Hi, if you're reading this, then you're about to read Mass Effect: Cerberus Wars. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review. -Spearhead
Prologue
Commander John Sheppard was stood looking at the holographic display showing the entire Milky Way galaxy. His black Cerberus rest clothing was made duller by the light. Until recently, the Normandy had been travelling all over the galaxy to try and stop the Collectors. With that threat gone, the Normandy was now sat in a Cerberus controlled space dock undergoing repairs and re-supply.
Sheppard hated sitting still, not being able to do anything about the Reaper threat that was still very real. He kept thinking about bringing the entire galaxy together as a single fighting force, but would that be enough? The Reapers have existed for countless eons and their technology was so far beyond even that of the Protheans, how could this galactic generation fair better than the last?
"John?" An Australian accent asked from behind him. Sheppard turned to see Miranda Lawson stood in her skin tight Cerberus uniform. Her shoulder length, brunette hair shining as the light emitted by the map hit it.
"Yes Miranda?" John asked noticing the concern on her face.
"What are you doing, Commander?" Miranda forced a smile.
"I'm just thinking, analysing, absorbing." John smiled back.
"I see that. In the year that we've travelled together, I know you don't worry about small things." Miranda smiled, joining him up on the viewing platform.
"It's about the Reapers." John admitted almost disappointed in himself.
"I know you worry about them, but Cerberus is studying the Collector base we found and I have no doubt that they will find someway to defend against the Reapers." Miranda reassured him.
"But when this is all over, will Cerberus use the technology to advance galactic goals, or their own?" John asked Miranda.
"I can't answer that. I honestly don't know. But lets beat the Reapers first, then we can worry about Cerberus." Miranda said putting her hand on his shoulder.
"You're right." John kissed her on the cheek and left the platform on his way up to the cockpit to talk to Jeff 'Joker' Moreau. Miranda could tell he was still worried and all she had done was interupt his train of though.
John arrivd at the cockpit to find a distressed Joker working furiously at his controls.
"Joker, what's wrong?" Sheppard asked, as the man continued to use several holographic screens at once.
"Someone's trying to hack the airlock controls from the outside!" Joker informed his CO while preventing them as best he could.
"EDI?" John asked, looking at the shiny doors behind him.
"I can not prevent them access Sheppard. I have been given orders to stand down." EDI replied as her bulb shaped avatar appeared on the holo-pad.
"Orders? Orders from who?" John asked, confused. He knew of only two people that had higher clearance to the Normandy than he did, one was Miranda and the other was the missions investor.
"From me." A voice said behind Sheppard. John turned around to see the Illusive Man with two marines stood behind him. The two marines had their M-8 Avenger automatic rifles aimed at Sheppard.
"What is this?" John asked, confused and enraged.
"This, Sheppard, is the end of our arrangement. Now as an investment, I can't simply let you walk. I want a full refund." The man said, coldly.
"What do you mean refund?" John asked, confused.
"Well, I gave you the Normandy and now I'm taking her back. I gave you a crew and I've taken them back. I gave you your life and now I'm ending it." The Illusive Man nodded to his two Marines and their fingers moved towards the triggers.
"I don't think so." Miranda's Australian accent sounded from behind the three men. Suddenly, a large hole appeared in the forehead of each marine. Their limp bodies dropped to the floor to reveal Garrus and Thane with their M-15 Vindicator Battle rifles raised. No doubt they were mere inches from the marines when they killed them.
The Illusive Man turned around to see Miranda with her M-3 Predator Heavy pistol raised towards him. Garrus and Thane had also changed their stance to aim their weapons at the Illusive Man.
"Should I shoot him?" Miranda asked John
"No, I want some answers." John said looking at the Illusive man.
"Come and get me." The Illusive Man said before his hologram cut out.
"Damn it! I should have known he'd pull something like this." Miranda said holstering her weapon.
"There's nothing you could have done. But we do need to find him. We need answers." John reassured her.
"Uh Commander, I hate to bring it up, but we have more Marines in coming." Jeff said still at his workstation.
"Joker, get us out of here!" John ordered borrowing a M-9 Tempest SMG from Miranda. All four of them got into defencive positions near the airlock, ready to challenge any who boarded the ship.
"And go where?" Joker asked as he powered up the Normandy's engines.
"I don't care! Anywhere!" John screamed. Miranda left her position and entered the cockpit.
"Omega! Head to Omega!" Miranda ordered as she sat down in the weapons control station.
"Hang on." Joker said as the Normandy began to move. The docking claps attached to the hull began to slide across the hull and eventually released as their power lines are snapped. The Normandy fired its Thanix twin cannons at the closed dry dock doors. The explosion sent debris and metal slag into the MultiCore shielding protecting the Normandy from damage. The Normandy zoomed through the gapping hole and out into space.
"Um, we have a problem." Joker shouted, to no one in particular.
"What is it?" John asked, leaning over the back of Jokers chair to look at the display.
"I'm reading a whole lot of ships out there. They're arming weapons!" Jeff screamed as he began to take evasive actions. The Normandy banked to the left, just avoiding two disruptor torpedoes.
"They're blocking the damned Relay!" Miranda sais, returning fire. Even though the Thanix cannons were powerful, they weren't strong enough to help the light frigate against the bigger classes of the Cerberus fleet. The blue Thanix cannon beams slammed into the closest Battleship of the Cerberus fleet and caused the kinetic barrier to shimmer.
"Can we Jump?" John asked as the ship was rocked by point defence laser impacted on the shield.
"Yes, but it means we'll have to divert power away from shields and weapons." Joker shouted, while trying to concentrate.
"Do it!" Sheppard shouted while another impact rocked the ship more violently.
"But.." Miranda started saying before John cut in.
"We don't have much choice! We're dead either way!" Sheppard ordered before he was flung into the wall.
"Stand by!" Jeff shouted as the rocking got more violent. Now red point defence bolts were slamming into the Normandy's heavily armoured hull causing scorches and burns. Luckily the Normandy was too close to the Battleship for it to use any of its main batteries and the small defensive weapons were designed to weaken incoming fire, not to penetrate armour.
The Normandy reached the Relay and disappeared in a flash of blue/white light. On the bridge of the Normandy, sighs were blown out. They had managed to evade an entire Cerberus battle group while causing minor damage to one of its Battleships.
"Well, what now?" Jeff asked, turning around in his chair.
"Now, now we need to fight Cerberus and the Reapers." Sheppard said, looking at his diminished crew. Only his team were still onboard and that included Doctor Chakwas.
"Are you nuts? Fighting Cerberus? They have way more resources." Garrus informed.
"Yes, but I have resources that they don't even know about." John smiled to himself.
Omega…
The battle scared Normandy docked at Omega. John, Thane and Garrus left the ship to try and gather some information.
"I'll meet you back on the ship. I have to meet a contact." Garrus said, looking at Sheppard.
"Alright, we're heading to Afterlife. Be careful." John nodded.
John led the way to Afterlife with Thane following while Garrus headed off deeper into Omega. Afterlife was the biggest club on Omega and was the best place to overhear conversations between Mercs or drunken smugglers. It was also the best place to conduct business with Aria T'Loak the untitled leader of Omega.
As usual a long line led to Afterlife consisting of people who wanted to see Aria or to work for her. John just walked straight past the line and headed through the thick bulkhead doors. The two of them head down the long corridor leading into the main club.
The second set of doors open to reveal Afterlife. The music, the smell of alcohol and the fumes from addictive cigarettes created a somewhat electric atmosphere with the party lights and dancers only adding to it. John and Thane headed around the centralised stage and towards Aria's lounge. As usual a single Merc stood in the corner of the stair way looking out for any threat to Aria.
"Sheppard, Aria wants to see you." The Merc nodded, twitching his head sideways towards the stairs.
John nodded and headed up the grey metal stairs. Thane followed him closely. His hand hovering over his M-3 Predator Heavy pistol. As the pair reached the top of the stairs, they were met with the usual Merc bodyguards and assistants that Aria always kept in her company. John looked towards the small lounge that faced away from the stage.
"Sheppard." Aria said, motioning for him to sit down.
"Aria." John nodded before sitting down.
"So, why have you returned to Omega?" Aria asked, looking at the Commander.
"Well, I need information." Sheppard said, leaning back to relax somewhat.
"And you come to little old me?" Aria mocked.
"So, what have you heard?" John asked, getting to the point.
"About what? I hear a great many things. For instance, I know that the Shadow broker has recently died and a replacement has already taken over, I know that the Systems Alliance have recently been attacked by what appears to be interior forces and I heard that Cerberus tried to kill you." Aria smiled.
"I want information on Cerberus. I already have some knowledge, but I need to know about their recent activates. Any rumours about them?" Sheppard asked.
"I don't know much. Only that they tried to kill you and failed. Also, they are rumoured to be behind the attacks on the Alliance." Aria said, admitting her lack of knowledge.
"That's not much at all." Thane jumped in.
"I could get more, but Cerberus would be able to track my hacking back to Omega." Aria said, showing concern.
"But could you do it?" Thane asked.
"I could, but the question is, are you willing to risk the lives of Omega's citizens for a few pieces of information?" Aria asked, turning to John.
"I need to know if Cerberus is working for the Reapers. Do what you can without drawing the attention of Cerberus." John said, defeated by his compassion. The information could save millions of lives at the sacrifice of the few thousand on Omega, but Sheppard wasn't willing to take the risk.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Aria nodded to one of her assistants who left the lounge.
"Thank you for your help." Sheppard smilied before standing up and leaving the lounge. Thane and John left Afterlife the same way they entered and headed back towards the Normandy.
Garrus was stood in a dimly lit room. The red light wasn't bright enough to light the whole room, but shapes were easy to make out. The room was fairly barren. The only furniture in the small room was a circular table with two steel chairs. A hooded figure was sat on the other side of the small table. Garrus sat down in the chair intended for him.
"I have returned." Garrus said, lowering his head in respect.
"Yes, why?" The hooded person asked in a female voice but showing no emotion.
"I require guidance. We were betrayed and now we seek allies in our up coming fight against Cerberus and I do not know whether this is a task that can be accomplished." Garrus admitted shamefully.
"Do you trust Sheppard?" The women asked.
"With my life. But that does not mean he can accomplish this goal." Garrus defended.
"So you trust him enough to follow him into the unknown, but you are unsure of his abilities to do the impossible?" The female asked.
"Yes." Garrus lowered his head in complete shame and guilt.
"Is this not the man that survived the massacre on Akuze? Is he not that man that saved the council from death? Did he not defeat Saren and his Geth minions? And did he not defeat the highly advanced Collectors with a single ship?" The women asked the battery of questions.
"Yes, he did all of those things. But is this task too big? Is this goal unrealistic? Were those goals achieved because of Luck?" Garrus countered.
"There is no task too big. No goal unrealistic. And there is no such thing as luck." The Women remained monotone.
"So are you saying that we can accomplish these goals?" Garrus asked as hope flickered in his eyes once again.
"It is possible. But that does not mean it will succeed. We do not know for certain. The future is clouded." The women said disappointed.
"Then I shall do everything I can to make this succeed." Garrus said soulfully.
"Head to the Citadel. I sense there is something there that may help you in your quest." The hooded women nodded.
"Thank you, Oracle." Garrus said before standing up and leaving the room.
Another hooded figure appeared from the dark.
"Was it wise to encourage hope? What if they fail and nothing can be done?" The new hooded female asked.
"In the end, hope is all that we truly have. Have faith sister. Sheppard has a habit of doing exactly what is needed." The sat down women pointed out.
"I hope you are right sister. Because if you are wrong, it is the end of all life in this galaxy." The standing Oracle said before backing into the shadows again.
Well there it is. Stay tuned for future updates. This is gunna get interesting. -Spearhead