So here's the next chapter. It took me longer due to surgery. I had to get my appendix removed last week on the 4th of July. I had appendicitis last week and my appendix was labeled as 'hot' which meant that it was on the verge of busting. The pain I felt that night was comparable to nothing I have experienced not even when I nearly sliced part of my big toe off could compete. Those of you who have had appendicitis I think will know what I'm talking about. Anyway I'm still recovering but I knew I had to write for you guys. I also knew that trying to write while on pain medicine might be a bad idea so I didn't write until I was able to move around without them. I'm just glad I had started this chapter before the surgery. So anyway I'll let you get to the story now. Hope you enjoy it but first a disclaimer… I don't own Mass Effect
I watched through the door as squads of Red Hound troopers surrounded us. I looked at Jesse and I think he knew that we were screwed too. I brought my attention back to the outside and watched as the troopers moved on us weapons drawn.
"This doesn't look good" I hear Liara say
"Oh god we're dead" panicked that same male crew member, I swear things are bad enough without him scaring everyone else
"This looks like the end for us huh" Jesse says chuckling a little, geez such an optimistic bunch
I looked at him but I wasn't sure how to respond all I could do was watch as an encroaching group of mercenaries fell upon us.
"Come out of the pod with your hands up." A woman's voice rang through the pod
I released a sigh and looked at everyone. Seeing no way out of here I opened the pod door and stepped out. As I stepped out I was greeted with two guys grabbing both my arms while a woman did a scan of me with her Omni-tool.
"He's clean" she said and signaled the two to release me
I turned and saw that they were doing the same to everyone else. I saw them grab Jesse and I expected him to kill them or fight back but he didn't he just stood there and allowed them to do their reading
"Sorry for the rude greeting but we have to be careful these days." I heard a voice that sounded like the man that identified himself earlier. I looked past the woman who was in front of me and saw a tall man who looked close to Brent's height but built bigger, had short blonde hair, light skin, and wore the Red Hound's armor. When he got closer I saw that his eyes were a strange color, they were grey.
"Commander Isaac, I presume" I comment to the large man as the woman in front of me walked away and found her place at his side, compared to him she was short the top of her head coming up to his shoulders
"Yes I am and let me welcome you to the Ares" he said giving me a slight bow, never expected to see a Merc so well mannered
I looked at him with uncertainty and distrust, I have dealt with this band of mercenaries and I don't trust them. "Thank you" I finally said as I closely watched him waiting for him to turn on us
The woman who scanned me earlier whispered something to him and he nodded as she talked "Ok, weapons down men. Everyone reported back at your posts." He said in a much deeper and commanding voice. The troopers obeyed and soon they dispersed.
"You seem different than what I would have expected; you're not as serious as the mercs I've met." I say looking up at him
"What did you expect?" he said in a humorous tone "I'm only serious during missions and when giving out orders besides not all Mercs are emotionless, stone killers." He said with a smile before breaking into laughter and the woman next to him released a deep sigh and shook her head "Oh come on Lieutenant you know you wouldn't want to serve under anyone else." He commented nudging her
"What was the scan for?" Liara asked
"It's been part of procedure lately" the woman said looking at Liara
"Oh come on now Lieutenant, you know it's rude to talk to someone with your helmet on." Isaac said while folding his arms with a smile still on his face
The woman turned her head toward him and I swear that it got colder in here. Obviously the way this commander does things are very different and stranger than what all other mercs do. The woman let out another sigh and began to remove her helmet. She removed her helmet and I was shocked when I saw her. She looked good… for a merc. She had green eyes, short black hair, and a scar that ran across her right cheek. She reminded me of Kat from Reach but lacking the accent and some other characteristics like a robot arm.
"Lieutenant Susan Peters" she introduced with a cold voice
"Pardon her tone she tends to get a little… cranky when working for twenty-four hours with no sleep" Isaac said nudging her once more with a smile on his face, this guy is really bizarre
I looked at Jesse, sending him the 'what the hell' look and he returned the 'don't trust them' look.
"So are you going to kill us now or later" Jesse asked suddenly giving Isaac a glare
Isaac seemed to be taken aback by his question. "Why would I, one I wasn't ordered to kill any of you so I have no reason to, second you people have been through enough and lastly you are guests on my ship."
"Really because your friend Nathaniel wasn't so nice when he tried to kill my friend" Jesse yelled storming over to the commander who just stood there unmoved
"So you are the ones the report spoke of" Isaac spoke pointing to me "We all know of the situation that happened there. We keep close eyes on the events that call for us commanders to become involved. Nathaniel was a good man and received an honorable death and I thank you for giving it to him. I wish we all could be so lucky." Isaac said tilting his head down slightly signaling his thanks
"Wait you're not angry at him for killing your friend" Liara uttered from behind me
"No, death is something we must expect from this job. Nathaniel will be missed but he will be replaced in time. He was a good friend of mine but we all know the risks." Isaac stated in a soft voice
We stood there silent for a second when Susan nudged Isaac "Oh right" Isaac exclaimed "Since we are heading to Omega for some business we will drop you off there so you may return to the Alliance. Until then let me show you where you will be staying until then. I also must advise you that for security purposes I will have people assigned to watch you. It's nothing against you but I have to take precautions to ensure the safety of my crew. Now if you will follow me" he finished pointing to a door on the far end of the room
Walking across the hangar I took note of its size. This room was absolutely huge and there were fighters bearing the Red Hound symbol all over some being repaired and others moved to a storage area underneath our feet.
After the walk through the hangar we came across a large steel door with their symbol on it. When we entered it we found a narrow hallway with halls branching off and doors running on both sides. While walking for a minute a turian and asari ran up to Isaac and gave him a pad. He looked at it a nodded and handed it back to them.
"I didn't know the Red Hounds recruited other species." I took note as the two ran off down another hallway
"Oh yes we actually have many other species. We have Turians, Asari, Krogan, Salarian, hell even Quarians." Isaac responded
"Then why haven't we seen many of them" Liara asked
"Well you fought Nathaniel and most of those under his command are human so that's probably why. However those under my command are mostly other species." Isaac proclaimed "Most of the Asari and Salarians under my command are part of our research and development team with some humans and turians. The Quarians are in engineering. Most of the Humans and Turians are the pilots and soldiers. The Krogan we have are used for shock troops." He finished as we took a turn down another hallway
"So you incorporate many species then" I asked now curious about the information I could learn from this guy
"Precisely" Susan said looking back at me
"Could you tell us why the commanders are all biotics?" I asked still trying to learn what I can
Isaac looked at Susan and she nodded as if giving permission "Well not all are biotics really, we have two that aren't there's Lorik and Dave. Lorik is the only Turian commander we have and Dave is the only human non biotic commander we have. The implants they received had to be developed with different benefits to assist with their skill set."
I nodded taking in this information I could use later. Before I could ask any more questions we arrived at our destination.
"Alright this it" Isaac said as a steel door on the left wall opened to reveal a living space big enough for eight people, the beds were set up on top to save space and there was a closet in the corner "I have to go now and see to some important business. If there are any questions you can ask Susan or find me and I'll gladly answer them. Now if you will excuse us we must depart." Isaac finished as he and Susan left and two Red Hound troopers replaced them
With them gone and the two Red Hound guards outside guarding the room we went about our business of getting settled in which turned out to be difficult since we were so uncomfortable being in a mercenary ship. We kept expecting them to kill us or throw us out of the airlock.
"So this has been very interesting" Liara said as she tried getting adjusted to the beds that were provided
"Yea, seems to be more to the Red Hounds then we thought." I replied setting the picture I've had in my pocket since the Normandy blew up on a nightstand near my selected bed
"I'm still expecting them to kill us when our backs are turned" Jesse stated as he rested on his bed above me "and what's up with that commander?"
"I don't know I'm still trying to figure out if he's acting or if he really is that friendly." I replied lying on my bed "We shouldn't worry about this right now we should get some sleep and then we'll see about getting some answers."
"Fine but I'm not going to sleep, I don't trust these guys" Jesse said as I finally got comfortable
"Ok then, take watch while the rest of us get some sleep." I say as I begin to fall asleep
"Fine" Jesse said as he jumped off the top bunk and took his new spot near the door "goodnight" I hear him say as I enter the border of awake and sleep so all I do is respond with a grunt and then things go black
Later
I awake to a dim room and the sight of the bottom of a bed is seen first. I sit up still tired, yesterday was draining and the sleep was really refreshing. Stretching from the sleep I get out of bed and look around the room for a change of clothes. My Alliance uniform smells of smoke and some of it is burned. I did a quick look around and saw that everyone was asleep, even Jesse who was supposed to be guarding the door was fast asleep. So I quietly crept to a dresser across the room and pulled out some folded clothes. I held up some uniforms that bore the Red Hound mark but continued to dig through the dresser but all I could find was the same uniform but in different sizes. Seeing how I wouldn't find anything different I grabbed a medium size uniform. I looked around and decided that it was best not to change in here so I took my leave from the room. As the door out opened I saw a woman and a turian standing outside with their helmets shielding their faces. They must have shifted with the others that Isaac assigned here.
I walked past them and began to walk away looking for a room to change in. I found it odd that they didn't try to stop me. I glanced back and saw them watching me as I continued to walk. I could feel their eyes digging into my back so I took a left down a corridor to rid myself of that feeling.
I continued down this corridor walking blindly for I knew nothing about this ship or where anything is. I continued to walk at the speed of a crawl because I was lost thanks to the abundance of turns and doors. As I continued with my clueless and blind walk I took a gamble and opened the door on my right hoping it led somewhere I could change. I felt rather stupid carrying a uniform around on top of being lost.
When the door opened and I looked inside I saw a huge room that had other doors leading into it. Observing the room I identified it as an exercise room and… for some reason there was a boxing ring in the center of the room. I entered the room and took in my surroundings; if my experience from school sports taught me one thing it is if there are weights and exercise equipment then there is a changing room nearby.
I continued into the room and proceeded to look around. I concluded that this room was fitted with weights, a boxing ring, punching bags, and wooden posts that had chunks missing from them. The posts purpose was unclear to me but I wasn't too focused on the purpose of everything around me but rather the location of the changing room.
I began to walk around the room looking for the changing room when I felt a hand grab my shoulder. "Lost" I heard the voice say, sending chills through my spine. I turned and saw Isaac standing in front of me
I threw his hand off my shoulder and backed up expecting him to attempt to kill me. I watched him knowing that if things got bad I had next to no advantage in a fight here. I carefully observed him waiting for him to do something. He leaned back as he looked me in the eyes and released a laugh that caught me off guard.
"Man you really have trouble trusting me don't you." he said as he tried to stop laughing "Loosen up you are a guest here." He stated by placing a hand on my shoulder and shaking me a little "Besides I gain nothing from your death." he said in a voice that made my blood freeze and sent another wave of chills through my spine. I watched him as walked past me and headed for the boxing ring. "What are doing out here anyway?" he asked as he climbed into the ring
"I… I…" I try to say but his reaction just caught me so off guard that I was left confused "I was looking for a place to change" I finally let out as I watched him practice fighting
"Well you can find the changing room behind the punching bags" he says pointing to the corner of the room
I looked from across the room searching around the bags but couldn't find it. "You have to walk over there to see it" Isaac says pausing from his practice
Taking his word for it I walked over to the punching bags and saw that the door was there it was just hidden by the dim lighting in the corner and all the equipment. I walked in and saw a bright room with white tiles, benches, and shower heads coming from the walls. I found metal dividers between the showers and some stalls in the back. Figuring that it would be the best place to change I went for the stalls to change.
As I removed my Alliance uniform I figured that I could take a shower in here get clean and then put on the new uniform. So I walked out and approached the showers. I turned on the showers and was greeted with warm water. I was expecting cold water but I'm not going to complain. I quickly washed my body and cleaned myself not wanting someone to walk in on me. So when my shower was over I hastily put the Red Hound uniform on and walked out of the room.
When I emerged from changing I saw that room was crowed. There were humans and turians on every piece of equipment and some krogan all of them wearing Red Hound uniforms. They must have followed Isaac in. I felt very uncomfortable being in here with these guys. I felt like someone was going to shank me or something.
"Joseph" I hear Isaac call from the ring I look towards him and see a large man lying on the ring out cold. "Could you do me a favor and drag him off" he said pointing to the man
I hesitated but obliged as I entered the ring and dragged him off the ring and onto the floor. "Alright boys who's next" I hear Isaac call out seeking a new challenger as I set the unconscious man on the wall near the door I entered.
I looked around and saw that a krogan and another man take the ring "Two against one this will prove to be fun" Isaac said with a smile
"This guy is crazy" I whisper as I watch Isaac bounce on his toes, circling the two
"No this is just how he blows off steam and relaxes" I hear a woman's voice say, I turn my head and see a woman leaning against the wall next to me. The woman was Susan the woman who scanned me yesterday
"Blow off steam… relax" I say with a slight confused tone
"Yea he can only use his biotics during missions and he doesn't go on many of them. So he spars with the crew to help them but mainly because it helps him release that stored violence." She said looking at me before turning her attention back to the ring "Come on Jefferson don't let him get on your left and Fidon just because you're bigger doesn't mean you hold an advantage!" she shouted to the two in the ring trying to help them
I watched Isaac fight trying to figure out his style. I watched as Isaac kicked the man in the side of the head sending him flying to the side. The krogan Fidon charged him but Isaac threw an uppercut that slammed into the krogan's jaw and sent him only inches in the air but Isaac moved so fast that he swung his leg and hit the krogan in the side sending him towards Jefferson. The two collided and the impact from the krogan knocked Jefferson out. Fidon stood up and blocked a punch launched by Isaac that was aimed at his head.
"Good" I heard Isaac say as he congratulated the krogan for his block "but always look for the next strike" he said again as he head-butted Fidon in the face. Fidon stumbled back from the hit and Isaac followed up with a series of punches to his head and chest and finished with a kick to his head sending him to the ground.
I watched as Isaac helped Fidon up and slapped him on the back "Go see the doctor also take Jefferson and Adams with you" he said pointing towards the man I had grabbed earlier
"Shit" I whispered, amazed from the fight
"Yea he's good at hand-to-hand combat… but not much of a shooter" Sarah said as she released a small chuckle
"Ah, Sarah glad to see that you've joined us!" Isaac said holding out his arms "Why don't you jump in the ring and we can go a few rounds." He finished punching the air with a big smile on his face
I looked at Sarah and saw a smile on her face "Not right now sir the doctors are going to busy enough" she shouted back at him causing him to break into laughter
"Joseph you want to try" he shouts towards me
I hesitated at first but shook my head "No thanks" I said turning him down
Isaac shrugged and exited the ring "Well I guess that's the end of today's practice" he said as he approached us
"That was impressive" I say as he walked up to me "What style is that I couldn't figure it out?" I asked
He looked at me with a small smile like he was proud of his style. "Well I combined aspects of Kickboxing, Shotokan, Qigong, and Taekwondo and made my own thing. It took many years to find a way to make Shotokan and Qigong to work together. Shotokan is not fluid with a focus on power and strength while Qigong focuses on fluid motions and a calm mind."
"That's amazing" I say impressed that he could combine those forms of fighting; this guy is nothing like I expected
"It's proved very useful but it's not the style it's the person that makes it effective" he said tapping me on the shoulder
"Sir, I know you are having fun but there are some pressing matters we must attend to. That's why I'm here" Sarah said in a serious voice
"What is it Sarah" he said leaning towards her, she then hands him a data-pad and he begins to look over it
I watched him read it and saw his face change from friendly to dead serious. I looked at the pad and saw that he was clenching it so hard that the metal began to bend.
"Prepare the soldiers and get the Kodiaks ready I'm going to see to this personally." He said crushing the pad and leaving rage very evident
"What was that about?" I asked Sarah who looked worried
She released a sigh and looked at me "The Collectors have been dogging us for weeks. They keep hitting us across this system we've lost three frigates the Isis, Set, and Thoth. We also lost a cruiser the Freya. They even wiped an entire colony that we use to train our new soldiers that show great biotic potential. His younger brother Thomas was one of the people the Collectors took. Now they have hit a mining base we have that's near our position"
"Wait you have that many ships?" I say seeming to ignore the rest of what she said
"Yes, we have more ships than any other commander. Isaac can explain it in more detail. But we've been trying to stop the Collectors but they strike so fast and at our more isolated ships, the Freya, and smaller patrols which included the frigates." She says as she leaves with me following
"Why so many ships though" I question
"This system houses most of our research, a lot of the mining we do for resources, and numerous shipyards. This system is a key point to the success of the Hounds. That's why Isaac was assigned to this system. The Grandmaster wanted his strongest commander, best strategist, and a skilled pilot to make sure this system is not lost" she finishes picking up the pace
"Wait the strongest commander?" I say in disbelief as I struggle to keep up with her, I was still amazed that he was skilled in so many fields
"Yes Isaac is ranked first among the commanders. He is also the commander that treats people and his troops more differently than the others, it's just how he runs things… never understood it." She said making a right turn
"So he manages all this, lost his brother to the Collectors, is ranked first, and is a mercenary… how is he such…" I begin to say
"A friendly guy" Sarah interrupts "He has always been like that even back when we first joined the Hounds."
I look at her realizing now the reason he treats her like he does. "Where are we going?" I asked seeing that I'm lost in this mess of halls and doors
"I was taking you back to your room so you can get back to your friends but that will be too time-consuming. Here I'll give you a map of the ship so you don't get lost… I have to go" she finished as she transferred a map to my Omni-tool. With this gift received she sprinted away from me and disappeared from my sight
I stopped walking and opened up the map and saw that the layout of the ship was confusing for someone not use to it. I found the room we were led to and began my way back there using the map as a guide.
I finally made my way back to the room and found the same guards outside the door. I walked in and saw everyone in there sitting around.
"Where have you been" Jesse asks sounding upset as he punches me in the shoulder
"I was exploring" I simply reply
"Why are you wearing that" he follows up with
"My Alliance uniform was burned so I changed." I say back punching him in the shoulder again "This was the only thing I could find to replace it."
"Whatever" Jesse said throwing his arm in the air
"What did you find out" Liara asked seeming to know that had new information
"Alright I think you should sit because this might take some time to explain.
One explanation later
"That's what I found out so far" I finish as I recapped all that has happened
"Interesting… it seems like there is more to learn but this information opens up a new perspective of the Hounds." Liara says becoming interested in this information
"Yea I wasn't…" but before I could say anything else I hear Isaac shout to the guards to prepare for an assault. Hearing him for some reason made me want to join him. I can't explain it but I felt like I should go. So I quickly jumped up and raced out the door and I saw Isaac, with his armor on, walking down the hall
"Isaac" I call out to him as I race to catch up
He turned and looked at me and instead of seeing a gentle and friendly face I saw anger and rage "What" he said in a tone that made me fearful and froze my blood; his glare could make a raging krogan back down and just his tone would make even Shepard hesitant
"I wish to join you on this mission" I said trying to stand my ground and not show fear but I was doing a terrible job of it
"No" he said turning to leave but I wouldn't let that be the final decision so I grabbed his shoulder
Bad decision because he turned and slammed me against the wall his arm pressing against my throat and his body began to glow blue. I struggled and I saw some rage erupting from him, who knew such a friendly guy could be so aggressive. I grabbed for his arm but it was futile he had me pinned. I looked around and saw Sarah come from a corner and when she saw the situation she raced to us and grabbed his arm
"Isaac relax and release him" she said in a soft tone, a much softer tone than I ever heard her speak in
Her words were like music taming a beast as Isaac's biotics died away and he released me. "Fine, you can come with us. We carry a few spare armor sets in the Kodiaks. You can put them on it there." He said in a monotone as he turned and continued down the corridor
"What was that about" I asked Sarah who had stayed behind
"It is complicated but you must never grab him like that." She started as she did a quick check of my neck "He became this aggressive because… there is so much on the line in this mission" she hesitated "We need to go if you are coming with us" she finished as she turned and raced down the corridor
Not wanting to get lost I followed her "Where are you going" I hear Jesse ask over my omni-tool
"I'll be back I'm going on a mission" I reply "Can't talk right now, don't worry I'll be ok" I finish as I close the communication and blocked him from calling for now
I continued to follow Sarah down the halls until we arrive at the hangar. We walk in and I saw dozens of Red Hounds preparing for what looks like a war. I looked around and saw Kodiaks rising from the ground and being moved into rows.
"Where are these coming from" I asked Sarah as we walked over to a wall on the right of the door
"We have an extensive storage unit below that houses all of our vehicles. They can be loaded and ready to go at a moment's notice."
"How many ships do you guys store here" I asked her as we grabbed weapons from a gun rack that emerged from a wall, similar to the ones in Halo 2
"We house 250 fighters, 250 interceptors, 25 Kodiaks, and a frigate the Horus" she said as she handed me two M-12 Locusts
"Thanks" I said thankful that I don't have to go through the list of weapons these guys have
She nodded her head in response and walked over to a steel box attached to the wall near the door. I watched her place her hand on a scanner and type in a security code on the box. It opened and she carefully removed a long object from the box. I continued to watch as she approached Isaac and handed him the object.
He thanked her and he removed the object and to some serious amazement I saw what looked like a sword. I thought I would never see these enter a serious battle. As Sarah walked away I caught her to ask her about the sword.
"Hey" I say grabbing her attention "did you just give him a sword" I asked fascinated by it
"Yes Isaac is a skilled swordsman." She said as she continued to a panel and began launching the Kodiaks
"Is there anything this guy can't do" I ask more to myself than to her
"He struggles with guns so he uses the sword to fight. He was taught by numerous swordsmen that the Red Hounds contacted for his training. Besides you didn't think he is ranked first just because of his biotics did you." She said raising an eyebrow to me
"But a sword… isn't that a bad idea to bring a bladed weapon to a fight with Collectors" I say trying to wrap my head around this idea of a sword being used
"You'll see why he prefers the weapon when you get down there. Now you might want to stop talking and jump on a Kodiak before they all leave." She said pointing to the few remaining in the hanger.
I looked around and saw that there was only one left now and it was seemed to be waiting for me so I ran to it and jumped on board. As the door closed I saw Isaac standing there in the middle. "The armor is on the side just grab it and put it on" he says as he looks into space, he seemed very determined or maybe focused.
Looking through the Kodiak I find the only set of armor they had that fitted. So I threw it on and placed the Locusts on the magnetic clips on my sides. I stretched trying to loosen up for the fight. It has been awhile since I've been in a battle so this should be fun.
"Sir we are entering the atmosphere of the planet" the pilot shouted from the front
"Good" Isaac said as he approached a communication device in the Kodiak. He began to press some buttons and an image of Sarah emerged "Sarah get the Ares a safe distance away from this planet. It isn't ready to face the Collector ship yet." He said through the device
"Understood Commander… wait commander there's some strange readings coming from the planet. The Collector ship isn't there" she said as she frantically typed on a console we couldn't see but before she could say anything another transmission came through of a turian under attack
"Sir there's something here but it's not Collectors, I repeat it is not the Collectors!" he shouts before he cuts out
Once the turian was cut off Sarah reappeared "Commander the soldiers are being massacred. It is an unknown enemy" she said as she continued typing
"Is it Husks" Isaac asked her
"No sir it's something else a new form maybe based on what I'm seeing from the reports they are sending me anyway. I'm not sure what it is but Commander be careful they are pressing our soldiers hard." She finished as her transmission ended
Well this will prove interesting… but something that is massacring the Red Hounds what the hell could do that?
"Sir we're about to land" the pilot shouts, well I guess I'll find out.
Well I wonder what's going on down there; I guess we'll see in the next chapter. I hope you liked this chapter, Isaac, and where this is going. As always pardon any mistakes, thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you again.