A/N: Hiya folks! I hope you're all having a great summer, I know I have been. Sorry for the overdue upload. Between summer, life, and things like Shadow of the Erdtree, I've had little time to put towards writing. But it is still happening, even if slowly!
First thing is first: There is a song in here that is not mine; it is the creation of Robert Jordan, someone whose writings I've been reading practically since I started to read. It may not make as much sense at first for those who do get the reference, but it will down the road.
Second thing is second: I've been making quite a few fics over the past year that only go a chapter or two into their stories. While they have future plans, they are not my focus. The next big fic I have full plans to write is a Metroid/RWBY fic. To the point that I actually have several chapters finished and ready to post, though my beta, Aperture Zero, has yet to see them beyond around two thirds of the first chapter. Before anything of that fic gets posted, I have promised myself that I would (and have) write (written) another chapter for Blade of Miquella, due to Shadow of the Erdtree releasing. With the release of that DLC, and an understanding of the lore courtesy of both my own piecing together and several of the lore enthusiasts out there such as Vaati and Smoughtown, I can now resume that fic without running into the problem I ran into with my initial fic here on this site, Scions of Remnant. That problem being people being unhappy that I was not including a wide amount of the new background stories we were getting with the future updates to that game.
So for those of you here that read Blade of Miquella (I know of several, and I appreciate your continued support and interest in my stories): Be prepared for another chapter for that soon. I make no promises, but my intent is to run the final version of the chapter across Aperture by the end of the week, but most likely happening during the weekend. Hurray!
Finally: Please review, comment, and discuss. I enjoy every constructive conversation I have with readers!
A month and a half, Garrus decided, was not enough time to get over what he had seen on Virmire. But then, he didn't make that decision on his own. Not really. He stared at the ceiling of the room that he remembered from his childhood, though it had long since been turned into an office before his father had converted it back into a room.
There was still a desk that had not been Garrus's, along with a few other things that were simply too large to move on such short notice. The bed he now lay upon wasn't his either. Calling it a bed in the first place was fairly generous as well, but he wouldn't complain. It was something familiar, and after losing almost everything that was familiar to him in the last year and a half… It helped.
He rolled off of the storage crate that had been converted into a bed and walked into his father's kitchen. A covered plate with food lay on a countertop, but he made no move towards it. He didn't feel hungry these days, and only his sister's henpecking convinced him to eat anything. It was a good thing that she had opted to stay at their dad's home while Garrus was there.
Has it been days? Garrus wondered. He pieced things together quickly in his mind.
It had taken what remained of the fleets - a mere three vessels in total, including the Hawkwing - just over a week to return to the blockade of the Dark Zone thanks to their previous mapping data. The crews of the returning vessels, though… all of them operated on a skeleton crew. Every last soldier that could be spared had been sent into combat, and none returned. Save himself, Sidonis, and Admiral Balteus. They alone had their boots touch Forge World soil, and lived to take them off. An unprecedented defeat of the Citadel and Turian Hierarchy.
Upon returning, they found that the Asari had fortified the Turian blockade, filling in for the two fleets that had gone in. They spent another day debriefing, submitting helmet cam footage and giving reports on what they had faced and experienced. An Asari Matriarch had been present, as well as several Spectres. One of them had been a Salarian, which had taken Garrus by surprise. Most of the Salarian Spectres had resigned or gone AWOL when the Union had separated from the Citadel.
In the process, he learned something else. The Systems Alliance and the Salarian Union officially revealed their own alliance, termed The Compact. And with it, they revealed a burgeoning relationship with Forge World Nemata. Garrus remembered the announcement clearly, as well as the shiver he felt go down his spine as he watched the vid capture that showed Dalatrass Linron with Valern, alongside Admiral Hackett and Udina. Standing behind them was a golden giant, who was flanked by a tall armored female of an undiscernable species. While she was dwarfed by the giant, her height could be compared to the humans, letting Garrus guess that she was close to Shepard's height. Maybe even a tad bit taller. They stood on a podium that looked to be on Eden Prime, with a colony in the backdrop. Udina spoke first, possessing that familiar oily tone that Garrus remembered dressing down Shepard in the past.
"The Compact, an alliance pioneered by the Human Systems Alliance and the Salarian Union, is proud to announce that we have brokered a non-aggression pact and trade agreement with Forge World Nemata. It is our hope that the Forge World can be integrated into our known galaxy with less violence than has already been shown, but it shall not hamper our efforts to understand and create a working relationship with the Forge World. With that said, I would like to introduce Lord-General Arcturus Magnus of the Forge World."
The speech continued with an introduction by the golden giant, though most of what was said could have been predicted by anyone that had seen the introduction of a new race to the Citadel. The sole exception had been the giant's final words.
"The Forge World seeks to better the galaxy, and to defend ourselves from those who would seek to suppress us. To that end, the Citadel Council has attempted to invade our worlds. Two full fleets of the Turian Hierarchy invaded our territory, and have been repelled. I take this as a declaration of war by the Citadel, and as such, shall seek to end it as quickly as possible. Such a conflict is a waste of resources that could be spent elsewhere.
With this tentative alliance, Forge World Nemata hopes that the galaxy can see that we are not warmongers, and only protecting our own assets. May the Compact flourish."
Afterwards, Garrus had been placed on medical leave to attend therapy, as well as due the request of Balteus himself. The Admiral's final request, in fact, before his resignation from his post. Three days later, the Turian had been found deceased, a hole in his head and his Carnifex in hand. Garrus had heard that he had created a rather extensive series of documents before he pulled the trigger, outlining and detailing what he had seen on Nemata and what the Hierarchy's only option could be: surrender.
Obviously, nobody within the Citadel truly considered such an option. It was only one planet, after all, even if more Turian blood had been spilled there than in any other conflict in recent memory.
From there, after another week and a half of therapy, Garrus was discharged and allowed to contact anyone he wished. He found messages from four people waiting for him, in the form of Tali, his sister, and his father. But it was Wrex's message that had caught him off guard. He was surprised to see the fourth, as he had never had the greatest of relationships with the old Krogan. Friendly enough while part of Shepard's crew, but they hadn't spoken since the demise of the Spectre.
He opted to read Tali's message first, and learned that she had made contact with both his father and sister on Palaven. She felt like she was being watched, and for what reason, she didn't know. Either way, she had been able to convince his father to begin preparing what he could for something catastrophic. Small steps yet from the sounds of it, but then it was better than nothing. Tali chose to remain on Palaven for the time being to try and figure out who or what was watching her.
The message from his sister had been an update in regards to their mother. A new doctor had been found with an experimental treatment, though it sounded like he seemed a little… off. If rumors and her own investigation were to be believed, the Turian had been a slave up until last year, and had refused to remain with the Forge World. But, he had treated similar cases to his mother while he was a slave, and believed he could treat her as well. She consented to the treatment.
His father's message was nearly an overload. He had decided to work his way up in the path to becoming Primarch, more so as a way to accrue more influence than for any hope of actually attaining the position. He went into detail over the steps he had taken so far, though he didn't say what he was doing now. Smart, Garrus decided. A series of events seemed to help him raise a bit higher than he already had as well, in the form of a bridge collapse that killed two close advisors of Primarch Fedorian. The Primarch himself had survived, and had barely been ruffled by the collapse as he hadn't stepped onto the bridge yet. Shortly afterwards, Adrien Victus had been court martialed after he had been found to be tampering with the bridge supports several hours prior to the collapse. The message ended with his father inviting him back home. Garrus had taken him up on that offer.
The final message came from Wrex, and had confused him.
"Hey. Been awhile. Don't normally send messages through this, so hope ya get it. Word on the vine of my informants tell me that Shepard might not be dead, and that he's going to be in need of a fighting crew soon. Been sending messages out and about to try and get everyone back together. Haven't had too much success yet, but Tali and Joker are in. Liara seems interested, but is tied up with some shit on Illium. Heard you went into the Dark Zone, so I don't expect an immediate answer, but your scrawny ass had better make it out of there.
I myself can't promise to make it back to Shepard. Gotta handle things here on Tuchanka, and I'm thinking I've got a pretty good shot at making Clan Urdnot the dominant clan soon, especially with some of the support that's been provided. Write back when you get this, or I'm gonna shove my shotgun up your ass."
Elegant as always, even in text format. Counting up the days since then, Garrus came to the conclusion that it had been a month and a half since his return to Virmire. Sidonis had gone off the grid as far as he could tell, but Tali had been around at the very least. They spent some time talking, and he had been introduced to Kal'Reegar, who had become something like a father figure to her. Her actual father was rather absent due to his duties, and Reegar had stepped up to teach her about how soldiers operated in his absence, at least until she departed for her Pilgrimage.
But she had told him of her intention to reunite with Shepard, and Garrus had to admit that it sounded… Nice. Like the old times. Old times? That was only a year and a half ago. And we were only a crew together for a few months. She intended on leaving with her Marine escort in a few days, and he still needed to decide on what he would do. If he joined her and Shepard, then he would effectively be going AWOL from the Hierarchy… Unless he only stayed with them for as long as his medical leave lasted? A hum filled the air as he pondered on how to make it work, until he received another message. This one came from his sister, but he didn't open it immediately.
A sigh escaped him as he glanced at the date on his omnitool, then he cursed as he spun around to return to his room. He donned his clothing and armor, then left his father's house as he decided upon the quickest way to the facility his mother was at. Today was her operation, and he would be damned if his pity party for himself would stop him from being there.
Shepard groaned as he felt his muscles stretch as if they hadn't moved in ages. He went to open his eyes, thankful that the dull yellow light above him wasn't blinding.
"Good, you're awake. Sit up slowly, it might be a little painful."
A woman's voice, though not one that felt familiar to Shepard in any way. It was filled with authority, and felt like its owner expected to be obeyed without question. But he did as she said, groaning again as he felt like he was set on fire as he did so.
"Nerves are responding appropriately, that's good. They were what I was most worried about when I was putting you back together."
Someone stepped up to him as he went to hold his head in his hands. He noticed a skintight white and black suit, as well as heels. His gaze traveled upwards, ignoring the person's breasts to instead settle his eyes upon the Cerberus patch.
"You're Cerberus."
It was a statement, one that the woman acknowledged immediately.
"I am. My name is Miranda Lawson, an agent of Cerberus who spent the last year and a half putting you back together. You're not perfect, Shepard, but you're the best I could make you within the limited time frame I have. I know you don't feel particularly limber yet, but we need to hurry. Behind you, you'll find your armor and weapons inside a locker, restored from their near-destruction."
"I don't trust Cerberus."
Shepard watched her blink at him, unamused.
"That is neither here nor there, Shepard. If it will help, then know that I am defecting, along with several others aboard this station. Once you have your gear, I'll lead you to the ship where the others who are joining us will be waiting and preparing the ship. We don't have time to debate, the Illusive Man could catch on at any time. Hurry up; I'll be waiting past the front lab hallway."
She turned and left, leaving him to stand and don his gear. His armor fit like a glove, and he found what he thought was his modified Avenger until he took a closer look. There was a note attached.
Old Avenger was FUBAR, Shepard. Sorry. I scrounged up a First Contact War Lancer and modified it to fit today's standards. Hope it serves as a decent replacement.
-Jacob
Picking up the Lancer, Shepard decided that it felt decent enough in his hands. Despite the idea of it being an old replacement, Shepard had heard that the rare War-era Lancers were actually very good if they were retrofitted appropriately. He had never had the opportunity to test one himself, but Anderson had and swore by it.
"Ah, Shepard."
His head swiveled, searching for the origin of the new masculine voice until he realized it had come on over an intercom.
"Don't waste your time. I'm not there. Miss Lawson thinks herself clever, but not quite clever enough to avoid someone of my observational talents. Check beneath that locker, you'll find a comm clip that I'd like you to take with you."
"And why would I take it? You're Cerberus. Aren't you?"
"Of course. I founded Cerberus, after all. I'm known as the Illusive Man. I know you may not trust me, but Miss Lawson could be an even worse person to trust. At the very least, I won't try to stop you leaving. All I ask is that you take the comm clip with you, so that we might talk without her spying upon our conversations. Of course, you could leave it behind, but then you wouldn't learn more about your sister, and her survival from the raid on Mindoir that took your parents from you. Your choice."
Those words earned Shepard a blink of surprise and contemplation. Her surviving the raid had always been a possibility, he knew. Unlike his parents, her body was never found. But even so, he imagined that the Batarians wouldn't have spared her for a slave. Everyone had the natural inclination to hate her, to abuse her. Even him, though he did his best to protect her. He made his decision; if she was alive, then he would find her and save her from the slavers. His omnitool linked up to the comm clip.
"Good. I had a feeling you would make the right choice." The Illusive Man said, this time through the speakers in his helmet. "We'll be in touch."
The line went silent. Turning, Shepard left the room, feeling his muscles stretch somewhat painfully. Wherever he was, he realized fairly quickly that it wasn't hard to find the way out. There were a number of corpses to follow, and he soon found himself face to face with Miranda and a dark skinned man who was talking to her quietly. Upon seeing Shepard, he nodded and turned, making for a doorway at the far end of the hallway. Miranda observed him briefly, then nodded expectantly.
"Good, it seems to fit as it should. Follow us, it won't be long until a patrol comes through here, and we need to be on the ship before the alarm is raised."
They went through the hallways and corridors quickly, stopped only by the need to wait for a door to finish cycling. There were a couple more corpses here and there, but no major scuffles that Shepard could see. All of them were killed either through a bullet to the head or a slit throat, most of them holding a look of surprise that suggested that it was wholly unexpected. When they came to a berth for a ship, Shepard couldn't hold in his gasp.
The Normandy. Or rather, an upgraded Normandy that was nearly twice the size of the original.
"Welcome to the Normandy SR-2, Shepard. Hurry aboard, we have to launch as soon as possible. Jacob, do we have everyone?"
The dark skinned man that had been ahead of Miranda and Shepard had stopped at the entrance to the docking bay.
"Everyone that decided to abandon Cerberus, anyway. EDI's good to go as well."
With a nod, Miranda directed them all inside the bay and into the ship. Shepard marveled at the familiar yet quite different aesthetics and designs as he boarded, only to hear another voice belonging to someone that he would have never taken to join Cerberus in the first place.
"Commander! Man, I saw you get spaced! When Miranda said that they were reviving you, I thought she was blowing smoke up my ass. Glad to see she wasn't lying."
His head turned sharply, coming face-to-face with the voice's crippled owner.
"Joker? What are you doing here?"
"Ah, well I originally wasn't very keen on joining. But they offered to give me my wings back, after the Alliance grounded me with the destruction of the original Normandy. Then I got a tip that they real reason they wanted me was because of familiarity with the Normandy's systems, which wouldn't have mattered for anything except for another-"
"Talk later, Joker. We need to be gone yesterday." Miranda interrupted. Joker made a rude face, then turned with a grumble to get back to his seat. Miranda and Shepard followed as the woman continued. "Head for the coordinates that I had EDI put in. There's a contact there that can help us disappear from Cerberus's radar." Shepard swore that the agent had slightly turned her head to glance at him contemplatively, but the look had been too quick to be sure.
"Let me get us out of here first, one thing at a time. The Normandy disembarking is sure to raise some kind of alarm, right?"
Jacob's voice sounded from behind Shepard, nearly making him jump. He had seen the man go deeper into the ship when they boarded.
"No. I disabled the alarm before we went to grab Shepard. Only way for Cerberus to know what's going on is if someone looks out a window. Cameras and sensors are on loops from the past several days."
"Really? Now that's some skill, isn't it Commander?"
Before Shepard could respond, yet another voice filled the room, this time sounding synthetic. As it spoke, Shepard could see Joker's face scrunch up in annoyance.
"Apologies, Mr. Moreau. Security Officer Taylor left the looping of the station's systems to me."
"Oh. Well why not? So long as it keeps you away from messing with my jam over here, EDI. Oh, we have another passenger by the way, Commander. Meet EDI. Please tell her to stop messing with my data?"
Shepard shook his head as he tried digesting everything that was going on.
"I… need a minute."
Miranda nodded at him expectantly.
"That is understandable. Jacob, could you take Shepard to the Captain's cabin? I need to confirm some things in regards to my departure from Cerberus and whom it might impact."
"Sure. This way, Shepard. I'll give you a full tour once we're sure that we've made a clean getaway."
Once Shepard was left alone in the cabin, he sighed and sat down at the desk, taking off his helmet and running a hand through his hair.
First thing to do is get a haircut, he decided. And probably shave as well, though his beard was little more than stubble. For whatever reason, they kept that trimmed on him but not the mop that now reached towards the bottom of his neck.
"Is this a good time, Shepard?"
He nearly jumped as he heard the Illusive Man's voice again.
"What do you want?"
"So paranoid. Don't be, I want whatever is best for humanity. You being alive and doing whatever it is you choose to do is an excellent start in it. You're one of the most influential members of our species right now, Shepard. While you may be a Spectre -or were, anyway, before Humanity left the Council and joined the Compact - your voice carries more weight than anyone short of the Parliament established on Arcturus Station. But that's not why I contacted you again. Miranda's contact is with a woman calling herself Raven, though you might better know her as Vanessa. You helped raise her, after all."
"Lawson knows my sister?"
"Knowing her would be a stretch. Raven found Miranda and contacted her to reach you. I'll warn you now, Shepard. She isn't the same person that you helped raise. She's... different, from what you would remember. You might have defended her from everyone who sought to harm her, but now she is more than capable of holding her own. And her personality matches it. Don't get your hopes up, Shepard."
"You sound like you've spoken with her."
"I have. The time for Cerberus to reunite with the Alliance is coming. What better way to ensure our coming back under their control is peaceful than by demonstrating that we can bring allies with us? Miranda isn't as sly as she thinks she is, at least not when it comes to me. She may be an asset that I'll miss, but I have other operatives. She'll serve you well. And make no mistake, she'll put you in the role of leading the Normandy's crew. It will be up to you to decide what you'll be doing."
Shepard let his words sink in, pondering any potential hidden meanings.
"The crew on board here. You know all of them?"
"Of course. If they made it to Cronos Station, then I've gone over their records extensively. They're good at what they do, and have their reasons for leaving the Alliance and now for leaving Cerberus. If I manipulated certain events to get them on board your ship, then so be it."
"And you're willing to give away so many assets?"
"Really, Shepard? Project Lazarus, your revival, cost me more than any of them. They were pocket change in the form of credits and favors compared to you. Your success is paramount, no matter your decisions in the future. Miss Lawson is a similar story. At least with your form of departure, you can claim to the Alliance that you escaped a Cerberus lab. The best cover is the truth, so they say, and legally speaking, she doesn't even exist. That's why she needs you to lead the Normandy's crew and return to the Alliance. I'll leave you to it, Shepard. If you have reason to contact me again, this channel will remain open. Enjoy your second life."
The Illusive Man smiled as the Normandy SR-2 departed Cronos Station, wine glass in hand as he swirled its contents. Another cog in his Lord's plan has been set into place to do as it was meant to do. He had seen the astronomical amount of funding that had gone into reviving one single person that Jack Harper deemed irreplaceable, and even understood the why of it from his perspective. But now, Shepard was merely another cog. And with the removal of both Lawson and Taylor from Cronos Station, there was nobody who could deduce that Harper was dead, and a new Illusive Man leading Cerberus.
Regardless of if Shepard would aid in Lord Arcturus's plan or not, the man had still fulfilled his main purpose: casting Cerberus in a more positive light for bringing back Humanity's icon. If he joined the Forge World as per Raven's request to attempt to persuade him, or if he stayed with the Alliance… He would still be pushing towards his Lord's ultimate goal of unifying the galaxy against the Reapers.
He set the wine glass down and stood from his seat, glancing only briefly at the tile where Harper's body had been. His eyes had been preserved and discreetly transported to Nemata per his Lord's request, but the rest of the rotting corpse had been tossed out an airlock towards the star.
"EDI, can you keep things running per our projections here?"
"Of course, Grand Master."
"Good. I'll leaving for awhile, but I'll be back within the month. Notify me if anything deviates from the established parameters for updated instructions. Send regular reports on the Normandy, but make sure they can't be tracked by anyone on board that ship."
Continuing his walk, he found himself standing in front of another tile that he pulled loose with relative ease. He smiled as he reached for Kai Leng's equipment and pulled it free.
He had some more work to do.
Raven stared at the Quarian across from her, arms crossed. She was a young thing, though the two Quarian Marines on either side of her were likely older. One of them carried himself with the air of an experienced veteran, and the other she couldn't get a clean read on. But the blue-and-purple clad young female was undeniably the leader of their little group. She didn't miss how they all nervously fiddled around in her presence, giving her quick looks when they thought she wasn't aware. Despite having been here for nearly half an hour, they had yet to speak to one another. At least they didn't retreat to the Kodiak shuttle behind them unlike the Turian that had arrived with them.
She was used to it. They were merely nervous in her presence, and not outwardly hostile. Raven turned to observe the lush green surroundings and hills once more, trusting in Daniel-989's ability to react if they tried anything while her back was turned to them.
The servo-skull that served as her translator had been garbed in a tattered red cloth that bore golden stitching serving to create a raptor's head. Her Lord's damaged kilt, which he had been about to discard and incinerate until she asked if she could repurpose it to disguise her servo-skull for her upcoming assignment. He had agreed.
Eden Prime had lived up to her expectations from what she had imagined it being when she had heard stories of it as a little girl. While Lord Arcturus went about his business inside the Prothean facility that had been unearthed, she had departed for the opposite side of the planet to meet several individuals. Tali'Zorah, former companion of the Alliance's vaunted Commander John Shepard, hadn't been what she was expecting, yet also didn't surprise her in the least. What she remembered of the man made her wonder if he might have taken a liking to the Quarian.
Daniel-989's light in the corner of her HUD blinked once, informing her that he had detected an incoming shuttle. She signaled her acknowledgement and turned to face where she knew it would come from. Another shuttle seemed to be fairly close behind it. Her hand signed, and her servo-skull translated quickly and monotonously.
"Two shuttles incoming. Both are expected."
The first shuttle to land was clearly marked as an Alliance shuttle, and upon the door opening, Raven recognized the black-haired man within it from intelligence reports.
Major Kaiden Alenko stepped down from the shuttle and approached, his eyes falling upon the Quarians for only a brief moment. His gaze turned towards her almost immediately, his eyes scrutinizing as he took in her form and equipment. He almost seemed to ignore her Ursarax bodyguard, though it would be a bigger mistake than ignoring her if things didn't work diplomatically. At least he didn't seem to fall prey to her aura. He was one with a strong will, it seemed. And he didn't seem phased by the massive dropship behind her.
"Kaiden? I didn't think you would be here, Wrex didn't say anything about contacting you!" Tali exclaimed.
Kaiden shrugged.
"He, uh, technically didn't. Our local friendly Oblivion Knight of Nemata here passed it along to me that Shepard's old crew would be meeting here. Those of us that survived and aren't otherwise occupied, anyhow."
His eyes traced back to Raven immediately as he realized she was moving, but relaxed slightly when he realized it was only her hands.
"Greetings, Major Alenko. My name is Raven. I serve Lord Arcturus directly. If that means serving the Forge World, then I shall, but there is a difference."
The Major raised an eyebrow as the thing beside her spoke with a monotone voice, but nodded in acceptance.
"I see. I'm sorry for the confusion, I meant no disrespect. I still find it odd that you'd be all the way out here while your leader tours the Prothean ruins."
"I am my Lord's right hand for whatever task he might need accomplished. My role as his bodyguard is mostly symbolic. He has a vested interest in this meeting however, and so I have been sent with his utmost trust."
She watched as Kaiden's feet shuffled slightly. The other shuttle was almost here, now within visual range.
"Yeah, I suppose so if what I've heard about him is true."
The shuttle landed nearby, creating a ring from every shuttle here. Most notable however was that Raven's Stormbird dropship dwarfed the Kodiaks that now surrounded them.
The Stormbird had been Lexus's gift to her, once it had been made apparent that she would be performing her own assignments away from Arcturus. It bore the same golden coat that the Orion possessed, though a decent amount of its interior transport capacity had been devoted to a second-generation Magnus Drive. It had also undergone some interior changes to allow it to be habitable, though it only boasted a small cabin for herself, despite a newly-raised tech-priest Engineseer being given a place aboard her ship for maintenance of both the vessel and Assault Cohort IV, which Arcturus had assigned to her.
It would have matched the Orion, had her Lord's primary voidship not gone through another sizable addition that was slowly bringing it up to what this galaxy would consider a cruiser in order to house a Palas Grav-Attack platform, as well as another Thallax cohort in the form of the Specialist Cohort. With the Assault Cohort being assigned to Raven, that left more space to be given to a Domitar and a team of Secutarii that had proven themselves at Lexus's side during the Turian Incursion. With their promotion to her Lord's personal vanguard, they and the Specialist Cohort had been titled the Companions; something that Arcturus had found to be both amusing and insulting once he had learned of it.
That wasn't to say that she was never by his side anymore. In fact, even with her own voidship capable of traversing the Warp, she still spent the majority of her time in Lord Arcturus's presence. With the Engineseer aboard her Stormbird, she had little reason to be aboard it unless she was on an assignment for her Lord.
Such as right now. The final shuttle that landed was painted white, and plasma scoring on the door where an insignia would be revealed that whatever had been there before had been burnt off and had yet to be replaced. The door opened to reveal the primary reason that they were all there, in the form of two people who disembarked.
The first was a woman in a tight, form fitting suit that Raven assumed to be Miranda Lawson. The other she knew intimately, having partially been raised by him while their parents were otherwise too busy to pay much attention to either of their children. She idly pondered how she could still call that life hers, when she could recall over a century of someone else's life in her mind in an instant and more clearly in most instances. They blended together so often that she had difficulty separating them at times. At least she was over the flashbacks, and never confused her name anymore.
The woman in the suit spoke even as she approached them, though Raven didn't miss the Major's hand twitching towards the pistol at his side as he noticed the logo on her suit.
"This is more public than I had anticipated, especially concerning certain topics."
The Major frowned.
"You might be right. Cerberus doesn't do public, do they?" His look traveled to Shepard. "Shepard? I heard from Knight Raven here that you were alive, but I didn't think you would have joined Cerberus. And you let everyone think you were dead?"
Shepard's steps hesitated for a very small moment when he heard Raven's name being said, but he spoke without hesitation even if his head swiveled to look upon Raven in curiosity.
"Settle down, Kaiden. Cerberus will be wanting her head after what she just pulled. She's not Cerberus, not anymore. And for what it's worth, I don't even know what the political climate is right now. Miranda mentioned something called a Forge World on the way here, as well as their capability to keep Cerberus off our backs?"
Raven nodded and raised a hand.
"It is within our capability, if you perform something for us. The Collectors, agents of the Reapers, are becoming more active. If you want our protection, then you will look into how they are getting their information."
Miranda's eyes widened, as did the Major's.
"What- you can't be serious! Collectors were thought to be little more than myths in most circles until last year." Kaiden stated. "Besides, aren't you buddies with some of them?"
A flurry of hand signs answered Kaiden as the servo skull kept up admirably.
"The Forge World has inducted the Awakened into our structure, but certain knowledge was scoured from them before the Reapers abandoned them to their fate. Psychic control is not without its drawbacks."
The Turian that had returned to the Quarian shuttle stepped back out and approached. Shepard's eyes caught him and widened at the same time as his lips quirked upwards into a small smile.
"Garrus!" As their eyes met however, Shepard's smile faltered. Raven knew the cause; Garrus Vakarian had been one of the Turians that had infiltrated one of Lexus's private facilities. He had lost nearly his entire team. She was certain that his confidence had taken a hit, as well as his pride. If she looked closely, she could even see that his face was rather gaunt and shadowed, as if there were certain angles now to the Turian's face that indicated malnutrition he hadn't had before.
"Shepard. Nice to see you." The Turian turned away immediately and focused back on Raven, eyes narrowed. "What reassurance do we have that you'll keep Cerberus off of Shepard's tail?"
Cocking her head, the golden armored female reached up to unlatch her helmet to remove it. Those that surrounded her donned looks of surprise, except for Shepard himself. She raised a mental eyebrow at that; somehow, he had known who she was.
"I can offer no concrete proof beyond my word that they shall not be hunting you. Your sister and her family have already been relocated to a colony of ours, Lawson. You had no reassurance for that beyond my word when we last spoke. Do not challenge it now."
That was the truth. While Raven hadn't personally met and transported Orianna to the Forge World's newest colonization project and away from Cerberus, she had kept close tabs on it. Raven was well aware whom the sisters had been clones of, and the resources at his disposal. It hadn't been hard to deduce that even with Cerberus under the Forge World's hidden control, there would be members within that had been plants by outside sources. Henry Lawson had more than a few, and most of them were close to Orianna.
Miranda looked as if she had swallowed something sour, but she did back down and let Shepard take over.
"I'll believe you. Shepard, ball's in your court."
Shepard nodded and stepped forward.
"I'll look into it, but only because of the fact that they're connected to the Reapers. It's about time someone took me seriously in regards to them."
Raven's eyes hardened.
"They are real, and they are coming. This galaxy must be prepared to face them, be it under Lord Arcturus's leadership or at an active state of war. Either way prepares everyone for what is coming, but it won't be enough. You have your task."
She turned to leave, but stopped as she grabbed Shepard's hand before he could place it on her arm. She lifted a single eyebrow, prepared to crush the limb if needed.
Her brother seemed to understand the look she gave perfectly, but he still didn't withdraw his limb.
"Would you care to join me on my ship? Catch up a bit, perhaps?"
The instinctive shake of her head was halted before it could begin as her mind debated the pros and cons of accepting and declining. Ultimately, she decided, it would do no harm to her Lord if she were to entertain the man for a bit longer.
Besides, it gave her more of a reason to remain here under public eye whilst her Lord's true whereabouts were unknown. She nodded and signed, knowing the man would also be catching up with his other crew members here.
"That would be acceptable."
The aggressive hum of his customized Dawneagle Jetbike was the last thing that many Turians heard as he sped through their base once more, hurricane bolters tearing through another squad with pinpoint accuracy.
He was a master of melee combat, same as any of the Legio Custodes. But where he truly shined was when he had his Bolt Caliver in hand, or when he took to his jetbike and other attack platforms. Even among the Sagittarum, he was known as one of the best shots among his brothers.
The results of his handiwork were telling.
As far as the galaxy was concerned, any that would have been keeping close tabs on him would find that he was supposedly touring the Prothean facility on Eden Prime. That was intentional; the digi-construct was operated by Lexus himself, and capable of using Arcturus's voice. If any were to breach the semi-solid construct, they would see that inside was little more than a projector situated on a miniature grav-thruster and speaker.
The galaxy believed that there was more than one Custodian. It wouldn't hurt to let them keep believing in that, and as such, he had initiated the Forge World's offensive into Turian territory on his own. Fiax's defenders stood little chance as he ran them down, but he gave them time to report that something was happening on the planet before he killed the last of the xenos through various means. Most of them left the bases as little more than a crater several miles wide.
It wasn't the first base he had hit that day, nor even the second. Fiax housed eleven total garrison points on a single continent from which both security for the mines on the planet were housed, as well as military personnel sent here for one reason or another. In total, He had deduced the garrisons to hold nearly sixteen thousand troops between the eleven locations. In this galaxy, not a necessarily small amount of manpower dedicated as the defense force of the Castellus System, though not large either. He wouldn't be reducing every base to a crater, but most of them would be by the time he was finished.
What had piqued Arcturus's interest was why they were housed planetside, on a planet where leaving required a large expenditure of fuel and Element Zero compared to most other planets. The only conclusion he could come to, as well as Lexus, was that there was something here that had to be worth guarding. And whatever it was was likely at one of the eleven garrisons. What he had found so far were not training facilities, so that wouldn't be the reason.
Arcturus didn't care one way or another if he did find the anomaly; what he cared about was the Turian's reaction. If his hunch was correct, then they would send a fleet to protect whatever it was. A true fleet, not just another patrol fleet like the one that had been dealt with in a matter of hours prior to his landing.
Lexus would be waiting for them. All the Magos needed was a signal from Arcturus, and the might of the Forge World would fall upon them. With an entire fleet removed from action, the Turians would be stretched thin and their response times increased as they would deliberate on if a response was worth losing more. The main goal, however, was instigating their military might. Even now, the community-driven military force that was the Turian Hierarchy was being mobilized to its greatest extent. Calls for enlistments and re-enlistments had been sent out, and military manufacturing had been increased by nearly triple.
A similar process was seen in the Asari Republics as well, though as calls to aid their Turian allies. Some of the xenos had shown themselves surrounding the Veil, but otherwise had not committed much to the defense of the Turians. He would test their commitment in due time, but that time was not here.
The next garrison he arrived at was different from the others, he had decided as he observed them on his approach. There was a heavier concentration of soldiers, and a much better thought out set of fortifications built into the side of a mountain. He would not be able to charge through it to cause havoc and drop melta charges like he had done previously.
A low hum signaled his deactivation of his jetbike, allowing him to land it several miles away without raising a dust cloud. Disembarking, he glanced over his repainted armor to ensure it had not suffered a scrape that may compromise his approach.
Pitch black met his gaze, with vague outlines and shades of dark purple seen on his pauldrons and over the raptor upon his breastplate. His deteriorated kilt had been given to Raven at her request to aid in disguising her servo-skull, but it had been replaced by another, this one sharing the same uncomfortable pattern of purple shades as the outlines of his armor. It would make most races in this galaxy strain their eyes to understand what exactly they were looking at even in daylight, and in the darkness…
Well, there were precious few that could detect Arcturus when he didn't wish to be found even in his own time.
He allowed his helmet's autosenses to activate as his head swiveled to look upon the Turian facility, taking in the information that began to flood the upper left corner of his vision. It correlated with the information he had already observed both himself and from what his jetbike had gathered, earning a mental nod as he formed his plan of infiltration. A hand reached forward and decompressed the storage compartment of his jetbike, allowing it to swing open and display a variety of equipment that he had brought. His Misericordia was already on his waist, allowing for more things to be stored.
The first was his Adrastus Bolt Caliver, as well as a well of ammunition. He had debated taking it, but the heavy bolt shells he could take with him were limited. He would save them for the other phase of his plan. The second weapon that could be found was a highly modified Exitus Rifle, fitted to his frame much as a bolter was to an Astartes. It had been an experiment by the Quarian Tech-Priest, Lefa'Koris, who had been tasked with the creation of the Exitus Rifles and their counterpart pistols for each individual Vindicare assassin they had produced. Using Mass Effect tech, she had taken the concept of the Geth Javelin and integrated it with the design Arcturus had given her, with his approval. While he wouldn't be able to use the specialized rounds that the Exitus was known for among those that knew about the weapons, the result was a rifle that packed a similar punch and could ignore kinetic barriers. On the off-chance that he encountered a biotic barrier, it had served to plunge through it with remarkable efficiency. More importantly in this instance, it held the same ammo capacity as an assault rifle, and the ammo block could easily be replaced as well as the cooling system being compatible with heat sinks. Its counterpart was already tucked into a holster beneath one of his tassets, ready to be drawn when needed.
He reached forward and grabbed it, slinging it across his back as his other hand pulled out one more thing from the compartment before closing it. He dismounted and unfolded the stiff cloth he had pulled out and cast it over his jetbike, watching it disappear from view. Cham-foil was useful, but he would need to come back and retrieve his jetbike before the second phase.
Then, he melted into the darkness surrounding him, making his way towards the facility.
Callus Corneria jolted himself awake as he felt his eyes slipping closed, an action that seemed to have been noticed by his fellow patrol members if their chuckles were anything to go by. He and his partner had done their rounds before, and it seemed the others were coming back from their turn now, if the sound of the front door opening was to be believed. He refused to get up and meet them though; he was fairly comfortable where he was, in the rec room where his commander rarely checked in on them so long as the appropriate patrols were being sent out and seen.
"Careful Cal, your boogeymen might get you in your sleep!" chortled the bane of his existence.
"Shut it Mora, you don't know what's going on out there. Another base could be getting hit as we speak."
"Well, sleep in your case," Mora stated with her sly smile. "You need to relax a bit. It's probably a storm or something. We lose contact with them every time one of those squalls goes through."
Callus shook his head. He knew better than to assume like the rest of his squad seemed to do. Something was fishy, and the higher-ups were being tight-lipped about it. It annoyed him.
"There's something not right about this whole thing. When our storms come through, we usually lose contact with every base, not just a couple. And besides, it's the wrong season for mag-storms."
A sigh escaped Mora as she shook her head.
"You're being paranoid, Cal. If there was something going on, I'm pretty sure we'd have orders to be on high alert."
Almost as if her putting voice to the thought had summoned their CO, his voice came over their comms channel.
"Patrol 7, new orders. Code Zero has been put into effect. Ready yourselves for rapid response once your current patrol has returned. How copy?"
"Sir, orders received. Preparing for Code Zero."
"Acknowledged. Await further instruction. Lieutenant Beruse out."
The two were silent for a moment, until they both released a breath they didn't realize they were holding. Mora opened her mouth to speak, before a blade emerged from her mouth, spraying blue blood over Callus, who cursed as he rolled out of the chair he had been in. Or tried to, anyhow. He was only aware of his torso leaving the chair, and a numbness from below his stomach and down. It took him a second to realize that his legs and waist were still in his seat, and that blood he felt spurting onto his head was his own from where he had been sitting before. Or perhaps was still sitting? He wasn't sure, and he wouldn't ever know as the last thing he saw was a black boot the size of his chest stomping down on his head.
Arcturus didn't slow as he moved through the cramped quarters, his armor already burning away the xenos blood. He had places to be, and his infiltration was now being noticed.
Upon boarding the Normandy with Raven and his crew in tow, Shepard could feel the tension in the air. It was familiar, though not something he had needed to deal with since… Well, Mindoir. Garrus had given her one look and retreated deeper into the ship, following Jacob at his insistence. Tali stayed, as did Kaiden and Miranda, while Shepard asked her about Arcturus and the Forge World. There were a couple of times that the former Cerberus agent had tried to steer the conversation to get more in-depth information, though her tone had gradually become more passive-aggressive as the conversation wore on.
He was no stranger to seeing it happen. Their father was the same way when it came to conversations that lasted more than a few short sentences with his sister, and their mother only gave her single word answers. It bothered him back then, and it was bothering him now.
"Miranda, go show Tali and Kaiden around the ship."
His words cut into a particularly scathing remark that Miranda was about to make in regards to Raven's dodging of her questions. Miranda's glare could kill, but he met her stare pointedly. Then she departed, followed by the rest of his crew that had been hanging around. He gestured for her to follow him towards the center of the ship, taking note as she finally pulled her helmet off once more that she stood taller than he.
Shepard sighed as he leaned on the railing of the Normandy's galaxy map, then turned his head to look at Raven. Part of him had been hoping that meeting his sister for the first time since the Mindoir raid would have gone differently. The Illusive Man's words echoed in his head now, reminding him clearly of what he had said.
"She's... different, from what you would remember. You might have defended her from everyone who sought to harm her, but now she is more than capable of holding her own. And her personality matches it. Don't get your hopes up, Shepard."
He licked his lips as he decided on what to say.
"Sounds to me like this Arcturus is the real leader behind your Forge World. What exactly does the Magos-Commander bring to the table for you? For that matter, why do you hold such devotion to the Forge World? You could have a place with me. Within the Alliance or not, I would never turn my family away from my ship."
Her blood-red mane of hair shook immediately, following the same motion as her head had made. Her hands were flashing immediately, until one of them reached into a small sturdy pouch tucked securely behind one of the plates at her waist. The... servo skull that floated beside her translated immediately.
"One could say that the Magos-Commander built the table in the first place. As well as the tools that built table. Arcturus brought forth the blueprints for Lexus to follow. But it is not Lexus that holds me to the Forge World, for my loyalty is not to the Forge World. No, I shall stand by Arcturus's side in whatever capacity he so wishes until the end of my days, for I have no doubt that he shall outlive me. And it is my hope that he shall take my imprint to train a new partner to remain by his side, to protect him in the same capacity as I shall. Bonds of family mean little to me. When nobody came, Arcturus did. But I did not seek you out without reason. Arcturus sees a use for you in the future, though that use is entirely up to you. I present to you a token that shall guarantee you safe passage to Nemata, and with it, an invitation. Should working under the Illusive Man become too tedious, and the Alliance become too restrictive, then he offers you a place within the Forge World not too far off from that of a Rogue Trader."
The concept of a Rogue Trader had been explained to him, and even now, he had heard from Miranda that there was a rumor within the Terminus Systems that there were a couple of ships from the Forge World trading tech.
From her pouch, Raven withdrew a coin not unlike her own, though she knew that the encoding within it was quite different from her own. For one, it served as a tracking device. She held it out to Shepard, who took it gingerly and inspected it. As he did so, Raven began to turn to leave the Normandy until his hand shot out to grab her armored bicep. Any hesitation from the… wrongness… he felt from her, had always felt from her since she had been born, was gone. Then again, he never did hesitate, unlike their parents.
"Wait, please. There's nothing I can do to change your mind? You're fine with the atrocities that the Forge World has committed? The Batarians, the Turians -"
Apparently, those were the wrong things to say. Her face scrunched in a way that he recognized from their childhood, a face that he knew from experience meant that she was pissed beyond all reasoning and would not change her stance. So angry, he realized, that her own voice spoke the next words, raspy as it was from disuse beyond her humming. Even more shocking was the venom within.
"Do not speak of those four-eyed fucks to me, John. If I had my way, every single planet of theirs would have been doomed to exterminatus, and I would have gladly given the order and pressed the button myself! If I could spend the next century pulling their eyes from their screaming skulls, I would. But I won't, because my Lord, my companion, my partner, needs me. Do not touch me again, or I shall remove the offending limb."
She slapped his hand away with far more strength than he had thought she could possess and stomped away. He felt something within him crumble as he began to put together the sheer hatred she contained within, then mentally thanked Arcturus in his head for diverting her boiling hatred. He sighed once more as he looked at the coin she had given him.
Her anger was legendary in their youth, and few could find themselves absolved of it should it have found its center upon them. Her mental issues were practically a given though, considering the abuse she had suffered. He let a smile touch his lips.
No matter what she had gone through, she was still very much the person he had protected when they were growing up. The Illusive Man was correct; she didn't need anyone to protect her anymore. He felt a small rush of pride, knowing that she had finally found her place, and found someone who recognized her worth.
Stepping away from the galaxy map, Shepard shook his wrist and winced as he looked at the bruising limb. He supposed he should consider himself lucky that she didn't break it in her reaction, but shook the thought away.
"Joker, is she gone?"
"Aye, Commander. Scares the living shit out of me, that one. Uh, sorry Commander."
"Don't be. That's just how she is. Set us a course to these coordinates, I'm going to round up the others and brief them on the Collectors. What we know of them, anyhow."
For once, Sparatus found himself at a loss as he pondered the report that was laid in front of him. Beside him, Tevos seemed to be in the same boat as she stared downwards at her own report, fingers steepled in thought.
"I had hoped that with this Lord-General being the only Custodian confirmed to have been seen, that he would have been the only one."
"It was a fool's hope, Sparatus. Now we have a second one to contend with on Fiax. The question has now become why a second has shown interest in the planet. It's primarily a training ground, is it not?"
The Turian grimaced.
"While that is true, there's more going on there than just that. I suppose now is as good a time as any to say that there's a special project being developed there."
He didn't need to see the glare that he knew Tevos was now giving him in order to continue.
"It was merely a concept not being given genuine consideration prior to the Humans and Salarians leaving. With their loss, Primarch Fedorian green-lit a biological and cybernetic augmentation program designed to increase the efficiency of Turian infantry. The concepts had been lying around for centuries, but our own laws forbade such advances, as you are aware. What this program was designed to do was bring those concepts together in some form or another, and begin development of a unit that would undergo the trial stages. The extent of these changes still falls within acceptable ranges for private modifications for legal reasons. For all intents and purposes, it's designed to create a privately-owned special forces unit from scratch to match some of our more renowned units, such as the Blackwatch. It was never meant to replace anything, and the longevity of those that undergo the process isn't exactly high."
"Skirting the laws then, but still questionable. Acceptable, but what about after things have been put right?"
Hearing Tevos's words caused Sparatus to blink.
"Put right? Tevos, we are at war. They successfully fought off an invasion fleet. Are you even taking this seriously?"
"I am. They are little more than upstarts who will be put in their place. Once the Forge World is put down, we can even turn our sights to the Compact and pull them into line. Even with the newfound evidence that there are more Custodians, we will break them."
Speechless. Sparatus realized that he had finally been rendered speechless by Tevos, a thought that had crossed his mind in the past, finally being hammered home. The Asari wasn't fully comprehending the stakes of what was happening, of the truth of where the Citadel truly stood in terms of strength.
Thirty years ago, there was no doubt that The Turian Hierarchy could have decisively won a war against the Humans on their own. But over the past thirty years, they had developed and adapted at a pace that had left the Hierarchy scrambling. If it came to war now between them, he wasn't certain that the Hierarchy would be willing to pay the price in blood that it would require.
And it was becoming increasingly clear that the Forge World, who had already fought off an invasion fleet with what he assumed to be minimal losses, was quickly forming defensive bonds with the Compact that the Alliance and Union had created. Now, with a Turian planet undergoing what seemed to be the beginning phases of the eradication that has visited the Batarians…
"Councilor Tevos, a Turian planet - a Citadel planet - is about to come under siege. We will not take this lying down. A Custodian is present, something that is likely among the elite of the Forge World's forces. Something that wasn't needed to defend their own planet. Our only hope of stopping the eradication of Faix is to destroy this Custodian first, before it can completely neutralize what remains of the garrisons planetside. To this effect, Primarch Fedorian has ordered the mobilization of assets from both the 43rd Marine Division and the 26th Armiger Legion. They shall be joining together in the jump prior to engaging FTL to reach Faix. The joint force has been named Battlefleet Hedron."
Tevos stared at the Turian in stunned silence. Two fleets, to handle a single Custodian? What did they expect to be fighting?
"That seems like an overreaction." The Asari finally stated with a frown.
Sparatus shook his head.
"Not in the least. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be a fleet following the Custodian, and I am not foolish enough to think that we can pin it down fast enough and eliminate it before that fleet arrives. To that end, the Primarch has officially requested that the Asari Republics supply a force of their own to help combat this threat. Make no mistake, Tevos. This is the turning point of this conflict. The Turian Hierarchy is willing to dedicate two highly decorated fleets to ensure this outcome. What will the Asari commit to this?"
The woman was silent in contemplation, silently giving the Turian applause for his political maneuvering. The Asari would have to supply something of significant value to this operation, or else the public would begin scrutinizing the Citadel even more than they already did with the loss of Humanity and the Salarian Union from their organization.
Finally, she spoke.
"I shall petition the Matriarchs of the Republics to provide a fleet of our own to join with yours, though I cannot promise it will be big. I can guarantee at most the support of several detachments of Commandos, and perhaps convince a Justicar or two. That is the best I can do in such a short amount of time."
Sparatus nodded in acceptance. Asari Huntresses, Commandos no less, were among the best in the galaxy. And a single Justicar was often compared to several teams of Commandos in potency, if a bit more extreme.
"Then we shall adjourn for now. I have several matters to take care of in regards to some unpleasantness on Palaven. There's something going on there."
"Is everything ready?" A tall human woman asked. Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail, and her face was obscured by a plain white mask.
On the bridge of the Sidonia, several voices responded in an affirmative. The last one was slightly hesitant, however.
"You sound uncertain, Izuna."
"Apologies, Captain Kobayashi. I'm just not entirely sure that we're making the right choice here. We're going to be trading with Batarians, after all."
The Captain didn't respond immediately, allowing the Sidonia to traverse the Warp quietly. Well, as quiet as a dreadnought-sized monstrosity of a vessel could. It had been patched together from the remains of a Turian cruiser, a scuttled and abandoned Batarian dreadnought, and a Human carrier. It resembled more a slab of metal hurling itself through space than a proper ship… but it was what was on the inside that mattered. The core of the ship was hollowed out practically from nose to stern to allow the placement of the single biggest gun that Kobayashi had seen in her life, a weapon that Magos-Commander Lexus had told her had been in use on vessels meant to fight ships larger than itself, orbital bombardment, and even on the vast machines that it named Titans.
Kobayashi was confident that the yield of the main gun could gut the Destiny Ascension in one go. She didn't want to think about what it could do to the surface of a planet. But the Forge World was adamant that the first of its Rogue Traders would have a means to defend themselves against the governments that would love nothing more than to capture Forge World tech. The Sidonia was more than capable of that.
"We're looking specifically for the Batarians' stores of a resource they call Aurma." Captain Kobayashi explained. "According to the information I've received from the Magos-Commander, the Batarians mined it, expecting it to be worth something for research purposes. Everything they did was proven inefficient to them, and the stores of the resource had been locked away and mostly forgotten about. While we are here to trade and begin establishing a new reputation for ourselves, the Aurma is our true objective. Everything else is up to my discretion."
"Of course, Captain. But almost all of us have suffered at their hands…"
Kobayashi shook her head.
"And that is behind us now, Izuna. Almost every newly elected official of the Hegemony is against slavery. Put your hatred to the side for the time being."
The Captain watched Izuna's shoulders rise and fall in a silent huff, but the woman didn't say anything else. Good.
Idly, Kobayashi began to hum a tune as she poured over the resources granted to her by the Forge World for trading. They were not as much the Forge World's anymore than they were hers; she was the Rogue Trader, and she had been given a gift. A gift that she was trusted to make the most out of, and turn a profitable business in the interests of the Forge World as a whole. Along the way, she was to explore new frontiers, discover previously unmapped planets that might bear resources vital to the Forge World.
She smiled behind her mask as she heard the crew on her bridge begin to sing what she was humming.
"We'll drink the wine till cup is dry,
And kiss the girls so they'll not cry,
And toss the dice until we fly,
To dance with Jak o' the Shadows.
We'll dance all night until the moon run free,
And dandle the lasses upon our knee,
And then you'll ride along with me,
To dance with Jak o' the Shadows."
It was a song that had captivated Kobayashi since she had heard it sung from the Lord-General Arcturus's own lips, though apparently nobody had heard of it. Even Kobayashi had only heard it because she had been called to meet with the Lord-General months ago to discuss the position she now held. She arrived at what had been deemed the General's Retreat, a restaurant and bar that the Lord-General had taken to holding meetings at. She had arrived early, been shown to the private room that had been delegated to her Lord for his use, and bore witness to a voice that nearly made her weep as its owner looked through a dataslate. Her. Kobayashi. Someone that had been… conditioned… into hiding or discarding her emotions from a young age by the Batarians, before they utilized her talents for the use of their fleet.
"We'll sing all night and drink all day,
And on the girls we'll spend our pay,
And when it's gone, then we'll away,
To dance with Jak o' the Shadows.
There's some delight in ale and wine,
And some in girls with ankles fine,
But my delight, yes, always mine,
To dance with Jak o' the Shadows."
That song had stuck with her, and now her bridge knew the words by heart, just as she did. Perhaps a good chunk of the crew as well; she wasn't entirely certain if the Secutarii did, or possessed the will to learn even. They were practically machines, just not nearly so much as the servitors were. But they were terrifyingly effective, and she was more than happy to accept them as a security detail as part of the gift from the Forge World.
"Ma'am, reaching the material plane in fifteen minutes." One of her officers announced, breaking the rhythm of the song. Kobayashi nodded.
"Prepare for anything, Hadley."
"Ma'am."
"Lord Arcturus, activity from the Relay detected."
The Custodian discarded the upper half of a Turian, having found the access key he required.
"Numbers, Tech-priest?" He demanded.
"Transmissions indicate two Turian fleets, as well as an Asari attaché composed of boarding craft and landing craft. Decrypting further fleet transmissions. Complete. Turian 43rd Marine Division and 26th Armiger Legion confirmed. Asari 28th Huntress attaché, Commandos included. One craft registered to Asari Justicar Vaes, with accompanying Justicars Samara and Kiora. Four Spectres in their own private voidships confirmed. Recommend calling for reinforcements."
Two fleets and an Asari strike force? And even several of the Citadel's highly valued Spectres. Now he was convinced that he was now being taken seriously. Good. And with such a rapid response.
They were improving, but not fast enough.
"Do it. Deploy the Specialist Cohort to my coordinates, then depart. Return with reinforcements."
"Acknowledged. Please activate teleport homer."