Mass Effect: Crossroads

As time crept by, Spike felt as though his world were coming to even more of an end as he and Applejack waited outside the medical tent. While they were able to save the Ponies being held by the Yellow Daemons in the Castle of the Elder Sisters, they had lost their closest foothold to the origin of their attack: Ponyville. They had lost the one place that he had called home for the last few months, and he was not happy about it. Not one bit.

Thinking back to the encampment they had now, he was satisfied that they were at least planning on how to take it back. There were more than enough able Ponies here with the recent group of inductees that were transferred via Unicorn signals between the towns. They had even picked up a few groups of Changelings in the Forest, and convinced them to join forces for the fate of the world. While their numbers were now increasing, so was the risk for leaving the civilians. Not only had he found Pinkie and Applejack, but an entire sum of Earth Ponies trapped in weird laser-cages. Their profiles all matched those from the population from Canterlot as well, but there wasn't a single Unicorn or Pegasus from the city.

Before another thought about the city could come to the Dragon, a Medic came up to him from the tent with a mixed look on his face. Applejack got up to hear what he had to say.

"I'm sorry." he started, removing his helmet. "We did everything we could, but we weren't able to save her nerves from the damage of their lightning-rods. I'm afraid she'll never be able to walk again."

Applejack removed her hat and began to weep into it, words failing to form as she fell to her knees. Spike denied his new body the will to fight back tears, and felt his scales steam from the contact of his own juices. He clenched his fists in rage, and sobbed as quietly as he could while staring up into the sky.

It didn't matter now, how long they were to wait. It didn't matter if he would have to sleep for 50,000 years to take revenge on the Daemons. He didn't care if he had to travel across the planet and unite all the world under a single banner to make up for lost time. All he knew at that point, was that they were going to pay with their blood. Even if it meant waiting for even more help, from anyone. From anything. Anywhere.

\\\//////

As Shepard came out of the elevator into the CIC, he noticed that the rest of his team was already at their respective stations. Hunter was at one end of the Schematics Board, with Spark parallel. Banlik waited on the left side next to Velron, with their weapons already in their hands. However, one thing that truly interested Shepard was why Twilight and Celestia were also waiting for him here. He walked up next to Twilight and whispered to her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Captain." Traynor spoke.

Shepard focused his attention on the Comms Officer and leaned onto the railing.

"We thought it would be best they were here in light of a recent find. Spark? Hunter?"

The two A.I.s began to work on either side of the triangular projection table, Spark spinning in place while Hunter pulled up an interaction device, shaped like Spark, only red. After a few seconds, a station appeared on the hologram projector. It looked like a massive capital L, with a massive ring going around the longer part, by the mid-section. On the vertex of the L, was a highlighted Hanger Bay, and on the main shaft of the station was a room highlighted with at least 80 blue lights, crowded 20 in a section.

"When the Normandy reentered Normal Space," Spark started, "we detected a large station at the edge of the system's outer asteroid belt. The signature of which matches that of Cerberus."

"After running multiple scans," Hunter interjected, "we have determined that the station is indeed an Indoctrination Laboratory, with a defensive compliment of 60 fighters, documented to be the same models used in the Reaper War."

Shepard felt his blood pressure practically explode with the amount of tension the two brought forth, and leaned in closer to the projection.

"What about those dots? The blue ones?"

Spark blinked for a few seconds before responding.

"After scanning the station's logs and energy signatures, we have determined the origin of said life forms are yet to be documented. However, we currently have two specimen on board at the moment."

"What Spark, A.I. is trying to say is that the life forms within the station are the same species as our guests."

Shepard shot his head to the side to look at Twilight and Celestia, to see that they were just as surprised as him. Celestia approached the projection further and spoke.

"My Ponies are on board that... thing?"

"Affirmative." Hunter replied.

She looked back and forth between the group of soldiers and began to raise her voice.

"Why are we sitting here then? Huh? Why aren't we doing something!?"

Shepard marched over to her and spoke softly enough to try to calm her down.

"Because we don't know what kind of defenses we're dealing with yet, nor do we know where to go to find them, or if they're even able to move at all. Then, we have to figure out a way to bring them back to the ship, both in terms of transportation, and proper motivation."

"Captain." Spark spoke.

"Yes?" he responded, turning to the drone.

"Hunter and I have found access to their main systems. We are currently tracking all whereabouts of the crew and taking note of every security detail inside and outside the station."

Shepard leaned on the railing again to listen to what the two had to offer.

"The station itself," Hunter began, "is protected by a squadron of approximately 60 fighters dated to be at least 23 years obsolete. However, there are a number of highly advanced Anti-fighter turrets mounted around the only docking bay available on the station. Their overall range and capabilities would severely limit the possibility of out-classing the fighter squadrons without massive casualties."

"However," Spark interrupted, "if the Normandy were to stealthily move into a close enough range, I could use the Geth torpedoes to obliterate the turrets without causing significant damage to the station itself. After which, we may launch fighters while I shut down the inner-station security systems, allowing you and your team to find the civilians."

Shepard moved his hand out to highlight the section of the stations that connected the Hangar to the Prison Block.

"So that leaves getting into the station and then finding a way to get them out without resorting to force."

Shepard leaned back and thought for a second before focusing back on the display.

"I say we go in with the Hammerheads and save the Kodiaks for when we start moving the civilians. Hammerheads will give us the firepower we need to keep the Hangar secured until we can extract the civies, then bring in the Kodiaks to carry the bulk of them out."

Banlik armed his Claymore and approached the table.

"How are we gonna get the civilians to go peacefully, though? I doubt I can carry them all in one go, even if I didn't need to shoot anything."

Shepard raised a hand to his chin to ponder the thought, but was interrupted by a knocking on the railing. He turned to see that Twilight was trying to get everyone's attention.

"Um, I would like to go with you."

Shepard moved his hands down and went over to her.

"No, absolutely not. We are not risking another innocent life in this. We're going to be shooting our way through waves of soldiers, and you don't have any kind of armor, or a weapon."

"But, I can use my magic as a shield, or turn myself invisible!"

"No way. I'm not letting you go through with this."

"But Shepard-"

"Shepard." Celestia spoke up.

They both turned to her as she approached Twilight.

"She's proven herself time and time again, as not just a leader, but as a fighter. You need one of us to go with you to move my little Ponies, and I can't use my magic at the time. And I doubt that with your capabilities, you would let any harm come to her. I would agree with you, were the circumstances different, but I beg you. I'm pleading to you, just let her help convince them to follow you. If they see her with you, they'll be more than willing to trust you. Please."

Shepard shifted from foot to foot, tossing the thought around his head. Eventually, he sighed and shook his head.

"Fine. But Twilight, listen to me. There will be blood and violence, all over the place. If we end up making it in time, hopefully, that's all you'll have to worry about. And I really hope that Cerberus is all we have to deal with in there."

Twilight went up to him and looked up with a frightened expression.

"What do you mean by that?"

He looked down at her with a saddened expression.

"If we're too late... just don't think about that. Please."

She gave a weak nod and then went over to the elevator. She turned back to Shepard.

"Should I... wait in the bay?"

Shepard turned and nodded silently. When the doors closed her off from them, he turned to Celestia and spoke.

"What kind of experience does she even have?"

"She's faced off against some of the most evil beings I've ever faced, and beaten them all. Even when an ancient Centaur tried to destroy everything, she stood up against him and fought against his nearly-infinite strength, and won. If I were to choose anypony to ever be my replacement, it would be her, every time. Have faith in her. I know she has enough in you."

Shepard took those words into thought for a moment before focusing back on the plan at hand.

"So, now that we know how we're going to move civilians, let's lay this down for the record. First, we come up close with Normandy in stealth mode, launch all fighters, and then take down their anti-fighter defenses with the Normandy's close-range torpedoes. Then, while they're distracted, Banlik, Velron, Hunter, Twilight, and I will take the Hammerheads into the Hangar Bay. From there, we split into two teams: Banlik and Velron will hold the Hangar with Hammerhead support, while Hunter, Twilight and I move in to extract the civilians. Once we secure as many as we can, we call in for Kodiak extraction for the first groups, and take the last two with us in the Hammerheads. Since there's about 80, we'll need to split it according to however much space we've got for them. We'll probably end up sending the bulk in the Kodiaks, but we'll keep the Hammerheads in place, just in case. Meanwhile, Spark, I want you to keep hacking their systems. When we get the civilians moving, lock off every hallway that doesn't lead from the Prison Block to the Hangar. Are we good?"

He received a chorus of agreements, and moved for the Armory.

"Let's do this."

\\\//////

When Rainbow Dash tried to open her eyes, she found herself slamming them shut from the flooding of light. After they finally adjusted, she saw that she was in a room full of weird orange floating lights and white metal surfaces. She tried to move anything she could feel, but found them bound by something. To her sides, her wings were still clamped down with a giant metal ring. Her legs, however, were all stretched out in different directions, with giant metal clamps that held them in place from the hoof. Then, she look in front of her, and her heart dropped.

In the same kind of bindings, was her life-long friend: Fluttershy. She was also waking up, but as she woke up, a two-legged figure in white and yellow armor of some kind came up to a floating orange thing and waved its appendages over it. Now she noticed something odd: the lights were like the ones on the box that Twilight had found. As the alien kept on waving around the lights, Fluttershy began to hyperventilate rather loudly, causing the alien to look at her through a singular orange eye.

"Well, look who's awake. Don't worry, we'll be done with you soon."

Rainbow Dash fought against her bindings as the being moved closer to her friend, and then she shouted at it.

"Leave her alone!"

It turned and then approached her instead, giving off what sounded like a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Rainbow spat.

"Oh, just thinking how much you're gonna scream when we start." it said casually.

After swiping another series of lights next to Dash's bindings, a large mechanism dropped from the ceiling. As it lowered, so did a clamp that constricted her head as well. The machine drew closer to her, and as it did, scalpels and drills began to shift from its form, ready to mutilate the poor Pegasus. Fluttershy began to sob wildly as she witnessed a painful death-machine approach her friend.

Before the device could touch her fur, however, a massive explosion rocked the world around them, breaking the device from its hinges, sending it to the floor, along with the alien. As it fell, its hand wiped across the lights, and Rainbow Dash found herself freed from the metallic prison, along with the sweet relief of the pressure removing itself from her wings. She landed on the floor with a thud, and looked towards Fluttershy, who was now also free, put sprawled out on the floor.

The alien rose to its feet and then pulled out another lightning-rod. Dash dodged as it swung from the left, and punched it straight in the knee. It stumbled back a bit and dropped the rod. She grabbed it with her teeth and gave a flap of her wings. When she was airborne, she whipped her head and jabbed the rod into the alien's neck, causing it to scream. The alien collapsed to the floor, twitching every now and then as the Pegasus caught her breath.

She turned and ran straight for Fluttershy, who was now unconscious. After using her wings to lift Fluttershy on her back, Rainbow Dash made her way to an opening in the room. She looked down both hallways and decided to go to the right to try and find a way out. While galloping through the halls, there were more rattling explosions as the speakers in the halls screamed.

"ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS!!! IT'S SHEPARD!!!"