Author's Note: He everybody, I'm back at it again. Didn't get around to uploading last Saturday, but remember that I said I wasn't promising anything. Out of the 5 reviews I've gotten and read so far, only 2 were actual reviews with constructive criticism, so I'd like to thank Natzi Sumbitch for both of those. I'll always read a review if it actually has some meat on its bones. Anyways, on with the story.
Chapter Four: Therum
Dâgalûr, who had been in this new universe for only around two and a half days, had become adapted much faster than any normal being from Middle-Earth would; he'd learned about the denizens and customs, the currency system, and some of the more popular pastimes in this galaxy. Hell, he thought that he should try to make Orcs a Citadel-faring species when this was over (not only so they could have a technological advantage in their wars, but because Dâgalûr wanted the best for his kin). He'd also began to make friends and allies with the ship's crew, specifically Tali, Garrus, Kaidan, and Shepard herself, as Ashley wasn't too fond of beings that weren't human, even if they were part human in Dâgalûr's case, and Wrex wasn't really anybody's friend, but he respected everybody and they respected him. His only downside was that he'd not seen any action in the field since he'd been recruited. His luck had changed, though, in a matter of minutes.
"Tali and Dâgalûr," Shepard's instantly recognizable voice said over the intercom, "Please report to the Command Deck. We're off to find Matriarch Benezia's daughter." The task didn't sound as exciting as he would've hoped, but he stayed hopeful that it would involve something for him to kill. Dâgalûr got up to his feet and started walking to the elevator, and Tali came up to the Storage area from Engineering, visibly and audibly excited, as this was also her first mission. The two got into the elevator, used it, and proceeded to take one of the flights of stairs behind the elevator. Shepard awaited them on the ship's bridge, near the airlock.
"Alright, this mission is fairly simple, but I assume we'll have an army of geth waiting for us between now and the Matriarch's daughter, Liara. Any questions?" The two remained silent, as Tali knew what to expect and Dâgalûr knew the only thing that had ever been able to hurt him in the past were weapons forged in the First Age and very powerful beings, and he knew neither of those would be here. "Alright then, follow me."
Shepard led the two back down to storage, and boarded the Mako, with Tali and Dâgalûr doing the same. Shortly after, the Mako headed down the set path in storage, and was dropped down to the surface of Therum with a powerful thud. The pilot, Joker, spoke to Shepard over the comms inside the Mako she was now in full control of. "Commander, I'm picking up some strange readings. Really strange. Like, off the damn charts. It looks like it's coming from an underground complex a few klicks away from the drop zone." Shepard acknowledged Joker's information with a nod, and continued forward on the ground that lava had not yet consumed.
"It seems a bit too peaceful. Anticipate an ambush." Dâgalûr's years on the fields of battle gave him an idea of what to expect, even if the opponents were machine as opposed to man. He instinctively drew his bow, Pargijakunquiin, forged from the bones of Mûmakil, dwarven-mined gold, and Mordor black steel, and pulled out his quiver of barbed arrows. His mastery over fire, ice, and lightning allowed him to either freeze one of his arrows, electrify one, or set one ablaze. His instincts were right, as a large dropship appeared a short distance up the path. It dropped down two Geth Armatures, and left like a coward. "Sulmog! Attack!"
Shepard began to fire the Mako's weapon at the armatures, managing to destroy one, but the Mako took too much damage to risk staying in it any longer. Shepard, Tali, and Dâgalûr climbed out of the vehicle and began an assault on the remaining armature, with Tali overloading its shields, Shepard firing round after round at the armature with her assault rifle, and Dâgalûr firing arrows from his bow as fast as he could draw them. "Zaduk! Destroy it!" He yelled as he went as he went in for the finishing blow with Pauzûlshapât. He let out his orcish roar as he struck the automaton down with a firm stab from his sword. The three made their way back to the Mako and continued onwards to find Liara. After a few minutes of Shepard's reckless driving, they drove up to a heavily fortified base nestled between two rocky hills. Cannons from the geth turrets began to open fire on them the instant they were in sight.
Tali gave a suggestion "Trying to knock down the front door seems stupid. Maybe we could find a side window?" "I agree. If I we had a ram and a couple of battalions, I'd be singing a different tune, but we can't afford that now." Shepard managed to find a way into the base, a small path over to the right side that led straight into the base. It was defended by a single turret, which the Mako's gun made short work of. Once they actually made it into the base. the three managed to wipe out a few geth foot soldiers before exiting the vehicle and unleashing hell, with Shepard raining down a storm of bullets, Tali utilizing her tech skills and pistol to the best of her abilities, and Dâgalûr hurling balls of fire, ice, and lightning at the troops. As they went to open the gate that would allow them to press on, Tali commented on Dâgalûr's abilities.
"Dâgalûr, I have to say, I've never seen biotics of any kind that were similar to yours." "That's because it's not "biotics", I thought I already told you that it's the ancient art of Dark Sorcery, only known to the elite of Mordor, and the Goblin shamans in the black depths of Moria." "Moria?" "A story for another time, Tali." "I still find what you say to be a little ridiculous." "Ridiculous or not, it's true."
The three proceeded to a panel that controlled the gate, but not before opening a locker containing an armor set, which was reduced to omni-gel, and a shotgun, which was given to Tali. The three climbed back into the Mako and drove onwards. They faced a few more armatures, used the same techniques they'd been using, and pressed onwards. When they reached the entrance to a tunnel that led onward, they were attacked by a few standard geth, but faced a new synthetic foe that was the most powerful yet; a Geth Colossus. After dealing with the cannon fodder, they tried dealing with the behemoth machine. Its cannon and attacks were almost identical to an armature, but were much more powerful. Dâgalûr was actually knocked down by how forceful one of the blasts were, and couldn't find the strength to get up until the battle had ended, but lended a hand by conjuring a ball of a varying element about once every half a minute. As he got to his feet, he puzzled on how he was staggered by an earthly weapon, let alone affected. He shrugged it off, and focused on the mission.
They continued through the tunnels, with little resistance. They eventually reached a passageway too narrow to bring the Mako into, so the three had to press forward on foot. They drew their weapons, knowing what to expect. They came across a battalion of geth, ranging from the usual troopers to rocket-using troops with red coverings, as opposed to the dark grey of the normal troopers and the white of the shock troopers. A sniper began firing at the three from a tower farther back, but an arrow changed that quickly. After their encounter with the first wave, they came across the dig site Joker had mentioned earlier. They didn't know it, but they were walking right into an ambush. A hopper was underneath the elevated pathway above, waiting to signal it. It hopped down and jumped to the side wall, as a dropship came to drop off an armature and more troops. Before the battle began, Dâgalûr, who was in a state of confusion, uttered, "What in the name of The Void was that?" While the armature took longer to defeat than usual due to the hoppers and shock troopers constantly assaulting them, they took the behemoth out and proceeded up the ramp and entered the complex. With there being no nearby signs of geth activity, Shepard took a moment to see what her squad thought of the mission so far.
"How are you guys doing so far?" Tali answered, "I'm doing pretty well, but even the geth wouldn't want to live in this heat." "I'm loving every minute of this action, and the hot temperatures are reminiscent of Mount Doom. Definitely helps my homesickness." The three walked down a steep tunnel into a large mining complex. A few geth were left over, presumably to guard the Matriarch's daughter. They were dispatched of quickly, and the team continued onwards. They walked down more ramps until they reached an elevator. On the wall near the elevator, there was a blue field of energy poking out of the rock. Tali pointed out as they ascended to the next level, "It looks like this cavern formed around the ruin. After it was built."
As they reached the next level, drones attacked them. "Pitiful machines! Prepare yourselves for my wrath!" The drones were destroyed with ease, and they had to use yet another elevator. as they reached the top level, there was a loud burst of electricity that startled all three of them. They continued farther into the ruins until they heard a woman's voice. "Uh… hello? Could somebody help me? Please?"
They noticed that the voice came from a bubble, made of the same energy that poked out of the rocks below them. They knew that this asari was their target, and walked over to it. "Can you hear me out there? I am trapped. I need help!" "Are you okay? What happened to you?" "Listen. This thing I'm in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it. Alright?" Shepard and Liara started to go deeper into their conversation, but Dâgalûr zoned out for a minute, having a vision of Mordor, and of The Great Eye, to the point where he could only see Sauron, and nothing else. I see you… Dâgalûr.
He returned to his normal state, as if nothing had happened, and continued to listen to the conversation. "We'll find some way to help you." "There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing. You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain. That's the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from outside. I don't know how you'll get in here. Be careful. There is a krogan with the geth. They have been trying different ways to get past the barrier." The second Liara finished the sentence, geth manage to attack them from the rear, but they were dealt with swiftly. Shepard, however, had an idea.
"I have an idea, we can use this mining laser to get underneath the force field." She, without the opinions of Tali or Dâgalûr, decided to activate the laser. It blasted a hole right through the rock and made it possible to reach Liara by going under the force field, and the three took an elevator up to Liara's location. "How… how did you get in here? I didn't think there was any way past the barrier!" "We have to get you out of here before more geth arrive." "Yes, you're right. I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime. That button should shut down my containment field." Shepard pressed the button, and Liara fell to the ground with an "Oof!"
Tali piped up again, "Any idea how we get out of this place?" "There is an elevator back in the center of the tower. At least I- I think it's an elevator. It should take us out of here. Come on!" The four made their way to the elevator controls, and Liara activated them. "I- I still cannot believe all this. Why would the geth come after me? Do you think Benezia's involved?" "Saren's looking for the Conduit. You're a Prothean expert. He probably wants you to help him find it." "The Conduit? But I don't know…" Liara was cut off by a rumble. "What in the name of Morgoth was that?" "These ruins are not stable. That mining laser must've triggered a seismic event. We have to hurry. The whole place is caving in!" "Joker! Get the Normandy airborne and lock in on my signal! ON THE DOUBLE, MISTER!" "Aye, Aye, Commander. Secure and Aweigh. ETA eight minutes." Fear began to set into Tali. "He needs to move faster."
The elevator stopped on the top level, and the four were met with a squad of geth, led by a krogan commander. "Surrender. Or don't. That would be more fun." "We don't have time to deal with this idiot. Charge!" "I like your attitude." The krogan charged at Shepard, shotgun in hand. Liara sat back, not having a weapon, Tali and Dâgalûr picked off the geth troops, and Shepard dealt with the krogan. When the last few geth were slain, Tali and Dâgalûr charged the krogan, whom Shepard seemed to be handling pretty well until now. With the kogan dead, they unsealed the barrier and made a break for the exit of the complex.
"Move! Move! Move!" They had successfully made it out alive, and with perfect timing, as the Normandy arrived; had they been even a minute late, they'd have been in a sea of lava. They boarded as fast as they could, and took off. Everybody was sitting in the comm room, waiting for them. Everyone took the seat they sat in at the previous overview, with Liara taking the seat between Dâgalûr and Wrex. Joker spoke over the intercom,
"Too close, Commander. Ten more seconds and we would've been swimming in molten sulphur. The Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull." Liara was very displeased with Joker's joke. "We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?" "Joker pulled our asses out of there. I think he's earned the right to a few bad jokes." "I see. It must be a human thing, I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Commander. But I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there. And not just from the volcano. Those geth would've killed me, or dragged me off to Saren."
Kaidan interrupted, "What did Saren want with you? Do you know something about the Conduit?" "Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction. That is my real area of expertise. I have spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them." Shepard seemed intrigued. "Just how old are you, exactly?" "I hate to admit it, but I am only a hundred and six." Ashley looked shocked. "Damn! I hope I look that good when I'm your age." "A century may seem like a long time to a short-lived species like yours. But among the asari, I am barely considered more than a child." Dâgalûr, being immortal, scoffed at this remark. "100 years is no more than the blink of an eye to he who lives forever." "Are you implying that you're immortal?" "I am. Come down to my little space when this is over and I'll explain."
"Anyway, that is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because of my youth, other asari scholars tend to dismiss my theories on what happened to the Protheans." Shepard spoke, "I've got my own theory on why the Protheans disappeared." "With all due respect, Commander, I have heard every theory out there. The problem is finding evidence to support them. The Protheans left remarkably little behind. It is almost as if someone did not want the mystery solved. It is like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy of clues. But here is the incredible part. according to my findings, The Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to vanish. This cycle began long before them."
"If the Protheans weren't the first, then who was?" "I don't know. There is barely any evidence on the Protheans. Even less on those who came before them. I cannot prove my theory. But I know I am right! The galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction. Each time a great civilization rises up, it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans rose up from a single world until their empire spanned the entire galaxy. Yet even they climbed to the top on the success of those before. Their greatest achievements- the mass relays and the Citadel- are based on the technology of those who came before them. And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why." "They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines. The Reapers."
"The- the Reapers? But I have never heard of- how do you know this?" "There was a damaged Prothean beacon on Eden Prime. It burned a vision into my brain. I'm still trying to sort out what it all means." "A beacon? Yes, that makes sense. But the beacons were not programmed to interact with human physiology. I am surprised you were able to make any sense of it at all." "It's just a bunch of random images. Even after I got the Cipher." "The Cipher?" Ashley interrupted, "Some asari mumbo-jumbo supposed to help the Commander act like a Prothean. Don't know if it worked though." "The Cipher altered my perception of the visions. But it's subtle. I still can't make any sense of what I'm seeing." "And this was something another asari did to you? Hmmm… Commander, with your permission, I would like to try something. You were touched by the beacon. The visions are locked away inside your mind. One of my people gave you a deeper understanding of the visions, but you still cannot put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I might be able to help you."
"I'll do whatever it takes to stop Saren." "Like the asari who gave you the Cipher, I can join my consciousness to yours. Maybe my knowledge of the Protheans will help clarify your vision." "It's worth a shot." Liara approached Shepard and grabbed her shoulders. "Relax, Commander. Embrace eternity!" Both of them blacked out, and the crew got worried as they watched. Both came back to reality a minute later. "That was incredible! All this time, all my research! Yet I, I never dreamed… I am sorry, the images were so vivid. I never imagined the experience would be so… intense. You are remarkably strong willed, Commander. What you have been through, what you have seen would have destroyed a lesser mind." Ashley interrupted again, "Come on, get to the point! What'd you see?"
"The beacon on Eden Prime must have been badly damaged. Large parts of the vision were missing. The data transferred into the Commander's mind is incomplete." Shepard spoke, "You sure you didn't come across any clue or hint? Something we might've missed?" "Everything I saw you already know. You were right about the Reapers. The Protheans were destroyed by a race of sentient machines. I think it's obvious there is a connection between the Reapers, the Prothean extinction, and the Conduit. But I did not see anything that would help us find it." "Looks like we're back where we started."
"Quite the opposite, Commander. I think my knowledge of the Protheans will prove useful before this is over. Saren knew you touched the beacon on Eden Prime. He probably came after me because he feared I could help you understand it. I was able to interpret the data relayed through your vision. What was there, at least. Find the missing portion an I'm confident I can put all the pieces together." "Good to have you on the team, Liara." "Thank you, Commander. I am very gratef- whoa. I am afraid I'm feeling a bit lightheaded." Kaidan asked, "When was the last time you ate? Or slept? Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you."
"It is probably just mental exhaustion, coupled with the shock of discovering the Protheans' true fate. I need some time to process all this. Still, it could not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me the chance to think things over. Are we finished here, Commander?" "We can talk again after you've seen the doctor. The rest of you- dismissed!" Everybody rose and went back to their regular positions. The last thing Dâgalûr heard as he went back to the Storage area was, "Mission reports are filed, Commander. You want me to patch you through to the Council?" From Joker. Dâgalûr went back to his usual quarters, and tried to make sense of the vision of the Great Eye from earlier.