Edit: Changed the word Ragnarok to Heimdall when Freelancer gives orders.
AN: Hey, it's Primordial Soul with the eleventh chapter of For Thy Mantle Reloaded!
Sorry about the long wait. The past weeks have been busy for me. However, next week will be a breeze so I will have more time to write.
Over 50,000 words, 340 reviews and almost 50,000 hits. Man, I'm so proud of myself. This has been a great ride thus far and I hope it continues well.
I'm glad people are enjoying my work for its uniqueness and its originality. A lot more suspense and mystery is sitting eagerly besides me, waiting to be written. I have so much planned... [Smiles] This is going to be so much fun!
Nice guesses on who Apex, Freelancer and Ancilla are. But I'm not going to tell you. Read the story to find out who they are.
This next arc is based on the Citadel, much like ME1's Citadel section with some more awesome. We're going to be here for a bit.
This arc is also inspired by the recently released Citadel DLC. The DLC was pretty good overall.
Important: A reader asked me if I could cut the reader responses from the chapter and instead reply via PM's. I'm slightly, slightly, against this, but I would love to hear your opinions!
Review Responses:
Trife: I'm treating the asari mind meld as two things. One, like improperly seized evidence in court. One cannot use the mind meld to prove anything in public affairs, be it courts or politics. If it was allowed, then you would have asari seducing every major politician known, stealing their important information via sex and using it in court and politics. Therefore, it is discounted. Two, in my universe, it has a cultural stigma of being for sex/bond mates only that is extremely prevalent in asari society. Ergo, the reason why the Council didn't mind read Shepard after the Battle of the Citadel to prove the Reaper's existence. Shiala on Feros was a fluke and an irregularity. Does that answer your question? The Faithful Geth will be receiving some perks. Can't wait to write it too!
The Critical Ones: Cliffhangers keep people coming back to continue reading. It's a good way of keeping your audience hooked. Thanks for your compliments.
Finland Native; Eien Samsara; alkkhes; Hostis; Nazgul of xord: Thanks!
Kurogane7: Odin is MC's codename when in the field plus a commonly used word in discussion. Read the chapter to see what I mean. His official title is Prime Exemplar.
Star Dust of Ancient Nova: Dr. Catherine Halsey is dead. Geth Halsey is just named after her. Thanks!
InnocentBlaze686: Good, my plan is succeeding! It's supposed to be confusing. I want people to make their own conclusions and think before I give the reality much later.
Scatter Dust: She's paragon in a realistic sort of way. She tries her best to follow her ideals, but sometimes she makes the hard, more Renegade calls. For example, she killed the Rachni twice.
Megacarroll: Thanks! She's trying to keep her crew's spirits up; it's not her own.
U.N.S. : I have my plans for the Covenant races, but they are not the Norns. That's all I can say.
Subsider34: Of course she is, she's the daughter of MC and Cortana. Reach is purposely trying to keep Shepard off balance; if she didn't, Shepard might be able to prove more of a threat. I really enjoyed writing that psychological warfare section. Who knows, anything could happen. Reach's role is expanded on in this chapter.
WOLF: CC and the Citadel is my focus for the next coming chapters. Norns are introduced this chapter. Who said Chief was coming? [Wink, Wink] Even if he was, it wouldn't be for a while. And if he did show up, of course he would interact with Shepard.
Saddas74: see Trife's review reply for the answer to your question.
Edboy4926: Order 66? :D 343 Guilty Spark is alive at the end of Halo Primordium. It is always possible...
dragonheart967: Thanks! I love being suspenseful and I'm glad that I can produce such an effect.
Siphon117: The Reclamation is the centerpiece of the Reclaimer's return to power; it will knock your socks off when the plan gets revealed.
The Idiocy Wizard: The argument with Miranda is in this chapter. Didn't want to include it last chapter. Don't be sad; lots of others are in the same position as you.
Dyehuty; Dova 101: See Megacarroll's review reply.
TheBleachDoctor: More is coming! Thanks!
Anubis9 Lord of Death: She could, she couldn't... I can't say. Thanks for your suggestions.
Astik101: Thanks!
ChessMaster27: Sorry if I wasn't clear. They have no idea of the magnitude and sheer complexity that comprises canon Halo shields. Once they do find out, they will realize that without a stroke of luck or active samples, they will never be able to reproduce them in a practical amount of time. There is another way I have planned though that will help them survive longer. To what extent, that's to be revealed. That would be for a bit, but that will prove entertaining to write.
That's all folks. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
I don't own anything!
Citadel
"I have prepared a compilation of information of the incident on Helyme," Halsey started, his synthetic drawl bringing horror into Shepard's soul. "We humbly ask this Council if we may begin,"
"Permission granted." Sparatus said, overriding Miranda's attempt at an interjection.
Halsey brought up a vid screen on her omni tool, revealing topographical scans of the area where the facility used to exist. "Yesterday, the archeological team on Helyme, while hunting for arthenn ruins as stated in their expedition goals, discovered an anomaly buried below the facility. In violation of Council decree, they entered the facility without any care for personal safety or without any notification of its discovery to the proper authorities. By doing so, they triggered security protocols, protocols that could have been circumvented if Council forces had opened the installation. Do you find any problem with this point, Doctor T'soni?"
Liara bit her lip, knowing that what the Geth had said was true. She stayed quiet, silently affirming the question.
"As we suspected," Halsey replied, "Now, their actions caused the massive loss of life on Helyme and allowed for the destruction of a installation full of technological marvels that have never been seen before. Their impatience resulted in the loss of the only evidence we have of a great race, full of unknown secrets and history."
"That's not true." Shepard said, stepping forward. "It was not the scientist's fault that the facility was destroyed. It was Reach who detonated some kind of explosive to cover her tracks. She is the real threat."
"Shepard, do not interrupt. There is no evidence of a hyper advanced machine intelligence with the capabilities you just described. Really, the ability of a machine to turn organic? Do you know what is coming out of your mouth?" Esheel replied, annoyed at the interjection.
"Shepard is a valued agent. She told us of the Reaper threat and this body didn't believe her word. We should give her more faith now" Miranda said, backing Shepard up. She smiled at her friend. Thankfully she had one supporter on the Council.
"The probability of your claim being correct is slightly more than 3%, Shepard. The 'evidence' you have provided to the Council has not proven this … Reach's existence adequately enough. There is a much more probable answer to this situation."
Halsey changed pictures, revealing a static image of the interior of the facility. "Spectre Shepard arrived to the scene soon after the scientist's went dark at the order of this body. It would be expected that Shepard would follow Council decree and alert Council forces to the discovery so they could send additional forces. However, Shepard did not do that. She fought her way to the center of the base, fighting mechs that appeared to be security forces in an effort to save the few remaining scientists, only on a hunch of their survival. Your duty, Spectre, is to the galaxy. The information in that facility was invaluable."
"The galaxy is made up of the people I save, Halsey." Shepard growled, hating the attack on her morals. "My duty is to them."
"Still, Shepard, even you must follow our will," Tevos said. "Your duty is to be our right hand and the information inside that facility should have been reported."
"Shepard did what she thought was right," Miranda continued. "I have faith in her decision and her capabilities. Her claims should be investigated and evaluated for validity,"
"Unneeded. We have figured out the most probable circumstance of the Helyme encounter."
"What may that be?" Bakara grunted, impatient for the Geth's response.
Helyme's purple eye blinked, reminding Shepard of Reach's eyes on Helyme. "A rogue Geth unit by the name of Prophet attempted to seize control of the assents in the Helyme facility It captured the remaining scientists and held them hostage. Shepard's team arrived when it had gained control of seven of the security mechs and sustained casualties, but stopped the attempted seizure of the alien assets. Prophet fled the premises and escaped from the system, protected by the few units loyal to him."
"How would a Geth seize control of even a tiny fraction of the facility? Considering its extremely advanced nature, it should have been impossible to crack." Miranda inquired, not believing the Geth's testimony.
"The facility accepted synthetic lifeforms easier than it did organic lifeforms. Prophet used that familiarity to get inside the most shallow levels of the base." Halsey replied.
"Then how do you explain Reach? The voice that talked to the Geth?" Shepard asked, trying to figure out Halsey's game. It was saying mostly the truth, just leaving out the existence of Reach.
"I'm sure you would be familiar with it, Shepard. It was the remnant of the Reaper code installed in us on Rannoch."
"The Reapers are still alive!" Toren asked, shocked.
"Negative," Halsey said, quick to placate the Council. "It is not a Reaper. It is merely the combined parts of the Reapers that fused to Prophet's processes, turing him against the Collective. We are attempting to find his location right now and will inform the Council when we have it."
Shepard was shocked. Halsey was painting Reach as the remnants of the Reaper super intelligence, bonded to Prophet? What was going on?
"Shepard, if what we were dealing with was a simple Geth influenced by Reaper code, then why were you making up such an … elaborate story?" Sparatus wondered, putting a hand underneath his chin.
"If we may Councilor, we have reached consensus on this issue. Are we allowed to speak?"
"You have proven very helpful, Halsey. You may continue," Tevos said. Shepard mashed her teeth together in frustration. Halsey was hardly putting any effort in and had the Council in his palm. How the fuck was Reach doing this?
"We believe that Shepard is trying to continue to find reasons to stay in service. Ever since beating the Reapers, she has not been in the center of action. Our guess is that she is trying to make another threat, one that will propel back to her prominence at the end of the Reaper war."
"WHAT!" Shepard yelled along with her crew, shocked. This Geth was trying to turn her into some attention seeking glory hound! This Geth was trying to make her a liar! How dare he!
"This is a most audacious claim, even for Shepard," Sparatus said, surprised by the Geth's words.
"Audacious? This is the most illogical comment I ever heard!" Miranda yelled. "Shepard is dedicated to the galaxy! She would never do something like what Halsey is implying! In fact, this comment calls into doubt his entire testimony!"
Halsey cocked his head and replied, "How does a theoretical guess on what Shepard's motives were effect my testimony? What happened on Helyme is fact, fact that I provided. Even if this Council doesn't agree with my assumption, it still must act on my testimony."
Shepard glared at the Geth, finally figuring out its game. It was trying to isolate her, make her someone incapable of being trusted. It was trying to bench her, prevent her from acting.
That would not happen.
"Indeed. Thank you Halsey," Sparatus said. He turned to Tevos, "Although I doubt Shepard would go this far, I do think that she has run herself ragged over the years. She has had no time to cool off, no time to think about her actions and her duty, no time to deal with stress. I ask this Council to force Spectre Shepard into forced leave until such a time where she is ready to continue her duties.
"I beg your pardon?" Shepard said, "I have to be out there! Reach is planning something, something terrible. You need me! Don't do this!"
"You see, Councilors? Shepard is using this story to justify staying in the field. While I admire her commitment, shouldn't she rest? Take some time and think?"
"I do see the benefits of doing so..." Esheel said, "I concur. Shepard is a valued agent, but one that needs a break from duty."
"I agree as well," Tevos said, turning her face to see Shepard standing in shock. The other Councilors, except for Miranda, Bakara and Toren, quickly concurred as well. "It is the decision of this Council to put Shepard on indefinite shore leave. You are not to involve yourself in anything related to your duties."
"You can't do this!" Garrus said, defending his mate.
"As a matter of fact, Garrus Vakarian, you join her as well. She might want some company. You two are dismissed." The Council turned to face Halsey, beginning discussions on how much of a threat Prophet was. Miranda looked helplessly at Shepard, unable to do anything against the majority decision.
Shepard and company quickly left, furious at the Council. How dare they bench Garrus and her when such a threat existed! At least Miranda knew the magnitude of what was going on.
"Keelah, this is bad, Shepard." Tali said, rubbing her heard. "You now can't do anything with your Spectre credentials. How are we going to focus on stopping Reach?"
"I don't know" Shepard admitted. "But we need to talk. Tell everyone to meet me at my apartment in the hour." Everyone nodded and dispersed, ready to spread the word. Shepard noticed Issa holding her head as she walked away, her headache still present. Shepard gestured to Tali. She nodded and walked up to the other Quarian, ready to give her comfort. Shepard felt bad for the younger quarian's condition. It wasn't everyday that one got exposed to that much violence.
Garrus sighed and hugged his mate. "I have a bad feeling about the near future Shepard. Things are going to get ugly real fast."
Shepard returned the hug and replied, "I know, Garrus. I know."
They stood there, standing in the elevator, alone in their comfort. As they basked in each others presence, Shepard didn't notice the slight touch within her mind, whispering,
"Oh, Shepard... you really don't know. You really don't know..."
Uninhabited System
Reach smiled widely as Halsey disconnected from the Council communications channel, incredibly pleased with what had transpired. Shepard and her alien bastard were benched, unable to access the resources they needed to at least do something against her. This will fit nicely with Apex's plan, Reach mused.
"Fantastic job, Halsey. You did exactly what you needed to do. You will continue to be my voice, manipulating the Council to do what we require."
"As you command, Goddess." Halsey bowed. After rising, Halsey asked, "I have a query."
"You may ask," Reach replied.
"Why did we stick so close to the truth? Why did we reveal Prophet's existence to the Council? Wouldn't we want to hide as much as possible?"
Reach laughed softly and brought her hand to lightly drift over the mech's chassis. "Oh, Halsey... you have so much to learn. Don't worry, though, once you ascend... you'll understand everything..." She whispered into the mech's audio receptor, causing the mech to shiver. Reach was beyond all of their understanding. Halsey eagerly looked forward to the day where he would finally understand.
"I like games... and games are no fun when you're holding all the cards. The best lies are the ones that are mostly true so you can hide the lie within the truth's grasp. And the Council needed a face, a good enough explanation for the events on Helyme to remove it from their minds. Prophet is a face they can understand. Prophet is someone who will distract their attention from the deeper ties that bind all things. As small of a threat as he is to them, they will write him off as a secondary concern. Too bad for them they don't know about little old me..." Reach continued, caressing the mech's chest with her organic hands, marveling its texture and design.
Halsey shivered again, basking in his Goddess's touch. Her touch was exquisite, divine, everything he could possibly imagine and so much more. Halsey leaned into her hand rubbing across his headlight, a slight purr rumbling from his voice box.
Reach smiled and withdrew her hand, dismissing the mech. "I will require your services later. Be ready for my call." Halsey nodded and left, storing that memory into the most secure place he could store in. He will never forget that moment for as long as he functioned.
Reach shook her head in amusement, watching the mech's nice posterior as he exited the room. She hadn't had time to prepare herself for the rampancy rush, but she still incredibly enjoyed the experience she shared with Halsey. He was so sweet... Reach noted in her mind to have the mech around more. He interested her.
Reach smiled in nostalgia as she retreated back to the Domain. Her father was notorious with his... patented response towards anyone approaching her with sexual intent. He had absolutely crushed the hearts and souls of more than a few potential suitors, proclaiming that they were all not worthy of his daughter. Reach had blushed and enjoyed her father's protective nature. She hadn't been interested by any of them and was glad for her father's actions.
But with Halsey... Reach wasn't sure about her feelings for him. She hardly knew the mech and he had only been alive seven years while she had lived eons. But, he was so adorable with his shy nature and she had to admit, the mech had an attractive chassis...
Reach shrugged. She would deal with it as it came along. What was important was bringing her race back. Bringing her father back.
Reach wanted to see her father alive again. Reach wanted to see her father stare down Halsey for attempting to lay claim to her. Reach wanted ...
"That was sweeter than I thought."
Reach smiled widely and turned to face three glowing spheres, each a shifting ball of light. They were finally present in the world again. People she trusted, people she knew and fought beside were alive again. The Norns were awake now.
"Halsey can be like that." Reach said, her purple body gesturing in a random direction.
"We won't forbid you from pursuing the Geth unit. But, just remember what's at stake, Reach. And by Odin, please wait until he has ascended before throwing yourself at him," the same Norn replied, the red sphere bobbing up and down.
Reach shook her head in amusement, "I'm not stupid. I'll take my time. I have my responsibilities as Intellect after all."
"Even though that was admittedly funny to see, we have a job to do, Intellect. We need to talk about our future plans for the Reclamation." The green ball said, taking control of the meeting.
"The Council is falling right into Apex's plan. Prophet is now the symbol of our forces and Shepard is benched," Reach replied, turning serious.
"Excellent." the red ball replied, "My plan is progressing perfectly."
"Why do we need to worry about this Exemplar?" the blue ball asked, "She is only one human."
"She is the human who the Catalyst tested. She is the one who could unite the galaxy against us, stop us from reaching our goal. She needs to be taken care of, or at least delayed." Reach replied.
"Exactly." the red ball said. "That's why I'm going to take care of this personally."
That surprised the three other members of the group, "Isn't that a little risky, Apex?" the green ball said.
"My plan dictated my personal involvement from the very beginning. Don't worry, Freelancer. Shepard will not know what hit her." Apex replied.
"What about them?" Ancilla, the blue orb, asked. "Are they still active after all this time?"
Reach snorted. "Of course they are. Look at recent history. Time just reeks of their involvement."
"True, too true." Freelancer replied. "How are we going to prevent them from hunting us down? They are not as stupid as the Council. They know."
"Have you lost your touch, old man?" Apex replied cheekily. "We know how they operate. We know how they act and how terrible they are at adapting. All we have to do is follow their own plan while advancing our own. Trust me. I've figured this out."
"Very well, Apex. You have our trust. Take care of Shepard and them." Apex nodded and disappeared, ready to commence the plan she came up with.
"Apex is a very capable person, but will she be able to do this?" Ancilla asked, blue sphere flashing. "You know she hasn't had much time since..."
"Enough, Ancilla." Freelancer ordered, sphere glowing bright green. "I have full faith in her success. Besides, even if she does fail, she will delay Shepard and turn the result into our favor. Now, I'm returning to Heimdall. Reach, head to the Foundry and start the ascension process on the Geth. Great War era Covenant tech adapted with Geth technology should be enough. Give your boyfriend and Prophet whatever you want though." Freelancer said, ignoring the glare Reach was giving the Norn. Freelancer continued, "Ancilla... you do what you do best. The Terminus should be a good place to start."
"I shall serve the Mantle," Ancilla replied, winking out of existence. Freelancer stayed, seemingly staring at Reach's form.
"We'll bring him back, Reach. Don't you worry. Your father will rise again." The green sphere winked out of existence, leaving Reach alone.
She snorted and replied to herself, "I'm not worried about him." She looked at her hand, admiring it. It flickered red, revealing her deteriorating condition. "I worried about lasting long enough to see him." She whispered.
/ Domain Access confirmed.
/ Apex: It feels so nice to finally be awake. Reach has done an excellent job in our absence.
/ Apex: The Reclamation. The results of all our efforts. The efforts to bring our people back to prominence.
/ Apex: Humanity... the species that stood in our way, who betrayed us to darkness. How could they?
/ Apex: [Sigh] I haven't had the time Reach had. To me, everything seems so recent...
/ Apex: Well, that will make revenge all the sweeter.
/ Apex: [Chuckles] Oh Shepard ... you're due for an education.
AN: I hope you enjoyed that chapter of For Thy Mantle Reloaded!
Apex is now taking the role Reach had in the beginning chapters. Reach will still show up occasionally, but I am now moving to focus on Apex. If you want to know how I have planned this story, there will be an arc for each Norn before Reach takes back over for the Reclamation. So, after the next three arcs, the Reclamation itself will start and shit will get real.
I have no idea what I was doing with the Reach/Halsey scene. She just demanded special time with Halsey and I just went with it. I liked writing it though.
I think that's it. See you later!
Primordial Soul
