REQUIEM
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
I'M AS FREE AS DUST ON A SOLAR WIND
November 3, 2185
0912 hours.
VICINITY UNKNOWN. DATA INCOMPLETE. LOCATION UNKNOWN.
The Shadow Broker.
These failures were really starting to get to the Broker, and if Shepard and his group weren't eliminated soon, he might have to start killing some people. He had sent a message to his agent on Illium, and he had informed him that the Normandy had left Illium two days ago, and the homing beacon placed on the frigate's hull stated that the vessel was heading back to the Flotilla. And I can't send any troops to once again try and take them out, because the quarian broker will have my ass for it.
For once, the Second Broker had the urge to kick the quarian in the face and take control of the network. He didn't exactly need her, and noone knew who the Shadow Broker was or what it was, so noone will notice one less Broker. But could he do it without her noticing? The quarian seemed to know everything. And she appeared to be extremely overprotective of Shepard's quarian; Tali'Zorah. How did he know that the quarian was even on this very vessel? What if she communicated to him from yet another base?
Irrelevant questions, he told himself. Taking over would matter nill if Shepard wasn't taken care of. This quarian broker wanted to let Shepard find them, but he wasn't going to let that happen. The other broker was a fool, but he knew what had to be done. Shepard needed to die. Zorah needed to die. T'Soni had to die.
His deception operation had obviously failed, with the Normandy no worse for wear. Sure some doubts had been planted among the crew, but nothing majorly crippling. But, in hindsight, he probably should have known this would happen, considering the strength of Shepard's crew and the friendships he had already formed between them. A foolish plan to begin with; you're grasping at straws.
He clasped his massive hands together on the desk, the third new desk now creaking under the weight put on it. His terminal stare at him, his list of agents and information waiting eagerly before him. Also, hovering not too far away, a white drone hovered, encircled with light. It was his assistant, which he had programmed to speak. He beckoned it over.
"Do you request assistance, Shadow Broker?" The drone replied in a dull monotone.
"Yes," he replied, his voice demanding, "Bring up all the files you can on our agents, and pick out the best of them. Have them on standby."
"Affirmative Shadow Broker," the drone replied, "A full list will be sent to your terminal and pend checking."
"Good. Now enter shutdown mode," the Broker ordered, and the drone nodded in its own drone like way (which involved rotating down its y-axis) and then the glow of light forming the drone evaporated, the ball representing it falling to the desk and falling easily into his massive grip, where he pocketed it. He grunted, turning back to face his terminal.
The Broker had to carefully weigh his options; an all-out assault with his private army wouldn't get past the quarian's view, and it would be a careless waste of resources. Another deception operation wouldn't work well, so that left him with assassins and hitmen. He could try and offer Massani a bounty for Shepard's life, but not only was the bounty hunter comatose, but he would never betray the man who helped him kill Vido Santiago. Yet again, I was the one to give him that info. A pity he was so quick to betray me to Shepard.
So he thought about Shepard's destination; the Migrant Fleet. Bribing the quarians to kill one of their icons would never happen, and they wouldn't lay a hand on the Hero of the Citadel. The admirals can't be bribed, except for Xen, and there's not much she could do to harm Shepard anyway, and the conclave are useless in a situation like this. There's only one quarian he could make use of...
Peta had proven his usefulness. The assault on the Rayya may have failed, but the quarian had executed his instructions without fail and clean precision, disabling the ship's communications and weaponry. The mechanic had proven his worth, and with the quarian's desire to drag Zorah into his arms, he would be the most valuable asset he had. But another assault was out of the question.
But assassins weren't. Vasir was hardly subtle as a spectre, and using any other spectre would be irrational due to their connections to the Council. Bounty Hunters were the same, due to how mediocre or idiotic they could be, and precision hitmen were hard to come by, especially when the only ones worth anything were drell, and the best drell assassin in recent history was on Shepard's crew. But did the assassin necessarily have to have the profession?
What if subtlety was just what he needed?
His gaze glazed over Peta'Yala's profile. The mechanic was hardly combat material, and that doubled for his assassination abilities. However, despite Peta's obvious jealously towards Shepard, noone would suspect him. Which is just why the quarian would be perfect for this task. Noone would see it coming until Shepard was dead. Peta's inability to kill Tali because of his emotions was troublesome, but would be easily swept aside, given Shepard being the more dangerous of his three targets; he was a priority alpha.
That left the problem of getting Peta close enough to Shepard, not to mention getting him alone and unseen, to eliminate him. And it would have to be when Shepard was oblivious, as just charging the spectre with a knife would not end well; Shepard wasn't Lion of Elysium, Butcher of Torfan, Survivor of Akuze, Hero of the Citadel and Destroyer of the Collectors for no reason. Just attacking him was suicidal at best, certain death at worse.
Peta was his last reliable agent next to his one on Illium; he couldn't fail, and the Broker was sure he wouldn't. This would take time to develop however, and couldn't be executed on the spot. The only way to do that...
Yes, Shepard had a history of recruiting the best of the best, not to mention he has four quarians serving on his crew already, so what's one more? Zorah was his chief engineer, but he has yet to add a proper mechanic to the roster...
That was his answer. Without Shepard even knowing of the Broker's involvement, Peta would ask to join the Normandy crew. Shepard, being the unbelievably chivalrous person he was, would allow this, allowing Peta full roam. Plenty of time to catch Shepard alone and eliminate him. Shepard killed from within; that would be amusing, not that the Broker had time for amusement.
The Broker would grin if his species was capable of it. He typed into his terminal with his massive, muscular claws, sending the message to Peta before creating a new tab, leaving the other open and eagerly awaiting Peta's response. His omni-tool suddenly beeped with a new message and he opened it, seeing a new message. He opened it and read the contents.
From: {Blocked}
To: UNKNOWN. MESSAGE RELAYED THROUGH MULTIPLE PORTS. {Error: Cannot determine}
Subject: The Omega situation.
Files encased in encryption below; top level clearence.
With a grunt, he activated his drone and directed it to break the encryption. Once broken, the drone fell into his pocket again and he opened the omni-tool, waiting for it to cycle through before the newly unencrypted message opened up.
From: Agent {Name Withheld}
To: {Name Withheld}
Subject: The Omega situation.
Shadow Broker, there's been a new development. Cerberus seems to be causing some noise; don't know what he did, but I just heard from one of my agents in the Blood Pack that they killed Patriarch and the next thing I know all my agents from all merc factions are lighting up with reports of a 'War for Omega' popping up. The whole station is a battlefield! Aria must have really slipped up!
Agent Grizz is dead, but that was a given. However, another agent in Aria's personal guard reported the existence of 'zombies' boarding and attacking. Aria's forces repelled them before a Cerberus dreadnought decided to appear. Not much else has happened, but apparently Aria has left the station with 'General Petrovsky.'
I'll update you as more information arises. Its going to get messy.
To: {Name Withheld}
From: Agent {Name Withheld}
The Broker frowned and sent a message in response.
From: {Name Withheld}
To: Agent {Name Withheld}
Subject: Re: The Omega situation.
Gather as much information as you can; I want to know everything that happens as soon as it happens. I do not know of Cerberus' motives on this, but I will find out. Keep me updated as promised, Broker out.
To: Agent {Name Withheld}
From: {Name Withheld}
Sending the message, he leaned back, standing up to approach the desk behind him, his thumping footsteps echoing across his spaceous office interior; the utilitarianistic design easily suiting his needs. Behind him was a massive array of computer screens lining the wall; about sixteen monitors, all ringing with calls from various agents, companies and other politicians. His master terminal sat on the desk, along with a monster chair. He plopped down in it, shaking his head.
The Illusive Man never informed me of an invasion of Omega...although I guess its of no consequence. A Cerberus occupation of that scum-hole station is of little concern to me; its the motives behind. You usually only take a station of that size as a staging area, but a staging area for what? War? How does the Illusive Man plan to take on the galaxy with an army like his? And that's assuming its the galaxy he plans on taking on.
He shook his head, turning to his multiple monitors and cracking his neck. No matter; let Harper do as he wishes; I have more important things to deal with. Like how to deal with Shepard and his crew. They must be neatralized at all costs, and I'm positive Peta can sufficiently cut off the head of the snake.
He growled.
All he had to do was find a way to burn the body.
{Loading...}
November 3, 2185
0918 hours.
Engineering, Mediator-Class Heavy Tanker QMFV Huzzi, Migrant Fleet, Enoch System, Rosetta Nebula.
Mechanic Peta'Yala vas Huzzi.
"The hell are you doing here, Peta?" Herdi asked, throwing Peta a suspicious glance as he proceeded to cross his arms infront of his chest, leaning back on the main engineering console behind him; even further behind him being the titanic drive core of the Huzzi. Herdi had never taken a particular liking to Peta, being the chief engineer of the ship, and had always been a bit 'overprotective' of the ship's drive core, like it was his son or something.
Peta sighed, rubbing his faceplate, a common human practice he was far too accustomed to, "To do work Herdi; what do you honestly think?"
Herdi narrowed his eyes, "I think you're here to cause trouble, that's what."
Peta rolled his eyes at Herdi's own hostile pose, "Why do you hate me so much?"
"I don't trust you," Herdi spat, turning back to his console, not even sparing his fellow quarian a final glance, "But the captain obviously wants you here, so I can't stop you; his word is the word. But I'll be keeping my eye on you; no funny business."
Peta just shrugged carelessly, currently past giving a shit what other people thought. Great, now you assume colorful human language as well. Peta, emotionally blank inside and outside, moved past Herdi to his main console, ignoring the lingering glares from the engineering crew, all of them far too suspicious of him, but most for good reasons. They all noticed my absence from the evacuation area; they all think I was behind the attack on the Rayya. And I can do nothing to disprove them. Even the captain seems worried I'll blow up the ship. Surprised I haven't been kicked out yet.
The quarian quickly reached his work terminal and began bringing up the Huzzi's engine schematics, making sure to check the heating conductors and main coolant vents. But that was merely a distraction from his true emotions.
He had failed yet again. Or rather, the Shadow Broker had failed once again to deliver Tali into his arms.
He had done everything that was asked of him, even going as far as to sacrifice some of his own people in the name of his love for Tali. He knew, deep down in his heart, that she was worth any kind of sacrifice. She was worth every death. Keelah, you're too sappy. Do you love her, or is the only appeal being able to impregnate the daughter of the Ex-Chief of the Admiralty Board? But if that was the case, why continue to chase after her? Why allow the attack on the Rayya to occur? Rael'Zorah had died a month ago, so what was the point? Maybe because she's a galactic hero...
He put an end to those thoughts quickly; he loved Tali'Zorah, with all his heart, and knew he desperately wanted her feelings for him, to be able to marry her and have as many children as they wished, zero population growth be damned. Peta wasn't familiar with parenthood, but he was positive he could make a good father! And Tali...he longed to see her face, to feel her skin under his hands, to hear her moans as they made passionate love...
He wanted her desperately; he'd kill for it. He'd risk treason for it. But that human had stolen her heart, taken her away. Tali is sick, and she needed...needs...to be cured...
But his plan had all tumbled when the boarding action on the Rayya fell apart. They were meant to kill Shepard, Liara T'Soni and Shala'Raan, leaving Tali alive for him to eventually sway to his side. But not only had they survived and Tali was still in Shepard's clutches, but the Cerberus and Shadow Broker forces had been decimated. My betrayal of my people. All those dead innocents...all of it was pointless...
That thought haunted him more than anything. He had wanted so much, selfishly by quarian standards, to be with Tali, his one true love; the one he had watched ever since he was a young boy. He knew she had felt the same, but of course, being apart from him for so long on her pilgrimage had allowed...outside...influences to grow on her, and eventually corrupt her. He just had to release her from the prison the human had her in...show her the world he offered her...and he knew she would have broken in and embraced him.
But now it had all been for moot. Tali was still not in his arms, but on the Normandy. Multiple people had died and it had all been for nothing. Even Peta, who had seemed so infallible in his quest for Tali, had been fazed by the events, wondering if it had all been worth it. He came to an undeniable conclusion.
It hadn't been worth it.
And that's what haunted him.
But as much as he wanted to, he couldn't stop thinking about Tali. He still wanted her, deep down, but only guilt built up when he thought of her now; her beautiful image ruined by the blood of all those who died for his own selfish endeavours. Peta sighed heavily and inhaled, ignoring his own thoughts and continuing with his work.
His omni-tool beeped and he immediately knew who it was. Ready to condemn me for failure, are you Broker? Peta lamented, but silently hoped to be hounded for his actions. He deserved it. At least the Broker's scolding of him would be close enough to actual scolding. And no matter how much Peta wanted to admit to the crime, he couldn't, because his own selfishness once again dictated that he didn't want to leave the Flotilla; his only home.
He opened the message and read its contents, his eyes widening as he did.
From: {Name Withheld}
To: Peta'Yala
Subject: A new plan.
I know how painful it must be for you right now. Having to sacrifice others for love is a dangerous thing, and right now you must feel that all those sacrifices were for nothing: Well, I am about to give you another chance at getting the one you love on your side. I chance that is foolproof if you do it correctly. You can make it all worth it.
Shepard is currently approaching the Migrant Fleet and will arrive in one day. When he does, be on the Rayya, as that is where he'll dock; its the only liveship he approaches. Then, approach him and ask to join his crew; he'll have no valid reason to turn you away, so therefore you'll be able to get close and personal with him.
Then, whenever you can, find a way to get him by himself and alone, preferably in his cabin where noone will notice, and then strike him when he's not looking; slit his throat, shoot him in the back of the head, it doesn't matter how, just do it. Remember, do it discreetly and with him knowing none the better; you cannot hope to take him in hand-to-hand or with him armed. Eliminate him, and the rest of the Normandy's resistance will crumble. T'Soni will be revealed eventually.
With nothing holding her back, Tali will return to the fleet...to you...
Think about it and tell me when you're in. Good luck.
To: Peta'Yala.
From: {Name Withheld}
Peta just stood there, staring at the message with confusion at the sudden turn of events. He had expected the Shadow Broker to cut all ties to him, to scold him and call him a failure, and then declare him a wasted resource before severing all connections to him. But he didn't; he had instead offered him a way out, a path to absolution. He could fix it all, make things right, and get the girl, all at the same time. But was it worth it?
The answer was undeniable, but Peta's mind wouldn't listen.
Yes, it was worth it.
But what if I'm caught? What if Shepard is too suspicious and refuses my request? What if Shepard finds out what I'm up to? What if Tali continues to reject my advances even after Shepard is dead? What if I get caught and found guilty of treason against the Flotilla? Attempting to murder another quarian is punishable by exile! Am I really going to put everything, my entire life, on the line just for one girl?
Again, the answer was undeniable, but Peta's mind was unyielding.
Yes, you are. Because you love her. And you would do anything for her...to get her.
Herdi hissed from next to him, as did several other engineers, and Peta realized he had been standing there, blankly looking at his omni-tool. He shook his head, provided his apologies, and then turned back to his terminal, pretending to type, but in reality, he wasn't doing anything, too focused on the Broker's offer.
Its a way out, its so perfect. You'll get Tali; you'll have your wife and the family you always dreamed about...married to the most iconic quarian in history, a woman you love, and to have children who will grow up to just be like you; your own flesh and blood. Everything will be right with the world; you get the girl, children and you'll finally be treated with the respect you deserve. Noone will look down on you ever again...
...so why does it feel so wrong?
Peta reflected all the things he had done to achieve his goals. He had allied with the Shadow Broker. He had allied with Cerberus; an avowed enemy to the quarian people, second only to the geth. You are secretly conspiring behind her father's back, even going as far as to spite his memory by scheming, and serving, on the dead man's ship. You are willing to murder a man simply for loving someone you love.
What kind of monster had love turned him into?
He remembered when he was a young boy; how he used to talk with Tali. It had been his first day at school, and he had no friends, noone willing to talk with him. And then Tali had arrived, surrounded by a circle of friends, mostly girls, hounding around her. But Tali had excused herself from them to speak to him of all people; the boy noone liked or wanted to talk to. As an admiral's daughter, everyone wanted to be friends with her, but she decided to defriend him; something he'll never forget. It wasn't love at first sight, but it did develop that way.
Then the school years developed and people began to bully him; but like always, Tali, along with a bigger kid from a year above them named Kal, came to his defense, always standing by his side. Sure, the bullies had started to turn their attacks on Tali, to which he always felt guilty about, like her meer friendship with him and warranted those attacks, but she had taken it; she may have withered at the insults thrown at her sometimes, but she never showed it. And when Peta gained the confidence, he stood up for her as well.
Secondary school marked the period of time where he realized he was in love with her. Of course, he noticed how Tali didn't seem to show him the same feelings; in fact, she seemed to shoot Kal, of all people, lustful glances sometimes, her eyes even checking out his body from time to time before being told to concentrate by the teacher. Of course, those feelings quickly died when Kal got his first girlfriend, and that's when he was sure Tali fell for him. He lusted for those times again. How they had all changed.
Kal was a highly-decorated Migrant Fleet General. Tali was a highly-decorated combat engineer, Migrant Fleet General and a Hero of the Citadel. Peta...well, he was just some mechanic.
He had just been a lovesick school boy back then, but he knew his feelings were genuine; during his pilgrimage, he had missed Tali, yearning to see her most of the time. When he finally returned to the fleet, he had been pleased to see her there, only just resisting the urge to hug her. Ever since then, he had become completely obsessed with being near her at all times. And some part of him, some delusion, told him she liked being stalked, that she wanted the attention, that she was waiting to lead him to a clean room, where she'd confess her feelings and then they'd have heated-
But his thoughts digressed. When she embarked on her own pilgrimage, he seemed obsessed with nothing else but waiting for her return. And when she did, she was not the Tali he remembered. She desperately avoided him, refused eye contact and seemed unwilling to even acknowledge his presence, sometimes even seeming infuriated by it. It saddened him to be ignored by the one person he ever cared about, but when he found out about Shepard...and how she felt about him...it had torn his heart apart...
Ever since then, he...he didn't know what he was anymore. When did Peta'Yala die, and the Shadow Broker's Pet Monster get birthed?
Peta was obsessed. And the obsessed become monsters. It tears them apart.
And love was the worst obsession of all.
But Peta, as much as he wanted to deny it, wanted to say yes, to give into temptation, to leap the opportunity to have Tali all to himself. And as his mental barriers slowly crumbled, as images of Tali and himself embraced appeared in his mind, he began to conform. Like a robot, he watched his arm raise itself, his hand seemingly moving of its own accord as it activated the tool, bringing up the message and hitting the reply button. Then he paused.
Should I do this? Can I even consider letting myself go like that?
His heart demand satisfaction. Take her. I want her. I need her. I yearn for her warmth.
Its wrong! Its not right! I can't do this!
You sacrificed dozens of innocents for your own selfish love! Who cares about what's right and what's wrong! What you did was beyond wrong! You are beyond redemption! The best you can do is patch the wound, but is past healing!
I can't...its selfish...murder...
Shepard is an obstacle. A chain imprisoning your future wife. Cut the chain, and take her into your arms, comfort her, and love her. You know you want this. You will not be satisfied until you have her. All you will feel is emptiness.
But...murder...I can't...that's not who I am...
You're noone! Peta'Yala has been reborn! You are a man, you will never be the boy you were! Grow up and look at yourself! You have to earn the right to have her! Kill Shepard and you will have earned her! You're a murderer Peta! No point in denying it! Embrace yourself for what you are and deal with it! Push past it! Love conquers all, does it not?
That's...please...
DON'T BEG! YOU ARE PETA'YALA VAS HUZZI, AND YOU DO NOT BEG YOU BOSH'TET! GET OUT THERE AND TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY YOURS!
That brokered no further argument, and Peta's hands typed without him even thinking about it. After a minute, he sent the reply and went back to his terminal, sending a message to the captain to relay to the Admiralty about a ship transfer.
Peta'Yala was no coward. He did not beg. If he loved Tali'Zorah, then he must earn her respect.
She is rightfully his. Ever since he first met her at school, he knew this. They were meant to be together. They were destined for each other.
Destiny always had a way of becoming fullfilled.
{Loading...}
November 3, 2185
0921 hours.
Main Bridge, Killmanjaro-Class Dreadnought CAW Elbrus HA-2, Asteroid Belt Around Omega, Sahrabarik System.
War for Omega, Battle of the Sahrabarik System.
Ruler of the Terminus Aria T'Loak, General Oleg Petrovsky.
Aria had missed Omega the moment she stepped on the Elbrus. She missed Afterlife as she stepped into her temporary quarters on the vessel. She had missed Bray, Anto and Gavorn as soon as she mingled with the Cerberus crew. And she missed Omega Control as soon as she stepped onto the dreadnought's bridge. The more she stayed on the Cerberus warship, the more she continued to miss her beloved station.
She currently stood in the middle of the Elbrus' bridge, looking out into space, eying the Sahrabarik Relay that glowed brightly in the distance. Over the past two days, the War for Omega had just gotten worse. Entire parts of the station were locked in open warfare, with her own pirate forces heavily engaged with mercenary forces; with the Blue Suns, Blood Pack and Eclipse taking the lead, as always. Until Cerberus arrived, it was a losing battle for Aria.
Thankfully for her, Petrovsky had spared the dreadnought's entire battalion, deploying them on the station with the purpose of holding Aria's territory. And Aria had gotten a glimpse at Petrovsky's forces; she didn't know when Cerberus' commandos had gotten an upgrade, but they had, and it was damn fucking awesome. Over one thousand badass augmented soldiers, all flying Cerberus banners and on Aria's side.
The new Cerberus range was pretty large; there were the standard assault troopers with SMGs, light assault rifles and shotguns and had augmented speed, but were largely cannon fodder due to being slighty 'incompetent' in tactics. A side effect of the upgrades, Petrovsky said, but Aria simply responded with 'a fuckwit is a fuckwit. No implant will change that.'
The Centurions were squad commanders who were slower, but had augmented strength to deal with the weight of the heavy armor. They carried heavy assault rifles, were equipped with smoke grenades and usually took the rear as fire support, occassionally supporting heavy weapons, as Aria noticed one wielding a M-920 Cain. And they were definitely smarter than assault troopers; guess all of the troopers were the old commandos, and all the rest are brand new 'recruits.'
Combat Engineers were tech support, wielding light armor, had had augmented strength and speed. Their enhanced strength allowed them to carry the large turret on their back, along with the phalanx pistol on their hip, and their omni-tool. Combat Engineers usually came in small numbers, usually one or two to a squad, but they would prove a bane to the mercs, even giving the Eclipse a run for their money; these engineers were speed demons. She had seen one hack a heavily encrypted door, a door encrypted with STG anti-hacking programs she might add, within three minutes.
Guardians were walking cover, to be colloquial. They were the strongest out of all the Cerberus trooper variants, wielding the heaviest armor and a shield that weighed more than five men; a shield made of an alloy that was so strong, no bullet could penetrate it; not even a Widow. Even explosive ordnance only left a scorch. It was heat resistant, and thick, with a slot at the top for the man to move and see ahead. He also carried a powerful M-358 Talon pistol; which had to be the most powerful pistol she had ever since. It served as a pistol-version of a eviscerator shotgun.
Nemeses are sharpshooters and long-range support. They wore lighter armor than the Cerberus soldiers, but had the most augmented speed out of all of them, save the phantom, giving them the ability to move from point to point very quickly, aided by their tactical cloak. They also were stronger; being that all the nemeses were females, and she had seen one or two wielding a Widow rifle, and another a Mantis. But most wielded Raptor marksman rifles. They had enhanced precision and targetting, almost never missing a target.
Phantoms...she didn't know what to think of those creepy fuckers. They were all female, just like the Nemeses, but were much faster in terms of speed and accuracy. They were experts at hand-to-hand, and were masters at the sword. Petrovsky described them as top of their class, be able to even outmatch N7 in sheer skill. They were supernaturally fast in human regards, and Aria knew she wouldn't want to face one if it got up close. I'd probably just crush it into a fucking pulp.
What Aria didn't expect, was the Dragoons. Petrovsky stated they were a last minute project that the Illusive Man had devised titled 'Project: Phoenix.' The Illusive Man had come to the decision that there was a lack of biotics in Cerberus' military, and that hole needed to be filled desperately. Project Phoenix birthed Dragoons; a special breed of soldier specialized in centrally just biotics; no projectile weapons of any kind; not even a sword.
The Dragoons wore medium armor and a full-head helmet, accompanied by a golden visor that started from the bottom of his chin, all the way to the back of his scalp. They had augmented strength and speed, along with vision, and could make tactical decisions on the move. They had an upgraded L6 implant, along with the cybernetics that strengthened them even further, making them into powerful biotics. She had seen one, and only one, form a unique ability called the 'whip' which allowed the biotic to form a pulsating array of energy in his palm, that then developed into the shape of a dark energy whip, allowing biotics to pull hostiles from cover. And Dragoons were the only ones not to be gender discriminate; she had seen male and female dragoons.
Of course, the Atlas mechs painted gold and white didn't surprise her at all. Atlases were hardly a Cerberus creation; she knew that many militaries used to use them years ago, but since stopped using them due to them being too 'bulky' in combat. Now the mechs found themselves in the hands of mercs, who didn't use them to their full potential. And now Cerberus built them on mass, and Petrovsky had five of them in his battalion. These ones upgraded with shields and given stronger main weapons, and a thickened glass cockpit.
Overall, she was damn impressed by the Cerberus force, and was even more impressed that those soldiers now fought on Omega alongside Aria's troops, steadily pushing her enemies back. That taught them to fuck with Aria. She had powerful allies in high places it seemed.
Those soldiers had deployed two days ago. Ever since then, every Terminus vessel that was armed and was, or already was, willing to fight under Aria had been rallied. About thirty-six vessels now occupied the space around the Elbrus, a see of fish ready to strike out. The mercenaries were preoccupied with taking Omega from her. But she knew the real threat was still coming.
Those fucking Adjutants. Monsters from the pits of hell. Creatures of such repulsiveness that they transformed the dead into more of themselves, turning them into a neverending horde of technological zombies. Reaper husks created by Cerberus to be controlled by Cerberus, but now ran rogue, and guess who they decided to invade? Omega. And whoever fucked with Omega, fucked with Aria. She was Omega.
An armada of over forty ships full of adjutants were coming, Petrovsky had said. Several had arrived already, but the Elbrus had arrived just in time to destroy them, a fact which Aria still found suspicious. How is it he arrived at the scene so quickly? If he was only just investigating this, then how the hell is it he arrived before the adjutants were overunning my fucking station? It doesn't make any sense.
But she had seen Petrovsky's gaze. It was determined; telling the truth. He wasn't lying. Otherwise she'd see it; Aria had a gift for telling when people were lying; even the most stone-faced of assholes had a hard time deceiving her.
Aria turned to face Petrovsky, who was sitting in his command chair, also looking out into space with a blank, but musing expression. His pupils showed intense thought, as if already dictating the strategies in his head. His hands were locked infront of him, elbows on the arm rests as he occassionally turned to answer reports or questions from his crew, but otherwise, he was entirely focused. Petrovsky seemed to avoid her gaze, ignoring her existence. He had expressed his displeasure at sending his troops to Omega, stating that they had no commanding officer apart from Colonel Ashe, who was currently in her custody, but she hardly thought him a man to hold petty grudges. He was above that.
Aria had to hold in a chuckle as her eyes lowered to the pedestal infront of the Cerberus general. On it sat a orange, holographic representation of a chessboard, with all the pieces neatly arranged on the checkered surface, Petrovsky seeming to have an obsession by going into battle using it. The pieces on his side were gold and white, with Cerberus logos painted on their tips, and at the opposite side of the board, were purple pieces, obviously representing the Adjutants, but with two pawns missing; they obviously represented the already destroyed enemy vessels.
She had asked him why he was infatuated with the chessboard, and Petrovsky had been the same calm, perfectly logical crap he always spouted. "A man's battles are won on a board; that's all a battlefield is really. A board where the pieces are moved into position by a person with the power. And in battle, when you kill a general, are you not checkmating them? A chessboard is the perfect place to plan a battle; the pieces move into place, and only intelligence can win the battle. Ever heard of a famous human artist of war named Sun Tzu? He defined war itself. 'The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.' I've learnt that lesson well Aria; maybe you should as well."
She had rolled her eyes at that, and simply watched as the entire line of pawns on Petrovsky's board moved forward two steps, followed by Petrovsky's entire line of pawns, the king moving in just behind the pawns. Aria found human culture fascinating when it wasn't fucking stupid and pointless.
She turned back to look outside; it was a fleet of every ship she could get. There were obsolete krogan freighters armed with an array of heavy guns, and a few Kowloon-Class Modular Conveyors outfitted with ship-to-ship guns. A few batarian frigates also sat there, not to mention a mix of salarian, turian, asari, hanar and human vessels as well, all either mercenary or pirate; all of them uniting in the defense of Omega; all because they were either loyal to Aria, or eager for a fight and expecting a reward. Petrovsky had stated they would serve as the 'shield' for the initial assault. Her response had been anything but friendly.
"They are not just meat! They are fighting for Omega!" Aria growled at him.
Petrovsky had just shook his head, "No need to feel angry, Aria. The Adjutants will not attack our ships; they cannot, and will not, risk losing the potential for more victims. They'll try boarding actions and swarming tactics, but the sheer numbers in our fleet and the fact you have a military dreadnought will improve our chances of catching them in a tight spot. I find it difficult being in bed with pirates, but it is necessary."
Aria had chuckled at that, "I don't consider us in bed, Petrovsky."
"Neither do I," Petrovsky replied bluntly, "Especially since I have little time for such activites."
"Not a fan of women, General?" Aria asked, voice laced with mischevious. She wasn't interested; she never was. Sex wasn't her...regime.
"I'm not a fan of wasting time," the general replied, "I play the art of war, not the art of relationships. One is far more useful than the other, and at the moment, that usefulness might just help save your station."
That had shut Aria up, but she would never admit it. Not to Petrovsky. She was the bitch queen of Omega who was intimidated by noone and was respected by everyone. She wasn't going to have that reputation refuted by having some Cerberus general no he had shut her up. She would never live it down. And now I must really keep the act, with Patriarch gone and all that. Damn it Nyreen, where the fuck are you when Omega needs you? When our daughter needs you? Fucking whore of a cunt; why did I trust you? Why do I even care about you?
Maybe because you love her?
Aria? Love? What a fucking joke. She should put that in the Galactic Jokes Book as a Number One Death Inducer. If there was anything that Aria T'Loak wasn't, it was a romantic type.
I did seem to enjoy fucking her though...only woman, or person for that matter, I've ever fucked in my entire life...and I loved it...fuck am I retarded! Are you Aria T'Loak, or Aria T'Soni? Forget that soft shit. You've got a station to defend; that's the only thing you love. Your fucking station.
Aria wouldn't deny it; she loved Omega; loved it to death. It was her home, her life. Abandoning it was out of the question, and she'd rather die than give it up. Omega made her what she was, turned her from a pitiful nothing to a feared dictator. She thought herself fair, and Omega didn't seem to complain; at least until now.
I knew ever since Jaroth sent that message to Tarak that I might have an uprising; but I just assumed that since Archangel killed both of them, that that was the end of that! But of course not! Some fuckwit decided to let it slip through the net that Patriarch was my rope, and they cut it! Talking about fuckwits...if I get my hands on him or her...I'll choke the fucking life out of them...or bash them around with my biotics...choices...
She just hoped Anto could keep everything under control until she got back to reassume control of her forces on Omega.
"Sir!" the Elbrus' navigator cried out across the dimly lit room, white light filling the room, "Energy build up at the Sahrabarik Relay! We've got...twenty plus contacts! I think its them!"
Petrovsky nodded and sat up, leaving his holographic chessboard visible as he faced the navigator, "Very good. Bring us on a direct heading with the head of the fleet and give me fleet wide communications-"
"No," Aria snapped, "I will give the orders, as they are my fleet. Trust me general, do not make the same mistake your colonel did."
Petrovsky gave her a long look before sighing, "Threatening me is a redundant maneoveur Aria, so you need not bother," he turned to his communications officer, "Give Aria full access to fleet-wide comms," he turned to his tactical officer, "Ready bow weapons and prep forward torpedo bays; GARDIANs on standby. Sound the General's Quarters."
The lighting on the bridge switched to a dull, hellish crimson, the dreadnought changing its direction to face the relay directly instead of a full broadside. Petrovsky seemed to be in his element; barely flinching with the change of lighting and just spoke as his voice sounded throughout the whole ship, "General's Quarters, All hands man your battlestations. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. General's Quarters, General's Quarters. All hands, man your battlestations."
Aria spoke into her comms, "All ships, turn to the relay and prepare to meet the enemy. Tear them to fuckin shreds. I want to hear your cries of anger echo across space, do you fuckin hear me!?"
Even non-loyalists responded in yells of defiance, all joining in Aria's battle cry as numerous voices joined as one, ready for the coming battle; not that it would be much of a battle. These were Cerberus research vessels, and were unarmed, and there was twenty of them coming. That peaked Aria's curiosity. Where's the other twenty? General Tzu here said there was forty? Something isn't right...where are the rest?
Why do I have had a bad feeling in my gut?
The relay lit up with energy and she knew the killing frenzy had begun; but what came through the forked mass effect relay wasn't research vessels. They were Cerberus corvettes; moving faster and more sleekly, armed with numerous anti-fighter pulse lasers and light ship-to-ship weapons. So these ships fight back.
Twenty corvettes appeared in a mass of light, and any disciplined admiral or commodore would align them in a defensive formation, even Aria knew that. But these weren't seasoned soldiers; these ships were controlled by mindless Reaper husks intent on killing them all. But Aria knew, and Petrovsky knew, that the adjutants wouldn't dare attack vessels with potential hosts onboard; giving them a distinct advantage.
But when the corvettes started spreading out, and shooting towards their fleet, they soon found themselves proven wrong.
Eyes widened in surprise as a corvette smashed into a batarian frigate, taking the vessel completely by surprise. The two ships merged as one, metal raking against metal and combining in one metallic mess of sheeted armor. The frigate's bow was completely shredded while the corvette disintegrated from the impact, obviously not built for ramming, and continued into the frigate until it stopped a ways inside. The entire front of the batarian ship was now gone, a vast portion of the hull opened into space and sucking out any survivors and oxygen, leaving the ship dead and destroyed.
The rest of the adjutant fleet was unrelenting, taking Aria's forces completely by surprise. Two more corvettes rammed into two more of her ships, more of these being hegemony military vessels, with the adjutants leaving the ramming to stronger ships. Mindless? These fuckers are intelligent! They know their weapons are useless against the 'bigger kids', so they just ram them, destroying them before they can even use their weapons! The other ships are piecemeal!
"You call this fucking mindless?" Aria snapped incredulous, spinning to face Petrovsky who, for the first time, looked genuinely shocked at the change of events. He was no longer leaning back in his chair, this time leaning forward. Upon the asari's outburst, he turned to her, shaking his head.
"I call it a change of heart," the general replied, watching the battle unfold, "These adjutants seemed to be gaining intelligence; its likely that they are assimilating the information of their previous hosts to use as background knowledge. They were nowhere near this intelligent before; it shows an example of evolution; cybernetic evolution. The Reapers never cease to surprise us, it would seem."
Before Aria could yell, he seemed to read her predictable mind and turned to his tactical officer, this time with a raised voice that demanded satisfaction, "Bring our GARDIANs to bear. Destroy every corvette that attempts to ram us," he turned to navigation, "Bring us around and head straight for the Sahrabarik Relay."
Aria, this time, just stood there and gave him a mixture of enraged expression and a confused one. He's lea...he's leaving Omega! He's taking me away and abandoning Omega! What the fuck does he think he's doing? I can't leave!
"Before you ask Aria..." Petrovsky answered her unspoken thoughts, the general giving her a sympathetic glance, which was surprising, especially for him, "We're going to cut this at the source. We know the Adjutants originate from Avernus Station, so we're going to go to Avernus, board the station and destroy the adjutants from within and end this outbreak. There's another Cerberus station, Athens, posted at the receiving relay, but for all we know, they may have been overrun by the adjutants already. To save Omega, we must destroy our enemy from within. Your fleet can hold."
An explosion flashed near the port of the Elbrus; a GARDIAN laser system tearing apart an approaching corvette as it spotted and tried to ram them, but failed to get close enough before spotted and destroyed. Aria sighed, face bathed in orange light from the explosion. She faced Petrovsky, and nodded reluctantly, "Fuck. Fine, I'll leave. But Omega better be intact when I get back, or someone's going to pay. In blood."
Everything went silent as the Elbrus quickly exited the battle, Aria's fleet engaging and quickly turning the tide, destroying the corvettes extremely quickly, starting to push them back. Aria grinned sadistically as she faced the screen and watched the dreadnought approach the relay at a quickening pace. This battle is won. Omega will be liberated.
Three minutes later, and the Elbrus finally reached the Sahrabarik Relay, the mass effect machine releasing a tendril energy that seemed to grab the massive warship and fire it forward to its connecting relay, Tassrah, in the Phoenix Massing Cluster.
Space quickly returned in a second, the stars that had been stretching returning to normal shape as they arrived in the Tassrah System. Aria watched the space reform around them, followed by a large space station that looked alot like a hammer, shrouded in a void of stars. It was covered in the gold and white of Cerberus, and its logo, of course, was plastered all over it. And along the side was the unmistakenable name of the station. 'Athens Naval Dock.'
And as she turned back, she saw that, lined infront of it, was the other twenty corvettes of Adjutants, all haphazardly crossed along the station's perimeter and steadily moving for the relay. She heard someone stand up behind her, but she barely noticed as she frowned. Why wasn't the Elbrus attacking?
It was then that she noticed the larger shapes that were emerging from around the station and the Adjutant vessels. And as they moved further into view, she almost cursed out loud in horror, hitting a sudden epiphany as she saw the shapes come fully into view.
Corvettes. Frigates. Destroyers. Light and Heavy Cruisers. The massive form of a carrier. All of them headed for the relay and the Elbrus like a disciplined set of chess pieces, with fighters and interceptors flocking over them as cover, the Cerberus fleet moving in behind the Adjutant corvettes. She realized too late that this entire thing was a setup.
"The War for Omega was never about mercs Aria," Petrovsky's voice sounded, dangerously close to her ear; just close enough that his breath tickled the nape of her neck, "It was about the Reapers. This is nothing personal; I am only doing my job. You look out for your own kind, I must look out for mine. You were just another pawn in our little chess game, Aria."
She pulsed with biotic energy, but wasn't fast enough to block the coming blow. She screamed in unimaginable pain as she was hit from behind with a neural shock, sending her onto her knees as she fell face first into the ground, eyes drooping and body shaking. And before she could do anything else, a needle pierced the back of her neck, sedating her.
"You...fucker...you'll...pay," Aria mumbled, but it was no use, and she quickly found herself falling into a dreamless sleep. She had been cheated. Petrovsky had lured her into bringing the full might of her fleet out so he could swat it outside and he had played her like a fool; she had thought she could see all the liars, but it appeared she couldn't. But he would pay. Oh yes he fucking would.
She'd make all of Cerberus fucking pay.
Noone was taking her fucking station!
I AM OMEGA!
{Loading...}
November 3, 2185
0921 hours.
Cargo Cell, Omega Control, Unnamed District, Omega.
War for Omega.
Colonel Raymond Ashe.
Idiots. Colonel Raymond Ashe of Cerberus was surrounded by them, and today, he was stuck with the worst kind of idiot; the alien kind. But if all went according to plan, that wouldn't matter for much longer. So he just sat there, leaning against the wall of his confinement, he simply zoned out of his captor's teasing, the two degenerates poking and mocking him for his defiance of Aria.
"Guess Cerberus doesn't recruit the bright ones anymore, do they? That Petrovsky looks old enough to be my father, so I guess he's old. But Colonel Sanders over there? He does he think he is, believing he can lead Aria T'Loak's men about? He was asking for that pounding, I'm telling ya," the turian guard said to the krogan, obviously raising his voice loud enough for Ashe to hear, desperate to get the human to hear his teasings.
The krogan guffawed, shotgun shifting in his two handed grip, "Damn right; the guy's a fucking imbecile. He's lucky to even be alive. I've never seen Aria being so generous," the krogan guard twisted to face Ashe in his small cell, "How about it, human? Feeling lucky?"
Ashe scoffed, a large grin covering his face as he looked back at the wall before him. It was grimy, covered in filth and stunk of shit, "Well I'll be damned, maybe I am! Guess she has a soft spot for me, heh?"
The turian growled and moved to throttle him, but the krogan held out his arm, apparently smarter than his turian counterpart. The krogan shot Ashe a weary glance, "Don't, Davus. This human's just being a smartass. Hopefully he'll have the wits to keep his mouth shut around Aria; lest he end up as a bloody smear on the wall."
"I look forward to it," the colonel responded, shaking his head with mirth, "It should be an aesthetically pleasing death. Paint, of the color red. Tell me, does red look good on Aria? I'm sure it does."
The krogan rolled his eyes, "Trying to be a tough guy; doesn't suit your species, human. So stop trying to impress us."
"Who am I impressing?" The colonel replied, pretending to scan the room, "I didn't realize there was anyone worth impressing."
There was no response, only a shuffle of feet as they turned back around, exchanging more banter, on Ashe's expense of course. Meanwhile, the Cerberus colonel brought up his omni-tool, which the oblivious idiots had decided to let him keep, and activated his omni-blade, testing it. He brought up the omni-tool on his other wrist, and activated the blade on that as well, giving him dual omni-blades; a weapon he very much liked, especially in close quarters.
"You know, I'm starting to wonder why Cerberus even came to the station," the krogan mumbled to his companion, "Kind've a waste of time. In my opinion, Aria should have told them to fuck off."
"And deal with those zombies ourselves?" The turian asked incredulously, "She made the right call, of that, there's no doubt."
"Yeah, but I don't trust 'em," the krogan shot a glance in Ashe's direction, "Something just feels...off. You know?"
"I know you must be taking the red sand again," the turian sighed, "Cerberus is here to help. Why must you always be paranoid?"
As they spoke, Ashe stood to his feet, omni-blades active on both wrists, but none of them even turned to face him. The idiots had also left the cell wide open, believing that two of them with weapons were bars enough. I'm a Colonel for a reason, and you're a pirate for a better reason. Lets see if alien scum have the same weakpoints as humans, shall we? He turned to face them though, and he quickly, but quietly, approached from behind their backs, a cruel smile on his features. I'm going to enjoy this.
"That paranoia proved right. Remember how I said Patriarch would meet a gruesome end eventually," the krogan asked, raising an eyebrow; if a krogan even could, "Yeah, well he's fucking dead, and half his head is missing, so that's got to be sort've gruesome. My paranoia always wins out."
The turian chuckled, "You're right once and just assume you're right all the time? Nice one Tex! I'll give you an academy award for paranoid asshole of the year. Make it the century; its a pretty big achievement."
"Ah, go to hell. Believe what you want to believe," the krogan waved a dismissive hand as Ashe stood just behind them; enough to lean forward and breathe on them, "But I know what I know. That guy is trouble, and we should have killed him already."
"Well don't worry," the turian growled back, "He's exactly where he belongs. Aria will deal with him later. Besides, what use is he to anyone in a cell?"
Ashe grinned and raised his omni-blades, "I'm just where I need to be."
Before either of them could turn, he brought the blades around and raked them across their adam's apple, or at least where they'd be on humans, and watched as they split open like skin breaking apart and orange and blue blood alike spilled out of them in a blood, bodies crumbling to the floor. With an amused laugh at the sight, Ashe kneeled down, blades evaporating and picked up the krogan's shotgun and turian's Tempest SMG, grimacing as orange and blue colors mixed around his feet, staining his polished boots. Repulsive.
He moved forward, pistol at his hip and shotgun raised, leaving the cell and stepping out into one of the corridors leading into Omega Control. He moved forward, snapping the neck of a batarian guard before continuing. Before long, he stepped out and into Omega Control's interior.
He looked down on them, every single person facing the main viewscreen of the room. Asari, turians, batarians and humans worked at the consoles as they worked to maintain Omega's systems. Ashe looked up to see the Battle of Sahrabarik outside; Terminus ships blasting apart Adjutant-controlled corvettes. The Elbrus was noone in sight.
With Aria out of the picture, its time for phase two.
The First Fleet would be arriving through the relay soon, and that would mean he had to disable Omega's defenses and communications; and that meant taking Omega Control. As he looked down, he saw one centurion, four assault troopers and two combat engineers, the former guarding while the engineers helped maintain the Control Center's systems. Or at least, that was the cover.
He tapped a foot after foot on the ground until he arrived behind one centurion, and banged a hand against the side of his helmet. Like a robot, the soldier twisted around and fixed him with a crimson gaze, waiting for his orders. Ashe nodded at him, and the centurion nodded back, quickly turning around and sending orders to his men through their suit radios.
All were in position; and Ashe gave the attack call as he moved behind one batarian operator and pulled the trigger, the alien's brains painting the console infront of him.
Gunfire filled Omega Control as Anto spun around in shock. His men quickly rid the control center of all of Aria's guards, and it wasn't long before all operators were gunned down. The blood of asari, turians, humans, and batarians littered the room, mixing together in a rainbow like mix of gore. But Anto wasn't dead; he was fleeing.
Seeing the chaos in the building, the batarian quickly switched to a fight or flight instinct; in his case, it was flight. The batarian didn't even look back as he shot for the door, shoving past one assault trooper as Ashe raised his pistol to shoot Anto in the back of the head...
He was too slow. Anto slammed his fist against the haptic interface of the exit and shot through as the Colonel's pistol shot pinged off the door's arch. He cursed under his breath and ran forward to pursue the batarian, reaching the door as he heard a skycar's engines roar to life. He raised his pistol, but once again, was too late to stop it as it rose up and flew off, heading into Omega's streets below. He had taken Omega Control, but failed to kill off Aria's second-in-command. He holstered his pistol and cursed once more. But it doesn't matter; you have Omega Control, and therefore you hold the dice.
With a sigh, he moved back inside, which now had Cerberus soldiers dragging dead corpses outside and cleaning up the place. Ashe approached the main centurion in charge; who had assumed Anto's position of standing at the front of the room. He turned towards him with a robotic stare. Ashe essentially snatched the radio from the centurion's palms, but he offered no objection, simply watching as Ashe turned, pulling the radio to his mouth.
"I want the commander of the Elbrus Battalion," Ashe hissed.
It wasn't long before the husky, sythensized voice of a centurion came through the radio, "This is Major Kyle. Colonel Ashe sir, is that you?"
"Yes and I'm reassuming command," Ashe snarled, practically spitting into the radio, "Operation: Foul Play is now in full operation. Have the mercenaries been pushed back?"
"Yes sir," Kyle responded.
"Good," Ashe responded, nodding to the centurion infront of him, who directed his troops to set up positions to defend the control center, "Then turn on Aria's troops and kill them; take them by surprise. Once done with them, move in and push the mercenaries from the station; target their headquarters with gunships and level them. I want this station half taken by the time First Fleet pops up. Anto escaped; if he appears, he's your top priority. Take him out."
"It'll be done sir. Kyle out," and with that, the radio went out. Ashe slammed the radio back into the centurion's chest and turned back to face the viewscreen, watching as the relay lit up in blue light and the Elbrus reappeared. Ashe smiled. And so the Fall of Omega begins. We'll have it within the week indeed. Maybe I'll get a promotion.
{Loading...}
November 3, 2185
1243 hours.
Starboard Observation, Normandy-Class Stealth Frigate Normandy SR-2, In FTL inbound for Enoch System, Rosetta Nebula.
Commander Marcus Lee Shepard, Chief Engineer Tali'Zorah vas Normandy.
He sat there, looking out into space, watching as the stars zoomed past like streaks of light, the Normandy moving at Faster Than Light speeds, heading for the Migrant Fleet after yet another attack conducted by the Shadow Broker. Marcus Shepard had fought Heretic Geth, a rogue turian spectre, hordes of tank-bred krogan, the Collectors, all three major mercenary organizations and Cerberus. He had fought long and hard, and even in a period of peace, he got no rest. The Shadow Broker was out for his head, and he wouldn't rest until the entire Normandy crew was dust.
But in the end, that just didn't matter. Sure, he had got a message from his mother detailing Cerberus' attempt on her life and her crew's life. It had deeply saddened and angered both him and Tali when his quarian engineer had received word that a Cerberus assassin, by the name of Kai Leng, had tried to kill Admiral Raan, but had ended up killing her husband. Tali had wept nonstop for an hour, and Marcus could only comfort her; only Tali knew how much it felt to lose a loved one. She was just lucky that he came back. Shala would never get that chance.
But in the end, Marcus just didn't know what to think. He knew trying to track down Cerberus and the Shadow Broker's headquarters would be an impossible task; it was a big galaxy, and they could be anywhere; the search would take longer than his lifetime allows, and he knew the Reapers were of a far bigger threat. But they were months...years away. The Shadow Broker and the Illusive Man were here now; and he knew he had to deal with them.
But at the moment, as he sat on the sofa in the Starboard Observation deck, sitting next to Tali with his arm wrapped around her waist and the quarian pulled up against him, he just couldn't care. He should be doing something, but what could he do? Like he said, a search was pointless. All he could do for now, all any of them could do, was avoid the Broker and repel his attacks long enough for Liara to locate the bastard. Then they'd take the fight to him in the typical Normandy fashion; guns blazing and lots of explosions.
Both of them were silent as they sat there, Tali's head on his shoulder while he leaned on the top of her hood, none of them even moving as they just watched the stars go by, strangely entranced by the simple motions. After getting that fateful message from Shala, they had retreated to Starboard Observation, Gabby and Ken promising to handle engineering in Tali's absence, fearing their chief engineer's wrath if they didn't. Even Samara had been respectful enough to give them room; deciding to talk with Thane and meditate with him in Life Support; that, or she was training with Jack again in the Shuttle Bay.
Finally, Tali broke the silence, sniffing, "I-I-I can't believe-"
Marcus placed a finger on her vocalizer, "Shhhhh...none of us could have seen this coming."
"Poor Auntie Raan...," Tali whimpered, leaning further into him, protectively hugging him, as if afraid he would disappear, "What she's going through...losing her husband...it-its horrible. Unfathomable. She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve any of this. When I-I-I lost you...I th-thought my l-life lost...lost meaning. To keep going on...Sh-Shala must be-be incredibly s-s-s-strong will-willed..."
"Yes, she must be," Marcus soothed, rubbing her shoulder and pulling her closer, "I don't know if I could stand losing you. The pain...it'd be too much. But hey, you did it. You lasted two years, and I came back. And I don't plan on leaving ever again. I promise."
Tali nodded weakly, "I just don't-Shala...what do I even tell her? How-how do you comfor-comfort someone w-w-who's gone thr-through something like that?"
Marcus sighed, leaning back, "I don't know Tali; I guess you don't say anything really. You just have to be there for them; let them know they aren't alone. Hold them close like I'm doing with you, and just show them you care. That'll have to be enough. In situations like this, there's nothing much you can do."
Tali exhaled, "I know, its just so-"
"Painful?" Marcus finished for her, nodding solemnly, "Yeah. I know that feeling. But you soldier on; that's what we do. Admirals, marines, the standard captain...we all just soldier on. If we don't, then who will?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Tali sniffed once more, "Besides, I can be happy knowing you're here. I'm sure Shala will recover; she always has been a tough woman."
"I don't doubt it," Marcus chuckled, trying to inject some humor into the melancholic silence, "To put up with Gerrel, Koris and Xen? Takes alot of resilience. Alot of personal will. If there's anyone who can move on, mourn and continue on, its your aunt. She can handle yourself. She's old enough to have encountered this stuff before."
"Yeah," Tali replied lamely, laughing weakly before they both went silent, and it allowed familiar thoughts to creep into Marcus' mind. Shala losing her husband...it reminded him of what he wanted to do before it was too late.
He knew he wanted this; he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and he knew she relayed the same feelings. He also hadn't told her about Mordin's children experiment, which gave him two sided motivations. Everything that could possibly want; but out of all of them, he wanted to make their union official. He wanted them to be married. To charge into battle against the Reapers as husband and wife. He didn't want to live with regrets.
He knew she felt the same way.
The box in his pocket demanded attention. He couldn't ignore it much longer. But the thoughts that swirled around in his head made him think harder. The death of Shala's husband, is that what brought these thoughts out? These sudden, desperate, last minute thoughts? With the Collectors gone, could it be done? When Shala's unionmate died, he had at least died content. What if Tali or himself died, and they lived with regrets? Could he make that mistake?
No. He couldn't. He wouldn't die with regrets. Neither of them would.
The moment was perfect, he quickly realized. Here, in the Starboard Observation Lounge, both of them in space, which had served as a home for both of them. And they were on the Normandy; the frigate becoming something of a home for them over the time they had served on it. This very spot was the perfect place to do it in.
He was nervous. He didn't know how to tell her, but he knew he wanted to. That he had to. He coughed, clearing his throat. Slowly, and gradually, he turned to face the quarian that was pressed up against him, hugging him protectively, slender arms squeezing his chest. Two beacons of light serving as eyes as they hid behind her purple opaque mask, but he knew she was content as she looked out into space. Her beautiful purple veil, covered in multiple swirls and different patterns. Her petite form wrapped up in a black skin-tight suit. It was simply beautiful; she was simply beautiful. He pictured her face behind the mask.
I'll never find a better woman. I couldn't have picked better. Yes, I want this.
He grabbed one of Tali's hands gently and kissed the back of it, smiling. She frowned behind her mask, turning to look at him, "Is there something wrong, Marcus?"
He inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm his fueled breathing as one hand fiddled with hers, interlacing with her three-fingers, while his eyes met Tali's, "Tali, I have to tell you something. Its incredibly important. I fear that if I don't say it now, we might never get a chance. The Reapers are coming, and our chances of stopping them are pretty low..."
She shook her head and placed her head against his chest, searching for his heartbeat, "If there's anyone who can stop them, its you..."
"I know. But we might not come back from this. None of us might," Marcus cooed, a tear streaking down his cheek, "One of us, or maybe both of us, might die. I don't...I don't want to die regretting never having told you or asked you this Tali. I'd forever hate myself. I just...I need you to know."
"You won't die," Tali gripped onto his chest possessively, "You won't. I won't let you."
"Please Tali," Marcus whispered, "Let me say this. I need this."
Tali gave a sigh of defeat, letting her hand drop from his chest as she looked back up at him, eyes locking with his. She raised the dropped hand and used a thumb to wipe the tears from his face, knowing this had to be incredibly hard for him. He could practically tell she was also tearing up, the idea of one of them dying in the coming war too painful to bear; they didn't want to die. They wanted a life together. But you didn't always get what you wanted; and the good guys never got what they deserved.
After a moment of precious silence, Tali let her hand drop and bumped her forehead against the side of his head, her voice laced with honey and reflective melancholy, "Okay..."
She smiled weakly, planting a soft kiss on the top of her hood before pulling away and twisting in the seat to face her, his forehead bumping against her visor as they never broke eye contact, his hands now cradling both of hers as he tried to summon the courage to tell her. He inhaled and exhaled, feeling heat rise to his cheeks, but he pushed it away, not wanting to ruin the moment. After a moment, he spoke.
"Tali, I may have told you a million times how much you mean to me, but I need to say it again," he gulped, almost choking on his words, fresh tears threatening to burst forth, "I love you Tali. I mean it. I've tried my best to prove it to you at every turn; I've treated you equally, I've waited patiently for you to prepare for our lovemaking, and when we did, I tried to be gentle, to make the moment special for you; make it surreal. I've watched you for a long time Tali; you're a quarian, and many people hate your people, but you stood strong against them. You never gave in. But on the inside and away from combat, you're a shy girl who loves a man but feels nervous to express it. That's why I love you; you're so selfless."
Tali smiled meekly behind her mask, and it was contagious, a smile of his own popping up as Tali squeezed his hands tighter, "I could round off how many times you've been there for me, and I could tell you all the reasons I fell in love with my quarian engineer, but why would I? You already know all that. Tali, I'm here today because you're incredibly important to me. Losing you would be like having my heart torn out. And when this war arrives...I fear...I fear I won't be there to protect you when they finally take you from me. I want to be, as I know you want to for me, but I know when it comes down to it, I might need to choose the needs of the galaxy over that of the one I love the most."
Tali nodded slowly, understanding his need to be selfless, but Marcus only felt a pang of guilt. But it made his next sentence easier. A hand released hers and cupped her chin, turining her to face him again, and his smile somewhat grew as she focused solely on him, "You mean the universe to me, and I've proved that so many times. But there's only one time that truly matters. One time that truly encompasses the love I feel for you. I want to live with you forever, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. I don't want to charge into battle with you as a simple girlfriend and boyfriend fling. I want us to be recognized. I want us to be whole."
With one, final, nervous gulp, he released her and stood up, turning back to face her, looking down at her with a determined gaze. She gave a confused cock of the head before placing one knee on the ground, kneeling as a hand slowly fumbled in his pocket, locating the box and grabbing hold of it in a death grip.
This is it. No turning back now.
Together, both of them, unified.
One soul. One heart. One being.
It all felt so generic and cliche. It felt so romanticized.
He didn't care. Fuck what others thought. He wanted her and only her. And the galaxy be damned if they didn't like it.
Heh...that's a kick right in the face for the asari.
With one final exhale, he raised the box in his palm, and thrusted it forth, bringing it to bear infront of Tali. He opened it, the golden ring inside flashing in the light of the room. Tali still looked confused, but when she met his eyes and heard the eyes, she instead chuckled halfheartedly, completely shocked by it, and overly enjoyed as well.
"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy," he said with pure confidence, "Will you marry me?"
She cried out in pure euphoria, leaping to her feet, pratically shouting, "Y-y-YES! YES! YES I. WILL. MARRY. YOU!"
Without a single thought, she leapt forth, wrapping him in a tight embrace as her momentum sent them tumbling backwards onto the ground, Marcus lying on his back while Tali lay ontop of him, hugging him tightly with a loving embrace, her warmth felt even through the suit. She took off her mask and locked her lips with his, moaning as tongues locked and danced in each other's mouths passionately. They broke only for air, and lay there, smiling at each other, tears collecting. They had finally done it. Phase Two in their lives together; they were going to get married.
With a grin, he plucked the ring from the box and took hold of her right hand, pulling it, palm facing him, and planting a kiss on it. Tali smiled happily and both of them watched as he slid the ring onto her middle finger on the left hand, the ring slipping on perfectly. Both of them laughed before embracing once more.
They locked eyes one more time, before Marcus pulled the hood of his newly christened fiance down and kissed her deeply, with as much passion as he could. They broke for breath, Tali with a sultry grin.
"Shall we 'celebrate' this new event in our quarters?" Tali asked, licking her lips seductively.
He grinned evilly. He didn't need to be told twice.
"I didn't see that coming to be honest. All I could think about was the murder of Shala's husband, Byp."
- Tali'Shepard pav Rannoch.
"Certainly became the happiest day of our lives though, didn't it?"
- Marcus Shepard.
"It certainly did."
- Tali'Shepard pav Rannoch.
A/N:
That's right; Tali and Shepard Wedding Chapter will be coming soon, although it won't be for at least a few chapters. The plot does demand its presence in the story, afterall, and as crucial as the wedding is, so is the Shadow Broker, Omega's occupation and the Arrival.
The next chapter will be mostly fluff, but also a larger focus on the, what you might see as neglected, Peta sub-plot. Yes, the resolution of Peta's battle to gain Tali's love is coming to a conclusion; you won't be disappointed by the climax. No, he won't go out in spectacular light; there will be no final boss fight between Peta and Shepard (talk about easy!?) but there will be a satisfying end to Peta's advances.
Until next time!