Mass Effect: Element of Kindness

Chapter 190

Teleportarium

Fluttershy looked at the assembling crowd that were entering the chamber. Squads of Griffons and batponies were checking their equipment, ready to deploy across the aether into the hostile vessel. One hundred and fifty strong they would be, not as many as Fluttershy would have liked but more could not be transported.

I hope it will be enough...

"Are you really doing this?" Garrus asked as Fluttershy herself gave off an aura of apprehension.

"You heard the Princess, if we don't do this the only outcome will be a lot of dead quarians and very likely a lot of dead ponies and griffons too," Fluttershy sighed. They were still waiting for the full scan of their target to return so the translation wouldn't have issues.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," Garrus grimaced as he looked at the assembling boarding force.

"Me neither, Garrus, me neither," Fluttershy responded, before grimacing as well. "You can't come along, Garrus. Your station within the Hierarchy is too high."

"I know that too, which makes me like this plan even less," Garrus admitted as a pony engineer flagged them over and informed them they were ready for translation. Fluttershy took a look at the blueprints and decided she would split her teams into three teams, one for the engine compartment, one to take the mass effect core, and the one with herself to take the bridge.

"I'm going to head back up to the CIC to monitor and see if my involvement could change things," Garrus said stepping back. "Try to keep the casualties down."

"I will," Fluttershy replied, Garrus nodding and leaving her to it again. Shy in turn got up onto a ledge to address the assembled force. "Listen up everyone! I have divided the force into three sections, you can check your assignments after this briefing, but in short, we will be assaulting on three prongs. Force one under my command will be taking the bridge of the vessel and taking over its command. Force two, under the command of Centurion Gavin Grimfeather will be taking the mass effect core. And the last force, number three, under the command of Lieutenant Starshine will take the engine bay. Now, I want to impress you with the absolute need for professionalism. We do not know the situation on the surface, perhaps none of our homes were hit by any bombardments, perhaps they were, but we are not going there to take revenge! We Are going to stop the Quarians from further harming our home! The capability to teleport into an enemy vessel is unheard of in the galaxy, they will not expect us! But that also means you will encounter quarians that will be unarmed, civilians even."

Fluttershy paused a moment to let her words sink in, a quiet murmur could be heard among the forces as they waited for her to continue.

"You are all the best at what you do to have been selected to serve on this vessel, so I ask you to live up to the expectations of that. The Vindica has shown her worth in space combat with the Turians, now let us show the Quarians we are just as capable a fighters too!"

A few ponies started stomping their hooves rhythmically, soon joined by the rest of the ponies and the griffons. Fluttershy stepped down from the platform and had the teams form up, the commanders of force two and three finding her before they joined their own people again.

"We're ready for the assault ma'am," Lieutenant Starshine said first. "I have to ask though, your order had us bring a disproportionate amount of medics along for this fight, I have to object to putting this many of them on the line for this assault."

"The decision was made to limit the damage we do to the Quarians," Fluttershy admitted, "Their biology isn't like ours, infections or diseases from us which we could shrug off will kill them. The medics are there to treat the casualties from both sides. This is also the reason helmets on internal filters are mandatory. We are there to stop their hostility, not contaminate their clean rooms. If we go in recklessly there will be no incentive to give in to us."

The two commanders nodded. Fluttershy could feel by their emotions they still didn't like her decision but at least accepted the call.

"Another issue I want to raise is the relative lack of engineers in our force to take control of the sections after they are taken," the griffon Centurion raised as an issue.

Fluttershy nodded as she and Garrus had briefly discussed the problem with one another as they determined the composition of the assault force. "The problem is no matter who we send, the Quarians will be better, Centurion. No offence to your people, but Quarians are the closest to natural engineers as possible, they will die if they cannot fix their vessels. The engineers with you are mostly there to give Fidelis an access point into their systems."

The griffon nodded in understanding. "Understood ma'am. My force is ready for deployment."

"Same here, ready in your call," the batpony commander also replied. The three of them separated and joined their respective force on the teleporter, Fluttershy opening a channel up to the bridge.

"The boarding units are ready to commit to the lighting assault," Fluttershy reported to Luna as she met the eyes of her strike force, all of the ponies in there showing nothing but steeled resolve.

Who would have thought us ponies to be so ready to fall into the role of the soldier after a millennia of peace.

The thought filled her with mixed feelings, sadness and pride. She lamented the fact this was a necessity but proud that when the call came, ponies and griffons had answered.

"Understood. Mission timer will be set at one hour, we will enter the weapons envelope by that point and engage." Luna responded as the chamber was filled with a hum. "And Fluttershy? Good hunting."