The ride back to Zhu's Hope was not as bad as the ride out, but when they pulled up at the garage the door sensor was offline. Huddled just outside the door was a creature that almost looked Human, except for being made of green muck that stunk like decay. Of course it attacked them, so they were forced to kill it. Garrus spoke up "That was no Human! No amount of infection could do that!"
Shepard looked at Wrex, Garrus, and Tali. His group, his team. He trusted these people with his life. "This thing had claws sharp enough to gouge my armor. Tali stay behind us, watch our backs. Wrex cover her, watch our flank. We may get swarmed. Garrus with me." As one they moved through the large door, killing the creatures and knocking out the colonists fighting against them.
Garrus stepped over grabbing Shepard's arm. "Shepard! Did you see what happened to that creature caught in the blast from that last grenade?"
"Not sure. What did you see Garrus?" Shepard asked without turning.
"It completely disintegrated Shepard, not another step just... splat." Garrus said, with a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Thanks Garrus. Good to know. Wrex, Tali you two pick that up? we can use the grenades on the creatures as crowd control if we get swarmed."
Tali came forward after taking some scans with her omnitool. "Shepard? These things are organic, but more like a plant in composition. So aside from the grenades, fire may also work quite well."
"Also good to know. We ready?" Shepard looked at his team, getting nods from each. He activated the elevator to take them down to Zhu's Hope. He turned to Tali. "You ok Little Sister? or do you want to wait back in the Mako?"
He received a glare from Tali. He couldn't see her face, but her body language was more than enough. "Shepard, do you think I'm helpless? Or do I seem like a scared little girl who needs to run and hide, while my friends are facing danger?"
(She's as brave as she is smart.) Shepard thought, with a smile spreading on his face. "No I don't think that! But, I wanted to give you the option anyway."
She shifted so she seemed just slightly less annoyed. "Then why give me the choice, knowing I wouldn't take it?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I was partly teasing you. It's my way of saying it's about to get bad. Sorry if you took it personally." The elevator stopped and they got out to silence, but it didn't last long. After fighting to the center of the colony they did a quick count, and realized they had lost none of the colonists. Congratulations were short-lived however, when the head of security showed up. After admitting his failure to protect the colony, he shot himself.
Tali noticed something odd. "Commander? Someone encrypted this crane control they were protecting."
"Can you crack it Tali?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"Please Shepard. Let me see, there! Got it!" Her fingers dancing across the keys.
Shepard smiled as a part of the ship they had been protecting raised to expose an entrance. "Ooh look! A creepy underground tunnel! Who wants to take a look?" His voice dripping with sarcasm.
Wrex grinned. "I'm in."
A combined "Me too" was heard from Garrus and Tali.
They all made a quiet path through the passages, until they came upon a giant thing. "Shit! That does not look like any plant i've ever seen!" Wrex grumbled.
Shepard grimaced. "Nothing's ever simple is it?"
Tali stood in awe. "Keelah!"
"We are going to need bigger guns!" Garrus said with a mix of fear and awe.
But the dumbstruck time was short, the plant-like thing started moving. Then a green Asari looking creature fell, or was pushed out of an opening I'd rather not describe. The sickly green Asari commando stood and looked over the group with a scowl on its face, then it spoke. "Invaders! You stand in and before the Thorian. It demands that you be in awe!"
Wrex sniffed "Shepard, she's not right, I smell no blood!" She started to raise her hands to attack but with a slight push from Wrex she was knocked from the ledge and plummeted farther than they could see into the inky blackness.
Tali found an open door and behind it something that resembled a plants root. "Shepard, over here, there is something... different."
They were studying the root when Wrex got bored and pulled a knife stabbing it in to the hilt. The plant screamed (if you could call it that) in agony. Wrex and Shepard both smiled a feral smile that made Tali wince, and very glad she was on their side.
"Is that my knife?" Shepard threw Wrex a sidelong glance.
"Yes." The Krogan said defensively.
"Just make sure I get it back when I need it most." Shepard pulled his pistol.
Wrex pulled the knife out of the root, and began switching mods on his shotgun to fire incendiary rounds. Shepard and the others did the same. Then they all went hunting, well pruning as it were. Destroying these root 'nodes' wherever they found them. As they destroyed the last hold the Thorian had, it fell down tumbling into the darkness screaming. It was finally quiet, Shepard felt it was too quiet.
There was a tearing sound. (There we go, that's more like it) Shepard thought as he lit up with his barrier. A normal blue Asari fell out of a growth attached to the wall. She looked toward the group "Thank you for freeing me."
"Are you Ok?" Shepard steadied her with a hand, as he scanned her with his omnitool.
"Yes, or I will be in time." the goo covered Asari, told them.
"Who are you?" Tali asked, not taking her shotgun off the Asari.
"My name is Shiala. I am. I was a follower of Matriarch Benezia. When she allied herself with Saren, I came along. When Saren needed information from the Thorian, I was offered up as a trade." Shiala sounded remorseful.
"Keelah, that's horrible." Tali gushed, still not lowering her weapon.
Shepard stepped forward. "I need whatever information you gave Saren."
Shiala visibly paled "There is a way, close your eyes commander... Embrace Eternity!" Then her eyes went black as she forced the knowledge of the Prothean's into his mind. (Feels familiar. Thanks Mom, probably wouldn't live through this if not for your training.) Shepard's head felt as if it would explode. Shiala's eyes turned back to normal
"You ok Shepard?" Wrex put a steadying hand on him.
He shook his head trying to put the bloody nightmare that the beacon gave him, back into his subconscious. "Yeah Wrex, fine. Just re-living some bad shit."
Shiala took a half step then froze noticing the protective look of the Krogan, and the body language of the Quarian that still hasn't lowered her weapon. "I'm sorry if you've suffered, but it was the only way to give you the knowledge you require."
Shepard got his balance "S'ok, was necessary."
"Commander? Now that I am free, I would like to join the colonists and try to repair the damage I caused. If you would allow it." Shiala stared into his eyes.
He smiled at her. "I think that's a noble idea, and the colonists would welcome any help they can get."
"Come on Shepard. Lets get you back to the ship and let Dr. Chakwas have a look at you." Tali told him in a sisterly tone, leaning Shepard on her slim shoulder as she led him away. Wrex leading the way, and Garrus watching their backs. As they entered the Normandy, Wrex gave Ashley and Kaidan a glare that stopped them cold from making any cracks about Shepard leaning on Tali for either physical or moral support.
As they passed Operative Ochoa, who had just returned from keeping the hangar clear. By sniping as many Geth as she could put in her scope. "Shit! Brother! Is he OK?" she ran toward them. Not getting any answer. The N5 Operative grabbed Wrex by his armor. "What the FUCK happened? Who hurt him? I will fucking kill them!"
Wrex looked her over carefully before answering. "It was an Asari we saved. She gave him something she called 'The Cipher'. Supposed to help him understand the visions from the beacon."
As Tali led Shepard down the stairs to medical, he stumbled and went down on one knee. She caught him before he fell flat. "Didn't know you were that strong Tali." He managed with a grunt.
"Please Shepard. I may not have fancy Biotics, but I'm not helpless!" Tali hoisted his almost limp body up on his feet again.
"Fancy?" Garrus gave her a questioning look.
Shepard lifted his head up, fighting back the nausea "I would say those hacking and tech attacks were fancy. I just punch shit."
As the blood started running from his nose, he stumbled again. This time Dr Chakwas helped to catch him. "Thank you Tali, now would you be a dear and help me get him on the bed." Chakwas asked, in her pleasing motherly tone. As soon as his head hit the bed he was out, deep in a nightmare made of Prothean war and fueled by the Cipher's intrusion into his psyche. Chakwas drew a worried look and started working frantically to diagnose what went wrong. Wrex, Garrus, and Ochoa stayed close to the door, pacing and fidgeting.
"Dear, help me remove his armor and weapons." Chakwas asked the nervous Quarian.
While the two were busy removing his armor Wrex and Ochoa stopped pacing, they looked at each other, then back at Shepard. "Shit! Not in here! Get Stubbs!" Ochoa bolted for the maintenance ladder. The lift took too long, and if she and Wrex were right then anyone back on deck 2 was in great danger.
She made it to the hold and gathered up the not too happy Stubbs, then managed to climb back up with him. When he growled at her she told him "Bite me if you want! But your Dad needs you! You ungrateful shit!" He seemed to calm at that, but only just a little.
As Chakwas hand brushed against Tali's arm, they got a mild shock. Tali looked down to see the static charge dancing from her hand to the armor she had just removed. "Oh No!" Her tone hushed, but urgent. "I didn't notice! I was so focused on helping, we're in trouble."
Chakwas just smiled "Yes Dear. If I don't figure out what's wrong. He may be in more trouble." Dr. Chakwas moved a medical scanner into place, and as it started its cycle Shepard's eyes opened with a start. He yelled something that no ones translators could make sense of.
He sat up, looking around wild-eyed. Not really seeing anyone, or at least he didn't seem to recognize them. But the clatter of little toenails on the deck seemed to make him pause. Then Stubbs barked, and that seemed to bring him to the here and now. He was confused, but awake and responsive.
"Alright then, if the drama is over? Everyone get out of my medical bay while I tend to the Cmdr." Dr. Chakwas spoke with authority. It would take some time, so while the Dr. worked out what happened and made sure there were no lasting effects. Ochoa, Wrex, and Garrus made sure that the emergency supplies got offloaded to the colony properly, courtesy of Alenko and Williams. It wasn't as if they could have done anything if they had been there. But that didn't stop Ochoa from thinking that they needed a lesson taught to them anyway.
Garrus was, and had been staring at Ochoa now for at least 15 minutes before she spoke. "I... NO! We weren't there... again."
Garrus looked at her puzzled. "What?"
She turned to him. "We weren't there Garrus. They have questioned his orders, acted like bigots, and when he needed us, we were not there!"
Garrus looked at her. "It wouldn't have changed..."
"NO!? Don't be so sure!" Kat knew he could see the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I don't mean to pry, but you seem rather attached to Shepard." Garrus was trying to be polite, and hoping not to upset her further.
"What do you know about Elysium?" She was wiping away her tears.
"Only that Shepard, sorry the Cmdr. saved a bunch of people and got a medal for it. Well, that and a video Wrex showed me." He tried to lighten her mood.
She took a step toward him, her body language suggesting he reserve a bed in the medbay. "Not a bunch Garrus. Almost all, and not some medal for it. 'The Star of Terra'. The highest honor the Alliance can give."
She sighed heavily, walked over to Kaidan. "Alenko, your friend and yourself with me now."
She led Ash and Kaidan over to Garrus "Garrus gather Tali, and meet us in her quarters. Tell no one else." Kat left to retrieve something from her locker. She checked to make sure Shepard was ok. Found he was sedated, then led the baffled Humans and curious aliens into Tali's room.
Right away she noticed the room was just as stark and empty as when she had inspected the conversion for Shepard. "You know Tali. Shepard won't mind if you make some personal touches, put down some of your belongings? You know? Decorate a little?"
Tali started to fidget and wring her hands. "You see... Well Um... The thing is... I really don't have anything. I am... I was, on my Pilgrimage. So all I have is just what I can carry."
Ochoa smiled "Well then. Next place we dock we'll have to fix that, won't we."
She walked over to the terminal then stopped. "What I'm about to show you is classified: Code Black. Meaning it doesn't leave this room or I will kill you. No one else needs to know. But obviously, some of you need to know who you work for." She put in a disk and sat down on the bed.
As it loaded she sighed a heavy sigh "This is from Elysium. I was there in-between jumps. I was in the main settlement, colony, whatever you want to call it. When it came under attack. Now the colony's shields and defense turrets would hold off everything but orbital strikes, but then all the slaves and spoils would be destroyed. So their plan was simple. Come in small and take out the power generator for the defense systems, then mop us up. Problem was, there was someone guarding the only way to the power station."
"Batarian bastards." Ash said through grit teeth.
"I wouldn't say that around the Cmdr. Williams. His Aunt and Uncle are Batarian. And It wasn't the Batarian's anyway. Well not all Batarian's. Most were Human, some other species as well. But most of the pirates, Human."
"Keelah" "Spirits" "Jesus" was all heard.
She started the video feed. It showed a young man running toward the main gate where an Asari, and a Krogan were holding off the pirates. "When I saw this, I tried to get out. To get to them, help them. But I was ordered by Command to protect the business district. Yeah, let the people outside die to keep the stores from being looted."
"Keelah Is that?" Tali asked. Ochoa frowned, "Yeah that's Shepard. Our Shepard, his Mom and Dad. He was 15, almost 16."
"But that would make him..." Ash declared to the room.
"Yes Williams. He's only 18, maybe 19. His file is very well classified, and for good reason." They saw the shot that took Atraya and Wratch down, then the meld that wrote his destiny upon him. Gasping at the level of destruction his Biotics caused when it flared.
"Spirits. Now I know why they call him The Lion of Elysium." Garrus managed.
"No Shit! Do you know what kind of power he's putting out there!" Kaidan added.
Ochoa grinned an evil grin. "That's not the reason. You'll see, and yes I know Alenko. But that was with his damper in! Not his amp, He's capable of much more!"
"Damper?" Kaidan asked.
"Don't know details, just designed to keep his power in check, knocks it down to 20 maybe 30 percent." Kat replied.
"Damn." Kaiden exclaimed.
"Yeah." They watched as young Shepard left toward the shops. Saw the confrontation inside Dignity, and watched as he and Mina left the club. "This next bit was compiled over some hours." They all watched in silence as Shepard and Mina played 'hit and run' with the pirates, whittling down their forces, causing panic and dissent within most of the crews. Some leaving outright, believing they were up against a much bigger force that was about to spring a trap on them.
"This is..." But Ochoa never finished, she just silently wiped her tears away.
Footage of a dark corridor with a console, some barricaded doors, and Shepard and Mina talking. "John, why don't you get some sleep? You have to be exhausted."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead. What about You? Not tired Mina?"
She ran her fingers through his hair, "Nope! I'm as fresh as a spring rain!" she twirled, then bow to him.
"You always dance so gracefully. I always love watching you dance." His smile visible, even in the low light.
"I could teach you!" She beamed.
He smiled a cocky smile. "I Already know how. But I doubt I can just Waltz my way out of this mess." The exhaustion was clear in his voice but to sleep now could mean death.
"You know how to what? Waltz? Is that a Human dance pretty boy?" Mina asked playfully. She twirled again, and in a husky voice. "Show Me."
He tapped something into his omnitool as he got up, grabbed her by the waist and led her in a Waltz, instructing her as they went. The unheard music seemed to finish, for the dance came to an end. Garrus and Tali visibly tensed up. Ochoa stopped the vid. "You 2 OK?"
"This part coming up is what we've seen already. But it's kind of hard to watch. Especially now." Tali tried to ignore the glares she got from Ashley for having inside information. Ochoa hit play then closed her eyes.
Shepard twirled Mina "I'll have to teach you the Tango next!" He pulled her close then twirled her away, a hiss could be heard, then Mina was everywhere. The rocket hit her dead center. Fragments of her bones were embedded in Shepard, He was covered in gore, and his red blood was slowly overtaking the purple blood covering him. As he scrambled to his feet, and turned toward the opening of the tunnel. His eyes were distant, hollow. Laughing could be heard from off camera, then. "Just a little something to remember us by."
Ashley put her hand up to wipe away her tears. "Oh dear God!"
Ochoa didn't even open her eyes. "Yeah Williams. If I had been there. I could have. Fuck." The flash took out the camera. The new angle showed Tombstone in full control now. He decimated the pirates, then he was pacing back and forth with a rabid, feral look in his eyes. His choice was clear: Stay and guard the power plant. (or) Go hunting?
He smiled, baring his teeth into a snarl. "Fuck this! Let's go Killing." The room was quiet except for the sniffling back of tears.
"Damn... Just Damn... I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards he's going after, almost." Kaidan's voice wavered. The cold displayed by Tombstone, clearly shaking him up. They sat quietly watching as Tombstone let his darkness out, pouring it all over whomever he managed to hunt down. He didn't use a gun, nor did he use explosives. No. He used a knife. His Father's knife to be exact, and he was proficient with it. But not quick, oh no, not quick. That would be no fun.
He stalked a group of pirates and waited until he could separate one from the rest, he disabled him then took his time. "Oh Yes! We must take our time with you!" With sadistic glee, he peeled the armor from the mans body. Careful not to cut the flesh too deep. As he worked on his latest prey, the camera switched to a pirate camp. Showing just how jumpy and paranoid they had become.
But its not paranoia if they really are out to get you. Is it?