Disclaimer-I do not own Naruto or Star Wars, or any other game or manga, which I used while writing this...unfortunately.
Note: found a good cover image for my fic, all rights reserved.
Demon Unleashed.
Chapter VI.
Unknown place.
Darth Maul meditated before the holocron. Though he was a loyal student, he had a secret that not even his master knew about. Many years ago he had found the holocron of Darth Ikoral. This Sith Pureblood was possessed by the idea of superiority of the true sith.
During the Great War between the Republic and Empire and the reign of Emperor Viatiate, he went on the search for the Sith, who had fled the Korriban, during the Great Hyperspace War. Ikorhal gathered a lot of pureblooded Sith, but a large transport filled with cryo-stasis capsules, evaded him.
He prepared to give more time for his searchs, after he will return to Empire, but political change, that led to his disappointment in the Empire and later – pre-time demise, stopped him. There was nothing left.
Except his notes and instructions how to find the ship.
Back wheb he was still the sith apprentice, Maul had created the device that would have led him to the ship. He wanted to start his search when his master would have become the Emperor and he would have taken his rightful place beside him.
But duel with Kenobi changed everything. He nearly died, was cut in half and when he was restored to at least part of his former power, his master tried to destroy him, killing his brother, Savage, in the process. One strike from Fate after another.
But he managed to escape. Moreover, he was given another chance. The device that he crafted started to work when he arrived to this Galaxy. He finally had the chance to build his Empire. No more will there be the Rule of Two.
He will find the ship and start a new nation, his nation. New Sith Empire.
Races of this Galaxy are weak. Foolish. They believe themselves to be the masters of this sector of the universe, but they cannot even comprehend, what kind of forces will wish to take their territories for their own.
Maul smiled.
When he will have the Sith, he will have the future he so much deserved. Emperor of the New Sith Empire… not bad, really not bad.
Surface of Therum. Same time.
Naruto felt the disturbance in the Force. He felt the growing shadow, but since he was on the battlefield, he failed to sense from where it came. None of his followers noticed pause in his movements, moreover, they were too busy looking over the remains of the camp, where archeologists lived.
They easily reached it after Naruto destroyed the geth with the rocks from the barricade that they themselves created. Not that it wasn't effective, they dealt with the MAKO, but it was a bother anyway.
"Shepard, you told us that the contact with the camp was lost several hours ago?" asked Garrus, sitting near the body of the dead salarian.
"Yes, according to the garrison of the New Ekaterinburg, it is." Answered Shepard. "Something wrong?"
"This salarian was killed at least three days ago, Shepard." Answered Garrus, raising to his feet.
"And the garrison reported only several hours ago?" nearly screamed Ashley. What the heck is garrison doing?"
"You are forgetting that the geth are programs, they surely had no problems with falsifying reports." Said Naruto returning to the group.
"And satellites?" asked Shepard. "Photos from them must have been sent to the local garrison at the end of each day. Geth must have been found at the end of the first day."
"But you are forgetting about the fact that they are advanced enough to falsify even this. They must have just hacked the satellites' and sent the different photos." said Tali.
"Well you are the Expert, Tali." Said Shepard. "By the way can you search through the data that we had found in the archeologists' camp?"
"Of course, Shepard." Said Tali nervously rubbing her hands. With so many dead people around, killed by the geth no less, was making her nervous.
While group searched for the information and checked all the dead asari, Naruto decided to search through the personal belongings of the scientists. And he was rewarded with really interesting datapad.
Expedition on Therum. Day 24. Note 93.
Great Day!
Finally, it is clear that our arrival wasn't just a waste of time. Laser finally get a passageway to the lower parts of prothean base. Most of the newfound rooms were empty, but the biggest of them, which was once laboratory contained a really interesting artifact.
Scanning of this unknown object showed that it age is past at least ten millions of years! This will be a breakthrough in the archeology! Never before had been found an artifact of such age that remained in such perfect shape, on the nearly glowing surface of the artifact haven't been found any kind of damage.
Doctor T'Soni is in a state of constant glee and I can understand her. Such finding proves that her theory about existence of another, before-prothean races was true. The artifact is an unknown device, with such complex level of technology that we can't even fathom how it works and what it does.
Maybe we will found a way to activate it…
Naruto scratched his chin, forgetting that it is covered by helmet, making a loud terrifying sound, by his metal claws on his glows. What kind of artifacts those egg-heads had dug out of earth? Hopefully it will not be connected with those large aliens, one of whom is posing as Saren's flagship.
Expedition on Therum. Day 27. Note 102.
Unlike many members of our expedition, I think that relocation of "jellyfish", as the artifact was called by doctor James Mort, is beforehand. Even if it looks perfectly, it had stayed on the prothean base for fifty thousand years and who knows in what kind of state it was found by them? So I decided to not risk our findings and wait till the arrival of the experts from the Serrian university. They have much more experience, with dealing with cases like this, than us.
Expedition on Therum. Day 27. Note 103.
I cannot believe this!
Those blue bitches denied us their experts, basing it on the facts that we are in the dangerous sector of the galaxy, which isn't actually true, and the fact that the authenticity of the finding is rather… questionable, because its possible age isn't matching the standarts of the scientific views.
And they call themselves the greatest experts in archeology?! Those bitches are idiots and certainly not experts! For this phrase, I actually begged for forgiveness before doctor T'Soni, since she is an expert from this university. Fortunately, Liara didn't take offence to it. She said that it wasn't the first time when university didn't approve of the theory that was different from the scientific standarts. Looks like she means her theory of 'circles of race extinction'.
After quick discussion, we alongside doctor T'Soni decided, that id the university isn't interested in the finding, we will try to reveal its secrets ourselves, of course, we also will not forget about the protection from any kind of danger.
After he read the last report he felt the slowly growing sense of dread, because he knew, that no matter how careful you are, when you are dealing with something ancient and buried in the tomb or in the ground you cannot be careful enough.
I reminded him his first try to raid the tomb of the Sith Lord. He run like a bitch, barely left alive, back then. After all the Force Ghosts are real bastards, you cannot kill them with lightsaber.
Expedition on Therum. Day 31. Note 115.
Our research… we decided to stop it. Several workers and archeologists, who get in contact with the artifact started to tell that they are hearing some kind of whispers, that nobody can hear. I don't know, is the reason for this in their nerves, or in some kind of gas that can be underground. Whatever the reason was I ordered others to stop research of the object 'jellyfish', until we will not find the reason for the hallucinations. Meanwhile…
Here the note stopped. Looks like the geth attacked right when the owner of the datapad was finishing the note. Even if the letter was unfinished, it held a lot of valuable information. It meant…
Naruto cursed under his breath.
Judging by Liara's bio, she without a doubt spent more time near the artifact than most of all members of archeological expedition combined. This will be really problematic to deal when they will find the young archeologist.
He can only hope that Liara will be okay.
He took the datapad and left the tent.
Others seemed to finish their search, because they gathered near the Kaidan, who with another datapad in his arms told something to other members of the group.
"All in all, if Garrus is right and attack happened three days ago, then, according to this datapad, doctor T'Soni was inside the prothean ruins and can be alive."
"If not, her body is certainly nowhere nearby." said Wrex. "Me and turian checked all asari bodies nearby. T'Soni isn't among them."
"Then, let us hope, that she is alive. She is our only clue at this moment." Commented Shepard. "Tali, did you manage to find out, why geth came to Therum?"
"I checked all computers, all data was deleted and cannot be retrieved." Said Tali, looking down. "Unfortunately."
"This isn't your fault, Tali." Eased her worries Shepard. "All that we know is that we know nothing."
"Not so fast commander." Said Naruto returning to the group. He gave her datapad with information that he had found.
"I put the lines under every interesting fact." said Naruto.
Several minutes she read the information on datapad and when she ended, she narrowed her eyes and turned to Naruto.
"You think that the geth are here because of the artifact?" asked she.
"Nearly absolutely sure." answered he.
"Do you have any ideas what it was?" asked Jane.
"Problems." answered Naruto.
"That I can understand myself." Said Shepard. "A bit more details."
"Part of the trap."
"What kind of trap?" asked him Ashley.
"Very big one."
"Demagol, don't evade the answer." said commander.
"I'm not evading the answer." Seriously stated the sith. "I'm telling you what I'm feeling. I cannot give you more details, because I simply do not know."
Yes, seriously, telling Shepard something like: "Hey, Shep, I had a vision about the last days of the prothean race, and I also saw the future apocalypse of al organic life, which will be brought by half-sintetic and half-organic race, that was called Reapers by the protheans."
In best case she will just ask what he was smoking recently, and why he isn't sharing, in worst, he will find himself in the room with soft walls. He will not know how, but Shepard will surely find the way to put him there.
"Okay." Said Shepard. Quickly understanding, that getting out of Demagol more information is impossible at this moment. "Let's go to the ruins. Pray that T'Soni is still alive."
Naruto sensed that she was doubting that fact. But her doubts can be understood, for unprepared civilian to survive for three days, surrounded by the droids, who wish to kill her…
All in all, the possibility of this is very close to zero per cent… bUt the Force whispered that everything will be okay.
While they walked to the ruins, Naruto felt that Tali was feeling herself more and more uneasy.
"Tali, is something wrong?" asked he.
"What?" too caught in her thoughts, quarian girl turned to the sith. "Oh, yes, Demagol. I'm alright. Just…"
"Just what?"
"I think I saw there..." she stretched her three fingered hand in the direction she was talking about. "Some kind of movement."
Naruto closed his eyes and listened. Something clanked in that direction.
"Demagol I'm sure…" for a brief minute, Tali saw darkness. Spinning the darksaber flew past her and stabbed something that was in the direction she pointed in. Tali turned, her pistol in hand, prepared to shoot whatever was behind her.
To her surprise, there was a grey geth platform.
"Th… thanks." Tried to thank him Tali.
"Down." Said he, while the lightning started to gather around his arms. Next second all members of their team took cover and prepared their weapons. Naruto shoot sith lightning in different direction, destroying several platforms and effectively uncloaking others.
To his companions' credit they instantly started to shoot the geth, Tali quickly taped something on her omni-tool and one of the geth turned on his kin. Next second every geth opened fire on Naruto. He spanned like a wheel and air around him started to turn black from the movement of his darksaber.
Looks like Saren Arterius, or even Sovereign himself, decided to find something about the recent 'black horse'. He grinned behind his helmet. He will be happy to show them with whom they are dealing with.
He slowly raised his left hand, still easily deflecting the shoots.
"Back off!" said he. "They are mine!"
"Demagol, the geth I had hacked will not stay under my control for a long period of time." Warned him quarian.
"Good." Answered he smirking under his helmet.
All platforms, even the one that Tali hacked, he took and raised into the air with telekinesis. He slowly levitated the geth, that was hacked by Tali, he turned the hacked platform so the optical sensors will translate all that will happen to the rouge spectre.
He turned off the darksaber and slowly walked to the geth.
"As far as I understand this is your 'genius' plan to understand the limits of my abilities. If it is so than you and your master look what we are doing right now. Well… observe."
He slowly reached his hand in the direction of the twelve levitating geth platforms.
And slowly clenched his fist.
Geth slowly get to each other, then the sound of deforming metal slowly filled the air. Twenty seconds later twelve geth platforms turned into the sphere, with diameter less than half a meter.
He unclenched his fist.
Mass of metal, polymers and plastic fell upon the earth.
He turned to the still undamaged geth and looked into its optical sensor. With zooming sound darksaber appeared in the hand of Naruto.
"You are next!"
Geth's 'head' fell on the earth.
Demagol turned to his startled companions.
"If I was Saren, I would have already been here surrendering myself to your custody." Said Garrus.
"This would be futile. He has too many sins." answered Demagol.
Vakarian nodded.
"Then he better shot himself." Said Wrex.
"I agree with you." agreed Jane with krogan. "Right now we have another problem: we need to find the doctor T'Soni."
"I agree with you." Said the young sith. "Show me the way, commander."
"As you command… my master." Jokingly answered Shepard. She stopped smiling, when she nearly felt how Demagol glared at her.
He made a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Commander, please, never use the words 'my master' in any kind of phrase that shows obedience, while I'm around." as calmly as possible asked Naruto.
He nearly felt the shock of the rest of the team. It is understandable, but such reaction for insignificant joke was rather… odd. But spending more than twelve years as apprentice of Darth Vader, gave him some sort of psychological trauma.
Camp wasn't far away from the ruins. So several minutes later they stood near the prothean complex.
"I thought that archeological sites will be somehow… different." Said Ashley.
"Same here." said Shepard looking at the giant pit. "Our pit on the Eden Prime was less deep." Muttered she looking in the pitch black darkness.
"Yes… really. And if I'm understanding something, our blue doctor is supposed to be at the bottom of this hole."
"With the rest of the geth." Added Naruto. "I can sense only one living being there and nearly two dozen of the geth."
"Once again with the cloaking technology." Asked Jane.
"They have very similar… let's say signatures. So I can't answer your question trustworthy."
"Well at least there is few of them." Muttered Shepard. "We need to find a way to get downside."
"Hey! Over here!" heard the scream of the quarian girl. While everyone was trying to find a way to get down, Tali discovered the lift platform, or rather the control panel. The lift itself was somewhere deep down this pit.
Naruto cursed, they will die out of boredom, before they will reach the bottom.
"Here is a way to go down." Said Shepard.
"Yep… if we will not die from the boredom and old age, while the lift will be rising." sarcastically added Ashley.
Everyone shrugged remembering the Bane of the Citadel.
"There is another way." Said Naruto. "We can get down without a lift."
Everyone looked at him, like he just grew up a second head.
"Well, maybe you can, but we, on other side, still don't have the ability to fly. Sarcastically said Ashley.
"Same as I." answered Naruto. "I just want to levitate you there with the telekinesis."
The team continued to look at him with the same expression as before. Kaidan looked down into the darkness of the pit and then asked:
"Are you sure?"
"I am."
"okay." Agreed Shepard, getting a lot of worried glances from everyone in the team. "But we will not go there together. Kaidan, Garrus, Wrex and Tali will remain here, while myself, Ashley and… wait a minute Demagol, will you get yourself down with the telekinesis too?"
"No, I will just jump."
Everyone looked at him, like he was an idiot.
"What?" asked Naruto. "I had already done this before."
"Okay." Said commander. "Then Ashley, Demagol and myself will go down and search for doctor T'soni, others will guard the entrance."
Ashley and Shepard stepped to the edge of the pit. Slowly, Naruto stretched the hands in their direction.
"DEMAGOL! SLOWER!" screamed Ashley as unseen force grabbed them and carried into the dark depths, unlike her, Jane didn't scream. She remained calm and collected, but through the Force, Naruto managed to sense that she was a bit afraid too.
When their feet touched the solid ground, both of them sighed in relief. Sensing this and also receiving the massage through com-link, Demagol jumped into the pit. He made several salts in the air and silently landed near two women.
Two surprised gazes looked at him.
"What?" asked the sith.
"Nothing." Said Shepard. "We just thought that your landing will be less… silent."
"Not my first landing." Said Demagol remembering all his missions. "Had a lot of practice."
They didn't even pass a hundred meters, when they saw a malted remains of what was once doors to the prothean laboratory.
"Very lucky shot." Commented Ashley.
"I agree." Said Shepard. "Only several meters to the left and there would have been no point in archeological expedition."
After next step they felt it. Strange call that started to appear and disappear in their heads, whispering them to sleep, to submit… to obey. Feeling became really unbearable when they get to the room, where, according to the notes of archeologists, target 'jellyfish' was left.
At first glance Naruto understood that this thing was up to no good. How? During recent times, everything that at least partially resembled the head of the of the Saren's 'ship'.
"You know…" started Ashley. "I'm starting to have a really strange feeling about this thing. Like someone is speaking in my head."
"Same here." Said Shepard.
The Force came to action, by Naruto' s will, shielding their minds.
"Now it stopped." commented Ashley.
"Because I shielded you from the power of the artifact." Said Naruto.
With worry Shepard looked at him. "It uses the Force? Like you?"
"No." answered Naruto. "The nature of this thing is technological. As far as I can tell it uses infrasound, ultrasound, electromagnetic waves in different diapasons and weak mass-fields. Not even the slightiest hint of using the Force… moreover… It is strange."
"What?" asked Ashley.
Naruto raised his arm letting the Force course through the artifact.
"It feels somehow… off… Like it shouldn't even exist." Answered he. "It seems like…"
"Like what you sensed in Saren on Eden Prime?"
"Yes." He turned back to the artifact. "But here it is more powerful. Much more powerful."
Even Korriban, filled by Dark Side up to the last grain of its red sand, wasn't feeling so unnatural like this artifact. Unlike the planet of the Dark Side, which was sensed as something unpleasant, it was absolutely… alien to the Force. Not that it didn't pierce it, no. But the Force did it slowly… not as it did with other objects.
It was unnatural. And very troubling.
"We will deal with that thing a bit later." Said Shepard. "Right now we need to find doctor T'Soni."
"Follow me." Said Naruto. "There is only one living being in this complex and if it isn't doctor T'Soni, continuation of our mission is pointless. By the way, all the geth, who I managed to sense before, are located near that being."
"Strange… why didn't they kill the survivor?" asked Shepard.
"Maybe because they can't." answered Naruto.
"what do you mean?" asked Ashley.
"You will see." Answered Naruto fastening his steps.
Same time. Deeper in prothean lab.
She didn't know how long she was there. Two days, or maybe all three? Not that it mattered. She was bound by the strange field of the prothean trap. It was her only protection from the geth all around her, hidden somewhere in the shadow or cloaked by their cloaking devices.
She understood that her time here was numbered. Though protected from the geth, she still needed to eat and drink, she already sensed the powerful hunger and thirst and how her body slowly started to weaken, mass-field that covered her, will not save her from the death of starvation.
She sighed heavily and asked Athame, the Goddess of all asari, what has she done in her live to deserve this? All that she ever wanted to do in her life, was finding the true reason of prothean extinction. Not for personal fame, just out of pure curiosity. And look where it got her? This curiosity will become a death of hers.
Her, who never even tried to harm anyone! She never wanted to become a mercenary or dance in strip-club. She was never a fan of violence, even if she was often forced to used it, against many shady men, who wanted her archeological findings and some other pretty assets that came in complect.
But not only geth and starvation were her enemies here. She already started to constantly hear a strange, unpleasant whisper in her head. At first it was weak and short in time, so Liara just shrugged it off, but now, while she was alone and desperate, it slowly grew in power.
The only times, when her sanity returned to her were followed by strange hallucinations. Image of the small, green=skinned humanoid followed her. He stood before her, holding his small staff in his clawed three-fingered hands.
And looked at her.
He did nothing, but whenever he appeared the whispers disappeared and when he disappeared, the whispers returned again, sounding angrier than before.
Suddenly through constant whispering, she heard the sounds of gunfire.
Doctor T'Soni sighed, someone finally came to rescue her. Then terrible truth pierced her: there was no one left and no one to save her, it is just another hallucination, caused by the state of her mind and strange whispers. She didn't want to die… Not here! Not like this!
"Doctor T'Soni?"
"I don't want to die!"
"DOCTOR!"
Deep in panic, doctor T'Soni turned her head in different directions and only several seconds later she had noticed several new figures near the entrance to her prison, two women in form of Alliance and a man in strange armor.
"Everything is alright, doctor." Calmly said one of the women, the one with the sign "N7" on her armor. "You are safe."
"No! NO! "You are not real! Nobody will find me here! Everyone's dead!"
"Doctor, please calm down." Spoke the woman, but frightened asari was far too gone.
Her panic grew in spades.
She screamed and shook in her energy prison, her helpless position worsening the situation even further.
But suddenly… everything stopped.
Panic was nowhere to be found.
Alongside it also disappeared the whispers.
She calmed down momently. Usually it took her a lot of time to calm down even after a brief moment of fear… But this time… it was similar to biotic wave that pushed away all her fears and terrible presence. She instantly dealt with her panic, like it was nothing but an annoying mosquito.
"Calm down, doctor T'Soni. Everything will be alright. You are safe with us." Told an unknown male voice in her head.
She didn't understand instantly, that voice was inside her head… unlike the whispers, this voice wasn't felt by her as something unpleasant, it sounded rather… normal.
Several seconds later she understood that there was someone else in her mind. Even if she didn't 'Embrace the Eternity' yet, she was told by her mother what she must expect, but what she sensed now was only similar to the information she received.
Similar, yet entirely different.
"Good job Demagol." Said the woman with N7 symbol on her black armor. "How are you, doctor?"
"I'm… good… right now… Yes, thank you for helping me." Said asari remembering her strange outburst before the arrival of the humans. "I don't know what took over me."
"It the artifact, doctor." Said the only male. Liara opened her eyes in surprise. It was the same voice that spoke to her, seeing her surprised face, he nodded. "Yes it was me, who talked to you."
She blinked… even more surprised by the fact that human male managed to read her mind.
"Yes, it was me." Said the male, looking right into her eyes. She was a bit embarrassed by such close attention, yet it was also strangely… pleasurable.
"How did you manage to do it?" finally managed to ask Liara.
"This is something that can wait." Interrupted the woman in black armor. "How can we get you out of this field?"
"There is control panel, right behind me." Said Liara. "You must get there and push the red triangular button."
"Yeah, and how will we get there?" asked another woman. "Last time I checked we cannot get through the walls… well at least I think so." With her last words, she, surprisingly for Liara, looked in direction of the only male in the group.
Meanwhile said male just raised his hand and doctor T'Soni fell to the earth. It took her several minutes to understand that she was free. Of course, she should have been happy, but she just stared at the male with wide eyes.
She was somehow certain the raise of his arm and her being freed from the cage she was in was somehow… connected.
Meanwhile, her saviors came closer. Woman in black armor stretched her hand and Liara took it firmly, several seconds later power, yet gentle push returned her to standing on her legs.
"Thank you." Said young asari to the woman. "Thanks to all of you. I thought that I will die here."
"Not at all." Answered woman, who helped her to raise on her legs. "Doctor T'Soni, I'm commnder Jane Shepard, Alliance Special Forces and spectre of the Citadel."
Asari blimked.
Human… Spectre?
"Excuse me, commander… Did I hear you right? You said that you belong to the Special Tactical Research of the Citadel?" asked she.
"Yes." Answered Shepard. "I was appointed three days ago. And I have several questions for you."
"I… I don't think that I can help you." Nervously rubbed her hands Liara. "I'm just an archeologist."
"Yeah, yeah." Very aggressively and rudely, interrupted their discussion the second woman. "Just an archeologist, whose mother works for a bastard, who is to blame for thousands of deaths."
Liara blinked several times, too surprised to talk and just stared at the woman in white armor.
"Wait a minute, what do you mean… How even my mother is connected to this whole mess?" asked Liara.
"We will tell you later." Said Shepard, with her hard gaze nearly burning the other woman alive. "First of all… we need to get out of here."
"And destroy the artifact." Added the male.
"What!?" screamed out Liara. "You cannot do this! This is priceless archeological finding…"
"This is a weapon, doctor T'Soni." Stopped her monologue the male. It is the reason, why you nearly turned insane. Did you hear the whisper in your head? This is the artifact. It will be so much better, if we will just destroy it. Or do you perhaps… whish for someone to pass through the same kind of torture you had passed through?"
"No. I don't want to…" sighed Liara. "But…"
"Doctor, we have a very delicate mission and we are too short on time." Said Shepard. "Counting how this thing works on the living beings, I have absolutely no desire to have it on my ship and leaving this thing here means also leaving it to a chance of falling into the wrong arms, waiting till arrival of the forces that will secure this thing we also cannot. So the only option that is before us, is, like Demagol said, to destroy the artifact."
"It should be destroyed no matter the options." Commented the second woman. "It is too dangerous to leave it be."
"I… I understand." Said Liara.
"Great." nodded Shepard.
Several minutes later, they stood in the room, where the artifact was.
"Any ideas?" asked Shepard looking at the perfect, without any kind of scratch, surface of the artifact.
"Not even one." Honestly answered Liara.
"Step aside." Said the male voice behind them. Demagol, if Liara remembered correctly. Strange name, even for a human.
Meanwhile, Demagol raised his hands and from the end of his fingertips struck… lightning?!
Liara was shocked to the core.
Who was this man?
Suddenly the lightning attack stopped.
"I don't think that this helped much." Noted the woman in pink-white armor. She like others, observed nearly unscratched artifact.
Sith just raised his hand. This time Demagol slowly started to turn his palm into the fist. Liara turned her gaze from the human to the artifact, trying to find at least the glimpse of biotic aura. It was in vain. However, Demagol did whatever he did, it certainly wasn't biotics. Liara felt the unimaginable wave of curiosity, directed at this grim yet so attractive and mysterious man.
Suddenly the unnatural glow of artifact disappeared alongside the remaining of the whispers and in the faint light of the luminescing lamps she saw that priceless artifact turned into a worthless pile of junk metal.
From one point, Liara was deeply hurt: the only archeological finding, that could prove her theory about Extinction Cycles, was destroyed, but on the other hand she was relieved by the fact that terrifying whispers will not appear anymore. Just the memory of it made her shrug her shoulders.
Too deep in her thoughts she didn't notice how alien presence left her mind.
"Well… everything done?" asked Shepard.
"No." answered Demagol. "One more thing. There is someone else here."
Slowly he returned to the room where Doctor T'Soni was held. Once again Demagol raised his arm. Rays of lightning struck from it, but to surprise of Shepard he seemed to not have any kind of target. But under surprised eyes of Shepard, Ashley and Liara, lightning hit some kind of invisible wall.
The obstacle soon turned into glowing golden tear in the air, like the space continuum between two entirely different places was merged together, even for a brief moment.
He slowly walked out of it, like it was something casual, similar to the walk in the park and not the unstable portal, that endangered the lives of nearly anyone, while it existed.
Small green man with ling ears, who was covered in brown robes and used the cane to ease his walking, in him Liara instantly recognized the strange creatures that came during her worst times of peril, while she was in the field cage for three days. Demagol, meanwhile, stopped the lightning, thus making the portal to close and stood on one knee, bowing to the strange creature.
Well it was strange to Shepard eyes, and to her companions' eyes too. Until small green creature didn't raise his eyes upon her and she didn't felt something that she felt when she met Demagol the first time, like someone tried to tickle her brain.
Terrifying truth pierced her like a red hot blade of rapier: newcomer too wielded the Force.
Meanwhile Demagol slowly rose to his feet.
"Master Yoda… It's a great honor to meet you." Said he.
"Honor? Hm, it is, maybe." Answered the green trog. "Or maybe not. After all, just an old man, am I now. Days mine as warrior, are long since gone."
"Yet your wisdom remains." Answered Demagol. "I wish to use it. Dark times are coming once again. We will need any kind and bit of strength we can master to survive them. Leaving someone like you not involved, is just like throwing away an entire fleet of battleships. We need you Grandmaster Yoda."
"Yes… yes. Perhaps you are right. I have been living as hermit for far too long. It's time to return. Young Sith, since you are much more accustomed to situation like this… can you show me the way?"
Demagol nodded and make him a sign to follow. Others just looked at them in shock because since the new character appeared none of the spoke a word in the language they could understand.
Demagol turned to them.
"Well, ladies, we have additional crew member. I will officially introduce you to each other a bit later. Let's just say that he will be very useful in our adventure." Green trog suddenly jumped into the air and making several salts landed on the shoulder pad of Demagol. "As you can see this old one still have enough fire inside of him."
The strange company went in the direction of the lift. Rise was silent, even if the head of doctor T'Soni was filled with a lot of questions, she dared not to ask them. How was her mother connected to this? Young asari heard the words of the woman in white and pink armor and judging by her tone something really bad happened.
Something, her noble, always understanding, mother was connected to. And she will not be Liara T'Soni if she will not find, what the heck was going on. The famous mix of stubbornness, curiosity, thirst for knowledge and simple desire to do good things, once again returned Liara her spirit. Of course nearly nobody noticed this.
Except the two Force-sensitive.
"Young one has a lot of questions in her mind." Whispered Grandmaster, who still was sitting on Demagol's shoulder. "Most of them are focused on you."
"Very natural reaction for one of the most unusual things she will ever see in her life." Answered young Sith.
"I highly doubt it. That you will be the most unusual thing in her life, that is." Said Grandmaster.
"As expected of Grandmaster. You sharpness is beyond my best expectations." Chuckled Demagol.
"There is no kind of 'sharpness', young one. Just simple experience and the tiny bit of the Force, the trick does." Answered the ancient Jedi. "That and the feeling of yours… that there will be more to come. More to see. More to fight. More to get surprised of."
After several minutes of long rise, they finally reached the surface… And the company made of human, krogan, quarian and turian once again got Doctor T'Soni into the state of terrified shock.
"Greetings, commander." Said the human male.
Asari breathed out in relief. Looks like they were friends of her saviors.
"Something interesting?" asked the krogan.
"Dozen or so of invisible geth, unknown shit that tried to fuck our brains and Demagol got us another person from his galaxy."
"I hope I will never see anything that you will call interesting." Growled the turian. Shepard raised her brow and looked in direction of the Demagol and the small green alien.
"They don't count." Said the turian and turned to the young asari. "I see, that you had managed to find and secure Doctor T'Soni?"
Young asari shivered a bit, as former CIS security operative looked at her.
"As you see." Said commander. "Any trouble?"
"Just several invisible geth. Tali managed to find them and Wrex dealt with them." Said the human male.
"Not all." Said turian. "I dealt with couple of them."
"Hey how about me." Screamed quarian, judging by her voice, nearly a girl. "Withou me, you wouldn't be able to deal with anyone."
"Okay." Stopped them Shepard. "Don't argue because of something like this we will have a lot of geth to deal with."
"And sooner than you think." Said the voice of Demagol. Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing in, seeing two geth fighters coming their way.
"Ha! Here are the last!" said Wrex preparing his weapon.
"Shall I?" asked Demagol, raising his arm and looking in Shepard's direction.
"Not so fast." Said she. "Here it is… three… two… one…"
Barrage of disintegrating torpeds easily dealt with geth fighters. Several seconds later before them flew the black and gray colored ship with the words 'Normandy SR-1' painted on its armor.
"Hey commander, do you need a pick up?" asked the voice in the communicators.
"Yep. Did you take the MAKO, Joker?"
"Of course, I don't need the crying turian on my ship, commander. I heard that in such state than can fill an entire swimming pool that is used for Olimpic games."
"Ha!" laughed krogan. "Did I tell you that I love your pilot, Shepard?"
"Sorry, I don't swing that way, Wrex." After this the giant lizard just started to laugh louder.
"Ehm, commander, is it always like this?" asked Liara.
"Truth to be told, Liara, I don't know myself." Smiled commander. "But anyway, welcome aboard the Normandy."
Secret base, under the HQ of the 'Black Talon'.
"How many of us there are among your brothers?" asked the certain zabrak, dealing with the wound on his shoulder.
"All Force-sensitive among different Cabals know about you, Lord Maul. They all swore allegiance to you." Answered the turian in black robes.
"Hmm, all of them? Good." Answered the cyber-Sith. "I will need to start their training and your abilities will also need some long awaited boost."
"Thank you, my Master." Answered the turian.
"Don't worry about it. "What about the biotics. Drexus?"
"Biotics?" the newly named Drexus stopped behind his master. "Unfortunately, they do not listen to words of our teachings, they also do not support our cause in any way or form. They are too loyal to general Kryik."
"Kryik?" Maul turned to him so suddenly that Drexus jumped backwards, too afraid to invoke the elder Sith's wrath. "Does he somehow relate to the spectre, Nihlus Kryik?"
"Yes. It's his father. He is supervising the workings of Black Talon. Maybe that's why he proposed Nihlus as candidate for spectre ranks and also asked Saren Arterius to make a 'proper turian' out of him."
"And he failed in it miserably." Said Maul "I heard about this goody-two-shoes. He has the lowest per cent of causalities during his missions. However, soon he will understand that not everytjing that happens on Citadel, can be go unpunished. Even for spectre."
The reason for Maul's fury was the wound that was left on his shoulder and the reason why he received it. He was getting away a special book, left by the founders of the sect that he ruled now. There, for centuries, numerous sapient creatures placed their names, the only thing that united all that creatures was the fact that they belonged to this hidden society.
Many years ago, expedition of the Je'daii managed to reach this far away corner of the Galaxy. They like their colleagues in 'far, far away' Galaxy, soon faced the terrors of civil war among themselves.
The war was bloody and both sides finally fled away from the battlefield, leaving to live among the ungifted, to try and show them their ways, to somehow share their talents. They survived the purges of different kinds, the times during the rise and fall of different empires.
And finally the sect found its way into the ranks of Black Talon.
There among turians, the devoted, fanatical and zealous warriors, prepared to use any means necessary, from the sect, finally found their ideal place to hide. In a way it was the plainest sight.
After all, all 'freaks', as turians called their biotics, at first will get to the Black Talons and then, to Cabal. There in different 'Cabals' the priests of the sect, like Drexus, searched for new members. They also supervised their training.
Also they were in charge of the keeping the secret prophecy, about coming of the Messiah.
And he came, with the power that Darth Maul held it was easy to talk over the other priests. The Marked One, as the prophecy called him, was truly a master of the Force, not some second rate acolytes that were the members of the sect.
However, it was time for him to take the apprentice. And the Drexus was given such an honor.
While turian was dreaming about power that will come to him through this apprenticeship, Maul was too busy, thinking over his problem with Demagol.
Black Doctor was insanely strong. Stronger than Vader. Maybe even stronger than his former Master. He had already prepared for his unfortunate demise… but he wasn't so sure that it will work so far away from his native Galaxy, also he will need time to recover his strength.
All this he wanted to avoid by any means possible, every second used in vain makes the Reapers closer to him and his followers, any second the Emperor may rise from his bed.
Any second may happen anything, up to the invasion of the organic creatures, who hate the machines.
"General Kryik? Well, I heard that you are hunting our mutual friend Demagol… maybe it will come in handy… I can blame your death on him." Mused Maul.
Virmire. Hidden base of Saren.
"So this is your 'oh so wise' plan of revealing my hidden abilities? If so, then you and your master, are without a doubt looking over this show. Prepare, "sounds of bending metal" you are next."
Saren looked at the black screen after another watch of this dreadful tape.
As former spectre, for many times he was in near-death situations, never once he faltered before the face of danger. But this time… cold, sticky, nearly forgotten sense of fear started to find its way to his soul. Reason for such state was simple: he finally understood what, or rather who, ripped one of the 'Sovereign's' legs.
Same reason just pressed a dozen of geth into the metal ball, less than a meter in diameter.
Of course, sending the geth to Therum and placing on them the cloaking devices, Saren gave them absolutely different goal: recon, assassination and watching over the garrison of the New Ekaterinburg. But when the squad under the command of Shepard appeared there and instantly, the same strange things that happened on the Eden Prime, happened on the Therum, he send them to spy on Shepard and her group.
When he found out that among them was the man, who saved Nihlus back on Eden Prime, he gave them the goal to find out about the man's abilities as much as possible.
And he found a really big problem.
And it is the least thing that he can describe the man, called Demagol, with. Suddenly the rouge turian spectre understood that he will be more problematic than several fleets of the Citadel. At least, because they will never manage to even scratch the Sovereign.
Demagol managed. And it certainly wasn't a scratch.
Of course his theory about him, ripping the metal tentacle of Sovereign was just that, a theory, but very valid theory nonetheless. He deflected the shoots from more than fifty different points when the squad of the geth surrounded them. If somebody else would have told him that, Saren would have called him or her a liar instantly, but he saw it with his own eyes.
Denying the facts will not make them disappear. Demagol was a problem.
A problem that was needed to solved. As fast as possible.
For the first time he was sorry for crossing the road of the Shadow Broker. At least that bastard was capable when it was up to digging information about any kind of thing. Despite his arrogance Saren understood that his enemy's capabilities must be known to him for complete success of the mission.
Counting the powers of the Demagol, if he will not know the powers of his enemy he will lose his life for sure.
Of course he could try to assassinate him, but there were several obstacles:
Judging by the data he had, to deal with the Demagol he will need at least thousands of the geth units, and relocating such numbers through the relays will be…. Problematic at least. Moreover, full capabilities of Demagol were unknown to him, so all those, who will be sent to his liquidation, may simply day with no effect. Moreover, Demagol isn't so stupid to miss the ambush made of thousands upon thousands of geth.
Variant where he will try to destroy the 'Normandy' was as foolish as ambushing Demagol. Because preparing the ambush for stealth-frigate and technically for any frigate, will be the action of the idiot, because these types of ships were created for recon and stealth missions.
Waiting for them near Mass Relay… Can work, but the point of exit from said relay… can be counted in thousands of kilometers. Locking at least one with his current fleet was possible, but showing the true numbers of his forces to the Council… well he didn't want it.
Council can ignore the superdreadnought in his arms, but if they will find out the true numbers of the geth fleet under his command… on his tail will be something more serious than a frigate and a lone spectre.
But deep inside, Saren knew that something more serious was already upon him. He didn't fear his colleagues or Council's forces, but the man who was with Shepard… he frightened him. He saw many dangerous foes, but none of them can even compare to Demagol.
With those thoughts, he contacted Benezia.
"How is our project?" asked he the hologram of the asari matriarch.
"Not as good as we hoped." Answered Benezia. "All specimen grown away from the Queen are wild and prepared to die rather than subdue."
"What about others?"
"They are less wild, but the moment we are trying to 'tame', them they are becoming as violent as others. No matter how we look at them, they are very much alive and sentient beings, they will not simply bow to our whims and become the foot soldiers in your army."
"So, there is nothing profitable for our cause that they can give us?" concluded the turian.
"Except the information about Mu relay." Answered asari.
"How fast will you manage to get it out of her head?" asked Saren.
"Queen has very powerful will." Answered Benezia. "I will need several more lessons to teach her properly."
"How soon?!" asked the turian.
"Three-four days is the most optimistic prognoses." Answered the fallen matriarch. "Most expected time is one week."
"Find a way to fasten the process." Said Saren.
"I don't think that you are understanding…"
"FIND A WAY!" screamed the turian madly.
"There is no such way, Saren." Answered Benezia calmly. "If I will be to rude, she will suffer the brain damage and we will lose the information we need."
Former spectre cooled down and started to overthink the situation.
"After you will finish, liquidate everyone, who has at least some connection to this project. Till the last fucking cleaner."
"As you wish, Saren.
Next moment, while being all alone, Saren, in his thoughts, once again returned to the strange human, Demagol.
"Where the fuck did he even appear from?" thought the rouge spectre. "Somebody with as grand powers as his, held in secret is nearly impossible. Moreover, with human's, absolute incompetence in that question, I highly doubt that it was their success. But his appearance was complete surprise for me, there was no even hint, that my informants managed to gather. As if the humans weren't the ones responsible… Wait a minute, what if they weren't?"
This thought was complete and utter nonsense, but logically it was the most reasonable one.
Saren once again clicked several buttons and started to look the tape from Therum. When the man dangerously looked into the camera he stopped the tape.
"Who are you, human?" vocalized he his thoughts. "Where did you came from? Why are you fighting for Alliance?"
That was really strange, because every miserable primate thinks only about himself. Even so called racists and pro-human activists will sell their own into slavery if they will smell the profit for themselves.
Humans weren't a race, who placed the personal gains after social ones, then why was that Demagol helping Alliance? Someone with his abilities can easily create the small Empire in the Terminus Sectors, which will not pay the tribute to the Council and will without a doubt flourish. Maybe he was among those minority, who did care?
"Hm, maybe yes…" thought Saren. "Wait a minute, what if…"
"So this is your 'oh so wise' plan of revealing my hidden abilities? If so, then you and your master, are without a doubt looking over this show. Prepare, you are next."
"He knows!" screamed the terrified Saren.
His thoughts quickly jumped from one point to another. "He knows what the 'Sovereign' really is. He knows about the Reapers! Then he definitely knows about the cycles!" madly thought the frightened turian.
"Spirits! How?!"
What if he was send here on purpose, to stop the coming of the Reapers? What if there exists some kind of power, race, organization, hidden from the naked eye and thirsting to stop the return of the Reapers. What if they created this human to be their agent of sorts?
"I cannot let it happen." Thought Saren. "Nobody can stop the Reapers, only by proving our usefulness will we manage to survive."
He made several breathes and said:
"I need to hurry."
And didn't understood that the last thought didn't belong to him.
Normandy. Briefing room.
All battle group, with addition of doctor T'Soni, was sitting in the briefing room, clothed in their more 'civilian' clothing after the 'Normandy' picked them from Therum. But even like this, Wrex still didn't change his armor for anything, Tali just removed the additional armor plates from her suit and Demagol… well in his robes, with complete darkness under the hood and two glowing orbes for eyes he looked even scarier than in armor.
But as always all females, preferred his tattooed covered arms to look.
Sometimes he really hated that he could read someone else's thoughts.
However, a lot of gazes this time was also focused on the small creature. Who stood near Demagol. He called him Yoda and Shepard suspected that he had the same powers as he hooded human.
"So, let us start." Said Shepard clapping her hands together. "First of all, good job everyone, our first mission together can be called successful."
"Yeah." Silently said Wrex." If only we had a better driver…"
"What was this, Wrex?"
"Nothing commander." Large lizard looked away instantly, Shepard still looked at him with heated expression, showing everyone that she heard everything perfectly. Several second later, she turned to young asari, deciding to not waste any more time.
"Doctor T'Soni, how are you feeling yourself?" asked she.
"Certainly better, than in that prothean jail." A bit embarrassed, answered Liara. "Thank you for getting me out of there."
"Always pleased to help." Answered Shepard. "I'm sorry about the fates of your colleagues."
"Thank you." Said asari, nodding in response. "I still cannot believe that this isn't some kind of bad dream."
"Colonists on Eden Prime, must be feeling mutual feelings." Angrily said Ashley.
"Excuse me, but what happened on Eden Prime?" asked Liara.
"What happened to Eden Prime?" raised her voice sergeant Williams. "Maybe you should ask your whore of a mo…"
"Sergeant!" barked Shepard.
"Sorry, skipper." Said Ashley solemnly, but still glared at T'Soni.
"I'm sorry for sergeant Williams' behavior, Doctor T'Soni, she just lost all her squad on the Eden Prime." Said Shepard.
"I'm sorry for your loss sergeant." Said Liara, showing compassion, for female sergeant. "But I still don't understand, why are you so hostile to me."
"Ahhh, so you don't understand?" once again started to 'erupt' Williams. "Listen here, you…"
Shepard once again prepared to stop too talkative sergeant, but someone was quicker than her. Firm hand of Demagol touched Ashley's shoulder. She turned her gaze and met the glowing red eyes. That was enough for her to stop her aggressiveness for a while.
Everyone else started to look at Demagol with worry, while Liara looked with all-growing interest.
"I once again apologize for sereant, doctor T'Soni." Said Shepard, not forgetting to look in the direction of embarrassed Ashley. "But I have very bad news for you. News that concerns your mother."
"My mother?" asked the worried Liara. "Why? Did something happen to her?"
"Well, it counts on what meaning you pick for word 'happened'." Answered commander. "I will start from the beginning, four days ago, human colony Eden Prime was attacked by the forces of geth. It is known that the one, who commanded these forces was, now former, spectre Saren Arterius."
"Commander I still cannot understand, how my mother is… well in this mess." Answered Liara.
"After the trial and after I was given the rank of spectre. I was told, that the one, who proved Saren's alibi… was your mother." Grimly stated Shepard.
Liara's eyes became big as dinner plates, from shock.
"WHAT?" screamed she "This… This is impossible! Mother would have never done something like this! This is some kind of mistake!"
Shepard sighed. "I'm sorry, Doctor T'Soni, but Councilor Tevos told me this very delicate information and unless she secretly works for Saren, this information is valid."
"I…" started Liara. "I… cannot believe that my mother decided to do something like this…"
Young asari suddenly started to cry.
"Goddess! She couldn't have done this! She cannot…"
She hid her face in her hands.
"It is some kind of twisted nightmare. I cannot be real." Was all that they heard from her crying.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Doctor T'Soni, but this is the truth and sooner or later you would have found out."
"I… I… should have thought that something wasn't right… since that time…." Liara made a pause and didn't continue.
"What time?" asked commander.
Liara pushed away her tears and tried to answer with a firm voice.
"Nearly six years ago, mother went, as she told me, to stop an old friend from following the dangerous path." Told them T'Soni. "Since then she started to change. She became colder, more passive and heartless. Sometimes she was even frightful. Last couple of years she didn't even answer, when I tried to contact her and half a year ago, when I suddenly met her om Illium, she didn't even hug me, just tiredly smiled, told me that everything is alright and soon the new time shall come, where there will be no place for war, suffering and oppression. After that she had left and I haven't heard about my mother… till today."
"Do you know where she is?' asked Shepard.
"No, commander. Unfortunately I do not know." Answered Liara.
"Don't know? Or do you not want to speak?" asked Ashley with clearly heard animosity in her voice.
Even if Liara T'Soni was very shy, nervous and kind girl, xenophobia of sergeant Williams started to bring something black, hateful and spiteful from the depths of even her kind soul, if her father would have been here, she would have instantly blamed it on the krogan genes. But before she managed to open her mouth…
"She doesn't know." Calm voice of Demagol, who stood near the wall, leaving his seat to much older master, stopped any kind of argument that was about to be unleashed.
Everyone in the room, with the exception of master Yoda, looked at him with clear question in their eyes. Liara on the other hand, looked with appreciation.
"You… you believe… her?" unbelievably asked him Ashley.
"Believes are for fools." Answered young Sith. "I know that she speaks truth."
"Ah… yes… your Force." Said Ashley. "Sorry, still cannot get used to a fact that we have a walking lie detector.
Everyone understood what the young sergeant said. Everyone, except Liara. Feeling a bit off, from not knowing something that was known by everyone she felt herself awkward.
"Doctor, maybe your mother told you about some places where she was? Anything, even the small hint can be a clue." Asked Garrus.
"Unfortunately, she had never… wait a minute! I had remembered! Noveria! During our last talks mother called me right from this planet."
"Noveria?" asked Kaiden. "A corporation-owned planet, specialized in hiding any kind of illegal experiments? That Noveria?"
"I… I do not know anything related to specialization of this planet, but mother answered for my call from this planet." Answered young asari. "I was really surprised that she was in such place and asked her about this, but she answered that she was looking over her friend's investments in some breakthrough genetic-related technology. Mother nearly killed my ears with all scientific terminology back then."
"When was that?" asked Shepard narrowing her brows.
"Two and a half years ago." Answered Liara.
"Too much time to get the fuck out of there." said Wrex. "This trace is log since cold."
"I do not think so." Said Tali. "If Benezia is looking over something that is financed by Saren, then… maybe this research is still in progress?"
"I'm forced to agree." Said Liara. "If I understood mother right, it was somehow related to genetics, so it's automatically means that the research will be long-termed."
"And even if Benezia isn't on Noveria, we can find some possible leads to her current whereabouts." Said Garrus. "And maybe we can find a lead on Saren too.
"It will not be bad outcome either." Said Shepard. "I do not want to run over the entire Galaxy, in search for that bastard, nearly constantly waiting for another attack on helpless colony."
Everyone, even Liara nodded at the truth of these words.
"Okay guys, you are free to go, Demagol, I hope you will take care of our new guest? I will also want to speak with you two later."
"Commander." She turned to see Liara. "I wanted to ask you something."
"I'm listening, Doctor."
"I'm sorry to interrupt you commander, but there is some trouble over here."
"What kind of trouble, Joker?" asked Shepard.
Weeeel, I may say that this is a family matter, commander."
Jane made several deep breaths. Then she looked at Doctor T'Soni.
"Please wait for me here, Doctor, I know that you wanted to discuss something really important, but right now I'm needed on the bridge."
Liara nodded, recognizing the position commander was in.
When she went in direction of the captain's bridge in Jane's mind was only one thought:
"What kind of shit you get yourself into, again, oh dearest brother of mine?!"
