Shanxi
They'd never actually been to Shanxi before; not a single one of them in all of their lives. It'd never occurred to them, before that very moment, that visiting the notorious human colony might actually provide them with some insight, a new perspective on human history even beyond the events of the First Contact War. Of course, if not for The Illusive Man hiding out on the planet, they probably still wouldn't have ever found sufficient reason to visit Shanxi. Then again, with The Dissension coming out of the shadows for the first time in memory and Facinus recruiting from their ranks, maybe Dawn was headed to Shanxi all along.
"Why would The Illusive Man come here?" Grunt asked, hefting his hump and rolling his meaty shoulders.
"He worked as a mercenary with General Williams during the war," Shepard said, glancing at Garrus, taking in his stiff posture and alert gaze. "Ashley's grandfather," she added, even though she knew Grunt had no real clue who Ashley was and Garrus damn well already knew of Ashley's familial ties to the First Contact War. She said it for herself, she supposed.
"Who's Ashley?" Avalina asked, drawing Shepard's attention.
Mordin coughed gently into his fist. "Crew member of former Normandy. Died in collector attack on ship." He'd kept his voice low, his statements brief, but it still shot a pang of guilt and grief through their chest.
"Oh. Forgive me, Shepard." Avalina moved a little closer. "This must be very difficult for you."
Glancing over their shoulder, they met the asari's gaze with a tight-lipped smile and nodded. "It is, but I'll manage. Thank you, Avalina." Turning her attention back to Garrus, she leaned into him, just enough to draw his attention and offer him a hint of support. "Are you ready for this?" she asked when he met her gaze, eyes really nothing more than two, deadly icebergs, ready to destroy any ship which dared pass a little too closely.
Undoubtedly, walking around the planet with a turian by their side wouldn't win them any favors. If they really wanted to get people talking, they'd have to leave Garrus behind, and she refused. Garrus wasn't just her second in command, wasn't just her lover or her best friend, he was an incredibly valuable asset, and the former C-SEC detective knew how to gather intel. Even on a planet filled with hostile humans who saw him as an enemy of Shanxi's past and present.
"I'm right behind you, Shepard." Mandibles flicking, he gave her a curt nod before turning his gaze back out at the humans who'd stopped everything they were doing to stare at the Normandy crew spread out on the dock. Hate-filled gazes watched Garrus as if they expected him to suddenly call down an orbital strike and seize control of the colony all on his own.
She slipped her hand into his, closing her fingers and holding tight. She waited for him to meet her gaze again, shock and concern flaring his mandibles and lifting his brow plates. "No, Garrus. You're right beside me."
The icebergs melted, leaving behind the crystal blue waters she remembered from before … well, before her. He hummed, subvocals letting out a faint, whimper of a sound which barely made its way to her ears. Squeezing her hand, he nodded again and leaned down to gently bump his forehead against hers, ignoring the hiss of sounds coming from the crowds.
"Let's get this shit over with." Jack stepped up on Garrus' right, sandwiching him between herself and Shepard before cracking her neck. "These people are already starting to piss me off."
Shepard stood in the middle of the loft, datapad in her hand as she glanced around the abandoned apartment. She couldn't be sure how long it'd been since The Illusive Man stepped foot inside the building, but it was clear he hadn't been home for at least a few days before she showed up on Shanxi. The place was clean, orderly. He hadn't left in a rush, and it didn't look like he'd taken much with him at all. She figured that meant he intended to come back.
"Which leaves the questions where did he go and when will he be back?" Jane said, feeling every bit as frustrated by the empty apartment as Shepard.
"His neighbors say he's been coming and going for weeks, staying gone for several days at a time." Garrus said, drawing both of their attention. He leaned against the doorframe, glancing back over his shoulder at Jack and Avalina still lingering in the hall. "When he returns, he looks tired and disheveled." Reaching over, he picked up a datapad sitting on a shelf next to the door; one she'd already examined. "Unshaven, rumpled clothing, dirt on his shoes."
"Where the hell is he going?" She arched an eyebrow when he met her gaze.
He glanced at the datapad in her hand and crooked his fingers, shrugging as he answered, "No one seems to know. Or, if they do, they don't seem interested in sharing the details with me."
Even though she hadn't really taken the time to look over the contents of the datapad still in her grip, she went ahead and crossed the distance between her and Garrus before passing it over to him. "Do you think they're withholding information?" She glanced past his shoulder at the closed door leading to the next apartment. "I can always remind them who I am."
She glanced toward the kitchen as she heard packaging being ripped open. "Grunt? Whatever you just opened, don't eat it." She shifted her gaze back to Garrus but continued speaking to the krogan. "I wouldn't put it past this asshole to poison any food left behind."
A bark of laughter tore through the connection to Jane. "That's just paranoia."
Shepard ignored Jane's jab as easily as Grunt's grumbles of protest.
Garrus chuffed, turning his gaze to the datapad. "I'm sure they're not telling me everything, but honestly, I doubt there's much more they actually know."
Letting out a weary sigh, she turned her attention back to sorting through what little possessions The Illusive Man accumulated and kept on Shanxi. A wooden bowl sitting on the top of a bookcase held an OSD, a keycard, and a couple of credit chits. She pocketed the credit chits—because why the hell not?—and looked over the keycard. It told her absolutely nothing. No name, no insignia, no address to indicate what the keycard might be for. She didn't see a console anywhere, which admittedly she found surprising, and she sure as hell wasn't going to risk jacking the OSD into her omni-tool's system. She'd take it with her, though, and figure out what secrets it held later.
Garrus hummed, and she glanced over in time to see his mandibles fluttering softly around his face. He continued to scroll through the datapad, eyes locked onto whatever he saw. She knew that look, that determination. He'd found something. Shepard moved back to him, waiting quietly as she watched him with her arms crossed.
"This place gives me the creeps," Jane said, and indeed, Shepard felt hints of the other woman's unease.
"This apartment of Shanxi?" Shepard thought, her gaze never leaving Garrus.
"Both?" Jane rumbled. "Yeah, definitely both. I can't really say why though."
Shepard smirked and thought. "You mean you need a reason other than the blatant bigotry of the planet's residents, or the fact that the spartan décor of this apartment just seems to add to the feeling that The Illusive Man is completely void of anything resembling the humanity he claims to champion?"
"Hmmm." Garrus reached up a moment later and tapped his mic. "EDI?" he said, glancing at Shepard, the start of a smirk shifting his mouth plates. "Can you cross reference satellite images with the pictures on this datapad and get me coordinates to this cave system?"
Shepard didn't hear EDI's response, but she didn't need to to know the AI would have whatever answers Garrus needed in a matter of seconds. "What'd you find?"
Flicking a mandible, he hummed. "Thanks, EDI." His smile widened, and he handed the datapad back to Shepard. "I hope you like hiking in full armor."
"You shouldn't have come, Shepard." Kai Leng's voice echoed off the mountains, seeming to come from everywhere at once, and instantly, Dawn lost her grip.
They scanned the forest floor, their HUD giving them nothing but a few, scattered heartbeats and heat signatures of some of Shanxi's smaller fauna. "Tighten it up," they spoke softly, knowing the comms would pick up their voice just fine and transmit it to the ear pieces of their team. "Don't give him the opportunity to divide and conquer. He won't be alone, either."
Even as they spoke the words, a sighting laser tore through the canopy, searching out Shepard. The amalgamation dropped into a roll, dodging to take cover behind the nearest tree. A second later, Garrus' sniper rifle barked, the sound thunderous as it rolled across the stony mountains, and a body fell from the trees. Shepard stayed low, using the underbrush to help hide her movements as she pulled up her assault rifle and scanned the area again.
Another sighting laser cut through the air, but before Shepard could train her weapon on its source, several more joined the first. Gunfire peppered the tree she hid behind, driving her further back into cover. The flare of Avalina's biotics from just a few feet away came as a precursor to the unique, atmospheric bending sound of a Singularity popping into existence. Turning back out, Shepard let loose a spray from her assault rifle, super-heated shards of mass effect accelerated metal ripping through the two Cerberus Nemesis orbiting the Singularity.
Movement to her left caught her eye, and before she'd fully formed the idea in her head, her fist flared with dark energy. Flinging her hand out, a Shockwave ripped through the area, forcing a Phantom's cloaking to drop as it knocked the woman back. The assassin stumbled, losing her footing and fell, rolling down the mountainside for a dozen or so feet before slamming into a boulder. She scrambled upright, staying low and scanning the area for her sword, lost somewhere along the way. Shepard took aim and filled her full of holes, knowing damn well how dangerous the woman could be if she managed to get the weapon back in her hands.
~69696969~
"You killed Thane, you sonofabitch!" Grabbing Kai Leng's face, Shepard squeezed his skull with her hand full of biotic energy and banged his head against the crag of stone. Over and over and over again.
Garrus winced, mandibles flaring wide enough to brush against the insides of his helmet, but he didn't call out to Shepard, not even to tell her that Thane was still alive. Obviously, Dawn wasn't in charge, and the others—hmm, the amalgamation—had some residual hatred they needed to work out toward the man trapped between her weight and the unforgiving mountain. No, he wasn't getting in the middle of that for anything short of saving Shepard's life. And she, uh, she clearly had it under control.
Spirits, is that brain matter?
Instead, he focused his attention on watching her six and picking off stragglers trying to move in on her location. Jack slid into cover next to him, her chest heaving as her gaze darted back and forth between Shepard and Garrus a few times. She smirked and shook her head before flaring and turning out of cover to charge back into battle.
Another minute passed before Shepard seemed to wear herself out. She stopped caving in Kai Leng's skull and let him go, her own head drooping on her shoulders. A moment later, she began sobbing. Glancing out of cover to make sure the way was clear, Garrus turned, staying low in a crouch and darted across the uneven, rocky terrain.
Shepard's head snapped up, biotics flaring around her again as her gaze scanned the area, latching onto him as he made his approach. For one, brief moment, he thought she might actually attack him, too. She looked so lost, her eyes consumed by violet flames of rage. Then, something shifted, and she seemed to deflate.
"Come here," he said, holstering his sniper rifle when he reached her location. He held out his hands, squeezing her fingers when she accepted, and guided her to her feet. He helped navigate her over Kai Leng's corpse and pulled her closer, tucking her beneath his arm and holding her against his side. Absently, he rubbed the shoulder of her armor.
Giving her a few seconds, first, he hummed and said, "He's dead, Shepard. It's okay. Kai Leng's dead." He glanced around, making sure their little area remained clear of threats. "The Illusive Man is still inside, though. We need to get in there before he finds another way out." Shifting to search her face, he hummed and asked, "Are you good?"
She gave him a solid, sharp nod of her head, and the fog lifted from her eyes, leaving behind his Dawn. "I'm good."
Garrus adjusted his grip on his assault rifle and glanced back toward the cave's entrance. The dark shadow of Avalina's profile shifted against the sunlight streaming through the opening. The commando's focus never waivered, as stoic and stolid as Samara in battle, but something else entirely when the fighting stopped. Truth be told, he had a little trouble understanding how she and Thane became friends in the first place, but Garrus was glad to have her on the team. Especially with Shepard still struggling to keep her head on straight. He gave the asari a nod as she took up station, guarding their retreat along with Mordin.
Turning his attention forward, he reflexively reached out and wrapped his fingers around Jack's arm, steadying her when the toe of her boot caught in a crevice and she stumbled. She scoffed at the gesture, tugging her arm free and rolling her eyes at him as she kept trudging forward. Shepard rocked her head from side to side and then rolled her shoulders—pain and vigilance fatigue setting in, if he had to guess— as she creeped along with her assault rifle at the ready.
Garrus hated being inside the cave. Shepard needed him at his best and relied on him to pick up anything she missed, especially if her own attention to detail was beginning to flag. The damp earth and cold stone played with his senses, though, making it more difficult for him to pick up on scents or pin down the exact locations of sounds. It left him strained and antsy right alongside Shepard—his hide tight, muscles coiled, and ready for an ambush with every step. Thankfully, the passage opened up not far ahead, soft light filling the gaping maw of the cavern.
"Can you feel it, Shepard?" The Illusive Man's voice echoed off the rock walls, making it sound as if he could've been standing right next to Garrus.
A soft growl rumbled through Garrus' chest, and he eased up closer to Shepard.
"This is where they brought it; hid it to keep it safe until they could get it back off of Shanxi." There was a moment's pause, and the faintest hint of smoke reached Garrus' nostrils. "Of course, I had no idea what it was at the time. No idea how it would change my life and shape the course of humanity's future. Of the galaxy's future."
"What the fuck is he talking about?" Jack hissed, attention on Shepard.
Shepard glanced at Jack and shook her head.
"You were just a kid then. Still living on Mindor, learning to recite the alphabet and tie your shoes." He chuckled, the sound dry and humorless. "I bet you were already making life hell for everyone around you, Shepard. I'm sure your parents couldn't keep you reined in, either."
Shepard tensed, her steps faltering, but she kept going. The mind games weren't exactly surprising, but they definitely seemed to hit Shepard harder than they would've in the past. And it made Garrus want nothing more than to evicertate the man. Without intending to, Garrus growled a little louder.
"Is that Garrus Vakarian I hear with you?" Silence stretched a few heartbeats before he continued. "Tell me, Mr. Vakarian, what do you know of the Valluvian Priests?"
Garrus stopped abruptly, and Grunt nearly bowled him over. Shepard and Jack both glanced at him, halting in their tracks when they found him standing there like an idiot with a krogan up his ass. Chuffing, he shook his head. The Illusive Man's question still bounced around inside of his skull, failing to make a drop of sense amidst the dark, dank cave and the pile of dead bodies left in their wake on Shanxi of all places. Spirits, it'd fail to click into place, anywhere.
"What do you know of Temple Palaven or the Arca Monolith?" More smoke wafted through the passage, just the faintest hint of burning paper and pungent leaves following the ebb and flow of fresh air exchange from the cave's entrance.
Shepard turned back just enough to put a hand on his shoulder, lifting an eyebrow half hidden by her helmet.
"I don't know much," Garrus kept his voice low, willing it not to travel beyond his helmet's mic, "but I really don't understand what the priests or the temple have to do with any of this." He gave her a slow shake of his head. "It's just old, turian superstitions."
"We're almost there; let's just keep moving." Shepard said, turning her back on Garrus. "Let him talk, he won't be doing any of that for much longer."
He nodded even though she wasn't looking at him anymore and started moving again.
They came to a stop just within the shadows of the passage as it opened up and dipped downward. The Illusive Man crouched in the middle of the room, looking at some sort of markings on the ground, surrounded by a glowing wall of barriers. Garrus lifted his rifle, feeling the static of Shepard and Jack both flaring with biotic energy before the glow even registered. They had the high ground, so The Illusive Man's paltry defenses didn't even matter … until the whir of several turrets caught his ear.
"Shit," Garrus said, just as Shepard barked the order to get down.
"Take the turian alive; he might be useful." The Illusive Man stood, taking a drag from his cigarette as his glowing gaze locked on Garrus despite the darkness. "Kill the rest."
"Stay down." Garrus growled, letting every ounce of predatory instinct fill the flanging of his subvocals. As much as Garrus wanted to know why in the hell The Illusive Man gave the order to take him alive, he wanted to rip the man to shreds with his bare talons even more. In the end, reason and his sense of loyalty won out, so instead, he jammed his foot into The Illusive Man's chest. Shoving the human back against the stone, he pinned him there for Shepard.
Jack paced like a caged animal, her biotic flare wavering with her exhaustion, but the rage never left her face. Shepard fired twice more into the commando at her feet before she turned, chest heaving, eyes wild and settled her gaze on Garrus' trapped prey. She began stalking closer, and Grunt moved in, taking up position on her left flank. The Illusive Man squirmed, grabbing Garrus' booted foot and using a laughable amount of strength to try and push him off. Growling again, Garrus pressed a little harder into the man's sternum and twisted, feeling the bone begin to crack. The Illusive Man grit his teeth and whimpered, but he kept a tight hold on the scream clearly trying to force its way from his mouth.
"You don't understand, Shepard," The Illusive Man said, face contorting as he struggled to draw breath.
Shepard holstered her assault rifle and drew her pistol, checking her ammo as she continued to close the distance between them.
"The fuck is there to understand?" Jack yelled, rushing closer but not quite coming within striking range. She wanted to, of course, more than anything; Garrus didn't need to be able to pick her scent out of the blood-drenched air to know how badly she wanted to pummel the man to death.
"So," Shepard said, walking right up to The Illusive Man's prone form and squatting next to him. Resting her elbows on her knees, she let her pistol hang between her legs, but only an utter fool would think for even a second it meant they were any less dead. "Explain it to me."
~69696969~
Jack only half listened while the motherfucker prattled on about monoliths and Valluvian Priests. Something about it still calling to him from the ruins of Temple Palaven. The fuck did she care? Obviously the asshole was talking about some reaper artifact he had a hard-on over. What the fuck was Shepard waiting for?
"Kill him." The words came out a growl, slipping through her grinding teeth before she really had the chance to even consider whether it was wise to be making orders while Alliance still had the glint of crazy in her eyes.
Shepard looked up at Jack, and honestly, at any other time, what she saw in those eyes might've made her flinch. Instead, she held Shepard's gaze in defiance, even as an adoring smile spread across the woman's lips. Alliance's focus drifted to The Illusive Man for a second or two before sliding back to Jack, and she rose to her feet.
The Illusive Man still rambled on about the Arca Monolith and everything it could do for humanity if only Shepard would work with him and not against him. Shepard didn't even seem to be listening anymore, though. Stepping around The Illusive Man's prone form, Shepard moved behind Jack.
Still on edge and confused, Jack started to turn, instinct insisting she face the new threat, but she had enough of her wits about her to stay still when Shepard pressed a hand against her shoulder blade. Alliance moved up real close, the warmth of her armor, slick with blood, pushed against Jack's back. Trying to figure out what the fuck was going on, Jack started to turn her head but stopped when Shepard raised an arm past Jack's shoulder, crooking it around her body. Relaxing her grip, Alliance held the pistol on her palm out like an offering to Jack.
Jack grinned, a shudder of pleasure sliding over her spine as she took the weapon. Staying close, Shepard settled her hand over Jack's, mimicking the grip as if they both held the pistol. Guiding Jack's arm up and out, Alliance pointed the weapon at The Illusive Man.
"We keep our promises, Jack," Alliance said, her voice a sultry purr next to Jack's ear as she lined up the shot. "Right between the eyes."
"Fuck yeah." Jack pulled the trigger.
~69696969~
"Primarch." Shepard nodded her head to Fedorian when he appeared on her screen, and then she nodded again to the former counselor when his face popped up in the primarch's place a second later. "Sparatus."
"Shepard, it's good to see you again." A tight, forced smile lifted Sparatus' mouth plates as he dipped his head. "I heard about the attacks on The Pearson Sisters' Sanctuary. I was relieved to hear you'd made it out alive. I must say, however, I'm surprised the Council has allowed you to return to active duty." He chuffed and flicked a mandible. "What can I do for you?"
Fedorian cleared his throat, and Sparatus' expression instantly shifted, eyes practically screaming 'oh, shit'.
Shepard smiled and said, "I have the Primarch on call, too. Give me just a moment, and I'll …" She trailed off as EDI merged the calls, allowing everyone present to see everyone else. "There we go."
"Excuse me, Primarch." Spartacus lowered his head to the image, spine stiffening as he pulled himself more upright, taking on the look of a proud, diligent soldier as much as his residual nerve damage allowed.
"Relax, Sparatus." Fedorian's mandibles flared, and the look in his eyes took on a decidedly bored and annoyed cast. He shifted his attention to take in Garrus, gaze softening a touch as he nodded before focusing on Shepard. "Commander."
"Thank you. Both of you, for taking my call." She shifted, leaning back in her chair and crossed her hands over her abdomen. Normally, she'd stand for such a call, but the truth of the matter was, she was completely exhausted and longed for her bed. "The Normandy is on the way to Palaven." She focused on Fedorian. "I thought it was time you and I had that sit down we discussed." She offered him a smile. "But the reason I'm calling now is to alert you both that while hunting down The Illusive Man—the former leader of Cerberus—we found evidence suggesting there may be live, active reaper artifacts in the ruins of something called Temple Palaven."