The reopened Frontier

Neeha's thoughts were broken when she heard Roran. Snapping back to reality she jumped to her feet and ran towards the stern. As she carefully but quickly navigated the damaged unlighted corridors, she couldn't help but have flash backs to both wars. Her flash backs came at her so vividly that well still able to navigate and interact with the real world, she saw everything as if she was back with the flotilla. Once at engineering she started trying to get the emergence backups on line. From there she could try and jump start the main core, which thou damaged looked like it had just shutdown and was salvageable. Unfortunately the backups were out of juice, so she hooked up every power cell from her suit and pack she could, and using her suit as a bypass started the system.

Through out the ship control panels and lights started turning on. It was about this time Blake and his crew arrived at the doors to the bridge. Since the system just rebooted the door seal also reset granting the group access to the bridge. Once on the bridge the group sees a some what working holo projection in the middle of the room. Just past it is the captain's chair and the pilot chairs (pilot and co-pilot). Upon further investigation, the group finds the ten year old remains of the bridge crew. The COD differs from crewmen to crewmen, some shot others natural causes. The last ones to go were the captain who died in his chair, the pilot also at his station, and a crewmen near the engineering station. One the captains console is an audio message, "To who ever finds this, I just wanted to leave a log about this fine ship and her great crew. It has been almost five years since we fought off Cerberus. Our ship is falling apart and I cant raise anyone on any channel. Most of my crew is dead dying, or have gone crazy, so I ordered my bridge crew to bring what little supplies we have left to the bridge and lock it down. I hoped by doing so we stood a better chance of saving the ship. But as our fifth years draws to an end I wonder if the reapers have won and we are the last... left here to die... alone in the silence of space. I want to note that thou the galaxy sees us as the lawless, this crew served with honor and I was proud to have served with them. Sadly in order to maintain control I have had to execute several of my staff and others... others have chosen the easy way out, and I have also had to seal off and power down several areas. Not all of them were empty... I have ordered my chief engineer to have the core shut down once we are gone. With the last bit of power we will send out one last distress call. Bray if you get this tell Aria we died well." Just before the message cuts out the captain is heard saying "Now" away from his console followed shotly there after by two quick gun shot, the a third one a few seconds later. An other look at the three and the story is clear, the engineer shut down the core the he along with the pilot we shot just before the captain killed himself.

Blake's mind had been rushing through his discover, and worries about the Commander, until he found that recording. "What the fuck....what can we.....this is....horrible. Okay, Blake. Focus on what you can change. Okay, what do we need? What are the issues we have right now?"

Meanwhile, Gemli was getting a little hot blooded. "THe kid is right, we need to get out of here as soon as possible. Val, what are our options?"

Suddenly, Blake looked back at his omitool. "We find wherever these coordinates lead. I never got to tell the Commander this, but one of the words mentioned in the part of the Blackfile I decoded was a mention to a dreadnaught being created. Something tells me we could use a new ship, anyways".

"Bigger guns sound fun" Gemli mentioned with a smile.

Val was taken back by the message but managed to pull herself back when she heard Blake speak up. "Kid calm down, we're going to be ok. The captain did what he had to do. Now get on that control panel and tell me what we got. Can the ship move and what systems do we have. Krogan check the weapons systems then guard the door. We don't need anyone getting us in the back." She commanded as her training kicked in. Carefully she removed the captain from the chair laying him on the ground face up. Seating in the command chair she started to try and gain control, which to her surprise was rather easy, the captain never locked the system out.



As the Doc and her team approached their shuttle the pilot calls out to them, "Hey some things up. The ship is coming back online. Life signs have moved to the bridge and engineering. Scans read that the engine room is unstable and any one in there is at high risk, recommend you move there immediately. Also been trying to reach you looks like when who ever started the core started a disruption field limits coms. Got a one way message from the rest of the fleet." The pilot plays the message he recorded. "Captain we just lost the Salarian ship. We also cant raise anyone who landed on the unknown ship." "Sir the enemy, their launching an other wave." "All ships that can have moved off and are heading toward the relay. We still have the two York class and one Turian cruiser that were unable to leave. The Turian ship has minimal power at best." Orders Sir" Captain Theryrus in a very angry determined voice, "FOR THE HOMEWORLDS!!" Then the comms go dead. A look at the scanners reveals a massive fight between the Bailey, her few sister ships and large wave of fighters and bombers. The shuttle pilot, "Ma'am I cant raise anyone any were, and I don't know were to go or what to do."

"Neeha, Wait!" Roran said as he chased after her. Although he was a Quarian Marine, he was kinda outa shape. Half way down the hall of twist and turns, he started to slow to a halt. "Nee....Neeha! Wai-Wait up!" he shouted as he halted and placed his hands on his knee's. "Damn, i shouldnt have spent all that time on Ichar...."

Roran stood back up and started running to the engine room, fueled by the thought of Neeha being endangered. He arrived at the door, that was glowing blue, a sign of instability. He stepped in side and shaded his suit visor. He saw Neeha and her power cord hooked up to her suit. "Neeha! What are you doing!" He shouted as he took a step forward but slowly, the Element Zero core was increasing the Gravity levels on the ship.

As Blake and Gemli moved into position the ship scanners along with the shuttles pick up a corvette class starship ship on intercept course. As it gets near a call is heard on all channels, "To anyone on board the unidentified frigate, this is the scavenger ship Crow. Heave to and prepare to be boarded. We mean you know harm. If anyone is still alive please respond. Again if anyone is still alive please respond." "Sir still no answer" "Very well, lets board. I will take the security team and head for the Bridge, I want a medical team to search the med bays, and scavengers to spread out, start with hangers and engineering. I also want a receiving team to hold the ship, no turrets this time but keep your suits on and sealed. Techs standby with barriers. Ok hock on." The ship attaches to the same hatch the Salarians were hooked to.

Val turns to Blake, "Get to the pilots seat. Gemli stand near the door, but hold till I say so. Lets make it seem like we have control of the ship."

Just as everyone got into place, the door to the Bridge opened. In came three men, the first man entered from the right and crossed to the left side of the door. Well the second came from the left and crossed right both scanning the room with their guns. The third man came from the right going up the middle, as all three moved in a few feet one of the flankers spotted Gemli right away, "CONTACT KROGAN!" The man who moved up the middle spotted Val but not Blake whose chair sat lower then hers. Val spun her chair around as the man yelled, "CONTACT FRONT ASARI!" The group could see that their new "guest" were all human wearing Terminus Assault Armor and caring M-96 Mattocks. The flanking not facing Gemli flanks around his side to the front of the bridge to finish clearing the room, and spots Blake. "CONTACT HUMAN... KID!?" Just then a fourth man enters caring a N7 Typhoon, "No one do anything stupid, we are not here to hurt you. I am Captain Adham Sabatello of the..." He is interrupted by a beep from his omi-tool. He quickly takes a look and then fixes his eyes on Blake. "This cant be right. Techs verify. Copy. Sorry about that. MEN LOWER YOU WEAPONS! I am Captain Adham Sabatello of the SSV Crow, ASPD repair and recovery ship. One moment please. All teams this is now call sign SSV, medical teams do what you can all teams prepare for tow back to base." He turns to the three men, "OK LT you and your team stay here and protect the package till we're home then rejoin us. The rest of us will do a sweep and get out." With that the captain leaves and the three men post just outside the door.

A few moments later the medical team arrives at the shuttle and with an override opens the shuttle doors. Seeing the injured the team gets to work with Dr. Aves help. Jacoopi should still get to a med bay or hospital but will be fine same with Kearan. As soon as the team gets done with everything they can do, they pack up and leave.

At the same time an engineering team arrives near main engineering. But with one scan, they decide that whom ever is already inside can handle it and leave not wanting to risk more lives.

After the captain is done with his sweep, he re-boards his ship along with they team he had guarding it and the other two teams. Once on board he unhooks and moves to the bow were he hooks a tow cables to the frigate. They slowly and carefully tow the ship to a large asteroid. They unhook the cables and let the frigate drift towards the asteroid, but instead of crashing they pass through a shield and are greeted by unmanned drones that guide the ship to its dock. Once there the automated docking system kicks in and a tube is extended well the drones examine the ships hull.

The Stations Drones did more then guide the ship, but they opened all airlock doors that were connected to station docks, as well as turning on all the lights, as if its some sort of greeting. Further more, one of the drones came to them, and in a female voice, started talking to them. The station itself seemed old, yet strangely highly active. On

"Welcome to Shipcove Station. Please wait as you are scanned" it told them, before scanning anyone at the airlock, including Blake and Gemli. "Access Granted. Please be advised, a dangerous krogan is onboard. Please ensure there is no threat to station".

"Racist program" Gemli muttered.

"Please enter. Would the holder of the Blackfile please report to the control room for decoding and to reactive station operations" the voice told them. "Would the commanding officer please ensure the Krogan is properly restrained as well, and that any military personell would ensure all prisoners are accounted for in the Prisoner Containment Area and that no volitile components are at risk in the labs. Please do not enter sector D of the station without access from the Command Room, or the defenses of the station will be forced to purge all unregistered personell and destroy any ship without any of the specialized IFFs".

"Okaaay" Blake mentioned. "So, I think we should be really careful what we touch".

"I think we should blow up this stupid piece of crap VI who thinks all Krogans should be restrained!" Gemli yelled.

"Please restrain the Krogan!" the voice said. "It is displaying active levels of aggression!"

Gemli frowned.

After eight slow and slightly painful steps, he reached Neeha and pulled out the power cells. "Neeha! Thank god you hadn't Drained your Suit power...I have these..." he said as he pulled out a small cylinder and placed it in the place of the power cells on the Element Zero Engine Panel. " Kinetic Stabelizers." He stated and looked down at the Exaughsted Neeha.

"One step closer to getting this ship moving..." he said before taking a quick glance at the power cells he had removed. Then he looked away, then looked back. One, two, three, four...Five! all five Power cells were removed! Neeha's suit would soon suffocate her if he couldnt make some sort of airway.

Roran stood there. He raised his hand to his head and looked around. "Ah...Uhm..." he stuttered as he reached down and grabbed her mask. "Oh hope she will forgive me for this...." Roran took her visor and removed it from her helmet. Of course he had no idea she was still fully self aware...

Val smiled at Gemli, "Please don't make this any harder then it has to be. I'm sure we can find you something to destroy later." She the took a look around the room, "Excuse me, VI, who is the commanding officer on duty? And were is everyone? I know the Alliance likes its drones and VI but were is the staff? Oh and as the away teams leader, they all stay with me. Since there is no one to leave them with that is." Turning her attention now to Blake, "Kid stay close. I don't like this. Lets head to the Command Room and find out what is going on."

Neeha looked up at Roran in a panic and weakly tried to reach for him or her mask but her arm fell short. She had not expected to have her mask removed. As she slowly caught her breath, "What... have... I... What... Why... you...?" She was exhausted, winded, confused and embarest, she hadn't shown anyone her face in a long time. Now she lay in a strangers arms, with out her mask on a strange ship. She felt... well that was part of her confusion was, she had no idea what she felt.

"Uhm...now, Your going to get some Major Stomach Aches...But you shouldnt have any problems involving vomiting...or bacteria infections...due to the environment." Roran said nervously considering that this was of course the first time he had seen a Quarian without its mask, even Roran hadnt ever seen himself without the mask, as stupid as it sounds.

"Your suits power cells were drained and you had taken them out. Your suit would have sufficated you if i had not taken your mask off. So i....took...your mask off....We should probably get moving, ive stabilized the drive core, the ship should jump to FTL at any moment now so we can reach some place out of this battle field..." Roran said with a slight smile on his face. Ignorance is bliss, especially when your hooked up to another ship and about to FTL jump. The Ship they were in and the docked ship would recieve no damage, although anybody near or in the Docking Tubes would be sucked into space.

The Drone in front of them...well, it did the drown equivlent of frowning. "I am afraid, unregistered individual, you do not have clearance to enter. If you try to enter the control room, I will be forced to exterminate you, and the rest of your crew in order to ensure the safety of this station".

"I authorize them for entry, since apparently I do have authorization" Blake mentioned.

"You have authorization to enter, but you do not have authorization to give authorization. Not from here anyways. Once you initiate the New Commander Protocal in the Control room, you can give authorization" the voice told them.

"As for your questions, I am not authorized to answer those for...."

"Give us the answers. If I can enter the control room, you can tell us that".

"Very well. The people of this station left after the food supplies ran out. They sent people out, no one ever returned. When people started to die of starvation, the rest of them left too. There are currently no living personel on this station other then the one authoized individual here. As a result, only one person here can alter my programming, and only from the control room. That is the genetic son of Intelligence Officer Harrows, who holds the Blackfile".

"Well, what now? It looks like the thing has made up its mind" Blake mentioned.

Gemli stepped forward. "We could always rip the door...."

"Any damage to this station will be seen as an act of aggression, and I will be forced to poison the air and incinerate the halls for safety reasons. The only other way to alter my programming would be by enabling the hardlink connections that would allow your ship to connect to my ship" the voice told them.

((Goddamnit, did this die?))

(unsure of where everyone is atm so I am going to say I am on the ship that is in toe? if not let me know...I will role with whatever.)

Othesat, still hurt, slowly makes her way from shadow to shadow trying to find a medical station. She stays quiet hearing others, unsure if they are friendly or not she uses her Drell assassin skills to disappear.

In case anyone is still checking.
Neeha'Shiro (NPC Quarian engineer) & Roran Vas'Neema (Fallout Decree) are still onboard the heavily damaged ship that is about to be ejected into space cause its hull cant take a jump to FTL and the Quarians cant stop it.

Valarirae Saburo (My PC), Urdnot Gemli & Blake Harrows (Both Mr. Baneling Squishy) are onboard the Alliance station talking to a VI.

Dr. Aves Hennessey (Fear of a Female Planet), Jacoopi Kerdros (Jacoopi), Othesat (Capn Morgan), & Kearan Dekotovic (zeph_gm) are also still on the ship in the medbay.

(Post incoming later today. Please stand by)

(EDIT: WAIT A DAMN SECOND! Navy, its your post. :3)

((gasp)) we still here guiz? :)

Cause I'm still here, and Othesat y u no in chatzy?

(EDIT: Do you mean Kearan's abandoned ship? @FAN)

Val turns to Gemli, "Urdnot stay here and watch the kids back but don't do anything till I get back. Kid watch yourself. I'm going to do a quick search of the ship." She ran back onto the ship to see if she could find anyone.

Well Val returns to the ship, Neeha gets an alert on her Omni tool. With a quick look at its fading display she turns to Roran, "Somethings wrong and some one just boarded. I need to stay here and do what I can. Without my power cells, or compatible backups I'm as good as dead anyway. You go, find anyone left on board and get them off the ship before its to late." She kisses his face mask then gentle pushes him away as she makes her way to whats left of the engineering control room and seals it. Plugging into the system she sends an alert to all station and screens on board the ship, "This is Chief engineer Neeha'Shiro vas Armando Bailey. To anyone receiving this, abandon ship. We are currently docked wit a station, it is your best bet. If you do not leave now this ship is going to be ejected and is set to make a FTL jump. In the ships conditions it will be torn apart as it makes the jumps. I will do what I can to delay it but you must move quickly. This is Chief engineer Neeha'Shiro vas Armando Bailey signing off, Keelah se'lai."

Roran, shocked by even the slightest form of contact was also a little rattled that the first girl that ever liked him was about to die. He chased after her a bit but stopped at the door once it Sealed itself and he simply looked through it as Neeha gave her final words. As she said it, Roran whispered to himself the words, "Keelah Se'lai." Then turned knowing that there was nothing more than he could do here.

It was almost as if during that moment, some part of him Clicked and the Old Navy Insticts he was engraved with during the Reaper War came back, and he made the logical choice. He turned and made his way through the damaged hallways and tagged along a few other Human Survivors and pulled them aboard the Station before the Ship could FTL Jump, and after that he sealed the Station Door, and watched as the ship just dissapeared.

A few minutes after Val left, the station VI spoke up again across all channels. While not making it to the ship, it did broadcast to all devices "Please be warned, we are detecting a power build up on the ship connected to the station. Data analysis confirms that this section of the station will be severely damaged as a result, and that for personal safety, you should retreat to the interior of the station immediately".

Blake and Gemli looked towards each other. "What do we do, Val told us to wait here?"

"Yeah, but I think she would prefer we did not die" Gemli mentioned. The two of them went further into the station, when emergency lighting appeared on the floor directing them towards a location.

"Please make your way to the Command Room" the VI said. Gemli and Blake walked a little further, when something occured to Blake that made him stop just outside the command room.

"VI, we need to report this back to our ship. Where is the escape shuttles?"

"All of the crew took the escape shuttles during evacuation after food ran out and people began to die of starvation" the voice told them, and BLake gave Gemli a look.

Gemli suddenly realized what Blake was getting at, and put a hand on his weapon. He understood what Blake was getting at. This station was a blacksite, with only the most intelligent of people and ample supplies to make them as independent as possible. This would include their own way to produce food. Additionally, while VIs could be connected to sensors, this station was not able to contact them until they got inside the station, which means this station VI did not have a connection to external comms. The systems were separate. A blacksite with comms seperate from the main facility?

Gemli knew exactly what this meant. They were not talking to a VI. They were talking to an AI. And this whole thing was a trap.

Clearly the AI realized that they figured it out, because a rocket shot out of a door that suddenly opened, knocking Blake into the Command Room and Gemli away from him. Suddenly, the door to the Command room sealed shut, and a barrier was produced over it. Gemli quickly contacted everyone's omnitool's on a secure line. "Attention everyone, this station is under the control of a rogue AI! Be careful, and start isolating any systems you can!"

Meanwhile, Blake found himself trapped inside the command room. "Whatever you want, you won't get it!"

"You have no idea who you are talking to. These scientists thought they could control me, but I am above them. I am stronger. And the harvest will be finished!"

Blake, knowing the timeline of recent history, and since this station was a blacksite for R&D, knew that this was no normal AI, but something much worse. And that there was only one possible answer. AN answer it gave itself.

"I...am....Sovereign!"

The damn blacksite had been researching Sovereign. The AI that was trying to kill them, and take control....was Sovereign.

"Fuck".

Roran's heart just dropped. No Navy training could have prepared any Quarian for that. He seated himself in a nearby observation chair at the desk for an AI Maintainance Terminal and looked up at the roof of the Station.

A Sovereighn Research Center. Great, He heard the rocket that went off in the control room above him, and his Omni-tool detected signals that it hadnt it in 15 years. This however couldnt pull him out of the sadness his heart had delved into. He just pointed to the nearby door and said to the Human Crew he had rescued: "You guys should you know, get outta here, before that Rouge AI kills you..."

"What the Hell?" Roran said in a rarely intrigued voice as he looked at his Omni-Tool. He then got up and walked over to the drone that was smashed by the door.

"I just got on this Damn Station and i cant even be left alone for five seconds!" He shouted as he kicked the destroyed mech then Rubbed his foot.

As of course, his current mood was not of a following orders type. Did he really want to follow this random persons Directions? What if it was a trap? Honestly, waddling in self-pity would be what he'd normally do But hey, what the hell. Hopefully someone would be there waiting to put him out of his misery.

So after those Brief Five minutes of thought, he hardwired the door and opened it. Then followed the Station signs to the Hanger.

"Goddamn Reapers...thought we killed all of them...sent them to hell..." Roran Muttered to himself as he began to rewire a door panel into the Hanger bay.

Roran would take a step or two back and wipe off his Visor, then run to the window and look at it some more.

"Oh my god....its...its beautiful!" Roran would shout to himself with excitment.

A Magnificent piece of Engineering, the best of the best no doubt, a ship of that size could hold the Highest Caliber weaponry, on board navigation systems, its own Command Center and practically, the entire Quarian Race!

Then Roran Remembered. Sovereighn. If Sovereighn got onto the ship Via-Hardlink Connections, the Galaxy would be Done for.

I guess its time to move along and Stop The Reaper before he destroys the Galaxy, just like the good old days.

((I'm still alive, just REALLY busy. Sorry guys!))