Title: Ship of The Line – Effect 31

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, Star Trek or Mass Effect... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: Bored with how things are going to play out, Janus interferes more directly in Halloween, making things more interesting and changing the course of the entire Galaxy. (Buffy/Star Trek/Mass Effect)

The three Councillors were sitting in the private office of the Asari Councillor as Elayna had the report of the Asari ships that had been dispatched to observe the Quarian Fleet's movement.

"These figures can't be right." The Turian Councillor commented as he looked down the list of damaged and destroyed Quairan ships. "Do we have any reports from anyone else sustaining any losses?"

The Quarians had obviously known they were being watched when they clearly broadcast the list of ships destroyed, and the observing ships could verify the damage to the remaining portions of the Quarian Fleets.

"None." The Salarian Councillor replied.

"Look at the scans." Elayna pointed out. "A number of the ships were barely functioning, and would need months in dock to be safe to fly, let alone combat ready. Notice too that there were no reports on any Section 31 attacks on the Batarians. I think whatever the Quarians were fighting, Section 31 were fighting too, and it's nothing we have ever seen before."

"I don't believe the scan data either." The Turian Councillor continued. "Look at the scans of the Salriats. According to this there are claw marks ripping through five decks. That is impossible."

"You also said a new race that could challenge a race like the Batarians was impossible too." The Salarian Councillor countered.

"I believe the scans." Elayna admitted. "And I believe the casualty report. I think that whatever they fought, is something Section 31 has fought before."

"Let's move on to another matter." The Salarian Councillor said. "One of the Spectres has stopped reporting in and did not complete her last mission. Which other Spectres do we have available to hunt her down?"

The space around The Forge was packed. When fully completed The Forge would have six functioning Space Docks that could each service or build any ship design in the database, which included all of the ship designs for the major races of the Galaxy as well as all standard Starfleet and Section 31 variants. Currently only three of the Space Docks were completed and all three were occupied. One was just hours away from finishing the repairs on the Athena, the least wounded and most easily fixed of the three Section 31 ships, and the other two were in the process of repairing two of the Quarian Heavy Fleet. A number of the Patrol Fleet Vessels had workers in spacesuits crawling over their hulls as they were 'at anchor'.

Inside the control hub of The Forge, there was a meeting going on between the Station Master; the Construction Chief; the Quarian Admirals of the Heavy and Patrol fleets; and Commodore Harris.

"The Quarian need is greater, they should be getting all of the berths." A voice argued

"We need the Section 31 ships done as a priority. They are our greatest asset." Another voice retorted.

"Is anyone else confused?" The Construction Chief added. "Why is Section 31 advocating for the Quarians to be given priority, while the Admiralty is arguing for Section 31."

The Station Master, an Asari, just shrugged at the Construction Chief, a Human.

"For the moment, I think we are good with one berth for Section 31 and two for the Quarians. Berth four should be up and running in two days, barring any problems, and that one will go to the Quarians as well." The Station Master declared. "Aside from anything else, most of the workforce is much more familiar with Mass Effect Technology than Section 31 Technology. All our Section 31 qualified technicians are already working on the Athena. Once she is out of dock, the Artemis will be next in the dock, and again we don't have the crew to work on both her and the Ares at the same time. By the Goddess, you are all lucky this happened now, because we were two days from laying down keels when word of this whole affair came to us, so we held off otherwise we would have had exactly one berth available."

"What about the retrofits of the Quarian vessels we discussed?" Xander asked.

"We'll do what we can, but at this stage getting them space worthy and in fighting condition takes priority." The Construction Chief replied, getting a nod in reply.

"Good, now all of you get out of my office." The Station Master ordered. "Chief, you stay. We need to discuss the zero gravity welding teams."

Faith found herself wandering around Tycho, the main military base where she and most of her group from Boston, except Kate, Nikki and Bobby who had gone to Haven, had ended up. Upon arrival they had met with Commandant Tina Reicher, a petite redheaded human, who led the MACO school, and Lieutenant Commander Miros'Larris, who oversaw the Section 31 Academy Career Placement. The Lieutenant Commander was the first Alien that they had met, from a species call Quarians who lived most of their lives in environmental suits due to their strange immune system, which was well beyond Faith's understanding.

Since that first encounter, the group had met several different species of Aliens. Sexy blue alien women with tentacle like structures on their heads instead of hair. Flat faced and grey skinned aliens who spoke a mile a minute. Armoured and vaguely bird like aliens. A sole alien with four eyes who tried to avoid being noticed and subconsciously deferred to everyone, accompanied by one of the blue women. Aliens with reptilian skin, large black eyes and what appeared to be a gill like structure around their cheeks and neck.

Since that first meeting, they had all, except Helen Shepard, undergoing testing to see where they would be placed. Helen had been put through a range of physical tests to find out her capabilities. That had changed this morning. There had been no assignments, no tests, nothing.

Rounding a corner, Faith was confronted with a crowd moving through the halls. Mostly Human, Quarian and Asari, the blue Alien women, but this was no ordinary crowd. There were stretchers, people walking while leaning on others and the, now familiar to Faith, outfit of Section 31 Medical Personnel. Faith instantly recognised claw wounds, crushed legs and arms and bladed weapon wounds. All the wounds she had seen in her fighting in Boston.

One of the Asari, who had been struggling along on her own, dropped to the ground, so Faith rushed to her side and helped her too her feet. Faith saw that the Asari had claw wounds across her abdomen. Faith supported the Asari, putting the Asari's arm over her own shoulders, as she began walking in the same direction as everyone else was going. Next to her was walking a brunette woman who moved with confidence, supporting a blonde who had lost her left arm.

"What happened?" Faith asked the brunette.

"Everyone knows what happened. Where have you been, under a rock?" the brunette replied.

"Just off the boat from Earth a few days ago. They don't tell us recruits much until we get placed." Faith replied.

"Demonic incursion." The brunette explained. "Hit an Asari colony and we were there to stop it."

"Damn, sounds way worse that what we faced in Boston." Faith mused. "We just had to deal with a Vampire Master, a bunch of demons and bloodsuckers, but nothing like this."

"Welcome to the real war." The brunette replied.

"Colonel Chase! Where are you hurt?" one of the medical staff called to the brunette.

"I'm fine. Take care of Captain Kendall." The Colonel said, handing off the blonde to the medical staff.

Another medical staff member took the Asari off Faith's hands.

"Where do you need me, Colonel?" Faith asked, now free from her patient.

"Follow me. There are more wounded." Colonel Chase ordered.

TBC….