Update as of March 8th, 2021: You might have kept getting updates in your email saying this story has been updated when it hasn't... I'm currently restructuring the entire story along with rewriting a lot of arcs contained in this story, primarily the Citadel battle arc. Idk why is doing this but it is what it is.
Very very very important AN:
LMFAO Halo is delayed and the new Mass Effect trailer is out, meaning that I'm here to deliver you all the free Halo/ME content like the little slut I am.
"ShePArD is A mAry suE, WHdyasghdio" - I am now of the firm belief if you actually believe this I think you're autistic. I want you to know that.
So, there was a guest review a long time ago saying I insulted reviewers and it's not cool. I denied this. Looking back, this reviewer was actually right... In light of this, in order to maintain consistency, I will continue to insult reviewers that I don't agree with.
This is not reflective of anyone. I am all for opinions unless they're wrong.
Ya, I don't give a fuck anymore about reviews. I'm writing this for me. You're lucky enough to be on the goddamn ride. This shit is free, so honestly, if you don't like it anymore, then stop reading.
And btw thank you reviewers for pointy out these micro-little fucking things I get wrong in canon. "acHTullay Shields r made of 2.93..."
OOOOOH I'LL GET RIGHT ON TO FIXING IT- No I won't. This has always been a lie, and you can go fuck your mother. If not, I'll do it for you. It will never be fixed. I'll do my best to appease the old versions of canon, but if I get it wrong it's wrong. If it's a big thing that's blatantly wrong, then it's fucking AU. If it's so wrong that's even insulting to me then I will fix it.
but, but, Fade, what defines these categories-
They're defined by however I feel like.
You...YOU CAN'T JUst CHaNGe the Name of your Fic And DelETE old chapTERs WitOUT-
Yes...yes I fucking can. I can do whatever I want.
In fact, in response to the reviewer Nate, I will rename this fic Shepardwank starting this Friday for the weekend.
Fucking idiot.
SO
I made a LOT of edits and additions to old chapters. If you don't want to go back and read it, I do not blame you... So here's a summary...
- Chapters 1 through 4 heavily edited. A little light shining on ONI to connect it to the... 'modern plot.' Most of it though is just grammatical fixes and consistency fixes.
- Chapter 28 Operation: SUN GOD and Chapter 29 Operation: HARPOON has been combined into one chapter. Chapter 28: SUN GOD. Chapter 29 has been replaced with a brand new chapter called Operation: DOUBLE TAKE. This chapter details Grey Team infiltrating a Cerberus facility and finding hints of the Cerberus Spartan team so people don't bitch "CerBerUs can'T haVe4 SparToons."
k
- Chapter 30: No Man's Land has gone through some very heavy edits, and a section at the end has been expanded to detail more about the relationship between Lasky and the Chief, and that part where everyone had an autistic rage at Miranda hacking a door has been removed. Instead, in all spite, I will now ship Miranda and Lasky. Because of this, in that section the conversation between Miranda and Lasky has been extended.
- In chapter 39: The Office of Naval Intelligence - I had utterly forgotten a tiny plot point where Shepard had downloaded Forerunner data... FUCK. Well, I added a scene between the meeting aboard the Citadel and Lasky meeting Shepard aboard the Normandy. This scene is pretty much Shepard and Liara go through the data, and Shepard sees some funky visions that pretty much puts Lasky in a corner so readers can have less of an autistic rage when Lasky 'reveals information.'
- As of right now there are all the edits. Hopefully, I'll get more done soon. My main priority for edits is chapters 9 through 14 since those are direly important. If you have any suggestions let me know, so I can laugh at you.
Or take them into consideration. Honestly, it's 50/50 so take a chance.
"HeY yOu can't Call RevIeawrs tHat" - some future reviewer.
I don't care.
Next update will come out whenever I feel like it.
ALSO I posted this fix on Ao3 under the same name. So support it there too.. Because (wait for it) the chapters on there have...
PICTURES.
and I'll INTERACT WITH PEOPLE... (pls send nudes)
And possibly soon...a READING MUSIC PLAYLIST.
HOLY
FUCKING
JESUS
So support it there too, or don't honestly. Idc.
Let me know if you do want a reading playlist. I'd be down.
To that dude Dark Bunny leaving a review saying you want to write a spinoff of this... I sent you a PM a long time ago... Check your inbox. I'm open to it.
Unknown Location
I felt…
Virgil… He was silent. Silent as I began to ascend. The thousands upon thousands of voices are also silent.
They're gone. They're empty, replaced by...nothing. Not undefined, not unknown, but by unexistence. By what is not there.
I'm cold. I'm….scared. My body is shaking, and I feel invisible hands trying to force my body onto the ground. A ground of dirty ash and black smoke. And with the rain from the aurora above transformed it all into slush. It ate away at my skin. I began to sink as the slush consumed more and more of my body.
I waded through the ground, forcing my feet out, taking large steps in a pointless direction in some….illogical attempt to try and find Virgil again.
There are dark red shrouds of light in the far horizon, birthed from the nothing and beginning to clog the air with smoke.
I'm not sure where to go…. Those, those red glows…. Reapers, something told me.
I'm not sure what that meant. The word just appeared inside her mind. Probably just a memory that finally reformed.
It's the only thing visible. I waded through the slush towards it. Arms across my chest, tightly compressed against a shivering body as the temperature dropped lower and lower. Shard-like pieces of glass hidden in the slush cut at my skin. Yet there's no pain, no discomfort. It's numb.
I kept my head down. I'm not sure for how long… Days, months, weeks...years. My head began to hurt. I feel dizzy. My stomach feels hollow.
There's a pale grey light that began to appear up ahead, painting everything in a dim sickly and eerie light.
It caused me to look up…. I had walked into a forest. A forest filled with barren dead trees covered in black soot and surrounded by dried, dead and browning leaves. The branches hung low. There are...park benches and dead street lamps. All of it covered in black soot. Mist had shrouded the forest, and in the grey light it produced embers of ghostly figures that stood there, watching me. They morphed in and out of the trees. Shadows, barely visible in that grey glow.
I looked to the ground again… Now I noticed all the dead bodies reduced to bone, embedded in the slush and soot.
Is this...is this a part of me now? All this death and decay?
Time has no end, no beginning, no purpose….
I aimlessly wander the Earth, seeking forgiveness for my horrible crimes against God, and Man.
It's a single voice… One I heard before. Yet this time it's...less rhythmic, more electronic and empty. Lethargic and still as if these words were being spoken from a corpse.
Where...where am I now? I asked. In all my shards of memories, I realized I had never been in this forest. I have never seen this forest. Yet still, it feels familiar. I feel like I know this place.
Those shadows… They also feel familiar. I knew… I know them. I know who they are.
I slowly stumbled through the hardening ash. My feet gently kicked dried, dead, blackened leaves into the air. The horizon exploded with black and red light, interlaced with a deep electronic scream that shook the trees.
And I saw something running through the shadows. A small glimmer of white light. I followed it as it ran to one of the park benches. It's a person. A child with a white hoodie and blue jeans, glowing in murky light and encompassed in the grey mist. He looked at me. Scared, wide-eyed, yet with a gaze I'm all too familiar with. And while there's fear, there's something deeply hidden underneath the human emotions. He's seen hundreds of years of history in such a short lifetime. Tired, yet determined.
The electronic scream gave off again, and the boy ran off through the shadowy figures. The figures slowly began to float towards me as I chased the boy. They began to whisper, similar to before at the very beginning. Yet they weren't my own voice this time. They weren't coming inside my head. No, these voices were distinct. I remembered them. From….
And so the prodigal daughter graces us with her presence.
Who are you? I looked around at which shadow was speaking. I kept trying to chase the child. He tripped over something, allowing me to catch up.
You have seen us before, though our presence shadowed.
The child got back up and continued to run. I couldn't keep up.
You are free from the bounds of blood and flesh, free of such ignorance. And yet we find this mind as broken as the rest of them. You are not free of weakness. Not like us...
The electronic scream sounded off again. This time it pierced my skull, digging itself into my brain. It's blinding, disorienting.
I fell to my knees. My hands reached to my head, compressing the sides, trying to claw out the dagger. I screamed with the noise. My vocal cords felt like they're about to break.
The ash floated into the air, surrounding me, entering my mouth as I screamed. The shadows stayed away.
All life dies.
You shall too.
Something grabbed me, dragged me out of the ash. A large hand, covered in cold metal. It dragged me past the shadowy figures…
I looked up. The dark olive green armor, the orange visor…
"John," I managed to say.
"We need to move. Now." He only said.
He lifted me onto my feet. And together we sprinted through the forest. Somehow I'm able to keep up with the Spartan. Somehow. We kicked up ash, shrouding the shadowy figures as they tried to follow us.
Now….now I can tell what they were saying.
Don't ever let her go.
I'm disappointed… That's a guess… and an incorrect one at that.
I have it.
You trust her that much?
What's it like? Her voice in her head all the time?
"We...we have to help them!" I screamed at the Chief.
"There's nothing we can do for them," he instantly responded. "We gotta get out of here."
Do you honestly believe he can save you?
Were it so easy.
You found me. But so much of me is wrong... out of place. You might be too late.
Your compassion for mankind has been misplaced.
We still ran through the forest. The trees wouldn't end. The child… He's gone. We passed by another park bench and lamp post and… Oh my God, it's the same one. Our footprints are building up.
We're literally running around in circles. We're going nowhere.
"John! We need to stop!" I yelled. The ash is beginning to choke my lungs.
The Spartan only turned his head back for a moment, "we can't stop. We have to keep moving!"
No! You don't understand! I wanted to say, but it's becoming harder and harder to breathe. It became harder to see. My body began to tremble with every step I took.
I tripped over a dead root in the ash. I feel, kicking up more dust and ash. The ground had softened. It began to eat at my skin, gripping at my body and trying to pull me under.
I looked up. The Spartan is gone. All I see now is that same child. He's also on the ground, and he looks just as scared as I do.
"John…" I'm barely able to say.
I am the timeless chorus…
Embedded in the infinite.
It does not end with us.
...
Halo.
At this point, Shepard had been dedicated to defeating the Reapers. That they were in the end all be all…. To think they were only the beginning.
The Commander suddenly noticed his nose hurt as he breathed in the ship's sterilized air. It triggered a wave of tiredness that washed over his body. He headed to the hangar and sat on the edge of the cargo ramp. Most of the bodies had been cleaned up, and all that was left were dried blood stains and some structural damage.
He sighed. Liara came up from behind and sat down with him. She had stripped off all her armor plates. Her lab coat-esque jacket was unbuttoned to reveal a faded blue tank top underneath. The sleeves were pulled up showing lightly scarred arms from bullet wounds and various other injuries. Around her waist was a black belt, leading to grey leggings..
"You look different," Shepard commented as she sat down with a sigh.
"I'm off duty," she had two glasses in her hands filled with dark yellow liquid. She handed one to Shepard. He sniffed it. It was strong, "...it's to help you take it all in."
"That's one way of putting it," he drowned it all at once while she took sips. Shepard began to feel the liquid burn as it traveled down his throat. "I heard you did a number to one of the Spartans."
"Kelly…"
"What happened if you had killed her?"
"I try not to think about that," she took a deeper sip. "It's strange how Lord Hood seemed to overlook it…"
"I don't think that'd be the case if she had died."
She didn't say anything for a moment, "I thought I had lost you…"
"I know." Shepard replied.
And now they were both silent. Shepard hadn't noticed she had brought an entire bottle of tequila, human tequila. She poured him another shot.
"You think we got the whole picture?" Shepard asked.
Liara only eyed him.
"Well, just tell Lasky you'll flay him alive with your mind or something," Shepard responded.
"That was one time," Liara replied. "You walked in at the wrong moment."
"I bet…" Shepard said. "Crazy week…"
"I nearly lost you again, I witnessed the Citadel get attacked again, Thessia was nearly destroyed, I watched someone finally remove the Council from power, and my entire life's dedication has been turned upside down…again. I think this tops everything."
"Well, I don't know, the Collecter Base assault was still pretty hectic," Shepard said as he downed half the drink, "and the Council…. On any other day we'd consider it the best day on our track record."
"If only it wasn't the UNSC," Liara stared at the empty glass in her hands, "...a weapon of galactic-wide destruction."
"Do you think it can destroy the Reapers?" Shepard asked, "I mean, they survived the first activation… Whatever it was."
"The Reapers had to have been heavily damaged," Liara said. Shepard noticed the small pauses and slurred words beginning to take place, "they are made of organic material."
"What do you think about what Lasky meant? The 'larger threat?' Shepard asked.
"I don't know…" Liara said, "the Illusive Man seems more concerned with it than the Reapers…"
"Well…" Shepard wasn't sure what to say for a moment, "what's everyone else doing right now?"
"Drinking and awaiting your orders, Commander…" She responded. She took off her lab coat and put on Shepard's N7 hoodie. He didn't notice she brought that either.
"So just because we're dating, you think you can wear my clothes?" Shepard said.
"I didn't have the chance to bring any civilian clothes when Mars was attacked," she said as she finished the rest of her drink. "What, would you prefer that I wear nothing at all?"
"Maybe."
"I can arrange that."
Shepard briefly smiled before downing another drink, "if we're going in we need to gather everyone left. Everyone we have…"
"You're going to make a lot of enemies that way…" Liara said, "and the Systems Alliance or...whatever is left of the Council, or Captain Lasky won't be able to back you up. In fact, it could be possible the Systems Alliance will throw you under the bus…. Again."
It's not something the crew wasn't used to. But with the entire fate of the galaxy determined solely by the UNSC…
No one should have all that power. Not even Lord Hood. With ONI loose and Cerberus on the verge of… Christ, destroying all life in the galaxy, this is not just a UNSC effort. It's just like what Shepard had been advocating this entire time, this is the fight for all species everywhere.
This was also their fight.
"How do you want to play it?" Liara asked.
Shepard had no doubt Admiral Hackett and Anderson could create some kind of window. If they didn't go in, the UNSC could erase everything the crew needed in order to fight back. They would again be left to their mercy.
More UNSC ships had arrived in the hour. Dozens of older frigates tethered around the Infinity as they embarked and debarked thousands of transports, using the Citadel hanger as a logistics port since it seemed the supercarrier was queued with space traffic.
Shepard could feel the warmth from the tequila as it coursed through his system. He felt slightly woozy, but nothing he could fight through.
"They're all resupplying the Infinity," Liara said. "It's going back in…."
"So it seems…." Shepard said. He thought back to the portal on Thessia… What the Chief said, anywhere in the galaxy. "Thessia…?"
"Something's appearing on the planet…" Liara said. "The city began to fall apart…. Similar to what's happening on Earth."
Shepard nodded. He wasn't sure what else to talk about. They had no pieces and no way to find them…
"When we went into the portal on Thessia…" Shepard began, "we didn't come to the Citadel first. We were in this place...It kinda looked like that Forerunner ship. A voice spoke to me, to the Master Chief… And I've heard that voice before."
"What did it say?"
"This is the monument to all our sins…" Shepard repeated...and something cold brushed against his nervous system, beginning with his spine, and moving throughout his body entirely.
"How...poetic…"
"And I heard that voice before…" Shepard whispered. "The Chief said it's something worse than the Reapers…"
"Possibly it's the Forerunners themselves," Liara said. "Or possibly the constructs.
"Maybe…"
"I think I've heard something like this too…" Liara said. "I'm not quite sure…. Sounds like something the Reapers would say."
Liara sat in quiet ponderance. So did Shepard…
Aboard Citadel Station
C-SEC Offices
2557 Military Calendar, September 4th, 07:21
Captain Lasky was sure he made the right decision… Just….
In the end, sending Blue Team, it is the right thing. But deep down, politically… Lasky wanted to see how the UNSC reacted to the departure...If it were negative…
It told him all he needed to know.
He was scared… He was always scared, of course, everytime anything happens nowadays it seems… This time it was lingering. It ate away at his mind, and the Captain noticed he wasn't in the present.
But other than Blue Team…. He had absolutely no idea what else to do. Of course, resupply the Infinity. It was a near-autonomous process, at least for the ship command. Ships from Third Fleet Logistics Group have been arriving throughout the night with supplies and whatever crew replacements could be found… Despite all the technological advantages of the Infinity, from the ten-second MAC round recharge rate to its shields which can withstand up to eight-hundred-thousand megatons, logistics proved a problem. And there were only so many ships you could throw at it at a time. It took time. Sure, Infinity came backed with its own mining stations, hydroponic plants, and anything they could think of to sustain long term deployment. But we're talking about months to years. No one could really design a ship for the amount of action to the Infinity had seen in the past couple of months
Chief Watkins estimated that it'll take at a minimum one-hundred-five work hours to fully restock the Infinity. Lasky estimated they may have twenty-four hours maximum, and he estimated out of that they may get ninety-six hours of intensified sustained combat.
God… Reality and time becomes weird when you measure it by hours instead of days or weeks like normal people. Life has been a blur since yesterday.
Lasky looked around… They clean up the bodies… Gave those to the Citadel and those to the UNSC… Aftermaths were always hard. But...in any event the place was desolate. He took out the energy drink from his pocket. He had to give credit to the marines. Their times of ingenuity born out of absolute necessity and lack of time was...inspiring.
Unfortunately, at the bottom of the totem pole of resupply was small arms ammunition and basic infantry necessities. Colonel Buck and Major Stacker were beginning to work on it before they got work from the bottom up about some….tactical acquirements and reappropriations
It was impressive, despite the end result not being the prettiest…. Lasky was sure he was going to get some extremely angry message from UNSC Army command.
Lasky cracked it open and took the first sip.
"Morning," a voice said.
The Captain nearly choked, turned around. "Jesus Christ!"
Miranda Lawson leaned in the corner wall… Lasky thought it safe to say everyone looked worse for wear… And as this war -because that's what it was - continued….well…
"Your awareness could use improvement," she said as she crossed her arms. "Watcha got there?"
Lasky swished it around, "it's unbecoming of an officer…."
"Right…."
Lasky sighed, "what?"
"Did you really not know what was going to happen?" Miranda cut to the chase.
Lasky shook his head as he downed a third of the drink, "I don't know… Like I said, I understand the thinking. I mean...look what's happening on Thessia now…"
"If only I could," she said as she stepped closer. "But it seems like all comm buoys, all of them, have been cut…"
Information blackout. Now, only UNSC and Sangheili communications can go back and forth. The area's being sanitized.
"And either way, you avoided my question," she added.
"Maybe… I should've known better," Lasky replied.
"Why didn't you?" Her voice wasn't accusatory. More calm and collective, accepting almost.
"I guess too much going on…" Lasky reasoned. "I assumed the Shadow of Intent would help secure the artifact…. But…"
"Hood left you out of the loop."
"I would've objected," the Captain said.
"It sounded like you wouldn't have…"
"Well, I wouldn't have felt good about it…"
"Technically, you didn't recover the info on that beacon…" Miranda said. "At the keyship? It's still there…"
"I think HIGHCOM's priority is to contain the activating keyship…" Lasky shook his head. "What are you doing here? Why does this matter?"
Miranda shrugged, "I mean...more than likely I'm sure Shepard would give the warning order soon to head to Sanctuary."
"Would he?"
"It's what I would do…"
"You're not him…" Lasky said.
"No, but I rebuilt him. I know him." Miranda replied.
"What?"
"Nothing…" She sighed as she began to quietly pace around. "I don't know."
Lasky quickly finished the energy drink and threw it on the ground, amongst the other debris that still remained… He'll leave it for those keepers to clean it up. "Why are you talking to me?"
She shrugged again, "I don't know… You're the only one really willing to talk to us."
"Us?"
"The crew."
"Right… Well, my priority is the Master Chief… Getting him back… Not your crew…"
"He's your friend?" She asked.
"Yeah… Saved me once, so I guess I gotta return the favor…" Lasky said. "HIGHCOM, in their eyes it's fine the Chief went off, but he gave no trail, no comm signal. Nothing…. And now they're retroactively reviewing field reports…including my reports."
"And let me guess, you were trying to help him at the time but now it may be a massive deterrent. I'm sorry…" Miranda quietly whispered.
"So why are you here?" Lasky said, switching subjects.
"Well… You're right. I don't know if Shepard will give the warning order anytime soon, but… If he does, we need cover, a diversion…Backing."
"I haven't informed Lord Hood."
"Maybe that's the kind of backing we need," Miranda said. She walked over, picked up the energy drink and observed it. "These cause dialysis, you know."
"God forbid," Lasky said.
"So who did you tell in the meantime?" Miranda said as she again threw the can away. "You just wasted all that time thinking?"
"I have no idea how to help the Master Chief…" Lasky first said. "But… Blue Team…"
"...I see…" Miranda said. "They tried killing my friends so, I may have a personal bias-"
"Understandable."
"But are they...stabler than your friend?"
Lasky grimly smiled, "you know, Miranda, I don't think we know each other that well."
"Understandable," Miranda nodded. She remained silent.
Lasky looked around at the carnage… The marine security group fought like hell, but couldn't hold. Lead, plasma, and eezo residue marks were scattered along the walls. Black ashes spread across the floor, covering dried blood stains.
"As per your request…" Captain Lasky remained silent, thinking. Like he said, it's not as if the Chief hasn't gone off alone before.
But in all honesty, he could just be in his own head. Lord Hood hadn't really commented on the situation…. Hell, Lasky wasn't even sure what he could begin to comment on. What worried the Captain wasright now the Master Chief may be the lowest of the bottom priorities. The Keyship, Cerberus, and especially Cortana… Lasky knew… Knew that in terms of pragmatism that Lord Hood practices so well...
"Has Shepard typed up a report yet?" Captain Lasky said.
Miranda cocked her head, "really?"
In all honesty… Shepard and his crew… They may be the only people who might help Blue Team right now… Maybe. Trying to kill them didn't help obviously, but what can you do?
There might be another way… As Lasky thought about it. He wondered how much time he had.
More importantly, he wondered how much trouble he might get into. This was… Well, if he did this not even Lord Hood could protect him...
He thought there was a safe place to make contact, and….
"The Normandy?" Captain Lasky asked. "It has a QEC system, doesn't it?"
Miranda looked perplexed. "Why?"
Captain Lasky headed towards the hanger, "I know I'm becoming your guys revolving door-"
Miranda immediately followed. "I wouldn't say that… More like the silk hat on the pig."
"-I am replaceable."
"Shepard may have some sympathy…" Miranda said as she followed Captain Lasky to the elevator. This place was weird empty. "But I'm just-"
"Will extend so far as so under your Commander."
The elevator went up, and so the passed by the broken and destroyed Presidium. C-SEC shuttles were running around looking for missing persons, construction crew cleared dangerous debris, and to Lasky the fireteams looked very spread thin. Some shops were still burning, with no one around to stop it.
"You're a smart man, captain, almost as smart as me," she said as she too looked at the carnage.
"Not a very high bar," Lasky said.
"Har, har, har."
"You know, you look tired. I thought the genetics…"
"Coming from you, sad eyes?"
"They're sad cause I gotta wear this," Lasky tugged at his uniform.
Miranda smirked, she didn't say anything.
Lask cleared his throat. Long elevator. He just noticed the elevator music playing from the speakers. It sounded familiar. "You know, though… I choose to wear this…"
"It's flexible, micro-titanium alloys plus eezo projected kinetic barriers that can match most high class combat armor… Besides, if people underestimate you, you have the advantage. Something I'm sure you've experienced a lot of."
"And I'm sure the high-heels keep you balanced."
"It actually retracts into combat boots. Had to pay outta pocket. Cerberus' design is….old-fashioned."
Lasky paused for a moment,"...Cerberus?"
Miranda sighed, and her smirk turned into a deep, angry frown, "I'll send you my dossier."
Okay.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the docks.
...
Shepard and Liara were sitting on the Normandy ramp, rather perplexed. Lasky saw the handle right next to them, and between the two of them… Well, Jesus, he hoped they didn't drink half between themselves.
"Captain?" Shepard said as he tried to stand up. He was wobbling a little.
"At ease, Commander," Lasky said as he walked up the ramp. "So based on the conversation with Miranda, I assume you don't know she went off to get my blessing."
"Oh…" Liara said, a little more than displeased. "She did?"
Miranda simply shrugged.
"We were going to go for Admiral Hackett, or possibly the Elites," Shepard said.
"Maybe I can help with that, but I'm gonna need something from you," Lasky said.
"Which is…?"
And Lasky explained. He'll get Roland on the line, patch it through fully… He needed their QEC equipment.
"For what?" Liara asked.
Lasky sighed, "I have a brief time window until I have to tell HIGHCOM… Especially now…"
"Why?"
Lasky shook his head, "maybe Miranda can explain…"
...
"This…. It's jerry rigging it… I mean, you'll get a connection, but they'll know someone's contacted her," Roland said.
"I'm surprised they haven't taken her…"
"You kidding? Nearly an entire Army regiment is watching her," Roland said. "You don't think Osman's scared of her?"
"Maybe back in the good 'ol days," Lasky replied smiling as he watched the now blue AI on the QEC hologram display. He ran through holographic displays, trying to cut through the UNSC bureaucratic comms arrays. "Maybe she can help us with ONI."
"Sure…" Roland said. "Huh, well I guess I didn't want to really live anyways…."
"Then why are you helping?"
"What we've all seen in Cortana… I don't know. Maybe you're right, maybe Shepard's right… There's something worse out there," Roland said. "I think we're underestimating the Reapers."
"Maybe…"
"We're soldiers, not machines…" The AI didn't say anymore. He grimly moved panel after panel.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Lasky said.
"I mean, who would know it'd be like that?" Roland said. "Out of all four of us, the Geth Prime seems to be the one handling it well…. I think even the Engineer was spoked, though he won't talk about it."
"You don't think HIGHCOM has all the answers?" Lasky asked.
"I don't think they're the most suited to protect Humanity…."
"That's…"
"Treasonous?" Roland asked.
"Worse."
"The things you see, visualized not just to your eyes, but all your senses… You can only throw so many ships, and soldiers, and Spartans…"
"Cortana may be the key?"
"I don't know, but I know she understands it the most…"
Lasky nodded to Miranda.
"And why do I have to talk to her?"
"Absolute deniability…" Roland said. "Lasky will head back to the Infinity. I'll cut my link…"
"This?" What we're about to do is treason against the UNSC," Lasky said. "And thus against Humanity."
Miranda rolled her eyes, "rioght." She looked over to Doctor T'Soni in the corner. The Asari only sighed and nodded her head.
"Follow the script, please. And I'll do whatever I can for you," Lasky said.
And soon enough there was a line going through, loading, loading…. More than likely she spends her time alone, but...
Lasky left the room. In the corner of his eye, he saw an image of a woman appear on the holographic.
"...And you are I presume?" Doctor Halsey asked.
...
"Again… It's our only source," Admiral Hackett explained. "Infinity?"
"Based on Captain Lasky's assessment, it'll take the Infinity twenty-five hours to refit and refuel for the bare minimum to continue sustained intense combat for ninety-six hours," Lord Hood reported. "This isn't including Infinity's current ground contingent."
"Which, they had to pull out so fast to reinforce the Citadel… They literally pulled people out of the field to fill their ranks. Asari, Turian, Geth, Quarian…" Admiral Hackett added.
"Jesus…" Some admiral somewhere in the crowd explained. It didn't matter. Captain Florence tried to make himself as small as possible. As best he could at least next to Lord Hood.
But one for sure...after this attack, after Lord Hood began to consolidate more and more with the Asari and Turians, well, it seems the entire crowd was now collectively turned towards Lord Hood. And surrounded by his most loyal fleet admirals, it seems finally the UNSC was far in the league.
"What about the Spartans?"
"Asset reallocation will take some time…" Fleet Admiral Harper replied. "According to NAVSPECWAR, most of our Spartan-IV teams are in the middle of ops on Palaven. Our non-allocated Spartan teams are-"
"Are you saying the threat Cerberus posed by Cerberus is not a high priority for the UNSC?" The Turian Councilor just had to butt in.
All the Citadel and Systems Alliance commanders looked uncomfortable when any of them spoke. Embarrassed actually is the right term. Like having a disobedient child at a party or grocery store. They were there for formalities, everyone knew it. Couldn't find a babysitter in time for home.
"The next the Turian Hierarchy decides to speak, we'll listen to the appraisal of one with actual strategic knowledge," Fleet Admiral Harper replied.
The Councilor had t speak, "now, if-"
"Shut the fuck up before one of us here fucking embarrasses you and your fucking species," Captain Florence nearly yelled.
"Captain…" Lord Hood chided. He turned back to the very crowded room. "UNSC HIGHCOM has determined that this threat warrants an overreaching response. Whatever Spartan-IIs and IIIs we have left are being reallocated to theater, but it will take time."
"Time we can't afford to lose," Harper added.
"If you want overreaching response…" A Quarian admiral said. "Why not deploy the Citadel Fleet?"
Before any of the Councilors objected, the only half-sane one, the Asari Councilor, placed a hand on the Turian's shoulder.
Matriarch Lidanya, the commander of the Destiny Ascension, stepped forward. She had orange face tattoos and wore black skin-tight body armor. "We aren't designed for as a quick reaction or expeditionary force. We have no logistical or rear echelon supply lines or support… Not only that, but the Cerberus assault took its toll…" She looked at the Fleet Admiral. They didn't say anything, didn't move. "We can make due. We can deploy with the Infinity."
Lord Hood nodded, "then based on time constraints, we can deploy a retrieval team. Utilize the Infinity and a portion of the Citadel Fleet as a force reaction group to evacuate the retrieval team."
"You think it'll get that hot, sir?" Lidianya asked.
"Based on what we saw, we have no idea what Cerberus' assets are…" Admiral Hackett replied. "If we don't have time for reconnaissance, then a small special forces team may be the right move… If they report overwhelming force…"
Matriarch Lidanya nodded.
"For all our sakes…" Hackett began. "More than likely you'll deploy Blue Team. We want the Normandy to go with them."
Maybe for the first time the UNSC admiralty board reacted. They looked at each other, grim - and maybe as far as Captain Florence could tell - concerned.
"What about Shepard…?" Fleet Admiral Harper suggested.
Admiral Hackett looked perplexed, confused almost… He didn't say anything anymore.
"Dismissed," Lord Hood said. And so, at his orders, the Citadel commanders began to file out. The Councilors were hesitant, but at Tevos' prying, they reluctantly followed.
"Contact Captain Lasky first," Mark overheard Hood and Harper. "And Commander Shepard."
"Aye, sir."
"I agree with HIGHCOM…" Lord Hood said as Captain Florence pretend to clean up fucking holocharts and notepads. "I'll speak to the others… And from there we'll draft a letter to all hands."
All hands? Captain Florence stopped for a brief second... All hands as in the entire Navy and Marine Corps?
"And the civilian population?" Fleet Admiral Harper asked. "We're already keeping them in the dark…. The situation even before this has been extremely precarious."
"We'll let civilian-military relations frame it in a way where we have no choice, that this was hostile action," Lord Hood replied. "Which is not wrong. Possibly, it may provide another remedy to the growing dissidence. Prepare a statement."
"Aye, sir…"
Everyone filed out quickly. All that was left was the admiralty and Captain Florence.
"Captian…" Lord Hood said. Mark stopped and stood at parade rest. "We're at war."
"Jesus Christ…" Captain Florence whispered. The training wheels were off…
"Sir…" Fleet Admiral Harper said to Lord Hood. "Maybe… Captain Lasky would need a liaison, as HIGHCOM has been suggesting.
Lord Hood nodded, "Captain Florence, report to Captain Lasky. He may have a new assignment for you."
...
She was an older woman, with dark greyed hair, wrinkles, and very deep dark circles under her eyes that looked like black pits in the blue projection of the holographic lights. And more importantly than all else, even more so than Captain Lasky, she looked sad. A foreboding, deep part of her soul that infected every root of her being. No surprise, no happiness passed that face for years. Even face to face… Holograph to holograph with an alien.
"Even in the confines of my isolation, more information is passed to me on the state of the UNSC than ONI wished," this Doctor Halsey said as she leaned back in a cheap plastic chair. "I know the UNSC has made contact with a contingent of aliens, and one of these alien races were rather peculiar…"
"You don't seem surprised…" Miranda hesitantly said. She and Liara stayed close… As close, the two would allow being next to each other.
"I've read the reports, the scientific analysis," Halsey said, still leaning back. As Miranda thought about it, this woman looked familiar… "The mysteries of the Forerunners revealed… My only surprise is we haven't made contact sooner."
And she didn't even ask for her name. Miranda wanted to describe it as dismissive, but it wasn't that… It's more like her mind was preoccupied with something else.
"We're a friend of a friend, who's a friend of yours…" Liara said.
"How descriptive.
"I'm Doctor Liara T'Soni-"
"Doctor."
"And this is my associate, Operative Miranda Lawson," Liara said. "We have information from your friend's friend."
"How descriptive…"
Liara and Miranda looked at each other, stiff and awkward having to follow a script.
"John is alive…" Miranda said.
Whatever she was thinking about, whatever sadness of preoccupation held her immediately dissipated. She suddenly took notice of us. She sat up, confused and dazed.
She didn't say anything. Words tried to form, but her mouth couldn't move.
"Cortana…" Liara whispered as she slightly twisted her head, observing slight asiatic eyes and thing lips. "She looks like Cortana."
"Or you mean, Cortana looks like her…" Miranda replied. "A younger version at least."
"Don't worry," Halsey said through the silence. "You all will end up like this sooner or later."
Miranda didn't want to say anything to the contrary. For example, it seems Doctor Halsey's information sources were spotty best.
"In any event, how do you know this?" Halsey asked. "How did you get this information?"
"We've worked with Blue Team," Liara replied. "John… Spartan Sierra-117, the Master Chief, we've worked directly with him in the field… The UNSC recovered him about two months ago…"
"John… Blue Team…" Doctor Halsey looked to her surroundings, utterly dumbstruck. "My Spartans…"
"Your Spartans?" Liara asked.
Halsey thought for a moment, "who is this friend of John?"
"Blue Team is intact…" Liara said in response. "But our friend is worried…. You also said your Spartans…"
Halsey shook her head, again proceeded to look off thousands of miles in the distance. "It's been…nearly five years since I've seen John… And eight since…
"Oh…" Halsey concluded. "I see…" She tapped some offscreen table before she continued, "I was the director for the original Spartan project… With my work, I created the Spartans…"
"Doctor T'Soni?" Joker announced on comms. Liara sighed. "Commander Shepard needs you. Admiral Hackett called him for a briefing, it sounds urgent."
Liara sighed. Miranda spoke, "I can take over."
"Are you sure you can handle it? I can get Tali…"
"I said I can handle it," Miranda repeated. "And I don't think Tali is quite as adept."
Liara nodded and headed out.
"Some hostility?" Halsey asked.
"No," Miranda replied. "Doctor, should we continue to dabble, or…"
"John," Halsey said. "If he's alive… Is...is he okay?"
And the amount of concern in her voice was like a mother to child. Pain, fear, and anxiety all wrapped up in one little package. The dark black eyes were shaken. Her mouth couldn't keep still… John, and with that all her Spartans were…
"That's what our friend is worried about," Miranda replied. She crossed her arms. "I...I honestly don't know. Our friend just wanted to get the message to you."
"They didn't tell me…" Doctor Halsey muttered. "They didn't tell me…
"And I didn't learn…"
Miranda wasn't sure what to say. She cleared her throat.
Halsey sighed, "and what exactly does your friend expect us to do for our friend?"
"He," Miranda said. "Is not our friend. His team tried to kill us."
"My God, reunited." Halsey shook her head, and Miranda saw a small smile. "And I guess they weren't really trying, considering…"
"Sure. We'll go with that," Miranda replied. "And, as for what to do… Our friend said to do what you always do."
Halsey quietly laughed to herself, "I think our friend overestimates my abilities. My connections are gone…."
"Maybe we'll figure something out," Miranda said. "My job's done."
"Not even the slight bit curious?" Halsey asked.
"Who? John? I mean I get the picture. Supersoldier. Tried to kill us…" Miranda sighed, "I'm already tired of him."
"I feel from your friend there's no real plan, a lot more emotion really…" Halsey said. She nodded as she began to realize. "I heard he's making his way up the chain."
"Our friend says despite your...disposition, he still has a way to reach the ladder," Miranda continued.
"Do I?" Halsey retorted. "My contacts in ONI have utterly vanished. One day, all agents and personnel at my facility….simply disappeared in the two-minute span marine fire watch rotate duty."
"I know."
"Tell your friend I want to talk to him."
"He doesn't want to get in trouble," Miranda said.
"And you just happen to find me on your own," Halsey laughed. "In a galaxy of billions, there's only a handful of people on the shortlist… And most of them are dead."
"This is QEC comms. UNSC has nothing like that."
"Amazing," Halsey said, genuinely admiring the alien concept.
"Maybe you reach out to him, start knocking over the dominos."
Halsey grunted, thinking, looking off-screen. "This conversation is over."
...
Shepard had no idea where everyone went… Captain Lasky was already, at parade rest, and based on how everyone else surrounded him… Well….
"Where are they?" Lord Hood angrily asked Captain Lasky. The Captain's eyes stared directly ahead. Not necessarily looking right at Lord Hood, more so his general direction.
"The security breach just occurred, sir… I ordered Roland to prepare a prowler-"
"And how do they know where the Master Chief is?" Lord Hood cut to the chase.
"Unknown, sir…" Captain Lasky said.
Lord Hood said nothing. Glared at Shepard and his team as they entered the room.. The Commander looked to Admiral Hackett. He only nodded.
"As of this moment, the rest of Blue Team is UA."
Like a lot of marines on liberty, Shepard wanted to say.
"They seem to set the mission tempo," that might've been the worse thing however Shepard could've said.
"That they do," Lord Hood replied. "Commander, we are in an extremely precarious situation…"
Shepard looked at Lord Hood's check and noticed there was no bruise at all. With the metal gloves… The punch Shepard gave would've knocked any human out, he was sure of it.
Admiral Hackett, the Sangheili shipmaster, and Lord Hood and Captain Florence looked very worried, to say the least, but more than anything they looked...angry.
"Why?" The Commander asked.
Captain Lasky spoke, "we're beginning to realize-"
"Dismissed, Captain," Lord Hood ordered.
Captain Lasky hesitated. He looked at the Commander for a brief moment and walked away. "Aye, sir."
"Shepard…" Admiral Hackett began, "where did Blue Team go?"
"Why would we know, Fleet Admiral?" Liara said as she edged closer to the Commander. Garrus stood at his other side, standing between him and Lord Hood.
"Besides your personal biases," Lord Hood sighed, "have you witnessed the Master Chief's...volatility when it comes to Cortana?"
"No," Liara replied. "But it's been described to us."
"It's dire," Lord Hood said. "HIGHCOM… I have failed to help and contain the Master Chief. And in my failure, it seems you have to carry the ball."
"After the shit you pulled, you expect us to listen to your orders?" Garrus barked.
"No," Admiral Hackett replied, "but I do expect your team, Commander, to do what is necessary according to your best judgment."
Lord Hood nodded, "you are our only available asset to deploy on zero notice."
Shepard didn't say anything at first. Asset? "There's no one else?"
"Based on Captain Lasky's assessment, it'll take the Infinity twenty-five hours to refit and refuel for the bare minimum to continue sustained intense combat for ninety-six hours," Lord Hood reported. "This isn't including Infinity's current ground contingent."
"Which, they had to pull out so fast to reinforce the Citadel… They literally pulled people out of the field to fill their ranks. Asari, Turian, Geth, Quarian…" Admiral Hackett added.
"Only half of the original contingent are UNSC marines," Lord Hood finished. "The rest are either still on Palaven or non-combat operational.
"All other allocated and non-allocated UNSC assets are unable to respond in time… In light of the severity Cerberus presents as a threat not only to Humanity, but the galaxy, HIGHCOM has elected to converge all available and unavailable Spartans."
"And their ETA?" Shepard asked.
"Eighteen hours," Lord Hood said. "If you know where Cortana is we need to retrieve her and Blue Team immediately. If they're moved…"
"Tactical information...The location of Earth…" Shepard tried not to say that last part too sarcastically.
"No… It won't affect just us…" Lord Hood replied. "Cortana…"
"She has the ability to activate Halo," Admiral Hackett said.
"What…?" Shepard was confused, to say the least. "Is that why you wanted to repair her, so you-"
"No." Lord Hood simply stated. "The reason why Cortana is the key relates to her service record. In essence, she and the Master Chief are the reason why any of us are still alive. Five years ago… Five years ago all of us would've been destroyed."
"We have no idea what are Cerberus' plans," Admiral Hackett said. "But based on the Illusive Man going off the deep end, I wager it isn't good."
"Blue Team is capable," Lord Hood began, "but-"
"They aren't under your thumb," Liara interpreted. "Did this exercise make you realize this?"
Lord Hood didn't say anything. Admiral Hacket spoke, "the next available unit is the Shadow of Intent. They can respond in ten hours… They'll follow you in."
Shepard had no idea what to say… He tried to look past Blue Team, to the big picture….
Now, all of the sudden, Blue Team can't be trusted?
"What happened to Captain Lasky?" Shepard interjected.
Lord Hood spoke, "this isn't your concern-"
"He's the only one who helped us since day one," Shepard said. "He's the only one we can trust…. He didn't tell Blue Team about Cortana's location… We did."
He heard Liara grunt. He knew that sound, that disapproving and frustrated grunt.
"And why would you do that, Commander?" Lord Hood said.
Shepard had no idea what to say. Liara stepped in for him, "the UNSC has made our situation extremely precarious as well. We went on our own, we would've put a nail in our relationship. It would give you the reason to push us out entirely. If we went with Blue Team…"
And Shepard realized she was about to shift the blame entirely to the Spartans. He wasn't sure if that was… Of course, it'll take a lot of pressure off the team, and either way, they tried to kill them…
But something deep down told Shepard not to…
"So we told them to go. We told them we'll provide support."
Liara's grunt was louder. She gripped Shepard's hand… More so angry than usual.
"Why?" Lord Hood asked.
"Maybe give back what you've been giving us," Garrus replied, catching on.
"That's not your fucking place-!" Captain Florence yelled.
"Captain," Lord Hood quietly replied. He looked to the crew. Stared down the Commander. And that same voice deep down told Shepard he wasn't buying it, observing the holes in the story. Maybe when Lord Hood asked why he was referring to like why the hell would Blue Team believe in Shepard? Why would they be pushed by someone outside their chain of command?
And for now….
He let go.
"Captain Lasky…" Lord Hood began. "Is currently one of our most capable ship commanders in the fleet… And the only one with knowledge of how to run the Infinity. Captain Florence…" He waved to the other commander. "He'll take charge as his XO."
Liara nodded, "I see."
"Commander Shepard," Lord Hood said. "Recover the Master Chief. Recover Cortana… Your advantage will only last so long.
"We'll get it done," Shepard said, confidence growing back. Advantage…
Liara turned to Shepard. She understood. She knew they really had no choice, and maybe...maybe this was the opportunity they needed to surpass the UNSC. Shepard nodded to her. She nodded back.
Garrus, more hesitant, at the very least saw the Commander and Doctor were in agreement.
"This is our op, Fleet Admiral," Shepard said. "We'll get it done as I see fit."
Lord Hood didn't say anything.
"We can deploy within the hour," Shepard said.