Chapter 1: Missing Spectres
"What kind of situation that you need me, sir?" Shepard asked.
"A month ago, one of our Spectres, a turian named Hakron Phellos was investigating a team of top Citadel scientists and archaeologists that went missing when they were excavating and studying a newly found Prothean ruins and cities on planet Articon, in the Valonovia System of the Enkidu Sector," Anderson explained.
"Enkidu Sector...wasn't that a cluster that belongs to the Terminus Systems before the Citadel had purchased from them a hundred years ago? Not only that, it was bordered right next to the Serpent Nebula and the Nemean Abyss," Shepard thought.
"Other than that, the Citadel had sent a fleet that was supposed to secure the planet had lost radio contact to the Citadel. That fleet consisted of 2 dreadnoughts, 83 cruisers and 115 frigates. All of them equals to 200 ships," Anderson added.
Shepard was surprised that it took that many ships to secure a planet with Prothean ruins. What those scientists had found must be very big. Probably big enough to change the course of galactic history, a big leap in technological development, and a chance to learn more about the Protheans.
"Why the Citadel sents many ships to that planet? Is it because the scientists have found something big, that it could bring a huge impact to the Citadel and the rest of the galaxy?" Shepard asked.
"Indeed they were. The planet, Articon, is a cold, frozen planet with hundreds, maybe thousands of very intact ancient Prothean cities and ruins. The planet's cold climate helps preserve these ruins. We could find tones of information and technologies regarding the Protheans' history, culture or their weaponry that could have great use to the Citadel and the galactic society along with the Alliance as well," Anderson answered Shepard's question.
"I'm guessing after that, something is wrong had happen to them, including Hakron as well. Am I correct?" Shepard said.
"Correct. An hour before Hakron went MIA and lost contact with him, he reported that all Citadel warships that secured Articon had been annihilated. He found wreckages, only that belongs to the Citadel, with signs of a fierce battle had occurred, and no survivors. Not even a single lifepods," Anderson said sadly.
"When he had set foot on Articon, he hadn't found anybody included the scientists and the security forces at the dig site. He suspected they have been kidnapped. No traces of firefights, bullet holes and dead bodies. Nothing. Very clean," Anderson said with a grim tone in his voice with an emphasis of that last words.
"Do you think the pirates or other organizations from the Terminus or the Nemean Abyss are responsible for this attack? The Enkidu Sector is a Citadel Space and they know that," Shepard stated.
"No, we don't. Our operatives in the Terminus Systems and the Nemean Abyss have reported no sudden increase of activities in the systems, let alone within the Abyss ever since the discovery of the Prothean ruins on Articon. Our operatives have also stated that the pirate rings and other organizations didn't showed any interest about the discovery. Let alone about the huge presence of Citadel warships that were placed right next to their neighborhood," Anderson replied.
"After Harkon got MIA, did the Council have sent other Spectres to find him?"
"We did, and this is where it gets ugly. We have sent a Spectre, an asari named Keirana Vassi, one of our best, to find him on Articon but we've suddenly lost contact with her the moment she set foot on that planet. Then we've sent in another Spectre to find her but we also have lost contact to him. Then we have sent in another, and another, AND another Spectre to find those missing Spectres. All of them went disappear and we don't have any words from them," Anderson stated.
"How many Spectres that were disappeared on Articon?"
"EIGHT of them, Shepard," Anderson answered grimly.
Shepard's eyes went wide open and shocked to hear that the Citadel had lost eight Spectres, all eight of them within a month. Something definitely had gone wrong with the excavation. Are those Spectres were kidnapped by Cerberus? "No way. Not until they get past through the Citadel Fleet and the security forces stationed on the ground," Shepard thought and dismissed that fact.
But what about the Collectors? They had the capabilities that were necessary to do all of that. But there was a problem, all of the Collectors were killed after Shepard and his team have destroyed the Collector Base a year ago. The Geth or the most appropriate, the Heretic Geth however, were not responsible to this incident, not after Legion, Tali and Shepard himself have boarded the Heretic Station and rewrited every Heretic Geth in the galaxy.
"So somebody or something that are not from the Terminus, Cerberus, Collectors and the Geth that have destroyed the entire Citadel fleet, kidnapped (maybe) the scientists, archaeologists and the whole security forces along those Spectres with no trace at all. If this has got to do with Reapers, I'm going to investigate this matter," Shepard thought.
"But Shepard, the main reason why I called you is that the last eight of the Spectres that have disappeared, a salarian named Kalel Opothis had managed to sent a video transmission to us. It recorded the last minutes before Kalel and his people have lost contact with us. You're the only person who is an expert to handle this matter. I'm showing you the video now," Anderson said as another screen appeared on the right side of the holo-screen, depicted the salarian's last moments.
The video depicted in a first person view where Kalel and his people are involved in a brutal firefight inside what looks like a massive artificial cavern with hints of Prothean design. The sounds of gunfire come from both Kalel's people and the unknown assailants that was covered within the darkness at the end of the cavern echoes all around the cavern. But Shepard had heard some kind of gunfire that was far familiar to him from the video. It comes from the unknown assailants.
"Wait, that gunfire from the assailants. I think I've heard it before...," Shepard thought.
Kalel and his team consisted of three turians, two asari, three salarians and a krogan are ducked into cover behind a rows of crates while at the same time tried to fend off the unknown assailants' attack. A turian began to shoot the enemies right in front of him using his assault rifle. Suddenly, he was shot through his head and his body fell, rear first to the ground.
"Damn it, they've got Jorbas!" a turian exclaimed.
"What the hell are these things! We need to get out of here now!" an asari shouted with a demanding tone.
"Damn it! Alright, people! We're pulling back to the shuttle. LETS GO!" a salarian ordered.
Shepard had guessed the voice of the salarian who gave the order must be Kalel as his face is the only one that is not depicted in the video. After he had gave the order to retreat, all of his people (probably mercs) started to break their cover and ran-and-gun toward their shuttle.
"Damn it, this is not what we're paid for!" a salarian shouted while ran-and-gun towards his assailants in front of him.
"SHUT UP! You called yourself a professional merc! You're not worthy of th...ARRRGHHH!," a krogan tried to finish his sentence whiles shooting with his shotgun but he couldn't when something that looks like a pair of hands grabs the krogan's legs and dragged him directly into the hole at the lower walls of the cavern.
"Ahh! I'm outta here!" an asari shouted out of dread after she saw something dragged their krogan counterpart. She then ran hastily towards the exit, ignored the bullets that have past around her. But suddenly, a focused beam of light in bright yellow color, probably a directed-energy weapon, hitted the asari on her back. She then quickly collapsed, face first to the floor.
"By the Goddess, XONA!" another asari shouted in griefs after she had saw her asari counterpart died in front her eyes, by get shot from the back. The asari gritted her teeth in anger. Shimmering blue aura of biotics start to manifesting around her. She then turn her body towards in front of the assailants and prepare to give a powerful biotic attack at them.
"DIE YOU BASTARDS!" the asari shouted in anger and started to threw two balls of purple lights at the assailants within the darkness at the end of the cavern from both of her hands. Suddenly, a ball of blood-redness light appeared from the darkness and it slammed into her torso, and all of her upper body just simply exploded, sended chunks of flesh and blood all over the place as the lower parts of the asari body or what has left of her; namely the abdomen, the waists and both of the legs that are still intact, fell to the ground.
"BY THE SPIRITS!" a turian shouted as he is horrified of what he had just seen.
The video started to shifts toward a salarian face in pale blue color tone. Shepard began to learned that salarian in front of him must be the Spectre; Kalel. "This Spectre Kalel to the Council! If you watch all that had happens through this video, do not, I repeat DO NOT send another people to this planet! It's a death trap! It's a death...What the hell!" the video suddenly turns around and showed a figure that looks so...synthetic with blue circuit lines all over the body.
The head of the figure looks as if in the state of decay and its face looks like a skull with some facial flesh still embedded on its face with a pair of glowing blue eyes. That face reminded Shepard of a Scion, a type of husk which he and his team had fought them on Horizon, in the Collector Cruiser, the derelict Reaper and inside the Collector Base.
That figure started to growl loudly and began raises its right arm that have five proportionately thick fingers, each tipped with talons and strike the Spectre. Leaving the video to show nothing but static in front of Shepard.
Commander Shepard at that time only thought of one thing after saw that footage: "Uh-oh."
"That is the reason why I called you, Shepard. You are the only person who have a lot of experience fighting these things, these husks. If what you have told me several years ago is true, then these husks must be created from the dragon's teeth, a Reaper technology," Anderson stated.
"Sir, that gunfire from the unknown assailants that have attacked Kalel's team, I recognize it. Those assailants are using Collector Assault Rifles, and the asari that got hit by an energy beam; she was killed by a Collector Particle Beam. If my hunch is correct, then we're dealing with the Collectors on Articon, probably remnants of them that are not from the Collector Base," Shepard said.
Anderson was surprised to hear that kind of fact from him, and Shepard can tell all that from his face in the holo-screen. "Are you sure about this, Shepard?" he asked.
"I'm one hundred percent sure, sir. I have fought them in Horizon, in the Collector Cruiser, the derelict Reaper and inside the Collector Base," Shepard replied confidently and truthfully.
"Derelict Reaper? Where did you...Never mind that," Anderson shooked his head lightly. "Can you investigate this incident for us, for the Council, Shepard? You're the only person we could count onto. We can't risk to send another Spectre that doesn't have the knowledge and experience to face this situation," Anderson said in a similar manner to most requests where Shepard had got, and there was no hint of desperation in the human councilor's voice.
"Don't worry about it, sir. I'll make this as a high priority assignment. Those people who lost their lives by these things, I'll make sure they will be dealt with until they are gone. Is there anything I should know?"
"Yes, there's more. Yesterday, one of our Alliance carrier that was making a patrol in the Enkidu Sector have responded a distress signal that was coming from Articon. When the carrier was within the orbit, they've managed to send a message to Arcturus Station about their ship suddenly shuts down as the engines along with the mass effect core became disabled. They've lost contact to the ship afterwards," Anderson paused for a moment, as if to consider how to phrase the next few sentences.
"Shepard, that carrier..., is the SSV Orizaba. The one that your mother commands," Anderson said in a saddened voice.
Shepard's face began to show signs of fear, sadness and concern after he heard the words that came from Anderson's mouth. "What! My mother? She was there?" Shepard thought. To thought about his own mother was in the grasps of the Collectors. "No! Not my mother! Not her!"
"The Alliance Navy have sent a stealth frigate, the SSV Leyte Gulf, to investigate this matter one hour after the Orizaba has lost contact to Arcturus Station. But the Leyte Gulf was also gone out of contact once they've enter Articon's planetary orbit," Anderson added.
"I know this is very hard for you, Shepard. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry," Anderson said in a low, concerned and comforting tone.
"No, it's all right, sir. I'll get through with this," Shepard said calmly.
"Very well. Before you go to the Enkidu Sector, you must immediately make a rendezvous at Arcturus Station. Once you're there, you will be given a briefing by an Alliance officer, some new gears and techs along some people from the Alliance military for this mission," Anderson said in an informative tone.
"Yes sir," Shepard nodded in acknowledgement.
"I'll upload the coordinates where the Orizaba and the Leyte Gulf last reported. If this incident has got to do with the Reapers, just like what Hackett had told me before, please be careful. Godspeed, Shepard. Anderson out."
Investigate the missing scientists, Spectres, and now the two Alliance ships. Her mother was in one of those ships. And now with the possibilty that some Collectors that were not from the Collector Base were still alive. Things never got easier to Shepard. He then contacted Joker through the intercom.
"Joker, set a course to Arcturus Station. On the double, mister."
"Aye aye, Commander. Plotting a course to Arcturus Station. ETA 2 hours."
Author's Note:
Uh-oh, things just got really worse doesn't it? Anyway, do you guys know how to put the website address in the page because remember when I've said about new techs in the Prologue? The picture or the visualization concept of the new techs and gears that Shepard and his team going to have are actually in some of those website that I want to "copy and paste" it's address to the fic. To let you guys know what will be the new techs and gears looked like in the story, ya know? Hope you guys can help me with this problem.
Constructive criticism and grammar nazi are appreciated. Someone who has great knowledge about ME and Vandread universe and techs or anything related to them are also appreciated as well. Flaming and negative comments are not allowed, will be ignored and deleted.