Title: Virmire Part Ten
Author: DinkyMew
Game: Mass Effect (One)
Disclaimer: Bioware owns all characters and content related to the Mass Effect Franchise. Abigail Shepard is my own creation inspired by the character of Jane Shepard created by Bioware. Any original characters contained herein are my own creations and not necessarily affiliated with Bioware. The story may deviate from the actual events of the game series and for this I ask your forgiveness, any anomalies are for entertainment purposes and not intended to offend. **You may not copy, replicate, distribute or edit this fan-fiction as it stands without my expressed permission, thank you**
Characters Featured:
No wonder his private labs are locked down, Shepard thought, lowering her pistol as they pressed through the door, he has a goddamn Prothean beacon here!
"Is that…"Ashley started but as they filed into the chamber they could all clearly recognise the artefact, the same type that had started this nightmare, that had gripped Shepard on Eden Prime, rendering her senseless and burning a vision into her head – one of invading machines and a brutal, bloody genocide of organic races.
"It is." Shepard whispered, locking her pistol as she took a wary step toward it.
"Commander." Garrus spoke up, reaching a hand toward her. She shook her head, bidding him to stay where he was.
"This might have the missing information Liara was talking about…" She said, looking hard at them both in turn "We're out of time… and options." She gave a small smile of encouragement, turning once again to face the green ethereal glow of the stone pillar. Reaching a hand toward it the green light snaked out toward her, almost like a plume of energy from a sun, its smoky fingers wrapped around her own, seizing her arm tightly with sudden painful strength, pulling her from the ground as the vision seared her mind.
She closed her eyes as the first images hit, like a grenade had been dropped inside her skull she ground her teeth until she thought they would break – the disjointed images flashing in her mind's eye so rapidly she could barely keep up with them. She went rigid, every muscle and sense in her body thrumming with energy as she struggled to contain it all. Then overarching all she had seen, the ship Sovereign loomed into view, and behind it a million more like it – and suddenly she understood.
Saren was not the real threat here at all; he wasn't bringing the Reapers. Sovereign was a Reaper!
The beacon released her once more, and she staggered back, steadied by Ashley's hand on her shoulder.
"What did you see?" She asked quietly and Shepard blinked, staring back at the inactive beacon with trepidation. Whatever was coming, they were not ready.
"I don't know." She said frowning "I… I have to think it through." She said at last "Let's get going, we can worry about this later."
Leading the way back up the ramp Shepard paused as something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. At the end of a walkway there was a console unit, nothing spectacular about it, but there was a possibility it was Saren's personal console, so she hesitated, turning to go and examine it. As she approached a red hologram appeared floating above the console, suspended in the air. It was vaguely insect-like, a tapering body that reminded her of some form of crustacean, with large pincer-like legs hanging beneath the main bulk. It was the same ship she had seen on Eden Prime. It was Sovereign.
"This, is not. Good." Garrus swallowed, coming up beside her. She turned to look at him, to agree when the hologram shifted, and spoke.
"You are not Saren." It announced, its voice hollow and metallic in the small space, bit at the edges of her ears. It bordered on painful, and she frowned at it: This was Sovereign.
Garrus flinched, putting a foot back as he peered at the holo-image "Is that some kind of VI technology?" He asked hopefully.
"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh, you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding." Sovereign rumbled on, the inflection in the tone was cold, calculated.
Garrus took a sharp breath "I don't think this is a VI." He said quietly.
"There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign."
Shepard swallowed, glancing to Garrus as her suspicions were proven true "Sovereign isn't a dormant Reaper ship that Saren found," She said darkly to the Turian "It's an actual Reaper."
The image of Sovereign scoffed "Reaper?" It asked, the hint of incredulity in its tinny voice "A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply are."
Garrus balled his fists, raising his chin "The Protheans vanished 50,000 years ago – there is no way you could have been there. It's not possible."
"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable, we are the end of everything."
Shepard licked her lips, taking a hesitant but defiant step forward "There is an entire galaxy united and ready to face you!" She barked, glaring at the image as it flickered with motion.
"Confidence born of ignorance." The Reaper scolded "The cycle cannot be broken."
"Cycle?" Ashley asked, looking to Shepard for help "What cycle?"
Shepard fixed the Reaper with a glare, not willing to let it see she didn't know the answer to Ashley's question.
"The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom." Sovereign intoned "Organic civilisations rise, evolve, advance and at the apex of their glory they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the Mass Relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind."
Shepard opened her mouth to speak, letting that sink in, two major things troubling her. Firstly the way Sovereign spoke it alluded to the idea that there was more than this one Reaper alive. That thought made her stomach curl in terror – they had seen the destruction caused by one ship, never mind any more, but she would never voice that thought – not to anyone.
"Why would you construct Mass Relays and then leave them for someone else to find?" She asked carefully.
"Your civilisation is based on the technology of the Mass Relays." The Reaper said simply "Our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos off organic evolution. You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it."
Shepard felt her fingers twitch over her pistol, the thought of shooting the image crossed her mind, but she realised how futile that would be. Behind her Ashley let out a sharp breath.
"They're harvesting us!" She cried "Letting us advance as far as they need and then wiping us out!"
Shepard felt the panic in her friend's voice, felt the fear roaming rampant in the room as they all struggled to contain their emotions in the presence of the Reaper. "You're just a machine." She whispered "You're not even alive. Not really. And machines can be broken."
"Your words are as empty as your future." Sovereign growled "I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over."
Shepard took a dangerous step forward, the hiss of the machine's voice gaining volume in her ears to the point it became unbearable. She ground her teeth, pressing her hands over her ears as she doubled over. Just as she moved the windows around the room shattered, glass spraying inward toward them. Shepard ducked, but too late, the glass rained down around her, nipping her skin with a dozen little cuts and scratches.
Still hunkered down she caught her breath just as the static off her earpiece gave her pause.
"Commander, we've got trouble." Joker's voice was nervous.
"Hit me Joker." She groaned, getting back to her feet and brushing the glass from her armour.
"That ship… Sovereign? It's moving. I don't know what you did down there, but that thing just pulled a turn that would shear any of our ships in half." He said it in a rush, his nervous tone setting sparks of anticipation alight in her gut "It's coming your way and it's coming hard, you need to get things wrapped up in there and fast!"
"What now Commander?" Ashley asked, coming up beside her once more. Her face was grazed along her cheek by the glass blast and she looked like she could barely contain her fear as she glanced nervously back to where the image of Sovereign had been.
"We head back to the breeding facility." Shepard said carefully "We plant the nuke and blow this place to hell."
-x—O—x-
"You are making quite a name for yourself already." Anderson says, watching me from across the table as he passes his mug of coffee from one hand to the other "I knew your father. John Shepard, quite a man."
I grunt, folding my arms and leaning back in the chair, so this guy wants to pretend he knows me too.
Great.
"What do you think he would say about this?" He asks, taking a long drink before fixing me with those eyes "Picking fights, cussing, defying orders – the Alliance, you know how your father felt about the Alliance Shepard?" He asks carefully "I knew your father when he enlisted as a soldier, I was there when he was shot through the spine, when he lost his job – when he was forced to revaluate everything he had planned." He swallows, looking away into the distance as though he can see my dad there "Good thing he did too, that man's smarts were unparalleled, it was a sad day when he turned his back on the Alliance and moved to Mindoir."
I stare sullenly off to the distance wishing I could stop hearing him, wishing I could just curl up and die. I think of my father, shuffling into the kitchen in his bathrobe, his greying hair dishevelled and sticking at odd angles. He would pour himself a coffee and sit by me at the window seat, watching the sun rise over Mindoir. Sometimes we would talk about biology, sometimes he would talk to me about school or would talk about an Alliance story. At the time those moments had seemed like he was overcompensating for being away so often at his lab – but looking back I can see those moments in tender relief, I can almost smell his cologne.
I miss him.
"He did it all for you." Anderson says seriously and I turn my eyes back to him, fighting against the tears that swell there "That move to Mindoir was for you, and you would spit on his memory like this?" He shakes his head, taking another drink from his mug "I don't know. That is not the John Shepard I remember. Certainly not how he would want his daughter to behave."
I break my mouth open, my breath coming in little ragged gasps as I lick my lips slowly. "I don't like it here." I say, my voice strained and cracking with emotion as I look at the table.
"Hmm." Anderson growls low in his throat, but it isn't threatening, it's quite a warm noise "I know." He says carefully "You know I was fighting alongside a biotic the other day. " He adds ruefully "In fact, that boy you took to the floor – he is training as we speak to join the Alliance ranks – you took him out Shepard and he is tipped to graduate top of his class. Can you imagine what you could do if you focused some of that fight in the right direction?"
I sigh, shaking my head, unwilling to consider it – it would mean giving in, giving up – accepting that I had once again been abandoned and I wasn't ready to do that yet…
"Well, look at the time." Anderson said, glancing at his watch "I'll tell you what. You keep your nose clean for the next week and when I come to see you I'll bring you something of your dad's."
I watch him get to his feet stiffly, taking his mug with him as he tips his head toward me politely. I stare after him, confused and hurting from his words as I turn them over and over in my head. I think of my dad, in those last moments of helplessness – what good was the Alliance then?
I'll be better, I promise him, I won't let anyone down.
-x—O—x-
Ashley gripped the steel side of the nuclear bomb, eyeing Engineer Donnelly as he gripped the other side carefully and she mirrored his momentum, lifting it between them as they started down the gangway of the Normandy's shuttle bay. As her feet hit the plaza of the facility once more the sky split with a tremendous roar followed shortly by the pitter-patter of rain on the metallic surface of the bomb.
Shepard was waiting by the site they had chosen for the bomb, her arms folded under her breasts as she watched them carefully, her face dark and thoughtful – no doubt still reeling from the mission's revelations.
Squinting through the rain they placed the bomb gently on the ground, and Ashley took a cautious step back, dusting her hands off her armour.
"You ready for this?" Shepard asked, her eyes fixed on the nuke.
Ashley nodded firmly "Absolutely." She said "We can do it. You got us this far – two AA towers down, nuke is here – we didn't come this far to screw it up now."
Shepard was about to smile and say something when the noise of their comms crackled into life.
"Commander can you hear me?" It was Kaidan, his voice almost drowned out by the rain and the background noise of heavy gunfire.
"We're just setting the charges Alenko." Shepard said loudly "Get your teams back to the rendezvous point we'll be heading to you shortly."
"Negative Commander." Kaidan's voice was strained, almost mournful "The Geth have us pinned down on the tower, there is no way we are getting back to that rendezvous point in time."
Ashley swallowed, watching Shepard as her façade of strength faltered – only momentarily. If she hadn't been watching she would have missed it; the panic that fluttered across her eyes before she closed them, taking a deep breath and turning her back on Ashley, pacing back and forth.
"Joker," She barked "Get the Normandy up to that towe-"
"Negative!" Kaidan's voice interrupted "It's too hot. We can't risk it. We'll hold them off as long as we c-"
His words were cut off mid-sentence, replaced only by a low static.
"Kaidan?" Shepard asked, her voice seemed so tiny Ashley thought "Kaidan?!" She shouted it this time, whirling to face her and Ashley could see she was close to the edge.
"It's ok Shep." Ashley said, quickly "I need some time to arm the nuke anyway, go to the tower and get them then meet me back here."
She didn't need to be told twice, Shepard took a step forward reaching a hand toward her and Ashley met her halfway, pulling her into a quick embrace.
"He'll be alright." She whispered, squeezing gently before letting her go "Go, now!"
With that Shepard turned, pulling her pistol free from her holder and ran toward the elevator to the AA tower. From the Normandy Garrus approached, but she waved him off and the Turian reluctantly backed away – from where she stood Ashley couldn't hear what they were saying to each other.
Kneeling in the rain she unlatched the cover of the bomb removing the small pack of tools from the pocket of her combats. It was time to make some noise.
-x—O—x-
Shepard stood in the elevator bouncing on the balls of her feet, staring at the ceiling willing it to move faster. She took a step forward, pressing the button again and again with her finger, screaming in frustration as she wrenched away, pressing her face to the side of the elevator and closing her eyes trying to regain her composure.
He was fine. He was going to be fine.
The elevator stopped, the doors sliding open to reveal the thundering rain. Without hesitation she launched into the rain, taking a moment to orient herself as she worked her way toward the AA tower.
Kaidan hold on, She begged as she burst into a sprint, she skidded to a halt stumbling round a corner just in time to see a Geth drop ship loom into view. It picked up speed, landing somewhere in the facility she couldn't quite see where.
"Head's up Ash, there is a Geth drop ship headed your way." Kaidan said, his voice like a call from above and she almost fainted with relief.
"They're already here!" Came Ashley's urgent reply.
Shepard paused, turning to head back – bringing herself to a standstill - caught "Can you hold them off?" She asked, the rain running down her face as she held her breath.
"There are too many!" Ashley cried "I don't think we'll make it! I'm arming this bomb now!"
Shepard almost swallowed her tongue with shock as she choked out her reply "Chief what are you doing?"
"What I'm trained to." Came the gritty reply "Get the job done no matter what." There was a beat and then "It's done Commander, go and get LT and get the hell out of here."
"Belay that!" Kaidan's voice argued "Go back and get Ashley, we'll hole up in here – keep them busy while you get away."
Shepard closed her eyes, feeling the rain rush down her skin cooling the hot blood that coursed through her. She had to think; she needed a plan – she couldn't do this – she had to choose one, but who? How? How could she make a choice like this?
She opened her eyes again, she was not going to let this happen.
"Alenko, radio Joker tell him to meet us at the AA tower." She said firmly. There was a short silence before Kaidan's voice replied softly.
"Aye aye Commander…I…alright."
Shepard broke into a run once more "Ashley hold on," She breathed slamming herself into the elevator that would take her up to the tower "I'm coming back for you."
"I think we both know that's not going to happen Commander." Ashley said rigidly, but Shepard ignored it slamming her hand into the button of the elevator again and again. This couldn't be happening; it just couldn't.
The moment the doors sprang open she could hear the commotion of gunfire and yelling on the other side of the elevator. She pressed her back against the wall outside the elevator door, peering around the corner to assess the situation – the Salarians and Kaidan were pinned down at the far end of the balcony, crouched behind a low stone wall as the Geth advanced, at the forefront she noticed a Geth destroyer.
Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching her fists as she shook her muscles limber. Quietly she dipped round the corner, rushing up behind the nearest Geth placing her pistol to the back of its head and firing.
"Commander!" Kaidan shouted, and she saw him pressed against the far wall, his hand over his shoulder, his armour spattered with fresh blood.
She made to move to him, but the Geth destroyer, substantially larger than the other Geth, rounded on her, aiming a shotgun toward her as she ducked and rolled. She heard the shotgun rounds blast once, twice barely missing her as she scrambled back to her feet, her pistol toppling out of her fingers as she ran to Kaidan's side dropping to her knees beside him.
"Where's your medigel?" She cried, prying his fingers from his shoulder. The wound was bad, bad enough to have her worried; a fresh gout of blood gushed from the wound as she placed his hand back where it had been.
"I'm all out." He rasped, wincing with pain. Shepard got to her feet, patting her own armour pack and pulling out what she had left – two stims and a field dressing, no medigel. She grimaced, snapping the top off the stim and jamming the small syringe into Kaidan's thigh.
He yelped, his free hand coming to hers as she pulled the needle free once more discarding it. His fingers wrapped around hers as he began to tremble involuntarily with the sudden adrenaline rush.
"It's going to be ok." She whispered, squeezing his hand "I'll be right back." Taking his rifle from beside him she shouldered the gun, crouching behind the low wall and training the gun on the advancing Geth destroyer.
The kickback from the rifle was severe and she felt it in her shoulder as she ground the Geth down, resisting the urge to rush over and stamp on its head to make sure it was dead and gone. Quickly she took out the last few Geth just as the wind picked up – the sound of rain interrupted by the whir of the Normandy's engine as it pulled down behind them.
The cargo ramp lowered and Garrus marched to the edge his rifle primed and ready. The Salarian team rushed on board and she paused, helping Kaidan to his feet as they stepped up onto the Normandy's ramp. Kaidan limped a few steps forward, pausing to look at her when she didn't follow immediately.
"Shepard." Kaidan said, holding out his hand and she looked to it, his fingers twitching as she looked back to his face desolately.
"I can't go." She said quietly "I can't just leave her."
"Shepard." Kaidan said, and he took a step toward her. Seizing the moment she dropped back off the ramp just as the Normandy lifted into the air. She landed hard, rolling with the momentum, hearing Kaidan's strained scream even over the drill of the rain.
"Shepard!" Joker's voice barked "What the hell?!"
"Get out of here Joker." She said firmly "I'm going to get Ashley, we're getting out of here all together, I'm not leaving her behind."
"But Commander…" Joker breathed "How…"
"Never mind that Joker, get the Normandy out of here now!" She yelled, grabbing her pistol and locking it in the holder without breaking stride. She turned, watching as the Normandy hovered a few moments more before it rose, climbing higher into the atmosphere.
She crushed her eyes closed; aware that time was ticking away. There was no turning back now; it was do or die.
She ran.