CH3

Well, side story maybe romance I had to edit this because it would have been M+ about the ending.

Rey felt blurry, he remembered the sound of air escaping and the pressure alert of his suit warning him that it was breached, and then reality came back to him, the fight in the chamber with Evan, he sat up.

This was not the best of ideas, his head adjusting rapidly to his environment made him dizzy, a moment later he found himself within a secure cell, illuminated room of dull metal with a bathroom next to him, the fact he found his armour still on surprised him, his inner suit was scratched in places, suggesting they tried different means of getting the suit off without success.

'What the hell's going on?'

He turned to the door of his cell; it had been clear like glass but he doubted it this, his theory was proven correct when he hit the door, the door dented from his punch and spider cracks formed, he stepped back and observed.

'Clear and strong it has to be more enduring than steel.'

The hallway outside had sounds of clanking, he knew footsteps when he heard them; soon five avian like guards approached their mandibles twitching uncomfortably, the intercom sounded. "Get behind the door, or we'll restrain you by force."

Rey severely doubted them; the one thing he had also noticed was there was a blue skinned woman with fleshy looking hair, who had been standing beside the alien addressing him, she looked familiar.

He found himself in no position to escape yet… this would provide an means of learning about his captors, he backed a bit from the door and stood back waiting, the six aliens in total figured that he wasn't going any further than where he was, so they opened the door and carefully the guards surrounded him.

The one Avian alien with face markings looked at him in a rather disturbed manner, the sheer strength that Rey displayed caused some concern, and the alien wore a uniform similar to military UNSC navy dress, he presumed that he was the leader.

The four guards all wore armoured suits with rifles drawn, and the blue alien who stood next to the leader wore a combat suit or what looked like one, the Venerator simply stood and looked at them until the leader put out his arm and it started to glow orange, then suddenly it spoke. "You have been caught trespassing in a citadel controlled facility and has killed personnel and destroyed property belonging to the turain hierarchy, what is it that you were looking for?"

Rey had finally learnt of the name of the organisation they followed, he looked to the turian and replied. "Well, there was an object of significance that you had in possession and it was only required to simply recover this quietly and quickly but you gave us no other way round, and so we thought it better to simply hit and run, and this and the fact my people aren't trusting of other species since our last encounter."

The turian seemed like he was in a corner and made his cautious reply. "The citadel never expected that some species like you would take an interest in stealing or the destruction of property for the sake of profit."

"Well, if you mean, the Forerunner outpost that you dug up and attempted to access, well it was better not to trust your citadel with such dangerous tech without even understanding the complexities in such things."

Both had simply stood there staring at each other, though Rey had a good idea where this going, he responded to the turian officer. "Well, our first contact with another species nearly wiped out our entire race so we don't tend to explore without reassurance anyway, if you're going to get anything else, not anymore after this."

The turian commander was now getting annoyed; then the asari spectre tapped on his shoulder. "Commander, do you wish for me to assist in formal interrogations?"

The commander knew the asari Spectre had joined the mission as a precaution when the council allowed the expedition and transfer of the core and she had been the one to bring this pilot in. "Diri'ania, he's all yours, the council and hierarchy will want a report, tell me what you can find."

Diri'ania acknowledged and motioned for the guards to move the prisoner, the asari spectre would probably be the only one who could get some actual answers.

Rey knew what they were going to do to him, his enhanced hearing overheard the interrogation, and it would be a bit rough but not enough to get him to talk. The guards moved Rey after ten minutes and had him walked past other cells until they reached another hallway then took a left turn into a room, there sat a single chair lying at an angle, it had cuffs, and other means of restraint, the guards sat him down on the chair while the dark blue skinned alien named Diri'ania observed him.

After strapping him down the guards withdrew from the room and closed the door behind them, Rey assumed that this alien wasn't going to let him be, unlike that of the uniformed personnel.

Diri'ania paced around him direct and swift she told him. "The proceedings of the interrogation are non-existent with me, so this is your first and only warning for you, to cut through the formalities about military standards, simply tell me or I would have no choice in exerting some rather unpleasant methods of getting you to speak, I am a spectre of the council meaning I am above rank and file, this interrogation will not be recorded, and no one is coming back for you."

Rey would have passed some BS for her to follow on but he'd rather not say anything until it began, he simply looked at her, Diri'ania moved back to him, she faced him and asked a question. "What is on the other side of the relay?"

Rey didn't answer and simply looked away; Diri'anna then took a subtle measure of turning his head with her hand and repeated with more volume. "What is on the other side of the relay that you came from?"

Rey then decided to slowly pull his head away; he said in his defiance ID and rank.

XXXXX

Diri'ania knew that this would be long, she continued to ask questions, the hours passed and yet no luck, Rey was genetically augmented man, she was looking at a nearly impossible to break person, his mind and body was meant to endure; the physical side of things didn't do any good.

She couldn't inflict any damage to the suit he was wearing and the fact he had it attached to his body didn't help had she tried beating his head only proved with very little effect, she only had her biotics and her mind meld, she had planned to reserve that only in the most hardest to crack, but this hadn't been any exception.

The hours passed and eventually she needed a break

When she walked out of the room she had found more of the turian commanders with captains and a group of admirals waiting in a conference about the recent attack on Amphora.

There also appeared to be in the group had been a turian Spectre Varris'selis, she had heard that he had been recently finishing a corruption investigation in the trade sectors of Illium with Nihlus K.

The first group was admirals who got her attention she walked up and gave a normal military salute with the admirals returning it and asked. "Have you managed to get anything on the other side of the relay?"

Diri'ania knew that with the devastation caused by a single walking tank and the impressive stealth ship, the admirals would be rearing to go and remove what threat there was to the Turian Hierarchy, and replied. "I have had to say nothing, he has reinforced amour more capable of adjusting to whatever we throw at it, the other problem is the fact he can withstand being physically beaten there is only two options for me to take, try using biotics and then if he gets beyond that I will use my mind meld to see if I can locate something."

A single admiral Fov'rrias explained a point of interest. "Thank you, for your efforts Diri'ania, but the situation has changed and we will have Varris' and two other specialists to help with the interrogation this time, there is also the fact of the mysterious armour, the Salarians have sent a STG group with the relevant means of unlocking the technology the alien possessed, we have seen the report on it, most of our scientists are amazed at the feat of such technology, it possess more advanced weaponry than that of an entire squadron of fighters, it is still under heavy observation though, but the objects the alien was carrying are in the labs you should try using something from there if you need to."

And with that the admirals and other officers departed, though Varris' went up to her and asked. "So, what did you think of your new prisoner?"

She turned her head and replied sternly. "He shouldn't be underestimated he is far stronger than any one I have seen, the fact alone that I had to resort to using biotics for the next part of only a few hours of interrogation shows it."

Varris' wondered and then asked. "Do you really think that, the being we captured would withstand more pressure?"

She showed it in her body language, and in the way she just nodded. "There is no doubt that he could probably over power the entire ship if he felt like it, but he's just playing cautious."

The two continued down the hallway, Diri'ania had to find some way…

A few hours later

Diri'ania and Varris' had collected the assorted set of gear the being had possessed, as they walked they noticed the Salarian STG squads running about with data on what had occurred, they were also gathering Intel on his mechanised heavy mobile amour. The suit had been moved to the labs with much effort, all the weapons and gear lay around it with the Salarians trying to take each piece apart but with little success, the two Spectres continued down the hallway.

The second time they had to do this was much to the same result as the first, they had found nothing, the weapon details or anything had nothing, the two were at their wits end, Diri'ania had used most of her biotics on the being.

To their surprise he shrugged the energy off slightly, the warp had no effect and simply twisted him into his chair, had proven just as useless, when she finally hit with enough force to break krogan bones he simply shrugged it off with a bit of wincing, and smiled.

Varris had found himself more than a challenge, the being in front of him was like a fortress, even though being caught off guard by Diri'ania and her biotic powers he quickly adapted to whatever they threw at him.

Diri'ania had only one option left, she had prepared to use her mind meld and gave the being a warning beforehand. "I did what physically and telekinetically possible now you leave me with a single option, I will enter our minds together, if you resist it will not only hurt but you may suffer damage."

Rey heard what she said and simply looked at her with defiance, the beatings and telekinetic attacks had scratched and bumped him, but it wasn't enough, he knew what to do when she entered his mind.

Diri'ania walked over to him and placed herself in front of his eyes, then she muttered something her eyes turned a void of black, the last words he heard her say were. "Embrace eternity."

Diri'ania had never expected his mind to be so different, she waded through his memories with difficulties and found nothing more than what had recently happened, but he kept his most sensitive material locked with his personal memories.

Rey realising where she was prodding, finally decided to let her see the nightmares and dreams lost in war, the gates of his mind unbarred themselves and she saw what he saw.

Diri'ania looked in the memories simply exploded in her face, the rush of war, the sacrifices made, and the horrifying loss overcame her senses, she found what she had been looking for but it now came at a cost, the screams of his family calling out for his help, the brothers he lost and the war he fought in finally sent her reeling. She couldn't believe such devastation from a war could possibly bring to her.

Varris' watched as the asari Spectre suddenly screamed as she pulled her head away, she began screaming out for help, as she hit the floor suffering whatever she had just witnessed, the guards outside rushed in calling for a medic, the turians had trouble trying to hold her still as she thrashed and screamed, eventually the medics rushed in sedating her before carrying her off to the infirmary.

News of the incident had spread fast as the Council asked the turian Spectre what occurred, the next day the news over the extranet about the conflict and the loss of an asari spectre shook the public, an asari force was also dispatched to investigate the incident, while speculation of the sudden appearance of a hostile species had caught the attention of the entire galaxy.

Varris walked to the infirmary to check on Diri'ania, the thought of her going insane shocked him, though it had been three days since then, the prisoner had been locked into the maximum security cell and no one had gone to try another interrogation after them, the turian fleet had now an entire armada waiting in orbit to move in to the relay with Nihlus at the head and himself soon to follow.

And Varris was asked by the Council to ensure that everything went along smoothly because they wanted no part involving the council directly. As he found Diri'ania's room, he found her still asleep, she hadn't woken up after the meld, the days passed he just waited so he could get some answers.

Her mind, Rey's memories 6years back

Diri'ania found herself walking through empty streets of corpses, the place seemed to terrify her, the bodies of aliens and others seemed to pile into every street she walked along, the sheer smell made her feel like retching, then a sound came a child was crying.

She walked through the piles of bodies to find the source of the noise, she then appeared to be in some sort of field and by a tree was a child in darkened clothing crying over quietly, she called out but he couldn't hear her, she started climbing towards him, she reached the child who had been crying and asked. "Why are you here child?"

The young raven haired boy looked to her and said. "I'm here because I'm lost."

She knelt down to the child's height and asked. "Who are you?"

The little boy's eyes were an emerald green and then it turned a heavy red as he said. "I am the legacy of those lost."

The two talked for what seemed like an eternity, and then something called her back.

The world around Diri'ania closed and she suddenly awoke, the sounds of war gone, the screams of innocents no more and the child who looked to her vanished, she looked to see the Varris waiting for her on a chair reading a data-pad, he realised that she had awoke and called the doctor.

He walked over to her with a concerned look and asked. "How do you feel?"

She sat there still recovering and replied. "I don't know."

The next few hours of waiting for the admirals and other officers from the joint fleets as well as the reporters and scientists in the meeting room, as Diri'ania had entered the room suddenly hushed, she saw one asari admiral who went up to her and asked. "How do you feel Diri'ania?"

She looked to see her old mentor admiral Verilia Reichreia, she replied. "Fine but a little dazed."

The admiral nodded and the officers began to sit down, Diri'ania and Varris were the only ones who remained standing with the few other crews who were there for the briefing and the science team which had been gathered alongside the Salarian STG.

The turian admiral Fov'rrias introduced them. "This meeting is now in session with the debriefing of Diri'ania and fellow Spectre on their findings." The two activated their speech coms and began.

"My investigation into the prisoners mind has revealed a bit about our opponents and from this I call upon Dr Liara T'soni."

Liara was surprised, she was being called up for the briefing, and she nervously took to the stand.

"Well, our discoveries on Amphora have revealed some significance as to the origins of these humans; they share a similar genetic pattern to whatever species had existed there over one hundred thousand years previously."

One of the reporters asked. "Does this mean they are older than the Protheans?"

"Yes… I mean no, the species as humans are now were descendants of whatever this ancient civilisation was and they retain very little of what they ancient species technology."

"What is it that you have learnt about the prisoner?" One Salarian asked.

"The prisoner as known as Rey, on his initials is an genetically altered human, far stronger than their standard person, from our study of his body, there is also the fact that he possessed a small rooster of fellow augments, which we believe were all those who were active."

This time another salarian reporter asked. "Is it true that these augmentations were extensive enough that they were given at a younger age to these soldiers?"

Liara was reading what the team had learnt but didn't know what to expect when she told them.

"Yes these soldiers are quite young, and the soldier in captivity is barely fifteen from his own personnel file and nothing more, he was augmented at the age of six, and on their life span of more than one hundred as we statistically charted, he was augmented at a very young age."

The officers seemed disturbed, the thought of children fighting them on the field with such ferocity was a concern, and one captain Salarian said something about the waste of opportunity.

"All that is certain is that if a conflict was sought between humans and the council species, it would end with a much dire result with statistically extreme losses on our end."

The admirals were now concerned, the humans had more advanced ship to weaponry and living weapons, but the most frightening was the genetically augmented super human weapons waiting for them, the situation was vastly changing.

There was a brief reprieve where Diri'ania asked if anyone had questions.

The firs one came from a turian captain. "Is this true not some illusion, that when you melded that this being was giving you a glimpse in his mind?" Diri'ania replied. "You and others should know that asari mind melds are always definite."

The turian withdrew his claim and waited for the others, the next was a Salarian. "These children that were taken, the gene modifications enhanced how many different levels?"

She replied again. "The children, utilise all enhancements, while some few who have a greater skill in others, the program was called the Venerators, they possess the most advanced weaponry and equipment, they also have personal upgrades such as, active stealth fields, armour lock, holographic diversions of themselves, and many others, they also possess AI."

Everyone in the room paused when she mentioned it, she began to explain. "Their race utilises advanced AI to run major facilities and vessels such as their warships and defence positions while other AI run their research and scientific development side and military installations, the AI utilised work for their people without hatred or aggression towards them, and are placed in the same near equal footing as those of their own kind, I have learnt nothing more."

The officers now became more concerned, not since the quraians had they seen synthetics but now there was a race that utilised hundreds of AI without any problem, the thought of what might happen if they turned on their creators and them concerned them or what would happen if they were used against the citadel.

One admiral suggested simply annihilating them altogether, but was reminded that the humans wouldn't let it happen, the home world of this species was unknown, they had assumed it would be the largest population centre, but from what Diri'ania had said it was unlikely they would be able to take and hold it.

The talks continued of the structure of the humans and what was specifically on the other side, afterwards Diri'ania had decided to pay someone a visit.

XXXXX

Cell block A

The days had gone fast since ending up in this cell, the occasional guard and what not, but this time he heard something different, someone had been at the door, it unlocked revealing the last person he had expected to see, Diri'ania walked in.

Rey had never expected to see her again, but some parts in his mind did, she closed the door behind her and he had also noticed the guards had also gone; she was different this time, wearing a more formal dress she sat down next to him and said. "The one that is lost can always be found."

Those words, she had dug deep into his past, now he knew why she had come, he felt her hands grasping his shoulder and knelt her head on it, he could tell that she understood who he was, the night continued as Rey placed his hands on hers.

Rey had held her in his arms to his chest and held her close and went to sleep, the two in each other's embrace.

(Umm please don't comment on this one, I would rather not say anything either than the two knew each other better, if you look into Rey's bio in the profile set I made it would not outline what it is and I have to update soon, so just enjoy the lovely romance.)