The planet was a garden world, habitable but with a higher concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere making the plant life grow to almost prehistoric proportions. Let's not mention the insect life.
"Dios!" James exclaimed, flailing briefly. "Where the hell is that facility? I'm pretty sure that mosquito was the size of a chihuahua."
"Just up ahead." Shepard said, humor accenting her voice. "I told you to use bug spray, Vega."
"Fuck bug spray," He grumbled, "Give me a damn flame thrower."
The facility was almost overgrown with vegetation, ivy vines climbing up the sides of the building. All there needed to be is torrential rain and it would remind her of Pragia. As if beckoned, thunder rolled overhead, rain starting a moment later, pattering against leaves and trees, masking the sounds of their approach.
Cerberus troopers in their white armor stood out very stark against the dark, lush green of their surroundings as they patrolled the perimeter. Giving the hand signal to stay put, Shepard snuck up behind the nearest trooper and in a quick move, snapped his neck, pulling him away from the building and out of sight.
"Nice going." James said, "He have a security pass?"
"Got it right here." She said, pulling the slim card from a slot in the armor, attaching it to her own.
"Okay, that'll get us into the building," Garrus said, "Any clue on what we'll find inside?"
"Nope." Shepard said and he gave a sigh.
"Just like old times." He said, "And we still have no idea what this "Project: Persephone" is?"
"No, we do not." Shepard said, "All we know is what Liara's agents manage to weasel out of Cerberus operatives. That it's highly classified and only a few people even know about it. Miranda even had no idea what I was talking about when I asked her about it. Or, at least, she said she had no idea. I guess we'll find out when we get there."
"Granted this isn't another dead end like the last three places." James said and flailed again, "Seriously, can we get inside now?"
"Move out." She said, shaking her head with a smile pulling at her lips. Garrus and James worked good together, but she missed Kaidan. The press of his biotics against her own, the way he always seemed to know exactly where she wanted him, like he could read her mind. But he was light years away, recovering from his injuries in Huerta. The sight of his bruised and bloody face came forward unbidden and she blinked hard to push the image away.
They had just started to patch things up, talking during her incarceration on Earth, having highly supervised meals together when his schedule allowed it. She still loved him and she missed him.
But it wasn't the time nor the place to think about such things, she needed to focus on the task at hand and Madeline Shepard could have incredible focus when she needed to. It's what got her through Akuze: focusing on staying alive even as everyone around her died. It got her through the N7 Sentinel Program, defeating Saren (her only lapse: the perfect night she spent with Kaidan), and destroying the Collector base. Yes, she could be incredibly focused when she needed to be.
Shepard activated her tech armor the moment they entered the base, a firefight erupting almost immediately as troopers opened fire.
"It's Shepard!" The call went out, scientists scrambling into rooms probably to destroy files.
"EDI!" She called over the comms.
"I gained control of their systems and started a data mine the moment you entered the facility, Shepard." The AI said in her ear, "The files are heavily encrypted and it will take time to decode them, but I believe have all the information pertaining to Project: Persephone. I have also taken the liberty of locking all of the scientists in their labs."
"You're the best, EDI." She said amidst bursts from her rifle.
"Keep Shepard away from Persephone!" A trooper yelled.
"Looks like we found the right place!" James noted, almost with glee and they moved their way through the facility, heading in the direction where the troopers seemed to be the thickest. The Cerberus soldiers fought hard to push them back, but they kept moving forward until the area was cleared.
"Shepard," EDI said in her ear, "According to the few files I have managed to decrypt, Project: Persephone is being housed in a room in the northeast wing of the facility."
"Any idea what it is, yet?"
"Negative, Shepard. These files seem to be from the Project's infancy a little over a year ago."
"When I was working with Cerberus."
"That is correct. It seems the Project was started towards the end of Project: Lazarus, before you regained consciousness."
"You guys got all that?" Shepard asked.
"Got it, northeast wing of the facility." James said.
"Maybe it was their backup plan in case bringing you back didn't work?" Garrus suggested.
"It was started towards the end, meaning they had already brought me back, I just needed to finish healing. Let's just get to Project center and we'll figure out what it is." Shepard and they made their way towards it, battling through waves of troopers as they pushed forward.
There was a door different from the others and they cleared the area around it, James setting proximity mines at the ends of the hallways' entrances so they would know if they were about to get interrupted.
"Garrus, get the door, we'll keep watch." Shepard said.
"On it, Shepard." He said as he approached it, bringing up his omnitool. It took a bit longer, but the more sophisticated lock flashed green, the door opening. He was suddenly blasted back, hitting the wall hard and sliding to the floor as the door closed and locked again.
"Garrus!" Shepard exclaimed, going to him and crouching down.
"I'm fine." He wheezed, "Human. Female. Dark hair, strong biotics. Didn't get a very good look at her before she Threw me out of the room, but she wasn't dressed like a scientist."
"EDI are we in the right place?" Shepard asked, as she held Garrus' shoulder.
"Yes, Shepard. Project: Persephone is behind that door."
"Son of a-" She moved away from him, standing and approaching the door. "Persephone?" There was a pregnant pause.
"How did you know my name?" The voice was soft, hesitant, but demanding.
"Holy shit." James said, "It's not a piece of tech or a weapon, it's a person."
"Persephone, can you open the door? We're not going to hurt you." Shepard said.
"All I've heard for the past hour is the sounds of people dying, and you say you're not going to hurt me?" There was a small, humorless laugh, "The words "bite me" come to mind."
"My name is Commander Shepard, do you know who I am?"
"Yeah, they talked about you. Trust me, you really don't want to know what they said." Persephone said, "They also said you'd kill me if you ever found me."
"I'm not here to kill you, Persephone, I came here to find you."
"Why?"
"To get you out of here." Shepard said, her voice turning gentle, "Can't imagine this is a great place to be."
"It's all I've ever known." Her voice held a sad note of defeat and resignation. "You're really here to take me out?"
"I am." Shepard said and there was a long pause.
"Okay, I'm opening the door, but holster your weapon and keep your hands where I can see them." Putting her rifle away, she raised her hands in a disarming sort of way, the door opening. The room was a plain sterile white with absolutely no personal touches. Simple hospital bed, foot locker and wardrobe. She ended her brief inspection at the woman standing there in white patient scrubs, her feet bare on the metal floor.
Dark, ashen brown hair fell down her back in loose ringlets, swept over to one side showing that a large section of it had been shaved away, and old surgery scar and marks of an implant visible through the dark stubble on her scalp. Large, warm amber colored eyes regarded her carefully, and there was something about her eyes that was so familiar, though Shepard couldn't place it. Shepard took a step forward but instantly stopped as she took a step back, biotics pressing against hers.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Persephone." Shepard said gently.
"You mentioned that." Persephone said, still looking at her as if she expected her to attack. She took another couple of steps away, biotics making her eyes swirl as James came into the room suddenly.
"It's okay!" Shepard said, "Persephone, this is Lieutenant James Vega, he's with me. He's not going to hurt you either."
"And the Turian?"
"That's also a friend of mine. I'm sorry he scared you."
"He didn't scare me." Persephone said defensively, "He just...I wasn't expecting a Turian to walk in with a gun drawn, is all. There's no one but other humans here."
"Is him being a Turian going to be a problem?" Shepard asked carefully and received a look.
"They tried to teach me to hate aliens, said they were all monsters and animals. I asked them why I should hate them and they didn't give me a good enough answer so I knew it was all ignorant bullshit." She said.
"She kind of reminds me of you, Lola." James said with a sideways grin. "Troopers are regrouping, if we're leaving and taking her with us, we have to do it soon."
"Are you coming with us, Persephone?" Shepard asked and she watched her think about it, looking around the room.
"Let's get out of here."