Guardians of the Effect
Many followed him when he left-if not with their legs, then with their hearts –Fractal Scrolls: Legs of the Exile
Chapter two: Cordial Surprises
Unknown
Kane Ackerson felt as if a veil of sleep had been lifted off him. Every inch of his body felt the same as when he had first been resurrected in the Cosmodrome. But the stiffness wasn't the only unfamiliar thing of his situation. Sterile scents filled his nostrils, recognizing the telltale signs or artificial air and medical supplies. There were voices also, discussing medical jargon that he couldn't understand and really had no actual desire too. He decided to lay there trying to fill in the gaps of his memory.
They were on their way back from a successful run on Venus. Having secured some more golden age tech from the fallen had been a usually hit and grab. The two others of his fire team, an exo hunter and awoken warlock. Had sustained no real injuries and were discussing logistics when they had started back towards the tower. Something had felt wrong to Kane after the grab. Fallen were not easily deterred from their finds, usually meaning a complete clearing of hostiles was necessary to actual secure anything meaningful. The Fallen stil resisted, but did so with a resignation that Kane knew no proper Fallen would give. The Guardians fights with the House of Wolves had proven to every Guardian that Fallen were just as ruthless and cunning as every other enemy they faced.
Just as he was gathering his thoughts the telltale voice of his ghost brought him back to the present. "Guardians I'm detecting Fallen ships. A lot of them!" As if on cue Fallen ships had the 3 smaller guardian ships surrounded. Kane knew that they couldn't hope to face down a small fleet of Fallen. Reacting quickly he had ordered the other to take evasive maneuvers While he distracted them. Engaging the enemy he had given his team enough time to find a way out of the Fallen net. Setting his own escape something hit the Ship at the same time. Ignoring the probable extensive damage Kane had gone into FTL anyway. After that blackness ensued.
Until now he mused. Getting a better feel of how his body was Kane decided to see who had rescued him.
Normandy Medical Bay
Shepard had just rounded the corner into the med bay when the man they had rescued from the research station had started to wake up. Looking over at Chakwas and Mordin she could tell while the scans they had done were not alarming, they certainly had curious expressions on them. Noting that for later she turned her attention to the quickly rising stranger. He was human as far as she could tell with not many distinguishing marks besides the telltale scars of battle and the Blue bars on his face. He carried an air of someone who had seen war and all it entitled. Taking the initiative Shepard walked towards the man who was getting up out of the medical cot, albeit rather stiffly. "No small part being stuck in stasis for that long "she thought.
"Easy now. You might not be feeling he best after we pulled you out of that research station" she responded after he had given an audible groan. "I'm Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy SR-2. We found you aboard Council research vessel in stasis. That is the reason you are having difficulty moving."
"So I have noticed." He responded but straitened into a familiar military stance "I am Titan class Guardian Kane Ackerson. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." She was more than a little glad to have a cordial conversation rather than the few she had been having these last few days. He continued "If I may have a moment ma'am." Suddenly a sparkle of energy floated over his hand followed by an oddly shaped item. it looked like a ball that was surrounded by little spikes. It was colored thae same as the Titan's tattoos, and she wondered if there was a reason for it. Then it spoke in a mans voice, worry and calm in the same tone.
"Ah Guardian it is good to see you alive. For a long time I could not activate due to a stasis field." Shepard stared in cautious amazement. Not five seconds after he had gotten up he could seemingly summon an AI like entity from thin air, not only that it seemed to be a completely normal thing to the now named guardian. Then it spoke again "Guardian I am detecting something odd. There seems to be no Light signatures that i recognize. There is still Light, but it is...untapped is the best way to put it." After the item had stated that the face on the man had become wide eyed. She had seen it before on Elysium, when families had found out that loved ones would not be coming home. Putting that aside she knew she needed answers, preferably before she became a sputtering fool at hte seemingly impossible feats this man was accomplishing.
"Guardian Kane if I may have a moment back here." The statement seemingly brought the man out of his stupor his eyes coming towards the commander. "Forgive me Commander Shepard it was necessary to check for that. This is my ghost who accompanies all guardians. I call him Tex" He said matter of flatly. "Greeting Commander Shepard. "The now named construct said. It was then that Mordin seemingly popped out of nowhere to have his Omni tool out and scanning the construct.
"Intriguing. AI of different structure. Summoned by influx of energy from subject. Not Biotic either. Need more tests." The Salarian was going on about the construct when the Guardian began speaking. "I'm assuming since this is your first time seeing a Ghost you have never heard of the guardians or of the Tower?" Shepard thought for a moment. She had never heard a designation such as Titan-class Guardian, or any of the other things that the man was saying. Shaking her head the man seemingly went pensive. It was then that the Ghost spoke again. "Guardian it seems we are out of are element here. I don't know how we got here but it seems we are stuck here for the time being."
Shepard sympathized with the Titan. She herself had lost two years and even though she had slipped back into the Commander Shepard role, some things were still catching her by surprise.. The man was an enigma of sorts, but Shepard could tell a solider when she saw one. "Guardian Kane You look as if you have seen combat, if I am not mistaken." The man looked at her and after a moment nodded to the ghost. Out of seemingly nowhere armor sprung up on the guardian, heavy plates, under weave and weapons forming instantaneously. The whole process had taken a few seconds at most and left the occupants in the room with gaping mouths. Shepard herself had never seen ant armor like it, which was intricately detailed with wolves and other details that armor like hers could never prove to have a combat purpose. Rolling his shoulders the guardian spoke, rather smugly "Commander if you have need of me just ask."
After settling the guardian into a corner of the cargo bay Jane Shepard took a moment to catch herself. In the last ten minutes she had seen technologies and weapons that quite frankly made the guardian an even bigger, and more dangerous, mystery. After another moment she decided to track Mordin down to see if she could get some answers. After a quick glance from to the med bay she surmised that the doctor had gone back up to his labs.
The elevator, slow as ever, gave Jane a moment to collect her thoughts. Whatever this new addition to the team was, she was not going to turn down such an experienced solider. They were heading to Purgatory for a prisoner exchange. While Miranda had assured her that everything was in place for a problem free mission. Shaking her head at the confidence her XO had that there would be no problems she made a mental note to have Garrus and the guardian ready. Reaching deck 2 she made her way over to Mordin's lab, noticing the Salarian was pacing and talking so fast her translator had no hope to comprehend. That was either a really good sign, or trouble that was brewing.
Finally taking notice that Jane was in the room Mordin began to speak in his peculiar manner. "Ah Shepard. No doubt here about our new arrival. From observations can tell solider, experienced. Different technology than what we currently possess. Use of AI like entity intriguing. But not most peculiar part."
Jane noticed the pause Mordin had taken to bring up something on his omni-tool. Shepard was an expert on tech and knew enough that the scans, while biological, seemed to be laced with power readings rivaling some tech.
"Mordin what exactly am I looking at here?" She said, curiosity giving way to caution. "Biological scans. human anatomy. Proper organ muscle and skeleton layout. But body is laced with 3 distinct forms of energy. This energy seems to be multipurpose, provides various bonuses such as augmentation of strength, speed whatnot. Energy seems to be at command, showing a form of harnessing energy we have yet to see. Only form we see is Biotic."
Despite the absurdity of it Shepard couldn't bring herself to disagree with the scientist. Looking through the information the energies were the same base, but split into the 3 distinct patters that the scans had picked up. She surmised that the best course of action was to ask the guardian, Kane, what exactly his combat abilities were. She thought back to the Ghost, Tex she remembered, and had enough questions that she would probably need an entire day to ask all of them. Logging the information for later perusal she exscused herself and was making her way to check messages when joker came over the ship's comm.
"Commander we're 8 hours out to purgatory."
"Thank you Joker. EDI have Garrus and Kane meet me at the Airlock in in 7."
"At once Commander." EDI replied.
Normandy Cargo Bay
Kane took a moment to gather himself before collapsing next to a wall. In the last ten minutes he had learned that not only was there no other guardians near him, it seemed that the tower or the guardians never existed. From what his Ghost was relaying to him it seemed as though the theory that this was another galaxy, or more absurdly universe, was correct. Lettings out a rather long sigh his ghost noticed and asked if he was alright.
"Honestly?" started Kane "I'm not entirely sure. But can you tell me if the other two escaped from the Fallen trap?" The Ghost confirmed that the rest of his fire team, his friends, had managed to elude the Fallen. Taking solace that they had a least escaped he nodded his head. Thinking back to his current predicament the guardian went back over what had transpired in the med bay. He was obviously among humans. There were aliens here too. He had met one called Garrus, a turian his ghost had relayed to him. The doctor that had taken scans of him and Tex was a salarian and the one that looked down at him from the above window was a Krogan. Each and every single one of them were seemingly under the command of the red haired woman Commander Shepard. For some reasoned he was reminded of Zavala, seriousness and tactical, and Cayde-6, clever and an all-around pleasure to be around. Laughing at himself he decided to go over his weapons and armor, the familiarity letting him put away his worries for a little bit.
He was wearing most of his iron banner armor, intricate and made to show off and protect. He had several pieces of vanguard and crucible armor among his reserve and was grateful that he had spent the time gathering materials for them. Since he was going on a short mission he had only taken a few weapons of each category, which he was happy to see Tex had brought more than he thought. Taking out Hawkmoon he set to work on modifying only to run into a problem that he knew would impede anything to do with his gear. He had a full stock of Glimmer, but without knowing a way to acquire, or even produce it, he would have to be careful with how much he used. Thinking of a solution he hoped to the Traveler that it would pan out.
"Ghost can you detect our ship?" The ghost seemed to hesitate before he responded. "Guardian I am sorry. Just after we went out of FTL the ship was irreparable, even if we had made it to the tower. I kept enough systems for someone to find us and scuttled the rest. After that I deactivated to preserve you.
Kane knew the protocol for damaged ships. The vanguard strictly outlined that no tech was to be left behind for their enemies to scavenge. Thus all guardian ships that could not make it back to the tower were to be scuttled, leaving enough tech for a transmat and a beacon. Thinking of the tower Kane again went over his weapons, hoping that he would be able to find suitable ammo and at worst, different weaponry. After checking his systems and Light abilities a voice came over the room's intercom.
"Guardian Ackerson Commander Shepherd would like you to be ready for the next mission and to meet her at the airlock in 7 hours." A synthesized voice came out. Nodding he noticed that Ghost had frozen for a second. Putting that aside he responded "Thank you. If I may get directions and a name I would be grateful."
"The elevator to your left will bring you up to deck 2. The airlock is straight to the front of the deck. And My name is Edi Guardian."
"Kane is alright Edi" He responded "Kane Ackerson.
