"Scanning Phi Sector—Looks clear. Joker, move to Chi sector." Commander "Calamity" Jane Shepard ran her fingers through her thick red hair as she glanced over the Galaxy map again. Hours, and still no sign of reapers or the scientist they were supposed to pick up. He wasn't at the coordinates listed.
"I don't see why we have to be doing this, Commander. This system's dead," Joker said, rubbing the dark stubble along his jaw. He blinked, before rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand.
"Admiral Hackett gave me reports of suspicious activity near the Perseus Veil in Uncharted System AX-32082." She scrolled through the datapad resting on her desk by the Galaxy map. "One of their scientists, a Doctor DiMarco, noticed a few discrepancies on a terrestrial planet, and that was before he sent the Alliance an urgent message about a Sovereign-class reaper. Hackett wants it checked out and Dr. DiMarco returned to Alliance Brass before I return to the Citadel to meet with Councilor Tevos."
"I still don't see why we've got to do it." Joker grumbled.
Shepard crossed her arms, leaning all of her weight to one foot. "If it's about the reapers, he wants us on it."
"Yeah, yeah," he waved his hand at her. "Glorified fetch mission. A dozen ships manning this sector, not to mention the fleet of Quarians on Rannoch, and we're the ones going out of our way to check it out."
"Jeff," said the robotic A.I. sitting next to him. "The Normandy's stealth system makes us the optimal choice for any necessary reconnaissance." It still surprised Shepard how EDI looked. If not for her silver skin, she would look perfectly human. In fact, she could if she wanted to, as her model was an infiltration unit she'd taken from a spy who'd been trying flee with precious information.
"Yeah, I know, EDI. But complaining makes me feel better," Joker said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, am I the only one who remembers how this played out last time? Leviathans, Bryson?"
"Joker, focus," Shepard snapped. "We're getting close. Give me a quick run of the information again."
"Yes, ma'am!" He pressed a few buttons on the haptic interface. "Ahh, here we are. Alpha Chi 767. Discovered by a colony team in 2185. Minimal surface exploration so far—something there interferes with the sensors; all probes sent down stop working within seconds. Sent a few ground teams who describe it as arid and rocky. It's a garden planet, but just barely. Breathable atmo. A bit like Intai'sei. There are reports of a vast forest in the center of the main continent, but it remained distant no matter how far the scouts traveled towards it. Huh. That's weird."
Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Colonists are usually superstitious. Maybe the heat got to them. It's been known to happen."
"No, not that. I found the research station." Joker moved his hands around frantically, sending the readings to Commander Shepard's datapad.
"My sensors indicate there are no life signs, Commander," EDI said.
"It's been totaled, Commander," Joker added. "Everyone's dead, Dave," he muttered.
Shepard pressed her lips together in a thin line as she assessed the information. "EDI, is there any way we can access the station logs?"
EDI nodded. "Yes, that is well within my capabilities." She paused for a few seconds, tilting her head. "It appears a virus has destroyed most of the information remaining. I've sent what little I've found to your station."
"Thanks, EDI." She tapped a few buttons. A fuzzy video appeared on screen. A man with dark hair and eyes in a science uniform appeared, speaking to the camera. "—eadings of a—" Bzzt "—unlike anything—" crackle "—answer to the reap—" whine "—most powerful—" And then nothing but static.
"Well that was helpful," Shepard said, crossing her arms and walking to the helm. "You got anything else, EDI?"
"Just a few departure logs, Commander. Dr. DiMarco was not on the research station when it was attacked."
"Commander, we're approaching visual range," Joker said. Shepard turned her gaze to the window as Joker narrowly missed some debris. A jagged line of debris and large pieces of metal cut the station in half as it drifted slightly apart in orbit. "That looks nasty."
"Reapers have definitely been here," Shepard said. "EDI, I'm surprised you managed to get anything from it at all. Thanks."
"Your acknowledgement of my skills is appreciated," EDI said.
"Commander, there's some sort of field around the planet that's interfering with our long range sensors," Joker said. "I can't get a clear reading of the surface." He flew in closer, skirting around one of the twin moons. "Uh oh, we have trouble. Commander, I think I found the reaper. What's it doing out here alone? There's usually a ton of them."
A large shadow passed over the sun. It looked like an enormous squid-shaped ship, its legs stretched out like a massive hand towards the planet. Most of the people on Deck 2 shuddered. Shepard just crossed her arms, tapping her fingers on her BDUs. She glared at the thing as it flew by, and then started pacing from the Combat Information Center to the pilot's seat and back again as it passed.
She moved back to the bridge. "I don't think it's spotted us yet. Joker, move and keep orbit behind the planet. EDI, work with Specialist Traynor to see if you can't restructure the data and get more information. Traynor, patch me through to Lieutenant Cortez and tell the team to meet me in the shuttle bay. Also, keep looking for a way to get past whatever's causing the interference. I don't want to be trapped down there with no comms."
"Yes, ma'am," the dark-skinned woman saluted, and then turned to her station. "I've got him on comms, Commander."
"Feeling up to a shuttle drop, LT?" Shepard asked.
"You know it, Commander." Cortez's cheery voice sounded through the speakers.
"Be primed and ready in fifteen. Me and the team will met you down there after briefing." Shepard stalked away towards the elevator, jamming her finger on the button for her quarters. She threw her red hair into a ponytail, snapping her red body armor into place. It took less than three minutes before she stood there, fully suited up. She snapped on her Kuwashii visor, checked the readings on the ocular interface, and made her way down the elevator to the war room.
"All right, Mission time. I assume everyone's read the briefing?" A series of nods towards her. "Any volunteers?"
"I'll go," Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, her Chief Engineer, said. "You need a tech expert for the interference, and what little read-outs you were able to give me on the phenomenon are fascinating." The quarian already had her omnitool out, making notations on the data. Her purple enviro-suit glowed with the orange light from the haptic interface. Her eyes glowed softly behind her tinted helmet.
"You know me, Shepard. I'm always on your six," said Garrus Vakarian, her Gunnery Sergeant and Executive Officer, his dual-toned voice making her smile. "You want me, I'm there." The turian had his sniper rifle propped on his shoulder, his heavy blue armor gleaming. He flared his mandibles slightly in a turian grin.
"I do not see how this helps us battle the Reapers. I would prefer to stay while you primitives do the unnecessary running around," Javik sniffed, two of his four eyes blinking. "I remember nothing of this planet."
"Noted," Shepard said, smiling and shaking her head. "Any one else?" A moment of silence. "No takers? All right, then. Liara?" she said, turning to Dr. T'Soni.
"Yes, Shepard?" The blue-skinned asari replied, running her hand over her crest, much the way a human would run their fingers through their hair. She smoothed her hands over her white armor, cleaning off imaginary dust.
"The data of the area near the DZ shows some kind of old ruins. While we go search for Dr. DiMarco, I'd like you and Vega to check it out. Your skills at digging through old Prothean sites might help here."
"Right," Liara said. "But my doctorate doesn't mean I'm skilled in all xeno studies."
"James, keep an eye on her." Shepard said. "She can handle herself, but she needs someone to cover her while she checks 'em out."
"Yes, ma'am," said the well-muscled marine, cracking his neck as he moved his head from side to side. His black chest plate shifted with the movement.
"What do you need me to do, Shepard?" Ashley Williams, a fellow human and Alliance officer said. "I can't just rest on my laurels."
"Ashley, EDI, Javik, you'll need to stay here in the case of enemy boarding. I will NOT let what happened to my crew happen again, and with the interference, anything could be out there." She nodded towards Ashley. "You know Alliance protocol, and you'll be balanced among tech, combat, and biotics. Hold the fort until we return."
Ashley nodded. "I don't like it, but I'll do it," she said. EDI remained silent, and Javik remained indifferent.
They left the room and headed down to the hanger, where they boarded the shuttle. Shepard nodded to Cortez. "All systems checks finished, Commander," he said.
"Right. Let's move out, people." Joker opened the hatch, and Cortez piloted the shuttle out into the atmosphere. Cortez engaged the stealth drive, and they made their way towards the lit side of the planet, near the coordinates lifted from the research station's docking bay.
Shepard ran over the information again quickly, the other four contributing little to the conversation. Not enough was known for them to make any good guesses. The conversation moved to the jamming signal.
"Commander, with a little help from EDI, I do think I've made a breakthrough in the frequency. It's a high modulation signal transmitted from the middle of the landmass. The oscillating nature of the energy fluctuations there are what are jamming our sensors and comms. If you set your omnitools like so," she showed them few complex button presses, "You should be able to overcome the interference."
"That's useful. Thanks, Tali," Shepard said as Tali did the same for her omnitool, as well as James. Garrus and Liara, being more tech oriented, did their own. By the time they were finished, Cortez was approaching the DZ. He opened the shuttle door to sand flying everywhere.
Shepard dropped down first, her hand on her M-22 Eviscerator. Tali landed next followed by Garrus and Liara. James brought up the rear.
"All right. Garrus, Tali, Let's go."
"On it, Shepard." Tali said.
"Right behind you," Garrus said.
"Secondary scout team: Vega, Liara. Follow at a distance until we reach the prefabs. The ruins should be a short hike to your right. We don't want any surprises."
"Okay," said Liara.
"Yes, ma'am," James said.
They walked in formation for a while through the sand, making their way to the prefabricated lab buildings. The desert soon gave way to the beginnings of grassland. As they crested over the hill, a large monolith appeared leagues away, almost as if by magic.
Garrus stepped back. "Now that came out of nowhere. You seeing what I'm seeing?"
"Sure am, big guy," Shepard said.
"That thing just popped out of nowhere," Tali said. She scanned her omnitool. "Just showed up on the scanner. The power readings from that thing are immense!" She moved her arm around. "And there are the prefabs."
"Por Dios," James said. "What happened to them?"
"I don't know," Shepard said. "They look ancient."
"Hundreds of years old, by the looks of it," Liara added. "And those claw marks."
"Not the work of reaper forces," Garrus muttered. "Too large for that."
The soft hooting sound of an owl caused them to drop into battle formation, their guns swinging around, looking for the sound.
"An owl's an earth native species," Shepard said. "What's it doing out here?"
"I don't know, Commander, but it's getting a little spooky out here," said James.
Something flitted beyond Shepard's vision. She turned around to face it, but didn't see anything. "You guys see that?"
"No," they chorused.
"Not really," said Garrus.
Shepard signaled for them to find cover. It flitted out from the corner of her eyes again. Acting on instinct, she fired. Before she finished putting pressure on the trigger, however, the shotgun blazed fiery hot in her hand, and she dropped it, cursing. She quickly moved to biotics, firing up a reave.
"Leave, strangers. I have said this before. This planet is sacred ground. Leave now, before it's too late." A dark figure in a green hooded cloak stood before her, unconcerned that she had two angry biotics and three guns trained on her.
"Listen," Shepard began. "We're just here to pick up a scientist. Let us have him, and we'll go."
The figure lowered her hood. Long reddish-gold hair, curled into ringlets, flowed in the wind behind her. A green mesh band kept her hair from her face. "You sound honest. But you carry weapons of death and destruction and trespass on something you know nothing about. Your kind would use the power here, including your scientists, for the benefit of evil." She pulled out a staff.
Shepard's team around her tensed. From the corner of her eye, she could see Garrus on a high rock, moving the woman into his scope.
"That will not work. Guns are useless here." Shepard fired off a reave, but it dissipated into nothingness as the woman deflected with her staff. "Nor will your secondary powers."
Vega made to jump at her, but Shepard put her hand on his arm, keeping him back. "You want to know about weapons of destruction?" Shepard bit out. "You want to know about evil? I'll tell you. Right now, my team and I are looking for this scientist because he's one of the only ones who can help us build a weapon called the Crucible.
"Humanity's on the brink of destruction from a race called the reapers. Every 50,000 years they come and wipe out all the life in the galaxy. Earth and everyone on it will die if I don't complete my mission." Shepard took a deep breath to continue, but the woman interrupted her.
"You are from Earth?" the woman breathed.
"Yes." Shepard said. "Why? What does that matter."
"I have an obligation long made to an old friend, dead for many years. I do know of the reapers, and if this cycle has already awakened we have precious little time."
"But who are you?" Tali asked.
"I am Dulcea," she said, "Master Warrior of Phaedos."
Ugh, if the ending of Mass Effect 3 can use "space magic" so can I, but I like this space magic better. I have plans, so many plans. –grins evilly– Blame that stupid teen nick marathon for getting me back into my very first fandom.