Before we begin, I'd like to reply to anonymous review:
Axcel: Power weapons do cauterize the wounds. It is clearly shown in the novel "The Armor of Contempt" from Gaunt's Ghosts series by Den Abnett. There, Colonel Commissar Gaunt uses his power sword to cut off his snipers leg in order to save him, and then uses the same sword to cauterize the wound.
That's it for now. Let the story continue.
Chapter 9: Vengeance served hot.
Location: Ismar Frontier, Faia System, en route to planet Zoria's orbit, Normandy's Com room.
Victoria looked around the company present in the room. Because they didn't find any intel on the Collector on Korlus and the Illusive Man had yet to provide something, Shepard decided to deal with the mission Zaeed asked her to help with. Not all ground crew was present for the briefing at the moment.
Miranda was busy with some procurement business such as dealing with some upgrades for the Normandy. Jacob has provided them with contacts that can help in acquiring the newest armor plating - the Silaris Armor, just like the one that was used on the Destiny Ascension. Also, Garrus said he had some old contact from his day in the turian military who promised to deliver some of the latest top secret armaments straight from the Hierarchy's R&D department. Now Miranda was busy trying to secure a dry dock that was going to be used for the refit.
Kasumi asked for some free time as she was busy with some preparations for the heist. Mordin was continuing his work on the countermeasures and already informed Victoria that he made good progress.
Jack still looked strained and actually asked for leave this time, promising that she would be ready when the time comes to "kick some serious shit up". Shepard allowed that.
That left Victoria with Jacob, Garrus, Zaeed, Gallardi and her newest crew member - Grunt. All except the young krogan were sitting at the briefing table. Grunt was either standing or eagerly pacing around the room.
Only five team members but Shepard judged it would be more than enough to deal with a bunch of the Blue Suns. Probably overkill, even.
"Since we still don't have any intel on our current enemy's movements, we will deal with some minor issues to keep ourselves busy," Victoria started. "Next mission is provided to us by Mr. Massani's previous employers. Zaeed?"
The old mercenary leaned forward. "We're going to Zoria to liberate Eldfell-Ashland refinery from the Blue Suns. Job's simple: get in, kill all of the Blue Suns and secure the refinery and its personnel. Then the company will pay us good money for this and everybody will be happy."
"We also have a priority target among the merc," Shepard continued. "Vido Santiago, current leader of the Blue Suns. The merc band has been a thorn in our side for some time now so killing their boss is going to be a serious blow to their organization."
"What can we expect in terms of defenses?" Gallardi asked.
"It's a civilian structure so no serious defenses," Victoria replied. "As for the Blue Suns - standard outfit. Mercs and mechs. Maybe a gunship. No krogan like on Korlus. Any other questions?"
"When do we get to kill people?" Grunt asked impatiently.
Shepard looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "When we get ground-side Grunt, not before. The ship is flying at top speed, we get there when we get there, understand? Of course, if Okeer gave you some imprint on how to increase the ship's FTL speed then we're all ears."
"Humph," the krogan replied and continued pacing.
"If there are no other questions, I suggest you check your equipment and start gearing up," Victoria said and rose from her seat. "See you in a shuttle in thirty minutes."
The team started to leave the room. Both Shepard and Gallardi were among the last to leave when suddenly the door to the Tech Lab opened revealing very excited Mordin.
"Captain, glad you're still here!" Mordin said and motioned to follow him. "Managed to create an appropriate adapter and access the OSD. But now need your help with access."
Gallardi looked thoughtful for a moment before he realized something. "Oh, right the DNA scan," the man said as he followed the salarian.
Her curiosity piqued, Victoria followed them. "You use DNA protection for personal OSD's?"
"Personal data storages, or OSDs as you call them, are not very common in the Imperium. Common people usually don't have them, except for the wealthy," Gallardi explained. "Imperial officials who have the OSD, usually have sensitive information on them and therefore require having some kind of protection. Mine was a gift to me from my caretaker once I was sent to Schola. It didn't have any protection at first. When I joined the Inquisition it was a mandatory requirement to make it secure."
"Only a DNA scanner?" Mordin said as he turned and waived his omni-tool in front of Gallardi. The device pinged once and Mordin smiled. "There, all done. EDI? Use the skin flake sample to access the device now."
"The device has accepted Captain's DNA. Accessing files," EDI replied. "It appears some data correlation and formatting will be required to properly view the information. This will take some time."
"Good, good will inform you once this is done," Mordin told Gallardi and returned to work.
"There is also something remarkable I have revealed once trying to access the device," EDI said out loud. "It appears that Imperial cryptographic and ciphering protocols are far more advanced than our own."
"Just how advanced are we talking here?" Victoria asked the AI.
"Extremely," EDI replied. "More advanced than the C-sec encryption or anything Cerberus has."
Shepard's eyes widened at this piece of information. "You mean your OSD is more heavily encrypted then Citadel Security Database? That's the most secure place in the Galaxy!"
Gallardi scratched his chin. "I can't say anything on the matter. The tech adept who installed the protection said it was pretty standard security measure."
"Might have a theory there," Mordin said thoughtfully. "Could be simple technological evolution. Current protection of personal Extranet accounts is more advanced than the protection STG archives had two hundred years ago. What Imperium considers standard, we consider top of the line."
"Could be," Victoria shrugged. "I guess you brought this to our attention for some reason EDI?
"Yes. Now that I have full access to the data on the device I can fully analyze Imperial encryption protocols," EDI replied. "With your permission I would like to implement them in my current software. It will greatly increase the efficiency of my Cyber warfare suites. I can safely assume that I would be able to deflect attacks from geth and even Reapers."
Shepard looked at Gallardi, who simply shrugged at this. "I don't see any reason not to. If it makes us stronger against our enemies than why not?"
"Alright, do it EDI," Victoria told the AI. "If there's nothing else, we should go prepare for the deployment."
Gallardi nodded and left for the armory while Shepard went to the elevator to get into her room and grab her gear. Once she was ready, Shepard went once again entered the elevator and started her descent. She picked up Gallardi on her way down, who said that everyone else was already in the cargo hold.
The elevator then stopped on the Crew deck because someone was probably trying to get into either Engineering or the cargo hold. This was fine with Victoria because she wanted to ask Maeteris whether something terrible was going to happen on Zoria. To her surprise it was the Farseer who stood at the entrance to the lift.
"Oh, Maeteris I was just looking for you," Shepard said as the Farseer entered the elevator and pressed the Engineering button. "You're going to the Engineering? Why? Is something wrong with Jack?"
Maeteris sighed. "Everything is wrong with Jack. She tries to follow my advice on blocking away my memories using her powers and fails so completely, her pathetic attempts are getting on my nerves. She simply cannot grasp the concept of the Warp. I suppose I should give her some guidance if she ever to make any progress."
"I sure she'll appreciate your help," Victoria said and immediately corrected herself. "Well, maybe she would not but I appreciate you helping her. Um... I wanted to..."
"Everything depends on your choices, Commander," the Farseer interrupted Shepard's question, most like knowing what the said question would be. "Trust yourself. Trust the strengths of your companions and you will be triumphant."
The door to the Engineering deck opened. Maeteris stepped out and turned to look at Victoria. "And always remember: it is you who are in command. Not me, not anyone else."
The door closed and the elevator continued to move down to the cargo hold.
"She's right. I should stop doing that," Shepard muttered. "I'm starting to rely on her too much."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Shepard," Gallardi told her. "Even I understand how tempting it is to have a pocket oracle. But she is right we should trust in ourselves. The Emperor does not make us stronger by providing easy challenges."
"Yeah, you're right," Victoria nodded. The door to cargo hold opened revealing the waiting crew near Kodiak. "All right, let's get this over with."
Location: Normandy's Engineering Deck, lower level.
Jack sat lazily on the floor trying to do... well, something. Trying to somehow trigger those psychic powers the eldar told her about. She only succeeded in activating her biotics and throwing around things to went her frustration.
She was tired. The nightmares returned last night and she could do little to stop them. She needed to figure out something because those memories made her weak and helpless. And if there was anything Jack hated the most it's being weak and helpless. She tried to build a wall in her head which once again resulted in her creating a biotic barrier.
"Stop it, this is not what you need." The voice of the eldar made Jack jump. Once again the damn alien approached Jack without her noticing it.
"Damn it would it kill you to at least make some noise while walking?" Jack asked as she opened her eyes and looked at the Farseer. "What do you want now?"
"I came here to point you in the right direction," Maeteris told her. "You heard me talking about the Warp before yet you still fail to grasp the idea of it."
"Maybe I would have understood if you were not so cryptic about it," Jack retorted.
Maeteris didn't reply but simply sat in kneeling position on the deck. "Sit," she told Jack.
"Do I really have to sit like you?" Jack asked. She believed that all those 'meditating' positions were all just bullshit.
"You can sit in whatever you feel comfortable," Maeteris replied evenly and Jack simply sat on the floor with her legs bent before her and her head resting on her knees. "Of course, in this position you will not be able to sit for more than an hour before your lower back starts to ache," Maeteris added.
Jack shifted to a cross-legged position. "That's better?"
"Much," the Farseer replied. "Now, your main mistake is that you think that the Warp has anything to do with physical reality. It is not. Your own kin gave it a fitting name - Immaterum, non-material. It is shaped by emotions, feelings and actions of all living creatures. It cannot be seen, touched or tasted by any of your primary five senses. You have to feel it with your spirit."
"O-o-okay, how do I do that?" Jack asked incredulously. "I mean, you do understand that I'm new to this whole shit."
Maeteris sighed. "Since we already established that you have some rudimentary telepathic abilities, that's where we will start. Sit, close your eyes, they are useless to you in this, and try to reach out to those present around the ship. Feel their presence and thoughts."
"Well I suppose..." Jack said and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on the sounds around her. She sat like for some time, listening to the hum of the reactor and Mass effect core, the occasional sounds of the engineers walking above her and muffled sounds of their speech. She tried to listen closer but could not make out a single word.
The loud bang of a metal crate falling on the deck nearby nearly made Jack jump out of her skin. Her biotics flared as she opened her eyes, jumped up and prepared to face whoever threw the crate only to find the crate lying on the floor. The eldar was still sitting in the same place and there was a smell of ozone in the air. Jack figured that it was the damn alien who raised the crate with her mind and then dropped it on the floor.
"What the hell was that for?" Jack demanded as she snuffed out her biotics.
"You are still doing it wrong," the Farseer declared with annoyance. "You use your hearing to listen. Your ears are for the physical world, they are deaf to the Warp. Forget about your body, it is just a shell, an anchor for your spirit to exist in."
"You're asking for something impossible!" Jack shouted. "Just listen to yourself: feel something that can't be felt, hear something that can't be heard. This 'Warp' thing may be an obvious thing for you, princess, but I only found out about it a couple of days ago. Give me a break!"
Maeteris sighed even more heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Never thought I'd miss the Imperials. As brutish as they are they at least have some understanding on this matter. So you are saying that it is difficult for you to even imagine the existence of the Warp?"
"Give the chick a fucking gold star! Yes, you are absolutely correct, Your Highness," Jack sneered.
Maeteris seemed to ignore Jack's comments as she rubbed her forehead, lost in thoughts. "Sit," she said after a moment.
As Jack reluctantly returned to her position, the eldar continued. "The air around us? Do you believe in its existence?"
Jack raised her brows at the ridiculous question. "Well duh! We'd be dead if there was no air."
"Yet you cannot see it, cannot taste or touch it. You can smell something in the air if there is a source for it but the air alone has no smell," Maeteris pointed out.
"Well, that's..." Jack began.
"Different? How so?" the Farseer asked.
Jack shrugged. "Well I guess you're right, not so different."
"Close your eyes," the eldar continued. "Try to feel the air around you. Not as something that just should be there and something you breathe. Try to feel it for what it is - a mixture of different gases that fills every free place on this ship. Picture untold billions of tiniest molecules as they fly at great speed and impact on your skin, creating an atmospheric pressure. Picture as it fills your lungs and then passes into your blood stream and courses through your entire body, invigorating your tissues. Absolutely unseen and yet essential part of the majority of living beings."
"Why are we doing this?" Jack asked, as she closed her eyes. "I mean, the air is a physical thing."
"It is, but it will help you broaden your mind. It will make you understand that if you cannot see a thing, it does not mean it's nonexistent," the Farseer explained.
"I guess," Jack said and followed the eldar's advice.
Location: Planet Zoria, outskirts of Eldfell-Ashland refinery facility.
The team deployed in the jungle and advanced towards the refinery. Once again Zaeed patched them into the Blue Suns communications so Shepard was able to monitor the enemy's movements. Half on the way to the objective they stumbled upon the group of dead workers lying in the jungle. Massani commented that it was definitely Vido's style - to shoot unarmed people in the back and leave to rot.
They passed through one of the checkpoints easily; the few Blue Suns' mercs were no match for Victoria's team. Despite being young and somewhat hotheaded, Grunt actually showed himself a competent fighter. Whether it was because of Okeer's genetic tailoring or Rana's learning programs Shepard could not tell, although she was inclined towards the latter. While Grunt lacked Wrex's biotics and experience he made up for it in sheer tenacity, and the few wounds the krogan suffered during a firefight healed quickly without the use of medigel.
They then reached a river that separated them from the refinery. While they waited for an old retractable bridge to make its way to the other bank, Zaeed told Shepard the full story of what transpired between him and Vido. Victoria stopped herself from asking how the old merc managed to survive the shot in the head, fully understanding that coming from her it would just sound stupid.
Upon approaching the gatehouse, Shepard intercepted the message from commander Santiago. He ordered for all his men to mass at gatehouse Victoria's team was about to storm. Shepard called for a stop.
"You all heard that? There's probably ambush waiting for us beyond the gate," Victoria asked. "Suggestions?"
"Seeking alternative route will give the mercs time to reinforce their positions," Gallardi replied. "I suggest we storm the gatehouse."
Several nods from others said that others agreed with him.
"Alright," Shepard agreed. "Once we enter, spread out and seek all available cover. Let's go."
They entered the gatehouse and immediately scattered into all available cover. No fire came at first although Shepard clearly saw the mercs standing on the gatehouse's higher levels. The next moment she saw Zaeed's nemesis, Vido Santiago, appear among the Blue Suns.
"Zaeed Massani," Vido remarked. "You finally tracked me down."
"Vido," Zaeed muttered and trained his weapon at his former partner.
"Don't be stupid, Massani," Vido warned him. "I have a whole company of bloodthirsty bastards behind me, ready to kill or be killed on my command."
Shepard saw Massani eying the pipeline above the enemy's positions. Victoria wondered what he had in mind for Santiago.
Dissatisfied that he didn't get any response from his former colleague, Vido continued to mock Zaeed. "Actually, take your shot. Give my men a reason to put you down like the mad dog you are. Again."
The next moment Massani dashed to the left firing wildly at the mercs and not hitting anyone in the process.
"What was that? Gone nearsighted, old friend?" Vido sneered.
"Burn, you son of a bitch," Zaeed snapped, firing at the pipe above Santiago. That caused an explosion that killed a couple of Blue Suns and sent others into disarray.
"You just signed your death warrant, Massani!" Vido shouted as he picked himself up and retreated deeper inside the facility.
The remaining mercs started shooting at the Shepard's team and they returned fire. Amidst the mayhem of the fire fight Victoria heard someone repeatedly hit something metal. She looked to the left and saw as Massani was striking a huge valve with the butt of his rifle, trying to force it to turn. Before Shepard managed to ask him what he was doing, the valve budged and Zaeed rotated it several times. More explosions sounded ahead and Victoria turned to see half of the gatehouse gone and the inner gate hanging loosely on its hinges.
Through the opened gate Shepard saw that half of the refinery was now in flames. Whatever Zaeed did, it caused a chain reaction that set the facility ablaze.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Victoria roared at Zaeed.
"Opening the gate," Zaeed replied nonchalantly.
"This whole place is set on fire! There are still people inside!" Shepard shouted at him.
"I don't care," the old mercenary said. "Let these people burn! It's Vido I'm after and he dies, no matter the cost!"
Shepard wanted nothing more at the moment than to approach Zaeed and to hit him in the face, but a burst of gunfire nearby sent her into cover. Several turians in the Blue Suns armor were charging through the recently opened immediately sent a biotic push scattering the mercs around. Her team returned fire and in a couple of minutes the situation reversed – it was Shepard's turn to lead her teammates' charge through the gate and deeper into the blazing refinery. EDI plotted a course through the facility that will lead them towards the launch pad where Vido's shuttle or gunship was located.
As Shepard was about to enter she heard someone shouting frantically behind her.
"Help! There are people trapped inside the building!" A man pleaded. He was dressed in working coveralls and was covered in soot and grime. "The doors would not open until the fires are out and the fire extinguishing system has failed. They can't restart it from their side!"
Victoria looked at her companions for some advice on how to proceed.
"Shepard, if we help these people Santiago might escape," Garrus told her.
"Screw Santiago," Jacob retorted. "We came here to help these civilians!"
Zaeed glared at the former marine. "I've been gunning down this bastard for twenty years! I'm not going to let him escape again."
Shepard wanted to say just where and how deeply Massani could stuff Vido but there was no time to argue. She needed to make a choice and she needed to do it now. On the one hand she wanted to help the people trapped inside the refinery. On the other hand if Vido escapes, God only knows how many other facilities like this one he was going to raid and how many innocent people will die just like those whose corpses were still lying in the jungle.
Trust yourself. Trust in the strengths of your companions and you will be triumphant.
The eldar's words came suddenly to Victoria's mind. She looked once again at her team and made the decision.
"I'm going to help them," Victoria stated sternly.
"God damn you Shepard…" Zaeed started to argue.
"Shut it, Massani!" Victoria all but hissed at the merc. She turned to look at the Captain. "Gallardi, you're in charge. Go after Santiago and make sure he doesn't leave this planet alive."
"Consider it done," Gallardi nodded.
"Good," Shepard said and jumped down onto the lower walkway that led deeper into the refinery. She approached the door, overrode the lock and carefully stepped away before opening it. As she expected, a ball of flame erupted from inside the refinery as the opened door let fresh air inside. Victoria took a look inside. The facility looked like hell and it suddenly brought an uncomfortable feeling of deja vu as Shepard remembered her last moments aboard the old Normandy. She pushed the memories aside and sealed her helmet.
"Shepard," Victoria's com crackled as Gallardi's voice came through. She looked behind her and saw the Captain stand on the walkway looking at her.
"Good luck," Gallardi continued. "The Emperor protects."
Victoria nodded and took a step inside the blazing refinery. Somehow she doubted that Gallardi's distant God cared about her existence but as she looked at the hell storm she was about to cross, she muttered under her breath absent-mindedly. "I really hope he does, Gallardi."
August saw Shepard disappear inside the burning building and turned back to look at his new unexpected charges. He must have impressed the Commander on Korlus since she chose him to lead the rest of the team. Although he also had two xenos among his team now, Gallardi was not about to fail in his duty because of his mistrust of the aliens. Strange as it was he actually trusted those two present, somewhat. So far Vakarian showed himself a competent marksman and loyal to their cause, even though he wasn't human and it wasn't really his fight. As for the krogan, Grunt, Gallardi knew now that he could trust the alien's love for a fight. The huge xenos seemed to care less about everything else.
"All right men, form up," Gallardi ordered and changed the powerpack in his lasgun. "Krogan? You take point. Vakarian, you take the rear guard and provide sniper support. Remember that this is an industrial building so check for sniper fire from the walkway on higher levels."
"We are not doing this for the first time, you know?" Massani grumbled impatiently.
Gallardi rotated on his feet nimbly and used his augmented arm to grab the old merc by the throat and slam him into the nearby wall. Zaeed grunted, dropped his rifle and tried to unclench the Gallardi's iron grip on him but unless he had the strength of an ork, Zaeed was not going to succeed in his endeavor.
Gallardi leaned closer to the mercenary's face. "Listen to me Massani and listen closely. You should be praying to whatever heathen God you worship that we're not in the Imperial Guard or else that stunt you pulled before would have already landed you with 10-49. You know what order 10-49 of the Imperial Guard's Code of rules and regulations means? The Guardsman or a Guard officer is charged with disobedience of their superior's orders or other actions of grave military misconduct that compromised the operation's success. Prescribed punishment is summary execution on the spot by a commissar or any other ranking officer present. Right now I'm the ranking officer. So unless you really want to test me Massani, I suggest you shut up and get in formation. Are we clear on that?"
Zaeed growled in response.
"Are we clear?" Gallardi repeated his question and slide Massani higher up the wall making his feet dangle uselessly.
"Crystal clear," Zaeed replied as the blood started to drain from his face. Gallardi released him and the merc dropped down the floor and started coughing.
August turned to look at the others. He saw approval in both Jacob's and Garrus' faces and even Grunt was grinning savagely.
"We have a job to do, men," Gallardi said as he prepared his weapon. "Let's make it happen."
Garrus moved to override the lock on the door and opened it. Grunt immediately thundered inside, his huge shotgun at the ready. Everyone followed him in. The team proceeded swiftly on the course set by EDI. They encountered small resistance on their way, or at least what Gallardi considered to be small resistance. Having a krogan on their side was a huge advantage as the Blue Suns seem to concentrate their fire on him, allowing the rest of the team to flank the mercs and destroy them quickly. The krogan's armor allowed him to take a lot of punishment and shrug off most of the attacks. For Gallardi it was somehow akin to having a Space Marine lead their assault, although Grunt might have been strong enough he was nowhere as fast and agile as one of the Emperor's finest. August mused that if an Astartes was present here he would have probably carved through the mercenaries all by himself without even taking cover.
They entered some kind of compartment that probably served as a security office in the facility, judging by the presence of various displays that showed different parts of the refinery. Two turians were left guarding it but they were killed instantly by August's and Garrus' precise shooting. As the team moved forward, something caught Gallardi's eye. He approached and picked up some kind of a heavy weapon lying on one of the crates. The gun was in the collapsed stated and August still was not very familiar with the local weaponry to activate it. The gun had a small tank attached to it with an image of flame on it therefore the weapons purpose was pretty obvious to him.
"Grunt!" Gallardi shouted and saw the krogan turn and look at him. "Catch," August said and threw him the weapon.
Despite being a lumbering beast, Grunt caught the heavy weapon nimbly with one hand. He collapsed his shotgun and placed it on his back before activating his new toy. The pilot light in front of the weapon confirmed Gallardi's guess that this was a flamethrower.
"Since you favor close combat I think this will be useful to you," Gallardi told him with a nod.
"Get in close and smoke them out," Grunt mused and grinned wolfishly. "I like how you think, human."
The krogan picked up several spare canisters and once again took his position at the at the team's front. They advanced into the last room that separated them from a launch pad. Santiago was frantically ordering the last of his men to delay the August's team but it wasn't working. With Grunt armed with a flamethrower the battle started to become remarkably one sided – while the room had a lot of heavy machinery to use as cover, it didn't help them much against the flamethrower. Those who were not immediately set on fire had to leave their cover where they became easy pickings for the rest of the team.
The Blue Suns managed to put up some sort of resistance in the end when they activated their heavy mech. The mech was keeping half of the Gallardi's team suppressed but the Blue Suns made a mistake of trying to use it as a mobile cover. Gallardi decided to repeat what he did on Purgatory. With three precise shots he destroyed the mech's head and forced it to self-destruct. The blast killed most of the remaining mercs and incapacitated the rest. In a matter of minute those too joined their dead comrades.
The team opened the exit doors and rushed onto the landing pad.
Instead of finding more of the Blue Suns they spotted a lone figure of Vido Santiago limping away hurriedly toward the jungles. Gallardi saw the man bleed from a wound on his thigh as drops of blood landed with a splat into pool of some sort of liquid that was spilled on the floor. Judging by the smell it was some kind of fuel.
Massani fired a shot from his rifle that hit Vido in another thigh. The Blue Suns' commander fell on the floor with a cry. Then he rolled around and his eyes filled with dread as he caught sight of his pursuers.
"Wait, don't do this Zaeed!" Santiago pleaded. "It was nothing personal, just business. Do you understand? Look at yourself now; you're working with Spectre now, a God damn hero. I did the galaxy a favour!"
Zaeed simply reloaded his gun, sending a searing heatsink on the ground. It landed in the pool of promethium, or whatever these people used as a liquid fuel, and ignited it. The flame moved closer to where Vido was lying. The fire erupted all around him and the Blue Suns' leader screamed as he was set on fire. He tried to plead for help but no one moved. Gallardi himself felt no pity for this scum. The purification by fire was more than suitable punishment. He looked at his team members – both Zaeed and Grunt wore satisfied smirks. Garrus just looked impassively at the scene. Only Jacob seemed a bit uncomfortable with the Vido's torment.
Santiago's screams suddenly stopped with gunshot coming from behind Gallardi. August turned around and raised his weapon to meet the gunner but stopped immediately as he recognized Shepard. The woman's armor was covered in soot and she held a pistol in her hand pointed to where Vido's corpse lay. Shepard's face bore a stern expression.
"Shepard?" Gallardi asked as he approached her. "Were you successful? Are the civilians safe?"
"They are," the Commander replied with a tilt of her head, pointing towards the group of dirty workers that huddled in the distance. "Though not all of them."
It meant that someone was killed in the blast. Gallardi turned around to glare at the approaching merc who looked extremely pleased with himself.
"Is it done?" Shepard asked coldly.
"Yeah, we're all done here," Zaeed replied with a smirk.
"Good," Shepard said evenly.
THUD! SMACK!
Shepard moved as lightning as she placed two solid strikes at both Zaeed's crotch and head. The merc fell on the ground with a cry and curled in the fetal position.
"Fucking bitch!" Zaeed managed with a groan.
The Commander approached him and kicked him once again, rolling Zaeed on his back. She placed her foot on the man's chest and leaned closer. No one moved to intervene.
"Eight people, Massani," Shepard told him. "Eight people dead because of the explosion you caused and that's only those whose remains I was able to recognize."
"I couldn't allow…" Zaeed began.
"Yeah, yeah you couldn't allow Vido to escape, I got that," Victoria mocked him. "My question is: how exactly he would have escaped? On a shuttle and into space? There is a top of the line frigate up there with the best helmsman waiting for him. Or maybe you think that he would have used a shuttle to hide somewhere on this planet. We have the ARGUS sensor array on the Normandy to track him. We would have caught him one way or another. But no, you just had to rush in and kill him here and now. Well congratulations! You did it, but innocent lives were lost because of it."
Zaeed turned away and grumbled something in response.
"You know Massani, I really didn't expect this from you," Shepard continued. "When I met you on Omega, I really thought you were a professional. Never the one to put personal issues above the job. Guess I was wrong. Now I'm not sure I need you among my crew."
"Cerberus wouldn't pay me that much if they didn't think you'll need me," Zaeed argued.
"I doubt that Cerberus thought I would have picked up Gallardi and Maeteris," Victoria countered. "And honestly Zaeed, so far those two were ten times more of an asset than you're. So I can safely say that I will do well without your help."
"What are getting at Shepard?" Zaeed asked her.
"Isn't that obvious? I require your services no longer, mister Massani," Shepard replied. "We part our ways here, on this planet. I don't intend to ask you to return your payment, you're free to deal with that money as you see fit. Although something tells me Cerberus will find a way to syphon their money back."
Victoria turned around and started to walk away. She heard Zaeed's grunting as he struggled to get up.
"Shepard! Wait for a goddamn second," Massani grumbled. "Come on, let's talk this out."
"There is nothing talk about, Zaeed," Victoria told him. "If you cannot work as a part of a team, you're of no use to me."
"I've spent the last twenty years with my back against the wall. All because I once trusted Vido," the old mercenary said. "That bastard took everything from me. You wouldn't understand."
The last sentence stopped Shepard in her tracks. "A very bad choice of words, Zaeed," she thought to herself. She quickly turned around and approached Massani.
"Is that so Zaeed? You were beaten up by your own men and shot by your former colleague. They figured you for dead and dumped you in some gutter where you were picked up by some Good Samaritan who delivered you to a local hospital. There you were roughly patched and then you spent twenty years plotting revenge," Victoria said to the man's face. "Me? I simply died. Died as in completely. I woke up in the hands of terrorists, most of my former friends call me a traitor. My bosses from the Council call me a loon."
"The person I love more than life probably moved on after my death," Shepard wanted to say but held back. "So yeah, Massani, I probably wouldn't understand you."
Zaeed looked like he wanted to say something but then he simply looked away.
"You want to know the irony of all this?" Shepard asked him. "Just like you I'm hunting for people who killed me. The difference is, it was never about revenge for me, it's about saving people."
"Alright, I fucked up on this once! Is this what you wanted to hear?" Zaeed said angrily. "Look Shepard, in this fucked up Universe I pride myself for only two things - I never do the job half assed and I always pay my debts. Vido is dead. I own you for this big-time and I mean it. Let me do this job until the end. It's the least I can do."
Victoria was silent for a moment. The whole dialog was a play. While it rankled her to have a bastard like Zaeed on her team, she knew she could not afford to lose an experienced soldier. The stakes were too high. But she also remembered the Maeteris' second advice.
And always remember: it is you who are in command. Not me, not anyone else.
Therefore she needed to put Zaeed in his place and remind him that as capable as he is, he is still a merc.
"Let me get this straight, Zaeed," Shepard told him evenly. "If you're coming, you're coming for good. You do what I say, how I say. One fuck up and you wouldn't simply walk away without your paycheck. I will personally send you to keep Vido's company in hell."
"No fuck ups, Shepard," Zaeed said with a hint of a smile. "We do this hero style. You get shiny medals and universal adoration. I get my retirement fund."
Shepard nodded only barely and once again turned to walk towards the group of workers. She activated her com and hailed the Normandy. She would leave some of the emergency supplies with the workers until relief from either the company or the Alliance arrives. The Normandy can always resupply later.
Zaeed looked once again at the mangled corpse of Vido. This was it. Exactly like he pictured this moment for twenty years. This should have been Zaeed's moment of triumph. Vido was a pile of failed barbeque; the corpses of those who followed him littered this entire facility. And Zaeed was very much alive. There was only one thing that bothered him. One question.
Why did he feel like shit right now?
He looked around at the retreating form of Commander Shepard. Technically, she was right - this whole operation could have been done cleanly, with less 'collateral' damage. Generally Zaeed could care less if some civvy gets caught in the crossfire. Should care less. But not now. Something about Shepard's disapproval forced him to think that he should care, should do better than just trying to be the last man standing.
Massani saw as Shepard conversed with the workers. The dirty survivors could not stop singing praises to their savior. Almost everyone was eager to shake her hand and some simply reached out to touch the pieces of her armor with reverence, like she was some kind of a living saint.
All Zaeed was getting were contemptuous glares.
"Guess that's what makes the difference between the hero like Shepard and bitter old merc like me," Massani thought to himself. "God damn, I could really use a drink now," he said out loud and walked towards the nearest crate to sit and wait for the shuttle.
Location: Normandy's Engineering Deck, lower level.
"This isn't getting me anywhere," Jack thought as she continued to sit in the darkness. She didn't feel anything unusual in the last hour she spent trying to follow her bitchy sensei's advice. Although she did manage to 'feel' the air around herself and as reluctant as Jack was, she had to concede that the feeling was kind of cool. Knowing that even in Jack's seemingly empty hidey-hole there was always movement, action, and energy. Something was always present, something that never stopped or waited for anyone. Something that was only restrained by the hull of the ship, but should there be even smaller opening, the air would escape. Jack liked that. Right now she fully understood the meaning of the phrase "to be free as the wind".
Jack briefly imagined what it would be to be one with such an element. She imagined flying somewhere at high speed. Up to the engineering past those two bickering grease monkeys and into the Eezo core. That contraption was a thing of power, capable of lifting this entire ship and even making it invisible. Jack could almost feel the powerful impulses coming from it...
"I'm a poor, poor man," came the voice of Kenneth Donnelly. "Three women on deck and I don't get any attention. First on wouldn't even notice my existence. The second one would kill me with her brains if I even look wrongly at her and the third one is, well, Gabby."
Jack groaned loudly. The damn Scott just had to ruin everything. Jack took a deep breath before shouting loudly.
"Ken, can you shut the fuck up! I'm trying to concentrate here!"
There was a pause.
"But I didn't say anything!" Kenneth replied. This time however his voice was distant and muffled like it should be because he was one level above Jack.
Jack snapped her eyes open in surprise only to see the eldar still sitting in front of her and looking curiously.
"He speaks the partial truth," Maeteris said. "He didn't say anything. Not aloud at least."
"You mean I heard his...?" Jack asked excitedly.
"Yes, it seems that you made at least some progress," the eldar replied. "Good, because I almost started to wonder if it's all hopeless."
"Ha!" Jack grinned and struck out her tongue, forcing the eldar to sigh and rub her eyes.
"So, when do I get my crystal ball?" Jack asked the Farseer.
The eldar looked puzzled at such a question. "I'm not sure anyone would entrust you with something so fragile. Why would you even want a crystal ball?"
"You know, to tell the future!" Jack replied and then added uncertainly. "That's how you people do it - you look into the ball and it tells you stuff, right?"
Maeteris raised a brow. "No, we do not. It's far more complicated than that and completely beyond you. You don't really believe that hearing one stray thought will turn you into an applicant for the Seer Council?"
"Um, yeah?" Jack asked jokingly. Judging by the alien's facial expression she didn't get the joke.
"Is it just you or all of your people this grumpy?" Jack asked.
"I can enjoy a good joke," Maeteris replied with a barely perceptible shrug. "But only when I hear one."
"Ooh! Sorry I do not match your exalted standards, Your Majesty," Jack mocked the elder. Seeing that she was not getting any rise of the alien, the biotic decided to drop the issue. "So what's next?"
"Practice. A lot of practice," Maeteris stated. "First and foremost you need to learn to protect yourself against the denizens of the Warp."
"You mean those daemons from your place… They exist here too?" Jack asked apprehensively.
"Not as much as but yes, they exist here," the elder replied. "Do understand that they are irrevocably tied to all living beings capable of feeling. As long there is a sentient being alive, there always be daemons."
"You think someone would have picked up on this by now," Jack countered.
"I'm certain some of your people might have some knowledge of the Warp and those who inhabit it," the Farseer said. "Although if they decide to share this knowledge, most people would not believe it, deciding to live in blissful ignorance. Not long before, you've made a good example about similar case – Commander Shepard and the Reapers. She has the knowledge that danger is out there, but there are only a few who believe her."
"Yeah, point taken," Jack said with a nod. She started fidgeting nervously. "So, um, what do I do?"
"First, stop being afraid," Maeteris told her sternly. "While being a psyker you are bound to attract more attention, you're also more capable of fighting the daemons that anyone else. Understand the danger but do not be afraid. It is an absolutely useless feeling and it's something the daemons will exploit."
At first Jack wanted to say that she wasn't afraid of anything, but of course that was a lie. She was afraid. And lying to the eldar only to look tough would not help – Jack was completely transparent to the Farseer, of that she was certain.
"So, are you going to teach me some power moves?" Jack asked. "You know so can fight those things? A good offense is the best defense, right?"
Maeteris shook her head. "Not in this case. Only the most powerful best trained psykers could challenge a daemon and emerge victorious. While you have potential, you will not last long against a powerful daemon. No, in your case the best defense would be to avoid the battle altogether. I will teach to hide your presence in the Warp so that its predators would not take notice of you."
"Sounds cowardly," Jack snorted.
"It sounds cowardly when it should sound wise," the eldar countered. "Especially for you. Tell me, in your past when you committed another transgression against the law, why you tried to escape from justice? Why not meet it head on?"
"I'm not stupid," Jack replied. "I'm tough but even I can't fight an army of cops."
"Then that is your answer. When facing a daemon odds will never be in your favor."
"Ok, but what if I get detected?" Jack asked. "What then?"
"Shield yourself. Build a mental defense that the daemons would not easily penetrate," the Farseer advised. "Most of them would leave you alone because they would think that trying to break through to you is not worth the effort. Despite being immortal and having all of the time in the Universe, most of daemons are very fleeting creatures."
"You're going to teach me that too?" Jack queried.
The Farseer looked thoughtful for a moment. "The eldar practices would take a very long time for you to study. My advice would be to consult with the Imperial, he fought against the daemon kind and survived. While he is not a psyker, he will have some advice for you."
Jack snorted. "It's probably going to be some kind of religious bullshit."
"Undoubtedly it's going to be somehow tied to their religion," Maeteris agreed. "Although it is not such nonsense as you want to believe."
"What do you mean?"
"The humans pray and recite protective… litanies, I believe they are called, to ward themselves against the influence of Chaos," the eldar elaborated. "While they believe that because of those prayers grant them some kind of divine protection, most of the time the strength comes from within them. The words they speak are hollow by themselves. It is the faith they put in those words that protects them."
"Faith, huh?" Jack muttered thoughtfully.
"Yes, faith. Or belief. Or determination. Or sometimes even simple spite or stubbornness. These are things that allowed your kin to survive in the distant dark future of far off Universe."
"So it's simply a matter of believing that you can resist?" Jack asked the eldar.
"Essentially yes," Maeteris nodded. "Although I do not believe it is that simple."
There was a slight vibration around the ship. Then a distant voice of EDI announced: "Shuttle approaching. Stand by reserving crew."
The Farseer gracefully stood up. "We are done here for a moment. Continue the same practices we did today. We will continue once I feel that you are ready."
"Fine, whatever," Jack replied. She tried to sound uninterested but knew she had failed. Jack was very excited to learn to do something that was previously considered akin to a voodoo magic.
Jack tried to stand up too but winced and cursed as her numb legs flared with pain.
"Oh yes, that too," Maeteris said as she turned to leave. "Do try to work on your muscle flexibility. You will be spending a lot of time in meditation."
"You could have warned me at least," Jack groveled. She waived with her hand. "Come on, a little help over here?"
"Do it yourself," the Farseer said as she finally vanished from sight. "Through the struggles of body an indomitable spirit is forged."
"Fucking elf," Jack muttered. Slowly, wincing and cursing, she straightened her legs and started rubbing them in order to return some sense into them.
"This absolutely unacceptable Mr. Massani," Maeteris listened as Commander Shepard's executive officer argued with the old mercenary. "Cerberus paid a substantial amount of credits and your contract states that you are to follow Commander's orders by the letter."
"Miranda, just drop it," Shepard said, clearly tired. "We already dealt with it."
The Farseer approached the group the group that stood near the entrance of the elevator. Everyone of course turned to look at her.
"I take your latest operation was a success," the eldar stated. She heard a sniffing sound behind her but ignored it.
"Could have gone better but something tells it could have been much worse," Shepard said with a shrug. "What about you? How is Jack?"
"She has made some progress," the eldar replied. "Something might yet come out of her."
"Good, once again thank you for your help," Commander thanked her.
The elevator arrived and the group entered it. Maeteris heard sniffing sound behind her once again and turned to see the huge krogan looking at her.
"Stop it, beast," the Farseer told him sternly.
"What are you?" the krogan asked. "You look human, but you smell old. As old as the krogan. The imprint in my head tells me that humans do not live that long."
"She not human, Grunt," Shepard explained. "She is an eldar."
"The imprint doesn't have anything on the eldar," Grunt said. "But you look even more fragile that humans. You must be weak. Strange that Shepard would have you on… Hrrrr…"
"Grunt?" Shepard asked as she heard the krogan stop his speech and start making strange noises.
"Commander, I think Grunt is sleeping," Jacob told her.
"What? How?" Shepard turned to see that the krogan standing idly with his eyes closed.
"You were correct Captain. So much like the orks," Maeteris said to Gallardi. "Strong in body but with such simple minds."
The elevator opened on the Crew Deck and Maeteris exited, walking straight towards her cabin.
Everyone stared at the sleeping krogan. Garrus waved his hand in front of his face. "So much for pureblood krogan."
"Okeer's probably spinning in his grave," Jacob added.
Grunt wavered for a moment and then fell forward with a thud. He groaned and shook his head as he struggled to stand up.
"What… Who? Where?" Grunt muttered as he looked around. "What happened?"
"The 'weak eldar' has put you into sleep," Gallardi commented. "You should never judge the enemy by the appearance alone."
The krogan growled. "I'll go… get some sleep."
"No Grunt, you're going to see Dr Chakwas and she is going to dig out all those bullets stuck inside your hide," Shepard told him.
"Hm, fine," Grunt muttered and walked towards the Med bay.
"She can defeat the most powerful biotic with just a wave of her hand, she can put a pureblood krogan into sleep without lifting a finger, she can predict the future," Shepard mumble in awe. She looked at Gallardi. "Tell me Captain, what other impossible things she is capable of?"
"She somehow managed to smuggle an eldar strike force on one of the Imperium's most well defended worlds once," Gallardi commented with a shrug. "Wait until you see her in battle."
"Somehow I'm no longer eager to see that," Victoria muttered. "Right people, everyone dismissed. See you at dinner."
Dinner time…
Maeteris was preparing for another divination session when she heard a curious growl. She ignored it at first but when the sound came once again she looked around her cabin for the source of it. She could not sense any other presence inside. But when the growl came for the third time, Maeteris understood that the sound actually came from inside of her stomach. It is that moment Maeteris suddenly understood how ravenously hungry she was. As she should be – the last time she ate was on that accursed Imperial world. As an eldar she could spend a long time without food but it could only be for so long.
She reached out with her mind outside of her cabin. The ship's crew gathered once again for dinner at the moment. Maeteris was not ready to share food with them as the Imperial Captain was already doing, but she still needed to eat. All she needed to do was to quickly enter the main hall grab something palatable and then get back inside her cabin.
Shepard was once again sitting in her seat at the head of the table. The people gathered around and some of them were throwing eager glances towards Gallardi. "Probably waiting for him to tell another story about the Imperium of Man," Victoria thought to herself. She couldn't blame them – Shepard herself was actually very eager to hear more herself, especially after he told her about the Emperor.
It was when everyone finally took their seats; Victoria heard the door open and the mess hall descended into silence. Shepard no longer had to look behind her to know that Maeteris entered the room. The Farseer had that kind of presence. Victoria turned around to see the eldar quickly approach the Mess Sgt Gardner's stall. The elderly cook was too stunned to utter any word. Maeteris quietly picked up a platter and placed several pieces of bread and several leaves of salad on it. She took a bottle of water and a glass and immediately turned to leave. The Farseer made two steps and then stopped dead. Almost reluctantly she turned around and once again approached the stall and started to stare at the bowl of apples. Maeteris' hand twitched slightly as if she was uncertain whether she should take it or not.
"One apple is not going to make you fat, Princess," Jack told her.
The Farseer gave a withering stare and then quickly grabbed a green apple and left the mess hall.
"It's probably has nothing to do with a fear of putting on several kilos," Kasumi said as she returned to her fish. "Shep, do you remember what she said about the eldar nature?"
"Yeah, that it is the eldar's nature to limit oneself," Victoria replied. "This probably applies to the food. I mean, she took only salad leaves and bread. Like she is part of some strict monastic order."
Shepard looked at Gallardi expecting some kind explanation but he only shook his head. "Can't comment on that. All I can say is that we never encountered a fat eldar."
There was a general murmur around the table as the crew returned to their meals. Surprisingly it was Garrus this time who asked Gallardi a question.
"Captain I was wondering if you can explain something to me," the turian said.
"That depends, Vakarian," Gallardi said as he stopped eating.
"Back on Zoria, when Shepard was about to enter the refinery, you wished her good luck and then added that 'The Emperor protects'. Is that some kind of blessing?" the turian asked.
"Indeed it is," Gallardi replied and turned to look at Shepard. "Although it was shortened a bit for general use. The full statement goes 'The Emperor protects the virtuous"."
Shepard simply lowered her gaze shyly. She never considered herself to be 'virtuous', she just did her duty.
"That was the second time I heard you use it," Garrus continued. "You make it sound as if you venerate the ruler of the Imperium as some sort of god. Can you explain that?"
Gallardi looked down at his food and chuckled. "Never in my life have I expected an alien to ask me about the Emperor," the Captain shook his head and looked up at Garrus. "Indeed, the God-Emperor is the ruler of the Imperium and is worshipped as the ascended divinity and the Savior of mankind."
"So is he a person or a god?" Miranda asked, clearly confused.
"He's both," Gallardi said. "He was a greatest living being among humans and he ascended to Godhood because of his noble sacrifice during Horus Heresy."
"You've mentioned this 'Horus Heresy' before," Gabriella Daniels noted from the far end of the table. "What exactly happened?"
"Perhaps I'm not the best person to ask this, I'm not a historian," Gallardi said apologetically. "All I know comes from divine sermons. It all began when the Emperor took control of the Holly Terra and started a Great Crusade to unify the Mankind under a single banner..."
An hour passed almost imperceptibly as Gallardi retold them the story of the foundation of the Imperium of Man. How the Emperor created the Adeptus Astartes Legions to act as the spearhead of his conquest. These Legions were let by another creation of the Emperor, the Primarchs - demigod like being of great power, which were almost like sons to the Emperor. The greatest of the Primarchs was considered Horus, the Emperor's most beloved son.
"At the end of the Crusade, Horus the Arch traitor, although I guess he was known by another name at the time, was appointed to be a Crusade's Warmaster and to lead the conquest of the remaining worlds instead of the Emperor. The Emperor himself left the Crusade and retreated back to Terra for reasons known only to Him," the Captain continued his tale. "It is unknown what exactly happened, but it is generally considered that Horus was somehow corrupted by the Ruinous Powers of Chaos, to whom a unified and orderly Imperium was an anathema. Horus turned against his Emperor and half of the Primarchs and their Legions joined him..."
Gallardi went on how the Great Crusade turned into a bloody civil war. How the Horus' forces laid siege to Terra and his forces battled against the loyalists at the Eternity Gate - the entrance to the Emperor's Palace. How the Emperor and several loyal Primarchs boarded Horus' flagship and how the Emperor managed to completely destroy Horus but was mortally wounded himself. How he made a choice to be interned in the Golden Throne so he could sustain the Astronomican so that the Imperium would not fall apart without it. And how the Emperor remained in that state for over ten thousand years.
Many questions were asked later: about the Astronomican, the fate of the remaining traitors. Gallardi answered all of them to the best of his ability. The main questioners were of course Mordin and Kelly, although ever cynical Miranda persisted with her own uncomfortable questions.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand the Emperor is only a nominal ruler of the Imperium. If he is currently on life support it would be hard for him to commune with his subjects. So who is ruling in his stead?"
To his credit, Gallardi didn't seem perturbed by this. "You are correct only partially Lawson, the Emperor still communicates with his servants. In trying times He sends visions to the loyal psykers and saints who interpret His will and act on it. Still, the main task of organizing and sustaining the Imperium rest with the Council of the High Lords of Terra."
"Nobility?" Mordin quickly asked for elaboration.
Gallardi shook his head. "No they are the leaders of the most powerful Adeptus, um... organizations of the Imperium..."
As Gallardi continued to explain the structure of the distant Imperium, Victoria felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around to see Kasumi standing quietly behind her.
"Hate to interrupt this Shep, I'm actually fascinated myself, but what is our next move?"
"I don't know Kasumi," Shepard replied. "We still have no intel on Collectors."
"Do you think we are going to have a two day window," Kasumi asked hopefully.
"I don't know. Maybe," Victoria shrugged. "Why?"
The thief's eyes lit up under her hood. "It's party time."
A/N: I believe that all of you know what is going to happen in the next chapter. I can only promise that it will be non-canon.
