Title: Ship of The Line – Effect 31
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, Star Trek or Mass Effect... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Bored with how things are going to play out, Janus interferes more directly in Halloween, making things more interesting and changing the course of the entire Galaxy. (Buffy/Star Trek/Mass Effect)
A/N: Ok, so my muse has been going overdrive with this fic recently. This is the third chapter in three days, and probably the last update for a while. This may mean some of you have missed one or more of the posts, so if the last chapter heavily featured Vetris Artus, then I suggest you go back a few chapters to where you recognise something and read from there. Or just re-read the entire story.
The two transports came through the Mass Relay twenty minutes apart and made the hour long journey to the space station. The station could only dock one of the transports at a time so the earlier arriving transport docked first. When the doors of the first transport opened into the station, there was not the normal calm and semi-organised departure of arriving civilian passengers, instead was the quick and semi-fluid movement of armed personnel in Hardsuits trying to establish a beachhead.
The invaders had expected a brightly light open space with mildly attentive guards in a relaxed pose. What they found instead was a semi-dark space with plenty of cover in the form of curved metal barricades, and the harrowing fire of energy based weapons that cut down a number of the point figures in seconds.
"Spread out, get to cover." One of the armoured figures, a few ranks back in the charging throng said moments before their head exploded from a high powered sniper rifle shot.
Percy heard the radio chatter indicating that the fight inside Gateway Station had started. It was time for his team to move.
"Secondary team, move out." Percy ordered.
He heard the round of confirmations, so he touched the controls that deactivated his magnetic boots and engaged the thrusters on his Armoured Spacesuit's back. Percy and his team were not MACO, nor were any of the defenders of Gateway Station, they were Section 31 Security Forces. MACO were an offensive ground based force, while the Security Forces were more focused on the defence of ships and instillations as well as void combat.
Percy and one other Sunnydale Survivor, Katelyn, had built up the Void Walker force, as Section 31 generally used transporters which had their disadvantages. Both Percy and Katelyn had dressed for Halloween as Imperial Navy Breachers form the Imperium of Man. Navy Breachers were used to void combat, both counter boarding operations aboard ship and cross void boarding actions.
Percy's team crossed the void to the docked ship, with one section breaching just behind the bridge to secure that and the other section breached near the engine room. Percy was leading the bridge section and Katelyn was leading the engine room team.
Two of the Void Walkers manoeuvred the breaching airlock into place and blew the breaching charge. The team moved into the airlock, closed the outer door and opened the inner door. There was a bit of a breeze as the atmosphere filled the airlock, but the team was already moving. A breaching charge opened the door to the bridge, and two shots pinged off the Armoured Spacesuit of the point man. Orders were clear, if the bridge crew resisted, they were to be liquidated, so the team opened fire and cut the crew down. The bridge was filthy with piles of rubbish in the corners. This was almost as bad as some of the Batarian Slave Ships.
"Bridge secured." Percy reported.
"Engine Room secured." Katelyn replied. "By the Emperor."
"By the Emperor." Percy replied automatically.
None of the rest of the Void Walkers repeated the Imperial mantra.
The rock of the asteroid flew past Larry's cockpit as his Peregrin Fighter launched. It was the time that reminded him the most of the memories of his Viper Fighter launching from a Battlestar, but the Peregrines were superior Fighters to the Vipers. Only on these concealed asteroid fighter bases that protected Gateway Station did they launch from Launch Tubes. On all the Section 31 Starships, as well as Tycho, they launched out of Fighter Bays with forcefield airlocks.
The wings of Fighters formed up behind Larry's Fighter and they made their way towards the second transport that was still waiting to dock at Gateway Station.
"Hostile Transport, this is Aries. You have launched and unprovoked attack on Section 31. Come to a complete stop and power down your engines and defensive systems or you will be destroyed." Larry transmitted. "Your comrades are either dead or in custody. Do not test me."
The Transport came to a stop and powered down its engines and point defence guns.
"Stay on station and your forces will be transported off in small groups. They are to disarm prior to transport and anyone armed when they are transported will be considered a threat and dealt with accordingly." Larry instructed.
Xander, Willow and Jenny were standing around a holotable tracking the fighting around Gateway Station through Subspace Communications Link.
The fighting was proceeding to plan. The Mercs, actually they were criminals claiming to be Mercs, in the first transport were dying against the prepared Section 31 Security forces inside Gateway. The Void Walkers, a brilliant concept that filled a hole in the Section 31 forces and was being copied by the Quarians, had taken the docked transport. The second transport was secured by the Fighters and the Mercs, an actual registered Mercenary Company, were being beamed out in small groups into secured rooms on Gateway Station.
"Sarilla's information was accurate, as always." Xander said.
"Yes. It was a good thing she changed the order of arrival of the two ships though." Jenny observed, to which both Xander and Willow nodded.
The first ship was a disgrace, unkept and dodgy all over, and was transporting Criminals pretending to be Mercs. The second ship was clean, well maintained and orderly, and was transporting a registered and licenced Mercenary Company with a good reputation. But a Mercenary Company that had annoyed the Salarian Councillor when they had refused to turn on their employer for a bribe from one of the Councillor's 'Donors'.
"Once we get the reputable Mercs processed and verified, I want to speak to their leader. And the Transport's Captain. I think we might have some reputable work for them. Situations like Agent Extractions where we don't want to send MACO in." Xander said.
"Yes, Commadore." Willow replied.
TBC….