The Prophecy of the Scourge. - Mass Effect

2157 CE

The image of the Asari Councillor, Matriarch Tevos, filled the screen with cold authority, her eyes normally full of age, wisdom and benevolence, were now harsh and glaring at the pitiful ape standing in the spotlight at the centre of the immense chamber. "Do you have any final words to speak before this Tribunal Terran?"

The ape stood tall and faced his judges with dignity and strength, his words carried, strong and clear to all, "Do any of my people still live?"

The Matriarch raised a perfectly formed eyebrow, a faint sneer of disgust at the very question, "We are not barbarians, we have driven your kind back to your meagre worlds. There you shall be contained until you mature, and then we shall decide if you are ready to join us as a vassal species of one of the Citadel Races."

The ape sighed before shaking his furred head as if disappointed before straightening once more, his gaze roving across the audience of Humanities Trial, "Then I shall pray for you."

The Turian Councillor, Octavia, sneered down her beak at the Ape, "Why? What need have we of your prayers? You openly broke Galactic laws with the Relay 314 incident, you used nuclear weapons on a Garden World, and you assassinated Matriarch Elysia as she came to negotiate a ceasefire rather than watch the end of a young species. It is only in her memory that you are here on trial and your people live. You have given only excuses and denials to your crimes; you have shown neither regret nor remorse for your actions."

The ape stared at the Turian as she ranted before nodding as if agreement to her words. "Have you not watched and studied my people? Have you not witnessed our first steps into the greater galaxy? We may not be as fast or strong, wise or creative as many of your member races. We are a fractured and divided people. But we adapt, we fight, we struggle and learn. If there is one thing my species excels at, it is war. We were born for it, our home world wants us dead, the galaxy is a harsh mistress and we revel in the challenge. We are a species forged in the crucible of hate, anger and rage against the night. We have chosen to live by a set of rules."

His focus moved from face to face of the representatives of each species present. "And we can choose not to. Your fights amongst each other, they are childish squabbles and disputes. None of you truly understand the one true god of mankind."

Now his eyes met that of the Krogan present, a mutual understanding in their eyes and the Krogan nodded slightly in respect as the human said a single word. "War."

He returned his gaze upon the Councillors, each unnerved by the intensity and fire in his focus upon them, as if he was judging them rather than they him, and finding them wanting. "We hunger for it; it beats in our hearts and thunders through our dreams. Strike us down, we glare up, bleeding, wounded, broken, but we heal, learn, adapt and try again. A thousand times might we fall, but we will stand always once more to overcome the threat in the end, and then we shall hunt and seek a new threat to overcome. And we will not repeat your mistakes." He sighed once more and looked down at his clenched hand, relaxing it as his tone turned almost mournful, "I pray for you because of the horrors you have unleashed upon the galaxy. You have shown us that there is something bigger than us. Something powerful. There will be no stopping us now."

The Salarian Councillor Lordin looked at his peers to gauge their response before nodding. His tone forceful and dismissive, "Mere words, nothing more. Your people are broken, defeated. Your bravado is but whispers in the wind. This tribunal has found the Humans of Terra guilty of their crimes. We had intended to offer a hand of mercy and allow your case to be reviewed once more in the future, but your words and attitudes tell us that it would be folly to even bear hope that you may one day mature. Therefore you shall be quarantined within the three systems they already hold. Patrols will secure the Sol region to prevent further expansion. No contact will be allowed with any other species of the galaxy bar your custodians. Military bases will be stationed at the Primary Mass Relays; secondary relays will be watched with listening posts to ensure no attempts to break your quarantine will occur. Any sign of interference from another species will be seen as evidence of treason against the Council, or as an act of war by those who are not members. Guilty parties will be dealt with as such." He glared down at the proud Terran standing to attention before them all, ignoring the slight smirk on the Terran's face, "You will be but ghosts and tales to warn others by."

00000

Nazara focused an entire ten percent of its focus upon the Terran issue. It reviewed the recordings supplied by its agents and pondered Harbinger's instructions and the Plan. It had hoped that the Terran's would have been a suitable catalyst in fracturing the trust within the Citadel; instead their exile had instead cemented the factions together. This would delay matters by at least another 100 years, but less than 300. Annoying but within acceptable parameters.

Although, they had such potential for what was to come. Perhaps they could be suitably moulded into what it desired. Nazara compared the data between the Terran's and Geth. Both had advantages and disadvantages, but the Geth won out as a more efficient option. Unfortunate, it marked the Terran's as a low priority for processing; after all, they were going nowhere.

00000

2164 CE

The shuttle sped through the black.

The only sign of its passing was a faint burning in the planet's atmosphere as began entry onto the alien world. Vibrant green clashed with blue and brown, large swathes of grey covered the land, a collection of lights in the dark on the night side.

Down it fell, aiming for the pre-arranged location for their first physical contact between species.

Gently the shuttle came to a stop, touching the brown soil as its engines came to a halt.

The hatch opened and a Quarian took the first step of its species upon this world.

From the darkness came a tall Terran, his uniform sharp and clean. He nodded to his guest and smiled, a hand motioned off towards a vehicle nearby, an amused tone in his voice. "Welcome to Roswell."

The Quarian frowned within his suit as he gave the counter phrase to prove his legitimacy as the Quarian's envoy, "Take me to your leader."

He still didn't get what was so funny about the phrase.

00000

2286 CE

The Turian ship entered the Arcturus system and came to a halt as per routine.

The comms officer opened the channel as per routine and signalled the space station. "Arcturus station, this is the Ancients Will, requesting permission to dock."

The channel was empty a moment too long for his liking before a voice responded. "Ancients Will, you have permission to dock, head for bay 7. Prepare for inspection on arrival."

The comms officer frowned at the delay, making a note of it in the log as he responded. "Arcturus station, confirm bay 7."

This time the response was sharp and crisp, "Ancients Will, confirmed, bay 7."

The comms officer cut the link and turned to the Captain, "Sir, bay 7 is ready and waiting for us, we are to be inspected upon arrival."

The captain nodded and motioned to the pilot, "Bay 7, nice and neat." He looked to his XO, "Prep the men, immediate inspection, I want everything shipshape and ready, no exceptions."

The XO nodded and snapped a salute to his Captain, "Yes sir. I will meet the inspection team personally sir."

The Captain dismissed him as an aide brought a report and the XO moved off barking orders.

The XO strode through the ship, nodding in approval as his orders rippled amongst the troops. It was the accursed Sol Patrol, over a century of nothing meant that this post was more of an R&R posting than a risky one, but this was the Captains first command and as such wanted everything by the book.

He felt the gravity twitch as the mass effect fields overlapped for a moment as they came to a halt, faint thumps echoed through the hull as the clamps locked the Ancients Will into place. He came to stand at the airlock, the honour guard at parade rest, waiting for the inspection to begin.

The airlock cycled open and he blinked in confusion at the pitch black of the connection compared to the bright lighting of the airlock. He stepped forward to investigate what was happening when he felt something punch him in the gut. He staggered back with a gasp as from the darkness, a pulse of blue energy rushed forward and the sergeant was smeared against a wall as a Krogan in heavy armour and a tower shield impacted with him. In the shock and confusion, matt charcoal grey figures surged forward, their rifles snapping out death at his marines as they scrambled to bring their rifles to bear.

Within moments, the airlock was taken and the XO gasped as he felt his blood pumping between his fingers as he tried to breathe. He blinked as a pair of digitigrade legs moved past his vision and he looked up to see a Quarian female in an armoured suit hacking the ships systems. An armoured figure with Asari proportions and shape squatted down next to him, turning his head to force him to look at the Quarian style armoured helmet.

Its helmet turned slightly like a bird observing prey before raising a pistol and firing a round into his face.

Ignoring the body, the woman stood and turned walking up to the Quarian. "Report."

She waved a hand and the lights went red, an automated voice echoed through the halls, "This is an evacuation drill. Follow procedure and move to designated positions. Repeat. This is an evacuation drill." She looked at the Terran next to her, "We're good, ahead of schedule in fact. We need to secure engineering as quickly as possible."

"Good", the woman patted the Quarian on the shoulder before touching the control on her armour and opening a channel to her squads, "This is Wraith 1, we are green for go, repeat green for go." She turned to the Krogan with the bloody shield standing to one side. "Try and keep the captain alive this time." She turned back to the Quarian and gently placed her helmet against the Quarian's as if resting foreheads together. "Keep safe", she whispered before restoring her composure and led the squad towards the engine rooms as the Krogan led the other squad to the bridge.

Within the hour, the ship had been taken with only a few injuries on the invaders side. The ship's captain was held kneeling on his bridge, his shoulders in the grip of a bloodstained Krogan, as an armoured Asari marched to stand before him, a Quarian female at her flank.

The captain spat blood onto the floor at her feet, "Damn pirates, when they find you Asari, you'll suffer more than you can imagine. Who the fuck are you anyway?"

"We are the Scourge. We had another name once, but that doesn't matter now, we are a collection of the exiles, dispossessed and refuse cast away from your great and glorious Citadel. And we are angry. I have a message for your leaders. Do you think you could deliver it for us, please?"

He chuckled, "Why should I? You killed all my men and took my ship. You've stolen my honour, just kill me and be done with it."

The woman sighed before making a motion and he was spun around so he could see the view screen. There were some of his crew in airlocks, naked as the day they had been born.

She stood behind him and placed her gauntleted hands on his shoulders, "This is your choice Captain. 7 of them. Chosen at random and it is simple, I will pump the air from the airlock to the brink of consciousness, then I will pump it back in at a higher ratio of oxygen, the rush of awareness will be exhilarating, then before they realise what's really happened due to their desire for air, I shall open the airlock and space them. The cameras will catch everything and I will make you watch it all. If you have not agreed by the time I'm done with these 7, I will repeat the process with the remainder of your crew until it's just you. Then I shall lock you in a room and repeat the recordings for as long as your mind can take it. You can stop this at any point by agreeing to my request."

He hid his horror well as he asked his question. "What do you want?"

"You will be held for three days, once this is over, you will be given a document, you will return to the citadel in the ship we provide, you will make as best speed you can. There you will go straight to the Councillors and read out the document. You will be our Herald. Once that's done, we will know and you will be free, the remaining members of your crew will be delivered to your nearest world. Do you agree to my request?"

He shook his head in denial, no-one would dare to do something like this, it was just a bluff.

Shrugging, she looked up at the screen. "As you wish, the first is Corporal Demician Kortin, his records say he is a loyal soldier with prospects, private notes say that, oh, isn't this nice, he's just proposed to his long term girlfriend."

As she finished, the vid's sound began and with a hiss, the captain watched and listened to his man gasping for breath. "Last chance, do you agree to my request?"

"Go to hell!"

She chuckled, "I was born there."

With a rush, the air returned and Corporal Kortin gasped as he took deep breaths of the oxygen rich air. The woman grabbed the captain's head and forced him to watch as mid greedily sucked breath, the airlock popped open and the soldier screamed as he was sucked into the void.

The woman sighed as she turned his head slightly to look at the next individual. "Private Marius Callipso, his first tour, just turned 15 and signed up the next day, a real patriot, he writes to his mother every week. A good son. Do you agree to my request?"

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

The woman chuckled and squatted before him as she removed her helmet with a hiss of air and in horror; he looked at a sight he had only seen on training vids. "You were warned we would return."

00000

AN:

An idea I had for what if the First Contact War went horribly wrong, extend the timeline a little to allow events to happen in the background and see what my mind came up with. What if the underdogs began to gather together and start to look for their own justice/vengeance.