A Numbing Effect: A Mass Effect Fanfiction

The Dark Port

The Dark Port, known as the seed of all treachery in the uncharted territories, was a strange craft to be sure. Like Omega, The Dark Port was built with an asteroid at its core, but on top of that, hundreds, if not thousands of space craft of every imaginable description had been anchored to its surface, cut, soldered, and welded to one another until they had lost distinction as independent vessels, their corridors, bridges, and bulkheads forming a twisting labyrinth of steel that seemed only to exemplify the chaos of the Port.

The Dark Port was a home for the worst of renegades, those deemed so vile and demented that not even the pirate port of Omega would have them. This was a place without any sense of stability or structure, where every man took what he wanted and gave nothing in return. A place where the darkest of things flourished.

Most interesting of all was that the Dark Port was no mere space station, it was a ship. The countless engines, maneuvering thrusters, and fuel cells that dotted its surface allowing the hulking structure to drift slowly from system to system, its ever shifting location all the better to protect the privacy of the many wanted men onboard.

It had taken Liara a small fortune to find the place, but as she approached, she could not help the doubting thoughts that crept into her mind. What if she was wrong about this? What if the whole time this had been nothing but a cunning scheme intent on luring her to her doom? That she had been a fool to come here, to risk it all on such a forlorn hope.

But just as quickly as the thoughts arose she pushed them back. She wouldn't give up. She couldn't. Not for Alicia's sake. And not for her own either.

With her resolve once again set she throttled up her shuttle and made her final approach to the location that had been marked on her ships computer. As she drifted closer, her short range scanners lit up, their readings highly unusual.

"Glyph, run the short range scanner across the target vessel again and analyze, I need to be sure of these readings." Murmured Liara, lost in her own thoughts.

"Yes Dr. T'soni... ... ... Scan complete. What information would you like me to relay?"

"What is the designation of the ship?" Snapped Liara hurriedly, her sense of a possible trap higher then ever.

"The derelict ship ahead is of Alliance design, showing extensive turian, salarian, and asari modifications to the hull, weapons, and communications systems. Possible Alliance prototype stealth vessel.

Liara frowned, what would an Alliance stealth ship be doing this far into the uncharted territories? Let alone in this place.

"Additional scans processing..."

"How long till I can view with visual scans Glyph?"

"Seven hundred meters and closing to maximum range for visual scans."

And, as the shadow broker shuttle drew into the fold of the Dark Port, passing through the outermost spurs of its odd construction, there it was. The derelict vessel sitting forlornly at dock, the main decks rent with devastating wounds of war but unmistakable all the same...

"It can't be" murmured Liara, overwhelmed.

"Additional scans complete. Alliance ship. Last known location prior to Alliance official decommissioning was Omega Nebula, Amada System, Fourth Planet, local name Alchera.

Hull and core structures show massive damage consistent with shadow broker records of Collector Particle Beam Technology. Non-operational.

Ship designation SSV Normandy SR-1."