A/N: Hello all, and happy holidays! I'm pushing this chapter out and hopefully another chapter for another story out before Turkey Day, and then potentially not uploading until around Christmas time. My free time is negligible around this time of year, so I'm glad I got this one done and out before it gets worse.
Two things to acknowledge: Thank you all for your reviews, even if some of you really didn't like part of the last chapter. Keep them coming, positive or negative! That said, I feel like I didn't convey something that is rather important to know with it. It's been handled rather bluntly in this chapter, and I regret nothing. Second: Thanks again to Aperture Zero for his allowing me to racketball ideas off of him, even for things that don't pertain to any posted stories. Guy's a lifesaver.
Seven days, Anderson deduced. It took seven days for Commander Tesh's ship to fall out of FTL, and another half day to get through the Relay and to a system in the Horse Head Nebula that he had never heard of. Not that the Salarians had attempted to hide that fact, but their very nature as STG operatives made getting answers from them a little more difficult than one would hope.
"We'll be at the rendezvous with your ship within the hour, Captain. Is there anything else that I can provide for you, or for the Alliance?" Tesh asked.
Truthfully, Anderson still had a mountain of questions despite the other mountain he had already asked. But the Salarians looked… spooked. Tired, exhausted. And he couldn't blame them. An STG vessel being found when they didn't wish to be was unheard of; Anderson knew that his own confidence in his ship's systems would be compromised if someone had spotted it. And that was only after less than a year of being aboard it.
"I still have plenty of questions, Commander, but I don't wish to impose any more than I already have."
Tesh nodded expectantly. Anderson appreciated the mind of this Salarian.
"Then, perhaps I might extend an olive branch of sorts between the Union and the Alliance. We are in this together, facing this threat equally if the Batarian Hegemony does indeed fall before their might. I'll provide you with a direct line to myself, as well as my crew. I will, of course, inform Dalatrass Linron, but I have little doubt that she would agree."
Anderson nodded as the Salarian raised an arm and activated his omnitool. The Captain responded in kind, accepting the link, when one of the other Salarians spoke up.
"Commander, we have confirmation on the presence of Captain Anderson's vessel. But we're also detecting something massive among a nearby asteroid cluster. Readings match that of the Custodian's personal frigate in initial scans, but a second scan is revealing discrepancies; it's almost twice the mass of the Custodian's vessel in comparison. It seems to be stationed around a space station. Identifying… Cerberus."
Tesh sighed, running a hand along his crest as he felt nervous anticipation enter his system once more.
Thankfully, it wasn't Tesh that gave the order that he knew his crew would follow. Anderson's own authoritative voice sounded loudly, and with confidence that Tesh could only wish he felt.
"Open a line to the SSV Mariana. Don't bother with encryption, we already know that the Custodian can crack through it like nothing. Let's show them that we're not unwilling to talk with them. And maybe find out what exactly is going on between them and Cerberus."
Returning to the Orion had been uneventful in the grand scheme of things, Sister decided. The only thing of note had been another distortion of her perception, once more reliving a part of Knight-Centura Seraste's life.
It happened when she had put her first foot aboard the ramp, causing her to pause.
One more foot, she knew. One more foot, and her oaths would be… not shattered. But definitely strained, beyond what they already were. She didn't serve the Legio Custodes directly, unless they needed her talents.
And yet… Here she stood. Ready to board Lord Arcturus's own vessel, leaving behind her sisters.
Oh, not entirely. She wasn't quite that enamored by the Thirteenth. But she was aware that some would consider her actions as a dereliction of her post.
It mattered little. Lord Arcturus needed her. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that his survival depended on it, or even that of his Brothers, but she knew how to read between the lines of what he said and left unstated. And his body language. She was the only one to learn how he projected himself through it, even if it was distorted through what the pointy-eared xenos had taught him.
She wouldn't admit that she had learned their language as well through watching him, but then again, that was how she learned best.
A mental sigh escaped her as she placed another foot onto the ramp. Her choice was made. Not that she had even contemplated not going with him.
He needed her. The past ten years of working together had formed a bond between the two, a bond that she couldn't imagine sharing with anyone else.
Romantic? No. But a bond of companionship, nonetheless. And she wouldn't deny that his presence made her flutter. But not in that way. She knew that he would never reciprocate physicality beyond the shake of a hand, or a hand upon her shoulder. No, the flutter isn't physical. But it was most certainly in her mind. And she knew that he had felt it too, no matter how he hid it. He had felt the same bond of companionship.
And that, most of all, is why she had to leave her Sisters behind. While no oath has been broken, she knew that her values had been compromised. She could no longer act as she was required among their numbers. She would be a liability.
She was Knight-Centura Seraste of the Anathema Psykana. A Talon of the Emperor. Proud to serve her Emperor as only one of her kind could. A Null, trained in the ways of the Culexus Temple and the Sisterhood. One of a few that held that honor, and that horror. Also the most likely reason that Arcturus had chosen her as his hand. But most importantly, she was Lord Arcturus's most valued companion and tool. And that was why she had to leave.
Sister's vision came back into focus as her third step carried her further into the ship, but it was much slower than the previous two. A golden hand entered her vision, causing her to glance up at its owner.
"Come, Sister. You have earned a name for this day."
His voice was the same as it had always been, but carrying a sense of being proud that she had never heard before. Even in Seraste's memories. It made her smile, and her mind flutter in that familiar fashion.
Part of her was concerned that it wasn't her that felt it, but Seraste arising within herself. She knew it was impossible. But the amount of trust she had in him seemed distinctly unlike her. She hadn't trusted anyone in her life like this. Not her parents, nor her brother, though her memories of them were fleeting at best even before she was subjected to over a century's worth of warfare and politicking in the form of Knight-Centura Seraste.
But the bond was there. She could read Arcturus just as well as Seraste could, and she knew that he felt that same bond forming once more. Even more startling to her was that he hadn't pulled away from it, like he originally had tried to do to Seraste.
A blink of her eyes made her realize she was staring at his hand for longer than was polite. She grasped it confidently and felt herself pulled aboard. She began to sign immediately.
"My apologies, Lord Arcturus. I was… occupied."
The giant hummed to himself in thought. She had told him of the blending of minds and memories she had experienced; neither he nor Lexus had been surprised.
"The memories of Seraste?"
"Yes… and my own ponderings. I cannot help but wonder if my trust in you is my own, or hers."
Arcturus nodded in understanding as he closed the boarding ramp.
"It's a delicate balance, discovering who you are now while keeping her influence at bay. It was my biggest worry with the path we set you upon. Seraste is gone, her life ended within the Impossible City. The very same denizen of the Warp that injured me, ended her mere moments beforehand as her own actions saved my life. She died honorably, and I do not wish her to come again. It would… hurt, I feel, if she did. But you are not her. There are many differences between you two, even if you do not see it yourself. She couldn't stand Lexus, for starters. The two would be at each other's throats constantly if they were in the same gravity well."
Sister rolled her eyes as her fingers signed.
"Don't put that past me just yet."
The Custodian chuckled to himself as he moved towards the cockpit. Before they reached it, he slowed and turned to face her.
"Onto the matters of honors. You have done well, and have earned your first name of what I hope to be many. Kneel, Sister, that one may be bestowed upon you."
Sister didn't hesitate in dropping to her knees.
Arcturus drew his Misericordia and approached her, placing the tip upon her right shoulder. With him wielding it, Sister mused, it looked like a dagger.
"You have served me with honor, and with courage befitting that of my Brothers and Sisters. A name you have not, yet a name you deserve. Rise, and take upon your heart the name of Raven. You have fluttered among your enemies like an omen of death, delivering them from this life unto what awaits them next. And in so rising, accept your full responsibility as an Oblivion Knight."
And so she rose. As she did so, she noticed that Arcturus had removed his helmet, holding it with his other hand. His eyes burned into her own as she felt the responsibility of both her name and her new rank settle upon her shoulders.
"When we return, you shall don your Vrantine armor and cloak. You have earned them. Your Executioner Blade shall be forged by the both of us. I know how to make Seraste's, but your build is a bit different from hers. I shall need your input to ensure we make it to your specifications."
Raven swallowed the lump in her throat, nodding at his words. Her fingers tingled as she signed her response.
"It would be my honor."
"No, Raven. It is mine. Let us go, we have a lineup of tasks that need seeing to. Check the alignment crystals of the Blaze Cannons, if you can. They're always the most delicate part of the weaponry. And the most expensive to replace. Run diagnostics on the rest."
With that, Arcturus entered the cockpit. A moment later saw Justice leaving the room to join her in cannon maintenance.
"They fled, then?" Arcturus asked within the cockpit.
"Affirmative. They attempted to encrypt a data package and sent it to the new vessel. It was intercepted and copied before it was allowed to arrive at its original recipient. Coordinates and time were found." Lexus replied.
The Custodian glanced at Sheela, who simply shrugged as she replied.
"The Alliance and the Salarian Union were never the closest peas in a pod, but a lot has changed since I've been among them."
"When and where?" The Custodian asked.
"Six Terran days, eighteen hours, forty-eight minutes, twenty-one seconds. Horse Head Nebula, presently unnamed system. In our time, the Badab Sector. Preliminary deep scans indicate that the meeting point isn't far from a space station. It is utilizing a primitive form of stealth technology to foil scanners, but neglects to hide their electromagnetic signatures to a satisfying degree."
"Are either party aware of the station's existence?"
"Unknown. Magos Cladus scoured their ships' banks for any navigational data, but was largely unsuccessful with the exception of the route both ships had taken to get within the Vular System. This indicates that both vessels operate with clandestine intentions, likely with an intelligence dedicated to scrubbing nav-data from their systems. I have found one other thing that seems to be noteworthy."
Arcturus waited patiently for Lexus to continue after a pause.
"After hacking into the station's systems - discreetly - it seems to be a facility under the control of a faction named Cerberus. We may have a lead on Jack Harper if we take it before a system-wide data purge can be enacted. I can obtain no more information than that without someone tapping into their closed data servers directly."
Arcturus glanced at Sheela, who answered his unasked question without hesitation.
"If we utilize Mass Relays, we can be there just outside of two days."
"Five and a half days, then. We need to return to Nemata, arm Raven with what she has earned. We may also have need of several alignment crystals for the cannons. We should be thankful that our targets were no further away than they were when we targeted them."
"I have diverted experimental construction of a Lance in favor of your crystals. You shall find a full set ready for installation upon arrival at Nemata, if only just."
That caused Arcturus to resist raising an eyebrow. Nothing they currently had could support the power draws of a Lance without it being an emplacement. Even plasma weapons were pushing the current capabilities of their fleet. Lexus was hiding something.
"Very well. You'll also find a manifesto detailing several requisitions I'll need in the coming future. See to it that you are able to personally oversee their construction. You'll find a couple of them to be familiar."
If Lexus would hide its projects, then Arcturus would force it to construct the things it had previously rebuffed.
"As you wish. I shall personally oversee the Pallas Grav-Attack platform and the aforementioned planned updates to the Orion. Your Dawneagle Jetbike has also been completed, per your specifications. No Auramite, but tinted Adamantine has been used."
Yes, Lexus knew it had overstepped. Arcturus knew how to take advantage of its moments of reticence, and twisted its many arms savagely when needed.
The updates to the Orion were proposed by him to increase its size by nearly double. With the unique nature of the Macro Arae-Shrikes and other sensitive technologies, the modification of an Orion was extremely rare, even in the Imperium. But Lexus was one of a number that could be counted on one hand that had both the knowledge and the skill to do it.
The Pallas and Dawneagle would be stored on-board with the updated design, and an additional generator installed to provide power exclusively to the weapons systems, while an experimental crystal array was implemented for the cannons. It would aid in the dispersal of heat in the hopes of reducing the internal deterioration rate of the system with each shot, at the cost of a slightly longer charging period.
More than worth it, in Arcturus's eyes. This was not the Imperium; he did not have the riches of the Emperor at his beck and call to fall upon.
The other projects he had given Lexus, however, were much smaller in scope. Most of them were for Raven, admittedly, knowing that she has an even stronger mastery of the skills taught to Seraste by the Culexus Temple. It was a simple fact that Raven has a far better control of herself and a mind that worked multitudes above Seraste at her prime; something that he was quick to take advantage of. If the feats of her brother were anything to base things off of, her family was extraordinary as a whole. He would have enjoyed the opportunity to have met John Shepard, see if his suspicions were correct about the family. That they might have been the sort of stock that Custodians were drawn from.
She needed an Animus Speculum, and while Lexus hasn't made one itself, Arcturus was familiar with their construction. Only one explanation was needed for Lexus to understand how it was created, and the rare technology behind it fabricated. It even came up with an alternative design, capable of blending in with Raven's armor when it wasn't needed for combat. The idea had come from Raven herself, referring to this galaxy's obsession with weapons being able to fold up into a form for transportation.
Despite the Magos' tendencies for theatrical reveals and lack of interest in sharing its clandestine projects with Arcturus, the Custodian was more than happy that Lexus was here. It was genuinely the only Magos that Arcturus would count on for everything he would need or want. And the results showed this; in the span of almost a year, they had brought to life a Forge World of their own creation, completely self-sufficient and capable of the production of equipment and technologies that only the major Forge Worlds of the Mechanicum were capable of producing. Certainly not on the same scale, of course, but quality had always served Arcturus better than quantity.
His mind had wandered, Arcturus realized. A sign that he needed sleep, most certainly. He would need to finish his conversation with Lexus quickly.
"One last thing, Lexus. I encountered an artifact within the underground laboratory, capable of psychic interaction."
"In this galaxy? Intriguing. Did you bring it with you?"
"I could not, at least not intact. It acted as a focus for another to interact with its surroundings. It attempted to control my mind. However, I did salvage a shard for you to experiment with."
"A regrettable loss, but its destruction is understandable. What did you feel when it tried?"
"Cold, wet, ancient, and curious. Reminded me of being underwater. Whatever was on the other end of it, knew that I am not like the other humans of this galaxy. It is powerful, more than capable of seizing my mind if I was taken off-guard by the mental assault. I shall send what data I have of the object. If you find more, treat them with extreme caution."
"By your orders, Lord Arcturus. Everything shall be ready for your arrival."
The Custodian disconnected from Lexus and sat in his chair, placing his helmet in his lap. He could feel the cockpit's other occupant staring at him, though this time it seemed to be with something other than reverence. He allowed himself to glance in Sheela's direction to see what it was.
"You need to sleep more, Lord Arcturus." Sheela stated as his head turned. "You haven't slept since the last time we were on Nemata. That's not healthy."
While she had a point, Arcturus knew it wasn't as dire as she was making it sound. He had foregone sleep for longer durations, but for some reason or another he was distinctly feeling the fatigue this time.
"I shall endeavor to sleep as my schedule allows, Sheela. Chart the course back to Nemata and see us there."
The woman nodded eagerly as she began. Normally, Arcturus would double check the coordinates out of habit. Not to suggest he didn't trust her capabilities. This time, he simply wished to rest with the knowledge that she had never performed the calculations wrong, and that the shipboard navigational intelligence could confirm them in his place.
He leaned his head back in the chair and exhaled, feeling sleep overtake him. And for the first time since arriving in this galaxy, he dreamt.
Raven stared at the now-named Minuteman Station hologram in front of her intently, one of her hands gently flipping an old coin between her fingers while the other rested below her breastplate. Her Vrantine armor fit her perfectly, causing her to marvel at its feel around her despite Seraste's own memories. She had decided that it felt even more perfect simply due to the fact that Seraste could fit into anything. Raven didn't have that benefit, being both rather tall even before the augments Lexus had given her, and having more weight on her body even with her captivity and subsequent malnourishment. It only became more apparent as she ate properly and recovered from her captivity.
The coin in her fingers flipped through them one more time. A habit she had picked up, when Arcturus presented it to her. The coin itself was just over 30 millimeters in diameter, held a silver sheen, and displayed a worn golden raptor on one side. The other side displayed a stylized 'I'. Arcturus gave it to her when she had donned the armor, stating that the coin would be her badge of office in his service.
They had spent the next day forging her Executioner Blade within the small foundry that Lexus had devoted to Arcturus's use. It was here that the maintenance of his Bolt Caliver took place and its ammunition created, as well as a variety of other things. Apparently the upkeep of his armor also took place here, as Raven had discovered when they were waiting for her finished weapon to be blessed by the Magos-Commander. Arcturus had wasted no time in taking off the enormous set of armor, allowing her to see that there were engravings throughout the inside of the armor that left little clear space. She cocked her head to read several of them, only realizing that they were names after several decryptions using Seraste's knowledge.
"Are those your fallen brothers?" Raven had asked.
"No. They are… me. My names. My name is long, storied, but it is not a pleasure to have such a long name except that they were earned in the service of my Emperor and my Brotherhood. My name is not the longest, nor the most glorious. I take pride in it being the most confusing and controversial in some cases. It has led to a number of debates among my fellows in deciding on if several parts of it should have been something quite different."
Arcturus had turned his head to her, giving her a small smile as he coated a pauldron with… something.
"An explanation, then. My name is not filled with honorable names. It is filled with names that have sparked a number of controversies or started wars in Terra's long distant past. I have taken the names of assassins through all parts of history, and figures who have brought about great change. My place among the Brotherhood is not to serve our Emperor by His side, but to instead bring about the changes that he needs. I am not the greatest warrior, nor am I the most intelligent. I am the quickest to adapt, the first to manipulate others around me without them realizing it, and the first to see the value of assassins being under your own thumb. I protected the Emperor not in person, but abroad and while working quite closely with the various Assassin clades. Perhaps the most controversial of my actions was learning from both the legions that never were, and the Twin Primarchs, and in turn teaching them some things. In some cases, things are… rather obvious propaganda pieces."
"The statue you left on Erszbat?" Raven asked with her hands.
"Indeed." Arcturus had stated. He took a breath and turned his full attention to her. "And it is here that I feel the need to discuss something important with you, and perhaps to you with your past. I am not freeing slaves simply because slavery is abominable in my eyes. Slaves are easily swayed and manipulated, malleable to be turned into whatever I need them to be. A ready army to be liberated and trained, so long as they had the things they wanted. I took advantage of this, and also removed from them any chance of escape from my own clutches by removing the Relays and instilling within them loyalty that I do not deserve, but nonetheless enforce for my own ends. The outward appearance of Forge World Nemata's hatred of slavery is but a guise maintained with a genuine dislike for the practice, for its controllers to build a face for the Forge World to present to the galaxy. Xenophobia is rampant in the Imperium of my Emperor, even if they are tolerated so long as they do not interfere with His designs, yet the Forge World builds the façade of accepting all merely because Humanity in this galaxy has no hope of reaching the vision that the Emperor holds. I shall use this Humanity, your Humanity, to build my own vision.
"You were no different, Raven. You were a tool to be used, but now I find myself having difficulties in referring to you as such, even more so than I did with Seraste. With your appointment as an Oblivion Knight, I give you a choice. Now knowing what you do, you can stay by my side and serve as my right hand. Another choice is to operate elsewhere, with your own ship and crew. Lastly, you could follow your own path, disappear without a trace. Lexus would be none the wiser, under the impression that I sent you out on a mission. So long as you do not interfere with my vision, I would have no need to hunt you down. But you must make this decision now."
The coin in her hand flipped once more as she recalled his words, the key to disappearing from him entirely within her very fingers. The answer had been obvious to her, even if it had caused him to frown. She would stay by his side so long as he had use for her. She owed him that at least, for giving her what she now had. Even if he hadn't, she doubted her answer would change. She was drawn to him, even without Seraste's memories tainting her own. She wanted to see where his path took him. And the best way to do that was to remain by his side.
She didn't miss the annoyed looks Sheela had started giving her either when she had returned to the upgraded Orion. Raven found them entertaining, knowing that she had earned a form of trust and had bonded with the Custode in a way that Sheela never could. Arcturus was no deity, no object to be revered. He was Human. Not even his genetic tailoring would change that fact. He felt pleasure in being treated as another human, rather than how Lorgar venerated the Emperor. Perhaps that very reason was why he kept Sheela at arm's length.
Raven sighed into her helmet. Her thoughts were greatly diverted from where they needed to be. Both Lexus and Arcturus had stated that the Animus Speculum that had been built into her helmet would cause her mind to wander more easily, yet she hadn't imagined it would be quite this… severe. She needed to focus.
In short order, a holographic layout of the station was projected in front of her, rather than just the outside image. She glanced at the other people surrounding the table.
Arcturus was the one that activated the holotable. Justice stood on his other side, arms crossed as a Seeker insect rested on its shoulder. Sheela was further down. The final occupant of the cockpit-turned-bridge was none other than Ix-036.
The entirety of Assault Cohort IV had been stationed aboard the Orion, much to her surprise. Their addition had been Lexus's own surprise for Arcturus, having further modified the Custodian's plans for the Orion to include the maintenance bay and armory they would require, along with several tech-thralls dedicated to maintaining and repairing them. As a bonus, they also served as a medical team in the case that one of the Orion's other occupants was injured.
She didn't miss that Arcturus had delivered further modification plans for the Orion to Lexus either. She wasn't sure how Lexus could make binaric cant sound judgemental, yet somehow Lexus did. It seemed that her Lord was asking for something that would disrupt its own plans for the time being. It made her smile, recalling Seraste's memories of Arcturus doing the same thing to Lexus multiple times in the past. The Magos always delivered, regardless of how much the request would annoy it. There was no denying that Lexus was loyal to Arcturus to a fault, no matter how tense the game of politics would become between the two.
"This is Minuteman Station, a facility built and operated by Cerberus." Arcturus began. "Scans indicate a crew of two hundred eighty seven humans. Automated defenses number in at least two hundred automated mechs. Loki and Ymir variants primarily. With this facility being a research station, expect that most of the humans aboard are not combatants. If they surrender, take them. If they initiate hostilities, remove them at your own discretion. Seeker swarms will be on hand to paralyze those who surrender. We'll infiltrate through the hanger."
His hands manipulated the hologram to zoom towards the center of the station, where a room with a single entrance was highlighted. A piece of the hologram split off and navigated itself to the station's bridge as well.
"The central servers are our target. We need to reach them before they can wipe their servers and initiate a self-destruct sequence. As such, a second team shall head towards the bridge to make sure that the self-destruct sequence cannot be initiated."
Both halves of the hologram recombined, allowing for Arcturus to move it again toward the opposite end of the station.
"Finally, we have their labs. A third team shall move towards the labs to separate their forces. Volunteers for the team leaders?"
Without hesitation, Raven raised her hand. Ix-036 had also raised hers.
"Good. Raven, you're on the labs. Ix-036 will take care of the bridge, and I'll make my way to the servers. Divide the Thallax cohort how you need to; Justice shall be with me. Strike fast, strike true. We'll be arriving in three minutes."
Miranda frowned as she felt the station vibrate from… something. She stood from her desk immediately, closing out of her report to the Illusive Man and shutting down the terminal. Her omnitool was open before it finished, her fingers already swiping through its interface to contact the head of security, a man named Jacob Taylor. He answered immediately.
"Miss Lawson! We have a vacuum breach on B-deck. Something large made impact and embedded itself into the station."
The frown that came to Miranda's face caused the man tense slightly; he knew about her reputation for making sure things operated exactly how she wanted them to.
"Why were none of the perimeter scans able to detect whatever made impact? For that matter, what is it?"
"Unsure, ma'am. Whatever it is, is extremely massive. Around the size of a Turian Heavy Frigate, but with a much higher mass."
"Cameras?"
"Not responding. I've sent three security details to investigate, along with a contingent of Loki mechs."
Miranda nodded as she went to the locker in her office. She opened it and grabbed her Carnifex, then began to make her way to the servers.
While she wasn't sure how Minuteman Station was found, she was positive that the object matched the description she had of Forge World Nemata's golden ship, though this one seemed to be even bigger. It seemed that the Illusive Man was wrong; there was more than one of these Custodians.
She would be damned if one got the better of her, but what could one want here? The Lazarus Project perhaps?
No. She was confident that there was nothing that could have leaked it. She monitored every incoming and outgoing message. There's no way that anyone off of the station besides the Illusive Man would know about it. What else could they want? Perhaps information. It was the only logical conclusion she could see. She would wait and prepare for it to arrive at the servers; there was nowhere else it would be heading, nothing else on board that could possibly attract its attention.
As she set about wiping the servers, her omnitool alerted her to Jacob's call.
"Report." She stated as she finished authorizing the wipe.
"Security details have failed to report in, and multiple decks have gone silent. Still no visual feeds. Be careful, whatever boarded us has split into three teams. One is moving significantly faster than the others, straight for the servers. I'm on my way with my team."
A sigh escaped Miranda's lips as her mind worked through her options. A glance through the large room set her to getting a defensive position laid out, as well as activating whatever Loki mechs were around. She glanced at the two Ymir mechs and decided to activate them too. It might be overkill, but it wouldn't hurt.
"Jacob, status?" Miranda asked. She frowned when no answer came. Opening her omnitool, she glanced at her comms and found them being blocked by something. "Dammit."
A loud thud sounded from the other side of the sealed door, as if something had made impact with a wall just outside. She took cover behind a stack of crates she had previously moved and raised her Carnifex, prepared to fire the moment those doors opened. She was not prepared for the door to be torn asunder with little warning, barely able to react as a flash of gold stormed the room. She blinked at its speed, and in the time it took her to blink, she realized that the figure had already torn through several of her Loki mechs with fist and blade.
Her finger hesitated for only a heartbeat, then compressed the trigger of her hand cannon. And she missed. It knew where she was, and the trajectory of her weapon. It was little work for it to step aside, ram its blade through the head of the closest Ymir, and rip it free with the head still attached. Even as the Ymir's core went critical, its open hand shoved it aside into a group of Lokis. It grabbed the Ymir's head from the blade, and Miranda immediately felt dread flood her system, causing her to begin to duck. She had only managed to move an inch before the chunk of metal spliced the air where her head had been, that inch likely saving her life.
It spun, catching the rocket that had been launched by the other Ymir, and turned the explosive back onto the mech. His blade sung through the air, a strange field crackling around it as it plunged into the cracked plating of the mech and sunk to its hilt into the mech's core. It was lifted from the ground, spun in a half revolution, and sent flying into the last group of Loki mechs.
Miranda felt the sweat beginning to drench her hairline as she witnessed the Custodian in action, awed and outraged.
She was the apex of Human achievement. She was a super soldier, created by her father to be the very best that Humanity can become. And yet… she was nothing compared to this creature.
With her third heartbeat since that door had been shattered, she felt its golden hand wrap around her, picking her up like a child would a doll. And then she was peering into the red lenses of its helmet. And it spoke… English. Without the need of her translator.
"You're faster than these other humans, but you are not fast enough." Its head moved slightly, turning just enough to glance at the screen showing the progress of the data wipe of the servers. "You were not prepared."
Miranda gasped as she attempted to draw breath as she noticed the golden giant's head turn ever so slightly back towards the door he had come from. She wasn't sure what had drawn its attention; a sound perhaps, that she hadn't heard. Either way, seeing the giant's distraction had given her the moment of surprise she needed. With a growl, she unleashed her biotics in the form of an explosion around her, forcing him to release her.
Only a moment later, she heard the report of Avengers and Mattocks, heard the grain-sized projectiles hiss past her or make impact with her adversary. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that she would have been able to get away on her own. In fact, she would very gratefully thank Jacob for his intervention, for he was the only one that could have come to her aid in that moment. She didn't hesitate to to sprint away, towards Jacob and his squad.
The Custodian made a decision much faster than she had hoped. Herself, or the data. It chose the data.
It withstood the incoming fire in an almost bored stance as its empty hand reached for the server's display. Biotics flared around it, making impact on the same field that flashed with golden light that the incoming fire created. Unlike the weapons, the biotics caused it to flash much brighter. And, to Miranda's horror, the server wipe was halted.
"Run, Jacob! We need to secure Lazarus and leave!"
The dark-skinned man nodded, motioning for the squad to follow them as they ran down the corridor, away from the servers and the Juggernaut that remained within.
"Shepard's already on board a shuttle, it's waiting for us. What about everything else?"
Miranda slowed their pace as they rounded a corner, before picking it back up.
"Set the station to self-destruct."
When all she heard in response to that was their feet, she knew something was wrong. A few more moments saw to Jacob clearing his throat before he spoke.
"We lost all contact with the bridge and engineering just moments before we lost contact with you."
Her curse was audible.
"Then we can do nothing besides escape. Cerberus is exposed, and there's nothing we can do about it."
Raven ducked beneath the mechanical arm of an Ymir mech, her blade flashing out and slicing through its exposed underside as she did so, an acrid smoke coming from where it was cut. It gave one last jerk, then collapsed.
She stood from her place at the end of a corridor, looking behind her to see Daniel-989 and three other Thallaxii rise from their own engagements. Several Cerberus soldiers lay crumpled around the Ursarax, most of them missing at least a limb or having their entire chest cavities rent asunder or otherwise missing. The same could be said for any of their opponents, except for those Raven had gone through. The only thing missing from them were their heads.
"We continue onwards." She signed, turning back to their target. The station had put up a worthy defense, though one that was ultimately futile when put to the test against the combined might of a Custodian and Thallax cohort. While she knew she downplayed her own role, Raven was well aware of the effect that her own presence had caused.
The Animus Speculum had only amplified that which she was already capable of. While yes, it was a weapon on its own… It was also a catalyst. The fear she had long grown used to seeing on others' faces in her presence, the discomfort, the urge to leave that was always present upon their faces… had turned into utter terror. She had seen them attempt to back away, stopped only by whatever pride they had left. But when she would start her humming, even their pride had broken. They had run, for what little good it had done them. She fell upon them like a scythe through grain, followed by her squad of Thallaxii.
It had not taken them long to arrive at the labs. It was clear that great effort had been made to evacuate one of the projects, but it seemed that she had arrived before they could retrieve or purge the others. Not that there was much of note; mostly engineering projects, ones that looked to have been attempting to recreate some of the things that had become common knowledge of the Forge World throughout the galaxy. They were nowhere close.
But the last project, that was interesting. She had entered the final laboratory, expecting more of the previous. Instead, she found an occupied vat not too dissimilar to her own. And inside it was her brother.
There was no doubt about it. She would never forget his features, seeing as they were as much her own as his. Even if she had spent more than half her life away from him, she knew his face.
If she had rushed towards the nearby terminal, she would not admit it. But she could not deny that she had read through the files on it with great interest. As she did so, she felt a small pang within her to learn that the man contained within was not her brother, but a clone. One meant to be chopped up if any pieces were required for a "Lazarus Project".
The files had been downloaded, and the order given to bring the man aboard the Orion. The vat would be destroyed, and its former occupant kept sedated until a use could be found for him. She had expected Arcturus to countermand her order and have the clone killed, but for some reason he did not.
"He could prove to be a valuable asset. Conditioning would be required, of course, but he is an element I would not dare waste. He shall be educated, and put through a specialized program."
A specialized program indeed, Raven had thought as she re-entered the Orion. There were three such specialized programs in development, and all of them were shrouded in enough secrecy to ensure that the only ones who knew of them were those from the Imperium, and those who no longer had the capacity to think for themselves. Even she had not been granted full access to their goals, or even what they were intended to produce. All she had been told by Arcturus is that she would have been the product of a fourth such program, if not for the lack of Nulls within this galaxy.
She shook her head to clear it, once again cursing the Animus Speculum. Minuteman Station had been occupied, stripped of anything worth taking, and was now to be abandoned. After meeting with the two observing ships that had been present at Erszbat, the station would be destroyed. Even now, she felt the itch to press the detonator that hung from her belt.
They only had to wait in the void for an hour, before the sleek Alliance and Salarian stealth ships emerged from FTL. An open comm channel was identified immediately, originating from the Salarian vessel and directed to the Alliance. But the words made it clear that they knew they were being heard by the Orion.
"SSV Mariana, this is Captain Anderson. Do not fire on the Custodian's ship. We wish to speak with them, try and figure out what is going on. Myself and STG Commander Tesh will attempt to board them peacefully."
Raven glanced at Sheela, watching the woman's features go from bored to perplexed in an instant.
"Captain Anderson was Commander Shepard's superior. More importantly, he works strictly within the Alliance these days after a… misunderstanding with the Council. If he's working with Salarians, then there's something big going on."
Raven snorted, not believing that there was something bigger going on, but she couldn't discount that there was. Whatever Arcturus's thoughts were, they would not be revealed just yet. Instead, he merely ordered for the bay to be opened.
"They'll only get as far as the bay. We will not be giving them a tour."
David Anderson placed his helmet on his head with much more confidence than he felt. He knew that he had been heard, had seen the bay on that ship open to reveal the figure that could only be a Custodian. It awaited him now, even as he watched Tesh motion towards the airlock.
He nodded, preparing himself as they climbed through the door and allowed it to depressurize. And then they were gone, floating through the vast expanse of space to reach that startlingly golden vessel. The moment they came close, he and Tesh felt a slight pull, slowly directing them into the open door. When they arrived, the door closed behind them with a hiss, and they felt the artificial gravity kick in. They both grunted as they hit the floor, but still noted that clean oxygen flooded the room afterwards.
Anderson rose to his feet, glancing around at the strange gathering of people.
The Custodian, clearly. Its armor glinted in the light, as did that massive weapon slung across its back. On its tasset rested a blade that was as long as David's torso and head, though it looked like it could have been a long dagger in the Custodian's hands. More importantly to David, was that he recognized the shape of a raptor engraved onto the figure's armor. Raptors were from Earth, and there was little doubt that it could have been anything else.
To its left side stood what Anderson could only guess was a Collector, though this one gave off a teal glow of biotic power. On its shoulder rested a large… bug. It stared at Anderson and Tesh just as the Collector did, as if possessing a mind far more intelligent than David was giving it credit for.
To the Custodian's right side stood someone that could have been a Human woman, if the body proportions were to be believed and the chest understood correctly. Asari were very human-like, but they could not wear helmets like Humans could, like this thing was. He had a feeling that the elongated cylinder that started at one eye and continued to protrude behind its head was not due to the shape of its head, but was instead some form of technology. And its armor, though golden, held a reddish tint to it. More important than its appearance was that he felt as if he should avoid it. Something about it was… unnatural. It almost made his skin crawl.
Some form of communication seemed to be occurring between the Custodian and the smaller creature, their fingers making signs to one another at speeds that David found to be unintelligible even if he did understand whatever it was they seemed to be saying to one another. Finally, some decision seemed to have been made between them as the larger figure dropped its hand. The smaller one gave a nod, then reached up to its helmet and began the process of unlatching it.
The process took several moments as its hands looked to pull at something they couldn't see, then finally began to pull the helmet off. Pale flesh was seen at the neck, leading to a chin, mouth, nose, and eyes. Two long ponytails of red hair descended from the helmet, falling onto each pauldron before sliding to a resting position in front of them. The figure leaned back slightly, allowing its gorget from its armor to obscure its neck and its jaw. Or rather, her jaw.
Because she was undoubtedly Human. And, even more importantly, David Anderson recognized her facial features, her red hair, and the unique color of her eyes. He had, after all, raised a child who possessed the very same things as his own son.
"Shepard?" Anderson muttered, causing the woman to frown. Instead of speaking aloud, her fingers flashed in whatever sign language it was that she used before. From her helmet, which now rested under one of her arms, a monotonous female voice came.
"Once upon a time I was. No longer. I am Raven, in the service of Lord-General Arcturus Magnus of the Forge World Nemata. State your interest in our activities with the Batarians."
Anderson was thankful that Tesh answered, though he felt that the Salarian had perhaps released too much information in doing so.
"We seek to know if you would turn your gaze upon the rest of the galaxy. We observe, in the hope of discovering if we should be taking action as the Turians do."
Once more, Raven's hands flashed.
"If no threat is directed at the Forge World, no threat shall be directed towards you. If these Turians seek violence, then we shall reciprocate and take whatever action we deem appropriate to ensure they do not do so again."
A single gesture from the Custodian was all it took to cause Raven to step back, bowing her head slightly. When it spoke, its voice was arrogant. Knowledgeable most certainly, and possessing a wisdom that David could only hope to possess a shred of, but definitely arrogant as well. It both grated on his nerves, and soothed him. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. Even worse, it went through a speech that it seemed to have made more than once.
"Your people are under no threat so long as you do not interfere with our operations. We do not seek war, but we shall not hesitate to wage it. Even now, your Turian allies gather to launch an invasion. They will not succeed. If you do not wish to see pointless death and bloodshed, then I would suggest that your people do your utmost to stop them. And, should others join in their folly… your Citadel shall not protect you. Already, your people have been spared destruction by the Reapers due to the actions of your Commander Shepard. Do not hasten your end by waging pointless war against those that seek to prevent the Reapers from ending you once more."
The Custodian paused, glancing to the Collector beside him. The creature nodded, and stepped forward to speak.
"I am Justice, speaker for the Awakened. Fear the Collectors that would come for Humanity. The Reapers display an abnormal obsession with your kind, and will stop at nothing to get what they want. My warning has been given. Do with it what you will."
Anderson watched the newly-termed Awakened walk away, then turned his attention back to the Custodian. Arcturus, he supposed.
"So you believe that the Reapers are real."
"I believe what I have seen the evidence of. It points to the existence of the Reapers, and that this galaxy is in danger." It turned its head towards Tesh, cocking it slightly. "You are familiar. You were on Virmire."
The Salarian nodded quickly, clasping its hands together and rubbing them nervously.
"Yes! I mean… yes, Lord Arcturus. I was there, as were most of my crew."
The Custodian nodded.
"Did you find what you were looking for? Do you have need of anything else from Virmire?"
Tesh shook his head vigorously.
"No, no! We got everything we needed to verify the reports of… things happening on the planet before you arrived."
"Then I do not wish to find another of your vessels within the Forge World's territory. There will be no more warnings given, for anyone. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Lord Custodian."
Tesh's words triggered an interesting response from the massive figure, Anderson noted. It seemed to recoil slightly, then its gaze focused almost entirely upon the Salarian.
"Where did you hear that name?"
Beneath its gaze, the Salarian could only wither.
"I-I may have unintentionally called you a Custodian in a report made to my superiors, in reference to your abilities being above average. It stuck; everyone who knows of your kind has taken to calling you Custodians."
Arcturus uncoiled slowly at his words, leading David to believe that both himself and the Commander had just very narrowly avoided death.
"I see. Return to your vessels, our parlay is finished."
The next hour was a blur for Anderson, returning to the SSV Mariana and getting underway towards Earth. It didn't even occur to him afterwards that he hadn't asked about the Forge World's interactions with Cerberus.
Arcturus frowned as he stood at the command nexus of Nemata. A month since they had taken and reduced Minuteman Station to nothing more than a metal slab that had been melted together.
A month since his conversation with the Alliance Captain and the Salarian Commander. A month, really, since he had his dream.
Custodians, as a rule, did not dream. To dream meant He had to communicate with His legion. And communicate He did, though it did nothing to solve Arcturus's current predicament. If anything, it had made him feel as if he had failed.
Because now, He was on His deathbed. And Arcturus had not been there to help, had not been there to take the mortal blow from the Warmaster.
And even worse, was the feeling of abandonment that the dream had planted within him.
There were no orders. There was no direction. There was nothing imparted upon him through the dream to be interpreted in any other way than he had done.
Arcturus was lost. His hope of returning to His side, to his chamber of brothers, dashed. The ability to give Seraste a proper memorial among the fallen Talons, non-existent.
And that, because there would be no return. Arcturus's place at His side, to advise Him… was gone.
In the final moments of the dream, His voice was clear, His intention unable to be interpreted in any other way.
From my service, you are unbound. To Mankind, your duty has increased a thousand fold.
He let loose a breath he had not known he held. Thankfully, he was alone within the nexus. If anyone had been present, they would have known that he had stood there looking blankly across the room for several hours.
Regardless of his own plight, he had decisions to make. He glanced down at the two dataslates that had been delivered to him the previous evening. Both were interesting opportunities, though he had another situation to handle as well.
On one dataslate was detailed the request of Lexus's Quarian Tech-priest, Lefa'Koris. While it had originated from her, it was Lexus itself that delivered the request to Arcturus's hands, meaning that Lexus believed it to be a worthwhile investment of time and resources. A sentiment shared by Arcturus. She had requested leave to visit her people's Migrant Fleet, where the last of her race had made their home in the void. Not unlike the Eldar, though also quite a bit less than them.
On the other dataslate rested the plans for the invasion of the Batarian homeworld, Kar'shan. The goal would not be to eradicate all life, as Erszbat and Logasiri had been. Instead, it was to kill the corrupt and indoctrinated leadership of the Hegemony. And, of equal import, to collect a stash of Auramite that could have rivaled that contained within the vaults of the Palace on Terra.
The Hegemony's corrupt leadership had all been in contact with a Reaper artifact in one form or another. Justice had confirmed the location of several other bases within Batarian space that held the devices and technology, and had spearheaded the assaults upon those locations with a viciousness that made Arcturus proud. With the latest, they had confirmed that every single individual within the highest leadership of the Hegemony had been in contact and possibly indoctrinated. They would be removed one way or another. Unlike previous invasions, they would not render the planet inhospitable.
But they would destroy the Relay. There wasn't ever any doubt about that. By the time the Batarians were able to make any meaningful headway into leaving their system, perhaps a new government that would abolish the practice of slavery would be in place. While that would cut the Forge World's recruitment of slaves by any meaningful amount in the near future, they had begun to receive an influx of refugees and others who wished freedom from the Council, but yet were too frightened to settle in the lawless Terminus Systems. Some of them were most certainly spies and informants, but by this point the Forge World had established its own system of government and information control. No meaningful information would slip.
As for the Auramite that Kar'shan held, it seemed that the Batarians had at one point tried to use it to create voidships, but only in its purest form. A mistake to be sure, as it was on its own not the strongest of materials. Arcturus and Lexus would be equally glad to relieve them of their stores of the precious material. As for how the Batarians had even accumulated such an amount, they were unsure. Even the Batarians did not document where most of it came from, though it seemed at least some of it had come from asteroids.
And finally, the last thing plaguing Arcturus.
Turians. They had gathered at the edges of the Forge World's territory, five full fleets complete with occupational forces.
Arcturus could not act on either of the previous tasks while the Turians perched on the metaphorical branches of the Forge World, waiting to swoop in. He had a defensive scheme in place, a Warp Veil that would interfere with their coordination. They would still come, of course, but to the destination that Arcturus wanted them to be at. But they needed to make the first move, and for whatever reason, they had not. It vexed him that they were wasting his time for as long as they had. Something had to be done to encourage them to commit. And after a week of deliberation with himself and Lexus, he believed he had the solution.
He activated his comms.
"Lexus, you're free to release our prisoners."
"Understood. Initiating Frenzon injections now."