(I don't own Halo and Mass Effect)

07:57 Hours, March 1st, 2560

Tali held on to the dashboard as Chief ran over yet another Geth rocket trooper.

Rocket... Trooper...

As in the bosh'tet thing was shooting rockets at them while Chief was aiming to run it over.

"Another Geth rocket trooper!" Tali yelled as she pointed at the Geth.

"I see it." Chief replied before swirling the wheel around and running over the Geth in question.

"Oh Goddess on high, mother of all life, protect me now in this trying time..." Liara quietly prayed.

Ashley, Fives, Echo, The Arbiter, and Kaiden followed behind the Chief as they went.

The group then saw Garrus, Wrex and Joe speed past them in their hog. They sped past a squad of Geth rocket troopers who were ducking behind barricades. They blasted several rockets at the incoming hog.

Most of them missed, but one rocket got lucky and impacted just underneath the warthog's undercarriage, the blast sending the hog flying.

"Yeehaw!!!" Joe said out loud, enjoying his driving. Garrus was clinging on for his life from Joe's crazy driving.

"Krogan, incoming!!! Hahaha!!!" Wrex was just laughing as he was just shooting at the Geth, taking them out one by one.

Flying over the squad of rocket troopers and landing on its wheels behind them, Wrex turned the gun around and mowed the whole squad down in a few seconds. Joe paused just long enough to make sure they weren't far ahead from the others.

As everyone regroups, they then enter inside a building, across from the ExoGeni HQ.

As they were making up to the levels of the building, they heard radio chatter from a near hideout chamber, and stopped right next to it. The crew exit out of their vehicles and assemble.

The team walked into a chamber. Inside were what looked to be several civilians, but they didn't wear the usual colonist garb. Instead, what they wore looked more like uniforms. Given their proximity to the ExoGeni building, they were likely workers there.

In addition to workers, there were also a few guards in the room, their compound eyes intent on the SPARTAN-II and his team, making sure they did not try anything funny.

An Asian man walked up to the Spartan. "That's close enough." He said as he raised a hand.

"Relax Jeong." A woman said as she walked up next to Jeong with a roll of her eyes. "They're obviously not Geth."

"Get back, Juliana." Jeong harshly replied. He turned back to the Chief.

"Master Chief Petty Officer, Spartan 117. Special Tactics and Reconnaissance." Chief replied. "I'm here to help."

"Master Chief, huh? Well, might I ask what the so-called first Human Spectre is doing here?" Jeong asked skeptically.

"Sorry about the hostility." Juliana said. "These guards have been protecting us ever since the Geth hit and they take their jobs very seriously. I'm just happy to see a friendly face." Juliana said as she turned to the Chief. She suddenly noticed his visor. "Er, so to speak." She added. "I thought we were the only Humans left on this planet."

"Zhu's Hope is still intact. Some of the colonists there are still alive, including Fai Dan." Chief replied.

Juliana's eyes widened. They then immediately narrowed as she turned to Jeong. "You said they were all dead."

"I said they were probably all dead." Jeong replied in a defensive tone.

"Looks like these two have been at each other's throats for a while." Cortana observed.

"They're not dead. But the Geth have really been pounding them." Ashley threw in.

"We know what that's like." Juliana replied with a grumble. "Those damn synthetics are relentless."

"Well, the colony is a little more secure now." Kaidan pointed out. "Maybe you guys could link up with them?"

"No no no, I don't think that's a good idea." Jeong quickly and nervously replied. "We... we have no vehicles, and the skyway offers little protection."

"Like the building we're in now?" Juliana sardonically asked.

"Listen. Our best hope is to sit tight and wait for company reinforcements. They'll come eventually."

"He's right. Your best bet is to stay here for now. Lay low and keep quiet." Chief said. "Now, I understand the Geth are using the ExoGeni headquarters as a command post?"

"Yeah. You're about halfway there." Juliana said. "It's further along the skyway. Can't miss it."

"Those headquarters are private property, soldier." Jeong sternly warned. "Remove the Geth and nothing else."

"I'll try to minimize collateral damage to the headquarters." Chief said.

"No you won't." Cortana wryly quipped.

"Chief, before you go..." Juliana sighed wearily. "... My daughter. Rika. She's missing."

"They shouldn't waste time poking around." Jeong pointed out. "We can do a proper accounting of our casualties after the Geth are gone."

"That's my daughter you're talking about." She spat. "She's still alive. I know it." She turned to the Chief. "She was working in the ExoGeni building when the attacks came."

"No guarantees." Chief said. "But if I find her in there, I'll do what I can for her."

"Thank you, Master Chief." Juliana gratefully replied. "Thank you."

The SPARTAN-II nodded at Juliana before turning to Jeong. "Give me a layout of the building."

Jeong shrugged. "Mostly offices with a number of light duty R&D labs."

"Alright." He felt as though he was going to get all the useful info he could out of these two, which wasn't much. "We're gonna get back on the road and head for the headquarters. Remember; lay low and keep quiet."

With that, Chief turned around and made his way out of the chamber and the group returned to their vehicles.

Tali and Garrus were not looking forward to riding with their drivers.

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The group continued on the skyway. They then encountered some Geth and took them out easily, but Tali was having the worst time from Chief's driving.

"ANCESTORS AMONG THE STARS, WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DRIVE?!?!?!" Tali screamed as the Master Chief sped right towards a Geth colossus.

The Vehicles from each of the group narrowly weaved around a pulse blast before speeding right between the colossus's legs. Wrex and Arbiter pointed the Warthog's turrets and tore up its underbelly. The Geth tank collapsed just as the two vehicles came out from underneath the giant machine. Wrex and Arbiter turned the guns and mopped up what little Geth infantry was still behind them.

Ashley and Kaiden helped take down some of the smaller targets that Chief, Joe, and Fives missed, that way it won't be a problem later on.

The SPARTAN-II looked up at the ExoGeni building as they approached it. Sure enough, it was very tall with three large letters on it. EXG. The company logo, Chief assumed. Just like Fai Dan said.

Chief finally brought the Mako to a stop inside an alcove in the building that he presumed was once a garage, Joe's and Five's hogs pulling up next to his, with Ashley parking the gungoose and Kaiden with the Jackrabbit behind the hogs.

"WHY DO YOU DRIVE LIKE THAT?" Tali screeched.

"So that I can get from point A to point B quickly, and eliminate some hostels along the way." Chief plainly replied.

With that, the hatch opened and Chief climbed out of the Mako.

Wrex dismounted from the hog, a broad smile still on his face, While the Arbiter exited out of his group's hog as well.

"That was fun." Wrex said.

Tali cautiously climbed out of the Mako, her legs like jelly after such an intense ride, the others climbed out of their Vehicles.

Only Liara and Garrus had a bit of jelly-legged as well. Kaiden, Ashley, Fives, Echo, and the Arbiter were the only ones to drive sensibly. Wrex could handle anything since he was a Krogan.

Joe turned to the Chief and the two shrugged it off.

"HUD's jammed." Cortana reported. "There's a hopper nearby."

"Which means he has friends." Chief said.

"Who has friends?" Echo asked, apparently over-hearing the SPARTAN-II.

Chief mentally kicked himself for not turning off his external speakers. "HUD'S jammed. It means a hopper's inside and since hoppers never travel alone, there's probably a welcoming party through there." Chief said as he pointed at the doorway before them.

"So? Let's just kill 'em." Fives said.

"I'm trying to work out how to do that, Fives." Chief said. An idea suddenly occurred to him. He turned to Thel. "Arbiter. You still have your cloak, right?"

Thel nodded at him.

He then pointed to the doorway. "Cloak and scout the room inside. I need to know what we're up against."

The Sangheili nodded again before pressing a button on his omni-tool. Slowly, Thel faded from vision, becoming only a Sangheili-shaped refraction of light.

The squad was barely able to track the transparent Sangheili, as he jogged into the doorway.

After waiting for a short bit, they then get contact from the Arbiter.

"Spartan, do you read me?" Thel talked to the Chief over TEAMCOM.

"What's the situation?" Chief asked.

"The room is filled with enemy soldiers. A Geth juggernaut, two snipers, two Krogan, a hopper, and five Geth troopers."

"Understood. Stand by." Chief said in TEAMCOM, then looked at the squad. "Stay close and keep your eyes on the target." They all nodded at him as they got ready. "Arbiter, when you see us enter the room, attack the juggernaut first and link up back to us."

"Understood, Spartan."

Chief then gave a hand signal starting at five.

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When it reached zero, they charged in and started to fire at the enemy.

Arbiter exits out of his cloak to take out the juggernaut quickly with his energy sword. He then links up with the others and helps with the cover fire.

Kaiden then uses a biotic wrap to grab the two snipers, while Garrus went to his snipping position and took them out.

Joe and Chief ran up to the two Krogan, both were synchronized, as they both used the thrusters on their armors, pushing the Krogans to the ground. They then used a ground-pond to make sure they were out for the count.

Chief grabbed out his pistol and Joe pulled out his shotgun, as they kill the two Krogan at point range headshots, they look at each other and nod, respecting each other on how well they work together.

Tali used an overload to stun the hopper, making it fall to the ground.

Fives quickly jump on top of it, and kill it at point blank.

Echo, Kiaden, Liara,Wrex, and Ashley took out the remaining Geth troopers. The area was secure and the whole crew did an amazing job.

"Good work everyone. Let's secure a perimeter." Chief said. "Garrus, Ashley, Fives, watch the door. Tali, Wrex, search the bodies. If any of them are still twitching, put a few rounds in them. Kaidan, Thel, Echo, search the left side of the chamber. Liara, Joe, you two are with me. We'll search the right side."

The SPARTAN-II looked on in satisfaction as each squad member began to fulfill their orders.

Tali and Wrex were piling the Geth bodies in the middle of the room.

Kaidan, Arbiter, and Echo ascended a ramp that looked like a piece of collapsed ceiling as they searched that side of the chamber for anything interesting.

Chief, Joe, and Liara did the same on the right side, searching for any stragglers. Chief then had a familiar feeling just now. Nostalgia to say. 

After having a quick look at his crew, he begins to remember his time with Blue team.  How they manage to get their mission done. He feels truly happy, and it's been a long time since then.

He still wonders what is happening with Blue Team. If they are still around. And if they were, how did they fare from the 7 years and how would they react to him becoming the new leader of a frigate, becoming a Spectre, and leading a group, both human and alien?

If they are still around, maybe he can find them and see if maybe they can join him.

"This area's clear, Chief." Liara reported, snapping the SPARTAN-II  from his thoughts.

"The other door on the far left has a kinetic barrier blocking it." Kaidan went on. "We tried shooting it, but the barriers just absorbed it. Didn't drain at all. That just leaves the hole in the ground."

They all gathered at the hole's edge and looked over it. The floor below was covered in dust, pebbles, and rocks.

"Twelve foot drop. One way." Fives estimated.

"Drop in after me. One at a time." Chief ordered.

The SPARTAN-II dropped first, the rest of his squad dropping in behind him one at a time.

They entered another large chamber, possibly the remains of another subway like the one back in the tunnels under Zhu's Hope. Chief looked down at a dead varren which had bullet holes in it.

The SPARTAN-II bent down to inspect it more closely.

Bang!!!

A shotgun blast was heard.

Chief then grabbed out his pistol and pointed it at the person who used the gun.

"Oh my God! Master Chief, I'm SO sorry!" She babbled out as she dropped the gun. Chief put his own gun away after confirming the target as not Geth, as did the rest of the team. "I thought you were Geth! Or one of those varren!"

"Take it easy. You're safe." Master Chief said in his best reassuring tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh... it's my own fault." The young woman said with a tired voice. "Everyone else was running and... I stayed to back up data. Next thing I knew, the Geth ship latched on and the power went out. I was trapped, I grabbed a shotgun, I tried to get out, but the way was blocked by an energy field. The Geth don't want anyone getting access to the Thorian."

"What's a Thorian?" Joe asked.

"It's an indigenous life-form. ExoGeni was studying it. I don't really know that much about it. I think it's some kind of plant-being. I do know it's very old though. Thousands of years, even."

"Thousands of years huh?" Cortana commented. "Maybe... Fifty thousand years? Give or take?"

Chief silently agreed. The Geth were here for a Prothean relic alright.

"Where is it?" He asked.

"I might be able to show you where it is, but not with those Geth crawling around everywhere. We need to get out of here, past that field." She replied.

"How do we shut it down?"

"I don't know exactly how, but maybe if you take down the Geth ship, it may take it down." She then hands him a device and a card. "Try using this E.M.P. I made it to shut down the ship's power, and use my ID to open up the doors."

Chief nodded as he took the card and device.

He then looked at the ID card for a moment. The picture was similar to her look. Pink hair, eyes, and freckles on her cheeks.

Research Assistant Rika Shinozaki...

Rika...

"This may sound unusual, but... Do you have a mother named Juliana?" Chief asked.

Rika's eyes widened at that. "Yes. YES! Have you met her? Is she okay?"

"She's fine for now. Holding up in a building down the skyway with some others."

"Oh, thank God. I thought I was the only one left." Rika breathed in relief. "Please... Master Chief... just... get that field down so I can see my mother again!"

"We will." Chief said as he slipped the ID card into a pocket on his utility belt. He turned to the rest of the team. "Move out."

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As the group made it to the stairs, they heard someone being upset. Sounded like a Krogan.

As they got to the sound of the voice, it was a Krogan. It was arguing with a V.I. system. Chief then uses hand signals for the Arbiter to sneak up and take him down.

Thel Vadam nodded at him, and did just that.

He activated his camo, sneaked up behind the Krogan, and stabbed him with the energy blade. Killing him in an instant. He deactivated his camo as the crew got back together.

Wrex walked up to the dead body, and examined it. See why these Krogan are working with Saren.

Chief then heads to the V.I. to see what this 'Thorian' is and how to shut off the Geth ship.

"Welcome back, Research Assistant Rika Shinozaki. What can I do for you?" The V.I. asked.

"What was the last user trying to access?" Chief asked.

"Fetching data... The previous user was attempting to access details on the study of Subject Species 37; the Thorian."

"But he couldn't access it."

"Correct. I was unable to provide the previous user with any relevant data. Aside from lacking proper access, there has been no new data available on Species 37. All