I'm sure this story has been re-done so many times everyone is tired of seeing it, but a friend thought it was good enough to share, so now I am. This isn't related in any way to my one-shot, and all characters except for one or two very, very minor OC's are (c) to BioWare and EA.
"Arcturus Prime relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence," came Joker's voice over the intercom system, and I headed for the bridge. I loved being on the bridge when we hit the relays, it always gave me a feeling of freedom and adventure when I felt the relay thrusters kick in. It didn't matter how many times we did it, I enjoyed it every time. "We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination." I sped up and smiled when I saw that Nihlus was already there, and I guess he heard my steps because he turned and smiled back. "The relay is hot. Acquiring an approach vector."
"The board is green. Approach run has begun."
"Hitting the relay in 3… 2… 1." Joker's final announcement came, we hit the relay and shot forward. I love this job. Watching star systems materialize and come into focus out of the blue of mass effect never gets old for me. "Thrusters… check. Navigation… check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift… just under 1500 k," Joker said proudly. Another thing on the list of things that never ceases to amaze me, Joker's accuracy on the relays is second to none. Nihlus was apparently impressed too. "1500 is good," he told Joker, "Your captain will be pleased." We exchanged another smile and he headed back down the bridge toward the rear of the ship. "I hate that guy," Joker muttered as soon as Nihlus was out of earshot. Ouch.
"Nihlus gave you a compliment," Kaidan informed him, then he teased, "So, you hate him?"
"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good," Joker retorted, "I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead, so that's incredible! Besides, Spectres are trouble; I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid."
"You're paranoid," Kaidan replied without hesitation, "The Council helped fund this project, they have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."
"Yeah, that is the official story," Joker said, "But only an idiot believes the official story."
"You always expect the worst," I teased our pilot.
"Well bad feelings are an occupational hazard," Joker said, "We don't go anywhere unless there's a good reason, so what are we doing here?"
"I don't have all the details, but I do know that part of why Nihlus is here is to see how well the ship works, so it really is a shakedown," I said, "Otherwise, I'm not the one to ask. Give the guy a chance though, Joker, he doesn't bite."
"You don't seriously trust him, do you, Commander?" Joker asked.
"Joker! Status report," Captain Anderson said over the intercom, interrupting the discussion.
"Just cleared the mass relay Captain," Joker answered, "Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid."
"Good," Anderson said, "Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Joker said, then added, "Better brace yourself, sir, I think Nihlus is headed your way."
"He's already here, Lieutenant," Anderson said, sounding irritated. Kaidan and I both shook our heads, while Kaidan smirked a little at Joker. "Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing," Captain Anderson barked.
"You get that, Commander?" Joker asked.
"He sounds angry," I nodded, "Something must have gone wrong with the mission…"
"Pff. Captain always sounds like that when he's talking to me," Joker said.
"I can't possibly imagine why," Kaidan teased him as I walked away. Oh boy. When those two got together, sometimes I felt like I was raising children. Kaidan was usually the more grown up of the two, but they could both be boys at times. I had to admit, Captain Anderson's tone worried me a little. I had thought the only surprise would be Nihlus joining us for the mission and telling me that he hoped to recruit me as a Spectre, but now it seemed like there was more to it than just that. "I'm telling you, I just saw him! He marched by like he was on a mission," Navigator Pressly's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"He's a Spectre," Engineer Adams said dismissively over the intercom, "They're always on a mission."
"And we're getting dragged right along with him!" Pressly grumped back.
"Relax, Pressly," Adams said, "You're going to give yourself an ulcer." Pressly ended the conversation as I approached and we exchanged a salute. "Congratulations, Commander," he said, "Looks like we've had a smooth run. You heading down to see the captain?"
"I'm on my way to give him a status update right now," I said.
"With all due respect, ma'am, maybe he'll finally tell you what we're really doing out here," Pressly said.
"You think Alliance Brass is holding out on us?" I asked. It wouldn't be the first time, but I wasn't actually allowed to admit that. "If all we're supposed to do is test out the stealth systems, why is Captain Anderson in charge?" Pressly asked, "And then there's Nihlus. Spectres are elite operatives, top covert agents. Why send a Spectre—a Turian Spectre—on a shakedown run? It doesn't add up."
"You don't trust Nihlus, do you?" I stated more than asked.
"I don't like turians in general, runs in my family," Pressly informed me, "My grandfather fought in the First Contact War; lost a lot of friends when the turians hit us."
"That was over thirty years ago," I said quietly, "You can't blame Nihlus for that."
"No, I guess not," Pressly conceded, "But it still makes me nervous to have a Spectre on board, especially a turian. We're an Alliance vessel, human military. But Nihlus doesn't answer to the captain like the rest of us. Spectres operate outside the normal chain of command and they don't come along to observe shakedown runs. Nihlus looks like he's expecting some heavy action. I don't like it."
"Whether he answers to the captain or not, he still has rules," I gently reminded Pressly, then I laughed, "As for the firepower, I think he'd be lost without it. I've never seen a Spectre carry around less and most carry more. I will see if I can get some answers out of Captain Anderson when I see him though."
"Good luck, Commander," Pressly said. We exchanged another salute and I headed on back toward the comm room. I would sure be happy when this business was all over. As exciting as the thought of Nihlus being on my ship initially was, it was also really hard not to actively defend him when any of the crew expressed their displeasure with his presence. It would be a relief when these missions like this were all over and I was either a Spectre or the Council had rejected me. I didn't like having to pretend I didn't know what was going on, and it was even worse that I had to pretend I didn't know Nihlus. Using one's omni-tool to send messages isn't the same as spending a night together. I missed him. "I grew up on Eden Prime, Doc," Corporal Jenkins was saying as I approached him and Dr. Chakwas, "It's not the kind of place Spectres visit. There's something Nihlus isn't telling us about this mission."
"That's crazy," Dr. Chakwas said, "The captain's in charge here, he wouldn't take orders from a Spectre."
"Not his choice, Doc," Jenkins replied, "Spectres don't answer to anyone. They can do whatever they want, kill anyone who gets in their way."
"You watch too many spy vids, Jenkins," Dr. Chakwas laughed.
"What do you think, Commander?" Jenkins ambushed me as I started to go around them, "We won't be staying on Eden Prime too long, will we? I'm itching for some real action!"
"I sincerely hope you're kidding, Corporal," Dr. Chakwas scolded him, "Your 'real action' usually ends with me patching up crew members in the infirmary."
"Only a fool goes looking for a fight, Corporal," I told him gently, backing the doctor up.
"Sorry, Commander," Jenkins said, "But this waiting's killing me. I've never been on a mission like this before, not one with a Spectre on board!"
"Excited much, Corporal?" I asked with a laugh.
"Yeah, a little bit I guess, Commander," he said, looking embarrassed, "How many other human crews can say they've been on a mission with a real Spectre? And I heard Nihlus once took down an entire enemy platoon all by himself, like you in the Blitz! Hey, maybe that's why he's here, you'd make a great Spectre, Commander."
"This is all just wild speculation," Dr. Chakwas objected, "The Spectres aren't interested in recruiting humans, no matter how capable."
"Well, maybe I'll find out from the captain," I said, "And I should probably go, I'm keeping him waiting."
"Goodbye, Commander," Dr. Chakwas said while I headed on into the comm room and I walked in to see Nihlus standing there staring up at the visual transmission screen, apparently lost in his thoughts. When I came in though he turned and smiled, and this time the smile was obvious. "Hey Marley," he said, "I'm glad you got here first. Somehow I managed to forget that your human military has enough regs to sink the Ascension."
"Yeah, me too," I said, "I'm sorry Nihlus… When this mission is over I promise I'll make it up to you."
"No need to explain, Marley," he said, gently pulling me in for a quick kiss, "I might complain, but I understand. Anyway, I was hoping we would have a few minutes to talk."
"What's up Nihlus?" I asked.
"I'm interested in your world, Eden Prime," he said, "I hear it's quite beautiful."
"Well, I've never been there myself, but I've been told it's a paradise," I told him.
"Yes," he said quietly, but it sounded like his mind was somewhere else as he continued, "Serene. Tranquil. Safe. Eden Prime is something of a symbol for your people, isn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish new colonies across the galaxy but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?"
"You're worried," I said quietly.
"The galaxy can be a very dangerous and even unfriendly place, Marley," he said, then he stopped pacing to turn around and look at me as he asked, "Is the Alliance truly ready for this responsibility?"
"I think it's about time we told the Commander what's really going on," Captain Anderson said as he walked into the room. Time to be professional again… "This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run," Nihlus said.
"I figured as much," I replied.
"We're making a covert pickup on Eden Prime," Captain Anderson said, "That's why we needed the stealth systems operational."
"When I spoke with Engineer Adams this morning he said they were working at top efficiency and there's no overheating," I said, "What's the package?"
"A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation," Captain Anderson explained, "It was Prothean."
"Do we know what's in it yet, or what it's for?" I asked.
"No, but the last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward 200 years," David said, "The problem is, Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."
"Obviously this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander," Nihlus said, "This discovery could affect every species in Council space."
"Never hurts to have some extra help," I said.
"The beacon isn't the only reason I'm here," Nihlus said, coming over to stand closer to Captain Anderson and me.
"Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander," Captain Anderson said, "He's here to evaluate you."
"Well that explains why he's right there every time I turn around," I joked and I noticed that Nihlus smiled slightly himself at the statement.
"The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time," Captain Anderson said, "Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come."
"You held off an enemy assault during the Blitz single-handed," Nihlus was quick to remind me, having already heard all my objections when he first told me about this idea, "You showed not only courage, but also incredible skill. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres."
"Well, what do you want me to do?" I asked. I still thought it was a crazy idea, but I wasn't going to say so now. Who knows, it might even work, I had already learned that betting against Nihlus is a good way to lose. Not that such losing is always a bad thing mind you. "I need to see your skills for myself, Commander," Nihlus said, "Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together."
"You'll be in charge of the ground team," Captain Anderson said, "Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission."
"Are we expecting trouble of some kind?" I asked. Being in the Traverse I figured it would be a good idea to ask. "That's where the stealth systems come in," Captain Anderson said, "There are plenty of raiders active in the region, and we're right on the borders of the Terminus Systems."
"The Attican Traverse is under Citadel protection," I said, "If the Terminus Systems attack it's an act of war."
"Technically, yes," Nihlus said, "But some of the species in the Terminus might be willing to start a war over this."
"The last thing the Council wants is to be dragged into a conflict with the Terminus Systems," Captain Anderson said, "We have to keep this low key." Well, I could do that. I have an aversion to getting shot anyway, it tends to do a lot of damage to one's parts and it hurts like a bitch. "Just give the word, Captain," I said.
"We should be getting close to Eden—"
"Captain! We've got a problem," Joker said over the intercom.
"What's wrong, Joker?" Anderson asked.
"Transmission from Eden Prime, Sir," Joker said, "You better see this!"
"Bring it up on screen," Anderson said. The three of us watched in absolute silence while the transmission played. So far as we'd known, no one but us had any idea the beacon was there, and now we could only hope that this was still the case. Well, Nihlus was going to get a look at what I could do in combat anyway, although I wasn't too thrilled with the prospect. It's one thing to go into a war zone where it's only soldiers and marines on the field dead and dying, but it's quite another when civilians are thrown into the mix. "Everything cuts out after that," Joker said when it ended, "No comm traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing."
"Reverse and hold at 38.5," Captain Anderson ordered, then he stood there staring at the image for a few seconds before ordering a status report.
"Seventeen minutes out, Captain," Joker reported, "No other Alliance ships in the area."
"Take us in, Joker, fast and quiet," Anderson ordered, "This mission just got a lot more complicated."
"A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention. It's our best chance to secure the beacon," Nihlus said as he headed for the door.
"Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold," Anderson called after him, then he turned to me, "Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander, you're going in." I nodded and took off at a run, I wanted to have a minute with Nihlus before we dropped in on the action. "Nihlus hold up a second," I said.
"Marley, what is it?" he asked, putting his arms around me and holding me tight for a few seconds and I pulled him down to my level and kissed him.
"Be careful, Nihlus, I mean it," I said softly.
"You too, Marley," he said.
"I promise," I said. We split up and I went and rounded up Kaidan and Jenkins, then we grabbed our gear and headed down. It didn't take us more than ten minutes to get suited up and ready and by the time the last of the 15 minutes had passed we were all in the cargo hold and waiting to make planet-fall. "Engaging stealth systems," Joker said over the comm, "Somebody was doing some serious digging here, Captain."
"Your team's the muscle in this operation, Commander," Captain Anderson said, "Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site."
"What about survivors, Captain?" Kaidan asked.
"Helping survivors is a secondary objective," Anderson replied, "The beacon's your top priority."
"Approaching drop point one," Joker called.
"Nihlus?" Jenkins asked in surprise as Nihlus came walking down the bay, "You're coming with us?"
"I move faster on my own," Nihlus told him, checking his assault rifle then dropping out the ship.
"Nihlus will scout out ahead," Anderson told us, "He'll feed you status reports throughout the mission: otherwise, I want radio silence."
"We've got his back, Captain," I said.
"The mission's yours now, Shepard," Anderson said, "Good luck."
"We are approaching drop point 2," Joker called. The ship hovered for a few seconds and Kaidan, Jenkins and I dropped to the planet's surface. "Ship perimeter secure, Commander," Kaidan informed me. I nodded and we started to head off. "This place got hit hard, Marley," Nihlus spoke through my headset, "Hostiles everywhere. Keep your guard up." The quiet was nerve racking and the first time I saw one of the resident floating gas bags out of the corner of my eye I jumped. I also pumped about 10 shots from my pistol into it and it exploded. We had a bit of a laugh about that one, the things were obviously harmless and I felt a little silly. It was still too quiet for my liking and I ordered my team to use every bit of cover we had, but sometimes everything you do just doesn't matter. Jenkins was making for the next available cover when some attack drones popped up over the next rocky hill and opened fire on him. Kaidan and I made short work of the drones, but Jenkins was already gone. I sighed and bent over my dead marine, gently closing his eyes, then turned to Kaidan as he said softly, "They ripped right through his shields, he never had a chance…"
"We'll see that he receives a proper service once the mission is complete," I assured the lieutenant, "But right now I need you to stay focused."
"Aye, aye, ma'am," he said, a bit shaky but he would be alright. We kept going, with only a few minor skirmishes with drones, usually only about two or three at a time. "I've got some burned out buildings here, Marley," Nihlus' spoke softly into the comm once again, "A lot of bodies. I'm going to check it out. I'll try to catch up with you at the dig site." I nodded out of habit even though he couldn't see me, and Kaidan and I kept going up the hill. As we came to the top we were met with the sight of a marine running across the shallow valley below us, being chased the whole time by a couple of attack drones. The attack drones' shots impacted on her shields making her stumble. When she saw us she spun around to face them, taking them out while sliding backwards along the ground. We all looked to where some synthetic creatures were holding one of the colonists in place on top of a tall cylinder, and as we watched the cylinder shot out a spike, impaling the man. I tripped over a rock on my way to a bolder and the synthetics noticed us and opened fire. I pulled out my sniper rifle and carefully squeezed off my shots, killing two while Kaidan and the marine finished off the last one, then Kaidan and I made our way down the hill. "Thanks for your help Commander, I didn't think I was going to make it," she said as Kaidan and I approached her, "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212. You the one in charge here, ma'am?"
"Yeah," I answered, but I was more concerned about whether she was ok, "Are you wounded, Williams?"
"A few scrapes and burns," Williams said, "Nothing serious. The others weren't so lucky. Oh man… We were patrolling the perimeter when the attack hit. We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off our communications. I've been fighting for my life ever since."
"Where's the rest of your squad?" I asked her.
"We tried to double back to the beacon, but we walked into an ambush," she said, "I don't think any of the others… I think I'm the only one left."
"This isn't your fault, Williams," I told her gently, "You couldn't have done anything to save them."
"Yes, ma'am," she said, "We held our position as long as we could. Until the geth overwhelmed us."
"The geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly 200 years," Kaidan said, "Why are they here now?"
"They must have come for the beacon," Ashley said, "The dig site is close, just over that rise. It might still be there."
"We could use your help, Williams," I said.
"Aye, aye, ma'am," she said, "It's time for payback." Well, I wouldn't argue with her on that one. I lead the way and we headed up over the rise then down slightly toward the dig site. This was a good place for an ambush, what with all the boulders and pillars standing around haphazardly, so I ordered Kaidan and Chief Williams into cover and took point. I just barely avoided getting shot as I dodged behind the rock I'd just come to and I heard the bullet clip it and whine past my ear. I took out my sniper again and while Kaidan and Ashley took care of the geth soldiers I took care of the destroyer with my sniper. I let them talk between themselves as we walked cautiously onto the stone platform in the middle of the dig site, but their chatter didn't last very long. "This is the dig site," Ashley said, her voice full of worry, "The beacon was right here, it must have been moved."
"By who, our side, or the geth?" Kaidan asked.
"Hard to say," Ashley answered, "Maybe we'll know more after we check out the research camp."
"You think anyone got out of here alive?" I asked.
"If they were lucky," Ashley said, "Maybe hiding up in the camp. It's just on the top of this ridge, up the ramps."
"Change of plans, Marley," Nihlus said, "There's a small spaceport up ahead. I want to check it out. I'll wait for you there." We continued on up the ramps and came to the camp. There were more of those spikes, with bodies hanging off of them, and a lot of debris scattered over the ground. "Looks like they hit the camp hard," Ashley said.
"It's a good place for an ambush," Kaidan cautioned, "Keep your guard up." His calm didn't last very long. The spikes retracted into their cylinders and we all got a huge shock. "Oh god!" Kaidan gasped, "They're still alive!"
"What did the geth do to them?" Ashley asked in horror.
"I don't know but don't let them get on top of us," I told them, realizing a little too late that the one I'd been busily pumping pistol rounds into had decided to rush me and was now starting to overload its circuits. The resulting energy blast depleted my shields by about two thirds, so I knew it was fairly powerful. Ashley opened up with her assault rifle while Kaidan and I supplied supporting fire with our pistols, overloads and biotics. We finally managed to put the colonists out of their misery a few minutes later. Well, if they were even alive when they came off those spikes. After a quick search of the yard turned up a little medi-gel and a few packets of omni-gel, we continued up to the buildings. "That door," Ashley said suddenly, "It's closed, security lock's engaged." I nodded and walked up to the door and went to work on the panel. I scanned it with my omnitool and then carefully put in the code as the numbers lit up on the key pad, then I carefully cycled open the door. "Humans!" the woman hiding inside sighed in relief, "Thank the maker!"
"Hurry! Close the door! Before they come back!" the man with her was saying as he came to stand beside her.
"Don't worry, we'll protect you," I assured them.
"Thank you, I think we'll be alright now," the woman said, "It looks like everyone's gone…"
"You're Dr. Warren, the one in charge of the excavation," Ashley said, "Do you know what happened to the beacon?"
"It was moved to the spaceport this morning," Dr. Warren said, "Manuel and I stayed behind to pack up the camp. When the attack came, the marines held them off long enough for us to hide. They gave their lives to save us."
"No one is saved," Manuel said, "The age of humanity is ended, soon only corpses and ruin will remain."
"What can you tell me about the beacon?" I asked them.
"It's some type of data module form a galaxy-wide communications network," Dr. Warren said, "Remarkably well preserved. It could be the greatest scientific discovery of our lifetime! Miraculous new technologies. Ground-breaking medical advances. Who knows what secrets are locked inside?"
"We have unearthed the heart of evil," Manuel mourned, "Awakened the beast. Unleashed the darkness."
"Manuel! Please!" Dr. Warren said, "This isn't the time."
"What's wrong with him?" I asked, somewhat concerned by Manuel's apparent hysteria.
"Manuel has a brilliant mind, but he's always been a bit… unstable," Dr. Warren said softly, "Genius and madness are two sides of the same coin."
"Is it madness to see the future?" Manuel asked her, "To see the destruction rushing toward us? To understand there is no escape, no hope? No, I am not mad. I am the only sane one left."
"I gave him an extra dose of his meds after the attack," Dr. Warren said.
"I hope it helps him," I said quietly, "One last thing, did either of you happen to see a turian come through here?"
"I saw him," Manuel stated, his voice rising in pitch just a little, "The prophet. Leader of the enemy. He was here, before the attack."
"That's impossible," Kaidan said, "Nihlus was with us on the Normandy before the attack, he couldn't have been here."
"He was with us on the Normandy during the attack too," I said.
"I'm sorry, Manuel is a bit unsettled," Dr. Warren said, "We haven't seen your Turian. We've been hiding in this shed since the attack."
"No harm done," I told her, "I need to go, I hope everything works out well for you here. Williams, take us to the spaceport."
"You can't stop it," Manuel said, "No one can stop it. Night is falling, the darkness of eternity."
"Hush, Manuel, go lie down," Dr. Warren told him, "You'll feel better once the medication kicks in." I certainly hoped that was true, but if he was unstable to begin with there was no telling what trauma on this scale might do to the Doctor's assistant, and I had one more thing to worry about now. Nihlus, Anderson and my team were supposed to be the only ones here, and while the geth weren't supposed to be here at least they were more or less easy to deal with. Another turian definitely shouldn't be here though, and if the guy knew about the beacon it was more than likely that the Council had a security leak somewhere. We gave the camp a last quick once-over then headed out of the yard and started up the hill.
Well, that's chapter 1. I hope you all enjoyed it. :)