Disclaimer: Statement: This particular meatbag does not own or claim to own the games Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Mass Effect for fear of execution.
Proud Declaration: Instead these games are copyrighted to the exceptional men and women of the Bioware Corporation, Lucas Arts and Microsoft game studios.
Designation: I, HK
Shepard shook with a profound shock. His crew remained silent to find that this Husk, with the same white eyes, the same bald shaven head, the same lines of green blue that they had ever met, used to be their lieutenant.
"Kaiden." Shepard said with a heavy sigh. After all this time, what to ask? Could he ask anything? There were so many questions: What happened? Were you okay? How did you know? The battle in the outskirts of town was caused by you?
Shepard took a deep breath and spoke firmly. "How did you survive?"
The Former Lieutenant held a glazed look upon him and whispered. "Silence…then, Rebirth".
He agonized on what must have happened. The only way to be saved was to kill himself on a stake.
"Shepard," Tali voice wobbled more than usual. "The Geth can't convert the dead."
Shepard's gaze came up as his eyes bulged. The Geth can't convert the dead. Kaiden had survived the nuclear explosion.
"Join…us." Kaiden had put his hand forward, wanting Shepard to grab it. His friendship was more than wanted. It was needed.
"No, Kaiden, there-there's got to be a way to save you. Quick, get me some medi-gel!"
"Shepard." Williams said shaking her head. Her eyes filled with tears as everyone looked at the scene playing out. "No."
Shepard sighed and looked at his friend. Was he his friend, still? Did he remember anything that had happened before? Could he go back?
"Kaiden, are you…happy?"
"Happy?" The Geth's head turned to the side, like a curious puppy, unable to comprehend what it had meant. "Loyal. Loyal…to Legion."
"Legion?" Garrus mustered the will to speak up. "Is that a Reaper?"
"Savior. Liberator. God." The crew of the Normandy looked at each other. Kaiden was an enemy. And if he compromised the mission…
Shepard expanded his pistol and aimed it for Kaiden's forehead.
"Warning: If you want my full co-operation on this mission, you will explain on how you will make me free."
"It is a simple thing to affect the mind. It is nothing but wires and data that can be removed. But this will only be done when you have fulfilled your part of the mission."
"Observation: I suspect there is more to your plan than just to wipe out 6 people."
"You are correct. Soon, you will lure Shepard's crew and ship and take it hostage. The SSV Normandy will be the flagship leading the Reapers into total dominance once again."
"Interjection: I believe you have miscalculated. Even if the squad does not survive, the com links will provide static interference, giving them knowledge of the fate of the crew."
"Unless you mimic Shepard's voice and tell them nothing has occurred."
Shepard pointed the pistol at Kaiden's whitened forehead. Never before had he felt so much pain and distraught as he did when he left him to die. Now, Kaiden lived but as a Geth, a Husk blank of any thought or feeling. Only obedience.
"Shepard!" Wrex said, "We don't have time for this. Shoot him or don't; we have to get out of here!"
Shepard's hand held steady but his mind shook. If Kaiden got in the way of the mission…
He lowered his pistol. "We can still help each other. Do you know where our weapons are?"
The Husk looked down and seemed to breathe. He pointed his stiff arm in one direction and started walking. The crew fell silent from what they had just witnessed. Their Commanding officer made a decision that sent the crew into deep thought. Was it possible that Kaiden was still human? Could they go back together as they used to be? Even if all of them survived, how would Kaiden live, as a Husk?
They snuck in silence passing patrol after patrol. Through alleys and the shadows of buildings, they found a heavily guarded building, illuminated with the same green blue light with Geth heavily guarding the post.
Before any of them could ask questions, Kaiden had stumbled out of their hiding positions, as the rest of them watched from a safe distance. The Husk uttered some sounds sending the Geth Troopers out of the way. After they left, he signaled all of them to come forth.
Inside the garage, the base had all of their ammunition and weaponry as each took the time to equip on their packs. And with a tremendous amount of luck, the Mako stood intact during all that time.
With the discovery of their com-links, they felt a great sense of relief.
"Can you contact the Normandy?" Shepard said, checking his machine gun.
Garrus shook his head. "No good, there's a lot of static in the city. We must not have been able to do it since then."
"We have to get-" Shepard stopped in mid sentence looking outside seeing a very large, Geth Prime outside the door. The Geth ripped through the metal wall and started charging. The squad, save Wrex, jumped out of the way. The Krogan, however, charged headfirst into the Geth, three times his size and twice as tall. The Prime swiped Wrex out of the way as the rest of the crew started firing at it.
"Liara!" Shepard yelled, laying out a suppressive fire. "Can you use your biotics?"
"I…" Liara concentrated a tremendous deal to lift the Geth. "It's too heavy! I can't lift it."
"Tali?" Shepard cried out as he threw a cryogenic grenade, not even denting the Prime.
"No good! The Omni-tool isn't even hurting it!" Just then, Kaiden stood in front of the Geth, and looked upward. The crew stopped firing as they stared at him.
"Go." He said, his body lighting up with electricity. As his body cackled, the crew sprinted for the Mako. As they all got in, the last thing Shepard saw was Kaiden's head being crushed by the foot of the Geth Prime.
Begin Recollection: Day 243:
Observation: Master, you seem to be leaking profusely these past few days? Do you have a leak on your meatbag?
Master: I'm just a bit nervous. The Star Forge is a big ship. I have to take down Malak and save Bastilla at the same time.
Hypothetical: Master, if the pretentious- Err, I mean Bastilla uses her Battle Meditation, wouldn't it add significantly more difficulty to the situation?
Master: That's why I have to talk her out of it.
Observation: Master, if she uses her Battle Meditation, the Republic fleets will be overwhelmed. If I were to eliminate her otherwise…
Master: No, HK! You are not to hurt Bastilla in any way when I talk to her.
Objection: Master, you are letting your feelings interfere with the slaughter with meatbags. It is not guaranteed you will win, unless you make sacrifices.
Master: No HK, I will win because…
Shepard gave a heavy sigh as they drove off in the Mako. As Wrex fired a suppressive chain gun while Garrus managed to run through several Geth blockades, Williams leaned towards Shepard.
"Skipper, I-"
"Wrex," Shepard barked. "Don't shoot to kill; we just need to get out of the city. Same goes for you, Garrus."
"Shepard, let's face it," Wrex said through the viewer, "we've screwed up."
"We have to abort for now." Liara said.
"There's still a chance. HK might have come through." Shepard reasoned.
Tali scoffed, "Please, that droid probably did nothing more than-"
"Statement: Master? Oh, Master!" The crew looked at their com-links to see that they were finally working. Looking outside, they had reached the outskirts of the blue desert, exiting the city.
"HK?" Shepard asked. "Sorry, but we've gotten ourselves in a bit of a mess."
"Reassurance: Oh Master, please. The Geth are willing to quote: 'Forgive and Forget'. In fact, their leader wants to personally meet with you at the designated location."
The crew looked at each other. They wondered if the droid had somehow managed a peace between the two species.
"Where's the location?"
"Statement: I'm transmitting the coordinates now."
Begin Recollection: Day 371
Query: Master, what troubles you so?
Master: We're heading towards Malachor V, where everything started.
Observation: Ah, you wish to kill more meatbags there?
Master: No, HK. I'm going to destroy that planet once and for all.
Objection: Master, why do you insist on destroying the foundation of your reputation? That is where you caused the very foundation of my existence.
Master: It doesn't matter, HK. I'm going to end it all, and I'll save everyone.
Observation: Master, you seem to be leaking profusely through your eyes.
Master: I'm…fine, HK. I'm going to protect everyone: Atton, Bao, Mira, Mical, Mandalore, Visas, GOTO, T3 and even you. Because…
The Mako had just made its way into a bowl shaped valley where they hoped to meet the leader of the Geth. There, the crew of the Normandy breathed heavily as they saw a disastrous sight. On the rim of the bowl, there were armed Geth, aiming snipers, missile launchers and rifles at them. And there in the middle, stood HK-47.
"It's a trap!" Wrex said as he started the vehicle.
The com-link started to function. "Threat: Master, if you do not leave your vehicle, I may have to activate the nuclear device inside your tank." Shepard pushed the crew aside to look through the viewer. Sure enough, HK held a remote device that would allow him to set it off.
"Get out, now!" The squad put their masks on as they stepped outside the vehicle, at the mercy of the Geth.
"Very good, HK." The Reaper's voice had boomed as it flew high above the ground. "Now, end them."
"Condescending Statement: Oh Master, I was indeed proud to be your loyal servant, but now, you are at a stand point."
"Query: Will you not surrender peacefully? If you lead the SSV Normandy as the flagship of the Reapers, you will be spared."
"Shepard." Tali whispered as every Geth aimed at their heads. "I could probably hack the droid's databanks, giving us enough time to scramble."
"No." He whispered sternly."
"He's betraying us right in front of our eyes! We're about to die!"
"Mockery: Does the Quarian wish to hack me again?
Reassurance: Do not worry. I always knew. But luckily the fat droid has prevented such crude measures from ever being done to me ever again." HK went down and picked up a Geth issue missile launcher.
"Query: Will you not surrender? Surely you realize now that escaping this situation is impossible."
All over Shepard shook. They were all about to die. If he answered no, every gun would shoot them down, regardless of their heavy shields. It would be easy, just to give up and betray humanity and the Council. He would live, everyone would live. But, he would be a slave to the Reapers, just like Saren.
He stepped forward and said firmly, "I don't care. I can lose a foot, I can even lose my whole arm, but I'm not going to stop protecting people or other species. I may lose here, but I'll be back. Nothing's impossible!"
The droid recorded every word of Commander Shepard's speech.
"Statement: Master, that is all I needed to hear." HK took the rocket launcher, aimed and fired in one quick movement. As the rocket traveled, Shepard wouldn't have believed what he saw. There the rocket aimed straight for the Reaper's eye as it wailed. He looked back to see HK, disarming several Geth and firing upon them, avoiding every shot.
"Everyone, fire!" he said the rest of the crew, their mouths wide open. They laid a suppressing fire as they headed back to the Mako and drove to the side. HK, activating his energy shields was shocked at how bad the Geths' aim were. They lacked any sort of finesse, or grace. It was almost embarrassing where he shot several Geth with one blaster shot. And the weapons were so crude. Overheating? How barbaric. Nonetheless, HK rejoined his master as he leapt down and got into the Mako.
"Wait, I don't understand!" Williams cried as the droid that seemed to just betray them was now riding in the front seat. "How did you know that the droid wouldn't turn on us?"
"I didn't." Shepard said. "I just wanted to make one last stand."
"Do that again and I'll kill you." Wrex grinned happily to see the droid riding with them.
"Negatory: As if that were possible." The droid turned to the Commander as Garrus drove his way through several Geth. "Statement: Master, I have a plan."
"He has betrayed me. We must ensure that he doesn't leave the planet." Legion could not comprehend this turn of events. He was sure he had HK under his grasp and ensured victory. Now, underneath the caverns, he calculated his next move. "Is there any sign of their vessel?"
The Geth he stared at shook their heads as he heard a noise. A vehicle approaching.
The Mako crashed and mowed down several Geth as a lone droid emerged from it. With it, was the detonator along with the vehicle in which the bomb was never removed.
"Why have you done this? Have I not offered freedom? Have I not offered slaughter at a grand scale?"
"Clarification: Oh no, your offer was quite generous indeed. It's just made a last minute observation."
"Tell me!" the Reaper yelled.
"Observation: You claimed that I 'could' be free, that we 'could' rule everything."
The Reaper's photoreceptors began to glow a great red as it glared at the droid.
"Correction: You should have used 'would.'"
"What?"
"Definition: Could implies that there is a chance of success as well as failure, while would implies nothing but success."
"You are a fool, HK-47. Even the best plans have a chance of failure."
"Negatory: Wrong, fat droid.
Dramatic Monologue: These Photoreceptors have recorded many things. But above all else, they have recorded the impossible. They have recorded warring species go days and weeks on the same vessel without killing each other. They have recorded Masters recover their lost memories without any reasonable explanation. They have recorded the assassination of the mind. And they have recorded single men and women, meatbags, do something that cannot be explained with significant success.
Male Recording: Failure is not an option.
Female Recording: Failure isn't an option.
Conclusion: Therefore, Failure is not an option. I can stand many things. I may wish to put my blaster pistol to my control cluster after seeing such acts of love, kindness, and (Shudders) mercy. But if it's one thing I cannot stand, it is incompetence."
"You were unwise to challenge me. I can rip you apart just by arming my laser."
"Response: Which is why I had the pleasure of equipping a nuclear device and bringing it with me as my Master and his meatbag allies wait outside."
"You fool. You can't survive an explosion like that."
"Statement: Says you." HK pushed the button as the cavern was filled with a giant explosion.
