The crown jewel of the galaxy.
The apex of democracy.
The beating heart of galactic love.
None of Thessia's nicknames particularly described the planet well from Shepard's point of view as he stood on top of the ruined highway. The rising smoke obstructing his vision combined with the hazy red sunlight cast a bloodied look about the place. For being a place with a remarkably low rate of conflict, those averages were sure to skyrocket after this war was over.
More like the crown jewel of rubble at this point.
Thessia had the distinction of containing the largest economy in the entire galaxy, boasting that the wealth of the asari empire was numerous enough to buy out the turian and human hierarchies and still have change left in the bank. It was probably thanks to their hoarding of Prothean technology that enabled this extra rung for the asari to climb, that and the historical fact that the asari had been purposefully uplifted by their benefactors directly, influencing their climb to the peak of galactic civilization, their own apex, the peak untamed by any other.
The immense landscape was certainly not as striking as the species themselves, but it did have quite a unique style. At least where the capital city was located, Shepard could see no green areas. Every single inch of ground had been completely covered by smooth metal structures in order to facilitate the planet's rapidly growing population.
It begged the question that the asari were eventually going to run out of space at a much quicker rate than humans, due to their extreme pace at which they procreated combined with their abnormally long life spans, that how much further could they go with regards to expansion? The only logical answer was that the only place to go was up at this point. Gigantic, curved skyscrapers extended towards the sky like metal fingers, blotting the horizon as the rays of the sun glittered amongst them. Had the view not have been spoiled by the sounds of explosions and screams, maybe then it would have been a breathtaking sight.
The beating heart of a planet in arrhythmia.
Unfortunately, all of the asari's wealth could not prepare them for the horror that would be thrust upon them. Ravaged by destruction, the planet smoldered as the Reapers lay waste to the asari in their casual manner, battering through their defenses like cutting through butter. The entire might of the asari military was no match for this kind of all-out assault. Their arrogance had gotten the better of them in this situation.
Towering well over the tallest skyscraper that anyone could see, Reapers casually marched to and fro among the structures. They appeared to tiptoe with their gait, despite the fact that every placing of an appendage sent shockwaves for miles. Oftimes, they would ignore the fact that a building stood in their way as they marched forward without heed, their immense mass plowing through them, sending an endless stream of rubble, dust, flame, and people crashing down to the ground in a horrendous roar.
Shepard winced as an asari hit the ground meters ahead after falling half a mile from above. The body had been completely smashed against the pavement and he tried very hard not to look at the rapidly spreading pool of blood amidst shards of skull as he kept going. Liara faltered for a second before he pulled her back, gently escorting her away.
Mantis gunships streaked by overhead, accompanied by the whistling of missiles and the howl of Reaper harvesters, giant winged creatures that ejected a hot mass of plasma as well as troops from within its cavernous depths. These flying tanks were like mobile shuttles, each one had the capacity to carry almost two dozen husks within their bodies. From the looks of things, they were proving to be quite the annoyance with the military.
Commandos rushed by them, shouting into their comms for air support. Vanguards struggled to maintain biotic barriers as several cannibals began crawling over the sides, immediately firing upon them. Caught up with the group, Shepard shot a modified batarian in the face and it toppled over the edge, sending it a few stories down.
Tali vaulted up to a side garden to reach the area where a ravager was pinning everyone down. The Reapers must have found the rachni colony after they had been spirited away by Shepard, which was the only explanation for why modified rachni were even present here in the first place. It was a horrible thought that the queen's solemn reply never to return had been broken, but it was not of their own will that they were doing this. The spider-like creatures balanced ungainly on their skinny appendages, their bodies bloated as infected workers resided within. The blue wiring on their heads shone painfully and their electronic warbles were pitiful to the ears. They could be forgiven.
Tali mercilessly fired her shotgun, displacing the ravager's head but bursting one of the sacs that bulged on its side. Immediately hundreds of tiny rachni workers scurried out, glistening with pus, causing Tali to jump backward in horror. She hated bugs with a passion.
A commando sporting a krogan flamethrower came to her aid, sending out a long pillar of flame with a whoosh. The tiny arachnid-like aliens were completely vaporized by the intense heat, their bodies crumbling as the asari waved the weapon back and forth. Training the flamethrower upward, she checked the ash-streaked ground to see if any of the little bugs had survived. Giving a thumbs up to Tali, she returned the wave before a stray bolt struck the commando's tank and the asari vanished in a burst of flame and meat.
Blood frosted on Tali as she stood in horror, looking at where the commando had stood last. Behind her, Liara cried out in horror as she shoved her hand forward, catching the marauder who had fired in a deadly push, sending it skidding along the floor until it impacted with a wall, caving its head in.
Shepard ran over and shook Tali's shoulder hard, she numbly glanced back and forth before the setting flared back to her. A door on the side of the street offered a brief respite from the action outside. All three of them ran to it and felt a blast of heat on their backs. A harvester had flown out of the sky and razed the overpass they had been standing on only moments ago. Everyone on it had been completely disintegrated, the street starting to smoke.
The three of them started to head to the door before the most horrific scream any of them had ever heard in their lives emanated from the entrance and a tall, thin form floated out. It was more than twice as tall as an average human, horns grew from its head like branches, its belly was swollen as if it was with child, and the thing's breasts hung loosely. Come to think of it, the creature looked like…
"An asari," Liara gasped, her weapon trailing downward, "Oh, goddess...no…"
The banshee wavered with energy and it suddenly seemed to teleport a few meters ahead of where it stood. The Reaper host still had the ability to use biotics, it seemed. It continued to jump in random intervals but Shepard and Tali were already firing on it.
"Liara, what are you waiting for?!" Shepard yelled at the dumbstruck asari.
The bullets glanced off the biotic barrier but at least it was steadily faltering. Seemingly frustrated by this development, the banshee howled as it lifted a hand after it analyzed the weak link in the squad, creating a bright white ball of energy that shot from its body and headed towards Liara, fizzing and crackling as it passed through the air.
Shepard broke off his attack as he tackled Liara to the side, the ball just barely missing the both of them. Lying on the ground, he drew his pistol and let off several shots to the banshee's head, finally breaking past the barrier as it strained and snapped with a spark. Not letting up, Shepard fired again and the slug passed cleanly through the ex-asari's forehead. However, that was not enough to put it down and it slowly walked forward, raising its arm to strike again.
"Oh no, you don't!" Tali cried as she sprang forward. Her shotgun blazed as she racked the slot twice in quick succession, firing two fused slugs in a fiery hot burst. The carnage assault blew the banshee up as it hit the middle of its inflated torso, showering everyone with a sticky, black substance. Tali helped Shepard get Liara to her feet and soldiered on, shaking off the shock that they had earned from facing down their first Reaperized asari.
They climbed up the gantry that lead to the door and it opened them to reveal a crumbling room, completely displaced by the ongoing warfare. But it was free from enemies and they needed a break. They rushed in and closed it behind them, Tali taking the time to override the lock so no more Reaper lackeys could surprise them from that way.
Liara let out the sob she had held in for the duration of the fight, "My home...my home…" She sank down to a jutting piece of rubble as she stared out in disbelief, her expression one of complete shock. "How...how could this happen? My people...slaughtered..."
Tali quickly walked over and encased the asari in a tender hug. Her hands smoothed over the woman's back, restraining her from shaking horribly once her whimpers had ceased.
"I know, Liara," Tali whispered, "I know. But it's like this everywhere. We can't save everyone…"
"Why not?!" Liara hissed angrily before she pointed at Shepard, "We've done it before, all of us! Stopping Saren, stopping the Collectors, we've saved billions of lives before, so why can't we do anything about it now? Why couldn't we have prepared more? Why..." She broke off, starting to cry a bit more heavily as her breaths came in sharp gasps, starting to bend down in grief.
"Liara," Shepard began, ignoring the rumbling from outside, "We...we may not be able to save everyone, but we can sure as hell save as many as we can. That's why we're here. We're doing this so the Reapers don't take one more soul than necessary."
She shook her head in denial, "There are...there are too many…How can...how can we go on?"
Shepard grasped her shoulder firmly, "Knock that tone off right now, soldier. This is a war. People die in wars. But if you freeze up here then it means more people will die in this war. I need you operational, Liara, if we're going to accomplish this mission." He waited until she gathered the courage to look at him, only continuing then, "Tali and I can't do this without you. We're your closest friends, Liara. We don't want to see you give in to despair."
Tali nodded earnestly, "It may be hard, Liara, but I recall Garrus saying something to me once. If, at the end of this, one person is left standing, then the fight would have been for something. We're fighting for that one person."
Liara angrily wiped her tears away, her hands clenching into tight fists as they balled in fury. Taking several deep breaths, she stood, her eyes raw, "You're...you're right. Both of you. I'm sorry, Shepard. I'm sorry, Tali. I'm just...overwhelmed. I'll...I'll do better, I promise."
"You're doing better now. Don't let them break you and they can't win." Shepard hated to be blunt with the asari but he had to get through to her somehow. This entire conflict was a cruel test of wills, and it had already seen fit to shatter thousands in the wake of imminent destruction. Shepard had no intention of letting Liara, Tali, or anyone else in his crew crack under the enormous pressure. He would take it all for them before they could. Metal is stronger than bone, after all.
A few minutes after they had properly gathered their strength, they found themselves running in a courtyard in front of a large corporation. Creatures of all shapes and sizes popped up and were summarily put down as snipers on the balconies overhead took potshots at the incoming swarm. Bullets chewed at a small garden arrangement in front of Tali, uprooting a fern and covering her with soil. She yelped and ducked, plasma splattering all around her as two marauders stalked forward from an opening that led to the main road.
Liara, face set in a determined scowl, let a singularity flare just to the right of the foul aliens but it was too far off for them to be caught in its gravity vortex. They stopped and glanced at the pulsing, black orb before it was all over moments later.
Shepard ran forward from their blind side, grabbed a marauder's gun arm and wrenched his body to the side. The arm popped right off as the socket leaked black ichor. The modified turian did not appear to be in any pain until Shepard whacked it with its own arm in a vicious blow. It let out a yowl as it fell, its comrade turning to bring its weapon to bear.
The cyborg ducked over the shot and leaped forward, sinking his left fist into the creature's stomach. His fingers clenched for something to grab within its body but the diseased organs merely liquified to his touch, his grip becoming more and more slippery. Having enough with the growling of the turian in front of him, he forced his arm upward and burst the chest open as its skin stretched to allow the passage of his limb. A foul smelling liquid burst forth and the thrall collapsed in its own gore.
Shepard barely had time to hear a huge roar as a massive limb swung in his direction. He was knocked backward a few feet, smarting from the blow a bit, as the brute pounded its chest in a war cry, preparing for another charge. There was no time to go for his weapon so he had to dive out of the way as it barreled past him. Once he was clear, he had a few moments so he wasted no time in firing at the beast's exposed back, trying to penetrate through its thick armor.
The brute roared and whirled, tiny head swiveling around as it perceived the human firing upon it. The bullets must have felt like bee stings because they only served to make the brute more incensed. It lowered its head for another charge until a purple force snapped it to the side, taking its attention off Shepard as the new combatant burst into the fray.
Tears were streaming down Liara's face as she swung her arm several times in quick succession, the biotic blow pushing the brute further and further back. It roared in frustration as the asari advanced but could not move for she had placed a singularity in front of it, keeping it in place. The brute possessed no long-range weapons and Liara stayed carefully out of arm's reach.
The asari calmly shot her hands in all directions, brutally pounding the abomination into submission. She had passed her initial fears, all that was left was anger. Anger at her people for letting her down, anger for the Reapers for threatening her people with extinction, anger at herself for faltering when she had been needed most.
Swiping her hands down, two bright bursts, sharp as razors, sliced down and cleaved the brute's arms clean off. Before it could even register the pain, if the monstrosity could even feel pain, Liara brought her hands together in a wide arc and her biotic impulses followed her every movement. The two converging blasts met in the middle of the brute's head, completely smashing it, and sent blood and brains flying in all directions. The headless beast collapsed as its nervous system failed, no Reaper would control that body from now on.
"Keelah, Liara," Tali gasped as she caught up. "I didn't know you could do that."
Liara held up a faintly glowing palm, eyes wide, astonished, "You know what, Tali? I didn't think I could, either." She looked at Shepard as she smirked, definitely in a better mood, "Someone had to save your boyfriend, anyway."
Shepard gave a harsh laugh, "Excuse me, T'Soni? I was doing fine there, actually. Not to say that I don't appreciate the assist but I was never in any real danger."
Tali rolled her eyes, glancing at Liara, "He always says that. He probably was in actual danger and is just too proud to admit it."
"Were you not watch-...just forget it," he grumbled theatrically, giving up. "The temple's just ahead. If we can run we can be there in five minutes."
"Thank the goddess," Liara breathed as they stepped through the huge hole in the wall left by a Reaper's imprint. To the left was a small path that trailed upward to a wide avenue. Bits of building littered their route and they stepped over the larger pieces of metal and the occasional body.
The temple was next to them but the entrance lay to the right of their current position. The road trailed around the entrance, curving to the left. There was really no reason to suggest an alternate route, especially with the direction of their objective so clearly defined in front of them. They started to move around the barricades before there was a howl and the road in front of them flared with red.
Bursting from the transport pod, a trio of husks started running at them. Unfortunately for them, their prey already had their weapons out and armed. Three bursts from three guns caught three heads. The husks had barely finished lying still on the ground before a harvester spewed out more enemies from its gut, attempting to overwhelm the pests before they reached the temple.
"Run!" Shepard barked, already moving to clear a path ahead. The husks rushed toward him but, in his attempt to save ammunition, he batted each enemy aside with vicious blows, crumpling the cranial areas of the husks as they charged. Fragile forms indeed.
As Shepard charged, Liara and Tali covered him from the cannibals vaulting their way over the guardrails toward their commander. Pieces of tissue were flung off as the bullets pushed aside bone and flesh, exiting messily out of the indoctrinated batarians. The sunlight caught the blood as it flew, shining amongst the glittering cityscape as it fell to the cold metal.
Bright red flames leaked out of a harvester's mouth as it landed right in front of the entrance, the last obstacle. Shepard skidded in place, trying not to slip on the slick ground. All nine eyes of the winged creature leered at him as electricity warmed up the soft plasma it was about to deliver. He braced himself, ready to dodge at a moment's notice.
All of a sudden, the redness turned a deep orange as the harvester's head exploded, blue electricity sparking from the wires embedded in its ruin of a neck. Shepard turned behind him to see a Mantis, marked with the asari republic colors, hover in place near the landing pad of the temple. He smiled and gave a quick, respectful salute to the pilot inside as it maneuvered away, acquiring a new target. Guess they really did have friends in high places. But what this meant is no more obstructions were lying in their way anymore. It was just as well, they had come too far to give up now.
The door to the temple was blocked by a security field but Tali had it down in moments with a hack provided by the asari councilor. All of them took one cautious glance around for any more enemies in the general area before proceeding into the dark place of worship.
Once inside, it took a few moments for Liara and Tali's eyes to adjust to the lack of light (Shepard's optics performing the necessary work in a blink) and they sighed in wonder at the actual size of the sanctuary.
The goddess Athame, in all her glory, stood tall and proud at the far end of the room. Clad in a simple dress, she looked up at the heavens, a giant projected for the mortals at her feet to be astounded by. Shepard did note that it did seem a bit more extravagant than any religion on Thessia he had heard or seen thus far but it did carry the traditional asari subtlety about it in an attempt to make the whole place seem a bit more restrained than a typical Earth-like church.
In Shepard's opinion, the place looked more like a museum rather than an actual temple. Rows and rows of Prothean artifacts, substituting for pews, lined the room. Priceless treasures, ranging from sculptures to simple paintings adorned these rows, their presence granting visitors a touch of the ancient, of the surreal. None of these, however, was the Prothean artifact Shepard was looking for, but based on the overwhelming evidence in front of him, he had a good idea of where to look.
Tali clutched her shotgun closely as Shepard walked determinedly towards the huge statue. "So...Liara," she attempted to strike up a conversation to combat the eerie atmosphere of the place, "How do you feel exactly about your people keeping this a secret from everyone?"
Liara did not answer for a second for she was busy poring over a totem encased in the corner. Protheans were Liara's first love, her doctoral thesis was made on them and she had been one of the first to suggest that the enigmatic alien race was part of a line of vanished cultures that lay hidden after millenia of data was forgotten, purged by some previously unknown cataclysmic event. This place must have seemed like a treasure trove to the asari.
She straightened up as she just now seemed to consider the quarian's question, sighing in annoyance, "How do I feel, Tali? My people have betrayed the sacred trust of the galaxy in our selfishness. All of this was brought on ourselves when we had the capability to prevent such a terrible outcome. Thessia is burning, Tali, and we knew this would happen! We knew...and we did nothing."
"I'm just saying...an intact Prothean beacon…"
"-Would have provided us with enough information to last a thousand lifetimes. And we exploited its information for our own gain. How would you feel, Tali, if your civilization had rose to where it was, not by altruistic deeds as previously claimed, but by deceit and scheming? I feel violated, to tell the truth."
Tali shrugged, "I probably will never know what that feels like Liara. I'm a quarian, remember? But, I am sorry for you. For all of the asari. Most of them didn't know what was going on until it was too late. It was no fault of yours."
Liara walked over to Tali and gave her a playful shove, like a friendly rivalry between sisters, "I know, Tali. But thanks anyway. I just hope...that we will be able to make amends for our mistake. I would hate to have the final memory of the asari be one of scorn, of disappointment."
While Liara was talking, Shepard was still walking up to Athame. His neck craned higher and higher as he followed the goddess' head with his own gaze. Interestingly, there was a faint pulsing in the air, like a headache but not painful. It was like a brief brush laid over his mind as a hidden presence fumbled for a connection.
There was no mistaking it. He had felt this before. It had only been twice since he had come into contact with Prothean beacons in his life but it was not a feeling he was going to forget easily. The pulse was turning into a steady throb as he approached the base of the statue. Shepard closed his eyes as the familiar company of the beacon came to him. It beckoned, like an old friend. It wanted to be revealed.
"Shepard?" Tali called as she jogged over to him. "Have you found it yet? The beacon, I mean."
He did not answer her query, his eyes focusing on the base of the statue as it seemed to whisper to him within his head, its volume like Tali's whenever she whispered to him alone in bed together. It was a quiet voice, a gentle voice, one that carried a hint of sadness.
"Human. You carry the mark of a Prothean. Why have you come?"
You know why I've come. I need to stop the Reapers.
"We too have tried to stop the Reapers before. All our efforts have failed. The ones who discovered this beacon did not try to understand our departure. They did not recognize the looming threat. Why have they sent for you?"
Because I believe that we can break the cycle of destruction. And I believe that you have the solution.
"We have many solutions, but no questions were given."
Please. We need your help. Trillions will die if we don't get the necessary answers.
"Trillions have died already. As have trillions in the past. What difference is trillions more?"
Because trillions after us can be spared.
"Shepard?" Tali asked again, cautiously, putting a hand on his shoulder in assurance. He was still for a second then shuddered and blinked before turning to a worried Tali. He grasped her hand and smiled, gesturing to the statue that towered over them.
"Don't worry, Tali." Shepard watched her look at Athame in confusion, wanting to see her reaction, "I found it."
With a harsh crack! the stone face of the goddess splintered, a chunk falling tumbling off to land in the cavernous pit that lay situated below them. A few more lumps followed it downward and finally the entire structure split, large boulders crumbling off to reveal the glowing dark green pillar that had been embedded within the statue for who knows how long.
The Prothean beacon.
"Goddess," Liara breathed. "Hidden here all this time…"
The beacon pulsed with unseen energy and a tiny green pinprick appeared in front of it. Light gradually surrounded it as it increased in size, becoming a bright sphere with rings surrounding it. The hologram stuttered and sparked, covered in a perpetual static. It was as if all Prothean artifacts deteriorated heavily over time, as Shepard recalled the heavily damaged Vigil on Ilos, who had been unable to even take a recognizable form.
This however, was not the case as the sphere bent and morphed into a humanoid form. It turned in place, as if it was appraising Shepard, as if it could actually see him in front of it. The form appeared to be adorned in some type of armor, it was an angular but unrestrictive garb. Its joints were similar to that of a human, but it only had three fingers on each hand and two toes on each foot. Its head was also very distinctive, three sets of nostrils, two pairs of eyes, and a triangle shaped skull. It was a unique species that he had never seen before, but something was inherently familiar about it.
Tali apparently thought so too. "A...Collector?" she asked in confusion.
"No," Liara said, astonished. "A Prothean."
"Reaper presence detected," the hologram announced in a deep, rich voice. "Extinction terminus of post-Prothean cycle confirmed."
"Keelah," Tali gasped. "We're actually interacting with Prothean technology."
The hologram held its hands behind its back as it looked at Shepard, "The answers you seek have never been sought out before until now. It may be too late to prevent the cycle's completion."
Shepard held his tongue at the hologram's grimness. If it had the capacity to emote, then it certainly deserved the right to feel a little peeved after its creators had been extinguished so long ago. "We found the plans to the Crucible in the Mars Archives," he began, keeping things direct with the VI. "We need to know what the Catalyst is and how to use it."
"Certainly," the VI obliged. "Though I must warn you that our own observations of utilizing the Catalyst as a power source were only theories by the time the project deteriorated. The outcome of the Crucible working as intended is unknown."
"You mean you don't know if your own technology would work?"
"The Crucible is not completely of Prothean design. It is the product of millions of years work and evolution from the countless cycles before it. Each has expanded upon it, each has improved it. And still the pattern of destruction has repeated. The Crucible has never been completed."
"We still have a chance!" Shepard stepped forward, "The Crucible is almost complete. All we need is the Catalyst and then we can use it. What is it exactly, a battery? A rare mineral?"
"Nothing of the sort. Your cycle refers to it as the Citadel."
Shepard blinked in confusion. He was not sure he had heard that properly, "Say again?"
"The Catalyst is the Citadel. The entire structure is responsible for the coordination of the entire mass relay network and can enhance dark energy transmissions. The Crucible was designed to unleash that energy against the Reapers."
"How the…" Shepard was, for once, stumped. Liara also looked completely dumbfounded and Tali was wavering from side to side in anxiety. "The Citadel...you mean the Crucible was always designed to dock with the Citadel in the first place?"
"Correct," the VI continued in its even tone. "The Crucible, by itself, lacks sufficient power to perform its desired purpose. The Catalyst performs two functions in this case. First, it enables the Crucible to tap into the Citadel's energy stores necessary for defeating the Reapers. Second, the Citadel is comprised of Reaper technology and it was discovered that only Reaper technology is capable of terminating Reapers in this manner, utilizing their own creations against them."
Shepard's mouth was dry as he spoke quickly, "What kind of energy does the Crucible emit? Is it dangerous to all life?"
"Unknown. However, it has been determined that any outburst from the Crucible will result in mass shutdown of all Reaper forces by triggering a systems overload. Their processes will all flare as one, overheating the core and vaporizing the very power source the Reapers run on. Although, activation will result in the deactivation of the mass relays all over the galaxy."
"Why?"
"In order for the Crucible to reach all over the galaxy, it must utilize the mass relays to transport the energy and disperse it evenly. The large influx of power will overload each relay and render them inoperable but the damage should not be substantial. The entire network has been simulated to have the potential to be rebuilt in one solar year given minimum population outcomes."
"Not exactly a straight decision laid out for us," Liara mused. "But there's no reason why we shouldn't pursue it."
Shepard pounded his hands together, "It's the answer we were looking for so that's a solid mission accomplished right here. We need to get in contact with the Council and-"
"Alert!" the VI bleeped. "Indoctrination presence detected. Initiating shutdown procedures."
A bright light flared from the entrance of the temple, sending the darkness scattering. Liara threw up a hand to protect her from the glare as Shepard walked through the hologram, the orb retreating near the base of the beacon.
A Mantis was hovering near the entrance but Shepard did not guess that it was an asari transport. A figure was slowly walking towards them, the light bending around his shape as he gradually came into view. The bulky armor blocked most of the incoming illumination as he passed by row after row of artifacts before stopping in the middle of the hallway. With a flick of a switch, the helmet covering the man retracted and he craned his neck as he looked at the three people across from him.
"Leaving so soon?" the clone smirked.
Shepard's pistol was a blur as he snapped it up. He emptied the clip at his shadow standing across from him but they merely ricocheted off, the blue ripples from his shield smoothing and fading as they recovered.
The clone shook his head in amusement, "Unfortunate, Shepard. I'm surprised at you thinking it would be that easy."
Tali was at Shepard's side in an instant. "Oh, no…" she gasped. "It really does look like you."
The man on the end laughed, "Ah, so the quarian still lives. I had to see it to believe it, Shepard. Perhaps Leng knew more than he let on, choosing her as the one to go after."
"What are you?" Shepard scowled. "What are you even talking about?"
"Oh, John," the clone sighed mockingly. "When are you going to learn that nothing is as it seems? The pieces of the puzzle are scattered around you, it's your job to put them together."
Shepard was more confused than ever, "If you're really my clone, then we're on the same side. Why join Cerberus at all when you should know that they stand for everything I'm against?"
"Wrong again, Shepard. You see, Cerberus has owed me a debt as of late. The Illusive Man was responsible for my creation in exchange for my service. I will admit, it hasn't been easy following the will of my master, but the goal has been intoxicating, and the freedom has been a blessing."
"But why me? Why clone me?"
It shrugged, "A symbol, a statement, who can really tell? Even I am not let on to my master's machinations. He's had everything planned out from the start, including knowledge of this place. All obtained from the Mars Archives, you know? All we needed was someone to unlock the door."
"And has your master figured out a plan to take care of me? The only problem you face right now is the fact that I'm still alive. There can only be one Commander Shepard and you'll never be him."
A small smile crept across the clone's face, "Perhaps. But why not ask him yourself?" Holding its arm up, a beam of light shone from its omni-tool as the light morphed into the well-dressed man. He was lacking his trademark cigarette this time as he strode purposefully forward, stopping only inches from Shepard's face.
The Illusive Man ignored Shepard as he serenely gazed upward at the towering spire of the beacon. "It's almost a tragedy," he theatrically sighed. "The asari have known of this place for thousands of years and have done nothing with it. They never had the will or the nerve to discover all they could really learn."
Shepard gave a harsh laugh, "Just like you lack the nerve to face me in the flesh?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself there, Shepard. We both know that your reputation for violence would only result in you trying to kill me the first second you lay eyes on me." The hologram swept its hand backward, "Which is where he comes in. Crude, possibly, but your most glaring faults rectified. Equal to you in every way."
"Thanks for the support, sir," the clone sighed sarcastically.
"No one is equal to him," Tali snarled as she accusedly pointed a finger at the hologram. "Your little science project least of all."
The Illusive Man quietly seethed, as if the prospect of an alien talking back to him infringed on his most sacred of beliefs. "I see the time you've spent in the commander's bed has given you some extra confidence, Miss Zorah. For a man of his stature, all credit given, you cannot imagine how disappointed I am."
"I'll kill you, you son of a-"
Shepard put a hand on Tali's shoulder, silencing her. "He's not worth it," he whispered. "None of them are."
"Yes," the Illusive Man mocked, "Listen to your commander, little quarian. No doubt he's taught you to sit down and shut up just like-"
"You be quiet," Shepard now turned back to the hologram, anger tinging his voice, "Or I will make it my mission to hunt you down and slice off all your limbs with a spoon before I gut you."
"Brave talk. But words are not why I'm here." The hologram moved through Shepard as it gazed at the fizzing green orb that lay beyond. "This is why I'm here," he said.
"To destroy the Reapers?" Shepard asked, puzzled. "You do realize that there is no other outcome to this conflict other than killing them all, right?"
"Once again, I'm appalled. I have told you before that I have no intention of destroying the Reapers and I know where my answer lies. You are almost finished building it and it can provide me to the answers I seek."
"The Crucible?"
"Precisely. I believe that it has the answer to controlling the Reapers, a way to bend the Reapers to our will."
"Then you're going to be out of luck. The Crucible was not designed to control, only to destroy! We're both fighting for the same thing, only that you're too indoctrinated to see the truth!"
That had worked. The Illusive Man recoiled back at Shepard's words, a look of concern on his face. "That...that isn't true," the man stammered. "I am not indoctrinated. I would never let those machines so much as touch my mind. I only take what I need from them, nothing more. And I know that there is a way to control them. The Crucible has never been completed before so who's to tell what it actually does? Or perhaps...it's an option that the Protheans never considered in their designs. No matter, that hologram knows what the Catalyst is and I intend to find out what."
Shepard eyed the man across from him with an accusing glare. "You sound as Saren once did, voicing his own deluded goals when the truth was kept hidden from him. You've gone just as far as he did. You've let your own people get consumed by the Reapers so that you could achieve your own objectives. You've sacrificed your ideals to bolster your own hopeless quest!"
"The only hopeless quest I know of...," the man shrugged, "...is yours. Nevertheless, I don't care if you help me or oppose me. I will have that data and I will show you how deluded you have been this whole time."
Shepard drew his rifle, holding across his chest as he snarled, "Then come and take it."
"I plan to."
The light from the hologram winked out as a brief pair of booms sounded from outside. The Mantis was firing its missiles into the chamber, impacting on the tall columns, slowly crumbling them away. Shepard was about to shout something to Liara when there was a roar and a black blur was airborne, heading towards his face.
He threw his rifle up, instinctively, and a ferocious blow shattered in his grip, the casing falling in pieces to the ground. Shepard backed up, drawing his omni-blade as his clone rose from his leap, twin blades already extended as it kicked aside the remains of the gun.
The clone grinned, "Now the party's just begun." With a snarl, he engaged as Shepard stepped to the side, arm moving upward to block the first swing. Watching for the clone's other arm to come around, he pushed off from his lock to come into contact with the other blade, sending it off course. He threw his arm forward to counterattack but the clone had recovered from the first block, blade meeting his as they clashed.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Tali and Liara scrambling in separate directions for cover as the place started to disintegrate around them. Tali threw her arms over her head to protect her from the smaller bits of falling rubble as she helplessly watched her lover lock weapons in single combat.
The Mantis fired in patient intervals, maneuvering from one side to the other so that it could line up a pillar with its missiles. Each streak produced a fiery bloom and another series of fresh cracks in the face of the building. Liara tried to lean out so that she could fire but its bright spotlight blinded her and its free-rotating gun had her pinned down for good, slapping the stone face with subsonic rounds.
What the Mantis could not fire on was the two opponents continuing to battle in the center of the temple. It did not have a clean shot, it could hit the clone. For now, the pilot ignored the two as he focused on dismantling the temple one rocket at a time.
The clone, after jumping back from a nasty swing by Shepard, glanced upward and grinned, "It seems that we are on a tight timetable."
"So it seems," Shepard sighed.
"Ah, well. Third time's the charm."
Before Shepard could ponder the meaning of that statement, the clone sprung off and was suddenly right next to him, blades lowered down for a brutal thrust. Mustering all the energy and strength in his limbs, he leaped to the side as he rose his arm for a passing blow. To his amazement, the blade found its target. It skimmed the side of the clone's scalp, leaving a gouging red line but it seemed to be resisting cutting into the man further, somehow. He ducked into a roll as he exited his jump and whirled, waiting to see what kind of damage he had done.
The man across from him deactivated one sword as he put a palm to his face, checking his injury. A dark substance shone on his hand as it came away from his wound, but it did not seem to faze the clone in the least. To Shepard's amazement, the clone started laughing as he slightly turned his head so that he could properly see.
The right side of the clone's head was dripping blood, but where the omni-blade had touched him, it remained clear enough. There was no blistering white bone standing out against the bubbling liquid, but a gleaming black surface that shone, despite the lack of light. Unfamiliar bumps and grooves ran along the surface from where the skin had been gouged off, and Shepard's breath exited his body in realization.
Beneath the fleshy exterior, was something all too similar.
"You're...you're not a clone. You're just like me…"
"Better than you," the cyborg with Shepard's face snarled. "I suppose I must thank you for putting me in this position, after all. Even though, I must say, I do so despise wearing the face of the man who tried to murder me."
Shepard was finding it hard to breathe, "What...who are you?"
"Still not ringing a bell? Did I really rate that low on your radar for you to forget me entirely? And after all that effort I went through on the flotilla to get you, only for me to inherit your mantle at the very end. Quite ironic if you think about it."
It all clicked. A bearded face, wild hair, standing over a bed in a medical bay as he taunted his prone form. The memories flowed like water into him, the stink of ozone, the crunching of metal as a blade tore through his shoulder, the adrenaline from the deadly duel, the feeling of his sword biting through flesh and bone…
"Rukin…" Shepard gasped. "You're...you're Rukin."
"About time, too."
The cyborg that was Rukin lunged forward and grasped Shepard's right wrist, preventing him from striking down. It appeared to analyze him for a second before he shot his fist out and it hit Shepard in the middle of the chest. There was a brief discomfort before the vibration through his organs fully hit and he howled in pain, sinking to the ground. Rukin was still holding his wrist in a death grip as he grinned.
"Same chassis, same abilities, Shepard. The difference is that I know every weak point whereas you...don't."
Shepard tried to wrench his arm out of Rukin's grip but the fingers still held tightly. The machine that held him shook his head, "No, no, no, Shepard. Not that easy. It's no fun when you're just an unbeatable force, now you have real competition."
Shepard shook his left arm and the command protocol enabled the omni-tool to shoot out a blade on that arm in lieu of his normal right. He scythed his arm across in an attempt to sever Rukin's wrist but the cyborg let go and leaped aside. But at least he was free now.
Shepard transferred his sword back to his right arm as he clutched his chest in pain, coughing lightly as Rukin paced back and forth, amused.
"A good show, Shepard," the man dipped his head as his features twisted in a cruel grin. "But you've delayed me long enough at this point."
Rukin raised his arm but did not point it at Shepard. Instead, he pointed it towards the hologram and streams of static-filled green lines began to connect the two together as the glowing orb grew smaller and smaller. It took Shepard a few times to realize that the VI was being copied over to the omni-tool. Rukin was getting the data.
He growled and raced towards the agent but he had been prepared for this all along. As soon as the data connection broke, Rukin's arm swung forward and batted Shepard across the face, knocking him to the ground. As he was about to spring to his feet, a foot from the man caught Shepard in his midsection and he found himself shooting across the ground. His momentum was halted as his back hit the edge of a cabinet containing a Prothean totem, but Rukin was now advancing, with an air of amusement.
Without warning, the advancing cyborg stopped, eyes widening, as a faint purple outline was slowly coming into being around him. He lifted his hands up as if he was acknowledging this new development. Slowly, Rukin began to rise in the air, held aloft by what Shepard now realized was a biotic lift. Sitting up, he saw Liara standing next to a pillar as her outstretched hand glowed azure.
Rukin struggled as he continued to rise, growling and snarling as he had no control over his own gravity. He tried to maneuver his body so that he could look upon Shepard and shout a curse, but before that could happen, his body was flung backward in a red-hot burst as a stray missile from the Mantis struck him, flipping him over as his body smoked.
The pilot, realizing what he had done, immediately turned his cannons on to full auto, trying to hit the asari for making him target his own commander. Liara, however, bravely weathered the hail of bullets as she ran across the the room to where Shepard was still trying to catch his breath. Tali, in the meantime, was lobbing blasts at the craft with her shotgun, trying to discourage it from its pursuit any further.
A nearby column collapsed, sending a cloud of dust through the area and harshly dropping the current visibility. A coughing Liara made her way to Shepard as she helped him to his feet, wiping away the annoying particulates.
"Come on, Shepard!" she yelled. "It isn't safe here!"
Numbly, he followed her as she started to lead him over to Tali. Penetrating the thick cloud, they had almost made it when Liara halted suddenly, a funny look on her face.
"Yesss," a deep voice hissed. "It really isn't safe here."
As the billowing grit parted, Liara stood frozen in place, a gleaming monster blocking her way. It was all black, the shining metal clicking as the joints came together. Its legs were large, the feet shaped like talons. The torso was lined and sturdy, but parted enough that Shepard could see the faint red glow of a synthsac embedded in its depths. But it was the head that was truly hideous. It had a pair of glowing red eyes, the nose was only a slit, the jawline was exposed as its mouth moved, enunciating every syllable with a clack.
It was who Shepard was underneath, the real nightmare within the legend. One and the same.
But Rukin was now encased within the same nightmare as the synthetic warbled in rage. Its eyes dropped down a bit, indicating for Shepard to look. The black arm of the endoskeleton was slightly jutting forward, a faint orange glow was surrounding it. Shepard craned his neck to see that Rukin had activated his omni-blade before speaking.
And it was embedded in Liara's chest.
"Ta-ta, Shepard," Rukin growled in a low voice before disengaging his blade, letting Liara slump to the floor at last. Taking advantage of Shepard's disbelief, he turned and ran towards the Mantis at the end, leaping up to it within seconds. Within moments, its thrusters fired and the attack craft zoomed away as Shepard fruitlessly chased it, running outside the temple onto the landing pad.
It had been so quick. Shepard watched the ship turn into a speck on the horizon before falling to his knees and roaring in rage, in agony. It was unthinkable, the fact that he and his squad had been torn apart just like that. That Rukin had succeeded in his mission, had made Shepard look like a complete fool, had stabbed Liara...
Oh god, Liara.
Horror mixed with adrenaline shot through his body, his soul. Shepard ran back into the dank and dusty depths of the temple and found Tali bent over Liara's body, crying. He tripped over a few loose stones and crawled the rest of the way to where the asari was lying on the ground, her hands positioned over her chest. Shepard reached out a hand and she allowed him to see the wound.
The hole spurted a reddish-purple blood in even bursts, staining her white lab coat. Liara smiled weakly, blood starting to stream down her mouth. Shepard swept his omni-tool over her body as he struggled to breathe. It did not look good: a punctured lung and a nicked artery. There was too much internal bleeding for him to manage and there was not enough time to get her to a hospital in a safe zone.
They were losing her.
"I…" Tali mumbled through her tears, "I...tried giving her some...medi-gel. It...It...It didn't work…"
"T-Tali…" Liara barely whispered as her eyes started to glaze over, twitching a hand in the quarian's direction.
She clutched at it helplessly, "Y-Yes, Liara?"
The asari gave a weak smile through her bloodstained teeth, "Please don't...please don't feel bad…"
"Hush now, Liara," Shepard said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "Don't try to talk, save your strength."
"It's...too late for...that now...John. May...may I call you John?"
Shepard held her other hand in reassurance, "Yes, you may."
Liara gave a spluttering cough, blood beading on her lips. Choking back a sob, Tali wiped it away, leaving her face clean. She smiled in response, "T-T-Thank you, Tali."
"It's n-nothing," she sniffled.
"Oh, Tali. I'm...so sorry that I won't be...with you for the end." The quarian could not take any more as she moved to cradle the asari's head as she steadily wept. Shepard smoothed Tali's back to help calm her as he stared at Liara's serene face.
Continuing, Liara gasped, "John...Tali...please forgive me. My place was...with you this whole time and...and now it's all over."
"L-Liara," Tali moaned, "Please don't go...I-I love you."
"I love...you too, Tali. And...I love you, John. You two have been...my closest friends that I've...ever known. I'm truly am grateful...that I got to know you."
"So are we," Shepard said solemnly, feeling dazed, everything seemingly blurry. "You have been a loyal friend, an unparalleled warrior, and one of the kindest people I've ever known in my life. There's no one else I know that I can say the same of."
Liara giggled softly, looking over at the quarian who still held her, "Well...there is perhaps...one other." Turning back to Shepard, her eyes were now moist with tears, "Please...promise me one thing, John."
"Anything," he said, watching Tali lift her head as her eyes wavered behind her visor.
"Keep her happy," she whispered, patting Tali's arm, "Stay with her...until the end. You both...need each other now more than ever."
Shepard so dearly wished he could cry, just break down and have the ability to act normal again, be a young man and go through all of the normal ranges of emotion. Tali certainly could, right now, she was rocking back and forth in her sorrow, softly moaning miserably.
He gave the asari's hand a gentle squeeze, "I promise."
Liara sighed, her eyes slowly trailing upward, her peace nearing its culmination. "Please...don't feel bad...for I know...that we...will…meet...again…"
With a final, quick intake of breath, it slowly trailed out of her as Liara's body relaxed in Tali's arms, her arms hanging loosely. Tali trembled violently as she howled her misery, Shepard closing his eyes in regret. He reached out and brought Tali over for a strong hug, one she had to be coaxed into before she threw her arms over his neck, sobbing as both of them could not form words. He let his head become buried in her shoulder, so that he could mask the pain that chewed at him, that gnawed at his very heart.
The silence became a hushed prayer as they mourned together, weeping for the most noble asari they had ever known. Liara would have been touched at how adored she was by her friends for she now carried their reverence as well as their envy.
A young soul, taken too early. This war's price was perhaps too steep after all.
A/N: Uh-oh. I did it again.
...Please don't kill me.