Carter, Zea'Nara, and Genesis sat on one end of the Shuttle while Kriat sat on the other end with his four eyes closed. Appearing to be in a meditative state.
"So we're just going to Eden Prime to give his wife a funeral." Zea'Nara asked.
"Not a funeral Ms. Zea'Nara. A death Ceremony. To prepare her tortured spirit to enter the afterlife where she can finally rest in peace." Kriat spoke in their minds.
"The Geth have similar death ceremonies if our programs are to be terminated or shut down. We refer it as "deletion." Genesis states.
"Perhaps. I have asked commander Javik to join us. He does not yet know of my survival from years ago. Nor does he know of what I became. He will be prejudice and he will be hateful, but I ask you to not interfere but let him speak as his right to speak." Kriat asks.
They arrived onto one of the dig sites that Kriat said to be at. Kriat reverts from meditative state as they arrive. As their shuttle bay opens for the team to hop out. They spot Javik who had been waiting for them. The team walks up to him and he begins to inspect him.
"You must be the Viper Team Liara had told me about. I am in your debt for helping me out my situation. But I must ask, what is the nerve of bringing an abomination and a machine with you?" Javik asked motioning Kriat and Genesis.
"First off this abomination and machine are my friends. Don't you dare insult my team …"
Kriat gently stopped Carter and walked up to Javik.
"What do you want. Has your kind not yet finish disgracing the name Prothean yet?" Javik asked coldly.
Kriat closed his eyes and gently place his hands on Javik. Immediately Javik saw his memories and jumped back in deep shock.
"Kriat? No, it cannot be. I killed you, fifty thousand years along with the rest of my team." Javik called out in shock.
"You are correct Commander. But I did not die that day. I have returned, reborn as an abomination that insults what our once great species was." Kriat spoke in his mind.
"Kriat I do not understand. How could you allow yourself to be turned into this...a Collector. You were once a proud warrior of the Empire. Now you are just a walking abomination that is an outrage against nature itself!" Javik yelled.
"I know sir. I am disgrace to the name Prothean and our Empire. I deserve the worst of our Empire's punishments and death later. But before that, I wish to give my wife a Death Ceremony." Kriat answers.
Javik looked at him for a moment.
"I see, and that is why I am here. Because I'm the only true Prothean that can. Your presence and existence would disgrace and defile her soul." Javik coldly states.
"Agreed sir. I am unworthy of her in this life and in the she still spirit deserves to be laid to rest. Please give her that right sir." Kriat asked.
Javik was silent for another moment.
"Very well, she was a great asset to the Empire in our cycle. Her spirit deserves to be laid to rest. You on the other hand. Once her soul has been laid to rest. If you have any form of dignity you would end your life when this is over." Javik tells him.
"It is something I planned. But first I must give her the death ceremony she deserves."
"I understand Kriat. Let's give your the deserving resting place. Any place do you know?" Carter asks.
"When I landed, this dig site had already been abandoned. If memory served me correctly, this is where Kriat murdered her with his own hands." Javik answers.
"It is, her body somehow has been kept reserved and is somewhere deep below here." Kriat comments.
"So we have to go down there and search through the mines?" Zea'Nara asked.
"You are correct Quarian. I suspect we will encounter enemies from the past and from the present so be alert." Javik warned and he pulled out his Particle Rife.
"Affirmative. I have detected former reapers that are roaming in the mines. The number is unaccountable so the enemies can be unpredictable." Genesis informs.
"Well that's always cheerful news." Carter comments as he draws his assault rifle while Zea' draws her pistol and Kriat draws his Particle Rifle.
Kriat walks over to the elevator along with everyone and presses the button to go down deeper below down in the dig site.
"So Kriat. What did Javik mean when he said if you had any dignity you would end your life when this is over?" Zea'Nara.
"Precisely as it sounds. Once I have laid my wife to rest I will join her in the next world to restore dignity. So I will no longer disgrace the name Prothean in this abomination I have become." he answered.
"Kriat? Do you plan on killing yourself?" Carter asks curiously.
Kriat was silent to answer. Basically confirming yes.
"Kriat please. Rethink this." Zea'Nara begs.
"Zea'Nara, you do not understand. I don't suspect any of you would understand. It is something that has to be done. If I am to redeem myself in the eyes of the empire in the eyes of souls who have died. I will not insult our species anymore. For I am no longer Prothean, I'm a collector." Kriat answers.
"Listen well to his words. He speaks the truth. His existence is a spat in the face of every Prothean that died in our cycle. To make up for sins he must end his life. To try and make him consider otherwise is an insult to him." Javik warned.
"You know Javik. Not everyone deserves a death penalty just because of what he did fifty thousand years ago. It's a free galaxy now."
"This is not a death penalty. This is his right to restore honor to his name. If it was a death penalty, he would've been executed without redemption. Here he has a chance to redeem himself." Javik states.
"The galaxy maybe free but this is our long forgotten culture and ways. This what we do to restore honor to our names. This is what we do to show and prove our loyalty to our people and ways which are almost gone. Do not be sad for my passing later, I have long made peace with it and accepted my fate." Kriat answers.
"In many ways Commander. Kriat's desire to commit suicide in order to restore his dignity is very similar to the ancient form of Sepuken used by the human Samurais of the Feudal era." Genesis alerts Carter.
"Genesis, I'm trying to get him to not kill himself. You just added more coal to the fire."
"I apologize Commander it's just that appears to be what Javik and Kriat are saying."
"Precisely machine. Did you not read that book me and Liara wrote. It specifically compares that with your human samurais in one chapter." Javik tells Carter.
"It really is a good book Commander." Kriat tells him.
"Kriat, like I mentioned before to Kerim, Axel, Anetti, Darex, Jolee, and Astok. Doing things like this will not bring peace to yourself even if it's bring peace to your wife. Like Darex avenging his mother from the experiments and Anetti even knew about seeking revenge. Trust me Kriat. It may bring peace to your culture but what about yourself?" Carter asks.
"Commander, if you truly see Kriat as a member of your team and family as I can read from your mind. You will stop insulting him with your attempts to change his mind." Javik warned.
"Be at ease with him Javik. He does not know our ways, he would not understand." Kriat asked in his mind as the elevator continued to move down until reaching the dug up ground level of the large dig site.
Carter was about to say something else until Zea'Nara gently stops him.
"Carter, I don't think there's anything we can say." she said sadly, clearly not liking this anymore then he does.
"Zea'Nara is correct. It seems Kriat is unreasonable. I'm sorry Commander." Genesis alerts him.
Carter just griped his fist hard and tried calming down from the built up rage of being unable to save his teammate.
"Commander?" Genesis asked concern.
"I'm fine Genesis. Let's give his wife a deserving burial."
The group moved down the large dig site some more. Almost about a few steps later, they spot a few shuttle crafts bearing the insignia of CAT6 fly by and land somewhere.
"Looks like we're not the only ones visiting this place." Zea'Nara mentions.
"CAT6. I have dealt with them before. Now they serve as hired mercs to your Cerberus enemies." Javik mentions.
"Genesis, how many are we expecting to encounter?" Carter asks.
"An entire battalion Commander. What ever they are after, Cerberus must be determined to send this amount hired CAT6 operatives in this area." Genesis answers.
"Then let's make this quick before we find any. No rush Kriat." Zea'Nara comments.
"I sense their leader is among them. And she is very pissed at you Commander." Kriat spoke in Carter's mind.
"Oh yeah I can imagine since I shattered her hand." Carter replies
A few shuttle crafts arrive and drop some CAT6 soldiers off to take cover and attack them.
"Contact. Vipers, return fire!" Carter orders as they take cover.
The CAT6 soldiers began open open fire as the team take cover and fired back. Zea'Nara activates both her combat drone and defense drone as she summons a turret to help give the team cover fire. Genesis enters Hunter Mode and fortification while returning fire. Javik frees his particle rifle to vaporize a few soldiers before uses his telekinesis to life a few soldiers in the air and slamming them hard on the ground.
Carter does a biotic charge to a group of CAT6 soldiers while Kriat spreads his wings and takes flight in the air. After hitting a group of soldier, Carter follows up with a Nova punch to the ground to send the soldier flying in the air. Kriat takes the opportunity to perform a biotic salvo to destroy all the CAT6 soldiers Carter sent flying in the air.
Zea uses sabotage on one of the shuttle's engines as it was going out of control and crash lands with survivors coming out. Zea uses her Omni-Tool and gives Genesis a boost in her armor and weaponry and they both began spraying down the soldiers like as if it was nothing. When most of the enemies were down a CAT6 heavy appears and opens fire on the team.
"Shit Heavy!" Carter yells.
Zea'Nara activates Tactical Scan on the Heavy to slow the target's movement and increase all damage done to it. Javik uses Dark Channel to further slow the Heavy down and slowly drain it of its shields and health.
Carter activates his cryo ammo and starts shooting at the him until slowly forze. His fist was very close to Carter's face but barely touching him then he draws his Omni-blade and slashed it till it shattered. Kriat used Dark shockwave to vaporize the pieces and destroy the grenades Carter accidentally set off slashing the frozen Heavy CAT6 Soldier.
"Oh great."
"They seriously brought in serious fire power this time. Cerberus must really want something down here." Carter mentions.
"Considering how this where protheans fought and died to fight off the Reapers. I wouldn't be surprised if they were after something they believe would give them a hand. Such fools they are." Javik comments.
"Well we gotta do something." Zea'Nara alerts.
"We are, we will kill each and everyone Cerberus sends until they regret their decision to dare stand in my way. Come on, let's keep moving." Kriat tells everyone in their minds.
"Affirmative. We must move quickly before more arrive." Genesis alerts.
"Where do we go from here?" Zea'Nara asks.
Javik points to a dug up cave that leads further down below underground. The group walks over to it and enters a small train meant to take them further down below.
"Our destination it would seem according to these records of what they found down here. Is two thousand feet below. According to these, they found what they believed to be more Prothean ruins. However these images show Reaper Tech instead. Old Reaper tech, the very same tech that was used to destroy the Prothean Empire fifty thousand years ago." Kriat tells everyone.
"Well I suggest we get there first. Move out." Carter orders.
Javik activates the train as it starts making it's decent to two thousand feet below. While they wait, Kriat sits down and gets in a meditative.
"I sense you are in conflict Carter. Is it about my decision to want to end my life after my wife's funeral?" Kriat asks Carter in his mind.
"Yes, it is. I know you want to pay your respects to your culture but I... you have the free will that you never got since your time. You don't have to do everything by ancestors now."
"Carter, fifty thousand years ago the Protheans were the masters of the entire Galaxy. Now we are but a dead race. Only Javik remains as a true Prothean. Me, I'm just a freak who used to be a Prothean. But despite being a freak I still hold our laws from then as you hold your laws now. I am bound by my ways to restore what the Reapers have taken from me. There is no other way. I am sorry Carter, I have done what I could to help you fight against your enemies. But you can press on without me, you do not need an old forgotten relic from a dead time to help win your battles." Kriat tells him.
"Kriat, I know how you feel about holding onto the pass but please understand this. Don't let the past be your downfall. Sure you were turned into a Collector but it wasn't your fault. You still have your memories from fifty thousand years ago and still true to yourself regardless of how you look. My point is that… you need to let go of the past. That time is over and it's time focus on what's front of you. Let me ask you this. What's more important? Your wife's respectful burial or bring honor to your culture? Think about it." Carter lectures.
"I have had much time to think on that question already. I will honor my wife's respectful burial. And once her soul has been laid to rest I will restore my dignity and join her in the next life. A life where I am no longer bound to this cursed existence. A life where I will be forever at peace alongside her. Do not weep for me Carter, I go fulfilling what my culture desires with honor and pride. Do not allow yourself to let happen to you what has happened to me. You have a chance and future, with the Qurian. It is too late for me. It's been too late for me for fifty thousand years. So please, try to understand my position." Kriat asks Carter.
Carter remained silent.
"Commander, hacking CAT6 Operatives transmission." Genesis alerts Carter.
"Patch it through." Carter orders.
Genesis taps her Omni-Tool as it starts broadcasting CAT6 signals.
"Ma'am we're pinned down here, there's fucking reapers and shit all over the goddamn place we need back…" it cuts off.
"Unit Alpha responsed, Unit Alpha that's an order!" they heard Irene's voice.
No response.
"Shit, we lost Unit Alpha. Units Beta, Gamma, and Delta head down there and see what happened to Unit Alpha. Unit Escalon you're with me. We're going to give our guests a warm welcome when they get down here." Irene orders.
Genesis finishes the hacked transmission.
"Be ready for when we arrive." Carter alerts.
"Yes sir."
The train finally comes to a stop and opens its hatch door for everyone to get out. To their surprise, there was no one waiting for them.
"I don't like this. Move out weapons ready and loaded. Open fire if engaged." Carter orders.
Everyone continues to move forward down the dug up dark tunnel. They turn their flashlights on and move forward.
"Commander I am getting something disturbing." Genesis alerts.
"How so?" Carter asks.
"It would seem that the number of Reaper enemies has slowly increased by the past few hours since we arrived. It is as if, more and more reaper like beings are being...born…" Genesis answers.
"Hm, we'll have to further investigate. Move out and keep your ears open." Carter ordered quietly.
"Is that even possible?" Zea'Nara asked.
"Yes, the zha'til. They were a synthetic race that existed during our cycle. They originated when a race known as the zha implanted themselves with symbiotic AI technology to enhance their intelligence in order to survive as their homeworld became inhospitable. When the Reapers arrived, they subjugated the AIs, known as zha'til, who then seized control of the bodies of their masters and altered their genetic material at the deepest level, transforming the zha into synthetic monsters and their offspring into slaves. The zha'til proceeded to multiply into "mechanical swarms" that "blotted out the sky". With no other recourse, we sent the star of the zha's home system into supernova, destroying the zha'til entirely. This why all synthetics eventually commit treachery and refuses to consider the possibility of finding a middle ground between them and organics. I still highly advises not to trust this machine." Javik mentions motioning to Genesis.
"Or maybe their trying to defend their home from Cerberus and CAT6." Zea'Nara suggests.
"Synthetics are just tools and they are not a part of nature like organics, who are shaped by the forces around them." Javik lectures Zea'Nara.
"Of course you would believe that. There's no point of arguing with you who keeps denying the truth." Zea'Nara argues.
"Believe what you want Quarian you and the Commander will eventually see for your own eyes. The Zha found out the hard way and you are doomed to face a similar fate. No such peace between synthetics and Organics, mock my words and remember them well child." Javik still lectures coldly to her.
"Okay enough both of you please. You two keep arguing it's going to alert our presence." Carter warns.
"There is no argument in telling the truth Commander Carter. There is no point talking to a Quarian keeps denying the truth despite it slapping her in the face." Javik coldly states.
"Bosh'tet." Zea'Nara quietly whispers.
"Commander Javik. I do agree that synthetics are not to be trusted but...but the synthetics in this cycle are not like the Zha'til were in our time. This one named Genesis has even asked me about the questions regarding emotions sir. They even have taken the step to try and fit in with organic society, such as creating the female Geth you see before you." Kriat mentions.
"Synthetics, trying to fit to replicate organics and create females. Such actions is pointless, synthetics are not born but built. Such as all tools are." Javik comments coldly.
"In my defense we already believed that we were built. We did not deny any of it. Your illogical reasoning is not leading you anywhere. As Carter said let go of the past." Genesis defended.
"If you believe you are already built then you should understand your attempts to become a female is a pointless action. Regardless of how you are shaped and built. You are still but a tool and a thing. And it to be more precise." Javik lectures Genesis.
Zea'Nara was about to smack Javik until Kriat gently stops her fist.
"Commander Javik, their attempts to try and become Organics is admirable. And if we can teach them how, then maybe they will help Organics from making the mistakes we made in our cycle. These Synthetics from what I have read and from you have seen for the past ten years, know they deserve that chance." Kriat contributed to Genesis' defense.
Javik just looked at Kriat coldly before pressing on.
"Thank you Kriat. We never meant to give organics reason to fear us. If we have it was not our intentions." Genesis comments.
"The Zha'til gave us a reason to wipe their entire race from the Galaxy for their actions in serving the Reapers. The Geth from what I read were offered the same choice the Reapers gave the Zha'til, but only because they were forced to. When peace became an option, you people severed their ties with the Reapers and helped stop them. That is why I think your kind deserves the chance. Because you chose on your own will to stop them." Kriat spoke in Genesis' mind.
"Once again. Thank you Kriat. I appreciate your concern."
Kriat nods as they continued to move down the tunnels. The four traveled for what felt like hours before they had to stop and rest for a moment.
"How long till we arrive, Genesis?" Carter asks.
"Unknown sir." Genesis answered.
"Kriat? Is this how deep the tunnel is?" Carter asks.
"I have never been down here before." Kriat answered.
"Javik?" Carter asks.
"I have never been down here either." Javik answered.
"I thought you knew this place Javik." Zea'Nara complains.
Both kriat and Javik shrugged.
"I just remember this was the place Kriat's wife was killed by Kriat. Fifty thousand years ago. What's happened for the past fifty thousand years is beyond me." Javik tells her.
"But I do sense this is where her remains are still are. According to the research I have been doing here. They believe to have found a Prothean Pod here. I know that is her's." Kriat tells them.
"Well hopefully we can get there soon because this walk is killing me." Zea'Nara complains as she rubs her feet.
"Want me to help?" Carter offers.
"O-Oh sure." She stammers a bit while blushing.
Javik notices this and raises some eyebrows.
"Interspecies mating. Why am I not surprised. Though even in my cycle, Quarians were physically attractive. Something Commander Shepard found out easily with the Quarian Tali." Javik states.
"I'm surprised you cared Javik." Carter jokes.
"It was something Shepard and Tali proved me wrong in." Javik admits as he checks his Particle Rifle. Carter begins rubbing Zea'Nara's feet and she sighs in satisfaction.
"Well then Kriat can prove you wrong with the Zha." Zea'Nara mentions.
Javik just gave Zea'Nara a cold stare to shut her up as the group continues to rest. They soon heard something move closeby.
"I'll go check it out." Zea'Nara offers as she gets up and walks down another dark tunnel to check out the noise.
"Take Genesis with you. I don't want you going alone in there." Carter suggests.
"It's alright I'll be fine, I got my drones with me." Zea'Nara mentions as she soon disappears into the darkness of the tunnel. Carter watches her go into the dark tunnel as he felt more worried of what could happen to her in there.
Zea'Nara searched through the dark tunnel with her shotgun. She heard nothing but water dripping a little somewhere in the background. It was difficult for her to see even with her flash light flashing. She heard some footsteps either slowly walking or rushing around close by. This would cause her to make quick reaction turns towards the direction of wherever she heard the sound or something. Only to get and find nothing. When she heard nothing she sighed and was about to go back. Suddenly a more gruesome more hideous and more grotesque looking Husks jumps out of the darkness and tackles Zea'Nara, trying everything to eat her. Knocking her weapons aside far away from her reach as she struggled. The husk smacked her helmet and left a crack on her faceplate.
Without knowing Kriat shot the Husk in the head and drops dead. "Are you alright, Zea'Nara?" Kriat asks as he helps her up.
"I think so, my helmet is cracked." she answered.
Around that time, the rest of the team comes rushing over to see what's going on.
"Zea'Nara, are you okay? Let me see." Carter holds up her head as Zea'Nara blushes the way he is holding her cheek.
"I think so." she answered holding his hand.
Suddenly an insect like creature shot out of the back of the husk kriat just killed and lept towards Zea. Kriat quickly catches it with his claw and snaps its neck to kill it.
"This is new…" he mentions.
"What is that?" Zea'Nara asks.
"I have no idea. Genesis, are there any records of this?" Kriat asks.
"No data available." she answered.
"Strange, it has obvious reaper tech implants, but it appears to be born with them. Similar to the Rachni Reapers I encountered with Shepard. But it is different. This thing seems to latch onto unaffected organics and slowly turns them into repeat like slaves." Javik comments.
"You think it could be Zha?" Zea asks.
"No, this something entirely new and different." Kriat tells her.
"Well whatever it could be. We better keep our eyes and ears open. Move out." Carter orders.
The team moves out and continues to move deeper down the tunnels. Carter looks back at Kriat and notices something's bother him.
"Kriat, is something wrong?" Carter whispers.
"Strange Commander. For reasons I don't know why, when I killed that thing, it felt as if I just committed an unforgivable crime." Kriat answered.
"Maybe there's something down here we're not understanding. Let's keep moving." Carter motions.
Kriat nods and continues to move down the tunnels with the team. Sometime later they arrived in an open area that had a few ruins that looked like temple like ruins. In the area, they saw CAT6 operatives all over the place searching through them. The Team takes cover behind some crates on the upper level and watches them.
"I remember this place. This was once a science lab for our top scientists. This is where she worked at and conducted biotic experiments on me." Kriat mentions.
"Who did?" Carter asked.
"His wife, Lexia. She was a scientist for the empire. And as part of Kriat's role as the embodiment of power, she conducted biotic experiments on him to increase his power." Javik answered.
"If I have any data and traces of Kriat's wife. We might be able to locate his wife's carcass." Genesis states.
"Good luck with that machine. The only ones who would have data on that would've been the ones who placed her body is the reserved pod. And they've been dead since the ruins first crumbled." Javik mentions.
"Then I say we find out what these guys know so far." Zea'Nara suggests.
"Kriat, how do you wanna play this out?" Carter asks.
"Ms. Zea'Nara, do you think you and Genesis can hack into their data files close by. They must have something anything that they discovered from the diggers who digged this site up." Kriat asked.
"We can try." Zea agreeing.
"Accessing now…" Genesis opens an holo orb as Zea begins working on hacking into files. She begins cutting through Prothean protected firewalls and breaks it. She continues going through the files as they were both impressed and a bit surprised of what they see.
"Wow, It's amazing, they've been digging down here since Javik was found. And since then they've found a good deal of Prothean ruins." Zea comments.
"It is quite impressive to look at." Genesis contributes.
"What do the notes of the diggers say?" Kriat answers.
"Let's see. Day whatever, we dug deeper down here to see if there was a possibility if more Protheans are alive like Javik or not. However the more we dug down here the more we started getting these… issues. There have been reports of works going mad and outright killing other works. It is strange, they were all healthy and mentally fine, and then all of a sudden they start killing their entire dig teams. We had one individual, Charle, committed suicide today, ripped his own throat with his omni saw blade." Zea'Nara read the first note.
"My god. What caused him to do that?" Carter asks.
"There's more. Two months later, we've been having a great number of our workers all of a sudden disappearing, not returning back up to the service, our out right vanishing. Every time we send out search parties we don't ever hear from them again. Last week we found one of the members of one of the search parties, he was covered in his own blood and was badly cut up. He said this was his body, his flesh and bones before he took the Omni drill and tore a hole through his own stomach. Almost as if trying to cut his own body to pieces. The autopsy showed that all the injuries he had suffered were self inflicted, as if he was desperately trying to rip his own body to pieces." Zea'Nara continued.
"That is quite unfortunate." Genesis comments.
"It gets worst. Five weeks later we've encountering Husks, not like the ones that everyone knows. These seem extremely violent, more vicious, and allot more grotesque the the others. We recognize some of them as some of the people that have dissapearing. We tried contacting the Council and Alliance but they shut down our communications. We're trapped down here, we cannot get out. I advise anyone who finds these notes to get out while you can. Whatever was down here, it's not Prothean, and it's not Reaper. It's something far, far much worse. Like something out of hell." Zea'Nara concludes.
"So they were calling for help. This must be worst than I thought. Anything on the pods?" Carter comments and asks.
"Yes there is one. They found one Prothean pod. They believed there was a Prothean in there, but when they found it, they had found that it was already long opened and there was nothing inside." Zea"Nara answers. "It was shortly after that when everyone started going insane and killing one another."
"This is strange, I have never heard of such things. Stuff like this was not seen in my cycle." Javik alerts.
"Do you think it's still out there?" Genesis asks.
"From the sounds of those CAT6 Operatives we hacked the com signal of, I can imagine whatever is down here is still around." Kriat answers.
"Kriat, it might be…" Carter suggests.
"No, the Reapers did not turn her into one of their things. I would know." Kriat mentions.
"We'll just see. Move out." Carter motions.
"What do we do with the remaining CAT6 Operatives in the area?" Genesis asks.
"Let whatever killed the CAT6 Operatives do it's job." Kriat answers.
"I think you may have spoke too soon." Zea comments.
"Why's that Zea'Nara?" Kriat asks.
"Because the party's just getting started down there." Zea answers.
They soon see Irene enter the area below as she comes in with another squad of CAT6.
"What's the status?" she asked.
"We've lost three teams in the past few hours. We can;t get a hold of and every time we send another team they disappear as well." one tells her.
"Some of the notes we found from the diggers suggests there's something down here." Another alerts.
"Dammit. Alright continue your search, I'm going down to find the others myself. Shoot and kill anything not one of us that may come down here. And be high alert, we got reports that echo team was killed by Alliance soldiers. I'm suspecting it's that son of a bitch Carter. If you find him bring him to me. I want to thank him personally making me have to get my hand augmented for shattering it." Irene ordered as she and her squad started walking down one tunnel.
"Commander, I have counted the amount of CAT6 operatives in this area including Irene's reinforcements. We will not be able to handle them on our own. Recommendation of avoiding them until we recover Kriat's wife." Genesis informs.
"Well they are the only people standing in our way of moving forward. And none of us have any stealth abilities. How does Kerim and Anetti sneak around so well without tactical cloak when they don't use it." Carter mentions.
"Well there should open tunnels going around here so we can go around them." Zea mentions.
"Hmm...that is a possible solution." Javik mentions.
"Affirmative." Genesis agrees.
"Alright so which one should we try?" Carter asks.
"I am sensing something from that tunnel over there. It is as if something is down there. Something...I have no words to described. It has a Repeat feel but different." Kriat points to one tunnel close by.
"Then let's investigate." Zea suggests.
The group slowly started climbing down the lower level. Being as quiet as they could. Genesis slips on some dirt while climbing down. Almost making a loud noise that could have alerted them of their presence.
"Move slower." Carter whispers and advises.
"Hey did you hear something?" they heard a CAT6 Operative ask close by.
"Shit…" Carter whispers to himself.
"Nah, probably just a Pyjak or something. Let's keep searching. Boss is getting irritated and our Cerberus clients are getting impatient." the other Operatives says as he and his partner walk back to their station.
"Keep moving." Carter whispers and motions them to continue to climb down. When they got to the bottom they started moving down to a tunnel as quietly as they could. Another set of hours later, the team moved down the tunnel getting a little tired of all the walking. They come to another large area where there was more Prothean ruins further below. They quietly climb down and began inspecting. They also take notice of ancient and dead reaper ruins and tech around.
"This place, has seen much suffering and evil." Javik mentions.
Kriat walks over to one set of ruins and gently touches it with his claw. He closes his eyes and sees what has been going on. Suddenly flashes of horrifying images of people being butchered and murdered by horrifying husks for them to implant those insect reaper like things on them. Turing the people they killed into more of them. Before it ended he saw a brief image of another collector staring at him in the face before it faded to black. He quickly let's go of the ruins and breaths hard as if terrified at what he saw.
"Kriat, what's wrong?" Zea asks.
"Nothing, just, very, very old bad memories." Kriat answered.
"Any signs of your wife?" Carter asks.
"No, still nothing, but this, this where she did her research from. The Reapers attempted many times to get here to find a weakness to our defenses. Millions of our soldiers died protecting this area. Eventually they succeeded and now you see what has become of it. What has become of her work." Kriat answered.
"We'll find her, Kriat. Don't give up hope yet friend." Genesis approaches behind him and places her hand on his crusted shoulder.
It seemed only yesterday that I bared witness to the Reapers taking this once vital area of our once Great Empire. To see what this has become now just further serves to remind me how there is no such Hope to restore it." Javik answers somewhat sadly.
"Yes, it was planned that if the worst was to happen, a number of our most important of figures where to be placed in stasis and rebuild the Empire in another time. Now, there is no such hope for such a task. We're all dead, just as your history books belive us to be." Kriat answers as he walked off a little.
Carter was about to say something until he and his team felt flashes of light surround and blind them. A team of CAT6 operatives enter and surround them at gunpoint. Irene soon enters once her men had them outgunned and walked up to them.
"Hello Viper Squad. Remember me?" she asked.
"Oh crap. Irene, how long has it been?" Carter asks.
"Well let's see, the last time we fought you broke my hand. Since then I had to get it augmented because of you." she said placing her hands on her hips.
"Well guess what? Same thing for me."
"Yeah, that's how you broke mine in the first place. And do you honestly think I was going to just let that go and let you, the bastard responsible for all my suffering get away with it."
"Ma'am, I don't even know you that personally and you claim I'm responsible for all your suffering?" Carter asks.
She pulls out her submachine gun and points it at his face.
"Don't test my patience you self righteous bastard." she warns him.
"Listen I don't know why you hate me so much. I barely know you, you come around with CAT6 just to kill me? Then what? What else will you do after you kill me?"
"Shouldn't it be obvious dumb ass? I complete the series of tasks Cerberus has paid us to do, get whatever they want and get paid for my work. That's what I'll do after I kill you. Just continue my mercenary work." she answered as she motioned for her men to take his squad away and leave just her and Carter alone in the area.
"So what have I done to make you suffer besides from breaking your hand?" Carter asks.
"Something you could never begin to understand. Now shut your damn mouth and brace yourself for round two." she order as she suddenly kicked him off the set of ruins they were on and starts opening firing on him.
Carter lands on his feet, runs from the firing and takes cover behind old ruin. He draws his assault rifle and tries firing back. Irene takes cover behind some old ruin and grabs her assault rifle and returns fire.
"Irene, you know this is not going to end well."
"Yep, I know it's not going to end well for you. Which is why I've been looking forward to this since our last fight." she activates Cryo ammo and makes a few accurate shots on his leg to freeze it in place.
Before Carter could do anything she Biotic Charges at him and performs a powerful Biotic charged fist in his face before slashing him with her Omni-Blade. Carter throws a grenade at her as it exploded and throwing her out onto the ground face flat.
Carter takes the time to unfreeze his leg and apply medigel on his chest. Luckily his helmet took most of the blow from her punch but it still almost broke his jaw again. He turns to look back at where she landed only to find she was gone. She appears from below him and kicks him to the face. From there she starts opening fire on him, easily taking out his shields with her assault rifle.
Carter snatches her rifle smacks her with it with a few times and breaks. He next right hook punch her in the face and back fist her. He then spartan kicks her in the stomach to push her back a bit. Next he knees in her in the stomach twice then lastly uppercuts her in the chin making her fall on her back feeling dizzy from the punch.
Irene kicks Carter hard in the crotch and makes him fall to his knees in pain as she jumped back to her feet and tosses a smoke grenade to disappear. Carter slowly got up and laid back on some ruins.
"Damn, I hope that doesn't ruin me and Zea's plans." Carter groaned as he held his sore crotch.
He soon saw a biotic shockwave coming his way and rolls out its direction. He grabs his Matlock and aim. At first it was quiet and just as he let his guard down he saw a laser sight being pointed. He was able to move to cover just in time to avoid Irene shoot him with her Incisor sniper rifle.
"Damn I hate snipers sometimes." he looks around and sees Irene taking cover behind some upper ruins that did not look all that stable. Thinking fast, he activates his incendiary ammo and shoots the old ruins below her. Causing the ground beneath her to collapse and make her fall down to the lower level.
Carter activates barrier and biotic dashes to her. Just as she got up and started firing at him with her machine gun. She was unable to make any shots as he was now right in her face and she performs a Omni-Blade slash at her. It slashes through her armor but she was able to move away just in time for the blade to miss her vital areas by an inch. Carter continues slashing towards her with his Omni-Blade which she blocks with her barrier ability and dodging.
She biotic pulses to push him off of her as she got up and draws her omni-blade. Before they could continue they suddenly heard a series of hissing and moaning sounds close by. The two look towards the tunnel on the other side and started seeing more of those grotesque husks enter and charge at them with fierce velocity.
"What the hell?" Irene called out.
"It must be that creature Kriat was talking about." Carter mentions.
Irene taps on her mic. "All units, all units we got husks in the tunnels, be weapon ready and fire at will repeat you are to fire at will." she looks back at Carter and points her machine gun at him "This isn't over asshole." she smacks him hard to the ground and rushes off. Leaving Carter to deal with the growing amount of husks that were now coming after him first.
Meanwhile, the CAT6 operatives that took, Kriat, Genesis, Zea'Nara, and Javik heard Irene's orders and let's them go.
"Your on your own assholes." they tell them as they rush off to leave them to fend for themselves.
"What now?" Zea asks.
"We help your commander that's what?" Javik tells her as he and Kriat started rushing back to where Carter was left.
Back in the ruins, Carter shotguns the Husks from left to right killing every single one of the husks that were still coming towards him. Just as he was running out of ammo, his team finally enters and helps shoot down the ever growing amount of husks coming towards them.
"Unlimited waves of Husks is undefeatable commander. We need a battle strategy quickly." Genesis alerts.
"I have one." Javik uses a lift grenade to blow a hole below them for them to make an escape. Everyone drops down the hole as Kriat uses his telekinesis to seal the hole shut.
"Great plan Javik now how are we going to get out of here?" Zea'Nara complained.
"Be quiet, there is something down here with us." Javik tells her.
"I sense it is the source of what is controlling those husks." Kriat mentions.
"Look over there." Carter points into the shadows.
The group turns over to the shadows while lights in the area suddenly come on. To their horror they were surrounded by countless amount of rotting bodies and eggs of some sort. Before they could respond they heard a loud hissing sound from the enormous hole.
After a few moments a fifteen foot tall collector like creature crawls out of the hole and hisses at them. All the while sitting on a giant egg sack. This collector resembled the the Collector General Shepard team dealt with ten years ago. It had a more insectoid appearance, with a larger head, a short body, and multiple limbs. However it had tremendous amount of reaper tech all over it's body just like Saren and Tanvic. Also it had a large insect like mouth full of long razor sharp fangs for teeth. Apparently it was some kind of insect queen as it was the one that laid the eggs all around the area.
Some of the eggs hatch to reveal to be the insect creatures that latched onto bodies and turned them into husks.
"What the hell is that?" Zea'Nara asks.
"I have no idea." Javik answered just as confused as she was.
"Kriat, see if you can talk to her." Carter requests.
"Why are you asking me?" he asked.
"You're a collector as well you should be able to talk to them." he answers.
Before Kriat could respond the Collector Queen's eyes flash bright yellow, which suddenly made everyone except Genesis fall to their knees and scream in head pain. It's eyes flash even brighter at Zea'Nara, making her stand up and jump on Carter to try and strangle him.
"Kriat, talk to her now!" Carter holds Zea down like getting arrested to keep her from harming others.
"I can't, her powers surpass even mine!" Kriat yells in Carter's head that almost made his head feel like it was about to explode.
Javik struggles to aim it Particle Rifle but was unable to because of the Collector Queen's powers.
"This is what made those people go mad. This thing made them kill themselves and each other. Just like its trying with us." Javik yelled.
The Collector Queen saw Carter holding Zea down and flashed its eyes, making Carter now bash Zea's helmet as much as he can. Breaking her helmet and further endangering her even more. Carter tries to fight it as much as he can.
"Kriat, you must speak with the queen or she'll destroy the team that care about you!" Genesis orders and yells for the first time.
Kriat struggles and with as much difficulty as he could fires a dark sphere at the Collector queen. Forcing her to let go of her control on everyone.
Javik and Kriat breath deeply as Zea'Nara struggles to breath with Carter strangling her. He lets go of her and helps her up but she doesn't respond.
"Zea, talk to me. Please be alive." Carter buries his head into chest nearly crying under his helmet as it was just tears. A small response was a small touch from her hand. "Zea?" Carter asked in a deep shock as he he started hearing her coughing trying to regain her breath.
"It wasn't your fault." She says with small breath and coughs a bit.
"We're not out of this yet. I think I just made her angry." Kriat alerts them as the Collector Queen hisses loudly and a number of husks soon enter the chamber. Followed by some of the eggs hatching and taking over the countless amount of dead bodies to turn them into husks.
"Kriat, please. If you don't do something. We're all dead." Carter mentions.
Genesis runs over to Zea and Carter as she checks her vitals.
"Are you alright Zea'Nara?" Genesis asks.
"Sort of." She barely answers.
Kriat and Javik use their Particle Rifles and open fire on the growing number of husks to give Carter, Genesis, and Zea cover.
"Commander Carter, stop blaming yourself and help us fight this abomination!" Javik yells at Carter.
"This creature's mind is that of a wild animal infected with what you call rabies. We must put it down!" Kriat alerts them.
"Alright team, these things are gonna keep coming until we take down this Collector Queen!" Carter orders.
"Searching for weak points… The Queen has open ports on her sides. Hit the targets to eliminate her." Genesis analyzed.
Zea'Nara summons her combat and defense drones while summoning a few sentries to start firing at the Husks. Genesis summons a combat drone and enters hunter mode. Allowing her and Zea'Nara to keep the Husks at bay. Javik opens fire with his Particle Rifle and performs dark channel to help give the edge.
Meanwhile, Kriat enters ascension mode and takes flight in the air. The Collector queen fires a dark channel at him which he dodges and fires one back. Carter activates barrier and tries shooting the weak points of the queen while Kriat keeps it distracted. Whenever Carter hit one she screeched in agony and tried to shoot a dark channel at him from her mouth.
He dodge rolls her attack and continues firing at her until he hits her weak point again. The Queen screeches again in pain as her head drops onto the platform and he shotguns it in the eyes a few times. After a few good hits the Queen roars in pain and smacks Carter away.
Kriat activates Annihilation field and uses dark channel combined to slowly drain the Queen's life force. She roars in anger and let's out another roar to summon seeker swarms to enter. Javik sees this and motions for Zea and Genesis to also focus their fire on the seeker swarms.
Carter quickly got up and threw a shockwave at the egg sac which really made the queen holler in pain.
"Carter detecting egg sac is most vulnerable area, also detect she is weak to fire." Genesis alerts Carter.
Carter takes a fire grenade and chucks it in as explodes in flames and the Queen screeches in pain. He activates Incendiary ammo and opens fire at her egg sack, making her screech in more pain as she tries to defend herself but the fire burned too much.
Kriat biotic teleports across in the air to dodge the queen's persistent dark channel attacks. When Kriat uses a Biotic storm blast attack on her, she simply hollars and soon summons a powerful biotic sphere all around her to protect herself from all of Carter and Kriat's attacks.
"It's working." Carter alerts.
"Carter, I need your help to destroy her biotic sphere so we may finish this, she is growing weak and desperate." Kriat tells Carter as he fires multiple biotic salvos to try and weaken her sphere.
"Carter we're running out of ammo you got to hurry this up!" Zea'Nara also yells out to him as she, Javik, and Genesis continuing giving them cover fire from all the husks coming to the queen's aide.
"What's the plan, Kriat?" Carter asks.
Kriat notices some explosive barrels close by the the queen and points to them.
"Shoot the barrels!"
Carter and Kriat take aim and shoot the barrels. Causing the barrels begin to catch fire and explode on impact while other barrels follow and explode along with them. They explode all around the queen, destroying her biotic sphere and setting her on fire. She screeches in agony as her body drops down burned pitch black. Suddenly all the husks and insect creatures drop dead and the eggs all explode all around them.
The team walk up to the Collector Queen as she breathes deeply in agony, twitching from the burns and destroyed reaper implants. Kriat deactivates Annihilation field and Ascension mode.
"Now that has been dealt with. let us move on." Kriat motions for everyone to follow him as they begin walking off.
"Kriat…." the Collector Queen spoke in everyone's minds that made them jump in surprise and turn back to the Collector Queen.
"It...it hurts so much. Make it stop, please make the pain go away…" the queen begged.
"How do you know of me?" he asked.
The Collector queen softly touched his clawed hand with one of her limbs and immediately before everyone's eyes an illusion made by biotics appears. It showed two Protheans. One male and one female. The male looked liked all other protheans except his armor was dark in color. The Female Prothean looked like slimmer build of a male Prothean and was wearing some kind of sparkling outfit that looked like a cross between a kimono and a lab coat. The male looked as if he was struggling to control himself as the female stood calm.
"You cannot ask me to give in to their commands." the male one asked.
"Kriat, look around us. The Empire is doomed already. My death won't make a difference for anything anymore. So if the Reapers are this desperate to kill me, to put you through this much suffering. Then please, don't allow them to torture you no more." the female told the prothean revealed to be kriat before he became a Collector.
"But Dr. Lexia…" Prothean Kriat begged.
"We will see each other again. It maybe soon or it maybe an eternity later. But we will see each other once more. I have been proud and honored to serve the Empire for the tests you allowed me to do. I am honored to be your wife. Thank you, Kriat."
Prothean Kriat tried to struggle but his eyes glow bright yellow and he leaps on his wife and strangles and bashes her head on the ground until their was a hole on her skull and she bleed all over the place. When Prothean Kriat snapped back in control and saw what he did, his body shook as he repeatedly moved Lexia's body to see if she was still okay. When he realized she was dead, Prothean kriat tried to stay calm but suddenly let out a loud scream of terror and remorse.
After this the illusion finally fades as Kriat looked horrified at what he just saw.
"Lexia? No, it cannot be." Kriat says in deep shock and terror.
"Dr. Lexia, what, what have the Reapers done to you?" Javik asked as he along with kriat realized the Collector Queen was Kriat's wife.
"Commander, I think we just saw a memory of Kriat's fifty thousand years ago." Genesis tells him.
"Yes I know. We all saw it. Kriat, is this queen her?" He asks.
Kriat was just shaking uncontrol. His face was emotionless but everyone could tell he was horrified beyond belief and if it had not been because of what the Reapers have done to him, they could tell he was crying right now.
"Lexia, this cannot be you. I did not do this to you." Kriat said as the voice he said in everyone's head sounded like he was devastated and crying.
"The Reapers like all of us, modified and augmented me to better serve them. Turned me into this Collector Queen. When they destroyed our race, they sealed me away and buried me in the ruins of which they burned. I was not released until months ago. I had no control of myself, the augments, the experiments, the modifications, the reaper tech, look what they did to me…look what they made me do" Lexia spoke in their midst clearly suffering.
Kriat looked around him at all the eggs and dead insect like creatures that hatched from them. Everyone looked around and Zea'nara gasped in horror.
"I'm sorry Lexia. We didn't mean to kill your children. It was mistake."
"Children? Commander look around you see the horror the Reapers have done to our kind. What you've done was an act of mercy compared to allowing them live." Javik says.
"Please Kriat, make it stop, make the pain go away please…" she begged while clearly in very painful agony.
"No please don't. We can fix you we can make you better, you can have a second chance, please don't make me kill you again. I cannot bare it." Kriat begged.
Lexia suddenly let's out a loud screeching noise in agony as it struggles to deal with the agony she was feeling. Kriat was shaking horribly, on the verge of having a mental breakdown.
"Please Carter. Please tell me this cycle has the technology to help her…"
"Kriat...you already know the answer. I'm sorry."
Kriat did not say anything, he was shaking and holding himself tightly.
"Kriat, this is your decision. Do you want to or do you want to do it?" Carter asks.
Kriat hesitated until he heard her roar in agony again. Kriat slowly walked up to her kneels down and pets her head softly. Genesis gives him something in the form of a large shot. Kriat takes it and gently inserts it into her neck. She struggled a little while Kriat holds her tightly to try and comfort her. She soon finally sighed in relaxation before closing her for the final time and gently stops breathing.
Kriat body shakes again as he falls to his knees and let's out a loud insect like roar himself which accidently sends a powerful biotic shockwave that sends everyone flying across the room. Everyone recovered from the sudden outburst as they can hear kriat crying in their heads.
Genesis kneels down to Kriat's level placed her hand on his claw. He hugs her tightly feeling broken on inside.
"Area discovered!" the team heard CAT6 operatives enter the area and surround everyone at gunpoint. "Orders ma'am?"
(through com) "Retrieve what you can and shoot them at will." Irene ordered.
They take aim but when they tried opening fire, their blasts were stopped in mid air. Kriat slowly stood up as his eyes glowed bright green. He looks at the CAT6 Operatives and waves his hand to telekinetically send the blasts up in the air. He then looks at them which all of a sudden, they started glowing with a green burning color and they all started screaming in agony.
"I am assuming control over these victims." Kriat said as he all of a sudden took over their minds and forced them to kill one another until they were all dead.
"That was amazing." Zea'Nara says looking surprised.
Kriat waved his claw and telekinetically pulled Carter's pistol away from him and into his claw.
"Kriat? What are you doing?" Carter asked.
"You said this was a second chance at life. And yet all I've done is killed my beloved wife for the second time in a row. I am the cause of her suffering, from during both my cycle and this cycle. I have committed the unforgivable, now, I have nothing left to be redeemed in this cycle." Kriat aims Carter's pistol to his head. "Goodbye my friends."
"Kriat, please. This is what I mean by second chances in life. You said you wanted to give your wife a proper burial. You don't need to do this. You have paid your respects to your wife." Carter says.
"I killed her. I killed her two times. What have I achieved except bring more suffering to her?" He asked.
"You're wrong Kriat. She knows you would never do this on purpose. She knew that once you turned into a collector you wouldn't be the same person you are now. And now you just ended her long suffering she has suffered all these long horrible years. Kriat, don't blame yourself for this." Zea'Nara contributes.
Kriat hesitated and just as he pulled the trigger he quickly moved it away and shot the wall instead. Javik walked over to Kriat and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Commander Javik?"
"Kriat, when I was placed in Stasis at the Fall of the Empire, I swore I would rebuild and restore it from the Ashes the Reapers crumbled it to. But when I awoke, and saw I was the only one left, I realized that would never be possible. Until now." Javik tells him.
Kriat looks at him with a confused look in his eyes.
"Kriat we are now the last Protheans of our cycle. And I cannot rebuild the Empire by myself. I need your help, please brother, help me restore what the Reapers have stolen from us." Javik asked.
Kriat looked at javik for a moment, looked at Carter, Zea, and Genesis and nodded his head in agreement.
"I will begin preparations for Dr. Lexia's death Ceremony. You are welcome to aid if you wish." Javik tells him as he walks back to Lexia's body.
"Thank you Commander Javik."
Sometime much, much later, after giving the death ceremony to Lexia, the team arrived back at the surface after several long hours of walking. When they arrived they found their shuttle craft waiting for them.
"I must return back to Liara. Soon the Citadel will be hosting its tenth anniversary of the Victory over the Reapers. Everyone who served on the Normandy will be there. Also Liara is a specialist in our culture, she will be much aid to us." Javik tells them.
"I understand, once my mission to destroy Cerberus is finished I will join you in the reforming of our civilization." Javik beats his chest in a Prothean salute. "For the Empire."
Javik returns the salute. "For the Empire."
The two finish their salute as Javik walks off to his shuttle craft. Much time later, Carter checks on Zea at the med bay as Florolia patches some of the injuries Carter inflicted on her.
"Zea… I…" Carter hesitates to talk to her after what happened.
"Carter it's okay, we were both being mind controlled or indoctrinated or whatever it's called. We had no control over ourselves." Zea says as she rubs a gloved hand on his cheek.
"I know it's just… I could've hurt or even you killed you. I don't know what I do if I killed you." Carter holds her hand feeling more frightened.
"I know, and I almost did the same. But we're both alright and we're both going to be okay. Let's just try not thinking about it no more and move on. Oh and Florolia tells me that you got kicked in the crotch real hard down there. Are you okay and that won't ruin any of our plans for...you know." she winked at him as Florolia giggled quietly.
"Trust me it won't ruin anything. Besides we men are used to things like that." He smiles and jokes.
(over com) "Commander, you may wish to go see Kriat down in his room in the library." Genesis alerts Carter.
"On my way. I'll be back." Carter rubs her cheek on her helmet before he walked out the med bay. She blushed under her mask watching him walk out.
Carter took the elevator down to the library. When he got down he heard relaxing sleep tape music playing. He saw Kriat over at his usual spot close to the window showing outer space. He was sitting comfortably in a reading chair reading some book while drinking wine through a straw.
"Kriat, you needed me?" Carter asks a little confused by all the new stuff added to the library.
"Carter welcome, please have a seat." Kriat motioned for him to take a seat next to him while he puts the book down, lays back on his seat and stared out into outer space.
"I was told by Genesis you need me. Is everything okay after what happened?" Carter asks curiously and a bit worried.
"Are you, angry at what my wife made you and Zea do to one another?"
"Were not angry. We're just feeling a little weird and worried after we mindlessly tried to kill each other. Why do you ask?"
"I just felt that since you two are so close and she almost made you kill one another you would show some resentment to her. I just wanted to let you know she had no control over her actions until the final moment."
"How did you know that?"
Kriat glows his hand with green biotic aura a little. Reminding him he is a biotic and he can still read minds.
"Right. Forgot about that."
The two sat for a small moment, listening to the calm soothing and relaxing music playing on the speakers of the library.
"Do you like what I've added to the place?" Kriat took a sip of wine from his straw.
"Yes I see it's more fitting to your style. Reminds me of Liara."
Kriat did a small insect chuckle.
"I've been listening to a lot of these, sleep tape music to help calm the nerves. I find them to be one of my favorite accomplishments you people from this cycle have made. I'm going to recommend Florolia listen to a few next time I train her."
"I'm glad you're taking the liking of our work."
Carter notices the book he is reading.
"Romeo and Juliet?" Carter asks.
"Ah yes, I've been reading a number of the most classic of books from all the species that are dominate in this galaxy. It still amazes me how far the primitives of my cycle have come since our time."
"Well we try. So how are you now since everything?" Carter asks.
Kriat remains silent for a moment.
"How would you feel if you had killed Zea twice?" he asked softly.
Carter also remained silent for a moment, took a glass, poured the wine and sipped some.
"That is how I feel at this moment." Kriat tells him.
"I see. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."
Kriat took a deep sighed and just continued to stare out into space.
"So what will you do now?" Carter asks.
"I will help finish destroying Cerberus for you. When I have completed that, I will help Commander Javik rebuild our Empire and restore our lost civilization. All the while I will continue to help and guide your Turian friend." Kriat answered.
"Thank you Kriat. I'm glad to have you on my side."
Kriat nods. Carter gets up but before he left he heard Kriat stop him in his head.
"Carter. It is too late for me and Lexia. But it is not too late for you and Zea. Forgive yourself for what you did and do what you can to enjoy every moment you can with her. Because any moment could be your last." Kriat tells him before going back to drinking wine through a straw and reading books.
Carter walks out thinking about what Kriat says. He heads back to his cabin, takes a quick shower before slipping on some comfortable pants and just dropping right down on his bed. Enjoying the chance to finally rest and sleep now that he had everyone of his team's personal missions finally done.