Post by hightime on Jan 6, 2009 22:55:59 GMT 1
Greetings. I am HighTime, and I bring fic. Specifically, I bring female/vanguard/Earthborn/War Hero novelization fanfic, betaed by The Jade Falcon (www.fanfiction.net/u/1072964/), who is both amazing and British.
Enjoy, and please review to tell me whether this is crap, gold, or somewhere in between. The next chapter will be up in a couple days.
WARNING! Contains expletives. Will eventually contain at least mild sexual material.
Mass Effect: The Shores of Infinity
Chapter One: Paradise Lost: Part I
Blood on her hands...
“Keep pressure on the hole!”
Someone was yelling and Morgan was staring into the eyes of Beaky, a fifteen year old fellow Red who was rapidly bleeding out through a hole in the side of his chest despite her best efforts. She could feel his heart beating and the rise and fall of his breathing.
This isn’t real.
She could feel it, and she kept pressing down. Kept putting pressure on the bullet hole. It felt like she was pushing his heartbeat down. It felt like she was pushing the life out of him.
This isn’t now.
She was thirteen, her dark brown hair cut roughly to her shoulders, getting in her eyes, her left eye blurring on her as it sometimes did, making the horrible situation even worse. It was her first run with the older gang members, her first real fight. Finch was to her left, yelling at her as he fired his old Devlon piece at one of the Dirks down on the street. Finch was the same age as her but he’d been with the gang since he was born, whereas she’d been a Rat – a young pickpocket and thief without the protection of a gang – until three years ago. Usually that would have earned him a job like this – providing cover fire for the older gang members on a raid against a rival gang – far earlier than her, but Morgan was an exception. Everyone knew she was a good shot. Finch had been angry about that, presumably thinking that she wasn’t ready or simply wanting the glory for himself, but now he was a bit busy shooting, she was a bit busy panicking, and Beaky was a bit busy dying.
I need to wake up.
Morgan Shepard watched Beaky’s eyes roll back into his head, and knew that she wasn’t going to die like him, no matter what she had to do to prevent it.
I need to wake up. This isn’t real.
Shepard opened her eyes, and in a flash she was back on the Normandy, parsecs and parsecs from Earth and its slums. She took a deep breath and relaxed the muscles in her arms, one of which was hanging over the side of her bunk. The shift-change tone sounded. Time to go to work, she thought.
“The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range,” came Joker’s voice over the intercom, as Shepard emerged onto Deck One after hurriedly getting ready and grabbing her gear, hoping no-one noticed that she had overslept. “Initiating transmission sequence.”
She marched towards the cockpit, nodding to Navigator Pressley as she passed through the navigation room. She began internally steeling herself for the transit. Even after eleven years with the Systems Alliance, she still wasn’t used to the unique sensation that Mass Relays caused.
“We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination. Relay is hot, acquiring approach vector. All stations secure for transit.”
Nihlus, the Spectre representing the Council’s interest in the Normandy, was already in the cockpit. Shepard moved to stand next to him, though she made sure not to get too close.
“The board is green. Approach run has begun. Hitting Relay in three...”
Shepard let out a deep breath and bit down slightly on the inside of her cheek.
“... two ...”
She glanced over at Lieutenant Alenko. The lucky bastard didn’t seem at all tense.
“...one.”
Mass effect was something that you had to feel for yourself. It couldn’t be described, not even one biotic to another. Shepard was a biotic, and she still couldn’t even really wrap her head around the experience. Losing mass is different than a change in weight, which everyone who’s been off their homeworld has experienced. Changes in weight are a result of changes in gravity. Gravity is the attraction between all objects in the universe, and its strength depends on proximity and mass. Mass is an inherent property of matter. A change in mass requires a change in the fabric of reality on a quantum level.
The closest Shepard, who was usually very precise with her words, could come to describing it was to say that it felt really fucking weird.
She let out her breath as they left the mass effect field.
“Thrusters... check. Navigation... check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500 K,” said Joker.
“Fifteen hundred is good,” said Nihlus, turning to leave. “Your captain will be pleased.”
Shepard watched him go out of the corner of her eye. Having a Spectre aboard was odd enough, but sometimes she could have sworn Nihlus was following her, or even anticipating her movements.
“I hate that guy,” Joker half-muttered, not seeming to care whether the turian was out of earshot or not.
“Nihlus gave you a compliment, so you hate him?” said Lt. Kaidan Alenko, who was running the backup controls for the first jump, probably more out of obligation than because he expected a logical answer. Joker was completely unfathomable at times.
“Remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom, that’s good! I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead, so that’s incredible!”
Definitely unfathomable, Shepard thought.
“Besides,” Joker continued, “Spectres are trouble. I don’t like having one on board. Call me paranoid.”
“You’re paranoid,” said Alenko. “The Council helped fund this project, they have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment.”
“Yeah, that is the official story. Only an idiot believes the official story.”
“They don’t send Spectres on shakedown runs,” Shepard added absentmindedly. Honestly, she was surprised Kaidan believed the party line. He was a smart guy, and usually pretty savvy about these things.
“So there’s more going on here than the captain’s letting on,” said Joker.
“Maybe,” said Alenko, “but if so, odds are that the captain’s trusting us to maintain some plausible deniability on the subject.”
Ah, Shepard thought. Kaidan wasn’t sure what was going on, or not going on, but he wasn’t aiming to rock the boat. It explained a lot.
The intercom crackled and Captain Anderson’s voice could be heard, tone slightly annoyed. “Joker! Status report!”
“Just cleared the Mass Relay, Captain,” Joker replied, all business. “Stealth systems engaged, everything looks solid.”
“Good,” said the captain. “Find a comm. buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” said Joker. “Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way,” he added.
“He’s already here,” said the captain. He didn’t sound too happy with Joker’s attempted warning. “Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm. room for a debriefing.” The comm. clicked off.
“You get that, Commander?” asked Joker.
“He sounds angry. Something must have gone wrong with the mission,” she said, and headed aft.
“Captain always sounds like that when he’s talking to me,” said Joker, sounding almost pleased.
Kaidan scoffed. “Can’t imagine why.” Shepard felt the corners of her mouth lift slightly. She loved listening in on the crew’s bantering, though, as XO, she rarely got a chance to participate. The Executive Officer’s job since the first ships sailed spice routes had always been to say what people didn’t want to hear. She was the designated bad guy for this assignment, and she could live with that.
Captain Anderson wasn’t waiting for her in the comm. room. Nihlus was. He was staring at a database entry, seemingly engrossed. Shepard didn’t buy it. She walked down the ramp to the main level and the Spectre leisurely turned to face her.
“Commander Shepard. I was hoping you’d get here first. It will give us a chance to talk,” he said.
“What about?” asked Shepard. It was bull, and they both knew it. Nihlus had obviously asked Captain Anderson for permission to speak to her alone for a short while for some reason.
“I’m interested in this world we’re going to – Eden Prime,” said Nihlus. “I hear it’s quite beautiful.”
“They say it’s a paradise,” Shepard said. Private Jenkins had called it gorgeous, if she remembered correctly.
“Yes... a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. Safe. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn’t it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?”
Shepard took a step forward. “Do you know something?” she asked, voice hard.
“Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?” Shepard suddenly had a feeling they weren’t really talking about Eden Prime.
“I think it’s time we told the commander what’s really going on.” said Captain Anderson, his rich voice and footsteps, sounding metallic on the deck, announcing his arrival.
“This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run,” said Nihlus.
“I figured there was something you weren’t telling us,” said Shepard, allowing a hint of satisfaction to show.
“We’re making a covert pickup on Eden Prime. That’s why we need the stealth systems operational,” the captain said, ignoring her remark.
“What’s the payload, Captain?” she asked.
“A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon,” he said, looking very intensely into her eyes. “It was Prothean.”
Shock rippled through her body, though she did her best not to show it. If this was big enough to merit a covert pickup, then the importance of the discovery was probably... well, really, really big. Shepard struggled to maintain her professional attitude.
“What else can you tell me?” she asked. She believed she was doing impressively well at hiding her shock.
“This is big, Shepard,” Anderson said, confirming her thoughts. “The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn’t have the facilities for something like this. We need to bring it back to the Citadel for proper study.”
“Obviously this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander,” said Nihlus “This discovery could affect every species in Council space.”
“Are we expecting trouble?” asked Shepard, half because of Nihlus’s tone, half because this seemed a little too perfect.
“I’m always expecting trouble,” the turian deadpanned.
“There’s more, Shepard. Nihlus isn’t just here for the beacon,” said Anderson. His voice carried an unusual weight. “He’s also here to evaluate you.”
“Guess that explains why I bump into him every time I turn around,” Shepard said, keeping her tone casual, even light. Something was definitely going on here. From the way the Captain was talking, she suspected that, whatever it was, it was big, interstellar scale big.
“The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council’s power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it will show how far the Alliance has come,” said Anderson.
“You held off an enemy assault during the Blitz single-handed,” said Nihlus. “You showed not only courage, but incredible skill.”
“‘Single-handed’ is a bit of an overstatement,” Shepard replied, struggling to maintain her mental balance. For fuck’s sake, they’re considering making me a Spectre! she thought. She knew she needed to treat this like any other potential promotion, but it was hard, knowing there were probably fewer than a hundred Spectres in all of Council space, and that none of them were human. Hell, as far as she knew, there had never even been another human considered.
“Perhaps,” said Nihlus. “But there are very few officers I know of who could achieve those kinds of results with untrained civilians, and your own combat skills can hardly be discounted. That’s why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres.”
Shepard turned to the captain. “I assume this is good for the Alliance?” she asked. If there was some political manoeuvring affecting her, she wanted to know.
“Earth needs this, Shepard,” said Captain Anderson. In other words, even if something was going on, they couldn’t afford to pass up this opportunity. “We’re counting on you.”
“I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together,” said Nihlus, bringing the conversation back to more practical matters and more direct speech.
“You’ll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission,” Anderson informed her.
“We should be getting close to Ed–” the Captain began, before being interrupted by Joker’s voice over the comm.
“Captain, we’ve got a problem.”
“What’s wrong, Joker?” Anderson asked.
“Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this.”
“Bring it up on screen.”
A projection flashed into existence in front of the three of them. It was low quality, with a low resolution but plenty of static. There were a lot of rifle shots being fired.
A woman in red and white armor ran towards the camera, yelling at someone to get down. The camera moved wildly and the shots continued. For a moment there was nothing but static, then the face of a marine was visible, probably the man who was holding the camera.
“We are under attack!” the man yelled over the sounds of gunfire. “Taking heavy casualties! I repeat, heavy casualties!” He continued, but the amount of static was increasing, making it more and more difficult to understand him. “We can’t – need evac – They came out of nowhere, we need –!” The man fell to the ground, and the camera with him. It caught an image of two human marines as it fell, and of something else: it was synthetic, and somehow familiar, as though Shepard had seen it in a movie. There was more static, more firing, a shot of crackling blue energy, and then nothing.
“Everything cuts out after that. No comm. traffic at all,” said Joker, pulling Shepard back to herself.
“Reverse and hold at 38.5,” said Anderson. The vid returned to the shot of the synthetic and held. No-one spoke for several seconds. Then Captain Anderson barked out, “Status report!”
Joker replied without hesitation or any of his usual sass. “Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area.”
“Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated,” said the Captain.
“A small strike team can move quickly, without drawing attention. It’s our best chance to secure the beacon,” said Nihlus. Shepard wondered if it was a suggestion or an order. It didn’t really matter.
Anderson turned to her: “Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold. Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You’re going in.”
“Someone was doing some serious digging here, Captain,” said Joker’s voice, this time over the speakers in the cargo hold, which were slightly tinny.
“Just get us close enough for deployment,” Anderson replied before turning to Shepard. “Your team’s the muscle in this operation, Commander. Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site.”
“What about survivors, Captain?” asked Lieutenant Alenko.
“Helping survivors is a secondary objective. The beacon’s your top priority,” the Captain replied. Shepard grimaced.
“Approaching Drop Point One,” announced Joker. Nihlus, who had been doing a final check of his weapons, headed for the bay doors.
“Nihlus, you coming with us?” asked Jenkins.
“I move faster on my own,” the turian shouted over the roaring wind. Then he was gone, leaping out of the ship before it had landed.
“Nihlus will scout out ahead. He’ll feed you status reports throughout the mission. Otherwise, I want radio silence,” said the captain.
“Ready and able, sir,” said Shepard.
“The mission’s yours now, Shepard! Good luck!” Something in the captain’s eyes made Shepard wonder just what he was talking about.
Joker interrupted her thoughts. “We are approaching Drop Point Two...”
Enjoy, and please review to tell me whether this is crap, gold, or somewhere in between. The next chapter will be up in a couple days.
WARNING! Contains expletives. Will eventually contain at least mild sexual material.
Mass Effect: The Shores of Infinity
Chapter One: Paradise Lost: Part I
Blood on her hands...
“Keep pressure on the hole!”
Someone was yelling and Morgan was staring into the eyes of Beaky, a fifteen year old fellow Red who was rapidly bleeding out through a hole in the side of his chest despite her best efforts. She could feel his heart beating and the rise and fall of his breathing.
This isn’t real.
She could feel it, and she kept pressing down. Kept putting pressure on the bullet hole. It felt like she was pushing his heartbeat down. It felt like she was pushing the life out of him.
This isn’t now.
She was thirteen, her dark brown hair cut roughly to her shoulders, getting in her eyes, her left eye blurring on her as it sometimes did, making the horrible situation even worse. It was her first run with the older gang members, her first real fight. Finch was to her left, yelling at her as he fired his old Devlon piece at one of the Dirks down on the street. Finch was the same age as her but he’d been with the gang since he was born, whereas she’d been a Rat – a young pickpocket and thief without the protection of a gang – until three years ago. Usually that would have earned him a job like this – providing cover fire for the older gang members on a raid against a rival gang – far earlier than her, but Morgan was an exception. Everyone knew she was a good shot. Finch had been angry about that, presumably thinking that she wasn’t ready or simply wanting the glory for himself, but now he was a bit busy shooting, she was a bit busy panicking, and Beaky was a bit busy dying.
I need to wake up.
Morgan Shepard watched Beaky’s eyes roll back into his head, and knew that she wasn’t going to die like him, no matter what she had to do to prevent it.
I need to wake up. This isn’t real.
Shepard opened her eyes, and in a flash she was back on the Normandy, parsecs and parsecs from Earth and its slums. She took a deep breath and relaxed the muscles in her arms, one of which was hanging over the side of her bunk. The shift-change tone sounded. Time to go to work, she thought.
“The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range,” came Joker’s voice over the intercom, as Shepard emerged onto Deck One after hurriedly getting ready and grabbing her gear, hoping no-one noticed that she had overslept. “Initiating transmission sequence.”
She marched towards the cockpit, nodding to Navigator Pressley as she passed through the navigation room. She began internally steeling herself for the transit. Even after eleven years with the Systems Alliance, she still wasn’t used to the unique sensation that Mass Relays caused.
“We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination. Relay is hot, acquiring approach vector. All stations secure for transit.”
Nihlus, the Spectre representing the Council’s interest in the Normandy, was already in the cockpit. Shepard moved to stand next to him, though she made sure not to get too close.
“The board is green. Approach run has begun. Hitting Relay in three...”
Shepard let out a deep breath and bit down slightly on the inside of her cheek.
“... two ...”
She glanced over at Lieutenant Alenko. The lucky bastard didn’t seem at all tense.
“...one.”
Mass effect was something that you had to feel for yourself. It couldn’t be described, not even one biotic to another. Shepard was a biotic, and she still couldn’t even really wrap her head around the experience. Losing mass is different than a change in weight, which everyone who’s been off their homeworld has experienced. Changes in weight are a result of changes in gravity. Gravity is the attraction between all objects in the universe, and its strength depends on proximity and mass. Mass is an inherent property of matter. A change in mass requires a change in the fabric of reality on a quantum level.
The closest Shepard, who was usually very precise with her words, could come to describing it was to say that it felt really fucking weird.
She let out her breath as they left the mass effect field.
“Thrusters... check. Navigation... check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500 K,” said Joker.
“Fifteen hundred is good,” said Nihlus, turning to leave. “Your captain will be pleased.”
Shepard watched him go out of the corner of her eye. Having a Spectre aboard was odd enough, but sometimes she could have sworn Nihlus was following her, or even anticipating her movements.
“I hate that guy,” Joker half-muttered, not seeming to care whether the turian was out of earshot or not.
“Nihlus gave you a compliment, so you hate him?” said Lt. Kaidan Alenko, who was running the backup controls for the first jump, probably more out of obligation than because he expected a logical answer. Joker was completely unfathomable at times.
“Remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom, that’s good! I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead, so that’s incredible!”
Definitely unfathomable, Shepard thought.
“Besides,” Joker continued, “Spectres are trouble. I don’t like having one on board. Call me paranoid.”
“You’re paranoid,” said Alenko. “The Council helped fund this project, they have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment.”
“Yeah, that is the official story. Only an idiot believes the official story.”
“They don’t send Spectres on shakedown runs,” Shepard added absentmindedly. Honestly, she was surprised Kaidan believed the party line. He was a smart guy, and usually pretty savvy about these things.
“So there’s more going on here than the captain’s letting on,” said Joker.
“Maybe,” said Alenko, “but if so, odds are that the captain’s trusting us to maintain some plausible deniability on the subject.”
Ah, Shepard thought. Kaidan wasn’t sure what was going on, or not going on, but he wasn’t aiming to rock the boat. It explained a lot.
The intercom crackled and Captain Anderson’s voice could be heard, tone slightly annoyed. “Joker! Status report!”
“Just cleared the Mass Relay, Captain,” Joker replied, all business. “Stealth systems engaged, everything looks solid.”
“Good,” said the captain. “Find a comm. buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” said Joker. “Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way,” he added.
“He’s already here,” said the captain. He didn’t sound too happy with Joker’s attempted warning. “Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm. room for a debriefing.” The comm. clicked off.
“You get that, Commander?” asked Joker.
“He sounds angry. Something must have gone wrong with the mission,” she said, and headed aft.
“Captain always sounds like that when he’s talking to me,” said Joker, sounding almost pleased.
Kaidan scoffed. “Can’t imagine why.” Shepard felt the corners of her mouth lift slightly. She loved listening in on the crew’s bantering, though, as XO, she rarely got a chance to participate. The Executive Officer’s job since the first ships sailed spice routes had always been to say what people didn’t want to hear. She was the designated bad guy for this assignment, and she could live with that.
Captain Anderson wasn’t waiting for her in the comm. room. Nihlus was. He was staring at a database entry, seemingly engrossed. Shepard didn’t buy it. She walked down the ramp to the main level and the Spectre leisurely turned to face her.
“Commander Shepard. I was hoping you’d get here first. It will give us a chance to talk,” he said.
“What about?” asked Shepard. It was bull, and they both knew it. Nihlus had obviously asked Captain Anderson for permission to speak to her alone for a short while for some reason.
“I’m interested in this world we’re going to – Eden Prime,” said Nihlus. “I hear it’s quite beautiful.”
“They say it’s a paradise,” Shepard said. Private Jenkins had called it gorgeous, if she remembered correctly.
“Yes... a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. Safe. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn’t it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?”
Shepard took a step forward. “Do you know something?” she asked, voice hard.
“Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?” Shepard suddenly had a feeling they weren’t really talking about Eden Prime.
“I think it’s time we told the commander what’s really going on.” said Captain Anderson, his rich voice and footsteps, sounding metallic on the deck, announcing his arrival.
“This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run,” said Nihlus.
“I figured there was something you weren’t telling us,” said Shepard, allowing a hint of satisfaction to show.
“We’re making a covert pickup on Eden Prime. That’s why we need the stealth systems operational,” the captain said, ignoring her remark.
“What’s the payload, Captain?” she asked.
“A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon,” he said, looking very intensely into her eyes. “It was Prothean.”
Shock rippled through her body, though she did her best not to show it. If this was big enough to merit a covert pickup, then the importance of the discovery was probably... well, really, really big. Shepard struggled to maintain her professional attitude.
“What else can you tell me?” she asked. She believed she was doing impressively well at hiding her shock.
“This is big, Shepard,” Anderson said, confirming her thoughts. “The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn’t have the facilities for something like this. We need to bring it back to the Citadel for proper study.”
“Obviously this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander,” said Nihlus “This discovery could affect every species in Council space.”
“Are we expecting trouble?” asked Shepard, half because of Nihlus’s tone, half because this seemed a little too perfect.
“I’m always expecting trouble,” the turian deadpanned.
“There’s more, Shepard. Nihlus isn’t just here for the beacon,” said Anderson. His voice carried an unusual weight. “He’s also here to evaluate you.”
“Guess that explains why I bump into him every time I turn around,” Shepard said, keeping her tone casual, even light. Something was definitely going on here. From the way the Captain was talking, she suspected that, whatever it was, it was big, interstellar scale big.
“The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council’s power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it will show how far the Alliance has come,” said Anderson.
“You held off an enemy assault during the Blitz single-handed,” said Nihlus. “You showed not only courage, but incredible skill.”
“‘Single-handed’ is a bit of an overstatement,” Shepard replied, struggling to maintain her mental balance. For fuck’s sake, they’re considering making me a Spectre! she thought. She knew she needed to treat this like any other potential promotion, but it was hard, knowing there were probably fewer than a hundred Spectres in all of Council space, and that none of them were human. Hell, as far as she knew, there had never even been another human considered.
“Perhaps,” said Nihlus. “But there are very few officers I know of who could achieve those kinds of results with untrained civilians, and your own combat skills can hardly be discounted. That’s why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres.”
Shepard turned to the captain. “I assume this is good for the Alliance?” she asked. If there was some political manoeuvring affecting her, she wanted to know.
“Earth needs this, Shepard,” said Captain Anderson. In other words, even if something was going on, they couldn’t afford to pass up this opportunity. “We’re counting on you.”
“I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together,” said Nihlus, bringing the conversation back to more practical matters and more direct speech.
“You’ll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission,” Anderson informed her.
“We should be getting close to Ed–” the Captain began, before being interrupted by Joker’s voice over the comm.
“Captain, we’ve got a problem.”
“What’s wrong, Joker?” Anderson asked.
“Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this.”
“Bring it up on screen.”
A projection flashed into existence in front of the three of them. It was low quality, with a low resolution but plenty of static. There were a lot of rifle shots being fired.
A woman in red and white armor ran towards the camera, yelling at someone to get down. The camera moved wildly and the shots continued. For a moment there was nothing but static, then the face of a marine was visible, probably the man who was holding the camera.
“We are under attack!” the man yelled over the sounds of gunfire. “Taking heavy casualties! I repeat, heavy casualties!” He continued, but the amount of static was increasing, making it more and more difficult to understand him. “We can’t – need evac – They came out of nowhere, we need –!” The man fell to the ground, and the camera with him. It caught an image of two human marines as it fell, and of something else: it was synthetic, and somehow familiar, as though Shepard had seen it in a movie. There was more static, more firing, a shot of crackling blue energy, and then nothing.
“Everything cuts out after that. No comm. traffic at all,” said Joker, pulling Shepard back to herself.
“Reverse and hold at 38.5,” said Anderson. The vid returned to the shot of the synthetic and held. No-one spoke for several seconds. Then Captain Anderson barked out, “Status report!”
Joker replied without hesitation or any of his usual sass. “Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area.”
“Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated,” said the Captain.
“A small strike team can move quickly, without drawing attention. It’s our best chance to secure the beacon,” said Nihlus. Shepard wondered if it was a suggestion or an order. It didn’t really matter.
Anderson turned to her: “Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold. Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You’re going in.”
“Someone was doing some serious digging here, Captain,” said Joker’s voice, this time over the speakers in the cargo hold, which were slightly tinny.
“Just get us close enough for deployment,” Anderson replied before turning to Shepard. “Your team’s the muscle in this operation, Commander. Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site.”
“What about survivors, Captain?” asked Lieutenant Alenko.
“Helping survivors is a secondary objective. The beacon’s your top priority,” the Captain replied. Shepard grimaced.
“Approaching Drop Point One,” announced Joker. Nihlus, who had been doing a final check of his weapons, headed for the bay doors.
“Nihlus, you coming with us?” asked Jenkins.
“I move faster on my own,” the turian shouted over the roaring wind. Then he was gone, leaping out of the ship before it had landed.
“Nihlus will scout out ahead. He’ll feed you status reports throughout the mission. Otherwise, I want radio silence,” said the captain.
“Ready and able, sir,” said Shepard.
“The mission’s yours now, Shepard! Good luck!” Something in the captain’s eyes made Shepard wonder just what he was talking about.
Joker interrupted her thoughts. “We are approaching Drop Point Two...”