A/N: Whats this an actual update on time? What sort of sorcery is this. I'll keep trying to do so but I can't promise anything. As always I don't own anything from Crysis or Mass Effect, EA, Crytek and Bioware own that stuff.


CryNet Phantom Operative designation Wraith

Current assignment: SSV Normandy SR1. Aide to Lt. Com Shepard, Spectre

Current Location: Virmire, en-route to STG FoB

Current Time: February 26th, 13:48


"I still can't believe that you've been one of the original phantoms all this time."

We were on our way to the Salarian STG base after Serpent pulled our asses out of the fire at the third AA tower. After Maela Shepard, Callsign Basilisk, had revealed herself to her twin sister, Vanyali didn't really have much time to question her sibling due to her having to get her team sorted out and get Kaiden's shoulder looked at. Now that the tower was offline and we were all mobile, The Spectre wasted no time in questioning her sister.

Maela, once again wearing her helmet and mask, laughed. "I see you've been informed about the going ons in the Phantoms. I'm guessing that covert wannabe here Wraith told you?"

"Covert wannabe? Excuse me, but I taught you everything you know." I retorted.

"If by teaching you mean throwing us in a jungle with a few hundred hostiles with orders to kill an HVT and get out alive. Then I suppose you did."

"Wow wow wow. Slow down, rewind and start at the beginning. How did all this happen?"

"Alright, from the beginning." Maela sighed. "Well the reasoning you know for me leaving was definitely the biggest reasoning for leaving the alliance, I just hated how multiple human colonies were hit by slavers and the alliance seemed incapable of doing anything about it. All the red tape and general incompetence I could probably count on one hand the amount of people in the alliance I would trust to get the job done. And one of them is you. Hell the only reason Elysium survived was because you and Wraith happened to be there. Anyway, I was on the brink of leaving when I was contacted by the director and when you are offered a place in the start of something new like the Phantom Project, well I just had to take the opportunity."

"Of course then I had to go through even more training. I'd gone through over a year of the villa, only to have to go back to training for the phantoms and holy shit. You remember complaining about how difficult the Villa was? Well compared to Valhalla, the Villa was a goddamn cakewalk. I remember the first day of training as if it were yesterday." Maela chuckled quietly. "We were so cocky. I think I was the only one out of the initial group that wasn't an N7. And while it had been drilled into us during training to never get overconfident we felt like anything they could throw at us after having gone through the N-school. Heh, we weren't just taken down a few pegs, they took down the entire pegboard and clubbed us into shape with it. It was like being in basic as a raw recruit, except we already were some of the best."

"Really? Wraith mentioned that the Phantom Training was difficult but I figured he was exaggerating."

"Oh hell no. At first Prophet and Viper weren't the only ones in the program with me. I think at first we had about a hundred recruits. They were quickly whittled down over the course of the first six months before we even had a look at our suits. Some of em didn't even last the first day."

Vanyali raised an eyebrow "A hundred? And only the three of you made it through? I have to say sis, I'm impressed."

"Thanks, and well there was one more who also graduated, Wolverine but we don't like to mention him."

"Why?"

"He turned out to be a xenophobic psychopath. Botched one of his first missions by letting the VIP he was supposed to be safeguarding be killed. A Turian businessman to be precise. Bastard just looked the other way when the assassin's came knocking. Of course he was instantly found out, stripped of his suit and arrested but he still betrayed us all."

"Huh, I suppose there's bad eggs everywhere."

"Yeah, there most certainly are."

We continued walking for a few moments before Shepard broke the silence again "So, Mae. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me you were a phantom?" She turned to look at me "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because when I learned that he was assigned to the Normandy with you I asked him not to." Maela said. "As for why I never told you? Well, at first it wasn't even sure that I would be accepted into the phantoms. Then when I was Akuze happened and I couldn't justify telling you. You just got your entire unit wiped out while I was part of a brand new, special forces group with top of the line equipment and a badass suit to go with it. Then as time went on, I don't really know. I guess it never came up, maybe I was worried how you would react to me basically working for a PMC. So I just stayed silent never mentioning it just playing along with the lie I'd created." She sighed heavily ducking underneath a low hanging branch in her way "I'm sorry Yali. I just-"

"Hey, its alright. I might have done the same thing in your shoes. We are twins after all, two of one."

"Two of one." Maela echoed with a nod.

"But at the same time, I feel like I'd have done a few things differently than you. Back there at the tower, charging that colossus? I hear that Serpent are the best at the entire covert stuff, not really my style and it seemed like you were channeling your inner me."

The two Shepards broke into a quick fit of giggling, something that made me do a double take for a moment. I'd never heard either woman giggle before and I got the impression that Vanyali wasn't talking about their fighting styles at the moment.

"Anyway, how have you been faring here? I hear you've been on Virmire for almost a month now."

"We've been surviving. Basically been conducting guerrilla warfare against the geth. Through a combination of luck and misdirection we've been able to keep our base hidden from the geth while we strike at various geth installations. We- that is to say Raptor and Serpent, have basically been awake for so long we've forgotten what sleep is like."

"You haven't been sleeping? At all?"

Maela nodded "Yeah. We have the luxury of our suits. We can go for ages without sleep. The Salarians… even they need some sleep. We've been on constant call, keeping watch, make sure the geth don't come close. Conducting raids. Ambushes, on and on and on and on. It really is like training all over again. Only this time our lives really are at stake. Its been rough. We've not taken any casualties, the Salarians on the other hand. They've lost over half their men. But now that you're here, we can finally assault Saren's base. I'm guessing the reinforcements will be landing now that the AA towers are down?"

Vanyali glanced over at me, before responding "We are the reinforcements. We shut down the towers so the Normandy could land."

Maela slowed to a halt and stared at us "You're the reinforcements?" She asked incredulously "We requested an army! Nothing less than a full CELL Section at the very least, with air and armored support. Look, I know you're good Yali, but quality can only do so much against just the sheer quantity that Saren is capable of sending at us."

I sighed shaking my head "Well we're all that we got. So we best make do."

Maela nodded and started leading us through the jungle again. "We're gonna have to tell the Captain about this. Make a new plan."

"We'll figure it out. We've gotten pretty good at killing geth over the past few weeks."

"I'm sure you have. But the geth have some new- Wait one." She said breaking off to respond to a transmission "This is Serpent, Send it."

We continued for a few minutes, listening to one side of the conversation until it ended when Basilisk turned to look at us again.

"That was the Captain. The Normandy has safely landed at our camp and now the geth know the location of our base, but Kirrahe already has a plan. He'll explain when we get there, but get ready to head out right after."

"Alright, lets go then. I wish the mako hadn't been taken out. We would've been there already." I muttered.

"Well it can't be helped. Anyway, as I was saying the geth have some new toys of their own. I'm sure Wraith remembers the hunters that ambushed him."

I nodded "And that sniper. They were using some kind of cloak that could fool my suit. They must have been working on some pretty advanced tech."

"Yeah, unfortunately I'm afraid that they might be working on ceph tech." My eyes widened but she continued before I could interject "No idea where they got that from but about three weeks ago we spotted a ship unload some strange artifacts. We weren't able to get a good visual but we have been getting some strange energy readings ever since. That coupled with the sudden new cloaking tech that they sprung out on us and my guess is that they found ceph tech somewhere."

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't have heard." Vanyali muttered.

"Heard what?"

"That Noveria has been quarantined due to a massive ceph outbreak courtesy of Binary Helix."

"A Ceph outbreak? You're kidding me right?" She asked incredulously looking at me.

I shook my head "I wish I was but we were forced to quarantine the entire planet because of it. But if saren managed to smuggle some artifacts here, well that's troubling. Who knows what else the geth have been able to get from that tech." I continued walking for another few steps before asked my next question. "Did you tell the Salarians about your suspicions?"

"No. We didn't. However I wouldn't be surprised if the Captain hasn't already guessed. He is pretty smart."

"Then we need to keep an eye on them. Can't afford to let them get their hands on any tech."

Basilisk turned to stare at me for a moment before shaking her head "Sometimes you really act like a cold politician."

"Salarians have been trying to get their hands on ceph tech for years, hell they've probably been able to slip some through our fingers. But I'm not gonna let em get their hands on any more."

Vanyali gave me a hard look "Well we can deal with keeping the STG away from your company secrets, after we get to their base."

"Of course. How far are we?" I asked acquiescing.


It only took us another ten minutes until we got our first view of the Salarian base, which I wouldn't have noticed if Basilisk hadn't shown us what to look for. Even then it wasn't until we were only fifty meters away that I spotted the cunningly disguised watch towers manned by Salarians with heavy weapons and marksman rifles. Walking past the towers I spotted multiple other camouflaged bunkers, all covered with foliage so that they merely looked like large bushes or trees. We hadn't gone much further than the perimeter defenses when a Salarian lieutenant came out and directed us toward the HQ building where Captain Kirrahe was waiting. Basilisk thanked the man and led us further into the camp where we started spotting the various other fabricated buildings, each of which were also covered with vegetation. From above it would be extremely difficult to notice anything out of the ordinary and with the ambient heat and some precautions thermals wouldn't spot anything out of the ordinary either.

Through the forest I spotted the Normandy sitting out in an open clearing to the northeast. It didn't take long for Basilisk to lead us to the HQ building. Opening the door she gestured us all inside and followed us in. Inside the well lit room stood a group of four Salarians and the five members of Raptor team, standing around a holographic map and talking about something. As we stepped inside they fell silent and as looked over at us, the group snapped off quick salutes.

"Ah, Commander Shepard. Nice meeting you. I'm glad that you didn't run into any more problems on your way here." One of the salarians, who my suit designated as the Captain said. "We were just discussing our attack. Would you care to join us?" He quickly gestured to the salarian directly to his right "This is my second in command, Commander Rentola. And these are Lieutenants Tadroka and Hesso." He then gestured towards Raptor team "And you may be familiar with -"

"Raptor." Shepard gave the phantoms a nod "We met on the Prism."

"Excellent. Well I would invite all of you in but we would be quite crowded, so it may be best if team leads and their seconds would stay?"

"I'd prefer it if my team could stay inside."

I glanced at Shepard in slight surprise.

Kirrahe also seemed to be slightly surprised but he recovered extremely quickly. "Very well, they may not be able to see the map however."

"That's no problem. I just want them to experience this."

"Understandable. Operative Barnes, Operative Shepard do you wish to have your teams here as well?"

Prophet shook his head. "No need. Nomad and I will stay. The rest of you, keep an eye on the perimeter. I don't want the geth catching us with our pants down."

"Same for you girls. Go scout the surrounding territory. I'll fill you in later."

"Alright. Now here's the situation." Kirahee started the briefing as the members of Raptor and Serpent filed out. With your arrival, the geth will surely know our location. We could relocate and wait, hoping for more reinforcements but time is not on our side. Therefore I suggest we assault Sarens base now."

"I expect that the geth are out of position, trying to find us and replace the losses they took to Commander Shepard on her way here. This gives us a small window of opportunity. If we strike fast and hard we should be able to draw geth forces away to allow two infiltration teams to slip into the base and take out their anti-air capability. Once their AA guns are down, the Normandy can land and drop off a bomb, rigged from the drive core of our ship in order to destroy the base."

Shepard furrowed her eyebrows "Why don't you just drop this bomb from altitude?"

"See the way the base is laid out?" Prophet asked bringing up a map of the base "A surface detonation won't cut it. In order to completely take it out, we have to blow it up from a precise location, and our bomb, won't be that accurate."

Shepard nodded "Alright, so who's going to be on the infiltration teams? I'm guessing you Mae?"

"Correct. Basilisk will be leading Serpent as one of the infiltration teams. The second team will consist of your own squad Commander." Kirrahe told her.

Vanyali raised an eyebrow "My squad doesn't have the training to do any real covert operations."

"You don't need to worry about stealth. The geth just need to believe us to be the bigger threat allowing you enter the base. Serpent will be the ones going in stealthily. In fact Basilisk I want you to leave now. Infiltrate the base, gather intel, get targets for us to hit, be prepared to hit targets yourself once the attack starts. Just do your thing, make it easier for us to assault the base. Try to find where the cure that Saren has been working on is. We'll need to make sure that gets destroyed."

"Cure? What cure?" Shepard asked raising an eyebrow.

"We believe that Saren has been researching a cure for the Genophage."

That statement caused many varying reactions, but Wrex's reaction was by far the most attention grabbing. "What? A genophage cure? And you want to destroy it?" He growled angrily.

"We have to. If this cure gets out, Saren will have an army of unstoppable krogan at his disposal. We can't make the same mistake twice."

I could have facepalmed at the Captain's choice of words as it quickly became obvious that they only served to make Wrex even madder. "We are not a mistake!" He roared causing everone to take a step away from him, but as Shepard stepped forward in an attempt to calm him down, he turned and stomped out of the building.

"Is he going to be a problem?" Kirrahe asked looking out the way Wrex had left. "We already have enough angry krogan to deal with. We don't need another one in our base."

"I'll talk to him." Shepard assured as she followed Wrex out.

"Good. In the meantime, Serpent you can get ready to move out. We can't afford to waste any more time."

Basilisk nodded "We'll leave immediately."

I quickly followed Basilisk out of the building and called out to her on a secure channel before she got much further. "Basilisk."

The leader of Serpent team stopped and turned to face me. "Yes?"

A loud gunshot kept me from speaking and when I turned to face the source I saw that Wrex had just fired into a nearby stream while Vanyali was talking to him. I eyed the two for a moment before turning back to Basilisk.

"You're not worried?" She asked having seen me look at the Krogan and Spectre.

I gave a short chuckle "You know as well as I do that she can handle herself. She'll manage to talk Wrex down and she'll get him even more pissed off at Saren while doing so."

"Anyway, If you find the data on the genophage cure I want you to keep it. Destroying data serves no purpose other than help the salarians. We might be able to put that information to good use."

"Yes sir. If we find it I'll make a copy."

I nodded "Good. Good. And I don't need to remind you to be careful out there."

"I will. Watch her back as well will you? She can take care of herself but just keep an eye on her."

"I will."

"Oh and Wraith? Don't let my sister distract you too much." I could hear the grin on her face as I spluttered, trying to find a good retort. I found myself extremely thankful for my mask and suit as I felt my face redden.

By the time I had found something to say Basilisk was already twenty meters away and talking with the rest of her team. Turning back towards where Shepard and Wrex had been talking I saw that Shepard had taken Wrex's place by the stream while Wrex was just disappearing behind a corner. Walking up next I noticed her staring at the stream where Wrex had fired his shotgun into earlier. "I see you were able to talk Wrex down."

"Yeah." She sighed heavily. "But for a moment there I was worried I wouldn't be able to and that he would just shoot me."

I laid a hand on her shoulder. "I knew that you would be able to calm him down."

She however continued staring into the water as if she hadn't heard me "But what haunts me even more, is that I would have killed him if he wouldn't have calmed down. If he had taken a few seconds longer in responding, I would have just shot him first. Just like that." She turned to look at me, green eyes moving to meet mine, only to see the red lit visor of my nanosuit. "What kind of commanding officer would do that? After having fought together-"

I didn't let her finish, awkwardly wrapping my arms around her armored form I pulled her close, she hesitated for a moment before mirroring my own actions. Her armor and my suit resulted in what was probably the most uncomfortable hug of my life, yet at the same time I just relished being so close to her.

"It's alright Vanyali. Don't worry about that, because it didn't happen. Whats important is that you did manage to talk him down and you didn't have to kill him. Because it would have just been self defense, besides if we start worrying about what-ifs, then we'd spend the rest of our lives worrying about every little decision that came our way. Don't agonize over things that have happened, continue to live in the present because thats where we are. On a jungle planet about to assault a base filled with geth."

"Where I'm no doubt gonna have to save your ass from something or other."

I chuckled quietly "Most likely."

"We're going to have to have a talk when we're done here. Just you and me."

"Over a nice dinner perhaps?"

"Why Mr. Duncan are you asking me out on a date?" Her lips curved up into a smile.

"I might be. Are you going to deny wanting one?"

"Well you'll just have to wait until we're done here won't you?" Vanyali asked giving me a wink as she turned and walked away, her hips swaying far more than normal.

I let out a deep breath as I watched her walk away. My heart lifted, I noticed Basilisk watching me from a ways off. When she realized that I had noticed she merely gave me a quick two fingered salute before turning and walking out towards the entrance to the camp where she was joined by the three other members of Serpent. A minute later the four phantoms had disappeared within the jungle, heading towards the geth base. Once they were no longer in my sight I turned to rejoin the briefing and to get ready for the assault.


A/N: Alright, next up the first part of the assault on the virmire complex. You'll be seeing some changes to canon, I'm trying to stop relying so heavily on stuff thats ingame so yeah. Don't really have much else to say, so until next time, I hope I'll be able to make it in two weeks. Fingers crossed.