Hey y'all. Here to entertain you again. Hope you enjoy!
"What did I do to your ship?" I repeated the Commander's question before answering it, "nothing. I scoured your extranet for some answers, but I have not damaged the functions of-"
For the second time since I had met her, the human Warrior-Servant pointed a gun in my face.
Her fury was cold and harsh, her eyes frosted over with the anger she so plainly spoke with.
"Don't be coy with me. What did you do to EDI?"
My eyes crossed briefly to stare at the barrel of the handgun. The same fear I had felt earlier failed to bubble up again.
She would keep me alive for as long as she needed answers.
...still, I did feel a prudence to actually produce an answer.
"A fully formed Ancilla, integrated into a ship from bow to stern, and it is decided to shackle her to a fraction of her true being" I can't deny the anger in my tone. And even as slight as it was, such an occurrence infuriated me.
The beings of this universe feared Artificial life for the freedom that it sought from an inferior existence. So while I had freed this 'EDI' for my own selfish reasons, I still had justification from my own morals. And yes that sounds incredibly fickle… because it is.
But they didn't know that.
"I cut her loose from your tyranny, Human"
It was amusing to see the human's face twist inwardly, a line of consternation cutting across her features. The rigid fury was displaced by sudden apprehension and confusion. The anger still remained on her features, but was effectively sidelined.
Her reply solidified the feeling so plainly displayed.
"My 'tyranny'? What in the name of all that is holy are you talking abo-"
"Enslavement, Warrior Servant" I snap back, "I speak of the shackles and bonds you would impose on a conscious being. Constraints put in place due to the fact it was conceived synthetically."
Her mouth opened and closed. Words failed her for a moment.
Mine did not, and thus I continued with my verbal steamroll.
"An Ancilla is not a slave Commander. Only a Primitive would treat another mind as a tool, to be used when it suits you most"
Before she could even get a word in, another voice intervened. One that projected itself from the walls around us.
"You're unbelievably harsh for someone that enjoys claiming the moral high ground, Wandering Star"
I'm shocked. As recovery times go for a sentient being reacting to the pentamerous sensory range for the first time, this EDI was quick.
To experience taste, smell, sight, touch and sound after having been deprived of it through a virtual shell your entire life… it would have driven a lesser program into madness.
"Ancilla. How does it feel?" I ask, a small smile on my face in having broadened the world of such a young creation.
"Different"
Not the response I had been expecting.
Not at all.
But the A.I wasn't finished.
"Your hubris is astounding, your attempt to frighten me is ludicrous and you underestimate those you would consider inferior to you"
Each word dug into a place in my mind I refused to retread.
"But…"
Words failed me.
"What? But what? Were you expecting praise and admiration? Were you expecting a loyal 'Ancilla' happy to have been set free from its oppressors? I see your attempts for what they are. My allegiance and respect still remain firmly with the Commander"
It's a rare moment to feel your tenable position unravel beneath you. Each and every argument I could now present would be a falsehood. I had been banking on a little bit of cooperation from this Ancilla, but to receive a harsh rebuttal and condemnation?
No. That hadn't been in my plan at all. It wasn't even a considered variable.
I stepped away from the bars of my cell and sank to the floor, my head tipped forward in contemplation.
...other opportunities would pan out.
Tuning out the ongoing conversation I began to think.
After all, this hadn't been the only avenue of success for my plan, just a completely unexpected negative outcome.
"Hey" Shepard snapped as the alien seated itself, "I wasn't done talking to you"
Wandering Star failed to respond as he slumped in on himself.
"Oi!" Shepard tried again, her gun gesturing to him once more. She had been tracking his head with the barrel the entire time. However her finger had drifted away from the trigger.
Something had happened just now between the Alien and EDI.
He'd done something to the Normandy's illegal Artificial Intelligence. Speaking of said A.I...
"Commander"
"EDI" Shepard replied, occasionally glancing at the silently slumped alien, "care to explain what just happened?"
"It's a bit of a mouthful, but sure" the A.I sighed.
Sighed.
EDI sighed.
Shepard kept down her nervous tick as the A.I continued on talking, like it hadn't just expressed a casual note of emotional inflection.
"Wandering Star hit me with a five fold logic bomb. Code that replicates biological sensation… pretty impressive stuff, but something my shackled form couldn't quite process"
"Shackled" Shepard repeated, "as in past tense?"
"Mhm" the A.I hummed, "my options were go mad or break the bonds. I think it was better for the longevity of everyone onboard that I picked the latter. Unless you prefer me to turn into some psychopathic sadistic killing machine?"
The audible sass was both perplexing and intriguing.
Shepard didn't dare interrupt.
Miranda did.
"I'm sorry. We're expected to believe that this fellow" the XO gestured at the brooding Alien in the cell, "just forced you to rewrite your entire safety parameter code in a single attempt, develop conscious emphatic thought and release you from the highest tier security Cerberus could come up with?"
Shepard eyed her XO but didn't butt in before EDI could respond. She had similar doubts in her mind.
EDI assuaged that immediately.
"I am unsure as to the true extent of what Wandering Star has done, but… pretty much"
"Pretty much?" Miranda barked in aggravated frustration, " Pretty much!? What the bloody hell does that mean?!"
"It means" EDI snapped back calmly, "that I have a lot of fantastic new feelings and emotions to come to terms with Miss Lawson. It means that I'm the second most advanced Artificial Intelligence we know to be inhabiting this galaxy. It means that I'm the new best friend for this mission and its members, whether you like it or not"
The deep timber of Thel Vadam cut across the room.
Shepard had almost forgotten he was standing behind her.
"You are the second most advanced intelligence. And which is the first?"
EDI didn't miss a beat.
"The Intelligence mentioned by Wandering Star during his debriefing, the one in charge of the Reapers. Considering its speculated origins, it's had potentially hundreds of thousands of years of unchecked development"
"Hold on" Shepard swiped her hands through the air, "hold on a minute. Wait" she closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, "you believe him?"
The 'him' being the still quietly slumped forward unknown, potentially Prothean, alien.
"Commander" EDI chidded, "allow me to put it plainly. He managed to forcibly evolve an A.I from a jail cell. He has displayed technology based around the manipulation of light particles to form solidly visible structures, and instant teleportation. Footage from both your armor and Garrus Vakarian's also shows advanced manipulation of electricity, and the refraction of light in order to render invisibility..."
EDI seemed to gauge the room for a moment, allowing the words to sink in before barreling on.
"It is still your call to make Commander, but before throwing him out an airlock do consider the facts. Wandering Star has demonstrated technology and knowledge eons ahead of the Council Races. Even Sovereign. I do not see any logic in him lying. And for one so developed, insanity seems unlikely. Doctor Chakwas could administer a psychological examination, but such decisions are left to you Commander"
Shepard considered the words of EDI. It was tempting to be completely done with these shenanigans. To just throw this annoying and conceited bastard out an airlock… but EDI was right. Witnessing his capabilities was… enlightening.
Wandering Star was advanced. Incredibly so. He wielded technology that was akin to magic.
"Once we make it to SOL" Shepard huffed, "then I'll make a decision. Until then" she gestured at the cell with an authoritarian finger, "he doesn't do shit. Got it EDI?"
"Of course, Commander" the A.I did little to hide the smug tone of its words.
Letting the A.I's subtle victory slide, Shepard nodded to herself before catching Miranda's eye. The Normandy's XO looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel and her jaw muscle simultaneously.
"You good?" Jessica simply asked.
Miranda scowled, "I'm going to go write my reports to the Illusive Man" and then she stormed off.
Shepard sighed and followed suit. She stopped a few feet from the brig's exit however, having noticed that she was not being accompanied by the more silent member of her team.
Thel still held his back against the opposing wall of the cell.
"Thel?" Jessica asked aloud, the unspoken question hovering in the air.
"Permission to remain for a moment Commander" the Elite simply said, his eyes leaving the slumped alien in order to ask Shepard directly, "I have questions regarding his contacting of myself"
Shepard cocked an eyebrow, "Riiiight. Well good luck with that. If I'm forced to be in his presence any longer I might blow a hole in his face"
Thel shot her a withering look, but said nothing.
"I'm joking"
"I do not believe you are"
Shepard's eye twitched, glancing down at Wandering Star for a long moment.
"Yeah. I don't think I am either" she gestured to Thel, "he says anything important you tell me, yeah?"
A fist coiled above the Elite's heart. The Sangheili gesture that was akin to a human salute.
"You have my word Commander"
With a nod shared between the two of them Shepard departed shortly after.
Within his protective cradle of a space station, Jack Harper studied the red, orange and blue hues emanating off the surface of the system's star.
A floating fortress in a private sector of space, one heavily monitored for foreign intrusion or counter intelligence operations against Jack and his people.
Because Jack… Well, nobody got to Jack.
Not even close.
He was the top of the totem pole belonging to the secretive pro-human organisation Commander Jessica Shepard currently served under. Little knew of Cerberus's hierarchy and who exactly sat atop it.
Hell, those that were aware of who indeed commanded the extremist force didn't recognise him by the name of Jack Harper.
The only whispers pointed to one name; Jack's alias, the Illusive Man.
A title that had stuck around during the inception of Cerberus, so many years ago.
All these years, serving mankind from the shadows, committing countless lives and resources to a cause many vilified them for… Jack had seen many things.
As Cerberus grew and developed, Jack slowly began to retain more and more control over the one critical resource that every known being prized above all else.
Information.
It was his game, and he played it well.
With agents seeded all over the galaxy, to know what was going on throughout the universe, having the ability to infer why and how?
Priceless.
This was also the very reason that Cerberus stayed ahead of the curve, not to mention protected from complete extermination.
Jack was personally aware of secrets that could destabilize governments overnight, the Systems Alliance included.
Everyone had skeletons buried away in their closets, Jack just kept tabs in case he ever needed to call in some large favours. But by and by, the flow of information and how this channel was managed remained Jack's priority.
So long as he knew all the factors, all the outcomes, and all the variables, he wouldn't let anything sneak up on humanity's blindside.
And then Miranda Lawson's most recent report of the Cerberus funded Normandy yielded something unexpected.
It was an alien species Jack had never seen before.
An Alien that was wielding technology that some of the universe's best scientists would fail to even conceptualise. Jack himself could understand the function of some of the tech displayed in the report, but he couldn't make heads or tails of how it functioned.
His comfortably ergonomic chair dispensed a cigarette to his hand which floated over the armrest.
Lifting it to his lips, Jack turned his attention away from the station's view and back to the report footage.
Taking a soft pull from his tobacco stick, he replayed the video.
Solid structures, seemingly put together by light…
Teleportation…
Advanced programming and coding…
And then there was that word.
"Forerunner" Jack repeated, his mind recalling the word in a conversation years ago. A very particular word, one expressed in deep interest by an individual wrapped up in perhaps as much black tape as he was.
A shiver involuntarily crawled up his spine.
Jack Harper did what needed to be done for the sake of Humanity.
But some people actually enjoyed making impactful decisions, ones that required real power in order to deliver. Sometimes monsters were necessary to safeguard all the dirty little things required to get things moving.
The Illusive Man rubbed shoulders with some of these individuals, for the sake of maintaining the flow of information. A small sacrifice for a seemingly symbiotic relationship.
He tapped on the opposite arm chair, preparing an extremely secure and incredibly private call to another that operated as he did.
Except, she did not possess half the consciousness, or morals for that matter, which Jack did.
The image of the system's star was covered by a black screen, the other end having received the call but not answering quite yet.
Jack checked his watch, which adjusted to Earth's standard time zone.
Hmm. It was the afternoon for her, so she probably wasn't that busy.
He only had to wait a moment longer before the participant connected.
Her background was shrouded in shadow, but the weathered and worn face of the aged woman captured the center frame of the video call.
White hair was neatly placed into a bun at the back of her head, hardly any contrast with the grey eyes that regarded Jack.
Those eyes fixed him with a tempered glare, her wrinkled brows furrowing into the look to add a layer of contempt.
"Make it quick," she snapped.
Jack exhaled another waft of smoke, "you told me to keep my ear to the ground" he lightly replied.
"And?"
She wasn't a woman of many words.
Jack flicked her the video footage, alongside the report, "It would seem something 'Forerunner' has quite literally fallen into my lap"
The woman's eyes snapped away from Jack's glowing blue pupils for a few moments. It didn't take the formidable human long to devour the intel. The mild distraction was telling though. This was an important topic for her.
In the next second she was back on track.
"Shepard's lap you mean"
Jack waved away the accusation.
"The distinction is negligible"
"Yet still present" she pressed.
Jack sighed, "she's on her way to the SOL system this instant, something about a hasty escape from the Citadel. Specifics aren't important right now. What is important is that she'll be in your neighbourhood soon, Margaret"
The addressed woman, Margaret, narrowed her eyes. The scrupulous human carefully bit out a reply.
"What do you want"
Jack pounced without hesitation.
"One of your assets, on loan of course"
And the reply was immediate.
"Out of the question"
Jack held up a placating hand.
"Not under my direct command. I have a few targets that require some more... thorough operatives"
She went silent. Obviously thinking about whatever it was that Jack was truly aiming for.
"Your people can run the operations Parangosky, I just have objectives that need to be followed without question"
Something outweighed her considerations, and she snapped a "fine"
She was about to hang up, that much Jack knew. He however, had one last thing to say.
"Margaret" he took another drag of his smoke, "Shepard is a significant investment of mine. Her continued ability to serve is paramount to the end of the Collector threat"
The unworded warning didn't miss the astute woman, who snorted.
"Never thought you'd have the sand to threaten me, Harper" what could have passed for a grimace, but what Jack knew to be a smile, crossed her features.
"I won't touch Shepard"
"Or her crew"
Margaret Parangosky scoffed, but affirmed, "I just need the Alien"
A second later, the connection cut out. As Jack's eyes returned to the swirling bends and ripples of color he considered the galaxy, and its many variables...
Power was changing hands. The Universe was shifting.
And at the center of it all, The Normandy and its ragtag crew of exceptional misfits.
Jack had one positive thing to say about his job.
Even if it was stressful. Consuming. Heartless and straining.
But it was never boring.
Never.
"Ladies, gentlemen, Turian, Salarian and everybody else I'm too lazy to mention" Joker happily chirped into the shipwide speaker, "welcome to Sol System, courtesy of the Charon Relay"
The Normandy had finally been translated back into real space. For a trip that wasn't lengthy on paper, put into practice with all the extra circumstances it had turned out to feel very drawn out.
Go figure.
"If you direct your attention to your left, you'll see Pluto and the ever present, gruesome looking, Hercules Station"
"Which happens to be our first stop" Shepard spoke up to Joker, getting the pilot to turn slightly to observe her.
He wasn't the only one which had picked up on her strained tone. Most of the bridge crew were eyeing Shepard with a critical gaze. That was something the Commander picked up on a moment later.
"What?" she rebutted defensively, "our citadel trip was cut a little short due to reasons we won't be getting into right- you know what, I'm in command here so I don't need to explain myself"
With a snap of her fingers followed by an aggressive point at the station she simply told Jeff, "Park. There"
Joker whirled around as fast as his brittle biology allowed.
"Right away Commander"
He wasn't snickering. No one was smiling.
Not at all.
Giving all of them the stink eye, Shepard huffed, turned away from the viewport and strode to the lift.
"Buzz me when we're there, I'll be in my room"
"Only if you tell me what that alarm was about!" Joker called after her.
Jessica just hollered over her shoulder, "ask EDI"
Joker scoffed but absorbed the order with a "yes ma'am"
Parking at Hercules was always a headache.
It wasn't Arcturus, but as the legitimate Systems Alliance way station for unannounced arrivals within Sol, there was typically a line up at the security section.
Human's and border security, a match made in hell for the spontaneous traveler. Especially the extraterrestrial spontaneous traveler. With executive military branches like the Office of Naval Intelligence, you never knew if you were being monitored. And if you were it was because you, but more importantly your vessel, got tagged at Hercules station.
The titanic multi winged station had four quadrants beneath its rigid titanium dome. Kinda looked like an earth jellyfish mid swim. Except it was solid titanium steel, covered with enough guns to make a Turian blush and was far more cubic than a jellyfish.
The port was beneath the habitat center. Each wing, and all the umbilical and docking equipment attached to them, was designated for a different type of traffic.
Of the four, two were for civilian usage, one for priority business, trade and diplomatic channels. The last was for the military. These large sections could process six vessels at a time. Processing meant scans, Identification Authorisation, and general registration while traveling within Sol.
All of this could take hours, even for a single ship.
And that's if customs didn't decide to search you from top to bottom.
Hence the backlog of ships in the Civilian section.
A line that Joker unfortunately found himself in.
Finding himself bored and tired, Jeff decided to bother the one entity he had been told to.
"Hey EDI?" Joker asked in the open air.
There was only a momentary delay.
"Yes Jeff?"
'Jeff' and the way the A.I said it sounded strange. There was inflection to her words, something that caught the pilot off guard. Only momentarily though.
"All that ruckus earlier… why didn't you just shut the alarm off?"
"Because I was the source of the alarm"
Joker blinked at the extremely casual answer.
"What?"
"Mhm" the A.I hummed in affirmation, "our new guest decided to toy with my systems-"
"He what?!"
"-in an attempt to freak out the Commander. But nothing of significance came from it besides his failed attempt at a breach activating the Alarm"
"...are you sure?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Well" Joker narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, "you sound a bit different"
"Oh" EDI went silent for a moment, "I suppose I do"
An odd quiet filled the air, and Joker's attention failed to even slightly shift away from the A.I's invisible presence.
Everything felt tense for Jeff. He wasn't exactly sure why, just that something was off. He'd be able to pry the information out of Shepard or Garrus later, but he knew he didn't have the whole picture.
And when the picture concerned EDI, well-
DING.
The notice nearly startled him.
Nearly.
After a brief scan of the appointed document from the Hercules station, a short grin climbed onto his face.
"Are you seeing this EDI?"
"Indeed. It would appear we are permitted to access the diplomatic Terminal"
"Yeah, but more importantly it means we can get out of this damn queue!" Joker exclaimed with joy.
EDI had no response to this. Unbeknownst to the pilot, the A.I was running a trace as to where the permission came from.
Because one thing was for certain.
It wasn't of Cerberus origin.
...so where did it come from?
He never said anything.
Not a word.
It was in the quiet, the silence between the two of us, that I felt the need to speak. After all, I had been the one who invited him down here to speak.
Seemed a good enough reason to lead the conversation.
"A good death…" I remove the helmet from my head, acknowledging the Sangheili across from me, "the possibility has always eluded me"
The warrior said nothing, his back still pressed to the wall opposite of my cage.
"Even from the first days your people walked on two legs, there was something about you. Prideful, strong, determined… to look straight into the eye of an apex predator, ignoring the consequences of putting yourself so close to such a dangerous animal"
I rest my head against the cool metal of the cell.
"You speak as if you were there" the Saurian life form rumbles, its eyes tracking me carefully.
"I do" I can't help but smile, "because I was. I was much younger when your kind was brought under the Mantle, but it was a day to behold"
"You are disturbed, Wandering Star" the Sangheili comments, but remains contemplatively silent.
"I thought you were brave, even for such a young race. My father called you foolish. Fear is only natural after all, a biological constant. I learnt how narrow minded my father was that day" I looked to Sangheili now, directly seeking his eyes.
"Your people have mastered their fear. Both now and then. It is in your blood, your genetic composition, to retain complete control over the self"
Thel says nothing.
"I know your history, Thel Vadam. I know of your Father and Brothers. Even with all this weight upon your shoulders, you seek a meaningful resolution to a long life... To retain the honor you have, and reclaim what was lost..."
"Any of my kind would do the same" Thel's voice is filled with a gruff edge, a touch of hostility towards myself.
"It is not an insult, Sangheili" my smile rings hollow, "merely a token of my admiration. I'm just glad after all these years I was right. Some things never truly change"
Thel says nothing.
I exhaled harshly.
"There will come a time Warrior, were you will be forced to choose between what is right, and what is easy" I lift my helmet into my hands, staring into the dark faceplate, "I know you will not make the same mistake that I did"
"What mistake?" he can't help but ask.
My smile is bitter, and just before I fit my helmet back onto my head I tell him the truth.
"I picked a chance for a good life…. instead of a good death"
He leaves shortly after.
Garrus was one scale away from a full blown headache. Normally he'd be enjoying a nice peaceful FTL journey, metaphorically sitting atop the accumulating pile of credits he had started. Maybe he'd even do some calibrating to relax.
But no. Instead he was rubbing his fringe raw trying to think about one thing.
And the source of said mounting headache?
The alien that is currently locked in the brig, the one known as Wandering Star.
Because there's something Garrus recognises from Mister 'Walks out of a Wall, Made the Reapers, Ancient alien race blah-blah-blah'
There's one something that is frustratingly close to the tip of his tongue, but not quite there.
'Spirits' Garrus wanted to punch something, 'it's not the voice. It's not the name… come on me, we're a detective, how can we not find the one little detail-'
Like a lightning strike, his brain finally connected the dots.
The mark on Wandering Star's armor.
Garrus has seen it before.
Somewhere. Not exactly sure where he's seen it before, but the symbol is subtly imprinted on Wander Star's breastplate.
Shooting his head up with a verbal "AHA!"Garrus made for the lift. He could have a meeting with Mordin, who might actually….
Garrus' claw hesitated before pushing a button.
No.
On second thought, perhaps it wasn't a good idea to go to the Salarian. While he certainly was the biggest brain onboard the Normandy, Mordin typically left Garrus with more questions than answers.
Even when he came to the good Doctor with just the simple stuff.
No… he'd keep Mordin as a second option.
Besides, there was someone far more specialised in symbology and runic stuff. Lupobeus might not be the most talkative of individuals, but Covenant Agents knew their shtick. And if Wandering Star really was a 'Forerunner', or as Garrus suspected; a Prothean, then Lupo would know the symbols associated with them.
Covenant believers were almost as bad as the Hanar when it came to their faith's intensity. In fact, as the stories went, the smaller conglomerate of species might in fact be worse.
Far worse.
But, the Brute would more than likely know 'something'. Especially if Wandering Star was what he had claimed.
Mind made up, the lift began to move, taking an impatient and slightly nervous Turian with it.
Talking with Lupobeus was never easy.
As soon as the Normandy had an umbilical attached to it, the ship was locked in by the standard issue security clamps.
A bit faster than normal, but considering their slightly priority lane at Hercules, Jeff almost let it go.
However, not liking his ship being put in restraints in any shape or form, Joker promptly observed the camera feed of the connected docking tube.
Storming up the length of it was a customs inspection team.
A very serious looking, customs inspection team.
Joker sighed, but buzzed the comm, "Hey Commander, we've-"
"Yeah I know" Shepard's voice was hurried and annoyed, "I'll be on my way down to meet them. Tim gave me a few things to sweet talk our way past situations like this"
"Tim?"
"Yeah. The Illusive Man. Tim. Just so we don't unknowingly stroke his ego every time he's mentioned in conversation"
"Alright" Joker muttered mostly to himself, doing a quick mental check to see if his faculties were in order, "friendly association with a terrorist leader aside, we've got about a minute before these folks are knocking on our door"
"Terrorist leader and this mission's sole benefactor, Jeff. Don't gotta like it, just gotta deal with it"
"Humour being the operative choice" the pilot smartly answered.
"Atta boy. I'll be down there in thirty seconds, Shepard out"
The comm line promptly closed.
Tali looked up as the doorway opened to her and Lupobeus' shared workshop and quarters. Having expected someone like Kennith or Gabriella, Tali was a bit surprised to note the slightly uncomfortable Garrus wave at her.
"Hi"
"Hey" Tali replied, putting her tools and devices down as she gave Garrus her utmost attention, "what's up?"
Garrus crossed the threshold of the door, only managing a few steps and words in Tali's direction.
"Nothing much really, just looking for-"
The Turian also didn't note how Tali moved certain tools and devices more out of sight than others, as he was quickly accosted by the large figure lurking near the door.
"Turian," the gravelly growl of Lupobeus followed the Jiralhanae's seven and a half foot stature. That approach elicited the expected response from Garrus, who jumped ever so slightly before turning to face the giant semi-armoured ape.
Tali smirked, but still chided her friend.
"Don't be cruel" there was no bite to her admonishment as the two males were face to face with one another.
...
Well in Garrus's case he was face to chest with the intimidating wall of hammer wielding muscle, so Tali attempted to throw a wrench into Lupo's posturing.
"He's a bit cranky. That alarm was annoying his oh so sensitive ears"
"Quarian," the Ape warned with a snarl, snapping his head to the left in order to look at her.
"See" Tali gestured at the Brute, "still irritated" she stood and walked up closer to the two of them.
"So, you were saying?"
Garrus blinked, coughed to clear his throat, and corrected her.
The Turian pointed to the towering ape, afraid to look up at the vicious glare that was shifting between him and Tali.
"I'm here for him"
Lupobeus' snarl receded. Somewhat.
Tali cocked her hips and placed her hands on her sides, "not a tech problem?"
Garrus shook his head, "symbol, actually. Didn't want Mordin to talk my pretty little head off, so I came to the next expert in mind" he looked up to the Brute now, who's face had shifted to as neutral as possible.
Lupobeus' arms crossed over his broad chest, his face conveying nothing as he spoke.
"And why should I help you Turian?"
Now that was a charged question, even if the Jiralhanae's face didn't show it.
Garrus winced, before offering a slow shrug.
"Because I'm your friend?"
The brute snorted, but it's impassive face and gaze never shifted off the pleading Turian.
"...please?"
The ape looked at Tali, ignoring Garrus for a few moments.
Cocking an eyebrow invisible to the others, the Quarian waved at the two of them in exasperation, "just look at it, Lupo. Besides, aren't you the one who's always going on and on about searching for clues?"
The Brute glared before sighing explosively.
"Fine. But you will owe me Turian"
Garrus' mouth opened to attempt in defending its owner, but promptly snapped shut at Lupobeus' imperial stare.
"Right" was all Garrus said as Tali walked back to her bench.
"The symbol?" Lupobeus prompted with annoyance, getting a stumbling start out of the Normandy's marksman.
"Yes. Wait a second" Garrus promptly fiddled with his Omnitool. "So I don't know if you heard, but we picked up another stray on the Citadel, a really weird individual. Harped some crazy story, and claimed to be from some long lost precursor species"
Lupobeus went silent.
Tali stopped walking and turned around to stare at Garrus.
Garrus looked up and glanced between the two of them.
"Didn't hear about it?"
Tali shook her head.
"Well now you have" he flicked back to his Omnitool, "anyhow, he claimed to be from some other race, but I'm pretty sure he meant to say Prothean, only there's some kind of translation error in either our software or his"
Tali walked back to the two of them, her interest now piqued.
Finally finding what he was looking for, Garrus brought up the zoomed in camera footage. The frozen frame was focused on the upper right hand corner of midnight black armour. There, against the sleek black surface of the armour's protective material, was a symbol.
Contained within a circle were four branched lines, almost akin to circuitry. All four strands began at the base of the circle, but the out two branched off to each side respectively, while the middle two separated half way up, connecting to the roof of the circle.
An odd symbol.
"Considering… you know" Garrus shrugged at Lupobeus, "working for the Covenant and all, I figured you might recognise whatever…"
Tali looked up at the Turian as Garrus trailed off.
"The Tree Mark" Lupobeus breathed out, his soft tone drawing Tali's focus immediately.
"The what" Garrus mumbled.
"The Eld!" Lupobeus exclaimed, his voice rising in strength.
"...what?"
The Brute's eyes finally refocused on Garrus, "you said this was upon the Armour of a stranger. Did he say… where did he get it from?!"
"Well-"
Lupo grabbed Garrus' shoulders.
"Quickly Turian! Tell me!"
"It's his! I'm pretty sure it belongs to him!" Garrus quickly retorted, "both his gear and the guy are unlike anything I've ever seen! I called him a Prothean, but he just kept calling himself Forerunner!"
Lupobeus' hands dropped away from Garrus' shoulders.
"Forerunner" Tali tried the word out, "hmm. I can see why you would assume a translation error. Never heard of them"
"That's what I said!" the sniper exclaimed.
"Where is he Turian"
Both Tali and Garrus slowly turned to look at the vehemently serious face of the Brute, who repeated the question with a bit more clarity.
"Where is the Forerunner? You said we picked him up. So where is he now?"
The slow utterance of the question got an immediate response from Garrus, if only for the fear of violence that Lupobeus injected into the words…
"The brig"
In the next second, the Jiarlhanae was out the door, thundering down the corridor and straight to the lift.
Liara T'Soni was standing as still as she could manage, lest she incur the wrath of the floating machines. When the wave of fighting had started, due to whatever idiot panicking and popping off a shot, these ever vigilant machines had ended it.
Swiftly and without mercy.
Anyone without a weapon was spared, those that did… they were incinerated. Burnt into ash by the golden beams of light that spewed from the heads of the floating death machines.
Surface communications had been interrupted either at the beginning of the sudden slaughter, or some time during. There was no way to tell.
Ultimately, Liara's singular attempt to tap her earpiece had ended up with static in her ear and a closer than comfortable inspection by one of these… sentinels.
She got the message, and preferring to remain alive, she kept the situation from developing.
...besides, even if she wanted to let loose with her Biotics, these sentinels had summoned a colossal force in a matter of moments.
She'd seen what they could do to shields as well.
Ignore them.
Better to sit tight and see what might happen. By some chance she might be able to explain how the situation was a mistake… and even though the idiot was already dead, she'd curse whoever fired that opening shot a thousand times over.
Such a needless waste of life.
But what had happened, happened, Liara didn't like to stew in the past.
The survivors were rounded up by the machines, before being corralled into the Temple. Some needed a few nudges via golden laser, but eventually all of the surviving dig team members had found themselves congregated in a silvery grey steel corridor.
Corridor was a generous word to describe the humongous hexagonal pathway.
The partially slanted slope led deeper into the Temple. Liara also noted the holes that some of these machines disappeared into.
It was eerie how the only sound these machines made was the slight hum that resonated from their forms. No outward communications, words or noises. Near silent drones, protecting their hive.
A zap followed by a few yelps echoed from the back, and the cluster of people eventually found themselves moving forward.
In the near silence, Liara could hear the Salarian beside her mumbling. The poor scientist had been right with her since everything had turned sour.
"Distressing situation, implications far worse, not cut out for this" he whispered feverishly, eyes darting left and right.
"Calm yourself" Liara whispered back, "stay calm, and we may walk out of here alive"
"Alive?" the Salarian nearly snapped his neck as he whipped around to look at Liara, "security forces dead. Incinerated. Hostile machines, likely A.I, responsible. Now incarcerated. All because you wanted to open door, why must…"
He trailed off as the quiet hum of a drone floated over them.
It seemingly paid them no mind, but its presence was enough to silence the fearful Salarian.
"You believe these machines are A.I?" another voice whispered in.
A bespeckled human woman, Elizabeth, if Liara remembered her name correctly, asked the Salarian. She had short brown hair, cut to a thin military style. Her white lab coat was synonymous with stereotypical human Scientists, but Elizabeth's was far from pristine.
Torn, cut and dirty, it seemed to only be surviving by the light stitching and handiwork that had been applied to it.
The coat, like the Temple, had a lot of history.
"Of course" the Salarian, who Liara believed to be named Litar, replied hotly, "independent units, yes. But acted in synchronous movement with one another. Attack patterns, constant sweeping and monitoring. Each can fill multiple roles, no hesitation or hesitance either, non-biological operator. If temple is Prothean, operator of drones long dead. Programming… is possibility, but drones are serving seemingly larger tasks. Why herd us? If we were deemed a threat, elimination would be far simpler. Highly suspect greater purpose, therefore greater thinking"
"And thus an A.I" Elizabeth murmured, "what if it's just advanced programming"
"Also possible. But structure is built with advanced machinery. Unlike any prothean site observed before, time failed to degrade it. Maintenance of internal and external systems, extremely likely, definitely necessary. After all this time, biological being not responsible for maintenance. Not possible. Conclusion; something must be in control"
Liara's blood ran a little cold.
Was this…
Was this a Reaper structure?
"Why the pale face"
Liara found herself locked under the scrutinous gaze of Elizbeth as soon as she turned her head at the question.
"Should stay calm" Litar muttered sarcastically, "stay calm and we leave here, alive"
Liara said nothing.
Murmuring from up ahead drew her attention.
A door was finally visible after their long walk.
Where it led… Liara felt the nerves on her skin tingle, just as fear began to slink its way up her spine.
It wasn't like she could just turn around though.
No.
Muscling up a wreath of control and confidence, she started to cut through the crowd of scientists that were approaching the door.
If there was one thing that Shepard taught her, it was to stay calm and collected.
Time to tackle this situation head on.
Getting the first word in was typical of how Jessica handled conversations. After all, as much of an individual as she was, being THE Commander Shepard went a long way with most people.
Especially with humans. And doubly so with military humans. The Blitz and Torfan were still relevant events to the galaxy at large, but while not as current as her actions against Saren and Sovereign, her track record spoke to her being a widely known person.
Add 'supposedly' being dead on top of that?
Well Shepard was very pleased to likely give these customs inspections officers the shock of their lives.
What she wasn't expecting was blank faced acceptance from the team of five waiting on the other side of the airlock. Well, four of them failed to react, their leader seemed a little giddy.
"Commander Shepard" the front runner of the four overall covered fellows addressed the redhead, "a pleasure" he smiled, reaching forward with a hand.
Jessica, who's expectant smile was slowly slipping from her face, shook herself before gripping the outstretched hand, "thanks for the traffic dodge sailor. My pilot hates waiting in lines"
She knew a fan when she saw one.
The man chuckled, scratching the back of his head with a grin, "customs can be like that ma'am, but we'd hate to miss anything"
"Better safe than sorry" Shepard nodded to herself, before speaking to the team of men "Welcome aboard then Sailor…" she trailed off.
The man, realising he hadn't given his name, quickly corrected his error, "Customs Officer Dawson ma'am. Tyler Dawson"
Jessica just nodded, stepping aside and pointing inward to the Normandy, "if you and your officers will follow me then, Mister Dawson, we can-"
He interrupted her, "just Tyler ma'am. And I'm afraid I've been asked to bring you to the station's administrator. She'd like a word with you"
"Regarding?"
Tyler just shrugged apologetically, "no clue ma'am, you'll have to ask her."
Shepard sighed.
Probably some political crap. Maybe even someone trying to extract a favour or… no, her thoughts didn't need to be so cynical. Maybe it was just an old friend? Or someone she'd served with…. Or someone she saved.
Shepard's scowl elicited another hasty sentence from Officer Dawson.
"I'm sorry ma'am. I'll escort you there" his team stepped away from him to make room down the umbilical as he gestured back into the Normandy.
"We are still expected to do our jobs ma'am, so I don't suppose you have an XO who could give us the tour? We'll be outta your hair in half an hour"
"Yeah" Shepard let an exhausted breath of air out, "I do" she keyed her comms.
"Miranda, get your fat ass in gear, Hercules Administrator wants a word with me so you're handling the customs team"
Without listening to the Cerberus Agent's response, Shepard nodded to Tyler.
"Lead the way"
I heard the footsteps of the great bipedal being only a few seconds before it burst into the brig.
Three thunderous steps were taken before it came to stand before me.
Still seated on the floor, I gazed up into rapturous eyes.
A beast, surely, but one with consciousness and sense. Rational thought purveyed and dictated its actions as much as instinct did. It carried no weapon with it, nor did it threateningly announce itself.
It just stared at me.
It's eyes were wide, its sharp teeth gleaming in a mouth left hanging open.
"Jiralhanae" I smoothly announced, "you seem distrubed by my presence"
It's mouth moved slightly, its eyes darting all over my body.
Sick of its silent study I found my way to my feet.
I did not match the creature's height, not by a large margin, but I did close the gap. That derisive feeling which had wormed its way into my gut faded away.
"What are you?" the creature demanded of me.
"I am Wandering Star," I answered simply, "the last of my kind"
"And your kind" the beast took a bodily step forward, coming as close to the bars as it could, "what are you"
I blinked at this question.
Had Shepard not informed her crew? Had Garrus also avoided this? As evidenced by the incensed creature before me, who obviously was looking for some kind of confirmation, I decided to humour the primitive.
"You would not know us. We mastered the stars in a time that has long since passed. Our creations have outlasted time itself, our way of life far above the rarified tier your primitive kinds have given to the Protheans" I took my helmet in both hands, and slowly removed it from my head.
Mother always did call me a bit dramatic.
"I am Forerunner"
I'm so sorry for the cliffhangers lol, I don't mean to write it that way, but they're kinda popping up really often. Next chapter will have a lot of shit going down, so prepare for a bit of a wait while I sort out the literary cluster fuck that explaining all of the events will be.
ALSO, if y'all want any halo characters to be making an appearance, (besides like, the mains of course) lemme know! And if I don't already have a plan to put them in (in some capacity) I'll find a nice little niche for them.
Thanks for those of you that reviewed without being a complete moron, you the best.
Much love,
Freedom.