Naotw: The Admiral didn't expect they would be needed. His plan was for the first wave to check the system and clear it of opposition. If the fighters and cruisers couldn't find the Solana Hanus in the system, then he would have frigates join in the search, something that would add unnecessary complications due to the Patrol Group not having any frigates of its own, necessitating the requisition of the local system patrol's frigates, something he was somewhat hesitant to due unless absolutely necessary due to Hierarchy patrol ships being stretched thin as it is.

Just a general note, I'm not sure if Mass Effect ever gave a name to the tech used to negate the acceleration within ships, so I'm just going to steal from Star Wars and call them inertial compensators.

Another note: I am going to be using the Gregorian Calendar for both human and non-human POV to simplify things.

Xingyun Cluster, Da Ling Er System, PFS Jaxim Vadimos, Vice Admiral Elgos Lilix, 1400 April 4th 2157:

I watch as the shuttles begin to swarm around the wreckage of the destroyed ships, looking for survivors in the burning wrecks, or at least what's left of them. Antimatter explosions, which is how most warships are destroyed, don't leave much to search, with only some areas of the ship farthest away from the main tanks having any significant chances of survivors. The wreckage closest to the tanks are searched first, as any potential survivors in those areas would have limited time, likely being wounded.

A small bit of my aggravation leaves me as I see another escape pod dock with the Vadimos, almost the entirety of the Vernic's crew managed to escape, with only a handful of heroes remaining on the ship in its final moments. The same can't be said for the RLC-54, as while the captain ordered for non-essential personnel to evacuate some time before the ship's loss, only a pair of pods managed to launch beforehand, saving a few dozen of the ship's hundreds strong crew.

The fate of the fighters brings a bitter taste to my mouth. '29 good soldiers lost and 5 squadrons wiped out like they weren't even an obstacle.' Luckily, the escape mechanisms and suit life support systems allowed most of the pilots to live.

My thoughts are interrupted by one of my officers "Sir, an unknown escape pod has been discovered by one of the shuttles, bringing it up now." The display in front of me begins to show an object similar in design to HIerarchy escape pods, a cylinder with some engines at the rear, but covered in unknown text and drifting in darkness, gashes in the hull seeming to go all the way through, and small amounts of atmosphere still leaking out..

'Looks like we'll get to see who's been shooting at us.' "We'll, no use just waiting, tell the shuttle to crack it open and see who or what's inside."

Xingyun Cluster, Da Ling Er System, Savo Island Escape Pod 2, Lieutenant Junior Hannah Shepard 1410 April 4th 2157:

I slowly eat the small emergency ration through the gas containment mask, trying not to look at or think about the bodies surrounding me by using the small brown thing as a distraction. When the Savo Island was falling apart, the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. This led me to getting aboard one of the ship's six escape pods alongside seven others.

-The corps of 1st Lieutenant Henderson drifts into my peripheral vision. I hear her laughing in the mess hall, some liquid exiting her nose after Ensign Gallo tells her a joke.-

Things seemed to be going well until the pod launched, as it left the ship late enough to be struck by the debris from our own ship, ripping holes in the pod, not only opening the interior to the void, but striking all those within.

-I catch a glimpse of Gunnery Chief Wilkins, his pale, bloodied face a shadow of the radiant smile I saw only a short time ago, and somehow even worse to my eyes than the agonized face I saw while desperately trying to stop the bleeding but a few minutes ago-

Some died immediately -Serviceman Aoki's still face after a shard of hull stuck him in the back of the neck- others died of their wounds -The almost serine face of Junior Lieutenant Fredrics even as blood pours from his mouth-. In the end only I managed to survive this long, unsure whether it will be the thing shoved in my leg or the slowly depleting oxygen supply of the mask that will kill me.

The pod's display begins to beep, showing something approaching the craft, removing me from my near trance. I am further brought to life by the movement of the pod as something attaches to it.

I use what little strength I have to turn towards the pod's hatch, which is being cut open with some form of plasma torch. By the time a hole is cut and a section removed, I am already falling into unconsciousness, reality becoming a slowly fading thing.

I see something in the hole, a human, no, a thing clad in a hardsuit staring into the pod. I see its gaze turn to me, and see it moving towards me right before my mind fully fade into the darkness.

Xingyun Cluster, Interstellar Space, SSV Hamburg, Commander Noah Beek, 1420 April 4th, 2157:

I slowly walk towards the door at the end of the corridor, concerned due to what lays beyond it. Beyond it is the flag quarters and office of Admiral Hawking, who I am to give the damage report for the entire fleet. She wrapped me into doing this task after the battle with the aliens ended, "making myself useful" she called it. It is a job usually done by an Admiral's aid, and it would have been, if an inertial compensator failure hadn't sent the poor 1st Lieutenant into a bulkhead and put him in a coma. So I've spent the last half hour Compiling the reports of each of the captains and each of the flotilla leaders, looking at grim numbers not seen since the Helium War two decades ago.

I finally make it to the door, and press the button next to it. Soon after, the door disappears into the walls and the Admiral is revealed at her desk, a display brightly shining in front of her, yet with her eyes squarely on me "Commander Beek, good, do you have the damage report."

I move swiftly into the room and hand her a tablet with the requested data "Here, ma'am." I almost wince when she looks down at it, already knowing it isn't good. Three of the frigates didn't make it through the battle, with another moderately damaged. The fighters were a bit better, only 13 of the 96 attack craft having been destroyed, though almost two thirds of the rest have at least some laser damage. The cruisers each took varying degrees of damage. The Belfast seems to have come out of the battle unscathed, no fire reaching its hull. The Hamburg wasn't as lucky, several shots having made it though and doing some notable damage, including taking out half the inertial compensators on decks two, three, and four, causing the fate of the Admiral's aid. The Lagos got the worst of it, however, with several critical systems damaged and over a sixth of the crew dead or critically wounded, more than the Belfast, Hamburg, and all the surviving frigates combined. Thinking of the remaining frigates brings back to my mind the three frigates destroyed, their crews lost with all hands, 135 more humans consigned to the void as their final resting places, their bodies destroyed in infernos forged by their own vessels. In total, the battle cost a little over 230 casualties, of which 164 were dead, with another dozen looking to join them before the next day is out. Over 230, out of a total strength of 1,440 personnel, almost a fifth of the fleet dead, dying, or wounded. The only silver lining is that all those who will make it through will make a full, or nearly full, recovery due to the technology available, when about a third of them would have been crippled only two centuries ago.

After over a minute of silence, I ask the Admiral "Ma'am, where are we going now?"

Her gaze turns from the report to me, "What do you know about the planet Bakenoir, Commander?"

I am confused, but I try to drag all I know about the world from my mind "Garden World, relatively nearby in Xingyun, between us and Da Ling San within the Da Ling Liu system." I pause for a moment, more information coming to mind "They're is something off about the life there, and some prothean ruins were found not too long ago."

A small smile seems to come to the Admirals face "Mostly right. There are three significant things you missed. The first is that the planet is currently orbited by a modest Alliance task force which is carrying resources meant to construct a research base on the planet, resources that can be used in the repair of the fleet, and is escorted by a small formation of Corvettes from the Midgard patrol. The second is that it currently holds the largest collection of linguists and archaeologists this side of the Seraph Nebula." The Admiral pauses for a moment "And third, the ruins discovered on Bakenoir are not of prothean origin."

The Admiral continues speaking "The fleet will launch several courier drones to all known ships within the Cluster, instructing them to return to Da Ling San, with the exception of Task Force Quasar, which we will link up with over Bakenoir before leaving to Da Ling San. Commander, as my aid is currently indisposed, and you are separated from your ship, you will be acting as my temporary aid, do you understand, Commander?"

I am silent for a moment, processing all the things that have just been told to me, before I give a determined "Yes ma'am."

"Good." She says "We have a lot of work to do."

Cyclops Delta, Eurylochus System, Communications Relay Eurylochus-HM02-2644, Infiltrator Unit 003-2511-117, 1435 April 4th 2157:

[2657.04.04.14.35.17.6311]

-Relay 305 activation, beginning mass estimation-

[2657.04.04.14.35.17.6411]

-Mass is 1.25 to 9.25 tons-

[2657.04.04.14.35.27.3941]

-Relay transversal complete-

-Vessel is Type 2622 Hierarchy Naval Courier Drone-

[2657.04.04.14.35.30.1122]

-Transmission received: Priority Level Alpha-

-Beginning Transmission to Primarch Versarius-

-Beginning transmission to Hierarchy Regional Command-

-Beginning Transmission to Hierarchy Central Command-

-Beginning transmission to Primarch Fedorian-

[2657.04.04.14.36.01.5163]

-All transmissions complete-

[2657.04.04.14.45.03.1391]

-Beginning transmission to Geth infiltration vessel 012-2609-023-

[2657.04.04.14.46.12.1391]

-Transmission complete-

I am sorry about the lateness and the low quality of this chapter, life has gotten in the way of my writing. Shepherd is alive, she is simply unconscious. She has a similar mask on as what Joker wears during the opening scene of ME2. To make up for the chapter's lateness, I have put a reference into the chapter. First person to find it gets an imaginary cookie and my praise.