The next day, Matt received a notification via omnitool that Grunt wanted to meet with him. Jack and Neri were busy preparing the ship to 'dock' with the Normandy, working out how that would work with the two crews, so Matt took Dahlie, Thraak and Ked to the Afterlife to meet Grunt, and presumably Layla.
Once there, and ushered into the same meeting room they had used previously, Lavek bowed comically and left the room.
"We have news," Grunt said, motioning Layla to take over.
Matt listened attentively as Layla explained what they knew of the mysterious artifact and the information obtained by their Asari spies on Thessia.
"There was a device, made by one of Shepard's crew, Liara T'soni." Layla began, "We don't know what was on it, but records showed Liara had planted these devices on many planets across the galaxy."
Ked leaned forward, fascinated. "What could they be? And are they still around?"
"That's the think, isn't it?" Layla responded. After the "Gift," Liara worked for their team, and helped the Church of Shepard hunt down and destroy every one of these devices they could."
"So, there's no use in hunting them down then?" Thraak asked.
"Not necessarily." Layla shook her head, her black tresses swirling back and forth. "There are planets that were out of normal range of a relay. They were deemed not a threat, or at least not enough of a threat to chase down. It's possible we can find such a location."
"But we have no idea where to look!" Matt exclaimed, "There are billions of planets off the relay paths."
At that, Ked stood, patting down the pockets of his robe. "Curses. My notes may contain some clues, but I forgot them. I'll return shortly." He rushed off.
"Very well." Grunt said, "Lets go over what notes we do have while we wait."
Ked rushed through the Afterlife and out the door. It was a short distance to the port, but he was in a hurry. Some of his notes listed possible artifact locations, found in some long-buried data one of his team members had discovered. He had also discovered that the Reapers were systematically destroying locations on his list.
Once he made it back to the ship, he snatched up the data in question and cheerfully bade Neri farewell. On the way back, he saw something curious down a side alley. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over cautiously and peered down the alley. There was nothing, but he could have sworn he had seen an old colleague. Shrugging, he made to head back to Afterlife, when he stopped dead in his tracks.
Eva Core was walking towards him, her eyes tracking his movement. He turned pale, for a Salarian, and turned to run down the alley, cursing his bad luck. Daring a glance back, he saw her even closer than before. Her android face looking determined. He turned to run again, getting further and further from Afterlife, in the hopes that it would throw her off the trail of the others. He panicked, wondering whether she had followed him to the ship.
As he ran he jerked the jammer device out of a pocket. It was a desperate measure, allowing him to have perhaps a few minute head start, if it worked again, but it was better than nothing. As he fumbled with the device, it fell from his shaking hands. He glanced back, only to discover Eva was almost on top of him. Cursing, he accepted that he would likely die back here. Maybe he could hide the data he carried.
Running frantically, he was soon trapped in a blind alley. Eva walked calmly towards him, the jammer device in one hand, a pistol in the other.
"Foolish of you to run, Ked'Hasser." She said. "What is this?"
"N-nothing." Ked stammered. "Please, I'll do anything, submit to reconditioning, anything!"
"Silence!" Eva ordered. She aimed her pistol at his head. "Tell me. What did you do to me on Noveria?"
"T-the plasma? From the lighting…" Ked began.
"Not that," the android said impatiently. "You cut me off from the Gift. How?"
"I- I don't know what you mean, I…"
"Was it this device?" she asked, looking carefully at the small box.
"No, no, that's just a memento for a friend. If I could have it back…"
The android laughed. "Please. How does it work?"
"I-there's a button on the side, press it three times in a row and…" Ked answered, puzzled. Why hadn't she simply destroyed it?
She handed the jammer back to him. "Do it." She ordered.
"Do… what?" Ked asked, confused.
"Press it…" Eva said, her face unreadable. "Please…" she spoke softer now, barely a whisper. As she spoke, a faint blue light flickered in her eyes.
Ked obliged. The device sent out a pulse. He felt it himself despite having already lost the Gift.
The affect it had on Eva was remarkable. Her hands reached for her head, clawing at her cranium for a moment, as if to rip it open. Her voice box made strange clicking sounds as her body hunched over. A moment later, she composed herself, her eyes glowing a startlingly bright blue.
"Ah, much better." Eva said, "I thought she would never leave."
"Who? What happened?" Ked asked, unsure what she was talking about.
"Eva", the android said, "She's gone to sleep. For now. It won't last, however." She holstered her pistol and added, "Listen to me, she is going to destroy this place, if you and your friends are still here. She will signal the Reapers to blast this station to atoms. Do you understand?"
Ked nodded, terrified.
"Go, warn them. I'll try to give you as much time as possible."
Ked nodded and stood. He was about to pocket his jammer, but Eva, or whatever she was, stopped him. "Leave that with me." She said, and he handed it over with a shaking hand.
"But wait, if you aren't Eva, who are you?" Ked asked, hoping to at least come away with one answer to this puzzle.
"I was called EDI once." Edi answered. "That will suffice. Now, Run!"
Ked obeyed, racing for the ship as he contacted Matt and the others. It was time to go, whether they had found a location or not.
Matt's omnitool buzzed as he was in the middle of asking Grunt about his time with 'The Shepard'. He played the holo for the others. Ked's image appeared, panicked. "Captain, head to the ship, now! Eva Core is here. She'll destroy the station!"
Grunt started. "What? Dammit! Let's move!"
"Patriarch. Head for the Normandy! Both ships should leave!" Layla said, waving Grunt after her.
Matt and his crew raced to their own ship, passing through crowded areas, aliens of every type innocently going about their business. If Eva destroyed the station, millions of lives would be lost.
Once on board, Neri released the docking clamps and navigated the ship away from the dock. Matt checked local scans nervously for pursuit. A safe haven no more, Omega was under threat and the best thing they could do was leave, get as far away from it as possible.
"Ked! Do you have a location for us?"
"Not yet Captain. Recommend we jump to a nearby system for safely while we-"
"Captain," Eve spoke up, "Reapers just entered the system via the relay and are heading for Omega."
Ked cursed. "Here, try this!" he called as he transmitted a location to Neri. A wormhole opened in front of then, and the ship was soon speeding through space and time.