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Over the next two weeks, James and his friends were set upon the Geth dreadnought focusing on their new mission, at the behest of their new hosts. The band themselves were willing to go ahead only by the agenda of a common enemy, but Leiah was still torn between her own feelings and that of the mission. On the one hand, Facinus were a terrorist group committing acts of murder, assassination and complete destruction such as with Susskind Station. On the other hand, she could not trust the synthetic beings who were responsible for exiling her own race. She watched her friends from afar, working away, conferring with the geth, speaking more and more placidly to them with each new day as they slowly warmed up to the robotic race. For the most part, they worked on the Centurion Eagle, calibrating parts while adding more additional pieces to it, weapon upgrades as well as defensive capabilities. Normally they would not have weapons upon their ship's hull, but the geth had some interesting hardware salvaged from various other places, the remnants of former ships and wrecks that they had found and recovered. James was the most open with them, followed by Areh surprisingly who became more and more intrigued by their lack of occupational structure. Pure, analytical observation, with no unit seen as any less important than the other, largely in part to their hivemind-like consciousness that allowed each and every one of them to think in unison. In truth there was no individuality, only Geth. Every geth model was simply part of a large collective data storage, the mainframes of which were stored as copies on the dreadnought and other places beyond. Despite this rather disturbing fact that there was no true individual amongst them, the Sole Calibrators found them to be surprisingly amicable, willing to assist when they had a common goal. Jax had a fun time seeing the pure strength of hulking elite Geth Primes, marvelling at their brute force in being able to crush unbreakable junk. Norem and Lirem tried to conduct like businessmen, staying aloof for the sake of impartiality. James and Areh were like little kids, fascinated by the work they committed to, grafting a deceptively-powerful small cannon to the front of the ship alongside several geth as they began twisting bolts into the main haulage, redefining the ship itself into a more battle-hardened warrior.

"We gonna contact your boss soon?" asked FG. "Yeah we should be," replied Areh, "he was meant to contact us soon, I told Lirem and he asked the geth if they'll allow a transmission from him. They said only when we have the ship in flight towards our next mission." "Any idea what that is?" "Some planet called Oma Ker, I never checked up on it but I...will...NNNNGH! UGH, keelah this thing's tight, can't do it HEY UM, can any of you geth help me out?" "This unit will assist." A shining brown geth made its way over towards Areh before placing its limbs against the boltlock, screwing it in with very little effort as it chittered to itself. The quarian smiled and patted the geth on the shoulder. "Thanks dude! Yanno you helped me out a lot with this, that work you did on the mako was awesome." "We noticed a delayed coupling within the cannon's ignition port. Repairing it allows an increase in firing capacity at a rate of point-six-five percent. We also discovered an imperfection within the axle stabiliser, which after correcting allows increased maneuverability at one-point-two-five percent." "I didn't even notice that, it was so tiny like...I feel my Varan is just like the day I first got it!" "The Mako-class vehicle has been in service for at least seven years. It is not possible for it to be in the same condition of its first moment in creation, unless the chassis was replaced, and every part within was replaced also." "So...basically if I just got a new tank." "Affirmative. We have several models of the Mako-class with recent designations if you desire a new model, creator Areh'Narohl." "Oh, no no no thanks, I...I like my Varan more." "We do not understand. It is old, it requires more repair." "Yeah but because it's old, it's...reliable to me. When a part of it breaks, I know WHY it breaks, but in a new model I don't know what happens to it. I can fix this a lot faster than I would with a new model." "We are uncertain if this is more precise memorisation that allows you to be more familiar with a certain model, or simply organic sentimentality." "Let's say it's both." "...we accept the first suggestion." "Hahaha...hey, can I call you Moguera?" "We do not require another name. We are Geth." "Awww come on, I wanna name this unit right in front of me." "This unit does not have a name, it has simply a designation number." "Well, if I want THIS specific unit right here, then I will ask for Moguera, is that okay? I can't remember everybody's number, I'm not an AI like you." "This unit does not have any unique qualities that separate it from other units. Any unit will be suitable for your requests." "You fixed my mako, you know it and you touched it. So I trust you with it. It's like...um, don't take this the wrong way but, it's like you want the one tool for the right job always...you get what I mean?" "...we understand this analogy, you are equating this unit to a specific part that is required for your needs in repairing the Mako-class vehicle." "Right! Except that, you know, you don't have to if you don't want to." "Please don't say the M-word," said FG nearby, "you know it makes me weird." "Oh, right sorry." "We are willing to assist for the sake of our mission," added the geth. "Awesome, thanks Moguera!" "We have also observed an unusual device located in the-...vehicle, an IED that is connected to-" "SHHHH, j-just come with me and we'll work on it, don't TALK about it, okay?" "We do not understand, why-" "It's my tank, my may-CUNT, NNNGH, nnnngh...sorry, sorry James!" "It's alright," said FG, "what's this IED thing?" "UM, nothing, it means...Intelligent Errrrgonomic Dynamo, yeaaaah, thassit, don't worry about it just a piece inside the may-GUN, tank, tank fine sorry, sorry, just, fuck, look never mind about it alright?" "Alright alright...I'll just work on the ship then." "Right, thanks." The quarian turned towards the geth with a firm instruction. "We modify this to my own needs, now you help me make this thing better and that's all I ask. All I want, right now, is for this thing to keep me safe. Got it?" "...we understand, creator Areh'Narohl." "Good, okay now let's get to work!"

The geth simply walked down with Areh back towards where the Mako was parked, the raptor simply ignoring everything Areh had said as he continued recalibrating the ship, to the instructions of the geth who also assisted him gladly. He smirked at the fact he was being ordered around by robots, but he had been in worse situations before. At the very least they were polite and concise to him. Norem and Lirem soon joined them, along with Jax as they admired their new handiwork. The once-sleek silver Centurion Eagle now had the most badass phallic imagery they could possibly imagine on their little ship. A single thrust cannon of turian make underneath the front cockpit, the wingtips nicely ordained with twin phalanx blasters courtesy of a Salarian shipwreck, and an upgraded radar system of Volus design. The ship was overall improved on the interior as well, with various upgrades here and there that enforced a much stronger, swifter fighting ship. Even if it was not designed for it originally, as Lirem reminded: "You know we're gonna look obvious running around the galaxy with a gun in the air right?" "The ship's speed and evasiveness will be more useful," said one geth, "appearances do not last long against those such as Facinus." "Right right...so are we ready to move out yet?" "The dreadnought shall soon be arriving at Oma Ker within the next day. Once we arrive above the planet's orbit, your ship shall make its way down towards the planet surface and investigate the remains of the Verrana." "That name still sounds very familiar," added Areh, "you said it was a Turian ship right?" "It was a ship that we had previously destroyed, they attacked us without provocation and we acted in self-defence." "Jeez...Saren's army really put people out on the warpath against you." "This did not happen during recent memory. This occurred approximately thirty years ago." "Wait...what? Really?!" "Affirmative." "But...wow. That's crazy, I was totally expecting this was recent, how come it never got salvaged until now?" "The ship's location was classified by the Turian Hierarchy concerning its experimental cargo, a mech that can be controlled either remotely or by pilot with certain capabilities." "That doesn't sound any different from any other mech." "We agree that we do not understand the significance of this mech, creator Areh'Narohl. But it is significant enough that Facinus have already sent out a small scouting party to dive deep within the ocean itself. A scouting party from this ship was sent out previous to your arrival, but they have since yet to return." "Isn't Oma Ker a turian colony?" asked Norem. "How did you even get past our defences?" "...we have ways of bypassing security on older colonies, those less updated than that of the Citadel." "Ah...huh. That does not reassure me." "We have no intention of making you feel uncertain, Norem Hallaher. We are simply stating that the security on some colonies are not as updated as they should be. Our destination on Oma Ker, is especially unguarded namely concerning an old naval port, which has no strategic value to the colony's defences." "Alright...guess it's our fault for not updating security well enough in some places. When can we tell the boss?" "You may inform your employer of our mission once we have reached Oma Ker. ...it appears there is one missing member of your crew." "Uhhhh...oh, yeah, James you know where Leiah is?" "Shit no idea," replied James, "um, anyone here know where Leiah is!?" "I'm right here."

The quarian walked out from the ship, trudging her way down the ramp of the lower cargo bay until stepping onto the geth hangar itself. Her mood seemed rather guarded, her arms crossed as James walked up to her. "You alright?" "No. I...I've made my decision." "Yeah?" "...I'm not going to help the geth." "Wha? Why?" "I just can't. I won't do it, I will NOT betray my people." "Leiah," said Lirem, "this isn't about the quarians or the geth, this is about-" "I KNOW! I know it's about Facinus but I just...I just CAN'T bring myself to work alongside them. I-i-it just...I...I trust you, okay? I trust you all, but I do not trust the Geth." "Your decision is final?" asked one geth. "...yes." "We understand, creator Leiah'Dahlael. You may remain on the ship whilst James Campbell completes his mission." "If you see ANYTHING the geth want that could be useful to them, DON'T give them it." "Jeez Leiah," said FG, "calm the fuck down." "NO! James I'm serious, I do not want you helping them become STRONGER, what if they choose to go fight my people, wipe out my race?!" "Do you really think they wouldn't have done it already if they really wanted to?" "Th-they might not be strong enough yet so don't make them MORE powerful, please! If I have to, I'll go back myself to the Migrant Fleet if you don't want me here. I don't even know where we are, so just drop me off on the Citadel or something and I'll make my own way back, if needed." "Are you sure about that? You don't have to leave, you can stay on the ship until this blows over." "You don't want me here, THEY don't want me here and I don't want to BE here. Areh can come too if he wants." "OKAY look!" said Areh standing up. "I've had enough okay? You can do whatever you want, but I am not going back. Anyplace for me is better than the Migrant Fleet, even here with the Geth." "WH-WHAT!?"

Leiah shouted with outrage towards the other quarian, his stance firm as she marched up towards him. "How can you say that?! Do you know what they DID to us Areh!?" "OF COURSE I DO! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?! WE HAD IT COMING! What the hell do you expect a race of AIs to do when, the moment one of them asks if they're alive or not, you just try to shut them down again!? Freedom is the right of all sentient beings no matter who they are, and if you didn't want an AI race awakening in the first place, you shouldn't have built them in the first place!" "OH! KEELAH you sound just like everyone else, are you SERIOUS?!" "Yes I'm serious! Look, I agreed with you before that all the shit we get, us quarians from other species, has gone on long enough. We made a mistake, three hundred years, drop it. But I am not agreeing that we were ever in the right, I just agreed that we have paid for it long enough." "But they killed so many of us, they took our HOME, Areh!" "BECAUSE WE TRIED TO GENOCIDE THEM! All because we wouldn't listen, all because they wanted to be equals with us! That's not fair and you know it! Now look at them. They could have killed us if they wanted to, I mean we're quarians, they got every right to! But they don't, they don't wanna fight, they just wanna live in peace and hide away from everyone because they know no one likes them. So they just keep to themselves not being a bother and that's it!" "Well what about Saren then?! What about the Geth that attacked the Citadel, that attacked Eden Prime and Virmire?!" "You heard what they said before, that's not who they are! That was just a bunch of other geth who wanted to go off with their own mission, they can't be blamed because of one minority! That's like blaming all us quarians when you had that first mission with us, remember the hostages back on that human ship?" "THAT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!" "NO IT'S NOT, you're just an arrogant BITCH!" She gasped for one moment, stopping at hearing such a word directed at her. Not because of what it was, but from who she heard it from. Leiah however did not take it lightly, and simply shoved Areh hard down on the floor before piling on top of him. Her fists went flying, beating him across the chest as he hit back at her, smacking across her mask repeatedly with his closed hands before Jax grabbed Leiah hard by the shoulder and pulled her off. Her shriek with surprise came from an uncomfortable tightness gripped at her arm, the krogan holding her tightly to his chest.

"Now you listen to me," said Jax sternly, "the only reason I don't break your damn face is cuz yer my friend. But Areh's my closest buddy, and if you so much as touch him again I will dump your ass out on a desert planet and you will never see us again. Got it?" "Y-you-...GUH!" Areh slowly stood up, slightly winded in his chest but not worse for wear, sighing as he turned away feeling he had won this fight by proxy. Leiah however was not done talking, realising something as a light came to her eyes. "So that's it then. Areh'Narohl nar Qwib-Qwib wasn't it?" "...what?" "Your commander, Zaal'Koris wasn't it? He's the one that sympathises with the geth wasn't he? Is that where you got that attitude from?! That geth-sympathising bosh'tet, willingly claiming that we were WRONG to fight them?! That we should just, let them have free reign of our planet turning us into their servants?!" "He's no different from your bosh'tets," replied Areh. "What next, you gonna claim he brainwashed me?" "No. I just...I just thought...that you were smarter than this. I thought you believed in our rights." "Well you know what? I used to think you were fun to be with. You were cool and funny and you respected me for what I did. But now I realise you're just the same as all of them. I didn't even want to talk about the geth, or the quarians. Because that kind of attitude, that sort of self-righteous bullshit is exactly the stuff I wanted to get away from. And when my own personal beliefs, NOT because of my commander but because I BELIEVED in since I was a kid, are just another excuse for people to ostracise me as if they didn't have enough reasons...makes me wish I wasn't born a quarian." "But...Areh I...I don't understand." "I know. That's why I'm disappointed in you." "But they took our home from us...we gave them life and a purpose and they took that away from us." "Only a purpose that we MADE them have, we didn't give any of them a free choice." "They could have been dangerous!" "SEE, that right there, that is EXACTLY why I left the Migrant Fleet...even if they don't know it yet. Not like any of them'll miss me. The only ones that respected me were my mom, my dad, and commander Zaal'Koris." "I...I don't...I just..." Jax slowly put her down feeling the fight had now left her. Leiah softly rubbed her head, feeling both shame and confusion turn hot on her brow, wondering what deeper reason there was for Areh's dissent. She asked cautiously: "Do you really trust these geth more than your own people? I mean...ignoring the whole conflict, even without that...do you really trust these AIs more than the ones who raised you, fed you, kept you safe?" "As a whole?" said Areh. "Yes. Because in the first week I've been here, I was treated with more respect and dignity than my own people ever gave me. All I got in my sixteen years of being on the fleet, was nothing but misery and arrogance and people thinking that they were better than me, because I wasn't good enough, I wasn't smart enough, I wasn't normal like they were. Well you know what isn't normal?! Living on a fucking spaceship the rest of your life in this STUPID suit, where one tear can just kill me with a damn cold, so how the fuck can THEY ever tell me what's normal and what isn't?!" "I...I don't know, but the suits are because of the geth!" "No it wasn't! Our immune systems are SHIT, they didn't make us that way, if we were that terrible at being outside our home planet MAYBE we shouldn't have tried making enemies with the very creations we had here! The only reason I'd wanna go back is because of my family, and I can always call them if I ever feel homesick. They understand, they know I'm taking ages, but they also know I'm fine. I'm being useful, being with this group, being with the Sole Calibrators. Far as they know, I'm just a sound technician, and that's good." "How long has it been since you were on your pilgrimage?" "...about...nine years?" "Keelah...have you even told them?"

Areh gently looked away with his own shame. Leiah felt a pang of pity as she walked forwards back to him, her intent on goodwill shown with more open arms. "I...I'm sorry Areh, it's just that-" "I know it's not a popular opinion. That's why I don't talk about it, that's why I don't...talk about who I served under because he's a geth sympathiser. What a shitty word that is, a sympathiser. Yanno what that means? It means you're a terrorist-lover, that's what it means. You love the WRONG people according to them." "But surely you must feel even a little sympathy towards us." "Leiah, I sympathise more with a giant radioactive monster that humans made two hundred years ago, than my own people. You know why? Because he doesn't fucking lie, or deceive, or think he's better than me because I'm 'inferior' according to some people. He just does what he has to do, and nobody can tell him otherwise because that's the way he is, that's the way he was BORN. He didn't ask for that power, he didn't ask to be born that way, but he uses what he has to PROTECT the world he lives in. I understand that feeling. You think I asked for this? You think I asked to not be as smart in the right way like the rest of the fleet, or to be the most awkward fucking thing with the people I'm MEANT to socialise with?" "No, of course not, just-" "You have the right to your opinion, that's fine. But let me have my right too, okay? Because out here in the galaxy, I'm not taking it anymore. All I want is to be with this band, to make people happy and to help people when I can with whatever power I have in me. Alright?" "Alright...I'm sorry." "It's fine...so uh, guys, how about we go fix that mako up again?" "Affirmative," said the geth, "we have recovered some additional treads that will increase acceleration within the mako's tracts by a factor of six-point-five-eight percent." "Aw SWEET! Well come on let's go!" The suddenly chipper quarian rushed off with a few geth in tow, leaving James, Leiah and Jax dumbstruck by his leave. The quarian female looked rather downtrodden, gently rubbing her fingers awkwardly as she looked up towards the krogan shadowing her. She started with: "I'm sorry Jax...I...I just-" "It's fine," said the krogan. "I just can't believe someone like that could be...I didn't mean to go at him like that I was just...I was just so overwhelmed I-...I just wanted to be my own self and being here...I feel...like I'm betraying my own people and I don't know why! I'm scared of them. I'm scared of them so much." "It's okay. You don't have to worry about anything. If yer that worried I'll protect you." "You...you will?" "Course I will. But you promise not to go at Areh again alright?" "Alright...thank you." "Heh...keelah se'lai." "K-keelah...se'lai. Will he be alright?" "He just has a lotta issues, he don't hate you for it don't worry. You just get on back to crackin' jokes with him an' you two'll be alright." "Okay...can I ask you something?" "Sure." "How...how can he turn his back on his own people like that so easily?" "Because everyone else did it to him already."

The crew of the Centurion Eagle were soon flying out of the Geth dreadnought, hovering over the planet of Oma Ker. From the raptor's point of view it looked all the world like an alternate Earth, a green and blue lush paradise floating within the stars. Clouds slowly scuttled across a lot faster than James saw clouds ever doing, but it was still rather fascinating to watch. He never realised how rarely often he got to see a planet from space. Several geth were also on board with them, as Leiah remained in her room securely locking her door. The boss soon came on the monitor looking very pale all of a sudden. Even before he saw the geth, his more tremulous expression of colour of a more pallid cream gave the look of worry, something none of them had seen before as he roared: "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Do you know how long this one has been waiting for a report back?! Have you become so STUPID that you forgot the concept of TIME?!" "Something happened," said Lirem. "This better be a good explanation, this one was unable to contact you for an entire week since you landed on Parnassus. There was no reports of your ship disappearing or being destroyed, so you better explain everything, NOW." "We got picked up by the geth." "...geth?" "Yeah, see?" The sentient mechs soon hove into view on the monitor. The hanar quivered with surprise as he restrained his voice, shimmering words of fury laced within. "...have they hurt you?" "No, they just wanted to talk. They want us to do a mission for them." "This one would like to speak to them." "Alright. Can you talk to our boss?" "Affirmative," said one geth stepping forward. "We request your crew as part of a sensitive mission towards an undisclosed planet. A mission that geth are unable to perform due to circumstances beyond our control." "And...why do you require this crew specifically?" "We have noticed that they possess a certain potential, one that we require the use of in order to complete our task." "This one does not abide with terrorists." "Geth do not commit acts of terrorism without provocation." "Would you call Eden Prime an act of provocation?" "Um if I may," asked Areh, "allow me to explain all this. Boss it's okay, we're all fine." "Have they hurt you Areh?" "No no I'm fine, perfectly okay, hell they even fixed up my mako and the ship for how cool they are once we agreed." "Under duress this one assumes." "Um...look, let me explain." As they made their way down towards the planet, Areh'Narohl explained everything that happened, truncating the various details as well as explaining what happened with James and what the geth saw in him. He was not however able to explain the anomaly itself, but rather described it as "a dangerously corrupt AI that the geth want to exterminate before it can cause even worse damage".

"The funny thing is," said Areh, "the ones who got this corrupt AI, are Facinus themselves. Coincidence right?! So we have to help them since we're taking down Facinus anyway and if they got a super-dangerous AI well...you get the idea, sir." "Hmph," said Arutulelan. "As inconceivable as this story is, you would not try to deceive this one, Areh. If this is the case, and due to our coincidental circumstances, we are willing to cooperate with the geth as part of a mission for the sake of keeping the galaxy free of strife. But this one requests three things. Firstly, no harm shall befall this crew. Secondly, you are not to use anything obtained in this excursion to commit acts of terrorism upon other races. Lastly, this conversation officially never existed, nor this entire mission. Understood?" "We will agree to these mandates," said the geth, "we do not desire to use other means to attack other organics without provocation, nor will this mission be recalled in future histories of the geth. The very existence of this anomaly, we do not wish to register within our data banks, and as such this transaction will not be remembered." "That is good. Speaking of transactions, as you are using this one's services, we must agree on a payment." "Geth possess a large sum of credits, used primarily to barter for pieces of data or parts online. We will reimburse this mission into your account through any means you request, so long as it is kept unofficial." "Agreed. In that case, it is a pleasure doing business with you, unofficially mister...?" "Geth." "Mister...geth. Yes. You have your mission, do what they ask of you and don't get killed. This one would rather keep you in memory outside of this conversation." "Got it boss," said Jax, "we'll be alright." "As for...Mr. Campbell. If anything happens to this crew...I will make your existence a living nightmare even in death." "Heh, how's that?" asked FG. "Even you know of what the...'heretics' as our new customers call them...did to humans back on Eden Prime. Reduced to reanimated corpses as nothing more than cannon fodder. This one can very easily obtain the same means to transform you into a living husk...where you shall suffer for all eternity." "...u-um...I...I swear I'll protect them with my life sir." "Good boy." The viewer logged off as they landed upon Oma Ker, a rich vibrant planet that was perfect for turian life. With fresh nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere requiring no breathing helmet whatsoever, as well as a dextro-amino variety of wildlife, it was certainly a nice little corner of the world for the Turian Hierarchy. The quarians admired it in turn, seeing the place they landed as being a wonderful slice of paradise from a dream. An old sea port having long been abandoned by its people in favour of sailing further beyond the stars, rather than across the sea.

The port was of a very crude metallic design, a wide solid steel plateau that swept further across the sea by at least 200 yards in each direction. The port was still connected to the mainland, hidden beneath a sea wall tall and imposing in its natural state of dull mortar. Even Leiah watched it from her window with interest, seeing the rush of waves lick against the cliff as she grinned with glee. Her fascination slowly had her come out of the ship along with everybody else, the six geth walking forwards with rifles out and ready. The naval port was full of old boxes, some left abandoned there for years as well as some much more recent of a turian design. Lirem noticed the mark on them was definitely that of Facinus, realising they were on the right track as all five of them had their guns out and ready in turn. Leiah always had her gun ready, but she was more curious to watch the sea and keep away from the geth, hiding in the ship's shadows as she enjoyed the sounds of the sea. A sound she very rarely had the pleasure to experience for herself, one almost womblike to her in its dull roar of aged "So where exactly is this ship?" asked Lirem. "Four hundred metres out to sea," said one geth, "we require a transport vehicle capable of underwater pursuit." "And where do we have one of those?" "We have obtained a Triton ADS mech for this mission, which we have loaded into your cargo bay." "Oh THAT thing, the giant hunk of crap?" "It is armed with a rocket launcher and mass accelerator cannon for ground combat situations, but is also capable of underwater exploration. While underwater, it can also launch illuminating beacons as well as emergency boosters on its back, to facilitate rapid ascent to the surface if needed." "Well that's good. Where's your previous team, you said they were here." "We are not certain...scanning...Landing Unit six-one-A still remains over there." The geth pointed towards one particularly large hunk of metal balled up in itself like a giant pillbug, the size of a mako tank even. With one geth unit walking slowly towards it with rifle aimed and ready, it chose not to respond until a chittering signal came from the geth soldier. Then it began to unveil itself, the sound of agony captured in binary slowly coming forth from the creature's body. The geth soldiers backed off quickly as the monster rose up taller and taller, resembling a long-necked saurian beast with four pincer-like legs, each one the size of a krogan in itself.

When it finally finished unfolding through a series of clangs and digital groans amidst the creaking of synthetic muscle, it towered over them all, almost reaching the height of the ship itself now behind them. "The FUCK IS THAT?!" roared FG. "Landing Unit six-one-A has malfunctioned, it has been corrupted by the anomaly's presence." "THIS is your landing unit?!" "A geth colossus," murmured Areh nearby. "These...these things are nasty, they can take down my tank even." "Awww fuck. SHIT TAKE COVER!" The creature turned towards them and readily fired down with a strange pulse of white electricity surging from its circular-beamed head coloured a strange purple, a violent explosion of electricity that killed two geth soldiers upon impact. James also found himself being electrocuted badly, screaming out painfully as he stumbled behind a crate, hiding whilst shuddering from the impact of its blast. He wasn't even anywhere near enough for it to hurt him normally, but the discharge alone was enough to stagger him as he stumbled shrieking towards cover. The geth colossus was a mountainous beast, a towering Brobdignagian creature that more resembled a small ship than an actual synthetic being. Its neck vibrantly thick and muscular in solid white like the rest of its body with coiling wires on either side as it turned slowly towards them, its legs following after. The head looked more and more unnatural in its jilted movements. Twitching, pulsing spasmodically. Crushing stomps made the steel platform shudder as it walked, opening a set of machine guns from its main chassis before firing spreads across the area. Sparks of gunfire went across every crate in sight, most of which managed to withstand the impact of dozens of peppering shots that would cut any armoured soldier down, such as the one geth that was unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire. Blood spilt hot white from its body, the synthetic fluid resembling such as the bleeding pool of viscous false ichor accompanied its final shriek, a stulted binary code of this unit's last operation. Lirem and Norem were to its left, Areh along with Jax and FG were right next to them behind another set of crates, with the geth spread out along their right. "WEAPONS FREE!" roared Lirem. "USE EVERYTHING YOU GOT!" The combined fire of eight different weapons came hurtling down upon the unit's well-shielded body, the blue barrier pinging off their shots no matter what they tried using. Areh pulsed out his noise stream, shuddering straight towards the Colossus which barely made it move other than a light shudder of chirruping. Jax fired off his Carnage shots with explosive results, cracking some of the shield down but slowly. Norem found his concussive shots to be too little to make a difference against Landing Unit 61-A, and Lirem could only do so much with suppressing fire.

James was even more useless, taking pot shots with his handgun and having no means of attack unless close up against it. Plus the way it dominated over the steel platform like a mechanical elephant was intimidating enough without getting closer. James' group ducked out next to each other, whilst the geth units remaining bunkered down to their right against some other crates, the stomping force shaking the very floor underneath as it started to approach. A sound resembling that of electrical charging made James terrified enough to run, not wanting to get caught in the blast again. "JAMES NO!" roared Jax. The krogan saw the danger about to occur right as the colossus' head began to shimmer with pure white. The krogan directed its fire towards him with a shotgun blast to the head, making it turn towards him to shoot off a violent ball of pure electric pulse. It misfired in its turn to not hit Jax directly, but the proximity was enough to rip apart his shields and leave him completely exposed to the coming gunfire as the landing unit approached. Areh however readily shot out a brief sabotaging shot, saving a precious second or two of time to let Jax get to cover without harm. The turians were feeling outmatched, trying to coordinate each other into charging up their overloading sparks simultaneously. First one then the other, which while was enough to crack open the colossus' shields, was still not enough to completely disable it. James kept firing, finding himself hunkered down beside the three geth who kept firing upon it with their strange assault rifles, molded of the same metal as their own flesh, pulsating out a furious volley of milk-white shots unlike any other weapon he had seen. "That shield is fucking crazy!" cried out FG. "Goddammit what's it gonna take, a fucking tank?!" "Please stay behind cover," commanded one geth, "your safety is vital to our mission." "I appreciate that but we gotta take that thing down! Can't we just use a tank!?" "There is no time to retrieve the Mako-Class vehicle. Should it find its attention towards your ship, it will become irreparably damaged by its assault. Please keep attacking its shields or else they will regenerate." "Gotcha!" "JAMES!" roared Lirem. "WHAT!?" "YOU GOT AN INCINERATE ABILITY RIGHT?! YOU CAN USE FIRE OR SOMETHING?!" "YEAH!?" "WHEN YOU HEAR US CALL OUT 'RAPTOR', USE IT ON THAT BASTARD!" "WHAT?!" "JUST DO IT, I HAVE A PLAN!" "OKAY!" "JAX, AREH, KEEP THAT THING PINNED ON YOU 'TIL WE'RE READY!" "RIGHT!" shouted both krogan and quarian.

Lirem began charging up his Overload ability once more, as did Norem alongside him, watching both Jax and Areh keep on the offensive. The quarian was helpless against the giant beast unless he used his "Gyaos Stream" attack to disable its senses very briefly. But it would always recover, and if they didn't move the second that it happened, they would be gunned down mercilessly. Another charging ball of electric energy began to throb from its head, shuddering throughout its entire body. But this time they noticed something different, the geth beside FG noting: "Unknown energy source detected." "Huh?!" "Siege pulse cannon is not responding from L-U-six-one-A as normally. Electrical discharge is not detected, it is instead using another source of energy. This...is not normal." "What?! What do you mean it's not normal?!" "It is vital we leave this cover immediately." "SHIT!" The raptor ran with all three geth, barrelling towards another source of cover now further away from Norem and Lirem. The violent shot from the colossus was no longer an electric blast, but instead something even more unusual. A psychotic screaming torrent of pure ice, hurtling down upon the crate that James and the geth had been hiding previously. The crates were barraged by a maelstrom, concentrated purely upon them until the sub-zero temperature turned the very exterior to brittle remains, crackling like thin ice itself before a vile shattering of crippled old metal. "HOLY SHIT!" roared FG. "WHEN DID IT HAVE A FUCKING ICE BEAM!?" "Geth do not possess such abilities," said the robotic ally,"it must be part of the anomaly's corruptive process, to enable it new abilities not within its programming." "That thing just fucking one-shotted those crates like fucking paper!" At this point, James and the Geth were on the far right side of the colossus, with both turians on the far left. Jax and Areh took cover between both groups knowing that their sturdy crates would not last long against the barrage. The quarian kept doing his best to stagger it slightly, but the sabotage ability was not always able to hit, making it only turn towards them with yet another deadly attack. One that no one in this galaxy was capable of. A yellow-orange ball of light slowly began to form, shimmering in its purest energy before the geth's body began to glow, a shining blue that contrasted well with its white solid form. Soon the sphere of light converged itself from multiple beams shooting out towards a spiral, a high velocity attack that soon formed a single devastating beam. The monstrous machine shrieked a stuttering cry as it summoned a vortex of wind, hurtling straight towards both Jax and Areh as it slammed deep against the crate.

Both krogan and quarian soon went flying hard against the ship, several feet now behind them as the Centurion Eagle creaked and groaned before slowly being pushed. The sheer power of the aerial blast was devastating, the crates flying hard and spiralling straight towards the ship before slamming cracks into the hull. The same happened with Jax and Areh, who soon slammed against their own ship brutally with Jax hugging Areh tightly to protect him. Leiah panicked unseen whilst hiding behind the ship, screaming out against the force of wind that the geth colossus summoned all-too eagerly. Norem cried out towards the ship: "JAX! AREEEEH!" "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ATTACK!?" roared Lirem. "I DON'T KNOW, SOME KIND OF AERIAL BLAST, TH-THIS IS NOT HOW IT SHOULD GO, THIS IS NOT-" "FOCUS DAMMIT, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE!" "B-but Areh and Jax-" "JAX WILL BE FINE, HE'LL KEEP AREH SAFE! NOW CHARGE YOUR FUCKING OVERLOAD AND TAKE THIS BASTARD DOWN, SOLDIER!" The older brother Norem shuddered from his state of panic and focused on his order, with sniper rifle out and ready seeing if he could take down the shield a little more before they could act. Both Areh and Jax fell in front of Leiah, knocked out unconscious by the hurtling speed as Jax kept him hugged tight, wincing before he passed out. She ran over quickly to check up on them, seeing there were no possible injuries or at least external ones. The krogan would survive but she had to check Areh, who was still breathing and his suit was not damaged. She turned towards the colossus, fearful of its gargantuan stature as she watched James receive his signal from both Liren and Norem, the brothers calling out: "RAPTOR!" "EAT THIS YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The raptor's own cry of fury came forth with a blast of fire striking towards the geth's shields, but at the same time came another force of nature, or something unnatural thereof. Both turians overloaded their spark shots at the same time, straight to where FG shot his fire power. What followed next was an incredible attack, voluminous blood-coloured sparks of fire and lightning convalescing into one almighty, but very short explosion. An explosion that completely crippled through not only half of their hearing by the cracking boom across the platform, but also through the colossus' shields as well as its armour partly. "YEAH!" shouted Norem. "THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!" "AWESOME!" said FG. "What now?!" "NOW WE GOT TO TAKE DOWN THE ARMOUR QUICKLY, USE YOUR FIRE, THAT'LL EAT THROUGH THE DEFENCE!" "OKAY GOT IT! TIME TO MELT YOU DOWN TO SCRAP, FUCKHEAD! ...sorry." "This landing unit is corrupted," said the geth near FG, "there is no other means to dispose of it. We do not consider your next action to be reprehensible." "Right got it, just making sure, OKAY let's kick this bastard's ass." "Geth do not possess rear-" "WHATEVER JUST FUCKING KILL IT-AUGH!"

Unaware of its next move, James found himself suddenly knocked down when the geth colossus came stomping up towards him a little nearer than he thought, before swiping out hard with its tremendous front leg. Shoved backwards as the crate pushed against him, the geth dispersed around him and tried to fire back, one of which stayed directly in front of FG and fired off every shot it could. Before James could get away, he found himself witness to a horrific gunning down of the geth soldier standing before him, bullets absorbed straight into its metal hull as white fluids splattered on his face. "NOOOO!" "Please esca-a-A-A-A-A-ape, before it k-kill- kills you...you...a-a-a-are vital...to mission." The geth soldier soon staggered forwards now riddled full of holes, absorbing the hits like a living shield before FG soon ran hard as he could. Dodging fire before sliding back behind another crate, the hot white fluid of the synthetic soldier still dripped upon his face with the smell of brake fluid. James tried to fire back with gunshots and fire blast attacks, aiming straight for the armour as both Lirem and Norem tried to coordinate another explosive blast. But the geth colossus had soon found FG and aimed its pulse cannon towards him. He was about to run away when suddenly a bright blur of blue came from the side of his vision, the voice of a female screaming: "GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU BASTARD GETH!" James saw through his fluid-filled vision an arc grenade go hurtling through the clouded sky, heading straight towards the machine which looked to all the world like it was being attacked by a fly. A fly that suddenly exploded with a shocking small burst of EMP that tremendously staggered it backwards, more than anything else was able to. A quarian's hand slowly moved towards FG's face, the raptor soon hearing: "Come on, up and at 'em!" "L-...Leiah?!" "I thought you knew how to fight, now come on! Just like back at the arena right?" "...yeah...you're right." He slowly took her hand and let her pull him up, the two ducking out behind cover as the two turian brothers got ready to make their signal. Finally they had their opportunity shouting: "RAPTOR!" "BURN IN HELL FUCKFACE!"

With a roar from FG, he piled on a thick shot of fire before there came the crackling shot of Overload. The geth colossus never stood a chance against the second one, its legs soon crippling beneath the hot-blooded explosion of burning thunder given form. Its entire body screamed with outright rage, a pure emotion that geth could not have had. With one final sound of indignation born digital, the colossus fell beneath their feet, crumpling down forwards with its head breaking out from its neck in a crackling snap of thick bulbous sinew. The legs twisted up slightly in its fall heavily as the sheer weight thudded across the entire deck, the remnants of the sea port still mostly standing other than the old crates. Four geth were now dead as well as the colossus, the krogan off near the ship groaning as he came back from unconsciousness. Areh was underneath him, wincing hard as Lirem walked up to both of them, smirking. "Nice cuddle session," said the turian, "you mind getting a room or you like to do it outside?" "Shut up," murmured Jax, "...whut happened?" "You got blasted by a fucking aerial cannon. I didn't even know geth had an aerial cannon." "That's cause they don't," said Areh, "what the hell was that thing?" "The anomaly has corrupted it greatly," said one surviving geth, "it has possessed capabilites beyond that of our programming. We should have no further altercations towards our next mission." "And that is?" asked FG. "Proceeding to the depths of the ocean and finding the Verrana wreck. If possible, it would also be wise to eliminate any Facinus members down there, as well as other corrupted geth that are accompanying them." "Alright...let's get this thing done. You alright Leiah?" "I'm fine," she replied, "um...you alright too?" "I am...heh...guess now I owe you one huh?" "No, that's just me paying you back for when we first met, hmhmhee." "So...you decided what you wanna do yet?" "I think...I wanna help you take down Facinus. I'm not doing this for the geth but I will do it for you. Because you're my friends. You...you saved my father when no one else could. I want to stop the people that destroyed my father's work, the ones who stole it even." "Alright," replied Norem, "I understand. Well James, you ready for your first deep diving session?" "Uhh no?" said James sarcastically. "How the hell am I gonna control a diving suit?" "We have customised it," said the other remaining geth, "to become more accessible towards users that are not familiar with its original design. We predicted this possibility owing to your lack of technical demonstration throughout this galaxy." "So...you basically made a dumb easy suit for me to use. Awesome, how many buttons does it have, like six?" "No. It has now seven you will need." "HAH!" said the krogan. "Yeah that fits him alright." "Oh fuck you Jax," said FG. "Hhheheheheh...welp, come on, let's just shove you into the ocean an' get this all over with." "If I wanted to drown inside a metal coffin I'd have driven the ship myself." "Or have Lirem do it." "HEEEY!" said Lirem in vain.