Chapter 24: Reapers and Reunions
Character Celantra
"They found who?" Celantra asked K as he called her over to the portal that had opened and Tom had come through.
"Apparently this commando team that Diablo had set up some time ago to enhance an organization that was aligned with him," Tom said, "Sounds like that plan backfired and now an entire galaxy is on the verge of being wiped out by..."
"By Reapers," Celantra hissed, "K its Shepard, Diablo found Shepard. I know that getting Qui-gon and the others is important but Middle Earth has already been freed, for now anyways. You Doug and I have to go help. It's... their universe was the one that I was trapped in for all those years we were apart."
K snarled and smashed his fist through a wall then sighed... "Doug get one of you to come with us, then inform Terrador that this is his mission until we get back. Once you all are done here get Brian Fenix and the Ship Master and their fleets when we get back I expect us to have the biggest assortment of vessels in creation. Also see if you can find where we can create a link between this universe and Lucifer's Prison."
"Got it," Doug replied as one of his various forms walked up to K and C, "shall we go?"
"Right this way," Tom said as he gestured towards the portal that was lighting up the bridge.
C stepped through and was greeted with a pleasant sight, Diablo, Baal, Mephisto and Tyreal were laughing it up to one of Jack's overblown stories outside the gates to a secluded little town in the forest. The slightly crazy biotic was fond of telling stories that were even bigger than her actual accomplishments, which were numerous.
"And then there was this reaper thing that was like twice the size of the base and I had to hold it off while Shepard set the pulse up..." Jack said then she stopped and turned around at the sound of C coming through the portal. "What the... Celantra. Hold that thought guys. C its good to see you again."
"And you Jack," C replied, "I've not missed the invasion have I?"
"No you haven't," Jack said, "Hey Shepard guess who is back!"
"Is it the purple monkey again I told you to stop using that stuff..." Shepard said as he rounded the corner, "Oh."
"What 'Oh' is all I get," C remarked, "Harold, its good to see you too."
"Harold," K said, "Nice name and I think he was 'oh-ing' at me."
C looked over to K and saw that he was in his Prime form, all warped metal, twisted flesh and dark smoldering fire and smoke with lightning arcing through the ash clouds that surrounded her husband.
"K," Tyreal remarked, "Seems you still retain your old form here."
"In Sanctuary,yes," K answered, "probably in this universe I'll retain this form."
"That's the brother I remember," Mephisto laughed, "Good to see you haven't lost your touch."
While K and his friends bantered C nodded Tyreal over and motioned for Harold to take them to the rest of the crew. They had all gathered around in the inn, owned by a strong looking girl named Leah, most shouted a greeting at the sight of her entrance but C's attention was attracted to one person, Tali. The Quarian was sitting at the bar talking with another angle, this one female, but instead of the suit that had always been Tali's dress she had on some stout leather armor and some plated material probably grafted in from her suit.
"Tali," C said as she sat down next to her, "You're..."
"Not stuck in a suit," Tali replied, "yes I know. This is Auriel by the way, nice lady she just lost her home like we did ours."
"Auriel your one of Tyreal's kin are you not," C said, "K used to speak of the crystal heavens of Sanctuary, I'm so sorry."
"You know K," Auriel asked, "Diablo said he might come to help but last I recalled K was the worst of all the Primes."
"I was," K said as he walked in leaving the smell of smoke and ash as he passed by to sit next to C, "But your talking to my wife and it was I who convinced Diablo and his brothers to join me."
"Indeed? Well their change is certainly obvious Tyreal would not associate with them if they were still as they were," Auriel replied slightly tensely.
"I sense a lot of history here," Tali said, "Care to fill me in?"
"K why don't you do that," C said, "I'm going to see about getting us in the air."
K nodded and began his story while C went to sit next to Blood-Raven, Xarle, Garrus and Ashley.
"So you were right," Ash said, "You really did come from another universe, and you say God is the same where you come from?"
"Yes," C replied, "My theory is that Jesus' sacrifice came before any physical universe existed and is the link between them all. But religion is not what I came here to discuss, I need to know about the Reapers."
"Yeah they hit Earth a few weeks ago," Garrus said, "We've been chasing down pieces for a super weapon and playing politics with the races ever since, Palavin is falling and Thessia doesn't have long before the Reapers hit there..."
"I'm... even I have no words, sorry seems so pointless," C said, "As bad as it is we can help, but first, Harold!"
"C," Shepard responded as he walked over, "What did you want?"
"Indoctrination," C replied, "How does it work?"
"We're not really sure how it works all we can do is see the results of it, people are not themselves, they attack their own friends, commit random acts of destruction and violence, its not a pretty sight."
"So it can be done from a distance," C stated, "But must take a good deal of time to affect its target... could, K could Imperious have been indoctrinated?"
"What? Well I suppose its possible but he would have had to been fixated on the source for a long, I mean a long time," K replied before going back into his story for the now fixated Tali, Auriel and Leah.
"Well there weren't any Reapers at the arch when we were there," Raven said.
"But if the Reaper just need the intense attention of the one it is trying to indoctrinate..." Ash remarked.
"Then the Reaper could have been the enemy of this Imperious and still could have controlled him," Shepard said.
"And the only enemy that Imperious had was the sudo-hell that the Primes are from," Xarle finished, "Well that explains who is controlling the demons."
"I don't like the sound of that," Shepard said, "The Reapers are bad enough without an army of demons to add to their ranks."
"Agreed," Tyreal said as he walked inside, "One way or another we are going to have to assault the Demon Gate, with the power of the Arch inside me I can bring it down but we will have to search for this Reaper, or whatever it might be, from there."
"True," Baal elaborated, "There are five Prime planes, K's, Malafor's, Diablo's, Mephisto's and mine, as well as the four Lesser plains and then the broad expanses that connect them, not to mention that this Reaper could have built its own plain into the realm."
"No need to break down the gate," Raven said, "Our palace is still operational since I took control of the demons that were last used to attack it. We can enter from there and we will be at a relative mid point between the various realms."
"Then we waste no more time here," Cain said, "Raven what do you need to create a portal to you palace?"
"Something old like a relic or something," Blood-Raven replied.
"We've got this old scabbard," Lyndon said, "Would it work?"
"Absolutely," Xarle said, "Now give me about an hour to get this thing working, socialize or something, get to know our new friends."
C nodded and went to talk with the various people that had gotten caught up in this misadventure, David, Nikki, Ezio, Leah, Lilith, Bethany, Lyndon, and to catch up with her old friends from the Normandy. When Xarle signaled that the portal was ready C didn't really want to get back to work but after a jovial remark from Wrex about smashing something she shrugged the feeling off and followed Grunt and Liarra through with K behind her and the rest after him. The other side of the portal opened out into Xarle and Raven's courtyard, they were greeted by some of the demon dogs which nuzzled Raven as she patted them. The red haze in the sky and the heat of the nearby lava flows seemed to be muted inside the walls of the keep but, sadly, they were not to remain long within the enchanted grounds.
"Alright," Tali said, "I've got a lock on a Reaper signature. Wait that's not right, it says that the Reaper should be right... over there." Tali pointed to a fountain over by the gate to the keep proper.
"This is a realm of demons and magic," Xarle said, "Its possible that..." A fire ball shot from his hand towards the fountain and passed right through it.
"A new realm and its on our door step," Raven remarked in her spectral voice.
C started for the fountain motioned for K to move around to the opposite side then stepped through the rift into a nightmare world. Synthetically modified demons howled as they charged her, some were no more than grinding teeth and claws with mechanical propulsion while other were massive meaty bruisers with cannons built into them. She countered the first wave of attacks by herself and K was there when the second wave showed up. A swarm of flying beetle creatures dropped in the third wave but by then the rest of the group had made it through and the fight became more of a slaughter. At least until the three defeated waves were struck with red light and got back to their feet, or claws, or other extremities.
"The Reaper is reviving them," Harold shouted, "We have to kill it to put these monster down for good!"
"Where is it," K demanded.
"If these readings are correct," Tali said as she scanned the area, "it should be right above us. Oh Keelah, Duck!"
C finished off the demons that were attacking her before glancing up. Hurtling towards them was a massive, crustacean shaped ship with five leg-like appendages, all of which were powering up lasers. Without a second thought C raised a shield around the group to intercept the deadly beams. K kept the demons off of her while she absorbed the power from the Reaper's attack and then turned it against the unsuspecting machine and its cronies. C's shield lit up a bright orange before expanding outwards in a wave of devastation leaving all but the largest monsters in little pools on the ground. The Reaper was decommissioned but the giant body was still crashing towards them. Tyreal met the corpse in mid fall however and phased through it dissolving the entire mass into a cloud of dust and ash.
"That's for my home," Tyreal declared as he landed beside them once again, "And for the home I hope to see again one day."
"Keelah se'lai," Tali said, "That's our phrase for what you just said..."
"Now it seems that there are four of us who have lost our homes," Shepard said as he placed a hand on Tyreal's shoulder, "We'll help you get yours back, but first we have to stop the Reapers."
"First," K said, "Its time I reestablished my rule here." K then let out a bellow that literally blew the rest of them away from him. The entire dimension started vibrating, rattling, then the demons started to punch their way up out of the ground and gathered around K.
"Masttter," A specter hissed as its glowing blue form floated over to K, "I've preparedd as you askedd."
"Good," K said, "We have a galaxy to save."
"And you prepared a demon army to help just on the offhand chance," Shepard said.
"Not the offhand chance," K replied, "Originally this army was meant to take over the galaxy not save it, but plans and people change."
"Damn C you're husband has one hell of a past," Garrus said, "Oh sorry bad choice of words... considering."
"I know its hard to tell from looking at him in this form," C said as she leaned into K, "But he is much more majestic and noble than he was."
"Well more majestic anyways," K rumbled in amusement as demons and creatures of all kinds started appearing and assembling around them.
"This army is larger than the rest of our armies combined," Mephisto observed, "What exactly were you planning?"
K simply grinned and nodded to C at that before releasing her from the hug that they had inadvertently fallen into.
"You... you were going to come after me," C thought to him.
"Of course," K replied.
"Maybe its me but are we missing something here," Wrex asked.
"They are probably telepathic," Jack quipped.
Cain laughed at that before opening a portal back to Sanctuary and the inn.
Character Maya
"Yes I'm sure this is it," Maya a tall lady with cropped hair died purple said to her short and less technically inclined friend Salvador.
"Hnn," The short bearded black haired man grunted, "Well ok I hope there is actual loot this time."
"More meat for the bicycles," Krieg, the large muscular physio, shouted.
"Ever figured out what he means when he shouts at you," Salvador asked.
"We have an... understanding," Maya said, "Go tell the others that we are here, I still can't believe how big this Hyperion ship is."
"Yeah it fit the whole city in it and there is still room," Salvador remarked as he left the bridge, "Uh you going to help tell them or what this is a big place after all."
"I would if the controls for the comm were not voice locked to Jack and since he is dead..." Maya replied.
"Oh right, well I'll go tell Mordecai and them you can go tell the others," Sal said as he sauntered off.
Maya sighed and looked at Krieg. She phase-locked him before asking, "He really means it doesn't he?"
"Most likely the short one does not have the head for technical functions and so probably does not realize that it is crucial for someone to man the bridge upon entering orbit." Krieg replied. A while back Maya had found out, quite by accident, that if she phase-locked Krieg his mental disconnect with his body went away.
"Could you..."
"Bring us into orbit," Krieg finished, "sure."
"Thanks dear," Maya said as she released her complicated boyfriend from the lock. She left the bridge to go find the other three members of their vault hunting team, Axton, Zer0 and Gaige. After inquiring with some of the civilians as to her friends' whereabouts she tracked them down to Gaige's room. Maya immediately got the impression that something was amiss when from inside the room she heard.
"Oh Ax is in front and Zer0 is coming in from behind."
Maya, her thoughts immediately turning to several erotic positions that the two men could have the barely legal Gaige in, kicked the door open in fury that Ax would use the girl's attachment to him for such a nasty deed. Only to find the three of them sitting in front of a TV and mercilessly mashing buttons on their game controllers while playing a racing game. So focused on the game were the three that even Zer0 only slightly noticed her arrival and didn't pay enough mind to pause the game.
Axton was ex-military, still carried around the deploy-able turrets too which were nice in a firefight, and looked the part. Tall, broad, and handsome Ax, as everyone called him, was almost always decked out in military like green or brown was the focus for Gaige's attentions and she his.
Gaige would have just started college if she hadn't had been expelled from school and had an arrest warrant placed on her after her science project killed a rival of hers. Short with pigtails goggles and skull hoodie the girl, for Maya still thought of her as such in a big sister sort of way, could digi-struct her giant, floating death dealing robot called Deathtrap from her concrete crushing, metal bending, flesh carving robotic arm. The young anarchist and Ax were currently a thing which was both unsettling and intriguing for Maya since she had no idea how such a relationship had lasted this long.
Zer0 seemed to gravitate towards the two simply cause they were fun to hang out with. Who or what Zer0 is is anyone's guess as far as she could tell no one had seen past the mask that the assassin wore. Always in armor that was black as night and could make him go invisible the seemingly juxtaposition-ed assassin would be sniping then go in for sword kills simply on a whim.
"Boom missiles," Gaige shouted as she jumped up and blew Ax's car off the track to steal first place.
"A-hem," Maya coughed.
"Oh hey Mays," Gaige said as she paused the game and turned all three of their attentions towards her, "hey whats with the look?"
Maya just then realized that she probably still looked furious and tried to shake it off but the surprise of seeing these three playing a video game seemed strangely odder to her than if they were... well doing other things. "I... its nothing, um, yeah we are about to enter orbit figured you three would want to know..."
"Seriously you still have that shocked expression on your face," Axton remarked, "What gives we were just having some fun."
"Likely overhearing, opinion without context, her thoughts erotic," Zer0 proclaimed.
"Uh what," Gaige said.
"I mean she probably over heard us and thought about sex," Zer0 clarified, "You all have never seemed to pick up on Haiku."
Gaige snorted, Ax laughed and Maya put her tattooed hand to her forehead, "And this just got awkward."
"Mays if we are entering orbit who is on the bridge," Ax asked.
"Krieg," Maya replied as she went back out through the door, smiling to herself at the exclamations that arose from behind her and the sound of running feet as the three raced to catch her.
"Why would you..." Ax asked.
"Cause he can handle a ship," Maya replied, "Come on I'll show you."
Back on the bridge Sal, done informing their friends, and Krieg were grunting and pointing at buttons and pulling levers and such as the two most unlikely captains set the space station in orbit.
Upon the successful entry into orbit Krieg threw his hands up and shouted, "Face babies!"
"Nice work," Maya remarked as she and her three quite relieved looking companions announced their arrival on the bridge.
"Wow," said Lilith another Siren like Maya but with sweeping orange hair and more of a city punk style about her, "Never thought I'd see that happen."
"So where are we," a large hulk of a man named Brick asked as he and the much slighter and stylishly goateed Mordecai entered behind Lilith.
"Don't you know we are at the next planet with vaults in it," A small girl, age thirteen, named Tiny Tina exclaimed, "O this is going to be... explosive!"
"Uh yeah but whats it called?" Mordecai asked.
"Um... huh that's odd its called Sanctuary," Maya said as she consulted the map, "Mostly passed over by explorers due to its obscurity and... massively ionized upper atmosphere that can knock down ships."
"Don't worry," Lilith said, "This station is built to withstand the harsh ion tides that flow between Pandora and its moon remember."
"Oh right," Mordecai replied, "Probably the first vessel that can enter orbit without falling from the sky."
"Well here we are who wants to be in the landing party?"
"Dibs," Ax and Gaige both said followed by jinx, then crap.
"I'm in," Lilith said.
"If Lily is going then I'm going too," Tina said, "Besides never know when you could use a flavor and need me to make stuff go pow."
"Tina maybe you should stay here and make bombs to launch in from orbit if we need them," Maya said, "I'll go down you know so we might actually have a chance of talking with the locals."
"Prepare the parrots for slaughter," Krieg added.
"Yeah that too," Maya said, "Come on lets go."
A few minutes later the four of them, Ax, Gaige, Lily and herself were landing on the surface in a drop barge. As the front doors opened they were treated to a most unusual sight, a giant floating skeleton thing and a very excited pacing man were both mulling over a downed ship.
"Must have been knocked down by the ion atmosphere," Gaige said.
Maya pulled the barge back before either of the two could spot them and landed in a clearing of the dense trees that populated the area, "Well those two seem to be getting along and the one of them looks human at least..."
"Yeah and it looks like they are in trouble," Lily said, "I say we got talk to them."
They all made their way to the strange pair by the ship trying to stay unnoticed, soon they were withing hearing distance.
"Look its the electrical charges in the air that are knocking our systems offline," the man said, "Now if you really did go to well wherever it is you all went, is there nothing that you brought back that could shield us against the electrical current?"
"I know that voice," Gaige whispered.
"Not now," Ax said as he made a hushing motion with his hand.
"Unnecessary," the skeleton replied in a metal on metal voice, "I created the barrier to keep Tyreal's kind from using this world as a stepping stone into out realms, the precaution is mute now and I can remove the ion storm from the atmosphere."
"Wait you're... you're that powerful, an ion storm across the whole planet, amazing," The man said, "Well the sooner you scrap it the sooner we can leave."
"I'll see to as soon as I can Adams," the floating skeleton creature replied.
"Adams," Gaige breathed, "I do know that voice."
Maya almost phase-locked the girl as she broke from cover and ran to the two but the cry of dad stopped her cold. Gaige had mentioned that she had come from Eden and her father, who was an engineer himself had helped her escape from the corrupt authorities there.
"Gaige... what... how did you get here pumpkin," Adams, a man in his forties with short shaved head asked.
"Its a long story, who's the boney no legs guy?" Gaige asked as she was swept up in a bear hug by her father.
"That's Mephisto and its also a long story," he replied with a laugh.
"Hey guys come on out is safe," Gaige called.
Maya shrugged and walked out to the three with Lily and Ax right behind her.
"I see you brought friends," Mephisto said, "Probably heard the whole conversation too... Sirens!"
"Whoa," Ax said as Mephisto channeled lightning to his fingertips, "We don't want no trouble just here to explore."
"So you say but I've had many a run in with the realm walkers before, it did not end well," Mephisto snarled.
"Take it easy there big guy," Adams remarked, "They are with Gaige so they must not be that bad."
Mephisto looked between him and them then back again before discharging his hands and snorting, "Fine. I would like to know how you got here though."
"From our ship," Maya explained, "It's in orbit just over the horizon."
"Hmmph," Mephisto grated, "Must be hardened, the ions would have brought you down otherwise."
"Yeah well looks like it got your ship," Ax said, "She still flyable?"
"Ax hes my dad of course he got the ship flyable again," Gaige exasperatedly stated with a roll of her eyes.
"Yup the Normandy is ready to go and we are heading out as soon as the rest of the team is ready," Adams said.
"Heading out why," Lily asked, "There is a vault here."
"Really," Mephisto asked his interest piqued, "Well vault or not if the Reapers are not stopped it won't matter."
"Wait... did I hear you right," Maya said, "the Reapers... as in..."
"Yes," Adams said, "Those Reapers. But how did you know about them?"
"Back when I was in the Order of the Impending Storm there were records of some vastly powerful force that would return to destroy everything we knew, Reapers. I had no idea they were real I thought it was just another scare tactic for the Order to extort money from the people," Maya offered, "I put a stop the their extortion and left for Pandora soon after."
"Look whatever these Reapers are," Gaige said frowning, "They seem to be in the way of us and this Vault right?"
"Right."
"So we finish them and then we can go back to Vault hunting," Gaige announced, "And we have a high tech ship to fight them in."
"Huh I like it," Mephisto said, "Gusto and fire in that one, good job with her Adams."
"Maya better get back up here we got something big coming in on the scanners," Mordecai called through her ECHO device.
"Be there soon Morde," Maya replied, "The situation just got more complicated though."
"Yeah I can see that," Mordecai said, "Big floating skeletons do tend to complicate things."
"No hes on our side, I think, its... I'll just explain when I get there," Maya said, "I've got to go back to the ship they say there is something coming in on the sensors and its big."
"Like Reaper big," Lily asked.
"Probably," Maya answered, "You coming back or sticking it out here?"
"I'll head back with you," Lily said, "Ax and Gaige can stay here and keep us updated on well stuff."
"Reapers," Adams stated, "I'll radio the commander tell him we got incoming, Mephisto you going to drop that barrier so we can get out of here or not?"
"Done, it wouldn't stop a Reaper anyways the shields neutralize any electrical imbalance," Mephisto said, "Oh and Sirens convince your friends that me and my brothers are not your enemies and we won't be, got it?"
"Sounds fair," Maya said as she and Lily left Gaige and Ax to head back to the ship.
Character Gaige
"So that's how we defeated Handsome Jack, saved Pandora, got rich, got the Hyperion mother ship and how I got this," Gaige said as she flashed a silver ring that was on her ring finger.
"That looks like an engagement ring," her dad remarked as she showed it off, "Who gave it to you?"
"Ax did," Gaige replied, "After I got him one that is."
"What I had to be sure that you weren't just messing with me again when you proposed engagement," Axton defended as she gave him a mock look of disappointment.
"Whoa there hold up your engaged?" Adams asked.
"Dad," Gaige said.
"She has done more than you have," Mephisto remarked, "Most of that was done with him at her side."
"Hey be fair to him, it has been what a good year and a half since he talked with his daughter," Ax said coming to Adams' defense.
"Aye and a long year and a half it's been," Adams said, "Your eighteen now only sixteen when you left..."
"Dad its cool everything worked out alright, how is mom," Gaige said as they walked out of the forest and onto the road leading to the town.
"Don't know last I heard was when we landed on Eden to find Javik," Adams remarked, "She was with the resistance by then and we were on our mission so I didn't get the chance to contact her."
Gaige's heart fell at the news, while she was much like her dad with engineering her mother was just as important to her. Ax draped an arm across her shoulders likely picking up on the mood that the news had put her in. As they entered the town Mephisto left them to join up with four other demonic looking creatures.
"Who are they," Ax asked pointing with his head at the strange group.
"Oh them," A lady with blue robes and black hair said, "Just the old Prime Evils nothing to worry about, I'm Lilith by the way. Adams where did you find the new guys?"
Gaige and Ax looked at each other both knowing that Lily would have a fit about someone else with her name, then Gaige spotted someone she did know.
"Ax is that?"
"I don't... it is," Ax replied, "Why don't we go say hi."
"Xeiver," Gaige called out to the woman who had helped them from time to time in their adventures.
"Xeiver,"Adams asked, "You mean Celantra?"
"Xeiver?" the large smoldering metal and flesh creature next to the woman in question stated. Then it uncurled into a being that looked more horrible than the Primes combined.
Xeiver turned towards them then upon seeing who they were smiled and called the over.
"Axton, Gaige, its good to see you again but how did... wait you actually did it didn't you you got the ship," Xeiver said, "This is K by the way, you remember my stories about him right?"
"Your husband," Ax asked.
"Correct," K stated, "But Xeiver? Why use that name?"
"It's the name they know me by. My true name is Celantra," C said, "But you all may call me by either."
"Gaige we're back on the ship," Maya said through the ECHO, "What's the situation down there?"
"Pretty good," Gaige said, "Just met up with Xeiver seems like she and her friends are getting ready to pull out and go hunt some Reapers. You all game?"
"Did I hear you right," Brick said, "Xeiver? Yeah we're game besides we still owe her some favors."
"Don't look now but it sounds like Gaige just volunteered us to join you guys," Ax commented.
"C are they any good," K asked.
C looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "You tell me, They did commandeer the largest space factory in the galaxy."
"Hold up did I hear you right," Tali said as she broke off from a conversation with Liarra to head over to them, "You mean the Hyperion space station?"
"That's right," Gaige replied, "and it is sweetness."
"Oh Keelah, you're... you're the vault hunters, I, I'm a huge fan," Tali said. "You're Gaige have to be with the metal arm and all, and Axton, I this is like every dream I've had come true, with Shepard and now you guys and dragons and angles and I'm talking to much I'll just go now."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ax said, "Who are you?"
"Ax she can only be one person," Gaige said, "After all you've only got one follower on the ECHOnet."
"Tali Zora vas Normandy," Tali said with a slight bow, "Its great to meet you, O I'll go tell Harold, then he can stop teasing me about you all."
As the energetic woman ran off Ax mused, "But isn't Tali a Quarian?"
"She is," C said, "Apparently Diablo and Tyreal boosted her immune system so she doesn't need the suit anymore."
"Yeah your going to have to explain the suit thing to me again later," K mumbled, "For now lets just get airborne."
"What can we do to help," Gaige asked.
"Well you can start by helping to carry some of the provisions to the Normandy," Adams said as he returned to them, "Your DT err, Deathtrap would be quite helpful as would the considerable strength of your robotic arm, Axton you look strong as well so help us get the Normandy stocked and we can be off."
"Yes giant robots and badassery this is going to be awesome," Gaige shouted.
"It will be something," Ax agreed, "Not to thrilled about lugging food to the ship though."
About two hours later the Normandy was ready for liftoff and Ax and Gaige had gotten introduced to the various members of the team. They had sent the information back over the ECHO to their own friends so that the others could stay current with the events happening on the Normandy and get a feel for Xeiver's other friends. They had been informed that the Normandy was on its way to a meeting with several of the other races, Silarians and Turians and Wrex for the Krogan, when they were hit with an EMP of some kind which knocked them down above Sanctuary, ironically the planet was named that. But after a short delay they were now in rout to the nearest Mass Relay as was the Hyperion ship that Gaige and Ax's friends were on.
"So Reapers," Ax muttered.
"What about them," Gaige replied, "They're just big advanced robots."
"That's what it sounds like sure," Ax said, "But what worries me is how everyone who knows about them is behaving." Gaige flopped over the side of her bunk to look at Ax in the lower one, giving him a so look. "Ok what I'm saying is Maya seemed spooked, these guys all seem spooked and all of them know what these things are. Generally when your going up against something knowing what it is gives you confidence..."
"Unless that something is much more powerful than you," Gaige said slowly, "Ok I hear you."
"You're going to get a head ache if you keep looking over the edge like that," Ax said, "Come on down here there is room for you."
"You just want me for my body," Gaige taunted as she hoped down and snuggled in next to Ax.
"I have to admit your body is pretty impressive, especially that robot summoning, skull crushing arm you've got," Ax replied with a chuckle then more seriously, "Just make sure you survive this. Gaige, I do love you."
"I know," She replied, "That's why you waited, that's why you got me the ring. And you'd better not do anything stupid like get yourself killed or I'm going to be very angry with you when you get back."
"Hell anything bad starts happening and I'll just hide behind Deathtrap and add some turrets to the fight," Ax replied.
"Ax, Love you," Gaige whispered as they fell asleep for the ride.
Gaige woke up first, the engine was silent..er so she assumed they were stopped. She elbowed Ax to get him up before shaking off the last dregs of sleep from their nap and heading over to look out the door. As she scanned the empty room outside Ax came up behind her and said, "Where do you think they are?"
"Probably in some sort of meeting," Gaige answered, "After all we were on our way to a summit right?"
Ax nodded then relayed a message from Mordecai that he got on his ECHO, "Says we should head to CIC and go to the war room apparently the conference didn't go as planned."
"Well weren't the Krogan and Silarians in some war or something," Gaige mused.
"I don't know," Ax replied, "I didn't keep up with that stuff while bandits, beast, and Jack were trying to kill us. Come on lets go get some info on what going on."
"Agreed," Gaige replied as she headed out the door.
"Hey Peppy," Ax called, "CIC is this way."
"Oh right," Gaige said, "Well I knew that."
"No we do it now," Wrex yelled at the Silarian leader. The Krogan, Silarian, a Turian, and Shepard were all in a small room crowding around a glass table and arguing over something very important "Those are my people and I will get them back."
"Shepard can oversee the exchange," The Turian Prime-Arc said.
"Fine but a bully has few friends when he needs them most," The Silarian countered as Shepard, Wrex and the Turian left the room.
"Trouble Wrex," Ax asked.
"Not if I get my people back," Wrex said, "and if a cure for the genophage can be given to my race."
"The what," Gaige asked.
"A genetic disorder that ensures only a few in a thousand children are born alive," Shepard said, "Touchy subject I'll fill you in more later. Right now we have to go to the Silarian home world and get custody of the females that they have quarantined there, then find a cure for this mutation so the Krogan will help us fight the Reapers."
"Oh," Gaige and Ax both said, "Well since we're here can we come along?"
"You two talk in tandem often," The Turian asked.
"Not usually," Ax said, "Name's Axton by the way and yours?"
"Victus," the Turian replied as he left them to return to the war room proper while they followed Shepard down to the shuttle bay. In the bay Tali was waiting for them as was Garrus.
"What they coming too," Garrus asked, "Kinda bold don't you think?"
"No more bold than me going to Sur'Kesh," Wrex chuckled as he lumbered into the shuttle. The shuttle looked like a blue car but had thrusters instead of wheels.
"Can we all fit?" Tali asked.
"Yes you can," the disembodied voice of EDI replied, "The Kodiak can carry up to twenty passengers and their gear."
Shepard nodded for them to enter so they got in and sat down in two of the holding area's flight chairs, then the others loaded up and they were off.
"Uh why are we in the drop ship if the Normandy still has to fly to this Sur'Kesh," Ax asked.
"Cause when we decelerate I pop the hatch and it shoots the Kodiak out like a bullet makes getting up to speed real easy," Their pilot, Cortez, replied.
"Yeah it also makes the exit...rough," Tali scolded, "On the Kodiak and us."
Gaige got a firm grip on the wall with her cybernetic hand and lent the other one to Ax so he could hold on too. Even Wrex gave a questioning look towards the pilot before grabbing onto on of the hand holds above him.
"Ok brace," Cortez said as the hangar opened and they were thrown out our the Normandy as the thrusters fired up. Gaige instantly regretted her idea of using her robot arm to hold her and Ax, while the robot arm definitely could and did hold them in the rest of her felt like it got smacked by a charging bull. Then they stabilized and everyone checked themselves over, well except Cortez who was flying the shuttle like nothing had happened.
"Ow," Gaige moaned as she sank back into her seat, "Ax why you got to weigh so much?"
"Sorry," Ax replied, "its not my fault you like well endowed men. Besides it couldn't have been as bad as when that giant thresher smashed you into the cliff, man did you look pissed after that."
Gaige laughed remembering the fight with Terramorphous, a giant vine-like tentacle creature that was so big it actually had created its own mountain. "Yeah but I was in such an anarchy high at the time I was just annoyed that I didn't get to shoot it more once it was dead."
"See," Tali said, "Told you they were tough."
"Ok point taken," Garrus said, "Now lets just see how tough, the base is below us and they have denied us clearance to land."
"Open the hatch," Wrex said.
"Oh an air drop," Gaige said, "I love those."
"What no there's," Shepard started but too late Wrex had already jumped out and Gaige and Ax were right behind him.
They landed and two Silarians scampered off while six others lined up sniper rifles on them. Ax dropped a turret which raised a shield around them and Gaige summoned Deathtrap, her giant, legless, floating death bot of doom, fully equipped with explosive claps, lasers, digi-struct claws, lightning orbs and shields.
"Hehehe," Wrex said, "I like how you guys drop."
"Hold it," A Silarian said as the lizard man ran over to meet with Harold who had just gotten out of the Kodiak, "We just received the news that we are to release the females to you."
"I'd prefer if this did not end in a diplomatic incident," Shepard said.
"As would I," the Silarian replied, "This way I must clear you for the lower levels, and I ask that your over eager friends stay here."
"Agreed," Harold answered, "You two and Wrex stay with the Kodiak."
"Fine but if things don't go as planned all bets are off," Wrex grumbled.
"Ah come on," Gaige said as she and Ax followed Wrex and two Silarian guards into the reception area, "I wanted to..." At that moment sirens went off throughout the base.
"What is that," Ax asked.
"Proximity alerts something is very close," One of the guards said.
"Sounds like you could use some help," Gaige said capitalizing on the moment, "Lets us back in our ship so we can get to the pick up zone while you go help your friends take care of whatever is after your research."
The Silarians looked at each other before the sounds of gunfire and explosions drew their attention back to the situation, "Fine go," they said before heading farther inside.
"Time to save Shepard again," Wrex said with a toothy smile, "glad to have some back up this time."