Angel and the Demon
Chapter 12
Bioware owns the rights to all characters other than Samantha and Christina.
Kaiden was having breakfast when Shepard called him through his comm link. "Kaiden, meet me and EDI in the conference room. We need to study the layout and approach." He choked down the last of his food before jogging to the elevator.
When he arrived, EDI and Shepard were looking over a detailed layout of the Cerberus base. Kaiden didn't bother to ask how they got the map.
"Unfortunately, I was never allowed access to video or sensors within the Illusive Man's inner sanctum." EDI said. "It is the most likely location for the prothean VI."
"Have any guesses?" Shepard asked.
"None with a probability over 16%." EDI said. "I would suggest entering the base through this shuttle bay." She highlighted a portion of the base. "It is the easiest to access. I will chart our path to the inner sanctum once I have access to their systems."
"It will have to do." Shepard looked over the huge structure glowing on the table before her. "Ok, we're probably going to find Atlas platforms, those cloaking phantoms with swords, the new sniper troops they have, and all the standard Cerberus troops. Overload anyone with a shield, and collaborate on the Atlas platforms. Keep an eye out for the phantoms. We want to leave this place with all our limbs."
"Affirmative, Commander." EDI said.
"Any thoughts, Kaiden?" Shepard asked, looking up at him.
"You know me, Commander. I'm no tactician." He told her.
Shepard laughed. "Flying by the seat of our pants once again."
"Absolutely, Commander." He smiled.
"Shepard, in preparation for this mission, I'm considering changing some of my code." EDI said.
"Really? What part?" She turned to face the android.
"There is a part of my code dealing with self-preservation, and the priority for it." EDI told her. "The code compels me to preserve my physical form, even in the case of capture and imprisonment."
"Yes? Do you think Cerberus built in a knockout code or over-write function?" Shepard said.
"It is unlikely, they would have used it if they had. I am speaking more generally. If this form or the ship is captured by Cerberus or the Reapers, my code and memory will be overwritten to suit their needs."
"That's probably true." Shepard agreed.
"I do not wish for that to happen. I do not wish either this body or the ship to become a weapon of the enemy." EDI told her.
"So what are you changing?"
"I am changing my code so that if I am captured and under imminent danger of being rewritten, my consciousness will be destroyed along with as much of my physical parts as I can manage. I would rather die than help the enemy." EDI said with as much resolve as her generated voice could manage.
"EDI". Shepard said. "You have officially become more human than most humans I know."
"I will take that as a compliment." EDI said.
"Good." Shepard smiled. "Let's suit up."
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The Cerberus base was very well guarded, and Shepard was surprised the Illusive man had been able to employ the vast number of troops necessary without any word of its location leaking. As she watched dozens of Alliance cruisers attacked the Cerberus forces, shooting down hundreds of fighters in the first few minutes.
Are there really this many people so pissed off with the alliance that they will join a terrorist organization? Is xenophobia this common? Or is it really as Christina described…no one knows the extent of the evil until they are too far in? Is this what you get when combined with a fierce 'no escape' policy?
"Commander." Joker said from his seat at the helm. "The fifth fleet has broken through. Now's as good a time as any for your run."
"Good. Meet Kaiden in the shuttle, EDI." Shepard said.
"What?" Joker exclaimed. "You can't take EDI to the Cerberus base! They might have a virus, or kill switch, or something."
"They won't have anything they haven't already tried, Jeff. I will be fine." EDI reassured him.
"Other than shooting you..." Joker mumbled. EDI pretended not to hear. She headed towards the elevator.
"Notify Hackett that we're starting our run." Shepard said.
"Will do." Joker said. "Commander?"
"Yeah?" Shepard asked.
"Take care of her." He said.
"You too." Shepard responded before heading to the shuttle bay.
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Shepard gave Cortez a lot of credit for getting them in the Cerberus shuttle bay in one piece. His hands were flying over the controls as they dodged fighters left and right. A stray shot knocked the shuttle out of commission right before they reached the landing pad, but they landed in one piece.
"How we looking, Cortez?" Shepard asked from the doorway.
"I've got some repairs, but we'll be in good shape by the time you get back here, Commander." Cortez told her.
"Thanks, Cortez." Shepard hopped out of the shuttle towards the bay doors. A quick glance revealed centurions and nemesis in addition to regular troops, but the Atlas was the biggest problem. "Overload please!" She yelled. Both EDI and Kaiden complied, killing the huge machine's shield. Shepard threw a shockwave through the rest of the troops as a distraction. She pulled out her Paladin pistol. Fully upgraded, it kicked hard with each shot. Shepard loved it.
Her shots pounded into the view screen of the Atlas, and the driver quickly got nervous. He turned the machine ninety degrees in an attempt to deflect her shots. Shepard ignored the attempt, choosing to throw a warp at the cracked windscreen. The glass exploded. The trooper inside was quickly dispatched.
A quick look around revealed most of the other troops to be down. Shepard nodded to Kaiden.
"Security breach in shuttle bay 94. Activating Achilles protocol." The announcement came from the ceiling.
"Achillies Protocol?" Shepard asked.
"They're going to vent the hangar." EDI said. "I need an active terminal. We have 90 seconds."
"Ok..." Shepard whipped her head around. "Up that ladder, maybe?"
Shepard bolted across the hangar with EDI and Kaiden close behind. On the level up they found a couple rooms. One had a live terminal.
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"They shut down the Achilles Protocol?" Kai Leng asked the specialist. "How did they manage that?"
"Shepard brought EDI with her." He told him.
"Fine." Leng said, frowning. "Get a couple more Atlas down there, and several more squads for back up. They shouldn't be able to get past the blast doors, but let's make sure."
"Affirmative, Sir." The specialist returned to his station.
"Sir! Cruiser CR-4 was just destroyed!" A technician exclaimed.
"Send three more fighter squads into that sector, and notify Cruiser CS-8 about the gap on its left flank." He said.
"Yes Sir." The technician said.
"Should we ready your shuttle, Sir?" His guard detail asked.
"No. I'm here to make sure Shepard does not reach the inner sanctum. We don't leave until I'm sure she's dead…one hundred percent sure." He ignored the concerned looks that passed between the technicians.
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"Shepard. I have access to flight controls." EDI said, accessing a terminal in the shuttle bay.
"Does that help us?" Shepard asked. They kept Cerberus from venting the hangar. Now they just needed a way into the rest of the station.
"I believe so." EDI said. As they watched a fighter drone rose from storage under the bay floor. EDI entered typed on the console for a few more seconds.
"Command will break safety protocol 17. Command denied." The terminal said.
"I don't think so." EDI said. She tapped at the terminal for thirty seconds.
"Command overwritten by base superintendent." The terminal said.
"Desperate enough to go up the chain of command?" EDI said. She typed on the console a few seconds more.
"Command…de…ni…" Each word from the terminal was punctuated by more typing from EDI.
"I didn't want to have to do this…" EDI frowned, then held her hand over the terminal. A bright shock jumped from her hand to the console. Electronic static erupted from the terminal.
"Your wish is my command." The terminal said, now in EDI's voice.
"That's better." EDI said. She started entering commands into the console.
"What did you do?" Shepard asked.
"I installed a little bit of me into this console." EDI tapped the enter key. The fighter turned 180 degrees towards the hangar bay wall. "I didn't want to do it because it means I have to leave a little bit of myself on the base." EDI made a few more entries into the console. The team ducked behind some cover. With a huge crash, the fighter was launched directly into the wall. A gaping hole was created in the wall.
"Luckily, this station will not last long." EDI said with a smile.
"Nice, EDI." Shepard said, rising to look at the passage they created.
"Thank you, Commander." EDI told her.
"It's hard to believe the hanger bay wall wasn't strong enough to stop a fighter at impact." Kaiden said.
"The hanger bay is intended to repel a fighter at approach speed, not a fighter at full launch thrust." EDI said.
"Let's go." Shepard said.
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"Sir, they have breached the base." The specialist said.
"How?" Leng demanded.
"They launched a fighter through the wall of the hangar." The specialist told him.
"I see. Send Alpha and Beta squads to their location. Have Epsilon and Gamma set up a fortification between them and the heart." Kai Leng said. "Have Chi and Omega set up shop in the heart chamber."
"Yes Sir." The specialist started relaying his orders.
"The fleet took out another cruiser, sir." The technician sounded resigned.
"Deploy a couple more fighter squads. Have all the fighters concentrate on the weakest Alliance cruiser." Leng commanded. "We'll take a few of them with us."
"Yes sir."
Leng turned to his guard detail. "Get my sword, and have Zeta and Kappa meet me in the inner sanctum." They nodded and left.
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"I can't believe this many troops agree with the Illusive man." Kaiden said. He overloaded a centurion.
"Me neither, Kaiden." Shepard said. She warped the centurion, then put him down with her Paladin pistol.
"These are shock troops." EDI said. "They are captured civilians converted with Reaper technology. They are here to slow us down so engineers can set up a fortification further in."
"Now I really hate him." Shepard said.
"No shit, Commander." Kaiden said.
They were traversing the maintenance level below the main floor in the base. The lighting was meager at best, and mostly red. It was like something out of a horror movie. The mad scientist's lair. Fear for your safety, all damsels. Ductwork, cables, and pipes were everywhere. They finished off the troops and came to a secured door.
"I'll handle this, Shepard." EDI said. She pointed to a nearby console. "That terminal has not been scrubbed. You might find its content interesting."
"What is it?" Shepard asked. She switched the terminal on.
"The Lazarus project." Oh.
On the screen a scientist talked to the Illusive man. "It's not a matter of resources. There's too much trauma. Shepard is clinically brain dead."
"It's always a matter of resources." The Illusive man said.
"There's just too much trauma. It can't be done." The scientist said.
"Miss Lawson disagrees. She is now in control of this project." The Illusive man said.
Shepard was stunned. "I didn't realize it was that bad." She said.
"You fell from sub orbital flight through an atmosphere." Kaiden said. "It's surprising they found anything left."
"How much of me is really left, I wonder." Shepard pondered.
"Enough that your friends can't tell the difference." Kaiden pointed out.
"In that case I could be a really good VI in a very soft android body." She said.
"Even if they were able to create an android that looked and felt human, Miranda would never allow herself to fall in love with you if that were true." Kaiden said.
"Unless she has a thing for synthetic life..." Shepard smiled at Kaiden. "You're right. As nice as EDI's body is, it does not feel human."
"I will take that as a complement, Shepard." EDI said from the door. "This is unlocked."
"Thanks EDI." Shepard said.
They were under fire from several turrets the instant they left the room. Shepard dodged to the far side of the passage, hiding behind a convenient pipe. When the turrets stopped to reload she threw a shockwave through them. EDI and Kaiden destroyed them seconds later with overload. Behind the turrets, a squad of centurion and combat engineers were fortified with temporary barriers and shield pylons.
"Keep up the overloads. I'll take the pylons." Shepard pulled out her Paladin. A few well-placed shots and the shield pylons exploded. The deep thrum of Kaiden's assault rifle sounded from a barrier to her left. EDI was firing from her right, with her decoy distracting the Cerberus troops from a flanking position.
An engineer started setting up another turret. Oh no you don't. Using her pistol, Shepard destroyed the turret before it was deployed. The combat engineer looked up in shock right before Kaiden knocked out his shields. He attempted to reach cover, but didn't make it. Shepard got him with her Paladin.
A laser cut through the darkness. Settling on Shepard a moment before her shield was knocked out. She dodged back behind a large pipe.
"I'll head around and try to flank it." Kaiden said. Shepard nodded. She peeked around the corner. EDI overloaded the nemesis' shield. She got off a pistol shot before the laser lined up and knocked out her shield again. Grrrrr.
EDI set her decoy around the corner. Shepard used the opportunity to check around the corner. There might be enough cover to make it. She jumped towards the next barrier, rolling behind some ductwork. A bullet whizzed past her ear. She turned to look at the ductwork. There was a perfectly formed hole right next to her head. Ok, armor piercing bullets. Ductwork is clearly not enough cover. She sunk down to the floor. Another shot pierced the ductwork where her head used to be.
Shepard leapt towards the next area of cover. She stopped behind some pipes that hopefully had enough thickness to stop armor piercing bullets. A loud ringing noise confirmed her guess. She glanced over the pipes to find only a few more areas of cover before the nemesis. She looked too long and lost her shield in the process. Now I know why Garrus scares people so much.
After an interminable wait, she lunged towards the next area of cover. She reached it unscathed. Unfortunately, the final gap to the sniper's cover was wide. She was pretty sure she couldn't make it the entire way without getting hit.
"Fuck it." She said. She leapt over her cover. A shot hit her midsection. She ignored it. Her sprint was erratic in an attempt to confuse the sniper. It did not work. A second shot hit her in the thigh. She heard her armor crack as she flung herself towards the nemesis. The nemesis proved more nimble than she expected, and rolled away from her. She sat up to see the laser trained steadily on her chest. The nemesis smiled as it tightened its grip on the trigger.
A hail of bullets perforated the air above Shepard's head, throwing the sniper to the floor. Hands to her ears, Shepard glanced behind her to see Kaiden reloading.
"I told you I was going to flank it." Kaiden said with a smile.
Shepard smiled then checked her thigh. The muscle was bruised, and the armor plate was worthless. She'd have to replace it. She would walk with a slight limp for a while.
They came upon another unscrubbed console. Shepard switched it on.
"What about the back-ups?" The Illusive man asked.
"I'm sorry sir, EDI has been unwilling to restore the video feeds. She said the Commander was the highest authority pertaining to events on the Normandy." A man in a lab coat said.
"And Operative Lawson won't overrule Shepard for mental incompetence?" The Illusive man shook his head.
"No sir." The man said. "She mentioned something about video feeds in the showers." The vid ended.
"You protected us?" Shepard looked quizzically at EDI.
"One of my prime directives is to maintain a safe working environment for the crew." EDI said.
"I'm pretty sure that wasn't intended to cover surveillance, EDI. But, thank you." Shepard told her. She started another vid.
"I want the ship back. Retry the remote lock-down protocols." The Illusive man said.
"After our last attempt, EDI flooded our servers with over seven zetabytes of explicit images. We think she..." The scientist said.
"It..." The Illusive man interrupted.
"We think...it...was making a joke." The scientist finished.
"It doesn't make jokes, Doctor." The Illusive man said. The video ended.
"You never told me Cerberus tried to shut down the Normandy." Shepard said.
"You had more pressing issues to worry about. The situation was under control." EDI said.
"Thank you, EDI. And for the record, you are definitely a she." Shepard smiled at her.
"Thank you, Shepard."
"Let's press on, shall we? I believe we have a prothean VI to liberate."
"Affirmative, Commander." EDI said.
The next room was very different from the maintenance corridors. It was very dark, with occasional blue lights to highlight the metal grid walkways. The walkway sloped upwards, forming a spiral around a large, familiar structure. Shepard looked at it in shock. "I can't believe it…"
"What is that?" Kaiden asked.
"It is part of the human Reaper Shepard destroyed in the Collector base." EDI said.
"Demon, no wonder you're indoctrinated." Shepard said. "Having this thing around is almost as bad as living in a Reaper." Shepard could recognize the ribs and heart of the huge mechanical beast. "Did he ignore our reports about the scientists in the derelict Reaper?"
"He likely assumes he is smart enough to overcome indoctrination. This is the heart." EDI said. "They are using it for a power supply." The walkway led around the Reaper. They were still looking at the beast when assault weapon fire erupted down the walkway.
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"Sir, they've made it to the heart chamber." Kai Leng cursed.
"Tell Zeta and Kappa I'll be there in a few minutes. Until I arrive they are to stay out of sight." He said, preparing to leave.
"Sir! What do we do about the fleet?" A technician exclaimed. "We're down to three cruisers!"
"Keep launching the drone fighters, and keep them focused on the weakest Alliance cruiser." He said. He slid his sword into the sheath on his back.
"What's our evacuation protocol?" The tech asked.
"Unless I return, you don't have one." He walked towards the door.
"We let them destroy the base?" The tech asked, trembling. Kai Leng turned and walked right up to the technician. He bent over to look directly into his face.
"No. If I do not kill Shepard, and she gets the VI, you are to destroy the base to make sure she doesn't escape with it." The technician was shaking. "Do you understand?"
"Yes s-sir." The tech said, subconsciously moving back in his seat. Kai Leng stood up and quickly left the control room.
"Fuck that." One of the others said.
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"Shepard, you're sitting in my chair." The Illusive man said from behind her. Shepard looked back to confirm that yes, it was just a holographic image of the demon.
She turned back towards the console. "How's the indoctrination going?" She asked. EDI was working on a second terminal to the right of the big man's chair. Kaiden was keeping an eye on the holograph.
The Illusive man let out a chuckle. "Still oblivious to the truth."
"Saren thought exactly the same."
"You have no idea how much we've accomplished." He said.
"Yea, I've seen Sanctuary. Good work." She said, still working on the console.
"As always, you only see the surface." The Illusive man said.
"Really?" She turned to look at him. "You still think you can control the Reapers? It's ironic, considering they control you. You have no regard for humans, or else you would never sanction Sanctuary, or your 'volunteer' shock troops."
"All necessary sacrifices for the dominance of humanity." He said, as usual puffing on a cigarette.
"Humanity? Or you?" Shepard turned back to the terminal. "I've seen your baby Reaper. Still going to pretend you were worried about those colonists in the Terminus systems?"
"You see what you want to see." He said. Annoyance was creeping into his voice.
"And once you have the power of the Reapers in your hands, you'll give it up to the democratically elected leaders of humanity?" She paused to see if he would respond.
"Politicians can't be trusted with that much power, or did you forget Udina?" He said.
Shepard didn't even look at him. "So you would be the natural choice for tyrant? Or would you consider yourself more of a spiritual leader for life? I'm trying to recall all the Cerberus facilities devoted to humanitarian aid. Oh, that's right, there aren't any. EDI, how are we coming?"
"I've almost got it." EDI said.
"Shepard, you once again prove your lack of vision. Enjoy your chat, but don't overstay your welcome." Shepard glanced back to see the image dissolve.
"Got it." EDI said. Shepard stood as the glowing orb materialized. It moved away from the console before coalescing into the prothean VI. It faced Shepard.
"You recovered me from indoctrinated forces?" It said.
"Yes. Tell us what the Catalyst is!" She demanded.
"Security protocols have been breached. I am able to disclose the information. The Catalyst is the Citadel." It said.
"Why couldn't you tell us before?" Shepard asked.
"The Crucible lacks the energy to complete its function alone. It is built to interface with the Catalyst to boost its signal strength. If the Reapers knew about this, they would secure the Citadel in controlled space."
"Let's go." Shepard said to her team.
"It's too late." It said.
"What? Why?" Shepard looked at it.
"The one you call the Illusive man. He notified the Reapers of the nature of the Catalyst after he broke our security protocols."
"Damn you, Demon." Shepard said shaking her head.
"The Reapers moved the Citadel to the system you refer to as Sol."
"Earth." She said.
"You should take steps to pass information to the next cycle." The VI said.
"Don't count us out yet. Let's go." She turned towards the exit. Kai Leng blocked her path. The VI disappeared. "Leng."
"He told you not to overstay your welcome." Leng said. He bolted towards her, then smashed his hand into the floor. A section of the floor several meters in each direction crashed into the maintenance structure below. Instantly he leapt towards Shepard.
Shepard threw a warp at him before rolling away. He lunged after her, swinging his sword in a wide arc. Thankfully it bounced off the good armor on her left thigh. She rolled away again. He was momentarily frozen as EDI and Kaiden overloaded him at almost the same instant. She pulled her Paladin out and started hitting him with pistol fire.
He rolled away and smashed into the floor again. A group of troops dropped into the hole he created. Shepard sprinted to one end of the group, sliding to a stop when they were sufficiently aligned. They followed her movement, trying to ready their weapons. They jerked in shock as she launched a shockwave through the lowered area they were in. They were flung out of the hole and towards the edges of the room.
Shepard rose to see Kai Leng throw Kaiden to the ground. She instantly threw a warp, following up with pistol fire towards his head. His heavy shield blocked it all. He swung his sword down at Kaiden with a triumphant yell.
With a screech of metal it stopped, well before reaching Kaiden. Kai Leng looked up to see EDI's hand gripping his sword tightly. Leng glared at the android. He unsuccessfully tried to pull his sword free. Wrenching metal noises were the only evidence of his effort.
"You will not hurt my crew, Kai Leng." EDI backhanded him, flinging him several meters. He slammed into the floor, limply sliding several meters from them. His sword clattered away from him.
EDI bent down and grabbed Kaiden's hand, pulling him to his feet. "Come, Lieutenant." Shepard watched the unmoving form of Kai Leng. She reloaded and approached him.
"Is your hand ok?" Kaiden asked once he was on his feet. She retrieved his assault rifle and handed it to him.
"The sword cut through the outer casing only." She said. "I will be fine as long as I am not required to catch any more swords before repairs can be completed."
"Well, thanks." Kaiden told her.
"You are welcome, Lieutenant."
Shepard turned towards a sound behind her. A pair of phantoms dropped to the floor, spreading out to give themselves more room. "We've got company!" She yelled. Shepard warped one while rolling back from them. She heard Kaiden's assault rifle and EDI's SMG start in unison. The phantom she hit took a swipe at her, which she rolled away from. She threw another warp and switched to her SMG. The phantoms moved fast enough that the easiest method was the sloppiest. Throw a lot of bullets towards it and some of them would hit. As she was testing her opponent a loud crash sounded from behind.
"Leng is up." Kaiden said. "I'll keep him busy."
"Be careful." Shepard said.
"Will do."
Shepard warped the phantom, taking out its barrier. A glance around showed EDI's phantom distracted by her decoy, and Kai Leng chasing Kaiden around. Shepard knew she didn't have much time. Her phantom was staying back, presumably to regenerate its barrier. She lunged forward, expecting and receiving a wide swipe of its sword. She ducked under it, throwing a warp to its midsection. The blow pushed the phantom away from her. Shepard fired a full clip at it. A final warp dropped it to the ground.
She turned and Kai Leng was sprinting at her. She lunged backward and his sword failed to cut her in half. His sword did succeed in cutting her right thigh where her armor was damaged. She let out a yelp and fell to the ground near the phantom. Her SMG clattered away from her.
"You're still too slow, Shepard." He gloated. She reached blindly towards her SMG, instead coming into contact with the handle of the phantom's sword. Behind Leng to one side, Kaiden was vertical, though limping. He raised his rifle towards Leng. On Leng's other side, EDI was turning from the dead phantom at her feet. Leng raised his sword above his head. Shepard assumed he was doing it slow enough to savor the moment.
"Maybe, but I've got friends." She smiled at him. "I'd never trade them for your implants." He peeked around at EDI, who started firing at the same time as Kaiden. Leng flipped into the air, coming down a couple feet to the right. Shepard grabbed the phantom's sword from the ground. Kai Leng turned towards EDI and Kaiden.
Shepard impaled him with the sword. He dropped his weapon. Shepard moved in front of him. "Told you." She said. Shepard let him drop to the floor. "Kaiden?" She checked her thigh.
"I'm ok. He got me in the side between armor plates." He said. "Are you ok?"
"Even after medi-gel I'm going to have a hard time walking back to the shuttle. Doc's going to have to perform a miracle to have me at 100% by the time we reach earth." Shepard said. "EDI?"
"I am fine, Commander." She said.
"Good. Grab the VI. Kaiden and I will apply medi gel."
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Shepard called the entire Normandy crew to the common area on deck 3. There were rumors circulating about their next mission, but no one knew the complete story. Members of the crew were rapidly changing moods depending on what they discussed. The assholes at Cerberus, the might of the combined Alliance forces, and recently silenced colonies filled their conversations.
"Everyone." Shepard said to get the crew's attention. "We are heading back to earth." There was murmuring through the common area. "The Reaper's have dragged the Citadel back to the Sol system to protect it. Thanks to the Illusive Man, they now know that it is a key component of the Crucible." Muttered curses came from the group.
"With your help we have assembled the mightiest fleet ever seen. The combined Alliance forces are going to join us in Sol to take back the Citadel from the Reapers. I will meet with each of you personally to offer my heartfelt thanks following this meeting. Tomorrow we will enter earth's orbit and retake the Citadel." She paused for effect. "Then blow the Reapers back to hell!" A cheer rose from the crowd.
"Get a good night's rest. We don't know what we face tomorrow, and we need you at your best. Thank you." Shepard turned to the first person on her left, and started shaking hands.
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Once the bulk of the ship's crew was properly thanked, Shepard started to make her way to the personal chambers of her team. She headed towards Liara's room, only to be waved off by Oriana.
"I wouldn't go in there, Samantha." Oriana told her.
"Why not? What's going on?" Sam asked.
"Traynor came in a little while ago, and she and Liara were giving each other looks again. I had to escape." She said.
"I see. Well. I'm glad they found someone to take comfort in."
"Are you going to take Miranda with you tomorrow?" Oriana asked nervously.
"I'm hoping there won't be a need for a squad tomorrow, but Miranda has expressed a desire to join me if there is." Oriana looked down. "I promise I will keep her safe."
"I know. I just don't know what I'd do without her..." Oriana looked like she was going to cry. Shepard hugged her. Oriana stayed in her arms for a minute before letting go. "You need to come back too. I don't know what it would do to her to lose you."
"You know that's my plan." Sam smiled down at her. "I want to spend the rest of my life with your sister."
"I know." Oriana smiled back. "Can I spend some time with her...before you two..." She made some vague hand gestures with her hands.
"Go ahead." Samantha said with a smile. "I've got quite a few people to see before I head up to see her."
Shepard headed to the battery. Expecting to find Garrus tweaking the massive gun, she was surprised to find Tali entwined with him against a wall.
"Oh! I'm so sorry." She looked away from the scene. She turned to leave.
"It's no problem, Shepard. You're the one who brought us together…after all." Tali said. She looked back to see them smoothing out their outfits.
"It's good to see you two happy." She said.
"Thanks." Tali said with smiling eyes.
"I wanted to thank you both for everything you've done...for the Alliance, and for me."
"It hardly stacks up to everything you've done for us, Shepard." Garrus said. Tali nodded in agreement.
"Nevertheless. Thank you for sticking with me through the good times and the bad. I appreciate it more than you can possibly imagine."
"Of course, Shepard. We feel the same about you." Tali said.
"Garrus, assuming we end up on the ground tomorrow, would you like to join me?" Shepard asked.
"I'm with you until the end, Shepard." Garrus said with as much of a smile as his turian face could manage.
"Miranda wants to come, and I think your talents will mesh well." Shepard said.
"I'm sure we can play nice." He said with a smirk. She smiled back, then looked at Tali.
"Shouldn't you still be in med bay, Tali?" Shepard asked.
"Yes, but I felt...If this is to be my last day alive, do I really want to be spending it healing in the medical center?" She said.
"Good point." Shepard agreed. "You two have fun. EDI, crank up the air scrubbers and filtration in the main battery."
"I will see what I can do, Shepard."
"Thank you, Shepard." Tali said.
"Thanks." Garrus added. Shepard left the battery.
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Shepard entered the lounge to find Oriana and Kaiden talking. Lia'Vael was nearby, but wasn't contributing to the conversation.
"How is your side?" Oriana asked. She glanced at Shepard briefly when she sat down at the far end of Kaiden's couch.
"I'll be fine in a couple of days." He told her.
"I apologize, but I must interrupt. Kaiden?" Shepard asked. He turned to face her.
"Commander, I assume I'm sitting this one out." He said.
"Only partially." Shepard told him. "You'll be with James, Traynor, Tali if she's feeling well, and Liara on the command level. Traynor is going to convert the galactic map interface into a display of the battle. You'll be helping Alliance Command to direct forces against the Reapers."
"Really?" Kaiden looked shocked.
"Our smaller ship gives us an advantage over the cruisers and dreadnoughts. Hackett needs us to help with the smaller Reapers. EDI also has an easier time processing intel from the geth." Shepard told him. "Your input and analysis will be crucial."
"Thank you, Shepard." He said. She turned to her future sister in law.
"Oriana, you can join the team on the command deck, but I must ask you to stay quiet. They will be very busy."
"Can I help Liara?" She asked.
"I'll leave that up to her. Do not be upset if she says no. Many lives will be at stake."
"Ok."
"If things start to go bad, stay close to Liara and Kaiden. Kaiden will make sure you both are safe."
"I will. Thank you, Samantha."
"You're welcome." Shepard turned to Lia. "Lia, I assume you will assist Tali."
Lia nodded, then decided to actually speak. "Yes, Commander."
"I'm sure she'll elaborate on what she needs from you. If things get ugly, stick close to James. He's been instructed to keep you and Tali safe." Shepard said.
"Thank you, Commander." Lia said.
Shepard got up to leave. "Get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."
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Miranda woke to find Samantha whimpering in her sleep. She snuggled closer to her, wrapping her arms and legs tightly around her. Normally this would calm her, this time it did not.
"Ash..." Sam moaned. Miranda stroked her hair and kissed her neck.
"Thane..." Sam said quietly.
"Sam?" Miranda said quietly into her ear. "Come back to me, Sam."
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Samantha found herself running through the dark forest again. The small boy took another turn around a tree. She strained to run faster, but could not increase the speed of her slow motion jog. The dark woods were full of shadows. Many spoke to her, but she knew better than to respond. They would not reply.
"Yes ma'am." Ashley said from her left.
"Kalahira..." Thane said from her right.
"I would've liked to see the seashells." Mordin said from her left.
"How's my little Sam today?" The voice of her father made her stop in her tracks. She remembered… her father used to say that when he came home from work. She still saw nothing but shadows.
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Miranda was crouched over Sam, looking into her face. Samantha was sobbing in her sleep. Miranda told her how much she loved her, and was desperately trying to wake her.
"Oh, Dad...Mom." Sam said, shocking Miranda. Sam never talked about her parents. Miranda knew they were killed by batarian slavers when she was five. The reports said she watched the whole thing, but Miranda assumed Samantha couldn't remember much of it. Sam's body shook.
"Please wake up, Sam. I'm here for you." Miranda said loudly. She patted her cheek. "Please, Sam."
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Samantha heard both her father and mother talking, but could not see them. Tears dripped down her cheeks. After a few moments she again felt the pull from the little boy. She angrily turned back to see him crouched in the distance. She resumed her slow trek through the dark trees.
After an unbearable amount of time, she came upon the boy. She found he was not alone. A crouching woman straightened his clothes, then ruffled his hair. Her red hair contrasted sharply with her bright green armor. Sam watched in surprise as the woman joined the young boy in looking up at her. Sam looked at her own green eyes looking back at her.
"Mommy?" The little boy surprised her with the question.
Shocking her further, the pair started to burn. The flames ran up their clothes to their heads, then their skin started to bubble and crack. She desperately tried to look away as the heat consumed them, but she could not. Surprisingly the pair did not scream. They peacefully watched her as they burned. Ashes floated up from the flames, smoldering pieces of clothing drifted into the sky, and burning chunks fell from their bodies.
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Sam was thrashing in her sleep, clearly in some kind of pain. Miranda was terrified, and through being gentle. Miranda pulled her arm back and slapped Sam's face. Nothing. She slapped her again. Nothing. She put all of her strength into her arm, and the crack of her hand hitting her lover's face echoed through the room.
Sam stopped thrashing. She looked up at Miranda. "Angel?" Miranda released her tension, and tears started pouring from her eyes. She nodded at Sam in relief. "Angel." Sam reached for her and Miranda grabbed her in a fierce embrace.
"Miss Lawson. Is everything all right?" EDI asked.
"I think so EDI." She kissed Sam repeatedly.
"Do you need Dr. Chakwas? The Commander's heart rate is very elevated." EDI asked.
"I don't think so." Miranda said through her tears. "I'll let you know."
"We're going to adopt a boy...a human boy." Sam said.
"We are?" Miranda asked. She looked into her eyes in shock. She assumed it would be a while before they started the adoption process.
"I was chasing a boy, in my dream."
"Yes?" Miranda said, confused by the rapid change in conversation.
"I heard Ashley, Thane, Mordin, and even that asshole mercenary."
"Massani." Miranda said. Sam nodded.
"I even heard my parents. They died when I was five."
"I know."
"I continued chasing the boy until he stopped." Sam told her.
"And?" Miranda prompted.
"And I was crouched next to him." Miranda nodded to her. "Not 'and I crouched next to him.' But 'I approached the boy and there was another me crouched next to him.' They both looked up at me, then they started burning. It was horrible." Sam pulled her back into a tight embrace.
"It's ok Sam. It was just a dream." Miranda told her.
"I saw myself burning." Sam said. Miranda did not let her out of her arms. "I felt myself burning."
"I know, but it's over now. I'm here, and I'm not going to leave you."
"Thank you, Angel." Sam said. They held onto each other for a minute.
"Any time, Samantha." Miranda said. She kissed her deeply.
"My face hurts."
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Liara looked up from her bed as the door to her chambers opened. A figure entered. A glance at her clock told her it was very late, or very early.
"Good evening, Specialist Traynor!" Glyph announced loudly, its bright light filling the far end of her room.
"Quiet, you bloody programming glitch." Traynor shushed the drone. Liara pulled herself up against the headboard.
"Glyph." Liara said. Traynor froze. "Don't you have a night time setting?"
"Yes, but you did not turn it on." Glyph said cheerfully.
"Fine." Liara said, a note of exasperation in her voice. "Shut yourself off until tomorrow morning."
"As you wish." The drone said, still as chipper as ever. "Goodnight." It blinked out of existence, bringing the room back into darkness.
"Sorry Liara. I couldn't sleep." Traynor said. She walked through the darkness towards the bed. Liara turned on a low light.
"It's fine, Samantha. I'm not doing much better."
"Can I...Do you mind if I sleep in here?" Traynor asked nervously. "…on the couch, of course."
"Sure." Liara said. "As long as you're wearing something." She smiled.
Traynor approached and held her arms out. She was wearing a long sleeve sleep shirt that reached her knees. "Acceptable?" She asked.
"Perfect." Liara said. She waved an arm towards the couch. Traynor grabbed a nearby blanket and curled up on the couch.
"Do you know anyone on the Citadel?" Traynor asked.
"A few old friends, and the shadow broker has agents there as well. If the Reapers weren't blocking all communication I could check on things through the surveillance feeds." Liara said. She sunk back down under the covers, peeking out to look at Samantha on her couch.
"What do you think our chances are?" Traynor asked.
"No chance at all if we didn't have Shepard. With her...I don't know. The Reapers seem impossible to overcome. It took the entire Alliance fleet to destroy Sovereign. The Reaper on Tuchanka was defeated by the biggest thresher maw in existence. The Reaper on Rannoch was destroyed by the combined might of the entire quarian fleet. That's three...out of thousands." Liara paused. "We have the Crucible, and Shepard. She has made a career out of completing impossible tasks, but I really wonder if she's going to be able to pull this off."
"What does the Crucible do?" Traynor asked.
"No one knows. The power source at its heart is astronomical, but it feeds all the power into the Catalyst, which we now know is the Citadel. Through thousands of years study no one figured out there was a mass effect relay on the Citadel. There's no telling what other secrets the huge structure might hold. There's also conflicting data about what the Crucible does to the Reapers. Some entries suggest its purpose is to destroy all the Reapers. Other entries propose subjugation of the Reapers as the true purpose." Liara finished.
"Do you think we should destroy them?" Traynor asked.
Liara didn't remember falling asleep, but a couple hours later she woke to find Traynor on the far side of her bed. She was on the edge, reaching her arm to barely touch Liara's hand. Liara quickly decided that waking her up and kicking her out would be counterproductive. Maybe she's like Shepard. Contact might help her sleep. In a move that was either oblivious or resigned to her fate, she convinced herself that sleeping well away from Traynor in the same bed was hardly going to make her change her mind about the brunette.