Post by Xavier Cross on Mar 23, 2019 7:25:40 GMT
Milky Way/Omega Nebula/Amada System
V.I. Voice: “Stealth Systems Engaged. Exiting relay now…”
Looking up, Xavier felt the stun loosening it’s the grip on Warren, as the two stand up, readying themselves for exit from the relay. The two don’t waste time putting any distance in between each other.
Commander Rowan: “EVASIVE MANEUVERS! HOLD TIGHT!”
Xavier quickly turns, grabbing onto the chair he was just locked into, as the ship immediately rotates. The gravity measures kept people and items from flying around, but the sudden jerking was enough to send people staggering. The port side windows opened up immediately, Xavier could clearly see a symbol on a passing ship entering the relay, before it disappeared into FTL travel.
Xavier Cross: “Cerberus…”
Commander Rowan: “What the hell are those terrorists doing here…”
Xavier turns, hearing Rowan speak to herself as she stands at the galaxy map, running through the display. She had noticed it before the pilot as soon as they had come out of FTL travel. A Cerberus ship, hailing no codes was about to enter. It seems outside of the Alliance rescue efforts to get Shepard’s crew out, Cerberus, an organization purely focused on Human interest, or a terrorist group as the majority of the galaxy saw them, had gotten here first.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Commander, I’m picking up a strange energy signature…”
The Commander turns, Xavier’s attention moves to the Quarian.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Well, we expected to see Alliance signatures, and at first I thought it was the Cerberus ship we were playing chicken with...but this, the reports indicated this was a Geth attack on the Normandy...but this, this signature is nothing that matches anything we have on file…”
Commander Rowan: “Then what the hell…”
Xavier Cross: “What about that massive geth vessel that almost destroyed the Citadel?”
Rowan turns, glancing at Xavier, as she nods to Maxine who punches in some data into the console in front of her.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “It’s...close…I think we’re dealing with some kind of super weapon, I think that’s what took down Commander Shepard’s ship…”
Commander Rowan: “Good call…”
Xavier blushes a bit, it was the first bit of positive reinforcement since he got here. Rowan pulls her Omni-Tool as her voice echoes through the ship’s public announce system.
Commander Rowan: “Attention Cannae, we are now on red alert. Man all stations, we are treating this as a hostile environment.”
She turns to Xavier.
Commander Rowan: “Cross, I want to you to get on the horn with the Alliance, let them know Cerberus beat us to the site. Maxine, I want you to send probes out, and see if we can get a hit on this mysterious signatures. I don’t plan on chasing Shepard’s ghost out here…”
Xavier and Maxine nod, as they take posts. Xavier finds an open terminal, using it for the time being as he begins to punch up a report.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “What made you think of the Geth ship from the Citadel?”
Xavier looks a bit shocked, as he looks up from the terminal, realizing she was genuinely interested.
Xavier Cross: “Well...I mean, I’ve met Shepard a few times, and I’ve heard stories about how he handled the Geth and what not...so I figured, if something was to take out the Normandy, then it had to be something dangerous...and in my entire career I’ve never seen anything like that Geth ship that attacked the Citadel.”
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Then you’ve heard the rumors that it wasn’t actually a Geth ship right?”
Xavier nods
Xavier Cross: “Supposedly some kind of super race...called...Reapers I think? Honestly, I thought it was some kind of propaganda that the Alliance had come up with. Get your spectre into power, and then make him the only one with information on this galaxy-ending threat...It sounds too good to be true.”
The Quarian turns to Xavier, sighing a bit almost as though she was disappointed in his response.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Imagine it though...a galaxy-ending threat, undiscovered technology, and abilities...a new enemy. You’re so skeptical it’s borderline boring! I expect a little more out of you Xavvie…”
She turns, ignoring him now, as she sets up the data for the probes.
Xavier Cross: “Xavvie…”
He rubs his temples, realizing if he spent too much time with these people, even he might forget his name. Cross begins to copy the data Maxine was able to gather, sending it in a report as he flags the Alliance. The screen lights up at the galaxy map, as Commander Rowan answers the hail.
Council Anderson: “Commander MacDonnough.”
Commander Rowan: “Sir...We were trying to hail the Alliance, I didn’t expect to get the human representative…”
Council Anderson: “Cut the crap Commander. The report Lt. Commander Cross sent came across my desk.”
Xavier was a bit shocked, that was fast.
Council Anderson: “This...is disturbing, I don’t like when Cerberus gets involved with things. We’re going to send feelers out on our end and see if we can’t find out what they were doing there. But that energy signature…”
Xavier’s terminal lights up, the mysterious signature hit something in the alliance database.
Xavier Cross: “...Uh...Commander…”
Rowan turns her head a bit.
Xavier Cross: “...I think we might have a problem…”
Council Anderson: “That energy signature your team has reported matches a strange signal that has been coming from the Omega 4 Relay…”
Xavier looks up, white-faced. Anderson knew what he was about to say. The Omega 4 Relay was a noted suicide run for any space vessel, no craft ever came back from that Mass Effect Relay.
Commander Rowan: “What exactly are you getting at Anderson…”
Council Anderson: “Whatever took out the Normandy, we have to treat as a threat level of the highest caliber. Right now, your team is the best equipped to handle this…”
There is a murmur from his background.
Council Anderson: “Open the private channel in your briefing area, and we will discuss this in length.”
Rowan hits the private channel on the galaxy map, as she turns heading to the briefing room.
Commander Rowan: “Dean, you’re in charge. Get us to the coordinates of the Normandy’s wreckage. If you get a feeling something isn’t right, you get us the hell out of here..”
Dean hurries back onto the bridge, saluting the Commander.
Dean Harper: “I think you might have a hairy time with the Council, Commander.”
A coy smile plays on his lips, as Rowan sighs in annoyance.
Commander Rowan: “Just another headache I suppose…”
Dean nods, hurrying past her.
Dean Harper: “Making yourself useful sweetheart?”
Xavier nods, before shaking his head.
Xavier Cross: “Would you stop calling me that!”
Flustered, he blushed.
Dean Harper: “Once you stop enjoying it so much. And how about my favorite Quarian?”
Maxine turns in her chair, despite her mask, you can practically feel the happiness she was throwing out when she saw Dean.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Yes! We found a strange signature, and now I’m sending Felix, Andros, and Serpentine out!”
Xavier Cross: “Wha?”
Dean Harper: “She named our probes...Maxine names everything. She’s really the sweetest thing.”
Dean pats her little Quarian head, well the top of her helmet. As she giggles in excitement, seemingly more motivated as she turns, hitting a button.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Now go my pets! Find some useful data!”
Dean makes his way up the steps to the Galaxy Map, looking at the coordinates.
Dean Harper: “How bad you think it’s gonna be?”
The Drell Harper looks over at Xavier who shakes his head.
Xavier Cross: “Honestly, the Normandy had a top-notch crew, and was one of the best ships we had...The Commander is smart to take the precautions...The stealth drive is fantastic, and the systems are incredible...but I feel like we’re just walking around without a weapon…”
Dean Harper: “I read in your file you helped designed some of the Alliance ships."
Xavier Cross: “More of a passion when I was in Academy…”
Dean Harper: “You’ll have to look over the schematics one day, and see what we can do to get ourselves a big gun.”
Xavier Cross: “Walk softly, but carry a big stick…”
Brooklyn Madrox: “Theodore Roosevelt.”
Xavier nearly leaps out of his skin, getting a chuckle from Dean.
Xavier Cross: “Fuck, I thought I was dead.”
Brooklyn Madrox: “You would have been, had I had ill intent..”
Xavier groans, glancing up at the Asari Huntress.
Xavier Cross: “Wait, why do you know human history?”
Brooklyn Madrox: “It…”
Dean Harper: “A passion of our lovely Commander.”
Brooklyn blushes a bit, as Xavier smiles softly.
Brooklyn Madrox: “What is the status, Dean?”
Dean Harper: “We’re about to find out...bringing up the video feed now…”
The screen lights up on the bridge, showing what’s going on around them. The gravesite of the Normandy, twisted and broken metal floated lifelessly through space, a once noble vessel, now nothing but scrap.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “I’ll have Andros salvage anything worthwhile…”
Xavier Cross: “I...I’ve never seen anything like this…”
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “The signature is off the charts here…”
Dean Harper: “Mark it as far as you can, if we can get a trail…”
Brooklyn Madrox: “Harper...is that what I think it is…”
Dean glances at the map, as Brooklyn joins him, pointing at something on the video feed.
Dean Harper: “...Geth…”
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Picking up something interesting, it seems there are energy signatures coming off an ice planet nearby...The alliance could be whatever was left of the Normandy fell into its orbit.”
Dean Harper: “Mark it, we aren’t ready to engage a Geth fleet that size...Let’s fall back for now….”
Brooklyn Madrox: “Of course...we’ll leave them a surprise…”
Harper laughs slightly, glancing over at Maxine.
Dean Harper: “How are those EMP mines you’ve been working on Maxine?”
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “...They need more testing…”
Dean Harper: “Here’s a field test, recall the drones, and as we slip out, I want you to release a few of them. Give the Geth ‘thanks for having us present.’
Maxine squeals in excitement.
Dean Harper: “Reverse thrusters...Get us back to the Relay, I reckon Caleb’s trial is going to come sooner rather than later…”
Xavier Cross: “Don’t we have more important things to do though?”
Dean shakes his head.
Dean Harper: “The crew is the most important thing Sweetheart…”
Brooklyn Harper: “And when the Commander finds out we had to retreat from a fight, she’ll want to get some...exercise…”
Xavier shrugs his shoulders
Xavier Cross: “Works for me, I haven’t gotten to shoot enough things lately.”
The Cannae begins to reverse thruster, as the probes return home. A sidebar opens on the port side of the Cannae, as what one could confuse for old school human oceanic mines, floated off into space. Maxine squeals in excitement as the Cannae returns the way it came, a series of explosions pop up on a screen from behind.
Dean Harper: “They got our gift loud and clear, let’s get out of here...Set coordinates for Tuchanka…”
And with that, Alpha Team 219 were onto the next chapter.
V.I. Voice: “Stealth Systems Engaged. Exiting relay now…”
Looking up, Xavier felt the stun loosening it’s the grip on Warren, as the two stand up, readying themselves for exit from the relay. The two don’t waste time putting any distance in between each other.
Commander Rowan: “EVASIVE MANEUVERS! HOLD TIGHT!”
Xavier quickly turns, grabbing onto the chair he was just locked into, as the ship immediately rotates. The gravity measures kept people and items from flying around, but the sudden jerking was enough to send people staggering. The port side windows opened up immediately, Xavier could clearly see a symbol on a passing ship entering the relay, before it disappeared into FTL travel.
Xavier Cross: “Cerberus…”
Commander Rowan: “What the hell are those terrorists doing here…”
Xavier turns, hearing Rowan speak to herself as she stands at the galaxy map, running through the display. She had noticed it before the pilot as soon as they had come out of FTL travel. A Cerberus ship, hailing no codes was about to enter. It seems outside of the Alliance rescue efforts to get Shepard’s crew out, Cerberus, an organization purely focused on Human interest, or a terrorist group as the majority of the galaxy saw them, had gotten here first.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Commander, I’m picking up a strange energy signature…”
The Commander turns, Xavier’s attention moves to the Quarian.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Well, we expected to see Alliance signatures, and at first I thought it was the Cerberus ship we were playing chicken with...but this, the reports indicated this was a Geth attack on the Normandy...but this, this signature is nothing that matches anything we have on file…”
Commander Rowan: “Then what the hell…”
Xavier Cross: “What about that massive geth vessel that almost destroyed the Citadel?”
Rowan turns, glancing at Xavier, as she nods to Maxine who punches in some data into the console in front of her.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “It’s...close…I think we’re dealing with some kind of super weapon, I think that’s what took down Commander Shepard’s ship…”
Commander Rowan: “Good call…”
Xavier blushes a bit, it was the first bit of positive reinforcement since he got here. Rowan pulls her Omni-Tool as her voice echoes through the ship’s public announce system.
Commander Rowan: “Attention Cannae, we are now on red alert. Man all stations, we are treating this as a hostile environment.”
She turns to Xavier.
Commander Rowan: “Cross, I want to you to get on the horn with the Alliance, let them know Cerberus beat us to the site. Maxine, I want you to send probes out, and see if we can get a hit on this mysterious signatures. I don’t plan on chasing Shepard’s ghost out here…”
Xavier and Maxine nod, as they take posts. Xavier finds an open terminal, using it for the time being as he begins to punch up a report.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “What made you think of the Geth ship from the Citadel?”
Xavier looks a bit shocked, as he looks up from the terminal, realizing she was genuinely interested.
Xavier Cross: “Well...I mean, I’ve met Shepard a few times, and I’ve heard stories about how he handled the Geth and what not...so I figured, if something was to take out the Normandy, then it had to be something dangerous...and in my entire career I’ve never seen anything like that Geth ship that attacked the Citadel.”
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Then you’ve heard the rumors that it wasn’t actually a Geth ship right?”
Xavier nods
Xavier Cross: “Supposedly some kind of super race...called...Reapers I think? Honestly, I thought it was some kind of propaganda that the Alliance had come up with. Get your spectre into power, and then make him the only one with information on this galaxy-ending threat...It sounds too good to be true.”
The Quarian turns to Xavier, sighing a bit almost as though she was disappointed in his response.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Imagine it though...a galaxy-ending threat, undiscovered technology, and abilities...a new enemy. You’re so skeptical it’s borderline boring! I expect a little more out of you Xavvie…”
She turns, ignoring him now, as she sets up the data for the probes.
Xavier Cross: “Xavvie…”
He rubs his temples, realizing if he spent too much time with these people, even he might forget his name. Cross begins to copy the data Maxine was able to gather, sending it in a report as he flags the Alliance. The screen lights up at the galaxy map, as Commander Rowan answers the hail.
Council Anderson: “Commander MacDonnough.”
Commander Rowan: “Sir...We were trying to hail the Alliance, I didn’t expect to get the human representative…”
Council Anderson: “Cut the crap Commander. The report Lt. Commander Cross sent came across my desk.”
Xavier was a bit shocked, that was fast.
Council Anderson: “This...is disturbing, I don’t like when Cerberus gets involved with things. We’re going to send feelers out on our end and see if we can’t find out what they were doing there. But that energy signature…”
Xavier’s terminal lights up, the mysterious signature hit something in the alliance database.
Xavier Cross: “...Uh...Commander…”
Rowan turns her head a bit.
Xavier Cross: “...I think we might have a problem…”
Council Anderson: “That energy signature your team has reported matches a strange signal that has been coming from the Omega 4 Relay…”
Xavier looks up, white-faced. Anderson knew what he was about to say. The Omega 4 Relay was a noted suicide run for any space vessel, no craft ever came back from that Mass Effect Relay.
Commander Rowan: “What exactly are you getting at Anderson…”
Council Anderson: “Whatever took out the Normandy, we have to treat as a threat level of the highest caliber. Right now, your team is the best equipped to handle this…”
There is a murmur from his background.
Council Anderson: “Open the private channel in your briefing area, and we will discuss this in length.”
Rowan hits the private channel on the galaxy map, as she turns heading to the briefing room.
Commander Rowan: “Dean, you’re in charge. Get us to the coordinates of the Normandy’s wreckage. If you get a feeling something isn’t right, you get us the hell out of here..”
Dean hurries back onto the bridge, saluting the Commander.
Dean Harper: “I think you might have a hairy time with the Council, Commander.”
A coy smile plays on his lips, as Rowan sighs in annoyance.
Commander Rowan: “Just another headache I suppose…”
Dean nods, hurrying past her.
Dean Harper: “Making yourself useful sweetheart?”
Xavier nods, before shaking his head.
Xavier Cross: “Would you stop calling me that!”
Flustered, he blushed.
Dean Harper: “Once you stop enjoying it so much. And how about my favorite Quarian?”
Maxine turns in her chair, despite her mask, you can practically feel the happiness she was throwing out when she saw Dean.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Yes! We found a strange signature, and now I’m sending Felix, Andros, and Serpentine out!”
Xavier Cross: “Wha?”
Dean Harper: “She named our probes...Maxine names everything. She’s really the sweetest thing.”
Dean pats her little Quarian head, well the top of her helmet. As she giggles in excitement, seemingly more motivated as she turns, hitting a button.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Now go my pets! Find some useful data!”
Dean makes his way up the steps to the Galaxy Map, looking at the coordinates.
Dean Harper: “How bad you think it’s gonna be?”
The Drell Harper looks over at Xavier who shakes his head.
Xavier Cross: “Honestly, the Normandy had a top-notch crew, and was one of the best ships we had...The Commander is smart to take the precautions...The stealth drive is fantastic, and the systems are incredible...but I feel like we’re just walking around without a weapon…”
Dean Harper: “I read in your file you helped designed some of the Alliance ships."
Xavier Cross: “More of a passion when I was in Academy…”
Dean Harper: “You’ll have to look over the schematics one day, and see what we can do to get ourselves a big gun.”
Xavier Cross: “Walk softly, but carry a big stick…”
Brooklyn Madrox: “Theodore Roosevelt.”
Xavier nearly leaps out of his skin, getting a chuckle from Dean.
Xavier Cross: “Fuck, I thought I was dead.”
Brooklyn Madrox: “You would have been, had I had ill intent..”
Xavier groans, glancing up at the Asari Huntress.
Xavier Cross: “Wait, why do you know human history?”
Brooklyn Madrox: “It…”
Dean Harper: “A passion of our lovely Commander.”
Brooklyn blushes a bit, as Xavier smiles softly.
Brooklyn Madrox: “What is the status, Dean?”
Dean Harper: “We’re about to find out...bringing up the video feed now…”
The screen lights up on the bridge, showing what’s going on around them. The gravesite of the Normandy, twisted and broken metal floated lifelessly through space, a once noble vessel, now nothing but scrap.
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “I’ll have Andros salvage anything worthwhile…”
Xavier Cross: “I...I’ve never seen anything like this…”
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “The signature is off the charts here…”
Dean Harper: “Mark it as far as you can, if we can get a trail…”
Brooklyn Madrox: “Harper...is that what I think it is…”
Dean glances at the map, as Brooklyn joins him, pointing at something on the video feed.
Dean Harper: “...Geth…”
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “Picking up something interesting, it seems there are energy signatures coming off an ice planet nearby...The alliance could be whatever was left of the Normandy fell into its orbit.”
Dean Harper: “Mark it, we aren’t ready to engage a Geth fleet that size...Let’s fall back for now….”
Brooklyn Madrox: “Of course...we’ll leave them a surprise…”
Harper laughs slightly, glancing over at Maxine.
Dean Harper: “How are those EMP mines you’ve been working on Maxine?”
Maxine Valentine vas Cannae: “...They need more testing…”
Dean Harper: “Here’s a field test, recall the drones, and as we slip out, I want you to release a few of them. Give the Geth ‘thanks for having us present.’
Maxine squeals in excitement.
Dean Harper: “Reverse thrusters...Get us back to the Relay, I reckon Caleb’s trial is going to come sooner rather than later…”
Xavier Cross: “Don’t we have more important things to do though?”
Dean shakes his head.
Dean Harper: “The crew is the most important thing Sweetheart…”
Brooklyn Harper: “And when the Commander finds out we had to retreat from a fight, she’ll want to get some...exercise…”
Xavier shrugs his shoulders
Xavier Cross: “Works for me, I haven’t gotten to shoot enough things lately.”
The Cannae begins to reverse thruster, as the probes return home. A sidebar opens on the port side of the Cannae, as what one could confuse for old school human oceanic mines, floated off into space. Maxine squeals in excitement as the Cannae returns the way it came, a series of explosions pop up on a screen from behind.
Dean Harper: “They got our gift loud and clear, let’s get out of here...Set coordinates for Tuchanka…”
And with that, Alpha Team 219 were onto the next chapter.