Hm. So here I was, just silently laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling of the bunk room. I didn't need to look at my omni-tool to tell me that I had been in this position for at least half an hour. I had woken from a dream. Not the recurring nightmare of the Prothean vision-
Thank god.
-but one that still gave me pause when it had finally ended.
From what little I could remember of the dream, I had been walking around in an aquarium, looking at dolphins and shit. Real cool stuff. I remember last passing a tank full of lion fish when all of a sudden I see Kanye. Yeah, THAT Kanye. He was standing in front of a starfish tank, tapping on its glass, obviously entranced by the fact that they reminded him of himself. Then, noticing me, he turned around and said "Who do you think you are?! You staring at a muthafuckin' legend!" Immediately after that, I think we left and proceeded to hit up every casino that ever existed in Vegas, dealing cards and smoking cigars, drinking champagne, and participating in other amounts of gross debauchery...you know...gambling things. Then I woke up right at the best part, just when we had just won five million dollars at craps. He was picking me up in his arms, telling me how much he appreciated my attention and then...dream over. Upon waking though, the single most significant thought I've had since Eden Prime crossed my mind.
Since the time I first figured out how to use it, I've gathered about thirty songs I liked from what little of the extranet I could access. Most of the tunes were from the eighties and nineties, not that I was complaining, but I realized something from my dream adventure with that lyrical genius. They were all songs, REAL songs, from the eighties and nineties. As in, the 20th century of the real world actually occurred in this universe. And this was the thought I had been mulling over and over in my head.
If the music of the 20th century actually exists, then that means that...Roosevelt-World War II-Cold War-Reds and Blue-
Richard Nixon-Wood Stock-even Princess Di.
Bush Senior-Gulf War-Forrest Gump-O.J. roar-
Lewinsky-Hillary-and all that other history!...must exist too.
And while I really needed to get the tune of We Didn't Start The Fire out of my head, the possibilities behind this revelation were endless.
I still needed to find out whether the first tenth of the 21st century occurred or not too, but if it had, that would mean that even I could exist in this timeline as well. Or existed in this case. It could even mean that this might not be an alternate dimension or all some weird ass dream-
well... it could always be That.
-but could actually be the future of the EARTH...MY future.
I could look for where I lived, the name of my school, pictures of my family, anything that could point to who I am, my identity. Maybe even how I ended here. And I could maybe even find stuff on the extranet that told me what happened in the future-my future. The President of 2016. When the cure to cancer was found and how. Watch Avengers Two.
I spent the next good part of my morning poring over the extranet for all this. And a good part of the 'afternoon' too. And after hours and hours of all this grueling sleuthing, I found that my work only resulted in learning about a few international affairs mentioned in the 2060's-90's and some political speeches from the era. I didn't know if it was my search engine technique or if the problem was the extranet itself, but so far the internet of the future had been extremely disappointing. So after failing to find anything of significance, I finally decided to give up and get off my bed to grab some food. In fact, I had only gotten out of the bed once before, earlier in the morning, and only then to hit the john. I had forgotten to get breakfast in all the excitement, and by this point in the day my stomach was practically tearing itself apart.
I quickly hopped down from my bed and exited the bunk room, grabbing a ration pack, plate, and some utensils off the nearest mess hall counter. I then continued over to the cafeteria table, where I found, to my pleasant surprise, Kaidan and Ashley already sitting.
"What's up," I said taking a seat next to Kaidan.
"Hey," he replied briefly in my direction before turning back to Ashley, who was in the middle of a story. Or what I thought to be one.
"Look, if you're fighting a bear, and the only way for you to survive is to sic your dog on it and run, you'll do it. Because as much as you love your dog, it isn't Human."
A groan escaped from my mouth, albeit unintentionally I tell you. But nonetheless, one could plainly see on her face that she didn't quite appreciate the sound. So I decided to just own up to it. "Well, uh, I don't know about you Ashley, but I certainly wouldn't let my poor dog get mauled for me. That's kinda awful. I mean, would you Kaidan?" I asked now looking back to my right.
Kaidan stared at his plate, quietly scooping a spoonful of what I thought were mashed potatoes into his mouth. The dude knew better than to get himself re-involved in the discussion now that he had someone else to take his place.
"It's just a fact that members of their own species will always be more important to them," she continued.
"I mean I guess there's some truth in that," I conceded to her. "That doesn't mean that we can't make nice or be friends with them."
"I'm not saying that we can't play nice. I'm just saying that we shouldn't be surprised if one of these Krogans we run in to convinces Wrex to join them. We have to be aware that we're not always going to be fighting on the same team. Right Kai?" she asked her original debate partner.
He suddenly stood up from where he was sitting. "Uh, I'll be right back. Just going to grab some more food."
"What? You're going for thirds?" she scoffed.
"Oh, I didn't realize we're rationing food already," he joked.
"I'm not saying you can't," she said defensively. "I'm just surprised you even can."
I was inclined to agree. The ration pack I had emptied onto the plate in front of me contained about 1500 calories worth of food. Or that's what was printed on the package at least. I had a hard time imagining as it was basically a bag of mashed potatoes, some sealed mystery meat, and vacuumed veggies. It didn't exactly seem like the smorgasbord the plastic package reported. But if it really was that many calories, the dude was eating a day's worth of meals in one sitting.
"Hey, biotics tend to take a lot out of you. Most guys I know on active duty need to eat twice the amount of a regular marine. One of the pitfalls for being able to manipulate gravity I guess," he said standing. That gave me pause.
Dear god. 9000 calories? What does that even look like?
"Really?" Ashley asked astonished.
"Yup," Kaidan replied walking away to get his food. "Can't believe you never heard that before-"
"If Shepard and him eat that much on a regular day, I can't imagine how we've been feeding Wrex," she said looking at her food.
That line certainly stunned me.
Oh my god, yeah. How much do Krogan need to eat? A biotic one no less?
I resolved to search that later on the extranet. Krogan biology...and other biology for that matter.
Oh snap, I could look up stuff on every alien race! What the heck!? How have I never thought of this before! Pictures of the Hanar homeworld, Elcor babies, see what Volus really look like. I'm sure there'd be pictures out there. Oh, Quarians too! The anatomies of every race! Organs, body parts...
My mind trailed off. My attention was only brought back to my current company as something sat itself down in front of me with a heavy CLUNK.
"I've been wondering that myself," Wrex chuckled, apparently having eavesdropped on our conversation. How much of it I didn't know. But I was hoping just the last part. This would soon grow awkward otherwise. Kaidan copied his motion seconds after, sitting back down with a new tray of food.
"How you doing Wrex?" I asked.
"Well enough," he replied, already shoving three packets worth of food into his mouth. The sight of him devouring the meals was aweing.
"Feel free to get more," Kaidan told him. "We accounted for you when we were making requisitions and resupplying back on the Citadel."
"Was planning to," the Krogan retorted. We all sat there eating in silence for what was probably several minutes before Wrex spoke up again. "I have to say, I've never worked with Humans before. Seeing how you run things so far has been...interesting."
"Oh?" Ashley responded.
"The crew of the ship is surprisingly disciplined. Something the Asari and Salarians tend to lack. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought this a Turian ship."
"Well, the ship was technically built by Turians...Not that that's responsible for what you're talking about," I stumbled after.
"What? Bull," Ashley exclaimed with blatant disbelief.
"That's true actually. Human and Turian engineers worked together to make the Normandy. You can find a lot of innovations from both throughout the ship," Kaidan said backing me up.
"Interesting," Wrex commented. "I didn't think your races would be able to stand in the same room let alone be willing to work with one another. Not after what happened with the 314 incident."
Ashley grew grave at the mentioning of the War adjacent to him. Definitely a sore topic for every Williams I'm sure.
"It's history both our races have tried to put behind us," Kaidan replied.
"History?" the Krogan seemed to laugh. "You Humans have only been on the scene for a couple decades. I know Asari that have been plumbing longer than you're species have had FTL drives. Hell, it wasn't even that long ago when I first heard about you." The Krogan closed his eyes reminiscing. "I remember it clearly. I was in a dirty bar, tossing a Vorcha across the room when the report came on. A new race that had supposedly given the Turian's an ass whooping they haven't felt since the Rebellions." He reopened his eyes. "I have to admit, I was a little disappointed when I first saw your race in the contact vids."
"Oh? And why is that?" Kaidan asked.
"I imagined you would all be a bit...bigger."
"Haha, I honestly wouldn't complain if we were," I retorted. "Could you imagine a Krogan-sized Human?"
"It'd certainly make fighting the Geth a lot easier," Ashley piped back in.
"Speaking of fighting Williams...it's been interesting killing alongside you and Shepard," Wrex said.
"Me and...Shepard? Why?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow perplexed.
"Fighting with women that is...I find it gives battle a different...'flavor'."
"Krogan Women don't fight?" she asked genuinely surprised.
"Oh they definitely do. You ever heard of the Warlord Shiagur? They're as talented warriors as us males. Most Krogan women nowadays though tend to just stay on Tuchanka. Focus on breeding." His reptilian face darkened at the mention of it.
Ashley didn't notice the mood shift. "A lot of Human women tend to do that too. Stay-at-home moms and all that. Not really for me."
"Oh?" Kaidan said leaving Wrex to himself. "You don't plan on settling down, maybe having some kids Williams?"
"My dad was on duty a lot. It mostly fell to me and my mom to take care of my sisters. So I think I've had my fill of that for now. Currently, I'm serving on one of the most advanced warships in the Alliance Fleet. My careers really starting to look up. And I love what I do. I'm not planning on quitting any time soon."
"So in the future then, once you're done serving in the Alliance military."
"Uh maybe...if I'm ever done. My great grandmother, grandfather, and dad all had long careers, and I plan on following in their footsteps. So I guess it's more of a matter how my career ends, rather than when."
"How bout you?" I said quickly turning to Kaidan. "Any kids on the horizon for you?"
"I guess it's the same for me," he replied. "I'll probably settle down once I'm too old to lift someone off the ground with my L2s."
Wrex cleaned off the last portion of food on his tray. "Well I'm done here. Williams. Alenko. Shield."
"See ya," we all replied as he got up and left. I kind of felt like an asshole, encouraging all the talk about having children. I realized a little too late that it probably wasn't easy for him to hear all this. We all had the possibility to if we wanted...he didn't. Not yet anyway.
"So what about you Shield?" I jerked my head up in surprise to Kaidan's question. "Any plans of your own?"
"Uh...you know, I've never really thought about it," I replied rubbing my neck. "I guess it's always something I imagined would happen down the road if I ever met the right person but...I imagine a family's still a long ways off."
"Where'd you grow up?" Ashley suddenly asked. The question was a little off-kilter but...
Telling the truth couldn't hurt...could it?
"The United States," I replied, realizing I didn't even remember in what state.
"Really? I grew up in the UNAS too!" Kaidan said surprised. "Edmonton, Alberta."
aHA, he was Canadian!
We both turned to Ash and after some nudging, she conceded to sharing too. "I was born in a small colony you both wouldn't have heard of. I moved around a lot though, we never stayed in one place for too long."
"Because of your father?" I asked.
"Bingo. Used to grab any posts he could, which meant we had to travel a lot to keep relatively close." Then she grabbed her tray and slowly got up. "Well...I think I have a couple more rifles to clean down in the garage. And they don't clean themselves...not yet anyway. So I'll catch you guys later."
"I should probably get going too," Kaidan said copying her. "Got to prepare for the staff meeting tomorrow morning. Shepard wants me to-oh Shield," he said getting my attention. "Would you mind if Emerson took your spot on the next mission? He's been asking to rejoin the ground team for a while now and I told him I would see what I could do."
"Oh," I said gawking at the request. "I mean, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine with whatever you or Shepard want to do. I don't mind."
"Alright, thanks for understanding," he replied. "I think Shepard was planning on taking T'Soni to get the squad back to eight members too. You think you could let her know for me? Need her to be ready once we're close planet side."
"Yeah, sure," I nervously responded. I think she was the one member of the Normandy crew I haven't talked to since I've got on (besides a few of the deck officers). But I hadn't talked to them only because they had the 'night' shift. "What planet are we currently heading for again?"
Feros? Noveria? Bi-
"Binthu. Shepard was planning to follow up on Kahoku's lead before it goes dry."
"Ah, well...if I don't see you all before you drop, good luck."
"Thanks, I'll be sure to pass that on to the Commander," Kaidan replied before walking away from the table.
Binthu...
Ten. Minutes. Later.
"Oh, Shield, it is nice of you to drop by. How are you?" Liara put down the data pad she had been reading and got up to greet me.
"Uh, good...how bout you?"
"Thank you for your concern. I am doing well...though I still find adjusting to life aboard the Normandy difficult. I have not been around so many other people in such a long time. And I see the way most of the crew looks at me. I can tell they do not trust me." She sounded pretty bummed saying it.
"Well I'm glad to say I'm not one of them," I replied trying to comfort her. "I'm sure they just need time to get to know you."
"Thank you. And you are probably right. Still...I find that the solitude Therum brought is the one aspect of the planet I miss the most. Sometimes, I just find myself needing time away from other people. I don't get time by myself very often anymore."
Woah...is she...she isn't telling me to fuck off is she? Dang Liara, I didn't realize-
Then she went wide-eyed like she had just seen a Reaper behind me. "Oh, I, uh, I didn't mean to insinuate that-Uh, not that I don't want to talk with you but I-oh goddess, forget I said anything."
Ohhhh, right. No, she's just socially awkward.
"Oh, uh, it's fine," I replied back, scratching my neck.
"Now you can see why I prefer to spend time alone. I always seem to say something embarrassing around other people."
"No really, no offense taken."
"No, I'm sorry. I've been monopolizing the conversation-"
We really haven't been talking long enough for this to be considered a conversation...
"-and I'm getting the feeling you came in to ask me something."
"Huh? Oh...right..."
Damn that's right...what was it again? Kaidan asked me to...oh come on, he told you like five minutes ago!
"Shield?"
"Oh, sorry, I just remembered. Alenko told me to tell you that he wanted me to tell you that Shepard wanted you to be on the ground team."
"...I'm sorry. I'm not quite sure I understa-"
"He asked if you'd be ready to go ground side once we arrive on Binthu."
Her face immediately lit up. "We're headed for Binthu? The planet found in the Yangtze system of the Voyager Cluster?"
"Uh...I think?"
"That's fantastic!" she exclaimed beaming. "I always wanted to visit the ruins there! But I could never get a permit of authorization to visit from the corporation that owned it!"
"There's Prothean ruins there?" I asked surprised.
"That's what some of the artifacts we unearthed on Dretirop indicated. After we published a paper on it, the Council actually sent an archaeology team to investigate...although they didn't find anything that would indicate the Protheans had ever been to the planet. But now I actually have the chance to look for them myself! Who would have imagined!"
"Uh...I'm not sure if you'll have time to look for Prothean ruins while we're there," I broke to her. "You'll probably be too busy getting shot at."
"Oh...of course," she said flustered. "Though just the opportunity to visit the planet itself is exciting," she continued, turning around to her desk. "Perhaps if I ask Shepard, she'll spare some time to examine the area!"
Fat chance.
"There's so much to be done if we're to find anything!" She started picking up various data pads scattered on her desk in a panic.
"Uh, alright Doc," I said already beginning to back out of the room. She seemed too enthralled with her current fantasy to pay me any more attention. "Nice, uh, talking with ya."
"Oh, of course, you too!" she said quickly turning back toward me from her desk. "Thank you for coming to tell me!"
"No problem," I replied before quickly turning around and speeding out the door.
Elsewhere on the Normandy...
The computer screen illuminated the room, lessening the darkness around her, though her face stayed mere inches away from it as she read Eluam's message again.
See you soon.
An four-eyed emoticon appeared right below the message. Winking at her.
Her head was suddenly blasted with a deafening scream.
She shut her eyes when the sound assaulted her ears, the screeching sounding like two bulkheads grinding against one another. Immediately after she shut her eyes, metals, odd shapes, images, aliens, scenes, worlds flitted by one after another. The incoherent tumult of long forgotten peoples accompanied them. The chaotic nature of the message pervaded her brain, snaked through every thought. The sounds and images slithering through her head were too much, and she suddenly found herself yelling in pain only to find no sound leaving her mouth. Her mind felt like it was ripping itself apart.
Shepard's let out a gasp as she shot her eyes open. Alarmed, she then got up from where she was laying. The console at her door cast a small ray of orange light across the room. The room was dark but she could still make out the outlines of her work desk and breakfast table before her. She was still definitely her in bedroom on the Normandy. She leaned over to her night stand and flicked on a light.
It was the same nightmare she had several nights ago and the several nights before that. The nightmare she had seen countless times in her sleep since she came into contact with the beacon on Eden Prime. She always tried to make sense of it upon waking, tried to find what information the vision could possibly be hiding among the nightmarish images that accompanied it. But her attempts always failed.
She wiped an arm against her forehead before checking the clock next to her. The Normandy's weekly staff meeting started in about twenty minutes. She grumbled as she picked her uniform up off the floor and slid it on. No matter how much she thought about it, the vision was as incoherent as ever.
She grabbed a breakfast pack from the mess hall's cart on her way up to the conference room. Upon arrival, she found Adams, Pressly, Chakwas and Kaidan already seated and waiting for her. Shepard took a deep breath before joining them in the room and begin to make herself comfortable. She'd be there for at least an hour, might as well settle in. Mere moments after she took her seat, Officer Fantum came stumbling into the room, apologizing for his tardiness. With his entrance, they could finally begin. She inhaled deeply again before getting back up.
"This Staff Meeting is called to order at 8:07:42 by the Normandy's Commanding Officer Shepard. Executive Officer Pressly, Chief Engineer Adams, Chief Medical Officer Chakwas, Specialist Fantum, and Marine Detail Commander Alenko are all in attendance. XO Pressly, you have the floor."
"Thank you Commander," the balding man said getting up as she sat herself down. "Officer Moreau just relayed to me this morning that we jumped through the Hades-Voyager relay sometime last night. In terms of light hours away, we entered the double digits a few hours ago. By my estimates, and according to our current course, we should arrive in the Yangtze system within the day. Probably sometime before the second rotations have their third meal."
"Alenko, has everyone on the team been briefed yet?"
"Yes Commander," he replied from across the room. "I've informed the Vanguard class Wrex that he'll be leading the strike team into the compounds. He seemed thrilled to hear it. The Infiltrator class Garrus has been briefed on his over watch role for the mission, and Engineer class Tali is aware of what she has to do as well. Soldier class Williams is currently prepping Soldier class Emerson in the garage for their support roles as suppressive fire specialists for the biotics, and I plan on consulting Adept class Liara before we depart on the exact level of her biotic ability, so we're better aware of her skill set's extent."
Every Alliance marine were given these class designations after AIT. They didn't hold any significance in regards to rank but were useful when individuals were taken from their marine division for a special op. Helped the squad leader assign roles best suited to their abilities. Alenko's evaluation of each alien's abilities seemed spot on.
"Any medical concerns I should be aware of Doctor Chakwas?" Shepard added. They both knew she was asking about Emerson. He had bounced back from his injury on Therum only after a few days but reportedly had found some stiffness in his arm. The Doctor had been giving him physical exercises to help, and Emerson claimed it wouldn't interfere with his performance but...
"None that I can think of Commander," the medic replied. "Everyone seems to be in top shape."
"Good."
"Commander, when we refueled at the station orbiting the H-V relay, I was able to get some new gear. You might want to check it out before we reach planet side."
"Noted Fantum," she replied. She was still bitter about the fact that the Normandy hadn't been assigned a proper quarter master.
What kind of CO has to PAY their requisitions officer for their weapons?
It was ridiculous.
"About our travel time-" Adams cut in.
And here we go.
"-Joker and I were discussing whether we should activate the Normandy's stealth systems before entering Binthu's orbit. It might be an unnecessary precaution and affect our schedule but if this organization Cerberus has any foresight..."
She let out a faint sigh as the meeting truly began.
Hours Later.
Hours later, and Pressly's estimations had been proven to be correct. They were able to land planet side undetected around 17:25:00 Earth time. Before drop-off, Serviceman Gladstone reported that the Normandy's orbital scans detected three structures in the general vicinity of the latitude and longitude coordinates Kahoku had sent to them. Each of them unregistered on the planet's list of operating facilities. Which meant that the intel the Admiral had received had been accurate.
The defense turrets affixed to the top of the first compound reaffirmed this as it shot at them. Cerberus certainly seemed keen on keeping others out, and that their whereabouts stayed secret. But that would soon change. Once the Mako's accelerator cannon had made short work of their defenses, Shepard ordered her team out of the vehicle. And once they entered the compound, they would have to work fast, as the other bases would most likely be alerted to their presence. In this event, she had given Joker orders shoot to kill for any ship attempting to leave the surface.
"Alright team, you know the drill. Wrex, you have point. Ashley, you're covering our backs." The two nodded in the affirmative as they took their positions. "These aren't your ordinary mercs or pirates folks, they're trained commandos that decided to split from the Alliance. I think it's about time we gave them their severance package. Move out."
She nodded to Wrex to begin their assault.
As soon as they entered the compound, she pegged it as the standard subterranean Traverse research bunker. A long passage led them down to a sparse antechamber, void of anything notable. As she motioned to take their positions in the room, Shepard took a wild guess that the only other door in the room most likely connected to the main chamber of the place, where the rogue black-ops group was most likely digging themselves in for a fight.
She found that she was right. As soon as the door slid open, and Wrex charged headfirst into the room, the Krogan immediately became inundated with weapons fire. The Cerberus operatives shooting at him were crouching in front of a large force field that seemed to occupy most of the room. Deciding to focus her efforts solely on the enemies ahead, Shepard jumped out from behind Wrex, dropping a singularity on top of the hit squad before them. The commandos suddenly found themselves floating helplessly in the air, no longer a match for the Krogan who took advantage of the situation, pumping shotgun rounds into each.
As she ended the singularity and the bodies dropped to the floor, Shepard motioned for Wrex to stay where he was. She then saddled up against the left support column of the force field and peeked around its corner. To her chagrin, she found that Cerberus had dug in well. They had apparently taken every crate and piece of equipment in the room and constructed a giant makeshift barricade out of them. They had fortified their half of the room, essentially turning the room's corridor into a shooting gallery.
"There they are! Hold the line!"
She pulled her head back as bullets started pelting her barrier.
Shit!
Her HUD flashed purple as her barrier was taken to half strength. Whirling back around to the small 'beach head' they had established in the room, she was appalled to find most of her team just standing in front of the force field, gawking at the room's center piece.
"What the hell are you all staring at?"
"Commander, do you see these things?!" Emerson said in her direction shocked.
"Wha...are those...spiders?" Tali stuttered, seemingly shuddering now.
"You guys can stare at animals as long as you want back on the Citadel!" she shouted at them. "Right now we're in the middle of a damn firefight! These bastards are dug in hard and if-"
An idea suddenly gripped her mind, and her feet seemed to move of their own accord to the console placed in front of the plasma curtain. Kaidan looked at her.
"Commander, you're right, we all got distracted." He motioned to Williams and Emerson to take points at each column. "Do we do this the ol' fashioned way?" Liara and Tali still stood in shock at the creatures contained in the cell before them.
"Not quite," she said turning her back to Kaidan and typing some commands into the console.
"Commander! What are-"
At first she thought the screech came from the xenos she had just released. But then she realized the sound was coming from behind her. The Quarian didn't seem to be a fan of her plan.
"They're everywhere! Enemies Everywhere!" one of the Cerberus commandos shouted as the insect-like creatures started to swarm on their position. Gunfire broke back out across the room. Cerberus' barricade only covered the sides of the room not occupied by the force field. By deactivating the force field, she gained a distraction and opening at the same time. Two birds with one stone.
Wrex was the first to come to his senses and grasp what she had just done. "Now THIS is more like it," he grinned before charging into the chaotic fray strewn before him.
"Stop standing around with your thumbs up your asses! Cover him!" she shouted back to the rest of the squad, while simultaneously throwing a warp toward a Cerberus operative running into the open. As they hit the floor, she realized they were wearing a labcoat instead of a hard suit.
A scientist. We're definitely raiding a research facility. But exactly what the hell are they doing here...
As gun fire echoed through out the room, she found none of it coming from behind her. Vakarian suddenly ran past her and stopped to take a knee, simultaneously sniping another Cerberus commando through their dark visor, also happening to kill the creature which had attached itself to their face. As her, Wrex, and Garrus moved across the room to mop up whatever was left, her fire team finally snapped back to their senses and joined in the fray, albeit only moments before they finished.
She killed the last Cerberus operative by staggering them with a warp, then placing several shots around the vicinity of their head. Once the commando hit the ground, Shepard approached her and knelt over her body. Whoever hadn't been a scientist wore the same custom issued armor as the commando.
The shine's tungsten. Interlocking ceramic plates too. That would give them maximum stopping power. And are those...huh. Circuitry at elbows indicate motorized joints.
This was high quality armor. She could tell with just her brief comb over.
Freelancers definitely couldn't afford this.
Every Cerberus hard suit in the room had matching color schemes of white, black and yellow, and all of them possessed the same insignia too, on their left breastplate and the fore head of their helmets. A hexagon elongated vertically, with two lines shouldering its sides. As she got back up from where she was crouching, the Commander started to get the creeping suspicion that the rogue ops group seemed closer to some kind of cult. Matching hard suits, an organization insignia, with an abnormal secrecy for their work...
"Commander-" Kaidan started. She remembered that there were others in the room.
"Don't 'Commander' me," she turned around snapping at him. "Where the hell was our support?" She made eye contact with the motley band behind him. "I didn't bring you all along to sight see!"
"I'm sorry Shepard," Liara replied to her first, shamefaced. "I didn't mean to get distracted. It just-everything happened so fast, I-"
Though she would never say it to their faces, she understood Liara and Tali's reaction. One was a reclusive researcher and the other just a kid. Their inaction moments ago was permissible albeit dangerous.
Emerson cut the Asari off. "Commander, you and Wrex burst into the room guns blazing, and as soon as we followed you in, we found you already releasing those bugs on these Cerberus guys! I didn't even have time to lift up my rifle!"
"Like hell you didn't!"
What wasn't permissible were the trained soldiers' reactions. Emerson, Williams, and even Kaidan had all stood there slack jawed while the fight raged on. The freakin' Turian gave her better support than they did. She closed her emerald eyes for a moment in a pained expression, then opened them, retraining them on the private. When she was promoted to a field officer, she quickly learned when she had to let things slide with her soldiers and when she had to crack the whip on them. And she classified this moment as one of the latter.
"What just happened was fucking disgraceful. I don't know about all of you, but I don't start staring off into space when there's bullets whizzing over my damn head." She furrowed her brow even harder at Emerson. "I know for a fact Private that the Alliance doesn't train its soldiers to stand around like jack asses when they're enemy units around-"
"But Commander-" Emerson started.
"Soldier! Spoke when spoken too!" Williams shouted.
"I don't remember anyone asking you speak either Williams."
"Yes sir! Sorry sir!"
"And as for you," she said bringing her glare back to the private. "I don't want to hear you open your mouth again Private. You interrupt me one more time and I'll have you on sanitation duty with Tucks for the remainder of this assignment! UNDERSTOOD?!"
"Yes sir!"
"The dead don't care about your fucking excuses. You make a mistake, and your whole squad pays the price." She now turned to address the rest of them. "We've been lucky so far. Dealing with two-bit slavers, pirates, faulty VI. We haven't actually needed to work as a unit yet. But for enemies who actually know what the fuck they're doing, we obviously need to change that won't we."
The Alliance marines responded with succinct "Yes sir!"
"We can't have squad mates staring at old rocks or fancy technology while we're in the middle of mission am I clear!?" Liara lowered her head again. "If I tell you to lay down suppressing fire, I expect you to lay down suppressing fire Emerson. If I tell you to cover our rear, I expect you to not ignore orders and cover our rear Williams. When I tell you all to jump, I expect you all to ask me how damn HIGH! This is how missions are going to go from on now on! If you all can't handle acting like real soldiers, then you can get the hell off my ship, AM I CLEAR?!"
"Yes Commander!" everyone but Wrex shouted.
"We've wasted enough time here as it is. We're leaving. Move out." The team acknowledged her command and turned back the way they came, beginning their exodus out. Cerberus still had two more compounds on the Binthu.
...and of all the...Shield was right...hidden laboratories with unknown xenos. What other horrors do these bastards have here?
In the next hour, her question was answered. The second Cerberus outpost had creatures similar to the ones they found at the first. Large crustacean-like insects, again trapped in a force field. Luckily for her squad, the Cerberus marine detail in the building were much less organized than the first, having set up little to no defenses. She neglected to release the creatures this time around, instead clearing out the room first. And after the Cerberus operatives in the compound were dead, they actually examined the creatures being contained. After some speculation, Liara claimed they were Rachni, which surprised some of the others in the group. She had heard the name but knew little of the history behind it. Given the short version by Wrex, she learned that they had apparently endangered the Galaxy centuries ago and were driven to extinction by the Krogan. Despite the objections of Liara and Kaidan, she opted to keep that bit of history factually accurate.
At the third and final Cerberus outpost though, is when shit hit the proverbial fan. The first antechamber of each previous base had been unoccupied, putting Shepard and her team into a false sense of security as they entered the third. This time though, the rogue marines were waiting, suddenly open firing on them as they began walking down the first hallway. Before she could issue a retreat back out of the complex, and faster than she could blink, Wrex had barreled down it, bulldozing the four commandos. In such close quarters, the Krogan displayed its true ferocity, snapping necks and blasting them to specks. They were no match for him. She took out her shot gun despite this for good measure, blitzing down the hallway to join him.
After fighting their way into the antechamber, Shepard found the room devoid of any other enemies. Looking over the squad one last time before giving a nod to the Krogan, they launched their assault on the final chamber. The Cerberus operatives were quick to give resistance, firing upon the entry way as soon as they opened it. As Shepard and her team bludgeoned their way in though, the contents of the room's containment field caught her eye. Though the humanoid creatures standing in it were certainly horrific, it was rather the body lying in the middle of them all that caught her attention. A body dressed in Alliance uniform. A face unceremoniously gaping at her with blank, dead eyes. A face she recognized as Admiral Kahoku's.
Codex Entry:
Systems Alliance Advanced Individual Training
(Recorded video of Alliance Speaker addressing BCT graduates)
Becoming an Alliance marine can be one of the most challenging events in your life. I think you all know that. But once your training is complete, you'll all be quick to find it a fairly rewarding one. Serving Humanity and its interests is one of the most noble things a Human can do in this day and age. So far, you all have gone through two of the first three steps of becoming a Systems Alliance marine, a galactic defender of the Human race. You all first stepped in an Alliance recruitment depot, met your recruiter, worked with them face to face to find the track best suited to your talents and abilities. Once you were sworn in, you were brought into Basic Combat Training, working alongside the best and brightest to be trained in the way of modern warfare, becoming the ideal marine the Systems Alliance requires to protect it. Now, you've all arrived at the last leg of your journey, being assigned your class, and gaining the valuable skills your job requires of you in AIT, Advanced Individual Training. Each of you will be assigned a designation, a job that you will carry for the rest of your military career. Some of you will be on the frontlines, fighting the good fight against slavers and pirates who threaten Humanity's colonies in the Traverse. Others will learn how to single-handedly support the efforts of the Systems Alliance through innovation and logistics. Every role though doing its part in keeping the Local Cluster and its colonies safe from the forces that would harm it. Stand up marines. You will now be given your designations. Proceed by row to the registration department to receive your chosen role. Good luck, and Hominum Servitium! Salute!
Attached to file: (Alliance Class Designations and Evaluations)
Soldier Class: The most common class assignment in the Systems Alliance, forming the back bone of its military. Alliance soldiers are most renowned for their impressive fire support, flexibility, and speed in the face of their opposition. Since their arrival on the Galactic stage, Humans have quickly integrated the new technology they have come into contact with into their combat gear. It is fairly common to find Alliance marine divisions utilizing VIs, drones, and artillery on the battlefield, being able to respond to a wide variety of combat situations. Those designated with the military vocational code N7 are classified as Destroyer class.
Engineer Class: The most common class assignment usually assigned to those who score relatively high on their AVA (Alliance Vocational Aptitude) test. Alliance engineers occupy a large variety of roles, ranging from ship technicians to front line support specialists. Every one is a tech specialist, trained in manipulating their environment quickly and resourcefully, either by setting up ambushes, providing drone support, or sabotaging enemy equipment with whatever technical equipment available. Those designated with the military vocational code N7 are classified as Demolisher class.
Adept Class: The most common designation for those with biotic abilities that enlist in the Systems Alliance. Through an unique training program, those that enlist who display control over dark energy are taught how to develop their abilities, being equipped with the L3 neural implants if they have not already undergone the procedure. Adepts are a valuable asset on the battlefield, being able to use their abilities for crowd control and squad support. Those designated with the military vocational code N7 are referred to as Fury class.
Attached to file: (Alliance Cross Class Specializations and Evaluations)
Infiltrator Class: Those trained through a combination of combat and tech talents. Utilize unique proto-type, short-term stealth field generators to cloak themselves from visual detection. Specialize in dispatching enemies from afar undetected, flanking enemy units from an advantageous position, or causing misdirection. They are often deployed when the Alliance requires discretion, often utilizing subterfuge or sabotage to complete their objectives. Those designated with the military vocational code N7 are classified as Shadow class.
Vanguard Class: Those trained through a combination of combat and biotic talents. Utilize L2 or L3 implants to manifest their abilities. Specialize in combat on the front lines, focusing their biotic powers instead on its potential for offensive maneuvers. They are often cited to utilize a 'high-risk, high-reward' combat style, charging into the enemy line to combat them at close-range. Vanguards are often cited to have the highest casualty rate of specializations in the Alliance. Those designated with the military vocational code N7 are classified as Slayer class.
Sentinel Class: Those trained through a combination of biotic and tech talents. Utilize L2 or L3 implants to manifest their abilities and an advanced ablation armor system for further protection and survival on the field. Specialize in controlling the direction of combat on the battlefield, drawing enemy fire or protecting their squad with biotic barriers. They are often educated and proficient in almost all facets of the Alliance military, requiring a great deal of battlefield awareness and tactical acumen to remain vigilant enough to support their unit on the field via the best route viable. Those designated with the military vocational code N7 are classified as Paladin Class.
Author's Notes:
First, ENEMIES EVERYWHERE! Haha...good times. I should also probably mention that one should read the 'if music in the 20th century exists' line of thought to the escalating tune of 'We didn't start the fire' at (3:16). Shit's fresh yo. I'm so talented. And honest to whatever god you worship, that dream actually happened. It was cray. I was sorry to wake up from it. And with all that out of the way, back to business. It was long overdue for Shepard to finally crack down on her fire team's tomfoolery. If you think about it, it's incredible at all she's made a functional team out of them. For the regular joe, it would take considerable time to create a coherent squad out of a _ (insert: Freelance Krogan mercenary, C-Sec Turian who likes to rebel against authority, Prothean Professor, Quarian prepubescent, Complete greenhorn, Soldier who gets a migraine every other hour, Soldier who mistrusts aliens). Takes considerable talent, I'm sure. Good job Shepard. And if you could call it one, the arc for Cerberus ends next chapter (...or does it!?). Until then!
Review Responses:
AC-Unity: Shepard's just gonna do Shepard. Shepard don't care. And as for Shield...it's a mystery all right. If enough people pm me, I'll do a crossover with Scooby-Doo, and get Mystery Inc. on the case. With them in the picture, the mystery might be solved, hopefully before someone in the chapter can say 'Jinkies!'
RLR: And woah dude, you're like thinking, way WAY far off. If was able to write the story to the point of Overlord already, I'd be soooo happy.
In the Next Chapter: But wait. It gets better.
Tune in next time on Mass Effective: A Hero Made!