August 21, 2184
Migrant Fleet vessel Ullana
0200 hours
Lete Rai'Teel activated her omni-tool, and the oncoming geth staggered and stopped as a thick layer of ice coated its body, sinking into joints and obstructing operational movement. The blast of her Carnifex shattered the entire body, and the drone fell in pieces to the deck.
Bodies littered the deck, sprawled out in various gruesome poses as rigor mortis took hold. The young quarian backpedaled, dropping another drone with a headshot, and almost tripped over an outstretched arm. A third drone pressed forward, firing relentlessly, and the shots impacted on her shields.
"Bosh'tet!" She swore, and ducked underneath a mechanical swing, jamming her pistol into its midriff, firing twice. The powerful rounds sheared through the tough geth metal, literally severing the AI in half at the waist. It folded, crumpling into a heap of twisted and flickering electronics.
No more killer robots came through the door, and silence fell, interrupted only by her harsh breathing and the click as she ejected a thermal clip.
Distantly, she wondered what would happen to the ship once she died, and she had no doubt she would. The initial raiding party had been repelled, but geth ships contained hundreds of drones, and they would be boarding shortly.
Behind the semi-transparent faceplate, her eyes narrowed. The geth had driven her people from their world and condemned them to an existence of wandering vagrancy. She would do as much damage to their murdering frames before she died. Disrupter ammo would help her pistol and rifle do plenty of damage to the synthetics.
Thus resigned to her fate, she began the grisly task of collecting thermal clips from the bodies of her dead comrades.
The Glory vectored towards the geth ship again, firing another spread of missiles. Defense lasers blasted again, and with the range closer, the missiles were unable to dodge all the shots. Two missiles detonated in rapid succession, and another was dealt a glancing blow so that it spiraled off and exploded harmlessly off-target.
The remaining two missiles reached their target and detonated. Engine structures exploded and drive coils imploded. Debris showered the space around the ship, and now the geth vessel was just as hobbled as its target, and almost as helpless.
Only now did the geth vessel unleash its full fury upon the bothersome gnat that had managed to hurt it.
Coruscating beams of power flashed in the void, and blazing missile trails rocketed forth, fingers of destruction reaching blindly for their target.
The Glory immediately went evasive, transitioning smoothly from vertical dives to mad corkscrews, and somehow managed a rolling side-slip that brought two missiles together and missed another by the closest of margins. Point-defense systems went active, the smaller ship releasing ECM counter-jamming and fields of shrapnel from canisters to confuse and prematurely detonate the missiles.
For some inexplicable reason, none of the thirty missiles launched at the krogan ship reached their target. Retaliation was not slow in coming.
Glory soared through space, firing a steady stream of holes that lanced through the superstructure, until the vessel began to look like it had been the enthusiastic chew-toy of a giant space monster. Laser bolts targeted first the beam turrets, then the missile launch tubes, until the entire cruiser was effectively defanged.
Pierce sat back, an expression that on a human would be a satisfied smile crossing his face.
Mike whistled appreciatively, and the krogan performed a mock bow in his seat.
Karoleis was silent for a moment, then his omni-tool appeared on his wrist and he began madly punching buttons.
"Amazing-evasive-tactics, haven't-seen-the-like. Missiles-dodged-by-hairs-on-human-necks, countermeasures-extremely-effective, must-document-all-procedures-used-to-better-utilize-counter-geth-tactics-"
Pierce flicked a switch, and the stricken quarian ship appeared, still attached to the geth cruiser via prow penetration. Identification information flashed up on the display.
"The ship identifies itself as the Ullana," Pierce said slowly, turning to stare at Karoleis. "Not Honor's Folly."
The salarian stared back, until he slapped himself upside the head.
"Of-course, idiot-my-apologies. Lete-renamed-her-ship, forgot-in-all-excitement. Yes, Ullana-proper name-but-what-to-do-about-boarders?"
"That ship's not going anywhere." Mike offered. It was true. Speared by the cruiser's powerful prow, the quarian vessel would suffer severe structural damage if the prow was removed.
"Quarian-crew, cannot-have-survived-with-full-complement." Karoleis mused. "Should-board-ship-ourselves, rescue-survivors-and-extract."
"We should be able to obtain intact geth bodies, too." Mike turned to look at Pierce. "Provided you don't use your shotgun."
Karoleis' antler-horns flared suddenly, and he shook his head alarmingly fast.
"No-no-no-no, geth-platforms-on-combat-readiness, will-self-destruct-and-purge-all-data-once-captured, useless."
"Or not." The human operative shrugged.
Pierce turned back to his controls.
"I will remain in the cockpit to monitor your progress and prepare for quick extraction. You two conduct the operation. Survive."
Mike nodded and grabbed Karoleis by the arm.
"Come on, chatterbox, let's suit up."
The interior - Honor's Folly or Ullana or whatever the ship was named – was unlike any of the Alliance ships Mike had frequently been on.
For one, it was obvious that the battle damage and carbon scoring ubiquitously present had not done much cosmetic damage to the already battered and patched interior. No square meter of paneling was identical; all bore unique and individual signs of repair work and the quarian equivalent of duct-tape.
Karoleis, of course, wasn't missing any of this, as his steady stream of chatter reminded Mike.
"Fascinating-damage-far-more-severe-than-expected, even-with-prow-attack. Still, quarian-ships-ragtag-mongrel-frequently-patched-up-no-uniform-class-all-individualized-some-original-ships-used-to-flee-geth-"
One of said geth popped up out of the next junction, gun raised, and before Mike could shout a warning to his oblivious companion, it pointed its rifle and fired.
Karoleis seemed to teleport, twisting sinuously to dodge the slugs while simultaneously crossing the room in only a couple of seconds. The geth tracked him, refocusing its targeting systems, but the salarian snatched its right wrist and pulled it out taut, then slammed his right elbow right into where an elbow would be on an organic being.
Synthetic metal broke in half, leaving the salarian with half an arm, which he used to beat the geth over the head mercilessly. The synthetic raised its remaining arm to fend off his assault, to which Karoleis replied by drawing his pistol with his free hand, shoving it into the geth's midsection, and firing twice. Metal screamed and gave, the geth falling to the floor in a heap.
Karoleis regarded his pistol curiously, then slapped himself upside the head again.
"Stupid-should-have-used-gun-no-need-to-cross-room-when-gun-right-in-hand-"
"Yeah." Mike managed, "but your way works too." Finding his mouth again, he grabbed the salarian's shoulder, and they moved together through the junction.
Their path stopped as the corridor branched off into two forks, one going left and the other right, with no differentiation or convenient signs to help them in their quest.
Which was when Mike realized he didn't really know where they were going.
"Karoleis," his hand shot out to arrest the alien, "where are we going?"
"Must-find-Lete-one-of-side-rooms-is-best-place-to-search-"
Mike sighed. "Lovely. We've got to go through this entire ship." He grabbed Karoleis as the salarian made to run off again. "Whoa! Here, let's split up. You go left, I'll move right. Keep in contact."
Karoleis bobbed his head.
"Yes-of-course-now-must-go-good-luck!" With that he was gone, disappearing down the left corridor.
Mike checked his Locust. Full ammo in this magazine, and more in his belt. Perfect.
Geth, the human soldier soon discovered, were extremely annoying, and in large numbers they became very deadly. They pressed on relentlessly regardless of damage, and when they fell there was always another one behind them, firing relentlessly.
Like right now.
The narrow corridors were also extremely irritating, in that there was frequently no cover, so Mike ducked back behind the corner to avoid a blistering series of shots.
Damn, right. Better make sure they're not too comfortable.
A grenade flicked itself out of his pouch, and he tossed it down the hall. His speakers erupted with static as the EMP grenade detonated. A squawk of interference issued from over near the explosion site as geth electronics struggled to cope.
Mike rose smoothly from behind his cover, Locust blazing. A storm of sapphire shots tracked down the corridor, funneled by the narrow confines, and found their mark in the four-strong squad of geth drones that had been trying to kill him. Disruptor bolts punched through synthetic armor and metal, wreaking merry hell on the sensitive geth electronics. One drone spasmed and fell to the floor, another exploded in a shower of sparks, and the last two jerked around in agitation, firing wildly, and slew each other quite handily.
The N6 operative-turned-mercenary slapped the release button, and a thermal clip hissed as it fell from the weapon. A new one clicked into place, and he continued down the hallway.
Unsurprisingly, the quarian vessel was devastated. Bodies lay everywhere, charred and scorched. Some looked like they had died from the geth cruiser's weapons, others had been slaughtered by the geth boarders. Mike grimaced.
He tapped into his comm channel.
"Karoleis, do you copy?"
The salarian answered promptly.
"Copy-yes-acknowledge-searching-rooms, not-found-Lete-yet-"
"Keep me posted." Mike cut the channel before Karoleis could short it out. He continued.
The doors on each side of the new corridor were useless; all contained only dead quarians, damaged geth, and debris. His impatience growing, Mike patched into the channel again.
"I'm only hitting dead ends, you got anything?"
"No-no, not-yet-searching-rooms-opening-door-hurk!"
"Karoleis! Come in!" When no response arrived, Mike quickened his pace, slamming through door after door. Eventually, the corridor curved off to meet with the other hall at a central door, which seemed to be locked.
"Fuck!" The human stepped back and shot the panel, which opened quickly...to reveal Karoleis, hands up, and a quarian female with a rifle pressed to his throat. Mike yanked his weapon out.
"Lady, drop the gun!"
She didn't seem to hear him, instead yelling at Karoleis.
"You're late, you bastard! You're late and everyone died because of it!"
If a salarian could blush, Karoleis most definitely was. He was even talking faster than normal, a veritable effort.
"Hitchiked-on-wrong-vessel-got-sidetracked-to-slaver-ship-tried-to-escape-found-human-and-krogan-mercenaries-got-them-on-mission-arrived-and-found-you-being-chased-by-geth-" Karoleis paused, and Mike's mouth dropped open behind the faceplate.
"Wait-we-arrived-and-you-were-being-chased-by-geth-en-route-to-planet!" The salarian pointed an accusing finger at his assailant. "You-tardy-late-hypocrite-unashamedly-hypocritical-no-no-no-no-"
The quarian flicked her assault rifle away and began laughing.
"Ha! You should have seen your face there, Karoleis!" She clapped the confused salarian on the shoulder. "No, for once you weren't." Her face, behind its mask, darkened. "Bosh-tet! Why did they have to show up just now?"
Mike stepped forward, letting the muzzle of his Locust drop.
"Can we discuss this on the ship? Pierce is waiting for us."
The quarian turned to look at him and froze. For a moment they just stared at each other.
"Right-hmm." Karoleis stepped between them. "Introductions-Sin-Lete-Rai'Teel-quarian-technician-very-skilled-in-geth-systems-Lete-Sin-human-mercenary-former-Alliance-very-good-at-combat-shoots-fast-"
"Yeah, nice to meet you." The two shook hands, and Mike turned around.
"Come on, now we've got you, let's go." He paused. "Wait, any data you need?"
Lete still seemed dazed, but shook her head.
"No, I have everything I need." She cast a long look around the ruined room. "I will pay the geth back for this, with interest."
"Lovely," Mike muttered, "But let's make sure we're all alive to do it. Come on!"