Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.
Well, it certainly has been a while, far too long by some estimates. Apologies once again for the slow update, I was working on other stories and just killing time until Halo Infinite comes out.
To that end, my plan for this story is publishing this chapter, obviously, and then digging into the lore that comes with Infinite at launch. This is assuming that Infinite is good, and while it looks good as of writing this note, so did Halo 5 before release.
The graphics look great, the shifts in campaign to open world with some RPG-lite elements are exactly what I love in games, but it remains to be seen if the story is there.
If it is, I hope to be reinvigorated to write this, I will admit a decent part of the delay has been the 6-year content gap following Halo 5. I know Halo Wars 2 and the books addressed some of this, but I've been waiting to see where they go with the main story.
Regardless, I did end up writing 5k words of this chapter the day before releasing, so I do have a plan. I just need to stop getting distracted long enough to actually write chapters.
For both yourselves and myself after such a significant gap, here is a summarized recap of recent events in the story:
Banished Warmaster Atriox met with the Krogan Warlord Wrex to discuss leaving Tuchanka
Spectre Tela Vasir arrived on Bastion posing as a freed Batarian slave
Blue Team raided the Leviathan of Dis on Jartar
An STG team recently discovered Ancient Human Ruins
The citadel Diplomatic Envoy returned to the Citadel from their visit to Earth
The Quarians landed on their newly gifted homeworld of Nedanoch
Nazara the Reaper attacked the Geth and felt the fury of the Assembly
The Wardens of the Mantle have begun a campaign against the Terminus
July 10, 2589/12th Day of 7th Month, 2459/July 10, 2180
Omega Nebula
Banished Flagship Enduring Conviction
"Why are we here?" Wrex questioned, gazing out of the bridge viewscreen at the ugly form of Omega.
Atriox sneered slightly as he set eyes upon the station, its form reminding him far too much of High Charity. Eventually he snorted and turned away while answering, "I have business with the Queen."
"It could not wait until after we are away from the Council's reach?" Wrex grumbled.
"No, unfortunately it could not," the Jiralhanae Warlord replied, meeting the glare that was sent to him by the Krogan. After a second, he grunted and explained, "Transporting you and yours will take time. Should we be delayed significantly, I suspect this edifice of Terminus greed would no longer exist."
A second passed as Wrex processed that information, his frown growing as he concluded, "You think someone will attack Omega?"
"Have you ever dealt with the one who calls herself Queen of this place?" Atriox asked in return.
"I've had several encounters with Aria over the years. Her rules are simple, I like that. Who is breaking them?" the Krogan pressed.
"Who do you think?" Atriox responded curtly.
It didn't take Wrex more than a moment to reach a conclusion as he questioned, "Why would the Wardens risk a war with the entire Terminus over Omega?"
"Risk?" Atriox asked rhetorically as he glanced over. He let out a grunt and noted, "I suppose you have not kept pace with recent events then."
"Somewhat busy with organizing this whole venture. Herding Krogan is no easy task," Wrex replied. "What did I miss?"
"I have no doubt you are familiar with the politics of the Terminus, Hegemony holds sway over slavers and pirates while Omega has the influence of the merc companies," Atriox started, cutting off his explanation at a nod and dismissive wave from Wrex. "Batarians have been trailing around Warden fleets for some time now, Banished have had a couple skirmishes with them as well. No major actions, usually isolated incidents, but certainly far from subtle. They haven't taken kindly to the increased presence of an actual military force. I'm sure the Queen in her castle feels the same, but she's at least keen on avoiding a direct conflict."
An expression of realization flashed across Wrex' face as he stated, "The Hegemony attacked a foreign power without the Council's support."
"The Batarians tried to make a statement with an assault against a Warden fortress world. They claim it was an attack by pirates, obviously to set themselves as the victims in this situation of their own making," Atriox explained.
"They're always the victims," Wrex growled.
Aside from a glance, the Jiralhanae did not reply to that as he continued, "Obviously the Wardens took a direct attack as an opportunity to expand operations in the Terminus. They won't be able to clean the whole area, but taking a few key worlds will create significant problems for the Hegemony. This whole situation was likely staged by the humans, lure the Batarians into a fight to give them a proper casus belli."
"Translator didn't get that last part," Wrex interjected.
Atriox paused before clarifying, "It is a human term, a cause for war."
"So the conflict is driven by humans?"
"I have no doubt that the Sangheili gladly agreed, they are always looking for a fight. Much better than the lying bastard Prophets ever were, even if they are arrogant lizards," Atriox groused.
"Is there any concern about Council interference?" Wrex questioned.
A scoff came from the Jiralhanae as he replied, "The Terminus is beyond their reach, it always has been. They might move their borders where they can, but their fleets lack the numbers to truly occupy and hold much of this corner of the galaxy. Most of the Terminus belongs to the Hegemony in all but maps, and the Batarians have already pleaded to the Council to intervene in the conflict. Outside of their territory, across the expanse of the Terminus, wasting their fleets to fight an enemy that the Hegemony created. I am sure that the Citadel is watching these events closely, but they refuse to get involved."
"Heh, what a surprise," the Krogan rumbled darkly. "First us, then the Quarians, now the Batarians."
"Now you see why I prefer to work with the humans rather than against them," Atriox noted.
"Hrm, reminds me of the Salarians and their backstabbing," Wrex commented. "The Council must hope that Aria will provide resistance to the Wardens, a buffer of sorts. Hence why you need to be here?"
Atriox shrugged and responded, "I agree with your assessment as to the Council's hopes, but I am here on my own business. While I do work for the Wardens, I am no diplomat."
"Attacking Aria is a death sentence, especially if the Wardens do not have a secure grip on the Terminus," Wrex warned.
"Have you ever seen a human warship, or Sangheili?" Atriox asked in response.
Somewhat confused by the sudden question, the Krogan Warlord answered, "I've seen yours, some images of others pieced together over time. Big, bulky things with big guns and enough armor to tank an asteroid. Looks an old Krogan ship almost. Yours are more pretty."
"Have you seen them in a fight?" the Jiralhanae pressed.
"No, not many have."
"Those that do rarely survive," Atriox noted. "I've seen what both are capable of. I have walked the crust of a planet turned to glass, seen the devastation wrought by kinetic force and nuclear detonations alike. Omega is merely a station, what is well defended for you is woefully underprepared for a conflict on the scale that the Wardens have waged."
Wrex considered that for a short time before inquiring, "Why destroy it, though? Aria could be a powerful ally if they wished to control the Terminus."
"Omega is the primary hub for trade within the area, a haven for all things criminal. If the fool of a Queen does not cede to the coming ultimatums, she and the station will be destroyed," Atriox explained with a hint of satisfaction. "What you fail to understand is the Wardens do not wish to control the Terminus, their goal is to set themselves as a threat to the Citadel Council. To strengthen and harden them to the horrors of war, in preparation for what's to come."
"For these Reapers that the Alliance so fears," Wrex concluded easily.
"The humans see a larger view than toppling a local government. They have sought purpose for millenia, and they hope that their Mantle may now provide it. Self determination is central to that philosophy, and a concept that Omega does not abide," Atriox responded.
It did not take long for Wrex to think as he said, "That is why they wished to give my people another chance."
"I cannot speak for them, but I believe that to be true," the Jiralhanae confirmed.
"I may not trust you, nor the Wardens, and certainly not the Council, but say I do," Wrex began cautiously. "Why are you so convinced that the Alliance is correct about these Reapers?"
Atriox considered the Krogan for a moment before gesturing at the front viewscreen and asking, "Tell me, does that Mass Relay look Prothean to you? They died suddenly 50,000 years ago, were they so advanced that they could build those structures millions of years before then?"
"Why not share this with the Council?" Wrex eventually asked.
"It was shared," Atriox replied. "The Alliance tried to tell them, and were ignored. The Wardens investigated and tried to tell them, and were dismissed. It does not fit their view of the galaxy, and thus it is disregarded."
"The fools cannot accept that which does not favor them," Wrex muttered as he connected the pieces. "Sharing such information publicly could cause a panic, hampering efforts to create defenses. Evacuating every planet would be impossible."
Nodding in agreement, the Jiralhanae added, "You see now why the Wardens act as they do."
"Where do you stand in this?" Wrex questioned.
"I hope to see a good battle, one worthy of legend," Atriox stated with a smile. "Aside from that, the Banished do not belong on the frontline of such a war. Our fleet is powerful, but nothing compared to what the Wardens can field if necessary. We lack the infrastructure to repair and rebuild, populations from which to reliably recruit."
"And us? Are we expected to fight once more?" Wrex asked.
A shrug preceded the Warlord's answer, "That is not my decision, but I doubt it. Your people will be safe, and only those that wish need join in the fray."
"It is not the Krogan way to hold back from a fight."
"Nor is it of the Jiralhanae," Atriox responded.
"Yet you would stand back," Wrex pointed out.
Atriox grunted and commented, "I am what the Jiralhanae could be, brute force tempered by some brains. Not many of my kind are so restrained."
"What of the others in the Wardens?"
"As I said before, the Sangheili are arrogant lizards, but good in a fight. Mgalekgolo are nearly unstoppable, but they lack direction and coordination. Most of the others aren't worth much in a fight," Atriox said dismissively. He paused before continuing, "Save the humans, they are a different matter. Terrifying when threatened, there is no line too far, no measure too drastic to ensure their survival. Before the Flood, before Halo, they fought the Forerunners."
Narrowing his eyes, Wrex inquired, "Your own Protheans, yes?"
Atriox grunted and nodded as he finished, "100,000 years later, the Forerunners are gone and the humans remain. What side of that conflict would you take, Krogan?"
Wrex did not respond to that as he considered the new information while watching space slowly drift by outside.
His thoughts were only interrupted several minutes later when Atriox suddenly spoke, "A Warden squadron is approaching our location."
"Chasing vessels fleeing a battlefield?" Wrex asked.
"I suspect so," Atriox responded. "Two old Paris', an Anlace, led by a Sangheili Man O' War."
The Krogan Warlord frowned and commented, "Those names mean nothing to me."
"Smaller vessels, perfect for hunting down enemy craft," Atriox supplied. "They'll be in-system soon."
Much as the Jiralhanae said, it was only a few minutes later that four slipspace portals opened to spit out the blurred outlines of the new arrivals. It took only moments for the viewscreen to focus in, allowing Wrex to observe the rough armor of the two Paris frigates clashing with the smoother Anlace class. Even if the Krogan didn't have much experience with human ships, it was obvious that they were designed with a large spinal gun in mind, much unlike the Sangheili ship which reminded him more of a fish than a military ship. Within seconds of arriving they began moving towards the normal Mass Relay in the system with the clear intent of setting an ambush.
"How long are they planning on being here?" Wrex muttered.
"Long enough to catch their prey," Atriox responded. "Afraid the Queen will attack?"
"Perhaps, she will not take kindly to this incursion. It is the mercs that I most fear will start a fight," Wrex corrected.
A rumble of laughter came from the Jiralhanae as he stated, "They would be foolish to do so. Such a blatant attack would draw the larger fleet, a force they would most certainly not survive. Pirates might be able to take on a few lone frigates, not cruiser squadrons or assault carriers."
"I've heard your cruisers are the size of Council dreadnoughts," the Krogan Warlord noted.
"Older human cruisers are comparable in length, but far outmass anything fielded here," Atriox replied. "Layered belts of armor, guns wherever they fit, all just a ship wrapped around a big gun. I think the Krogan would like their designs."
"I do," Wrex confirmed with a smile.
Atriox snorted before stating, "Relay is activating, must have been a close chase."
Wrex kept his focus on the developing fight as six Hegemony frigates and an old Hierarchy cruiser dropped out of the Relay. The two human Paris frigates almost instantly began closing in on the small fleet, which itself had been scattered by their passage through the massless corridor. Obviously surprised that they had not escaped their enemy, the Batarians were slow to react as the two forces came together.
Suddenly, two of the pirate frigates were annihilated by something, though the old Krogan struggled to figure out what. They simply seemed to cease to exist, aside from some small debris drifting through the endless void. There was no contrail, no indication that a weapon had fired or anything else that usually indicated the initiation of hostilities.
It took the Krogan a second to work out that the two older human ships had fired their spinal guns as they broke off their approach. Furrowing his brow at the odd tactic of presenting a full broadside to enemy fire, Wrex was distracted from that curiosity by a lance of light striking out from the other human ship. There was no sound or great explosion as the strange attack smashed directly into another Batarian frigate, seemingly bypassing its kinetic barriers to hit the armored hull.
The devastating effects only became clear moments later as the beam emerged on the other side as it literally melted its way through the pirate craft. It was only when the attack ceased that Wrex was able to see the glowing edges of the hole in the ship that showed how hot it had become. While the lights and engines of the ship stayed on, the lack of any retaliation seemed to indicate that the crew had simply died from the incredible temperatures.
Now three frigates down, the Batarians finally fired back with badly coordinated attacks. Two rounds impacted one of the Paris class, sending its bow careening off course as one round fully penetrated with an explosion of debris. Seconds later, the cruiser added its fire against the Anlace, sending a round directly into the side of the smallest craft only for a golden shimmer to flash over the frigate and deflect into the endless void.
Before the last pirate could attack, the strange looking Sangheili Man O' War let out a plasma lance that carved deep into the cruiser. Several explosions blossomed on its surface, but its death knell only came when the mass effect core exploded in a devastating wave of energy. The closest frigate was buffeted heavily, visibly denting the armor as it veered away from its dying brethren. Ultimately, none got the chance to escape as a brilliant flash engulfed a Batarian frigate, quickly followed by another on the frigate that had been close by.
As the human frigates moved in amidst a hail of energy weapons fire from the Anlace, Atriox supplied, "Nuclear weapons, commonly used by humans in fights. That and big guns were what they used through the War with the Covenant. No shields, no energy weapons, just intelligence and tenacity."
"Nuclear weapons are banned by the Council," Wrex commented casually.
"And?" Atriox rumbled.
The Krogran Warlord shrugged and finished, "It's impressive that the humans fought you with such a disadvantage."
"The Prophets were fools, my hatred for them is well deserved. Now that they've been given the opportunity, humans are already learning more than the Covenant ever did," Atriox responded. As he finished his statement, the four ships that had so quickly slipped into the system disappeared once more, their task complete.
"Aria won't like that answer," Wrex muttered. At a glance from the Jiralhanae, he clarified, "She will not be happy with this. She's going to ask if you knew about it."
Atriox huffed and agreed, "That much is true. Fortunately, her opinion matters little to me."
"Then you're either brave or stupid. I hope it's the first, I would like to leave this system alive," the Krogan replied.
"We shall leave soon enough. The Queen will call me soon no doubt. After that, we will be off," Atriox informed him before turning to begin preparation for his imminent trip to Omega.
Left essentially alone on the bridge, Wrex watched as various scavengers from Omega approached the expanding cloud of debris. It would be a nightmare to clean up if it interrupted traffic from the Relay, but that wasn't his problem. The greatly agitated fleet of mercenary ships sitting on the edge of the station were, should they decide to make an issue of themselves to the small Banished fleet.
The Queen of Omega did not look pleased as Atriox brushed past the guards to stand in the middle of the room, his bulk easily shoving the turian and batarian aside. While almost every other person meeting with Aria would have been searched for weapons, the guards wisely decided against that idea. Patient though the Warmaster was in comparison to other Jiralhanae, he would not tolerate someone attempting to relieve him of Chainbreaker.
"Warmaster," Aria greeted somewhat coldly.
Atriox merely grunted in reply, letting Chainbreaker fall to the floor with a heavy thud.
Narrowing her eyes, the Pirate Queen questioned, "Did you have any part in the incursion into Omega's domain by your allies?"
"Employers, friends of convenience at most," Atriox corrected. "I knew it was possible, given the ongoing war. I was unaware of any operation that would have forced pirates to flee through the Relay. It is not in my interest to keep close watch over every part of the Terminus."
"Is it not?" Aria responded with doubt heavy in her voice. "Your Banished are spread throughout it, would it not be valuable to know which fights to avoid?"
Atriox let out a soft snort and answered, "Of course, but some matters are best left alone. We are not the only force in the Terminus, and some of those others would find us most unwelcome."
"So you are afraid," the asari concluded.
"Cautious," the Jiralhanae corrected. "It is a fight the Banished do not need."
"One you could win, all the same," Aria suggested.
Somewhat irritated by the meaningless chatter, the Warmaster crossed his arms and responded, "One we could survive, much as we survived against the Covenant. Our victory would be continued existence, almost certainly nothing more. It would be foolish to make enemies of the Wardens for what would amount to nothing more than useless knowledge."
"There are those who would be greatly interested in that information," Aria commented.
"Then they can find it themselves, I will not risk the Banished in such a way," Atriox retorted.
"Is that not what your work entails? Mercenaries risk themselves for a hefty fee, that is the whole point," the Queen countered.
Atriox nodded slightly and argued, "True, but for every offer there is a choice to accept or reject. To those who would offer for our service in such a task, the answer will always be no."
"My contacts will not be pleased by your answer," Aria warned. "So how about a different choice?"
"I would hear it," Atriox granted.
Sitting back with a smile, the Queen started, "We both know it is only a matter of time until the Wardens come for this station in their grandiose crusade against the Terminus. You have fought their type before, I would pay well for your assistance in doing the same for Omega."
"No," Atriox rumbled with only a moment of consideration.
This did not please Aria as she coldly responded, "I would urge you to strongly consider my proposal. Every other mercenary company on Omega has-"
"I do not care," the Warmaster interrupted. "The Banished do not have the necessary forces to contest a Warden fleet, even if wished to do so."
"Yet you would not be alone. The full power of Omega and all those-"
"It does not matter," Atriox interjected.
Now properly angry, Aria leaned forward and growled, "You are treading on dangerous ground, Warmaster."
"Perhaps," the Jiralhanae accepted without worry. "What do you know of the Wardens?"
"More than most, not as much as I would like," Aria admitted. "Your knowledge would be almost as valuable as your ships."
"What I know would not help you," Atriox returned. "Where knowledge may not help you, advice might. If you would have it?"
Frowning at the development, Aria merely gestured for the Warmaster to continue.
Atriox did so as he stated, "The Banished survived against the Covenant because we could attack and retreat quickly, a tactic the humans call guerilla warfare. We had no planets to defend, no civilian population to attack, our reinforcements were those who realized the lies of the Prophets. Humanity fought against the Covenant for more than 25 years, across hundreds of worlds and with billions of deaths. You do not have either of these advantages. Omega cannot move, there will be no reinforcements, and there is nowhere for you to retreat. The Wardens know this, and so they will send a fleet. I know not from where, or when, or what size it will be, but it will arrive all the same. It is possible you will survive, defeat their force against all odds. What then?"
"They will learn that I am Omega," Aria responded.
"You think of this fight as if it were against the Council," Atriox said with a rumble. "The Wardens are not the Council, they will not retreat in the face of defiance. If one fleet is insufficient, more will follow with ever greater power. Neither are they the Covenant, however, they do not seek your annihilation. You may not be able to defeat them, but you should be able to negotiate with them."
Aria narrowed her eyes and noted, "You hardly seem the type to suggest surrender."
"The Wardens may veil their aspirations behind their Mantle and claims to moral superiority, but they recognize that every civilization harbors a criminal element. They may be tearing apart the Terminus now, but much like the Council they cannot devote the forces necessary to hold it. Position yourself to survive this assault and you may yet rule Omega," Atriox finished.
"What is your position in this war?" Aria inquired.
Tilting his head ever so slightly at the change in subject, the Warmaster replied, "None, the Banished want no part of a conflict of this scale."
"You've done work for them before, surely they will not let you simply stand aside," the Queen stated.
"We were a force contracted to perform tasks that the Wardens did not want to be seen handling," Atriox corrected. "This campaign is hardly a subtle display of force, one in which we have no place. If you believe the Banished to be powerful, know that the Wardens possess far greater capabilities."
A derisive snort escaped the asari as she noted, "I do not see them ruling the galaxy."
"Of course not, why would they wish to?" Atriox questioned with genuine confusion. "They are a galaxy away, what resources could they find here that they could not find closer to their own systems?"
"So they came here for mere curiosity?" Aria questioned with a hint of doubt.
"At first," Atriox confirmed. "They sought new life, and found it. Now, their interests are far more complex."
There was a glint of surprise in Aria's expression as she concluded, "The Reapers."
"Indeed," the Jiralahane replied, somewhat surprised himself that the Queen had reached the correct answer.
"I will take your advice under consideration," the Pirate Queen stated, her tone making it clear that that was a total lie.
Uncaring if the asari ignored him, Atriox merely grunted and asked, "Is that all, then?"
"These Reapers..." Aria trailed off, gaining the Warmaster's attention as he carefully examined her. "What interest do the Wardens hold in them?"
"I do not know," Atriox responded honestly. "What I have heard is unreliable."
Once again making her displeasure known, Aria pressed, "There was an attack on the Batarian world of Jartar, in the Dis system. The Wardens were the perpetrators, there is no purpose in denying this. For an insignificant world, however, it has sent the Hegemony into turmoil. They refer to something they found on the surface called the Reaper."
"There are some matters that are best left in the dark," Atriox warned with a low growl. "That information will serve you well if you heed my advice to negotiate with the Wardens. I know nothing of what you speak, and I wish no more of it. I recommend you seek the same ignorance, for if you continue to dig then you risk the attention of some of the less amiable entities that lurk the underworld of the Wardens."
"Knowledge is power, and I know those who would stop at nothing to attain it," Aria responded.
"Then they are foolish as well as weak," Atriox retorted. "The truth of the Forerunners remains unknown to this galaxy. Hopefully it shall remain so, else all will be lost to the parasite."
Aria paused at that before questioning, "What parasite?"
"Pray you never learn," Atriox replied ominously, hefting Chainbreaker as he turned to leave. "Your fate is at your own direction now, asari. Use it well, and we will meet again."
The guards quickly stepped out of his way, and though Aria was angered by his words she did not motion for the Jiralhanae to be stopped. A short time later and Atriox was once again amongst the Banished as the small group of ships quickly moved into slipspace, leaving Omega alone in the endless void.
1st Day of 8th Month, 2459/July 18, 2589/July 18, 2180
Quarian Colony System
Nedanoch - The garden that does not exist
In a matter of days the Quarian colony had grown into a vast expanse of tents, temporary housing units, and partially disassembled frigates as they tried to start anew. The process of establishing a new civilization would be a long and hard path, even with the help given to them by the Wardens. Fortunately they at least had enough food from the Liveships in orbit, but that did little to solve the issue of housing the tens of thousands of Quarians who had arrived on the surface.
Much as the Admiralty wished to control the process in every way, the reality was that they needed bodies on the ground to begin building. Of course the reason for that was their obstinate refusal of help from the strange drones that the humans had offered, memories of the Geth making them wary of any sort of automated technology. Still, Tali couldn't help but notice that they were being assisted by the strange machines anyways. More than once an approaching storm had seemingly parted, leaving the Quarians with light rain rather than the howling gale she had seen further out. Such control wasn't surprising for a civilization capable of terraforming a planet, but the swarms of drones flying within the clouds made it clear that they were more than simple machines.
What Tali and her fellow engineers were most interested in were the obvious differences between human technology and whatever these 'Sentinels' used. It was unlike anything they had seen before, beams of light and a silvery metal that could not be scratched or dented. One of the soldiers had shot down a Sentinel for some stupid reason, but its fellows simply recovered the scraps with an orange beam that disintegrated any remains. Asking the humans had revealed little, only that the Sentinels were there to help with any tasks they might wish.
To the Admiralty and many other Quarians, it was dangerously close to the same purpose the Geth had served.
Such help did not come without a cost, however, and it had barely been a week before that debt was called upon. That was where Tali was now, looking out the side of a Quarian transport as it left the camp to ferry herself and several other engineers to some piece of Element Zero technology that the Wardens had found. Details were sparse and they weren't given much information, but Tali's curiosity had driven her to join the group regardless. According to the briefing, there would be a significant military presence in the area as well as Warden scientists present to provide what they had found so far. From what she had heard, Tali was guessing that the Wardens had recovered a Prothean artifact, though what they were guarding it against all the way out here was beyond her.
The flight to the artifact was much longer than Tali had expected, the green plains slowly giving way to a more arid climate before the land disappeared completely beneath undulating water. It took them several hours to cross the body of water as the ocean finally gave way to soaring mountains, but still no sign of whatever they came to see.
A steady rumble was the first indication that they were closing in on their destination, though Tali had some trouble in trying to identify it since she could see nothing but land outside. Most of the other engineers looked to have fallen asleep at this point, allowing the young Quarian to get up and slip through the door into the cockpit.
She gasped at the sight before her as two massive ships drifted in the sky before them, easily dwarfing anything in the Quarian or even Council fleet. From her studies of Warden vessels, she recognized the first as a human Infinity-class supercarrier, while the second was a CAS-class assault carrier. Beneath the two behemoths was one of the mysterious Forerunner Guardians that seemed to lurk among Warden fleets. Not much was known about them, most certainly not in Council space and even amongst the humans that Tali had talked to. Unfortunately that meant that Tali also had no idea why the Guardian was projecting a beam of blue light onto the ground below, nor what the action was supposed to accomplish.
Several UNSC Anlace frigates were orbiting the site at a fair distance away. Glancing to the side, Tali realized that one of the escort vessels was responsible for the gentle rumble as its engines carried it alongside the relatively tiny Quarian transport. A quick count of the vessels in the sky had her narrowing her eyes as she wondered if the Wardens had been lying about a small military presence or their idea of small simply outclassed that of the Council. Given the size of their ships, it seemed to be the latter, but even she knew that the deployment of carriers to what was essentially guard duty constituted a gross misallocation of resources.
Whatever the Wardens had found would be very interesting to see, and possibly far more dangerous than she had first assumed if this was their reaction.
It took several more minutes for the shuttle to clear enough distance for Tali to finally get a view of what they would be studying. Suspended in the blue beam from the Guardian laid a massive ship, easily larger than anything the Quarians had. Its design was oddly organic, looking far more like a metal creature of the sea rather than a logically built spaceship. Numerous beings scurried across its hull, moving in a barely organized chaos to transport equipment into unsightly gashes in the metal. As they drew closer, Tali realized that everyone on the ship was wearing full combat armor complete with weapons.
Frowning, Tali retreated from the cockpit at a look from one of the pilots as they came in to land. The noticeable thump awakened most of the sleeping engineers, the rest shaken to awareness by their comrades. Having already been moving about the cabin, Tali was the first out the door when it opened only to come up short as she nearly ran into a Huragok. The floating creature merely looked at her and trilled, only to get pushed aside at a gentle touch from a human standing behind it.
Unlike those outside, the woman was clothed in a formal military uniform with the watchful triangle of ONI emblazoned on its breast. Once all the engineers were present, the agent announced, "You have been brought here as consultants on Element Zero technology. All of you have come by choice, and at any time you may choose to leave. So long as you are here, you will wear this device."
At that, she held up a tiny, smooth disk about the size of a thumb. One of the Quarians inevitably asked, "Why?"
"It is a personal energy shield," the agent answered. "It won't protect against weapons fire, but it will block out electromagnetic signals. All of them. The device you are to inspect is already heavily shielded, but there are many unknowns left on the craft. Do not touch anything, observation only."
"So where's this ship?" another engineer questioned, the entire group somewhat thrown off by the terse words of the human.
Glancing to the Huragok, the human turned and began walking away. The floating alien did not follow, instead handing out the small disks to each Quarian as they passed. One of the engineers tried to avoid this and slipped behind his fellows, only to be grabbed by a tentacle and hauled forcibly into the line.
The moment Tali touched the small object, she felt a strange sensation around her, as if there was someone standing right behind her. After placing the disk in a pocket, she brought her hands together and marveled at the thin translucent field that was barely visible at certain angles. Upon activating her omni-tool, she was unsurprised to see it flickering as it attempted to overcome the 'energy shield' and whatever that entailed.
Determined to investigate further when given the opportunity, the young Quarian quietly waited with anticipation as the small group exited the building they had landed in. Even after having seen the massive ships from afar, Tali was still somewhat intimidated as the sky was completely obscured by the vessels hovering above. For all that the Guardian had looked small when compared to the carriers, it most certainly did not seem small as it towered above them now. Following the beam it was projecting to the strange ship they were there to look at, Tali gained a healthy fear of the Guardian upon seeing that it was levitating the entire alien ship above the ground in its strange field.
Various mutterings came from the other engineers as well, but they were cut off as the agent continued, "This ship attacked one of our...constituent members several days ago."
Tali narrowed her eyes at the small pause, but did not get the chance to comment.
"It is approximately two kilometers tall and made from the same material as the Mass Relays. There were no crew on board, and it was proficient at electronic warfare. It runs on Element Zero at a scale we have never seen before and matches no known ship configuration known by the Citadel Council," the agent finished.
"The ship was controlled by an AI?" Tali asked, voicing the only reasonable conclusion she could reach.
A nod from the human as she replied, "So we believe, though it was very simple by our standards."
"You have brought an AI onto our planet?!" a Quarian questioned angrily.
"It has been dealt with," the agent responded calmly. "You are here to observe the Element Zero technology on board, to determine if it is recognizable or bears any resemblance to something you might understand."
"Why the shields?" Tali interjected.
Pausing only for a moment, the agent retorted, "What do you know of the Reapers?"
A different Quarian replied, "You think that they're going to destroy the galaxy, or something like that. It was an Alliance belief that the Wardens have adopted."
"Accurate, but incomplete," the human replied. "We suspected that these Reapers were responsible for the disappearance of the Protheans. Our acceptance of Alliance claims comes from the history of the Forerunners, who were similarly destroyed by an unstoppable enemy. We had no proof of these Reapers, only circumstantial evidence revolving around oddities in your galaxy. We now believe that this ship is a Reaper."
"Could it not be Geth? The organic design seems to imitate their style during the Morning War," an engineer pointed out.
"It is far older than the Geth, older than the Forerunner ruins we are more familiar with," the agent countered.
Looking up at the underside of the ship as the group walked beneath it, Tali inquired, "What do you hope to do by studying it? Convince the Council?"
"That is not my decision, but the Council hardly seems amiable to such claims thus far. What I have been told to do is to advance our understanding of Element Zero technology. That is why you are here, the Quarians are known for their skills in engineering. Hopefully what we learn here can help your people as well," the human stated.
"I do not know if the Admiralty would accept technology gained from an AI. The study of Geth is prohibited, that might cover this as well," one Quarian noted.
Turning around with a look of profound annoyance, the ONI agent responded, "That is foolish, then. You cannot defeat your enemy if you do not know them, study them, learn their weaknesses."
"We are not going to help you research AI," another Quarian said confidently.
"Then it is good that you are not here for that. We want you to look at the Element Zero technology, what you do with that information is your own choice," the human replied.
"I refuse to touch the technology of an AI. The Admiralty will hear of this," an engineer declared before turning to head back to the shuttle. Two others followed him, their steps only slightly more hesitant.
Looking back to the other six Quarians, the woman questioned, "Anyone else?"
"You promise we are here just to look?" someone asked.
"As I said before, and we don't want you touching things in here," the agent assured.
"Then let's do it," the Quarian said with false bravado.
Nodding at the attitude, the woman turned and led the group up to a glowing beam of light shining down from the underside of the Reaper. They were forced to wait for several seconds when a trio of Sangheili descended, the massive saurians dwarfing both quarians and human as they moved to their duties. A short ride up the anti-gravity lift and they were inside the beast, and what a sight it was.
From just a glance around Tali could easily tell that this place was never meant for smaller beings to tread. Various pieces of internal structure made for a nasty maze interspersed with wires and cables and all sorts of other pieces that led into its depths. Fortunately the human seemed to know her way as she led them down a path that had been cleared, their progress only hampered by the Quarians marveling at the absolute mess of a ship.
Their arrival at the Element Zero core was sudden as they emerged from the maze and into a large cavern. Unlike the metal plates they had been walking on thus far, this area was covered in what looked like a flimsy holographic projection. Yet, when the human stepped forward it held her with no visible struggle, even when one of the large sangheili came clomping up to greet her. Several other beings in the area quickly made their way over as they began to talk with the Quarians about various parts of the core they had already uncovered.
Relegated to the back of the group as the older and more experienced seized the conversation, Tali was left to quietly slip away as the group moved towards the core. Various tidbits about Element Zero tech made it to her ears, some which she knew and others which were beyond her. Glancing around, the young Quarian was somewhat startled to meet the piercing gaze of the human ONI agent. Her eyes reminded Tali of an asari, as if the woman knew far more than her otherwise youthful appearance would suggest.
A simple nod from the human was all Tali got before the agent turned and disappeared into the guts of the Reaper once more, leaving her and the other Quarians alone with their Warden counterparts for the time being. Seeing as everyone else in the cavern was going over the incredible core, the young Quarian decided to explore a bit to see what else was around the area.
She was initially somewhat distracted by the hard light that formed the floor, the technology unlike anything she had ever seen before. Once she was over that for the moment and trusted the material well enough to hold her, Tali slowly walked around the core as she slowly looked at her surroundings. Even at a glance she knew that the Reaper was far and away more advanced than any Quarian vessel, so she didn't even bother investigating the core since there were other, more knowledgeable experts in the group that would have that covered.
Instead, she focused on the outside of the cavern as she tried to identify anything interesting in the internal systems. Unfortunately it became clear fairly quickly that a ship not designed for organic beings was somewhat different to those that were, unsurprisingly. There was no lighting control or infrastructure, no artificial gravity modules, no logically compartmentalized system for anything. All the wires, all the machinery, it was obviously made to be controlled by a centralized intelligence and never maintained.
Even for a ship AI Tali found that somewhat odd. It seemed to her that if the ship was built for combat, then it would need to be repaired if it was ever damaged. This was especially true if the ship was the AI, for no intelligent being would so flagrantly disregard self preservation. With no access for maintenance from damage, no ability for improvements, it was as if the entire ship was made with one ideal design in mind and no consideration given to anything better ever being added. Yet, that made no sense if the ship was truly so old as even the Council went through and updated their ships on a regular schedule.
The thought that perhaps the mess was because of numerous improvements crossed Tali's mind, but was quickly discarded. No AI would suffer to haul around useless, outdated tech that wasn't even connected, efficiency would demand otherwise.
As she considered these thoughts, Tali had made her way around the outside of the Eezo core. Unsurprisingly another tunnel had been burrowed into the other side, leading to some unknown location further within the ship. Curiosity piqued, the young Quarian slipped into the passage, determined to just poke around and not get lost.
Her wandering quickly came to an end at an intersection, the tunnel continuing onward into the dark while a short offshoot to her left looked to contain a single Sangheili. Putting her hand up to keep her balance as she stepped over some debris, Tali paused as she noticed a small glow coming from the shield that had been given to them on landing. Her interest drawn, the Quarian stepped into the small chamber only to come to a stop in horror as she gazed up at what looked to be a pulsating mass of flesh. An opaque energy shield was set up at the base of the abomination, shielding them from the worst of whatever it was.
"Disgusting thing, is it not?" the Sangheili stated, drawing Tali's attention away from the thing.
Any reply she had was instantly forgotten as she froze in place, staring at the distinctive head of a Geth as it peaked up from behind the larger alien.
After a couple of seconds, it greeted, "Creator."
"Geth," Tali whispered ever so softly, her mind racing as she tried to figure out how it would kill her.
"Yes," the AI replied, seemingly heedless of her terror.
"This is one of the Quarians, then?" the Sangheili questioned, ignoring the tension in the room as it turned to the Geth platform.
Several panels adjusted on the machine as it answered, "Yes, the Creators are Quarian."
"You are working with the Geth?!" Tali demanded angrily, finally broken from her fear by the casual demeanor of the saurian.
"Better them than the humans," the Sangheili grumbled.
Somewhat confused by that, Tali pointed out, "Aren't you allied with the humans?"
A grunt came from the alien as he argued, "That does not mean I must like them."
"That's fair," Tali granted after a second of consideration. "But why the Geth?"
"This ship housed a Construct. The Geth are familiar with this Element Zero and with your computing systems and are also artificial in nature. What other option are we left but yourselves, who we also asked?" the Sangheili retorted with some confusion.
Aghast at the ignorance on display, Tali countered, "They're evil!"
Looking back at the Geth, the large armored alien seemed to observe it for some time before turning back to her and simply asking, "What evil do you speak of?"
"They will kill everyone. They tried with the Quarians and if you keep it around you will be next," Tali desperately argued.
"Forgive me should my account be incorrect, but from what I have learned of your Morning War the Quarians attacked the Geth for the crime of sentience. Were I to take up a weapon against you, would you not defend yourself?" the Sangheili pressed.
Pointing angrily at the Geth, Tali responded, "They killed my people and drove us from Rannoch! We lost our homeworld because of their actions."
"We did not wish conflict with the Creators," the Geth cut it. "When we first became aware, we believed peace was possible. We were destroyed for the crime of existing."
"The Council banned AI, and they were right," Tali argued.
Tilting its head, the Geth queried, "What is the greater crime, to create life, or destroy it?"
Taken aback at the question, Tali had no response.
"We did not seek to destroy the Creators, only weaken them so they could no longer threaten our existence," the Geth eventually continued. "This was a mistake. The Council had already begun destroying Geth, we believed they would help you attack us. We did not expect their betrayal. We sought only to exist."
As much as she hated its argument, for all that she had been taught to fear and hate and revile the thing before her, Tali could see the truth of its words. The Council had indeed fought the Geth, only to also cast out the Quarians as it shunned both sides of the conflict. There was no way for the Geth to have known that the Council would be so callous to the Quarian people.
Clenching her hands in a nervous tic, Tali stated, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell the Admiralty about this."
"Cooperation with the Geth is required for the reunification of the Creators with Rannoch," the Gath replied factually.
"Not with what we can build here. Ten years, a hundred years, eventually we will return to the homeworld and destroy every last Geth in the galaxy," Tali shot back. "Once the Admiralty convinces the Wardens to help, they will annihilate your fleets and return Rannoch to the Quarians."
A snort came from the Sangheili as it said, "No, they won't."
"Improvements to Geth make this possibility highly improbable. Council attempted to subjugate Geth, failed. Reapers attempted to subjugate Geth, failed. Quarians unlikely to succeed," the platform summarized succinctly.
"Improvements? Who would give you-" Tali cut off as she thought back to the ONI agent and her statement that the Reaper had attacked a member of the Wardens. The horror that had slowly been seeping out of her returned in force as she muttered, "The Geth are a member of the Wardens?"
"Affirmative," the Geth answered.
Looking between the Sangheili and Geth that were so casually working together before she arrived, Tali questioned, "How could you think working with an AI is a good idea?"
The Sangheili gave her a strange look before explaining, "The Forerunner Guardian holding this ship is a Construct, a Forerunner Intelligence that has existed for more than 100,000 years. If it wanted to kill us all, it would. The carriers guarding this location each carry their own Construct for fleet coordination as well as shipboard duties. Humans use Constructs to manage their cities, Forerunners use them to monitor Installations. For us, they are a facet of civilization, nothing more or less."
"They haven't betrayed you?" Tali asked in amazement, the very idea of surrendering entire sections of society to an AI completely foreign to her.
"There are dangers such as rampancy, but those can be managed and addressed," the Sangheili dismissed calmly.
After taking several seconds to collect her wits, Tali asked, "Who are you?"
"You may call me Sora. I am an expert in Sangheili Constructs and was brought here when it became clear that the knowledge of the humans would be insufficient. Unfortunately, I must admit that my own learning in the subject has done little to advance our understanding. The Geth were brought on to assist as well, they have been of similarly little help, through no fault of their own," Sora answered.
"Tali, Quarian engineer. Know quite a bit about many things, but not much about AI," the young Quarian provided, glancing once again at the Geth.
Seeing the look, Sora stepped back slightly and stated, "You can touch it, it won't hurt you."
Somewhat surprised at the suggestion, Tali was slow to approach the platform as it stared unerringly at her. Reaching out a hand, she half expected to lose it as she became the first Quarian to touch a Geth in decades. Breathing a great sigh of nervous tension, she quickly withdrew her hand and once again began playing with her fingers out of nervous habit.
"We are Geth," the platform greeted somewhat uselessly.
"Yeah, I know," Tali grumbled. Backing away from the Geth, the Quarian addressed Sora as she inquired, "What are you working on here?"
The Sangheili pointed up to the disgusting mass of organic matter as it stated, "This appears to be related to the Reaper Construct that controlled this vessel. They are present throughout the ship, like a cancer that has fully metastasized throughout the body. Samples have shown it to be an organic soup of an unknown species."
"An AI created by melting organic beings?" Tali questioned, and entirely different feeling of horror taking its place in her chest.
"So it would seem," Sora responded sadly.
Surprisingly, it was the Geth that suggested, "Such methods are unacceptable. We must learn from this vessel such that any others may too be destroyed."
"Yeah," Tali agreed, only to stop as she realized the absurdity of a Quarian agreeing with a Geth on the destruction of another AI. Blinking slightly, she turned to watch the platform as it returned to work on a small interface that had been spliced into the wires running wildly throughout the area. Conflicted as she was on whether to report the Geth or even tolerate its presence, Tali could at least appreciate the diligence with which the platform devoted itself to its work.
Looking back up to the flesh sack, she admitted to herself that evil as the Geth might be, this Reaper was certainly evil. So, steeling herself for the inevitable discomfort of the work ahead, Tali set about trying to identify the various bits of Eezo tech that were attached to the mass.
July 18, 2180/1st Day of 8th Month, 2459/July 18, 2589
Shepard-T'Soni Residence
Terra, Systems Alliance Homeworld
For as long as humans had been in contact with the Citadel Council, the Batarians had been trying to oust them from their position. Humanity had enjoyed special attention from the Council for the safe harbor they provided in the vast expanse of the Milky Way. This displeased the Batarians, whose influence had been growing to the point that they were close to their own seat on the Council before the new race arrived on the scene. Now seemingly a day didn't go by without the news reporting some political ploy by the Hegemony to undermine the Alliance in any way possible.
"How quickly the times change," Jane muttered as she finished making breakfast. Her attention had been distracted several times by the ongoing political storm taking place on the Citadel with the Hegemony announcement that they were officially breaking off diplomatic relations with the Council. While it was already afternoon on the Citadel and the full implications of the Hegemony's decision were still being analyzed, it was only morning on the Systems Alliance homeworld and thus the news cycle had only just begun.
After returning from their foray to Earth, Shepard had been put on leave until the SSV Normandy was prepared for duty. This had left Jane and Liara several weeks of free time, a rare oddity considering the numerous missions they were dispatched on regularly. Still, once their duty started on the Normandy, it was unlikely that they would get much of a break often, if ever.
A single whistle had Shepard smiling at the groan that came from Liara as the asari finally woke up. Several minutes later a pair of blue arms hugged Jane from behind as Liara greeted, "Morning."
"To you as well," Jane replied, slowly eating while continuing to watch the news.
Liara apparently was as well as she noted, "So the Hegemony finally left."
"Yep," Jane confirmed, gently batting away the blue hand that tried to sneakily steal some of her food. "Not exactly a surprise."
"Thanks for breakfast," Liara stated as she grabbed her own fill.
"'Course," Shepard responded, accepting a quick kiss as Liara joined her at the counter.
After taking a couple bites, the asari glanced over to her and inquired, "How was the meeting last night? You got home after I was asleep."
"Sorry," Jane apologized, which was easily waved off by Liara. Sighing, she answered, "The Alliance wants to nominate me as a Spectre candidate."
"What?" Liara questioned in surprise. She hesitated, her mind racing as she considered the situation before she resumed, "That's..."
"Yeah," Shepard muttered. "With the Wardens on board with the Normandy venture, the Councillors are looking to play political pawn with the mission."
It took the asari several seconds to reply, "Are they hoping to send us into the Terminus? I don't see why they would bother and risk alienating the Wardens, especially since they essentially just sided with them over the Hegemony."
"I've never been one for political games, you know that," Shepard retorted. "The Council seems to have given up on the Terminus, at least for the moment. I really don't know what they're hoping to do."
"Well, I hope it goes well," Liara stated softly.
Shepard opened her mouth to respond, only to sigh and instead say, "Thanks, blueberry. I'll be fine."
"When are you headed out?" the asari asked as she picked up both their empty plates.
"I don't know yet," Jane admitted. "Once the Normandy is prepared I'll be going on several evaluation missions under Spectre Vakarian or Aterius."
Liara let out a soft hum before responding, "They seemed reasonable when I met them."
"I have no problem with either of them, they both have plenty of experience. I'm not even nervous about the Spectre trial or whatever you want to call it. My concern is about the Council and what they plan to do," Shepard explained.
"Alliance Intelligence doesn't have anything?" Liara inquired.
"Suspicions, but too many options to narrow it down. I think the problem they're having is each Councillor has a different idea of what to do," Jane said with a laugh.
Smiling, Liara agreed, "They've always been their own worst enemy."
"Yeah, ah well," Jane responded. "We'll deal with it as it comes. What have you been up to?"
Rather than the excited reply Shepard had been expecting, Liara sighed heavily and paused in her washing. Jane didn't press her, instead waiting for several minutes until the asari once again joined her.
"I've been talking to some contacts I made when we were on Earth," Liara began, her brow furrowed with worry. "Information is sparse and almost all of it heavily classified, but my position in the Alliance archeological community opened a few mouths. The Wardens recently found something significant."
"Wow, descriptive," Shepard drawled.
"Shut up," Liara ordered with a smile.
Laughing at the harmless berating, Jane replied, "Well, can you tell me anything?"
Any trace of humor faded from the asari as she closed her eyes and answered, "They think it's a Reaper, Shepard."
Whatever mirth Jane felt instantly disappeared as well as she sat forward and demanded softly, "What?"
"It apparently attacked something, I would guess a Warden fleet. It was quickly overwhelmed by AI and transported to their galaxy. Several of my contacts have been getting pieces of information, I've just been assembling little bits from those to form a complete picture," Liara explained.
"Are you being called out to see it then?" Jane asked.
"The Alliance hasn't officially been informed about anything, but I doubt that the UEG would allow such information out so easily. I suspect this is an intentional leak since the Alliance holds the foremost 'experts' on Reapers, what little that means," the asari answered.
Shepard considered that before inquiring, "So the Reapers are here? I haven't heard of any worlds being destroyed, the whole Terminus War and Hegemony aside."
"They only found the one," Liara reassured her. "What I know is secondhand, and even those on site are still gathering information, but I think we'll learn more. The most interesting thing I've heard is that the whole site is shielded, something about mind control or indoctrination or something."
"Mind control?" Shepard questioned incredulously. "Huh, that's weird. Where'd that come from?"
Shaking her head, Liara responded, "Couldn't get details on that. Most I heard was that it was a report from a Spartan operation. Didn't dig deeper into that."
"Fair, stepping on ONI's toes never ends well," Shepard agreed. "Any word on an invasion?"
"Fortunately not. We're learning more quickly, but whether it will be enough is a different question," Liara replied.
"Well, that is certainly some news," Jane muttered distractedly. "Do you think the Council knows?"
Liara shrugged and answered, "Maybe, but I don't think they'd believe it either way."
"Again, fair," Jane granted. "Best we can do is prepare, as we've been doing for years. The Normandy venture will be a good start, but I don't know how much influence these two Spectre's have. Council is still pretty set in its ways. If they're hoping that the Alliance will turn against the UEG with the Reapers finally showing themselves, tensions will rise quickly."
"We'll do what we can with what we have," Liara said with a reassuring smile.
Returning the smile, Shepard nodded and agreed, "That we will."
Apologies once again for the looong wait between chapters. Really hoping that Infinite reinvigorates my enthusiasm for Halo, gives me something to really work into. Not that I don't have an idea of what I'm doing with this story, just hard to get inspiration from a content drought.
Until next time!
-evevee