[Day/Night Game] Trouble on the Citadel - round "LE Part 2: Why Cerberus Is Right For You"
May 10, 2021 22:27:42 GMT
Catilina, dragontartare, and 2 more like this
Post by pelassarias on May 10, 2021 22:27:42 GMT
note: The first part of this narrative is chronological to the beginning of the story, however, I had to time skip to a certain loyalty mission due to what transpired overnight for the second part. So I hope this isn't too confusing. 
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Prologue Part 2
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Drifting between geth missions and planets, the Normandy coasted seemingly alone within the distant stars of the Milky Way galaxy. Within the ship, it was serene and quiet. But Shepard knew this moment of tranquility would be fleeting, so she seized this opportunity by reflecting the past months within her cabin. Ever since the Battle of the Citadel , it's been up to her to take down the remaining geth resistance within the galaxy. These missions however, wasn't anything compared to her previous missions in hunting Saren. This made Shepard more relaxed, yet restless all the same. As she stared from above in her ceiling she quietly exhaled, awaiting a storm that she knew in her bones will surely come.
"We're wasting our time," Navigator Pressly sighed as he walked towards the cockpit of the Normandy, "Four days searching up and down this sector, and we haven't found any sign of geth activity,"
"Three ships went missing here in the past month. Something happened to them," Joker said, shrugging his shoulders.
"My money's on slavers," Pressly replied, "The Terminus System is crawling with them,"
"Picking up something on the long-range scanner. Unidentified vessel, looks like a cruiser," An ensign noted to the duo.
"Doesn't match any known signatures," Joker responded, his eyebrow slightly raised.
The unidentified vessel was still within the tail of the Normandy, following the ship steadily, like an ominous cloud. This soon raised suspicion and anxiety within the pilot and the ensign from within.
"Cruiser is changing course. Now on intercept trajectory,"
"Can't be. Stealth systems are engaged," Pressly said in disbelief, "There's no way a geth ship cou-"
"It's not the geth," Joker interrupted, his eyes widening, then narrowing for what is to come, "Brace for evasive maneuvers!"
As Joker tried to steer the Normandy to safety, the unidentified ship suddenly prepared for an attack : a bright and destructive laser beam targeting the evasive ship alone. The Normandy maneuvered, dodging the laser as Joker tried desperately to fly away. But the vessel quickly caught on to Joker's maneuvers, and quickly struck the Normandy on one of the wings. From within the cockpit was suddenly ablaze, causing Pressly in getting knocked back from the sheer force of the attack, and fainting right afterwards.
"Pressly!" the ensign shouted, but as she got up, she too was knocked back from another attack, causing her to fall as well.
The once serene and powerful ship was now in chaotic turmoil. Amidst the fire and screams, Joker was still alive, desperately trying to save what was left of the falling ship.
"Kinetic barriers down! Multiple hull breaches, weapons offline! Somebody get that fire out!" Joker said as he held on, another attack shredding the Normandy asunder.
By the third laser attack, the Normandy was in dire straits. The ship itself burned catastrophically bright against the dark cosmos. Within the a blazed ship, most of the crew members were either badly injured or dead. A certain Lieutenant, however, steadily ran as the halls were soon clouded in smoke. Kaidan could hear nothing but pained screams as he ran desperately towards the Commander. Amidst explosions that nearly knocked him unconscious, he was finally within eye sight of Shepard. The still figure of his superior putting on her helmet as smoke and flame surrounded her.
"Distress beacon is ready for launch," Shepard finally said as Kaidan also put on his helmet.
"Will the Alliance get here on time?" Kaidan said with exasperation. But before Shepard could respond, another explosion hit Kaidan backwards and left Shepard unsteady.
"I'm not doing this just so they can find our frozen corpses," Shepard said as she quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher nearby, and tossing Kaidan another, "We just need to hold on. Get everyone on the escape shuttles!
"Joker is still in the cockpit, he refuses to abandon ship," Kaidan said as he frantically used his fire extinguisher, turning his eye on his Commander and close confidant, "I'm not leaving either,"
"No! Get to the damned shuttles Lieutenant! I'll drag Joker's ass out of here!" Shepard quickly retorted, grabbing Kaidan by the shoulder.
Soon the burning structure of the Normandy started to violently shake, knocking the duo out of balance. By the time they gathered themselves, Shepard still noticed that Kaidan would not move. Shepard knew all too well why, as Virmire haunted them both as time passed on.
"Commander," Kaidan began, his voice shaken. But Shepard had to act quickly, before everyone perished.
"Kaidan, get the hell out of here!" Shepard shouted, "Please!"
Without a moment to spare, Kaidan reluctantly left, leaving Shepard by herself, hoping the rest of her crew would be saved. But as she heard more bloodied screams, she knew there would be some would that not be so fortuitous.
Soon, escape shuttles soon jettisoned out of the falling ship, with Kaidan, Wrex, Liara, and Garrus inside each of them. Meanwhile the ship was barely clinging to life, as massive holes adorned the once prosperous ship in the galaxy. An enormous dark planet was within the vicinity of the dying ship, but Shepard knew that safely landing there would be of mere fantasy.
The dire situation soon hit Shepard with another explosion, but she did not get knocked back. For she had one last crew member to save before she was met with her inevitable demise.
"Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is SSV Normandy," Joker spoke within the intercoms of the dire ship, "We suffered heavy damage from an unknown enemy!"
Shepard steadily advanced towards the cockpit, hoping Joker was in one piece. As she did, she could still hear Joker withn the comms, telling the burning ship to hold on. As Shepard entered what was once home to the galaxy map, she could only hear her labored breathing. For when she looked up, a massive hole revealed the deep stars of the unknown, and the planet that will welcome her fallen form and ship inevitably. Shepard should have felt frightened by this known fate, but all she felt was a sense of serenity. Silent poise was all Shepard could hold on to in that moment. So she simply took in her steady breathing as she briefly noticed debris floating away into the cold darkness. Dire seconds passed, and she continued to march on, looking for her desperate pilot.
Seats floated by as Shepard paced towards the ablazed cockpit. As she pushed one over, she soon discovered Joker still breathing for now.
"Come on, Joker," Shepard said, "We have to get out of here,"
"No! I won't abandon the Normandy!" Joker replied frantically, "I can still save her!"
"The Normandy is dead! Just like us if we don't get the hell out of here!"
"No, we just have to - oh no," Joker soon noticed the vessel was still on the Normandy's tail, "They're coming around for another attack!"
Without missing a beat, the vessel soon blasted the Normandy with another laser beam, setting the cockpit aflame and creating another hole above in the process. Without another moment to lose, Shepard quickly grabbed Joker by his arm and lifted him up as he told Shepard to watch his arm. Shepard was now arm and arm with her pilot as she tried to escort him to safety. Luckily, a last shuttle was nearby, so Shepard quickly placed a weakened Joker to the shuttle without hesitation. As Joker entered the shuttle the Normandy's cockpit was quickly shredded in half and floated into oblivion, leaving the rest of the ship in pieces.
With another explosion, Shepard soon found herself holding on to what was left of her ship, and away from the shuttle, dooming her fate.
"Shepard!" Joker screamed as another laser hit, separating his floating Commander even further away from his grasp.
Another explosion hit again, knocking Shepard towards her falling ship. She could barely hear Joker's screams at this point. She could only feel her steady pulse, so she began to close her eyes. Explosions and fire surrounded Shepard, but she could only still hear her breathing. But even that soon grew faint as she floated into the unknown. The Normandy too, seemed to have resigned to its fate as it was torn apart with another laser beam. Then, there was a giant explosions, sundering the ship into debris, fragments, and pieces.
Shepard slowly looked around, but all she could see was the inevitable. She tried for a mere moment to fight, but a blanket of darkness soon engulfed her. So she lied still, motionless as she could no longer feel her breathing or hearbeat. The only thing she felt now was oblivion.
--------
Deep within her slumber, Shepard heard, or felt a voice. One she could not recognize.
"The Lazurus Project will precede as planned,"
---
After eternity, there were more voices, and Shepard faintly could see once more. Most notably, she noticed a human woman with dark hair staring deeply into her eyes.
"There. On the monitor. Something's wrong,"
"She's reacting to outside stimuli. Showing an awareness of her surroundings,"
"My god, Miranda, I think she's waking up," Another man soon entered Shepard's weary vision.
"Damn it, Wilson! She's not ready yet! Give her the sedative!" The mysterious woman ordered. Shepard's breathing soon became labored, as she had no clue of her surroundings. She quickly, tried to reach out, but the woman gently grabbed her wrist.
"Shepard, don't try to move," the woman softly said as Shepard's breath quickened, "Just lie still. Try to stay calm,"
"Heart rate still climbing. Brain activity is off the charts," the other main said, "Stats pushing into the red zone. It's not working!"
"Another dose, now!"
Moments later, Shepard felt her sedatives kick in. And with the sedative coursing through her body, her breathing slowed back to normal as her vision blurred.
"Heart rate dropping. Stats falling back into normal range," the man said as the woman soon filled Shepard's weary vision once more. Her expression softened with relief. Her demeanor, however, soon hardened once more as she told the man that his estimates were off. Shepard could barely hear the woman as her sedatives took hold, drifting her back to sleep once more.
Shepard's sleep however, soon came to an abrupt end as she heard the woman's voice again. This time, over an intercom within the strange, cold, and sterile room she presided in.
"Wake up, Commander," Shepard heard the voice but decided not to respond. She just wanted just another five minutes before she got up. She had no idea how long she's been out of it, but her groggy mind figured an extra five minutes wouldn't hurt. The voice within the intercoms however, thought differently.
"Shepard! Do you hear me? Get out of that bed now! This facility is under attack," With that piece of information Shepard's eyes shot open as she stretched out her jaw. Just who was this woman, and where the hell was she? Also, why does she feel sore all over?
"Shepard, your scars aren't healed, but I need you to get moving, now!" The voiced said. Shepard frowned as she looked around her surroundings, but decided to follow the voice's orders. Perhaps this woman will give her some answers that Shepard needed. So for now, duty calls.
----
Some Time Later in Omega
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As the night life of Omega swelled, the thunderous music continued to blare within Afterlife. Drinks eased the minds as promised whispers lured the patrons onto one another. But despite the action within Aria's palace, Morinth felt as if she was deflating. She was truly bored. Sure, she has had her fixes here and there, but no one truly excited her anymore. They are just too predictable these days. Morinth sighed. And just when the lone asari was going to call it a night a mysterious figure entered her eye sights. Perhaps this one could be the quick solution to her problem?
It was a human woman with a commanding presence. She stood tall and confidant, and her eyes were as sharp as a dagger. Red glowing scars covered her face, but that just made her even more alluring to the Ardat Yakshi. And as the mysterious woman mingled within the dark beats of night club, Morinth grinned lasciviously. Morinth had no idea who this human was, but she knew that her mysterious aura was whats drawing her in. She had to know this woman the only way she could. So as the scarred woman left the pulsing dance floor, Morinth made her move.
"My name is Morinth. I've been watching you, you're the most interesting person in this place," Morinth began as she stepped closer to her target. Up close, the woman's eyes were as ominous as her scars, which excited the asari, "I got a booth over here in the shadows. Why don't you come and sit with me?"
The stoic woman simply nodded to Morinth's question, and the two made their way to the booth. As the woman sat down, Morinth could already feel that this night was going to be interesting.
"Some nights I come here and there's no one interesting to talk to," Morinth lamented as she closely watched her target fiddle with her drink, "Some nights, there's just one person,"
"Tonight it's you. Why is that?"
"I know what I like," the stoic woman simply said.
"Do you?"
"Maybe we have the same situations with our families," The woman said, her eyes growing distant for a brief second, "I grew up in the streets, fighting for just about anything I could get a hold of to survive. I never knew my parents,"
"That sounds exciting,"
"And after I made it out, I traveled all over galaxy,"
"It changes you, doesn't it?"
"Real travel means going to dangerous places," the woman responded, hoping she wasn't overselling it. But the expression on Morinth's face told her she was still none the wiser.
"Where you can see and do things most people can't even imagine," Morinth said, with a special glint in her eyes, "When I travel, I'm mostly drawn to dark and dangerous places,"
"Violent places?"
"Violence is the surest expression of power,"
"Violence is a means to an end. Power is that end," The dark woman noted, "Speaking of power, do you know anything about art?"
"It speaks to the darkest places in me," Morinth said staring intently at her partner, "What about you?"
"You know the artist Forta?"
"I didn't think anyone around here knew him," Morinth said, even more intrigued with the woman facing her, "He's sublime. Art comes in many varieties. I've seen vids that were more powerful than a sculpture sitting in a gallery,"
"Do you know Vaenia?"
"My favorite. The two actresses on it are so glamorous,"
"I'll have to watch it," the woman noted, "What do you think of the music here?"
"Dark rhythms, violent pulses. It stirs something primitive in me. What about you?" As Morinth spoke to the woman, she slowly leaned forward towards her.
"I'm curious about a band called Expel 10," the woman said, unflinching to Morinth's growing presence.
"They get in my head and tear it to pieces. They have a concert soon. Maybe we should go together,"
"You can lose yourself in the music here," Morinth continued with a knowing grin, "There are ways to enhance that,"
"What do you think of Hallex?"
"I think we should get out of here," Morinth responded with salacious eyes, "My apartment is nearby, and I want you alone,"
The woman nodded, and followed the asari as they both slipped into the shadows, with a familiar figure not too far away.
--
"I love clubs," Morinth said as the duo settled within her apartment. Views of Omega buildings greeted them within the spacious windows of the apartment. Morinth herself felt as if she was buzzing, knowing that this encounter she will have will be a powerful fix.
"People, movement, heat. I can still hear the bass, like the drums of a great hunt, out for your blood,"
"But here, it's muted, and you're safe," Morinth continued, her eyes targeting the lone woman in front of her, "Is that what you want, Shepard?"
But Shepard stared back at Morinth with the same intensity, sending a chill up the Ardat Yakshi's spine, "I'd rather fight than hide,"
"Yes. Better to take control of your fate," Morinth said, growing closer to Shepard within the couch they resided in, "I've never understood the fascination with safety. Some of us choose differently,"
"Independence over submission," The Ardat Yakshi began as she got up to walk over to Shepard's sitting frame. Before Shepard could respond, the sultry figure was on her lap, her eyes inches away from hers, "I think we share that, you and I,"
"You compare us, but you're nowhere near my league," Shepard said as she could practically feel Mornth's body heat on hers.
"So strong. I need this," Morinth sighed. Seconds later, she got up from Shepard's lap to sit close to her instead. Her eyes slowly darkened into a pool of black, as she could not hold back any longer.
"Look into my eyes, and tell me you want me. Tell me you'd kill for me, anything I want," The air around Morinth and Shepard thickened as the heat around them grew. But Shepard remained just as unfazed as before, much to the Ardat Yakshi's surprise.
"I'm not the victim you were hoping for," Shepard simply said, as Morinth's hypnotic gaze faltered.
"But you- who are you?" Morinth's eyes were back to her normal state, and in seconds she finally pieced it together, "Oh no, I see what's going on here. The bitch herself has found a little helper,"
As Morinth said this, a glowing biotic asari appeared before her within the entrance of her apartment. Arrayed in an ancient justicar uniform, it was no other than her mother, Samara. And it seemed the Ardat Yakshi fell right into her trap.
"Morinth!" Samara bellowed as she walked over to her daughter to strike a biotic attack. The powerful attack knocked Morinth right into her apartment window.
"Ugh," Morinth groaned as Samara had her by her biotic hold, "Mother,"
"Do not call me that!" Samara said as she struck another biotic hold onto Morinth,
"I can't choose to stop being your daughter. Mother,"
"You made your choice long ago,"
"What choice?" Morinth screeched as she produced a massive biotic blast to escape Samara's hold. As she was back on her feet, Morinth levitated a nearby chair in order to throw it at Samara, "My only crime was being born with the gifts you gave me!"
Morinth struck another powerful biotic blast towards Samara, knocking her down. But Samara quickly recovered by striking her in kind causing her daughter to fall to the ground as well, "Enough, Morinth!"
As both mother and daughter got up, they began to circle one another within the spacious living room. Shepard stood aside, watching the whole encounter unfold.
"I am the genetic destiny of the asari. But they are not ready to reveal this, so I must die," As Morinth spoke these words both Samara and herself casted a powerful biotic attack. It was now a situation of a powerful stalemate, as both attacks had them in a precarious position.
"You are a disease to be purged," Samara said, her attack slowly pushing against Morinth's and gaining a slight advantage, "Nothing more,"
"I'm as strong as she is. Let me join you!" But before Shepard could respond, Morinth briefly faltered in her attack, giving Samara an opening. Samara saw this and pushed even farther in her attack, until Morinth faltered again. At this point, Morinth was quickly losing the battle, and Shepard thus decided to step in to finish this battle quickly.
"End of the line, Morinth," Shepard said as she grabbed Morinth by her wrist.
"And they call me a monster," Before any other words were spoken, Samara quickly struck a powerful attack towards Morinth, knocking her instantly to the ground.
Before Morinth could regain herself, Samara strode over to her weakened daughter with another deadly attack ready. For the first time in centuries, Morinth was backed into a corner.
This time,however, she would not be able to escape. Samara quickly grabbed Morinth's neck, as she glowed once more in azure.
"Find peace in the embrace of the goddess," were the last words Morinth heard from her mother. Then in an instant, her eyes glazed over and she lied motionless in a pool of her own blood. Shepard had to look away as the deed was done, for even she couldn't bear to be a witness.
As Samara got up and away from her daughter's lying body, it seemed her whole composure fell and shattered.
"I am ready to leave this place and get on with my life," Samara murmured as she stared upon the body that was once her child's.
"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Shepard asked, her eyes filled with concern.
"Shepard, what do you think I will say? What can I say? I just killed the bravest and smartest of my daughters,"
Samara's voice was filled with sorrow. A type of sorrow that Shepard hoped she will never know, "There are no words. I will try another time. For now, show mercy on a broken old warrior and let us leave,"
Without another word, Shepard did exactly that, as she escorted her companion out of the broken apartment. And As Shepard left Omega and re-entered the Normandy, she hoped any remaining favors from the rest of her crew wouldn't be as heavy as Samara's going forward.
---
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It Is Now Day. You May Now Ask Questions and Vote!
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Prologue Part 2
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Drifting between geth missions and planets, the Normandy coasted seemingly alone within the distant stars of the Milky Way galaxy. Within the ship, it was serene and quiet. But Shepard knew this moment of tranquility would be fleeting, so she seized this opportunity by reflecting the past months within her cabin. Ever since the Battle of the Citadel , it's been up to her to take down the remaining geth resistance within the galaxy. These missions however, wasn't anything compared to her previous missions in hunting Saren. This made Shepard more relaxed, yet restless all the same. As she stared from above in her ceiling she quietly exhaled, awaiting a storm that she knew in her bones will surely come.
"We're wasting our time," Navigator Pressly sighed as he walked towards the cockpit of the Normandy, "Four days searching up and down this sector, and we haven't found any sign of geth activity,"
"Three ships went missing here in the past month. Something happened to them," Joker said, shrugging his shoulders.
"My money's on slavers," Pressly replied, "The Terminus System is crawling with them,"
"Picking up something on the long-range scanner. Unidentified vessel, looks like a cruiser," An ensign noted to the duo.
"Doesn't match any known signatures," Joker responded, his eyebrow slightly raised.
The unidentified vessel was still within the tail of the Normandy, following the ship steadily, like an ominous cloud. This soon raised suspicion and anxiety within the pilot and the ensign from within.
"Cruiser is changing course. Now on intercept trajectory,"
"Can't be. Stealth systems are engaged," Pressly said in disbelief, "There's no way a geth ship cou-"
"It's not the geth," Joker interrupted, his eyes widening, then narrowing for what is to come, "Brace for evasive maneuvers!"
As Joker tried to steer the Normandy to safety, the unidentified ship suddenly prepared for an attack : a bright and destructive laser beam targeting the evasive ship alone. The Normandy maneuvered, dodging the laser as Joker tried desperately to fly away. But the vessel quickly caught on to Joker's maneuvers, and quickly struck the Normandy on one of the wings. From within the cockpit was suddenly ablaze, causing Pressly in getting knocked back from the sheer force of the attack, and fainting right afterwards.
"Pressly!" the ensign shouted, but as she got up, she too was knocked back from another attack, causing her to fall as well.
The once serene and powerful ship was now in chaotic turmoil. Amidst the fire and screams, Joker was still alive, desperately trying to save what was left of the falling ship.
"Kinetic barriers down! Multiple hull breaches, weapons offline! Somebody get that fire out!" Joker said as he held on, another attack shredding the Normandy asunder.
By the third laser attack, the Normandy was in dire straits. The ship itself burned catastrophically bright against the dark cosmos. Within the a blazed ship, most of the crew members were either badly injured or dead. A certain Lieutenant, however, steadily ran as the halls were soon clouded in smoke. Kaidan could hear nothing but pained screams as he ran desperately towards the Commander. Amidst explosions that nearly knocked him unconscious, he was finally within eye sight of Shepard. The still figure of his superior putting on her helmet as smoke and flame surrounded her.
"Distress beacon is ready for launch," Shepard finally said as Kaidan also put on his helmet.
"Will the Alliance get here on time?" Kaidan said with exasperation. But before Shepard could respond, another explosion hit Kaidan backwards and left Shepard unsteady.
"I'm not doing this just so they can find our frozen corpses," Shepard said as she quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher nearby, and tossing Kaidan another, "We just need to hold on. Get everyone on the escape shuttles!
"Joker is still in the cockpit, he refuses to abandon ship," Kaidan said as he frantically used his fire extinguisher, turning his eye on his Commander and close confidant, "I'm not leaving either,"
"No! Get to the damned shuttles Lieutenant! I'll drag Joker's ass out of here!" Shepard quickly retorted, grabbing Kaidan by the shoulder.
Soon the burning structure of the Normandy started to violently shake, knocking the duo out of balance. By the time they gathered themselves, Shepard still noticed that Kaidan would not move. Shepard knew all too well why, as Virmire haunted them both as time passed on.
"Commander," Kaidan began, his voice shaken. But Shepard had to act quickly, before everyone perished.
"Kaidan, get the hell out of here!" Shepard shouted, "Please!"
Without a moment to spare, Kaidan reluctantly left, leaving Shepard by herself, hoping the rest of her crew would be saved. But as she heard more bloodied screams, she knew there would be some would that not be so fortuitous.
Soon, escape shuttles soon jettisoned out of the falling ship, with Kaidan, Wrex, Liara, and Garrus inside each of them. Meanwhile the ship was barely clinging to life, as massive holes adorned the once prosperous ship in the galaxy. An enormous dark planet was within the vicinity of the dying ship, but Shepard knew that safely landing there would be of mere fantasy.
The dire situation soon hit Shepard with another explosion, but she did not get knocked back. For she had one last crew member to save before she was met with her inevitable demise.
"Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is SSV Normandy," Joker spoke within the intercoms of the dire ship, "We suffered heavy damage from an unknown enemy!"
Shepard steadily advanced towards the cockpit, hoping Joker was in one piece. As she did, she could still hear Joker withn the comms, telling the burning ship to hold on. As Shepard entered what was once home to the galaxy map, she could only hear her labored breathing. For when she looked up, a massive hole revealed the deep stars of the unknown, and the planet that will welcome her fallen form and ship inevitably. Shepard should have felt frightened by this known fate, but all she felt was a sense of serenity. Silent poise was all Shepard could hold on to in that moment. So she simply took in her steady breathing as she briefly noticed debris floating away into the cold darkness. Dire seconds passed, and she continued to march on, looking for her desperate pilot.
Seats floated by as Shepard paced towards the ablazed cockpit. As she pushed one over, she soon discovered Joker still breathing for now.
"Come on, Joker," Shepard said, "We have to get out of here,"
"No! I won't abandon the Normandy!" Joker replied frantically, "I can still save her!"
"The Normandy is dead! Just like us if we don't get the hell out of here!"
"No, we just have to - oh no," Joker soon noticed the vessel was still on the Normandy's tail, "They're coming around for another attack!"
Without missing a beat, the vessel soon blasted the Normandy with another laser beam, setting the cockpit aflame and creating another hole above in the process. Without another moment to lose, Shepard quickly grabbed Joker by his arm and lifted him up as he told Shepard to watch his arm. Shepard was now arm and arm with her pilot as she tried to escort him to safety. Luckily, a last shuttle was nearby, so Shepard quickly placed a weakened Joker to the shuttle without hesitation. As Joker entered the shuttle the Normandy's cockpit was quickly shredded in half and floated into oblivion, leaving the rest of the ship in pieces.
With another explosion, Shepard soon found herself holding on to what was left of her ship, and away from the shuttle, dooming her fate.
"Shepard!" Joker screamed as another laser hit, separating his floating Commander even further away from his grasp.
Another explosion hit again, knocking Shepard towards her falling ship. She could barely hear Joker's screams at this point. She could only feel her steady pulse, so she began to close her eyes. Explosions and fire surrounded Shepard, but she could only still hear her breathing. But even that soon grew faint as she floated into the unknown. The Normandy too, seemed to have resigned to its fate as it was torn apart with another laser beam. Then, there was a giant explosions, sundering the ship into debris, fragments, and pieces.
Shepard slowly looked around, but all she could see was the inevitable. She tried for a mere moment to fight, but a blanket of darkness soon engulfed her. So she lied still, motionless as she could no longer feel her breathing or hearbeat. The only thing she felt now was oblivion.
--------
Deep within her slumber, Shepard heard, or felt a voice. One she could not recognize.
"Commander Shepard has been recovered,"
"The Lazurus Project will precede as planned,"
---
After eternity, there were more voices, and Shepard faintly could see once more. Most notably, she noticed a human woman with dark hair staring deeply into her eyes.
"There. On the monitor. Something's wrong,"
"She's reacting to outside stimuli. Showing an awareness of her surroundings,"
"My god, Miranda, I think she's waking up," Another man soon entered Shepard's weary vision.
"Damn it, Wilson! She's not ready yet! Give her the sedative!" The mysterious woman ordered. Shepard's breathing soon became labored, as she had no clue of her surroundings. She quickly, tried to reach out, but the woman gently grabbed her wrist.
"Shepard, don't try to move," the woman softly said as Shepard's breath quickened, "Just lie still. Try to stay calm,"
"Heart rate still climbing. Brain activity is off the charts," the other main said, "Stats pushing into the red zone. It's not working!"
"Another dose, now!"
Moments later, Shepard felt her sedatives kick in. And with the sedative coursing through her body, her breathing slowed back to normal as her vision blurred.
"Heart rate dropping. Stats falling back into normal range," the man said as the woman soon filled Shepard's weary vision once more. Her expression softened with relief. Her demeanor, however, soon hardened once more as she told the man that his estimates were off. Shepard could barely hear the woman as her sedatives took hold, drifting her back to sleep once more.
Shepard's sleep however, soon came to an abrupt end as she heard the woman's voice again. This time, over an intercom within the strange, cold, and sterile room she presided in.
"Wake up, Commander," Shepard heard the voice but decided not to respond. She just wanted just another five minutes before she got up. She had no idea how long she's been out of it, but her groggy mind figured an extra five minutes wouldn't hurt. The voice within the intercoms however, thought differently.
"Shepard! Do you hear me? Get out of that bed now! This facility is under attack," With that piece of information Shepard's eyes shot open as she stretched out her jaw. Just who was this woman, and where the hell was she? Also, why does she feel sore all over?
"Shepard, your scars aren't healed, but I need you to get moving, now!" The voiced said. Shepard frowned as she looked around her surroundings, but decided to follow the voice's orders. Perhaps this woman will give her some answers that Shepard needed. So for now, duty calls.
----
Some Time Later in Omega
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As the night life of Omega swelled, the thunderous music continued to blare within Afterlife. Drinks eased the minds as promised whispers lured the patrons onto one another. But despite the action within Aria's palace, Morinth felt as if she was deflating. She was truly bored. Sure, she has had her fixes here and there, but no one truly excited her anymore. They are just too predictable these days. Morinth sighed. And just when the lone asari was going to call it a night a mysterious figure entered her eye sights. Perhaps this one could be the quick solution to her problem?
It was a human woman with a commanding presence. She stood tall and confidant, and her eyes were as sharp as a dagger. Red glowing scars covered her face, but that just made her even more alluring to the Ardat Yakshi. And as the mysterious woman mingled within the dark beats of night club, Morinth grinned lasciviously. Morinth had no idea who this human was, but she knew that her mysterious aura was whats drawing her in. She had to know this woman the only way she could. So as the scarred woman left the pulsing dance floor, Morinth made her move.
"My name is Morinth. I've been watching you, you're the most interesting person in this place," Morinth began as she stepped closer to her target. Up close, the woman's eyes were as ominous as her scars, which excited the asari, "I got a booth over here in the shadows. Why don't you come and sit with me?"
The stoic woman simply nodded to Morinth's question, and the two made their way to the booth. As the woman sat down, Morinth could already feel that this night was going to be interesting.
"Some nights I come here and there's no one interesting to talk to," Morinth lamented as she closely watched her target fiddle with her drink, "Some nights, there's just one person,"
"Tonight it's you. Why is that?"
"I know what I like," the stoic woman simply said.
"Do you?"
"Maybe we have the same situations with our families," The woman said, her eyes growing distant for a brief second, "I grew up in the streets, fighting for just about anything I could get a hold of to survive. I never knew my parents,"
"That sounds exciting,"
"And after I made it out, I traveled all over galaxy,"
"It changes you, doesn't it?"
"Real travel means going to dangerous places," the woman responded, hoping she wasn't overselling it. But the expression on Morinth's face told her she was still none the wiser.
"Where you can see and do things most people can't even imagine," Morinth said, with a special glint in her eyes, "When I travel, I'm mostly drawn to dark and dangerous places,"
"Violent places?"
"Violence is the surest expression of power,"
"Violence is a means to an end. Power is that end," The dark woman noted, "Speaking of power, do you know anything about art?"
"It speaks to the darkest places in me," Morinth said staring intently at her partner, "What about you?"
"You know the artist Forta?"
"I didn't think anyone around here knew him," Morinth said, even more intrigued with the woman facing her, "He's sublime. Art comes in many varieties. I've seen vids that were more powerful than a sculpture sitting in a gallery,"
"Do you know Vaenia?"
"My favorite. The two actresses on it are so glamorous,"
"I'll have to watch it," the woman noted, "What do you think of the music here?"
"Dark rhythms, violent pulses. It stirs something primitive in me. What about you?" As Morinth spoke to the woman, she slowly leaned forward towards her.
"I'm curious about a band called Expel 10," the woman said, unflinching to Morinth's growing presence.
"They get in my head and tear it to pieces. They have a concert soon. Maybe we should go together,"
"You can lose yourself in the music here," Morinth continued with a knowing grin, "There are ways to enhance that,"
"What do you think of Hallex?"
"I think we should get out of here," Morinth responded with salacious eyes, "My apartment is nearby, and I want you alone,"
The woman nodded, and followed the asari as they both slipped into the shadows, with a familiar figure not too far away.
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"I love clubs," Morinth said as the duo settled within her apartment. Views of Omega buildings greeted them within the spacious windows of the apartment. Morinth herself felt as if she was buzzing, knowing that this encounter she will have will be a powerful fix.
"People, movement, heat. I can still hear the bass, like the drums of a great hunt, out for your blood,"
"But here, it's muted, and you're safe," Morinth continued, her eyes targeting the lone woman in front of her, "Is that what you want, Shepard?"
But Shepard stared back at Morinth with the same intensity, sending a chill up the Ardat Yakshi's spine, "I'd rather fight than hide,"
"Yes. Better to take control of your fate," Morinth said, growing closer to Shepard within the couch they resided in, "I've never understood the fascination with safety. Some of us choose differently,"
"Independence over submission," The Ardat Yakshi began as she got up to walk over to Shepard's sitting frame. Before Shepard could respond, the sultry figure was on her lap, her eyes inches away from hers, "I think we share that, you and I,"
"You compare us, but you're nowhere near my league," Shepard said as she could practically feel Mornth's body heat on hers.
"So strong. I need this," Morinth sighed. Seconds later, she got up from Shepard's lap to sit close to her instead. Her eyes slowly darkened into a pool of black, as she could not hold back any longer.
"Look into my eyes, and tell me you want me. Tell me you'd kill for me, anything I want," The air around Morinth and Shepard thickened as the heat around them grew. But Shepard remained just as unfazed as before, much to the Ardat Yakshi's surprise.
"I'm not the victim you were hoping for," Shepard simply said, as Morinth's hypnotic gaze faltered.
"But you- who are you?" Morinth's eyes were back to her normal state, and in seconds she finally pieced it together, "Oh no, I see what's going on here. The bitch herself has found a little helper,"
As Morinth said this, a glowing biotic asari appeared before her within the entrance of her apartment. Arrayed in an ancient justicar uniform, it was no other than her mother, Samara. And it seemed the Ardat Yakshi fell right into her trap.
"Morinth!" Samara bellowed as she walked over to her daughter to strike a biotic attack. The powerful attack knocked Morinth right into her apartment window.
"Ugh," Morinth groaned as Samara had her by her biotic hold, "Mother,"
"Do not call me that!" Samara said as she struck another biotic hold onto Morinth,
"I can't choose to stop being your daughter. Mother,"
"You made your choice long ago,"
"What choice?" Morinth screeched as she produced a massive biotic blast to escape Samara's hold. As she was back on her feet, Morinth levitated a nearby chair in order to throw it at Samara, "My only crime was being born with the gifts you gave me!"
Morinth struck another powerful biotic blast towards Samara, knocking her down. But Samara quickly recovered by striking her in kind causing her daughter to fall to the ground as well, "Enough, Morinth!"
As both mother and daughter got up, they began to circle one another within the spacious living room. Shepard stood aside, watching the whole encounter unfold.
"I am the genetic destiny of the asari. But they are not ready to reveal this, so I must die," As Morinth spoke these words both Samara and herself casted a powerful biotic attack. It was now a situation of a powerful stalemate, as both attacks had them in a precarious position.
"You are a disease to be purged," Samara said, her attack slowly pushing against Morinth's and gaining a slight advantage, "Nothing more,"
"I'm as strong as she is. Let me join you!" But before Shepard could respond, Morinth briefly faltered in her attack, giving Samara an opening. Samara saw this and pushed even farther in her attack, until Morinth faltered again. At this point, Morinth was quickly losing the battle, and Shepard thus decided to step in to finish this battle quickly.
"End of the line, Morinth," Shepard said as she grabbed Morinth by her wrist.
"And they call me a monster," Before any other words were spoken, Samara quickly struck a powerful attack towards Morinth, knocking her instantly to the ground.
Before Morinth could regain herself, Samara strode over to her weakened daughter with another deadly attack ready. For the first time in centuries, Morinth was backed into a corner.
This time,however, she would not be able to escape. Samara quickly grabbed Morinth's neck, as she glowed once more in azure.
"Find peace in the embrace of the goddess," were the last words Morinth heard from her mother. Then in an instant, her eyes glazed over and she lied motionless in a pool of her own blood. Shepard had to look away as the deed was done, for even she couldn't bear to be a witness.
As Samara got up and away from her daughter's lying body, it seemed her whole composure fell and shattered.
"I am ready to leave this place and get on with my life," Samara murmured as she stared upon the body that was once her child's.
"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Shepard asked, her eyes filled with concern.
"Shepard, what do you think I will say? What can I say? I just killed the bravest and smartest of my daughters,"
Samara's voice was filled with sorrow. A type of sorrow that Shepard hoped she will never know, "There are no words. I will try another time. For now, show mercy on a broken old warrior and let us leave,"
Without another word, Shepard did exactly that, as she escorted her companion out of the broken apartment. And As Shepard left Omega and re-entered the Normandy, she hoped any remaining favors from the rest of her crew wouldn't be as heavy as Samara's going forward.
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Player eliminated : dragontartare - Morinth
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