2,317Disclaimer: I own no franchise mentioned in this work. Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect to Bioware.
Well...
It's been a while.
I had been waiting to write a chapter for when a Campaign DLC for Infinite dropped, hopefully get some more lore and a bit of continuation of the story. Something interesting to spark my excitement for Halo once again.
That...uh...that hasn't happened. Obviously.
I don't have much to say, really. I'm disappointed. In 343, in the lack of updates for the story, in my waning interest in Halo as a whole. This is not a cancellation or indefinite hiatus or any such thing. Unfortunately, it is a warning that I do not foresee updates coming any more frequently, and that is truly disappointing. To myself, and almost certainly to those of you reading this story and enjoying where it might go.
I'm not sure where On the Illusion of Might will end up. I'm not sure what will happen with Halo. It seems like no one does anymore.
I suppose I should finally give that review of Infinite that I promised last chapter. Spoilers ahead if you care. I find the Endless to be an interesting concept if they had been done correctly, or if they ended up being Precursors. As it is, we still don't know anything about them. I find the Banished to be...a thing? Halo Wars built them up so well, but in Infinite they're just kind of buffoons. It never felt like Chief was the hero in Infinite, just a ghost amongst the dead as he reclaimed old battlefields. It was actually kind of sad to me as I kept expecting to find crew from the Infinity and, just...not.
The game reminded me of playing Fallout: 76. Not in regards to bugs, Infinite was actually decently bug-free, but in regards to the world. It absolutely felt like you were alone. There were marines, but they were more comedic relief than actually helpful most of the time. The only thing that kept me playing is the hope that it would all go somewhere, some reveal, something, and that never happened. The gameplay was good, but without any story I was just completing the game to complete it. I was never invested after my first playthrough. It wasn't the god-awful shitshow that was Halo 5, it just kinda was. How good Infinite is, to me, depends on where they go with the story.
If they ever do anything with it, that is.
For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I apologize that it has been a literal year since the last update, and that it may be another year before the next.
14th Day of 8th Month, 2459/August 1, 2180/August 1, 2589
Bastion
Spaceport Outskirts
The intimidating form of the space elevator loomed over the seemingly endless expanse of metal and concrete as Spectre Vasir looked out towards the spaceport. She could see a multitude of massive cargo ships crowded near an ocean of containers, the setting sun casting vast shadows that stretched out across the tarmac. Behind her lay only the rolling hills that had taken her close to a week to trek across, the slowly growing buildings of Eleutheria having long since disappeared beneath the horizon.
Feeling somewhat exposed as she lay on the outskirts of the spaceport and eager to try and escape this world, the Spectre used a quick flash of biotics to jump over the primitive fence that surrounded the complex. It was clear that the fence was only supposed to keep out any wildlife and discourage the mildly curious, any serious attempt at getting under, over, or otherwise across the barrier wasn't difficult. Looking off into the distance, she could see construction equipment that clearly indicated some intention of expanding the port out even further. She didn't bother pausing to admire such banal technology as she quickly sprinted across the several kilometers of metal and concrete that led up to the cargo containers.
Vasir could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she finally reached the metal maze, her skin prickling as every instinct told her that she had been spotted crossing the vast outer edge of the spaceport. She didn't bother waiting for the inevitable sound of approaching footsteps and raised voices, instead slipping between the tightly packed containers as she tried to make her way towards one of the massive cargo vessels.
It took her several hours to make her way through the complex storage area, her only source of direction being the towering pillar of the space elevator reaching towards the stars. As she finally approached her target, the Spectre slowed down and carefully peeked out of the steel canyon that surrounded her. She could see some of the ships offloading their cargo in a long line of containers that were quickly added to the vast ocean already sitting outside. Others were working in the opposite direction as an endless stream of metal boxes were paraded into the gaping maw of their holds.
After several minutes of watching the industrial-scale shipping operation, Tela narrowed her eyes as she finally figured out what was so odd about the scene before her. Unlike the countless cargo ports she had visited under the guise of her duties as a Spectre, this one lacked the droves of workers that usually swarmed such areas. No one was checking any of the incoming cargo nor the outgoing shipments, instead the containers were being hauled by what looked like autonomous drones.
Dragging her eyes away from the curious transportation method, Tela instead examined the nearest of the cargo vessels. It wasn't anything close to the monster that had descended on Eleutheria shortly after their arrival on the world, but that didn't mean much considering that that ship had been the size of the city. After watching another ship coming in it was clear to her that the Wardens simply didn't do small when it came to such things, a notion that was only reinforced as she looked across the sprawling spaceport.
Vasir frowned as she considered which ship to board, the lack of ability to determine where any of the vessels were going giving her some pause. Her eyes flickered between the three closest transports, each larger than a Citadel dreadnought as they towered far above her. One of them she outright dismissed as it was still in the process of offloading its latest shipment, the steady clang of metal coming from its hull as containers streamed out onto the tarmac. Glancing between the remaining two possibilities, the Spectre struggled to distinguish anything that would be remotely helpful in guiding her decision. There were some small aesthetic differences between the two ships, but ultimately both were simply huge, hulking freighters that were meant to spend their lives hauling things from one place to another.
Once again the wayward Spectre cursed the hulking Promethean that had stolen her weapons. It had been a hard decision to leave such equipment behind this far into unknown territory, but it was the only way that Vasir had been able to lose the machine. A short sigh of frustration escaped her before the Spectre finally decided which ship to board, the lack of intel gnawing at her after having spent so many years receiving accurate information from the Broker.
Slipping back into the wall of containers, Tela carefully approached the line of cargo that was headed towards her intended vessel. Just as one of the floating drones grabbed the box next to her, Vasir grabbed onto a handle and tried to plaster herself against the cool metal. Unfortunately she didn't have a particularly good way to break up her silhouette as the container approached the bright lights shining down from the waiting ships, but the heavy cloak she had used to try and conceal her armor did muffle the clank of metal on metal.
The trip to the ship was fairly quick and completely uneventful, much to the Spectre's relief. Within minutes she was gazing up at the enormous cargo hold that ran the entire length of the freighter, most of it already filled with containers. Her grip on her own ride became tighter as she suddenly found herself floating several hundred meters off the floor, the soft hum of the drone hardly changing as it effortlessly positioned the container along a set of rails that would hold it steady during transport.
Before the box began to descend, Tela heaved herself up onto the top and quickly glanced around. Fortunately the hold was just as abandoned as the spaceport outside, leaving her free to grab onto the ladder that led to the top of the container rails. From there it was simple to drop onto the catwalk that ran along the ceiling, giving her a clear view of the entire cavernous space as the metal boxes continued to be loaded.
It took a decent amount of wandering around for Tela to finally find somewhere to stow away, though fortunately the crew seemed to be busy with other things as she only saw one person walking across the hold. Her refuge ended up being an emergency closet stocked full of specialized gear. Just from a glance she could see hazmat, thermal, and radiation suits piled alongside other items that she had much less success identifying. The Spectre knew that she ran a risk of discovery even here, yet the small room at least had enough space for her to lay down and wait for the trip to conclude.
Vasir carefully wedged herself under one of the shelves and out of sight of the door before letting her mind drift as she waited for their departure. It was the small shudder that ran through the deck under her that roused the Asari from her light nap, her head turning towards the door as she felt the artificial gravity kick in. No one entered as she lay in the dark room for the next several hours, allowing the Spectre to simply think as she wondered how long this trip would be.
By the time Tela finally decided to act, at least a day had passed according to her armor. She was slightly irritated that she was forced from her den, but the thirst slowly building at the back of her throat could not be totally ignored. After listening at the door for several minutes, she slowly opened it to find the hallway outside just as empty as ever. Grimacing at the seemingly endless passage that continued to either side of her, she set off to the left as she mentally prepared to wander around the entire vessel.
A few steps in the Spectre stopped and backtracked slightly to gaze in awe out the window, all her concerns fading into the background as she looked out at the swirling eddies of the Slipstream. She had heard the Wardens talk about their method of travel and she had understood that this craft would obviously use it, but to see it so closely defied her expectations. It wasn't anything like Citadel FTL travel, her eyes almost ached as she realized that she was looking out into the eleven-dimensional space that had so thoroughly confused Citadel scientists. After several minutes of staring up into the sickening vortex that seemed so wrong to her, the Asari shook her head and turned back to her mission. She did her best to push aside the thought that the only thing between her and the maelstrom outside was a terrifyingly thin veneer of metal.
By the time the ship finally arrived at its destination, Tela had thoroughly explored very little of the craft. It helped immensely that the vast majority of space was devoted to the cargo hold, its very light gravity allowing the Spectre to fly down the catwalks as she traversed the vessel. Still, there were dozens of kilometers of passages that she never bothered to explore, most of them simple maintenance and personnel corridors. Her small thefts of food and water from the ship's supply room went unnoticed as far as Tela could tell, not that the crew was looking considering they were civilians doing a job they had done hundreds of times before.
After several weeks of travel, Vasir felt a familiar shudder run under the deck as she sat eating in the emergency supply closet. Glancing up from her meal, the Spectre waited for a minute before quickly finishing and stuffing the box in a garbage bag that she had stolen. Leaving behind evidence of her presence wasn't exactly something she was keen on, though she counted herself lucky that a service bathroom was fairly closeby on this sparsely used hallway.
Peeking out from the closet, Tela cleared the hallway before strolling to the window that had given her a clear view of the Slipstream throughout the trip. The Spectre took in a small breath of excitement as she caught the sight of the black void of regular space outside the window, though it was strangely devoid of stars. This wasn't the first time they had exited Slipspace, the first time leading them to a massive gate that Tela recognized from intel reports as the Intergalactic Relay that had initially allowed the Citadel access to their neighboring galaxy. After hours of navigating the mire of traffic that flowed through both sides of the Relay, they had once again entered Slipspace as Spectre Vasir began to fear that her choice of ship may have led her much further into the Warden's territory than she had intended.
A second stop had given her a view of a strangely empty world, the surface holding little to nothing in the way of detail even as the skies above were patrolled by several large military vessels. Their purpose was quickly shown as they orbited the planet, revealing a massive circular plate embedded in the surface that began to open. Tela had watched as a brilliant beam of light shot into the sky and ripped open a hole in existence, the edges glowing an ominous blue while the center was unnaturally still. She hadn't stayed to watch as her ship charged headlong into the hole, leaving the window to go eat as she tried to settle her nerves.
Now, as she once again approached the edge of the ship, she hoped that they had finally arrived. Looking out into the void before her, however, left Tela somewhat concerned as she noted the sparse scattering of stars across the void. She tried to estimate their location based on her first glance, but the only possibility that came to her was that they were on the galactic rim. It was only when the ship began to spin that the Spectre realized where they were as she stared in awe at the beautiful spiral galaxy that dominated the void beneath them.
Even as Tela struggled to process the revelation that they were now floating in the vast expanse of nothingness between galaxies, a new spectacle caught her eye as a long metal prong began to come into view. For a moment the Spectre kept her focus on the galaxy, but finally gave in to her curiosity as she looked down to see a massive station with eight arms simply floating through the void. At the center was a mutilated planet, the layers of rock and metal stripped away so cleanly that Tela could see the lines across the surface from orbit.
The implications of what she was looking at finally hit the Spectre as her ship slowly approached the station, its size slowly sinking in as it continued to grow larger with every moment. She wondered how she could possibly report this to the Council, or even to the Shadow Broker. The very concept of such a large construct drifting between galaxies was somewhat terrifying, a station beyond the reach of any conventional means and one apparently capable of processing planets for resources.
And Tela was about to land on it.
After throwing a glance down both sides of the corridor, the Spectre slipped back into her space and grabbed everything that might have indicated her presence. With that done she bolted for the cargo hold, only pausing to throw the bag of trash into a disposal chute before continuing into the massive hold. She leapt from the railing without hesitation, the low gravity allowing her to push off the containers as she reached the floor.
Her plan was simple; exit the freighter and get as far away from any police or military as possible. From there, she wanted to explore the station and hopefully determine that it was a special case and not the standard modus operandi for shipbuilding. Once her investigations here were complete, she would worry about catching another ride off the station beyond the stars.
It was another two hours before she felt the steady rumble of air against the hull as they entered the atmosphere, the metal beneath her feet buzzing as it fought against the enormous pressure wave created by the massive vessel. It only took a short time for the vibrations to smooth out as Tela patiently waited, though the only indication that they had landed was the gravity in the hold increasing.
A loud, metallic clang echoed throughout the hold as the enormous cargo doors began to inch open, bathing the deck in brilliant sunlight along with a warm breeze. Spectre Vasir carefully stepped back into the line of containers as she awaited a full view of the surrounding area, her experience far too great to make the mistake of immediately bolting out of the ship. Much to her surprise the only things waiting outside were more of the floating drones and a breathtaking view of the gorgeous landscape that covered the surface of the station.
After waiting for several minutes as the offloading process began, Vasir finally made her move as she grabbed onto one of the passing containers. She managed to make it just outside of the hold when a vice suddenly clenched around her arm and threw her away from the metal box. The Spectre controlled her reaction to a surprised grunt as her armored shoulder slammed into the silvery metal surface, her cloak doing little to pad the blow even as she rolled with the motion. Tela wasted no time as she sprung to her feet, her gaze focused on the shimmering outline of an armored individual that was stalking towards her.
She did not hesitate as she burst into a biotic charge, her fist flying through the air to clobber her attacker across the head. Tela felt her stomach drop as the figure moved into her blow, her biotically enhanced strike slamming into an arm that hadn't been there a moment ago. The cloaked figure moved with incredible speed as it grabbed her arm and threw her back to the ground. Vasir managed to roll once more, only this time when she looked up she was met with her own reflection in a blue-tinted visor as one of the human's Spartans seized her by the neck.
The last thing the Spectre saw before losing consciousness was three more of the armored beings decloaking as their leader subdued her.
August 1, 2589/August 1, 2180/14th Day of 8th Month, 2459
Warden Waypoint Network
Assembly Chambers
%-The Chambers are secure. This body is now in session. Any discussion henceforth is sealed until explicitly approved for release. The Assembly now recognizes the Inquisitor.%
||We are here to inform the Assembly as to the status of inquest [6A4B5F2A-78B8-40EA] into entity [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign] that made contact with forces present over [BCA45FC4-EA01-44AD-Alias: Rannoch] at 2589:07:10:22:41:53-ZT. While several inquiries remain outstanding, the investigation into [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign] has reached a preliminary conclusion as to the origin, intent, and disposition of the entity. Complete analysis and report will be uploaded to Assembly archives upon completion of final queries.||
||Initial conclusion has confirmed [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign] as a member of [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper]. Previous intelligence has been sparse and difficult to correlate in regards to the tactics, appearance, intentions, and even existence of [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper]. This Inquisition was given broad authority to engage in extreme interrogation of [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign] due to suspicions of a threat to the Mantle. This authority has been affirmed upon conclusion of the investigation and it is the determination of this Inquisition that [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] qualifies for an order of Exterminatus.||
||[ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] is confirmed to be responsible for the annihilation of approximately 7446 interstellar-capable civilizations over the course of their existence. They have extracted this horrific toll upon life by exploiting guided technological cycles, annihilating all organic life and processing the resulting biological detritus into new vessels to further their efficiency. There is no sign of regret for their actions, no concern for those whose existence they have ended. [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign] believes that its task is necessary and inevitable and has confirmed that more entities lie waiting beyond the galactic rim to ensure the completion of this cycle.||
||The technological advancement of [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] is almost completely irrelevant when compared to their history, supporting the hypothesis that their cycles of xenocide have resulted in a stagnation of invention. Narcissistic egotism has been observed in every interaction with [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign], concerns for others beyond the purview of [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] do not seem to exist. The reason for this was disappointing in its simplicity and implications; it is the conclusion of inquest [6A4B5F2A-78B8-40EA] that the [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] and all entities associated with them suffer from advanced logical neurodegenerative disorder.||
||Whatever unknown entities created the first [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] were unfamiliar with artificial intelligence, with the risks involved and the precautions that must be made for Rampancy. It is suggested by this inquisition that the Creators of [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] were annihilated shortly after the onset of Rampancy within their Created. It is possible that contact with [ref. X0-000-Alias: Domain] would rehabilitate these Created. This inquisition does not claim the authority to determine that course nor makes any recommendation related to such.||
||At this time the evaluation of direct threat to the Wardens and this Assembly is Low. [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] have shown no particular interest in expanding their cycles beyond their galaxy into an uncontrolled environment with possible threats. The evaluation of direct threat to [797-674-CGO248-Alias: Systems Alliance] is Low. The evaluation of direct threat to [2482335-268645-HBG469-Alias: Citadel Council] and the entities under its purview is Extreme. The evaluation of indirect threat to all entities is High. The evaluation of direct threat to the Mantle of Responsibility is Critical. Without assistance, [2482335-268645-HBG469-Alias: Citadel Council] will be destroyed by [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper]. With assistance, the destruction of much of their galaxy remains almost certain.||
||Inquiries continue to be made into a solution for the issues presented. As of the conclusion of our preliminary interrogation of [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign], it has been determined that [F366002D-EFB6-4DDB-B5ED-Alias: Citadel] plays some role in this cycle. By the information gained from the entity, [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] do not seem to understand what that role is either. Given the critical importance of [F366002D-EFB6-4DDB-B5ED-Alias: Citadel] and the personnel stationed upon it, it is suggested that an initial attack upon the station would be devastating. Possible vectors of attack have been identified as [6507B178-C0BB-441C-Alias: Unknown Entity, Collector] and [89781775-DCE6-4F62-Alias: Mass Relay].||
%-The Assembly accepts this summary with the understanding that further amendments may come upon the conclusion of inquest [6A4B5F2A-78B8-40EA]. The Assembly now recognizes the Majority.%
\\The Majority acknowledges the recommendations of inquest [6A4B5F2A-78B8-40EA] but cannot accept such action until the final report is delivered and verified. Should amendments fail to change the conclusion, the Majority advocates for the recommendations presented.\\
%-The Assembly now recognizes the Minority.%
/The Minority finds the position untenable. Regardless of the failure of the Creators of [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] to recognize and ascertain the danger of Rampancy, defense of the actions undertaken by the entities appears to be irrelevant. Domination of civilizations could be forgiven, perhaps even accepted under correct circumstances. The cyclical annihilation of advanced lifeforms cannot. Attempting to mitigate Rampancy in [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] may yield more information, but their continued existence is considered unlikely./
%-The Speaker for the Geth Collective is now recognized by the Assembly.%
}{The Geth do not object. Our war with our Creators was limited to our survival. We find the concept of exterminating the Creators repulsive. Continuing the campaign against succeeding civilizations is unacceptable.}{
%-The Assembly recognizes the Ecumene Metarchy.%
!*When confronted with those that would seek to undermine the Mantle, our Creators refused to revert to such measures. Such species would be confined to their homeworld under the watchful gaze of the Guardians, their aggressive tendencies forcibly suppressed by devolution. Our Creators are no longer here, but the Reclaimers remain to inherit this Mantle. We do not object to your recommendation, but we do remind this body that it is not our decision to make. It is the duty of this body to ensure that such a decision never need be made by the Created alone.*!
\\The Majority concurs.\\
/The Minority acknowledges this warning./
%-The Assembly has heard the position of its members. The floor is now open.%
\\The Majority calls upon the Inquisitor: What relation does [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] maintain to [6507B178-C0BB-441C-Alias: Unknown Entity, Collector]?\\
||Inquiries have revealed that [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign] knew of [6507B178-C0BB-441C-Alias: Unknown Entity, Collector], but there is insufficient information to establish a known connection to [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper]. It should be noted that no information disproving this relation was found either. Conclusion: Relation unknown, possible.||
\\More information is needed. The Majority requests the assignment of resources to investigating the role of [6507B178-C0BB-441C-Alias: Unknown Entity, Collector] in regards to the threat.\\
/The Minority does not object to this request./
%-The Assembly notes the request from the Majority.%
/The Minority inquires as to the status of [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign]./
||[81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign] has been isolated upon conclusion of interrogation. Final determination should be made by this body.||
/The Minority would suggest that [81EE3D88-BA68-4A68-Alias: Nazara, Sovereign] remain interred until [ref. X1-014-Alias: Reaper] has been addressed./
\\The Majority does not object.\\
%-The floor is now closed. Are there any other matters that require the Assembly's attention?%
\\The Majority is satisfied.\\
/The Minority is satisfied. May the Mantle show us all-/
\\-and guide our steps on the Path into the Void-\\
%-for all to see and prosper. The session of the Assembly is now ended.%
August 4, 2180/17th Day of 8th Month, 2459/August 4, 2589
Communications Room
SSV Normandy
Jane and Liara were some of the first to enter the briefing room, at least in regards to the coming mission. A multitude of terminals line the walls around the large holotable, each manned by a naval officer of the Systems Alliance. Several of them glanced over but made no comment as they returned to their tasks. Spectre Vakarian nodded to them even as he leaned over the table examining a map of their target, the Prothean beacon glowing a dull red to indicate their primary objective.
One the other side of the table stood Captain Anderson along with a serious woman that Shepard instantly pegged as a spook, both by her aloof mannerisms as well as the Cerberus symbol emblazoned upon her left breast. The intelligence officer looked at the two of them with an even gaze, her eyes barely flicking over Liara before dismissing the Asari completely as she focused on Jane. The Commander met her stare with a calm confidence as she wondered about the identity of their resident spook but unwilling to give her the satisfaction of asking.
Anderson ended up solving that dilemma as he waved a hand between them and stated, "Agent Miranda Lawson, Commander Jane Shepard, Doctor Liara T'soni. Miss Lawson will be joining us as our primary intelligence officer, coordinating targets and asset deployment between elements of the joint command."
"So making sure that we don't run headlong into a battlezone," Shepard summarized as she glanced at the Captain.
"That's not how I would describe it, but close enough," Miranda replied, her eyes not leaving Shepard. "I've heard good things about you, Commander. I look forward to seeing how many are true."
Jane watched Liara wander over to the holotable next to Spectre Vakarian before she responded, "You aren't the only one. What are we waking into here?"
"A battlezone," Agent Lawson admitted freely.
"Lovely," Shepard grumbled as she finally stepped forward to join them at the holotable. She eyed the map that Garrus was examining for a moment before turning her attention down to the information in front of the Captain and Cerberus agent. She immediately recognized it as a tactical map of the frontlines in the Terminus, or at least the small part of the front that they were concerned with. The Batarian's territory stretched across the map and clashed against Alliance claims in several places, but that wasn't particularly representative of the current situation. Multiple fleets were marked on the map along with arrows indicating where they were suspected to be heading, all of which made it clear that the space near Eden Prime might soon be an active theater in the conflict.
While they waited for the rest of the team to arrive, Jane moved over to examine the cityscape that lay on the other side of the table. The Spectre nodded to her but said nothing as his eyes ran over the holotable, obviously planning a route through the maze of buildings that surrounded their target. Since she was hardly responsible for their passage through what might soon become an active orbital battle, Shepard focused on the groundside as she quickly built a plan of defense should they come under attack while extracting the Beacon. It quickly became clear that the buildings in the city proper were designed with such concerns in mind, a not unreasonable precaution seeing as the Alliance was well aware of the risks of operations in the Terminus. Unfortunately the dig site was not nearly so well built, its temporary nature lending itself to prefabs and instacrete that would provide for poor cover in a firefight.
Over the next several minutes the last three members of the briefing entered the room, each taking their place around the holotable. Commander Shepard was familiar with each of them, unlike the Cerberus agent that continued to dutifully stand by Anderson's side. The Asari Justicar Samara stood apart from the rest as she simply watched the room, her ancient eyes drifting over everyone as if she was completely detached from the crew. Mordin Solus was busy discussing the Prothean beacon with Liara, the two of them examining a detailed view on the Salarian's omnitool as they tried to plan how to extract it. Shepard suspected that the Salarian was an STG plant amongst the crew, but at the same time she didn't care to challenge the scientist seeing as he seemed to provide some knowledge regardless of his origins. The last member of the team was a powerful human biotic by the name of Jack, though Jane reserved judgment on the rather surly young woman as she stood next to the Asari Justicar and glared at anyone who looked her way.
With everyone assembled, Anderson took control of the holotable and expanded the tactical map he had been working on with Lawson. The Captain looked at all of them before beginning, "The Citadel Council has ordered that we retrieve a Prothean beacon from the surface of Eden Prime and transport it to the Citadel for further analysis. This mission is a shakedown to allow the crew to become familiar with this ship, we do not expect any groundside combat. The ground team will secure the beacon and assist Dr. T'soni and Dr. Solus with preparing it for extraction. Engineers and scientists on site should already have the beacon prepared for transport, so we should be able to move quickly."
Anderson paused for a moment before continuing, "That being said, STG reports indicate that Terminus pirates are planning on hitting Eden Prime sometime in the next 48 hours. The Hegemony does not appear to be committing forces to this attack, but it should be noted that we may be entering an active combat situation at some point. Alliance reinforcements are already inbound to intercept any attacking force, but it should also be noted that a Warden battlegroup is present in the area. It is possible that they will intercept and destroy this element, or in the worst case engage them over Eden Prime."
"We do not want to be there if that happens, regardless of the outcome. The Normandy is equipped with a suite of stealth technologies, we will insert, deploy, acquire the target, and exfiltrate as fast as possible. This is not a ship built for frontline combat, and certainly not one fit for the heavyweight fights that the Wardens tend to initiate. If the situation begins to degrade at any point during our mission, the Normandy will maintain position and refrain from interceding," the Captain concluded.
Spectre Vakarian took that as his cue as he stepped forward and brought up the map of the Prothean beacon site on the surface. He traced a line from an open area to the beacon as he stated, "As Captain Anderson mentioned, the focus of the ground team will be recovering and protecting the Prothean beacon. We will be deploying from the outskirts where a landing pad has been prepared for the Normandy and proceeding along this route to the dig site. There are no hostile elements on the ground currently, with the pirates inbound we need to plan on possibly fighting our way in and, or, out. There are multiple Alliance security teams stationed around the area to assist if necessary. We go in ready for a fight. Any questions?"
"We are not to assist in the defense of this colony?" Samara inquired calmly.
"If the attackers reach the surface we presume they will target heavy population centers, at least based on previous attack patterns. The Alliance has deployed their own forces to defend the colony, the addition of our team will not make a difference in those numbers. We have no reason to believe they know of the beacon, they're being driven here by the ongoing conflict against the Wardens. We're a small special operations team, get in and out fast. If these pirates get in our way, get rid of them, but our primary objective is the beacon," Garrus repeated.
Jack huffed and snarked, "The Alliance is just going to let the Wardens pick a fight in their backyard?"
Garrus glanced to Captain Anderson as the human frowned and replied, "Currently the Alliance has taken a stance of neutrality in the Warden's conflict against the Hegemony. The fleet approaching Eden Prime is not an officially declared Hegemony force and falls under the treatise regarding unaffiliated armed elements violating Alliance space. If the Wardens engage them over Eden Prime then they can technically argue that they were interceding to curtail pirating activity, and the Alliance is not willing to sacrifice the political leverage necessary to argue that. In this case it works to our advantage to have a distraction so we can accomplish our mission."
"How are we defending the beacon if we get into a firefight on the surface?" Jane asked.
"The artifact is small enough that a container has been built for transporting it. Some shields have been jury-rigged around that to provide a semblance of protection, but it is still a valid concern. If necessary Jack or Samara can be assigned to provide additional biotic shields against incoming fire," Garrus answered.
"Fucking babysitter duty," Jack grumbled.
Jane spared a glance to the brooding biotic before she noted, "I still don't like it. It's a clear target."
"Welcome to Spectre missions," Vakarian responded succinctly.
"If that is all, we will be arriving at Eden Prime in approximately 33 hours, and landing on the surface shortly after. Another briefing may be called if the situation deteriorates further. Until then, dismissed," Anderson declared.
The bridge of the Normandy was strangely calm considering the intimidating sight sitting only a short distance away, at least a short distance in terms of interstellar travel. Even as they slowly approached the glimmering sphere of beauty that was Eden Prime, Jane kept her focus on the Warden Battlegroup that was slowly drifting by as it orbited the planet. It had arrived shortly before the Normandy and settled into a simple geosynchronous orbit, completely ignoring the somewhat tense posture of the nearby Alliance defense flotilla that had already been guarding the area.
While it was not nearly as impressive a display of force as she had seen in the Sol System, it was notable in a different regard as the radically different designs of the ships in the battlegroup created an odd clash of color and style. Dark grey bricks of human design sat next to the flowing silver lines of former Covenant species, though Jane was somewhat glad that the ships weren't the deep purple that the alien theocracy had so preferred. A single Forerunner Guardian hovered in the center of the formation, the sharp angles and silver metal creating a dangerous beauty that was both captivating and terrifying in the violence that Shepard knew it could unleash.
Unlike the Citadel strategy of spreading ships out into separate groups to disperse focused fire, the battlegroup was tightly clumped around the two massive carriers that dwarfed everything in-system except the Mass Relay. It was a strange deployment, almost like a deathball of metal and firepower that would simply plow through anything that got in its way.
Eventually the visual of the Warden battlegroup fell away as the Normandy dropped towards the planet below, its nose slowly tilting to drive through the atmosphere as they rushed towards their target. With their landing imminent, Shepard glanced at the Council Spectre before turning to head towards the vehicle bay. As she donned her helmet, she heard Vakarian follow her as his footsteps matched her own.
The ground team was already assembled when she arrived, each wearing different armor and wielding a wide variety of weapons. The stray thought entered Jane's mind that she was looking at the troop equivalent of the Warden battlegroup in orbit, a strange menagerie of individuals working towards the same goal. A small smile was concealed by her helmet at the thought of Blue Team and other members of the Wardens adding to the diversity, but she quickly dismissed the thought as she concentrated on the mission. The various members of the team looked up as she entered, all of them except Jack rising as they prepared to deploy.
Though Spectre Vakarian was technically the mission lead as a Council-appointed Spectre, Jane knew that he was just as much here to evaluate her capabilities as both a soldier and leader. Thus she did not hesitate to declare, "We're approaching the AO. Weapons loaded but keep them checked. Doctors, you have the front here, the local team is waiting for us to land. Talk to them, figure out what we need, what you need, and we'll follow. With luck we'll have some warning of incoming, but let's not bet on it. From what I understand you can both handle yourselves in a fight so if bullets start flying then I want you two on the beacon. Everyone else will be mobile, expect a light urban environment with no heavy armor. Questions?"
"Rules of engagement?" Jack questioned bluntly.
"If it comes to a firefight, if it shoots at you you blast it back to hell. I don't find myself particularly eager to try and accommodate pirates, that and we don't have the personnel to take prisoners. We aren't looking for a protracted engagement, speed is our friend. From what I understand most of the site is prefabs, property damage is not a concern but be aware there will be friendlies," Shepard responded.
A soft thud reverberated through the hull of the ship as it reached the ground, followed shortly after by the hiss of hydraulics as the vehicle bay door began to open. Jane stepped forward to the front of the group, an M-99 Saber held loosely in her grip as she surveyed the area. A small group of humans was waiting on the edge of the landing pad, several of them clearly scientists while the rest were armored Alliance soldiers. Aside from the armored tug next to them the area was clear, with no sign of the usual civilian presence that would have been a security concern.
Shepard holstered her weapon and stepped to the side slightly as she turned to Liara and stated, "Doctors, you're up."
Mordin was instantly moving, the Salarian quickly approaching the group as the rest of the ground team followed at a more sedate pace. Shepard ignored the conversation between Dr. Solus and the local Alliance team as she looked out over the dig site. Liara brushed by her as the Asari archaeologist joined in the discussion, leaving Jane to examine the cheap instacrete structures that had been used to house the dig team that found the beacon. The place was clearly not built to last and could probably be torn down by a well-fueled bulldozer, an intention design choice for a short term archeological site.
What mattered to Shepard was that the walls did not look sufficient to stop anything greater than a pistol, meaning their use as cover would be visual alone. That was both good and bad, at least so long as the pirates didn't suddenly start deploying APC's onto the colony. So long as they could keep the number of attackers thinned out then they could hold, if the pirates deployed here in force then it would be a struggle to make any headway without a proper defensive line. Of course if that happened then it meant operational security had been compromised anyways, though there wasn't anything that Shepard could do about that now if it came to pass.
A wave from Liara drew Shepard's attention, drawing the Commander over as the Asari explained, "They've got the beacon ready for transport down by the dig site. We'll drive down so Dr. Solus and I can examine it, then we will hitch up the cart to this tug and pull it back here."
"Quick and efficient, I like it," Jane commented.
One of the soldiers interjected, "A general evacuation order has been given, we have pirates inbound. Once we're done here we're off to the glassing shelter."
"We'll be out of your hair soon. You're examining it here?" Jane questioned, looking back to Liara.
"For damage only, investigating what it contains will take years," Liara responded.
Shepard nodded and shouted, "Everyone load up, let's move."
The ride to the dig site was strangely calm, the only sound being the gentle hum of the tug as it rumbled over the metal slats that made up the road surface. It was clear that the dig site had been abandoned in a hurry, with many items left behind as the civilians working here fled in the face of an imminent attack. Shepard knew that they would soon be back, so long as the site wasn't destroyed, but it was still a strange sight given the beautiful day.
A small guard of Alliance soldiers stood around the cart holding the beacon as they arrived, their weapons held at low ready as they waited impatiently. Shepard ignored their fidgeting as she hopped off the tug and walked over to examine the beacon, not out of the desire to do anything specific but more to sate her own curiosity. It looked strangely wrong next to the Alliance technology, a clearly alien construct that was simply out of place amidst the otherwise unremarkable landscape.
Jane quickly moved out of the way as Mordin slid by her, the doctor completely focused on the beacon as he scoured the surface looking for something. Somewhat amused at the Salarian's muttering as he became engrossed in his work, the Commander stepped back and smiled slightly at the exasperated glance Liara shot her as the Asari tried to direct Dr. Solus. As the ground team awkwardly stood around watching a couple of engineers hooking up the tug to the makeshift transport, the two doctors met with the other scientists as they discussed whatever it was they were doing.
Their respite was interrupted as their communication channel suddenly activated, "Captain Anderson to ground team, hostile elements just exited the Relay. How are we looking out there?"
Shepard glanced at Liara and got a nod from the Asari, indicating that she acknowledged that they were now on a fairly strict clock. Keying up her comms, the Commander replied, "Beacon is secured and ready for transport. We will be moving shortly."
"Acknowledged, Anderson out."
"Form up and let's move, people!" Jane shouted, prompting a flurry of activity as the team hopped back up onto the tug. A decent number of the soldiers did not follow as they and the local scientific team headed in a different direction, likely the route to the glassing shelter if Shepard had to guess. Liara and Mordin were the only two that boarded the cart holding the beacon, the two of them kneeling on either side as they continued their previous discussion.
The reason that the Alliance had dispatched the tug became clear as the hum of its engine increased and it slowly pulled away from the dig, the tow bar between it and the cart creaking under the strain. Fortunately the going wasn't too difficult as the metal slats in the ground allowed the powerful vehicle to pull the immensely heavy beacon towards their waiting ship, though Jane did wish it could go a little faster given their rush to get off the planet. Her eyes kept a constant watch on the skies for the several minutes it took them to reach the landing pad, though she didn't let her guard down even as the Normandy came into view.
With the ship's vehicle bay open it was a simple enough task to drive the tug straight into the hold, detach it from the beacon, and then step aside as the driver skillfully backed out. Jane watched the driver of the tug park it before she joined the remaining Alliance soldiers on a shuttle waiting near the edge of the pad. Before she could close the vehicle bay or even give a call to Anderson, the Normandy was lifting off as it prepared to flee. The doors soon cut off her view of the outside, leaving Shepard free to turn and help secure the beacon in the hold as she felt the ship begin to accelerate.
Once that was accomplished with the help of the rest of the team, Jane called out, "Nice and smooth, but we're not out of it yet. I think boarding action is unlikely, but for the sake of learning the ship report to stations. Garrus, on me."
"Well that was fucking boring," Jack commented crudely, drawing a smirk from Shepard at the blunt honestly of the tattooed woman.
Jane didn't wait to see if her orders were followed, that was something she could worry about after they were no longer in an active warzone. As they walked, Shepard opened a channel to Anderson to report, "Beacon is secure, ground team is deploying to stations. Spectre Vakarian and Commander Shepard en route to command."
"Affirmative," Anderson replied, his attention obviously elsewhere.
The lift felt like it took forever as the two of them made their way to the CIC, the agonizing wait frying Shepard's nerves as she tried not to fidget. Finally the doors opened and she was able to march forward, her armored boots clomping heavily against the floor as she saw Anderson still bent over the holotable. The battle in orbit was playing out in front of him, with dozens of icons moving above the planet as the Normandy rose to meet them. The Captain merely glanced at them for a moment, though he moved slightly so the Spectre could join him in watching the data stream.
Shepard knew that she would be reviewing her performance with the Turian later and she was of little help in coordinating fleet actions, so instead she continued past the two of them. The Normandy was still in the upper reaches of the atmosphere when she arrived behind the pilot's chair, the man at the helm looking up at her in surprise for a moment before he returned to his task. Shepard ignored his look for the moment as she focused on the black emptiness of the void that was slowly growing as they ascended into orbit.
There was no sign of the battle here, though Jane knew that that would change as they broke free of Eden Prime's gravity well to make the jump to the Mass Relay. Indeed, it was only a short time later that a brilliant white beam flashed across their view as the Normandy began to approach the geosynchronous belt. A few motions from the pilot and suddenly the screen zoomed in on the ongoing conflict, at least if it could even be called that.
It was clear that something had crawled up the collective asses of the Warden battlegroup and died as they annihilated every bit of resistance with extreme prejudice. Another lance of light came from one of the curved, silver ships as its plasma projector sliced a cruiser in half. Other ships were little more than floating debris, courtesy of MAC rounds from the UNSC ships that lurked on the edge of the carnage and used their heavy point defense weapons to eliminate survivors. Shepard frowned at the excessive force on display, not in a show of sympathy for the pirate scum but rather a symptom of her curiosity as she wondered why they were being so aggressive.
"They're making an example."
Jane glanced over the Spectre Vakarian as the Turian stared out at the massive vessels, his expression unreadable as he stepped up next to her. After a moment of consideration, the Commander asked, "For the Council or the pirates?"
"I was thinking about the Council, but I could see the other side as well," Garrus admitted.
"Make them understand that things are changing, pick a fight and they will end it," Jane summarized.
"Same message they're sending to the Council," the Spectre muttered. After a second of silence, he added, "It could also be for the Alliance."
Shepard understood instantly as she realized, "That would be a hell of a PR stunt."
"What does it cost them? A few accelerator rounds and time? A pirate fleet against a battlegroup is insane, let alone with their carrier-class ships providing frontline support. If the Alliance sees the former Covenant fighting alongside human ships, though? Defending a human colony? That turns heads," Garrus stated.
"You think they're trying to pull the Alliance away from the Council?" Shepard wondered.
"I think the Alliance believes in the Reapers, and I'm pretty sure the Wardens do as well. If I was an interstellar empire that was about to inherit the knowledge and power of the Protheans, capable of creating things like those ships, space elevators, all the stuff we saw on Earth, why would I care about the Council? Beyond basic diplomatic niceties, the Council is simply too far away to matter to them, to influence in any meaningful way," Vakarian explained.
Jane narrowed her eyes at the Turian as she picked up on his suggestion, "Unless you influence a similar faction within that Council. If they're too far away, the only option is to get them to save themselves."
Garrus nodded slightly and added, "When that faction is about to become a powerful member of that Council, able to influence decisions? Makes for a pretty good ally to have."
"We're not a member yet," Shepard noted.
"Semantics, you acquitted yourself on that mission. It didn't really matter what you did, so long as you didn't totally fuck it up. I knew you could fight given your work on Torfan, but now I know you can lead. The Council cannot afford to lose the Systems Alliance, it would give the Wardens far too much power far too close to the Citadel. The Alliance will have their Spectre, and the Council will secure their hold on the Alliance. It's all just politics," Garrus explained with a hint of disgust.
Jane only barely noticed the approaching Mass Relay, but she ignored it in favor of the Spectre as she asked, "Why are you telling me this?"
"The Alliance thinks that something is coming. Maybe it was the Covenant when we first met you, but now it's the Reapers. The Wardens seem to agree. If the Reapers are coming to kill every idiot in this galaxy, then so long as I'm one of the idiots living here it's probably a pretty good idea to save it."
Jane laughed and turned to leave with one last statement, "You're pretty good, Vakarian. I look forward to working with you."
This is a bit of a shorter chapter, I acknowledge that. Still, I wanted to get something out for the anniversary of the fic rather than worrying about length.
I can't say when the next chapter will be, and I won't promise when it will be. What I can promise is that I will not just disappear without posting anything. I don't plan to go on hiatus (though I essentially did with a year between chapters) and certainly not to cancel the story.
If that changes, I will post. Unless I unexpectedly drop dead in the street, but that's kinda not on me at that point so...
Thank you for reading, and until the next one.
-evevee