The air crackled with static electricity as Fluttershy materialised on the Quarian vessel and took in her environment. One thing was immediately clear to her: They hadn't landed in the intended landing spot. A quick view of the map that had been created from the scans showed they were further back from the control center than anticipated.
"Two, three, confirm teleport," Fluttershy asked as she looked around the chamber she found herself in, finding a stunned quarian not too far away from her.
"Two has landed on target! We are securing the core chamber!" the gruff voice of the griffon could be heard with gunfire in the background as they seemed to have hit resistance immediately.
"Three ... off target, ..... scattered ..... will gather and .... when possible!" Lieutenant Starshine's transmission was extremely broken up but Fluttershy had heard enough for now. They batpony would have to fight her own war for now.
"Are we complete?" Shy asked a nearby sergeant who had instructed her team to hold the quarian Fluttershy had seen in custody while they got their bearings.
"I'm missing some ponies in my squad, I know the same is true for Charlie squad," the mare reported. "As far as I can see we reached our minforce though."
"Then we move. We can't let the quarians dig in," Fluttershy said as she received a path over two axis that would take her and her force to the quarian CIC. The ponies organised and sent two squads to take point on either path, followed by another squad and teams of medics behind that. The chosen path had plenty of ways between the squads so they could support one another mutually.
They left a few of the surprised quarians they met with tied wrists in the hallways behind them, even if those got free again it would give them time to advance. They had such little amounts of resistance that they got right up to the command centre when they met their first opposition. The earthpony in the lead was yanked back by the unicorn behind him as his shield popped immediately from the barrage of fire as he stepped around the corner.
"Contact!" somepony roared as another peaked around the corner to fire bursts at the quarian defenders before popping back into cover. Another unicorn primed a grenade and tossed it around the corner, the team stacking up to push the moment it detonated.
Boom!
The six ponies pushed into the hallway, more bursts of fire coming from the ponies rifles as they downed the defending party.
"Push up!" Fluttershy ordered, being right behind the front line of ponies. When they reached the defensive positions the squad wasted no time disarming the downed quarians after which the medics checked up on them.
Three killed, five wounded. Fluttershy noted, gritting her teeth, her blood boiling at the utter waste of life they were forced to perform due to the quarian commander's stubbornness.
"They sealed the doors into the command centre," one of the sergeants reported after his team checked out the shut door.
"Can we breach it?" Fluttershy asked as her teams fanned out in the corridor, preparing to hold the position as they dealt with the shut door.
"I already have one of mine working on slow-burning charges, but that'll take a minute to get through the door," The sergeant explained as a pony passed them and attached a line of packages to the sealed door. At the same time, fire came from their rear as a force of quarian internal ship security hit them in the rear. Fluttershy cursed and deployed her rifle.
"Keep me informed sergeant!" She called out before charging to the blocking position that was being engaged. Her crosshairs fell on a quarian the moment she poked around the corner but, even though she definitely could kill the quarian, she didn't. Fluttershy's slugs were specifically designed to pierce shielding, and unlike krogans, quarians were very vulnerable. She adjusted her shot and hit her rifle arm instead, the quarian dropping the rifle and screaming in pain as she fell to the deck.
Five killed, Twelve wounded. Fluttershy continued her count as a slumped earthpony was dragged back, the quarians were doing the same for their own.
"Two here, we have the mass effect core secure!" the voice of Grimfeather came in over the comms. "I've got two KIA and seven wounded here but we hold the strong points now."
"Understood, two. Do you have an update on three? My connection to her was bad," Fluttershy asked as she retreated from their holding position back to the door.
"Steadily advancing, not established on their objective yet," the griffon officer responded curtly.
"Understood, keep me posted if that changes. Out," Fluttershy responded in turn before approaching the sergeant that had his team working on the door. "How long?"
"Almost there, we just need to blow it inwards," he reported as the door had glowing lines on it in the form of a portal.
"I'll take care of that. Get into position to breach." Fluttershy spread her wings and engulfed them in her blue biotic aura, charging herself up to throw her full might against the compromised door. "Ready... NOW!"
A blue wave hit the door and bent it open, revealing the quarian command center. Two unicorns levitated flashbangs into the gap the moment it opened, the squad charging in as they blew up. Fluttershy charged in right after then, using a biotic shove in every direction to unbalance everyone.
"CEASE YOUR FIRE AND SURRENDER!" Fluttershy shouted before she locked eyes with the quarian captain and held her rifle at the ready "Give in captain."
“And what then? I can be replaced, pony, you have changed nothing,” he glanced over to one of his ensigns, but the quarian just looked at her screen baffled.
“S-Sir, there's something in here!”
Fluttershy's eyes narrowed as a hum filled the CIC, the quarian ensign in question being pulled away from her console by a unicorn.
“I don't appreciate your attempt to scuttle your vessel, captain.” holographic displays lit up, showing fidelis standing in a storm of code as he took command of all systems. “Cease your fleet's hostility now, or I will make you do so.”
The quarian captain stood frozen for a fraction of a second as Fidelis stared him down, he looked back down to Fluttershy.
“Has nothing been learned about our folly with AI?” he growled. “You only show that you are a greater threat.”
“Fidelis has been nothing but loyal to our cause,” Fluttershy hissed back, defending the artificial construct. “And perhaps if you gave the geth a chance they could too.”
“You're delusional.”
“And you're out of time.”
Fidelis' holograms changed that to of a display of the quarian fleet. Icons starting to change from grey to red and green as calls of alarm came flooding in over the comms from various quarian vessels.
“What did you do?!” The captain called out, a few extra rifles being pointed in his direction as to stop him from doing anything rash.
“I have control of thirty-five percent of the quarian fleet, I project the ability to gain control of fourty-one percent before they lock down their internal battle net.”
“No..."
“STAY WHERE YOU ARE,” one of the equestrian boarders roared as the quarian captain moved forwards towards Fluttershy. He completely ignored the command.
“Without that battle net the geth will tear us and you apart, pony. You cannot do this!”
Fidelis' hologram popped back into place.
“We have a new contact, approaching fast.”
A sensor feed was displayed.
Oh no...
“The geth's formation is opening up to allow it to enter,” another quarian ensign, who was still monitoring his station reported.
The bridge remained quiet as they watched the Reaper come closer to the formation with blistering speed.
Legion... No...
“Captain, we do not have time to argue anymore. Cease your fire on our planet and we'll join forces to combat the reaper.”
“There are planetary cannons deployed by the geth that need to be suppressed, we cannot win if we cease fire,” The quarian captain answered, the two all business with the highly dynamic and evolving situation. “If you want us to stop firing, destroy those cannons.”
“Show me where and get me the Vindica on comm,” Fluttershy replied, first getting the hologram of the planet with marked locations and then a hologram of Luna.
“Speak.” Luna looked distracted which she likely was as her mental load must have increased exponentially with the arrival of the reaper.
“The quarians need ground cannons to be destroyed to stop firing on the planet. They will be destroyed if those are not dealt with. Sending coordinates.”
Luna looked down almost imperceivably little. I“ see.” The princess looked to someone out of view. “Adjust course, skim the upper atmosphere above the dragon lands.” she focussed on the quarian captain. “We will mutually cease aggression to one another, I shall have the ground cannons dealt with, and then we shall combat the reaper. I care not for your war, but if the geth have sided with the reapers then they have turned into a threat to us too.”
“Until you take those defences they will need to be suppressed.”
“I shall managed those fire missions,” Fidelis spoke up, only for the quarian captain to scoff.
“Absolutely not. We-”
“You do not have a choice, we own your battle net.” Luna stated.
“to the contrary, you said it yourself, if we lose your own kind is at risk,” The captain shot at her.
“I suspect the same is true for you if this force hits the migrant fleet proper.” Luna shot back. “I'm guessing they are currently at Rannoch and you are their rear guard.”
The quarian captain growled. “Your AI will purge itself from our systems after this is done.”
“Yes. I do not like to be this spread in the first place.” Fidelis answered.
“Then it's done,” the captain reluctantly stated. The assault force slowly lowered their weapons, in turn, to allow the quarians back onto their stations. In turn, the captain opened the intercom. “Cease hostility against the equine boarders, we have reached an agreement. I repeat, cease hostility.”
“One, Two, confirm cease-fire?”
“Two, three, we've come to an agreement with the quarians, cease hostility,” Fluttershy confirmed and looked up at the hologram of Luna. "What do you need us to do?"
"I have already ordered Grimfeather to gather our wounded and dead. I want you to, gather a small group of ponies from your force and be ready to be transported down to the surface. Find and rally a force to take on the artillery sites."
Fluttershy nodded as she looked at three ponies who'd already stepped forward to volunteer. "We'll get it done."
"See to it. Transporter active."
The air crackled and the world turned to black.