Mass Effect: The Civil War
Chapter 9: Save the Queen
It was finally coming together.
Yet it was far from over. Commander Shepard was running out of time to save the galaxy from its greatest threat, itself. Due to the excessive bragging of the now dead Dregeden, the entire galaxy thought Shepard was dead (for the second time now). According to Garrus, the intergalactic army was now only days away from a full-scale assault on the rebel capital planet, Tuchanka. Not only would the battle on Tuchanka be a massacre, but all of the survivors would die shortly after due to the increasingly deadly parasite. Shepard knew that the company, a completely unknown entity that seems to have been running this war from the beginning, was going to be impossible to find. There was three known pieces of company technology, Saren and Dregeden's implants, and the parasite canisters. Shepard knew only one person, or should I say thing, in the galaxy that could possible trace the manufacturing of these objects. The Normandy's personal AI system, EDI. The largest problem was that the Normandy has been held in a Citadel hangar guarded by at least 30 men for the last two decades.
"Okay Shepard, this plan should work well enough as long as EVERYONE follows orders," said Garrus, who then gave a long stare at Saren.
"Hey Valkerian, don't forget that you have been fighting on the opposite side of this war the entire time," replied Saren, forgetting that he too originally helped Dregeden.
Shepard was driving the large flying SUV as they were headed to Hanger 135 to recover the Normandy. Usually three ex-soldiers wouldn't get caught dead driving around the citadel in an SUV, but it was the only vehicle that Garrus could attach two gattaling guns and a grenade launcher and make it look unnoticeable.
Shepard began turning the steering wheel sharply as they approached a large steel hangar door. "Alright guys, into positions," After clicking a few buttons quick, the top of the SUV shot off and the three turrets jumped into place. Shepard took point on the Grenade launcher and aimed down the hangar door. He launched multiple vollies of flaming grenades at the door until it burst open with leaving nothing left where it once stood. He gave the gas pedal a quick shove which propelled it into the hangar. The large explosion instantly caught the attention of the guards and they prepared their guns.
"Get ready!" yelled Shepard. A small firefight ensued, but a few rusty, underpaid guards didn't stand a chance against an armored SUV with three elite warriors manning high-powered weapons. There wasn't a single survivor on the other side (Saren made sure of that).
"Okay let's get on that ship and get going," said Shepard. After parking the SUV Shepard walked to the Normandy's airlock and froze.
"What's up Shepard?" asked Garrus.
Shepard dropped his head and replied, "It's just been so long since I've seen this ship. So much happened aboard the Normandy, an entire life I've left behind until now. Now the adventures continue," Shepard didn't speak with any enthusiasm, which worried Garrus, but before Garrus could speak Saren spoke his mind.
"Look Shepard, we don't even have to take the Normandy, we just need that AI that you spoke about so highly… then we can just jack some other ship,"
Shepard had one of the quickest replies Garrus had ever heard, "No. I don't trust any ship more than the Normandy, if we do anything; it's going to be aboard this ship,"
Everything had now come into place, Shepard had finally returned to his personal quarters for the first time in 20 years. He asked Saren and Garrus if he could be alone as he took the elevator to the space that he called home for the most defining part of his life. He sprawled out on his old bed and spoke words he never thought he would say again, "EDI, status report!"
"Welcome back Shepard, it has been awhile, but I was expecting your return to the Normandy," said the robotic, yet female voice of EDI.
"You were expecting me EDI? How is that?" asked the confused Shepard.
"The Normandy had a visitor the other day, he said you would come, he told me why you would come… I'm sorry it has come to this Shepard, goodbye" said EDI. Shepard sat up in his bed, wondering what was going on. When he looked up he saw EDI's terminal short-circuiting. He watched as spurts of electricity shot across the room, swiftly moving to Shepard's bed, which unfortunately had electrical functions. He knew he only had moments to act.
"Shields on!" yelled Shepard, prompting his Omni-tool to activate. One large explosion and a concussion later, Shepard woke up outside the now burning Normandy.
Garrus stood over him and said, "Well that was a close call; I guess I never expected EDI to do that,"
Saren reached out a hand to help Shepard off the ground, "Ha, at least Sovereign never blew up in my face,"
"EDI never would have done that on her own, she said somebody had visited the Normandy, I'm guessing that someone knew we were coming, and rigged the ship. Because they were able to get past the guards with no problems, I'm assuming they worked for the company… speaking of them, we will never find them now that EDI is gone," said the dismayed Shepard.
"Actually Shepard, I have a confession," said Saren, "I was given a special biotic implant that could trace the biotic signature of a life form if I had a source to base it off of. Kind of like a drug dog sniffing out the drugs. If the person that rigged the Normandy did work for the company, and he was a biotic, I can find him by following his dark matter trail through the galaxy. That's how I found you,"
Garrus looked like he was about to become angry, but his anger quickly became fascination as he thought of Saren's plan.
"Sounds good, let's get this guy's scent and find a ship!"
Minutes later Saren had discovered a small biotic signature on the Normandy's remains. That signature matched that of a prothean.