Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 49

Finally, there was a connection with Tuchanka. It wasn't a good feed. He didn't expect it would be. Even this type of contact was considered illegal.

"Solus?"

"Wrex."

"You have news?"

"It's not good. Another female has passed."

There was no response for a moment. "That is unfortunate, but there is still hope. How many remain?"

"Three."

"Do you need more?"

It was a question Wrex had asked time and again. He knew there were possibly thousands of females who would volunteer, happy to be experimented on and possibly die in the event they would be the cause of a cure. But, in the back of his mind, he thought if there were too many, then precautions would not be taken. He wanted a cure but did not want a pile of krogan females on the way to obtaining it. He would work carefully and methodically. He did not want to hold another hand, watch another one pass, feel another soul on his conscience.

"No. We will find a cure."

"I know you will, Solus. I trust you."

That was a surprise. He'd never heard that before. "You trust me?"

There was a burst of laughter. "Of course. You may be a salarian. And most salarians are bastards who I'd kill without hesitation. But Shepard trusts you. And I trust Shepard."

"You'll have a cure, Wrex. You have my word."

"Any leaks?"

"No. No-one would be aware that you know the females are here. A perfect ruse that can be played if necessary."

He heard the krogan rumble with laughter. "I will play this close to the chest, Solus. That video may come in handy one day."

"Anything to help."

"Very well. 'll await your next message, Solus."

Two months later, progress had been made. But not enough. It was never enough. A cure appeared tantalisingly close but was still as far away as ever at the same time. Then he was woken by a call. A call he dreaded waking up to every morning.

"She's coding, Professor. She's coding!"

He was up and out of bed in a flash, running down the corridor to the laboratory. Aside from the raised voices, clattering of trays, urgent commands, there was also the sound of that one machine he was tired of hearing.

Flat-line.

He started barking orders, pointing at colleagues as he spoke. "You, 10cc's of adrenaline and keep it coming. You, get the defribulator and get that heart started. You, start chest compressions." No-one moved. He clapped his hands. "Come on then, get a move on!"

He moved towards the female, her eyes closed. No signs of breathing. He opened an eyelid, pointing a small flashlight. There was no iris movement to the light. His heart dropped. He was handed a needle, placing it into the IV. A colleague started chest compressions. Another arrived with the defribulator and started the process of shocking the heart back to life. They tried everything they knew to restore life to her body.

But it was all in vain.

Half an hour later, another blanket was lifted over the head of a female krogan who had arrived with such hope in her heart. Another dream shattered. But another nightmare over. He said another silent prayer, the same one he had stated every time he had lifted a sheet. He let his head drop and closed his eyes for a moment. Silent contemplation.

He could not fail.

"How many are left?"

"Only one, Professor. Our last hope."

"What is her name?"

"We're not exactly sure. She won't tell us. She's... rather feisty, Professor."

"I've met my fair share of feisty women. The Normandy was full of them. Laboratory was always a far safer environment."

"I think you'll like her, Professor."

He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and looked at his colleague.

"I think we should go meet her then."

*****

Liara T'Soni

"Shadow Broker, this is the cruiser Indomitable. You have ten seconds to shut down your engines, lower your shields and come to a halt. Once you have come to a halt, you are to allow us access to your ship immediately. Any resistance will be met with the full force currently at our disposal."

"This idiot obviously doesn't realise why the ship needs to keep moving," Liara muttered, watching Feron on one of the few screens remaining in front of her, as he continued to load what was absolutely necessary onto the small shuttle, a level below her current position.

"Are you ready, Liara?" he asked over the radio.

"Just one more minute to program the auto-pilot. These idiots won't know what hit them. Well, they will but..."

"I know what you mean, Liara. Where are we going once we're done here?"

"A meeting with Admiral Hackett. I will report to him what has happened here plus what I found on Khaje."

"So do you think he knows about you?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think Shepard would have told him. Hackett is a smart man, though. He's probably already figured it out from the discussions we've had. I do happen to have access to very sensitive material."

"Shadow Broker, bring your vessel to an immediate halt or we will be forced to fire."

She pressed the button for the radio. "I'm sorry, the Shadow Broker isn't available to take your call at the moment. But if you leave your name, number and a message, the Shadow Broker will return your call at their next and earliest convenience."

"Seriously, Liara? A joke?"

"I learned my sarcasm from Shepard. Although he would have just told these idiots to simply fuck off."

"Language, Liara!"

"I'm just channelling my inner Shepard."

She watched as Feron came to a stop, quiet for a moment. Then appear to nod in agreement to himself. "Hmmm. I understand. Even from our brief discussions, I believe the human term is 'swear like a trooper'. Anyway, that's the last of it. Should we be going?"

"Just the last calculation. With any luck, the ship will simply fall into the Cerberus cruiser as it pulls alongside. Shame we won't be around to see it happen. Will the cloak work?"

"I think so. We'll pull away on the other side of the ship, away from the cruiser. I'll cloak immediately so hopefully we'll be out of sight and mind before the cruiser can get off a message about our escape."

She took a couple of steps back from her desk. Everything she needed was now on the shuttle. She wasn't disappointed to be losing the ship. Considering there was only herself and Feron on board, it was a relatively lonely experience. Despite how busy she was, her mind always reminisced about her time back on the Normandy. It was difficult to prevent her mind wandering at times. She felt guilty that Shepard was now, from all reports she had managed to read since Baha, incarcerated, and she was mad that, in her position, she couldn't help him at all.

Without a look back, she turned and jogged down the stairs, following the corridor towards the small docking bay. Feron was already inside behind the controls, waiting for her arrival. She closed the hatch behind her as she boarded, got herself comfortable in the chair beside Feron before he fired the engines. The small shuttle shot forward and with no lingering look back at the ship, they ascended into the sky.

No-one would ever report back on the massive explosion that occurred approximately two minutes later.

*****

Forty-eight hours later, Liara was sitting across a table from Admiral Hackett. His introduction had been friendly, though she didn't miss the twinkle in his eye as they sat down across from each other and made small talk. She knew he knew exactly who she was, but he appeared willing to ignore the elephant in the room, so to speak.

"Your message appeared rather urgent, Doctor T'Soni. I understand you may have found more information regarding the Reapers?"

"In a manner of speaking, Admiral. Are you aware of the Prothean archives on Thessia?"

"Certainly aware. Yours are certainly considered one of the largest in the galaxy. Have you found something in them?"

She shook her head. "Unfortunately not. In fact, the archives were disappointingly sparse on anything to do with the Reapers. It was while I was looking through the archives that I found a possible lead on Kahje."

"The hanar home-world?"

"Yes. Kahje is a veritable treasure trove of Prothean ruins and artefacts."

The Admiral leaned forward, elbows on his desk. "What did you find?"

Liara opened her omni-tool, and with a couple of keystrokes, a hologram appeared in the middle of the table. "An encryption key for various Prothean archives around the galaxy. Many appear to be for access to archives on planets we have no knowledge of, suggesting they lay behind dormant relays. But there is a key for one archive in particular."

"Which one?"

"Mars."

She noticed his eyebrows raise in surprise. "Mars? But I thought we'd taken as much information as possible?"

"This key will open up previously unknown, or for want of a better word, secret archive files. And I believe within these files may be a weapon that could stop the Reapers." The Admiral sat back in his chair, arching his fingers and thumbs, deep in thought. "But there is a problem."

Their eyes met again. He knew immediately. "Cerberus?"

She nodded. "I don't know how but they tracked me to Kahje. I believe they may have received the set of encryption keys. I cannot be sure..."

"You're not sure?"

"I took out the operative on Kahje. But, while I was there, I also spoke with the Illusive Man."

"He was there?"

She shook her head. "No. It was via hologram. But I believe he's starting to get desperate. He's lost Shepard. He's lost the Normandy and all crew within. And he proposed to me that we form an alliance."

"And I assumed you turned him down?"

She let a small smile appear as he didn't miss the tone despite how friendly his appearance remained. "Oh, I made sure to string him along at least for a few minutes to ascertain how much he knows."

"And how much does know?"

"Enough about the Reapers for the Illusive Man and Cerberus to be a thorn in our sides. If Shepard was still with Cerberus, I would have seriously suggested pooling our resources with them for when the Reapers arrive."

"We were actually contemplating the same before Shepard cut links," Hackett admitted.

"Seriously?"

"When the Reapers do come, we are going to have to make some uncomfortable decisions."

"You think Cerberus will co-operate?"

Hackett shook his head. "Not now. Shepard working with Cerberus gave them legitimacy in many eyes. But since his return to the Alliance, and the reports he was able to feedback... If it wasn't for the fact the Reapers are the horizon and it's a case of when, not if, they arrive, we would pool our resources to hunt Cerberus down."

"You have a man who would be willing to do that right this very moment, Admiral."

"Suggestion received loud and clear, Doctor. But that just isn't possible. Not with the eyes watching our every move. But I can offer you something in return that may help us, and possibly save us."

"What is that, Admiral?"

"Complete access to the Prothean archives on Mars. As soon as we're done here, I'll communicate with the head of operations at the archives and let them know you are on your way. Do some digging and find us something, Doctor T'Soni. Anything that will give us an advantage, or at the very least, hope of defeating what is coming."

She got to her feet. "At once, Admiral."

He got to his feet too, the pair sharing a handshake. "Keep me updated, Doctor. Let me know as soon as you find something."

*****

"Cerberus is after you, Liara. They are likely tracking your movements. Are you sure you don't need protection?"

She smiled at her good friend. It was strange to think of him as a friend, let alone a good one, after everything that had happened between them when they were retrieving Shepard's body, but after spending over many months alone on the Shadow Broker ship, friendship was bound to form between the pair. Though nothing more, despite what people may have assumed. "I'll be fine, Feron. I'll be protected in an Alliance facility. And I need your eyes and ears out there, feeding me information."

"But the Terminus systems?"

"It's an absolute hive of activity, Feron. Trust me, you won't be bored out there."

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

The pair shared a handshake before Feron turned and walked towards a nearby docking bay, the waiting shuttle heading to Illium. From there, he'd have to find is own transport to Omega. He wasn't thrilled about heading back to the space station, but compared to the isolation of the Shadow Broker ship, he certainly wouldn't complain about being bored. Or at least that is what she thought.

She turned and walked towards the Alliance docking bay. After the usual checks and close examination of her documents allowing her access to the Mars archives, she boarded the relatively empty shuttle for the journey to Mars. She had only been to the Sol system once, three years before when she had travelled with Shepard to the only moon of Earth.

The journey to Mars occurred without incident. Part of her wanted to simply put her head back and go to sleep, but now was not the time for rest. Instead she studied all the notes she had gathered in the previous months, looking for anything that would give her a starting point when she accessed the Prothean archives. There were plenty of options but it could be a needle in a haystack. But she was not without hope. She'd been in worse starting positions before.

Heading so close to Earth caused her thoughts to once again pass back to the Commander. She wondered where he was. What he was doing. Who he was with... Well, that last question was obvious, aware of the marriage between himself and Tali, considering her quarian friend had sent her a rather enthusiastic invite. She still felt awful for not being able to attend. And she knew Bahak would have taken a toll on him. He rarely let his emotion show on the old Normandy, but he was only human and occasionally the mask slipped. Her careful tapping into the Alliance systems hadn't provided any information on charges being laid against him, so she assumed he was under some form of house arrest. Possibly even for his own safety...

Mars was what she expected, knowing humans simply called it the 'Red Planet.' She was met by the chief archivist, who immediately led her deep into the bowels of the facility, explaining how humanity had found the archives originally, what they had found and what they had done with it since. Fascinating, but not particularly relevant to her needs. But he was friendly enough and she reciprocated the small talk as they walked. She didn't know how long she would be on Mars and didn't want to get off on the wrong foot. One thing she had learned about humans is that they could be war-like at times but they were always incredibly friendly.

Establishing herself in a small room near the central archives, she set up her portable workstation and inserted the encryption key.

It worked as previously inaccessible files flooded her screen.

Now it was finding that needle in a haystack.

*****

The Illusive Man

"You should just let me go and kill him."

He smirked. Ever so slightly. It's unlikely the man stood in front of him would have seen it in the darkness, lights of the room being turned down, the only real light being from the glowing red star in the distance. But the smirk appeared but for a moment. He lifted the cigarette to his mouth, the end glowing red as he sucked down the smoke, keeping it down for one... two... three seconds before expelling it. He tapped the cigarette, the ash falling into the ashtray built into the armrest of his chair.

"No, that won't be necessary. And despite what happened, we're still going to need Shepard. We won't be working together. Be assured of that. But, for now, he is to be left alone. Besides, he is currently out of action and will not prevent our plan of action. There are, as you would say, bigger fish to fry."

"And what of the asari?"

"She will be handled separately."

"She is the Shadow Broker. I could..."

He raised a hand to interrupt. "I know what you think you could do. Do not underestimate the asari. She did overthrow the previous Shadow Broker. Not without help from him. But let's look at facts. She's now on the run. She's lost her ship. She's lost her connections. Her operatives are disappearing into thin air, believing the Shadow Broker has grown weak. She is effectively in hiding. I know what she's looking for. And she believes we don't have the key."

"So what do you plan to do?"

He fixed the other man with a stare. The questions were not insubordinate. But he did not particularly like explaining his plans to anyone other than who required the information. But he understood the interest. The man in front of him was going to be very important in the near future.

"Very well. She will be handled by someone else close to me. An operative is currently on route to Mars posing as an Alliance scientist. She will gain access to the archives and gather the information we require. Do not worry. You will soon have your chance out in the field. One day, you will have to face Shepard."

The other man cracked his knuckles, a look of absolute self-confidence and belief. "I'll handle him. He will not get the better of me. He is the past. I am the future."

"That may be so, but do not underestimate the man."

"He may be good, but he's never faced me. He will face me only the once. He will die."

"That's what I like about you, Leng. Your undoubted self-belief."

"I will follow your word, boss, but I still think you should let me kill him. Or, if not him, then let me take out some of his allies. They may prove a nuisance later."

"I know. But, for now, you have other tasks to complete. I expect those to be done."

"At once." And, with a bow, the other man turned and left him alone. He turned back to his bank of screens. The Shadow Broker was once considered to be the only person with access to all the information it the galaxy, buying and selling to the highest bidder. No-one understood the breadth of information he had at his own fingertips. His power was near absolute.

His personal army was building. He had learned with Shepard, to his cost, that he needed thousands, if not millions of loyal men and women to the cause. It wasn't just a case of political indoctrination. In the end, he knew it would take actual indoctrination. He needed to ensure total control.

He needed a fleet. He needed fleets. Hundreds of ships. Frigates, cruisers, even dreadnoughts. Not just to fight off the Alliance and their partners. The Reapers may also require fighting. But he would leave the bulk of the fighting to the others. He had far grander plans than simply getting into a shooting match.

But, most important, was that he needed information. And he needed resources. Financing wasn't a problem. He had almost unlimited credits at his disposal. But, slowly and surely, the pieces were being moved into position. One piece, the Commander, was no longer available on his side of the board. As yet, he wasn't on the other side, but he anticipated that the Commander would be let off the leash sooner rather than later.

The one thing he desired the most was what seemed impossible. Complete control of the Reapers. It was why, despite Shepard destroying the Collector base, that he had sent teams through to the other side of the Omega Four. The information he had gathered so far had shown that such a desire may be possible. It would take one thing he knew he had as he had played the long game for years.

Patience.

*****

"Does she suspect anything?" he asked the hologram.

The General let a self-satisfied smirk appear on his face. "She suspects nothing."