Deus Ex Human Revolution is the property of Eidos/Square Enix
Mass Effect is the property of Bioware and Electronic Arts
Deus Ex is the property of Square Enix
Mass Effect: Human Revolution:
Chapter 48: In Sheep's Clothing, part 3
~[h+]~
Nathan Frost is voiced by Nolan North
Ambassador Thorman Owens is voiced by Bruce Boxleitner
Yang Wen-Li is voiced by Alessandro Juliani
Kim Tae-yeon is voiced by Christina Hendricks
The Romanian is voiced by Phil Lamarr
John Vandermark is voiced by Mark Meer
Maya Brooks is played by Ruth Negga
Chad Dumier is played by Chiwetel Eijofor
High Augur Lynn May Chen is played by Lucy Liu
Captain Robin Aubrey is played by Russell Crowe
Christoph Waltz as Dieter Bosch
Pedro Pascal as Hector Canovas
~[h+]~
"Politics makes strange bedfellows."
-Charles Dudley Warner
~[h+]~
LOAD STREAM: CITADEL NEWS
BUFFERING...
"Welcome to Citadel News. I am your host, Emily Wong. It was a sad day for C-Sec, as a ceremony was held for the late Executor Verum Pallin yesterday. The raising of his memorial obelisk marked the official end of his 20 year tenure as commander in chief of C-Sec, and the beginning of Sephtis Falsum's. Executor Falsum was not present, still deflecting the fallout of the disastrous joint C-Sec/Alliance operation on the Citadel, as well as allegations of zyme consumption and solicitation of Volus..." Wong suppressed a snicker. "...prostitutes."
The camera switched from 2 to 3, and Wong turned to face it. "Also missing from the ceremony was Livia Pallin, Verum Pallin's granddaughter, who is still missing. C-Sec has only now begun the search for her. Detective Chellick had this to say:
"Livia Pallin is unfortunately, because of the present situation, not a major priority right now. However whatever resources that we could spare have been assigned to the task of finding her."
"In other news, all of the Citadel — not to mention Citadel space — is holding its collective breath. After days of tests and deliberation, the Council is finally ready to announce who will have the distinction of being the first human Spectre. The emergency meeting has been called and set to begin in an hour. Citadel News is of course, ready to bring you live at the scene and..." Wong tapped her earpiece, and smiled. "It seems we've got some incoming breaking news. C-Sec has finally released the identity of the one they believe is responsible for the Queens Hospital bombing. An All Points Bulletin has been called for..." She became distraught, and looked at someone past the camera. "Are you sure? I mean.. are you SURE..." She took a deep breath. "An All Points Bulletin has been called for Adam Jensen... who is also believed to be responsible for the deaths of C-Sec police officers Dana Biers, Galen Tyrell and Sam Anders at the... Pallin estate debacle?! PATEL! WHAT THE (BLEEP) IS THIS—
STREAM ENDS
~[h+]~
In the vast chamber of the Presidium, all eyes were on the Council, and Sparatus' eyes were upon the five Terran Spectre candidates.
He was not a happy man at this moment. The one he had wanted to step forward and take his well deserved place had turned to terrorism. Instead, he had these:
Kim Tae-Yeon, a shapely Terran Asian pilot who enjoyed parading about in a black flight suit practically painted on her skin. The past two days had proven without the shadow of a doubt that she deserved her reputation as the Vampire Private Military Corporation's best contractor... but psychological profiling had revealed that she had some very strong sociopathic tendencies.
Elsa Devereaux would have been a better choice, Sparatus had thought at first: she was proper military, for one thing, and her record aboard a Wanzer had been just as good as Kim's. As an added bonus, she had distinguished herself against Saren's forces on Noveria. This was marred by her criminal record, which the European government had tried to suppress. It had revealed a history of substance abuse and an interesting career as a getaway driver, not to mention a rebellious attitude barely tempered by the years in service.
Nathan Frost, unlike Devereaux, had lost Sparatus' approval almost immediately. Despite his military bearing, it was obvious he was a show-off, and greatly enjoyed the attention the Spectre candidacy brought him. He was, however, rated to be a better soldier than either Devereaux or Kim.
John Vandermark. In attitude, he was the complete opposite of Frost, and while Sparatus had thought that good at first... something about the soldier in grey N7 gear unnerved the Councillor a great deal. As if he had, as humans like to put it, no soul. He had also taken part in that disaster at the Pallin estate, and as far as he was concerned, he should have been disqualified. But of course, Udina had come to his rescue, claiming the op was approved by Spectre Tarkus... and Tarkus himself had backed him up on this. Apparently Tarkus was convinced that Adam Jensen presented a threat to the security of the Citadel, after he apparently succeeded in penetrating the Spectre Affairs office's electronic security.
Finally, Yang Wen-Li. Sparatus had expected that the commander of that giant monstrosity called the Agamemnon would have a more dignified bearing, but instead he discovered that Yang Wen-Li was an wild-haired, mild-mannered eccentric who hated shoes. Sparatus hated eccentrics. Shepard had been an eccentric, though she probably thought of herself as charming.
How can any of these be worthy, Sparatus asked himself, when they're so tangled up in these... strings? And there were many strings, figuratively speaking. Every candidate was backed by a nation or organization with its own agenda on the galactic stage, and Kim was probably the most tangled up of the lot, most notably by various corporations such as Tokugawa Heavy Industries. Devereaux herself had some involvement with Europa Genomics, but Bau had cleared her of corruption by the megacorp turned bio-terrorist organization.
As Tevos went through the motions of her speech, Sparatus kept thinking. I hate these people, he thought. But even those I hate deserve to be proven worthy. How can I prove one of these worthy, beyond the shadow of a doubt? Because Vandermark is not worthy. Being the LEAST crazy of the five did not make for a good Spectre. Jensen was worthy. Jensen was dutiful, and capable, and most of all he was truly humble about it.
And now he's a criminal.
Wait.
That's it.
Let's see you crawl your way out of this one, Udina.
"Councillor Sparatus?" asked Tevos, getting worried about the cold hard stare the Turian councillor was giving Vandermark. Sparatus held his silence for ten more seconds, and finally spoke.
"Spectres are not trained, but chosen... and we face a difficult choice here. All of you have proven to be talented soldiers and pilots and commanders... but are you capable agents?"
Everyone gathered in the chamber looked at each other, confused. Sparatus was way off script. "What are you doing?!" murmured Tevos angrily.
"The Council has decided to give you this tie-breaker," Sparatus continued, ignoring her. "As you've no doubt heard, the most wanted human on earth is now a fugitive from Citadel law, and is, as far as anyone can tell, still at large on this very station. The first of you to bring Adam Jensen to C-Sec alive will have, without a doubt, proven him or herself worthy of the title of Spectre."
As far as Sparatus was concerned, two things would come of this. Either Adam killed them all, which would humiliate all of Earth and halt any talk of a human Spectre for two more decades, or one of them would actually rise to the challenge and bring Adam in so that he could explain himself.
Either way, Sparatus would be content. "You have three days," he added.
There was, of course, quite an uproar.
~[h+]~
"What in the HELL were you thinking?!"
In the Council meeting chamber, once she was safe from the onslaught of cameras and reporters, Tevos let her usual matronly veneer drop and showed some genuine anger at Sparatus' stunt. More infuriating was the fact that the Turian seemed more interested in his drink than looking at her.
"I was thinking that you were about to make a critical mistake," said Sparatus. "Someone had to stop you from making it."
"The Alliance and Vandermark are the best option for us! The Alliance is representative of all of Earth! A Spectre from any other organization would upset the balance of power!"
"Vandermark is a puppet." Sparatus spat the last word. "You've seen that aide that hovers around him? She was practically feeding him his dialogue."
"I can actually vouch for that," said Valern, who was reclining on his chair. "He's got an earpiece linked to her Omni-Tool."
"Of course he's a puppet!" Tevos threw her hands in the air. "The first human Spectre was always going to be a puppet! The point is we picked the right puppet master! We ALL agreed on the Alliance!"
Sparatus slammed his fist on the desk, shutting her up immediately. "Politics are NOT a factor in Spectre selection! Spectres are our main line of defence against complete chaos! The men and women we select must be the best of the best! And do you think I'm BLIND, Tevos?! I know you had a hand in the exams. I know you engineered the tests to allow Vandermark to come out on top!"
"...I had to at least pretend to be fair, for the sake of—"
"I know why you did it, and so I MADE it fair! These fools will earn that Spectre Status or they will DIE trying, AS THEY SHOULD! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go have and have a word with Tarkus about him attacking Pallin's home!"
Tevos stared daggers at Sparatus' back as he left.
"I have to admit, I also happen to think that Sparatus did the right thing."
The Asari groaned as she took a seat. "You can't be serious."
"The Alliance may appear as the best choice on paper, but their actions lately have me doubting their credibility as a galactic power. Let's take Udina, for example: he was chosen by the Alliance Parliament to represent their interests to us... and he's quite incompetent."
"That's putting it mildly."
"And then you've got their blatant expansion to the Traverse, in clear violation of their treaty with the Batarians. We let that one slide, since the Batarians had been a problem with their rampant slaving business, but the fact is that the Alliance has made a point to make quite a few enemies and kept the Council's relationship with Earth tense."
"So, you think that we should throw our support for one of the other power blocs?"
Valern nodded. "Personally, I think that the Coalition would be a good choice. Their society and culture is the most compatible with the Turians."
Tevos shook her head. "It would mean good relations in the short term, but the Coalition's expansionist policies are bound to cause conflict some time down the line. The European Union has quite a few socialist policies as well as a venerable culture."
"It's a shame half their cabinet and military commanders are members of the Order Church. That leaves the UNAS and the OCU..."
"The OCU is a capitalist dystopia run by megacorps like Europa Genomics and the UNAS is, from what I've told, on the verge of falling apart. None of them are suitable in the long run."
"It's a shame there are so few independent humans around. Even Terran colonists are connected to the Alliance in some way. The rest are criminals."
"Even if that weren't the case, an independent human would just make everyone angry."
"Maybe, but at least the balance of power would have been kept."
Tevos sighed, and rubbed her eyes. "I hate this. With the other races we didn't have to deal with a web of political intrigue: one government, one goal, one culture, one SPECTRE. The situation on Earth is starting to eat up all our time. If we don't resolve this soon..."
"Well, Sparatus solved this for us. Three days, remember? If the four candidates do not accomplish the task within that time period, and I strongly suspect that will be the case, then we can deny the humans a Spectre without losing face."
"And after that, we will be due for another decade of Udina complaining, this time backed up by a chorus from representatives of the UNAS, OCU, EU, and the Coalition. Does that sound appealing to you?"
Valern betrayed no emotion, even though the thought of suffering Udina for another decade triggered some very, very violent thoughts.
~[h+]~
Elsewhere on the Citadel, in a spacious private hotel dining room granted to them for the length of their evaluations, the five candidates were gathered around a table, having been summoned by none other than Commodore Yang Wen-Li, commander of the Coalition Supercarrier Agamemnon.
"I think we should work together on this," said the young officer, sitting cross-legged and barefoot on his chair.
At this, Nathan Frost simply laughed. The american soldier, wearing his Army Ranger uniform, was leaning back against his chair, his boots on the table. "Did you miss the part where this is supposed to be a competition, kid?"
Elsa simply stared at the dishevelled young man, wondering what his angle was. When she had first met him, she had been quite shocked to see that the infamous commander of the greatest warship in the Coalition Navy was in fact a lanky young man that seemed to have trouble keeping track of his shoes and his comb, and seemed to be completely lost without his assistant around. Hardly a leader of men, judging by his reputation.
Then again, a lot of people underestimated Elsa for the simple reason that she was fairly small compared to taut-bodied powerhouses like Vandermark and Frost. Thus, she was quite wary of the young Coalition officer. One did not earn the nickname 'The Miracle' for nothing.
"It stopped being a competition the minute Sparatus sent us after Jensen," stated Yang.
"Says you," countered Frost. "A bullet in the brainpan will end anyone, even a robot like Jensen, and if there's anything we got plenty of in the Army, it's bullets."
"Good plan," said Kim, sarcastically. She turned to Lieutenant Vandermark, who was sitting on his chair with his back ramrod straight. "Didn't you try something like that, Vanderbeam?"
Vandermark looked at Kim and said nothing at first, as always. It was as if he was carefully considering what to say next. "The name is Vandermark," he said, finally.
"Whatever," dismissed Kim.
"...And I have no idea what you are talking about," he added.
"What ARE you talking about?" asked Frost... and then, something dawned on him. "That mess over at that fancy kittybird's house. You're saying Jensen was there?"
"...I can neither confirm nor deny this," replied Vandermark, flatly.
"He waaaas..." Kim giggled. "And Johnny-boy here made a complete mess of things. Chased Jensen all over the Ward with a Mako II and now he has nothing to show for it."
"...Who told you this?" asked Vandermark. His tone was barely accusatory.
"Oh, a little bird," said Kim, coyly.
"If this is true," Yang said to Vandermark, as he picked on his tiny bowl of peanuts. "then you of all people should understand what we're up against. There's a very good reason Sparatus gave us this mission: He doesn't expect any of us to succeed, because he doesn't expect us to work together. If we prove him right on both counts, the Council will be quite justified in denying humanity its first Spectre."
"Okay," humoured Frost. "Let's assume we all come together and capture Jensen and bring him to the Council. Then what? Who gets to claim the credit for his capture? Everyone?"
"Sure, why not?" replied Yang.
Frost got up. "Bullshit. I know what you are. I know what you're planning. You'll just sit back while we take all the risks."
"I didn't mean—"
"Piss off, Coolie," Frost spat, and he made his way out. "There can only be one human Spectre, and I'll be damned if it's going to be you."
"Well, that could have gone better," said Kim, as she followed Frost out. Wordlessly, Elsa and Vandermark left as well, leaving Yang alone to ponder his next move in silence.
~[h+]~
"I think you should consider it," said Ambassador Katsulas. The EU diplomat had called the pilot and potential Spectre to what would be the Union's own embassy on the Citadel. It was located on the fifth floor of an office building on Zakera Ward, as the EU could not secure an office at the Citadel Embassies' building on the Presidium ring.
Katsulas, a Greek man in his late fifties, was staring out the window in what would be his office. From there he had a wonderful view of the Presidium Ring, and of the Presidium tower at its center. My new battlefield, he thought. He turned to face Elsa, who couldn't quite believe what the ambassador had just said.
"You want me to consort with the enemy?" asked Elsa, who was standing right next to him.
"I would like you to cooperate with Yang," replied Katsulas. "To try and improve the Union's relationships with the Coalition, and perhaps avoid an all-out war."
"Somehow, I doubt Yang has the political clout necessary to stop one."
"Don't be so sure. Yang is a celebrated hero, after all. And it certainly would not hurt your chances of capturing Jensen to work with a master strategist. No offense, but when I picture you going up against a mechanically augmented agent like him, I simply do not see you coming out on top."
"I've actually remedied this: I've been granted support by the Americans."
"Frost?"
"No. DARPA has agreed to rent me their prototype combat mech. I'm supposed to pick it up at the Surprise later. Having seen what it can do, I think my chances of succeeding this final test have improved considerably."
Katsulas took off his smart-glasses, took out a handkerchief from the pocket of his cream-coloured jacket, and proceeded to clean his spectacles. "Ah, yes... I've actually read your report on this 'Shadow 108'. It's not every day you read about a mech taking on a heavy weapons platform like a Zhuk single-handedly."
"You should try seeing it."
"I think I would like that," Katsulas said, smiling, as he put his glasses back on. "Still, great force of arms is only one aspect of being a Spectre. Being able to navigate a web of intrigue is another. If you need any advice on the political players on the Citadel, do let me know. My door is always open to you."
"Thank you... Actually, let's run a scenario: Assume that Yang and I work together and successfully capture Jensen. Do you think Yang would take all the credit?"
"No."
"...Wow, really?"
"Well, it depends. Yang's greatest flaws are his honesty and modesty. He would very likely give credit where credit was due. Ambassador Cherdenko, on the other hand..." Katsulas' mouth pursed, as if he tasted something sour and foul. "Cherdenko would not hesitate to make you look like a fool, and convince Yang to go along with the lie."
"Right, so I really shouldn't work with the Coalition, then."
"I did not say that. Assuming that you capture Jensen with Yang's help, it is imperative that you personally deliver him to C-Sec, loudly and publicly. It'll be very hard for Cherdenko to paint you as a fool. Basically, deal with Yang, and avoid Cherdenko like the plague."
"Not a fan of the Coolie ambassador?"
"As my grandson would say, Cherdenko is a troll. He doesn't care about Yang becoming a Spectre so long as everyone else loses. Remember that."
"I will. Excuse me, Ambassador, but I must report to the Surprise."
"Of course, of course, I understand. By the way, I spoke to High Augur Chen. She's arranged some support, and I've asked her to deliver it to the Surprise."
~[h+]~
Elsa did not like the VSE Surprise. The light carrier was a fine enough ship, of course. The issue Elsa had was with its crew. The Surprise's captain, Robin Aubrey, ran his crew like one from a pirate ship, as in the kind of pirate that sat on his ass all day drinking grog and looking mean. It also didn't help that there wasn't a single mainland European crew member aboard besides herself, Zoller, and the two new pilots assigned to the Silver Drakes. Since everyone in the Surprise's crew was from the British Isles and were not happy about losing the unification, the feeling was quite mutual.
The term 'Gaulish whore' had been whispered just outside of Elsa's hearing range.
Aubrey himself, on the other hand, had been quite courteous to her. In fact, Elsa had liked the man almost immediately: it helped that the master and commander of the Surprise seemed to be the complete opposite of Ségal in just about every way that counted. It was just a shame that she had to suffer the glares of the crew on the way to his quarters, though.
Elsa sighed as she disembarked from the shuttle. Waiting for her on the landing pad was a man in his mid-twenties, clad in red and black and a pair of vibroswords hanging from his belt.
"You are Elsa Devereaux," he said, sternly.
"That I am. And you are?"
"Knight Penitent Caim Caerleon." As he articulated every word, Elsa noted that there was a large sigil on his tongue, made of blackened, burned flesh. Elsa was no doctor, but she realized that this Caerleon should have been in agonizing pain with every vowel and consonant he pronounced. He drew his sword, and Elsa took a step back and went for her pistol.
"Peace," he said as he knelt, his sword held in reverence. "By orders of Lord General Gismor and Her Holiness Herself, I am to assist you in the capture of the Abomination Adam Jensen. Until you release me, I am yours to command. My life is yours."
~[h+]~
"Tea?" asked Captain Aubrey as he poured himself a cup. "It's camomile."
"Hold a moment," said Jondum Bau, as he checked his Omni-Tool's Toxicity App to see if he could drink the alien infusion. "...Yes," he said, once the app told him he had no reason to refuse.
"Milk and sugar?"
"Please."
Aubrey added sweetened condensed milk into another finely crafted ceramic cup atop a matching saucer, and then poured the steaming hot liquid into from a great height, producing foam. Jondum Bau observed the tea set: the fragile china painted in Moorish pattens contrasted sharply with their sturdy metallic surroundings: the interior of the VSE Surprise matched that of the Acheron, but was cleaner and more sterile. Moreover, the Surprise, being a light carrier, needed to make very efficient use of its space: as such, Captain Aubrey's cabin was a bit cramped, and even that much room was considered luxurious aboard the ship.
Bau also noted a few Terran stringed musical instruments, and wondered if Aubrey was a skilled musician. This reminded him of another detail in Devereaux's file: her grades in high school had been average, but she had excelled in music class as a violinist.
"So," said Aubrey as he sat opposite of Bau and started sipping his tea. "What brings you aboard my ship?"
"I came aboard to discuss Spectre business with Lieutenant Devereaux."
"Ah. Classified?"
"Not so much now. It concerns Adam Jensen."
"Ah, him. I take it you want to assist her in his capture?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
"Won't that be a factor in her evaluation?"
"I suppose it is no surprise if I were to tell you that Sparatus is not a fan of humanity in general, yes?"
Aubrey nodded.
"Sparatus expects every candidate to try and capture Jensen on their own, and fail. And frankly, odds are very good that they will, unless they receive assistance. And I am willing to assist Elsa: of all the candidates, she actually has the most experience fighting the Geth and she'll provide a unique skillset to the Spectres." He left the fact that he honestly didn't care about the politics of her home nation. Nihlus had said it best: Politics shouldn't factor in Spectre selection. "And since the others will fail, Elsa will be selected."
"Well, you're not lacking in confidence. But the lass is getting plenty of assistance already, I'd say."
"Oh? Who from?"
"Well, DARPA sent us some kind of prototype mech to assist Elsa with her mission. It cost my government a pretty penny, but seeing as they've written me a blank cheque to provide her with any equipment she might require, I happily obliged."
"...This mech would be painted black with some golden-bronze parts, wouldn't it?"
"I wouldn't know. It's still in its packaging."
"I see." Bau made a mental note to steal this mech the first chance he got. After all, it had some Prothean technology integrated with it. "I would have thought DARPA would be supporting either Frost or Vandermark. Why give Elsa a mech?"
"Figured this Edgar Hein fellow had a soft spot for the girl. She is kinda cute, if you haven't noticed, in a wounded bird sort of way."
Bau quirked his eyebrow, and that got a chuckle out of Aubrey.
"In any case," continued the Captain. "No sooner than I receive a package from DARPA do I get news from Ambassador Katsulas that he's arranged for a Templar anti-cyborg expert to come aboard. He's currently waiting outside the ship."
That was interesting, thought Bau. And also, very worrying. I'll have tread carefully around this Templar. He would no doubt report my every action to his masters. Perhaps I could arrange for an accident... Yes, that would be best. "...Yes, the young man with the swords. I saw him outside. Why haven't you let him in?"
"Well, I may be a God-fearing man, and I know better than to refuse a gift from Her Holiness... but this is my ship, and Templars have a bad tendency to think they're in charge because they have the best toys. Let him wait outside for now. I'll bring him in when I damn well feel like it."
"You are a member of the Order?" asked Bau, warily.
"As is much of Europe, you'll find. That doesn't mean we get along with Templars."
"Glad to hear it."
~[h+]~
AIA Agent 'Rasa', currently operating under the identity of 'Maya Brooks', had been a bit surprised when ambassador Udina had called her to his office, since as far as anyone was concerned she was little more than a personal assistant to Spectre candidate John Vandermark.
She was even more surprised when she found him waiting for her OUTSIDE his office, as the man was known to treat this bit of space as his personal little palace.
"Ah, Ms... Brooks, is it?" The diplomat greeted her when she approached. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, and Brooks had an idea as to why. Spectre Tarkus' plan to kill Adam Jensen had received Udina's full cooperation. Despite an entire squad of Alliance Marines, a Mako II tank, and the presence of an N7 class super soldier, Adam Jensen had somehow managed to escape. With Jensen still at large and now a wanted criminal (thanks to a few well placed and very fresh bodies courtesy of the Asset), it was easy to conclude that Udina fully expected the cyborg to come kill the ambassador in his sleep.
"Ah, hello, Mr. ambassador, sir," said Brooks, playing the part of a greenhorn out of her depth just about anywhere in any situation. "Did I do something wrong? No, err, I mean..."
"There's... someone interested in meeting you in my office," he said, with surprising restraint. "It's very important, and... well, please don't keep her waiting."
"...As you wish, sir..." Brooks replied with false hesitance.
The door slid open, and as she stepped through the threshold she was shocked to be suddenly staring at two rows of fangs inside the mouth of a pale face, cloaked in black cloth. From behind those teeth came a hungry hiss, and Brooks took a step back.
"Not need to be scared," said an Asari in an elegant armoured red robe staring out of the balcony, with an entire entourage of Asari in matching armour waiting patiently around her. She turned around, and gave Brooks a slight, but disarmingly warm smile. "Forgive Coronis, Ms. Brooks," said the Asari in the red dress, beckoning Brooks to approach. "She likes to stand near doors and say boo. Please, have a seat."
"I'm ah... I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage..." stated Brooks nervously, as she took a seat, her eyes keeping track of the thin, cloaked figure.
"You may call me Amelyssan, Ms. Brooks."
"Amelyssan... okay. May I... may I ask why you've called me here?"
"Of course." Amelyssan paced around Brooks. "I simply wanted to negotiate a deal that would greatly benefit the Alliance."
"Oh! Well..." Brooks made herself seem flustered. "Well, that's much more Mr. Udina's thing than mine, I just handle phone calls, and the like, and..."
"It was obvious that Amelyssan was not buying Brooks's act. "Tell your immediate superior — Vandermark, was it? — tell Vandermark that the Justicars are more than willing to help capture this fugitive he's so interested in at the moment... assuming, of course, our conditions are met."
"I'm sorry, the Justicars?"
"...Please, Ms. Brooks, you can't be as ignorant as you seem... "Amelyssan held her gaze for a moment, then continued. "...but since you insist on being so, very well... let's just say that the Justicar Order is a very influential group, and that we have at our disposal some of the most powerful biotics in the galaxy — which you can certainly use, at the moment — and that we're willing to put them at your disposal."
"For Adam Jensen's capture..."
"Yes."
"And what would those conditions be, exactly?"
Amelyssan nodded at one of the Justicars in her entourage, who proceeded to hand Brooks a datapad. On it was the picture of an albino Asari, along with a suspiciously brief profile.
"This is Manah T'soni, a serial killer, and we need your assistance in capturing her."
"You do?"
"Unfortunately. You see, T'soni has an uncanny ability to... what's the human expression? Wrap people around her finger? She's managed to seduce several people into keeping her from justice. Her most recent conquest is this man..."
The data on the pad scrolled down, and showed the profile of one Marcus Tan Aderyn, a Private in the US Marine Corps. She had to contain her surprise and anger when she realized that Marcus was, in fact, an alien. The Marines were recruiting aliens, now? she thought. This warrants some investigation... and action.
"Marcus Tan Aderyn..." continued Amelyssan, "...has disguised T'soni as a human girl and hid her aboard the Durendal... which we cannot enter without causing some diplomatic trouble. Bring her to us, unharmed and unspoiled, and when Vandermark confronts Adam Jensen once again, he will have six Justicars at his back to help him."
"...Well, I doubt my superiors will go for such a deal. I mean, we do have our own biotics!" Despite herself, Brooks couldn't help but think of this as a point of pride. After all, human biotics — thanks to Subject Zero and the recent rediscovery of pre-Collapse cybernetics — have enjoyed a rate of improvement far above which has ever been recorded by the any other sapient race in the galaxy. "And they're very good!"
"Oh really?" asked Amelyssan, with disingenuous curiosity, her expression slightly amused, as always. "Then perhaps your... superiors need to have a look at that video file?" She pointed again at the datapad, and Brooks quickly found that file that the Asari in red was talking about.
"Who's thirsty?!" shouted Adam in the video. Almost immediately the vending machine impacted against the Mako II's side, sending it flipping sideways and onto its back. The two biotics on Vandermark's team had not reacted in time, and when they tried to stop the old aircar in mid-air, there had been two gunshots as Jensen shot them in the kneecaps, stopping them immediately. This was most certainly not the Alliance's finest hour.
What Brooks found troubling, however, was that the video was shot from the point of view of a marine — one Ashley Williams, according to the text at the bottom — and she quickly wondered how these Asari had gotten their hands on it. She took a mental note for the AIA to double check their security.
"Well," Brooks began, "I think my superiors are going to ask me, 'how are these Asari any better?'"
Amelyssan barely moved as her body flared with dark energy, and Brooks felt her hidden pistol move out of her sleeve. The hold out weapon was not impressive, but sturdy and reliable. And, again with hardly a movement, the aura shifted into the gun, now held aloft in front of Brooks.
A split second later, it crumpled into a perfect little marble of metal and polymers.
Brooks tried not to gulp as the marble dropped into her hand. "...I think my superiors might very well be interested in this arrangement."
"Glad to hear it," replied Amelyssan.
~[h+]~
In the main hangar bay, Sub-Lieutenant Dieter 'Jaeger' Bosch groomed his Combover Fade with the help of a mirror hung on the side of his Nachtvogel light Wanzer's calf. His long time friend, Midshipman Hector 'Trovador' Canovas, was sleeping in a hammock set up between his Serpent medium Wanzer's legs. Everyone that ever met them thought the duo odd: Bosch carried himself like a dandy, while Canovas seemed like quite the scruffy rogue. Some had thought they might have been lovers, and while Canovas was not against the idea, Bosch was a happily married man, and Canovas was far too respectful of his friend to try entering into an adulterous relationship.
"So, what do you think about our new Lieutenant?" asked Bosch as he finally tucked his ivory comb in his pocket. The duo, after a brief separation, had been reunited to be part of the elite Silver Drakes unit. Bosch would serve as a recon scout, while Canovas would be providing electronic and long range missile support. Thus, it made sense to ask what Hector thought of their commanding officer.
"I think she's French," said Canovas, suggestively. Canovas had a fondness for French women, as more often than not they straddled that wonderful line between slutty and classy. If only their men were the same, he had often thought to himself. Thankfully, the British had an ample supply of classy men. "Honestly," said Canovas, "this assignment is turning out to be a dream come true."
"I know what you mean, but it's not what I meant. Do you think she's got what it takes to be one of those, ah, 'Spectres'?"
"I honestly don't care," yawned out the Chilean pilot as he got out of his hammock, rubbing his curly black hair and beard while he yawned. "I mean it's not like we were given a chance to know her intimately. She said hello, we said hello, and then she went to her quarters."
"Well, I happened to have studied her dossier quite extensively."
"And?"
"I think she has it in her. She'll obviously need help, however."
"Yes, I hear Jensen's quite the beast."
"That's... not quite what I meant, actually. What I meant was that the job sounds positively stressful. I don't suppose you can remedy that, hm?"
"I'm working on it, really!" Canovas laughed, but the truth was that Devereaux did not seem in the mood for romance. "Speaking of help. I think they're about to open that box they got from DARPA."
"Are they?" Bosch followed Canovas' finger, pointed at an approaching party — composed of Devereaux, an alien, a Templar, and the captain — that was making its way towards the dull black box that had been delivered to the Surprise. The senior members of the Drakes, including Zoller, passed the new transfers by. "Is it time?" he asked them.
"Aye, it is," said Taggart the Scotsman, tersely.
Bosch and Canovas strode towards the group, walking alongside them. "You seem a little unhappy, mister Taggart," noted Canovas.
"Of course I'm bloody unhappy. We're about to have a bloody ROBOT in our midst."
"Hey, don't knock the robot," said Hermes. "I'm actually looking forward to seeing that thing again. Wonder if it comes with that dog..."
"What are we, the bloody Coalition?" Taggart gave Hermes a dirty look. "Because they love their robots too, the bloody red bastards."
"I see nothing wrong with us having the Shadow 108 around," said Zoller. Bosch had taken a liking to the young pilot when they were introduced, as he reminded him of his own son. "In fact," Zoller continued, "I do recall it helped us overcome the Krogan Zhuk..."
"You don't bloody separate soldiers from the battlefield!" countered Taggart, angrily. "And you certainly don't get soulless machines to do the fighting for them!"
"I thought we were sailors?" quipped Bosch. "Making soulless machines fight for us is pretty much our job description, no?"
"Heathens. Heathens, the lot of ye." But of course, Taggart's grumbling had been quickly drowned out by the laughter of the rest of the Silver Drakes.
~[h+]~
"Well now!" bellowed Captain Aubrey to his crew, who had gravitated around the mysterious black box. "Looks like we've got quite the crowd gathering!"
"Just hoping for our share of the loot, sir!" shouted one of the sailors, which got a chuckle out of everyone present... all, save for Elsa, who had wanted this 'unboxing' to be a private affair and was not happy to have an audience.
"Now, hold on, gentlemen!" said Aubrey as he stepped on an ammo crate. "This box and what's inside of it are still very much the property of the yanks! They loaned it to us, see? And they're not going to be happy with us unless we give it back in pristine condition. That means nobody draws graffiti on it, nobody does anything lewd with it, nobody draws lewd graffiti on it, and nobody pees on it." Aubrey pointed at someone in the crowd. "That means YOU, Merrick!"
"Aw man!" responded Merrick, and the chuckles became roaring laughter.
"Settle down, sailors!" Aubrey waited for the laughter to die down, then turned to Lieutenant Deveraux. "Lieutenant, would you care to do the honours and show these men what the fuss is about?"
Elsa stepped up to the large rectangular crate, which was made out of smooth titanium, painted black. A thin seam ran up the middle of it, separating the white DARPA logo printed on the front of it in two. It looked like a corporate coffin, and while that unsettled her a bit, she found herself feeling a bit... thrilled? happy? She couldn't quite decide, but it made her eager to get this over with.
She input the code she had been given on a slip of paper into a haptic interface that had activated as soon as she approached. She heard something click, and whirr, and awkwardly waited for a few seconds as nothing else happened.
And then, the fireworks burst from the top of box, showering the area with sparks. A pre-recorded orchestral tune came on, which everyone could agree felt very American and very patriotic, and made them want to salute the UNAS flag, and defend their mum's pies from giant, freedom-hating monsters.
"Where IS that song from?" wondered Basch out loud.
"I think I rather like DARPA." Canovas smiled. "Who runs it?"
The little fanfare died down quickly, and the final locks made a loud clack as they became loose. The coffin's doors opened like an obsidian triptych, to reveal the Shadow 108 Mech, strapped inside a man-shaped indentation. Elsa was a bit surprised, as it was evident that 'Shadow' had been given a few upgrades. The armour was different, and the helmet had a polarized visor. Besides the mech, nestled in memory foam, was a small arsenal of rifles, handguns, and blades.
Aubrey and the Silver Drakes (save for Taggart, of course) let out an impressed whistle, while the rest of the crew let out various whoas and oohs and aahs. Caim, in contrast, let out a shout of fury.
"Abomination!"
Popola sang as Caim drew her from her scabbard, ready to finish what she had started back on Caleston.
~[h+]~
CODEX ENTRY: EARTH: OCEANIC COOPERATIVE UNION: MILITARY
In the early days of the OCU, Australia and Japan had managed to create and maintain a standing army dedicated to the furthering of their interests abroad, particularly in Asia. Over the past century, as the WTO began to have more and more influence in Japan and the OCU's culture became more and more centered around corporations and consumerism, its military became more and more privatized. Currently, the OCU's defense budget is primarily divided between Bulwark Defense, Aegis Risk Control, and Defiance Aerospace. Other, smaller, but elite companies, such as Vampire and Carrion Crow, handle sensitive covert ops in enemy territory.
The OCU's PMCs all use similar tactics on land, air, sea, and space, due in part to the fact that their primary military hardware provider is Tokugawa Heavy Industries. Masters of electronic warfare and hit and fade tactics, their opening moves involve subverting or jamming enemy communications and sensors, followed up with an impressive salvo of missiles (often called the Missile Massacre), then moving in for the up-close kill in the resulting confusion.
Logistical strain is typically relieved by scavenging enemy equipment, making OCU military units quite eclectic.
~[h+]~
CODEX ENTRY: EARTH: COALITION OF COMMUNIST STATES: MILITARY
Individually, Coalition vehicles and equipment are not as reliable as Europe's, or as advanced as the OCU's, or as powerful as the UNAS's. This is due to a design philosophy that stresses ease of manufacturing and maintenance. This is made up for by the Coalition's incredible industrial output, as the Red Army and Red Navy boast numbers that can nearly match that of the Turian Military. Furthermore, Coalition carriers are designed to be mobile factories, allowing them to establish a small industrial economy in a short amount of time, assuming the local resources are abundant.
The Coalition's military doctrine involves overwhelming the enemy with vast numbers of mechs (such as the Georgie) and drones (such as the Strelka), before moving in with their vast main force. These VI operated units are sometimes directly and remotely controlled by elite soldiers and pilots, when programming limitations prevent the drones from accomplishing their objectives.
Despite this reliance on large numbers, the Coalition does invest in elite units, such as the Zhuk series of mobile weapon platforms, the Lei Gong class super battleships, the Xie Feng multi-role fighter and the Lenin class supercarrier (see: Agamemnon)
"We are never outnumbered." -General Jing Ju
"They are, on occasion, outgunned and outmanoeuvred." -Colonel Edgar Hein
~[h+]~
Author's notes: I have no idea if you can serve Camomile tea Moroccan style, or even if it tastes good.
Okay, short chapter this month, with apologies. Truth is, I'm kind of running out of steam for this story, having worked on it and nothing else for so long, and I decided to put it on hold while I work on a Star Wars / Shadowrun crossover. I'll be working on it on Spacebattles, so watch that space for me.
