Lambs to the Slaughter

Tali stopped her conversation with her father when she heard news of a new transmission from the Humans. She felt a small trill of fear, did they change their minds? Or did they have a change of heart and were willing to help them? Was it salvation or damnation?

"Patch it through to me and other admirals." Rael said evenly as leaned heavily on the dashboard in front of him staring at the screen.

To Tali's surprise she saw a human face staring at her. This was the first time she had seen a human's face, their appearances were shrouded in mystery. Few had even seen one and even then most of them hid behind metal helmets. To Tali's surprise the humans looked remarkably similar to Quarians. This one had striking blue eyes and short, almost shaved hair. He had a masculine and wide jaw with a tight grimace at his lips.

"Quarian migrant fleet we are detecting a large fleet moving towards the Sol Relay. Their signatures indicate they are Batarian Hegemony vessels. I assume they are why your fleet is in such a sorry state?" the human said calmly.

Tali felt her blood turn to ice at those words, the Batarians were coming? Those lunatics wanted them dead so badly?

"What?" Rael asked, his arms now shaking.

"I'm sending you some new coordinates, get some distance from the Relay. I will speak to the Batarians." the human said as he cut the transmission.

"Wait…" Rael began but the screen just went dark in his face.

There was silence as everyone processed the information, then panic…

"We're going to die…" one of the pilots said as the bridge broke out into panic.

"I need to get to my daughter…" one of the navigators said as he shakily stood up from his seat.

"My wife…" another pilot said as he scrambled to his feet.

Tali looked to her father and saw him look down at the dashboard in defeat. The other admirals were silent as well as their bridges all broke out into chaos.

Raan buried her head in her hands.

Xen leaned back into her seat looking resigned.

Gerrel brought a shaking fist down hard onto the dashboard.

Kori was still a statue as another of his bridge crew shouted at him for orders.

No they can't give up, the Human didn't say they would just watch as the Batarians sent them to the ancestors.

"We can't give up…" Tali muttered and Rael turned to look at her.

"CALM DOWN!" Tali shrieked at the bridge crew who's screaming was starting to drive her mad.

This made all the admirals look up at the transmission.

"WE DIDN'T LAST SO LONG JUST TO GIVE UP NOW!" Tali shouted in desperation at the transmission and the gazes of all the admirals locked on her. The bridge was silent now as the crew all looked at her.

"Keelah Se'Lai, by the homeworld I hope to see one day. How will we face our ancestors if we just give up?" Tali said.

Tali saw Raan look down for a moment before nodding ever so slightly.

"Tali's right… we have to try at least… all the sacrifices we made, we have to make them count for something…" Raan said.

"ORDER!" Gerrel roared at his bridge and the hysteria died down.

"The heavy fleet will be ready, Raan?" Gerrel said as he straightened up in his chair.

"The patrol fleet will be with you, Gerrel." Raan said with a nod.

"If this is to be the end, let's at least make the end memorable." Koris added with a nod.

"Agreed." Xen said with a nod.

"Wait to see what the humans will do. Maybe they will blast the Batarians the moment they don't power down their weapons." Rael said.

"We already lasted longer than we thought, maybe we aren't done in this world yet." Raan said with a nod.

"Keelah Se'Lai." Rael said.

"Keelah Se'Lai." the other admirals said in unison as the transmision cut.

This phrase Keelah Se'Lai was sacred to the Quarian people. It represented hope, hope that all their sacrifices were not for naught. But when once it was spoken in hushed words as if in prayer, now it was said with the spirit of defiance. The Quarians will not go quietly into the dark, if the Batarians wanted their lives they could damn well take it the way everyone else does.

{]===(PB)===[}

"Do not go gentle into that good night… rage… rage against the dying of the light…" John muttered as he gazed at the still burning ships moving into defensive positions.

John looked back at the display that showed the conversation that played out after he disconnected. The Imperium of Man had access to every secure channel in the galaxy. They see all, they know all… and sometimes that is more a curse than a blessing.

"Such spirit…" John muttered as he replayed the scene of the young Quarian shouting at the other admirals.

"Keelah Se'Lai…" John muttered as he tasted the words in his mouth.

"By the homeworld I hope to see one day…" John muttered as he contemplated those words.

"You admire them…" Kaiden said from behind John.

"I do… I see our humble race in them. We are cursed with great purpose, cursed to lead the galaxy against the great enemy. To fight and toil with great purpose requires strength. To toil and fight with nothing but a vague hope requires greater strength still.

We know we can succeed, but the Quarians? They have no plan, no tactics, no technology, no means at all to see their homeworld again. But still they toil, still they fight, that alone… even if nothing else remains… is worthy of respect." John said as he paused the recording to look at the masked Quarian with her hands out, begging her leaders to remain strong.

"Such fire, such spirit… it is humbling to see…" John muttered as he bowed his head slightly to the still image.

"Humbling… many of the races would find that condescending if they knew what we are capable of…" Kaiden said.

"Only fools seek offense when there is none. But fools many of them are, the Salarians torturing the Krogan with their genophage, the Asari crying for our technology when they themselves hide so much and the Turians so eager for war, so willing to shed precious blood…

But humble we are, the truth does not need their approval.

When I walk through the imperial palace, in those gilded halls…

When I look up at the stars high above the palace walls…

I see jewels shining with greater splendor, high above far humbler halls…" John said wistfully.

"Some would say they do not deserve to be saved." James mused from behind John.

John smiled as he heard those words, yes many would say so. Many would say they deserve their fate, the Quarians for example tried to kill their children the Geth and instead found themselves undone.

But not him, not John, he has seen the visions in Pandora's Box, the splendor and the horror. In every race lived potential, but not all could be saved. So what can be saved, he would…

Pity the Batarians aren't on that list… such a pity…

"Some would say that yes, but… in all the horror there is beauty as well. We are not gods, we do not get to decide who lives and dies, we just save what we can. We do not do what is easy, we do what is right…" John replied.

"Yes my lord." James said with a bow, his armor clinking and creaking telling John that James had lowered his head.

"Raise your head James, we must stand tall in the face of the terror. The final act shall begin soon…" John said without looking back as he raised his gaze slightly to that countdown timer that was present everywhere in the imperium of man. Once there was once so much time now there was barely anything…

"Yes my lord Shepard…" James said as he raised his head, just in time to see the Batarian warp in around the Mass Relay.

"Show time…" John said as he reached forward and pressed a button on the dashboard.

"Batarian Fleet, declare your intentions." John said into the console.

"Our quarrel is not with you humans, we are here for the Quarians." a Batarian voice replied.

"We do not care Batarian, power down your weapons and leave." John said coldly.

"And what will you do to stop us with that small space station? Do you wish to test our mettle?" the Batarian voice retorted with a condescending laugh.

"For your sake, I suggest you sit back and witness the glorious end of the suit rats. I am Admiral Borlak Cromdovran, Admiral of the Batarian fifth fleet. Stand aside and watch history in the making." the Batarian admiral said.

"The Quarians have leave to reside in our space, you do not. Power down your weapons and leave, take your ships and your bloodlust out of our space. This is your final warning." John said.

"You are going to die for some suit rats?" Admiral Borlak challenged.

"Someone is…" John retorted coldly with a clear edge in his voice.

"Baah, fine. You can watch as we send them to the next life, you will soon follow." Admiral Borlak spat as he cut the transmission.

So that's how it is… how disappointing… There was a reason they had set up this massive network of illusion rays. Those on the other side couldn't see the line of star fortresses guarded by an armada. To put it simply this illusion, this veil… was a test. They say you judge a man by how he treats his inferiors and the Batarians have shown what kind of race they are.

"So they choose blood then… fine… they can join the Turian ghosts… lift the veil…" John said and immediately the bridge sprang to life as the whole armada readied for battle.

"Fools…" Kaiden muttered from behind John.

"They think themselves unstoppable, they can have their delusions. Their delusions will die with them." John said as he watched the projection of both the Quarians and Batarians balking at the sight of the great fleet that was revealed.

"The veil is lifted, all fleet elements protect the Migrant Fleet, all hands… weapons free…" John commanded calmly.

{]===(PB)===[}

"Ah so that's what it is…" Tali said, stunned as she gazed at the massive fleet arrayed before her. Their ships were massive, they broke every naval restriction there was, a fleet of illegal juggernauts…

The conversations with the Batarians were secretly patched through to the Quarian admiralty by the Humans. They heard everything, it was quite a relief to say the least that the humans were willing to defend them.

"Admiral… the Mass Relay… it's shutting off…" Tali heard one of the navigators say.

"They turned it off? How? It takes months to deactivate Mass Relays…" Rael said.

"Huh, this was a trap for the Batarians, the cage is closed…" Xen said

Then Tali noticed a red glow appear at the prow of the largest of the Humans ships. The Quarians stilled as they looked at the glow then a large red beam appeared flying straight at the Batarian flagship.

Tali gaze followed the beam as it struck the flagship, the shields on the dreadnought flickered then faded. The beam hit the hull, cutting through the armor like paper before remerging on the other side, cutting the dreadnought in half.

There was a flash as the dreadnought exploded, the blast taking out a few smaller ships and damaging a few more ships. Then Tali saw some small flashes from the Human fleet as a group of the ships seemingly vanished. In the next moment Tali saw the ships reappear right on top of the Quarian fleet. Tali saw the words ISV Shanxi on the largest ship in the small fleet as it turned and moved to shield the migrant fleet. Their ships can teleport? Is it a short range mass effect jump? How much Eezo would they need for something like that?

"Migrant fleet this is Captain Ashley Williams of the ISV Shanxi, pull back we'll handle this…" Tali heard a female voice say.

"Copy, ISV Shanxi, thank you for the assist." Tali heard Raan reply as she watched the Migrant fleet begin to retreat.

"What the hell is that ship doing?" Rael muttered.

Tali followed her father's gaze to see the ISV Shanxi on a ramming course to one of the Batarian cruisers. The Shanxi was shaped like a wedge with a thin point, the whole ship was covered in heavy armor but it was lunacy to attempt a ramming maneuver when your ship was fully functional.

Then the front of the ship lit up with a red glow as a red barrier appeared around the front half the ship. The Shanxi plowed into the Batarian cruiser and the Batarian ship's hull buckled like a tin can. The Shanxi came out on the other side none the worse for wear, leaving behind a burning cruiser now cut in twain.

"These Humans are crazy…" one of the navigators said.

"Get moving, we don't want to get hit by accident with weapons like those." Rael said and the bridge was snapped from their stunned stupor. Immediately orders were being sent down to retreat.

"QUARIANS!" Tali heard a loud Batarian voice scream out from the comms.

"WE MAY DIE TODAY, BUT WE ARE TAKING AS MANY OF YOUR FOUL RACE AS WE CAN WITH US!" the Batarian roared, sounding half mad.

"Admiral, Batarian vessels going all ahead full, on intercept course." one of the navigators said.

"Damned fanatics! All vessels spread out!" Rael roared into the comms.

Tali watched as one of the Batarian Battlecruisers charged past the withering hail of fire, the heavy frontal armor failing but the ship was still able to steer. The ship managed to break past the line of Human ships and reach the Patrol Fleet, then in a white flash the Battlecruiser self-destructed.

Tali watched in horror as the blast consumed two Quarian ships and heavily damaged another.

"RAAN!" Rael shouted into the comms and Tali saw Admiral Raan's transmission was now replaced with static. Tali felt her blood go cold as she realized one of the ships was the Tonbay.

"No…" Tali said shakily.

Then after a flicker Raan's image appeared again, her face mask was horribly cracked and Tali could see suit ruptures across her left side.

"Tonbay… heavy damage… drives crippled…combat ineffective…" Raan said through the choppy transmission.

"Gerrel!" Rael shouted into the Comms.

"We can't Rael, more of them are coming!" Gerrel replied and Tali saw more Batarian Ships on the sensors attempting the same thing. The Quarian ships were too damaged to turn around and outrun the Batarians in time.

"ISV Mozambique enroute to assist Tonbay, Migrant Fleet maintain retreat vector." Tali heard a human voice say.

"Many thanks, ISV Mozambique." Gerrel replied.

"ISV Mozambique, ISV Lorraine moving to assist." another voice said.

Tali watched as the two cruisers, which were moving far nimbler than a ship of that size should allow. Tali saw the Mozambique fire towing anchors into the Tonbay and began dragging it towards the rest of the Migrant Fleet. Meanwhile the Lorraine tore apart a pursuing Batarian destroyer with it's main guns.

Then Tali saw a figure step into view of Raan's transmission feed. The human placed a hand on Raan's shoulder and Raan nodded in thanks as the human began tending to her wounds.

"THEY ARE STILL CHARGING!" Gerrel roared as Batarians threw caution to the wind and the entire fleet charged the Migrant Fleet.

Tali saw a flash and the human flag ship appeared in between the Migrant Fleet and the Batarian Fleet. The gargantuan ship looked so much bigger up close, it was almost as big as one of the Citadel's arms…

"Ancestors! Correct course, that ship has a gravity well!" Rael ordered as the Alarei began to tilt as it was influenced by the gravity well of that massive ship.

Tali saw the massive words ISV Normandy painted on the side and when she shifted her gaze to the sensors she saw the Batarian fleet was being cut to pieces by the devastating broadsides of that great ship.

"I need to get my hands on that shield tech." Xen mused into the comms.

"Not the time Xen!" Koris replied.

"Look at the sensors Koris, the Batarians are ramming it and their ships are breaking on that monster's shields. When have you ever even heard of shields able to withstand direct ship collisions?" Xen said

Tali looked at the sensors and saw that Admiral Xen was right, the Batrians were trying to ram the Normandy but it stood strong weathering the blows with it's shields.

"Retreat to the coordinates I sent Quarians. The Normandy will handle the Batarians." that same human said as his face appeared on the comms.

"Can your shields hold?" Rael asked.

At those words the human let out a small laugh.

"Let the fleas bite, The Normandy's hide is too thick to be penetrated by their sallow teeth. I assure you our teeth are not as easy to withstand." the human said.

On cue the sensors showed a full broadside from the Normandy's main guns, it destroyed two dreadnoughts, three battlecruisers and four cruisers. One barrage and half of the Batarians major ships were now flaming hulks adrift in the void.

Then a Batarian Captain entered the transmission.

"Ah what do you have to say now that I have allowed you in?" the human mused as he raised an eyebrow at the raging frothing Batarian. Tali could see the ship's light flickering and sparks flying as the ship's systems failed one by one. The once proud vessel buckling under the human onslaught.

"The Hegemony will not forget this day! You Humans will pay for this a thousand times over!" the Batarian raged.

"Threats and delusions? What a waste of your last words. Pray to your gods, Batarian. You will see them soon. Let this be a lesson to your race, if you wish to test us, we will come for your king's head.

Kill him..." the human said calmly and the Batarian Captain's screen was replaced with static.

"Tend to your wounds Quarians, I would like to meet with your leadership." the Human said.

"Thank you for your aid, we owe you a debt we may never be able to repay." Koris said gratefully.

"I need no thanks for doing what is right. I would not sit idly by while innocents die." the Human said with a courteous nod of his head.

At that moment a thought struck Tali. From what she has heard from Reegar and her peers the other races always looked down on the Quarians like they were a lesser race. The nickname "suit rats'' for instance was a good example, stories abound on how C-Sec viewed Quarians as vagrants. The Volus call Quarians clanless thieves, the best treatment they got was from the Asari and that was only out of a vague sense of pity.

Mothers always told their children to be proud of who they are, do not let the disdain of others crush your pride as a Quarian. Yet from this Human she sensed no disdain, just one equal speaking to another…

"Thank you, may we know your name?" Rael said.

"I am Lord Commander John Shepard, Prince of the Imperium of Man." the man said with a gracious smile and small nod in greeting.

A/N: Okay so I didn't know my old page breaks weren't working so I had to come up with one that worked here on this site. So I apologize for the weird perspective shifts in past chapters.