And so it is time to begin the next chapter. This next chapter will be dealing with the news from the last chapter, where the last Yuuzhan Vong ship is heading to Meridian. We've also got Anita Goyle exposed as the Benefactor and locked up, so we'll be seeing some of that as well.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Mass Effect: Andromeda.
With the news of a Yuuzhan Vong vessel intending to head to Meridian, Scott had wasted no time in alerting the Hyperion and all the allied forces present on the artificial construct of the likely incursion.
They wasted no time in prepping the defenses on the Jardaan station, with Remnant drones activated and ready to repel any incursions. Meanwhile, the rudimentary Angaran navy dispatched a few of their newly made warships to aid in the defense, as did the Initiative.
Combine that with the automated Jardaan ships that remained on station since the Battle of Meridian and the Sith's escape, and it was clear that the Vong would be hard pressed to actually bypass the defenses directly, especially now that the allies knew just how to destroy the Vong vessel, as well as knowing how many there were.
Of course, that didn't rule infiltration out, especially after what happened on the Nexus, so any incoming ships and their passengers were being screened heavily to ensure that there wasn't a repeat of that incident.
Of course, that left one Yuuzhan Vong ship unaccounted for, so Neral dispatched scout ships from the Impassive to see if they could narrow down its location. But at the moment, the Tempest crew didn't have anything pressing to do, not without any actual leads on the presence of the Vong.
And so, they turned their attention to the second significant event that had happened at the same time; the capture of Anita Goyle, better known as the Benefactor. The team gathered in the comms room while Kota, Kandros and Neral were present via hologram.
"Has she said anything?" Ahsoka asked, cutting right to the question that everyone was wondering. Kota shook his head.
"She woke up from the stun bolt a few minutes ago, but so far she refuses to speak to anyone." Kandros explained. "We're keeping her presence quiet for now, at least until we have some idea of what to tell everyone."
"That includes from Kesh, Tann and Addison, I presume?" Neral asked, to which the other two nodded.
"Seems kinda unnecessary, don't you think?" Sara pointed out. "I understand not telling the general populace, but even keeping our leaders in the dark?"
"Despite her capture, I sense Goyle is still hiding something." Kota explained. "She seems too calm for someone who's just been pulled into the light against their will. I wouldn't be surprised if she has more contingencies that we've yet to uncover."
"Makes sense." Scott scratched his chin. "Given what I saw from my dad's memories, I wouldn't put it past her to have something else hidden away."
"Precisely." The Jedi Master nodded. "We're going to keep her under armed guard and away from the general population until we know more about what she's hiding."
"We're heading back to the Nexus right now." Ahsoka spoke up.
"Glad to hear it." Kandros nodded. "Perhaps you'll be able to get more information out of her than we can."
"We'll certainly do our best." Kota replied, before turning back to the others. "As for the Yuuzhan Vong, we'll keep our eyes open, but for now, there's not much else we can do."
"Which is more than a little frustrating." Drack clenched his fist as he spoke. "I wanna make sure they're buried in the ground for good."
"Easy there, big guy." Vetra said, patting his arm. "You'll get your chance soon enough."
"I have a feeling we're going to be needing a lot of patience before that happens." Scott sighed. "So, if there's nothing else, we'll see you back on the Nexus."
...
Once their conversation with the Tempest crew had ended, Kota and Kandros immediately headed back to Goyle's cell guarded by several Stormtroopers, where the ex-Alliance ambassador was waiting, simply standing up with her arms crossed.
"I was wondering when you'd get back to me." Goyle said, a smug smirk on her face. "I was beginning to think I'd been forgotten, Master Jedi. And you, Director Kandros, it's hardly polite to keep your guests waiting."
"I don't think you understand the position you're in, Ambassador." Kandros crossed his arms in turn. "Or would you prefer Benefactor?"
"I'll stick with Anita. It's been so long since I could use my real name." She shook her head. "I must say, you're doing a much better job than Sloane Kelly ever did. Though I never thought you'd defer to an old blind man."
"You know you're not fooling me, right?" Kota spoke up for the first time. "I can sense your fear behind that mask of bravado."
"So you can, Jedi." Goyle's smirk briefly dropped to a scowl. "I knew I should have had you and Alec's children killed when I had the chance."
"And yet you didn't." Kota shook his head. "Though since we're on this topic, why did you kill Jien Garson? What did she do to deserve what you did to her?"
"She was getting a little too close to things she wasn't supposed to know." Goyle's smirk returned. "So, she had to be silenced. I wish it hadn't come to that, but I had no choice."
"You could have just come clean." Kandros growled. "Why the secrecy? What's the point of hiding so much?"
"That's a bit hypocritical, don't you think, Tiran?" The Benefactor turned her gaze to the turian. "After all, did you tell anyone why you really joined the Initiative? Your real mission-"
"Spare me the attempt at dividing us." Kota snarked. "It's not going to work."
"Oh really. And did you tell them of the Initiative's real purpose? After all, you know. You, Ryder, his little crew, and your fellow Jedi all know what the Initiative was made for."
"You mean turning them into your own personal kingdom?" Kota quickly redirected. "That is why you're here, is it not? What your goal actually is? I don't see any other reason you'd be foolish enough to ally with Sith, and try to use the Yuuzhan Vong as your own personal assassins."
"Yes, in hindsight, that may not have been my wisest decision." Goyle shook her head. "But let's stick to the topic at hand, shall we?"
"And what topic would that be?" Kandros all but growled, clearly running out of patience. "We're not here to play games."
"Very well." Goyle once more looked back at Kandros. "Have you ever wondered why you haven't heard anything from the Milky Way? The Initiative has QECs that were set up so that we could contact our homes. Yet, there hasn't been a word. They haven't responded to our hails, nor have they sent any signals of their own."
"And you know something about that, then?"
"Oh not just me." Goyle casually answered Kandros' biting tone as she gestured to Kota. "Our esteemed General Kota knows. And if my info is correct, so does Lady Tano, Pathfinder Ryder, Lieutenant Harper, Jaal ama Darav, Nakmor Drack and all of that little band of misfits on the Tempest. Hell, if you don't believe me, ask SAM. He's the one who has the logs of what we discussed-"
"I believe that will be all." Kota said abruptly, waving his hand and causing Goyle to fall asleep in his hurry to keep her quiet. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Kandros as he caught her and laid her down on her bed.
"General, what was she talking about?" The head of the Nexus Militia asked. "You know something about this. And don't try to deny it."
"I won't." The Jedi Master sighed, knowing that it was a futile gesture to even try and construct a story. "The situation is... complicated, to say the least."
"General, I appreciate all the help that you've given us since you arrived in Heleus. I understand you have secrets of your own." The security chief said as they headed away from the cell. "But if you know something about the Milky Way, then I think I and anyone native to that galaxy has a right to know."
"I suppose you do." Kota sighed heavily again, this time feeling the weight of this knowledge on his shoulders. "I suppose everyone has a right to know. Alert the allied leaders and schedule a meeting. The Pathfinders too. I think it's time you all heard this."
"Including about Goyle?" Kandros raised an eyeridge. "That's a complete 180 of keeping them in the dark."
"There's no point in trying to hide it now." Kota shook his head. "Might as well just get it out in the open. Otherwise, Goyle is going to keep trying to divide us. I'll call Ryder and the other Pathfinders. You get the leaders on the horn."
"Very well." The turian acquiesced after a moment. "But I expect some answers, General. From all of you."
...
It took a little bit to get everyone gathered up, but soon, Kandros and Kota got everyone up to speed and some of the more important faces were present in the heart of the Nexus, either personally or by hologram.
Tann, Kesh, Addison, and the rest of the Pathfinders had been briefed on the basics of the Benefactor, as well as the fact that she had been captured and revealed as Anita Goyle. There had been various expressions of displeasure that they had been kept in the dark about this, but Kota was able to placate them when the reasons were explained.
By contrast, Scott, Sara and the others already knew what was going on with both Goyle and the info she was hiding. Ahsoka ultimately agreed with what the Jedi General wanted to do, but the human Pathfinder was much more hesitant, understandably given how they reacted when they heard the news.
But there was no time for hesitation, not anymore. Kandros was already suspicious about what Goyle said, and would undoubtedly tell the others anyway. Besides, they ultimately knew that this conversation was inevitable.
"Might as well rip the band aid off now." Scott muttered under his breath before Kesh spoke up.
"So, now that we're all here and up to speed on the current situation with ex-Ambassador Goyle." The Krogan engineer started. "Would someone like to explain what this is really about?"
"That's what I'd like to know as well." Kandros admitted.
"Very well, let me ask this." Ahsoka stepped in. "Have you wondered why you've been unable to contact the Milky Way?"
That certainly brought them up short, and it wasn't a question they had expected to be asked. Especially given the circumstances. But it was something that neded to be asked. Quantum Entanglement Communicators were some of the most expensive pieces of technology known to any of them.
Even the galaxy of Kota, Ahsoka and the Imperials evidently lacked an actual equivalent, given the surprise of the Jedi at the explanation and the near salivation of Captain Neral and the Imperial engineers at the idea of real time communications from basically anywhere.
The Initiative had built a few long term as well and left recievers in the Milky Way for the inevitable attempt to get in touch after the fact. So far, they had gotten no reply, which was hardly unexpected given how the galaxy could have changed in the interim.
It was a disappointment, yet hardly unexpected. They had taken this voyage knowing that was a possibility. But in truth, it was something the Nexus leaders had wondered about.
"It is odd." Kesh noted in puzzlement. "All the receivers are working properly on our end."
"Perhaps the difficulty is on their end." Tann replied. "Still, it is quite unusual. We should have heard something by now."
"And given this line of questioning," Addision realized, crossing her arms as she said this. "You all know something we don't."
"You could say that." Scott rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, something Kota sensed.
"Scott." Kota walked up behind the Pathfinder and gently clasped his shoulder. "They deserve to know."
"What do we deserve to know?" Kandros asked, crossing his arms as the rest of the Initiative leaders and Pathfinders turned to Scott. He was already on edge from what Goyle had said, and every word of how secretive they were being only increasing his suspicions.
"Why we can't contact the Milky Way." Ryder said with a sigh, as Captain Neral also looked to Scott. "During the founding of the Initiative, my dad and Jien Garson were dealing with Anita Goyle, who was secretly providing most of the Initiative's funds and technology-"
"I think we all know that by now." The Quarian Pathfinder crossed his arms.
"And what does this have to do with our current situation?" Raeka asked, genuinely curious.
"From my dad's memories I had access to thanks to SAM, it seems they were preparing for something called the Reapers." Ryder explained. "Some sort of threat that wipes out all advanced life in our galaxy every 50,000 years, the last one being the Protheans. Goyle believed an attack was imminent because of it."
"Wait a minute, I recognize that name." Avitus interjected. "Wasn't that from the rumors Shepard kept spreading from Saren and the Geth? What, Goyle actually thought they were real?"
"It does admittedly sound hard to believe." The asari Pathfinder agreed. "I know Shepard by reputation and he's fairly sound minded, but that felt rather delusional."
"I wouldn't be so sure." The Quarian Pathfinder countered. "Before our Ark left the Milky Way, we were getting reports of some unknown force attacking colonies. A couple of our colonists even escaped from some of those attacks before they could get worse."
"These are the last known communications we got from the Milky Way." Ryder tapped the controls on his omni-tool as he brought up the logs Alec had recorded. "There was definitely truth to Shepard's warnings."
After that, Ryder kept silent as the recordings played, with the emergency broadcasts from Earth and Palaven really striking home for everyone. The sheer terror of the controllers and the sounds of conflict were more than enough to put any doubt to rest.
Ahsoka could acutely feel the horror from everyone in the room, as could Kota. Even Neral felt rather unnerved, and he wasn't the only one. With these recordings, the parallel between the Reapers and the Yuuzhan Vong became uncomfortably clear.
"My god." Addison whispered, covering her mouth in shock. "The entire galaxy was under siege by these... things?!"
"That would explain the lack of communication." Kandros said grimly, not entirely covering up the shock in his voice. "If the Reapers did attack like that, most of the QECs on the side of the Milky Way would have been laid to waste. Including the ones we left behind."
"Spirits, Saren." Avitus whispered in shock. "What happened to you?"
"It would explain why the Initiative timetable was accelerated." Tann realized, rubbing his chin in contemplation before the realization truly hit him. "Whatever her other crimes, Goyle was trying to save what she could of our civilizations. We could very well be the last of our species!"
"I think the humans will be fine." Kesh shot a glance at Kota and Neral. "Given they've evolved in an entirely separate galaxy."
"Given what we know of the Yuuzhan Vong." Sara countered cooly, shooting a glare at Kesh in turn. "I think you're being a little presumptous in saying that."
"Alright, let's not play the "who has it worst off" game." Ahsoka stepped between them, palms outstretched in a placating gesture to prevent any argument from going any further. "I don't think anyone is going to come out of that looking good."
"For whatever it's worth." Neral spoke up solemnly. "I am truly sorry about what has happened to your galaxy. To all the civilizations that were lost because of these Reapers."
"It seems we all have a lot in common now." Raeka said solemnly. "We may very well be the last bastion of our societies."
It was a sobering reminder for all of them. Despite the threats they had to deal with in Andromeda, things back home in both galaxies were undoubtedly worse. They really might be all that remained of their species and civilizations.
The worst part was how helpless they were to do anything. The Reapers, the Yuuzhan Vong, they were threats so large in scale that they dwarfed previous ones, and yet here they all were in Andromeda, this comparitively small group, millions of light years away.
And even if the Vong were defeated, even if the Reapers were destroyed, they would likely never know. The Jedi, Imperials and everyone else had been sent here completely by accident, lost in a way that could easily be overlooked.
And as for the Milky Way, well, by all appearances, the QECs on their end that were connected with the Initiative's had been destroyed. So even if the Reapers had been destroyed, then they still would be unable to contact Andromeda to tell them that.
The truth of the matter was that the Initiative would be unlikely to ever see anyone else from the Milky Way again. And while they had known that was a possibility from the very beginning, it was no less hard to accept, especially with the clear implication that there really was nothing left back home.
"I can understand why you kept this from us. From the Initiative as a whole." Tann spoke after a moment. "Keeping everyone in the dark would be the most prudent solution. At least for the time being."
"I... have to agree." Addison sighed. "God, what a total clusterfuck."
"I don't think that even begins to describe the situation." Kesh shook her head before focusing on the situation in front of them. "Whatever happened to the Milky Way, there's nothing we can do about it, not from here. Our primary focus should be dealing about the current situation in front of us."
"And Spirits know, we have more than enough on our plate as is." Rix muttered. "Between the Kett, the Vong, the remaining few Outcasts and Roekaar, and now Goyle, we have more than enough on our plate."
"Agreed." Tann nodded. "Pathfinder Ryder, General Kota, Director Kandros. You need to interrogate Goyle and find out what she knows about the Initiative. The fact that she's leaked important information and accessed security for the Sith and Yuuzhan Vong is concerning. We need to ensure that she can't repeat that."
"Consider it done."
"In the meantime, nothing else has changed much for our jobs in Heleus." Ahsoka pointed out. "You all just have extra... perspective about what the stakes are."
"True." Raeka nodded. "And as unlikely as it may be, perhaps there are still survivors in the Milky Way."
"One can only hope."
...
Some time later
"What's the latest news?"
"There's been an unusual anomaly, Doctor. We've detected signals that are trying to contact QEC recievers destroyed several centuries ago."
"That's odd. What's the source?"
"Long range scans indicate that the signals are coming from the Andromeda Galaxy."
"From Andromeda? Who could- Wait... The Initiative. They made it?"
"Preliminary data so far suggests that they have indeed reached their destination."
"By the Goddess, that's incredible! The Andromeda Initiative actually survived? Their journey couldn't have been an easy one."
"The last few centuries would have caused them considerable confusion. They will not be aware of the latest developments."
"Then let's fix that, shall we? Gather everyone up and tell them of what has occurred."
So, I think I'm going to end things here. I'll admit, I moved a few things around, as some scenes were actually supposed to happen later, but on further thought, I decided to have them happen earlier.
So quite a bit has happened in this chapter, with the Nexus leadership learning about Goyle and the Reapers. And that last little conversation at the end will be important later, I can promise that much.
With all that said, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and reviews are alway welcome.