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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:01:07 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:01:07 GMT 1
Synopsis: It is the final days of the greatest conflict the galaxy has ever known. A Turian recon agent struggles to find her way home, fighting to survive against the unstoppable forces that would see her and every other living thing brought to an end, all the while battling the demons that threaten to tear her apart from within.
Rating: M (violence).
Notes I've always been fascinated by Turians as a culture, their customs and philosophy as a people. Apart from this, I've always liked the idea of telling the story of an immense, apocalyptic event from the perspective of a single soul. In this way, the Reaper War presented an invaluable opportunity for me to cover both, one which was realised in the form of Praxis.
Although I've been studying creative writing for some time, this is my first attempt at a proper piece. As such, I'd greatly appreciate any and all constructive criticism you may wish to give, as this is very much a learning experience for me. Most of all, I truly hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it
I've read through all the forum formatting rule/guide posts I could find before submitting, however if there is anything I've missed, please let me know.
Chapter 1ReverieI stood before a silvery landscape, my eyes shielded with one hand as I assessed the day ahead of me. Illuminated by the blue midday sun, the route I’d planned seemed to jump out of the rocky maze before me, revealing the familiar crags and gullies, ledges and peaks that I aimed to climb.
I felt a familiar mix of anxiety and excitement course through me. Two typically opposing feelings - when combined, somehow became so much more. It was the feeling that kept me coming back, every thought focused on nothing more than my next move. When climbing, it was as if the entire universe shrank to surround me; my body, and the rock face I clung to. Nothing else existed.
Unbound from the flow of time, the moments of the day blurred together as I climbed, leapt, and swung my way through the landscape.
Some time later, I arrived at a familiar sheer surface. The sun, having passed its zenith, now began its imperceptible descent to the horizon. My stomach turned as I looked up at the rock face before me, my eyes lingering on a single outcropping near the top. That gut-wrenching final grasp. To think that so many feelings could be stirred from a lobe of bare rock.
The face leading upwards was smooth and undulating, bowing inward in spots. A handful of indentations and small divots punctuated its surface; my means of ascent. I leapt upwards, settling into a steady rhythm before doubt could find purchase in my mind.
My hands moved deliberately from hold to hold, careful to check for any calis bugs resting in wait amongst the inky black crevices. As I reached the outcropping, I let my legs take my weight temporarily, allowing the muscles in my arms to rest, if only for a moment.
My limbs, as if in protest, flared with a burning ache. I focused on the outcropping above, summoning as much energy as I could muster. Lunging upwards with all my strength, I reached up and over, grasping for the hold that I knew was there. Feeling my fingers slip into the familiar nook, I let my arm take my weight.
With a soft pop, I felt the hand hold break free. My mind raced for options. Seeing a tenuous hold before me, I reached for it instinctively. It too broke free. With a final, desperate lunge, I reached for the spot my feet had been resting moments before, finding a hold.
I jolted against the rock face, my body trembling from head to talon as I let out a cry of exhaustion. An unnerving sensation passed through my body, like a wave of heat rising from inside - outward and beyond - as if enveloping the air around me.
An explosion of fear rocked my mind. Before I could think, I felt a scream escape my lungs. The sound bounced off the rocky surfaces around me, echoing through the hard, unrelenting landscape beyond. That feeling, the one I had harboured all my life, hidden inside. A curse other people called biotics, which I knew only as a lingering terror.
I closed my eyes, focusing my mind on the calmest place I could think of; the lookout my father would always take me to, with a view over the city of Cipritine. I imagined resting my head on his shoulder, completely at peace.
As seconds passed by, I felt the unwelcome biotic sensation ebb to a mere tingling at my core, my head cradled against my shoulder. Regaining a bare grasp of composure, I slowly made my way back down to solid ground, standing unsteadily as my body trembled with nervous energy.
I checked the sky, trying to estimate how many hours of daylight I had left. Not enough to make the peak before sundown. Exhausted from hours of climbing, and still shaken by my near-fall, I laid down to rest on the warm ground.
Small injuries throughout my body leapt forth for the first time, ripples of pain atop a sea of exhaustion. I closed my eyes, letting each of my senses inform me of the world beyond. I felt the intense heat of the rock beneath me, rising against the plates along my spine.
A warm breeze whispered through the rocky strata of the surrounding landscape, washing gently against my face. The smell of the rock around me, heated relentlessly for billions of years, seemed almost sweet as it passed by me. As the space around me formed in my mind's eye, a sense of tranquillity fell over me.
As my thoughts wandered to my upcoming mission, the reconnaissance of a distant, uncharted moon, a knot of anxiety tightened in my chest, breaking my inner peace. More than just an assignment, this was my final test as an initiate. One final step before my insignia ceremony, the moment I would earn my place among my people.My heart soared at the thought, but my soul beckoned for me to go further still. I didn’t want to just belong. I wanted to see all there was to see, to witness as many wonders as the galaxy could offer me.
I opened my eyes, staring up into the dark blue sky above. One of the moons hung low above the horizon, shimmering through the heat haze. The relentless, scorching light of Palaven's sun beat down, warming the carapace across my face.
I got to my feet, surveying the landscape that I'd need to pass on the return trip, laying the path I'd chosen into my mind as I started back down through the rocky maze.
A few hours later, I reached my original point of arrival. The hovercraft I’d used for travel sat under the cover of a flat-topped tree. Its branches, sparse in foliage, cast a shadow like cracked glass on the craft beneath.
I pulled the cover off the vehicle's slender frame, stowing it in a small compartment at the rear. Despite being shaded all day, the surface was uncomfortably warm to the touch.
After catching my breath, I spoke my name to activate it.
"Val Soranis."
"Confirmed." the craft responded, an electronic chirp emanating from the controls.
"Start up."
Its sleek form whirred to life just above the ground. I climbed on, enabling its built-in personal shielding. A thin, bluish film, like a ray of light passing through smoke, enveloped the air around me as I nestled aboard. The sounds from the world beyond ceased, leaving only the soft electric purr of the craft beneath me.
I urged it forwards, the ground beneath becoming a blur of silver and brown acceleration. The landscape around me had begun to settle into the colours of late afternoon, the sun now settling to the horizon ahead. As I set a course for home, the craft responded by correcting slightly to the right, continuing forwards on a laser-straight trajectory.
My eyes wandered to the evening sky, where a river of stars flowed upwards, disappearing high above into a vanishing point countless light-years away. Exhausted from the day's climbing, I laid my head down to rest, letting the hover-craft's autopilot carry me home.
A voice stirred me from my dreamless slumber as the hovercraft slowed, coming to rest atop a rocky promontory. I recognised the voice as that of my resident VI.
"Val, I'm detecting minor injuries; shall I call for assistance?"
"No, that won't be necessary. Thank you." I said, stepping clear of the craft.
"Very well. Welcome home."
The VI departed with a soft chime.
I made my way up the path leading to the repurposed outpost building that I called home. The white, angular surfaces of the single demountable cast long shadows in the afternoon light.
Sitting adjacent, in a rough semicircle, were a series of smaller structures, each one containing machinery necessary for the basic utilities of life: Water recyclers, solar relays, comm nodes.
It wasn’t cheap to get food droned in, but still less expensive than making the long ride to the capital every other day.
My parents at first questioned my choice of living arrangement, so far from the city of Cipritine where they resided. I’d insisted that it was merely preference, and not a reflection of my feelings towards them. I still didn’t know if they took my word for it. Either way, I know one thing to be true; solitude is bliss.
With less than an hour before my parents were due to arrive, I made my way inside and showered, fitting my lacerated hands with a set of semi-translucent healing gloves. Feeling refreshed, I grabbed a spherical glass and filled it with the nearest drink I could find, dropping in a few pieces of glow-ice for good measure.
I made my way outside, settling against a familiar boulder near the edge of the promontory. From here, my view of the surrounding landscape was simply stunning.
Like most of the surface of Palaven, the terrain was sharp and angular, dominated by many different forms of rocky crevices, peaks and mesas. Between it all lay savanna-like fields of dark sand and the ubiquitous flat-topped flora - the only visible sign of life apart from Turian settlements.
The rest of Palaven's lifeforms lived below and between the hard, rocky strata. Insects and small mammals of various sizes - all of which were equipped with plate-like carapace. Something which my father once explained was due to the star's extremely harsh UV radiation, and is the same reason for the thin plating across parts of our own bodies.
I missed his tirelessly enthusiastic explanations, always happy to accommodate my endless questioning.
The air around me pulsed with the tell-tale thump of a distant sonic boom. I looked to the horizon, watching as a single star fell from the sky, growing larger with each passing moment. Before long, I could make out the running lights of my parent’s shuttle in the distance, its drive plume tracing a blue trail in its wake.
Realizing I hadn’t prepared seating, I hurried inside to retrieve some chairs, placing them around a low, flat-topped boulder - what constituted a table in my far-flung piece of the world.
I looked up in time to see their shuttle descending. A crackling, high pitched whine emanating from its ventral thrusters. Its silhouette resembled a broad arrowhead, with three flat wings splayed to either side of a central compartment.
Sharp lines of blue fire streamed from manoeuvring thrusters along the middle of each wing as they gyrated in different directions, maintaining the shuttle's careful downward trajectory.
With steady grace, the vessel descended through the evening air, casting a pall of dust in all directions as it lowered to the ground with a final burst of blue thrust. The wings of the shuttle folded inward, settling down to either side.
Moments later, the rear entrance opened, casting a soft white glow onto a slowly extending ramp. Waves of excitement rippled through my chest as I walked towards the shuttle. It’d been two cycles since I’d seen my mother, Atria. Twice again as long for my father, Tarick; his frequent archaeological expeditions taking him to the furthest reaches of the galaxy.
My mother let out a gasp of joy as she rushed toward me; the edges of her form blurred amongst the thin cloud of dust stirred by the shuttle.
“Val… it’s been too long.” She said, reaching out to embrace me as we met amongst the dusk-tinged veil, my eyes now welling with tears.
If my father was my rock, my mother was the ground beneath, supporting me through every poor choice I’d made in my short term of adulthood. It was as if a part of my world had returned to me.
Atria stepped back, resting her hands on my shoulders at arm’s length. As the dust cleared, I saw the details of her face resolve against the soft evening light. Two streams of tears ran from her azure-blue eyes, cutting paths through a thin layer of dust which had settled across her features. She wore robes that were more uniform than casual wear; long-sleeved and form-fitting, coloured the traditional family twilight blue, with stylish, deep-black highlights. The kind of attire career military officers wore almost everywhere, and which accentuated her tall, slender frame.
Her expression turned to concern as she reached down to cradle my hands.
"What happened? These aren’t small injuries." She said.
I looked down at the lacerations running the length of my palms and fingers. Dark blue blood stains surrounded each wound, now magnified through the transparent surface of my healing gloves.
"Attacked an angle too fast, hand hold broke loose." I said, pulling my hands away gently.
Atria shook her head as she replied, "This is why I tell you to wear your armour out there, what if you were to fall? That climbing suit doesn't even have barriers."
"I know… I’m sorry. I don't like how the armour limits my movement. I just wanted one last free climb before my mission." I said, glancing towards a familiar peak in the distance, its rocky surface now catching the final light of dusk.
Atria let out a gentle sigh, her expression a mix of disapproval and thinly veiled admiration.
"I just hate not knowing if you're okay out here. If something happened, how would anyone find you?" She said, placing her hand against my arm.
"I always find my way back, don't worry about me." I said, dusting myself off as I looked up to her again.
She nodded, giving a wry smile as she turned to look at Tarick. He stood patiently a small distance behind her; arms clasped behind his back.
With a joyful glance towards mother, I raced toward him, reaching up to put my arms around his neck. Even at 25, my head barely reached his shoulders. I had thought about him every day, even as I was consumed with the duties of each assignment; skimming the boundaries of known space, risking a terrible end with every blind jump. It was the kind of rush I couldn’t live without, but in moments like these, I felt myself a fool for risking the heartbreak that I knew he’d feel if I never returned.
Tarick lent down towards me as tears began to form in the corners of his brown eyes.
"How's my little warrior?" He said.
I managed a laugh between crying breaths as I rested my head against his. We stood together for a long moment, the blue-tinged light of dusk casting soft shadows across our faces.
"You’re almost there, Val. Soon you'll be free to go make a life for yourself." Tarick said, his voice a familiar, soothing melody.
With this, I felt a twinge of sorrow. Our reunion, as it was, would be painfully short. Tomorrow we would be light-years apart yet again.
"I wish I could stay here just a while longer. It's been so long." I said, my voice unsteady atop a mountain of emotion.
I hugged him again, watching my tears as they fell to the freshly settled dust below.
"I bet you didn't miss my cooking." Tarick said, a hint of mocking in his voice.
I squeezed his torso, only half upset at his playful jab.
Tarick coughed as he blurted a strained response, "Alright, alright."
He danced backwards as I let him lose, chuckling mischievously.
"No, you’re right." I said, letting out a barely contained laugh, "I risk my life enough without challenging one of your meals."
Hearing footsteps behind me, I turned to see my mother approaching.
"You two… Some things never change." She said, shaking her head as she looked between us both.
"I still don’t know how you manage out here, but I’m glad you’re happy." She said, surveying the surrounding landscape, visible now in all directions through the clear evening air. Atria turned to Tarick with a smile, reaching her hand out towards him. He took it in his own, holding her close as the three of us made our way towards my would-be outpost, reunited again after what felt like half a lifetime.
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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:11:50 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:11:50 GMT 1
Chapter 2 Maranea I didn't know what they were, the creatures that chased me to the edge of the intergalactic void. At first, I tried to fight them, launching strikes of opportunity, but it was like carving the ocean with a knife. The humans of one colony had called them Reapers. All I knew was that they were inevitable, like the hand of some absolute being, bent on crushing us all to oblivion.
So, I survived; wandering beyond charted space, doing what I could where I could, salvaging supplies where I couldn't. Most of the time I found nothing but molten worlds, orbited by belts of alloy and glowing drive matter. The echoes of primitive civilizations, just making their first steps beyond their home worlds, all ground to dust.
It was as if my dreams of exploring the galaxy had been twisted, folded back into a sick nightmare, one I had been trapped in for what felt like a lifetime. I couldn't take it anymore, I was going to end it one way or another, and the relay before me was the answer.
It was the same one I had passed through originally, at the start of my long-forgotten mission, before I knew what horrors lay beyond. For months I'd tried to return home, taking blind jumps through unmapped relays. It was only recently that the Reaper's numbers had dwindled, presumably returning to Council space. For what, I didn't dare imagine.
All that mattered now was that it had left me an opening, to the Hades Gamma cluster, and back to charted space. I looked around the cabin of my scout craft, double-checking systems statuses and toggles.
The space had been my entire world since I'd left home all those months ago. Orange and blue holographic consoles dominated the foreground of my vision, extending forward to an angular, panoramic viewport. Mercifully, the craft had enough room to walk around in, with a passageway leading aft to a sleeping pod and rear airlock; its rubberised flooring scuffed from countless hours of nervous pacing.
Soft, electronic chirps emanated from the consoles around me, as if vying for attention, eager to share their momentary statuses. One stood out amongst the rest; an insistent double-beep, accompanied by a flashing holographic indicator above its surface. I gestured over the console, expanding its contents in full.
A diagram of the surrounding system blinked into existence before me, spanning the width of the cabin. Highlighted at its centre, near the system's star, was a mass of triangular markers.
I felt my stomach lurch as my heart began to race, a thousand possibilities playing through my mind. Not pirates, no planets left to plunder. Not friendlies, the system was long-since scoured by Reapers...
Reapers.
I narrowed my sensors to tight-beam, focusing on the mass of signatures. Moment after agonising moment, a multi-spectral view of the area resolved before me. Showing a dozen or more dreadnoughts.
Without a second glance, I angled my ship towards the relay, gunning the throttle. A moment later, I felt a heat begin to rise from my core as pinpricks of pain began to spark along my extremities. As the air around me glowed fluorescent blue, my vision of the cabin before me began to blur.
Not here. Not now.
As my body began to tremble, I drew in a long breath, holding it in my lungs as I pictured myself standing atop a rocky precipice, the silver-red landscape of home before me. I breathed out steadily, feeling my heartbeat slow as the pain in my extremities began to subside, returning to a dull ache.
My composure somewhat returned; I sent the signal to activate the relay. With a swipe of my hand, I dismissed the scanner interface, clearing my view ahead as I approached the immense bulk of the relay. Two large arms of black metal tapered to a smooth oval-shaped structure, in the centre of which sat an array of counter-rotating rings. As I got closer, a blinding mass effect field coalesced between the arms, building the energy required to send my craft light years beyond in the blink of an eye.
I steered my vessel towards the building field, letting the relay's automated systems take over. A thin tendril leapt up from the blinding energy field, encompassing the space around my ship, pulling it forward at terrific speed. The sensor array, having been left focused on the Reaper fleet, chimed urgently. It'd detected a radiation burst of some kind. Before I could expand the display to investigate, I felt a familiar feeling of weightlessness as the space beyond my ship lost all form. I closed my eyes, not wishing to see the familiar distortion of reality.
I never liked the disturbing quiet of relay travel. The way the normal ticks and groans of the ship's hull ceased completely, suspended in the formless non-reality beyond. With unsettling suddenness, I felt the weight of my body return as I opened my eyes, the reassuring sight of steady space before me.
Something was wrong. The system's star glowed a faint blue, not the deep orange I remembered.
This was not Hades Gamma.
Not wanting to linger in case the Reapers pursued, I fled to FTL, plotting a course deeper in-system. Arriving near a vast icy asteroid belt, I set to recalibrating my navigation systems, using the surrounding stars as a reference. The coordinates played forth on the console - as I read the system name that followed, my heart skipped a beat. I was on the opposite side of the galaxy. Deep in Vorcha space.
I shook my head at the irony of the situation. Surely, I was the first person to find Vorcha territory a preferable change in scenery. For the moment, I felt somewhat at ease.
Even if the Reapers chose to pursue, I would be long gone before they arrived. I plotted a course for a neighbouring system, intent on reaching the nearest major relay, and more favourable space. Whatever that looked like at this point.
Having spent the last four months beyond any major system, let alone Council space, I was unsure of what I would find on the journey ahead. Had the Reapers scoured all the inner systems? Or had they been forced back in some miraculous counterattack?
As my vessel exited FTL next to the relay, I immediately received a communication burst from its buffers, a distress signal. I played the signal back through the comm console. The voice of a woman filled the cabin of my scout ship, a loud metallic banging echoing in the background as the recording played in various states of crackling distortion.
"-Is the freighter Maranea-hold for much longer-routed all power to shields-destroyer." With a high-pitched burst of static, the recording finished.
Without a second thought, I engaged the relay. As I watched reality fold away before me, a feeling of morbid hope rose within me. Here was another person, a sign of life after so much death and despair. As I exited the relay, I locked on to the source of the distress signal, engaging FTL as fast as I could.
A minute later, I plunged back into real space, a desperate scene playing out before me. The barriers of an Asari freighter flared violet against an onslaught of white-hot beam fire, casting a mirage of colourful flashes against the hull beneath. The source of the assault, a Reaper destroyer, strafed in a tight orbit around the vessel, eager to crack open its barriers and carve through the exposed hull beneath.
Not wanting to give it the chance, I primed my weapons, diving straight towards the Reaper craft. A series of vibrations rocked the cabin interior as I let loose a withering volley of fire. The shots closed the distance to the destroyer in an instant, impacting harmlessly against its barriers.
Not good.
With frightening speed, the destroyer pivoted on its axis as it turned to face me. A series of glowing lights along its surface - what can only be described as eyes - flared brilliant orange. Its attention well and truly on me, I broke off to the left, attempting to lead it away from the freighter.
Ahead of me, an immense circular silhouette filled my vision, a planet of some kind. I spoke into the consoles, requesting a surface analysis as I flung the craft in every possible direction, trying my hardest to make myself an elusive target. A display popped into existence in the corner of my eye, within which sat a spherical diagram intersected along its diameter. The planet was completely gaseous down to a small metallic core. A gas giant.
If I could get close enough...
I killed the rear thrusters of my scout craft, flinging the flight controls to the right as far as I could, gunning the forward manoeuvring thrusters to maintain my vector of movement.
I now faced the destroyer, its dark metallic mass looming before me. Holding the forward thrusters on full, I began a spiralling backwards manoeuvre, keeping the destroyer centred in my vision.
I let loose with more thanix fire, setting the destroyer's shields ablaze. It responded in kind, its beam weapons cutting through the space between us, burning chaotic after-images into my vision. I keyed open the aft view camera of my craft, watching as the hazy atmosphere of the gas giant raced towards me.
Pulling on the controls again, I reversed my orientation, re-engaging the main thrusters. The space around me turned to haze as I entered the upper atmosphere, my forward shields flaring in protest at the sudden friction.
I checked the rear view again, just in time to see a blinding flash as one of the destroyer's beams impacted with my craft. My head hit the seat behind me, filling my vision with stars as the entire cabin bucked against the impact. My eyes flashed to the status readout; one engine down, one remaining.
Now or never.
I pulled the craft into a hard spin, locking the controls in place as I keyed the restraints of my chair. Pulled downwards by the inertia, I crawled my way to the rear of the cockpit, reaching for a panel marked "Do not open."
Inside were three handles, covered by a protective translucent panel. I tapped the inside of my armoured forearm, activating its built-in omniblade, slicing the panel in two. The pieces fell to the cabin floor, sticking in place under the immense g-forces.
I took a deep breath, steadying my mind as the edges of my vision faded to black. I gripped the left-most handle and pulled. It came free with a soft twoomp. The space around me went utterly dark, and for a moment there was nothing but the horrible groan of the hull beyond. I felt the inertia wane as the ship's spinning manoeuvre slowed. Reaching forward to grab the second handle, I pulled with all the strength I had left. This time, an immense crack slammed me to the cabin floor.
Beyond the cockpit view above me, a wave of static electricity flowed through the atmosphere like a trillion bolts of lightning. A moment later, a deafening crash split the air around me as I was launched into the roof of the cabin above. I raised my arms in front of me instinctively as I fell back against the cabin floor, utterly winded, the warm taste of blood now flowing against my tongue. I spat the dark blue fluid against the inside of my helmet, feeling it run down into my suite as I stood.
As I glanced out the cabin viewport, I saw the dark mass of the Reaper destroyer tumble past, falling lifeless into the atmosphere of the gas giant below.
Walking unsteadily, I made my way back to the panel, re-inserting both handled-plugs in the same order. With a loud clunk, the cabin around me sprung to life. I settled back into the pilot's seat, glancing out the viewport ahead once more.
The atmosphere rushed past, still sparking with residual energy. I keyed the rear thrust, pulling back on the controls as I tried to ascend. It wasn't enough, one engine wasn't going to cut it, not with this much power.
I tapped a nearby console, re-routing energy from shields to engines. The response was immediate, as a cascade of sparks flew past the cockpit window, followed closely by an onslaught of flame. Using the gravitational pull of the gas giant as a guide, I drew back on the controls until I felt my weight pulled backwards.
I glanced at the sensor console, remembering the mysterious reading I'd received. With no time to consider it further, I dumped the scan data into my suit buffers.
Alarms blared all around me, warning of catastrophic failure throughout the ship. I shut it out, waiting for the moment I hoped would come. With a rending crunch, I felt the cabin below me shudder.
"Weapons lost." I heard the ship's VI intone.
With the viewport ahead beginning to crack, I saw the atmosphere beyond begin to clear. Not wanting to risk another moment, I pitched the ship downwards as I smashed my fist against the eject button, pulling down on an adjacent lever as hard as I could.
I saw the cabin disappear before me as my seat was shunted violently upwards. A moment later, I felt myself pulled downwards even harder, my head slamming against the back of my helmet as all thought ceased.
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling, tractor beam emitters and floodlights sat scattered across its ill-kept surface. Each source of light cast blurred spectres across my vision. The ambient sounds of the room seemed dulled, as if heard from under water as I sat upright, triggering a wave of pain throughout my head.
Amongst the muffled drone, I picked out a voice, seemingly in conversation with another. I flexed the mandibles of my outer jaw as I yawned, hoping to recover some semblance of hearing. As I turned my gaze to the side, I discovered the source of one of the voices; a figure wearing black, high-fitting work boots and dark red overalls. The features of her face tapered to slender, tentacle-like appendages which flowed along the length of her head. An Asari.
She spoke to a figure veiled in light, a hologram of some form, gesturing animatedly towards it, then to me.
As my hearing returned, I began to catch fragments of their conversation.
"-She's injured, can't you see? Scan her!" The Asari shouted.
"Intruder detected." The VI replied in a matter of fact tone, its expression calm as it waited patiently for further commands.
The Asari threw her arms up, her eyes widening as she turned to face me. She gestured towards the VI, "Just take us to FTL, standard holding pattern."
The glowing figure disappeared with a nod, seemingly satisfied with an order it could comprehend.
The Asari made her way over to me, her deep, almost masculine voice echoing across the open space.
"Are you okay? I couldn't get it to scan your vitals. Hopeless machine." She said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the recently departed VI.
She stopped in front of me, reaching her hand down towards me, "Can you stand?"
I nodded, reaching out to grab her hand. She pulled me upwards, revealing a surprising amount of strength within her small frame. As I rose, a fresh wave of dizzying pain rushed through my head, causing me to stumble back a step.
"Steady." She said, placing her hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks. I'll be fine. Just… need a moment." I replied, massaging the back of my head with one hand.
The Asari glanced around the room, her eyes settling on a black rectangular object to my right.
"Had to cut you out of that pod, it was security coded, and you weren't exactly open to questioning." She said,
I waved dismissively at the mass of broken metal, "Keep it for scrap, those things are death traps anyway."
She nodded, letting out an amused huff. Her deep emerald eyes hinted at a wisdom that belied her youthful appearance, her light-blue complexion contrasting strikingly with her deep red overalls.
"Thanks for rescuing me. I wasn't sure I was going to make it out of that gas giant." I said, reaching my hand towards her.
She took it in her own, giving a firm shake. I felt a twinge of energy strike through my arm, stirring the biotics within me. The Asari gave me a wry smile, releasing my hand.
"Likewise, my spiky friend. I doubt I'd have lasted another couple minutes if you hadn't arrived. Damn Reapers don't care whether you're hauling or not, no respect whatsoever." She said, slapping me on the shoulder, causing me to stumble uneasily.
"Name's Rona, and this is Maranea." She said, gesturing at the space around us, "She's all I've got out here, my livelihood and my home. You're welcome to stay aboard till we can limp back to somewhere more hospitable."
Rona turned to make her way towards the nearest doorway, her work boots clicking rhythmically against the sturdy metal deck.
"I'm Valena. Though please, just call me Val." I said, following a few steps behind her.
Without averting her gaze, Rona flicked her hand up lazily, giving me a thumbs up.
As we arrived at a heavy metal doorway, a set of Asari symbols flickered into existence across its surface, before fading away gently. I stood next to Rona as she keyed a code into a panel on the door.
"I'll try not to be a burden any longer than I have to." I said, looking around the hold.
Rona turned to face me, her features softening as she assessed the state of my armour.
"You're not the first rescue I've had aboard, and I doubt you'll be the last. Think nothing more of it."
She swung the door open, ushering me forward with one hand as she stepped across the threshold.
"Let me show you around."
For some time, Rona led me through the narrow passageways of her vessel.
Despite its seemingly industrial purpose, the ship's internal structure was elegantly designed. Polished grey-blue metal walls tapered to sturdy supporting struts, each one splintering into an array of angular, interlacing beams which covered the surface of each ceiling. A violet glow emanated from within the nest-like weave of metal, softly illuminating the surrounding space.
Rona and I took an elevator to the second floor, where a series of passenger cabins had been repurposed into hydroponics labs, and in one room, a generously sized water recycling vat.
"Impressive setup you have here, bet you could sustain a few months aboard, at least." I said, giving Rona an admiring glance as I followed her past one final cabin, arriving at a set of stairs leading to the deck above.
Rona turned to face me, a look of barely hidden pride across her features.
"Enough to cover the back routes around battle zones and dead systems. This profession isn't as breezy as it used to be. Ransom insurance doesn't cover Reaper attacks. Not sure what those monsters want, but it isn't credits, I can tell you that." She said, turning to make her way up the stairs, "Come on, this is where the action happens."
I followed her upwards, emerging in a dimly lit space. Semicircular in shape, the room seemed to curve upwards in a gentle slope. On the rounded edge, a wide panoramic window dominated the space, tapering to a narrow strip as it continued along the ceiling above.
As Rona stepped into the space, the floor seemed to come alive with a soft white glow, followed shortly after by an eruption of light which cascaded throughout the room. Floor and ceiling panels flickered to life, illuminating a set of three chairs against a sweeping control board, upon which holographic symbols began to appear.
Rona called out as she went to the centre chair, talking to no one in particular.
"Give me a report Mar, how much is that tangle gonna cost us."
A familiar holographic figure appeared to the right of the control board, its blue glow reflecting against the window behind. Its form was that of an Asari, dressed in understated formal attire, hands clasped behind its back. It spoke in the same clipped, polite tone as before.
"Barrier emitters two and five are overloaded, the remaining three are overdue for maintenance by four hundred and sixty days. Repairs recommended. Hull structure in section three is at risk of failure. Repairs recommended. This unit has been modified beyond Serrice Corporation standards; fines may apply."
With that, the holographic figure vanished. Rona nodded in its direction, smiling as she turned to face me.
"Sounds like business as usual, I think we're good to go."
Thinking it impolite to question her interpretation of the VI's warnings, I merely nodded, making my way to one of the co-pilot seats.
My mind a sea of questions, I began with the simplest.
"How is the galaxy faring against the Reapers? I've been… elsewhere, stuck beyond Council space since it all began."
Rona turned to me, a mix of confusion and curiosity across her features.
"Not well, as you can imagine. Batarians copped the initial brunt of the attack, no one has heard from them in months. Earth after that. Then your people..." She said, pausing as her eyes narrowed.
"It could be worse, Trebia is holding the siege relatively well, but nobody knows how long it will be until Palaven falls."
My body turned numb as I watched the words leave her mouth. As she continued, I turned my gaze toward the viewport ahead, watching the myriad colours of distorted reality beyond, the ship still deep in FTL.
I thought of my parents, where they would be right now. Had Atria been on the front line on Menae as the Reaper fleet poured into the home system? I tried to picture Tarick, deep within his archival complex at Tellin mesa, as far away from danger as possible.
So much time had passed; not a day had gone by that I hadn't thought of them. I'd left home with the dream of returning, having proven myself, having earned my place amongst my people. In the months since, my dreams had tended to nightmares. I pictured my home like the countless other worlds I'd seen, reduced to a molten orb of lifelessness. I wanted nothing more than to see my parent's faces again.
I heard Rona speak my name, pulling my mind back to the present.
"-Val… Val. Are you okay?"
I turned to face her again, suddenly conscious of the tears falling across my face, "Sorry...it's a lot to take in."
Rona turned to look out the viewport ahead as she spoke, her eyes narrowing, "I wish I had better news for you friend, I really do. Galaxy is a mess right now. Council is trying to build some final weapon, something Shepard gave them, a massive construction project. I've been hauling parts for it the last few weeks." She said,
"Shepard? They're still alive?" I asked, my heart leaping at the mention of the enigmatic human spectre.
Rona nodded; the slightest smile creasing across her face, "Alive and well. Been rallying forces across the galaxy to their cause, only thing keeping hope alive these days. I just hope it isn't all for nothing."
"They always seem to be at the centre of everything, for better or worse." I said, memories of news updates flashing through my mind.
"The younger races always were keen for a fight, never stopping to savour what they had." Rona replied, an embarrassed look falling across her features as she turned to face me.
"Uhh, no offense intended... I've become so used to talking to myself."
I shook my head as I replied, "I understand, to the Asari we must all seem like children, throwing wars like tantrums."
Rona's lips curled into a solemn smile as she looked down to the palms of her hands, staring pensively for a long moment.
"Still… I sometimes think we live too long, see too much." She said,
I watched as Rona brought her hands together, her features settling back into a confident visage as she looked up to face me once more.
"What about you, who do you have back home?" I asked, gesturing towards the viewport ahead.
Rona nodded as she replied, "A daughter, Farina, back on Thessia. Fiercely intelligent. Got that from her father, if you hadn't guessed already." She said, smiling warmly as her eyes turned towards the viewport again, "She's why I do all this, the endless lonely hours across the emptiness of space. I want her to be able to attend the Academy of Sciences. She deserves nothing less." She said, turning to look at me again, her face now peaceful.
"I've got to see to something downstairs for a moment, won't be long." She said, getting to her feet.
I reached out my hand, drawing her attention, "Do you mind if I run an analysis on something in my suit? I'll keep my systems discreet."
Rona nodded, giving a thumbs up as she walked down the stairs to the floor below.
"Just don't peek my extranet history; a girl can get lonely out here, if you know what I mean." Rona replied, her voice trailing off.
Not intent on exploring the implications of that, I keyed the holographic display on the forearm of my armour, placing my hand against one of the ship's holographic consoles.
It sprang to life in front of me, projecting a full view across the bridge space ahead. In it was depicted a series of concentric rings, each one composed of symbols beyond my comprehension, but which seemed eerily familiar.
I focused on the smallest centre ring, looking for patterns or any legible symbols. Finding nothing, I made my way out along each one until I reached the outermost layer. My hands froze over the console, recognising something familiar.
It was the signal I'd sent to the relay, a single line of code against the noise. It was as if the rest of the code had been built around it, like the seed at the core of a Karak melon. It was then that I understood, the reason for my wayward relay jump. Whatever this code was, it had augmented my request to the relay, overriding it.
I searched my mind, trying to figure out why the symbols seemed so familiar. With a flash of sudden clarity, I pictured myself with my father and a small group of Turians, each of us standing around a table with a holographic representation of a relay.
I heard my father's voice, describing what was before us.
"-So many distinct dialects, it's like the strata of a geological sample, revealing eons of anthropology. This is incredible."
I looked up at the semi-opaque structure of the relay, floating in space before us. Holographic particles flitted to and fro like minute insects. My head barely reached above the surface of the holo table, it was all a mystery to me.
I watched as my father summoned forth rectangular samples of dialect next to the model of the relay, scrolling through at a gentle pace, each one seemingly a representation of the layers he had described.
"We've only been able to identify fragments of dialect from the top two layers, and even these date back nearly two hundred thousand cycles. We've retrieved over 15 layers in total."
With another scroll, he arrived at a final piece.
"Beneath it all, we found this, the oldest layer. So far, from the surveys we've done to known relays, this is the only dialect that is invariably present. It is my theory that this is the language of the relay builders."
I stared up at the symbols, entranced. With a jolt of realization, I returned to the present, my eyes fixed on the rings of code before me.
The symbols were the same.
A bump against my shoulder caused me to jolt upright in my chair. I turned to see Rona standing next to me, staring despondently towards two glasses of transparent liquid held in either hand.
"Just water. In lieu of poisoning my first guest in a decade." She said, passing one of the glasses toward me, "I can never remember what your kind can or can't drink, sorry."
I nodded, taking the glass in one hand.
"That's fine, really. Thanks."
Rona took a seat next to me, placing the glass against the control console as she turned to face me.
"Find anything interesting?" She said,
"Maybe. The Reaper signal I received, I think it may have revealed a backdoor in the relay systems themselves." I said, my eyes now lingering on the shimmering red symbols at the center of the holographic image.
"Have you ever heard of ships being sent far off course when fleeing from Reapers?" I asked, glancing towards Rona questioningly.
Rona shook her head slowly, her eyes narrowing as she looked up towards the holographic display.
"Not personally, though not many people make it out alive." She said, bringing the glass to her mouth to take a short swill. As she placed the glass back down, she raised her hand to her mouth, running her finger across her lips as she studied the view ahead.
"There is someone who might know more. Though I've only got a good guess as to their location." Rona said, crossing her arms as she leant back into her chair.
I looked out onto the stars beyond the bridge viewport, feeling a sense of guilt overcome me as I thought of all the suffering and loss that was occurring across the galaxy, even now.
All I'd done was survive…
I turned to Rona, newfound determination welling within me.
"Can you take me to them?" I said, assessing Rona's features as I awaited her reply.
Rona curled her lips, swallowing deeply, as if the water in her mouth had turned to sand. After a moment's pause, she raised her eyes to mine again, giving a steady nod.
"Should only be about a day's detour." She said, grasping the nearby glass as she got to her feet, downing the remaining liquid in one go, "Come see me when you're done, we'll need to work out provisions."
I nodded in reply as Rona departed, humming a melodic tune as she descended the staircase to the lower level.
As I looked up to the holographic display, my thoughts wandered to my home world, a familiar heartache settling within me once more. I brought my hand up towards the glowing code lines in front of me, returning my focus to a tangible task before despair could overtake my thoughts.
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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:19:44 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:19:44 GMT 1
Chapter 3 Prospecting As I looked out onto the vast structure of the relay through the bridge viewport, I thought about how much the shape had changed for me symbolically. As a child, travelling with my parents, the relays were a sign of exciting change, a new world to see, wondrous experiences lying in wait.
After spending months on the run from the Reapers, the only emotion they elicited now was dread - a myriad of horrific possibilities.
I studied Rona's features as she stared ahead at the relay. If any doubt lingered in her mind, she didn't show it.
"-If anyone can make use of your Reaper signal, it'll be her. The Matriarch was studying the mysteries of the relays hundreds of years before I was even born." Rona said, her eyes now flashing from one console to another.
"My father is the same, something tells me he'd love to meet her." I said, smiling as I pictured Tarick questioning the Matriarch excitedly.
"Let's hope he get's the chance then," Rona said, her hand hovering over a flashing blue symbol atop the console, "Jumping now."
As she lowered her hand, I felt the familiar disassociation of weight and direction as the space beyond the viewport melted to chaos.
Moments later, we emerged into real-space, the orange glow of the system's star filling the bridge around us.
"The last I had heard; she was spending time at an Asari mining colony. Said she wanted to be grounded, reconnect with her people." Rona said, a tone of apathy in her voice.
The viewport ahead took on the familiar kaleidoscopic appearance of FTL as Rona continued.
"Jump to the colony should take only a few minutes." She said, leaning back into her chair.
I pictured the Asari Matriarch amidst the mining colony, resplendent in flowing robes, an anachronous sight amidst a grime-covered populous. Certainly not the place I'd have expected one of her kind to linger.
A few minutes later, the deep red surface of a planet snapped into existence before us, residual mass effect particles swirling before the ship like stirred dust.
Rona's features stiffened as she surveyed the readings on the bridge console, giving me a concerned glance,
"Something's not right here, comm-array is down, no traffic to or from the settlement. I'm going to do a visible scan."
A few seconds later, the view of a pockmarked landscape resolved before us, interrupted by steady streams of fast moving thread-like clouds. Rona focused deeper into the image, revealing an arrangement of buildings around a central, monolithic structure.
As further scans revealed more detail, I noticed that almost all the buildings were half destroyed, their inner contents blown outwards onto the surrounding landscape. My stomach churned as the image became clearer still, showing bodies strewn across the passageways leading between the structures.
I looked away from the image, not wanting to see what further detail may reveal.
Rona stared at the display for a moment longer, before turning her gaze downwards, her eyes narrowing.
"She always left herself a way out..." Rona said, her voice barely louder than the clicks and chirps of the freighter's bridge console. Suddenly, her hands began to dance across the controls, shifting the view of the image outwards as she continued, "These colonies always have an ancillary outpost elsewhere on the surface, a secondary excavation site to find surrounding resources. It's possible she made it there."
Rona and I surveyed the barren, cratered landscape, searching for some sign of artificial construction. After what felt like an hour of meticulous focus, I turned away, letting my eyes rest. A few seconds later, out of the corner of my vision, a sudden flash caught my attention.
I reached toward Rona, placing my hand on hers as she manipulated the controls. I focused on the view again, searching for another sign of the flash.
"Follow back along the line we just tracked, slowly." I said.
I scrutinised the view of the landscape as it scrolled past, now in reverse, not even daring to blink. The flash appeared again, then disappeared as quickly as it came. I turned to Rona, moving my hand towards the controls again, "Do you mind if I?..."
Rona gestured towards the console as she leant back in her chair. I keyed the controls to focus in on the location of the flash, hoping to reveal the source. The view was now filled by a canyon, the midday sun revealing every detail of its jagged inner surface.
Then I saw it, like a metallic tree, a cluster of antennae jutting out of the landscape against the edge of the canyon wall. I followed the structure downward, finding a low-set entrance where the sheer canyon wall intersected the ground below.
I heard Rona speak next to me, her voice filled with relief.
"That's it. I'm taking us in. Let's hope we're not too late."
The rocky surface of a canyon wall rose past the viewport ahead of me as I stood in the cargo bay of the freighter, ready to leap out towards the outpost's entrance at the soonest opportunity.
Although no Reaper craft had been detected on descent, I felt unease at the stillness of the world, scrutinising every shadow against the canyon floor below.
I bent my knees as the freighter's downward thrusters fired, bringing the vessel to a steady halt above the sun-soaked terrain. With a mechanical hum, the immense cargo bay door began to lower in front of me, releasing a flurry of wind-borne sand grains against the surface of my armour's visor. Before the door was even level, I was halfway along its length, dropping to the ground as it hit the canyon floor behind me with a dull thump.
The entrance to the outpost lay ahead, its rectangular grey perma-crete structure chipped and stained against the elements. Deep within, I could make out the shape of a closed door set against its inner surface.
As I made my way across the canyon floor towards the entrance, I surveyed the landscape around me, my eyes training on precipices and shadowed alcoves which might afford ambushing positions.
I turned back to face the freighter, keying my armour's comm to get in contact with Rona, "Keep the engines hot, just in case."
"Not a problem, I'll be down in a minute." Rona replied, her face appearing in the bridge viewport above. I gave her a thumbs up as I turned to make my way towards the outpost's entrance.
I removed my helmet as I arrived at the heavy metal door, searching for a sign of a surveillance device, finding a circular black port against the wall above.
"My name is Val Soranis, I'm looking for Matriarch Idisa. I'm with an Asari by the name of Rona. We've come to help." I said, speaking directly to the surveillance port, one which I could only assume had sound.
For a minute nothing happened, then a muffled clunking could be heard as the door swung forward slowly, revealing a dimly lit tunnel within. At the entrance stood a tall Asari dressed in striking white, her attire something between armour and clothing, the matte materials layered like angular plating against her slender figure.
She looked me up and down, no doubt assessing the worn state of my armour. She raised an eyebrow quizzically, her eyes - a dark shade of deepest blue - locked with my own.
"Where is Rona?" She asked,
As if on cue, the sound of Rona's footsteps against the ramp echoed towards us. I turned to watch her approach; her features stoic. As she arrived next to us, she glanced in my direction, then towards the Matriarch.
"Val, this is Matriarch Idisa." Rona said, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.
Rona, her face still neutral, met Idisa's gaze as they both stood in silence. After a long, awkward moment, Idisa looked at me again. Her eyes seemed to pass over the features of my face as she spoke,
"No insignia. You're an initiate. Still... I sense you've seen more than most."
She turned to Rona, her features now stern with purpose.
"I wasn't able to get a signal out before the colony fell, how did you know to come?"
Rona gestured towards me as she spoke, her tone somewhat softened.
"Technically I didn't. My Turian friend here has found something she thinks might make a difference, something I thought you might be able to help with."
Idisa turned to me again, her eyes narrowing,
"Show me."
We were met by the curious gaze of four Asari as we entered the outpost's inner laboratory; a cool, dimly lit space filled with various pieces of flashing equipment. Around the perimeter sat computer terminals and analysis bays, some of which contained bisected rock samples.
Idisa extended her hand towards the group of Asari as she turned to face us,
"Rona, Val, these are my colleagues: Sira, Faline, Genaea and Timira. They were with me on survey when the Reapers attacked."
The Asari raised their hands in greeting towards us, all except one, who appeared deep in thought, her gaze cast downwards.
I waved in return, following Idisa as she made her way towards a computer terminal atop a large table in the centre of the space.
For some time, the Matriarch sat studying the concentric circles contained in my signal, enlarging some sections as her features narrowed in concentration. Finally, she turned to face Rona and I.
"This is more significant than you realise. Had we discovered this sooner...billions could have been saved." She said,
Rona came closer, her voice now filled with anticipation as she spoke, "What is it. What did she find?"
"It's a signal that overrides relay safety lockouts entirely. What we have here is merely a scramble code however, re-routing to a random relay in the network." Idisa replied.
"I think there's more to it than that, there's a possibility that this could be used to-"
Before she could finish, the floor of the outpost shuddered, sending dust raining from the ceiling above. A moment later, a resounding boom echoed down the length of the tunnel leading to the entrance.
Idisa grabbed my armoured hand, placing it against the terminal.
"The signal data, keep it with you. If we survive this, I'll find a way to make use of it." She said, turning towards the group of Asari, their faces now stricken with fear,
"We need to move, stick with us and run as fast as you can."
Idisa made her way across the room to a cabinet, retrieving what looked like two rifles from within. Clearly Asari in design, their smooth, flowing lines gave the weapons an understated elegance. She passed one of the rifles to me, eyeing the weapon grudgingly as she spoke,
"Tools of necessity."
She placed the other rifle on her back, making her way towards the entrance,
"Let's move."
We raced down the tunnel to the exit of the outpost, Idisa and I in the lead. The air pulsated around us, turned thick by the overpressure of unseen explosions in the canyon beyond.
As we reached the entryway, I raised my rifle ahead of me instinctively, scanning the space beyond for targets. I caught the outline of a person in the distance, seeing a flash of light appear near their shoulder. I wheeled around instinctively, just in time to see a crackling bolt of red light pass by the place I'd been moments before.
I turned to look at Idisa, her face eerily composed.
"Target right of the freighter." I yelled, looking down at my rifle. The stock and trigger, which had been designed for Asari physiology, felt much too small in my hands.
Idisa nodded, pivoting into the entrance, firing as she did so. The sound of the shot echoed loudly down the tunnel behind us.
The Asari miners stood shaking against a nearby wall, hands over their ears as the explosions continued outside.
Idisa stepped back against the wall, tapping the side of her rifle once.
"One down." She yelled.
Rona leaned in towards us, shouting over the din,
"We need to get back aboard before the shields go down."
I nodded, tapping Idisa on the shoulder to get her attention,
"I'll take point with Rona, get her aboard the freighter. You give us covering fire whilst moving up with the miners." I said,
Idisa stared ahead, her mouth curling in amusement.
"It's been a long time since anyone has dared to give me orders." She said, tapping the side of her rifle again as her eyes met with mine, "Don't worry, Turian. I've got your back."
I turned to Rona, who nodded in understanding. I took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I cleared my mind, leaping forth into the midday sun.
Bolts of red plasma filled the air as Rona and I sprinted for the freighter's ramp, the ground around us turning to slag where each shot landed, flicking molten sand against the surface of my armour.
I glanced back towards Rona, making sure she was staying close. Her hands were clasped firmly over her ears, blocking out the immense barrage of sound.
Behind me, I heard Idisa open fire, sending shots every which way. Whether she was aiming to hit or merely for furious effect, I couldn't tell. In the distance, I heard a series of sharp cracks, followed moments later by booming explosions above.
I glanced towards the source of the initial sound, finding a small Reaper craft holding position in the distance. It fired volley after volley of white-hot plasma against the shields of the freighter, sending ripples of violet energy cascading across its ovoid surface.
Rona and I weaved our way towards the ramp, arriving behind the thin barrier of the freighter's shields as we passed into eerie silence. Now with an advantage, I turned on one heel, scanning the area for targets. I shouted to Rona over my shoulder, telling her to get on board and prepare for take-off.
With only one group of targets to fire on, the Reaper forces focused their efforts, sending a withering field of plasma shots down upon Idisa and the Asari miners. One of the miners fell with a shriek, having tripped on a rock on the canyon's surface.
Taking the opportunity to focus a stationary target, the Reaper soldiers followed up with a remorseless barrage of fire, the consecutive shots kicking up a cloud of dust which obscured the remains of the stricken miner.
As their focus returned to Idisa's group, the Matriarch raised her hand above her head. A moment later, the air surrounding the miners and herself glowed deep blue with biotic energy. Red plasma bolts ricocheted off the field harmlessly, though Idisa visibly flinched with every impact.
I sighted a group of Reaper units in cover against the canyon wall, pulling my rifle's trigger with the tip of my armoured finger. Starbursts of dust and purple blood erupted from the vicinity of the Reaper ambushers, ceasing their fire for good.
I looked again to Idisa, now hunched over under the weight of fire against her biotic field. Without a moment's pause, I rushed forward, breaking through the barrier and into the sound of roaring plasma fire once more. Arriving next to Idisa, I put my arm around her shoulder, helping her forward as we moved towards the ramp.
I heard Rona's voice, now barely audible in my helmet,
"We need to go. Now. Let me know when you're on the ramp."
I keyed my comm twice in recognition, redoubling my efforts to pull Idisa forward. I felt the Matriarch slump against my shoulder with each passing step, the blue biotic field around us stuttering from existence.
With only a few steps to go, I lifted her into my arms, breaking into a sprint. I looked over my shoulder at the Asari miners, a look of abject terror across their faces.
With a final bounding leap, I landed behind the freighter's shield, placing Idisa on the end of the ramp. I pivoted to scan the area, sending shots wherever I saw a burst of plasma fire, hoping to give the Asari miners as much cover as I could.
With stumbling steps, they made their way through the barrier, continuing up the ramp and into the freighter. One of the miners stopped to help Idisa up, placing the Matriarch's arm over her shoulders.
I keyed the comm again, shouting for Rona to take off as I leapt onto the ramp, helping the miner carry Idisa onboard.
The cargo bay door slammed shut behind us as we made our way into the hold, the muffled roar of the freighter's thrusters pulsing throughout the room.
Rona's voice broke through the relative quiet of the hold. The miners, still a nervous wreck, jumped at the sudden sound.
"We're not clear yet, that craft is hot on our tail and our shields are just about gone."
"On my way to the turret now." I replied, closing my voice comm as I made my way to the door leading further into the ship. I looked back over my shoulder, relieved to see Idisa returning to her feet.
As I made my way down the central corridor, the floor of the ship bucked to the side, throwing me off balance. A moment later, a loud boom emanated from the rear of the ship, followed by a horrible creaking. Rona's voice came over the ship's comm again, alarm sounds ringing in the background.
"We're down an engine, they blow the other one off and we'll be taking the quick way down. Val, you need to take out that Reaper craft or we'll be target practice if we need to EVA out of here."
"On it." I replied, breaking into a sprint as I regained my balance.
As I entered the long, central corridor of the freighter, I felt the entire ship shake again as another colossal boom rang from behind. Then, all fell eerily silent as a feeling of weightlessness crept into my body. I grabbed a handhold instinctively, riding the zenith of momentum as gravity shifted sideways, pulling me back along the ship.
Rona's voice rang through the space again, "Almost made orbit, Goddess damn it- We're abandoning ship, those in the cargo hold grab EVA gear from next to the bay door. Val, go down to meet them, there's no more time left, we'll just have to risk the jump."
I turned to look up the length of corridor, eyeing the accessway to the turret. I thought of the miners, huddled in the hold, scared beyond wits; of Rona and Idisa, two people who I'd only just met, who's lives now rested with me. I closed my eyes, hearing my mother's voice in my mind.
"When you have someone to protect. Someone who will suffer if you fail..."
With a final glance back towards the cargo bay, I pulled myself along the corridor, lunging from one handhold to the next until I reached the alcove leading to the turret access ladder.
I climbed into the turret cabin, swinging into the seat as I wiped a thick layer of dust from the console. Its holographic display sprung to life as I unlocked the final safeties, bringing the weapons live.
Grasping the central controls, I rotated the turret until I could see the pursuing Reaper craft, its engine wash spinning spiral whirls amongst the freighter's trailing smoke plume.
I opened fire, sending a group of shots wide to its right. Again, and again, I fired, trying to dial in the leading. The Reaper craft began to evade, dodging in all directions as I tried to anticipate its actions, its prow now glowing blinding white, sending forth another volley.
I watched as the shots lanced towards the freighter, impacting the rear of the ship with a colossal explosion. For a moment, the Reaper craft was hidden beyond a fresh plume of spark-laden smoke.
I heard Rona's voice again, this time over my helmet comm.
"Val, where are you? We're all ready to jump."
I tapped the side of my helmet, setting my mic to open as I wrangled the stick to maintain tracking on the Reaper craft.
"I've got to take care of that fighter, otherwise none of you will make it to the surface."
For a few seconds there was silence, then Rona's voice came again, this time almost pleading, "Val... You don't-" Her voice was drowned out as the Reaper craft strafed the freighter with a remorseless volley of fire, sending a cascade of explosions along its hull.
I watched the Reaper bank upwards, angling towards the front of the freighter. As I tracked it forward, I saw the planet below, now a great curved expanse climbing towards me at frightening speed. I felt a tidal wave of emotion rush through me, equal parts frustration and sorrow as I yelled into my helmet.
"Rona, go... Please."
I let loose a volley of my own at the Reaper craft, tracking its angle as best as I could, but the shots flew wide again. I could only watch as its prow began to glow once more, its movements stabilising as it lined up another shot. I took the opportunity to snap on target, landing a single shot which caused the shields of the tiny craft to flare brilliant crimson before dissipating. Seemingly unfazed, it released the building energy of its forward weapon, sending another shot against the prow of the freighter with devastating effect, releasing a flood of debris which showered backwards along its hull.
I heard Rona's voice again, this time subdued, "There's an EVA pack on the wall of the corridor you exited from," She said, pausing for a moment, "...Please don't make me regret this."
"Wouldn't think of it." I replied,
I shut my eyes tightly for a brief moment, trying desperately to clear the tears now welling across my vision.
The Reaper craft spun around the freighter, searching for its next target. I watched as it passed the length of the ship, banking upwards in a high arc. I tracked its movements as best as I could, trying to compensate for the chaotic motion of the freighter's free-fall.
As the Reaper arced through the air, it turned towards my position, looking directly at me as it descended below the bulk of the freighter.
I turned the turret around, panic beginning to overtake my senses. With a flash of black metal, the Reaper craft emerged on the opposite side of the freighter, a field of deep red energy already building along its prow. I watched, entranced as the red glow of the craft built to a blinding, arcing mass of energy.
For a moment, I saw its movements slow, following an arcing trajectory directly above me. I moved on instinct, aiming the turret to where I knew the craft would be a moment later as I pulled the trigger.
Everything seemed to happen at once; the Reaper craft erupted in a brilliant red explosion, scattering black metal pieces through the air in all directions. The building energy field, no longer contained by its parent craft, burst forth in a second, larger explosion, sending a wall of arcing plasma expanding towards me.
I leapt from the chair of the turret, diving back down the opening which led into the central corridor. As I fell free into the now vertical corridor, I reached out for the edge of the turret's alcove space, feeling my shoulder pop out of place with a lance of burning pain.
Above me, the turret cabin seemed to shatter into a million pieces, shearing away from the surface of the freighter, leaving a gaping hole into the roaring atmosphere beyond.
Pulling myself upwards tenderly with my good arm, I stood against the alcove wall, peeking my head out into the shaft-like corridor, finding my destination above, the secondary airlock passageway.
With a quick exhale, I reached out into the corridor, grasping a handhold with my good arm. My eyes were drawn downwards, toward the fire and twisted metal lying in wait at the bottom. I turned away, wishing I hadn't looked.
With leaping movements, I made my way up the length of the inverted corridor, my injured shoulder limp at my side, now hopelessly dislocated.
Suddenly, I noticed a translucent panel just above me, set into the wall of the corridor, emergency markings lining the outside of its clear surface. Within it lay a harness of some kind, attached to which was an array of thruster nozzles set into a bulky metal assembly.
I leapt upwards, bringing myself level with the panel. With a jolt of panic, I realised I had no means of breaking it. I looked down at my limp right arm remorsefully, wishing I had the use of my omni-blade.
With a horrific tearing sound, I felt the ship tremble as seams of daylight appeared in the corridor walls above and below me. Each one widening with a great metallic screech. I gripped my hand-hold harder, pulling myself flush against the corridor wall.
The next thing I knew, the space around me had become a torrent of air, the landscape of the planet below now frighteningly detailed, rushing forth at ever-greater speed. The corridor around me had become a loose tube of shattered metal, falling free through the atmosphere.
I looked at the translucent panel again, then to my dislocated arm, a painful plan now forming in my mind. It took all my strength to move against the roaring passage of air as I twisted myself sideways, pulling my injured arm to line it up with a nearby metal rung. With agonising effort, I gripped the rung with all my strength, releasing my hold with my good arm.
An explosion of pain shot through my injured shoulder as it jolted back into place with a sickening pop. I felt my grip loosen on the rung as I fell free of the corridor, reaching out instinctively to find purchase on a hold with my other arm.
Biotic energy lashed at my insides, causing my skin to tingle with burning pain. I focused my mind on the translucent panel above, climbing upwards with slow, painful grasps. Looping my right arm through a handhold, I reached my left hand up to activate the omniblade on my armour's forearm, slicing clean through the panel's surface. I turned my head downwards as the pieces were ripped away by the passing onslaught of air, shattering across the surface of my armour.
I reached into the compartment, retrieving the harness within, swapping holds as I put it over each shoulder. I felt its bands tighten against the surface of my armour, holding firm against the buffeting wind.
The surface of the planet now loomed in frightening detail, the crevices and boulders atop the arid landscape now clear in my vision. Without another thought, I let go of the twisted remains of the metal corridor, watching it fall away before me.
I reached up to the harness, slamming my hand against its surface in a desperate attempt to activate it. My helmet jarred against the edge of my armour as I was jolted upwards by a sudden burst of thrust from the harness, my vision beginning to darken as I watched the ground beneath rush forth. Whatever effect the harness thrusters were having, it wouldn't be enough.
Disparate memories poured through my mind as my consciousness broke apart against a wave of panic. I willed my thoughts to the present, letting out a cry of exasperation as I slammed my hand against the harness yet again. As terror began to strangle what willpower I had left, I felt a familiar wave of heat rush through my body, turning the air around me fluorescent blue.
My world seemed to turn inside out as biotic energy flowed freely from within. It felt as if every nerve in my body had been torn open, letting loose an unstoppable wave of heat. As I watched the ground hurtle towards me through the blue-white veil of rampant biotic energy, my consciousness collapsed to darkness.
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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:22:29 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:22:29 GMT 1
Chapter 4
Midnight A deafening boom knocked the wind from my chest as I ran, my feet slipping on the rain-covered street below. Tarick held Atria's arm firmly as they ran frantically ahead of me.
The buildings around us trembled with booming impacts, each one shaking free streams of rainwater from their towering support struts.
I dared a glance over my shoulder, seeing the imposing mass of a Reaper dreadnaught looming just behind, a trail of destruction leading into the city of Cipritine beyond.
I felt my foot catch on something in front of me, sending me toppling forwards. As I struggled back to my feet, an explosion of pain shocked me to my knees.
A blue glow began to emanate from my hands as they rested against the rain-slick ground. Before I could think, the air around me began to glow with equal luminance, turning thick against my lungs as I gasped for breath.
I looked up to find my parents staring at me, their features frozen in terror.
As I opened my mouth to call out to them, the thick, glowing air around me plunged deep into my lungs as it swelled to a blinding white luminance. As the air within me burned, the world around me collapsed to darkness with a deafening thunderclap.
I opened my eyes, jolting upright as I took in a lungful of air, my eyes searching the world around me frantically; I was on a stretcher of some kind. A figure walked ahead of me, a silhouette against the afternoon glow, an Asari.
A warm breeze embraced my body, rocking me gently from side to side as I listened to the shifting of the red sand below. I fell back against the stretcher, utterly exhausted, feeling my heartbeat as it settled in tune with the footsteps of the people around me. I closed my eyes again, drifting off into a dreamless slumber.
When I woke, it was dusk, the Asari having left the stretcher and I for other tasks. As a gentle breeze filtered through the threads of my undersuit, I noticed the absence of my armour for the first time.
I scanned the area, spotting the individual pieces piled together beside a pair of nearby Asari. As I went to stand, a white-hot pain lanced through my thigh, sending me crumbling to the sand below with a yelp.
I laid on my side, grasping the sand between my fingers as I battled through the pain. I heard footsteps nearby as a pair of legs arrived in my vision. I turned to face them, seeing Rona, her brow creased as she knelt next to me, placing her hand on my arm.
"Welcome back to the world of the living. Mind the leg, you fractured it in the fall. Healing brace has done most of the work already, but you'll be properly tender for a few more hours." She said,
I reached up and grasped Rona's hand, letting her take some of my weight as I stood.
"Thank you." I said, letting out a sigh of exhaustion.
Rona shook her head, placing her hand atop my shoulder.
"If it weren't for what you pulled up there, we'd have never made it to the surface. Consider us even. Again." She said with a wry smile.
As her eyes met my own, a look of concern crept across her features. She stepped forward to embrace me, clapping her hands against my back.
"I'm just glad you made it back in one piece." She said, taking a step back as she looked down at my leg.
A distant voice drew Rona's attention. She replied with a nod, turning back to me again.
"Try to stay off that as much as you can." She said, glancing at my injured leg.
I replied with a shaky thumbs up, earning a smile from Rona as she turned to walk away.
After resting for an hour or so, I managed to limp my way back to the group of Asari miners, hoping to find some distraction from the pain throughout my body.
The Asari Idisa had introduced as Sira seemed to take the most interest in me, striking up a conversation soon after I arrived. Her deep blue eyes radiated kindness as she approached.
Her voice was soft, almost ethereal as she spoke,
"You helped us, I had hope that someone would come. The others gave up so soon after the attack. But I believed."
I shook my head as I replied, "Wasn't much of a rescue, sorry to say." I said, leaning down to sit against the soft sand, feeling utterly exhausted.
Sira knelt next to me, sitting gracefully upon both knees.
"As we made it back to the surface, we watched as the ship fell apart. Then there was a terrible explosion, so bright that I see it even now, every time I close my eyes. I feared we'd lost you. As I prayed to the Goddess, I saw you, falling like a shining star." She said, raising her hand to the sky, drawing a downwards line.
She turned her head to the side as she paused, her eyes narrowing, "When we found you, you were floating above a molten pool, like the sand itself had been turned to liquid... It was frightening, the energy around you seemed to lash out at the world like an animal. The Matriarch managed to settle you, then we carried you here with us."
I shuddered at her vivid description, at the thought of my darkest fear taking such a tangible form. I sat in silence as she continued, her eyes flicking towards the other miners standing nearby.
"The others thought it was a mistake bringing you with us, they said you were like an Ardat Yakshi. I don't believe you would hurt us; I sense you have a kind soul." She said, raising her hand to my face as she ran her fingers along my outer jaw, "Thank you for saving us."
She bowed her head, turning to make her way back to the group of assembled Asari. I sat against the soft sand, trembling as I processed all she had said, at her unexpected gesture of kindness.
Before I could linger on the matter any further, I heard Rona's voice behind me.
"Val, come over here. Got a matter to attend to." She said,
Stirred from my thoughts, I turned to face her. She reached her hand towards me as she approached, looping her arm under my shoulder to support my weight. I limped beside her as we made our way over to Idisa.
"Those biotics, I've never seen anything like it. You don't have implants?" She said, stopping briefly to shift the weight of my shoulder against her own.
I shook my head, flinching as a fresh wave of pain shot from my leg.
"It's a long story, one I'm not exactly proud of." I replied, my eyes lingering on the ground below, a well of anxiety building within me.
"I see. I have enough of those to know not to ask." She said, kicking a stone free of her path as she stumbled forward, "Just worried about you is all."
I stopped for a moment, letting the pain in my leg subside as I leant against Rona.
"I'll be ok, really." I said, giving a reassuring smile as I glanced at Rona, "Just need some time to heal."
Rona nodded, letting out a grunt as she pulled me upright once again, "Come on, we're almost there."
Idisa looked over to us as we approached, her features pensive. Rona and I settled to the ground with a joint sigh of relief, sitting across from her. The Matriarch held a small metal object in one hand, its multifaceted surface glistening against the light of the small campfire between us.
Rona, seemingly still uncomfortable in Idisa's presence, gestured idly toward her.
"Idisa has a way to get us off this rock, I'll let her explain." She said, her eyes turning towards the horizon.
Idisa stared at the metal object in her palm, closing it within her fist as her eyes rose to meet my own.
"When I arrived here, I left my corvette in a safe place, far away from the settlement. I intended to spend many years amongst these Asari, living as they did. Alas, the universe so rarely allows us to settle." She said, her eyes lingering on Rona as she paused, "Prior to your arrival, it was my plan to take the remaining miners there under the cover of nightfall. I believe this may still be an option."
I pictured our journey across the cold desert expanse, lit only by the soft starlight above. Suddenly, I realised the potential in her plan.
"The desert; the open terrain means they can't ambush us without being seen." I said, sweeping my hand towards the horizon.
Idisa nodded, seemingly satisfied with my assessment.
"I haven't seen any airborne craft since our encounter aboard the freighter, it's my assumption that they are not in possession of another. When the Reapers departed this world, they left only a few of their number to hunt us, seemingly out of formality." She said,
"They don't leave survivors." I replied, thinking of all the worlds I had seen razed bare, every trace of life expunged, as if in disgust.
"Before we were attacked, you said there was more to my signal, what did you mean?" I asked, meeting Idisa's gaze.
She paused for a moment, turning the small device over in her hand.
"I think there's the potential it could be used as an offensive option, to mount an unpredictable counterattack." She said, holding her palms up as she continued, "But I fear the hour is late. The Reapers come like a tide with no end. With every miraculous victory, a hundred worlds fall."
My eyes lingered on the desert horizon as I listened to Idisa's words, a darkness now descending over my thoughts, as if the gravity of all that had occured in the past four months had begun to settle atop my mind. I closed my eyes, willing my thoughts to a brighter place.
A flash of light cut through the veil of despair, resolving into a scene before me. A memory.
Warm sunlight pierced like ethereal threads through the morning air. Before me lay fields of white-grassed savannah stretching to the horizon. In the distance, the sharp calls of alien creatures greeted my ears. As I stepped off the ramp of my survey ship for the first time, a single tear fell across my cheek, catching in the passing breeze.
I opened my eyes with a smile, a familiar feeling now stirring within me, urging me forward, like a breeze at my back.
"We leave after dark then." I said, massaging the healing brace against my leg.
I turned to see Idisa staring towards me, a hint of admiration in her eyes.
"The resilience of your kind has always amazed me." Idisa said, a smile now creasing across her lips.
"I'm just worried she won't know when to quit." Rona interjected, crossing her arms across her chest.
"They never really taught that part at the Academy." I said, letting out a chuckle as I shook my head.
"I'll bet!" Rona called towards me, a broad grin settling across her features as she let out a hearty laugh.
As Rona's contagious laughter overcame me, it was as if the weight of the world had lifted away. For a few brief moments, I felt like myself once more.
The galaxy flowed like a river of light across the sky, twinkling softly against the black as we trekked across the cold desert sand. For hours we walked, edging ever closer to a low mountain range, its silhouette sitting dark against the horizon like a slumbering beast.
From time to time we spotted native animals; long, slender reptiles which swam beneath the sand, their heads popping just above the surface to observe our passing.
As I watched them dive beneath the surface, entranced by their synchronised movements, I wondered how many other species had been left behind by the Reapers, across all the seemingly lifeless worlds I had seen.
Did they see these benign creatures as beneath them? Not even worth the effort of eradication? Or was the Reaper's purpose simply beyond our understanding? Their actions like a force of nature, as implacable as the wind.
A sudden movement ahead stirred me from my thoughts. Idisa raised her hand upwards, bringing the group to a halt.
A narrow pass cut through the mountain range ahead of us, its gaping maw like a wound against the landscape.
The matriarch studied the mountainside above, looking for any obvious signs of ambush. Satisfied that no malevolence lingered amidst the shadows, she motioned for us to press forward.
As I turned to look at the Asari miners, I noticed one straying far behind the group, as if fearful of the passage ahead.
I increased my pace to catch up with Idisa, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. "That miner at the far back, do you know her?" I asked, turning my head towards the straggling Asari.
Idisa nodded, "Her's is a complicated story. She lost her partner in the attack, barely said a word since." She said, her eyes lingering on the distant miner, "Grief touches everyone differently."
I nodded in reply, deciding it best to drop the subject.
With tenuous steps, we passed through the boulder-laden floor of the high, rocky passage, careful not to lose our feet amidst the gaps.
A soft breeze whispered along the walls above, the only sound apart from the various clicks of footsteps against stone.
As the passage rounded a bend, I noticed an opening ahead leading into a much larger space. At the centre of which sat a flat, teardrop-shaped vessel, its engine ports flared towards me. The craft's glossy, violet exterior cast a muddled reflection of the stars above, giving it an almost fluorescent quality.
Idisa turned to look at the group, her features indiscreet in the darkness of the passage as she spoke,
"We're here, keep your eyes open."
With cautious steps, we made our way into the clearing; a large, roughly circular space lined with high, rocky walls, the edges of which were smoothed, as if eroded over time by the flow of water.
My years of recon experience kept my mind on edge as I entered the clearing. With steady steps, I walked a sweep of the perimeter, checking every possible hiding spot. Satisfied that no threats lied in wait, I made my way back to the centre of the clearing, finding the rest of the group assembled in discussion.
Idisa spoke with the miners, her raised voice reverberating against the hard walls of the clearing.
"-We cannot detour, I understand you have family out there, we all do. What we've found may very well save their lives, but only if we can make use of it. We must head for Thessia."
As she continued her lecture of the miners, my attention was drawn to the entrance of the clearing. The Asari straggler now exited the passage, her features contorted in a look of anguish as her body shook from head to toe.
Feeling sympathy for the miner, I made my way over to her. Before I had taken a few steps forward, she bowed her head, a pained gasp escaping her lungs.
"I couldn't stop it. It was like a mind atop my own, tugging at my thoughts like playthings. Even now, it holds me in its grip." She said, raising her hands to her head with a ragged cry, "Forgive me Elan. I love you."
The miner looked up towards me, tears streaming down her face like twin rivers as her eyes met with my own, her features trembling manically.
"Forgive me."
She reached behind, retrieving an elegant Asari pistol, before aiming it towards me. In an instant, my survival instincts kicked in as my biotics surged forth. In the same moment, a terrible pain exploded within my head. I grasped my skull as the biotic energy around me stuttered and spasmed uncontrollably.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Idisa raise her arm towards me. A moment later I was frozen, as if every atom in my body were suspended in a moment of time, a shell of shimmering blue energy wreathed before my eyes.
I stood like a conscious statue, my eyes locked forward upon the Asari miner before me. I could only watch as she pulled the trigger, the shot exploding against my vision in a starburst of blinding white fire. A moment later, utter chaos broke loose.
I watched as a group of six Reaper soldiers vaulted into the clearing ahead, unleashing fire on myself and those behind me. Without warning, what looked like a hole in reality appeared amongst the group of Reaper soldiers, its edges a maelstrom of biotic energy. Like water down a drain, the soldiers were pulled inwards, followed by the Asari miner, their forms distorting horrifically as they were pulled from existence. The raging vortex disappeared with a deafening thunderclap which reverberated throughout the clearing.
The walls of the rocky clearing shimmered with light, the results of a battle unseen behind me. From time to time, I caught a glimpse of forms at the edge of my vision, rolling and leaping, crouching and sprinting. A few seconds later, the blue field around me popped out of existence, releasing a torrent of noise against my ears. I fell to my knees, the pain in my mind returning in full force.
I struggled to bring my head up, my vision blurred against the pain. Amidst the chaotic motion around me, one form remained steady, moving smoothly around the perimeter of the space, a Reaper soldier. Its form was a horribly distorted melding of Asari physiology and metallic cybernetics.
I lunged forward, retrieving the pistol dropped by the recently annihilated miner as I ran after the soldier, my free hand grasping the side of my head in a futile attempt to stem the pain within.
Biotic energy spasmed around me, sending agonising jolts of pain throughout my body. It was all I could do to stay conscious. The soldier, noticing my approach, broke into a sprint. With a final leap, it dove behind one of the landing struts of the ship, leaning forth a second later to open fire in my direction. I dropped to the ground; an action made easier by my utter exhaustion. Red plasma bolts roared through the air above me as I rolled to the side, taking cover behind a low boulder.
Next to my head, the beady eyes of a sand reptile looked up at me, seemingly unfazed by the danger around it. As my biotics flared forth again, it dropped below the surface with a high-pitched cheep. I reached over the boulder, firing my pistol in the direction of the flanking Reaper soldier, receiving a volley of red fire in return. The shots impacted with the boulder, sending vibrations through my back. Globs of molten rock flecked against my armour, thrown forth by the relentless barrage of fire.
Outgunned and outflanked, I decided to wait for the soldier to advance, staging an ambush of my own. I primed my omni-blade, crouching low against the boulder, my eyes locked forward over its surface. I waited for any sign of movement, my cue to leap forth. After a couple of seconds, I risked a glance around the boulder. The Reaper soldier had broken into a sprint towards the group of Asari, their backs turned to its approach.
I screamed towards the group, warning them of its approach, but their focus was turned on the remaining Reaper forces before them.
With a gasp of exhaustion, I vaulted over the boulder, bolting forward to cut off the flanking Reaper soldier. A tremendous wave of biotic energy rushed through my body, my vision narrowing to near darkness as a wave of searing heat shot through my nervous system. I fell to the ground, screaming involuntarily as I rolled along the sand. I craned my head towards the soldier, my body a spasming wreck of heat and pain.
I raised my arm upwards, attempting to line up a shot on the soldier, firing off a hopeful volley. The shots went wide, impacting against the rocky wall beyond with a starburst of molten debris. Before I could fire again, the soldier was amongst the group, tackling Idisa from behind. The two figures tumbled across the ground, settling against a nearby rock. The Reaper reared high above Idisa, slicing her chest with a blade built into its sweeping forearm.
Idisa howled in pain, raising her hand against the chest of the Reaper soldier. With a blast of biotic energy, the soldier was flung backwards, impacting against the edge of the clearing before tumbling through the air and out of sight.
I closed my eyes, willing each breath from my lungs, focusing my mind on the steady rhythm. The pain in my head reduced ever so slightly with each exhalation, enough for me to move again. I crawled towards the Matriarch, retrieving an emergency medi-gel vial from my armour and spraying it across her wound.
As I opened my mouth to speak, another surge of burning pain knocked me to the ground. Wave after wave of biotic energy pulsed forth from my body, rippling outwards as the sand around me began to levitate. I looked to the sky above as the clouds turned dark blue in my vision. One of the Asari miners looked down at me and spoke. I stared back at her, unable to process the sights and sounds around me with any cognition.
My body spasmed uncontrollably with each consecutive wave of biotic energy, my thoughts turning to mist in my mind; obliterated under the weight of excruciating pain.
The bolts of Reaper weapons fire ceased as a resounding silence settled upon the clearing. I heard the shouts of those around me, felt their footfalls shifting the sand beneath me. Rona's face appeared before me, her eyes wide.
As she reached her hand towards my head, Idisa appeared by her side, pulling Rona's arm back. Rona shook free, her face turning to rage as she shouted at Idisa. The Matriarch recoiled, flinching under the verbal assault as she turned away, biotic energy simmering against her skin. Rona turned to me again, tears now welling in her eyes as she lowered her hand against my temple, speaking softly.
"Embrace eternity."
My mind raced forward through a formless space; I felt a presence with me. Within me. My mind was no longer my own. I felt myself pulled downward, or inward, as if dragged deeper into my own thoughts. Memories raced through my mind, my own, and those of another. As I observed the events before me, I felt emotions both within and without.
A resplendent passageway, surfaces gilded with flawlessly polished metal, doorways bearing elegant Asari text atop their frames. I hated the place, a glimmering sheen to cover the ugliness within, like those that lived there.
A hand grasps my own, leading me towards one of the entrances. Two Asari stand on the threshold, their faces full of love. I break free, running as fast as I can. The air around me shimmers, holding me firm. I see my mother lean down in front of me, her face devoid of emotion, like a mask of stone.
"Why are you doing this mother? Please!" I hear myself scream, my strength fading as I fall to my knees, my body trembling. I feel my mother's hand on my shoulder, her words strained as she replies, "It's because I love you that I'm doing this, Rona. I want you to be happy, to have the life I could never give you. This is the only way."
I shake my head in disbelief as I look up at her, a sea of heartache now blurring my vision.
With a jolt of disorientation, I'm plunged deeper into the abyss of memory, this time into a familiar scene, from my own mind.
Deep red curtains billow to either side of a wide doorway, catching in the warm breeze beyond. I walk across the threshold, emerging onto a balcony looking out over the city of Cipritine, its angular towers glinting against the morning sunlight.
Near the edge of the balcony, my mother sits alone, looking out to the horizon. Her face lights up as she turns to look in my direction. As she rises to walk towards me, I retrieve my initiate tags from my Academy armour, holding them out towards her.
She raises her hands to her face as a cry of joy escapes her lips. She rushes towards me, embracing me firmly as she speaks.
"I knew you could do it."
I hold her tight, feeling a surge of pride flow through me as I look out onto the cityscape beyond, my vision blurring as my eyes fill with tears.
The balcony and buildings beyond shift and warp to show a small room filled with medical equipment. I lay upon a supportive but uncomfortable bed, flanked by two Asari nurses. I lean across to kiss my partner, his eyes now red with tears as he lays beside me. Within my arms lay the greatest joy of my life, the beautiful daughter I'd only dreamed of until now. The hours of pain and anxiety, like a distant memory as I look down into her emerald eyes.
I look up in excitement as I think of my mother, expecting her to walk through the door at any moment. To make up for her centuries of absence by appearing now, in my moment of greatest happiness and vulnerability. As the door remains firmly closed, a pall of contempt falls across my mind, slowly fading to the lingering apathy I'd carried for so long. Forever the Matriarch, never the mother I so desperately longed for.
The room around me shifts again, transforming into a courtyard. Another place from memory, so long ago now, from a different me.
A sparring match; two young Turians stand within a ring of observers, a boy and a girl, the latter my friend. The boy goes to tackle my friend, she defends, carrying his aggressive momentum, flinging him backwards onto the padded training floor behind.
As she stands victorious, the boy nods to another out of sight. My friend is held in place, her arms locked behind her back by an unseen attacker. I rush forward to help. The boy gets to his feet, circling my friend before landing a vicious blow, then another. My friend spits at her attacker, screaming in anger.
I reach for the Turian holding my friend in place, pulling her arms free. The boy goes for a strike at my friend's head. His body freezes on the spot, the air around him a blur. He's flung backwards against the training room wall, falling motionless to the padded floor with a thump.
The observers scatter as screams echo throughout the space. My friend turns to me, standing tall, her nose bleeding dark blue across a triumphant smile. Moments later, a set of doors slam open, a pair of adult Turians enter the space, firing a stunning shot at my friend. She falls against the training mat, her body spasming.
I scream at the approaching trainers, standing between them and my friend, shielding her body. They pull me aside effortlessly, flinging me to the mat below.
One of the trainers looks down at me, a look of grim resolve across his features, "Your friend is a biotic, they're a threat to everyone. Including themselves."
The trainers leave with my friend, carrying her limp body from the room, the door slamming shut behind them. I fall to my knees, my body shaking with anger and confusion as my breaths turn to heaving cries.
My mind shifts again. I feel like I'm on the brink of madness. Pulled ever inward, towards a singularity of thought. With each passing moment, my memories and emotions melded with that of the other within me.
A new space, another flood of emotion. Before me, a Salarian, his skin mottled and creased with age, his body motionless atop a long, slender altar. I watch as the last of his life leaves his eyes, the longest his body could give. As I hold his frail fingers in my own ageless hands, I curse my endless youth, wishing I could give it all up for one more moment with him.
I feel an endless pit of emotion forming within me, beyond my comprehension. Feelings of love, and their shadow, the thickening veil of grief. With me now for centuries to come.
I recoil, my mind at its breaking point, wishing for something else. Anything else.
A new scene forms in my mind, from my own memories again.
I'm within the familiar confines of my scout craft, a feeling of profound guilt shadowing my thoughts. I told them I would return to help. I was too late.
The drifting debris of a spaceship lay strewn across the space before me. In the background; its world of origin, a beautiful expanse of solid blue. An ocean planet, its inhabitants peaceful and kind. The remains of their vessel lay as a sign of their temperament, its hull almost entirely transparent; all the better to enjoy the universe around them.
Their world a paradise, they feared nothing. The concept of evil, as foreign to them as the galaxy beyond. I watched as the casualties of their peaceful expedition tumbled through space as my heart shattered.
I felt the presence within me retreat as the world around me returned to the formless space of before. I opened my eyes in time to see Rona's hand pull away from my head. She fell to her knees, hands across her mouth as her eyes darted from side to side.
I looked to the stars above, grasping the desert sand beneath me as tears streamed down my face, my soul now in ruins.
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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:25:02 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:25:02 GMT 1
Chapter 5 Reconciliation For hours, I wandered aimlessly, the polished walls of the corvette passing by unnoticed as I struggled to untangle the threads of my own psyche. The moments that had poured through my consciousness, vivid memories and emotions - both Rona's and my own - now blurred together in my mind.
Eventually, I found a room with a view out onto the stars. It was here I had laid down to rest, content to at least be alone in my own mind once again.
I felt the ship's mass effect core as it sent waves of gentle vibrations through the plates along my back, like steady mechanical breaths. I found the coolness of the deck soothing as I laid utterly still, eyes closed.
In my mind's eye, I watched from a distance as my thoughts rushed by in a torrent of emotion. Some passed smoothly in a gentle flow, others boiled, bursting forth into plumes of luminous energy. From afar, they were all the same - here my consciousness lay unwavering.
Whatever Rona had put me through seemed to have settled the mass of biotic energy within me, returning it to a background simmering of heat. A reminder, but not a threat.
The door behind me opened with a hiss, followed by the sound of slow footsteps. I opened my eyes, the room around me shifting into focus as I turned to see Rona standing next to me.
She no longer wore her red and black overalls, having changed into a form-fitting white and turquoise gown. She chafed against its tightness, pulling at the material around her shoulders, her eyes downcast.
"Do you mind if I..." She began, gesturing to a spot next to me.
I nodded, rubbing my eyes as I sat upright. Rona walked over, sinking to her knees next to me.
"I wanted to apologise for what I did back in the clearing. It was the only way to calm your biotics, but it wasn't right." She said, raising her head to look towards me.
"To trespass on another's mind is to invade their most personal space. Among my people, it's considered a grave offense to mind meld with another without their consent. Worse still, I dove into the mind of a friend." She said, her eyes flashing back and forth between my own.
I looked towards the observation window ahead, regathering my thoughts as I considered her words.
"I once heard of your people's ability to join minds with another when I was young, to share meaning and expression so completely. I dreamed of one day meeting an Asari, of sharing such an experience." I said, turning to look into Rona's eyes again, her expression now softening, "I don't hold what happened against you, I only regret the circumstances."
I reached my arm around Rona, hugging her close, "You saved me from myself."
Rona placed her head on my shoulder as she closed her eyes, letting out a long, unsteady breath as she replied.
"I'm glad to have met you, Val."
For some time, we sat together, watching the swirling mass of non-reality flow past beyond the observation viewport, the ship deep in FTL.
"The Salarian in your memory, was he your partner?" I said, breaking the long silence.
Rona nodded, her eyes wavering as she turned back towards the viewport.
"His name was Lorin. He was Salarian Special Tasks Group, I was Asari Commandos. We almost killed each other on a mission, ended up falling in love instead." She said, pausing as her eyes lingered on the floor in front of her.
"What you saw in my mind, those memories are just what return to me time and again. Wounds that refuse to heal. A mind meld under extreme circumstances brings forth the deepest, most powerful memories."
She looked upwards, her eyes closing as she continued, "I had hoped to spare you the worst of it. The torment of grief stretched painfully over the course of centuries. When you miss someone so dearly, for so long, you start to wish they never existed at all. It's a burden that never lifts." She said, a single tear falling across her cheek as she turned to face me.
"I say this knowing the weight you carry already, having seen it within your mind as if it were my own."
I felt myself flinch at her words, a well of emotions dredging up within me. As I looked down at my hands, I thought of the biotic energy cursed within my cells, wishing I could be free to live my life as I wished.
I raised one hand in front of me, turning it side to side as I replied, "Turians don't see biotics the way Asari do. To them, it's abhorrent, dangerous. I love my people, but they'd see me cast out for what I am, even as I strive to be one of them."
I stared at the viewport glass, catching my reflection against its angled surface, my face warped to one side, as if mirroring my thoughts.
"All this time. You've never told anyone, have you?" Rona asked, her eyes narrowing.
I shook my head, "Not even my parents. Most of all, never them."
I felt Rona's hand against my arm, her eyes meeting my own as I turned to face her.
"Val, your biotics, they're more than who you are, they're beautiful. Something to be embraced, not hidden away, tearing you apart from the inside."
Rona paused, her eyes narrowing as they searched the viewport ahead.
"I once met a group of Turian soldiers at the edge of Hierarchy space. Stranded - or so I thought - aboard a disabled troop transport. They asked for my itinerary, requesting a small detour to a station in Batarian space. Not wanting to find out what would happen if I said no, I took them aboard. Soon after we arrived, all but one of them departed via the airlock, EVA'ing toward the station. They returned aboard a small shuttle, along with a Turian woman and her young child. They were Cabal, Turian special forces. Biotic special forces. On a mission to retrieve a witness against a Batarian warlord who was to be tried the next day."
Rona's eyes wandered towards me, her features pensive as she spoke, "Your friend, did you ever find out what happened to her?"
I shook my head as I turned away. In my mind's eye, I saw Saris, the moments we spent together at the academy, hidden from others as we discovered our biotics. Her triumphant smile streaked with blood, standing before me in the sparring hall. The last time I ever saw her face.
A sharp pneumatic hiss stirred me from my thoughts as the door to the observation room opened behind us. I turned to find Idisa standing in the doorway.
"We've arrived at the relay to Parnitha, it would be best if you were both present on the bridge." She said, her jaw slackening as she looked between Rona and I.
Her eyes settled on Rona, giving her a furtive glance as she stood silently. Without another word, she turned and made her way out of the room, her head held low as she made her way down the length of corridor beyond.
Rona sighed, making her way towards the entrance. As she reached the threshold, she turned to face me again, her usual confident visage having returned to her features.
"There's a place for everyone, Val. You just haven't found yours yet." She said, smiling as she turned and exited the room.
I looked out the observation window one last time, imagining Saris in the depths of some run-down station at the edge of space, a mischievous smile across her face, ever unafraid. I wondered where her life had taken her beyond that fateful day, far away from the liturgy of Turian society.
For a moment, the thought brought me comfort.
The sound of hushed conversation filled the dimly lit bridge as Rona and I arrived, following the matriarch to the forward console. The unmistakable shape of a mass relay floated immense beyond the bridge's forward viewport, its centre spokes already in motion, building in speed as the blinding energy between them swelled.
I looked at the two Asari miners to the right of the bridge, each one now wearing similar clothing to Rona. One of them looked towards me curiously, her gaze diverting timidly as her focus returned to the conversation at hand.
Suddenly, the relay let out a tremendous burst of light, filling every corner of the bridge around me. I looked at the rotating spokes again, now spinning in a blur of motion, their movements too fast to track.
"Prepare to jump." Idisa said, her hand sweeping across the console before her, as if running through a mental checklist.
I grabbed onto the edge of the console instinctively, centering my balance as best I could. A moment later, the familiar feeling of dissociation lifted the weight from my body, churning my stomach as the space beyond the viewport snapped away, replaced by a chaotic mirage of colour.
A few moments later, I felt normality return to my form as a view of real space flicked into existence ahead. Without a moment's pause, Idisa tapped the console again, taking us to FTL, and on towards the Asari homeworld of Thessia.
How I had dreamed to visit such a place, a peerless panoply of culture, described to me by my father as often as I could ask. For the first time in far too long, the prospect of new surroundings brought me nothing but joy.
I felt the deck normalise beneath me as the viewport flashed once more. Immediately, alarms began to chime throughout the bridge as holographic target lock and scanner dampening warnings popped into existence above the console. Thousands of Asari warships floated in a defensive formation ahead, their prows pointed imposingly towards us.
Idisa, her movements calm and deliberate, keyed the console closest to her. A few seconds later, a visual feed appeared before us. An Asari could be seen within, her skin deep blue in complexion, accented with sweeping markings the colour of fire. Her features, at first stern, seemed to soften as her eyes settled upon Idisa.
"Matriarch. I hadn't been told to expect your arrival. I pray you were not followed."
Idisa, her features now set in stone, replied with a cool tone.
"My only company are the guests I bring myself, Commander Anaya. I followed the standard jump protocols. I need to speak with the Imperator of the Science Academy at once, I would appreciate clearance to land."
Anaya bowed her head, raising an open palm to her chest in reverence.
"Of course, Matriarch, you may proceed."
With a tug of inertia, we made our way down to the surface of the great blue planet below.
I felt myself pulled downward as a golden blaze subsided against the corvette's violet shields. The muffled crackling of manoeuvring thrusters penetrated the hull around us, shaking the deck beneath. As the last fingers of flame dissipated against the viewport ahead, the details of the planet below came into view.
A sea of spires and sweeping blue architecture now filled our view ahead, the shapes of a city which stretched to the horizon in all directions. Pinpricks of light punctuated the metropolis like a yellow-tinged starscape, their glow diminishing against the light of dawn. Amidst the skyline ahead, the spokes of an immense structure resolved into an array of landing pads.
As our vessel approached, concentric rings of hard-light blinked into existence above one of the pads, guiding us downwards.
Rona turned to face me,
"This is our stop. Come on, I'll have to get you cleared through security." She said, looking me up and down as she gestured towards the bridge entrance, "Armour isn't as common here as on Palaven."
I glanced down at my suit, suddenly conscious of my appearance. Its gold and grey surface now pockmarked with burns and scrapes.
I followed Rona down the steps leading from the bridge, ducking to avoid overhanging support beams.
"I'd give you something to wear, but I doubt we'd find anything for your height." She said, looking up at me as we arrived at a doorway marked with familiar Asari symbols.
I shook my head, giving her a polite smile as I looked through the opening door before us, "It's fine, I'm comfortable as I am."
Rona and I stepped forward into the room beyond, an expansive space that composed the rear bay of the corvette. We continued to the far side, stopping before a large metal door.
"The people of this world may not admit it, but they owe your kind a great debt." Rona said, her eyes focused on the deck before her.
"While they sit on their sorry asses, you Turians fight to keep the Reapers at bay. It makes me sick."
With a resounding clunk, the bay door began to lower, revealing a cloudless blue sky ahead. The bustling drone of the city beyond ebbed and flowed against the breeze as we made our way out onto the pad below.
As I surveyed the details of the city before me, I noticed Rona's face light up with a broad smile. I turned to match her line of sight, spotting a young Asari moving towards us with regal grace, her electric-blue gown billowing against the relentless morning breeze.
Her light blue complexion seemed to meld with the early morning sky behind her. Deep emerald eyes glanced between Rona and I, the hint of a smile creasing across her flawless features as she turned her head downwards. Rona squeezed my arm as she passed by me, tears forming in her eyes as she rushed forward.
The young Asari rested her head against Rona's shoulder as they embraced, a tear falling across her cheek as she spoke a single unheard sentence. She raised her head, her eyes meeting with my own. She gave me a smile as her and Rona released their embrace, standing together in the soft morning light. Rona turned to face me, waving me closer.
I made my way forward, brushing my armour down, feeling slightly under-dressed for the occasion.
"Val, this is my daughter, Farina." Rona said, her face now a picture of pride.
"It's an honour to finally meet you, Farina," I said, bowing my head respectfully, "Your mother has spoken highly of you."
Farina returned the gesture, remaining silent as she looked towards Rona timidly. Rona put her arm around Farina, pulling her close.
Just then, a flurry of footsteps rang from behind. I turned to see the Asari miners descend the ramp to the pad's surface, their faces brimming with joy as they looked out upon the city beyond. Idisa followed closely behind, a brief smile escaping her stoic visage as she glanced at the view before her. She spoke to the Asari miners, gesturing towards the structure of the adjacent starport. The miners nodded, turning to make their way across the pad.
One of the miners turned to look in my direction as she passed; I recognised her as Sira, the one who had spoken to me back on the mining colony world. She bowed her head, raising her palm to her chest, mouthing the words "Thank you," as she departed. I smiled, nodding my head in reply.
I looked at Idisa; her armour-like apparel now replaced with a flowing white outfit punctuated by thin lines of matte gold. Atop her head sat an ornate headdress, its white surface glimmering in the early light.
Rona shifted her weight, her mouth narrowing as she stood beside Farina, watching as Idisa approached. The matriarch brought her palm to her chest respectfully, her gaze mingling between Rona and Farina, settling on the younger Asari as she spoke,
"Such a beautiful young woman you have grown into Farina. I'm glad to see you well."
Farina bowed her head low as she spoke, her voice as soft as the passing breeze, "Matriarch."
For a few seconds there was silence, then, like a crumbling wall, Rona's hardened features melted into unbridled emotion as tears began to run down her face. She waved Idisa forward, reaching for the matriarch with one arm, taking Farina in the other. The three stood together in a close embrace as Rona's sobs echoed across the pad, carried by the cool morning air.
As my heart swelled at their joyful reunion, I thought of my own family, so far and so long removed from my world. The moments I spent with them on that final, tranquil evening, now like a lifetime ago.
I held my arms close against my chest, my heart torn in two as I looked out on the endless architectural splendour of the Asari homeworld. Even as I stood in the place of my dreams, I felt nothing but a longing for home.
After what seemed like hours in terminal processing, we made it clear of the star-port complex, taking a sleek shuttlecraft across the planet's surface, arriving at the base of a pyramidal structure set against the city sprawl.
I followed behind Rona and her family as we traversed the spacious interior of the Thessia Academy of Sciences. Enormous white support struts vaulted high above, a series of floor-to-ceiling windows sat between each one, flooding the space with light. Asari academics bustled around us, the silver collars of their outfits gleaming in the morning sunlight.
After some time, we turned into a small passageway, its walls etched with ornate calligraphy. A large doorway stood at one end; holographic symbols flickering across the top of its angular metal frame. I had hoped to learn the Asari language before visiting their world. Now I was wishing I had the chance.
Idisa turned to face us, her voice hushed as she spoke, "Follow my lead; those outside the Academy are not typically permitted within."
Before any of us could reply, she nodded curtly, turning to continue towards the doorway ahead. Rona glanced over her shoulder, giving me a wink as she walked forward.
I followed her and the others through the doorway, feeling my jaw drop as I stood in awe at the space before me.
The room resembled a diamond standing on end, its lower half flattened to accommodate a platform containing a central raised dais, around which stood a group of four Asari in elegant, silver-trimmed gowns.
Beyond the room's translucent walls, a manifold array of fluorescent lines stood against the darkness, descending towards a convergence point far beneath the semi-opaque white floor, from which a narrow beam of light shot upwards, connecting it to the central dais above.
High above, a sea of countless holographic stars twinkled incandescently, their bulk composing a vast representation of the galaxy which spanned the width of the room, casting a diffuse glow throughout the space.
I heard the doors to the room close behind me with a series of clicks, followed by a single hiss, sealing off the gentle ambience of the passageway beyond. I followed the others down towards the central dais. As we arrived, Idisa stood aside, her arm outstretched towards me, drawing the attention of the assembled Asari.
"Imperator Anea, I'd like you to meet Val Soranis. She's gone through a great deal to get here. I promise, you will want to hear what she has to say." Idisa said, nodding towards me encouragingly.
Unprepared for the scrutiny of the Asari scientists, I felt my spine straighten reflexively. Anea watched as I stepped towards the central dais, her deep brown eyes observing me with an air of discernment.
I raised my hand toward the dais as I looked to Anea,
"May I?"
Anea nodded, waving across the surface of the dais, causing it to glow dimly in response.
I keyed the omnitool of my armour, transferring the captured relay signal from my suit buffer.
A holographic representation of a mass relay popped into existence above the dais, casting stark blue light across the faces of everyone present. Next to it, a graphical representation of Reaper symbols scrolled smoothly around a series of concentric circles.
I pointed towards the relay, raising my voice as to be easily heard amongst the group,
"As I made the jump through the Hades Gamma relay, I detected a signal burst from deep in-system, the origin of which was a vast fleet of Reaper dreadnoughts."
To my right, I saw one of the Asari academics shiver.
I gestured towards the scrolling Reaper code, expanding it with both hands as I continued, "When the relay activated, I was sent to the far side of the galaxy. Something which is, as far as I know, impossible. We believe that the signal was the cause, and that properly manipulated, it may be used to override the relays to our advantage."
I watched Anea, trying to assess her response. She stood with her hands resting against the central dais, eyes locked on the glowing relay before her. After a few seconds of silence, she turned to me and spoke.
"Our economy is already at the breaking point thanks to the Council's dubious project. Needless to say, I'm open to alternatives."
Anea gestured towards the Asari scientists as she continued, "My colleagues will see to the simulations, please consult them if you need anything."
With that, she turned to Idisa, gesturing for the matriarch to follow as she made her way towards another doorway set upon the far wall. Idisa looked at me and nodded before turning to follow Anea.
Rona waved towards me as she grasped Farina's hand, pulling her along as she moved in my direction.
"This'll take a while." She said, gesturing for me to follow.
I followed them towards a row of seats just above the central platform, taking a seat to the right of Farina. I folded my legs uncomfortably beneath the chair, one which was clearly designed for shorter Asari physiology. An issue which wasn't helped by my bulky armour.
Farina looked up to me, her features relaxed as she spoke softly,
"Thank you for bringing my mother back to me. I feared for her every time she passed beyond the home relay."
She turned to Rona, who took her hand in her own, leaning forward as she spoke.
"Heart of gold, my spiky friend here, and braver than most. Not that she'll admit it." She said, with a wry smile.
"I was just glad to be in the right place at the right time." I replied, glancing towards Rona, "By my count, I still owe you one."
Rona raised her hand dismissively, "As far as I'm concerned, we're even as long as we're both still breathing."
Farina shook her head as she smiled at our exchange, resting her hand on my arm as she opened her mouth to speak. Suddenly, her eyes dilated as a jolt of energy ran through my arm. I recoiled instinctively, pulling free of her grasp.
Farina shivered as her eyes returned to normal, a pained expression now settling across her features. I looked to Rona, then back to Farina, confused at what had just occurred, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Farina grasped my arm again as she spoke,
"It's ok. You did nothing. My… empathic abilities, they're still untrained." She said, pausing for a moment, her voice strained,
"The emotions I felt..." Farina raised her head to face me again, her eyes now welling with tears, "So much despair... from such a beautiful soul."
Without another word, Farina put her arms around me, her eyes closed as she rested her head against my armour. Unsure of what to say, I turned silently to Rona, her features uneasy as her eyes flitted between Farina and I.
"Don't worry about me, I'm tougher than I look." I said, hoping to reassure the young Asari.
Farina released her hold on my armour as she settled back into her seat, her features now showing a weariness that belied her youth. She shook her head, speaking slowly as her eyes settled on the holographic relay at the centre of the room.
"Every day I see more suffering. Evacuees from the colonies, so many with nothing left. I wish I could find a way to help."
Rona took Farina's hand in her own, her eyes settling on the scientists below. For some time, we sat in silence, watching as the Asari scientists ran simulations on the relay, their heads shaking as it flashed deep red again and again. All the while, Farina took in the events before her diligently.
Suddenly, she looked to my armour, then back to the relay, her eyes darting between its glowing form and the adjacent Reaper code. After a couple of seconds, her eyes widened.
"I've got an idea." She said, glancing at Rona and I as she leapt from her chair, making her way towards the scientists below.
I turned to Rona, a smile forming across her face as she shook her head. We both stood and made our way down to follow Farina.
When we arrived at the central dais, she was deep in conversation with the surrounding scientists.
"-We don't have the whole picture - we need more than just the Reaper code. Somehow, she was able to transmit the override as a proxy, and the relay accepted it." She said, pointing towards the relay as she spoke.
At this moment, Imperator Anea entered the room, opting to stand some distance away and observe. Matriarch Idisa stood by her side, watching the exchange at the dais curiously.
Farina looked towards me, "Is there any more data you can give us from your suit? Any further telemetry it might have captured?" She said, her eyes narrowing.
I played back the encounter in my mind, a blur of action as I hurried to make my way through the relay. My heart leapt with excitement as the pieces clicked into place in my mind.
I turned to Farina, summoning my omnitool against the forearm of my armour as I gestured towards the dais. A tidy holographic list of Turian symbols flowed past, revealing the jumps I had made over the course of the past few months. I felt my stomach lurch as I recognised a select few.
I searched for the all-important line denoting my wayward jump through the Hades Gamma relay, finding it near the bottom of the list. I gestured to the line, pulling it aside, expanding it atop the dais in a tree of code lines.
"This is my suit IFF data for the time of the jump through the Hades Gamma relay. My IFF itself should remain static, as long as I serve the Hierarchy. Even slight alterations should stand out." I said, pointing towards the holographic code before me, "Something tells me if you compare this with the other entries, you'll find what you're looking for."
Farina's eyes lit up as she listened, turning back towards the dais as she manipulated the IFF code, panning and zooming on individual lines as she compared it to other entries. After some time, she clicked her fingers, pointing towards a section of code which stood out; a series of Reaper symbols embedded amidst a sea of Turian dialect.
"This has to be it. Try running the simulation again, but with this sequence appended to the test IFF." Farina said.
The Asari scientists complied. As the simulation ran once more, the relay flashed again, this time a deep shade of purple. Anea stepped forward, her hands clasped behind her back as she looked from Farina to me, then to the relay itself.
"You have an eye for brilliance, Idisa." She said, giving a sideways glance towards the Matriarch, "This may very well make the difference. Goddess forbid the Council's plan falls through; it may be our last hope."
Anea turned to me, her eyes now revealing a glimmer of joy for the first time, "Thank you for bringing this to us." She said, looking at each of the assembled Asari as she continued, "I'll see to it that your name is mentioned in my report to the Council, it's the least I can do."
I bowed my head, imitating the Asari gesture of respect as best as I could.
"I was just the messenger, Farina here was the one to make it work." I said, placing a hand upon Farina's shoulder.
Anea nodded, clasping her hands before her as she turned to the young Asari.
"Idisa has told me much about you, I could scarcely believe such a brilliant mind laid hidden just beyond the Academy walls. I hear you have taken up residence in the commons below?"
A hint of shyness crept across Farina's features as she replied, "Yes that's true. I hoped to one day enrol, would that I had the means. My mother has done her best to help." She said, smiling as she glanced towards Rona.
"That won't be necessary. As far as I'm concerned, a recommendation from Idisa is as good as my own. To say nothing of what you accomplished here today." She said, raising her hand before her in a sweeping gesture, "Welcome to the Academy."
Rona put her arm around Farina, her eyes now welling with tears. Farina bowed her head low, raising both her arms across her chest as she spoke.
"You honour me. I won't waste this opportunity, I promise."
Anea nodded, moving to make her way around the dais towards the entrance, "I look forward to seeing your progress, initiate. I-"
Anea's words were cut short by a shrill tone which echoed throughout the space, her attention drawn to a bracelet against her wrist which now displayed holographic Asari diction.
She raised her head, closing her eyes slowly as a weary sigh escaped her lips.
"The Reapers are here… Goddess protect us."
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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:27:49 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:27:49 GMT 1
Chapter 6 Inertia I stared at the sleek Asari craft as it sat on the wide-open pad before me, studying the flowing lines of its polished metal form, an elegance that no doubt belied its potent capabilities. In the city beyond, ships of all sizes filled the air, their hulls glinting in the midday sun. A siren called in the distance, its melodic tones ringing through the air like abstract music.
Even now, this place was beautiful.
I didn't know if my plan would work, but it was enough to convince Imperator Anea to give me a ship. An opportunity I planned to make the most of.
Steady footsteps rang out behind me. I turned to find Idisa walking across the pad toward me, her white robes flowing resplendent in the gentle breeze.
"If you ever seek a Turian, look for the nearest fight." She said, her dark blue eyes meeting my own as a faint smile formed across her lips.
"They aren't hard to find these days." I said, watching as a group of Asari warships ascended from the city below.
Idisa stopped next to me, her robes billowing against her regal form, "These days, they aren't really fights." She countered, her eyes settling on the horizon.
She pulled a small triangular object from her pocket, its thin transparent surface reflecting a kaleidoscope of colour against her hand.
"This will allow you to deploy the override signal to the relay. Try to leave it to the last minute, we have no way of knowing if they can detect the signal mid-jump." She said, handing the triangular chip towards me. I nodded, storing it within my suit.
After a few seconds of silence, Idisa looked toward me, her expression wistful as her eyes turned from the vessel ahead.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, curious as to her sudden silence.
"It's nothing. You just remind me so much of myself, my younger self." She said, looking back to the Asari vessel once again, "I would let myself be carried from one conflict to the next, never stopping, too afraid to let the shock of it all catch up with me."
I glanced from Idisa to the skyline ahead as I replied,
"War doesn't give us that luxury." I said.
"I know what war looks like. I've seen more than I wish to count." Idisa said, her eyes narrowing, "This? This is something else. I fear none of us will make it through this."
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I looked to Idisa, her features eerily stoic.
Before I could reply, Rona's voice called out from behind. Idisa and I turned, watching as she walked towards us. Idisa's features softened as she turned to me again, placing her hand on my shoulder, "I pray you'll make it back to the ones you love. When you do, don't ever let them go."
Idisa bowed her head, placing her hand across her chest as she turned to make her way towards Rona.
I watched as the two embraced, their colourful gowns fluttering together in the midday breeze. For a moment, they stood apart, exchanging words as Idisa ran her hand atop Rona's head.
As Idisa looked at me again, I gave her an acknowledging nod, watching as she turned to depart the pad. Rona made her way towards me, a look of serenity across her features. She glanced at the ship at the centre of the pad, shaking her head with a smile.
"I'm not going to ask what your crazy ass has got planned, I know I can't stop you. I just want you to know, if you ever need a home away from home, you're more than welcome here on Thessia." She said, reaching her hand out toward me.
"Thank you." I said, taking her hand in my own as I looked towards the city skyline tentatively, "I just hope it'll all be in one piece when I return."
Rona gave a smirk, "It'll take more than a single fleet to wipe us out, don't worry." She said, slapping me on the shoulder playfully.
High above, ships of various sizes left streaks of golden fire across the midday sky, their shields shimmering as the air around them burned in protest at their ascent.
Behind me, I heard the softest of footsteps as Farina arrived next to Rona.
"Val is going to try and save us again. Can't help herself." Rona said, gesturing towards me.
Farina's eyes brimmed with concern as she looked to Rona with an accusing glance, "I hope this wasn't your idea." She said,
Rona shook her head as she grasped Farina's arm within her own, "When is it ever?"
A series of rumbles vibrated through the pad, rising to a cascade of crackling roars as ships of all sizes shot forth from the spaceport beneath, their engines blazing brilliant purple as they rose into the sky above.
Rona turned to me, shouting over the din, "That'll be the reserve fleet. You best get going, it seems like things are getting serious upstairs." Rona said, looking to the sky above.
I stared towards the ship parked at the centre of the pad before me, thinking of what lay ahead. Memories of wreckages strewn across the space between worlds flashed through my mind, each one ground like stones beneath an endless river of Reaper forces. I wondered if I could succeed where so many others had failed.
I turned to face Rona, trying to summon the words that escaped me as tears began to blur my vision. She looked towards me, her face a picture of calm.
Before I could speak, a great sadness began to swell within me. My breaths turned to heaving sobs, each one breaking against me like the waves of an endless ocean.
I fell to my knees, my strength disappearing with each passing moment as exhaustion took hold of me, draining my mind and body.
Rona leant down in front of me, resting her hands against my shoulders.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" She asked, her voice uncharacteristically steady as she stared at me, her eyes now filled with concern.
I drew in a deep breath, attempting to calm myself as I looked into her eyes.
"Not really... No." I replied, doing my best to present a smile.
To my surprise, Rona began to chuckle.
"By the Goddess. You're a mess." She said, a broad grin spreading across her face.
I reached out to her, resting my arm across her shoulders as I let out a strained laugh.
"What would I do without you Rona?" I said, with a sigh.
She shook her head as she replied, "My spiky friend, you've seen nothing but near death and despair since finding me. I only wish we'd met under better circumstances."
I savoured each moment of laughter as we watched the vast Asari fleet churn its way through the atmosphere high above.
With a final goodbye, I made my way towards the parked ship, calling down the rear ramp as I turned to face Rona and Farina one last time, raising a fist to my chest in salute.
They held their hands forward, palms outstretched in a gesture of farewell. A moment later, Rona turned her hand to one side, closing it into a thumbs up.
I smiled, returning the gesture as I turned to make my way aboard.
My heart pounded against my chest, blood pumping in my ears as I waited for the inevitable lurch out of FTL, unsure of what I would find upon exiting. It was a now all-too-familiar feeling, one which dredged glimpses of memories I'd give anything to forget.
With a brilliant flash, reality reformed before my eyes, revealing an awe-inspiring view. Asari and Reaper fighter-craft clashed in battles of plasma fire, jousting each other amidst a sea of chaotic motion and dissipating energy fields. In the middle of it all, a group of Asari warships defended against a swarm of harassing destroyers, trading red beam fire and lancing purple energy bolts.
Beyond it all, looming like mountains against a midnight horizon, five Reaper dreadnoughts floated motionless, their black forms eerily nondescript against the void of space. They stood like sentinels, evidently satisfied with letting the smaller Reaper craft mop up any Asari resistance.
I maxed the throttle of my vessel, making for the nearest engagement before fear could take hold of my senses, firing a tight-beam comm to the nearest Asari fighter craft, "Here to help, where do you need me?"
After a few seconds of silence, an Asari voice came through my helmet, "If it looks like a sea creature, shoot it. Try to keep-" A distorted bang, followed by hazy static. A moment later, the voice returned, now strained with frustration, "The cruiser, just keep them off it."
With a click, the comm channel closed, leaving me in silence once more.
I keyed the combat view for the ship's viewport. Holographic markers floated above all the ships in my field of vision, purple for Asari, red for Reaper.
Simple enough.
I primed the weapons, letting loose a volley towards a small Reaper craft which was in pursuit of a nearby Asari fighter.
The deck trembled beneath me as two searing bolts of energy shot forth, passing well wide of the target. Two lines of incandescent purple glowed against the vacuum, marking the trajectory. I lined the Reaper craft up again, charging another shot as I attempted to compensate for its erratic motion. The console chimed before me, indicating the energy buffer was close to its limit. I let loose another shot, this time landing a hit across the stern of the Reaper vessel, the force of the blow ripping it in two as debris blossomed in all directions.
I searched the view ahead, looking for targets of opportunity. Countless vessels vied for attention across my field of vision, sunlight glinting against their hulls as they dove and pirouetted around each other.
A cruiser's violet anti-fighter beams scythed through the space before me, their trajectories struggling to track the agile movements of the robotic Reaper fighters. I dove into the fray, locking guidance on the closest enemy vessel.
As I gained on the craft, a large circular marker appeared in the viewport, shifting from white to blue as I charged my weapons. I waited for the buffer to fill, watching as the circle turned bright purple. As the warning chime rang once more, I squeezed the trigger, firing towards the Reaper craft.
To my surprise, a blinding cone of plasma fire shot forth before me, engulfing the Reaper craft. Before I had a chance to evade, I shot through the field of roiling energy, pieces of the Reaper craft clanging against the hull all around me. As I emerged into clear space yet again, I keyed the rear view, seeing nothing but simmering plasma and glowing alloy. I let out an uneasy laugh, tapping my hand against the console, "I could get used to this."
Suddenly, a sharp warning sound cut across my attention. The space around my ship seemed to glow as violet ripples cascaded across the view ahead. I banked to the right instinctively, turning to my left to see a deep red lance of energy cut through the space where I had been moments before. I turned to face the source of the shot, a Reaper craft, one I had never seen before, slightly smaller than a destroyer but bulbous in shape.
It fired again, this time only landing a glancing blow as I evaded just in time. It fired again and again, seemingly angered at my attempts to evade. I settled as far back into the small Asari seat as I could, keying the restraints as I felt myself pressed tightly against its frame. Satisfied that I wasn't about to end up planted to the cockpit roof, I pushed forward on the controls as far as I could.
Space wheeled before me as my vision shifted to dark blue, then to black. Moments before passing out, I jammed the controls to the side, sending myself into a tight spin. I felt the blood rush to my head as my vision began to clear. I craned my neck against the pressing inertia, watching as the strange Reaper craft now passed above me, my trajectory bringing me quickly behind its spherical mass.
I spun my ship again, charging as much energy as I could as I lined up a shot on the rear of the Reaper craft. I heard the hull around me creak under the combined strain of my manoeuvre and the discharging weapons, watching as the dual lances of energy pierced the rear of the Reaper vessel.
A flood of small objects came flowing forth as the rear of the craft collapsed, crumbling inwards like shattered glass. The insect-like objects flitted through space around me, pinging against the hull, their masses too slow to trigger my ship's shields.
Not satisfied that the Reaper was yet beaten, I charged another shot, letting it loose into the now open cavity against its rear. With a glorious blossom of red fire, the Reaper craft disintegrated, sending spiralling tendrils of energy in all directions.
Hull warnings began to flash across the console, notifying me of dozens of breaches all throughout the ship. Before I could investigate further, a fusillade of red energy bolts assaulted the space around me, draining clearly half of my shield's energy. I broke into evasive movements, spiralling towards the nearby Asari cruiser in the hope the anti-fighter beams would provide a semblance of cover.
I checked the rear camera, finding a familiar Reaper craft in my view, one of their dreadful hunter-fighters, impossibly manoeuvrable and utterly relentless. A dull glimmer beyond the cockpit window caught my attention. As I looked to investigate, I saw one of the small insectoid robots climbing against the hull. For a moment it ceased all movement, a series of circular ports glowing like eyes in my direction. Then, with a convulsion of its small metallic body, it shot a jet of red-hot metallic fire against the surface of the hull, melting it on contact.
"Oh, I don't think so." I shouted, sending my ship into a sharp spin.
The Reaper bug clung to the surface of the hull, its small appendages straining against the building centrifugal forces. As my vision began to blue-shift, I heard a series of pops emanate against the hull around me. I checked the rear camera again, finding a cloud of Reaper bugs spinning free in a shower of shimmering black metal.
The pursuing Reaper fighter blasted through the cloud of bugs like a fist through rain, its prow glowing white hot as it lined up another shot. I pulled upwards on the controls again, releasing my spin into a tight arc around the nearby cruiser. I looked towards the Asari warship, its defences now focused on a stream of bulky Reaper craft diving towards its surface, releasing explosive blasts of red plasma against the cruiser's armour as they glanced past.
Hull warnings chimed insistently against my ears, as if vying for attention against the sharp chirps of the shield emitter display, now flashing dangerously red. My eyes lingered on the bulk of the cruiser ahead of me as my mind scrambled for options. As the beginnings of a terrible plan took shape in my mind, I dove towards the deep blue surface of the cruiser below.
As I descended towards the warship's aft thrusters, I began charging what energy I had spare into the weapons buffer, watching as the circular marker shifted in colour before me.
A great plume of thruster fire filled the viewport ahead of me, pouring forth from the cruiser's rear drive cowling. My energy buffer squealed in protest at imminent overcharge as I jammed the controls backward, spinning to face the pursuing Reaper craft.
The view around me turned to blinding white as my craft entered the cruiser's blazing engine wash. I tapped the side of my helmet, polarising the visor as far as I could. Even still, I squinted against the viewport ahead, searching for some sign of the Reaper hunter. With a flash of violet light and a metallic whine, my shields passed beyond usefulness.
A monstrous shuddering gripped my craft, rattling every bone in my body. Just as I thought the hull might tear apart, the view ahead faded from white to blue, an immense river of plasma now rushing past before me.
Right as the circular weapon marker turned critical, the Reaper hunter appeared before me, like a spectre of death, its scarlet shields stuttering and flashing. I acted without thought, firing my weapons in a conical blast of energy, pulling as far right on the controls as I could.
I heard a shattering of objects against the hull as a billowing blast of plasma fire engulfed my view ahead, sending my ship careening through space. I let go of the controls as a searing jolt of pain ran against my spine, followed by a wave of heat which rose from my core.
I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the world around me, feeling my lungs rise and fall with each frantic breath. The biotic energy within me stabilised, like an explosion frozen in time. I pictured myself standing with Rona back on Thessia, my mind calming with every passing moment.
I opened my eyes again, taking in the space around me as if for the first time; focusing on each holographic console as I took stock of my situation.
Shields gone, hull breaches stabilised, weapons destroyed, comms online.
I tested the controls, feeling myself pulled left then right as the ship pitched and yawed in response. In the distance, the Reaper dreadnoughts still loomed over the battlefield, their silhouettes ominously motionless.
A burst of sound made me jump as a comm channel opened before me, revealing Commander Anaya, her deep blue complexion in stark contrast to the red emergency lighting around her.
"Whatever you're going to do, Turian, do it now. We've just received word of another Reaper fleet inbound to the relay." She said, waving her hand before her to dismiss the comm.
As the holographic window blinked out of existence, my eyes refocused on the view ahead. Asari warships trailed billowing atmosphere as they manoeuvred desperately amidst a hail of Reaper fire.
Amongst it all, Asari fighter craft danced with Reaper hunters, trading bolts of energy in stalemated engagements. The impossible manoeuvrability of the Reaper craft was equally matched by the sheer experience of the Asari pilots.
Beyond it all, guarded by the Reaper dreadnoughts, the mass relay floated forebodingly, its central rings lying inert. Against every instinct, I set a course for its location, forcing fear and doubt to the back of my mind. All my hopes now hinged on the Reaper's robotic pragmatism, their cold disregard for the smallest flickers of life around them.
As I passed into the empty space between the battle and the line of looming dreadnoughts, all fear evaporated from my mind. As my viewport filled with the deep black metal of the dreadnought's hull, a sense of profound peace settled within me. Here, before the jaws of death, I felt utterly alive.
A point of light blossomed at the tip of one of the dreadnought's tentacle-like arms as it raised towards me, blooming into a swirling mass of red energy.
I waited until the glow reached a blinding peak, pulling as hard as I could on the controls. The Asari craft reeled sideways as an immense beam of molten metal and white-hot fire shot past, scything through the space I had been moments before.
The Reaper, as if agitated, broke ranks with the other dreadnoughts, making its way towards my vessel, its movement frighteningly rapid for its immense size. As it did so, it began to charge another shot.
Now or never.
I lunged out of my seat, sprinting down the ship's central corridor, slamming my hand against a nearby panel as I arrived before a metal doorway. The moment the door opened; a small black object leapt towards me. I staggered backwards, shielding myself with my armoured forearm as a Reaper bug leapt towards me, its sharp metal appendages grasping at the air.
The bug latched onto my armour, digging into its hardened surface. I looked into its metallic, glowing eyes, knowing all too well what came next. I swung my arm against the bulkhead again and again, loosening its hold as it chittered angrily, jumping free towards the ceiling above.
I keyed my armour's omniblade, slashing through the air as the bug leapt forward again. The blade cut it clean in two, sending a shower of molten metal across my armour as its black remains clattered to the deck below. With no time to spare, I rushed toward the doorway that led to the ship's escape craft.
Leaping into the cramped space beyond, I swung my hand around onto the hatch mechanism behind me, hearing it close with a burst of pressurised air. With a horrific sound of rending metal, the interior of the ship beyond burst into an explosion of blue and red fire. I lunged for the escape craft's controls, breaking the docking hold as I set the throttle to max.
As I turned to look out the viewport behind me, an immense beam of red fire tore through the Asari ship. A series of secondary explosions shot through the hull, sending spates of blue plasma into the surrounding vacuum.
I grasped the controls with trembling hands as I checked for any sign of my abandoned craft on scanners, finding only the faint signature of an automatic emergency transponder.
My escape craft shot away from the wreck, its minuscule mass propelled forward at incredible speed, shooting past the Reaper dreadnought as it closed in on the stricken Asari vessel. I set a course for the relay, willing the craft forward with all the thrust it could manage.
The relay's vast structure grew larger in my vision with every passing moment. A quiver of panic ran through me as I noticed the inner spokes begin to turn, a dim glow appearing at their core. I placed my palm against the navigation console, transferring the override sequence from my suit buffer into its memory.
My fingers danced across the holographic controls as I frantically entered the coordinates of the emergency transponder, its parent vessel now derelict amongst the Reaper dreadnoughts. To my relief, the relay accepted the updated exit point.
I keyed my comms, sending a tight beam to Anaya, shouting into the console as I turned my ship to face the embattled Asari fleet.
"You've got to move, now."
Moments later, the Asari warships pivoted, their drives engaging full burn away from the battle, and the Reaper dreadnoughts.
I watched as the spokes of the relay spun ever faster, the energy within now building to a blinding crescendo. The relay pulsed in activation, sending forth a shockwave of energy.
A series of white streaks shot across my vision, as if thrown past the relay, their paths converging on the fleet of dreadnoughts. The Reapers erupted into a tangle of billowing wreckage; their immense forms reduced to nothing more than metallic ribbons.
Debris and red plasma shot across the space beyond at impossible speed, carried forward in a narrow path, as if pierced by an immense blade.
I watched in awe as the remains of the Reapers shattered into space, feeling a mix of triumph and relief stir within me.
With a chime, the escape craft's comm panel projected a window before me. I accepted the incoming request, seeing Commander Anaya's face once more, a fresh bruise against her left jaw.
"I'll be honest, I didn't know what to expect when the Imperator sent you up here, Turian. But that..." She said, her eyes surveying a holographic projection of the immediate vicinity, "...That, I didn't expect."
An Asari arrived at Anaya's side, speaking softly into her ear.
Anaya looked at me again, "We're retreating to Thessia, taken too many losses as it is. Orbitals should clean up what's left of the Reaper forces in pursuit. You should jump before more arrive. Go with Athame's blessing, friend." Anaya said, bowing her head as she disconnected the comm.
I sat in silence, watching the twisted remains of the once invincible horrors tumble through the void. Even as the ensuing element zero detonations cooled to background radiation, my heart warmed. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt an ember of hope stirring within me.
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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:32:05 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:32:05 GMT 1
Chapter 7 Outcast Fear has always held a different meaning for me. Where others would shy away from high places, I would shy away in general. Some couldn't face the fire of a defensive line, I feared the fire within me, forever battling to break free.
As I sat in the confines of the escape craft, my fear manifested in radiant blue around me, the air thick as I struggled to breath. As I'd made the jump to the Serpent Nebula, my biotics had returned with a vengeance.
For as long as I'd lived, I'd treasured solitude. Now, as I sat alone, strangled by the whims of a force I could barely control, I missed the company of others as much as the air from my lungs.
I felt the biotic energy within me pulse rhythmically. In my mind, I pictured it like the surface of a star, a mass of explosive energy held in equilibrium when all things stayed equal. In moments like these, it may as well have been a nova.
A flash of light from beyond the viewport filled the interior of the craft around me. As I tilted my head, straining against the pain, I caught a glimpse of relay metal in the corner of my eye.
I shut out the light of the outside world again, visualising the energy within me, now blinding against my mind's eye. With all the willpower I could gather, I forced it against the tide of fire, feeling it ebb and flow. Again and again, I pushed it back, until it was a luminous orb at the centre of my vision once more.
All things in balance.
I opened my eyes, the biotic energy around me now merely a shimmer above my skin. Returning to my feet with tender movements, I made my way to the pilot's seat, passing my hand across the control consoles as I sparked them back to holographic life.
Only one more relay and I was home. As much as my soul yearned to return, my mind told me only pain lied in wait. So often, it seemed the hallmark of reality was heartache.
With a passing gesture, I activated the escape craft's FTL, plotting a course for the Trebia relay as I refocused my mind on containing the energy within me.
Some time later, a flurry of alarms jolted me back to the present. As I opened my eyes, a holographic comm request sat centre-place in my vision.
I activated an audio-only feed, unsure of who I was conversing with. The voice of a male Turian echoed throughout the cabin around me, "Asari craft, state your intent."
I placed my palm against the console, keying my armour's link once more.
A few seconds later, the Turian voice returned, now with a hint of surprise, "My systems show you as MIA as of four months ago. State your personal challenge."
"Val Soranis, TRA-0614."
A short pause, "Welcome back to the hierarchy, initiate. Dock aboard the dreadnought Tenebris."
The comm window snapped out of existence, revealing a vast Turian fleet through the viewport ahead. At the centre of it all lay my new destination, a vessel twice as big as any other assembled before me.
Sleek and powerful, the warship looked like it could simply cut through its foes. Its sharp leading edge widened to a pair of angular, overlapping wings at its rear, between which sat a pair of weapons, each one easily half again the length of the ship.
I considered the portent of a Turian fleet this size being stationed at the entry point to the home system. Either the situation was surprisingly promising, or hopelessly desperate.
Setting course for the dreadnought, I let my mind wander inwards once more.
The light blue distortion of the hangar's protective barrier crawled its way along the outside of my craft, sparking brilliant arcs at each point of contact with its polished metal hull. I looked away as the cascade of energy became unbearably bright, passing directly over the side viewport.
I guided the craft to the hangar floor below, feeling the familiar jolt of magnetic contact through the landing gear. Across the hangar beyond, curious eyes glanced towards my unfamiliar vessel.
As the rear ramp descended before me, the form of a Turian officer came gradually into view; his amber eyes darting to and fro, assessing the state of the escape craft, then me. As I stepped off the ramp, he held a hand up towards me. I stopped in place, waiting for him to speak.
"I've no doubt you've been through a lot, but there are formalities to be seen to first, whilst there is still time."
As I removed my helmet to reply, an alarm blared throughout the hangar, reverberating against the hard bulkheads, replaced shortly after by the deliberate tone of a disembodied voice.
"Reaper fleet inbound, ETA fifteen minutes. Alpha stations. This is not a drill."
I looked at the officer, his eyes locking with my own as I spoke.
"Look, there's something I need to share with your superiors, something which can save this fleet."
As the words escaped my mouth, my mind dulled with swelling pain. Before I could speak another word, I fell to my knees, losing all sense of balance. Biotic energy surged across my body as the sound of the hangar beyond became suppressed, the air around me thickening with each breath.
The officer looked down at me, his features shifting from a look of astonishment to hard resolve. As I battled to bring my biotics under control, I could only watch as those around me acted in muted panic.
A soldier ran towards me from across the deck, his eyes darting between the officer and myself as he came to a halt. The officer shouted towards him, gesturing in my direction.
The soldier moved towards me, his arm outstretched tentatively, unsure of how to proceed. He turned his head towards the officer questioningly, who responded by shouting a further order.
The soldier nodded, retrieving a small white pistol from his hip, speaking two words as he aimed the weapon towards my chest. In an instant, every muscle in my body tensed, an explosion of pain shooting through me as my vision collapsed to darkness.
I walked quietly through my father's study. The floor and ceiling panels illuminating as I passed, revealing objects of all shapes and sizes atop the benches around me.
The room was utterly silent, but for the distant clacking of stone against metal. I traced the source of the sound to the far side of the room. My father stood against a bench, his head turned downward, studying something laid before him.
As I moved deeper into the room, the odours of countless archaeological discoveries flooded my senses. With each step, I sampled eons of history, gathered across lightyears of space and time.
Reaching the bench that my father stood behind, I studied his features as he stared down at the item in his hands, his eyes locked in concentration.
Noticing my presence, he gave me a brief smile as he turned the small stone tablet over in his hand, placing it down gently amongst an arrangement laid across the benchtop. Stepping backwards, he crossed his arms against his chest, turning his attention towards me again.
"Want to guess what this is?" He asked, passing his hand over the array of items before him.
"A puzzle?" I replied, my eyes wide with curiosity.
"Close," He said, lifting one of the small stone tablets and holding it before me, "It's a story."
The tablet was roughly four finger widths high, and three wide. Etched into its surface were a series of circles and bars, running in rows down its length.
"From what my scans tell me, each of these small tablets was made ten thousand cycles apart. Someone was recording something; I think it's a history of a people."
He placed the small tablet back in its place at the top left of the arrangement, his outer jaw flexing in and out in frustration as he spoke.
"There's something that's bothering me. The latest tablet was made a hundred thousand cycles ago. These were all found in a chamber two hundred units beneath the surface of a planet we visited."
I moved closer to the bench, lifting one of the tablets towards me, studying each line across its surface as my father continued.
"There were no other signs of sentient life anywhere else on that world. Not even two stones stacked atop each other."
He paused for a moment. As I turned to face him, his eyes narrowed as they met with mine. When he spoke again, his voice was strained, almost sorrowful.
"What happened to them?"
A stab of pain shot through my head as I slowly opened my eyes, letting my vision adjust to the light around me. Across the room, a Turian stood at attention next to a nearby doorway. The same soldier that had stunned me.
I moved to activate my personal barriers instinctively, only to find my armour entirely missing, my black full-body undersuit now my only form of protection.
I called out, my voice breaking as my words seemed to slur, half-formed from my mouth.
"What is… w-where am I?"
The soldier leaned against a nearby wall, his tone languid as he replied, "Infirmary. We had to knock you out, weren't sure what you were going to do. For now, you're being held until someone can come for debrief."
"I'm not a prisoner?" I asked, glancing to my hands as I raised them before me.
"Think of it as an order to stay put. You are a soldier, correct?"
As I nodded in reply, my head swam with dizziness and throbbing pain.
I scanned the room around me, noticing my armour assembled upon a wheeled table to my right, its surface almost entirely worn with scratches and dents.
The soldier spoke again, his eyes shifting from the armour to myself.
"Looks like you've been through a lot, what happened to your insignia?" He said, gesturing towards his face.
I shook my head as I replied, "I don't have any. Not yet."
He raised his arms, crossing them above his chest, "What's an initiate like you doing out here all by yourself?" He asked, his eyes narrowing with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"I was- am, I suppose, part of reconnaissance. I was on my final assignment to earn my agent status, got trapped beyond the primary relay network for months, with those... things." I said, massaging my chest where the stunner had hit.
The guard went to speak again, his features now slack with disbelief. Before he could continue, a loud siren cut through the quiet of the infirmary, its tone wailing twice in quick succession, followed shortly after by the filtered voice of a comm link.
"Contacts in sensor range. Deploy fighter screens. All personnel, brace for combat."
The voice repeated twice more as the guard turned to look past the doorway next to him, surveying the corridor beyond.
I went to get out of the infirmary bed, my legs still half numb from the stunner shock. As the soldier turned to face me again, he raised his hand up towards me, walking closer.
"I wouldn't stand in your state, I'm surprised you're even conscious."
I raised one hand to my throbbing head as I replied, "The Reapers, I have something that can help us. It's... my armour, it's stored in the suit buffer."
He hesitated, his hand held towards me as he keyed his armour comm, "The biotic, she says she has something that can help against the Reapers."
A long pause, then a reply, inaudible from my position. He looked to me again as he keyed his suit comm, shaking his head.
"They won't listen." He said, lowering his hand as he continued. He stood silent; his eyes cast downward as his outer jaw flexed in concentration.
"Look... if what you say is true - and considering what you've already told me, I'm inclined to believe you - there isn't much time."
He looked to the door, then back to me, "This... weapon, or whatever it is, how do we use it?"
I pointed to my armour as I replied, explaining in brief the nature of the override, and its results at Thessia.
The guard stood still, his eyes jumping between the armour and myself. He looked down, shaking his head as a smile snuck across his face, "I'll never hear the end of this."
He paused for a moment, his keen silver eyes locking with my own.
"I can get you off the ship, but beyond that it's all up to you." He said, gesturing towards my armour as he continued, "Put that on. Though this time, have your barriers on."
I nodded towards him, clamping my armour against each limb as I replied, "I didn't think I'd need it, stepping out onto a friendly ship."
"And I didn't think you'd start glowing blue. Seems we both got more than we bargained for." He said, giving me a wry smile.
As I tightened the final armour piece in place, the guard pointed towards the door, turning to make his way forward. He looked back towards me, his eyes almost cheerful, "I never liked the Captain anyway, maybe this'll get me transferred somewhere with better food." He said, stopping next to the doorway, "Name's Faren by the way."
"Val." I replied, slipping my helmet over my head, feeling my ears pop as the air pressure within stabilised.
Faren nodded, swivelling to survey the corridor beyond before looking at me again, "Okay, Val. Let's do this."
It wasn't long before chaos broke loose in the corridor around us, an alarm now blaring persistently above, its shrill tone stifling the footsteps of the people around us. We passed unnoticed amongst the crowd, making our way down the lengthy thoroughfare, Faren in the lead.
I felt my biotics simmering deep within, as if lying in wait, ready to break free at the slightest opportunity.
Faren glanced over his shoulder, his voice now raised over the din, "They've got your craft stored in the hangar still, you'll have to try and slip out amongst the deploying fighters."
Suddenly, the deck shuddered twice, followed by a series of metallic groans which shook the walls around us. Thanix fire; the dreadnought had already entered combat with the Reapers.
Faren stopped in his tracks, grabbing me by the shoulder as he pulled me sideways into a service alcove.
He held his hand up in front of me as he peeked around the corner, his face now fraught with panic, "Don't move." He whispered.
I pressed myself up against the wall of the alcove, head turned to one side. Faren stood across the entrance at attention, raising his fist in salute at a passing officer. Another set of shuddering groans rocked the deck beneath me as the dreadnought fired again.
After a few seconds, I heard Faren speak again, "Okay, he's gone."
"Who?" I asked, still confused.
Faren looked at me, "The officer you met before." He said, stepping back into the corridor, gesturing towards me, "Come on, we're almost there."
After a few more minutes of walking, we arrived at a large airlock. As we stepped inside, Faren turned to face me again, "If anything happens in there, just run for it."
He keyed a nearby console, his eyes scanning the space beyond as the doors opened with a gentle hiss. We were back in the hangar, its menagerie of silver fighter-craft now all but gone.
Through the atmospheric shield at the far side of the hangar, I could make out signs of the battle beyond. Red plasma bolts crossed paths with lancing thanix fire as blue element zero detonations blossomed like miniature suns against the void.
I followed Faren around the edge of the hangar, moving quietly as we made our way to the Asari craft, using storage containers as cover. Faren looked towards me, opening his mouth to speak - right as the floor beneath buckled upwards, throwing both of us against the hangar bulkhead as an immense bang echoed across the hangar.
As I fell to the deck, I strained to look towards the source of the sound. Just in time to see the shimmering blue surface of the atmospheric barrier stutter and fade. I heard Faren shout behind me, "Hold onto something, now!"
I reached for the edge of a nearby support strut, looping my arm through one of the hollow sections. Next to me, I saw Faren do the same as he lifted his helmet to his head with his free hand, locking it in place.
A sound like a hundred rushing waterfalls filled the space as the air around us was sucked sideways. Within my helmet, my suit's environmental alarm chimed incessantly.
The hangar in front of me had become a maelstrom of debris, objects of various sizes crashed against each other, shattering to pieces as they disappeared into the void beyond.
A large container impacted against the side of a partially deconstructed fighter craft, lifting it free of its magnetic locks. It slammed into the edge of the hangar opening, crumpling in two as it tumbled out into space.
A series of thick interlocking plates began to extend over the entrance to the hanger, shutting off the torrent of rushing air with a resounding boom.
I looked to Faren, tapping the side of my helmet. He reached for the comm button on his armour, tapping it three times before extending his hand out towards me. I did the same. As our fingers met, I heard my suit's comms chirp a single note. A moment later, Faren's voice filtered through my helmet, "Prox comm. Haven't used this since the Academy days."
Before I could respond, the floor beneath began to tremble violently. On the far side of the hangar, the metal shutter covering the entrance began to glow, the centre of its structure bowing outwards against some unseen force. Finally, the centre of the shutter exploded with a starburst of molten alloy, disappearing a moment later as it was sucked into the vacuum beyond.
A small Reaper craft shot through the freshly hewn entrance, its forward surface glowing bright red. A second later, it released the building energy as a bolt of plasma, firing it against the hangar wall, sending a blossom of melted bulkhead spewing forth.
Faren and I took cover behind a cargo container, looking at each other as the hangar around us shook with consecutive impacts. I poked my head around the side of the container, assessing the state of a nearby fighter craft.
"I've got an idea, but I need a distraction." I said, pointing in the direction of the Reaper craft. Faren took his turn leaning beyond cover, his eyes darting across the room before ducking back behind the container.
"I've got a pretty good idea too." He replied, pointing towards his helmet.
"Does yours involve metal slugs accelerated to near light-speed?" I asked.
Faren sat in silence, as if confused by my response.
"Trust me." I said, placing my hand on his shoulder reassuringly. After another moment of silence, he nodded, retrieving his rifle from his back.
We took up positions on either side of the container, ready to leap forward.
"On my mark." I said, slapping Faren on the back. He nodded in reply.
"GO."
We both sprinted forward in perfect sync, Faren charging left as I dove right. I sighted the fighter-craft ahead, glancing over my shoulder to look at Faren. I watched as he rolled behind a set of ship components, resting his rifle atop their surface, firing towards the large supporting beam that held the hangar's heavy-duty crane in place.
The reaper craft continued its barrage of fire, flinging plasma indiscriminately against the hangar walls, jolting the floor beneath my feet.
As I weaved through the mess of debris strewn across the hangar floor, I felt a surge of biotics rush through my body. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of the threatening energy. I pictured the assorted objects in front of me as boulders along a rocky surface, imagining the hangar around me as a familiar climbing trail.
The burn of my muscles became indistinguishable from biotic energy as the world around me shrank. Another step, then another. I ran and ran, pain mixed with fatigue until I felt my body might fall apart.
A flash of light to my left snapped me back to reality as a shower of white-hot slag slammed against my suit's barriers, knocking me to the ground.
I laid on the hangar floor gasping for air, a critical barrier warning wailing against my ears. As I turned to face the Reaper craft, its forward surface glowed ominously as it charged another shot.
Faren's voice rang inside my helmet, "Val, get out of there!"
With a gasp of exertion, I rolled to my feet unsteadily, sprinting towards the hangar wall. I spun around, my back slamming against the bulkhead as I sank to the floor.
I looked towards Faren; the end of his rifle flaring as he fired another volley. The cluster of blue plasma shots impacted with the beam, its surface already glowing with white hot craters.
The support beam fell silently through the airless hangar, slamming against the Reaper craft, pinning it to the hangar floor as its prow-mounted energy weapon exploded in a cascade of plasma and molten metal.
With all the strength I had left, I pushed myself up against the hangar bulkhead, stumbling as fast as I could towards the nearby Turian fighter craft. A few seconds later, I reached the back entrance, slamming my fist against the door console. With frustrating slowness, the door lowered before me.
A pulse of biotic energy wracked my body as I fell to my knees, letting out a shout of frustration. Faren's voice rang in my ears like a distant echo as I reached for a handle inside the doorway, pulling myself forward. Making my way into the craft, I slumped into the pilot seat, dragging my hand along the control surface lethargically.
I tapped the weapons console, switching to manual fire as I pulled the controls to the left, centring the reticle on the crippled Reaper craft.
As I slammed my fist against the weapons console, I felt the ship around me shudder. The Reaper vessel disintegrated in an eruption of red fire, sending shrapnel deep into the hangar wall beyond.
My task completed, I let my body slump against the control console, focusing all my attention on the biotic energy raging against my flesh.
I willed every muscle to rest, letting the deluge of heat and pain seep from my body. After some time, I felt a hand against my shoulder, hearing Faren's voice within my helmet again.
"Val, are you okay?"
I nodded my head slowly as I lifted myself back into the pilot's seat, surveying the ruined hanger in front of me.
Faren limped around the seat, resting his shoulder against the side of the cockpit as he glanced through the viewport ahead. A piece of shrapnel as large as my finger sat lodged in his thigh, dark blue blood now bubbling around the edge of the wound as the atmosphere escaped from his suit.
I keyed my helmet comm, speaking softly to Faren, "You're wounded."
He turned to face me, silver eyes looking me up and down through his visor as he chuckled, "And you're mad."
I laughed in turn, feeling various parts of my body sting with pain as I trembled within my armour, "You should see the last place I left."
Faren shook his head as he looked through the viewport again in silence. After a few seconds, he spoke again, "I need to get this leg checked out before I collapse from shock." He said, banging his fist against the nearby bulkhead as he continued, "Take the fighter, I'll tell them it got blown to bits in the battle."
Faren turned to me again, wincing as he shifted his weight, "What'll you do now? The Reapers have no doubt already jumped through."
I settled back into the pilot's seat, letting out a pained sigh as I turned to face him.
"I'm going home."
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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:34:06 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:34:06 GMT 1
Chapter 8 Totality Blue sunlight shone into the cockpit around me, illuminating specks of dust in the still air like a miniature star-field.
As I felt the light of my home star warm against my face, my mind returned to memories I'd thought lost, buried beneath a mantle of trauma. The smell of the Arak shrubs atop the promontory I called home, the sound of the wind whistling through the towers of Cipritine city. I hoped that I would live to see it all again.
Out of the corner of my eye, the spokes of the nearby mass relay began to turn. As I'd arrived through the home relay, I'd posted myself nearby, waiting for the Reaper fleet that I knew would come.
As the relay's mass effect field built in intensity with each passing moment, I placed my palm against the console of the fightercraft, triggering the override once more. The coordinates I chose would place the arriving Reapers at the heart of Trebia's star. I hoped it would be enough.
The relay's systems sent a message in response, a single line of text, composed entirely of Reaper symbols. As my heart skipped a beat, the energy contained within the relay shot outwards in an immense shockwave. I held my breath as it passed me by, sending a tingling feeling against my skin, one which was uncomfortably similar to my ever-present biotics.
A myriad of white flashes pierced the space in front of me, filling my entire vision. As the glow from each one dispersed, I saw the silhouettes of countless dreadnaughts against the void. I felt my stomach plummet as panic overtook me.
I engaged the fighter's FTL, jumping to the closest marker my nav systems could lock onto. A few seconds later, the immense, roiling atmosphere of an orange gas giant filled my fighter's viewport. Planet Essenus.
I dared an active ping, scanning the surrounding space for activity. My nav systems marked a large mass a few thousand units behind me. As I rotated my ship to bring it into view, my heart sank.
In the distance, the remains of the fleet drydock and its nearby fuel refinery lay in ruins, a field of refined H-fuel now dispersing in a wide radius around its wreckage.
I plotted a course for Menae, the panic within me now settling, replaced by a familiar, lingering despair. As I rested my head against the pilot's seat, I felt the familiar tug of the ship's jump drive.
A few minutes later, a view of the moon popped into existence before me, one I could scarcely recognise. Countless impact craters pockmarked its rocky surface, each one surrounded by waves of sand, frozen in time by shockwaves long since passed. Jagged metal remains - both Reaper and Turian alike - jutted from beneath the surface.
Even as I approached, battles continued to rage as explosions sent staccato flashes across its surface. Beyond the horizon, the surface of Palaven loomed, the dark side of the planet now shining incandescent with oceans of molten rock. Countless engagements unfolded in orbit; tiny specks of light and shadow, pierced occasionally by trails of red light.
I looked upon my home world, my mind now numb. For months I'd pictured a view such as this in my mind's eye. After all this time, the revelation before me was just another rock atop a mountain of grief.
A voice stirred me from my thoughts as an IFF challenge appeared atop my control console.
"Incoming vessel, identify yourself, or you will be fired upon."
I pinged my IFF transponder, keying my comm console in response, "My name is Val Soranis, Reconnaissance, sending now."
After a few seconds, the voice returned.
"Received, you're free to land. Command out."
I set a course for the underground military headquarters near the pole of the moon, watching as the scarred landscape rushed by below me.
A few minutes later, the autopilot of my fighter brought itself to rest against the moon's surface, casting forth a spray of fine sand in all directions as the manoeuvring thrusters gave one final burst. As I stepped from the rear ramp of my ship, a figure in dark blue uniform appeared from the underground entrance ahead. As my eyes refocused, my jaw began to tremble as I saw my mother's face.
I stumbled towards her, my mind and body overcome with a surge of emotion. Just as I thought I might fall to the ground below, a pair of arms embraced me, holding me steady. I felt my mother's cries against my chest, her body shaking as she sobbed uncontrollably.
As I stood with her, my tears fell like a waterfall, the knot of grief within me beginning to untangle. It was as if I'd woken from a nightmare, stepping straight into a dream.
"I thought I'd lost you." She breathed, her words quivering as she held me tight, "I looked at every star and imagined you trapped beyond my reach forever."
I rested my head against hers, letting out an unsteady breath as I replied.
"I told you, I always find my way back."
For some time, we stood in silence, savouring each passing second together. Atria looked to her left, her eyes scanning the horizon, settling on the fighter craft behind me.
She held my hands in her own, her eyes now assessing the state of my armour. As fresh tears fell across her face, she stepped forward to embrace me again.
I held her close, looking upon the surface of Palaven as I rested my head against her shoulder. As the image of the reaper fleet flashed through my mind, I felt a surge of anxiety rush through me.
"They're coming. So many… I couldn't stop them." I said, my heart now racing as my breaths became frantic.
Atria's eyes locked with my own as she replied.
"Look at me, Val. Forget it all, just be here with me." She said, her eyes flicking between my own as her features creased with concern.
"I... I could have-" I began, my words fading away as I fell to my knees, the last of my strength now draining from my body.
Before I could say another word, Atria leant down next to me, placing her hands against my face.
"It's not your war to win, Val." She said, a pained expression across her features as she looked down at me.
I nodded in reply as my eyes met with hers, fresh tears now falling across my face.
I felt my heartbeat settle as I forced my breaths into a steady rhythm once more. Atria leant towards me, wrapping her arms around me as she held me tight.
As I looked out across the surface of the battle-scarred moon, my thoughts turned to Tarick. Before my mind could conjure the worst, I asked the question, the answer to which I hoped I was ready for.
"Where is father? Is he safe?" I said, my voice unsteady.
Atria nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek as she replied, "He's in the complex below, I brought him with me when we retreated from Palaven. His research on the relay network and Reaper technology has been invaluable."
"More than he knows." I said, a strained laugh escaping my lips as I looked to the stars above.
Atria looked at me quizzically.
I shook my head as I continued, "It's a long story, I'll tell you later."
Atria nodded, turning to look back towards the complex behind her, "He'll want to see you. Come."
She wrapped her arm around me, resting her head against my shoulder as we rose to our feet, making our way down into the underground complex.
To describe the room as untidy would be generous. Cups and discarded ration tubes lay strewn across the floor, the only clear space being a series of pathways hewn through the clutter.
Datapads and assorted artefacts covered the various surfaces throughout the room, above which floated holographic passages from various languages.
In the centre of the space, a single figure stood slouched against a holographic projector table, his head held immersed within the sea of fluorescent particles.
As Atria and I made our way into the room, he turned towards us, his face now stark against the harsh lighting of the lab.
I rushed towards my father, his features morphing from exhaustion to disbelief.
"Is this a dream?" He asked, stumbling backwards against the holo table as I fell into his embrace.
"It's me. I'm here." I replied, resting my head against his shoulder.
I felt his chest expand as he drew in a long breath, releasing it in a series of heaving sobs.
"My little warrior..." He said softly, his voice now hoarse with tears.
We held each other for a long moment, neither of us willing to let the other go. As we finally stepped back to face each other, I looked across his tear-streaked face. It was as if years of age had been compressed, settling across his weary features.
I dared a playful jab, hoping to rekindle his sense of humour.
"I see they found a use for you down here." I said, glancing towards the nearby equipment.
Tarick looked around the room, a smile appearing on his face as he replied,
"If I didn't know better, I'd have thought they were trying to poison me. These rations wreak havoc on your gizzard after a while."
I heard Atria chuckle behind me, turning to see her walking towards us, a discarded ration tube in one hand.
"So, this is why you never joined me for dinner." She said, flicking the tube from her hand, "There's proper food in the mess hall. You know that, right?"
Tarick merely shrugged, glancing coyly towards Atria.
She stood beside us, putting her hands around our shoulders. Without a word, we brought our heads together, resting them in unison.
"No matter what happens now, we'll be together." Atria whispered.
A moment later, the floor beneath us vibrated briefly. The three of us stood apart, looking around the space as the floor shook again, this time in a series of consecutive quakes.
Atria keyed her comm, making her way towards the door as she looked back at us.
"I'll meet you in command." She said, disappearing beyond the threshold.
I turned to Tarick; a look of concern now set upon his features. Without a word, we made for the doorway, following Atria into the corridor beyond.
The command room was a pit of chaos; Turian officers barged from one side of the room to the other, staring wearily at the consoles before them. Above it all, on a raised platform which extended over the circular space, a red-clad commander shouted down into the mess of officers below, his hand pointing towards the holographic display at the front of the room.
Across the wall-spanning screen, clusters of red dots shot across a series of concentric circles, in the center of which lay a glowing blue orb. A representation of the home system.
Shouting voices competed for attention above the din.
"-They're still pouring through the relay. More than we've seen in the past month combined."
"-No time, they'll be on us in minutes."
Atria raced towards us from a row of consoles ahead, her face dire.
"It's a final assault. They must have discovered the Council's project-"
Before she could finish, the floor beneath us shook, throwing us off balance as the room was plunged into darkness. An array of blue emergency lights flickered to life against the bulkheads, casting a dim glow across the space.
The red-clad commander atop the platform rose to his feet, his voice cutting through the silence.
"Order an evacuation, retreat to Palaven. We'll hold them there."
I turned to face Tarick, his hand held to his head tenderly.
"Are you okay?" I asked, helping him back to his feet.
He nodded, his outer jaw flexing as he replied, "Just... bumped my head is all."
Atria arrived next to us, her eyes darting between Tarick and I, "Is he good to move?"
Tarick placed his hand on Atria's shoulder, "I'm fine."
Atria gripped Tarick's hand, her eyes turning towards the ceiling, "The transports are on the surface, we need to move now if we're going to make it."
I nodded, looking between Tarick and Atria.
"Together then."
Panic-stricken voices met our ears as we raced out onto the surface of the moon. Above us, fleeting shimmers of light filled the air as sleek fighter craft roared overhead.
My stomach lurched with dread as I looked to the sky, seeing a storm of flashes against the darkness of space as fleet upon fleet of Reaper ships materialised above the moon.
I grasped Tarick's hand, pulling him forward as I raced to follow Atria. The three of us ran across the sandy surface of the moon as Reaper craft descended, the sound of their engines combining into a deafening howl.
A sleek dropship roared to life ahead of us, its deep blue barriers snapping into place, sending a shockwave of air across the sand below. Atria glanced over her shoulder towards us as she pointed to the dropship, "That's our ride, we need to move."
We broke into a sprint, flinging trails of sand behind us with every step. A Reaper craft dove towards us, its forward surface glowing as it fired a volley of shots at the dropship. The latter's shields blazed white hot as deep blue ripples flowed across its shimmering surface.
Biotic energy began to stir within me, sending tingling waves across my skin. I looked up at the Reaper craft, watching as it arced high into the air, looping down for another attack.
Atria passed through the shield ahead, its surface rippling against her contact. As I lunged for the safety of the barrier, I heard a sharp crack behind me, followed by a series of searing impacts.
As I turned to look at Tarick, a starburst of blue blood shot from his chest as he collapsed to the sand.
"Father!"
A scream escaped my lungs as I dove towards him, the wound on his chest now a pool of blood. With no time to spare, I lifted his limp form onto my shoulder, carrying him through the shield.
I felt the warmth of my biotics flowing across the surface of my skin as a stab of pain shot through my head. My legs collapsed beneath me, sending Tarick and I sprawling to the sand.
A series of deafening booms emanated from the direction of the dropship. I looked up to see its turret firing upon the Reaper craft. The shots landed with explosive effect, sending a shower of rending metal and red plasma falling against the surface of the shield above us.
I lent over Tarick, the shimmering shields casting waves of blue light against his features. A horrific wail echoed past me as frantic footsteps approached from behind. Atria fell to her knees, reaching forward to cradle Tarick's head.
My hands trembled uncontrollably as I retrieved a medigel vial from my armour, pouring it into his open wound. The foaming substance disappeared hopelessly amongst his dark blue blood, overwhelmed by the sheer amount pouring forth.
I looked into my father's eyes as a trickle of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth, his body shuddering as a retching cough escaped his lungs.
A pained smile appeared across his face as his eyes met my own. My vision began to blur as each heaving breath brought forth a flood of fresh tears.
With a slow, strained movement, Tarick raised his hand towards me, wiping the tears from my face with his fingers as he spoke through ragged breaths.
"You're ready now."
He put his hand to his face, dragging a finger along his twilight blue markings. With a second, laboured motion, he lifted his hand to my cheek again. I felt his finger trace the contours of my face, running along the side of my head as his arm fell to the sand beside me.
He drew in a long, steady breath as his eyes met my own, tranquillity spreading across his features, an air of peace filling his voice as he spoke.
"My dreams go with you."
I watched as his eyes went still, staring into the final moments of his life. With a gentle motion, I lifted his head, resting his head against my own one final time. I threw my head back, screaming in anguish until the air in my lungs was utterly spent.
A hand grasped my shoulder, turning me around. Atria stood behind me, her face a dichotomy of grief and determination, "Val, there's no time."
I shouted towards her, my body trembling as biotic energy shimmered around me, "I can't... I can't leave him. Not again."
I looked down towards my father's body, a wall of grief shattering against me as my breaths turned to choking cries.
I watched as my tears fell to the sand below, visions of my father flashing through my mind in a kaleidoscope of memory.
The air itself seemed to shake with a cataclysmic bang as the shield of the dropship flared blinding white, a wave of red fire coursing down its surface.
A soldier ran down the ramp towards us, a look of fear gripping his features as he stopped next to Atria, "We need to go. Now."
As my mind registered the events around me, I felt the biotic energy within me swell uncontrollably. Tendrils of blue radiance flared across the surface of my body as the sand around me began to levitate.
Atria's eyes widened as she looked towards me, "Val, what's going on?"
I shook my head as I got to my feet, triggering a fresh wave of pain inside my skull, "Just go, I'm right behind you." I shouted.
Atria glanced back at me worryingly as she raced towards the dropship, the soldier by her side.
With a final heartbreaking glance towards Tarick, I rushed forward to follow Atria, leaping onto the ramp as she disappeared into the hold above. A pull of inertia dragged me downward as I entered the rear cabin, turning to see the ground fall away beneath the dropship.
Inside the cabin, Atria stood beside the soldier from before. She rushed forward, her eyes assessing me from head to talon. As I looked towards her, I felt the biotics within me mercifully recede, falling to a shimmering of blue energy above my skin.
"Val... all this time, why didn't you tell me?" Atria asked, her eyes narrowing with sadness as she stood before me. I stared into her azure eyes, feeling a wellspring of guilt open deep within me.
"I knew... I feared it would bring you nothing but shame." I replied, lowering my head to the deck below.
"Oh Val..." She breathed, stepping forward to place her hand on my chest, "You could never bring me anything but pride-"
A deafening crack split the air around us. I looked out the rear of the cabin, seeing the blue shield barrier burst out of existence as the pursuing Reaper destroyer fired relentlessly, sending searing red bolts to either side of the dropship.
I grasped my mother's hand gently, looking at her sorrowfully as I turned to make my way to the rear of the dropship. I closed my eyes as the biotics within me began to stutter to life once more, my mind returning to the Asari mining world as I pictured Idisa, standing with her hand held high as a glowing protective field enveloped her.
With a surge of determination and painful energy, I opened my eyes, holding my hand out towards the rear ramp. I willed my biotics forward, feeling an influx of heat channel down along my arm and out into the air in front of me. With each passing moment, the nerves in my arm burnt ever hotter with searing pain.
The destroyer sent another volley forth, the bolts of plasma closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. An explosion of blinding red fire blossomed across my vision, held at bay by the surging blue field before me. A lance of agony shot up along my arm and into my skull.
Red embers of ionised atmosphere floated past me as I fell to the deck, my biotic field now returning to envelop me once more. The dropship lurched beneath me as an explosion rang out from somewhere above. I felt myself flung upwards as the world began to spin, a sharp pain shooting through my head as I fell backwards against a metal surface, tumbling end over end as the roar of passing wind assaulted my ears. I reached out instinctively, finding a hold.
My view steadied as I found myself clinging to the end of the dropship's rear ramp, the passing air now buffeting against me, my fingers straining hopelessly against the pull. Like wind to a flame, the biotic energy within me escaped like wildfire, filling the air around me with terrible radiance.
I looked down, seeing the Reaper destroyer leap upwards, raising a geyser of sand against the moon's surface in its wake. Its leg-like appendages folding up beneath it as it shot towards me with terrifying speed.
A series of flashes pulsed along its hull, sending forth a hail of crackling plasma bolts. I felt the ramp shake within my grasp, watching as one of the right engines exploded in blue flame, shearing loose from the hull.
My vision began to darken around the edges as waves of pain throbbed through my skull. Just as I thought my mind would collapse under the weight, I heard a voice call out to me from above.
"Val. NO!"
Atria stood at the rear entrance of the dropship, her eyes wide with terror as she dropped to the ramp, her hands grasping for purchase against the buffeting movement. My hold on the ramp began to weaken, the limits of my physical endurance having long since passed.
Atria reached towards me desperately; her hand held at bay by pulsing waves of biotic energy. I looked down towards the approaching Reaper, its dark mass growing bigger in my vision with every passing moment.
Atria shook her head as I looked at her again, her eyes closing as they met with mine. Tears streamed from her face and into the passing wind as she opened her eyes once more.
"I can't lose you again." She shouted, her voice wavering against the torrent of air between us.
With a final desperate grasp against the surface of the ramp, I looked up into my mother's eyes, calling above the wind.
"I love you."
I felt my hand slip free of the ramp as a scream cut through the air above me. I looked to my mother one final time, reaching towards her as I let out a cry of despair.
As I fell downward, the black form of the Reaper destroyer came into view, the air around me now resembling a vast field of liquefied light, pulsing luminously with every heartbeat.
With one final effort, I reached my hand out towards the horrors before me, closing my eyes as I focused inward, sensing the biotic energy within me, no longer a raging fire, but an ocean. My consciousness fell inwards, drawn ever deeper into its cool expanse.
I released my hold over the biotics within, feeling an ocean of energy rush forth from every part of my body. With a long, steady breath, I felt myself float free, letting the pain of thought escape my mind one last time.
I held my father's hand as we walked through an enormous open space. My eyes darted between species of all shapes and sizes, their conversations spoken in languages I couldn't understand.
It was my first time aboard the place my father called the Citadel. Around every corner we found something new and exciting. I hoped we could stay here for a long time.
I looked over my shoulder, watching mother as she walked behind us, her hand dancing across the surface of a datapad held before her.
"Mother, you're missing it all." I said, raising my voice above the loudness around me.
She glanced down at me over her datapad, smiling warmly as she replied, "I'm sure you'll tell me all about it when we get back aboard the shuttle."
I shook my head, disappointed by her lack of interest at the sights around us.
Father led us onto an elevator, putting his hand against a button on the wall, holding the door open for an approaching person.
I looked up in awe at the stranger, taking in every detail of his alien features. He glanced towards mother with large, deep eyes set high along his narrow face, his slit-like mouth moving quickly as he spoke to her in a high-pitched voice. At the top of his head sat a strange feature, like two fingers arched together at each end.
Father's voice broke my concentration, a look of excitement across his face as he glanced down towards me.
"This is the best part, Val." He said, pointing towards the opening elevator doors.
As I turned to look at the space ahead, my heart leapt with excitement. Before us was a balcony lined with a long, glass railing, beyond which lay a view which took my breath away. Buildings of all shapes and sizes sat against the inside of a great curving surface, creating a city that stretched high into the sky above.
I looked at my father, pointing towards the view ahead excitedly.
"Go ahead, take it all in." He said, letting go of my hand.
He patted me on the back as I ran forward, my head turning to take in all the details I could find around me. A pair of aliens smiled towards me, their beautiful faces sweeping back into narrow features which ran along the length of their heads. I smiled in return, waving as I ran towards the edge of the balcony.
I strained to see the details of the city beyond through the smudged railing glass. Spotting a potted plant to my right, I climbed into its soil-filled surface, feeling the soft leaves brush against my legs.
Satisfied with my newfound vantage point, I lent forward over the balcony, trying to soak in as many details as I could.
As father arrived next to me, I looked up to him, grinning with delight.
"Be careful of where you climb Val, it can get quite windy up here." He said, placing his hand on my shoulder gently.
"It's amazing." I said, my eyes wandering across the view ahead of us.
Father nodded, folding his arms across his chest as he replied, "There are many more wonders like this, out amongst the galaxy."
"How many?" I asked, my heart leaping with excitement at the thought.
"More than you could ever count, Val." He said, smiling as he looked down at me again.
I looked out onto the great sweeping arms of the city station before me, my heart filling with joy as my mind raced with daydreams of adventure.
"One day, I want to see them all."
I opened my eyes, gasping a long, ragged breath into my lungs. The air smelt of ozone and burnt metal, falling bitterly against my tongue with each passing breath.
An ocean of shattered objects floated through the sky above, their shapes vague against the blackness of space.
As I lent forward, a sharp jolt shot along my spine, sending waves of tingling pain down each of my limbs. A cracking noise startled me as I placed my hand against the ground, feeling a hard, smooth surface.
I looked down, finding a sea of blue-stained glass, now shattered into countless fragments in a crater-like structure around me.
Utterly confused, I got to my feet, feeling lances of pain run through each of my limbs.
I surveyed the area around me, finding metallic debris of different sizes strewn across the surface of the moon in all directions, my ears now filled with an eerie silence. As I stepped forward, the cracking of the glass surface echoed across the barren landscape around me.
An alarm sounded from my suit comm, causing me to jump clear into the air. I triggered the prompt with a tap of my finger, playing back a distorted message.
"-Went down hard, coordinates 23.84… hang on… 23.84.51. Need assistance-" The message swelled with static, returning mid-sentence, "-happened to the Reapers, they're falling from the sky-" The message ended with a blast of distortion.
I keyed my armour's omnitool, inputting the coordinates from the distress signal. A rudimentary topographical map displayed against my forearm, two markers indicating my own position as well as that of the inputted coordinates.
With slow progress, I made my way across the rocky landscape towards the location of the distress signal, my limbs almost numb as the pain against my spine swelled with every step.
As I passed over a final rocky hill, I spotted a long, black streak across the ground ahead. At the end of which lay the broken remains of a Turian dropship, its right engine completely missing. I rushed forward, moving as fast as my pain-addled limbs would carry me.
As I reached the rear of the craft, a Turian soldier emerged from within, his eyes widening as he looked towards me.
"No way." He said, disappearing back within the darkened hold.
I stepped into the cabin of the dropship tentatively as my eyes adjusted to the shadowy interior. I saw the soldier again, now with a second person by his side.
I watched as my mother stepped forward, one half of her left outer jaw now missing, her left arm dangling limply beside her, swaying slowly as she stood uneasily.
With a cry of joy, I rushed towards her, wrapping my arms around her neck as I held her close. The pain in my spine flared excruciatingly as I sobbed, sending spasms throughout my body.
I fell to my knees before her, my mind and body beyond the realm of fatigue.
Atria knelt down in front of me; her hand raised to my face as her eyes met my own. She looked to the soldier next to her, speaking softly.
"My Val."
She turned her head downwards, collapsing onto the floor in front of me.
"What's wrong with her?" I shouted, turning to the soldier in panic.
He knelt next to Atria, shaking his head as he pulled her upright against a nearby bulkhead.
"She's in shock. Honestly, I don't blame her." He said, placing a finger against the side of Atria's neck as he looked towards me, "She just needs rest."
I turned to look out the rear of the dropship, my eyes wondering the landscape beyond. Black metal remnants of Reaper craft jutted high above the surface of the barren moon.
"The Reapers, what happened to them?" I asked, turning to face the soldier again.
He stood, making his way towards the cockpit ahead.
"Hear for yourself." He said, activating the comm console with a tap of his finger.
The voices of countless Turians echoed throughout the remains of the dropship's cabin.
"-Burning up in the atmosphere, they're dead-"
"-Recalling all forces to the surface of Palaven for search and rescue-"
"-Melt them to radiation, leave nothing behind-"
"-Reports that the human hero, Shepard, activated a weapon at the heart of the Citadel-"
The soldier tapped the comm console again, making his way back into the cabin.
I raised my fist across my chest in salute as he approached, "Thanks for looking after her."
He nodded, kneeling next to Atria.
"In truth, she saved me. Held me against the bulkhead as we hit the ground, took a lot of shrapnel for her troubles." He said, placing his hand against her shoulder, "Pilot and gunner weren't so lucky."
I followed his gaze to the bodies of two Turians lying on the opposite side of the cabin, their arms having been placed respectfully across their chests.
I nodded towards him as I rose to my feet tenderly, making my way out onto the sandy surface of the moon. I looked towards Palaven, shining high above; streaks of golden fire shimmered above its surface as the last remnants of the Reaper's presence burnt away.
Above the horizon, the first slivers of blue sunlight cast long shadows across the planet's surface, marking the dawn of a day I thought I'd never see. The long waking nightmare of Reaper cruelty, now nothing but a memory.
As I pictured the days ahead, my would-be joy plummeted hopelessly, a crushing realisation now looming before me.
I would never see my father again.
Never laugh together as we stumbled our way through rocky trails beneath the warm midday sun. I'd never sit with him, telling him stories of the wonders I'd seen throughout the galaxy.
With a long, trembling sigh, I dropped to my knees, running my hands through the sand beneath me as my vision clouded with tears.
The sound of footsteps against the soft sand drew my gaze. I turned to see my mother limping her way forward, her eyes glazed, as if lost in a daydream.
She settled into the sand beside me, resting her head against my shoulder. As I reached my arm around her, she looked ahead in silence, her face tranquil in the blue morning light.
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Praxis
Sept 14, 2021 7:36:37 GMT 1
Post by M.J Robinson on Sept 14, 2021 7:36:37 GMT 1
Chapter 9 Praxis "Are you ready?"
My mother's voice, as if a world away, stirred me from my meditation.
I opened my eyes, looking at her as she sat across from me, an ornate glass container now resting in her lap, its contents a deep twilight blue.
The room around me was dim, lit only by a few holographic globes hovering near the ceiling. The air was thick with the aroma of ceremonial incense, its sweet perfume calming my thoughts with every breath.
To my left, an observation window ran the length of the space, providing a panoramic view of Palaven below.
The sun hung low near the horizon, its blue light casting scintillating rays through the incense-filled air of the observation room.
I turned to look at my mother again, her face glowing softly against the sunlight.
"I'm ready." I breathed, straightening my back as I closed my eyes again, feeling a single tear fall across my cheek.
I heard a scrape against glass. A moment later, I felt the first warm strokes of dye against my face.
I sat utterly still as each one traced a fresh line along my features, completing the insignia that I'd waited all my life to receive.
A rush of joy broke the composure of my thoughts. I opened my eyes, watching my mother as she gathered more paint against her finger.
As her gaze returned to my face, I saw fresh tears stream from her eyes, a look of pride set upon her features as she smiled towards me.
I closed my eyes again, letting her finish the ritual. Trying as hard as I could to hold back the tears welling within me.
Sometime later, I felt her hands grasp my own as she spoke softly.
"It is done."
I opened my eyes. Before I could think, my contained emotions rushed forth.
Atria embraced me as I sat, shaking involuntarily as my tears flowed hopelessly forth.
After some time, I let in a long, steady breath, regaining my composure. Atria lifted her hand to my chin, rubbing away my tears with a slender finger as she recited her ceremonial vow. "You are everything I am."
I looked to her right, my father's absence sending a stab of grief through my heart as I spoke the words of his vow, completing the ritual.
"My dreams go with you."
I grasped Atria's hands in my own as I nodded slowly, taking in the scent of the ceremonial dye against my face. It reminded me of home; of the sweet, rocky aromas that met my senses with every climb.
After some time, I stood gingerly, making my way to the observation window. In the reflection I saw my face, the insignia of my family set across my features.
I felt complete. I was no longer an initiate. No longer a young woman searching for my place in the world.
From this moment on, I was a Turian.
I leapt from hand hold to hand hold, feeling grains of sand grind against the warm rock beneath my fingers, the heat of the day's sunlight still trapped within. My biotic implants stung beneath my skin as my arms and legs burned with exhaustion.
Just when I thought my body might give in, I placed my hand against the ledge above, pulling myself up onto the rocky outcropping. I breathed deeply as I settled to the warm ground, savouring the clear mountain air as it passed against my throat. Here by myself, at the top of the world, I could think freely.
I spread my legs out before me, taking in the view of Cipritine city against the horizon. High above, amidst the twilight, the sky once again rose into a great river of stars.
A feeling of nostalgia washed over me. Here I was again, amidst the joyful wilderness, on the eve of another leap into the unknown. I thought of the mission the Council had offered me, a joint-species expedition to the edge of the galaxy. There, I hoped, I would find a semblance of lasting peace.
As I stretched my limbs, I let the tension and inner turmoil inside me stream away; all the memories of the past six months, a dichotomy of wonder and horror, passed through my mind with the irresistible force of a river.
The emotions from each spiralled within me as I focused on the rise and fall of my chest, letting the rhythmic sensation cleanse my thoughts. I felt the grief and torment that had built up around my soul dissolve with each passing breath, setting me free of the lingering anxiety that had shadowed every waking moment since.
Reaching into my backpack, I retrieved a small urn from within, placing my hand atop its surface. As I felt its warmth against my skin, I closed my eyes, picturing my father beside me, smiling boyishly as he plotted some yet unspoken humour.
I held his face in my mind as I opened the urn gently, casting its contents forth into the mountain breeze. As I opened my eyes, the image from my mind lingered amidst the ashes.
I watched as they rose, spreading thin and wide as they sparkled amidst the evening sky. Even now, my father drew my eyes to the stars above, filling me with a sense of wonder at what lay beyond.
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