Chapter 38: Wolf Pack
"What's this all about, Zelia?" Mal asked in a businesslike manner while facing the asari who was sitting across from him at a table inside of Chase's Place. The bar was currently closed and its only occupants at the moment were the Terminus Wolves and their 'guest' who claimed to have a job offer from a mutual acquaintance.
"How rude!" Zelia pouted. "We haven't seen each other in years and you don't even have the decency to introduce me to your new friends or even offer me refreshments. It's been a long trip you know." she added in faux annoyance.
"Cut the crap, bitch. What the hell do you want?" Tess demanded while glaring at the unwelcome visitor. Brix, Taya and Lira had filled them all in on who Zelia was during their walk to the bar and Tess was less than thrilled with her presence.
"So, I take it she's the current woman in your life. Another human Mal, should I take a hint from that?" Zelia mused while studying Tess.
"Tess isn't just the current woman in my life, she's the only woman in my life. My fiancé, better half, second in command, confidant, and soul mate. She makes every breath I take worth breathing and every step I walk worth taking, basically she makes my life worth living and I intend to spend every moment that I can with her." Mal replied fervently causing Tess to blush slightly.
"Damn, Mal is dropping absolute gold today!" Lance remarked appreciatively while jotting down a few notes on his omni-tool.
"I agree, he honestly made my heart skip a little with that one." Rika concurred.
"Geez, save some for your wedding vows." Mason added in exasperation.
"I see." Zelia finally replied coldly. "No matter, she'll be dead in a few decades and then you and I can finally join together, the way it was meant to be. Human lives, like so many others, are fleeting after all." she added while smirking at Tess. "Well, ordinary human lives that is." she continued while glancing at Mal. It didn't come as a surprise that she seemed to know about his status as a superhuman, now that he thought about it, she had likely already known several years earlier when she refused to inform him of Equinox and the salarians following the assassination attempt on Tevos. His friends of course already knew, both old and his newer companions and they were all unfazed by the fact. Those among them that had lifespans that would allow it had already pledged to follow him in the many centuries to come and that always gave him a small measure of comfort.
"You forget, we aren't all human and I for one will never allow you to join with Mal." Taya angrily interjected. Zelia had rubbed her the wrong way since they first met years earlier and she'd threatened her to keep her distance from Mal. "I have no intention of leaving him, so I suggest you disregard any schemes that you have planned. You're dangerous, deceptive, manipulative, intrusive and a thoroughly reprehensible being in general and I won't permit your presence in his life, EVER." she continued while glaring at Zelia. It was a side of herself that she rarely showed, a ferocity that had only gotten stronger over the years while in the company of The Wolves and during the merciless battles that they'd faced. Mal was important to her but Tess was her friend and they'd come to an agreement long ago in regards to how they'd both proceed with their feelings. There was an implicit understanding between the two women when it came to Tess' inevitable departure from life due to the passage of time and the void that would be left in Mal's existence as a result. Taya planned to be there when the time came and Tess was trusting her to do so.
"Dr. Zoral, I believe I warned you a few years ago not to get in my way. It's not wise to anger me you know." Zelia replied dangerously while staring at Taya.
"Nor me." Taya shot back with an equal amount of menace.
As the stare down continued, Mal simply sighed before interrupting the brewing conflict. "Zelia, did you come here to offer us a job or pick fights with my lady and our cute resident scientist?" he asked irritably.
After giving Taya the most intense look of loathing that Mal had ever seen her produce, she quickly switched back to her more cheerful and coy demeanor while addressing him. "I actually came to deliver a message to you from Tevos. She has a request that she wants to pass on to you on behalf of a third party. She's in a strenuous position right now due to the current situation on Thessia and her methods of communication are limited." Zelia explained.
"I've heard. The comm buoys have been down for months and the ZEN have set up a blockade around the planet. The asari just can't seem to catch a break." Mal replied sympathetically. They had only just recovered from the reaper siege from a couple of decades earlier.
"Then you understand her caution and her restricted ability to communicate with you directly. She wants to first assure you that the job is in no way tied to the Citadel Council or the Alliance, we all know how much you despise them and I'm not personally fond of either myself." Zelia explained while her eyes flashed at the mention of them. Their pursuit of Mal several years earlier had upset her a great deal and she had every intention of someday dealing her own brand of retribution upon those responsible. "Secondly, there's the matter of the client themselves. Tell me, how much do you know about the rachni?" she inquired.
"What?!" Tag shouted indignantly. "The bugs want to hire us?!" he loudly added before finally laughing. "So I guess hiding in their tunnels finally stopped working, huh?" he continued in amusement.
"Honestly, I'm not THAT shocked. They just spent two decades repopulating their old homeworld of Suen and now the ZEN are scouring the place trying to find their queens' nests. The only good fortune they have is the fact that the atmosphere is too toxic for the yahg or Equinox forces to be deployed there to aid in the search." Mal commented factually.
"You're well informed, but I shouldn't be surprised. You have become quite the player in many circles." Zelia replied while gazing at Mal seductively.
"Get to the point, now." Tess said through gritted teeth while glaring at Zelia in a fury.
"A rachni transport was attacked by ZEN forces in the Sheol System of the Hades Nexus Cluster. The ship suffered serious damage and the occupants were forced to abandon it and flee to the nearby planet of Gei Hinnom where enemy forces have pursued them. I don't imagine they'll last long without reinforcements, but unfortunately their allies are being hindered from sending help by the ZEN. A detachment of rachni cruisers that have been deployed to initiate a rescue have met heavy resistance and haven't been able to send a team to the surface of the planet. They need groundside assistance, someone who can handle an army, someone like you and your Wolves." Zelia explained.
"I get the picture, but why?" Mal asked curiously.
"Pardon?" Zelia replied coyly.
"Why would Tevos care about this? I thought everyone was too busy covering their own asses to worry about each other. Since when do the asari give a damn about lending assistance, especially when their owns backs are up against the wall." Mal elaborated suspiciously.
"I'd like to stress the point that Tevos is simply acting as an intermediary. The rachni have no experience dealing with mercenaries or requesting outside assistance in general. If you accept the job, they'll be the ones paying you." Zelia explained.
"Um, not to be too cynical here, but they do know that we work for credits right?" Gage chimed in.
"The biotic bandit has a point, boss. I'm not keen on working for a damn melody." Mason added humorously.
"I can assure you, you'll be well compensated. Upon completion of the job, the rachni will award you with an asteroid that they recently acquired. An asteroid that happens to be incredibly rich in natural resources, resources that I'm sure you can put to good use or simply sell. If nothing else, you could simply auction off the entire rock for a substantial profit I'd wager." Zelia replied pleasantly.
"I guess things really are getting desperate." Mal said in amusement. "The rachni are trying to hire us and the asari are trying get in their good graces to form an alliance, am I right?" he slyly speculated.
"The Terminus Hunter is certainly sharp isn't he?" Zelia replied while smiling at Mal. "Unity in a time of desperation, in the end it may prove to be everyone's final gamble. It has happened before, with Shepard leading the-"
"We'll take the job Zelia." Mal cut in, he preferred not to discuss Shepard unless it was absolutely necessary. "Having the rachni owe us a favor might be useful in the future."
"Wonderful! Now, I should be going. I have to relay the good news to Tevos and your new clients, then proceed with my own affairs. War really is the best time to make a profit." Zelia replied brightly before standing to leave. "It seems like every time we meet these days, it's always about work. We really should have dinner sometime and catch up-"
"Leave. Now." Tess snarled much to Zelia's delight.
"She really is a wolf, isn't she?" she giggled playfully. Afterwards she made her exit, but not before exchanging glares with Taya, who made sure that she'd gone before turning her attention back to the group.
"Well, this one will definitely be fun." Mal remarked eagerly. "Alright Wolves, let's head to The Den and get ready." he added before standing himself. They had preparations to make.
Less than an hour later, The Terminus Wolves found themselves inside of their heavily fortified headquarters that they'd all affectionately dubbed 'The Den.' It was where they all stored their gear when they weren't traveling across space and also acted as a hub for coordinating their movements and contracts. It also acted as a safe house and residence for several members and an overall nerve center for their operations on Omega. The security measures that protected the place made it all but impenetrable to anyone who wasn't a member of their group. Every Terminus Wolf had their identity and profile stored inside of a sophisticated security grid that instantly recognized and confirmed their presence whenever they approached. As if that weren't enough, they also each had an intricate tattoo inscribed somewhere on their bodies. The image depicted an incredibly fearsome and artfully designed wolf whose visage was also emblazoned on every member's armor. The tattoo's design was not only ridiculously difficult to duplicate, it also featured a sophisticated array of nano-fibers that acted as identifiers for every wolf in the pack. The combined expertise of Zade, TED and Nox had proved to be pretty damned impressive when it came to their security arrangements.
"So, ninja? I've been wondering for awhile now where exactly on that sexy body of yours our little brand is hiding." Mason loudly inquired as he suited up in the men's locker-room of their humble fortress while Rika did the same in the neighboring locker-room.
"Not far from the N7." Rika replied casually.
"Can you at least give me a hint?" Mason pleaded.
"I just did." Rika replied calmly before attaching the last piece of her armor and exiting the room.
"Rejected!" Lance loudly exclaimed while Gage laughed.
"I believe that's the fifth time today." Zade remarked serenely.
"Humans say persistence pays off, if it's true then he should have one hell of a reward waiting for him when it finally does." Blaze said encouragingly before patting Mason on the shoulder.
"What can I say? I'm just too damn stubborn to give up." Mason replied, completely undeterred.
"It's true, that's the biggest reason why Kalros didn't manage to kill him." Brix added earnestly.
"You bastards got to have all the fun before I joined up." Tag complained.
"Don't worry tank, I've got a feeling that we're all about to crash one hell of a party." Mason replied seriously.
"Cipher, forward all of the info that we have on recent enemy movements in the Hades Nexus Cluster to the Fenrir." Mal ordered after grabbing his M-99 Saber assault rifle from the gun cabinet in his office. Moments later a small, silver, spherical VI zoomed into view. "Understood, Terminus Hunter." it obediently replied before disappearing from view. "TED, you can handle things for the Apex right?" Mal asked after opening a communication channel to his other ship.
"Of course! Preliminary information from both Alliance and turian patrols have already allowed me to plot a reasonably secure course. Our only real trouble will be what awaits us once we enter the Sheol System." TED explained.
"Good enough, we'll be counting on you buddy." Mal replied appreciatively.
TED responded with an image of a thumbs up on Mal's vid-screen before disappearing and reappearing inside of the room in his mobile platform while performing the same gesture. Mal grinned before exiting and meeting up with his crew inside of their conference room. "Alright, our route should be clear for the most part but based on Zelia's usual vague ass details, we can assume that resistance on the planet is going to be heavy. Depending on how determined the ZEN are about finishing off those rachni survivors, we'll probably be facing their usual heavy hitters. Soldiers, Centaurs and possibly a Geist Unit." he speculated.
"Mal, do you really think they'd send a Geist after a few rachni?" Lira asked anxiously.
"They would if they wanted to kill their target badly enough." Mal replied seriously.
"That could complicate things, especially if there are a large number of ZEN nearby." Nox added before summoning his omni-tool. "I've managed to gather data on the units that we've destroyed so far including the monstrosity that you annihilated on Terra Nova and I believe that the additional intelligence will prove useful for my tactical scans." Nox explained.
"Nox, that's amazing! Can I see?" Lira asked excitedly before grabbing his arm to observe his work.
"O-Of course." he nervously spluttered.
"Our best course of action would be to terminate the creature before it becomes aware of our presence." Hildy suggested.
"I agree and that's exactly what I plan to do as soon as the opportunity presents itself." Rika concurred.
"Just let me handle the damn thing, Mal. It's only fair since you got to kill the last one." Tag remarked eagerly.
"I'm perfectly okay with letting those three handle things if one actually shows up." Gage commented casually.
"The thief is a coward, big surprise." Blaze replied sarcastically.
"This coming from the guy who sits in the ship for half our jobs." Gage irritably countered.
"Hey!" Lira suddenly interjected. "If it weren't for us flying the ships, you'd never make to a fight to hide from in the first place." she angrily added garnering immediate laughs from Brix, Tag and Blaze.
"Good one, Lira." Blaze said appreciatively after the laughter finally died down.
"Thanks, Blaze." Lira replied shyly.
"Nox, you have my sympathies. Her bad taste is only going to add to your headaches." Gage commented snidely. It didn't take long for the situation to devolve into the usual chaos that erupted during their pre-mission briefings. Blaze, Gage, Nox and Lira had already started another shouting match while Tag egged them on and Brix laughed. Meanwhile, Mason commenced his next wave of attempts at wooing Rika while she ignored him and engaged in conversation with Hildy and Lance took notes of his failure. Finally, there was Zade and Taya who both appeared to be completely oblivious to the anarchy as they debated possible ways of upgrading TED's mobile platform while the timid AI nervously placated them both.
"Just another day with our rambunctious, ill-mannered, brats, huh?" Tess joked while sitting across Mal's lap.
"Why do I even bother, seriously?" Mal asked humorously before kissing her and calling the meeting back to order. "If you're all finished, we've got work to do." he said sternly before dismissing the gathering and leading the way out. It was time for The Wolves to make their move.
Less than an hour later, The Terminus Wolves were at the docking bays preparing to board their ships. Mal and the original members always took the Apex while the others used the Fenrir, an impressive and powerful addition to Mal's repertoire that he'd asked his mother to construct several years earlier. It had the same armaments and upgrades as the Apex but was slightly faster due to its marginally smaller size. Blaze had proven to be just as adept a flier as Lira and thus Mal had designated him as the Fenrir's pilot.
"Alright people, time to do some hunting." Mal announced before boarding the Apex while the others followed his lead. Sometime later, they found themselves in the midst of a heated battle between a trio of rachni cruisers and a contingent of ZEN vessels in the Sheol System. The rachni were doing fairly well considering the fact that the enemy cruisers outnumbered their own by two to one. There were also dozens of enemy fighters adding to the onslaught. Both the Apex and Fenrir promptly took evasive action and began cutting down the enemy fighters with synchronized fire from their thanix cannons. Lira and Blaze were proving to be a remarkable team as usual and before long they'd thinned the enemy numbers enough to make an approach to the planet. "I guess we should lend a hand with those ZEN cruisers, otherwise there won't be anyone left to pick up the survivors once we save them." Mal said casually while surveying the carnage from the cockpit of the Apex. "Alright, Zade prepare to fire a few 'Kiss My Ass Special Mark II's' and tell Blaze to do the same. That should give our friends a few free shots." he ordered.
"Once again, I must voice my objection to your vulgar sense of naming." Zade replied while readying the weapons and relaying the order.
"Then I suggest you stop losing the coin toss, pal." Mal joked.
After releasing a sigh, Zade promptly fired a volley of projectiles that immediately homed in on the ZEN cruisers that were firing on the rachni vessels. Within seconds, a multitude of dazzling bursts of light exploded across the enemy ships after making contact with their shields, instantly sabotaging their sensors. Blaze released a similar barrage from the Fenrir against another trio of hostile ships whose sensors were also crippled. The rachni were quick to capitalize on their foes' confusion and promptly concentrated their fire on two of the ZEN cruisers. The ships were quickly destroyed by the assault, but their allies began recovering soon afterwards and the battle once again resumed with the rachni on the defensive. "Well, at least it's four against three now. We helped even the odds a little. Lira take us into Gei Hinnom's atmosphere and prepare for a pod drop and tell Blaze to do the same. Once we're out, I want you two to do what you can to harass the ZEN and give the rachni a few openings to exploit. Zade, you're with us." Mal commanded.
Within minutes, every crew member from both ships was secured inside of a spherical pod that was prepped and ready to be dropped onto the surface of the planet. Moments later they were all deployed and hurtling towards Gei Hinnom where a small army of ZEN soldiers was already awaiting them. One by one, each pod crashed into the planet leaving a small crater. The occupants, however, were completely unharmed and exited while firing on their waiting adversaries who'd already closed in on their landing sites. After gunning down every ZEN soldier in the area, the Wolves quickly regrouped to plan their next attack.
"Well, it didn't take long for them to set up a welcoming party." Lance joked.
"Weaklings, where are the big ones hiding?" Tag eagerly pondered.
"My guess would be over there." Mal replied calmly while pointing in the direction of a trio of centaurs that weren't far from their position. One was advancing towards them while the other two appeared to be distracted. Accompanying the advancing centaur were several large, heavily armed mechs with hornlike protrusions emanating from their heads.
"Minotaurs, figures." Tess remarked coolly.
"That's not a good sign boss. Those bastards are usually proof that a Geist is nearby." Mason added.
"Yeah, we always get the good ones, don't we?" Mal replied wryly. "Rika, Hildy, I want you two cloaked and ready for when the real fun starts. Everyone else, get ready to wreck some shit." he ordered while smiling. Within seconds, both Rika and Hildy had completely disappeared while everyone else closed in on the approaching hostiles. Tag hit the skirmish first using a biotic charge to waylay a pair of minotaurs before going to work with his M-300 Claymore shotgun. Mal wasn't far behind and promptly gunned down several more of the creatures with his Saber which he'd already modified to fire warp rounds. Zade managed to hack several more of their adversaries and forced them to concentrate their considerable arsenals on the giant centaur that was still advancing. After bringing down the hulking mech's shields they were destroyed by their former ally's retaliation in the form of missile fire. With the monster's shields down they all opened fire, bringing the menace down fairly quickly.
Without hesitation the Wolves continued on their way forward, quickly closing in on the remaining pair of centaurs. TED immediately deployed a turret to deal with the accompanying enemy soldiers before focusing his particle rifle's fire on the shields of one of the centaurs while Lance lent his assistance with a burst of fire using disruptor rounds from his M-8 Avenger. Within moments, they'd succeeded in destroying its shields and Tag took advantage of the opening by unleashing a biotic charge that quickly staggered the mech before firing a carnage blast from his shotgun at point blank range. The creature quickly fell to its knees where Brix was waiting to tear what was left of it apart in a rage.
Meanwhile, Nox simply tossed an arc grenade at the remaining centaur, instantly destroying its shields and Gage followed up with a cluster grenade that damaged it further. Both Mal and Tess finished the monstrosity off with repeated and simultaneous headshots, with Mal still using his warp rounds and Tess utilizing her Black Widow's armor piercing ammo. After the behemoth finally fell, Mason whistled his appreciation at the couple's teamwork. "I'm amazed you guys are that in synch with each other but I guess I shouldn't be considering how much time you spend alone in your love nest."
Tess promptly gave him the finger. "Ignore him Tess, he's still mad that I cancelled on him and the guys a few months back." Mal remarked humorously.
"Damn right I am, how often do you get the chance to blow up a drive core? Papa boss was pissed that you bailed too, until he realized why." Mason replied while smirking.
"Have you forgotten that I blew up a drive core not long after we first met? You know inside that batarian dreadnought? Anyway, I was just taking pop's advice from a few years ago, so he's got no right to complain." Mal said suggestively while gazing at Tess who promptly elbowed him.
"Focus tough guy, we still have to find the survivors." she replied while grinning.
"I don't think it's going to take us long, look." Mal said while pointing towards the center of the battlefield where their former adversaries had been concentrating their fire. The entire area was littered with dead rachni soldiers whose bodies were surrounding a huge hole in the ground. As they proceeded closer, they suddenly detected a very small movement near the edge of the crater. After cautiously closing in with their weapons ready, they discovered a wounded asari lying beneath the bodies of a pair of rachni brood warriors. "I knew this job was going to be a headache." he sighed.
"What do you mean?" Mason asked curiously. "I'm sure some of the bugs are still alive in that hole." he added reassuringly.
"That's what he means, idiot." Tess replied irritably. "Those are brood warriors, they're the ones that mate with the queens. Damn it, at least pretend you read the history book we got you." she added in annoyance.
"Wait, hold on a minute. Are you telling me there's a rachni queen in that hole?" Lance asked in disbelief.
"Yes, and she's been injured." the wounded asari suddenly replied weakly.
"Taya, patch her up." Mal ordered. She instantly complied and moments later the young woman had managed to get to her feet.
"Please, you must protect her. She's a second generation queen and the Trio is desperate to capture her. The other queens have already taken refuge with their mother on Suen. This one was on her way there as well when she was attacked by the ZEN, but they weren't alone. A very powerful human was accompanying them. His strength was horrifying and his heart was as black as the armor that he wore, he's still-" she never got to finish her statement as a well aimed gunshot pierced her skull and send her body hurtling into the pit below.
"Talk, talk, talk. That's all asari are ever good for, well no, that's not true. They have other uses as well." a cold voice suddenly announced. It belonged to a tall, muscular human with dark eyes that matched his hair. He was holding an M-97 Viper sniper rifle that had no doubt just been used to kill the unfortunate asari stranger. He was also wearing a familiar set of black armor emblazoned with Equinox's trademark insignia of a sun bearing a shadow on its surface and as expected, he was every bit as physically imposing as Mal himself.
"A Zodiac Commander!" Taya whispered anxiously.
"So this is what they look like? Mal's tougher, I can smell it." Tag said derisively while eyeing the stranger.
"Damn right he is." Brix agreed while glaring at the man himself.
"I spent four years waiting for another one of you assholes to show up. I figured screwing up your operations and slaughtering your men would get your attention. Oh yeah, and destroying your supply lines, liberating a couple of colonies and killing a few yahg commanders along with some of those Geist Units. The way I see it, you're either really generous or too scared to face me." Mal said mockingly while several of his companions chuckled.
"Mal, please be cautious." Taya pleaded. The injuries that he'd suffered during his battle with Aries several years earlier still haunted her.
"You should listen to your asari, Mal." the Zodiak Commander replied derisively while placing an emphasis on Mal's name. "I'm not Aries and I have no intention of underestimating you and dying like a fool." he added disdainfully.
"That's some real nice sentiment you've got there, uh-"
"Scorpio is what they call me Fallen One and it'll be a pleasure to kill you. You are after all, a stain on our entire legacy and a perpetual thorn in our side. But that ends today. Once I've killed you and disposed of your 'Wolves' I'll drag that oversized bug back and then unwind. I wonder what Virgo is doing right now..."
"Aww man, I didn't need to hear that shit. Boss hurry up and kill this bastard so we can finish up here and get paid." Mason remarked while cringing.
"As usual, you read my mind Mason." Mal replied seriously before beginning his advance towards Scorpio. Tess gently grabbed his hand before he could proceed further.
"Make sure you aren't too banged up to celebrate later once this is over, got it?" she demanded while squeezing his hand.
Mal returned the squeeze and smiled before releasing her hand and continuing towards his opponent. "So, I'm 'The Fallen One' now, huh? What happened to all of that 'Prototype' bullshit." Mal asked flippantly while making his way forward.
"That title was given back when we all still had hope for you. It's a thing of the past now." Scorpio replied dully.
"Lie to yourself Scorpio, but don't try it with me. Leo filled you all in, didn't he? You said it yourself, you wouldn't make the same mistake of underestimating me." Mal taunted while smiling.
Scorpio simply glared at him for awhile before finally smiling himself. "That's right Fallen One, I won't." he finally replied before snapping his fingers. Within moments a trio of giant, angelic looking creatures came spiraling from the sky before landing beside Scorpio. The enormous mechanized angels each transformed their gargantuan wings into a massive shield and rifle before erecting an extraordinarily powerful set of kinetic barriers around their bodies. As if completing their preparations for battle, they also summoned a flood of nearby link invaders who promptly took the forms of a small army of minotaur units.
"Geist Units...three fucking Geist Units and an army of minotaurs. Man, the boss had better kick this bastard's ass." Mason growled angrily.
"Don't worry, my man never loses." Tess replied confidently as she and the others readied themselves for battle.
"How's that, Fallen One?" Scorpio asked snidely.
"Pretty damned impressive, actually." Mal replied calmly. "We're going enjoy breaking them and YOU." he added ominously. The Terminus Wolves were about to let loose.