Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you all for your wonderful support. I deeply appreciate it.
Also, this chapter will likely receive a few changes and updates over the next couple of days since it hasn't been fully beta-read yet. However, I have put in the best effort that I can, so this should be one of my best chapters. I am telling you this not because I feel that the quality of the work is bad, but because I like being honest with my readers and reviewers. Thank you for understanding.
As always, leave a review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs, WizKids, Piranha Games Inc., etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to it's respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
SSV Normandy
Thessia
October 9th, 2186
The mood aboard the Normandy was somber as the ship left Thessia and it's crumbling defenses behind. In the War Room, Shepard was leaning against the railing inside the QEC booth, a downcast expression on his face. Closing his eyes for a moment, he could still see Hasting's death playing over and over in his mind.
I'm sorry, he said to himself. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Hastings. We succeeded, but at the cost of losing you. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a pair of dog tags that he'd gotten off of Hasting's body. Looking at the letters and numbers stamped into the metal, he held them for a moment before putting them back into his pocket. A moment later, he hit the call list and selected Tevos' contact.
Apparently, she'd been waiting by her own QEC for news, as it immediately flashed to life, displaying the holographic image of her in a split second. "Commander Shepard, is that you?" she asked. When Shepard didn't immediately reply, she asked, "Commander, are you alright? We've lost all contact with Thessia… the planet has gone dark."
"I know," Shepard replied. Looking at Tevos, he said, "We retrieved the artifact, but we lost one of our own."
"How?"
"Cerberus was there," Shepard explained. "They sent one of their men, Kai Leng, to steal the Prothean artifact that we were sent to retrieve. He killed Hastings in an attempt to get it, but Hastings, in his dying breath, managed to keep Cerberus from getting at it."
Tevos frowned. When she spoke, genuine sympathy was in her voice. "I'm sorry," she said a moment later. "You have my condolences, Shepard." Refocusing her attention, she asked, "What's the situation at Thessia?"
"Deteriorating fast," Shepard reported. "The Reapers are there in strength."
"Then I'll need you to excuse me," Tevos replied, a crestfallen expression on her face. "There are… preparations to make… continuity of civilization to consider… I never thought this day would come."
"None of us did," Shepard added. ""I'm sorry."
"Don't blame yourself," Tevos replied. "If anything, Shepard, it's me that is to blame. Had I listened to you earlier, we might never have ended up in this mess. I must go now, but know this, Shepard: you did what you could. Not many can say that." With that, her hologram faded out of existence.
Sure doesn't feel like it, Shepard thought as he stood upright and walked out of the QEC. Back in the War Room, he could see a holographic image of Thessia, though most of the planet was now an angry red color, indicating that the Reapers almost had full control of the planet. Walking up to him, EDI said, "Asari forces are in a full retreat. It is no longer safe for us to remain in this system."
"Get us out of here," Shepard ordered.
At that moment, he could see Liara, though she too didn't look very good. Walking over, he could see tears streaming down her face. "Shepard…," she began. "I… Nobody could've predicted Cerberus getting to Thessia before us."
Before she could break down into tears, Shepard gently took hold of her in a comforting hug. The fault isn't with you, Liara, he said to himself. I should've anticipated this. "It's my job to be prepared," he told her, "no matter what. I don't blame you for not knowing Cerberus could've gotten there before us. While Thessia is lost, we will remember her, and we will avenge her."
Releasing his hold on Liara, Shepard looked at the hologram again. This time, he felt a cold fury rising inside of his heart, a rightful fury that demanded that Cerberus pay for what it had tried to do. "I'm sick and tired of Cerberus beating us to the punch!" he growled.
"Let's kick them in the balls for a change!" Vega, who was inside the room, agreed.
"I'm with James!" Shepard agreed. "Anyone know where the fucking bastards are hiding?"
"I do," came another voice. Looking towards the entrance, Shepard watched as Victor Steiner-Davion walked into the room.
"Victor," Shepard replied. "I'm sorry about Hasting's death. I tried to -"
Victor stopped him with a hand gesture, though it was clear that he too was grieving for Hastings in his own way. "So am I," he replied. "Hastings was a good man, and his wife and children have my condolences. Hastings wouldn't want us to grieve for him forever, though. He would want us to hold Cerberus by the nose and kick them in the balls, which is why his actions just before he died gave us the information we need."
"How so?" Shepard asked. "I didn't see much, only how Leng… killed him."
"I saw the footage from the vidcams the others had," Victor explained. "When I analyzed the footage, I found that, while the two were fighting over the VI core, Hastings managed to stick a tracker onto Leng that activated once he was aboard his ship. The tracker's designed to upload a virus into a hostile computer system, whereupon said computer system will send updates on it's position. Traynor?"
"Right," Traynor, who was also present, nodded. "When Victor gave me the data, I was able to track Leng's shuttle and get updates on it's location. Unfortunately, it's last update came from the Iera system, then it went blank."
"Naturally…" Shepard groused.
"It's not just gone though. The signal's being actively blocked."
"How?"
"I'm not sure, but something is interfering with all signal activity in that particular region."
"Shepard," EDI added. "The Iera system is home to Sanctuary and little else. Sanctuary is a supposed save haven for refugees of the war."
That had Shepard thinking to himself. Why would Kai Leng head to the Iera system? Unless… unless there's a Cerberus facility that's present there. Sanctuary could even be a cover for a Cerberus facility there. It's what I'd do if I were them. Plus, it would explain where they got all their soldiers at. "It's a lead worth investigating," he decided. "Besides, I know that system."
"You do?" Victor asked.
"Yes," Shepard replied. "The last time I was there, it was to stop the Collectors from abducting colonists from the planet of Horizon. It'd make sense for someone to be out there. It's out of the way, which is perfect for anything Cerberus wants to do."
"Damn," Victor frowned. "That means we'll need to head there ASAP. I'll have the Fury II transport the VI core to Admiral Hackett's group so that we can speak with it there once we're finished destroying Cerberus. After that, we'll be ready for an all-out assault on the Reapers at Earth. The Crucible is almost fully completed."
"Good to hear," Shepard nodded. "Time for us to head to the Iera system and find out what's going on over there." As they left for their stations, he thought, Cerberus, we're coming for you. No more will you commit your foul deeds while the galaxy burns. Your evil ends, here and now!
. . .
Fortunately for the team, the Iera system had a mass relay, meaning that they could get there very quickly. Down in the cargo bay, Shepard got himself ready for battle once more. He was about to have his squad members come over when Liara walked over. "Liara?" he asked.
"Shepard, I'm coming on this mission," Liara stated, her tone of voice indicating that she wouldn't take no for an answer.
"You certain?" Shepard asked. "I need everyone at their best, and we've just lost Thessia. I'm not sure if -"
Liara stopped him with a look. "I know, Shepard, but right now, I need to focus on something other than Thessia. Javik was right when he told me I should use my anger in a focused manner. Consider this as me listening to his advice. Besides, Cerberus struck at my home; it's time I got some payback."
Shepard opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. It would make sense for her to want revenge, he noted. Alright, but I'll make sure she doesn't kill herself. "Alright," he decided, "but do not separate yourself from the group. I don't want you to get killed."
"Understood," Liara nodded. "I'm angry, but not suicidal. Is there anyone else you're taking along?"
"Kadian's coming, as is Edward," Shepard added. Just as he said this, Victor walked into the hangar bay. "Victor?"
"I'm coming too," Victor added.
"Are you sure? We don't want to lose you."
"I'm a MechWarrior and a soldier," Victor countered. "I belong on the ground. Besides, I'm not a delicate piece of china that'll shatter on the slightest knock. I'm meant to get dirty."
"OK, then," Shepard shrugged. With that, everyone loaded up, with the shuttle leaving for the planet.
As they descended, Kaidan asked, "Alright, Commander. What do we know of this place?"
"EDI?"
"The Sanctuary facility was dedicated to aiding refugees from Reaper-controlled systems," EDI explained. "The facility went offline recently, and no communications have come or gone since then. It is unclear why Leng or Cerberus would be interested in Sanctuary."
"If there's a clue to Cerberus here, we'll find it."
"Sir, I'm picking up a signal from the facility," Cortez reported. "It's weak. I'll try to boost it."
A moment later, a woman's voice came in over the 'com. "This is Oriana Lawson. Stay away from Sanctuary. It's not what it seems. Please, you must listen to me! They're using -" A moment later, the signal cut out.
"Oriana?" Shepard noted. "That's Miranda's sister. If she's here, Miranda can't be far away."
"Someone you know?" Edward asked.
"I know who he's talking about," Victor added. "Miranda Lawson's been working with MIIO to find her sister, Oriana, given that she's likely in the custody of a Cerberus sympathizer.. She helped bring Shepard back from being clinically dead quite some time ago."
Before they could continue, the shuttle began to descend. This time, the doors opened, allowing them to see where they were. From what Shepard could tell, they were landing in a plaza just outside of a tall tower in the area. The plaza had a series of stairs leading upwards, as well as walkways above their heads. Fires and makeshift barricades painted a chilling picture of what might've caused the facility to go dark. "Major damage, Commander," Kaidan frowned.
"Yeah," Shepard noted, "but who was fighting?"
"I've got a feeling that we'll find out," Edward remarked.
As they moved out and as the shuttle left, Victor stopped for a moment. "Anyone hear that?" he asked.
"Yeah," Liara nodded, having heard an electrical squeal in her earpiece before it went silent. "Radio's offline. Something's jamming our signals."
"Explains no comms from this facility," Shepard noted. "Either way, we're on our own until the jammer's down. Keep your eyes open, and we'll come out of this in one piece."
With that, the team began to cautiously move forward, weapons at the ready in case. Just then, there was an explosion, followed by a Cerberus shuttle careening out of control and into a nearby balcony, while a Harvester landed on the roof. "We've got trouble!" Kaidan shouted.
"A Harvester!" Liara shouted as the Harvester flew away, with another shuttle fleeing as well.
"I saw it!" Shepard added. "Looks like we know why the place went dark."
"Phantoms incoming!" Edward shouted.
"Watch your backs!" Kaidan shouted. Spotting a Phantom, he fired his M61B, scoring a direct hit on her helmet. It was promptly cut in half, with the head of the Phantom exploding as the water in her head was flash-boiled into steam. Smiling at that, he fired at the next, only for that Phantom's armor to stop the beam. "Shit! They're armor's getting tougher!"
"I saw it!" Shepard added, firing his M42C at the Phantom in question. That forced her into cover, though Shepard fired his grenade launcher a moment later. There was a loud BOOM as the grenade detonated, while the Phantom screamed as her entire body was ripped apart by the blast and shrapnel.
One got close to Victor, whereupon she drew her sword out and tried to stab at him. Unfortunately for the Phantom, Victor was not helpless at close range, as he quickly showed when he pulled out a vibroblade and blocked the blow. The Phantom tried to compensate for this by backing off, but Victor thrust his blade forwards. There was a loud metallic punching sound as the blade pierced through the Phantom's chest, before he drew it out and swung horizontally, beheading the Phantom in an instant.
"Nice work," Shepard noted.
"Thanks," Victor nodded. "Now let's get the fuck inside."
"Looks like they're evacuating," Liara noted.
"And… looks like the Reapers were chasing them out," Kaidan added.
"About time they started killing each other," Edward beamed. "I was getting sick of them being all buddy-buddy."
Moving around and over some debris, the team quickly came to a large double door that was locked. Spotting a panel, Kaidan used his omni-tool to bypass the lock, allowing the team to move inside. Inside, they found a large atrium that was split into two levels, with the upper level having walkways to other parts of the place, as well as desks with computers and benches. The lower levels had what appeared to be shuttles, though a few looked as though they had crashed.
"What happened here?" Liara asked.
"That's what we're here to find out," Shepard replied.
Just then, there was some activity. Looking up through a transparent section of the atrium's roof, they could see shuttles leaving the place. "Cerberus shuttles came from that tower!" Kaidan noted.
"That's where we're headed then," Victor decided. As they moved along, he looked to the left, where he could see large garden plots. "Must've felt safe in here. Security? That must've been a relief for the refugees."
"And then something went horribly wrong," Liara added.
"I think we know what did," Edward remarked. "I guess nowhere's safe from the Reapers, unless you live in the Inner Sphere that is."
"I guess," Liara shrugged. While they explored, there was little to note, other than some audio logs made by the staff that had worked here. Footage from a security cam showed that they were in reception, where the refugees were processed and brought inside. Moving down below, they found some crashed shuttles, along with some audio recordings made by the refugees.
As they moved down below, Shepard heard Kaidan say, "Victor, Shepard? I've got something down here."
Moving down below, the two spotted what Kaidan had meant. Nearby a plant plot, they could see two Cerberus soldiers and a Ravager lying on the ground, dead. "Casualties," Sheard noted. "Both sides."
"That means there's trouble up ahead," Victor noted. "We'll also have to be careful. Cerberus is improving their armor formula to protect against infantry laser weapons. It's not perfect, but it means that we can't one-shot them anymore. I estimate that their gear's roughly BAR 3-4 right now. FedCom gear is roughly BAR 5."
"My thoughts exactly," Shepard noted. "That means we've gotta burn through their armor first, then neutralize them." With that, they proceeded forwards and into what appeared to be an observation station down below. Spotting an Assault Trooper, Shepard fired.
The Assault Trooper's back arched as the man instinctively jerked away from the pain in his back. While the armor was tough, the AP/D rounds were still sufficient to penetrate into his body, though Shepard noted that he needed an extra round to do so. The Trooper screamed as his body toppled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"SHIT!" another one shouted. "IT'S SHEPARD!"
"HOLD THEM BACK!" came a Centurion's voice. Spotting the Centurion, Victor fired his M61B. True to his prediction, the trooper didn't go down, though a scan from his armor's sensors indicated that the laser beam had compromised the Centurion's armor, leaving him vulnerable to a second burst from his rifle.
Two more Assault Troopers came out of a door to the left, only for those two to be blasted apart by an explosion. Nearby, Edward checked his Automatic Grenade Launcher's magazine, smiling when he saw that he had nineteen shells in the mag. "All clear!" he reported.
"Good," Shepard noted. "We're in an observation deck, but that door they came out of looks like a way out. Let's head that way."
"Good idea," Victor noted. With that the team advanced forwards, entering a narrow hallway that proceeded for some distance. Just then, he thought he heard a voice. "Miranda?" he asked.
"Sounds like it," Shepard noted. Peering around a corner, he found a computer terminal that a log on it. Hitting a button, he listened to the recording.
"This is Miranda Lawson," the log began. "If you've managed to get this far, you must be either desperate or stupid. Listen to me. This is not a refugee camp. This is a Cerberus facility run by my father, Henry Lawson. Turn back now; there's no help to be found here – all communication is being blocked from the central tower. Sanctuary is a lie. Stay away from here."
"Son of a bitch!" Victor snarled, kicking at a nearby panel. "I knew that there was something wrong here!"
"I agree," Shepard noted. "So we've got Cerberus, Reapers and Miranda's crazy father. Any idea how all this fits?"
"No," Victor frowned. "If it involves Cerberus, though, then it's not good. Let's keep going."
With that, the team moved forwards. Reaching the area where Victor saw the massive garden plots, Shepard noted that the area between the plots was filled with water. "Got a security terminal," he noted as he spotted a nearby panel. "Shutting it down." Just as he did so, there was a muted vibration, followed by the water being drained. This revealed a network of walkways and pipes below their feet.
"Clever," Victor noted. "You'd never know that this was here."
"Why go through the trouble of concealing it?" Kaidan asked.
"Good question, but we've now got a back door into the facility," Shepard noted. "Let's move out." With that, they found a ladder leading down into the walkway area.
As they moved along, Liara thought she spotted something. Frowning, she said, "That looks like Reaper technology. I'm sure of it. I don't know how, but Cerberus has found a way to use it."
"A foolish move on their part," Victor frowned.
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "Still, the answer has to be here somewhere. And Miranda's caught in the middle. Let's pick up the pace." With that, they moved forwards, using a hallway that led through a support beam to the other side. I can't help but agree with her though, he noted. This looks more like a factory than a refugee camp.
Continuing to move onward, they eventually came into a room that had large windows looking down into another area, along with computers and monitors in a cubicle near the back, with more near the windows. "Some kind of control center," Kaidan noted. "No power, though."
Spotting a nearby power switch, Shepard activated it, resulting in the computer panels in the cubicle and the entire room coming online. The monitors came online, showing the refugees getting into what appeared to be tanks. "What's happening with them?" Kaidan asked. Looking more closely, Shepard watched, with horror, as a gray mist filled the tubes, while the colonists began moving as though they were in agony. "They're just rounding them up and slaughtering them," Kaidan added.
"Worse," Shepard frowned as the mist in the tubes faded, revealing an all too familiar sight. "They're being turned into husks!"
"That's not all," Edward, who was near the windows, added as he looked down below. Having activated the lights, he could see Husks as they scrambled into cover. "They've got a lot of Husks down there. It's a whole fucking production line of the– SHIT!" He shouted this as a Husk clambered onto the window, howling as it did so.
"Time to go!" Victor decided, with everyone quickly moving out.
"Creating mindless husks doesn't make sense," Liara frowned as they moved into a security booth area that had stairs leading downward. "There must be more to this… The slaughter of so many… for what?"
"The Reapers attacked because this place was a threat," Shepard noted. "We need to find out why."
"Found a security panel," Kaidan reported from the floor below. Walking down, Shepard watched as Kaidan played another log.
"Reaper forces have made a mess of the facility," came Miranda's voice. "I'm shutting down power to the processing plant to lock them down. Should keep them out of the entrance as well." The footage showed Miranda doing so as she talked.
The video feed then cut to another individual, with this individual wearing a blade and shades over his eyes, "Miranda Lawson has arrived sooner than expected," the man reported. "You want me to deal with her?"
"Only if she gets in your way," another voice added over an earpiece. "Stay focused on the research data. Find it and get out."
"Yes sir." With that, the log ended.
"Fuck!" Shepard snarled. "That's Leng, and Miranda doesn't know he's here!"
"Shit," Victor growled. "Nothing we can do now. Just keep moving."
With that, they moved out, though now they watched the shadows with even more caution. Moving through a door, Shepard ducked as a Husks swung a hand at his head, barely avoiding the blow. In response, he pelted the creature full of AP/D rounds, tearing it apart in an instant. "Husks!" Kaidan shouted.
"Not surprised," Shepard remarked. As he fired, he said, "Looks like the Husks haven't been modified at all. I guess the Reapers are using them as cannon fodder."
"Sounds like them," Victor noted as he fired his TK70B, blasting the chest of a Husk apart. Moving down some steps, they neutralized the remaining husks, just as he noticed a computer log. Walking over, he played it.
The accented voice of a man became audible a moment later. "I've spent the last few weeks making small adjustments to increase processing efficiency," the man's voice said. "There is no shortage of subjects; indeed, I am told that there is a long line outside the main gate. The deception is an unfortunate necessity. Time is short." The log ended a moment later.
"Sounds like Henry Lawson," Victor noted. "In fact, it even says it on this log. MIIO's been investigating him."
"Hopefully, Miranda's got someone with her to keep her safe," Shepard remarked. "Let's keep going."
"Got another log here," Kaidan noted. A moment later, he played it.
"We've confirmed the results of Cerberus experiments involving the husk creatures," Henry Lawson's voice reported. "A crude, but necessary, first step in decoding how the Reapers communicate. The key is how the Reaper's signal interacts with the nanites implanted in the subject's body. It's early yet, but we are making progress."
"I guess that's why the Reapers are attacking this place," Edward noted. "I'm not expert, but I do know that communication is the first step towards exchanging information. It's also vital to exert control over a certain area."
"And Cerberus is trying to control the Reapers," Shepard noted. "Let's keep moving. There's gotta be more than what we're seeing. Plus we've got to shut this place down for good." With that, they moved forwards, entering the production area that Edward had seen earlier. Just then, they heard a loud screech. "Edward?" Shepard called out.
"I've got it!" Edward shouted. "You focus on the Marauders and the little squirts! I'll handle the Banshees and Brutes!" With that, Shepard and the team began firing on the Marauders. Shepard frowned when he saw a laser beam gash one, though it didn't fully kill the creature, another sign that the Reapers were adapting.
Spotting the incoming Banshee, Edward primed the AGL and took aim. "I've got your medicine right here!" he shouted as he fired. At the same time, the Banshee teleported, only to intercept the grenade with it's face. This resulted in the creature's corpse flying forwards at high speed, too fast for Edward to dodge. There was a loud CLANG as he was knocked down.
"Damnit!" he shouted as he threw the corpse off of him. "As if dealing with live Banshees was bad enough! Now I gotta deal with the corpses knocking me onto my ass!"
While Edward dealt with the Banshee, Shepard fired his grenade launcher at the Ravager. The explosion tore apart a few Cannibals, while the Ravager was blasted apart into pieces. Spotting a Marauder, he fired his rifle, with the AP/D rounds pelting the barriers and armor. That forced the Marauder back, allowing Victor to nail it with a shot from his M61B. "Got it!" he shouted.
"That did it!" Kaidan shouted. "All clear!"
"For how long?" Victor asked. Spotting Edward, he asked, "You OK?"
"Fine," Edward replied. "Just got knocked onto my ass by a dead-ass Banshee."
"Good to know." With that, they continued to advance forwards. Entering another part of the facility, they found themselves entering a lab with an observation chamber. Said observation chamber held another Banshee, though it was clear that this one was trapped. For good measure, though, Victor held the trigger of his M61B down, cutting through the glass and killing the Banshee after a few seconds of concentrated fire. "It's down," he noted.
"Got another log here," Liara reported. "Playing it now."
A moment later, they heard Henry Lawson's voice once again. "The pursuit of efficiency has revealed an important fact: the Reapers use of 'dragon's teeth' to create Husks is ingenious. The Reaper nanides attach themselves to the adrenaline released and quickly move through the body to speed conversion to the final husk state."
"What kind of monster does this?" Kaidan asked, a cold fury underlying his voice. "I don't get it."
"Those that want power at the expense of everything else," Shepard replied. "I saw this a lot during the Fourth Succession War, when we were destroying the Capellans. They would've been all too eager to explore this area of warfare."
"Good thing we destroyed them then," Victor noted. "I've also got another log here. Playing it now."
"Dr. Nuri's legacy work with subject Paul Grayson provided a key element of our work here. Using the addictive drug 'red sand' to break down the will was inspired, but proved unreliable for general application. We've proven that adrenaline – and it's cross-species equivalents – is most effective and efficient."
"Fucking bastards," Edward growled. "Can we put this asshole into the ground now?"
"Let's find him first," Victor reassured Edward. "Then you can shoot his corpse up as much as you please." With that, they left the area and continued onward. Entering another area, they found another terminal that was active.
"It's damaged," Edward noted. "Hang on. I've got some technical training, so I'm not a total flunk there." A moment later, the back of his Battle Armor opened up, allowing him to clamber out in his bodysuit and get to work on the panel.
"Maybe we can get some answers as to why the Reapers want to shut this place down, aside from what we already know," Kaidan mused.
"It doesn't make sense," Shepard frowned. "I thought the Reapers and Cerberus were getting along… What changed?"
"Got it," Edward reported a few seconds later, before getting back into his Battle Armor. "Playing the log now."
A moment later, they heard Miranda Lawson's voice. "Heading to the tower now to disable the communications scrambler. I have to get word out. Some refugees are turned to husks, others are indoctrinated and shipped to the Illusive Man. Whoever's left is used for experiments. The data indicates that my father is trying to work out how Reaper indoctrination works."
"Tricking refugees with food and shelter only to turn them into test subjects," Shepard growled. "And for what?"
"This is disgusting," Kaidan growled quietly. "The scale of this…"
"I agree," Victor added. "Henry Lawson is trying to become another Stefan Amaris."
"Note that she mentioned shipping indoctrinated refugees to the Illusive Man," Liara noted. "We can use this to track him."
"Good catch," Shepard nodded. "Come on. Miranda's headed to the tower. This log was made very recently; just a few minutes ago, in fact." With that, they moved on, weapons at the ready as they advanced.
"Incoming!" Edward noted as they spotted more Reaper troops up a flight of some stairs. Spotting some Barrier Engines, Shepard took out his M20A and fired at them. Powerful bolts of high energy particles blasted them apart, while creating a small EMP field that shocked any nearby Cannibals. Spotting a Marauder, he fired at it, with the bolus frying it's shields and melting away it's armor. Another shot did it in, along with a few Cannibals.
Victor and Liara were working together to neutralize the threat as well. Liara hurled out a biotic singularity, sweeping up some Cannibals and allowing Victor to neutralize them. As he gunned down the last one, he said, "Looks like the Cannibals haven't been modified yet. Cutting them down was a breeze."
"Hopefully it stays that way," Shepard remarked. As he moved forwards, he found another log. "Got another one here," he reported as he played it.
"Creating these husk creatures was our very first success," Henry's voice noted. "While not 'true' husks, they still respond to Reaper signals. More work ahead, but we are moving forward."
Disgusting, Shepard frowned. I'll personally see that bastard in prison. Spotting another log, he played it.
"We're very close. Understanding the indoctrination process is one thing; however, turning it to our advantage is proving to be quite another. This is assembly-line science. The sheer brute force and repetition is doing the thinking for us. Effective, but discovery happens at a pace."
"Bastard," Victor snarled.
"I agree," Shepard nodded. "Hang on, got another terminal here." Moving through the lab, he quickly reached it and pressed the playback icon.
"Heavy resistance outside the tower," Miranda Lawson reported. "If you're receiving this, I've got evidence that you can't ignore! Confirmation that my father is working for the Illusive Man." A moment later, another video log played, showing a man with brown hair in a science officer's uniform walking around.
"I have your report on the process, Mr. Lawson," came the Illusive Man's voice. "Cut to the chase. Can you do it?"
"Theoretically, control is possible, yes." Lawson confirmed. "The Reaper subjects we converted are responding, but it's difficult to maintain."
"I thought that might be the case. Not to worry, Henry. With Sanctuary's help, we'll get it sorted." With that, the log ended.
"He's talking about controlling Reaper forces?" Kaidan asked. "Is that… is that possible?"
"Don't know," Shepard frowned. "I'll play the rest of it."
"We've done it!" Lawson crowed. "We've found a way to co-op their control signal. As long as the Reaper troops remain in close proximity to our signal, we can maintain control indefinitely."
"Excellent news," the Illusive Man beamed. "And how could we extrapolate this technique to apply to the Reapers themselves?"
"That's a much bigger challenge." The log ended a moment later.
"Now we know why the Reapers attacked Sanctuary," Shepard remarked. "They found out that Cerberus was getting close to controlling them, so they attacked to stop them from doing so."
"Bad news for the Illusive Man," Victor noted.
"But it's good news for us. We finally have our link to Cerberus." A moment later, an access ladder lowered from the ceiling. "Let's move."
"Wait!" Victor noted. "I've just spotted something." Working the panel, Victor pulled up a live feed. It showed Miranda investigating a lab, only to dodge an attack from Leng. A bright flash was present, along with a green colored beam cutting through the air between the two.
"Damn!" Shepard snarled. "I hope she's ready for him."
"Me too," Victor nodded as they moved up the access ladder.
. . .
Fortunately, that seemed like the extent of the resistance from the Reapers, as they moved through more areas unimpeded. Looks like the Reapers had more trouble with Cerberus than we thought, Shepard noted as they entered a lift. That's one advantage to forcing a third part to adapt, I guess.
Before long, the lift came to a stop at a door, with the PA announcing, "Tower Access Granted." Just as they moved through the door, Shepard heard gunfire.
Ducking down, Shepard moved forwards, M42C at the ready. The door led into an office area that had some desks, as well as a large one near a window. Looking behind one of the desks, Shepard spotted Miranda, though it was clear that she'd been roughed up, as he could see cuts and a few gashes on her armor and skin. "Shepard," she noted.
Just as she said this, Shepard looked up to see Henry Lawson holding another woman, likely Oriana, at gun point. "Commander Shepard," Lawson growled. "Excellent timing."
"Put the gun down," Shepard ordered. "It's five on one, pal."
"No!" Henry Lawson growled. "Oriana tried to shoot me. Miranda's poisonous influence, no doubt."
"I'm sorry she missed," Shepard growled. "Where's Kai Leng?"
"I don't know. Gone. He took our research and left us here to die."
"Miranda, can you hear me?"
Spotting the two approaching, Lawson snarled, "That's close enough! Both of you! Kai Leng didn't finish the job, but I will!"
"This ends here!"
"On the contrary. Now that the Reapers are taken care of, we have a way out."
"Let her go."
"Shepard," Miranda pleaded. "Don't let him take her!"
"Shepard, please!" Oriana pleaded.
"I won't," Shepard replied, while giving a slight nod with his head. At that moment, Victor, who'd pulled his TK70B out, fired, hitting Lawson in the ankle. The laser beam caused the man's ankle to practically explode, toppling Henry Lawson and sending him to the ground. He roared from the pain as his shot went wide, while Oriana broke free.
Before Lawson or the others could react, Miranda let loose. Hurling a powerful biotic blow, she sent Lawson into the window, shattering it like glass. Lawson's scream echoed in the area as he fell to his doom, before it abruptly ended with a loud CRUNCH!
"A fitting end for a monster," Victor smiled. Looking at Miranda, and the way she was limping, he asked, "Are you alright?"
"Banged up, but I'm fine," Miranda nodded. Spotting Oriana, she asked, "Did he hurt you? Are you alright?" When Oriana nodded, Miranda hugged her and said, "It's OK, Ori. You're safe now."
"I'm fine," Oriana beamed, jubilant that she was alright, and that her sister was OK. "I just… I want to get out of here."
"We will," Miranda smiled. "Give me a minute, OK?" Looking at Shepard, she said, "Shepard… I can't believe it's you."
"We caught a break," Shepard shrugged. "I'm just glad we got here in time."
"As am I," Miranda chuckled. "Never saw myself as a damsel in distress."
"You weren't," Edward added, an impressed smile on his face. "More like a damsel kicking ass!"
"How did you do all this?" Shepard asked.
"Hanse led me to Quintus when I asked for help. Given that Henry Lawson was a Cerberus sympathizer, Quintus gave me the resources I needed to find him and Oriana," Miranda explained. "Thanks to their resources, it wasn't long before I found my father, especially once I confirmed that he was working for Cerberus. Just had to follow the lies. Once I saw what this place was… I couldn't just walk away."
"Of course," Shepard nodded.
"Things got really complicated when the Reapers came around, and Kai Leng."
"You survived. Not many people could do that."
"When you mentioned he was involved, I took a few extra precautions, including adding some extra armor onto my outfit. Probably saved my life."
"You broke into a fortified Cerberus lab while it was being attacked by the Reapers," Victor noted. "Risky, but you did quite well, given the circumstances."
"I needed to find Oriana. Nothing was going to stop me."
"You found her," Shepard smiled. "And I found you. That's all that matters."
"Did you worry?"
"Of course I worried."
"It was nothing I couldn't handle."
"I know. At least Oriana is safe."
"Yes," Miranda nodded. "I just wish she didn't have to see all of this."
"About your father…" Shepard asked.
"I'm glad he's gone, Shepard," Miranda replied with conviction. "I'm sorry if that sounds cold."
""Don't be," Shepard replied. "I understand fully. I had to deal with someone just as dangerous as him. If there is a Hell, then Andreas Kane and Henry Lawson are now burning in it."
"It's finally over, for both of us," Miranda beamed. "We can stop running."
"Yes, you can," Shepard nodded. Turning to Liara, who was accessing a nearby database, he asked, "What's our status?"
"The research data's gone," Liara reported, "but there's basic facility information. Shuttle departures and arrivals, Cerberus included. No direct links, but it's a good start."
"Grab anything you can off the computer," Shepard ordered. "We'll take it back to be analyzed."
"I can do better than that," Miranda added. "Before Kai Leng took off, I planted a tracer on him. If you act fast, you'll track him right to the Illusive Man. I also noticed another tracker present on him, so that should really help out as well."
"Good," Shepard nodded. "This is… exactly what we need."
"Thought you might need some good news."
"Damn right. What's next for you two?"
"Get her someplace safe. Get my injuries cleaned up."
"Then let's go." With that, the team left. Cerberus didn't know it, but the end had come, and it would be a swift and painful one.
(Author's Q&A)
SulliMike23: That he has. You don't mess around with the Inner Sphere, and Shepard, and expect to get away with it.
edboy4926: Thank you.
raw66: I can see that happening. I'll probably have that happen closer to the end.
MarauderPrime12: Yep. Leng's days are numbered.
.nimrod: Thank you. I always felt that one part was a little bit of plot armor for the bad guy. I also wondered what would happen if someone thwarted Leng.
RandomReader: I agree. I probably should've done that whole 'Reapers adapting to new tech' thing earlier, but it is what it is. Still, I'm glad that you approve.