Chapter 158

A/N: The Reapers were buffed to make the war more engaging, though the Ascendency will still wipe the floor with them considering how small the Reaper fleet is compared to the Ascendency as a whole. Also, Sovereign is a Capital class Reaper ship which is why it was able to last so long against Axel's Capital ship.

And according to what I found; the Reaper fleet was around 700-800 ships which would not last long especially with how advanced the other races are getting thanks to Interstellar Enterprises.

So, the war will mainly be the Reapers invading and then the Ascendency having to use MCUs to try and save various species from extinction. The reason MCUs will be used is because of Politics. While Axel is the emperor and head of Ascendency military, he still can't just move Billions or even millions of soldiers from their home galaxy to go and fight in another galaxy because of the politics involved.

But through time, those politicians and such would be persuaded to agree to allow Billions of soldiers to deploy to the Mass effect Galaxy.

———

The first encounter with Sovereign revealed a lot of things and answered a lot of questions that they had. First off, it confirmed and gave them physical evidence of how a Reaper looked. Next it showed them what type of weapons the Reapers used and how powerful they were. Though this was only one Reaper ship compared to the other unknown amount that they had.

The data was taken back to both Atlas Station and Nova which has been labeled as the Secondary Capital of the Ascendency within the Mass effect galaxy. The data was combined with the preexisting information that they had from the Prothean beacon on Eden Prime with the new information that was extracted from the one found in Saren's lab.

Axel had left the Reaper investigations to the other researchers, while he assembled a team of his own to try and gain access to the Reaper network which consisted of all their collective knowledge, operational data and possibly a way to disable them through their network or take control of them. His team was composed of some of the best minds from all around the Ascendency, to include his two sons, Arthur and Andrew.

After being explorers for the two decades, they had looked to other fields of science and was studying a number of fields including Artificial intelligence. Thanks to the Domain, knowledge can be instantly transferred into a person's mind allowing one to have centuries worth of science knowledge stored within their head.

This combined with genetic enhancements have made them highly proficient in their respective fields. Though this was not for everyone, some people didn't have the ability to use the centuries worth of knowledge implanted because of the inherent risk of cognitive overload, which could result in severe psychological issues or other fatal consequences.

The process was tightly regulated, and only those with specific genetic markers indicating high cognitive resilience were selected for such enhancements.

Arthur and Andrew as Axel's sons were eligible for this and had received tons of modern and ancient forerunner knowledge.

As Axel's team delved deeper into the Reaper's network, they encountered layers of encryption and defensive mechanisms unlike any they had seen before. It was a complex matrix of synthetic intelligence far beyond what the Geth had and nearing the same level as what the Ascendency had.

As the weeks passed, each breakthrough revealed more about the Reapers operational protocols, strategic objectives, and small insights into their network.

Arthur focused on infiltrating the communication channels between the Reaper forces, hoping to intercept direct orders or plans. Meanwhile, Andrew concentrated on understanding the Reaper's power sources, theorizing that disrupting their energy flow could cripple them significantly.

Back in the lab, Axel reviewed their findings with his chief scientific advisor, Dr. Elara Mivon. Together, they pieced together a potential weakness in the Reaper's reliance on mass effect fields generated through their indoctrination technology.

"Their control network," Axel said aloud, "relies heavily on these fields not just for controlling indoctrinated subjects but also for intra-network communication and coordination between the Reapers and their indoctrinated subjects."

Dr. Mivon nodded in agreement. "If we can devise a way to interrupt or distort these fields selectively, we might be able to weaken their grip on indoctrinated entities and disrupt their command structure significantly."

Axel leaned forward; his mind filled with possibilities. "We'll need a device... something capable of emitting a disruptive signal tuned precisely to the frequency of the mass effect fields they utilize. If we can integrate this technology aboard our ships and maybe even on portable units for ground forces, we could turn the tide in any direct confrontation with the Reapers."

Dr. Mivon was already sketching ideas onto her datapad. "I'll have the team prioritize this immediately, Sir. We'll start with theoretical models and work towards a prototype as quickly as feasible."

"Good" said Axel as he left the lab, his thoughts were already shifting towards the broader implications of their plan. If successful, this technology could not only defend against Reaper control but potentially also liberate those already under their sway. Unless they were a Husk which was something that they couldn't really change because Husk was created through biological reengineering and cybernetic enhancements that were irreversible. Nonetheless, the potential to save countless lives remained a powerful motivator.

———

On Atlas station, the multi-species research team had studied the battle with the Reaper and compiled extensive reports detailing the combat capability of Sovereign. These reports included analysis of the projectile impacts, Kinetic shield fluctuations, and strategic maneuvers enacted during the skirmish.

As a result, non-classified versions of the reports were made and distributed to the rest of the member species on Atlas Station. This was still a part of the Ascendency's efforts to give the other species an edge over the Reapers should they come into direct conflict with it and start preparing for their arrival.

Some species who at first dismissed the Reapers as a myth had taken the new evidence and started slightly believing in the existence of the Reapers. While other species simply called it some type of new powerful Geth ship that was a part of the recent Geth attacks taking place in the Terminus Systems and parts of the Attican Traverse.

Of the Main 3 Council races, the Asari were starting to believe that there may be a chance that the Reapers exist and have started to work closely with the Research teams on Atlas station to learn more about the so-called Reapers.

———

The Normandy had managed to track down Saren and started to hunt him through the galaxy. Their first encounter, Saren had managed to slip away from Shepard and his team, but the chase had provided critical insights into his movements and possible objectives. Shepard knew that Saren was after something crucial, likely another Prothean artifact that could be pivotal in either controlling or communicating with the Reapers.

Along the way, they had discovered an Asari Matriarch who was working alongside Saren. Her name was Benezia, and she had been deeply indoctrinated by the Reapers' influence. Her Daughter, Liara T'Soni, an expert in Prothean archaeology, was found during one of Shepard's missions.

She was locked up by Saren who wanted was trying to indoctrinate her and use her knowledge of Prothean technology to his advantage. Once safely aboard the Normandy, Liara shared her insights with Shepard and his team. She explained how the Protheans were much more than just another ancient civilization that encountered the Reapers and was harvested.

Shepard and his team were already aware of the information, but Liara brought different insights and clues as she personally studied Prothean artifacts.

Eager to learn more and keep tracking Saren down, Shepard had continued their search across various systems, into the depths of unexplored planets, and through perilous ancient ruins filled with traps and puzzles left by the Protheans. Each location they visited brought them closer to assembling the pieces of a larger puzzle.

Eventually, they tracked down Matriarch Benezia to Noveria and planned to try and capture her alive for interrogation.