curiosity, I was testing various aspects of themselves while scanning them. If the medical scanners are right-"
X Rays of the kids show up. "-It looks like each one can move faster, hit harder, and react quicker than a normal Human. It's comparable to your stats actually."
"My stats?"
"Of course, no offense LT but you're not exactly a normal Human. Genetically at least. You showed powerful biotics at a young age that allowed you to hold off the Reapers when you were a kid, you can hit just as hard as most Turians and some Krogan, you have the reaction speed as a decent Drell assassin, and you can run as fast as a varren."
"None taken, but still. You figured this all out about our new friends in just 18 hours?" David was impressed with Karen.
"Yeah, it wasn't easy but these mysteries did keep me up. That and modern medical technologies can perform miracles. Still, as I said, these kids share similar stats to you if a bit underdeveloped for being younger. They're all eighteen by the way. Though the fact that they can carry those monstrosities of what they call weapons is impressive."
David took a second to think about this. He never knew much about his past, his birth parents, his old name, his life before he was stuck in a Vancouver orphanage before being 'adopted' by first Admiral Anderson (not really adopted, just taken care of) during the war and later Admirals Shepard and Zorah.
Could these kids be a chance to find out more about his life before the war?
"One more thing." Karen led David to the one with darker skin and reddish brown hair.
"Fox Alistair. According to both his care card and my scans, he's blind. And yet, he fights with Tonfas. He's an interesting one."
David's eyes sharpen. How the hell could a blind kid fight melee? Actually, why were all the boys armed with swords and sharp blades when the galaxy used ranged weapons? Where did they come from? So many questions he would have to figure out later.
David nodded. "We can ask him when he walks up. Its treatable right?"
Karen nodded. "Looks like he was born blind. Sucks but nothing a visit to Goyle General Hospital can't fix."
"Ok, how many other people have you talk to about these kids?"
"No, just you, your team, the Toronto's captain, and the Commodore," Karen responded. "He told me to keep the rest of the crew away for now."
"Keep it that way until the Commodore orders it." David said.
"You can't give me orders David." Karen smiles. "But yeah, this will be top secret until otherwise."
"Thanks Karen. Anyways, going to head back down to my team. Keelah Se'lai Doctor." David bowed politely.
"You two David. Now shoo. I need to do some more scans."
David obliged the doctor's orders and left the medbay. Time to check up on the rest of warlock.
5 minutes and one elevator ride later
I swear to the spirits that despite us having developed non-eezo FTL, reverse-engineered Thanix weaponry, and created AIs, no one has ever made a faster elevator. David thought as he stepped out of the elevator and into a small hallway at the top level of the cruiser.
Well, a closet would be more accurate. You see, the Copenhagen class was meant to be a space superiority cruiser and didn't have much space for a special forces team since all that went to shield generators, weapons, reactors, etc. As such, what would be the equivalent of space to a national football court (audience seats included), Warlock had to be content with just what felt like 2 decently sized hotel rooms squashed together.
Not that they minded. The team was close and honestly didn't mind the whole tightness.
Though they had to make comprises to space and as such, their dining table acted partially as their suiting up room. Which was why most of the kid's gear was on said table.
"I just talked to Doc." David said.
"How are the kids?" Maceter asked with concern in his voice.
"Good news, their find. Weirder news, is they all appear to be stronger than every other species baring the Krogan, they have this weird force field thing that they naturally generate, and they're all unconscious. So you know, normal teenage stuff." David said chipperly.
The rest of Warlock stared back. Only Vurge seemed unfazed.
"That's it." Jeale threw up her hands. "This team is now a weirdness magnet."
"Pretty sure that was already the case with the Rachni maid incident. But anyways we'll ask them about that later, what have you found out about these weapons?"
"Ah! Good something I can use my superior knowledge." Vurge cleared his throat. "From the looks of things, either these kids were simply co-playing and had a lot of money to spare or they were truly fighting something big."
The Krogan pointed to the big sword the kid Yatsu had. "See that Greatsword? Made from Chrome Vanadium infused Steel if my omnitool's correct. Sharp, durable, and effective though not cheap for sure. But in the hands of that brute in medical? Even I doubt a Krogan or Elcor could survive a swing."
"This is what appears to be based on a Tonfa weapon from Earth, or perhaps one of those Turian Glacias. What's interesting is that there's some sort of firearm built into each half." Vurge picked up one of the Tonfa with what would be considered gentle for a Krogan. "Interesting, here catch."
With Krogan gentleness, Vurge tossed the Tonfa to David. The Human N-6 caught it with ease but had a semi-annoyed look at the Krogan for tossing weapons around before taking a peek at the weapon itself. "Curious. Looks to be some sort of pistol-style action in here, with room for a magazine. And looks to use chemical reactions like the weapons of the 21st and early 22nd centuries. Though it seems a bit fragile compared to just simple blades."
David turned the weapon around. "And it looks like it's triggered when this Fox punches his targets. A fascinating but also impractical solution for modern armed groups."
"Goddess, we have two weapon nerds now." Weto groaned.
"I thought we're all nerds, Weto. You're the one who got stuck in a gun mall for several hours." Jeta teased.
"ONE TIME, Ok!? One time and you make fun of it." Weto grumbled.
Everyone else chuckled. "Ok seriously though, what's with the Mini-gun?" Weto asked.
David places the Tonfa back on the table. "Well it's an air-cooled, electric-powered, multi-barreled rotary cannon obviously. Fires a bullet that's bigger than a 7.62mm. Though the magazine is….large for its size to be a practical scott and shoot weapon."
David began feeling the handle. "Damn heavy, not many Humans are going to carry this thing into battle. Ammos going to be an issue since it's all chemically propelled. And there's the matter of ai-WOAH!"
The moment David's hand brushed over a button said gatling gun, it suddenly sputtered to life and suddenly transformed into a…..purse? And in less than a second no less. How it didn't collapse the table was a question on its own.
"...What in the spirits." Maceter could only say as they stared at the gatling gun turned purse thing.
"Keelah, this is just straight-up weird now. And if three of them were carrying….those, why was that bunny girl carrying…that?" Jeala pointed to the camera.
A camera. A god's honest camera from even before the world wars or even space travel. And it looked like one of those custom film models with that cute heart on its lens.
Despite the interesting design, that just raised my questions.
"That's it! I give up! What's with these kids?!" David threw up his own arms as his eyes swept the table for the rest of their gear.
Besides their weapons/camera, they also found what appeared to be mobile phone-like devices, various ration bars, extra ammo, small amounts of medical supplies, and, on Beret Girl herself, tons of ammo and canisters of a crystalline substance that none of Warlock wanted to touch.
After all, if one of them sneezed and caused an explosion on the ship, that would be bad because explosions and spaceships never work well together.
"Right screw it, we'll figure this all out later when the kids wake up. Is there any ryncol on this ship?"
"No Lieutenant, this ship does not have much alcohol for recreational use at all." Early Rise said over the comms. "Sorry, though there's orange juice down in the mess."
"Bosh'tet." Warlock's leader muttered.
?
Coco stirred, flashes of her memory coming back to her.
Carin, the Gray family, their failure to protect them, escaping the Grimm, being cut off from Professor Port, the Grimm, finding the cave….
….the sphere.
Her team!
Coco's eyes widened and her body shot straight up or would have if her face slammed right into something and she fell flat down wherever she was laying.
Thank the brother gods for aura. "Ooooowwwwww."
"You do realize that this medical scanner in your way right?" A female voice from the side. "Here, let me handle it."
Coco could see what appeared to be arches over her head suddenly recede and collapse to the side of the bed she was laying on.
"Water." Coco gasped out.
"Here," the strange lady suddenly appeared on Coco's side, propped her up into a sitting position, and brought a glass of water to her lips. "Take it slow kid."
Coco ignored the kid comment, eagerly gulping down the glass. Soon enough, the cup was empty.
"Better?" Coco nodded. "Good."
"Where….where am I? Where's my team?" Coco asked.
"One thing at a time. I'm doctor Karen Stelwart. You and your team are on the SSV Toronto, a Copenhagen class heavy cruiser belonging to Human Systems Alliance Navy. You were picked up by a special forces team after you were found in a dig site on the planet of Auris. And your team is right there." The doctor turned and Coco saw the rest of her team laying on beds like the one she was on, all sleeping peacefully in patient gowns-
….wait.
Coco looked down at her body and recoiled in horror. "What the hell am I wearing?!"
Codex…. Alliance Spec ops (Post Reaper War)
The Alliance Navy Special Forces, under the N-program, are considered one of the best-trained formations in the known galaxy. One of the few elite forces not torn apart by the Reapers, forces with N-7 operators were able to form various ad-how units called N7 Spec ops made up of various fighters from almost every species fighting the Reapers. These units ranged from fireteam-sized elements to entire Battalions (the latter is rare though due to manpower issues). After the war, these N7 spec ops units would become the backbone of the new Alliance Spec Ops force.
Post War, the Alliance Special Forces would suddenly find itself with a large non-human population. The collapse of the Asari Republics into civil war, the temporary isolation of the Salarian Union, and the destruction of so many colonies saw hundreds of millions of refugees of various species and social types. Many of these refugees were soldiers and wished to utilize their expertise.
Alliance special forces units benefited the most from this. To this day, most alliance squads are made up of 3 or more species each bring in their own expertise and abilities. Many follow the inspiration of the crew of the SSV SR2 Normandy, a ship that has, at one moment of time, hosted crewmembers from almost every species. Combing the biotics of the Asari, martial discipline of the Turians, rage of the Krogan, technical skills of the Quarians, the creative thinking of the Humans, and the electronic warfare advantage posed by Geth and other AIs can be an extremely deadly threat. Just as deadly as a carrier.