Author notes: Here's the next chapter. My exams seem to come in waves, and I've got another in a few days. Getting chapter 10 out might take a while, but we'll see. With that in mind, this chapter is my longest yet, if you don't count the notes at the beginning of Prologue Part 3. Enjoy.

Chapter 9: Through the Fire and the Flames

Shepard finished reading the intel the Council had provided as he waited for the airlock on the Normandy to cycle. Exiting it, he was greeted by the smirking visage of Joker, who turned to meet him as he entered.

"Jeez, Commander, you sure are assembling a ragtag bunch of misfits for this mission: Three Spectres, including a smokin' Quarian and good ol' stick-in-the-mud Nihlus, plus an ex-detective with chip on his shoulder and a crazy Krogan bounty hunter who looks like he might eat me. And that's not including the granddaughter of General "Fuck You" Williams, nice and simple Kaidan, and our soon-to-be newest member, an egghead Asari scientist."

Shepard hadn't realized that Nihlus, Garrus, or Wrex had come along. He'd have to talk to them about it. That didn't stop his retort to the smartass pilot, though.

"I notice you didn't say that in front of them. And Wrex wouldn't eat you, Joker. He's a teddy bear."

"Sure he is, Commander." said Joker, spinning to face his controls. "He's a nine hundred pound reptilian teddy bear with a shotgun. Remind me not to let you buy my kids presents at Christmas."

Chuckling slightly, Shepard made his way to the back of the deck and entered the briefing/com room, where he found his team waiting for him, conversing quietly.

"I see everyone's met. I'll admit, I'll take all the help I can get, but why're you three here?" he asked, looking at Wrex, Garrus, and Nihlus in turn.

"The Alliance is paying me well is why." said Wrex. "Plus, I'm in the mood for a good fight, and three Spectres should attract plenty of trouble."

"What about you, Garrus? You've worked at C-Sec for years. Why give it up now?"

"Saren is more than just a threat to Humans, Shepard. He's a threat to everyone, including the Hierarchy, even if they're too blind to see it. I want to see him pay for his crimes, and I'll be damned if I sit around trying to wade my way through oceans of red tape and regulations when I could be out here doing something about it."

"I agree." said Nihlus. He hung his head, and his voice was heavy as he continued. "Saren was… a friend. I want to know what the hell happened to him, and why he's doing this. And if he's just out for blood or revenge…" He looked Shepard dead in the eye, his gaze determined. "Then I'll kill him myself."

"Good. Because I intend to rip him limb from limb before this is over. His bullshit cost thousands of people their lives, and he's going to bleed for each and every one." Shepard stood up straight, coming to parade rest before continuing. "Can I assume you've all read the briefing on our next objective?" When they all nodded, he pressed on. "Good. The intel we have on Therum is that it's a highly volcanic planet. The dig site was discovered by accident, because it's apparently been protected by some sort of Mass Effect shield from the conditions on the surface. The Geth have a head start on us, so we're expecting them to be there in force and put up heavy resistance, which means we need heavy armor. The ground down there is unstable, so we're going to have to find a safe place to chrono in the MIAFV."

"Sorry, the what? asked Garrus.

"Multi Infantry Adaptable Fighting Vehicle." said Shepard. "It's an armored transport used by the Alliance, essentially a light, fast tank. It has three turrets which conform themselves to their users and alter to one of several configuration based on who's in them. They multiply the user's effective combat effectiveness several times. For example, since I know Tali prefers a good shotgun, if she were to man a turret, it would automatically rearrange itself to a Flechette Cannon."

"Sorry, but I'm still lost." said Garrus.

"OK, think of it like this: what type of weapon do you prefer?"

"Sniper rifles." he said automatically.

"Heh, a Turian after my own heart. Basically, if you were to get inside a turret on a MIAFV, it would become a Sniper's Perch: it would turn into a high powered anti-material rifle with an effective range of about five clicks and enough power to rip through a meter of solid titanium."

Garrus got a shocked look on his face before his eyes lit up with greed. "Spirits. I've got to get me one of those."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Garrus, but the turrets have to stay with the vehicle. There's a lot of delicate electronics that make the thing work, not to mention a highly sophisticated onboard VI."

"Aww. You just had to get my hopes up."

Shepard put on a mischievous grin. "Don't worry, Garrus. I've got something for you that should cheer you up. It's not as powerful as the Perch, but as you know, it's not the size that counts, it's how you use it." he said slyly

Garrus caught on and returned Shepard's jibe with one of his own. "I'll have you know I've got more size and power than you, Shepard."

Ashley giggled. "I've seen Turian soldiers in action before, Skipper, and I believe him."

"Getting double-teamed by you and Tali was fun, Ash, but now we're getting weird." That earned him a sharp jab to the ribs from Tali.

Kaidan ignored the byplay and spoke for the first time in the briefing. "Not to be rude, but we're giving them Alliance tech, sir? I know the mission is important, but is that wise?"

"We don't have time for wise, Kaidan. We need to stop Saren, and I'm not about to risk someone's life for fear they might make off with something. You've all signed up for this willingly, and that buys all of you my trust until you do something to prove you don't deserve it." Shepard waited for him to nod before addressing the rest of the group. "Ash, Kaidan, you two know your way around Alliance tech well enough to decide on a loadout on your own. Everyone else, follow me. It's time to get you some new toys."

As Shepard and his non-Human team members exited the elevator and entered the cargo bay, they were greeted by the sight of dozens of metal crates with the Alliance logo on them. They had just been delivered for this very mission.

"Alright, let's see what they sent us." he said. Opening one of the crates, he saw a dozen of what looked to be sniper rifles. "Ah, here we go." Lifting one out, he handed it to Garrus, who looked it over, confused.

"What's this? It looks like a sniper rifle, but it uses metal projectiles instead of Mass Effect driven rounds. This thing's an antique."

Shepard shook his head. "It may look low tech, but that rifle is the single most dangerous long distance weapon in the Alliance arsenal, including the MIAFV's Sniper's Perch. That is the Mark III Chronorift Rifle. While it does fire slugs, and hence have fairly limited ammo and travel time on the projectiles, the bullets it fires are driven by our most compact chrono technology. When you pull the trigger, a built in range finder determines the exact distance to the target, down to the millimeter. The round that's fired passes through a chronorift as it leaves the barrel, a field that causes the bullet to exit our space-time and enter another reality temporarily. By default, the effect lasts until the bullet has passed about two centimeters beyond the target, rematerializing inside it, bypassing shields, biotic barriers, and armor plating. And in case they have thicker armor, you can manually adjust the distance it travels past the surface. There is literally nothing it can't go through. If you could determine his exact position, you could kill a man inside a fortress from a kilometer away through buildings, people, and defenses, all without ever being seen."

As Shepard finished his speech, Garrus looked down at the rifle with a look of awe in his eyes. "Holy shit." he breathed. "No wonder Alenko was worried about giving us Alliance tech."

"Ah, don't mind him. Besides, I doubt you could learn to use that thing anyway." said Shepard playfully.

"O-o-o-oh, it's on now, Shepard. It is on."

"Any day of the week, and twice on Sundays, Vakarian." Reaching down to open another crate, Shepard pulled out what looked like an oversized shotgun with Tesla Coils wrapped around the barrel. "This one's for you, Tali. Ever seen one of these before?" he asked, handing her the weapon.

"Well, I've seen Tesla Coils, so I can guess what it does, sort of anyway. Give me the details."

"This is the Union Tesla Cannon. It works mostly like a standard shotgun, but with Tesla tech built in. When it fires a blast, the metal fragments that come out of the barrel are electrified by the Coils as they leave. The high voltage current jumps rapidly between them as they travel, and turns them into highly ionized, extreme temperature plasma. The voltage discharge from the shot will almost instantly shred any shield or barrier that exists, while the follow-up plasma burns and melts its' way through whatever's behind them. The best part is that the ionized shots become magnetized, automatically homing in on anything metallic in their path, such as body armor or Geth platforms. It's the perfect anti-synthetic weapon."

"Oh Keelah. I think… I think I'm in love."

"Careful now. You know how jealous I can be." he joked.

"I could use one of those." said Wrex. "Got any more?"

"Yep, but I think I can do one better for you, big guy." Shepard walked over to a larger crate, this one housing a single massive weapon, reminiscent of an old Human minigun. He struggled to lift the seventy kilo monster before handing it to the Krogan. "This is the PRISM Gatling. Normally, only synthetics can use these, since they're so damn heavy, but you can handle it. The six barrels produce miniature PRISM lasers, which fire in a fairly large cone in front of the business end. Each shot's every bit as powerful as a round from an assault rifle, but they ignore shields, and the thing fires six thousand of them a minute. But that's not all: if you squeeze and hold the second trigger located behind the first, all six barrels will stop firing and begin a controlled overload. It takes about ten seconds to charge, and it drains power like crazy, but this thing can fire a single beam of death powerful enough to take out a frigate, not to mention anything that walks, runs, or rolls."

Wrex got an evil smile on his face as he hefted the behemoth of a weapon. "He he he. This is gonna be good."

"I assume you have something for me as well, Shepard?" asked Nihlus.

"Well, there's plenty here, but I'm not sure what to give you. What are your strengths and weakness in a fight?"

"Well… I tend prefer close quarters combat. I'm also a decent scout, and I'm fairly good at thinking on my feet."

"CQC huh? In that case, I've got exactly the thing. Or should I say things?"

Reaching into yet another crate, Shepard pulled out what looked to be a white and blue shield roughly a foot across in the shape of an octagon.

"Item one. Care to guess what it does?"

"It looks like a shield. Is it some kind of armor?" said Nihlus.

"Close, but not quite. I'll give you a demonstration. Everyone, do me a favor and turn around." Looking confused, the team slowly complied, spinning to face the elevator. After a few seconds, Shepard spoke again. "Alright, you can look now." They did, and their confusion increased when the Commander was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd he go?" asked Nihlus, puzzled.

Garrus wasn't fooled. Years of working as a detective at C-Sec had given him an eye for detail. "That crate wasn't there before." he half stated, half asked.

"Good eye, Garrus." said Shepard's voice, coming from the crate in question. He moved towards Nihlus, breaking the illusion and making the Turian Spectre jump backwards in surprise. At the peak of his jump, Shepard's omnitool flashed, immortalizing the moment.

"Gotcha, Nihlus. Wanna see the look on your face?" he joked.

"Spirits, what…?" asked Nihlus, sounding winded. "What was that?"

Removing the device from his chest, where it was hanging from a strap around his shoulders and back, Shepard handed it to him as he answered. "This is a Mirage Inducer. As you've seen, it can project an illusory field around the wearer, making them look like something else. It automatically scans the surrounding environment for objects to disguise as: rocks, shrubs, boxes, you name it. As long as you're relatively stationary, you'll look like an inanimate object. You can fidget a little, even aim a weapon, but if you move from your hiding spot, or fire a shot, you'll revert until you stop moving again."

"The ultimate camouflage… I like it." said Nihlus. "Probably doesn't work too well on the Geth though."

"Probably not. As Garrus proved, someone with a sharp eye or a decent memory can spot you if you try to move on them, and synthetics tend to have both. It's still excellent for impromptu ambushes, though, or for making a quick "escape" if you can lose your pursuers long enough to hide."

"I can think of a dozen times in the past where I'd have killed for one of these." said Nihlus. Then he chuckled. "Literally, in fact."

"Christmas isn't over yet." said Shepard, opening another crate.

"What's Christmas?" asked Nihlus confusedly. All of the non-Humans looked equally puzzled, except Tali.

"Human holiday." answered Shepard, pulling out what appeared to be a meter long, thin metal rod, with a hilt on one end. "It used to be a religious occasion, to celebrate the birth of a man thought to be the son of god; it still is, among Christians anyway. Over the years, it's become more secular: now, it's mostly just a day where families and friends get together and exchange gifts. And speaking of gifts…" he finished, handing the rod to the Turian. "This one's for you."

"I'm touched Shepard, but what is it? You keep pulling surprises out of those crates, so I almost wouldn't be shocked if you found an Asari stripper in there somewhere."

"I wish." he laughed. "I don't think the Alliance has a requisition form for those, though. If they did, I'd have filled it out years ago." That earned him a mild glare from Tali and chuckles from the others.

"Watch it Shepard." she said dangerously. "I can get just as jealous as you, remember?"

Still laughing slightly, Shepard answered Nihlus' question. "That's a Riftblade, though it doesn't have a sharp edge in the conventional sense. It operates on the same principle as Garrus' rifle, but in melee form. Press and hold the top button on the hilt, and it'll phase through whatever you swing it at. Release the button midway, and you'll tear a gash through whatever it's inside of at the moment. If you press the bottom button, the entire length will be electrified with Tesla energy, and it'll glow white hot, which should cause serious problems for whatever it happens to be within at the time. It can melt or burn its' way through just about anything that isn't solid eezo."

"I've seen something like that before." said Tali. "But it was on some old Human vid. I think they called it a… a lightsaber."

"Fan of the classics, eh Tali? Darth Vader would drool over one of these." said Shepard.

"Who's Darth Vader? Is he some Human historical figure?" asked Garrus.

Shepard shook his head and laughed. "God help us if Vader was real. No, he's a character from an old science fiction vid from Earth, called Star Wars. A very old one, in fact: over two hundred years. When we have some down time, I'll show you the series. It's pretty good, if a bit corny nowadays."

As Shepard removed a second sniper rifle from the crate for his own use, Nihlus asked him a question. "Shepard, I've been meaning to ask: on Eden Prime, you used your armor to teleport around the battlefield, and to use that eraser… gun… thing. Can we get those?"

"Sorry, but no can do. It would take months to custom build you all chronosuits, and months more to train you to use them. Unfortunately, Jenkins was the only one we had besides me that knew had to use one… Didn't help him much, though." he finished sadly.

"It's not your fault, Shepard. You know that." said Nihlus.

"Marines die, Nihlus. It's our job. But I'm not about to let anyone else go out that easily. We're still about a day away from Therum, so try to familiarize yourselves with your new gear, preferably without putting holes in my ship. When we get there, we'll teach the Geth what happens when you fuck with the Alliance."

"Alright, I want Garrus in the rear turret. Prevent the Geth from sneaking up behind us. Kaidan, you take the middle, and keep the barriers up. The shields on this thing can only take so much, and we've got no idea how many Geth are down there. I'll be in front to clear a path. Garrus, swing around to assist whenever you can manage. Ash, you're driving. Everybody else, be ready to switch out with one of us if needed. The turret controls are fairly simple, and the VI will help."

The MIAFV teleported down to the surface of the volcanic planet, its' crew ready for anything. Good thing too. The moment they appeared, a bright ball of plasma streaked over the vehicle, causing the shields to drop slightly in its wake.

"Contact, two o'clock!" announced Ashley. "Looks like some kind of Geth walker. There're four platforms with it as well."

"I got the walker. Garrus, get the little ones." said Shepard.

The Perch's rifle roared as the massive slug it launched tore into the Geth walker's neck, decapitating it and causing it to collapse. Moments later, a second bang came from the rear of the vehicle as Garrus swung around and took out two at once with a single well placed shot. A second shot from Shepard erased the torso of a third, its' limbs flying in different directions as it was ripped apart. The last Geth was crushed by the MIAFV as Ashley flattened the thing, having gunned it the moment the walker was dead.

Even as the remains of the last Geth were chewed up by the tank's treads, a second group of synthetics, this one larger than the last, appeared as the vehicle skidded around a bend in the path. Two of the troopers opened up, sending rockets flying towards the vehicle. An expert shot from Garrus knocked one out of the air and sailed on to kill the Geth that had fired it, but the second impacted Kaidan's biotic barrier, causing him to grunt in exertion. Shepard leveled his aim at a one of two walkers and fired, blowing a half meter hole in its body. Garrus fired again as well, once again taking out two platforms that had lined up for him. The second walker fired, and a shot of brilliant blue energy flew from it. Too close to dodge, the vehicle shuddered, Kaidan's barrier finally collapsing from the impact of a second heavy weapon in less than ten seconds.

"I'm spent, Commander. Tali, tag out." said Kaidan

As the duo switched places, Shepard and Garrus fired on the last walker almost as one. Garrus' shot took out part of the torso and two legs an instant before Shepard's blew its' head off.

"That's another for me, Shepard." said Garrus.

"You only injured it, Vakarian. I killed it." replied Shepard, firing again and taking out another Geth.

"It wasn't getting up from that, and you know it." he retorted, firing again as well. "Besides, I'm winning. I've taken out twice as many as you."

"Mine were bigger."

"Keelah, shut it you two." said Tali, taking aim with her newly configured Flechette Cannon. "It's not a contest."

"Say's you." they replied simultaneously.

The speeding tank flattened two more platforms as Ashley barreled down the narrow path. A small group of Geth appeared on a ridge above and to the side of the vehicle as it passed, but a blast from Tali's Cannon put four of them down for good, with Garrus dropping the last one. When the shooting died down, Ashley eased up on the throttle, keeping the tank rolling at a more sedate pace.

"I see something up ahead, Skipper. Looks like a building of some sort. It- INCOMING!" she yelled, jerking the MIAFV's controls to the side, causing it to turn sharply. A large rocket flew through the spot the tank had just occupied, exploding harmlessly on the ground behind them.

"Heavy turrets! Take them out." ordered Shepard.

Shepard and Garrus fired at the same turret, Garrus' shot taking out most of its shields and his the rest. It fired again, but Garrus put a round through the rocket just as it left the barrel, blowing the whole thing sky high. Closing on a second turret, the tank wove and dodged as Ashley swerved over and over to avoid the heavy rockets. Just as pair of shots from the dual snipers took out its shields, it fired a final rocket. Too close to avoid it, the tank would have been badly damaged if a shot from Tali hadn't taken the rocket down just meters from the vehicle, her Cannon blowing it from the sky. One final shot from Shepard put the thing down for good.

"Damnit. The Geth must've hacked the defenses. There's probably a lot more of them in the base, and we need heavy weapons to blow open that door. Wrex, switch out with me and make a hole." said Shepard.

Wrex clambered into the gunner's seat, his massive frame almost too large to fit. The turret quickly reconfigured into a PRISM Cannon, and a bright beam of light shot out of it and opened a large hole in the metal door to the compound.

"Nice shootin', Tex." said Shepard.

"It's Wrex." he growled. "How'd you screw that up?"

"I... ah forget it. Kaidan, you ready for another round?"

"I think so, Commander." he replied.

"Good. Switch out with Garrus. As soon as we go in, he, Nihlus, and I'll head out on foot while you three cover us. Ash, move us out."

"Roger that, Skipper."

As soon as the MIAFV entered the base, all hell broke loose. Small arms fire erupted from every side, dropping the shields on the tank at an alarming rate. Several blasts from Tali's Cannon took out a half dozen Geth platforms, and a pair of amplified biotic bolts from Kaidan dropped as many more. Wrex, meanwhile, had obliterated another walker with his PRISM Cannon, and as soon as it recharged, took out a last group of three Geth that had bunched together behind a shipping container.

"Clear for now, Skipper." said Ashley. "But there could be more inside."

"Ten four. Mind the store, Ash. Garrus, Nihlus, let's go."

As the trio exited the tank and moved towards a building, a Geth platform emerged from the door. Before it could raise its weapon, Nihlus whipped out his Riftblade and activated it, swinging the incorporeal weapon into the Geth's face, where it reappeared, blowing out its optic and exploding its' head.

"Damn, this thing's great." he said, entering the base with the weapon held out in front of him.

"Focus, Nihlus. Anything inside?"

"Negative, Shepard." he replied. "It's clear. Looks like there are controls to the base doors over here. Give me a minute to override them."

Shortly, a second sliding door opened in the wall of the compound, revealing a narrow canyon beyond it.

"Looks like we're on foot from here. Ash, you and Kaidan keep an eye on the MIAFV. If things get too hot, call the Normandy for evac. Wrex, Tali, you're with us."

As the group of five wound their way through the narrow passage, they pulled out their respective weapons and prepared for what lay ahead. When the pass opened up, they saw a group of a dozen or so Geth emerge from behind a distant rock formation. Before either party could react, Wrex let out a bellowing roar and leveled his Gatling at them. It sprang to life, hundreds of miniature PRISM beams flying out and slagging the entire squad of synthetics before they could make cover.

"HAH!" he shouted. "Now this is what I call fun!"

"Remind me not to get on his bad side." muttered Nihlus.

"You should've seen the last guy who did that." said Garrus. "They had to scrape what was left of Fist off the walls with a spatula."

Passing the remains of the destroyed Geth, Shepard saw a series of towers on a rise overlooking the area they were in. And on top of those towers were…

"Snipers! Get to cover!" he yelled, as a pair of rounds flew past him.

As the squad dove and ducked behind various rocks, Shepard and Garrus pulled out their own sniper rifles.

"Alright, Vakarian. I count five snipers up there. One who bags the most buys drinks when we get back to the Citadel?"

"You're on, Shepard. On three. One. Two." Garrus stuck his rifle out into the open and fired at one of the Geth, his shot sailing wide as he forgot to account for the drift caused by the rotation of the round.

'That sneaky little…' More used to using the new-old fashioned weapon, Shepard's first shot sailed into one of the snipers, blowing mass of metal shards out the back of its' torso but leaving the front intact. He quickly aimed and fired at a second Geth, dropping it as he saw Garrus take out the one he'd missed. Shepard turned his weapon to a third Geth, but an impact to his shields fired from the other remaining sniper just before it exploded made him flinch, and the shot went wide. Recovering, he saw the last sniper duck behind cover just before Garrus' shot slammed into it, bypassing the metal wall it was trying to hide behind. Unfortunately for him, he had misjudged the distance between the Geth and the barrier it was behind when he fired, so the round did little more than dent its' thick armor after reappearing. The impact still caused it to stagger back, giving Shepard an easy shot as he blew the back portion of its head off.

"Looks like I win again, Garrus" said Shepard, starting up the hill.

"If I'd had more than a single day to train with these things, the first shot would've hit." he grumped.

"You cheated and you still lost. Suck it up."

"I think you two are compensating for something." quipped Tali, falling in behind the two snipers.

When they reached the top of the hill, they saw a small cluster of buildings in the distance, near the entrance to the dig site. They looked deserted.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." said Shepard. "And I'm not even Force sensitive."

"What?" asked Garrus and Nihlus, right on top of each other.

"Star Wars thing, forget I mentioned it. Does this feel wrong to anybody else?"

"Yes, actually." said Nihlus. "It feels like I'm being watched."

"And that means ambush. Look alive, people."

Their instincts turned out to be accurate when a colossal Geth walker, easily twice the size of the previous ones they had encountered, suddenly dropped from a Geth ship in the sky, it's limbs unfurling after it landed. At the same time, nearly a half dozen Geth soared from the top of one of the buildings, leaping off of and climbing on the walls and ceilings of the structures like demented spiders. Even more regular Geth burst out of nearby shipping containers and fell from the drop ship.

Watching this happen, the team made for the nearest cover, a series of shipping crates. Tali fired a single blast from her Cannon as she ran, tearing through two of the standard Geth as the shots bent in their path to follow their victims.

"Wrex, get the big guy! Tali, Nihlus, the platforms!" A red laser beam shot from one of the leaping Geth and sailed over Shepard's head as he peaked around the corner of the box. "Fuck! Garrus, help me get those twitchy bastards!"

Wrex pulled the secondary trigger on his Gatling, charging the overloaded shot. Even as he did, Tali and Nihlus poked out of cover long enough to fire a single burst at the Geth, downing three more. A shot from Garrus swatted one of the Geth from the sky after it leapt, and Shepard tagged one that landed on the ground almost directly in front of him.

A shot from the Geth Colossus tore into the crate Shepard was hiding behind, blowing it up and sending him sprawling. As a leaper lined up a shot with his prone form, something blew its' head off, causing it to drop from the wall it had been clinging to.

'What the hell? That shot came from behind it.'

He didn't have long to think about what had happened. Garrus reached out and grabbed him by the leg, dragging him into cover, even as Wrex came out, his weapon finally charged. The Gatling let out a deafening roar as it discharged, and the Colossus collapsed with half its' torso missing. Refractory beams from the shot bounced off the site of impact, downing four more platforms and another leaper. Two more shots from Tali and a second sustained burst from Nihlus dropped the rest of the Geth, leaving a lone leaper which Garrus quickly finished off.

"You need to be more careful there, Shepard." said Garrus, helping him to his feet. "Otherwise you might not live long enough to buy me that drink."

Shepard ignored the jibe. "There's someone else here. That leaper had me cold, but somebody took it out from behind."

"What?" asked Nihlus. "Who?"

"If I knew that, I'd be a Captain instead of a Commander. I'm gonna look for him, whoever he is. Cover me."

Activating his chrono suit, Shepard blinked to the top of the building where the hoppers had been hiding. Just as he arrived, he saw a flash of movement in the distance behind a rock formation. When his suit recharged, he moved closer, his rifle snapping to the spot he had seen… whatever it was. He saw a second flash, this one slightly longer. It looked like…

"Guys, I think it's a Geth." he said, activating his com unit. "It saved my ass back there, so don't shoot it unless I say so."

"Geth?" said Tali sharply. "Are you sure, John?"

"No, but I will be in a second. Standby."

He made one last jump, this one to the top of a large, flat boulder. Behind it, he saw his savior clearly for the first time.

"Shepard Commander, we are Goku, and we seek to parley."

Shepard leveled his rifle at the Geth, relaxed but steady. "You saved my ass back there, which buys you sixty seconds, starting now." he said.

"The Geth you encountered before are not true Geth. They are heretics, a sect of the Geth, and we do not share the same cause. The heretics follow the one called Saren, and it is they that attacked Eden Prime." it said.

"OK, we thought of this. The Geth have factionalized?"

"Yes."

"And you represent a faction that didn't attack us?"

"Yes."

"Why are you here?"

"To parley."

Shepard sighed, but lowered his weapon. "You can say more than a few words at a time, you know?"

"Yes."

Tali's voice came in over his com unit. "John, what did you find?"

"Hang on a minute, Tali."

He sighed again, and spoke to the Geth once more. "Look, you wanna talk, fine; what about?"

"We wish to negotiate peace between true Geth and Humans. We determined it likely that Humans would react to the heretic attack on Eden Prime with an armed response. This platform was constructed to facilitate negotiations to prevent that."

"This platform? You mean you were constructed solely for this purpose, Goku?"

"We are not Goku. We are Geth. We inhabit this platform, the Geth/Organic Communications Unit."

"OK, so if you're not Goku, who are you?"

"We are Geth."

"Oh, for the love of… What is the designation of the individual standing in front of me?"

"There is no individual. This platform houses one thousand, one hundred, eighty three Geth programs, which work in unison to form one collective body."

"OK, so there's a bunch of you in there. Goku is a stupid name, so what should I refer to you as?"

"Geth."

"You know, this Abbott and Costello routine is getting old. I can't go around calling you Geth, and Goku sounds ridiculous. Hmm… Many individuals working as one, huh?"

"Yes."

"E Pluribus Unum." declared Shepard.

"Out of many, one. An unofficial motto of the United States of America. We accept this as an appropriate analogy. We are Pluribus, terminal of the Geth." said Pluribus.

"Thank god. OK Pluribus, if you want to negotiate, I can arrange that, but not here, not now, and not with me. And keep in mind that I still don't trust you."

"Understood."

"For now, come with me. I need to keep an eye on you, but we've wasted enough time already."

As they wove their way through the rock formations leading back to his squad, Shepard activated his com unit.

"Alright, listen up. The one who saved me is a Geth. He's friendly, and we're coming out, so don't shoot him unless I tell you to."

"Geth?" trilled Tali. "You can't be serious, John."

"Look Tali, I know it's weird, but bear with me. Pluribus – that's his name – claims the Geth have factionalized, and he represents a faction that didn't attack Eden Prime. We thought this was a possibility, and he did save me back there, so that buys him some trust. A little bit at least."

"Alright. But if it so much as twitches wrong, I'll blast it." she said.

"Actually, that brings up an interesting point, Pluribus. Are you a he, she, or it?"

"We are Geth."

Shepard smacked his hand into his forehead and let out a groan. "I can still let her shoot you, you know." he said exasperatedly. "Which do you prefer to be referred to as: he, she, or it? I don't care which, just pick one."

Pluribus thought for a moment, the iris on his optic opening and constricting rapidly. "He."

"Thank you."

Emerging into the clearing, Shepard and Pluribus walked towards his squad, who raised their weapons warily.

"Look, no shooting. We'll figure out the details later, but for now, we need to get to T'Soni. Wrex, Nihlus, you're on point. Pluribus, you and Tali in the middle, and I'd leave the shooting to us for the time being. Don't take out a weapon unless you absolutely need to, understand?"

"Yes."

"Garrus, you and I are in the rear. Eyes open and heads up people, there are probably more Geth inside, and not the friendly kind." said Shepard.

Entering the tunnel to the dig site, the party moved down a long hallway which descended into the ground at a steady incline. At the end of the tunnel, there was a large natural cavern, with a series of catwalks and platforms leading to an elevator. There were several hostile Geth near the entrance to the cavern, but Nihlus' Riftblade and Wrex's Gatling made short work of them.

The squad made the short elevator ride towards the bottom of the cavern, passing ruins as they went and stopping where a final group of Geth was waiting near a blue Mass Effect field. After the Geth had been dealt with, Shepard disembarked from the elevator and heard a feminine voice coming from the nearby field.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me? I'm trapped, I need help."

Behind the field, surrounded by a smaller blue orb and suspended in place, was a single Asari. She looked young, and somewhat frightened, but it was hard to tell through the glowing fields.

"Doctor Livingstone, I presume?" asked Shepard, his voice completely deadpan.

"Who? No, my name is Liara T'Soni, though I am a doctor. I- GETH! THERE'S A GETH BEHIND YOU!" she yelled, struggling futilely at whatever was holding her in place.

"Really?" he asked, pretending to be confused. He glanced over his shoulder to look at Pluribus, and then faced Liara again. "Well I'll be damned; there is a Geth behind me." he said, feigning surprise.

Liara struggled for a moment more before giving up. "You… aren't concerned?" she asked.

"Look, Dr. T'Soni, it's a long story, one we don't have time for at the moment. We need to get you out of here and to my ship, the Normandy."

"I… I don't know how to get out." she said. "I ran in here when the Geth attacked, and activated the security field to stop them. I guess I pressed something I shouldn't have, because the next thing I knew, I was trapped in here. That was three days ago." she finished, hanging her head.

"This place looks like a prison." said Garrus. "I think the Protheans used these areas as cells."

"That would explain why she can't get out." said Shepard. "Any ideas?"

"There's a console in here with me. It might control the field. But I don't know how to get inside the cell." said Liara.

"Stand back." said Wrex, hefting his Gatling. "I've got this."

"Easy there, Wrex. I've got a better idea." said Shepard. He activated his chronosuit and moved into the cell, startling Liara. Quickly disabling the field, he turned to her. "You alright, Liara?"

"Yes, I…" she swayed slightly, looking faint, before catching herself. "I'll be fine. I just need a moment to recover. Thank you for rescuing me, mister…?"

"Commander actually." he said extending his hand. "Commander John Shepard, of the Normandy."

She grasped his hand and shook it. "Thank you, Commander Shep… Shep… Shepard!?" she finished with a gasp. "Councilor Shepard's son?" She looked scared out of her wits.

"The one and only. Don't worry, I don't bite." He smiled evilly. "Much."

"C-c-commander. I-I had no idea you were th-this old." she stuttered. "Your mother, she and my mother have a… a history. Even though we haven't spoken in many years, I've heard…things."

"I'm aware. Mom mentioned something about Benezia fainting during the negotiations."

"Yes." she said, her crests flushing a deeper shade of cerulean. "Your mother is very… powerful. As are you, Commander."

"You can call me John if you'd like."

"Look, I don't mean to interrupt you two lovebirds, but can we get a move on?" said Garrus. "More Geth could show up any minute."

Tali cast a heated glance at Garrus before responding. "He's right. We need to get out of here."

"There's an elevator to the surface nearby." said Liara. "We can use it."

"Good. Wrex, you and Nihlus cover Liara."

"Whatever you say, Spectre." rumbled Wrex.

"Spectre?" asked Liara, sounding dazed. "They sent a Spectre to get me? Why?"

"They didn't send one, they sent three." said Tali, sounding mildly offended. "Nihlus, John, and me."

"Three?!" she said, even more amazed. "Why would the Council send three Spectres for me of all people?"

"Less talking, more walking." said Wrex. "We can answer questions on the ship."

"O…OK. The elevator is just up ahead." said Liara.

They entered a large circular room with a floor made of a single large platform. Tali's omnitool flared briefly as she approached a control pedestal, and the elevator began to rise at a rapid pace. Just as they reached the top, Shepard saw a Krogan Battlemaster appear from a nearby doorway, flanked by several Geth.

"Surrender. Or don't." said the Krogan.

Leveling his rifle at the Krogan's head, Shepard responded. "Don't."

He fired once, and the back of the Krogan's head exploded in a shower of orange gore. The rest of his team opened fire on the remaining Geth, downing them quickly. Just before the last one fell, it fired a rocket at the platform, causing it to buckle from the impact. It shuddered ominously and let out a loud groan. Sensing what was about to happen, Shepard's squad leapt from the platform to solid ground, but Liara stumbled at the shaking, still weak from her captivity. Having no other options, Shepard grabbed her by the back of her pants and the collar of her shirt, and then unceremoniously heaved her over to safety, just as the platform began to fall. Righting himself in freefall, with the top of the platform receding rapidly, Shepard activated his chronosuit and teleported to the top of the shaft, catching the edge with both hands. Several pairs of arms reached out to pull him to safety, just as the elevator reached the bottom of the shaft, landing with a loud crash and thunderous explosion.

"Thank you, Commander." said Liara, brushing herself off. "That was… unexpected, and I'm a bit sore, but thank you nonetheless."

"Sorry about that, Liara. I usually don't get that rough until the second date." he said with a sly grin. That earned him a sharp slap to the back of the head from Tali.

"Bosh'tet." she murmured.

As they headed out of the ruins, Shepard lifted a hand to his communicator. Before he could say a word, the ground started to rumble ominously.

"Oh, crap." said Nihlus anxiously. "I think that explosion destabilized the ground. This whole area could blow."

"Normandy, this is Shepard, we need evac, ASAP! Kaidan, Ashley, we got Liara, but this whole place is about to go up! Chrono out, we'll be right behind you!"

"Sir, Liara doesn't have a hardsuit or armor, the 'sphere will kill her! You need to get back to the vehicle!"

"Oh, shit! Everyone RUN!" he yelled, suiting his words by setting off at a dead sprint towards the waiting vehicle. The ground continued to rumble, getting louder and more violent as they ran. Just as they reached the tank, a large geyser of lava erupted behind them, sending molten rock and scorching gas and ash upwards.

"JOKER, CHRONO US UP!" yelled Shepard.

"You caught us on the opposite side of the planet, Commander! ETA thirty seconds!"

"Kaidan, Wrex, Liara, get in the turrets and give us a barrier, NOW!"

The three biotics scrambled into place in the turrets, the reconfigurations taking precious seconds.

Liara looked panicked. "How does this-"

"Same as always, just focus!" shouted Kaidan.

A blue barrier sprang up around the tank just in time as the ground beneath it exploded, catapulting them skyward on a jet of flaming hot death. All three biotics struggled visibly to maintain the barrier, but they couldn't last long. Just as Liara collapsed out of her seat, fatigued, the tank blinked from midair to the cargo hold in the Normandy. Shepard caught her falling body before it hit the floor, and she looked up into his eyes.

"That was… a hot date, John." she said smiling, before fainting from exhaustion.