Chapter 22: We Go Alone

Since the mission was over, Malen and Tali decided to go back down to floor five for some personal time with each other before the next assignment.

Malen:" Is Shepard still in his room EDI?" He asked as they went down the elevator.

EDI:" Shepard is helping Liara with information provided by Cerberus to track down the Shadow Broker. He should be back in at least 6 hours or more."

Malen:" Thank you EDI."

When they made it back down to the cargo bay, Malen had an idea about how they could pass the time.

Malen:" Want to watch a movie? Your pick."

Tali:" I would love to do that!"

They got on the bed as Tali typed on her Omni tool. She selected the movie that she wanted to watch from an extranet source and had her drone project the movie on the opposite wall of the bay. The movie involved a Turian and Quarian falling in love with each other.

Malen was enjoying the movie with Tali as they laughed and teared up as it progressed. Malen had some time to think as he watched the movie since he could process an incredible number of scenarios in his mind at once.

Malen deduced that the next likely mission was the collector base. He was told that it would be a suicide mission when he first became a part of the Normandy crew and it was obviously sincere and unexaggerated when they said it by how worried they sounded. Malen was not worried about his safety since he was a Prince now, but most of the others could still suffer the pain of death. Even though Malen could bring them back with the resurrection shout, he would prefer it if he didn't have to. The more he thought about it, the more that it seemed certain what he must do to ensure the safety of every mortal on the Normandy.

Malen eventually made up his mind and decided to act on it once the movie was over.

Tali:" That was a wonderful movie: one of my favorites really. Did you enjoy it?"

Malen:" I did Tali. I need to ask my sister about something Tali. I will be back shortly."

Tali:" Ok."

Malen:" Is Vaermina still on the ship EDI?" He asked in the elevator.

EDI:" Yes. She is in the gun battery with Garrus."

Malen:" Thank you EDI."

Malen goes up to floor three and enters the gun battery. Vaermina and Garrus seemed deep in conversation. Malen goes up to Vaermina and taps her on right shoulder.

Vaermina raises her hand to interrupt Garrus while he is speaking and turns to her brother.

Vaermina:" What is it brother?"

Malen:" I need to speak with you privately sister."

Vaermina nods her head in understanding.

Vaermina:" I guess we will finish this conversation later Garrus dear."

Garrus:" See you later then darling! I'll tell you about that time with reach and flexibility again from start to finish."

Vaermina:" You better!" She says with a wink.

Malen leads her to the AI core. Legion does not give them attention since it is clear that they did not enter for "him". Malen points to his right side temple.

Malen:" I will speak with you telepathically to make sure that this conversation is heard by no one else. We will be pretending to have a different conversation as we speak by mouth, but the true topic will be spoken by mind."

So Malen and Vaermina pretended to have a conversation about the movie he just watched, the mission they came back from last, and what she and Garrus were discussing, but Malen and Vaermina had the real conversation telepathically.

Malen:" They called the mission to destroy the collector base a "suicide" mission. This is not the case for us two, but the others could be hurt or killed in this engagement and I would rather not have them suffer if I could. Wouldn't you agree?"

Vaermina:" I can see your point in that brother, but are you not confident in your own ability to protect them, or in my ability to do the same?"

Malen:" I suppose you got me there, but over the last few weeks, I have become very protective over the ones that I have come to care about and love. I suppose I just don't want them to worry about something that I could take care of myself, but I know they won't let me do this alone even if they know that I could handle it myself."

Vaermina:" Then why tell me this brother?"

Malen:" Because my plan to do this alone would not work on you since you are a Daedric Lord as well sister, so you might as well help me with it. I also think that you would share a similar feeling as I do: your growing attachments towards Garrus for example."

Vaermina:" You got me there. We have only been talking and having some good laughs, but I can see the man that he is. He is trying to find his ideals and will guard those ideals that he finds for himself fiercely, but he is also timid when it comes to something small or personal: like he thinks so little of himself when it comes to a social life that it is actually kind of cute and a little sad. I'm becoming more and more drawn to him in a sense to see what is the potential of his heart and what it can offer himself and me, and what my heart can offer in turn. I'd rather not see his heart strained any more than he has already done to it himself. I'll help you on this brother, for both you, Tali, Garrus, and the rest of the crew."

Malen:" Thank you Vaermina."

Vaermina:" Do you have a plan for this?"

Malen:" I do actually. Once Shepard gets back, we will make them fall into a dream state that is perceived as real to them, which is your specialty. I will deactivate both Legion and EDI harmlessly since I have more encounters with them. I will make it so that they do not recall being deactivated and implant memories/data files of what transpired into them."

Vaermina:" You sure you can accomplish that Malen? They are not normal mortals and have lesser souls."

Malen:" Did you forget that we are Princes sister? So long as we understand what we are doing and how to do it, then we can accomplish almost anything to a limited degree outside Oblivion."

Vaermina:" True, True. I guess I should make some preparations then. How should the dream go?"

Malen sends visions of the Normandy crew, including him and her, entering the Omega 4 relay and engaging the collectors. The fights inside the collector base, the bases destruction, and them returning to bed. Vaermina understands and memories the vision immediately and prepares to place all the organic mortals on the Normandy into a realistic dream where they can touch, feel, see, smell, and taste.

Both Malen and Vaermina began to work on the proper configuration of spell in order to achieve their desired outcome as they waited for Shepard and his party to return to the Normandy. They worked on their respective spells without any outward display to negate suspicions.

After four more hours of waiting, Shepard and his party finally returned to the Normandy after he helped Liara kill the Shadow Broker and take his place. Malen and Vaermina had finished their respective spells along with some other precautions added to them, like a steady supply of oxygen when EDI is temporarily put offline, an hour prior to Shepard's arrival.

Once everyone was on the Normandy, Vaermina created a blue orb in her hands and expanded it till it enclosed the Normandy. Vaermina's spell put every organic mortal on board into a deep, realistic dream. Malen pointed his left index finger at Legion and shot a small, green orb at him that deactivated him temporarily and implanted the same concepts to Vaermina's dream spell into "him". Malen also shot a green orb from his left thumb at the AI core that put EDI into the same state as Legion. Malen then opened up a small portal in each room of the Normandy and filled them with oxygen so that the organic part of the crew can breath.

Malen and Vaermina's next step was to place everyone in a bed, or reasonable sleeping furniture. It took them a little while to do it, but everyone expect the two of them were now in a dream like state, but none the wiser about it.

Vaermina:" What is our next move brother?" She says out loud.

Malen:" We will go to the Reaper I recently resurrected and use it to enter the Omega 4 relay. I will teleport us there."

Malen summon two black orbs that teleported him and Vaermina inside the Dremora reaper.

Dremora reaper:" You have returned master! And you have brought a sibling with you. What would you have of me master?"

Malen:" Take us to the Omega 4 relay servant. Here is the location."

Malen telepathically shows the Dremora where the relay is and their plans once they get there.

Dremora reaper:" Understood master!"

The Dremora reaper flew off as quickly as it could to his master's goal as it went through the relay to the proper location of the Omega 4 relay. It then entered the desired relay and was propelled all the way to the galactic core.

There were thousands of desolate ships that made up a sort of grave yard that surrounded a certain portion of space away from the collector base. Since they were in a reaper, the perimeter defenses did not activate. Malen used telekinesis to push away any large ship parts away from the reaper as they made their way to the base. The base itself soon came into view as they made their approach. It was a little larger than what Malen pictured it being based on the memories from Harbinger.

A whole on the right side of the base opened up as it anticipated the coming arrival. They entered through the open port whole and exited the reaper. The ground beneath them felt squishy and unstable. Metal and flesh like masses looked meshed together to make the overall interior of the base. The amount of energy ebbing from Vaermina and Malen was noticed by the collectors throughout the base and went on high alert. They traced the high energy readings to the main hanger and marshalled a majority of the combat forces available to neutralize the perceived threat.

Vaermina:" Do you want to simply destroy the base?"

Malen:" No. I want to see if they were working on anything here since they have been abducting humans in vast quantities. If it turns out there is nothing useful to be had here then we blow up the base." He said as he equipped his Daedric armor.

Vaermina:" A fair answer I suppose."

No later than she said that did they hear strange and somewhat beastly sounds echoed a ways inside the base.

Malen:" It seems that they have noticed us: hard to miss a Daedric Prince entering a place. I would be insulted if they didn't give us a welcoming committee."

Vaermina:" So would I. I can see at least 40,000 combatants running towards us. This might be boring."

Malen:" Let's make the most out of it then while we are here then." He said as he equipped an unenchanted Daedric sword.

Vaermina also equipped a Daedric sword as the prepared for a massive slaughtering. It didn't take the collectors long to reach the hanger, seeing as though that they sent most of their forces towards the energy anomaly. Both Malen and Vaermina began their charge at the collectors as they began their slaughter of the collectors.

Blow me Away by Breaking Benjamin plays

The collectors were beyond helpless as they were slashed, bashed, and thrown into pieces with every strike of their swords. Groups of collectors fell each time a sword was swung and made contact: parts of them blasted with enough force to kill and hurl other collectors into walls. Malen and Vaermina ran through the collectors like they were nothing but air as they made their way to the presumed core of the base. The parts of the base that had abysses to it were easily flown over as they made their way deeper into the base. Eventually they made it to a large central chamber where a human reaper in the embryotic stage was being held in place. Malen and Vaermina landed on the platform just in front of the reaper. Malen summoned a tentacle and impaled the reaper with it as he drained its knowledge and life from it. The reaper fell lifelessly into the abyss as it broke into pieces once Malen removed the large tentacle from its chest cavity.

The song ends.

Vaermina:" Did you aquire anything useful from that?"

Malen:" I did: just about the only thing useful here. Let me take care of a loose end before we destroy this place."

Vaermina:" And that would be?"

Malen:" Downsizing an "Illusive Man" so to speak."

Malen closed his eyes and entered a trance like state for a while before snapping his eyes open returned his perceptions back to his argonian form.

Malen:" We won't be hearing from that asshole ever again. Would you like the honors of destroying this place or should I."

Vaermina:" It would be my pleasure to destroy this unimaginative cesspit." She says as she crosses her right arm over her chest.

A strong blue aura surrounded Vaermina as she brought out more and more of her awe inspiring power. She then flung her hand out and sent out a massive wave of explosive energy that blasted the base into tiny pieces.

Once there was nothing left of the base except the memory of it, Malen and Vaermina were standing in space as if there was an invisible floor beneath them.

Malen:" Did you enjoy that sister?"

Vaermina:" I can see why Dagon might enjoy it, but it really isn't my cup of tea: not to say that it was not pleasant to do."

Malen ordered the Reaper that they arrived in, that was not destroyed in the explosion due to Vaermina's excellent spell targeting, to return to the place where he was placed inside the reaper.

Malen summoned black orbs that teleported them back to the Normandy. Malen headed to the bed in cargo bay where Tali was sleeping, and Vaermina went to crew quarters where Garrus was sleeping. Once they were position on the beds, Vaermina and Malen undid the spells on the Normandy crew, Legion, and EDI ( Who was unshackled by a Dremora under Malen's guidance of procedure in accordance with what transpired in the dream that they all had).

Tali started to wake up and she looked at Malen next to her.

Malen:" I bet that rest felt good after that hell."

Tali:" It should did love. I'm almost feel ready for the next big thing now actually."

Malen laughed at what that sounded like out of context.

Malen:" I'm sure you are darling. I'm sure you are."

Author's Notes: I hope you enjoyed this short chapter. Tell me in the reviews of what you thought of it. The next chapter will be called " Trolling the Reapers".