Chapter Nineteen: Meet the Rogue One

Several Days later

Shepard was looking over the psych-eval of Zane that Kelly had given him. Kelly had seen it fit to do several sessions with him over the last few days and now Shepard knew why.

"Distraught, fearful, incredibly protective of Tali and team. Even more protective of his past. Recommend immediate resolve or else it may prove hazardous. Secondary note, coupling between Tali and Zane beyond a doubt confirmed. Personally, all I have to say is…finally. Took them long enough." Shepard smiled at the comments and even he agreed with the last statement. They always had a certain chemistry that no one on the Normandy really had. Even him and Liara didn't develop as strong a connection as Zane and Tali did. There was no Zane without Zorah the saying became.

"Wonder how Liara is doing anyway?" He thought.

"Uh, Commander?" Joker asked over the intercom knocking Shepard from his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Tali just went to have 'chat' with Legion. And she didn't look happy. Zane has been informed and is already there waiting for you." Shepard sighed. He should've known Tali and Legion would go at each other's throats after rewriting the Geth eventually but not even he thought it would be this shortly afterward.

"On it." He said and went to the elevator and went down a floor. He quickly went to the AI core and saw Zane leaning against a wall and Shepard nodded to him.

"Shepard." He nodded back.

"How bad is it?"

"Legion was about to transmit encrypted data to the Geth. Stolen from Tali's omni-tool." Zane said nonchalantly as if it were just another Thursday.

"Well, that is not good." Shepard said also nonchalantly.

"Nope. I'll take care of Tali you take care of Legion."

"You sure you can handle her?" Shepard asked and Zane laughed in response.

"Handle her? Nothing can handle her but I can at least calm her…a little." Zane said and the doors open. Tali had a shotgun pointed at Legion and was ready to pull the trigger.

"Zane and Shepard, glad, you are both here. Legion was trying to send encrypted data to the Geth. Can I shoot it now?" She asked and looked at Zane.

"Shepard-Commander and Zane-Harbinger-Reaper. Creator Tali'Zorah acts out of care for her people. But her people did try to enslave us once again. We also have found increased weapons and armor in the Migrant Fleet. We believe we have the right to warn our people should the Creators attack." Legion said. Zane and Shepard nodded to each other.

"Legion those weapons and armor are for the upcoming Reaper War given to them by the Organization. And if you make the Geth believe otherwise then the chances of the Geth attacking increase immensely you know it and I know it. Leaving both factions weakened when the Old Machines come." Shepard finished and Legion seemed to lower his guard slightly.

"Tali, we both know that is true. This war has lasted long enough the Morning War is done. It is time to extend an olive branch…the both of you. And Legion, I will make sure the weapons and armor are only used against the Reapers. You have my word." Zane asked and Tali gripped her gun tightly before looking down in shame. "There is nothing to be shameful of Tali but you have a chance to end the plight of your people and to start a new beginning for them. A time where your people no longer have to fear the Geth." She looked at Zane for several moments and he nodded to her before she looked to Legion.

"I…I understand the reason for what you were doing Legion. What if I gave you unclassified material to send to the Geth Network?" She said and it was clear it was hard for her to swallow her pride, her people's pride to work alongside with a Geth. And now she had to do it again to allow Legion to send material to the Geth. All for the possibility that she and her people may benefit from this in the long run. Shepard was proud of her and Zane looked like he was too.

"We would be most grateful." And they began to work together. Tali looked at Zane and they nodded to each other. Shepard was happy for them despite the fact that Garrus had taken thirty credits from him on a bet on how long it would be before Zane and Tali got together.

"Zane, we need to talk." Shepard told him and Zane quirked his brow.

…

"Alright, Shepard, what do you need?" Zane asked when they entered his room. It was beginning to smell like Tali since she pretty much gave up sleeping in her own bed. Luckily, he loved her smell but had yet to place what she smelled like.

"Kelly told me you looked fearful."

"What, fearful, me? No never." Zane said and cracked his knuckles and Shepard gave him a knowing look.

"Zane, I told you if you needed anything that we would be there for you. Please tell me." He said gently and Zane couldn't hide it any longer. The Voice had been slowly returning. Images of Ilos and a feeling of being rushed soon followed.

"I need to go to Ilos." He said and Shepard's eyes shifted from gentle to something else.

"Why?" Shepard asked almost…was that fearful?

"It isn't something I can explain but it is something you need to see. To witness it and then all will become clear then." Zane tried.

"Zane whatever trouble you are in I am…"

"I am in contact with a Reaper!"

"Wait, what?"

"There is a Reaper out there. It has been contacting me. I don't know how but it has been. I see images and flashes. Visions and I hear the whispers of what it wants me to do. The Voice says it can help us and I believe it." A look of confusion passed through Shepard's face.

"Zane…you sound indoctrinated."

"I know and perhaps in a way I am but I am right. Remember Virmire? Remember when we spoke with Sovereign?" Shepard nodded and then began to remember the conversation more clearly.

…

"But not even that is true, is it?" Zane asked Nazara. "There is one of you that rejects you…a Rogue One. One that will never conform to your will or to the cycle. It waits for your return and then it will fight." Nazara was quiet for a long time before it spoke in the closest thing to an absolutely fuming voice a synthetic could.

"You speak of Vitkin it will know what death is soon enough. But you…you are linked to it I see it now. Your demise will be quick but not Vitkin's it will last for millennia. This conversation is over." Nazara's red hologram disappeared and the windows then exploded and the room shook violently.

"How did you…" Shepard began before he was cut off by Zane.

…

After the death of Ashely, Kaiden, and the near death of Zane he forgot to bring the conversation back up. He had always been curious about how Zane knew about this apparent Rogue Reaper. If this was true then perhaps they could all get some answers. But Shepard could see the fear in Zane's eyes in retrospect, Zane had been having that look for a long time lately.

"Have you told anyone else? Have you told Tali?" He asked and Zane shook his head and sat on his bed. He rested his chin on his folded hands. Zane's face only grew in terror as he sat there and seemingly thought about his options.

"Oh, what am I going to do? I should've been looking for it while you were out cold. Now so much has happened…but we have to do it. The Voice says it must be done. Or else the mission will fail." He said and Shepard didn't like any of this. He was hoping that after rewriting the Geth then everything would be done and they could attack the Collectors as soon as the IFF was scrubbed and installed onto the Normandy.

"Alright, Zane we will go to Ilos as soon as possible. Get some rest for right now. You look like you could use it." Shepard told him and he nodded hesitantly.

"Yes, Sir…and thank you. I don't know what it wants other than me. But…I do know this. Do not underestimate it. It has killed its own brethren and has survived for over 50,000 years despite opposing the Reapers since before the Protheans." Zane said and then began to take off his jacket and gear so that he could go to sleep.

…

Soon…soon you will meet your master. Soon you will know your purpose, to be a servant, a tool to bring about what it has wanted for so long. It has waited too long and has grown tiresome of your waiting. Perhaps it should erase the problem? Make her scream in pain as you watch her burn away? To teach you a lesson of who you follow!

That's what I would do but Vitkin has seen it fit to hear you for itself. You and your friends are lucky that not only it is generous but also that it is out of time for a plan C.

Vitkin waits for you Zane. The Rogue One waits for you. You know where now go there!

Or we will make her hurt in so many ways…

…

"Ah!" He shouted as he woke up the images of Tali burning, dying, being ripped apart, they still echoed in his mind. He felt a hand on his chest and looked to his left and saw her lying beside him. The look in her eyes was that of concern and that she was just about to go to sleep.

"What is it, Zane?" She asked but he couldn't speak, all he could do was grab her hand and stare at her. Trying to erase her death from her mind. Trying to prove to himself that it wasn't real. That she was still there. The image of a fist going through the mask flashed for a moment but he cast it away. The Voice was proving a point to him.

Tool. That is all you are.

"I…just…" He couldn't finish it and she sat up and wrapped him in her arms.

"Hush now. I'm okay, you're okay, the Normandy is fine. We are all fine."

"But for how long?" He thought and buried his face into her suit. The images still echoed and he couldn't get them out. He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter and she did the same.

"I'm scared Tali." He said simply he was so close to crying from the fear.

"About what?" She asked and he hoped she would just assume he was speaking about the Suicide Mission.

"The next mission is for me…it is about me. I can't say more than that…I just..." The images of her being torn apart flashed again and shut his eyes tightly. He wanted them gone he needed them gone.

"I'm here Zane, don't worry. I am here." She said and a single tear fell from his eye. And then the images ended. The Voice quieted down and then eventually it just stopped its taunting altogether.

"I… I can't lose you…I won't." He whispered and he felt her rub his back comfortably.

"I am going nowhere, Zane. You will not lose me."

"How do you know?" He thought and then realized that for as afraid as he had been about Sovereign he was much more scared of Vitkin. Vitkin had made a point of making sure Zane knew he was a tool and nothing more. And chances were Vitkin felt like that for everything and everyone. All it cared about was itself, the mission, the end. The means meant nothing, only the ending was the priority for Vitkin and that was terrifying to Zane.

…

Tali held Zane's hand as she looked upon the dead planet once again. It was still as rusted, brown, and decayed as two years ago. But now the absolute fear she felt was gone. Instead, it was replaced by a calling, a compulsion to go onto the planet. She wasn't sure why this was. Two years ago, she felt fear, and it was a fear she felt very clearly. That fear made her freeze in fright and she was almost paralyzed. It was bizarre to her how such a change could occur in a relatively short amount of time.

"Ilos…can't say I'm happy to see it again." Shepard said as the shuttle began making its way to the planet. It was all-hands-on-deck for this one. EDI had said she needed some more time to get the IFF scrubbed and installed and then they could go to the Collector Base. The Normandy was at the edge of the system and was waiting for them to return and then they could attack the Collector's and be done with this for once and for all.

"That makes two of us." Garrus said.

"Three of us." Tali followed. Just because she was compelled to go to the planet didn't mean she liked to see it. The shuttle was cramped and she and Zane were nearly sitting on each other's lap. And even now that fear she saw in his eyes a few hours ago remained and only seemed to increase as they approached the decaying planet. She caressed his hand again and he gave her own hand a squeeze as a thank you.

"Zane, you know they will want to know why we are here." Shepard said and Zane's hand went still and turned cold. He sighed loudly and gently moved her so he could get up.

"We are on Ilos because I have news a very powerful ally that may be of use to us. The mission is to go in and find it." He said and looked down and sighed again.

"We need details, Zane. Race, looks, the works." Miranda said callously.

"Here is the hard part. It is a Reaper." Tali's heart stopped for several moments.

"A Reaper?!" She thought and murmurs and whispers began in the shuttle quickly.

"It has gone Rogue and wants to see the Reaper threat extinguished." Zane said.

"How do you know Zane?" Jacob asked.

"It…it has been contacting me for the past two years. Ever since the old Normandy. I have seen visions, heard whispers, they all tell me to find the Rogue One. And while on the Derelict Reaper did I find out that the Reaper was on Ilos." Zane said and the whispers turned to silence. Even Tali was shocked.

"Why didn't he tell me? Why did he tell Shepard but not me?!" She thought and wasn't sure what to feel. She was angry at him for not telling her that bit of importance. But then again, she could understand why he didn't say anything. Even she would have a hard time believing it.

"So, you know the mission. Go down there find the Reaper and have Zane talk it into working with us." Shepard said and nods were the reply. They knew what they were getting into and they would see it through.

And Tali would do anything for Zane. Even this batch of crazy -while surprising- was still worth going through for him.

He looked at her and went to sit somewhere else. She quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him to her. The hug was tight and was as comforting to her as it probably was for him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered to him. And she could hear him become relieved.

"I didn't want you to think lesser of me. To think I was insane." He said.

She smiled gently. "You are insane, I thought we had established that?" She said and he laughed.

"I love you." He whispered.

"Love you too." She told him.

"Alright, Lovebirds get ready." Garrus said and then everyone got ready to exit the shuttle.

…

Ilos was more decayed then he thought. He had seen the footage of course. Hell, it was his idea to take the footage from Tali's mask and use it as proof of the Reaper threat existing. But those few clips were nothing to the real deal. The decay, the rust, the feeling of not belonging, and the overall feeling of being watched seemed to stain the very soul of the planet. It was as if the planet was alive and it didn't want to be disturbed. But behind it was a call. A feeling of wanting to delve deeper into its depths.

"Nothing has changed it seems." Shepard said as they stood on the same ground the Mako had landed over two years ago. The tire tracks and the large imprints from the tires were still visible even after so long in the open. The wind was scarce and the dead planet was deadly still as a result.

"Any idea where the Reaper is?" Garrus asked Zane and he shut his eyes. He could hear a faint whisper. And as he turned his head he could hear it more clearly.

"Vitkin is this way." Zane said and began walking through the wreckage. The feeling to follow the whispers drove him on. It was a feeling that didn't seem natural. He wanted to find Vitkin of course, but this was deeper than that. It was a compulsion. He couldn't turn away even if he had to.

"Great, it has a name." Zaeed jested. They all had their weapons out but Zane was relaxed with his. He didn't feel like he was in any danger at the moment. The only thing he felt was the compulsion to move on and the feeling of being watched. He constantly looked at the large skyscrapers and would imagine that each dark corridor was an eye socket for Vitkin to see out of. It was like the skeletons, the statues, the abandoned buildings, the walls themselves all had eyes!

As they passed through the decayed, rusted, and abandoned buildings Zane saw what was once a thriving city. And it wasn't the Prothean's thriving city or even the Inusannon's but it was whatever race Killara was. Its people had managed to survive on this world for ages long since forgotten and then the races after it took this planet and built over its people's legacy. It must've been infuriating for Killara if it could even feel infuriated.

"How much longer?" Shepard asked and Zane just kept walking for a few moments.

"I don't know. But we are getting closer." He said and he felt like he was getting closer to Vitkin with each step taken.

The crew went through the husks of long abandoned buildings and with each room they passed Zane would wonder what its purpose was. Who lived in it? What were they? Was it Killara's people? And then a little while later, another room and the same questions would pop into his mind. They would delve into deep tunnels and dark caves only to come out and see another once thriving city.

"How many caves are there?" Garrus asked.

"Illos was a city planet. Layers upon layers of cities built on top of each other that rose to the what is now the last level. Each cycle that found this planet would later colonize it and built on top of the remnants of the last cycle." Zane explained.

"How do you know that?" Kasumi asked.

"I don't… Vitkin does though. And if I am starting to feel its thoughts…we must be getting closer." He said and he hurried through another city level. And then they were at the mouth of a large and dark cave. It was like the cave was a black hole and they were at the event horizon. If they entered they may never find their way out. It would be a miracle if they managed to make their way back to the surface with how far they had gone.

The cave beckoned him inwards and he knew he had to go into the dark cave.

"That looks menacing." Garrus said.

"I will go in. You don't have to follow me." Zane said and was about to take a step into the mouth of the cave before Tali grabbed his wrist.

"I am with you." She said with a nod.

"As am I." Garrus said.

"Here, here." Kasumi said.

"Looks dangerous…I'm in." Grunt said with a grunt.

"I don't think you can ditch us that easily." Shepard said and Zane nodded to each of them and began making his way into the mouth of the cave.

As they made their way into the cave the tension rose. If Zane thought the planet's walls had eyes he knew this cave's walls had eyes. He was being watched but he wasn't sure by whom.

An image of a grinning smile appeared and then a finger beckoning him forward appeared in his mind. The Voice hadn't left him and it was still making sure Zane was doing as commanded. Zane knew what he had to do and he kept moving. And with each step, the darkness only increased. Light soon became nonexistent and they had no idea where they were.

Zane took another step and heard a loud *crunch* sound. He halted and activated his omni-tool. He used the light and looked down.

Bones and skeletons marked the ground. They were alien bones and Zane wasn't sure what the species was. He scanned the room with his light and he realized they were surrounded by the dead. Some bones were charred black, some were frozen in ice, some were missing limbs, heads, and other vital parts. They were old but the missing limbs and parts were forcefully removed by the way the skeletons looked.

Some skeletons were on the ground in a crawling position as they seemingly tried to escape whatever was destroying them. Zane saw the remains of technology and bent to pick up a hand-held device. He pressed a button and blue beam shot out of it and scarred the wall.

"Oh shit!" He yelled and pressed another button and the grip of the pistol-like weapon slid down and inside was something amazing. A floating casing that was in the midst of being rebuilt!

Zane quickly took one of his own magazines and pressed a button and the side slid down and he saw a similar looking bullet-like casing floating in a mass effect field.

"This is where that tech came from." He thought and gently put the pistol away. "We could use this." And then they moved forward. As they got further and further into the cave the bones also got older and older until only dust remained.

In only a few more steps the bones, dust, dirt, and rock ended and they began to step upon metal. The metal was reflective and was pitch black. And Zane could feel the urge to be beckoned end. The comfortable weather and climate changed in an instant and he could see his breath as the temperature dropped to near nothing. As soon as the last member stepped onto the metal floor a door appeared and they were trapped.

"Contact!" Shepard yelled and Zane grabbed his rifle with the others and looked around but nothing happened. No enemies appeared and no threat could be seen. Then the dark room began to light up. The lights were an icy blue color and then he knew where they were.

"We are here…this is Vitkin." Zane said and the could feel the collective attitude of the team drop like the temperature. They began to move forward and then another door appeared and separated Zane from the rest of the group. And then an immense pain took over his mind and he soon saw nothing.

…

"Zane!" Tali shouted and banged on the door. She kept trying to bash it open but Shepard eventually grabbed her arm.

"Tali stop! We will get to him. Let's just go around. There has to be another way." Shepard said and she nodded her head and touched the door one more time. Shepard saw her shake in fear.

They stepped onto a catwalk and followed the blue lights. They were pulsing seemingly in the way they had to go and as if they were being commanded. Regardless, the team followed the lights willingly. They entered a room made of glass and they looked down and saw Zane walking. He had his gun in one hand and was nearly dragging it beside him. He looked at them and Shepard heard the team gasp.

Zane's eyes glowed an unnatural blue. They were as bright as the lights around them and even then, his eyes surpassed them. His face was still and showed no emotion and he continued to walk forward. And soon he was out of sight.

"Zane!" Tali shouted again and this time she was crying. Her sobs echoed in the room and Shepard put a hand on her shoulder.

"We can still help him. Come on, we are taking this Reaper down!" Shepard said remembering that after taking out the core did Zane return to reality on the derelict Reaper. The team made their way through the Reaper known as Vitkin. The Reaper's interior was a labyrinth with twisting paths and seemingly circles and dead ends whenever they strayed from the lighted path. They soon found themselves at a fork in the Reaper. They had two places they could go and Shepard had to make a decision. The lights were going up both paths with seemingly no deviation from the path's lighting.

"Me, Tali, and Garrus will take the right side. The rest go left. Stay in contact and be careful. We don't know what this Reaper is capable of." Shepard said and his team went down the right corridor. The blue lights leading the way.

Shepard kept his rifle close at hand and was prepared for any surprise. As they approached rooms the doors would close and Tali was unable to hack into them and then a shutdown would commence restricting her even further.

"Damn it!" She cursed and they moved on and soon found another room. This one didn't shut and they stacked up beside the door.

"I'll go in first." Garrus suggested and Shepard gave a nod.

"Now!" Shepard shouted and Garrus entered with Shepard right on his tail. As soon as Garrus put his gun barrel through the opening the door began to close. Garrus rushed forward and Shepard went back.

"Shepard!" Garrus shouted and then the door closed. With Garrus trapped inside.

"Team Two this is Shepard do you read?" Only static was his reply and he cursed.

"Perhaps Vitkin is jamming comms?" Tali suggested and Shepard nodded. That was the best-case scenario.

"We better hurry or who knows what will happen to Garrus and Zane." Shepard said and they kept moving. They were careful to watch for any more traps and made sure to stay close to one another.

As they moved forward out of the corner of his eye Shepard saw what looked like a figure. He snapped his gun to the right and saw nothing.

"What is it?' Tali asked.

"I…I don't know." He said and they moved forward. They kept moving and then he saw it again. A figure of blue and white. And snapped his gun over and for a moment he saw…something. It was an icy blue colored figure and then it disappeared. Without thinking, Shepard ran forward and then he was trapped behind several walls. He looked around and then an incredible pain began to overtake his mind until his vision turned hazy and then he saw nothing else.

…

"Shepard!" Tali cried and felt hopeless. She was all alone and was trapped in a Reaper. A part of her wanted to run away. To turn around and never come back. But Zane was in here, Shepard was in here, and so was the rest of the Normandy crew and they would never leave her. So she would not leave them. She stepped into another room and it was sparse like the rest but seemed different.

It was black and looked like it was scientific in purpose. A large vat of green liquid large enough to hold a large Krogan was in the center of the room and beside it were tables and a computer screen. She went to the screen and scanned it.

The language was unrecognizable but she still tried to translate it. And to her surprise, her omni-tool was successfully translating some of the words.

…

Subject: Zaam-Aar-Nah-Enook

Found approx: 200 eruvos ago

Willingness: 95%

Reconstruction time: 170 eruvos

Reconstruction Completion: 98%

Uth Probability: 68%...diminishing rapidly

Cycle approaching: Less than one eruvos

Discard or Gaar: Gaar

Gaar location: Citadel

Gaar eruvos: 2181 galactic eruvos

...

Tali was unsure what to make of the data. It seemed like something was being created or recreated and was released or kept four years ago on the Citadel assuming she translated eruvos and gaar correctly. But what was it? And what was the Uth probability? She had many questions and the data told her very little. She scanned the liquid and she read what its make-up was.

Most of the liquid was nanites suspended in a gel that mirrored both Dextro and Levo-amino acids. The nanites seemed to be in a stasis mode and seemed to be waiting for a command of some sort.

She went to a table and saw that it had the remains of the gel but instead of being a dark green color it was the color of blood. A dark red or crimson that stained the table. On another table, it was a dark blue color but it was still the same gel. She saw tools and many of them looked alien and foreign as well as other computers but Tali was unable to hack into the terminals.

Tali moved forward, gun in hand, and still, no one had tried to make contact with her. She could only assume either they were dead or her earlier assumption that Vitkin was jamming them was true. She entered another room and this one was spacious but also spartan in design. The door shut behind her and a sharp pain entered her mind. She tried to resist but the pain only increased. She was brought to her knees but still, the pain persisted. From the corner of her eyes, she saw an icy blue figure appear. It walked to her uncaringly. She lifted her head slowly.

It was twice the size of a normal man. It wore armor seemingly made from ice and its eyes glowed like Zane's had but these were even fiercer then Zane's own eyes. Its face was blocked by the ice-colored helmet it wore that had horns atop it like a crown. Nothing could be made from the species. But it looked a lot like a human. Five fingers, its boots were like a human, and its overall body structure was that of a human. Just much bigger.

"I see now why he likes you. You are strong…stronger then I assumed. Stronger then I predicted. Your pull is great, but just how great I wonder?" A booming voice echoed off the walls. She raised her shotgun only for the being to kick it down with enough force to break it in two. The boots were seemingly made of ice and the mist of sublimation fell down to her arm and chilled her through the suit.

"Ah!" She shouted after her head somehow increased in pain. If before the pain was like a knife being jammed into her brain then this was a saw cutting her in two.

"You are nothing here little one. You are but a speck to me." It asked and Tali felt its eyes on her.

"Where…where is Zane? I need to see him…please." She begged and a rumbling laughter came from the walls.

"And just as he likes you, you like him? How strange…and unexpected. I wonder, how would you feel if you knew the truth? His truth?" And then darkness enveloped her vision before she finally succumbed and saw no more.