//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 (Updated) 
// Story: Mass Effect: Syndications 
// by Alorix 
//------------------------------//

	

In the year 1006 of the Celestial reign, Equestria was attack by the unprovoked Batarians, a species from beyond the stars. The inhabitants of Earth won the week long war by befriending another alien race, Turians. The Batarians were defeated and banished to the far reaches of the galaxy by the Council. 
With the Batarians gone, Ponies were offered the vacant seat in the Assembly, the galactic council. In a few short, but eventful years Ponies had shifted the course of the galaxy. They had averted wars with their Spec Ops, discovered new technologies from their scientist and even brought peace between many species thanks to the diplomats.
The ponies claimed these feats were done through the magic of friendship. But inhabitants of the galaxy call this special tallent…



Mass Effect
Syndications

Act 1: Target of Honesty
Chapter 1

Remember a time of peace and song,
Remember a time before it all went wrong.

On the Day they came they blocked out the sun,
Unwilling to leave and refusing to run.

Above they soared in darkened skies
To ensure all ponies would surrender or die.

But we struck back with strength and might
The invaders shocked that ponies could fight.


The lone earth pony smiled at the nursery rhyme. She’s always loved that last part. A mighty military force nearly defeated by barbers, gardeners and dress makers. If the Turians, one of the many alien races, hadn’t switched sides Equestria would have been utterly destroyed. 
The mare sat at the restraint counter sipping on her drink. Many times she would daydream of the old war when she wasn’t on duty. She wished she’d been around back then. To hear the words of Fluttershy the Courageous in person and not on a vid-screen, to see a real Batarian War-ship and not another model and most of all to be in the presence of her idol, the greatest pony captain ever: the Extraordinary-
“CREDITS! NOW!”  A Turian colt had entered the restaurant with two of his friends while she was in deep thought. It didn’t take much to guess what their plans were.  
Sensing no threat from the pistol pointed at the back of her head the mare groaned.  “I’m busy!” And she was, if by busy she meant busy having a drink. 
A pony colt circled over to his alien friend. The grin on his face showed his unwavering confidence that he and the two others would be leaving with a few extra credits. Oh, how wrong he was.
The Turian wasn’t as patient as his comrade. He shook the pistol.  “I will blow your fu-”
CRACK!
The mare had spun around and slugged the Turian colt right in the mandible. He toppled over, unconscious. Before the other colt knew what had happen the mare had planted a buck right under his chin sending him flying into the wall. He was out too. 
One left, the earth pony thought to herself. She stood over the Turian, turning her back. But as long as that filly doesn’t pick up-
Click. 
The mare rolled her eyes. The filly behind her had picked up the pistol. Even without turning around the mare could tell the filly was trembling. The fillytried to speak through chattering teeth by not words came out. She didn’t want to rob anypony. Most likely, the mare thought, she’s as much as a victim as I am. The pony colt let out of soft groan. Well…maybe not like me. The two colts had probably forced her to join them in this pathetic attempt of a shake down. 
The mare sighed. “Lass, if I turn around and see that piece of shit pistol pointed at me I’ll snatch it away, jam it up your arse” the mare was now face to face with the petrified filly. “and pull the trigger ‘till it goes ‘click’.” The filly swallowed the lump in her throat. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. The Finally the mare lent forward  whispering, “And then I’ll reload.” 
The filly let out a small squeak and fainted right in front of the unarmed mare. “Yeah that’s what I though.” The mare chuckled. She probably doesn’t have a single mean-bone in her body.  
The mare turned her attention to the young dragon gawking in the restaurant doorway. “Dagger!” She called. “You just missed all the fun!” 
Dagger ran his claw over his orange spikes. “Geez Orion…” he carefully stepped over the unconscious Turian. “Can’t you go five minutes with getting into trouble?”
The mare Orion laughed at her assistant. “Hey, trouble finds me!” 
A voice squealed from the counter. “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!”  Orion turned to see the two shop owners reappear from their hiding spot. Both of them seemed perfectly fine, just a bit rattled.
“They’d been threat’n to rob of for weeks,” one of the mares explained. She had the same heavy accent as Applejack the Mighty did in those old audio-vids. “But they’re just colts, we didn’t think they’d…How can we ever repay ya?”
Orion smiled. This wasn’t the first time somepony wanted to repay her for her good deeds. A few years ago she’d saved an entire colony. They wanted to place a statue of her in the center of the colony.  It never felt right accepting payment for helping. But when the owner persisted she gave up. Orion lifter her empty cup. “A refill would be nice.” She was partly teasing. 
The unicorn mare magically lifted the cup from Orion’s hoof. “Oh, of course! Of  course!” The unicorn skipped away to refill the drink.
“But why stop there, sugar?” The other mare waved her hoof. “Surely ya’ll can do better than that. How ‘bout all in this her shop’s free for ya, now on.”
Orion shook her head chuckling. “That’s very generous of you but-”A disapproving cough came from the dragon. Two yellow eyes glared at the white pony. Dagger actually thought Orion was going to take the mare up on her offer? After all the years together it’s like you still don’t know me. Orion grinned at the dragon “BUT (As I was saying) that might be too generous of an offer.” 
The unicorn returned a new cup held in an aura of yellow magic. She’d overheard Orion declining. The unicorn now wore a disheartened expression. “Oh…” The mare’s teary eyes were as large as dinner plate.
“Alright, alright.” Orion sighed placing a hoof on her chin. She didn’t want to be the one robbing them in the end.  But the mares were offering. “How about a small discount.” 
The unicorn’s face beamed like the sun. “Yes! Oh Yes! Yes!”
Dagger gave a sigh of relief handing his friend her cup. “Now Orion,” he teased. “Do you have something to say to the nice mares?”
“Why yes I do Dagger.”  Orion stepped out of the restaurant and shouted “I’m Captain Orion and this is my Favorite Store on the Citadel!”
“I meant ‘thank you.’” Dagger groaned. Orion took a sip of her new drink ignoring the dragon’s complaints. The doors to the restaurant closed behind her. 
Orion leaned against the railing outside. She stared  at the marble stature of Fluttershy the Courageous. The massive statue smiled at the captain. Her wings were outstretched like she was welcoming a warm hug.  Her kindness and love had inspired millions (if not more) ;ponies and non-ponies alike across the galaxy. The Asari had given her the title Maretriach which was a motherly and highly revealed Asari. Very few Asari were given this privilege and Fluttershy was the only pony to have that honor. 
Dagger broke Orion’s peace. He was working on his data-board.  “So we called C-Sec They should be here soon to arrest the kids.”
“Hmm.” The captain said. “Maybe, if they’re smart, they’d enlist in the Unity instead of going to prison.” 
“Do you think they’ll make that choice?”
“I said ‘if they were smart.” Orion took one last slurp of her drink and tossed it into a nearby trash can. It soared straight in. “Score!” She pumped her hoof. “Now, did you want something?”
Dagger held the data-board up. “I need to go over the cargo inventory check-list with you.”
“Again?” Orion groaned. 
“Yes. Now.” 
Orion stomped her hooves on the ground like a young filly. “I don’t wanna!” 
Dagger ordered waving his claws. “So off to the ship!” 
Orion rolled her eyes. “Fine.”  The captain headed across the bridge. “But I’m walking there!”
“To the docking bay?!”
“You don’t have to walk.” Orion crouched low to the white tiled floor. “Hop on.” 
“Wh-what?” Dagger rubbed the back of his head. His blue face turned into a soft pink. “No. I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t need to rides from you-”
“Dagger, shut up and climb on.”  
The blue dragon checked to make sure no one was watching, but the Citadel was full of people. Someone would see them soon enough. With an groan Dagger climbed onto his friend’s back. It had been years since she’d offered him a ride, back when they were in the Unity Academy as matter of fact. It was hard to imagine how far along they both had come in those few years. And yet she still wanted him with her. 
Dagger had grown since those days. When he was younger Orion had to help him get on her back. Now he could climb on with ease. Unfortunately for Orion Dagger had grown since those days.  She strained under the weight of the dragon. Her knees quivered, but Orion remained standing. She kept herself from groaning under the weight.
“Looks like your morning pushups aren’t doing you any good.” Dagger grinned.
“Maybe…”Orion managed to say. “or maybe…you should eat less…” She was too preoccupied to come up with anything witty. 
“Should I get down?” Dagger began to slide off Orion’s back.
“No! I can do this.” She let a snort out and whispered. “I can do this.” At a snail’s pace Orion began walking. “Lay back.” She told Dagger. He obliged rolling on his back. Orion let out a breath. That helped. “Well, read me the list.” 
Dagger activated the data-board. He read the golden words on the glowing orange screen. “‘Captain’s checklist of supplies to deliver to Pony Colony, Harvest.” 
“Quite the title.” 
“Item 1: Anti-Air Turrets modified with magical tracking system Developed by Pandora Weapons. Quantity four.”
“Check. And have MarryBell check their targeting system.” 
Dagger wrote the note down in the data-board. “Item 2:” Dagger continued. “DawnBreaker Assault Rifles with crystal outer-shells. Quantity: twenty-seven.”
“Yeah, check.” Orion growled. This whole ‘mission’, if it could be called that, had her and her entire crew vexed. It wasn’t upsetting that she was supposed to make a delivery like Dinky Doo Delivery Service; it was because they were brining so little to the Colony that should have the most!
Harvest was the home to Applejack the Mighty. It was also the location for the majority Unity Academies! All information of the Unity’s Military strategies, ship names, location of secrete bases could be found in the vaults of the Academies. In Orion’s eyes that planet needed the most protection. So why did Applejack wait till now to get security? Dagger had always argued that no one would attack a planet full of farmers. Then again he’d never met a Batarian.
They continued walking for a while. Every time Orion came to the Citadel she forgot how big it was. As Dagger went on reading off the checking list Orion would tell him to write down extra notes and reminders. “Let’s see…and last is….”
“Here it comes.” Orion rolled her eyes. 
“The black box.” They both said in unison. 
“Oh yes, mysterious black box of unknown contests left with Harvest supplies with Cryptic message from Unity Commander Big Macintosh himself. CHECK!” Orion shouted gaining the attention of a few people nearby. They gave the two a strange look when they saw a dragon lying on the back of a pony. 
Dagger swallowed hard, doing his best to ignore the staring eyes. His face still burned. “That’s why I left the store earlier,” Dagger explained. “To check up on the box. I had Lieutenant FlareGaze move it so nopony would try to open it…again.”
Orion nodded. When the shipments were first delivered into the cargo the ponies working down there ignored the new battle mechs, walked straight passed the shimmering crystal rifles and completely ignored the Singing Trees of Eden Grace. They all wanted to know what was in the box. 
It wasn’t the type of black boxes used for ships; this was a literal black box, the same size as a filly. It had no marking, not labels, not even a lid. Everypony wanted to know what was inside. Orion had caught ponies trying to open the box on several ovations. She would’ve tossed the thing out the air-lock if Big Macintosh hadn’t order otherwise. Well he didn’t really order he just said ‘Nnnnope’. 
That thing was gonna be the death of her. But as usual Dagger had taken care of her problems before he even had to ask. “You’re the best secretary a pony could ask for.”
“Assistant.” Dagger groaned. He hated when she called him a that and she knew it which is why she did it.
Orion chuckled. “Of come on, I think you like being called that.”Dagger huffed. She glanced at the dragon on her back. “And you know I’m joking. I mean, what would I be without you?”
“Turian.”
“Wha-?” Orion turned around only to see the side of an alien smash into her face. “Ooff!” Even though the Turian’s clothing Orion felt the alien’s hard exoskeleton, it was like running into a wall.  All three toppled over. Orion sat on her haunches. She rubbed her nose. “Owie…” I don’t need another scar across my face. 
Dagger apologized on Orion’s behalf. “I-I’m sorry about my friend sir. She tends to get distracted.”  Orion shot the blue dragon an annoyed look. He shrugged mouthing the word ‘what?’ Orion shook her head. 
He brushed the grime off his trench coat.  “It’s alright-GGAAAhhh!” The Turian leapt to the rail of the bridge and froze.
Orion glanced at Dagger who only shrugged. “Uh…are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yeah.” The Turian replied.
“You sure?”
“Uh-huh.”
The Turian was paying no attention to the pony at all. “You know there’s a naked Asari rubbing up against a flag pole with three snow-ponies dancing around her. Oh now they’re juggling babies! ” Orion lied. Dagger’s face shifted from light blue to deep crimson. Orion couldn’t help but chuckle at him.
“Yep. You too.” the Turian’s only responded. 
Orion rolled her eyes “That must have been an interesting thing over the bridge.” She walked up next to the Turian.
“No, I just ate-what? Oh.” The Turian didn’t move. “Kinda. I don’t want to lose him.” 
Orion peeked over the edge of the bridge. “Lose who?” 
“Keep your head down, Captain.” The Turian hushed. 
“Alright, alright.” Orion blinked. “Wait. How’d you know I was a Captain?”
The Turian pointed at Orion’s coat. “Your attire is standard for off duty Unity ship Captains.” 
“Wow.” Orion blink. “Impressive.”
“Do you see him yet?” 
Orion rolled her eyes and searched the sea of faces below her. Two young ponies were latched to each others’ lips together it looked like they were trying suck their’ souls out, a Turian stallion was playing war with his son, both of them shooting their invisible guns and an old mare was complain to a Volus-alien about her soup: This was a normal day on the Citadel. What was he so keen on watching?  “I give up. Who am I supposed to be looking for?”
“There.” The Turian pointed a hoof at an alien waiting next to an Extra-net information terminal.  The pink tentacle mass ‘stood’ motionless. One wouldn’t even know it was alive were it not for its steady breathing.
“So?” Orion said. “It’s a Hanar. Lookie over there, there’s two more over there.” Orion gestured to two other pink jellyfish aliens nearby.
“Yes, but think. Do you know what’s strange about this one?” Orion shook her head. “Some Captain.”
“Oi!”
“He’s not moving.”At that moment the Hanar began pacing below them. The Turian let out a breath. 
Orion presented a hoof at the ‘suspicious’ Hanar. “There ya go.” 
“Something’s up with that one.” The Turian stepped away from the bridge, finally presenting his face. Like all Turians he had tattoos on his face and mandibles. The strips and Fleur-de-Lis design gave him an attractive, yet dangerous look.  Orion shook her head. No, not attractive. She was with somepony. “Guess I should introduce myself if you two are gonna be helping.”
“Well as you figured out I’m with the Unity: Orion, Captain of the-the…” Orion blinked. “Wait, What?
“Help you?”  Dagger protested. “We don’t even know you.”
The alien glanced at the Hanar again. It hadn’t moved from the area. “Dragon, watch that guy for me. Tell me if he does anything.”
“But-”Dagger began, but the Turian pushed him to the rail of the bridge.
“Thanks.” The Turian turned to face Orion. “Nice to meet you, Captain Orion. I’m Detective Quil’ Fyrr.” He held out his hoof. Orion shook it suspiciously. “I’m a Private investigator down in this part of the Citadel.”
And part-time nutcase. Orion though.
“Also I’m not a crazy person.” Fyrr added.
Orion pulled her hoof back surprised. She blinked. “Huh…I n-never, uh…um-never said that.”
“You were thinking it.” Detective Fyrr said. 
I thought only Asari could read minds! “N-no, No! No. Ppfft! What? No it wasn’t.” Orion waved her hoof. “I-I was thinking…”
“You’re not very good at lying are you?” The detective observed.
“No, she’s not. Ask if she has a boyfriend.” Dagger chuckled at his scowling friend. He quickly turned back to the Hanar. 
“I’m a Detective, remember? It’s my job to notice things like that. And you happen to be easy to read.”
Asshole.
The Detective glanced back at the Hanar. “Like that guy.”
Orion peered down at the pink Hanar.  “So he’s not hyperactive like most Hanar-”
“Like ALL Hanar.” Detective Fyrr corrected. 
“If a Hanar stays still for too long they die.” Dagger reminded Orion.
“Oh yeah….” Orion sighed. “…Yay, Prometheus!”  
“Exactly!” Fyrr bent over the edge of the bridge. “So…what would make a Hanar stay still for so long?”
“Uh…chocolate milk?” Orion suggested. 
The detective glared at Orion. “How are you a Unity Captain?”
“I’m off duty.” Orion deadpanned.  The Hanar paced back and forth. Orion didn’t see anything wrong it that, but the detective obviously wasn’t about to let this go. “Look if it’s such a bother to you I’ll go ask him. Come on Dagger.” Orion left the detective. Dagger scuttled after her.
They were halfway down a flight of stair before Fyrr realized what she had said. “Whoa-wait. What?” Detective Fyrr galloped after the white pony. “You can’t just ask him.”
“Why not?” Orion skipped down the steps. “It’s easy. Watch.” Orion pushed through the crowds until she reached the Hanar.
Orion blinked. She’d never seen a live Hanar close up before. It was truly alien. The glowing pink Hanar stood, not on hooves like the other species, but instead on top of long thin tentacles.  Its semitransparent body gave off a soft light. The Hanar couldn’t have been bigger than a pony’s head. It was much taller though. Orion had to arch her neck just to see the Hanar’s…head…or at least what she thought was the head. “Excuse me?” she addressed a short waving tentacle. The Hanar shuttered before turning around. Orion blushed a bit. She had addressed a Hanar’s tail. She was just gland none of her crew saw that. 
An echoing voice manifested from a mouth-less mound on the body. “Ah, forgive this one. It was simply startled.” 
“I’m sorry.” Orion’s eyes moved across the Hanar’s strange physiology. Where was she supposed to look? Hanars didn’t have a face. They didn’t have anything really. A few fins and flippers of flesh on their body, but no ears, no eyes, no nose. It was like talking to a blob with tentacles.  Orion scolded herself. Don’t think like that. They’re just different. That’s what she would want you to think like. “Is everything alright?” She addressed a long ‘bulge’ where the light was brightest. She prayed to Celestia that it was the head and not something else.
“Oh…well…yes. This one is merely waiting.” The Hanar explained. 
“‘This one’ meaning yourself? Correct?” Like every pony, she had a translation spell cast on her when she was a child so they could understand the different alien languages. But alien dialect still proved a challenge for many ponies and it had been years since Orion had taken the mandatory Xeno-linguistics at the Academy. “What are you waiting for? Is someone coming to see you?” 
The Hanar’s ghost-like voiced whispered. “This one cannot go into further details with a stranger. It does not want to cause trouble for others as well.” 
Detective Fyrr whispered in Orion’s ears. “He’s hiding something. Keep pressing him for info.” 
“Why don’t you do it?” Since when did she become the leader? 
“Because,” Detective Fyrr explained. “I don’t exactly what you would call people skills.” 
“You don’t say?” Dagger scoffed. 
Orion spoke up again. “Why would you cause trouble for others? Or are you the one in trouble?” 
The Hanar’s light began to flicker. “This one..its…This one has its own problems and does not wish to be  burden.”
“Maybe I can help.” Orion suggested. Dagger and the detective glanced at one another. “What’s the problem?”
The Hanar looked around it. “You seem to truly want to give this one aid. Very well, this one will explain its needs.”  It pointed to a small crate next to the Extra-net stand. “This one has need for a delivery. That package must be taken to the lower markets.”
Orion walked over to the crate. It was metal cube with a few buttons and pulsing lights.  She’d been suspicious of the crate when she first noticed it was, but the image on the side confirmed it. An image of a golden box was imprinted on one side. The box was split into three pieces. This ‘crate’ was one of Pandora Weapons and an old model at that. “This is a gun.” Orion place a hoof on the box, careful not to active it.  “A Bloxxine: A gun that collapse into a small box so it can be snuck into places.”
“Yes. This one is to deliver the package to a group of mercenaries.” The Hanar said.  
Orion shuttered. Its voice was so haunting. Hanars were the only aliens that made Orion feel uneasy, Hanars and Batarians (lucky for her Batarians had been banished for years).  She wouldn’t have to worry about meeting those bastards.  
“A weapons’ deal?”  Fyrr shook his head. “Is that it?” he stomped his hoof on the white floor.  “That’s all?”
The Hanar began to flash green. “I-I don’t understand.” The Hanar turned to Orion. “This weapon is modified. That is illegal.” 
Orion nodded, desperately trying to hold her laughter in.  “No. No, you’re right. That is bad. I just though...” Orion turned away.  “It’s fine-well-not fine. It is illegal, but…” She covered her mouth with a hoof. She glanced at Fyrr who didn’t find this situation amusing at all. 
“Who is the delivery for?” Dagger tapped the box. Onion jumped back. But the box didn’t unfold. “You said it was for mercs?”
“That is correct.” The Hanar said.
“But there’s can’t be any mercenaries on the Citadel!” Dagger exclaimed. “C-sec checks-!”
“Checks what? Fake I.D.s?” Fyrr rolled his blues eyes. He lent in close to Dagger. “Lemme tell you a secret that everyone knows: C-sec isn’t very good at their job.” Fyrr turned back to the Hanar. “What was the merc team?”
The Hanar’s voices rouse. “They called themselves the Crimsoned Corrupted.”
“Ya don’t say.” Fyrr put a hoof on his chin. “And when was the drop off supposed to happen?”
“They contacted this one and give it the location of the meeting.” The Hanar said.
Orion walked back to the detective addressing the Hanar. “How much did they offer you? The mercs?” She got a glare from both Dagger and Fyrr. “What?” Oh great, now they think I’m a smuggler! 
The Extra-net console bleeped. The Hanar glided to the screen. “They are ready. This one must go.” The Hanar pressed a button with one of its tentacles. The artificial levitation spell on the package activated the. A sparkling white aura surrounded the silver cubed.  Orion smiled. It was like looking at a shimmering star, if stars were square.
The Hanar waded through the group. “Excuse this one.” 
“Oi!” Orion stepped in front of the Hanar. “I can’t let you just walk into a group of mercs.” She gasped. She had an idea. “Let us do it!”  She heard murmurs from her followers. “No really!”She explained herself.  “Look we keep you safe by delivering the package and arrest illegal mercs on the Citadel! Win-Win!”
Fyrr sat down. “That…might work.” 
“Alright then.” Orion pressed a purple button on the cube. The artificial magic locked onto the pony and followed her. 
“What about the weapon?” Dagger joined Orion’s side. 
“I dunno. Give it C-Sec or Charity or something.” She waved to the Hanar. “We’ll be back in a jiffy.” 
“Are you sure about this?” Detective asked joining Orion by her side.
“Of course.”  Orion flipped her black and golden mane. “What’s the worst that could happen?” She cringed as soon as she spoke. “Oops…can I take that back?”
“Please,” the Hanar begged. “Simply deliver the package to them. Do not interfere anymore than you already have.”
Detective Fyrr studied the faceless alien.  Orion took no notice of it “Don’t worry.” She reassured the Hanar. “Everything will be alright. Trust me.”  She trotted off to the elevator. She tapped the green panel aside the glass door. Nearly instantaneously a clear pod dropped behind the doors.  “I know exactly what I’m doing.” The doors hissed open and Orion hopped inside. The doors shut when all fours legs were safely inside the elevator.  She tapped the down button and she was off.
Dagger and Detective Fyrr patiently waited. A few moments later the elevator rose back up. Orion stepped out wearing a sheepish grin. “Uh….haha….where’s the meeting place again?”  Dagger buried his face in his claws. 
“How are you a Unity Captain?”