Shepard Likes Rocket Launchers

~Chapter 8~

The crew, plus Kirrahe, gathered in the communications room for a debriefing.

Shepard, having just been released from the med-bay (with a stern notice from Chakwas going something like "Medigel doesn't fix you, it just kills the pain and stops your organs from falling out until you can reach a doctor"), went first. "The mission went as well as we could have hoped. We sustained minimal casualties, the enemy stronghold is destroyed, and we've acquired a wealth of intelligence." He took a deep breath before continuing. "While the mission was underway, Matriarch Benezia transcribed the Mu Relay's positional data. At approximately oh-five-hundred, mission time, she lost consciousness and entered a state of cascading cell atrophy. Lady Benezia passed away at oh-seven-hundred today, ship-board time."

Liara, seated to Shepard's left, put her head in her hands, but there were no tears. There was no time for grief now.

Shepard continued. "The start of her cascading cell necrosis, usually occurring at the end of an asari lifetime, coincided with when the hologram of Sovereign appeared in Saren's personal laboratory." His voice went quiet. "The two events happened… too close together to be a coincidence."

Liara's voice was a whisper. "We killed her," she realized. "She told us to take her away, and we didn't listen. Instead, we brought her here. Brought her right back to Saren… to Sovereign… She died trying to keep them out of her mind."

Shepard sighed sadly. "There is nothing we can do about it now. Kirrahe, your team managed to extract data from the labs in the rear of the facility?"

Kirrahe nodded. "Preliminary overview of the data we extracted is… troubling. It appears that the krogan breeding facilities were only one aspect of the base's research. The other was something that Saren referred to in his files as 'indoctrination.' We came across several of our reconnaissance units that we had lost contact with. All of them became hostile toward us. That's how we ended up losing two men. We were fired on unsuspectingly. It's extremely likely that the indoctrination signal was being tested on them."

"Saren's weird mind control? Now why would he need to research that…?" Garrus wondered.

"It's entirely possible that even Saren himself doesn't understand it," replied Kirrahe. "The reports indicate that every person on the base was under observation. Even the top scientists. He was keeping tabs on all of them."

"Why? What does this mean?" asked Tali.

"If I were to guess," continued Kirrahe, "he was worried that it might be affecting him."

"Saren's not the one with the mind control abilities," Shepard realized. "It's Sovereign. And Saren's in deeper than anyone else!"

Kirrahe nodded. "Saren's notes say he came to the conclusion that the more control Sovereign exerted, the less capable the subject became. But," he paused for a breath, "we sent the data to STG analysts on Sur'kesh. They found no statistically significant trends. Everyone in that facility had been affected by the control. And very few of them were rambling, insane madmen."

He stopped to let that sink in.

"What you're saying," Wrex growled, "is that anyone could be indoctrinated? And we'd have no way of knowing?"

"That is correct," Kirrahe affirmed.

The team was silent for a few moments, pondering this new revelation.

Shepard spoke up. "There's one last thing. I came across another Prothean beacon in Saren's private lab. It might have filled in the information that was missing from the one on Eden Prime. Liara?"

Liara nodded and stood. "Very well. I will join our minds and see what I can find out." She reached out and took Shepard's hand. "Relax, Commander. Embrace eternity." Her eyes flashed to black…


Death.

Bodies. Flesh, twined with steel. Twisted, mutated, horrifying.

Monstrous. Terrifying. Massive. Machine.

Laws. Weapons.

Failure.

Fire. Houses. Cities. Worlds burn.

People burn.

All is lost.

Retaliation.

The Conduit.

Hope.

Sleep.

Ilos.

Return.


Liara gasped, staggering backwards as her eyes faded back to their normal color. "Ilos!" she hissed. "The Conduit is on Ilos!"

"Ilos?" asked Shepard. "Slow down. What did the vision say?"

"It's a distress call," Liara explained. "A warning, sent out across the Prothean Empire, about the Reapers. But the warning came too late."

She took a breath. "They mentioned… some sort of contingency plan. A device, being built on Ilos. A device that would allow them to strike back against the Reapers. How, I do not know. But they called it the Conduit. And the only way to reach Ilos is through the Mu Relay."

Ashley frowned. "Saren's trying to bring back the Reapers. Why would he be after a Prothean device designed to attack them?"

Shepard shrugged. "If it can hurt a Reaper, Saren can probably find all manner of ways to use it against us. Joker, get us to the Citadel. We'll need a fleet to assault Ilos. There's no way the Council can ignore us now."


"The news is quite alarming – if it turns out to be accurate."

"They're real. Saren even admitted it!"

"He's playing you, Shepard."

"Our own intelligence has never turned up any corroborating information."

"Patrols are stationed on every relay linking to the Citadel."

"You think a blockade is going to stop him? He's on Ilos right now!"

"Exposed, he is no longer a threat. This is over."

"Secrecy isn't his greatest weapon. The Conduit is!"

"The Conduit is just a distraction."

"Sovereign is the real threat!"

"The Reapers only exist in your visions."

"You're becoming more trouble than you're worth."

"We've locked out the Normandy's primary systems. Until further notice, you're grounded."

"This no longer concerns you.

"I tried to warn you about Saren. Look how that turned out."

"I believe there is a saying: even a broken clock is right twice a day."

"Here's another one: Go to hell!"

"I can't believe they ignored us!" Shepard grumbled, slumping by his locker.

Liara walked up to the locker next to his, leaning her shoulder on it. She sighed. "The council owes you everything. Everything! But instead, they strip you of your command and ground the Normandy.

Shepard gazed into the floor. "I showed them the truth. But they just refuse to believe."

Liara watched him carefully. "So you're just going to walk away? Give up, and doom the entire galaxy to extinction?"

Their eyes met, and Shepard slowly stood.

"I have a cargo hold full of rocket launchers. And I've got you. My crew. We'll figure something out."

Liara smiled slightly. "I believe in you, Shepard. I am with you every step of the way."

Suddenly, a cheesy tune began to play over the intercom. Shepard groaned. "What the heck? Joker?"

The music cut out abruptly, and was replaced by Joker's voice. "Sorry to interrupt, Commander. Got a message from Captain Anderson. Says he wants to meet with you over in Flux."

Liara leaned back and crossed her arms, in a stance very reminiscent of one that Shepard used often. "Are you spying on us, Joker?"

"Who, me? Spying? I would never! How could you even think such a thing?" They heard him burst into laughter before the intercom cut out.

Shepard sighed. "Just so we're clear. We're not, uh, in a relationship, are we?"

Liara blushed slightly. "No. We are not."

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Good. Just making sure."

Their walk to the airlock was slightly awkward.


Author's Note: Sorry if that was a bit odd. To be clear, Rocket!Shep will not be pursuing romance with any of his squad members. On-screen, at least. There may be a bit of tension though. It's funny watching him squirm. Erm. Forget I said anything.

Acheivement Unlocked: Lose no squadmates on Virmire.