A/N: Happy New Year all! Thank you to everyone who has been following my story. I have continued with the development of a single Leviathan in each chapter – this one is for Krixo. Next chapter will be Neresa.

As always, your comments, PMs, favorites and follows are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 10: Awakening

At the highlight of their civilization, the Leviathans had spread across the galaxy. Each one ruled a solar system and all of its inhabitants. Some were benevolent rulers and acted as the caretakers of those that they looked over, while others were tyrants and acted as gods. Most were independent of each other or would form colonies if their territory was large enough. They would only occasionally meet or meld minds, usually when consensus was needed or in brokering resources between systems. War would break out between the creatures as they would become greedy and feel the need to expand their territory. Krixo had been one of the strongest and most feared of the rulers and always wanted to take on more thralls.

The days of my ruling were the highlight of our society. It will be that way again. There are so many out there that yearn for the control and influence that I will bring. All will know the power of Krixo and get the chance to be in my service. Those that resist will be crushed by my general and I will use them all as I see fit. I will be the one to determine the fate of the galaxy. I will rise again…

As the Leviathans grew and became more absolute in their quest for resources and power, they looked to advance the species under their control. Hoping to amass more materials and create machines that would help them hold on to their power. It was during this time that the first Reaper was made. The machine was to be in the image of the Leviathan and would be used to spread their control and influence over all. When the machine became sentient and interpreted its own destiny, it saw itself as superior to all and that to grow, would need to harvest other organic species. In doing so, the organics would be raised to perfection and more Reapers would be born. The Reaper saw itself as a harbinger of the future and thus took the on name, Harbinger. Harbinger would first target its creators and then those that Leviathan controlled.

Those others had been fools to rely on machines. Organic minds are so much more telling and predictable. Complete domination can so easily be achieved. Leviathan never needed machine servants, not when others were so willing and open to us. I was a king, a god among those beneath me. I will be again and will never be reliant on those that cannot be possessed by me…

Krixo's territory had been one of the largest and encompassed multiple solar systems. He was not reliant on machines, but instead fueled his lust for control by having as many sentient creatures under his influence as he could. He preferred to use younger Leviathans as generals, to secure his dominance in his territories and instead concentrate on the minds of inhabitants of the worlds under his control. Krixo was obsessed with the minds of other species and loved to be able to wholly possess them. When the Harbinger came to life and started to fulfill its mission to halt the advancement of technology and incorporate the living into its form, Krixo and his people were targeted first.

Harbinger recognized my power and my authority and came after me. It harvested my thralls and the others of my kind. It wanted what I controlled and sought to best me, but it and all those that came after failed. I outwitted the machines and persevered, in spite of being hunted and nearly betrayed by my own people. I knew that I was to come to power again and that I would find my voice once more. This time though, it will be more powerful and will not fall to the indoctrination of the Reapers. My possessions will be absolute and I will be hailed again…

To escape the fate of the others of his time, Krixo fled to an unpopulated planet that was covered in vast oceans and had great depths that would allow him to all but disappear. From there he reached out to the other Leviathans and attempted to draw them to his call and the safety of blackness, but very few answered. Neresa and Lesaro were two that had heard him and looked to the strong, powerful voice of Krixo to wait out the advancement of the Reapers. In order to survive all the eons in dormancy and seclusion, they joined their minds together and hibernated in the depths of a forgotten world. Together, they for a time became one.

Our retreat saved us and hiding was necessary. Harbinger and the Reapers attempted to hunt us into extinction… they failed and left the strongest, Krixo, to rule. We will never make that mistake again. No machines or AIs are needed when I am firmly entrenched in power. Do you hear me Harbinger? I have lived and you have fallen… I am to rule and you are to rot… to become the forgotten menace that once brought terror to the galaxy. Now is my time and now is when I choose to reach out and take what is mine… what I desire… what I deserve…

Over the course of time, Krixo dispersed his orbs throughout the galaxy to seek out sentient species that he could use to gauge the depth of the Reaper influence. He saw the pattern of their return and harvest and continued to stay dormant and off the radar of his pursuers. Until the time of Shepard, the one that beat the Reapers, the one whose mind he was now obsessed with sharing and using to regain all that he had lost.

Now is the time for my rebirth… for my influence to spread throughout the galaxy… for all to open themselves to my control. My champion will be the one that defeated the Reapers. The one that has such a tempting and strong mind… I will have Shepard as my voice... I will possess her and take in her power to become part of my own… She will become my human form to command… Shepard will seek me out and I will be waiting and ready for her… Come to me Shepard…

Miranda had watched as her friend and the Director of her program deteriorated. Ann's eyes had sunken in and large dark circles encompassed them. Her usually kind expression had been replaced by a vacant one. She appeared to be suffering and in physical pain and seemed distant and forgetful at times. Now with the understanding of what was happening to Ann, Miranda felt a twinge of guilt and an overwhelming urge to help her. Tired of watching, Miranda decided to act and touched the controls of her comm, "Xen, its Miranda… Could you please come to my office? I have something I would like your help with."

The comm came to life and Xen's voice could be heard, "Of course Miranda… I will be there in a few minutes."

The time it took for Xen to arrive gave Miranda a chance to get all of the information from Liara and Shepard together. She had been studying it all night and knew that Xen would be able to add her expertise to what she already had uncovered; at least that was her hope.

Xen arrived soon after their conversation and was curious about what was on the human's mind. Miranda appeared to be reading something over and caught up in her own thoughts. "Hello, Miranda. What can I assist with?"

Miranda looked up and felt a bit of relief at the sight of the quarian. "Thank you for coming up so quickly. Xen, you had asked about the Director before…" Miranda paused for a moment and finished gathering her thoughts and then handed over the OSDs that she had been poring over. "I think that Ann is being controlled by a species called Leviathan. Those OSDs were given to me by Dr. Liara T'Soni and detail what we know about the species and the effects that they have on those that they control." Miranda wished that she could see the face of Xen to get a feel for her reaction.

"I have recently heard of Leviathan. There are references to them in the work that we are doing on the remains of Harbinger. If I remember, they are the first species to be harvested and the ones that created the Reapers." Xen had become somewhat animated and her flailing hands helped to convey her understanding.

Not one to be easily impressed, Miranda was convinced that she had made the right decision. Xen was obviously an intelligent woman that could digest and understand large amounts of raw data. "You are correct… though not many people are aware of Leviathan or have been able to put the two together so quickly."

"Miranda, I need to know… Is the Director indoctrinated by these creatures? And how real of a threat are they?" Xen's mind quickly was drawn back to her years as an admiral and fighting the geth. Assessing your enemy and learning exactly what they were capable of was crucial in understanding how to fight them.

"Commander Shepard thinks they are a threat. They have actively moved against the Council and have attempted to take control of galactic events. Those OSDs have all the information that I have on Leviathan." Miranda paused again, thinking about her friend Ann. Leviathan was controlling Ann and she had played a pivotal role in exposing the Council to Leviathan. She decided to fully trust Xen with all of her information. "Ann Bryson-Vega has been under the direct influence of Leviathan. Their control is different than the effects of Reaper indoctrination, but it is similar enough to warrant concern."

"I see… I know that you two have become close and I am sorry to learn of this." The quarian took a step closer to Miranda, "We have all lost much as a result of the Reapers and I will do whatever I can to help stop Leviathan… You can count on my discretion."

Feeling somewhat relieved by Xen's response, Miranda continued, "Thank you, Xen. I think the first step is to ensure that the labs here are contained. Leviathan use orbs to influence others and we need to make sure that there aren't any of these things mixed in with all of the artifacts that we have housed here."

Becoming animated again, Xen was quick to assess what Miranda was telling her. "If Leviathan use orbs to control their subjects, then the orbs must have some sort of emissions that would show they are active. I will focus my research on this for now and see if I can isolate what that emission is and how to locate it."

"Yes, excellent idea. We also know how to make a damping field to stop Leviathan from inflicting their thoughts on others… all of that information is in the OSDs. I will give you some time to absorb all of this information, but we should meet soon to see what we can come up with to stop Leviathan." Miranda was glad that a plan was forming and that she had found an ally in the quarian.

"Of course, Miranda." Xen studied the number of OSDs and quickly figured out how long it would take her to go through the data. "I am going to go back to my office and analyze all of this. It will take me at least 8 hours to process this much data, so let's plan to meet then."

Somewhat surprised at how fast Xen could be able to analyze everything, Miranda was again impressed by the quarian. "Signal me when you are ready. I'll be in here going over everything again."

Turning to leave, Xen stopped and faced Miranda, "You were right to trust me with this, Miranda. I know that I will be able to help."

Miranda smiled, as she was once again reminded of herself.

It had been hard to leave Liara, to see her bondmate's face and form sadden, but Shepard knew that she had to find out what was going on with Leviathan. If Leviathan could take over the Council and plot a war between the krogan and the rest of the galaxy, then all were in danger. Liara had filled her in on Tevos's recovery and Shepard grew more concerned at the influence that Leviathan had on others. Man, Thea is strong willed, strong enough to be the asari Councilor for all these years and to even have Aria as a mate… What are we in for if she can be controlled so easily? The thought was unsettling and made her quicken her pace to reach the Normandy.

The Normandy had been docked at Terra Station orbiting Earth, since the celebration and naming of the Shepard Memorial Center. Most of her crew had been rotated for shore leave and the ship itself had undergone further upgrades, but it was still the embodiment of the Normandy. Seeing the ship always brought a sense of home and familiarity to Shepard.

"Shepard…" The familiar voice of Tali greeted the Commander.

"Tali, are you all ready to head out?" Shepard was relieved to see her friend. Having both Garrus and Tali with her made the mission seem like old times.

"Of course we are ready. Nothing beats taking on a giant squid-thing!" Garrus was his sarcastic self with his mandibles clicking back and forth. He approached the quarain and slipped his arm around her waist.

Smiling at her friends and shaking her head at the smart alec comment, Shepard turned and headed for the Normandy's airlock with Garrus and Tali in tow. "Come on you two, we've got a galaxy to save."

When they entered the Normandy, the threesome walked to the CIC to find the hustle and bustle of the command center. Commander Ashley Williams stood on the deck of the CIC staring at the star charts displayed in front of her and issuing orders to various crewmen. She was dressed in an Alliance Uniform, looking very crisp and recently pressed. There was a single streak of grey that ran down the right side of her otherwise black hair and helped to frame her face. She held herself like someone born into military service and looked dignified and worthy of her rank and position.

Commander Shepard was not sure how she would feel being back on the Normandy, especially since she was not the current commanding officer. She couldn't help but to be a bit envious of Ashley and the way that her crew responded to her. She remembered the feeling of being in command and standing in Ashley's shoes. I can't think like this damn it! Ashley is the Normandy's commander now and she has earned her rank and respect. She has grown so much over the years… Ash, I am proud of you.

Looking up from the CIC, Ashley saw Commander Shepard staring at her with a far off look in her eyes. "Welcome, Commander." She nodded at her former mentor and then to her old crewmates, "Garrus, Tali… I am glad to have you all on this mission."

Tali was the first to speak, "Keelah… Commander Williams! We wouldn't miss the chance to take on another threat to galactic peace."

Laughing at her friend's comment, Ashley stepped down from the command deck and towards her friends. "Tali… I do believe that Garrus's sense of humor is rubbing off on you!"

"Well I'm glad something of mine is rubbing off on her," Garrus couldn't help himself.

"Right… Come on, let's head to the meeting room and get this mission on its way." Ashley led the group through a set of doors and to a large room that was similar to the meeting room that Shepard was familiar with. They all took seats around the oval table, with Ashley and Shepard each at an end. "Alright Commander Shepard, please fill us all in on what you know and what is going on."

Shepard spent the next 30 minutes going over the events of the past few days, Garrus and Tali happily added in all they could too. When Shepard had finished, the group was quiet and Ashley was trying to absorb all of the information. A somber feeling had set in over the group.

"I initially spoke with Admiral Hackett," Ashley looked at the map displayed in front of her and then to the reports that Shepard had provided. "He was not entirely happy about us taking the Normandy on a 'joy ride' for the new Council, but since it involved you, Commander, he okayed it. I should probably inform him of what is actually happening."

Shepard raised her hand, "Thank you Ash, but I think we should wait until after we arrive at our destination. I don't want to risk tipping off Leviathan… If they can infiltrate the Council, then they could also have their tentacles in the Alliance brass too."

Ashley looked hesitant and took in a full breath before she answered, "Okay Commander, I will trust your instincts on this one, but if…" Ashley paused, she wasn't sure that she should finish her statement and was glad when Shepard completed it for her.

"I get it Ash… If the shit hits the fan, I will take the heat for it. I won't jeopardize your career… I'll have your back." Shepard knew that she could rely on Ashley, but Ashley was Alliance thru and thru and always had her career in her sights.

Looking almost ashamed, but also feeling relieved, Ash gave Shepard a slight smile and nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Commander… I will have yours too." Ashley pressed a button on the console that was built into the table, "McDaniels, do you have the coordinates set?"

The pilot's voice answered over the comm, "Yes, Commander. We are ready to depart and everything is set for our mission."

"Excellent… McDaniels please get us on our way." Ashley looked from the console back to the group of her friends. This was it, they were heading off to face a threat that could equal that of the Reapers and this time, it was Commander Ashley Williams leading the charge. God, let me be ready for this. Please be with me now. She looked back to Shepard and in seeing the Commander, felt a sort of comfort and reassurance. She has such strength and she will see us thru it all.

Approximately 8 hours after leaving Miranda, Xen had read over all the OSDs and had time to analyze the data that was contained in each disk. "Miranda, I think I might have something. I will be in your office in 10 minutes."

Not surprised by the quarian's promptness, Miranda was eager to hear what Xen had discovered, "Excellent, I will be ready."

Xen arrived soon after her call to Miranda had ended, "I think that I have isolated the frequency that Leviathan uses when they are actively using an orb. I have been able to modify my omni-tool and add in an amplifier to help detect the emissions. If there are any in the archives, then I think this program will be able to find it. We will need to be close in order to lock on to it, but if we are thorough we should be able to find any active orbs." Xen handed Miranda her omni-tool and a summary of her findings.

Looking a bit surprised, Miranda accepted the omni and the report. Xen had indeed discovered an important piece of the puzzle and Miranda was truly impressed with the woman. "Let's put this to use immediately. I will make the adjustments to my omni-tool and we can divide the archives up and start our scans." Miranda handed Xen's omni back to her, "Your work is amazingly detailed and thorough. Thank you, Admiral."

"If I may," Xen continued. "I think it would be prudent to install damping fields throughout the building. We could say it is a precaution for the work that we are doing with the remains of the Reapers. I know that it is important not to announce openly that we are aware of Leviathan and their ability to control others and precautions for the Reaper research would not be questioned."

Nodding in agreement, Miranda started typing orders into her omni-tool, "Yes… I will have the mods installed right away. Xen, please forward this to Dr. T'Soni and Dr. Michel. Both will need this information and I would like to have Dr. Michel here when we activate the dampening fields. Who knows how many people will be affected and how they will react to being cut off from Leviathan. I know that I am especially concerned for Dr. Bryson-Vega."

Both set upon their tasks, the two women started to furiously work on their omni-tools and computer consoles. Miranda's office was silent as they each concentrated on getting their tasks completed. At the end of 15 minutes, both looked at each other and nodded their readiness to start the search for any orbs that might be from Leviathan. Both Liara and Dr. Michel had confirmed the receipt of Xen's data and Dr. Michel was going to get ready for the fallout of Miranda's and Xen's efforts.

The archives were enormous, but somewhat organized and categorized. Xen and Miranda each held a map of the area and had their sections outlined on how to go about the sweep. Each had a drone with them that would emit a field strong enough to protect the women from the effects of any active orbs. The work was tedious, but appealed to the meticulous personalities of both of them. Within 4 hours, they had been able to isolate three orbs that were using the frequency that Xen had programed their omni-tools to locate.

Making sure that everything was in place and that Dr. Michel was on-site, Miranda signaled for the dampening fields to be activated throughout the Shepard Memorial Center Laboratories. "Okay, Dr. Michel, we are ready to activate everything. Do you have your people standing by?"

"Yes, Ms. Lawson… I am outside of the Director's office now. She is at her desk currently and has not noticed my presence."

Miranda gave Xen the signal and the quarians activated the dampening fields. Miranda could hear a bone curdling scream come through from Dr. Michel's comm unit. She recognized it immediately, it was coming from Ann.

Waking for the first time in months with only her voice in her head, Dr. Ann Bryson-Vega felt numb… lost. Tears filled her eyes and she fought hard to remember the woman that she had been. Flashes of events from the past few months and a glimpse into the life that she had been hoping for were all that she was left with. What have I done? Who am I now? A sudden panic set in… My baby… What has happened to my baby? She instinctively reached for her belly and her growing child and held her breath. Is he okay? Move, damn it… Move… Please, oh God… let him be alright.

The tears were streaming down her face. What if he isn't okay? What if I hurt my son? James… can you ever forgive me? A slight twitch from her child… Could he be okay? Let him be okay! Then a kick and Ann could feel movement from within her. Thank you…

Using all her strength and reserves, Ann made herself sit up. She was in some type of medical facility and she could see various monitors and machines that were appeared to be active. The room was dark and she was suddenly aware that there was someone lying in a bed next to her. Is that James? "James? James… Are you there?" There was no answer from her husband and he looked unconscious. Fear ran through her and the icy cold feeling of emptiness replaced any warmth that she had in her. What have I done? Did I expose my husband to this too?

Looking around in desperation, she saw a door leading to an attached bathroom that had a light on. She wanted to see herself, to look into a mirror and see what she had become. It was hard to move, her body was sore and her head hurt worse than she ever remembered. Breathing was an effort and she felt both nauseous and dizzy, but Ann was determined to check on her husband and to make her way into the bathroom. One foot in front of the other, that is all I have to do… Slowly, move slowly…

Ann moved next to James and touched his face. I am so sorry… Will you ever be able to forgive me? He was breathing and appeared to be in a deep sleep. Afraid of waking her husband and seeing the hurt and judgment that she knew would be in his eyes, she made her way to the bathroom.

Seeing herself in the mirror for the first time in months, Ann barely recognized the image staring back at her. She had lost weight in her face, despite the fact that she was now 7 months pregnant. Her eyes had deep circles around them that were puffy and made her look like she had been punched in the face. Her skin tone was a pale shade of white and her hair was slightly oily and disheveled. The polish and refinement of the woman had disappeared and what remained was a ghost of what she was. Who am I? What have I become? She sobbed as she struggled to remember the past few months and to find herself again.

It was too much for her to process and she started screaming at the mirror, "What did you do?" Ann reached for a tissue to blow her nose and felt something 'pop' in her head. Blood started flowing out of her nostrils. It was thicker than normal and the flow was very heavy. The metallic taste of iron took over her throat and she started coughing up blood and gasping for air. She felt a sharp pain from the baby and she was brought to her knees. No… What is happening? "Someone help me! Please… Help me!"

The pain from her body was too great for the woman to endure. Her vision started to fade and she felt herself hit the floor, hard. My baby… it was her last thought before passing out.