They departed immediately after having the crew accounted for and giving their condolences to Admiral Gerrel and the rest of the board. Shepard had made an offer to transport one of the admirals to represent the Migrant Fleet before the council, pleading for them to seek protection under the Citadel Fleet, but they were quick to decline. Saying that the council made it clear how they felt about the quarian people when they abandoned them to the geth 300 years earlier. Only the passive Shala'Raan was reluctant to voice her opinion.
The spectre made sure to keep everyone occupied in their duties the entire way. Shifts were doubled to keep the Normandy 110% combat ready in case of an unfortunate geth intercept. Due to the sensor diagnostics having to be run in-flight however, most of the core systems had to be run at half efficiency to compensate for system lag. Another few hours of dock time would have allowed them to make the necessary preparations, but the thought of Anderson dying, or possibly already dead, drove him nearly over the edge. Assassinating a citadel councilor was quite a bold move for a simple group of anti-human radicals.
During his rounds he checked up on Mordin to see the progress with the Prothean specimen. He was shocked to find that it had already grown into the fetal stage in the few hours since Mordin had synthesized the enzyme. Furthermore, the salarian genius had told him that, by the end of the day, the fetus would ultimately be nearly out of the infant stage of life. It was amazing to watch. Though something seemed familiar about the fetus. It seemed to look something like the image in his dream. Strangely coincidental it seemed, but further investigation had to wait.
Arriving at the citadel, they were met with a small C-sec security team at the docks who had been given strict orders to secure their passage to the citadel tower where they would be further informed by the three remaining councilors themselves. When they reached the tower however, they were lead beyond the meeting chambers and into a small, safe-house like room. Shepard was lead into the next corresponding room while his companions, Tali, Garrus, and Miranda, were all told to wait in the previous room. Apparently they didn't quite trust his choice of company he thought.
Upon entering the next room, the c-sec officer exited and locked the door behind him. Leaving the spectre alone. Three holographic projectors stood lined up against the back wall with a small terminal in front. He stepped up to it and activated it which quickly brought up the images of the three councilors on each corresponding haptic projector.
The asari councilor was the first to speak as usual, trying the hide the grimness in her tone but failing utterly. "Commander Shepard, we're glad you could make it. We have...grim matters to discuss..."
"I received your message and came as fast as I was able. I understand someone has made an attempt to assassinate councilor David Anderson?" he replied.
"Attempt is hardly the word I would use...I'm sorry, commander, but we couldn't risk this information over sub-space communications..." said the salarian councilor, his eyes drifting to the floor.
Shepard quickly picked up on the unease in the salarian's body language as he spoke and asked, "...What is councilor Anderson's condition?" the answer he received was half expected.
"It pains me to inform you that councilor David Anderson died before receiving medical attention," the turian councilor, Velarn, interjected.
The spectre turned noticeably pale. Looking down at the floor he shut his eyes and clenched his teeth hard in anger and sorrow at the cold realization of the loss of his oldest friend and mentor. It took him a moment to regain any resemblance of himself, the councilors each glancing at one another with mild pity in their eyes while they awaited a response from the silent, grieving spectre.
"Commander Shepard?" the asari councilor dared to speak.
"Who did this..." came his reply in a small yet venomous voice. The asari turned toward the salarian councilor prompting him to explain.
"We currently have no leads other than the weapon that made the kill to point us to the party responsible for this attack. Our sources are investigating known organized crime and terrorist cells. The nature of the attack itself suggests those involved with anti-human groups. We will know more once the weapon has been examined..."
Councilor Velarn then interjected once again saying, "Until we're certain that this threat has been neutralized, or convinced otherwise that there is no potential threat to us as well, we've all been transported to separate, secure locations. Commander Shepard, we want you to personally oversee this investigation and track down the individuals responsible for this plight. We've already seen to it that you have all the council's resources at your disposal. Use any means necessary to bring the culprits to justice!"
"I'll do everything in my power to ensure your safety and find the people responsible for this atrocity!" he stated heartily and authoritatively.
"Very well, is there anything else you wish to report, commander?" asked the asari.
"I'm afraid there is ma'am. There's been an incident involving a geth incursion in the Titan Nebula..." Speaking slowly to allow the information to better soak in, he began recounting the events prior to their departure from the Migrant Fleet. To further support his claim, he uploaded the data directly into his terminal which then was sent to each transmitting councilor. Each examined the Neema's recorded video footage of catalyst weapon being fired at the planet as he continued to elaborate but he felt that his words fell on deaf ears when the mouths of each councilor suddenly gaped all at once upon seeing the devastation the firepower of the weapon inflicted. For a brief moment he wondered if the fear plastered on their faces was fear for the lives of the galaxy, or fear of watching their comfortable establishment crumble. Given his past experiences, he figured it was the later.
"Goddess..." the asari councilor murmured as she planted her hand over her mouth.
"The threat is very real councilors. How such technological prowess was obtained, I know not. Neither do I know if the geth possess more weapons identical to this one. However, with the assistance of Migrant Fleet's admiralty board, we've determined that the weapon leaves strong traces of a unique form of radiation in its wake. In this data I've included the necessary scanning frequencies to allow detection of such radiation in case the geth are covertly planning another surprise attack of this magnitude."
"I will forward this information to the bulk of our fleet in the surrounding clusters immediately. The geth will not have at us as they have the quarians!" said councilor Velarn holding up a clenched fist.
"And I will contact the STG and order scout ships to probe the outer rim of the galaxy," the salarian councilor agreed with a nod.
"Then it is settled," the asari councilor interjected. "The council will direct its efforts to the defense of the surrounding star systems while Commander Shepard discovers the conspirators behind the assassination of Councilor David Anderson. Shepard, what has been disclosed here will not be spoken of to civilians ears or any individual outside of your crew. Is that Understood?"
She didn't need to tell him twice. He knew of the uproar and social unrest that would occur among the citadel's human population should they learn of the death their beloved councilor. "Understood councilor..."
"Very well. This meeting of the council is hereby adjourned..." a moment after her last word the projections of each councilor flickered out of existence, leaving the spectre alone in the quiet confines of the small safe-room once again.
He slowly stepped over to the heavy tritanium door and hesitated to knock for the guard to let him out. Now he would have to explain to his team the death of their fellow comrade and what they were up against for the time being.
Summoning what was left of his drained courage and hope, he pounded on the door twice and the door hissed loudly as the seals retracted before it opened slowly. His companions were waiting for him in the previous room, all seated except for his quarian wife who was pacing back and forth nervously with her arms crossed before she noticed him and halted altogether. Even behind the purple veil of her visor he could see the questioning, worried look in her silver eyes and on the barely visible features of her face.
"Shepard...?" she uttered as he stepped into the room. She had agreed to only use his last name in public. Addressing him by John was a right reserved to her only for the time they shared among no others. Just as he reserved the right to call her "Ms," - or rather - "Mrs. Zorah," in private.
Garrus rose from his seat, prompting Miranda and Mordin to do the same. Each asking overlapping questions as they approached him.
"What's the word?" asked Garrus.
"How is Anderson?" Miranda questioned.
"Must know results of congregation," Mordin asked in his unique manner.
The spectre took one look in each of their eyes, staying longer on Tali's silver ones as he tried to find the right words. He was aware that his discouragement was ripe on his face but made no attempt to mask it as it seemed futile with what they had to do next. He only said five words to sum up his whole conversation with the council...
"We've got work to do..."
…
"Karma's a bitch." That's what Aranya told him when he accepted Aria's terms.
Slumped back in his seat next to several of Aria's hired guns, Zaeed grumbled to himself silently. Across from him, on the port side of the shuttle, was another identical row of seats with more of Aria's soldiers sitting and fiddling with their rifles.
It seemed like the perfect opportunity. Make a deal, find Vido, kill him, and then it'd be back to Shepard. Unfortunately her end of the deal meant that he would willingly serve as her personal bounty hunter until she decided otherwise. It wasn't what he and his companion had hoped for, but that's the problem with plans; they never go exactly the way you think they will.
Hearing the loud click of a loaded weapon, he glanced up briefly at Aranya who was seated across from him and looking over her Incisor sniper rifle. She took one look through the scope and then turned to wink at him slyly. He responded by rolling his eyes in annoyance and took one last look at the rest of the soldiers before dropping his head once again in deep thought.
At least this wasn't the worst case scenario he could think of. After all, Aria wasn't kidding when she said she'd give him a small army. There were a dozen men in his shuttle not including himself, Aranya, and the pilot. Two other shuttles also followed in formation with an equal load of troops; Anto and Grizz each commanding their own platoon. He had all he we would ever need to penetrate any Blue Suns' defenses and make his way to the kill.
It still seemed too convenient for the dictator of Omega to lend so much hardware without a second thought. She had explained that Shepard had once brought her data confirming that the Blue Suns had planned to assassinate her and garrison what was left of her establishment. It sounded like a convincing explanation for the most part, but how did she know whether he would fulfill his end of the bargain and not just flee half way across the galaxy? Of course he probably wouldn't anyway since she'd most likely put a price on his head so high that he wouldn't be able to take a leak without a motion detector, but there was always a chance, and he still wasn't sure if he wanted to take it or not.
Nevertheless, regardless of what happened to him, Aranya, or his deal with Aria, one thing was certain. Vido would die by his hand whether there was a God who gave a damn or not. Karma really is a bitch, but it runs both ways. In this case, Vido's way.
A sudden lurch told him that they must have just come out on the other side of the mass relay into the Fathar system. The human pilot confirmed his assumption, yelling from the pilot seat, "ETA to Lorek, seven minutes. Grab your gear and stow your fear people!"
This was what he truly lamented over from his days in the Blue Suns. Leading a squad of ruthless scum bags into firefights that usually wound up with him as the soul survivor. He found it truly exciting. Much more exciting than any solo bounty work he had performed in the last 20 years. He would truly be in his element here and become an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.
Zaeed rose from his seat and sauntered into the cockpit, leaning on the empty co-pilots chair. The planet Lorek to grew larger with each passing second in the vast distance of the void ahead. The planet itself was no stranger to hospital life. The asari had colonized the world nearly 300 years ago before the Batarian Hegemony attempted to drive them out but ultimately failed. Since then pirates have never been able to take the world for themselves; the Blue Sun's however, have become an unknown exception.
He kept his eyes on the planet as he said to the pilot, "Take us down near the cold pole. We don't wanna attract attention from those LOMACs." LOMAC was short for Low Orbit Mass Accelerator Cannon. A large ground based defense turret capable of splitting craft in low orbit around a planet in half using a highly focused, long range particle beam. Probe data from Aria T'loak had revealed that the Blue Suns' headquarters had at least two of them within the base perimeter. Apparently Vido was more prepared than he thought.
He had already laid out, and briefed the entire team of their plan before departing from Omega. Zaeed and his platoon of freelance mercs would infiltrate the base on the largest continent by foot and disable the LOMACs to allow safe deployment of troops from the other two shuttles. From there they would clear out the remaining resistance and take Vido...dead or alive.
"Best get strapped up back there. Turbulence is gonna be a bitch," the pilot said as he briefly glanced over at the gruff bounty hunter. Not arguing with the man's suggestion, Zaeed jogged back over to his seat and pulled the chest brace down over his shoulders to hold him in place. The lights in the shuttle suddenly turned red followed by a repetitive beeping sound, prompting the other troops to do the same. It wasn't but a few seconds later that the shuttle began to rock slightly from the turbulence of the planet's atmosphere. The more they descended, the worse the turbulence got until at last they found themselves in the clear.
The shuttle descended from the clouds and flew low over a rocky peninsula. The pilot quickly noticed a small ridge surrounded by several large rock formations that would provide sufficient cover and decided that it would be the best place to set down.
Inside, Zaeed found himself ready to jump right out of his seat at the suspense of the event. This was his time to shine, his moment of glory. Just a few more seconds and...there. He felt the ship jump slight as the landing struts touched the ground. With a flick of a switch from the pilot, the chest bracers folded up and the exit ramp lowered to the ground.
"Alright blinks, scum suckers, and mother fuckers..." he said like a true hardened leader with great enthusiasm which earned him a smirk and rolling of the eyes from Aranya. "Lets move it out!" The platoon began to disperse down the ramp in a slight disorderly fashion that would have provoked him into shooting one of them had they been Blue Suns mercs under his command back in the day. Zaeed took up the lead in front of the squad turning left and right quickly while sighting down his rifle to check the perimeter of the landing zone. Not a thought passed through his mind as he went into 'combat mode' It was only pure instinct and experience.
Seeing that the immediate area was clear, he waved for the platoon to follow and began shouting orders. "Bravo team flank left! Charlie team cover the rear! Don't let any of those buggers crawl up our arses! Aran, take point!" With a sly wink, Aranya unfolded her SMG and jogged hastily to the front of the platoon about 20 meters ahead to provide better security should they run into an ambush unannounced. Zaeed couldn't tell exactly how far they had landed from the Blue Suns base due to the towering rock formations that obstructed his line of sight, but he made an educated guess based on his sightings before landing that they were at least 10 miles out. It would be a hell of a journey, but worth it to avoid being disintegrated into tiny bits of powder by those orbital guns.
They were fifteen minutes into their journey now. Zaeed had done his best to keep Aranya in his sights should she need to signal them of any imminent danger. He could see them coming to a cliffs edge up ahead and saw her walk over to the edge before she quickly dropped to a prone position and held her right fist in the air to signal them to halt. Eyes widening in alarm, he mirrored her action to the platoon and waited till they came to an abrupt stop before he slowly approached her, dropping too to a prone position and crawling over to the edge of the cliff next to her.
She was looking through a pair of binoculars when he crawled up next to her. "What do you got?" he asked in a whisper.
"See for yourself," she replied in an equally low voice and passed him the binoculars. Using the zoom feature he saw clearly the outpost that lay on the road 400 meters ahead on the lower flat lands. The steep rocky hills it was built in between prevented any way around it. Blue Suns troopers, armed to the teeth, guarded it from left to right.
"Checkpoint. I estimate a single squad for defense. Won't be able to flank it with no cover down there," she thought out loud next to him.
"Any tactical advise, love?"
"Just one..." Reaching behind her back, she unfolded her Widow Anti-Armor, high velocity sniper rifle. "I won't be able to take them out all at once, so you'll have to jam their radios," she added, screwing a large suppressor on the end of the barrel. He nodded and turned back to look at the rest of his squad, waving them over cautiously.
One of the freelancers must have overheard their conversation because he approached with a small box shaped device and with the help of a batarian, began arming the jamming device. After flicking several switches they turned and nodded toward Zaeed who mirrored the action to Aranya.
"Only got a few seconds before they realize things are too quiet and compensate frequency to bypass the jammer..." she said as she brought the rifle in front of her, adjusting the scope before aiming down the sights.
Slowing her breathing, she relaxed and took in the surroundings of the checkpoint. "Four troops...four shots..." she thought and took a deep breath as her cross-hairs came to rest on the head of the first trooper standing on the side of the road.
"Nighty night..." she thought and squeezed the trigger letting the first shot loose. The intense recoil bruised her shoulder as it kicked back but she was unaware, watching as the merc's head exploded and the three others began to panic and run for cover.
She quickly realigned the cross-hairs on the next target with precision like a true ace. BANG! The merc took the shot in the kidney and tumbled to the ground as his side exploded in pain. Another split second and she dropped the third with a shot through the neck that nearly decapitated him. The fourth began running back towards the gate in fear but fell forward as the final shot went through his upper spine and pierced his heart before lodging into the soil beneath his corpse.
Aranya smiled wide at her victory and glanced at the smoke rising from the tip of the barrel of her rifle before turning to Zaeed. "Well will you look at that... Poor bastard. I think I broke his heart," she said mischievously with smirk. Zaeed rolled his eyes back and shook his head, unable to contain the small smile that leaked out onto his lips as he waved the rest of the team over.
This chapter has probably earned me some hate. But I promise something good will come out of it! Just keep reading and if you have the time, grace me with your reviews. Thanks!