Part I The voice and face of all evil. Chapter three: The escape from Rannoch
Commander Shepard stared at the vehicle in front of her. The design was completely alien to her. It was to graceful looking. It seemed like no threat at all, but something wanted her not to think that way. She had a feeling the small aircraft was a lot stronger than she could imagine. Speaking of strength her mind wandered to what Reluctant Promise had said. He had stated the Reapers were weaker than the UNSC. That statement sent shivers down her spine. But she shrugged off the feeling. She could ask the monitor details later. She had to focus on the task at hand.
"By the spirits..." Garrus exclaimed looking at the craft.
"I've never seen anything like this..." Liara gasped walking towards the craft.
"Please be careful" Reluctant Promise exclaimed.
"I'm rather experienced with ancient technology. Ill be fine." Liara stated. Reluctant promise floated over to her.
Suddenly a shriek filled the air. A shriek that Shepard had heard a day ago on the Citadel. She felt a cold chill run up her spine. It was as if her body was naturally afraid of the sound. As if a six sense told her what was coming.
"Oh crap..." Jacqueline exclaimed. The group turned back towards the giant chasm behind them. Hundreds of bulbous infection forms crawled up the walls of the chasm from the entrance on the other side. Several combat and pure forms were standing in the doorway staring right at the group. They shrieked and stomped back and forth, obviously upset from their inability to reach their prey.
"Impossible... I sent over two hundred sentinels to deal with them... There's no way they should've got past my guards." The monitor said furious. His light glowed a bright red at his obvious irritation.
"We'll desperate times call for desperate measures." He said angered. Shepard slightly shifted her body away from the monitor. She felt even more uncomfortable with the monitor now. She noted his quick mood changes and made another mental note to be very cautious when she spoke with him.
Shepard saw something she had never seen before. Two small black holes opened up on ether side of the monitor. Shepard immediately backed away as did the rest of her group. Two beings emerged out of the portals. Once they had emerged the portals shut behind them.
Katherine was in awe of the beings. They were tall. Very tall. Much taller than even a Krogan. She estimated it at least eight to ten feet tall. The beings body's were completely metallic. Their design was sleek like the rest of structure. Weapons were seemingly attached to their arms. Their legs were skinny as were their Ames but their torsos were broad and large. Their backs were almost hunched back but seemed to be that way due to the large amounts of metal attached to their back. Bluefish lines if light traveled down and around their bodies. Their faces were covered by triangular masks with two slits for their eyes. The creatures didn't even look at Shepard or her squad. The two made their way to the platform and stood in front of it. Another parasite shriek filed the air. The creatures backs opened up like insect wings and their masks opened up revealing the glowing human skulls beneath them. They roared back at the parasite. Shepard found the roar intimidating. Almost as terrifying as the parasites shrieks.
Almost.
"Hurry we must depart at once." The monitor said floating away towards the ship.
"We can't leave just yet." Shepard stated firmly. Reluctant promise turned around and looked at her almost quizzically.
"But why not? At the rate the parasite is spreading I recommended immediate evacuation of this facility." The monitor stated.
"There's a signal originating form here that's blocking all of our long range communications, if we can't disable it there's no way we can save the remaining Quarians or Geth." Shepard informed.
"Ah! Yes the signal! I activated it to disable the parasites ability to contact with the rest of their fleet. When they discovered the facility they would've called for reinforcements and the last thing we want is for them to receive reinforcements. I was hoping to delay the destruction of this planets inhabitants. It seems my plan may have back fired..." The monitor stated. His voice had no edge of concern in it. Rather he seemed frustrated that his hadn't worked simply for the sake of it not working. To Shepard and the others it seemed like he could've cared less about the Quarians of Geth. His red light beginning to glow brighter. Shepard tightened her grip on her riffle.
"No need to be alarmed commander. I have disabled the signal meaning we really must go now." Reluctant said his light turning back to its light blue color. He floated towards the ship.
"How do we know your not just working with the parasite? How do we know your not lying to us?" Liara asked looking at the monitor.
"I suppose you don't. But what do you call it? Faith is it? Hmmm... Anyway you'll need to trust me if you want to leave this planet. As it is if I wanted you dead you all would've already been dead." He replied as he continued to the craft. As if to support his claim another parasite shriek filled the air. The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"At least he's honest." Garrus replied. The remaining marine snorted at his comment.
"Shepard?" Liara asked looking over at their commander. Shepard was in deep thought. She kept trying to think of a solution. Trying to find a way around the monitor so they wouldn't have to place their lives in his care. She looked at Liara with angry and defeated eyes though Liara took no hint to it since Shepard's look was one of stone. She looked towards the monitor.
"I don't see another way out. If we don't follow him then those things will tear us apart." Shepard said motioning towards the chasm and the parasite within it. The group exchanged uneasy glances but stayed quiet.
"We must go." the monitor announced from his position near aircraft. "We don't have much time." He said in a worried tone.
"Check that out." The marine said in awe. Shepard turned to see what he was referring too.
Katherine flinched as she saw several combat Flood forms jump onto the platform a pile of ash at their feet. She raised her weapon and was about to fire when the knights lunged. She watched how fast they were.
The first knight had managed to lunge fast enough that combat forms couldn't even react to it. A hard light sword slide out of its arm. In one swift motion it spun around and severed the combat forms body in two. The other forms tried to lunge at it but weren't fast enough. The knight managed to spin around. With its other arm, a hard light weapon built into it, blasted one of the combat forms in the face. Shepard watched as the rounds ripped through the parasites body like paper and the combat form literally disintegrate into ash. She now knew what the ash at the knights feet was. The knights had been defending the, while their backs had been turned.
The other combat forms, three left in all, attacked the knight. They opened fire with several unknown weapons, streaks of blue and green slamming into the knight. Shepard noticed the knights shields flare but that didn't stop it from charging the combat forms. The knight slammed into one form knocking it to the ground, it swung its arm and sliced another form in half. The third form drew another weapon. It held a hilt of strange design in its deformed tentacles. Shepard wondered what such a small weapon was capable of. Suddenly a very strange looking sword formed from the hilt. It glowed white and Shepard could see the heat it radiated. The form lunged at the knight. Shepard's heart briefly stopped as she wondered how knight would survive the attack. In her eyes the weapon the parasite wielded reminded her of an omni blade, but one that seemed capable of killing in one hit. Then something that completely baffled her happened.
A split second before the sword made contact a worm hole opened up behind the knight. The knight suddenly was pulled into it and the hole disappeared. The sword slashed through the air where the knight had once been. Shepard felt her mouth drop slightly at the sight. Suddenly another hole opened up behind the flood form. The knight lunged out of the hole and sliced the flood form in half. The last form alive had gotten to its feet. Several rounds from the knights weapon disintegrated the last flood form completely.
"That was rather... Impressive..." Garrus stated placing his hand under his chin.
"More than impressive." Jacqueline stated.
"I would not want to fight one of those." Liara muttered.
Shepard couldn't agree more. The speed and size of the things was terrifying enough but with their weapons made them even more way they were a able to just disappear then reappear out of no where, gave her the chills. How could she fight an enemy she couldn't watch.
"Commander we must leave immediately! The enemy ships are moving into position to orbitally bombard the installation!" Reluctant Promise yelled knocking the group out of its momentary trance. Shepard quickly looked back and forth between the knights, whom were fighting another horde of flood forms, and the monitor. She didn't like it but they had no other real options. Suddenly an explosion rocked the entire building. Dust and pieces of metal fell form the roof.
"Quickly on the ship!" Shepard said breaking into a sprint. Her team did not hesitate to follow.
Reluctant Promise turned to the ship. His eye began to glow green for a second. Suddenly a ramp from the ship lowered down onto the floor. The monitor floated on board. Shepard half expected the ramp to start closing once he was on board. To her surprise the engines powered up but the ramp stayed down. The group quickly ran onto the ramp. The moment the last person steeped on board the ship began to lift off. The engines blew away layers of dust that had lined the ship and the floors. The dust twirled around the ship giving it a menacing presence as if rising out of a dust storm.
Shepard walked onto what she figured was the bridge of the ship. It was rather large and spacious. The two seats were triangular with smoothed edges. Strips of pulsating blue light lined the edges of each seat. Holographic panels lined the walls. Shepard noticed how there were no obvious ways to control the ship. Glass windows allowed the occupants to see outside. The front window or viewport, was shaped rather normally for the bridge of a small ship. Shepard wondered where the rest of her team would sit. She also wondered what type of ship this was. The ship was to large to be a fighter and to small to be a frigate. Either way after a few seconds she classified it as a fighter.
The monitor was floating towards the front of the ship, hovering above the central control panel. Shepard walked towards him. She noticed symbols and strange shapes that made up the central control panel. She wondered what they meant. Shepard stopped behind one of the front seats and looked out of the front window.
The Commander noticed the walls were moving, then remembered it wasn't the walls but the ship. She moved around the seat and looked up and out the front viewport. She noticed they were racing towards the ceiling which surprised her. She couldn't even feel the ship moving as such speeds. It felt as if it was still grounded.
"Where are we going?" Shepard asked. The monitor never responded.
Katherine watched as the roof began to open up in a circular motion. The metal roof pulled away into the surrounding roof and revealed a beam of light from the surface. Shepard could see the stories of dirt buried between the installation and the surface. She noticed the walls moving away faster and figured the ship was speeding up. Before Shepard knew it they shot through the hole in the roof and she watched as tons of dirt zipped by them. Darkness enveloped the craft leaving only the slightest amount of light from the light of the surface above them and the blue lighting within the craft.
"Where are we?" Liara asked walking over to them after noticing their entrance into the darkness. The rest of the group took notice and turned their attention to Shepard and the monitor.
"We are currently rising at 3000/feet per second towards the surface. A slow pace considering this is an older model but it will suffice. But to answer your question we are currently on the crust of Rannoch in the southern region. We will be headed into space shortly." At the end of the monitors sentence the ship vertically shot out of the hole in the earth and into the daylight of the surface. The group covered their eyes from the sudden change in light. Shepard was barely able to make out the surrounding forest as the ship lifted off into the air. She noticed a few Flood ships already descending down to the installation. She could see the scorch marks on the ground from where the ships had bombed the installation. She was rather surprised when she saw how many scorch marks there were. Dozens littered the ground and the ancient ruins on the surface had been incinerated.
"Commander Shepard I would recommend you contact your ship and shuttle. You should inform them about our current course of action." Reluctant Promise stated.
"And what exactly is our current course of action?" Shepard asked looking at the monitor.
"We will head to your fleet of ships hidden on the outer rim. After that we will depart from this system and move out to smaller system only a few hundred light years away from the outer rim." Reluctant Promise stated.
"Why on earth would we dare venture out that far? Especially without access to a Mass Relay?" Shepard asked irritated. To her his plan seemed plainly stupid. They would be running away from their only means of transportation to their allies yet alone the Galaxy.
"Commander the enemy will soon find the station and its only a matter of time till the discover the location of the last reclaimer. We must save the last Reclaimer." The monitor stated.
With a sudden burst of seed the ship blasted off into space tearing straight through the atmosphere with ease. Shepard looked out in awe and fear. She saw thousands of flood ships rocketing towards them. The designs of the ships were unlike anything she had ever seen. There were so many designs she could barely even register all of them. Katherine wondered which ship had belonged to the supposed all powerful Reclaimers.
"Activating Slip space drive." The monitor said aloud.
"Slip space?" Liara asked.
He didn't respond. Instead a worm hole, similar to the ones the knights had used to teleport around, opened in front of their ship. The ship entered the worm hole, black space enveloping them. Shepard looked out trying to find any source of light. It was pitch black wherever they were. Before she could even ask where they had gone another worm hole opened up in front of them. Shepard could see the light of stars and planets through the hole in the black space. The ship flew through the hole with ease and re-entered normal space. Shepard looked around quickly trying to locate where they were. She saw ahead the surviving Quarian and Geth ships. It completely baffled her how quickly they had managed to travel the entire system.
"How the hell did he do that..." Garrus gasped.
"Radio the Normandy and let them know where we are. Tell them to get Cortez and get over here." Shepard ordered.
"No need commander. I already transmitted a message for you. Your ship is already on their way... Oh look an incoming transmission." Reluctant promise said cheerily.
Shepard was surprised. She hadn't expected him to do that. She quickly washed her thoughts away as a hologram appeared displaying Captain Quartin.
"This is Captain Quartin of the migrant fleet. I ask who you are and what is your purpose in our system?" The captain asked with fire.
"Your system? Well according to recent events the system now belongs to the Flood. Though I can understand why you would believe it is still Your System despite the fact you and the Geth have basically been evicted." Reluctant Promise stated, completely unfazed by the captains tone.
Captain Quartin was taken aback by the AIs statement. Before he could speak Shepard stepped into the picture.
"Captain this is commander Shepard. Its along story but we have to leave now. This is Reluctant Promise. He's an Artificial Intelligence unit form the installation we found on Rannoch"
"Another AI?" The Quarian gasped. Unknown to Shepard he wasn't to fond of AI's, even after the Geth had given them back their planet.
"Yes. I am an AI. But I recommended we flee immediately. The Flood have already discovered the installation and are seemingly aware of my abandonment. They are already approaching our current location and will soon be upon us if we don't leave immediately."
Shepard felt a twinge of curiosity inside her. She wondered why the Flood would chase them as they fled the system? She knew they obviously the weren't a threat. She noted what the monitor had said. That he had abandoned his installation... She had figured the Flood were after the installation not the AI. She glanced at the AI skeptically. She wondered why they would want him.
"You bring death upon my people you monster..." Captain Quartin hissed back at the Monitor.
"Captain enough." Shepard said holding a hand up to his hologram. The Captain muttered something under his breath but stood down. Shepard looked down for only the briefest of moments. She pondered what the AI had said.
"Captain Quartin as of right now we don't have much of a choice in deciding what to do. Those ships are coming for us and unless we want to end up as a pile of floating debris, we neEd to leave immediately." Katherine stated firmly.
"She is correct. We need to leave here and head to a system a little ways out from the edge of the outer rim. If we..." Reluctant Promise started.
"I'd rather die than listen to the words of an AI." The Captain spat interrupting the monitors statement. Shepard looked back up at his hologram and internally frowned. She hadn't none he had such a hate for AIs. Then again who was she to judge? It had only been ten years ago the Geth had controlled their home planet. Shepard was sure she would still hate any race that had done that to humanity. Still she was getting frustrated. She understood why the Captain was angry but if he didn't listen they would all die. She didn't even want to test how strong the Floods fleet really was.
"Captain." Shepard said interrupting the twos conversation again. She didn't know how to convince him, heck she had barely convinced herself, but she knew Reluctant Promise was right. At least about this. She knew the Flood would destroy them. The rest she could worry about later.
"You might rather die Captain, but what about your people? Are you really willing to sacrifice their lives just to appease your pride?" Shepard stated. It sounded harsh but she couldn't play nice right now. They needed to get moving.
"Commander how dare you ally yourself with such filth!" The Captain hissed. Shepard was taken aback by his harshness. She was beginning to think his hatred was a little to much even for her understanding. Something that irritated her.
"You may be willing to sacrifice your people's lives but I am not Captain." She was surprised she was arguing with him. He had been so cooperative before.
"Turn over your command to me and I'll lead your people out of here." Shepard ordered. The Captains head moved back in shock. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. A stranger ordering him around.
"How dare an outsider order me around." He muttered. Shepard shook her head but could sense his resolve. The Captain sighed.
"We only have about twenty two minutes till the Flood ships arrive. Also Commander, the Normandy has joined the group and is approaching our ship." Reluctant promise informed. He reminded Katherine of Legion. The two would get along splendidly with their fact telling.
"Captain decide now. Leave your people or come with us." Shepard asked impatiently. The Captain slowly looked up at her. He sighed again and ran his hand over his head. After what felt like a couple of minutes which greatly irritated Shepard the captain spoke.
"Commander I trust your judgement even if it means trusting this AI. Lead and we shall follow." The Captain stated. Shepard could here the doubt and anger subdued in his voice but she was glad he had at least temporarily calmed himself down though she knew she would later get an ear full from him.
"Thank you Captain." Shepard said slightly relived. She looked up at Reluctant Promise.
"So where are we headed?" She asked hurriedly. She was starting to get anxious as she wondered how close the Flood fleet was.
The Monitor floated silently for a few moments staring blankly, at least what Shepard thought was a blank stare, at Captain Quartins hologram. Suddenly he turned one hundred eighty degrees and looked back at her.
"I have sent coordinates to the fleet and your ship. Tell them to follow the coordinates at their fastest possible speeds and that we will rendezvous with them shortly." The monitor stated. Shepard wondered why they would meet them later.
"Explain to me why we are meeting up with them later rather than following them?" Shepard crossed her arms and looked at the monitor with a glare. Garrus and Jacqueline shifted uncomfortably, feeling the intensity of the glare, but as expected the monitor wasn't even fazed by it.
"Commander the Flood fleet will catch us if they are not intercepted. There must be a distraction to stall them so the fleet can get away."
"Let me guess we're the distraction?" Garrus sighed comically.
"Correct. This ship may not be large enough to handle an entire fleet but she does have a few tricks that are enough to stall a fleet." Reluctant promise stated in a devious voice. Shepard shifted her weight onto one leg.
"So what tricks does this small ship have to take on an entire fleet?" Shepard asked with a raised eyebrow.
The monitor looked back at her. His glowing eye flashed yellow.
"I'll show you."
Katherine stared out of the viewport with a panicking heart. She kept her face and body calm and composed, but inside she was rather nervous. They were going to face off over fifty thousand ships with a single fighter like craft. Even with the monitors plan she thought it was a bad idea, but she knew they had to do it. She knew Reluctant Promise was right. They couldn't run or the Flood would catch them. So they had to distract them and give them the edge they needed to disappear.
Shepard had watched the Remnants of the Migrant and Geth fleets flee the system with the Normandy as the lead. She was still very skeptical about wherever the monitor had sent them, but she could only hope they would be ok. With the Relay being guarded by the Flood there was no other way to escape the system.
Katherine shook her head trying to clear her mind. She had a lot of people resting on her decisions and her decisions were based off sheer trust and luck. It wasn't the smartest situation she had gotten herself into but she couldn't see anyway it could get worse.
Commander Shepard shifted her weight away from the viewport as a high pitched ding went off. The monitor had explained this would happen when they got within firing range. She prayed they wouldn't fire right away.
"Lets be glad they don't have any Reclaimer ships with them." Reluctant Promise announced as he entered the bridge. He had left to inspect the ships weapons.
"Why?" Shepard asked raising an eyebrow. The monitor floated up next to her, staring out the viewport towards the enemy fleet.
"If they did my plan would not work. The ships would be to resilient for my idea to work." He stated. Shepard studied the mass of different ships. She wondered what the Reclaimers ships looked like. She was seeing sleek and bulbous purple ships, rectangular and sure like gray ships, triangular and metallic ships, sleek and smooth looking metallic ships, and so many other various forms she could barely even describe to herself.
A small red light began to blink on the dashboard of controls.
"The enemy is preparing to fire..." Reluctant Promise stated.
"Great." Liara muttered from behind. Suddenly several more seats slide out from under the floor around the rest of Shepard's group.
"You may want to take a seat." The monitor said his eye glowing red.
Katherine didn't hesitate. She sat in one of the front seats and a hard light belt wrapped over her in an X form. The same happened to the rest of her group. Garrus was rather intrigued by the belts.
Suddenly a cold ran over the bridge. Shepard felt her hairs stand up on her arms.
"He doesn't know I'm here. He will try to intimidate you. Don't let him find me or we are all dead." Reluctant Promise stated in an almost shaky voice, his light dimming greatly. Shepard looked at him with a strange awe. She had never heard the monitor sound scared. Even of the Flood. So what could possibly scare him so much?
You know me Commander... A deep and horrid voice filled the air. Shepard knew the voice, but it still managed to send fear crawling up her spine.
"By the spirits..." Garrus gasped with a shiver running down his spine. Shepard felt her body cringe as the voice addressed her.
"Who are you?" She asked. She knew the voice was related to the parasite, or so she guessed, but she needed to know what it was.
"It is him..." Reluctant Promise whispered to himself.
I am the monument to all of your sins... I am what was created by your sins... I am the fifth part... The voice stated.
Shepard was confused. She had no idea what he was talking about.
Now my ships will not fire unless I say so... But if you want to live... You must tell me something... The voice stated. Before Shepard could respond the voice spoke again.
Where is he? The Monitor... I know you know Commander. Do not test me and I will allow your fleet to live... Do not lie to me or the consequences shall be dire...
Shepard looked over at Reluctant Promise. The monitor had floated towards the bottom of the bridge, towards the floor. He seemed to be cowering from the voice.
"He knows I'm here... Despite my advancements... I was given an advancement along with only one other AI. An advancement that allows him to not find me or hear me unless he physically connects with me... If he finds me... Your Galaxy dies... Please do not let him find me." The monitor stated in a soft and terrified voice. Shepard bite her lip. She didn't want to give up the monitor but she barely knew him. And this voice was offering her a choice... A way to save her Galaxy... Then she realized it. The voice had said the fleet not the Galaxy... The voice was trying to play her.
"Your a liar. You'll destroy us the moment you get the chance!" Shepard spat with a fire filled voice.
Instead of the voice admitting or even just letting his ships open fire, it did something Shepard actually didn't expect. It laughed. And laughed. And laughed. Its laugh was dark and cold. Lifeless and void. Evil and cruel.
Commander Shepard's entire crew shivered and felt themselves crunch down into their seats at the sound. Shepard had never felt so cold on her life.
Ha ha ha ha ha! You are smart Commander. But you are a fool as well. Prepare to die! We will destroy him without the monitor! And we will end all the changes of the five ever coming to light! The voice roared. The entire ship seems to shake from the power behind the voice.
"What's the hell is the Five?" Shepard yelled.
"What the hell are you?!" Liara asked. She grabbed heard her and began convulsing. Her body began to thrash violently back and forth as the voice began to laugh even louder. Her inhuman screams filled the air as she continued to fly around in her seat and tears poured down her face.
"Liara!" Shepard yelled grabbing the hard light belts and trying to tear them off.
"Hold on!" Reluctant Promise yelled.
Suddenly their fighter like craft dived down. The voice disappeared, the atmosphere felt warm and alive again, Liara stopped convulsing and screaming but fell unconscious after her panic.
Shepard watched as the craft dived down and flew at full speed towards the fleet.
"Lets see If your plan works." Shepard yelled at the monitor. They had placed a mine field where the enemy fleet was, before the fleet had arrived, and thanks to Forerunner stealth technology the enemy fleet had failed to notice them.
"Activating mine field. Preparing to fire hard light rockets." Reluctant Promise stated. Shepard watched as mines with blasts equivalent to a blast one hundred times the size of the Hiroshima bomb, ignited up in front if the fleet. Seconds later Hard light rockets shot out from the fighter, twenty in total. The rockets broke apart into a thousand smaller rockets each, equally twenty thousand rockets. The rockets flew the remaining way through the remains from a two thousand ships destroyed by the mines and slammed into the ships behind them.
"Firing final flare." Reluctant promise stated. Shepard didn't even acknowledge him. She stared in awe. A single fighter was capable of this. A single fighter had destroyed thousands of ships. She wondered how powerful the Forerunners had been, which made her wonder even more how powerful had the Reclaimers been?
She watched as a single light based missile flew towards the enemy fleet. It flew at the fleet and moments before impact it exploded. A bright flash of light, one brighter then the sol systems sun, covered the entire view of the viewport. The viewport managed to polarize in time to keep the crew from being blinded. Shepard saw a worm hole open up in front of them.
"What was that?" Garrus asked in shock.
"A final flare. An large blinding EMP designated to cripple enemy fleets for a quick get away." Reluctant Promise stated. Then they entered the wormhole and disappeared from the battle.
"So where are we headed?" Shepard asked as she looked around her fleet via the Normandy's holotable in the war room. They had landed the fighter within the Normandy's bay, which took up most of the space. They were traveling at FTL speeds towards a system outside of the galaxy in the darkness between Galaxy's.
"To the last place any of them live." Reluctant Promise stated.
"These Reclaimers you speak of?" Legion asked crossing his arms. The monitor had told Shepard's crew the same exact story he had told her. She still had her questions though. Such as what the hell The Five was.
"No." The monitor replied.
"Then who?" Ashley Williams asked.
"The Last of the Covenant."
- 'It works mam...' 'Amazing... What my mother and the Reclaimers would've given to see this...' 'Its possible this is the way the Five can be found...' 'Possible' 'But what about the reports?' 'Hopefully they can awake him...' 'If they don't?' 'Then God help us all...'
'Test the doorway...'
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A/N not as long as the last chapter but its decent. Hope you enjoyed! God bless and please Review! Also any questions feel free to PM me.