MASS EFFECT CHASM: CHAPTER 25

A holographic image of the planet Namakli flickered in front of Shepard in the war room. Various stats displayed to the right of the sphere gave intricate details such as orbital cycle, radius, surface temperature, surface gravity, and known mineral deposits. "I don't think staring at that will make us go any faster, Commander," Alenko gently teased her as he walked down the steps. Behind him were Garrus Vakarian and Liara T'Soni.

"I wish it did," Zalena shoved herself away from the monitor momentarily in frustration. "If the Reapers are also tracking Leviathan, then Ann and her team are in extreme danger. We may be too late."

"I'm with Shepard on this. These are scientists. Not military," Garrus' twitched his mandible. "They will be slaughtered."

"Then let's hope we get there before the Reapers do," Liara grimly urged. A sliver of positivity in her words.

"Let's go over what we know so far," Shepard refocused her attention back on the planet's holo. "Dr. Bryson's team intercepted the recording of the batarians finding of the dead reaper in Dis."

"The Leviathan of Dis. How ironic," Garrus scoffed at the label.

"Based upon reports, the timing could place the find as to what started the indoctrination of the Hegemony," Liara added.

Shepard nodded her head. "Balik confirmed this on the Citadel. Once they were not successful with Terra Nova, their efforts to unlock their findings increased and that sped up their indoctrination."

"He's saying that if we had let them blow up the planet, then the Hegemony would not be brainwashed?" Alenko became peeved by the comment of the high-ranking batarian. The same terrorist they encountered years ago when they hijacked an asteroid to use as a weapon of mass destruction against a human colony. If Shepard and her team didn't get there when they did, the group would have been successful and millions would have died. He was surprised that Zalena let him go a second time. Somehow, her words moved Balik and extinguished the anger he had towards her. He gave her the rest of their fleet for their battle for Earth. An ironic and unexpected twist.

"Leviathan is real and somehow it killed a Reaper," Zalena moved their conversation back on point.

"Whatever it is," Garrus shrugged. "The Reapers know it's a threat."

"Agreed. Harbinger is looking for it too."

"Never thought we would be going in the same direction as Harbinger," Liara murmured.

"True, but it sounds like he's scared of Leviathan or he wouldn't give a damn," Vakarian contradicted.

"A dangerous game," Alenko scowled. "This thing can control people just like the Reapers. If it gets one of us, then it's over." He apprehensively glimpsed over at Zalena. "By all the attacks against you, Commander, it sounds like Leviathan is really after you."

"He will have to take a number," Zalena played this off.

This didn't sit well for Kaidan and he grew stiff by her casual approach. "Shepard, this is serious! Remember, Dr. Garneau at T-GES? He or Leviathan told you to turn back."

"I won't let fear compromise who I am. I'm going to see this through, Kaidan." The emphasis on his name by her voice showed that she was determined and even he wouldn't make her change her mind.

"The artifacts are what Leviathan use to control their thralls," Garrus noted. Zalena knew he was trying to change the uncomfortable tone in the room's atmosphere. "After that one on the mining facility was taken out, Leviathan lost control over everyone there."

"And you said all of them could not recall any memory over the last ten years," Liara added. "That has to be rough…"

"Yeah, to wake up and realize that there are Reapers and some or all of your family is dead already…." Vakarian breathed worryingly. A personal infliction within him by the comment. He was still dealing with the attack on Palaven and what his family went through. His sister and father both made it out alive. However, that didn't mean that their next location was going to be hit next. Nowhere was safe.

"I can relate. Lost my father and not sure where my mother is right now…or my students," Kaidan sighed painfully. He grew silent for a few seconds before continuing, "Does the artifact just indoctrinate everyone around it or does Leviathan choose its targets?"

"Not sure. It's hard to tell, but judging from what we know from Bailey, it's very selective," Liara answered. "Dr. Chakwas did confirm that Hadley's scan was similar to the officer and the maintenance worker."

"Then we just have to make sure that we destroy every artifact that we come across that is not contained," Zalena said matter-of-factly.

"What about the one in Bryson's lab?" Garrus asked. "We know several people in that location were controlled."

"However, Dr. Bryson was not," Liara pointed out.

Zalena shook her head. "We can't risk it. Let's find Ann and see what she knows. Make sure it's contained. Once this mission is over, I want it destroyed."

The rain poured relentlessly over them on Despoina. It soaked her armor and her hair. The waves pounded and rocked the wreckage that they were on. Thankfully, Zalena and her squad did not have weak stomachs and could tolerate the imbalance and jostle. Steve Cortez indicated that Leviathan's signal that they traced by Ann led them to this water-covered planet. The bad part was that the signal was several hundred meters underwater. Before they could develop a plan on how to approach this, a pulse struck the Kodiak shuttle sending it spiraling down to the watery ship grave below. Fortunately for Cortez's piloting skills, he was able to maneuver the unstable shuttle to have it land on a derelict broke ship below. Artifacts were found among the dead ship crew and Shepard's team make quick work of them along with the Reaper ground forces who came shortly after their arrival. The Reaper present in the atmosphere gave assurance that what they were seeking was in fact on this planet. Once the ground forces were neutralized, Steve uncovered his plan on how to get Shepard to Leviathan. A diving mech was discovered and its power cell could be strong enough to get her down to where she needed to go and back. The trip had to be short-lived though so the timing was everything. He told Shepard to give him a few moments while he got the mech up and running and to test out all its primary and secondary systems. If the final checks weren't done, then there was always the possibility of something breaking down below and any error like that would be fatal to Shepard.

While she waited, Zalena stared out into the black savage sea before her. The ocean was more violent than anything she witnessed on the news on Earth. This reminded her of her talks with Thane and how he stated that the Drell and Hanar believed in the ocean as being the place of their afterlife. Its basis was equivalent to some of the human's image of heaven. She couldn't see how this could be so peaceful and welcoming to one near the end of their lifespan. To her, it was dark and terrifying. Then again, maybe Despoina was not a prime example. As she stared at the sea, she could almost hear Thane's voice calling to her amongst the gale winds. "Siha..."

"Thane?" His name escaped her lips in hesitation. Was she hearing voices?

"Siha," The wind spoke to her again. "I'm waiting for you." The voice acted like a siren, beckoning her to take her final steps off the ship's edge and into the abyss below her.

"Hey, Shepard," Kaidan touched her shoulder and this made her jump a few inches off the ground. He recoiled quickly after realizing that he startled her. "You okay?"

Holding her chest with one hand, she looked at him in confusion then back out to the sea. The voice was gone. "Yeah…. just thinking about what I'm going to find down there."

"You sure you want to do this?" He cringed over at the mech as it awaited her approach. "I wish I could go with you."

"I need to do this. We need Leviathan on our side. I will go to the depths of hell if I knew it would save everyone from this nightmare."

This made him frown even more. "And I know you would do that…" He leaned over and gently kissed her. She returned the kiss with more passion and they embraced for several seconds like lovers. Finally, after pulling away, she nuzzled his forehead with her own. "I love you, Shepard."

"Stay strong, Kaidan. If anything happens to me- "

"It won't."

"If it does, you have to carry this mission forward. You are a damn Spectre."

"You giving me commands again," He joked softly. "Stay safe."

After she was strapped in and confirmed comm check with Cortez, the glass to the mech closed to seal her tightly inside. Another five minutes and she jumped off the edge with a giant splash that poured onto the deck. The mech was gone along with Shepard. Bubbles formed on the surface as the mech descended further and further. All Kaidan could do was stand there on the ship and wait for her return. "Please come back to me, Shepard."