A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting - the last week and a half provided all sorts of challenges for me. Special thanks to tayg for reviewing this chapter and helping to make it more detailed! As always, reviews and PM are welcomed.
Chapter 4: A Premonition of Danger
Continuing to touch the minds of those in nearby systems, Leviathan made more pawns and forced their followers to gather and deliver various supplies. Their thralls brought goods of all types: raw materials, fallen Reapers, discarded vehicles and the flesh and blood of more followers. Some were to be used for converting the remains of the Reapers into exoskeletons that would allow the creatures to take flight again and soar throughout space, while others were being formed into weapons. The time of their exile was coming to an end.
Feed us… Serve us… We are your Masters…
Leviathan's one concern was their numbers. Their strength had faded overtime and the Reapers had done an excellent job of hunting and harvesting them. What few were left had been in hiding for eons and mostly dormant. They would need to repopulate and that would take time and they could be vulnerable to enemies not under their influence. Leviathan had already found one such force that could stand as a threat and they knew that those that could not be controlled needed to be eliminated. Foremost on their minds were the krogan. A race built for killing and fighting, they would be formidable adversaries, but Leviathan had defeated stronger foes in their long history.
Reclaim lost power… Conquer all that resist… Dominate the weak-minded…
A unified voice, with a single-minded purpose… this was Leviathan. To hold on to their power, they would need to control the masses of multiple races on vastly spread out worlds. Knowing that they were limited in numbers, Leviathan realized that to take over they would need to directly influence the governments and power structures that existed. They would need to focus their attention on covert methods, to be able to infiltrate and control discreetly those that were already in power. One on the council would be a problem, the krogan, Bakara. She was strong and influential and would need to be eliminated first. She had been on Earth and seemed close to catalyst… Shepard.
Infiltrate and control… Eliminate and make puppets of the council… Find a way to Shepard…
Still needing the orbs to control the minds of those that were not in direct contact with them, Leviathan recognized that other covert ways to manipulate would be needed. The orbs had been discovered and would need to be refined into something subtle and unassuming. A vessel would be needed to hide their true power but infect those around it. The minds of those now ruled by Leviathan were sifted for ideas on how to infiltrate and spread their influence but remain hidden. An answer came to Leviathan and a plan was formed and their new task started.
Adornments that would be worn… Beautiful jewels to be desired… New gateways to the masses…
Cold, I'm so cold… where am I? Darkness, voices… what do they want? Information… must find and send out information… Beautiful jewelry that calls out to the wearer… must have it… must possess it…must share it… Shepard… yes, Master.
Dr. Ann Bryson-Vega woke with a start. Not again… Her skin was clammy and she was shivering at the same time. She was breathing hard and she knew it was the same nightmare. Try to relax, breathe… As hard as she tried, she could not seem to remember any details of it… just the feelings of dread and cold. She knew that there was something more too, something that she needed and could not quite remember. It terrified her and left her feeling empty. What is wrong with me?
Hoping for the comfort of her husband's physical form, she looked over to where he slept only to see that he had already gotten up. A feeling of panic was just starting to set in when she felt movement, a slight flutter from within her womb. Calm down, you are okay, breathe. Instead of letting the panic form, Ann focused her attention on the kicking of the child growing within her and tried to settle herself and reel in her emotions.
"Honey, you better get moving or you're going to be late." James Vega stopped whistling and called out to his wife. He was busy making breakfast for both of them and getting ready to head out to work.
Attempting to focus her thoughts on more positive feelings, Ann called back to her husband, "I'm getting up, and Hon. Your breakfast smells delicious. I'm going to take a quick shower and then I'll be right there." Her husband's voice helped to settle her and she was able to start to shake off the dream. She changed her focus to the coming events of the day, as it was to be an important one.
Need to get up. Come on Ann… get yourself moving. Ann slowly forced herself out of bed and into a warm shower. She dried off quickly and headed into her changing room to find an appropriate outfit for her first day in her new position.
Dr. Ann Bryson-Vega had been named as the new Director to oversee the R&D labs that were part of the Shepard Memorial Center. Specifically, she was going to be able to focus on what could be learned from the technology that Reapers left behind. She was also going to get to work with prominent scientist and engineers from across the galaxy towards making sure a threat like the Reapers never happened again. Ann smiled as she listened to her husband whistling to himself in the kitchen while he was getting their breakfast together. I love that man, she thought as she rubbed her belly and her growing baby.
"Man, those R&D labs looked really impressive. It's pretty amazing to be married to one of the premier researchers on the Reapers. It's going to be quit a big day today." James's enthusiasm was contagious.
Still moving slowly, Ann joined her husband at their kitchen table. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and then started picking at her huevos rancheros, her husband's favorite breakfast. She didn't have much of an appetite, but wanted to try and get some food in her before her day started. "This looks good… you always take such good care of me. Yeah, today will be exciting. I'm glad you were able to get assigned to the Memorial… it will be nice to have you close."
Looking at his wife, James could tell that she hadn't slept well. Her pregnancy had suddenly seemed to be taking its toll on her. She had been absent-minded lately and not sleeping soundly. "Are you anxious at all honey? I know that this position is going to be really good for you. You've been so excited about all the resources at your fingertips and having all of those 'like-minded' scientist friends of yours to work with."
"Thanks James. Yes, I'm still excited…"Ann thought about her new position, but her mind went to the recent ceremony and seeing all of her husband's former crewmates from the Normandy, especially to Commander Shepard… there was something she needed involving her, but she couldn't remember what. "It was good to see all of your crewmates, are you going to meet up with them again before they leave Earth?"
Thinking for a moment about his wife's question, James knew how busy everyone was and it seemed unlikely for them to be able to get together. The realization made him feel a bit sad and nostalgic, but he didn't want his wife to know that it bothered him," I'd like to, but they're all pretty busy and won't be here that long."
"Maybe we could catch up with Commander Shepard and her wife, Dr. T'Soni?" Ann offered, although she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that she needed to see the commander in person. "It might be nice to talk with them. I think that Dr. T'Soni and I are due at about the same time."
"Hey yeah, that would be fun… I haven't really spoken with Lola in a while. Not since the two of them got hitched. I'll see if they're available. Are you about ready? We should probably get going," James said as he kissed his wife and reached out to feel the movement of his growing child. Lola and I are going to be dad's… wow!
Shepard was in her apartment in London trying to have a little quiet time with Liara when her omni-tool's comm system notified her of an incoming call. She looked at the omni-tool and wanted to silence its beeping and forget it, when she saw that it was from James Vega. She was a little curious about the call and decided to answer. She reached down and activated a display button and a hologram of James opened before her. "Hi James, this is an unexpected surprise. What can I do for you?"
James rubbed his neck nervously, "Hey Lola… That is some statue!" He bounced slightly on the balls of his feet. He looked a bit nervous and he seemed to be having a hard time keeping still. He was a little intimidated by his former Commander and wasn't sure that she would say yes to his invitation.
Recognizing the lieutenant's nervous behavior, Shepard decided to try to put him a t ease. "James, it was good to see you and Ann at the Ceremony. Congratulations on the baby and on the prospects of becoming a father!"
"Ahh… thanks Commander… You too! It feels pretty damn good to almost be a dad, doesn't it?" James was feeling more relaxed and was happy that Shepard had answered.
Laughing at the thought of James Vega changing diapers and cuddling a crying baby, Shepard looked over at Liara and thought of herself doing the same. "Yeah and considering what Liara has gone through with the asari version of morning sickness and cravings, I'm happy to be the dad! Ann looked like she is still feeling pretty bad too."
"Ann started getting sick at the Ceremony and has had a hard time since. I thought we were through the worst, but I guess you never know."
"So what can I do for you James?"
"Well, now that you mentioned Ann and the baby, we were hoping to maybe meet up with you and Liara and have some dinner… and drinks for the expecting Poppis!
"Sounds like fun… I'll check with Liara, I'm sure that she would love to have something spicy. Everything she eats now seems to have Tabasco sauce on it." Shepard paused for a moment and thought of her meeting that she had set up on the Normandy, "Hey, I'm going to be meeting up with Ashley, Garrus and Tali on the Normandy, interested in joining us?"
"Absolutely!" James answered eagerly, "Just let me know when!"
Looking at Liara for her answer about dinner with the Vegas, Shepard saw the smile on her wife's face and knew that she was up for it. "Alright Lieutenant, we are going to meet tomorrow on the Normandy at 15:00 for a tour. I also have something I wanted to bring up with Ashley and I think you might have some insight as well. Maybe we can catch up with our wives afterwards and have that meal."
Smiling now from ear to ear, James was nodding his head in agreement. "Sounds like a plan, Commander. I'll let Ann know. Hasta manana, Lola!"
The hologram of James faded as Shepard went back to her spot on the bed next to Liara. "Now where were we?" She said teasingly while taking hold of her wife and kissing her fervently.
The shape of the Normandy was getting closer on the view screen in the shuttle and Shepard was feeling more and more keyed up about the meeting. It had been a long time since she had been aboard the ship and she was excited to see her friends again and all the upgrades that had been done. The Normandy had been both her home and her grave and it had played a key part in her life. It brought back many emotions: love, guilt, camaraderie and also sadness. I still expect to hear EDI's voice welcome me… EDI, I'm so sorry.
The shuttle docked without incident and Shepard departed for the airlock that would let her enter the ship. As the decontamination protocol finished, she thought back to her first assignment on the Normandy, Eden Prime. That had been where she had met Ashley and first came into contact with the Prothean beacon. God that seems so long ago. She shook her head at the thought. The doors opened and she walked on to the familiar deck of the CIC.
"Attention" Ashley called out and a group of soldiers stood at attention, all saluting the commander."Welcome on board the Normandy, Commander."
Shepard reacted without thought and returned the salute. "At ease… Thank you, Commander," Shepard could not resist the opportunity to remind Ashley of their equal rank.
"Dismissed," Ashley called to the soldiers and then she smiled her greetings to Shepard. "Glad to have you here, Shepard. I think you'll like some of the upgrades that we've made."
Reaching out to shake Ashley's hand, Shepard looked around the CIC entryway. It looked like she remembered and felt instantly familiar. "It's good to be back on the Normandy Ash. Have the others arrived yet? I was kind of hoping that I would be first."
"Well, you are… you are a bit early, but I expected as much from you. So did you want the tour or did you want to talk?"
"Let's talk, you can show me the ship when the others arrive."
At that, the ship announced that Lt. James Vega was in the decontamination chamber and requesting to come aboard.
"Permission granted," she said to the computer. Ashley shook her head and looked at Shepard. There was a hint of nostalgia in her voice, "It just isn't the same without EDI."
Lt. James Vega stepped out in front of the two commanders. He stood at attention and saluted each.
Shepard was the first to speak, "At ease Lieutenant." She looked back and forth between Ashley and James, "We've got a potential problem and I wanted both of your input on it."
"Oh course Shepard, let's head to the Captain's Lounge… we can discuss everything there." Ashley led her former crewmates to the elevator and once inside, selected the top floor. When the doors opened, instead of a cramped hallway, a large and well furnished lounge area was before them. Ashley headed to a meeting table that was surrounded by wheeled leather chairs.
Shepard took in the room. She noticed a wall of model ships that looked very much like the ones that use to be in her quarters and walked over to get a better view.
Ashley caught Shepard looking at the collection and quickly confirmed her suspicions, "I kept them Commander. Some needed to be repaired, but they just seemed to belong here."
The collection did seem to belong and Shepard found herself somehow comforted in that fact, "It's good to see they have found a home."
They each took a seat at the table, Shepard was at the head and Ash and James were on either side of her. Shepard cleared her throat and sat stiffly, "It's good to see you both and I'm glad that I have an opportunity to talk to you." She decided not to waste any time and jumped in to what she wanted to tell them. "I was with Aria T'Loak before the ceremony and I overheard a conversation that she was having with one of her operatives…"
"You were with Aria, why?" Ashley chimed in and then added, "I don't know how you can stand being around that self-serving, bitch."
Taken aback by the harshness of Ashley's statement, Shepard felt the need to defend the asari. "Ash, Aria isn't so bad, she really stepped up when it counted and used her influence to help a lot of people."
Holding her ground, Ashley wasn't about to concede, "She used her influence to increase her power and her fortunes and now she is literally in bed with the council. Shepard, I don't know why you would defend her."
Shepard actually felt a bit annoyed with Ashley, "Come on Ash, you were there when Cerberus took over Omega and you saw firsthand what they did to all of those people. Aria helped to regain Omega and even pushed for refugees to make homes there. She has been an ally ever since then. Even though they are bond mates, Tevos is no puppet for Aria. If anything, she has been a good influence on her and brought stability to their relationship. Besides, she and Liara have formed a bond and Liara looks to her like some sort of older sister."
James chuckled, "Well Tevos sure is something on her…"
Trying to get the conversation back on track and becoming aggravated with Ashley's opinions, Shepard raised her voice, "I'm being serious… let's not focus on Aria and instead listen to what I found out from her... Do you remember the krogan, Ganar Drace from the Omega mission? Well she had sent him to check up on an eezo mine on Watson and it sounds like he found one of the orbs Leviathan used to control people with. Drace destroyed it, but the miners didn't fare so well and the vorcha in his squad all came under its influence too. About half of the miners were found dead and the other half has gone missing. I know you both remember what Leviathan is capable of."
James suddenly got a worried look on his face. He remembered the orbs all too well. He had been with Ann when she had been controlled by Leviathan through one of them. It was in fact, how they had first met. "Those things are unpredictable and Leviathan is not afraid to use people to get what it wants. Ann suffered migraines and had nightmares for almost a year after her encounter with that thing."
Ashley saw the look of concern on James's face, but still didn't take in the full meaning of Shepard's words, "Are you saying that Leviathan is taking control of people and making them mine eezo? Why would it be interested in eezo anyway? Doesn't Leviathan live underwater?"
Shaking her head at Ashley, Shepard tried to clarify, "No, I'm saying it looks like Leviathan maybe up to no good and using those orbs to exert some kind of control over those in contact with an orb. Leviathan made the Reapers… who knows what they are really capable of. I don't think they were living underwater by choice Ash, I think they were hiding from the Reapers. Now that the Reapers aren't a threat, maybe they are thinking about leaving the depths of the ocean for something new. When we were trying to find Leviathan, EDI told me that they likely used eezo for space travel."
James's face had gone a bit pale and he suddenly was very serious, "Well I sure as hell don't want to find out what they are capable of. What's the plan Commander? We sure don't want those things flying around from planet to planet. Hell, they could be even worse than the Reapers."
The mood in the room had changed to a more serious tone and Shepard looked deep in thought. "We need to find out what Leviathan is up to. We still don't know much about them except that they can control people through those orbs. They can also influence one's mind when in direct contact with them. I still remember my short interaction with them… I can't say it's something I want to go through again."
Ashley looked to her former Commander for suggestions on how to handle this new threat. "Shepard, what do you think we should do?"
"If I remember, the Normandy has newly upgraded stealth technology. Maybe we could use it to better infiltrate Leviathan's current home. We could see what they are up to, without them knowing that we're there. What do you think Ash, would you be up for a little cruise?" Shepard looked around the room as she asked her question.
Slightly hesitant about the idea of taking the Normandy on some recon mission without orders, Ashley voiced her concern, "We have not received orders yet, and I would need to clear it with Admiral Hackett. I'm sure the Alliance would want a full report on a threat as potentially big as this one could be."
Ready for Ashley's resistance, Shepard had already come up with a solution, "I think that Hackett should be told and that you should report this to him immediately. Since we both still serve as Spectres, I will inform the council as well. Between the Alliance and the council, I would think that they would want the Normandy to go and see what Leviathan is up to."
Ashley became quiet and folded her arms over her chest. She looked a bit defensive when she spoke, "Are you going to want command of the Normandy?"
Shepard understood her actions and looked Ashley squarely in the eye, "No Ashley, but I'd like to come along. You know that I've retired from active duty in the Alliance, but I would most likely be with you as a Spectre and an adviser I'm not trying to take the Normandy from you." Shepard did her best to reassure her friend and opted for some humor too, "Besides, there is no way that Liara would accept me taking on active duties in the Alliance again."
Ashley smiled slightly at the reference to Liara, "Okay Shepard, I will talk to Admiral Hackett and leave you to the politicians. How about you James? Are you up for a trip to the bottom of the sea?"
Shuffling in his seat, James was obviously upset by the conversation, "I think I might need to sit this one out. I'm concerned about Ann and the baby. She has been acting strangely since the ceremony and I think I should be there for her."
"Understood James," Shepard thought of her own pregnant wife and of her reaction. She also remembered how Ann had been influenced by Leviathan and was worried for her friend. "James, how exactly has her behavior changed, if you don't mind me asking?"
He thought for a minute and as he did, James's expression became even grimmer, "She's been having horrible nightmares and not sleeping much. I also noticed that she is not eating and I'll find her at the computer in what looks like a trance. At first I thought it was the pregnancy, but it has gotten worse and she has no memory of any of it."
Thinking back to the ceremony, Shepard remembered the feeling that had passed over her while she was in the gardens. She had felt cold and was reminded of something trying to violate her mind. A chill went down her spine. Could it have been Leviathan? I was able to push the thing out of my thoughts, but it was a horrible feeling. What if Ann is somehow being controlled by Leviathan again? How could they be doing that without an orb? I need answers damn it!
Ashley and Shepard looked at each other, both were wearing concerned expressions. It was Ashley that voiced what they were all thinking, "Kind if sounds like indoctrination."
Feeling a rush of anger at the thought of possible indoctrination, Shepard slammed her hand down on the table, "Yes it does and I want to get to the bottom of this too. We've come too far to revert back to the threat of indoctrination, damn it!"
They could sense the frustration in Shepard's voice and see the fear on James's face. Leviathan was an unknown and could be a formidable threat to a galaxy just starting to rebound from the Reaper War.
"What will Liara say about you flying off in the Normandy again?" Ashley asked, "I'm assuming that she's not going to come along for another dangerous adventure while she's pregnant!"
"No, I wouldn't put her or my daughter at risk," Shepard said, but knew that Liara would not be happy with her for exposing herself to danger. "She was hoping to have some time with Aethyta on Thessia. Liara donated most of her Prothean artifacts to one of the larger museums in Serrice and she and Aethyta were going to go for the opening. Besides, I don't plan on this taking very long."
The Normandy's computer interrupted the conversation and announced the arrival of Garrus and Tali.
Shaking her head at Shepard, Ashley added, "I am glad that I am not the one who has to tell Liara about you leaving." She then reached for a comm switch that was built into the table, "Lt. Jones, please direct our newest arrivals to the Captain's Lounge… thank you." She looked back at Shepard, "Let's get Garrus and Tali up to speed on this too. I think their help is going to be needed."
The mood around the table had deteriorated over the course of the conversation. No one was happy with the prospect of a new threat to the peace and both Shepard and James looked a bit horror-struck at the thought of what Leviathan could do to their families.