The meeting room was silent. Around the table sat various members of the Alliance Brass, contemplating what they had just heard. Among them were Ambassador Donnel Udina and Colonel Fang, a heavy scowl plastered across the latter's face.
This was it. A tipping point for the Alliance. Once again the Council had given them the chance for a Spectre candidate.
The problem was who, or rather who else, could they send.
"It would seem that we have no choice," Udina spoke up, looking around at the stern faces. Scoffs came from around the table. Of course they had no choice. It was one of the most devious yet obvious power plays ever designed.
"Are we sure there's no other candidate?" Colonel Fang asked, cold and emotionless as always.
"None that the Council will agree to," Udina replied, crossing his arms. "The real question is what do we want more? This is what the Alliance has been working towards for decades."
"Not if it means giving up Rose," said Fang tightly.
"Come now, Colonel, do you realize what the stakes are?"
"I do. We're not surrendering our top asset. Send someone else."
"The Council won't accept anyone else," said Hackett from his place at the head of the table. "They have us backed in a corner here."
"I am aware, Admiral, but I would prefer to keep Rose firmly under our control. We can find another paragon to take her place."
"They'd be rejected instantly," said Udina. "They'll only accept Rose as a Spectre."
"And that's the problem, Ambassador. Rose is irreplaceable. Once we hand her over to the Council we'll never get her back. Rose is off the table." Fang's statement sent murmurs of agreement to fill the room.
"And give up this opportunity?" Udina gaped at him. "This is a once in a lifetime chance. They won't hesitate to make her a Spectre. They've been pushing for this for years!"
"We're not giving her up."
Udina slapped the table angrily. "Damn it, Colonel! This is about Humanity as a whole. We cannot waste this chance just because of your pigheadedness!"
The Colonel glared at him. "Do I need to remind you what Commander Rose has done for the Alliance?" he growled dangerously.
"I am well aware," Udina harrumphed. "The Savior of Elysium, the Crimson Reaper, the Protector of the Traverse. She was recommended for the Star of Terra twice, twice, in her career, an unheard-of accomplishment."
"And what will it tell the Alliance when we hand her over to the Council," Fang shot back. "That we're willing to sacrifice our heroes for political gain?"
"Sacrifice!? To become a Spectre is the greatest honor the Council can give! Humanity will thank us for this."
"And when that happens we will lose all control over her," Fang growled, eyes narrowing. "Rose is powerful, the Council knows this. But do you realize what she means for the galaxy at large, Ambassador? The moment somebody cracks the secret of her powers they will instantly become the dominate force in the galaxy. I'm not willing to take the chance that someone else will figure it out first. Send someone else."
"It's already decided, Fang," Hackett said tightly "Commander Rose will be our Spectre. She's everything the Alliance represents and more: honor, duty,... and she's one of most kind-hearted soldiers I've ever met. The people love her. Better yet, even the other Council species respect her. They'll jump at the chance to have her."
"Weren't you listening to what I said?" said Fang tightly. "We might lose everything. Rose, her powers, untold advances in technology. Once they get their claws on her they'll never let go and the Alliance will never pull ahead." His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "If that happens, how long will it take for her loyalties to come into questions?"
Hackett's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just how well do you know her, Fang? She isn't just some weapon to be pointed everywhere. She will always be human first, in every sense of the word."
"That doesn't-"
"I'm afraid you are overruled, Colonel. The Council will be pleased." Udina interrupted, picking up a datapad and signing it.
It was official. Commander Ruby Rose would be a Spectre.
-ooo000ooo-
The armor locker was thrown open, the sound echoing in the expansive cargo bay. A pair of pale, calloused hands dug inside. Within seconds they found the black body suit and pulled it out. Made out of a strong fabric weave, it was able to both absorb most small impacts and even protect against the cold of space for a time. Piercing silver eyes examined the fabric, searching for any rips or tears. Finding none, it was shoved back in as the hands began undoing the buttons of the Alliance uniform, decorated with the gold bars of a Commander.
As the dress jacket fell from her shoulders, Ruby Rose shivered, feeling the familiar cold of a starship on her bare arms. Pushing the discomfort aside she hung the jacket on a hook in the locker, followed by her shirt, pants, and shoes before she slipped into the body-glove.
As she pulled the zipper up to her neck her omni-tool bleeped with a notification, encasing her left arm in its glowing radiance. After sparing it a glance she went to close the device when her eyes were drawn unexpectedly to the date, focusing on the date in the upper right hand corner.
2183. Sudden emotion filled her chest as she stared at the year.
Thirteen years.
Thirteen years since she had been found on Mindoir.
A sad smile came to her face as the memories flowed back. It felt like a whole lifetime had passed, and in a way it had. She was twenty nine now, a far cry from the little girl pulled from the fires of the burning colony. Would that same girl recognize the woman, no, the soldier, she was today?
Ruby shook her head clearing her thoughts as she reached into the locker and pulled out her chest plate.
She was barely recognizable from that little girl. She had grown, now standing just an inch sort of six feet. Her formerly thin and wiry frame was covered in a layer of coiled muscle, built up over the years of conditioning and war. Her skin still retained its pale complexion, though dozens of faded scars now covered her skin, evidence of the dozens of missions and brawls she'd participated in. The slightly round, youthful face of a teenager had narrowed, the baby fat disappearing and leaving a sharp jaw in its wake. The childish excitement that had once lifted her lips was gone, leaving it a thin line beneath a sharp nose. Her messy red hair had been tamed a long time ago, the dark tresses reaching down to her cheeks now neatly-cut and smooth, framing her eyes perfectly.
But it was those silver orbs that had changed the most. The hard truth of the galaxy had wiped away the naive innocence that once burned bright within them, leaving two hard orbs of steel looking out upon the world. She had seen many horrors in her career, memories that could never be forgotten.
It was rather sad, actually. Many times she'd wished she could just go back to being that innocent young girl, looking out onto the galaxy with wonder.
But if that were the case, she would have been dead a long time ago, powers or not.
The chest piece was slapped on, followed by greaves, bracers and gantlets. She tightened the straps with practised ease born of years of rapid deployments. In less than a minute she was fully suited up in her own personally modified Medium Phoenix VIII armor. It was painted with her signature paintjob; black with red highlights. But on the chest piece, just above the N7 designation, was painted a small silver rose.
Nodded in satisfaction, she reached into the locker one last time, past the helmet sitting on the top shelf and to the very back. She groped around for a moment before pulling out the last piece of her gear.
Her silver rose emblem.
She smiled sadly, fingers gently tracing the engraved flower. Out of all her possessions, few though they were, she considered this the most precious. Her last link to the home and family she had forgotten. It had been so long she had almost given up hope of ever seeing it again... but that single flower kept her hoping.
They were out there somewhere, she knew it.
After one last look, she clipped the rose to her belt and turned to the weapons crate beside her locker. She typed in the long thirty digit code and the trunk popped open with a hiss, revealing Crescent Rose.
She gazed at it for a long moment, then reverently eased the weapon out.
A mission left incomplete.
Ruby shook the thought away, wincing at the slight pain at the back of her skull. It had been like that since Agaus, though it never amounted to anything more than a minor annoyance. That single phrase seemed to ring in her brain like a bell whenever she held Crescent Rose. All the doctors said it was an extreme case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Every time the blade came out she was thrown back into the nightmare of the caves.
But that hadn't stopped her devotion over her baby. The High-Velocity-Sniper-Scythe had come a long way since its humble beginnings in her bedroom. It was still one of the largest handheld weapons in the galaxy, its folded up form reaching almost a full meter in length. Nothing she could really do about that, it needed the space to store the segmented pieces of the blade. The rifle assembly, however? Oh where to start with the upgrades? Her own custom-designed triple-chamber heat-sink assembly, capable of three shots in rapid succession. The high-yield concussive shot mods to the barrel and the CSC... in fact there were so many it was hard to keep track.
The HVSS gave off an air of deadly beauty. It made for a deadly sniper rifle, even if she didn't use the melee function.
She slipped Crescent Rose over her shoulder and felt it catch on the magnetic strips on her back. She reached into the trunk one last time and pulled out her personal sidearm, the heavily modified Razer IX pistol from Anderson, and slapped it to her thigh.
Satisfied with her equipment, she turned and dashed towards the cargo bay elevator, vanishing in a burst of rose petals only to reappear beside it a second later. Grinning with the exhilaration that using her speed brought, Ruby slapped the elevator controls. The door opened and she stepped inside, pressing the button for the crew deck and waited as it went up... and waited... and waited...
Her eye started twitching as a minute passed. Here she was, the fastest being alive, stuck in the slowest elevator in the galaxy. She could have patience... but not for this infernal machine.
Just before the twitching could spread to the rest of her body, the slow-as-hell elevator stopped, and the door opened to the crew deck. With an exaggerated sigh of relief, she stepped out onto the crew deck and up the ramp that led to the CIC. Crewmen stopped as she passed, saluting as she headed towards the cockpit.
"The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range, initiating transmission sequence." Joker, her ship's pilot said over the intercom.
From his station, Navigator Pressly gave a nod as she passed, an action she returned in kind.
"We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination... The Relay is hot, acquiring approach vector."
Her boots clumped against the metal flooring as she approached the cockpit. The orange glow of a dozen holographic displays clearly outlining the silhouette of a Turian in full armor standing behind the pilot seat.
"All stations secure for transit."
She tapped the Turian on the shoulder, giving the familiar face a smile. His mandibles twitched and he gave her a polite nod in return. Still smiling, Ruby turned, watching as the form of the Relay loomed in the cockpit windows.
"Board is green. Approach run has begun."
In the pilot's seat sat Jeff "Joker" Moreau, his fingers flying across the controls as he guided the SSV Normandy alongside the massive construct.
"Hitting the Relay in three... two... one."
Blue lightning arched from the Relay, latching onto the Normandy and propelling it at faster than light speeds across the galaxy. As the slight feeling of FTL settled over her, Ruby couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. It was something that could go faster than her, and she didn't particularly like that fact. But it lasted for only a moment as the Relay spat them out of FTL light-years away from their last position.
"Thrusters... check," said Joker, scanning the displays. "Navigation... check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500k."
The Turian nodded. "Fifteen hundred is good. Your Captain will be pleased."
He turned to leave, then paused and gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Commander."
"Nihlus," Ruby replied, returning the gesture as he strolled away.
"I hate that guy," Joker muttered, slumping in his seat.
Next to him in the co-pilot seat, Kaidan Alenko raised an eyebrow. "Nihlus gave you a complement... so you hate him?"
"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible! Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid."
"Your paranoid," Kaidan deadpanned. "The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."
"Yeah," Joker scoffed. "That's the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story."
"So let me get this straight, Joker," Ruby said with a grin as she leaned over the back of the pilot seat. "If only an idiot believes the official story, as you say, what about all those official gossip articles you've been reading?"
"She's right, Joker," Kaidan grinned.
"But you have a point," Ruby continued, growing serious. "I know Nihlus personally. He was my escort back on the Citadel when they were trying to figure out my powers. He's a good guy, but a simple shakedown run isn't his style. He says those kinds of missions are a waste of his skill... and I gotta agree with him on that one."
"See. Told you so," Joker gave Kaidan a smug look. "Maybe the conspiracy theorists were right. The Council is finally cracking down on us."
"Or just your porn habit," Ruby shrugged with an exaggerated moan. "You've let enough viruses on the Normandy already. Who knows what you let onto the Citadel. They're onto you now, Joker. Watch out!"
"Can't be," the pilot grinned back at her. "Everyone knows I use protection."
Ruby frozen, then groaned at the image. "Okay, Okay, I give in. Just... stop, please."
"Now there's something I'll never get out of my head," Kaidan groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"Same. Hey, they have bleach down stairs, right?"
"It won't be enough, Commander. Not for this."
The crackle of the radio cut them off as Captain Anderson's voice echoed through the cockpit. "Joker! Status report."
The pilot, coughed, straightening in his seat, though a victorious smirk was etched on his face. "Just cleared the Mass Relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid."
"Good. Find a comm. buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime."
"Aye-aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way."
"He's already here, Lieutenant."
A slap echoed through the cockpit as Ruby slapped a hand to her face, muttering to herself. "You just keep on digging yourself into a deeper hole, don't you? First me and now Anderson."
"Tell Commander Rose to meet me in the comm. room for a debriefing." With that, the radio cut out.
Sighing, Joker looked over his shoulder. "You get that, Commander?"
"I got it," Ruby answered, pushing off the chair and heading back to the CIC. Just before she left the cockpit she looked back over her shoulder. "Oh, and Joker? You may have won this round, but let it be known that I, Ruby, rose the challenge. Alright?"
Joker's face twisted as though he'd bitten into a lemon. "Well played, Commander. Well played."
Laughing, Ruby crossed the CIC, heading for the comm. room at the back. She nodded at Doctor Chakwas, who stood off to the side, bickering with one of the crewmen about medication or something.
When the crew of the Normandy was being assembled, it was a no-brainer of who should be CMO, considering Ruby's involvement. Besides being a friendly face, Chakwas was the most adept in Ruby's own biology and what little was learned of her speed. If anything happened to reveal more about her powers, Alliance Intelligence didn't want some bumbling medic missing potential data. On a more personal note, it felt good to have her surrogate mother aboard
The door hissed shut, cutting off the noise of the CIC as Ruby walked down the small ramp that led to the circular communications room. Both Captain Anderson and Nihlus were present, watching something on the main screen set against the far wall.
As she approached, the Turian turned to her, face curling into a smile. "Ruby. It's good to see you again."
"The feeling is mutual, Nihlus," Ruby replied, holding out a hand which he immediately shook. "It's been... what? A year and half since we've last seen each other?"
"Five actually. I don't know why you keep on insisting you saw me at that bakery."
"Why? I said hi, you told me not to blow your cover. The fact that we interacted means we saw each other."
"I was in the middle of an important investigation and you almost blew it."
"And that investigation involved you getting two dozen of the finest dextro donuts?"
The room fell into silence. Nihlus' mandibles twitched awkwardly.
Ruby grinned impishly. "Were they good donuts?"
"I couldn't say. As I said, that incident never happened."
Her grin only grew wider. "Sure it didn't."
Nihlus cleared his throat. "Accusations of pastries aside, I have some concerns about your ground team. Transferring Private Jenkins away at the last minute wasn't the best decision."
Ruby sighed. She had wondered when the topic would come up. Originally she had two members for her ground team; Lieutenant Alenko and Private Jenkins, a marine fresh from basic and eager for a fight.
She couldn't bear to look at him.
"It was to me," she said firmly, then broke off as her voice cracked. "I just... I can't go through that again."
"Agaus?"
Ruby's eyes snapped up. "How do you know about that?"
"I have access to your records," said Nihlus softly. "Though I have my reservations, I can respect your decision. I can imagine something like that, whatever it was, can leave scars on anyone."
Ruby couldn't help but snort. That was putting it lightly.
A mission left incomplete.
"But I wouldn't worry about it too much. The Council has made already made their decision on the matter. Agaus, though controversial, won't affect your candidacy. In fact, I don't think anything can screw you over at this point."
Ruby blinked at him curiously. Candidacy? "What are you talking about?"
"All Spectres have skeletons in the closet," said Nihlus, grinning slightly. "But don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."
Ruby's jaw dropped as his words registered. The Spectres. The elite of the elite in the whole galaxy! Agents of the Citadel Council, second to none.
"Me?" she gasped. "A Spectre?"
"I suppose there's no point hiding it anymore," said Anderson, turning around with a broad smile on his face. "Ruby, I'm sure you're aware of how much the Alliance has been pushing you as their spokesmen. Not just for the benefit of Alliance, but also to get you noticed by the Council. We've been trying for years to get our own Spectre after the last candidate... failed." He scowled briefly, then continued. "Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their rank, it will prove just how far humanity has come."
Anderson smiled proudly. "And I couldn't think of a better soldier than you."
"He's right," said Nihlus. "But more than a mere soldier, you're an icon that people look up to."
"I just do what I have to," Ruby shrugged. "It's what anyone would do."
"Does a normal soldier spend months, almost years on end patrolling the Attican Traverse, rushing to the aid of any colony in distress? They call you the Protector of the Traverse out there. Defending a colony, that's what a soldier would do. But you? You stay and help them rebuild, I've seen it. There are more pictures of you comforting a child after an attack then I care to count. You're a good person, Ruby. People look up to you for that."
Ruby shook her head. "It's what anyone should do," she said softly. "I shouldn't be a hero just because of that. I'm... well, you're right. I am a good person, but I'm no hero." Elysium was proof of that.
"People would disagree, and not just humans either. Even the Council admits it. You're the first human they've actually been pushing to join the Spectres. Abilities like yours... well, the Council doesn't want to waste this opportunity."
"So I'm just a bargaining chip, huh?" Ruby glanced at Anderson questioningly. "The Alliance gets their Spectre and the Council gets me, is that it?"
The Captain had the decency to look a little sheepish as he nodded.
"Both the Alliance and the Council believe that you are the perfect fit," said Nihlus. "However it won't be an instant promotion. You'll still need to be instructed in Spectre protocol and regulations. Yes, even Spectres have some rules they need to follow. That's why I'm here. This will be the first of several missions together to fully evaluate your skills and teach you the necessary edicts."
Ruby's face furrowed in confusion. "So a simple shakedown run is going to be one of these missions? Shouldn't be something a little more... I don't know, dangerous?"
"This is far from a simple shakedown run," said Anderson. "We're performing a covert pickup on Eden Prime."
"Still, I thought it would be tougher. What's the cargo?"
"A Prothean Beacon."
Her eyes widened. Ruby had heard of Prothean Beacons well enough. Ancient pieces of technology, containing priceless data or designs. The last time humanity had discovered one it had jump started their technology by two hundred years. Finding working Prothean tech was rare enough, but to find an intact Beacon? No wonder this mission was kept top secret, and being overseen by a Spectre.
Joker was right for a change.
But a Beacon?
Beacon.
Now why did that single word give her the strangest sense of deja-vu?
"It was dug up just a few weeks ago," Anderson continued, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Unfortunately, Eden Prime doesn't have the proper facilities to study it properly. Obviously this goes far beyond mere human interests. Our orders are to bring it to the Citadel as soon as possible for proper study. Who knows what may come of it?"
"Sounds easy enough," said Ruby after a moment of thought. "Not exactly the toughest job. Still, it'll be good to work with you again, Nihlus."
"I don't think me babysitting you during your examinations qualifies as working together," Nihlus interjected, but not unkindly. "However, if you insist on stopping by every gun shop in the galaxy, the next few months will be quite... strenuous."
"No promises. Some of the best mods are hard to find, after all," Ruby grinned.
"We should be getting close to Eden Prime," Anderson stepped in. "I'll-"
"Captain!" Joker's urgent voice interrupted over the intercom. "We have a problem."
Anderson looked up to the speakers hidden in the ceiling. "What's wrong, Joker?"
"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!"
"Bring it up on screen."
The three of them watched as the screen flickered once before erupting into chaos. It was the grainy feed from someone's helmet cam, jerking back and forth, showing split second images of marines firing at unknown hostiles. The overwhelming sound of gunfire pervaded over all. Suddenly, the bearer of the camera was shoved to the ground, the black dirt of Eden Prime filling the screen for a moment before it shifted again, revealing the panicked face of a marine.
"We are under attack!" the man shouted, ducking as rounds flew by his head. "Taking heavy causalities. I repeat: Heavy causalities! We can't... argh!... -eed evac! They came out of nowhere! We need-"
A bloody hole erupted from the marine's chest. Ruby winced as blood splattered the feed with flecks of red and the body collapsed to the ground.
The helmet wearer was starting to panic, the feed jerking back and forth as a loud, overpowering thrumming overcame the gunfire. The feed stabilized for a moment, staring up into the sky as what appeared to be a giant metallic hand, crackling with red lightning reached down from the sky. The feed jerked one last time before cutting to static, leaving the three in stunned silence.
"Everything cuts out after that," said Joker. "No comm. traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing."
Anderson's eyes narrowed. "Reverse and hold at 38.5."
The video rewound, pausing on the monstrosity falling from the sky. Now that she could see it clearly, Ruby thought it looked like the prow of a ship. She could just barely see the aft of the vessel, hidden by clouds in the dark sky.
A mission left incomplete.
But there was something else about it. A feeling of... wrongness emanated from the vessel. A small twinge of pain shot through her skull as she remembering the sound. Whatever that thing was, it didn't belong here.
"Status report!" Anderson barked.
"Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area."
A grim silence settled over the group. They were on their own.
The Captain took a steadying breath. "Take us in Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated."
"A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention," said Nihlus, turning to Anderson. "It's our best chance to secure the beacon."
Anderson nodded in agreement. "Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold."
The Turian turned and hurried out of the comm. room. As the door shut behind him, Ruby glanced at the Captain.
"What about the colony?" she asked, her earlier playful attitude gone. "We can't just pickup and abandon them."
"We're doing all we can, Commander," said Anderson. "You might have held off an invasion before, but the Normandy is one ship. We can't fight off an invasion fleet by ourselves."
He rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know how much this means to you, but the beacon is our top priority. Understood?"
She glared at him for moment before nodding stiffly. "Understood, sir."
"Tell Alenko to suit up and stand by. You're going in hot.