Prologue

The Horsehead Nebula. Anadius. Kronos.

A frowning Illusive Man was reviewing the reports of the team sent to the Normandy crash site. And the mesmerizing view from his office of the red supergiant Anadius, which helped him focus, was not helping him in any way at the moment.

Jeanne Shepard, Captain of the Normandy, has been officially declared dead. The data on the Reapers, on the threat they posed to the galaxy and humanity, made it clear to Illusive Man that she was the galaxy's only hope. After all, it was the Captain who had managed to become a hero, a symbol to which virtually the entire Milky Way was held up as an equal.

She had succeeded in what seemed impossible in every conceivable and unthinkable situation. With just one ship and crew, she was able to save the galaxy from a Reaper invasion, keep a Council member alive, eliminate a traitorous SPECTRE, and most importantly, she showed the determination and efficiency of humanity.

Of course, her influence has not only affected humans, but the other races as well. Her name is on the lips of everyone in the galaxy, wherever they are, becoming a symbol of resistance and justice. "The Overlord" is only one of the Reapers, and there are at least thousands more, and if the symbol falls, so will humanity along with the galaxy.

After combing through the crash site and the distress call sent by the Normandy, the search team found the bodies of some of the crew, but not Shepard herself. It was as if it had been vaporized, and that was exactly what displeased Illusive Man.

He took a long puff and swiped his finger across the panel built into his chair and put the report away.

It was worth contacting Liara T'Soni, who worked as an information broker. Their goals are aligned, and if she learns that Illusive Man plans to bring Shepard back to life, she'll agree to cooperate. According to recent reports, she is actively searching for the captain, and may well have found clues as to where the body is located.

Project Lazarus is up and running, and all that remains is to find the body. Given the forces and finances thrown at it, and the fate of humanity, failure is unacceptable.

Suddenly he received a request for a video link, and after looking to see who was the initiator, he accepted it. A hologram of a short man in his forties with short black hair, overgrown facial vegetation and a clear gaze immediately appeared in front of him.

This man was Dr. Nomad Bright, one of Cerberus' most unusual cadres, but also the most dedicated. He truly believes in the superiority of humanity, and so he explores the limits of the body to enhance it by any means necessary. Most of his ideas are bold and ingenious, but very difficult to realize. This man runs a relatively small lab on Earth, as there is no way the Alliance would expect something like this.

- What is it? - Getting right to the point, the Illusive Man began.

- Sir, we have a situation. - replied Nomad calmly with a touch of interest.

- Details.

- Right out of thin air, two unknown persons appeared in the laboratory: a woman and a man, presumably human, judging by their build and appearance. Their clothing is unusual, to say the least, as it traces the style of the seventeenth-eighteenth centuries. And they want to talk to you.

The Illusive Man frowned once more. A man like Dr. Bright is not in the habit of embellishing what he sees, and prefers to rely on facts. Which means that two unknown men did indeed appear out of nowhere in a hidden laboratory.

- Casualties?

- None, just casualties: a few guards and a couple of scientists. The unknowns limited themselves to self-defense and attempted to make contact. The Omni-tool recognized their language, and I must say, it was quite interesting. Its basis in both grammar and dialect is Latin, but with slight modifications. I was able to get them talking, and their history was as interesting as their language.

- What were you able to find out? What are their goals?

- That's what they want to talk to you about, sir," Nomad shook his head, and then added, "But from my brief conversation with them, I'm convinced that they are loyal to humanity and have a dislike, if not hatred, of other races. In short, xenophobes.

Illusive Man took a puff and nodded approvingly.

That's a good sign. Cerberus, an organization created by Illusive Man and recognized as a terrorist organization in Citadel space of the Milky Way Galaxy, is based on the idea of humanity's superiority over other civilizations. And the Systems Alliance, an independent supranational government representing the interests of all humanity, is, in the Illusive Man's opinion, too limited by the laws and public opinion of other more powerful races.

The organization wishes to show the true power of humanity, unconstrained by other life forms. And to accomplish this goal, laws, morals, and principles are meaningless.

Of course, such a scale that such a paramilitary xenophobic organization would be recognized as a terrorist organization throughout the Milky Way cannot be achieved without enormous finances and support. And Cerberus has them, as some members of the Alliance, being its patrons and supporters of the organization's ideas, provide it with everything it needs.

After the First Contact War, in which Illusive Man himself participated, humanity was divided into two camps. Those who wanted peace, and others who wanted revenge. The latter, led by the Illusive Man, created Cerberus so that their voices and sacrifices would not be forgotten. Even though the Turian Hierarchy paid substantial reparations at the end of the war, and Shanxi was returned to the fold of humanity, the effects of the conflict are palpable even now. Though not as much, thanks to Shepard.

- Hmm... interesting," the intrigued Illusive Man said, "Connect us.

Nomad nodded and his hologram disappeared, and a few seconds later three others appeared in front of Illusive Man. He quickly examined their appearance and confirmed the doctor's words, finding it strange. With one eye, he opened the surveillance camera in the lab on Earth to get a better look at them.

The first was a petite girl, relatively young that had not yet fully entered adulthood. She had medium length white hair, green eyes, pale skin, and a small black tattoo on her left cheek, but what stood out was the armor she wore.

It was a full black armor with gilded symbols in the shape of the letter "I" with a human skull in the center. Attached to her back was some sort of satchel-like device, an old-fashioned-looking rifle held just below it, and shoulder pads with a double-headed eagle on them. A scarlet long skirt protruded from the belt, and two heraldic lilies were engraved on the breastplate. To the Illusive Man, she appeared treacherous, fierce, and impatient, even if her face now presented an icy mask.

The last was a tall middle-aged man with long, blue-black hair tied in a bundle and eyes of that color. There was a slight stubble on his face and a scar that ran from the right side of his lips to his right temple, as if he had been tried and missed. His gaze was blank, and his smile... For some reason, Illusive Man found it annoying. It was wimpy, or even mocking, and in the end, he preferred not to give her any more attention than she deserved.

His attire consisted of a tight fitting black leather suit with symbols similar to those on the girl. He also had a scarlet-colored hooded robe with them, to which were attached strips of paper with inscriptions in their language. Attached to her belt was a thick book that Illusive Man could not identify. A holster with a small pistol was attached to the side.

- Greetings, Sir Illusive Man," the man took the floor, and Illusive Man deduced that he was the leader of the group, as the girl didn't express the least bit of displeasure, "My name is Elazar Preston, and my companion is Damia Howard. We are members of the Ordo Hereticus, Inquisitor and Sister of Battle respectively.

To the Illusive Man this information gave nothing but names, but he nodded, accepting Elazar's words. The latter, seeing the nod, gave a small bow, and his smile grew wider, making it now not only annoying, but somewhat frightening.

- And we offer our cooperation.

-0-

A/N: How's the chapter? Give us your opinion. You may well be able to influence future chapters.