Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Halo or Mass Effect universe.
Chapter 5 - A Strategic Miscalculation
Count to 4, inhale. Count to 4, exhale.
N7 training was brutal. It had to be, if the goal was to produce some of Humanity's deadliest warriors. One of the key focuses of N7 training was to expose the trainees to as many stressful situations as possible without causing any debilitating harm to the recipients. Constant exposure to gunfire, explosions, lack of sleep, training to resist interrogation. These factors all played a role in crafting rock solid soldiers that wouldn't crack under pressure.
Even so, all the training in the world couldn't prepare someone for real combat. And no amount of combat experience could truly get rid of the stress that occurred before, during and even after a combat operation.
Shepard had lost count of the number of missions that he's been on. They ranged in scale and objective, and they eventually just seemed to blur together. He was a veteran in every sense of the word. But even he feels anxious just before the start of a mission, especially when the mission itself is exceptionally risky.
"Fuck, is all this walking really necessary? I came here to kill shit, not go on a hike Shepard." The commander sighed in exasperation.
"Yes, Jack." He said. "Unless you'd prefer that we get atomized by the Alliance ships before we even reach the ground?"
The following 'fuck off' told Shepard that she at least semi understood.
The Normandy's stealth systems were highly sophisticated, the best. The advanced composites deflecting and absorbing radar waves and lithium heatsinks allowed them to easily slip past the Alliance warships undetected. The only problem was that the shuttle didn't have that luxury. They had to land the Normandy several kilometers away from their objective point in order to allow the crew to reach the surface undetected.
It was unusual, normally they'd just ingress using the shuttle. But this unusual mission required an unusual approach.
Shepard keyed his comms. "See Anything Kasumi?"
"Nope. Nothing so far. Honestly, it's like you think that I can't move around undetected and spot bad guys for you. Who do you think I am?"
"Just keep me posted." Shepard rolled his eyes.
Shepard sent Kasumi and Thane ahead of the rest of the team to make sure the path ahead was clear. They were the best scouts they had; master stealth artists. Fast too.
The rest of the team moved slowly through the forest in a single file line with Shepard taking point and Garrus bringing up the rear. The team was grouped up, closer than usual. This was to decrease the overall visibility of the team, though it was less than ideal to have the entire group so close in a firefight where explosives could easily knock out several members of the team. Even a well placed burst had the capacity to injure or even kill multiple members of the team.
Fortunately, Shepard made sure his team could efficiently transition between optimal infantry formations seamlessly when the need called for it. It was something that proved invaluable, particularly during their first real engagement with the Collectors on Horizon.
Shepard trained his senses on the environment, checking every possible angle. Moving through thick foliage like this was extremely dangerous. Everywhere was a potential ambush point. He's seen enough comrades die to enemies hiding in bushes just meters away to know that this wasn't a place where one could relax for even a second.
At this point, the Alliance troops already beat them to their destination and have made contact with the unknowns. They were here to observe, nothing more. Information was the name of the game.
They were here long enough to hear the ferocious firefight followed by the monstrous airstrike that no doubt vapourized the Batarians. The battle was won by the Alliance, and it wasn't even a fight. The problem now was that they'd still be on edge from the fighting, which would make sneaking around even harder. Still, Shepard was confident in the abilities of his team.
Shepard hoped that the information gathered here would allow them to gain a better understanding of the greater picture. Batarian slave camps don't just get wiped out of existence without a trace by some unknown force. These people were professionals, and that was exactly what they needed in their quest to combat the enemy. Even so, whether or not they do end up sympathizing with the Normandy crew's cause, having knowledge of all the major players on the field is an invaluable boon for a plethora of reasons. It meant having a further understanding of the different relationships between the factions of the galaxy and how that might be used to his advantage. It meant having an understanding of a potential ally or enemy and what capabilities they may bring to the table.
The Commander remembered such instances during his operations as an N7, times when they'd send small teams deep behind enemy lines to determine force composition and the like, particularly with terrorists or mercenaries.
Shepard remembered a particular operation several years back where he worked with teams of N7 operatives to foster a hostile relationship between the Blue Suns and a Batarian terror group. It was a delicate and complex operation that involved bribery, the spreading of false information, and the framing of high ranking members. One thing led to another and the bastards were turning guns on each other, killing former allies in the streets. Sadly, several civilians were caught in the crossfire, something that his superiors deemed "necessary".
Based on the number of innocent lives lost over the course of those several bloody days… the ex-Spectre disagreed. He'd often think back to moments like that, wondering if he could have done something different, saved more lives.
Such was war. The veteran shook himself from the distracting thoughts; they had work to do.
Shepard knew that bringing in certain crew members like Grunt and Jack on a mission like this was a risk. They weren't very subtle. They were loud and impatient. But… if something goes wrong and they have to fight their way out, they'll need all the help they can get.
Commander Shepard did not relish the idea of facing fellow Alliance marines in combat. But sometimes tough sacrifices must be made for the greater good. If some Alliance marines had to die so that the rest of the galaxy could be given a chance to survive, then so be it. That was the ugliness of it all, that friendly combatants and possibly even innocents may have to die so that the majority can survive.
He frowned to himself when moments before he was thinking about a "sacrifice" that he deemed unnecessary when so many would have disagreed. Where does one draw the line with such things? Where does one say that enough is enough? How does one determine when a sacrifice is necessary and one isn't?
The Commander was willing to sacrifice fellow soldiers if it meant saving the galaxy from the Reapers, that was not what bothered him. It was examples where innocent people were caught in the crossfire as a result of two groups of terrorists killing each other, a plan organized by Shepard and his fellow N7 operatives. The Commander didn't believe those low lifes were worth the lives of those civilians.
It was why the Commander detested the association between his name and the word "hero" after defeating that bastard Saren along with the abomination that was Sovereign.
He realized quite early in his military career that sometimes the only way to save lives is to snuff out some lives yourself, even if those lives did not deserve to be cut short.
That's the cruel irony of it all.
"Keelah, Shepard." Said Tali softly. "I can't fathom the idea of killing Alliance soldiers…. It just doesn't feel right."
Shepard frowned; it almost felt like the young Quarian was reading his thoughts.
"Remember what we went over Tali. The fate of the entire galaxy depends on our actions. It's either the lives of some Alliance soldiers or the lives of trillions more. Not a choice anyone wants to make, but it's necessary." Shepard didn't necessarily want to remind her of the burden they all must shoulder, it may distract her from the mission. But in doing so he hoped that she could understand what's at stake and realize that the potential loss of life they might inflict would pale in comparison to what the Reapers plan on doing.
"It's a difficult position to be put in." Muttered Jacob over the comms, as Shepard poked his rifle around a thick tree looking for anything. "Even some of the hardest bastards would hesitate. But the Reapers and Collectors won't. One of the first things I learned in boot camp was that if something is worth fighting for, if something is worth dying for, then it is worth making the necessary sacrifices… even if it may conflict with your morals."
Shepard heard the resignation in his voice, no doubt a by-product of what he witnessed during his service in both the Systems Alliance and Cerberus. The ex-Spectre could relate. He certainly has his fair share of demons. All soldiers did.
But the veteran soldier knew that the coming conflict would test their mental fortitudes and push them above and beyond their respective limits. He wasn't looking forward to the coming storm, but he knew that they would have to eventually face it.
"Yeah… I guess you're right." Said Tali almost dejectedly.
After hearing Tali's response, a part of Shepard regretted dropping that bombshell on her, but he knew it was necessary.
"Bah, you squishies and your morals." Exasperated Grunt. "Morals make you weak, makes you easier to kill."
"Yeah? Tell me how that worked out for you during the Krogan Rebellions." Retorted Zaeed with a chuckle.
The krogan growled.
"Why don't you say that to my face so that I can take that sack of shit you call a rifle, mag dump your ugly scarred face with it and then shove its overheated barrel up your ass!"
"You touch Jessie and I'll rip your plates off you stupid-"
"Enough!" Said Shepard, effectively silencing the hostile verbal conflict. "Focus."
There was silence for the next minute or so. No one dared to question Shepard's authority or fight back, especially not during a mission. The respect that Zaeed and Grunt had for Shepard was too great for them to go against the veteran's wishes.
"Having no morals makes us just as bad as the Collectors and Reapers." Asserted Tali, having decided that the hostility and tense atmosphere had died down just enough for her to throw in her two cents.
"Indeed." Calmly replied Samara, much to the surprise of everyone else. "If we've forsaken that which makes us sentient in favor of victory, then have we truly won when we've become the very things we sought to destroy?"
"Ya'll are just a bunch of pussies." Growled Jack. "Just bitch and moan about morals because you're all too scared to do the dirty work that needs to be done."
"While I don't necessarily agree with Jack's way of putting it." Began Garrus with a minor hint of exasperation. "You don't win battles by being nice. Sometimes you gotta be cruel."
"So long as you don't forget what you're fighting for." Finished Shepard.
"Yeah… that."
Shepard held up a fist, signaling the team to stop. He worked the muzzle of his rifle along his field of view, metaphorically sniffing the area for potential targets.
He found nothing.
"We should pick up the pace." Said Miranda. "The longer we take, the more likely we are to miss our window."
"Agreed." Replied Shepard.
They continued moving through the forest unperturbed, yet ever vigilant.
The sounds of birds chirping and the rays of sunlight peeking between branches and leaves created a peaceful and serene environment, one that the Commander wished that he could just sit down and relax in.
He wished things were so simple.
"We're in position Shepard, no one has seen us." Kasumi's voice shook Shepard out of his thoughts and threw him back into reality.
Right, back to it then.
"Affirmative, what do you see?"
"Uh, yeah… there are a lot of Alliance soldiers. There's gotta be at least a hundred - hundred and fifty of them. They all look on edge too." Shepard swore. He was expecting a large Alliance presence, but still.
"What else? Any armor support? Any captives left or eyes on the unknowns?" Even though he had absolutely no intention of engaging the Alliance troops. Information such as armor, air support and other supporting elements is always essential to know. Only an idiot would forsake such important practices.
"No armor or air support that I can see. Looks like they are about to load the captives into dropships and get them off world. As for the unknowns? Well, I don't see anything. I think- woah!" Shepard raised an eyebrow in confusion, eager to know what could surprise the thief like that.
"Kasumi? You read me?"
"Yep, found the guy. Looks like the spook's description was pretty accurate. He's a giant."
Now that really piqued the veteran soldier's curiosity.
"What's he doing?"
"Nothing right now." Replied the thief, still shocked. "Just watching the captives. But the way it's behaving… gotta be a mech."
The Commander waited for the woman to continue, ignoring the exasperated sigh coming from Miranda's direction.
"It seems so… lifeless, unmoving. Kinda like a statue, you know?"
"Physical description?" Miranda interrogated.
"Gold visor, black armor, very bulky and tall. He's built like a tank and could probably hit like one too. I have a feeling that if we get caught, the marines will be the least of our worries."
Shepard found himself silently agreeing to that statement. Something felt… off about the way that Cerberus agent behaved when describing this supposed mech. Despite the fact that this Prometheus character was saved from a terrible fate by this otherworldly individual, he seemed fearful, wary, almost unreasonably so. Fearful yet in awe. He spoke of this entity as if in reverence and fear at the same time. Shepard supposed he couldn't blame him; if the feats described were even half true… they needed to be careful.
"Roger, almost in position." Said Shepard as they slowly approached a small hill covered in foliage. Once they took their position at the crest of the hill, the team slowly and carefully spread out. The fact that the team so easily dispersed into an effective formation without the need for words spoke volumes about how well this ragtag group of warriors have meshed together over the short time they have been together.
The Commander felt a little bit of pride creep into his heart.
The ex-Spectre crawled the remainder of the way until he could see through the brush. He pulled out his binoculars and observed the scene in front of him.
What was immediately obvious was the large Alliance presence. Several small patrol groups made their rounds along a predetermined perimeter, ensuring that no enemy could launch a surprise attack on the main force. They were meticulous and disciplined in their duties. The endless sweeping of rifle muzzles, constant communication and strict adherence to proper patrolling techniques such as having a designated rear guard and adequate spacing made Shepard feel a sense of nostalgia from what felt like a lifetime ago.
"Multiple Alliance patrols." Said Miranda over the comms. "Standard Alliance operating procedures."
"Copy." Replied Garrus.
The ex-Spectre briefly looked over the camp, scowling at the sight of the rundown rusty metal shacks, barbed wire fences and the genuine disregard for basic sentient rights.
"If there's one thing I learned from my time as a bounty hunter." Began Zaeed candidly. "It's that there's no limit to Batarian cruelty. But I've seen this shit enough times that it doesn't surprise me anymore."
"You and I both." Muttered Jacob.
Shepard's eyes scanned over the large group of civilians being carefully herded onto the dropships. Most of them don't seem to be too injured, though some of the severely injured ones were receiving immediate medical attention.
Then, almost in the background of this large scale liberation effort, was their prize.
Shepard almost couldn't believe what he was looking at. He couldn't believe that it wasn't the first thing he noticed.
The man-Shepard thought it was a man- stood easily at seven feet tall, towering over everyone in the crew. The Alliance soldiers looked like children in comparison as they went about their duties giving the massive humanoid a large berth. Such a height is extremely unusual, and the Commander has never seen a human soldier come close to that height. This further supported Shepard's hypothesis that they were dealing with a mech here. A human standing at seven feet tall yet still having the coordination needed for combat simply doesn't exist.
The next immediate detail that Shepard noticed was the bulk of the armor it had equipped. The armor plates looked extremely thick and resilient yet at the same time sleek and form fitting enough that it gave the commander pause as to how valid his mech theory really is.
Its golden visor was the next detail he noticed. If this entity was indeed a human, then its visor would obscure all the characteristics that made him so, giving way to an emotionless, faceless figure that would certainly be intimidating to look at when all you could see was your own reflection.
It came equipped with several weapons, some familiar and some not. The Commander wondered what kind of damage those weapons could produce.
He didn't want to be on the receiving end.
Moments later, a marine approached the armored giant, it appeared they were having a conversation of some sort.
"EDI, listen in on that conversation for me and patch it through to us."
"Understood."
On top of being the stealthiest vessel in the galaxy, the Normandy came equipped with an extremely sophisticated surveillance package. It allowed for the vessel to easily listen in on conversations even from orbit.
His comms turned on and he could distinctly make out the chatter in the background from Alliance personnel. Strangely, there didn't seem to be anything coming from the two individuals he was most interested in. In fact, both the marine and armored behemoth walked behind a dropship, obscuring their view of them. Several seconds passed by, and the Commander felt uneasy as no further conversation was being detected by EDI.
"You sure you're not malfunctioning EDI?" Inquired Shepard, annoyance prevalent in his voice.
"Affirmative, Commander." Deadpanned EDI. "I can confirm that the specified targets
are not engaging in conversation as the Normandy's sensors can detect-"
"I get it EDI." The Commander frowned; yet again another obstacle that the universe just had to haphazardly throw in their path.
Fuck you too, universe.
"EDI, use the ship's cameras to get me a visual."
"Understo-"
"Hey, big man, you read me?" Joker's voice surprised the Commander, he wasn't expecting the pilot to suddenly interrupt the AI like that.
"I read you Joker, what is it?"
"I'm going to have to pull the Normandy out of here. Alliance ships are launching fighter patrols. If I stay here much longer they'll figure us out. I'll be hiding behind the planet's moon, just holler when you need me."
What? Shepard did a mental double take, replaying what Joker just informed him of. The second he ordered EDI to use the Normandy's cameras to try and get a bead on their mystery man, the Alliance ships suddenly decide that now is the time to deploy patrol squadrons?
"Copy that, maintain silence for the time being."
What is going on? This can't be a coincidence. If the Alliance was concerned about hostile spacecraft, then they would have had fighter patrols deployed well before the Normandy arrived in the system.
He looked to his left, locking eyes with Miranda. He could see the worry in her eyes, and he knew she could see the worry in his eyes too.
Shepard keyed his comms.
"Kasumi, Thane. See if you can't reposition and get me a visual on him."
"Way ahead of you." She responded casually.
If the woman was worried, she certainly didn't show it.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say he knows we're here." Said Garrus, perfectly voicing the rest of the team's thoughts.
"Don't say that." Replied Tali softly. "There's no way he'd be able to see us." Shepard could hear the nervousness in the Quarian's voice. He couldn't blame her of course.
Something felt off.
"Yeah gotta agree with the kid. We're a good, what? Half a kilometer away? And concealed to boot. No way a human has eyes like that."
Jack suddenly laughed. "I hate to burst your bubble gramps, but I thought it was more or less obvious that the damn thing is a robot. I for one am glad at the change of pace. Fuck this pussy-ass sneaking around bullshit!" Grunt stated his agreement over the comms.
"Besides that, how would they know about the Normandy?" Inquired Garrus. "There is no way they'd detect it."
"The deployment of those fighters." Began Miranda. "It can't be a coincidence. I think we should retreat. This isn't worth the lives of the team, Shepard."
It was at this point that Shepard found himself in a bit of a conundrum. They have arrived at the specified recon position. They had eyes on their objective. Now said objective has conveniently placed itself behind a dropship, obscuring their line of sight, and somehow the Normandy's systems are unable to pick up a conversation between it and the marine? As if they know they are being spied on? Now the orbiting Alliance ships just decide to deploy fighter patrols forcing the Normandy to retreat to avoid detection?
Shepard didn't like this.
He learned long ago the importance of listening to your gut. It has saved him numerous times from ambushes, snipers, IEDs and a myriad of other hazards that could kill a man faster than he could blink.
His gut was telling him to get the fuck out.
With one final split second decision, Shepard nodded to himself.
"We're getting out of here." He said confidently, with that famous 'Commander's voice' that he was well known for. The veteran keyed his comms.
"Kasumi, Thane, we're getting the hell out of here. We might be compromised. Meet us at the rendezvous."
He waited for a response… but got nothing.
Shepard felt his heart skip a beat.
"Kasumi? Thane? Do you read me?"
Nothing.
"Shit!" Said Garrus.
Shepard felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His heart rate quickened.
Count to four, inhale. Count to four, exhale.
"The hell is going on? Must be radio silence, maybe just hiding from Alliance patrols." Jacob suggested.
Shepard shook his head. "Alliance marines are good, but they're not that good. We have eyes on all the Alliance troops in this sector, we'd know if they were getting a little too close for comfort."
Kasumi and Thane were skilled in the art of infiltration. They've honed their skills to the point where they almost have a sixth sense when it comes to figuring out if they are being tracked. They would have seen those marines coming from a mile away, informed Shepard of the situation, and then easily relocated. All of this would have happened without a single marine realizing.
That only left one possible culprit.
"If the marines aren't responsible…" trailed off Tali, unsure of herself. "But there's no way. Being that large, with armor that probably weighs as much as Grunt?."
Tali was right. It didn't make sense. By all rights, the armored titan should still be behind the dropship. There is simply no way he'd be able to move from the dropship to Thane and Kasumi's position without being spotted, and then somehow sneak up on two of the best infiltrators in the galaxy.
Impossible.
With the two main possibilities ruled out… what could it be?
"We have to find them." Said Shepard, he didn't fail to notice the glare directed his way from Miranda.
"Shepard, as much as I'd like to go and play hero, we have no way of knowing what their whereabouts are. With the unusual way the Alliance fighter patrols are behaving, we should assume that they're onto us."
"So what if it was you instead of them? What would you say then?" Retorted Tali hotly.
"I'd say the same thing!" Staccatoed Miranda. "We all need to understand that if we try and find them, then we run the risk of all getting caught. We're outnumbered and outgunned. These are the types of sacrifices we are all expected to make. Don't forget that."
Shepard closed his eyes, as memories of his past missions came back to haunt them. The dead civilians, the lives of fellow soldiers wasted. All those times that he wasn't good enough to do his job the way it was meant to be done. He hated to admit it…
But there was truth behind Miranda's words.
Still, he couldn't just leave them behind, Shepard thought himself better than that.
"Fallback to the extraction point." Ordered the Commander. "I'll find them."
As expected, the comms erupted into chaos.
"No way Shepard, we're in this together."
"Foolish! Have you completely forgotten what I just said?"
"Much as I hate to admit it, the cheerleader is kinda right."
Shepard frowned, as much as his team's consideration for his well being was nice, they were wasting time.
"I'm just one man, better than risking the entire team."
"Damnit Shepard." Growled Garrus, you are the reason we are a team in the first place! Without you there is no Normandy crew."
"Uh… guys?"
"You are more than capable of leading the team if-"
"Do not SAY that Shepard!" Retorted Garrus, causing Shepard to wince. "I got my team killed. Remember that? I couldn't even lead a team effectively enough to quell a couple of criminals, never mind a rogue Spectre and his pet Reaper. There is no comparison!"
Shit this is not the time.
"Hey guys."
"We are wasting time!" Butted in Miranda angrily, drawing the ire of a certain psychopathic biotic. "We need to-"
"Oh, typical Cerberus bitch! Always has to make everything about herself."
"I didn't even-"
"GUYS!"
Tali's unexpected burst of anger effectively silenced the group. Not out of intimidation, but rather the out of character outburst from the usually timid quarian.
"Yes, Tali?" Said Shepard.
"They are leaving."
What?
Shepard looked through his binoculars. He noticed several Alliance dropships taking off leaving behind only a platoon's worth of marines that were slowly making their way back to the few craft left behind. He noticed that there was no sight of the mech, presumably having boarded one of the dropships.
Where are Kasumi and Thane?
"Samara?"
"I did not see Kasumi and Thane." She responded with that characteristic serenity that everyone on the Normandy has come to welcome. "Evidently, the Alliance does not have them in their custody."
"Look." Said Miranda. "If the Alliance didn't take them prisoner, then they are still on the planet. I suggest we get back to the Normandy, wait for the Alliance to leave, and then use the Normandy's sensors to find them."
Shepard nodded to himself. A part of him was angry that this mission turned out to be a complete waste. No information was gained apart from a physical description of the mech and the possibility that the Alliance may be trying to initiate a peaceful first contact with this mech and its faction, if it even comes from a new faction at all. One could argue that some information was better than no information at all. But to the Commander, the risk was not worth it considering that two of his crew members are now unaccounted for.
"Alright, lets-" Shepard turned around, but then damn near had a heart attack doing so.
There are many scary, unexplainable things that the Commander has faced in his long military career. Rogue Spectres, mysterious races of machine gods that wipe out intelligent life every fifty thousand years. The fear was more palpable when he was younger, less experienced, not quite accustomed to the horrors of war or even the horrors of the galaxy in general. Each experience, many of which would leave most normal people psychologically traumatized for the rest of their lives, hardened the man into the legendary Commander Shepard that he is in the present.
There weren't many things that truly scared him. Although, sometimes a new fear does surface.
One such fear, something that Shepard was not expecting, was finding the limp body of his team's rearguard mere meters from the team's position. He didn't know how, and he didn't know when, but there was Jacob, limp, unmoving.
Was he even alive?
Jacob was a very experienced soldier, exceptional even by special forces standards. Yet somehow, something was able to neutralize him without making a sound? Without anyone in the team noticing? Without Jacob being able to react?
How?
"Form up!" Yelled the Commander, ignoring the surprised curses of disbelief from his team as they formed a perimeter around the body of Jacob.
Count to four, inhale. Count to four, exhale.
Shepard tried to ignore his beating heart, he tried to ignore his fight or flight response telling him to run. He could feel the adrenaline pouring into his bloodstream at an alarming rate.
He can't let emotions control him here. Only logic.
"Status?" Shepard demanded, as he frantically swepthis rifle along the sector he was covering, trying to peer through the thick bushes for anything that needed a face full of mass accelerator fire.
"I got a pulse!" Responded Miranda. "He's just unconscious. No sign of major injuries."
Shepard allowed himself to breathe a slight sigh of relief. It seemed that whatever was stalking his team wasn't out to kill them. At least he hoped. If this unknown force could so easily knock out a soldier like Jacob without making any more noise than ninjas tiptoeing on carpet, then they could have easily killed the man.
"What now?" Said Zaeed angrily. "We're sitting ducks out here."
They were. Shepard looked around their current position with a dour expression. The team had no cover, and they were surrounded by countless trees and bushes. Anyone of those locations could serve as cover or concealment for the bastards stalking them.
"Grunt, carry Jacob. You're in the middle. Garrus, Zaeed, you get the rear. The rest of us will push forward." It was the best that they could do in such a position. Form a perimeter so that they had a gun watching every possible angle until they got to the rendezvous.
"You think whatever got Jacob also got Kasumi and Thane?" Whispered Garrus.
"Keelah. I-I don't know." Stuttered Tali, the fear evident in her voice. "How is this possible, how could they have snuck up on us so easily? It's impossible, unnatural-"
"Tali." Said Shepard, forcefully yet gently at the same time. "Relax, take a deep breath. We'll get out of here, then bring them back."
"Ok Shepard… I'll be right behind you."
He nodded to himself. Glad that no one else had anything to say. He noticed as they slowly progressed through the woods just how quiet it had gotten. The silence was deafening, unnatural, and unnerving. The cool gentle breeze, the chirping of the birds, the rustling of leaves.
All gone. Extinguished like a candle.
The adrenaline in his system hasn't stopped circulating this whole time. It was one thing to mysteriously lose contact with your teammates deep within hostile territory. But it was another thing entirely to witness the unconscious body of your friend who was knocked out by some unseen force that didn't make a single sound. Something that belonged in a horror movie rather than reality.
Such a seemingly supernatural occurrence would put the fear of God into damn near anyone. He looked to his side, noticing Samara's wooden expression, appearing to manifest itself as an emotionless facade, yet the worry is very much present. Even Grunt didn't have as much of his usual bravado.
The snapping of a twig sent Shepard's heart almost up his throat and out his mouth, but after hearing the quiet, fearful cursing of Tali, he calmed down, if only slightly.
Miranda quietly berated Tali for her inattentiveness, for which the young Quarian apologized. The team continued their eerie trek to escape the now oppressive forest, its natural beauty having been replaced by the constant threat of ambushes, instant death, and a genuine fear of what unknown entities lie behind the foliage.
He could have sworn that the forest seemed darker than it was a few minutes earlier.
They reached a small dirt path, the same one they used to reach their objective. The Commander squinted his eyes, believing to have seen some sort of shape on the path that wasn't there before. It was hard to distinguish, having found residence underneath some of the larger trees in the forest and consequently being obscured from the sunlight. Is it a rock? A bush? No. Shepard felt his breath become shallow.
No.
He held up a fist, signaling his team to stop.
"Oh my god." Said Miranda. "Is that…? She trailed off, unsure if what she was seeing was real.
One shape suddenly became two shapes, and the Commander's eyes widened fearfully as it appeared one of his worst nightmares had come true.
Bodies.
They were looking at two bodies. The bodies of Kasumi and Thane.
"Bloody hell…" trailed off Zaeed. "They ain't dead are they?"
"No, no, no…Keelah." Muttered Tali dejectedly yet with desperation, like she wanted to do something, anything, to help them… but couldn't.
Shepard looked around him, immediately sensing a trap. His heart was beating, his chest constricting.
"This is one fucked up Mexican standoff." Growled Zaeed.
"Sick bastards." Muttered Garrus, almost disbelievingly. "Using them as bait."
"We're gonna kill them, right Shepard?" Shepard looked over at the krogan, he could see Grunt's muscles coiling in anticipation, the gritting of teeth, the almost wild look in his eyes. He was ready to send someone to hell.
He looked ahead, waiting for something to show itself. The crunching of leaves, snapping of twigs, a mismatch of color, or a shadow that does not match its surroundings… anything that could betray the position of any would be ambushers.
He saw nothing.
Until he allowed it.
A shadow solidified out of nowhere, with such fluidity and gracefulness that Shepard could only find one word to describe it.
Supernatural.
He swore. The rest of the team swore. Tali and Miranda gasped in disbelief. Many days from now… maybe even for a longer length of time, the Commander would replay this instant in his head countless times. He tried to piece together how it happened, how such a thing was even possible. He couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.
He never figured it out.
The only explanation would be teleportation. As the familiar armored behemoth materialized seemingly out of nowhere, standing behind the bodies of Thane and Kasumi, the Commander wondered how he managed to sneak from behind the dropship, through open ground, silently neutralize Kasumi, Thane, and Jacob, and then materialize the way it did.
Something that tall, that massive… what this mech did should not have been possible. Shepard could feel his heart beating against his rib cage, as if it was trying to escape, as if the very thing designed to protect it was now an oppressive prison. It felt like the organ had a mind of its own and it was trying to escape the next events that were about to transpire.
They raised their weapons, Shepard noticed that the armored monster, wreathed in hellish jet black plate that more than a few would probably associate with a mythical demon of some sort, didn't flinch in the slightest.
No fear, so very machine-like.
"Only cowards hide in the shadows." The krogan berserker behind him growled menacingly. "You better prepare yourself, because I'm gonna rip you apart limb from limb and use them to cave in your skull!"
The armored being did not respond. Its silence was so unnerving. He could hear the ragged breathing coming from Tali, the poor girl was probably scared out of her mind. The Commander wished it said something back. Some kind of threat, or an insult, not this… silence. It wasn't something that could be associated with a living being. At least pirates and terrorists are flesh and blood creatures with friends, family, and emotion. Even though their acts are nefarious and despicable, at least they had an emotional drive behind it, something that living beings could relate to.
Not with machines.
The Commander was about to speak to this entity, when it spoke to him first.
"Discard your weapons." It said in an abnormally deep, monotone, and powerful voice that was laden with enough authority to sucker punch even the councilors off their high horses. The way it uttered that command while standing over the bodies of his teammates not only unnerved the Commander.
It also angered him.
He buried his emotions with some success. If this thing was here, then maybe the Alliance wasn't so far off. They had to be in on this trap, they didn't have time for negotiations or to try and diffuse the situation. Best case scenario is the Alliance detains them, and things start to spiral out of control once they find out that they are working with Cerberus.
No, Shepard wasn't going to risk his team like this. This entity, whether from a new faction or not, was threatening them, and had just possibly killed (it made Shepard sick to say this) Kasumi and Thane. The room for negotiation has long passed.
"My squad mates." Shepard demanded.
"Alive." It said without missing a beat. "Discard your weapons." As it spoke, its voice didn't deviate at all from that emotionless, monotone growl of a voice.
Shepard looked over at Grunt, the krogan was pissed. As much as Grunt would never admit it, he did care for his fellow squad mates. As Shepard took note of the violently clenching and unclenching muscles, he could tell that seeing his team mates taken out in a manner that most krogan would angrily call dishonorable and then using them as bait really struck a nerve.
They locked eyes, and Shepard nodded subtly. It was time to see how this bastard handled a rampaging krogan supersoldier.
Grunt bellowed a roar that would cause most men to be paralyzed with fear. He then rushed forward towards the jet black demon at speeds that could overtake a world class human sprinter. The golden visor impassively stared at the rapidly approaching krogan. Shepard suddenly felt that something was off about the situation.
There were only two reasons that someone could stare down a charging krogan supersoldier without an ounce of fear; the entity is a machine, which is the general consensus, or the being in question had absolute confidence in their abilities.
The armored being was tall, tall enough that Grunt would have to look up into its visor. His hump made up the rest of the height difference, making him only marginally shorter than the walking tank.
Once Grunt got within arms reach, the next instant that followed was… reality defying.
The black armored demon's limbs literally blurred out of existence, moving so quickly that Shepard simply couldn't register their movements. He heard a dozen or so sickening meaty 'thwacks' that resonated throughout the forest louder than what should have been normal. Each strike sounded like a disgusting meaty explosion that made Shepard's insides churn.
It was sick.
A split second later, an armored gauntlet wrapped around Grunt's limp body, using it as a meat shield, making return fire impossible without Grunt getting caught in the crossfire.
You bastard.
"Discard your weapons." It repeated for the third time, not at all sounding winded or shaken about facing a krogan in hand to hand combat. Then again, why should it? What Shepard just witnessed wasn't a fight.
It was a one-sided massacre.
The Commander looked to his left, then to his right. He could see Miranda's trembling hands, calm and collected countenance discarded for one of fear and uncertainty.
Tali, who had not stopped shaking in fear this whole time, could barely keep her rapid breathing under control. She was experienced for her age, but still had much to learn.
Garrus, one of the toughest bastards he's ever known. The turian was tense, mandibles clenched. It looked as if he was holding his breath in anticipation, waiting for what was to come.
To see their physically strongest and fastest member so easily dismantled that it looked like a fight between a toddler and a mixed martial artist had a severe demoralizing effect on the team. Everyone was stunned by what they just witnessed. No one could find words to describe what could effectively be classified as a paranormal event. No living thing could move that fast, no Geth platform could move that fast.
God help us.
Shepard was running out of options, and it became clear that he had none when the Alliance dropships descended from the heavens and completely encircled them.
With the speed and efficiency often associated with Alliance marines, the dropships hit the dirt alarmingly quickly, and dozens of marines poured out like a tidal wave. They move quickly and efficiently, weapons shouldered, just as they were trained.
It was at that moment that Shepard realized that the armored bastard was just a decoy, buying enough time for the Alliance to get into position for the perfect ambush. They wanted everyone taken into custody alive, and their newfound attack dog had more than enough skill to make it happen.
"Oh, fuck." Muttered Zaeed. "Shouldn't have been surprised that the bastard was playing us the whole time."
"What now Shepard?" Said Garrus. "There's enough marines here that I might actually break a sweat."
Shepard found himself, once again in the same day, in a conundrum. They could surrender, and be thrown into a secured fortress of a prison where they may never escape. Their affiliation with Cerberus might just win them a life sentence. Or, they could try and fight their way out of a situation where they have no cover, no backup plan, surrounded by dozens of marines with orbital support, and a robotic super soldier killing machine.
He once again felt his failures weigh down on him, it felt like his military career all over again. All the times he led men and women to their deaths, all the times he was too slow to save a fellow soldier or a civilian. All of his experiences leading, fighting, and winning against insurmountable odds seemed invalidated as it couldn't have helped him prevent this situation where there seemed to be no way for him to protect his team.
As the Alliance marines took up positions behind trees in staggered formations with weapons drawn, the Commander paid them no mind. His thoughts were elsewhere.
Was this his fate? To let all of their struggles be for nothing? To let all of the time and effort he dedicated into putting this team together and transforming them into an effective combat force that any military would kill to have on its side be wasted?
What would Anderson think if he knew Shepard was still alive? What could his team be thinking right now? That he was weak, short-sighted, and gullible?
Gullible to think this risk was an opportunity to increase their chances of surviving the Reapers?
Short-sighted to think this operation didn't have any risks and would go smoothly?
Weak because he didn't have the strength to effectively lead his team to prevail against this adversity?
What would his sister think? If she were still alive?
"Unidentified forces!" The sound of a woman's voice cut him off from his pathetic thoughts. "You are interfering with an official System's Alliance operation. Your actions have been hereby considered hostile. Discard your weapons and surrender immediately! You will be detained and then taken to an Alliance military base for questioning. As per Citadel law, you will be afforded all the rights befitting of a detainee. Any action deemed hostile will be met with lethal force."
Shepard internally swore. This is bad, really bad. It won't take long to figure out that they are Cerberus, and then what? Nothing Shepard says will convince them to let them go. No amount of Collector or Reaper talk will make them change their minds. But, they can't escape. Maybe if they were in some kind of entrenched position they would have a chance. Even if they weren't down four teammates they still wouldn't be able to escape this situation.
He took a deep breath and made his decision.
"Everyone, discard your weapons."
"What the fuck Shepard!" Yelled Jack. "I thought you'd be one of the last people to pull a bitch move like that and surrender!"
"Just do it!" He hissed.
The small woman hesitated, and Shepard began to worry, wondering if the diminutive woman was about to unleash a biotic fueled maelstrom upon the marines.
Surprisingly, after several curses directed at the crew and marines, the woman dropped her weapon, and so did the rest of the team. They placed their hands on their heads and interlaced their fingers. The marines cautiously approached them and confiscated their weapons, before handcuffing them.
Wordlessly, they split the team up into different shuttles. Shepard found himself hauled into one of the aircraft with Tali and Garrus, surrounded by a dozen armed marines. He caught a quick glimpse of the armored giant easily hoisting the several hundred pound Grunt over its shoulder with a single arm, prompting the Commander to stare in disbelief, marveling at the amount of strength required to do that.
This thing was full of surprises it seems.
As Shepard was forced into a seat between two marines, he felt his thoughts become consumed with the feeling of failure. He failed to protect his team, failed as a leader, and he failed his mission.
As he felt the shuttle accelerate up through the atmosphere, only one thought continued to replay itself in his mind.
No one can save us now.
"It just doesn't make any sense!"
Phoenix looked around the large room they were in. Several computer consoles were arranged in a semi-circular fashion. Some were damaged, some weren't. Her marines searched every square centimeter of the place, making sure it was clear of all hostiles.
It was, but there were no bodies to show for it. Sure, she could make out the handful of blood splatters and clear signs of battle damage. But… there were no bodies. How could such a thing be possible?
"It's like he just made them disappear." Said Marcus. "Am I the only one that finds that a little creepy?"
"No." Replied Phoenix. "What the hell is going on here?"
Six told them that there were around two hundred Batarians here. It was absurd to think that he killed all of them single handedly. But it was even crazier to think he somehow managed to hide every single one of the bodies by himself. There wasn't even a trace of evidence that they could use to find out where the bodies could be. None of this should be possible.
"Man this shit is borderline paranormal." Remarked one of the marines.
"Yeah, with all due respect, lieutenant, but this is hard to believe. One guy did all of this? I'm not too sure about that ma'am."
"We're not assuming anything until we get some answers." The woman responded as she inspected what looked to be metal shackles that were effortlessly snapped. At least his physical strength didn't seem to be a lie. She recalled when she saw the armored hulk easily hoist that massive krogan over his shoulder, she shook her head in disbelief.
Today just keeps getting crazier and crazier.
"Joel, see if you can access their security systems through one of these consoles so we can get some real answers."
"Yes, ma'am."
She turned around to the sound of footsteps and was greeted by Gunther's familiar bulk.
"Anything?" She asked, it almost sounded like a plea.
How the fuck am I going to report this shit to the higher ups?
"We checked every single room." He started off slowly. "No bodies, not even leftover equipment. He must have had help. There is no way someone could dispose of two hundred bodies in a few days alone, no matter how skilled."
She nodded, more to herself than anything else. To be able to even haul off that many corpses, the bastard must not have slept at all over the past few days. But how could that be humanly possible? At first she thought he was a machine, then she started to have her doubts after witnessing his interaction with that girl.
But now? This thing had to be a machine, a very good machine at that. She wasn't aware of any Geth platforms that were anywhere near as adept as this giant walking enigma.
He must be full of shit. No doubt he was just inflating the numbers to overstate his capabilities. Sure, even if the place was defended by two dozen Batarians it would have been an impressive feat, but it would have been more believable.
"I think he's lying." Phoenix declared with confidence. Gunther and Marcus looked at her with interest, waiting for an explanation.
"You see, he didn't kill off most of the garrison here, we did." Silence. She could see the confusion on the faces of her subordinates.
"I'm not sure I follow…" trailed off Marcus.
"Think about it." She began, leaning on one of the desks. "Sure, he breaks out, kills a bunch of Batarians… no easy feat. Gotta give credit where credit's due right?" They nodded, seemingly following along.
"He's spec-ops, or a kick-ass mech, but is smart enough to know he is outmatched. He escapes, maybe the base was understaffed during this particular day so he was able to time the escape better."
Marcus tentatively raised his hand, as if he were in a classroom. Phoenix regarded the innocent gesture, which was most certainly unbefitting of an Alliance marine, with a raised eyebrow. She nodded towards him, signaling the man to speak.
"Higher-ups told us that he sent the Alliance the message three days ago. If that's true then he must have been evading them for three days."
Phoenix frowned at the loophole in her explanation. There was no way he'd be able to escape a fortress like that and then go into hiding for three days.
"Unless he was captured after contacting the Alliance." The lieutenant looked at Gunther, and nodded to herself. It would make sense. She wasn't exactly sure what he told the Alliance, they were more than happy to leave the ground troops in the dark about that.
"That's the most likely possibility." Phoenix continued. "He escapes, gets chased down by the Batarians from the base, and possibly reinforcements. The airstrike he requested was on the remaining forces that were following him."
She frowned, sensing that that explanation still wasn't enough. It was Gunther that confirmed that for her.
"But that doesn't explain why there still weren't Batarians left in the base, and why the civilians were left unattended."
Damn, could it be? Was the big bastard really telling the truth? It seemed that every possible explanation that they tried to conjure always fell short. There always seemed to be some kind of loophole, some kind of mystery that couldn't have been explained unless one truth was accepted.
He really did wipe them out by themselves., didn't he?
"Fuck me…" muttered Marcus in disbelief, the answer already apparent to him.
What are the implications of this? That there existed a type of soldier that could wipe out an entire garrison of troops alone? What kind of faction existed that could field such a soldier? Where were they? How many such soldiers existed? Was this faction friendly?
The last question caused pause. She shivered at the thought of teams of these titanic soldiers smashing through Alliance forces in a horrific one sided slaughter. How could they ever hope to fight off a military like that? An army of super soldiers…
Let's hope something like that never happens.
Hopefully 'Six' will be willing to cooperate when they question him about the events that transpired here. He is currently onboard the warship that brought them here and they will likely detain him once they bring him to a suitable military base. Of course, because his actions have been nothing but a boon to the Alliance forces in this sector, the detaining isn't being taken as seriously when compared to the Cerberus rats that were caught snooping around.
If there were no consequences, she would have executed those scumbags immediately.
It was still difficult to process…Commander Shepard was alive, and working for Cerberus? Phoenix shook her head in disbelief. Not only did it make her angry and disgusted, it also made her sad.
The man was a hero, the first human Spectre, savior of the Citadel. Everyone in the Alliance looked up to him. Phoenix looked up to him for even longer, ever since the incident when he came to pull her ass out of the fire.
Now? She couldn't help but feel anything but disgust towards the man that she looked up to. She wanted to chalk it up to brainwashing, that Cerberus found the body and forcefully indoctrinated him into their cause against his will. She wanted to believe that the real Commander would never do that… she wasn't sure if reality and her little childish fantasy matched up.
At any rate, they won't be treated as nicely as their mysterious armored enigma. They'll be questioned and then hopefully locked away for a long, long time.
"Lieutenant, looks like I'm in." Said Joel, cutting the woman off from her thoughts.
"Alright, let's see what we got." She walked over to her fellow marine, with Gunther and Marcus in tow. They watched Joel going through a series of files, translated from Batarian to English.
"That's weird…" trailed off Joel suspiciously.
"What's the problem, Joel?" Inquired Marcus.
"Their security footage records were cut short." He said. "Their most recent records are from three days ago. Anything else after that…" He trailed off, letting everyone else figure out the meaning behind that.
"Play it." Phoenix said.
Wordlessly, the man selected the file and let it run. They cycled through the cameras, noting the normal, relaxed activity of the Batarians going about their business. Nothing unusual.
"Man, with the base intact you can really appreciate just how much hardware they had here." Commented Marcus, with a hint of appreciation at the sheer scale of this operation. Such instants of Batarian slave groups being this well equipped were rare, and it was Phoenix's first time seeing an operation this extensive.
Lieutenant Hawkings frowned, realizing that if they were ever going to combat the Batarian threat, they were going to really need to scale up military operations in order to combat these operations which seem to be growing at an ever increasing rate.
Joel switched through some of the cameras watching the captives, earning a plethora of angry curses and insults, before stopping at the room they were in at this very moment. There were up to two dozen of the aliens operating computers and other forms of technology diligently. What caught the eyes of those present, however, was the familiar armored behemoth shackled to a table that was almost upright. It just sat there completely unmoving, lifeless. One of the Batarians, presumably a higher ranking officer, observed the figure with a stern expression.
The four marines watched with great anticipation, expecting something to happen, only to be disappointed when the scene continued to play out. The Batarians continued to go about their boring, monotonous tasks, and the officer continued to stare almost angrily at the unmoving walking tank.
"Well that was anticlimactic." Muttered Marcus.
"Yeah I don't get it, I was really expecting- wait a second!" Joel suddenly became more animated, and he hyper focused his attention on the computer screen. No one spoke, knowing better than to disturb the tech-savvy marine.
"The footage is on replay." He almost whispered in awe. "Look."
Phoenix wordlessly watched the footage playout, she squinted her eyes, paying attention to two Batarians quietly talking amongst themselves. One of them took a swig from his canteen. Then, happening with such subtlety the woman could scarcely register it, the footage seemed to skip a frame. She furrowed her brows, and then her eyes widened as she watched the same two Batarians go through the same set of facial expressions and gestures exactly as before.
"Holy shit." She said. "He managed to precisely cut off their footage of him breaking out and then force the remaining footage into an infinite loop?"
"Looks like it ma'am." Joel said, absentmindedly, still analyzing the footage as best he can.
"Shit." Muttered Marcus. "That's fucking creepy."
She agreed.
"Gunther, radio in a forensics team, tell them to get their asses over here immediately." The large man nodded before keying his comms.
She's dealt with similar experiences before when hunting pirates, slavers, and other unsavories. They'd often cut off security footage to try and throw investigators off their trail. Most of them were amateurs and only a few of them had enough expertise to effectively delete security footage in such a way so as to throw off further investigation for a time.
But she has never seen this level of technical proficiency. If this individual is indeed a man and not a machine, then his training must have been extensive. Experts can easily delete segments of security footage from a secured database to throw off investigators. But even so it would be obvious that the footage was tampered with. Masters can do the same and loop security footage with enough finesse that only experienced individuals like Joel can detect something is off.
She watched the security footage again, watching as the same two Batarians went through the same conversation again for probably the fifth time, trapped in time.
What are you?
Hey Guys, sorry it took as long as it did. It's hard as hell to write a story, especially when you have next to no writing experience. Motivation was also hard to have, especially when I had priorities to tend to. Anyways, I pulled through and pumped out a chapter that is a little less than 10K words. I really hope this chapter is acceptable. Tell me what I messed up on and what I did well. Share your thoughts in the reviews, for me it is probably the most satisfying part of writing.
I did notice some criticism about Noble Six so I figured I'd throw in my own thoughts. I really want this story to show just how machine-like Six can be. So some parts of the story will get dark. I won't shy away from that. It seems that some think my version of Six is xenophobic and I want to say that I am not trying to show that. Spartan IIIs did hate the Covenant. It was why orphans of the war were chosen for the program, so that they could use their hatred of the Covenant to achieve the brutal results they were known for, mostly at the cost of their own lives. While Six has that hatred, he is not xenophobic. It is a hatred that he used as a drive in his missions to achieve the best results. His actions are dominated by logic, but he recognizes the value of leaving some hatred in there to drive him forward. I realize that no matter how hard I try there will always be differing interpretations and that's okay. Also, while Spartans will follow almost all orders without question, they do fight for humanity. An example of this is in Halo 4 when the Chief defies Del Rio. He defends Cortana, and basically goes AWOL to intercept the Didact at Earth to stop him. His duty to Humanity superseded his indoctrination and so he disobeyed an order from a superior officer. A Spartan II did this, arguably more indoctrinated than a III. Spartans recognize their duty, and while they will perform actions that the rest of us would find unthinkable if merely ordered to do so, once those orders get in the way of their overall duty, they will disregard them. They will do what the situation demands, whether it involves killing humans, butchering Covenant, or even disobeying orders:). They understand that they will need to protect humanity not only from the Covenant and other threats, but also from itself, and if orders get in the way of doing that, then they will disregard them. After all, the IIIs were trained by Kurt and Mendez, I'm certain similar beliefs were passed onto them.
Anyways, I could go on forever about this but I've already typed too much. I appreciated the criticism as it allows me to challenge myself using different perspectives such as the ones presented to me previously. Again, please share your thoughts both good and bad. I'll try and find more time to continue writing but it is not easy given my lack of experience and the fact that I am busy.
Thanks and I look forward to updating this story soon!