Shepard awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. Not something she is used to as she always awoke before it. A groan and a well-placed slap later and silence returned to her room. Despite a rather sound night worth of sleep Shepard still felt quite spent. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed she stood up in one swift motion and stretched. A glance here and there revealed her dress from the previous night lying on the floor in a heap, her shoes right next to it. Looking down Shepard saw she was at least somewhat dressed.
'At least I kept the panties on' thought Shepard with a smile. She would usually sleep in a set of pajamas that could be mistaken for her officer's uniform, only silkier. For her to have simply discarded her dress and fallen into bed she must have been really tired. A towel was grabbed from the closet and thrown at the foot of the bed while a fresh set of clothes was placed carefully on the bed. Her last article of clothing was thrown into the laundry basket as she passed it and into the bathroom.
She gave the water a few seconds to heat while she looked into the mirror. She looked tired, a lot more than she should. Shaking her head and passing it off as not enough sleep she stepped into the shower and sighed in content as the water cascaded over her body. The entirety of yesterday evening was replayed while the water loosened her tired muscles.
It had been pleasant, she had enjoyed the dinner and dance. Marc was a decent conversationalist but always seemed slightly distant regardless of the topic. Shepard didn't take any note of it since she was slightly guarded about certain topics as well. It had… surprised her, when they had taken that walk down through the gardens. She didn't expect Marc to enjoy that sort of thing but he had held a rather pleasant smile the entire time.
Their little talk also brought a warm smile to her face. He had in essence told her that her entire crew, himself included, cared enough for her that they would happily die for her should it come to it. Shepard doubted him on that but it still made her happy that he believed it that strongly. Once the last of the soap had been rinsed from her hair she shut off the water and stood silently for a few seconds. She wasn't sure if something was developing between herself and Marc but she felt it was worth looking into.
Once her body had been dried she tossed the now wet towel into the laundry basket along with her other clothes. A few short moments later saw her dressed in the same casual uniform most the crew wore, she didn't like wearing her officer's uniform unless it became strictly necessary. Adding the last detail of tying her hair up into her known pony-tail Shepard smiled to her reflection and stepped out of her quarters to begin the day.
Grabbing a tray and some of that mornings food Shepard quickly agreed with herself that perhaps soon it was time to get the cook some better ingredients, even if she had to pay for them. Sitting down at her preferred table Shepard began eating and felt her energy going back up. A small clank announced the arrival of Ashley as she sat down with a muffled "g'morning ma'am" Shepard lifted her head and smiled at the gunnery chief
"Morning Ash, how did you spend your day yesterday?" asked Shepard
Ashley lifted her head with a smile of her own "Well… Garrus, Liara and I went around to a few different weapon shops and found some interesting things, not much we could afford but it gave ideas for the future. We didn't manage to find a weapon that would suit Liara but that we can always return to. Then we split up as Garrus had to go catch up with some C-Sec buddies, so me and Liara went out and found a place to eat dinner" replied Ashley
"You and Liara are certainly growing close fast huh? What gives Williams I thought you weren't that into aliens" teased Shepard
Ashley felt her cheeks heat up slightly but shrugged it off "She is good company, and let us just say that recently someone helped me open my eyes to my own stupidity"
"Well I hope you thanked that person because he did you a favor" commented Shepard with a knowing grin
"I did ma'am. Now what is this I hear about you going out on a date with mister tall, pale and deadly?" asked Ashley with a glint in her eye
"We went out and ate a nice dinner, that's all there is too it Williams" replied Shepard with a smile
"Bullshit ma'am, from what the others told me you were gone for quite a long time. Way longer than just grabbing a bite to eat, and you were all dressed up too" Ashley got a glint of remembrance in her eyes for a second "You might also want to go talk to Harrison ma'am, he has a few pictures you might not want distributed" commented Ashley
"I will make a point to do that Williams, thank you" Ashley nodded "And we might have eaten at one of the most high end restaurants in the Presidium, at the Consorts private table. Then we might have spent a while dancing before taking a late night walk around the gardens of the presidium before returning to the ship" said Shepard with a half smug, half teasing grin
Ashley sat stock still and stared at her Commander, besides sounding like an extremely pleasant evening it also raised quite a few questions, for example
"How did you afford it? More so how did you get a table, the Consort's personal table no less?" asked Ashley bewildered
"Turns out Marc have a few connections on the Citadel, the Consort being one of them. Once he mentioned that he would be eating with me she apparently insisted that we borrow the table, oh and Marc paid for the meal turns out credits isn't exactly a worry for him" replied Shepard smile still in place as she reached for her drink
"Unbelievable… next you are going to tell me he is the Shadow Broker as well" joked Ashley
Shepard coughed as her drink went down wrong. She kept staring at Ashley with a shaky look. Ashley of course didn't miss it and her eyes widened until they seemed ready to pop out of her head
"You have to be joking?" she asked
A few moments later when Shepard had collected herself she shook her head at Ashley "No he isn't the Shadow Broker, he did however mention to me that the Shadow Broker hands him information when he requests it" replied Shepard
"… just like that?" returned Ashley
"Something about if the Shadow Broker didn't help him he would tear down his entire network before killing the Broker himself" half mumbled Shepard
Ashley gently put her cutlery down before she folded her hands in front of her face and let out and loud sigh accompanied by a gentle head shake.
"You know what? I don't want to know what else you talked about on that date; I don't want to hear anything else about Echo from anyone but him… I don't think my heart could handle the surprises" mumbled Ashley which began Shepard snickering.
"… you are one hundred percent sure of this Eva?"
The question was asked by a tired hybrid that was currently in his bed, attempting to process what he had just been told.
"I am sure. There is no doubt that a man named Hayden Tenno lived sometime during the 2000 era. His death is not recorded but all records of him disappear somewhere around 2034. He is listed as having descendants but that is all, no names or dates of those decedents. There is also no mention of a spouse at any point in his life"
Marc sat up in his bed and turned just enough so he could lean up against the wall. A few thoughts passed through his mind but none of them made any larger amount of sense. In the end he turned towards Eva's little shiny green light and sighed
"So we have a confirmation then. Hayden Tenno exists in this world as well, something however derailed the events of Dark Sector and the Technocyte Virus never spread. Any files on that Eva?"
"No, I checked through the entirety of the Alliance Database. The closest I came to any information is a reference to a file in the physical archive on earth"
Marc nodded before stepping out of bed and stretching "Eva, open a com-link to Karick if you can"
Minutes passed by with Eva trying to establish a connection. Marc had almost given up and resigned to sending a message when a voice echoed across the Shadow
"Who is it" asked Karick's voice
"It's me old friend, I have some information for you" replied Marc
"Already? I sent you off yesterday" said Karick
"Indeed you did, but during my dinner with Shepard she mentioned something about Hayden Tenno" said Marc
There was a rather loud silence as Marc heard the sound of something hitting a cushion on the other side of the com.
"What did you find out?" came the shaky voice of Karick
"He existed in this world as well. How much do you know of the original circumstances in regards to Hayden?" asked Marc
"That is a story for another time, safe to say I know enough" replied Karick
"Good. According to the data that Eva pulled up he was alive somewhere between 2000 to 2038 where his record disappears. He is listed as having offspring but has no spouse listed. The closest thing Eva could come to any other information was a reference to some physical files in the archives on earth" said Marc
"And we can't get to these physical files I take it?" asked Karick
"I don't recommend it. During the games you don't exactly visit earth until the last one, and even there you are only on earth for the very start and very end of the game itself. I imagine the archive itself will be heavily guarded, if the information on Hayden is meant to be kept so secret that they won't even put it in digital form then I don't think we are going to like what we find" replied Marc
"I agree. However I believe we should both look out for a chance to have a look at these files, the Hayden Tenno from our world did a great many things but he also had his share of secrets that he kept. For our sake my friend, I hope his biggest one isn't in those files" said Karick with a somber voice
"If it makes you worry, my friend then I will agree" commented Marc
"Yes well… thank you for the information. Contact me when you have more news" said Karick
"I will" replied Marc as he cut the com
'His biggest secret? Why do I have a feeling that I won't like it when I learn it' thought Marc as he leaned further back in his chair. The man he was thinking about is the closest thing to a god the Tenno have, but he was just as mortal as they were.
"Eva, can you try and locate Hayden Tenno's gravesite for me?" asked Marc
"Commencing Search…" was Eva's automatic reply
With a shake of the head he rose and decided to go work on Shepard's blade. That at the very least should help keep his mind of impending doom, if only for the hour. Once seated at his work table he brought out his plans and blueprints for Shepards blade. He had decided that he wasn't going to make it fancy or try and modify it in any way. The blade would be Tenno Steel, what little he had left anyway. The handle would be connected to the blade and the guard that separated them would be made out Blasted Steel. Blasted Steel is a special variant of regular Steel that has been treated in a very special way to make it on the sturdiest materials to exist. The only problem with the material was that once you had heated it up and shaped it, if you then let it cool down it would never heat up again, leaving it stuck in the form it cooled from.
"Marc?" Eva's voice echoed inside the Engineering Bay
"Yes Eva?" was Marc's reply
"I have a… concern" said Eva
"Voice it then" muttered Marc focused on his work
"I believe that before your mission is over you will have resorted to engaging the Prime Protocol on the Alpha Frame" Eva's voice actually sounded slightly concerned
Marc stilled at her words. He gently placed his plans and tools down on his table before sitting upright and seemed to almost stare through the wall towards Eva's little green orb.
"Why do you fear this Eva?" asked Marc
"From the missions you have undertaken so far you have been underplaying the extensive use of the Alpha Frame. Each mission has seen you return with an almost empty Energy reserve if not empty. I fear that on one mission you will as a last effort activate the Prime Protocol and risk your life in the process" said Eva in the same tone as before
An old and tired smile crept onto Marc's face "I very much doubt it Eva. The Prime Protocol was an emergency tool installed in the very last stages of the Alpha Frames development. Activating it carries great risk indeed… let us pray that I will never be pushed that far"
"That does not reduce my concern. Will you… will you promise me that you won't activate the Prime Protocol unless it is truly the very last option open to you?" pleaded Eva
The smile Marc held turned warm and caring "I promise you Eva that it will be my very last choice"
"Thank you Marc" replied Eva before turning herself off
Marc shook his head at her; it surprised him that she was capable of being worried but it also made him happy. With the Prime Protocol stuck in his mind he couldn't focus on his work any longer. A shrug and short thought later saw Marc moving out of his ship and down towards Engineering, perhaps it was time to speak a little with Tali
29 Hours Later, Approaching Feros
"Okay everyone, our objective is simple. We arrive at Zhu's Hope and will begin our investigation on why Saren sent his Geth to attack it. The hope is to find whatever it was he was after" Shepard's stern voice carried out over her gathered team.
Garrus, Ashley, Liara and Marc all nodded in consent. They were mere minutes away from docking at Zhu's Hope and of all the ground team Marc was the only one to have heavy doubts about the mission itself. He knew that the Thorian was directly under Zhu's Hope but he couldn't find a way to alert his team about it without giving too much away.
The docking process finished and the team stepped into decontamination and waited for the outer doors to open. Once they had gotten outside Marc looked over towards the stairs leading into the colony, this place was filled with small corridors and tight space fighting. 'Engage Warframe: Volt' the command passed from Marc's brain and into the receiver and the change began, the plates moved and readjusted to fit their new configuration. The minimized tech around the suit turned on or off depending on their need and soon a fully operational Volt was ready.
"New one for this huh?" asked Shepard with humor
"Indeed" nodded Marc
Marc went through a few motions with his arms to test that the joints had adjust properly. Happy with the end result he turned towards the platform leading towards the colony and his eyes landed on the strange man that ends up getting killed by a Geth.
Leaning slightly to the left he caught sight of the Geth standing at the end of the railing. Two swift steps found him in front of the greeter, a quick grab and pull found the same man unconscious from his head hitting the ground too hard.
"Geth!" yelled Marc
As soon as word left his mouth Marc lifted his Nikana up and used the scabbard to deflect three bullets and dive into cover. Everyone else followed suit and dived for cover and began firing at the Geth. Marc had swapped over to his Vasto pistol and only went out to take pot shots.
A loud bang echoed around them as Garrus sniper shot true and a Geth hit the ground with a hole in through the flashlight. Another two Geth was taken out when Liara managed to strike both with two quick biotic lifts in succession; this left them as easy targets for Ashley and Shepard. Two Geth remained; one was destroyed when Liara pulled it over the edge with her biotics. The last one was taken out by Marc whom had snuck up towards the geth while the others provided covering fire; he quickly came within range of the Geth. The Nikana flew through the air and made clean contact with the metal of the Geth, the same metal soon gave into the sheer force behind the blow, torso and bottom was separated and the fight was over.
Everyone gathered back at the unconscious guy whom Marc had knocked out earlier by throwing with him. It took a few minutes but he awoke and quickly regained his bearings. Luckily a minor headache was all he had to show for the fall.
"Are you alright?" asked Ashley
"Yes I am fine" answered the man
"Why were you down here anyway?" asked Garrus
"Fai-Dan sent me here to greet you, he wants to see you as soon as you get to the colony" replied the man
"Alright, you stay here and relax for a few moments while we see if there is more Geth ahead" said Shepard
The man nodded and the team all began making their way towards the stairs. The first bit held no problems but once they turned the third corner a sound alerted them to something above them. Up above was three Geth Stalkers sitting on the walls. They were awfully close, a thing that didn't pass Marc by. As everyone raised their weapons in preparation for the fight, but Marc only leveled his hand at the Geth and lifted his palm so it pointed towards the nearest Geth Stalker.
A bolt of lightning shot forward from his hand and made quick contact with its target. Like with a real lightning bolt the sound didn't arrive before a second later, but the thundering noise it created was enough to make Garrus vision blur as his enhanced hearing took the brunt of it. A sizzling noise was heard as the Geth Stalker cooked and then without warning the bolt of lightning jumped to its next target. From there it cooked another Geth Stalker before it made its final leap and roasted the last Stalker.
A low whistle came from more than one of the other people present "That was… interesting… Why didn't you use that back on Therum? Would have helped a lot" it was Shepard who spoke first
"The Volt is useful in closed off spaces since it usually guarantees that your targets are standing close together, thus ensuring the lightning can jump freely between targets. It is also in closed quarters that most of the Volt's abilities are most efficient, the only problem is that the Volt is not as durable as the Excalibur is used on Therum" was Marc's explanation
"Oh… so that armor of yours becomes stronger or weaker depending on the form? Isn't it the same material taking a different shape?" asked Shepard a little confused
"In a sense, yes. But each Warframe also has its own components and particular quirks that require it to be of certain strength. The Volt is among the weakest of Warframes and cannot withstand much punishment; in turn it can however inflict horrible damage to anything caught by its lightning"
"Useful" was Shepards only comment
She received a nod in response before everyone began walking up the stairs once more. Once at the end they came to the entrance of the colony, the place looked just as dreary as Marc remembered. They had barely taken two steps forward before every single health alarm that was inside Marc's suit went off like New Year's Eve. Without showing any outward signs of distress he signaled to Shepard with his hand that they needed to move backwards, back into the stairwell.
The entire group made a u turn and soon found them back halfway down the stairwell. Everyone had a curious glance on their faces except for Shepard whose was one of worry. Had anyone been able to see Marc's face they would have seen the now very clear anger.
"Okay we made it back down here Echo. Why did you signal for that retreat?" asked Shepard
A low hissing sound was heard as Echo's mask opened at the back and slowly began retreating into what seemed to be his spinal area. When his entire pale face was revealed it took everyone present by surprise. His face seemed calm and collected and yet if you looked into his eyes there was nothing but a blazing inferno.
"As soon as we stepped into that colony every single health alarm in my suit went off. Something is in the air inside the colony and whatever it is, Eva deemed it dangerous enough even for me to demand a complete sealing of my suit" came Echo's dark reply
"What did you find?" asked Shepard in a stern tone
A few moments passed by as it seemed like Echo was getting information directly downloaded into his brain. In truth he was simply recalling everything he knew about the Thorian.
"The spores in the air, when inhaled, will slowly take over the mind of the inhaler. Continued exposure will eventually turn you into a slave. The only being in known existence to be able to release these spores is a large sentient plant known as the Thorian" explained Echo
"Thorian? What's a Thorian?" asked Ashley
Echo leveled his stare at her and kept it there until she seemed to shrink down a little and muttered "sorry" for her interruption. It did amuse Echo slightly how easily she seemed to cower under his stare but it didn't surprise him really, he did have almost 300 years to perfect it.
"Thorian; A living sentient plant, its size is unknown due to various amounts of time it could have had to grow" began Echo "Known Thorians in existence; 3, not counting the possibility of one being here. A Thorian will release spores into its surroundings that once you have inhaled them over a specific amount of time will render you under the Thorians control, it is not always distinguishable that someone is under the control of a Thorian as it all depends on the level of control. A fully controlled individual will seem closer to a zombie and will have difficulties holding a conversation. A lesser controlled individual can still pass as a regular person and is to be watched extra carefully as the Thorian could potentially order them to take you out. A Thorian is fully capable of distinguishing threats to itself or its surroundings. A Warning, a Thorian that has reached its maturity can absorb an individual and create flesh/plant clone hybrids that inherit the traits of the original, this includes Biotic powers"
Now most of that was complete bullshit and had no basis besides Marc thinking it worked in his favor, he couldn't really say that there was only one Thorian in existence and it was below Zhu's Hope and then just hope that no one would question how he knew. No with the small added details the lie joined with the truth made up for decent fake information.
Garrus had moved over and was now standing up against the wall with wide eyes and a look of utter disbelief on his face. Liara looked intrigued and perhaps a slight bit worried, Ashley was right there next to her looking completely speechless. Shepard was staring at Echo with a hard gaze that spoke volumes about her displeasure over the information and her worry.
"So what you are saying is that there is a who knows how large sentient PLANT capable of MIND CONTROL somewhere in the vicinity of the colony?" asked Garrus clearly agitated
"That would be my best guess yes" replied Echo passively
"Anything we should majorly concerned about?" asked Shepard
"Not really, we won't be here long enough for the spores to take hold and even if the entire colony is under the Thorians control it would still matter little as the colonist are easily dealt with or knocked out. I would however search for the Thorians location should we get the chance, that thing needs to die as soon as possible" replied Echo
"You seem to have a bone to pick with that plant" commented Ashley with curious glance
When Echo leveled his stare at her again Ashley had to suppress a shudder, there was a cold fire raging in those blue eyes and she wasn't sure she wanted to know just why it was there.
"Let's say this won't be my first run in with a Thorian. A warning though, a Thorian will speak to us through a mind controlled subject or clone, when this happens don't mention anything it shouldn't know. I have seen firsthand what a mind controlled army can do with the right information" replied Echo in an almost dead tone
"Alright let's get moving again, we have to go see the colony leader" ordered Shepard
Everyone nodded and followed her as she headed back towards the entrance to the colony. Once they had passed the threshold once more Echo's alarms flared again but he quickly shut them down. Everyone was on edge as they each took in the various people they came into contact with, looking for signs of spore infestation. Echo did point out a few people to Shepard that they should keep a close eye on since they looked to be a little too far off into their own worlds to be completely in control.
Once they had passed through the colony they saw Fai-Dan off in the distance, or at least Echo did as he was the only one who knew what Fai-Dan actually looked like. The mentioned man was currently in an animated discussion with Arcelia. As they approached it was easy enough to figure out they were debating whatever or not it was worth having Commander Shepard around to help them. In Echo's mind it as a pointless debate. When Fai-Dan saw them approach he smiled thankfully
"Ah Commander Shepard thank god you are finally here, I don't know how much longer we would have survived" said Fai Dan
Shaking the man's hand, Shepard gave a smile of her own "Sorry we couldn't get here earlier. What is the situation?" asked Shepard
"Not good commander the Geth seem to be coming out of the tower whenever we have just recovered from the latest attack and no matter how hard I try I can't seem to find a reason for them to attack us" replied Fai Dan
'Because Saren want's the Thorian below your colony to be killed before it can give the Cipher to Shepard' commented Echo in his mind as he saw the first Geth emerge from the tower up ahead. Not bother with alerting anyone he withdrew his Vasto and fired off two shots that impacted the Geth's shields and pierced through, destroying its head.
Everyone seemed to scramble madly after those two shots rang out and everyone dived for cover and aimed the weapons towards the entrance to the tower. Soon enough two Geth became visible and began firing into the colony. The only one who wasn't moving was Echo as he stood his ground and waited for everyone to gun them down. A loud bang sounded as Garrus dropped one and a rather sickening crunch was heard as Liara lifted the other Geth up into the frame of the tower smashing its exposed back.
The sound of retreating Geth became apparent from the stairs and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief except for the Normandy ground team.
"Three Geth and they retreat?" piped Ashley
"They just registered the presence of four heavily armed individuals which is known to have interrupted their mission on Therum as well as recognizing the Commander from Eden Prime. They retreated because they realized that fighting us while coming through that doorway won't win them any battles" replied Echo
"Do you think they will return?" Asked Shepard
"Not until we leave the colony. Until then they will most likely await further instructions" answered Echo
"So do we go after them or what?" asked Garrus from his sitting place on a crate
"For now we better clear the tower of any remaining Geth that at least should buy some more time" replied Shepard
Garrus stood up from his crate and smiled as he drew his sniper again. Ashley had never put her rifle away so she was ready to move out and Liara had already proven she really didn't need a weapon to be lethal. Everyone followed Shepard into the tower and began their ascension which wasn't met with any resistance until they reached a rather long corridor.
They took two steps out before they came under fire from Geth, everyone ducked back into the stairwell except for Echo who had a mad smile on his face as he stared down the gunfire. Clapping his hands together Echo began gathering energy in the center of his hands and waited for a few moments until it reached a sufficient point. In one grand gesture he separated his arms and held them outstretched towards the walls which caused a shimmering shield of electric energy to erupt in front of him.
"Get out here and shoot them while I hold the shield, go!" yelled Echo
Trusting their comrade everyone came back out of the staircase and began shooting through the shield, no one noticed how a minor amount of electricity was sticking to each bullet as it passed through the shield. Everyone did however notice said bullets slam into the Geth sending violent sparks flying everywhere. It was equally so a wonder to witness the Geth's bullets impact the shield and then seemingly vanish, the few that made it through dropped to the floor on the opposite side of the shield.
With one last shot Shepard destroyed the final Geth, in response Echo dropped his shield and looked at the HUD inside his helmet, he was down to 25% energy after that little shield stunt he needed to be more careful with his energy use for the rest of the mission.
"You know I feel inclined to ask you if you wouldn't happen to have the last four elements in your arsenal as well" joked Ashley
"Counting this one I have Lightning, Fire, Wind and Water in various Warframes but I don't have one that controls earth" replied Echo with a smirk under his helmet
One couldn't be faulted for thinking they heard a cricket chirp with the silence that was hanging in the air. It started as a snicker, then it turned louder and louder until a loud burst of laughter broke that silence as Shepard couldn't keep a straight face any longer. Garrus gave a low chuckle as he was familiar with the human ideology of the five elements. Poor Liara was looking so incredibly confused; she knew what those five elements were but completely missed the joke. Ashley huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest
"Well it isn't funny when can actually answer to the joke…" she muttered
"And here I thought it would have been quite obvious that I most likely would have had the other elements under my control, perhaps I wasn't obvious enough?" quipped Echo
"When are you ever obvious?" asked Garrus to himself more so than anyone else
Echo gave a shrug in response. When Shepard finally got herself back under control she quickly directed everyone through the last bit of the tower, they managed to find a rather large contingent of Geth that was dealt with rather quickly due to Liara managing to land a rather quick singularity in their midst allowing the team to blast them all to hell before they reacted.
The sound of multiple clamps releasing could be heard and soon enough they saw a Geth dropship depart from the tower. Everyone gave a sigh of relief as that should at least stunt the amount of attacks on Zhu's Hope. On the way back Echo kept glancing towards the stairs and upper parts of the tower… it might have been over 300 years ago but one particular insanity play through made him eternally paranoid towards Geth Stalkers, real or otherwise…
'I have got to stop comparing this to the game before it comes back and bites me in the ass…' the thought had barely crossed Echo's mind before a small sound reached his ears from above and on pure reflex he drew his Vasto and planted three bullets into the flashlight of the Geth Stalker above them. It landed with a loud thump in front of Shepard who turned towards Echo with an amused grin
"A bit twitchy aren't you?" she said grinning
"Let's just say I had an unfortunate run in with those in the past…" was Echo's cryptic answer
Shepard shrugged it off with a smile and led them all down through the last bit of the tower an out into the colony once more where Fai Dan was currently talking to one of the colonists. As they approached bits of the conversation became audible, mostly the part about them soon running out of food. 'Shepard is without a doubt going to help these people… I guess that means a little trip down into the tunnels for us… hurray'
As the team got closer they were eventually seen by Fai Dan who turned to them with a smile
"I take it the tower is now secure commander?" asked Fai Dan to which Shepard gave a nod "Thank you hopefully that will keep them off for a while"
"Not for long, they will be back they always come back…" muttered Arcelia from his side
"Don't mention it, now we just need to find out what they are after and then perhaps we can ensure you all stay safe" said Shepard with a smile
Fai Dan twitched ever so slightly which wasn't missed by Echo "We sadly don't know what they are after but their main headquarters are in the Exo-Geni tower that would be the best place to start looking" said Fai Dan
Shepard gave a nod "Sounds good to me. What was that we heard before about you running out of food?"
Fai Dan gave a small sigh as he ran his hand through his very thin hair "We are running low on food supplies and we could supplement it with Varren meat but we can't hunt them due to a large Alpha Varren down in the tunnels, if we could find a way to deal with that Alpha then we could hunt safely"
Shepard thought it over for a second before she turned to her team and looked at them. Garrus, Liara and Ashley all three nodded while Echo was shaking his head slightly. Not one to turn down helping someone else Shepard turned back around with a smile
"We could deal with that Varren for you if it helps your colony" said Shepard
A glimmer of hope came to Fai Dan's eyes as he looked at the Commander
"That would be amazing Commander" said Fai Dan
"Anything else while we are down there?" asked Shepard which caused Echo to groan in annoyance under his helmet
"Well… there is a set of Water valves down in the tunnels that supply us with fresh water but they have been turned off by the Geth, we are also in need of some new power cells but I have no idea where to get those" Fai Dan said a little snakingly
Shepard put a hand on his shoulder and grinned "Don't worry about it, we will keep an eye out while we are down there"
Fai Dan nodded and thanked the team before they set out towards the tunnels.
Inside the tunnels the team soon came upon the first water valve which Garrus activated and the team moved on until they encountered the first contingent of Geth inside the tunnels.
Everyone quickly dived for cover and began firing back. Ashley nailed one Geth in the throat making the thing collapse on itself. Liara used her Biotics to slam on into the wall… and then into another Geth sending them both over the railing. Shepard herself downed the last remaining geth with a few well-placed shots from her assault rifle.
"There are geth down in these tunnels? Fai Dan didn't mention that part" mumbled Ashley
"Be that as it may we might as well deal with them while we are down here" said Shepard
"I'm picking up a transmitter somewhere down here in the tunnels, I guess that is what is ensuring the geth keep attacking the colony" said Echo from the side
"Then let's get too it. Ash and Liara you two go see if you can deal with the Varren problem, Garrus and Echo you are with me to destroy that transmitter we will try and find the remaining water valves as well" ordered Shepard which caused a chorus of "Yes ma'am" from everyone but Echo who only nodded
They walked a little further forward until the path split and Echo directed Shepard and Garrus towards the transmitters signal while Liara and Ashley continued forward.
Shepard, Garrus and Echo came to a door and were stopped when Echo lifted his fist in a stop sign. He could feel two Krogan on the other side of the door, the odds of Geth being there were big.
Dropping his fist Echo slammed the door opening it and at the same time Shepard and Garrus ran inside with their guns blazing, catching the two Krogan off guard which allowed them a few good shots. Echo was the last one in as he drew his Nikana and went up close to the left Krogan slicing through his left leg before pivoting around his body and holding up using him to block the shotgun blast from the other Krogan.
The shotgun blast finished what Echo had started and soon enough the combined fire from Garrus and Shepard brought down the remaining Krogan and the three could see the transmitter standing at the end of the room.
"So this is what has been causing the colony so much trouble? Let's destroy the thing and go find Ash and Liara" said Shepard
Garrus nodded before approaching and planting an explosive on the side of it. The team of three left the room and Garrus pressed the detonator, causing the ground to shake slightly from the force of the blast. On their way to find their last two team mates they came across one more water valve.
The sound of gunfire became prominent and the three sped forward towards the sound. Echo already knew what they would be facing and upon entering the familiar room he instantly spun around to grab a Varren that had apparently been waiting to pounce on anything to come through the door.
While Echo was busy wrestling with the Varren Shepard and Garrus quickly found Ashley who was firing at and dodging the large amount of Varren that kept advancing on them. Liara was keeping most of them back with a few well-placed biotic throws but it was obvious she couldn't keep it up for much longer.
"Great timing skipper! We could really use a hand here!" yelled Ashley
Shepard and Garrus opened fire immediately and began clearing the Varren. Down on the floor Echo had finally managed to grab the Varren by its mouth and was in the rather gruesome process of ripping the poor animal apart.
It was as if all sound ceased when the sick sound of flesh and bone being ripped apart sounded around the room. Shepard spared the slight a glance and actually felt slightly sick at the sight of Echo's blood covered armor as he held the two pieces of varren in each of his hands.
A large roar sounded as the Alpha Varren finally joined the fray, fully intend on destroying what it perceived as the biggest threat. Namely the being that had just ripped apart its mate!
As if in a trance Echo dodged to the side of the leaping Varren and grabbed it by its hind legs, using his enhanced strength to swing the large Varren back around and over his head slamming it down into the ground stunning it long enough for Garrus to plant a bullet directly into one of its eyes, ending its life.
The rest of the Varren began dying off as they were assaulted from all sides and soon all there was left was a lot of silence. Shepard walked up to Echo who hadn't moved since he threw the Varren over his head and saw its eye explode along with its skull.
"You alright there Marc?" she asked
The sound of her voice shook Echo from his state and his helmet disengaged as he stared down into her green eyes. Shepard felt something run along her spine as their eyes locked and she had the sudden urge to lean forward ever so slightly. The moment however passed when Echo gave a weak smile
"Yeah I'm alright; getting jumped like that just brought back an unpleasant memory"
And it had, that wasn't the first time had had killed in that manner, one of his trips to one of the more forest filled planets had seen him fight off a beast that reminded him a lot of a large dog. He had lost both his weapons in the struggle and had to resort to ripping the poor animal apart… he had felt sick for about a week following the event.
While the two had been talking Garrus had been inspecting the broken Mako in the room and had reported with a smile that it still had a few functioning power cells that should keep the colony going for a little while.
The team left the room and managed to find the last water valve a little further ahead. One thing however was bugging Echo, where was the half crazy person you usually find standing around down here? He didn't like it when things deviated from his knowledge but by now he should have gotten used to it.
The team returned to the colony and headed straight for Fai Dan whom was standing in deep discussion with one of the other colonist about what sounded like lodging issues… well at least that is something Shepard can't help them with.
"Fai Dan" called Shepard
The man in question turned and smiled as he excused himself from his debate and walked us in meeting
"Hello again Commander, I take it you were successful?" he asked
"We managed to kill the Alpha Varren and a lot of other smaller Varren; if you are quick you should be able to scavenge a great deal of meat before it goes bad. We also got the water back on as well as found a few power cells" said Shepard with a friendly smile
You could almost see a few years drop off Fai Dan along with most of his worries with the smile he had plastered on his face "Oh thank god. I can't thank you enough Commander, I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't come along"
"Don't mention it; I'm only happy to help. Now if you will have us excused we will be heading towards the Exo-Geni tower" said Shepard
Fai Dan nodded and directed us to the elevator in the tower that would take us up to the garage and informed us that there should be a functioning Mako there ready to leave. Shepard thanked him and lead her team towards the elevator.
Once in the garage the team did indeed find a Mako and after a quick once over by Garrus he deemed it ready for the short trip across the skyway, hopefully they wouldn't face anything major, though Echo knew that it was an exercise in futility to hope that.
The garage door opened to reveal a long line of Geth standing across the skyway. Garrus was sitting in the gunner seat and began mowing them down one by one as they progressed further and further ahead. About halfway across a giant wall shot up through the floor of the skyway forcing Shepard to slam the breaks
"What the hell?!" she yelled
Echo was much of the same mind, that wall certainly wasn't there the last time he had played the games, so something was definitely wrong here.
"Anyone see a control tower?" asked Shepard
"There is an entrance into the skyway over there Shepard, I think that might be where the controls are" replied Garrus
"Alright, everyone out!" ordered Shepard
The team shuffled out of the Mako and approached the entrance, Echo peeked inside only to pull his head back with neck breaking speed when a sniper round impacted with his shield, depleting them.
"Snipers…" he muttered to the team.
Everyone got ready and soon enough the entire team ran inside and fired down the corridor, forcing the Geth to retreat into cover allowing the team time to do the same. Luckily due to their larger numbers the team quickly dealt with the two geth Snipers stationed to operate the wall outside. One fell to Garrus perfect aim while the other got blown apart by a grenade from Ashley.
The controls where in the middle of the corridor and if you looked out the window you were staring directly into the wall. Garrus began working on it while everyone kept themselves ready.
"Shepard" said Echo which caught her attention "I will go check ahead for a potential trap behind the wall when it drops"
Shepard nodded once "Alright. Ash stay here and guard Garrus, Liara you come back with me and get ready to enter the Mako"
Once more a chorus of "Yes ma'am" rang out as the team split in their respective directions. Shepard and Liara reached the exit around the same time as Echo reached his. On Echo's side there was thankfully no hidden Geth right behind the wall, he could however spy them further up the skyway so they would have to be ready for a fight instantly.
A loud hissing sound spread across the skyway as the wall dropped. Echo decided to simply run from his exit back to the Mako, hoping that it would draw the attention of the Geth ahead thus giving the team a little more time to get the Mako ready again.
He had barely taken a step out of the corridor before shots rang out from behind him. 'Fuck! How the hell did I forget the upper level?!" yelled Echo in his mind as he began running faster and faster towards the Mako while the Geth kept planting shots at his shield forcing him further and further towards the edge of the skyway.
The team had of course noticed the gunfire instantly and Shepard had ordered Garrus into the Mako and start shooting at any geth he could see. She herself was standing outside firing up at the Geth hoping to draw some of their fire from Echo. It didn't work however as the Geth kept firing after him and only one or two seemed to catch an interest in Shepard and began firing at her instead.
The geth kept firing and seemed almost intent on taking down Echo as if they had been ordered to do it. Echo wasn't surprised if that were the case, Saren always had information about what his geth did and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that some data about him had leaked back to him after the fights Echo had participated in. The team was trying to keep suppression fire going as to allow Echo to reach the Mako again but the geth were hiding behind their energy shields.
A loud whistle sound pierced Echo's ears and he recognized it instantly, he sped up as much as he possibly could but he wasn't moving fast enough. Looking up he could see them, two Armatures were dropping in and would block his approach to the Mako. At his current rate he wouldn't make it to the Mako before they landed… to hell with it all!
"Get in the Mako! We have Armatures incoming!" yelled Echo
Shepard was rooted to the spot and was staring at the running man. The whistling reached its apex and a monstrous crash was heard as the two Armatures impacted with the railway, the force of the blast knocked Shepard back into the Mako but not before she saw something that made her heart stop. Marc being blasted over the side…
"NO!" was all she managed to yell before the guns of the Mako drowned out any other sound. Still staring at the spot she had just seen him. She refused to move, she refused to believe that one of her crew was gone. Repressing the tears Shepard shook her head violently and jumped inside the Mako and jumped into the pilot seat
"Garrus destroy those things! Now!" yelled Shepard from the seat
Garrus obeyed and fired everything the Mako had towards the two Armatures which luckily was enough to get through the first ones shield and blow its head clean off. The others inside the Mako was looking with reservation at Shepard who had a fierce scowl in place
"Shepard, where is Echo?" asked Ashley
"Gone" was her short reply
Had Garrus not been busy ensuring they weren't blasted to pieces he would have been surprised but he would save it for later, right now it was about surviving. Liara on the other hand looked horrified at the thought of the loss of a comrade, sure she hadn't gotten to know Echo that well but she had hoped to. Ashley for her part was completely stunned, she had seen some of the shit Echo was capable of pulling so for her to hear that he was gone it almost seemed surreal to her.
As the second of the Armatures dropped Shepard hit the gas and sent the barreling towards the opposite tower. It surprised no one how she now seemed to be aiming at ramming as many Geth as she possibly could, and not even Garrus faulted her for it right now. Once they were inside the next tower they stopped at a small station that seemed to hold some survivors. Everyone stepped out except for Shepard who was sitting with an angry look on her face. To her it wasn't fair how he had been taken from her, she had only yesterday accepted with herself that they could potentially have something and now, now she would never get the chance to find out.
"Damn it all!" she yelled while slamming her hands down on the panel, cracking some of the softer areas.
With Marc a few seconds after he fell
When you are falling freely through the air and find yourself heading for certain death, most people would probably freak out and scream or something of that nature. For someone like Marc it was almost peaceful to look down at the seemingly endless amount of clouds hanging heavily above Feros. A chuckle escaped his lips as he realized that this was his end.
All the stupid shit he pulled over the years and the neck breaking stunts he performed while serving with the Tenno and now here he was, about to become a spot on the ground. His life didn't flash across his eyes like some would believe; no instead he took in the endless sky of Feros and decided that if he was going to die then he would at least have a nice view.
"Marc… are you not going to attempt to break your fall?" asked Eva
"I don't see the point; I don't have enough energy to do anything. I'm sorry that this is how it is going to end Eva but perhaps it is for the best" said Marc
"I disagree, Marc. I have seen you survive much worse situations than this, I refuse to believe that you don't have some sort of plan to survive" said Eva with conviction
Marc gave a low chuckle before answering "Oh I got a plan alright, question is whatever it is actually going to work. Tell me Eva, is the Zephyr operational?" asked Marc
"The Zephyr is operational and ready. The transformation sequence is however not perfected and I cannot predict the outcome of attempting it" replied Eva
"Heh… I guess now is the time to find out isn't it? Engage Warframe: Zephyr" said Marc into the air
As soon as the verbal command was spoken the frame began to shift and turn in every direction. The male version of the Zephyr was never located so Marc had worked with the rest of the Engineering department to come up with a suitable male design to work with the Alpha-Frame until a male Zephyr could be awoken. A loud crack rang out through the frame as Marc's left arm broke due to a set of transformation disks pushing his arm in two separate directions at once.
A few more painful moments followed as Marc felt various parts of his body get struck or crushed during the transformation. Luckily he came out of it all with only his left arm broken and a few crushed fingers on his right hand.
"Eva, charge up a Tail Wind. Pump as much energy as you can into it, forego the shields as well" ordered Marc
Eva did as instructed and began collecting the energy from every part of the Alpha-Frame and redirecting it towards the one final action that would hopefully save her operator and friend. Marc was looking down towards the ground and soon the ground became visible, or at least the Prothean ruins all around Feros came into vision. Twisting in midair until he was in a standing position Marc slowly prepared himself for the intense pain he would be feeling from the Tail wind braking his fall and causing his body to be put under imminence pressure.
A countdown was running on the inside of his HUD and as it struck '10' the ping that announced the Tail Wind being ready sounded and Marc smiled and spread his legs a little and angled his feet so he wouldn't get his legs ripped apart once the opposing force was expelled. The counter slowly began creeping down
6…
5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
'Now!' yelled Marc inside his mind but nothing happened and he suddenly found himself being very still… so still in fact that he couldn't be moving and he certainly wasn't dead. Unless of course death was green and sphere shaped. Glancing around Marc found himself trapped inside a green sphere of energy that was scarcely reminiscent of the Green Biotics Javik throws around.
"This is… curious" said Marc to no one
"Marc, what is happening?" asked Eva
"I rightly do not know. It's an energy field of some sort and it certainly managed to stop my decent, how it did so without making me feel any backlash I wish I knew" answered Marc in a curious tone
The sphere of energy that he found himself in suddenly began to slowly move towards the ground. When it was what seemed like a few meters above the ground the sphere began flickering before turning off, allowing Marc to land on his feet. A few curious looks around soon revealed the Prothean architecture all around him, only this looked thoroughly more damaged and looted than the ruins on Ilos.
Just as he was about to touch one of the walls a little green orb flashed to life in front of him and began circling him, it emitted a soft light that seemed to run across his entire body which indicated he was being scanned. Soon enough the little orb began bouncing in the air a few times before moving a few meters away and the resumed its bouncing. Marc took this as a sign that he was meant to follow it, so he did.
The little green orb led him around for barely a few minutes before he arrived at a large building where the large door showed clear attempts of people trying to gain entry, it would seem they failed. The little green orb flew towards and then through the door which caused the entire structure to light up green. A loud hissing noise echoed throughout the empty ruins as the ancient doors unsealed and the dusty mechanism came to life once more.
The large door opened up to reveal a lit room with capsules lining the sides of it. Marc recognized it all easily enough, they were Prothean capsules which were supposed to have kept the Protheans alive throughout their extinction but it failed, just like the facility on Ilos. Walking up to one of the pods revealed a great many things, this one actually had a glass top revealing the Prothean inside. It was male and looked a lot like Javik except for a fuller face; the body was remarkably well maintained despite its age. Sadly there was no chance of anyone in here being alive; Marc felt no presence beyond his own inside this large place.
"You have arrived" boomed a voice through the complex, making Marc jump a little as he turned towards its source.
A pillar, or rather a beacon, made its way up through the ground with a loud grinding noise. The entire thing lit up once it was completely out of the floor and soon enough a small green orb appeared in front of it and that little orb began grown and growing. Soon it had taken shape of a Prothean and Marc recognized it as being of the same type as Vendetta on Thessia.
"A Light-Bringer finally walks among us once more" spoke the VI
Marc gave it a curious glance and deactivated his helmet so he could look at it with his own eyes without any filters in his helmet.
"Sorry to tell you, but I am not a "Light-Bringer" whatever that is" said Marc
"I scanned you after I stopped your fall, part of your DNA matches the DNA I have on record of the Light-Bringers" said the VI
"That simply isn't possible; I am a hybrid yes, but as a mix between Human and a race called Tenno. Not a race called "Light-Bringers" if that is even a race" commented Marc
"I was aware of your Human DNA but could not place the other. Tenno… thank you for expanding my database. I was not referring to either of these species; I was referring to the 0.001% of your DNA that matches our Light-Bringers" said the VI
Marc blinked once, then twice and then he stopped moving all together. Something inside his brain decided to shut down at the prospect of him being the mix of THREE species, getting turned into a half Tenno was hard enough to take. He wasn't sure how he would handle being of a third race. When he finally managed to shake himself back he stared at the VI
"How is that possible?" asked Marc
"I do not know. Your DNA make up reads as being 49.507% percent Tenno and 49.492% Human, the last 0.001% matches the Light-Bringers. In truth it is not a surprise that you match their DNA the Light-Bringers are an ancient race, it would not be unfounded for them to have mixed their heritage with that of the Humans. A few Protheans received that honor; they are now sadly all extinct"
"Perhaps it would be better for you to inform me about these… Light-Bringers of yours?" asked Marc
"Certainly. The Light-Bringers is an ancient race of believed humanoids that have mastered intergalactic travel. The means of which they travel between planets were never revealed to the Prothean race. Our records state that it was the Light-Bringers whom first gave the Prothean race the means to achieve intergalactic travel. Our race has worshipped the Light-Bringers in secret since our discovery of the Citadel, in two documented circumstances the Light-Bringers came to us and retrieved a Prothean Champion for a cause unknown to us. Both champions returned and soon after their return both of them withdrew from the military and departed with the Light-Bringers once more, claiming to have seen enough to not wish to witness further bloodshed. The last documented sighting of a Light-Bringer was 78323 years ago when one arrived to retrieve one of the two champions" the VI's voice rang clear through both the facility and Marc's mind.
'That… is a lot more serious than I ever thought it would be. So these Light-Bringers I am apparently descended from brought the Protheans the means to achieve space flight, not a small task but it doesn't make sense either. If this race truly came twice and claimed a champion from the Protheans then one must assume they have been around for a while. Given that the Protheans where the first race of their cycle to achieve space flight, which would implicate that these Light-Bringers were perhaps from the previous cycle but that makes little to no sense either' Marc's thoughts were barreling around inside his head, there was very few things he didn't manage to think about in a very short time frame but there was one thing he was very curious about.
"First off, what do I call you?" asked Marc
"I am called Honor" spoke the VI
"Very well, I must ask you if these Light-Bringers were from the previous cycle?" asked Marc
"Touch the Beacon, Light-Bringer and all will be explained to you" said Honor in response
Looking behind the VI towards the beacon itself Marc did eye it with a bit of caution. He knows what that thing could do to his mind and he really wasn't sure how his mind would react sine he didn't have the cipher. Speaking of the Cipher…
"Oh fuck…" muttered Marc
He had completely forgotten that Shepard had seen him fall off the side! More so they wouldn't know what he was actually alive down here! Quickly brining up his omni-tool he tried to contact Shepard only to realize that he wasn't getting a clear signal down here, something was interfering.
"I will guide you back up to where you fell once we are finished, Light-Bringer. Now touch the beacon so you will know" said Honor
Accepting the words Marc stepped forward and stood in front of the Beacon. It did take a moment for him to actually reach out and touch it with his hand but as soon as he did his entire world went dark.
The darkness soon gave way to a beautiful city with spires seemingly going on forever. Around him the sound of people laughing and talking could be heard, it was in a word, perfect. When he finally got his bearings a little more Marc finally managed to take a closer look at the people of the city. They were all as tall as him, if not slightly taller or shorter. It was simple enough to see the difference between their men and women due to their presence of a bust and distinctively feminine features on some of the people.
These people had bright blue skin matching that of Liara, their eyes were pure white with only a pupil and no iris. From where he stood Marc managed to spot almost every color of the rainbow in their eyes. The hair on these people covered every length imaginable; some had buzz cuts while others had hair reaching down past their knees. They had neither visible ears nor nostrils but a distinct bump was visible on everyone's faces indicating a nose. Now what really fascinated Marc was their mouth, or lack of it, not one person Marc could see had a mouth and yet he could clearly hear laughter and see jaws moving in speaking motions. In all truth these people looked a lot like the Protos from StarCraft but with some slight differences.
Suddenly the brilliant city vanished and screams replaced the laughter, Marc now found himself in a desolate battleground with death all around him. The screams seemed to intensify with each new corpse he saw and each meter he moved. When it was almost too much for him to take the image switched again, now he was standing inside something that resembled a house, he was standing in front of a bed with a woman in it. She was cradling a baby in her arms and was speaking soothing words; next to her was a man with, despite the lack of mouth, a clear smile on his face. The child squirmed a little until its completely white eyes met Marcs for a second.
Once their eyes locked Marc fell to his knees screaming as his mind was assaulted by millions of images scrolling at speeds even his eyes could not comprehend, what few he caught showed death and destruction by the hands of the reapers. When it all stopped Marc stood up once more and looked around, hoping it was now over. A gentle hand touched his shoulder and as he turned he caught sight of a woman of that strange race that he saw moments ago, she was smiling at him and grabbed the sides of his head. Slowly she led their foreheads together and a single word was spoken
"Orokan…"
It was almost a whisper and Marc wasn't even sure he caught it right, he didn't know what it meant but he felt warm inside when he heard it. The woman released her hold on him and smiled at him one last time before her eyes went from clear white to absolute darkness
"Forgive me, Orokan" spoke the woman
Images assaulted Marc anew but this time they were slower and made more sense, he saw the destruction of a race, a government and a galaxy. He saw the fall of a cycle, images of the Citadel with species he couldn't recognize flashed across his mind before many different things were downloaded into his mind. This wasn't a warning like on Eden Prime, this was something else… this was a message.
Everything went quiet as Marc closed to his eyes to escape from the images. When he had gathered enough courage to open them once more he was met with an amazing sight. He was standing in front of the clearest lake he had ever seen; around him was a forest with trees in every color. The wind was blowing gently across the grass making it dance, what he assumed to be birds were singing in the trees. A gentle laugh made him turn around to face the woman he met moments before.
She smiled warmly at him before speaking "Come find me in the place where the darkness could never reach… come find me, Orokan"
And then it was over. With a horrid gasp Marc was once more standing inside the large facility on Feros, the dim light of Honor behind him and the infuriating sight of hundreds of dead Prothean all around him. His body ached as he stood. A smile came to his face as his mind accepted what he had just witnessed and Shepard had gone through something similar?
"Did you find your answers Light-Bringer?"
"I don't know. I saw a race I didn't know; I saw a magnificent city full of life. I saw the destruction of a cycle and the birth of life. That race… were they the Light-Bringers?"
"No. The vision you saw was a message left behind by the last Light-Bringer, she ordered me to keep it safe and that one day someone would come that needed to see it. You have arrived and I have given you the message, my purpose is fulfilled"
"Will you lead me back to the towers now?"
"Yes. Do you wish to find those you were with when you fell?"
"Do you know where they currently are?"
"They are entering the Exo-Geni building at this moment, follow me and I shall show you the old elevator"
Honor slowly fell apart until only the little green orb remained. It then flew out of the complex with Marc following behind it. They walked for a few minutes but eventually stood in front of something that resembled a huge wall. Looking up he couldn't see the end of it no matter how hard he tried.
"Touch the wall Light-Bringer"
Marc did as asked and a small platform came out of the wall. The green orb watched as Marc climbed aboard and a railing shot up and ensured that he couldn't fall over the edge.
"My purpose is fulfilled, I will now join my brothers. I wish you luck Light-Bringer"
"You have done well Honor, thank you"
The little green orb flickered and vanished before the platform Marc stood on shot away up the tower. The platform was moving at incredible speeds and Marc didn't doubt that he would be reaching his goal quickly. He was proven right when a half minute later the platform stoppednext to the garage entrance that led into the Exo-Geni headquarters.
The garage door was wide open and the Mako was visible inside as well. Passing the Mako and through a few doors Marc soon came upon the first few Geth that the team must have taken out, he knew they were out looking for the information and would most likely run across Lizbeth Baynham. Following the trail of Geth and general open/locked doors Marc soon found himself standing in front of the familiar ledge.
Jumping down the ledge Marc quickly spotted the path ahead and recognized it from the games, a little beyond is the segment where you meet with Lizbeth and then fight some warren. Upon entering the room Marc notices that the fight is apparently over or has been for a while, in any case Shepard was currently standing with the team and was clearly talking with Lizbeth.
A lone varren survivor was however slowly creeping up on them and was at mind to jump them and hopefully kill one of them. Shaking his head and relaying what small amount of energy he had left to a Tail Wind, Marc shot forward with his Nikana drawn and poised to strike and as soon as he passed over the varren his blade swung and met its target as the varren's head was quickly separated from its body.
Everyone turned around at once to look at the newcomer who had just shot forward like he had been blown out of a canon. When the person stood up and the rather strange armor became visible there was no doubt in the team's mind whom was standing there, that crazy bastard had survived the fall. Garrus took it in a stride and laughed while shaking his head. Liara was extremely happy that she would still get a chance to learn about him. Ashley was relieved that one of the few good people she had met wasn't lost.
Shepard however wasn't exactly happy, oh sure she was feeling something for him being alive and well. But that something didn't outweigh the anger she was currently feeling over the belief she had once more lost someone close to her. So it was with a controlled stride and a passive face that she stepped up in front of him and stared at his mask before speaking.
"Could you take off your mask, I would like to say this to your face" said Shepard with a stoic expression, betraying nothing
Marc did as instructed and lowered his helmet and gave Shepard a genuinely warm smile, after what he had experienced with Honor he had found new respect for her due to what she had seen with the beacon on Eden Prime. Shepard however was of a split mind to whatever she was meant to punch him or kiss him.
Ohh well… a compromise then, leaning forward slightly while raising herself up Shepard caught Marc's lips with her own and brought her arms around his neck.
A/N: Yes we are ending it there. Cliffhanger? No not really. We will be finishing Feros next time. The reason this chapter was so incredibly delayed was because life decided to rear its ugly head once more. I have moved to a college which was located on the other side of my country, I have been attending for two weeks now and have only recently found a hole in my studies to write.
When will the next update come out? I have no fucking clue anymore, I can only hope I will be able to use my weekends to write. If anything people I wish for you all to know that this story isn't dead, I have hated seeing a lot of my favorite stories die out and resolved with myself that I wouldn't let that happen. I can't promise it will be fast, but Mass Effect: Dimensional Rift will see its ending.
Well that is all for now, the door is down the corridor to the left please leave a review on the way out if you are feeling kind.
-Bundlejumper