PHOENIX RESURGENT

A Mass Effect Story by Vyrexuviel, with assistance by Darman Sejuk

Disclaimer: The author of this story does not, in any way, profit from the story and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s).

"Keelah," Tali mumbled while observing the docking of the Zero-One-Three with a geth carrier ship. They were in orbit over the planet Korlus. Next to her, Shepard was also watching, but the look in her eyes gave the impression that she was not really seeing the ships, but looking past them. Garrus stood behind, being the tallest there he could look over their shoulders. Mordin on the other hand was observing the Geth carrier's design and speculating on the development of the design.

"It is impressive," was Garrus response to the young quarians comment.

As they drifted closer to the other ship, the whole group heard the hatch leading into the room open behind then. When they turned they saw their geth team member enter the room.

Legion smoothly entered the room before stopping a small distance from the group and simply stated. "We will be docking with the carrier to acquire a less conspicuous vessel for landing and extra forces to ensure safety.

The Geth piloted Kodiak shuttle entered the atmosphere with the usual bone-jarring deceleration. The entire cockpit had been retrofitted with a geth-controlled mainframe, to allow the synthetic intelligences to control the organic-produced shuttle. The ground team was stonily silent as the crushing weight eased, Garrus getting his breath back first.

"So why are we here anyway, Shepard?

Shepard turned away from looking out the side window to give the rest of her team a look. "We're here as a favor to the Krogan clans, and to relieve tensions between Tuchanka and the Council. We are to find and detain a Krogan warlord named Okeer and transport him to the Krogan capital for trial.

"Is there anything else? Mordin's reply was quick and terse as always.

"Well," Shepard glanced over at Legion and the six standard geth troopers standing silently on the other side of the shuttle, "Geth Intel suggests that Okeer has had contact with the Collectors.

Before Shepard could say anything else Legion shifted its head slightly and stated in its monotone voice; "Anti-aircraft emplacements detected along our approach vector. Prepare for chaotic conditions."

The team had less than a second after Legion finished before the shuttle lurched to the side. No organic pilot could have scored a way through the anti-aircraft flak, but the geth piloting programs did an admirable job. The attack came so suddenly that only the three Geth troopers were able to secure themselves before the concussive blasts rippled through the ship. A direct hit would have been rather fatal, even to the well-shielded 'combat cockroach'. As it was the detonations several meters away sent multiple shockwaves to bounce the un-secured occupants about like dice.

Shepard was the one to see it first. Three charges detonated, bracketing the shuttle on either side, and one above and behind them. The one on the port side wasn't close enough to do more than rattle them, and the one behind them was even further way, but the one to starboard was close enough to do some damage. The shockwave impacted the already-stressed shields and they failed with the characteristic feedback shattering sound. Garrus's head snapped up at that sound, knowing it for what it was.

But the shockwave wasn't done with them yet. It hit at precisely the wrong place, at precisely the wrong angle. the large hatch covering the main exit wasn't designed for the metal-deforming stress of AA-flack, and it tore loose with a sudden roaring shriek. The sudden drop in pressure blasted everyone in the cabin towards the opening, but the young quarian lost her grip on the safety rail just as Shepard was trying to grab at her.

As Tali started to be blown out of the shuttle, Shepard lunged from the nearby wall and grabbed her thin wrist. For a moment, they were face to face, faceplates almost touching as Shepard pivoted about that point of contact. Then Shepard's arm snapped, hurling Tali back through the shuttle hatchway and close enough to two of the geth troopers for them to grab hold.

For one fleeting moment it seamed that Shepard just hung in the air, staring in at her crew. For a moment she seemed to touch Garrus's eyes, giving him an order he couldn't ignore. 'Take care of her.' He couldn't reply, he didn't have time, and even as Tali began screaming her name, she was gone, plummeting towards the surface of the planet.

She was falling. Falling. Falling! Her mind whirled as the winds buffeted her. Her eyes both saw and did not see the rusty brown landscape rushing towards her, both saw and did not see the shuttle, it's hatch blown clear by the lucky AA-shot, both saw and did not see a figure being yanked back from the edge by unseen hands. Her mind was whirling, spinning, stark, staring terror ripping free of it's cage and gibbering as it ran loose among her thoughts, scrambling them. She was vaguely aware of a scream that didn't come from the wind whipping around her, but the Terror was too great, too strong, to utterly overpowering. It wasn't Korlus she was falling towards, with it's endless plains of shattered starships, it was Alchera's vast, glare-white ice, and she wasn't falling from a mere few hundred meters, she was falling from -orbit-, and she was going to smash and fry and -die!-

Shepard's eyes rolled up as the terror overwhelmed her reason, and a second later, smashed a new hole in the crater-pocked landscape.

Tali was still and silent by the time the shuttle had dropped below the Ack-Ack cover, skimming in a wide arc as the synthetic pilot headed back towards where it had calculated Shepard would have impacted. Her movements were frenetic and jerky, but still controlled, leaping clear of the hatch before the shuttle had even touched down, scrabbling over rubble and already scanning with her omnitool for the unique power signature of Shepard's cryosuit. She had to have survived, she just -had- to. Garrus unlimbered his rifle even as he called after Tali, racing to try and keep up with the young Quarian, unheeded as Tali searched through the EM-scattering metalic rubble for her friend. And.. Perhaps more.

'Shepard! Where are you!'

He had finally found them. The pirates, scum, whatever you want to call them. Heavily armed and armored, but what did a Kuuros Master care for such things? His body was a living weapon, his mind keener than any sword, his strength unrivaled by any save the Founder.

Drop your weapons, and I will make your deaths quick. The pirates, butchers, slaughterers of the innocent, exchanged a glance before opening fire.

'Very well. I shall have my bloody revenge,' he thought even as he snapped his body to one side, avoiding their aim and the crackling roar of their weapons. A hand snapped out, his power pulsing, and, as ever the Master of the Kuuros Ahkt had his weapon.

All Tali could think of was finding Shepard. Scanning the area with her omnitool as quickly as she could while rushing through the labyrinth of decaying ships and trash was the only thing keeping Tali from going into a panic attack.

Garrus was barely keeping up with the young Quarian as she ran ahead through the wrecks that surrounded them. The speed that Tali was moving through the obstacles in her path nearly stunned the Turian marksman. He was sure that she couldn t have the stamina in her lithe body to maintain the grueling pace.

Just as Garrus was about to drop from exhaustion when Tali halted right in front of him while she just stared at her omnitool. He almost fell over her, as she scanned rapidly about. As he was bending over to catch his breath from the run he almost missed her quite remark, before she took off again down a new path in the wreckage. As the Geth troops and Mordin continued on past him, he repeated what she had said.

"Oh Keela, she's alive!"

They were quite well trained, these lawless butchers. But no mere man was a match for a master. His arm blurred as he brought his makeshift weapon about, his power pulsing and flaring as he brought his enemies to him. Constant motion, ever-changing momentum and vector. That was the secret of the Kuuros. Without even thinking of it, he arched, allowing a trio of shots to zip past him, then spun, the liquid stream of flowing light rippling along the length of his weapon even as his power worked. The length of shimmersteel rippled and danced about him, it's gyrations a perfect compliment to the rippling chaotic dance that was a Kuuros master's finest art. About him lay a circle of the dead and dying, even as his weapon whirled and hummed with the power of it's rotations, spinning end for end so fast that no blood stained it.

Mordin and the Geth troopers that had been fallowing Tali's rushed travel through the maze of metal plates at a decent pace, trying not to lose sight of the energetic Quarian. She frantically traced the unique energy signature that only Commander Shepard's hardsuit generators put out.

After a few more moments of the quick pace they came to the young engineer. As they approached her side, they began to hear the noses of a violent battle in progress.

As they came abreast of Tali they realized that they were standing at a cliff's edge that overlooked what could be closely described as an arena. In the center of the arena was Shepard surrounded by easily a whole group of mercs wearing Blue Suns colors. This would have been alarming, if there weren't the bodies of possibly 2 more groups of the same mercs strewn around the area, very clearly dead.

As Tali, Mordin, and even the group of geth all stood there in surprise, Garrus finally caught up to then and spotted Shepard, just as she used an improvised weapon to nearly decapitate a Blue Sun merc charging her.

There were only four of the butchers left, out of an even hrarz'a. Their faces were pale beneath their blue carapaces. It did not matter. his power forced their shields wide, and his weapon sought their lives. It was as it had been, in countless battles across the Empire. Ever and so did the Kuuros Dance. Rust-red streams pumped from torn limbs, and shattered joints lay at odd angles. Pulped skulls and broken, sunken chests as the quick, light steps of the Dirizhaal Danse picked a twisted, corkscrew path amongst the bodies. He had grown slow in his old age, but he was ever the best of them.

The light rippled in a blurred smear as his power brought his weapon to a spinning shriek, whirling at his outstretched right hand. His left flared with power as he reached, grasping for the nearest of the butchers. Nevermore would these blood-seeking scum take another life. He spun. And the power surged. Another headless corpse to add to the pile. Their weapons were useless, the Master was quicker than both eye and mind. He hurled his weapon with the power, sending it scything through the last two to that side, even as his quick feet danced to the tattoo of the guns. He caught it again as it returned, and halted it's spin so fast it's tips glowed hot for an instant. He stood, eyes blazing with incandescent fury, his arm outstretched towards the last remaining butcher.

Surrender, Ko-ax. I will make your end swift. The butcher threw down his weapon, raising his hands, and babbling in terror. No doubt the feebleminded beast had never seen a true Master at work. May your spirit find redemption in the Halls of Toil, butcher. May there you find mercy, for the Master has none to give. His hand flared with the power, and the butcher's chest exploded in a shower of bloody chunks.

The fall of the last mercenary seemed to break Tali out of the trance. She had stood stock-still, both awed and frightened at the sight of Shepard fighting the group of mercs. After a moment the young woman yelled the commander's name and started running down the side of the hill to the pit below.

As Tali approached Commander Shepard, she took notice of the new arrival and shifted into a combat stance before giving the same warning that she had given to the mercs before.

Tali immediately stopped when Shepard s pose changed and started speaking in a language that the young quarian didn't understand. She responded in a worried tone, "Shepard, are you ok? Please, say something. Come on, it's me Tali."

Anvek listened to the words of the unknown being but couldn't understand them. Something about them was maddeningly familar, as was the sight of this not-butcher before him. The more the creature spoke, the greater the feeling of sleep grew on Anvek's mind. Even as he fought to stay awake, he could feel something rise about him, lowering him into the arms of Nis, the Dreamer.

As Shepard woke, the first thing she noticed was that she was standing in the middle of a group of dead mercenaries. The second that her favorite quarian engineer was talking to her in a worried tone.

Hoping to break the feeling of concern flowing off of Tali, Shepard cracked a smile and said the first thing that came to mind. "Have I been sleep-killing again?"

AN: Once again, my appologies for the long wait, people. I finally found my muse! Alas, she seems to be collecting plotbunnies for possible sequels, which is beyond annoying. I only just got the bunnyhairs off my shirt from this one! Aaanyway, please read and review!