Echo's Point of View, Normandy – Shepard's Quarters
Oh it had been a long time since I awoke and wasn't completely clear on where I had ended up the night before. Yet here I find myself waking up and not being completely sure why my bed is about seven levels softer than it should be. My eyes were heavy and didn't really wish to open so I was forced to use my nose to identify my location.
A trace of almonds reached my nostrils and as if by reflex my eyes opened to the sight of a mop of dark hair that made it quite easy to discern my location. How one forgets you have gotten into bed with a woman I will never understand, how I forgot I went to bed with Shepard will forever haunt me.
A warmth was nested against my chest and I can't for the life of me remember when the last time was that I awoke with my arm in this state, that is, completely asleep and crushed.
My head was pounding something so fierce and yet I found myself caring none. I did take a little time to adjust to waking up about six hours too early from my sleep cycle but beyond that I feel better than I have in a long time.
It was with practiced motion that I slid my arm out from under Sarah and freed myself from our entanglement. Sadly it seems Sarah's reflexes are equally good when she is asleep because she flipped around and grabbed my arm to pull me down almost as soon as I had gotten free.
I felt a chuckle escape me as I leaned down and kissed her forehead which seemed to move her focus just long enough for me to free myself from her grip once more. She really is a lot like Sivra in that regard, hates to sleep alone… and won't let you go until she wakes up.
I felt my bones give a crack as I stretched and smiled as the usual sense of relief accompanied the sound. I took a quick walk to the bathroom where I more or less got one thing confirmed. The captain of the Normandy has a really luxurious bathroom compared to the one the crew uses. I needed to find a towel but stopped when my face passed by the mirror.
I didn't recognize the man that was looking back at me; there were a few reasons for this. The first and most prominent was that he looked happy, I hadn't been happy in years so to look upon myself with a genuine smile on my face was a refreshing feeling. Another reason was perhaps the fact that my eyes were no longer the dark blue it used to be. They had turned grey with a trace of gold.
I shrugged and ignored it simply because there were so many other things that had happened to my body over the years, so I figured this was simply a delayed change from the operation. I finally found a towel and stepped into the shower and let out a relieved sigh as the warm water loosened my tired muscles.
It didn't take long to dry off and then a slightly different problem struck my mind. I didn't bring my clothes with me in here. Not that I mind being seen naked or anything but right here I guess it's more a case of consideration of others.
As if on cue the door opened and Sarah walked in. She looked quite tired but her eyes quickly opened when she realized I was there. Her reaction is something I to this day still find interesting. She simply looked me over before grinning at me and dropping her own clothes and then strutting into the shower and began her own morning routine.
"… I guess we both just saved a lot of time there" I muttered as I rubbed the back of my neck while I left the bathroom.
I got dressed rather quickly and then sat down to wait for Sarah to be ready. We should be heading towards Noveria but according to my omni-tool we were heading for the Citadel.
"'morning"
I looked up at Sarah as she stepped out of the shower with a towel around her body.
"Good Morning" I replied
She went over the closet and pulled out a standard uniform before giving a yawn and got dressed.
"Why are we heading towards the Citadel?" I asked
"Emergency call from the Alliance, we are needed back on the Citadel. It sounded pretty urgent" she replied
I nodded and returned to my reading as she finished getting dressed. If we are heading back to the Citadel because of an emergency call then I am not completely sure about what is going down. This is the problem with making changes to the world, hell, I don't even know if this is the cause of Karick or perhaps this Eric person that Karick needs to find.
"Ready to face the day?" I heard Sarah ask
"For once, yes" I said smiling at her
I followed her out into the cafeteria where we got some food and found a free table and sat down and began to eat. It didn't take long before we had Liara and Ashley join us.
"Morning Ashley, Liara" I said while nodding to each
"Good Morning" was their united reply. We all ate in silence as was the usual now a days. My mind quickly wandered off to a different place. My focus was taking a turn towards some other things, mostly the message I had received down on Feros. Something, someone had left a message to someone like me. Whoever it was I need to find them.
I'll I have to see to that later though, for now it is more important to ensure that we all get through this alive and hopefully follow the events as close as we can. There was other things to consider as well, namely if I needed to save certain people. Virmire is approaching quickly and I have no doubt that I will ensure Wrex's survival. The bigger question is if Sarah decides to save Kaidan will I then go and rescue Ash?
"Marc…. Marc!"
I was shaken out of my thought at Sarah's yell. When I turned to her she had a questioning look in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Sarah, I wasn't paying attention" I said
"I asked if you would happen to have any information on what the Alliance might be calling me for" she said
I shook my head "I have no new information. I mostly keep out of the Alliance business these days. You get it to far too much trouble for me to keep track of it all" I replied
"Amen to that" I heard Ash mumble
"I just hope this isn't Udina needing me for some political bullshit" said Sarah
"Just say no if it is. You are a Spectre now Sarah, contrary to what Udina might have told you, from the moment you were given the position you stopped being "human" and became a "Spectre" you live to serve the Galaxy and nothing more" I said in return
Ashley and Sarah looked at me strangely while Liara was nodding her head. She knew that Spectres, though usually siding with their own species in most matters, was in fact not considered to be of one species. Once you become a spectre you give up being of a species and become solely a Spectre that serves every species equally.
"I don't remember being told that when they gave me the job" mumbled Sarah
"Because it's not exactly a written rule. The Specters were originally designed for that purpose but over time it changed since more and more Specters became corrupt or started seeking personal gain. Very few true Spectres have been around for a long time" said Echo in response
"He is right, Commander. Take Ishirah T'Zerev, though she was Asari she judged every case fairly and would not hesitate to punish or accuse Asari should they be involved. Though many tried to find a fault or a case where she might have wrongly accused another species, it never happened" said Liara
Ashley gave out a low whistle that sounded almost like a dog whistle to me, damn sensitive hearing.
"I remember reading about her. Though she fell of the face of the galaxy a few years ago" said Ashley
Liara nodded "She is dead, unfortunately. The reason you might not have heard about it is due to her suspected involvement with the Ghost of Thessia" replied Liara
I saw both Sarah and Ashley still at the mention of that name, naturally it made me curious.
"Who is the Ghost of Thessia?" I asked
Both Ash and Sarah looked at me like I was crazy, at least until Sarah remembered what I told her yesterday.
"I forgot you aren't that up to date. The Ghost of Thessia is…was… a soldier that served the Asari military for a long time. His total kill count was never confirmed but from the combined information of the other species it is known that he has killed at least 250,000 people" began Sarah
"Then some 20-30 years ago he suddenly vanished. The Asari military claimed he was dead, killed in action, but none of the other species believed it at the time. He never showed up again and eventually became a legend. And you say Ishirah might have been connected to him?" finished Ashley
"You keep referring to this Ghost as he, I though the Asari was an all-female race?" I asked
Liara nodded her head "We are. Well technically we are mono-gendered and don't identify as either male or female…" the collective groans of all three of us made her go on "But Ghost wasn't Asari, no one except for Asari High Command knows exactly what race he is and how long he has been alive. That is also what made Ishirah so feared, she was often seen on missions with Ghost and eventually it was rumored that the two was in a relationship so seeing one usually meant the other wasn't far away. You can of course understand just what sort fear people felt at the thought of those two being involved in any way" finished Liara
"Incredible. But I am curious, how is her relation to Ghost cause for her own death to be hidden?" I asked
"Because the Asari are trying to wash their hands of Ghost, in recent years they have been claiming that Ghost never actually served the Asari and that they have no connection to him aside from Ishirah. Odd how that can be since Ghost never killed any Asari" said Sarah
"Sounds like a person I would like to meet" I replied
"Why am I not surprised" muttered Sarah next to me
I just laughed before standing up and putting away my dishes, I then made my way back down towards my ship. I had a few more things to work on before we arrived on the Citadel.
Third Person point of View, Arriving at the Citadel
Marc had spent most of the trip back towards the Citadel in his ship fixing the holes that had been made in the Alpha-Frame. More than a few choice swear words had made its way out of the ship and even Wrex had to admit that Marc had a colorful vocabulary.
Apparently the holes made by Geth Shotgun shells are a lot more difficult to remove than just any other bullet hole. Had anyone been listening they would even have heard Marc mutter something about how "they should have advertised how annoying their bullets are in the games" not that anyone would have understood.
"Echo, we are docking, the team is meeting outside"
Shepard's voice rang over his Omni-tool. Other than a simple grunt of annoyance Marc didn't reply, he none the less rose up and made his way up to the top level and out of the Normandy to meet the rest of the team. Outside everyone was indeed gathered and only Echo had been missing, so when he got there Shepard could finally start.
"Okay everyone this is a short stay. Ash and Kaidan, you two are coming with me to see just what Udina wants, the rest of you can go resupply or catch up with someone quickly. I'll recall you all once we know what is going on. Dismissed"
Everyone nodded and the few military people answered with a "Yes Ma'am" and then everyone went their separate ways. Echo himself made his way down to the presidium where he planned to walk around until called, he needed the fresh air. Though after a few minutes of walking he noticed he was being followed, and not very professionally either. Ducking into an ally he waited for his follower to reveal himself. It was a human who stepped into the ally and Echo instantly knew that something wasn't right; this guy seemed to be completely gone. A thing further confirmed by the faraway look in his eyes and almost dead walking. The thing that allowed Echo to know exactly who he was standing in front of was however the fact that when he tried sensing the presence of the man in front of him he didn't get one signal, but two.
"So… you finally found me" said Echo
"How did you find us?" asked the human in a strangely deep tone
"Doesn't matter" replied Echo
"How did you find us?" repeated the human
"It doesn't matter" Echo repeated
"How did you find us?"
Echo repeated his answer and the human repeated his question, this went on for a good five minutes before Echo grew annoyed.
"Clearly you aren't the one fully in control. Listen, either you speak to me directly or problems will arise"
"You dare threaten us?!" yelled the human
'There you are' though Echo with a grin
"I made no threat. I wish to speak with you, as simple as that" replied Echo
"We do not need to speak with a lower life form" said the human
"Think that if you will. Remember that I know your location, and I am not above letting the Reapers know you are still alive" said Echo now slightly angry
"What is your question?" asked the human
"I will not speak it here. I know what planet you are on, I will come to you and we can speak face to face" replied Marc as he began walking away
"We will be waiting" replied the human before a gunshot rang out through the ally. The human dropped to the ground with a hole in his head and Echo kept walking with his Vasto once more hidden away. 'You might be expecting me but you won't ever be ready' thought Echo to himself as he began making his way back towards the Normandy.
On his way there one familiar presence kept following him around. Now he was almost perfectly sure that Karick would have told his "best" student to not get caught when following someone. Credit where credit is due it did take Echo a little while to notice her without looking for her presence but he still found her, thus she failed.
Ducking around a corner and stopping Echo stood and waited. Marie came rushing past in attempt not to lose her mark only to get tripped when a leg suddenly was in front of her own. Echo let out a low sigh as he looked down at his friend's student; she was looking mighty pathetic down there.
"Need a hand getting up?" asked Echo
She grumbled something he didn't understand before standing up and turning towards him with a bit of a glare.
"Fight me" she said
"Excuse me?" replied Echo
"I want you to fight me, for real" she demanded
Echo raised an eyebrow at the girl "Why? If I might ask"
"I wish to see how much closer I am to my master" was her answer
Echo shook his head once before his fist became a blur and Marie's chest collapsed as her sternum broke across between her third and fourth ribs. The pain was so intense that her mind blacked out and she crumbled to the floor leaving a sighing Echo behind.
"Why do the young ones always do this?" he mumbled to himself as he picked her up and leaned her against the wall before opening his omni-tool and calling Karick
"Hey Echo, need something?" asked Karick
"Yeah, I need you to come pick up your unconscious student. Her sternum is broken between the third and fourth ribs. She wanted to see how close she was to her master. Said Master apparently haven't beaten the living snot out of her enough yet" replied Echo
A heavy sigh came from the other end of the call "Send me your location and I'll be there as soon as I can"
Echo closed the call and sent the information and then sat down to wait for either Marie to wake up, or Karick to arrive. As it turned out Marie beat Karick to the punch and awoke a few minutes later.
"I wouldn't move if I were you" said Echo once Marie was awake enough to register it.
"What happened?" she asked between bouts of pain
"You asked for my best and I showed you about half of that. Don't ever think you will reach mine or Karick's level. We are leagues and worlds above you" said Echo
"How… how did you become so strong?" she asked
"I trained every day of my life and never stopped. Karick has been at this even longer than me" replied Echo
"So I will never reach you?"
"No"
She looked down in defeat. Echo knew that it was harsh but it was the truth and she damn well needed it. No good would come of her attempting to reach his or Karick's level; she would end up destroying her body in that endless pursuit.
A few minutes of silence passed by before Karick came running towards the pair. When he arrived he looked over Marie for a few seconds before sighing and then pinching her in the neck at a pressure point that made her fall unconscious again.
"Sorry for this" said Karick
"Don't be. She wants to be strong, we respect that" replied Echo
Karick nodded but stopped mid motion when he noticed the eyes of his friend.
"Your eyes…" began Karick
"Yeah they changed. Woke up this morning and they were like this" said Echo
"Do you know what it signifies?" asked Karick
"No, not really" replied Echo
"When your eyes begin their transition to gold it means you are moving into the middle stage of your life. Did you ever look into the eyes of one of the council members?"
Echo shook his head "No. I never even spoke to them. So my eyes are turning gold because I am entering the middle part of my life?"
Karick nodded "Yes. They turn golden when you enter the middle stage of your life and then turn completely white when you enter the last stage of your life. Usually when someone has white eyes they will die within 200 years or so"
Echo's eyes widened slightly, but it matched up pretty well with the age Alcor had guessed at, if Echo was going to live to somewhere around a thousand then he should be entering the middle stage of his life somewhere around 350 and above, which was now.
"Then what about my brother, Arck? He was over a thousand and yet his eyes were still blue" asked Echo
Karick shrugged "Some of you live extremely long. If your brother hasn't already gotten golden eyes then I my best guess would be that he gets them within them quite soon"
"That just goes to show that there is a ton of things I still don't know about the Tenno" said Echo
"There is always more to learn. I will be seeing you my friend, best I get her some treatment before any of the damage becomes permanent" said Karick with a wave
Echo waved back as he watched his friend walk away with his student slung over his shoulder. He seemed very comfortable with the way he was holding her, probably wasn't the first time he had to haul her ass back to their base after a severe beating. With a chuckle Echo began his walk back towards the Normandy.
He was once again interrupted when he turned a corner and suddenly felt a shoulder impact with his own sending both him, and the owner of the opposing shoulder, spinning. Echo barely managed to catch himself and the other person, keeping them both up.
"Fuck, sorry about that mate" said the stranger
Echo looked up and into the strangers eyes and was met with a pair of deep purple irises that actually made him recoil slightly, something about those eyes wasn't right.
"Don't worry about it, I didn't see where I was going" replied Echo with a shake of his head
"Yeah well neither did I. We are both at fault here so let us leave it at that. Good day to you mate" said the stranger before turning and walking away from Echo
Echo just shook his head a little at the stranger. He had been in one hell of a hurry 'He must have a very minor presence for me not to notice him coming around the corner at such a speed' deciding to check Echo tried to feel out towards the area the stranger should be in. When he felt nothing he turned around and stared at the retreating back of the stranger and then tried again… still nothing… 'Impossible…' thought Echo as his legs began carrying him after the stranger.
The stranger went to various stores and talked to a lot of people over the course of a few hours and no matter where they went or how secluded it was, Echo could never sense the strangers presence. As they hit one of the worst parts of the Wards Echo began thinking this was a futile chase and that he wouldn't learn anything. He followed the stranger around a corner…
*SLAM*
A fist collided with his chest and Echo was sent flying back into the opposing wall. Standing there looking down at him was the stranger he had been following and he didn't look happy.
"Who are you and why are you following me?" asked the Stranger
Echo wanted to reply but he was currently attempting to regain his breath after having it knocked out him. Some coughing and wheezing later and he could finally form some sort of sentence.
"You seemed suspicious after we bumped into each other so I followed you" he said
"Then I highly suggest you stop now, or there will be consequences" said the stranger
Echo had stood up while they spoke and was about to answer when his eyes locked with the strangers again. He couldn't move… something about that man's eyes was definently not right. They were… empty… devoid of all forms of restraint and mercy, and yet there was a strange calm and control there.
He knew these kinds of eyes; he had looked into more than his share like it many times. This man had killed… no… killed can't fully encompass the massacres that this man must have committed to become like this.
"How many?..." croaked Echo
The stranger raised an eyebrow in confusion "How many what?" he asked irritated
"How many have you killed? How many had to give their life for you to become as hollow as you have?" asked Echo in a solemn and defeated tone
The stranger's anger dissipated at his words and he finally took in his follower. The man was pale and tall but nothing else made him especially unique. That is expect for his eyes… he had the same eyes as himself, empty and void of all sense of good and wrong. 'So… this one has gone through the same…' he thought to himself as he straightened and turned around and began walking away
"Too many…" was his parting reply
Echo watched as the man turned a corner and disappeared and with him gone, Echo finally calmed and allowed himself to move. How long had it been since he had been scared? Since he had felt the cold grip of fear around his heart, clenching it until his breath stopped? Who in the hell was this man?
*PING* *PING* *PING*
"Echo responding" he said into his omni-tool
"Marc I need you back here on the Normandy right now! We finished with the briefing and some Batarian extremists are going to smash a meteor into a planet!" came Sarah's yelling voice over the omni-tool
"On my way"
All sense of keeping up appearances Echo speed towards the Normandy at an alarming speed, scaring multiple passerby's as a pale blur appeared in their peripheral vision for a split second before it was gone again.
'This is really shitty timing. I know nothing about the Bring down the Sky missions, I never took the time to play them!' turning a corner Echo had to vault over two humans making out, scaring the living shit out of them. 'I can't accompany them on those missions. I need to go see the Leviathans now before it is too late; Sarah's on her own this time'
Echo's thoughts finished just as he entered the elevator heading up to the Normandy dock.
"Eva; Command Override, increase elevator speed by 200%. Safety restrictions; None"
"Commencing Override"
The elevator tripled in speed, Echo still felt it was too slow but any faster and he risked blasting the elevator cart out of the top when he got there. The emergency brakes slammed down to ensure that there elevator actually managed to stop in front of the correct door, which also alerted C-Sec to the problem.
Echo darted from the elevator and bypassed the Normandy decontamination to head straight into the briefing room. Everyone was already gathered there and all them looked like this was serious.
"Finally decided to show did you?" grunted Kaidan
"Shut it Kaidan, we don't have the time" growled Shepard
Taking the hint Echo quickly placed himself against the wall behind Garrus.
"Okay people this one is bad. A few hours ago a ship passing by our colony planet of Terra Nova picked up a distress signal from Asteroid X57. One of the engineers aboard reported that the fusion torches aboard has been reignited and the Asteroid is now heading towards the planet below, according to the engineer it was the Batarians whom attacked and lit the torches. We are on route and should arrive within the hour. Thankfully some security measures activated before the Batarians took control. Had they not activated we would only have around four hours to solve the problem. As it stands we are looking at, from our time of arrival, an estimate of seven hours before the emergency thrusters shut off and the Asteroid is sent hurling towards Terra Nova. Any questions?"
"Why would the Batarians do this now?" asked Ashley
"We don't know. The Hegemony is denying all involvement and is claiming it is a terrorist cell conducting the assault" replied Shepard
"How long until we are at the Mass Relay?" asked Echo
"Another twenty minutes" replied Shepard
"Then I will take my leave" said Echo as he turned and left
Walking straight forward Echo quickly found himself in the elevator and pressed the button for the hangar deck. Right before the door shut Shepard stepped in next to him. Neither one spoke for as long as the ride and the silence remained all the way to the Shadow.
Inside after the doors were sealed words were finally exchanged
"Why do I have the feeling you are about to make me angry?" asked Sarah with a sigh
"Because I am. I won't be accompanying you to X57, I have somewhere else to be" replied Marc with a shrug
Marc didn't have to look to feel the glare on his back. He wisely chose not to turn and instead focus on preparing the ship for launch.
"And where, pray tell, is that you need to be?"
Marc stilled slightly as he released a sight and turned around
"*Sigh*… Sarah you have to trust me on this one, I really want to tell you where I am going but I can't. Just know it is related to my… past" a light of understanding shone in Sarah's eyes for a moment "I wouldn't leave you to handle something like this alone if what I needed to do wasn't incredibly important. I promise I will meet back up with the team on Noveria when we go for Benezia"
Sarah didn't look completely convinced but she trusted him and believed that he wouldn't lie to her.
"Okay. Just don't get yourself into too much trouble alright?
"Can't promise anything" he was grinning as he spoke
"Of course not…"
She grumbled something else that Marc chose to ignore, mostly because he wasn't sure he wanted to know it.
Sarah left him to do his work and he continued prepping the Shadow for launch. When the Normandy reached the relay the hangar doors slowly began opening.
Echo flew out and got a decent length away from the Normandy so he wouldn't get hit by the feedback from the Relay jump. Once the Normandy had gone through Echo let a sigh escape him
"*Sigh* let's get going Eva, use the Normandy's relay code to send us through to Skepsis and from there fly us to Desponia"
"Understood, commencing flight"
Once the jump was complete Echo went into the workshop and began working on the finishing touches on Sarah's sword. Damn thing had already taken too long to finish up.
Desponia, planet surface
Flying over the ocean covered world Echo tried to spot the area from the third game but he wasn't really sure how they were supposed to find it. He had asked Eva to try and track the strange orbs and the signals it had sent out but so far they were having no luck.
"Are you sure it is here?"
"Positive. Just keep looking"
A few hours of mindless flight finally saw them picking up a signal and he almost whooped in joy when they approached the platform and he recognized the general look of it, this was finally it. The Shadow approached silently but didn't touch down on the platform itself, Echo didn't trust anything on this planet so he wanted Eva and the Shadow far away just in case.
Landing with a quiet *thump* Echo looked around at the deadly calmness that seemingly inhabited the platform. While walking he noticed the various cots and makeshift housing that had been built, each held one of those spheres in them.
Running his hand along a wall a sigh escaped him "*Sigh* So much wasted life…"
Looking out over the horizon he saw the thunder roaring in the distance and yet that roar never reached here. Not even the sound of the strikes would reach over here, as if something was keeping it away.
"This place is giving me the creeps…"
He muttered to himself as he kept walking between the various houses. Every so often he would come by old pictures that showed that some of the people that lived here had retained a sliver of their minds. The lack of skeletons was worrying at first, though as he finished inspecting the platform he realized that it just might be a good sign.
"May I make a suggestion?" asked Eva
"Of course" replied Echo
"If these creatures you will be finding present any threat then I would suggest switching to a Warframe fit to fighting them"
"A good suggestion. Engage Warframe: Nyx, Restriction Level: None"
The Alpha-frame began turning and transforming as it took on the shape of the male Nyx. It much resembled its counterpart with a few exceptions. The Male version was bulkier build for obvious reasons; the helmet also didn't have the crescent going over the head. That had been replaced by two horns going out from the forehead and the curving back over the head and reaching down until the start of the neck.
Echo had been greatly amused by the horns the first time he had seen the male Nyx and had even commented to his friends that all there was left was to give it dark red glowing eyes and they would have themselves a devil. No one of course knew what a classic devil looked like so they just nodded their heads and agreed.
The restriction level was something they had to implant with the Nyx Warframe simply because if they didn't put in a limiter it could cause damage to the operators mind, Nyx did draw directly on your mind to perform its abilities after all.
"The Nyx, Marc?"
"Cautionary choice. Leviathans are too big to fight hand to hand and they have a tendency to attempt taking over the minds of what they consider "lesser" races. Well I look forward to seeing them go through the Nyx's mental barriers"
He finally approached one orb and with a deep breath he placed his hand on it. At first nothing happened but soon he felt his mind connect with something on the other end.
"I'm not coming down there so if you wish to speak, come up here"
The words were spoken quickly and the hand jerked back as soon as he was done, no reason in risking getting his mind fried because he held on to the orb a second too long.
Minutes passed by with nothing happening and slowly Echo began suspecting that they wouldn't show… at least he didn't until a heavy rumbling began and the sea began growing erratic as the waves heightened and smashed against his platform.
"So this is what you look like for real huh?"
He mumbled to himself as the giant Leviathan rose from the depths of this world. It certainly was an impressive size, the full size of a reaper if the games were anything to go by.
"Are you going to speak?" asked Echo
A pang of pain registered in Echo's mind as he felt the Leviathan attempt to reach his mind.
"You made a foolish choice coming here!" bellowed the Leviathan
The pain grew by the second and soon enough he felt the latent mental barriers of the Nyx give in and his mind became an open book.
The world flickered and he found himself standing on the top of a mountain overlooking a giant forest below, in the center of the forest stood a tower that reached above and beyond the skies.
"*Tsk* not a place I wanted to come visit again…"
He knew the place quite well; it was his mind after all. The tower in the center represented his sanity and understanding of everything. The forest below was what held his anger and brutality, down there everything was a target and no one was spared. Often when he meditated he found himself walking through the forest in attempt to sort through some of his more volatile memories.
Off in the distance he saw something slowly flying towards him. As it approached he recognized the shape and began chuckling as he witnessed a very confused Leviathan trying to make sense of how it got trapped in here and not the other way around.
"You bring me here? To my domain? What a foolish plan"
The words were spoken as the Leviathan came within range. It responded by gazing at its intended target and then switching to stare at the tower. Its gaze turned downward as it looked at the base of the tower and witnessed its weak structure and crumbling foundation… this mind was close to breaking.
"How can this be? How can one of a lesser race resist me?!" bellowed the Leviathan
"Does it truly matter?" was Echo's stoic reply
The world flickered once more and soon enough the two beings found themselves standing somewhere unknown to only one of them.
"Where the hell are we now?" asked Echo to no one
He turned to stare at the Leviathan who had turned away from him and was now staring at the large golden gates in front of him; they were slightly ajar which allowed some strange light to escape from the other side.
"Impossible…"
And then they were gone, back to standing on the platform with thunder rumbling in the distance and seawater splashing around them. It was a welcome change for Echo as he didn't like being inside his own mind. When he turned towards the Leviathan he saw it inspecting him with a new look in its many eyes.
"Ascended… to believe that one walks among us again…"
'Ascended? What the hell is this crazy squid talking about now?' thought Echo privately as he kept staring at the large being. The rumbling returned and two more Leviathans burst from the ocean and stared equally so at him. 'Woah…' was his only thought
"Can it truly be? An Ascended after all these eons?" asked one of the newly arrived Leviathans
"It would seem so. Yet I cannot understand how it is possible" replied the first one
'Clearly they are talking about me and they keep referring to me as Ascended, a title no doubt that they have granted to someone. The question is simply who… I might know that already though'
"Does the name "Light Bringers" mean anything to you?" asked Echo
The last Leviathan gazed at him for a few seconds before its entire body moved in something akin to a nod
"That bastardized title that the lesser race of Prothean gave our Ascended masters" it replied
'Great… whoever these Ascended are they sure as hell got around'
"You claim I am an Ascended and I cannot dispute it, on Feros I encountered a Prothean VI that referred to me as a Light-Bringer so I can only assume what you believe is true"
"Yet I sense the doubt in your mind" boomed the first Leviathan
"Because only a minor part of me is Ascended, I am the descended of one and nothing more. Though in light of this new revelation perhaps we can talk?"
It was a long silence that followed as the Leviathans debated between themselves on this new revelation. Had Echo been paying attention he would have noticed how he had begun tapping his fingers on his thigh in a beat he had long since believed forgotten. '…hooked on a feeling, I'm high on believing…' kept running through his mind as his fingers tapped away.
"We have come to an agreement. Let us in to your mind and we shall talk" said the second Leviathan
With a nod Echo sat down and crossed his legs as he began meditating, when he felt the familiar push of something against his mental barriers he allowed it to pass.
When his eyes reopened he found himself standing on the cliff face overlooking the forest once more. Footsteps sounded behind him and as he turned his eyes widened at the sight.
In front of him stood three beings that he didn't know and yet he recognized the shape of them. It was that strange race he had seen in the message he had gotten from Honor back on Feros.
"Perhaps for simplicity's sake we should give ourselves name's so you could refer to us each individually?"
The question was asked by the only visibly female of the group. She had shoulder length brown hair that fell behind her head, her eyes was a brilliant blue that had a strange likeness to a raging sea.
The one standing in the middle with Short spiky black hair and roaring red eyes nodded his consent to the idea. The final one was bald and had a set of completely white eyes; he nodded as well before gesturing towards Echo.
"If that is acceptable to you?" the last one asked
"It would make this entire talk much easier wouldn't it?" joked Echo
"Then you may call me Lily" said the female one
"You can call me Thorn" said the one with black hair
"Finally you may refer to me as Oak" said the bald one
"Lily, Thorn and Oak? What's with the plant inspired names? And three human plants no less" asked Echo
"The Ascended carried names of these variants, we found more examples here inside your mind and took these names in honor of the Ascended" replied Lily
"You have to be joking? The Ascended used names derived from human plants? Far as I remember your species is a few hundred million years older than humanity, so how the hell would the Ascended use names from that planet?" The question was born out of confusion, it didn't make sense.
"We do not question the Ascended or their methods" was Thorn's reply
"I guess not. Let me start by asking just what the Ascended did for your species"
"The Ascended guided our evolution and granted us our first means of interstellar flight, it is through them that we have control over the lesser races minds" Oak had been the one to reply this time
"You say guided… as in did teach you or something?"
"No. They led our evolution, where we would have grown legs in time we instead grew in size until we reached the size we are today, where we should have grown hair we grew scales. Where your species developed lungs and airways we developed gills and internal oxygen generation" Lily replied
"How is that possible?" Echo was now very confused
"The Ascended performed wonders beyond the lesser races comprehension, we will not attempt to explain them" was Oak's angry retort
"Then what about the forms I am currently looking at? I have seen this race before, why use it?" Echo asked
"You have seen this form before?" asked Lily interested
Echo nodded "In a message given to me by one of the Ascended"
"Let us see this message" asked/demanded Thorn
"I don't mind, but how will you see it?" asked Echo
"Think of it and we shall do the rest" replied Lily
Echo did as instructed and soon the entire message he had gotten back on Feros played out around them. It was unnerving to witness it all again, the death and destruction. Though it also put everything strangely into perspective now that he could see the entire thing taking place again.
"The place the darkness never reached…" mumbled Lily
"She speaks of the Ascended home planet. Remember, sister, how she came to us after the cycle we just witnessed. She hid something on that hulking monstrosity of a station the lesser races call "The Citadel" She spoke to us of how it was the key to finding their planet. I suspect that she wishes to meet you, human" said Oak
"Why would she hide something on the citadel for me to find? Does it not seem… strange?" asked Echo
"We do not question the Ascended or their methods" repeated Thorn
"Brother" growled Oak "Now is not the time for secrecy or resentment towards the lesser races" his gaze fell back on Echo "We were told long ago that at some point in time one Ascended might come to this world and would need to seek refuse. To this end the first Ascended left behind something on the Citadel that would allow this future Ascended to reach their home planet. I will not attempt to explain how the message you were given seemed meant for you specifically instead of just any of the Ascended but I do know that there are more messages like that one hidden across the universe. Some are in the remaining beacons of the lesser race of the Prothean while others are hidden in the devices of earlier cycles that still hasn't been found"
"This is all… a bit much to take in…" mumbled Echo while rubbing his eyes
"We will not pretend to understand. Though we will implore you to seek out the hidden item on the Citadel and find your way to your home world. But enough with matters of the past and ancient stories, why did you seek us out in the first place, young one?" asked Lily
'They are certainly more amendable than in the games' thought Echo privately as he glanced over the three of them; he had expected quite the different encounter with them.
"Before that, you never answered my question. Why did you take that form?" he asked
"This form is the race that came after us, the first cycle following the creation of the first reaper. We believed it to be a more… calming form for you to interact with then our original form" replied Rose
"I see. Well then the real reason I wished to come into contact with you is to see if I could somehow convince you to join the fight against the Reapers when they arrive in a few years?" he asked with hope
"No" was Oak's short reply
"Why not?" growled Echo
"We have no need to interfere with the cycles, we survive and have no need to interfere" said Thorn
"You have seen countless cycles rise and fall, you have seen the crucible built almost to completion and Lotus knows you could have taken down countless Reapers with your strength! Your bullshit story about survival won't fly with me, I know you can fight!" yelled Echo in rage
The three looked visibly shocked by Echo's apparent knowledge. One of them, Lily, looked towards the tower and stared intensely at it for a few moments before recoiling as if physically struck.
"Brothers…" she said carefully "He speaks the truth… he knows… I cannot tell how he knows but here in his mind and his memories the end of this conflict is hidden"
"But how can that be possible?" inquired Oak
"Don't" ordered Echo "Much like you don't wish to inform me of certain things I don't wish to inform you of some. But if I cannot convince you to join our then I know of someone who will. All I ask is then one small token of good faith"
"What would that be, young one?" asked Lily
"I have some people… not many… that I wish cured of Indoctrination. Can you do it?" he asked
Lily nodded "We can. Bring the infected close to one of our artifacts and we can override the Reapers indoctrination with our own and then release them. You may take one of the artifacts before you leave"
"And am I to believe you will do this without wanting anything in return?" asked Echo skeptically
"Only for you to keep your promise and not divulge our location to anyone" replied Lily
Echo nodded "I will tell no one but I cannot stop others from figuring it out"
"That is acceptable. Before you leave, young one it might be best for you to know that your mind is coming apart" said Lily
"I know. You see the sun up there?" he asked while pointing upwards
Lily nodded "I do"
"Once that sun sets my mind shuts down and I turn into a savage monster with mind only for killing and battle. This goes on until the sun rises once more and so the cycle repeats itself. The tower in the center of the forest over there… the damage at the foundation only increases with each cycle" finished Echo
"So you are aware of you condition?" Echo nodded "Then I will not have to warn you to watch it carefully" said Lily
"No, but thank you for the sentiment none the less"
Lily gave a nod "Now depart our world, young one. We shall meet again"
As Lily's words were spoken the world around them disappeared and they were back on the wrecked ship with rain rumbling down around them. Echo watched as the three Leviathans disappeared down into the depths of the ocean once more before turning around and grabbing the nearest orb and calling the Shadow back down.
"Prepare a stasis field and lockdown, Eva. This orb has a terrible influence on those that come into close contact with it"
"Understood, on route to pick up"
Echo turned to look out towards the water and watched the rolling waves and roaring thunder and couldn't help but compare it to his own mind.
"Chaotic and yet seemingly able to somehow hold peace" he mumbled as he watched the Shadow descend from the skies to pick him up.
Once back aboard he placed the orb in a stasis field and locked of that section of the Shadow so its influence hopefully wouldn't reach beyond it. Though after his conversation with the three he didn't think they would just randomly take over the people that came into his ship.
"Where are we headed now?" asked Eva
"Head towards the relay and get us to Noveria as quickly as possible. We have already left Benezia alone for way too long and I have no inclination to find out just how much trouble we are in for leaving her alone this long" replied Echo
He walked over and placed the Alpha-Frame in its container before stepping over to his bed and dropping all his clothes and them promptly slammed into the bed.
"Wake me up when we are approaching Noveria or if the Normandy tries to contact us"
"Understood. Goodnight, Marc"
Approaching Noveria
"..up"
A feint voice registered in his ears…
"wake up…"
The voice grew ever so slightly louder…
"If you don't wake up within the next five seconds…"
He flipped over in his bed while ignoring the offending sound attempting to wrestle him from his comfortable bed and the first peaceful dream of the decade.
"You asked for it… loading voice recording 0034-X23."
Wait… recording 0034-X23 isn't that? 'Shit!'
"MARC B. ********* YOU GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUT OF BED BEFORE I COME IN THERE AND GET IT OUT FOR YOU!" screamed the voice of Sivra
Marc shot out of bed like a bat out of hell and stood straight as an arrow
"I'm up! I'm up!" he yelled on reflex
As his heart began going back down to a regular beat he looked around and realized that he was inside the Shadow and that he had in fact just been woken up in the most uncomfortable way he knew… getting yelled at by his wife.
"That was a cruel way to wake me up, Eva"
"Apologies, you simply refused to awaken. We have reached Noveria and the Normandy is currently awaiting us"
'Note to self: Remove that audio file from her databank'
"Approach and ask for boarding permission"
"Seeking Permission… … … … Permission granted, commencing boarding"
Echo entered his workshop with a nod as he pulled out Sarah's blade from its locker. The damn thing was finally finished and had come out looking exactly like a regular Nikana with the addition of a full hollow circle between the blade and the handle (Dragon Nikana basically) it was strong and well balanced, though it didn't match its older brother and inspiration, the Nikana.
The mild shaking of the Shadow alerted him to their landing inside the Normandy and minutes later a small ping let him know that the hangar was once more pressurized and he could step outside without having his lungs collapse. Grabbing the new blade as well as his own Nikana he stepped up to the door and took a deep breath.
"So it begins anew again. One teacher, one student. One shall wield a blade forged in ancient times, One shall wield a blade forged in acceptance. One shall impart knowledge, One shall receive it… … One shall strike first and miss, One shall dodge the first or die"
Though the phrase might seem strange it was a necessity. He had known when he began forging the blade that this was how it had to be… just like his previous students. His students… the seven he had thought in his tenure as a Grand Master had all eventually mastered the way of the Nikana and had received their own recovered Nikana as a sign of their mastery. Up until they were given one of their own they would have to use a blade forged by their teacher and master, hence why Echo had to learn how to forge weapons.
He could sense Shepard out there alongside a Turian and a Krogan, meaning Garrus and Wrex were with her for some reason. 'No matter, she will pass the test or die… no exceptions' he thought as his eyes hardened and seemingly glazed over as he entered what could best be described as his "Tenno persona"
The door opened and he stepped out and locked eyes with Sarah who looked happy enough to see him again, at least until she got a really good look at his eyes and realized that something was off. The blade sailed through the air towards Sarah and she grabbed it out of the air just in time to register movement out of her eye.
It was by a hair's length that the blade sailed over her head, literally, a few strands of hair was cut as Echo's Nikana sailed over her head. As if on instinct she drew the blade from its scabbard and entered a stance in preparation for a fight. Though all she saw once she had entered her stance was Echo placing his blade back down into its scabbard.
"You passed" he said
"Passed?! You just tried to kill me!" Sarah yelled in retort
"I did and you dodged, you passed" he repeated
"Give me one good reason I should kill you where you stand?!" she yelled
"One: You are not nearly skilled enough to kill me on your own. Two: Had you not dodged I would have stopped the strike. Three: You love me" the last one was added with a grin
"And right now I am considering number three was a very stupid idea" she grumbled
"Well get used to it, something tells me you will think that a few more times in the coming years" he joked
"Would someone explain to me what the hell just happened?" asked a confused Garrus
"See the blade in her hand?" asked Marc to which Garrus nodded "I forged it for her. Through tradition with the Tenno we only forge a blade for someone when we have accepted them as a student of the blade. The tradition also states that the first time she touches her blade I am honor-bound to try and strike her down. If the student fails to dodge they die and wouldn't have been worthy to learn the art of the blade"
"But you just said you would have stopped the strike" countered Garrus
"I would have. Sarah is not Tenno and as such she isn't bound by those traditions, only I am. Had she not dodged I would have stopped the strike and refused to teach her how to wield her blade, she would have had to figure it out on her own" Marc summarized
"You said that the first time I touched the blade you were honor-bound to try and strike me down… is that why you threw it?" asked Sarah
Marc nodded "Indeed it was. By throwing the blade I allowed you a chance to see it coming while also giving you the opportunity to observe me. Had I followed tradition I would have handed you the blade and then drawn my own at the same time. But as I said, you aren't Tenno so I can bend the rules a little" he finished jokingly
"Well… thanks I guess" she muttered
"No problem. Perhaps we should speak in private about both our missions?" he asked
"Right. Garrus, Wrex, dismissed" she ordered
The two left the hangar and left the two alone as they entered the Shadow and sat down which allowed Sarah to finally let out a sigh of relief
"*Sigh* finally somewhere where I know no one can overhear my conversation or listen in or… anything"
"That happen while I was away?"
"Once or twice. So how did your mission go?"
"Not perfect I will admit. I was partially successful in bringing us some potential allies against the Reapers when they show up but for now they remain on the fence about the idea"
Sarah's eyebrow rose a little "Sounds promising. Get anything else out of your little trip?"
Marc's grin was almost enough to tell her that indeed he had gotten something.
"I might have, for now though I will keep it to myself and will bring it out when I feel the time is appropriate"
"More secrets?"
"Only for a little while"
"I'm holding you to that you know"
Marc's grin let her know that he expected nothing less
"So how did it go with the Batarians?" he asked
"It was a hell but we stopped them. The Hegemony is still claiming that they had nothing to do with it but that group was way too well equipped for them not to have been funded by someone, and I know no one who would ever fund batarian extremist but batarians themselves" she replied
"Politics were never my forte. From what I know of the batarians they are not a much respected race"
'Not that it matters, most of them will be dead before the reapers arrive' he thought as images of the various batarian catastrophes played from his memories.
"They are war mongers and have a thing for killing anyone they believe entered their territory. Doesn't help that most of them are criminal scum and mercs that half the galaxy has a problem with"
"Well… enough about that, you stopped them and everything is okay for now. What's our game plan on Noveria?"
"I'm bringing Wrex, Liara, Garrus and you with me down to the planet. From there I guess we have to work our way forward"
Marc gave a nod "You sure it's a good idea to bring Liara along? I mean this is her mother"
"I trust in her judgment. Any last minute details about the planet?"
"Not really. It's cold as hell and beyond that you just need to remember that your Spectre rank means jack all down there"
"Yes so you keep reminding me. Think we are going to face problems?"
"Perhaps, I would suggest we watch out as to not get involved with any of the local politics"
"Think that will happen?"
"Wouldn't surprise me. There is always something under investigation down there by Internal Affairs"
"*Sigh* why can't this ever be easy?"
"Because life would be boring if it was easy"
"You sound like you enjoy this"
"I'm a fighter, haven't known anything else for the past three hundred years so sue me for finding fighting thrilling"
"You know I still find it hard to believe that you are from a different Dimension entirely, makes you wonder whatever Ash might be right about there being a god… or something at least"
"I don't believe in god myself but whatever helps the good miss Williams get through her time as a soldier, I won't judge. As for how I got between dimensions? If I am to believe a friend of mine then I was moved by someone, though he was a bit vague about who"
"And what would your friend know about that?"
"He was moved just like me"
"You're kidding right?"
"No, wish I was though"
"There's more like you out there?!"
"Just one… I think"
"You think?... *Sigh* well at least it is just one"
"He also happens to be much more skilled than me and capable of feats I still can't recreate. The "Presence" as you named it, I learned it from him"
"*Twitch* You have to be shitting me!? Not just two of you but the other one is even worse? Please tell me he is on our side?"
"For as long as it benefits him, sure. Don't worry though; he wouldn't gain anything by helping the reapers or anyone else for that matter"
"So he just helps himself?"
"Not really. All he has ever done is for revenge, then he came here and was given a mission which he is now trying to complete. Should helping us benefit this mission then he will help us"
"And if we become a danger to his mission?"
"In that case we would have the fight of our lives on our hands. Don't worry though; we are doing nothing in regards to his mission so at most we would meet by coincidence"
"That… doesn't make me feel any better about this"
"Wasn't meant to"
Marc perked up for a second as he glanced towards the door, Garrus was moving towards them.
"Right, the sniper" Marc mumbled
"Sniper?" Sarah asked
"Yeah, Garrus is here to borrow my sniper until we can replace his broken one"
"Don't forget about the weapon you promised I could borrow as well"
"*Sigh* Trust me I haven't forgotten… just… don't overdo it with whatever weapon you choose okay?"
"You make it sound like I am some gun slinging madwoman…"
"I have seen you on the shooting range, you are"
Garrus entered just in time to see Marc stand up and move towards his weapons locker. He walked over next to him and watched as Marc pulled out a wicked looking sniper that had Garrus almost drooling.
"The Vectis Single shot sniper rifle with near perfect accuracy. One shot from this and nothing else should be needed. If you aim just right then getting down two to three guys in a line isn't completely impossible"
As if to prove a point Marc cocked the sniper and smiled in Garrus direction.
"*Gulp* it's beautiful" Garrus mumbled as he reached for it with shaky hands
"Indeed it is, though you have to promise me one thing Garrus"
"Yeah sure, anything" his eyes never left the gun
"Take good care of it… it was my wife's"
Garrus withdrew his hands as if the Sniper was on fire… that was a little bit more than just a regular cool sniper. This had personal meaning to Marc and to think that he was actually borrowing it to him? Damn he must trust him an awful lot to even let him near it.
"You sure? I mean doesn't this mean a lot to you?"
"'Course it does, but I trust that you will take good care of it. Besides this one doesn't have a heat clip that can overheat"
"Then you better show me how use it"
It took a while but eventually Marc managed to explain everything to Garrus about how the Vectis worked and how to clean and maintain it after us. Garrus then left a happy turian and Sarah left to direct the landing down on Noveria leaving Marc alone with his thoughts for a few moments before touch down.
"Which Warframe will you be using for this mission?" asked Eva
"Noveria is an ice planet… seems stupid to use anything but the Frost"
"I Agree. May I suggest using the natural cold on the planet to power the Frost in periods of low energy?"
"A favorable suggestion, thank you Eva"
"… You're welcome"
The landing on Noveria thankfully went without a hitch; they had gotten permission faster than anticipated and was now departing the Normandy. As they stepped off the ship Echo cracked his neck
"Engage Warframe: Frost" he spoke
The Alpha-Frame began shifting until the ice oriented Warframe "Frost" was standing there, though it was made to control ice it had an internal heating system as to allow the operator to survive his own attacks.
"Different one again?" joked Shepard
"Well it's an ice planet, figured an ice Warframe would serve a good purpose here" replied Echo
"Damn place is freezing though" muttered Garrus
"Internal heating" said Echo with a grin
"Fuck you…" mumbled Garrus again
Though Echo kept glancing to every which side constantly, as if he was waiting for something to come flying.
The team continued onward for a short time until they came across three people waiting for them, from their armor and weapons it was easy enough to figure out that they were security. Though their faces was familiar to only one on the team.
"That's far enough" said the Asian looking woman
"Don't worry, we are not here to cause any problems" said Shepard
"This is an unscheduled arrival, I need your credentials" continued the Asian woman
"I'm a Spectre, my name is Shepard" replied Shepard
"That's a load of bullshit, ma'am" said the blonde standing next to the Asian woman
"We will need to confirm that, also I must advice you that firearms is not permitted on Noveria. Sergeant Sterling secure their weapons" ordered the Asian woman
"With pleasure, ma'am" replied the Blonde
Echo took a single step forward "I have a better idea, Freeze"
A/N: Late, late, late, late this is sooo fucking late. Apologies people but you know, school and stuff. So we got around the Leviathans for now, Noveria will be the next chapter (Obviously).
I know that I have a knack for going pretty fast with certain things but that is simply how I write and how I am, so my apologies to those of you that think the Leviathan bit should have filled more.
Also as you might have noticed down there in the latter half of the chapter I once more did a little experiment of mine. I tried to write conversation with two people without all the "He/She Said" bits, I hope you guys can follow the conversation simply by knowing that each person speaks in turn.
Righto I will depart once more, adios.
-BundleJumper