Chapter 4: Terror, Death, and Conversations
Audio Log, Garrus Vakarian
Demons. Spirits, never would have imagined we'd be taking on demons, of course I never imagined we'd go against ancient, sentient mechanical squids from dark space either, so when taken in that light, this shouldn't be so surprising. Still, just when I thought I had seen everything, we find some other, ancient, evil threat that wants to consume everything it can get their claws on. Go figure. Why can't we ever go anywhere nice?
I mean I haven't been in Sanctuary for long, but so far I have to say that I am not excited about meeting anymore murdering locals. So far they've either been undead, unfriendly, unintelligent, or completely and utterly insane. Seriously, what moron thinks that worshipping a demon is a good idea? Take Maghda for instance. She could have been anything, yet she chose to get into a pissing match with the former leaders of some coven of her fellow witches, talked another fresh initiate of her order into poisoning the old leaders, and then promptly took over the coven. To make it more of an idiotic irony of epic proportions, the being she and her coven worship is and I quote, the Lord of Lies, Belial. Yeah, that's gonna end real well for her even without us getting in her way.
I mean sure, he will most certainly never go back on his word with a title like that, right? I guess that makes her a member of every category I mentioned earlier, well aside from being undead, but it wouldn't surprise me if she did come back to haunt us though. Such idiocy doesn't stay dead easily.
However, the few people who weren't insane or the like, and actually do something are actually quite easy to get along with. Gemma, a demon hunter so stubborn that she gives Shepard a run for her money. Moira the wizard, who is as naive and easy to rile up as Tali when we hunted Saren, and of course Lucifer. A monk with a great personality, I probably should take him under my wing and show him the ropes, so to speak. Then there's Leah, poor kid finds out her mother is a witch and apparently working to end the Prime Evils, and everyone wonders why she's got a chip on her shoulder regarding this whole Eternal Conflict thing.
Of course one cannot forget to mention Tyrael, the angel who chose to become mortal to save all of Sanctuary, possibly all of creation itself. I'm not certain how to describe the guy. Well, tall for one easily, as tall as a krogan, at least height wise, far more pleasant to look at though. He is rather serious most of the time, and when he talks you listen, because it sounds like he is gifting you with the wisdom of eons long since past. Which is probably true, but besides the point.
Point is, even after everything we've seen, it seems Shepard has found something new to keep us, and me, up at night for years to come. Thanks Shepard, I'll remember that when we reach that giant bar in the sky and we're talking about all this when we're dead and buried. As much as I might complain though, I suppose it could be worse…..delete that last sentence EDI.
I'm afraid I can't do that Garrus.
Ha ha. I'll remember this as well.
Audio log, end
Old Tristram Ruins
They had found a couple of the guards, but they were too late to save them as the zombies overran their position. Shepard and the rest of the group exacted bloody vengeance upon the recently undead the moment they were within range, before Gemma started to rifle through the bodies, looking for anything of value. Ashley looked on with disgust but said nothing, not when she caught Shepard's gaze directed at her. She grunted but nodded, letting it go. "I found something I believe you will wish to see." Turning to the demon hunter, Ash and Shepard both met the woman's hooded face as she held up a journal she had found on one of the guards. "They were attacked just as they had set up camp and gone to sleep for the night. They woke up to the undead's teeth in their flesh."
"Does it say where the rest of their comrades went?" Shepard asked before Ashley could say anything, or Leah for that matter.
"Apparently the captain planned on clearing a path this evening, which explains why so few men were here. They were left behind, where they thought they would be safe, so that they could recover and catch up in time for the final push into the cathedral." The soft nod to the remains of the guards in question, which they had put to rest just as they had started to rise again, told them how successful that plan had turned out.
"This captain is a foolish man if he thought it would be easy. We clean up his mess, so not surprised when we find the rest and they too are turned." The wizard of their group muttered, angry at the life needlessly lost.
"Thanks for that Moira." Leah grumbled, which made Moira's violet eyes snap open, and she let out a soft gasp when she realized how insensitive that had sounded.
"We must make haste if we are to find any of them still in a condition to answer our questions, let alone survive." Gemma said darkly and stood up. "Moira, I want you to burn the entire encampment, burn it to ash, nothing shall remain." She didn't wait for the wizard to obey her directive as Gemma stalked ahead, crossbows held before her, ever ready, ever vigilant. Shepard followed with Ash hot on her heels while Leah and Moira brought up the rear once the wizard began her incantations.
A cone of flame spilled forth from her upraised staff as Moira walked backwards, directing her flames with minute changes in her stance until everything was burning. The smell of burning flesh was soon thick in the air, but Shepard and Ash hardly noticed, having dealt with far worse. Leah though wasn't so used to the stink despite having crawled through ancient tombs and forgotten ruins riddled with decaying corpses and who knew what else during her travels with her uncle.
Moira was breathing rather hard as well, looking sickly as the conjured flames consumed the flesh of the dead guardsmen. Her eyes locked on the sight of the flames hungrily licking at the face of a young man, eyes still open he seemed to stare at her accusingly. She began to shake, she had only recently left behind her life of studies and safe libraries, and she had no real experience with the world, let alone with… this.
She about jumped out of her high heeled boots when a hand fell on her shoulder, and turned only to let out a squeak when her violet eyes locked on the demon hunter's hooded face. "Easy." Gemma said surprisingly gentle and put an arm around her. "I know what I asked you to do isn't what you wanted, but it is what is necessary. Their families and themselves are probably grateful to you, because you prevented this foul magic from using their bodies against those they had sworn to protect."
"Then why does it still feel as if I have committed a sin against them?"
"They were still people….once. But the servants of the Burning Hells use such tactics at every turn, to shatter our will to fight in an effort to make their victories that much easier."
"Can you teach me… how to be… like you?" Moira hesitantly whispered, and looked almost hopeful when she let her eyes drift upward as she tried to pierce the dark confines of the hunter's hood.
"No." Gemma shot back immediately, and with a thus far unheard hardness in her voice. "I can teach you how to calm yourself, and how to deal with the horrors your will see if you continue down this path. But I will never teach anyone how to be like me… It's a life I wouldn't wish on anyone." Moira didn't stop her when Gemma turned on her heel and stalked away, unable or unwilling to meet the wizard's worried gaze again as she put some much needed distance between them.
For the first time since meeting her, Ashley saw Gemma in a new light as she and Shepard silently watched this exchange. Shepard had already figured out what drove the hunter, even if she didn't believe in the demons she so often talked about, but Ashley was only then coming to realize how deep Gemma's pain truly went and why she was so relentless in her pursuit of ending the scourge that had taken so much from her. "I know she said her family was butchered and everything Skipper, but that was just….eerie, to see her shaken up by Moira's question." Ashley whispered once she was sure Gemma was out of earshot.
"Some paths are never meant to be walked by anyone who hasn't shared the same pain and horror she has obviously endured. I doubt it's strength that keeps Gemma going, not the kind we'd ever be able to relate to, or want to." Sure they had seen plenty of horrible stuff in their time, but again Shepard had to wonder if Gemma had stared into the abyss itself, and had come out the other end changed, and not necessarily for the better. Shaking her head since there was no point in speculating about it further, the Spectre took a look around their immediate surroundings, and couldn't help but notice the state of the village they found themselves in. "Leah? How long has this place been abandoned?" She asked, hoping to turn the conversation to something less ominous.
Grateful for the change of topic, Leah all too eagerly went into detail about the old ruins before them. "Twenty years to the day. When Diablo tried to possess King Leoric, and failed, he moved on to one of his sons or so the stories say. By then this village had been attacked by demons and more undead, forcing the survivors to flee. This place still bears Diablo's twisted, corrupting influence."
So much for not being ominous. Shepard mused silently to herself, but she couldn't help but wonder if Leah had a point. There was something….unsettling in the fog covered ruins of the village around them. It reminded her, at least partially, of walking through the insides of a Reaper, yet it felt different enough that it didn't have quite the same effect on the battle hardened Spectre. Even so, it still had the hairs on the back of her helmeted head standing on end, and she kept reaching for her sidearm at every little noise her ears picked up. The feeling of being watched by something far more powerful and terrible than she could imagine was thick in the air, and she didn't like it.
"Uh… Not to sound like a total moron, but who or what is Diablo?" Ashley asked, confusion coloring her voice.
"One of the three Prime Evils. The Lord of Terror, said to be able to kill a mortal through fright alone without even touching them." Leah said with a shudder. "A terrible creature that has brought much suffering to Sanctuary and Heaven alike if my uncle is to be believed."
"Who are the other two?" Shepard asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she started forward, wanting to put this place behind her as quickly as possible now that she had had time to look around.
"Were. The other two Prime Evils were destroyed not so long ago. Their names were Mephisto and Baal, the Lords of Hatred and Destruction respectively. Then there's the Lesser Evils, but despite their name, they are just as dangerous in their own right if not more so since they exiled their brothers from the Burning Hells, forcing them upon Sanctuary in the process in what we call the Dark Exile."
"Not sure if I believe these stories, but one way or another you most certainly have unpleasant neighbours." Shepard replied with a shrug.
"What about Heaven?" Ashley gently pried, curious about what stories the locals had about a concept Christianity was more than familiar with.
"If they exist then they have never or only seldomly aided Sanctuary in the past, outside of an angel my uncle has talked about often, by the name of Tyrael, the aspect of Justice itself. Personally I doubt they exist at all, but Uncle Deckard is adamant." Leah said after briefly hesitating. "He claims that they sometimes aided us indirectly, even if it was just by killing demons on the Fields of Eternity. And while stories claim Tyrael was there when Baal corrupted the Worldstone, he hasn't been seen since the Stone was destroyed, which Tyrael did in order to save us from being enslaved by the Prime Evil."
"Well, if that much is true, I wouldn't mind meeting the guy." Shepard mused almost as if to herself. "I'm pretty good friends with someone who is as close to the embodiment of justice as a mortal being can be." While Samara might not be what Leah had in mind, the comparison seemed fitting in Shepard's mind as they put Old Tristram's ruins behind them at last. Something about that place had unnerved the Spectre to no end, but leaving the confines of the old village made it easier to relax despite being in enemy territory still. Zombies and the occasional imp, she could deal with those. Whatever had been in that village that had long since been abandoned however, had hit too close to home for Jess.
Gemma for her part seemed tenser as well, undoubtedly having her own unpleasant experiences these ruins reminded her of. The once great city was turned into nothing more than ashes and ruins, echoing with the horrors that had been wrought by Diablo's evil. Shaking off the remnants of the foul sensations left by the village's proximity, the demon hunter pressed forward before taking a knee when her sharp eyes fell on the path before them. "They came through here… recently." Gemma murmured and looked at the, at least to her, clearly visible tracks. "We are close, but be careful, something foul is nearby. I can smell it." With that less than cheerful observation, Gemma readied her crossbows, two loud clicks following as the arming mechanisms were activated and the 'wings' where the bolts were steadied before being shot away, unfolded.
"That's our cue then." Shepard agreed as she and Ash did the same, unfolding their chosen weapons for the task ahead with the same practiced ease.
Despite having seen the flames Moira had conjured earlier, Shepard still looked for anything that indicated the use of technology rather than a sheer act of will on the young woman's part as she twirled her staff and sent arcs of electricity through the air, hitting the bolts Gemma fired, only increasing their deadliness. It was an effective tactic however it was done, and Shepard gave an approving whistle as several more zombies were cut down in as many seconds.
"Good aim." Gemma shouted at the young woman and smirked darkly at her remaining opponents. They would fall victim to her like all hellspawn she had met thus far.
Before Gemma and Moira could continue though, Shepard shot the hunter her best smirk behind her black faceplate before hefting her shotgun up to eye level. "We got this. Ash? Let's show 'em how it's done."
"Gladly Commander." She replied, a grin all but audible in her voice as the ever present boom of Shepard's shotgun was soon joined by her assault rifle's own deadly tune. It wasn't until another bloated monstrosity shambled down the path that they had to take a moment to adjust their aim and arm up a couple of ammo mods between them. Even then, the shambling bloated bug bag and its contents didn't get much closer before it was consumed by fire and ice.
Moira was beside herself with glee at the sight. "What powerful magic was that?"
"No magic here kid, just good ol fashioned science." Shepard was quick to correct her, albeit gently since there was no harm done. That and the wizard's insatiable thirst for knowledge was rather endearing in the Spectre's opinion.
"Really? I studied many subjects, but I never heard of anything coming close to your advancements save for the magic I wield." Moira replied with a small frown. "You must be from very distant lands indeed for me to have never heard of such contraptions."
"You got no idea wizzie." Ash chuckled dryly.
"Wizard." Moira shot back, miffed. "And I know a lot of things you don't know anything about, we can dwell on that or continue. So what is it gonna be, princess?" It was all Shepard could do to not to burst into laughter at the offended glare Ashley through at Moira for her choice of insults. While not particularly offensive compared to most things they had heard, it still had the desired effect on her long time friend.
"Let's keep going, and you better hope you can keep up." Ashley pressed out between clenched teeth.
"I say again, why do I get stuck with the crazy ones?" Leah grumbled softly to herself, but wasn't all that surprised when Shepard chuckled as they set off again.
"You should not speak of madness so lightly, it is hardly a laughing matter." Gemma said darkly, her form half shrouded in the shadows as she stalked the darkness of the street they walked on. "You cannot know what treasure you possess simply by being able to think clearly, not until you have seen the grip of madness in those you once called friends."
A shiver ran down Shepard's spine at the words, the way there were spoken made it clear that the hunter had been forced to watch the very thing described. More than that, Shepard could hear the lingering agony hidden within her voice. She did not know what had happened to the woman, only that it was so terrible and caused such agonizing pain that her own losses paled in comparison.
"I'm sorry." Leah muttered quietly and lowered her head a little. "I did not mean to cause offence."
Gemma didn't reply but retreated back into the shadows, eyes flaring once before they lost sight of her. In some way, her ability to disappear on demand reminded the Spectre of Thane Krios, a drell master assassin, before his unfortunate demise. Which was the only thing that kept her from voicing her displeasure at the fact that the hunter didn't stay with the rest of the team.
She reminded herself that technically she was just a tag along and not the one who called the shots, but her instincts still told her to operate like she was used to. And that always entailed working with her team, with her acting as the spear's tip in every engagement, calling the shots and having her friends fall in behind her without hesitation. However, since she was here on a strange planet fighting against reanimated corpses and who knew what else, accompanied by a woman who claimed to be a demon hunter and another who was a self appointed wizard, a claim which got harder to dispute the more she saw of Moira's abilities, she guessed the usual went out the airlock a long time ago. No surprise there really, Shepard mused to herself as she kept her gaze on the road before them, my life hasn't exactly been the height of normalcy since Boot Camp.
"I have found a place to rest." Gemma suddenly declared from the darkness between two ruins, causing them all to whirl around to face her. "We should take the chance while we can, I'll take first watch."
"Hey, we can't rest my uncle-" Leah began, but was immediately ran over by Gemma.
"Won't be happy to be alive if you are not just because you continued on and got yourself killed." Gemma interrupted her and glared at the red clad girl. "I don't like the thought of people dieing while I rest either, but it won't do anyone, any good if we and the people we want to save die."
"She's right Leah." Shepard said and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We'll get a fresh start soon, but I'm all for taking a few hours to rest while we have a chance." And to keep an eye on our hunter so she doesn't slip away on us. That she kept to herself though, but that didn't stop Jess from shooting Gemma a glance from behind her black helmet's faceplate before she reached up to the hard clamps holding it in place before disengaging them with a practiced flick of her thumbs. Pulling it up and over, Shepard groaned in relief as she lowered the heavy helmet down to a nearby stump, revealing her face for the first time since landing on this zombie infested rock. "Damn, I forgot how hard that thing is on the neck." She mused and rolled her head until something popped and a sigh of relief escaped her. "That's better." It was only when she saw Leah and Moira staring at her that Jess raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing, just did not expect beautiful woman underneath such imposing helmet." Moira said with a shrug. "No offense, but most women who take up fighting aren't exactly easy on the eyes, at least the ones I've met."
"Now what does that say about Gemma?" Shepard asked with a small smile, which made the mage's eyes widen comically.
Moira quickly raised her hands and shook her head of pretty hair so rapidly, Ash and Shepard were sure her head would pop off her neck if she kept it up for too long. "Oh, I apologize Gemma. I didn't mean to imply that you aren't pretty. Underneath that hood you are possibly quite beautiful."
The hunter merely groaned in reply and turned to lead them to their resting place. Picking up her helmet, Shepard tucked it under her arm with a chuckle as she followed after Gemma.
"Uh, I meant… mosty likely beautiful?" Moira asked rather than stated, making it abundantly clear she was floundering, and failing, in an effort to redeem herself in some small way.
"Jesus, you really are bad at this." Ashley noted in slight disbelief. "I never thought that it could be that hard to give someone a compliment."
"Well, most wizards I've met were either so self assured and arrogant in their skills, or they were socially akward. There wasn't a lot of middle ground." Leah offered in explanation before Moira had a chance to defend herself.
"Huh, that's kinda sad. I mean what's the point of being a… um well wizard I supposed if you can't interact with your fellow humans?" Shepard asked even though her voice couldn't quite conceal her disbelief at magic in her words. A fact which Leah picked up on.
"Is it truly so hard for you to believe in magic?" The woman questioned gently. "Your weapons for example seem like magic to us, yet you claim they are not."
"She's got a point Skipper." Ash reluctantly admitted as she followed her example and tucked her own hardsuit's helmet under her left arm without missing a step.
"I know, I know. Still, you can't tell me that you are fine with all of this." Shepard shot back and rolled her eyes a little. "I almost miss dealing with the council, at least with them I knew what to expect."
Ashley wasn't convinced though, and shot Jess a grin, the only warning she had before the Chief opened her mouth anew. "Skipper, let's be honest here, if you had the choice between a world of magic or the council-"
"Magic, every damn time." The Spectre agreed without missing a beat. "I hate politics."
"Do I dare ask why?" Leah wondered as Gemma held up her hand and nodded when they came to a clearing surrounded by dense foliage on one side and tightly packed trees on another, ensuring at least points of entry were cut off. The rest of the perimeter could easily be trapped and warded as Gemma and Moira deemed fit, but despite her earlier protests, Leah was too tired to really care.
While the young woman prepared for a few hours rest, Gemma and the others began to lay traps in the surrounding foliage. Moira almost collapsed not far from her, clearly exhausted as well. Though none of the other three seemed too bothered as Ash, Shepard, and Gemma finished up their respective work in placing defensive measures where they deemed appropriate before they too did their best to get comfortable, the demon hunter sitting with her back to a tree and her twin crossbows in her hands. Watching over them like she had announced previously.
"Rest, I will watch over you." The hunter promised them all gently. "I will wake you once my shift is at an end, Commander."
"Alright, but you better not get any ideas about wandering off." Jess warned her, more for Gemma's wellbeing than their own. While she was sure the hunter could handle herself, no one could survive for long without someone to support them, she knew that better than anyone.
"Under normal circumstance, that would be what I would do. However, I am a little weary as well. The travel to New Tristram was long and taxing." Gemma replied honestly and shrugged. "I am not foolish enough to fight demons on my own when my own body tells me to rest."
"Glad to hear it." Shepard replied before putting her back against a tree, but not before laying her shotgun over her lap, her legs stretched out before her. It wasn't the most comfortable positions, but it ensured she could snap her gun up in a flash and get a shot off if trouble stumbled into camp. That said, it was too tempting not to give her fellow campers one last comment before they nodded off completely. "Sleep well children."
"Shut up, Skipper." Ashley mumbled from her position, assault rifle laying in her own lap, not even bothering to lift her head. An amused snort was her only answer as she slowly closed her eyes and waited for sleep to claim her.
New Tristram
"Can you tell me anything else? Perhaps how long it takes for someone to turn into one of those things?" Chakwas asked her host patiently, and took another sip of whatever drink she had been given. It tasted delightfully similar to her Brandy, so she wasn't about to split hairs about not knowing more about what was in her glass. She did make a note to ask Mira about it later though.
"It varies, but after roughly twelve hours, most of them show symptoms, and no one has survived two days after being bitten without turning into one of them." Mira Eamon replied sadly, and lowered her head. "I wish we could have helped them."
"I will try everything in my power to help those that still have a chance. You have my word." The chief medical officer of the Normandy promised resolutely.
"I thank you, but I don't think it'll be so simple as you believe."
"Perhaps not, but there's little harm in trying is there?" Chakwas asked, before taking another sip of the drink Mira had been kind enough to sit in front of her.
"I suppose not." The younger woman was forced to admit and send a small smile her way. "Is there anything else you require? Perhaps some more soup?"
"Yes ma'am." James was quick to say, having already consumed one bowl in the time it had taken Mira and Chakwas to finish their discussion about the sick civilians in the cellar.
"James." Chakwas scolded him fondly and without heat, but shook her head at his enthusiasm concerning the offered soup.
"What? I am a growing boy, doc." He weakly defended himself and began to eat once more when Mira gave him a fresh bowlful with an endearing smile on her face.
"I never had children… then I was assigned to the Normandy." The doctor deadpanned to the giggling Mira. "Since then I had more children around me than most people see in a lifetime."
"I see… well Headrig and I still wish to raise children of our own, but I suppose a little training couldn't hurt." Mira answered with a small smile.
"You'd be surprised, it may cause you to seriously rethink that decision." Karin chuckled while James playfully pouted in response to the light ribbing.
"Hey, I ain't that bad compared to some people I could name doc. Still, thanks for the good food ma'am."
"Mira."
"Mira, sorry. Old habit." James said and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he did.
"Not at all, it is delightful to come across someone as polite as you are in these troubling times." Their hostess replied with a warm smile.
"Polite? James? You have yet to get to know him my dear." The doctor warned with another warm chuckle.
"Doc." James mock whined and clutched his chest. "Why are you so mean to me, you're hurting my feelings."
Mira's blue eyes shined as she chuckled at the two old friends. "It's the privilege of the old to make fun of the young, besides don't you have a certain someone who will take care of your feelings?"
"You mean after Ash joined in on crushing them? Sure, afterwards she would take care of me."
"There you have it, so you have no reason to complain young man." Karin was quick to point out.
"Yes, doc." James dutifully replied, and promptly returned to shoveling the soup into his mouth.
The Slaughtered Calf Inn
Having followed Tali and Garrus, the young monk couldn't help but chuckle when he followed the turian's gaze, and realized he was making it no secret he was staring at her rear end. He was no prude himself, despite his path in life of living simply and avoiding those things that might lead him astray, but he had a feeling Garrus's staring went beyond mere lust. "You do know I can feel you staring right?" Tali asked, drawing the monk from his musings as she looked over her shoulder.
"I had a feeling you knew of his less than subtle glances Lady Zorah." The monk said and gestured to one of the few empty tables within the inn. "I unfortunately do not know why he finds your hindquarters such an object of fascination."
"I didn't- Ah, nevermind. I totally did." Garrus admitted completely unashamed. "And who could blame me? Your hindquarters are fascinating."
"I could blame you." Tali told him seriously and narrowed her eyes at him. "And you know what? I think I do, so stop staring, or Chiktikka will come for you."
"Y-yes ma'am." Garrus quickly said and sat down without another word.
The monk however was far less restricted and chuckled softly as he pulled his hood down once more. "You are quite fierce Lady Zorah, so I am not surprised you have your friend wrapped around your little finger."
"I am n-" Garrus began, only to be stopped mid stream by Tali's less than subtle glare in his direction.
"Hush now, the grown ups are talking." The quarian told him smugly, and leaned back in her chair.
"Oh, what do you wish to talk about, Lady Zorah?" The monk asked, rather amused at the squabbling before him.
"Well, a name would be nice." She answered dryly, and shot a warning glare at Garrus that told him he shouldn't dare to start laughing.
"Ah, a most sensible request, especially since I know yours. Allow me to introduce myself travellers from afar for I am, Lucifer." The monk bowed his head as far as respect and the table in front of him allowed before straightening once more.
"That was rather over dramatic." Garrus couldn't help but point out and cocked his head. "Besides, isn't that the name of some mythological figure for humans?"
"Well, he wouldn't know about that. But you are right, it is the name of the personification of their morning star, I believe from the times of ancient Rome." Tali replied with a small shrug. "I had time to talk with Liara, when she wasn't busy with….other things."
"Such as sucking Shepard's face off?" Garrus deadpanned and shot the two his best impression of a grin.
"As I said, among other things." Tali replied before an exasperated huff escaped her.
"Oh, oh, I know! Embracing eternity." The turian shot back giddily and almost bounced up and down in his chair.
"I still have my shotgun." Tali deadpanned in retort, but there was a dangerous note in her voice that neither Garrus or Lucifer missed, even as the latter chuckled quietly while the former coughed uncomfortably.
"I believe it would be best if you did not pursue this line of discourse further my friend." The monk said and patted the sharpshooter on the back before waving his hand towards Tali, his interest in her apparent knowledge regarding his name having been piqued. "I must admit, my own understanding of my name was always Lightbringer, and considering my role among the peoples of Sanctuary, it seemed rather fitting. When the gods would ignite the light of truth, I am their torch."
"Wow, when you say it like that it sounds rather impressive." Tali said slowly, sounding rather impressed by his speech.
"Besides, who is more radiant than little old me?" Lucifer added with a waggle of his eyebrows and grinned.
"And then you say something like that and ruin it." The quarian groaned and resisted the urge to face palm, or in her case mask palm.
"That's what my fellow monks said, even as they tried not to smile at my unique personality." Lucifer replied with a shrug before his grin faded. "In truth, I know I might seem strange to many, but we all deal with the horrors of the Burning Hells in our own way. Mine just happens to involve the occasional quip in the face of death and impending doom."
"Heh, you remind me of myself kid. I always was the odd turian out, so to speak. And as everyone who knows me can attest, I am unique." Garrus stated with a smirk.
"Indeed, you are unique." Tali told him with a smirk underneath her mask as he puffed his chest in response. "A fact for which the entire galaxy is grateful for."
"You are so bad… and I like it." He told her and looked her in the eye with a challenging grin.
Lucifer could only laugh and shake his head at the pair. "You might not be human, but it's reassuring to know we aren't so different from each other. Just how long have you known each other if you don't mind my inquiries?"
"Long enough to know, that as much as we might give each other grief, we've grown quite fond for each other." Garrus said and leaned back in his chair. "Although she claims that she only uses me for my body."
"That was one time! Years ago!" Tali protested, much to Lucifer's amusement as he snickered into his right hand.
All the while, Garrus continued to tease his longtime companion. "And still I am scarred from your harsh words."
"As amusing as this is, I have a question for you." The monk gently interrupted and smiled. "Where are you from? I have never seen the likes of you nor have I heard of someone similar in the winds of the world."
"That's rather complicated, Lucifer." Garrus said with little hesitation. "It isn't that I don't want to tell you, but I'm not sure that I should, no matter how sympathetic you are to me."
"In other words, we'd like to tell you, but we would have to ask Shepard first." Tali added quickly.
"I see, in that case I have another question. Who is this Shepard?"
"She's pretty much the reason we're able to have this conversation in the first place." Garrus chuckled dryly since it was pretty much a proven fact by this point that without Shepard, the galaxy would have ended years ago.
"Oh? How did she manage that?" Lucifer asked, his interest having been sufficiently piqued.
"Well for one thing, she kinda dragged us here." Garrus explained and held up his hands in surrender when Tali began to glare at him. "As for the other, well, she saved all our lives, like really all lives, except maybe yours because our enemies weren't interested in this place for some reason. Long story. Suffice it to say Luci, you're fortunate you only have the local freaks of nature to contend with."
"I am not sure if I can agree with you on that one, however until I learn more of your enemies, I think it would be better for me to withhold judgement." The monk replied with a small shrug.
"That's probably the smart choice." Tali agreed before grimacing in sympathy. "I am sorry we can't say more, but it's...complicated as to why we can't."
"You need not apologize Lady Zorah. You're entitled to your secrets, same as everyone my friend." Lucifer replied and nodded his head in understanding. "Besides, if asked, I would not divulge all of the secrets of my own order either, so we are on even footing in that regard, although our own secrets are more related to our greater techniques and lore tied to our abilities."
"Heh, maybe in a few years your order will start teaching my techniques." Garrus boasted with a grin. "I mean sure you can fight up close, but from afar? That demands real skill and style, and I got both."
"Oh I am certain that you possess skill my friend, but style? That I have yet to see." Lucifer shot back with a challenging grin. "Would you like to spar with me to prove me wrong?"
Garrus was about to agree to the challenge when Tali held him back. "Have you forgotten that he killed a zombie with a single kick? You sure you want to go a few rounds with someone like that?"
Garrus was quick to change his tune when he recalled how easily the monk had swatted aside said zombie, even though it had already been crawling about on the ground at the time. Even so, the turian wasn't about to test his luck by challenging someone that could move with such supernatural like speed and grace, who also happened to possess equally strong physical prowess. "Oh… well maybe another time. Or better yet, I'll introduce you to Grunt when I get the chance."
"Another friend of yours I presume." Lucifer stated rather than asked.
"Yeah, the little guy and I have been in some tight places together." Garrus stated, his eyes holding an unusually amused gleam as he talked about the krogan in question. 'Little' was the last word one used to describe a krogan, and Urdnot Grunt was definitely not small.
"Yeah… little." Tali coughed sarcastically. "If he were to show up the guardsmen would probably wet themselves thinking a demon king had arrived."
"I take it that your friend can be rather intimidating, and probably as far from human as you are?" The cheeky young man asked with a small smile.
"That's one way of putting it." Tali deadpanned in response. "Grunt is….Grunt. He's unique even among our rather strange group of friends, and his love for a good fight is only matched by his indomitable presence, and his capacity for loyalty for those that have proven themselves worthy of leadership. That said, he's a good friend to Shepard and those she's gathered at her side, ourselves included."
"Hmm, he certainly sounds like someone I would like to meet. You also make him sound like a part of the barbarians of old with this talk of his love for a good brawl." Lucifer said, his small smile widening as his mind turned to this most recent bit of information that had been revealed to him.
"Yeah except he sometimes eats his enemies so… there is that." Garrus winced when Tali, discreetly, kicked his shin under the table. "Ow."
It wasn't discreet enough as Lucifer chuckled and nodded approvingly towards Tali. "Perhaps you should be my sparring partner, given the way you effortlessly beat this full grown man into submission."
"I can handle myself in a fight, but melee combatant I am not." Tali admitted, her sheepish smile hidden by her visor's covering, but it was still audible in her voice.
"My shin says otherwise." Garrus grumbled under his breath, which earned him a glare from the quarian. "Let's just hope the others get back soon. I'd hate to have to search for Shepard in the middle of those woods. Saw enough zombies to last me a couple centuries already."
"Then I fear by the end of this you will have seen enough to last you the next few millennia." Lucifer deadpanned, though for once there was no smile on his face. "Still, I am certain that your friends are alright. Especially given the way you have talked about your leader."
Aboard the Normandy…
"Flight Lieutenant Moreau, where is Commander Shepard? Her report to us is more than four hours overdue." Tevos said patiently but with a hint of warning in her voice. Beside her were Sparatus and Valern, although he noted that for some reason the human councilor was absent.
As much as Joker wanted to tell the galaxy's version of the Three Stooges, barring Tevos and even then simply because she was the most reasonable of the three, to piss off, he kept his sarcasm to a minimum. Instead he merely shrugged before saying a word. "Sorry councillors, but Shepard is currently on the planet's surface and is out of comms range. She met some hostile natives from what I've heard."
"Hostile natives? Scans didn't show any signs of intelligent life one planet." Valern noted and narrowed his eyes a little.
"Probably because of the strange energy field surrounding the planet which prevents any type of more sophisticated scans of the planet's surface. I'm sure the scans didn't show that either." Joker shot back, unable to keep the hostility out of his voice. He knew, as did the rest of the crew, that the probes sent ahead of them should have picked up all of this, yet the Councilors were playing stupid. No surprise there.
"Are you accusing us of something, Flight Lieutenant?" Sparatus asked with a raised eye ridge.
"I'm saying that you haven't told us everything. This energy field and the anomaly tied to it would have been noticed by even the oldest and crappiest of probes. Yours were top of the line, so you had to know something was up." The pilot replied without missing a beat, completely unafraid of the consequences. It helped they had saved the galaxy after all.
EDI though, ever the diplomat, in most cases, was quick to intervene before hostilities between him and the Councilors could escalate further. "Mr. Moreau is simply concerned for the ground team. That said, he does raise a valid point venerable Councilors. Probe data was rather uninformative giving our mission to scout out this remote region of space. Our scans showed nothing, which in itself should have raised questions when the probes were sent since they too wouldn't have detected anything save the energy field itself, that seems to block any outside attempt to peer beneath its surface. Life is indeed on the surface of the planet, and not all of it is friendly, a fact the ground team, lead by Commander Shepard, were able to inform us of before they went out of comms range."
"Indeed? Fascinating. The natives, can you describe them?" Valern asked curiously, and cocked his head to the side.
"We'll send you the video of the Commander's helmet camera, but the friendly natives are as far as we can tell, human."
"Human? How can this be? This planet is too far away from earth or its colonies to not be brought here by the relay network." Tevos whispered, her eyes widening at the revelation. A fact which EDI took note of, especially since the asari's body language suggested she knew more than her two colleagues. Unbeknownst to the others, her three compatriots on the Council included, she knew exactly what the Normandy had stumbled across, at least to a certain degree, but she couldn't say a word without putting everything at risk if even a fraction of what she knew for certain was to be believed. The prothean beacon her people had kept hidden on Thessia was one thing. This….would be something else entirely in scale of its effect on the galactic community if it got out. Tevos mentally snorted at that as the thought crossed her mind. If? More like when, especially with the simple fact the Shadow Broker was still very much in power. That and given Shepard's reputation of uncovering every dirty secret the galaxy had under its surface in her pursuit to end the Reapers, it wouldn't surprise Tevos if the next report had irrefutable proof of what she feared was on that planet.
Thessia, the T'Soni/Shepard Estate
Aethyta, bless the goddess for her father's presence, had been kind enough to give her a much needed break from the stamp of little blue feet. As much as she loved the family she and Shepard had started, Liara wondered how she would have done half as well without Jess at her side to help take some of the load of child rearing from her shoulders. Despite the thought, the asari could only smile as Aethyta chased after the little blue bundle of joy as she ran away from the Matriarchal bartender with squeals of cheer and unrestrained happiness through the estate's extensive backyard.
The distraction gave Liara time to check on her...old network. Semi-retired as she was, Liara had made it a note to keep the Shadow Broker's vast network of informants, spies, agents, and more up to date as much as a post Reaper War galaxy permitted her to do so. Some of the old monitoring stations and devices planted in even the highest echelons of galactic society might have been destroyed along with most of the people themselves, but enough remained that she was far from blind or deaf as to what was going on behind closed doors. The hurried restoration efforts actually made it all the easier for her to spread her listening devices and agents across the galaxy. So for all their attempts at secrecy, the Citadel Council might as well have had their meeting in her living room for all the good it did them to keep it contained.
Getting into contact with Feron, the 'physical' head of the Shadow Broker's network, while Liara was the true force behind it all, at least these days after replacing her predecessor, was simple, having set up a workstation within the estate grounds. At a glance, her workstation looked like any other, used to keep gigabytes worth of pictures, photos, and private notes on her assorted digs, among other things of the same, but the number of secret data drives, servers, and more would have put even the STG to shame in their efforts at the spy game. "I had a feeling you'd call Liara." The drell said as his face appeared on her workstation's main screen. "I was just about to send you something you wanted me to keep an eye on."
"Thank you Feron." Liara replied with a small smile. The moment Feron broke the connection, she began to watch the video he had sent her. It didn't take her long to get angry at the council once again. She had seen their little talk with Joker, but also the little meeting that took place after they had ended the call.
"This world is clearly underdeveloped, we cannot send troops without breaking all our laws of first contact." Sparatus said with a low growl. "What was Shepard thinking? Simply initiating first contact with those primitive humans. She must know that they aren't ready for this type of exposure."
"Shepard's well known for her soft heart." Valern said with a small shrug. "STG noted years ago that it would lead her into dangerous and inadvisable situations, planned to use this against her should she ever go rogue. So far not necessary, although curing genophage almost sent our government into shock at the time of the Reaper War."
"We must keep this under wraps." Tevos was quick to point out, a little too quickly for Liara's liking. "Just because we see the necessity of staying out of this doesn't mean that other will. The krogan would jump at the chance to assist her, as would most quarians. She has made too many allies that would come to her aid if it so much as seemed like she needed them. Besides, Admiral Hackett would rather send the whole Fifth Fleet than abandon her to this alone. Our intelligence reports suggest that after the death of Anderson, he has begun to look out for her like a surrogate daughter."
"And as much as I might not like her methods," Sparatus began, "she is largely responsible for us still existing in the first place. Palavan alone and its inhabitants would no doubt follow the krogans' example and take every warship they could to repay the debt my people owe her. A part of me feels the same, but I am not blinded by emotions. We must do what is best for everyone."
Liara had seen enough to get the point and clicked off the video with a contemptuous grunt in the back of her throat. They wanted to sit on their hands, again, and stick their heads in the sand. She knew how well that had worked last time, and her mind was already at work in figuring out a way to get Shepard the aid she'd no doubt need before this was over. She could see the writing on the wall, even if it was perhaps too early to tell if such action was needed. Something in her gut however, said this could indeed become something equalling the threat of the Reapers, or worse, if they didn't act. So the asari turned to her workstation and began to plant a few seeds where the right people would see them, and nurture them accordingly. As was known by countless people throughout history, information was power, and by that definition, Liara T'Soni was the most powerful person in the known galaxy. And unlike the Councilors, who she could sympathize with to an extent because of the countless people they had to consider before making a choice, she wasn't afraid to use her power for the right cause.
To that end, as well as planting the seeds that would then mature into well executed news leak across the galaxy's public information networks, Liara sent out messages to the rest of Shepard's surviving crew. If they were going to face this latest unknown threat, she wanted all her pieces on the board before they were needed.