Reaper Threat v2
Chapter 19
Ilium: Nos Astra: Eternity Night Club, VIP Room
"So I hear you're now gunning for Cerberus," Liara T'Soni commented to Shepard, who had come to Nos Astra with Naruto, to talk to the Asari.
"More than that," Shepard tells her friend, "We've got information on the Shadow Broker that I think you may want to see."
"Apparently, he's become a pain in the ass to the Illusive Man," Naruto continued, "Timmy's been sending out Spec ops teams and spies to find the Broker. They've apparently succeeded."
This news really got Liara's attention. "Where is he?"
"Hagalaz," Shepard informs her, "Sowilo system, Hourglass nebula. We're hoping he has information that we need to go after The Illusive Man."
"Shepard, before we go, there's something you need to know," Liara told the commander, "I was the one who brought your body to Cerberus. But, I had to get you away from the Shadow Broker. He still has a friend of mine captive: Feron. I want to get him back."
"We've got armor and gear you can use on the Normandy," Shepard informed the Asari, "Plus, we're going in there en force. There's no way his forces can be better trained than the Normandy team."
"Plus, he wouldn't have any sort of defense against Naruto and his friends," Liara mused, "You shinobi have become quite the talk of the galaxy lately."
"Wait till you get a load of what we can do," Naruto advised.
"Let's not waste another moment, Shepard. The broker has to pay for what he's done."
Shepard just gave her Asari friend a grin, "Come on, Liara. We'll get you settled in on the Normandy and set course."
Normandy SR-2: Bridge
Joker was sitting at his station, running checks on the Normandy's systems. So focused on his job, he was, that he didn't notice the sounds of footsteps coming up behind him. He had just set up with EDI to have a diagnostic to run on the AI Core and computer systems, when a finger tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to see a curvy mechanical body standing in front of him. All he could do at the time is just whistle.
"The transition was easier than we thought," EDI commented, "What do you think?"
"Gotta give it to Cerberus," the helmsman noted, "They do know how to build mechs. Is the body communicating with the ship's computers?"
"Most of my programming is still on the ship," the AI explained, "My combat subroutines have been seamlessly melded into the body's programming, and my cyber warfare suites will allow me to hack just about anything, either from the ship, or on a mission with the away team."
"EDI," Jeff Moreau stated, "you're gorgeous, you'll kick ass, welcome to the crew. You can take the other seat here on the bridge, if you want."
"Thank you, Jeff."
"Joker," comes Shepard's voice from the airlock, "Set us a course for Hagalaz." The redhead then notices the new face, "EDI?"
"It was an easier transition than we anticipated, thanks to Mordin."
"Excellent," Naruto grinned right by Shepard, "Joker, what's our ETA to Hagalaz?"
"Hourglass Nebula?" Joker punched in the destination, "Hour and a half jump time from the mass relay. Ten minutes to the relay from here."
"Shadow clone Jutsu," Naruto made 2 shadow clones, and then turned to them, "go down to the cargo hold and start gathering natural energy. I'm thinking I'll just use Sage mode this time." The clones nod and leave.
"Sage mode?" Shepard inquired, "Why?"
"Unless it's a reaper, or a thresher maw, I think the Biiju power is overkill," Naruto explained, "Sage mode just increases my physical strength and stamina, by combining mine and Kurama's chakra with natural energy. That should be more than enough. I'm going to go ahead and suit up, then start my own process of gathering the necessary natural energy. We're all going out on this mission, right?"
"Yeah, but you're with me, like usual. It'll be you, me, Garrus and Liara." Naruto just nodded, and headed to the armory.
Crew Deck: Main Battery
"I see some things haven't changed," Liara T'Soni said, watching Garrus Vakarian work on the main guns.
"Liara," Garrus greeted, turning around from his work station, "This is nothing, just some calibrations." Garrus leaned against the wall, crossing his right leg in front of his left.
"The Thanix," the Asari mused, "Incredibly powerful weapon on a small ship like this one."
"It took out a collector vessel with no problem. Besides, against Reapers, we'll need all the firepower we can get. Shepard's already informed the Alliance on how well this gun operates on a frigate, and they're working with Turian high command on having all scout frigates and fighters armed with Thanix weaponry."
"So, they're getting behind the idea of the Reapers?"
"Slowly," Vakarian answered, "We've given gun camera footage from our missions against the collectors to the Alliance, and they're using it to rally the galaxy against the Reapers. We've also got the entire Shinobi race on our side."
"The entire race?" Liara asked, surprised.
"All five great nations, and the lesser ones, as well," came a voice from the doorway to the battery. Liara and Garrus turned around to see Gaara standing there, "Not only that, but the nine tailed beasts will also be joining the fight with the Reapers."
This time, Garrus could only whistle. "I've seen what Naruto's biiju can do. All nine will be…wow."
"Not only that, but the shinobi alone can bring down hell on reaper forces," said Sasuke Uchiha as he joined the former Kazekage.
"Any word from the Asari command on if they'll join?" inquired Liara.
"Right now, Thessia's not committed to the fight," commented Garrus, as the group took a seat at a table in the mess, "The only council races that are committed at this juncture are the Turians and the Humans, with some scientific help from the Salarians. The race we really need for this is the Krogan. Urdnot Wrek is gathering the clans together, but an alliance would be a shaky one with the Turians involved. The Batarians could lend some heavy firepower, too, but there's no telling how we can get them involved."
Normandy SR-2 Bridge: Hourglass Nebula: Sowillo system.
"This just keeps getting better and better," Joker comments, punching a command into his comm, "Commander, you'd better get up here."
"What's up, Joker?" came the reply.
"We've just intercepted a Cerberus cruiser on its way to Hagalaz. Stealth systems are active, so they can't see us, but we're following them now."
"On my way," Shepard answered.
5 minutes later.
Alexa J. Shepard stood in between Joker and EDI's seats on the bridge, in the Cerberus armor suit she had procured, thanks to Naruto and Jacob. "EDI," she began, "Can you hack their systems and bring down all their systems?"
"A simple task," EDI replied, "Connecting. Breaking through firewalls. Connected to cruiser's systems. Shutting down Mass Effect drive core. That'll disable all ship systems. Creating encryption code, and attaching to restart commands…done. All systems on Cerberus vessel are offline, including life support."
"That'll take out the Cerberus crew," Shepard noted, "Contact Aria T'Loak. Tell her I need a skeleton crew to pilot a cruiser for me, to Aratoht, while the Normandy takes out Cerberus. Crew must be entirely human to keep up appearances, specifically, human members of blue suns or eclipse."
"Message sent," EDI reported, "Coming up on Shadow Broker ship. Crewman Henderson will fly the away teams out on a shuttle. All crew will meet you at the shuttle bay."
"Great work, EDI," the Spectre said, patting the AI on the shoulder, "see you guys later."
Shuttle Bay
The entire team had gathered in the shuttle and was awaiting their leader. It wasn't long until Shepard joined them, and the shuttle took off for the Shadow Broker's ship.
"Fire Teams are as follows," Shepard began issuing orders, "Ashley, you're with Samara, Mordin, Tali, and Sakura. Zaeed, you've got Kasumi, Grunt and Legion. Miranda, you've got Jacob, Thane, Gaara and Sasuke. Garrus, Naruto, Liara, with me." We wipe out each and every Shadow Broker troop on that ship, free Feron, and take out the broker. EDI, bring up scans."
The screen on the shuttle showed a diagram of the ship. "We'll be dropping off fire teams at strategic locations. From there, you will all fight your way to this location, where my team will secure an entry point onto the ship," Shepard continued to explain, "After that, don't leave a single shadow broker merc alive. Once we've secured Feron's location I want Mordin, Miranda and Sakura to see what they can do for him, while the rest of us deal with the Broker."
"2 minutes out," Henderson reported.
"Helmets on, and let's kick ass," Shepard ordered. The shuttle then flew right in and began dropping off teams.
Ashley's team.
Between the Tech skills of Mordin and Tali, Samara's biotics, and Ashley's bullets, the merc squads hardly stood a chance.
"Tali, do you have the location of Shepard's team?" Ash asked the Quarian, who was getting used to being back in her environment suit.
Tali'Zorah punched in a few commands on her omni-tool. "Got them," she responded, "I'm sending a nav point to your visor. We should rendezvous with the next fire team there. We can update when we meet up with each team."
"Good work," Ash commented, "Let's go."
Team Miranda
Sasuke had just launched another powerful lightning jutsu at the Shadow Broker's mercenary forces, using the lightning spires on the ship for power. The electrical charges of the lightning attacks fried the mercenaries in their suits.
Gaara, Miranda and Jacob unleashed shots from their own guns to take down another group of mercs while the Uchiha continued to let loose one jutsu after another.
A beep from Miranda's omni tool notified her of an approaching friendly signal. She scanned the area to and spotted Ashley's team coming their way.
"Everything's clear behind us," Williams reported to Miranda.
"How long has he been doing that?" Sakura asked Gaara.
"Since we were dropped off," the former Suna nin informed his friend, "He figured out that these lightning spires can fuel his lightning style jutsu, and he's been a one man wrecking crew ever since."
"Then that gives us an advantage," Samara stated, "His lightning powers can be fueled by these spires, so we should let him take point."
"Updating our nav point to meet up with Zaeed," Tali reported, "Sasuke, you lead the way."
"KIRIN!" Sasuke shouted as the lightning entity shot down from the skies and fried yet another entire platoon of mercs.
Team Zaeed
"God Dammit," Zaeed shouted, "Where did he get these guys?"
"He went for numbers instead of skill," Grunt noted, "they're easy pickings, but it won't take long to get overwhelmed."
Kasumi stealth walked behind a merc with a rocket launcher and snapped his neck, taking the launcher and sending a hail of rockets at the incoming mercs.
"Target eliminated," Legion reported as a mercenary's head exploded from the sniper shot, "Attention: incoming friendlies from bearing 180."
"Chidori Storm!" came a familiar voice as lightning shot down on the entire mercenary force attacking Zaeed's team.
"Looks like the ninjas have showed up to save the day," Kasumi commented, shooting one last merc in the head with her SMG.
Zaeed and his group quickly joined up with the other two teams, letting Sasuke lead the way, and clear out most of the mercenary fodder.
Team Shepard
Naruto was all over the place, bounding from one opponent to another. His fists broke through the enemy's face shields, exposing them to the elements of Hagalaz's atmosphere, where they quickly suffocated. Garrus and Shepard did their best to cover for the blonde sage, while Liara was working on a device to open the air lock.
"What's taking so long," Alexa asked of her Asari friend, "I thought you said that machine could break the code lock on the door."
"It can, but it's taking a while. The broker's encryption codes are unlike most, but it can be broken, in time."
"Damn, don't you miss the days when we could just slap a bit of omni-gel on the damn thing to unlock it?" Shepard joked.
"I think everyone misses those days," Garrus added.
"Incoming friendlies," stated Liara, "And from the looks of things, one of them is causing a lightning storm."
"Sasuke," Naruto laughed, "Using those spires for fuel, his jutsu wouldn't need as much chakra."
"Door's open," Liara reported as Shepard and team started to back toward the air lock. Mercernary forces thought they had the Spectre's team handled, until another flash of lightning, courtesy of the Uchiha, fried them.
"Having fun, Teme?" Naruto asked, as he fist bumped his teammate.
"You know it, dobe."
"Everybody in," Shepard ordered, and the Normandy crew all entered the air lock, which shut securely behind them.
Shadow Broker Ship – Inside
"Stay close and take out every enemy you see," Shepard commanded, "According to EDI, Feron can't be far away. No more AOE attacks, Sasuke, we don't want to get fried with the enemy."
Sasuke just grabbed his sniper rifle from his back and activated his Sharingan, before looking to Garrus and Naruto. "Most headshots wins?" asked the raven-haired shinobi.
"Oh, it's on now," Garrus smirked, "Hope you're ready to lose, Uchiha."
"You're on, Teme," Naruto grinned, drawing his own sniper, "Let's see what you've got. Alexa, we'll cover your advance."
"Good idea," Shepard nodded as 3 sniper shots echoed through the hall way, making 3 mercenary heads explode, "This is going to be close." When the next round of shots fired through the enemy forces, though, there were 4 shots, instead of 3, as Thane had joined in on the sniper competition. Shepard's teams had advanced as far as they could and began clearing the next hallway, while the snipers advanced to their next position. This continued through several halls, until Naruto spotted something through his scope.
"Alexa," he called, "I'm seeing a Drell tied down to some sort of torture chair."
"Drell, that has to be Feron," Liara stated, "Naruto, can you guys clear us a path to him?"
"Already working on it, Liara," Garrus commented, "hey, Naruto, how many head shots so far?"
"36," Naruto reported
"40 here," Garrus smirked.
"45," Thane added in.
"You guys need to really work on your aim," Sasuke noted, "62 head shot so far. Path's clear, Liara."
All three could only think one thing, "Damned Sharingan."
Naruto, Sasuke, Garrus and Thane rejoined the rest of the team while Mordin, Miranda and Sakura worked on freeing Feron. It's this time that Naruto unseals a large scroll from the back of his hand, and hands it to Gaara.
"If I say I need one of my clones," the blonde tells his friend, "Then just concentrate some chakra into the seal and one will appear."
"Shepard," Mordin reported, "can free him, but will take some time. You all go on ahead. We'll catch up."
"Got it," Shepard answered, and the team walked through the next doorway, into a huge round room with a desk in the center, and a huge creature sitting behind the desk.
"Here for the drell? Wreckless, extreme, even for you, Commander," the broker stated.
Naruto looked at the Broker and could only think one thing. "This guy's not going down easy. His own body looks like some kind of natural armor. Gunshots will just bounce off."
"Your tactics in the past haven't exactly been subtle," shepard retorted.
"Extreme, but necessary."
"No it wasn't. Neither was caging Feron for two years."
"Doctor T'Soni. Your interference caused all this. Feron betrayed me by giving you Shepard's body. The Drell is simply paying the price."
"Not anymore he won't be," Naruto spoke up, "Alexa, you guys just make sure he has no avenue of escape. Your shots will just bounce off his body like they mean nothing."
"Ah, Mr. Namikaze," the broker noted, "You mean to fight me alone. Even with your vaunted power, you will be no match for me."
"I fear I may be the only one who can beat you, Broker." Naruto strode up to the creature confidently, and looked him right in the eye, his own now resembling that of a toad. The broker stood up from his chair and threw a punch at Naruto, which the blonde then caught with his own hand and threw the alien up toward the ceiling. He then bounded up from where he stood and was soon up above the Shadow Broker, before delivering a powerful axe kick which sent the broker hurdling down toward the ground. "Shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto exclaimed as two clones appeared, one on each side. Each clone created a rasengan in a hand as Naruto dove toward the Broker. "Try this on for size, RASENGAN BARRAGE!" Naruto drove the two spiraling orbs of chakra into the Broker's chest, and then jumped backwards. The broker got up, staggering to his feet.
"A Yahg," Liara said, "No wonder Naruto said he may be the only one to beat the Broker. Their bodies are incredibly dense, and act as a form of living armor. They're an incredibly violent species, but none have been seen outside of their homeworld. They haven't even achieved space flight yet."
"Maybe he was kept as a pet by the previous broker," Ashley thought out loud, "And then he just got tired of being kept as some rich guy's play thing and killed his master, assuming the mantle of Shadow Broker."
The broker brought up a shield around him, but Naruto's sage mode enhanced punches and kicks just kept blasting through. "Alexa, get everyone back. I'm going to finish this now." He let loose a flurry of punches that drove the Broker back, and then created two more shadow clones. Each one focused on one hand, as a spiraling shuriken of pure power was created.
"We'd better get back," Gaara told the team, "That's his wind style Rasenshuriken." The team backed up as far as they could, as Naruto slung the shuriken at the broker, hitting him square in the chest and driving him back further, into the wall, billions of miniscule wind blades slicing and dicing into the broker's skin and vital organs.
It is then that Liara walks over to the banks of computers, and starts going through all the information at hand. It only took a couple of seconds for agents to begin calling in for the Broker, and Liara could only see one alternative, to become the new broker. Adding a voice filter, she came up with a believable story of a slight power surge that knocked out comms for a minute or 2, before receiving the reports from shadow broker agents all over the galaxy. Feron, now free from the torture device, hobbles over and starts to help Liara with her work. The Asari then turns to Shepard.
"Shepard, thank you," she said, embracing her friend in a hug, "you helped me rescue Feron. I don't think I can ever repay you."
"It's not a problem," Shepard replied, "We're friends, after all."
"You'll have unlimited access to my information networks, but first, I think this is what you're looking for." Liara sent a quick message to Shepard's omni-tool. "That is the location of the Illusive Man's main base. If you're looking for him, he'll most likely be there."
"Thank you, Liara," Shepard answered, "Now, we've got work to do. Everyone back to the Normady."
Normandy SR-2: Sowilo System
During the battle with the Shadow Broker, An Alliance cruiser had met with the Normandy, as had a pirate ship. Shepard and Naruto walked into the briefing room to find Aria T'Loak standing there talking with Admiral Hackett.
"You have the intel?" Hackett asked.
"Courtesy of the new Shadow Broker," Shepard responded, "Anadius system, Horsehead Nebula."
"Then Alliance forces will meet the Normandy in Anadius system when we're ready to begin the assault. Our techs will help the shinobi deal with Cerberus forces. Aria T'Loak has graciously lent us some human members of Eclipse to man your stolen Cerberus cruiser to go to Aratoht. This plan of blaming it all on Cerberus is genius, Shepard. And we can say that we heard what they had done, and destroyed Cerberus afterwards."
"I'm going to deal with Aratoht first, then we can take out Cerberus. If the Batarians are to believe us, then we have to hit the Cerberus base, after I get back from Aratoht."
"These mercs are expendable," Aria informed Shepard, "Use them as you need. It is a small price for me to pay to have the Illusive Man out of my hair, once and for all."
Captain's Cabin: 15 minutes later
"Alexa, I'm coming with you," Naruto said, "Maybe not on the ground but if you need a quick extraction, then who better? You've got my seal on your arm, and I can be there in a fraction of a second. I can put another one on the cruiser, somewhere, and then we can meet the Normandy in the Horsehead Nebula to ditch the cruiser."
"Ok, you can join me on the ship, but I've got to go to the planet alone, Naruto," Shepard finally gave in. Since the Cerberus attack was put off till Shepard returned from Aratoht, then that gave Naruto the fire he needed to tell Shepard that he was going with her. They had argued all the way from the briefing room, to the armory, and then to the lift and finally the captain's cabin. So impassioned was Naruto in his arguments that she finally just had to give in and let him come along.
Normandy SR-2: Bridge: 1 hour later.
Garrus, and Ashley watched as the Cerberus cruiser left. The Turian had already said his goodbyes to his friends, and the plan had been put into motion. "Joker," he advised the helmsman, "Set course for the Pax system, Horsehead Nebula. We'll wait there for Shepard to return."
"On our way," Joker replied as the ship made its jump into the Osun system, and then lined up for a Relay jump.
End Chapter 19
NEXT CHAPTER: Arrival
Author's Note: Please, people, for God's Sake, QUIT ASKING ME IF THIS IS A HAREM FIC. I've said on numerous occasions that this is Naruto/FemShep. NO FUCKING HAREMS.