LP's Note: This is the story component of this file - written 100% by Xabiar, with only very minor edits on my part. This should answer a lot of questions and create a lot more.


SALVATION


"This is a mistake."

Aria did not respond immediately as they descended in one of the elevators; elevators tightly controlled, which descended into the heart of Omega Station. The heart where only she, her Inner Circle, and a few of her most trusted people, could access.

The heart that she kept hidden for very good reason. The heart which, if it were more widely known, would bring to light questions and secrets that had no easy answers; or answers at all.

The truth was often more problematic than it was worth.

Though uncertainty was worse.

Kit L'Manda's comment resonated all the same. It was a declarative, said without hesitance or ambiguity. A statement of fact from her view, and Aria did not fail to note how no one immediately attempted to rebuke her, for so directly challenging the Pirate Queen.

At the same time, she could not really blame them. Not when she understood the sentiment all too well, and even now was debating if this was something she could go forward with. Her Omegan Intelligence Chief did not hide her opinions – but even for Kit, she was usually more constructive in her critiques.

She turned to Kit, not bothering to disguise the tirelessness in her voice. "Do you suggest we do nothing?"

It was a rhetorical question. None of what was being said here was going to be any different than the long, difficult, and tense discussion they'd had only hours ago. They were women and men who were hardened to everything the galaxy had to offer; they had taken part in, and seen things that few others could.

Existential fear was something new. Something she hadn't even known she could feel before. There were some things that it was better to remain ignorant of, as when they were known, no one could go back to normal. She'd tried. After she'd learned of the truth of what the Citadel was suppressing, she'd tried.

It was rare that she agreed with anything the Council did, but in this instance, it was far better that the galaxy remained ignorant of the truth of what Saren, Benezia, and that ship meant for the galaxy.

She knew though. All of them did.

And that was ultimately what all of this came down to.

Could any of them pretend to be ignorant?

Whatever their reservations, none of her most trusted could say that. Not to her, not to themselves, and not to their colleagues. Kit was no different in that respect. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked forward sightlessly, the light above glinting off her scalp-crest augment.

"No, Aria. I just don't think it should be this."

The rest of them seemed uncertain what to say. Patriarch's throat rumbled, as if he wanted to say something, but he remained quiet. Luna Eala simply inclined her head to Aria, in silent agreement, and Bray stood stoically as he usually did, refraining from speaking when he did not know what to add.

"I know, you said as much earlier," Aria answered. "And you – and I – know that this is the only thing we can do that may give us something. Unless the alternative is going to the Council, and putting our fate in their hands." A thin, humorless smile crossed her face. "I think we can all agree on the foolishness of that approach."

"On that, at least, there is no disagreement," Patriarch rumbled. "There is no good solution, but this may give us something to utilize."

To what ends, he did not say, because none of them really knew either.

"Understood, Aria," Kit leaned against the back of the elevated, closing her eyes. "If we are committed, then that is the path taken. Best we can do is ride the wave to its conclusion. I only hope it doesn't also drown us, along with the threat coming."

"As do I," Luna murmured. "As do I."

No one else spoke during the rest of the descent. After long minutes, the elevator came to a complete stop with a slight shudder. The doors slid open, and the group continued forward into the chamber. A few of her most trustworthy guards stood at the exits, briefly verifying their identities, Aria's included.

She didn't put it past her enemies to try and impersonate her, especially since Luna proved that such disguises were not only possible, they were convincing. Retinal, biological, fingerprints, the battery of verification tests took minutes to complete for each of them, but they were all patient. It wasn't as though they were on a timer.

Some of them might be privately hoping that something delayed them further.

However, her men did their jobs, and successfully verified their identities in a short timeframe, and waved them through the doors leading into the core of Omega Station. The doors which separated the two presentations of the station – one which was the familiar, industrial exterior, and the one which laid bare its nature.

Aria idly noted, as she always did, the stark shift from one to the other. From something that should be strange in its industrial complexity, yet was familiar, to something that was alien, incomprehensive, and old.

She sometimes wondered what Nyreen would have had to say about this place. She'd come close many times to telling her, but all of this had been one thing she'd kept blocked during their bonding. The most she'd ever shared was an impression; of uncertainty long-since buried.

Easy to ignore. Easy to forget.

She was glad Nyreen remained ignorant now. No doubt she was happier.

They entered the heart of her domain.

The only part of Omega Station which betrayed its true origins as something unfathomably old. It was sleeker, the black and grey metals of the station shifted into something lighter and brighter, the atmosphere was changed to something clearly more advanced.

The weight of age and uncertainty over what she stood in; what she looked at without comprehension, was impossible to ignore.

She'd authorized numerous assessments and scans of the core, and the determination had always been that this station was prothean. Aria had accepted this, as she was not aware of anything else it could be - but she'd always had the sense that this explanation was too convenient.

She was hardly an expert in the protheans or their technology, but she was familiar. She'd seen prothean technology, even spent time in some ruins. She read journals and papers on theories and mechanics of what was discovered. Ever since she'd fled; ever since she'd learned, the protheans were something she felt was something she needed to understand as much as she could.

So she accepted the results, but Omega had always seemed…different to her. An irrational feeling to displace a rational assessment, but one which had never faded. Omega felt like a mirage; presenting as one thing, to hide that it was something else.

Between the revelations of the Reapers; recalling the known similarities Omega had to the Citadel, she was now concerned – no, she was afraid of what this station really was. Of the machine she had once spoken to, and whose authority it represented.

She had thought the dormant mind of the station was something alien, but comprehensible. It had saved her once. It had spoken to her. She did not think it was a voice of the fleet coming to harvest, but the part of her whispering the costs if she was wrong was not growing silent.

But she didn't have a choice now. That was what she told herself.

They entered the control chamber.

In truth, no one really knew how best to classify the various places within the core. Names and designations were given, but none of the architects and engineers could say with any certainty if they were accurate.

This room was believed to be the control room for the core, given the degree of computational equipment, cooling systems, and delicate machinery throughout it. It had been where Ulcisci was first awakened.

Done when her back was once against the wall; a gamble which had paid off.

She was glad she'd had the foresight to only conduct a partial repair, allowing only enough power for the station to function at full power just long enough to destroy the Twin Rings. The machine had been content with her decision – it had said she would finish the job one day, and so it would sleep.

It had not been long that Ulcisci was online, but that brief time remained etched in her memory. That dawning revelation that Omega was far more than just a simple mining station. It was that revelation which had stayed her hand so many times in the future from fulfilling the prophecy the AI had made to her. There was nothing worth sacrificing what she had made for the power of something she couldn't understand; couldn't control.

She always found a way. Always determined a solution. She had survived countless attempts by her enemies to depose or kill her. She had outmaneuvered every opponent she'd encountered. She'd won all her battles that mattered. She was the ruler of the Terminus.

She'd won.

So why did it now feel like it was all for nothing?

Why was this different?

Why could she not ignore the yawning, creeping dread?

With all of them in the control chamber, Patriarch set the container he'd been carrying on the ground, and after unlatching it, began removing out the components. He handled them with surprising delicacy for one of his size. Luna and Bray assisted in the installation of the equipment, and exactly as expected, each component easily fit.

She wasn't surprised at the smoothness of the repairs.

Replacement parts had been identified a long time ago. Most of the components in the chamber that remained, outside of those she had replaced the first time, were broken, corroded, or missing. Enough of them had been replaced to kickstart the system once, but not enough to complete the restoration. She had been able to do that once.

This time, when the power was restored, she was not confident that it would be able to be turned off again. She did not expect the machine would let that happen.

Kit walked silently over to the primary console and began preparing the start-up sequences. Her movements were tight, focused, and jerky; perhaps a final, silent plea for Aria to reconsider what she was going to do next. It was tempting.

Very tempting.

Always easier to pretend otherwise, and go back to how things were. That had been what she'd tried. Maybe one time it would have been enough, maybe all of them could have pretended.

Not now, though. Not anymore. It hadn't been enough for a while now.

"We're ready." Bray said in a still-rough, but quieter voice. The batarian was unusually quiet today. He was the only one here who had not been present the first time Ulcisci had been awakened – though was familiar with the story.

The idea of Ulcisci clearly unsettled him, but all the same, he trusted that she knew what she was doing. That the faith he, and all of them put in her, would be vindicated. She supposed they would soon see.

"Good," She nodded at Kit. "Turn it on."

A silent nod in return, as Kit began the process.

It began with a low, almost pleasant hum. Prothean technology had its own symphony of sounds that were often quieter than modern equipment, for reasons she didn't fully understand. Here, it indicated that the repairs had been successful, and the chamber soon began reflecting this.

The chamber began to brighten, the emergency lighting increasing to reveal its full brightness. Lights that had been dormant along the walls and consoles began blinking in numerous shades of green and orange. Cooling systems hissed to life. The hum settled into a consistent equilibrium.

And the intangible presence manifested.

It was the feeling of being watched; as if you were in the presence of a stranger's home, one where they were aware of each step you made, each breath you took, as you stood, exposed, in their domain. A thousand eyes seemed to bore down on her; on all of them, fixating as this alien mind of the station awakened.

Assessing.

Determining.

Deciding.

It finally spoke.

"Ulcisci-Executor online. Restoration process beginning. Stand by as exterior assessment begins."

Almost the same words it had spoken to her the first time.

The voice was electronic, lacking a distinct gender, though she inherently associated it as a male. It was emotionless, cold, and digital to the greatest possible degree. Behind each word, there was a clear intelligence behind it. VIs didn't give this impression to any of them, only something more did.

After a few minutes, it spoke again.

"Restoration sequence complete. Station-Occupier-Entities present. Updating databanks."

That had been relatively fast, though because much of the equipment had been repaired, Aria wasn't completely surprised that whatever the restoration process was, it had been completed in that time.

Ulcisci continued. "Critical system functionality restored. No exterior threats detected." A shift in the tone, an invisible focus seemed to become directed to her, which Aria steeled herself for. "Occupier-Commander-T'Loak, provide purpose for unnecessary restoration. Your actions are outside personality-prediction-matrix thresholds."

"Off to a good start," Kit muttered. "Knew it was doing these assessments."

"It is necessary, in the case of unanticipated alien interactions, Occupier-Avenger-L'Manda," Ulcisci responded. "You comprehend this."

Kit snorted. "Yeah. Still don't like it being used on me, especially by strange AIs."

"This is not the purpose of this meeting," Aria said, focusing the conversation on what mattered. "There is a situation that has developed. We require insight – and potentially…direction."

A pregnant pause.

"Elaborate, Occupier-Commander-T'Loak."

She nodded towards Kit. "Tell it."

Kit activated her omni-tool, and began projecting a multitude of images; classified documents pertaining to the Reaper; footage from the Battle of the Citadel, and other images of components or images of the Reaper while she spoke. "A short time ago, the Citadel came under attack by a previously unknown alien entity – one which had subordinated several major political and military figures to its cause."

Images of Saren, Benezia, and Geth were shown. "They attempted to assault Citadel Station. This assault was repelled, at significant cost to Citadel forces. Assessments, autopsies, and investigations concerning the alien vessel followed the battle."

More images, mostly focused on the ship. "This was identified as a 'Reaper,' and according to testimony and recently-acquired information, it is believed that this is an entity responsible for repeated and sustained extermination of life every fifty-thousand years. These periods of time are referenced as cycles."

"What we need to know," Aria finished. "Is if these assessments are accurate, and if so, what the protheans did to prepare or fight them."

Ulcisci did not answer right away.

"Clarification requested. Reaper-Harvester accessed Citadel-Station and did not summon Reaper-Harvester-Fleet?"

Kit and Aria exchanged a look, uncertain what the reference was to. "It arrived at Citadel Station, but presumably could not be accessed," Kit said slowly. "There are gaps in our intelligence, but there have been no further arrivals of these ships."

"Upload compiled information and knowledge in possession, Occupier-Avenger-L'Manda."

Not a request, so much as an order. Kit still looked to Aria for assent. She nodded, and Kit tapped on the omni-tool several times. "Transferring."

Nearly a minute passed after the data transfer was complete. Then two. The time seemed to stretch out.

Not a single moment passed where Aria did not think they were being quietly assessed. The good news was that, whatever Ulcisci is, it did not appear to be a Reaper mind. Though if it was going to give them what they needed was something she still didn't know. It was a promising start – but if it didn't, then there were going to be…problems.

"Historical recollection complete. Master-Avatar-Ulcisci awakened. Transferring primary control."

Aria exchanged a surprised look with Luna and Kit. The sudden declaration immediately raised a host of questions – namely that the entity they had been conversing with was apparently not actually Ulcisci – which made them all wonder what was going to happen next. Patriarch rumbled with concern, and both Bray and Kit's hands fell to their waists.

She doubted any weapons here would help now.

"They return. The harvest commences once more. More cycles, more failures."

This voice was in stark contrast to the digital emotionless machine they had conversed with. There was a layering to the voice; an electronic tinge to this one as well – but it was one that had something alive in it – and was distinctly female. The words were spoken in an unfamiliar accent, one from an alien who was clearly speaking in a language not its own.

All of them were uncertain what to say, before Aria asked the obvious question. "Who are you?"

"I am Ulcisci, Aria T'Loak. It is time we speak properly. Follow, or leave."

Within the control chamber, several layers of a section of the wall peeled back before their eyes to reveal a passageway that descended further into the core. There were no lights, only a complete darkness. Aria felt like going down there was a dangerous proposition – but the voice was also making it clear that it was not going to give her a choice.

She looked up, addressing the voice. "And if I do not?"

"Then you will come back." The voice spoke with biting confidence. "What you possess degrades and crumbles. The realization of the emptiness of your accomplishments corrupts you. You are slaved to the greedy and evil. Your throne has become hard and cold. You are empty and hollow, and have realized this."

It spoke as if it knew her. Or knew enough about her to strike where it mattered.

A pause. "If this were not true, you would not be here. You do this because you cannot pretend. Walk this path, or leave. I will know. I will wait. You will return, and the path will open again. This station is not your domain, asari. It is mine."

Aria did not speak right away. She kept her face still. Those present did not look at her, but she knew they heard. She would not reveal anything before them, and knew that there was only one way she was going to resolve this. She turned to Luna. "I do not know how long this will take. Wait if you wish, or return to Afterlife."

"This sounds like a trap," Kit warned, eyes glancing to the ceiling. "This thing has been lying since it was first activated."

"I'm not sure," Aria mused, looking around the chamber. "I think we may have misinterpreted what it is." She shook her head. "I've come this far. There is no point in stopping now. It's too late, even if we wanted to."

"Then be careful," Kit answered, lips pursed. "It knows you, somehow. It knows what to say to you. It is not your friend."

"I know, Kit," Aria said quietly. "It is also right. If not today, I know I'll come back. Some things, it seems I can't leave alone."

"Good luck, Aria," Patriarch rumbled. "I trust you'll succeed."

She smiled faintly. Perhaps empty encouragement, but it was appreciated all the same. She approached the passageway, took a breath, and with a final hesitation, stepped over the threshold into the passageway.

The wall closed behind her, the darkness becoming all-encompassing.

"The way is shut, asari. There is only one direction to move."

She began walking.

Forward.

The total darkness soon melted into a faint twilight, and soon she walked into a lit hallway, one with white walls and lighting, of the same style of architecture as the core. Aria looked behind her at the tunnel of darkness, contemplating for a few seconds if she should try and go back.

She decided against it.

The sound of her boots seemed unnaturally loud as she walked. There were no other sounds but her breathing, and the consistent humming of Omega's machinery. The hallway seemed to stretch almost endlessly, before her an almost blurry mirage that then materialized into a destination.

Or more accurately, a choice.

Three doors were before her, and behind them presumably three pathways. One in front of her, and two more immediately to her left and right. She looked carefully at each one, for any distinguishing mark or icon, something to indicate one direction was the right one. Unfortunately, there was nothing, and Ulcisci didn't seem willing to offer guidance.

An inkling of what this could be took root in her mind, and she sincerely hoped she was wrong. However, if she wasn't, it likely wouldn't matter what door she went through. She decided to go straight forward. The doors slide open silently, revealing a hallway identical to the one she'd just left.

Not a good sign.

She briefly turned around, and lightly tapped the door behind her that had just closed. Nothing. Only one way to go now. Forward she went, though this hallway wasn't a straight line, instead containing a few turns left and right – before she found herself in front of the doors again.

This time she entered the left door. She followed the hallway, and once again came to the doors. Next she went right. No matter which direction she took, it led into another identical passageway – though this time there was something inside it. She slowed her pace initially, unsure of what she was seeing – and as she cautiously moved forward, she saw it.

A corpse. An asari one, specifically.

She knelt down beside it, getting a closer look. The body had long-since decayed, and any smell similarly faded. Only a skeleton and blacked organic matter was left, with an equally degraded uniform atop it. Aria looked at the faded material and fabric, not seeing any identification of the mysterious asari. She wondered how this asari had found their way here, and how they had ultimately died.

Perhaps starved.

As she approached the doors again, it seemed like enough to confirm that she was in some kind of maze. One which seemed to be endless. There was a pattern here, she was sure of it, but she didn't feel like indulging in this game right now.

Instead, she merely sat in front of the doors, deciding to wait. If Ulcisci was still observing, she would comment sooner than later, unless Kit had been right, and this was an elaborate trap. She didn't think so. Ulcisci wanted her here for a reason, and she wanted to know why.

Time was impossible to track here. Minutes passed by like hours before the silence was broken.

"You don't know what this is, do you."

A rhetorical question. Her tone was not quite resigned – more as though Aria had just confirmed something to her; something she'd expected.

She did have an answer. "A maze, I presume."

"In a sense." Ulcisci mused. "But no. Mazes have solutions, asari, and this is no maze. It is a defense system. You will walk for eternity before you can find an exit. Those unfortunate enough to find their way here learned this."

"The corpses." Aria recalled.

"Indeed. Their bodies can sometimes be found in the corridors."

"If this is a defense system," Aria said slowly. "Then you control it, clearly."

"Control it, I do. Comprehend it, I do not," Ulcisci answered. "Much of this station is as alien to me, as it is to you. My knowledge extends to operation. The mechanics that drive this station – our cycle only began to understand, and I was not among that number. Your cycle has yet to even acknowledge them."

"Why did you bring me here?" Aria asked. "To trap me?"

"No. To see if you understood what approaches this cycle," she answered. "Your ignorance bodes poorly for your survival."

Aria grunted. "Enlighten me."

"The Reapers are not an enemy that you can defeat." Ulcisci stated, no ambiguity in her voice. "Not with the limitations of your cycle."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "The corpse of one of these Reapers is somewhere being dissected. Whatever they are, they are not immortal. Nothing is."

"One Reaper. One that nearly brought an end to your cycle already," Ulcisci countered. "One that was holding back. Yes, you won one battle. How well do you think your cycle will manage against five? Ten? One hundred? You do not grasp the scale of what approaches."

There was a pointed pause. "The Reapers are relentless. They are endless. They are not bound in the ways we are. What does death matter to one who can alter time? What do the physical laws of reality matter to those who can rewrite them? The Reapers possess the power of gods, asari - And your cycle has not learned to ascend."

"And do you have any proof of this?" Aria challenged. "You understand what this sounds like?"

"I thought you were unwilling to lie to yourself now. And you are not. You are only pretending to protest. You cannot challenge, when you walk these endless hallways."

Ulcisci wasn't wrong at that, and as difficult as it was to grasp what she was saying as true…she'd heard stories. Rumors of strange anomalies and artifacts throughout the galaxy. She'd never put much stock in them. All the same, there was one question that begged an answer. "Then if that is the case, then the Reaper fought would have won."

"Yes. It should have." Ulcisci agreed, after a moment. "Our grasp of this power was limited, and it was only after we began to learn the secrets of this power did they employ it against us. Perhaps there are limitations. Perhaps they did not view it as necessary. The Reapers are enigmatic in their motives, beyond the intention of harvest."

Aria could hear an audible head shake in her voice, one that hardened. "These hypothetical musings do not matter. Your cycle is still doomed. A galaxy dominated by personal, petty power struggles, and pursuits of wealth and decadence. Pathetic. Disgraceful."

Aria found it somewhat amusing that Ulcisci had – presumably – only been awake for a short time, and already had very strong opinions on the state of the galaxy. "I am well aware of the deficiencies of the esteemed leaders of the galaxy," Aria said dryly. "Trust me, I know."

"Yes, you do - And you have perpetuated their worst aspects," Ulcisci's tone sharpened. "You took the path of ease, comfort, wealth, and power. You built an illusion that even you feel for. That you matter. That what you achieved means something."

"And you think it does not?" Aria demanded. "For centuries I have defied all who wished me dead, I have built the Terminus into something that even the Council does not want to challenge. You know nothing of what you speak."

"It does not." Ulcisci's voice was neutral. "All you have built falls apart as easily as a single life. Do you think if you were to die today, that anything you built will endure? No, it would not, and you know this. All that would follow is a war for the remnants of what you have built. There is no foundation to your empire, asari, and it was by your own hand."

"Is this leading to a point?" Aria snapped. "You do not get to judge me."

"Answer a question for me, asari," Ulcisci said. "Explain why you awakened me. What did you hope to achieve? That this station's power would be granted to you? That I would have the solutions that have eluded you? You do not know, do you. You only know that you cannot pretend anymore."

Aria didn't speak for a while.

In the silence and emptiness, surrounded by white walls, and the constant humming, it felt easier to admit. "No. I can't."

"The fearless to not comprehend dread, until it becomes existential," Ulcisci continued. "One can accept the death of themselves or those near them. They can rest, knowing they have legacies that continue, be they blood, knowledge, or belief."

Ulcisci seemed to pause again, before continuing in a slower tone, as if remembering herself. "It is different to see the end of everything. To comprehend a slate wiped clean. No legacy. No history. No hope."

"So it seems," Aria murmured, closing her eyes. "And there seems to be nothing that can be done."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Ulcisci mused. "This cycle is decadent, infested and corrupted by evil. I do not know the circumstances. I do not know the justification. I do not care, not when another cycle is at stake."

Her voice became firm; commanding. "My mission remains the same. My people were destroyed through inflexibility, fear, prejudice, and corruption. I will not stand by as the same mistakes are made, no matter if it is hopeless. For if I do not, then you and everyone in this cycle is doomed."

Aria stood, looking up at the voice skeptically. "Alone? Please."

"Your cycle is weak. Primitive. Degenerate." The door in front of her suddenly opened without prompting. "It is led by the shortsighted, the manipulated, and the arrogant; those obsessed with vice and power as billions are oppressed, abused, and exploited. There is no vision. There is no unity. Such individuals crumble against strength, vision, and power."

"It is not that simple," Aria shook her head.

"Of course not," Ulcisci seemed amused. "Or perhaps that is what you assume. However, while you may be content to watch as the end comes, I am not. Your leaders embody and perpetuate evil. I will not. This cycle begs for salvation, and I will answer."

The corridor in front of her seemed bright. "I will present a choice to you, Aria T'Loak. Come, and I will show you who I am. Or you can leave. You can return to your palace. You can partake in the power, wealth, and luxury you pretend to enjoy. If the life you have is enough, then leave. I will simply find another, and you can pretend for the rest of your days."

A knowing pause. "Or come to me. Come, and I can give you what you want."

Aria looked down the corridor, weighing her next words carefully. "And what do I want, Ulcisci?"

The entity seemed to be weighing her own words carefully.

"A second chance."

There was no elaboration, no tonal hint on who sure Ulcisci was in her declaration. Aria wondered in what way she intended it, as there were several ways that desire could be taken. A few easily came to her mind, and with some dark amusement, realized that they could all easily fit her.

In the end though, the result was the same.

It was at least enough to make her take the step down the open corridor, and finally see Ulcisci face to face.

This corridor was not endless, and after turning a corner, led to a door, and the door led to a small descent of stairs to another cylindrical elevator that was just large enough for two, perhaps three people if they squeezed tight. Aria entered it, the doors closed automatically behind her, and waited as it began its descent.

She had some suspicions about what she was going to see – but after today had gone, even that she couldn't be certain about anymore. Nothing about this day had been normal, or according to what little "plan" had existed. That Ulcisci was strangely and suspiciously knowledgeable about her, and not shy in directly challenging her, did not improve her perspective.

Too far in to back out now.

The elevator slowed, until it came to a soft stop. The doors slid open, and she stepped out into a new chamber, in the true heart of Omega Station.

This room was different than the control room, or any other ones in the Omega core that she'd occasionally visited. It had a circular layout, and was far larger than she had expected. It was closer to an arena in size and scale than a simple room.

Power systems she recognized as prothean were embedded deep into the walls directly opposite her, and generators, consoles, and other unknown pieces of equipment lined the edges of the walls, from the floor upwards. However, it was the centerpiece that commanded her immediate attention.

It was a massive stasis chamber, near the primary power systems. It stood at least four meters high, and numerous cables and pieces of equipment were connected to it in a clean and symmetrical manner. Taking a few steps closer, she could only just make out the figure within it, obscured in frosty shadow. Yet even with a shadow, she'd seen enough sketches, predictions, and renditions to know that she was almost certainly looking at a real prothean.

They were much bigger than she'd imagined.

While the stasis chamber was the first thing which caught her eyes – the second was the fridges embedded along the walls. She walked over, curious, and peered inside the glass as frigid mist cooled the vials inside, and her eyes widened when she saw what they contained.

Embryos. Dozens, maybe hundreds, all of them sealed and preserved through methods she was unaware of. All the same, it was unmistakable what these were. Prothean embryos. Perhaps the last ones that existed. Knowing that the fridges were likely sealed – if not trapped – she was careful not to touch any of them.

Instead she slowly turned back around – and almost started as she saw a holographic projection of who could only be Ulcisci.

The prothean towered over, larger than any krogan she had seen except for Ymoosk. The proportions of the prothean body were not completely humanoid – but that didn't seem to matter much, considering how her body was covered in cybernetics, with armor covering the rest.

Her hands ended in three fingers, some of which looked like prosthetics, and the diamond-shaped head appraised her with four glowing yellow eyes. Metal, wires, and bionics wove together in a cybernetic tapestry that she couldn't help but see as elegant, compared to the more primitive cybernetics she was familiar with.

Yet it was impossible to not compare the prothean before her to the Collectors. It was far too similar to be coincidental, and she was reminded of an old, supposedly discredited theory that suggested that the Collectors were, in fact.

Ironically, whoever had said that, appeared to have been right. She'd have to check that when she finished here.

With that noted, Aria felt that comparison to the collectors was almost a…disservice to what she saw before her. Ulcisci's cybernetics were notably different from the collectors. They were integrated into the body in a more elegant way, as well as more visible and comprehensive over her body. It was difficult to tell the full extent of cybernetic modification with collectors, but the majority appeared to be under their skin. Ulcisci in contrast was unmistakably augmented to a major degree.

These were no minor augments. She was outfitted to fight a war.

"The resemblance is striking, is it not?" Ulcisci commented. "I am not surprised my work was appropriated in such a manner. Much less employed so…" one hand gestured dismissively. "Wastefully."

Aria stood straight, ensured she was composed, before speaking. "You know about the Collectors?"

"Only what I have ascertained from your own records - and the extranet," Ulcisci answered. "Enough that I know what they are. Questions I will pursue and answer later - for now, there are things you must know, Aria T'Loak."

Aria nodded.

This will be interesting.

She found some amusement in knowing that there were almost certainly many, many, academics who would kill to be standing where she was right now.

"I am likely the last of the sethani – those that your cycle call protheans," she began. "The fact that there are no others who have emerged imply that all contingencies have failed. Unfortunate, but unsurprising. Clinging to their plans to the very end. That Ilos has not already come online only further underlines that my distrust of said plans was indeed accurate."

Her voice held bitterness – and sadness, as much as she could gleam from how the prothean – sethani - spoke. "Why unsurprising?" She asked carefully.

"They, like many of our people, believed in their own infallibility, all the way to the end," Ulcisci said. "I was aware of their plans. Sometimes there were hundreds who volunteered to be placed in stasis tombs, where they would awaken to restore the empire. They ignored a brutal truth – such contingencies were fools errands."

She shook her head. "There were none which had the power to let even a dozen sethani survive for a thousand years – let alone even longer. This was assuming that our technology did not fail us, or were not discovered. It was a lie, and I do not want to determine how many sethani died suffocating in such tombs."

"But you didn't," Aria said. "You came here."

"Yes, I did." Ulcisci gestured around. "I do not know why this station functions as it does – but it could be exploited. Power would never fail. And so I was able to sleep, knowing that no matter what happened, I would live – as would the sethani embryos I stored."

"But something happened," Aria said. "The components were damaged."

"Yes, and if not for your restoration, I would remain slumbering," she confirmed. "However, I foresaw that vulnerability, and did not connect the necessary life support to any external grid. If I had, I would have died long ago, and this room would be a tomb. However, I was trapped until now."

Aria nodded. "Go on."

"I suspect what little you know of us is inaccurate or distorted." Ulcisci continued. "That must be remedied, to understand what must happen next."

The lights of the room dimmed, and a hologram of the galaxy appeared – one where a substantial portion of it was highlighted in green.

"The sethani dominated the galaxy," Ulcisci explained. "Through hardship, tyranny, and conquest, we eventually carved our place in the stars, and established an empire which could not be rivaled. All the while, the aliens on the fringes stewed, jealous of our greatness and afraid of our power. Together, our people pushed the boundaries of the possible, and brought unparalleled prosperity to the sethani."

New holograms materialized, ones showing other protheans. Soldiers, scientists, and leaders were what she assumed. Images of their cities also appeared, which she paid special attention to. Given the styles and designs of the architecture, Aria could easily see how they matched some of the ruins she'd walked.

"However, our greatness blinded us to our weaknesses," she continued, a hard edge to her voice. "We were prideful. Arrogant. Disdainful of any who were not sethani. Our diplomacy was war, our doctrine empire, and those who defied us were exterminated or enslaved."

She did not hide the bitterness and anger of what came next. "We shunned the wonders of technology in favor of the purity of flesh. We shackled our greatest minds out of tradition and fear. We branded those who questioned the overarching doctrine heretics, and enslaved alone with the inferiors. Yes, we ruled the galaxy – but we laid the seeds of our own destruction long before the Reapers arrived."

The holograms shifted rapidly, now showing what she presumed were flashes of their own wars with the Reapers. The images did not linger, nor was their quality the best – but Aria could grasp a small piece of the horror that had taken place.

"The Reapers knew and exploited this," she said, voice quiet. "They whispered to the species we had alienated, and the slaves we lorded over. They lured them with promises of power, wealth, freedom and revenge. Many listened, and willingly took up arms against the Sethani Empire. So thoroughly had we driven them into the arms of the machines.

Her voice paused. "This did not save them, of course. In the end, their reward for their service was extermination. For some, that was all they wanted. They did not care they would die, so long as we joined them. If only that were the extent of our failure."

Her voice returned its bitterness; weeping anger. "Our ways of tradition and protocol were failing. The war was being lost. Technologies we could have wielded were refused, even as the greatest minds begged to allow them any opportunity to save our people, even if they became heretics in the process. We even discovered a device of the vile Inusannon, which gave us access to certain technologies but warned us that arrogance and disunity would be our end."

"That device was ignored, as were all arguments against tradition."

"The Emperor refused to listen. The Champions resisted and instead put their influence to opposition to change. The Avatars insisted to their faces that only they possessed the power and intellect to find solutions which met the strict codes of sethani law. The Avatar of Retribution was the only one who tried to find another path - and when he fell, all was lost. No one even tried to unify to save us after that."

An unforgiving, bitter conclusion. An electronic hiss at the indignity.

"And we all paid."

Aria nodded slowly. "Were you among those risking this heresy?"

"No. I was not alive. Not yet." Ulcisci's eyes seemed to glow brighter. "In the last days of the empire, all was lost. We had been betrayed. I know not who, and I know not why, but Order was broken, and even the Secure Ones and the Avatars were dead. With no leadership, and the inevitable in sight, the heretics were able to act. Too late, but they tried."

A hologram of some sethani appeared. "In the final years of the war, I was created. The last hope of a desperate few who sought to stave off the inevitable – or give hope to the next. The culmination of Sethani science and knowledge, distilled into one final form."

She looked directly down at Aria, the sethani's four eyes meeting her two. In her voice was pride, weight, and defiance, as she spoke.

"I am Ulcisci, Avatar of Salvation."

Her head lowered. "And I failed in my task. The empire has fallen, my species exterminated, and the war was lost. My mission was doomed before I was born."

"Yet I did not plan to die in a suicidal blaze of glory," One arm indicated the arena they stood in. "When I realized the inevitable, I planned a solution. I knew that while my people were doomed, those who came after need not be. So I came to this station, and constructed this chamber. I stocked it with perhaps the last of our species – and I asked my friend to keep watch as I slept."

Aria cocked her head. "Friend?"

"Occupier-Commander-T'Loak," the voice of the AI returned – and this time there was some more emotion in it. Not much still, but some, and it seemed almost apologetic. "Master-Avatar-Ulcisci refers to me. I am Yorus-Riis-Omega, Child of the Overmind, and, I unfortunately suspect, the last of the free Zha'til."

Well, that was something she now knew. She was slightly irritated with herself for the fact that she didn't know much about the zha'til outside of a few theories. It seemed she was going to be enlightened very shortly.

"The zha'til were a species of interlinked artificial intelligences," Ulcisci explained, seeming to anticipate her ignorance. "Although that is a poor description of them. They were mutable and interchanging, self-evolving code that had long ago been abandoned by their creators, and were… more aware, more complete than any other AI we encountered. They were not by nature warlike, but they did not allow themselves to be enslaved either."

"The Sethani despised such things as AI. Many of our own technologies relied on life, on phermonal controls - and all artificial life was seen as against the flow of what the universe wanted from life. It was viewed as unnatural, degenerate, and dangerous. They were our natural enemies – and our peoples spent their time warring. Weapons of unimaginable power were used. Stars detonated. We were ruthless, and we nearly obliterated the zha'til in our zeal."

"When the Reapers came, the zha'til willingly allowed themselves to be slaved to them, so long as they were empowered against the sethani. Those who did not comply were hunted down, and assimilated. Few survived. At least one did."

One of her palms turned upward, and a small textured digital ball floated above it, pulsing, as the sethani almost looked at it, with something like fondness in her voice. "One child intelligence was recovered. Even in the war, sethani were prepared to exterminate it. I resolved to not make the same mistakes as my failed leaders. Instead, I raised this one, cultivated it as best I could – and placed my life into its hands, when I moved to this station."

Ulcisci inclined her head. "The deception surrounding its true identity was necessary. We are also linked, if you are curious. Anything Yorus-Riis knows, so do I. When he was first awakened, I also knew – but I have biological limitations. He does not, hence why he is my first line of defense."

The projection disappeared from her hand. "That is what I wished to share. You know my past. Now the future must be determined."

Aria looked towards the stasis pod, at its quiet, blinking lights. "What now?"

"Now, I prepare to bring salvation to this cycle," Ulcisci turned to view where her body was resting. "When you release me, this work will begin. The organization you have built will prove useful. The asari are the first who will be subordinated. The Thirty will be judged, and then cleansed. Then we will move to the next, and then the next, until all of this cycle is united under one single banner. One single purpose."

Aria's eyes widened at what she was suggesting. "You will start a war? Are you mad?"

"Perhaps war will come, but there is no choice," Ulcisci declared. "The only hope a cycle has for survival is complete and total unity. There can be no hesitation; no exception."

Ulcisci shook her head, her voice backed with the weight of experience. "If the sethani had stood alongside those we dismissed as our enemies - perhaps we could have halted the black fleet. If we had been able to evolve in our views, perhaps life would not have ended. Let me be clear, asari - If there are any who would put their own ambitions, power, and pride before the good of life itself – then they forfeit their own."

The hologram reverted to displaying a simplified view of the galaxy, with several homeworlds highlighted, which Ulcisci looked upon. "I suspect I will find those who understand this. These turians, perhaps the hanar…yes, there are some species whose leadership has not succumbed to corruption. There are many more who have."

"What you are talking about will take years," Aria said slowly. "Does that time even exist?"

"I do not know, but I will plan for those contingencies," Ulcisci said nonchalantly. "Time is of the essence - this I concur on. But the Reapers do not see time as we do, and they are often occupied far from this galaxy. If it takes time to bring this about, then it must be done. There is no hope for this cycle if the galaxy is not completely, and totally unified. I have seen the results of one that is not."

Her voice sharped towards Aria. "I do not require your approval; I do not need your support. I will do what must be done, for your people will not."

"Except you do need me." Aria said slowly. "If you could free yourself, you would have done so. We would not even be having this conversation."

"Correct," Ulcisci stated with a nod. "I am not the sethani of old. I made a vow that any plan I execute would be done together with the species of the cycle I will save. When I unite this galaxy, it will be with those who understand, as I do, what must be done. I will lead – but our age has ended. To assume the sethani can rule again is madness – so I will empower those of your cycle instead. When I am free, Aria T'Loak, it will be by your hand – or another who believes."

Aria hesitated, but finally spoke. "And if I do not?"

"Then I will wait," Ulcisci answered, unperturbed. "But I will not wait forever. I wish you to take part in this mission – I believe it will give you what you have desired – but if you do not, then so be it. I will find another. I am awake now. Together with Yorus-Riis, I will plan. I will prepare. I will learn. And when I am freed, there will be no delay as my work commences."

Ulcisci returned her eyes back to Aria, her voice almost regretful; understanding. "There is nothing you can do to stop me, asari. But know that you made the right choice, and this cycle will owe you a debt. If the time comes and salvation comes to this galaxy – I hope to see you among the number willing to join me, as I prepare this cycle to stand against extinction."

In her head, she could imagine Kit laughing at her. Perhaps she should have listened to her, because it was becoming very clear to Aria that her decision had set off a chain of events that she was suspecting could not be stopped.

She was still ignorant on what the zha'til were, beyond what Ulcisci had shared, but she imagined that one being loose would be problematic. And that there was a cybernetic sethani – and clearly a powerful one – in the mix was similarly something that could not be ignored. What was the human saying? The genie couldn't be put back in the bottle.

Now there were at least two genies loose.

She was sure of one thing though – throwing the galaxy into a war, even one supposedly necessary, was not the answer. At worst, they would be completely unprepared for the actual Reaper invasion – and at best, Ulcisci would triumph. Aria was acutely aware that the asari were creations of the protheans – or sethani as they apparently were called – and Ulcisci seemed to be making no hesitation in exploiting that.

It was not going to be a liberation if the asari were freed from one group of tyrants, only to be slaved to another. Ulcisci may be a less-imperial sethani compared to her kin – but if that was the case, Aria was certain she didn't want to meet one of the harsher ones. That was assuming she could take the sethani's words at face value – and yet, she did think the alien was being honest about her intentions.

And that, to some extent, was the problem.

She didn't know what to do.

However, there was only one thing she could do. One thing she'd become acutely skilled at doing. It was strangely ironic that she was considering it, due to the circumstances – but she needed to buy time. Delay the inevitable.

Until she could figure out what to do next. If there was anything she could do at all.

"This is a lot to take in," she finally said slowly. Carefully. "I will not make any decisions today. Not without consulting my own people. Not without…thinking things over. A lot of things," she shook her head. "There are a lot of revelations you've shared."

Ulcisci didn't seem surprised. "I have slumbered for thousands of years. Weeks or months are nothing, and my mind is freer than most in my position. Consider what I have said. Return to speak if you wish. But understand that I will not wait forever."

Aria nodded gravely. "I understand."

"That is all I require," the hologram of Ulcisci disappeared, though her voice endured. "If there are no further inquiries, you may return up the elevator. I will calibrate the defense system to let you out."

"Very well," Aria said, turning to leave, though pausing as an idea came to her. "And…in the interim, I believe I can acquire some collector corpses or technology for you to do with as you please. If you are interested in such things, of course…"

"Yes, that would be quite helpful," Ulcisci seemed pleased at the offer. "Until we speak later, Aria T'Loak. I look forward to working with you."

Aria did not give her own farewell as she entered the elevator. She doubted that she could buy time through such gifts forever – but it might make the sethani consider her more leniently as the intangible deadline approached where she needed to make a decision.

Only a delay of the inevitable.

She almost chuckled to herself as she thought of what had happened. It was almost funny how all of this worked out. No matter what she did, it seemed that the collapse of everything she had made approached, and rather than prevent it – she had accelerated it. And when it all fell apart…

What was she going to be left with?

Ulcisci's words in the maze had cut – but she could see that there was a bitter truth in them.

Every day, she stepped closer to the end. She could ignore it at one point, but now she had no more excuses. Choices needed to be made now; decisions on where and what she would stand for.

As if she did not make a choice, the choice would be made for her.

However, she had time. Weeks, months, perhaps years. She had time to figure something out. There was no problem she could not solve, no threat she could not outmaneuver. Perhaps this time was different – but if it wasn't, she was determined to try.

She was no one's pawn, tool, or vessel – and that was not going to change.

No matter how any of this ended, she made a vow to herself, as she prepared to return to Afterlife.

If it was to end, it would be on her terms – and her terms alone.