Chapter Text
The Orb Vallis
Fortuna
The elevator shuddered beneath her feet, gas-lines hissing as the pneumatic systems ensured a controlled descent into the heart of Fortuna. As the platform exited the rocky shaft that hid the colony from view, Mesa was assailed with the usual cacophony of sounds that echoed throughout the main chamber. Throngs of Solaris spoke to one another in their thick accents, words intermingling with the sounds of industrial work. There seemed to always be something that needed fixing, probably because Anyo Corp didn’t care to provide funds or material to their workers to fix their own home, forcing the mechanical people to make do with whatever scrap they could. The coolant that was commonplace in the Orb Vallis flowed in a river through the colony, reflecting the lights and casting a blue glow across every surface. Being one of the Tenno most commonly deployed to assist with the anti-Corpus movement Vox Solaris, the debt-internment colony was as familiar a sight to her, as she was to the people who lived there.
Many Solaris were already waving at her as the elevator settled into its resting place, waiting for her to vacate the platform before it would rise back up to the landing platforms. Nodding in recognition of those whose augmented heads she’d seen before, the Tenno quickly moved on, having one errand to run before she met up with the leaders of Vox Solaris in their backroom. They’d sent a message to the Lotus regarding what they described as, ‘a bloody important discovery ’. In all her time since the Lotus woke her up from her cryopod within some Orokin ruins above Neptune, Mesa had never heard them describe something with the same urgency she’d had in that message. The leader of the Tenno had practically had her drop everything in order to make her way to Venus, quite the journey from Pluto. Especially with another Grineer Fomorian fleet making a mess of the Solar Rails as they were.
As she made her way deeper into Fortuna, the crowds split ahead of her, as they often did for any Tenno, at any location. Nobody wanted to be in the path of the heavily armed and armored killers. All that meant for her was that she had a straight shot to her destination; another, smaller elevator, one that would carry her up an angled wall and to the door of a storefront on the second level. The walk and ride up were quick and Mesa strode into the store, the golden accents on her body that were common on the prime-variants of any Orokin tech reflected brilliant beams of light onto the walls. Ahead of her, the Solaris she wanted to see turned around, deep purple augments glittering, as the Solaris put her hands on her hips and strut towards Mesa.
“Ah, Stardust! So happy to see you again! Here for your usual?”
Mesa nodded. Out of everyone she worked with on a regular basis, Ticker never failed to bring her joy, and was one of the few who made Mesa wish she was capable of speech. The gunslinger could only imagine the conversations she’d have with the woman. But alas, speech was beyond the Tenno’s reach, so she was forced to pantomime her needs. Luckily, their working relationship was such that Ticker knew what she wanted despite her inability to voice any specifics. Before Mesa could even reach the terminal, a list of names and numbers appeared. Solaris workers and their debts, information stolen directly from Anyo Corp and the Temple of Profit’s systems.
“And here you are Stardust. The most needy of the needy, ripe for your generosity!” Ticker announced with passion.
Her shoulders shuddered in silent giggles as she selected multiple debts, and transferred the appropriate credits towards Ticker. Over two and a half million in total. Expensive, but it was worth it, especially when Ticker would send her the updates on the families she helped a few days after each ‘purchase’.
Ticker shut the terminal down once the transfer was complete. “Always the bleedin’ heart Stardust. It's enough to put some tears in this old soul’s eyes.”
Tilting her head to the side, Mesa stared into Ticker’s ‘eyes’. She’d seen the biological face of her friend before of course, but such familiarity was usually saved for occasions when both had more time to relax. Nodding in thanks, and farewell, Mesa turned and left the store. All in all, her errand had taken barely two minutes, which was for the best. Nef Anyo had agents everywhere, and while Tenno were allowed in Fortuna due to their habit of spending money that would make its way into Nef’s deep pockets, they were also kept under close observation due to other habit of burning down Corpus projects by the budget-load. There was also the fact that charity was considered illegal in the Vallis, an easy excuse to keep the indentured workers under ever-increasing piles of debt. Being seen paying off debts would cause problems that Mesa didn’t want to add to their already laden plates.
Proceeding closer to her final destination, Mesa felt the eyes of those same agents watching her. She’d always been observant, every Tenno was to an extent, but the Mesa warframes were designed to be quick and accurate, with vision as sharp as their aim. Every other Mesa she’d encountered was the same in that regard, even if she herself was the only Prime Mesa that had been awoken by the Lotus up to this point.
Knowing she was being watched, the Tenno went through the normal procedure to ensure that she didn’t rat out Eudico or the Business’ involvement (more like leadership) with Vox Solaris. Instead of heading straight to the backroom, Mesa took a detour, passing by a couple of the Vent-Kids who were, as the Solaris would say, ‘mucking about’. A quick transfer of credits, and the passing over of a specific floof she knew one of them was looking for, and the orphaned kids picked up their K-Drives and immediately knocked down a market stall.
The commotion that was caused was enough for her to rush her way into the shadowy halls behind the central commons, following the paths until she reached her destination. A nondescript door that slid open ahead of her. Not from any automated system, but rather the Solaris on the other side who’d been keeping an eye out for her arrival.
A sigh of relief left the woman as the door slid behind Mesa. “Good to see ya Sparky. We’re all glad the Lotus took our message seriously.”
“‘Course she did. I bet the Tenno are all on alert these days, aren’t they?” The other woman in the room, Little Duck, spoke up, arms crossed over the front of her rig.
Mesa shrugged. She hadn’t heard one way or another, but she would bet Little Duck was right. The Corpus Board of Directors had activated the Deadlock Protocol for the first time in living memory. Each corporation was bound to be striving for any leg up on the others in hopes of their leader being named as the founder’s heir. Any single being taking the reins of the Corpus could be catastrophic for the Origin System.
“Well now that you’re here, we can get started.” Eudico gestured to the planning table, politely waiting for Mesa to join them. Once she had, Eudico started up the projector, and a map of the Orb Vallis lit up the room.
One area drew her attention. Over the past few years, Mesa had been up and down the Vallis, completing bounties against the Corpus for the Vox Solaris. But this map was focused on one of the mountainous cliffs that marked the northern border of the area. On the far side of those mountains and cliffs was the raging inferno of Venus, only held at bay by the Orokin towers that dotted the landscape. That specific area she’d always known as empty, but on this map there was a red circle, designed as a crosshair.
This time, it was The Business who spoke up. “Alright Tenno, here’s what we know. One of our agents, before they got captured by the Taxmen, discovered the existence of a Corpus blacksite somewhere within that canyon.” Another screen flickered to life above the table, displaying inter-corporation credit transfers. “Apparently Nef’s been funneling funds into this place for years undetected.”
“These aren’t small transfers either, Sparky. We’re talkin’ big bucks. Nef probably could’ve built a whole ‘nother Profit-Taker or two for the cost he’s put into a place that officially doesn’t exist.” Eudico added, causing Mesa to take a step back in surprise.
The Profit-Taker Orb was a major asset for Nef Anyo, one that took the combined efforts of the mysterious Quills, Vox Solaris, and a whole fireteam of Tenno to take down, and they still nearly failed. They haven’t even been able to bring the Exploiter Orb down yet. If Anyo had the funds to rebuild the Profit-Taker, and chose not to, that meant something. Leaning over the table, Mesa studied the table more intently, reading over the stolen files in hopes that something would pop out to her.
“But now we know that it does-” Little Duck pointed out. “-and that means we can hit it. Which is where you come in, Tenno. We need you to do what you do best. Get in there, muss things up, and get us the information we need to put a hamper on the Taxmen’s pet project.”
Standard spy mission, Mesa noted. Get in, steal the info before they can erase it, and get out. Preferably without being seen. Nodding in understanding, looked between the three rebels that she’d grown so fond of. They’d worked together for years, and knew how each other operated. They knew she could do this, just as she knew they’d have her back while she did.
Euducio’s rig slid open, revealing the redheaded woman’s face in the center of her torso. “Just… be careful out there Sparky. Nef’s put a lot of effort to keep this quiet. Who knows what he’ll do if you're spotted.”
Glancing one last time at the others, Mesa reached her hand out and shook Eudico’s own. A promise to do as she asked. After that, Mesa left, making her way to the elevator that would carry her up to the surface of Venus, and send her on her way on this new mission.
The biting cold air rippled across her body as Mesa soared through the air, her Archwing carrying her into the mountainous terrain that shielded the Orb Vallis. She’d had to be careful to not be seen. Usually she’d be a menace for the Corpus out here, taking out any patrols she could find. But today? Today required stealth. Thankfully she made it through easily, her experience with the area paying off, and she flew low through the valleys and canyons kept her off Anyo Corp’s radar. Here on the outskirts, the weather was extremely volatile, and a blizzard was beginning to rip through the area. The high walls could only do so much, and the falling snow was getting dense enough for visibility to be significantly reduced.
Ahead of her, through the white haze, Mesa caught sight of a blue glow flashing through the canyon, its reach amplified by the reflective crystals falling from the sky. Angling towards this new target, she quickly came across a Corpus landing pad built into the rocky wall, a singular door on one end showing the path deeper into what was clearly an underground facility. Next to the pad however, was a massive hangar door, easily capable of fitting a Condor Dropship through it. Neither door was open, and the landing pad was unmanned. It seemed none of the Corpus crewmen wanted to be out in this weather either.
Oh well. That just meant she got a free ticket inside.
Silently, the thrusters of her archwing detached from her body, launching themselves skyward to automatically return to their resting place within her Orbiter. At the same time, she fell, calling upon the void energy within her body to slow her descent, gliding quietly to the metal platform rather than crashing upon its slick, snow-covered surface.
There were no cameras. No laser grids or other automated defenses to slow her progress as Mesa entered the facility, hugging the walls and peeking around corners before crossing any intersections. She had to be careful here. In most cases, Tenno operatives had a general sense of the layout of their areas of operation, the Lotus’ spies, and prior missions mapping out the facilities and ships for them. She had none of that here. Mesa was running blind, and any alarm could prevent her from figuring out just what Anyo Corp was working on here.
Within a few minutes, one thing began to stand out to the Tenno gunslinger. This place was ridiculously understaffed compared to the average Corpus facility. She would occasionally have to duck into a side hallway or air duct to avoid a passing technician, but there were no active patrols. No guards to keep an eye out for intruders; probably because they weren’t expecting any if she had to guess. It was eerie, seeing such a large building empty. Nef Anyo must’ve been incredibly paranoid to keep such a small staff on hand.
Unopposed, Mesa wandered the sterile halls, struggling to find any room that might contain the sensitive information she needed. Supply closets, offices, break rooms, and other insignificant chambers were found and ignored until finally, Protea came across something that seemed important. A large door, and the first door she’s found with an actual security camera. That was a good sign. After waiting for the camera to face away from her hallway, Mesa moved, sprinting as fast as she could before sliding, the door opening ahead of her as the camera began to swing back in her direction. She made it through with less than a second to spare, and paused at the sight that was ahead of her.
On the other side of the door was a massive tunnel running perpendicular to the hallway she just exited. Most of the tunnel was still the natural rock it was dug from, with only two long pathways on either side made for foot traffic, and rafters supporting the ceiling. Some lights were implanted into the walls, but not nearly enough to illuminate the cavernous path. Looking to her right, back in the direction she believed the canyon she entered from was, and could just barely make out those massive hangar doors. They looked so small from here. In the other direction, she could see a luminous glow that meant a more developed area; with the entire facility seemingly built around this tunnel, a large area of operation within it had to be important.
However, unlike the rest of the base she’d explored, this walkway along the tunnel had far more security. Cameras and crewman patrols walked up and down the path, while technicians and other standard employees meandered in small groups, talking amongst themselves while. There was no way she would be able to traverse this area without being caught, so Mesa resolved to change strategies.
Crouching down, the Tenno used her full strength to bullet jump out of one set of shadows, and up into another in the rocks above, moving on to scale the walls, her feet digging into the stone, until she could comfortably walk across the rafters. From this high up, none of her enemies stood a chance of noticing her, all of them secure in their since-disproven belief that this place would never fall under the Lotus’ gaze. Greed and arrogance existed in equal measure within the souls of the Corpus.
Mesa’s steps across the rafters were taken with care. The beams were not meant for foot traffic and were quite narrow. The threat of slipping or otherwise making some noise lingered in the back of her mind as she progressed further. Each step she took brought her closer to the intense glow, once a single mass illuminating the tunnel; now she could make out the individual lights that lined a massive bridge that spanned the width of the gap. Another minute later, and she had to correct her original assessment.
From afar, it appeared as a bridge, but it was instead a docking platform resting upon a stretch of rock that separated the original tunnel she was in from another. Upon the platform two spacecraft were in the process of being loaded and unloaded. One facing her direction, clearly having flown from the tunnel beyond the dock, while the other was the opposite, preparing to fly further into the mountain. Both ships were modified Condor dropships, slightly larger than the average Condor with the troop bays replaced with cargo holds. The sigil of Anyo Corp was painted on their sides, along with symbols that she couldn’t recognize. Ones that hadn’t been seen on any Corpus property before.
Even as she watched, more crates were removed from the shuttle that was facing in her direction. Some of the crates contained weapons, strange guns the likes of which she’d never seen, while others were filled to the brim with raw ore of different metal. The final crate was the one that truly grabbed her attention, for it wasn’t a crate at all. It was a large containment unit resting upon the backs of Moas repurposed for the moving of cargo. Hazard symbols were stamped in harsh yellow on the frame. Within the container, through its glass sides, Mesa could make out a vibrant blue mineral that shined an ethereal blue, the color radiating out of the rock in waves. She’d never seen anything quite like it, which was something Mesa realized she was thinking often within this place.
The other ship, the one facing deeper into the tunnel, was being loaded with heavy excavation equipment. Mining drills, laser cutters, and more all being onboarded to the shuttle. But what purpose was there for loading a shuttle that seemed set to fly deeper into the ground. The only way she could find out would be to get onto the Condor itself. The tunnel beyond the dock didn’t have walkways or rafters, so she would have to run along the walls if she didn’t board the craft, which would be too large of a risk of getting caught.
From prior experience, Mesa knew Condors had a small hatch in their tops, meant for easier access for mechanics to repair internal systems without having to tear apart the interior of the vessel. Those spaces were small however; small enough that stowing away in one would be incredibly uncomfortable, but Mesa has done worse for less. The Lotus and Vox Solaris needed to know what Nef was doing down here, and so Mesa would find out. No matter what.
Spanning the last of the rafters, Mesa stood high above docks, directly above her target. She waited, watching the Corpus stooges as they worked on loading the Condor; she was waiting for just the right moment when all of the crewmen were facing away from the ship. Only then could she drop down from her vantage point and sneak inside. It took longer than she anticipated, the crew of the Condor working as a well-oiled machine had eyes consistently on the vessel, up until one of the crewmen dropped a crate, a loud clang echoed through the expanse as all eyes drifted towards the source.
Mesa dropped from the ceiling, landing atop the Condor adjacent to the hatch she needed. Moving fast, she grabbed the handle and twisted her wrist, unlatching the seal before lifting the hatch on its hinges. She slipped inside just as quietly as she had stalked the halls, nestling herself among the pipes and wires of the Condor’s internal controls. Beneath her was a small vent that granted her vision of the cockpit, and its external window. At least she wouldn’t be stuck in the dark for whatever trip they were about to undertake.
A little over two hours passed before the commotion of loading the ship ceased. Footsteps echoed through the metal walls as the door to the cockpit slid open, and the pilots of the Condor took the controls, strapping themselves into their seats and beginning their pre-flight checklists.
“Condor flight VX-1339, this is Vallis control. The Gap is keyed in and ready for activation. What is your status?” The radio activated, a flight control operator’s voice filled the cabin.
One of the pilots leaned forward. “This is VX-1339, pre-flight check is complete, ready for transit.”
“Affirmative, VX-1339. Connecting you to Noveria control.”
The speakers crackled, before a new voice took dominance.
“This is Noveria control. Please confirm your destination and cargo.”
The second pilot took control this time. “Our destination is Site X57. Delivering mining equipment.”
“Understood VX-1339. Our keys are locked and ready for receival. You may transit The Gap at your discretion. For Profit.”
“For Profit.” Both pilots recited before kicking the engines into gear, and lifting the Condor off the ground.
The words meant very little to her. While her knowledge of the Corpus language helped her understand their words literally, they spoke of places that she’d never heard of, and ‘The Gap’ sounded far more significant than some mere tunnel beneath the Venusian mountains. What was this ‘Noveria’? And where was Site X57?
Even as she pondered these questions, a familiar feeling filled her mind, like an empty space being filled. The Lotus’ attention was on her, usually the motherly figure of the Tenno let them operate independently of her when acting in consort with their allies, choosing instead to focus her attention on the Tenno running missions for her directly. Something had to have dragged her here.
“Tenno. My connection to you is failing. What is happening?” The woman’s words demanded answers, but her tone showed her concern. The Lotus was worried, and that made Mesa concerned as well. The only times The Lotus was ever this concerned were when a Tenno was being actively hunted, usually by the mysterious Stalker.
Mesa had no way to actively communicate with the Lotus however, she’d always just assumed (or hoped) that the motherly figure just knew what she was thinking. As such, Mesa shook her head, hoping to convey that she didn’t know. There’ve been connection issues in the past in terms of communicating with The Lotus, and she’d never been that concerned. What made this any different?
The Condo vibrated as a low hum filled the air, the cockpit beneath her being filled by an eerily familiar yellow glow. The radio sparked back to life beneath her.
“Torsion Beam Emitters have been activated. The Gap is now open.”
Torsion Beam Emitter… She knew what those were. Orokin devices built to open Void Gates. Suddenly the talk of keys made sense to her. Each Torsion Beam Emitter required a void key to lock in coordinates for where the gate would lead. But the Corpus agents spoke in plurals. Multiple keys meant multiple emitters. What kind of gate did Nef Anyo build that required such an expense?
“Get out of there Tenno!” The Lotus demanded, but it was too late. The Condor was already flying, and from what little she could see, Mesa knew the ground was no longer beneath the ship. If she left now, she’d just fall into whatever mechanisms were running beneath them.
Every few seconds, the yellow light pulsed, growing in intensity as they passed spinning rings and through thin membranes of energy. This was hardly the usual void gate one would pass through a single entrance point. The Gap was building up to something, and Mesa wished she had a better hiding place so that she could actually see what was coming.
“I- conn- enno- eful- ou”- The Lotus’s voice cut out, and her presence left the back of Mesa’s mind as finally, the Condor passed into The Void.
The dark stony walls of the tunnel had been replaced by the phantasmal cerulean and blacks of the starless expanse known as The Void. Mesa had been in the strange dimension more than a few times, but always within the confines of one of the Orokin Towers that acted as safe havens. Of a sort anyway. But this Condor flew freely through the emptiness. Mesa’s attention shifted back to the pilots; both were calm. Experienced. The Void was a terrifying place for the uninitiated, and Nef Anyo practically worshipped it, or at least wanted people to believe that he did. She wasn’t sure one way or another. But these pilots moved easily, not uneven shifting of their bodies, and no sideways glances towards each other. But… were they getting blurry?
Shaking her head, the Tenno tried to clear her vision, but found her movements sluggish. With a fright, she realized that the longer they traveled, the weaker she felt, which shouldn’t be possible. She knew enough about herself to know that all Tenno were powered at least in some way by The Void. And the energies of The Void were made available through the Heart of Deimos. And within The Void itself, she should be feeling as good as ever; so what changed?
Mesa wouldn’t get her answer. Through her tunneling vision, she was able to see enough to watch as the colors of The Void faded away, replaced by the silvers and deep blues of Corpus docks. Moments later, her vision blacked out, the void energy within her cut off like a valve being closed. The rest of her consciousness followed shortly thereafter.
Asgard System
Asteroid X57
Within the confines of the Normandy’s hangar the atmosphere was tense. Commander John Shepard stood as the leader of an untested team of six, each individual skilled in their own right, but only a few of their number had active experience with another. This much was clear just by looking at the group. Invisible lines seemed to separate his cobbled together team; acting as walls keeping them from intermingling. Everyone was in their own world, and the only thing uniting them was the fact that they were looking to him to lead them.
Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams and Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko stood side-by-side, both Marines leaning against the hull of the Mako armored vehicle. The former of the two was casting suspicious glances towards the others; the aliens.
Garrus Vakarian stood alone, his sniper rifle held in his hand as he attempted to look the part of a professional soldier. He had training in that regard, but John could see the cracks. He had seen them on the Citadel. The Turian was a loose cannon, preferring results over procedures. He respected the man in that regard. He had a reputation for doing the same, case in point being the Torfan Massacre.
Next was the Krogan, Wrex. The large reptilian alien was the oldest and most experienced among them, but Krogan had a reputation of recklessness in combat, and John privately worried that the old Battlemaster might ignore his orders in favor of that ‘good fight’ he seemed to crave. At least he hasn’t caused issues among the crew, despite Garrus’ occasional biting remarks, Wrex had kept to himself.
Finally, there was Tali. The youngest and most inexperienced person on his ground team. The Quarian woman was far and away the best of them when it came to digital warfare, but the only ground combat experience she’s had has been an ambush against some Geth, and surviving an assassination attempt. Even now he could see the nervous ticks; the way Tali bounced on her feet, shuffling her heels and checking and rechecking her shotgun. The girl would learn, but she had to step into her own a bit first; had to learn not to grow so flustered at the slightest provocation, regardless of how insensitive Garrus could be.
All in all, they were his team. The people he selected to join him on his hunt for Saren, and to get revenge for the sacking of Eden Prime. John only wished he’d had more time to let the team settle in. They were still a day or two’s journey out from Therum, where they planned to extract one Doctor T’soni, before they’d received an emergency call. Contact had been lost with an engineering team in charge of relocating an asteroid, and now that same rock was bearing down on Terra Nova; long after it was supposed to have changed course to swing around the planet and slowly fall into its orbit.
Early suspicions were of technical failures, but Commander Shepard thought otherwise. This was too soon after Eden Prime, and happened shortly after the Alliance ships assigned to defend the planet had been relocated to the Attican Traverse in fear of Geth invasion. No. John’s gut told him this was intentional. A terrorist plot to wipe out one and a half million humans. So he opted for the aggressive approach. Guns blazing. Ideally he would have the entire team by his side, under his watchful gaze. But unfortunately they didn’t have the luxury of time.
The locals had already done the math. If the asteroid wasn’t redirected within the next couple of hours, there wouldn’t be enough time for it to change course and Terra Nova would die. As such, they were in a time crunch. The mission however, was relatively simple. Disable three select fusion torches that were acting as engines. The three targets had been selected as the primary ones keeping the asteroid pointed at the planet. With them gone, the other torches scattered about the rock would send it careening past the planet with only some minor meteor showers to show for the trouble.
With the clock running out, John decided to split the team into three sets of two. Team One was Ashley and Kaidan. The two Marines had Alliance squad training, and knew each other, if only for a few days longer than everyone else. They were also the only ones besides him to know how to drive the Mako. They’d take the armored transport down to the surface and hit objective one before moving on to pick up the other two teams.
Team Two consisted of himself and Tali. Besides Wrex, John had the most battlefield experience, and trusted himself the most to assist the Quarian if she faltered. They’d hit the middle torch, which they’d been informed was surrounded with blasting charges that could go off at any moment. Not an easy task, but without the Mako the two of them would be able to thread the needle.
That all left Garrus and Wrex to take the mantle of Team Three. Putting the two of them together put his strongest fighter and best shot on the same team. He trusted that the two of them could meet anything that might be thrown their way and come out the other side.
Each team had a technical specialist in Garrus, Tali, and Kaidan. The techs were then supported by the combat specialists, the walls that would make sure their teammates survived any encounter in good enough condition to shut the torches down.
“Two minutes until LZ-One, Commander!” The pilot, Jeff Moreau reported through the vessel’s PA system.
Shepard lifted his helmet, sealing it on his head, a silent hiss filling his ears as his armor pressurized. “Team One, you’re up. Stay in contact, I’ll see you both again outside the second objective.”
Kaidan saluted, pulling himself up into the Mako’s hull. Ashley began to join him, saluting as well as she quipped; “Aye aye Skipper.”
The minutes passed quickly, and as the seconds counted down, a blue barrier lit up in the hangar, separating the ramp from the rest of the ship; this ensured the hangar would remain pressurized as the Mako dropped. A red light next to the ramp lit up as the metal slab began to open, revealing the darkness of space beyond, and the rocks of Asteroid X57 beneath them. John’s mental count reached zero at the same moment the red light switched to green.
Beside the squad, the Mako’s engine roared, the tires squealing against the smooth metal floor as the vehicle kicked off into the starry black. John reached over and placed a hand on Tali’s shoulder. The girl jumped, her glowing eyes having been locked on where the Mako had been moments ago.
“We’re up next. Get ready.”
The Quarian pilgrim seemed to steel herself, her nervous ticks lessened, and she stood a little straighter. “I’m ready, Shepard. I won’t let you down.”
Looking into her eyes through her visor, John was quiet for a moment before he nodded. Confident in her words. “Glad to hear it.”
“Landing zone two is in sight. Thirty seconds Commander.”
John walked closer to the barrier that separated them from the vacuum. Unlike with the Mako, the Normandy was now flying far lower, and had slowed down considerably. To his left, the light was red again, glowing steadily in his periphery. Time seemed to slow as he steadied his own nerves, preparing himself for the battle he knew in his heart was coming. The purple shape of Tali'Zorah stepped up to his right, but his eyes were locked onto the barren landscape beneath them.
Thirty seconds passed, and simultaneously the light switched to green and the Normandy stopped, hovering just feet off the asteroid’s surface.
Leaping from the hangar, Commander Shepard hit the ground rolling, allowing the motion to help lessen the impact, and keep him moving against any potential ambush. None came, but he still scanned the horizon with his Avenger rifle regardless, kneeling in the dirt and rocks. Tali, to her credit, managed to land steadily, flexing her legs and falling into a crouch instead of rolling, but she didn’t stumble or fall. She even managed to raise her sidearm and keep her eyes where Shepard’s weren’t.
Maybe her training was better than he’d thought. John pondered, though training still didn’t hold up as well to actual experience; it only helped keep you alive long enough to earn that experience. But simply jumping out of the ship without falling didn’t mean that the girl had proven herself just yet.
Above them, the Normand rocketed away, threading the needle between a couple of ridges in a way that very few pilots in the galaxy could. Soon enough they would arrive at the next torch and drop off Team Three.
“Shepard to ground teams, we’re on our way to the target. Check in.”
Static was all that answered his call. He tried again.
“Shepard to ground teams. Come in. Normandy, are you receiving?”
Again, static.
Tali was looking down at her Omni-Tool, her fingers dancing across the interface rapidly. He still seemed to have a connection to her, as a few times he heard a muttered word that must’ve been a curse. He couldn’t tell because his translator didn’t seem to understand itself.
“Come again?” He requested.
“Bosh’tet! All long range signals are being jammed!”
His teeth ground together. “Understood. We’re in a dead zone. We’re on our own for now.”
The two of them, alone on an asteroid hurtling towards a planet. Unknown forces standing against them and their mission to shut down the fusion torches. The mission was stressful enough just planning for it, but now that they are here, with no chance to check in with the rest of the team? John felt the tension crawling up his spine. His head was on a swivel, looking for any signs of life in their immediate area. He knew the chance was low. Nobody in their right mind would stay out in vacuum if they didn’t have a reason to be there, so the odds that someone was close enough to see the Normandy drop them off was miniscule at best. But there was still that small chance, and in battle that was the difference between living, and a sniper taking you out.
Once Jonn’s survey of the surrounding ridges was done, he reoriented himself towards their objective. It was a ways away, but the fusion torch was large enough to be seen over the hill that split them from the target. Its atomic energy shone like a star on the horizon, leaving a fiery trail through the black ‘skies’. Even from here, he could feel the slight rumble beneath his feet caused by the massive engine.
“Let’s move.”
Together, he and Tali jogged along the rocky terrain, hugging shadows wherever they could. He was not a religious man, but John offered a silent thanks to the stars anyway; grateful that they had been unseen thus far, and that he didn’t need to stop to let Tali rest. The Quarian’s cardio was good. Occasionally he’d hear a huff of exertion from her over their line, but she never complained, and kept pace with him. The only time they slowed was once they reached the hill. Its slope was steep, and jogging up it would wear them out before they even reached their mission. Instead they climbed the rise steadily, watching their steps for potential loose rocks before taking their next step. After a few minutes, the crest of the hill was upon them. Wordlessly, both stopped; neither of them were keen on sticking their heads above a blind ridge where it would stick out like a sore thumb.
Lowering himself until he was prone, Shepard shuffled the rest of the way, just until his visor was able to see beyond the top of the hill. Ahead of him was a long, flat stretch of ground. Absolutely zero cover between them and the prefabricated building that served as the control center for their objective. What was worse, was that he could see the twinkling lights that blinked atop marker poles for mining charges, and the humanoid shapes that patrolled just beyond the kitbashed minefield. He was too far to make out any markings, but he was already assuming they were hostile. If they were security for the mining crew, the torch would be off by now.
“Keelah…” Tali breathed out, having crawled up next to him. “How are we supposed to get past them?”
Shepard shrugged his shoulders, looking her in the eyes through their visors. “We’ll have to get as close as we can before they see us. As soon as the shooting starts I’ll raise a barrier, that’ll buy more time. We’ll have to take them down before we cross the mines though. No way we are getting through there while under fire.”
Once again surprising him, Tali didn’t argue or call the plan stupid. She simply squared her shoulder blades and nodded firmly. “Got it. I’ll follow your lead.”
Lifting up back to his knees, Shepard began to count down, giving Tali time to get up as well before he hit zero. John launched over the crest, boots smashing rock and kicking up small plumes of dust in his wake as he sprinted as hard as he could, eyes locked on the people far ahead, just waiting for the moment they were spotted. It didn’t take long for the people to start reacting. The guards began to rush around, getting into defensive positions.
“Keelah! Shepard look!”
He didn’t look, too focused on preparing his biotics to give any thought to whatever had grabbed his squadmate’s attention. In doing so, he saw the bright flash that ignited near the airlock door, and the rocket that began to shoot through the vacuum. John also saw that the rocket wasn’t coming towards them. Instead it flew like a shooting star into what Tali had been trying to tell him about.
A blocky shuttle, its hull colored a silvery blue, dove to evade the incoming missile, successfully avoiding the first shot even as its shields began to flicker from small arms fire. Two more missiles had been fired as well, missed by Shepard as he followed the first’s trajectory. The shuttle wasn’t so lucky the second and third times. Two explosions rocked the ship, the first breaking through the shields and the second tore one of the engines off, sending the blocky vessel into a death spiral… right in between the building and him and Tali. The ship’s impact shook the ground and sent a large cloud of dust scattering through the air, a smokescreen protecting them from any accurate fire. Small holes were torn through the screen as random shots were taken by the defenders, but they were hardly meant to actually hit anything.
John and Tali shared a glance before rushing towards the downed shuttle, the Commander’s eyes taking note of the now-burnt decal of Anyo Corp on the side. Why the Noverian-based corporation had a shuttle out here he didn’t know, but that would be a question he had for any survivors.
Reaching the crash-site allowed John to take notice of just how much damage the impact had caused. Entire panels had been torn off or crumpled inwards, giving them a clear view into the cargo bay. The contents of said chamber had mostly remained within the shuttle, but lighter objects such as tools and small boxes had been flung across the wastes. The heavy mining equipment, large drills, lasers, and more were all still in the general area, even if their condition wasn’t the greatest.
“A delivery? Why hadn’t they been warned away?” Tali wondered, brushing past him as she went further into the wreckage.
“We’ll figure that out later, look for survivors!” He ordered, splitting off from Tali in order to take a wide berth around the wreck.
The force of the impact not only created the dust cloud that gave them cover, but also formed a small impact crater, just enough for John to hunch over and prevent him from being seen as the dust thinned near the rim. Peeking over the top, he saw exactly what he’d expected to see. A trio of hostiles had left the relative safety of their position near the airlock and were making their way to investigate the crash as well. They’d already navigated the minefield, and less than fifty meters now separated them.
His previous observation of humanoid figures had narrowed down the potential species of attackers to three: Asari, Human, and Batarian. Now that they were closer, Asari was removed from the list by virtue of the masculine bodies of the armored men. Giving another look-over of their armor, hatred swelled in John’s heart as he took in the elongated helmets, and tall visors that were the primary difference between Human and Batarian armors. The four-eyed aliens required taller helmets on account of their slightly taller heads, and their four eyes meant they needed larger visors to compensate.
Ever since Torfan, Batarian slaver and pirate attacks had decreased significantly; a fact that John took pride in helping achieve. But now it seemed that the distracted state of the Alliance had brought the terrorists back to not fearing any Human reprisals. He’d make sure to ensure they understood their error.
The crosshair on his HUD switched from red to blue as he lined up the barrel of his Avenger with the torso of the nearest Batarian. The three were approaching cautiously, but even then their eyes were too busy focusing on the wreck itself to see him off to its side. That would be the last mistake they made.
With firm resolve, Commander Shepard squeezed the trigger on his Avenger rifle. The weapon responded, sending molten slags of metal courtesy of the installed incendiary mod slicing through the space between him and his target. The bastard didn’t even have kinetic barriers. The short burst of automatic fire tore through the armor plating and through the alien’s bodysuit. The molten metal was only the size of a grain of sand, but it did its job. Too many shots breached the bodysuit for it to deploy the sealant against vacuum exposure. It was probably a matter of seconds between the Batarian dying to space or the internal bleeding.
Both of the other Batarians dropped prone immediately. It might’ve been a good idea; if there was any cover to speak of. Instead they got rid of their only advantage on wide open terrain. Mobility. They could have split up, run, or otherwise maneuvered to force him to divide his attention, instead they gave the Commander sitting ducks.
To the terrorists’ credit, they had managed to pinpoint his location quickly after the first shots were fired, and even sent some rounds his way; a few lucky shots even flared his shields. But in the end, they were dead men the second they laid down. John didn’t even have to release the trigger as he swept the barrel of his rifle over the Batarian’s forms. The shots tore through their helmets just as easily as they tore through the chest of their comrade. All in all, the firefight, if it could be called such, lasted less than ten seconds.
Far away, John could make out the two Batarians who stayed behind panicking, the aliens stumbling over themselves to get into the airlock and retreat to the safety of the indoors. In their haste they had just given the Commander and Tali free reign to advance unhindered. Well, who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth?
“Hostiles down. What’s your status?” John spoke up, dusting off his visor from the particles that had settled over the glass.
Tali answered moments later. “I’ve… got a survivor here.”
The Quarian sounded confused, and John commented such.
“One of the pilots is alive but unconscious. The other is dead. But there is something else in here. It's… I’ve never seen anything like it, Shepard.”
“On my way.”
Picking his way carefully through the debris, John found the ruined cockpit door. He was forced to squeeze through the narrow opening created by the bent steel before he found himself standing in the half-collapsed cockpit. Observing the interior, Shepard grimaced at the sight of the pilot who was pinned to his chair by a metal beam that impaled him through the chest. The other pilot had been moved to the floor and was being tended to by Tali.
He was about to ask where the strange thing was, until he caught the unexpected glimmer of gold out of the corner of his eye. It was laying motionless in the corner, unmoving under what used to be a hatch in the ceiling. Maintenance probably. It was humanoid that much was certain but the more he looked at it…
“What the hell is that thing?” John expressed, cautiously approaching with one hand on his sidearm.
Kneeling next to the… thing, Shepard grabbed it by its shoulders and rolled it onto its back. He would have assumed it was a woman in armor, if not for the fact that everything he saw was clearly its body. There was no seam at the neck to separate a helmet from a bodysuit. There were no seams anywhere that could possibly be a part of some removable armor.
The thing? Figure? Whatever it was, was primarily a mix of browns, tan, and whites and seemed designed to mimic the appearance of Old American West cowboys; or in this case, cowgirls. The darkest brown sections of its body seemed to copy the most iconic aspects. Boots, gloves, a high collar and scarf that gave the appearance of a jacket on its torso, and two twin tails that invoked the appearance of chaps. The tan colors of its body had the appearance of straps and extra padding, appearing mostly on its shoulders and thighs, as well as around its waist. Then there was the white that served as a break between the two. A tertiary color that split what could have been the monotony of the primary tan and secondary brown.
The gold he had seen was used as accents, and the only thing that resembled armor, at least on the thing’s back anyway. Gold buckles, gold spurs on its heeled boots. Gold even trimmed the ‘hat’ that wasn’t a hat, as it couldn’t be removed from the head. Its design seemed closest to the historical ‘slouch’-style hat, though with both sides of the brim curled upwards instead of one. He was honestly surprised that this thing hadn’t gone with the classic stetson design cowboy hat. Trailing his eyes further across its body, John’s vision was quickly dragged to its forearms where two golden revolver-style weapons were attached to its wrists, folded back along its forearms with the barrels extending well beyond its elbows.
Despite the remarkably obvious motifs of human history, everything about this thing couldn’t have felt more alien. The gaudy gold mixed with the practical darker colors, the fact that when he’d rolled it over its body felt like flesh beneath his gloves, being pliable yet strong, and the main fact that no species in the galaxy could fit inside this thing had it even been a suit of armor. The only other thing he could imagine was a mech, yet there weren’t any motors. Its arms and legs seemed bound by muscle and flesh, not hydraulics or motorized chassis.
“I found one of its guns over here…” Tali spoke up quietly, as if she didn’t want to interrupt his musing. “I… don’t understand the design.”
Standing up straight, John turned his attention back to his squadmate, looking at the weapon she had grabbed and brought over to him.
“Oh you’ve got to be shitting me!” He cracked, staring at the pure white rifle in her hands, the weapon also trimmed in gold. Two large curves of gold trim shot up from the weapon’s receiver and curved halfway down the length of the barrel. Another gold arch acted as a trigger guard… and a lever.
“I’m sorry?” Tali asked, confused.
“It's a lever-action rifle.” He answered, still incredulous.
“A what?”
Right, that was probably a human thing. He gestured for her to pass it over, which she quickly did. The weapon felt heavier in his hands than he expected. Despite the overly-embellished design, it was a solid weapon, and was clearly functional.
“Lever-action rifles were an old human design.” John flicked his wrist down to demonstrate, the lever following his movement, and two bullets flung out of the ejector. “One of the first designs for weapons that could hold more than a single shot. Militaries back then chose to go down the bolt-action route instead.”
Tali reached out and plucked one of the rounds out of its slow descent to the ground in the lower gravity. “Actual bullets too?”
He was about to continue this course of conversation, but his eyes were drawn to the timer in the corner of his HUD. They didn’t have enough time to speculate any more. They’d already spent enough time here.
“We’ve got to move. Grab the pilot and bring him with us. He’ll need oxygen.”
Crouching down, Shepard picked the strange figure up, shifting them onto his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. Tali looked at him and he guessed she was befuddled.
“You’re bringing that too?”
“We’ll need to take it back to the Normandy to study it, and I don’t want it leaving my sight.”
Their crossing the distance between the crash and the building was slowed down by other passengers, but without any more Batarians outside they made the trip unimpeded. Even navigating the minefield without too much issue. Soon enough he stood outside the opening doors of the airlock, his vision trained on the opposite set. Anyone trained in vacuum combat operations knew that airlocks were incredibly dangerous during any combat scenario. They served as funnels that were impossible to avoid.
Carefully, John set his strange passenger down onto the floor, sliding its form off his shoulders while simultaneously drawing his sidearm off its magnetic clamp on his thigh. His other free hand began to glow with the purple-blue energies of biotics, and moments later a similarly colored barrier stretched across the internal airlock door. As he did so the hissing sound of gas filled his ears, the pressurization process filling the small antechamber with atmosphere once more. Beside him, Tali raised her shotgun. He saw from the corner of his vision as the girl looked towards him for a long moment before turning back to face the door. What she was thinking he could only guess, but she seemed ready for anything.
The doors slid open quietly, and nothing happened.
There were no gunshots, the ripples against his barrier as small slivers of metal impacted it at a respectable percentage of light-speed. It was all calm within the entrance hall. Cargo boxes and lockers lined the walls; a pool of blood surrounded a heap of human corpses, each one thrown there like garbage with holes through their foreheads. Executed for the mere ‘crime’ of being human. John’s blood boiled.
“Where… where are they?” Tali wondered as John let his barrier drop.
“They’re untrained. Probably promised an easy attack against unarmed civilians, not a firefight.” He reasoned, taking a few cautious steps beyond the threshold of the airlock. A loud ‘clang’ echoed through the building, coming from the main chamber. “They’ll be waiting for us in the next room. Two floors. Our level is wide open, though there will probably be plenty of cargo and shelves to use as cover. The second level is a balcony on the far side of the room from the door. We know there are two in there at the very least, so keep your head down once we are inside.”
Tali turned his way, tilting her head in question. She didn’t even have to speak the words for him to know what she was wondering.
“This structure is a pre-fab. It's popular enough that the Alliance has a few for combat sims. I’ve run through this same building dozens of times in training. Only thing that changes is the layout of the storage.”
Together, John and Tali stacked up against the door, his hand ready to hit the switch to open the passage. He looked back over his shoulder. “You ready?”
Tali nodded, her hood rippling with the motion. “Ready, Shepard.”
John hit the switch, and the door slid open ahead of them. The main chamber was practically a maze of boxes and heavy equipment, all stored and ready for when construction on the orbital station was supposed to begin. If it ever did at this point. Once again, nobody was awaiting them on the other side, but that didn’t last long as they first breached the room, John sweeping the barrel of his pistol over the corners before rushing into cover behind some crates. He could hear the sound of hover jets flying just beyond his vision.
The Batarians had drones.
The standard drone used by mercenaries and pirates everywhere wasn’t a major threat. Small, flying scouts that were either armed with machine guns or rockets. If one didn’t know what they were doing the drones could be dangerous, but John knew how weak their armor was. How kinetic barriers were rare on them. Very few groups had the desire to spend extra money on the eezo emitters needed to equip the things with shields.
“Tali! Focus on the drones, I’ll keep the Batarians’ heads down!”
“Okay, Shepard!”
Together the two of them threaded in between the stacks of crates and the shelves of random supplies. The motion sensor in his helmet was pinging the drones that were slowly patrolling the area, and the occasional blip of a Batarian shuffling around on the other side of the room. Within a few moments John could hear one of the drones just on the other side of the crate from him, and turned towards where he could make out Tali’s shape within the shadows of another box.
The Quarian was illuminated when her Omni-Tool flared to life, the orange glow clashing against her purple visor as she typed on the device, her finger movements were followed by the sound of electricity crackling, and the drone glitching.
“I sabotaged its gun!”
Taking advantage of the machine’s inability to fight, John rounded the box, throwing an orb of biotic energy into it and sending its small body crashing into a wall on the opposite side of the room. The noise drew the attention of the Batarians standing guard, who all looked at it before their heads snapped in his direction, rifles raising. John was faster, his pistol barking out a few shots that forced the terrorists into cover, one of them taking a shot in the shoulder, his shout of pain accentuating the hit.
Tali moved up behind him, her shotgun blasting a cluster of metal shards at another drone that had moved in to attack, the white chassis quickly being shredded by the mass-accelerated projectiles. Sparks flew as the machine fell to the floor, useless. The red dots on his motion tracker were far more active now. Two moved at the speed only drones could maintain, while the others were clearly Batarians rushing for better positions. The one behind him and Tali was new.
Behind them?
Shepard’s eyes swung back towards the direction he came from, frantically sweeping over the passages. The dot was moving quickly between the stacks of crates, getting closer and closer until he finally caught a burst of movement. It didn’t come from the ground though, but rather closer to the ceiling. His vision barely managed to register the shades of brown in the blur before he saw stars in his eyes, a heavy weight impacting his chest and sending him crashing to the ground.
Trying to shake his vision clear, John quickly stopped moving as he felt an incredibly sharp point pressing against the neck of his bodysuit. Through the blur he could tell the difference between the barrel of a weapon pointed between his eyes, and the glowing lights that dotted the head of the strange figure he’d dragged along with them. His ears rang, and he thought he heard Tali shouting worriedly, but all he could focus on was the mysterious figure that kept him pinned to the ground, ready to kill him.
“Shit.”