Tyranny
Normandy, 2185, October 5th 10:19 AM
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I see Jack doing pull-ups on one of the pipes along the ceiling. She drops to the floor before giving me a smug grin. I'm never going to hear the end of this.
"Hey," she greets. "Where were you the other night?" Great.
I shrug, trying to downplay it. "Just around."
"Yeah." She crosses her arms, still smirking. "Around someone's bedroom."
"Oh, haha." I roll my eyes. "And to think I came to check up on you." I knew she'd be fine, but I should have made sure sooner, just in case.
Jack takes a seat on the edge of the bed, still wearing that annoying grin. "A whole ass day later."
I definitely should have checked. "I was hungover and slept pretty much all day."
"I figured." She opens her arms, gesturing at herself. "As you can see, I made it back in one piece."
I slump down on the floor across from her, my usual spot. "I'm so done with drinking."
"Riiight." Jack casually picks up a datapad from beside her. "You should probably invest in a chair."
"Maybe." The metal floor is pretty bad. "Have you talked to Tali?"
Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "You mean the quarian girl?"
I nod. "Yeah."
She shrugs. "You think I've talked to her?"
"Point taken." I should have seen that coming, Jack barely talks to me, and maybe Riley.
"Why are you here anyway?" She makes eye contact with me, putting the datapad down.
What? "Like I said, I came to check up on you."
She raises an eyebrow. "Why?"
Why? I thought that was obvious. "Because I drunkenly left you alone in some random club."
She shakes her head. "No, why do you care?"
"Because you're my friend." I don't know where she's going with this, but I don't like it.
"We aren't friends," she says, her tone blunt.
Well, that hurts. "I consider you a friend." Standing up, I give her an annoyed look. "Maybe one day you'll finally admit it." With that, I turn and head for the stairs.
"Where are you going?" I hear her call after me.
I pause, my hand resting on the railing. "We're good, Jack. I just need some time right now." I don't want her to think I'm upset with her, but she's not making it easy. Without waiting for a response, I continue upstairs.
Stepping into the engine room, I find Kenneth and Gabriella at their usual work stations. Tali's also here, working across the room from them. It's been a while since I've come in here. I should visit more often.
Kenneth turns towards me, smiling instantly. "Well, if it isn't Vex."
"Hey," I greet them, walking over. "How are you guys doing?"
His face lights up. "Counting down the hours until poker."
"The Commander agreed to play a game with us," Gabriella adds.
"Oh, cool." They're getting swindled.
Kenneth turns back to his work. "You can join if you want."
I shake my head. "Nah, maybe another time. For now, I should get back to the armoury."
We say our goodbyes before I head out, feeling a bit better after what Jack said.
Normandy, 2185, October 5th 4:14 PM
I approach Jacob, who's working at a terminal, and slide a datapad onto the desk beside him. I've been waiting for this moment for days now.
"Inventory's done," I announce, watching as he scans through the datapad. "And you said when I finished, I could use the tools."
He chuckles. "Go for it."
"Thanks." I hurry to the other side of the room, setting my weapon case down on the table. Flicking it open, I run my fingers over my mantis.
Jacob turns to me. "I don't know why you had to wait until now. Don't you have your own tools?"
"I do." I carefully remove the sniper from the case. "My tools are good, but Cerberus went overboard with these." If there's one thing Cerberus does right, it's having top-notch shit.
Jacob walks over as I start installing the scram pulsar. "How long have you had it? There's a lot of mods."
"About eleven years." It does have a lot, but with barriers and other forms of protection getting better every year, I've had to adapt. "It was a gift from my grandfather."
"Did he teach you to snipe?" He seems interested, but I'm sure this stuff is all in my dossier.
"Yeah." I nod. "He did."
Jacob smiles at that. "Where is he now?"
I pause what I'm doing. He doesn't know? Did he not read my dossier? That's actually kind of comforting in a way. "He died after I left for Omega." I wish I could have seen him before he died, but there was no way I could go back to Earth.
Jacob's quiet for a moment before he places a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my father, so I understand."
"Uh, thanks. And I'm sorry too." This is starting to get awkward. I need a subject change. "How did you end up working for Cerberus?"
He chuckles a little. "I was drinking in a bar when Miranda offered me the job." Miranda? I think I'd rather talk about my grandfather.
"Just out of the blue?" This is never going to end.
"No," he answers. "We worked together to stop some batarian terrorists."
Shrugging, I return to my work. "Better recruitment story than mine. I just happened to know the right person."
Jacob shakes his head. "Yeah, but it's more than that. You proved yourself on Omega."
I smile to myself. "Funny story about that, my intention was to join the mercs. I'm glad they didn't want me."
"It was a surprise when you showed up," Jacob muses. "Miranda wasn't impressed with you."
"I did have that effect on her." She really hated me at first, and she probably still should.
Finishing up the upgrade, I lean back in my chair. It's finally done. Picking up my mantis, I inspect it. Yeah, this'll do nicely.
"Mind if I take a look?" Jacob asks, eyeing the sniper.
I hesitate for a second. I suppose he's earned the right to hold it for a moment. "Sure, just be careful."
He looks surprised and takes the mantis from my hands, examining it. "It's pretty good work. Are you self-taught?"
"My grandfather taught me the basics." I shrug. "But the modding is self-taught."
"Impressive." He hands the rifle back. "You should handle all the upgrades from now on."
"Nah." I screw up my nose. "That's too much work."
Placing my mantis back in its case, I notice EDI appearing on her node. "Miss Ward, Commander Shepard would like to speak to you in the debriefing room."
I turn to Jacob. "I guess I'm getting out of work."
"Seems so." He sighs and returns to the terminal. "Which means I'll be getting back to it."
Closing my weapon case, I glance at EDI. "Tell her I'm on my way."
"Affirmative," EDI replies before disappearing.
I pick up my case and head out, making my way towards the debriefing room. The door opens, revealing Riley leaning against the table, Archangel beside her. Stepping inside, I set my gear down and lock eyes with him. "Why the fuck is he here?"
Riley shakes her head and pushes off the table. "The same reason you're here."
"Which is?" I cross my arms. I hope she isn't trying to make us get along. We're way beyond that ever happening.
"You both have extensive knowledge on assassins," she explains.
"I'm not an assassin." I raise an eyebrow. Where's she going with this?
"I didn't say you were, but you know about them." She folds her arms. "I'm putting you both on a mission."
No fucking way. "I'm not going on a mission with him."
Riley pinches the bridge of her nose. "I'm not giving you a choice. Put your feud aside for once and listen." She turns to Archangel. "You too."
He shrugs. "I don't even remember who I killed to upset her."
That's it, I'm killing him. "His name was Nulan Mizu!" I take a step forward. "You fucking-"
Riley's hands are immediately on my shoulders, holding me back. "Enough! If you can't cooperate, then I'll leave you behind on Illium."
I don't care. I want to shoot him in his fucked up face. I struggle against her grip, but she's stronger than me and doesn't let go. Fine, fine. She wins.
Taking a deep breath, I give in. "I'm good."
Archangel steps forward. "So am I, Shepard." I hate his voice.
"All right." Riley releases me, and I take a step back. "Now, let's focus on why you're both here." She walks over and activates a display of a dossier. "We're looking for a male drell named Thane Krios. Do either of you know him?"
"No," Archangel replies.
I shake my head. "Never heard of him." I've never even met a drell.
Riley points to the dossier. "As you can see, he's rumoured to be targeting someone on Illium."
"A whole ass planet," I remark with a scoff. "That narrows it down."
"I know, but luckily, we happen to know a great information broker." She switches the hologram to an image of an asari. "This is Seryna. Thane contacted her when he arrived on Illium. She has an office in Nos Astra. The cargo transport area, specifically."
Archangel leans in. "Do we know who he's after?"
Riley switches it to yet another asari. "Nassana Dantius. That's a name you should recognise, Garrus."
He nods. "I'm surprised she's still breathing."
"By the sounds of it, she won't for long," I mutter.
"She's not exactly innocent." Riley deactivates the table. "But if we can hear her out, then we should."
"Sure." I walk back over to my case, picking it up. "When are we leaving?"
Riley glances at me. "We'll have to talk to Seryna first, so let's gear up and meet in the cargo deck in thirty minutes."
Nodding, I turn towards the door, not wanting to be in the same room as Archangel. I leave and head back to the armoury. They seem to have a history with whoever Nassana Dantius is, and judging by what they said, she's not a good person.
Nos Astra, 2185, October 5th 5:36 PM
Of course, the last night we're spending on Nos Astra involves Archangel. I've never been on a mission with him before, and for good reason. All I know is it's going to be a long night.
Entering the cargo shipping area, we approach a small office where two asari are working, neither paying attention to us. Riley takes the lead, stepping up to one of the desks.
"Are you Seryna?" she asks, placing a hand on the desk.
The asari doesn't even flinch, eyes still on her terminal. "Who wants to know?"
Riley leans in, her voice firm. "How about you stop what you're doing and we can have a real conversation?"
"How about-" the woman finally glances up, pausing. "Oh, well, I don't think I have a choice. You seem well-armed."
Crossing her arms, Riley meets her gaze. "Do you know Thane Krios?"
Seryna sighs and turns to the other asari. "Tana, cover for me." She stands and walks around the desk, gesturing for us to follow her. "Over here."
She leads us to a large window overlooking the city, the setting sun casting a warm glow over Nos Astra. For a moment, you can almost pretend this place isn't just portentous Omega.
Facing away from the window, Seryna gets straight to the point. "Yeah, I know who Thane Krios is. I might have passed him some information, but I didn't hire him. What do you want to know?"
Riley watches her carefully. "I want to find him. Rumour is he's after Nassana Dantius."
Seryna nods. "I ran security for Nassana Dantius. Then I found out she was having people killed to cover up her dirty secrets." I see why they don't like her now.
"I see," Riley says, seeming unimpressed.
"She fired me when I confronted her." Seryna's expression goes sour as she scoffs. "Her loss, I might have been good enough to stop Thane from taking her down." And I thought I was cocky.
"Maybe." Riley shrugs. "What's Nassana doing about him?"
"She hired some Eclipse mercs," Seryna replies. "They're high-tech killers, undisciplined, but well-equipped." Oh good, Eclipse.
"Yeah," I cut in. "We have it covered with Eclipse."
Seryna hums. "Thane didn't seem worried either."
"So, where did he go?" Riley asks.
"The Dantius Towers. Penthouse level of Tower One." Seryna turns to the window, pointing at two towers in the distance. "There's a second tower, still under construction. If Thane is smart, he'll go in from there."
Riley glances at the towers. "Do you know a way in?"
"She's as smart as she is paranoid. No one's getting in or out of there without a fight." Seryna faces us again. "I can get you in, but you'll only get one shot. You'd better be ready."
I take a step forward. "Why are you so eager to help us? It seems too easy." I don't entirely trust her yet.
"You're going to look for Thane. Nassana's mercenaries will try to stop you," Seryna explains, meeting my gaze. "At the least, you'll distract her guards. Take a little fire, give Thane a clear shot."
Oh, she wants us to be a distraction. "Ah."
"Hey, I didn't hire him to kill Nassana." Seryna holds up her hands defensively. "But, I won't shed any tears when she gets what's coming to her."
I get that, I feel the same way about her right now. "Fair enough."
Riley speaks up, gaining Seryna's attention again. "Who hired him?"
"Nobody hired him." Seryna crosses her arms. "I wanted to know who I was helping, and he said he's doing this job on his own. That he had to restore the balance of his life."
"I find that hard to believe," I add. What assassin does a hit for free?
"I somewhat agree," Archangel admits. He agrees? What's his angle with that?
"I don't know. Maybe he's crazy." Seryna shrugs. "If he takes down Nassana, I don't care why he does it."
Riley nods. "Okay, well, if you want to help us, then let's go."
Seryna smirks. "Good. I'm tired of this crap. The shift workers should be cleared out of Tower Two by the time we get there."
Nos Astra, 2185, October 5th 6:02 PM
The sun is just about to finish setting as we fly through the Nos Astra traffic. I glance out the window, watching the other skycars. It's better than looking at Archangel beside me.
Seryna's voice breaks the silence, "The towers are heavily guarded and you'll find more resistance closer to the penthouse."
Riley nods. "Understood."
Seryna's glances at Riley for a moment. "The assassin, are you planning to stop him?"
Riley meets her eyes. "I want to talk to him, so I need him alive."
The city comes to life as nightfall takes over. Each building lighting up in neon, the different colours make me miss home just a little. Which is something I didn't think was possible.
I glance at Archangel, seeing that he's also looking out the window. I don't really know what to make of him. He seems to care about people, but he doesn't even remember Nulan? Why do I want him to care? So he can feel bad? Because I don't see that happening.
"Do you really not remember him?" I ask, even though I don't really want the answer.
He turns his head to me. "Do you remember every person you've killed?"
I-I wasn't expecting that. He's right, I don't. How could I when there's hundreds of them? "No."
His attention returns to the window. "There's your answer."
I stare at him for a few more seconds, eventually turning away. I don't know why I even try. I won't get anything from him.
"There they are, the Dantius Towers," Seryna announces, pointing out the windshield. "You'll have to go up the second tower and cross the bridge to the penthouse. Her mercs will fight you every step, but it's your best chance."
"And we can't just fly up?" Riley inquires.
"She's got mercs with rockets just waiting for you to try," Seryna replies. "You'd get maybe halfway up before they shot you down. Besides, your assassin won't go in that way. Best to go in low."
Riley nods. "Anything else?"
"The Eclipse mercs will be well-fortified by now, and they won't want to disappoint Nassana," Seryna continues. "There are no automated defences or traps. Just focus on anything moving." She guides the skycar out of the traffic flow, landing us outside the second tower. "Don't linger too long, they'll be here to greet you soon enough. Good luck."
We shuffle out of the skycar and Riley gives Seryna a thumbs up before closing the door. She nods, the skycar lifting off to leave.
"I'm so glad to be out of there," I remark while stretching.
Archangel hums in agreement. "Sadly, I'm going to have to agree with her again." Eww.
Riley turns towards the building. "Do you hear that?"
We follow her gaze to the glass doors of the building, seeing two salarians running inside. They attempt to access the door controls as two LOKI mechs appear and gun them down. We spring into action, weapons drawn, using the side of the building as cover.
Archangel fires into the glass, giving me an opportunity to take out one of the mechs. Riley handles the last one, allowing us to make our way into the building.
Approaching one of the bodies, green blood pooling around him, I freeze at the sight. Memories of Nulan come to mind, tightening my chest. My fists clench, but I force myself to take a deep breath, trying to calm down. I need to get a hold of myself. This isn't the time or place to break down.
"Vex?" Riley's hand on my shoulder startles me, and I instinctively pull away from her. "Are you okay?"
I nod. "Yeah, I'm-" I pause, hearing the faint sound of coughing. "Did you hear that?" Without waiting for a reply, I break into a sprint. Heading further into the building, I turn a corner to find another salarian, he's slumped against a wall, green blood covering his clothes. I kneel beside him. "Hey, can you hear me?"
"He's still alive?" Archangel's voice comes from behind me.
"I can't feel my legs... my chest is killing me," the salarian chokes out.
Riley gets down next to me. "What happened to you?"
He coughs, his voice raspy. "We're just night workers! Nassana... sent them after us. She sent the mechs to round us up, but we didn't hear... they just started shooting."
I never thought I'd agree with an assassin, but Nassana's a piece of work. What could she possibly gain by killing her own workers? Is she really that paranoid?
Riley pulls out some medi-gel, applying it to the salarian. "Here, this should help."
He closes his eyes in relief. "Thank you. That helps... a lot."
"Why would Nassana send mechs after you?" Riley asks, her brow furrowing.
The salarian sits up slightly, getting more comfortable. "She wanted us out of the way-immediately. Find the other workers. Help them."
"We will," Riley assures him. "Do you know a way up?"
"Take the service elevators to the upper floors. The bridge between the towers isn't finished, but if you're careful... just watch out for the mercs, they're everywhere," he warns, gesturing to a door across the room.
Riley rises to her feet, and I do the same. "I think that's enough, just rest. I'll send help after I'm done here."
"Thank you, I won't forget this." He closes his eyes and leans back.
Archangel opens the door, and we head inside. Walking down a red tinted hallway that leads deeper inside the building. Eventually, we reach a room cluttered with building supplies.
Before we can take more than a few steps, bullets fly past, forcing us to get behind the stacks of material. I return fire, my shot hitting one of the Eclipse mercenaries.
"Riles!" I call over comms, reloading my mantis. "I took one out, but I counted two more."
"Understood." She peeks out, firing some shots.
Just as I line up another shot, the merc slumps down. Fucking Archangel. Readjusting, I fire one final bullet, taking out the last one. Archangel may be good, but I'll give him a run for his credits.
Riley gestures for us to follow her and we continue through the building until we come across a ramp that leads to the next floor. We start our way up when we hear a distant voice.
"Hey-I think he went in here," a male voice says.
"Well, go get him," a female voice replies.
"You go," the first voice orders.
"Seriously?" I whisper.
Riley motions for us to stay quiet as we carefully sneak around, looking for the origin of the voices.
The female voice appears again. "Get your ass in there. Nassana's not paying you to stand around."
"Fine-but I-" the male's voice gets cut off as the sound of something hitting metal echoes throughout the area, followed by what sounds like someone dying.
I smirk to myself. "Sounds like Thane got to them first."
Archangel nods. "Seems so."
As we continue to an unfinished section of the building, we're greeted by four mercenaries across the room. Bullets rain down on us, forcing us to take cover behind whatever we can find. They don't let up, keeping us pinned.
I might have an idea dumb enough to work. Activating my invisibility, I switch to my pistol as I cross the room. Once behind, I manage to take out two of them.
The remaining mercs spin around, shock on their faces. They pull their weapons up, about to fire in my direction. I stand completely still, trying not to give away my position.
A moment passes before gunfire is heard behind them. Both merc's eyes go wide before they fall to the floor. Riley runs up to me, her gun raised.
"Vex, are you insane?" she chides, lowering her weapon.
I shrug, deactivating the cloak. "What? It worked."
She sighs, shaking her head before walking off.
Archangel nods as he passes me. "Quick thinking," he remarks. "I like it."
I frown at the compliment before following them to a room filled with more supplies and what appears to be the service elevator the salarian mentioned. I move to inspect it while the others look around. It's locked, but I might be able to get it work-
"Vex!" Riley calls from across the room. "I need you to hack something."
Turning around, I see Riley standing by a door. I make my way over and activate my omni-tool. Hacking into the door is pretty simple, and it opens easily, revealing a small room with three salarians huddled inside. Riley immediately aims her pistol at them.
"Please-don't kill us! We'll go-we'll go," one of them pleads.
Another adds quickly, "Hey, look. They're not Eclipse. You're here to help us, right?"
"Yes," Riley replies, lowering her weapon. "It's safe enough to leave through the bottom floors. Move."
The salarians waste no time leaving the room, passing us before one of them hesitates. "If you see the drell, tell him thank you."
"You've seen him?" Riley questions.
The salarian nods. "He found us. We thought we were dead, but he just shut the door and locked us in."
"Locked you in?" Archangel comes up beside me. "Sounds like our assassin was trying to keep them safe."
One of the salarians steps back. "Assassin?"
"Here for Nassana, I bet," another chimes in. "She's got it coming."
Riley crosses her arms. "Do you know if anyone else is in the tower?"
"Not alive." The salarian shakes his head. "We were lucky."
"Noted," Riley says. "Now, get going."
As the salarians leave, one of them turns back. "Thank you, and tell your assassin to aim for her head cause she doesn't have a heart." Damn.
Once they're gone, I turn towards the elevator, ready to unlock it. As I approach, I hear faint noises from above. It's almost like... "It's coming down."
Riley motions for everyone to take cover. "Everyone get ready."
I dash back, leaping over a pile of building materials. Loading a disruptor round into my mantis, I take aim at the elevator door. Whatever comes out of there, it's about to take some major damage.
"Mezzanine," the VI announces. "Have a pleasant day."
The elevator opens, revealing a krogan standing between two Eclipse mercs. Instinctively, I fire at him, but he only flinches slightly, now staring in my direction. Oh, fuck.
He charges forward before Riley throws a few grenades at the group. I duck down, shielding myself as explosions shake the room, sending one of the Eclipse mercs flying past me.
I feel the krogan crash against the materials before he yells in pain. Rushing out of cover, I switch to my pistol. Riley and Archangel are already unloading rounds into him, so I join in, like a bonding exercise.
Finally, he falls to the ground, and I let out a sigh of relief. "I'm getting sick of krogan."
"That's not fair," Archangel says, smirking at me. "What about Grunt?"
I narrow my eyes. "Don't try to be fun-"
"Knock it off," Riley cuts in. "Get in the elevator."
We step in the elevator, waiting as it goes up. Once there, the doors open to a single Eclipse merc. His back is turned to us, facing a window, as he talks on his comm. Riley holds a finger to her lips, and we creep forward.
"We don't need any reinforcements. I'll take care of it. It's under control. I'll go down there myself," the merc says.
Moving closer, Archangel and I draw our weapons while Riley folds her arms. She clears her throat, and the merc pauses, slowly turning round.
He stares at us for a few moments. "Damn it."
Riley steps forward, forcing him back. "Have you seen the assassin?"
"Why are you looking for him?" he counters. "You're not one of Nassana's mercs. Who are you?"
Ignoring the question, she continues, closing the distance. "Just tell me what you know and I'll let you walk away."
He retreats, his back against the glass. "Look, even if I knew where he was, I wouldn't tell you."
She leans in. "That's not what I wanted to hear."
Arms folded, he nods toward the right. "I've got nothing more to say to you. If you shoot me, my team's right through there, they'll be all over you."
"Is Nassana worth dying over?" Riley presses.
"No, I suppose not." He lowers his head in defeat and Riley finally leaves his personal space. "Okay, look, last I heard, the assassin was down on the mezzanine. But the teams on the bridge think they might've spotted him. Nobody knows for sure."
Riley pats him on the shoulder. "See? That wasn't so hard. Leave."
"I'm going," he agrees, holding his hands up.
"One more thing," Riley adds as he turns to leave. He pauses, glancing back. "Don't harm any workers you see, or you'll have to answer to us."
"Got it," he replies, hurrying away.
Archangel lowers his rifle. "He owes you one. Anybody else would've killed him."
I shrug. "I think we should have."
Riley shakes her head, readying her avenger. "We don't need to kill everyone we come across."
As we enter the next room, the sound of voices draws our attention. Riley pauses, signalling us to stop.
"He's all over the place," a male voice says.
"What do you mean?" a woman replies, clearly frustrated.
I put a hand on Riley's shoulder. "I'll check it out."
She nods, silently mouthing the word 'go.'
Activating my cloak, I step out from our hiding spot. The room is pretty big, with an unfinished ceiling supported by a few pillars. Across the room, a man is talking on a terminal, an asari next to him, a vanguard if I had to guess. That could be trouble.
"We've got reports of him on multiple levels. We think he's travelling through the ducts," the man remarks with a hint of annoyance.
"I'm not paying you to think. Just find him. Now!" demands the woman on the terminal. Nassana, I guess. She seems charming.
Returning to Riley and Archangel, I deactivate my cloak. "There's just two, be careful of the asari."
"Got it. Let's move," Riley instructs.
We fan out, aiming our weapons at the duo. As they turn towards us, the vanguard wastes no time in throwing some biotic nonsense at us.
I dive to the ground, narrowly avoiding the energy blast that hits the wall behind us. Okay, she needs to go. Scrambling to my feet, I fire a disrupter round at her, breaking her tech armour.
Archangel takes a shot, bringing her down, while Riley handles the merc. With the room now quiet, a noise can be heard coming from a door off to the side of the room. Instinctively, we take aim.
Riley slowly approaches it, touching the datapad on the wall. "Vex, it's locked."
"Yeah, yeah." I holster my mantis and step forward, opening the door.
Inside, we find three salarians standing around a dead Eclipse merc. One of them is holding a pistol, pointing it at me. Riley and Archangel move up behind me, their weapons raised.
"Get back!" the salarian demands. "Get back-I'll shoot." Oh my god. I'm going to die to a salarian hiding in a closet.
"Relax. Don't do anything you'll regret," Riley urges, her voice calm.
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will. I said get back! I'll do it!" The salarian's hand trembles, before lowering his gun. "Please- don't make me do it."
I let out a sigh of relief, quickly retreating away from the door. "Fuck."
"We're not here to hurt you," Riley reassures him, cautiously approaching as she lowers her own rifle. "What's your name?"
"I-I'm Telon." He holds the gun back up. "Don't-come any closer."
Riley pauses. "Telon, I'm Commander Riley Shepard. This is Garrus Vakarian and Vexenna Ward. We're here to help."
The salarian lowers the gun again. "I-all right-here." He hands it to Riley. "I-don't feel so-" He falls back, fainting.
"Telon!" Another salarian calls, rushing to his side. "He's my brother. I just want to see if he's all right. Are you the one who... shot the merc?"
"No," Riley answers. "He didn't do it?"
"No." The salarian looks down at his brother. "Telon was standing here with..."
I leave them to their conversation, moving away to take a breather. Across the room, I notice the terminal is still active.
I step over to it. "Nassana?"
The image looks towards me. "It's about time! What's going on down there?"
Smiling to myself, I lean closer to the terminal. "Oh, you know. Just taking out all your men."
"Damn it!" She cuts the connection.
Chuckling, I glance at the ramp leading to the next floor. Looks like we're almost there. It won't be long now until we actually meet Nassana. What she's done here... it's cruel and unforgivable.
I turn back to the group, watching the salarians head for the exit as Riley and Archangel approach me. "Any updates?"
Riley nods. "The merc in the room was sniped."
"He's a good shot," Archangel comments.
Riley gazes up the ramp. "Looks like we still have a way to go."
I nod and we head upstairs, I notice the glass ceiling overhead. We've reached the top floor. On the opposite side of the room, the wall has a giant hole in it, so we make our way toward it.
Stepping through the opening, we find ourselves on the building's edge. We travel along the outside, eventually spotting the bridge to the other tower.
Nassana's voice booms over a speaker somewhere. "I don't care what you do, no one gets across that bridge!"
I ready my mantis, surveying the area through the scope. The bridge appears to be littered with machinery and building materials, it'll make decent cover for crossing. There's also two rocket drones stationed on the other tower's balcony.
Glancing at Riley, I remark, "We can get across, I'll just have to take out the drones."
Riley gets her rifle ready, gesturing to Archangel. "We'll push through. Just be careful, Vex."
As they get ready to cross, I use my thruster to get a higher vantage point. Peering through the scope, I take aim. Okay, let's do this.
I fire at the first drone as Riley and Archangel start their way across the bridge. The mercs spot them, and fire rains down, but they manage to make it to cover. Reloading another thermal clip, I get ready to hit the drone again.
"What the hell are you waiting for? Just kill them!" Nassana yells over the speakers.
Rolling my eyes, I continue taking shots at the drone. It manages to send a rocket in Riley's direction, but she avoids it. After a fourth shot, the drone finally goes down and I switch to the second one.
After the second drone is out, I swap my attention to the mercs on the balcony as the group almost makes it to the other side. Seryna wasn't kidding, this place is a fucking fortress.
Somehow, against all odds, they reach the end of the bridge. With a final shot, I take out the last merc standing between them and Nassana. I watch the vanguard fall down as Riley and Archangel rush up the stairs to the tower.
As they reach the top, a door opens. An asari commando steps out, unleashing a biotic attack that causes the two to run for cover. Well, fuck. That's not good.
I reload with a disruptor round, aiming carefully. The shot hits her shoulder, failing to shatter her shield. Her head whips in my direction, eyes scanning for me.
Archangel jumps up, shooting at the commando, as I start preparing another clip. Riley joins in from the other side, taking advantage of my distraction.
"Great job, Vex," Riley says over the comms once the asari is down. "We're moving in, get over here when you can."
Hoisting my sniper, I step toward the edge. "You got it."
They disappear into the penthouse as I leap off, gliding down to the start of the bridge.
Nos Astra, 2185, October 5th 11:48 PM
"Who the hell gave you the right to play god?" an asari shouts at Riley as I enter the large office. "I may not be perfect, but look at you. We both kill people for money. What's the difference?"
"You kill people because you think they're beneath you, they're in your way. I kill people when they leave me no choice," Riley explains, her arms folded.
I walk through the long room, noting the asari standing behind a huge desk. Three armed mercs behind her. Well, I see we found Nassana.
Nassana briefly glances at me before directing her attention back to Riley. "You've got a choice."
A faint thud comes from the air ducts above us, causing her men to scan the room warily. Looks like I got here just in time.
"Nassana," one of the mercs says.
She whirls around, glaring at him. "What?"
"I heard something," the merc informs her.
Nassana turns back, slamming her hands against the desk. "Damn it. Check the other entrances! You-" she points at us. "Stay put."
A figure drops from the vents behind one of the mercs, snapping their neck. He incapacitates another with a quick strike to the neck, while the third reaches for their weapon.
They aim, but Thane is faster. He shoots the final merc, grabbing their pistol in the process. Spinning around, he grabs Nassana, pressing the gun to her stomach. The shot echoes through the room before he gently lays her on the desk, crossing her arms respectfully.
"Impressive," Archangel remarks.
"Y-yeah." I hate to agree with Archangel, but it was. The way he was able to take them all out while being so close up. He's got me out skilled, not that I'd ever admit it aloud.
Thane bows his head, clasping his hands together. Silence falls over the room.
"Hello?" Riley speaks up, approaching the desk.
"One moment," Thane requests. "Prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken."
She gazes down at Nassana briefly. "Does she deserve it?"
"Not for her." Thane looks up. "For me." He begins to circle the desk. "The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you for instance. All this destruction, chaos. I was curious to see how far you'd go to find me." Stopping in front of Riley, he puts his hands behind his back. "Well, here I am."
Riley raises an eyebrow. "You knew we were coming? How?"
"I didn't. Not until you marched in the front door and started shooting." He glances back. "Nassana had become paranoid."
"That's for sure," I add.
"Yes," Thane agrees, looking between us. "You saw the strength of her guard force. She believed one of her sisters would kill her. You were all a valuable distraction."
Riley steps forward. "So, you used us."
"I needed a diversion, you needed to speak with me." He faces Riley. "You certainly fulfilled your end of the bargain. What would you like to discuss?"
"Colonies have been getting abducted, we're trying to stop it," Riley explains. "The culprit is a race called the Collectors. Heard of them?"
"I've heard of them." He nods. "Attacking the Collectors would require passing through the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so." Huh, I guess I never really thought about it like that.
Riley smiles. "Yeah, but I've done the impossible before."
"A fair point." He glances back at me and Archangel. "You've built a career on performing the impossible. Even your companions have performed some adequate feats."
"So, what do you say?" Riley inquires.
Thane turns back towards the huge window behind the desk, gazing out over the illuminated city. "This was to be my last job. I'm dying. Low survival odds don't concern me. The abduction of your colonists does."
Riley takes a step back. "You're dying? Your dossier didn't say anything about that."
He gives her a sideways glance. "If you're interested, we can discuss it on your ship. The problem isn't contagious, and it won't affect my work."
She nods. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Giving me this opportunity is enough. The universe is a dark place. I'm trying to make it brighter before I die." He faces Riley. "Many innocents died today. I wasn't fast enough, and they suffered. I must atone for that. I will work for you, Shepard." He extends a hand. "No charge."
Riley shakes his hand. "Glad to hear it."
Normandy, 2185, October 6th 2:31 AM
Entering the armoury, I place my visor on one of the tables. Archangel follows me inside. I don't know why he's here, he doesn't need to be. I sure as hell don't want to talk to him, so he can just fuck off.
He stands awkwardly before clearing his throat. "Good work today."
Closing my eyes, I exhale before meeting his gaze. "We don't have to pretend to get along anymore. Riley isn't here."
"Maybe I don't think you're all that bad." He takes a step closer.
"Cool." I turn to leave, not interested in talking to him.
"Nulan," he says, causing me to freeze. "Your friend. He was in the middle of smuggling a large shipment of drugs onto Omega. I'm not sorry that I killed him, doing so really hurt the Eclipse. But I am sorry I hurt a friend of Shepard's."
Anger bubbles to the surface, but I suppress it and turn to face him. "I'm not going to pretend Nulan was perfect, but he was a good person. He didn't deserve what happened to him."
Archangel considers that for a moment, then nods. "Maybe. You were on my list as well, but I don't want to kill you anymore." Speak for yourself.
I remain silent. So, he turns around, walking towards the door.
"And why's that?" I ask once he reaches the doorway.
He glances back at me. "Because you know what it's like to lose someone, just like your victims. You won't go back to your old ways."
I take a deep breath, my chest tightening. "What about the people I've already hurt?"
"I don't know," he admits before leaving.
I lean over the table, focusing on his words. What does he want me to do with that? I know I hurt a lot of people, but it was all indirectly. Just like how he hurt me. It's fucked up, I don't want to feel the responsibility.
"An assassin is a weapon. A weapon doesn't choose to kill. The one who wields it does," a voice says from behind me.
Turning around, I find Thane standing by the door. He seems to have a similar view to me when it comes to killing. Although, I'm no assassin.
I shake my head. "I'm more of a hitman."
He steps closer. "I think it still applies to you."
"I see where you're coming from." I lean back against the table, trying to seem casual.
He nods. "Death is an important part of life."
"Yeah, I guess so." I shrug, feeling a bit awkward. "So, why are you here?"
"I'm dropping off my weapons. Shepard's suggestion." He walks up to the table, placing them down.
"M-77 Paladin and an M-97 Viper, good choice." That sniper is so pretty.
He hums in agreement. "You seem to know your weapons."
"Definitely." I glance at the viper. "I work in the armoury, I can take care of these."
Thane bows. "Thank you."
I wave a hand. "Don't mention it."
He nods once more and leaves the room. Well, I guess I better catalogue these and then finally get some sleep.
Thank you for reading.