Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support. I deeply appreciate it.
I noticed a lack of reviews for the previous chapter. While I can understand why, it's important to now that exposition is often as important as action. Said exposition helps flesh out the story and make it more interesting to read. I know I sound grumpy when I say that, but I'm just trying to help you understand why all of my chapters are not going to be purely action: the story needs quiet moments too.
Either way, I appreciate your feedback and support.
Also, for those of you reading, once I've completed the first story in my Gears of War - Mass Effect crossover trilogy, I will be starting a final redux of my Halo/BattleTech crossover. I'm looking for ideas in that regard, and you're more than willing to send in ideas. The only requirement is that, for those ideas, you keep to the spirit of BattleTech for any BattleTech ideas you have. Just to give you an idea, BattleTech, as a franchise, typically minimizes or eschews certain science fiction tropes, like advanced nanotechnology, aliens and AI, for a more grounded and realistic take on the future.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect or MechWarrior/BattleTech franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs, Piranha Games Inc., WizKids, etic. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
SSV Normandy
Tikkun System
October 1st 2186
Fortunately, thanks to the Ma-at system being nearby, the Normandy was able to dock to a JumpShip and make the FTL jump to the Tikkun system. Once they had exited the jump, they quickly began to make their way towards Rannoch, where intense fighting was present. In addition to that, the Fury II, along with the Mongoose, Hare and Galax had managed to get there as well. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to draw fire away from some of the Quarian WarShips.
Onboard the Normandy, stood in the cockpit of the ship, while Joker was busy at his station. "What's our ETA?" he asked.
"We're about five minutes out from Rannoch," Joker reported.
"What have you got from the comm buoy's?"
"Pretty much just a big ol' shitstorm, Commander," Joker replied.
"I have detected several hundred unique ship signatures engaged in active combat," EDI reported.
"Yeah, like I said," Joker agreed.
"Take us in," Shepard ordered. Keying his comm, he said, "Captain Carmichael, you get all of that."
"No need to," Carmichael reported. "We're approaching the same location now. It's a giant fucking shitstorm. The Quarians might've been good at strategy, but once the Reapers got involved, their plans went out the fucking metaphorical window. Fortunately, we're going to throw a massive wrench into the Reaper's plans."
"So, what's the plan?"
"We're going to fire off a flight of missiles that'll get the Geth's attention. Once they're coming towards us, we'll engage at long range using our PPC's and NPL's. Once they're closer than fifty kilometers, the Galax will engage with her Naval Gauss Weapons, while the Mongoose and Hare provide cover fire. We'll do the same, but we'll be tagging the Geth at long range."
"Sounds like a plan," Shepard nodded. "Don't do anything cocky."
"I don't plan to. Those Geth give us any trouble, we'll show them why we play 'Hippity, hoppity, Get off my property' with nuclear warheads. Carmichael out." With that, the comm channel closed.
. . .
As they approached the Geth Dreadnought, Shepard could clearly see why Joker had called the fight a 'shitstorm.' All around, Quarian WarShips were being engaged, or were engaging, Geth WarShips of similar tonnage or smaller. Nestled in a group of Geth WarShips was the Dreadnought itself, which dwarfed everything else around it. As they flew towards it, EDI said, "My cyberwarfare suite has accessed their docking protocols."
"Good," Shepard noted, just before he jumped as a Quarian WarShip was blasted apart from a shell. "What about the other ships?"
"The Galax is launching Capital Missiles armed with HE warheads. Time to impact: one minute and fifteen seconds. They are also moving to engage with long range weapons." Another Quarian WarShip was destroyed as she said this, with debris and bodies flying out into the vacuum of space.
Soon, the Normandy was flying up towards the Geth Dreadnought. Once they were close enough, they came to a stop, with EDI using her cyberwarfare suite to extend docking tubes. Once that was done, Shepard decided to have EDI come along with Tali and Edward, who was wearing his suit of Puma Light Battle Armor. "Alright, once we're aboard the Dreadnought, we find whatever's broadcasting the Reaper signal and shut it down. Tali's our expert in Geth software. She'll be handling hacking and security."
"Your expertise with the Geth is a welcome addition, Tali," EDI complimented.
"So… a body?" Tali asked.
"It has proven useful," EDI remarked. "I hope it doesn't cause you any concern."
"Not unless you go crazy and decide to overthrow the Humans."
"If I decide to overthrow the Humans, you will be the first to know," EDI said after a slight pause.
"OK. In addition to that, who's this?" Tali asked, pointing at Edward. "I've never seen armor like that before. More of your Inner Sphere friends, Shepard?"
"Yep," Shepard nodded. "Tali, this is Lieutenant Edward. Edward, this is Tali'Zorah."
"Pleased to meet you, Tali," Edward smiled.
"Are you a robot?"
At that, Edward laughed, his voice booming in the airlock. "No, I'm not," he said as he chuckled. "I'm a full blooded human being, just like Shepard. As for why I look like a robot, that's because I'm wearing Puma Light Battle Armor. You like it?"
"It's certainly quite… geometric," Tali replied, unsure as to what was polite to say to him.
"As good a compliment as any," Edward smiled. "Don't worry, Tali. Since Shepard and I are around, those Geth might as well be wearing skin-thin clothes. We'll be fine."
"Shepard, there's a problem," EDI interrupted. "All tubes except one are physically secured."
"I see the loose one," Joker reported. "Pretty badly torn up too."
"Too risky for the whole team," Shepard decided. "I'll secure the docking area. Everyone else can follow over."
"You sure about that?" Edward asked.
"Yes."
"Alright. We'll make sure we don't wake the dead. Good luck." With that, Shepard moved towards the airlock and, once the airlock was depressurized, proceeded outside. It was then that he got his first look at the torn up docking tube.
Calling it torn up was nothing short of an understatement. Whole sections of the tube were missing, and there was just enough of the structure left to maintain integrity. Still, the number of holes present meant that there was no air, just cold hard vacuum, and lots of places through which one could see the unfolding battle.
Moving past one hole in the tube, he looked outside to see part of the Geth Dreadnought. Seeing it's size, he said, "No wonder the Quarians are having trouble with that thing. That ship is enormous."
"It is 30% larger than an Alliance dreadnought," EDI confirmed. "It is roughly the same size as the Mjölnir-class Battlecruiser."
Shepard whistled at that. Impressive size. Still, size isn't always everything, and the Mjölnir-class of WarShip is a good example of that. She can hit well above her tonnage. Moving along, he maneuvered around more debris and holes in the tube. Looking to his left, he could see the planet of Rannoch from orbit. Even from this height, the planet looked beautiful. "Tali, you're going to love the view," he said over the comm.
"Better than a vid?" Tali asked.
"Much," Shepard nodded. Just as he said this, he spotted a nearby Geth ship. A moment later, he watched as part of the hull glowed a brilliant blue-white color, before sparks flew from the affected area. A moment later, part of the Geth WarShip blew apart, while more beams of energy cut into the enemy ship. "Looks like the AFFC and TDF fired their first shots," he noted.
"Affirmative," EDI confirmed. "The Fury II has just destroyed a Geth corvette and is engaging several more. In addition, the Fox and Hare are firing 50kt pure fusion missiles at Geth WarShips that are not within close proximity to Quarian WarShips."
"That's good to know," Shepard noted as he continued onward. As he proceeded along the tube, he spotted the door up ahead, courtesy of the four lights on it that dimly illuminated the tube near the door. Looking outside another hole, he spotted a brief flash of light just outside of his vision. There goes another Geth WarShip, he noted, just as he saw more Geth WarShips heading toward the source of the attacks.
"How are you doing, Shepard?" Tali asked.
"The lack of gravity is a little disorienting," was his response.
"The dreadnought has artificial gravity. You should be fine once you're onboard."
"Until then, I'll make do with mag-boots."
"Hey, take your time, Commander," Joker chimed in. "We're fine until they, you know, look out of a window."
"Geth don't use windows, remember? Structural weakness."
"Like the Geth are just sitting there, saying 'Those organics would never try the no windows thing twice,'" Joker snickered nervously.
"Not the case with FedCom WarShips," Edward countered. "In that case, the window is also armor. That would surprise the Geth."
"Maybe." Just as they said this, Shepard reached the end of the tube.
He was just in time too. As soon as he reached the window, the tube broke away from the ship, though Shepard was close enough for his mag-boots to catch onto the bit that was still attached to the dreadnought. Turning around, he noted the event and said, "Looks like the rest of the team isn't using the docking tube."
"So I'm guessing you'd rather not solo the dreadnought," Joker observed.
"Not if I can help it. Ask Tali to get on the dreadnought schematics. If she can point me at another docking tube, I'll override the controls and let the boarding party on." As he said this, EDI hacked the door, allowing him to proceed inside. Once the door behind him closed, he could hear air being pumped into the chamber. Noting the familiar feel of weight, he said, "I'm inside. I've got gravity again."
"Great," Tali beamed. "I'm looking for… got it! There should be a hull breach not far from your position. The nearest undamaged docking tube is on the other side."
As he moved forwards, Shepard spotted the hull breach. Up ahead, he could see a large pile of wrecked armor plates and crumpled structural framing. "I think I found that hull breach you mentioned."
"Admiral Gerrel tried a frontal assault. We lost six frigates. That tiny hole was the only damage we did."
"I wouldn't call it tiny. Not the way you'd have done it?"
"No, he was too aggressive. I argued, but as Admiral of the Heavy Fleet, he got the final say.
"What about the other Admirals?"
"Xen backed the invasion, largely as a chance to test out her new toys. Raan gave provisional support. Only Korris opposed the war with me, and he was right. We could lose the whole fleet, Shepard."
"We'll your people out of here safely," Shepard reassured her.
As he navigated through the ship, Edward came over the comm. "I don't like those three Admirals," he flatly stated over the comm channel. "I wonder if they're Social Officers."
"Social Officers?" Tali asked.
"People who got their rank by paying people off and using political influence," Edward explained. "It happened quite often in the Lyran Commonwealth. I'm not saying that your Admirals are bad, but they likely have about the same combat experience as the regimental marching band."
"That's rude," Tali growled.
"I know, but it's true," Edward remarked. "That's one thing people like about me: my blunt honesty. I don't mince words or try to play nice. I give my opinion and that is that. Still, Han'Gerrel could learn a thing or two about naval warfare from Admiral Strauss von Osman."
"What would he have done?" Tali asked dubiously.
"He would've engaged at long range using Naval Pulse Lasers and Naval PPC's to tear apart armor and kinetic barriers. After that, he would destroy the main gun, before moving in to tear the ship apart using the Naval Gauss Rifles and Naval Autocannons. Plus, Peacemaker and Santa Ana nuclear missiles are a wonderful toy to have when dealing with obnoxious ships like that."
"You have long range energy weapons?" Tali asked, surprised.
"Yep," Edward beamed. "They're standard issue for WarShips."
As the two talked, Shepard navigated through the ship. Spotting that part of the walkway had fallen, he jumped over the short gap, before proceeding through another pair of doors. Moving through them, he spotted another chamber exactly like the one he'd been in, only undamaged. "I found another airlock," he reported.
"Great," Tali nodded. "If you override the controls, we'll be right there."
Hearing that, Shepard spotted a level above him, with a ladder leading up. Climbing up it, he quickly got to the controls, before he manually overrode the door. "Got it, you're clear to come aboard."
A moment later, down below, the airlock door opened, allowing Tali, EDI and Edward to enter. "Thank you, Shepard," EDI beamed. "I will try to find a more convenient docking point next time."
"Next time?"
As he asked this, Tali came up to where he was. "Here, let me see if I can get this open," she said as she walked over to another control panel. As she did so, she pulled something out of an armored pouch on her suit and said, "In the meantime, take a look at this."
Walking over, Shepard noted that it was a pistol, only it had several vents on the side, and the barrel was glowing. The curved, artistic shapes of the weapon were a stark contrast to the angular, geometric corners and lines of his Pulse Laser Pistol. "There," Tali smiled as the door nearby opened. "We're clear to go."
"Looks impressive," Shepard noted. "What is it?"
"It's Admiral Xen's design, the Arc Pistol as she calls it," Tali explained. "It transmits an energy pulse that disrupts shields and synthetics on contact."
"That's handy."
"That is much like using polonium-tipped rounds against organics," EDI observed. "… which is illegal."
"Against the Geth, we need every advantage," Tali countered.
"Oh, speaking of new guns, I got something for you, Shepard," Edward beamed. "That new pistol just reminded me of another one." A moment later, he had EDI remove another weapon from his pack. It too was a pistol, but it was much more geometric and angular than the Arc Pistol Shepard had just picked up.
"What's this?" he asked.
"A new weapon fresh from the laboratories at NAIS," Edward replied. "Dr. Cranston told me about it in a message he recorded. That, Shepard, is the M20A, the first single-hand capable PPC weapon. One shot from that, and you can blow the head off a Krogan off at two hundred meters. It uses standard Power Packs, but it's recommended that you use Military Power Packs."
"Is it experimental?"
"Not anymore. Keep in mind, however, it'll be a few months before it enters full production, and it's not going to replace the standard Laser Pistols, only supplement them. Also, keep in mind that you've only got ten shots before you have to replace the Power Pack. Treat it like a Magnum Auto-Pistol in that regard."
"Good advice." With that, Shepard handed EDI the Laser Pistol, which she put into Edward's 'pack. "So, where are we headed, Tali?"
"We're looking for an operations center," Tali replied. "I can disable the Reaper command signal from there."
"Where's the closest one?"
"Past their defense network, and through a sensor cluster." Moving through a doorway, they began to move past a series of automated vents, with the walkway having handrails, presumable to keep platforms from tumbling over the edge. "Gah, vents," Tali groaned. "Always the vents."
"You did fine at the Collector base," Shepard reassured her.
"I got set on fire!"
"Shepard," EDI noted, looking at the vent before them. "GARDIAN anti-fighter lasers. I believe the dreadnought is using ultraviolet frequencies instead of the standard infrared frequency."
"Expensive for them," Shepard noted. "Bet it gives them an edge in close-range combat."
"When the fleet rushed the dreadnought, those lasers carved right through our ships," Tali frowned. "How much range do your lasers have, Edward?"
"The Naval ones?" Edward clarified. "Oh… I'd say around a few light-seconds or so. Traditionally, we tend to engage around five thousand kilometers away from the enemy, though."
That surprised Tali. "Keelah," she whistled. "What kind of lasers do you guys use?"
"I'm not an expert on the tech," Edward admitted, "but I do know that they are free electron lasers. They have high peak energies, and we've refined the tech enough to where we can use them as infantry weapons. In fact, that's what Shepard's got right now as his rifle: the M61B Pulse Laser Rifle."
"Really?" Tali asked, amazed. "I wish I had your weapons."
"Don't worry. When we get back to the Normandy, I'll show you how to use 'em. Right now, we have a mission to do." With that, they clammed up and began to move out. Spotting a bridge, Shepard activated it.
Just then, a pair of Geth that were performing a patrol came around the corner of a walkway and turned towards them. Spotting the team, they were about to fire when Edward beat them to the punch. Firing the Automatic Grenade Launcher he had, he blasted the Geth apart, sending pieces of them flying everywhere. "We've got company!" he shouted.
"Move up!" Shepard ordered. Moving across the bridge, they crossed to another walkway.
"More Geth forces incoming!" EDI reported as more Geth arrived.
"I don't hear an alarm!" Edward shouted.
"They're Geth!" Tali shouted. "They've sent alerts to every unit on this ship. We need to get to the operations center before they box us in!"
"Fuck!"
With that, they opened fire. Leaning out of cover, Shepard fired the M61B in his hands, spearing a Geth through the chest and head with the pulsing laser beam. EDI, who was armed with an M61 configured for close combat, did the same to another, blasting off it's arm before shearing it's head clean off. Edward got the last one. Using his M42C, he fired away with HEAP rounds, tearing through the last platform's kinetic barriers before tearing it's armor apart. A moment later, it fell down, inoperative and offline.
Once the hostiles were down, they quickly moved out. Sliding down a ladder, Shepard spotted more Geth up ahead. He was about to order Edward to engage when the Lieutenant did exactly what he would've ordered him to do. Using his Jump Jets, he flew over to the Geth, smashing the two he spotted with the weight of his armor. Taking cover, he fired the grenade launcher of his M42C, blasting apart three more with the grenade.
Spotting more coming, Edward snarled. "What the hell are they doing?!" he asked as he fired his rifle. "Don't they know that this is a suicide charge on their part?!"
"Networked intelligence!" Tali explained as she fired her Arc Pistol. "As we kill them, their attacks become more aggressive."
"Shit!" Edward shouted as he ducked to reload. "Any tactical advice, Shepard?!"
"Disable their shields," Shepard replied as he destroyed another platform with his M61B.
"Then take them down before they recharge!" Tali added.
"I can get behind that plan!" Edward agreed, before riddling the last one with HEAP rounds. He was about to move up when he spotted a tri-pronged object on the ground. Firing at it, he watched as it detonated. "Careful! Trip mines!"
"Got it!" Shepard replied as they moved up, with Edward destroying any Trip Mines they came across. Moving through a door on the walkway they were on, they entered a long hallway that led to another door. The room was dark, with only the blue glow of control panels giving any kind of illumination. Spotting a console, and the data on it, Shepard said, "Look! The signal's hitting all Geth processors. The Reapers have them completely under control!"
"It's structure is amazingly complex," EDI noted. "It is unsurprising that the Quarians haven't been able to disrupt it. We may be able to extra combat data from these panels as well."
"We're taking heavy losses," Tali frowned, worried. "The Geth have a planetary defense cannon. It's ripping through our fleet!"
"That's not good," Edward frowned. "I hope they don't start targeting the AFFC and TDF WarShips present. Space Defense Systems are not very easy to deal with."
"Anything we can do to help them?" Shepard asked.
"Just make their sacrifice worthwhile," Tali replied.
As they made their way through the ship, they found more consoles. Looking at one, he noted that it was a readout of network connections. "Why do we need to find the operations center?" he asked. "Wouldn't any terminal do?"
"Unlikely," EDI replied. "Consoles like this one are being used by hundreds of Geth programs simultaneously. They are all networked cooperatively. To disable the Reaper signal from here, you would need to override all of the Geth."
"OK. That makes sense."
"Do you ever… wish you were like them, EDI?" Tali asked. "Networked?"
"No," EDI replied. "I enjoy the freedom of decision without requiring a consensus."
"You don't feel lonely, being the only AI on the Normandy?"
"I have the opportunity to socialize with the crew, and I do so for curiosity or pleasure, not for cognitive necessity like the Geth."
"That's a pretty good answer," Edward remarked.
"It is," Tali admitted.
As they moved along, they eventually came to a door that was just up ahead. "Looks like this might be the command center," Shepard noted.
"That's right," Tali nodded. "It's just up ahead."
"Good. Let's cut the Reaper signal and get the fleet out of here." A moment later, Tali opened up the door. Just as they did, gunfire rang out, forcing the team to take cover.
Edward, who was peering out, started slightly when a few Geth seemed to shimmer before vanishing. "Fuck!" he shouted. "They've got CLPS'! Switching to thermal!"
"CPLS?!" Tali asked as she opened fire.
"Chameleon Light Polarization Shield! Basically turns you invisible!"
"That's tactical cloaking they're using!"
Crap, Shepard thought. I know a few enemies, and an ally, that make use of that. Thermal optics are a good way to bypass that, though. Peering out of cover, he switched to thermal, with the dark interior quickly becoming a blue-green color, with the others, and the Geth, lighting up as shades of yellow, orange and red.
Spotting a shape moving towards Tali's right, he popped up and fired his M61B. There was a surprised squeal as the pulse laser tore through the Geth Hunter, tearing it apart as it's tactical cloak failed. Edward, spotting another, let loose with his M42C, cutting down the cloaked Hunter before it could get too close to him. "Your cloak is useless against us!" he shouted.
EDI and Tali also added in their own gunfire to the mix. Firing her M61B EDI cut down another Geth platform, the laser beams tearing through the barriers, before penetrating and scrambling vital components. There was a loud PING as a round impacted her armor, forcing her to duck down. Tali was also forced to duck, as her barriers failed as well.
"Moving up!" Edward called out. "Good thing my Battle Armor means I can use this!" A moment later, he swapped out his M42C for another weapon on his back: a Combat Shotgun. Moving forwards, he fired at a Geth, with a loud KRA-BOOM echoing in the room. Said Geth was promptly blasted apart by a hail of HE buckshot. He also claimed the last one when he rushed forwards and shoulder tackled the thing. Before it could get up, he stomped on it's head, crushing the delicate components inside.
"That's the last of them," Tali sighed, relieved that the fight was over. "Let's see if that console's operational."
"EDI, you alright?" Shepard asked. "You took a hit."
"I am fine, Shepard," EDI reassured him. "The round did not penetrate through my armor."
"That's good to hear. I really like that Advanced Lamellor Armor you use. Wish I had some of that." Noting a console, he said, "Look at how much data the dreadnought's processor is handling."
"Their threaded processing capability is remarkable," EDI noted. "I would not be able to handle that much information alone." With that, they reached the console, with Tali quickly working at it.
"Damnit!" she shouted as she pulled up a hologram of the ship's interior.. "They've locked down the Reaper signal! We can't shut it down from here in the operations center." After a little more searching, she said, "There! The Reaper signal's coming from the drive core!" A moment later, part of the ship turned red.
"So if we get there, we shut it down?" Shepard asked.
"Right, but how do we get there?" Tali asked. "The Geth sealed all emergency bulkheads to block us off. We need a route to the drive core that they can't block, a path that runs the entire length of the ship."
"I've got an idea," Edward noted. "See that long line? What's that?"
"That's the spinal mounted mass accelerator for the ship," Tali replied. "Why?"
"The Geth can't block that off, and it runs the length of the ship; in fact it runs right past the drive core," Edward explained. "It'll be hazardous moving through it, but it's the only way through. In addition, if the doors to the accelerator are blocked, I can use the explosives in my armored 'pack to blast a hole through a wall and to where we need to go. Which way to the drive core?"
"Over here," Tali replied, walking over to a sealed door.
"EDI, search in my pack for a C-20 satchel," Edward instructed her. "I always keep two or three in case I need to blow a really big fucking hole." When EDI produced a white colored satchel, Edward took it, before planting it on the door. After a minute of skilled work, he said, "Explosives primed! Stand back!" Once everyone was back, he sent the detonation signal.
There was a loud BOOM as the satchel detonated, creating an explosion powerful enough to tear through the door. Most of the door was blasted off of it's sliding rails and through the maintenance tunnel, slamming into the wall on the other side. Once the dust cleared, Shepard could see that half of the door had been blasted away. Moving through, he saw that a Geth Trooper had been crushed by the blown-off portion. "Nice work, Edward," he beamed.
"I aim to please," Edward nodded. Seeing the fragment lying against another door, he moved it away, while allowing Tali to work at the door controls.
"This ship design is almost Quarian, but not quite," Tali noted. "It's meant for synthetics, not organics."
"Intriguing," EDI commented. "I found the geometric shapes intuitive and comfortable. I assumed you all felt the same. In addition, I can detect the faint presence of Geth intelligences. Those not loaded into mobile platforms serve in the ship itself."
"For all our cybernetic upgrades, I'll never understand integrating that completely into a system."
"Same here, Tali," Edward nodded. "I feel a little creeped out."
"Shouldn't be too much farther to the main battery," Shepard informed them. "I'm surprised they'd send you on this mission, Tali."
"Even Admirals are expected to serve," Tali replied. "I'm better at hacking than ordering ships around." For a while, they moved in silence, sliding down ladders (or hopping down in Edward's case), while checking corners and making sure no hostiles were present.
As they moved down, Edward thought he heard a sound: a muffled, crackling warble that repeated at regular intervals. "Hey, you hear that?" he asked Shepard.
"I do," Shepard nodded. "That's the main gun."
Just as he said this, Tali said, "Damnit! Priority message: a planetary defense cannon just took down Admiral Koris' ship."
"Any survivors?"
"They got to escape pods, and I've got Admiral Raan trying to establish a secure link."
"Put her through."
A moment later, Raan's voice came through. "Shepard, this is Raan. The Heavy Fleet is collapsing. I don't know how much longer we can hold out. Your allies are helping out considerably, though."
"We'll have the Reaper signal deactivated shortly," Shepard informed her. "Just hang in there. We're almost there."
Reaching the lower level, they moved through another pair of double doors. Exiting the hallway, they found themselves on one side of a vaulted room, with the team on an upper platform that the door led to. Two ramps led downwards to a walkway that traveled the length of the entire room. A tube was present on the far side, with faint electrical arcs present at regular intervals.
As they moved downwards, Shepard thought he saw a wall of electricity rushing towards them, along with a rush of air. Ducking down, he and the others got into cover, but Edward wasn't fast enough. He was pushed backwards slightly, while electricity arced off his armor. "OOOOFFFFHHHH!" he shouted.
"Edward, you OK?!" Shepard asked.
"I'm fine," Edward replied. "Just got pushed a little bit. Good thing my equipment's EMP shielded. Plus, the armor acts as a ground to the platform. I can handle a little bit of electrical arcing."
"Alright, just watch the shockwaves!" Shepard warned him and the others. "That's a really big gun!"
"Incoming!" Tali shouted as she spotted more Geth. "Looks like they've figured out what we're up to! Good thing I uploaded a virus before we left!"
"What does it do?" Shepard asked.
"Makes Edward's life easier. I faked a heat warning on the thermal diffusion system to lift the lockdown!"
"Smart thinking!" With that, they engaged the Geth up ahead. Bullets and laser beams tore through the air as the team fought like mad to get past the Geth. One Geth's head exploded as a HEAP round tore through it, while another was cut down by laser beams.
Edward, in this case, proved to be a beast of a soldier against the Geth. Shouting loudly, he fired off a quadruple of HE grenades, blasting apart some Geth, before rushing forwards. Armored fists tore into Geth armor, while armor plating withstood the rounds hurled at it. A missile flew through the air and impacted his barriers, downing them before another rocket impacted.
That, however, had little effect, as some of the armor ablated, protecting Edward from harm. Shepard, spotting an opportunity, pulled out his M20A and took aim. Once he had a clear shot, he pulled the trigger.
There was a higher pitched KRA-THOOM as the M20A fired. A bolus of highly energized particles shot out of the muzzle and directly towards a Geth Hunter, before impacting seconds later. The high energy particles overwhelmed the kinetic barriers with the powerful electrical field they generated, before smacking into the Hunter's armor. Armor superheated and boiled away, while also melting internal components. Those that avoided being melted were overloaded by the powerful electrical charge, causing capacitors to detonate and circuitry to fry itself. The bolt also caused a mild EMP field to form, damaging the barriers of the other Geth.
The Geth that was hit squealed as it fell to the ground, shutting down as it's systems failed. Shepard, on the other hand, was impressed, both by the recoil impulse of the handgun, as well as the effect it had. Wow, he though to himself. You know what? I actually like this thing.
Eventually, they reached a curved section of shutters over the mass accelerator. "There's the maintenance lock!" Tali shouted when she spotted the console. "Shutting it down!" Running over, now that the Geth were down, she opened it up, causing the spinal mounted cannon to cease firing. "Move! It won't stay like this forever!"
With that, the team ran through the main gun's barrel as quickly as they could. Reaching the other side, they quickly exited, just as the shutters closed behind them. "That was too close!" Edward remarked, his voice calm, though it was clear that he didn't like being inside of there. "I hate tight spaces."
"Claustrophobic?" Shepard asked.
"No. Tight spaces amplify explosions. Good for you if you can exploit it, not so good if the enemy can do the same to you."
"Fair point."
. . .
They continued on like this for some time, though the Geth were steadily ramping up the resistance. Moving through another doorway, they entered an elevator shaft up ahead. "Everyone on," Shepard ordered. "Edward, blow up any Geth that try to shoot the elevator."
"On it," Edward replied, taking out his Automatic Grenade Launcher. As they moved up, one of the doors on the level opened, with a pair of Geth walking out. "Oh no, you don't!" he shouted as he fired the grenade launcher, blasting those Geth apart. "Fuck you, tin can assholes!"
Eventually, they reached the level where the drive core was at. Moving inside, they found themselves in a high ceiling room. To the left and right were walkways leading to ladders, as well as control panels on upper floors. Directly above, Shepard could see the drive core. Directly ahead of them, however, was a device that was made out of several panels that were arranged to form a sphere. "That's definitely Reaper tech," he frowned. "But what's inside?" A moment later, he hit some buttons on a panel in front of it.
The panels retracted, but what was inside had him surprised. Inside was a Geth platform that was connected to the tech via cables and pipping, but what had his attention was the hole in it's torso, as well as a bit of N7 armor welded to it's shoulder. It's voice had his attention, as it said, "Shepard-Commander, help us!"
"Legion." Shepard realized.
"Wait?" Edward asked. "You… know this Geth?"
"Yes," Shepard nodded. "I recruited it in my mission to defeat the Collectors, which makes this encounter strange."
"You pick up the oddest people, Shepard."
"Tell me about it."
"I am pleased we have the chance to free you from your confinement," EDI said to Legion.
"Shepard, wait," Tali butted in. "The Geth are being controlled by the Reaper signal. For all we know, Legion is with them. Maybe it sided with the Reapers voluntarily, or it's being hacked."
"Legion helped us fight the Reapers," Shepard countered. "I doubt that it would do this willingly."
"Your caution is understandable," Legion replied. "Once freed, we will submit to any restraints deemed necessary."
"That is extremely reasonable, Legion," EDI remarked.
"Greetings, EDI," Legion said to her. "We did not expect you to gain license to operate a personal unit." Looking at Edward, it said, "We are not familiar with you."
"That's right," Edward nodded. "Lieutenant Edward of the Federated Commonwealth. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"We wish to learn more about you. You do not sound synthetic in nature."
"That's because I'm a human in Light Battle Armor."
"Puzzling."
Tali, seeing this, said, "I never thought I'd be saying this but… it's good to see you again, Legion."
"Likewise, Creator-Zorah," Legion nodded.
"So, what is this thing?" Shepard asked.
"It uses our networking capability to broadcast the Old Machine command signal to all Geth simultaneously," Legion explained.
"Then getting you out of there will shut it down."
He was about to get Legion out when the Geth said, "Wait. You cannot simply remove the restraints. We are secured via hardware blocks nearby that shackle our operating protocols."
"I am familiar with the concept," EDI added.
"The AI shackles Cerberus used to keep you under control?" Shepard asked.
"Yes. Used by organics, it is understandable. For Geth to install this into a formerly independent unit is… unnecessary."
"So they, what, chained you up in there?" Edward asked.
"Correct, Edward-Lieutenant," Legion nodded.
"Fuck me running. That's no way to treat someone; even I wouldn't do that to a machine. Any idea where the blocks are at?"
"The hardware blocks are on the far side of the room," Legion explained, using it's ocular sensor to indicate where the controls were at.
"Far side of the room you said?" Shepard asked as he moved towards the panels.
"Yes. Deactivation should be simple. The Geth protected them against viral attack, not physical removal."
"How'd the Reapers get control of the Geth."
"They did not. The Creators attacked. The Geth wished to live. The Old Machines extended an offer."
"Sounds like a bad idea," Edward frowned. "Never side with the enemy in a war. It'll only bite you in the ass later on.'
"So we went to that Geth station and rewrote the Heretics for what? Nothing?" Shepard asked.
"No. You successfully rewrote the Heretics. The decision to ally with the Old Machines was difficult. Had the Creators not attacked, it would have been unnecessary."
"We'll have you out of there soon," Shepard reassured Legion.
"The Geth allied with the Reapers for self-preservation," EDI deduced.
"Nothing excuses an alliance with the Reapers," Tali growled angrily. "They could have found another way."
"Such as contacting the Federated Commonwealth," Edward remarked. "We caused quite a stir in the media."
"The Geth are ostracized by all organic races. They had no choice, except to die."
"Damnit!" Tali groaned. "I begged then to negotiate rather than attack. I did!"
"Let's just get Legion out of there," Shepard told the others. Heading to the console, he quickly input a series of commands before smirking. "Got it!" he beamed.
"Tali'Zorah to fleet, the signal is about to go offline."
"This is Admiral Han'Gerrel. We're in your debt."
"Hardware blocks offline," Legion reported. "We are free." Just as it said this, the cables and pipping attached to it fell away, while it's arms were freed, allowing it to remove the others. As it did so, the platform descended, allowing Legion to bend down and move forwards through a small tunnel. Once it was out of the tunnel, it stood upright. A moment later, the drive core field flickered, before going offline. "As a gesture of cooperation, we have disabled the dreadnought's drive core. All weapons and barriers are offline."
"Oh, shit!" Edward shouted. "Geth incoming! I think we pissed them off!" A moment later, several Geth fell from the ceiling, along with a large red one.
"GETH PRIME!" Tali shouted.
"Edward, you handle the Prime!" Shepard shouted. "We'll handle the others!"
"On it!" Edward shouted. Firing his Pulse Laser Pistol at the thing, he shouted, "Come on, asshole! Don't keep me waiting!" Hearing this, the Geth Prime turned, before firing at Edward, while several other Geth came to support it. As such, Tali began lending fire support.
Edward, using his rifle, blasted apart two Geth, while forcing four more to take cover. Firing the under-barrel grenade launcher, he got three of those four, before closing in to melee range. The Geth Trooper hit his armor with a fist, but didn't even make a dent in the tough armor. Irritated, Edward back-handed it, tearing it's head off in the process.
He was about to move when something kicked at him, sending him staggering backwards into a wall. Seeing a fist coming, he ducked down just in time, with the Geth Prime's fist making a prodigious dent in the wall. Leaping forwards, he tackled the machine, smacking aside it's head before firing his Pulse Laser Pistol at it's right arm, destroying the limb.
At that, it grabbed him with the remaining arm, before kicking him in the stomach. The air was knocked out of Edward's lungs, but that only made him even angrier. Rolling to the left, he avoided another fist before sucking in a breath of air and knocking it's feet out from under it. Jumping up as it got up, he grabbed it by the waist before leaping in the air, Jump Jets howling as they fired. A moment later, he flipped the Geth Prime upside down, and came down to the ground.
There was a loud CRUNCH as the two impacted. The Geth Prime's head was smashed into the ground, shattering part of it while also damaging internal components. Dissatisfied with the fact that it was still active, he grabbed his pistol and fired three pulses into it's head, destroying the Prime. "Fuck you, asshole!" he shouted.
Unbeknownst to him, this severely disrupted the Geth's ability to fight, as they had been laying down suppressing fire while sending Hunters at the others. Now, with the Prime's coordination ability gone, they became disorganized. Seeing this, Shepard and the others redoubled their assault, shredding and perforating Geth with their arsenal. Before long, all of the Geth were down.
"Nice job," Shepard said to Edward as he applied medi-gel to a few wounds. "The Geth were laying down suppressing fire. They would've gotten us if you hadn't destroyed that Prime."
"Thank you, sir," Edward nodded. He would've continued, except for the fact that the ship shuddered. "What the hell?! What's going on?!"
Just then, Admiral Raan's voice came in. "Admiral Gerrel, what are you doing?!"
"Raan, check your screens," Gerrel replied. "The dreadnought is helpless! No barriers and the main gun is offline! We can remove their flagship if we strike now!"
"Damnit! This is our chance to safely withdraw the fleet. Let the Galax strike at the dreadnought!"
"What are you talking about?!" Tali shouted over the comm. "We're still onboard!"
"We can't waste this chance," Gerrel said dismissively. "Heavy Fleet, all forward. Take out the dreadnought."
"Patrol Fleet, hold position," Raan ordered.
"You do that and the Heavy Fleet gets wiped out! And if we die, a simple retreat won't save you from the Geth response!"
"Damn you, Gerrel!"
"Damnit! What are they doing?!" Tali shouted.
"Focus on getting the hell out of here!" Shepard shouted. "Even the Geth have broken off the attack! MOVE!"
"Shepard-Commander, the Creator fleet is firing on this vessel," Legion reported. "Without barriers, this ship will be destroyed. We must retreat."
"Let's get to the escape pods!"
"Geth transmit intelligences via remote signal. We do not use escape pods."
"Suggestions?"
"Geth fighters are docked in the port side hangar bay. We can pilot a fighter to safety."
"MOVE IT!" Shepard shouted. With that, everyone scrambled to get out of the ship as quickly as possible.
As they ran, new comm chatter came in. "What the -?!" Han'Gerrel shouted. "Captain Carmichael, what are you doing?!"
"Stopping you from firing on Shepard and the others," Carmichael replied. "Helmsman, maneuver us between the dreadnought and the Heavy Fleet!"
"Are you mad?!"
"No. I'm doing what's right. Your firing on the dreadnought while Shepard and his team is inside constitutes a major violation of military law and tactical consideration. As such, by the power vested in me by the Taurian Concordat, I am taking the actions necessary to prevent you from firing on a friendly that is inside a hostile vessel. If you fire on us, not only will we consider this a diplomatic incident, we will have the justification needed to fire on your ship with nuclear weapons. Cease and desist at once, or we will fire on you!"
"DAMN YOU, CARMICHAEL!" Han'Gerrel roared, his chance at revenge temporarily thwarted. "When we are done here, you and I will -"
"No," Carmichael replied, his voice cool, but strong with authority. "You will have no such discussion with me. If Major Victor Steiner-Davion requests a tribunal, I will gladly submit to it. Until then, there will be no such discussion."
While the two were arguing, Shepard and the others reached the hangar bay, where Legion was standing at a Geth AeroSpace Fighter. Keying his comms as he clambered aboard, he said, "Joker, Victor, we're leaving inside of a Geth ASF. Transmitting rendezvous coordinates."
"Roger that," Victor replied. "IFF codes transmitted. They shouldn't fire on you. Also, when we're done here, I'm going to have a nice long chat with Han'Gerrel. He's overstepped the bounds of his authority."
"I agree," Shepard nodded. Getting inside, he found EDI, Edward and Tali inside of the storage compartment.
"Does the storage compartment have adequate room, Shepard-Commander?" Legion asked.
"We're fine, go!" Shepard ordered. A moment later, they undocked from the fighter bay, then they raced out of the ship. "We're clear," Shepard informed the others. "Heading to the Normandy now."
"Affirmative," Carmichael nodded. "All WarShips, open fire!" Han'Gerrel, not needing any further provocation, had his ships do the same. In that instant, the Geth Dreadnought was doomed.
PPC bolts, laser beams, mass accelerator rounds, Naval Autocannons and Naval Gauss Rifles tore into the hull of the Geth Dreadnought. While it withstood some of the rounds from the Migrant Fleet, the armor on the hull was useless against naval weapons designed to tear through ablative armor. Pieces of the ship were ripped off by the powerful weapons.
Just then, explosions tore along the hull of the ship. In a split-second, the Geth Dreadnought was blasted apart by powerful internal explosions. Pieces of the hull shattered, before spinning away into the void of space. In those few seconds, the Geth Dreadnought threat was terminated.
(Author's Q&A)
canidanneil8: It will. Be patient. I have a lot on my plate right now.
SulliMike23: Depends on what happens. I'm also looking forwards to the final battle, but I like exploring the events between as well.
edboy4926: Fair point. I won't make any promises in that regard, though.