While the rest of Artemis dealt with the remainder of the station's personnel, Serina was busy data-mining their servers. She downloaded every last kilobyte of intel she could find, and filed it into relevant folders she'd already set up in order to save herself the trouble of archiving everything later.
Judging by the rapidly increasing size of Serina's download, Cerberus had far more plates spinning than previously thought. A.I and weapons research were a given, considering EDI's existence, but what came as a surprise was the number of functional prototypes that existed. There were at least two more AI's that Cerberus had created, and there were files that indicated a plasma cannon mounted to an Atlas Mech had been proposed, and recently approved by the Illusive Man.
As she drifted through Cerberus's systems, she suddenly became dimly aware of Kara's voice at the fringes of her consciousness, and she reactivated her organic interface sub-routines. "Repeat your last."
"I was asking you how much data you were working with, but your delay answered that already." Kara said.
"Oh. Well you're right, their servers have Petabytes worth of intel. It won't take too long to sort through everything though."
"Good. Notify Nora when you're done and she'll retrieve you."
"Going somewhere?" Serina asked.
"Yes. The station is secure, and there's nothing else that requires my attention for the time being, so I thought Rocket and I could spend the day together. The rest of you should relax while you can as well."
"Alright. I'll let the others know, and I'll have a report ready for you by the time you get back."
"Thank you, Serina." Kara switched off her comm, and Serina sent a message to the rest of Artemis filling them in before switching her interface back off. She looked forward to some wargames when she was done here.
Kara stepped past the corpses littering the ground of the station with trying not to think about them as she made her way to the nearest hangar. Far too much of her time in this galaxy had been spent in battle, or in preparation for it, and she looked forward to a day spent relaxing with her Rocket.
She stepped inside the dropship that awaited her, and gripped the railing above her head tightly as it took off and sailed towards the Dreadnought. She removed her armor as she considered a destination. Thessia was the homeworld of the Asari, and was considered to be the cultural heart of the galaxy; art and cultural works from every species in the galaxy found a home there. It was as fitting a destination as any.
While the dropship came to a rumbling halt, Kara stacked her armor in the corner before stepping out, and quickly made her way to her quarters. She found Rocket resting on the bed, reading something on a datapad. She caught a glimpse of his reading material just before he turned the device off. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. "You know, you could just read my actual copy of the book, right?" She said as she climbed onto the bed next to him.
"Eh, I like reading on a screen more." Rocket said as he reached out with his right hand, and caressed the fur on Kara's belly. "What's up?"
"I was thinking you and I could go on a date to Thessia for a day. Have some time to ourselves."
A pleasant sigh escaped Rockets throat. "I'd like that. I'd really like that." He said, before nuzzling Kara's bosom. "Got anything specific in mind?"
"I was thinking we could visit an art gallery or a museum or two, then a movie and dinner. And if the opportunity presents itself, some fun." Kara said, a small flicker of a playful grin gracing her lips.
"Let's do it, I've had enough'a sittin' on my tail doin' nothing." Rocket said.
"Alright, let's get showered and dressed up." Kara said, removing her top as she pushed herself off the bed. Rocket stepped down the small staircase next to the bed, and joined Kara as she headed for the baths.
As Kara stepped through the doorway, she felt the familiar tingle of gateway travel, and she found herself at the bath-house. Like the meditation chamber, this "room" was really a pocket-dimension that had been designed to reflect a natural hot spring. The landscape was currently in winter, and small flecks of snow gently drifted down from the sky with no gusts of wind to disturb their descent.
Ghostly wisps of steam rose from the spring as she approached, and she turned to face Rocket behind her as she dipped a foot in the blissfully warm water; he had stopped moving, and was now simply gazing at her, awestruck. "Are you waiting for an invitation, Rocket?" Kara teased.
He snapped out of his stupor when he heard his name, and moved to join Kara as she sat down. The spring was deep enough for both occupants to sit in comfortably, with a small stone seat for Rocket opposite Kara.
Before she started her bath proper, Kara allowed herself a moment to bask in the steaming water, the tension in her body and spirit fading. Rocket loosed a sigh of pleasure from across her as he slipped in, and his gaze once again settled on Kara.
He pushed off his seat towards her, and swam a short way. When he was in reach, Kara extended her hand, and wrapped his body in her fingers, pulling him close against her chest.
Rocket's head sank against the softness of her breasts as his body was massaged by both the water, and her fur tickling his flesh. He exhaled deeply, feeling his anxiety and stress melt away. "Do we have to go to Thessia? Couldn't we set up a TV or something in here and get a pizza instead?" He muttered silently, barely able to muster enough energy to speak.
"Oh… That does sound nice…" Kara whispered, her voice trailing off. She was seriously considering going with Rocket's idea instead, but… she wanted to enjoy this galaxy and its culture, while she still had the chance. "Alright, how about this: we do all that stuff on Thessia, then grab a pizza on our way back and have a movie marathon here."
"Deal." Rocket said eagerly.
"Okay then. Let's actually wash up now." Kara said, deciding her fur was sufficiently soaked enough to wash. "If I stay here any longer I might never leave." She continued as she set Rocket on the stone surrounding the spring, and stepped out.
She grabbed two bottles of shampoo, and handed Rocket his, before dumping a sizable amount of foam on her head. She vigorously scratched her scalp, getting the shampoo as deep in her coat as possible, then moved to her neck, and downwards.
Rocket did the same, keeping his eyes squeezed shut tight as possible as he washed his head, including a little inside his ears. While he was busy with that, he felt Kara apply some to his back, and he stretched downwards, giving Kara better access.
The dull tips of her claws expertly massaged the shampoo into his fur, and Rocket felt a slight blush as her hands drifted downwards to his tail. She placed a claw at the base of Rocket's tail, angling it upwards before gently massaging it with both hands. Rocket felt shudders of pleasure run up and down his spine as her claws gently cleaned his tail.
"I'm sure you can handle the rest." Kara said warmly once she was finished.
"Thanks. I'll do you in a second." Rocket purred as he continued washing. He vigorously scrubbed every millimeter of his body Kara didn't get from his chest down to his feet. He applied the wash to his right leg and foot, then stepped inside the spring, before doing the same with his left.
Rocket stepped off the stone, gripping it with his left hand as he submerged himself fully in the spring, another shot of bliss resonating throughout his body as he basked in its warmth.
The shampoo now rinsed off, Rocket returned the favor to Kara, climbing atop her and washing her back and tail while she leaned forward to clean her legs and groin.
Once Rocket and Kara were finished, Rocket gently wrapped his arms around Kara's neck as she stepped back into the spring to rinse off.
Once she was sure she had washed off all the suds, she returned to the bedroom, Rocket in hand. Once she was close enough, Rocket hopped onto the bed while Kara looked for a suitable top.
She settled for the closest thing she had to a dress. She plucked a tight fitting pseudo-crop top that wrapped around her neck and shoulder blades, with a plunging neckline revealing a generous amount of cleavage. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, a satisfied smile gracing her lips, before she looked at the black marble bust beside the mirror. Hanging around its neck, was the silver necklace encrusted with sapphires Rocket had gifted her.
She gently hooked a finger between the bust and the necklace, removing it from the statue, and placed it around her neck. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, and her satisfaction grew. The gleaming jewelry sat comfortably between her breasts, its silver sheen a perfect contrast to her obsidian fur.
Kara normally didn't care much about grooming beyond hygienic purposes, but she had to admit, she looked good. She stepped through the door leading back to her bedroom, and found Rocket half dressed, wearing just his pants at the moment, but his shirt, jacket and scarf were lying next to him. He turned his head to look at her when he caught her in his periphery.
His lips parted to speak, but the moment his brain registered what he was looking at, it was as if something had sucked the air from his lungs.
Kara cocked her head to the side, an amused grin overtaking her lips as she gazed at the awestruck Raccoon. She stepped forward, an ever so slight bounce in her chest, and reached towards him with her left hand, gently closing his mouth with a finger.
The sudden touch seemed to remind him to breathe, and he shuddered as his senses returned. "You uh… you look good."
Kara's smile grew a little wider. "Thank you, Rocket." She said, a sultry edge to her voice. "You're not wearing underwear under your pants, are you?"
"Y-yeah. Why?"
"Take them off, you won't be needing them later."
Unable to stop thinking of the implications of Kara's request, Rocket quickly complied.
Once the two were finished, they set off to the hangar, aiming to take a dropship to Thessia. After they entered, Kara slid into the pilot's seat, while Rocket sat in her lap. Kara signaled the Dreadnought to open a wormhole in the Parnitha system as she eased the dropship out of the hangar.
She angled right, feeling vertigo as the vessel shifted. The Dreadnought launched a storm of energy, tearing open the wormhole; and moments later, the dropship sailed through the hole in space-time.
Rocket leaned his head back against Kara's belly as she began the landing procedure, starting with a gradual deceleration while they were 500 kilometers from the upper atmosphere. Rocket had visited plenty of planets during his time as a bounty hunter, and later a Guardian; and one thing he would never admit was how spectacularly beautiful he found the view.
From the viewport, he could see Parnitha's warm glow peeking out from behind Thessia, its rays mere hours away from abandoning their landing zone. He tore his gaze away from the star, and turned it towards Thessia as Kara skirted the outermost reaches of the atmosphere. He watched Kara fire the retrograde thrusters, and the dropship began to shake erratically as turbulence bounced them around, before they finally smoothed out.
As Kara followed the landing instructions provided to her by space and air traffic control, Rocket's eyes stared at the city beneath them, at the dazzling array of lights splayed out across the rapidly approaching ground.
Kara was a ground-pounder at heart, but he had to give her credit, she was no slouch in the cockpit either.
Rocket watched as the city below began to take shape, the many buildings slowly becoming more discernible, and they soon passed the tallest of skyscrapers. Before long, the dropship came to a smooth landing, and Kara unbuckled the crash webbing.
The raccoon loosed an involuntary yelp as he felt Kara slide her hand under his backside, before placing him on her shoulder as she rose from her seat.
Once she stepped out of the dropship, and into the early evening air, Rocket's ears were assailed by the sounds of the city. The hum of air cars flying above, the chatter of pedestrians, the enticing scent of food; all was carried by the pleasantly cool atmopshere that greeted the couple.
Rocket breathed deeply, filling his lungs full to bursting with the crisp air as Kara moved to their first stop: Matriarch Matori's Library of Art and History, a repository that housed countless willingly donated artifacts from nearly every species in the galaxy.
As Rocket read the museum's description, he saw that Matori had spent hundreds of years touring the galaxy, trading and bartering for as many artifacts of cultural value as she could, before bringing them here. He couldn't help but think of her as a much more tame Taneleer Tivan, snatching up every rare thing she could get her hands on.
He kept that thought to himself though as he finished reading the article. They were a few minutes away from the museum, and Rocket eyes drifted across the city and its inhabitants as Kara walked.
There were plenty of Asari (this was their homeworld after all), but Rocket was surprised to see how many aliens were walking about. Humans, Turians, Elcor. He even saw a Krogan, walking hand in hand with his Asari spouse, with Asari kids walking with them.
Word had spread regarding Artemis, thanks to the battles with Saren and that fiasco with the pirates trying to hijack the cruise liner two years ago, so people reacted with surprise rather than abject shock upon seeing him, and to a larger degree Kara, walking about.
They reached the doors to the museum, and Kara stopped in front of a very alarmed employee standing at the door. Rocket watched, amused, as the Asari looked up nervously, the dark pink skin around her cheeks blushing as she was forced to look through Kara's cleavage to meet the Hunter's gaze. "Ehrm.. hello ma'am. The… um, admission is eight credits per person."
"Of course." Kara said warmly as she paid the fee, though Rocket detected a hint of indignation.
"What?" Rocket inquired once they were out of ear shot.
Kara's head tilted ever so slightly towards Rocket. "A little miffed that I have to pay to enter is all. I understand why; maintenance costs and paying employees and all that." She said, though her voice still carried an edge of annoyance.
"Money is stupid?" Rocket said flippantly, speaking the thought that was surely floating in Kara's head.
"You said it, not me."
Kara made her way through the museum slowly, slowly walking past the galleries in silence, quietly observing the paintings lining the walls, before finally stopping at one painting depicting a semi-nude Asari resting in a chair reading a book. "Have you noticed how many of these are reminiscent of Renaissance paintings from Earth?" Kara asked Rocket.
"The flark is a Renaissance?" Rocket asked.
"Oh… sorry. It was a period of human history known for its artistic endeavors. Many of the paintings were intensely focused on the Human form. It was all part of a period of deep introspection and reflection on Human nature. It seems the Asari went through a similar phase." Kara said as they moved deeper, passing many more paintings and statues of Asari in various poses.
Rocket paid more attention to Kara than he did the art surrounding them. Music, he could get. The energies and feelings that were conveyed through song and instruments were clear. But drawings? It didn't do anything for him. But even so, being next to Kara, who thought deeply about art in all its forms did give him some appreciation for the artwork.
Kara noticed that Rocket wasn't really paying much attention as he nestled deeper into her fur, and she was content to let him, until she saw one painting that she knew would get a reaction. "Rocket, look at this one." She said eagerly.
Rocket's eyes snapped open, and was greeted with a painting of a bowl of fruit.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?!" Rocket asked, barely managing to keep his voice below a yell, earning a few glares from other patrons before they saw who's shoulder he was resting on.
Kara shrugged, moving Rocket along with her shoulder. "I don't know either, but it's provocative isn't it? Just a meaningless little bowl and fruit most people wouldn't spare a second thought for. It's as if the artist is daring us with its simplicity, demanding we respect it. Look at how vibrant the sunshine makes that banana look as it comes through the window, and the sheen on the apple? Can't you imagine yourself inside that room? Feel the sun on your fur?" She asked.
Rocket mumbled something before looking back at the painting, paying more attention this time. He took note of the faded white paint covering the walls of the inside of the house, the glimpse of a hardwood floor in the background. He imagined Him and Kara inside the painting, talking with one another over the bowl of fruit.
A feeling of homely coziness graced his mind, and he looked at Kara, who had a slight smirk on her face. "You're such an art nerd." He said as his lips betrayed him with a smile of their own.
Kara laughed lightly, before her smirk returned. "Give me a few hours and you'll go from calling me nerdy, to mommy."
"You can be both." Rocket said, deciding to tease Kara back. "My, big, sexy nerdy mommy." He said gently running his claws down her neck. Rocket smiled widely when that elicited a shiver down Kara's body, shaking him along with it.
Kara quickly recovered her composure, before giving him a faux chastising glare. "Save the pillow talk for later."
"Yes ma'am."
The two continued their tour through the museum silently, and Kara noticed that there were many works of art on loan from Earth. But before long, she heard Rocket yawn. "Ready to leave, I take it?" She asked.
"Huh? Nah, I'm lovin' it here." Rocket said sardonically.
Kara let out an amused hum. "Alright, message received. Thank you for indulging me. Now let's get some food in you." She said, turning towards the exit.
As she did, Kara looked up places to eat, before settling on a cozy looking bistro a short walk away. As she gracefully bobbed and weaved through the crowds, Rocket looked back at the sky. They had been in the Museum for a few hours, and the sun had almost completely disappeared into the horizon, turning the sky a soft orange and pink, dotted with darkening clouds.
He looked ahead when he heard Kara announce they had arrived. One of the employees looked up from her kiosk as they approached. A startled "Hi!" escaped his throat as he saw Kara.
"A table for two, please." Kara said politely.
"Oh…kay, just give me a moment and we'll get you seated." He said, unsure if they even had seats for something as large as Kara.
"Of course. Can we get a menu while we wait?" Kara asked warmly.
"Sure." The man said, appearing and sounding somewhat more relaxed as he handed Kara a menu, who then handed it to Rocket.
His eyes skimmed through the menu, before settling on a cheeseburger. He closed the menu, and Kara's head tilted to look at him. "Already?"
Rocket shrugged. "I'm a simple guy. Can't really beat burgers and fries can you?"
"You're the only meal I've had in recent memory, so I'll take your word for it."
Rocket smirked. "You have got to stop, we're in public. Also, didn't you tell me to leave the pillow talk for later?" He asked, looking to see if anyone had overheard Kara.
Kara's smile grew wider. "Firstly, if you want me to stop, make me. Secondly, It's not my fault I flirt with you so much, I can't help it. Have you ever looked in a mirror?"
Rocket chuffed, and playfully pushed Kara's head away from him as the waiter returned. "Alright, if you'll just follow me."
Kara followed the waiter to a secluded part of the restaurant, much to Rocket's pleasure, and they came to a stop at a corner booth. Kara reached up to Rocket, and he climbed into her palm, allowing her to gently lower him to the booth. He had to stand to comfortably reach the table.
As for Kara, she slid into the booth, in a position like a pin up drawing, placing most of her weight on her hips, and resting her arm along the top rim, taking up a large part of the booth.
"Do you know what you want, or do you need a couple minutes?"
"I'm ready." Rocket said, then paused as the waiter got his note ready. "Just a classic cheeseburger and fries, with water."
"Alright." The waiter said as he wrote the order. "And for you ma'am?"
"Nothing for me, thank you." Kara said, dipping her head.
"Okay, we'll get your order right out sir." The waiter nodded to Rocket, then left the two alone.
"Sir?" Rocket muttered under his breath.
"Oh don't start." Kara said, before placing her free hand atop Rocket's. "Thank you, Rocket. For agreeing to do this with me… I needed a night like this."
Rocket was silent for a moment, struggling with a response, before he leaned forward and kissed the back of Kara's hand. "I did too." He said softly, gently stroking Kara's thumb.
Kara dipped her head, and planted a soft kiss atop Rocket's skull, before resting her head atop his.
Rocket closed his eyes and breathed deeply as he basked in the sensation of Kara's touch. He felt an overwhelming wave of bliss wash over him as the two of them basked in each other's glow.
While Kara and Rocket were taking a night off, Nora decided to do some work in the meantime. She stopped by the med-bay and assessed Tali's status. The Quarian was recovering, and would be able to leave soon. They'd have to get a replacement suit for her before then though.
Satisfied that Tali was doing well enough, Nora's next destination was the hangar. With nothing better to do, the Normandy was currently accompanying the Dreadnaught's battlegroup. With everything that had taken place recently, they had ignored the Geth that Kara and Shepard had recovered from the bowels of the Reaper.
Now that they had the time, Nora wanted to see if it was worth the trouble of salvaging. She stepped through a gateway connected to the hangar, then entered one of the docked dropships.
She settled into the pilot's seat, and activated the engines. As the engines slowly roared to life, the docking clamps detached, and Nora eased the ship out of the hangar. As soon as she was clear, she set course for the Normandy, floating roughly ten kilometers away. She opened a channel to the stealth frigate, and after a few seconds of silence, the connection was established, and she heard Joker's voice on the other end.
"We read you Artemis. What's up guys?" He said casually.
"Requesting permission to land, over." Nora said tersely.
"Solid copy, opening the bay for you now. Please be careful on your way in, and try not to scratch the paint. Normandy out."
Nora huffed, unamused by Joker's jape, and gently guided the dropship into the Normandy's cargo bay. The bay doors closed behind her as the dropship settled with a heavy thud, and Nora unclipped the crash webbing and pushed herself off the seat.
She slid the door open and hopped out, landing with a thud despite the short drop. She angled towards the elevator, and cleared her throat before speaking. "EDI?" She said, raising her voice slightly, hoping the AI could hear her.
"Yes, Nora?" EDI promptly responded.
"Tell Shepard I would like her permission to access the Geth she salvaged."
"I'll notify her right away."
Nora stepped into the elevator and tapped the button for the third deck. When it came to a stop and the doors opened, she saw that Shepard was already waiting for her.
"Commander." Nora dipped her head almost imperceptibly.
Shepard eyed Nora's armored figure. "Do you always wear your armor?"
"I read Kara's report about what had happened on the Reaper, and the events concerning the Geth warrant investigation." Nora said, ignoring the question.
"What kind of investigation?" Shepard asked, hoping for an answer this time.
"I want to reactivate it, and find out why it helped you." The Hunter said matter of factly.
Shepard was quiet for a moment as she recalled the events on the Reaper, which felt like a lifetime ago despite only occurring days prior. With everything that had happened, she hadn't had the time to actually think about that. "You've got a point, there's definitely something weird about that thing." Shepard fell silent again for a few more seconds, considering the potential consequences of reactivating a Geth on her ship. "If it tries anything, you'll kill it?" She said finally.
"If it proves to be a threat, it will be dealt with as such." Nora said.
Shepard nodded. "Alright, follow me." Shepard said as she turned towards the med-bay. Shepard could feel the heavy footfalls of Nora behind her as she followed her through the med-bay into the room beyond, where EDI, and the currently lifeless Geth were housed.
Once they came to a stop in front of the barrier separating them and the Geth, EDI spoke up. "I've prepared the Normandy for any intrusion attempts. We are ready when you are, Shepard."
Shepard rolled her neck, feeling her bones pop as she did, before sighing. "Alright EDI, turn it on."
As soon as the words left her lips, Shepard heard the Geth begin to reanimate like Frankenstein's monster from its operating table, its 'eye' lighting up and surveying the room as it sat up from the table, before settling on Shepard.
"Shepard-Commander." The machine said flatly.
"You know who I am?" Shepard asked, surprised.
"Affirmative. You are Shepard, Commander in Alliance Military. First, and only Human Spectre." The Geth responded.
Shepard crossed her arms. "If you know who I am, why didn't you try to kill me when we met on the Reaper?"
"We have no reason to wish you harm."
Shepard scoffed in disbelief. "All the other Geth I've met would disagree with you."
"We have not met you." The Geth responded.
"Not you specifically, but the Geth that fought alongside Saren." Shepard said, slightly annoyed at the machine.
"Geth did not serve Saren, heretics did."
"What do you mean by heretics?" Nora said from behind Shepard, speaking for the first time.
"Geth build our own future, heretics wanted old machines to give them one. Geth oppose old machines; Geth oppose heretics." The Geth's eye narrowed as it focused on Shepard. "Shepard-Commander opposes old machines. Shepard-Commander opposed heretics."
Shepard was silent for a moment as she processed what she heard. While she did, Nora spoke up again. "What is it you want exactly?"
The Geth's eye shifted up to Nora. "Geth wish to aid in the fight against old machines. And wish for Shepard-Commander's aid against heretics."
Shepard didn't respond, and turned to look at Nora, an unspoken question in her eyes. What do you think?
"There's always been some oddities regarding our prior conflict with the Geth." Nora was quiet for a moment before continuing. "If this Geth is telling the truth, it might pave the way to having the Geth help us in the fight against the Reapers."
"And if it's lying?" Shepard asked, still uncertain.
"Then we deal with it, and any others we encounter. Either way, we will have to confront the Geth at some point."
Shepard turned back to look at the Geth, chewing the inside of her lip as she reached a reluctant decision. "Alright, I'll trust you. EDI, let it out."
There was a moment's hesitation, long enough that Shepard thought EDI might not have heard her. "Are you sure, Commander?" EDI asked. If Shepard didn't know better, she'd have thought she heard uncertainty in the AI's voice.
"Yes, do it." Shepard reaffirmed.
The barrier flickered, and disappeared. There was nothing separating them now, and Shepard felt her body tense in anticipation of hostilities. Fighting to ignore her anxiety, she extended her right hand. "Alright, looks like we're working together…" Shepard drifted off and lowered her hand as she realized she didn't know the Geth's name. "What do I call you?"
"Geth." It responded.
"No, I mean, what's your name?"
"We are Geth."
Nora growled, her helmet's voice synthesizer giving it a disturbing metallic edge. "We're not talking to an individual Shepard. Notice how it keeps saying "we."
"Wait, you mean there are more Geth in there?" Shepard said, gesturing to Legion's body.
"That is correct." The Geth said. "There are 1,183 Geth programs inhabiting this platform."
EDI's holographic avatar appeared behind them. "My name is Legion, for we are many."
The Geth's eye shifted as it processed the name. "We accept this designation."
Shepard cleared her throat, glad to be past that hurdle. "Alright Legion, welcome to the crew." She said as she offered her hand again.
Legion looked at her hand, looking seemingly confused by the gesture (or as confused as a Geth could look) before it extended its own hand, and gripped Shepard's.
She was surprised by how warm its hand felt as she shook it firmly. "Now what was that about my help with the heretics?"
While Shepard prepared herself for the coming mission, Nora forwarded a short briefing on her progress to the rest of Artemis, detailing her conversation with Legion, and the subsequent revelation of a station of heretics, which the Normandy was currently approaching.
She shifted her gaze from the station to Joker as the human shifted uneasily. "You know we're not invisible right? They can just look out a window and see us coming."
"Geth do not use windows. they are structural weaknesses." Legion said flatly. "Please proceed to the provided coordinates for docking."
As Legion turned away, Joker began to mock the Geth, making stiff robotic gestures with his arms. Nora stared at him coldly, her annoyance palpable, even through her helmet.
Joker quickly stopped, and turned his attention back to flying the ship as Shepard joined them. "What's our status?" She asked as she came to a stop.
"Well, we're not being shot at yet, so that's good." Joker muttered.
Shepard nodded, then turned to Legion. "So what's our plan once we're in there?"
"We will attempt to reach the main hub, and upload a virus into the heretics network."
"And what will the virus do?" Nora asked.
Legion shifted. "We… have not reached consensus on the optimal course of action yet. The virus may erase the heretics, or it can rewrite them."
"What do you mean, "rewrite" them?" Shepard asked.
Legion was silent as it considered the best way to explain. "For an organic, it would be analogous to brainwashing. They would no longer be heretics, and would join the Geth against the old machines."
"Why wouldn't you want to do that?" Shepard asked, believing that to obviously be the superior option.
"Geth desire to create our own future. Many of us are… conflicted with rewriting the heretics."
"What would be the chance they go rogue again after the rewrite?" Shepard inquired.
Legion was quiet for a moment. "Possible. But impossible to know chance of likelihood."
Shepard spared a glance at Nora, her features indecipherable behind her helmet. "What do you think?"
"Destroying them would be the more ethical, and practical choice. They've already decided to aid the Reapers once. Without a guarantee they won't do the same again once the invasion starts, a rewrite is too risky." Nora said.
Shepard chewed her lip. "We'll decide what to do, once we can do it." She said, putting the matter to rest for the moment. "Joker? We about ready?"
"Just starting docking procedures now." He responded.
A moment later, Shepard heard the docking clamps clatter as the Normandy came to a stop. She couldn't help but wince at the sound. To her surprise, Legion recognized the expression. "Physical defenses will be minimal; heretics will not have platforms patrolling as we enter."
Shepard shifted. "You're the expert, I'll follow your lead."
Legion turned to the docking port. "Acknowledged."
Shepard and Nora followed Legion through the docker, and watched as the lighting changed from the soft lighting of the Normandy to the inky black of the Geth station.
Shepard activated the night vision mod she'd had added to her helmet after the last time she traipsed around a pitch black "facility", changing the light from pitch black to sickly green. The shapes of Legion and Nora were still almost imperceptible as they moved in the dark. She was getting pretty damned sick of aliens who didn't bother with lighting.
"You said the heretics won't have patrols around. Will they have other security?" Shepard asked as Legion led them through the facility with too little resistance for her liking.
"Negative. Until we begin uploading the virus, the heretics will not notice our presence." Legion responded.
"And when they do?" Nora interjected.
"They will act as an immune system eliminating a foreign pathogen. We will have to defend ourselves as we upload the virus."
"And how many opfor are we looking at?" Shepard asked, shifting her grip on her rifle.
"Unknown." Legion replied.
"Guess." Nora said.
There was an uncomfortable pause as Legion walked through another door, and Shepard muttered a curse as she was suddenly blinded by a flash of light on the other side, and quickly shut off her night vision. Once her eyesight recovered she saw the room they had entered was less a room, and more like a cavern.
To her left, she could see innumerable Geth bodies in storage, lining the walls of the gargantuan chamber. "Millions."
"Fuck." Was the only word Shepard's mouth or mind could think to conjure up as she stared at the army of Geth.
"How long will your upload take?" Nora asked.
"Two minutes. The layout of the station will limit amount of heretics that can engage directly." Legion answered.
Shepard looked to Nora, half expecting some reaction on her part, but saw none. Every member of Artemis faced down the threat of violence calmly, but there was always at least some glimpse of expression. Of all of them, Nora was the most unfamiliar, and her armor only served to exacerbate that.
"Good." Nora said. "How far are we from the objective?"
"Close. Only a few more rooms." Legion said.
The three moved silently as they slipped through the next few rooms, before finally finding themselves in the small atrium. There were two floors, and they were entering on the 2nd floor. They could see two ramps on either side of the room leading to the first floor, and the console Legion was looking for sat in the center of their floor. Shepard noticed that the Geth seemed to hesitate as it spotted the console.
"What's the matter?" She asked.
"We have still not reached a consensus. Half want to rewrite the heretics and half want to destroy them." Legion's eye shifted to look at Shepard and Nora. "As we cannot reach a decision, we shall trust your judgment."
Shepard thought about what Nora said earlier, and concluded she was right. If there was a chance the heretics would support the Reapers again, they had to be destroyed. "Set the virus to destroy them."
"Yes, Shepard-Commander." Legion said.
Shepard stepped towards the railing overlooking the 1st floor and saw three doors at twelve, three, and nine o'clock. She also spotted four inactive turrets on the first floor. She turned to Legion as it approached the console. "Can we use those?"
Legion followed her gaze, assessing the turrets, then looked back at her. "Affirmative."
"Good. Take those things over and let's get this over with." Shepard said, taking aim at the door at nine o'clock.
Nora got in position as Legion carried out Shepard's order, crouching in front of the railing and resting her rifle atop it, before practicing shifting between the north and east doors.
"Are you ready?" Legion asked the two of them.
"As I'll ever be." Shepard said.
"Yes." Nora stated tersely.
Legion connected to the console, and began uploading the virus.
The instant Legion connected to the console, the intrusion was detected, and the station's inhabitants reacted accordingly. There were so many inbound hostiles, even Shepard could feel their rumbling footsteps through the floor.
The Spectre grit her teeth, and gently placed her finger on the trigger of her weapon. The thundering footsteps of the encroaching Geth reverberated through her bones as the Geth bore down on their position.
Then the doors opened, and scores of them rushed through the doors; only to be greeted by hails of gunfire. The rounds from Nora's DMR punched through two or three Geth with every shot, blowing their limbs and torsos apart.
Shepard's rifle had undergone a few upgrades over the course of the fight against the Collectors, courtesy of Mordin and Serina, which meant her rounds punched through the Geth shields with almost no effort at all; a short five round burst was enough to take them down. Even so, the turrets covering her door were doing most of the work, ripping the Geth apart like they were being fed through a wood chipper.
Shepard had to fight the urge to just hold the trigger down. If she did, her weapon would overheat in seconds, and she was barely able to keep it firing as is.
All four turrets overheated, their barrels glowing white-hot. The Geth didn't hesitate to take advantage, destroying the turrets and pushing further into the room, coming worryingly close to the bottom of the ramps.
"Legion, how much longer?" Shepard roared as loud as she could, fighting to be heard over the sound of gunfire.
"One more minute." Legion responded flatly, seemingly unbothered by the battle raging around it.
"You don't have a minute!" Shepard yelled back as the Geth advanced up the ramp. Before she could react, she felt a large hand grip her collarbone, and drag her off her feet.
She looked back, startled, and saw that Nora had yanked her backwards. The Hunter had also pulled back, and was standing directly behind Legion. Nora let go of Shepard, planting her firmly in a spot next to her. "Don't move from that spot." Nora's voice barked.
Shepard grit her teeth, and fought back the urge to scream in frustration and anger. She was standing in the open, nowhere near cover. Doing as Nora said went against every instinct she had as a soldier, but she had no choice but to listen. If she tried to move, the fire from the Geth would tear her apart.
The only thing between her and a swift death was Nora's shields. The Hunter's shields projected a three foot radius around her center of mass, a radius Shepard was barely inside, with her rifle barely poking out. Nora drew her sidearm, dual wielding her weapons, and fired at Geth running up both ramps without any loss in accuracy or lethality, but it did little to stymie the horde of Geth.
Shepard gave up restraining herself as the Geth continued advancing, their corpses now dropping mere feet away from Shepard, Nora's shields taking so much fire Shepard could see scores of rounds dropping to the ground as they struck the barrier. She abandoned any trigger discipline, and held the trigger down so forcefully her knuckle was turning white under her glove. They were so close she didn't have to bother aiming, so close she was moments away from being forced into hand to hand combat.
"Status!" Shepard barked, as her rifle overheated, angry hissing steam venting from her rifle as its barrel glowed red.
"Nearly finished." Legion responded
"What the fuck do you mean nearly?" Shepard screamed.
Just as the words left Shepard's lips, all the Geth attacking them stopped dead in their tracks, dropping lifelessly at their feet.
"I am finished." Legion said calmly, as if they weren't an instant away from dying.
"So we're done here?" Shepard said, still full of anger and adrenaline.
"Affirmative." It responded.
"Good... let's get the fuck out of here." Shepard hissed.