A scream died in my chest before it had any hope of rising to my mouth, so stunned to stupor by the horror unfolding before me. The ships of the Constellation Fleet twirled through the darkness, a hail of shells following each and every one of them. Reapers blotted the darkness, recognised only by the streak of blue lights throughout their shell. But my jaw dropped as the Lyra landed a successful hit on the Draco. Blessedly, the cruiser deflected the frigate's blow. It was a free-for-all. And in the middle of it all, the Constellation sagged, its engines dead, smoke pouring from countless holes, listing heavily to one side. The Reaper droids, those 2-man high balls of death, sliced between the ships, carving new holes into just about everything that moved. Fighters burst like fireworks, shuttles erupted into ezzo clouds of dust. The Cassiopeia escaped this. And somehow I had to save the rest of the 21 ships and their crews. I couldn't count the Reapers, but part of me wondered if one of them was Palalrian, here to claim his rogue Shell. My eyes landed on Mat'al, the salarian gritting his teeth as we swerved around another stray shell.
"What do we do? Its all-out war," Val said, his voice barely above a whisper. My throat tightened.
"...We save what we can. Get me on the emergency frequency! I need to know who we can save immediately!" I ordered. Kala clicked over the intercom.
"Forgive me, Captain. I will do as you command in a moment. I am," Kala said, pausing for a moment. Screens on the Control Ring sprung to life, the servers working hard. "Forgive me. Marshal is attempting an aggressive take over,"
"Aggressive… That doesn't sound like Marshal," I said.
"If Marshal is corrupted, that could explain how all this started," Mat'al said. My eyes squeezed shut.
"Keep him out, Kala. Take all the resources you need, they're yours," I said.
"Thank you, Captain Shaik. Gideon, I will need more power soon to keep dealing with Marshal. Suggestions?" she asked. A pause while the boy locked in the Intel room answered. "...I am unsure I can split my resources to combat Marshal and secure the servers from the other ships if he has them under his hold,"
"Do we need to send boarding parties?" I asked.
"I'd recommend it. We need those ships on our side to keep the Reapers busy while we salvage the Constellation," Val said.
"How many teams can we send? There are so many ships," I said, the Starquake banking hard as ships realised we were in the system.
"Depends. If we can get the frigates under control, they can spare people to board the cruisers," Mat'al said. "I wouldn't worry about under-staffing the Starquake. Kala can look after her," My hands clenched into fists. Mat'al had spent an awful lot of time with Kala while I was otherwise preoccupied with death. He trusted her, Gideon trusted her. Yet I felt I trusted Kala with more than I should. But this? It didn't feel right, leaving the ship without an organic crew? My gut wrenched at the idea, every instinct screaming no.
"Affirmative, Commander. I can… Incoming transmissions. I will aid the flight crew where I can," Kala said, distracted. Screens around the Control Ring lit up as battered faces popped into view. Fire and gunfire popped loud in almost all of them.
"Get out of here, Shaik! Marshal's gone rogue! The Saboteur got him!" an asari snapped, her face beaten and bruised. I knew her, the XO of the Hercules.
"Kala has the Starquake, we're fine against Marshal for a time but she needs more power. Can you secure your server rooms to let Kala take over?" I asked.
"Don't even try! Our servers are so corrupted with Reaper code they're basically flying themselves at this point!" a drell winced as the room behind her burst into flames. Radayah, Captain of the Carina.
"Tough shit, Kala thinks she can do it so we're trying it. She has Reaper protections in place," I said.
"But-" a salarian hailed from the Ursa. Captain Masana growled as she stared behind her, activity ramping up.
"I am not leaving here without as many people as I physically can, do I make myself clear?!" I barked. Eyes narrowed, teeth grit and people snorted. Not all the ships tuned in, but more and more joined each second. "We're sending boarding parties. Who can we save easier?"
"If you insist on being an idiot, the Phoenix, Pegasus, Cepheus, Virgo and Crux are basically free from husks and Indoctrinated servants aside from Marshal in our servers," the XO of the Orion grunted, the volus yelped and ducked as gunfire popped too close.
"If I send small boarding parties, can you secure them?" I asked.
"We'll hold this ship still for as long as possible," the human Captain of the Pegasus said, Purity's dark skinned face glistening with blood.
"Do what you can. Try to keep from shooting each other and keep those Reapers busy if you can! We can't let them destroy the Constellation!" I ordered.
"Aye, aye, Shaik. But if things get too hot-" the salarian captain of the Crux said. My jaw clenched at Salmern's stern face.
"You let me worry about that! Everyone to battle stations, I need boarding parties to scramble for deployment!" I barked, the calls disconnecting, but live information feeds tickled through to our CIC. People mobilised, sprinting for the cargo area. "Val?"
"Leave it to me. I'll get you arranged on a team. Maybe one of the cruisers. You know the crews and the ships better than me," he looked up as Gideon sprinted in, jaw taut. "Kala, can we trust the ship to you for a while?"
"She will be in safe hands, XO Autillin," Kala said. Val dropped his eyes to Gideon, the boy fumbling with silver boxes the size of a credit card.
"You'll need these," he said, passing one to me and another to Val. It slid open, two omni-chips inside. "The orange one needs to go in first, it's an automatic shutdown code Kala made should anything happen to her and we needed to… remove her," Gideon swayed at the thought, but he pressed on. "It should drive Marshal out long enough for you to put the other one in. The yellow one is an AI seed. Kala can use it to hijack the systems and control the ships. I'll make as many as I can, but I don't know how long-" he said.
"Keep doing what you're doing, Gid. We'll be fine," I said, forcing my voice soft. He trembled, but a hardness held his eyes. I turned to Mat'al as he took another. "Mat'al, Val, arrange a team to stay on the ship. Just in case,"
"Shayan can remain, I'll organise a team to back him up," he said.
"Lanster, leave the ship to Kala! We need every hand we can get!" Val ordered.
"You have got to be kidding?!" Lanster gawked.
"No we are not! Move it! Kala, the ship is yours! Do well on this and I'll get more server space for you!" I ordered sprinting for the door.
"Am I really that predictable?" Kala asked.
"Yes!" Gideon and I cried as he ran after me, Gideon diving into the Intel department as Indira ran out to join me.
"Can't catch a damn break," she rumbled.
"Pick a ship!" I said, sliding down the ladders.
"Cepheus," Indira said. We hit the cargo deck running. Phentos was already here, a team of 3 with him. Cham twitched, the chocolate batarian frowning at the cargo door. Colourful Veshin swayed, the salarian wasn't used to combat but she'd be fine. Frank grinned at me, the russet haired human more relaxed and cocky than the others. Phentos glanced up as his omni-tool filled with commands.
"We're going on the Phoenix, Captain," he said. I nodded, looking to my omni-tool. 'Virgo' filled it.
"Virgo for me," I heaved, looking up as a team of 4 crowded close. Alder grinned at me before frowning at the upheaval around him. Kala's chips slid into the secure pocket under my breastplate. Algenis hovered at my 6, the silent protector.
Before any conversation started, orders barked, the ship bucking like a wild horse. The mag-boots kept me straight as Kala weaved around the worst of the fire. The cargo door opened, a mass effect field saving us from being sucked out. The Crux hovered before us, the distance closing fast. My mouth opened, words forming. Mat'al sprinted across the shuttle deck with Laegan and Quin, the trio leaping into space as the Crux scrapped the cargo door, taking away paint. A hatch lay open on the roof of the Crux, a quarian fighting to hold it open. The three men disappeared down the hatch before it snapped closed. My eyes turned to Alder, eyes the size of dishes.
"We gotta board one way or another, Captain. We might not get a shuttle," he said. My eyes squeezed shut. "Don't worry, I got you,"
"Thank you," I said, eyes back on the battle as the door retracted to protect us.
Maybe it was sitting there waiting for the door to open, waiting for our ship to appear in the shell-riddled darkness, did I realise that the 'boarding' training I did last year probably should've been more extensive. The Council arranged a joint venture between Council species as part of united combat training to unify the different militaries. We tagged along, Council-Funded group and whatnot. They even used the Starquake as part of the 'unusual spaceship' category. My stomach flattened as the ship rolled and sprung. The STG were already familiar with the design and broke in with ease, although the redesign turned them around once inside. A sourness still stained my tongue when the STG commander held me at gunpoint, the 'victory' as it were. He didn't last long. No one expects a sore loser as a captain. One knee to crouch left him on the ground with my crew howling. The asari struggled which perked me up. We managed to vent the first team easily enough. We were average in terms of ship defence, so the Council species mucked around to improve our chances if we were boarded. But we weren't the ones being boarded now and the training for boarding went a little differently from last time. For one, Zero G didn't bother me then. Another was boarding the Virgo. She is an Asari/Turian hybrid, the smallest of the cruisers in Julian's fleet. My time boarding Turian and Asari cruisers may help, but how much? The cargo door opened, a human style frigate flashed before me, flailing as flight crews fought against the AI in their systems. The engines surged and died and the wings tipped like a stormy sea. The crew fought Marshal as much as they could, but what can you do to an AI in your systems? Phentos and his team raced for the cargo door. They vanished from sight as the Starquake's swung on a penny, the shields surging as a shell pounded into us, intended for the Phoenix. Lynetlia steadied me, the asari wincing from the blow. Veracia glowered, the female turian flanking my other side.
"This is only getting worse," Veracia said. A quiet moan escaped, agreeing with her as my helmet yanked on. Alder kept a hold on the back plate of my armour, just in case. A slow breath released as the cargo door closed as we spun back into the fray. My eyes looked up as Val joined, Una and Taedin beside him. Drutus frowned as he shuffled towards me, Rosmani and Marruns eager to leap into action.
"You are certain you do not need assistance from me?" he asked. My eyebrows tipped as my eyes drifted to the cargo door.
"I don't know. But I need you on the hot ships and get them under control," I said. Drutus hmmed, calm as the ship swung, nearly sending me crashing to the side while he shifted his balance and remained unruffled.
"The Centaurus is my target. Bralem, Savanor and Marta shall join me. Rosmani has claimed the Eridanus. She's drafting Phylla, Setaria and Iona to go with her. We've heard of Wraiths on board. Marruns is taking the Vulpecula. Utren, Lanster and Mari are joining him. There are rumours of a turian husk and he's curious," he said. My eyes squeezed shut. "There is also another team for Orion, Canis and Ursa. We have a healthy home crew staying aboard should that worry you,"
"I don't need new husks right now," I said. Drutus snorted as the cargo door opened. "So what ships don't have crews going to them yet?"
"The Andromeda, Draco, Hercules, Carina, Musca, Hydras, Lyra, Corvus and Dorado. They are still very hot, but with Marshal weakened we should stand a chance," Drutus said. "Good luck, Captain," he said with a smile. My teeth nipped my lip.
"Let's go, Captain!" Alder called, grabbing my arm to yank me into a run. My heart burst, head snapping towards the darkness. A Reaper floated nearby, the long legs unfurling as it aimed for the Corvus. The Virgo stole the immediate sight, her bright silver skin stained blue, white and grey. The cargo door was open, though starting the close again. The main gun still looked hot, the turian style wings flared to full to protect the rest of the ship from any side attacks. My feet slammed on the anchors, seeing the emptiness before me, my breath stalling in my chest. But Lynetlia grabbed my other side, snapping the mag-boots off. My eyes smashed shut as the pair all but dragged me into nothing.
Silence filled me, a strange weightlessness demanding to control my arms. My breaths came in short, sharp intakes, the mask before me feeling damp. Everything spun, my muscles ached as if recovering from physical disablement. Only the hands on my back and arms kept me sane, the noise of the radio screaming in my ears but nothing could pry my eyes open. Not until noise returned in a snap and gravity yanked me down like a rock. My eyes popped open, the shuttle deck of the cruiser in flickering darkness and red light. Lynetlia landed us with biotics, Veracia and Algenis on jump jets. But before we could catch our breaths, Alder yanked me to the ground behind an overturned shuttle, almost burnt to nothing. A bullet dinged off the floor where we had stood. My head shook, breath easing as the soothing hold of gravity brought me back. It took a few moments for my helmet to defog, even more for gunfire to register. Lots of gunfire. Overhead, with what lights flickered and the emergency lighting providing what it could, a voice rang out.
"Starquake crew is on! Secure them!" a voice flanged. Laetiun? My jaw unclenched, the Paladin popping free as we eased around the shuttle, looking to identify friend or foe. It was nigh on impossible. One group shooting at another, no husks in sight aside from the dead ones on the ground. We glanced to each other, all eyes waiting for me to decide. The deck was huge, 10 shuttles in various states from destroyed to pristine. Cargo lay strewn in all directions from munitions to rations. The fight was worst in the back near the doors. A quiet moan escaped me, finally standing out from behind cover. The others poked their heads out. A batarian on the port side noticed me. He shouted something, sharp enough to turn my head to the starboard group. They raised guns in my direction. I dived behind cover once more, crawling on my belly to the team as bullets dinged off the shuttle.
"It's Shaik! Little Shaik's onboard!" a transmission belted in my ear.
"Spirits, get her away from those servants before Julian skins me alive!" the turian snapped. Yep, that was Laetiun alright.
"Go, go, go! Port side!" I ordered. My knees burned as we kept low, thighs begging to straighten out. Gun fire cracked around us while creeping by collapsed walkways, destroyed shuttles and flailed containers to reach the team coaxing their way towards us. All the while, the servants fired pot shots at us. My shields failed three times from a sniper, my armour saved me from another before we ducked behind a container near the stairs to escape the cargo deck. A group there waited. A salarian grabbed me and dragged me deeper behind the cover as the container dented from a bullet aimed at my head.
"You, Shaik, are suicidal," the chocolate salarian said.
"Enough, XO," I scowled. XO Demo Justas frowned, sharp green eyes dark in the red light. "Situation?"
"You jumped into the hotbed. Should be quieter once we get to the upper decks," he said. I unbuckled a package from my belt, Demo frowning at the offering. He popped it open, eyes widening. "...Suicidal tendency forgiven. I normally accept cake, but this is a good second best," he said, grabbing an armour piercing round and snapping it in place.
"I never board your ship without a present or two," I said, frowning as another indent smashed into the side of the container. The bullets had to pierce two walls to get me to, a small blessing. "Server room, stat," I ordered.
"You heard the lady! Up and at 'em!" Demo called. People nodded, throwing down cover fire as Demo led us on the mad sprint to the double doors on the raised metal half floor at the back fifth of the room. One door lay half closed and the other in pieces on the floor. My shields shattered within seconds, my armour pinging, my skin on fire as three rounds got me in the side and arm. We ducked into the doorway, sprinting down the hall as the medi-gel did its wonders. A quick glance back showed the others were in better condition than me. Yay, they wanted me. What else was new?
"What the hell happened, Demo?" I asked. Demo grunted as he scanned the halls.
"Ask Lae when we get to him," he said. "First we have to get you there, and that isn't so easy- Hold!" he barked, throwing out an arm to grab me. My feet skidded on the floor as a metal claw smashed through the wall. Demo yanked me under it, sprinting for the stairs at the end of the medium grey hall before it could retract and crush is between the arm mechanisms.
"The fuck!" I cried, running for dear life as robotics sounded through the walls around me. The team scrambled after me. Another claw erupted beside us, Demo pulling me the entire way.
"Marshal!" Demo snapped as he reached the stairs, dragging and throwing me up the first flight. "Three floors up, go!" My teeth found my lip, but did as he said. A massive crash sounded below me, shaking everything. My feet pounded on the metal stairs, faint warning sirens humming in the distance as the crashing cranes below fading and finally silencing. A minute later, outside the door to deck 10, my team joined me, gasping. Demo jogged up behind them.
"What… the fuck?" I asked.
"As I said. Marshal. He's taken control of the armament cranes and… well, that happens. They can't reach us from here. Don't try going to the decks below, they are ruined beyond salvaging. Thank whatever Gods listening the server room is higher up in the ship," he said, leading me down the hall. Destroyed doorways lay everywhere I looked. Every one of them had been blown with explosives. Demo caught my staring eyes, grunting as we weaved around the piled bodies and wreckage. "Marshal tried to lock the doors. We put a quick stop to that,"
"But if we get a hull breach," I said. Demo snorted.
"We're dead anyway if we get one," he said, frowning as the ship rocked from another explosion. "Aside from the servants in the cargo hold, we have everything under control," A frown fluttered across my lips, turning my head around.
"...Were the explosions really that loud?" I asked.
"Ears ringing?" Demo asked. I nodded. "That's the RIT transmitters. Marshal's had them shut down for weeks now without us knowing. We've got them on isolated generators, much to his displeasure,"
"Tis a most unwelcome development indeed," Marshal's voice rang. Demo grunted, grabbing my arm and yanking me down the hall faster. "Good afternoon, Miss Shaik. You seem well. Shame the same cannot be said for Sir Shaik,"
"Ignore him," Demo grunted, my teeth clenched together. "Nothing he says is worthwhile, Dell. Trust me,"
"I am programmed to protect the Shaik family, XO Justas. You are hindering that," Marshal said.
"Tough shit, you bunch of 1s and 0s," Demo said, shaking his head as we filed up a new staircase. Muffled bangs rang closer. We emerged on another hallway, the cruiser rolling, the artificial gravity failing. My heart leapt until Algenis snapped my mag-boots on. Demo hissed as he pressed on, boots clanging loud around us. "Almost there…"
"This is so much worse than I was expecting," I mumbled. Demo snorted as we turned a corner, torch light dancing like strobe lights.
"We through yet?" Demo demanded.
"One more, XO! Stand clear!" a voice called. Demo side stepped into a small room, an old lab with glass shattered through the air. They twirled like deadly diamonds. An explosion jumped every hair to attention, rumble bouncing up the room.
"The hell is going on?" Veracia asked.
"Marshal and the damn husks and servants protected the Server room with Wheel knows what," Demo said. "We've been forced to blast our way through another wall to get in,"
"I hope you haven't damaged what I needed," I said.
"We've been careful, Dell, don't worry," Demo poked his head out, waving a hand for us to clang after him when a voice hailed 'all clear'. My breath rasped around me, too loud for me. People parted, battered and bloody as we ducked into another lab. A hole big enough for 2 people punched through the wall, reinforced metal blasted into deadly points. A team was already inside, ensuring nothing waited for us. "Let's go, Baby Shaik,"
"You can't call me that anymore, not with Gideon," I said, following him through the crawl hole. Hot metal pressed against the armour, trails of smoke drifting away. Demo laughed.
The Virgo's Server Room was the size of the entire labs on the Starquake. The ship rocked as it took another hit, loose computers rocking. Twice as tall as I, the room ran hot, my suit compensating as much as it could. The cooling system had failed, one last ditch effort from Marshal to keep us out. Demo led us down the corridors of lights and black towers, pausing by a terminal. The screens were blank, the keys stolen away. My eyes found a slot for the omni-chip. The little box slipped out, the orange chip coming into my hand.
"I cannot let you do this, Miss Shaik. Kala is dangerous. Why else would Sir Shaik wish her destroyed?" Marshal said. My lips snapped down, eyebrows joining them.
"...Just for quoting Space Odyssey, I am totally doing this," I said. The chip slammed home seconds before the whole ship rolled, the mag-boots working overtime. In a second, a deafening screech rang from the intercom, hands rushing to ears. My eyes watered, I swore my ears bled while my hands trembled for the yellow chip. The ship twisted and rolled, the main gun hummed and fell silent. Then silence. The lights on the computers lay dark. The orange chip slipped out with a touch of my fingers, the yellow one replacing it. I held my breath. A second passed. Another. Lights burst from the servers like fireworks, the red emergency lights giving way to normal overhead lights. The doors so stubbornly shut on either end of the room popped open. The engines roared with a healthy purr, the main gun humming with a light vibration to the air.
"I have control, Captain. Assessing the status of the Virgo," Kala's voice said. A slow breath escaped as gravity returned to normal, the ship rightened.
"You alright for some queries?" I asked, nodding to Demo. He led us out the room, the air con working overtime.
"If you wish to know the status of the other ships, the Crux, Phoenix and Cepheus are under my command now. Admiral Drutus assures me the Centaurus will fall to us soon," Kala said.
"How is your processing power?" I asked, following Demo up towards the bridge.
"Increasing by the moment, Captain. With more ships coming online, Marshal's hold on the battle is weakening. The Reapers are beginning to suspect you are turning the tide against them. They are hastening their assault on the Constellation," Kala said.
"Then we better get the fleet under control immediately then, shouldn't we?" I rumbled.
"We'll send boarding parties to the other ships to control the fighting," Demo said, the long corridor to the bridge before us.
"Thank you," I said.
"The other Captains and XOs agree, they have already scrambled a party to assault the Andromeda. Commander Delern is attempting to board as we speak… a moment. Another ship is coming online," Kala said.
"Go and do your thing, Kala," I said, the broken doors of the bridge lying on the ground. Inside, battered faces stared, all races and genders. The bridge was donut shaped, with the Captain in the middle raised above them all. Not by much, but just a little. Lae appeared then, the burnt gold turian clicking his mandibles as we approached. My helmet slid off, letting me breathe freely for the first time in ages. Lae scowled, ruffling my hair until I whined.
"Put that back on, missy. I will ground you again," Lae said.
"Fuck you," I growled. His arm fell limp at his side, blue blood covering it. I tapped at my omni-tool. Lae opened his mouth to complain, but he saw the fire in my eyes and clamped shut. The medi-gel pressed to the bleeding wound. Lae withheld the shiver.
"Since when did the baby help the babysitter?" he asked.
"Since the baby grew up. Now tell me what happened or I am not letting you have any presents," I said, teasing him with a heatsink of disruptor ammo. Lae followed the heatsink bouncing in my hand. He moaned, leaning against the railing around his command position.
"Things started happening weeks ago, little niggles you know? We put it down to Indoctrinated servants, a Saboteur at worst. A Saboteur hit Marshal at some point. He's been weakening us for at least 3 or 4 weeks. With the Reapers here, he waited until they launched a massive attack before striking us," Lae said.
"I thought he had Reaper protections," I said. Lae growled.
"Not enough, apparently. The damn thing left itself wide open by not deleting some old programming from Shaik's father's days… your father's days," Lae said.
"He left himself vulnerable by not upgrading, by not patching old, broken code," Algenis said behind me.
"Exactly. Now we're one foot in the grave, no word from the Admiral and no idea what to do other than survive," Lae said.
"Well here are your orders," I said. Lae frowned. "We get these ships under control, you lot keep the Reapers busy while we salvage the Constellation. Once we have her under control, we're jumping to the Citadel. The Cassiopeia is already there," I said.
"The Council won't like us jumping there, Little Shaik," Lae said.
"They know to expect us," I sighed. "Lae, I need to find my brother," The turian squeezed his eyes shut.
"Best case scenario is he's dead. The alternative isn't worth thinking about," he said. Fire boiled in my blood, teeth snapping together in a hard click.
"He isn't dead!" I hissed. Lae frowned.
"...You need to prepare for that, just in case," he said. My jaw couldn't unclench.
"We're getting boarding parties ready, Lae. Where do you need us?" Demo said.
"Take whatever Little Shaik used to clear Marshal from our ships. Focus on the Musca and Hydrus, they're asking for help big time,"
"You can take the seed chip from the servers. I no longer require it," Kala said. "The Vulpecula and Pegasus are under our control now. Boarding parties have arrived in the Draco and Hercules,"
"Thank you, Kala. I know the Hydrus, let's go there," I said.
"Absolutely not!" Lae barked. He ignored my glare. "You are staying here, little lady,"
"I am not a child anymore, Lae! I need to do this!" I snapped.
"Shaik, you are the only one here with any form of plan. Assuming the Admiral is dead, we need someone to rally everyone. That's you until we find someone of higher rank," Lae said.
"What about you?" I asked.
"We're the same rank. Who do you think is going to win; the cocky Captain who bullshits his way out of trouble or the sister of the Admiral who has babysat the fleet from time to time before in the past," he asked.
"I did not!" I snapped, recoiling.
"Whenever Admiral Shaik went down for a few days, you managed the running of the fleet," he said, raising a brow plate.
"Lae, that was managerial tasks! If he was down any longer than a week then the Rear Admiral and Admirals took over," I said. "And even then they did most of the work! I never had any say on the combat side of things!"
"True, but you're part way there, unlike me," Lae said. He looked to Demo. "Send a team out once you get everything you need. I'll babysit again,"
"Just like old times," Demo chuckled.
"Fuck you both," I rumbled. Veracia glanced to departing faces, frowning.
"Should we join the boarding parties?" she asked. A soft sigh escaped me.
"You may as well. The more hands we have out there the faster we can deal with this," I said, staring at the combat feeds as the Constellation took another hit. My heart burned, eyes squeezed shut.
"Captain, the Dorado has sustained heavy damage. I am unsure how much use the ship will be once we get it online," Kala said.
"When you get her, jump her to the Citadel. She can wait it out with the Cassiopeia. Maybe they can help with any fighting still ongoing," I said. Kala chimed in acknowledgement.
"The Orion and Eridanus are online, although there is still heavy fighting onboard. I am attempting to quell the situation. Boarding has begun on the Carina," Kala said.
"We're sending a party to the Hydrus. If we get help, we'll send help for the Musca," Lae said.
"Confirmed, Captain. The Phoenix is already attempting to board the Musca," Kala said.
"You heard her, Demo!" Lae barked.
"Aye, aye!" Demo called out, jogging out the bridge.
My fingers tapped at the consoles as Alder, Lynetlia and Veracia followed him, Algenis wandering nearby. I didn't care for the nitty gritty details like Lae, I needed the overall picture. With the cruisers and frigates mobilising, the fragile fighters began organising themselves, recognising friend and foe. They targeted the Reaper drones, seeing as the cruisers and most of the frigates had no real protection from them. A few ships turned their attentions to the Reapers, Kala making pin-point movements to avoid a wrecked wing or a hole in the hull. The Virgo focused on keeping the uncontrolled ships safe from Reapers. The heaving Corvus swung wildly past us, as if trying to ram us had the flight crew not overpowered the AI. Somehow. Did people get training on how to combat AIs in their systems? I jumped as the ship rumbled, but the cruiser was not a frigate. A shell to the Starquake was like a shotgun under your feet. This was more like a bang on the back door. Lae barked his orders and paced around his platform, fingers swiping away screens. Kala chimed in as more ships came online, and as more ships settled their fighting with a friendly AI now controlling the flow of husks and indoctrinated servants. The Draco came alive, the hardest hitting cruiser making short work of careless drones. Then the Canis joined them, a team scrambled to invade the begging crews on the Corvus and Lyra. While they attempted to board the Lyra, the Vulpecula, Centaurus and Pegasus rallied, turning cannons to the Reapers. Lae refused to let me leave the bridge, forcing me to find something to do.
Damage reports from the other ships filtered through. Everything from fire damage, wonky drive cores, hull breeches, entire decks destroyed, erupted armaments, half working flight controls, destroyed weapons and countless injuries and dead. Every report ached something painful. With my returned memories, the faces of hundreds sprung before me; soothing smiles, cheeky grins, playful scowls, disappointed frowns and worries upturned brows. I was the 'baby' of the fleet, the one thing that kept their Admiral together. My hands wrung, eyes towards the stats from the silent Constellation. The Ursa sailed past, nailing a Reaper with the Phoenix and Crux on her flanks. More ships sprung alive; the Carina and Canis, the Musca soon joined, but the salarian style cruiser leapt away, too damaged to fight. The Andromeda finally sprung to our side, a boarding party hard at work on the wounded Dorado. More Reapers focused on the Constellation, more of the fleet focusing on distracting and destroying them. The cruisers lined up their shells, a Reaper erupting into fire and burning ezzo moments later. After an eternity, the Corvus swung wide around a Reaper shell, destroying a handful of Reaper Drones. The Dorado stirred to life, springing away once the boarding party left to join the fight. The final cruiser heaved the main gun around, the Hercules shearing off three Reaper legs aimed towards the exposed hull of the dreadnaught. Two ships remained, though Kala assured me the Lyra's server room was now accessible and would be with us in moments. When the hail came through, one last boarding party landed on the twirling Hydrus to assist with the teams already onboard. It wasn't long now.
"We won't be able to hold out much more, Lae. We're running out of ammunition," a voice said over the radio. Lae frowned as I joined him on his platform, the turian staring at a burning cockpit on the screen before him. Dozens of others floated beside it.
"Do what you can, I'm sure Kala will help with ammunition consumption. If you run out, shield duty. How are the ezzo levels, Seriana?"
"Average, could be better," the dark asari said. My brows tipped up at the blood stains on the Eridanus' captain's battered armour.
"It'll have to do. The Hydrus will be with us shortly, then we'll be a full fleet again," Lae said.
"Minus one dreadnaught with the vast majority of our forces," an olive green batarian said. The Canis Captain glanced to the side as I stepped into view.
"I am going to do my damnest to save her too, Toluem," I said.
"Easier said than done," Lureng rumbled, the bronze crested krogan glancing over his shoulder as noise rose up. "Even the Draco can't kill all these things,"
"We just need to get onboard and deal with Marshal," I said, eyebrows snapping down.
"And the Saboteur," Dan added, the blue masked quarian grabbing the railing before him as the Orion swung.
"And the husks," Ictan said, the round volus captain of the Andromeda shaking his head.
"And the indoctrinated servants," an unfamiliar asari on the Corvus sighed, looking more than a little beaten up.
"Are you lot going to give me some actual news I don't know about or are you going to stand there and give me more reasons to get on that fucking dreadnaught?!" I snapped. People stared, blinking, judging.
"The "Hydrus is online, Captain Shaik. Orders?" Kala asked. My lip stung under my rubbing teeth, eyes swirling between the faces and the live feed of the listing ship.
"We need to get on. Suggestions?" I asked. Silence met me.
"We can't risk going through the hull with those Reapers going to work," Lae mumbled.
"The only way would be through the landing deck, but with Marshal in control…" Radayah frowned, the drell scanning the screens of the other captains and XO's. "It's suicide to attempt it,"
"I've been on suicide missions before, fuck it. Where do we begin?" I asked.
"Shaik, the interior cannons will kill you in a heartbeat," an unfamiliar human said, Ophtera of the Centaurus moaning quietly on the floor behind her, medics hard at work on the asari captain.
"Then we just need to be faster," I said. "Can the Crux deliver us?" eyes swivelled to Salmern, the salarian biting his lip.
"In theory… We do out speed the cannon's turning abilities, so long as they aren't already pointing at us," he said.
"Go through the stern, dump us then run," I said.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Lae asked.
"This one suggests use of an escape pod. With the number of deaths and indoctrinated servants sustained, this one surmises the crew will not need all of them," Leondys said, the green and turquoise hanar captain an odd sight in his blue, grey and white snakeskin armour.
"And how do they escape said escape pod without getting blasted?" Masta asked, the salarian captain of the Ursa nursing an injured arm.
"Launch several and pray, I would guess," Nykima said, the female turian captain of the Cepheus
"No way! No way, far too dangerous!" Val snapped, standing beside Captain Isari on the Lyra. The asari nodded with Val.
"Val, we don't have my choice," I said.
"No," he said.
"I'm doing it!" I said.
"Go fuck yourself," Val snapped.
"You do that for me!" I barked. Val flushed purple, jaw clamping shut. Isari pressed her lips together, smothering the smile. "Excuse the marital dispute, ladies and gents,"
"You can go fuck yourselves later," Mat'al scowled, Mika chuckling beside him. The turian captain of the Hydrus pulled himself together moments later. "Endellion. How badly do you need this?" My shoulders rolled back. Mat'al hadn't used my full name except in formal situations. My teeth nipped my lip, emotions churning like a stormy sea.
"I need my brother, Mat'al," I said, voice weakening. "And if… and if it's too late, I need his ship. The fleet needs his ship. There are no other ships in the galaxy that can house and repair ships while on the move. We need every advantage we can get. We can't just hop through the Omega-4 relay again and grab another Constellation," Mat'al studied me on the screen, silver speckled navy eyes peering through whatever masks I may have thrown up. He rolled his shoulders back.
"Marruns, Rosmeni, Drutus, Savanor, meet me on the Crux. Dell, join us with Algenis when you can. All other Starquake crew, return to the ship post haste. We have work to do," Mat'al said.
"You can't be serious," Val wheezed.
"Return to your ship, XO. It needs a captain for a bit," Mat'al said, marching off-screen. The familiar faces of the Starquake crew in the background of many screens also vanished as they turned to return to their post.
"I'll be fine, Val. I'll see you when it's done," I said, gentling my voice before turning to Lae, his mandibles pinned to his cheeks. "And nothing from you either. Time for me to be a big girl,"
"If I didn't need to stay on the Virgo…" he rumbled.
"Well you do. Just get ready to jump on my command," I said, leaving the ruined bridge.
With the battle raging on, and Kala in control of the ship, the cruiser swung. Not as fast as the Starquake certainly, but she strained to avoid the incoming hits from Reapers. Any one of them could destroy the cruiser with a well-placed shot, and Kala's job was to keep the fleet safe until we got everyone organised in Citadel Space. My hands wrung as bangs rumbled throughout the cruiser, the main gun and secondary guns in full swing. Pick up was via shuttle this time, no more space journeys for me with any luck. On the staircase down to the now quiet cargo hold, curiosity poked my head down the doorways of the two decks above the cargo hold. My jaw dropped, staring at the gaping expanse. Metal hung loose like chandeliers, metal wires dangled with dangerous promise, pipes dripped, sealed elsewhere to prevent loss of fuel and ezzo. Two floors more or less cleaned out in massive circles around the 4 cranes used to move equipment around the lower deck of the Virgo. There wasn't any floor left hanging apart from tiny fragments still clinging to walls bolted to the ceiling. My throat tightened before hurrying down to the cargo deck, meandering between the broken walls from the cranes breaking through. The cargo hold was quiet when the helmet slipped on, the indoctrinated servants and most of the loose cargo lying in heaps by the closed bulkheads. Doorways in the bulkheads granted me access towards the towering doors of the cruiser. The door was double the height of the Starquake's, split in 2 and slid inside the ship as it parted like a curtain. It only opened a little ways, the Andromeda agonisingly close. A tiny shuttle glinted beside it, using it for cover before it darted for the open cargo hold. The shuttle was small, barely able to hold 6 people, but it hovered before me as the door opened. A human grinned at me from inside.
"Come on, Captain, let's get you on the Crux," he said. Algenis and I shared a look before stepping into the grey, white and blue shuttle. The Andromeda pulled away, leaving the Virgo to guard the shuttle. Tense minutes passed before the cargo door opened again, the shuttle pulling into the darkness. Everything tensed, too afraid to look at the screens for fear of jumping at shells coming too close. But within a few minutes the shuttle shut down, safe inside the Crux. Algenis stepped out first, assessing the little frigate's shuttle deck before I stepped down, the shuttle pilot hopping out to secure the shuttle.
"We thought it best to shuttle you over, given the… circumstances," the pilot said. A small smile lifted my lips.
"Appreciated. Take me to the bridge, I've not been on the Crux before," I said, staring around the darkened walls, all cramped and gloomy.
"Of course, this way, Captain," the pilot said, marching ahead to delve deeper into the ship.
The Timeline and Galaxy Map have been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.