Dawn of Titans

by F13D

There is nothing fair, just, or honorable about war. There is only winning and losing, the living and the dead. Humanity has learned this truth and has ascended to the stars. What effect will this have on the rest of the galaxy, one that has experienced millennia of peace? Will it be able to maintain the peace or will it be ushered into a new age of war? Let the end begin. A/U

37. Chapter 37 - Opening Moves

9-28-2183 1347 hours (Alliance standard time)

Crest

Zorya

SPECTRE Team, Apex 2

The target planet was a jungle world, one of the few Garden-class worlds capable of supporting vegetation in super-abundance. Genetically engineered plants introduced by Hegemony entrepreneurs had taken over most of one continent, and threatened another – by great fortune, her mission rested on the third tectonic representative, which lacked the incredible foliage.

Vasir gave a quiet prayer before opening her eyes, keen hearing detecting Dozz hum to himself before the noise was drowned out by her helmet. Sitting across from her was Captain Vidinos, a member of the Hierarchy's Blackwatch. Unlike Saren, these turians were more mechanical to Vasir, speaking only when spoken to and taking action only when necessary. She hadn't seen any of them make casual conversation in her hearing, classic behavior amongst turian elite – other than Saren. As a result, the Stormer shuttles' troop compartment felt silent as they sped to their objective: investigating the disappearance of a Blackwatch company.

A buzz emitted from the onboard comm speakers, attracting all eyes to the dividing wall's screen. Cabin lights dimmed to a sullen crimson as the figure of a much older turian flickered into view, broadcasting from the lead shuttle's cockpit. One scarred vambrace cradled his helmet, while holding his weapon in the other arm. General Septimus Oraka, commanding officer of Guard Company, lead a total of a hundred elite turians; it seemed his transmission was being relayed to each combat shuttle in real time.

"Guard Company, this is General Oraka. Listen up." The general's voice was calm, yet succinct. "We're still travelling through the plains and are about three klicks from the mountain ranges. According to the last transmission, that is where Anvil company should be located. Intel says jammers are present, so expect heavy interference. We still have no intel on what has attacked Anvil company but expect heavy combatants. The HMSExactor is standing by for fire support. Oraka, out."

The display went dark; Vasir sat forward, activating the forward holocam. The shuttles were in convoy formation, carefully arranged to avoid catastrophe should a kinetic bomb detonate beneath them. The terrain was largely featureless, however Vasir noticed increasing activity levels. The shuttle's phase antenna array also began to spike, alerting her to the presence of emplaced weaponry.

The comm spiked with a shout from another turian. "General, I see something!"

A thunderous boom, strong enough to rip through the sound of a gunship's main thrusters immediately followed, sending vibrations along the interior hull. The forward cam caught a ball of flame engulfing the forward shuttle. The few turians without helmets snatched on their gear, snugging down their straps.

On her display, Vasir watched the warriors' movements synchronize, plugged into the turian battle network. It was a special network created for the sole use of the Hierarchy's elite forces, similar to the SPECTRE's very own. However, due to the sensitivity of the situation, as well as Blackwatch's reputation, Vasir and Dozz were connected into their network as well. SPECTREs were one of the few elite forces of the Citadel allowed such access, but even they could only connect with the permission and presence of a high ranking turian officer. It was a highly sophisticated algorithm, untraceable, and impenetrable to any known code slicer or VI spy networks.

The moment the turians were plugged in, Vasir heard requests and commands coming in fast and clear, absent of emotion or panic.

"Dozz," she called through her helmet's comm. "Switch to local channel Serene-Delta-Two."

Like the rest of her gear, her helmet was expensive, custom-built hardware, equipped with a respiratory filtration system and an internal thermal/UV optic overlay. Its benefits extended to the communication firmware, taking advantage of a bone conduction headset, exterior interfaces, and a Grade IV VI network system.

Dozz immediately keyed his transponder frequency. "Advanced Techiix anti-air bomb. Traces of deuterium fusion detected. Highly unconventional form of weaponry. Very few capable of utilizing both deuterium and prolonged engagement with Blackwatch–"

"Dozz," Vasir interrupted, knowing full well to stop him before he even began to monologue his hypothesis' "Ping any incoming hostiles!"

"All troops disembark!" The command was clear and obvious. The Blackwatch were going to face heavy resistance and sustain casualties, but better that than losing their only means of extracting survivors. A suitable landing zone was pinged to every shuttle's radar, but it was far from perfect.

The forward 25mm chain gun opened up as Dozz's analysis software began broadcasting hostiles within a kilometer radius. The outside of the shuttle was alive with the spewing of explosive rapid-fire bolts, black streaks of energy ionizing the air.

A sound similar to heavy fists pounded across the shuttle's hull like a drumbeat. Vasir saw a pair of turians coming down from topside, carrying a limp turian, its chest and helmet scorched black. A medic made his way to the fallen turian, removing his helmet and armor. The wounded turian was badly mangled, his injuries momentarily reminding her of the ones sustained by Dozz back in their defense of the Spaedar Outskirts on Taetrus.

She subconsciously looked over to Dozz, who merely stared at the turian in analytical fashion, before blinking and rushing forward to provide medical assistance.

"I'm going up top!" Vasir called, hurrying to the ventral access hatch and climbing into the vacant turret. The scene outside was unreal; despite her centuries, she'd rarely seen such level of firepower being brought upon the shuttle fleet.

The air was thick with mass accelerator fire; her helmet's ventilators were working overtime to keep the smoke and hot smell of metal clear. Bodies from the forward shuttle were strewn all over the place. Angling her view showed Stormer shuttles getting pelted with small-arms fire while their twin autocannons returned the insult with interest.

Further observations showed the enemy firing from behind well-constructed fortifications. An unknown tank rotated its main gun towards the shuttles, but instead of seeing a solid projectile, a flash of light erupted instantly. Immediately, she saw a shuttle split in half as it exploded, it's hull glowing red.

Vasir saw her visor become alive with activity. The HUD indicated the location of allies with green dots on a circular disc with enemy combatants spotted with red dots until they disappeared as a confirmed kill. A yellow dot indicated the loss of visual sight of an enemy combatant, but displayed their last known position. She immediately fired on the closest enemy target with the turret, careful to keep her eye on the enemy tank's cannon alignment.

"Ge…of…er! I…a…ush!"

"This is General Oraka, identify yourself," Oraka ordered. "Someone, clear the signal!"

Vasir made a mental note to get a copy of the protocols used to comply. As the transmission squelch reduced in intensity, she could almost hear the subharmonics flatten into the usual clarity expected of high-performance hardware.

"Understood, how copy? Lieutenant Garrus Vakarian, Anvil Company, first platoon," the voice answered.

"Solid copy," Oraka responded. "What is the situation? We're taking heavy fire from an unknown enemy."

"Sir, my company was attacked by the geth. I'm with two other survivors, officer cadet Rix and a Federation intelligence agent. My man and I are both wounded, but stable."

It didn't take a biotic of Vasir's caliber to understand their situations' detonation capacity. Or one of her intellect; already she began planning alternative scenarios, possible tactics for improving their odds.

"By the spirits, did you say the geth!?"

"That's uh, correct, sir. The geth wiped out the rest of my company. We've tried contacting you by radio when you entered low orbit, but the geth have signal jammers all over the area. Only short-range comms can be used."

"Understood, can you tell us anything else?"

"Wish I could, but you'll need to ask our Federation expert on the matter, and she is currently busy keeping our radio operational. We're pinned down at the central command center."

"Are you able to provide support?"

"I can certainly think of a few ways to help, just get your men out of there… with sincere respect of course general. Sending you target data."

The geographical data and enemy positions were sent through the channel matrix of the Blackwatch and SPECTREs simultaneously. Vasir received a 3D layout of the battlefield, and she immediately spotted a vulnerable area in the geth's defenses. She changed frequencies, but kept her audio tuned to the general channel. Coordination and cooperation would be needed to survive this battle.

"General Oraka, hostiles are concentrated towards the south of the ridge. Most have been suppressed by the auto-cannons, but there's an unknown tank on the center of the ridge. It's going to pick us off if we don't take it out first. Requesting permission to take any volunteers to eliminate the enemy in that sector!"

"You have the greenlight, just don't waste lives," Oraka's response seemed distant, as if distracted. Understandable considering the situation.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Vasir said. She looked at Captain Vidinos and his troops. "Well, opinions?"

"It's your plan SPECTRE. We're with you." The turians readied their rifles and took up formations. The cracking of mass accelerators filled Vasir's audio sensors, despite their sound cancelling. She was just glad the loudest noises were filtered out; drowning in ambient noise was a painfully stupid way to commit suicide in battle.

"Let's go," Vasir took the lead. There was a small roadblock off to the side of the route Vasir decided to use. She scanned the surroundings through her HUD, checking for hidden dangers. Moving up to an elevated position, she managed to spot both the location and identity of the enemy tank.

It was a Colossus.

"General Oraka, they have a Colossus!"

"Spirits, am I having a terrible day," Oraka said. "Alright setting a rallying point. Everyone, get clear of the landing zone. Our shuttles aren't equipped to take that thing down!"

She looked at the shuttles behind her, the remaining Blackwatch professionals departing from the landing site with precision and skill. But she could see the tank atop the ridge, its main cannon traversing the battlefield, seeking out some specific target. It was either overwhelmed by such a target-rich environment or seeking a prioritized threat – either was possible with geth.

The sound of a Kremtis rifle ruptured the air, followed by the hiss of super-heated air.

Her eyes went to the ridge and saw an enemy platform carrying a rocket launcher tumbling down. The HUD on her visor showed one less red dot. Seemed Vakarian was going to eliminate the heavier geth first.

From the looks of the situation, the had Colossus settled in on a rhythm, first utilizing a missile launcher to blast a rock wall, then use that altered terrain to improve its firing position. An eruption of flames stemmed from the impact center, hiding the follow-up plasma blasts until the last moment.

Everyone sprinted straight to the marshaling point.

Vasir watched for a moment, confirming the geth pattern, then turned to the turians in her group. "We'll send a runner to be the spear tip, draw them out. The runner paints targets of opportunity, so we can take them out as fast as possible. Most of us will be able to keep moving, but I need Honor squad to cover our rear while the main force concentrates on the ridge."

Dozz stood up and checked his weapon. "Ah it's settled then. I get my chance to exercise."

Before anyone could object, Dozz was up and over the wall. The remaining troops followed after a brief pause. Dozz's sprinting form was perfect and upright, moving at a pace many would think impossible thanks to his cybernetic augmentations on his legs.

Vasir shrugged. The idea had been to move fast but with care, making sure not to get too far behind enemy lines to avoid encirclement; however Dozz had pretty much overran the geth position singlehandedly. Of course, they hadn't realized it yet.

Between the assault team and the ridge line were pillars of boulders seven meters high and twenty across. Beyond that was an open plain leading straight to the ridge littered with sprawling, dry riverbeds Vasir gave an idle thought towards getting across that stretch of exposed land without sustaining too many casualties. As she did, the Colossus fired again and hit a target, luckily incinerating an empty shuttle.

Impossible as it may have seemed, Dozz continued outdistancing the rest of the assault force, accelerating even faster. Despite carrying a light loadout, Vasir failed to do anything other than prevent the gap from increasing, Blackwatch trailing close behind her. Dozz was within a few meters of the geth position, approaching a low fabricated wall when her HUD flared yellow, dots on the other side signifying geth were spotted in that location.

Before any form of cover could be offered, Dozz hurdled over the wall without breaking stride.

She saw a trio of geth pop up along the wall he'd just cleared in what seemed to be a calculated risk to take down the salarian SPECTRE from behind.

"Take them down!" She screamed.

So many Blackwatch scored consecutive head shots on the geth platforms that there wasn't much left of their monoculars. They hadn't even gotten close to aiming their weapons.

The Blackwatch it seemed, were elite marksmen.

The run for the ridge continued at breakneck speed. She heard a loud energized hiss a millisecond after seeing a charged round strike a Blackwatch beside her, taking the turian down in a single hit. It was immediately answered by repeated hits from Vakarian's sniper rifle, booming retorts echoing in rivalry with heavier weapons.

"I'm wounded, but still in the fight," Garrus said.

A series of heavy detonations followed the statement, and another voice. "I'll keep firing as long as I have grenades," another turian said, whom Vasir believed to be Rix. "Be advised SPECTREs, you're apparently attracting more geth."

Two geth sprung from around the corners of adjacent buildings, seeming to bring converging fields of fire on the speeding salarian. A pair of the turians at her back opened up with the concussive launcher on their rifles and hit each geth center mass. The other troops followed soon after, firing upon them as well and dropping them. The soldiers continued unabated in long, loping strides, clearing the final wall and streaking across the plain toward the ridge.

The Blackwatch troops assigned to serve as the rear guard maintain a steady pace, fanning out and making sure every geth platform was eliminated as the rest of the troops did their best to keep up after Dozz. Vasir could hear the booms of rifle and shotgun fire from the rear Blackwatch.

Even Vakarian and Rix, wounded as they were, became increasingly busy. Every single shot or blast they fired either removed a dot from Vasir's HUD or served to indicate where the enemy lurked.

Once Vasir reached the riverbed, she saw Dozz had stretched his lead by over sixty meters.

"South wall secure!" Dozz announced over the mission channel. The distinct sound of explosions erupted, drowning out any response.

'That fast?' Vasir thought.

Running through the craggy river bend was difficult, slowing down the entire assault force. Snaking through the water-whipped sea of ankle-high rock and sediment caused Vasir's legs to curve around the smooth river rocks like an exotic dancer. Her youth had been somewhat better spent than others, but it surprised her how easily Dozz traversed such rough terrain.

As soon as Vasir was within three hundred meters of the ridge, she realized that the Colossus hadn't fired a shot since it scored a hit on the empty shuttle.

'Unless…"

"Vakarian," she said between panting breaths, "status on the enemy tank?"

"On it."

There was a pause as Garrus must have looked through his scope at the mechanical mobile geth platform, shrouded behind terrain and the night sky. "Seems it's no longer interested on the landing site anymore. Trajectory forecasts show its main gun is looking to fire on advancing allied troops. I can try to distract the geth troopers as best I can, but this rifle wasn't made to take down a Colossus."

"Understood. General Oraka, did you get that?"

"I did SPECTRE. I've already ordered my troops to scatter, but maintain relative formation. If that tanks fires on my men, it won't take out as many as it wants."

The green dots on her HUD were indeed spreading out. Unfortunately, she still saw a trio of Blackwatch clustered together. Vasir turned around, pausing to get a visual, and saw them bottlenecked by a series of boulders. Evidently, the Colossus saw the same thing; a massive blast arced in from its position, smiting the earth as she watched. The ground exploded, leaving nothing more than shattered boulders and some craters. A grim rainfall of dirt, rocks, and pieces of the Blackwatch trio scattered to the wind.

The tactical comm was flooded with Oraka's voice

"Stay spread and don't give that thing a target!"

The Colossus continued seeking targets, minor bursts of its secondary weapons attempting to force Blackwatch out of cover, but none were grouped together. As Vasir moved closer, she noticed the geth troopers were now attempting to battle the spread-out assault team on an individual basis. The Colossus above fired its main gun once more; this time Vasir could feel the force in the air as the shell blistered a mere handful of meters above her cranium, exploding much too close behind her. She could feel the ground shake as the heat from the torrid blast penetrated her armor's cooling system.

That was far too close.

"This is SPECTRE-3, I've reached the base of the ridge." Dozz didn't even sound tired. "Sitrep?"

"Copy, I have eyes on you SPECTRE-3. Seems like the geth are aware of your location. They are looking for an angle to engage."

"Copy."

The geth couldn't seem to find a good line of fire on Dozz, but that was immaterial to an artificial army, willing to expose itself to enemy fire. Unable to get a clean shot at Dozz, they instead opted to unleash a hellish volley of fire on the still advancing troops.

Blue pulse bolts sizzle overhead with varying degrees of accuracy. Vasir had been fired upon so many times she had gotten used to the air sizzling as the burning shot scorched the air. However adaptive she might've been, the concept of being near-death still got her adrenals fired up and motivated her run even faster.

"Be advised SPECTRE-3," Vakarian's calm voice came back. "I see a pair of geth troopers climbing up a building to your left."

Krack-krack-krack!

Garrus fired his sniper rifle consecutively. "One geth eliminated, but I can't get a shot on the other."

"Copy," Dozz answered. "I'll see if I can spot it."

He rolled out away from the ridge's base and dropped to a knee. His rifle pointed upward in a fluid motion, graceful like a performer. He fired twice into a part of the building where the walls were thinnest and spun back against the cliff. Geth fire kicked up the dirt where he stood moments before. But then the detonations from his low-velocity adhesive projectiles blasted into the building's walls, sending part of a geth platform's shoulder and torso falling from the building. Dozz fired once more in the same location to confirm the kill.

Vasir was the second individual to reach the base of the ridge, followed by Vidinos and his men. Once most of the assault team reached the ridge and spread out around its base, they took a moment to breathe. The next step would be difficult, she knew.

She sneaked a quick look, popping back behind cover well before artificial reflexes kicked in. Her glance confirmed it: the ridge was prepared ahead of time for defense, and now it was working in the geth's favor. If the geth were to descend and flank their assailants, it would be a slaughter. They needed to break out and destroy the Colossus, the geth main heavy support; remove the artillery and the geth would be relegated to small-arms. The turians were doing their best at returning fire, but it was only a temporary solution to an impending crisis.

"We need to get these men moving," Oraka said in a calm, but authoritative voice. It was on a private channel, but Vasir still forced back a wince.

Dozz of course was far ahead of the problem, she could see. From his small point of cover, Vasir could see him taking grenade cases and filling them with a number of things. It appeared to be mainly primary electromagnetic dischargers and fusion cells, but he seemed to be adding capacitors and wrapping it all together with super-conductor coils while linking them to a rather large capacitor. Of course, this was not enough to satisfy the salarian as he decided to add additional secondary ECM components. Once the first batch of twelve grenades were up to his standards, he begun working on another dozen and another until he had a total of forty-eight grenades.

As the SPECTRE worked, the General arrived, keen eyes scanning the battlefield. Vasir could almost see the old turian analyzing everything in his experienced brain. She herself boasted at least two centuries on the turian, but knew her limits.

Dozz finished wrapping the last batch. Seizing the bundles, he skidded down the embankment, working his way over to where the general was posted. He handed him one of the grenades. "These will solve our problem, General."

Oraka looked at the grenade then back at him. He cautiously took the offering. "Sparking the AI? That's a hell of plan your thinking. You sure these will work?"

"Trust me General," Vasir interjected. "Dozz's specialty is explosives. They'll work,"

"Understood. Distribute them among my men and we'll advance as soon as these disorganize the geth. Now, do you have a plan to take out the Colossus?"

Dozz gave a nod. "I'll need all the explosives everyone has."

Tense minutes passed as makeshift grenades worked their way around the ridge. Despite the turian's best efforts, the geth were pushing, forcing their way down the ridge; Vasir managed to pot-shot two while waiting for her colleague's efforts to conclude. She chose to refrain from voicing encouragement – imminent death by AI was more than enough incentive, and an entire platoon's collection of explosives meant distraction was something she also wanted to avoid.

"Done," Dozz's nimble fingers made adjustments she couldn't discern, but tapped a reassuring rhythm on the hardened casing. "Whenever you are ready."

"Ready weapons!" General Oraka glanced around, his own sidearm humming.

A flurry of stomped feet marked the Blackwatch assent.

"Volley one!" General Oraka cocked his other arm and hurled the first grenade, followed soon by the rest of the assault team. For a moment, it looked like the grenades didn't have the correct angle and were going to tumble back down on their heads.

Indeed, Vasir's HUD calculated the trajectory a moment before the grenades reached their peak. They would land just inside the geth position.

"Volley two!" Oraka called out, as the first volley started to feel the effects of gravity and began their descent. Oraka's threw another just a little further in case it was needed.

Explosives possessed characteristic sounds. Fragmentation grenades belted out their rage, while their smaller flash-bang kindred blared. Heavy explosives detonated in an earthshaking rumble, and true bombs vibrated the air in competition with thunder. These electrical-based explosives, however, ignited with an eerie cracking sound, like a blast of energy were sheeting across the wires of a low-tech ag-world.

The EMP grenades erupted within seconds of each other. The noise was so substantial that Vasir could hear the whine of their discharged magnetic fields inside her helmet's transceiver, even as it dampened the decibels. The ridge itself shielded them from the worst of the effects, but the explosives were so bright they were still capable of causing her visor to darken.

All geth fire ceased.

"Go! Go! Take the ridge!" Oraka bellowed.

The SPECTREs and Blackwatch moved, advancing around the side of the rocky formation. Everything hinged on time and the turians knew it as a single shot from the Colossus, assuming it was still functioning, could take them all out.

Once the assault team reached the top of the ridge, the geth were still shaking off the effects of the EMP grenades.

No order was necessary. Everyone opened, firing near continuously and pausing only to eject heat sinks, spread out, and take cover.

Vasir ejected a heat sink from her rifle while throwing yet another grenade to continue the pressure. She'd been wise, and retained several, as she had no doubt the Blackwatch had done. The knowledge spread a vicious grin across her face; the tables had turned. Now it was the geth who were disadvantaged.

Hyper-accelerated shot spat through her rifle like a river, Vasir went through five heat sinks within a single minute, taking down a few vulnerable geth. But the real work was done by the Blackwatch heavy gunners wielding modified M-76 Revenants, sending unrelenting fire into the massed geth platforms, tagging less-disoriented targets with concussive shots. Overwatch fire, precise, deadly stuff from Vakarian's position joined them, along with whatever remaining grenades Rix had available.

The advantage did not last long, the heavier geth platforms recovering first and beginning to mount a counterassault. Rallying whatever platform, they could, geth primes dispersed troops into defensive formations, scattering as the turians had before. The patterns in which they position themselves soon become clear, however, the geth prioritizing the Colossus as it prepared to fire.

"Get clear!" Vasir and the Blackwatch in the immediate vicinity dropped to their stomachs just as the Colossus fired. The blast impacted a nearby building, hurling Vasir and two other Blackwatch soldiers several meters backward. Landing with a crushing thud and tangled limbs, Vasir tried to get up only to experience agonizing pain erupting from her left rib cage. She looked down and saw heavy bleeding. The persistent ringing in her ears rendered all other noise muffled or mute, possibly caused from hearing loss. The two other turians fared little better, both alive but seriously wounded.

She could hear the sounds of weapons being fired and orders being barked, but they are all coalesced in a haze of clatter. Lying on her back, Vasir saw the Colossus, which appeared upside down, had already begun charging another shot, this one aimed directly at her. Its main gun glowed, the energy held deep within its housing poised for release.

"It's been an adventure," Vasir remarked. While her tone remained uninterested, it served only to disguise her fear and regrets. There were many things she'd longed to do with her remaining centuries, decades of exploration and fulfillment she'd never experience. While pitifully short, those were the only words that came to her mind before a sudden flash of light caused her eyes to be plunged into darkness.

Vasir's HUD flickered, then went offline altogether. As her armor systems initiated a reboot, she could still hear the sounds of heavy fighting; therefore she could determine was still alive, although the continued pain from her ribcage were more than enough to prove that. Once her systems came back online, her eyes were once again returned to the battlefield. She still saw the tank, still aiming at her with its cannon, but it was no longer a threat. Flames and thick, black smoke billowed out of every vent and opening. She could see heavy metal plates lying next to its frame along with a few geth primes.

It seemed the flash of light didn't come from the tank's weaponry. Rather the light was thetank.

The destruction of the Colossus and the primes seem to have great visceral effects on the remaining geth platforms; they appeared to be choosing to fight to the last platform and make suicide charges upon the remaining troops. The geth didn't seem to expect mercy and the turians gave none, wasting no precious ordnance to end the battle.

While the last of the holdouts were destroyed, Dozz skittered down the slope once more, coming to a halt beside the fallen asari SPECTRE.

"Are you well, Vasir?" Dozz asked, standing over her. "Ah I see, hameothorax injuries caused by shrapnel fragments penetrating through the rib cage ca–"

"I don't need a lecture. Just stabilize the wound," Vasir demanded.

Dozz nodded. "Of course. Be aware, you may suffer difficulty in breathing and severe chest pain if the wound isn't treated probably. Please hold still."

Vasir was thankful for the numbing effect of medi-gel. Dozz's efforts at a thoracostomy, and removing shrapnel, would've been unbearable otherwise. Suffering through the experience was a superior option to the alternative, which meant she could sit up and walk afterwards, if not be in actual combat-ready form.

She sighed, then winced, resolving to not repeat the action as much as possible. "Thank you."

Dozz gave a mild nod. His blue-stained hands were rubbing in dust, to get the blood wiped away. "Mediocre treatment. I recommend getting that looked at by a professional as soon as possible."

"Agreed," Vasir straightened, looking upward. While painful, she could move, at least.

"SPECTREs." The voice came through the internal speakers of Vasir's helmet. She followed her instincts and spotted General Oraka standing on top of the smoking Colossus. The flames were put out with the geth's hull being covered in powdery white residue. No doubt the result of yet another Dozz's grenades.

"Yes, General?"

"Excellent work. You've saved the lives of many, and you have my appreciation for it, but I would like to have a word in private. There is something that you need to see; join me in the command center when you can."

Vasir walked slowly, mindful of her injury, but made steady progress. Once they entered the command center, the SPECTREs understood the source of the turian general's unease. Lying side by side were two krogan, with one missing his entire head, and a single body of a turian Blackwatch.

Dozz squatted down and peered closely into the krogan bodies, unlatching a vial with a syringe inside. He stuck it deep into one of the krogan, capturing DNA samples.

"Dozz, what are you doing?" Vasir asked, leaning over his shoulder.

"Krogan bodies lack signs of early stages of decay. Minimal blood splatters indicate precise shots to eye sockets, blocking fluid to flow into the eyes. Attacks are followed up by upward stabs into the throat of the first krogan only to be killed by small arms fire directed to the target's four lungs. Second krogan likely killed by a grenade, likely in its abdominal cavity."

"That's an impressive eye," Oraka said, moving towards the fallen turian and removing his insignia. "Now we have two questions, the first is what in the spirits are the geth doing outside of the veil and why they are working with the krogan of all species."

Pondering the three bodies, Vasir felt a faint tingle of apprehension run down her spine. The krogan were infamous warriors, strong and resistant to damage. Trained, a single krogan warrior could battle an entire asari squad, head on. It was only the Genophage that had stopped the rapacious war machine from enveloping the entire galaxy; why were they here?

"Sir," a turian Vasir didn't recognize stuck his head into the center. "Valien squad have escorted the survivors into the camp."

"Well, I hope we can have our questions answered."

As the trio exited the command post, they saw the remains of the Blackwatch force entering the camp. Two Blackwatch members were escorting a quarian, clad in Federation blue armor. The turians noted the general's presence and turned towards him.

"General Oraka, Lieutenant Garrus Vakarian and Officer Cadet Avitus Rix, reporting in, sir." Garrus and Rix both gave a salute while the quarian simply stared into the distance.

"At ease," Oraka said before turning towards the quarian. "And you are?"

The quarian shook her head before turning towards Oraka. "Doctor Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, head researcher for Federation colonization of Zorya."

"Interesting," Oraka's eye-ridge rose. "You are here on a survey?"

"Yes." The small quarian made a bird-like nod. "I was charged with mapping this world's resources. Preparation for colonization efforts."

Oraka gave a nod. "Well, that explains Federation presence on the world, but I'm more interested as to why the geth and krogan are here.

Before Tali could explain, Garrus stepped in. "According to Doctor Zorah, Federation intelligence detected incoming geth presence and sent a flotilla to extract the scientists and security forces, but were intercepted enroute."

"And with a Federation flotilla being mobilized –," Oraka started.

"The Hierarchy sent the Blackwatch to investigate." Tali finished.

"As for the krogan?" he asked.

"Unknown," Tali said. "The only intelligence we have is the memory core I've downloaded from a geth platform. It seems the geth were looking for a key that will allow them to bypass relays, but there isn't any more information.

Oraka exhaled, rubbing the side of his face. For once he looked older than Vasir knew she was. "I'll have to report this to the Hierarchy. In all likelihood, that will send us to the Council." A faint groan, blessed by dual harmonics of turian vocal chords, trembled through the air. "Everyone take time to eat and rest. This will take some time."

---

SSV Normandy

Stealth Frigate

XO Quarters

Arrogance was something John Shepard had never liked. It was weakness in his eyes, disguised as confidence. Likewise, he despised nepotism, it meant those with merit were often ignored in favor of those with the right connections. Therefore, he was wary when he discovered his transfer to humanity's most advanced warship following his release from Shaw-Fukjikawa memorial hospital. While this would have normally been a prestigious position, the nagging feeling that the ship's captain was his surrogate father was ever present; Shepard couldn't shake off the doubts this position was offered out of pity or worse, nepotism.

Granted he was an N7 marine and a decorated one, which alone was enough for any captain of the Normandy to extend an invitation. However, Shepard knew there were far more distinguished N7 marines that could have been considered, and yet he was chosen for reasons unknown. Now as he sat on his bunk, he felt restless. He was Special Forces to the core, so why was he on a routine mission on an experimental ship? In addition, why in the hell was a SPECTRE onboard as well?

He reviewed what he knew. SPECTREs were the elite agents of the Citadel Council, entrusted with extraordinary authority. As an exclusive group, their primary responsibility was to preserve galactic stability by whatever means necessary and were generally considered as being above the law. There was absolutely no chance the SPECTRE onboard was here for a simple inspection regardless of what he said.

His omni-tool lit up without warning, a Relay approach alarm. As the Commander, he needed to know when these things occurred.

"The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range." The Pilot's voice echoed through the PA system. It was required by law, ensuring those more sensitive to transitions knew when such an event occurred.

Trying to shake off his doubts, Shepard rose to his armored feet and left his quarters. He made his way up the stairs to the command deck, saluting the NCOs on the way. This early in the voyage the salutes felt like an obligation, although later everyone would relax. He hoped.

"Initiating transmission sequence," the voice announced as Shepard passed another officer who gave him a brief smile. He locked eyes with the navigation officer as he walked around the awkwardly large CIC, exchanging brief nods. "We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination."

Shepard stepped up onto the walkway, which led directly to the cockpit, officers on both sides working diligently at their stations. One noticed him and nodded. "Commander."

He nodded back and continued until approaching two figures seated in the cockpit, and the turian SPECTRE himself. He stopped next to the much taller figure and stared out the viewport.

"All stations secure for transit. Board is green, beginning approach." The Normandy neared the massive Relay ahead and as soon as they were within range, the core of the enormous Prothean construct lit up like a sun while at the same time the gyroscopic shield emitters, which Shepard presumed were there to protect ships from the massive amount of radiation emitted from the core, began spinning faster around the glowing center. "Hitting the Relay in 3, 2, 1 …"

As the pilot finished his count down, a bolt of energy lashed out at the ship, one end touching the Normandy's hull while its far end began to slide between the two long tuning fork-like structures of the Relay, picking up speed. In a burst of energy, the ship was launched forwards, sling-shotting them into the Relay corridor.

The pilot touched a panel Shepard recognized as the intercom connection. "Thrusters, check. Navigation check. Internal emissions sinks, engaged. All systems online. Drift, just under 1500 K."

The silent turian chose to break character. "Fifteen hundred is good. Your Captain will be pleased," he said. Without further ado he turned and began walking back the way Shepard had just come.

The pilot, whom Shepard understood was nicknamed Joker, watched the turian leave. The sour look on his face didn't change before turning back towards his console. "I hate that guy."

Kaiden, seated on the right, gave Joker an odd look. "Saren just gave you a compliment … and you hate him?" he asked.

Kaiden was dressed in blue Enforcer fatigues, identifying him as part of the European's finest. Shepard knew him to be one of the Normandy's more exceptional crew members, even among such celebrated company as a Spetznaz tank crew, the metaphorical Ghost, and above things a giant shock trooper as well.

Their inclusion was a reflection of the Normandy's creation, a joint effort between all of humanity's Super-Powers. Its hull was reinforced with the strongest Russian armor possible and outfitted with the most destructive weapons found in their formidable arsenal. The unusually large eezo core was manufactured by the Chinese Republic alongside its engines and thrusters. Europe's Enforcer Corp had developed the Normandy's electronic warfare suites and energy weapons, and both the Normandy's signature heat emissions and sensor array had been created by the North American States. Indeed, no other human ship held such versatility as the Normandy.

"Well, I find him highly approachable," an unnoticed figure behind Joker said.

The pilot nearly jumped from his seat. "Jesus Christ, Joe! Can you please stop appearing out of nowhere!?"

The JSF Ghost looked at the pilot with a faint of puzzlement, face hidden behind a balaclava. "What do you mean? I was here the whole time without my cloak on."

Joker looked at the Lieutenant for support. "Do you really believe this Kaiden?"

Kaiden just shrugged. "I wasn't paying attention. I was focus on my job," he said, an amused smirk apparent.

Joker cast an appealing look at Shepard.

"Sorry Joker, I just got here. I don't know what to tell you."

With a huff, Joker fell back into his seat. "I'll be sure to remember that the next time you need an extraction." He shook his head, turning back to Kaiden. "Remembering to put on your socks before shoes is good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. That's not good that's incredible!"

Finished, Joker couldn't seem to stop himself from shooting Kaiden another dirty glance. "Anyway, SPECTREs are trouble. I don't like having him onboard. Call me paranoid, but there is something fishy about this."

"You are paranoid. The Council's helped fund previous expedition projects. They have a right to send someone to review our efforts," Kaiden said as he turned back to his console.

"No, Joker's right," Joe disagreed from behind. "If they really needed to send someone, they could have easily sent an asari diplomat, a salarian scientific team, or a turian security detail. They wouldn't send a SPECTRE unless they expected trouble."

"See, Joe agrees with me."

"Just a minute ago you were arguing with him, but now you are the same side?"

Joker rolled his eyes, hands drifting amongst the panels with deceptive grace. "Whatever. Only an idiot thinks the sight of a SPECTRE is a good thing."

"Are you expecting the worst?" Shepard, finally interjected. While he would have liked to add his feelings on the matter, an executive officer's duties did not include undermining Captain Anderson.

"Hell, yeah! Who wouldn't?" Joker gave him an intense look. "With a crew like this, we don't go anywhere unless there's a reason. We've got a SPECTRE with no explanation, Captain Anderson who's decorated like a Christmas tree, Kaiden, Joe, a tank crew that can each crush your skull with a single hand, a giant shock trooper, and then you, Commander."

Shepard raise his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know, the Special Forces soldier who survived a brawl with a goddamn thresher maw," the pilot said, animatedly waving his arms around.

"Is that right?" he asked, amused by the pilot's claim. It was better to be amused than surprised about the pilot's knowledge of Akuze.

"Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst. That's the first thing taught in the JSF," Joe added. "If you do that, there is a chance you might be pleasantly disappointed."

Joker chuckled to himself as he turned back to the pilot console. "Damn straight."

Shepard smirked as the pilot's comm lit up. The Captain's familiar baritone came through. "Joker, status report!"

"Just cleared the Mass Relay, Captain. Stealth systems are engaged. Everything looks solid." Joker reported. At the same time, he adjusted his hat, voice returning to its semi-professional demeanor.

"Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to the Alliance and the Council before we reach Eletania."

"Aye, Captain. Better brace yourself sir, I think Saren is headed your way," Joker said, his less serious tone returning slightly. It was interesting watching him switch his professional tone on and off when dealing with Captain Anderson. The amount of respect he had for the Anderson must have been immense in order to address the man as a more than just a superior officer.

"He's already here, Flight Lieutenant …." Anderson replied in a no-nonsense tone. Joker immediately flinched and shook his head.

Meanwhile both Kaiden and Joe seemed to be trying their best to avoid open laughter. Attracting attention to the cockpit was not a preferable option right now.

"Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for debriefing," Anderson continued, before ending the conversation.

"You get that Commander?" Joker asked, turning his head towards Shepard slightly before turning back to the console.

"Congratulations. You pissed off the Captain and now I have to go deal with it," Shepard said with a playful smirk.

Picking up on his tone, Joker replied in kind. "Hey, it's not my fault. The Captain's always in a bad mood."

"Hey Joker, the comm is still on," Joe said pointing towards the console.

"Oh shit!" Joker said, eyes going wide. It took a moment before he realized the comm was off.

This caused both Joe and Kaiden to break out laughing at his expense.

"Oh haha. Real funny picking on the disabled. Assholes."

---

SSV Normandy

Stealth Frigate

Comm Room

When Shepard arrived at the comm room, he was met by the tall turian, unexpected, but not improbable. Saren's face displayed intentional markings of a trained professional, highly efficient in the art of combat, to those that could see such things. Less skilled individuals would only recognize the utter lack of tattoos, a mark of suspicion amongst traditional turians.

As Shepard stepped inside, his eyes focused on the facial markings as the turian moved forward. There were meanings in those etchings, even if it looked painful. Having a carapace gave some benefits, it seemed.

"Commander Shepard, a pleasure to meet you. I was hoping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk," he said with a heavily flanged voice.

Shepard slowed his approach, wary without giving offence. "Really? Care to explain?" He was aware of the reputation that preceded SPECTREs and while he'd never met one personally, he wasn't sure how to feel about an unregulated military force with as much autonomy as the SPECTRE's onboard an Alliance vessel.

"Despite the achievements made, your people are still newcomers Shepard." Saren crossed his arms over his broad chest. "The galaxy can be a dangerous place and I find myself wondering if the Alliance is truly ready for this. After all, your species isn't as unified as others."

"Perhaps," Shepard's eyes narrowed. "We aren't alone in that. After all, isn't the Hierarchy still fighting separatists?"

The turian's head made a slight tilt. "A fair point. However, that isn't my interest at the moment." He paced in front of Shepard, not in a nervous manner as one might expected, but with an air of confidence. "I'm more interested in learning about the colony we're headed towards … Eletania. I've heard it's quite beautiful, but dangerous."

Shepard remained still, watching Saren pace. There was a predatory component to the turian's stride, one that he could recognize. He was no stranger to such techniques; even now, his own stance evinced the same attitude, a predator supremely confident in his skills, not bothering to respond to a potential threat.

"It is," he allowed. "But you'll need an environmental suit, or a full set of marine armor to get the best views. I've only been there once, but I never got to see the whole colony. Deployments don't usually leave a whole lot of time for shore leave."

"It's become something of a symbol, hasn't it?" Saren asked as he finally looked Shepard in the eyes. "Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but protect them as well; even ones that are difficult to colonize." Finally, Saren turned away and folded his arms behind his back. "But how safe is it really? After all, first contact with humanity was … more combative than others," he finished, voice dropping to a grimmer tone.

Shepard uncrossed his arms, accepting the tacit invitation. "Self-defense. I doubt any of the Citadel races, especially the Hierarchy, would have reacted differently."

Saren turned around, his tone once again becoming light-hearted, gesturing agreement. "Agreed. Still, your people are newcomers Shepard. The galaxy can be a dangerous and unpredictable place. There are still a few that wonder if the Alliance can bear the responsibilities."

'Is he trying to play mind games?' Shepard thought. 'Threat, no threat? It's worse than dealing with a fresh boot.'

Before Shepard had a chance to respond, Captain Anderson entered the room and marched forward. Nodding to his subordinate, he turned and looked to Saren.

"I think it's time we told the Commander what's really going on," there was a note of command in the statement. Despite his usual stone-cold professional demeanor, strong physique, and the many medals, Anderson looked anxious.

Saren turned to Shepard; eyes set. "In case you are unaware, this mission is far more than just a simple shakedown run."

A snort almost escaped Shepard's professionalism. "That much is obvious. Care to fill me in on the rest?"

Anderson was the first to speak. "There are two things going on actually. First, is that we're not doing a routine patrol. As you know, the Normandy has some of the most advanced stealth systems made in recent history, and we're going to use it to make a covert pickup on the surface of Eletania."

"That seems like a rather mundane thing to keep from the crew," Shepard said. "What makes this pickup so special?"

"A research team on Eletania unearthed some kind of alien beacon during an excavation three days ago. After a thorough examination, it was found to be of Prothean origin."

Shepard's eyes widened. "Well, that explains everything. What condition is the beacon in?"

"Ideally, stable," Saren said. "We wouldn't be making a covert drop onto a human world for a broken beacon Shepard." It was solely based on his tone of voice that Shepard could tell he did not mean any offense.

"This is big, Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years," A dark look covered Anderson's features. "But Eletania is only a botanical research colony, not one fully dedicated to technological research. It doesn't have all the facilities needed to handle something so technologically advanced. That's why we need to get in there as quick and as quietly as possible so we can bring it back to the Citadel for proper study."

"Obviously this goes beyond mere human interests Commander. This discovery could affect every species in Council Space," Saren added. "After the events of your people's First Contact, it is a measure that brings a certain amount of relief to both parties."

Shepard glanced at both with a nagging feeling. He looked at the SPECTRE curiously. "You wouldn't be here, and neither would the Normandy, if you weren't expecting trouble. So, are you?"

"I'm always expecting trouble. It's just the nature of my job," Saren responded firmly. "Since this frontier colony is located on the edges of Alliance space, a discovery of this magnitude could justify a way for influential figures to mount an assault, or worse declare war, probably from the Terminus Systems. That's why you are being informed now, to avoid unnecessary risks. As for the rest of the crew, they won't be informed until we reach Eletania's orbit. We don't want any extracurricular calls slipping through the mission reports."

"Understood. Now, what's the second thing you mentioned?" Shepard asked as he looked at Anderson. He saw the small grin stitched to the Captain's face.

"Saren isn't just here for the beacon, Shepard. He's also here to evaluate your performance on this mission for possible admission into the Citadel SPECTREs."

A dark look of his own crossed Shepard's face. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Look, Shepard," Anderson's grin lost enthusiasm, becoming sympathetic. "The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. They want a larger role in shaping interstellar policy and we want more say with the Citadel Council. The SPECTREs represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come and more importantly, that we're ready for the responsibilities that are necessary to shape the future."

"Why me specifically? Were there no other suitable candidates?"

Saren stepped next to Anderson. "On Akuze, your entire marine platoon was wiped out by a Thresher Maw. You held out despite that, even injured that Maw to the point where it would have died, even if support hadn't arrived. That indominable will to survive and refusal to surrender is why I accepted pushing your file to the top of the list when the Council asked who I thought would make a good candidate."

"You seem rather eager for the Alliance to take on a major role." Shepard noted, feeling a little curious despite himself.

"Observant I see," Saren noted with a nod. "Well, you're not wrong. Despite our vast military, the Hierarchy is still unable to fully protect the entirety of Council space. Pirates and slavers raid colonies in the outer Council regions bordering the Traverse on a semi-frequent basis. Never mind the internal struggles occurring within our borders like those turian separatists you mentioned. If the Alliance, and by extension the Raloi Confederacy, can safely guard the Traverse bordering human space, this will allow the Hierarchy to fully lock down the regions bordering the Council space as well as key areas in the Traverse."

Shepard frowned. "Wouldn't that risk a war with the Terminus Systems?"

"Not with the full might of the Hierarchy focused on one sector and the combined Alliance and Confederacy forces guarding the other. The fact that the Terminus has been cut off from the Hegemony thanks to the Alliance is a bonus. But with the Batarian Sixteenth fleet freely operating in the Terminus, this gives us all the more reason for the Traverse to be guarded before raids become more frequent … or larger."

Turning to Anderson, Shepard eyed him curiously. "Am I … volunteering for this, sir?"

"The Alliance needs this, Shepard. We're counting on you," Anderson told him solemnly. He detected a twinge of sorrow in the older man's voice.

A feeling of anger ricocheted through Shepard's heart. "Good thing there's is no pressure then."

"I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eletania will be the first of several missions together," Saren explained. "After that, we'll see."

"And who exactly will be giving the orders on this mission?" Shepard asked.

"You'll oversee the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onboard as soon as possible. Saren will accompany you to observe the mission," Anderson seemed to relax, just a little more. It was a small thing, but it told Shepard volumes.

"In that case, I'm as ready as I need to be," Shepard responded, letting out a sigh that helped release the sudden stress. His first mission, the most disastrous and traumatizing to date, was the result of a lack of intel and pre-planning in conjunction with poor leadership. Every successful mission he'd conducted afterwards had been due to the combination of rigorous planning and thorough knowledge of the battlefield. Going in with the current pathetic bit of intel was bothersome, but not a massive inconvenience.

"Good. We should be nearing–" Anderson started, but Joker cut him off over the intercom.

"Captain, we have a problem!" Joker appeared to be dead serious for the first time. The vocal contrast made Shepard tense.

Anderson seemed to absorb the multiple layers of information and turned towards the ceiling mounted intercom. "What's the situation Joker?"

"It's a transmission from Eletania. We've received it as soon as we jumped into the system, sir. You better take a look at this," the pilot answered.

"Have Ensign Waaberi put it on the tactical screen back here," Anderson ordered as he, along with Shepard and Saren, turned towards the tactical feed. It took mere seconds before the chilling video appeared.

As soon as the screen flicked on, the sound of gunfire was immediately present, almost overpowering as they watched from the helmet-cam of one of the Alliance marines stationed on Eletania. Shepard's eyes widened as he saw the leader of the crew, shove the camera-bearing marine backwards, yelling orders to get down as an explosion rocked their cover. It was apparent that the one whose eyes he was seeing through was relatively fresh as most of the video was shaky and erratic. But the soldier managed to focus on a marine wearing the officer grey Alliance colors long enough to hear his distress call.

"We are under attack! Taking heavy casualties! I repeat, we are taking heavy casualties!" the officer started, his heavy breathing cutting his audio for a few seconds. After a moment, he continued, but static started to cut the video feed as it continued. "We can't hold – need medevac! They came out of nowhere! I repeat we need –"

Suddenly, the officer slumped forward, crashing to the ground. A blue-armored Alliance gauntlet came into the camera's view, adjusting before falling free. Red splashes made it clear that the officer had either just been killed in action or was grievously wounded. Shepard clenched his jaw as another nearby marine unleashed her assault rifle in an attempt to get revenge only to halt in a moment of silence. The camera panned up to display the vast carnage inflicted. Dozens of marines were littered everywhere.

To Shepard, it looked like an entire company had been obliterated. As a professional, the eerie image made him even more uneasy – whatever was shooting at the marines had either flown in by air, or provided a formidable distraction. His suspicions crystalized when despite their current struggle, the surviving marines within the camera's view stopped firing and looked straight up into the sky.

The cameraman finally did as well upon hearing one of the marines. "What in God's name is that?"

When the camera's elevation reached its zenith, the sight sent a chill down Shepard's spine. What looked like a giant metal claw appeared to be reaching for the colony, descending from the heavens. Never had something put fear in him like the following brief three seconds of video. Almost as soon as the camera caught sight of the smooth surface of whatever the abomination was, it unleashed a massive, unnatural, mechanical roar, like a primordial creature unleashed from the depths of the void, amplified to an earth-shattering decibel. The sound was followed by several more explosions rocking the area, with the last rocking the camera, ending the connection, and likely the marine's life as well.

Shepard finally released his clenched jaw, teeth aching from the unrealized pressure.

A heartbeat of pure silence, broken only by breathing filled the air, until Joker's uncharacteristically stoic voice spoke over the comm again. "Everything cuts out after that. No comms traffic at all. It just goes dead and then static …."

Unlike his own frown, Saren had a frozen look of worry while Anderson kept his professional stone mask. Still standing at parade rest, he spoke back to the pilot. "Reverse and hold at thirty-eight point five seconds," he ordered.

As the image popped back onto the screen, Shepard looked again. With slightly more time to examine the image, he realized that it wasn't a hand; it just seemed that way due to the angle. With more time to study it, the image looked like some kind of biblical sea creature that would come straight from the mind of H.P Lovecraft. Not only was it massive, blotting out the skyline behind it, but the dark surface of whatever it was seemed to be projecting lighting as it descended from the sky. Arcing bolts of pure energy erupted from its sleek exterior and out into the air, grounding either on clouds or back onto its surface. He had never believed in superstitions, but if he had, then what he was seeing was something that had no scientific explanation.

"Joker, status report," the Anderson said grimly as he continued looking at the chilling image.

"Seventeen minutes out and no other Alliance ships are responding, Captain," Joker responded quickly. "Unable to contact Arcturus. Seems whatever attacked Eletania went after the comm buoys first."

Letting out a heavy breath he'd been holding in for some time, Anderson visibly made his decision. "Take us in Joker, fast and quiet." The intercom shut off and Anderson turned to the other two. "This mission just got a lot more complicated."

Finally prying his predator-like gaze away from the screen, Saren turned towards Shepard and Anderson. His arms shifted behind his back once more, grim tone returning. "A small strike team can quickly move in without drawing attention. It's our best chance for securing the beacon."

"Grab your gear and ready your team, Shepard. Meet us in the cargo hold. We'll discuss the plan there," Anderson instructed as he turned away from the screen and left with a haste in his gait. Saren followed, a similar haste in his steps.

Shepard turned back towards the screen for a moment and stared hard at the image flickering back at him. In that moment, it was almost like it was staring back, rendering its cry in his head. To him, it seemed all too similar to Akuze. At least this time he had some warning.

---

SSV Normandy

Stealth Frigate

Cargo Bay

It was mere minutes before everyone was gathered into the cargo bay. Due to the nature of their original mission, only the necessary crew members were allowed entry. The last two members to arrive, Kaiden and Joe, bringing their equipment from their respective bunks. A necessary action.

Shepard gave them a nod before turning to stand with his crew. Looking over at the pair, he saw that the lieutenant and sergeant major were both calm, yet on edge. The only group to display any sort of excitement was the Spetsnaz tank crew, busy ensuring the T-200 Ogre was filled to the brim with weaponry and fueled for a tough battle.

"If we're expecting heavy resistance then you'll need shock troopers to deploy rapidly and hold captured ground," Captain Lin argued. "It makes sense to deploy us."

"I agree, however you will need to be quickly reinforced and given the conditions on the ground, our tank will be perfect to punch through any resistance," Izotov calmly countered.

"That's assuming the T-200 can navigate the terrain quickly, quietly, and avoid being ambushed," Joe added. "An infantry squad will need to be deployed alongside your tank and you'd both be going in blind. We still don't know what we're going up against."

"True, however with an infantry squad and the heavy tank on the ground to provide support, we'd be able to take pressure off of any surviving marines," Chenko said. "With luck they can provide us with information as to what the hell is going on."

"Remember though," Kaiden began. "Speed is critical on this mission, and we need to avoid prolonged engagements."

Shepard listened to the arguments made by the crew, weighing the benefits and detriments of each member, and analyzed how best to utilize their abilities.

"Thank you all for your suggestions," he said. "But the infiltration team needs to be small, nimble, and pack serious firepower."

"Well then, what is your decision, Commander?" Izotov asked.

Shepard took a deep breath. "Four men drop: Joe, Kaiden, and Yao."

Unhappy looks met his decision, but no vocalized arguments. The selection offered a balanced mix of firepower, mobility, and stealth. While his own armaments would aid in destroying close-range obstructions, Kaiden's active denial system would be ideal for crowd suppression, plus his diplomatic skills as an Enforcer would be well suited if they did encounter any survivors. Yao's immense frame and heavy armaments were well suited for heavy engagements and plough through any obstacles they encountered, while proving more mobile than mechs. Lastly, Joe would serve as the squad's advance scout and take down threats from long range.

The issue put to rest, Shepard and the rest of the ground team prepared their loadout kit.

Shepard outfitted himself with the standard N-7 equipment, reliable and versatile while deciding to carry an M-92 Mantis. While Joe was the squad's marksmen, it wouldn't hurt to have another long-range rifle on the battlefield.

Joe selected a similar loadout, choosing the SCAR Mod 1 assault rifle, the newest iteration of the primary assault rifle for the United North American States, JSF. Manufactured by Scrutch Industries, it was chambered with 6.8x43mm heavy tungsten alloy Sabot rounds. The SCAR Mod 1 was designed with the intention of weakening shields and punching through armor – whatever was protected typically wouldn't stand up to what made it through. Attached to the rifle was a laser pointer, assault scope, and grenade launcher. As a backup, he also carried two semi-automatic Hammer high-caliber pistols made by Lisunov Arms. For long range he packed a M120, a highly advanced semi-automatic long range sniper rifle loaded with sabot rounds, making it more of an anti-material rifle.

Kaiden on the other hand carried his iconic Enforcer Grenadier squad taser ballistic shield, and a Milana-3 missile launcher. Due to the weight of the launcher, he carried the newly adopted Feline sub-machine gun manufactured by Lank and Linder. It was chambered with 4.7mm compact electronic disruptor rounds. In an age of energy barriers, the Enforcers had settled for a weapon which focused on shortening out such things to avoid long drawn-out battles. In his holster was the semi-automatic M12 pistol, created by Bauer and Kopka, which also fired the electronic disruptor rounds outfitted into 9x19mm Parabellum slugs.

The tallest member of Shepard's ground team was easily Yao, encased in a powered exoskeleton with a monomolecular blade encased in a stabilized mass effect field. He carried the New Chinese Republic variant of the Typhoon light machine gun equipped with ballistic shield and precision scope. He packed an M-6 Carnifex heavy pistol and a M-100 Grenade Launcher courtesy of Elanus Risk Control Services.

Anderson approached the group, hand on his earpiece, still working, it seemed. Finishing he matched eyes with each of them. "Your team's going to be the assault squad Shepard. Land, secure the immediate area and head straight for the dig site without delay."

"So, we're throwing stealth out the window?" Joe asked. "Seems kind of odd. It's not exactly my style …."

"I understand your concerns, but Saren is going to be the stealth unit for this mission. You are going to clear a path to the beacon while Saren scouts ahead and makes sure it remains secure. That way if your presence causes more mayhem …."

"Right. If we spook someone into taking or damaging it before we get there, Saren can keep track of it," Shepard said, nodding. While it was a risk deploying without immediate support, the risk of a Prothean beacon falling into the hands of whatever was attacking Eletania was far greater.

"Sir, what about survivors?" Kaiden asked.

Anderson sighed. "As callous as it sounds, survivors are a secondary objective. If you find them, secure them. But that beacon is your top priority. Once it's secured, if there are any survivors left on site, prepare it for transportation to the cargo docks and protect it from any threats."

"Yes, sir," Kaiden said, disappoint evident in his demeanor. As an Enforcer, he did not take well to disregarding civilian lives, no matter what the purpose.

"Approaching drop site one!" Joker called through the intercom as the back of the ship's bay opened. A wild wind rushed over the dusk horizon of Eletania. Within seconds, Saren was out of the ship and heading for the beacon.

"Package away. Drop site two in ten seconds."

"The mission is yours, Shepard! Make us proud," Anderson shouted over the wind, then stepped back as the ship lowered and the ground team hit the ground.

---

Link

Eletania

Normandy Ground Team, Hunter 2-1

As the four-man team landed, the Normandy flawlessly swooped upwards once more like a graceful bird, away from view once more. While their smooth landing was to be expected, Shepard couldn't help but desire the ship to remain on station and provide local fire support. As he took his first step toward to secure the landing zone, he shook all such thoughts from his mind.

"Anything on radar?" Shepard asked, checking his seals. Eletania's atmosphere was breathable but retained a web of microscopic organisms. Those unadapted to the environment suffered severe reactions if exposed.

"Negative," Joe replied, still surveying the area. "Nothing on comms either."

"For such a fierce attack this place bears no scars," Yao said, joining the JSF operator in suspicious evaluation.

"Eletania has hardened survival domes, there's gotta be survivors. They can't all be dead!" Kaiden's omni-tool could be seen gliding over the frequencies, checking the citizen's bands.

The lack of gunfire, or any noise for that matter, made the scene even more troubling for Shepard, more than the slight haze omnipresent throughout his field of vision. No conflict meant there were no survivors retaliating. He avoided voicing his thoughts, deciding to settle for optimism and hoped civilians were bunkered down in their homes.

"Okay, Commander. How are we doing this?" Joe asked as they came to a halt near a quarry.

"You're the scout," Shepard replied. "We have to move quick and fast, but I don't want to make mistakes. Move up and recon the area. Radio if you find anything."

"Copy." Joe immediately blinked out of existence, the adaptive camouflage dissipating light and rendering him invisible to even the most advanced sensors and optical arrays. He moved ahead, away from his team.

Using hand signals, Shepard ordered the rest of his team past a quarry littered with cover, however when they reached the next area a pair of strange, automated drones flew out from deeper in the quarry. He didn't even have to speak as his team immediately sought cover. Precise fire brought down the drones before they had a chance to react – hopefully before the enemy perceived their own numbers.

"Shepard, we have a problem," Joe radioed. "There's geth activity up ahead. Looks like at least two platoons. I see a Mako located in the vehicle depot. Looks like the geth hit the marines before they could react."

"Do the geth have any heavy units or armor support?"

"Affirmative, I have a clear line of sight on two geth carrying rocket launchers. I can draw lure them out and take them down."

"Hold fire until I give the order. We need to get into position."

"You got it. Over and out."

Shepard ordered his team to advance, leading the way. They cautiously came upon a collection of fallen trees, some still burning while others were split in half or into small chunks. They crouched behind them in a vee-formation, overlooking a captured Alliance outpost.

"Joe. Do it." Shepard already had his Avenger raised, waiting for the hornet's nest they were able to unleash.

The crack of a sniper rifle was uncharacteristically quiet, the sound dissipating within the vast area, yet still loud enough to be heard. Two hundred meters from Shepard's location a geth unit emitted an electronic warble. It fell, killed by an expertly placed shot to the closest thing it had to a head. A jet of white fluid spilled from its body. Four more joined its dead brethren in rapid succession.

Automatic weapons fire flashed from the outpost, redirecting towards Shepard's team in seconds. They responded in kind, Shepard's Avenger and Kaiden's Feline chattering their death song. A sniper rifle crack boomed once more, echoing across the valley, and dropping yet another geth. Yao was wonderfully aggressive, shooting up everything in sight. His massive armaments suppressing even the emotionless enemies.

"Joe, deploy the drone," Shepard ordered.

The Cypher drone was more sophisticated than previous iterations, its quad rotors capable of turning into wheels and allowing it to trundle along surfaces for a stealthier approach. Once deployed, the drone began transmitting data right to Shepard's helmet. The exact positions of the hostiles appeared vaguely on his HUD; targets marked by blinking flashing red outlines of the platforms. No doubt the result of geth jamming units.

"Saren, we have hostile contact with geth platforms. Do you have any updates?" Shepard hoped the signal was strong enough to reach the turian SPECTRE.

"Negative. I'm seeing a lot of geth activity near my position, and I have a lot of dead bodies. I'm going to check it out before heading to the dig site. There might be clues as to why the geth out of all races are attacking your colony. I'll meet you at the dig site."

"Roger," Shepard replied before continuing forward, his team close behind him. As they moved further into the outpost, there were more drones and geth troopers pelting their shields with rapid fire and now that they no longer held the element of surprise, the task became much harder.

Kaiden and Shepard returned fire on the geth, their barrage thumping and ricocheting off the few heavy units, however missiles were fired above them from Yao's massive shoulders. Noting the hostiles IDed by the drone, Shepard peered over the steel plate behind which he was taking cover. Seeing an opportunity to flank three isolated geth units, Shepard pounced on the opportunity.

"I'm moving up," he announced. "Cover me now!"

With that, he sprang from the mushy ground, weaving a serpentine path along the perimeter, elbowing past vines, and ducking beneath low-hanging branches. He cut and weaved over two fallen logs whose bark was flaking off like sunburn, bounding on without pause. He broke from the logs to a small clearing and the nearest building, where three geth troopers had assumed defensive positions beside a wall.

One of the geth troopers glanced back.

Shepard lifted his assault rifle, prepared to deliver hot tungsten – when Joe's voice buzzed through his helmet.

"Shepard, cover!"

Shepard hit the deck, craning his neck. His HUD lit up.

Before the geth could fire, six consecutive thundercracks struck the outpost, all six rounds hitting the geth platforms. The first round removed the majority of one trooper's head while the second hit the other right in what would be an organic being's esophagus, causing severe damage. The third had its entire torso armor blasted apart, practically splitting the geth in half. The last geth was larger than the other three, standing a head and a half taller, coated in full red armor. The first two rounds bounced off its shields while the last round penetrated managed to penetrate and blasted its ocular lens system. A final round put an end to it.

"Excellent work, Joe."

A barrage of small arms fire ripped into the trees where Shepard presumed was Joe's position. This was confirmed a moment later.

"A little help!"

"Kaiden, Yao maneuver and assist."

"Understood, commander."

Shepard saw them break off from his position, and head towards the armory where combatants were laying heavy fire on Joe's position.

Kaiden raced up behind the remaining geth platforms while Yao's slower pace remained unshaken. The geth were caught by surprise, their intelligence and combat prowess noticeably decreasing as the battle continued. The heavy cadence of Yao's shoulder mounted autocannons and Kaiden's SMG made a suiting dirge, delivering their enemy's last rites.

With the last of the enemy dealt with, Shepard activated his comm. "Saren, we've secured an outpost and are moving towards the beacon."

"Understood, Shepard," Saren whispered. "Be advised, a large concentration of geth is advancing upon an Alliance garrison defending it."

"Got it," Shepard said before turning towards his team. "We got a large force of geth heading towards the beacon and we don't know how long they can hold out. We need to speed this up. Suggestions?"

The JSF soldier blinked into sight, shaking out one hand. "Atmosphere is gumming up some of my electronics. Must be doing the same to some of the geth. Can't believe I'm saying this, but we can make a little noise now?"

"Well, there is a vehicle depot with a Mako. We can use that," Kaiden suggested.

Shepard gave a nod. "Joe drives; I'll man the gun. Kaiden, I want you on the radio and sensors. Try to raise the Alliance force and let them know we're coming to assist. Yao, uhh." Shepard realized none of the remaining Mako's equipment required a manual operator. "Just strap yourself as best you can I guess."

"Understood commander," Yao intoned as he moved inside of the Mako's large, posterior bay.

"Move out everyone."

---

Link

Eletania

SPECTRE Ground Team, Apex 1

As he closed the comm, Saren felt himself terminate the communication with a slightly higher opinion of his 'human trainee'. His file had said he had years of combat following his disastrous first mission on Akuze. Most soldiers would have either retired or been too traumatized to continue service, yet Shepard had chosen to continue. Even now the human was already proving to be an asset, drawing more troops away from his own position.

However, there were a great many places in the galaxy that Saren would've rather been at this particular moment, but unfortunately, he was most needed on Eletania. The dichotomy of agrarian and toxic world appeared to be under assault from the geth, a synthetic race of AI's that up until this point had remained reclusive. Such a concept would've been unthinkable, more likely the result of a sick mind trying to get away with imitating the death-dealing monsters. But the more he witnessed, the less and less likely such a probability was becoming.

"Just when I thought this job couldn't get any worse," Saren subvocalized. Tensions were already high in the Traverse; the Terminus Systems and the Coalition had long since been in a state of what the humans called a cold war. The intervention of the geth altered the variables further and made the situation even more complex.

Clearing his thoughts, Saren skittered up the stairs to the tram station's cargo bay. He stopped dead in his tracks and, as if the spirits willed, a turian was kneeling in front of him. Looking around, he saw several well-placed charges on the support beams and other platforms.

Nihlus's toothed grin spoke volumes of his appreciation for another SPECTRE's presence. He made a few hand gestures, universal signs for come here, stay quiet and low.

Saren complied, making his way in silent footsteps. When he crouched beside his former protégé, the cause for such silence became clear. In front and below stood a multitude of geth platforms, standing with the eerie motionlessness possible only by AI.

The SPECTREs couldn't hope to take down that many geth at once, not by themselves. It seemed like the machines were standing guard, waiting for someone to arrive. It didn't take long before one of their dropships arrived, diving low with inhuman precision and none of the flair Saren had come to expect from such a vessel. The turians watched as the geth all turned as one, kneeling in in perfect unison before the ship. Both turians looked at each other with almost the same synchronized timing as those below, puzzled beyond explanation.

'Why would geth kneel?' Saren thought. He checked his gear, verifying their seals. Everything seemed nominal, except for some minor issues with visual sensors. 'Atmospheric interference? If they're down here long enough, could the atmosphere mess with their circuits?'

He noticed the geth formation looked strange, forming a corridor of troopers while a smaller group created something almost like an honor guard as their electronic warbles filled the air in a cacophony of electronic buzzing. Then out from the shuttle came a group of individuals, each from a different race, followed by a hooded figure. The figure stepped up to a Prothean beacon and the construct began to glow with life. The figure was lifted into the air for only a brief moment before elegantly falling, the blue glow of biotics emanating from their body.

It was at this moment it seemed that Nihlus realized Saren had been recording this the entire time. While not showing any physical sign, he mentally scowled for not thinking of doing the same.

"I've gotten everything I need. Eliminate all evidence of our presence," a feminine voice said, unfiltered by rebreathers – an interesting fact given the planet's atmosphere. Nihlus's belated recording start was able to capture her voice. Perhaps the Citadel archives would have a match for her voice.

"What of the secondary beacon?" the salarian asked. He was clearly a male, with an unnatural, large frame and carrying heavy weapons that most of his race could not.

"Destroy it. I have no need for it, and I do not want any loose ends."

The salarian gave slight bow. "Understood, Matriarch."

That singular word sent the closest thing the experienced SPECTREs could call a chill down their spines. A Matriarch was defined by their people as an asari over six centuries old, with centuries of wisdom and experience. While rarely seen outside asari space, their honed skills in combat and intrigue rivaled that of many entire organizations. A Matriarch's age and experience would garner general support, acolytes and commercial endeavors beseeching her knowledge; beyond that, many Matriachs gathered a formidable collection into their personal endeavors. A number of such individuals had established the Republics, after all.

"Then we move to the next phase. Actus, seize Gelix and recruit the numbers you require," The salarian continued. "Tristana, I need you to capture the data disc from Nevos before the salarians do." He then turned to the large krogan. "Skarr, acquire what we need from Feros. Leave no survivors."

"Ha," the krogan battlemaster laughed. "I'm beginning to like working with you salarian. Consider it done."

That seemed to confirm three out of the five members of the group, leaving two to identify. The cogs in Saren's brain began moving rapidly, trying to make sense of what he had just learned. His mission became far more dire. It was in that moment when one of the geth primes turned and seemed to stare at the SPECTREs' location before giving a mechanical cry. Then it extended a finger and pointed right at Nihlus and Saren. That was a clear sign as any that they'd been discovered.

The geth turned as one and began to advance, firing as they came. Saren and Nihlus scrambled away, wincing as their shields drained far quicker than they normally should have.

'This day just keeps getting better and better,' Saren thought. Taking a note from one of Dozz's logs, he threw a bundle of grenades over his shoulder, the blast nearly throwing both SPECTREs off their feet and greatly weakening the support columns.

"That's not going to stop them," Saren grunted, looking over his shoulder.

"No, but this will at least slow them down," Nihlus pressed his talon on a detonator. Another blast, far larger than the previous one, finished what the grenades failed to accomplish, utterly mangling the walkway, and tearing it apart.

"Looks like Nassana Dantius isn't the alpha varren," Nihlus said, breathing a bit more heavily.

"Evidently not, but more importantly we have to get to the secondary beacon and make sure it's not destroyed." Saren activated his omni-tool to set a waypoint for the target, but Nihlus beat him to it.

"This would have been a lot easier with Vasir and Dozz."

"Two SPECTREs on a colony is already pushing it," Saren said, taking in heavier breaths as they ran. "Besides, they got a good lead on Zorya."

"Doesn't make this any easier."

"We're SPECTREs, Nihlus. When is our work ever easy?"

The two SPECTREs hastily made their way towards the Alliance's marines besieged location, hoping they were not too late.

---

Link

Eletania

Bravo Company, 212 Brigade

"Where in the hell did these things come from?" Chief Warrant Officer Ashley Williams growled. Her company had been on guard duty following the discovery of the Prothean beacon.

"Must've hit our eyes and ears," First Sergeant Jacob Taylor answered, stationed above in one of the watch towers, manning the heavy turret. Something caught the man's attention, as he wheeled around. "Here they come!"

He opened with several long bursts into the enemy point company, elevating and lowering his aim for maximum effect. Geth platforms fell across the road as if scythed. Jacob guessed that his sweeping gunfire had wiped a few platforms, the rest scattering to either side of the area into small groups, but kept coming.

"They're trying to flank," Lance Corporal Nirali Bhatia said, emptying an entire heat sink of her Avenger into the forward ranks of the approaching Geth platforms. The geth returned fire at the same instant, blasting microscopic particles into even smaller bits, leaving trails of smoke through the air.

Ashley fired at anything that wasn't human while slugs thudded off the structures and explosions detonated around her. She felt one particular round strike her kinetic barriers. She could not only hear the mechanical whine of the automatons, but could see their glowing plasma blue eyes. "Pull back! Pull back!"

Sergeant Donk lined up the second heavy mass accelerator turret on the point from which the heaviest fire was coming and coordinated Alliance support to let out a basso explosion of artillery fire. As if on cue, the entire area erupted in flames.

Ashely could see movement. All along the ridgelines and across hillsides, concealed behind boulders and trees, roughly a dozen geth troopers opened with everything they had. The machines appeared to be bringing in their heavier units, Armatures and rocket troopers.

One of the geth units equipped with a rocket launcher fired at one of the watch towers. The missile screamed in like a banshee, geth infantry arms grinding their unfamiliar rhythm. The blast was intense, flames and debris blasted nearly fifty meters into the air. Dozens of marines were instantly killed while the heavy turrets were destroyed.

"Suppressing fire, they're all over us!" Ashley led the closest marines forward to cover their escape. As her team poured rounds down the road, Jacob and Nirali used the moment to heave themselves over the side of the trailer and ran fifty meters up the hill. They fell into two defensive barriers before standing up and returning fire. They held their position for as long as they could before falling back once more.

Ashley was leading her men back to an ever-shrinking perimeter when she was shot through both forearms. Jacob saw her and immediately came to her aid, hauling up to her feet and helping her flee the outpost.

Back at the dig site, Major Derek Izunami tried to concentrate the marines of Dog company in a defensive perimeter, recalling all available forces to secure a stable position. A grenade exploded, wounding him in the hand and back. He dropped to his knees, stunned by the explosion. The two marines on either side of him were killed and one of the mortar teams were killed. The surviving mortar men regrouped and began firing off mortars to help the marines now under siege.

"To any remaining Alliance force in the area, this is SPECTRE team Apex 1, we're approaching your position from the northern entranceway."

"This is Chief Warrant Officer Williams, Bravo Company of the 212th Brigade, I copy. As much as I want to know what SPECTREs are doing here, I got a company of geth handing us our asses and I can certainly use the extra guns. What's the status of your squad and ETA?"

"Combat able. My partner and I will be there in four minutes."

'What? Partner?' Ashely did not like the implications.

"Apex 1, what is your combat strength?"

"Squad sized."

"Four?"

"Negative, just two."

'Damn it,' Ashley cursed. "We need more guns than that if we're going to survive this."

"Additional support is incoming," Saren's voice cut in, low and reassuring. "We're coordinating now. Hang in there, Chief Williams. Four minutes."

"Understood, hopefully we'll still be alive by then."

Surviving became a monumental task itself as the geth acted unfazed by their defense. The air itself seemed to be set ablaze by the sheer amount of fire the automatons were unloading. The few Ymir and Loki mechs offered some relief, but not enough to alleviate the pressure off the marines.

"Covering fire!" Ashley ordered once more, rising up to her knee and firing upon two geth platforms. Tactics clicked through her mind, watching the geth and looking for an opening. An idea caught; in an instant she evaluated it for flaws and acted. "Taylor, take Delta squad and flank the geth wide left. Donk, I need you to take Alpha and Bravo squads to secure our rear. Charlie squad with me, we need to hit the geth where their fire is weakest."

The surviving company split in a smooth display of cohesion, dashing from cover to cover as they fired. Their actions were noticed, drawing the geth into a different formation – which meant they were exposed when the reinforcements came over the ridge and barreled down the path, main gun belching fire.

The beleaguered company raised a cheer and intensified their own fire, rallying as they saw an Alliance Mako attacking the geth from their left flank. With the introduction of the Mako, the geth assault on the west fragment, then was destroyed as the Mako swept its weaponry down upon the machines. Yet, for all the firepower they were receiving, the geth did not relent their assault.

After eliminating the nearest geth forces, the Mako's ramp dropped. Kaiden, emerged from the rear under the protective field of fire from the infantry fighting vehicle, opening fire with suitable precision. Yao, however, emerged with a grand entrance. His heavy footsteps failed to rock the autocannons resting on his broad shoulders, VI controls adapting to the motion with ease. As soon as the muzzles cleared, an overwhelming fusillade annihilated the closest targets.

The remaining geth advanced through the Alliance lines with cold methodical efficiency. Both sides had sustained heavy casualties, but Shepard and his crew appeared to have twisted the advantage back towards the defenders. It wasn't long before Nihlus and Saren arrived, harassing the geth and dividing their attention. Once again, the enemy was receiving suppressive fire from a new direction, yet while any other force would either retreat or surrender, the geth did neither, continuing to press their assault on all sides.

Liberated from basic survival, the entrapped marines focused fire on the single largest unit. After that, the mopping up action took less time than one would expect. Organized geth would cycle amongst themselves to maximize shield efficiency, but disorganized geth held no particular order, weakened shields failing, units falling in quick succession.

Exhausted-looking, Shepard eyed the survivors. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be any major suit ruptures, although that could be an issue later. "I'm Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy can anyone give me a sit-rep?"

A female marine stepped forward, saluting crisply. "Chief Warrant Officer Ashley Williams, 2nd Frontier Division, 212th Brigade, Second Company. Whatever's left of it anyway."

"Chief Williams, has the beacon been secured?" Saren asked.

"Yes. It was placed in a sealed command bunker right over there," Ashley said, pointing over to a massive, sealed storage area. "Unfortunately, Major Izunami had the access codes and he's KIA."

"Luckily," another soldier reached into a pocket and pulled out an omni-tool's base unit. "He tossed this my way before he died."

Saren grabbed it, inspecting it. "It appears to be the command codes for the facility." He plugged them into his own omni-tool and tapped it.

The doors creaked open. Shepard, along with his squad, carefully moved towards it. The doors sagged, damaged by weapons fire or the odd Eletania atmosphere, it was difficult to determine.

Sticking a man's head before the opening seemed foolhardy; Shepard let his rifle appear first, proceeding until the sighting-cam could transmit a harmless view of the eerie glowing pedestal. Reassured, Shepard gave a fist pump, and stepped forwards, still cautious but optimistic.

Seeing no enemies, Shepard relaxed his guard and turned to face the survivors. Standing in front of the doors, he ordered his squad to stand down. "Okay, it seems–"

A green lightning bolt blasted from the opening, hitting Shepard's back, and lifting him into the air before dissipating. His body remained floating for a moment, then dropped to the ground, impacting with a thud.

Shouts from everyone immediately followed.

"Nihlus, secure the beacon!"

"On it, Saren!"

"Shepard!" Joe yelled.

"Is he alright?" Kaidan asked.

"Normandy, we have a casualty. Commander Shepard is down!"

---

A/N: Sorry guys for the massive delay. A lot of time was spent on planning the events of the ME1 arch and deciding which elements should be kept and which ones should be altered due to the butterfly effect. I also want to apologize for the bad news, this is literally the first and only chapter that has been finished due to mapping out the events. Luckily, the other chapters won't take as long now that the team finally have a road map to go off of and the only thing that is needed is of course to write it.

Now allow me to address some possible concerns that may arise from this chapter, while the premise of Shepard, and the Alliance's motivations, to join the SPECTREs may seem a bit weak right now, it will be explored later on. Additionally, one may ask why Shepard didn't just order everyone into the Mako and drive towards the Alliance instead of asking for suggestions and the reason is rather subtle. Remember that Akuze saw Shepard's platoon being annihilated, while he was in a Mako no less, and he is still suffering from it sub-consciously. Compare the two scenes where he confidently selects his ground team and shoots down any criticism and argument from the Normandy's troop complement vs when his team takes the geth outpost and this development causes Shepard to ask for suggestions from his squad. Sure, the obvious thinking is to get in the Mako and drive, but could any solider, regardless of the mental strength or therapy, be willing to immediately recreate the same scenario with new troops under his command? Shepard is still confident but is willing to listen to his squad.

The number of beacons on Eletania, and the number that was actually reported is something that will also be expanded upon later. When we get to the later chapters I just want to make it clear that I do not have a preference to any of the Council members nor am I attempting to play favorites for the sake of irony or anything like that. Understand that in this story the turians are all for securing and locking down Citadel borders and they don't have any qualms about any losses they take in a potential war vs the asari that both don't have a formal military nor have the ability to sanction all-out war since as mediators they have to walk a fine line and because they have a long span, any lasting impacts from any war will be remembered for much more longer than for any of the other races. Turians would want to just rip the bandage off and take any lasting pain while the asari would much rather prefer to slowly take the bandage off while also minimizing the potential pain. I want everyone to understand that both sides have valid reasons for their stances to not hate on any one character simply because it would be easier to one thing over the other or simply because it is easy to hate on the batarians because everyone needs to keep in mind that they are essentially space North Korea with a isolated and brainwashed population with only a lucky few managing to successfully flee or decide profiting off of the status quo is preferable.

As for the salarians, whatever path is the most logical is the one for them. They are actually the closest ones that are able to understand how the geth think and would act and that makes them the wild card and offers a unique perspective.

Trivia

1. The Normandy's development was relegated to only the Alliance. No self-respecting Superpower would give an advantage to another race, when a profit could be made on more sure grounds.

2. Crewman Waaberi, specifically Amina Waaberi, is part of the crew in the games, however her rank is unknown.

3. The Shaw-Fukjikawa is a direct reference to Halo as it is the names of the two individuals in that universe that created the slip-space engine.

4. Garrus, instead of being a C-SEC officer is now a Blackwatch member. As for Tali, she is with the European Enforcers.

5. Initially, Nihlus was supposed to be the one to evaluate Shepard, but it was changed to be Saren in order to explore their role and impact better.

6. 'Boot' is an army term referring to a recruit with minimal experience and training.

7. The geth spotting Saren and Nihlus is a reference to the Invasion of the body snatchers.

8. This chapter has gone through no less than four revisions before being finalized. I kid you not.

9. The title of the chapter was decided literally at the last minute.

10. Some planets that have been name dropped will play a critical role. Some are ones that we saw appear in game and other are ones that were never explored. The thing is there are some events that we can't get around simply due to how important they are and how fixed they are in terms of location and central to the plot they are, however we will try to make it as unique as possible.