Hello, fellow Halo and mass effect fans. Yes, its really me, I have finally returned. And yes, I come with, finally, a new chapter. As you all know, the last update was 6 MONTHS AGO. Yea that's crazy, i apologize for that. After that update, i wanted to do another chapter, but considering I was only a month away from shipping out to basic, I had a lot of things to take care of. I proposed to my girlfriend, who is now my fiancé, 3 days before I left home. And now I'm 2 months out of basic training, and I'm still stuck at here in great lakes. Haven't had a lot of time to work on the story, but i finally managed to push out a new chapter. I don't wanna bombard you guys with my life lmao, that's just weird. But I'm alive, basic training sucked but was pretty easy, and now hopefully i can get back on track of uploading chapters, at the most, once a month, but I'm gonna aim for twice a month. Anyways, here's chapter 13 of the Noble effect, which i actually started working on in basic training, just writing it and brainstorming with my rackmate. Hope you guys enjoy!
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Noble Effect
Chapter 13
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Noble Six stood between Shepard and Garrus, on board a shuttle on its way back to the Normandy after their successful attempt at shutting down Cerberus's plan to blow up Tuchanka. As they exited Tuchanka's atmosphere, he thought back on what it was like fighting Cerberus.
From what he knew about them, and his encounters with them, he hated them already. He had fought insurrectionists before, but when the Covenant came, he stopped, and a lot of the human-on-human fighting stopped. Some, not all. There were still multiple insurrectionist groups who would try and sabotage the UNSC while they were busy fighting a galactic threat. That's what Cerberus seemed to be doing. They were fighting everyone else but the real threat, the Reapers, and if they don't put an end to Cerberus, they could cost them the galaxy. He was so into his thoughts, he didn't notice they had landed inside the Normandy until the shuttle doors opened.
Before he walked out, his mind took him somewhere else. He couldn't help but think about Victus. About how the alien Lieutenant was so ready to give his life for the mission, even after losing almost all his men. It reminded Six of Jorge's sacrifice over Reach. About how Carter flew straight into a scarab so that he and Emile could complete the mission. About how Emile accepted his death immediately, and took 2 zealots with him, energy sword through his chest. They all accepted their deaths and they made the most of it.
Six was ready to accept his death as well. He was the last thing standing between an army of Covenant and Reach. He was ready to fight, to the last breath, and ready to bring every alien son of a bitch in sight to the grave with him. Ready to go out like a true Spartan.
Instead, he ran. In the face of certain death, where he should've stood his ground and looked death straight in the eye, fighting until he couldn't fight anymore, he ran. He didn't know if that was a smart move, or a cowardly move. He was a Spartan III, a hyper lethal killing machine, and he ran. Now he's in another galaxy, fighting a war he has no business fighting, against an unknown enemy, working with aliens.
Did he make the right choice? He wasn't sure. Maybe he was there for a reason, Then again, maybe he was supposed to die back-
"Six!" yelled Shepard, startling Six. Six looked at her, and she stared back at him, as if she was waiting on him. "Are you coming? Or you just going to stand there?" she asked. That when Six noticed he was the only one still in the shuttle.
"Yes, Commander," said Six. "I'm coming." He walked out of the shuttle, removing his helmet and holding it in his left hand.
"Six, you ok?" asked Shepard as they walked towards the elevator together. "Looked like you froze up there for a minute."
"I'm fine Commander, just some things I need to figure out on my own," replied Six.
Shepard nodded, understanding. "Ok Six. Do what you need to do, but just know, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm right here," she said.
They boarded the elevator, and pressed the buttons for the decks they were going to, The door closed, and they headed up in silence. As they headed up, Six broke the ice. "Commander, permission to speak freely?"
"You don't even have to ask, Six. What is it?" Shepard replied.
"Why are we here?" was the question that came from Six.
Clearly catching Shepard off guard, she took a second to respond. "I'm not really sure Six," she replied, "but I can try to answer if you want."
Before Six could say anything though, the elevator door opened on the engineering deck. Six and Shepard looked at each other in silence. Six looked away quickly. "Thank you Commander, but I think I'll be fine," he said. He walked out of the elevator, as the door closed behind him, leaving Shepard in the elevator alone.
Shepard
As Shepard headed up to her quarters, she couldn't help but think about Six. About why he asked her such a vague question. About why he walked out when she tried to give him an answer. Why are we here? It was a vague question, one that has no right or wrong answers. Yet, he was looking for a specific answer.
Shepard just shook her head, as the elevator door opened on the top deck, and she walked out and headed into her quarters. She still had a bit of time before the main assault on the Shroud started, so she took her time. She dressed down from her N7 armor, getting comfortable. She put on her officers uniform, getting ready for when the mission briefing would start. As she finished getting ready, she heard a knock at her door.
"Enter," she said.
Mordin walked in. "Commander, sorry for the interruption."
"No worried Mordin. What can I help you with," replied Shepard.
"Not much, Shepard. Just wanted to inform you that the mission briefing is about to start," said Mordin. "Suggest we get your new friend to help us on Tuchanka. Very useful."
"Yea, he's definitely going to join us on the planet. I need to go talk to him first though," said Shepard.
"Genophage cure is ready Shepard. Just need to finish synthesizing. Can be done once on the surface. The mission will succeed, and the Krogan will be saved," said Mordin.
"I have no doubt in my mind Mordin," replied Shepard. As she was about to walk out, she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her Salarian friend. "Mordin, is there a way you can produce more ammo, like clone or something?" she asked.
Mordin thought for a second. "Hmmm, depends on what kind of ammunition we're talking about," he said.
"I'm not entirely sure," replied Shepard. "It could be gun powder based."
"Hmmm, complicated. Only krogan still use gunpowder. May I ask Commander, who is this for?" asked Mordin.
"It's for Six," said Shepard. "His personal weapons are new to me, and not from our Earth. From what I've seen, it doesn't use thermal clips, it uses old fashioned magazines, that still drop shell casings when used."
"Hmmm," said Mordin. "I will speak with Eve and Wrex. Perhaps they will agree to help Noble Six. But I would need a sample of the ammunition you would like to have made."
"Let me handle that," said Shepard, as her and Mordin walked out to the elevator. Mordin headed back down to the crew deck, and Shepard went to the engineering deck. Down to see Six.
Six
Six stood by his table, helmet off, and a rag in his hand. In front of him, laid out on the table, were his weapons. His UNSC weapons. Some taken apart to be cleaned. He had several loose rounds everywhere, spread out all over the table, alongside multiple empty magazines. His ammo situation was dire. He didn't have many rounds for his sniper, only 16 total, and 1 empty mag. His SMGs each had 1 full clip inside of them already, alongside 4 extra empty mags. His AR and DMR barely had 1 clip left each, and 2 empty mags each as well. His shotgun had 12 rounds left, and his handgun, 2 full clips. Those wouldn't last much longer. He knew Commander Shepard gave him new weapons to use, but they were weak compared to his UNSC weapons. He needed to figure something out ASAP.
While he was in the middle of his thoughts, Shephard walked in. Six stopped what he was doing and was about to snap a salute, when Shepard said, "Don't even think about it Six."
"Apologies, Commander," he said. "What can I help you with?"
"Other than curing the genophage and stopping the Reapers? I have no idea," she replied, causing Six to just sigh and shake his head. Shepard just laughed. "Relax Six, I just came to talk."
"Talk?" asked Six. "About what? The mission?"
Shepard grabbed the rag out of his hand, and placed it on the table. She then looked Six in the eye, and said, "About the question you asked me."
"Oh," says Six. "Commander it's nothing to worry about. I shouldn't have asked in the first place, it was unprofessional."
"Well, it's all I've been thinking about since you asked me, so we're going to talk about it whether you like it or not," she responds, as she flashes him her goofy smile. "So come sit with me." She moves over Six's weapons and jumps on the table, patting next to her, motioning for him to sit down.
The fully armored Spartan raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that an order, Commander?" he asks.
Shepard shrugs with a goofy smile on her face. "It's a suggestion, Six."
"I think I'll just stand, Commander," says Six. "Let's talk."
Shepard nods her head. "Ok. You asked me why I think we're here," she says. "That's a very open-minded question… but I have my own answer for it. But I'm not sure if it's the answer you wanted to hear."
"I'm willing to take any answer I can get," says Six.
"Ok, then," says Shepard quietly as she takes a breath. "I personally think we're here to stop a great evil from destroying the galaxy as we know it… and if we fail, everyone dies."
Six nods his head, agreeing with Shepard, yet still dissatisfied with the answer.
"I don't think that's the answer you're looking for, is it?" asked Shepard. Six just shakes his head. "Then ask me what you really want to ask me," she says with a soft voice. Six says nothing, causing Shepard to just sigh, making her think she won't get anything from him.
"Why do you think I'm here," asked Six, more specifically.
Shepard smiled, relieved to get a response. Before she could answer though, Six asked another question. "Why didn't I die back on Reach?"
Oh shit, was what went through Shepard's head. Caught off guard, she sat there thinking , until Six interrupted again.
"Why didn't I die with my fellow Spartans, fighting the Covenant like they did?"
For once, Shepard was speechless. At a loss for words, she tried to think of a response. Before she could say anything though, Six walked back to his table and started messing with his dismantled weapons. "Commander, I should probably finish getting ready for this mission."
Picking up on his hints, Shepard nods. As she got up, Traynor interrupted on the intercom. "Commander, we are approaching Tuchanka. I suggest you start the mission briefing soon."
Shepard just sighed. "Copy that Traynor, I'll be right up there," she said. She stood up, grabbing Six's helmet off the table. She looked at the black visor for a second, and tossed it to him, over his head. He turned to catch it, before it could hit the ground.
"Go ahead and finish getting ready Six," said Shepard, "then head down to the shuttle bay. We'll talk later, I promise."
"Copy that, Commander," said Six, with his back to Shepard.
Shepard turned to walk out. Little did Six realize, Shepard used her biotics to quietly grab a few loose rounds off the table.
Six turned around to look at Shepard as she walked out. She gave him a smile, as she left and headed up to the war room.
Shepard
As Shepard got off the elevator on the CIC deck, she headed up to the galaxy map to see their exact location.
"Hostiles detected at the landing coordinates!" she heard Joker say over the intercom. She quickly headed up to the cockpit to see what was going on.
"Joker, what've you got," said Shepard as she walked into the cockpit.
"Sensors show a Reaper parked at the Shroud facility," says Joker. "No way you're gonna be able to land a shuttle there."
Dammit, thought Shepard. That changed their plans drastically. "Get everyone assembled in the war room," says Shepard as she turned to walk out. "I want eyes on the Shroud," she yells back to Joker.
"Aye aye, Ma'am."
As Shepard walks into the war room, she see's Mordin, Wrex, and Victus all standing in the center, looking at a hologram of a Reaper.
"New form of Reaper, Shepard. Using Shroud to poison Tuchankas atmosphere," says Mordin as she walks towards them. "Problematic."
"They want a fight," says Wrex," they just got one."
Shepard looks over at Victus. "Primarch. We're going to need your help," she says.
Primarch Victus looks away from her and turns his attention back to the hologram. "That could be difficult. Our losses on Palaven have been catastrophic," he says.
"We're doing this for Palaven," says Shepard. "Noone said it would be easy."
The Primarch quietly sighs and walks toward the holotable. "What do you have in mind?" he asks.
"A combined attack," says Shepard, as she presses a button on the console. Little turian fighters and krogan tanks show up. "Your people hit the Reaper with an airstrike. Wrex, at the same time, your soldiers will be attacking from the ground. Together you can draw it away from the tower."
"Yes, distraction," interrupts Mordin, "small team can reach Shroud facility, finish synthesizing cure. Will need Eve to come with us."
Shepard nodded, agreeing. "We've never faced a Reaper up close like this before. Everyone on board?" she asks.
"There's even a doubt?" said Wrex loudly. He started walking from around the table, heading towards the exit. "Let's move pyjack," he says to Mordin. "Time to cure the genophage.
Wrex, Mordin, and Victus walked out of the war room together. A krogan, a turian, and a salarian. Who would've thought, thought Shepard to herself, laughing quietly.
"Commander, incoming message marked urgent. I'll put it in the comm room for you," said Traynor over the intercom.
Shepard walked to the comm room. As she walked in, a hologram of the Salarian Dalatrass popped up. "Dalatrass?" said a surprised Shepard.
"Commander Shepard," said the Dalatrass. "We know you've reached Tuchanka, and by now I imagine Mordin Solus has proposed using the Shroud."
Shepard raised an eyebrow, and with a serious tone, asked, "You spying on us?"
"Hardly. The Shroud is the only viable course of action open to you," said the Dalatrass. "Commander, you can't allow you're misguided sympathy for the Krogan to cloud your judgement," she says. "Do you honestly believe curing the genophage will end in lasting peace?"
"We have to give the Krogan that chance," says Shepard. "You can't condemn an entire race to extinction based on what might happen."
"What will happen is the Krogan will reproduce out of control," replied the Dalatrass. "We uplifted them specifically for their violent nature, not their diplomatic skills," she says. "Another war is inevitable."
Shepard was slowly growing tired of her. "What do you want Dalatrass?"
"Years ago, our operatives sabotaged the Shroud facility to ensure what you're planning couldn't be done," says the Dalatrass. "Mordin will likely detect this malfunction and repair it, but if you ensure that he doesn't, then the cures viability will be altered just enough so that it fails. Noone will notice the change."
"You mean trick the Krogan?" asked a surprised Shepard.
"They need not be any the wiser. Let Urdnot Wrex believe you fulfilled your promise," replied the Salarian.
"Mordin would never stand for that," said Shepard angrily.
"How you deal with him is up to you Commander," said the Dalatrass. "We can provide you with our very best scientists to build the crucible, and the full support of our fleets."
"If I sabotage the cure," said a very skeptical Shepard.
"Think about it Commander," said a smiling Dalatrass. "The choice is yours." Then her hologram disappeared, leaving Shepard alone and conflicted.
Six
Six put his DMR back together and left it alone after messing with it for a while. He quickly grabbed his helmet and put it on. He grabbed his pistol, put it in its spot, grabbed his energy sword, and his Vindicator and Avenger and, putting them on his magnetic seals on his armors back. He made sure he still had his bubble shield attached, and walked out of the room, towards the elevator.
As he got in, he mentally prepared himself for the mission. Like always, Shepard would brief them on the way down to the planet. Hopefully everything went smooth, but he knew most likely that wouldn't happen.
The elevator stopped in the shuttle bay. He walked out, and saw Shepard, Garrus, James, the Salarian Mordin, Wrex, and the female Krogan, all standing outside a shuttle, geared up and ready to go. He saw Shepard and Wrex were in deep conversation about something. Shepard looked over at him, handed something to Wrex, and turned her attention back to Six as he approached.
"You ready Six?" she asked.
"Always Commander."
Shepard nodded. "Alright then." She looked back to her crew. "Everyone get on board," she said. "Time to go cure the genophage."
Please don't hate me, I know it was a very short chapter. But I promise the next chapter is where all the action is gonna be.
So as you guys can see, Six is having some trouble still dealing with leaving Reach. I personally think this is interesting. A troubled and conflicted Spartan in a new galaxy.
You get to see the human side of a Spartan which you almost never get to see. Let me know what you guys think about this.
Anyways, thats all for now, hope you guys enjoyed it. Drop a review, they're very appreciated.
I'll see you all next time on the Noble Effect!