A/N: Sorry that this was so late but that terrible disease of Real Life kept rearing its ugly head.

CryNet Phantom Operative designation Wraith

Current assignment: SSV Normandy SR1. Aide to Lt. Com Shepard, Spectre

Current Location: Virmire, Saren's Laboratory

Current Time: February 26th, 17:53

"Wraith, move up and cloak, check that room. Wrex, Garrus keep your weapons trained on that doorway. If a geth pokes a flashlight around the corner I want you to show em what we think of them."

The Krogan and Turian nodded their agreement and kept their rifles trained on the door in question while I cloaked and cleared out a secondary room. "It's empty" I reported upon scanning it with Nanovision, a lesson we had learned after a group of geth hunters had managed to hide in one such room and ambush us from behind. After that close call I had become the designated room checker, using my suits sensors to check it for hunters. The geth were however also fast learners as they stopped sending hunters after us when they sent hunters after us a second time and I immediately spotted them and let the squad rip into them before they were ready. As such we only had to deal with standard geth and the occasional krogan.

"Alright lets keep going. Wrex breach and go left, Garrus you take the right and I'll follow up with the center. Ready? Three. Two. One breach!"

The breach went smoothly, there were no geth waiting for us in the room. However we did find a salarian in STG armor typing frantically away at a terminal. The moment she saw him, Shepard motioned for us to lower our weapons as she called out to him. "Friendlies! You manage to escape in the chaos?" She asked taking a couple steps towards him.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as the salarian completely ignored her. "Hey buddy! Do you hear me?" She asked taking another step forward. This time the Salarian reacted, with a babbling howl he pulled out a pistol and fired two shots off at Shepard who staggered back in surprise. The salarian didn't manage to get a third shot off as a single round from my SCAR embedded itself into his forehead, splattering the wall behind him with his brains.

I jogged up to Shepard as the salarians body fell heavily onto the floor. "You alright?" I asked concerned.

She nodded "Yeah, shields stopped the shots."

"Why did he attack?" Tali asked. When I glanced at her I noticed that she was very determinedly looking everywhere except at the gruesome sight.

I turned to look at the salarian. "I don't think he was a traitor, he didn't act normally. Honestly, I think that may have been indoctrination."

Shepard nodded "Certainly seems that way. Right, from now on be on your guard. There may be more captive salarians here and if this one was indoctrinated stands to think others might be as well. If you find other captured STG operatives, be wary but remember try to knock them out. Hopefully we can find some sort of cure to the indoctrination if that is so. Killing only as a last resort. Understood?" When everyone had nodded she continued "Alright then, lets keep going."

"Overlord this is Sable."

"Send it Sable."

"We've encountered one of your captured men Captain. Unfortunately he attempted to attack us and in our suprise we killed him. We believe that he was subjected to indoctrination."

"Unfortunate. The other captives may have been subjected to the same. Taking them alive, will slow you down, if you leave them, will die in explosion. Cannot afford to send pickup teams, do not have holding cells. Kill any you come across. Only way. Unfortunate. Necessary. They would want it. All teams understand?"

"Jaeto copies."

"Mannovai confirms."

"Raptor dislikes but understands."

"Same for Serpent."

"Very well. Serpent whats status on infiltration?"

"We're making good progress. The geth all seem to be quite distracted."

"You have us to thank for that Basilisk."

"And it's much appreciated Prophet."

"Excellent. All teams continue with the assault. Report in when you've completed your objectives. Overlord out."

"Alright move on up. Wraith take point."

"Going dark." I said activating my cloak and moving on ahead.

"Hello? Is anyone up there?" Upon hearing the voice I immediately received a halt order from Shepard on my HUD. Glancing back I saw her lowering her hand from the raised fist it had been to initiate the command. We had just been making our way through the prison when the voice sounded from below us.

"Commander Shepard Alliance Navy. Identify yourself."

"Private Menos Avot of the 3rd Infiltration Regiment STG. I was captured in a geth raid six days ago."

Shepard exchanged a quick glance with the rest of the team before nodding. "Alright, we'll be right down there." She gave the rest of us a nod and placed a single hand on the railing to her side and vaulted over. I moved to follow her, backflipping over the railing to land securely on my feet next to Shepard who muttered "Show off" As she approached the only occupied cell in the prison.

"Please you're alliance you have to get me out of here. They never ask me any questions here, oh no, just whispers, poking, cutting and more whispers."

"What the hell have they been doing to you Private?"

"Experiments. I don't know what, I don't know why. The effect of whispering on my shortened temper? I don't care I just need to get out of here now!"

I turned to face shepard "Vanyali, there's no sound of any whispering anywhere nearby. Nothing, its completely silent."

"You sure about that?"

I nodded "Yes. No abnormal audible sounds anywhere near us."

"Something is definitely wrong with him Shepard." Liara threw her own two cents in.

Shepard grimaced "If he's indoctrinated, setting him free could endanger the mission."

"No. No you've got to let me out. This cell's too small anyway, and it keeps talking and I really want to get out of here. You've got to let me out please!"

"Here, Wraith get the door. We'll keep a close eye on him." Shepard said stepping aside.

Taking a couple steps forward I cast a quick glance over the door. It was a standard sliding door with bars over a small window through which we were talking with the salarian. It looked like a fairly secure prison door. "Stand back." I warned Avot.

"Maximum Power."

With one fluid motion I raised a leg and kicked the door with all the power of my suit. My foot smashed into the center of the door with all the power my suit could muster. With a loud thud, the door bent around my boot but otherwise remained firmly shut. A moment later when my energy reserves had recharged I kicked it again. This time my boot tore a hole into the door and I withdrew my foot only to replace it with my hands. With a powerful heave I tore the door right out of its frame and let it drop to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Ah, thank you operative. I would have hated to be left in here until I became a mindless slave to saren."

"No problem. Although I would suggest that you get yourself examined after we're done here. Make sure there aren't any early signs of indoctrination." I advised him.

"Nonsense. I feel fine. I'm not indoctrinated yet."

"Still just to be completely safe I'd suggest it. You wouldn't want to run into any issues later on."

"Is that supposed to be a threat operative?"

"What?" I asked taken slightly aback. "No! Of course not. I was merely saying that being here might have some long term health consequences."

Ralban took a couple steps back "You're threatening me! You think I'm indoctrinated! You're going to kill me!"

"Wow wow wow!" Shepard stepped forward as I raised my hands disarmingly. "Thats not at all what he said!"

With a loud shout the salarian turned and sprinted away vanishing from view as he turned a corner ignoring our shouts to stop.

"He's going to run directly into a group of geth! There's no way he's going to find the others!" Garrus said walking up next to Shepard.

"Why did he panic like that?" Tali asked.

"If I had to guess? Maybe early stages of indoctrination. He seemed fine, but the moment I mentioned anything about the possibility of him being indoctrinated he lost it."

"Could be. Guess I should inform Kirrahe. Overlord, this is Sable."

"Send it Sable."

"We just encountered a Prisoner. Wasn't fully indoctrinated, but he did show early symptoms. He escaped, we can't afford to chase him down."

"Understood Sable, we'll keep an eye out for him."

"Good copy on that. Sable out."

"Wraith cover and cloak! Wrex suppressive fire."

I ducked behind a nearby crate and cloaked as Wrex stepped up and opened fire with his machine gun, laying waste to all the geth who didn't immediately hide from his fury. Invisible I ran out behind the geth, making sure to stay out of Wrex's line of fire as he raked his shots over a wall behind which two geth were currently hiding. Once behind the geth I tossed a grenade at said two geth. The moment it detonated I uncloaked opening up with my SCARAB at the other two geth who I quickly mowed down. A warning from both my suit and from Garrus caused me to twist around to face a nearby door that had slid open for me to come face to face with a pair of two Salarians.

I hesitated only for a split second until I saw them raising their weapons up at me. Squeezing the trigger of my SCARAB I hit the first with two bursts of tungsten shards, the first of which tore through his shields, the second shredded his heart. The force of the shots sent him stumbling back into the second Salarian who as he attempted to regain his footing took a sniper round to the head from our resident Turian.

"Much appreciated Garrus!"

"Area clear lets move! We're almost to the main lab."

"Overlord to Sable."

"Send it Overlord."

"Lieutenant Imness has reached us. Still no sign of Avot."

"I imagine that's due to him being indoctrinated."

"Yes the Lieutenant has surmised much of the same. As it is Mannovai and Jaeto are about five to ten minutes out from their targets."

"What about Raptor and Serpent?" Shepard asked.

"Raptor here. We've breached the base and have just finished placing our charges on our target. Moving to rendezvous with you now. ETA ten minutes."

"Copy that Prophet. We'll meet you there."

"As for Serpent they reported a heavy guard around their target and informed us about them going dark until the job has been completed."

"Understood."

"Report in when you've taken out your AAA emplacement Sable. Overlord out."

"Alright lets go. This door should lead directly into the main labs. Odds are that the geth have heavily fortified this so Wrex you take point. I'll go second. Garrus, Wraith you come next. Liara and Tali you take up the rear." She waited for a few seconds for us to interject, when no one did she nodded and looked at Wrex "Wrex you ready?"

With a wide grin Wrex nodded "I'm always ready."

"Alright then breach in five." She held up five fingers and slowly began taking them down one by one. The moment she lowered her last finger Wrex triggered the door and with a loud roar ran through, shepard right behind him.

Exchanging a quick glance with Garrus I triggered my armor and walked through the door into a wave of gunfire. Breaking into a sprint I slid into cover behind a counter of microscopes and centrifuges which immediately started shattering as bullets smashed through them.

Cloaking I cast a quick glance around the lab. My visor took in the layout and SECOND started highlighting various points of interest in the area, including our opposition. There were about six geth about thirty meters away from us unloading onto our positions. Further back however I spotted an asari and a Krogan both not wearing armor but wearing what looked to be lab coats. The Krogan had grabbed a weapon and was making his way towards us while the Asari was frantically tapping away at a computer. Unwilling to let her delete any data I raised my SCAR and with a quick command the rifle transformed into its SCARE variant. Sighting in on the asari I fired off a single shot that flew straight and true finding its mark within the unprotected skull of the asari who fell like a stone, spaying purple blood into the air. \

The shot from my cloak had however drained all of my energy and I was forced back down as two geth opened fire on me.

"Tactical options available."

I glanced around as various waypoints were highlighted for me before mentally selecting one of them. The other waypoints all vanished leaving only my chosen ones visible for me and the moment my energy reserves had recharged I sprang into action.

"Maximum Power."

Fueling all the energy I could into my arms and legs I burst forth from the counter of now destroyed microscopes and sprinted off to the side. There was a sudden burst of gunfire that trailed after me as I sped through the lab jumping over tables of lab equipment as I went. I knew that I'd only have about a second or two before the geth would manage to properly lead me in order to hit me so I concentrated on sprinting as fast as my suit would let me into a side alcove. By the time I had reached the alcove the geth firing at me had either been taken out or forced down by the rest of the squad leaving me clear to continue running. With a running jump I managed to grab hold of a pipe about five meters off the ground and with a powerful heave flung myself even further up.

I continued my rapid ascent until I reached a small ledge that ran along the entire lab. From there I began running along until I reached a balcony. Vaulting over the balcony wall I cast a quick glance out the door that led to the outside of the facility and once I saw that it was clear I pulled out my SCARE and began opening fire on the targets inside. By now all the geth had been eliminated by the rest of the squad and the Krogan was currently being taken out of commission by Liara. However that didn't mean that there weren't any further targets to engage as I spotted what looked to be various holding or stasis cells that were shutting down to release the husks held inside them.

"Hey Shepard. Looks like we got what looks to be more than fifty husks coming at you. I suggest you get your heavy hitters ready." I warned as I opened fire with my SCARE.

"Understood, thanks for the warning. Liara throw down a singularity, cut off their access. Garrus, Tali target anything that tries and get around. Wrex you and me in front with shotguns anything that gets caught in the Singularity or gets past Garrus, Tali and Wraith we blast."

My SCARE bucked in my hands as I sent shards of tungsten downrange at the husks. Each shot I took downed a husk and by the time they got within twenty meters of the squad I had already taken out six, while Garrus had taken out another three. Once they reached twenty meters a small turret that tali had fabricated started opening fire. The small floating gun downed another two husks. It was then that the first geth got caught in Liara's singularity.

Wrex's shotgun was the first to go off completely shredding the torso of a husk. Shepard fired twice, cleanly taking off the head of one husk and the lower torso of a second. All the while Garrus and I continued taking out husks from a distance. I settled into a steady rhythm of shots, taking a shot every second when the horde of Husks finally petered out.

Shepard tossed a ball of biotic energy into the singularity that Liara was maintaining detonating it as the last husk ran straight into the unstable energy blast sending it flying off its feet.

"Looks like thats all of them, Commander." Liara said.

"I'd agree with that." Garrus agreed.

"Well lets go then. We don't have all day. Wraith take point."

I triggered my SCARE and as it compacted down to its SCARAB variant I vaulted down from my balcony landing lightly on my feet. "On it."

Exiting the lab I entered a small office with a window overlooking a rather nice part of the Virmire jungle. I glanced around for a moment before raising my carbine to aim directly at the office desk. "Stand up slowly and with your hands on your head." I shouted slowly walking sideways as an Asari stood with her hands on her head.

"Don't shoot please I'm unarmed!"

"Stay where you are and don't make any sudden moves. Identify yourself!"

"Rana Thanoptis. I'm a neurospecialist. But this job isn't worth dying over, or worse."

/ SRCH CMMCNG SBJCT Rana Thanoptis STND BY…

"What do we have Wraith?"

"A Civvie, looks to be one of their scientists. Running a background check now."

"Understood let me know if you find anything of interest."

I nodded as she stepped forward to talk to the asari.

"Alright now what are you doing here?"

"I'm supposed to study Indoctrination, but do you think it only affects prisoners? Sooner or later its going to be my brain on the dissection table."

"And what do you mean by that? I thought this was a Krogan Breeding Facility."

"Well yes and no. Here we're studying sovereigns effect on organic minds. At least I think we are. Saren doesn't tell us much."

"Wait wait wait. Let me get this straight, you're working for him and you don't even know why?" Garrus asked incredulously.

"Do you think I have the option of negotiating? The contract length has become more permanent than I'd like. But I can help you if it means being able to get away from here. This elevator behind me will take you to Sarens lab. I can unlock it for you."

"Alright, unlock that elevator. Wraith anything on her background?"

I shook my head "Nothing too unusual. Nothing that stands out."

"Understood, see if you can't arrange some extract for her."

I nodded turning away and opening a com channel. "Wraith to Overlord."

"This is Overlord, send message."

"Captain we've encountered an asari researcher who wants out of Saren's employment. Requesting evac for her we'll need to debrief her after this is done. She has valuable intel."

"Understood I'll send some men to pick her up. Tell her to stay put and we'll get her out of there."

"Copy that Wraith out." I turned to look back at shepard. "She's to stay put here, an extraction team will be coming in to pick her up shortly."

"Alright you heard Operative Wraith, go ahead remain here, we'll be moving on. A team will come in to extract you."

"Alright thank you commander."

"Be careful, those husks don't look too friendly."

"Oh believe me they aren't."

"Alright, everyone into the elevator." Shepard said standing next to the elevator and once we all had entered she also stepped inside and a moment later the doors slid closed and we started ascending.

"You sure it was a good idea to leave her on her own, free to do what she wants?" Garrus questioned.

"Well either she stays put and the extraction team can handle her. Or she doesn't and was less than sincere about her desire to leave Saren's employ and she'll get hit by the nuke. Either way it's done for now."

"Understood. So do you want us to perform a quick intel grab from Saren's lab?" I asked.

"Yeah, Grab anything that looks important, Tali run a quick search of any computers."

"I'll check for Ceph tech. There may be some around."

"Understood."

Our ascent slowed and a moment later stopped completely as the doors slid open. We immediately piled out guns raised only to lower them a moment later. "Well this place is empty." Liara said.

"I was expecting more." Tali agreed.

"Shepard look!" I glanced over my shoulder to see Liara excitedly gesturing at a nearby alcove. I was unable to see exactly what was inside but that question was answered when Shepard walked over and looked inside.

"Another beacon." She breathed.

"I'd imagine that this one might have a more complete vision inside it, unlike the other one which was disjointed most likely due to it being damaged. This one though looks to be in pristine form."

"So you want me to interface with it." She stated.

"Wait, the last one knocked you out cold for fourteen hours. Hell that kind of tech could have killed you it wasn't meant to interface with our physiology." I cautioned.

"Lets be honest Wraith, I was knocked out by the explosion."

"Yes but that doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous to interface with that kind of tech. Now if you let me interface with it we can get the suit to act as a barrier."

"But Wraith you don't have the cipher." Liara said earnestly "I understand that it's dangerous but without that cipher the vision would be next to impossible to decipher, even for your suit."

"I might have gotten the cipher when I was held by the prothean you know."

"And if you didn't?" Vanyali inquired "Listen I know it's dangerous, but we need to know all we can and if this is a way of doing that then I need to do it."

"Fine. But I don't like this. Prothean technology, much like Ceph tech, is not to be taken lightly."

"I know. But I've survived it once before no problem. I'll be fine." Vanyali said softly before stepping forward towards the beacon. A moment later her body was hoisted up into the air as the beacon glowed a sickly green. I watched worriedly as she twitched for a few moments before as suddenly as it had started she fell to the ground gasping for air.

"Shepard!" I exclaimed as she grasped her head.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She groaned "Just have the mother of all headaches right now."

"Did you see anything new? Anything at all?" Liara asked.

"A bit, but It's gonna take me some time to sort through it all."

"Right yes of course. I imagine it would."

Vanyali gave a pained chuckle "Once I get this under control I'll let you know Liara."

Liara's cheeks gained a slight purple tinge to them as she realized how excited she had been acting "Right yes of course."

"Hey Shepard. I found something interesting." I glanced up at where Tali and Garrus were standing on an elevated catwalk.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure some kind of advanced VI Interface?"

"I'll be right there."

Giving me a nod Shepard led the way up to where Tali and Garrus were standing. Tali had approached the interface and just as she was about to press a button a loud deep and booming voice echoed from all around us as the interface shifted into a crimson replica of Saren's dreadnaught.

"You are not Saren."

"Well thats not ominous at all." I muttered.

"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."

The voice rumbled through my body and I could feel the vibrations through my suit. As it spoke, the image pulsed with light in sync with the syllables as spoken.

"I don't think this is a VI…" Tali murmured quietly.

"There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign."

"Sovereign, isn't just some Reaper ship Saren is an actual Reaper!" Shepard exclaimed in surprise mixed with the horror that I was starting to feel.

"Reaper? A Label created by the protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they choose to call us is irrelevant. We simply are."

"The Protheans vanished 50,000 years ago. You couldn't have been there. It's impossible." Wrex spat.

"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything."

"There is an entire galaxy of races united and ready to face you." Vanyali challenged.

"Confidence born of Ignorance. The cycle cannot be broken."

I narrowed my eyes "What cycle?"

"The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance. And at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the mass relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind."

"Why would you construct the mass relays, then leave them for someone else to find?"

"Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it."

"I bet the ceph threw a nice little wrench in your plans, they didn't use that much of your technology now did they?"

"Charybdis came here infesting, bringing chaos. We exterminated them as we exterminated all other races. They were an anomaly, a danger to the order of the galaxy."

"So what is it you want from us? Slaves? Resources?"

"My kind transcends your very understanding. We are each a nation. Independant, free of all weakness. You cannot even grasp the nature of our existence."

"Where did you come from? Who built you? How many of you are there?"

"We have no beginning. We have no end. We are infinite. Millions of years after your civilization has been eradicated and forgotten, we will endure. We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom."

"You're not even alive. Not really, you're just a machine. And machines can be broken."

"Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over."

We didn't even have time to fully realize what it had said when we were all thrown off our feet by a blast of light and a cacophony of sound.

A/N: So I basically took Sovereign's speech and dialogue directly from the game because its just so good and I'd just ruin it changing it.

Anyway I'll try and get the next update out sooner than this one but I can't promise anything.