Disclaimer: I do not own either Star Wars or Mass Effect. They're just two of my favorite franchises and I wanted to play in the sandbox.
Chapter Twenty-Two: New Found Allies
Rex's eyes shifted between the Supreme Chancellor and Shepard during the debriefing. The latter had just returned with Fives from an extraction gone wrong. "Tits-up" were the specific words she gave him as she vented her anger in the locker room as she cleaned up just prior to the debriefing. It wasn't a familiar idiom, but it seemed accurate from her description. He reminded her the mission went better than it could have. The intel had been recovered and the civilians were unharmed, which were the important parts. All the same, the Supreme Chancellor seemed determined to make the point that the mission hadn't gone perfectly to plan.
"It is quite a shame Mr. Cerkin was a casualty during his own extraction." The Chancellor lamented via hologram. "He had agreed to assist with our infiltration of Ringo Vinda."
"With all due respect Chancellor, Mr. Cerkin's true intentions were made quite clear when he tried to frag me and buried my own shotgun into my spine." She retorted in a surprisingly upbeat tone with a smile. "According to Mrs. Cerkin, he never planned to aid the Republic and instead sought to sell the intel to Cad Bane and abandon them. If it hadn't been for her intervention in signaling the Republic for extraction, he would have been successful."
Rex watched the visible response of Generals Windu and Skywalker during the exchange. It was a habit Shepard had been teaching him. During their downtime together, she explained the basics of observing people. Chief among these lessons, was watching the body language of the ones that we weren't speaking. He began to notice subtle tells.
When the Supreme Chancellor was speaking, General Skywalker tended to lean forward with his hands behind his back, a gesture of agreement and approval. General Windu, however shifted one foot back and lean away slightly with crossed arms, suggesting defensiveness. They were gestures he never gave much thought to until Shepard pointed them out, but they were consistent and repetitive during their frequent briefings. Given the both his and Shepard's unsettling experiences with the Supreme Chancellor, he hoped General Windu's body language indicated he shared in their concerns while General Skywalker seemed otherwise oblivious.
"I have no doubt Captain Shepard and ARC Trooper Fives did the best they could under the circumstances." Anakin gently diffused.
"I'm sure they did, particularly without your assistance, General Skywalker." The Chancellor quickly agreed.
Rex glanced toward Shepard and saw her right index finger flick against her thumb several times. It was the only sign the Chancellor's dig got a rise out of her. He also noticed General Windu's eyes flick to her briefly, studying her response.
"Our planned assault on Ringo Vinda is proceeding on schedule." Windu refocused the conversation. "Barring any unexpected delays, we will be ready to launch by the end of the cycle."
"General Windu, has the council had to opportunity to discuss my mission proposal to Mustafar to investigate the Geth signal?" Shepard asked.
"Yes. The Supreme Chancellor was kind enough to verify the signal the Normandy team intercepted."
"My sources scouted Mustafar and found no Geth were found on the planet. However a Geth signature was detected on Boz Pity. The Separatists have a large base here. The signal originated in a canyon in the southern hemisphere."
The holotable displayed the slowly rotating planet with the two locations indicated by green lights Rex watched Shepard's brows furrow just slightly as she reviewed the file information on the planet. She crossed her left arm across her chest as her the curled fingers of her right hand rested against her lips in thought. He noticed her jaw tense and relax several times as she deliberated.
"Your contacts were sure a Geth signal wasn't found on Mustafar?" Shepard asked neutrally. "Edi isn't prone to errors."
"Yes, Captain. I suspect it was merely a human error made on her part in the heat of battle. A location lost in translation."
"Indeed. A human error." She agreed without correction.
"The Council agrees this matter requires action. Captain, you are approved to scout the signal location on Boz Pity. This is strictly a recon mission. We cannot chance losing our window to capture Ringo Vinda. Once we are successful, a larger operation can be reviewed."
Rex caught General Skywalker's eye. They exchanged a look of anticipation that Shepard would express her difference of opinion regarding the Council's decision. Given that the proposed mission dealt with a matter Rex knew was especially personal to her, he expected she would vehemently disagree.
"Understood, General." She replied. "Thank you for allowing a recon mission."
Windu's brows rose just slightly in surprise at her uncharacteristic cooperation. "You are cleared to depart as soon as you're ready."
She verified she was no longer needed, she made protocol, and left them quite nonplussed.
Shepard was busy restocking the medical and ration supplies of her ship when she heard a shuttle land outside. Shortly thereafter boots approach on the ramp. Warmth flushed across her chest against her body glove. An anticipatory smile crept across her face as she unconsciously shifted her hips.
She and Rex agreed to keep their relationship strictly off ship. Shepard knew herself well enough to accept that delayed gratification wasn't one of her stronger suits when it came to her personal life. In an effort to reduce temptation, they spent their most off-duty hours together in visible spaces. Talking on observation deck or sparring in the training room were their most frequent activities.
Naturally they occasionally found time together in the relative privacy of her quarters or aboard her ship, but knowing General Skywalker's watchful mind was never far kept them from getting carried away. Unfortunately these stolen moments only served to leave both lustful and unfulfilled. The advantage of their ship bound celibacy was their off-time on Coruscant all the more vigorous and satisfying. Maybe delayed gratification had its merits after all.
"I didn't think we'd get any time alone before Fives and I left. I love it when you surprise me." She purred without looking. "I'll be done in a couple minutes."
"Take your time. I'm in no hurry."
Shepard's relaxed spine and cocked hips snapped straight. The carnal thoughts racing though her mind ground to an sudden hault. That wasn't Rex's voice. It wasn't even a clone's voice. Her face immediately flushed deep crimson as she looked over her shoulder and saw Mace Windu leaned against the door of the galley, arms casually crossed his chest. Internally she wanted to die.
"Sorry for that, General. I thought you were someone else."
"Clearly. Am I...interrupting something?" He asked in a much smoother tone than she expected.
"Not at all, sir." She cleared her throat and found her voice. "What can I do for you?"
"We haven't had the opportunity to talk in a while. Skywalker informed me you've completed your mental training. Are you still having nightmares?"
"Regularly, but they're different than before. Not as aggressive." She set aside the datapad and contemplated a concise answer. "Rather than hijacking a dream and trying to pry my mind open like before, it feels more like a subtle suggestion. A whisper trying to tempt me somewhere."
"How often?"
"About once a week, give or take. I keep a datapad at my bedside to take notes. There hasn't been a consistent theme or path I'm being coaxed to. I shared the details with General Skywalker. He agreed there doesn't seem to be a pattern."
"Do you ever see future events?" He probed.
She answered with an exasperated look. "My mother was grooming me to be a con artist from the time I was a toddler. My intuition is conditioning, nothing more."
"Skywalker sensed an anomaly in your mind he couldn't explain."
"It's likely the result of receiving a message from a Prothean beacon and a cipher to be able to understand it."
He shifted to a different subject. "I'd like your opinion on the Chancellor's intel regarding your mission."
She studied his frustratingly neutral expression as she resumed her inventory. "On or off the record?"
"Off the record." He handed her kit.
"I think this lead is a red herring. The Chancellor's intel is wrong, possibly by accident, but my gut tells my intentional."
"What makes you so sure?"
"It's too convenient for my taste that suddenly a Geth signal just happened to be found halfway across the galaxy from the Normandy's intel. Besides, Edi doesn't make human mistakes."
He didn't speak, but his expression prompted her to elaborate.
"Not to oversimplify, but she's the Normandy's on-board synthetic intelligence. Her name 'EDI' is an acronym for Enhanced Defense Intelligence. The Chancellor likely assumed between her name and use of feminine pronouns that she's organically human."
With a subtle nod, he seemed satisfied. "As I understand your Spectre authority, you have the ability to make discretionary changes to the mission plan, is that correct?" He arched a brow toward her as he gave her the last kit.
She accepted the kit with a degree of suspicion. "There are some geopolitical limitations, but in most cases, yes that is accurate."
"And you would be inclined to defer to the Normandy's intel versus the Republic's."
"If I were acting on Citadel Council orders, I would unequivocally defer to known resources." She strategically answered.
"I assume the Citadel Council has expressed concerns about the Geth being held captive by the Separatists and would like the matter investigated." He leaned against the table.
"I haven't spoken to them specifically on the matter, but I would hope so, under the circumstances." After finalizing the inventory list and signing off, she set the datapad aside.
"Hypothetically, if you were ordered by the Citadel Council to investigate the lead in Mustafar, would you be inclined to follow the directive?"
Her confusion at the subject was etching into her face. She wasn't entirely sure where the conversation was headed. The line of questions was so out of character for the venerable Jedi General, she began to wonder if he was trying to maneuver her into an admission of guilt. Or if he was using a Jedi mind trick on her.
"Would this supposed directive be prohibited by the Jedi Council?"
"Not specifically sanctioned but also not expressly prohibited."
A non-answer if she'd ever heard one. "I suppose would depend on whether the directive jeopardizes a larger mission or if delaying the directive could jeopardize the Geth and by extension the Republic."
"That decision would be subject to your discretion at the time of your mission."
"My hypothetical mission." She clarified.
Mace held her gaze for for moment without confirming then started toward the door. "Thank you for your time, Captain. You may give some consideration to making contact with the Citadel Council before departing."
She pulled her brows in confusion as he deacended the ladder to cargo bay. "Is that an order, sir?"
"A friendly suggestion." He stopped at the top of the ramp and turned. "Oh, one last thing. The Senate Archive contacted the council regarding some recently discovered coordinate errors in their records. They requested confirmation against the Jedi Archive, which wasn't affected by that breech several cycles ago. You recall that event."
Her stomach dropped to her feet and her blood ran cold. "Yes, I do."
"Your sector was among those in question. I personally assured the Senate Archivist their coordinates for your sector were accurate following the breech. Thought you might want to know." The corner of his lip curled upward just slightly. "Good luck on your mission, Captain. I look forward to reading your report."
Shepard watched him go with a bewildered expression. The entire exchange threw her for a loop. She glanced around the ship waiting to wake up from a bizarre dream. Had she just experienced a glitch in reality? Was she hallucinating or did General Mace Windu, one of the hardest nosed, straight-laced men she had ever met just give her the green light to circumvent her orders and go to Mustafar anyway? No, that couldn't be right. She must have misunderstood him.
Then there was the last thing he said. He confirmed the Senate Archive coordinates were correct after the breech. As her mind raced through the possible conclusions, three came to mind.
First was that the Jedi records were wrong, which seemed highly unlikely and it was mathematically impossible for them to be incorrect with the exact altered coordinates as the Senate Archive. The second was that Edi had changed records in the Jedi Archive as well. That was likewise impossible. They hadn't even taken the Jedi Archive into account in the first place, which left the third conclusion. It most probably yet most perplexing conclusion she could think of off hand: General Windu knew she was responsible for the Senate breech, knew she altered the location of her sector, and covered for her.
She looked around the empty ship utterly gobsmacked. "What the fuck just happened?"
Fives glanced at Shepard from the corner of his eye as they returned to the ship. Something wasn't right. He hadn't known her for an exceptionally long time, but in the months they had been a team, he had come to understand well. To those she trusted, there was little she held back and he could confidently count himself in that group. So, when her pattern of behavior deviated from the norm, he immediately noticed.
She had been unusually quiet on their trip out to Boz Pity, saying little more than the briefing and routine pre-mission checks. They spent three rotations traipsing around the desert canyon and all they found were a few gutted and dismantled Geth platforms. If he hadn't known differently, he would have thought it was a routine training exercise. He expected her to show some measure of frustration or even anger at the wasted time and resources. He certainly felt that way. Yet she remained indifferent to the outcome, even unsurprised by it.
"Something on your mind, Captain?" He finally asked.
"Not particularly." She answered without inflection.
He thought for a moment, trying to find a way to pry without being impertinent. "I would have thought you'd be...disappointed that we didn't find any active Geth."
From the nav-station, she glanced over her shoulder with a glint in her eye. "Being disappointed would imply I expected to find them there in the first place."
"You knew we wouldn't find anything?"
Internally he was relieved to see some of her normal personality retuen. His question went unanswered though she arched an eyebrow at him. With the engines starting, Shepard sat in the pilot's seat and they lifted off. Once in orbit, he pulled up the navigation for their jump.
"I thought orders were to return to Coruscant when we were done. " He said in response to their destination.
"Uh-huh." She replied as she maneuvered the ship into position.
"These coordinates aren't for Coruscant. Care to fill me in?"
She set the auto-pilot and leaned on the armrest toward him. "There were never any Geth on Boz Pity. They were put there for us to find. Now that we have this bullshit lead out of the way, how would you like to participate in a Spectre mission?"
"You're disobeying the Jedi's orders?" His brows shot up in surprise.
She leaned back and pressed a hand to her chest with a playful gasp. "Fives, we don't disobey orders. We strategically exploit the loopholes. You in?"
With his trademark roguish grin mischievous glint in his eye, he settled into the copilot's seat. "Oh, yeah. I'm in."
Mustafar was easily one of the most menacing planets she'd ever seen. The planetary codex classified the planet as inhospitable due to its volcanic activity. She didn't realize until arriving that virtually the entire planet was an active volcano. More surprising was there appeared to be no orbital defenses or patrols.
After scanning the surface, they located a structure and verified through comm signals it was an active installation. It appeared to be an old mining outpost that had been abandoned for one reason or another. By her estimate on approach, most of the building was a stilted platform that hung out over a large river of magma. The pillars and overhanging structure were heat shielded, though to Shepard it was a dangerous balance of technology and natural forces.
As they drew closer, she listened for any available comm chatter. Embedded in the droid transmissions she heard the occasional click or warble of Geth. They found a place to lane near the entrance and set down the ship. A series of metal catwalks over the exposed rock connected the single landing platform to the building. Fives used his Omni-Tool to open the door and Shepard took point.
Searching the facility would be easy. It consisted of a single main hallway lined, which lead to a control room. Along the hallway were doors leading to maintenance closets and small living quarters. Most of the doors were either jammed open or had no power supply, indicating they were not in use. They silently stalked down a long corridor, keeping to the walls. Halfway down the main corridor was a junction. Shepard peered around the corner. Confirming it was clear, she scanned the hall to her right with her OT.
"No major power sources or life signs." She quietly informed over their internal comm.
The control room door opened. They heard the distinct metallic foot falls and whirring servos of a B1 battle droid. Shepard pressed her back against the architectural strut jutting out from the walls as it turned left at a hurried pace. A door down the corridor opened and a moment later closed again. Fives crouched against the wall by her hip. Both held their weapons at the ready as the droid drew returned. As it rounded corner toward the control room, she peeled around the edge of the strut. In front of the droid was a male Quarian. He seemed to be absorbed in a datapad and was oblivious to their presence as he strolled to the control room. She felt Fives shift against her leg to look as well.
Once the corridor was empty, he stood and spoke quietly. "What's he doing out here?"
"He's likely here to work on the Geth." She answered.
"We need to bring him in."
"Agreed, but right now, I'm more interested in where he came from."
Double checking corners, she darted down the left junction. After confirming the path was clear, she waved to Fives and he followed. Both moved in silence. They continued until they neared the door the Quarian came from. A large frosted window glowed with light from the other side. Shepard and Fives stood on either side of the door. She counted down from three in a whisper. At one, he activated the door control and she raised her shotgun and spun into the room. He was on her heels, facing the opposite direction.
Shepard swore aloud. She quickly moved to the table and doffed her helmet before assessing the extent of the damage. Fives followed and took in the Geth up close. The body design was more humanoid than he expected. It had the same three fingers hands, two toed feet, and backward bowing legs as Tali. He found the long curving neck and head especially curious.
After several minutes of scanning with her OT, it began to move. The lights at the center of the head illuminated and the platform spoke in a series of rapid clicks and trills, it sat up abruptly. It tried to stand, but it was still attached to several cables. They backed up a step, giving it space.
"We're here to help you." She said calmly.
The Geth looked at Fives then Shepard for a long moment before speaking in basic. "Voice pattern and facial structure analyzed. ShepardCommander, Thank you reactivating this platform."
"Have we met before?" She asked as she unhooked the cables.
"We have not. Your assistance in helping Legion achieve true sentience for all Geth has made you known among us as a friend." He clarified.
"Can you walk?"
"Yes, this platform is still functional and combat ready."
She pulled the shotgun from her back and handed it to him. "Are there anymore Geth onsite?"
"Yes. All inactive platforms are housed onsite further down this corridor."
After dumping the terminal of its data, they agreed on a basic plan: capture the Quarian and recover the other platforms, get the hell off Mustafar.
At the junction, a fire alarm was activated. Within moments, a squad of droids emerged from the control room and trotted down the hallway toward the false alarm. Sealing the junction blast door, the team continued to the control room. Fives opened the door and they charged in. Within the span of a brief fire fight, the remaining squad of droids were dispatched. Fives pulled the Quarian out of hiding behind a console and bound his hands. An active hologram console stood at the front of the room. Shepard recognized the long face, heavy brow, and scolding gaze of Count Dooku from the war files.
"Tol'Breko it seems your operation has been compromised. How...disappointing." Dooku sneered. "And you must be Captain Shepard. My master has told me of you meddlesome tendencies."
"Meddlesome doesn't even begin to cover my tendencies." She quipped in reply. "Where is he, anyway? I'd love to have a chat."
"Hmpf, such confidence in your ignorance. There are forces at work beyond your childlike comprehension. It's a pity you won't live long enough to suffer the folly of your ego. Farewell, Captain."
Alarms blares before the hologram flickered and vanished. Shepard looked the console and immediately understood the simple graphics. Dooku remotely deactivated the protective shields, leaving the structure to collapse into the molten rover below.
Stressed metal groaned loudly beneath them. Suddenly the structure shook violently and the floor dropped several feet. The windows exploded into tiny shards. A wave of suffocating heat and volcanic glasses poured into the room. Shepard struggled to maintain her balance as the overheated pillars collapsed under the weight of the building.
Fives pulled the Quarian toward the door and shoved him into cover. Security protocols were overridden by the collapse of the building, opening all the doors. The squad of trapped battle droids was released and opened fire. He looked back at Shepard as blaster bolts flew past his head. Instinctively, he wanted to help her but he had to return fire on the droids.
Large chunks of the floor and support structure broke away and dropped into the magma flow far below them. Gysers of molten rock plumes upward, further destabilizing both the building and the surrounding cliff. The furthest section of the floor collapsed. Shepard gathered her feet, ran up the pitched surface and leapt across the growing chasm. Once her feet were again in solid ground, she drew her rifle and fired against the droids from cover behind a console opposite the door. As they thinned the droids, additional squads appeared from both hallways. The control room continued to crumble around them.
"Where are they coming from?!" Shepard yelled.
"Inventory indicates another platoon is pending activation." The Geth answered.
"Oh, great!" Fives yelled.
The floor trembled beneath their feet as large cracks formed. Volcanic bombs, ranging in size from her fist to her helmet rocketed past them, crashing into and the ceiling, splattering molten lava and shards of volcanic glass in all directions. They were running out of time.
Shepard used a biotic slam to scatter knock most of the droids off their feet and confuse the others. Seizing the opportunity, the four sprinted down the corridor. The floor was dropping just behind them as they neared the main entrance. On the periphery, she heard the modulated voices of the droids falling into the chasm.
Fives and the Geth were out first with Shepard close behind. The Quarian, however was struggling to keep up. When she looked back, she saw him leaned against the doorway. She yelled for Fives to get the ship started and ran back for him. Taking his weight against her, she pulled him along.
"I have..." He gasped. "Multiple suit breeches."
"Come on, we're almost there." She encouraged. "You're gonna make it."
Shepard and the breathless Quarian staggered on the shaking catwalk. Behind them, the last of the building disappeared over the edge of the cliff. They were fifty feet from the ship when the rock beneath the metal grate began to crack and splinter. She hoisted him across her shoulders and ran. Fives stood to the end of the ramp as the engines came online, urging her to hurry.
Adrenaline surged as her legs pumped. Metal groaned as the grate suddenly pitched steeply. Twenty feet from the ship, the cliff collapsed. She dropped the unconscious Quarian from her shoulder, lopped his bound arms around her neck and shoulders, and braced herself on the railing for the ride over the edge. Her stomach momentarily launched into her throat as they dropped and plummeted back into place as they suddenly stopped by crashing against the cliff. The side of the dangling grate she clung to failed under their added weight, pulling away from the platform, threatening to twist around and pin them against the rock.
Her shield quickly broke in the intense heat. The electronics of her suit sparked and fizzled, arcing against her sweat soaked compression suit like hot needles. Gripping the rail with her legs, she retrieved her ascension cable. Aiming around the railing, she fired. The end embedded deeply in the cliff. Attaching the retractor to her belt, she pushed free of the rail. Just as they swung clear, the grate fell free into the magma, creating a gyser. The motor strained under their combined weight in the extreme heat. Halfway to the top, it slowed and stopped. Shepard breathed heavily in her helmet as they dangled over the molten pit, vulnerable to the mercy of the raw planetary force.
Fives yelled her name from the top of of cliff. "You have to drop him and climb out!"
"NO! We need him!" She obstinate replied and began climbing the cable as quickly as her taxed muscles could muster.
Just as Fives opened the comm for the Geth to take off and pick them up, a Kodiak shuttle suddenly flew low overhead. It quickly swung around and dropped into the canyon. Vega and Garrus appeared in the open door leaned out. As the cliff shook and rocks fell away, Shepard pushed off from the face toward them. Garrus grabbed them with his long reach and Vega and detached the cable from her belt. The shuttle rose to the surface and Fives hopped on board.
As the door sealed, Cortez confirmed Shepard's ship was airborn and no one was left on the surface, while Vega contacted the Normandy to have the medbay on standby to receive the injured. Garrus began patching the Quarian's suit and attached an oxygen tank. Fortunately, he regained consciousness, though he was still very weak.
She removed her helmet and pushed the sweat matted hair off her forehead. Opening a cubby, and tossed Fives a bottle of water and a ration bar. He sat back on the bench and pulled his bucket off. Opening the seal, he added two purification tabs from the tube he kept in a belt pouch, capped the bottle, and shook it for a minute. Pulling deeply from the bottle, he rested his head against the shuttle and took a relieved breath.
Grabbing the same for herself, she sat next to him and nudged his shoulder. "You can't tell me that wasn't a little bit fun."
"Shepard, you have pretty fucked up idea of fun." He teased with a sidelong glance. "Do all your Spectre missions end up like that?"
"Yes." Garrus and Vega answered at the same time.
She grinned incredulously. "We'll, you adrenaline junkies can't stay away from the action for long. Thanks for the pickup."
The shuttle docked moments later. Once Shepard's ship landed and was secured, they made a quick exit from Mustafar. If Shepard never laid eyes on the planet again, she'd die a happy woman.