Chapter 7: Tiptree
Date: November 20, 2183
Location: Thessia
John Shepard walked up behind Joker, who looked a little smug since coming back from his break with Serena. Noticing John behind him, Joker spoke. "So Thessia huh? I'm guessing the asari wish they had fewer dancers and more commandos right about now." He paused and looked at the non amused Commander. "Too soon?"
Irritated at what Jeff had just said John spoke with anger in his voice. "In case you hadn't noticed we just lost a few million people. This isn't the time for jokes!"
Tapping the console screens Jeff began waving his hands to find what he was looking for. Bringing up a tiny image of a small farming planet he spoke back. "You see this?" John looked at the image over Jeff's shoulder. "This is Tiptree. A little colony out in the ass end of nowhere. My Dad, or at least this reality's Joker's Dad, lives there. So does his sister. Reapers rolled in a couple days ago." The holographic display showed images of three larger Reaper ships attacking the tiny planet. "So you can generally be aware that I know there's a war going on Commander."
"So why the jokes?" John demanded as he stepped back from Jeff's chair.
"Because EDI says that according to your armor's metabolic scans, you're under more stress now that than durring the Blitz years ago." John looked at the pilot, shocked that he knew about that. "And the last time I had a briefing with Anderson or Hackett they told me to take care of both you and Ann. Those two are leading a resistance on Earth and they're worried about you two and I'm supposed to help."
John looked down before looking back at Jeff. "I appreciate the thought Joker, but I'm fine."
"The hell you are," Jeff scoffed. "You're like half robot right now." Ann was standing back watching this and listening to Joker. He looked at her mournfully. "It's my fault what happened to you ma'am. You came back for me when the Collectors attacked the original Normandy years ago. You died and I lived."
Ann looked at him and smiled. "I couldn't leave the best pilot in the fleet behind, now could I?"
Jeff coughed. "Yeah well I guess that would've looked bad on your report."
"Come on," Ann said as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "We've got work to do." With that she walked away with John a few steps behind her.
"One of these days you've gotta tell me what happened to you." He looked at her face as the war room door opened.
"Yeah, maybe we can have drinks when I do tell you." She looked at Javik who was talking to the Prothean VI that they'd managed to save from Cerberus. "What's it say?"
"That the Catalyst is the Citadel and that the Crucible will only work if the two are placed together." The ancient stated his eyes wide with this new knowledge.
"How do they work together?" Ann asked.
The ancient looked at the female. "You say you've beaten these demons before, why not try your way again?"
"My way was finding their stronghold hidden in what was once their creator's homeworld. They'd created a Dyson sphere in which they drew their power to keep a world of machines alive. Much like how the Geth back themselves up with a server, the Reapers did the same. They built a machine world that not only fixed broken Reapers ships, but to build new ones that had already been destroyed. A never ending cycle. However, when we came to this reality we found that the relay that would take us to this destination is gone. It didn't exist in this realty."
"So this is our only option?" John inquired.
"It would seem so." Javik replied somewhat sadly. "The Citadel's relay will react like a conduit and pass an energy throughout the entire galaxy, which will end the Reapers. However the Citadel is currently in the control of the Reapers. In order for the Crucible to even work we must gain back control over the Citadel."
"That will be a war in and of itself." John sighed.
"Exactly." The ancient looked at the two human Commanders. "But I believe we have something they do not."
"Oh?" John crossed his arms over his chest "And what is that?"
"For once I believe it is hope." The room was silent. "I believe a prophecy that many years ago was said to come to past is in it's beginning stages of doing so."
"You're talking about Serena," Ann responded, shocked that the Prothean would want to involve a pregnant woman.
"She is one element of this prophecy." He paused as the VI vanished into the ship's systems so that it could be tapped into by both Commanders. "You both can now gain access to the VI with your personal consoles."
"You said one element. What are the others?" John asked.
He looked at both of them. "The prophecy that was found many years ago by my people stated that with a wish, salvation will be granted. With bravery, the war will be won. With power, the enemy will run. With courage, hero's will fight together. With vengeance, a people will be remembered. With the past, the future will be cleared so that others will no longer suffer." Both humans looked at each other. "When these words were discovered in an ancient temple, it had been thought that they meant nothing. However, when the reapers came it was believed that these words were a prophecy that would bring victory against them. We never found the ones that it described though." He paused. "That is until now. I believe the wish will come from the girl. Immense bravery from one Ian Shaw. Courage is you, Shepard." He nodded towards Ann. "I do not know who the power will come from."
"The last two are?"
The ancients four eyes narrowed at John. "Me."
"Figures," John sighed. "Okay, but while you have this prophecy we're fighting a war that seems to have no end in sight. We've got the turians on our side and the krogans because of Ares and we just gained the hannar who are sending once of their best fighters to meet us at any requested destination."
Ann's omni-tool pinged, she looked down and smiled. "Commander?" came Javik's voice.
Looking up she smiled at John. "You asked Hackett to build another Normandy?"
"Serena's idea." he stated.
Chuckling, Ann continued. "Yeah well, the quarians helped in finishing it. That's the good news. The bad is that it's in port at Tiptree and another bad thing is it's getting worse there."
"Then we head there, pick up my new ship and separate," John said heading to the door.
"No. Separating is bad," Javik began, but was stopped when Ann held up her hand.
"For once John's right." She began to explain to Javik. "If we separate, John can get the asari and the salarians to help. I'll try to get the volus and the elcor to help."
"What about the Hanar representative?" Javik inquired.
"We will tell him to meet us at Tiptree but to be careful because it's hot with Reapers."
"Sounds good to me." With that John left the room.
Ann turned towards the ancient and smirked. "You know, I think I like this reality's version of you."
The Prothean seemed to be shocked by this admission. "Why?" he inquired.
"The Commander Javik back home always came off as an ass to me because he couldn't get past the fact that the primatives were the ones to defeat his enemy and the fact the Liara wouldn't leave him alone with her inquisitive questions probably didn't help either."
"This Liara is the same asari that is on this ship?" he asked, looking a bit tense. Ann shook her head no which made him relax.
"The one onboard is three years younger than the one back in my reality." She chuckled as she watched the Prothean begin to digest this information. He then nodded and left leaving her to chuckle just as Garrus walked in.
"Something funny?" he inquired as he pulled her close to his chest.
She hummed as she leaned her forehead against his. "Just thinking," she said with a smile.
"Of happy thoughts." His question for some reason made her blush. "Oh, those kinds of thoughts."
"I wasn't thinking about that, well not until you came in." She smirked.
"Oh," he chuckled. "Good save Shepard."
"Thought so myself," she said as she walked away. "But we do have twelve hours to spare." She turned towards him and winked before leaving. Seconds later the crew could've seen a turian running after Ann Shepard or they could've had anybody actually been watching them.
M-Angel: Yeah another chapter. I have decided to focus on this story and then go back to A New Dawn later. I may come out with another chapter towards the middle of the month or not, but I do hope to finish this story by summer...hopefully. LoL!
xoxoangii: *ponders about Javik and Liara...*