Friends and Enemies - 09
"Commander, Miranda Lawson is at the door, may she enter?" EDI asked.
"Send her in," Shepard replied as he stood from his desk.
Miranda walked into his cabin, looking like she hadn't just been in combat an hour ago.
"Commander," Miranda nodded, "Do you have a moment?"
"Of course," Shepard gestured for his couch and Miranda walked over and gracefully sat down.
She had a slight frown on her beautiful face, her thoughts were elsewhere.
Shepard settled in to let her think. She took a minute before turning her attention to him.
"I find myself in the unpleasant situation of needing to ask for your help," She started, "I don't like asking for help, but this is something more than what I think I can handle and it's extremely important to me."
"Don't know why you would feel 'unpleasant' asking for my help, but Miranda, I promised you that I am there for you. Tell me what you need, and you have my help."
She visibly relaxed, but quickly tensed again, "I know, and your promise is the main reason I feel comfortable even bringing this up to you."
Shepard nodded, "Tell me what's going on."
"You remember what I told you about my father...building a dynasty?"
He confirmed with a nod.
"There was another reason I went to Cerberus for protection. I have a sister...a twin. And he's still hunting her." She gulped, "Cerberus has kept her safe. Until now."
"Until now?"
"She was living a safe and normal life on Illium with her own surrogate family, hidden from my father. I have tried so hard to keep her hidden without impacting her life. But now I am out of options. I have received information that he found out where she is."
Shepard breathed deep, adding weight to her revelation.
She stood and walked around, looking down at the floor as she paced, "I need to relocate her family before it's too late."
"What can you tell me about her?"
"She is my identical twin, without the ministrations of my father's upbringing. She deserves a normal life and she is going to get it. No matter what."
"Does her family know about it? The relocation?"
She shook her head, "They know nothing. Completely uninvolved. Cerberus is working on a positive reason to move the family, so soon enough they will begin the process."
"And you want to help or something?"
Miranda nodded again, turning with more emotion than he had ever seen on her before, "My father is extremely persistent. I need to be there when Cerberus is moving the family and make sure none of his agents get close."
Shepard nodded.
"My contact's name is Lanteia who will be waiting in the lounge near the Nos Astra docking bay in a week's time. I would appreciate it if you could be there," Miranda said.
"I will be. We will head to Illium as soon as we break orbit here on Horizon," Shepard declared.
"Thank you, Shepard. This means everything to me."
Before she could leave, EDI interrupted, "Commander? Forgive the interruption, but we have just received a distress signal from one Tali'Zorah."
Shepard exchanged glances with Miranda, "Alright, we answer the distress call, Illium after."
She nodded and the Normandy left for the Dholen System.
The Normandy arrived in the Dholen System to find things weren't as they were supposed to be. Shepard was speaking with Miranda and EDI at the CIC.
"The Haestrom planet was originally a small research base and outpost that the Quarians controlled until the Geth took over a few hundred years ago," Miranda said. "Tali'Zorah's distress call was from the said planet, however, that isn't the most interesting thing, EDI?"
"There is more than just Geth and Quarian activity in this system, including massive amounts of debris in orbit near the first planet. The planet closest to the Red Giant, Gotha by name, is currently tidally locked by some unknown energy source, that seems to be adding to the speed at which the star is destabilizing. Records show that the planet was not locked when the Quarians controlled the system. The star has destabilized, but the intensity has increased. Those without full-body suits will be at risk when subjected to direct sunlight," EDI explained.
An image appeared in the Briefing room's hologram over the table. The angle that the Normandy currently had showed Gotha slowly creeping out from behind the Dholen Red Giant star.
"Do we know what this other force is? Are there many Geth?" Shepard asked.
"Affirmative, Commander," EDI continued, "It appears that the Geth were preparing for an assault on Gotha when Tali'Zorah's Squad arrived. Both party's goals are still unknown, but the Geth must have left for Gotha in the last hour or so. The third faction is a mystery in its entirety."
"Clarify?"
"It means that we have an unidentified species, hopefully not Reaper's, operating out of the first planet with unknown technology and goals," Miranda said. "Goals that the Geth are opposed to."
Shepard frowned but finally decided, "We need to get to Tali'Zorah. Garrus and Keiji for my Fireteam. Miranda, I want you to take the Normandy on a stealth run to grab a scan of Gotha, but make sure Rico or at least one of Starfall is with you to investigate, hopefully, they can provide some answers," Shepard said.
Miranda nodded but looked at Shepard for a second, "Commander?"
"Just a feeling, but whatever happens in this system will hinge on that planet. Gotha. Relations between the Geth and the Quarians, the future of the red giant, all of it. Get a good scan of that planet, but do not engage and do not be seen, understood?"
Miranda nodded, "Of course, Commander.'
He held her gaze, pushing his support to her with a nod, as if willing his thoughts to move through his eye contact. She didn't look away, as the burden of responsibility for the ship and crew was passed to her. It was a strange series of emotions she felt. Emotions she thought she would never have. Shepard nodded then left, leaving Miranda taking a deep breath in the wake of his presence.
She heard a giggle. Miranda sighed, closing her eyes as she broke from the intense gaze of Shepard, "Can I help you, Ms. Chambers?"
"Sorry, but you hold an incredible amount of respect and attraction for the Commander, don't you?" Kelly was so sincere in her smile and curiosity that Miranda held back her frustration.
"That is inappropriate, Ms. Chambers."
"Please call me Kelly, we have known each other long enough by now. It is clear you care for the Commander, I hope you tell him your feelings before-"
"Stop," Miranda's tone didn't leave any room for continued words, her eyes closed and hand up.
Kelly shut up but kept looking at her expectantly and unfazed. Miranda looked over to the elevator where the Commander had entered to get ready for combat, "I have dedicated years of my life towards him, and now that it worked out..." She shook her head, "Our mission is extremely dangerous, and I can't afford to distract him, or everything that I have worked toward by bringing him back will be a waste."
Kelly stepped over to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "There is chemistry between you two, but I understand and respect your resolve."
Miranda didn't look at the bubbly girl to prevent her from reading more facial expressions. She hired Kelly because she was unmatched at reading people. If only she would keep that special ability pointed in other directions...
"What do you mean she wants to go instead of you?" Shepard asked.
"I don't know Commander, she walked up and her Ghost said that she wishes to take my place in the mission," Keiji said.
Shepard looked away from the helmetless Keiji over to the faceless Guardian. He still remembered the power in her eyes and couldn't help but feel slightly nervous about bringing her.
"Why?"
Her Ghost came forward, "The Guardian and I wouldn't mind taking a closer look at the Geth, while the rest of Starfall goes with the Normandy. Would this be acceptable, Commander?"
Shepard looked into the smooth and featureless front of her intimidating and nearly Corinthian-styled helmet. He remembered her beautiful features and how the Light swirled around her in amounts he still couldn't understand or even begin to control.
He also remembered her fury, the solar flames forming into massive wings like that of a phoenix. "Are you going to follow my orders?"
She nodded once.
Shepard nodded, "Let's load up then. Keiji, you are free for now."
He shrugged, but Kasumi popped up, "Thanks, Shepard!"
"Commander, instead of taking a shuttle, would it be more prudent to use an extra starship? We have a few capable of holding more than a Fireteam and jumping within the system with it is easy," Ghost said.
Aurora spoke up, as she appeared above his shoulder, "Can we acquire an extra one for my Guardian? We don't have the Glimmer right now, but we would love to pay you back."
Ghost looked to his Guardian, who turned her head in thought. She looked to her Ghost who expressed thoughtfulness in his strange geometric movements, "I suppose that isn't a bad choice, here Aurora, take this ship, named Obsidian Wings. Big enough to hold a whole Fireteam for shorter trips, but would need some renovation if you wanted to live in it. Don't worry about the payment...it's a gift for the Commander."
The Guardian nodded.
Shepard held his stoic mask in place but thanked them all the same. Aurora, being the more vocal one, spoke directly to Ghost when she thanked him.
"Let's get down to the hangar and load up. Aurora, time until drop zone?"
"Approximately 3 minutes."
Shepard and the Guardian, Ghosts included, took the elevator down to the Hangar where they found Garrus talking to a few of the crew that operated out of the lowest part of the ship.
Aurora floated over and had Shepard's new Obsidian Wings appear in an open spot next to where Fireteam Starfall's Valkyrie rested. It looked like a larger, less curvy, and more advanced version of the old SR-71 Blackbird, an aircraft that had left its mark on humanity's history.
"Garrus, we are moving out!"
Garrus said his goodbyes and ran over, nodding at them both, "Shepard, Guardian."
"Aurora," Shepard prompted, and the temporary Fireteam was Transmatted onto the Obsidian Wings.
"New ship? This one seems too pretty for you," Garrus joked.
Shepard snorted, his helmet still off, "It is too pretty for me, but it will do."
They sat down, Shepard in the pilot seat even though Aurora was going to pilot the ship. The Guardian and Garrus were in the second row of seating, with room for another 4 people in seats with belts. Aurora floated on a Ghost-friendly terminal, a small circular pad of white light that automatically connected to her. Obsidian Wings took off as the bay doors of the Normandy opened, a Mass Effect Field keeping the vacuum of space at bay.
The second they left, the Normandy disappeared from all sources of detection besides visible light. As its stealth systems activated, Obsidian Wings dove into the atmosphere of Haestrom.
Aurora flew the ship with practiced ease. Shepard was sitting in the pilot seat while Aurora floated over the Ghost interface on the dash. Shepard didn't bother taking the controls, knowing that regardless of her lack of experience flying, she easily had the ability and knowledge shared by the other Ghosts she had interacted with.
Breaking into the upper atmosphere of Haestrom lowered the temperature of the exterior of the hull, but readings still showed that it was enough to easily burn anyone who was unshielded. Aurora brought the ship in at a steep angle, letting the wind pressure bleed away some speed. She dropped in just south of Tali's signal, near a base that had quite a few Geth signals coming from it.
"Brace for Transmat," Came Aurora's voice over Fireteam Chat.
The Guardian was silent and composed while Garrus had a visible amount of anxiousness about him. He let his helmet form over his head as he thought. He hadn't seen Tali in years and was worried that he arrived just in time to lose her. It wasn't out of the question as her distress signal was the only reason they had made it to Haestrom. While the Normandy is fast, it was still nearly an hour after the signal arrived.
In a single move, Aurora deposited the three passengers, stored the Obsidian Wings in Shepard's inventory, and dispersed into her own home within him. The temporary Fireteam took in their surroundings. A small rat-like creature walked into direct sunlight and was instantly scorched. The skies were red, matching the fiery color and disposition of the star. Grey clouds reflected the red light as they roiled in the heated atmosphere.
Shepard nodded in Tali's direction, "Let's move!"
They encountered almost no real resistance as they went, Geth units only seemed to notice them as they entered a larger courtyard. Shepard switched out A Sudden Death for a bit more range, pulling the Graviton Lance from his storage. He hadn't used the pulse rifle, but Aurora had said the second shot of the burst released a miniature black hole in the form of a bullet, and if that wasn't enough to grab his attention, then what was?
The black hole round would continue forever until it hit something, uncaring of gravity, wind, or atmosphere. When enemies were killed with that shot, they burst with void light which caused tendrils to home in on other enemies.
Shepard found that out with his first kill of the day. The first shot in the engagement was stopped by the Geth's kinetic barrier. The second burst the single-eyed head of the Geth unit which turned it into a fountain of void sparks, each deadly tine of void light seeking nearby enemies.
Shepard aimed another Geth only for the unit to burst into solar flames, and he turned his head to see the Guardian wielding a strange pistol.
Garrus spoke up, "Okay, you both have explosion weapons? I need one of them..."
His Ghost, Zorah, answered, "You do Garrus, it's the Risk Runner."
"Oh...well never mind then," Garrus said. "I just wish it had a bit more range on it." Garrus didn't switch from his Albruna-D, preferring to quick snipe with the precision he was known for.
"John, cloaked units are flanking, though they aren't clever enough to hide from our sensors," Aurora said to him directly.
Shepard turned, seeing the dots on his radar, the Guardian was already turning on the one to the left flank so Shepard answered the other direction with a few perfect bursts.
In seconds the small squad without so much as a Geth Prime was wiped out clean.
"I am picking up a radio signal, matching Quarian frequencies, shall I patch it through to party chat?" Ghost asked.
"Patch it through," Shepard replied.
"OP-01, This is Squad Leader Kal'Reegar, do you copy? I repeat, this is Squa-"
"I hear you Squad Leader, this is Commander Shepard. What's your status?"
"Not good, just 4 of my squad remaining, the rest are either dead or protecting Tali'Zorah."
"What is Tali's status?"
"She is safe, for now. But we are pinned down from being able to extract her. Got some serious Geth units on top of us," Kal'Reegar said.
"Sit tight. We are coming to you. Just focus on keeping Tali safe and don't do anything stupid," Shepard replied.
"They have us pinned! Keelah Se'lai!"
A beacon on Shepard's HUD lit up, "The way forward is through that fallen pillar."
Even if they jumped it, there was no room to access the door without destroying or moving the block, "We need explosives..."
The Guardian shook her head and gestured for Shepard to attack it.
"This is solid stone, I'm not gonna sit here with a pick axe for the next 2 weeks," Shepard replied.
The Guardian shook her head again and pointed at his chest then the stone.
Her Ghost appeared, "She wants you to draw on your Light, Shepard. She feels your power and knows you can do this."
Shepard was shaking his head in confusion, "That's...ridiculous."
She held up her hand, and a ball of solar Light morphed and turned into the deep and pulsing purple of void energy. She pointed to her chest, then to her mind, then to the orb.
"Void light is about a state of being. A mental state where you know that anything is susceptible to its influence. Believe it in your heart, your mind, and your Light," Ghost said.
Aurora appeared over his shoulder, "The Guardian has done incredible things with her Light, John. She can switch between Void and Solar with just a thought, the only Guardian that can. You should listen to her."
The Guardian nodded once.
"Do we have time for this?" Garrus asked, his priorities lay beyond the pillar, but he had no means to destroy it. "Can't we just jump over the top or something?"
She shook her head and slashed downward with her Void hand. The left side of the pillar was split with just a gesture, the true strength of the Guardian on full display. Shepard walked up and saw how she effortlessly cut through the 5-meter-thick pillar of solid stone...with just a projected line of Void Light.
She jabbed him in the chest plate with a finger, then hit his helmet once. Without producing any light she slammed her open palm into the left side of the fallen pillar, causing the part that wasn't blocking the door to burst into void dust.
Shepard stared at the Guardian and then over to the pillar, he sighed but gathered his strength regardless. If anyone could teach him how to draw out more power, it would be the Guardian. He cleared his mind and pulled the Light from within his chest. It immediately answered his focused will, filling him with the void.
Ten or so seconds passed and he slammed his fist forward, his Void Gauntlet forming around his right fist, glowing purple light promising destruction. The impact was that of a train hitting a wall, but it only cracked the block. The full force of the Void Light wasn't projected. He turned to the Guardian and she just put one finger on her temple.
"It's my mind? What I can imagine? What I can destroy?" Shepard asked.
The Guardian just tilted her head forward.
Shepard didn't do quiet and reserved. He went all out, and if anyone was left, he took them down too.
"AAAHHHHHHH!" Shepard took a step at the wall of stone, his fist coming forward with the power of a meteor.
The stone exploded.
It wasn't a slow disintegration of each particle turning into Void Light. No, it was a full blast of purple energy, the entire might behind his blow didn't just stop there, it took down the armored fortification behind that block of stone. The doorway was turned into an open hole, busting the bunker with his fist.
"Holy shit, Shep...I guess that is how it's done," Garrus said.
Shepard was breathing hard with the force of the blow, but he just nodded at the rest of his Fireteam and walked in.
There would be plenty of things to practice on.
The Fireteam sprinted through the abandoned complex, the scorching air didn't act as the deterrent it would have to non-guardians. Shepard was the point of the spear as he analyzed the battlefield they approached.
"Here is Reegar's squad, pinned down by the door that Tali is behind, but they can't access it without drawing too much fire. They don't have long," Aurora said, providing a tactical map of the next area on his HUD. She had hacked the remaining systems of the base and had been able to get a rough layout of the section they approached.
"Shepard?" Ghost asked.
"Yeah?"
"The Guardian has her Super available, but it's one that acts like a shield should you stay close enough to it. If we engage with your Super, then fall back to hers, we can use it to take everything else out and protect the Quarian squad," Ghost explained.
Shepard thought about it, switching his Gravitron Lance for the Witherhoard, and then he double-checked the battlefield, "And you can drop it by Reegar? I can draw attention then fall back to you."
The Guardian nodded and they broke through a doorway to charge onto the scene. Shepard started with his Void Eater Super. He flew up into the air and launched two shots with his Witherhoard at distant enemies, but landed amid a few squads worth of Geth.
His Super activated and he pulled 18 Geth, including 2 Geth Prime's, into the Void. They turned to the purple dust that Shepard was starting to enjoy seeing.
As he engaged, Garrus landed behind the same cover as Kal'Reegar's remaining squad, only 7 out of 12 were standing, "Just stay in cover! We got this!"
"Wait, Reinforcements coming!" A Quarian shouted, pointing up at a beetle-like Geth dropship.
"Shepard, they have a Colossus incoming. We won't stand a chance against that," Kal'Reegar said, determination still there, but the truth was unavoidable.
"Let us handle it, Garrus is your Super ready?"
"It is Shep! Want me to drop that thing?"
"Do it, Guardian activate yours as well. Cover us!"
The Guardian had been wielding her Sunshot and Hawkmoon combo together, dual-wielding Exotic hand cannons when she received Shepard's orders. Something that no other Guardian had the Light levels to accomplish. She had taken an entire squad out with headshots and Solar explosions when she turned to drop her super.
Her wings appeared on her back again, the flames reaching out several meters on each side before they condensed. The sword she summoned grew brighter with Solar Light and she didn't attack with it. Instead, she landed hard enough to leave a bowl of dented concrete, her sword piercing the ground and causing a huge field of healing and empowering Light to form around her.
"What is this?" Kal'Reegar asked, his wounds closing and his energy skyrocketing.
The Guardian's Ghost answered to all allied channels, "This is the Well of Radiance, healing and empowering."
"Garrus! Take that thing down now!" Shepard yelled, he sprinted back and slid into the healing well. His shield had dropped after taking a single hit from the Colossus and he wasted no time putting up a huge shield dome that only a Titan can make.
Garrus wasted no time, the Well of Radiance empowering him as he took a knee. A massive sniper rifle of Arc Light formed over the top of his Albruna-D. It was the size of an artillery cannon.
The Arc Light Sniper grew in luminosity and power, being drawn into the Arc Cannon like a sponge. The sound of Arc power building was nearly deafening as it reached the crescendo.
A single bolt of Arc light condensed into a single projectile, which instantly connected to the colossus. Like some sort of Light-empowered rail gun, strengthened by the Well of Radiance, the single bolt of lightning was only an after-image of the actual shot. It didn't stop as it passed through the head of the colossus launching deep into the concrete structure and further off into the atmosphere.
The colossus exploded, but the Super wasn't finished there. With the explosion, all of the nearby Geth units were struck with secondary bolts of Arc lightning, all coming from the bursting colossus.
The squad of Quarian Marines was silenced as Shepard's Fireteam wiped the field of Geth in seconds, all while simultaneously healing them. The remaining enemies were destroyed with precise shots from the Guardian's hand cannons and Garrus' Albruna-D.
"All clear," Shepard said, finding no more enemies, invisible or otherwise.
"Where is she?" Garrus asked. He had put all he had into that last Super, but it didn't deter him from finding Tali.
Kal'Reegar was stunned, but Garrus shook him, "Uh, sorry. Got to hack that panel there. She's just past it."
Garrus summoned Zorah and his Ghost went to work. In mere seconds the door was open and he ran in, "Tali, you in here?"
"Over here! Garrus, is that you?"
"It's me!"
They quickly hugged, but she went right back to typing, "Shepard, good to see you as well. Thank you all for coming. I wasn't sure if we would have made it out of here without your..."
"Fireteam. Good to see you too Tali," Shepard interjected.
She nodded as her Omnitool lit up, "There I have everything. I will have to share this information with you...this whole mission has been a disaster. I wish I joined you back on Freedom's Progress, but I couldn't let anyone take my place on a mission this risky and important."
"Kal'Reegar lost nearly half his squad, I hope the information was worth it," Shepard said.
"I also lost the two researchers that came with us. This information was worth it though, and not just to the Admiralty Board but potentially to everyone. The Geth aren't the only people in the Haestrom System anymore. They have been at war with another race of machines for quite some time now..."
"That is ominous," Garrus said.
"The Normandy is currently scouting out Gotha, the planet has all sorts of activity around it. We can go over that once the Normandy comes back to pick us up, are you coming with us, Tali?" Shepard asked. "We could use you on our current mission."
"I am with you Shepard," Tali said, briefly glancing at Garrus.
"Alright, let's get up into orbit."
"Stealth systems are fully operational," EDI said, "Once we activate our surface scanners we will no longer be as difficult to find."
Miranda nodded.
"Current distant scans show radioactive activity across the entire surface. Gotha is tidally locked and Geth forces are engaging unknown entities on the surface. Energy readings are showing that the entire planet has been turned into an energy-gathering device with unknown goals," EDI continued.
"The entire planet?"
Rico exited the lift in time to hear Miranda's words, while she stood at the main control panel of the CIC, "Like terraforming?"
Miranda glanced at him and Kessa, "We are about to decloak and run more invasive scans. Right now the Geth are invading the planet and finding heavy resistance from unknown forces."
Rico nodded and stepped to the station next to her, just watching as she initiated scans of the planet. The holographic screen changed as the scanner activated, revealing images of the surface.
It was drastically changed from the rocky world it once was. Now floating blocks of stone, rivers of white liquid, and platforms of strange brass-like metal covered the surface.
If Rico still had blood, it would have run cold.
Kessa gulped, "Oh no..."
"You recognize this?" Miranda asked, noting the Guardian's reactions.
Both of them nodded, and Rico spoke up, "It seems the Vex have followed us here."
The Normandy escaped the orbit of Gotha and turned back to Haestrom, entering FTL speeds only to pick up Shepard's Obsidian Wings. The Commander wasted no time after boarding, calling a meeting in the conference room.
"It's not good Commander. The Vex are a strange race that doesn't understand other species," Rico started. "They have strange goals and are powerful enough to time travel. It is assumed that the Vex were there at the start of our galaxy, or maybe even universe, we aren't sure."
Ghost spoke up, "They transform entire worlds into giant supercomputers that calculate all sorts of crazy things. One of our strongest Guardians, Osiris, spent years traversing the Infinite Forest and discovered the path to warp our earth to this timeline."
"Infinite Forest?" Shepard asked.
"In our Sol System, the Geth transformed Mercury into the Super Computer known as the Infinite Forest, which simulates trillions to probably infinite alternating realities where the Vex plan their actions for that timeline. Who knows if it's still running after we left," Kessa explained.
Ghost continued, "The Vex are so different from us that they don't even understand hostile intentions. They seek to change everything they touch into something they recognize, terraforming worlds into their strange way of life."
"What's more, the white liquid IS the Vex," Rico said.
"What do you mean?" Miranda asked.
"I know it sounds crazy, but they started as patterns within primordial chaos that eventually became some substrate of Radiolaria," Ghost said. "Now they house constructs within bodies of their unknown metal to shape the environment around them."
"We are talking space and time manipulation. Teleportation, time travel, you name it," Rico said.
Kessa flashed her deprecating smile, "We call the white liquid Vex Milk, but that is just among us Guardians. It's that radiolarian fluid that can even turn other organic beings into more Vex. It attacks your mind if you come into contact with it."
The room sat in silence as the information was soaked up.
Eventually, Jacob broke the silence, "So, what do we do about it? We can't stop our mission to deal with them."
Rico shook his head, "No, we don't do anything besides sicking Osiris on them. He will be out here the second he knows what's going on."
"The same Osiris that delved into this Infinite Forest?" Shepard asked.
Rico nodded, "Yeah, we message the Vanguard and they will send him in. He's a Dawnblade like the Guardian here is, but he is more...subtle than her."
The Guardian didn't move, but her featureless helmet just turned to look at him. Rico could feel her gaze and put his hands up in surrender.
"Alright, I will send a message to the Vanguard, but we still need to head to Illium next. EDI, let Joker know of our next destination, Miranda should have the details on where to land," Shepard said, looking to Miranda for confirmation.
She nodded and waited to be dismissed.
"Good, we continue on our mission like Rico suggests, and wait for this Osiris to figure out what's going on in the Dholen System," Shepard said. "We have our own problems with the Collectors and Reapers for now. Let's get to it."
The Normandy entered the purple sky of Illium, orange streams of sunlit clouds trailed behind the ship as it broke through the layers. The garden world of Illium was hotter than most, where the temperatures along the equator were uncomfortably hot. The capital city of Nos Astra was located in the northern hemisphere, filled with massive skyscrapers with most of the population living suspended in the sky and very little traffic on the ground.
Lanes of sky cars flowed between the towers like flowing rivers of organized machines. The silver-white towers of Asari architecture were highlighted with neon pink lights as if that was the standard color for lighting in this city.
The Normandy received permission to dock at the Nos Astra Spaceport. The moment they docked, Shepard was out, Miranda and Garrus with him. He received word of his past team member, lover, and friend: Liara T'soni. She had set up shop as a local information broker.
Shepard had been prepared, up until the moment he entered her building. It was an office building just outside of the spaceport. Nos Astra's primary surface was at 'Skycar level' meaning that pedestrian traffic wasn't so much a thing, while most markets, shops, and things of that sort were only accessible by said skycars. Shepard and his Fireteam took a cab to get to Liara's office, which was next to some minor market a few buildings over.
He entered the building only to receive a gracious smile from the receptionist, "Greetings, I am Nyxeris. Welcome, Liara is expecting you."
Shepard exchanged skeptical glances with Garrus. The Turian shrugged and they entered the room without saying anything else. The door hissed open and Shepard finally saw her. She was wearing a formal Asari dress, with a high and tight collar. Her huge desk was backed up against the incredible view of the city. Her office looked to be entirely open to the atmosphere but was actually covered in one-way glass.
Liara's blue eyes snapped up to pierce his own, her face a mask holding too many emotions to count behind her determined mind state.
"Good to see you again Shepard, Garrus," Liara said. She glanced at Miranda's passive gaze but immediately looked back down at her computer screen. "Just give me a second to finish this message."
"Liara...still working like a mad woman, are you?" Garrus asked with a laugh. Shepard noted how much better his mood was since picking up Tali. Garrus couldn't pry her away from Engineering where she fit right in with Donnelly and Daniels.
Liara felt her lips grow into a smirk, but it didn't help her anxiety at finally seeing Shepard alive.
She finished her work and stood. She took in Shepard's armored form. He didn't have a helmet on, but the images of his scarred form she received upon his revival were much different than the man she saw in front of her. He was taller, and the intricate armor had to be that of the Guardians, powerful and enhanced beyond anything they had in this day and age.
His eyes were vibrant and if she wasn't mistaken there was a slight purple glow deep within them. He was staring at her with that intense gaze that sent shivers down her spine.
The steps that it took to walk toward him felt like they took an hour as they stared at each other. She took a deep breath and went in for a hug, and maybe even a kiss, but movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She drew the armored man into a hug while staring at Miranda. The human had a frown on her face as she looked away, making her wonder about their relationship.
Of course, Liara recognized the woman who had originally put Shepard back together, the Director of the Lazarus Project, Miranda Lawson. But to see such emotion cross her face was surprising, unexpected even.
"I knew you were alive, but seeing you in person is a huge relief," Liara said. "My sources knew that you had survived...the fall."
"You have sources now?" Shepard asked, slightly amused.
"I do...I have contacts and even a little hired muscle. I have been working as an information broker," Liara said. "It's paid the bills for the last few years. I was originally going to visit New Terra, but I had too many leads here."
"If you know that much then you know about my mission," Shepard said, "I won't lie Liara, I could really use you on my team right now."
"I'm sorry, I have commitments here, things I need to take care of."
"What kind of things? Are you in trouble?" Shepard asked with a frown.
"No. No trouble, but it's been a long two years. I had things to do while you were gone and debts that I must pay," She said. "Listen, if you want to help, I need someone with hacking expertise, someone I can trust."
"I have always been a shit hacker, but I have two people I trust that can help," Shepard said. He telepathically talked to Aurora, "Send for EDI and have her let Kasumi and Keiji know that I have a job for them. One that requires stealth and precision."
"Of course, John, right away," Aurora replied in his mind.
"Alright, I will have two of my most trusted come by and do whatever you need them to for 2 days while I take my Fireteam and sort out some other stuff," Shepard said, noticing Liara's incoming protest.
He held up his hand, "If I can't trust them, then you can't trust me."
She held her tongue on that.
Looking at her, he decided to ask about two of the dossiers, "Do you have any information about the Justicar named Samara and an assassin named Thane Krios?"
Liara sat down at her computer and began typing, "Your Justicar recently registered with a Tracking Officer named Dara. She can be found at a transportation hub back at the Spaceport. I am sending you the coordinates right now. As far as Thane Krios goes, he also arrived a few days ago and is targeting a corporate executive named Nassana Dantius. He had a contact in the cargo transfer department of the Nos Astra Spaceport, her name is Seryna, and here are the coordinates to her office."
"Do you have an idea of when he plans to attack?"
"Nassana owns a set of towers that are under construction currently...the Dantius Towers. She seems to be aware that someone is targeting her and has hired Eclipse Mercenaries to help protect her. I can see the hit happening tomorrow night as there won't be construction crews working at that point."
Shepard nodded and stood for an awkward goodbye. There were a lot of emotions on the line and it was clear that they didn't have time to sort them out.
"Rico, do you copy?" Shepard connected to Starfall via Ghost communication courtesy of Aurora.
"Ahem, yes? Uh, yes Commander, how can I help you?" Rico's voice came back hesitantly.
"Everything alright?"
"Uh...of course it is! I'm not doing anything, ow stop it Kessa, I am trying to talk to the Commander!" Rico said.
Shepard shook his head, "Right, I have a mission for you and Starfall if you are up to it."
"We are up to it, what do you need?"
"Travel to these coordinates, you are looking for a Tracking Officer named Dara, she will be in the Transport Hub on the southern side of the Nos Astra Spaceport. She will let you know where to find the Asari Justicar named Samara. She is a warrior of the Asari race that comes with a measure of prestige, so be ready to jump through hoops on that."
"Affirmative, Commander, we will recruit her after letting her know the basics of the mission," Rico replied.
"Shepard out," He said, Aurora cutting the connection. "Miranda, do you have a location on where we are headed?"
"Yes, Commander. Right this way."
They entered a bar named Eternity with some pleasant electronic ambiance, ethereal green and blue lighting, and amazing views of purple-lit skyscrapers. The bar had several levels with orange heat-wave visualizations in wall panels, giving the feeling of movement and futuristic vibes. Trees and bushes were strategically placed to bring some natural green into the equation.
The bar wasn't too busy and held quite a few other Citadel races than the Asari, though they were in the majority.
"My contact, Lanteia should be right over there," Miranda nodded to a more sheltered room.
Shepard listened as Miranda practically interrogated the Asari, finding out that someone from her past, one Niket, was overseeing the transfer of her family. Lanteia left after the exchange and Shepard spoke up, "You look confused, is this Niket trustworthy?"
Miranda was wearing a frown while staring at nothing, "Actually, Niket has my trust, one of the only from my past life, before Cerberus. It's just odd that he's here. Unexpected."
Shepard nodded, "When is the transfer?"
"Soon, we need to get going, Lanteia has a sky car rented and waiting for us to take, along with the coordinates of the exchange, we should head out now."
Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus all headed out, leaving the calming atmosphere of Eternity and boarding the empty sky car. Shepard quickly threw it in gear and took off, following the route restrictions that remained in place, treating the air like a floating road. It took less than 15 minutes to close in on the transfer building, where Miranda noticed some strange movements.
"Those are Eclipse gunships and mercenaries," As soon as she spoke, the ground forces began to fire at their sky car.
"Damnit! We are in for a hard landing!" Shepard yelled. "Be ready to fight the second we hit!"
The landing was more of a crash but all three made it out of the car at record speed, considering its current state.
Just as Shepard and Miranda were about to open fire, one of the Eclipse mercs called for a cease-fire, "Hold your fire!"
Shepard had A Sudden Death leveled at the man in full Eclipse armor, "Miranda, right? You're too late! Our captain, Enyala is already moving in on Oriana, and your buddy Niket will not be able to help!"
He laughed outrageously like some two-bit villain, "Not only that, my snipers now have perfect lines on you, so you might as well-"
The stupid Merc was interrupted by a single blast from Shepard's shotgun. Garrus had already sighted in on one of the snipers and his Albruna-D dropped a perfect bullet in the Eclipse sniper's head.
The battle commenced and Miranda threw up a Biotic Shield while Shepard began lobbing Void Grenades as he brought out the Witherhoard. He took down a group of 4 Eclipse mercs as they tried to run from the blighted field left by its explosion. They died screaming as their armor disintegrated around them.
Miranda lobbed Singularities while Shepard sprinted forward and fully engaged. The sharp cracks of sniper rifle shots brought down anyone out of reach, Garrus' aim was perfect.
In seconds the room was cleared and one they went. In minutes the next room was cleared and they entered an elevator.
Garrus was quietly reloading his weapons while Miranda stood against the wall, a dark expression on her face.
"Hey," Shepard drew her attention, the intelligent eyes constantly calculating, were interrupted by Shepard's voice. "We will get her."
Miranda looked skeptical, but was thankful for the reassurance all the same, "I think I owe you a better explanation. Oriana is my genetic twin, but I took her from my father when I was a teenager. She was growing as a baby and I couldn't let him do to her what he did to me...She's almost a woman now."
"She's a kid?"
"She's almost an adult..."
"We need to get to her if Eclipse is in on this, we don't know their goals," Shepard said. "Are you sure Niket is on our side in this?"
"He's the only one I trust in this, it has to be," She said.
Shepard didn't hide his skepticism, as something was wrong in this situation, "Let's get your sister."
The elevator opened and they continued, wiping out another two squads of Eclipse mercs and even some LOKI mechs. As well embedded as Eclipse was, they were nowhere near prepared enough for the force of nature known as Commander Shepard.
A Sudden Death was brought leveled at anyone foolish enough to let him get close enough. Those who were unfortunate enough to eat Void Grenades were erased from existence like they had never been born.
Shepard spoke to his Ghost, letting his words remain sealed within his helmet, "So why can't I have Witherhoard and Gravitron Lance equipped at the same time?"
"It would draw too much Light, you would constantly be drained, and building up enough power to activate your Super would be fully out of the question. Even without wearing an Exotic class armor piece, it would be too much. I am sorry John," Aurora said.
Shepard grimaced, "I need a mid to long-range weapon, something like an assault rifle, remind me to talk to Starfall about buying one when we get back to the Normandy."
Shepard could feel Aurora's amusement, "Of course Shepard, it's good to know that you fully support the use of Light-enhanced weaponry."
"There is no doubting the power they pack."
They came to another elevator, and Miranda's worries bubbled out after listening to more Merc chatter from a hacked radio unit, "It's like the Eclipse are working to stop us from getting there like they are already there. I just don't understand..."
"What if Niket hired them?" Shepard asked.
She shook her head, not willing to look at the evidence, "He wouldn't do that...he's the one who got me out of there, why would he turn on me now and not then? It just doesn't make sense."
Shepard could see the writing on the wall, "Expect the worst here Miranda, if Niket is using this opportunity to get them back to your father... Well, we will know when we get there."
"I don't know...dammit! Can't this thing move any faster!?"
The elevator opened, revealing an Eclipse merc, a human male, and another Asari in business attire.
"Miri..." Niket said.
"This should be fun," The Eclipse Captain Enyala said. Weapons were drawn and leveled.
The other Asari tried to run but was shot in the back by Enyala.
"Niket. You sold me out."
"How do you want to handle this Miranda?" Shepard asked, his weapon ready to eliminate Enyala in a second. Garrus was next to him with a headshot waiting to happen.
"Why Niket? You helped me get away from my father."
"Yes, because you wanted to leave. That was your choice, but if I had known that you had stolen a baby-"
"I didn't steal her, I rescued her!"
"From a life of wealth and happiness? You weren't saving her, you were getting back at your father!" Niket yelled, putting his hands down as if his words were a shield.
"He's working for your father. They know about Oriana...we need to find a new solution," Shepard said, his cold words coming from his helmet.
Niket looked ashamed, but spoke up, "Miranda's father has no information about Oriana. I knew you had spy programs in your father's systems, Miri, so I kept it private. I'm the only one who knows."
"Which means that you are the only loose end. This isn't how I wanted it to end Niket," Miranda said.
She pulled the trigger and Niket's head exploded.
Shepard reacted just as fast, opening a few holes in Enyala's chest, A Sudden Death not caring about any armor or shields she had. They were too close.
Just then a shipping elevator opened and two squads of Eclipse mercs began to engage them. It was time for Shepard to use his Super.
He flew forward with the speed of a rocket, pulling 23 mercs into the Void. Their remains were luminescent purple dust.
Miranda and Garrus hurried to catch up to Shepard and they boarded the next elevator. Upon arriving on the correct floor, Miranda located Oriana and her adoptive family. The transfer was a success.
"Go to her," Shepard said after Aurora removed his helmet.
"What? I can't do that...it's better that I remain in the shadows."
"Screw that, she needs to know that you are out there protecting her, even if she doesn't know what from. Would it be so bad if she knew that she has a sister that loves her?"
"I guess not," Miranda said, showing more emotions than she was used to.
"Go on, we'll be here."
She nodded and walked over.
Shepard watched Oriana as she caught sight of Miranda. It was like a fully grown and enhanced version of herself, one that she recognized. She almost stepped back as Miranda's gaze remained locked on her during the approach. Shepard watched the emotional conversation that happened over 5 minutes. Oriana had an awe-filled gaze as her graceful older sister walked away and joined up with him and Garrus.
She had a look of amazement on her face as she left with her parents.
Shepard nodded to Miranda and they headed back to the Normandy.
"Is that her?" Kessa asked in Fireteam chat.
Fireteam Starfall had made it to the Transportation Hub within the Spaceport. They arrived at the office where a lone Asari was quietly working at a desk. Rico nodded at Kessa, "Excuse me, are you Officer Dara?"
The Asari looked up and her eyes widened at the intricately designed armor. Rico, being an Exo, immediately struck her mind as someone from New Terra. Not only that, but Kessa was wearing a hood, with her beautiful face revealed, light blue skin and intricate orange tattoos around her eyes revealing her as an Awoken. The Asari pulled her eyes away from her and looked back to Rico.
"I...am, can I help you with something?"
"We are looking for an Asari warrior named Samara. Have-" Rico started but was cut off.
"Wait...why? Do you have a problem with her? Or did she kill somebody already?"
Rico put his hands up placatingly, "No, nothing like that. We are trying to recruit her for a mission. Nothing nefarious."
She sighed, "Good, Samara is the first Justicar I have seen on Illium. If I am lucky things will remain peaceful. She went to the commercial spaceport a few hours ago. If you want to get there, you can summon a cab from that pedestal right over there. Just...make sure you treat her with respect when you see her. Justicars are the embodiment of the highest of Asari laws, they usually stay in Asari space and won't be used to dealing with aliens."
"I am sure it will be fine, thank you for the information," Rico said.
The Fireteam quickly left, a cab giving them a ride.
Sam spoke over fireteam chat, her soft Ghost voice only audible to the team and their other Ghosts, "We will probably be able to find information in the police station, it's unlikely that anywhere else would be as reliable."
The Fireteam noticed they were being watched by a short Volus in a suit. Kessa and Rico made eye contact with him, but the Guardian didn't seem to care either way. Entering the Police station, they found only a handful of people and only one who seemed to be in charge. Rico talked to her long enough to acquire information on Samara's location with the promise that they would persuade her to leave the district.
They were given clearance to enter the crime scene where someone had been murdered the day before. On the way in, they ran into Eclipse Mercs. They walked through the tiny Mass Effected bullets while gunning down anyone else. It was only a single squad and they stood no chance against Guardians.
Walking through the next door, they found Samara in the middle of interrogating an Eclipse lieutenant. The foolish young Asari tried to kill the Justicar, only to be flung with overwhelming biotic powers.
"Nice," Kessa said, watching the yellow-armored merc fly through the air.
"Find peace in the embrace of the goddess," The red-armored Justicar said.
She noticed the Fireteam, "My name is Samara, a servant of the Justicar Code. My quarrel is with these Eclipse Sisters, but I see three well-armed people before me. Are we friend or foe?"
"We are hopefully friends. I am Rico-77, leader of Fireteam Starfall. We are working for a Commander Shepard to save colonies against vast alien threats, you in?"
"You honor me, but I am in the middle of an investigation."
"I see, well, if it's something that can be put on pause or finished relatively quickly, then I would ask you to join us. We are going up against terrible odds. We need the best of the best," Rico nodded. "That means you."
"I sense the truth in your words, and it humbles me. But I seek an incredibly dangerous fugitive. I cornered her here, but the Eclipse Sisters smuggled her off world. I must find the name of the ship she left on before the trail goes cold."
"I wish you'd go with the Guardian's Justicar, I was ordered to take you into custody if don't leave," Detective Anaya said. This was who originally gave them the location of Samara.
"You risk a great deal by following your orders detective. Fortunately, I will not have to resist. My code allows me to cooperate for up to one day, but after that, I will return to my investigation."
"I won't be able to release you that soon," Anaya replied, worry evident in her tone.
"You won't be able to stop me."
Kessa chuckled at that.
Rico spoke up, "So can we find the name of that ship for you? You know...before you go on a rampage?"
Samara nodded, "That would satisfy the code."
They found that the only lead they had was the very same Volus that had been staring them down before. A man named Pitne For.
Rico immediately sensed the nervous energy behind the Volus, and he decided to press him. It was easy to get the nervous fool to talk and Rico had him spilling his information easily. The information on the location of the Eclipse Base as well as how to access it was all they needed.
The Asari were tough, and many of the Eclipse were former Asari Commando's. Unfortunately for them, they didn't come anywhere near the power level of Guardians.
Rico, Kessa, and the Guardian rolled into the Eclipse Base like a tide of death, eliminating anything that moved. At one point a combat droid stood up to attack them, and Kessa removed its weapon before it could fire. The dumb droid didn't know what to do so Kessa put the barrel of the Ace of Spades to its head, allowing a bullet-free passage while it tried to parse the information it was receiving.
They continued and the Guardian holstered her favorite hand cannons to pull a weapon she hadn't used in some time. The Mountaintop appeared in her grip, a weapon gifted to her directly from Lord Shaxx. It fired a perfectly straight spiked grenade, that loved to one-shot enemies.
It was almost too effective on the Eclipse mercs. It had the auto-loading perk, allowing her to switch between the Mountaintop and her other hand cannons, making for a steady stream of alternating projectiles to fly out. Each shot seemed to find a perfect target to blast.
As they delved deeper into the Eclipse base, they found an airship port where a gunship was waiting to take them down.
"I got this one," Rico said. He launched up into the air and lived up to the earned name of Thundercrash Titan. His Cuirass of the Falling Star enhanced his Super as he collided with the gunship. He hit it in the 'chin' just below the cockpit smashing it and blowing out the windows as the machine exploded.
They found another Volus, this one seeming to be high on some kind of biotic-enhancing drug. As he claimed to be a biotic god, Rico just bonked him on the head with a fist, knocking the drugged-up meatball out cold.
They found a room where an Asari in intricate purple armor, matching her skin color, was finishing a drink while reading a tablet. The orange tattoos along her face almost reminded Kessa of her own, if less intricate and more primal-looking.
"Everything has really gone to shit since we help smuggle that filthy creature off-world," The Asari said. "First a Justicar shows up, now actual Guardians from 'New Terra.'"
Kessa had been invisible since entering the room and snuck off to flank around the side while Rico and the Guardian faced her.
"At least I can take pleasure in turning your heads into a pulpy mess!" She activated her biotics and threw an ominously glowing container.
Rico casually put up a Titan Shield, stopping the container in its tracks. More Eclipse mercs began to pour out from other doors, and Kessa decided to eliminate half of them. She used her Duality shotgun to quickly drop three while the Guardian fired a perfect round into the chest of the Captain who had been speaking.
The single grenade was enough to remove her biotic barrier and cause her to stagger. She recovered fast enough to open a door and retreat while Rico leveled the Thunderlord at the other side of the room. Nothing over there survived.
Even with retreating and the addition of another squad of Eclipse mercs, they were just fodder to Fireteam Starfall.
Rico delivered the final blow by filling the air with bullets and lightning. Rico had Sam search the desk and found a pad with a file containing the information on the smuggling operation.
They made it back to the police department, finding the Justicar lounging gracefully near Detective Anaya.
"Justicar, the ship you are looking for is the AML Demeter, which contains the person the Eclipse smuggled away," Rico said.
"Guardian, you impress me. You fulfilled your part of the bargain and I will fulfill mine," Samara said as she hopped off her perch. "I am ready to leave immediately if that will satisfy your superiors, Detective."
"You're free to go Justicar, it has been an honor having you in my station," Anaya said, "And it's nice you didn't kill me too."
"Well, looks like we have a new member of our Fireteam, no matter how brief," Kessa said, her helmet disappearing under her hood. Both Anaya and Samara looked at her with surprise, the first time she saw an Awoken female.
The Guardian nodded once and her Ghost formed above her shoulder, "Welcome to Fireteam Starfall, Justicar!"
Samara looked imperiously and curiously at the Ghost, but then turned back to Rico, "I must be sworn into your service so that I never have to choose between your orders and the Code."
Rico looked startled and looked to Kessa, who immediately had a devious smirk appear on her face.
Samara's eyes glowed like an Awoken's and her biotic power encapsulated her. She closed her eyes and kneeled reverently before Rico, "By the Code, I will serve Starfall. Your choices are my choices, your morals are my morals, your wishes are my Code."
Her power flared, accepting her oath.
"I have never seen a Justicar swear an oath like that," Anaya said.
Samara nodded, "If you make me do anything extremely dishonorable, I may need to kill you when released from my oath."
Rico nodded, "I wouldn't make you do anything any of us wouldn't do. We are in this together and we accept your oath, with honor."
"The life of a Justicar can get lonely," Samara said, full sincerity behind her words, "I admit that I looking forward to serving with a company of honorable heroes."
Kessa laughed, "The Guardian there is the hero, but you are welcome all the same. Of course... you will have to get used to our sleeping arrangements."
The Guardian facepalmed.
Rico sighed and spoke, "Never change Kessa."