(Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, but I have not written this deeply about 40k in a long time. The last time I didn't do so well, so I'm trying my best to keep this from breaking any SM canon/fluff. This is my DIY loyalist chapter but any suggestions for improvements or revisions are welcome.)

Chapter Four: The Fate Breakers

Six years of sacrifice, hardship, and toil had led Commander Shepard to this point. His time on the Prometheus and his life changing encounter, the wreckage of the Battle Barge and its spoils, becoming a Spectre, saving the galaxy, and even dying at the hands of the Collectors only to be resurrected two years later. It all led him to this point, when he stood on polished marble steps that led up into the depths of a towering Fortress Monastery. The night sky was offset by the tower's many lights, guards covered in ornaments and strips of paper attached by wax seals stood flanking the group on every stair. The three of them waited about a dozen feet from the entrance while the network of gears on both sides of the thick stone doors cranked and whirred, opening the doors to allow the group inside. Shepard remembered the insides of Ultramarines' Monasteries from the vids, candlelit abodes made of black cobblestone floors and archways decorated with gothic figures and intimidating gargoyles. He pictured that what was behind the opening doors was no different. Then he wondered how they would act. He pictured them as solitary, collected, and serious individuals, living only to serve and to protect the ways of the Emperor.

The two stone doors finally opened, and a bright, warm light engulfed the group. After so many hours of traversing the Wastes the sudden reprieve from the stench, the dirt, and the darkness put Shepard and Miranda at ease, while Janice found waiting for the doors to open to be tiresome and annoying.

When both doors were fully open, Shepard could clearly see a gigantic man holding a sheathed sword under his palms, his stance was regal and perfect, his countenance intimidating but inspiring, the man's crimson cape fluttering in the ocean wind. "Second Master Riker Ventralis, Fate Breakers Space Marines."

Janice did not expect such a cold welcome, she pictured a crowd of hearty crowd of towering heroic men cheering upon her return, their minds eager to hear the latest tales of her survival of the Wastes. Now, the Monastery's Master and his Honor Guard stood ready for battle, all displeased to see the new arrivals. "These two came by Grissom's prototype, they want to help us end this stupid war over it." She stated to the caped Marine.

"We know, Janice." The Master replied, "But I will not grant them asylum until they prove their loyalty to humanity and the Emperor." The various Space Marines guarding the marble stairs pulled their weapons and pointed them at Shepard and Miranda. "Speak quickly strangers, I do not have all night to listen to the lies of xeno sympathizers or heretics."

"You know, I still don't understand why saying the man's name gets a gun pointed at me. I mean I don't know what he's done to deserve such treatment here but when he for I know sacrificed himself to contact our time he did so with a dream. He wanted to keep the galaxy from spiraling down into the mess it's in now. He wanted humans and aliens could coexist, which they do in my time. He had a dream that hate and violence could be overcome by good ideals and honest people. He had a dream that by showing us your world he would keep us on the proper path. I don't know if your opinion of him will keep you from believing what I believe, but I came here to complete a mission and you are not going to stop me!"

They may not have shown it at first, but the Space Marines were moved by his speech. Their mighty boltguns lowered and their wielders stood at ease. Ventralis sighed, thinking long and hard about what Shepard had said to him. "You will be given accommodations for the evening, Janice will be more than happy to lead you to them, and in the morning we will sort this out. I hope further dealings between us will be less… confrontational in the future." Ventralis turned and walked back into the monastery, his grey cape dramatically flowing behind him.

--

The main room hat served as the Monastery's "lobby" was drastically different from how Shepard had pictured it. This room was well lit with warm colors and the fragrant smell of ale and hot meals filled the air. In all of Shepard's travels, he could only relate this room to that of an old English pub. Scattered across the wide circular room were varying sizes of wooden tables, the only thing in common between them was they were tall enough for only the use of Space Marines. At each table sat both armored and unarmored soldiers, conversing and laughing while sharing tales of courage and honor from recent battles. Their color scheme was very unique as well, their armor was jet black save for bright patches of winter camouflage on the outer thighs and shoulder plates (truth be told I based the color scheme off of the Titan armor in ME1), and beside many of the armored Space Marines sat their trusted helmets, painted bright red save for the bone colored faceplate and ebony lenses.

"Ho!" Janice has returned!" One Space Marine bellowed in a hearty voice from across the room, visible only by the hand raising a pint glass.

"And if the mistress is here, than a score of Tyranids lay dead in her wake!" A second voice added, quickly followed by the others letting out a cheer.

"Yes, I have returned to you once more." Janice bowed to the room full of marines, "But tales of my deeds will have to wait till dawn, Master Ventralis has given me the duty of seeing these two acquaintances of mine upstairs. And I do not have the vitality of glorious men such as yourselves." She ended her sentence with a yawn and a wide stretch of her arms.

"We understand, milady." The Space Marine closest to them replied, "The three of you deserve rest after ridding us of so many of those filthy xenos."

"Is there any particular reason you are so trusting of us? Didn't you hear Ventralis's conversation outside?" Shepard asked as the stone doors locked behind them.

"I paid more attention to my meat and by beer than to Ventralis's business. And until I know more, all I see is an old friend and two warriors strong enough to survive the Wastes. In my book, that makes you alright."

"From my experiences with the Ultramarines their bonds between the ranks is more like a brotherhood than an army. Why are you guys different?"

"You'll find we act differently off the battlefield. Don't get me wrong I respect and honor the Master, but I don't know him to well as a person, none of us really do. You should ask him later for more details. You're certainly getting more of a chance than most of us."

Janice led Shepard and Miranda to a row of secluded elevators behind a wall at the other end of the vast circular hall. With the swift push of a dusty button an annoying siren buzzed for a few seconds and an elevator more accommodating to the size of Space Marines opened. Upon walking inside, the elevator doors cranked shut and the room shot upward. Janice pressed many buttons at a small console, after it beeped once she stepped away. Moments of silence allowed Shepard to hear what as playing in the elevator, he laughed as he took of his helmet, pausing only to gag from the group's stench. "Some things never change do they?"

"What do you mean?" Miranda replied.

"The elevator music." As Miranda joined Shepard in laughing, Janice raised a brow, puzzled by them both.

--

After a hot shower, a chance to change/clean their clothes, some food, and a good night's rest rejuvenated both Shepard and Miranda. He woke up first, on the top bunk of a normal sized bunk bed. The sun cutting through the slits in the vertical blinds hurt his eyes, causing him to turn away for a moment. Shepard then turned back, avoiding the bright light, and focused on his power armor. It sat against the wall leaning towards the bunk on the opposite side of the small room, the dirt and mud and unsanitary sludge removed, the paint and polish redone, and all remnants of talon and tooth marks were gone. Taking care not to make a sound when he jumped from the bed to the cold metal floor, he picked up the armor piece by piece and rearmed himself. He then checked each weapon and his store of thermal clips, all of which were cool and ready to go.

"Going somewhere?" Miranda, sleeping in the bunk under Shepard's, pulled the gunmetal grey bed sheet from her face, rubbed her eye, and sat up. With her left hand she brushed away a lock of stray black hair from her face, hoping Shepard would admire her barely dressed body. His gaze however immediately went to her metallic right arm, hoping that the event that transpired the day before was a terrible nightmare. Small armor plates ran from the prosthetic right shoulder to as far as the edge of her right collar bone and breast, ending with blue lit nodes that from what Shepard could tell went down into her skin.

"Not really. Janice said she would come for us when the Space Marine Captain summoned us. I'm guessing we'll have to wait until she or someone else comes."

"You won't have to wait very long." Janice's voice emanated from Shepard's helmet and caught their attention. Shepard reached down to pick it up, and pressed a button on the side of the helmet, basically turning it into a speaker phone. "Now that both of you are awake, the Second Master will see you at floor 107."

"How did you know we were awake?" Miranda asked, taking the clothes folded neatly on a metal cabinet at the foot of the bunk bed and putting them on. Her blood spattered and sludge covered Cerberus uniform was now replaced with a repurposed officers uniform from an Imperial Guardsmen, with all of the patches, medals, and badges removed it was a simple dark red shirt and black pants (Miranda tore away the right sleeve to show off her metal arm).

"This entire tower has internal motion trackers. If two people are movin' around in my room, I'll know about it. Anyway you shouldn't keep him waiting."