Shala was nervous, as was everyone else; though they all took measures to not show it.
Her Marines, Cato, Tali, Kal, and all the humans and other Council races stood in the hanger bay of the Normandy, waiting for the frigate carrying the rest of the Admiralty Board to arrive. Shala just hoped that they would be discrete, nevermind the fact that she had impressed upon her colleagues that this was a secret meeting no one was to know about.
They watched through the monitors as the distinctive ring shape of a Quarian Toroidal Eezo core rose up alongside them. It was a few moments of traffic control chatter and Admiralty authorizations before a shuttle detached and headed towards them.
"They were told how our gravity is oriented, right?" Garrus commented around one of his mandibles. "It would be very embarrassing if I had to pull your father out of his shuttle because it tried to land sideways."
"Of course he has Garrus, I may have a strained relationship with him; but I'm not that petty." Tali scoffed.
"Oh, so I don't need to worry about winning him over then?" He buzzed as Tali blushed under her temporary mask.
Shala smiled behind her own mask at their banter; "I would be more worried about her at the moment Mr. Vakarian; she's more petty than she likes to admit." Shala noted with a raised eyebrow, a habit she had begun to pick up from the other humans on the ship.
Cato snorted as he bounced Ori on his leg, "Yes, like that time I accidentally spilled nutrient paste on your bunk; so you stole my 'Playtool', played with it, and then broke it." He grumbled loudly.
Shala's smile grew into a wide grin as Tali's blush grew deeper; at the time it had been a massive headache, requiring Shala, Kal, Kal's Parents, and Rael to break up their fight. But both Shala and Rael looked back on the memory fondly, as it was one of the few times where they felt like a family.
It probably didn't help that both children had hacked into every device in their room and were using them to their fullest extent; to the point that it required every bit of engineering skill, and cooperation the four adults and one teenager could muster to finally stop things from going any farther.
"Copy Shuttle Nakar, handshake confirmed; beginning roll and docking maneuvers." Joker began remotely piloting the salvaged Elcor shuttle the last hundred meters into the hangar. It passed through the cold-plasma wall and settled gently onto the deck just before the hangar's armored shutter closed behind it.
Shala popped up her Senhi with a flair. "Let's not keep my fellow Admirals waiting."
Shala stayed at the head of the group as the shuttle door opened.
It was essentially a similar plan to before; although the other races would be with her. Tali and Cato stood to her flanks while Kal and his three squads of Marines all stood in various places around the hangar. The only one Absent was Ayita, as she and Ori would be amongst the last shown to her colleagues.
Mainly because Shala, her… Rael's Children, and Shephard herself were all deeply worried over how Rael and the other Admirals would react. Shala was particularly concerned over Daro'Xen; as Cato had shown her his vision. No one knew how this vision was shown, or who had spoken to Cato during it; as it definitely wasn't the Vortigaunts, but what mattered was that it showed Shala that Daro couldn't be trusted.
Especially not with the data Professor Solus and Doctor Chambers still carried with them regarding 'Humrians' like Ori.
Shala watched without comment as her fellow Admirals walked out of the shuttle; all looking around the massive hanger in slack jawed amazement. The Hunter-Choppers, and the Experimental Combine 'Longsword' Interceptors in particular catching their attention.
Admiral Zorah was the last to step off. His gait was stiff as he looked around the hangar. His eyes finally settled on his two children standing beside the woman who, he could admit in his more introspective moments, was more a parent to them than he had been. His eyes settled on his youngest in slight confusion, as Cato's eyes seemed to glow differently.
Had they always been green? He felt a surge of sorrow that he couldn't remember if his son's eyes had always been that color. That sorrow morphed for a moment into anger as he noted Shala's eyes shared his son's coloration. He gathered himself from his ruminations and walked purposefully across the deck towards his children and his peer.
"This is a most impressive ship you have brought back." Rael'Zorah nearly spun and raged at Admiral Han'Gerrel for speaking first. Again he restrained himself; he'd been standing there fogging his mask for nearly a minute, so he had no one to blame but himself.
"Yes," he nodded as he came to a stop in front of Tali and Cato. "This is indeed an unexpectedly impressive Pilgrimage gift." He tried to pour every ounce of pride he felt for his children into his words.
He was genuinely distressed when Tali and Cato glanced between each other, rather than swelling with pride. Had he squandered so much? Was he so disconnected from his own flesh and blood that he could not even praise them properly?
Shala shifted slightly, breaking his concentration from those terrible thoughts.
"I thought the same thing, until they showed me what their true Pilgrimage gift was."
He was about to question her cryptic statement, when first she and then his children all took their masks off. Words failed him as the face of his beloved stared back at him through his children; her hope and curiosity in Cato's eyes, and her steely resolve and beauty on Tali's face.
His voxmitter let out an unintelligible warble as he collapsed to his knees.
"Rael…" Shala's voice drew his attention.
He looked up to see Shala kneeling in front of him. "How... I missed so much."
Her frown became sorrowful, and she slowly shook her head; "You locked yourself away; and left them to deal with their loss alone... like yourself." Rael looked over at his children.
Tali stared at him with a mixed expression, with what appeared to be Pity and Sorrow; but Cato… Cato's eyes hardened. "Admiral 'Zorah, I am prepared to offer my Pilgrimage gift to the Fleet."
Rael levered himself up and faced his son; but couldn't muster up the strength to reply to this… almost blatant disdain. Everyone else seemed to be equally stunned, although Shala and Tali just sighed; Tali stepped up to Rael, while Shala walked over to Cato and practically dragged him away.
"Welcome aboard my ship Admirals; If you could be so kind, may we take this to a more private place for the time being?"
Once out of the hanger and in the hallway Shala spun Cato around and grabbed him with both shoulders. "Cato'Zorah, what was that back there?!" She demanded, dope-slapping him as she did so.
What shocked Shala was the coldness in Cato's face and voice as he said, "What? Was I not sufficiently respectful to the Admiral?"
Shala blinked, "An Admiral? Cato that man is your Father! He looked after you and raised you after Ceema died Cato-"
"Did he?" Cato demanded, bringing Shala up short; "You and Tali think I never noticed it, but I did; all Admiral 'Zorah ever saw was Mother's corpse whenever he looked at me. Tell me I'm wrong!"
Shala was stunned; she didn't need her new found Vortal abilities to detect just how upset and angry Cato was, it was written all across his face. "I… Cato he's always loved you and Tali…" She said, though even to her; the words sounded weak at best.
Cato's eyes flashed and green and red sparks leapt off of him before he pinched his eyes closed. "It is a Captain's duty to love his crew, and an admiral's duty to love the fleet." His eyes snapped open and his eyes flashed red for a moment. "But it is a father's duty to love his children. If he can't manage to show that once, then he doesn't deserve the title Father."
He sounded so sure of his words, and there was so much anger laced in his tone that Shala almost let the matter drop; but there were two things that stopped her short of giving up on even attempting to repair the damage. One, she could sense a flash of genuine regret from him at his words; and second, she could see his shoulders start quivering ever so slightly.
Shala blinked, and taking a leap of faith, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
Cato may have been only a teenager, but he was still taller than her; even still, she could feel the anger and rage give way to deep sadness. He may have finished his rite of passage into legal adulthood, but he was still a child physically and mentally in some ways.
She felt his legs give out even as he hugged her back, and Cato began to cry as he asked; "Why couldn't he show it? Just once! Why does he wait until I'm a father to bother showing me how to be one?"
Shala knelt down on the floor with him, not breaking their hug; "Shhhhh… calm my son, calm… Your Mother is here… calm..." she whispered, slowly rocking him back and forth as she settled his head in her chest; his sobbing not abating.
She heard a set of footsteps and she felt a pair of familiar signatures; and Shala didn't break away from her hug with Cato as Ayita walked up and knelt as well, still holding Ori.
"W-w-what… happened?" Ayita asked, stuttering as she talked; which Shala had discovered the girl tended to do when upset, angry, or frightened.
"You know that Cato's father is a member of the Admiralty Board like myself?" Shala asked.
Ayita nodded as she laid a hand on Cato's shoulder. "I have... s-s-sensed his pain… o-over this."
"Da!" Ori exclaimed, sniffling as she did so; reaching towards Cato, kicking her Quarian legs impatiently.
Cato looked up and wrapped Ori and Ayita in a hug. "I didn't think it would hurt this much! I could feel him in there, but even when we were in the same room he held himself back! He couldn't even show he was my father when the only people there were us; he had to be a stoic Bosh'tet still!"
Shala shared a look with Ayita, and nodded to her; and Shala turned to head off to the ready room. She was going to give Rael a piece of her mind, and as her palms sparked her Silvery-Emerald energy; she knew that this time, he was going to listen.
Shala stalked over to the ready room, where Kal and another one of her marines were flanking the entrance; along with two of the humans. All of them were armed only with pistols, though the humans were using their 'Enhanced .45s'; whatever that meant.
"Ma'am!" Kal snapped to attention, as did the others.
Shala jutted her chin out and growled, "Bring me Captain 'Zorah, and Admiral 'Zorah; if you would please Sergeant."
Kal and the second marine glanced at each other. "Will there be anything else ma'am? Silak Tea, or perhaps a tarp for easy cleanup?"
Her eyes flashed green and silver, though a hint of a smile pulled at her lips. "Don't get cheeky, Sergeant. Just bring the 'Zorah's and leave your curiosity at the hatch."
"Aye-aye Admiral!" Both Marines saluted and headed off to track down Tali and Rael.
She stepped through the hatch to see Han'Gerrel, Zaal'Koris and Daro'Xen waiting.
"I'll need a moment with Admiral and Captain 'Zorah. This is a family matter and is privileged information." She noted the reluctance of both Han and Daro to stand. "I'm certain if you ask any of the crew, they'd be more than happy to give you a tour of any part of the ship." Both were up and out like Volus at a raffle give-away.
Zaal was more sedate. "If there's anything you need..."
She huffed at her peer and gave him a wry smile. "Just someone to drink with and scream at later."
Tali was nervous as her father and herself watched the other admirals leave the ready room as they approached; following Kal as he led them to it.
They walked in and Shala looked up and gave Kal a kind smile; "Thank you Sergeant, that will be all; in fact, how about yourself and your fellow human guards take the Admirals on a tour of the ship while we handle this?"
Sergeant 'Reegar saluted and spun about. As he passed Tali, he bumped her hand with his fist and whispered, "Good luck, Spider."
Tali shivered at the unfortunate nickname. It's like I have two annoying little brothers. "That's Captain Spider to you," she whispered back.
"Might I ask what this is about Admiral?" Her father asked beside her, and Tali had to stop herself from scowling since she no longer had her mask to hide it; even now, father couldn't bring himself to show more emotion than a Geth.
But Tali stopped cold when she saw Auntie 'Raan remove her mask again; and Tali felt herself begin to sweat as Shala gave them both a cold smile, even though Tali knew it wasn't directed at her.
The fact that Shala's eyes were flickering from Silver to Emerald did not help her nerves.
"Your Son… Admiral 'Zorah." Shala replied, and Tali took a step back even as Rael stayed where he was; glaring his fellow Admiral down.
Rael's eyes flickered at the mention of Cato, and he looked about to say something until he squared his shoulders. "I see. Is this a matter that can be tabled? We do have much to address at the moment." He gestured meaningfully at the quarters they were in.
Shala's eyes flared Crimson very briefly; and Tali had to stifle a gasp, instantly reminded of Jack and Ayita's brief possessions. "No, we will not table this discussion Rael… In fact, you are very lucky that I decided to not publicly call you out on being such a Bosh'tet to your own son! A son, who by our laws, would have been mine had I not given you and Ceema my birth ticket!"
Rael stood firm, but Tali had backed up so much that she now found herself pressed up against the wall. She had never seen Auntie 'Raan so angry before; and was so caught off guard that the revelation that Cato's birth ticket had not been the result of the child lottery almost flew over her head.
Almost, but the young Captain knew better than to press the issue at the moment.
Rael looked into the eyes of his Peer and closest friend in the Admiralty; he wanted to call her out on claiming Cato as a son in all but name, but his earlier breakdown was too fresh to simply ignore. Probably why she's pressing the matter now.
"You're Ancestors Damned right I am you Fre'eg! You're not hiding from your children or the consequences of your actions behind Duty and Responsibility this time; now sit down!"
Tali cringed as Rael jumped, She had really hoped that her Auntie 'Raan would have held off on the revelation that she was latently Vortal, along with the fact that Cato was as well, and the powers it entailed; but it seemed that she was not at all content with simply giving her father a verbal smackdown.
No, her Auntie was going to give a mental one as well.
Shala glared at Rael as the man slowly sat down, and while Tali couldn't see behind his mask; she knew that he was slack jawed at the moment. "I… Where…" He was clearly stunned enough that he couldn't even form a complete sentence; a genuine first from Tali's perspective.
Shala's scowl deepened, "Yes, I can hear your thoughts you Bosh'tet!" She exclaimed, ignoring Tali's flinch. It was always jarring to hear a parent curse in front of their children, but Tali had never seen anything like this before in her life. But Shala was not finished, "And I picked up your thoughts before; you didn't even Know if Cato's eyes glowed Green or Silver! Even though all Quarian eyes glow some shade of Mercury; what kind of man are you that you can't even remember that your own son's eyes were glowing the wrong color!"
Rael was reeling, both from the almost concussive force of Shala's thoughts, and definitively cutting reminder of his failure as a father. "What am I supposed to say to you? To him and to Tali?" He glanced over at his daughter, wearing her mother's most worried frown. "That in my grief at losing Ceema, my tears blinded me to the pain of my children; that seeing them was a daily reminder of what cruel fate had taken, so I buried myself in my duties? Do I say to them," he turned to Tali, "that I still love you, even if I never showed it? Would that somehow make the years any more bearable, or my actions any more conscionable."
His head tipped until his chin was pinned to his chest. "Cato is within his rights to despise me as a father; I can't suddenly ask his forgiveness as if I deserved it."
Shala practically loomed over Rael now, as Silvery-Emerald Sparks began arcing off her body; to the point that the Admiral was leaning back in his seat, "For once Rael, you're right; but you have to try, if not for his sake than for your new-" Shala cut herself off, and the sparks dissipated from her body. But her eye glow had flashed from Crimson, to Emerald, to Silver, then back to Emerald as an alarmed expression crossed her face.
Tali's eyes widened, and Rael narrowed his eyes suspiciously; Shala had almost let slip something important in her anger, and She had only just barely caught herself.
Shala's head whipped towards the door, and her eyes flashed Emerald again; and Tali scrambled to get outside, Rael's confusion only growing, before Shala turned her gaze back to Rael.
She took a breath, "Rael… I need you to understand that things happened on their Pilgrimage, many of which were outside of their control; and above all, they are not to blame for anything. Ancestors, I barely understand it myself; and only believe it because… well… this ship and I myself are physical evidence to everything they said is true." she explained as her eye glow faded to Mercury.
Rael's eyes began hardening into his 'Admiral's glower'. "Is it a threat to them, or to the Flotilla?"
Shala's own eyes hardened; but this one into a Mother Varren's after her kits had been threatened; "Only if you or our colleagues make it into one Rael."
Admiral 'Zorah stood up and glared at Shala. "You may damn me as an Oparqiit father; maybe I am, but don't ever assume I would do anything to endanger them!"
Shala opened her mouth to speak when the hatch behind Rael opened, and her eyes widened in panic.
"M-m-ms. Shala! A-a-are you… all right?!" A voice said behind him.
It was human, female, and had a younger lilt to its voice like Cato's; and Rael turned to look at this newcomer, ready to lay into her for barging into this private affair.
As he did so, he took in her appearance. She was not especially tall compared to the other humans he had seen, though this was not helped by the hunched, tense posture she held. Combined with the bulky, heavily strapped armor she wore under a cloth drape and primitive but heavily modified longarm, she gave the impression of some manner of dwarf Krogan. The other detail he noticed was the flash of green in her eyes; the same as Cato in the Hangar, and with Shala just now.
She was young, probably about Cato's age; and very pretty, though Rael didn't fail to notice the almost hateful glare on her face that was directed at him. The Krogan like rifle mixed with the almost… gravity inducing power that this girl radiated made any words in Raels mind die in his throat.
Shala stepped up next to Rael, and raised her hands in a placating manner; "Ms. Shephard, everything is fine; our argument just got a little… heated is all." She said.
The Girl blinked and narrowed her eyes, and Rael swallowed as her palms sparked the same Emerald energy that Shala had displayed. After a moment, she turned her gaze back to him, tilting her head as she seemed to try and look past Raels mask. "So you are… Admiral 'Zorah? I… You are certainly… less than pleased… to be here. Are you… not?" She asked. "I assure you… I share your… sentiments."
Rael eyed the human in front of him. "I don't know who you are," he looked her directly in the eyes, eyes that were so very similar to his own son's, "though I gather you share more in common with Admiral 'Raan than just a negative opinion of me." He squared his shoulders and settled into a formal bearing.
"I am… Ayita Shephard… Mistress of the Vortessence and… Bondmate… of Cato'Zorah." She hissed, straightening her posture and jutting her chin out; staring Rael down, unafraid, and confident in spite of her odd habit of pausing while speaking.
Another! Rael's mind reeled even as he steadied his legs. Now he is bonded! Is there nothing left? Are there no more chances for me to say...
Ayita could feel the turmoil in the person in front of her as he fought to maintain dignity in the face of what he felt he had lost. She frowned and tilted her head, "What… do you mean by… Another? And there is still… time… for you to try…" She said, sounding more curious than angry now.
Rael flinched. "Anoth..." his eyes flashed in anger. "Is my mind not my own on this cursed ship?!"
The Shephard girl flinched and shrank away from him slightly; "I… Apologize but… I see those through their... minds… first, and through their… face second." She said quietly, suddenly seeming somewhat meek and reserved; almost like Shala in an odd way.
Rael's voxmitter sputtered for a moment before, then looked over to Shala. "Is she one of these, 'beyond their control' matters?" He sighed and sagged back into the chair. "I missed out on my own children's childhood, and now they come back from their pilgrimage having lived one of the fables I used to read to Tali. Is this my punishment from the Ancestors? I'm destined to be the fool in a children's story?"
The hatch opened again, and Rael didn't even look up. Another punishment for my failures? He Mused, I do deserve it I suppose; what's next, Tali bonds with a Turian?
"Father…" Rael's head jerked upward, to see Cato standing there; and in his arms was, A baby?!
Cato's face was set in a stern glare; though it had lost most of its disdain and anger. "There is much you have missed. I am not the child you..." he fought with the words. He could sense how deeply his father's emotional scars ran, now that his own weren't clouding his perception; how intensely the Admiral loved and still grieved for his mother. "I've returned a Pilgrim, and a father." He moved the child fully into Rael's view. "This is your granddaughter, Ori'Zorah nar Normandy."
"Mah!" Ori exclaimed, and Rael watched as the infant reached for Shephard; whose face became soft and kind, as she reached forward to take the infant from Cato's arms. Both teenagers smiled happily; and Rael couldn't help but smile in kind. No matter what, he was proud of his son; if the fact that he could inspire enough love from an Alien to the point that they could produce a child that somehow violated the laws of time by being its current age.
"Father… I can show you everything we went through; and everything we experienced… If you want to understand." Cato said, even as Shephard began bouncing her baby, their baby, on her hip while murmuring to it.
Rael gave a slow nod, and stood from his seat; though to his surprise Cato pushed him down back into his chair. "I… I wish to understand my Son; please, I want to understand what I have put you through." Rael still kept control of his emotions, but he knew he wasn't one hundred percent successful; as Cato's eyes softened slightly.
"We'll see father... together."
"So this Combine is still confined to your homeworld?" Zaal'Koris asked.
Ayita stayed in the shadows in the corner of the room; having manipulated them to remain hidden. She didn't have to worry about Ori making any noise, as her baby was asleep at the moment; having finally tired herself out.
If it hadn't meant that the shadows hiding them would drop, Ayita would have been tempted to join her.
It felt like this was the fifth time she had heard this 'briefing' and all the inevitably same questions that followed. Though this could prove to be interesting, since she would at least get to make an entrance with Ori.
She shifted her Winfield across her back, making sure her Bayonet didn't make any noise as she did so. One of the rules with Vortals was that you must always carry a long range weapon; since Vortal abilities were affected by range, anything beyond a hundred meters was typically untouchable.
While there were workarounds to this weakness, the simplest solution was just to carry a gun; and while she had been leery about it when she first found it, the Winfield had grown on her. The Bayonet, which may as well have been a sword; and the 'Inverse Mass Effect' upgrade, along with the Holo-Scope, bullet reservoir, and range finder all made the rifle something she went nowhere without.
Of course, Zaeed and Wrex liked to remind her that since they were on a spaceship, they were very unlikely to face any kind of combat past thirty meters; but she had stayed alive by being prepared for any scenario, however unlikely that may be. Besides it was a very nice gun, much better than her old Combine SMG, which Tali now owned; Said Captain currently having it attached to her magnetic thigh holster.
Ayita forced herself to refocus on the meeting in front of her.
"Yes, the running theory is that up until they ran into Earth and humanity, all the gateway worlds and species to the universes the Combine conquered had regular space travel. But humanity had barely landed on their moon by the time they started poking around with teleportation." Cato explained.
Ayita looked around the room, making sure none of their guests could see her eyes glow.
There were only Quarian Captains and the Admiralty board inside at the moment. Tali and Cato sat at the head with Admiral 'Raan, 'Zorah, and all the others; Wrex, Benezia, Kal, Garrus, and Nihlus were there as well, along with Doctor Chambers and Senior Chief Adams.
Ayita didn't fail to notice that Adams and 'Raan were sitting close to each other, but they seemed to be sharing schematics of some sorts.
Admiral 'Koris leaned heavily on the table, steepling his fingers. "You're asking a tremendous amount from us." He put up a hand to forestall comment from the table. "I'll grant you are offering an unprecedented pilgrimage gift: a solution to our compromised immune system. But..." he looked pointedly at his fellow Quarians, "we'd need to put that already dangerously low population in harm's way to secure that aid."
Doctor Chambers shifted uncomfortably; "I understand what you are saying Admiral; but to do nothing is to only gain your people perhaps another generation of life. The Combine will try to launch themselves into space again; and nothing will stop them once they have a foothold in space. They have a beachhead with Earth and their Citadels; but we can still kick them out and drive them back to their home dimension. All we need to do is build up our strength, and wait for the right moment."
Adams nodded along, "We have yet to show you the capability of our weapons; particularly our new 'Inverse Mass Effected' Assault Weapons. This will be a contest of Quantity vs Quality, the Combine possess a Heavy and Lethal Sledge Hammer; we possess a Light and Deadly Rapier. I don't know about the other races in the galaxy, but judging from how seamlessly Captain 'Zorah's equipment integrated with Combine technology; I'd say you definitely fall into the quality category as well."
Admiral Gerrel tapped the table with his knuckles. "It's not about the tech, though I'll admit your's does impress. It's about numbers: we can't spare them, not to liberate your home world while ours is still occupied." He leaned back in his chair. "We sympathize with your plight, but we have to sell this idea to our people. Call us stingy, but we need an immediate cost-benefit to justify sending our people to your system instead of our own."
Shala, Cato, Tali, and Dr. Chambers all shared a knowing look; and Shala stood, "There is… another benefit that I think will put any concerns of yours to rest Han; and I think this will be of great interest to all of you."
Shala smiled to the audience, something the group of Captains still found amazing on a subconscious level, and raised her right hand. Shala opened it, and a sphere of glowing Emerald green energy formed; Shala's eyes having turned from Silver to Emerald the second she had charged her power.
Rael did not move, but all the Admirals shot up in their seats while the Captain's jaw's all collectively dropped. Shala fixed her eyes on a nearby loose panel, and lashed her arm forward; a bolt of Emerald Green Lightning arcing from her outstretched hand, slamming into the panel and forcing it back into place.
No one said a word as Shala calmly took her seat, "That, my friends, is what these humans offer us; a counter to the Biotics flaunted by the other races, and a power that has resided in us for over millennia, since we as a species first began." Here her smile dropped to a sad frown, "A power that led to the Asari bullying and later outright forcing Queen Lun'Calin and the Prime Minister to deactivate the Geth after they gained sentience. A power that has kept us in exile, and one that we have lost; and one we now have a chance of reconnecting to."
Admiral Xen looked up from her Omnitool which was recording everything going on. "This is fascinating, really; but Biotics are the result of prenatal Eezo exposure, and there have been no recorded instances of Felz'zel since before the Morning War." Most of the Quarians rolled the strangely familiar word in their mouths. "How exactly are we supposed to induce this ability in our people?"
Tali smirked from her chair, and crossed her arms; "I would say we need to consult 'The Mistress' for this."
Cato smiled as well, "Yes, I believe they would know how best to explain this."
Han and Daro shared a look, "The Mistress? Who is that, some kind of-" Gerrals words died in his throat.
Everyone in the room, except those that had already experienced it, stiffened as they felt a foriegn presence enter the edge of their mind. They could all feel its emotions, though they were very much restrained; although both Xen and Gerral cringed as they felt slight contempt for them from this foriegn presence, no doubt due to their… less than flattering thoughts about it.
Or more specifically, its name.
Then the shadows in the corner of the room moved; everyone blinked, wondering if they were seeing things. But when the collection of shadows in the corner of the room continued moving away; coalescing into something Quarianiod in shape, though it seemed to have asari-like legs. It appeared to be holding something, but no one could quite see what it was carrying.
Suddenly the presence on their minds increased to a slight degree, and a feminine voice spoke into their minds; "They refer to us; We are The Shephard and The Mistress of the Vortessence." She could feel a twinge of mirth at the title coming from Cato, though he kept it from his face. He did smile openly at her and Ori, which soothed her nerves at dealing with the crowd of strangers.
Ayita swallowed, thankful that Ori was still fast asleep; her daughter's presence giving her some courage, though she still fell back to Vortigaunt Speak with using vague pronouns and titles to help calm her nerves. "We are prepared to assist the Quarians with locating those individuals with particularly strong connections to the Vortessence; though truthfully all present here have, at the very least, a nascent connection. Those who can be trained, will be trained. They in turn will train all who follow; You shall become a Knighthood, Knights who protect those that cannot protect themselves." She said calmly, and sternly; sweeping her eyes across the room.
Ayita swept her hidden gaze across the room, although she allowed her eye-glow to escape the darkness that surrounded herself and Ori. The Captains and the Admirals all shuddered as this mystical being, this Kelek'miin incarnate, searched for something seen only to itself.
Ayita shifted Ori into one arm, somewhat regretting not giving her to Cato or putting her into a Crib for the duration of this meeting; but the knowledge that there was no crib on the ship, and the fact they wanted her kept secret to all but a select few prevented that.
Ayita allowed her now free hand to exit the shadows surrounding her, and allowed herself to channel her power through her hand. She recalled a technique that Ulysses had taught her, and growled, "Gaaahh'Luuuung…" Speaking Vorteguese allowed her to channel this particular ability better; and in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but smile at the fact that it made her seem more mysterious.
Being with Cato, Tali and all the rest had really allowed her to open her mind to such thoughts.
Ayita made a whirlpooling motion with her hand, the motion allowing a vortex of Emerald Green Energy to form in front of her. "Cherrr'Alang'Grah…" The gutteral tones required to speak Vorteguese was something that always caused problems for her; due to her near constant silence, but she pressed on.
Ayita lowered her hand to the floor, her Eyes and the Vortex of Energy now shining as bright as a star; and the strands of Energy began to expand outward throughout the room. The strands stayed connected to the Vortex as they snaked through the room, searching for their targets; those that had a strong enough latency.
Element Zero may have prevented them from tapping into it for generations; but conversations with Ulysses had revealed to Ayita that next to the Vortigaunts, Humanity and the Quarians had the best connection to the Vortessence that he had ever seen in Mortal Linear beings. Nowhere near as strong as Immortal Coterminous beings like the Vortigaunts themselves or the Nihilanth; but still far stronger than most others.
And this connection was proven true as the snakes of Emerald Green Energy found what they had been searching for.
Captain Ysin'Mal vas Idenna, or 'Capn'Mal' to his friends and crew, watched as the tendril of green light danced over the table. Most of the other Captains and Admirals flinched away, but he reached towards it. It brushed against his suited glove, and for a moment he felt an almost plaintive longing, like a once remembered song that was just out of memory. He wanted to pull on that 'memory', and so he did.
The tendril wavered in front of him before it danced on his outstretched hand.
He felt content, and anxious, and confident and curious and more than a little warm in his suit. An alarm beeped letting him know that he was indeed a little warm, like he was running a slight fever. He felt like he was pressing against a confined space, filled with nervous energy and too much Ual candy.
He instinctively tried to grasp the power that danced just outside of his reach, when the monitors in his suit shorted out. The air regulators seemed to be working, but that was about it as the conversation around the table became very muted.
"Oh no," he chuckled to himself, "it seems like I'll be unable to listen to another four hour debate on why we can't..." He hesitated as his eyes flashed green. He saw a grey sky over a spire very reminiscent of the Prothean ruins on several worlds, though he knew somehow this was not the same. Bulbous insectoid figures walked, floated and flew about. A severe human in a mustache and goatee glowered at another seated man in a long white coat.
'Mal shook his head, his eyes swimming with spots while his mask began fogging up from his own sweat. "Okay, that's new."
"Incredible… You have the ability of Foresight; We have never known any being possessing it, any that is not our Mentor that is. Tell us… do you have the sense that something bad was, or is going to happen, that something was, or is currently wrong and must be fixed; and yet you do not know what is wrong beyond a vague sense of it?" The Mistress asked, floating up to him with a tilt of her head; her Emerald Green Eyes as bright as stars, and a general sense of curiosity emitted from the shadowy female.
He glanced at the shadowed form. "Honestly darlin, the only thing I know is wrong right now is me; I'm burning up in here!"
She narrowed her eyes, and Mal tensed slightly; he had dealt with a few Matriarchs, and they were all dangerous in some form or another. And he got that same vibe from this shadow woman.
She turned to young Cato'Zorah and Admiral 'Raan and nodded to them; "He is another."
Shala looked in concern at the Patrol Captain. "Is he in danger of… popping like I did?"
"Only if he does not discharge within a few hours; for now, he should be fine. We can sense all of your confusion, please ask; our purpose is to teach, so let us teach." The Mistress replied, sweeping her gaze to the rest of the room, even to the 'Zorah children.
Cato stood and walked over to Captain 'Mal. "Perhaps we should help the Captain with his transition first? This is our first chance to do this in proper order, rather than rushing someone through the process by communicating to them through the Vortessence… Mistress." Mal didn't miss the tiniest smirk on Cato's face, but the boy hid it well.
He looked at the gathered group. "It will also allow us to show you the process of genetic repair we intend to share with the Flotilla once we have retaken Earth."
'Mal stood up shakily. "Skip another boring staff meeting, get out of my suit forever and get magical superpowers? Oh no, twist my arm."
Dr. Chambers stood up, "I'm afraid that we shall have an audience for this Captain; though it would be more in line with a… weapons demonstration. I am sure that you would find this to be a much more tolerable environment?"
The Captain gave a saucy pose. "Just make sure you watch from my good side."
Ayita had set Ori down for a nap in her and Cato's shared room, leaving a mental link to tell her if anything was wrong or if Ori woke up; and hurried back to the Med bay, which was quite crowded by this point; with how the Security Conclave and the Admirals all gathered in the room.
Captain Mal had removed his mask and suit, both sitting neatly folded on the bench next to him. He was handsome, but had a tired air about him. His Sehni and Realk were worn over a spare pair of overalls. Shala stood next to him, as did Cato; both ready to assist Ayita in her lessons, and even learn from it.
'Mal was running his fingers over every surface around him, reveling in the sensation of different textures. Most of the nurses had taken to keeping out of reach; he tried to claim he was just overwhelmed and needed to feel everything, though everyone had noticed that didn't seem to include the male medical staff.
"Alright, 'Mistress of Shadows', 'Lady of the Green Lightning'; lay it on me!"
Ayita closed her eyes so nobody would see her roll them. She centered herself and locked eyes with the handsy Captain. "The Ysin'Mal should be able to feel his Voltal powers as a tingling, now that the Eezo is no longer interfering."
'Mal closed his eyes and wiggled his fingers. He could feel the tingle, though it felt more like a fever than a static charge. "Okay, yeah I think I feel it." He wiggled his fingers some more, and the observers saw a green corona build up around them.
Ayita was rather puzzled by this, since in her experience he should have sparks, not a halo. Still, she pressed on. "Very well. We want The Ysin'Mal to concentrate on moving the power to his hands."
'Mal concentrated as he was told, but the only way he could describe what he was feeling was as if he was trying to punch ballistic foam. "Yeah-no. Whatever it is, it doesn't want to budge."
"Then observe; open yourself to the Vortessence and observe The Cato'Zorah and The Shala'Raan."
She continued to watch as he turned to Cato and Shala. She could feel 'Mal sink into the Vortessence. The glow of his hands faded, but that of his eyes intensified.
'Mal could actually feel the power flowing into and through Cato and Shala as they slowly windmilled their arms before pointing at an armor stand which had been set up as a target.
"Okay, okay I see what they're doing." He turned and faced the target, and started slowly windmilling his arms while trying to pull in the power; but the more he pulled, the harder it was to move his arm. He pushed on until his vision greyed out. In that moment he saw Admiral Daro'Xen looming over him, prodding him with a blunt probe while her omnitool whirred and blinked beside her "Fascinating!"
Everyone watched as Captain vas Idenna spun his arm faster and faster until they were worried he would dislocate his shoulder. There was a pulse of ephemeral energy and 'Mal flopped backward onto the bench. "Fre'eg! 'Xen's the one woman in the whole fleet I don't want to see that close."
"What are you talking about?" Zaal'Koris looked at the Captain oddly. "She's right-" He turned to his left, but the Admiral was no longer there. "Where'd she get to?"
Everyone looked around until Ayita and Cato went stiff.
"Ori!" The twin telepathic shout stunned everyone for a moment as Ayita and Cato bolted for the corridor.
Cato was downright panicked as he ran down the halls of the ship; Ayita felt much the same.
She had not dropped the shadows surrounding her, in fact they had only grown like that of a thunderstorm surrounding her; both of them telekinetically shoving people out of the way as they ran to their quarters. Ayita had drawn her Winfield and attached the bayonet, largely for the intimidation factor; as she didn't want to kill Xen.
Provided she had not hurt Ori, at which point she would kill her; and make sure to twist the sword attached to the end of her rifle in that bitch's gut.
Two Quarian Marines were at the end of the hall, and took a step back upon seeing the two teenagers sprinting towards them; "Hold it! We can't let you past! Admi-" Both choked on their words and dropped their rifles, bringing their hands to their throats as Cato snarled in anger.
Crimson sparks began emanating from him, and the two Marines slammed into the bulkhead; leaving massive dents in the wall.
The two Vortals rushed past them, knowing full well that both were alive and not permanently injured; and that was good enough for them. Ayita's blood ran cold as she heard crying when they reached their quarters, My Baby! She thought frantically; as Cato telekinetically forced the hatch to their quarters open, the door controls having been hacked shut.
Daro'Xen straightened up and looked at the two in surprise, still holding her probe; "Wha-" She started.
CRACK!
Ori's wails increased, while Xen staggered back from the infant; clutching the hole in her right shoulder as she dropped the probe. Ayita worked the bolt, before tossing the rifle to Cato; who deftly caught it and pointed it at the Admiral, as he growled and clenched his fist.
Xen choked as well, and suddenly found herself pressed up against the wall; unable to move or speak.
Ayita in the meantime had rushed over to Ori and had picked her up, frantically rocking her as the infant continued crying. "Shhhh…. Shhhh… D-d-don't cry my baby…M-m-mommy's here…" She stammered, rocking Ori as the baby looked up at Ayita with hurt and fear in her eyes.
Ayita jerked her head as she heard the trampling of footsteps, and quickly reapplied the shadows around herself; though she allowed Ori to be semi-seen in the same manner to herself. A being cloaked in shadows that they would only see a vague outline of.
Tali was the first through the door, followed by Admirals 'Raan and 'Zorah. "What's going on!? Who's been shot?" Tali frantically looked her brother over, and glanced at the obfuscated mass of nerves in the far corner of the room.
Cato's bondmate or not, Ayita scared her at times.
"I've been shot!" Admiral Xen snarled from the wall. "I demand you arrest her!" She pointed to where Ayita was. "Arrest them both!"
"No." Everyone except Cato and Ayita started at Tali's blunt statement.
"Insolent whelp! I am your Admiral and I-"
"No you are not." Xen blinked at Tali dumbly. "As no one, Captain or Admiral has formally accepted mine and Cato's Pilgrimage gift, I am still a Pilgrim outside of the Flotilla. As the Captain of this ship, that affords me the status of Free-Captain, and not subject to your authority; so don't you ever demand or order me on my ship!"
"Adding to that, you attempted to harm the Mistress's Child! Do you honestly expect us to let you off that easily?" Cato added furiously, careful to not give up the fact that he was the father; since while Xen may have put it together, no one else was to know. "You are honestly lucky that she contented herself to simply shooting you in the shoulder as opposed to imploding you in on yourself."
Everyone looked at the two shadow figures in the corner; the vaguely Quarianoid shaped Shadow Woman was rocking an infant version of itself, their eyes glowing emerald. The Mistress turned and glared at Xen, and everyone froze as they felt two emotions from the Shadow touch their minds.
Motherly Worry, and Absolute Hate.
"You… You shall consider yourself lucky that We have not already burned your mind and soul out of your Mortal form and cast you away into the Vortessence. YOU HURT OUR CHILD!" The lights in the room sparked and died as the Shadow Aliens eyes flared a deep Crimson.
Cato quickly handed the Winfield to Garrus who had just arrived on scene, then headed over to Ayita. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and another on Ori's head and channeled what Ulysses had taught him. He hadn't lost her to the Nihilanth on Earth, he wasn't going to lose her now.
"Inszel," He said to her, and her alone; "Ori is safe in your arms, and I am here beside you. There is nothing to fear. Tali will deal with Admiral 'Xen. Auntie 'Raan will deal with Admiral 'Xen. Let go."
Ayita took a breath, and her eyes turned Emerald again; "The Daro'Xen is fortunate that others have restraint, for We would have shown none. We shall leave you with the others to be dealt with." And with that, the Mistress left the room.
Everyone released a breath that they had not realized they had been holding; while Xen coughed, her immune-boosters having helped deal with infection for the most part, and the medigel having sealed the wound and the suit breech.
Shala then stepped forward, and Xen looked up at her "Shala, I beg you to make Tali and Cato see-"
SMACK!
Daro's head jerked to the side, while Shala loomed over her; her own palms sparking in fury, though much more restrained than the Mistress's had been. Daro had felt the slap through her helmet, and something in the back of her mind told her that Shala had used her Vortal abilities to make her feel as if she had hit skin rather than metal.
"How dare you… How dare you poke and prod a child like it's another one of your damned 'Science Experiments'! How dare you jeopardize perhaps our only chance of curing our immune system by poking the Mother Varren where it's most vulnerable, and messing with its child. A being who is fully capable of killing every single person in this room by snapping her fingers! By the Ancestors Daro, what were you thinking!" Shala all but screamed.
Daro stared at the woman, and turned to Rael, Zaal, and Han; but she only found cold stares returning her gaze. Captain Zorah just stood in front of her with her fists planted on her hips; the Turian in front of her just glared her down from the gunsight of the rifle that had wounded her in the first place, and though Daro would not admit it, the sword attached to the end of it served as quite the effective intimidation tool.
Ingrates! Her features were schooled as much as her mask needed, but she seethed inside. Always demanding I provide them with miracles, but oh-so righteous when the docking bill comes due. Just you wait; 'Zorah's welp and this 'Shadow Mistress' can't be everywhere at once. I'll get the little creature alone somehow; I'll get my answers, and then these ingrates will be begging me for my secrets!
"Is that so?" Daro'Xen flinched and jerked her head at the sound of Admiral 'Raan's voice whispering in her head. "Do you think you will spirit 'Rael's granddaughter away for your selfish curiosity and no one will question it? Do you think I would stand idly by while you destroy my Spirit-Son's family because you might find out something interesting?"
Daro shivered a moment under Shala's withering glare, then firmed her resolve. "Oh? And what will you do? Stand before the Conclave of Captains and claim Psychic powers allowed you to know my mind and my guilt? Phantom Evidence was abolished before we achieved atmospheric flight; no one in the fleet will acknowledge your testimony."
"I will." 'Xen jerked her head again, this time to face Fleet Admiral-General Rael'Zorah. "Here's an interesting discovery for your notes; these Vortal communications can be linked to anyone. My son and his bondmate have shown me this. Know this, Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh; if my granddaughter goes missing, there will be no conclave, no trial," he physically leaned in as his eyes flashed in rage, "and no corpse. I will declare vendetta against you and all who bear your Clan Name if that is what it takes to protect my family from your savagery!"
Shala gave Daro a cold smile, and finished off the conversation by saying; "And if you tell Anyone, that she is a Quarian-Human hybrid as opposed to some kind of shadow construct born from The Mistress… Let's just say that Humans have some interesting means of execution."
Zaal and Han sat down at the conference table with a loud huff.
Neither may have liked Daro, but even they had been shocked to see just how far she would go; to poke and prod an infant, an infant, was just astonishing. And both had to shake their heads at her stupidity, messing with that Shadow Alien's child; they both wondered what else she expected to happen.
Quite frankly, they were lucky that Kelek'miin had not simply decided to devour their souls right then and there; the fact was, that Alien was clearly short tempered and dangerous, but not heartless.
"What race do you think it is? The Mistress and its baby? Her baby? Is it like the Asari in that it looks female but the concept doesn't really exist?" Zaal mused, examining the readouts on the 'Dark Energy Reactor'.
"Perhaps it is simply another one of those races this 'Combine' subjugated that is gifted in Felz'zel; the last of its kind, forced to flee while with child and now spends its years biding time for revenge. Training others to be like it and..." Han grunted and threw his datapad onto the table, leaning back into his seat and groaning loudly; putting his hands to his visor, "Kheelah, It's like one of the old children's tales from before the Morning War; I thought the Kelek'miin and the Felz'zel were nothing more than superstitions. The Council certainly made us think so."
Zaal leaned back in his chair, and turned to see the hatch to the room open; with Captain 'Mal, Captain 'Zorah, Matriarch T'Soni, Spectre Kryik, Detective Vakarian Urdnot Wrex, Professor Solus, along with Shala and Rael.
Before either could say anything, Benezia said; "What you just said is correct Admiral, the Council; the Matriarchs in particular, did everything possible to crush your old abilities once you made first contact. You notice that you made contact with the Asari, and shortly afterwards many of those gifted in the Felz'zel began to disappear and faded away into legend over the centuries."
She sat down, ignoring the shocked postures the two Admirals had taken.
Detective Vakarian buzzed lowly, "Jeez Matriarch, lay it all on the table why don't you." He mumbled, unslinging the human rifle from off his back and setting it in front of them. "In any case, you wanted weapons; this will be amongst the first wave we'll produce for you provided you can give us the materials. We're calling this the CM-1917, or at least the human crew are; so I'm calling that as well."
Han leaned forward and examined the Rifle; it had an Asari level designer quality, Krogan level Brutality, and Turian level of Practicality. The Wood was the only thing that perplexed him, though it was likely just a prototype of sorts; easily replaced with synthetic materials. "Fascinating, please describe what we're looking at." Han said.
Zaal nodded, "Yes, this Holo-scope is quite fascinating; even has a slight to far zoom as well." He noted.
"Well," Garrus flared his mandibles for his best racantour pitch. "The base weapon is a simple chemical propellant long arm using a spring fed magazine and a manually operated closed bolt cycle. In just this configuration, the weapon delivers enough force to punch through two millimeters of steel about a kilometer and a half away."
The two Admirals, along with Shala and Rael who had yet to hear about this, all shared a look; "That's impressive I must admit, but a manual cycling? Seems rather slow, especially for the kind of combat we go through." Han pointed out. "But I suppose we can come back to that problem later, what about this scope? What are its capabilities?"
"Well first, thanks to a fortuitous discovery by the lovely Captain 'Zorah," He gestured over to Tali who immediately gave him a wide eyed glare while blushing, though it didn't hold a candle to the murderous glare from her father. His mandibles snapped closed. "Ahem, anyway the fabrication machinery on this ship can seamlessly blend Mass Effect technology with other types. In the case of the Winfield here," he gestured at the rifle, desperately hoping the Admirals would focus on the tech and not his slip of the mandible, "it enhances the basic power of the rifle by a factor of four at least. This weapon in it's enhanced mode has an effective range of six kilometers in one standard gravity and one standard atmosphere, and can punch through five millimeters at that extreme range."
"Kheelah!" Han gasped, looking back down at the weapon; "If what you say is true, speed of the action will not matter if we can simply pick off enemies from kilometers away. One and a half kilometers is the longest shot ever pulled off in Council History."
Garrus breathed a subtle sigh of relief that he had the Admiral's attention back on the weapon. He glanced over at Admiral 'Zorah, only to see his focus fixated on the Turian. Okay, Tali's dad isn't distracted by shiny things; should have seen that coming. "I know Weapon Specialist Conavian's record. The humans broke that fifty standard years ago with a weapon nearly identical to this one; by more than half a kilometer. Someone called 'Gunny Hathcock' I think; sounds like a made up name if I'll be honest. That, as I understand it, is the advantage of the closed manual bolt action; all the propellant energy goes into the projectile."
Neither Admiral 'Zorah nor, to Garrus's quiet horror, Admiral 'Raan seemed mollified; but both seemed content to let him off the hook for the moment, though Garrus had to fight down a flinch when he felt Admiral 'Raan brush up against his mind.
"We will talk about this later." Was all she said before she withdrew.
Ignoring his impending death, Garrus continued; "Now then, the other upgrades are the Bullet Reservoir; which is rather self explanatory. It increases the base capacity from six to twelve, and works even when the other upgrades are depowered. And then we have what I like to call the Fusion Blade."
He pulled out the 'Bayonet', though Garrus didn't care what Ayita or Zaeed called it; as far as he was concerned, the 'M1917 Bayonet' was a sword and nothing else. He set it, and the scabbard which had also gotten an upgrade to fit the new Combine attachment, down onto the table and let the others examine it.
"Do mind the little red button on the side. No, the other side; that one is the catch release so you can take it off the weapon when you're done. That's the one."
The weapon immediately began glowing along the length of the cutting edge and humming slightly at Admiral Gerrel's touch.
"What…" Han started; and Garrus, feeling a little brave, snatched the sword off the table and stabbed it into the metal. He smirked as it cut through the metal like a knife through paper.
"This can cut through most everything when activated; 'The Mistress' finds it quite helpful when her Vortal energy runs low and she needs to get up close and personal." He said, withdrawing the sword and deactivating it; placing it back into its sheath.
"...This is all… incredibly impressive; when can you start producing them." Zaal asked finally.
Spectre Kryik spoke up for the first time since entering, "What we need is materials. This requires ammunition, certain metals, and synthetic replacements for the wood; both for the base gun and for the resin needed to put into the fabricator. The chemical's are easy enough to get, I have a number of contacts in the underworld to supply us with enough materials to make several armies worth of 'gunpowder'. You just need to get us the rest of the necessary materials. Think you can do that?" He asked.
The four Admirals looked at each other, "Yes, we can; what else do you need?" Zaal finally said, ignoring the dirty look from Han; who, while impressed with the guns, was still on the fence about committing to the cause.
Benezia spoke next, and set down an omnitool; "We need you to get in contact with a few people; my disciple Shiala, my friend the Justicar Samara, and my old mate Matriarch Aethyta. Send some of your most trusted and give them this message, 'The Time has come for the Winds of Change to finally move us in the correct direction'."
Shala nodded, "I'll put Kal and his team on it once we have these weapons ready and available; I want every advantage possible. We'll also keep an eye out for those with 'Vortal Potential'; the Mistress and Cato gave us a program to help track them down, although that will take awhile."
Benezia gave a nod of acknowledgement before she paused, and turned to Captain 'Mal; "I can sense unease Captain; please tell us your thoughts."
The newly Vortal Captain shifted uncomfortably before saying; "I… I know she just freed me from this Ancestors damned suit and quite frankly I'm grateful for it; but I just wanna know… Can we trust the Mistress? She almost killed Admiral Xen, and while justified; I wonder if she isn't the most… stable of beings. That shadow woman is quite pretty lookin, but Ancestors dammit if I'm not terrified of her."
"She is a mother." The Matriarch stated frankly. "As a mother myself, I find the... Mistress' response to a threat to her child quite measured. I nearly restarted a millennia old feud between two Republics on my homeworld over a similar situation." She looked at nothing in particular. "Though I suppose my perspective is skewed; we are both women of ancient power, and I am accustomed to such power being used as a political cudgel."
Garrus nodded, "She has been a being constantly alone and misunderstood; constantly on the run from the Combines Secret Police with only her child and her Mentor for ones that truly understand her. The Combine have hunted her kind to near extinction." He added, intentionally telling half truths and being vague to throw the others off and help preserve the illusion of Ayita being an ancient and powerful being.
That in itself being a half truth.
Mordin glanced away from his own data analysis. "Fear response is irrelevant. Driven by ignorance, not fact. Will gladly share facts." He walked over to the group. "Fact: she used her abilities to both aid our escape and our survival at great personal risk. Fact: while 'wrathful' when provoked, she can be reasoned with and calmed with relative ease as long as one is forthright with her. Fact: she is hardly the most powerful of her kind, and they have not, aside from one lonely tormented individual, used their power to subjugate the people of Earth."
Han looked away, "So the Mistress and her human 'allies' are like us then, or even the Rachni; someone that the powers that be decided was too dangerous to their status quo, and as such decided that she must die." he murmured.
Wrex grumbled deep in his throat. "More like mine. Their world has been ruined, but they survive. They've been beaten down, but they survive. They've been given the chance to fight back, and they're taking it. If the Council sees them as they are now, they won't hesitate to suppress them. They need the chance to join the galaxy as equals, and that starts with you lot." He nodded to the gathered Admirals. "You aid them, and you'll be able to ride their coattails all the way back to your homeworld. You flinch like the Council does every time something new comes along, and they'll roll over you like a Thresher Maw."
Captain 'Mal shuddered before looking at Admiral 'Zorah, 'Raan, and Captain 'Zorah. "You three have gotten to know her well, Young Ms. Zorah the best; what do you think?" he asked, while the other two Admirals looked at their counterparts.
Tali crossed her arms, "I didn't trust her at first." She admitted, "And she frightens me to no end sometimes; the fact that during our escape, she leveled an entire complex of buildings and killed a whole battalion of Combine troops because they angered her beyond the point of belief is something I still think about every day."
Tali smiled and her gaze became unfocused, "But she loves her child more than anything else, and it was because of the Child that she lost it." Indirectly that is, Tali thought to herself.
Shala nodded and looked down at her hands; "She helped me tap into my power; and taught me how to use it in only a few hours. Granted it was only the basics, but that was all the time we had; and already I can fight just as well as an Asari Commando in training. She may have her own agenda at times, I will admit; but she takes us all into account when she does so."
Shala hated doing this sort of thing, but as much as she liked the girl, she knew that Ulysses 'Private' and prerecorded instructions to her and the other leaders that knew of Ayita's true form were quite clear. She must appear to be the Spirit of the Vortessence Incarnate if she is to have any hope at all of gaining the others respect and loyalty.
Rael noticed everyone was looking at him now. He clasped his hands behind his back in his best 'Admiral' pose, then looked down and let his hands rest at his side. "She helped me reconnect with my children. Ancestors forgive a prideful fool that it took this alien slip of a girl to get me to face myself and my real responsibilities." He looked at the gathered beings. "Whatever she is or isn't capable of, or has done in the past, she has my personal confidence and support."
Han and Zaal shared a look, and nodded. "Very well then… Let's get started."
Pilot A/N: We wish you a merry Christmas everyone, and happy holidays to those that don't celebrate Christmas.
We know it's been a while since we last updated this story, and I assure you that regular updates will be coming soon; once Ian and I get a decent backlog of Chapters. Once we're done with Act 2 we'll pivot back to A Ghost and a Spectre; which should be receiving its own Christmas update at the same time this one goes live.
I don't have much to say other than showing you guys how Rael isn't a bad guy in this story; or at least any more of a bad guy than in canon. I admit, I see a little bit of myself in Rael (at least in how we portrayed him) as I struggle frequently with expressing emotions; indeed, I'm fairly certain that I would be very much a 'Stoic Bosh'tet' in Cato's own words.
But there's a big difference between having difficulty in expressing emotions and… you know… being a sociopath. This difference is best highlighted by Daro'Xen and Rael'Zorah; Rael does experience emotions, and does feel for others, whereas Daro only cares about herself.
Alright, how 'bout you Ian, anything to say?
Ian A/N: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years Folks; we'll hopefully be seeing you all more next year. Hope you all enjoyed this second interlude before the next Act.
Pilot: Right then, Leave a review and tell us what you guys think.
A TV Tropes page would be greatly loved and appreciated.
And we will see ya when we see ya.