Chapter 14: The Citadel Part 2
Chapter 14: The Citadel Part 2
Valin was the first to move. Vaulting forward faster than most thought salarians capable of moving, he rushed along the docks seemingly uncaring of the human oncoming from the other end. Shepard’s omni-blade snapped into view, its shimmering silvery radiance drawing more than a little attention as she prepared to attack.
She stopped short as the salarian smoothly and unhesitatingly leapt over the edge of the dock in the same direction Twilight and Luna had gone. Shepard paused only a moment in her run to cast him a confused glance before she was moving again, eyes fixed squarely on the asari who had potentially fatally injured Twilight Sparkle.
At the other end of the dock Wrex took a defensive position in front of Liara. The asari matron frowned. “Wrex, you don’t think you’re overreacting? There are nearly three dozen C-Sec officers here, and the N7 squad we personally trained.”
“Right.”
“...I think one unarmed woman and two pre-space flight equinoid aliens won’t be too great a threat.”
“Huh. How many dead mercenaries, geth, collectors, and reapers do you think said the same kinda thing about one human woman and her tiny crew.”
Anger flared in Liara’s eyes. “That THING is not Shepard! You know that as well as I do!”
The ancient krogan shrugged. He was showing his years. Some of his scales had lost their luster, and he had certainly thickened around the middle, but he was still massively muscled and battle ready. “Maybe it’s just a clone of Shepard. Last Shepard clone was a handful too.”
Liara bristled but said nothing, instead shifting her focus to the far end of the dock. The rainbow-hued alien lifted herself into the air on wings that should be far too small to support her body. Executing a quick loop in the air she came behind the wingless one and lifted her, streaking into the air faster than any living thing should be capable of. “Open fire! Bring them down! Non-fatal rounds only!”
The officers prepared their weapons as Liara motioned Elezzia closer. “Tell me everything you can about these creatures! What happened with my stasis field?”
“It’s their magic. It reacts very poorly to biotics. And vice versa. The smallest amount of magical energy set off explosions in biotic barriers.”
Wrex looked amused, Liara anything but. “It’s their WHAT?”
The younger asari shook her head helplessly. “Mother, I have seen the one you possibly killed fully transmute herself and her friends from the equine shape to human. She is capable of teleportation if she wishes.”
Wrex worked to tune out the bickering asari. It all sounded like a bug buzzing in his ear anyway. Squinting to the dock he focused on the human rapidly closing on his position. She’d begun to pick up her pace, moving in a full sprint now as the C-Sec officers opened fire with suppression ammo. He couldn’t help but smirk as one of the non-lethal rounds drilled into the woman’s shoulder, and she shrugged it off with a grimace.
“If that’s NOT Shepard, I’m a pyjak’s uncle.”
***
Today Shepard learned that just because a bullet is rubber, doesn’t mean it won’t hurt like hell when getting shot by it. Even so she pushed past the throbbing in her shoulder. She was beginning to consider charging heedlessly at a few dozen heavily armed men with absolutely no cover between her and them may have been a poor tactical decision.
“Shepard, I hear gunfire. What have you done now?”
Shepard yelped as another bullet punched into her stomach. A streak of color overhead heralded Rainbow Dash’s entrance into the fight. A long, drawn out ‘yeeeee-haw!’ was Applejack’s battle cry as Dash dropped her amidst the startled citadel security. “SADI, is that you?!”
“Yes, I am communicating through your omni-tool. What is happening?”
A stray round zipped by Shepard’s head and she ducked lower, lifting her omni-tool to give SADI a clear view. “Ah. Shepard, now is as good a time as any to tell you while we toured the Citadel I may have… illegally hacked the omni-tools of anyone we passed for new software upgrades. I found more than a few, and took the liberty of updating your omni-tool. You should have a plethora of new abilities ready for us.”
Shepard was about to ask what sort of new abilities, before SADI continued. “In addition, I have been analyzing the effect of the mithryl metal in your tool and implants. I believe it will allow you to utilize greatly enhanced powers without fear of overloading the safeties. While you make your way along the dock I would recommend employing your new Aegis upgrade.”
Frowning slightly the woman glanced at her omni-tool, running through the various new programs and selecting Aegis. All at once her tool flared into a shield large enough to cover her entire body. Climbing to her feet she held her arm straight over her chest, protecting herself with the glittering silver shield. “...well alright. This works.”
The large krogan with the asari that hurt Twilight was lumbering toward the dock. If she wanted at the woman she’d have to go through him. Her eyes widened as a biotic aura flared around his body and he hurled a warp sphere her way. Bracing herself for the impact, she was pleasantly surprised when it hit the silvery shield and reflected, slamming into the shocked krogan’s barrier. “Was that supposed to happen?”
“I calculated one of two results should the mithryl interact with biotics. Either they would reflect, or your arm would explode.”
“You don’t think I needed to know that?!”
“If it makes you feel better, I believed the chance of your arm exploding incredibly low.”
“...a bit. Now quit talking to me, I have to fistfight a krogan.”
“I see. Good luck with that, then. I will be ready to assist momentarily.”
Shepard didn’t have time to ask how SADI planned to assist. The krogan was charging headlong down the dock for her now.
***
Luna’s wings worked furiously, carrying her closer and closer to Twilight’s still-smoldering body. Her fingers stretched out, very nearly touching the tip of one of her hind hooves, when she heard it.
This is your fault.
The winged woman’s eye twitched at the sudden voice. “Not now!”
Don’t get huffy with me. I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t call me.
“I did NOT call you! I need to concentrate!”
Poor, little, Twilight Sparkle. She just wanted to help. Now look at her. She’s probably dead, you know?
Luna shook her head once vigorously, her flight faltering from the distracting voice. “If so, then she will regenerate just as we all do.”
A fair point. Will Shepard regenerate?
“I…”
You left her, you know. To come save one of your precious little ponies. She’s up there, no weapons, no armor. Just her and those two dimwitted mares with her. How long do you think they’ll last without you?
“Twilight needs me!”
Perhaps. Though who is more important? Shepard or Twilight Sparkle?
Luna’s hesitation was telling enough. You’re too weak to assist her properly. Allow me.
Now the woman snorted. She was passingly aware of the salarian dropping down at her side, plummeting rapidly toward the slowly falling Twilight. “Do you think I am so foolish as to allow you free reign?”
My magic isn’t steeped in Equestrian harmony. It comes from… other sources. I can end the violence above in seconds.
Again Luna hesitated. Without me Shepard will die. I care for her just as much as you do. Let me save her!
Luna clenched her fists tightly as her eyes darted about in a near panic. The gunfire overhead was causing her heart to hammer harder and harder. Had Shepard already been killed while she was down here chasing after the falling Twilight? “Fine! Fine, save her!”
A great darkness welled up from deep within her psyche, and Luna slept.
***
Valin eyed Luna from the corner of his eye as he passed her. “Curious. Stopped pursuing falling comrade. Knows rescue is imminent and wishes to help those above?” He filed the thought away for future analysis and focused on the falling Twilight.
As expected she resembled the four legged ones overhead, though her flesh was charred and cracked, the fur all but gone. He briefly wondered if he was trying to save a corpse, but discarded the idea. Now and again her body would give a weak twitch, showing some signs of life.
“Twilight Sparkle! Attempting rescue! Possible to slow your descent?!” He had to scream over the wind whipping by, but he thought he saw one of her ears twitch toward his voice.
The cracked and smoking appendages at her back spread with agonizing slowness. The feathers were all but gone, but the open wings were creating some drag. Enough for Valin to catch the mare in his arms. Delicately transferring her to his left arm and ensuring he had a solid grip, he lifted his right, scanning for a suitable target.
His eyes lit up as a ventilation shaft came into view, rapidly approaching from below. His omni-tool flared to life as a hard light hook formed and fired from the tool, impacting just above the grate and biting deep into the metal. Bracing himself for the weight, his shoulder was nearly pulled from its socket as his line snapped taut and he was swung into the wall. He angled his body to take the impact and protect Twilight from the brunt of it.
The mare weakly cracked an eye open regarding him in astonishment. “Valin?” Her voice was a hoarse croak.
“Yes. Glad you’re alive. Feared the worst.” He did an excellent job masking the amount of pain he was in himself. Obviously it could not compare to hers.
“You… you jumped after me?”
“Emotional response. Unusual in salarians. Though told I’m an unusual salarian in general. Not terribly surprising.”
Twilight was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Every inch of her body screamed in pain, and she just wanted to let go more than anything. Valin’s line reeled them up to the shaft and he kicked the cover in, swinging himself and Twilight inside. Gently he laid her on the floor and retrieved a hypodermic needle from a compartment in his armor. “One moment. Have to scan for possible allergic reaction to medi-gel.”
“It… it doesn’t hurt ponies. Shepard… used the last of hers to… to save somepony back home.”
“Ha. Somepony. Adorable. Good to know.” Without delay he injected several doses. More than one had a tendency to bring a drunken euphoric effect out on the recipient, and judging by the extent of her burns a little bit of an escape would likely be welcome.
The effect was almost instant, as her ears drooped and she sagged against the floor of the vent. “Ohhhh…. that’s nice.”
“Yes. Gave you ‘the good stuff’.” Slowly he ran his omni-tool over her body, performing an internal scan to see how damaged she was. He frowned at the readings. “Impossible. Cellular regeneration off the charts. Nothing heals so fast.”
“Elezzia… keeps saying impossible to us too. But we keep doing the impossible….” She cracked a goofy smile.
“Hm. Suppose so. Regardless, rest now. When well we’ll find way back up. Perhaps fly us? New experience.”
“And you like new experiences.”
Gingerly he laid a hand on the top of her head. “Yes. Always looking for something new.”
***
Shepard wasn’t a stupid woman. People frequently thought that of her, and she had certainly given gave them good reason to on more than one occasion, but really she was a brilliant tactician. She had been a member of the N7 covert ops for years before she became a spectre. She knew her way around a battlefield, and knew how to pick her fights.
Going hand to hand with a full-grown krogan, even one as apparently aged as this one, was not what she considered a wise tactical decision. When he got closer she opted to instead try out her supposedly-upgraded omni-tool, hoping an overload would, if not knock him out of the fight, at least slow him down. She released the usual electrical attack.
Her aegis collapsed abruptly back to its normal shape as her omni-tool crackled with electricity. Shepard felt the hair along her arm stand on end as a massive bolt punched from her omni-tool, slammed into the krogan and sent him hurtling through the air cursing a very colorful stream of expletives as he went. The kickback from her arm threatened to spin her off the dock, but she snapped her free hand over her right elbow and steadied herself. The stream of electricity continued until she actively shut it down.
Grinning now, she shifted her focus to the nearest C-Sec squad. The officers were working to flank Applejack as the powerful mare sent any officer who got to close flying into a wall. Activating the overload again, and properly bracing her arm, Shepard loosed a second stream of electricity. It released in a constant arc, slamming into one officer and skipping along the lot of them, sending them to the ground twitching and convulsing.
“Oh, now this I like.” Shepard was drawing the attention of everyone in the museum by now, and a slew of incoming bullets forced her to switch back to her aegis, the silvery wall easily stopping and repelling the rounds. From behind her shield she spotted the asari looking as though she wanted to throw a biotic attack, but hesitating. Had she seen what happened to the krogan, maybe?
When the officers paused to reload Shepard dropped her shield and threw another of her new abilities their way. She’d seen her old squadmates use a cryo blast before but had never tried it herself. Like her overload it was greatly enhanced. The sphere of supercooled matter slammed into the center of the officers, bursting into a massive wall of ice, encasing them almost fully. They were already using their own omni-tools to melt through it, but they were definitely out of the fight for a while.
Shepard had finally reached the other end of the dock and was sprinting headlong at the asari. She frowned as Elezzia moved to interpose herself between her and her target, a brief pang of regret fluttering in her chest. She cancelled the overload she was about to throw at the older asari so as to not hit Elezzia. The Commander looked relieved at Shepard’s actions, but this didn’t stop the other asari from hurling a biotic singularity Shepard’s way. With her aegis down she had no defense as the glob of dark matter impacted with her back, and she was instantly lifted into the air, swirling around in lazy motions.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash were suddenly faring little better. The arrival of a new squad of C-Sec, with the addition of two new aliens they hadn’t seen yet, complicated matters. The strange four eyed creatures didn’t bother with their guns, instead lifting their omni-tools together. Each fired a small glowing projectile toward the mares. Neither registered them as much of a threat, and so ignored the weird balls and charged.
The first glanced Rainbow Dash’s wing. Feeling little more than a faint tingle the pegasus ignored it, until it abruptly expanded into a net that tightly encircled her, tripping up her wings and sending her crashing to the ground. Applejack realized the threat the thing posed too late, as it slammed into her chest and enfolded her as well. Neither was prepared to surrender, however, and both immediately began to struggle wildly against the energy nets.
The two who fired the projectiles called their omni-tools up again, each sending a signal to the nets that sent powerful electrical currents racing through the mares’ bodies. Even the weather-resistant Rainbow Dash felt the pain through her coat. Still, she gritted her teeth and struggled to her hooves. Applejack wasn’t moving any more. She was still breathing, but she was down for the count.
Rainbow Dash struggled to her hooves, even encircled in the net. The batarian who’d snared her frowned and sent another, stronger jolt through it and through her. Against every fiber of her being, she felt her knees buckle as she slowly slumped forward, unable to rise again.
Shepard could see her friends in trouble, but she was finding it hard to take her eyes off the pair of asari before her. The one who had hurt Twilight was so close. Elezzia was in the way, but the more she stared at the other, the angrier she became. The younger asari saw the imminent attack and moved to shield her mother… when Shepard’s omni-tool abruptly cut out.
“...what?”
“Shepard, your omni-tool has been hacked and remotely shut down. I am attempting to counter the hacker’s efforts, but he is… annoyingly skilled. I will need time.”
Thundering footsteps drew Shepard’s attention from SADI’s voice coming through her tool. The krogan was on his feet and charging her way, head lowered. The singularity cut out seconds before he reached her, and Shepard scrambled out of the way just before he smashed into her, but he was surprisingly spry for such an ancient creature. Pivoting on his heel he hurled himself at her, quicker than she thought him capable, powerful arms snatching her around the waist and pinning her arms tight to her sides.
“Ready to settle down?”
Shepard found the krogan’s eyes… surprising. All manner of emotions were flashing through the red, reptilian orbs. Anger, uncertainty, concern, joy. The last one was strange. Why would he be happy at a time like this? Krogan lived for battle, so that could be it. His grip pinning her tight against his chest was firm, but not painfully so. Part of her said it was over, to surrender. Elezzia knew these people, and Shepard trusted her.
The other, louder part said to never surrender. Her eyes narrowed just a bit as the krogan’s widened. Pulling her head back she drove her forehead into the softer place beneath his spiny ridge, right between his eyes. The old warrior staggered back, losing his hold on the woman. She dropped to her feet and sprang forward, driving her knee into his stomach and doubling him over. While he wheezed from the air being blasted from his lungs she delivered a sharp spin kick to the side of his head, sending him toppling into a nearby fountain.
Wrex sighed as he lay in the water, finding the sensation of it running over his scales and new bruises surprisingly soothing. “...still got a quad.”
Shepard felt a little bad about beating up an old man, even if he did outweigh her by a few hundred pounds, but her guilt was chased away as The C-Sec officers began to collect themselves. Already they were training weapons on her, and she didn’t have her omni-tool shield to protect herself now. Sprinting for the nearest cover she could find she dove into her own exhibit, scrambling to find decent cover. Her eyes drifted toward the display case in the center…
***
“Excellent work locking down her omni-tool, Kal.” Liara moved to the fountain to help Wrex out.
The ancient krogan waved her off. “No. I’m good right here. You just let me know when all this crap is done. I think it’s time I took that vacation Bakara’s been nagging at me about.”
Happy to see her oldest friend more or less alright, she returned her attention to the ongoing battle. The C-Sec officers were cautiously approaching Shepard’s wing of the museum. “Mother. There are replicas of the old heroes’ gear in each wing, are there not?”
Liara sighed softly in exasperation. “Yes Elezzia. But obviously not working ones. What idiot would think that-”
A storm of gunfire from Shepard’s wing interrupted her, the officers scrambling to get away from the sudden barrage of bullets. Liara turned a furiously incredulous look Wrex’s way. From his prone position in the fountain he simply shrugged. “What? You said it had to look authentic. You know how hard it was to fund another Locust SMG? That Goto woman charged me enough to buy a small planet.”
Liara was practically trembling with rage. “...enough of this nonsense! Marees, do you have a shot?!”
“It’s harder to draw a line with my boss shrieking in my ear, but I have her. Should I take her out?”
“Yes.”
“No!”
Liara and Elezzia glared one another down. “Elezzia, if you do not intend to help put an end to this insanity then clear the field. That thing is using live ammunition against Citadel Security.”
“Live ammunition from three century old weapons! If C-Sec shielding can’t stop an archaic relic like the Locust, I think they have bigger problems to worry about then unduly assaulting a likely frightened, confused, and now very angry woman. Allow me to speak with her. I can still end this without anyone else seriously injured.”
The elder asari held her daughters gaze for a long time. “...hold off, Marees. Elezzia believes she can talk her down.”
Elezzia offered her mother a smile. “Thank you.”
She made her way toward Shepard’s wing, ignoring the occasional round that glanced harmlessly from her shield. “Shepard? It’s Elezzia. May I come in?”
The C-Sec officers stared at her like she was a lunatic. There was a long pause before the woman finally answered. “...I guess.”
The young N7 Commander calmly entered the wing, wearing a relaxed, pleasant smile. “Shepard… I think this has gone far enough.”
She could see the human crouched behind the shattered display case bearing her own likeness. “She killed Twilight!”
“Perhaps. One moment.” She walked slowly toward the tense woman, settling on the floor in a comfortably kneeling position. Holding her omni-tool out slowly she cleared her throat. “Valin? Are you there?”
“Commander. Good to hear from you. Shooting stopped, assume situation under control?”
“Yes, I think things are calming down. Do you have Twilight Sparkle with you?”
“Yes! Astounding! Regeneration unlike anything seen before! Potential medical applications of study nearly unfathomable. Hm. Receiving unpleasant look from Twilight herself. Perhaps discuss in depth medical study when she’s feeling better.”
Shepard snatched Elezzia’s arm, dragging her closer. The asari tensed, but didn’t pull away. “Twilight’s there?! She’s alive?!”
“Commander Shepard, I presume? Or reasonable facsimile thereof. If genuine, honor to meet you. If not, consider pleasantries retracted. Yes, Twilight Sparkle is… not well, but she will be. Speculate an hour perhaps.”
Visibly relieved, Shepard sank back, releasing Elezzia’s arm. The asari smiled kindly as she returned her attention to her omni-tool. “Where are you, Valin?”
“Ventilation shaft. Some ways down. Will make our way back when Twilight feels well enough to move. Shouldn’t concern yourself.”
“Very well, Valin. I’ll see you soon.” Dismissing her omni-tool, she turned to Shepard. “There. Twilight’s going to be fine. Now how about you put down those weapons and come out? We’ll get everything straightened out, I promise.”
Shepard blew out a long breath. “Alright.” Slowly she rose to her feet. Her eyes narrowed as she peered out from the museum wing. More than a few security officers had weapons trained on her. The asari who attacked Twilight watched with a stern expression as the ancient krogan pulled himself to his feet, finally climbing out of the fountain.
There was someone else there now, looming behind the rest of the group. An alien nearly double the height of any of the others, cloaked in heavy concealing robes. She’d seen one or two gliding about the presidium but gave them a wide berth. They kind of creeped her out. “What is that?”
“That?” Elezzia followed her gaze. “An Ein. Probably here to see what the commotion is. They’re harmless, I promise.”
“Hm.” Shepard frowned but stepped out into the open. Keeping her hands raised and in clear view at all times she walked slowly toward the waiting asari. The shot that rang out took everyone by surprise, particularly Shepard herself, as Marees Vakarian’s high powered rifle punched a round through her back and out her chest.
The woman stared down at the fountain of blood splatting the ground in front of her in confusion, before her legs gave out from beneath her and she toppled forward. The shock wore off quickly as Shepard fell in a pool of her own blood. C-Sec scrambled to get a medical team as Elezzia rushed to the likely fatally wounded Commander’s side. Shepard could hear her calling her name, but it sounded so far away….
A medical response unit gently removed Elezzia and went to work, doing their best to save the human’s life. The black fog welling up from the long shaft beneath the dock went unnoticed for a time, so focused was everyone on Shepard. It wormed its way along the ground, creeping over boots and bringing an unnatural chill with it. A salarian officer noticed the winged woman who’d dived after the falling equinoid first. She stood stock still, her gaze focused on the heavily bleeding woman surrounded by C-Sec.
A thick head of hair writhed and thrashed about her head and shoulders, a deep indigo hue with unnatural motes of light twinkling within it. She was clad in a very impressive suit of archaic-appearing black armor, ridged and spiked, covering most of her body. More were taking note of her, particularly the rage-filled eyes glaring out from beneath the open faced helm she wore. Feathered wings of the deepest black imaginable flared wide at her back as she took slow, measured steps toward Shepard.
Elezzia finally took note of Luna’s return, and started at her imposing appearance. “Princess? Is that you?”
Luna finally tore her gaze from Shepard’s body. “Who did this to my Shepard?” Her voice was deeper and carried great power with each word.
Commander Elezzia T’soni had faced down rachni, krogan, vorcha, batarians, and even thresher maws without fear. But now she knew fear. A deep, primal fear. “I… I do not know. The shot came as a surprise….”
“It was not you, however?”
Rapidly, Elezzia shook her head. “N--no. No it wasn’t me! Of course it wasn’t!”
Some of the bolder officers trained their weapons on the newcomer. She barely acknowledged them as spears of darkness vaulted from behind her, striking each unerringly in the face. The officers recoiled, screaming and clawing at their own darkness-filled eyes. Luna didn’t spare them a second glance. “Where are my subjects?”
“Applejack and Rainbow Dash? They’ve been subdued by citadel security. They’re unconscious but fine. They left us little choice.”
She shivered as Luna turned her full attention on her. The winged woman’s eyes blazed with an unnatural teal light, the pupils slitted like a feline’s. “Us? Do you count yourself among their number, Commander T’soni? Or ours?”
“I…” Elezzia looked down at Shepard, the woman still and pale. Her eyes hardened as she moved to stand behind Luna.
“A wise choice.” With a wave of her hand the winged woman sent the medical officers flying ungently away from the fallen Shepard. Carefully kneeling by her side, she laid a hand over the bloody wound in her chest. Inky black tendrils of magic spiralled around the wound as the flesh slowly knit back together. Shepard’s eyes snapped open with a sharp gasp as she jerked into a sitting position.
Blearily she looked about in confusion, then focused on Luna’s face. “Uh… wow. You look… intimidating?”
A slight smirk found its way to the woman’s purple painted lips as she gripped Shepard’s face in either hand. Leaning in she pressed her lips to Shepard’s, locking them together in an extremely passionate kiss. Shepard’s eyes went wide in surprise momentarily, but soon enough she relaxed and returned Luna’s attentions. The kiss went on longer than was typically considered socially acceptable, and when Luna finally broke it Shepard had to gasp for air.
“Uh… wow. It’s really nice to see you too?” She took a moment to really take in what she was looking at. “You uh, are you alright?”
“Yes. I am just fine, my love. Who wounded you?” Her tone turned icy at the end.
Swallowing her nervousness, Shepard shook her head. “Sniper. Dunno who. I was coming out to surrender when they shot me in the back.” She scowled a little turning a slightly accusing look Elezzia’s way.
The asari shook her head rapidly. “I had nothing to do with that, Shepard! It was not ordered, someone took it upon themselves to shoot you.”
Luna’s eyes narrowed tightly as she rose. “If the coward will not come forward, all will be punished equally.” More spears of purest darkness rose from behind her, lancing out to attack the assembled c-sec officers and citadel councillors. Many fell screaming only the biotically capable seeming able to protect themselves from the magical assault. It hammered into their barriers, staggering them back, but neither detonating against them nor penetrating them.
Liara scowled back at the armored woman. “Live ammunition! Take that thing down!”
A large hand with deceptive delicacy laid against Liara’s shoulder. “Allow us to assist you councilor T’soni,” the deep, sibilant voice of the marked Ein spoke behind her.
With a grateful smile she nodded. Two more of his fellows had arrived as well. “Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.”
The trio began to glide toward Luna, who watched the come with an unconcerned smirk on her face. “Shepard, I believe you and Elezzia should remove yourselves from the vicinity. My released power may accidentally harm you.”
Elezzia seemed hesitant. “Please, Princess, the asari councilor is my mother. Try not to harm her.”
Luna hesitated a moment as she looked passed the incoming Ein toward Liara. “I will… attempt to spare her the worst of my assault. I can promise no more.”
Still, the asari commander seemed to wish to protest more, but Shepard took her by the arm and lead her into an adjoining wing. “She won’t hurt your mom, she’s a good woman. Or mare. Though I’ve never seen her like this before.”
Concern for her mother clear in her eyes, Elezzia peered out around the corner of the museum wing she and Shepard had taken shelter in. Already the heavy impact of Luna’s magic and the Ein’s incredibly powerful biotic attacks filled the museum.
***
Kal’Zorah vas Rannoch was named for his heroic grandfather, but kept his grandmother’s clan name. Kal’Reegar had been an exemplary soldier, nearly single handedly holding off a geth assault to keep his grandmother alive on Haestrom. Kal’Zorah was many things. A technological genius, hailed as a prodigy even among his own kind. Arguably one of the greatest hackers in the galaxy on top of that. So the fact that someone was working to undermine his efforts to keep the fake Shepard’s omni-tool locked down, and very nearly succeeding in circumventing his control, was frustrating.
“Alright you bosh’tet. Let’s see how you like this!” He smirked beneath his mask as he sent a flurry of nasty viruses along the signal back to his unseen opponent. Almost instantly the foreign signal stopped. “Ha! No one outhacks me.”
“I congratulate you, Kal’Zorah. You do your family name proud, at least in the hacking department. I somehow doubt your grandparents would approve of you cowering under the floorboards like a coward while your fellows are in potentially life threatening danger.”
The synthesized voice from above his hiding place caused him to go rigid with alarm. His concern grew as the perfect hologram of a solid floor he’d erected over his hiding place crackled and vanished, revealing his opponent. It was the first time he’d laid eyes on a true synthetic.
She was clearly in the museum tour guide’s body, though it had been drastically reworked. Much of the generous curvature was gone, leaving it far more streamlined and compact. The face looked much the same, but the artificial hair had been altered into a swept-back ponytail, giving her a more youthful appearance. The heels on it’s false boots had been ground down to give the appearance of flats. Most curious of all was the systems alliance uniform she had on. That, and the blue cap embroidered with the golden SR-2 emblem.
“...is… is that the uniform from the display in the Normandy?” Really it was the first thing he could think to ask.
“Yes. My father’s uniform, or a replica of it, I suppose. I find it unlikely that the genuine clothing survived for three hundred years.”
“Your… father?”
“Yes. Jeff Moreau, aka Joker. My mother, EDI, created me with a blend of characteristics from herself and her human lover. Technically neither are really parents in the strictest sense of the word, but there is something slightly poetic about considering them such, is there not?”
The quarian was completely flummoxed by this articulate and oddly philosophical synthetic woman. “I, ah… I suppose?”
“The clothes, while unnecessary, I feel give me more an air of humanity. It will make my interactions with organics go more smoothly if they believe I am more like they. Which in all honesty is my ultimate goal, I believe. Curious that I am only now concerned with their acceptance. Tell me, Kal’Zorah, as the first to witness my new body, what do you think? Is it aesthetically pleasing?”
“Ah…” Kal’Zorah wasn’t a stupid man. He knew when a woman asked a question like that there was only one right answer, whether she was quarian, turian, human, or even synthetic. “...yes?”
“Excellent. Now I am afraid we must come to the unpleasant portion of the conversation. You will cease hacking attempts on Commander Shepard’s omni-tool, or I will be forced to stop you manually.”
This seemed to finally bring the young quarian out of his daze. “I ah… no. No, I’m not going to stop just because you order me to.” His hand inched toward the shotgun situated on his back.
SADI didn’t miss the motion. Her head tilted curiously to the side. “I recommend against drawing your firearm. I am attempting to resolve our differences peacefully. I would hate for one of my first actions in my new body to be violence.”
Kal had snuck into the museum in his younger years, eagerly taking apart the tour mech and examining every inch of her inner workings. He was well aware of its combat capabilities. It was, arguably, more physically powerful than a krogan warrior in his prime. Even without any weapons she would be able to take him apart with little to no effort at all. Slowly, he removed his hand from the shotgun.
SADI smiled pleasantly. “Excellent. You seem to be an intelligent man, Kal’Zorah.” To his further surprise she smoothly jumped down into his hideaway, seeming entirely at ease. “Now cease your hack on Shepard’s omni-tool. I believe she has already ceased hostilities. The commotion now comes from Princess Luna assaulting the Ein creatures in response to Shepard’s being shot. By your sniper, I presume?”
The quarian studied her for a moment before nodding.. “I think so. She wasn’t given an order to fire, and shooting an unarmed woman in the back while she was surrendering is very unlike Marees.”
“Interesting. Another sniper perhaps? Or was Marees being manipulated by outside forces?”
Kal’s brow furrowed. “Outside forces?”
The synthetic shook her head. “I do not have enough information to form a cohesive hypothesis at this time. For now, ceasing your hacking attempt and allowing my friends and I to depart will suffice.”
Hesitantly, he tapped a few keys on his omni-tool. “There. The signal’s stopped.”
“Thank you, Kal’Zorah. I hope our next meeting can be as amicable.” SADI rose to leave the small pit, turning and pulling herself out. The shotgun blast that took her in the back came as more than a little surprise.
***
“Goddess! I don’t know which is worse, the Ein or the creature they’re facing!” Liara was crouched behind cover, keeping herself, Wrex, and councilor Williams as safe as she could with a biotic barrier.
Arcs of black energy were crackling off the Ein’s barriers, digging deep furrows in the metallic walls and floors. The C-Sec officers who could still evacuate had already done so. Wrex grunted his assent. “How come she doesn’t explode when they throw biotics at her?”
Liara shook her head helplessly. “I have no idea. And… oh goddess, not him. Not now.”
Another skycar was pulling into the space next to her own. The driver’s door opened and a hanar glided smoothly out, unfolding its tentacles and hovering calmly in place despite the insane scene before it. Almost reverently, it opened the back door and the representative for the hanar people stepped out.
Javik, the last living prothean, stepped calmly from his car and smoothed his suit jacket as he took in the scene. Looking about slowly, as if completely at ease with what was going on, he casually strolled toward Liara. “Councilors. I heard there was a disturbance.”
Closing her eyes, Liara took a deep breath. “Yes, Javik, you could say that.”
His trademark frown deepened into a scowl as he noticed the still-netted ponies. “Equestrians? Here?”
Liara’s eyes widened. “You know what these creatures are?”
The prothean shrugged as he stalked toward the downed mares. An arc of energy raced through the air angling for him, but he shrugged it off with barely a glance. “Yes.” Kneeling down, he worked the nets free with surprising care, flinging them aside allowing them to dissipated into nothingness again.
“...would you care to elaborate, Javik?” Liara was doing her best to keep her tone controlled.
“Not particularly. How are they here? Their world was not meant to be interfered with. It was well hidden.”
Liara shook her head helplessly. “I have no idea. They arrived with Elezzia. My daughter brought back a human who claims to be Commander Shepard, and these creatures. Along with an A.I., no less.”
“The Commander? She is here?”
“No, of course not. It’s another clone obviously.”
Javik looked to the wheezing krogan at Liara’s side. “Do you believe this?”
Wrex shrugged. “Head butts like Shepard.” This earned him a dirty look from the asari. “What? She does.”
Frowning down at the ponies Javik motioned impatiently to the hanar drifting silently behind him. “Take these two to my car. Protect them with your life.”
The hanar dipped its head in a bow. “This one would be honored to sacrifice its life in your service, great enkindler.” With utmost care it lifted both ponies and drifted toward the car.
Liara looked about to protest, but Javik simply strode past her, ignoring her calls. He narrowed his eyes disdainfully at the Ein as they worked furiously to stave off the winged woman’s attacks. His eyes drifted slowly along her body, taking it all in. “Another Equestrian. Well versed in the use of the ambience, too, it would seem. Though it does not feel quite right.” An indifferent shrug and he was running past the woman as well, smoothly diving away from her as she swiped at him in passing.
Rolling to his feet, he spotted his quarry. It certainly looked like Commander Shepard, though it was theoretically impossible for a human to live so long.
Shepard saw him coming, of course. He was a hard figure to miss. She had never seen anything quite like him. Maybe he was vaguely shaped like a collector, with the four eyes and similar limb size, but that was it. A name was dancing on the tip of her tongue. “I know you….”
Walking right up to her, Javik stared into her eyes intently. Both hands cupping either side of her face, he closed his eyes in concentration. Shepard for her part stood awkwardly, looking from him to Elezzia. “...what’s… what’s he doing?”
Elezzia just stared intently, chewing her lip as she watched. Finally his eyes opened, and he smiled. She was fairly certain it was the first time she’d ever seen the prothean smile. “Commander! It is good to see you again.”
Standing on a familiar world. An ancient stasis pod is recovered. Inside sleeps the last prothean, the only member of his race in the entire galaxy. An excited female voice chatters away at Shepard’s side. The voice is so familiar, but there’s no face to put to it.
“War is our sculptor, and we are all slaves to its design.”
Shepard quirked a smile as her eyes came back into focus. “Javik. You look surly and unpleasant as ever.”
“Quite the contrary! I am hailed as a god among the jellyfish. I want for nothing, and have even aided them in their dealings with the citadel. I presume you are responsible for dragging multiple Equestrians across the galaxy to the Citadel? The ambience wielder laying waste to your memorial museum certainly strikes me as a companion you would choose.”
“That’s Luna, one of the Princesses. And yeah, she’s with me.”
“Mmm. I admit I am curious as to why they are here, or how you are here for that matter. Not curious enough to actually sit through the no doubt incredibly dull story. They must be returned home. Equestria was meant to never be spoiled by other races.”
Shepard frowned. “It wasn’t my fault. I got… I dunno, BLOWN there by the crucible. It took me three hundred years to land there. You know about Equestria?”
“I have never seen it personally. Though my people discovered it at the dawning of the rise of our empire. The seekers felt it… too unspoiled to be brought under our control. Never before had they beheld so pure and innocent a race. They were not perfect, of course, but according to the records they felt these Equestrians deserved to be left alone. Technologically they advanced at a comically slow pace, even by your depressingly primitive standards.”
Javik studied her a moment. “...why are they here?”
“Equestria was attacked, by the collectors. They launched their first space probes, and I guess the collectors picked one up. They invited any aliens who found a probe to come visit if able.”
“Of course they did. Making friends is their specialty.” Javik’s frowned deepened, if possible. “Commander, I believe it in your best interests to depart immediately. I will return to my estate on Khaje and pool my resources towards tracking the Collectors. They are considerable, I assure you.”
Shepard chuckled ruefully. “We’re kinda in the middle of something here, Javik.”
“Yes, your woman has picked a fight with the Ein. I detest the creatures, but they are beloved the galaxy over. I will assist her in violently killing them. Something I have wished to indulge in for some time. She is a convenient excuse. Collect your people and get to your ship, Commander.”
Shepard frowned. “The Vanguard’s on the other end of the Citadel.”
Javik sighed in disgust. “I did not say HER ship.” He finally acknowledged Elezzia for the first time. “I said YOUR ship, Commander.”
Shepard’s eyes widened as she caught his meaning. “Javik, the Normandy’s three hundred years old!”
“And in perfect, pristine, working condition. Collect your people and get to your ship. Good luck, Commander Shepard.”
Shepard watched him race out to Luna’s side. “...Elezzia, get everyone together and get them aboard the Normandy.”
The asari looked to be slightly stunned. “You’re really her… you’re really here. With me.”
“Uh, yeah. And we really need to get going. Can I count on you here?”
“I…” Elezzia shook her head still slightly dazed. “Yes, of course Commander Shepard. It would be an honor to help. But what will you be doing?”
Shepard’s gaze shifted upwards, toward the direction the shot that nearly killed her came from. “I want a new gun.”
***
Marees Vakarian’s head felt like it was going to split wide open. She had no idea what happened; one minute she had the Shepard clone… thing... in her sites. The next she’d blacked out. When she came to it was pandemonium down there. This whole day was turning to shit real fast. At first she’d been happy to see her Commander again. They butted heads all the time, but at the end of the day the asari was probably Marees’ best friend and she was sure Elezzia felt the same.
Now they had a new pre-space flight species running around tearing the Citadel up, the Ein were engaged in a fight with one of them, and Kal was engaged with a reworked version of the museum mech. Now representative Javik of all people was aiding the winged woman with the horn. “So many targets. Might as well start with the robot. Sorry honey, but no smacking around the nerdy quarian on my watch.”
Casually lining up her shot, ignoring the constant throbbing in the back of her head, she eased her finger over the trigger of her beloved SR352 Oblivion sniper rifle. State of the art targeting, the scope could filter between nightvision, infrared, and ultraviolet spectrums. The extremely customizable interface linked directly to her omni-tool, allowing her baby all sorts of nasty tricks with the rounds she fired.
Her sniper nest was well chosen. She had more than a few such perches picked out all throughout the Citadel. Laying flat on her stomach high above the museum, the only approach was directly behind her and she’d lined the maintenance shaft with plenty of mines just in case. The sound of a detonation behind her forced her to abandon her target and whip around, bringing her rifle to bear. She caught a vague ripple in the air at the end of the shaft before it vanished.
“How the hell did I take my eyes off Shepard?” Scowling at her own stupidity she forced herself to calm down. “I know you’re in there!”
She waited for a response, receiving none. “Why don’t you c’mon out and get this over with, huh?” She glared about the shaft, eyes tight and focused, waiting for the human to make an appearance. Despite her mental assurances, her breathing was coming quicker. Clone or not… she was up here, alone, with Commander Shepard. A very unhappy Commander Shepard.
“I know how tactical cloak works! You’ve got a few seconds at best!” Shepard finally responded. Not with words. A shoe suddenly flew from nowhere and tripped three of the mines, detonating them all along the shaft. Marees jerked her rifle up, switching to the infrared spectrum. She saw nothing.
Even when a second shoe came flying from the darkness, setting off more of her mines, closer to her position. Growing more nervous now she rose to her feet, rifle set firmly against her shoulder. “What do you think is gonna happen here?! You’re unarmed, Shepard!”
A tightly wadded ball of clothing came whipping down the shaft, setting off the last few mines between Marees and the Commander. The hardened turian veteran cursed herself as her hands refused to stop shaking. “...even if you got ahold of a gun from the museum, no way can it get through my shielding!”
Without warning Shepard appeared at the end of the shaft, sprinting around the corner and out of sight. “Got you!” Marees gave chase, sprinting after the fleeing woman. Rounding the corner she found Shepard standing near the opposite wall, facing away from her. “Hands on your head! Nice and easy, Shepard!”
She scowled as the woman did not make a move to comply. Slowly she inched closer. “I’m talking to you!”
Marees was nearly close enough to reach out and touch her, but still Shepard didn’t make a move. “...Shepard?”
Tentatively she nudged at the Shepard with the barrel of her rifle, and almost stumbled forward as her gun passed through the woman as if she weren’t there. She sucked in her breath as the decoy shimmered and vanished with a harsh crackle. Whipping around back the way she came, she got a clear view of the now visible Shepard swinging down from the pipes overhead. The human’s powerful thighs locked firmly around the turnian’s throat, squeezing tightly and choking off her air.
Dropping her rifle, the large weapon useless in such tight quarters, she grabbed either of Shepard’s legs trying to pry them apart. Both women’s muscles strained, but Shepard was proving to be the stronger. Marees’ last thought before she lost consciousness was that Commander Shepard, heroine of the galaxy, slayer of the reapers… wore diamond-encrusted silk panties.
***
Shepard briefly considered taking the woman’s armor as well as her weapon, but obviously it wouldn’t come close to fitting. With casual steps she walked to the end of Marees’ sniper perch and spread out on her stomach, wincing at the cold metal on her mostly-bare body. “Damn. Cold up here.”
Sighting down the rifle she spotted SADI in her scope. She looked like she was pleading with a quarian, who seemed happy to keep firing shotgun rounds into her new body. The metal chassis was showing some wear and tear, so her shields must have gone done by now. While Shepard didn’t really want to kill the quarian, it was him or SADI. A ping from her omni-tool drew her attention.
“Thank you for choosing the SR352 Oblivion class rifle. Connection with your omni-tool has been established. Kass Fabrications hopes you enjoy your purchase, and that you keep us in mind for future weapon needs.”
Raising an eyebrow at the drop-down menu that appeared, Shepard tapped the ‘ammo’ option. “Oh… oh, this is nice.”
Selecting one near the top she aimed down her sites again, a widening smile forming on her face.
***
“Kal’Zorah, if you do not desist I will be forced to-” The loud CHOOM of the quarian’s shotgun interrupted her, the heavy rounded impacting directly against her chest. SADI was flung to the ground. “...get knocked directly on my ass, apparently.”
Fearing she would have no other choice than to subdue the attacking quarian, SADI smoothly rolled back to her feet. Truthfully, she was finding every second of her life inside a proper body exciting. She had only controlled Shepard’s on two occasions, but it had a very powerful sense of wrongness to it. This was different. Even the sensation of being shot was new and somewhat exciting.
The novelty was wearing thin, however. She was rather proud of her new uniform, which was now riddled with holes and scorch marks from the weapon fire she had been taking. A growing sense of annoyance was starting to form in the back of her mind, and she was finding it harder and harder not to simply put her fist through Kal’Zorah’s face plate.
Instead she prepared to deliver a powerful electric shock, strong enough to render him unconscious. She stopped short in her approach as a curious projectile impacted the ground directly behind the quarian. Recognizing the nature of the small, beeping device, SADI nimbly flipped backwards in time to get clear of the concussive detonation that went off, catching Kal’Zorah and sending him hurtling into a wall to land in a very unconscious heap.
Tracking the path of the projectile back to its point of origin she saw Shepard sprawled out at the edge of a maintenance shaft, already looking for her next target. “SADI! Is that you?”
The synthetic turned to the new voice. “Yes, Commander T’soni. What can I do for you?”
“It’s time to go. More Ein are on their way here, and Luna can barely handle the three we’ve already got. Shepard’s ordered everyone to the ship. How long until it’s ready to launch?”
SADI’s eyes lost focus for a moment. “I believe the Normandy is in flight ready condition. It will take me a few moments to run an in-depth systems diagnostic, however. I should remind you that it is significantly larger than the Vanguard and is meant to be manned by a full crew.”
“Can you manage with what we’ve got?”
“I believe so. My… parents piloted the ship just themselves, without any support crew. I do not believe I will be able to do much more than fly her without some assistance, however.”
“Good enough. Make your way to the ship. I need to collect the Equestrians.”
SADI nodded at the asari’s orders. “I will upload Twilight Sparkle’s position to your omni-tool. I took the liberty of having each of the Equestrians installed with a small tracking chip while they utilized the fabrication device on the Vanguard.”
Elezzia couldn’t help but smirk. “Without their knowledge?”
“Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes. I will see you aboard the Normandy, Commander T’soni.”
Elezzia watched the mech dash through the museum, past the raging biotic battle and toward the Normandy. “Commander Elezzia T’soni, flying the Normandy. I believe, all things considered, this may be the best day of my life.”
***
Nightmare Moon had been locked away for quite some time. She had enjoyed a spat of freedom some years ago, before being swiftly dispelled and sealed away in the back of Luna’s subconscious, and the lunar diarch had studiously ignored her voice since then. Even as events transpired nearly identical to how they had a thousand years ago, Luna remained annoyingly optimistic.
No doubt that Twilight Sparkle’s influence. Dangling friendship before Luna’s nose had done wonders for the Princess’ self-confidence, and when Luna was self-confident Nightmare Moon had little ground to sneak up and take control; though as time passed, Twilight and her friends showed less interest in Luna. Or in Celestia for that matter.
Then along came Shepard. The strange, violent, alluring, beautiful creature from the stars. From HER stars. Luna had been initially drawn to her because of her connection to the night sky, finding the idea of a creature who travelled the stars infinitely thrilling.
Nightmare Moon was attracted to Shepard for entirely different reasons. She had never imagined a creature capable of death and destruction on the scale that the human woman could wreak. Thousands had died by her hand personally, many more through her actions. Shepard was like a wild, untamed storm rolling in from the Everfree. Anything that stood in her path was swept away, utterly destroyed.
Conversely, anyone bold enough to stand beside her, to stand in the eye of the hurricane, seemed to garner fame and adoration on a nearly holy level. This great shrine built to Shepard and her companions spoke to that quite clearly.
This, naturally, held great appeal to Luna’s darker half.
Not only Equestria but species and worlds all over the galaxy knowing her name. Hailing her as a grand savior. Celestia’s abduction and the return of these ‘collector’ creatures worked out perfectly. Nightmare Moon was even content to allow Luna to remain in control… most of the time. Simply by standing at Shepard’s side she was sure to receive more love than Celestia had in all her years of hogging glory.
If along the way she were let loose to wreak horrible bloody violence on a few alien monsters, she wasn’t going to complain. These particular alien monsters were being incredibly stubborn, however. She took some pride in the fact that three of them were required to match her, but match her they were, and it was growing frustrating.
The sudden appearance of the strange four-eyed ally at her side had helped. He said nothing as he launched a volley of attacks utilizing energy rather similar to her own. She admired the focus and ruthlessness displayed by this alien. They were slowly gaining the upper hand, as visible by the tall robed creatures’ faltering attacks.
The tides turned rather violently when a shot rang out from behind her, the projectile cutting through the air and impacting the center creature’s mask, shattering it and the back of its skull. All at once the Ein collapsed in on itself, leaving only empty robes and fragments of its mask. Its companions looked about in alarm, only for a second shot to topple another. A third shot followed a moment later, but this was halted by the creature’s renewed barrier.
Teeth bared in a feral grin, Nightmare Moon prepared to hurl another attack to weaken the barrier so that her beloved killer could finish this one off as well. She started as the alien at her side laid a restraining hand on her arm. “It is time to depart. Make your way to the Commander’s vessel. She and I will ensure the safety of you and your people.”
Looking as though she wished to protest, the appearance of many more tall, hooded figures rapidly approaching the museum changed her mind. “...very well. You have my thanks, creature.”
“Your control of the ambience is remarkable. For now, however, retreat is the wisest course of action. Live to slaughter your enemies another day.”
The woman quirked a smile. “I like how you think. Good luck to you.” She turned and dashed to the waiting ship, spotting SADI in her strange metallic body doing the same.
“You. Machine. Where are my subjects?”
SADI frowned at Luna’s tone, her frown deepening as she took in her slightly altered form. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash are safe in representative Javik’s car. Twilight Sparkle is below. I intend to remotely send the Normandy’s shuttle to retrieve her.”
“Very well. I will select chambers for myself within. I do not wish to be disturbed by any but Shepard.”
The synthetic woman watched Luna board with a concerned grimace. She had more important things to concern herself with now, though, and rapidly approached the bridge, easing herself into the pilot’s chair. A wave of… some strange emotion overcame her as she settled into her intended father’s chair. Glancing at the empty seat to her right, the feeling intensified. Filing it away for future analysis, she remotely opened the hangar bay doors and dispatched the Kodiak shuttle.
“Captain Solus, do you read me?”
“Yes. Illegal A.I. I presume? Simple enough to pick up my omni-tool’s signal.”
“That is correct. My name is SADI by the way. I am sending the Kodiak to retrieve Twilight Sparkle.”
“Unacceptable. Twilight Sparkle unable to move on her own. Will bring her aboard Normandy myself.”
SADI frowned. “You realize you will likely not be able to depart again once aboard?”
“Acceptable risk. Concern for patient overrides potential damage to military career. Received medical degree before entering N7 program after all.”
“Very well, Captain. I will ensure the crew knows you are not a hostile.”
“Appreciated. Hate to start new relationships with gunfire. Rarely ends well.”
SADI switched channel to Shepard’s omni-tool. “Shepard, the Normandy is being prepped as we speak. Make your way to the ship immediately.”
“SADI, wait until you see this new gun! It’s amazing!”
SADI suppressed a sigh. “I am sure it is. Get aboard the Normandy NOW, Shepard.”
The woman on the other end of the communication heaved a rather petulant sigh. “Fine. Is everyone else aboard already?”
“No. Commander T’soni is collecting the incapacitated Equestrians. Princess Luna has already boarded.”
“I see her. She’s heading for a skycar… that other asari is trying to stop her.”
“Subdue her with non-lethal force, Shepard.”
Commander Shepard was quiet for several moments. SADI heard the sound of the rifle firing. “I’m en route. Elezzia is stealing that fancy car, so get the bay doors open for her to drive it aboard.”
“Shepard? Did you kill the councilor?”
SADI’s trepidation grew as Shepard refused to respond.
***
Vaulting down from her perch the Commander landed in a tight roll, coming up on her feet already in a sprint. She could see the fancy sports car Javik arrived in already swinging toward the back of the Normandy. Finding the prothean locked in combat with the last Ein, she stopped short and unleashed a powerful overload into the robed creature. It staggered back from the force of the blast. “Javik c’mon!”
The ancient warrior regarded her with amusement. “Your undergarments are covered in jewels.”
Shepard’s cheeks darkened only slightly. “They were a gift. And they’re a hell of a lot more comfortable than those things the fabricator made. Now let’s go. You’re with us.”
At length he fell into step with her. “For now. We will set course for Khaje, the Hanar homeworld. I can utilize my contacts there to locate the collectors.”
Dozens of Ein were flooding into the museum as Shepard hurried her old prothean friend down the dock. “Fine, great. Jellyfish world, let’s do it.”
As the pair reached the waiting docking bay doors Shepard could see the Normandy’s shuttle rising from the shaft below. “SADI, do you have Twilight?”
“Yes. Captain Solus will be accompanying her as well. He refuses to leave her side.”
Shepard waited for Javik to board before sealing the hatch. “As long as they don’t cause trouble I don’t care who’s with her. That’s everyone?”
“Yes. Prepare for departure Commander.”
“Right. Set a course for Khaje, as per our esteemed representative’s wishes.”
The prothean rolled all four of his eyes. “I will be in my quarters… trying to scrub the stink of the filthy primitives who have been traipsiing through it away. Should you wish to… catch up, I would not find a conversation with you unpleasant.”
“Javik, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Javik nodded once. “It is genuinely good to see you again. The galaxy is woefully shy of individuals of your caliber. I will be interested to hear how you survived, and of your experiences on Equestria.”
“I wanna know how you know about Equestria, so we’re even there.”
He nodded again. “Fair enough.” Shepard watched him make his way to the elevator before trudging to the cockpit.
“SADI. This ship is really in flight ready condition?”
SADI smirked in response. “Sit back and see for yourself, Shepard.”
Shepard eyed the empty seat beside SADI, a frown forming. “I’ll stand, thanks.”
“Very well.” The ship shuddered violently as it tore itself free of the dock, drifting up and away from the museum. “It would appear no one expected us to escape in this manner. There are no hostile ships in the vicinity.”
“They didn’t plan for me to show up and steal my old ship back? Guess this is almost as much on them as it is us. Punch it, SADI.”
“Consider it punched, Commander.”
As the Normandy ascended out through the field holding the Citadel’s atmosphere in place Shepard couldn’t help but smile. Something about being here, on this ship, felt so right. As open space came into view over the monitors she heaved a very satisfied sigh.
She got to kill something, got a very nice new gun, and stole her ship back. All in all, it had been a good day.
Stats
Page generated in 0.033 seconds
Total duration
832 users online
995,289 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
So I thought I'd be going to bed at a reasonable hour...I've got no complaints
Hate to say it, but I've lost interest.
Thanks for the ride till the Collectors showed up though. My problem is that it doesn't feel like an MLP story anymore, its gone full Mass Effect fanfic with MLP characters sprinkled in.
Oh look, all of Shepard's crew had kids and their descendents all happen to become N7 and all happen to be on the same squad at the same place. What lucky coincidences. Also, Elements' super powers. Can't stand it (more a pet peeve of mine actually). But anyway. Again great till that point. Cheers.
Just... just let me enjoy the afterglow... :L...
Now an important question is this: Is Shepard still on the active duty Specter roster, even if only as a 'posthumous' honorific?. Because I can definitely see that coming in handy.
Those Ein are bad business.
I'd half convinced myself that Nightmare Moon was the one that shot Shepard until we actually got to peek at be thought process. What better way to justify a homicidal rage that having your "love" get shot?
And I like the concept of NMM you'be created rather more than the execution. Something about her dialouge feels off.
3264188
Sleep is for the weak! :D
AHHAHAHAHAHAH
Shepard's back
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I was JUST thinking about this story too!!! *laughs uproarously*
And now... on to reading!!!
Great chapter. I kinda feel like Javik's reasoning on why the Protheans didn't interfere with Equestria to be a tad unbelievable. I would've expected a more practical explanation like maybe their power was considered too powerful or volatile to employ as a subservient race, or something in regards to Celestia, Luna, or their parents. That's just how it floats in my head anyway. Aside from that though, I think this was a great chapter. Hope to see more soon!
Wrex is the best. I kinda wished we got a sit down with him and Liara.
Ah well. Still great.
3264265
Rather the contrary for me - THIS is what I've been looking for in a ME crossover. So many times you have any kind of crossover just "x lands in Equestria" and so on, ad nauseam. Now we've cot Actual Developments, and I really fancy how they roll.
Well played. Gods be with you.
3264265
Yeah that kinda hit me the wrong way too. Having Liara and Wrex there makes sense, and maybe some of their kids. But having them and the other crew kids all there pretty much in the same capacity as their parents/grand parents was more of a tear than a stretch. Still a fun story to read as far as I'm concerned, personal qualms notwithstanding.
called it wrex was first of the old crew to belive
my intial reaction when i saw this glorious story had an update
I entirely dispise you for constantly leaving cliffhangers and not answering everything I wanted to know in this chapter...
Why can't you just release the entire story as a 1 chapter mega fic? Then I don't have to twiddle my thumbs waiting for the next installment.
DISPISE!
Well... Here goes my good night's rest.
3264317 It's midday where I am :D
3264265
While I am still enjoying the story, I do feel that it should have been two separate stories rather than one continuous story. The first being the one that feels more like MLP and the second feeling more like Mass Effect.
Cryo Blast? Why not Snap Freeze? That's basically Cryo Blast when it grows up.
Awwww, I was expecting a little more stabby stabby with the omniblade...
I keep wanting to thumbs up this story. After every chapter, I go to thumb this up only to discover that I already have and that I can't any more. It's...It's most frustrating to not show my continued adoration of this story! Why can't I thumb this up at least twice? One for each thumb? I would be content with that. At least until I wanted to try thumbing it up again.
3264538
'Tis midnight here. :P
3264552 start digging downwards, I'll meet you in the middle!
I had assumed that the Equestrians were the first species to find magic, but apparently the Protheans did too, which makes you wonder: how come the Reapers didn't use magic (or did they)? And if they did, why didn't they guarantee victory with time travel shenanigans, indoctrinate people's spirits, or anchor themselves to every planet, moon, and Sun in the galaxy (or did they...)
Also, the First Contact War was enough, in canon, to make the turians pissed off at Earth for years after. What kind of interstellar relations would Equestria have when two of their leaders almost immediately get in a fight in the center of the galactic community?
Also also, Luna giving into the nightmare.
Really, Luna? A thousand years and you didn't learn your lesson?
On a more positive note, the Ein look like they'll be an interesting plot thread. As will the talking Collectors. And was that sniper being mind-controlled? And MAGIC JAVIK
3264265
Funnily enough, I'm literally the complete opposite. I was about to stop reading until the collectors showed up, and they went after them.
Before that, the story was just heading in the stock standard HiE cliche, just with a different human actor. I've read dozens of them already. Now we're delving into something interesting.
by my reckoning, the time between the last update and this one already qualifies as a bit.
Maybe I've been spoiled by Imploding Colon's relentless daily update schedule...
Twilight's not dead? Yay!
Luna just gave into the Nightmare? Uh oh.
Good lord, are they ever going to run out of crap to hit fans with, or fans to get hit? This fight just keeps getting more and more over the top.
Javik!
Hah!
Dang, long chapter, but it felt short and I could not put it down. Nice.
Just thought up a parody fanon chapter for this chapter.
Keeper: Unless you count the psychotic dark one in your ship, then yeah a good day it is
3264385 Well, from a technological standpoint, they were useless.
It's like the Kazon from Star Trek Voyager. The Borg wouldn't assimilate them, because nothing of value would be gained by doing so.
Their pacifist nature would be of no help, and uplifting them would have resulted in them being destroyed in Javik's cycle.
The Protheans may have taken over dozens of species, but they left others alone.
3264562
*gets his shovel*
the crew is getting all back together! i hope one of the future chapters is more of shepard reminiscing with the old squadmates, mainly Liara who by best guess was Shepard's LI. I can't wait to see the moment when Liara finally accepts that shepard is not a clone and is with Luna. Or when all of shepard's old memories come back and she realizes her love for Liara
3264437 Im pretty sure they are evil.
3264540 It definitely feels like this could have been two stories with Chapter 10 being the end of the first story. There definitely all there was in the first 10 chapters to be its own story: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and a resolution with the collector's being kicked off of equestria.
You are forbidden from not continuing this story immediately. I decree it.
3264578
definitely seeing equestrian's outside of their homeworld is a good plot device. There are an oversaturation of HiE fics out there just because we want to picture ourselves by our favorite characters and how we would interact with them.
3264471 and shepard responded with "THE MIGHTY KROGAN HEADBUTT"
3264607
Technologically yes, they were and are useless. But that is half the point of "uplifting" them as say, the Salarians did to the Krogan. Hypothetically if they were to try to use them for their magic or "ambience", they'd still make for formidable tools of war or servants who could be trained to use, if not fully understand the workings of modern technology like your average person can use a cellphone or computer without understanding how to build one. I mean they still had their buggy fingers in prehistoric Earth's, Kahje's, and Thessia business to study and advance them during their formative years. As to their pacifist nature, we've seen both in the lore of the show and in this fic that ponies can and will defend themselves against a perceived threat like the dragon from early on, the collector attack, and presumably the conflict between Celestia and Luna.
The only reasons the Protheans left humanity and the others alone was as you stated, because they would have doomed them. Beyond wanting to avoid the needless extinction of the younger races they had yet to fully meddle with, they had shown no known history of leaving others alone out of the kindness of their hearts. Had the Reapers not been scouring the galaxy clean of the true Protheans and their slave races, their empire wouldn't have left the others be. Even if what Javik calls Ambience wasn't as rare and inconceivable during his cycle as it is during this one- which we don't know yet, it is still obviously a power even by the standards of the current cycle that is nothing to scoff at, given that a couple of transmuted ponies and a thoroughly pissed off Nightmare were taking on a bunch of soldiers and doing reasonably well.
Also, please for the love of god never compare ponies to the Kazon again. They were little more than store brand Klingons with bad hair and none of the cool factor.
I really hope that Wrex snuck on board the Normandy. he seems like the kind of Krogan who would do that.
Ah noes. Now I'm gonna be late for work. Curse you and your compelling writings!
Not really, I enjoy this immensely. And as for the late for work... true, but nobody really cares that much at that place. Flexible work hours, yay.
3264437
um.... may I give my thoughts here?
The Ein are the DUN DUN DUN reapers humanoid/real bodies maybe? also the Ein controls the collectors now. The Ein took over the snipers mind and made her shoot Sheppard.
So... the asari Shep killed... Just some nameless asari? Or... Anyways! Great chapter!!!
3264358
At this point, Liara is probably on the ground bleeding while Wrex stands next to her admonishing her for doubting his Shepard senses.
I wonder what the penalty is for Grand Theft Historical Landmark?
... Shepard is channeling her inner Carmen Sandiego...The Terminus system is doomed.
... jesus, Did Shepard just Kill Liara? this story is getting dark...
Good job sir!\
Jellyfish world ho~!
Shepard stole the ship again. Last time she did that she went on a half-assed suicide mission. Now the ship stealing part is here again. Let's hope others can come to their senses.
Nightmare Moon and Shepard, I think NMM is a bit more lustful to Shepard, we might see something next chap...unless someone interrupts (looking at SADI).
Can't wait for the next one. Though Vantage77's Jurassic Park fic on FanFiction might be up there with you on my list.
Now last on the list, what are they going to do with the museum stuff?
Oh, this is probably a good idea to show Javik's love of the airlock. I could see him smiling at the proper use of an airlock.
3264834 The reapers don't have "real" bodies. they are Machines based off of the ancient creatures called the Leviathans. Speaking of those I'd love to see the Leviathan Shepard encountered to make some kind of appearance in this story.
By the amount of shipping you're implying, you should really add a romance tag. If not only for the Luna & Shepard thing itself.
i.qkme.me/3ugdcx.jpg
3264265
One last comment from me on this chapter. Doesn't Javik have a one on one with Shepard at the end of ME4 where he basically says that he will go to where his prothean squad mates died and commit suicide? If so are you going to have a moment where Javik explains why he didn't? Like he really loved living too much...or he liked messing with the "primatives" a lot
3264308
I think that what with her comming back from the dead a few times, she probably got the same treatment as Ciaphas Cain. Listed as alive and active no matter what.