A/N: Etha = Ether Sword
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Mag had just blasted the last of the Infested into pieces when the air around the four Tenno started to darken, faint ripples of blackness emanating from a spot on a nearby gantry. The other three Tenno gripped their weapons, aiming them at the gantry. Confused, Mag followed suit.
A figure appeared. Like a Tenno, he was armoured all in black and carried what looked like a bow across his back. As soon as he materialised the Tenno filled the air with bullets but by the time they reached his position he was gone.
A red dart arced out of nowhere, striking Ember in the chest. Red lightening crackled across her as she sank to her knees, weapons falling out of her fingers, seemingly paralysed. Frost quickly followed, loosing two blasts from his Hek before another paralytic dart hit him in the chest. Grunting, he fell to his knees, frozen in place as the mysterious black Tenno melted into the shadows once again. Another dart lanced out, Nyx the next to fall, then Mag felt a crackling of electricity before her muscles went terrifyingly numb.
The black Tenno stalked towards the four paralysed warriors, stopping in front of Ember. His motions reminding Mag of a true sadist, he stroked an armoured glove down her body from cheek to thigh before pulling a strange golden object from his armour and pressing it to her forehead, making her disappear in a flash of multicoloured light. The next one he approached was Mag. As his hand started to stroke down her side, making her flesh crawl, she twitched a single finger. Then he pulled out the object, bringing it towards her forehead.
Through a supreme force of will she snapped her hand up, wrenching the object out of her assailant's grip as she kicked him away with her powerful double-kneed leg. He stumbled and she reached back, drawing her Etha and plunging it into his chest until the blade erupted from his back, running her attacker through. He futilely clutched at his chest as she yanked her sword out, spinning on the ball of her foot and decapitating the mysterious Tenno in a single stroke.
The last thing Nyx saw before she passed out was Mag picking her up, carrying her bridal style to the extraction point.
###
Ellen opened her eyes, blinking away the buildup of moisture as she sat up groggily. Looking around, she realised she was in the dojo's medbay. James was slumped on the opposite bed and Tali was snoozing in a chair opposite. Kaidan hurried over to her, concerned.
"Ellen, are you okay?"
"Been better. Report."
He frowned for a moment, then complied.
"You were attacked by the Stalker. He hit the whole team with Despair darts but because her physiology is non-human they didn't fully paralyse her. She lopped off the Stalker's head and took his void key."
There was a brief pause as he looked down.
"But not before he took Ash."
"Dammit! Wait ... You say Tali took his void key?"
"Correct."
She cracked her knuckles.
"Time we went and got Ash back then."
###
Garrus cursed as another one of his men was yanked off his feet by the strange black-hulled MOA, then pulverised by a skull-shattering kick. The mysterious woman calling herself Banshee rolled over and nocked another arrow, loosing it at the mech and spearing through a knee joint. He joined in with his sniper rifle, sending bullets at the bizarre MOA's knee joints. It had taken his team two minutes and three men to drop that thing's shields, and thus far his squad was down 50 per cent.
"Goddamnit won't this thing just die!"
Banshee loosed another arrow, the shaft sticking out of the mech's sensory unit. Garrus was briefly taken aback as the arrow exploded, making the mech stagger back. Roaring, he poured fire into it along with his men. Something sparked inside it, then exploded.
Pieces of Ambulas rained around the room and Banshee instantly took off. Garrus swore and started sprinting after her.
"Kandros, on me!"
Nyreen sprinted after him as the rest of the squad set about securing the area. As he ran he called after her.
"Wait! I need to talk to you!"
She dove into a pod that was hanging off the wall. Cursing, Garrus and Nyreen leaped after her.
They somehow emerged into a small personal shuttle. Banshee tapped something into her console and Garrus gaped in amazement as a spirits-be-damned wormhole appeared in the viewscreen.
Then he saw an armoured foot flying at his face.
###
"Tenno. We have recovered the Stalker's void key."
Ellen squeezed Tali's elbow reassuringly.
"Your clan has been selected to mount an assault on the Stalker's base of operations. You are to infiltrate, recon and report back. We have no idea who or what the Stalker is. This is a rare opportunity. Failure is not an option."
The hologram of the Lotus disappeared. Ellen blinked and looked around the dojo.
"Arm up."