Yet another car ride led the team deeper into Tuchanka, this time, into Gatatog territory. Thankfully, Doctor Halsey had requested a pair of Warthogs be deployed so that she, the Commander and Blue Team could advance. Rolling in under the cover of darkness with active Night Vision and no vehicle lights, the team prepared.
Shepard was driving the leading Warthog, with Halsey in the side seat and Mordin in the back, though not manning the gun. That honor fell to Kelly, who was scanning the line around them as they advanced down a broken highway. One of their wheels crunched something underneath and bone fragments shot up by the vehicle's open side.
Shepard hummed, then said, "You know, this somehow handles better than the Mako…" in a murmur. Mordin, who was hanging onto the vehicle's roll cage for dear life, laughed a bit nervously. He had heard rumors of how Commander Shepard could drive. Mostly from Garrus, obviously, but regardless of that…
Kelly felt the wheel bounce over a piece of rubble and said, "Commander, with all due respect, please keep us on the road…" quietly. Though it was unspoken, all members of the away team felt an unease not exactly related to Shepard's apparently poor driving track record. No, something about this op was strange and it wasn't just the Gatatog territory.
The trip continued on in silence until Halsey signaled a stop. Next to a monolithic ruin that must've once been an important religious site, going by the few wall paintings the team could make out, there was a crater dug deep by bombs and orbital debris. The remnants of ancient ships, both Krogan and seemingly Citadel, lay strewn about in the distance, scrap-heap mountains rising high in the darkness.
Shepard heard her geiger counter spike, the chirping going from short clicks half a second apart to a long, constant chittering. She looked to Halsey, who nodded, expecting a pocket of radiation in this specific area as she activated her mask and what CBRN Defenses her new equipment, an armor and a MOPP-esque suit, had.
The Spartans dismounted from the vehicles, weapons at the ready while Halsey examined the drawings on the building. Mordin wasn't far behind, taking a knee beside the building's exterior and noting parts of the collapsed interior through a pair of shattered doors, both of which were drilled through by ancient gunfire.
He could even see some parts of the slugs that tore through it. Not important to the investigation at hand, but still. He looked at Halsey and asked, "Anything to help with?" as he stared at the insignias and symbols. Strangely, none of them were familiar to him and any anthropologist and archaeologist friends he might've had in the STG were lightyears away…
"Not yet…" Halsey murmured as she scanned one symbol in particular with heavy interest.
Shepard took a knee next to them as well, staring at the symbol, then said, "... It almost looks like someone put half a Jedi Order symbol next to a really, really old Republic symbol in there…" as she pulled up images General Tano and her Clone Troopers had shown her of home. Indeed, the left side of the strange symbol, a hexagonal shape containing two halves of two emblems, contained the strange, bird-like alien mark of the Jedi Order.
The right, though? It looked like a much simpler half-mark of the Republic. One half-arrow pointed up at twelve, one full arrow pointing at two, one at four and one half-arrow pointing at six o'clock. She also saw a strange cloaked figure next to it. Two, in fact. Halsey spoke, "Good observation… That is, indeed, a symbol of the old Jedi Order… Though I'm unsure of what it could mean."
"Presence of extragalactic religious order like Jedi here? Strange," Mordin spoke, "Perhaps best to inquire with General Tano?"
"We ordered radio silence so the entire Gatatog Clan doesn't come down on our heads," Shepard replied in a murmur, "So, probably not a good idea," before noticing Halsey visibly widening her eyes. She turned toward another symbol, flashing a beam of light from her flashlight on it. Shepard blinked as an alien rune, carved into the stone appeared.
Halsey clicked her tongue, then quickly pulled up data on her tablet. She hummed, while Shepard noticed the image of the 'Librarian', a humanoid with a similar profile to standard human beings. Said symbol, however, seemed to represent her on it. The Doctor stated, "A symbol of the Forerunners… Terrifyingly more ancient…"
"... We've seen similar symbols on Ilos back during our hunt against Saren," Shepard whispered to herself, remembering it. Though they were merely running past them, the ruins themselves contained a myriad of symbols and colors on them. Though they were shoddily carved, probably by the Protheans that had once inhabited the place.
"What?" Halsey blinked, surprised.
Mordin hummed, "Remember reading reports. Ilos, currently a research site… Old Prothean colony," and he turned to Shepard, "Also found Symbols. Ancient… Complexes date back millennia before Protheans, however. Rebuilt by Protheans in places, made into habitable lands and spires. Presumed… Even more ancient species built Ilos. Carbon dating points at some structures, 127,000 years of age at least."
"... Could the Librarian have?" Shepard asked, looking at Halsey.
Halsey hummed, then licked her lips and said, "It's a possibility. Though what little we know of the Forerunners through their own databases points at the wars they've fought being 150,000 years back. We know they were long-lived, though, so…" and she gazed down into the crater beside the building, a faint light glowing. She spoke, "Our first answer to this new conundrum has to be down there."
"Indeed," Mordin smiled, "Eager to find out more. Might write out dissertation after Collector business if you will join me, doctor," to which Halsey nodded. Shepard chuckled, then sighed. She and the Blues walked back toward the trucks, lifting rappelling gear that could support the Spartans' weight and beginning to attach it as the doctors debated the items here.
When the ropes were set and rolled down the steep crater wall, Shepard dusted her hands off and looked at Chief, asking, "You guys know we could've probably done this better with just a three-person team? It's a research mission, after all," while acutely aware that Spartans might've counted as the stealthiest people on the ship… Second to Kasumi.
Maybe.
Chief nodded and said, "We're aware, ma'am… Security detail in this case was considered necessary," As he checked one of the ropes, pulling it taut and looking at its anchor point:A rock buried into the ground. He nodded approvingly, then added, "Doctor Halsey is an important asset. Head of ONI, commander of this expedition…"
Cortana butted in and said, "What he means is 'we don't want Doctor Halsey to get hurt'," with a smile. She continued, "It's nothing personal, Commander, but even the Spartans have people they care about. They do know you can fight and kick ass if need be, but it's a point of concern when doctor Halsey's involved…"
"You guys have some special link with her," Shepard nodded, "I get it. Don't worry. We'll keep her safe," all while watching the Spartans calmly attach the ropes to their belts in preparation for the descent. She shrugged and mumbled to herself, "It's just an old ruin? What's the worst that can happen?" before blanking.
Fuck, she hated invoking Murphy out of nowhere.
A few moments later, the team had begun their descent, Shepard gently clinging onto the rope with both hands, her belt clip connected by both magnetic attachments and a mechanical connector as they descended. The Spartans, meanwhile, were moving ahead, a four-man team silent and deadly as they came. Beside Shepard was Halsey to the left and Mordin to the right.
"So, doc," Shepard started. Halsey looked at her. The Commander then continued, "What's your connection to the Spartans, anyways? I know you probably made them, but… Anything important we really should know about?" with a hint of concern. He looked down at Chief again, noticing the man and his team were talking, but over single-beam. External speakers of their helmets were off.
The woman looked on at Shepard, silent for a moment, before stating, "All there is is classified intelligence, Commander. Even as head of ONI, I could be thrown into the Brig for revealing it without due cause…" with a hint of sadness behind her voice. Almost like she wanted to tell, but couldn't. Office of Naval Intelligence NDAs were probably something else, Shepard thought.
Mordin added, "Off the record?"
"... They're incredibly important to me," Halsey replied, her voice low, quiet, introspective, "For a multitude of reasons. One of which is my own sins as a human being. One of the many reasons I have little to no moral high ground to stand on when judging some other crimes," then she looked at Shepard, "What about you, Commander?"
"What about me?" Shepard asked, confused, as she loosened her strap a little to descend better.
"Any sins you wish to confess to so we might all share the burden and lighten the load? Mordin already shared his, though unwillingly," Halsey asked in a particularly joking manner, though her deadpan and dryness didn't help the humor come through all that much. Mordin snickered a bit at the jab, while Shepard smiled. Her mind, however, locked onto two things…
"Well…" She sighed deeply, "I was on Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz. A Batarian-funded Pirate assault on Human Colonies in the Skyllian Verge… I lost a few good men there. As for a more recent sin…? Probably leaving a dear friend behind on a previous mission that didn't give me much choice," as the image of Kaidan's face flashed in her mind.
"I see…" Halsey sighed deeply, "Apologies," and the rest of the trip down remained quiet until their feet touched the underground tunnel walkway. Said walkway, however, was really strange. Black basalt with shades of red glowing through the sides of the tunnel, which looked like a massive ribcage. It seemed to awaken when the team landed, with a low grumble echoing throughout the place, dust and debris falling from the ceiling.
Halsey also found the projectile that had dug the jagged crater they'd just descended:A polonium-laden ferrous slug fired from a Turian warship. She murmured, "Talk about crimes," in a whisper as she added, "Surface radiation from orbital bombardment and the planet's own nuclear history caused the radiation above. This polonium round is inert."
"Jeez, man," Shepard spoke, "Orbital bombing with radiation rounds. Thought the Turians knew a little restraint," then she looked up and down the corridor. The rearmost sections had collapsed, while the area ahead, which seemed to contain a very ornate door in a door frame that looked very much like a human diaphragm, was undamaged.
"Guessing the Krogan had a route down here," Shepard pointed at the collapsed rear of the tunnel. She stated, "Old stairwell. Collapsed after the bombings, presumably," then she looked around the place. Yet again, nobody mentioned it, but they felt the proverbial 'pit in the stomach' in this place. Halsey ordered them forward.
The team advanced in a wedge down the hall, Halsey and Mordin jotting down and photographing every strange symbol on the walls as they did so. The red-hued lights marred the place in a bloody hue, though they didn't really hurt to look at, strangely enough. As they approached the door ahead, some sort of internal sensor must've tripped.
The door hissed, then peeled apart, opening to reveal a wider corridor up ahead. No, not exactly a corridor. An intersection. Three more doors stood, one on each of the three walls opposite their entry point, while, in the middle, there was a monolith surrounded by several ancient consoles. Said consoles had bullet holes in them, or were inactive.
They looked positively ancient, however, with Halsey even commenting, "Well… Seems we have a new archaeological site," quietly. She approached one of the consoles, which was flickering, then noted bullet holes in the walls as well, not to mention destroyed machinery in a small ditch surrounding the central platform and even skeletons.
Krogan skeletons. Piled up in a corner. Mordin walked over to then, took a knee and began a preliminary carbon dating scan with his Omni-Tool. Halsey approached the console and watched it flicker to life, the haptic interface shimmering, dust clouding the holo-emitter. It crackled and sparked a little.
"Aurebesh," Halsey spoke as she saw the symbols dancing on the screen. She mumbled, "I suppose that confirms the fact this is technology native to the Republic's Galaxy…" as she activated her tablet, which had an Aurebesh translator installed ever since they'd come into contact with the Republic. She sighed.
"What's up?" Shepard asked as she walked over to the woman.
Halsey shook her head, "Error codes," then shut off the tablet and slid it back into its pocket. She checked the radiation count and took her mask off, shaking her head and taking a deep breath. Shepard deactivated her own helmet and mask and looked at the doctor, who shrugged, "What little these error codes allow me to gather is the fact that this is a research station of some kind."
She pointed at a string of Aurebesh writing and said, "This translates loosely to 'ERROR:Damage to mainframe, reboot required'. Meaning there is a mainframe nearby here," as she looked at the monolith in the center of the room. It was black basalt like the rest of the place, but the symbols on it glowed red like the lights. Above them, a square formed of white tube-shaped lightbulbs shined down, crackling.
Mordin stood up and approached them, stating, "Krogan skeletons, four millennia old. Marks of energy weapon damage. Very faint traces of 'Tibanna gas' detected…" as he looked over at the corpses. Indeed, the carapaces showed the black of plasma scoring and holes drilled clean through into the brains and other areas. The Salarian motioned to the destroyed machines and stated, "Certainly security units… Krogan Rite, maybe. Read somewhere in anthropological research, ancient Krogan battled strange creatures, metallic, to advance in clan hierarchy…"
"Possibly," Halsey hummed. She said, "But this is technology from the Republic's Galaxy. What is it even doing here?" and she tried to approach and link to a console again. Turning to Chief, she asked, "John. Bring Cortana over, please," to which the Spartan nodded. Slinging his rifle onto his back, he walked over to her and handed her the chip.
Halsey connected it and quickly jury-rigged a physical connection to the less damaged console, telling Cortana, "See what you can find. A map of the complex or information in regards to what it is doing here… Anything worthwhile. Everyone else, please, verify the doors and the corridors beyond," as she focused on her work.
Kelly was the first to open a door. The one to the left of the way they came in. She blinked upon seeing another collapsed tunnel, flickering lights washing over. An ancient Turian fighter had crashed here, obvious by the fact the fossilized remains of one of them. She said, "Dead Turian fighter. Looks like it's from the time of the Rebellions."
"And a blocked passageway," Shepard said, "What the hell is going on here?"
"Second door open," Fred called out from the door directly opposite the one they came in through. Halsey peered past the monolith and saw it was a ramp descending down. Fred scanned it from behind cover, then said, "It's a descent to a sublevel. Minor damage on the walls, no blockages or wreckage… Seeing a couple more skeletons, but they aren't Krogan."
Halsey looked at Cortana, who sat on the screen of her tablet. The AI tilted her head toward the door and Halsey nodded, leaving the tablet on the console under Mordin and Shepard's watch as she went over to see the corpses. Peering down, she saw two humanoid skeletons stretched out across the hallway. One of them looked like it'd been split in half at the waist.
There were also destroyed machines, piles thereof, ahead. Linda also called out from the next door, "Open. Area clear," which caused everyone to look over. Indeed, there was just another side room. A large one, though, with various empty human-sized tanks, multiple ancient footlockers and various other items.
"... it feels like we walked into some sort of ancient dungeon crawler," Shepard mumbled as she peered inside the place. There were also abandoned, ancient bunk beds that were torn to shreds and, obviously, cobwebs. Dust was a pretty standard thing to find in this old place, Shepard thought. She looked at Halsey and stated, "Should we keep moving?"
"Indeed," Halsey replied as she detached her tablet and Cortana from the console. She handed the Chip back to John, then said, "Cortana has found a schematic of at least this floor and the next. This seems to be some sort of lobby area…" before drawing her pistol. She and Shepard led the way, despite Chief and the Spartans' uneasiness at that.
Well, no, the entire team felt a definite sense of unease as they descended deeper into the place. An accumulating sense of dread seemed to grip their hearts, slowly making itself more and more known to the Soldiers and doctors. When they reached the bottom door, Shepard hit the release mechanism, letting it open and looking at Halsey. She whispered, "I have a b-"
"I assume you're familiar enough with Murphy not to finish that sentence, Commander," Halsey whispered back. A hint of surprise crossed the face of Commander Shepard, who had, for all intents and purposes, hoped Halsey was the one who didn't believe in gut feelings and/or Murphy's Laws. Halsey stated, "I'm sure Cortana mentioned it?"
Shepard nodded, "Yeah. Fair point."
The door slid open, revealing a T-Intersection. Clearing both hallways by pie-ing the corners with their weapons, the Spartans and Shepard all plainly prepared for any new contacts. They only found more dust, some debris and broken machines. Shepard spoke, "This is certainly creepier than anything I've gone through in my previous jobs," in a whisper.
"It reminds me of a few things," Cortana quipped. Chief huffed in agreement.
The Commander nodded, then said, "We're dividing teams between the docs and each taking a route. If you don't mind, Chief," and turned to face the Spartan. He gave a nod, showed Linda and Fred to move with Mordin. Mordin, to his credit, gave a nod and bid a silent goodbye to her, Chief, Kelly and Halsey.
Shepard took the left way, then, with Halsey beside her, peering through the little data they got from the consoles upstairs. Unseen to her, or anyone else, really, as she took a step on the floor, a hexagonal plate of stone that made up said floor shifted a little. Chief only picked it up with his enhanced hearing and paused, calling out, "Doctor, Commander!"
Suddenly, the walls to their right and left suddenly shifted. Stone groaned, gears turned and two massive slabs of basalt slammed together, separating Chief and Kelly from the Commander and Halsey. The latter two had to jump out of the way, with Shepard having activated a biotic dash of a sort to jump forward.
Halsey, nauseated, groaned and said, "Please never do that again…" before looking back. She sighed deeply, stood up and walked over to the wall with Shepard, calling out, "Kelly, John! If you can hear us, we are alive! Rally with the others and find a way to meet us!" only to feel a chill shoot up her spine. She saw Shepard twitch, too.
One knock on the stone, hard enough to reverb across the walls, confirmed that John had heard her. She sighed deeply, then said to Shepard as the woman turned on her Omni-Tool and activated coms. The Doctor told her, "Don't bother… The layers of stone and ferrous material in the walls are going to jam even close coms."
"Damn," Shepard sighed. She shut off the com and said, "Stay close, doc. I'd rather not piss off the Spartans by getting you killed," before walking up right beside her. Halsey stared at her as if slightly offended, though she sighed and nodded, drawing her own sidearm as they advanced down the corridor. The corridor split into two again, though this time it was an L intersection.
The door to their left, Shepard approached. She showed Halsey to wait, hit the button to open it, then turned on her rifle's flashlight and peered inside. The blade of light was swallowed by the darkness, however, with Shepard mumbling, "Oh, fuck that…" before taking a step back and hitting the button again.
Halsey blinked, then scanned the door and said, "Strange… There should be a room on the other side according to these schematics," before approaching the button and hitting it again. The Darkness appeared again, an all-swallowing nothingness, a void. Halsey scanned it, then mumbled, "EM feedback is normal…"
She took a step forward, stopping only when Shepard grabbed her wrist and said, "Doc… Let's not test the limits of this place right now," Only to see the woman stare at her in a deadpan. The Commander rolled her eyes, pushed a strand of her blonde hair out of her eyes, then ordered, "I'm taking point if we are going in…"
The doctor paused, then nodded. She readied her own pistol and followed Shepard close behind. The two stepped into the shroud of nothing… Only for light to suddenly appear in front of their eyes. Inside this strangely spacious room, they found another set of consoles, most lined up against walls, plus a bunch of droids and more Krogan Skeletons…
… Including one in a tank similar to the ones they'd found beforehand. Halsey blanked, approached the sole working console at the back wall and accessed it while Shepard closed the door to the hallway behind them. She felt another chill shoot up her spine, like they were being watched by something, or by someone.
"Uh, doc…?" Shepard approached a skeleton on what looked to be an operation table. She looked at it and the skeleton in the tank, then said, "What the hell's going on in here? This looks the same as Maelon's lab…" before she looked at the pool of blood on the table. There were remnants of insertion points on it, too, for metallic arms.
Halsey hummed, then said, audible surprise in her voice, "... Research logs…" as Shepard walked toward her. The two women locked eyes and Halsey pulled up the files on her tablet, stating, "I am still receiving Mainframe Errors, but a local, although corrupted copy of one log still remains," and pulling it up. She read, "... Data conclusive… Enhancement of aggression in surviving subjects successful… Proceeding…"
"... How old did Mordin say these skeletons are? Four, maybe five thousand years?"
"Four, I believe," Halsey replied in a murmur, "If I recall correctly, Krogan have long lives… These specimens might've lived up to now, had they not wound up in this research center," then she looked at Shepard. The woman shrugged, noting through simple sign language she wasn't a xenobiologist. Still, the Krogan were obviously someone's little pet project…
Taking a step back after saving the Data, Shepard and Halsey walked out, the doctor stating, "The fact that their aggressiveness might've been engineered into them is strange… Though certainly not unfounded," in a whisper. She looked at the map and said, "The energy signal I detected points in this specific direction. Shall we?"
Shepard nodded, tense. She caught something moving in the corner of her eye, down what looked like an open corridor. When she turned to face it with her rifle, however, she found just a wall. Halsey, who had noticed this little moment, asked, "Everything alright?" as she, too, tensed, tightening her grip on her own sidearm out of instinct.
"I could swear there was…" Shepard breathed, then shook her head, "I must be losing it," and she took point again, marching down the hallway while making sure there were no extra seams around the floor panels. No reason to trigger another trap, she thought. They approached the door at the end and hit the open button, only to find another collapsed tunnel.
Halsey quipped, "That certainly worsens our predicament…" though she was sure Shepard had seen something she just wasn't saying anything about. She turned back toward the Hallway and said, "Commander, if you saw something, anything that could help us… Please, show me…" to which Shepard sighed. Halsey told her, "Take into account the room we just walked into having a shroud of darkness at the door and think…"
"Illusions," Shepard murmured the moment the realization struck, looking at the exact spot where she'd seen the hallway before. She approached it, with Halsey not far behind, then gently moved her hand toward the wall. Both she and Doctor Halsey were surprised when, not only did a breeze come through, but Shepard's arm phased through the faux-wall.
The two exchanged glances, with Halsey stating, "Light trickery, maybe… Hologram display," and then she and Shepard walked through. The doctor looked up at the ceiling, then scanned it and murmured, "No… EM is normal here, too…" and turned to Shepard. Maybe looking at the Commander could give an explanation.
"Might be actual magic? The Force is really weird," Shepard shrugged. Halsey didn't seem convinced.
Still, she ignored it and said, "Power source is this way, Commander…"
As they advanced, a cross-intersection came into view. The same one where Shepard had seen a figure move. She turned left, the way the figure had moved, and only found more rubble and debris. Right was open and straight ahead was sealed by what looked to be a malfunctioning door marked by black scars and metal and stone that had melted and re-solidified into clumps.
And a skeleton that was missing its left arm. It was, for all intents and purposes, humanoid. And the thing that had taken his arm, or what remained of it, lay right next to him. Halsey walked over to said item, eyes as wide as saucers, then knelt beside it and looked it over. Two robotic arms that could extend were attached to the forwardmost point of an aerodynamic body. In the center, what must've been a blue optical sensor resided, with antigrav engines attached to the lower section.
"A Sentinel…" Halsey murmured, then looked above and around. There was no possible area where it could've come from. She checked its AI Matrix, but found it had a hole drilled in it. A Blaster hole. She looked over at the corpse and saw the gun, its muzzle caked in dust and charcoal-black from being fired.
The skeletal remains still had bits and bobs of the armor, but most of it looked like it'd been flash-fried off. Even the left hip and shoulder bones were charred black and almost looked like they'd melted. She looked at the machine's beam weapon, detached it and handed it to Shepard, stating, "Keep that close, Commander. It seems the Sentinels have received an upgrade."
"... Doc, I'm scared to ask how you know this thing-" The woman spoke, pausing as she watched Halsey stand up and lead the way. She sighed, slid the alien weapon onto her armor's heavy slot and ran in front of Halsey, drawing her gun. She stated, "What did I say about running off, doc? Look, I know you can take care of yourself, age and wisdom, but…"
"I know," Halsey nodded. She told Shepard, "This is as much a test for you as it is for my Spartans and me. For you, it's earning something. For us, it's learning something…" as they walked. Shepard stared at her, aware of what Halsey was hinting at. Halsey, however, cracked a small smile and said, "Trust. We learn to trust you, you earn our trust. You figured it out so quick?"
"I didn't pass officer school or survive the Blitz without having some intuition, ma'am," Shepard replied as she peered past a corner. Halsey snorted, but restrained herself from outright laughing, to which Shepard said, "No, no, let it out. Good to mock the woman who's trying to earn your trust. For real, though… I get it. Chief's the team's officer. You're basically the mother of all Spartans, right?"
"An apt descriptor," Halsey spoke.
"And I haven't earned your trust yet?" Shepard inquired as they walked, "Considering everything?"
"Mine? Yes. Specifically because of your willingness to accept all three allied units aboard out of thin air and to allow the rest of the Blues to join Frederic aboard. Not to mention your openness to being the mediator in our talks," Halsey replied as she held one hand on her belt and one on her pistol, which was on safe, "Admiral Thrawn has complimented you, too. So has Commander Adama."
"I'm happy to hear that," Shepard hummed, then said, "Hey, think we can-"
"Shepard…" A familiar voice whispered. Shepard spun about, aiming her rifle with wide eyes. For a split second, a silhouette appeared at the rear end of the hallway. Halsey herself had turned, pistol drawn and eyes open. The two women exchanged a look, silently asking each-other 'Did you hear that, too?'
"What did you hear?" Shepard whispered.
Halsey replied, "... The voice of my daughter…" whispering as well. She lowered her pistol, checked her datapad and showed Shepard to follow. Best to ignore it, the two thought. The place was playing tricks on them. That had already been established when they encountered two optical illusions one immediately after the other.
They stepped to a door and Shepard, in all her wisdom, hit the 'button' with her balled fist. She let out a short yelp, holstered her rifle and grabbed her hand as the 'door' began to fluctuate, undulating waves rippling from the point of impact. Halsey scoffed and said, "Another one…" as she approached it. The doctor spoke, "This place is starting to annoy the hell out of me…" as she checked the map, "And there is something past this 'wall'..."
The Commander scoffed, powered on her biotics and said, "I felt the impact. Structure is weak, so a little biotic finesse should open it," as her powers flared purple. Halsey took a step back and away from the wall. If it was going to collapse, it was best to be out of range. So, Halsey simply watched as the Commander gently shot her hand forward. A ball of dark energy struck the wall, disintegrating the illusion and the wall itself, which crumbled into a surprising amount of dust.
"Huh," Halsey stared, "Well done."
"Hey, I didn't graduate top of my class at N7 Biotics for nothing," Shepard smiled awkwardly. Both women were visibly shaken by hearing the voices of their loved ones, but at least they still found time to compliment each-other. They entered the room up ahead, a sprawl of an atrium that led further down. Shepard peered down into the darkness, a deep void swallowing all light below, then said, "Yeah, no… We're not meeting up with the blues at this rate. We should pull back, see if I can't use my biotics on that wall, too."
"It sounded and looked like almost a foot of hard basalt, Commander," Halsey replied, peering down as well, looking at the various galleries, some of which had collapsed walkways or doors. She added, "By all means, go try and break us out of here…" with a hint of sarcasm. Walking over to the side of the gallery they were on, she knelt beside a pile of corpses and one of ancient ash.
Scouring through it as Shepard approached, the woman fished out an alien device of some kind. A hilt, Halsey soon realized, as ornate as that of a Jedi's lightsaber. She looked at it, thumbed what looked to be the on switch and watched the lightsaber's blood-red blade flicker into existence before the emitter malfunctioned and it died.
"Red," Shepard spoke, "Weird…"
"As weird as the other dead Sentinel," Halsey replied, motioning to the machine that must've disintegrated the wielder of the saber. It was cut in half, internals melted and fused by the plasma blade. She stood up and said, "Seems as though our friends had a bit of a rough day when trying to evacuate."
"The tech in the middle of this place must've woken up pissed," Her comrade nodded. They kept on going, led by Halsey through the multi-level area, down several flights of stairs after they tested all the other doors on the level. This was seriously starting to get worse and worse. No com signal, no way to contact their friends and a deeper descent into an ancient complex. Shepard murmured, "How the fuck did the Krogan not dig this stuff up ages ago…?"
"Maybe they were told not to," Halsey suggested, "Or this place fell into disuse to anyone but their Shamans. We won't know until we either get back to Wrex or find a Gatatog member to ask… And I'm none too fond of speaking to the latter, though the objective of learning does not allow room for personal biases."
The two stopped in front of a door and hit the button, both breaching with guns drawn only to find another laboratory of some kind. Shepard gagged, covering her mouth and murmuring, "What the hell's that smell…?" while the rotting remnants of another creature lay on the table. Slowly decomposing.
Halsey approached the console in the room, moving past several slabs of stone containing dead specimens and past a series of lockers that Shepard started searching. She linked to the Console, activated it and said, "More research… Seems to be much earlier than our previous, though a little less corrupted."
The data file read, "... mutations to indigenous life… easy… Control isn't… but… trying… Alchemical compounds in 'Krogan' blood enhance aggressiveness, regenerative capabilities, but not all subjects survive. Possibility of use as Shock Troops high, but… Will h… contact Dromm…" to which Halsey sighed. She said, "Well, we know someone touched the Krogan before the Salarians and Asari did…"
"Yeah," Shepard murmured, walking over and carrying what looked to be an ancient blaster weapon of some kind. She said, "And from the looks of it," she looked back at the corpses on the table, continuously regenerating and degenerating, "They intended to do the same thing as the Citadel did. Use them as shock troops."
"And yet…" Shepard mumbled, "Gonna have to go see if these troops ever made it to the Republic's Galaxy," then she pointed, "Next door…" and pushed forward. Halsey couldn't help but appreciate the Commander's promptness in finding their next way through. She downloaded what little data she could to put together
"Clever one, ain't she…" A voice called to Halsey, this one male. She doubled over and turned about, suddenly going pale as bone as she aimed her pistol. She, too, only caught a glimpse of a silhouette. Shepard scoffed, having drawn her Carnifex this time to aim at whoever spoke. She walked over to Halsey.
"Who?" The Commander then asked, aggravated.
"... An… Old friend…" The woman's voice cracked. The two walked through the door and deeper into the compound, praying that at some point they'd find a way through to meet up with Mordin and Blue Team. Halsey sighed, looking at herself. The years had not been kind to the sixty-eight-year-old woman. Maybe she was losing her mind. She had lost so much…
The Power Source proximity warning pinged…
She blinked and looked, starting, "Commander, I-" only to pause as she suddenly found herself in the middle of a wide void. One light peered down at her from above. She'd wanted to tell Shepard that she was sure Blue Team did trust her, but… She called out, "Shepard? Samantha!" and started walking forward.
The further she walked, the more 'nowhere' she got. There was just the void, the light and what felt like a treadmill holding her in place for most of this run. So she thought, however, until the light above touched a glimmering something in the dark. Halsey paused, stared at the ground, at the reflecting light, then walked a little further…
… The light glowed a bit more. The further she walked, the more it glowed, until the form… Forms… Resolved… And Halsey's heart sunk.
Clad in MJOLNIR, the corpse of a Spartan appeared, the green light washing over the charred form of his armor. His breastplate had a hole drilled into it by a Covenant plasma pistol, which already signified who this was supposed to be. The Doctor froze, then looked around as more and more of the light around struck MJOLNIR…
Thirty-three corpses greeted Catherine. The dead lay sprawled across the field ahead, clad in various MJOLNIR types ranging from the standard MARK IV to the more modern Mark-VIs. One had an SPI armor set, charred and blackened by nuclear fire. Another missed his arm. Yet another had her armor's reactor blown, her corpse laying face down. Hundreds more lay in the dark, shadows. Spartan-IIIs in the distance and IIs in the middle.
She swallowed, then paused as she saw a seam in the field, one that the light refracted off of. She paused, looked past it, then saw a greater pile of corpses and a lone figure, clad in a labcoat, carrying a tablet and wearing a pair of broken glasses. Her hair was black as night and her face young, terrifyingly familiar. She was sitting on top of one corpse, humming an eerie tune.
The elder Halsey's footsteps echoed across this vast expanse of darkness, until the light mirrored her own and appeared over the head of the other. The figure, noticing this light strike her screen, hummed and stopped her song. However, instead of looking at the light source, her head immediately turned right.
And Catherine froze. It was her.
"Oh, perfect," Her much younger form chuckled, standing up. She approached the seam, too and said, "Someone to keep me company down here. And there is no company quite like myself… Though by Jove, Lady Time certainly did have a particularly bad bone to pick with us," and it was then that Halsey noticed just how pale she was… And how her eyes blared, irises an orange hue.
"... This is not real," The elder Catherine mumbled, "Another illusion from this nightmare of a place."
"Is it?" The Other Halsey asked mockingly, stowing her tablet and crossing her arms, "Let's crunch some numbers together… We discover ancient alien technology beneath the ruins of a nuclear hellscape planet with evidence of genetic tampering as old as four thousand years. We also find that this place can change our perception, show us 'illusions'. Logic dictates…?"
"... Mind-altering substances combined with a technological oversight. Perhaps sounds played through a speaker at a specific frequency," Old Halsey spoke, still staring at herself in a deadpan. Her younger self smiled an almost creepy, animalistic smile, giving a few gentle claps. She spoke, "Enough. Who… What are you?"
Her other self had a lot more corpses behind her. And one familiar corpse, a MJOLNIR suit in lockdown, acting as her chair, much to her dismay. One One Seven…
The Young Catherine replied, "I? I am a monument to all your sins," with an almost perverse glee. She told her, "I am what you feared you'd become if you stuck with ONI's plan for much longer," as they started walking in circles, the seam between them moving to remain parallel to their own axis… Keeping them separate, always. Young Cathy spoke, "I'm the very same thing Jacob hated. The same thing Miranda saw you as-"
"You keep their names out of your mouth, you wretch," The Older Halsey's voice gained an edge, causing her younger, 'Evil' self to laugh. She told her, "Miranda was safer with Jacob, away from me, away from ONI. I know she hated not having a mother and I know Jacob had to make sure she hated me specifically because of what I have done. I asked him to pin it all on me so our child could have one parent she was proud of."
"Is that why you cut him out of your life, too? Save for favors?" The Younger Halsey replied, "Because you did not want him to have to face what he had helped you do?" and she opened her arms, broadly motioning at the Spartan corpses around them, "What we did?"
"You did nothing… You're something designed to scare me," Halsey spoke, "Another trap. Give it enough time and Shepard-"
"Ah, yes, Samantha Shepard," Other Halsey chuckled, "She's busy with her own issues."
With Shepard…
Meanwhile, good old Shepard had a bigger issue. Bullets whizzed past her head, the distant roar of gruff, alien voices echoing all the way to her. She ducked under the gunfire and noted her rank pins and suit. She was young again. She could feel it. Staggering over behind an armored truck as the Batarians surged toward her position, she poked out and fired her M7, then looked around and ordered, "ALL SQUAD LEADS, RALLY UP ON ME!"
Three men approached. An elderly dark-skinned man, a balding white guy and a redhead. Petraeus, Coulson and Vandermeer. Shepard recognized all three of them. All three of them had died here, on these very fields, the emerald fields and hills of Elysium. She looked them over and felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest as she said, "This ain't happening again…"
"Commander?!" Coulson started. Poor man had three kids back in Illyria, not to mention a wife. She'd failed him. He ducked as a volley of rounds whizzed over their heads. He asked, "We're gonna need orders, ma'am! These rat bastards are swinging right for us!"
Shepard blinked, then sighed and nodded, "Right! Right! Coulson, take your platoon and-..." She paused, then surveyed the area ahead. An open field with very little cover. Batarian technicals were advancing on them and they had light Anti-Tank available, plus her biotics. IF she sent any team forward into that field, like she had done in the past, they'd die.
She grit her teeth, hit herself in the head, then breathed. If she didn't, those trucks would run them over and kill everyone inside the FOB, then drive into Illyria and take as many slaves as they fucking pleased. From bad to worse. She checked her options, watching the three men and their squads stare at her.
She blinked, looked over, back and forth between all three of them and felt her heart racing…
What were their fucking strengths again…
Halsey…
"... If you harmed her…" Halsey glared at her younger evil self.
The reply was a short laugh, "I didn't do anything. Though maybe keeping secrets from her and everyone else might hurt in the far future. Who knows?" and she shrugged. She continued, "... Like you're keeping that secret from both Cortana and John about her Rampancy. Why did it just 'go away' after you worked on her?"
"John knows," Halsey glared, "You have some erroneous information."
"Oh?" The younger Halsey snorted, "I guess I really cannot catch myself off-beat… Suppose it's only natural, however," before she added, "How long until you keep a secret that will get him killed?" and it was then Halsey realized whatever this was was playing with her. Young Her said, "Keeping them close to your chest is going to hurt, but maybe it's for the best. Attachment to weapons of war? Not a smart thing."
"They're more than that and you know it," Halsey snapped, "Always have been! They're the next step in our evolution, they're…" then she grit her teeth, "They're ours… They are our creation, our children, the ones who've saved us!"
"By being damned through our choices!" Young Halsey shot back, laughing, "And where'd that get them? Almost all their friends, dead and them, unable to exercise their rights as free human beings and live their lives?! We made them weapons, Catherine! WE STEPPED ALL OVER THE MORTAL DICTATA TO MAKE THEM!"
"AND WE DID IT BECAUSE IF WE DIDN'T OUR ENEMIES WOULD HAVE ANYWAYS!" The Elder snapped again, "WHERE WOULD WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THEM!? Either burned to nothingness by the Covenant in their insane Crusade or NUCLEAR CRATERS LIKE THE SPECIES THAT WHOEVER MADE YOU TURNED INTO WARMONGERS!"
Young Halsey snorted derisively, "You think we turned them into warmongers? The Krogan were always prideful idiots. So proud of conquering a land made hostile by previous visits to this Galaxy that they decided they'd just end themselves in a nuclear hellscape. And even after that, they couldn't be bothered not to lose their minds when, after the locals uplifted them, they outbred the land they'd been gifted! The Genophage might as well have been a blessing for them! One they're squandering! If the Citadel had done the same to us for the Spartans? I would've seen it as just."
Halsey blanked, then glared at the woman and said, "We are not the same… Whatever happened in that twisted realm you think you represent, you are not me. I have regretted my choice ever since for the sole reason I've stolen these children from their families," and she motioned to the IIs, "And allowed through that for their younger siblings to be spawned as cheap weapons…" and she pointed at the IIIs, "And I would never dare state that an ACTIVE GENOCIDE is a 'blessing' or 'just'... I am not you… And I disavow you…"
The figure cracked a smile, then the illusion disappeared… Resolving into yet another place. A familiar place, even. An old school, long lost to time, though well-known in Halsey's memories. On the playground, a King Of The Hill game. And on top of it, victorious as ever despite his faceless peers stood a strong young man.
Oh, no…
Shepard…
She remembered. She remembered what she had to do. She looked and said, "Coulson, take your team and flank left, fast! The depression should put you in cover and defilade! You lay into them the moment they roll in!" only to get a nod from Coulson. She looked over at the next man and said, "Pat, you're our AT guy, right?!"
"Heavy, ma'am!" The man nodded, "But I only have a couple AT launchers left!"
"Should be enough to scare them. When Coulson hits these four-eyes with enfilade fire, you smoke the first two of their technicals!" The woman ordered, "Should stop'em dead and force them to retreat!" and she got a thumbs up. The men packed their gear and readied. She then looked at the last man and said, "Vandy, you and I are forward artillery… We're biotics. Least we can do is slow their supporting troops down."
"Till reinforcements arrive, which is," The man checked an ancient digital watch, "About thirty mikes from now… If we survive, I'm buying," only to pause. He ducked as a sniper shot above them and mumbled, "That's a big if, though, Shep…" before looking at her. He told her, "Though we're with you, a hundred percent…"
And damned if she didn't remember that line…
The Commander stared at the three men as they were about to execute the plan. She could easily recall the moment they'd all died, just a minute from now. They'd made a strategic decision. She had. And it had gotten a lot of good men killed. She narrowed her lips, her mind turning to Kaidan as well, then she whispered, "... You boys are some of the finest men I served with. Never got to say this, but…"
Her heart sank, "Thank you for everything… Elysium and I owe you a lot…"
"We'll collect on that debt later on, then," Petraeus said, "Give the word, ma'am," and he smirked. Always so cocksure. He wasn't aware of what was about to happen. This was a no-win situation. Always had been, regardless of what she would've done. What she didn't do back then was actually say just how glad she was to have worked on Elysium.
How glad she had been to be there. To have helped save these guys' home. All of them had families… None of which held a grudge against Shepard. Many had even said they were glad the boys had gone with her to the last moment of their lives, under the command of a brave officer. Shepard hadn't felt brave then, for never telling them to their face that she cared like they were her own brothers…
When she closed her eyes and barked the order, the world suddenly went dark… And she felt the weight of her N7 Armor on her again. She opened her eyes ,finding herself in a void, then stood up. Looking ahead, however, she gasped, face going pale as she stared face-to-face with a familiar figure. A familiar figure who cracked a smile and said, "Hey, Shepard. Long time."
"... Kaidan…" The woman breathed.
Halsey…
"John…?" Halsey's voice cracked as she blinked, staring at the young man that would become the very symbol of humanity's hope. The boy smiled and descended at a gentle pace from the perch, all other children around her, voices muffled, disappearing. She knelt in front of him so she could be at his height, then stared right into those young blue eyes.
"Doctor," He greeted with that young voice, "It's certainly been a bit…"
"That it has," She smiled, but she knew deep down that this wasn't how it was gonna go. Her smile faded. She said to him, "I'm… I'm so sorry…" in a whisper. She stared at the young man, knowing full-well this was just another illusion, probably meant to get a rise out of her, but she couldn't help it. Even knowing the actual John was here…
"We all have things we're sorry about, Doctor," The young John replied calmly, crossing his arms. Halsey stood up and stared at him from above, still surprised to see just how well this place's hallucinogenic properties had rendered him. He was the same as his youth. And he even sounded the same.
"I suppose we do," Halsey murmured, "... What I did was both my greatest mistake and one of my greatest achievements, John. Regardless of what this place that has materialized you and…" she cast a sideways glance at two figures shrouded in shadow, then spoke, "A deceased Jacob and Miranda Keyes here… Intends to do, I want you to know I regret stealing your childhood. If I could have used your clones…"
"I know," John nodded, "As for what this place is trying to do?"
"For all intents and purposes, Catherine?" Jacob spoke. His voice sounded so surprisingly sweet to Halsey, even if the older man approached and looked haggard as he joined John. He continued, "IT's making sure only the right people can enter it. It's why you only see Krogan corpses around, after all, not to mention damaged Sentinels and security droids."
Miranda joined in next with, "It's testing both you and Shepard," as she walked to John's other side and put a hand on the kid's head, giving him a pat. She looked down at the boy and said, "Even now, I can recognize the face of 117 in him. Like he was made for the role," before she turned her gaze back toward Halsey, staring.
"Indeed," Halsey whispered, then put her hands together and said, "... For all it is worth, Miranda, it's… Good to see you. Even now, like this. All three of you…"
"Appreciated, doctor," The woman replied politely, but also professionally, though there was a hint of a hidden sadness back there. She spoke, "At least I know you do care now. Would've been nice when I was alive, but-" and she paused as Jacob gave her a gentle tap on the elbow with his hand. The old man crossed his arms as Halsey felt tears well in her eyes. Tears she suppressed.
He spoke this time, "I know that stare, Catherine. You did this," and he didn't seem angry or even remorseful. He was just stating it matter-of-fact, as always. He added, "You said it yourself… Best not to be associated with one of ONI's favorite assets, right?" only getting a scoff out of Miranda. Of course she'd react like that, Halsey thought. She had abandoned them.
"I wish it did not need to be like that. Believe me," The woman whispered, staring straight at John. The young man rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. Halsey then looked at them and asked, "Then what is this about? How would this place determine if I am 'right' to enter it properly? And why hide Forerunner and Alien technology here?"
"The creator of this place was a woman of science, kind of like you," Miranda spoke, "Though with a few less scruples, considering she was a Sith," causing Halsey to pause. The Commander smirked and said, "That caught your attention, eh? Yes, she was a Sith. The dark counterpart to what General Tano is, in a sense. And she wanted to make sure only fellow scientists got access to it."
"Scruple-less beings, then?" Halsey joked, though she felt her heart drop.
"Oh, no, that's optional," John joked back. He added, "She never had qualms about what she did, though. She was straight-laced, focused. Kind of like you when we first met… I'm guessing you saw the experiments on the Krogan, right? Well, imagine that, but spread to the entire planet and over a longer period. She only added upon this temple, regardless of what it cost."
"... And she, what, wants us to stop feeling sorry for our mistakes?" Halsey asked, "Because that's an impossibility…"
"She wants you to let go," Miranda replied, "Of the guilt. Because, believe me, that guilt won't help the secrets she has stored here. Trust me, the Krogan are just the tip of the iceberg," before looking at Jacob and John. She added in a murmur, "Because if you don't, there's a worse matter to attend to here…"
Halsey was about to ask when John pulled out a familiar little circle of metal. Jacob spoke, "Hope you don't mind a bit of a game," as he watched the woman's face drop, her heart with it. That was the Quarter that had, in Halsey's rationalizing mind, decided John's fate. It felt strange to be on the other end.
John told her, "You win, you leave… You don't, you die."
"Absolutes," Halsey murmured, "Fun."
"Only way to make sure," John spoke, checking the coin over. He told her, "You told me about this quarter… And the game… When we first met. Let it do the choice you couldn't. Let it take you down the path you've been on since we've known each-other," and he looked at Jacob so he could continue. The same pilot who'd flown her to meet John.
She spoke first, "The same coin that led to you becoming who you are today… And the same coin who might've led to the deaths of the two people beside you."
"I'm glad Miranda went out normally, at least," Jacob spoke, then looked at his daughter, "Went down fighting, as any good sailor should. The Flood, meanwhile," and he sighed, "Wish we'd known about the bastards ahead of time. Blasted that entire ring to Hell… But, then again, without Chief and Cortana, we wouldn't have been there."
"Mm…" Halsey shuddered a little, staring at the coin.
"I toss, you pick…" John told her rather bluntly, "One way or another, this ends…" and he pointed at Halsey's chest. Did he mean the doubt, or the self-hatred? Because neither would end then and there. And this was most definitely a bit more of a cocksure John, being so young. He put it between his left thumb and index, flicked it up into the air and it spun. He said, "Call it…"
The entire world seemed to slow down around Halsey for a moment. The irony was not lost on her in regards to this coin, much less to the fact her own life choices now stared her down. Her lips became razor-thin as she spoke, "... Miranda. I mentioned that John and the Spartans were one of my greatest mistakes and achievements…" before looking at her as the coin began to fall. Miranda blinked, to which Halsey said, "... Your father and you were my other greatest… Achievement because of the woman you've become and… Mistake? Because I did not try to get in touch more… I'm sorry."
Miranda's stone-cold expression shifted, surprise streaking across her face. Halsey said, "I love you both…" before yelling, "Tails…!" and watching the quarter land in John's hand. He put it on top of his other and looked in, then smiled and looked at Halsey. It was a kind smile, one that came with him showing her that she had called right.
… Jacob and Miranda both smiled at her, too, genuine, kind smiles… And then, the world flashed back to reality.
Shepard…
Kaidan Alenko, one of the few human biotics who understood the Commander properly, stared at her with a smile so characteristic of him it made Shepard blank. He said, "I know, I know. Probably the worst time to pay a visit, right?" as he walked over to her. He saw her take a step back, then said, "Relax. I'm not here to hurt you…"
Shepard's voice cracked as she whispered to herself, "God, fuck this place…" then said with a louder tone, "Kaidan… Look. If we could've, you know I would've doubled back the moment I heard you were in trouble," and she walks up to him, too, "I'm sorry. I really am…"
"We make calls we don't like all the time, Shepard. Part of the job," Kaidan shot back, "Doesn't mean I like what you did, but Ash was a pressing matter back then, not to mention the fact that bastard Saren was around, too," and he walked around her. He spoke, "Do wish I could'a gotten a shot at this whole Lazarus thing, though."
"I know," Shepard whispered, "So do I."
"Answer me this," He started, "People might die in this thing. You feel ready for whatever Suicide Mission's at the end of this road with Cerberus?"
"No," She murmured, "I don't. None of us do," and she turned to face him, "There's still upgrades to the Normandy needed, people I gotta talk to, problems I have to solve… I don't want to lose anyone else, Alenko. Not after everything," before stating, "And I'll do my damnedest not to…"
"Yeah… I know," Kaidan smirked, "Which is why I'm just here to say goodbye," and he turned away. He looked around and said, "You know, when this place decided it'd be a good idea to bring me back around, I figured it was going to make me say some horrid stuff. Sure, the warning and questioning your choices is bad, but… I'm honestly only here to keep you entertained until Halsey's done her job."
"Huh," Shepard murmured, "It did help a bit. Closure."
"Yeah," He smiled more normally now, hands on his hips, "You were a good Commander, Sam. A great friend, too… There's no need to carry the guilt of Virmire on your back. You did your job, you saved the Citadel and I'm damn sure you'll save the Galaxy, or… Galaxies, I guess… From the Reapers. Just be ready. The stuff out there won't be as lenient as this place. You'll need all your wits about you to stop what's coming."
"Yeah," She smiled back, "Thanks, Kaidan… See you up there?"
"Make sure it ain't too soon. I'd like to see you and Garrus live long, happy lives after the Reapers are done," He nodded, then clapped a hand on her shoulder and said, "Goodbye, Shepard," only for the Commander to blink… And both her and Halsey to come back to reality in the middle of a large room. Ahead of them were multiple active consoles and, down below on a lower level, a Forerunner Monolith resided, glowing blue and scarlet.
"... Well," Halsey whispered, "Cannot wait to be out of here."
"Amen…" Shepard replied.
"Glad you enjoyed my little show, ladies," A voice spoke from behind them, ethereal and bearing a strangely BRITISH Accent. The two women swiveled about and aimed their guns, to which the figure impassively stared at them. She wore a mask that resembled a mechanical skull, black eye sockets seemingly empty, and dark robes and armor. She raised her hands more as a joke than anything, then said, "Feel free to waste your ammunition on an apparition if you wish…"
"An AI," Halsey said, then pointed at the holographic pyramid emanating the red, mist-like beam that projected the strange woman there. She spoke, "Almost like one of our own. You are… Darth Nox, Lady of the Sith," and lifted up her tablet to show at least one extra downloaded piece of data that showed her name.
"And that is why I knew you would pass all my tests with flying colors," The Sith woman spoke rather jovially, "Though I am more of an engram embedded within this Holocron than a true Smart AI like your Cortana… Speaking of," she snapped her fingers and Blue Team and Mordin all suddenly appeared in the area. She said, "Welcome."
"Commander, Doctor Halsey," Chief spoke, "You're safe."
"Thanks to the Commander, yes," Halsey replied, looking at Shepard with a smile. Chief and Shepard exchanged one quick look, then nodded at each-other, with Shepard smiling. Halsey, meanwhile, turned back to Nox and asked, "So… What, pray-tell, is this about after all? Why lead us here, seeing as I am fairly certain you activated that device."
"Oh, a few things…" Nox replied, then paused as a noise came from behind them. The entire room suddenly chilled as the Spartans and Shepard all swiveled about, aiming their rifles toward the noise. Nox chuckled and said, "Seems I mistakenly awoke another protocol," as she waited for the figures to come out of the shadows.
… Two strange figures did. A tall man, about as tall as the Spartans, ignited a red lightsaber as he stepped forward into the light. He was clad in black armor similar to Nox's, though he also wore a mask on his face and a hood over his head, his robes falling to his feet. Beside him, a petite figure, clad in dark robes and wielding her own lightsaber, stepped forward. Her eye sockets were bandaged, but no blood marred them.
"Lord Rhasits," Nox said, "Welcome back to the world of the living, to both you and your apprentice, Kyra."
"Nox," The man spoke, his voice deep and reverberating across the basalt and metal around. He spoke, "And a few intruders that made it past this place's trials. None of you look Krogan, meaning Nox's little desire to see them evolve failed," before he gazed upon Chief. The Spartan and him locked eyes and he said, "Calm…" before shutting off his Lightsaber, "We mean no harm." and his Apprentice followed.
"Living Sith," Shepard whispered, her voice cracking…
… The upcoming explanation was going to be big, Shepard felt.