hey mates, sorry for the late update...this month has been fucking hell on Earth. College is...fml. But here's a new chapter. Now in response to Chronus1326's review...he was mostly right. The thing is Parangosky isn't in charge of ONI anymore...it's Osman. But I assume you meant her. Anyways, you're right as in shit started to slow down...so hopefully, this chapter fixes that. Now that being said I may have went a little toooo fast...but I guess that's for ya'll to decide. Either way, appreciate your guys' continued support. Write those reviews, send those PMs... Do the works.
Apex113: Unrealistic portrayals of people is...vague. As for ONI and Cerberus, yes their motives are unclear but they'll be explained. They aren't fully evil. As for plot holes...I feel like I fill them in pretty well, and make sure they don't' occur. Of course there's a lot of small stuff that I may have messed up, or had merely forgotten as later chapters come along but I do my best to go back and make sure that doesn't happen. Can you point out what plot holes there are exactly?
And yeah, earlier chapters have a lot more grammatical errors then later ones. Unfortunately I don't have the time to go back and edit then.
That being said, is anyone like willing to go back to old chapters and beta them? Like...all of them? I could use a good, really dedicated beta for older chapters so that they're fixed and flow a helluva lot better.
Lord NV: Cortana's full condition will be revealed in time. I understand your hatred towards the Asari, but for the sake of the story I have to play along with...strategic logic if that makes any sense. But thanks for the support.
John Lanford: K?
CReaper210: Thanks, and I appreciate the support.
Obb Proff: I agree. Maybe characters' emotions should be explored more, but I disagree. I think at least how the chapter relates to the whole plot it's too...slow. Does that make sense?
scottusa1: Good review. Keep it up. Laters.
Commander Blunt: Don't worry. There'll be more MC.
ALSO, yeah, maybe not now, but very soon ONI's motives will be revealed a little bit more.
rah.
Aboard UNSC Infinity, 2186 Citadel Calendar, 12:09
"I wouldn't do that," Locke calmly said. He faced the muzzle of Thane's pistol. Thane could barely make out his silhouette. The only thing truly visible was the menacing blue visor in the reddened dark.
It seemed that energy burst from Locke's armor shield was only temporary. The sting in Thane's hand where his Omni-tool was had stopped. He noticed Kasumi was mostly invisible again, save her hand and wrist Locke gripped onto.
Thane remained motionless. "Why did you let us come here?"
Kasumi spoke. A small whimper as she fought the pain, "Thane? Maybe this isn't the best time."
"Who sent you!" Thane might've not been in the best position to ask questions, but what other good time will there be?
"Shoot me and you destroy any chance Shepard has of creating a stable relationship with the UNSC." Locke replied.
"What do you want?" Thane asked.
"To know why you're here." Locke replied. He tightened the grip around Kasumi's wrist. She groaned and was forced to kneel.
Thane heard heavy footsteps. In the corner of his eye were two visors, one green and the other dark orange on one side of the hall, and another single orange visor on the other side of the hall.
"Locke!" Jun called out. He walked forward, careful to not step on the unconscious marines.
"No casualties!" Locke replied.
Thane could feel his breath catching back up. His throat was clearing. Maybe the adrenaline set his decaying system in line. He looked around. There was only one way out.
One way to set this right.
Locke was right. Any misstep and this could destroy everything Commander Shepard had been trying to accomplish. Yet Locke and his team knew Thane and Kasumi were here in the first place, endangering the Shadow Broker (Liara).
One way to save this.
Locke and the other Spartans drew their weapons. More pistols. Aimed at Thane.
They would've shot by now. They wanted them alive.
Hopefully, it wouldn't come to what Thane was thinking. But nearing the end of his life, it seemed like a...less desperate option.
Kirrahe, Goddess of the Hunt…
He directed all the energy he could, all the flow in his body, all the warmth of his blood traveled to his free hand. And blue and black embers formed around the fingertips, and pushed outward towards Locke.
At the same time a ball of orange electricity formed in Kasumi's gripped hand. It burst and the energy shield around the Spartan momentarily broke into shards. Thane's singularity throw was able to get through without any obstacle. It wasn't enough to completely throw Locke back, but with the combination of the overload and the throw he let go of Kasumi.
Kasumi stepped back, she turned visible. She gripped her supply belt. Unbuckled it. A couple dozen small inactive discs on the belt. All her remaining flashbang grenades.
In one motion, she gilded her hand over each individual disc. Circles of blue in the dark red.
"Do it." Thane quietly whispered. He turned the pistol towards himself. He could see down the barrel of the gun.
Kasumi tossed the flashbang belt towards Jun. Her body began to fade away, dark red light seeped through it.
The belt hit the ground in front of Jun. He began to fire off rounds. Small bursts of white light. Shells tapped the metal floor.
The flashbangs went off all at once. Thane felt his skin blistering, burned under the white light. Eyes blinded.
He felt a sharp pain, like a hot nail being shoved into his thigh, reaching his bone.
He ignored it, pushed the barrel of his pistol into his skull, made sure it was still there.
His pistol was modified with a dead man's trigger. He clicked a small button near the safety. He held down the trigger. Pressed it tight.
His knees buckled, and the natural gravity of the ship became heavier. It pushed him down. He felt the scales of his skin beginning to crack. Blood slowly seeped through the cracks and quickly gushed from the bullet wound
White vision slowly turned into phantom images accompanied only by a echoey ringing silence. It refused to clear up. Thane could barely make out Jun's outline.
The couple dozen flashbangs kicked Jun a little hard than just one. Maybe after a few moments, he recovered from his stupor. He immediately looked at Thane.
And as far as Thane could tell, Kasumi was gone.
"Now…" Thane forced out, "we'll do this on equal grounds.
"Let me contact Commander Shepard."
Aboard Citadel Station
UNSC Infinity maintaining Lords 50 Geosynchronous orbit
2557 Military Calendar, 12:54
Admiral Hackett didn't look very pleased. That'd be a first. He crossed his arms, almost seemed to stare down Lord Hood.
"Lord Hood, UNSC admiralty. We brought you here to make a strategic decision," Hackett began, "I understand that considering the circumstances I had to let you take the reigns. But that was before there was a possibility the UNSC would abandon us entirely.
"I can't force your hand. We're in no position to, but these Relays run throughout the entire galaxy. They do run through UNSC territory. The Reapers will eventually turn on you after they're done with us. Now is your best chance."
"Sir?" The Spartan Lord Hood sent earlier interrupted. He entered the room holding a data chip. "The Engineer seemed to know what we were asking for. Roland is out of it, but I have a translated galaxy map."
Lord Hood nodded for the Spartan to come forward. He presented Lord Hood a mini-map on his data pad. The rest of the Citadel military council certainly couldn't see it except the members of the UNSC that surrounded Lord Hood.
Captain Lasky saw what it was. He saw the summary info sheets and the compact map.
"The Athena Nebula? What's strategically vital about it?" Lord Hood asked.
"The Asari homeworld. Thessia." Matriarch Gendina replied.
Because of the Relay network it seemed, the Citadel and the Systems Alliance were able to bypass the various gulfs, the gaps between each arm of the galaxy.
A section of the Cygnus Arm, which was the outer arm of the Norma Arm, jutted out. It ran between the Carina-Sagittarius and Perseus Arm through the vast distance known as the Perseus Gulf for hundreds to thousands of light years until it eventually connects the two. That section was the Orion Arm, full name Orion-Cygnus. The Orion Arm was the bridge connecting the Carina-Sagittarius and Perseus Arms. There, on that bridge Humanity under the UNSC had colonized nearly eight hundred worlds. The most distant colony from Earth was around twelve-hundred light years. There was a theory that the majority of Human colonies were located in Perseus, but it was impossible to know since Humanity had expanded in a relatively linear fashion and they didn't have an outside observation point.
At least until the Legend After jumped to Illium.
More info sheets appeared on Lord Hood's datapad. More locations and places. The Apien Crest, where Palaven was located... Jesus Christ, it was about fifty light years away from the inner colonies. And the Athena Cluster, Thessia, it was in the middle of the outer colonies. In between Harvest, Green Hills, and Second Base.
Thessia was in Human theoretical territory. The nearest colony, Harvest, was only eighteen light years away.
Admiral Hackett was right. The Relays were in UNSC territory. This wasn't just a lot closer to home, this was inside home. At that distance, with FTL travel, the Reapers could strike the outer colonies. Hell, from Palaven the Reapers could begin a invasion of the inner colonies.
"And Earth? Your Earth?" Lord Hood asked.
Admiral Hackett typed something into a datapad offscreen. It appeared on their galactic map, Local Cluster. It sooned translated onto Lord Hood's map.
Earth… The UNSC Earth, the Sol. System was located at the edge of Orion's Spur, right at the drop into the Perseus Gulf. As for the Systems Alliance Local Cluster, their Earth, they were located in a section of Orion known as Turner Five, beyond the Gum Nebula sitting in what's known as the Vela Molecular Ridge. The UNSC had never colonized in that direction of Orion. In the early days of colonization, the Vela Supernova Remnant located in front of the Molecular Ridge had prevented any redshift lightwave reconnaissance to determine if there were any habitable planets in that region. Immense heat and gamma radiation had made that area unchartable.
Earth, the Systems Alliance Earth, was around nine-hundred light years from the UNSC homeworld. And about one-hundred light years from the nearest UNSC colony, a inner planet named Coral.
If it weren't for that Relay, they might've went on never knowing about each other because of that supernova.
The Reapers were inside UNSC space. They were near home.
Fleet Admiral Al-Fashid and those who voted to wait had to realize that now. Realize that the Relays may not be the only way to home.
Lord Hood nodded to the Spartan. He put the datapad away and stepped back to where he was.
"What makes Palaven and Thessia so vital?" Lord Hood asked.
"We were already debating it amongst...each other, but Palaven is the homeworld of our Empire." Primarch Victus began, "while the Asari may have everything from technology to political might we have our economy backed by the Volus. Most importantly, we have our military. Our military, our people, our Empire, is one in the same. No differentiation. The Reapers targeted one of our major colonies, baited us in our pride to attack. We lost a good portion of our forces there. Afterwards they initiated a systematic strike, first targeting Palaven to draw our forces home then beginning a subsequent invasion on the rest of our colonies. They have the resources and numbers to initiate such a strategy."
Victus looked over to Matriarch Gendina. It was her turn to speak, "The Reapers did quite the opposite. We were able to defend Thessian space despite heavy losses. They then focused on our outer colonies, pushing inwards."
She typed something into her orange tool and the galaxy map on the holo-display shifted towards Athena. Lord Hood motioned for the Spartan to bring up the datapad again.
Because of the Relays it seemed, Asari territory was spread thousands of light years, overlapping UNSC outer colonies and nearly half of Elite territory. More red circles. The Minos Wasteland, the Silean Nebula, the Nimbus Cluster, and the Crescent Nebula. Flag info sheets appeared on each one. Illium was located in the Crescent Nebula along the Perseus Arm, about forty-two thousand light years from the nearest UNSC colony Harvest and around two-thousand light years outside Brute territory.
A forty-thousand light year jump. Nearly halfway across the galaxy.
Lasky couldn't believe it.
"We're holding a few colonies and planets but they've made the push into Thessia in the past couple weeks. We've been fighting city to city but been pushed back. We've made a comeback in the past week because of the arrival UNSC. Morale victory and all that." Matriarch Gendina reported.
"But if the Turian military is more powerful, why has the Reapers taken a more slow approach? The only reason that'd be possible if Asari relative military projections were weak, and actual strength is more than the galaxy thought it was." Lord Hood said.
Admiral Hackett looked to Primarch Victus and Matriarch Gendina, then to everyone else. "The Reapers first attacked the Batarian homeworlds, ultimately eliminating nearly their entire population. Then they focused on Earth, which in the end bought the other Citadel governments time. After they wiped out most resistance from the Systems Alliance, they had focused the majority of their forces at Palaven."
So it seems even the Reapers had their limits.
Lasky already knew that the Reaper strategy had been thwarted when Shepard stopped them from entering through the Citadel. So they had to travel here the old fashion way, invade every system one at a time.
Commander Shepard had already broken one aspect of this Reaper invasion cycle. Three years to travel in dark space, most likely at FTL. All that time to plan.
"Now, as you know the Reapers are staging a large portion of their forces around Earth. The forces at Palaven has decreased by around thirty-three percent, and about eighteen percent at Thessia." Hackett reported. "We theorized at first that the Reapers had assembled on Earth because they discovered the primary objectives of the UNSC, but…"
But if that was the case that'd almost be planning for a contingency. It wouldn't make sense this early on. Why did the Reapers focus so early on Earth? Lasky remembered earlier that it might've been revenge for the Collectors, but that seemed so...Human-esque. Unreasonable in the grand scheme of things.
"I assume that 'liberating' Palaven would release your military assets." Lord Hood commented. He looked over to the crowd in the back. They still watched. "And Thessia?"
"Honestly who knows." Rex interjected, "her argument's weaker than a pyjak's body. We've already been directing most of the Krogan and whatever forces we can scavenge up from the Salarians and throwing them at Palaven. She like everyone else just wants to save herself-"
"There's something more, Urdnot Rex." Gendina interrupted. She looked back to her seven Matriarchs and intelligence officers. They had the same look as her. The dim colorful lights of the various holo-displays and holograms faded away from them. They were all quiet.
Apparently Asari live a really long time Lasky had read. A lot longer than Humans. They're age was seemingly beginning to show.
Matriarch Gendina suddenly noticed everyone else in the room, "maybe some people should wait outside."
...
Lasky had been easy to read. Was always easy to read. He was nervous this entire time, for what Liara wasn't sure. But whatever Lord Hood and Lasky viewed on that Spartan super-soldier's datapad ensured his full attention was brought to this room. Still nervous, now more scared.
Whatever dissatisfaction and anger Primarch Victus had expressed was cured over by Hackett's presence.
For one, they were finally addressing a important issue: Some people shouldn't be here.
Lord Hood looked to his admirals, then to the people. The Hanar, Batarians, Elcor, Salarians, Quarians and advisors and Aria.
"Wait outside." Hood simply said.
There was a moment of hesitation from everyone. Hackett turned back and gave a reassuring nod.
Slowly, and reluctantly they shuffled outside into the former C-Sec headquarters. Angry and belittled. Aria dared to give Lord Hood a demeaning glare but he ignored it. She rolled her eyes. At the very least she knew her place.
"Tali…" Shepard said, "can you and EDI wait outside? Contact Garrus."
Tali stepped over to Liara and Shepard. She spoke quietly to the two, "you sure we're the best people for crowd control?"
"The Quarian admiralty is the most prominent out of all of them. Talk to them. They can help you." Liara said.
Tali nodded. She guided a still bewildered and partially catatonic EDI out of the room. "Maybe Wrex can help me."
Goddess, right.
Shepard got the doors. They shut as the last person exited.
A calm quietness engulfed the room.
The only ones left were Liara, Shepard, Lasky, Hackett, Gendina, Victus, and Lord Hood and his fleet admirals.
"What is it you have to show me?" Lord Hood ordered.
"Janal…?" Victus asked, he seemed to lean forward towards her.
First name basis. Liara knew the two already had some history. During the Taetrus rebellion in '85, Gendina was commanding a joint Citadel watchdog security group. It was a normal thing, ensure no laws or atrocities were committed in violation to the Citadel Conventions. The Citadel group worked closely with the Turian Hierarchy forces there, and in turn Gendina worked closely with then Praetorian Victus.
Supposedly there was no...unprofessional relations, at least anything reported.
Maybe first name basis was some military custom she didn't know about.
"You're right, Adrien… Palaven would be the next option. STG has no indication that this could be a trap, and Asari Intelligence agrees."
"Councilor Tevos and whatever's left of the Asari government wants you to save Thessia." Hackett clarified.
"But I know that as a galaxy if we don't join forces then the Reapers will wipe us out… But, there is something on Thessia that may be important." She opened up her Omi-tool. Typed in commands, she created a comm. line. "Ma'am? There's no other choice…"
Gendina rolled her eyes. She walked over to the already crowded holo-projector to display one more hologram. One of Councilor Tevos.
"Lord Hood, Fleet Admirals." Tevos calmly nodded to each UNSC admiral. "The Council wasn't informed the time table had been accelerated."
"Because it doesn't concern you, Councilor." Lord Hood bluntly said, "you'll still get your public meeting at the scheduled time. We had to accelerate the time of the meeting for a situation that's happening aboard the Infinity."
"I see…." Tevos had her hands together, a nervous look on her face. She opened up a holo-tab and typed something in. "Lord Hood, Matriarch Gendina is one of our best strategists in the Asari Republics..."
"Best remaining strategist…" Gendina quietly added.
"But she's too honest…" Tevos continued. A sad smirk appeared. "I'm already looking at transcripts of the meeting…"
Maybe she should've brought someone here who believed in the Thessian argument.
Thessia was Liara's home too. She heard some news, but for now...she mostly ignored it. She had to hold herself together right now. Breaking down wouldn't do anyone any good.
Tevos typed something into the datapad, "if there's really no other way…"
Another holo-image. One of an Asari dressed in robes. Eyes closed, arms back, head looking towards the sky. Her scalp crests were angled downward, running down her neck and shoulders like human hair. Liara knew who it was. To her she always looked sad, depressed yet almost hopeful. There were cracks in the mix of marble and metal that had developed over tens of thousands of years. There were curtain-like, perfectly symmetric walls that surrounded her that she seemingly broke away from, and yet was still one with them. Liara could picture the dark white and purple light coming from the skylights above, morphing with shrouds of natural blue light. The sounds of small waterfalls that fell into the ponds that surrounded her feet, near the bottom of her robes.
Her ascension. The ascension of the Asari.
Liara was remembering things from her childhood, from when her mother took her there. It was the statue of the Goddess, Athame.
Few Asari still practice, believe in the Athame Doctrine, and Liara certainly wasn't religions but...there were times she truly wanted to be more than anything. And now, with Thessia being consumed in flames…
It seemed at times only the Goddess could save them.
"Maybe you already know, maybe not, but the Asari had always maintained a technological and cultural advantage over other races in the galaxy," Tevos said.
"Cultural? That's just an arrogant point of view." Lasky said.
"However you want to view it, Captain," Tevos didn't take the bait. She didn't try to argue with Lasky. This really was serious. "There's an artifact on Thessia. An artifact that may help you locate the Catalyst, if it's truly what you think it is. Maybe it'll convince you to stay away from Cerberus."
"It's this statue?" Lord Hood asked.
Tevos shook her head, "this statue is of the Goddess Athame, located in the Temple of Athame on Thessia.
"This is known only to a few in the highest echelons of Asari government. Some of the Matriarchs don't even know. This artifact is what kept galactic power in a check and balance since the beginning of the Citadel Council."
Lord Hood looked at Captain Lasky and the other fleet admirals. All of them still stern and void, but Lasky looked concerned.
"Then the situation must be desperate." Lord Hood said, "show me."
She zoomed the picture out. The statue of Athame became smaller. There was something underneath. A structure. Three support legs leaned in and connected at a single point. At that point, a spoke rose straight into the air. It was all buried underground save for the very tip of the spoke. The tip was five meters above the ground, behind the statue. Unseeable to the Asari public, to the galaxy
The entire structure was nearly twenty-five kilometers tall. Nearly all of it buried under the Thessian surface.
…
Captain Lasky couldn't believe what he was seeing.
The artifact that he thought he wouldn't see for a long time. A power conduit for High Charity, then transported to Earth, to open up the slipspace portal to…
The Ark.
It was another Ark Ship, a Keyship.
On Thessia.
Jesus Christ.
The ship always reminded Lasky of the Eiffel Tower expect with three support beams instead of four with a more simplistic and smooth hard cut geometrical design.
It had been theorized that those keyships were the original transports that delivered whoever the Forerunners decided to save from the Halo activations back to their homeworlds. And it seemed there was more than one.
"What is it?" Fleet Admiral Al-Fashaid asked, as if she didn't know. If there was any shock, any surprise, it was only displayed by crossing her arms.
"From what we've studied, it's a Prothean structure of some kind. We're not sure what for, but thousands of years ago there was an Asari expedition team that ventured into the artifact. At the heart of it, where all four beams connect is a Prothean Beacon, similar in nature to the one Shepard discovered on Eden Prime. They recovered it. The five meter object on the surface is that beacon." Tevos explained.
And Lasky assumed this statue of the Goddess Athame was built around it.
Councilor Tevos focused back to the statue, she manipulated the hologram to uncover the beacon. A single symmetrical trapezoid structure with perfect jutting lines carved into it.
"Because of this artifact, it has allowed us to advance beyond measure, discover the Relay network, leading us directly to the Citadel."
"But we've never been able to fully access it. Mostly we were afraid what we might do to the artifact, but if there's any time to forgo caution, it's now." Tevos said.
Or maybe you've never been able to fully access it because you need a Reclaimer to do it. A Human.
From the way it sounds, that artifact was most likely a Forerunner Cartographer. A locator for other artifacts across the galaxy, leading them to the Relays and the Citadel. If the UNSC gained that information, they might be able to find this Crucible or more knowledge of the Reapers, or something.
Maybe a way to help Cortana.
Yet this was an entire Keyship. A ship nearly twenty-five kilometers long. Right now, whoever the Reapers were, Forerunner or not, there was a danger they could discover that artifact.
There was a danger of the Ark being found.
For the Halos to be fired.
But they would have to have a Excession to reach the Ark. That giant disc one-hundred-seventeen klicks in diameter that was dug from under the surface of Kenya. You had to have both the Excession and the Ark ship to reach the portal.
So, it seemed like there was no Excession on Thessia. Or at least one they didn't know about.
The UNSC had no capabilities to extract anything of that size. It took the UNSC Infinity months just to recovery and transport the Composer, which was a lot smaller than this thing.
That beacon though, that Cartographer, that could definitely be extracted. At the very least the information.
Does she want them to secure the entire Keyship? That would be impossible.
"This thing is bigger than a Relay. It's nearly as big as those giant Elite carriers." Shepard commented.
"And you've kept this from the rest of the galaxy since first contact?" Primarch Victus accused. "Even when the Council passed that it is illegal for any government to hide and harbor Prothean technology?"
It'd help if it was Prothean.
"Every government, every species has their secrets." Tevos defended, "because of us, because of what we've learned and built from this artifact, what it showed us, we've been able to maintain peace and stability in the galaxy. With the Salarians and your people, Adrien, there had been peace. If this falls into the wrong hands it would upset the balance of power."
"The Reapers are already doing that." Shepard said.
"Something tells me the balance of power is a relative term." Lord Hood interrupted. "But we would've done the same if we were in your position. It's in the past. It's unchangeable history, yet the thing I have most trouble understanding is why are you presenting it just now."
…
"Because for the first time Thessia is being invaded." Tevos admitted. "The Matriarchs are growing desperate. Despite our intellect, they have the firepower to outmatch anything. The gains we made in the past few days are temporary."
Everything Shepard had worked for, everything Shepard had been done in the past six months really hadn't changed anything. While the rest of the galaxy burns, the minute the Asari were put in danger only then do they finally cope out. They expected someone to save them.
If the UNSC didn't arrive, how long would they've kept this a secret?
There was a irrational sort of twitch that traveled throughout the Commander's body. His muscles tightened. He clenched his jaw. He wanted to yell, scream at Tevos. At Gendina. Punch both of them. He could feel sweat form under his dress blues
But not here. Not him. He couldn't do that.
He had to remind themselves the Asari hadn't technically fully committed to the alliance. To the joint effort to stop the Reapers.
He had to remind himself that-
Liara squeezed his hand.
He slowly breathed in. "This would be the first place to start looking for the Crucible."
"How long until Thessia falls?" Lord Hood asked.
Matriarch Gendina looked to the minimized galaxy map. The light of the red gases painted her black pupils.
"Four to six weeks." Gendina was barely able to say.
"And Palaven?"
"Palaven is where the main fight is. It's a key gateway to the Citadel." Hackett said, "as obvious the presence of Mass Relays greatly alters strategy. It won't fall for a long while."
Lord Hood or the other fleet admirals didn't look panicked. Only calm and collective. Shepard could sense the silent dialogue between the four of them. He was sure that Lasky wasn't part of it. The Captain stood there, stared at the various datapads awkwardly.
"Fleet Admiral, what about Cerberus?" Primarch Victus asked.
Oh God. No one decided to inform them? He'd thought Councilors would tell their bosses.
"We'll update you on the situation later...Matriarch. Primarch." Shepard said.
"Show me the situational map of Palaven." Lord Hood ordered.
Primarch Victus immediately typed into his Omni-tool and replaced the galaxy map with a local system map of the Trebia System, despite some concerned looks from Matriarch Gendina and Councilor Tevos.
The Trebia System appeared. Six planets plus Menae, a local fuel depot, and the local Relay.
"The main conflict is on Menae." Victus zoomed in closer on Palaven and her moon. "If Menae falls, Palaven falls. We've barely been able to hold the moon, but we fight tooth and nail. Every citizen is a soldier. And every soldier is willing to die for the Empire."
"And they call us radical." Lasky quietly commented.
Lord Hood observed the solar system. No comment. He looked over at Menae, back to Palaven.
"Admiral Hood," Hackett began. He sighed. "We need something here. We have no idea-"
"Holding back, defending the Relays that go through our home territory is not an option." Hood looked to Al-Fashaid She apaprently was the one who supported defending, but if there was any remorse, any anger for rejecting her plan, it wasn't there. She only nodded. "That being said, for all we know despite what your intelligence sources think Palaven could be a Reaper trap.
"Time is of the essence yet we cannot commit to a fully fledged war," Lord Hood continued. "Not without more research. More reconnaissance of the Reapers' capabilities. What I can do, where you and the Illusive Man can both agree, is that we can take Palaven back, free up Turian assets-"
"Wait..." Gendina began.
"What're you saying?" Tevos' voice seemed to be breaking.
"-to deploy across the galaxy. Fleet Admiral Harper," Hood looked to Harper. He immediately stood at parade rest. "Contact Lieutenant Ryder and Vice Admiral Kiraycha. We need them to raise their contacts with the Elites. Then raise the horn with the Arbiter."
Fleet Admiral Harper nodded, confirming orders. He opened up a offscreen holo-pad and began to input comm links.
What the hell was going on?
This had been the most helpful the UNSC had ever been. Shepard wasn't complaining, but the suddenness, seeing Palaven burn didn't move them to action. Knowing Lord Hood and probably for the rest of UNSC High Command, they definitely weren't doing this out of sympathy.
"Sir…?" Captain Lasky was confused, "what about…?"
"We'll talk in a moment, Captain." Lord Hood said, "Fleet Admiral Harper, get FLEETCOM on the line. We're about to rotate a fleet."
"We already have elements of the twelfth fleet stationed at Illium," Admiral Alvarez said, "my ninth fleet is still refitting and refueling, and Fleet Admiral Takeda needs the eleventh in the coming months."
The admirals were in a world of their own, planning, strategizing.
What just changed?
"We need assets of a expeditionary fleet," Hood explained. He looked over the the display of the massive Prothean structure under the State of Athame. "We need to secure Menae. We know the Geth and the Quarians are willing to deploy their fleets but we still need ground troops. Geth troops and Quarian Marines. Plus these Krogan shook troops and whatever Turian forces are currently present on Palaven…."
What were they trying to do?
Shepard looked over to Liara. Whatever she was thinking was hidden under the mask. Yet Shepard was able to see some nervousness and concern in her eyes.
"Admirals…?" Tevos tried to interject.
"Fleet Admiral Lord Hood…?" Gendina tried. She stepped forward, got closer to the UNSC admiralty.
"This would be a Marine operation on Menae." Fleet Admiral Al-Fashaid said, "judging by those craters and plateaus, plus the close proximity it would have to support any fleet operations we can deploy ODSTs followed by regular marine ground troops."
"This world is still too big for the Corps." Harper added, "we'd have to analyze the Geth and Quarian capabilities, but-"
"Fleet admirals…" Matriarch Gendina tried again.
"...we could supply the Army in certain sections. The 101st Airborne is trained in limited thermospheric combat drops. We just need Marines to clear landing zones."
Fleet Admiral Alvarez spoke, "and with Geth and Quarian fleet-"
"Fleet Admirals!" Matriarch Gendina calmly exclaimed. The UNSC Fleet Admirals stopped, looked to her with some disdain.
Lord Hood crossed his arms, "What we can do is provide enough resources and frontline assets for a single front."
"You presented enough evidence to prove that the Reapers are a direct threat to the UNSC, and thus Mankind." Fleet Admiral Al-Fashaid added, "however we currently have other threats we need to deal with."
"What could possibly be just as important as the Reapers?" Admiral Hackett asked.
He was right. Shepard was relieved that they'll provide something, but they needed a full commitment from the UNSC. They needed everything. Even if it was more than enough, there had to be full commitment.
"Lord Hood?" Fleet Admiral Harper presented a small datapad, "the Arbiter is on the horn."
Lord Hood looked at everyone else that wasn't in the UNSC. "Leave us."
…
Jesus. Fucking. Christ, mate.
Today had been a chaotic day and it ain't even over. Oui, unfucking believable.
Dubbo had been pretty much running around for the past two hours. Christ. He felt like he could barely crawl to the FOB in the middle of the Presidium shopping center. He was hobbling over to a stack of crates, finally sat down and ripped his bucket off. He breathed in the fresh air.
Goddamn, his hair was matted down and covered in sweat.
"Had a fun time?" Dubbo looked over. There was another comm station sitting next to the crates. Lt. Colonel Buck was leaning against the station, overlooking some lance corporal as he worked. Poor guy.
"Helluva time, mate." Dubbo replied, "the fuck, sir?"
"Eh. Shit happens. Everyone did good. Security measures are up. Relief forces will be here in the hour," Buck said.
"Toight, mate." Dubbo said. Things weren't a utter gagglefuck like usual. That was a first, now…
Oh no.
Why was Buck here?
Dubbo looked around. He finally noticed there was an unusual amount of lance corporals and PFCs hanging around in a school circle around a couple of staff sergeants. A few of them were glancing this way, waiting.
OH NO.
The thing Dubbo feared most. Bureaucratic bullshit, and the pinnacle that represented it all: safety briefs.
This was a really, really bad idea. No matter what they did, no matter what kinda restrictions they placed on free marines, something stupid and bad was bound to happen. It wasn't a matter of stopping bar fights, it was a matter of minimizing bar fights. And ah God, it was no use restricting alcohol. When Dubbo was living in the barracks, you know how many ways…
Anyway, just it was a bad idea. Maybe Dubbo and the Os should've thought about this a bit more. Hell, Roland probably knew we were just fucking with him. Now, the little guy was fucking with us.
Dubbo wondered how many NJPs there were gonna be. How many assault charges, maybe a murder…
Ah, God.
He imagined the boatloads of paperwork and NCIS investigations he'll have to work through afterwards.
This was a stupid, stupid idea.
Shit. Why wasn't Buck cancelling?
Someone had already created a duty roster earlier. One hour OOD rotations. Lieutenant Lucciano had first hour. Dubbo had second. Second hour's always the worst.
Buck sighed. He slowly and unenthusiastically walked to the crowd of a few dozen marines. The usual annoyed and frustrated face ever present.
Dubbo looked around the sunny center of the Presidium. The pretty river that ran through it. Soon enough it was gonna be crowded with a few hundred Marines.
Dubbo got up. Felt like his damn legs wanted to give out. He hobbled over to the crowd.
"Good afternoon, Marines!" Buck greeted them.
"Good afternoon, sir!" They all responded.
"Hell yeah, that's fucking tight." Buck's mood seemed to change from frustrated to motivationed. "Well, I figured I might as well do the stupid safety brief since I was a gunny in a past life."
There was a couple of laughs.
"If you don't know me you're about to. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Buck, you're battalion commanding officer." Buck announced. There were a few errs and rahs from the crowd. "And this is Infinity detachment XO, First Lieutenant Dubbo."
A few more rahs from the crowd. Now they're motivated. Course. They're getting libo. Buck continued, "right, so yeah, there's gonna be libo. Since we're in a very delicate place though we're gonna be watching you motherfuckers. Eyes in the sky, staff NCOs on the ground. You fuck up, we'll know, and I'll personally shove my boot up your ass and kick you out the nearest airlock. Please, I wanna enjoy this shit too. I don't want to do paperwork cause of your ass."
A few more laughs. Dubbo imagined most marines just rolled their eyes.
"Right, well, boundaries is this shopping center here and some giant dance bar called Purgatory or some shit. Don't worry, we'll have Army MPs up and attaem who'll guide you back in case you get lost."
"Boo."
"Fuck the Army."
"Those nasty ass fucking soldiers-"
"Shut up." Buck calmly ordered. "Is what it is, we don't have enough marine MPs. Alcoholic beverages are authorized, extreme limited consumption. That being said, some of these drinks apparently ain't designed for Humans and can possibly kill you… Seriously. Like for real. Like this shit will fuck you up. So, we'll have a staff NCO stationed at the bars and make sure you guys don't do anything stupid."
A marine, some ballsy lance corporal, raised his hand. Buck nodded to him.
The marine stood up at parade rest, "uh, good afternoon, sir."
"Good afternoon, Marine."
"Uh, sir, we have a limited commercial spending account."
"I know that, marine." Buck said. Dubbo forgot. They don't really get paid.
"Well, sir, uh what if they don't take UNSC credit? Like, wouldn't they use their own kinda currency…? Sir."
Buck sighed. Dubbo hadn't actually thought of that.
"Well, marine, as your staff sergeants have probably told you in the past, 'figure it the fuck out'." Buck replied.
The marine quietly nodded and awkwardly kneeled down.
"Right, well, that's another thing in our safety brief," Buck looked over to Dubbo.
Oh fucking no.
"...Uh, the Asari. Lieutenant Dubbo can explain that one," Buck continued.
Oh you bloody wanker.
A few marines spoke up.
"Yeaaah."
"Some hentai shit."
"Tight, aw."
"Aw, you fuck." Dubbo said to Buck. That sparked a couple more laughs from the marines. It's good to remind them that officers and legends were just people, despite what staff sergeant tells them. "Rioght, mates. I get it. I've been a lance corporal twice after a bad night in the barracks. These are fuckin people. Act nice. Get along. Interact, make new fucking friends. There'll be civilians, servicemen on leave, other marines from different nations and species and shit."
"And the Asari." Buck added.
"Yeah. 'Them. Just...just don't touch 'em. I know I'm talking ta brick walls here, and yeah I'm required to say it, but please. Rioght? We don't need some sort of alien STD contamination, or hybrid mutant fuck, or some shit like that."
"And for the love of all fucking Christ, don't get married," Buck said. He pinched the bridge of his nose. It was pretty much calling out the damn future here.
...
Slowly and reluctantly, the remaining military leaders of the Citadel had filed out of the room. Confused, bewildered, and more importantly scared and uncertain to what the UNSC was exactly planning.
They joined the others outside. Before the doors closed Lord Hood ordered one of the Spartan guards to find out the condition of Roland and Virgil, and get them over here ASAP.
Then the doors shut. The Spartan guards began to scan the room for anything that might be monitoring them. A couple eggheads had been able to partially crack the mysterious dark energy phenomena this side of the galaxy utilized. Now, the UNSC could at least properly track it at extremely close ranges. The Spartans were able to detect hidden bugs on their HUD.
Fleet Admiral Harper displayed another hologram. Ancient ceremonial armor battered and scarred. A face covered in an old ceremonial helmet.
The Arbiter.
"Shipmaster of Shipmasters. I did not expect you to contact me so soon." The Arbiter said. He looked around the room. "And even more stranger places you contact me from."
"The situation has changed. It's even more dire than we expected." Lord Hood replied.
"As in all things it seems lately." The Arbiter replied. Fleet Admiral Harper typed something into a holopad. A transmission came through on the Arbiter's end. He opened it up. It was a info sheet. He quickly skimmed it.
"An Ark ship. On this Thessia…" The Arbiter said, "and it's near home."
"This not only directly threatens Earth and Sanghelios but the entire galaxy," Lord Hood began. "There is an Ark Keyship that is barely a few dozen meters under the ground. If the Reapers or any Citadel species discovers the true nature of it…"
"You need not remind me of the consequences," The Arbiter finished.
The Forerunner threat, with the Reapers so close to it. The Covenant had been able to crack Forerunner technology. Probably wasn't easy but they were able to. So why haven't the Asari been able to? Another question on Lasky's mind was that how did this Forerunner tech influence Asari technological development? They still utilized dark energy. And this Forerunner map lead them to tech that wasn't even at its core a Forerunner construct. How did it connect?
"Most likely this information terminal upon the surface is a luminary." The Arbiter said, "it was how the Prophet of Regret discovered your homeworld."
So it wasn't exactly a Cartographer. Then logically that meant that whatever map information was on that luminary most likely should a direct route from Thessia to…The Ark.
"If that's true, then that thing is the UNSC's top priority." Fleet Admiral Harper said.
The doors quickly opened up. The Spartan guard made his way through carrying a few artifacts while guiding Virgil the Engineer. Before anyone outside could say a word, the doors closed up. Captain Lasky thought he heard a impatient word from Urdnot Rex before they shutted.
"Sir?" The Spartan said to Lord Hood "The Engineer isn't happy."
"What's Roland's status, son?"
"Find out for yourself, sir." The Spartan said. He gently placed a AI projection on the table. Roland appeared on the display. He didn't look too good.
"Sir…" He quietly reported in. He cleared his throat.
The Engineer made sort of a humming noise. It floated a little closer to Roland.
Roland saw the holographic model of the Keyship. He didn't say anything.
"Roland," Lasky said, trying to keep his focus as much as possible on the situation and not the Infinity. "I know you're still not okay, but we just need you to analyze this image."
He nodded, took a sharp breathe. He opened up a holo-tab and typed in a couple of commands. He didn't say a word. Only brought up a massive sheet projection of his findings.
Jesus, Roland.
Lasky wondered how bad he was doing. Sure, the AI holographic avatars made it able for Humans to relate on a physical-emotional level, but technological speaking things were more difficult to asses. His avatar's display was a representation of his systems.
If Virgil wasn't happy then it must've been worse then Lasky thought. Maybe it'll help if Lasky got a few Engineers and technicians to check the systems onboard ship.
The fleet admirals looked at each other for a moment as Lord Hood read the display.
"Bring in Matriarch Gendina, Admiral Hackett, and Commander Shepard," Lord Hood ordered.
...
Commander Shepard wasn't sure how to take this. The past hour had been...confusing. Again they were left out of the loophole, but progress was being made at the very least. The UNSC wasn't taken a apathetic stand anymore.
Was he frustrated? More than anything, yet that sort of emotion wouldn't accomplish anything right now. He wanted to yell at the admirals, scream at them that they needed full cooperation. Not this shut out while they essentially decide the fate of the entire Citadel, Systems Alliance, and Terminus System.
And the Asari…. … Shepard also would've been more angry with Councilor Tevos and Matriarch Gendina, but...what's the point? It was the same thing. It'll always be the same thing. Hell, the UNSC was only joining because they realize the Reapers were a threat to them as will.
There's no such thing as good will in this galaxy.
"To think the Asari had leaps and bounds they kept from the rest of the galaxy," Primarch Victus said. He shook his head, "well it's something to discuss when this war ends."
When this war ends.
One of Fleet Admiral Hood's Spartan guards had brought in something earlier while also guiding the Engineer. No one said anything except Wrex when he tried yelling some obscenities at them.
"I guess the galaxy didn't have enough big, stupid floating jellyfish." Wrex commented.
Shepard only sighed. Liara remained by his side.
"All the military leaders in the galaxy humiliated by a power they'll never amount to…" She said.
"Should we have thought any different?" Shepard asked.
"Well, now I have to deal with a secret the Asari hid so well even from me."
"But I thought you knew everything?" Shepard said.
"More then I would like to know…" Liara smirked and rolled her eyes. She whispered, "did you know Tevos has a secret Vorcha lover?"
"...I'm not sure what to do with that information."
"I can relate…" Liara sighed, she returned back to her hard seriousness. "Anyways, evidentially the UNSC knows more about what's underneath holy Athame then I do."
Liara said the goddess's name with some...longing. Liara never struck Shepard as religious. He was surprised and yet not surprised at the same time.
"You never mentioned it before…"
"What?"
"You're religious."
"I'm… I'm not, and let's try to focus, Shepard. They know something about that Promethean artifact. Twenty-five kilometers? It's bigger than a Relay, and we've never seen a superstructure like this before."
Shepard sighed. Well, she's not wrong. There was nothing like this ever in recorded history, and somehow the Asari had kept it hidden for, what? Four, five thousand years?
Only four or five Asari generations.
How many advancements were there because of that thing?
"Shepard," Liara motioned for him to follow her. They exited the heart of the crowd, and walked down the hall a little. "I don't think that structure is Prothean."
Shepard wasn't exactly sure what to say at first. He waited for Liara to continue.
"I've never seen anything like it. No other archaeologist has seen anything like it. It doesn't look like any Prothean structure…"
"So, then, what is it?" Shepard asked.
"Did you see their faces? Lasky was the easiest to read, the others not so much. But they were shocked. Surprised. Most likely they know what that thing is."
So if they aren't the Protheans, then what are they? There was only one other thing they could be, one thing the higher ups in the UNSC kept mentioning.
"Do you think it's those Forerunners they don't like to talk about?" Shepard asked.
"Most likely…. Maybe. There's no evidence, but I'm sure if we try to press the issue we'll be met with hostility."
"So, it's a yes then…"
"I didn't say that. I said it's a maybe. It could have been built by the Reapers for all we know, yet it's so strange"
Maybe. Right.
Well, if it was Forerunner then it answered Liara's question on how they never encountered Forerunner artifacts before. The Citadel actually did, and just had no clue what they were.
"You'd think someone in the Asari government would realize that thing isn't Prothean. I mean it only took you ten seconds."
"Well, it's a theory. But maybe we should ask them ourselves." Liara nodded over to Matriarch Gendina. She stood with her entourage of bodyguards, strategists, and intelligence officers. She had her arms cross, making quiet announcements.
Matriarch Gendina. Gendina wasn't wrong. She wasn't Thessia's best strategist, she's the last one left able to do a job like this. But like all the other races, all she could do was hold out until...well, until something happens.
Something like the UNSC.
Again, she was just like everyone else in the end though. She had no upper hand on the UNSC. It was impossible to have the upper hand.
Matriarch Gendina noticed the glances from Liara and Shepard, she stepped away from her crowd to join them.
"Commander? Doctor T'Soni?" She asked.
"How much did you know?" Liara asked, a bit more blunt than usual.
Gendina sighed. "The Matriarchs had me direct a lot of supplies and special forces there. We were told something dire was located at the Athame Temple, what it was though I had no idea, yet something that could 'alter the course of the war'. The Matriarchs strangely tell relatively little to their military arm.
"Funny. We are the most advanced species in the galaxy. I had always thought it was due to our longevity, our wisdom."
"So did I." Liara responded, "I guess we were all fooled."
"Well, because of the victory at Illium we had a lot of spare commando and huntress teams. The temple is located in the city of Lametea. The city is already a strategically important location. Most special forces were redirected there. We have contact with them, they're holding the line...for now."
'For now.' That's the story of this entire war.
"But we're waiting for an extraction team, of some sort." Gendina continued. "A excavation team along with an Asari commando battalion is stationed at the temple. We don't know how long they'll be able to hold out though."
Even if the UNSC decided to attack on Palaven, this was too vital to be left behind. Either it'll be an entire fleet of UNSC warships at Thessia, or…
Another special extraction team? Shepard's crew? Who knows.
"Shepard!" Lasky called out. Shepard and the others turned to the door. Lasky was outside, at parade rest. "We need you and Matriarch Gendina. Now."
Shepard looked to Liara. She mouthed 'it'll be okay'. Shepard nodded, and proceeded through the crowd with Gendina. They reached the conference room, and the doors closed behind them.
"Summon Admiral Hackett." Lord Hood ordered.
Shepard looked to the holograms already on display. One of them was of an Elite in dark, almost ceremonial like armor with decorations and inscriptions similar to the sword hilt of that Shipmaster on Illium. He had menacing eyes, partially obscured by the crown-like helmet.
Shepard, this time, complied without question. He opened up his Omni-tool, inputted a access channel, and presented Admiral Hackett on the holo-display next to the Elite.
He had his arms crossed, waiting patiently. "Commander?"
"Admiral Hackett, Matriarch Gendina" Lord Hood responded instead. Hackett and the Matriarch slowly turned to him.
"I think it's safe to say that all of us agree that we must think of the entire galaxy." Lord Hood continued.
It was almost hypocritical. A illusionary ideal. But choosing between the galaxy's two most sacred hearts, that ideal had to be utilized.
"Whatever is there on Thessia is important." Matriarch Gendina couldn't say what the fleet admirals wanted her to say. The simple facts that everyone knew. That Thessia, for now, could be completely abandoned.
"We're settling towards Palaven. As for this structure on Thessia…. We have no way of extracting anything of that size." Fleet Admiral Al-Fashid said.
Captain Lasky looked to Shepard. Maybe he was sorry or disappointed. He didn't say much.
"This information? This terminal, whatever it is, is it located in a structure? Can it be transferred?" Lord Hood asked to Matriarch Gendina.
"We have a excavation team and special forces battalion defending the position. The data is transferable. We just need a sizable storage unit."
"So a small team could transfer it?"
Matriarch Gendina thought for a moment, then nodded.
Lord Hood looked to the edge of the room to… Jesus, Shepard had nearly forgotten about him.
Maybe everyone had forgotten about him.
"Master Chief?" Lord Hood asked.
"Sir." The Chief simply said. He stepped forward.
"Fleet Admiral Harper, contact Vice Admiral Reznikoff. Get NAVSPECWAR on the line, we're rotating Blue Team."
Blue Team? Whatever that was caused some commotion. The admirals were confused.
"Sir?" Captain Lasky tried to interject.
"Blue Team?" The Master Chief asked.
...
Blue Team?
Like the Master Chief, they were a legend. Nothing could come close to the idealization of the Sierra-117, but they were a close second, along with people like Sergeant Major Johnson, both Keyes's, and hundred of other Spartans and dead heroes.
Lasky knew all the former members. Samuel. William. Solomon. Arthur. Grace. Kurt. Li. James. All of them were 'missing in action'. All of them were gone.
Of course, Lasky wasn't as sure of the current status of the remains of Blue Team. Like all the remaining Spartan IIs and IIIs. The Navy never considered handing over to the Spartan Branch. HIGHCOM agreed. They did everything within their power to make sure they stayed under Naval control.
At least the Navy thought they were under their control. The Navy thought Tom and Lucy were under control.
Lord Hood wanted to deploy a full Spartan II team to Thessia with no handler, no UNSC supervision whatsoever. The Master Chief was essentially alone. Those results may be...catastrophic.
But according to all the reports, in the eyes of HIGHCOM the Master Chief was combat ready.
"Uh, sir…" Captain Lasky asked, "you're suggesting we deploy them?"
"The Reapers threaten Earth and her colonies. This artifact is now a high value asset of the UNSC. We cannot allow it to fall to Reaper hands."
"If you do try to extract this, then it would be in coordination with our own teams." Admiral Hackett interjected, "this is a Prothean artifact. You need some sort of expert to secure whatever information there is. Commander Shepard and his crew are fully capable to deal with this situation."
Lord Hood didn't say anything for a moment. Admiral Hackett didn't want their assets on the ground. Maybe they didn't trust the UNSC with sensitive information. Lasky wasn't sure.
What the hell were the going to find there? Was Lord Hood really going to trust the Master Chief? What exactly did the Forerunners share with the Asari? Because the Asari certainly didn't adapt any Forerunner technology.
"In fact if this is a Prothean artifact then we can trust Shepard and his team to get the job done. We wouldn't need any UNSC assets in this theater. It'd be a waste." Hackett continued.
"Can you spare the Shadow of Intent?" Lord Hood asked to the Arbiter.
"Shipmaster 'Vadum is a extremely vital asset, so too is the Shadow of Intent. Yet because of the circumstances, I will...consider it, depending on what you have in mind."
Lord Hood spoke, "bring the others back in. We have a plan."
Lasky heard a ringing sound. It was coming from Shepard's orange holographic armband. He opened it up. It looked like some sort of call.
Shepard tapped the answer button. "Thane?"
"Shepard?" A croaky voice responded, "I'm in a bit of a jam."
"Where are you?"
"Aboard the Infinity."
Aboard my ship.