Author's Notes: Okay, so I have rejigged my introduction chapter a little. Some reviews pointed out to me that my portrayal of Cerberus wasn't as morally gray as some people expected, and to be honest I have to agree. I feel that now, after five solid months of writing this, I've had a lot more practice and have improved a bit since December. Some parts remain the same as the original introduction, others are vastly different. But I think this new chapter makes Cerberus' actions make more sense in the long run. Anyway, let me know what you think of this introductory chapter, and whether you think this one was better, or the original. And writing that last sentence just made me realise I am now George Lucas, remastering my own work over and over again. Argh!
Author's notes: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3 and all related characters and trademarks are property of EA/Bioware. Rated M for language, violence and suggestive themes.
Firstly, There will be major spoilers for the first two Mass effect games in this story. If you don't want to know certain events from Mass Effect 1 or 2, don't read this.
This is my first fanfic. Being inspired by the first two games, I have decided to write out what I think would be a cool and enjoyable end to the trilogy. Of course, the main obstacle to writing a fanfic like this is that Bioware designed a series of games with such a wide array of possible outcomes, and it would be impossible to cater to all choices you can make in game. Therefore I have modelled this story on my main playthrough Shepard, carried through the first two games. I will try to keep as true to the lore of the Mass Effect universe as I can, and the story may be subject to changes as Mass Effect 3 draws near and we see more bridging Downloadable Content for Mass Effect 2.
Here is a summary of the main choices from ME1 and 2, so you know a bit about the protagonist of this fanfic:
Male Shepard Soldier Earthborn Sole Survivor
ME1: Zhu's hope saved
Rachni spared
Wrex survived
Ashley sacrificed on Virmire
No Romance
Saved Council
Anderson made Councillor
Let Balak go free.
ME2: No One Left Behind
Jack Paragon Romance
Destroyed Collector Base
Rewrote heretic geth
Kept Genophage data
Sent David Archer to Grissom Academy (Overlord)
Mass Effect 3: Into The Unknown
Chapter 1: Prey of the Three-Headed Dog
The bridge of the Alliance cruiser Venice clamoured with activity, a vast multitude of servicemen rushed about, caught up in the tense buzz that dominated the ship's atmosphere in the final moments before an engagement. Some tensely watched out of the front viewport as the distorted view of the galaxy at faster than light speeds whirled past. Others were dutifully going about their assigned tasks, burying themselves in their work lest the pre-mission jitters get the best of them.
In the midst of this turmoil, a single figure stood calm, a towering presence in the eye of the storm. Admiral Steven Hackett was every inch the stern, grizzled veteran mentioned in the legends spoken around the Mess Hall tables of every Human-designed ship in the Galaxy. He watched the viewport ahead with eyes narrowed, his scarred features creased in focus as he waited for the Venice's destination to heave into view.
The Admiral refused to turn around as the door hissed open behind him and a powerful presence stepped up at his shoulder. All activity on the bridge slowed, a reverent hush washing over the assembled crew as they caught sight of the new arrival.
"Shepard." Hackett's tone remained neutral, unsurprised. "You should be down with the strike team."
"We shouldn't be here at all. There are bigger threats out there, Admiral."
"So you keep telling me. But my hands are tied here, Commander. We go in and take these sons of bitches down. They're too dangerous to be left to run loose."
"I'm not arguing that Cerberus is dangerous, but we're committing a lot of resources to this, when we should be trying to pool our resources with those of the Illusive Man."
"After that stunt you pulled? You destroyed the Collector Base, a fact that I've kept back from the Parliament for your benefit, by the way, and then you run off with billions of credits' worth of resources in the form of the Normandy, her crew, your squad and all those fancy trinkets Cerberus gave you along the way. You really think they're ready to be all pally with you again?"
"Its not about that. There's an enemy out there greater than anything we've ever faced. We need to pull together to face the Reapers."
"An nice ideal, but the men at the top don't want to listen to those lines of reasoning. The Council is pushing for Humanity to produce something to appease Hegemony after Aratoht. The Illusive Man served up on a platter is what they think its going to take. Its either that or we extradite you to Khar'Shan."
"Not an option. Not with so much to be done. If the Reapers hit now, we're nowhere near ready." The Alliance hero turned to face the Admiral. "I really should be with my squad for this mission."
"Again, not my call. Every last member of your crew is either a former Cerberus operative, a known criminal or non-human. Either way, the politicians don't want them on the strike team. Conflict of interest, they say."
"What, they think my team's gonna jump back on the Cerberus bandwagon mid-mission, shoot your men in the back?"
"Either that or gun down every Cerberus stooge in sight, leave no one for us to interrogate. Its fair to say Cerberus has done nothing to make friends among the aliens."
"I know my squad. None of them would do that."
"Oh really? But one of 'em had a rap sheet longer than the central axis of an Everest dreadnought. Another one single-handedly blazed trail of destruction across the Terminus System, all at the request of the highest bidder, regardless of race, creed or hairstyle. You really expect me to believe none of them could get out of hand?"
"Yes. I've been through hell with those people, Admiral. I trust them completely."
"You do, the Alliance doesn't. Like I said, my hands are tied. It was all I could do to get you on the strike team. If it weren't for your record, I imagine you'd be sitting on the sidelines, too."
"So if my crew's so suspect, then why do you have the Normandy present for this operation?"
"The politicians can't argue it, the Normandy has the edge when it comes to technology. I made it clear that if she wasn't invited to this party, then I wouldn't be coming either."
"I guess its better than nothing. If I have to do this, then I don't want her too far away in case things go south."
"Understandable." The Admiral conceded. "Now get back down to the hangar bay. We're about to hit orbit, and I want the strike team ready to go the moment an opportunity presents itself."
"Sir." Shepard saluted, turning to leave.
~o~0~o~
The blue-green planet of Basite hung in the darkness of space, the faint light of its distant orange star streaking the upper cloud layers with bands of red and yellow.
In orbit around it, a massive space station drifted sluggishly. Three hemispherical structures, fastened together with long struts. Long spires of metal extended down from the flat undersides of the hemispheres, leaning together to one point, giving the station the appearance of three parachutes tied to a single point.
The space around the planet and circling station shuddered, a vast fleet heaving into view. Roughly half of the Third Fleet dropped out of FTL, instantly moving to surround the station.
"Sir, we're detecting a significant power spike in the station. Weapons systems are powering up."
"Kinetic barriers to full power. GARDIAN systems online." Hackett ordered. "Do not fire upon the station unless they fire first, and try to minimise the damage. We want the facility to study and as many prisoners as possible for interrogation. You all know how well Cerberus operatives hold up under pressure. We get enough of them, we'll eventually find one who's got a good singing voice."
"Sir! Several new targets rounding the far side of the planet."
"How many, ensign?" Hackett demanded sternly.
"Thirteen and counting. Ladar registers seven cruisers, six frigates."
"Split your attention between them and the station. Be ready for incoming fire from either."
"Sir! Station is deploying fighters! They'll be in range to attack within seven seconds, in range of our own weapons in three."
"Open fire the second they're in of our weapons. I do not want them using their disrupters on us."
"Aye-aye."
The ship shuddered as the GARDIAN systems kicked in, targeting the incoming fighters. Seconds later, there were some more pronounced crashes as incoming fire from the enemy cruisers reached the Venice.
"Sir, several direct hits. Shields are down to eighty-eight per cent."
"Return fire. Use the Javelins." The Admiral remained cool, even in the heat of battle. Moments later, a deep, thumping groan was heard as two white-hot projectiles leapt from the Venice's prow, connecting with the shields of an enemy ship in a blue flare.
"Admiral." The Venice's tactical officer called out. "All enemy ships are engaged with our own. The strike team has their window."
"Give the signal." Hackett ordered.
~o~0~o~
Shepard was jostled about in the shuttle as it lifted off from the hangar floor and arrowed out of the bay. He was surrounded by a dozen Alliance marines, all decked out in their bulky combat armour. A couple looked at the Commander with awe, others with distrust, and others simply ignored him, preferring to prattle on in excitement at the mission ahead. The Commander shook his head knowingly. Once you'd seen your share of battlefields, it wasn't the battles you looked forward to, but the journey home afterwards.
The shuttle thrummed as it powered through the raging firefight between the two fleets, weaving its way out of the fray and towards the station. Through the cockpit viewport, Shepard saw the gargantuan construction looming large. With such a large structure, total kinetic barrier coverage would require power generation capabilities beyond anything Humanity or the Council races had. The power draw of a barrier several kilometres in diameter would paralyse all other systems, including weapons. In order to allow the station to act offensively as well as defensively, certain portions of the station would have to be left exposed, the kinetic barrier only covering crucial segments of the structure, like the power core and the central control room.
This was the reasoning behind the strike team's approach vector. They would accelerate to an appreciable fraction of the speed of light, aiming straight at one of the exposed segments of the station. The shuttle's barriers had been modified to pulse in the instant before impact, increasing their durability by a factor of ten. The shuttle would shear through the shuttle's armour like a knife through butter, embedding itself and allowing the strike team to deploy inside the enemy station.
The Commander tensed as the shuttle surged forwards, element zero power core churning as it struggled with the sudden power drain. The metal bulkheads strained as the very shape of the vehicle was distorted by the physical forces acting upon it.
With a roar, the shuttle pummelled its way through the station's hull. Shepard was thrown forward in his restraining harness, feeling a sickness rising in his throat as the G-forces pulled at him.
All of a sudden, the shuttle was cast into darkness as it came to a stop, its power supply depleted by its 'suicide run'. Shepard roused himself from his confused state, unbuckling himself from his seat as the soldiers around him did the same.
"Alright, listen up!" He shouted over the groans of the mildly bruised occupants of the shuttle. "We're in, but that's only half the battle. We've still got to get to the Illusive Man's office, fighting through whatever forces they've got between here and there. Once we get there, switch to stun. We need him alive."
There was a chorus of 'ayes' followed by the rattle of a dozen rifles being drawn and unfolded.
The Commander nodded formally to his strike team before leading the way out of the shuttle, marching off down the corridors deeper into the Cerberus stronghold.
~o~0~o~
Joker tapped at the controls furiously, manoeuvring the Normandy through the battlefield with the grace of a dancer. To one side, the holographic representation of the ship's Artificial Intelligence, EDI, pulsed in its rhythmic fashion.
"Careful Jeff. We have three fighters trying to fall in behind us."
"On it, EDI. Just keep us flying, I'll keep us out of their line of fire."
The ship shook to the sound of multiple impacts upon her shields. The pilot winced as the ship under his care took a pummelling, with even his prodigious talents being pushed to their limits.
The displays before him flared as a brilliant beam of light spouted from the prow of the ship, a luminous streak of molten metal that sheared through the hull of one of the Cerberus frigates, tearing a huge hole through it. Once the beam vanished, the ship was left listing slowly to the side, lifeless.
"Jeff, I am detecting something on my scanners." EDI interjected as he swerved around a stray shot from one of the massive cruisers slugging it out on either side of the battle.
"Not now, EDI." Joker managed through gritted teeth. "Unless there's an honest-to-god Reaper dropping on our asses, I do not want to know."
"Nevertheless, I believe you should take a look at this. My ladar scanner has outlined three dreadnought-class ships approaching from lateral vectors, just on the boundaries of my scanning range. It would appear that they have been moving out from positions held before we arrived."
"What? You can't be-" Joker's eyes widened as EDI displayed her scans. "Oh shit. It's a trap! EDI, transmit to Hackett. We need to warn the rest of the fleet."
"Contacting SSV-"
"EDI? Something wrong?"
Joker's question was answered by a squeal of static that had him reaching to cover his ears.
"EDI! What's going on? What was that?"
"EDI can't answer right now, Mr Moreau."
Joker's brow frowned as he heard an unfamiliar female voice filtering through EDI's interface.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Forgive me. I am the SSV Atlas' Synthetically Intelligent Networked Defence Interface, but the crew refers to me as SINDI."
"Another AI? Cerberus built more of the things?"
"Not exactly. I am one of a generation of synthetic intelligences."
"What have you done with EDI?"
"She is being kept occupied by our combined hacking attempts. Needless to say, she will not be assisting you today."
Joker watched, helpless, as the systems before him went dead. As he listened, cries of consternation sounded out across the Alliance channel as several of the ships went dead, infiltrated by electronic means. He keyed up his commlink, using the last of the power in his console to make one final call.
"Hackett, this is the Normandy. We've got synthetics here hacking our systems. They're knocking out our ships one by one. The Normandy is dead in the water. Get the rest of your ships out of here before they get you."
"Shepard is still on that station, Mr Moreau."
"You won't be able to help him if you give Cerberus what's left of the task force, Admiral." Joker gulped as one of the Alliance cruisers nearby went silent, lights fading. "The longer you wait, the more people you lose, Admiral."
"Damn it." The Admiral cursed. He paused for a final moment before making up his mind. "All forces, I am sounding a full retreat. Hostile synthetic forces are in-system, hacking our systems. I repeat, hostile synthetic forces are present in-system. All ships that remain functional are to retreat to the Mass Relay."
Joker watched as the remaining Alliance warships vanished into the blackness, blasting away as they accelerated to FTL. After a few moments, only the disabled ships remained. The pilot watched as the Cerberus ships, moving through the drifting hulks like vultures picking over corpses, glided closer and closer. The Normandy shook as one of the cruisers latched onto it. Cerberus had captured the Normandy.
~o~0~o~
Within minutes, Cerberus marines were flooding in through the Normandy's airlock and various other points of access. Sergeant Leo Miller led 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 ineffective 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 emitters. 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.
~o~0~o~
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.
~o~0~o~
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, the biotic Jack 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 engineer allies unconscious. Finally, after killing several Cerberus marines, the Krogan was taken down by a powerful biotic blast, leaving only the defiant Jack fighting the Cerberus marines.
"Fucking come on, you Cerberus pricks!" She yelled, hurling a pair at a bulkhead with bone-shattering force. "I'll tear every last one of you apart."
One marine fired his rifle at her, holding the trigger down until the clip had emptied. She turned a fierce glare his way.
"Try that again, you little shit! I'll tear your fucking spine out and shove it right back up your asshole before I let your scientists get a hold of me again!"
So focused was she on hurling biotic fury at the troops she never noticed the grenade that arced over the heads of the troopers and clattering to the deck behind her. It beeped insistently before a brilliant white flash filled the engine room, a screaming whine overwhelming the hearing of all present. Jack, her eyes and ears unable to cope, fell to the deck unconscious.
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, the only crew members to make their way off the ship as more Cerberus vessels surrounded her.
~o~0~o~
Shepard gunned down yet another bank of security mechs trying to advance on his position. The strike team had made it almost all the way to the Illusive Man's central chamber, and had encountered fairly little resistance. Aside from several clusters of mechs, including one nasty encounter with a hulking YMIR that had left several of the marines injured, they had encountered next to no enemy forces. Shepard wondered at the lack of organic enemies they had encountered. At times, it felt as though the station was deserted, save for the mechs. But then a squad of soldiers in the distinctive white armour with black and gold highlights that was so iconic of the terrorist organisation would come charging around the corner, guns blazing.
The Commander mowed down the last of the mechs, the machine dropping to the deck with a strained groan. He then turned to the leader of the marines, his second-in-command on this operation. The soldier quickly checked his omnitool.
"The objective should be just through that next set of doors, Commander." He said, pointing. Shepard detected a note of hesitation to his voice.
"Something wrong, soldier?" He asked.
"I'm not getting any word from the Venice. Its like all the comms outside of this station have gone dead."
"What about the Normandy? Can you get in touch with her?" Shepard felt a surge of nausea rise in his gut as worry for his friends threatened to overtake his mind. He waited tensely as the soldier switched frequencies.
"Nothing. Its like we're the only Alliance troops in the system."
"This is not good."
"What are your orders, sir? Should we try to get off this station, see what happened to the fleet?"
"No. We carry out our orders. We take out the Illusive Man, we remove the man directing the forces out there, maybe help our own men." Shepard said firmly.
"Aye, sir." The marine turned to the rest of the team, marshalling them into formation.
Shepard pressed forwards, leading the strike team to the double doors at the end of the corridor. The team's tech expert knelt next to the door, opening a panel and fiddling with the wires inside. In only a matter of seconds, the doors hissed open. Shepard stepped inside cautiously, looking around with a careful eye.
Beyond, he saw the same room he had become so familiar with during his dealings with the Illusive Man. It was a large, round room that had been cast into darkness. In the centre of the room, a massive blue sphere spun slowly, the planet Basite below the station. A three-legged chair sat before this holographic display, bank upon bank of glittering holo-displays hovering in the air before it. The floor was made of a dark, reflective tile, like polished glass. Set into this floor, between the door and the chair, a small circular pad glowed a faint blue, a holographic imager connected to the Illusive Man's comm array.
Shepard turned in a full circle, aiming his rifle at every part of the room.
"Something is not right here…" He said slowly.
A loud hum drew his attention. He spun to look at the holo-imager. Light shimmered over the imager, forming itself into a figure Shepard knew all too well.
"Commander Shepard." The Illusive Man said by way of greeting, drawing upon the lit cigarette between his fingers.
"Illusive Man." Shepard said, holstering his rifle and folding his arms across his chest. "And this time I really thought I'd have the privilege of meeting you in person."
"I'm sorry to keep disappointing you, Commander, but I think, given the circumstances, my reluctance to be physically present is understandable." Another draw on the glowing cigarette. "Now, you're already aware that you have fallen into our trap. Your ships have been disabled and are currently being boarded by my troops."
"If just one of my crew comes to any harm-" Shepard seethed.
"You should really focus on your own safety rather than that of your crew, Shepard." The Illusive Man smirked.
The Commander became aware of a sudden hissing noise. He spun to see the door sliding shut, sealing the team in the darkened room with the Illusive Man's ghostly image. Billowing clouds of fumes began seeping down from vents in the ceiling, just a sniff of which clung to the Commander's throat and lungs, sending stars wheeling in his vision. The strike team stumbled to their knees, clutching at their throats and coughing violently.
"Why- are you doing this?" Shepard managed through his coughing fit.
"Because you've made it clear that we two cannot coexist." The Illusive Man explained. "I've been tolerant of you, Shepard. You stole my ship, my personnel, my resources. You even denied Cerberus the chance to learn from the Collector Base. And still I allowed you to operate. I thought you would continue your fight against the Reapers. But instead you let the Alliance decide what you shall and shall not do. You continue to work to weed our agents out. This final attack was the last straw, and presented the perfect opportunity to lay this trap. Humanity needs Cerberus. Humanity needs me. And seeing as you are too blind to realise this, you shall be put in a place where you will no longer prove to be a hindrance."
"Why not- just- kill me?" Shepard asked.
"Because no matter how much of a thorn in my side you prove to be, there is still the matter of what you represent. You symbolise the strength of our race. The hopes of the masses lie in you, Shepard, and we will need your inspiring presence in days to come. Better to keep you contained, controlled, than to just kill you outright." The Illusive Man's image knelt next to Shepard, who had fallen to the floor, struggling to stay up on all fours. "You were such a disappointment, Shepard. I really thought you understood our goals. Clearly I was wrong. You're too much of an idealist. But these days call for practical men."
Shepard felt his eyes grow weary as his body, flooded with the strange chemical in the air, began to shut down. As his eyes became heavy, lids drooping with every struggling breath, his thoughts went to the Normandy and his friends aboard. Before the darkness rose up to swallow him whole, his thoughts rested with one woman in particular, a troubled young woman with painted skin. His heart raced with worry for her, an overpowering desire that she was safe. If anything happened to her…
Shit… He heard her voice echo inside his head. You sound like a pussy…