Chapter 61 – Kick in the Teeth
Apien Crest
Castellus System
Digeris
The SSV Logan, flagship of the Alliance's Third Fleet, settled in the orbit of the small turian planet of Digeris. There was a time when the presence of an Alliance fleet in turian territory would have meant a widespread panic and a call to battle stations. Now, however, the war was already here, and unless he was much mistaken, the turians would welcome them with open arms.
Admiral Nitesh Singh was not the kind of man who normally would be content with waiting in orbit with a battle going on down below. Nitesh Singh was not known for his patient and serene nature. Given the choice, Singh would have much preferred donning armour, hefting a rifle, and going into battle himself.
One of the greatest regrets of Singh's life, he often said to anyone who would listen, was being promoted to Admiral. Once he made flag rank, he was legally required by every Alliance regulation and statute in the book not to risk himself on the battlefield. Singh knew the rulebook back to front by now, he'd spent more than one night staying up to check every line. But his superiors would have it no other way. The one thing he was better at than fighting was tactics, and Third Fleet had won almost every battle that Singh commanded.
The tactical map displayed a projection of a geth dreadnought, moving into position. Singh stared at it in silence for some time.
"Sir?" asked another officer, looking discomfited at the admiral's silence. "Any concerns?"
"I still have scars from when geth hunters shot up my ass," rumbled Singh. "Still not used to seeing them on the same side."
"Wonder what it's like for the quarians," the officer remarked. "They've been fighting the geth for hundreds of years."
"Are you minimising my battle wounds, Lieutenant JG?"
"Never would dream of it, sir."
Despite his misgivings, Singh had his orders, directly from Prime Minister Serra and Fleet Admiral Hackett themselves. Digeris is in trouble. Reinforce the turian defenders on the ground and keep the planet in the Empire's hands.
And of course, hand the Council races a badly-needed morale boost and propaganda victory.
Singh well understood the value of such victories in rallying the ground. Digeris was a fabled name in turian lore. If it fell, the blow to turian morale would be immense, even if "surrender" wasn't in the turian dictionary. But the good guys needed a big win, and badly. Digeris could be that win, and Singh would deliver it at all costs. Even if he would much rather carry a gun and take on a geth capital ship by himself.
A knot of Reaper forces were laying siege to the planetary capital, Apparitus. Third Fleet would provide cover and transport a complement of geth shock troopers, Alliance marines and quarian combat engineers to relieve the capital.
"Expeditionary Force beginning descent," reported another officer, stationed at the map. On the bridge, sailors worked with unfailing precision, checking up on last-minute details. Third Fleet was ready to do battle once again.
Instruments recorded a full tactical appraisal of the combined force's performance in battle. So far, humans, quarians and the geth appeared to be working well together. A stream of information came in, painting a picture of geth scouts flushing out Reaper forces, who were then in turned ground to dust by human firepower, augmented by quarian technical wizardry. Then a blaring, urgent alarm cut through the air.
"Sir, the geth report incoming Reaper ships," reported the Lieutenant Junior Grade.
"How far out?"
"Eight minutes, sir."
"We can't let them make planetfall, ground forces will be overrun. We need to cut them off. Any capital ships?"
"So far, no sir."
Singh snapped out orders to his underlings. If there was a Reaper capital ship, on the scale of a Sovereign or a Harbinger, he was under orders from above to evacuate immediately. The HSA could not lose yet another fleet to the Reapers. Anything less than that, and he would stand and ensure that the mission was seen through.
Third Fleet's cruisers began to move out. The quarians had sent only a smattering of ships from the Heavy Fleet on this mission, and while the geth had a sizeable number of ships, they were harder to repair and resupply. Third Fleet would have to do the heavy lifting on this one. Besides, it wouldn't do for a human commander to send in allies to die at the expense of his own forces. That kind of thing would break a fragile alliance that was just starting out.
Singh hated having to make decisions influenced by politics. But he had his orders.
Moving on geth reports, which came in a moment faster than his own readings, Singh directed the movement of the ships. Third Fleet's guns began to fire, crashing into the Reaper ships. A few began to fall out of orbit, gathering speed as they headed to the planet below.
"Sir, some of the ships are trying to change course."
"Get the quarians on them," Singh said. The quarian ships were faster and more agile than the fighters of either the Alliance or the geth. Heavy Fleet advanced, heading off the Reaper ships trying to escape.
"They need some help."
"Geth are moving in."
The ships of the quarian Heavy Fleet had engaged the Reapers just long enough for the geth to catch up. Unlike the Alliance ships, the geth used precise shots to quickly disable the Reaper ships and knock them out of the sky. Quarian and geth, united against a common foe.
"Reaper incursion neutralised, sir," reported the Lieutenant Junior Grade.
"Any threat to our troops on the ground?"
"No sir."
"Good. Get ready to commence orbital bombardment."
With the Reaper ships drifting helplessly in the orbit of Digeris, it was trivially easy for Third Fleet to wait for the commanders on the ground to pick out targets, and then blow them to smithereens. It wasn't long before Singh was hailed on the comms by the planetary governor.
"This is Governor Atraxes to the Alliance Fleet," came the voice over the comms. "You have done us a great service today. My men are in your debt."
"This is Admiral Nitesh Singh of the Humanity Systems Alliance Third Fleet," Singh replied. "We have supplies, medicine, ammunition, and anything else you might need."
"Thank you. Strange times when quarians and the geth work with humans to save turians."
"Indeed," said Singh. "But we play the cards we are dealt."
A moment of silence reminded Singh he was speaking to a turian. "We hit the targets that are set up," he said.
A noise of recognition came over the comms. "Yes we do, admiral. Your supplies will be as welcome as your strength in battle."
Singh ordered the relief to be distributed. They might all still die because of the Reapers, but for the moment, the flag of the Turian Empire still waved proudly over Digeris.
Inara Serra
The Office of the Prime Minister
The Citadel
Due to the secrecy of the Crucible Project, and the uncertainty of the Reapers' movements, Inara didn't often get the chance to speak to Steven Hackett, Fleet Admiral of the Alliance. But she enjoyed every conversation with him. Hackett was far too old and far too scarred to ever stand on ceremony. But Inara appreciated his blunt honesty and his knack of cutting through the fog to figure out their next, best course of action.
"Singh did well," said Hackett. "Minimal casualties, mission accomplished."
"Yes indeed," said Inara. "His report makes for interesting reading. I also note that he put in another request to resign his commission and take command of a ship on the front lines."
"As usual," said Hackett. "No, Singh is too good at what he does. Deny his request."
"If you say so," said Inara.
"Bloody good target, Digeris. Gives the turians a shot in the arm, just when they need it most. I understand it was your idea to get the geth and the quarians involved too."
"I thought it might send the right signals," said Inara, her tone light.
"I have to say, Prime Minister, you're thinking like an officer. We'll have you in Navy blues yet."
Inara had rolled out a full-scale propaganda campaign almost immediately after she received Third Fleet's report. Sparatus, for one, had looked positively giddy with joy. Media reports were in full swing, extolling the virtues of Admiral Singh and the brave sailors and marines of the Third Fleet. But even that took a backseat to the role that the quarians and geth played in the battle.
Quarians and geth! Working together, hand-in-hand, against a common foe. Video clips of quarians going into battle beside geth platforms (along with Alliance marines, of course) played endlessly over every newsfeed. New allies in the desperate struggle. Fanning the glowing embers of hope into the belief that maybe, just maybe, the war could be won.
Inara knew that the losses the Reapers took on Digeris were mere pinpricks. But wars were not fought with arms alone. The value of morale and the will of a people to fight on were also critical. Shepard had gone through hell and high water to pull the galaxy's military might together. Now it was the responsibility of others to make use of what he had achieved in uniting the galaxy's myriad races.
Well, all but one. The asari were still dithering, still embroiled in endless debates, second-guessing and recriminations. The Reapers had not overwhelmed their territory, not yet. But they could do it anytime they wished. And even the asari, with their immense wisdom, hyper-advanced technology and peerless skill in battle, would fall before them.
Digeris, Inara hoped, would give them a reason to stand with the rest of the united galaxy.
"You know I prefer talking to fighting, Steven," she said.
"Nonsense," said Hackett. "Yeah you're not slinging a rifle, but you're fighting all the same. We'll need more of that if we're going to get through this. How are things with the asari?"
"We're doing all we can to get them on board," said Inara. "Councillor Tevos is as hard to read as ever. But you have to imagine that they're wobbling, and are on the brink."
"Let's just hope they wobble over into our column. Thank you for the update, Prime Minister."
"You too, Fleet Admiral. Be safe out there."
"Hackett out."
Silence reigned for a moment in her elegantly-appointed office. Inara knew that she had a free eight minutes on her schedule before she had to chair a meeting on aid to colony refugees. Perhaps the best thing would be to close her eyes, just for a few minutes.
She had barely done so when her VI communicator rang. Inara swore under her breath, and opened one eye. The name of the caller read "Tevos Araeus", Councillor of the asari and quite possibly still the most powerful person in the galaxy.
Inara didn't remember ever giving Tevos her personal number, but it would be trivially easy for the asari to find out. Inara accepted the call.
"Councillor Serra," came the voice she knew well, though never without the rest of the Council present. "Forgive the lack of forewarning, but I would very much appreciate a private conversation with you."
"Certainly, Councillor," said Inara, hoping that she wouldn't be able to hear the surprise in her voice. "I am at your disposal. What shall we discuss?"
"Not here," said Tevos. "Secure as our comm lines may be, what I have for you is for your ears only. Please, meet me at this location in thirty minutes. Sending you the encoded coordinates now."
"Yes, of course," said Inara.
"And no one else," said Tevos. "Four-eyes, only." A relatable term when one isn't dealing with a batarian.
"I -"
"I assure you, your safety is guaranteed."
"Then I will see you momentarily," said Inara, feeling more and more puzzled. She had never spoken privately to Tevos before, and definitely not without an army of aides, translators and advisers. She would have to do this completely alone, with nothing but her own wits.
Much to her surprise, Inara found herself looking forward to the challenge.
The roof
Citadel Council Tower
The Citadel
"Councillor Tevos?"
The asari woman turned around, from where she had been looking out at the view. They were so high up that the crowds milling around on the Presidium looked like insects. A simulated breeze blew about their heads.
"Ah, Inara. Let's not stand on ceremony here."
"I am as you see me," said Inara, spreading her arms. She hadn't even changed her gown.
"Forgive me for asking, but are you armed? Normally I would have guards do this, but..."
"Yes," said Inara, deciding not to lie. "I have a pistol concealed in the folds of my gown."
Tevos raised an eyebrow. "It would appear that I have won a side bet. Very well, Inara, I trust you not to shoot me dead where I stand."
Inara knew she was grand-standing. Even if she somehow did go for her weapon, Tevos could use her biotics to fling her over the side of the tower and to her death in a blink of an eye.
"I would not dream of such a thing," said Inara. "It would be most impolite. And after all, you have the power to give me what I want."
"And what is it that you want?"
"Come now, Tevos," said Inara. "I have made no secret of that. The Asari Republics stand alone while the rest of the galaxy stand shoulder-to-shoulder with each other in this terrible war. We need you, need your strength, skill and knowledge. And I believe that you need us as well."
"Were it that easy," sighed Tevos. "I am not...unsympathetic to your position. But you must know that getting my people to agree on a course of action of such import is a monumental task."
"What about Digeris?"
"So it was your idea," said Tevos, sounding satisfied. "Another bet won. It seemed like the kind of thing you would do."
"Digeris was more than a reinforcement of a turian garrison," said Inara. "It is proof positive that the galaxy can come together against a common foe."
"I know," said Tevos. "And that is why the asari leaders have authorised me to reach out to you."
This is it. "I'm listening."
"How fares your Crucible Project?" asked Tevos.
"Some of your scientists are working on it right now, and doubtless they provide you with daily updates. It's progressing faster than we'd hoped, but there appears to be a major missing component that no one has been able to figure out."
"Hourly reports, in fact. But yes. You are missing the Catalyst."
"Do you know where it is?" asked Inara. This was more than she'd dared hope. If the asari could somehow help them to finish building the Crucible, the war could be won.
"Not exactly. But there is an artifact on our homeworld, Thessia, known only to the oldest and most respected Matriarchs. With any luck, it is a means to help you locate the Catalyst."
Tevos tapped her personal device. "The artifact is kept hidden in an ancient temple, located at these coordinates. We've prepared a scientific team. They don't know the true nature of their task, nor its relevance to your Project, but they will help extract it from the temple. They will meet your people there, whoever it may be."
Inara wanted to laugh. "You know I'll be entrusting General Shepard, and only General Shepard with this task."
"We assumed so," said Tevos blandly.
"I must say, this news is very welcome. But I must ask why it has taken you this long to share your knowledge with us, especially with asari scientific teams working on the Crucible Project as we speak," said Inara, letting a hint of steel creep into her voice.
"Come now Inara," said Tevos. "You know we have our secrets. The revelation of this device will upset the balance of power in the galaxy, forever."
Once Inara would have called that wisdom. But traditional spycraft counted for nothing against the Reapers.
"Why us?" asked Inara. "Why not get a team of asari commandos to transport this thing to the Crucible Project?"
Tevos sighed. "I am not giving too much away when I tell you that even among the ranks of the asari, there has been...dissension. Objections. Even open revolts, at times. The asari are not united, Inara. We have never been. Ours is a society of open debate, of all viewpoints taken into consideration. Most of the time, a great thing. But when you're facing dark gods from outer space, there is no time for debate. There is no time for raising a hand and speaking one's mind. There is just a decision of whether to fight or not."
"You're saying you can't trust your own people," said Inara, far more bluntly than she usually was. But she couldn't help herself. The asari had always been people she looked up to and admired. But their weaknesses were being exploited in this war.
"Yes," said Tevos, and the unguarded agony in that one word, even if only for a split second, was chilling to hear. "The matriarchs are growing desperate. For the first time in our history, Thessia is vulnerable to an enemy. And still, there are asari who believe we can somehow negotiate with these monsters. But we know that humanity is fully committed to the fight. How can it be otherwise, with Earth lost? And we trust our former Spectre. Shepard will get the job done."
"He will," said Inara softly. "But I want something in return."
Tevos looked astounded. "I am giving to you one of the asari's most closely-guarded secrets to help you save humanity. The power contained in a finished Crucible is unthinkable. Any war would be won in an instant. Billions of lives saved. And you want more?"
"Yes," said Inara. "We have always looked to the asari for leadership and wise counsel. Always. When Shepard brought warning, you chose to ignore him."
"It was not -"
"Don't interrupt me," said Inara, and was rewarded with a flash of anger in Tevos's eyes. "When our colonies were being abducted, the Council was slow to act. And when the war begin, the vaunted asari did...nothing, it seems. You withdraw into asari space because you see your guards, the turians, on their knees. Your puppets, the salarians, have thrown their lot in with us. We got the krogan on board. We welded together an alliance between them and the turians, overriding centuries of blood.
Not too long ago, Shepard ended the last geth-quarian war and they go into battle alongside my soldiers. And now, with Earth lost, with Palaven about to fall, with refugees choking the Citadel, with Thessia itself under threat, the asari still refuse to fight beside us. I must say this, Councillor. I am at the end of my patience."
"What do you want, exactly?" spat Tevos.
"At the risk of repeating myself, I want the asari to commit to a formal military alliance with the rest of us. I want us to fight together, not hang separately."
"You know that is a harder task than it seems."
"Surely it cannot be harder than getting the krogan to risk their lives for turians," said Inara. "I don't care how you do it. Beg, borrow, bribe and steal. Assassinate some of the more annoying holdouts if you must, don't act like that's beyond you. But you will win over the asari opposition, and I will get my military alliance."
"What do you even need an alliance for? Once the Crucible is finished, the war would be won."
"Thousands of lives are being lost every hour, from now until the happy moment when the Crucible comes online and we fire it at the Reapers. The asari military would make a hell of a lot of difference when it comes to rescuing those in need, and providing support to our overstretched fleets."
"You've made your point, Councillor," said Tevos at last. "Collect the artifact from my homeworld, deliver it to the Crucible, and I will attempt to negotiate your alliance."
"Not good enough," said Inara, smooth and hard as marble. "Shepard will collect your artifact and our team will finish the Crucible, but before that happens, you will announce that alliance. Get it done. Present your people with a fait accompli and get them to fall in line."
Tevos had nothing left to say, as Inara knew she would. Except for one thing.
"Agreed."
"Thank you. Until our next meeting, then. Farewell, Councillor."
Inara could feel Tevos's eyes boring into the back of her skull as she turned on her heel and walked away. She had burned up a career's worth of goodwill with Tevos Araeus, and quite possibly the asari in general. Years of patient diplomatic work cashed in, in an instant. But when the cost of doing nothing was thousands of lives, how could she do anything else?
Inara headed for her office. She had a general to contact.
John K. Shepard
Ship's Mess
The Normandy
Hoplos System
I sipped some coffee and perused a report that Traynor had sent on to me. The crew of the Zhejiang had been doing fantastic work conducting hit and run attacks on Reaper ships and giving fleeing refugees a chance to break away and escape. After The Normandy had been recovered from Cerberus's hands, its upgrades had been incorporated into a new frigate squadron, with each captain given the autonomy to conduct their own missions, much like I was.
Garrus was sitting across the table from me, tapping away at something on his omni-tool. Every so often he made a small noise of frustration.
"More calibrations?" I asked.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" he said irritably. "No, these are the reports from the joint quarian-geth-human-turian missions. I'm trying to come up with a better way for them to make use of their different strengths."
"Well if anyone can do it, it's you, Vakarian," I said.
"If only the asari would come on board," he grumbled. "What's taking them so long?"
"Beats me. They must be negotiating behind the scenes, or something. Besides, I thought the turians did most of the fighting for the asari anyway."
The asari had no real military, not as we understood it. They had long since abandoned having standing armies, preferring diplomacy instead. And when they met the turians and salarians and formed the Council, there was even less need for warriors. Instead, small bands of huntresses formed to take care of security and policing duties.
With their fearsome biotic abilities, long lifespan (which conferred great experience) and skill, asari units were naturally suited to special operations. Small bands adept at ambush, infiltration, and assassination, demoralising and defeating their enemies through intense, focused, stealthy strikes. Our finest SpecOps, even the N7, couldn't match up to an asari warband.
But there was always a danger, when you were part of an elite force, to place too much importance on what they were capable of. The way we liked to tell the tale, it was guys like us who beat the enemy by stealth alone. We were the stiletto in the heart, silencing the enemy with one swift jab. That's why he crashed to the mat, we tell ourselves, forgetting the baseball bat that the marines, the navy, the flyboys and yes, the army kept swinging blindly at the enemy's head.
We were the HALO jumpers, dropping into heavily-guarded bases undetected. We were the frogmen swimming out from the torpedo tubes of submarines. We blew up bridges, sniped generals, cut fuel lines and set fire to every ammo dump we could find. By the time we were done, the legend goes, the enemy was a headless chicken, skidding towards the battlefield on a slick of its own waste.
But in reality, wars are won by the grunt sitting in his foxhole in a foot of muddy water for months at a time. The navy gunner who remains at his station and keeps the guns firing, even when an enemy fighter crashes down his throat on a suicide run. The kid who climbs into his fighter for one more mission, pissing his pants during the bombing run on a dreadnought, coming back with his co-pilot's intestines slopping in his lap.
And again. And again. And over again. Until the war was won.
Special forces could do a lot. It was tempting to think that special forces could do anything, without needing to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a standing army. But as the asari had demonstrated, special forces alone could not win wars. The rank-and-file did so.
"Asari," said Garrus. "They're the finest warriors in the galaxy. But there aren't many of them." I knew he was having the same thoughts I did.
"They have a damn big navy though," he added. "If only they would get on board..."
"Captain?" came a voice over the intercom, Traynor's. "I have an urgent message for you, ready to go in the Comms Room."
"Come on TO," I said, putting away my cup. "Let's go see what this is about."
Garrus followed me to the Comms Room, where Traynor patched through a call from the Alliance Prime Minister. She looked as good as one could hope.
"General. And Special Liaison Vakarian, it is good to see you."
"Greetings, your excellency," said Garrus politely.
In a few short words, PM Serra laid out the conditions of the deal she had struck with the asari councillor.
"A formal military alliance? And all we need to do is to pick this thing up and deliver it to Hackett?"
I shook my head. "The Catalyst? You mean to say they've got a missing piece of the Crucible Project all this time and they're only just saying so?"
"It appears so," said Serra.
"Well we're not going to look this gift horse in the mouth," I said. "Let's just get this done."
I hardly dared to hope. What if the asari were right, and this artifact of theirs could help us find the Catalyst? What if the Crucible did what we hoped it would, and win this war in an instant? Could it be that simple?
"I know you will," said Serra. "Godspeed, General. Be safe."
After the hologram fizzled and disappeared, Garrus and I looked at each other.
"Are we actually going to win this war?"
"Don't jinx it. Come on, let's call a meeting and brief everyone."
Conference Room
The Normandy
Everyone was looking at Liara.
"Let me stop you all right now before this goes any further," she said, holding up a hand. "I don't know where the Catalyst is. When I'm not attending to my duties here on The Normandy, my work as the Shadow Broker continues. I'm using all my considerable resources to help where I can with the Crucible Project. And we don't know where it is."
"But you are a professor of archaeology, right?" asked Ashley.
"My area of expertise is Prothean culture and technology," she said. "Not asari history."
She tapped a button and projected an image of a beautiful building with milk-white walls and graceful spires in the air. "The coordinates the Prime Minister gave you are for the Temple of Athame on Thessia. It's thousands of years old. My mother took me there once, when I was a child."
I imagined for a second Matriarch Benezia taking Liara out for a fun field trip. "So it's a museum?"
"Of a kind," said Liara. "Athame was once the most widely-worshipped goddess in asari society, back when we still embraced polytheism. She is said to be the matriarch of the asari pantheon, the Goddess of Prophecy and Fate. Legends tell of how she taught early asari the fundamentals of mathematics, medicine and music, and how she protected Thessia from evil."
She pointed to the hologram. "The temple is a very popular academic centre, cultural centre and tourist hotspot. It displays many artifacts related to Athame's worship. I had absolutely no idea they might be related to the Crucible. Although come to think of it, the temple receives classified government funding for some reason."
"Sounds like we're on the right track," commented Garrus.
"Anyone has anything else to add?" I asked.
"Seems pretty straightforward," said Vega. "We go in, get the thing, get out, get to Hackett, and win this war."
"I don't think it'd be quite as easy as that," remarked Tali.
"Anything else? No? Alright then. TO, inform the crew. XO, oversee weapons. Chief, make sure we can outrun a Reaper blockade if we have to. I'm not taking any chances."
"Aye aye, sir," said Adams.
"EDI?" I called. "Tell Joker to set a course for Thessia."
"Consider it done," she said.
The small pocket of time before a mission was always a tough one. When I was a junior officer, it was easy to defuse the tension by talking to the men, letting them play cards or roll dice or crack dumb jokes. We all knew we might end the day with some of our friends in the dirt, but that was the risk we accepted with eyes open.
As a senior officer though, things were a little different. You couldn't let yourself get overly familiar with the men and women, that's what junior officers and NCOs are for. You were supposed to remain above it all, aloof, focused on the big picture. Something I was still having difficulty with, especially when the big picture we were looking at here was the end of the war. It seemed almost too big to fully comprehend.
Jackie caught my eye. "I need target practice," she said to me. "Wanna join me?"
"Ok."
We headed to the armoury, and set up a row of targets. Jackie tried knocking them over with one pistol, and then two at a time. Then it was my turn to beat her score, which I did handily.
"Looks like I win again."
Jackie smiled. "I let you win."
"Did not."
She reached for my hand and held it. "Feel better?"
"I...yeah, I am. How did you know?"
She snorted. "You're an open book to me, Jack. Luckily I know two good ways to help you get your mind off things. Fighting and fucking, and we don't have time for the second one."
"It's just this...the idea that we could end the war. It's huge. It's too big to think about, that all this pain, suffering and death could be over."
"That's why you shouldn't think about it," said Jackie firmly. "Remember, you do the job first. Everything else comes after, but the job gets done."
"Hey, that's one of my lines! Nice to know you pay attention to my speeches."
"Someone has to," she quipped. "Since everyone else falls asleep."
I made a playful grab for her and she twisted away, laughing. It was still novel to me to hear her laugh for joy, without a hint of bloodlust or mockery. I would do anything to make her laugh, and be happy.
"Captain!" That was Joker on the comms, and our moment was over barely after it begun. But Joker sounded worried. "I'm reading significant Reaper activity in the Parnitha system. Thessia is under heavy Reaper attack!"
"Suit up," I told Jackie urgently. "I need to get to the Bridge."
"Go," she said.
"On my way, Joker!"
Liara had reached the Bridge before me, looking distraught.
"Captain on deck!" yelled a junior officer, and the crew snapped to attention.
"As you were. Joker, what's going on?"
"There's activity across most of the planet, sir."
"What about the temple? Can we contact the scientists there?"
"Negative, sir," said Traynor, scanning her station. "All channels are scrambled across the spectrum. We're locked out."
"The mission's looking really dicey," chimed in Joker.
I knew, just knew it couldn't be that easy. "The chance of finding the Catalyst is too important. It's now or never. We're going in."
"Jack, that's my home down there!" Liara said. "I have to go!" I had experienced the agony of seeing a homeworld lost to invaders. I knew what Liara was feeling right now.
"Grab what you need," I said. "We're going in five. Meet you at the shuttle."
I ordered Traynor to send a flash report to the Citadel. Given the scale of the reaper forces, and the distance between, I wasn't sure if the Council could mount an effective military response in time. We might even be throwing away our forces for nothing.
Then again, this was Thessia. Crown jewel of the galaxy. Proud Thessia, the apex of democracy. It would be every asari's instinct to rush into the battle to try and stop in from falling. As was my instinct when the Reapers invaded Earth.
But Admiral Hackett had made the terrible decision back then not to send in every fleet available to try and protect Earth. Even though every cell in his body must have been screaming for him to fight for Earth with everything he had. But he knew he had a responsibility to save what was left of humanity's military to fight another day.
The asari had a formidable navy, even now. The moral thing to do would be to throw them at the Reapers if there even was the slightest chance of saving Thessia. But the smart thing to do would be to flee and link up with the rest of the Council races. I told Traynor to include this in the report to the Council, although I knew there was small chance it would be heeded.
Garrus and Ashley had gathered everyone in the shuttle hold, and were waiting for orders.
"Ok, listen up. According to the Prime Minister, I need to be down there because the asari will not hand over the artifact to anyone else. I'll lead Fire Team One. With me, Liara, Javik, Garrus, EDI. XO, you're leading Fire Team Two. Take Vega, Tali and Jackie."
Jackie raised an eyebrow. We would be separated, and she would have to follow Ashley's orders. I gave her a firm nod. This wasn't about personal considerations, but tactics. My team would be going in where the fighting was the most intense. I was confident that with Javik's muscle and Garrus's long-range lethality, not to mention what I brought to the table, we would be able to overcome any foe. EDI was there in case we needed technical solutions, not to mention her own durability in a fight.
Liara would insist on going in with me. This was her home, after all, and she would be able to tell us where to go, if need be. Since Liara would provide the biotic prowess, it would be redundant for Jackie to come along with us. She would be of much more use in the other team.
"Fire Team Two, you're in reserve. Come in if I call, but not before. We don't know what's down there, we might get overwhelmed by Reaper forces. If we're hit, Cortez will high-tail it back to The Normandy to come get you. Your priority is not, I repeat, NOT to come to our aid. Get the artifact to the shipFIRST, then come get us if possible. If you encounter heavy resistance, get clear, get to The Normandy and get the artifact to the Crucible Project. Ash will be captain, and Joker has orders to stop for nothing. Do you understand?"
"We're not leaving anyone behind," said Ashley softly. Jackie was looking mutinous.
"That's an order," I snapped. "The artifact might be the key to the Catalyst and finishing the Crucible Project, and winning this damn war. Nothing else matters. The artifact is our highest priority today."
"Yes, sir."
I hoped Jackie would be able to understand my reasons. On the surface, it looked like I was keeping her in safety, again. But my decisions were made with the success of the mission in mind. And Jackie promised to abide by my decisions as the commanding officer. It was the only way The Normandy could function.
Jackie said nothing, accepting my decision, and I loved her for it.
"We're all on the same page? Good. Let's get ready to make planetfall. Ash, you have the helm."
"Good luck, Skipper," she said. Jackie caught my eye, sending me a wordless message.
Come back to me.
Cortez brought Fire Team One down to Thessia. I had never been here before, but everyone knew what Thessia looked like. Shining towers, immaculately-designed landscapes that combined cutting-edge technology with natural environmental influences, with aesthetics considered just as important as functionality. The asari believed in harmony, and it was easy to see how they incorporated this, even into architecture.
But no one had ever seen the spires of Thessia overrun by monsters from deep space.
Reaper forces clogged the skies and choked the streets. Fires were burning, turning the normally pristine air of Thessia into dark smog. There were blood and dead bodies, fleeing civilians and the screams of the dying. Slaughter on an industrial level. This was what the Reapers had done to Earth and were doing to Palaven. If they wanted to, they could have levelled the planet and extinguished all life there just by moving a few capital ships into position. The fact that they were bothering to send in ground troops meant that they wanted to harvest the asari, like they did to humans back on Earth, for their own foul purposes.
"This is a nightmare," said Liara in a small voice, looking at the videoscreen in the shuttle. Thessia was being turned into a charnel house. How many would die this day?
"Your empathy is a weakness," Javik said firmly. "You must numb yourself to loss."
I shot him a look, annoyed. Liara wasn't in the best frame of mind right now and he wasn't helping. "We can't ignore the fact that people are dying. The Reapers may be soulless bastards who slaughter the defenceless in their millions, but we don't."
"It is their indifference that gives them power," said Javik, unmoved. I stuck a finger in his chest.
"You're wrong. We're doing this to save lives. Now shut the fuck up."
Javik looked like he wanted to say something but I stared him directly in the eyes. With Garrus shifting slightly to stand beside me, he thought better of it, and fell silent.
"I'm sorry sir, there's too much flak in the air around the temple!" Cortez said, from the cockpit. "If we get any closer we're getting shot out of the sky!"
"Find us an LZ, Lieutenant!"
The shuttle went lower, and finally settled itself on a pile of rubble near what looked like a plaza. We could see a group of asari in armour there, with some maintaining biotic shields to form a sort of perimeter.
"Here's good. Get to a safe spot, but remain within sight of the temple. If comms are jammed, we'll set up a flare."
"Aye aye, sir! Good hunting!"
Cortez popped the shuttle door and we tumbled out. The asari officer seemed more resigned than excited to see us.
"You must be General Shepard, I'm Captain Kurin of Task Force Vendora."
She led a mere handful of asari soldiers, hunkering down beneath biotic barriers. There was a row of dead bodies, laid out neatly off to one side, each covered with a shroud. A medic attended to wounded asari, looking slightly overwhelmed.
The asari were deadly warriors, and Thessia was not undefended, but it was plain to see that the asari were not prepared for this attack.
Then it's their own damn fault, a voice in my mind said. They've had plenty of time to see what the Reapers did to us and the turians. Plenty of time to do something, instead of arguing among themselves. But I didn't say it out loud, of course.
Before I could answer her, a rocket from the distance crashed into the biotic barrier, sending the asari projecting it crumpling to the floor.
"The barrier's been breached!" yelled Kurin.
"We have incoming Reaper forces!" reported another asari.
"We could use some help, General," Kurin said to me. I nodded.
"Liara," I said. "Help the other asari to maintain the barrier. Javik, get on that turret and aim at the big ones. Don't stop until you're out of ammo. EDI, see if you can find a way to break through the comms jam, try and contact the temple. Garrus, you're with me. Make every shot count."
"When have I ever failed to do so?" asked Garrus, unlimbering his sniper rifle as I did the same.
"Just kidding, I know you can take on the whole horde by yourself."
"You've got that right."
It was good to fight Reapers again. I'd been fighting Cerberus, mercs, geth, and other assorted baddies. But Reapers, even if these were just indoctrinated, corrupted slaves who were once peaceful citizens of the galaxy, these were the real enemy. It was cathartic to aim at foreheads and blow them apart in messy chunks, to see the eerie blue light in their eyes flame out and die. It was good to kill Reapers. And if all went well, we might be able to kill the actual Reapers scattered across the galaxy, not just their mindless servants committing mass genocide planetside.
Then it was over and there was nothing left but a mess of dead meat.
"Everyone good?"
"No injuries," said EDI.
"General, thank you," said Kurin. "We've been told to expect you. My orders are to hold this grid at all costs. But my perimeter's collapsing! We need to get out of here or all my people will die."
"Wait, you can't just leave!" I said. "This is important, we need your help."
"Unless you can give me a good reason for why we need this pile of rubble, we're leaving," said Kurin curtly.
"I've been asked to retrieve a relic from the Temple of Athame," I said. "It is critical to the war effort."
"That's what this is about?" asked Kurin. "One of our outposts, Tykis, has been trying to contact the scientists inside. But we've not heard anything."
Another rocket barrage crashed into the barrier, making us all duck. "I'm sorry, but if your relic's survived this long, it can wait a while longer. I'm getting my people out."
"Hang on," I began, but Kurin was already turning away.
"No!" Javik cried. He strode forward, and before Kurin could react, he grabbed her by the arms. Her eyes grew wide, then grew blank. I started forward, but Liara held out a hand. Whatever was going on, perhaps I shouldn't interrupt. I had a sudden flashback to the time I touched the Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime, which felt like centuries ago.
"I sense you have the lineage of a leader," said Javik, his face close to hers, his eyes closed. "A warrior's skill and cunning, they are strong in your genes. But you've grown tired of war, you're exhausted by defeat, and now you worry you don't have the courage left to go on."
"By the goddess!" cried Kurin. "Are you -"
"Find your resolve," said Javik. "This war can end if you do."
"We're building a Prothean superweapon!" I added. "The artifact in the temple may be the key to winning this war."
"I believe it," said Kurin. She activated her communicator and snapped out orders, telling her team to "carve a path" to the temple. She told Outpost Tykis to expect our arrival.
"Let's make sure the galaxy knows the war was won on Thessia!" she yelled to her soldiers, who seemed to rally. And with that, we plunged into a waking nightmare.
Fire Team One
Plaza facing Temple of Athame
Thessia
Liara would have read the reports and watched the videos. But she was on Mars, not Earth, when the Reapers invaded. And nothing prepares you for the shock of seeing your homeworld get torn apart by ravening monsters from hell itself. Giant skeletal dragon-like creatures engaged in dogfights with asari gunships. Asari soldiers and civilians ran from marauders and husks. It was a charnel house.
Despite my first instinct to rescue bystanders, I had to force myself to keep my eyes on the massive temple, its gleaming walls marked by gunfire and scarred by battle. That's what mattered. The temple is where the endgame would commence.
Just to advance 20 metres was proving to be a monumental task. Fortunately, I had the best people in the galaxy with me. Out of everyone else in the galaxy, Javik survived a full-scale Reaper invasion. I never asked if he feared them, but he certainly didn't shrink from facing them. He fought fiercely, intelligently, cutting off stragglers and taking the biggest threats head-on, much like I was doing.
EDI was also well-suited to the challenge of facing the Reapers. Despite her rapid understanding of human emotion and culture, she still had a machine's dispassionate assessment of the Reapers. You could defeat EDI, but you couldn't scare her – not with her actual brain housed within The Normandy, high above our heads. EDI was willing to take risks and brave dangers where an organic teammate might be more hesitant, simply because her mobile platform wasn't her actual body. And a hell of a lot more resistant to small-arms fire.
Liara was the most emotional I had ever seen her, but this was helping her to fight, not hindering it. Sometimes your team plays better when it's personal, and this was as personal as it could get for her.
Backing us all up, of course, was Garrus.
He had none of the advantages that everyone else had. He had seen his own planet ravaged by the Reapers, a fear-inducing event if there ever was one. That debacle on Omega demonstrated that he wasn't immune to bullets. And when it came down to it – Thessia wasn't Palaven. He wasn't fighting to defend his home or fellow turians. I doubted Garrus had ever even been here before.
And yet, he was the deadliest of us all.
Garrus picked his targets, coolly and with an almost supernatural calm. Anything he aimed his sniper rifle at died a second later. Garrus dealt out death like a merchant at a market, businesslike and routine. Up stepped a "customer" and away he went. Next one in line, step forward please. Garrus had bullets for them all. He killed those caught in the singularities created by Liara's powers. He killed those who were brought to their knees by a fusillade from EDI's submachine guns. He killed those who somehow managed to survive the firepower that Javik and I were pouring into the enemy. He mopped up the survivors, leaving none alive. With each report of his sniper rifle, Garrus killed, and killed, and killed again. The thugs of Omega weren't kidding when they named him "Archangel." Azrael, the angel of death, here to guide his enemies to their final rest.
A final shot rang out, and our path was temporarily free of enemies. Garrus checked his sniper rifle and made a few adjustments.
"Leatherface," I called to him, after taking a breath. "Good fucking shooting."
He raised a hand in acknowledgement. "Only turian around for miles. Gotta fly the flag."
We advanced deeper into the heart of the city, picking our way through burning rubble and shattered buildings. Off in the distance, we could see brave asari cut down by Reaper forces.
"They are slaughtering my people!" Liara yelled, as distraught as I've ever seen her.
"Then avenge them!" roared Javik. But then, a bone-chilling howl rattled us to the core. A giant, elongated, twisted mockery of what once might have been an asari maiden appeared, and made its way slowly towards us. One hand was outstretched, and a high-frequency buzz in the air signalled that it was going to launch a biotic attack.
"SCATTER!" I bellowed, and we all did, just in time. No one got caught in the blast.
"Bring that fucking thing down!" I ordered. It was a banshee, it had to be. It was as Samara described, terrifying and dangerous. We poured fire into its hide from all angles, but it wasn't going down.
"Step back!" warned EDI, hoisting something onto her shoulders. A second later, a Hydra missile burst out of the launcher and exploded against the banshee. EDI's metal body absorbed the recoil with no discernible effects. Garrus then punched three holes, two in the banshee's eyes, and one in the skull already weakened by the missile blast. The banshee crumbled to the ground.
"It was an asari," said Liara, full of horror. "Slaughter isn't the worst thing they're doing."
We decided to get the heck out of there and keep moving towards the temple. Every second spent moving was one not devoted to thinking about what we had just witnessed. Loud reports of gunfire from an elevated platform ahead indicated that some asari, at least, were still fighting. Just one asari, to be accurate, sniping at targets clustered around the temple's entrance. Garrus and I, using our own sniper rifles, took out most of the the enemy group. The rest fled to where we couldn't see them.
"Good work," said the asari, who looked exhausted. "Specialist Cayla, at your service. As soon as I catch my breath."
"General Shepard, at yours," I said. "We're trying to link up with Outpost Tykis."
"You're looking at it," said Cayla bitterly.
I tried not to let the shock show on my face. "Where's the rest of your squad?" asked Garrus.
"Dead," she said. "We tried to punch through to the scientists, but there's just too many of them. And then things got hot when those Ravagers showed up."
A couple of the dragon-like beasties were circling around the temple entrance, as though keeping an eye out for intruders. Down below, a veritable army of Reaper ground forces milled about. I hunkered down with my team.
"Can we take them?"
"Just about," said my Tactical Officer, looking grim. "Wouldn't bet my gun on it though."
"This is unnecessary. We will go forward and fight, and we will either win or die," said Javik.
"Yes, thank you for that," I snapped. "I'm looking for a tactical appraisal, not platitudes."
"We were fighting Reapers before your kind first swum in the primordial ooze," he said.
"If you fought as well as you like to boast, we wouldn't be doing this here today," said Liara.
Garrus cut off any further bickering. "Let's focus on the job at hand."
"Thanks, TO. EDI, what do you think?"
"We have sufficient firepower to battle this knot of Reaper forces," she said. "But we do not have air cover. We would be exposed to the depredations of the Ravagers and the Harvesters."
"Cayla," I said. "Are you in contact with any air support?"
"If there are any left alive, they'd come from Talon Swarm." She activated her communicator. "Is there anyone left on this frequency? We are in need of immediate air support, General Shepard is here!"
A moment of gut-wrenching silence. Then, a crackling response.
"Copy, this is Talon 1. I'm on my way."
"Talon 5, inbound."
I punched the air as two asari gunships streaked overhead, drawing every Reaper eye to their presence. They opened fire, and the air shook with the thunder of their guns. The cluster of Reaper ground troops near the temple entrance either died where they stood, or scattered to find cover.
"Hit them!" I yelled. While they were caught off-guard, my squad popped up and started firing from the other flank. The Reapers were caught in the crossfire. But one Scion managed to get off a lucky shot, which blew out the stabiliser of one of the gunships. It spun out of control, crashing to the ground below.
Another life sacrificed for my mission. I thought of Thane, thought of Mordin, then resolved to push forward.
We advanced, step by careful step, making sure no Reapers were left alive. Javik methodically destroyed the awful spawning pods they left lying around, each one a blight on the face of Thessia.
A couple of the dragon-like Ravagers were getting close. "Tell the pilot to go!" I shouted. Cayla relayed the directive. The gunship turned and raced away, with the Ravagers giving chase.
"Well done," said Javik. "They took the bait. Our path is now clear."
"No, I..." I wanted the pilot to get the hell out of there, to save her own skin. But Javik was still right. The gunship fleeing had drawn the Ravagers away from our position.
"So much sacrifice," said Liara. "We have to make it mean something."
"Come on, let's get to the temple," Garrus said, almost gently.
The Temple of Athame
Thessia
The temple complex was massive. A dozen asari walking side by side could have easily went inside via the main entrance. A gigantic statue of what looked like an asari woman dominated the entrance hall, flanked by two slightly smaller, but still huge statues. Athame and her fellow goddesses, I presumed.
Glowing fields of energy barred our way, and we could see no Reaper forces inside.
"Do you think they managed to hold out?" asked Liara.
"Maybe," mused Garrus. He looked up, and I knew he was scanning the site to check for marks of battle. "It doesn't look like the fighting reached the inside of the temple."
"EDI, can you disable the shield?"
"Let me help," offered Liara.
"Thank you, Dr T'Soni," said EDI. "The shields are protected by military-grade encryption. I appreciate the assistance."
"Do the asari traditionally combine religion and war?" asked Javik.
"No," said Liara shortly. "This is unusual."
The shields went down, and we moved inside. It reminded me of Westminster Abbey, back on Earth. A place of worship that was now most famous for its historical displays, both museum and temple. Artifacts in glass cases (or something that looked like glass) decorated the large space, from fragments of tapestries to stone sculptures to ancient-looking weapons.
"Split up and find the scientists," I ordered. After a minute, Garrus called out to me.
"Found them, Shepard. They're dead."
Javik kneeled down and examined their bodies. "No gunshot wounds. Their throats were slit."
"Who could have done this?" asked Liara.
"Not the Reapers," Garrus said. I began to feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I don't like any of this," I said. "Stay on your toes, and look around for anything that might point us towards the artifact."
We went around, without success. Javik began strongly hinting that the Protheans uplifted the asari, something which Liara steadfastly refused to believe. After a few minutes, it didn't look like we were getting anywhere. I sighed in frustration.
"EDI, any luck with the comms?"
"No, captain."
"Figures," I said. I wandered over to the biggest thing in the room, the statue of Athame, and looked up at her. Was she a goddess, or was she a Prothean? Did it matter? And what did it mean for the religions of Earth?
While I was thinking about such things, the room suddenly began to grow quiet, dark and still. Liara and Javik's arguing became dull and muted. Nothing seemed as important as the statue in front of me. Its placid, serene face seemed to gaze down at me. How many centuries had she stood in this place? If Athame ever existed, where was she now, in Thessia's greatest hour of need?
A whispering in my ear...and then, realisation.
"There's a Prothean beacon here!" I said loudly, making everyone else fall silent.
"What?"
"I felt the same thing on Eden Prime and Ilos," I said. "It's not something I'll ever forget. It must be hidden in the statue."
"But why keep it hidden?"
"The answer is obvious," said Javik. "Hoarding knowledge for their own gain."
"A few Prothean ruins jump-started my people's technology by a couple of centuries," I said. "A working Prothean beacon over a thousand years..."
"Enough time for the asari to get a head-start," said Javik with uncharacteristic understatement.
"This can't be," said Liara, sounding stunned. "I can't believe we would keep this a secret."
"Every government would want to keep an edge over their rivals," I said. "I know mine would."
"Are we agreed that a Prothean Beacon is situated within the statue?" asked EDI.
"I'm positive."
"Perhaps you should approach the statue, captain," she suggested.
I did, and the whole bloody thing crumbled to pieces.
Still the Temple of Athame
Thessia
My first reaction, absurdly, was one of shock and embarrassment. I felt like I was in a museum and had toppled over a priceless work of art, shattering it to pieces. This statue was older than most human civilisations, after all.
But that feeling went away when I saw what was hidden beneath the statue. It was unmistakably Prothean. Even if I hadn't noticed Javik's sudden intake of breath and look of recognition, the angular shape and glowing lines looked exactly like the one I found on Eden Prime. Except for one major difference. It was huge. Like the statue, it looked about a few stories high.
As we all watched, a glowing ball of light emerged from the Beacon and settled itself in front of us. I was reminded of Liara's little Glyph VI, and suspected this thing had a similar role.
"Obtaining chronological markers," it intoned.
"You're all seeing this, right?" I asked.
"Yeah," said Garrus.
"This is one of our computers," said Javik, as the VI flashed and spun.
"Time scale established. Post-Prothean cycle confirmed." Then it paused, and glowed faintly red. "Reaper presence detected. This galactic cycle has already reached its extinction terminus."
The VI appeared to shrink. "Systems shutting down."
All of us, save for Javik, yelled at the exact same time out of panic. Liara was loudest.
"STOP! We need answers!"
"State your query," intoned the VI.
"What is the Catalyst?" Liara asked. "We need to know, so we can finish building the Crucible and defeat the Reapers."
The VI suddenly grew in size, and shaped itself into a glowing green hologram of a Prothean.
"A memory of one of my people," Javik said, all four of his eyes fixed on the VI.
"I am called Vendetta, an advanced virtual construct of Pashek Vran, overseer of the project you refer to as the Crucible. He died fighting the Reapers, as will you."
"Now wait just a minute," I said. "Why didn't you finish building the Crucible?"
"We were sabotaged from within," said Vendetta. "A splinter group argued that we should dominate the Reapers, instead of destroying them. We discovered later that they were indoctrinated, but they succeeded in fracturing our order."
"Sounds familiar," muttered Garrus. "We're facing the same problem."
"Our research indicated that time is cyclical. Previous civilisations encountered much the same problems and conflicts. Evolution and dissolution followed the same patterns, in every cycle. And then the Reapers come."
"Vendetta has not answered your question, Dr. T'soni," piped up EDI. "What is the Catalyst?"
"If the Reapers have arrived, the end of your cycle is here," said Vendetta. "It is too late."
"We can break your damn cycle!" I cut in. "We found your plans for the Crucible, and we're building the fucking thing right now!"
"The Crucible is not of Prothean design," explained Vendetta. "It is the work of countless galactic civilisations, stretching back for untold millennia. Each cycle improves upon it and leaves its own mark. None have successfully used it against the Reapers."
"Then we'll be the first! Tell us what we need to know."
"Listen to the human," Javik said imperiously. "He is a warrior who can be trusted."
Vendetta regarded Javik for a moment. "You are one of us. Is it your assessment that this cycle can prevail against the Reapers?"
Javik waved an arm. "They have earned the right to try!"
Vendetta seemed more cooperative after hearing Javik's pronouncement. Honestly, I was half-expecting him to say that we were all doomed. Something must have convinced him otherwise.
"Very well. If you have followed the plans for the Crucible, I will interface with your systems and assist with the Catalyst to -"
It stopped suddenly. "Indoctrinated presence detected. Activating security protocol."
Vendetta vanished suddenly. The inner halls of the temple were flooded with a blinding light. I could hear the whine of a gunship. Then the thudding of boots on the ground. My helmet compensated for the light saturation, and I could see a mass of Cerberus troopers, all heavily armed and armoured.
In front of them, one man whom I dearly hoped to kill.
"Hello, Shepard," said Kai Leng.
Still the Temple of Athame
Thessia
The Cerberus assassin scoffed as he took in the sight of my team training their various weapons on him.
"You're hopelessly, hilariously outgunned. One word from me and you'll all die now."
"You won't live to see it," called Garrus, looking down the barrel of his sniper rifle. But Kai Leng continued as if he didn't hear him.
"However, the Illusive Man would like to speak to you," he said, releasing a drone that looked like Liara's glyph. It floated in mid-air, beeped once or twice, and then projected an image of the other bastard I would give anything to kill. Even through a hologram, he looked calm, cool and collected, with not a silver hair or a thread of his fabulously expensive tailored suit out of place.
"John," he said affably. "It's good to see you again."
"What do you want?"
The hologram moved forward, past us, and came to a stop in front of the broken statue of Athame and the Prothean VI, which now looked like a glowing ball of energy.
"You've helped uncover the key to subjugating the Reapers. Well done."
Subjugating? "You mean destroying them."
"Don't you see?" he said, in a sudden outburst of emotion. "Destroying the Reapers gains us nothing. They're just trying to control us. Think about it – if they wanted us all dead, it would be done by now. There would be no organic life left. I know them, I know how they think."
"And I think you've gotten a little too close to those mind-raping monsters," I shot back.
"You're wrong, but the Reapers have the right idea," said the Illusive Man. "Why kill, when you can control?"
"What the fuck are you talking about? They're Reapers! You don't control them, they wipe out entire planets! You've just become another puppet dancing on their strings."
"Don't ever question my intentions," sneered the Illusive Man. "I've sacrificed more for humanity than you will ever know. And don't assume you know me. My methods of dealing with the Reapers are simply more refined than yours."
"This is the great guardian of humanity? The watchdog at the gates? Your little terrorist band is just going to lead our entire species to the butcher's block!"
"Poetic. But again, you miss the point. The world is more grey than you'd care to admit."
"For fuck's sake, with the Prothean data in this beacon I can stop this goddamn war! We're so close!"
"I don't suppose you'll ever see what I'm trying to accomplish here," said the Illusive Man, almost sadly. "A pity. But our time is up."
The Illusive Man turned to Kai Leng. "The general has something I need. Please relieve him of it. Then bring me the data."
"Understood," said the assassin. The Illusive Man vanished. Kai Leng smiled. And the Cerberus troops opened fire.
"DROP!" I screamed, half a second after my team had already hurled themselves behind pews, pillars, anything that could give us a hint of cover from the hail of fire.
"We're outnumbered, Jack," hissed Garrus. Poking our heads up to take a shot would see our shields overwhelmed, and quickly. And then we would be riddled with holes. I desperately considered the options.
"The Normandy?"
"Communications are still jammed," reported EDI.
"Cortez?"
"Laying low," said Liara. "He'll come if we call, but they've got at least one gunship. The transport's no match."
I began to feel the rising panic, and fought hard to not let it overwhelm me. I assessed the forces we had at hand.
"EDI," I began. "I need you to serve as a decoy."
"Of course, sir," she replied instantly. I wouldn't have asked an organic member of my team to do what I was about to ask EDI to do. But it was a fact that she was far more durable than any member of my ground team, and AIs were less attached to their "bodies."
I tapped my omni-tool and quickly keyed my personal shield generator to cover EDI, and ordered both Javik and Liara to sheathe her with their biotic shields. She was as protected as it was possible to be. I then unslung my M920 Cain and handed it over to her, something I've never done before.
"Aim for the centre mass," I said.
EDI nodded, and I prayed it would work. She rose out of cover, and moving faster than humanly possible, brought the weapon of mass destruction to bear.
The Cerberus troopers concentrated their fire on her, as expected. But while their guns would have brought down any one of us in seconds, the shields protecting EDI gave her a precious few seconds more of protection. And even those were burned through, with shots beginning to ricochet off her metallic body. But that was enough.
The mass effect fields launched by the Cain screamed out in a big arc, landing directly in the middle of the massed ranks of Cerberus troops. There was an explosion that sounded like the fall of Earth, and a blinding flash so bright I could see it through my tightly-shut eyelids.
I heard Garrus's big sniper rifle begin to thunder once more, and realised the ever-efficient turian was mopping up what remained of the Cerberus troops, those who were still left alive and reeling from the blast. Javik's plasma gun began to pulse too.
"Everyone alright? EDI? Damage report!"
"I am still functional, captain," she said. Even with all the extra protection, she had taken a tremendous amount of damage. Her shiny metallic finish was burned black and covered in gouges, and sparks were streaming from a hole in the left side of her abdomen. But she was still upright.
A blur moved in front of us, faster than I could track. A long blade flashed out, utterly incongruous in an age of remote detonations and orbital bombardments. But only one prick was arrogant enough to play at dressing up like a ninja in the middle of a galactic war. Kai Leng, Thane's murderer. His sword slammed into EDI's side, making her "wound" bigger, causing her to fall over. Almost in the same moment, he flung out an arm, sending Javik flying into a wall, and knocking Garrus to the ground. The bastard wasn't biotic, as far as we knew, but Liara believed he had cybernetic implants with Reaper tech to mimic a biotic's abilities.
He charged straight at me, faster than I thought possible. I had barely time to get my sidearm out and fired off one shot before he was on me. It bounced harmlessly off his shields. Too late, I realised my own shield generator was still regenerating after I used it to protect EDI. That archaic looking sword could stab through a vital organ and out again, given Kai Leng's enhanced strength.
A blue shimmer in the air appeared and I felt myself being hurled to the side, just missing Kai Leng's wickedly fast slash at neck height. Liara had saved my life. But Kai Leng reacted with blinding speed, bringing his sword around in an arc that would have skewered her like a Reaper column had she not raised her shields, just in the nick of time. Kai Leng reached out with both arms, and a wave of invisible force slammed Liara into one of the few intact pillars holding up the temple's roof.
I had no time to shout out, instead I trained my gun on Kai Leng and fired repeatedly, not letting up until the thing overheated. He paused, looking furious, and then backed off. Behind me, Javik had recovered and was taking shots at the Cerberus assassin. He held out an arm, deflecting the beam away from his face. With his other arm, he activated his communicator.
"Target the supports."
"MOVE!" I bellowed, sheer panic in my voice. We had taken out his troopers, but not the bloody gunship...
There was a mighty crash, and a terrifying cracking sound as the pillars collapsed and the roof sagged, almost giving way entirely. I clung to a piece of floor that was in danger of breaking off and crashing to the floor underneath the main level. I could just about make out Kai Leng striding forward to the statue of Athame and the Prothean beacon it once concealed.
He was taking the beacon, he was taking it for Cerberus, and with it, the last chance of winning this war. Our last chance of survival.
"You're going to get us all killed!" I yelled as best I could, wishing for the first time I was a biotic and could simply float through the air to kill the poisonous bastard.
"Cerberus thanks you for your service," he said smugly, and left the temple.
I wanted to throw up with the sheer horror of what was unfolding before my eyes. Not only did we lose our chance to complete the Crucible, the priceless beacon that had fuelled asari dominance for centuries was now in the hands of Cerberus. Of course, I was probably about to die in a few minutes anyway.
Then I saw a familiar blue glow, and felt myself being lifted up to stand on solid ground once more. Liara had recovered. There was no sign of Kai Leng.
"Where is -"
"He's gone, Jack, and we need to get out of here," said Garrus, looking about as angry as I felt. But he was making sense.
"Cortez," I said. "We need to leave."
"Aye aye, sir."
Liara was looking out at the scene of devastation in the city below, not bothering to hide the tears streaming down his face. Soon, the same scene would be repeated on countless other planets across the galaxy. And it was all thanks to me.
The Normandy
Retreating from asari space
Ashley was the first to greet us as soon as we stepped off the transport, with Jackie close behind.
"Is everyone alright? Did you get the artifact?"
"No," I said, barely able to keep it together. No one had said a single word in the ride back up, beyond Garrus informing Cortez what had happened. "The artifact was a Prothean beacon, but we were ambushed by Kai Leng and Cerberus. They have it now."
The shock on Ashley's face was immediate. Jackie balled her hands into fists.
"Those little cunts," she hissed.
"I need to inform the Alliance and the Council," I said. "Immediately. This is my fault."
Ignoring everyone, not even bothering to remove my armour, I left my weapons on the floor and headed up to the secure communications room.
"Specialist, patch me through to the Prime Minister first, then the Council. Highest priority," I told a surprised Traynor as I passed by.
"Aye aye, sir."
It was an urgent call, the kind I rarely sent. The Prime Minister answered almost immediately.
"General, how fares the crew?"
"We took no casualties," I said. "But ma'am, we failed you. We did not secure the asari artifact, which turned out to be a Prothean beacon. Cerberus ambushed and attacked us, and made off with the beacon."
The Prime Minister was a trained diplomat, a career politician, full of upper-class reserve and someone who had spent the war hearing of calamity after calamity. But the look of pure, utter shock on her face was something I had never seen before, and never expected.
"I see," she said at last. "It is most unfortunate, but I'm glad to hear you haven't lost any members of your crew. Thank you for telling me. I must inform the Council."
"That's my responsibility, ma'am," I said.
"Very well," said the PM. "Please give me a minute."
"Yes, ma'am."
I took a deep breath after she ended the call, and then another. It wasn't working. I could feel the blood pounding in my veins, my fingers shaking, my face burning with shame. I wanted to freak out with the sheer enormity of the loss we had suffered today, but I couldn't. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
"Sir, the Council are ready," Traynor informed me over the comms.
I took another deep breath, which did nothing to help, and punched the key. They appeared before me, Sparatus, Valern, Tevos and Inara Serra, who looked ashen-face, even through the choppy and distorted projection.
"Please report, Shepard," Tevos said. "We've lost all contact with Thessia. The planet has gone dark. How soon will the Crucible be ready to deploy?"
"Councillor, we failed the mission. We did not obtain the artifact, nor the Catalyst."
Tevos drew back in shock. "What happened?" she cried, as the others looked on.
"Cerberus was there. We were ambushed. We were defeated. We lack the information necessary to finish the Crucible."
"Cerberus once more!" roared Sparatus. "This band of human scum has brought us ever closer to the brink of defeat!"
Not even the PM had a comeback for that. And why would she? After all, he was right.
"What was the situation on Thessia?" asked Valern.
"Deteriorating fast," I said heavily. "The Reapers are there in strength."
"Councillors, you must excuse me," said Tevos, not looking at me. "There are certain preparations I have to make, continuity of civilisation to consider. I never thought this day would come."
"None of us did," I said. "I'm sorry." But Tevos had already left.
"If the galaxy falls, it will be on Cerberus's head. And humanity's," said Sparatus bluntly, before logging off too. Valern shook his head, but didn't contradict him, and also vanished. Only the PM was left.
"I have to inform Admiral Hackett," she said. "We'll come back from this. Be safe, general."
"Yes ma'am," I said helplessly. That was all I could do.
I went up to my cabin, still in my armour, sat in my couch and just stared. I didn't want to fully consider the enormity of what just happened, not yet. I feared I'd just break down if I did. Mindlessly, just for the want of something to do, I peeled off my armour one by one till I was just left in my undershirt and briefs. I sat on the floor, back to the little coffee table beside my bed, and stared at the ceiling. There were no answers there.
The thing about not occupying your thoughts is that it gets done for you anyway. I thought about what we had just lost. Somehow, despite everything we were doing, all the blows we struck against the Reapers and all the lives we sacrificed, at the back of my mind there always lurked the suspicion that it was all in vain.
The only reason we weren't all dead is because the Reapers want most of our bodies to build their new ships. If they wanted to, they could wipe out all life on planet after planet. You can't win a conventional war against that kind of technological superiority. Everything our fleets and soldiers were doing was to buy time for the Crucible project to come online. And the Crucible project would never be completed. We were all going to die, or be enslaved, or worse.
Thanks to me.
Sometime later, the door hissed open. Only one person on board the ship could walk in even after I had locked everyone out, including EDI.
I didn't look at her as Jackie kneeled down beside me.
"Jack?"
I didn't answer. She hit my arm, then slapped me in the face. It stung.
"What happened down there?"
I didn't answer.
"Jack, talk to me. Please?"
It was the note of anxiety in her voice that made me look up. Jackie never sounded scared. Never. As defeated as I was, I couldn't bear to leave her feeling vulnerable any longer.
"We've lost," I said bluntly. "We let Cerberus take the beacon. The Crucible won't be finished."
I lost it. Keeping it in and tightly under control was no longer working. I buried my head in my arms and howled with grief and rage and guilt and shame. Jackie flung her arms around me as I sobbed uncontrollably. The job was mine. The responsibility was mine. The ball was in my hands, and I had fucked it up.
Jackie did not pull away. When I had quietened somewhat, she was still holding me. I reached out and held one of her hands, holding it like a drowning man clings to a life preserver.
"This is bad. But it's not over."
"What are you talking about, of course it's -"
"It's bad, but it's not over. Say it with me."
"It's not over."
"Look, before today, what did we need to win the war?"
I thought about it. "Everything."
"Exactly. There were too many steps. Before the asari told us about their damn beacon, we were shadowboxing, landing a couple of hits, slowing the Reapers down but not stopping them."
I realised what she was getting at. "But once we learned there's an actual Catalyst, the job got a lot easier."
"Yes," she said, sounding pleased. "All we needed was that beacon right? Bring it to the Crucible and the war's won."
"Our best guess."
"Fuck that, listen to me. Imagine you did get that beacon. All we have to do is to bring it to Hackett. Cerberus has it now. So what do we need to do now?"
"We need to take it back from Cerberus."
"Yes!"
She was right. I was so overcome by the shock that I failed to realise the fact of the matter. Once the asari revealed there was an actual Catalyst, we were no longer flying blind. The steps we needed to take to win the war went from an infinite number to a finite number. We were no longer flying blind. The way forward was clear.
I pulled Jackie down gently and kissed her. Softly at first, then harder. She kissed me back with equal ferocity.
"How do you do it?" I asked.
"Do what?"
"How do you keep saving me?"
Jackie looked right into my eyes. "You think the galaxy is on your shoulders and everyone needs you. I don't know if that's true. But you're mine, Jack Shepard, and you need me, and I'm here for you no matter what."
She was right. I still had a job to do. It had an extra step now, but I still had to get it done.
"Thank you," I said, still holding her hand, and bringing it up to my lips for another kiss. "I love you so much," I added, words that I had said a hundred times before, but never meaning it more than I did at that moment.
"I love you too," she said simply, as if it was an immutable law of the universe, as self-evident as gravity. She gave me another fierce hug. Then she stood up and tugged at my arm.
"Get up, marine. We have a war to win."
Marine, she said. Not soldier. That did the trick.
War Room
The Normandy
Chakwas had made sure everyone was relatively ok. EDI's body was going through an emergency patch-up, but she was still with us. I needed everyone with me if we were going to get through this.
Liara was standing near the tactical map, two hands on the edge. It looked like she was using every last bit of her strength to hold herself up.
"Liara, I'm so sorry."
"Jack...nobody could have predicted that Cerberus would reach Thessia before us."
I knew Liara was blaming herself for the lack of intelligence. She was the Shadow Broker. But she had not seen Cerberus coming.
"That's on me," I said firmly. "It's my job to be prepared, no matter what. Thessia is lost, as is the data on the Catalyst."
I looked at my crew. "But we're still here. As long as one of us is still breathing, we still have a job to do. And I am sick and fucking tired of these murderous excuses for humanity constantly blowing up our plans. I am changing the parameters of our mission. We won't win the war against the Reapers until we beat Cerberus. It's not enough to keep fending off their attacks. We go to where they live, and burn everything to the ground."
"Let's kick them in the balls for a change!" yelled Vega, smacking his fist into a palm.
"We need to find out where they're based. Anyone have any ideas?"
I looked around. Liara looked exhausted, but she was our best hope. If she couldn't tell us where Cerberus was hiding, who could?
But before she could say anything, Sam Traynor cleared her throat. Everyone looked at her.
"Well," she said. "There is something."