The deck beneath her feet shuddered as the Normandy cut through the atmosphere of Eden Prime, heading for the drop zone. Ruby slipped the helmet over her head with ease, sealing it to the bodysuit with a slight hiss. She blinked, activating the Heads-Up-Display.
Of course, the standard Alliance marine headgear was nowhere near this advanced. The helmet was designed by Alliance Intelligence, made specifically with her speed in mind. The HUD was vaguely reminiscent of the flight systems found in fighter craft, noting her altitude, speed, and other relevant data. The small motion sensor on the other hand was next to useless when she was running. It just wasn't fast enough on the uptake to realize that the meteors flying by were actually people and not the bullets it thought they were, but it was useful enough when she remained stationary for a few seconds.
After a quick retinal scan, the visor lit up and lines of data scrolled before her eyes. She banished it with a blink and the display cleared, revealing the darkened interior of the cargo bay. Beside her, Kaidan checked through his equipment. He didn't seem particularly troubled that it was only the two of them. That, or he was hiding his true feelings well.
Across from them, Captain Anderson watched something on his omni-tool, frowning deeply. Behind him, Nihlus went over his own equipment. Though her obsession with weapons hadn't faded over the years, she had learned to contain her reactions. Still, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the rather plain HMWSG Master-Line shotgun he carried. Granted, it was an upgrade from that last shotgun he had, but she had upgraded that one personally. It was ten times better than the Master-Line model... in her opinion, anyway. It had been the prototype for the upgrades in Crescent Rose... but nothing would ever be greater than her baby, of course.
She quickly reached a hand over her shoulder and touched the grip of the HVSS, confirming it was still there. A quick slap to her thigh said the same for her pistol. Ready, she crossed her arms, settling down to wait as the Normandy shook again.
She didn't like the turn of events this mission had taken. Picking up the Beacon was something she could do in her sleep, blindfolded. But to walk through a suffering colony to get there was something she couldn't ignore. She was still furious with Anderson about leaving the colony, even if years of training with the N7s kept her emotions in check. But after a few minutes of reasoning, the sad reality had dawned on her.
They didn't know how long ago the attack started, either a few hours or even days, giving this unknown enemy plenty of time to work. For all they knew the whole colony could have been wiped out by now. If that was the case, the likelihood that anyone had survived was small and dropping by the second.
"Stay focused," said Nihlus, coming over and gripping her shoulder. "I know that look of yours. The Beacon is our priority, remember that.."
"I'm not abandoning anyone," Ruby shot back vehemently. "If I see anyone, I'm getting them out. You stay on the Beacon. I can catch up easily enough."
Nihlus considered her words for a moment then nodded reluctantly. Ruby was right after all. She was, without a doubt, the fastest person alive. Nihlus could move quickly enough on his own. Though in all reality, he would be the one slowing her down.
"We're still in the dark about enemy forces," said Anderson, coming over. "We're dropping you on the outskirts of the colony. In their last report the science team said they were ready to move the Beacon to the space port. I would start looking there."
"Understood sir," said Kaidan.
Ruby and Nihlus shared a glance.. "Umm, I hate to break it to you, Lieutenant, but you're not coming with us," Ruby grimaced, hoping he took the news well.
To his credit, Kaidan only blinked at the new information. "What?"
"As this is part of her Spectre trials the Commander and I are going alone," Nihlus explained. "I mean no offence, Lieutenant, but we would move faster without you. You'll be our backup in case things go wrong."
Again, to his credit, Kaidan didn't appear too disappointed. A true marine through and through. Though some small part of Ruby was glad he wasn't coming along. They had only met when the crew of the Normandy was being assembled after all, so a few days ago at most. She had lost too many friends already, and she had grown fond of him during their sort time together. The tingling in her gut told her something would go wrong, and she didn't want him around when it happened. Together, she and Nihlus could handle whatever the galaxy threw at them.
"Approaching the drop point," Joker's voice rang over the intercom.
The cargo bay door hissed opened, revealing a blood red sky hanging above the green landscape. Eden Prime was considered a paradise, perfectly structured to keep the natural beauty of the colony and maintain productivity. That meant that the small settlements all around the planet were surrounded by miles of beautiful farmland.
But for Ruby it was like reliving her terrifying run through the fires of Mindoir.
The modest collection of homes and warehouses below them were burning, belching black smoke into the sky. Ruby felt her ire rise, her hands clenching into fists. Now that she could see the damage, the likelihood of survivors was dropping even faster. Whoever did this would pay.
"The mission is yours, Commander!" Anderson shouted over the rushing wind. "Good luck."
Ruby broke into a run, then jumped out of the cargo bay. For brief moment she relaxed, feeling the wind rush past and the instant of weightlessness as she reached the top of her arch. Then gravity reasserted control and pulled her down. Unconcerned, she twirled gracefully, getting her feet beneath her and landed lightly in a crouch. The kinetic dampeners in her boots did their job, negating the impact to almost nothing. Recovering quickly, she whipped out her pistol, scanning the area with a critical eye.
Clear.
Nihlus landed beside her with a grunt, bringing his own weapon to bare. With the drop off successful, the Normandy tipped its nose up and roared off into the blood red sky. They were on their own.
"Nice landing," the Turian said, swapping his shotgun for an assault rifle on his back. Ruby took one look at it and stared incredulously. Nihlus caught her gaze. "Short notice," he grunted.
"That's no excuse," Ruby retorted. "You don't take crap to a battlefield."
"It was cheap."
"Oh come on! That's even worse."
They had set down in a small clearing surrounded by lush trees, less than a kilometer away from the settlement. If intel was correct then the spaceport would be on the far side. They would have to go through the burning settlement to get there and possibly unknown enemy hostiles.
Convinced the area was clear, Ruby holstered her pistol and pulled out Crescent Rose.
A mission left incomplete.
She shook her head, trying to clear her mind as she readied the massive sniper rifle hybrid. The HVSS was better suited for a situation like this. Long range and powerful enough to punch through any tree the enemy used for cover. And she still loved her baby... even if it did have its mental side effects.
A mission left incomplete.
Together they started forward, moving quickly through the trees towards the settlement, their weapons at the ready. Nothing moved in between the trees. The distant rattle of gunfire startled them for a second, though it vanished just as quickly.
Though she kept her eyes peeled for hostiles, Ruby still kept searching for any survivors. Those hiding and peeking out like a cornered fox. In a situation like this it would be all too easy to mistake them for an enemy.
But there was nothing.
"What happened?"
Ruby spared Nihlus a glance before returning it to her scope. "What do you mean?"
"Agaus," he said, making her stiffen. "What happened?"
"Is this really the time?" she asked, swallowing her trepidation. "I mean, with us here in hostile territory with possible death lurking around every corner and all that?"
"No time like the present."
"Good a reason as any... but why?"
He fixed her with a firm look. "Because I know you."
They reached the edge of the settlement and pressed themselves again the wall of a warehouse. Before Ruby could push around the corner, Nihlus grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back gently. "Ruby, please. I had to babysit you for almost a year on the Citadel. I know you."
Ruby blinked, looking deep into his eyes. "Okay... what about it?"
"You think I haven't noticed? Jenkins. You did everything you could to keep him on the ship."
"So?"
He sighed explosively."You're scared, Ruby."
"No I'm not," she shook her head. "I'm just... being careful."
"So you sent away a fully trained marine based on a feeling?"
Ruby swallowed, staring down at the ground. Despite his accusations she didn't feel a shred of guilt. She'd done the right, no matter what he said.
A mission left incomplete.
"Why?" Nihlus demanded softly, pressing against her side, offering the comfort of his support. She accepted, leaning against him as she slumped against the wall.
"Why? What does it matter to you?" she finally retorted.
"Because you're not the same," said Nihlus softly. He took her hand, holding it softly. "The Ruby I know wouldn't run from her troubles. But this? You're hurting, everyone can see that."
"E-Everyone?" she stammered, looking up with wide eyes.
"Well, not everyone," he admitted, then blinked sadly at her. "Ruby, please. It hurts to see you like this. What's wrong? What happened down there?"
It should have been so easy to tell him... but it wasn't. Their faces were burned into her memory forever. Her men, the colonists... one endless nightmare.
And that noise... that damned humming never stopped, driving her to insanity.
And the mission...
A mission left incomplete.
"I can't," she said quietly, brushing away Nihlus' hand. "It's..."
A bullet pinged off the wall above them. They both ducked, whirling around to face their attacker. A lone humanoid had just turned the corner of the warehouse. Its shape was vaguely Quarian, but the single glowing eye in the center of its arching head destroyed any hope that this thing was organic in any way.
Crescent Rose thundered once and the robot's head exploded in a shower of sparks and white hydraulic fluid. As the body fell, the sounds of tramping feet and mechanical whirring came from the same direction it had come.
Ruby cursed quietly. Why of all times did she have to get distracted now? It almost got them killed.
"Geth," Nihlus growled after examining the body for a moment. "What the hell are they doing this far outside the Veil?"
"I don't think that really matters right now," said Ruby, cycling the cooling hatch of Crescent Rose.
"You're right. Flank them. Go!"
Activated her speed, Ruby blazed around the warehouse and ended up behind the incoming squad of Geth. They were just about to turn the corner when Crescent Rose fired again, tearing through another unfortunate synthetic. The Geth whirled around, but Ruby was already gone, leaving a flurry of rose petals in her wake.
Her distraction was all Nihlus needed to rush out and gun down a Geth trooper before diving through the window of a nearby house.
By then the Geth had realized just who they were fighting, but it was already too late. Ruby bolted around the battlefield, firing Crescent Rose with deadly precision. In less than a minute the whole group lay in tatters.
"Clear," Ruby called out, nudging one of the broken machines with her boot.
"I can see that. Nice work," said Nihlus, emerging from cover to stand beside her. He scowled down at the bodies. "The Council isn't going to like this." He turned away, heading toward the spaceport. "They must be here for the Beacon. We need to hurry." He paused, looking over his shoulder. "We're not done talking about this you know."
Ruby sighed, her shoulders sagging. Of course they weren't. "Just not in the middle of battlefield, alright?"
"Agreed."
Together they advanced through the ruined settlement, wary of an ambush. But the Geth seemed to have abandoned the area and moved else where. More disturbing was the lack of any bodies. So far as she knew, the Geth didn't take prisoners. If they weren't dead then where were they?
They cleared the settlement, then moved to a small overhang overlooking what must have been the dig site. Scattered pieces of equipment lay around haphazardly, as if dropped in hurry. Nihlus tapped Ruby on the shoulder and pointed out the tire tracks of a ATV heading up a ramp to a small research camp further up the ridge.
The camp was abandoned and destroyed much like the settlement. Nothing even worth salvaging. And still there weren't any bodies. They crested a hill behind it and saw one of the space port cargo pads laid out before them. It was a simple loading dock covered in crates with a cargo tram at the back heading off to the main space port a few kilometers away.
They carefully picked their way down the slope, eyes peeled for anything, but still there were no Geth to be found. They advanced to the platform and crouched against a crate on outskirts. They rechecked their weapons and shared a glance, the unspoken plan passing between them.
Like a well-oiled machine, Nihlus turned around the corner, rifle raised. Then he stiffened in confusion, lowering his weapon. "Saren?"
"Nihlus," came a voice that Ruby new all too well.
"Asshole," she spat, standing. The all-too-familiar Turian standing on the platform scowled at her appearance.
"I see you brought your pet along, Nihlus," said Saren Arterius, strutting towards them. "Keep it on a leash, will you?."
Ruby scowled. She had never liked the Turian. The first time they met he had called her a freak of nature, undeserving of the attention of the Council. That, and he was just a general asshole to everyone. Not to mention his general appearance put her on edge, with his bare face and synthetic arm. But more than that, there was something... off about him. Ruby couldn't place it, but something didn't feel right. His whole demeanour was wrong.
"What are you doing here, Saren?" Nihlus demanded as they moved forward, his weapon hanging loosely by his side. "This isn't your mission."
"The Council though you could use some help on this one," Saren replied coolly.
"For a covert pick up on a peaceful planet?" Ruby asked suspiciously. "Easiest job in the book."
"For a Turian, yes. But I wouldn't trust something like this to a human's incompetence."
Ruby's jaw clenched, but managed to keep her temper in check. "So the Council sent you to watch over me? Wow. I must be more important than I thought."
Now it was Saren's turn to look furious. "Now whatever gave you that idea? The Beacon is why I'm here. Not you."
"But how did you know about it?" Nihlus asked, stepping up to the fellow Turian. "It's classified on a need to know basis."
Saren shook his head with a chuckle and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Nihlus, please. This is one of the greatest discoveries of the century. The Council decided not to take chances, so they sent me ahead to secure the site. A good thing too, apparently," he added, looked around at the red sky and the fires in the distance. Then he looked sideways at Ruby, a smirk tugging at his mandibles. "Why the Council trusted humans for this job I'll never know."
"Well, where's the Beacon then?" Ruby demanded, looking around. "It's not here." She smirked at him. "Unless you lost it."
"Don't be ridiculous. It's still at the space port. This is just one of the loading docks."
"Then you must suck at your job," Ruby grinned. "Securing the Beacon, huh? Mighty fine job so far."
She expected Saren to rise to the bait. Instead, he gave her a shark like grin that made her heart sink. "Oh, mark my words, human, the Beacon is secure."
"By who?" asked Nihlus. "You didn't bring reinforcements did you?"
Saren's grin grew wider as he turned and looked up into the sky. "Something like that."
Ruby was about to ask just what he was talking about when something parted the clouds above them. It was the same ship from the distress beacon, a hulking dreadnought of blueish grey metal. Strangely enough it looked like a giant cuttlefish, or a titanic, claw-like hand descending from the heavens. Red lightning crackled along its length as its mass effect core kept it in the air. It landed, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Then a noise rent the air and Ruby's head exploded in agony. It sounded like the screaming of the damned, coming from inside her own skull. She screamed, dropping to her knees and clutching her head as the dreadful shriek assaulted her ears.
A mission left incomplete.
It was impossible to think, the noise drowning out everything else as he rolled onto her back, still screaming as she writhed on the ground. The sky was red, clouds twisting and turning in her vision as a hurricane grew above her. Was she hallucinating?
Suddenly Nihlus appeared above her, face etched with worry.
"Ruby? Ruby?!" he shouted, his words faint and distant. He grabbed her shoulders, holding her down. "Ruby, talk to me! What's wrong?"
Another wave of agony tore through her skull as the noise again echoed over the hills.
A mission left incomplete.
"Normandy, come in!" Nihlus shouted into his radio. "The Commander is down! I repeat, the Commander is down! Requesting immediate evac!"
The rest of his words faded another wash of pain hit her, fading only when Nihlus finished. "Shit, this isn't good. Saren, cover us! Kept an eye out for anymore Geth. We'll have to finish this on our own."
Then came a moment of perfect clarity. The world snapped into focus as the hellish noise faded for a single moment and Ruby saw everything. Saren was looming behind Nihlus. His eyes seemed to glow a sinister blue... and his pistol was pointed squarely at Nihlus' head.
"Don't worry," he said smoothly, steadying his aim. "I have everything under control."
Saren fired. Ruby's vision turned blue as blood painted her visor. In the same instant, something smashed her in the forehead. Then everything faded away into darkness.
A mission left incomplete.
-ooo000ooo-
"A pity. Nihlus always was a good friend."
"Such sacrifices have to be made, I'm afraid. You should be proud. Few are able to put aside their own concerns, objections and friends for the sake of the greater good."
Saren nodded. She was right, as always. He strolled along one of the walkways of the space port, heading towards the platform where he knew the Beacon would be. His Geth forces hurried about, loading up the bodies of dockworkers, scientists and Alliance personnel onto dropships to be taken up to his ship, Sovereign.
He didn't know why she wanted them brought on board, but it was the least he could do in return for her assistance.
As a matter of fact, he did know much about her at all. The mysterious figure walked beside him, form hidden by a long black cloak. Her voice was distinctly Human, though there some oddities that he chose to ignore.
Saren first encountered her with the research team studying Sovereign. The ancient dreadnought had been orbiting some worthless planet deep in the Perseus Veil, discovered by a now long-dead Batarian entrepreneur. The Woman had been advising the research team, though strangely enough she wasn't a part of their group. But under her guidance they had discovered so much more about the ship, beyond any of their expectations.
When Saren had claimed the dreadnought as his own, he had invited her to come along. She knew more about the dreadnought's systems than anyone and was an asset in more ways than one. She went with him almost everywhere, a constant adviser. Much like Benezia, but more... understanding, in a sense.
People always said that great minds think alike.
"Still, it was a pity," said Saren. "Humans. I still loath them. I'd raze every one of their planets to the ground... but my mission is much too important to let my hubris get in the way."
"Wise words," the woman said softly.
"Indeed," Saren preened. He searched his mind, but the name of the woman eluded him. He was sure he'd heard it before. "Though the death of the Commander was..."
"Two birds with one stone?"
"Unfortunate," he corrected. "I'd rather stay off the Alliance's radar. Killing their hero will certainly do that."
"Ah, my apologies."
They walked in silence for ways. Or rather, he walked. The woman just seemed to glide over the ground, her cloak billowing lightly in an invisible breeze.
"I've heard stories about this Commander. Tell me, did she have silver eyes?" the woman asked suddenly.
"She did," said Saren. "Why?"
An audible smile entered her voice. "No reason. What was her name?"
"Ruby Rose," Saren said dismissively.
The woman froze. It took him a moment to realize she had fallen behind.
"Ruby Rose. Are you sure?" The woman demanded, hurrying to catch up.
"Yes," he nodded, approached the glowing Beacon. Again, the woman had helped with its activation. She knew a substantial amount about ancient technology, no matter what its make. First the dreadnought and now this.
"That's impossible," she snarled. "That name died a long time ago."
She stopped as Saren stepped up to the Beacon, letting it lift him off the ground as it transferred its message directly into his mind. And he still couldn't remember her name.
-ooo000ooo-
Councillor,
I can't express how relived I and the other Primarchs are.
Don't take it the wrong way, but we can't deny that Commander Rose is one of the biggest unknowns of this century. I can respect the Systems Alliance and their military prowess, even if they are in possession of some unknown super weapon.
But Rose? She is a WMD on another scale entirely. We haven't seen this level of concentrated destruction since the first gunpowder rifle was invented. She's dangerous, we all agree on that.
Your announcement that she was to be the first Human Spectre was well received. Finally she can be monitored properly. Though it's entertaining to see the pirates and slavers taken down a notch, it's hard to keep an eye on her when she's out in the Traverse. Call me paranoid, but the Alliance can't just be wasting her on endless patrols. Either it's a PR run or she was up to something else.
I really don't care what you do with her when she is made a Spectre, just please keep us informed. Maybe send her to the Asari. That Project of theirs sounds... interesting.
Sincerely,
Primarch Fedorian
Turian Hierarchy Command
Councillor Tevos,
Greetings,
Now that it has been confirmed that Miss Rose shall become a Spectre, shall we proceed with Project Matrimony?
If that is the case, then I feel obligated to tell that Miss Rose may not survive. A rather... unfortunate conclusion. If she were an Asari then there might be a better chance. No matter. We shall simply have to limit her daily exposure.
Our test subjects are ready. If everything goes well we might be able to replicate her powers within a few short years. Granted, this has never been tried before, even among our own species, but it might be the only chance we have.
As for assigning her to the Project, simply tell the rest of the Council that it is 'for science.' We're sure they'll understand.
Hoping,
The Matriarch Council
P.S.
Me first.
M.A.
Valern,
We've cracked the sarcophagus.
Keep an eye on Observation Subject 04: Rose. I'll contact you when I have more information.
STG Director,
Section 37