MASS EFFECT: ENTANGLED
CHAPTER 16
This takes place during the first part of Chapter 20 of "Solace."
Normandy
No one was ready. The attack on Earth was cataclysmic. The reapers were in great numbers and hitting the planet on various fronts. Frustration and rage ignited a fire inside Shepard like flammable ingredients. Thousands of lives were lost within the first five minutes: both civilian and military. If only the Alliance listened to her warnings regarding the pending annihilation of mankind by the sentient race in dark space and not cast them aside like they were a tabloid rumor. With her actions in Bahak, the Alliance was dealing with a political fallout when the bigger threat was looming right in front of their eyes; the same threat that they turned a blind eye to including the council. The reaper ground troops consisted mostly of husks and a new species: cannibals; twisted barbaric forms of the batarians. Their presence was a clear indication of what happened to Harsa. There was no staged blackout or an unknown enemy in the amidst. The reapers hit there first and got what they came for: the batarians' "ascension" into a new race that would serve the reapers just like the Protheans.
The cannibals were hard to look at. Their repulsing appearance was not the only reason. When she squared off with them on Earth, all she could think about was Bray's demise. Fortunately, he was still on Omega or so she hoped. She barely made it to the Normandy unscathed and was forced to watch her former CO, Admiral Anderson, remain on Earth to take the lead of the troops.
Presently, they were heading to Mars per the directive of Admiral Hackett to the archives. He hinted that there could be information there that would lead them to a way to stop the reapers. Along for the ride were James Vega and Ashley Williams. It was hard to look the brunette straight in the eyes ever since their reunion on Horizon. The pain was still deep. Ash affiliated her with Cerberus and refused to help in any way. The statement was a slap in the face and it angered Krysta. Even while they were in the same vessel, Shepard held a grudge. She wasn't ready to face her yet. After giving the orders to Joker, she dismissed them to seek solitude in the conference room. She needed to be alone. Her brown eyes stared out the window into the black abyss as Joker was setting up the FTL trip. A ghostly image of the young boy from Earth stared back at her on the glass. "They are all going to die," He whimpered before fading away just as quickly as he appeared.
"What the hell?!" Shepard jolted back against the table side by the phantom. Her heart raced inside her chest. Holding her head, she clenched her teeth as she shook her head from side to side to erase the haunting message. The shock on Earth was more severe than she thought. She had to witness not only soldiers fall but a young kid amongst others who were trying to escape the reapers' blast.
Furiously, she stormed through the security checkpoint, ignoring the two officers' salutes, and moved to the cockpit on the CIC. "Joker, ETA."
"One hour. Opened the throttle all the way. May have to conserve fuel capacity after this until we can fill up."
"Fine," She snapped, ignoring the caution.
The flight lieutenant picked up on her demeanor. "Commander," He started softly. "I know leaving Earth was pretty…rough. I can't believe this shit."
Shepard fumed in her stance behind him as she crossed her arms. Her eyes stared out into the space in front of them. "I warned them, Joker. I warned all of them! They wouldn't fucking listen to me."
"I always did," He looked up from his seat with a gentle smile on his face.
His sincere gesture broke her hardened appearance and she chuckled. "Thanks."
"Remember, you did everything you could and you will keep doing it. I believe in you."
"I don't control your check Moreau, so save the sucking up for the Alliance," She teased. It felt so great to still have him on her team. No matter how he was a pain in the ass sometimes.
"The old gang is almost back. I mean we have Ash." The remark soured Krysta's mood once more and she remained quiet. Joker prodded, "Did you talk to her?"
"No, and I'm not ready to do so," She huffed.
"Come on," He gently urged. The pilot knew when to push her. "It's Ash. I know Horizon was a bad scene. Hell, we were all dragged along by Cerberus then."
Shepard seethed. "Let it go, Joker…."
Sensing the anger in her voice, he returned his attention to the controls. "Aye, aye, mam. What do you think we will find on Mars?"
"A wing and a prayer."
Citadel,
An asari near the end of her maiden stage dressed in a navy blue formal dress greeted Aria and Bray as they exited the ship's docking tube. "I hope that your brief delay in the arrival was not too long. My name is Sal'shae and I will be your attendant while you are on this station. There has been an influx of traffic due to all the refugees and C-Sec is stopping routes. Tevos made sure that your vessel was cleared to the VIP docking berths or you would have to go through processing which could take many hours right now."
"That many from Khar'shan?" Bray was surprised by the number of batarian refugees that would come to the Citadel, the heart of the Council races, when they were shunned for so many years.
Sal'shae's eyes widened at his question and then she held her fingertips to her lips. "My apologies. I forgot that you may have not received the extranet news update while you were in transition to land."
"Go on," Aria hated all the dancing around.
"It seems that the reapers have struck the human homeworld, Earth. Many of their civilians are coming here. Hence the delay in clearing you."
Aria gave a sideways glance over to Bray, then looked back at their greeter. "Is everything set up?"
"Yes, I have selected one of our most spacious apartments that is just outside the Financial District of the Presidium. From your private balcony, you can see statues and waterfalls. I have also requested two servers to attend to your needs."
"I need some entertainment. What kind of clubs does this place have?" Aria dismissed the details with a wave of her hand. She didn't care about luxury. It was expected. Tevos was going all out. It was glad that her reach with the asari councilor never diminished.
The question threw Sal'shae off and she paused abruptly to search her datapad for possible answers. "Well, let's see. The most popular one is Purgatory. It's the largest on the station with five-star-rated DJs and drinks. I can find something a little smaller if you want…"
"Take me there."
Sal'shae bowed at the order. "Right this way."
As they walked towards their designated top-of-the-line skycar, Bray mulled over the exchange between their attendant and Aria. T'Loak was being treated like royalty and it was all thanks to the asari councilor, Tevos. He never knew she had this kind of pull and she never disclosed it until now. That's what he liked about working for her. She kept all her cards hidden until it was in her favor to reveal. Just how powerful was she outside Omega?