Alright, and now we begin the next chapter of this fic. This time, we're going to take a brief glimpse at the Republic side of things and how things are going in their state of affairs. We'll be back with Teridax and co soon though, so this is basically the calm before the storm. But let's just dive in.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bionicle, Halo, Star Wars, Mass Effect, Metroid, the MCU or anything else that appears in this story.
Mata Nui stood on the beach of the island bearing his namesake, right next to the Great Telescope. He could understand why Turaga Vakama (and later the Supreme Commander) enjoyed coming out here when they had a chance to relax: the view was absolutely beautiful.
As the sun set, Mata Nui thought back through the last few years, and the events that hadn't been so relaxing. The death of both Makuta and Palpatine had marked the end of the Shadow Conflicts, but the aftermath had left quite a mess to clean up.
The First Order in particular hadn't wanted to go quietly, and while they agreed to a ceasefire, it initially seemed like they might be building up their strength to start another conflict in time.
However, General Hux was not Palpatine. He didn't have the same charisma or aura of fear that the Sith Lord had that allowed the First Order to gain the foothold it had in the wake of the Tidal Wave.
Furthermore, the denizens of the galaxy and all the territory the First Order controlled hadn't been thrilled about getting dragged into a war with the Republic. It all culminated with the aid of the Empire of the Hand, where Thrawn and Jagged Fel offered a new approach and a fresh perspective.
This, combined with the fact that the GA was still intact enough to easily switch back to Democracy, led to the First Order rapidly losing popularity and allowing Fel to take the reins of the First Order from Hux in a relatively bloodless coup.
Though the young pilot and husband of Jaina Solo was annoyed about being forced into being the leader of the Empire again, he also understood the necessity of it all, and under his leadership, the Galactic Alliance and Imperial remnant flourished once more.
That left the Republic to deal with the remnants of First Order loyalists and Makuta's holdout forces where they popped up. This, combined with rebuilding from all the damage during the Shadow Conflicts, left Mata Nui and the Republic rather busy.
It had definitely been a trying time, especially since the Great Spirit had to use his giant robot body more often than he would have liked. But it allowed them to stop rogue fleets and compel most of the holdouts to surrender with a minimal loss of life.
And now, after ten long years, the work was more or less completed. And though the Republic would never reach the same heights they had enjoyed prior to the Tidal Wave, the fact that the multiverse was truly at peace was more than enough reason to celebrate.
"It's a beautiful view." Mata Nui turned to see Ackar walking up behind him, chuckling to himself. "After 100,000 years, it's easy to forget sometimes."
"True enough." Mata Nui turned back to the ocean as Ackar came to stand beside him. "When you fight for so long, you often forget just what you're fighting for."
"And it's always a good idea to be reminded." Ackar finished with a smile.
The two comrades said nothing else, simply enjoying the sound of crashing waves in blissful silence as the sun set over the horizon. However, the peace and quiet was eventually brought to an end when their comms activated, signalling an incoming call. Mata Nui quickly answered upon seeing who it was.
"Helryx?"
"There's been news on Samus' end." The First Toa said quickly, getting right down to business. "She may have narrowed down Dark Samus' location."
...
She was getting desperate. That much was clear. Hiding in the Fringes, beguiling anyone she could to serve as her minions, looking for any way to halt the Hunter at her heels.
Salem had been imprisoned. She had been kept inside a Toa Seal, suspended and unable to act to escape herself. She may have been immortal, but that wouldn't help her. And now without the help, Dark Samus was more vulnerable than ever.
And now Samus was here, on this unnamed world surrounded by surprisingly lush grasslands. There had been signs of some sort of human habitation on this planet, as an outpost run by mercs was present, operational but abandoned.
And now Dark Samus was here, for what reason, Samus couldn't be sure. Her gunship had pinpointed Dark Samus' location to within 20 kilometers, but something her doppelganger had was keeping her from narrowing the location down any further.
So now Samus had to search the region on foot, something she was admittedly far too used to by now. Still, it gave her the chance to appreciate the sanctity of life wherever she found it, and even a backwater like this was no exception.
Rustling in the tall grass brought her arm cannon pointed in the direction it was coming from. A four legged creature that looked like a cross between a large cat and dog emerged in front of her, looking at Samus in curiosity.
Still, Samus didn't lower her arm cannon until she scanned the creature and determined that it wasn't hostile, nor could it potentially do any meaningful damage to her or the suit.
She bent down and held her left arm out, otherwise standing perfectly still. The animal slowly approached and sniffed her outstretched hand, eventually licking it as the tension left its gait.
She stood up slightly and petted the creature. It purred and rubbed itself against her leg before being frightened by a sound behind her. As the animal ran off, Samus turned and aimed her arm cannon at the disturbance, which turned out to be a flaming portal. She lowered her weapon upon seeing who it was.
"Samus Aran, in the flesh." A man wearing blue robes and a red cloak emerged from the dimensional rift that closed behind him. "I've heard quite a few good things about you."
"Doctor Strange." Samus greeted, eyes narrowed behind her visor. "I'm surprised to see you here. Forgive my bluntness, but why are you here?"
"I'm here to help you destroy Dark Samus." The Master of the Mystic Arts said, steel in his voice. "For good."
"Well, I'm hardly going to turn down an offer like that." She admitted. Given the Chozo's own proficiency with magic, Samus knew exactly how dangerous and how useful the Mystical Arts could be. Still she had to ask. "But why the sudden interest?"
"I had a vision, granted by the Mask of Time." Strange said after a moment of hesitation. "In it, Dark Samus was what allowed the Flood to return and cause the end of all reality as we know it."
"Alright then." Samus said simply, turning away towards a formation of rocks in the distance.
"That's it?" Strange asked, an eyebrow raised. "You're not going to question me about it or ask the details about what needs to be done?"
"I'm not Tony Stark, Doctor." Samus paused and looked back to Strange. "I know quite well just how useful magic is, and I know that future sight is not always the clearest when it comes to accuracy. As I said, I'm not going to turn down your offer. And if you would personally come here, then I believe you when you say the warnings are grave."
"That's certainly comforting." Strange said, moving to follow Samus, who had turned around to face him.
"That said, you're going to follow my lead when it comes to facing her, understood?" Her tone caused Strange to freeze mid step. "I know you're an accomplished sorcerer, but make no mistake, Dark Samus is extremely dangerous."
"Very well." The Cloak of Levitation lifted the Doctor a meter off the ground, hovering overhead. "Shall we go?"
...
The two unlikely allies slowly made their way towards the formation of rocks and mountainous terrain in the distance, which the readings from Samus' ship suggested was where the Phazon Clone was.
They were slowed down by Samus' tendency to stop as all sorts of wildlife came near them, despite Strange's offer of making them invisible to the wildlife's senses. Instead, Samus would stop, stare at them for a moment, then move on. Eventually, Strange's curiosity got the better of him.
"What are you doing?"
"Cataloging species." Upon seeing Strange's confusion, Samus shrugged. "We all have our hobbies. Plus, it also helps me determine whether Dark Samus has been experimenting with Phazon on these creatures."
"I see." Strange paused before speaking again. "I have to admit, your Republic profile is extensive regarding your previous history. But it doesn't really say anything about you as a person."
"That's not saying much." Samus shook her head. "Your profile doesn't say anything about you as a person either."
"You just love having an aura of mystery about yourself, don't you?" Strange snarked, causing Samus to turn back to him. "This whole, mysterious lone wolf warrior thing you have going on?"
"Everyone always says that." Samus sighed. "The Avengers said the exact same thing during our sparring session."
"I heard about that." Strange said. "Apparently, you beat up Thor and Iron Man at the same time?"
"Exaggeration. I never sparred against them at the same time." Samus waved her hand dismissively. "Besides, I'm not good enough to take on a God out of armor."
"But in armor?" Strange asked. Samus' silence spoke volumes, then an almost wistful smile appeared on her face.
"It wouldn't be the first time I fought a God."
The routine continued for a little while longer, as the sun began to set in the backdrop. As the grasslands disappeared and the terrain became a bit more rocky, Samus paused and began tapping controls on her arm cannon, body language noticeably frustrated.
"Problem?"
"My ship's scanners aren't able to pinpoint her exact location." Samus replied, before turning back to him. "I don't suppose you have a spell that could help with that?"
"I might." Golden mandalas appeared around Strange's hands as he sent a pulse of magical energy into the rocky region. The spell quickly came back with results. "There's definitely some powerful energy coming from this place. And it's close. Very close."
"She's definitely here then." Samus turned back to the cliffs, her free hand on her arm cannon. "Be ready."
Samus' footsteps became eerily quiet while Strange made sure to keep hovering over the ground thanks to his Cloak, not wanting to alert the Phazon Clone until they were ready. Soon, they rounded a bend in the maze of rocks and spotted their quarry.
Dark Samus had her back to them, and was floating in front of a strange machine, with lines of Phazon running over the surface of it. According to Samus' scan visor, it doubled as both a comms tower and a jamming device, which certainly explained why Samus had been having difficulty pinning her down.
Samus turned to Strange and gave a silent gesture. Strange nodded and began moving off to the side, to reach a better flanking position. Suddenly Dark Samus spun around, unleashing a barrage of Phazon bolts as she did.
Samus leapt to the side while Strange managed to narrowly avoid getting struck. As the two doppelgangers pointed their arm cannons at each other, Strange gestured and suddenly the entire area around them appeared distorted, as if in panes of glass.
"What was that?" Samus asked, even as she fired on Dark Samus with a Super Missile.
"We're in the Mirror Dimension." He replied, creating a magical shield that blocked Dark Samus' blast that was aimed at him. "With any luck, she won't be able to escape." Strange punctuated that statement with a magical blast of lightning that struck Dark Samus, causing her to start fading.
Now concerned, Dark Samus attempted to flee by generating a portal, but Strange's plan was working. The Mirror Dimension's nature made it difficult for the Phazon Clone to create a portal out, especially in her weakened state.
A charged shot struck Dark Samus in the back, disrupting her efforts even further. The Dark Hunter shifted into morph ball mode and boosted into Samus, sending the orange clad Hunter flying and disorienting her.
Dark Samus shifted back to normal and aimed her arm cannon at her, but her aim was thrown off when crimson bands suddenly appeared around the cannon, pulling it away as Strange did.
With her nemesis distracted, Samus fired off the Sonic Boom. The resulting impact cracked reality itself, creating a ripple of distortion throughout the Mirror Dimension and causing Dark Samus to shatter as well.
Her echoing scream could be heard throughout the dimension as Dark Samus fell apart. It was different from normal, however. The Phazon Clone's scream was longer and drawn out, sounding like she was in agony.
As Samus watched, even the Phazon particles seemed to be dissipating rather than trying to coalesce as they normally did. It was working. After so many years of hunting down Dark Samus, wearing her down with battle after battle, it had finally taken its toll, beyond what her duplicate could withstand.
"Did it work?" Strange asked, floating down beside her. "Is she gone?"
"I've thought her dead often enough to wonder that myself." Samus noted, scanning the area with her visor. "Still, for the moment, it would appear so."
As she spoke, Strange gestured with his hands and opened a portal with his sling ring. The two of them walked through and exited the Mirror Dimension, with Strange looking around.
"So... it's over?" The Doctor asked. "I have to say, that felt a bit anti-climactic."
"After what she's done before, I'm good with an anti-climax." Samus replied, before turning to the jamming tower. "Besides, we're not done quite yet. There's still the matter of just what she was trying to accomplish here."
The device was no longer covered in Phazon, lending further credence to the idea that her foe was really dead this time. But the terminal on the device was still active. All that was left on the terminal was a stylized image of an eye. From the set up, it looked like Dark Samus was trying to make a call.
"She was trying to contact someone or something called the Iris." Samus reported, running her Scan visor over the machine and the Terminal especially. "Either the call couldn't connect or we interrupted her, I can't tell."
"And I'm guessing you've never heard of this 'Iris' before?" Strange asked.
"Presuming Dark Samus wasn't trying to call the wife of the Flash, no I haven't." Samus shook her head. "If Dark Samus was trying to call them, though, then it must have something to do with the Gravemind."
"Another hidden servant of the Flood?" Strange asked, narrowly keeping himself from shuddering. "That's not a good sign."
"No, but I'm not sure how alarmed we need to be." Samus turned away from the terminal. "Between Salem's capture and her own dwindling power, my doppelganger was growing desperate. From everything I can tell, that could either mean Dark Samus was afraid of whoever this is, or more likely, turned to this one because she had no other choice." Samus pressed a few buttons on her arm cannon as she spoke.
"Either way, it doesn't matter." She said, as the roaring engines of her gunship could be heard in the distance. "I intend to see this through to the end."
"Then so will I." Strange said, even as the gunship approached.
Samus smirked as her suit vanished in a flash, leaving her in her Zero Suit as the ship touched down and the elevator opened. She gestured to the open lift invitingly as Strange eyed the ship.
"Then welcome aboard, Doctor."
...
Commander Shepard looked over the galaxy map, musing over the events that had taken place during the last several years. With the end of the Shadow Conflicts, the Normandy crew was not nearly as busy as they used to be.
Though in truth, Shepard and his crew had been unfortunately benched towards the end of it, especially after the raid on the Ark and the Republic's subsequent recovery of the Normandy. The Commander and his crew had been put into quarantine by the Republic as they underwent rigorous tests.
They didn't know why Teridax had left them alive, which had been a cause for suspicion. Because of this, they had been forced to remain out of the final battle at Spherus Magna, for fear of whatever Makuta may have done rearing its head.
Shepard could certainly understand the necessity of it all, but it was still unpleasant to be forced to watch the final battle from the sidelines and be unable to do anything to help them.
Still, it all worked out in the end. The Republic had cleared them to return to active duty, having found no trace of of any taint from Teridax. And the aftermath of the war had meant that they were all still pretty busy, as Shepard's talents had proven useful many times.
Now though, there wasn't much left to do. The Normandy was basically cruising at the edges of the Fringes, patrolling for any signs of trouble. The lack of action could have been irritating, but in truth, Shepard was already planning on retiring.
After so many years of this, from the Reapers, to the Flood, to the Makuta, the Commander could safely say that he had enough conflict to last a lifetime. Liara was certainly onboard with the idea, bringing a smile to Shepard's face as he looked at his wedding ring.
Of course, the quiet and peaceful moment was interrupted when EDI spoke over the intercom, drawing the attention of the rest of Shepard's crew nearby as she gave her latest report.
"What's the word, EDI?"
"The Geth have been detected out in the Fringes." EDI said, a noticeable dark tone in her voice. "From what I can determine in the preliminary scans, they seem to be attacking isolated Earths."
"That's not like them." Garrus noted in confusion. "We know they wouldn't just do this."
"Not without some sort of push, anyway." Javik scowled, crossing his arms. "Serving the Reapers or the Flood, for starters."
"It seems the Logic Plague wasn't completely removed from their software." Ventress agreed.
"Regardless, we need to investigate this." Shepard turned back to the galaxy map. "Joker, set a course for their latest attack site."
"Aye, aye."
"And EDI, alert Grand Admiral Thrawn. We're likely going to need his support if it comes to a fleet battle."
"Acknowledged."
...
In the dark recesses of the lair, the Forerunner Monitor teleported in, humming quietly as he floated through the shadows of his master's preferred dwelling. The AI wasn't sure why his new master was such a fan of shadows, but it wasn't his role to complain.
The only light source in the room, besides a few sickly green glowing pillars, was a wall filled with holographic screens. The Shadow Titan form was standing in front of the screens now and as the Monitor approached, he could also see what his master was seeing.
Teridax watched through the eyes of the Normandy crew, his unwitting spies into the Republic's operations. His servants hadn't known why he had kept Shepard and his crew alive all those years ago, when they had hijacked the Normandy.
Of course, without them, he wouldn't have nearly as much knowledge of what the Republic was doing as he did now. Nor would he have heard of this latest development in the Fringes.
"Your methods of subterfuge are certainly effective." The Monitor commented. "Though I must admit, that these Geth are under the sway of the Logic Plague is cause for alarm."
"I don't think they are." Teridax frowned, looking over the screen. "They only seem to be targeting human held worlds, primarily ones that are technologically advanced and highly computer dependent. There seems to be something else guiding them."
"Perhaps." The Monitor did its equivalent of a shrug. "In any event, the transmitter field you requested is complete, but the range is severely limited. Even assuming you are able to get what you need, we will be unable to transmit it everywhere at once."
"It doesn't matter." Teridax turned away, activating a portal as he walked towards it. "One way or another, this will work. In the meantime, I am going to investigate these new attacks."
Teridax stepped through the portal, which vanished behind him. Leaving the Monitor alone and shrouded in darkness.
And I suppose that's the end of this chapter. Quite a few things happened, like Dark Samus' death and the aftermath, the Normandy crew discovering the latest threat to the multiverse, and Teridax scheming as usual. And of course, he has an actual plan, which is the signal to be very, very afraid.
Anyway, we're going to continue with these plot points later on. Full disclosure, I do plan on adding a few new works of fiction to my established multiverse in this story, some of which may just be cameos, while others will play a much more critical role later on.
With all that said, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and reviews are always welcome.