The Migrant Fleet
Current Location: The Phoenix Massing
------Migrant Fleet Marine Command------
------Aboard the Venerim, primary Quarian military Dreadnought------The massive ship that comprised a grand amount of the Flotilla's armed forces was buzzing with activity, even more than the rest of the fleet's crowded ships. Marines, intelligence officers, simple soldiers, newly-introduced Mech soldiers, and more roamed it's corridors, cargo bays (of which were implemented into training grounds), and hangars filled to the brim with fighters. The mechs were a new addition, and a rather controversial one at that. When Admiral Rias first suggested the idea with the assistance of Admiral Zorah, most were instantly refusing it; and with good reason. It was an understandable stance, given what got them to this state in the first place.
The Admirals assured that the robots would certainly not have AI implementation in them, nor self-awareness. The Quarians procured blueprints and schematics for LOKI, FENRIS, and YMIR mechs, along with a few designs that the Fleet's engineers conjured up. Of course, their own designs were still going through tests and trails, but the former bot designs had been tried and true. That was what the newly-created and very fledgling Artificial Corps of the Quarian Military was composed of.
In the central command "hub" of the bustling Dreadnought was military command, more specifically the Migrant Fleet Marine command. In this, the usual business went on; but the Marines had no true assignment as of late.
Until now, that was. Through a holographic tablet of sorts in the hands of Rear Admiral Noryl, and the unofficial commander-in-chief of the whole Migrant Fleet Marines, at least below Admiral Rias. Rear Admiral Noryl, her full name being Fia'Noryl nar Tservas vas Venerim, was a woman of esteemed merit. Known for being one of the most dedicated Marines of the Flotilla's life, she had been in them since she returned from Pilgrimage to chose the Venerim as her ship.....bearing a squadron of fighters as her Pilgrimage "gift". Some questions were best left unanswered; but it was a boom beyond comprehension.
In her hands, the holo-tablet continued to flash. It was an alert, an in-depth distress signal originating from a vessel. These usually meant assaults from an outside force, crash landings, or they found something really, really interesting. It was most likely not the latter.
Noryl tapped the tablet once, pulling up the message fully.
>>DISTRESS FROM VESSEL "Quivis"<<
>>SIGNAL ORIGINATES FROM-----<<
>>----STANDBY----<<
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>>AITE --- TYPHON SYSTEM --- PHOENIX MASSING
>>COORDINATES: X: 54.321; Y: 76.553
>>VESSEL DETAILS: MERCHANT CORVETTE, CIVILIAN, QUARIAN IN ORIGIN. DATABASE MATCHES IT WITH FLOTILLA SHIP CENSUS
Noryl sighed audibly; she hated it when ships went down like this. Nine out of ten times, it meant salvaging whatever they could and preparing funeral services for those who were lost. Typically there were few survivors. She knew she couldn't leave it be though; even with these odds. She set the tablet aside, and opened her Omni. The Quarian woman stepped away from the fray of frantic banter the best she could, and spoke into it. It was addressed to Captain Kor'Zalis vas Venerim; a Migrant Fleet Marines captain and squad leader. He had been on numerous operations like this before hand: search, scavenge, and rescue.
On the other line, in a cargo bay training, a silver-suited Captain picked up his Omni-Tool. On it he heard the voice of the Rear Admiral, one of her top commanding officers.
"Zalis, I have an assignment for you."
------Around an hour later------
------In a shuttle, entering the atmosphere of Aite-----
------Squad Khela-7; team of Captain Kor'Zalis------
"Five minutes to shuttle touchdown, Captain." A young shuttle pilot said to Kor as he sat in the back with three other Quarian marines, one holding a Mattock rifle, one armed with an Argus, another with a Tempest SMG. The captain himself armed himself with a Sabre rifle; and all four were armed with Arc Pistols, along with the squad's pilot. One of the male Quarians of the squad, of which sat across from Kor spoke up.
"Captain, what are we looking for? Valuables? Survivors?"
Kor was quick to answer. "Survivors, above all else. Even if a container of pure and refined Eezo is about to catch and burn, take a survivor instead. Eezo can be replaced, lives can't be. Not nearly as easily."
The shuttle flew down closer to the surface, and they broke through the layer of clouds, black columns of smoke came into view. The source lie below; a burning wreckage of a Quarian vessel; a smaller one, but still one of worth. Scavengers of the planet would likely be on their way, or possibly already there, depending on just how long ago the signal was sent out. Luckily, the Flotilla was still in another sector, because a question burned in the Captain's mind; what caused this?