Consciousness started returning to Shepard as she groaned softly while the world began to take shape. The tapping of a bad, the slithering of scales, the muttering under breath. The sounds were muffled at first, but as consciousness returned to her, everything began to become clearly despite the pounding head.
"...like Sssshepard wassss waking up a moment ago. But it could be a glitch in the sssyssstems," the Lamia scientist said
Shepard sat up and groaned after feeling how stiff her body was.
'How long was I out?' she thought as she cracked her neck.
Looking up, she glared at the scientist, who slithered out as quickly as she could. It took a moment thinks to her long tail, but Zenna was still weak and didn't notice.
"No glitch!" she said. "The sedatives aren't working! Security!"
The scientist slithered past the two guards keeping watch. Shepard hopped to the ground which got the guards' attention. They raised their weapons, but that meant nothing as the minotaur grabbed the two of them by the head and slammed them into the wall. Once they fell, a force field appeared in the doorway. Shepard looked to her left and saw the scientist. She crossed her arms and smiled smugly making it clear what she did.
Zenna walked over and smiled. "Ya know, I see a flaw in your little plan."
"Wha…" she began and Zenna turned to walk over to the opposite wall before facing the scientist and charged.
At the last moment she jumped and smashed tough the window landing at the other side, with a few scrapes. She then moved fast and grabbed the snake woman by the neck. Being a centaur-like species, lamia had multiple organs that allowed for the blood circulation and oxygenation of blood though their system. But unlike the Krogan, they didn't allow for them to be used as backups. So, taking out a demi-human, like a centaur, by the neck or heart, will always be an instant kill. It didn't matter which heart, as long as you took it out.
The lamia struggled against Zenna's grip but the minotaur just squeezed tighter cracking and snapping the snake-woman's neck killing her outright. She then dropped the limp lamia, who fell to the floor twitching. She then approached where her armour and weapons was held. With a smile, she took out her armour and slid it on before notice the timer. Her jaw dropped as she realised that two days had just passed
"Two hours? Not good," she muttered before sliding her armour on.
Once ready she started running, killing any soldier that got in her way with a mix of slicing from her axe and bullets. She went through the corridor, then through the living quarters, leaving bodies in her wake. She had no time to waste. Along the way she was able to listen to a few reports from Kenson and other Project scientists which made evident of their slow indoctrination process.
Eventually, she made it to Project Control. The soldiers attacked more aggressively in the room, but posed no more of a threat than what she had faced throughout the base. Once the soldiers were dispatched, Shepard approached the main console.
"Welcome to Project Control," the VI greeted.
"I want to activate the Project," Shepard ordered.
A number appeared on the screen, 304942. "Warning. Activating the Project will result in an estimate three hundred and five thousand casualties. Do you wish to continue?"
"Sorry, but this is important, to unite the Galaxy." Shepard pressed the button, activating the Project. The thrusters in the distance activated and roared to life. The entire facility shook violently from the acceleration.
"Project activation in progress," the VI announced. "Warning: Collision with mass relay is imminent. Begin evacuation procedures,"
Shepard noticed that the comm just opened up. She saw that there was still a chance to warn the Batarians, at least save some of them.
"Alert: All colonists living in the Bahak system. This is-" she began but the comm fizzled and cut.
Kenson's image appeared on the screen before her, angry. "Shepard! No! Do you have any idea what you've done? You leave me no choice. If we can't stop this asteroid, it must be destroyed!" The video link cut out and the comm remained closed.
"Tell me where to find Doctor Amanda Kenson," Shepard ordered the VI.
"Doctor Kenson is travelling to the reactor core module," it replied and showed a location on the map/
Kenson came back on. "An eezo core meltdown should do it. Because of you, everyone on this rock will be obliterated!"
"Not if I get to you first," Shepard quipped.
OOOOO
The doors to the main reactor opened and two soldiers came out. Shepard quickly dispatched them before she entered in through the corridor and made her way towards the eezo core. Shepard entered the room and saw Kenson on the other side of the glass wall.
"Don't try to stop me, Shepard," Kenson warned. "I have to do this,"
"I've already activated the Project. We can still escape this rock!" Zenna shot back
Kenson turned and leaned against a railing. "There is no escape. There's no redemption for what you've done. I will die never having seen the Reapers' blessings." She turned back briefly to glare. "And you will just die." Kenson ran off to start the meltdown.
"Damn it, Kenson!" Zenna growled as two soldiers entered the room.
Shepard spotted the power node for the door next to them. She fired a round from her pistol blowing it up but the two guards got up and fired at the commander. Zenna dived into cover before popping up with incineration rounds, setting the troopers of fire before moving on. She used the panel that was exposed after the power node blew. The door opened for her to go through and reach the elevator to the floor above.
"Safety protocols disengaged," the VI notified. "Core temperature rising,"
Shepard entered the first cooling room and took cover fast before she threw a grenade at the soldiers removing their shields. She then drew her axe vaulted over her coved and threw her blade at the middle soldier. She then landed on top of the other two and firing at their head at point blank rage. With the last soldier fallen, she approached the console.
"How do I stabilize the reactor core?" she asked the VI.
"All automatic safety protocols have been overridden," it answered. "To stabilize the reactor core: Manually insert Cooling Rod A from this control station. Manually insert Cooling Rod B from Control Station B,"
Shepard grabbed the cooling rod and pushed it back into its slot.
"Doing so will stabilize the reactor core," The rod went back into its slot. "Cooling Rod A reinserted. Reactor cooling process has begun,"
"I need more time," Kenson said over the speaker. "Get in there!"
Several guards appeared in the hall Zenna was moving down. She had a tough time taking them down but kept on moving. She went into the elevator to the lower level. The door across from the elevator on the lower level was locked due to the plasma venting in progress. Shepard went into the room next to it and shut down the plasma venting. The door unlocked allowing Shepard to go through the venting room to the other side.
She went into the maintenance room where a group of soldiers greeted her. She fired a few rounds from her grenade launcher at them. She had no time to mess around. Zenna then threw a fireball at them to finish them off. The door at the end of the room was lucked but there was a small passage to the right. The passage went towards a security station with one guard.
"This is Williams. I've got Shepard locked in the maintenance area. Requesting backup,"
Shepard snuck in behind him and snapped his neck, then deactivated the door lock at the terminal.
"Security lock overridden," the VI announced.
She went back and through the door. Two guards came down through the elevator. Shepard fired a pistol round through the gas tank of the pyro soldier. The explosion killed the pyro instantly but left the other still standing. Shepard finished the soldier off with a shot to the face. She took the elevator up to the next floor. The next floor was just a small room that was connected to another elevator. Shepard went over to it and rode the elevator to the top. The room she entered in led into a storage room with half a dozen soldiers.
Shepard charged forth and launched herself off the walls and slashed at every soldier in her way with his axe. She made it to the back and went through the door into the second control station. Zenna went to the cooling rod and pushed it into its slot.
"Cooling Rod B reinserted," the VI announced. "Reactor meltdown averted. Core temperature dropping,"
"You've done nothing, Shepard!" Kenson yelled over the speakers. "I can still override power to the engines!"
Shepard went into the elevator to go down a floor. "Try to stop me!" she yelled.
Zenna entered the reactor core room and aimed her pistol at Kenson. "Step away from the reactor," She ordered.
"You've ruined everything!" she screamed. "I can't hear the whispers anymore," her voice became depressed and wistful. Not a good sign.
"Turn around. Now!" Zenna growled.
"You've taken them away from me. I will never see the Reapers' arrival," Kenson turned around and pulled out a detonator. "All you had to do was stay asleep-" she stopped her arms fell limb and her eyes turned into a strange shade of white. She spoke but not with Harbinger's voice.
"No matter how you try and defend these people. But their time for extinction has come. No matter what you do you will not save them," it said in a familiar voice.
"I will stop you," Shepard fired a round in her head, putting her down.
She thought she stopped her from using the detonator... she was wrong. Kenson's thumb landed on the button as she fell to the ground.
"Shit," Kira cursed.
The detonator went off and the explosion launched Shepard into the wall knocking her out.
"Warning: Collision imminent," a voice warned.
Shepard's vision began to return her as an alarm went off.
"Wh-What?" she mumbled as she looked up and saw the timer. "I was out for over an hour?"
Adrenaline surged through her at that point. She rushed to the terminal and tried opening a comm. But stopped as she realised that she didn't have a way off. Instead, she hoped that the repairs had finished so she called.
"Joker, are you there? It's Zenna," she said. "I need a pick up. Now!"
"Communications system damaged," the VI said.
"Damn it!" she growled slamming her fist on the console.
"Evacuation protocols in effect. All personal to escape shuttles," the VI said,
The minotaur sighed with relief. "Where can I find an escape shuttle?"
"Take the lift from this room to the external access. From there, proceed to the communications tower. The remaining escape shuttles will be located on the tower's landing pad," the VI explained.
Zenna nodded and looked to the door. "Got to get to that comm tower and take a shuttle. It's my only chance. Time get out of here."
Shepard ran through the base's corridors with all the energy she could muster. The way was clear all the way through. Each time she looked through the windows on the base, she could see the relay. Each time she looked; it was getting closer. Soon she made it to the exit. The airlock ran its cycle before opening the door to the comm tower area. Sound was muffled after she entered the vacuum. Several soldiers and a YMIR mech charged towards Zenna to impede her progress.
Shepard moved up fast and jumped kicked the first one sending him into space. Landing on her side she fired her weapon aiming at the glass of the helmet and fired. The glass cracked and broke sucking the air out of his suit killing him. Three more left and the mech, as the mech fired at her she jumped out of the way pulling out her grenade launcher and fired it at the mech. Each shot it and exploded on its armour. It's wires then fused causing an instability in its core cueing it to explode. As it did it took out one of the last soldiers and wounded another one.
Out of ammo for it she tossed it away and pulled out her pistol. She fired a round at the weakest soldier killing him before clicking onto an explosive arrow and fired it at the final one ripping his suit open killing him. Not relaxing she approached the comm tower and activated it.
"Comm channel open," the VI said.
"Shepard to Normandy. Joker, do you read me?" she said hoping that it was worth it.
Zenna saw something in the corner of her eye. She looked and saw an enormous hologram of Harbinger appear over the landing pad. She walked towards the Reaper.
"SHEPARD. YOU HAVE BECOME AN ANNOYANCE. YOU FIGHT AGAINST INEVITABILITY. DUST STRUGGLING AGAINST COSMIC WINDS. THIS SEEMS A VICTORY TO YOU. A STAR SYSTEM SACRIFICED. BUT EVEN NOW, YOUR GREATEST CIVILIZATIONS ARE DOOMED TO FALL. YOUR LEADERS WILL BEG TO SERVE US," it declared.
"Says the person who will get his ass handed to him. Because we will fight, we will sacrifice, and we will be victorious. Because that's what we do," she growled.
"KNOW THIS AS YOU DIE IN VAIN: YOUR TIME WILL COME. YOUR SPECIES WILL FALL. PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR THE ARRIVAL," Harbinger's hologram faded away.
"Whatever fuck face," she muttered.
A voice called in over the comm as the Normandy flew in. "Commander Shepard, the Normandy inbound for pick up,"
"Roger that," she replied.
Shepard ran over to the Normandy and jumped inside. The ship flew towards the relay with the asteroid close behind. Shepard ran to the cockpit. Joker was focused on flying the ship.
"Get us out of here, Joker!" she ordered.
"Right."
The Normandy approached the relay and launched off to another galaxy. The asteroid closed in on the relay. Electricity sparked from the relay to the asteroid. The asteroid collided with the relay, shattering it to pieces. The dark energy of the relay exploded and a shockwave spread from the impact point.
In the Normandy, Shepard watched the galaxy map record the explosion take place. The wave spread through the system. The wave reached the size of two solar systems before it dissipated. Everything was gone. The star system... and the lives of the Batarians who were left behind.
"Fuck my life," she muttered.
OOOOO
Shepard sat on the med-bay bed and saw Chakwas briefly chatting with Admiral Hackett. Hackett approached Shepard.
"Hm. Looks like you've recovered," he said.
"Admiral Hackett," she nodded before looking at her arm. "Better than most,"
He nodded and looked her up and down. "Sounds like you went through hell down there. How are you feeling?"
"Fine," she answered, not really sure if that was truthful. "No more visions, if that's what you mean. I wasn't expecting to see you here,"
"You went out there as a favour to me. I decided to debrief you in person." His stance became rigid. "That was before the mass relay exploded and destroyed an entire Batarian system. What the hell happened out there, Commander?"
Zenna sighed. "Have you received any intel about what happened?"
"All I know is that I sent you out there to break Amanda Kenson out of prison, and now an entire system is destroyed. I hope you could fill in the leap of logic between those two events," he said not hiding anything knowing he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear.
Shepard nodded and hopped from the bed and handed Hackett the report on the mission. "I confirmed Doctor Kenson's proof. The Reapers were coming, and destroying that relay was the only way to stop them. At least temporarily. Kenson was indoctrinated by the Reaper device she had in her possession and sedated me for nearly two days. I started the engines with little more than an hour left before the Reapers arrived in the system. I tried warned the Batarian colony, but couldn't,"
"The Batarians report no survivors from Arathot. At least you tried." Hackett sighed and turned and took a few steps away. "And you believe the Reapers invasion really was a threat?"
"No doubt about it. We literally had minutes to spare," she looked down to the floor. "I swear I saw their eyes,"
Hackett turned around. "I'm sure all the details are in your report. I won't lie to you Shepard. The Batarians will want blood, and there's just enough evidence for a witch hunt. And we don't want war with the Batarians. Not with the Reaper's at the galaxy's edge,"
Shepard slowly fell against the desk behind her. "What are you saying?"
"You did what you did for the best of reasons, but... There were more than three hundred thousand Batarians in that system. Most died," he said.
"They died to save trillions of lives. If I could have saved them, you bet your ass I would have," Zenna defensively countered.
Hackett just held up his hand. "You're preaching to the choir, Commander. If it were up to me, I'd give you a damn medal. Unfortunately, not everyone will see it that way. And we both know that this was part of the plan,"
Shepard nodded. "So, what do you suggest?"
"Evidence against you is shoddy at best," he shrugged. "But at some point, you'll have to go to Earth and face the music. I can't stop it, but I can and will make them fight for it,"
"Is the Alliance prepared for a Reaper invasion?" she sighed.
"That's hard to say. It took multiple fleets, and the Destiny Ascension, to bring Sovereign down. And that was just one Reaper. If the Reapers come in force, we're just not ready," he said looking down.
"Then let's hope, you are wrong," Zenna said.