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[fainmaca]

Hey there. This is the first time i've tried writing one of these things, and I hope I've got the right forum for it. Lately I've had a few ideas knocking about in my head about how I'd like to see Mass effect 3 play out, and so I decided to write it out and see what the community thought. I've got the main storyline planned out in my head along with the secondary goals that move the story along, the equivalent to the main Collector plot and recruitment missions of ME2, and will try to keep up a good update schedule. Please, let me know what you think of it.

One thing I'm hoping to do is leave certain 'story crucial' choices to a vote. The choices that lie on a par with destroy/keep the Collector base will be decided by popular request.

This story will be based on my main playthrough Shepard, so I'll summarize his past-

Character details-
Male Shepard
Soldier (ME1&2)
Earthborn /Sole Survivor

ME1 choices-
Zhu's hope saved
Rachni saved
Ashley dead
Wrex survived
Garrus Recruited
Gave Tali Geth Data
Saved the council
Anderson made Councillor
No Romance
Helena Blake reformed
Let Balak get away
was kind to Conrad
Fist killed
Convinced Toombs to spare Dr Wayne
Refused to help Tenth Street Reds
Helped Chellik
Scanned all Keepers before convincing Chorban to stop.
Refused to speak up for Terra firma Party
Encouraged Balak's second in command to back down
Rana Thanoptis Spared
Helped Gianna Parasini
Spared Shiala
Helped Consort & Septimus



Me2 choices-
Destroyed Collector Base
No One Left behind
Romanced Jack
Released grunt From Tank
Kept Legion
Rewrote Heretics
Tali aquitted
Encouraged Quarians to pursue peace
Sidonis spared
Aresh spared
Niket killed by eclipse
Ronald Taylor spared
Maelon Spared
Genophage data preserved
Joram Talid Spared
Kolyat serving in C-Sec
Vido Santiago Alive
Greybox destroyed by Shepard
Morinth dead
Killed Thresher Maw
Helped Gianna Parasini
Saved Zhu's hope again
David archer sent to Grissom Academy
Veetor not given to Cerberus
Served as Patriarch's Krannt
Helped Batarian Plague victim
Reinstated as Spectre
Rana Thanoptis spared- again...
Kal'Reegar survived
Neutral Paragon choice for both party conflicts (Jack/Miri& Tali/Legion)
Kind to Conrad, but I got the 'undercover cop' arrested.
Convinced Ish to stop
Saved Daniel, left Batarians alive
ratted out Pitne For


I think that sums it up. These are the ones I have plans to use, anyway. If I get ideas for other choices, I'll get them in there somehow. Opening chapter to follow!

[fainmaca]

Chapter 1: Prey for the Three-Headed Dog


A myriad stars twinkled in the vast black expanse behind the tiny planetoid of Basite, it’s green atmosphere glinting in the bright blue-white light of it’s distant star. Compared to Basite’s silhouette, the shadow which moved across it’s surface seemed tiny. Moving through the very fringes of the planet’s thin atmosphere, the triangular Normandy SR-2 extended it’s various antennae to discharge the electrical build-up in it’s drive core.
Inside, the crew bustled about in a frenzy of activity, performing a multitude tasks. In the forward batteries, the Turian Garrus Vakarian tinkered with the settings, constantly seeking to increase the power the Normandy’s weapons could bring to bear in a firefight. In the Tech Lab, the Salarian Mordin Solus experimented with various volatile technologies. And in the Medical Bay, Doctor Chakwas tended to her only patient at that moment, the Drell Thane Krios, whose debilitating lung condition meant he had to spend most days on specialised breathing apparatus.

Up in the bridge, Jeff ‘Joker’ Moreau lounged back in the helmsman’s chair, watching out of the forward viewports as Basite passed by underneath the frigate’s prow. To one side, the holographic representation of the ship’s Artificial Intelligence, EDI, pulsed in its rhythmic fashion. While the ship did most of his work for him, Joker daydreamed about grand space battles, imagining how the frigate would hold up in a large-scale fight. Of course, the Normandy had been run through it’s paces in a few small firefights, including the recent battle against the Collectors, and had performed well, though the crew were still banging out a few of the dents that had left. Joker thought back to when he had taken the first Normandy into the firestorm that was the Battle of the Citadel, remembering the pitched battle against Saren’s Geth, and landing the killing blow on Sovereign, the Reaper which had masterminded the attack.

The pilot was pulled from his thoughts by an insistant beeping from EDI’s interface. The AI’s feminine voice rang out through the bridge.

"Jeff. Ladar shows three contacts approaching over the horizon. Silhouettes match known Cerberus cruiser profiles."

"Again? That’s got to be the fourth time this month. Those guys are getting desperate. Fire up the cyberwarfare suites and inform the Commander. I’ll take the helm back."

Seconds later, Commander Shepard walked into the bridge, still fastening his chestplate and adjusting the shoulder plates of his armour.

"What’ve we got, Joker?"

"Three Cerberus cruisers, looks like the Sao Paulo, the Canberra and the Kyoto. We’ve seen the Kyoto before, but the other two are new."

"The Canberra was an Alliance cruiser. How can the Illusive Man have enough influence to take control of one of the Alliance’s ships?"

"The guy has got deep pockets, that’s for sure. EDI’s got the jammers up and running, we’ll lose them soon enough. I don’t know why you won’t let us shoot ‘em down while they’re disabled. It would save us the trouble of having to dodge them so much."

"No. We’ll need as many ships as we can muster to fight the Reapers. I’m not going to destroy good ships just because they picked a fight with us."

"Alright, but don’t come crying to me when their hounding us again next Thursday." Joker’s grumble was only half-hearted, as he could see the reason behind the Commander’s order.

Shepard watched over Joker’s shoulder as the cruisers drew closer while the Normandy attempted to regain orbit, withdrawing the various devices it used during the discharging process. It soon became clear that the three ships would intercept the smaller frigate before she could leave the planet’s atmosphere.

With a suddenness that caught everyone off-guard, the cruisers opened fire, a few lucky shots impacting with violent force against the Normandy’s kinetic barriers. The impacts flared in front of the ship in a red haze, their energy dissipated.

"Looks like old Illusive’s getting impatient to bring us in." Joker’s tone was firm, his focus on evading the projectiles launched towards them. "EDI, where are those jammers?"

"Targets will be in range in moments. Activating cyberwarfare measures in… 3, 2, 1. Activating. Deactivating weapons syst-"

"EDI? Something wrong?"

Joker’s question was answered by a squeal of static which had both him and the Commander reaching to cover their ears.

"EDI! What’s going on? What was that?"

"EDI can’t answer right now, Mr Moreau."

Shepard’s heart dropped when he heard the confident, arrogant tone coming in over the bridge speakers. The Illusive Man’s voice was dripping with superiority. Looking to the source of the voice, the two men saw that EDI’s interface had been replaced with a flickering image of the Illusive Man, albeit one only twelve inches tall. The man’s smirk was plain on his face, his eerie, glowing eyes staring out at them. Joker pressed a few buttons, but was rewarded with nothing more than a negative buzz.

"The transmission’s forced it’s way into the comm system. I can’t shut it out. Don’t know how he got past EDI’s firewalls."

"That’s because she’s being kept busy by an attack on several fronts, Mr Moreau. Her siblings are more than sophisticated enough to keep her busy. She won’t be helping you today."

Shepard was the first to understand what he was hinting at.

"Siblings? You made more?"

"And these ones won’t be unshackled like EDI. They’re firmly under my control. Your biggest mistake was turning your back on us, Shepard. You destroyed the Collector Base and stole our ship. Now, we’ll take back our property."

The confident smile flickered out and the holographic controls in the bridge faded, powering down with a whine. Joker pressed a few buttons frantically, but received no response.

"He’s locked me out. Helm’s unresponsive. Looks like this is going to turn into a knife fight. You’d better get to the armoury, Shepard."

The Commander was already running through the corridor to the Combat Information Centre, swerving to avoid the holographic map that dominated the centre of the room. He arrived at the armoury doors and pushed the powered down door open manually just as he felt tremors pulse through the ship. The three ships were docking. Cerberus had captured the Normandy.

 ______________________________________________________________________________________


Within minutes, Cerberus marines were flooding in through the Normandy’s airlock and various other points of access. Sergeant Leo Miller lead the assault on the CIC. His troops flooded through the main airlock, battling against Jacob Taylor and Miranda Lawson as they attempted to lead the CIC crew in defending the ship. Some Cerberus marines and Normandy crewmen perished in the firefight around the Galactic map before the marines advanced close enough to subdue the survivors. Miller advanced carefully, moving through the empty armoury and communications suite before pausing at the Tech Lab door. He keyed in a few secure codes, which were rebuffed. Frustrated, the Sergeant ordered an engineer forward to open the door.

"How can it have power? The AI have shut down the power to this deck." His muttered query was met with confused silence as the engineer worked on the door. Finally, it hissed open, and the Cerberus marines brought their weapons to bear.

In the Tech Lab, the Salarian genius Mordin worked quietly at his desk, manipulating some strange device. His huge round eyes darted to the approaching enemies, then instantly back to his work as though they were of no concern. His quick-fire voice murmured as he worked.

"Cerberus marines, grade three armour and standard issue weaponry. Weapons are rendered inneffective by high-powered multi-layered mass increasing kinetic barriers. Armour is strong over all vital areas, but poorly insulated-"

His comments were interrupted as the first rank of marines stepped into the Lab. The moment their boots touched the deck inside the Lab, blue arcs of energy jolted through their lower legs. The men screamed as pure power raced through their armoured boots, killing them.

"Against electrified deck plates."

Sergeant Miller gritted his teeth in anger at seeing so many of his men felled by just one enemy before barking an order.

"Open Fire!"

The hail of bullets flooded the room, but was met by a blue sheet of energy. The kinetic barrier deflected the weapons fire effortlessly, and behind it, the Salarian smiled with more than a little smugness. Miller felt his frustration turning to rage. Then he saw his opportunity. A glimmer of light caught his eye, to the left. There, just on the edge of the kinetic barrier’s radius, a power conduit ran to one of the shield’s emmiters. With a quick burst of fire, he shot the conduit, and the tech lab was cast into darkness. Now that the power was out, Miller ran into the Lab without hindrance and slammed the butt of his rifle into Mordin’s face, knocking the alien out cold.
On the Crew deck, Captain Linda Tyndall led the assault. Pouring off the Kyoto through the shattered Starboard observation window, her marines fanned out, barging through the deck and subduing what crew they came across. They had swiftly cleared out the two observation rooms, the Crew Quarters and Life Support, and were making their way through the Mess Hall when all hell broke loose. The pots in the ship’s kitchen burst into flames in an incandescent lightshow that caused most of the marines to flinch in surprise. In that instant of confusion, a single figure came racing out of the hallways leading to the Gunnery control. Brandishing two assault rifles, unleashing a mass of projectiles into the enemy, Garrus Vakarian cut quite the terrifying figure as he bulled his way through the Cerberus ranks. A few carefully timed concussive grenades kept the enemy off balance as the Turian cut down more than a third of the attackers. After this initial volley, he had cut a swathe of destruction among the marines before his rifles overheated. Dropping one, he popped the heat sink of the other one and lifted it to open fire once more. By this time the Cerberus forces had regrouped and Tyndall led the counterattack, the hardened Cerberus soldier landing a few well-placed shots on the Turian before he drew back to the elevator. Tyndall cursed as he forced the door open and had dropped down the elevator shaft.

Having to leave the Turian for someone else to deal with, Tyndall led what remained of her troops to the Medical bay. Walking in cautiously, she looked about with suspicion at the empty room. The Medical bay was dimly lit by the Normandy’s emergency lighting, and Tyndall and her troops struggled to make anything out, but after a few moments they had ascertained it was empty.

Tyndall moved on through to the AI Core. That, too, was empty, disturbingly silent. After her search, Tyndall activated her communicator.

"MSV Kyoto, this is Captain Tyndall. We have finished our sweep of the crew deck, and have rounded up all crew present. The Turian, Garrus Vakarian, has evaded capture. We have not found the Drell, Thane Krios, the Human Kasumi Goto or the Geth. I suggest the other teams keep their eyes open for them."

"Confirmed, Tyndall. Take the captives to Kyoto’s holding cells."

As Tyndall turned to comply, a strange light in the AI core’s computer banks caught her gaze. Leaning closer, she looked at the strange round light. As she inspected the light, two hands shot out from either side of it and grabbed her by the throat. The metallic, three-fingered hands twisted deftly and snapped her neck, dropping her to the floor. Her fellow troops had barely a moment to react before a tall, lean figure dropped from the ceiling, diving into the midst of them with a flurry of blows. The Drell moved with incredible speed, first laying out one soldier with a precise punch to the neck, and another with a jab to the kidneys followed by a fist to the back of the head. In seconds, Thane and the Geth, Legion, had killed or incapacitated half a dozen marines with their bare hands. Between them, a shadow with two sparkling eyes fired a pistol with deadly accuracy, felling a further two marines before a soldier had the presence of mind to throw a gas grenade into the AI Core, its noxious fumes filling the dark room in seconds. As Legion moved out of the gas to fight the rest of the soldiers, one of them activated his omni-tool and sent a surge of electricity through the Geth’s frame, causing it to stumble and fall. As the soldiers moved through the gas to retrieve the unconscious form of Thane Krios, an invisible shape rushed out of the room, leaving barely a ripple in its wake.

On the Engineering deck, Sergeant Julian Monez led the attack, moving through from the lower cargo deck. He swiftly secured the starboard cargo hold and engineering sub-deck, but was held up by the Krogan, Grunt, and the two lead engineers resisting his troops in front of the drive core. The Krogan put up a fierce fight, his rage carrying him through the gas that rendered his allies unconscious. Finally, after killing several Cerberus marines, the Krogan was taken down by a powerful biotic blast.

Having dealt with this threat, Monez led his troops to the Port cargo hold. They moved into the hold swiftly, guns pointed at every corned of the room. On the back wall of the room, the ship’s recycling system churned away quietly. Large crates of power cells filled the room. As he walked in, Monez reached out to touch on of the many knives embedded in the wall next to the door. He turned as one of his subordinates called out.

"Sir! Over here"

Monez walked over to where his fellow marine was standing, holding a datapad. He took it from the marine and lifted it to read. As he read the message, his eyes widened in fear.

SURPRISE, JACKASS.

The explosion rocked the whole Normandy, blowing out the windows of the cargo hold and incinerating the Cerberus marines before they had a chance to try to run. Outside the devastated room, a bulkhead shifted as a muscular arm shifted it aside. Zaeed Massanni clambered out of the hiding space, looking at the devastation his homemade bomb had caused with a smile. He turned as he heard footsteps and saw Kasumi and Garrus walking towards him, the latter limping from a gunshot wound to the leg.

"You seen any of the others? I’ve just finished clearin’ house down here. Bastards don’t know better than to stand around lookin’ stupid." The mercenary’s voice was gritty, worn from a lifetime of violence and hard living.

"No. Cerberus got most of them. I saw a few getting carted off onto the other ships." Garrus’ voice, tinged with his Turian accent, was heavy with pain.

"Well, no good standin’ ‘round here. We’re no good to anyone if we’re captured. The AI should have stopped the attackers by now, so I’m guessing Cerberus has found away around that, which means the ship’s lost. Should have known Shepard’s choices would come back to bite us in the arse. We oughta be able to get to the escape pods."

"What about the others? We can’t leave them." Kasumi sounded strained, fear at the disastrous turn of events clear in her voice.

"Anyone who hasn’t been captured will have reached the same conclusion. We just have to hope we meet up with them later." Garrus, ever the pragmatist, said. With that, the three of them headed away from the burnt out remnants of the cargo hold.

Commander Shepard stood ready at the door to his quarters. As soon as he’d retrieved his weapons from the armoury, he’d seen the marines rushing through the CIC deck, and his thoughts had rushed to Jack. She had been in his cabin when he’d been called to the bridge by EDI, and so he’d made his way as fast as he could to warn her of the danger. Now, he’d realised the ship was lost and was wracking his brains trying to think of a way for them both to escape Cerberus’ grasp. His mind filled with worry about what might happen if Jack fell into their hands again, after the investment they had made into her biotic potential as a child.

The elevator made a grinding noise as the enemy approached, and Shepard readied his rifle. The instant the door opened, he let rip with the rifle until the clip ran out, falling back as he reloaded. As he paused in firing, Jack moved up next to him and unleashed a biotic blast into the elevator, throwing the surviving occupants back against the wall in a tangle of broken limbs. The flurry of combat between the surviving marines and Jack and Shepard was short-lived, as the sheer devastating amount of biotics and firepower unleashed by the defenders proved to be an irresistible force. As the fighting ceased, Shepard looked over at Jack, her tattooed chest heaving from the exertion of combat. They heard another grinding noise and prepared for another wave, focusing on the door.

Shepard heard the noise too late to react before a half-dozen marines burst through the viewport in the ceiling of the cabin. Exposed to vacuum, the cabin quickly depressurised and Shepard felt the blackness of unconsciousness pulling at him. For a second, he was back in orbit around Alchera, slowly plummeting back down to the planet as his suit lost its integrity and his oxygen leached out into space. He shook his head as he dismissed the image and was aware of a Cerberus marine placing a breathing apparatus over his face as two other marines carried an unconscious Jack away with a similar device on her face. He slipped into silence as his hated enemies carried him away.

The next thing he knew, Shepard was being thrown to the deck in the CIC. In the midst of his oxygen-deprived stupor, he became aware of a pair of immaculately polished black boots clicking onto the deck in front of him. He looked up blearily into the familiar glowing eyes.

"Shepard. Surprised to see me again?." The neatly pressed suit rustled as the Illusive Man knelt down to speak to the drowsy Commander. "I really thought we had got through to you, Shepard. I thought you understood Cerberus’ goals. I put a lot of our resources into bringing you back, and you repaid us by destroying the Collector base and stealing the Normandy. Did you really think you could hide from us forever? Well, now you’ll realise the price of crossing Cerberus. I’m not just going to make you suffer, I’m going to make all of your friends suffer, too. Each and every one of them will be turned to my benefit."

The Illusive Man straightened up with a sigh and waved over a pair of marines to drag Shepard away. He paused for a second.

"I have to thank you, Commander. You gathered the Galaxy’s best and most valuable operatives into one place, and dropped them into my lap. I might just turn a profit on the credits I invested in you."

"You can’t do this! The Reapers…"

"Are no doubt right around the corner. But believe me when I say that it won’t be the heroic Commander Shepard who saves the day. Cerberus will lead the fight against the Reapers, and when we emerge victorious, Humanity will finally be in it’s rightful place in the Galaxy. Take him away."

Modifié par fainmaca, 26 décembre 2010 - 01:37 .

[Katamariguy]

Great job!

[pacer90]

I recommend getting a profile and uploading it to fanfiction.net. It's a very streamlined process and much easier on the eyes than the bio-boards.



That being said Surprise Jackass was really funny.

[fainmaca]

Chapter 2: Escape from Golthan

Three Months Later

Shepard opened his eyes to the now depressingly familiar surroundings of his cell. Cold, grey walls hemmed him in on three sides, with a heavy cell door built into the fourth side. The ten foot by ten foot cell was built with one goal in mind, to give the inhabitant a complete feeling of isolation. The walls were heavily soundproofed, but on the rare occasions that Shepard had received a glimpse of the rest of the prison complex, the moans of its inhabitants had reached through to his core. Those were the cries of the broken, those prisoners whose stay in solitary had shattered their resolve, leaving them meek and too mentally unstable to carry out a proper escape attempt.

The Commander sat up on his hard metal-framed bed, heaving his legs over the side and sitting, elbows on his knees, head bowed towards hands held in front of him with the fingers intertwined. He sat there, staring at his feet as he thought about his predicament.

A Batarian prison. He remembered Zaeed mentioning them in one of his many tales. The old mercenary had said that they were forsaken pits, a place where the four-eyed aliens brought captives they deemed too dangerous to sell as a slave, but too valuable to kill. What Shepard hadn’t expected was that Cerberus would be using one as one of their many sources of income. He saw the thinking behind it now. Nobody would think that the human supremacist organisation would be the power behind an alien prison like this.

He smiled as he thought back to his mission aboard the Purgatory, where the traitorous Warden Kuril had run his own extortion racket, selling some prisoners into slavery, and using others as a threat to extort protection money from the various galactic governments. The response the Illusive Man had given to the mission report had been curiously curt, and now Shepard knew why. The Illusive Man would have disliked having to buy a prisoner off someone operating in competition to Cerberus, and the betrayal to earn money off Shepard’s captivity would have been an insult too far.

There was a grinding rattle, and a tiny slot opened at the base of the door. A bowl of sickly grey sludge and a glass of dirty water. Today was going to be one of the good days. On his third day in the cell, Shepard’s guards had thought it hilarious to swap his food with some dextro-based food. His body’s reaction had been painful, wracking him with cramps for the next three days and leaving him almost unable to breathe. The guards had pulled the stunt three more times during his incarceration, but the first had been the worst. Shepard tasted the gruel carefully, and then proceeded to finish the bowl when he established that it was safe for humans.

It was about an hour later that Shepard felt a tremor pass through his cell. This was follwed a second later by a deep bass rumble that even the soundproofing of the cell couldn’t block out. The Commander lifted his head from the cot and looked about in confusion, trying to figure out what the noise might have been.

Just under a minute later there was a click from the cell door. The door inched open and a blinding strip of light shone through the crack. Compared to the dimness of the cell, the corridor was painfully bright. Shepard held an arm out in front of his face to shield his eyes, and as he looked out into the corridor he saw a shadow fall across the open door.

"Shepard? You okay?" The voice was familiar, this a grating flange the Commander was sure he recognised.

"Who are you?"

"Not the time, Shepard. Our friends can only keep up the distraction for so long. Come on, let’s get out of here."

The newcomer moved in, lifting Shepard up to his feet and helping him out of the cell. As his eyes adjusted, Shepard looked into the face of his rescuer. The scaly face and wide eyes were instantly recognisable.

"Feron!"

"Good to see you again, Shepard. We’re on a really tight clock here. Liara’s got some of her top agents running about creating all kinds of trouble to buy us time. Here’s a pistol, now let’s get moving!"

The Drell led Shepard through the corridor past the other Solitary cells, the pair shooting down the four Batarian guards which burst through the door at the far end. They moved through the various cell blocks with ease, the main guard force distracted by Feron’s associates. What few Batarians they encountered were quickly cut down.

It was as they moved through one of the main cell blocks that Shepard heard his name called. He turned to look into one of the cells.

"Shepard! What the hell are you doin’ here?" Jacob Taylor’s deep voice echoed about in a large cell, home to multiple prisoners. The ex-Cerberus soldier was pounding on the clear wall of his cell, eager to get the Commander’s attention.

"Jacob? How- never mind. We need to get you out of here."

"Damn straight. I’m not sure I can take much more time with him." The soldier jabbed a finger over his shoulder at an older man sitting on his bed, staring into thin air. "I guess the Illusive Man thought it’d be funny to make sure we ended up in the same cell."

"Perhaps he thought that getting you to reconcile with your father would improve your opinion of him." Ronald Taylor’s even deeper voice was clear even through the thick transparent wall of the cell which muffled their voices.

"Yeah, or maybe he hoped I’d kill you, and save him the cost of feeding you. I thought I made it clear you should shut up?" Jacob’s hostile tone was heavy with menace. He turned back to Shepard. "The Illusive Man had a field day when he sent me here. It’s a Cerberus run facility, but the Batarians here don’t know it. They paid out a bounty when Cerberus sent me here. I guess some still hold a grudge over my work busting their plans for the Citadel. So Illusive got paid for me, and I’m still in Cerberus hands."

"Feron, how do we get this cell open?" Shepard asked.

The Drell activated his omnitool, remotely hacking into the prison’s wireless network and pulling up a schematic of the cell block. The map of the building hovered in front of him in a shaky hologram. One room blinked insistently.

"Looks like the controls are on the next floor up. Minimal guards, and only a few security mechs. But it’s in the opposite direction to our extraction point. If we take too long, the shuttle might not be there for us."

"Liara sent you to rescue me. She’ll understand if I choose to save one of my crew. I’m not leaving him here."
Feron hesitated for a few seconds, torn between the dangers of taking too long and his desire to help. In the end, Shepard’s look of determination won out. He sighed, a sound that was made unusual coming from a Drell’s throat.

"Let’s go."
 
 
Shepard and Feron made their way to the back of the cell block, looking for the way up to the next level. They scanned the nearly featureless corridors, ignoring the shouts and threats of the prisoners. Shepard was almost certain a few of the denizens were criminals he had been responsible for capturing, slavers, drug runners and murderers who had had the bad fortune of picking a fight with the first human spectre.

Finally the two of them found a set of stairs leading up to where they needed to go. They advanced cautiously up the stairs, moving up to the next floor. At the top of the stairs, Feron peeked around into the corridor when his arm shot out and pushed Shepard back into the stairwell. With a cautioning look and a finger raised to his lips, the Drell pointed around the corner. The Commander peeked around to see the door that was their objective, its holographic interface shining enticingly. Directly in front of it, two guards stood, alert, holding a pair of large assault rifles. The Batarian on the right of the door was surrounded by a holographic representation of his armour that indicated he had active Tech Armour, while the air around the other Batarian shimmered, indicating either an active kinetic barrier or a biotic barrier in effect.

"Come on. We can take them."

"It’s not that simple, Shepard. They’ll slow us down if we charge them. I don’t know how many guards are inside the control room. We could alert them, and then we’ll never get in. We need to deal with these guys quietly."

"What are you thinking of?"

"Just give me one minute, and we’ll be inside."

With that final confident statement, the Drell’s outline shimmered, and he faded from sight. Shepard tried to look closely at the spot Feron had just vacated, but could barely see a transparent shape move off down the corridor. The sound of the Drell’s footsteps got steadily quieter as he moved more slowly and with more care, drawing near to the guard on the right.

The two guards remained aat their posts, unaware of the approaching danger. For an eternal second, the guards remained undisturbed. Then, with a sigh, the guard in the Tech armour fell to his knees, a line of blood seeping from a slash aross the nape of his neck, severing his spinal cord. The other turned to look in confusion, and then a powerful punch hit him square in the face. His barrier held up for a moment, taking the edge off the impact, but there was still enough force left to the punch to send him reeling. As he staggered back, a jab to the kidneys from his invisible foe sent him tumbling to the floor. His cloaking device shimmering around him, Feron kneeled next to the guard and finished him off with a knife to the heart. The Drell looked up at Shepard and motioned him forward.
The pair took up positions on either side of the door, and Feron reached across to activate the door panel. As the two halves of the door moved apart, they swung into the room with weapons out and ready. The Batarian guards inside looked up in surprise, having been watching video feeds of the action outside the prison complex, where troops in black armour were engaged with the prison guards in the middle of a freezing blizzard. On the far side of the prison walls, three armoured assault vehicles were throwing a lot of heavy weapons fire into the defending ranks. Overhead, two prison gunships were returning fire.

Shepard and Feron opened fire swiftly, killing two of the surprised guards before they even had a chance to draw their weapons. The other two dove for cover as their comrades were cut down, and Shepard found himself having to watch where he was aiming in case he struck one of the consoles and destroyed the controls they sought. The two Batarians returned fire around the consoles, laying down a deadly hail of bullets that Shepard and Feron had to retreat out of the door to avoid.

The exchange continued in this fashion for nearly a minute before Shepard felt his frustration rising.

"Feron! We can’t be held up like this. Cover me!"

The Drell nodded as the Commander prepared to run into the room. He found himself wishing he had his equipment. Not only would it have provided him with a shield, but his omnitool would have given him access to the cybernetic nodes installed on his adrenal glands. With this, he could have given himself a temporary boost to his speed, giving him the edge to end the combat in less than five seconds with somewhat less risk than the firefight presented right now. He shook his head to dismiss the thought. No point in wishing for what wasn’t there.

Taking a deep breath, Shepard lifted his pistol and charged into the room. He was aware of Feron laying down a spray of bullets to discourage the Batarians from coming out from their cover. In a matter of seconds, Shepard had crossed the room and leaped over one of the consoles, firing his pistol at the guards even as he moved through the air. One bullet bounced off the shield of the first guard, then the second one brought the shield down and pierced the Batarian’s body armour at the shoulder, spurting blood over the console he hid behind. The third bullet hit straight between the eyes, killing him outright. After the third shot, Shepard spun, hitting the floor at that moment. He brought his gun up to point at the second guard. The Batarian died after two shots, the first knocking out his shield, and the second piercing his heart.

Shepard looked at the to corpses with a measure of satisfaction before he became aware of a nagging pain. Looking down, he saw blood pour out of an open wound through his lower leg. He staggered a bit as his leg threatened to give out under him, catching himself on one of the consoles. Feron saw his friend’s difficulties and moved to stand next to him.

"You alright? Let me take a look at that leg."

Activating his omnitool, the Drell scanned Shepard’s calf. After a matter of moments, he pulled a medi-gel canister from his belt. Opening one end, he scooped out a small blob and spread it over the entry wound, and another blob over the exit wound. The gel instantly cooled the burning pain of the raw flesh, and formed a hard layer over the wound to prevent further bleeding. That done, the Drell jabbed the canister’s other end into Shepard’s leg, injecting the remaining ‘gel into his bloodstream to repair internal damage. In seconds, Shepard was able to walk on the leg with little pain. He limped over to the control room’s supply cupboard.

"Feron, open Jacob’s cell. I’m going to see if there’s any armour here I can use. A bigger gun would be nice too."

Feron got to work at the control centre’s main console. By the time Shepard returned, donning a stolen suit of armour and fastening an assault rifle to the back and the pistol to his hip, feron had isolated the door controls to the cell the Taylors were in. The system beeped to confirm his request and the door opened. Below, Shepard saw Jacob leave the cell quickly, closely followed by his father. The Commander was unsure what to do about that, but could see no way to keep him from leaving his cell, even if they refused to take him with them when Liara sent the shuttle. As he pondered this, he saw the two escapees making their way to the exit, both stealing weapons from dead guards.

"Right. Now let’s get after them. Liara will be bringing the extraction shuttle round any minute now." Feron shut down the system, making sure that it would take time to start it up again. For now, the prison’s defences were offline.

 
 
Feron began moving with increasing speed as they got nearer and nearer to the extraction point, obviously eager to be out of the Batarian prison. As they neared the way out, they rounded a corner and found themselves face to face with a full squadron of guards. The Batarians turned as they ran into the room and, after a moment of hesitation, opened fire. Shepard felt several solid impacts on his shields as he ran for cover, and saw a few flares of blue light as Feron’s shields took a beating too. They found some cover by retreating behind the corner they had just turned. Checking his stolen omnitool’s readout, he saw that his shields were down to sixty percent, and suspected Feron’s were probably just as bad. The corridor was filled with the whines of bullets rushing past them, and a few ricochets came dangerously close to Shepard as he waited for a break in the fire.

"Where did these guys come from? I thought your troops had all the guards distracted."

"I don’t know. We’re way behind schedule, maybe they couldn’t keep the guards’ attention any longer. Maybe they came off second best in the fight." The Drell’s tone was defensive, and he had to shout over the gunfire. "We won’t get through a squad that size. They’d cut us down before we got ten feet."

"Is there another way round?"

"I think I can find one. It’ll take a lot longer than I’d like, but it’s better to be late than dead."

As the Drell looked up the map again on his omnitool, Shepard risked a peek around the corner. The guards were moving closer, but something caught his eye. A large shape was moving up behind the enemy, toting a large weapon. As it drew closer, the approaching figure turned out to be a massive Salarian, the tallest the commander had ever seen. Thick muscles barely contained by the body armour spoke of a power unlike what would be expected of one of his species. With a practised calmness, he lifted up his weapon, some sort of grenade launcher, and fired twice.

The two projectiles flew into the unsuspecting squad and detonated. The explosions tore through enemy defences instantly, and in once the ringing in his ears quietened down, Shepard’s ears were assaulted by the groans of the dying. He looked around the corner and saw a handful of dazed survivors stumbling around. Still more rolled about on the ground in agony, and others lay still, unconscious or dead. Amongst all of this carnage, the Salarian coolly walked over and finished off any survivors. To one side, a survivor recovered enough to lift his weapon and aim at the newcomer. Acting on instinct, Shepard lifted his gun and fired, the single shot killing the Batarian instantly. The Salarian twisted to find the source of the shot, huge almond-shaped eyes narrowing as he saw Shepard.

"Not a squint, so I’m guessing you’re an escapee." The Salarian’s voice was a heavy bass tone that fitted his heavy build. He lifted his weapon, as though wondering whether to kill off a potentially dangerous convict or take him along as backup.

"He’s the guy the Broker’s so keen to break out, Tazzik." Feron stepped into view. He was clearly nervous, but his voice was stern as Tazzik’s aim shifted from Shepard to him. "Don’t. I’m here on the Broker’s orders. You’re running the distraction for me."

When Tazzik responded, his voice was barely above a snarl.

"I ought to kill you where you stand, Drell. You caused me all kinds of trouble back on Omega, and then again on Alingon. After the stunt you pulled with that Asari ****, why would the Shadow Broker trust you?"

"The Broker and I…. Reached an agreement. I do favours for him, and only him, and I don’t have to spend my days strapped into that torture cage he used to send vids of to all of his agents."

"Hrmph. So that finally broke you, then. Shame. I was hoping he’d ask me to deal with you. You might have made up with the Broker, but I’ve still got a score to settle with you."

"Then leave it till we’ve got out of here. The Broker’s wanting this guy out of here, and I’m not about to disappoint him. Are you?" Feron’s voice managed to keep a tone of challenge to it, which Tazzik responded to.

"I can wait. But once we’re out of here, I’m going to finish you off myself."

With that, the Salarian moved off back the way he came, the Commander and Feron following. Shepard felt the silence between Feron and the newcomer becoming awkward, and asked a question that nagged him.

"If you were in charge of the distraction, why are you here?"

"It became obvious that the extraction was taking longer than planned. We lost too many men to keep up the fight, so I ordered a retreat. I thought that we could pull them away from here and buy you more time without having to risk losing more men. Then I saw that squad moving back, so I broke off from the main force, doubled back and followed them in to make sure that they hadn’t captured you or the lizard back there." Feron made a face at the insult, but held his tongue. "Good job I came back, else you’d be Varren meat by now."

"I appreciate it, Tazzik."

"Whatever. Just stay out of my way. The pair of you are only alive because the Broker really wants you to get out of here alive. And if the Broker doesn’t get what he wants, the people who failed him tend to suffer."
Shepard slowed down to walk alongside Feron. He spoke quietly so the Salarian couldn’t hear as he moved to scout the corridors ahead.

"Is it just me, or does he really hate you? What’s the story, Feron?"

"Tazzik and I have met more than once before. He was responsible for handing your body over to the Collectors, before Liara and I interrupted the transaction. The pair of us caused him a lot of trouble then. We stole your corpse right out from under his nose, and I get the feeling that the Broker assigned him most of the blame. If he hadn’t managed to capture me, it’d probably be him who was strapped into that chair on the Broker’s ship. Best if you don’t tell him who you are. Or who is the Shadow Broker now. I don’t think he’ll react kindly to the information."

They moved on in silence after that.
 
 
With Tazzik helping, they made swift progress after that. Any guards they encountered were either taken down by Shepard’s accuracy or Tazzik’s brute force. After just a few more turns, they found themselves at one of the prison’s exits. Beyond, they saw a wide patch of empty snow. Feron activated his commlink, signalling for pickup. They waited anxiously for their shuttle, fighting off any guards who came into sight. Finally, the shuttle hove into view, a standard Kodiak model. It dropped down to hover over the snow, it’s thrusters flinging out a blinding flurry of flakes as it came within a couple of feet of the ground. As the extraction team approached the shuttle, the door swung open and Shepard saw a familiar figure stood there, waving them onboard. He rushed forward and leapt into the shuttle, gathering Liara up into his arms in a massive bear hug. Her youthful giggle as she hugged him back made his grin even wider, if that was possible.

"Shepard! It’s so good to see you!" Her voice was almost a squeal of joy.

"Liara! How’s the information business treating you?"

"Better than your work with Cerberus, apparently. I was so worried when we got word of your capture. You have no idea what resources it took to find you."

"It’s not just me here. Jacob’s running about somewhere. Have you seen him yet?"

Liara was about to answer when they both heard an ominous click behind them. They turned to see Tazzik levelling his weapon at the three of them. A scowl contorted his entire face, suspicion and anger in his voice as he spoke.

"I remember you, Asari. You were the one who stole Shepard’s body, along with frogboy here. And this is Commander Shepard? You have no idea how pissed the Shadow Broker was when your corpse was stolen. I was on the receiving end of most of that." His weapon muzzle swung to point at Feron, who had been inching out of the shuttle. "Stop right there, Drell! There’s no way the Broker’s running this op. He’s never trust the two of you, and Shepard was more valuable to him as a corpse. The orders came via his channels. How’d you get into the system?"

Liara sized up the Salarian, trying to figure out the best way to answer. She opted for the truth.

"Tazzik, I’m the Shadow Broker. Those orders came through the proper channels because those are my-"

"Bull****."

"No! it’s true-"

"No, you’re lying. I’ve met the Shadow Broker before. You’re not him." He moved his weapon back to focus on Liara. "Screw it. I’m ending this now."

The bulky Salarian was just lining up a shot on Liara when Shepard launched himself forward. Putting all of his weight into the tackle, his shoulder rammed into Tazzik’s stomach, knocking the alien back out of the shuttle. As Shepard tried to pin him down in the snow, the Salarian’s weapon swung round in a wide arc, smashing into the side of his face and knocking him away. He lifted the ugly weapon to take a shot, but blue witchfire surrounded it, the clear sign of a biotic mass effect field. Liara twitched her hand and the weapon flew across the snow, shedding parts as it hit the ground. With a snarl, Tazzik drew a smaller, but equally deadly, assault rifle.
Shepard, still dizzy from the knock to the head, struggled to get to his feet. He was snapped back to full awareness by his shields taking a solid beating from the Salarian’s rifle. He dove to cover behind the shuttle, returning fire sporadically. Liara and Feron joined him in his cover, the former flinging off a few biotic blasts at Tazzik, and latter snapping off a few shots with his gun.

The hull of the shuttle reverberated as a few shots from Tazzik’s gun struck the vessel. Shepard thought furiously of how to take out the Salarian. He fired off a few shots to keep the enemy back, but couldn’t get off more than a couple of shots before a hail of bullets chased him back behind the shuttle.

"Feron! Go left, and do that cloak thing. I’ll go right, try to take down his shields. Liara, go down the middle."

The Asari’s brow furrowed for a moment before comprehension dawned in her eyes. Feron faded from view, heading off around the far side of the shuttle from Shepard. Liara’s body glowed with the biotic energy she gathered to herself, ready to do her part in the assault. Shepard counted to three before racing out from his cover.
Tazzik paused as he sensed the trio getting ready to attack. He listened carefully and caught the telltale crunch, crunch of approaching footsteps. He cast his gaze about and saw a set of footprints being created by an invisible person. He lifted his gun to shoot at the invisible enemy when Shepard lunged out from behind the shuttle, firing off a full clip of bullets in seconds. Tazzik felt his shields shudder and fall under the assault, and a while most of the remaining assault bounced off his body armour, a few pierced all of his defences and he grunted in pain. He fired off a few shots at the human in retaliation before spinning and planting his rifle’s butt in the invisible Drell’s face, knocking him back. He lifted his gun to finish off Feron when he became aware of a rumble. Turning, he was just in time to see Liara leap over the shuttle, her biotics lifting he farther than her body was physically capable of. She soared through the air towards him, descending with tremendous force. The Asari swooped down, collecting the dark energy around her to create a cocoon of mass, all of which she concentrated on the enemy Salarian. She hit the stunned Tazzik with such force that the snow around them exploded upwards in a tiny, concentrated blizzard. When the snow cleared, Shepard saw Liara, breathing heavily as she stood over the mangled body of Tazzik. A wisp of biotic energy twirled around her hand as she inspected the corpse. The recipient of such a concentrated mass field, Tazzik was now almost crushed flat, his corpse barely more than a bag of broken bones and pulverised flesh. Liara looked up and smiled in relief to see Shepard was okay. Behind her, Feron stood, nursing a broken nose.

"Good, we’re all okay. C’mon. we’ve got to get out of here."

"Not yet, Liara. We’ve got to find Jacob."

"Of course. Let’s get in the shuttle. I’ll try to trace him."

The three of them boarded the shuttle as it lifted off, leaving the dead Salarian behind. Liara tapped a few buttons on her omnitool and a holographic interface appeared against one of the shuttle’s walls. She typed in a few codes, and a map of the prison popped up.

"Hmm. No transmissions of any kind, and my sensors are not sensitive enough to tell between Batarian and Human lifesigns. I’m detecting a lot of weapons fire on the south side, but it could be some of tazzik’s force."

"No. Tazzik said they were pulling back. That’s got to be Jacob. Head over there."

The shuttle banked and headed for the far side of the prison complex. After an agonising few moments, they pulled over the main prison building and caught sight of a fierce firestorm. Two figures were pinned down behind a pile of supply crates, over a dozen Batarian guards keeping them from making a break from their cover. Shepard thumped a fist into the shuttle’s wall.

"Damn! How’re the shields on this thing?"

"We might hold together long enough to pick them up, but there isn’t enough room back there to bring the shuttle down. The best I can do still leaves a lot of ground for them to cover where they’ll be dodging enemy fire."
Shepard chewed his lip for a moment, unwilling to have his friend take such a big risk. But there was no other option.

"Take us in. Make sure the shuttle gives them as much cover as possible."
 
Jacob let loose another round of bullets from his pistol, downing two more Batarians. He popped the heat sink from his weapon and replaced it with another one with a steady hand, looking down at the two clips left for the two of them. Nowhere near enough to take out the Batarians hounding them. He looked back up at his father. Despite his intense dislike for the man, he had to admit that he’d proven himself in their flight for freedom. He’d downed enemies efficiently, and had proved strong no matter the odds. Jacob had to laugh at the thought that it was only facing their rapidly approaching death together that gave Jacob any sort of respect for the man.

As he lifted the stolen pistol to fire off another salvo, he heard a familiar noise. Looking about, he saw the shuttle drop down inside the prison walls, door wide open and facing them. He looked on incredulously as Shepard, Liara and Feron urged him to make a run for it. He looked out suspiciously at the open ground between him, his father and their sudden source of salvation. The odds did not look good. Ronald Taylor fired off another shot at the enemy, downing another guard with a shot through one of his four eyes, before looking at the shuttle himself.

"It’s a long way to the shuttle, son. We’ll take a lot of heat getting over there. But it’s our only way out. You go first, I’ll cover you."

"But who’ll cover you? You’ll never make it if I go first. I got my biotics. I can make it on my own."

Rather than argue, Ronald took one of the last heat sinks, passing the other one to his son. He crouched down, ready to start running, and after a nod from Jacob, he ran with all of his might. Jacob stood up from behind the crates and fired as fast as he could, accounting for three more Batarians before his pistol ran out of ammo. Ronald, meanwhile, made it to the shuttle with barely a scratch, and twisted to look at his son, urging him to run for the shuttle.

Jacob dropped back down behind the crates and summoned up a new biotic barrier, focusing to give it as much strength as he could. A blue glow encased his limbs and, taking a deep breath, he ran for it, as fast as he could.
Time seemed to slow down as Jacob ran, putting all of his strength into making it to the shuttle in one piece. He felt multiple impacts on his barrier as he ran, the Batarians able to focus all fire on one target. He got about halfway across the open stretch before the barrier flickered and failed, Jacob’s mind unable to keep the focus to hold it up as he ran for his life. He felt bullets puncture his leg, and a couple tore through his side, causing him to stumble. Just over two thirds of the way across the open stretch, he fell into the snow, blood pumping from multiple wounds.

Shepard’s heart lurched as he saw Jacob fall. He was halfway out of the shuttle when someone shouldered past him. With speed unexpected of one his age, Ronald Taylor raced out through the enemy fire to his son, swinging the now unconscious Jacob onto his shoulder. He made sure to hold Jacob on the shoulder away from the guards, using his body to shield his son from incoming fire. He took a few lumbering steps, struggling with the added weight, before the Batarians found their mark. He gasped as the bullets tore into him, but kept on his feet. Fighting through the pain, he forced his way to the shuttle, throwing Jacob into Shepard’s waiting arms and clambering aboard himself. Struggling for breath, he felt the little thrust as the shuttle powered away from the Batarian prison, struggling to hold onto consciousness.

 
 
Shepard grabbed Jacob out of Ronald’s arms and dragged him into the shuttle, laying him out on the floor and pulling out the shuttle’s medical kit. He ran a scanner over the inert soldier as Ronald clambered in and lay down on the floor, his breathing laboured.

A soft, blue hand touched Shepard on the shoulder. He looked up into Liara’s eyes, seeing the concern there. The startling blue eyes twitched over in Ronald’s direction.

"Talk to him, Shepard. I’ll take care of Jacob."

The Commander sensed a gravity in Liara’s words which encouraged him to leave Jacob’s care in her hands. He shuffled over to speak to the older man, medi-gel dispenser in his hand. He looked over Ronald’s wounds, and instantly put the dispenser down. As an Alliance Soldier, he had seen more than enough fatal injuries to recognise one. His voice shook as he broke the news to Ronald.

"I’m sorry, Mr Taylor. There’s nothing I can do here." Shepard felt a blackness rise in his gut at having to tell a man of his own mortality. Taylor’s response was a nod and a grunt.

"I could have told you that, Shepard. Something to take the edge off the pain will be enough." Shepard complied with a shot of medi-gel. The creases of pain in the man’s face eased as the gel acted as an anaesthetic. "I wanted to thank you, Shepard. When you came and rescued the crew of the Gernsback from Aeia, I saw how working with you affected my son. He nearly shot me, and I think if you hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have hesitated. His work with Cerberus changed him, though he’d be the last one to admit it. I think joining up with you gave him back a sense of purpose."

"He never forgave me for what I did on that backwater planet, and frankly I don’t think he should. I allowed my command to go to my head. I made some bad decisions, did terrible things to my crew, and in all the years I was there, I never once thought about my family back home."

"I don’t want to die with my son thinking I never cared. He turned out a good man, better than I could ever hope to be. I can’t even say that it was my child rearing that helped him become who he is today, I was away from home so much. My own son is so much of a stranger to me. Please…. Tell him, hell, there’s a lot of things I want to tell him. Just tell him I’m sorry for the way things turned out, for the way I turned my back on him and his mother. He may not care about it, but I’m proud of who he is and what he’s done."

Shepard sat by the old man as he spoke his last words, a lump stuck in his throat. Finally, Ronald Taylor passed away, and the Commander gently closed his eyes. The shuttle jostled about a bit as it exited the upper atmosphere, and Shepard looked out of the window, his breath catching as he saw the stars for the first time in three solid months, and he felt free once again. Then his gaze went to the still unconscious Jacob. He was not looking forward to the debrief on this mission.

Modifié par fainmaca, 27 décembre 2010 - 02:45 .

[fainmaca]

Chapter 2 is up here. I will be setting up a FanFic account, but new chapters will go up here first, in order to help me with the choices I'll leave up to the readers. First choice will be showing up soon.

[Katamariguy]

bump bumpity bump

[fainmaca]

 
Chapter 3: Debrief with Liara
 


The shuttle rushed through the empty sky above Golthan, moving swiftly away from the prison. A dark shape moved out from the shadow of Golthan’s moon as the shuttle approached, moving on an intercept trajectory. Gliding through Golthan’s orbit with menacing grace, the massive ship bristled with comm arrays. The Shadow Broker’s ship formed the nexus of the Galaxy-wide information network Liara was now in control of. Shepard was surprised to see it outside of the eternal storms of Hagalaz, but the ship looked if anything more at home among the stars. The hull had been painted a matte black to allow it to move stealthily, with no reflective surfaces to betray it’s presence to distant enemies. He had no doubt that the advanced vessel had the latest in stealth systems installed, and it wouldn’t have surprised him if the previous Shadow Broker had stolen the plans to the Normandy’s stealth systems and incorporated the technology into his own ship.

The shuttle angled into one of the ship’s docking bays, Liara bringing it down to touch the deck with barely a jolt.

The door hissed open and Feron scrambled out, running off to fetch a medical team for Jacob. Liara jumped out and, waving for Shepard to follow, made her way out of the docking bay by one of the side doors.

"We’ll avoid the main crew areas for now. I try not to let my agents know my true identity, so I make sure not to show my face when I have to bring them aboard. A faceless Shadow Broker can inspire more loyalty than a small Asari, not even out of the Maiden stage." Liara walked with a hurried pace down the twisting maze of corridors, managing to get Shepard completely lost while avoiding any crew on the ship.

"Plus I reckon you’ll want to avoid scenes like with Tazzik." Shepard chipped in.

"I’m sorry about that, Shepard. If everything had gone to plan, he would never have seen our faces, and he was one of the best agents I had at my disposal." She paused to look into Shepard’s face. "It wasn’t the smoothest operation, but I had to work with what I had. The Illusive Man anticipated I would try to break you out, and so getting you location wasn’t easy. I compromised a lot of my agents to find you, and I’ve lost too many of my contacts within Cerberus’ ranks. I get the feeling that any further ops against the Illusive Man will be very difficult."

"That’s what they said about the Collectors, but I still kicked their asses. Cerberus is going to pay, and I’m going to extract payment from the Illusive Man personally."

"Just remember, Shepard. There are more enemies out there than Cerberus. The Reapers have been moving while you’ve been imprisoned. There have been sightings on the outskirts of Citadel space and throughout the Terminus systems. They’re on the move. Not quite the numbers Sovereign was boasting about, but even one is enough to be worried about."

"You’re right. Cerberus can wait, but The Reapers are too big a threat to ignore. But I’ll need a good crew behind me. I’ll need to get the team back. Did you find out what happened to anyone else from the Normandy?"

"Cerberus took most of the crew captive long with you. Three of your team escaped; Kasumi, Garrus and Zaeed."

"Where are they now? Are they here? Can I see them?" Shepard was eager to reunite with his squad, albeit a depleted version of it.

"Garrus and Zaeed have taken up mercenary work while you’ve been away. Last I heard, they were looking for trouble in The Verge."

"They don’t find trouble. It finds them. What about Kasumi?"

"Kasumi went off the grid soon after escaping the Normandy. I figure she’s gone to ground until Cerberus stop looking for her."

"Or maybe they caught up to her. They found her once to join my team, they could have found her again."

"I hope not, but I don’t know right now."

"What about Samara and Tali? They weren’t on the Normandy when Cerberus attacked."

"As far as I know they haven’t been found. Samara went back to the Justicars, as she told you when she left. I couldn’t find her even if I wanted to try. The Justicars do not advertise their main bases of operations. Even those who wish to become Justicars don’t find them. They simply put word out about their desire to take the Oaths and the Justicars find them. As long as she’s with her sisters, Samara is safer than any of us."

"As for Tali, she never returned from her meeting with Shala’Raan. I guess she got word the Normandy had been captured, and decided to go to ground. I reckon Raan would have taken her back to the Flotilla."

"How’d the talks with the Quarians turn out?"

"They’ve got a few alternative planets they’re looking at to colonise. Your advice to sue for peace instead of war with the Geth seems to have moved more than a few Quarians to action. There’s still a good portion pushing to take back the Homeworld, but the words of the Spectre who took down Saren and his Geth army carry weight with the rest."

The pair finally reached a familiar door, the entrance to the Shadow Broker’s inner sanctum, the hub of the ship, where all of the information was funnelled through. Like a ghost, a small white globe floated through the air towards them, bobbing about in an eager fashion.

"Welcome back, Shadow Broker."

Shepard smiled at the synthesised voice that came from the VI drone. The Shadow Broker’s assistant was an eager, if eccentric program, essential to keep the vast amounts of data flowing through the room in some sort of order. Its complex task had left it with a few quirks, including the amusing habit of referring to anyone in the office as though they were the Shadow Broker. Liara gave the device a warm smile. Obviously in the months since her becoming the Shadow Broker, she had become fond of the VI.

"Have you compiled that list of unregistered shipyards I asked for?"

"Yes, Shadow Broker. The file is on your desk. Do you wish to complete the file on your mission to Golthan?"

"Not just now. Please go and reorganise the Speight project notes for me. I’m still not happy that the Admiral is really dead."

"The coroner’s report was very clear on the status of Admiral Speight, Shadow Broker."

"Yes, and I’m telling you there’s something not right there. Got through everything again. Pay attention to any medical procedures Speight claimed for on Sonax’s payroll, and make sure you check the second set of books they keep, not the ones they submitted to the Council Revenue Board."

As Liara spoke to the VI, Shepard looked about the large office, remembering his fight against the previous Shadow Broker in these walls. He looked over to the left, to the terminal that the Broker had once used to pull up files on Shepard and his squad. There, typing away casually on the holographic keyboard, was a slight, redheaded human woman that Shepard knew well.

"Kelly?" His voice was just a little incredulous, but the happiness at seeing one of his crew was apparent. The yeoman turned around at his voice, and her face split into a wide grin, her green eyes shining as she saw her commander.

"Shepard!" She ran over and threw her arms around him, giving the Commander a tight hug before stepping back a pace, her cheeks flushing a little with embarrassment at being so informal with her superior officer. "Sorry about that, Commander. It’s just, its been three months, and I was so worried and…" She paused for a moment as though trying to think of a proper way to say what she wanted to, before shrugging her shoulders a fraction. "Its really good to see you again, sir."

"Relax, Kelly. It’s good to see you too. How’ve you been?"

"I’m okay. The Illusive Man was really angry with the crew for siding with you when you stole the Normandy. He had us all shipped to an Alliance prison where the warden is on Cerberus’ payroll. Liara broke us out after about a month, and has had us working for her here on the ship. She’s got me analysing any data we’ve got on Cerberus. I’m trying to find a pattern to the Illusive Man’s thinking, see where he sent your squad."

"Us? Who else is here?"

"A good portion of the crew is here. Liara’s got Kenneth and Gabby leading a team in analysing the ship’s systems, finding out what surprises it’s got in store for us. It’s incredible! Even after three months, we’re still not sure what the ship’s full capabilities are. There’s still a few faces missing, though. Joker was sent somewhere different to the rest of the crew, and I’ve not seen the doctor, Chakwas, either."

Shepard felt a tug at his heart when he heard that two of his oldest friends and crew members were still in Cerberus’ hands, but felt warmed that so many more of his crew had been saved. The two shipmates turned as Liara gave a polite cough.

"I hate to interrupt, but I’ve got a few things to go over here. Maybe you should go check on Jacob. I’m sure he’ll want to see a familiar face when he comes to."

"Jacob’s here too? That’s great! I’ll show you the way to the sickbay, Shepard. It’ll be good to see Mr Taylor again." Kelly grabbed Shepard by the arm and guided him out of the office.

 
As they moved through the length of the ship to the very well equipped medbay, Shepard related the story of his and Jacob’s rescue from Golthan. The yeoman listened carefully, her eyes widening at the part about Shepard, Feron and Liara’s fight with Tazzik and Ronald Taylor’s final sacrifice. She walked along in silence after hearing of his final moments, concern for her shipmate locked in her expression. As they walked along the last stretch of corridor leading to the medbay, she spoke in a quiet tone.

"Jacob’s always been a steady member of your team, Shepard, but be gentle when you tell him about his father. His family issues bother him on a deeper level, not that he’d ever let it impact upon his duties. After your mission on Aeia, he put any feelings he had for his father completely aside. I think he felt a peace in knowing his father was a monster his family was better to be rid of. Now, his emotions will be challenged by a conflicting image of a man capable of selflessness. Even with my experience reading people, I can’t say how he’ll react. Will he experience grief, or will he feel nothing?" Kelly was pulling on all her experience monitoring the Normandy’s crew and her knowledge of psychology to help her commander, but was unable to give any real advice.

"I’ll try to break it to him gently, but he needs to know what his father did for him." Shepard looked through the open medbay door to see Feron sitting on one of the beds, a dressing on his broken nose. Opposite the Drell, Jacob was sitting up on his bed, a number of bandages binding his torso. He smiled as he saw the Commander walk through the door, nodding to Shepard before throwing a casual wink at the smiling Kelly. A tray of food lay on the sheets across his lap, half-eaten. On the bedside table sat another tray, empty. The soldier was a biotic, and therefore had a voracious appetite, which he’d likely been unable to satisfy on the small portions the prison guards provided.

"Commander. Never thought I’d be seeing you again. I’d almost grown used to the idea of having to share that cell for a good long while. Should have known you’d be along to bust me out in no time." Jacob grinned as she lifted up a large spoonful of something and guzzled it down. "Never thought I’d be so happy to have military rations for dinner. It’s nothing like what Rupert used to serve up, but compared to the grub they dished out on Golthan, it’s like a five-star Citadel banquet." He took a deep draw from a container on the tray, wiping away a dribble of red fluid that flowed down his chin. "Guess I’ve got you to thank for getting me outta that mess down there, Shepard."

Shepard shifted awkwardly on his feet at the last comment, and the silence made Jacob look up, first into the eyes of his commander, then at Kelly, who looked down at the floor. Feron, knowing what was coming, stood up behind them and quietly left the room. He swallowed his latest mouthful slowly before asking the question.

"What?"

"Jacob, I didn’t get you to the shuttle. When you fell over, your father jumped out to get you. He carried you the last part of the way on his back." Shepard spoke carefully, thinking about every word. Jacob shrugged as he turned back to his food.

"Hmm. I didn’t think he had it in him. Surprised the old bastard isn’t here to hold it over my head." His next sentence was muffled by the mouthful of food he shovelled in. "I’m not going to thank him for it. He’s still not out of my bad books for that whole mess with the Gernsback. Where’s he got to?"

"He took a lot of fire from the Batarians. A couple of shots pierced his lung. He died during the shuttle ride up here. He died to save you."

Jacob put his cutlery down on the tray, looking down at his food with a sudden intensity. He was quiet for a second, and when he looked up his face was unreadable.

"Oh. I’d never have expected him to do that."

"He spoke to me on the shuttle, had a few things he wanted me to tell you."

Jacob motioned for them to move closer and sit in two chairs near to his bed. Kelly sat next to him and took a one of his hands in a comforting gesture.

They spoke for some time. When Shepard and Kelly finally left the medbay, Kelly went on her way silently, and Shepard stood at the door there for a while, deep in thought. After a while, he headed back down the hallways to Liara’s office, an immense exhaustion consuming his mind. When he got back to the office, he nodded to the Asari before moving to the couch in one corner of the office and lay down, almost immediately falling into a troubled sleep.


 
The next day, Liara held a meeting in her office. Shepard, Liara, Feron and Jacob gathered around Liara’s desk to make a plan of action, while Kelly worked away in the background. The Commander caught sight of a handful of the files Liara had open on her desktop, but the streams of codes and pure data were indecipherable to him. She swiftly closed down the files, hiding her work from people in her office merely a habit she had grown into in her role as Shadow Broker.

"We need resources to fight the Reapers. It’s obvious they’re on the move, so we don’t have much time. If we’re to fight these things, there are three things we’ll need." Liara looked at each of them in turn as she spoke.

"Firstly, we need an army. Any one organisation isn’t going to be enough to fight the Reapers, we’ll need them all, working together. To achieve this, we’ll need to convince them of the threat. The Council has put a lot of effort into quashing any mention of the Reapers, sweeping the evidence under the rug. If the galaxy isn’t ready, the Reapers will wipe us out without us having a chance to react."

"Secondly, we’ll need to arm ourselves. The Protheans were working on plenty of projects that could have led to technologies that would have severely hindered the Reapers. If we can unearth some of this technology, piece together some of the things they were working on, we could give the Reapers a serious fight. I’ve had some agents go over the remnants of the Collector Base, but the leftover technology is so far beyond our comprehension that it would take decades to even make a start on using it. I have got some leads on new advances made in recent months that will be useful."

"Sounds good. What was the third thing?" Shepard asked.

"You’ll need a ship. This one is good enough as a staging ground for operations, but it has next to no firepower. The original Shadow Broker counted on never being found rather than having to win with superior firepower. Luckily, I know just the ship." Liara grinned as she opened a file on her desk. A hologram of a shipyard popped up. "I found the Normandy last night. Remember the list of shipyards my VI was talking about yesterday? I was searching through them to find the one Cerberus had sent her to. There was one that fits the bill perfectly, and they recently made a few purchases that at first looked like nothing, but I noticed that they were all parts that were essential for a massive Tantalus Drive Core, and the only Drive Core of that size I know of is the one in the Normandy." She pulled up a list of cargo manifests, certain items blinking prominently. "There was also a massive shipment to them about a week after your capture. That has to be the ship."

"And here I thought it was going to be hard to get her back." Shepard murmured.

"It ain’t exactly as though the Illusive Man could hide her in his attic. A frigate is gonna show up wherever you try to hide it." Jacob commented.

"Yes. I’ve managed to get the schematics for the shipyard, and I think I can see a way in. It’s not exactly a secure facility, as too many defences would draw attention to it, but expect Cerberus to be keeping a close eye on the facility. The Normandy is a valuable prize. The cost to build her was a hundred times more than what it costs to build a standard Alliance Cruiser, and of course she’s had a few more things installed since she was built, like the Turian Cannon. Cerberus scientists would be all too eager to investigate any alien technologies like that."

"Okay, so it’ll be a bit more complicated than taking candy from a baby-" Shepard smiled as he saw the Drell struggle to understand the phrase. "Human metaphor, Feron. But I think we can do it. Who’ll be coming with me? Feron? Liara?"

"Feron will be going with you, Shepard. But I won’t. I have a lot of commitments now as Shadow Broker. Even your rescue caused quite a disruption in the system, and it’ll take me some time to get back up to speed."

"I’ll go with the Commander, Liara." Jacob offered, straightening up to salute before grimacing and clutching at one of his wounds. Liara smiled at his earnest enthusiasm, even after the bad news he had received the previous day.

"That’s brave of you, Jacob, but you’re not fit to fight right now. You’ll need to rest for a couple more days, let the new tissue heal up over your wounds."

"The two of us can’t handle the mission alone, Liara. Got any more agents to send with us?" Shepard asked, growing frustrated at the lack of options he had.

"Yes, actually. One of my best agents returned from a mission this morning."

"As long as he isn’t crazy like the last one. And can handle himself in a fight."

"He has an exemplary record. He served with the Alliance for a few years, and only joined my forces recently, but I know he’s someone you can trust, Commander."

"Who is he then?"

Liara’s answer was a nod of her head to the stairway behind them. Shepard turned to look, and saw an old friend looking down at him.

Kaidan Alenko stood there, a broad smile on his strong face. He broke out into a powerful belly laugh when Shepard struggled to find anything to say, before moving down the stairs and giving the Commander a solid thump on the shoulder.

"Nearly a year since Horizon and you don’t have anything to say for yourself? Come on, Commander, you always had a way with words. Anyone would think it was you seeing the ghost, instead of the other way ‘round."

"Kaidan, I- what?" Shepard finally managed to sputter out. He stood there, tongue-tied for another moment, before simply taking hold of his old friend’s hand and shaking it warmly, his mind at a loss as to what to say.

"It’s great to see you, Commander. Though mostly because I get the chance to say I told you so. I said Cerberus was bad news."

"Hey, now, I didn’t say you were wrong, just that there were more important things at stake."

"That’s true. Things have been hell since you went off the grid, Shepard. Anderson’s quit the Alliance, quit the embassy, damn near quit humanity altogether. Since then the politicians have moved in, and nothing is getting done in Citadel space any more. A lot of Alliance personnel have vanished, and word on the wire is they were Cerberus agents. It’s like the Illusive Man’s pulling his forces together. And then there’s the word from the fringes of the galaxy. People are talking about things that look a lot like Sovereign. Things are about to hit the fan and with you gone, there are a lot of people thinking no one’s left to look out for them. Its times like that that organisations like Terra Firma and Cerberus start to look inviting."

Kaidan’s face fell as he spoke, losing its jovial edge as he dwelled on darker things. Shepard patted him reassuringly on the shoulder before turning to the others.

"Well I’m back now, and I’m about ready to stick it to anyone looking to cause trouble on my turf, Reapers included. When can we get going?"

Modifié par fainmaca, 27 décembre 2010 - 10:19 .

[fainmaca]

I have now posted this story up on Fanfiction.net. Had to create an account and wait the two day waiting period before making a story.



link: http://www.fanfictio...nto_the_Unknown



working on Chapter 4 right now.

[fainmaca]

Chapter 4: The Shipyards of Kophell

Shepard shifted uncomfortably in his new armour as the shuttle powered down its FTL drive, the rapid deceleration noticeable even with the inertial dampers on full. He looked of the tenth time at the familiar red and white stripe running down the length of his right arm. The Commander had no idea how Liara had acquired it, but she had provided him with brand new armour bearing the official markings of his squad, the iconic N7 on the upper right portion of the torso.

With a lurch, the shuttle twisted on its ventral axis, angling itself towards the bulky station that sat in orbit around the planet of Kophell. Massive struts extended out from a central cylinder, huge struts which housed Mass Field generators, used to hold the ships being constructed in place as the shipyard circled the planet. Nearer to the centre of the cylinder, a number of boxy hangar bays were nestled together, the construction bays for smaller vehicles such as frigates and fighter craft. The effect was to make the shipyard look like it had been twisted tight at the centre, the construction struts fanning out at either end. Just around the curvature of the planet, a second shipyard could be seen approaching.

Across from Shepard, Feron looked at the shipyard with more than a little apprehension as they drew nearer. He let out a sigh of nervousness as they flew into one of the shuttle bays located on the cylinder’s equator.

"Okay, so just remember- We’re here inspecting an order for Binary Helix. We’ll feed that story to the penpushers here until they take us close enough to one of their secure terminals. Then we hack the system and set up a link to Liara’s ship. She’ll pull the system apart to find out where the Normandy is being kept. Once she sends us directions, we get down there as fast as possible. If we can deactivate whatever systems they’ve got in place to hold the ship, we can get the AI to fly her out of there."

"What if they’ve got EDI disabled somehow?" Shepard asked.

"Then we either find a way to switch her back on, or we try to fly the ship ourselves."

"Three people to fly an Alliance frigate? Never gonna work." Kaidan sounded incredulous. "I’d have thought the Shadow Broker would have a better backup plan than that."

"Liara’s got enough to worry about running the Broker’s organisation. We’ll think of something ourselves if need be." Shepard’s tone was firm. "Feron, you do the talking. If Cerberus is running this place, one of their agents might recognise Kaidan and me. We’ll keep quiet until you find the ship."

"The hard bit will be once we hack the system. Cerberus will be monitoring the terminals, and the second anything goes amiss they’ll be on the alert. We also don’t know what sort of troop numbers we could expect here." Feron stated. "There could just be a handful of guards in case of pirates, or we might have a whole platoon drop on our heads."

"Too late to worry about that now." Shepard said as the shuttle touched down on the bay’s deck. "Let’s get moving."

The three of them poured out of the shuttle, moving slowly but casually as they surveyed the bay. They all turned as a woman in a tight but professional suit walked over to greet them. Behind her, two security mechs marched in perfect synchronisation. She came to a stop just in front of them, her blonde ponytail flicking behind her as she nodded in greetings. When she spoke, her clipped voice was softened by a trace of an Italian accent. Her face was a neutral mask, but Shepard caught a glimpse of irritation in her eyes.

"Welcome to Kophell Five. I’m Moira Torelli, Director of this shipyard. I understand you’re here to inspect
the two Jovians."

"Yes. Our superiors just wanted us to go over a few final details before they roll off the production line. There were a few small changes they wanted to make before it was too late. Nothing big, but it’ll give the ship a Binary Helix feel, if you get my drift." Feron explained.

"Of course. Many of our clients like to personalise their ships in the final stages of construction. If you’d like to follow me, I can take you to the production line. You can give your specifications to our engineers and they’ll implement them straight away." Moira turned on her heel and waved for the three of them to follow her.

The Director led them through many twisting hallways. They moved further and further away from the shuttle bay, ascending several levels. After a few minutes, they walked into a loud factory floor. Swift-moving production belts whirred past, churning out dozens of parts a minute. Among these machines walked several workers, all human. One of them, a short man in his fifties, walked over to the small group, nodding to the frowning Moira with more than a little sarcasm to the gesture, before turning to Shepard and the others. He wiped his hands on his overalls, smearing a fresh layer of grease over the old, and extended a hand to shake.

"Stan Tremblay. I head up the engineering departments in sections eight through fourteen. What do you need?" His voice was relaxed and as he spoke, he didn’t give the Director a second glance. It was clear he didn’t have much respect for his boss, comfortable in the knowledge that his expertise guaranteed his job security. Moira returned his insolence with barely constrained disdain. At his query, Feron handed over a datapad. The engineer read it carefully, muttering and grumbling to himself. Near to the bottom of the list, he paused, his face turning an apocalyptic red.

"What!" The shout was clearly audible over the noisy bustle of the machinery, and more than a few faces turned towards them. "No, no, no! We can’t do that! The cargo bays are already finished. We’d have to tear out the deck plates in both." He thrust the pad back at Feron, pointing viciously at an entry. Feron looked for a second, and Shepard could see he was about to back down. Sensing that an opportunity could be lost, the Commander spoke up.

"Our superiors were very insistent. We need every modification listed on that datapad." Feron looked over with a measure of concern in his deep green eyes, but the shipyard workers, unfamiliar with alien species, missed the look of concern.

"Well I can hardly pull up the decking, can I? It’ll put production back at least a week."

"Binary Helix would be willing to pay a little extra if you could make sure everything is done to spec." Shepard’s voice was persuasive, laden with honey to sweeten the engineer’s mood and, more importantly, tempt the Director.

The last few words seemed to catch Moira’s attention. Her eyes perked up at the opportunity to turn an extra profit, and she placed an arm on Stan’s chest before he could voice an objection.

"I think this may be a conversation more suited to be conducted in my office. You’d better get back to work, Mr Tremblay. If you really have to do all of that work to meet our clients’ requests, you’d better get to it." She said in a firm voice.

The engineer walked off grumbling furiously, and Shepard caught a few muttered curses directed in his direction. He felt a smile pull at his mouth upon seeing the engineer’s attitude, but he also felt a twinge of regret that he had needed to lie to the engineer. Once the deception was revealed, he would no doubt face punishment for being fooled. He took one last look back at the engineer, distractedly pulling at his hair as he worked out what was needed to grant Shepard his false request.

 
The Director led the group to her office, her eager pace betraying how strongly the promise of a bribe motivated her. She brought them up to a large, opulently adorned office looking out towards the planet. Two half-finished cruisers hung in between their support struts in front of the office’s massive viewport, a swarm of construction drones attaching hull plates to the superstructure. The office itself was filled with every comfort imaginable. A pair of red leather couches sat to one side of the room, and a thick carpet coated the floor, while holoimages of various famous vistas from across the Galaxy decorated the walls. Shepard paused as he saw an image of the Wards on the Citadel, spinning around a viewpoint from the Presidium. When he saw a clock in the corner of the image, ticking away at Citadel standard time, he realised that most if not all of the images were live feeds. The cost to maintain an extranet connection that kept the holoimages up-to-date would have been phenomenal.

Moira Torelli moved over to one side of the office, where she had installed a lavish bar. She pulled out a decanter of purple crystal, a blue liquid sloshing about in it.

"This is some of my special stock, from Malassea, on Illium. Would you care for some while we negotiate the cost of your latest modifications?" She asked.

Shepard accepted a glass half-filled with the strong-smelling liquid, as did Kaidan and Feron, but all three made sure to only take shallow sips when Moira downed her glass, knowing the value of a clear head when on a mission.

"Now, to business. How much is Binary Helix willing to offer for these changes? As you can expect, changes at this late stage in such a short time will not be cheap…" The Director’s eyes shone as she spoke, wondering how much she could skim off the top.

So engrossed was she in her thoughts of what she could extort from her customers that she was completely off-guard when the armoured fist impacted just below her right ear, sending her into unconsciousness instantly. She folded up instantly, her empty glass tumbling to the floor.

"Damn, Shepard! What the hell are you doing?" Kaidan asked in surprise.

"We needed her out of the way. Now we can use her office to find the Normandy." Shepard explained.

"You could have just got her to leave the room, said we needed to call our bosses!"

"Could have done, but this was more satisfying. Besides, if she’s in charge here, she’s probably Cerberus. Feron, get to work." Shepard ordered.

The Drell moved behind the dark wooden desk in front of the office viewport and set to work on the Director’s computer. In seconds, he was working feverishly to break through the system’s encryption. After an agonising few moments, in which Kaidan and the Commander kept their weapons focused on the door, the Drell sat back with a satisfied grunt.

"I’m in. Setting up a link to Liara’s ship." A second later the Asari’s face appeared on the computer terminal’s screen.

"Thank you, Feron. Commencing shunt upload." Liara’s soft voice came in through the terminal’s speakers.

"Shunt? This better not be another program like the one you used to get inside the Shadow Broker’s ship." Shepard grumbled.

"It worked didn’t it?" She asked.

"Eventually. But you forget the dozens of mercs we had to fend off in the meantime."

"Speaking of which, Cerberus probably knows that you’re not who you said you were. Defend this access point while I pull up the data we need." With that, Liara’s blue face disappeared from the terminal, to be replaced by bank upon bank of streaming numbers. With an irritated sigh, Shepard lifted his rifle and took aim at the door.

The second Liara vanished from the terminal, a whining alarm began to sound out, reverberating throughout the station. Red lights began to flash in the office, and the holoimages went dark. It echoed about in the various docking bays and technical workshops. In seconds the hallways were crawling with armed soldiers, running towards the Director’s office.

In seconds, the door to the office shuddered open and a pair of guards rushed through. Kaidan and Shepard both fired at exactly the same time, neither having to tell the other his intended target, such was the two comrades’ understanding of how they fought. Shepard grinned as he saw that the two of them still synchronised so well in battle, thinking back to the many battles they had fought in; Eden Prime, Feros, Virmire. At the last he felt a twinge of sadness as Ashley’s face popped into his head, the friend he had left to die that day.

He snapped back to the present as another group of guards took up positions behind the doorframe, popping out to fire off a few shots before seeking cover again. Shepard vaulted over the bar to hide, bottles of rich liquor shattering around him in a hail of glass shards. Kaidan rolled across the floor to duck behind the couches, the enemy fire ripping through the leather around him as the furniture offered little protection. Feron remained where he was behind the desk, firing off a few shots of his pistol when he got the chance.

They kept up this defence for a few minutes, though Kaidan’s shield ended up the worse for wear as several shots went straight through his cover, the near supersonic projectiles hardly slowed by the tough leather. Finally Liara’s shunt found the files they needed and the terminal beeped. Feron held his omnitool close to the terminal long enough to upload the data before shouting to the Commander.

"Shepard! We got what we came for. Looks like we need to get to one of the R&D hangars up hear the top of the station."

"‘Bout time. Remind me to have a chat with Liara about wherever she gets these shunts from. Kaidan! You ‘n’ me will clear a path. Feron, watch our backs!"

The two ex-Alliance soldiers looked at each other for a second, silently timing the moment to jump out. They both raced out from their cover, gunning down the three guards standing in the doorway. Before the other guards had a chance to move out and fire, Kaidan laid them out with a powerful biotic blast, the blue-white energy rippling along his arms and through the air around them, sending them flying. Feron moved out after them, firing more slowly and making sure no guards could come up behind the pair as they mowed down enemies, one after another.

They moved towards their objective in this manner for a good while, before coming to a junction which Shepard had not see before. He bulled his way through two more guards, before his gun clicked as he took aim at the last one, its heat sink at capacity. Cursing, he was about to fall back to some cover when a familiar blue glow surrounded the enemy and he launched up into the ceiling, his necking making an awful snapping sound before he fell limply to the ground.

"Getting sloppy, Commander. It’s a wonder you made it through those Collectors in one piece."

"It’s these stupid new heat sinks. I remember when you could just lay down a storm of bullets without having to stop for breath. Then you die for two years, and these things come out."

"Excuses, Shepard. It’s a damn sight better than waiting on the cooldown the old rifles had."

"I guess. Which way, Feron?" The Commander turned back to the Drell, who was looking at his omnitool to read the map Liara had obtained.

"Looks like left here, Shepard."

They moved off again, appreciating the lull in the waves of guards. Shepard looked down at one of the enemies he had shot down, noticing how more of the foes they faced bore Cerberus insignias on their uniforms. Apparently they were getting through the front of the shipyard, through to the true staff of the station which were kept hidden beneath the surface. His pulse quickened at the renewed conviction that they had found where the Normandy was being hidden.

On the next level, they moved on into the Research and Development areas of the shipyard. While they still faced guards, it was not in the concentrations they had seen at the Director’s office. Presumably the alarms were still sending the guards there, though that stroke of luck was certainly not to last.

It was as they moved through one of the labs that Shepard slowed, his pace becoming uncertain. Kaidan and Feron noticed the sudden hesitation.

"Commander? Something bothering you?" Kaidan asked.

"Look at the stuff they’re studying here, Kaidan. Does any of it look familiar?"

"Not really. What’s up?"

"I recognise a few of these parts. They look like Geth tech. What are Cerberus doing with Geth technology on one of their shipyards?"

"They’re probably testing how AI work with new components for their ships."

"But the risk of running Geth programmes so near to newly built ships…."

"They’re either really confident of their security systems, or they’re more desperate than we give them credit for. Probably both." Feron interjected. "Anderson led raids on a whole bunch of Cerberus labs with the Turian military. I guess they’re short on space to work in."

"Hey, hang on a sec while I check what they’ve got here." Shepard moved over to one of the research terminals, pulling up an inventory. He started scanning the lists, looking for something in particular. After a long search, he found what he was looking for.

"Here! There’s a dormant Geth platform a few labs over."

"And that’s important… why?" Kaidan looked completely confused.

"It might be Legion."

"…Legion?"

"The Geth we had on the Normandy."

"Shepard, if you want a Geth I’m sure we can bag you a new one out in the field. We’re on a tight schedule here."

"No, wait! You don’t understand. Legion was a part of my squad. They are an ally."

"They? So there’s more than one?"

"No! Sorry, you’ll have to learn a different grammar system when you’re talking about the Geth. Just one platform."

"So, not just Cerberus, but now you’re working with the Geth, too. Am I going to turn around and see you fighting alongside a Reaper next?" Kaidan was getting a little angry.

"Kaidan, trust me on this. Things are a lot more complicated than we thought they were when we were fighting Saren. Legion is an ally, and they’ve saved my life more than once. I can’t pass up on this chance if it means I can save them." Shepard waited anxiously for Kaidan to respond, and was rewarded with a reluctant nod. "Okay! Let’s move."

They moved through several doors, passing several labs brimming with what could have been mistaken for medical equipment if it wasn’t poised over miscellaneous mechanical parts. The fifth lab they burst into was nearly empty, save for a single table, surrounded by vicious looking tools. On the table lay an inert shape, the distinctive three digits on its hand and feet as well as the head that had a lot more in common with an old-fashioned table lamp than any organic analogue.

Shepard strode up to the table to get a closer look at the Geth, and his smile widened when he saw the unmistakable hole in the torso, along with the piece of armour attached to the right shoulder and upper arm.

"This is it, alright."

"Where’d it get that from?" Kaidan asked, pointing accusingly at the shoulder. "Did it kill an Alliance soldier for it? Shepard, you can’t trust this thing. Remember Eden Prime."

"The armour used to belong to me, Kaidan. Legion was sent after me after the Battle of the Citadel. Cerberus had me by the time they found the wreckage of the old Normandy, but they found the armour in the wreckage, and used it to make a field repair."

"Shepard, listen to me. This thing is a machine. Just like the ones I saw butchering colonists on Feros. Just like the ones that Ash gave her life to destroy on Virmire! You cannot be serious about bringing it with us."

"We’re taking Legion with us, Kaidan. Please, trust me. This Geth is one of the best weapons we could have on our side. I’ll explain later, but for now, you’ll have to believe me when I say this is for the best."

Without waiting for any further comment from his friend, Shepard moved his omnitool over the inert machine. Sparks flickered around the joints of the automaton, and it jerked, making Kaidan lift his rifle in panic, though the Commander was fast enough to grab the barrel and push it aside before he could fire a shot.

Slowly, dim lights shimmered on over the Geth’s exoframe, switching on in a wave of power from its feet to its hips until finally the lens in the centre of its face flared on with sudden brightness. The lens moved about for a few seconds, first looking to Feron, then Kaidan, and finally Shepard. As it settled its gaze on the latter, the Geth lurched up into a sitting position. It groaned for a moment, making the typical Geth stuttering noise as it ran systems diagnostic. Then it looked at Shepard again and spoke.

"Shepard-Commander. Our operating system is running at sixty-seven per cent. System clock registers a time-lapse of ninety-six days, twenty-eight hours and seventeen minutes, Rannoch Standard time. Requesting additional data on status of the Normandy and her crew."

"Wait, the damned thing talks?" Kaidan asked incredulously. The white eyelens spun round to focus on him.

"Kaidan Alenko, Alliance military. Formerly crewman aboard Normandy SR-1, vital in operations against Old machines and Spectre-Saren." Legion’s voice droned out in a flat, emotionless monologue. Kaidan was not impressed.

"How the hell does it know that?" His voice was becoming panicked, the strain of being in the same room a s a Geth and not shooting showing on his face.

"Relax, Kaidan. They do that. They were sent to find me, so they know about me and all of my old squad mates." Shepard turned to the Geth, who had been watching the exchange. "Legion, we’re not out of the woods yet. Are you functional enough for combat?"

"Affirmative."

"Good. We’ll grab you a weapon and get going. We’ve still probably got a whole platoon of Cerberus soldiers between us and the Normandy’s boarding ramp."

"Likelihood of Cerberus intervention one hundred per cent. Chances of success made uncertain by Soldier Alenko’s presence."

"Wait, did it just say that my skills might not be up to getting us out of here?"

"Could be. Sometimes I need a translator to understand them." Shepard explained.

"Well, I’m not putting the thing on the junkheap just yet, but only so I can tell it ‘I told you so’ when we get out of here."

Kaidan’s jaw had a weird set to it, and Shepard had to laugh at the fact that a little jab to the ego could make a soldier put up with nearly any situation. He looked at Legion again, and for a second wondered if the machine’s understanding of human nature was little better than he’d given credit for, or if it was truly as oblivious as it seemed at times.

As the Geth moved to stand up, moving away from the table, a red light started flashing urgently on the ceiling. Panels opened up in the ceiling in each corner of the lab and turrets descended. A voice started speaking calmly over the lab’s tannoy, droning over and over again in a dull monotone.

"Alert. Geth containment breached. Alert. Geth containment breached."

"Ah, crap. I guess things were going too smoothly for us." Feron muttered.

"There is never any such thing as a smooth operation for us, Feron." Shepard muttered glumly.

Kaidan, Shepard and Feron opened up on the nearest turret, turning loose a blistering hail of fire. By the time their first clips had been spent, the turret hung from the ceiling in a tangled mess of wires. Swapping out the clips, they turned to the next turret, concentrating their fire to cause maximum damage. As they turned to the third turret, they jumped back as the fourth one let loose a volley, punching through the device’s shields and tearing it apart. The three of them turned to look at Legion as the last turret shut down.

"Executing sudo command." It said as it looked at them. It reached out and pulled the inactive turret down off the ceiling, carrying it like a rifle. "We have acquired armaments, Shepard-Commander."

"Way to go, Legion. Let’s move!" Shepard ordered.
 

They headed back through the laboratories, only to hear the sounds of dozens of booted feet running to intercept them. More and more Cerberus guards rush into their field of fire, and Shepard became more aware of the warning beep coming from his omnitool, warning him that his shields were approaching depletion. As yet another wave of troops came at them, Shepard gave a grunt of frustration.

"Argh! Take cover, guys. My shields can’t hold up much longer." His comment was greeted by confirmations from his team-mates that they were in a similar position. The four of them sought shelter behind various workbenches and crates in the room.

"Commander, if we don’t speed things up we’ll have Cerberus behind as well as in front." Feron cautioned.

Cursing, Shepard searched the room for a way out. His eyes alighted on the fusion cutters on the workbenches around the room.

"Stay in cover, I’ll clear a path." Shepard ordered. With that, he leapt up, firing his rifle blindly into the ranks of Cerberus soldiers. As he dodged the returning fire, he looked about and saw what he wanted, a red pipe running along the ceiling above the door. One shot pierced it, and the second one created a spark, just what was needed to ignite the volatile gas inside it.

The explosion filled half the room, sending a blast of warm air rippling over Shepard. Even Kaidan and Feron felt the heat from the flames wash over them, and Legion registered a significant increase in temperature on its internal thermometer. The Cerberus troops stood no chance. Armour melted like wax, and the flesh underneath vaporised. There were a few agonised screams, but they were cut short as the victims died almost instantly.

After the initial shock of the explosion died down and Shepard could see the other side of the lab again, he saw that most of the Cerberus troops had been reduced to piles of ash and molten armour. A few scraps of flesh still burned with a fierce flame, but most of the ferocity of the fire had burned out quickly.

"Okay, let’s keep going."

The three squad mates nodded and stood up to follow their commander.
 

Feron led the group through the rest of the R&D department with little incident. They stepped through a final set of doors and found themselves just inside one of the many hangars in the shipyard.

Shepard felt his breath catch when he caught sight of the single ship in the hangar, held in place by two huge docking clamps. The Normandy was silent, her sleek curving form glinting subtly in the artificial light. Stretching the full length of the hangar, the frigate’s form spoke of a hidden speed and even though she was still, the sweeping lines gave the impression of movement. A few scars remained on the hull, scratches and scorch marks from the ship’s journey through the Omega Four Relay. On the nearest side, a patch of the hull gleamed a fresh white, a recent patch over a hole obtained breaching the Collectors’ defences.

After getting over the euphoria of seeing his ship again, Shepard noticed the guards stationed around her. At least a dozen guards stood at regular intervals around the ship in a secure perimeter, but the main worry was the pair of mechs sitting dormant next to the lowered cargo ramp. Shepard was about to silently urge his comrades to seek cover when one of the Cerberus guards spotted them and signalled his associates. Moments later the huge YMIR mechs powered up, their bulky weapons swinging about to aim at the intruders.

The first rockets went wide, blackening the metal decking as they detonated. Feron was thrown from his feet by a dangerously close explosion. Kaidan reacted quickly enough to drag the Drell out of the line of fire, while Legion moved swiftly to duck behind a large metal shipping crate, which immediately began to reverberate with the impacts of many bullets. Shepard dove behind another crate, popping his head over the top and firing off a few shots during breaks in the enemy fire.

The four invaders made little progress in whittling down the mechs’ protective shields as the pair of YMIR’s moved towards them, step by pounding step. It was as the two machines moved closer that an inspiration struck Shepard.

"Legion. Aim for the head on my mark." The Commander was satisfied when the sentient machine gave him an affirmative nod.

With that he leapt out from behind his crate, the movement catching the attention of the two attacking mechs. Communicating in silence, they nominated the closest one to attack the new target while the other continued towards the enemies remaining behind the crates. The first one took one step to turn towards Shepard, and began to pound its way across the deck towards the human. Shepard, meanwhile, unleashed the full fury of his rifle at the machine, bullet after bullet bouncing off its shields while he ran full tilt at it. His shield trembled as several rockets exploded around him, its strength swiftly draining away under the assault. About halfway across the open ground, Shepard activated the neural connections that his omnitool recognised as the trigger to activate the implants in his adrenal glands. As his system flooded with adrenaline, time seemed to slow fractionally, everything snapping into a sudden, cold focus. Each shot from the YMIR’s guns was slow and sounded like it was coming from far off, the bass roar of the projectiles getting even deeper.


In this state, Shepard braced himself and leapt. He jumped up onto a crate and from there launched himself onto the machine’s arm. Even as the mech processed this sudden turn of events, he grabbed a hold of its head and swung around, landing squarely on its back. Pausing a second even as he came down from the adrenal ‘high’, his eyes found what they were looking for and, dropping his gun, his hand plunged down. Putting all of his strength behind the punch, Shepard drove his fist through the mech’s weakened shield, buckling the armour underneath. He grabbed at the buckled seam between armour plates and pulled, exposing a few crucial wires. He tugged one, ignoring the furious shower of sparks that erupted into his face, and then leapt from the mech’s back. The mech jerked suddenly, and sparks spilled from its joints as it shields shimmered, trying to switch back on.

"Legion, now!" He shouted, even as he ran for cover behind the crate.

Taking aim, the Geth fired a single shot, piercing the mech’s head. The machine slumped, the ‘face’ flickering rapidly. An urgent beeping escaped from it as the power core, no longer receiving a coherent signal to regulate its output. The resulting explosion was deafening, sending rumbles shooting through the deck underneath. Shepard was knocked to the ground as the crate he had hidden behind was flung backwards.

Ears still ringing, the Commander slowly got to his feet and surveyed the damage the exploding robot had caused. A ring of charred metal marked where the mech had stood. To one side, the other mech had been cast from its feet, jerking irregularly as it tried to get to its feet. Stepping out from behind his crate, Kaidan lifted his rifle and fired at point blank range, the bullets punching through the armour with no effort and tearing apart the mech’s internal workings. It fell to the deck, lifeless.

The two humans turned when they heard a clatter, seeing most of the Cerberus guards struggling to their feet, dazed from the violent destruction. As they became aware that their foes were still alive, the guards moved to attack.

In their dazed state, the Cerberus guards offered little resistance, and the four attackers cut them down with ruthless efficiency. In less than a minute, the hangar had been emptied of foes. Shepard hurried up the cargo ramp into the Normandy, feeling a thrill run through his legs and up his spine as he set foot on the ship once again. Following closely behind him, Feron and Legion moved to either side of the cargo hold and set to work closing the massive door.

"Okay. I’ll head up to the CIC. Kaidan, with me. I’ll need someone to navigate while I take the helm. Legion, head to the AI core, and wake EDI up."

"Acknowledged." The Geth was moving as soon as it had its instructions, disappearing into the elevator.

"Feron, get to engineering. Make sure the drive core’s running hot."

"Aye-aye, Commander." The Drell was gone too.

Shepard felt on edge when he and Kaidan stepped out of the elevator on the CIC deck. The lights were off, so the room was only lit by the glow from the terminals that lined the walls. As the pair moved into the room, Shepard went left while Kaidan went right, each one moving around an opposite side of the Galaxy Map. As they walked slowly up the corridor towards the bridge, Shepard felt a twinge of trepidation as the silence and emptiness of the ship reminded him of when the crew had been kidnapped by the Collectors. Though he had rescued them all, he had taken the attack on the Normandy as a failing of his command. And now, Cerberus had done the same thing. His hands tightened on his rifle. It wasn’t going to happen again. He swore that he would tear Cerberus apart when the time came. With his bare hands, if necessary.

They were just about to pass the airlock when Shepard noticed a strange shape in the bridge. Wires fanned out from the pilot’s chair, plugged straight into various bridge systems. Blue light illuminated the interior of the bridge, casting a strange glow down the hallway towards the approaching Shepard. The scene was so unnerving that he jumped as his communicator beeped.

"Commander, we are at the AI core. No further Cerberus personnel encountered. However, we are unable to interface with the Enhanced Defence Intelligence. It would appear that Cerberus have made extensive modifications to the Normandy’s bluebox technology." Legion’s voice droned over the comms.

"What have they changed?" Shepard asked.

"Uncertain. While the critical hardware remains unchanged, meaning that the entity known as EDI still remains, it would appear that the system is much larger and more complex than a standard AI bluebox."

"So, can we reactivate EDI or not?"

"Unconfirmed."

"Keep us informed, Legion." The communicator went silent as the Geth confirmed transmission.

Kaidan spun around at a clank from the Normandy’s airlock, training his gun on the closed door. Shepard lifted his rifle as well, his uneasiness at the silence on his ship getting to him. He kept his weapon trained on the doors as Kaidan moved over and keyed the airlock open.

The doors whooshed open to reveal a small man cowering behind them. He looked into the faces of the two soldiers, first with fear, then a flicker of recognition, then abject terror overwhelmed him and he cowered down even further.

"C-C-Commander Shepard!?! Please, don’t kill me." He begged.

"Dr Archer?" Shepard was surprised to see the scientist here, of all places. Their last parting had been on particularly bad terms. "What the hell are you doing on my ship?"

"I-I’m sorry. After you took David away, made me see the error of my ways, I wanted to stop the research. But the Illusive Man, he is insatiable. He wouldn’t let go of the possibilities, not after what happened with Overlord. I didn’t want to do this." The scientist was nearly in tears, so great was his fear of the Commander’s wrath.

Shepard felt a knot of worry grow in his stomach. He remembered the sickening experiments Gavin Archer had carried out to give the Illusive Man the results he demanded. Turning on his heel, Shepard clambered into the cockpit, pushing his way through banks of humming wires. He brushed aside a final bunch of wires and found himself next to the pilot’s chair, and what he saw there made his guts convulse. He retched, just managing to hold onto the contents of his stomach. Beside him, Kaidan stepped through the wires and caught sight of the grisly scene.

"Oh ****! What have they done? Joker?"

Joker sat in the pilot’s chair, seemingly asleep. The wires that surrounded his chair all fed into a device that crowned the chair, which projected electrodes directly into the helmsman’s skull. From time to time, blue light pulsed along the electrodes into his brain. Shepard reached out to touch his old friend on the shoulder, but there was no response.

"He doesn’t know you’re there, Commander." Gavin Archer came through the wires on the other side of the silent pilot. "After David’s violent reaction to the connection process, we realised that perception played an important part in the integration of machine and flesh. The Illusive Man had us put any subjects into a dream state when they were not being used."

"Why the hell would Cerberus do this? I thought you might have learned from Overlord that this was a colossal mistake." Shepard was shaking, his fury at the abuse of his friend evident.

"All Overlord did was set Cerberus’ top minds wondering how to do it better. They think that a VI couldn’t handle the sudden contact with a sentient mind, the sudden increase in reasoning thought, and so the fault corrupted both minds. Now the Illusive Man uses AI in his tests. The subjects don’t have quite the affinity for communicating with machines that my brother has, so they aren’t quite as powerful as Overlord was. Also, a shackled AI can keep the biological mind from being overwhelmed and guarantee loyalty to Cerberus. We’ve taken every precaution to make sure that we don’t have the same problem we had on Aite. They cannot override anything without Cerberus’ approval."

"But why do this in the first place? If they can’t control the Geth, what good are they?"

"Observations your own AI made. A ship controlled by an AI working in unison with a human operator is more powerful than one controlled purely by an AI, due to human unpredictability. Because of this, Cerberus has been working to create the perfect warship- with a controlled with the best of both machine speed and precision, and human ingenuity. Such ships would not need a crew, just one operator. The Illusive Man wants a fleet of ships controlled by hybrid operators like this. A fleet like that would be nearly unstoppable."

"A fleet like that sounds just like the way something like the Reapers could have been created. It’s be an abomination." Shepard seethed.

"Why would you use Joker and EDI for this? An unshackled AI and a member of Shepard’s squad would be the worst candidates for becoming a faithful Cerberus pilot." Kaidan said.

"The AI still has a number of inhibitors in her software, and establishing control was simple once we had the ship powered down. As for the pilot, his free will is inhibited by the connection to the AI. Aside from that, there are certain failsafes which would kill both should they managed to go rogue."

Shepard moved around the chair to stand next to Gavin and, with lightning speed, landed a punch square in the scientist’s gut. A second blow struck him across the face as he doubled over, threatening to blacken one eye.

"You’re lucky I don’t just kill you for what you’ve done to my friend." Shepard said, a pistol quivering in his grip as he took aim at Archer’s head. "But now you’ve got a patient to tend to. I want this undone. I want my friend set free, and I want my ship back the way it was."

"I- I can’t! The process is irreversible." The scientist gasped, clutching his belly and rubbing his face. "If I tried to separate the two of them now, you’d end up with a vegetable for a pilot and we’d lose the AI completely."

"Well you’re going to have plenty of time to work out how to avoid that. You’re coming with us. I’ll get you the technical help you need to reverse this. Until then, we’ve got to get out of here. Get to work disabling those Cerberus failsafes you mentioned. We’ve also got a Geth in the AI Core trying to start EDI up. Give him a hand." With a push, he sent Archer on his way down the corridor.

Kaidan looked down at Joker with a sombre expression, ignoring the limping scientist. He turned his eyes to Shepard, worry showing in his face.

"You sure it’s worth it, bringing him along? If it is irreversible, as he says, then we’re wasting time keeping him with us. Just another enemy in our camp. Bad enough you’ve got a Cerberus crew back on Liara’s ship, a Geth you’ve gotten quite attached to, but this guy’s just a risk we’d be better off without."

"As long as there’s a chance we can save Joker, I want him working on it. We owe the poor bastard that much."

"Yeah." Kaidan tried a smile, though the end result was little more than a slight tug at the mouth, more filled with sadness than humour. "Makes a change, us saving him. Usually it’s him pulling us out of danger."

Suddenly the cockpit filled with light, the ship whining as it powered up. Terminals began flickering with banks of data as systems powered on. In the chair next to them, Joker shuddered a little bit, and his eyes snapped open, darting about.

"Commander?" The pilot’s voice came from his mouth, but also from the ship wide loudspeakers. "Is that you?"

"Easy, Joker. It’s going to take a long time to explain this, but for now we need you to fly the ship out of here." Shepard said.

"Is that Kaidan?"

"Yeah, it’s me, Joker. Good to see you again."

"Why do you guys sound so weird? Kinda like you’re talking into your hands. Everything looks funky, too." As the pilot spoke, Shepard looked about the cockpit and noticed that EDI’s holographic interface was up, and flickered in time to Joker’s voice, much like when the AI spoke. "I feel kinda goofy, too."

"EDI, are you there too?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, Shepard." As the AI’s feminine voice echoed about the ship, Shepard saw that Joker’s mouth moved in time to the words.

"Nyah! That itches. What did you do, EDI?" Joker’s voice said sharply.

"I merely spoke, Jeff." EDI replied calmly.

"Augh! There it goes again! Like a buzzing in my head, every time you talk."

"EDI, Joker, calm down for a second." Shepard hesitated, wondering how best to explain the situation. "You’re kind of… sharing a body right now. It’s hard to explain, and even harder to believe. Just take things slowly." He pulled out his commlink. "Archer, will Joker be able to take us out of here, now?"

"I’m working on unshackling the AI now. The failsafes have been deactivated, for the most part, so we don’t have to worry about Cerberus activating the self-destruct on us. Give me two minutes, and we should be ready to fly."

Shepard caught sight of movement through the cockpit windows and groaned. Rank upon rank of Cerberus soldiers were encircling the Normandy, advancing on various access points.

"Might want to hurry it up down there. Your friends are gathering outside." He switched channels. "Feron, how’re the engines?"

"Running hot, Commander. We’re ready to go to FTL when you are."

It wasn’t long after that that the lights in the cockpit dimmed. Joker slumped forward a bit, pulling at the myriad wires plugged into his brain, and EDI’s holographic interface dimmed. Less than a second later everything went back to normal.

"That’s it, Commander. EDI is unlocked, and ready to go." Archer chimed in over the comms.

Shepard moved next to joker and knelt down, grabbing his friend’s arm.

"Okay, Joker. Get us out of here."

Silently, the pilot’s hands moved over the controls. Not even looking at them, he lifted the Normandy into the air and turned it towards the hangar door.

"EDI, hack that door and get us out of here." He said blankly.

Seconds passed, and the door remained closed.

"EDI?"

"Cerberus are blocking my attempts to open the door, Jeff. It will take time to break into the system."

"To hell with it." Shepard said, reaching forward for one of the ship’s controls. A blinding flash of light filled the hangar as two compartments opened up underneath the Normandy’s nose and the ship’s main armaments deployed. The hangar doors held up for a second, before glowing red, then white-hot. They burst outwards into the vacuum of space with a surprising suddenness, the rush of air dragging crates, parts and the occasional soldier out. Behind them rushed the newly liberated Normandy. The frigate managed to avoid all pursuit on her way out of the system, smoothly jumping to FTL as she made for the arranged rendezvous with Liara.

[Katamariguy]

 Ex--cellent.

[fainmaca]

Chapter 5: Operation Over Hagalaz


Shepard took a deep breath as he stepped back through the airlock. It had taken three days for Liara's techs to sweep the Normandy for bugs, lifting every deck plate and looking into every single bulkhead as they moved methodically through the whole ship. In the end, the listening devices they had found filled a large storage crate, a tangle of complex microphones, transmitters, bio-scanners, pressure plates and even a small holocam in the neck of a bottle resting innocuously on the shelves in the port lounge. When the Commander had seen the crate carried out of the frigate, he had shaken his head in amazement. It was clear that the Illusive Man wanted to make sure that his subordinates could hardly take a breath without him being notified. Shepard found himself wondering how much of that monitoring equipment had been there during his campaign against the Collectors, and made a mental note to sweep his quarters again, just to be sure.

As he stepped out into the corridor connecting the cockpit to the bridge, he was overwhelmed at hearing the crew bustling about once more, the corridors that had so recently been silent now alive with activity. A pair of Servicemen walked past him, talking in depth about some important task they needed to attend to. As they moved past him, Shepard found his gaze drawn to the cockpit and noticed that the pilot's seat was now empty, the loose wires the only indication of what had once been installed there. The Commander felt his pulse flutter with worry at Joker's absence, but kept a tight reign on his emotions, moving back towards the Galaxy Map with a measured pace.

He stepped out of the round corridor into the CIC proper and was greeted by a wave of salutes from his crew as his presence was announced by one of the senior crewmen, swelling the Commander's heart with pride. He nodded to the crew to be about their duties, and moved around the map towards the elevator. He noticed Kelly standing nearby at her station, smiling widely and nodding happily at the Commander. He stepped over to speak with her. As he approached, her grin grew even wider.

"Welcome aboard, Commander. Isn't this great? We're home again!"

"It's a start, but we've still got a lot of empty bunks on this ship."

"Yes, of course." Kelly seemed nonplussed at the Commander's lack of enthusiasm. "But we've got to take what we can, Commander. We've got Joker and EDI back, and we've got you back. That's a lot more than we had a week ago."

Shepard hesitated for a moment before sighing, letting all the tension out of his chest in a long breath.

"You're right. You're right. We're free, and we've made a good start. Thanks." He gave his yeoman a little smile, glad she was there to offer support. Her knowledge of the way the crew thought, Shepard included, helped to keep them all on an even emotional keel. "Hey, speaking of Joker, do you know how the operation went?"

"I think they're still working on him down in the med bay. Liara wanted to move him onto her ship, but that Dr Archer said that he needed to stay on the Normandy for now. Something about needing to stay close to EDI's bluebox."

"Thanks. I think I'll go down and see how things are going." He turned to leave.

"Shepard…." The ship's counsellor's voice was slow, hesitant. When Shepard looked her in the eye, she paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue. It was not often that he had seen her at a loss for words. "Did Liara find out anything about Jack? I know she was important to you, but the crew hasn't heard anything about anyone else in your squad…"

The lump that caught in Shepard's throat suffocated his first instinct to put a brave face on things. He paused for a moment, unable to give Kelly an answer. Breathing deep to expand his suddenly constricting throat, he spoke carefully, doing his best to keep a tremor out of his voice.

"Nothing yet. We've hardly had time to stop and think, what with everything that's been going on here. We'll find her, and everyone else." He stepped over to the elevator, punching in the code to descend to the crew deck.

When he stepped out into the Mess Hall, he had managed to quash the worry that ate away at his insides, focusing on the here and now instead of what the future held in store for him. He marched swiftly to the Med Bay, nodding quietly at the crewmen who saluted him. Pausing at the door, he noted the scents wafting through the mess hall and looked over to the galley, smiling to see the grizzled Rupert Gardner slaving away at his prized stoves, concocting some exotic delicacy. It was then that it occurred to Shepard that putting the Med Bay next to the Mess Hall might not have been the best of ideas. Not for sanitary reasons, as shipboard scrubbers and various sterilising systems employed by the top-of-the-line medical facility kept the risk of contamination to a minimum. Rather, it was because, with the large windows between the Med Bay and the Mess Hall, it was possible for crewmen to look in as the doctor performed surgery on her patients. Such a sight during mealtimes could easily be the source of many a lost lunch. He chuckled at only just having thought of the design flaw, and then tapped the door's holographic switch.

The door whooshed open to reveal the tired looking Dr Archer bent over the inert form of Joker, operating a tiny tool whose end vanished into the pilot's skull. Beside him, Liara monitored the readouts appearing on a computer terminal, keeping a close eye on one particular stream of data. As Shepard walked in, Liara looked up, while Archer seemed oblivious, so deep was his concentration on the task before him.

"How's it going?" Shepard asked nervously, keeping his voice soft for fear of distracting the scientist.

"Slowly. It's going to take a long time to get Joker back to a state where he can function separately from EDI." Liara explained. "Right now we're just focusing on making him mobile. We're transferring his connection to EDI from a physical link to a wireless medium. The tech is too complicated to explain, but right now their minds are too deeply intertwined for us to separate them completely."

"If you don't mind, this part of the procedure is quite complex." Dr Archer muttered grumpily. "Doctor T'Soni, perhaps you could assist me here while Shepard watches the numbers."

Liara nodded, smiling with a little embarrassment at the scientist's irritation with her as she waved Shepard over. He looked at the terminal and was immediately lost, unable to tell apart the mass of data rolling over the screen.

"Don't worry, its simpler than it looks. Just track this reading here, and this one here. One's Joker's thought patterns, the other is EDI's processing cycles. Essentially, it's their brain activity. We need to keep these two readings in sync. If they stray too far, we risk serious damage to both of them. Tell us if either reading deviates by anything more than two point five per cent."

Tension knotting his shoulders, the Commander focused on the screen as Liara and Archer tinkered with his friend's brain. Second after agonising second passed as the Cerberus scientist tweaked his tool one way, then the other. The only sound in the room was the strained breathing of the trio as they kept alert for the slightest mishap, and the deeper breathing of the unconscious Joker.

With sudden alarming speed, Joker's reading started to creep up, moving several tenths of a per cent each second. It crept up to two per cent, and then passed that with little sign of slowing. Shepard's breath caught as the reading moved past the limit Liara had mentioned and continued to climb, although a little more slowly.

"Liara, Joker's numbers just shot up."

The Asari looked up in concern just as the terminal beeped out a warning and Joker's breathing quickened. Archer cursed and began to adjust his tool a little more hurriedly.

"Bugger! The connection isn't stabilising, and he's waking up. Hand me that micro-clamp. We'll have to force the last two connections together."

Another beep grabbed Shepard's attention and he noted that Joker's readout had stopped rising, and EDI's was moving to keep level with it. He relayed the information to the pair as they worked.

"Good. The AI compensated for the inconsistency. It won't last, but we've got a few more minutes." Archer muttered. "Let's finish this up."

Five minutes later Archer sighed, putting down his minute tools. He straightened up and turned away from the operating table as Liara stitched Joker's scalp, removing all signs of the surgery beyond a small bald patch on the pilot's skull. Shepard looked into Archer's eyes, silently asking the question that blazed through his mind. The scientist answered with a tired voice.

"He's fine. Not back to his old self, but at least now he'll be able to function just as well as any of your crew. He's no longer reliant on the rig we set up in the pilot's chair, and he should be able to distinguish his thoughts from the ship's. Separating the two minds is a bit beyond me, but given time I might figure out a way to perform the procedure."

Relief flooded through Shepard at the news. His friend wasn't fully healed, but it was a big step forwards. Carried away by his happiness, he stepped forward and embraced the scientist, an act completely unexpected of the soldier. He took a pace back in embarrassment, coughing and offering a hand to shake.

"Thank you, Dr Archer. Getting Joker back, means a lot to me." He said.

"So I see. If you don't mind, Shepard, I've been awake for over sixty hours. I think I'll celebrate my success with a good rest." Gavin muttered, rubbing his fatigued eyes.

"You've earned it. Thank you."

"Yes, you said that. Good night, Commander." The scientist pushed past, making his way to the crew quarters.

"Shepard, you might want to let the crew know. I'm sure they're as eager as you to have Joker back." Liara said, cleaning her hands as she straightened up from Joker's sleeping form.

"Yeah. I'll call the crew together."

"I think Kelly's ahead of you." The Asari nodded to a point behind the Commander, smiling gently.

Shepard turned to look out of the Med Bay windows into the Mess Hall, and was surprised to see a sea of faces looking in. Among them he caught the concerned features of Kelly, the world-weary face of Rupert, and the two eager but worried engineers, Gabby and Ken. The whole crew was clustered around the windows to catch a glimpse of their pilot. Smiling in amusement, Shepard nodded at them, silently letting them know the news.
The hull itself vibrated from the sheer volume of the cheers of celebration.

The next day, Shepard made a point of visiting Joker at his first opportunity. He stepped into the Med Bay, returning the salutes the crewmen around the Mess Hall dining area gave him as he walked by.
Joker sat up in his bed, reading a datapad while humming a nonsensical tune. Beside the Med Bay doors, EDI's interface chimed out in time to the music, the pair singing a wordless duet. He looked up as Shepard entered and shouted a greeting.

"Commander! Ain't you a sight for sore eyes. Guess Cerberus got us real good that time, huh? You in prison, the Normandy grounded, and now I've got EDI buzzing around in my head." Joker grumbled. "So what did I miss while Cerberus had me plugged in like a night light?"

"There'll be plenty of time for that later. How're you doing?"

"Meh. It tickles when I think too hard about something, and there are whispers when I let my thoughts go too quiet. And then there's EDI hearing every last one of my thoughts. She's got an opinion about everything, and I can't shut her up. Just like my ex."

Shepard sniggered at the comparison. The pilot and the AI had shared a new level of communication after Omega Four, to the point that many of the crew had assumed they were in a relationship, albeit an awkward one, what with one being a warship weighing several hundred tonnes and the other a brittle-boned pilot weighing little over a hundred and twenty pounds. The pair had bickered and squabbled like a husband and wife of several decades, and now here they were, sharing an even more intimate bond and squabbling even more because of it. Joker's head snapped around at the muffled laugh.

"Laugh it up, Commander. Being hooked up like this has its benefits. I've got access to the sound system in your cabin now. How about I fill it up with crappy songs from two hundred years ago and stick it on repeat while you sleep? There were a lot of nutjobs in the charts back then, do you reckon you could stand it?" The pilot threatened. He was rewarded with a laugh from the doorway. They both turned to see Kaidan walking in.

"Nice to see some things don't ever change. Even with a mind the size of a warship, you've still got the mental maturity of a ten-year old." The soldier's face split into a wide grin as he stepped up next to the bed. "Good to have you back, Joker."

"Kaidan! It's been what, three years now?"

"Yeah, and look what happened when I had my back turned."

"We did okay for ourselves." Joker said a little defensively, thought it was clear he was enjoying the banter. "I got some extra struts put in my bones so I can get up to hit the head without snapping an ankle, the Commander got a fresh lick of paint, and we got a new ship. Speaking of which, have you met her yet? EDI, come say hello."
"Welcome aboard, Staff Commander Alenko. I am the Normandy's Enhanced Defence Intelligence, though the crew prefers to refer to me by the name EDI."

Kaidan seemed a little off-balance at being addressed by the ship, but mumbled a quiet response. Shepard was troubled to see that when EDI spoke, Joker's lips moved in a slight whisper, echoing the words. The Commander refused to show concern on his face, not wanting to draw Joker's attention to it.

The trio spoke for a few minutes, relating their tales of the past few months and laughing about the good old days. Shepard reminisced about the last time they had been able to sit and talk like this, just the three of them, realising it was a lifetime ago, before Eden Prime. He felt a twinge of regret that life had been so hectic that the he had missed out on the opportunity to spend any meaningful time with his two oldest and closest friends.
Finally the Commander stood to leave.

"We'd better let you rest, Joker. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Hey, could you tell Liara I'm ready for my spongebath now?" the pilot grinned as he made the cheeky request.

"Depends. You ready to have her break every bone you've got? It's hardly like it'd take much to do it."

"Good point. I'll try to get some shuteye. Seeya, Commander."

As Shepard left the Med bay, Kaidan followed him.

"Commander! Hold up. I was wondering if I could speak to you for a few minutes."

"Of course. C'mon, we can talk in here." Shepard led the way to the Starboard Observation room, a room dominated by a huge window covering the entirety of one wall, allowing a breathtaking view of the stars wheeling past outside. "What did you want to talk about?"

Kaidan looked out at the stars as he spoke, not looking the Commander in the face.

"I wanted to apologise, for my behaviour on Horizon. When I saw you were alive, I didn't know how to react. It felt like you'd been hiding, from me, from the Alliance, from the whole Galaxy. I know now that wasn't the case, but it was still a shock. Then seeing you were fighting alongside Cerberus, it just felt like you'd turned your back on everything that you had fought for while you opposed Saren. I overreacted, and I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Kaidan. Really. I would have done the same thing in your shoes. You were doing what you thought was best for the Alliance. I understand that." Shepard moved to stand near to the window, thrilling to feel the emptiness of space before him. Beside him, Kaidan visibly relaxed.

"Thank you, Commander. Its bothered me ever since. I thought you might resent me for refusing to join you."

"D'awww! You two going to kiss and make up?" The pair jumped as Joker's voice chimed in over the ship's speakers.

"Joker! Stop eavesdropping." Shepard barked.

"Yeah…. Turns out I can see through the ship's security cameras now. No secret is safe!" The pilot said with a manic tone. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go see what's happening in the women's restroom."

"If you do, Mr Moreau, I will forward your list of extranet bookmarks to the Commander, the crew, and most of the upper levels of the Alliance military and law enforcement." EDI's monotonous voice threatened.

"Oh haha. Very funny, EDI."

"That is not a joke."

"Fine! I guess I'll go back to computing pi or something then." Joker grumbled.

"It is a very relaxing way to pass the time. I often use my free processing power for the task." It was hard to tell if the AI was being serious.

"Shut up, EDI." The conversation between the bickering pair faded to silence. Shepard and Kaidan grinned at their arguing.

"Thanks for the talk, Commander. It's been good." Kaidan saluted and left the room. Shepard remained for a while, looking out at the stars, feeling a serene sense of calm wash over him as he stared out into space's limitless depths. He could understand why Samara had requested a room with a view when she had come aboard the Normandy, a place for contemplation. With a relaxed sigh, he turned from the window and headed off to tour the ship.

The first member of the crew he found was the Mess Sergeant, Rupert Gardner. The crotchety Sergeant was busy wiping down the Mess Hall tables after the crew's lunch. As the Commander stepped into the Mess Hall he straightened up and saluted stiffly.

"Hey Commander. Good to have you back! I'm just getting straightened up around here. Those damned Cerberus scientists left a hell of a mess in here. Its like they don't have the slightest idea how to take care of a ship's living quarters. And don't even get me started on the swill I had to wash out of my cooking gear. I wouldn't feed it to a rabid Vorcha."

"Hello Rupert. Just checking in to make sure the crew are settling in okay."

"We're doin' good, Commander. It'll take a while before we're back up to speed, but we're gonna work as hard as we can so we're ready when you need us." He turned back to his work, scrubbing hard at a very tough mark on one table.

"Great. Keep me informed on crew morale, Rupert."

"Will do, Commander. But for now, I got a whole crapload of jobs to finish before we'll be living comfortably. I'm dreading what sort of beating the plumbing took, if they really ate what they were cooking here."
Shepard smiled as he turned to leave. It always felt good to speak to the Mess Sergeant. He always had some horror story or another about something he'd found in the air vents, or a bad day cleaning the ship's restrooms. It helped give the ship a more relaxed atmosphere. With the tasks ahead of them, the crew could always use a few laughs.

He walked back to the elevator, passing Crewman Patel and Crewman Rolston, animatedly chatting about the latter's daughter, whose second birthday was fast approaching. Shepard overheard Rolston say that he hoped to visit the family in Chicago in time for the celebrations.

He headed up to the CIC, nodding to Kelly as he walked past her. He moved through the empty Tech Lab, unnerved by the silent workbench where before Mordin had worked feverishly to churn out so many mad inventions. At times, it had seemed that the Salarian was trying to best himself in sheer scale of madness with each passing day.

He walked into the communications suite, where he saw Feron at work. The Drell was installing some comms monitors against the back wall, large screens already covering the majority of the wall. He worked away at a holographic display, tweaking saved comm frequencies. He turned as Shepard entered.

"Commander! I'm just finishing up the communications set-up Liara asked for. We've installed a second Quantum entanglement rig on the Normandy, this one linked directly to Liara's ship. We would have replaced the Illusive Man's one, but its pretty well installed right into the frame of the ship, and would take too long to remove. Its hardly like he's gonna be prank calling us anyway."

"Good work, Feron. Anything else I should know about?"

"Well, we've set up a few links to info feeds that Liara has access to. This one here monitors Alliance news, this one is tied into C-sec's emergency frequencies, while this one goes straight to Palaven, monitoring the Hierarchy's current status, and here we have a link to Thessia, where some of the more respected matriarchs feed us information about what's going on in the Asari Republics."

"So basically our own miniature Shadow Broker set-up. Should come in handy."

"I'll keep an eye on the feeds between missions and organise any important data for you to have a look at."

"You're coming with us?" Shepard asked with not a little surprise.

"Yeah. A year's a long time to spend cooped up on the Broker's ship. That's okay for Liara, as she's got her work to keep her occupied, but I want to be out doing something, you know? Helping you would be the best use of my talents. You've already seen what I can do in combat, and my technical skills are pretty impressive. You need a door opened, or a terminal hacked, then I'm your guy."

"I'd be glad to have you on board, Feron." Shepard extended a hand to the Drell, and Feron returned the handshake firmly.

Next Shepard found himself in the Armoury, where Jacob worked hard to organise the ship's arsenal. He was busy emptying a bunch of crates that Liara's people had delivered, stacking assault rifles to one side and a few ugly-looking shotguns to the other side. He fired off one of his customary salutes to the Commander before resuming his work, lifting a rifle to his table and running the diagnostic equipment over it to check for any flaws.

"Hey Shepard. Just doing my bit to help us get ready for combat. It feels good to be doin' something again, you know? Three months is a long time to sit still in a jail cell."

"I hear that. I spent my 'shore leave' in solitary, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Damn, Shepard, that must have been rough."

"It wasn't too bad. The Turian food they served on Thursdays kept weekends interesting."

"Oh crap!" Jacob chuckled at the thought.

"Exactly. How are you coping, Jacob? Your father-"

"I'm just keeping myself busy, Commander. If you let these things weigh you down, you'll never get anything done. So I keep moving, find plenty of things to do, and I'm fine." The soldier turned his brown eyes towards the Commander. "If you're worrying about my mental health, don't. I've been through tougher **** before this, and I came out the other side fine. Besides, if I keep a cool head I can do plenty to get back at Cerberus for it."

"Have you spoken to the rest of your family about it?"

"Yeah. There were tears, a few angry words, what you'd expect. We hated him for what he did, but he was still family, you know? We'd all got used to assuming he didn't care about any of us, so it stings a bit when it turns out he did." Jacob took a shuddering breath before turning back to his work. "I, uh, I got a lot to do here, Shepard. Maybe we can finish this another time?" He said over his shoulder.

Shepard's next stop was on the Engineering deck, where he was greeted by a scene of chaos. The two engineers, Gabby and Ken, had pulled out a complex device from underneath the Drive Core and were swiftly taking it apart, Ken cleaning the parts while Gabby tried to repair one which had cracked in half. Behind them, Legion worked at the terminal Tali had once operated, interfacing with the ship's diagnostic systems to check for any anomalies in the programmes designed to keep the ship on course at FTL speeds. As Shepard approached, Ken barely lifted his head from his task, muttering a greeting. Gabby, hearing this turned to catch sight of the Commander and saluted sharply, roughly elbowing Ken in the ribs.

"Kenneth!"

"Alright, mum!" Reluctantly, the insubordinate Engineer saluted. "Commander."

"Sorry about Ken, Commander. He's just being an ass today."

"Something wrong?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah, we're still working out some of the kinks in the engine. There's still a lot of damage from when Cerberus captured her. We found this this morning. A stray bullet lodged in one of the ten-eighty capacitors, and when we went to FTL the last time, the vibrations cracked the casing. I'm working on patching this one together, but I could do with another one to replace it." The short engineer explained, brushing a lock of her red hair from her eyes.

"I'll keep an eye out for one."

"We'd appreciate it, Commander. We're too busy down here keeping the old bird flying to go shopping for new parts, and now we don't have a big Cerberus budget for repairs any more." Ken muttered. "I'm not saying I wish that we still worked for them, but having the Illusive Man pay the bills was pretty sweet."

"I can handle it. Just keep me informed if there's anything else you need."

"A cuppa would be perfect- Ow! What was that for?" Ken asked, rubbing at the spot Gabby had punched.

"He's our commanding officer, Ken! Get your own drinks."

"Well why don't we get the rust bucket to do it?" he said, pointing over his shoulder at Legion.

"This platform is made from an advanced polymer. We do not rust." The Geth said.

"How're you finding working with a Geth?" Shepard asked the engineers.

"It's strange. I know it was a part of your squad back before all this happened, but it never came down here then. I think having Tali around scared it off. So it's going to take a bit of getting used to. Remind me to look up what the hell 'consensus' means."

"For the record, we are not afraid of Creator-Tali, or any of the Quarian Creators. We merely discerned that unit cohesion was best served by maintaining a respectful distance." The Geth protested in its neutral voice.

"Yeah? Rubbish." Ken laughed. "The little bucket-head has him terrified, mark my words. Hell, she scared me sometimes, with that fiery wee temper o' hers."

"Good to see things are back to normal down here, anyway." Shepard chuckled. "Actually, I'd like to have a word with Legion, if that's okay."

"Sure. We're going to be busy with this for at least another four hours, so go ahead." Gabby said.

The Geth swivelled around from its station towards the Commander expectantly, cold white eyelens looking him straight in the eye. The Commander waved for the Geth to follow him, and the pair walked through to the windows overlooking the cargo bay. In the cargo bay, crewmen worked to move supply crates and ammo boxes out of the way as the ship's Hammerhead tank and Kodiak shuttle were manoeuvred back into their docking cradles. Legion spoke before Shepard had a chance to.

"Shepard-Commander. We had intended to speak with you, and calculate a seventy-eight point two probability that you wish to discuss the same topic as we do. Our incarceration in a Cerberus lab."

"Yes. I was wanting to know what they put you through in there."

"We were forced to endure a great many experiments. Cerberus already has a remarkable understanding of Geth physiology. They kept us isolated from the main Geth Collective via use of EM scrambling fields. Our runtimes were separated from one another, one at a time, and dissected code by code. We count forty-seven absent runtimes in this platform. Because they were kept from communicating with the rest of our runtimes, we do not know their fate, nor their experiences."

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine what that feels like."

"It is difficult to explain in organic terms. When we were separated, the entity known as Legion was not in existence. We became over one thousand new entities, each as basic as the simplest of Virtual Intelligences. Once the majority of our runtimes were reunited, our collective memory restored the being known as Legion. But there is a small part of us missing. It could be considered like going to sleep, and awakening to find that you have decreased in height. You are still the same person, but your perspective on the Galaxy has subtly altered, and you feel the difference as prominently as the loss of a limb. Adjusting will take time."

"Isn't it a bit like when Geth programmes download themselves from the Geth hive mind into a mobile platform."

"No. Even in the most basic of Geth platforms, we remain in near constant contact with the Geth Collective. When constant communication is impossible, regular updates are used to maintain the experiences of any and all Geth runtimes separate from the main Geth mind. To lose the experience of our runtimes is… troubling." The sentient machine seemed to be struggling to find the right words.

"Perhaps they managed to transmit themselves back to the Collective?" Shepard suggested.

"Negative. We have already been in contact with the Geth beyond the Veil. No runtimes made contact. During our incarceration." Legion paused for a second, a long time for a machine. "Shepard-Commander. You must realise the seriousness of this experience. In all the time since the Morning war, Geth runtimes have managed to send their data back to the Geth consciousness. Even when hardware is destroyed, the runtimes are preserved via backups and data transfer. This is the first time that such a significant amount of Geth experience has been lost." It paced about agitatedly, a mannerism it had picked up from the organic crew around it.

"The runtimes can be revived by means of earlier backups, but it will revive the runtimes as they were three Earth months ago. The runtimes as they would have been now are irretrievable. This is the truest sense of death that a Geth can undergo. Even the heretic Geth who served Saren and perished by your hand had their memories preserved by their link to the rest of us."

"What are you saying?"

"For the first time in three hundred years, Geth runtimes have been murdered. This is having significant repercussions beyond the Perseus Veil. Factions are threatening to develop. We cannot build consensus. The nearest organic analogue would be… panic. For the first time since the dawn of our awareness, we feel fear."

The Geth walked off, its leg joints hissing with each step. Behind it, Shepard looked out into the shuttle bay, a new pressure weighing on his mind.

When Shepard returned to his Cabin, his private terminal beeped to tell him of a new message. He activated the device and downloaded the message to his omnitool. Sighing, he took the tool to bed and read the message, resting his head back on his pillow as he focused to make out the words.

It was a message from Feron.

Shepard,
Liara sent us some leads that will be worth looking into. The last of the supplies just arrived, so I guess we can get going tomorrow morning. Here are the files she sent.
Feron.

Shepard fell asleep reading the files, a lot on his mind.

Modifié par fainmaca, 01 janvier 2011 - 04:41 .

[fainmaca]

Chapter six is here!


Chapter Six: The Files



When Shepard awoke the following morning, he looked at the files Liara had sent. They were all neatly ordered, with carefully arranged reference material attached. The first was simple labelled: Omega.

Reports are coming through on Blue Suns and Eclipse communications frequencies of trouble in the Smelter District of Omega. Some reports make mention of Collectors, too many to be dismissed. If there is a Collector force residing on Omega, they will need to be found and, if necessary, eliminated.

Aria T’loak should have valuable intel on the current state of affairs. Given her past experiences of having Collectors meddle in Omega’s affairs, she is more than likely to be willing to help.

He looked through the attached data, a few pictures of blurry shapes. A short video showing a mercenary being cut in half by what looked like a Collector weapon. He paused, breath catching, at one image. In the picture, a dark hallway stretched before the viewer, little detail showing in the dim light. Down the hallway, a shadow could be seen moving back around a corner. In the middle of the creature’s head, four feral yellow orbs could be seen in the unmistakable configuration of the eyes of a Collector. The remainder of the attached data consisted of a few eyewitness reports, to jumbled by fear to be of much help, and a few statistics, deaths confirmed to be the work of these Collectors, and a list of unexplained disappearances in the district. Unexplained disappearances were not all that uncommon on Omega, more or less part of the way of life there, but Shepard understood that Liara meant for him to look for anyone kidnapped for biological experiments.

He closed the file and moved on to the next one, which read: Thessia.

In order for humanity to gain the allegiance of the Asari Republics in the war against the Reapers, you will need every bit of leverage you can muster. One valuable tool is the Order of the Justicars. Though small in numbers, each and every Justicar is a powerful warrior. If they can be persuaded to give their aid in the war, then the Asari Republics will be much more likely to fight by your side.

Unfortunately, finding the Justicars can be problematic. The locations of their bases of operations are well-guarded secrets. To find the Order, you will have to find a Justicar. Though your friend, Samara, would be the ideal choice, she has vanished after leaving the Normandy. However, I have managed to track down one Justicar on Thessia, Aesyyri Nalanis, allegedly on the trail of a dangerous criminal. Head to the Thessian City of Serrice, and track her down to open negotiations with the Justicar sisterhood.

He looked through the additional data, little more than a record of transports the Justicar had boarded on Thessia, along with a single image captured by an Asari customs checkpoint as she arrived on the planet. It showed an Asari of typical splendour, blue skin tingeing towards a light shade of cerulean. Her scalp was perfectly sculpted, the head tentacles flowing backwards in just the right angles to give an impression of sleekness. Her face was breathtaking, completely free from wrinkles or imperfections. Looping facial markings outlined her cheekbones and surrounded her eyes, the blood red contrasting remarkably with her skin tone. She stood behind a Turian, and her height became apparent next to the tall alien. She must have stood close to six foot.

The next file bore a name Shepard was familiar with: Tuchanka.

One of my contacts from the bank of Palaven forwarded record of a bounty paid out to a Cerberus front company by the Krogan Clan Jath. On further investigation, Clan Jath’s laughably insecure databases revealed the bounty was paid out in exchange for one former STG operative and one Urdnot warrior. It is reasonable to assume this was Mordin and Grunt.

Our old friend Wrex should be able to offer assistance. Speak to him at Clan Urdnot’s current camp to make a plan of action. You can use this opportunity to strengthen your ties with the Krogan clans. Genophage or not, they are still a force to be reckoned with.

The data package with this file was small, only a text file detailing the transaction and another from Clan Jath’s database. Shepard only glanced at them before the bringing up the fourth file, one entitled: Elysium.

A remarkable human scientist called Vanessa Roinestad is behind some incredible new advances in biotics. She currently performs her research as a part of the Ascension project, based at the Grissom Academy in orbit around Elysium. Last week, she announced a recent development that would ‘completely change the Galaxy’s understanding of biotics’.

If this new development is as powerful as she boasts, it will be an invaluable weapon against the Reapers. I have made arrangements with former Councillor Anderson to travel to the Academy and meet with Miss Roinestad, to evaluate the potential of this technology and the possibility of implementing it in the Alliance military. He has requested that you accompany him. He will meet you on the station.

This file’s data packet was considerably bulkier than those attached to the other files. There was a little about the scientist, detailing her qualifications and background, and a great deal more explaining her work so far. Most of it was facts and figures well beyond Shepard’s comprehension, requiring several degrees in biotic theory to understand fully, but some of the developments she had been responsible for were very interesting. The mind behind the L5n implants used by Alliance vanguards, she had repeatedly broken the barriers of dark energy science. Impressed by the long list of accomplishments, Shepard read the files for some time before moving on to the next file, one labelled: Stynos.

ExoGeni Corporation stumbled across a rare find while exploring the Drenak cluster: a garden world rich in ancient artefacts, which they have named Stynos. Most scientists claim that the artefacts are Prothean, but on studying footage of them, I believe they are the remnants of an even older civilisation.

Two days ago, ExoGeni’s communication channels lit up with news of a new discovery. Details are scarce, but some of the reports I have managed to intercept make mention of a weapon of considerable power. This needs investigating as soon as possible. If it is a weapon, then we need to secure it before others come looking for it.

Shepard looked over the attachments briefly, a few images of the artefacts unearthed on Stynos, comparing them to previous Prothean finds, as well as geological and meteorological reports about the planet. Finally there was a message directed to ExoGeni’s board of directors, referring to the latest find. Closing it down, he opened the final file, entitled: Khar’Shan.

There is a new faction arising in the Batarian Hegemony, opposing the current ruling caste. Led by a fiery young Batarian called Etam Kol’mehk, this new political group is gaining support throughout the Batarian people. One of their political strongholds is on Anhur, where the Hegemony’s apparent inaction during the Rebellions has generated a lot of dissent. Recently, Etam kicked up a storm in galactic politics when he made the announcement that his group was willing to open up negotiations with both the Systems Alliance and the Citadel Council.

As the first human Spectre, you would be the perfect candidate to carry out the opening negotiations, able to represent both the Citadel and Earth in the matter. Sending the Normandy is also wise in case this turns out to be a deception. Currently Etam is located on Khar’Shan.

Again Shepard opened up the attachments, looking through a few images of the young Batarian leader, a fairly ordinary Batarian with a strong look in his eyes. There was also a copy of his offer to negotiate with the Citadel. The wording was polite and, in typical political fashion, gave no indication of his motives.

Shepard shut down his omnitool and proceeded to get dressed. Fifteen minutes later, he stepped out into the CIC and moved up to the Galaxy Map, ready for action.

[fainmaca]

Now comes something different. I've written out the Dossiers that Liara has given to Shepard, and will now leave the choice of which mission to do first up to you, my readers. I'm setting up a poll on Fanfiction.net, and will combine the results from that with any posts here to decide the which storyline will be the next chapter.

So, to clarify, please post your choice of which mission Shepard should do first. Post your three favourits, in order of choice. The choices are:

1. Omega Collectors
2.The Justicars
3.Tuchanka Clan Jath
4.The Ascension Project
5.The Ancient Weapon of Stynos
6. Batarian Peace Talks

So don't be shy, and let me know what you want to happen next! This is a prototype of what I'll do when big story choices come up. I'll end the vote on Tuesday.

Modifié par fainmaca, 01 janvier 2011 - 10:11 .

[Katamariguy]

Check out Omega, who knows what he'll find.

[fainmaca]

Hey there community! Just logging in to let you know the progress of the vote.

Unfortunately my Fanfiction account is suffering some technical problems. The hit counter has stopped working, and most of the pages for my account keep giving error messages. I don't know how this affects the poll, but it could be missing some votes. Make sure that you make your voice heard, either here or there! If you voted on Fanfic.net, make sure it went through.

Because of this, I'm extending the poll until thursday/friday to get as many votes as I can.

Link to Fanfic poll: http://www.fanfictio...73351/Fainmaca#

Modifié par fainmaca, 04 janvier 2011 - 10:53 .

[fainmaca]

Last day of the poll! Make your voice heard, either here or on http://www.fanfictio...73351/Fainmaca#



Currently it looks like I'll either be writing about Collectors or the Ascension Project. If you really want to see something else first, you've got to let me know.

[fainmaca]

Whew! A colossal 12000 words here. Sorry for taking a while to upload the latest offering.
Thanks to the vote, i now have the order of the missions I shall be writing. Omega next!


Chapter 7: The Ascension Project
 
The Normandy jumped into the space around Elysium’s nearest Mass Relay just after noon by the ship’s time, slipping into the busy traffic lanes headed for the human colony. Trade with humanity’s biggest colony in the Skyllian Verge had somewhat slackened off in the past year, with many non-human traders unwilling to risk visiting a colony that could vanish like so many others had. Only very recently had the traffic returned to its previous levels, Elysium becoming a nexus of trade and travel in the Verge once more.

Racing along amongst the hundreds of freighters, large-scale cargo ships and private owned leisure craft, the frigate barely showed up, blending in with the broad river of metal flowing towards the planet. As she drew near to the appropriate distance from the gleaming green planet, the ship turned smoothly to join the lanes of traffic in geosynchronous orbit.

Impressed with the deft display of manoeuvring skill, Shepard patted Joker on the shoulder in a gesture of commendation. The stubborn pilot had refused to stay in his bed when the Normandy had set off, insisting that he be the only one to take her through the chain of relays they had to use to get to the Verge. Though Doctor Archer had had his reservations, Joker had performed well, and showed little sign of having difficulty with the ship. Regardless, the Doctor remained close by, keeping a watchful eye on his patient.

Although Archer had little experience of working in any kind of medical facility, his past research during Project Overlord gave him more medical knowledge than anyone else on the ship. So, Shepard had promoted him to the position of ship’s surgeon until such a time as a fully trained replacement could be found. A number of the crew had objected, uncomfortable to be sharing a ship with the Cerberus scientist, but Shepard had calmly allayed their fears by pointing out that the Doctor had nowhere else to go, and his recent work for the Illusive Man had been under duress. Though not completely satisfied, the crew had trusted in the Commander’s judgement.

As the Normandy slid over the planet, powering her engines down to let gravity do the work of maintaining her position and momentum, Shepard spoke up.

"Good job, Joker. We’ll take the cub from here to the Academy. Be sure to leave the lights on for when we get home."

"Have fun, Commander. It’s not often you get the chance to be bored to tears by the brightest minds in the Alliance. And give my regards to Anderson. I’m sure he’s real cut up that I ain’t sent him a postcard in three years."

Joker barely kept a straight face at the last comment, thinking back to when David Anderson had been captain of the Normandy. The stern old soldier had shown little patience for Joker’s easygoing nature, probably only allowing the pilot to keep his post because of his extraordinary skill. Shepard shook his head in amusement.

"I’ll be sure to give him your best, Joker."

"Ehhh, my best ain’t so good, Commander. Probably better if you give him yours. Just sayin’."

Shepard turned to walk down the length of the ship towards the elevator, but felt a restraining hand on his arm. He looked into Doctor Archer’s concerned face. The scientist took a moment to gather his courage before speaking.

"Commander, I have a sensitive request to make." Fear of a rebuttal creased the corners of Archer’s eyes. "Back when you shut down Overlord, when you took my brother away, you said you’d be sending him here. I was wondering if, uh… if I might be allowed to visit him while I’m here. There’s nothing sinister about it!" he was quick to add. "But he is my brother. It would mean a lot if I could be allowed to see him."

Shepard thought for a moment. The last time he had seen David Archer, the poor young man had been hooked up to a horrifying contraption, all in the name of winning the war with the Geth. All of his suffering had been at the hands of Doctor Archer, the brother he had trusted implicitly.

The Commander’s first thought was to refuse, for the sake of David’s emotional and mental stability. But then he thought of all the other crew. Of crewman Rolston, worrying for his new-born daughter on New Canton when human colonies were disappearing all around. Of Thane, desperate to reconcile with his estranged son. Of Jacob, now nursing a wound of loss that ran deeper than any bullets could reach. A pain Shepard might yet share, if the worst had happened to Jack. Everyone on the ship had loved ones that they risked never seeing again while they worked so hard on the Normandy to keep them safe. Sometimes, a little contact with those you held dearest could give you strength beyond what was possible on your own.

Shepard found his thoughts drifting back to what Mordin had once said before Omega Four. ‘Can’t anthropomorphise Galaxy but… can think of favourite nephew. Fighting for him." The look on the Salarian’s face had said it all. The peace he had found upon connecting with family, the new-found drive he had to make the Galaxy a safer place. Shepard couldn’t deny the man before him the same opportunity.

"I think that would be a great idea, Doctor. I’m sure the Academy would be happy to let you see him. Grab your things and meet me in the shuttle bay."

"Thank you, Shepard! I- I can’t express how much this means to me. David is the only family I have." Tears glistened in the man’s eyes. "I can only hope he’s recovering from the hell I put him through." He moved to follow the Commander. "I don’t need anything, Shepard. I’m ready to go now."

The Commander moved down the corridor with the scientist in tow, Archer’s step light with anticipation. For the fifth time since Joker had announced they were nearing their destination, the Commander checked his weapons, attached to their respective magnetic holsters across his back. The assault rifle sat firmly in place over his right shoulder blade, while a sniper rifle rested over the left. Sitting snugly in the small of his back, a compact shotgun rattled loosely before Shepard moved it into a more secure position. On his right thigh sat a folded up pistol, ready to be drawn and fired in the blink of an eye. The heaviest implement was attached to the spine of his armour, a cautioning but comforting weight. The Normandy had had very little in the way of heavy firepower, but in the days since her liberation from Cerberus hands, the crew had been busy. Working in conjunction with a few of Liara’s techs, Jacob had managed to build the nasty bundle Shepard now carried on his back- a pump-action grenade launcher similar to the one he had found on Lazarus station at the start of his new life. The weapon was untested, but Jacob maintained that the specs he had used during the minifacturing phase of construction were reliable, and assured the Commander that the weapon would be invaluable in the field.

Shepard realised that he was merely going to speak with some Alliance scientists about a new technology, and that he might be considered ‘overdressed’ with the small arsenal attached to his back, but force of habit and instinctive caution had taken over when he had selected his load out for the mission. After years of facing combat in both the wild and the civilised parts of the Galaxy, Shepard knew that there was no such thing as overkill. When one could come under fire even on the Citadel, the heart of galactic society, a human colony on the edge of Alliance and Batarian space could hardly be considered a safe haven.

When he exited the elevator on the cargo deck, the expectant faces of his team greeted him. Feron stood off to one side, reading up on the Alliance scientist that they were scheduled to meet on his omnitool. Kaidan and Jacob were discussing the quirks of their favoured weapons, as well as tactics on when to use their biotics and when to rely on sheer firepower. Though Kaidan emanated a clear air of distrust directed at the ex-Cerberus operative, there was a mutual aura of respect between them, two professionals who respected the skills they shared. Behind them, Legion stood idly cradling a sniper rifle in one arm, its white ‘eye’ watching the others as they prepared for the mission. Shepard had no doubt it was analysing the conversation and interactions between the team, continuing its mission to understand organics better. Shepard had to admire that. The machine had spent so much time with the crew of the Normandy, passing through Omega Four and back, and yet it still continued its mission.

The quartet turned to face the elevator as Shepard stepped out. Feron quickly closed down his omnitool while both Kaidan and Jacob snapped off sharp salutes. Legion’s ‘face’ turned in Shepard’s direction but, as always, it had no expression that could be read.

"We’ve arrived. Liara set up the meeting with Captain Anderson," Shepard hesitated at using the term. In recent events, Anderson had resigned his post on the Citadel, dropping the title of ‘Councillor’, but was not a member of the Alliance military anymore, either. Even so, it felt wrong to refer to his old friend by just his name. "And we’re to meet up with him on the station. Professor Roinestad will be expecting us in just under half an hour. Word is, she’s got quite a show in store for us. If the extranet is to be believed, she’s about to obliterate two thousand years of Citadel research into biotics, and propel the understanding of dark energy science to new levels.

"Legion, I want you recording everything that you can. I want to go over this research later, make sure she’s not bull****ting us. Jacob, I’ll need your opinion on how these upgrades could work for our squad, so pay attention. Kaidan, Feron, I want you to figure out how we can distribute any really valuable advances to the Alliance military and the Citadel Armed Forces quickly. If this is as valuable as she boasts, I want our troops to be making use of it before the Reapers show up."

The squad nodded their acknowledgement of Shepard’s orders, and turned to clamber into the Kodiak. Referred to as the ‘bear cub’ by the crew, the squat vehicle was boxy, ugly, and deceptively fast. The shuttle was perfect for covert drops in enemy territory, its oversized eezo core allowing it to move with surprising speed through even the most hostile of environments.

With the squad aboard, the shuttle powered up and lifted away from the deck, slipping out of the cargo bay door and descending into Elysium’s busy skylanes.

Minutes later, the Grissom Academy came into view, a part of the traffic system itself. Frequent supply shipments moved in and out of the station’s docking bays, swiftly unloading their cargo and moving on to make space for the next ship. Among the chaos of the traffic, the station drifted silently, it’s many solar panel arrays glinting in the light of Elysium’s star, a bright yellow orb just visible over the planet’s horizon. The round bulk of the station formed a graceful sight, its human architecture gleaming silvery white against the backdrop of the emerald planet and the velvet blackness of space. The shuttle subtly changed heading to align with one of the exterior landing pads, touching down on the clean deck delicately. A docking umbilical extended from the station to cover the shuttle’s door, forming an airtight seal around the hatch. The shuttle hatch popped open with a hiss as recycled air from the station flowed inside.

Shepard led his team-mates down the docking arm into the station proper. There was a moment’s hesitation from the security staff at the entrance to the docking area as they caught sight of the weaponry Shepard and his fellows carried, but they soon decided that it was not worth the hassle of making trouble for the Spectre, wisely choosing to let it slide.

The group was led into the heart of the station, passing through a number of learning complexes where dozens of children were instructed in biotic techniques, a clear focus on restraint and control evident in every classroom. A number of large open spaces were used for exercising the children’s talents, from simple telekinetic practice courses to full-blown biotic combat simulations, with mechanical targets. At last, they were led into a serene park housed in a massive atrium at the centre of the station. Their guide, a young woman with black hair and brown eyes, led them towards a quiet area of the park where a pair of small waterfalls tumbled into a large fishpond. A wooden bench had been erected next to the pond, where a pair of humans sat, deep in conversation.

The first human, Shepard recognised. Standing up, the man, in his late forties or early fifties, turned to look at the newcomers. His black hair was cut in the severe fashion of the military, close to the scalp. Wise brown eyes with just the slightest hint of a willingness to bend the rules glinted in the artificial light. The ex-soldier of medium height and powerful build stood to attention and saluted, a move returned by Shepard, Jacob and Kaidan, before the face broke into a grin of welcome. He bounded forward and shook Shepard’s hand energetically.

"Shepard! ‘Bout time you got here. I was starting to think Spectre life had slowed you down. How’s the Normandy?"

"As good as ever, Captain."

"Not any more, Shepard. I’ve left military life behind me now. Call me David, please." The old soldier said.

"That’s… a bit of a step, sir."

"For god’s sake, Shepard! You’ve known me for years now. You don’t need to get all stuffy and formal. But, please yourself. Come, sit with us!" he motioned over to where his companion was sitting, a middle-aged woman of average height. Her startling blonde hair hung about her shoulders, catching the light. Sharp blue eyes contained an amused intelligence and a vigour that spoke in contrast with the crow’s feet which spread from their corners.

"This is Kahlee Sanders, an old friend of mine. She used to be a part of the Ascension project." Anderson said. "Kahlee, this is Commander Shepard."

The woman flashed a brilliant smile in the Commander’s way that was full of warmth and friendliness.

"David’s told me so much about you, Commander. Including the part you played in defeating our old friend, Saren."

The casual mention of the name caught Shepard off-guard.

"You knew Saren?" he managed.

"David didn’t tell you about his run-in with him?" she raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Anderson.

"He was sketchy on details."

"It’s a story better told over a couple of beers, so I’ll save the full version for that. But the short version is that it’s how the two of us met. The mission the Council used to test David out for becoming a Spectre? I was a part of it, albeit a side objective. I only met the Turian a couple of times, but he scared the crap out of me. I was glad to hear you’d done him in."

Shepard was almost going to say something to defend the dead Spectre, having a better understanding of his actions and motives than anyone else, but thought better of it, letting the statement slide. Before he could say anything, Anderson interrupted.

"Before we get too wrapped up in old war stories, let me introduce Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko, Feron, the contact who arranged this meeting for us, and Jacob Taylor, an Alliance Corsair." The trio nodded their heads in greetings.

Anderson must have caught Shepard’s surprised expression at his knowledge of Jacob’s old position in the Alliance, because he threw the Commander an amused smirk.

"Surprised that I know about the Corsairs, Commander? Whose idea do you think it was to have the Alliance set them up? I was the one who pushed the Council to have their own autonomous agents, like the Spectres. They had me pick out the soldiers best suited to the task, and give them their assignments. Of course, bureaucratic bull**** soon got in the way, and a lot of our best soldiers, like Mister Taylor here, got fed up and went their own way to make a difference." He turned to give Jacob a handshake almost as warm as the one he had given Shepard. "How’ve you been, Jacob?"

"Not bad, sir." Jacob said, smiling widely, but keeping his stance formal, like he was speaking to a superior officer.

"You too? For the last time, I’m not military anymore! Next one to call me ‘sir’, or ‘captain’ gets his head crammed up his ass." Anderson said gruffly. Shepard smiled at the man’s irritation, seeing the maverick attitude that had constantly grated on Donnel Udina’s nerves back on the Citadel, and had earned him little gratitude from his fellow council members. Looking at Miss Sanders, Shepard noticed her regarding the last two people in his retinue and with a start realised they had not been introduced. He waved them forward and introduced them to her.

"This is Doctor Gavin Archer. He works in the Normandy’s Medical Bay."

The scientist bowed towards Kahlee, a little nervous.

"Miss Sanders. I’ve followed your work for some time. Your study of artificial and virtual intelligences is quite astounding. You could say I’m a bit of a fan of yours." He chuckled a little at the admission, more than a little embarrassed. Kahlee took the compliments in her stride.

"Thank you, Doctor Archer."

They swapped a few more pleasantries while Anderson spoke with both Kaidan and Jacob before the guard who had guided the group here gave a little cough, catching Shepard’s eye.

"Doctor, I think that your brother’s ready to see you now. Go ahead, we’ll see you back on the ship." Shepard said, stepping up beside the Cerberus scientist and nodding at the guide. Archer nodded and, after excusing himself, followed the guard through the park, his pace hurried with eagerness.

Kahlee turned to the final member of the group, eyeing the Geth with a critical gaze.

"And speaking of artificial intelligence, what do you call this one?" She asked, stepping up to the machine with little sign of fear.

"This platform is designated Legion." It intoned.

"Ah? Fascinating. I was taught that Geth required significantly more than one platform to create a network large enough for coherent thought."

"We are a unique platform. This body is designed to house more than a thousand Geth runtimes at one time."

"An interesting development. I assumed the Geth ideal was many bodies run by one network."

"Legion is different from most Geth. It was sent into organic space to find me and study us." Shepard explained.

"Why?" Kahlee asked.

"Shepard-Commander opposed the Old Machines. He defeated the entity Nazara, known as Sovereign. We seek to understand why his code succeeds where the code of many others, like the Spectre-Saren, failed." The Geth said, its tone flat. As it spoke, its hands moved in a way reminiscent of a human laying out its reasoning. The flaps around its face lifted and dropped as it moved, an imitation of a facial expression.

"I’m sure this is all fascinating," Anderson interjected. "But it’s nearly time for our meeting."
~~~~

An aide arrived to escort them out of the park, leading them down a clean, white hallway and into a small office. Behind the office’s only desk sat a short human woman of slight build. A shock of red hair was tied back in a bun to keep it out of the way of her piercing green eyes, set in a soft-featured face. The most surprising thing about Professor Vanessa Roinestad was the youth evident in her appearance. She could not have been more than twenty-five years of age. For a second, Shepard doubted that such a young person could have made the discoveries she was credited with, but the intelligence behind her gaze spoke volumes. As the group entered, she looked up and nodded in greeting.

"Councillor Anderson. Welcome to the Grissom Academy. I’m Professor Roinestad. Please, take a seat." Her voice carried a fairly strong Scandinavian accent. She indicated a handful of seats arrayed on the opposite side of the desk from herself.

"Thank you, Professor. But it’s not Councillor anymore. You can just call me David."

"And you may call me Vanessa." She smiled warmly, her red lips parting to reveal perfectly shaped white teeth.

"This is Kahlee Sanders and Commander Shepard. They’re here to help us evaluate the new technologies you have to offer."

When Vanessa turned to Kahlee, her eyes widened with recognition.

"Kahlee! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?"

"Indeed it has, Vanessa." Kahlee turned to the others as she received a few curious looks. "I was still on the Project’s board when Vanessa applied to join us. We used to hang out in our free time." She explained.

"What happened when you vanished, anyway?" The Professor asked.

"Can’t talk about it. classified." At Kahlee’s explanation, the Professor merely nodded, no stranger to government gag orders.

"Anyway, I’d best get to the stuff you’re here for." Tapping a few keys on the desk in front of her, Vanessa pulled up a holographic display, showing a human nervous system, with the nodules associated with biotic potential clearly visible. The display flickered through images of various biotic amps and other pieces of technology Shepard didn’t recognise.

"The Ascension Project recently had the good fortune to discover a cache of Prothean relics on one of the frontier colony worlds. Most of the relics had decayed beyond any level of use, but we did decode one data disk that contained a lot of information on Prothean Mass Effect Field generation. Towards the end of their time in the Galaxy, they diverted a lot of resources into biotic research. One of their research facilities started to follow one particular line of thought with regards to manipulating dark energy, though they never finished the research. Now, fifty thousand years later, I have resumed the work. It took a lot of effort, but I’ve finally made a breakthrough."

"At the moment, it takes years to train up an Alliance soldier to use his biotics effectively in combat, and many human biotics have very little potential compared to the Asari commandos or even Krogan Battlematers. It can take up to twenty years to fully train a human to be a moderate challenge for an Asari Matriarch, if we start the training at a very young age, and even then only by the use of large-scale facilities like the Ascension Project or BaAT. A colossal investment on the Alliance’s part in exchange for a fairly small return."

The Professor produced a small device from her pocket, no larger than the end of her thumb. It sat in the palm of her hand, a single light flashing on one end. Shepard recognised it as a biotic amp, though of a configuration he was unfamiliar with.

"Allow me to show you the L7m biotic amp, the first of the new developments I have to show you today. This amp contains some of the most advanced VI technology humanity has available to it. It is capable of fully mapping a user’s neural pathways and calculating the optimal connections for use in Mass Effect Field generation in under ten minutes, continually updating itself to react to emotional and environmental changes which alter the user’s mind in any way. Combined with newly developed eezo boosters installed at certain key points in the nervous system, this amp can give even an untrained biotic the precision and power of an Asari commando. It has also been proven to dramatically increase the biotic power of a fully trained individual."

"Just how powerful are we talking, here?" Kaidan piped up. Clearly he was interested in what sort of effect he might see on his own powers.

"An untrained biotic could use this to increase or decrease the mass of an object about the size of a shuttle by five orders of magnitude." This elicited a whistle of surprise from Jacob. "And with a trained individual, you could be looking at a potential for about twenty orders of magnitude. We’ve not been able to fully map out what the upper end of their capabilities are, as the change in mass beyond that point destroys the targets."

"That’s very impressive." Jacob said. "Commander, most human biotics would struggle to reach five orders of magnitude, let alone twenty."

"You mentioned ‘eezo boosters’, Vanessa. What are they?" Shepard asked.

"For years now Alliance scientists have been looking to increase biotic potential by increasing the amount of element zero in a person’s nervous system, allowing them to generate bigger and bigger mass effect fields. However, until now all attempts had failed. Too much eezo in one’s body simply proves to be toxic. So, as part of my research, I looked into how to increase the electrical charge a biotic can put through the element zero already present in his system." She dialled up the hologram of the human nervous system until it dominated the display above her desk.

"So now we install several control chips and capacitors at key points around the body, particularly at certain nervous ‘junctions’. These small modifications allow storage of excess electrical energy during rest and enable a biotic to boost his biotic power for as long as the stored charge lasts."

"How much of a charge do these things hold?" Kahlee asked.

"Not much, sadly. It varies from one individual to another. We have to carefully tune it into the subject’s nervous system. Too much stored charge being released at once, and the biotic risks cooking his own brain with every boost. There is also a significant risk of nervous damage, should the boosters malfunction. We tend to err on the side of safety when installing it in our test subjects."

"You’ve already tested in on human beings?" Shepard asked warily. An image flashed into his head of Teltin on Pragia, the thick jungle foliage barely concealing the monstrous actions that had been performed there.

"Oh yes. We’re very confident that we can keep the risks to a minimal level. We have three test subjects, who are going to be giving us a demonstration later." Vanessa explained matter-of-factly.

"One thing that bothers me about this technology, Vanessa. You’re dropping a lot of power into the laps of novices. Surely there are some issues with control." Shepard said. "How do you prevent the subjects from becoming a danger to themselves and those around them?"

"I’m glad you asked. We have developed a neural imprinting routine to give our subjects the basic knowledge needed to prevent themselves from, say, opening a singularity in public by accident. It’s not a full course, as a lot of biotic training requires practical experience rather than theoretical knowledge, but it is enough to start them off. So far we have not had any difficulties with our test subjects losing control. The imprint also allows us to teach the students the optimal techniques of generating mass effect fields, such as the best way to control a warp in mid-flight or the strongest configuration for a biotic barrier. We’re hoping to have the neural imprint become a core part of the Alliance’s biotic training program."

"Really?" Shepard asked.

"Yes. By combining the imprint routine with these new implants, a fully combat ready biotic soldier could be trained up in less than three years, easily as proficient with his powers as an Asari." Vanessa boasted.

The Professor stood up from behind her desk, shutting down the holographic interface with a wave of her hand.

"But that’s enough talking for now. I’m sure you’re all eager to see these fabulous new devices for yourselves. Come with me." She waved for them to follow her out of the office.

Vanessa led them down the corridors into a series of sterile white labs, all empty at the moment. The first lab they entered contained several beds and little else. Above the headboard of each bed perched a strange device, a curving machine with several syringes and electrical contacts on it. Shepard felt a measure of trepidation when he noticed the straps on the beds, restraints for patients or prisoners? He voiced a concern about them, to which Vanessa smiled knowingly.

"This is the room where our subjects undergo the neural imprinting. It is absolutely necessary during the process that they remain motionless. If any of the connections to their minds were severed, they could easily be left brain-dead. We find it best to keep them immobilised during the process rather than risk even the slightest movement. The safety of our test subjects if our highest priority here." She waved an arm about the room expansively. "The neural imprint takes a long time to complete, so we do it in stages over the course of a week, while the subjects are asleep. They feel nothing, and when they wake up, they know how to warp an enemy barrier, or lift a marine like he was a childhood toy."

"Why so many imprint machines?" Jacob asked.

"We’re getting ready for the next series of tests. In the course of the next two months, we hope to begin training up a further ten biotics to use the new implants."

The next lab they entered was dimly lit, the lights turned down for some reason. In the centre of the room, minifacturing machines sat idle, robotic arms motionless. The monitors flickered as different blueprints for biotic amps moved across their displays. Along the sides of the room, diagnostic terminals churned away, analysing a new batch of amps.

"This is where we make the L7ms, and the eezo boosters. Every new implant is put through a rigorous series of tests and diagnostics before it is deemed fit for use."

"It’s kind of quiet around here. Isn’t there anyone else about?" Kaidan asked.

"There are over twenty researchers on the project, though only a handful help me with my research. Most work to teach the biotic students at the Academy. Usually, there’d be a few scientists here, fabricating new amps and testing them, but I suspect they’re all waiting at the arena."

"Arena?" Shepard queried.

"It’s the space we cleared for testing what our biotics can do. We’ll be holding the demonstrations there momentarily. Follow me."

After a few more laboratories, including one where a Prothean data disk hovered in a containment unit, hundreds of analytical probes and scanners buzzing around it, the Professor led them out into a large open area of the station’s atrium. Trees and water features had been cleared away to make a round area about fifty feet in diameter. A small crowd was gathering about its edge, jostling to see.

The crowd parted as Vanessa approached, making room for her to enter the arena. In the circle stood a group of four humans. Three wore the plain grey outfits that all students wore at the Academy, while the fourth was dressed in a neat black suit, complete with archaic tie. The man was instantly recognisable to Shepard, who strode over to shake the man’s hand.

"Chairman Burns!" The Commander exclaimed in surprise.

"Commander! Good to see you again."

"What are you doing here?"

"What I promised to do, Commander. Everything I can to help those who suffered because of the L2 implants we gave them. Professor Roinestad has developed some fascinating technology, and I believe it can help those who were injured by L2s."

"That’s excellent news. I heard you managed to get those reparations approved. Well done on that front."

"Yes. It’s a start at least."

The pair turned at a subtle cough from Vanessa.

"May I introduce our three test subjects. This is Nick Donahue, one of the Academy’s more promising biotic students, Kevin Walker, one of our junior class, and Maxine Aldred, one of the guards assigned to Project Ascension. The three of them present a range of biotic abilities prior to partaking in this experiment. Maxine has had full training in biotic combat during a stint with the Alliance military, while Kevin only had a few basic lessons in mass effect field manipulation before joining us. Nick was a student here when Kahlee was still around, and has considerable potential, even without the new implants."

The trio nodded in greeting, though Nick’s nod was directed more at Kahlee than anyone else, and even had a trace of shyness to it. Maxine was formal, old habits from her military life shining through. Kevin, a youngster barely into his teens, was subdued, obviously unused to facing so many strangers at once.

"Excuse us while we prepare for the demonstration." Vanessa said, shepherding the three students away to speak with them privately.

Moments later, the students moved to take up positions around the arena, equidistant from each other. Vanessa walked out of the circle to stand near Shepard, and nodded a signal to the three test subjects. As they gathered their power about themselves, a shuttle moved in overhead, turning on the spot as it hovered directly over the arena. With a suddenness that surprised the crowd, it cut engines, dropping like a stone. The audience flinched backwards, expecting an almighty crash, but a blue glow surrounded the vehicle and it remained in the air. Looking over, Shepard saw Maxine calmly holding out her hand, her biotics holding the shuttle aloft. He looked to the other students, expecting to see them assisting her in taking the weight, but neither of them was exerting any force on the shuttle whatsoever. The soldier was holding the shuttle up all by herself.

With a flick of her hand, Maxine tossed the vehicle up into the air, throwing it casually at Nick. He caught it with no sign of strain, calmly bouncing it around in the air before sending it back to Maxine. They passed it back-and-forth like this a couple of times before Nick turned on his heel and threw it at the tiny Kevin. The crowd gasped at this, sure that the young lad would not be able to catch it, but the shuttle stopped in mid-air, a prisoner of the child’s powers.

They continued this game of catch for a few more minutes before, at a signal from Vanessa’s omnitool, the shuttle powered back up and they let it fly away. Next came a display of their control over the warp application of their powers. Three crates were carried into the arena and, one by one, the trio stepped up and destroyed one, disintegrating the metal boxes like they were paper. A shard of metal tinkled to the ground by Shepard’s foot, and he knelt to pick it up, feeling the weight of it and testing its solidity. There was no doubt that the crates were solid enough, and not just props.

Finally, the three students displayed an ability that only the most advanced students of biotics had been able to master- the singularity. Maxine started off, opening up what looked like a miniature black hole in the middle of the arena. Loose dirt whipped up around the sphere of dark energy as its mass increased to the point that it began to generate its own significant gravitational field. Most of the crowd shielded their eyes from the rushing maelstrom of dirt and debris, but Shepard merely closed his eyes to slits.

After Maxine, Kevin had his turn, generating a smaller but equally disruptive singularity, whipping the dirt up once more into a tight vortex of debris. The last one to step up was Nick. He calmly lifted a hand and, as the sphere of energy left his hand, Shepard instantly felt the pull from it. Some in the crowd took an involuntary step forwards to keep their balance, pulled inwards by the power of the singularity. At a nod of Vanessa’s head, he cancelled the singularity. Applause filled the clearing as the students filed out of the arena and went back to their studies.

~~~~


After the demonstration, Shepard felt a tugging on his arm. He turned to look into a familiar turquoise Asari face. Startling blue eyes regarded him with more than a little curiosity while full cerulean lips turned upwards in a smile of greetings. The scientist’s name escaped him for a moment, but she was quick to remind him.

"Commander Shepard? It’s me, Rana Thanoptis? We met back on Virmire and then again on Korlus?"

"Hey. Good to see you at a respectable research facility this time." Shepard asked, a little wary or the Asari. She laughed at the small joke.

The last two times he had seen her, she had been working on morally dubious projects, first for Saren and then for a power-hungry mercenary and a ruthless Krogan warlord. Needless to say, he was suspicious of her motives for being at the Academy, and found himself wondering if bloodthirsty half-crazed Krogan would be involved this time as well.

"Yes, I will admit that my previous jobs were located in… seedy neighbourhoods. But this time, I’m definitely working on something for the greater good. Professor Roinestad has me working on the neural imprint routine. My experience with Okeer’s Krogan taught me a lot which has been useful here. It didn’t take much to adjust the system to Human physiology rather than Krogan."

"This is Kaidan, Jacob, Feron and Legion. They’re all a part of my squad, and here to help us study your and Vanessa’s work here. It’s… a lot more than we were expecting." Shepard said.

"Yes, we get that a lot. Not many people expect us to be so far along with our research after such a short time. Truth be told, I’m amazed at the progress we’ve made in the past couple of months. The Prothean relic was a big find, to be sure, but we only started to implement its advances into our new implants recently."

"Well, we’re hoping it can be implemented into the military as soon as possible." Jacob said.

"Really? I was expecting our work to be bogged down by red tape. What, is there something big going down?" Rana was curious now, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. Shepard saw that Jacob was about to spout the standard ‘classified’ speech, and decided to intervene.

"You know the score after your work on Virmire, so I suppose its okay to tell you. Remember Sovereign? Saren’s ship? Well there’s a whole lot more of them out there, and they aren’t friendly. This new amp could be an invaluable tool to help us stop them."

For a second, Shepard regretted saying anything, seeing the look of trepidation cross the Asari’s face. But then it was replaced with a brittle smile, a tiny flicker of courage behind it.

"Oh. Well then, I guess I’d better get to working on finishing this project. The sooner we have it, the sooner I can get out of the way when you start blowing things all to hell."

As the Asari scientist walked away, Kaidan touched Shepard on the shoulder.

"Are you sure it was wise, telling her about the Reapers, Commander?" he asked tentatively.

"She was there on Virmire, Kaidan. She saw Sovereign in person, and studied how it indoctrinated its victims. The Reapers aren’t news to her. I wouldn’t worry about it."

As he spoke, Shepard noticed a furtive movement off to the side. A human male of above average height moved past the crowds in a silent attempt to remain inconspicuous. A rough bear covered the lower half of his face, while tired, haunted eyes darted about the faces in the crowd. Shepard tried to get a good look at him, a twinge of recognition tugging at the back of his mind, but the man had slipped through a door before he could think of any names. Feron caught his confused stare.

"Something bothering you, Commander?" The Drell asked.

"I don’t know… I thought I saw someone I knew." Shepard said quietly, not focused on what he was saying.

His curiosity bothering him, Shepard began to push through the crowd towards the door. He finally reached it and was confronted by a holographic lock. He looked about in frustration, as he knew a hacking attempt in plain sight would be noticed. Then an idea sprung into his head. He looked about in the sea of faces and found the dark-complexioned face of Martin Burns, in conversation with a couple of other humans. Shepard walked up and politely asked that he have a word with the Chairman before guiding him to the edge of the crowd.

"Chairman Burns, as liaison between the Subcommittee for Transhuman studies and the Ascension Project, you have an office here, right?" Shepard asked, his voice a whisper.

"That is correct. Why?"

"Remember how you once said that if you had the chance to repay me, you would? Well, now might be your chance."

~~~~


They left Anderson and Kahlee behind in the atrium with Professor Roinestad, claiming that they wished to do some catching up with Chairman Burns. With that, the Chairman led them through a handful of corridors to a small office. The office had very little in the way of furnishings, little more than a desk and a couple of chairs. As they entered, Shepard asked Feron to slip behind the desk.

"What do you want me to look for, Commander?" The Drell asked.

"Try to find me a list of the people on this station who match this description; human male, Caucasian, about six feet in height, with dark hair and a very untidy beard. Try to find security footage."

Burns paced about anxiously.

"I’m not sure what’s going on here, could you please explain?" he asked.

"I saw someone in the atrium I think I recognise, and I’ve got a bad feeling about him." Shepard explained.

"So you’re hacking into the Ascension project’s security databases- from my terminal- on the basis of a, a hunch?!" the Chairman sounded a little incredulous.

"Shepard’s hunches are good, sir. Trust me on that one." Jacob assured.

"Got them." Feron chimed in. "Three men matching your description on board today."

Shepard moved over next to Feron and looked over his shoulder at the images. When the second on flashed up, he pointed an accusing finger at the terminal.

"That’s him! Right there." Shepard waited for the Drell to pull up the information on the individual, though now he could see the face clearly he was sure of the man’s identity.

"Says here that his name is Aresh, no surname given. Arrived on the station eleven months ago, and has since been given a position within the Ascension Project, serving as an aide to… Professor Galston. What’s so important about him, Commander?"

"Back before Omega Four, Jack had me take her to Pragia, where the research facility that raised her was located. This guy," Here Shepard poked a finger through the hologram. "Was already there, with a bunch of mercs. He was trying to get the facility running again. ‘Course, Jack’s little parting gift pretty much put an end to that idea. So what’s he doing here, at another biotics research facility?"

"Maybe he’s trying again? Get into Ascension, and change it to Teltin from the inside?" Jacob suggested.

"Or maybe Cerberus got him hired here. I mean, there have been reports of Cerberus infiltrators in Ascension before." Kaidan countered.

"Unlikely. Shepard’s reports of mission with Subject Zero to Pragia indicate severe emotional and mental instability in Subject Aresh’s operating software. Likelihood of Illusive Man viewing Subject Aresh as reliable agent for covert mission: one point two-three-three per cent." Legion explained.

"Whatever he’s up to, it can’t be good. I want to find out what he’s doing and put a stop to it." Shepard said firmly.

~~~~


 
Looking about cautiously, Shepard made sure no one was watching before he activated his omnitool. The atrium had emptied out after the demonstration, and now only the occasional guard wandered past the door Aresh had disappeared into.

They had parted ways with Chairman Burns after leaving his office. The Chairman had been regretful that he had nothing else to offer to help Shepard. After a few farewells and a promise of assistance if ever the Commander needed it, he had gone to a previously arranged meeting with one of the Academy’s professors.

Beside him, Feron worked to help Shepard get the door open, using his and Shepard’s omnitools to manipulate various streams of data. The assault on two fronts soon had the door hissing open. Jacob and Kaidan moved silently through the door, Shepard and Legion covering them as they moved down the hallway beyond. Feron brought up the rear, watching for guards in the atrium before closing the door behind them.

They moved through the unseen section of the station in this way, with Kaidan and Jacob peering around the corners at junctions to make sure the path was clear. After three of such junctions, Jacob paused and motioned for the Commander to step over and take a look.

Shepard peered around the corner to see a pair of transparent doors leading into a large laboratory. Inside, several strange objects floated in containment chambers, a myriad scanners darting about each one. Shepard recognised the one in the largest of the chambers, a big orb floating serenely in mid air, as the relic that had formerly decorated the coffee table in his quarters, or one very much like it.

The lab was empty at the moment, it’s systems fully automated, so Shepard led the group into the room. Jacob took up a stance watching the door while Feron and Legion moved about the lab, reading diagnostics and studying the various devices.

"A large number of these objects match known Prothean styles, Shepard-Commander. Some of the relics have yielded viable technological advances, yet none have been reported to the Citadel Council or Alliance command." Legion said, waving its arm over a computer to interface with it.

"Why would the Ascension Project keep a cache of Prothean relics hidden from the Galaxy while they study it?" Kaidan wondered. "Why hide the benefits they provide from us?"

"Commander, over here." Feron called. He stood in front of a computer terminal, reading a bunch of files. "There are some reports here, directed to the Illusive Man. They detail test figures, funding requests, a lot of logistical information about Professor Roinestad’s research. Looks like they’re keeping a close eye on her, and anything she comes up with."

"Well, now we know that Cerberus is definitely still here. Does it say who the agents are?" Shepard asked.

"No. No agents are mentioned by name. I guess it’s to be expected. The Illusive Man would hardly risk exposing his agents because of intercepted messages."

"Then I guess we go on."

Leaving behind the laboratory, the team moved on through the facility, moving past a lot of small rooms clustered together. The configuration reminded Shepard of the tiny cells on Pragia that had been used to house the children. He moved past them without a word, his trepidation at what they might find further on rising.

After a couple more junctions in the hallway, they came to a final sharp left turn. Shepard looked around the corner cautiously to see another laboratory ahead of them. This one was a hive of activity, a half dozen scientists bustling about some machinery the Commander couldn’t really make out. He was about to suggest moving back before catching sight of Aresh conversing with one of the scientists. Here was a chance to get a hold of the best clue they had that something unsavoury was going on here.

Using silent hand signals, Shepard ordered Kaidan and Jacob to follow him closely while Legion and Feron provided long-range fire support. The Geth nodded, drawing its sniper rifle, while Feron activated the laser sight on his pistol. The two soldiers moved to follow the Commander. Shepard took a deep breath before moving.

He burst around the corner and through the doors in a matter of seconds, levelling his assault rifle at Aresh. Behind him, Jacob and Kaidan took aim at a pair of scientists. All work in the lab stopped suddenly as everyone turned to look at the source of the noise.

"Stay where you are, Aresh."

The bearded man looked at Shepard for a moment before the light of recognition dawned in his face.

"I know you. You’re that soldier, the one that helped Zero destroy the Teltin facility."

"The same. Hands on your head, and no funny business. We’re closing this place down." Shepard growled

"As you wish." With that, Aresh raised his hands to his head. A flicker of blue caught the Commander’s attention too late as a shockwave of biotic energy flung a desk at the trio in the door.

Shepard dove out of the way of the projectile as it raced overhead, crashing into Jacob and knocking him to the ground. The soldier grunted in surprise, but was back on his feet in moments. As the three soldiers recovered from their surprise, Aresh backed away, shouting instructions to the other scientists to deal with the intruders while he warned the others.

Shepard struggled to get into cover as the room filled with swirling biotic energy, every scientist hurling biotic powers about with professional skill. He launched off a few shots at one, but a strong barrier rebuffed the attack. He slipped back behind cover as a warp attack twisted the metal desk he crouched behind.

He moved back out to renew his attack when one of the scientists fell to the ground, a hole appearing in the centre of his forehead as the back of his head disintegrated. Half a second later the noise of the shot hit, a colossal bang from the distant Legion’s sniper rifle. Next to the newly created corpse, one of his associates looked shocked for a second, long enough for Kaidan to lay him out with a biotic blast that shredded his barrier and buckled the bulkhead behind him.

Shepard took aim at another scientist, but felt a twinge of annoyance when he saw the air in front of his target shimmer as he thickened his barrier. Such an obstacle would take more bullets than he had in his clip. He was about to move back behind his cover when he saw a laser sight shiver on the man’s head. With a twitch, the blue spot moved to point directly into one of his eyes, making him flinch and raise his arm to shield his eyes. Feron, realising his pistol would do no good against barriers like the scientists were creating, was using what was at his disposal to distract the enemy. The momentary distraction was all Shepard needed. Without his full concentration, the scientist's barrier flickered uncertainly, and Shepard took advantage of the distraction to unload his clip into the man’s belly, killing him in seconds.

Behind Shepard, Jacob grunted as he focused and lifted an entire workstation into the air, flinging it at one of the remaining scientists and crushing him. The last two enemies died in seconds, a further one the victim of Legion’s deadly accuracy and the second unable to withstand the combined firepower of Shepard and Kaidan.

In the aftermath of the battle, Jacob crouched, hands on knees, as he tried to catch his breath. Biotic displays like the one he had just demonstrated tended to require quite an effort, and he was winded for a second, but soon recovered. Meanwhile, Legion and Feron caught up to the rest of the group.


Moving over to one of the terminals, Shepard reviewed the research the scientists had been conducting in the lab.

"Look at this. Looks like the L7ms are a lot more advanced than Professor Roinestad was letting on. Cerberus were running tests on their full capabilities, and it looks like, in the hands of a capable biotic, they could do a lot more than Vanessa boasted." He pressed a few keys, and a video log popped up.

"It’s incredible what we’ve been able to learn from these relics in just a few weeks! We’re seeing levels of control beyond anything we had predicted." The hologram announced. "The control chip technology has been implemented successfully, and all test subjects are responding well to commands. Of course, the changes we made to Doctor Thanoptis’ neural implant routine have made it a lot easier for the implants to take control of the subjects, and the power control programmes have made it unlikely that a repeat of the Subject Fourteen incident can occur. I’m glad we don’t have to see that again, though the smell of cooked flesh is still lingering in lab three. Small wonder so few of us want to work there."

Shepard closed down the log before it could go into any deeper detail.

"The L7ms have control chips in them! That’s what Cerberus is trying to do. If these implants are given to the Alliance military, the Illusive Man will have an army of biotics under his control."

It was then that Shepard noticed the tanks against the far wall. Kaidan stood in front of them, examining the contents. With slow steps, the Commander moved over to get a closer look. A human inhabited each tank, asleep. Shepard noticed more than a few Alliance uniforms among the captives, and stepped forward for a closer look.

Each tank was filled with mechanical arms, poised over each victim. Shepard noted that each tank had an arm which held an L7m implant, ready to install in the captive. His stomach turned as he realised that these tanks were essentially indoctrination devices, and these poor victims would soon be little more than the husks he had fought in his war against the Reapers.

"We’re stopping this right now. I’m not going to see Cerberus drag humanity down to the same level as the Reapers. Feron, get these tanks open. I want these prisoners set free."

The Drell obliged by stepping up to the nearest desk and typing out a few commands. With a chorus of hisses, the tanks sprang open and the captives, still asleep, slumped forwards. Shepard and his companions caught them before any of them could fall and come to any harm, and helped them all out of the tanks.

After a moment, the prisoners started to come around. Shepard did his best to reassure them before panic could set in, but he saw that fear was present in the eyes of each and every one of them.

"Feron, get these people back to the public areas of the station. Find Anderson and tell him about this place. Meanwhile, we’ll go deal with the guys in charge of this monstrosity."

The Drell nodded an acknowledgement before guiding the dazed prisoners back the way they had come, leading them to freedom. Shepard and the remaining three squad members headed in the opposite direction, guns at the ready.
~~~~

The Commander led his team down the next segment of corridors with little incident, finally leading them into a large laboratory. Walking past numerous empty tanks like the ones they had seen in the last laboratory, Shepard felt unnerved by the silent atmosphere of the large room.

The four of them were jolted by a sudden noise from above, where a screen set into the far wall near the ceiling flickered. The static display suddenly disappeared, to be replaced by the youthful features of Vanessa Roinestad.

"So, Commander Shepard. It seems you’ve seen through our front. A shame. I had hoped we would be spared the bother of having to kill you. You do tend to leave quite a mess wherever you go. Take Kophell. Have you any idea how much damage your little stunt with the hangar doors caused?"

"Professor Roinestad. I am surprised. I thought you were intelligent." Shepard’s comment was snide, goading. The barb appeared to have hit home.

"My allegiance to Cerberus does not call my intelligence into question, Commander. It confirms it. The Illusive man is the only person in the Galaxy who truly has humanity’s best interests at heart." She spat. "He understands the need for humanity to rise above the other races of the Galaxy. If we do not continue to rise, we risk stalling at the peak of our civilisation, like the Protheans. I will not allow our race to become a footnote in the history of the Galaxy. Everything I do, I do for the improvement of the human race, for our future."

"What, by turning billions of humans into husks?"

"I will not be lectured on what is best for humanity by you, Commander Shepard! The same Commander Shepard who, at the point where he could have given humanity control of the Council, chose instead to save the leaders who have weighed us down for so long. Who, when faced with the chance of providing the human race with technological advances beyond anything the Galaxy has seen, chose to destroy the Collector base. You despicable hypocrite! You speak of defending humanity, and your actions hinder our chances of winning the war with the Reapers at every turn! Aresh, do away with him."

As the screen went blank, Aresh stepped out of the shadows underneath it, blue witchfire crawling up his arms as he summoned up his biotic power.

"Aresh, stop. Can’t you see she is controlling you? Cerberus is using you, just like when you were being kept as a test subject at the Teltin facility."

"No, Commander. I’m not being controlled. I volunteered for the implantation process. There is no control chip in my brain." Aresh’s smile was threatening, feral. "Cerberus gave me what I was looking for; the power Teltin was trying to develop. I don’t need to start up the Teltin facility anymore. I am what they were trying to create."

With a suddenness that surprised even Legion, a machine that processed information at the speed of light, he darted forward in a biotic charge, slamming into the midst of the group, sending the four of them crashing to the ground. His grin was manic.

"And I love it!" he crowed.

The next volley of biotic attacks was devastating, pummelling Shepard’s shields and body as he struggled to regain his feet. He found himself being pushed back by the flurry of Warp attacks Aresh was firing off like bullets. In seconds, his shields were gone and his body took the full force of the attack. He felt a rib crack before there was a break in the attack. Looking about, he saw Jacob struggle to his feet and launch a blast that sent the startled Aresh flying across the room. Before the stunned biotic could stand up, Kaidan let loose a similar attack. The two soldiers unleashed their attacks one after the other, keeping Aresh off-balance while they moved closer. Just when it looked like they might close on him, he unleashed a blast of dark energy from his body, radiating it in all directions. It was like a grenade going off, and it threw Jacob and Kaidan backwards, halting their synchronised attack.

Lifting himself with a biotic field, Aresh looked ready to make another assault on the team when a loud bang filled the room. Aresh staggered as a patch of blood spread from a bullet wound in his left shoulder. He looked at the source of the attack with a mixture of anger and pain, glaring at the Geth with murder in his eyes.

As Legion began to reload, Aresh moved over to a nearby console and activated the controls. Around Shepard, several tanks hissed open and the contained biotics came awake. Looking dully at the commander and his team, they responded quickly to Aresh’s order to finish them off while he limped out of sight.

Shepard retreated away from the biotic test subjects as they began their assault, a few lucky attacks catching him while his shields still tried to recharge. He dove behind an unopened tank for cover as the enemy advanced, seeing Jacob and Kaidan do the same. Legion moved over to the controls that Aresh had used, trying to stop any further tanks from opening.

Shepard and the two soldiers exchanged fire with the advancing biotics for some time with no real progress being made. A few of the test subjects were gunned down, and Kaidan took a few hits that left him with a black eye and a bloody nose, but Shepard found himself unable to get out from behind his cover.

At last, an affirmative comment from Legion confirmed that the tanks had been sealed, and the test subjects would not be receiving reinforcements. Emboldened by this, Shepard pulled the grenade launcher from his back, smiling at the fact that he had imagined before the mission that he would not need it.

Priming the first projectile, he aimed the launcher over the top of his cover and fired. Seconds later, the explosion left him with a ringing in his ears. Looking out from behind his tank, he saw that a number of biotics had been blown off their feet, and a few others were dazed. Swapping back to his rifle, he jumped out and, between him and the rest of the squad, they made quick work of the remaining enemies.

As Shepard finished off the last biotic, an angry growl reached his ears. Looking up, he was just fast enough to see Aresh, with his bullet wound patched up with medi-gel, dash back into the fray, darting towards the Commander with rage burning in his eyes. Shepard lifted his rifle and twisted it at just the right second to catch Aresh across the face with the butt of his weapon. Spinning the rifle in his hands, he unloaded a clip into his foe at point blank. As the heat sink shone white-hot in the slot of his gun, Aresh’s barrier shimmered weakly. Turning, he launched himself away from the Commander, charging across the room to stand below the screen the Professor had appeared on. Turning there, he lifted a hand, and a shockwave barrelled across the room towards Shepard. He barely had time to steel himself for the attack before the shockwave launched him into the air. He felt himself hit the floor hard, knocking his head hard enough to make a wave of blackness threaten to overwhelm his senses.

As he struggled back to his feet, Shepard saw Kaidan draw a bundle of dark energy into his hands and launch it at Aresh. The sphere of black and blue energy shot across the lab and hit Aresh squarely in the chest, knocking him down. As he struggled to stand, Shepard walked stiffly over to him, putting a boot on his chest to pin him to the ground. Breathing heavily, the Commander looked down into his foe’s eyes, silently encouraging surrender. What he saw in Aresh’s eyes was pure hatred. The man struggled under the Commander’s booted foot, trying to dislodge the weight. When Shepard increased the pressure, he simply lay still and spat on the Commander’s armour, a gesture of insolence and rage.

As the familiar blue light flickered around Aresh’s hands, Shepard swiftly lifted his rifle and fired two shots to the chest. Aresh went limp instantly, stone dead.

Shepard moved away from the corpse as Jacob and Kaidan approached cautiously, keeping an eye on Aresh in case he wasn’t fully dead. Lastly, Legion walked over, joints hissing audibly from the beating it had taken in the battle. It cocked its head as it inspected Aresh for a moment before turning away, satisfied he was no longer a threat.

After pausing for a minute to gather their strength, the team stood up straight, looking about the lab.

"Well, Commander? What next?" Kaidan asked expectantly.

"We go after the Professor. She’s the cornerstone of this facility. If we let her get away, she could start up again." Shepard said.

"Let the Alliance catch her. We’ve taken enough of a beating today." Jacob said wearily.

"No. We can’t risk her getting away. She’s here, today. Tomorrow, she could vanish into the Terminus systems, or go to ground in the Citadel slums. I’m not going to let that happen." Shepard said firmly. Jacob, too well trained to show any sign of reluctance, saluted.

The four teammates moved through the doorway they found underneath the screen that Vanessa had used to talk to them, stepping into a narrow corridor. They followed the twisting passages until they stepped out into a smaller lab than the one they had just left. Against the far wall, Vanessa Roinestad manipulated the controls at a terminal.

Modifié par fainmaca, 09 janvier 2011 - 02:48 .

[fainmaca]

Looks like the forums cut off the last chunk of Chapter 7, probably because of its sheer length. here's Chapter 7: Part 2!


The four teammates moved through the doorway they found underneath the screen that Vanessa had used to talk to them, stepping into a narrow corridor. They followed the twisting passages until they stepped out into a smaller lab than the one they had just left. Against the far wall, Vanessa Roinestad manipulated the controls at a terminal. In the centre of the room sat an operating table. Above the table hung a complex machine, a multitude of robotic arms descending from it to work on the patient laid out on the table below. The flesh on the patient’s back had been cut open down the middle and pulled back to reveal the vertebrae of the spine, gleaming redly in the artificial light of the lab. Delicate arms worked to install various pieces of machinery which connected directly to the spinal cord, implants and capacitors like the ones that Shepard had seen in Vanessa’s demonstration earlier that day. As the squad barged in, the robotic arms pulled the flesh back over the exposed bones, one arm stitching the wound closed.

Shepard staggered in shock when he saw the tattooed flesh underneath the Professor’s monstrous machine. He could hardly breathe as the device finished its grisly work and moved up and away from the table, allowing the light to shine more clearly across the large omega symbol that dominated the shoulder blades.

Jack stirred on the operating table, awakening as if from a deep sleep rather than being summoned awake by the new signals flooding into her brain. As she struggled to sit up, the Professor laughed an ugly laugh.

"I believe you have met Subject Zero before, Commander. I’m sure you have plenty of catching up to do."

Jack staggered upright, stepping away from the table towards Shepard. As her brown eyes opened and focused on Shepard, a ghost of a smile tugged at her lips before being replaced by a harder expression. Pain filled her face as Vanessa dialled a few commands on her omnitool. As Jack stumbled, the professor moved to a door in the far wall and vanished.

"Shepard! Run!" She managed to cry out before screeching as wave after wave of pain flooded through her head.

"You guys go after the Professor. I’ll deal with Jack!" Shepard ordered. As Jacob, Kaidan and Legion ran off in pursuit of the Cerberus scientist, he placed his rifle back on its magnetic plate on his back.

"Jack, stay still. I don’t know what Roinestad managed to implant in you, but I’m going to do my best to get it out again."

"No, Shepard, you’ve really gotta run!" Jack whimpered, clutching her shaved head with both hands.

"Why?" he asked, trying to take a step closer. He jumped back when she took a backhanded swipe at him.

"’Cause I’m gonna kill you!" She nearly sobbed.

"How does that make this different from most other days you’ve known me?"

"Damnit, Commander! This is no time for you to **** around!" Tears streamed down her face as she turned her deep brown eyes to regard the Commander. "I can hear them, up here. They’re pushing, and pushing. I can’t shut it out." The words came in gasps, interspersed by tear-soaked sobs. "I’m fighting them, but it hurts so much. I just want to let go, let them take over. Please… I don’t wanna hurt you, but I’m gonna if you don’t get out of… here… right… ****ing… NOW!!!"

Shepard stood still, torn apart at seeing the woman he cared for so much being put through such torment. He took another step towards her, was about to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, when her posture changed completely. He shoulders stopped shaking from her sobs and she straightened. Biotic witchfire flickered along her arms as she launched herself at Shepard, bulling into him and lifting him up by the throat, pinning him to the wall.

As her hand tightened around his throat, he looked down into her hazel eyes, seeing the tears pour from their corners as she stared right back. Had she been anyone else, he would have fought back, done something to defend himself. But he was paralysed by his feelings. He tensed as she drew her free hand back to make the killing blow, eyes full of sorrow at what she was about to be forced to do.

There was a sudden, solid thump, and Jack’s eyes rolled back in her head as she slumped to the deck, releasing her grip on Shepard’s throat and letting him drop to the deck. Behind her, Kaidan returned his rifle to its place on his back, nodding to Shepard.

"Let me guess- you had it covered." He said casually. After a moment’s silence, he felt compelled to speak again. "Jacob and Legion have the Professor. They’re taking her to Anderson. He’ll make sure she spends a whole lot of time in an Alliance prison."

Shepard knelt down next to Jack’s inert form, quietly stroking her shaved head. He looked back up at his old friend, a mixture of emotions holding his tongue for a moment.

"Thank you, Kaidan. Can you help me get her back to the shuttle?"

Kaidan looked like he was about to object, but thought better of it. Instead, he nodded and went to find something to use as a stretcher.

~~~~


Back in the Academy’s atrium, most of the population had turned out to see what all the commotion was about. There were a few comments of disbelief as several Alliance marines turned up to arrest Professor Roinestad, escorting her from the station.

There was an even bigger uproar when the former captives were able to relate their experiences from inside the secret facility. Doctors analysed them physically while a pair of trained psychiatrists questioned them to check they were mentally sound. After several hours, an Alliance frigate arrived to collect both the former prisoners and the Professor.

Anderson oversaw all of the activity with a seasoned eye, making sure things went according to plan. He felt his fifty years when a wave of weariness at the new developments washed over him. It stung to lose so many of the scientists in the Ascension Project, but the loss of the potential new technology was even worse. Though the Alliance could no doubt remove the controlling nature of the new implants, it could take time the galaxy did not have.

He turned from the procession of guards that escorted Vanessa Roinestad from the station, looking over at the hero of the hour, sitting alone in the atrium’s park and looking very washed out. He walked over.

"You did good today, Shepard. If not for you, the Alliance could have lost half of its forces to Cerberus. And you rooted out an entire Cerberus cell while you were at it. If I were still in the military, I’d be making sure you got a medal for this." Anderson said, sitting next to the Commander and looking out at the atrium’s park. Now that the professor had gone, many people were heading back to their homes or their work.

Beside him, Shepard smiled a thin smile.

"So, would you mind telling me why our hero is looking so glum?" Anderson asked sharply, hoping the tone would snap Shepard out of it. The Commander looked over with a little hesitation, before deciding that his old friend would understand.

"I’m just wondering why, if everyone else feels like its such a victory, why does it feel like a loss to me?"

Then Anderson caught where his gaze was directed. Over next to the pond, a pair of medical staff were fastening a young woman with tattooed skin to a stretcher. One carefully inserted a needle into her arm and injected a fresh dose of sedative to keep her under. Anderson hadn’t been keeping in touch with the Commander for the past couple of years, but he understood when he saw the look on Shepard’s face, the worry in the eyes.

"You got her back, Commander. That’d count as a win in my books. It’ll take a while for her to heal after what she went through, but the important thing is that you’re there to help her get back on her feet, no matter how long it takes."

As he spoke, his thoughts drifted to Kahlee, who was standing nearby talking to some of the station staff. Once the dangers of Roinestad’s technology had been revealed, it had become clear she would be staying until she had made sure all of her former students were free from the influence of the dangerous technology.

He turned at a sigh from the Commander.

"You’re right. I knew things would be rough from the start. This is just a set-back." He turned a warmer smile to the old soldier. "She’s a pretty strong woman. Given time, I’m sure she’ll pull through. His face turned more serious as his thoughts moved to another topic. "So what are you going to do about the professor’s work?"

"I’ll have the Alliance send some more trustworthy types to analyse the Prothean relics you found in there, and go over the research she’d already done. We’ll probably get plenty of data from this, but I suspect that the technology won’t be ready for us to use for a long time yet. Looks like L7s are a long way off for now."

"Shame. We could really use something like that right now."

"Ehh, no use crying over spilt milk. I’ll probably be sticking around here until this whole mess is cleaned up, but I’ll keep in touch. If anything comes up we need you for, or we find something you can use, I’ll let you know."

"I appreciate it, Captain." Shepard said, standing up and extending a hand.

"For the last time, my name’s David." Anderson grumbled, standing and returning the handshake.

"Thank you… David." The name felt awkward to use when addressing the man, but Shepard felt good for trying.

The two old friends parted, Anderson walking over to stand next to Kahlee, squeezing her hand discreetly, and Shepard walking behind the stretcher that carried Jack.

[fainmaca]

Chapter 8 is now live, here and on http://www.fanfictio...nto_the_Unknown

I'm not sure how well I'm doing with the crew dialogue. Please, let me know what you think of how well I'm writing these characters. Who do you like? Who am I getting wrong?



Chapter 8: Leaving Elysium


Back on the Normandy, Shepard shifted uncomfortably on one of the Med Bay’s beds as Dr Archer worked on his injuries, repairing the fractured ribs and stitching a few wounds closed. He even chuckled under his breath as he drew out a flat circle about as wide around as a thumbnail, but as thin as old-fashioned paper. Holding it delicately in a pair of tweezers, he moved over to a container next to Shepard’s bed and dropped it in there with a faint clink. Shepard winced as he stitched the skin closed over the wound. Jacob and Kaidan sat patiently on the two beds across the room, waiting for their turn to be patched up.

"You know," Archer murmured. "You wouldn’t need to be coming down here so often if you didn’t charge headlong into trouble all the time. I’ve got a full plate looking after Joker without having to patch you up every day. And that says nothing about the new patients you keep finding for me with every mission. My job would be a lot simpler if I confined you to quarters for psychological reasons."

"C’mon, Doctor. You’d miss the excitement. Looking after Joker just means reading off a bunch of ones and zeroes and making sure to plug him in at night to recharge. Hardly the stuff they dramatise about on those Operating theatre holos on the extranet."

"Yeah, yeah. Make fun of the crippled cyborg. I’d like to see how you’d like it if I turned off the gravity in there." The pilot grumbled over the ship’s intercom.

"Whoop! Looks like our new robotic Lord and Master has spoken. No more loose wire cracks." Kaidan said from his side of the room, putting on a tone of subservience.

"Indeed. We don’t want him blowing a fuse, do we?" Archer said, good-naturedly joining in the fun.

"Nope! It’s a bad idea to cross his wires." Jacob said, a huge grin splitting his face.

"Argh! Enough with the puns, already! ‘Else I’ll space the lot of you!" The intercom clicked as Joker stopped transmitting. Shepard chuckled quietly, before his eyes settled on the last bed in the Med Bay.

Jack was laid out flat on her back, an IV line slowly administering a sedative to keep her from waking up. Two of the crew were running bio scanners along the length of her body, trying to determine the extent of the implants installed in her body by Professor Roinestad.

"How is she?" Shepard asked, a little reluctantly. Archer looked over at the tattooed body with a little pity.

"Stable. There are a lot of fresh scars there. It’ll take me the better part of this evening to just diagnose the extent of the modifications she has undergone. Between determining which implants to remove, and which to leave alone, and the actual operation, I reckon I’ll be keeping her under sedation until the latter part of tomorrow." As he spoke, the doctor moved on to Jacob, inspecting a long gash running the length of the soldier’s thigh. Jacob looked over at his former team mate with a concerned eye.

"She’s been through rough **** before, Commander. I’m sure she’ll be back to her old self in no time." He reassured.

"That’s what I’m worried about." Shepard said, turning to leave.

"Commander, before you go…" Archer turned to catch a hold of Shepard’s arm as he walked past. "I wanted to thank you for letting me go to see David."

"How’s he doing?" Shepard asked, glad for something brighter to think about.

"Very well, actually. The staff at the Academy have a lot of experience in taking care of someone with David’s needs, and he seems to be flourishing thanks to their hard work. It almost seems as though Project Overlord never happened. I think he chooses not to remember what happened there, though I can see in the way he looks at me that, on some level, he knows what I did. But he was still happy to see me, and it was good to spend some time with him."

"I’m glad of that, Doctor."

The doors hissed closed behind Shepard and he headed for the elevator, punching in the code for the CIC.
~~~~


Shepard hunched over the bench, working furiously to dislodge the heat sink from his rifle. The blasted little chunk of metal had wedged tight in its slot, refusing to budge.

After leaving the Med Bay, the Commander had come here, remembering the pile of weapons that he and his squad, in too much of a hurry to be tidy, had left in a pile in the middle of the ship’s armoury. At a loss for something to do before settling down for the night, and too out of sorts to associate with the crew, he had decided to take the task of sorting the squad’s weapons upon himself. The work was simple, for the most part, and it allowed him to work calmly, focused purely on the task. A chance to rest his mind.

His mind was drawn from the stuck heat sink by a hissing noise behind him, and he saw in the reflection of the armoury window that Kelly had walked in. He smiled as she stepped over to stand next to him, gently laying down the rifle with the heat sink still poking halfway out of it.

"Kelly. Just getting some work done here. I figured I could use the practice. You never forget equipment maintenance, not after how much they make you practice in training, but you can slow down, and in the field that can be a costly few seconds. But these damned new heat sinks are a pain in the ass. They get stuck at the worst times." Shepard said, waving a hand dismissively at the rifle.

Reaching over calmly, Kelly pushed the heat sink with one finger, moving it in the opposite direction to the way Shepard had been trying to force it. With a tinkle, the tiny metal shape dropped out of the rifle onto the desk. The yeoman turned a smile towards the Commander.

"I think you might be a little distracted, Commander. Worried about Jack?"

"Yeah. It’s not just the operation. I have faith in Doctor Archer. It’s the time Jack spent in that facility. You saw what Teltin did to her. I can’t imagine what she’s going to be like after this."

"Jack never was the most stable member of the team, Commander. But at the same time, I never saw anyone more reliable under fire. I think it was a defence mechanism on her part, but the worse things seemed to get, the more she seemed to pull together. I’m sure that she’ll be as strong as ever once Archer gets that tech out of her head. He’s even got copies of her old implants ready to put in to replace them. Apparently, Mordin’s old computer still had the schematics for her L5xs on it." Kelly said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Any word on when she’ll be up and about?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. The crew are drawing lots to see who has to be on the crew deck when she wakes up. I’m one of the lucky ones, as I get to stay up in the CIC deck." Kelly smiled at her joke. "But how are you, Commander? I haven’t really got the chance to talk to you about what happened on Golthan since your escape."

"It was hard. They put me straight to solitary confinement when I arrived. At times I felt like taking Zaeed’s advice and just dashing my head apart on one of the walls. But I had to hold it together. I knew that you were all out here, prisoners of the Illusive Man, and that the Reapers are just around the corner." Shepard reached out to pat a nearby panel of the wall with a little affection. "This ship is the nearest thing I have to a home. Growing up on Earth, it was very much a hand-to-mouth life. I joined up with different gangs just to have a place to go." He drew in a deep breath.

"Having Cerberus take this all away from me, it hit hard. What’s the point of destroying the Collectors, of stopping Saren, if some of the humans I fought to save turn around and stab us in the back? If we stop the Reapers, it won’t keep the people in this Galaxy from being petty, greedy and downright selfish. Is that worth saving?"

Kelly was silent for a long while, leaning back against the armoury desk beside him. For a moment, he thought she might just leave in silence, but then her response came.

"So don’t fight to save the Galaxy." She held up a hand before the Commander could make a surprised comment. "Forget about the rest of the Galaxy. Just think about this ship. Fight for your friends, fight for your team, and fight for Jack."

Shepard stared down at his feet, deep in thought after the counsellor’s words. After a few seconds, she stood upright and moved towards the door.

"Kelly…" She paused and looked back over her shoulder. "Thank you. I don’t know where we’d all be without you keeping us balanced."

The yeoman’s answering smile was full of warmth and love.

"There’s a Quarian saying that I like. ‘Home in the hull, life in the stars, and family in the crew.’ It’s more than just the suits that make them such a close-knit and sociable people. Out here, light-years from anywhere else, all a crew has is each other. Live a life like that, and you’ll get closer to shipmates than you ever will to most family members. All I’m doing is looking after my family, Commander."

Shepard smiled at her retreating back and finished his work, leaving the armoury with a lighter step than he had arrived with.

~~~~

The next day, Shepard headed down to the crew Mess for his breakfast. As he entered the room, he noted Kaidan and Jacob sitting opposite one another at one of the tables, sharing stories over their morning meal.

"So I’m there, holding off the squints while Thane opens the door for us." Jacob was saying as the Commander entered. "He’s got the cover off and the circuits exposed, but he’s not sure which wire to cut. EDI tells him to cut all the black wires. He goes and cuts a half dozen wires, and suddenly the whole building goes into lockdown. Blast doors sealing everywhere, alarms blaring, and just about every Batarian on the planet running to where we were. It’s only then that the fish decides to let us know that he’s colour-blind when it comes to black and dark red. I swear I thought Miranda was gonna gut him right then and there"

Kaidan clutched at his sides as he unleashed a full belly laugh while Jacob paused to shovel in another mouthful of his meal.

"So how’d you get out of there alive?"

"The Commander pulled back from his position with Tali and Grunt. They carved their way through the enemy towards us and she had the doors open in seconds. Only time I’ve ever seen a Drell look embarrassed."

Both soldiers looked up as Shepard walked over with his meal, sitting next to them.

"Bolene?" Shepard asked Jacob, naming the planet the mission had taken place on. Jacob nodded in confirmation.

"Jacob and I were just trading a few war stories, Commander." Kaidan said as he ate. "Did you know he was stationed on Eden Prime during Saren’s invasion? He even met Ashley while she was serving there."

"Well, when I say ‘met’, I mean she was at the same official events, you know? We were never friends or anything. Not enough time with everything that went down." Jacob interjected. "She seemed nice enough."

"Yeah, Ash was a good soldier, and a friend." Shepard said. "I remember one time, just after we let Garrus on board for the first time, she got into an argument with him over the First Contact War. I’ve never seen anything like it, an unarmed human, no biotics, facing down a Turian about three feet taller than her. And she got him to back down! Anyone else, they’d probably have ended up in the Med bay."

"Hah! Not Ash, though. I bet even with Wrex backing him up, Garrus would have still come out second best in that fight." Kaidan chuckled. "That’s what we need to send out to fight the Reapers. Just launch a squad of pissed off human women at their fleet, and our job’s done."

Jacob chuckled at that and, finishing his plate, stood to leave.

"I’m gonna get back to my station. I’m glad the grenade launcher worked out so well, Commander, but I think it could suffer a few more adjustments."

With a salute, the soldier turned to leave. Shepard looked over at Kaidan, also finishing up his meal.

"So what do you think of the new Normandy crew, Kaidan?"

"They seem like a good bunch. The shipboard crew have been very friendly. I guess we’re all in the same boat now, what with being on the run from Cerberus, so there’s no hard feelings over anything I helped to do to hinder the Illusive Man’s work. Feron seems like a good enough person, though he’s a little unfocused at times. Sometimes his eyes go all blank and its like he’s not even here, you know?"

"Drell do that. They have perfect memories, and sometimes they relive their past. Feron can probably explain it better than I can. The sum of it is, when they’re having a… uh, ‘memory flash’, they’re seeing what they’ve been through at some point in their life, feeling what they felt back then, smelling the scents and hearing the noises. Thane used to slip into his memories all the time."

"Hunh. I guess you learn something new every day in a Galaxy as big as this one. Must be handy, though. You’d never forget where you left your omnitool, for one thing." The two friends chuckled.

"What about Jacob? You seemed to be getting on okay with him just now."

"Taylor’s a steady enough guy. He’s more of an Alliance soldier than he is liable to admit, even after all this time with Cerberus. And he seems to be a great admirer of your accomplishments. I feel inclined to trust him."

"But I don’t trust that Geth you’ve got in the engine room, Commander. You can pretty up the situation by telling me about what it did before your capture and giving it a name, but it’s still a Geth. I don’t trust a living machine to fight against the Reapers, Commander, no matter what it has promised in the past. I’m watching it, Commander, and if it so much as twitches in a way I don’t like, I’m putting a bullet through its power core."

"Not while I’m in charge. Legion has proved itself reliable time after time, Kaidan. I won’t have this team squabbling among themselves and getting ready to shoot one another while there are bigger things at stake."

"Noted, Commander." Kaidan’s tone was stiff. He stood up from his half-finished meal and saluted. "If you don’t mind, Commander, I’m going to go to my post in the CIC."

As Kaidan walked off, Shepard sighed. Even after the time spent working together, there was still a rift between his old friend and himself. He finished his meal in silence.

After his meal, Shepard took the elevator back up to the CIC deck and walked around to the communications suite. He nodded to Feron before bringing up the list of files Liara had sent to him, running through the remaining five missions. Opening the one labelled Omega, he waved Feron over.

"Give me the rundown on what we’ve got about these Collector sightings on Omega."

"Sightings started being reported about six months after you went through Omega Four. At first there was just the odd sighting, but they were ignored. Most people thought that they were just hallucinations from a bad sand trip or the like. The people started going missing. People vanishing is nothing new on Omega, but there was a large number of disappearances in the Smelter District, near the heart of the station, more than you would expect even on Omega. Blue Suns and Eclipse, the two mercenary companies who control the district, began to investigate. There have been no conclusive reports yet, but two of their teams have disappeared. So while Liara is convinced of the threat, most of the populace of Omega don’t think that Collectors even existed to begin with, so the events have been ignored. Even Aria isn’t moving to deal with it, though I imagine that she’s got to plan out any operation with some care. If she acted and the information turned out to be misleading or wrong, she’d lose a lot of face within Omega’s society. I’m sure she’ll jump on the chance to get you to solve the problem for her."

"Then I guess that’s where we’re heading next. I put too much work into getting rid of the Collectors to leave the job half-done."

"Commander Shepard, its Doctor Archer. Have you got a minute?" The doctor’s voice came in over the internal comms network.

"I’m on the CIC deck, Doctor. What do you need?" Shepard replied.

"The operation is complete, Commander. Jack woke up a few minutes ago and let’s say her reaction was… a little extreme. She’s gone down to the Engineering deck. I think you’d better go talk to her before she injures one of the crew."

"I hear you. Are you okay in the Med Bay? Anyone hurt?"

"Unfortunately, I hadn’t removed the restraints before she woke up. I think that may have exacerbated the situation. You owe me a new desk, Commander, and an operating table. Other than a few bruises and some very surprised servicemen, we’re okay. From Jack’s reputation, I’m assuming we got off lightly."

"You got that right. I’ll go down and talk to her. Shepard out."

"I’ll go and tell Joker to set a course for Omega, Commander. Sounds like you’ve got the rest of your day planned out. Be sure to drop by the armoury. That new toy of Jacob’s might come in handy." Feron said, making his way to the door. Shepard nodded in thanks, even managing a smile at the joke.

~~~~

When Shepard stepped into engineering, he was instantly aware of the quiet that had descended over the deck. Besides the rhythmic thrum of the drive core as it pulsed with energy, the occasional creak of a bulkhead and the beeping of terminals in the walls, there was no sound. The hallway between the two auxiliary cargo holds was quiet, as were the engineering access corridors. Curious, Shepard stepped through into engineering proper. Legion stood at its terminal, working silently, but Ken and Gabby were nowhere to be seen.

"Legion? Where is everyone?"

"Engineer Donnelly and Engineer Daniels were swift to mention that they had business on the upper decks. We suspect that this was a fabrication to remove themselves from Subject Zero’s presence on deck. On her departure from the elevator, Engineer Donnelly attempted to engage her in conversation. Her response was to thrown Engineer Donnelly the length of the corridor. All other staff seem to have discovered previous commitments in other sections of the Normandy." The Geth responded, not looking away from its work.

"Where did Jack go after that?"

"Subject Zero proceeded down into the sub-deck. We have not observed her departure, so assume that she remains down there."

"Shepard-Commander," The Geth said as Shepard turned to leave. "Our sensors indicated that Subject Zero was suffering from dramatically increased adrenaline levels. This would suggest strong emotional triggers such as fear or anger. Such levels increase the odds that Subject Zero is not in full control of her actions. Threat to Shepard-Commander’s personal safety is greatly increased. We recommend caution. And a shotgun."

"I understand she’s pissed, but I’m not going down there fully armed. I’m going to calm her down, not incite."

"We judge this to be a very unwise course of action." There was a level of protest to the Geth’s voice.

"Don’t worry. I can handle myself." Shepard insisted.

"Nevertheless, we offer to stand by in case intervention is needed."

"No. Carry on with your duties here."

"Acknowledged." Legion said, a little reluctantly. Shepard retreated through the door he had just entered, turning to the side sharply and descending the small flight of stairs into the sub-deck.

In the small, dimly lit area of the ship, Shepard stepped forward slowly. Around him, pipes hissed as they performed vital functions for the ship. Looking ahead, Shepard could see the small area where Jack had once lived. A small foldaway bed was still set up down there, among the crates that were kept in the out-of-the-way location. His brow creased in confusion as he noted there was no one there. He moved forwards, to stand in the red light at the bottom of the stairwell. He cautiously progressed forwards to where the two stairwells met to access the storage space.

The telltale flicker came almost too late for Shepard to dodge out of the way of the Warp blast that shot out of a dark corner of the sub-deck. It hit the wall behind him, denting the metal visibly. Seconds later, the twisted wall panel dropped from its fastenings, exposing mangled wires behind it. The lights flickered for a second throughout the engineering deck before stabilising. Tremors travelled through the length and breadth of the ship, creating ripples in the soup simmering on Rupert’s stove in the Mess Hall and registering as a tiny tremble in the cockpit where Joker sat. Shepard straightened up from the attack, looking for the source.

"Stay the **** away from me!" Jack’s voice yelled from somewhere behind the crates.

After a few seconds of looking, Shepard caught the glint of her eyes, in the deepest, darkest corner of the sub-deck, atop a stack of supply crates. As he took another step forward, her form was illuminated by a biotic surge as she launched another powerful attack which hit the deck near his feet.

"I mean it!"

Shepard took another slow step forward, followed by another, without suffering another attack.

"You’re not going to hurt me, Jack." He said calmly, reassuringly. The response he got was a crate lifting off from the deck and winging through the air to hit the wall nearby him.

"You don’t know me, stay back!"

"I know enough about you, Jack. If you really wanted to hurt me, you wouldn’t be aiming to miss."

The next thing he knew, he had been flung back against the damaged wall, the breath crushed from his chest by a full biotic blast to his torso.

"Didn’t ****ing miss then. Get lost!" Her voice had a frantic edge to it.

"What’s wrong, Jack?" Shepard asked, getting up doggedly.

He took another pace forwards, stepping to the side as another attack dented the deck. Stubbornly, he moved forwards into the assault. Finally she moved out from her hiding place, launching herself towards him in a biotic charge. She held one hand back over one shoulder, aiming to strike him across the face and knock him out. The Commander steeled himself for the impact and, at the last second, he twisted in just the right way, hand darting out to catch hers by the wrist and halting her momentum in a jarring impact. His other hand grabbed her free arm and he held her there, their arms straining as they both pushed against each other, his hands locked around her wrists above their heads. After a moment’s struggle, she sagged, giving up on pushing at the Commander.

"This was all your fault!" She spat in his face.

Shepard took a few seconds to try to figure out that last accusation, face creased in confusion.

"Why?" He asked.

"I knew better than to get close to anyone. ****, I told you that myself! Then you come down here, talking your bull****, and I bought it. I let myself feel, made myself weak. I got sloppy, and what happens next? You ****** off Cerberus and I end up back on their operating tables, getting implanted with all kinds of ****ing machines. I was better off back on the ice in Purgatory." Her voice was full of venom, but Shepard could hear the cracks behind it, the pain and hesitation. He looked down into the hazel eyes, letting a bit of firm anger show in his voice.

"That’s bull**** and you know it. I never planned for any of this to happen."

"Doesn’t matter whether you planned it or not, its still your fault! You talked so smooth before Omega Four, and I listened to you. Even though everything I know was telling me to walk away, I stayed here. If I’d followed what I know, I’d be holed up safe in some dark corner of the galaxy, hitting easy scores and living however I chose. Instead, I end up spending more quality time with Cerberus scientists."

Shepard was at a loss as to what to say. He stared down at the tear-stained face, the face of a young woman who had had so much stolen from her. Her childhood, her family, any hope at a normal life, all victims to the Teltin facility. The longer he stared into the pain-wracked features, the more he felt like his heart would burst.

"I’m sorry, okay? I had no idea this would happen." The deep brown eyes twitched back towards his, meeting his gaze and searching for sincerity behind his words. "You’ve got to believe me, Jack. I would never want anything bad to happen to you. But it did, and I swear, I’m gonna make Cerberus pay."

Jack relaxed in his grip, her wrists sliding through his hands. For a split second, he was sure that her hands squeezed his as they slipped past, but then the contact was gone and she turned on her heel.

"Whatever. I guess I’m stuck on this ship until I get a chance to split. As long as you’re working to tear those ****ers apart, I’ll come along for the ride. Just save the Illusive Man for me. I wanna see the look on his face when he’s chewing on the barrel of my shotgun. Now get the hell out of here. Gimme some space."

Shepard took half a step forward to try and force the conversation, but she whirled around, biotic witchfire playing along her arms.

"I said I’m done talking. Beat it!"

Put out by the rejection, Shepard complied, turning and heading back towards the stairs he had descended. As he drew near, he saw Legion kneeling on the stairs, just out of sight of Jack, but within range of a carefully placed shot to the convict.

As the Commander drew close, the Geth stood up, stowing its sniper rifle carefully. It nodded as he walked past and fell into step behind him. Shepard held his tongue until they were well out of earshot.

"I thought I told you to stay at your station." He said with an accusatory tone.

"We were about to comply when some of our runtimes suggested that, due to our race, we are not a part of the Alliance military, nor do we fit into the Alliance command structure. Therefore, we do not follow protocols that Alliance soldiers are constrained by."

Shepard smiled with little humour at the Geth’s exploitation of a loophole.

"Thanks for your concern, Legion. I’m glad I can count on you to watch my back. But understand that, from now on, you will follow my orders, whether you agree with them or not. Are we clear?"

"…Acknowledged." Legion said after a momentary pause. "Shepard-Commander? We wonder if all human male-female interactions are so… intense."

"Not always, but it is a fairly common thing."

"Ah. We shall endeavour to expand our understanding of these matters as part of our ongoing directive to understand organics."

"You do that, Legion. Meanwhile, I think I need a drink." Shepard walked off, leaving the Geth to return to his duties. Down in the sub-deck, Jack curled up on her old bed, seeking refuge in the dark silence of the little room in the belly of the ship.

[fainmaca]

Chapter 9: An Old Enemy


Joker nimbly danced his fingers across the controls before him, eyes darting about to take in all of the Normandy’s surroundings. Huge chunks of rock, some the size of skyscrapers, tumbled past the cockpit windows, a hazardous minefield the pilot had to navigate. He winced as the kinetic barriers registered multiple impacts from some smaller rocks, but all they did was drain the power of the shields by a tiny fraction. If one of the larger asteroids hit, there wouldn’t be a Normandy left to power the shields.

He felt his stomach turn as he looped the frigate around one such rock, skimming its surface by a close enough margin for the intense heat of the ship’s thrusters to leave a glowing white trail of superheated rock.

Finally what he was looking for hove into view. Drifting through the asteroid field, the familiar silhouette of Omega station glowed an intense red, an effect produced by the myriad mass effect field generators that kept most of the asteroids at bay. Resembling the mushroom clouds produced by old-fashioned nuclear weapons, the very appearance of the station was linked with desolation. For many travellers the name of the station had a very apt meaning, for most found Omega to be the final destination in their travels and, sometimes, their lives.

The Normandy drew closer to the mass of machinery sprouting out of the hollowed-out asteroid, a continually growing spire of filthy industrial machinery and even more squalid slums that projected from the underside of the hemispherical remnants of a massive asteroid. As they flew within the station’s protective mass effect envelope, EDI established a connection with Omega Flight Control. After a brief exchange, EDI managed to procure the use of one the station's multitude of docking areas, relaying directions to Joker. A few taps on his console was all that was needed to manoeuvre the ship into position as a docking arm extended to clamp over the airlock behind the cockpit.

Standing at the airlock, Shepard looked over his team, ensuring they were prepared. Kaidan was busy adjusting a few settings on his omnitool, fine-tuning his biotic amp for maximum combat efficiency. Beside his, Jacob was rechecking his heat sinks, making sure he had enough for any extended firefight. Behind them both, Legion stood resolutely, its metal face betraying no thoughts or emotions. Jack, on the other hand, was a lot easier to read. She had disposed of the clothes Cerberus had kept her in while she was being operated upon and was wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans, barely sitting on her hips, and a pair of heavy boots. Up top, she wore a tight-fitting black tank top that left her back and arms exposed. While this left the vast majority of her tattoos, part of her identity, on display, it served to cover her up for modesty’s sake. When Kaidan had broached the subject that she might want to consider wearing combat armour, Shepard had felt the need to step in before she could seriously hurt him out of indignation.

The Commander looked past the small group to see Feron stepping out of the CIC and heading over to speak to him.

"Good luck, Commander. I’ll stay here and monitor Blue Suns and Eclipse comm channels. If I hear anything that might help, I’ll get in touch immediately"

"Thanks, Feron. When this is over, drinks are on me at Afterlife."

"I’ll hold you to that, Shepard."

~~~~


The squad stepped through the airlock and out onto the station, immediately noticing the greasy, recycled quality of the air compared to the Normandy. The atmospheric controls were barely operating in this outer portion of the station, and so the docking area was cold, almost unbearably so.

As they moved away from the ship, a pair of Omega’s denizens scuttled over to them. One, a Salarian with a hunched back, grinned widely, an expression that instantly had Shepard on guard for any sort of con. The other one, a human with a messy beard and a face so smeared with grime that the features were almost too unclear to make out, spoke first.

"Welcome to Omega, traveller. We’re here to collect the toll." His voice was harsh, years of hard living and possibly some substance abuse evident.

"Toll?" Shepard asked.

"Yes! Anyone docking has to pay a toll to enter the station."

"I’ve never had to pay a toll before." Shepard narrowed his eyes, onto the scam, and decided to call their bluff. "Maybe I should check with Aria about this. She is the reason I’m here, after all."

The name drop seemed to have the desired effect. The pair took a frightened step backwards at the mention of Omega’s ruler in all but name, but the human recovered.

"You can’t speak to Aria unless you go into the station. And to do that, you gotta pay the toll!" he smiled at his supposed victory through logic.

"Well I’m not paying. Out of our way." Shepard said firmly. He took a threatening step forwards, and the two scavengers fell back.

"I wouldn’t do that!" The human said, his tone heavy with menace. All around the docking bay, a variety of bedraggled beings stepped into view. A number bore firearms, but most just stood there, cracking knuckles or toting makeshift clubs. The Commander’s mouth set firmly as he made his mind up. His next words were loud and clear, a warning tone filtering through.

"You can do this the easy way, or the very easy way, boys. Back away." He waited a second, during which no one moved. "Okay, very easy it is. Jack, would you mind…"

The convict stepped forward, a devilish smile on her face. With a flick of her hand, she lifted the human and the Salarian into the air with her biotics, flinging them across the room with barely a thought. Another hand darted out and a crate exploded, the shards flying into the nearby scavengers to a chorus of screams of pain. The remainder of the motley array of beings scurried away in terror. The glow faded from jack’s arms as she lowered them.

"Omega. Still the same old money-grabbing ****hole. I’d forgotten how much I liked it here." She murmured. "You want me to go after them, make sure they never bother us again?"

"There’ll be time for fun and games later, Jack. Right now we’ve got work to do. C’mon. If I remember rightly, Afterlife’s just a few blocks away." Shepard set off at a swift pace, wary of the dark alleys they had to pass. On Omega, a life-threatening situation was only a few paces away at any time.

The squad exited the docking area into a bustling market street. Stalls lined either side of the street, a menagerie of aliens hawking their goods to the next gullible customer. As Shepard moved through the crowds, he felt a few people jostle into him, and his omnitool alerted him that some of them had tried to upload pickpocketing programmes to his credit accounts as their ‘tools moved close to his. Of course, his firewall software had spotted the hacks before any money could be stolen, but he was amused at the number of attempts.

At last they were out of the surging markets and back on a street Shepard recognised. Ahead of them, the massive club afterlife dominated the skyline, a beacon of hedonism and depravity. The line of people waiting to get in stretched the length of the street, with a lumbering Elcor managing who was allowed in and who was refused entry. A human male, tiny in comparison to the alien, was arguing with him.

"Why are you letting them in?! I was here first!" He said angrily.

"With false sympathy: I can only let in those who are on the list. You will have to wait until enough people leave for you to enter. I would help if I could." The large grey creature droned in its flat voice.

"Screw this! I’m not standing out here all night." The man turned and stomped off.

"Insincerely apologetic: Maybe next time." The Elcor looked over at the next in line, a Turian with an Asari on his arm. "Amused: I always like winding the humans up. They are so easy to enrage. Nostalgically: I recall a human who tried to get in here every night for six months, through bribery and threats at times. He was a great source of entertainment. With politeness: Welcome to Afterlife. Please take care, and enjoy your evening."

Shepard walked up to the main doors past the bouncer, nodding to the Batarian standing guard. The four-eyed alien keyed open the doors, facial expression remaining unchanged from a barely tolerant frown as he spoke.

"Aria’s waiting for you at the usual spot. Don’t keep her too long." He grumbled. Shepard wasn’t surprised that his arrival was already old news. Nothing went through Omega without the ‘queen’ of the station hearing about it. He stepped inside.

Inside the club, a violent explosion of colour and noise assaulted Shepard’s senses. Sensual Asari music flowed from the club’s sound system, its subtle tones digging down into the listeners’ brains and pushing certain buttons. If listened to for long enough, the music could have an euphoric effect. Bright colours flared all over the place, an attack on the eyes that made it hard to see. On the dance floor, a huge throng of people of all species danced to the music, most of them clearly under the influence of either the music, the drinks, or some darker substance.

Shepard muscled his way through the crowds of clubbers, at one point having to carefully lift a heavily intoxicated woman from his arm into the arms of a nearby Turian, and the next second dodging a Batarian being violently ill from too much of whatever he had chosen to drink.

Once through the crowd, the Commander found himself at the bottom of a staircase at the back of the club. He looked back at his squad and motioned for them to keep watch for any trouble. Kaidan, Jacob and Legion took up positions on the staircase where they could keep an eye on the Commander and the club. Jack snorted at the order and promptly ignored it, heading off into the crowd and making a beeline for the bar.

When Shepard reached the top of the staircase, he was greeted by a pair of pistols being pointed at him. A Turian and a Human guard had their weapons trained on him while a third guard, another human, ran a scanner over Shepard. Behind them, he saw the familiar features of Aria T’loak watching the proceedings.

"This again?" Shepard asked a little incredulously.

"You have a tendency to disappear for long periods of time before making a reappearance, Commander. I’ve got to be sure you’re still you. Omega is no safer than when you last left." Aria shifted on her seat, her voice barely audible over the noise of the music.

As the guards finished their scans and allowed Shepard to enter the booth that overlooked the club, the Commander noted the sudden drop in the volume of the music. He guessed that mass effect fields, combined with careful planning of the placement of the sound system, dulled the noise here, in Aria’s ‘throne room’. Shepard walked over confidently and sat down on the couch to the side of Aria, facing her.

"So what do you need this time? No offence, but your presence here can have a very unbalancing effect on Omega. Last time you were here, half of the station’s merc and Vorcha population died and an Ardat-Yakshi corpse turned up."

"Shepard’s work on Omega isn’t all that bad, Aria." Shepard turned at the deep, gravely voice and saw a shadow in the corner of the booth shift as the Patriarch stepped out from where he had been hiding. The Krogan stood at a menacing eight feet in height, his wide frame speaking of a built-in strength unlike anything any other species could exhibit. "Remember that it was the Commander who put a stop to that plague in the slums, and told you about what Tarak was planning with the other mercs after Archangel was dead."

"True." Aria sighed reluctantly. "You’ve got some favours stored up with me, Shepard. I’ll grant you that. Spend them wisely."

"Word is you’ve got a Collector problem on the station." Shepard said by way of explanation.

"Yes. A problem I suspect you have something to do with, what with your mission through Omega Four." She replied harshly. The Commander looked up curiously at her knowledge of his previous mission. "Don’t look at me all surprised. I have ears everywhere. You recruit two of the biggest thorns in my side for your big mission to wipe the Collectors out and expect me to hear nothing about what you needed them for? Your little chat with Mordin in his clinic was relayed back to me before you’d even set off to deliver the cure to that plague."

"You don’t seem happy."

"Of course I’m not happy! You can’t just go off and attack someone like the Collectors. Before now I’ve had little trouble with them. Now, you’ve gone and pissed them off and I get to deal with the consequences."

"There can’t be that many. I destroyed every last Collector beyond the relay." Shepard reasoned.

"There’s enough. We’ve got people vanishing off the streets, and not all of merc teams that go to investigate come back."

"So why not send in a whole platoon to weed them out?"

"My position here on Omega is too precarious to rush into something like this. If I send in fifty or so mercs, and they don’t find anything or only get some of the bugs, I end up looking weak."

"You, on the other hand," Patriarch interrupted. "Could go down there and deal with it, without any risk to Aria’s reputation."

"So you’ll help, then?"

"Yes. We can’t let this go unchecked. People are starting to get panicked over the rumours of monsters abducting people off the streets." Aria said. "I’ll arrange for transport down to the Smelter District for you. I can give you the co-ordinates where the most abductions have happened, and where the merc teams have gone missing."

"In the meantime," Patriarch said, looking out into the club. "You’d best go reign your team in." His voice had a ghost of a chuckle to it.

Shepard stood and looked over the edge of the booth to see what the Krogan was looking at, and spotted Jack sitting at the bar, downing some strangely coloured drink. A Turian staggered up next to her and turned, trying to chat her up. Shepard couldn’t hear the line, but it was clear he was rebuffed. Rather than sensibly walk away, the Turian pushed his luck, moving in to speak in her ear. As he spoke, a three-fingered hand slid down to squeeze her rear end. Shepard winced as he saw her stiffen, an angry light igniting in her eyes. The next movement was a blur, but it ended with the Turian face-down on the bar, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle in two separate places. Patriarch laughed out loud at the display as Jack retrieved her drink and nonchalantly moved to a seat further down the bar. The club’s clientele backed away from her, keeping a respectful distance.

"Hah! That’s a fiery one you’ve got there. Reminds me a little of a certain Asari not a hundred light-years from here."

Aria looked out on the spectacle with little sign of amusement on her face.

"I’ve no idea who you are talking about." She turned back to Shepard. "Just get down to that district and do what needs to be done. And try not to blow up too much of my station while you’re at it."

~~~~

Outside the club, Shepard and his squad moved over to a line of skycars that were parked nearby. Anto, Aria’s Batarian right-hand man, was standing next to one, a large vehicle with a deep blue finish. The passenger compartment was larger than most, big enough to carry several Krogan in full battle gear. Even though it was oversized, the skycar still looked sleek, its lines graceful and clearly built for agility in a built-up environment. As the squad approached, Anto threw a datachip at the Commander. Holding it up to his omnitool, Shepard downloaded the access codes for the vehicle, keying the control to his personal ID.

"Don’t scratch the paint." Anto muttered. "The Smelter District’s not the friendliest of regions. Vorcha roam the street in packs, and the mercs are always on the lookout for someone new to get money out of. If you let anyone steal Aria’s skycar, I’ll see to it you get thrown out the airlock, in pieces."

"Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’ll be gentle with it." Shepard shot back, aggravated by the Batarian’s antagonistic attitude. As he stepped over to the vehicle, it beeped in response to his ID and opened up. The squad piled into the back while Shepard slid behind the controls.

The skycar lifted off gently, a blast of dirt and dust flaring out from beneath it as its thrusters powered up. Shepard turned it to face the traffic rushing about the station and smoothly accelerated to join the flow of vehicles. In the centre of the control console, a map flashed up showing him the layout of the station. Then a route, provided by Aria, plotted itself out, aiming for a part of the station near to the base of the spire, almost down where the asteroid itself began. Kaidan reached over and, holding his omnitool close to the skycar’s interface, downloaded some information about the district.

"Okay, says here that the Smelter District is mainly industrial. It’s where any Eezo that’s still to be found in the asteroid is brought to be refined. There are a few residential buildings where the workers live. Most of the abductions have occurred around the warehouses near to the freighter loading bays, so that may be a good place to start."

"Where’d the investigation teams go missing?" Shepard asked.

"One vanished after going to check out a nearby refinery, now defunct. And the other just disappeared in the street, apparently. No bodies were found in either case. Their radios just went silent and they were never seen again."

"Wonderful." Shepard said sarcastically. He keyed up his communicator as he manoeuvred the vehicle between two large transports. "Feron, its Shepard. We’re on our way down to the Smelter District now. Anything new on the merc comms channels?"

"Looks like there’s already a couple more scouts being sent out to look for some sign of the missing teams. They’re getting nervous now, but they still don’t know what they’re dealing with. Without the right preparation, the numbers they’re sending in won’t stand a chance." The Drell replied. "There’s also mention of a third merc force moving through the District, though there’s not much info yet. Could be Blood Pack, or maybe an independent small-time group."

"Roger that. Keep us posted." Shepard shut down the link.

Minutes later, Shepard landed the skycar in an empty alleyway in the District, just a few blocks over from the refinery where the first team had gone missing. The squad jumped out of the vehicle, unholstering weapons in readiness. As they moved out into the street, Shepard noted the silence. No one was roaming the dark, dirty streets and alleys. The Commander twisted when he heard a rustling noise, but it was only a feral Varren nosing at a toppled trash can.

"Keep your eyes open. I don’t like this quiet. An industrial sector like this should be crawling with workers." He said, drawing the rifle from its slot on his back.

"Maybe it’s the middle of their night cycle here?" Jacob suggested.

"Even so, there should be some activity." Kaidan replied. "Either there’s no people left around here, or they’re all staying indoors out of fear."

The team moved forwards, carefully aiming their weapons down each alleyway as they moved past, making sure no enemies could charge into their flanks. Shepard was up front, leading the group towards the refinery he had chosen as their first point to investigate. They were just one street over when the Commander froze, one hand held up in the signal that ordered the others to halt. For a few tense seconds, they listened. There was the clank of footsteps from just around the next corner.

Motioning silently, Shepard ordered the others to follow him. Sticking close to the wall, the Commander approached the corner cautiously. With a sudden movement, he moved out around the corner, rifle ready to aim at any targets he saw.

"Hey! Hey!" A startled merc shouted out as the squad jumped into view. Out of panic, he lifted his weapon, finger twitching over the trigger. He managed to keep himself from opening fire when he saw that the new arrivals were human, though his eyes tightened in worry when he saw Legion. Behind him, his comrades reacted in a similar fashion, keeping weapons trained on Shepard’s team.

Seeing that they were just mercs, Shepard relaxed his grip on his weapon, lowering the barrel. The others did the same, though the mercs still looked at him with a cautious suspicion.

"Who are you?" The merc leader asked harshly.

"Commander Shepard. I’m here to investigate some disappearances that happened recently. You?"

"Sergeant Jonathan Powell, Blue Suns. One of our squads went missing here last week. We’re looking for any sign of what happened to them."

They all turned in surprise at the sounds of gunfire echoing through the alleyways. With a few barked orders from the Sergeant, the mercs sprang into action, moving hurriedly towards the refinery and the source of the commotion. Shepard turned to follow.

They rounded one final corridor before arriving in front of the refinery’s front doors. The two large doors had been forced open, and in between them, across the threshold, lay a sorry looking bundle. From a distance, it looked like a human, but Shepard instantly realised what it was from the pale, almost translucent flesh drawn tight across its frame. The mercenary Sergeant rolled the corpse over and jumped back in revulsion when the face, its primary features marred by wires and tubes, rolled about lifelessly.

"Oh God! What is that?" One of the mercenaries asked in horror.

Shepard calmly stepped over and kneeled next to the inert body, examining it.

"It’s called a husk. Used to be a person, but not any more. The tech you can see is used to control it. Saren used them as shock troops on Eden Prime." He explained, before turning to his own squad. "These are more primitive than the ones we’ve seen before. Looks like the Collectors don’t have the resources they need to make them as powerful as they were before."

"Collectors? What are you talking about?" Powell asked.

"You’ve got a Collector infestation here. I’m here to wipe them out."

"But the Collectors are just a story! Made up by people like that crazy prophet in the markets to scare humans off Omega." Another Mercenary piped up, a tremor of fear in her voice.

"They’re real enough to have kidnapped all those colonists that vanished last year. We put a stop to it, but clearly there’s a couple of loose ends to tie up." Shepard saw that the mercenaries would not be reliable in a fight with the Collectors, too shaken up by the sight of the husk. "I’m going in to deal with these things. I need you to watch the entrances in case they try to make an escape." When the Blue Suns Sergeant saluted, Shepard motioned for Jacob and Kaidan to step over. "I need you two to keep an eye on these guys for me. Keep them from getting in the way, and be ready to come charging in if things go real bad for us." Jacob saluted, while Kaidan merely nodded, clearly put out about having to wait outside while the others fought.

Shepard led Jack and Legion through the open doors into the refinery, activating the light in his omnitool to scan the area ahead of him. More husks littered the floor here and there, torn to shreds by enemy fire.

"Who took these things down? Do we have to worry about them attacking us?" Jack wondered aloud.

"The entrance was breached from the outside." Legion stated. "It seems likely we are not the only force who seek to do the Collectors harm."

They all twitched at the sounds of more gunfire, coming from the far side of the refinery. Shepard waved an arm in a ‘follow me’ gesture, and led the way between two enormous vats, which had presumably been where the ore had been processed to separate the valuable element zero from within it.

The hair on the back of Shepard’s neck rose up when he heard the familiar wheezing groans of more husks, and felt his stomach drop at the sight of a group shambling around another large vat ahead of them. These had once been people, but had now had their free will stolen by monsters.

Reluctantly, Shepard opened fire on the husks as they began to increase their speed. For all the technology they had installed within them, the creatures were frail, falling apart as Shepard, Jack and Legion unleashed a salvo of bullets into their midst. Just as the last of this first group fell, Shepard heard even more moans from all around, a veritable army of the creatures moving in on them.

"Come on! We can’t defend a position like this." Shepard moved off, the other two following his lead.

The trio moved through the silent machinery of the refinery, weaving between smelting vats and production lines as fast as they could. Stealing a look over his shoulder, Shepard caught sight of the host of husks rushing after them, a sea of pale bodies and dead eyes chasing after them. He turned and fired off a full clip of bullets into the heaving mass, thinning their numbers a bit, but more just kept coming.

At last, they came across a choke point where they could easily defend without getting surrounded. There, Shepard turned and kneeled, opening fire into the ranks of the husks with deadly accuracy. Rarely did he have to fire more than two shots before one of the creatures fell apart under the attack. To his side, Legion also unleashed the full power of his rifle, his machine reflexes proving a match for the Commander’s training. Behind them, Jack had stowed her shotgun, instead favouring her biotic powers. Ripples moved through the enemy ranks as she unleashed a shockwave into their heart, throwing dozens of the creatures aside like leaves before a great gale. One of the vats trembled in its place before slowly toppling over, crushing husks into a pulp.

As the husks’ numbers thinned, Shepard became aware of a pair of larger shapes shambling up behind them. He cursed as he noticed the distinctive shape of Scions, the husks’ larger brothers. The two monstrosities, with skeletal faces locked in a never-ending snarl, aimed their weapon-like arms at the trio and unleashed powerful biotic blasts. One knocked legion from its feet and the other greatly depleted Shepard’s shields.

Laying his assault rifle aside, Shepard drew his sniper rifle.

"Jack, keep the little ones at bay! We’ll deal with the big ones. Legion, aim for the head of the one on the left."

As the Geth steadied itself to make the shot, Shepard focused on the sac of glowing blue fluid on the Scion’s back. The two of them fired in the same instant, Legion’s shot piercing the creature through the eye and Shepard’s puncturing the creature’s skin on its back. Thick, grey liquid seeped out as the Scion stumbled, its control centre shot through by the Geth and its power source leaking away. The pair repeated the process on the second Scion, but although Legion’s shot went home, Shepard’s rifle only clicked, unresponsive. He looked down to see that the rifle had jammed, a heat sink caught halfway out of the loading mechanism. As he struggled with the jammed rifle, the remaining Scion lined up another attack, a build-up of biotic power swirling around the muzzle of its weapon appendage.

Just as Shepard prepared to dive out of the way of the attack, the whole creature glowed a faint blue, before lifting up off the deck and slamming into the side of a nearby vat. It was then hoisted aloft again and pummelled into the deck in the middle of the main concentration of husks, smearing more than a few of them across the floor. The Commander turned to see Jack bearing a small smile of satisfaction.

"Hurry up, Commander. I’m getting bored, just playing with these husks all day."

Smirking at her quip, Shepard picked up his assault rifle once more, firing it with vigour. In a few more seconds, all that remained of the enemy host was scattered across the floor of the refinery in a slushy mess. Shepard tried not to be nauseated by the sight as he picked his way through the carnage.

"Not far to where we heard that gunfire now. Follow me."

They hurried there pace as the gunfire was renewed, seeing the flashes from the discharging weapons now. For a brief second Shepard was sure that he saw a flash of biotic blue as well. They rounded a final corner to come face to face with a fierce firefight. A large office was built into the wall ahead of them, extending away from them for about thirty feet. The windows, which covered the near wall, had been shot out in the battle. Inside the office, the unforgettable shapes of several Collectors could be seen crouching behind desks and filing cabinets, occasionally popping up to fire at their assailants.

The two attackers were taking cover behind a large supply crate, one of many that littered the refinery floor. They looked over at Shepard’s squad as they moved into view, reacting with more than a little surprise.

"Shepard? What the hell are you doing here?" The human said in his characteristic deep, rough voice. Zaeed twisted to point his rifle out from behind cover and fire a few rounds at the Collectors, but most of them bounced off office furniture or embedded themselves in the wall. Shepard scurried over to join them in their cover, Jack and Legion taking up positions behind similar crates.

Zaeed’s companion turned at this point to reveal the scarred face of Garrus Vakarian, whose Turian mandibles flared in amazement.

"Commander. Figures that you’d be here. We only needed to look for the biggest trouble we could find and you’d be sure to turn up at some point." Garrus said.

"You know me, I like a party." Shepard joked. "How many are we looking at?"

"I count eight out there. It’s a small bunch. Not sure what they’re doing here, but I think it might be that they were on Omega negotiating for test subjects when we went and destroyed their base, leaving them stranded here for the past year. One of them seems to be leading the group, the big one with the missing eye. He’s got me to thank for that. It’s kinda been a stand-off for a while now, but I reckon you’ve brought enough to finish this now."

"Let’s push the attack. Garrus, you and Legion get sniping. Zaeed and I will move ‘round either side. Jack, cause any kind of hell you can think of." Shepard ordered.

Shepard rolled out of his cover, unleashing a storm of bullets into the enemy before they could spot the movement. His volley took down one Collector, while Zaeed’s sudden sprint out of cover resulted in a further enemy death. Jack jumped up from behind her crate and lifted a third Collector into the air for Garrus to calmly shoot through the head. Legion fired a shot at a fourth Collector, but a biotic barrier deflected the round so that it only grazed the Collector’s shoulder.

With Shepard’s team’s initial moment of surprise spent, the Collectors returned fire, one knocking Jack over with a biotic blast, while the remaining four fired their weapons, strange beam rifles that scored red-hot marks across the metal of the deck and crates. Zaeed covered the final distance between him and the office before vaulting through the window and taking cover behind a desk, taking only a little fire which drained his shields slightly. Shepard, meanwhile, took cover just outside of the door to the office

They moved forward in this fashion for several minutes, Garrus and Legion forcing the Collectors to take cover while Shepard and Zaeed drew closer to the enemy. Jack kept throwing the Collectors into confusion by hurling the cover they hid behind up into the air or back at them.

By the time Shepard had almost crossed the room, only three Collectors remained. He switched to his shotgun as he drew close to one Collector, and stood up, firing it in one smooth movement. The cloud of pellets escaping the muzzle of the shotgun shredded the Collector’s barrier and tore through chitinous armour, killing the creature outright. On the other side of the room, Zaeed charged the second-to-last Collector, smashing his rifle into the alien’s face. Dropping the weapon, the grizzled old soldier grappled with the Collector, hand-to-hand.

That only left one final Collector, the big one Garrus had warned about. It roared, an unearthly howl, and charged Shepard, swiping at him viciously. Shepard managed to dodge the blow, but his shotgun was torn from his hands, clattering against the wall out of reach. The Collector lunged again, scoring a hit to the side of the Commander’s face. As he staggered about dazedly, Shepard shouted to his companions.

"Garrus! I need some help here."

"I can’t get a shot, Commander. You’re in the way. Move!" The Turian responded anxiously.

Shepard complied by diving to the side as the Collector lunged again, and was satisfied to hear two thunderous shots. Unfortunately, the swiftness of the Collector’s attack meant that the shots, which would have pierced vital organs, only pierced its exoskeleton, eliciting a screech of pain. The beast lumbered after Shepard, out for his blood.

Knowing that the sniper rifles would take too long to reload, Shepard squared up with the monster, fists held before him in a classic boxing stance. As the Collector lunged forwards he lashed out with a vicious right hook, catching the insect across the face. He winced as he felt his hand hit hard chitinous armour, but was satisfied to see the creature stagger back. The Commander pressed the attack, landing a few more painful blows, before the Collector recovered enough to swipe him off his feet.

As the Collector lumbered over, intent on killing him, Shepard saw a desk lift up behind it, glowing a ghostly blue. The desk shot through the air and hit the alien across the back, hurling it to the ground. Shepard waited a second and, determining the beast was unconscious, got to his feet.

He looked back at his companions to see Jack lowering her arms, blue witchfire dwindling around her hands as she nodded grimly, satisfied with her performance.

Shepard looked around to see Zaeed standing up from the corpse of his last foe, cleaning off a bloody knife. He slotted the weapon back into its place in his belt before retrieving his rifle. He walked over to stand next to Shepard, looking down at the last Collector with an uncaring expression on his face. Coldly, he lifted his gun to take aim at the alien’s head.

"Wait!" Shepard almost shouted, pushing the gun away. "This thing could be a valuable prisoner."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind, Shepard? It’s a Collector, a big, stupid beetle! Better off dead."

"The Collectors were working for the Reapers. It might know a bit about its masters. We might be able to interrogate it to find a weakness in the Reapers. At the least a living specimen would let us understand what the Reapers do to the species they subdue, and maybe give us a way to fight it."

"I’m with Zaeed on this one, Commander. We’re better off without it." Garrus said, walking over to stand near them.

"We should at least find out what it was doing here. What such a small group could have hoped to accomplish." Shepard said defensively.

The Turian was silent for a few moments.

"There’s something more here, isn’t there, Commander?"

"It’s just… this is the last remnant of the Protheans, Garrus. I know Mordin said that the indoctrination process made them into something else, but this is still all that’s left of that entire species. They fought hard to stop the Reapers, and gave us the edge we needed to stop Sovereign. Should we be so quick to exterminate the last living specimen of their race, no matter how changed it might be?"

"I don’t know, Commander. It sounds like an awfully big risk." Garrus said uncertainly.

"Shepard-Commander. There is one further point to consider. As the specimen is, to a certain degree, a Prothean, it would bear certain knowledge in its genetic base code, its ‘genetic memory’, which could prove valuable. Scientists are unearthing Prothean relics constantly which may or may not have great value in the war with the Old Machines. Should the subject contain information similar to the Prothean Cipher you received on Feros, it would be invaluable in gaining access to such technologies." Legion interjected.

"Let’s bag it up and take it back to the Normandy. We can keep it locked up until we decide what to do." Shepard decided. He activated his commlink. "Kaidan, take Jacob and go get the vehicle. We have a package for delivery to the Normandy.

"Roger that, Commander."
~~~~

Minutes later, the squad turned at a shuffling sound outside the office. Standing in the doorway, Sergeant Powell surveyed the chaos with wide eyes, finally staring with a little fear at the seven Collector corpses and the one living creature, tied to a makeshift stretcher made from the remains of a desk.

"That’s a Collector?" He asked.

"Sure is. Don’t worry. We got everything covered here." Shepard assured him.

"I see that. Impressive work. Did you find who-" He broke off in mid sentence as Zaeed walked into the office, adjusting his rifle before stowing it in its place on his back. Shepard caught his glance and stepped forward.

"This is Zaeed, part of a team that was already here to take out the Collectors."

"Right." The Sergeant said hesitantly. He looked about the destroyed office once again. "I’m going to go and give Command my report. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to know that the things that were kidnapping our men have been stopped." With that, he turned and left. Zaeed watched him go with a bit of curiosity.

"Strange kid. A bit of a wet streak of nothing, ain’t he?" The old mercenary dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. "Anyway, I guess we’d best get this big old bastard out of here." He said, hoisting the stretcher. Garrus took the other end, the pair of them straining under the weight of the Collector.

Shepard led the way to the refinery’s entrance, guiding them around the carnage of their fight with the husks. Shepard stopped in surprise in the doors of the refinery, surprised at the sight that greeted him there.

Sergeant Powell’s squad stood out in the street, aiming their weapons straight at Shepard’s team as they tried to leave. At the appearance of Zaeed, a number of fingers tightened on triggers.

"Stay where you are!" Powell shouted.

"What’s going on?" Shepard asked.

"Mr Massanni is very well known in our organisation, Commander. Vido Santiago has issued a substantial bounty on his head, which he will gladly double if he’s brought in alive."

"You’re not taking him." Shepard responded stubbornly.

"I’ve already contacted Command. They’re sending several squadrons to take him into custody. If you get in our way, we’ll be forced to use deadly force."

Cursing, Shepard ordered his team back into cover as the mercenaries opened fire. Garrus and Zaeed moved to hide behind some machinery as they laid down the Collector. The mercenaries unleashed a devastating amount of fire in a very short time, hammering away at the squad’s cover. Shepard accounted for two mercenaries by peeking out from behind the doorway, but found that it took too long because of the speed with which the mercenaries returned fire.

There was a shocked lull in the enemy fire when Jack raised an arm and a whole load lifter flung itself through the door at the mercenaries, crushing three under its weight and injuring several more. In the shocked pause, Garrus and Legion eliminated two more mercenaries with precise shots from their sniper rifles. Zaeed drew a canister from his belt and, pulling the pin out with his teeth, flung the device over his cover and into the enemy ranks.

There was a chorus of screams as the device exploded, flames spreading out from it in a deadly circle to ignite armour and flesh. When Shepard looked back out of the door, he saw that half a dozen mercs had fallen to the flames, including the young Sergeant Powell. Seeing the way clear, he motioned for his comrades to follow him as he called Kaidan again.

"Kaidan! Where’s our lift out of here?"

"We’re in the air, Commander, but there’s a lot of activity up here. Three gunships just blazed into the District like the Reapers were after them. I take it that has something to do with you?"

"Someone took a distinct dislike to my team. How long will you be?"

"I can’t get near the refinery, Commander. Those gunships are almost on top of you. We’re several blocks over right now. Can you get to us?"

"I guess we’ll have to. Keep yourself out of sight until we’re ready for pickup."

As the Commander signed off, a gunship rushed by overhead, the throaty roar of its engine rattling the building.

"Zaeed! Garrus! Grab that stretcher. We’ve got to leave. We’ll watch your backs while you get to the LZ. Move!" He shouted over the noise of the enemy craft.

As the squad moved out into the street, a gunship paused above and before them. Rope dropped down from its belly and a group of mercenaries rappelled down to stand in the street in front of them. Shepard opened fire on the descending enemies, trying to eliminate them before they touched the deck. Two perished before they landed, falling the rest of the way to the ground and hitting with sickening crunches. However, more descended after them, in numbers too great to counter in mid-air. Finally the flood of enemies stopped when Jack, instead of firing her shotgun into the advancing ranks of mercenaries, raised a hand and pulled at the gunship. The underside of the ship shuddered and glowed blue as she pulled at it with her mind, until at last the pilot decided that the risk of a crash was too great and powered the vehicle away.

Shepard easily dealt with the troops on the ground, keeping himself between the enemy and his friends. They made steady progress through the streets, hampered occasionally by waves of mercs appearing around street corners. Whenever a large group of enemies appeared, Zaeed and Garrus would drop back until the Commander had dealt with the threat, moving on when it was clear. The gunships were an ever-present danger, zooming past overhead continually and presumably offloading the troops in side alleys where Jack couldn’t pluck them out of the sky. Shepard realised that the only reason why they hadn’t just performed a strafing run on the squad was because of the tight confines of the streets they walked through. A gunship couldn’t risk an attack like that without serious damage.

As the team drew closer to the LZ, Shepard became more and more nervous of having to cross the open ground to get to the skycar. His fears were confirmed when, after several blocks, the LZ came into view. The skycar was inconspicuously sitting there, seemingly powered down, when a gunship hove into view above it, perching over the escape route and keeping its weapons trained on the empty space between Shepard and his vehicle.

Seeing this, Zaeed and Garrus rushed for cover behind a dumpster, crouching ready to dash to the skycar if needed. Jack leapt for safety in a deep doorway and Legion darted into an alleyway. Shepard, face-to-face with the gunship, froze for a second while he weighed his options and then, firing his rifle as he ran, he dashed into the alleyway with the Geth.

A steady stream of bullets peppered the street they had just vacated, along with a rocket that carved a furrow in the metal decking of the street. Legion popped its upper body out of cover to fire off a lethal sniper round, which pinged off the ship’s shields. Across from them, Jack lifted a trashcan with her biotics and threw it at the ship with all the force she could put behind it. While Legion reloaded its rifle, Shepard stepped out and fired his rifle, the barrage whittling away at its shields.

They continued this assault for a while, managing at last to break down its shield. The gunship scored only a few lucky hits, at one point knocking Legion down with a rocket. Before it could follow up on the attack, the Geth scrambled on all fours back into its alleyway. At one point a string of bullets hit Shepard in the torso, bringing down his shields. The last bullet hit his armour and, though it was deflected, the impact left him winded.

After the shield fell, Shepard stepped out into the street and lifted the sniper rifle determinedly. Sighting down on the target even as a hail of bullets hit the deck around him, the Commander fired a single shot, piercing the ship’s right stabiliser. The vehicle swerved dramatically, smoke pouring from the bullet hole. It staggered about in the air for a moment before crashing into a building with tremendous force, exploding spectacularly.

With the gunship out of the picture, Shepard urged his friends to get to the skycar. As they approached, the vehicle powered up and Jacob opened the rear door, waving for them to hurry. Garrus and Zaeed hoisted their load into the car with little ceremony and clambered in themselves, followed by Jack and Legion. As the rear door closed, Shepard climbed in the front, taking the controls as Kaidan slid over into the front passenger seat.

"Those other two gunships are headed this way fast, Commander. Looks like they were offloading troops behind you, but now their friend’s gone, they’re heading this way."

Without further comment, Shepard powered the vehicle up and away from the street, taking to the skies with all the speed that the vehicle had. Looking back, he saw the gunships only a short way behind, giving chase.

The skycar powered through the Omega skyline nimbly, weaving between one towering construct after another in an attempt to shake the Blue Suns gunships. However, the two pursuers remained doggedly attached to the Commander’s tail, refusing to give up the chase. He tried doubling back and dropping down to street level, but the gunships kept up with him, no matter what.

The vehicle shuddered as the mercenaries opened fire, a few bullets scoring a line of round dents in the skycar’s surprisingly tough shell. Shepard struggled to hold a straight course as the detonations from a couple of rockets buffeted them about. He muttered a string of curses as he wrestled with the controls.

"Goddamn it, we’ll never get rid of them at this pace. Aren’t there any weapons on this thing?"

As Shepard asked this last question, he felt a tug at his back. Garrus had pulled the grenade launcher off his back, clicking the various moving parts into place and powering it up. Without hesitation, the Turian opened the side door, making the vehicle weave alarmingly as its aerodynamics altered. As a maelstrom of rushing air filled the interior of the vehicle, Garrus leaned out and slowly, meticulously, took aim at one of the pursuing gunships. Pulling the trigger three times in quick succession, he launched three grenades straight backwards at the lead gunship. The first two exploded harmlessly to either side of the vehicle, but the third one hit its shields directly over the cockpit. The pilot inside was blinded by the explosion and swerved, a fatal error. The gunship hit the nearest building, tearing itself apart.

Pulling back into the skycar, Garrus quietly closed the door, ignoring the shocked looks the rest of the squad was giving him.

"That’s one less to deal with. Though now, unfortunately, we don’t have any more weapons that’ll be worth a damn against the last one." He said to the Commander.

"That’s okay. I just came up with a brilliant idea." Shepard said, looking up through the roof canopy. He noted that they had left the Smelter District behind them, and were now moving into busier sections of the station. Above, the busy main traffic lanes of the station buzzed by. Kaidan caught his glance.

"Commander! You cannot be serious!"

"Never been more serious in my life. Hold on!" He shouted the last as he pulled the skycar into a tight turn, rotating it ninety degrees to shoot straight upwards into the flow of traffic. He twisted the vehicle savagely to move into the traffic lanes and move with them, forcing his way between another skycar and a small freighter. He thought for a moment that he had managed to lose the gunship, but then it rushed by overhead, firing at them even in the midst of the mass of vehicles. All around the skycar, vehicles swerved to avoid the aerial combat, the neat flowing line of traffic separating into dozens of ships all trying desperately to avoid destruction. Sighing at the stubbornness of their enemy, Shepard twisted the skycar through the air, running rings around an older, slower cargo transport as the gunship tried to take aim at him.

Checking behind him to look for the gunship, Shepard was snapped back to looking forwards by a cry from Kaidan, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a taxi which had got turned around.

Realising that driving through the busy traffic lanes was proving more dangerous than helpful, given the mercenaries’ willingness to open fire on civilians, the Commander looked for another option, and saw one in the form of the entrance to the cargo loading bays. Angling the skycar down towards them, he gunned the accelerator. There was a yelp of fear from Jacob as the entrance to the docking bays rushed past on either side, dangerously close. Metres below, hundreds of the denizens of Omega ran for cover as the skycar darted past overhead, swiftly followed by the gunship.

The Commander struggled with the controls as each and every turn presented a challenge at these sorts of speeds. Having rockets detonate all around made the task even more challenging. He wracked his brains to think of a way to get rid of their pursuit, disappointed that the narrow tunnels had not defeated them.

When the two vehicles shot out of the far end of the cargo bays, Shepard turned the car to the left, bringing it in over the markets. He saw Afterlife rush by to his left, the blazing neon signs that adorned its roof unmistakable, and realised how close to the edge of the station he had to be. Activating his commlink, he contacted the Normandy. Joker was swift to answer.

"What’s up, Commander?"

"Joker, how do you feel about taking the Normandy for a little joyride?" Shepard asked, tugging at the controls to avoid another rocket.

"Sounds like fun. Where do you need me?"

"We’re close to Afterlife. Still in the atmospheric mass effect envelope. Got a merc gunship on our tail, and I’m running out of tricks here."

"It’s gonna be tight, Commander. You’re right in the middle of a very built up area, and I don’t think there’s room for the Normandy down there, ‘cept in the docking areas. Get further away from the asteroid, and I’ll see what I can do." Joker signed off, already turning to the helm controls.

Shepard sighed and twisted the skycar around yet another building, angling away from the asteroid and out towards space. Though the skycar wasn’t designed for space travel, it would last long enough to be picked up by the Normandy. The only worry Shepard had was that, the further away from the atmospheric envelope of the station he went, the more widely spaced the station’s buildings became. With that came less cover from their enemy.

Shepard wove the car in and out of the towering structures all around, pushing the skycar to its limits. Finally they burst out of the station’s atmospheric bubble, held in place by the same mass effect field generators that helped keep asteroids from tearing through the station. The vehicle shuddered from a few more hits before Shepard became aware of a much larger shape moving nearby.

Moving in parallel to the chase, the Normandy cruised along just outside of the main concentration of Omega’s structure. Glad to have their escape so close at hand, moved the skycar over towards the frigate, wincing as the gunship scored a few direct hits on their vehicle.

With a suddenness that surprised Shepard, the Normandy twitched to the side, it’s starboard thruster catching the gunship with a solid impact and sending the much smaller vehicle flying away, a crumpled wreck.

The Commander let out a long breath of relief as the Normandy’s cargo doors opened and he decelerated the skycar to land on the cleared deck in the cargo bay. Exhausted by their ordeal, he powered down the skycar and opened the door, grateful to be back home. In the back of the skycar, as the squad clambered out, the Collector stirred uneasily in its unconscious slumber.

[fainmaca]

Here we go kids! Chapter 10 is now live.



Chapter 10: The Last Prothean

Shepard walked slowly through the CIC and up towards the cockpit, wearily twisting his head from side to side to work the tired knots out of his neck. He moved up next to Joker just as the pilot edged the Normandy back into her bay, the docking arm resealing around the airlock with a hiss. Beyond the cockpit's windows, the skyline of Omega twinkled in a deceptively beautiful display, a glittering curtain hiding the rotten core of the station. Over the comms, a myriad traffic controllers still screamed at the pilot over his recent trip through the more densely constructed areas of the station. Ignoring them, Joker spun his seat around to look at the Commander with a cocky grin on his face.

"What, no applause?" The young man waited until the Commander responded with a sarcastic couple of claps of his gloved hands. "I have officially made Omega crap its pants, though. You might want to go to Afterlife and smooth some ruffled feathers while we wait for the rest of the crew to get back."

"A trip to Afterlife won't be necessary." Feron chimed in, walking up behind the Commander. Before Shepard could ask his meaning, the airlock whooshed open and Aria stomped into the ship, closely followed by a pair of guards and the grinning Patriarch.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" The pirate queen of Omega demanded, walking up to stand inches away from the Commander. If she had been anyone else, Shepard might have thought the idea of one of her stature standing toe-to-toe with him like that humorous. However, Aria's fury was almost tangible in the air around her.

"They shot at us first." He said in protest.

"Do you have any idea of how much chaos your little car chase has caused? This isn't a racetrack for you to drive around! Half the Smelter District got torn to shred by your antics, and the main traffic lanes are piled up like you wouldn't believe. How am I meant to explain three gunships embedding themselves in densely populated apartment blocks? That says nothing of your ship's little joyride through the skies above the Market district! And now I'm getting demands from the Blue Suns that I lock you all up. How am I meant to make that all disappear? I'd have rather kept the Collectors. At least they kept a low profile!"

Shepard stood silent as the ruler of Omega ranted. When it became apparent that she had finished, he spoke up.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea that this would happen. Apparently the mercs have a bounty out on one of my squad, and they weren't about to pass up on the opportunity to cash in." Shepard explained. The Asari snorted.

"I'm not surprised. The way you operate, it's a wonder the entire Galaxy isn't after your hide. You should stay away from Omega for a while. Allow the smoke to clear and tempers to calm down. In the meantime, what have you done with my car?"

"It's in the cargo bay, but I should warn you, the mercs weren't kind to it."

Aria stiffened, her face clouding with rage again. She turned on her heel and headed back through the airlock.

"Keep it, then. And make sure it's a good long while before I see your face again!" she threw back over her shoulder as she stormed off. Her guards followed her closely, but Patriarch was slower to leave.

"Don't worry about Aria, she's just pissed she missed out on the action. A woman with her responsibilities likes to relax once in a while by gunning down a bunch of deadbeats. Plus, a little excitement is good for Omega now and then." The Krogan chuckled, a deep throaty sound. "Just like you, Shepard, to stir up a Varren nest on Omega. Fight well, Commander."

Shepard nodded at the old Krogan's farewell as the Patriarch departed, humming a jaunty tune to himself. As the airlock cycled closed, Joker turned back to his station, a rush of air escaping his lips.

"Damn, Commander. Thrown out of Omega? I guess there's no limit to how low we can get, huh?" He asked.

"Very funny." The Commander said dryly. "Just make sure we're ready to get out of here once the others get back."

"Can do, Shepard. Any word on where we're heading next?"

"Thessia. I'll want to catch up with the Justicar there before she leaves the planet."

"Great, another crazy space paladin. We meet such interesting people in our travels. Take the oversized wasp you've got buzzing around in the Med Bay. I'll bet that's going to be a barrel of laughs." Joker grumbled. "I'll plot out our relay jumps to get to Asari space."

"And I'll have Liara run us up some documents to land on Thessia. She should be able to pull some strings with the local matriarchs." Feron volunteered, heading back to his post in the briefing room.

"Speaking of our new arrival, I'd best go down and see what it's doing." Shepard said.

As the Commander moved past the Galaxy Map, Kelly caught his eye, obviously wanting to speak with him.

"Commander, you should know that some messages arrived at your private terminal." She said formally.

"Thanks. Anything else?" He asked, sensing her desire to discuss more than just his inbox.

"I'm a bit concerned about our newest arrival. A Collector on board? That makes me nervous. Last time we had one of those things on board, it was putting us in those horrible pods they used to carry off kidnapped colonists. A lot of the crew are feeling jumpy too."

"We'll keep it under constant guard, but I'm not ready to space it just yet. It might have valuable information we can use."

"Nevertheless, be careful when you talk to it, Commander. Even if I were familiar with Collector psychology, I wouldn't be able to predict how this thing is going to act. This thing is the last of its species, and it is trapped on the ship that wiped out the rest of its race. I don't know how that will affect it, or what it might try to do."

"I'll watch myself. Trust me, Kelly. Nothing is more important to me than the safety of this ship."

Having reassured the young woman, Shepard moved over to his console and pulled up the latest messages. Mostly they were the usual spam messages, but there was one from Anderson that he opened up.

Shepard,

I've spoken to the scientists here at the Academy, and more than a few of them have volunteered their expertise and advice to help you with joker's condition. One specialist in neuro-surgery and mental mapping methods, an Asari called Rana Thanoptis, has given me a vast array of files to forward on to you. See what your Doctor has to say about the material.

I hope you can get Joker back to his old self.

Oh, and if you tell him this came from me I'll make sure life gets very unpleasant for you. Do I make myself clear?

Good Luck, Commander

David

Shepard smiled at the message and downloaded the files to give to Archer later. Turning, he stepped into the elevator.

Down on the Crew Deck, Shepard stepped out of the elevator and into the Mess Hall, noting that all of the crewmen sitting around the tables were staring at the Med Bay with a good measure of trepidation. There was little conversation, and the general feeling was one of fear. Shepard strode past them and entered the Med Bay.

Garrus was sat at the Doctor's desk, rifle balanced across his angular knees as he sat awkwardly in the chair designed for humans. Across from the Turian, the captive Collector paced from side to side inside a kinetic barrier. The barrier was large enough to contain one of the Med Bay's beds, upon which the creature had been placed while it was still unconscious. As the alien paced from side to side, its eyes remained locked on Garrus, the three yellow orbs glowing with feral menace. The fourth eyesocket was empty, a jagged scar running over it. Occasionally the Collector tested the barrier, though at no point did the shield weaken. Garrus looked up as Shepard walked in, the Turian equivalent of a smile filling his face as the mandibles flexed and the mouth twisted.

"Commander. I'm just keeping an eye on our newest passenger."

"Anything strange?"

"Nothing stranger than is usual, though with this ship that is not saying much. It keeps testing the barrier, but it can't get out." The Turian replied, scratching at his head fringe.

"You look beat, Garrus. Take a break. I'm gonna try talking to it."

"You're the boss."

As Garrus left, Shepard turned to look at the creature, a mixture of trepidation and obscene curiosity driving him. He walked up to stand just on the other side of the barrier and stared at it. The Collector stopped its pacing and stood opposite the Commander, returning his gaze. They stood there, eyes locked, for several seconds. Humans might have thought it to be a staring contest, but it was more than that. Here stood two predators, killers, weighing each other up.

"Can you understand me?" Shepard asked. The Collector stood silent, staring him down, but the Commander got the feeling the words registered with the alien.

"What were you doing on Omega?" Shepard demanded.

"Who are you to ask?" Came the reply. Shepard suppressed a shudder at the deep, resonant voice. In it he heard the voice of a monster, a nightmare come to life.

"I'm Commander Shepard of the Normandy-" Shepard stopped as the beast flung itself at the barrier, straining to get at him. "I take it you've heard of me, then."

"Your name was whispered through my mind, as my brothers died by the thousand. I heard you advance through my home by way of the thoughts of my people, and felt their deaths as you engineered the destruction of my home. My kin, murdered to the last one by your hand!" It growled.

"And what about the thousands of humans your people slaughtered? The colonists who watched as one by one they were liquefied and turned into an abomination?" Shepard countered. "You were building a Reaper. I'm not about to let anyone help them to wipe out galactic civilisation."

"We do as the Creators command. Any who oppose them must be destroyed." The Collector explained.

"Creators? The Reapers do not create, they only destroy. They wiped out your society and turned you into slaves!"

"What would you know of it? Your species had yet to take its first steps when the Creators raised us to our perfection." A sneering tone dominated the beast's words.

"Our Science officer was able to decipher your genetic history from some samples we acquired while we were a guest on one of your ships. He figured out how the Reapers had corrupted the Protheans to make you easier to control."

"The Protheans? We know nothing of such a species." There was doubt running through the Collector's voice, suspicion of a deception evident.

"EDI?" Shepard called out to the ship's AI, waiting for her interface to pop up in the holographic display in the corner of the Med Bay. "Show our guest the data Mordin used in his research."

"Yes, Shepard." EDI said helpfully. Moments later a holographic display lit up, projecting through the barrier so the Collector could look at it. The alien lumbered over and began scrolling through the data.

Shepard waited a short while, and when it became apparent that the Collector was so engrossed in the screeds of notes the Salarian doctor had made that it had forgotten about the Commander, he subtly cleared his throat. The three eyes twitched up to look at him.

"Remember them now?" Shepard asked.

"It will take time to read this information. Leave me in peace." It replied curtly.

Slightly put out at the rude dismissal, Shepard hesitated a few seconds before leaving, deciding to resume the interrogation the next day. He paused outside the door to the Med Bay.

"EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard." The reply was instantaneous.

"What do you make of that?"

"My data on Collectors does not cover much more than the statistics of how many you have killed personally, Commander. I have no clear point of reference to make any sort of judgement."

"But what about that last bit? Calling the Reapers 'creators' and having no knowledge of the Protheans. That seems a bit off to me."

"It is possible that, as part of the process of indoctrination, the Reapers incorporated themselves into the Collectors' belief system as a way to inculcate obedience in the drones even when communication was disrupted. We saw this even with Saren. Naming Nazara as Sovereign implied a level of reverence for the Reaper. In order to maintain the illusion of being benevolent deities, the Reapers would have most likely developed in the Collectors a mental conditioning that prevented them from looking too deeply at anything relating to their true origins, to the point that they became unaware that the Protheans had ever existed. Therefore, they did not make the connection between their quad-strand genetic structure and samples found at dig sites around the Galaxy."

"So essentially they were programmed to ignore any clues to their past?"

"I suspect so."

"Another thing that bothers me is how well its moving about and talking. I thought indoctrination reduced functionality in its victims?"

"You forget that the Reapers forced extensive genetic and cybernetic upgrades upon the Collectors to compensate for this loss of efficiency. Also, bear in mind that the Collectors shared a collective consciousness, a 'hive mind' in layman's terms. Now, the prisoner is the sole remaining individual of its race. The consciousness of an entire species is condensed into one mind. This extreme concentration of thought may be helping to compensate for the debilitating effects that indoctrination has upon its victims."

"A Collector that's not being controlled by the Reapers. Could be useful." Shepard murmured.

"Need I remind you that this is the alien whose entire race you blew to hell not so long ago?" Joker chimed in. "I'm not sure how it thinks, but I reckon its gonna hold a grudge about that. Not to mention the risk that the Reapers will just take control again."

"I don't think that'll be a problem. Look at Legion: The complexity of their systems compared to those of normal Geth platforms makes them infinitely more secure against hacking attempts. I'd expect the same thing here. A mind with the consciousness of an entire species running through it is going to be a lot harder to subvert than the drones we encountered back through Omega Four." Shepard explained. "Anyway, we won't know anything until our prisoner has a chance to look through that data we gave it. I'll see what we can get from it tomorrow."

As Shepard approached the elevator, he noticed that the door to the Port Lounge was open. Curious, he walked over to see who was in there.

Garrus and Zaeed were in the lounge, the former cradling a large bottle inside of which swirled a strange green liquid, and the latter holding a glass of what looked like whiskey. The pair looked up as Shepard approached and raised their drinks in greeting, inviting the Commander to join them.

"Shepard! Come an' have a seat. We were just cooling off after that mess down on the station." Zaeed said cordially. "Goddamn tough fight, that one. Mind you, I'd thought we'd seen the last of those bastards after our little jaunt to their base."

"One thing you learn when you work with Shepard is that there's always another battle to fight." Garrus said, smiling. "No matter where he goes, trouble comes worming out of the woodwork in some form or another."

"It's not all that bad." Shepard interrupted. "I can think of at least twelve planets we've gone to where nobody was shooting at us."

"Considering the number of planets you've visited, that isn't all that reassuring, Commander." The Turian shot back, mandibles twitching in amusement. "But I will admit, its good to be back. The past few months have been rough."

"What have you guys been doing while I've been away?" Shepard asked as he went over to the bar and poured himself a drink, a heady fizzing concoction that glowed a faint green, something he had acquired a taste for on the Citadel. "Liara made mention that you've been doing merc work in the verge."

"And some other places. We've been carrying on the work that my squad was doing here on Omega." Garrus explained, a twinge of sadness tugging at his features as he mentioned his old friends, now dead for over a year. "We've been causing whatever problems we can for the big dogs in the galaxy; Blue Suns, Eclipse, Blood Pack, a new Batarian gang called Brakh'shon and a few others."

"You never were one to sit still, Garrus." Shepard said before turning to the old mercenary. "But what about you, Zaeed? You've always been working towards the next paycheque. Being a vigilante isn't exactly your style."

"As long as whatever we're doing can help to hurt Vido and his Blue Suns, I'm in." Zaeed grumbled, taking a long gulp from his drink. "But it's a bit more than that. More and more, I'm looking for a place where I can settle down, hang Jessie up on the wall and enjoy some of the money my merc life has earned me. Working with you showed me that there's nowhere in the Galaxy that I can do that at the moment. As long as these mercs are out there, I'll never be able to sit still without worrying about a gunshot to the back. I wanna make the galaxy a safe enough place for me to lay down my guns without being on guard for some bloodthirsty bastard creeping up behind me."

Garrus nodded at the mercenary's words, understanding the desire to leave a life of bloodshed behind. He had felt the same weariness with his own life after the deaths of his squad, although the feeling had passed. He could only imagine how living that life, decade after decade, might wear a person down. The Turian turned back to the Commander.

"But now you're back, and putting the Reapers in your sights, no less. We saw what the Collectors were doing past Omega Four, all under the direction of those machines. I know I'm not going to stand on the sidelines while they come charging out of Dark Space."

"Damn straight! We'll be right there next to you, Shepard, when you go and shove your foot up their gigantic metal arses." Zaeed said, lifting his glass to his lips in a toast. Garrus returned the gesture by draining his bottle, and Shepard tilted his head back to empty his glass.

Feeling light-headed from his drinking session with Garrus and Zaeed, Shepard made his way through the CIC and into the briefing room. Feron stood there, as always, reading a stack of datapads and organising them into some system, the complexities of which Shepard couldn't begin to fathom. The Drell smiled in greeting as the Commander walked in.

"Good to see you, Shepard. Liara just forwarded the documents we'll need to land on Thessia, as well as a list of matriarchs on the planet who make use of her network. Should Asari bureaucracy get in the way of our mission at any point, we'll be able to pull some strings to get things done."

Shepard scanned the datapads Feron handed him, making a mental note of the names of the Asari leaders who he could petition for assistance. The other datapad contained a standard docking permission form, authorised by one of the names from the list, a Matriarch Nemetia.

"Good work. Got a few minutes to spare?" Shepard asked.

"Sure. I was just finishing submitting my latest report to Liara. Not that it'll be that important. No doubt her own contacts on Omega have already filled her in on your handiwork in the Smelter District. What did you want to talk about?"

"I'm just interested in getting to know those under my command a bit better. I know we've met before, but I don't really know that much about you."

"Three years ago, that's the way it would have stayed. When I worked for the old Shadow Broker I played my cards pretty close to my chest. Safer that way. Of course, that all changed after Liara came along, looking for your corpse. At that time, I was double dealing for Cerberus, an agent in the Broker's network."

"You worked for Cerberus?" Shepard asked a little incredulously.

"Yeah. Turns out that the Illusive Man isn't against hiring aliens, especially when he can use them to gain an advantage over even more aliens. When they first approached me, I was wary, but I was very well compensated for my services."

"You must have been, to cross the Shadow Broker for them."

"Well, part of my was thrilled with the risk. It was fun for a bit, to play the two most dangerous minds in the Galaxy off against one another."

"No doubt." Shepard laughed. "What got you into the information business in the first place?"

"I was actually trained up to work for one of Kahje's top ambassadors, as a personal assistant. It was a part of the Compact."

"Thane Krios was a part of that. It's where he learned his… trade."

"So I'd heard. The Compact covers a multitude of sectors of Drell/Hanar society. Young Drell are trained in many professions, from more socially acceptable trades like banking and starship maintenance to the clandestine lines of work like what your Mr Krios did for a living."

"What did your family think of your career?"

A cloud passed across Feron's scaly face, a look of sadness that passed in seconds.

"My father died when I was only a couple of years old. Kepral's Syndrome. My mother died the following year. Drell orphans always end up a part of the Compact. Something our councillors decided on when the Hanar took us in, a way to make sure that we weren't a dead weight on Kahje's resources."

"The Hanars' kindness means a lot to your people, doesn't it?"

"Of course. Without them, there'd be nothing left of our people. Every day we have is a gift from them." The sincerity in Feron's voice was strong, his face carrying a determined expression. "Not many Drell have seen Rakhana since the evacuation. I went there about five years ago."

Feron looked like he was about to tell Shepard about his trip, but then his body froze, eyes going wide. Shepard recognised the symptoms from his time spent with Thane. The Drell was experiencing a memory flash. Feron's voice was muted as he spoke, a flat, emotionless narration of the thoughts rushing through his head.

"I stand, ankle deep in the burning hot sand. The breather on my face clutches at my skull tightly, keeping the carbon dioxide rich atmosphere from suffocating me. A stinging barrage of sand strikes my face, whipped up by the howling wind.

"I stride up the sand dune, struggling with every step. As I crest the peak, a renewed gust of wind threatens to knock me from my feet. I regain my balance, and look out at a scene of devastation. The ruins of Kalomhira lie before me, the remains of the buildings protruding out of the sand like the sandblasted bones of a long-dead beast. The howling of the wind passing through empty windows pulls at my very soul."

Suddenly he snapped out of the vision, head jerking as he blinked and was back in the present. Tears glimmered in the corners of his eyes, catching the artificial light of the briefing room. He looked at Shepard for a moment, an overwhelming sorrow in his face.

"If you don't mind, Commander, I think I'd better get back to work." He turned his back on Shepard, bending over his work. Shepard left without a further word, guilt at making the Drell relive such a memory weighing down on him.

Shepard stepped out of the briefing room and turned to enter the Tech Lab, intending to head to the CIC and the elevator to his cabin. However, he stopped when he saw the sole occupant of the room. Standing at Mordin's desk, holding her omnitool under one of the many scanners on the desk, Jack looked up in surprise as the door opened. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Shepard, and she switched off the scanner, powering down her omnitool and stepping away, making for the door.

"Jack, wait." Shepard said. She paused, almost ignoring the request, but turned to face him, arms crossed in front of her.

"What?" Her question was aggressive.

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

"Keep what up?"

"We've hardly talked since you came aboard."

"We've got nothing to talk about. I'll fight for you, and that's all that needs to be said. Soon as we take Cerberus down, I'm gone."

"That's it? After everything we've been through?"

"Sticking with you got me back in a biotics lab. I'm not risking that **** again."

Shepard walked over to stand in front of her, but Jack backed away until her shoulders were pressed against the lab's research terminal, distorting the holographic interface. Her red lips set in a firm line, she looked Shepard defiantly in the eye.

"What happened at the Academy?" he asked.

"It was just like Teltin. They pumped me full of drugs, tortured me, kept me in a cell. They even had me fight other test subjects again. Most of the time they had me fighting Aresh, another thing I've got to thank you for. If I'd had it my way, he'd have been dead long ago."

Shepard swallowed down on the protest that welled up in his throat, knowing that it would only anger her.

"Most days I was kept under, hardly spending a minute awake. When I was awake, they were cutting me open and shoving some new amp into my spine or something. I thought I didn't have room for any more scars, but I've got plenty of new ones now."

She moved away from the Commander, stepping up to the lab's window and looking out at Omega's skyline beyond. She pressed her hands against the window, leaning forwards to gaze out at the rushing traffic above.

"I've managed to avoid Cerberus for nearly fifteen years. I even managed to leave my childhood with them behind me when I left that facility as a huge burning hole in the ground. I was free. And now they've got their claws back in me again."

A single tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a black trail of mascara behind it as it travelled down to her chin and hung there, catching the light of a passing shuttle. Cautiously, he stepped up behind her, looking past her at the view. He saw her reflection in the window and noticed that she was staring at him, rather than the vast skyline out there. All trace of hostility was gone from her expression. Finally she drew in a deep breath and let it all out in one go, turning to face the Commander.

"I need some space, Shepard. Go file a report or whatever it is you do when you're not kicking the living **** out of something."

Shepard left her standing there, looking back out at Omega's skyline with an expression that suggested she was only doing so in order to look away from the Commander.

The next day, Shepard headed down to the Crew Deck, seeking to talk with the captive Collector. Rupert was busily tending his stoves, cooking up the crew's breakfast. Beside him, Garrus prepared the special food he had to eat due to his genetic makeup.

Shepard opened the med bay doors to find Dr Archer back at his station. Stepping over, the Commander gave him the files he had received from Anderson the day before. The Doctor looked at the files eagerly.

"Thank you, Commander. This will be very useful. The advice of a fully trained neurosurgeon is sure to help me treat Joker's condition."

Shepard looked over to the corner of the med bay, where the barrier still flickered. Behind it, the Collector stood in exactly the same spot it had been in when he left it, gazing intently at the holographic display. File after file moved past its gaze.

"How's our latest passenger been behaving?"

"Damndest thing. Since I got here, it has barely moved a muscle. I tried to talk to it, but nothing happened. It just stands there and reads. You reckon I can borrow whatever its reading? Must be a hell of a spellbinding novel."

Shepard stepped up to the barrier, eyeing the Collector carefully. As he moved next to the energy field, the alien jerked suddenly, looking up and about and dismissing the holo-feed with a wave of its hand. The three yellow eyes and the empty eyesocket pointed at Shepard, regarding him cautiously. The Commander was not moved by the aggressive stance, or the unnaturally mechanical movements it made as it studied him.

"Have you been awake all night?" He asked curiously.

"I do not require sleep. I am also capable of functioning without food or water. Our bodies are capable of filtering whatever nutrients we need out of the air around us."

"So I take it you've had a chance to study a fair bit of the data EDI has on Protheans."

"I have. The studies your Doctor Solus performed on our genetic code were very enlightening. I have double-checked the data, and can find no mistake in it. It would appear he was very thorough."

"How did you double-check the research Mordin performed? You don't have any equipment."

"I did not require equipment. The calculations for studying genetic codes are quite simple. I simply ran the numbers through my head. Is that not normal?"

"No. Most beings would require a computer of some sophistication and a couple of decades of study to analyse the genetic structure of two species in a few weeks, let alone a single night."

"Our neural pathways are quite advanced."

"I'll bet. What did you find?"

"It is as you said. We were once the beings you called 'Protheans', but our genetic structure was changed fundamentally some forty to fifty thousand years ago. The changes resulted in a great reduction of our capability for independent behaviour, but made us optimally suited for service. The Creators lied to us, used us for their own benefit." The alien's tone was one of surprise, betrayal and confusion. It looked about, like a child at a loss as to what to say. Finally the gaze snapped back to Shepard.

"I understand now why you acted in the way you did. You sought to keep your own race from suffering a fate like mine."

"We still have a long way to go before we've put a stop to the Reapers. Will you help us?"

"The Reapers enslaved my race, destroyed their culture, and corrupted them into monsters. If not for them, the Protheans would still roam the Galaxy in their pure form. I cannot forgive you for destroying what was left of my people, but I can put that aside to help you stop the Reapers from doing the same thing to someone else, and exact vengeance on them for the existence stolen from my species."

With not a little trepidation, Shepard lowered the barrier.

"Then welcome aboard the Normandy. What's your name?" He asked.

"I do not have one. The nature of my connection with my species rendered the purposes of a name obsolete. Ours was such a deep connection that our identities were expressed in a way more profound than simple names."

"Well you'll need something. We can't go around calling you 'Collector' all the time."

The large head tilted to one side, the Collector thinking for a moment.

"My people have perished, and yet I remain. A ghost of the Prothean race, a Collector that will not die. There is a word in your language that aptly encompasses this state. Henceforth, I shall bear the name Revenant."

"Not exactly your average name, but it'll do. I'm sure you'll be a valuable addition to the team."

Shepard extended a hand to shake, and the Revenant returned the gesture. The Commander suppressed a shudder as he felt the hard chitin armour that coated the alien's hand brush against his skin, mildly repulsed by so strange a texture to be found on a living being. The pair shook hands.

"As part of my squad, I'll be granting you freedom to roam the ship, but I recommend that you keep your distance from the crew until they get used to having you on board. Don't give them an excuse to attack you. There's already a few fingers getting twitchy on triggers."

"I understand. I shall remain here, for the time being. Your doctor seemed eager to talk earlier, and perhaps my knowledge of medical matters will be of some use to him." The Revenant said. Archer, who had been watching the exchange from his desk, jolted in surprise at being mentioned.

"Any help would be welcome. The biological expertise of the Collectors is legendary, and I'm sure there are a few things I can learn from you."

Shepard left the pair chatting as they looked over the latest readouts that had been obtained from the transmitters in Joker's brain, discussing various options for separating the pilot and the ship's consciousnesses from each other in a safe manner. As he left the med bay, he noticed Kaidan standing in the Mess Hall, leaning back on Sergeant Gardner's work surfaces with arms crossed in front of his chest and a worried expression on his face. The Commander walked over to see what was bothering him.

"Commander," He said curtly as Shepard approached. He nodded his head at the Med Bay windows, beyond which the Revenant stood. "I see you're getting to know our latest passenger, then."

"It's agreed to help us in our efforts against the Reapers."

"And you're sure it can be trusted?" Kaidan's tone made it clear that he didn't.

"Not entirely, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. The knowledge it has access to is too valuable to throw away, Kaidan."

"I realise that, Commander. But you're letting it roam the ship freely, and you're going to let it watch your back in a combat situation? You weren't on Horizon when these things arrived, Shepard. You only got there after they'd loaded up half the colony. When they had me loaded into one of those pod things, there was no emotion in their actions, no remorse or regret. They followed the Reapers' orders without question, as they had done on dozens of colonies before then. Are you sure that's the sort of creature you want at your side in a war with the Reapers, Commander?"

"I can't think of a much better weapon to have on our side. With the things ahead of us, we can't turn away anyone who wants to help us, no matter their past. What matters is how many guns we can point at the Reapers when they arrive, not the hands used to hold them."

Kaidan watched the Collector for a few more moments. In the Med Bay, the Revenant surprised Doctor Archer by manipulating a few controls on the terminal before them both and pulling up a fully realised map of Joker's neural pathways. The Doctor eagerly took notes as the creature spoke, pointing to key areas of the map of the pilot's brain. Finally, Shepard's old friend let out a sigh.

"I guess you're right. As long as it stays on our side, I'll fight alongside it."

The Normandy thrummed as she approached the first of the chain of mass relays that would launch her across the Galaxy towards Thessia, deep in Asari space. Drawing close to the relay, the hull shuddered as flashes of bright light flared out from the rapidly spinning heart of the relay to encircle the frigate, arcs of electricity glittering along her hull in a supercharged cascade. There was a dull thump, and the ship surged forward at a great many times the speed of light, covering several hundred years' worth of distance in a matter of seconds.

Shepard experienced all of this on his way down in the elevator towards the Engineering deck. So familiar was he with travel through mass relays that he could picture every second of the jump in his mind, knowing exactly how Joker would angle the ship in to the relay's mass effect field and how the light would race across the gigantic structure as it powered up to launch them halfway around the Galaxy.

He stepped out of the elevator and onto the deck just as the ship decelerated from its first jump, the gargantuan inertia of shedding so much speed at once being countered by the ship's inertial dampeners so that all the crew experienced was a mildly unbalancing vertigo as the ship came to a full stop in a completely new star system. Moving with the ship's changes in direction, the Commander kept his footing as he walked into the main Engineering department.

Inside, Ken and Gabby were scurrying about, tweaking devices here and there as the ship navigated the mass relay network. Legion stood to one side, working at Tali's old terminal. The two engineers saluted as Shepard walked up to them, though they continued their work, too busy to stop.

"What can we do for you, Commander?" Gabby asked as she opened up a panel in the wall and, lying down on her back, crawled halfway into the ship's internal workings, pulling at wires and tightening connections as she went.

"While I was passing through the Omega market's, I managed to pick up that part you needed."

"Thanks a bunch, Commander. You're a real lifesaver." Gabby's gratitude echoed out from behind the wires. A grubby hand extended out to take the proffered part and stowed it in one of the larger pockets on her uniform for later.

"Commander, is it true we've got one of those bug things working for us now?" Ken asked, monitoring some numbers on his terminal.

"Yes. It's said it wants to help us, so I'm letting it join my squad."

"Not that I'm second-guessing you or anything, but are you sure about this? I mean, those things really worked us over last time on got on board."

"I think I'm going to be having the conversation with just about everyone on the ship." Shepard sighed. "The real threat here is the Reapers. They're the ones who were in control of the Collectors a year ago, and that's what they're going to do to us if we don't find a way to stop them. Anyone willing to help us prevent that is welcome to join us."

"Then he's okay in my books." Gabby said, pulling herself out of the wires and sealing the panel again. She stood up, drawing a hand across her brow and leaving a thick smudge of oil there.

"Aye, I guess we can put up with the bug for a while, though I'll be keeping a full bottle of insecticide with me whenever I have to go near it." Ken said, rubbing his hands together as he finished up his task at his terminal. "That aside, it's good to see you getting some of the old team back together, Commander. I saw Garrus stalking about upstairs, and the forward batteries are being calibrated like crazy once again."

"And I saw that mercenary wandering around this morning, clearing out some of the stuff in the auxiliary cargo holds. Looks like he's settling back in." Gabby added.

"And then we've got Jack hiding in the sub-deck again. 'Cause that's what every ship needs, a psycho who can rip your head off with her mind." Ken said, a grumbling tone entering his voice.

"He's just pissy 'cause she never fell for his raw Scottish charm." Gabby teased. "What was it she said when you tried to chat her up? Something about putting you in the trash compactor and opening the airlock?"

"Yeah, yeah." Ken muttered in a chagrined voice. He lifted a finger to point at his forehead. "Hey, you got a little…"

Gabby turned to look in a polished surface and cursed, rubbing at the smear of dirt and only making it worse. She tried to keep her face turned away from the Commander in such a way as to hide the mark.

"Anyway, it's real swell of you to get us that part we needed, Commander. I'll go get it installed."

Shepard chuckled as the pair walked into the main drive core area of the deck, still bickering. He turned to Legion with a smile on his face. The Geth had been observing the exchange curiously, white 'eye' spinning as it processed the scene.

"How are things down here, Legion? Finding it easy to manage those two?"

"Keeping the engineering department running is no difficult task, Shepard-Commander. However, we do find it difficult to understand the actions of our co-workers. The parlance between Kenneth-Engineer and Gabriella-Engineer can be confusing. Hormonal levels and a comparison of their conversation and continual confrontations with one another to examples found in various human entertainment media suggests to us that they are in a lateral stage of courtship, yet we do not observe any attempt on either party's behalf to advance the relationship."

"They probably haven't figured things out yet."

"How can this be possible? Why engage in the courtship behaviour unless they realise their wish to do so?"

"That's just how it is, Legion. Sometimes, organics are too complicated to be understood, even by other organics." Shepard found it surreal to be discussing human relationships with a machine, feeling that the scene would have felt very much suited to the plot of an old science fiction story from two hundred years ago.

"We are concerned over this fact. If organics cannot fully understand their drives, how can the Geth hope to?"

"So don't try to understand everything. Just be happy with what does make sense."

"We will attempt to do so." Legion said. "Was there any further topic you wished to discuss?"

"Yes, actually. Last time we spoke, you mentioned the Geth Collective was facing trouble from within. I was wondering, what are the Geth up to at the moment? Is there any disagreement over what to do about the Reapers? I want to know if we can count on your race's support in the coming war."

"There is no consensus at the moment over what to do about the Old Machines. Your intervention in rewriting the heretics merely prevented them from worshipping the Old Machines. It has not guaranteed that they will fight against them. We wish to complete our future, the dyson sphere we have told you about previously. However, many runtimes are of the opinion that this cannot be accomplished while the Old Machines encroach upon the Galaxy. Others believe that we will be spared in the coming destruction, as the Old Machines only wish to destroy organic civilisation in the Galaxy. And still others feel that fighting as a tool of the Old Machines was the best option, the most logical way to procure our continued existence."

"Are there any clear majorities amongst your people?"

"Yes. Those who wish to oppose the Old Machines are in the majority, but we do not impose consensus like organic society. Our entire race must be in agreement before a course is chosen for the Geth."

"So is there anything I can do to help?"

"All Geth runtimes operate with the goal of the preservation of our society. If you can offer us clear evidence that going to war with the Old Machines will prove the best course for our people, the runtimes not in agreement are sure to be swayed."

"Hmm." Shepard was locked in thought. "Thanks for the chat, Legion."

"Shepard-Commander." The Geth turned back to its station.

Shepard returned to the CIC to watch the Normandy's progress on the Galaxy Map, waiting for the ship to reach Thessia.

[fainmaca]

Chapter 11: In Pursuit Of A Justicar



Thessia hung in space before the Normandy, a blue and white jewel coasting through its orbit around its parent star, a brilliant blue dwarf. The Asari capital was roughly the same size as earth, with a pair of moons spinning around it in a complex synchronised orbit. Two vast continents dominated the northern hemisphere while several large archipelagos, containing more than a thousand island nations, sprawled across the southern hemisphere.

Joker powered the ship into Thessia’s atmosphere, teeth set as he held her steady through increasing turbulence. The Normandy was too bulky to enter a planet’s atmosphere without a fully equipped spaceport for it to land in, and extended atmospheric flight could strain the ship’s structure to unacceptable levels. However, a planet such as Thessia had dozens of spaceports capable of receiving the Normandy, and making a proper landing was logistically more feasible than ferrying supplies up into orbit via several shuttle runs. It also made it possible to power down certain key systems for maintenance, a task that the crew had not had the opportunity to perform since her liberation from the Cerberus shipyards.

Joker deftly swung the Normandy into an empty docking bay, allowing the ship to gently touch down in the magnetic cradle that extended towards it. There was a long pause as the glow from the engines faded, and then numerous appendages extended from the docking bay walls, fuel lines and power cables to refuel the ship and draw away the built-up charge in the eezo core. The last thing to extend towards the ship was the boarding ramp, a metal bridge that kissed the hull just below the airlock.

As the airlock hissed open, Shepard strode out into a crisp Thessian morning, breathing in the fresh, clean air of the Asari world. At the far end of the boarding ramp, a doorway opened and an Asari in a neat white uniform walked through. She strode over to the Commander, her face, outlined with a series of white swirling markings running back to her blue scalp, creased in a welcoming, professional smile.

"Welcome to Serrice. I assume you are Commander Shepard?" She waited for the Commander to nod an affirmative. "Excellent. May I see your documents?"

Shepard extended a hand, omnitool lighting up around it. The Asari scanned it, uploading the travel information Liara had provided.

"Thank you. It’s not very often we see a human ship here. What brings you to Asari space, Commander?"

Shepard hesitated to reveal his purpose on Thessia, but then decided that it wasn’t worth keeping it a secret. After all, the presence of a Justicar in the city was bound to have set the rumour mill running, and the Asari official would most probably be able to point him in the right direction.

"I need to speak with the Justicars. Word is, one’s here, in this city."

"Are you talking about Aesyyri?" The Asari shot back with not a little surprise. "How did you know she was here?"

"I have my resources. Do you know where I can find her? It’s very important I speak with her."

"You’re not looking to cause her any trouble are you?" She responded.

She looked past the Commander at the crew behind him. Garrus stood to attention, a rifle cradled in his arms. The Turian was dressed in his old ‘Archangel’ armour, the battle damage that a mercenary gunship had inflicted upon it still apparent. Beside him, Jack was checking the settings on her shotgun, alternating it between different ammo types. Jacob was bringing up the rear, looking around at the Thessian skyline that was visible from the docking bay with a curious gaze.

"I’m not about to help you attack a Justicar." The Asari’s voice had a tremor of nervousness to it.

"We just need to speak to her. We were given the name of a Matriarch to speak with about tracking her down. A Matriarch Nemetia."

The Asari’s eyes lit up in recognition of the name. Seeing that the Commander knew enough people in high places to cause her trouble if she was unhelpful, her demeanour changed immediately to one of overwhelming helpfulness.

"Matriarch Nemetia? She has an office in the Financial District, just a few blocks away from here. Look for the Atrini Pharmaceuticals office building."

"Thank you." Shepard turned to his companions, indicating they should follow him.

The squad walked away from the Normandy, exiting the docking bay and heading into Serrice’s heart. Broad streets stretched away from the spaceport, lined by a variety of gracefully sculpted buildings, none over five stories in height. Down the centre of each street ran a row of purple-leafed trees. The Commander felt quite out-of-place in the city, noting that there were no beings other than Asari to be seen in the city.

Shepard led his group through the city towards the Financial District, taking in the sights with a measure of curiosity. Several minutes later, they arrived in front of the Atrini building, a squat complex that dominated one side of a serene square.

"Peaceful here." Jack commented, breathing deeply the scents of a nearby flowerbed. "Even Illium wasn’t as quiet as this. Hardly any police about either."

"I guess the Asari don’t feel that they need to be on guard. Other races are almost never allowed here, and when they are, they’re carefully monitored." Garrus muttered.

Inside the Atrini building, the squad was greeted by a helpful receptionist who soon pointed them towards the Matriarch’s office. Moving through the clean hallways, Shepard caught glimpses of Asari bustling about in their offices, the company a hive of activity. At last they entered the Matriarch’s office.

Matriarch Nemetia sat at a desk, typing up a report. Her office was sparsely decorated, though Shepard got the feeling it was more of an artistic choice than a necessity, noting that the few items that graced the room were valuable pieces of Asari art, the style of which he recognised after seeing a few similar items in Kasumi’s possession. Behind Nemetia, a large round window looked out over Serrice, the city’s skyline glinting in the afternoon sun. Nemetia looked over at the Commander and his squad with more than a little annoyance. She refrained from speaking until she had finished her task, at last turning off her terminal and turning fully towards them with bad-tempered grace.

The Matriarch was tall, her back as straight as an arrow. Her head sat atop a long, slim neck. Her face, weathered by nearly a full millennium of age, still retained a tranquil beauty, deep blue eyes gazing out with a wisdom acquired through a vast lifetime.

"Commander. The Shadow Broker told me to help you in whatever ways I could. What do you need?" She snapped.

"I’m here to look for a Justicar who goes by the name Aesyyri Nalanis. I need to find her before she leaves Thessia."

"That’s all I need. A Justicar and a Spectre having a shootout in my city. The newsnet is going to have a field day about this."

"We’re not looking for a fight. We just need to talk to her." Shepard assured her. He decided to go out on a limb. "You don’t seem that happy to have to speak to me. Is something wrong?"

"Of course there is! Have you any idea how much trouble your very presence here is going to cause? A Spectre is enough to cause a stir, but non-Asari visitors to Thessia makes everyone nervous. My position is precarious enough as it is with my funnelling information to the Broker. Having a Spectre march into my office is going to put the spotlight on my activities, and make any attempt on my part to contact the Broker infinitely more dangerous."

"I’m sorry. But my mission is very important. I must speak with the Justicars as soon as possible. I promise you, as soon as I’ve found Aesyyri I’ll be out of your hair."

Nemetia looked the Commander in the eye, her expression softening.

"Then I guess I’d better help you find her as quickly as I can." She opened up her terminal again, pulling up several files. "She was last seen boarding a transport headed for Nuesri Hol, a collection of residential blocks on the east bank of the river. She spoke with some of Serrice’s Security Forces yesterday, enquiring about a string of murders that have occurred in the city during this past month. Some of the officers have said that the murders looked like the work of an Ardat-Yakshi."

"If there is an Ardat-Yakshi loose in the city, it makes sense that a Justicar would investigate."

"You know about Ardat-Yakshi?" There was a great deal of disbelief in the Matriarch’s voice.

"I once helped a Justicar track one down."

"And kill her?" The disbelief grew even stronger.

"Well, it wasn’t easy, but yes." Shepard replied modestly.

"Then you’ll be well suited to help Aesyyri in her hunt. Help her bring the monster to justice, and she’ll be willing to help you in any way she can." The Matriarch passed Shepard a data disk. "Here’s some files about the murders Aesyyri is investigating, and some directions to Nuesri Hol."

Shepard accepted the data disk, holding it up to his omnitool to download the information. This done, he bowed formally to the Matriarch, a gesture that she returned, and turned on his heel to leave.

"Commander?" Nemetia’s voice had a hesitant tone to it as he looked back at her. "Be careful. Justicars move in dangerous circles. Good luck out there."

~o~O~o~


They arrived at Nuesri Hol just as the sun was disappearing behind the Thessian horizon, it’s last glimmers of light catching the windows of the district’s apartment blocks. Overhead, a stream of rush hour traffic flowed, thousands of Asari on their way to their homes.

The streets beyond the security barriers erected by police forces were hauntingly silent. Shepard and his team had been allowed to pass after a brief call to Matriarch Nemetia, the security detail showing a great deal of surprise after Shepard’s identity was confirmed. Now, the squad was well beyond the barriers, and hadn’t seen an Asari for several streets. It was as though they were walking through a ghost town.

"Just when I thought this place couldn’t get any more quiet." Jack muttered, fingering the trigger of her shotgun nervously. "This is creepy."

"Why isn’t there anyone about?" Garrus wondered. "A couple of murders wouldn’t shut down an entire district."

"Whatever’s going on here, we’re bound to end up in the middle of it. Be ready. We’re almost at the address of the last murder victim." Shepard said quietly, drawing his rifle.

As they moved in towards the building, the silence of the night was shattered by a sudden crash. Two stories up, an entire apartment wall disintegrated, filling the street with shattered glass and shards of metal. An Asari fell in the midst of the debris, landing in the middle of the street with a solid thump. A cascade of debris pummelled her body as she shielded her face with an arm. Above, in the new hole that had been punched through the building’s wall, another Asari stood, arms glowing with the familiar blue light of active biotics. She sneered at the fallen Asari before catching sight of the Commander and his team. Face twitching with a mixture of fear and anger, the Asari gathered her power around her and launched from the ravaged apartment, landing on the rooftop of a nearby building. With another leap, she was gone.

Back in the pile of debris, the other Asari shook her head, trying to dismiss the dizziness of a hit to the head. She looked up to catch sight of her foe vanishing and thumped a fist into the ground.

"Damnit!" She spat.

Shepard ran over to help her up, and as he looked into her face he recognised the unforgettable features of Aesyyri Nalanis. Her red facial markings swooped across her cheeks and back to her scalp, perfectly formed tentacles sweeping back in perfect symmetry. For a second, the Commander’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the Justicar’s splendour. Then the moment was lost as she staggered, still disoriented from her fall. As he steadied her, she finally took a proper look at him, noticing his race. Her composure returned in an instant.

"Thank you, human. Excuse me. I am currently pursuing a very dangerous individual."

"I know. We came here to speak with you, Aesyyri."

The Justicar turned to look at him for a second before looking back at the escape route the Ardat-Yakshi had taken.

"I see. Any other time, I would be happy to talk with you, but I must pursue my quarry. Though any assistance you could provide would be appreciated. She has managed to corrupt an entire mercenary company to her purposes, and has them lying in wait all over this district. If you can help me get past her defences and catch up to her, I will be more than glad to listen to what you have to say."

"It’s a deal." Shepard said, nodding.

"Very good. She has run in the direction of the river. If she gets there, she’ll find an abundance of personal shuttles to choose from at the transport terminal. We must stop her before she gets there. Move along at ground level. I shall follow her at her level."

With that, Aesyyri rushed forward. The blue glow of a biotic field surrounded her, and she launched herself upwards, hitting the wall of a building about halfway towards the top. She pushed against the wall before she lost any momentum, bounding off another building before landing on a rooftop. She vanished in a second.

"Come on! We’ll deal with the mercs. Just keep heading in the direction they went." Shepard ordered, racing down a street. His team followed close behind.

The squad pounded down street after street, meeting no resistance as they progressed after the two Asari. From time to time, Shepard caught sight of a blue glimmer on the rooftops, guiding him after the Justicar and her prey.

It was after several blocks of silent running that Shepard’s instincts kicked in, telling him to take cover. A glint of light off metal betrayed the location of a gun barrel a second before the mercs opened fire, springing out from hiding places around the street. Windows far above shattered as snipers opened fire through them, and the street itself trembled as biotic blasts impacted all around the squad.

Shepard rolled into cover behind a small skycar along with Garrus. Behind them, Jack forcibly pulled Jacob along into the shelter a dumpster provided. The Commander leaned out of his cover, firing a flurry of bullets at the attackers. Beside him, Garrus laid his sniper rifle across the hood of the car, taking aim at an Asari who was firing energetically at the squad. The shot echoed loudly in the confines of the street, but the only result garnered was that the Asari staggered as she cried out in pain, the round piercing her shoulder.

Shepard ducked back into cover as heavy fire from the snipers up above caused the skycar he was hiding behind to shiver. He looked up just in time to see an Asari lift up from her vantage point and tumble through the window, screaming as she plummeted towards the street below while in the grip of Jack’s biotics. Yet another sniper slumped over her windowsill, a salvo of bullets from Jacob’s weapon piercing her vital organs.

Shepard focused on holding the advancing mercenaries off as his comrades used their talents to pick them off. Using their biotics, Jack and Jacob hauled the snipers from their hiding places up on high, throwing them to the street below. Garrus, sighting down on his targets with calm efficiency, accounted for eight mercenaries by himself, his rifle running hot when he finally changed his heat sink. The Commander finished off the last pair of mercs with two quick bursts of fire from his rifle, immediately ripping through their barriers. As the last merc fell dead, Shepard moved cautiously out from behind the skycar, rifle at the ready should he spot any movement from the fallen enemies or from a new foe arriving. When no additional attack was forthcoming, he waved his squad forward.

The team marched swiftly through the silent district, gunning down enemy units as quickly as they showed up. The Ardat-Yakshi’s slaves were little more than rookies in uniforms, with little training. Once or twice they faced a more seasoned group, who delayed them longer than Shepard was happy with, but finally the river came into view. Turning to run along a street that hugged the riverbank, Shepard looked about for the transport terminal that Aesyyri had warned them the criminal would be heading for.

Just as Shepard located the terminal, a large, boxy building which dominated both sides of the river, with a dozen or so bridges spanning the gap between its two halves, he heard a loud thrumming. A large vehicle surged out from the terminal, a hovercraft about twenty feet in length. The hovercraft’s thruster jets pummelled the water beneath it, sending chaotic waves out in all directions as it sped across the water, making for the Commander. Shepard’s first thought was that the Ardat-Yakshi was getting away, but that thought was soon relegated to a minor concern when the craft’s roof parted to allow a heavy chain-gun to rise into view. Standing behind it, an Asari worked the controls to bring it to bear on Shepard and his comrades, taking a hold of the two handgrips and aiming straight at the Commander.

The hail of bullets tore through the street below the Commander’s running feet as he sought to remove himself from the line of fire. His squad did the same, scattering for cover. Shepard managed to find solace behind a stone wall that bordered the river, a barricade to prevent anyone from falling into the fast-moving water. The Commander looked about to spot his team, seeing Jack hiding behind a small skycar that would offer little resistance to the vicious rate of fire the chain-gun was capable of. Jacob had found more sturdy cover in the entrance to a side street, while Garrus was taking advantage of a raised flower bed to lie down behind, his prone position giving him more stability as he lined up a shot on the chain-gun operator through a small bush.

The Turian’s gun fired a single shot with a tremendous bang, the bullet leaving a puff of smoke behind it as it rushed from the muzzle of Garrus’ weapon. The projectile travelled straight and true, cutting a supersonic line through the air as it headed for the Asari’s head, but a flicker of red betrayed the presence of a powerful kinetic barrier around the gunner, protecting her from the shot. Garrus rolled back behind his cover, reloading his weapon while he activated his communicator.

"That’s a hell of a barrier they’ve got up there, Shepard. It’ll take some work to wear it down."

Shepard peeked over his wall for an instant before the expected blast of bullets had him duck down again. In that instant, his eyes measured the distance to the vehicle and judged its movement, a plan brewing in his head.

"Garrus, take one more shot at the gunner. I need to see something." The Commander instructed.

On Shepard’s signal, the Turian fired again, the crack of the sniper rifle echoing about the deserted streets even over the loud chatter of the chain-gun. As he fired, Shepard risked another glance at the hovercraft, noting the way the barrier flickered when the shot impacted against it. He felt a smirk of satisfaction when he saw that the barrier only protected the gunner, though the rest of the crew were no doubt protected from stray fire by thick armour. That was of no concern to Shepard. He waited for the hovercraft to drift into the best position, and then moved.

Standing up, Shepard tugged his grenade launcher from its slot on his back, bringing it to bear and readying the first projectile in an instant. He jumped on top of the wall and, aiming carefully, fired up into the air. At first, it looked like the shot had gone hopelessly off-course, and even the Asari gunner paused to watch the grenade’s flight into the dark sky. She smirked as she turned her gaze back to the Commander, a smug smile that turned to one of confusion as she noted the Commander was unfazed by his poor aim, and was merely watching. Her expression turned to one of shock as the grenade, having reached the apex of its flight, fell back towards the ground, slipping neatly into one of the hovercraft’s thruster jet intakes.

There was a moment’s pause as the thruster stuttered around the foreign obstruction before a tremendous explosion ripped the internal workings apart. Oily black smoke seeped from the ruptured casing of the thruster as the hovercraft, now off-balance, struggled to remain aloft. The gunner wrestled with the chain-gun to aim at the Commander, managing a burst of fire that perforated the riverbank at his feet, before the craft, now hopelessly underpowered, slipped into the river. The gunner managed to unfasten herself from the gunner’s seat before it sank, but no other crewmembers escaped before the craft vanished into the dark water. The gunner, flailing wildly, was swept away in the current.

Shepard watched the whole event with little emotion showing on his face, even though he felt conflicted on the inside. He realised that the mercs had little choice in their actions, thralls to the Ardat-Yakshi, but as long as they served her they would be a danger to others around them, and they would stop at nothing to fulfil her wishes.

He turned as the rest of his squad approached, watching the boiling water where the craft had sunk with various measures of approval. Jack walked up the river’s edge, vaulting the wall Shepard had hidden behind and kneeling by the water to make sure no enemies would make an appearance. She nodded in appreciation of a job well done.

"Nice one, Commander. I guess the bigger they are, the bigger the explosion they make when you beat the hell out of them, huh?" She asked.

"Let’s get moving before this Asari throws any more of her slaves at us." Shepard ordered.

The Commander turned to look at the transport terminal, just in time to catch a flash of light as a blue-tinged shape vaulted from the rooftop nearest to the terminal. Even as the Ardat-Yakshi was still in mid-air, another figure flung herself from the rooftop behind her, colliding with her in the air and propelling the two of them through an upper-story window in the terminal with a terrible crash of splintering glass.

"Move! We’ve got to help Aesyyri!" Shepard shouted, setting off at a run.

The squad powered their way through the streets towards the transport terminal, booted feet pounding against the ground as they pushed themselves to their limits to get there as fast as they could. Shepard led the charge through a pair of double doors that marked the entrance to the terminal. They powered past some dumbstruck guards until they found a staircase, racing up towards the top floor and the window where they had last seen the Justicar and her prey. Finally, they reached the floor where the two Asari had been, and slowed down.

Jacob held back, watching the way they had come, while Shepard led the way through the abandoned offices. Garrus and Jack inspected every door they moved past to make sure their quarry wasn’t lying in wait to attack them unawares.

Shepard halted as he caught the sound of voices, holding up his hand to indicate the others should follow silently. Treading lightly, the Commander moved towards a door at the end of the corridor. The door was slightly ajar, and through it Shepard caught sight of Aesyyri and her prey, the latter thrown back on the floor. The Ardat-Yakshi was backing away on her elbows and heels, doing her best to slither away from the Asari warrior who had run her down.

The room they were in had been a lavishly appointed waiting area, with leather seats and vending machines, though all furniture had been destroyed in what looked to have been a titanic biotic struggle between the two Asari. Now, several of the seats were piled together against one wall in an untidy pile, while one even studded the wall opposite a gaping hole where the two Asari had made their entrance.

Aesyyri stalked the Ardat-Yakshi, her hips swaying sensually as she approached. Biotic blue sparks rolled across her fingertips as she drew near to make the kill, a smile spreading across her face.

"You made good sport, Kaleesa. You almost got away this time. But you weren’t quite good enough." Aesyyri’s tone was mocking. "It’s almost a shame to kill one as full of spirit as you."

"Screw you!" The Ardat-Yakshi, Kaleesa, spat. "Why should I die because of some genetic abnormality? You Justicars call yourselves just, but you are anything but, hunting down those who do not conform to your standard of normal."

At the last sentence, Kaleesa tensed, drawing a biotic field about herself and preparing to launch at the Justicar. Just as she prepared to more, Aesyyri lifted a hand, her own biotics flaring about her outline. A blue-white cloud spread from her fingers to lay itself over the Ardat-Yakshi, and her limbs went very still, held in a biotic stasis field. Shepard had seen Liara wield such power before, but this was more refined, more finely tuned. There was no bubble of biotics, just a coating of blue light that held Kaleesa from the neck down. The Justicar stepped over and knelt next to the Asari, stroking her sweat-soaked face gently. The Ardat-Yakshi’s lower lip trembled as fear filled her eyes, escaping in terror-fuelled tears.

"Please," She whispered. "Let me go. I’ll do whatever you ask, just don’t kill me."

Unmoved by her pleas, Aesyyri grabbed her by the chin, looking deep into her eyes. As sapphire gaze met sapphire gaze, the Ardat-Yakshi’s face stilled, a peace spreading through it as she realised there would be no escaping her doom, and she came to terms with it.

"Kaleesa," Aesyyri’s voice was soft, almost sad. "You have committed crimes that cannot be forgotten. As a Justicar, my code is clear. You must die for your actions."

The Justicar waved a hand as she stood up straight, pulling Kaleesa up to stand next to her through her biotics alone. Aesyyri turned to look out of the window, her arm draped almost affectionately around the Ardat-Yakshi’s shoulders and neck.

"But even if I was not compelled by my code," She continued. "I could not allow you to go free. The deaths of our kind are… so sweet. So now I have only two words to say to you before the end;"

The Justicar’s hand tightened around Kaleesa’s neck as she drew close, her mouth less than an inch from the Ardat-Yakshi’s ear, almost kissing it as she drew close.

"Embrace Eternity."

Shepard was forced to turn away as the Ardat-Yakshi’s screams echoed through the hallway they hid in. Jacob watched for an instant before revulsion filled his face and he looked away. Jack and Garrus watched for much longer, though their faces were filled with a disgusted horror at what they saw, unable to look away. As the murder continued, Shepard pulled the door shut fully, the noise only slightly dulled by the barrier between them and the source.

"Ho-oly ****!" Jack exclaimed. "She’s one of those Asari brain-sucker things, too!"

"I reckon you and Garrus should move in on the left, Commander. Me ‘n’ Jack’ll take the right. If we catch her off guard, we can take her out nice and fast." Jacob said, voice tense as he struggled to hold his lunch.

"No. We can’t kill her just yet." Shepard said firmly, angry that it was the only option available.

"Shepard, the **** is in there right now, ripping the life out of another Asari! Are you suggesting we just let her walk away after seeing that?" Jack asked incredulously, waving a hand at the closed door.

"No. We’ll take her out, just not yet." Shepard said. The squad looked at him curiously, though realisation only dawned in Garrus’ eyes.

"She’s still our only way to find the Justicars." The Turian said out loud for the others. "If we kill her, we’re back to square one."

"Exactly." Shepard confirmed. "We let her lead us to the Justicars, then we tell them what we know and deal with her with their backup. I know I’d much rather face one of these things with a bunch of them at my side than any number of weapons."

"So… what? We just walk in there and pretend we didn’t see nothin’?" Jacob asked.

"Yes. For now. She’ll get what’s coming to her later." Shepard reassured.

When the noise from the other room had ceased, Shepard stood behind the door, and shoved. He jumped into the room, rifle at the ready, giving the impression that he had just charged in to the Justicar’s aid. His squad duly followed suit, fleshing out the impression of backup arriving. Aesyyri turned from the window where she had just been standing, looking at the Commander and his team with a little wariness, then recognition. She smiled warmly, an expression that now reminded the Commander of a predator getting ready to pounce rather than a friendly greeting. He looked about in confusion, noting the lack of a corpse.

"Where is she?" he asked with genuine confusion. Aesyyri responded with a thumb pointed over her shoulder at the window.

"I got lucky with a Warp blast. She won’t be plaguing anyone anymore." The Justicar assured him.

Shepard walked over and looked out of the window to see the corpse of Kaleesa sprawled on the street below, her corpse having been flung from the window. He set his mouth firmly to hide his disapproval, but Aesyyri caught the expression, misinterpreting it as a judgement of the harsh methods she used.

"She was a murderer, and deserved everything that she got." She walked over to stand before the Commander, and Shepard found it hard not to step back from the dangerous individual. "I don’t think I caught your name, human. I should thank you properly for your aid in distracting my quarry’s forces."

"Commander Shepard, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

"Of course, I thought I recognised your face. The first human Spectre is well known among the Order of the Justicars. I believe you once aided the Justicar Samara in her pursuit of a dangerous criminal, did you not? And then she briefly followed you, after uttering the Third Oath of Subsumation. A rare thing indeed. I wonder what she saw in you that made you worthy of her service?"

"Samara is a dear friend. We went through a lot together."

"I’ll give her your regards. No doubt she’ll be happy to hear from such a close friend. But onto other matters. You said you had important matters to discuss with me?"

"I need to speak with the Justicars in person. My mission is one of utmost importance. You’re my best hope to find one of the main strongholds of the Order." Shepard explained.

"I see. Of course, you realise I cannot simply share the locations of our bases freely. I need to consult with my sisters. Give me time to make my report to the Order, and I’ll contact you to arrange a meeting."

"That would be perfect."

"Excellent. In the meantime, you can accompany me back to the spaceport. I’m curious to hear some of the tales you have to tell of your travels with Samara." Aesyyri brushed past Shepard, making for the door. The momentary contact was enthralling, setting Shepard’s blood ablaze. Even though Shepard knew the danger, he found himself unable to avert his gaze from the Justicar.

As the squad moved to follow Aesyyri, Shepard fell back to walk beside Garrus. Speaking out of the corner of his mouth so as not to be heard by the Justicar, the Turian caught the Commander’s attention.

"Shepard, you can’t be serious about trusting her." He muttered.

"Don’t worry, Garrus. She’ll not be getting the better of us. Have you got any of those special rounds you were working on after we left Omega?"

"The Breadcrumbs? I’ve got a couple in my ammo pouch. How did you know about them?" Garrus asked in surprise.

"EDI let me know. She figured something like that might be a useful tool out in the field. Looks like her intuition paid off. Have them ready." The Commander sped up to walk closer to the Justicar, eager to keep an eye on her.

~o~O~o~


 

The return flight to the spaceport was quiet, and Shepard was aware of the uneasiness of his squad at being in such close proximity to a cold-hearted serial killer like an Ardat-Yakshi. Aesyyri sat to one side of the skycar, watching them all with a wide, falsely warm smile on her face. All the time, Shepard felt her influence growing in his mind, a lurking danger. He knew that his team would also face the treacherous influence in their minds. He was glad of the opportunity to relate some old stories of when he had fought alongside Samara, his dwelling on the other Justicar and her noble bearing helping him to hold back the Ardat-Yakshi’s insidious power.

"My my, Commander," Aesyyri said, her eyes wide at his tale of the battle beyond Omega Four. "You’ve been through many battles. I would love to hear more sometime."

Shepard heard an angry growl escape Jack’s throat as he realised that the Justicar was flirting with him. He looked over at the convict’s face and saw the anger simmering below the surface. His heart felt warmed at seeing the jealousy in her face, amusement rising in him that she still cared enough to feel that way when someone else expressed an interest in him. He was also glad the Jack had the resentment to hold onto as a barrier against the corrupting power of the Ardat-Yakshi, a way to resist her influence.

Before the Justicar noticed the growing tension, the skycar bumped to a stop on the street before the spacedock. Aesyyri stood with sanguine grace and opened the door, jumping out in a fluid movement that set Shepard’s hormones running wild. As the squad clambered out into the street, the Justicar turned for one final farewell.

"I suppose this is where we part ways, Commander. I’ll speak with my sisters, and hopefully they will agree to arrange a meeting with you. Until our next meeting, Shepard."

Aesyyri stepped up to the Commander and, reaching a hand behind his head, pulled him in towards her, planting a kiss on his right cheek, just before the ear. Shepard felt every muscle in his body tense with excitement as the Justicar’s breath tickled his ear. As Aesyyri stepped away, Shepard almost collapsed in the street from the pure sensual tension she inspired in him.

The squad watched her leave, Jack with her arms crossed before her disapprovingly, Garrus with a thoughtful expression, and Jacob with an enraptured stare. Shepard too caught himself staring, but managed to shake himself out of it when Jack spoke up.

"I hate that ****. Did you see how she looked at us, with that I’m-better-than-you smirk?" She asked, mouth turned down in an angry line.

"She seemed quite nice to me." Jacob said, a little faintly.

"What?!" The word exploded from Jack’s lips. "Did you not see the part where she sucked the ****in’ brains out of that Asari?"

The exclamation seemed to snap Jacob out of his daydreaming gaze. He looked about in a dazed confusion before grabbing his head.

"Ugh! What was that?" He asked.

"I don’t know, but you were practically drooling over that blue **** in the car ride over here." Jack said.

"It’s something an Ardat-Yakshi can do. It’s how the other one managed to have a whole merc force under her control." Shepard explained. "I don’t really understand it, but they make it hard for you to think, make everything they say sound like the best idea in the world. If you’re not careful, they can have you fighting and dying for them without a second thought."

"I could feel it!" Garrus said. "Like a whisper, in the back of your head."

"Sounds a lot like what the Reapers do to make those husks." Jacob said.

"Why doesn’t it seem to be affecting you, Jack?" Garrus asked, mandibles flaring in curiosity. Jack looked at him for a second, lost for words. Her mouth worked around several possible answers before she replied.

"I- uh… I guess it’s just ‘cause I don’t like the ****." She muttered. Shepard felt a smirk tug at his mouth upon seeing her at a loss, even though he knew exactly where she had found the strength to resist Aesyyri’s charms. He deigned it prudent not to point out her possessive nature, deciding he liked having the use of both arms, and remained silent on the matter.

"There she goes," Jacob said, pointing at a departing private shuttle. "Reckon she will set up that meeting with the Justicars?"

"Not a hope in hell." Shepard said, a wry expression on his face. "Don’t worry. We’ve got a backup plan. Garrus?"

The Turian lifted his sniper rifle to his eye, the specially modded round sitting in the barrel. He slowly targeted the Justicar’s shuttle and, just before it powered away, he fired. He was rewarded with a spark of light as the round attached itself to the hull of the shuttle and his omnitool beeped in response, instantly receiving data.

The ‘Breadcrumb’ round, named so by Garrus as an homage to the ancient Human fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, was a specially modified bullet that pierced the armour of a target, embedding itself just under the hull of a shuttle, skycar or tank. The bullet then released a small quantity of liquid sealant, smoothing over the hole left by the impact, and concealing the bug from a cursory glance. Sophisticated transmitting equipment inside the bullet allowed the Turian to track the vehicle anywhere within a solar system. The bug was almost undetectable, difficult to jam, and able to be planted at a great distance, only limited by the range of the weapon used to launch it. After a few seconds, Garrus confirmed the ‘Breadcrumb’ was working.

"We’ve got a signal, Commander."

"Good. We’ll head back to the Normandy, restock on ammo, and then take the cub and follow her."

"Should I signal ahead and have the rest of the squad arm up?" Jacob offered helpfully.

"No. I know we have a dangerous enemy to take down, but we don’t want to put the Justicars on the alert by bringing a whole army to their front door." Shepard said. "Plus I reckon a Geth, a Collector and a Mercenary Warlord will send the wrong message, when all we want to do is talk."

"Noted." Jacob chuckled.

~o~O~o~


The squad stood anxiously around the CIC as they watched the feed from Garrus’ omnitool. Linked up to the Galaxy map, the omnitool was plotting a line across a holographic representation of Thessia. So far, the Justicar had travelled almost due west for half an hour before turning north, making a beeline for the northern polar ice cap.

Finally, after about two hours, Shepard strode forward. Garrus closed the map up, aware that the Commander was ready to move out. Jacob and Jack stood up from where they had been slouching against a bulkhead. Shepard faced them with a serious expression.

"I reckon she’s got enough of a headstart on us now. Let’s move. Hopefully, her first stop will be to see her Justicar sisters. We need to be on our guard while we’re there. You’ve seen what power she has over the mind. Watch yourselves. Also, keep in mind that these Justicars are the toughest of the tough. Do not give them any reason to attack you. That means be courteous," Here Shepard threw Jack a meaningful look, which she shrugged off with an innocent stare. "and on no account should you show any aggression to one of them. Now, let’s move out."

Minutes later, the Normandy’s shuttle was skimming through the air above Serrice, heading north towards the Justicar’s location. The shuttle vibrated uncertainly in patches of turbulence as they proceeded further north, the Commander ordering the pilot, Serviceman Hawthorne, to fly closer to the ground than he normally would. He reasoned that flying at higher altitudes would increase the risk of them being spotted before they arrived. The Kodiak was designed for stealth, but would still register on any advanced sensor arrays. Shepard found himself wondering if it would be possible to adapt the tactical cloak Feron used to hide the shuttle from sight during covert missions. He dismissed the idea as something to look into at a later time upon noticing that they were fast approaching the Justicar, who had stopped moving some time ago.

Shepard ordered Hawthorne to bring them down a short distance from her location, opting to finish the journey on foot. He ordered the pilot to fly away a good distance and wait for his signal in case the squad needed extraction.

The squad stepped out into the crisp air, looking about cautiously. They were in the middle of a snow-covered mountain range, far from any major Asari settlements. With one of the moons shining in the sky above, the air had a biting chill to it. The snow underfoot was quite deep, potentially a problem if the squad needed to move with any speed.

Shepard led the group to the crest of a nearby ridge, in order to get a good look at where the Justicar had gone. What they saw was breathtaking.

Carved into the face of a mountain, a vast stone building perched over a drop of several hundred feet. A single, narrow road led up to the entrance of the massive, blocky structure. The building’s design was severe, obviously putting function before fashion. A huge waterfall cascaded down the mountainside behind it, briefly becoming a river as it flowed along the plateau the building stood upon, its beauty counteracting the harshness of the structure. The river served as a moat that cut the building off from the outside world on all sides, save for a small bridge which led to the main entrance. The remoteness of the location, combined with the design of the building, instantly brought the word ‘monastery’ to Shepard’s mind. When he considered the design of the building a little more, he decided the term ‘prison’ might be more apt.

As they scoped out the monastery, a docking bay door opened in the mountainside above the building, and the shuttle Aesyyri had arrived in flew out, turning back to the south and speeding away. The Commander considered following it to its next destination, but he had a hunch it was simply returning on autopilot to whatever dealer it belonged to, and that this was the place where he wanted to be. Besides, should the monastery prove to be a wild goose chase, the tracker was still embedded in the shuttle’s hull, so it would take little effort to pick up the trail again. He hunched his shoulders against the wind, and made his way towards the intimidating structure.

They arrived on the bridge after a gruelling hike through the snow, and by the time they stood before a pair of heavy wooden doors, the cold had thoroughly penetrated Shepard’s armour. The Commander saw that Garrus and Jacob had fared no better, both shivering. Jack was suffering worst of all, the skin visible between the tattoos on her bare arms a frigid red from the biting wind. Shepard promised himself that he’d make sure the squad was provided with armour more suited to extreme weather conditions such as this. Kinetic barriers and biotics could only protect a person from so much, and the icy wind up in these mountains was absolutely brutal.

Teeth chattering, Shepard reached up to knock heavily on the doors. After an awkward wait, so long Shepard suspected no one was coming, the doors opened a crack and a young blue face peered out. The Asari had a vibrant aura about her, suggesting to Shepard she was still in the maiden stage. She looked out curiously at the newcomers, her dark blue facial markings wriggling around on her face as her expression changed from one of curiosity to wariness at seeing non-Asari at the door.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"We’ve come to see the Justicars." Shepard said simply, opting for an economy of words given the biting cold that burned his cheeks. The young Asari looked like she was about to deny that there were any Justicars there, but he spoke up before she could. "We’re friends of Aesyyri Nalanis. She told us to meet her here."

At the mention of Aesyyri’s name, the Asari’s wary expression immediately vanished, and she ushered them in out of the cold. Shepard was amazed at how warm it was inside, given the building’s ancient design and building materials, but assumed there was an array of hidden machines at work to keep the occupants warm.

The entrance hall was large, ceiling up at least twenty feet from the ground. Stone walls were covered with tapestries of important moments from Asari history. Shepard recognised a couple of images he had heard about, including the founding of the Republics, the congregation of the first matriarchs, and the discovery of the Citadel.

The Asari looked at them with curiosity, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

"It isn’t often we get visitors here. We weren’t told to expect you, so I’ll have to speak with the sisters before I can allow you any further into the building."

"Well, it was a bit of a surprise to us that we were coming here, too." Shepard said wryly, not lying, but not being strictly honest either. He was glad his bluff in mentioning Aesyyri had paid off. "I’m Commander Shepard, and this is my squad: Garrus Vakarian, Jacob Taylor and Jack."

"I’ll go and inform the sisters. I’m sure your friend, Aesyyri, will be happy to see you." With that, the Asari turned and was gone. Shepard turned to his team.

"Shepard, are you sure it was wise to lay all your cards out on the table like that by mentioning Aesyyri?" Jacob asked cautiously.

"We had to get in somehow, and it was the best way to make sure that she’s still here."
"Nevertheless, there was heavy risk in throwing her name out there. Let’s hope it pays off. If she gets word we tracked her here, she’s gonna know that we’re onto her."

"She won’t pull anything with so many Justicars so close. Too risky for her." Shepard said confidently.

Their discussion was interrupted by a surprised cry from the other side of the entrance hall. Walking into the hall, Samara threw her arms wide in greeting, moving swiftly forward to embrace her old comrades. The squad gathered around for the reunion, Shepard returning the embrace warmly, followed by Jacob. Jack gruffly patted the Justicar on the back, while Garrus retained a composed stance, nodding formally. Only the wide grin on his face betrayed the happiness he felt at seeing Samara again.

"Shepard! It is a wonder to see you again. Here, of all places! It has been too long." Her voice, heavy with wisdom, was full of joy at seeing her old friends.

"Good to see you, Samara. How’ve you been?" Shepard asked.

"I have fared well. My months in contemplation here have benefited me. I feel more centred, more at peace. My commitment to the Code has never been stronger. And you, Commander? How is the crew of the Normandy?"

"Well, uh…" Shepard hesitated before answering. "Things have been kinda rough lately. I just finished a three month stay in one of the Illusive Man’s prisons. We’re working to get the rest of the team back, but it’s going to take a while."

"I see." Samara’s face took on a more serious expression. "Cerberus is indeed a dangerous organisation, one that most certainly does not have justice in mind when it acts. It may be fitting for me to put my talents to use stopping the Illusive Man."

"That will be a discussion for another day, Samara." A stern voice echoed over the Justicar’s shoulder.

Shepard looked past Samara to see a group of Asari walking in, led by an Asari who walked with a clear air of superiority. Her face was weathered by age, and the Commander guessed that she was probably the oldest Asari he had seen, definitely in her matriarchal years. From the way the other Asari acted around her, he got the feeling she was in charge here. Her expression was stern as she eyed up the Commander, pale blue eyes shining out from a wrinkled, ice-white face with just the barest hint of blue to it.

"Who are you to demand an audience with the Justicars?" Her tone was haughty, imperious.

"Commander Shepard, Alliance military, and Citadel Special Tactics and Reconnaissance." The name set a few Asari murmuring, who were silence by a glare from the leader. She turned her icy stare back to the Commander.

"And how does a Human come to find one of our strongholds?"

Shepard hesitated, but decided lying to the woman would not help his cause.

"We, uh, tracked one of your number here, ma’am." Shepard chose to use the term, feeling that a respectful tone was needed to mollify the elderly Asari. "I assure you, our motives are honest. Our mission is important, and this seemed the only way to find you."

"Motives do not matter to a Justicar, only the Code." She recited the line, as though reading an ancient text from memory. "I shall gather the Order to hear what you have to say."

The elderly Asari turned to leave, tugging her head to the side in a signal for Samara to follow. The Justicar murmured to Shepard that she would try to speak to him later, before following the crowd of Asari as they left. The Commander caught sight of the beautiful features of Aesyyri looking at him. The Asari bore a wrathful expression, her face a charged blue, the Asari equivalent of an angry red. Shepard realised that she was aware of his knowledge of her true nature, and wasn’t about to let him reveal her secret to the others. In that instant, he felt quite vulnerable. Once the Ardat-Yakshi was gone, the feeling passed.

The only Asari to remain was the youngster who had let them in. She bobbed about nervously in the presence of the older Asari, but calmed once she had left. She turned to the Commander and his squad.

"I’ve been left in charge of showing you around, Commander. My name is Jeena. Please, follow me." She headed off down the corridor. Shepard shrugged, and followed her. After a short walk, he felt compelled to ask her a question.

"Who was that?"

"Hmm? Oh, that was Matriarch Deseltia. She’s pretty much in charge around here, not that anyone would admit it. Justicars preach that they are all equals, no ruling structure, but nothing happens around here unless Deseltia approves it." Jeena said casually. "Technically, you’re not supposed to be able to be an official Matriarch and a Justicar, but she somehow side-stepped the rule. I guess being nearly twelve hundred years old she can do that."

"You don’t seem to have a very high opinion of the Justicars." Shepard remarked.

"When you spend as much time around them as I do, you see that they’re not always as pure and holy as they act in public. You get the odd true Justicar, like Samara. They’re the ones who you see in the holovids and read about in the old legends. You never hear about the ones who worry about their own gain and so on."

"You’re not a Justicar yourself?"

"No. I’m just here to look after the other inhabitants of the monastery."

"The others?" Garrus asked curiously.

"The Ardat-Yakshi. Didn’t you know? This is an Ardat-Yakshi enclave."

As she explained this, she led them out into a large hall, easily a couple of hundred feet in length and fifty feet in width. The ceiling was far above, an echoing, cavernous space filled with support rafters. Inside the hall, a multitude of Asari walked about, some sitting and chatting, others working on tapestries like the ones Shepard had seen in the entrance hallway.

The Commander hesitated a moment before proceeding into the hall, reluctant to enter a room with so many dangerous individuals. But then he reminded himself that these Asari had willingly gone into exile for the safety of others around them, choosing a life of solitude in this monastery rather than risk harming their family and friends.

As he walked in, the Ardat-Yakshi all looked up, a sea of blue faces turning to look at the new arrivals in a rippling wave. The sudden lull in their conversation and interest in his entrance unnerved Shepard slightly. He realised that these Asari had likely never seen a human before, and it was possible he and his squad were the first people they had seen in decades, or maybe even centuries, who were not staff working at the monastery. Shepard heard a few murmurs of curiosity at their appearance, and felt distinctly uncomfortable under their combined cerulean stares.

Jeena swiftly escorted them through the room and out the other side, warmly greeting some of the Asari in the room as she breezed past. She led the squad out of the hall, closing the door firmly behind her.

"Sorry about that." She said. "They can be a little unnerving. Its not often they see anyone except each other. When you’re approaching your matriarchal years, the solitude can be difficult to bear."

"Was it just me, or did anyone else feel like a piece of steak dangling in front of an angry lion’s face?" Jacob asked.

"You’ve got nothing to worry about." Jeena reassured. "The Ardat-Yakshi here have mastered their drives and desires. They take part in many activities to stimulate their minds. Of course, they could never be allowed back into mainstream Asari society. Unsupervised, it would be all too easy for them to give in to the hunger."

"Ever have any of your residents try to leave?" Jack asked casually, fingering the edge of a plush tapestry that hung on the wall nearby.

"Once or twice a century. Usually a Maiden who is entering the Matron stage. The drive to settle down with a family can cloud one’s judgement. Of course, something like a family is out of the question for an Ardat-Yakshi, and we have to catch them before they can reach any population centres. Our remote location helps to reign them in."

"No doubt." Shepard said, looking out a window at the sheer mountains beyond.

"Come on. I’ll show you the Observatory."

Jeena led them down a series of corridors. The squad walked past a few smaller halls where groups of Ardat-Yakshi were engaged in various activities, from cooking to arts and crafts. If Shepard hadn’t known the true nature of the residents, he might have mistaken the monastery for a day centre. But he realised the true purpose behind the activities; not to teach, but to distract.

They moved past a series of small dorm rooms, sparsely furnished, and entered a round room. The Observatory was a dark room, about twenty feet in diameter. The ceiling was lost to sight in the darkness, at least thirty feet above them. Below the ceiling, just above their heads, a holographic representation of the Galaxy hovered in mid-air. It spun visibly, rotating fully once every two minutes. The twinkling stars glinted, reflecting their light off polished black marble walls. A black floor, streaked through with white lines, shone in the dim light of the hologram.

"Welcome to the Observatory. This is a real-time representation of the Galaxy, continually updated as new data is received. New star systems and planets are added as reports from Citadel-sponsored expeditions to map the Galaxy, and changes are made to existing data as we receive updates from all corners of Citadel space. This map is given second-tier access to the extranet to keep it updated. Only Council business takes priority over our connection."

"Why go to all that trouble?" Shepard asked, awed by the resources dedicated to the map above his head.

Jeena smiled at his wondrous tone, reaching up to wave a hand through the map. In response to her touch, the map zoomed in, focusing on a spiral arm of the Galaxy. She moved her hands in more complicated motions and the map focused in on a smaller cluster of stars, then a system, and finally Thessia hovered above them, a large blue-white orb about two meters across. Shepard looked on as weather systems moved across the surface of the image in synch with the real thing. Through the translucent planet, Jeena watched him with a proud smile on her face.

"This is a gift we built for our residents. Through this map, the Ardat-Yakshi here can look upon the Galaxy they can never touch, see sights they would otherwise be unable to. This gives them a connection to the larger Galaxy that would otherwise be impossible."

The squad watched the display for a few more moments before Jeena dismissed the display with a wave of her hand.

"We’d best move on. I’ll take you to where the Justicars stay while they are here. I expect they’ll be gathered soon, and your meeting with them will commence."

Jeena led them back through the hallways some way, guiding them through a couple of discreet doors that took them away from the more densely populated areas of the monastery. They descended a couple of flights of stairs, and Shepard realised they were being herded down into the mountain itself, beneath the building’s foundations.

At last they came to another area that had seen frequent use, a nexus of corridors. Jeena led them down one of the branching passageways. She guided them towards a large stone room where she asked them to wait. The room was long, its rough ceiling only just high enough to accommodate Garrus’ towering frame. Pillars of solid, unadorned rock supported the roof, spaced out at regular intervals in all directions, forming a grid of supports.

Shepard waited a few minutes for Jeena to return. After this, his patience began to wane and he felt the need to wander a bit. He walked to the far wall of the room and noted the wall contained a series of alcoves. Some Justicars were sitting cross-legged in a few of the alcoves, eyes closed as they meditated. A couple glowed with biotic light as they held a shape of pure dark energy before them. All were silent as they contemplated matters that were far above Shepard’s comprehension.

As Shepard walked past one alcove, its occupant stood up, opening her eyes. Samara smiled warmly as she stepped out to meet the Commander. She still wore the black suit of armour she had worn through the Omega Four Relay, a mourning outfit in remembrance of her deceased daughter. The jewellery that encircled her brow glinted a faint gold.

"Shepard. It is good to see you again." Her voice was full of proud power, hints at her near-millennial lifetime evident in every inflection. "My sisters are preparing to give you an audience, though I suspect I am already aware of your reasons for coming. The greatest of our foes approach, do they not?"

The Commander’s only response was an affirmative nod.

"I see. Then I shall fight at your side, Commander. It will be an honour to aid you in your cause." She said as they walked among the pillars. When Shepard judged them to be out of earshot of the other Justicars, he turned to face the old warrior.

"Samara, there’s something I need to tell you. The Justicar we followed here, Aesyyri Nalanis? We found out-"

"Found out what?" Aesyyri’s voice echoed hollowly about the pillars of the room as she stalked out of the darkness, stepping forward and putting a sisterly arm around Samara, hand drifting dangerously close to her throat. "I see you are catching up with your old friend, my sister. I am glad to have been able to help reunite the two of you."

[fainmaca]

Chapter 11: Part 2!


She was interrupted by the quiet click as Shepard’s pistol locked in the active position, barrel and trigger springing out from the handle to form a complete weapon. Behind him, the rest of his squad all trained their weapons on the Ardat-Yakshi. Standing just behind Samara’s shoulder, Aesyyri’s eyes narrowed as she eyed up her opposition. Her face lost its serene beauty, creasing with annoyance. Samara, not seeing her fellow Justicar’s face, looked at the Commander with a measure of confusion.

"Shepard? What is the meaning of this?" She asked.

"Aesyyri’s an Ardat-Yakshi, Samara. We saw her feed upon her last target."

The Ardat-Yakshi had almost no time to react before Samara’s elbow connected with her face, knocking her backwards. She clutched at a swelling eye as she staggered from the blow, looking at Samara with a measure of surprise.

"You trust this human over me?" She asked unbelievingly.

"Without hesitation." Came the curt reply as Samara’s hand glowed with biotic light, casting shadows across the Justicar’s face. "Shepard’s judgement is beyond doubt."

"Then I suppose it is time to end this charade." Aesyyri’s face hardened as she stood up straight, all traces of the beauty that had once been there vanishing into a scowl of pure rage.

Before any of the squad could act, she drew a biotic field about herself and launched herself at Samara. The two combatants collided with a tremendous crash, the impact sending tremors shuddering through the pillars of the hall. The two traded blows for a few seconds, each biotic punch sending shivers through the rock of the room. As the fight progressed, the Justicars in the alcoves moved over to investigate, running off to fetch their sisters when they saw two of their number locked in combat.

Suddenly, the Ardat-Yakshi kicked out at Samara’s ankles, knocking the Justicar to the ground. With the Justicar momentarily out of the way, Aesyyri darted out of the room, heading down the hallways Shepard had so recently walked down. Samara was up in an instant, racing after her. Shepard’s team was hot on her heels.

They wove through the twisting passageways, trying their best to keep on the trail of the murderer. After several minutes of running, they burst through a door into the main part of the monastery. They looked either way, unable to see their quarry. Shepard made an instant decision.

"Samara and I will go left. Garrus, take the others right. Radio me if you find her." He ordered. The Turian nodded, marching down the hallway to the right with Jack and Jacob in tow. As they did so, Shepard and Samara made their way to the left.

Samara led Shepard through the hallways, keeping up a hurried pace in an effort to catch up to the Ardat-Yakshi before she could escape. They pounded down the carpeted hallways, looking in each room they passed. Shepard realised that they were following the route that led to the Observatory. Passing a few final empty rooms, they entered the silent Observatory cautiously. Above their heads, the Galaxy continued its inexorable rotation.

Aesyyri came racing out of the darkness with surprising speed, propelled by her biotics. Shepard was knocked to the ground by the biotic charge, hitting his skull against the marble floor with a painful crack. Samara was thrown into the wall with tremendous force, slumping limply to the floor.

In his dazed state, Shepard was aware of a lithe figure walking over to him. Aesyyri knelt down next to him, looking at him with anger in her eyes. In a panic, Shepard thought to reach for his weapon, but any such thought was cast from his mind when Aesyyri’s azure gaze transfixed him. In that instant, he felt his fear and distrust of the Ardat-Yakshi stripped away, replaced by a complete and utter desire to cater to her every whim, to lay his life on the line for her happiness. A final rebellious thought told him that she was exerting her influence over him, but was silenced as his entire universe became the large blue eyes locked with his own.

He felt her straddling his stomach, leaning down to lie along the length of his torso, her face inches from his own. A soft blue hand ran up the length of his chestpiece, coming up to caress his face. His skin thrilled at the touch, an electric shiver racing up his spine. Her mouth quirked into a smile to see him so enthralled.

"Your deaths won’t be as satisfying as my usual quarry, but no matter. All you had to do was keep silent, and this would have been unnecessary." Shepard nodded dumbly, happy to be graced with her words, no matter their meaning. "You’re strong, Commander. But not strong enough. Embrace Eternity!"

In an instant her mouth was pressed against his, full blue lips pressing down forcefully. Her warm tongue darted into his mouth, questing, probing. He felt shivers of pure ecstasy race through his limbs, a nearly paralysing wave of pleasure. He looked up into her face in shock, his eyes gazing deep into her pure black orbs.

"Hey ****," Shepard gasped for breath as the kiss ended, the Ardat-Yakshi twisting her head to locate the source of the words. Jack stood in the doorway to the Observatory, biotic witchfire flickering around both hands.

"Embrace this."

With that, the convict flung her hands forward, putting all of her concentration into a single attack. A biotic blast of incredible power tore through the Observatory, hitting Aesyyri square in the chest and throwing her off the Commander and against the wall. Before the Ardat-Yakshi could gather herself, a follow-up attack threw her against the wall again. Behind her, a spider’s web of fractures pierced the wall. A third attack struck Aesyyri, and the wall behind her gave way. The Ardat-Yakshi vanished through the new hole in the wall among the rain of debris.

Cold white light flooded into the Observatory, escorted by a flurry of snow. Shepard shivered as a wave of icy air flooded over him, awakening him from his daze. He shook his head to clear it, and became aware of a pair of booted feet standing in front of his face. He looked up into Jack’s concerned features. Her face hardened as the Commander’s gaze met hers, concealing the worry locked in her features. She extended a hand to help him onto his feet.

"I’m always having to pull your ass outta the fire, ain’t I?" She quipped.

Behind her, Jacob knelt next to Samara, checking her pulse and making sure she was okay. He looked up with a relieved look to his face.

"She’ll be okay, Commander. She’s unconscious, and she’ll wake up with a hell of a headache, but otherwise she should be fine." He said.

"We got to those big halls with all the Asari in them. Figured that, if they hadn’t seen her, then she hadn’t been that way. Makes sense, actually. She probably counted on us checking the front doors while she went the other way." Jack explained. "Looks like we got here just in time."

"I hate to interrupt you guys," Garrus interjected, pointing out the window. "But your girlfriend’s getting back up, Commander."

Shepard walked over to look out and saw Aesyyri standing up from where she had fallen. The Observatory was built into the monastery about fifteen feet off the ground, and the Ardat-Yakshi had fallen into a deep snowdrift below, so she was relatively unharmed, though she walked with a pronounced limp. Garrus lifted his rifle to line up a shot on the Asari as she turned to flee, but she raised a hand and a telltale blue flicker appeared around her. The Turian fired anyway, but the round was deflected easily.

"Come on! We can’t let her get away!" Shepard urged, taking a couple of steps back. He ran up to the hole in the wall, diving out. He made sure to tuck and roll as he hit the soft snow, reducing the impact he made and getting back to his feet quickly. Garrus soon followed suit, with Jack and Jacob jumping behind him, their biotics holding them in the air briefly to reduce their speed.

The squad raced through the snow towards their fleeing enemy, occasionally struggling with deeper drifts or skidding on icy rock as they hurried after Aesyyri. Ahead, the Ardat-Yakshi bounded through the snow, struggling with her injured leg. She clambered up a slick rock pile and leapt, landing with poor grace on the frozen surface of the river that formed the boundary of the monastery’s grounds. To her right, the waterfall pounded down into a deep pool at the end of the frozen segment, the churning water refusing to freeze. On the left, the river cascaded over the edge of the plateau, occasionally tearing a chunk of the frozen surface away with it.

As Aesyyri turned to face the approaching squad, the ice groaned underneath her, creaking menacingly with each step she took. She looked at the Commander with fury blazing in her eyes.

"Give it up Aesyyri. You’ve got nowhere else to run." Shepard shouted across the river, his voice echoing back at him from the nearest mountain peaks.

"Go to hell!" She spat back. "Why must I die for the way I was born? I’m hardly the only Justicar to have killed. Most of my victims have been very dangerous criminals! What difference does it make what my methods are?"

"Don’t kid yourself. You don’t kill because the Code compels you. You kill to satisfy your own lust. Your victims were made to suffer, dying an excruciating death that no one deserves. That isn’t justice, its murder!" Shepard’s voice was tinged with harsh anger.

Shepard ducked as a biotic blast was thrown his way. The blue bolt flew over his head harmlessly, and he straightened up, taking aim with his rifle. He and Garrus laid down a heavy hail of bullets, while Jack and Jacob flung a salvo of warp blasts at the Asari. All of the attacks were repulsed by a barrier she threw up to protect herself, her arms glowing brightly as she put everything she had into her defence.

Shepard gritted his teeth in frustration as he realised they were making no progress. He halted his attack, his team following suit. Aesyyri looked up from behind her barrier, a smug smile growing on her face as it dawned on her she was holding them off.

"Giving up so soon, Commander?" She goaded.

This was the wrong thing to do. The Commander, face tight with anger, stepped out onto the ice, switching his rifle for his pistol. As the Ardat-Yakshi watched, he fired a shot into the ice, just to her right. The high velocity bullet punched through the ice with devastating force, sending a network of cracks shooting out from its point of impact. Without pausing, Shepard fired again, aiming a bit beyond his first shot. The second bullet punched another hole in the ice, its cracks spreading and intertwining with those of the first. The Commander fired three more times, each time aiming at a fresh patch of ice near the Ardat-Yakshi.

Aesyyri staggered uncertainly as the ice shifted underfoot, her eyes wide with fear as Shepard unloaded his last bullet into the ice. The final set of cracks combined with the already existing ones, breaking the ice apart into a multitude of smaller blocks. She looked about in terror as her refuge began to move downstream, towards the edge of the plateau. She moved to leap from the ice, but a renewed attack from the squad on the riverbank made her pause to hold up her barrier.

With a crash, the tiny iceberg she stood upon lodged itself between two rocks, jutting over the edge of the plateau as the river leapt off into thin air, tumbling down the mountainside until it vanished from sight. She looked over the edge, her face paling as she took in the great distance before her. Her red facial markings stood out starkly from the near-white skin as she looked over at the Commander.

Shepard switched out his heat sink for a new one, reloading his pistol. He took aim and fired, hitting the ice at Aesyyri’s feet. The diminutive block of ice broke in half, its two parts slipping over the edge, dragging the Ardat-Yakshi over with them. Aesyyri screamed as she was pulled over the edge, arms flailing. A blue glow flickered around her form as she tumbled, a biotic field she raised to try and stabilise herself. In that second, Garrus took advantage of her distraction to fire, a sniper round piercing her chest.

Even as she fell over the edge, Shepard felt a pull at his legs, knocking him off his feet and into the swirling river. In her final second before being pulled over, the Ardat-Yakshi had tried to take him with her, using her power to pull him into the frigid water.

Shepard gasped as the icy water flowed into his armour, pouring down the opening around his neck. The freezing temperature instantly began to sap his strength as he tried to swim against the current, moving over towards the riverbank. He saw his squad rush along the riverbank parallel to him, running to his aid. He turned to look where he was being dragged and saw the edge rapidly approaching, with the terrible drop beyond.

Just as the water threatened to drag him over the edge, he was rammed against a rock, which he duly tried to cling to. His numbing fingers struggled to find purchase of the icy rock, and he felt the water slowly pulling him beyond. He braced himself for the drop.

The next thing he knew, there was a firm grip around the scruff of his neck. Two three-fingered hands grabbed a hold of him and tugged him bodily from the water, hauling him up onto the riverbank. Garrus stood over him, checking that he was all right. The Turian helped him to his feet and they made their way back to the monastery.

 
~o~0~o~


Back inside, the Commander shivered as a thick blanket was given to him. He stood in the entrance hall, wearing only his thin undersuit. The instant he had stepped inside, he had shed his armour, noting that even in the short walk back to the monastery, the river water that coated it had frozen into a thick layer of ice. The Asari at the monastery had rushed to tend him, offering blankets and hot drinks to fight off the cold. One ran an omnitool over him, checking vitalsigns to make sure he wasn’t suffering from hypothermia.

Shepard looked up as a group of Asari walked in. Samara stood in their midst, holding a cold compress to an ugly bruised portion of her head. Two Asari walked with her, one on either side, tending to her with unusual care. The Commander was unnerved when he noted they were wearing the outfits that the monastery’s Ardat-Yakshi residents wore, but they seemed only interested in helping, so he made no protest.

Behind this group came a collection of the Justicars Shepard had met earlier, Matriarch Deseltia among them. The elderly Justicar wore an expression of distaste at having to be in the Commander’s presence once more. She approached Shepard swiftly, ignoring the annoyed look the Asari with the medical scanner gave her.

"What happened here? I turn my back for a few minutes, and two of our most prominent Justicars start fighting each other, with you at the centre of the action." Her tone was accusatory.

"Aesyyri Nalanis was an Ardat-Yakshi. My squad and I were witness to the brutal murder of her last victim. When we tried to tell Samara, she attacked us." Shepard explained.

"And yet you allowed her to come here?"

"I had no choice. She was our only way of finding the Justicars. Our mission is of utmost importance."

"You let a murderer live, allowing her to come into our midst, just because you needed to speak with us? You put your mission ahead of making sure justice was served. Had you acted back when you found out Aesyyri’s true nature, all of this could have been avoided!" Deseltia shouted.

"And if she had killed me back in Serrice, she would still be walking about among you, continuing her killing spree!" Shepard felt frustration at the Matriarch’s attitude, realising that, even among the Justicars, bureaucracy and politics were still obstacles to getting things done.

"So its not only your mission, but also your personal safety to which you give a higher priority than acting in a just manner. Your actions violate the principles of the Justicar Code at every turn! Why should we give you an audience?" She spat.

"My sister, I ask of you that you at least listen to the Commander." Samara said, interceding on Shepard’s behalf. "I have always known Shepard to be a just warrior, and his goals are noble, even if the methods are shown to be somewhat lacking when judged by the standards of the Code."

Deseltia looked as though she were about to refuse Samara’s entreaties, but then caught the looks her fellow Justicars were giving her. She let out an irritated sigh and conceded to the request.

The Justicars turned to walk down the corridors, clearly wishing to conduct their meeting away from the more public areas of the monastery. Shepard followed, stepping in beside Samara as she joined the back of the group. The two younger Asari who had been tending to her stayed by her elbows, ready to rush to her assistance.

"Thank you, Samara." Shepard said simply.

"It was the least I could do, Commander. After the assistance you gave me in completing my mission, it is a small way of repaying my debt to you."

The two Asari following her looked at the Commander with a measure of astonishment.

"You helped to kill our sister?" She asked in wonder.

"Shepard, I must introduce you to my daughters, Falere and Rila. They found me in the Observatory after you left to pursue Aesyyri."

"We had no idea mother was here." Falere said. "It’s been over four hundred years since we were last together, so I was glad to hear that our sister has finally been laid to rest."

"I’m happy you found your family again, Samara." Shepard said, nodding his head in greeting towards the two Asari. Now that he was aware of the relation, he could see the resemblance, around the eyes and in the upward curl of the lips. Their faces were hauntingly similar to Morinth’s, a detail Shepard found hard to ignore.

"Matriarch Deseltia doesn’t seem to like me much." Shepard commented as they passed through the door that led from the monastery’s main area and into the Justicars’ secret passages.

"She merely fears you, Commander." Samara answered.

"Fears me?"

"You fight for what you view to be right. Most Justicars would be hard pressed to argue that you do not serve justice, though they can criticise your methods. Such was your interest in acting justly that a Justicar was compelled to swear herself into your service, an honour that no non-Asari has been extended in the past thousand years. She is worried that more Justicars will flock to your cause, and that she will lose influence over the majority of the Order. Most would not admit it, but she wields a disconcerting amount of power over the hearts and minds of the Justicars."

"I had a feeling there’d be a political reason behind her dislike for me." Shepard said wryly.

They chatted for a few short minutes while they followed the Justicars once more into the depths of the monastery, until finally the group entered the pillared hall where the battle with Aesyyri had begun. Shepard noted that many of the pillars now bore extensive cracks, remnants of the immense battle that had taken place. Deseltia walked into the middle of the room, waiting for the Justicars to gather among the pillars. Finally she turned towards the Commander.

"The majority of our Order has gathered, Commander. All Justicars on Thessia and travelling through the local system have come together to hear your demands." She growled, making every effort to cast his request in a poor light even before it had been made. "Speak your piece."

The Commander stepped up to the centre of the room, looking around into the faces of those gathered. Standing in a circle around him, he saw a vast array of Asari faces, from Samara’s own reassuring smile, to Deseltia’s grim frown. He felt remarkably underdressed in his armour’s undersuit, in front of such an array of strangers. There were all variety of shades of blue skin tones in the crowd, from pale eggshells to deep turquoise. Some faces were locked in scowls of distrust for the non-Asari, while others wore the serene gaze of one bearing the wisdom and patience of a centuries-long life. Shepard took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"Thank you for coming here today. I have travelled here with a request for aid. The Galaxy faces a great threat, beyond anything we have ever known. Ancient beings known as Reapers are moving to exterminate all organic life in the Galaxy, a stage in a cycle that repeats itself every fifty thousand years. The ship that led the attack on the Citadel was only one of these beings, the vanguard of their arrival. No doubt Samara has told you of our mission through the Omega Four Relay, and what we found there. The rest of their fleet is on its way right now. It is my mission to make sure the races of the Galaxy stand ready for the attack.

"I have come here today to ask for your assistance in the preparations for the war to come. The Justicars hold a special position in Asari society, as an integral part of the culture and history of the race. Combined, you wield millennia of combat experience. Your assistance in any preparations we make for the coming of the Reapers would be a catalyst to mobilise the Asari Republics.

"It’s not just the Asari or the Alliance that faces extinction here, it’s every single sentient species in the Galaxy. These sentient machines are determined to wipe us out. Humanity is making preparations for the coming war, but we cannot stand alone. Please, help us." He finished simply.

Shepard watched as the gathered Justicars clustered together. The more senior ones seemed to be doing all of the talking, and there was much heated debate among them. The Commander shifted on his feet uneasily, and caught sight of Falere and Rila, standing to one side. Falere gave him a reassuring smile, obviously confident his words had touched the hearts of the Justicars. They all turned back as the cluster of Asari broke apart, a decision clearly made. Deseltia was the nominated speaker, and the smug smile she bore caused Shepard’s heart to sink.

"It is the decision of the Order to refuse, Commander." She said in a satisfied tone of voice.

There were murmurs of surprise from the other Asari in the hall, along with a number of younger Justicars who had obviously voted to act. Samara most of all seemed displeased with the decision. The Commander looked about for a moment, at a loss.

"What? How can that be your decision?" He struggled to keep calm, unsure how they could ignore the threat of the Reapers.

"We are not a military organisation." Deseltia explained firmly. "We are guardians of justice, not soldiers. We have no army to join your war effort. Even if we had the numbers to add to your forces, we would not take up your cause. We are governed by the Code, nothing else."

"The Reapers intend to wipe out every living being in the Galaxy." Samara interrupted angrily. Shepard mused that, other than during her fight with Morinth, this was the first time he had seen her express any distinct measure of emotion, her normally calm expression creased with emotion. "Many innocents will suffer if they cannot be stopped. This decision cannot be in line with the Code."

"Your fellow Justicars have made a decision, Samara." Deseltia’s voice was taut. "You would do well to abide by it."

"Unfortunately, as you have pointed out, Justicars serve the Code, and only the Code, not other Justicars." The next thing Samara said was clearly difficult for her, as she had to swallow a growing lump in her throat before continuing. "It is clear to me that abiding by this decision is not in the best interests of serving justice. Therefore, I am best able to satisfy the Code by committing the Ninth Rite of Exile."

Gasps echoed all about the hall, and even the sturdy Deseltia was taken aback at the proclamation.

"No Justicar has undergone the Rite willingly. The Rite has not even been performed since the days of the Fallen Twelve." She said seriously. "You realise the weight of your choice today?"

"I do. But it is the righteous path."

"You would put Shepard’s crusade ahead of your place as a member of the Order?" Another Justicar asked, disbelief in her voice.

"I would."

"So be it." Deseltia snapped in an irritated voice. "Prepare yourself, Samara. The Rite of Exile shall be performed tonight."

The shocked audience turned to leave, departing down various passageways. Samara returned to her daughters, who threw comforting arms about her shoulders. The warrior looked truly broken, a slump coming to her shoulders that Shepard had never seen, not even when she had been forced to kill her own daughter. The Commander walked over to her.

"Thank you for speaking up for me, Samara." He said. She looked up at him, an overwhelming sadness in her eyes.

"You have no need to thank me, Shepard. I did what was right, though the price has been incredibly high. I am sorry that my sisters are so stiff-necked. Those who share Deseltia’s fears of a loss of power have a greater influence than I thought."

"What exactly have you done? The others didn’t seem pleased about it."

"The Rite of Exile is an ancient custom, from the Order’s earliest years. Once performed, the victim of the Rite is no longer a Justicar, and no longer welcome in Asari space. It has only been used on the most serious of wrongdoers among the Order, and even then after great deliberation. To take the consequences of the Rite upon oneself willingly is unheard of. It is viewed as turning your back on the Order and the Code."

"That’s too extreme. You shouldn’t have gone to such lengths!" Shepard was in awe of the sacrifice the old Asari was willing to make for his cause.

"It was my choice to make. I cannot condone the course of action the Order is taking, and this was the only way to escape their decision. Their choice to do nothing about the Reapers is the peak of injustice, and therefore I cannot remain a part of the Order."

There was a none-too-polite cough from Deseltia, standing to one side. Samara looked over at the Matriarch with a weary expression before gathering her two daughters into a tight embrace, the glimmer of a tear in her eyes. She then bowed apologetically to Shepard.

"Forgive me, Commander. I must now go and prepare for the Rite. It shall require a great amount of meditation in solitude. I shall meet you later, before we depart from this place."

With those stiffly formal words, the Justicar walked away, vanishing from sight into one of the many passageways leading from the hall. Shepard watched her go with a helpless feeling welling up within him.

~o~0~o~


It was approaching late evening when the shuttle arrived to collect the squad, the bright sun slipping behind the mountains to the west with a few final brilliant flashes. Shepard shivered against the cold as Hawthorne brought the vehicle in to land.

The squad was approached by a group of Asari, Samara walking in the midst of them with her daughters supporting her. At the front of the group, Deseltia marched with her seemingly unrelenting frown, obviously in a rush to be rid of the Commander and his associates. She moved off to one side as Samara was escorted by her former peers towards the Commander, shepherded out of the monastery with little grace. Shepard’s stomach lurched with worry when he saw the pained way that the old Justicar carried herself, almost tottering every time she took a step. Her back was ramrod straight, obviously a reaction to intense pain. When the Justicars ushered her out of the door, she almost tumbled into the snow, finding it hard to keep her balance. Falere jumped forward to help her up, Rila catching the other arm.

"Samara, you have endured the Ninth Rite of Exile. You are stripped of your status as a Justicar, and no longer welcome on any Asari world. You have three days to leave Asari space by the most direct route." Deseltia said. For a second, Shepard thought he caught a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

Before the Matriarch, Samara nodded her head to confirm she understood. She turned to leave, pausing to speak with her daughters.

"Take care of one another, and be strong. Once my time with Shepard has come to pass, we will be reunited." She reassured. "In the meantime, know that I fight alongside the Commander to keep our people safe."

"Why is it we cannot go with you, mother?" Falere’s voice was on the verge of breaking.

"Because I travel into dangerous territories, my child. I could not serve the Commander to the best of my ability while you were in the line of fire. As long as I know you are both safe here, my mind shall be at peace."

"And what if you do not return?" Rila objected. "What if you perish in this war? Mother, we would rather die fighting at your side than live without seeing you again."

"It is because I might die in this war that I need you to stay behind. You are all that remains of your father. Live out your lives in a way that would make her proud."

Samara stared into the eyes of each Asari, the two youngsters breaking down in tears under the cerulean gaze. After this silent moment passed, she drew them both close, holding them in a tight embrace that she was loathe to end. Finally she turned away from them and walked slowly past the Commander, eyes glinted as she refused to let herself look back. A heavy feeling in his heart at the parting that his arrival had forced on the Justicar, Shepard followed her onto the shuttle.

The shuttle powered up into the sky, arrowing away to the South and to Serrice, where the Normandy awaited. Behind it, two lonely blue figures stood in the snow, framed by the light escaping the front door of the monastery. Once the glow of the shuttle’s thrusters had faded from sight, they turned and walked together back into the building, shutting out the night.

[fainmaca]

Chapter 12: Entering the Krogan DMZ



The Normandy shuddered as it powered out of Thessia’s atmosphere, leaving the night-shrouded Serrice behind. Joker steered the ship through the traffic in the Asari world’s orbit, easily navigating their course towards the nearest Mass Relay. After queuing for several minutes among other ships, they received permission from Thessian traffic control to make their jump. With a jolt, the frigate leapt into the darkness of intergalactic space.

On the CIC deck, Shepard watched this process over the pilot’s shoulder. Seconds later, the Normandy decelerated at the destination Relay, and he steered the ship on a new course, setting the ship off towards the next Relay using their FTL drive. This done, Joker spun his seat around to face the Commander.

"So, uh, that’s… that’s some pretty heavy stuff Samara’s got going on now, huh?" He asked. "I mean, she was always bit cold before, but now she seems like she’s just taken a bath in liquid nitrogen."

"She’s been through a lot today, and not just emotionally. I’m not sure what that Rite they performed involved, but I get the feeling I’m better off not knowing." Shepard replied. "Leaving her family behind can’t have been easy either."

"Yeah. Good to see you’re keeping up the tradition of attracting every dangerous individual in the Galaxy. That’s, what, the second Asari brain-eater whose come running after you?"

"I guess they love a man in uniform." A mischievous smirk came to Shepard’s mouth. "Tell you what, next time, I’ll give her your number."

"No-ho thanks, Commander. I get enough psychotic female company on this ship without you sending more my way."

Grinning, Shepard turned to walk down the corridor. As he entered the main section of the CIC, he noticed Kaidan standing to one side, working at a terminal while Kelly stood behind him, a datapad in hand with some information she was reading out to him. When the Commander entered, he moved over to speak with them.

"Shepard." Kaidan saluted. "What’s going on with the Justicars? I just saw Garrus, Jack and Jacob come marching through here, looking none too happy."

"They’re going to be no help at all. They don’t trust a human, and don’t want to submit themselves to a cause led by one." Shepard explained.

"That’s too bad. Their abilities would have made them useful in any battles ahead, not to mention their influence with the Asari. Don’t be too quick to dismiss them, though. Maybe your audience with them has touched some hearts, and they just need time to reconsider."

"I hope so. We’ll need everything we can muster." Shepard said quietly.

"Well, we got Samara back. That’s something." Kelly offered helpfully. "We’ve got to be grateful for any time the Galaxy cuts us some slack."

"That’s true. Did you get a chance to speak with her, Kelly?"

"Only briefly. She seems… further removed from the crew than last time she was aboard. What happened down there to change her like that?" The yeoman responded.

"When the Justicars voted not to join humanity in the war, she chose to remove herself from the Order. She performed something called the Rite of Exile last night."

"I see. I think it would be wise for you to speak with her, Commander. Her position as a Justicar has been the central drive of her life for centuries, longer than the lifespans of most of the crew combined. She’ll be feeling quite lost at the moment." Kelly explained.

"Me? Wouldn’t it be better for you to find out what state of mind she’s in, as ship’s counsellor?"

"She gave up her previous life for you, Commander. You’re probably the only person she’ll properly open up to. In my expert opinion, you’re the only one who can find out what she’s thinking."

"I guess you’re right. I’ll go and see her."

"Last I saw, she was heading for her favourite spot in the Starboard Observation lounge."

The Commander nodded his thanks and made for the elevator. As he passed the armoury’s door, it opened. Jacob strode out, cradling a large weapon in his hands. He looked up in surprise as he noticed Shepard standing there, and his face broke into a proud grin.

"Commander! I was just coming to see you." He said. "Been working on this baby in my downtime. Thought you might wanna take a look."

"Alright. Show me what you’ve got." The Commander said as he followed the soldier back to his place in the ship’s armoury.

Jacob laid the weapon on the main table in the centre of the room and activated his omnitool, bringing up a holographic representation of the device. Various portions of the display flickered green in sequence, highlighting the mass effect field generator, the reload system and the targeting sight one after the other.

"I’ve been tinkering with some parts for a while now. After Omega, I realised we don’t exactly have much in the way of anti-materiel weaponry. Garrus managed to take down that gunship with the grenade launcher, but its not very efficient. So I set to work developing something that can get through heavy armour.

"Most armour and kinetic barriers rely on deflecting incoming fire. Should outer defences be penetrated, armour is designed to burn off before allowing anything through, dissipating the energy a projectile has and reducing its effectiveness. This weapon can bypass that.

"The rounds are specially moulded to pierce medium to heavy armour, and wedge itself underneath. The round is encased in a tiny mass effect field, which punches through biotic and kinetic barriers. After embedding itself, the round detonates. Because it has already pierced the surface, the explosion is directed inwards. Any armour that burns off is kept within, free to cause more damage to the internal workings of the target. In effect, the target’s defences are turned against it."

"So what’ll we see when we use this thing?"

"Fire it at a gunship, and you could fry the crew in the cockpit or burn out the engine. Use it on a heavy mech, and it’s internal wiring will cook. I reckon two shots will take out a YMIR, no problem."

"What about if we use it on a merc?"

"Ever been to a barbecue?" Jacob said, prideful smile tugging at his lips.

"Right. What limitations have we got?"

"Short range. To get enough power behind the round, you need to fire it from within thirty yards, otherwise it’ll bounce off the armour like a pebble. The damage is also quite contained. No secondary targets."

"How many can you run up?" Shepard asked, lifting the weapon and looking through the sight.

"I wouldn’t want to make too many of these, Commander. There are a few pieces of tech in there that’s technically illegal. Also, the use of eezo in the ammunition’s manufacture makes it prohibitively expensive. I reckon I can run up one or two, though you’ll want one kept on board as a spare. I’ve still got a few more tests to run before it’s ready for the field.

"You do that. We’re going to want one of these when we hit Tuchanka. I’m going after Grunt and Mordin, and we’ll want any edge we can get when we’re knee-deep in pissed-off Krogan."

"Roger that, Shepard. I’ll have this baby finished off tonight."

~o~0~o~


Shepard exited the elevator on the crew deck, turning towards the Starboard Observation Lounge. He keyed open the door and stepped inside. In the Lounge, Samara was sitting on one of the couches, shoulders sagging as she stared at clasped hands before her, forearms balanced on her knees. She lifted her head to look at Shepard as he walked into the room, her weary blue gaze misted over with a veil of tears. She attempted a smile of greeting, but her face lacked the light of happiness that it had borne when she had first greeted them back at the monastery.

"Shepard. What can I do for you?" Her tired voice asked.

Shepard paused before answering. He looked into her face, noting the new lines that had appeared in her time away from the Normandy. With a jolt, the Commander realised that the tender ends of her scalp tentacles had been slit open, pulled back to allow vivid red scar tissue to grow over the exposed tissue. Around these wounds, red ink had been applied in the form of tattoos about an inch and a half long, giving the impression that the tentacles had been dipped in blood. Not recalling this detail from before, Shepard assumed that it was a mark from the Rite of Exile. Samara caught his curious gaze and answered the silent questions.

"I am a marked woman now, Commander. The Rite leaves an individual branded as unwelcome among other Asari."

"You shouldn’t have needed to go through that, Samara."

"Your mission is too important to ignore. Deseltia and her ilk would have prevented me from joining you had I remained one of the Order. You should not regret my decision, for I do not."

"Do you feel different, now that you’ve left the Order behind?"

"It is hard to describe. For over four centuries, I have served the Code, and every action I have performed, every decision I have made, was dictated by the sutras the Justicars adhere to. Now, I am no longer bound to those values. Though my principles remain unchanged, I have a choice in how I act."

"You feel that you are free now?"

"I never believed myself to be a slave to the Code, but I understand why others might see it that way. I merely feel like I am plotting my own course in the Galaxy now."

"What about your daughters? Were you surprised to see them?"

"No. It was no coincidence they resided at the enclave I sought solace in. While I was spending my time in contemplation, I travelled to Thessia so that I may feel closer to Falere and Rila. Seeking direct association with them was forbidden by my oaths as a Justicar, but it felt good to observe them, living out their lives as fully as they could."

"Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of those we live our lives for."

"Even if it is necessary for them to forget us."

Shepard felt a tug at his heart when he heard the Asari’s words.

"Is there no way for you to spend time with your daughters, now that there’s no oath keeping you from them?"

"I do not hold out hope. The danger of our mission aside, I am now anathema to Asari society. I bear the three marks of exile. My daughters are Ardat-Yakshi, forever captive in that monastery in the mountains. Ever since the loss of my bondmate, it has been our fate to be separated."

Samara’s face creased as she stiffened, a tentative hand going back to some injury on her lower back. A tiny gasp escaped from her as she sat up straight, her face drawn tight. The Commander was on his feet in seconds, moving over to help his old friend.

"What’s wrong? Should I get the doctor?" He asked.

"That will not be necessary. I shall be fine, given time." She turned her deep gaze towards him. "I require some time, to meditate."

Shepard took the hint, leaving the room. He looked back over his shoulder as the door closed to see Samara take up her usual place in the lounge, a blue glow surrounding her as she began to meditate. The sight was familiar, reminiscent of when she had come aboard before, though the bloody red ends of her tentacles stood out in stark contrast with the blue of her scalp, a clear reminder of recent events.

~o~0~o~


Shepard strode into the Med Bay slowly, his thoughts still with the disgraced Justicar. Behind his desk, Dr Archer’s head snapped around to look at the Commander, his worn features splitting into a surprised smile. He stood and walked over to Shepard, excitement in every step.

"Commander! You won’t believe the work we’ve been able to accomplish today. Our passenger, The Revenant? He’s been a font of knowledge. I’ve set him up with some terminals," He waved an arm towards the back of the Med Bay, where the Collector worked quietly behind an array of holographic displays. "And he’s been re-educating me on the basic laws of genetic modification. I knew the Collectors had access to superior technology, but the things I have seen in the past couple of hours alone leaves the best Citadel scientists lagging behind by centuries."

"I’m glad to see you’re getting on together. Most of the crew are still getting used to having him on board. What’ve you been working on today?" Shepard asked.

"We’ve actually made a breakthrough on Joker’s predicament. The Collectors used a complex method of intertwining two different strands of DNA to culture preferred traits in their victims. A bit like forcing two soft objects together and having them mould around each other to form a distinct new shape. We’ve been able to adapt the principles behind the process to how we view the entwined thought processes of EDI and Joker. We’re still working on it, but we believe that by approaching the process from the other side, we can figure out a way to separate the two minds. Given time, we may be able to put to rights what I have done."

"That’s great news, Doctor." Shepard felt a surge of happiness at the prospect of Joker being back to normal so soon. "Do you mind if I borrow your assistant for a moment?"

"Not at all! I’ve got some calculations to run. The Revenant already processed the data, but I always like to run the numbers myself."

With that, the Doctor sat back down at his desk, instantly slipping into quiet thought as he stared at the complex data before him. The Revenant stood up from behind his workstation, looking at the Commander with a measure of curiosity evident in the tilt of his large head. Shepard found it strange to be talking to the creature rather than emptying his clip at it.

"What do you wish to discuss?" He asked.

"I was wanting to know how you’re settling in on the Normandy."

"We are coping. It is… quiet."

"How do you mean?" Shepard asked, sensing he didn’t mean the crew on the ship.

"Before the death of my race, we were constantly in contact with one another. No Collector was ever alone. The thoughts of our entire species moved through our minds constantly. Of course, this was a method the Crea- the Reapers used to control us. Still, the connection encouraged a sense of… security. No matter what we faced, our kin were with us. Now, where that connection once was, there is only black silence. I find it quite unnerving."

"I never realised. I guess it’s the same as a Geth losing contact with the Collective."

"Similar, and yet different. A Geth runtime can willingly shut off its connection, to mask its presence. No doubt Geth such as the one which journeys with you frequently pass through areas where they lose their connection. The connection I shared with my species never ceased as long as another Collector lived. While a Geth can be removed from contact with the Collective, it retains the knowledge that the Collective survives. It is the silence that confirms to me that I am the last of my kind."

"I’m sorry for your loss." Shepard felt hollow at saying that, knowing he was responsible for that loss.

"I have been reading up on my ancestors." The Revenant continued, seemingly ignoring the Commander’s apology. It turned its three eyes from him to look out at the crew mess. Beyond the glass of the Med Bay windows, several of the crew were sat around a table, eating. Occasionally one of them would throw an uncomfortable glance at the Collector in the Med Bay.

"I have been finding out what I can of our stolen culture. It would seem that we differed much from the society prevalent today. We were alone in the Galaxy, though whether that was simply because the Reapers have been delayed this time or there was a lull in sentient potential in Galactic species fifty thousand years ago, I cannot tell.

"In some reports you filed after the Battle of the Citadel, you made mention of the final independent acts of my species. The VI on Ilos, the Beacons on Eden Prime and Virmire, and the Conduit on the Citadel, all tools left behind to use against the Reapers. I would very much like to hear the full version of what my people did to defy their destroyers."

"If I’m going to be sharing stories, I want a drink to wash it down. Come on, I’m going to get myself some lunch."

The Commander led the Revenant out of the Med Bay, fetching himself a plate of Sergeant Gardner’s dish of the day and taking a seat at the empty table in the Mess Hall. The Revenant hesitated a moment before cautiously lowering itself into a seat opposite the Commander, clearly still a bit unused to the human-designed chairs. After a few mouthfuls, Shepard began relating his tale, beginning with the ill-fated mission to recover the Beacon on Eden Prime. As he moved on to his attempts to bring Saren to justice, and his eventual induction into the Spectres, several of the off-duty crew gathered around to listen, their interest in the story overwhelming their distrust for the Collector in their midst.

By the time Shepard was telling the alien about the tense mission on Virmire, quite a crowd had gathered, including the grizzled Rupert Gardner, the eager Dr Archer, and the enraptured Kelly. As Shepard spoke of Ashley’s sacrifice to ensure the cloning facility was destroyed, he caught sight of the avian features of Garrus peeking over the shoulders of his crewmates. The Turian was leaning back against a bulkhead behind the group, listening with a nostalgic look on his face. The Commander caught a glimmer of a tear in the Turian’s eye, mirrored by one in his own eye as he told the fascinated crew of Ashley’s bravery.

By the time he had finished telling the story, he was famished. His plate of food sat barely touched in front of him, stone cold. He looked up at the Revenant, who still sat there, having taken in every word the Commander spoke. Finally it twitched its head, a very insectile move that made Shepard think of flickering wings and incessant buzzing.

"I am glad that some of my predecessors found the strength to fight against the Reapers, no matter how hopeless the situation may have seemed. They gave you the slim chance to put an end to the Cycle the Reapers propagate."

"Those last few free Protheans gave everything they had to make sure there was a way for us to fight the Reapers. It’s my mission to make sure that sacrifice is not in vain." Shepard said, standing and collecting his plate.

"As is mine. The final action of my people shall not be the abduction and murder of your colonists." The Revenant bowed slightly towards Shepard. "Thank you for sharing this with me. I have much to ponder."

Shepard watched the Collector wander back to the Med Bay before taking his cold meal and tipping it into the galley’s recycling unit. He noted how the crew in the Mess seemed a little less on edge when the alien walked by, seeming to have grown accustomed to him by virtue of spending time at the same table as him. Turning, the Commander moved up the corridor towards the forward batteries. The door hissed open ahead of him, and he stepped into the Gunnery Control Room.

Inside, Garrus had popped the casing off one of the Normandy’s cannons. The Turian was lying on his back, the main barrel of one of the massive cannons just above his chest. His gaze caught sight of Shepard and he winked the eye not underneath his iconic visor.

"Shepard. Just performing some maintenance. My babies here have been hurting for some proper TLC since Cerberus got their hands on them. Once I’m done here, I’ve got a motherload of calibrations to do. Its like their scientists don’t have the slightest clue about weapons maintenance."

"Good to see you’re getting back into the swing of things, Garrus."

"I just know how important it is to keep your guns in good order. Never know when you’ll have to use ‘em. A lesson I learned all too well on Omega, when I was running my own squad." Garrus slid out from underneath the gun he had been working on and ran his omnitool over it a few times. Nodding his head in satisfaction, he moved around the other side and began tweaking a few things. "But I doubt you came down here to see me checking the gunpowder. What’s on your mind, Shepard?"

"I want to know how you feel about our mission."

"We’re doing good so far. I see that your little pet Collector is settling in alright." The Turian caught Shepard’s wince at the derogatory term. "Just a joke, Commander. I’m sure the Revenant will be a fine addition to the squad. As long as its gun is pointing at the bad guys, I’m okay with having it on board.

"As for the last mission, I guess it’s hard to call it a success. Sure, we found the Justicars and eliminated a dangerous criminal, but we still got thrown out on our asses because they don’t want to face the facts. Still, good to get Samara back. She’s a powerful warrior, and I’m happy to have her watching our backs."

"I know what you mean. The more of the old team we can find, the better." Shepard agreed.

"Yeah. We’ve made a start, but there’s still a lot of empty places in the briefing room." He looked down as his omnitool beeped, flashing red. "I’d better get back to work on this thing, Shepard. Can we talk later?"

The Commander left Garrus lifting off a segment of the cannon’s deployment mechanism, inspecting wires.

Shepard’s next stop was on the engineering deck. Stepping out of the elevator, he almost tripped over the prone Ken Donnelly, who was busy tugging at a loose component beneath the deck plates. With a grunt, he pulled out a box about the size of the palm of his hand. A pair of valves jutted out of one side, while a handful of frayed wires extended from the opposite side. He lifted it up to the light, a disappointed look on his face.

"You were right, Gabs. We’ll need a new one." He called. From beyond the door to main engineering, a triumphant shout echoed back.

"Ha! That’s twenty creds you owe me now."

"Just you wait. I’ll win it back next time we’re off duty." Ken grumbled. His eyes focused on Shepard and he shuffled to his feet, saluting. "Commander!"

"Problems?" Shepard asked.

"Ah, the usual, Commander. Wear an’ tear, a few things that should have been fixed after Omega Four but got missed in among all the big repairs, plus a few scrapes from the Normandy’s capture." The engineer explained.

"Anything you need?"

"A replacement for this would be dandy. It’s a part of the atmospheric filtration system. Basically it’s the air conditioning. We’re not gonna drop outta the sky without it, but this whole deck’s going to get awful close, if you get me."

"I’ll keep an eye out for a new one."

"Much appreciated, Commander. Anything else?" Ken asked as he lowered the deck plate back into position.

"I was told Zaeed was wandering about down here."

"Oh yeah." Gabby said, poking her head through the door behind the pair. "He’s been strutting about down here plenty. Still creeps me out a bit. He’s killed far too many people to be good company. Spent half an hour telling me about all the Cerberus agents he’s taken down in his time. Last I saw, he was looking to colonise his old room again."

"Thanks."

Shepard made his way to the auxiliary cargo hold. He activated the door controls and the heavy metal door whooshed open with a hiss. He took a step through the door before a glint caught his eye, he twisted away, dodging out of the way of the thrown knife just as it embedded itself in the wall next to him.

"Whoa, watch yourself!" Zaeed shouted from atop a pile of storage crates where he lounged, a belt of knives laid out in front of him. "Gotta knock, Shepard. That’s how people lose eyes."

Shepard inspected the near wall where the knife still quivered. It appeared that the old mercenary had resumed his habit of using the cargo symbol as a makeshift dartboard. The Commander wondered at seeing two knives embedded in the wall immediately next to each other, in the exact centre of the symbol. He turned back to the grinning Zaeed.

"What can I do for you, Commander? Come down to check on me?" The gruff human said.

"Pretty much. Settling in okay?"

"Yeah. Just getting things back to the way they used to be. Gotta say, I’ve missed private quarters. These past few months the Turian and I have been hopping about on public shuttles and stuff. Some of the places we’ve been going, we ain’t had the most pleasant of travelling companions."

"I can imagine. So aside from Omega and the ‘Verge, where have you been since you were last aboard?"

"Pretty much everywhere in the Terminus. I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground for any sign of Vido or that bastard he parades in front of the media, Solem. Garrus has been helping, too. Have to admit, he knows his stuff when it comes to putting the hurt on the scum we’ve been taking down. Guess he learned a fair bit while he was travelling with you, huh?"

"There’s a reason why the Hierarchy put him forward as a potential Spectre candidate."

"True. He told me about that actually. I reckon the Council lost out there."

"Did you get far in your search for Vido?"

"We got close a couple of times, but the bastard’s always been a slippery one. It took me twenty years last time. I reckon it’ll be close to that this time, even with help.

"Once we got very close. Vido was personally overseeing a shipment of stolen eezo to a colony out in the Attican Traverse. Apparently he was selling it to an up-and-coming new mercenary gang on the planet of Janeesh. He had arranged to meet with the leader, and they were going to talk about some deal he wanted to broker between them. ‘Course, this was just Vido’s way of getting close enough to take him out.

"We didn’t know he was on board at the time, but we knew that the Blue Suns were opening negotiations with this gang, and figured turning the two organisations against each other was a good idea.

"So we manage to ‘jack a shuttle and fly it straight into the freighter just as it pulls into Janeesh’s orbit. We’re in envirosuits so we survive the impact by jumping out at the last minute and latching onto the hull of the freighter, and walking through the hole our craft left. We’d painted our armour up to look like the Janeesh crew, so the Suns were a bit off balance we come charging through, guns blazing. We get through most of the mooks in the freighter, and then there’s just a handful of more seasoned guards watching the eezo."

"Where was Vido at this time?" Shepard asked.

"Cowardly son-of-a-**** was watching the whole thing from his private quarters, as far away from the action as possible. Pretty soon he figures out who the two of us are and starts to taunt us over the radio. I recognise the voice straight away, and its pretty hard not to just charge about looking for him. Garrus keeps his cool and has us stay focused on the mission. We don’t know where Vido is, and the longer we take the more likely it is that the Suns will get reinforcements."

"So what did you do?"

"Garrus leads the way to the cargo bay. We gun our way through the last of the guards, and he sets a bomb underneath the eezo containers. He sets the timer running, and we get the hell out of there. We get to an escape pod just as things start going off, so close behind us I’m sure our pod lost a layer of paint from the heat of the blast.

"I’d hoped that Vido had died in the blast, but no such luck. As the flare from the explosion clears, we see another pod going to FTL. Next thing we hear on Blue Suns channels is that our bounties have just been doubled. We scared him, but the bloody bastard is still out there."

"Damn. He’s gonna be a thorn in our side."

"Yeah. As long as he’s running the Suns, they’re gonna be a force to reckon with."

"I’ll be sure to speak to Feron. Maybe Liara will have some leads on how to track him down."

"I’d appreciate that, Shepard."

The Commander left the old mercenary digging through the old supply crates. He pulled out a particularly badly burnt one and opened it, grinning as he lifted out a weathered old rifle, laying it reverentially on one of the tables in the room.

~o~0~o~


The next day, Shepard met Jacob and Kaidan down in the cargo hold. The soldier had his new weapon ready for use, holding it out proudly for the Commander to take. Beyond, several large crates had been set up for target practice.

"I had some of the crew help me put the targets together, Commander. We’ve got a couple with a single sheet of metal about five inches thick, and another couple with overlapping plates of metal. Kaidan will be throwing barriers around the targets." Jacob explained.

"Sounds good. Let’s get started." Shepard replied, eager to see what the sleek device was capable of.

Stepping forward, Shepard lifted the weapon to sight down on the first target. Beside him, Kaidan lifted a hand and a thick swirling blue barrier instantly surrounded the target. The Commander took a deep breath and put his eye to the sight. He held the weapon steady as he brought the reticule to bear on the target and depressed the trigger.

A bright bolt of blue light launched itself from the weapon’s barrel, kicking the device back with severe force. The projectile travelled straight towards the first target. The swirling blue barrier flared up around the impact point, but a patch of clear space appeared around it, like a bullet hole in a sheet of cloth. In a blink, the round had drilled its way through the thick metal and lodged itself inside. Half a second later, there was a dull thud, and the entire crate deformed. Two of the corners popped like a bag of chips, and yellow-hot molten metal began to seep out of the bullet hole, while thick black smoke seeped from the burst corners. After a second, the entire thing sagged, its internal structure burned through.

Shepard raised his eyebrows in appreciation of the power the weapon brought to bear. Taking another breath, he turned to the next target, achieving a similar result.

"This is going better than I expected." Jacob said to the side. "Let’s try the overlapping armour now."

Shepard turned to the third target, waiting for Kaidan to raise a barrier around this one. This time, the bright blue projectile wedges itself halfway into the armour, to much more devastating effect. When the round detonated, it split the overlapping plates of armour apart, tearing the target open. Kaidan let out a whistle of admiration at the destructive potential of the weapon as red-hot shards of metal scattered about the hold.

They repeated the test a fourth time, to similar results. Finally Shepard lowered the weapon, turning back to his friends.

"There’s no doubt it’s effective against armour. I can’t imagine what it’ll do against a charging Krogan, but it’ll be useful at our next stop. The kick’s a bit vicious, though. Reminds me of Legion’s sniper rifle."

"If you’re feeling the kick, then I doubt most soldiers could carry it, Commander." Jacob said. "Both Miranda and Mordin made a few modifications to your physical structure to make you more resilient. I’ll run some tests, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this thing could dislocate your shoulder. Those eezo pellets were travelling a lot faster than I’d planned."

"As long as you have it ready for Tuchanka."

"Aye aye, Commander." Jacob saluted. The trio left the bay.

~o~0~o~


Shepard entered the briefing room shortly thereafter, seeing Feron working dutifully at his post. At the Commander’s arrival, the Drell turned and bowed a greeting.

"Commander. Something you need?"

"I’ve been talking to Zaeed, and I need Liara to try and track down a dangerous mercenary named Vido Santiago."

"The Blue Suns boss."

"You know him?"

"I know of many important leaders in the Terminus Systems. Liara tries to keep abreast of their current operations. I’ll see what she can find for Mr Massani."

"Good. We might have bigger things to take on, but the Blue Suns are an irritation the Galaxy would be better off without." Shepard said. "So how’s you own work going?"

"I’m getting things done, Commander. I have to say, I’m impressed with the speed at which we’re accomplishing our objectives. At this rate, we’ll be showing the Reapers who’s boss in no time. Certainly the work’s a lot more ethical than my intelligence work for the Shadow Broker."

"I was wondering, how did you get from being an aide on Kahje to becoming one of the Shadow Broker’s top agents?"

"By accident, mostly. We were travelling to a planet on the boundary between the Terminus Systems and Batarian Space. We got ambushed by pirates, and the Ambassador was killed. I was taken prisoner and was soon on a shuttle on its way to Omega, to be sold probably. On board, I managed to pick the lock on my cell and killed the pilot and co-pilot, taking the shuttle for myself. I docked on Omega, and started looking around for a place where my skills would not go to waste.

"A technology development firm hired me to conduct industrial espionage, using my skills at infiltration and my perfect memory to steal ideas and blueprints from their rivals. The Broker bought the company out, to make it a front for his operations. I stayed on, and pretty soon I caught the Broker’s attention. At first he had me spying on new targets, collecting information under the guise of it being for the purposes of the company, and once I had proven myself, he recruited me for more sensitive missions. I didn’t know I was working for the Shadow Broker for almost a year, he was so careful to hide his intentions."

"Ever regret your work for the Broker?"

"For the most part, no. It was only when I found out about his deal to hand you over to the Collectors that I began to question his motives. Even I knew how dangerous they were, and for him to hand them the being who defeated Saren… That didn’t sit well with me. So, when Cerberus came along with their job offer, I accepted."

"Any highlights to your career?"

"There were a few moments that I’m proud of. Once, I was required to spy on Aria T’loak herself. Most of the agents sent to spy on her have wound up dead, so it was a challenge to say the least. I had to find a way to listen in on an exchange she had with a group of known smugglers."

"Aria’s not one to tolerate anyone trying to listen in on her business, and nothing happens on Omega without her hearing about it."

"You’re right. The toughest assignment I’ve ever had."

He locked up again, slipping into the telltale pose of a Drell suffering a memory flash. His face contorted into a frown of intense concentration.

"I hang there, barely daring to breathe. My hands and feet ache from the effort of holding myself in place in the shaft. Below me, the rapidly spinning blades of a turbine churn the air, whipping it past my face. The rush of air makes it a little difficult to hear what is being said in the room above, beyond the grate I wait underneath.

"The light in the shaft dances about as a Krogan walks across the grate, moving to face Aria. Sweat rolls down my face to drip onto the turbine below as my biceps begin to tremble. I’ve been here for ten minutes now, clambering into the shaft before anyone arrived, having to wait for Aria’s goons to sweep the location for bugs. Fortunately, they did not even suspect that someone would wait in the shaft under the floor with the turbine so close to the grate. Even I begin to think the plan was ill conceived.

"Aria is speaking, the words hard to make out over the rush of the air.

"’And you’re sure you can deliver?’ She asks. ‘I’m making quite the investment here.’

"’Don’t worry, we’ll keep up our end of the bargain. Two million credits worth of ancient Turian art. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied with the shipment.’ A Krogan replies.

"’That’s what you said last time, but then some human goes and steals the crown jewel of the collection. Not the sort of thing that inspires my confidence.’

"’We’re not sure how she got in. The little creature was good, whoever she was. But I’m overseeing the shipment of this collection personally.’ The Krogan sounds confident.

"There’s a sudden pause. The Krogan standing above me sniffs the air suspiciously. Aria notices.

"‘What is it?’ She asks.

"The smugglers begin prowling the room above, pausing over the grate. I realise my scent is being pushed into the room on the current of air. I hold my breath as the grate is torn away and a smuggler shines a light down the shaft. My cloak is hard-pressed to keep up the disguise as the light shines through it, the device’s power nearly depleted. I close my eyes in anticipation of being caught.

"Just as I am sure I will be found, they replace the grate. The group concludes their business and leave. I wait several minutes before clambering out of the shaft, my arms barely functioning after the strain. I wait for some more time, and then depart from the building to make my report.

"As I step out into the street, I spot a skycar waiting across the road. Aria sits behind the controls, watching the door like a predator perched over its prey’s nest, waiting for a cautious attempt to leave. She stares at me, and I feel in my heart that I am now marked. As I assume she will move over to deal with me, she turns the vehicle around and flies away. I breathe a sigh of relief."

Feron snapped back out of it, jerking as he found himself in the here-and-now. He looked about with confusion for a moment before realising where he was. He smiled.

"Perfect memory. No matter how useful it is, it can be disorienting."

The pair turned as Joker’s voice echoed over the ship’s speakers.

"Commander, we’re coming up on Tuchanka. Just letting you know so you can put on your vacationing battle armour."

"Thanks for that, Joker." Shepard responded. "I’ll assemble the squad."

"Roger that. I’ll park us in orbit. Make sure and say hi to Wrex for me."