Edolus and Liara
Comms/holograms talking
[Biotic abilities]
1st POV
Normandy CIC
I swear I spent the rest of the night yesterday checking out all the specs to my new combat shuttle but now it's back to work. I'm at the galaxy map choosing where to go and I found the perfect planet but before I choose it I hear joker through the comms.
"I'm picking up a signal from the planets surface. Looks like an automated distress beacon. I sent a ping on the galaxy map for you to find." Joker said.
I go through the map till I find the Sparta galaxy and click on it to bring up the planet Edolus information. Lets see, it's pretty much a dessert planet with no breathable oxygen, dust infused wind and rock formations. Edolus orbit is congested with debris thrown inwards by its gravity. Due to high rates of meteor impacts, exploration is highly dangerous.
With me being a Spartan along with my mark I armor I should be able to handle the increase in gravity as long as I'm not exposed to it for too long. Ok this is a good place to test drive the Outlaw. Setting up the way point the Normandy makes its way to Edolus.
"Joker tell the cargo bay crew to prep the Outlaw for launch. I'm going to investigate the signal from Edolus myself." I tell joker.
"Alright Chief would you like me to inform the ground team?" Joker asks.
"No I'll head down there and tell them myself." and with that I made my way towards the added Spartan room. This room was made when Jane and I were first assigned to the Normandy crew. Getting in the room I see two vertical tall body sized circles with several arms around it. Getting into mine the arms automictically bring over the Mjolnir mark I armor parts. Starting with the boots, back, arms, chest etc and finally my helmet. The moment I put my helmet on the HUD activated its systems.
Leaving, I make my way down to the cargo bay. After waiting on this long elevator ride the elevator door opens and and I move to my weapons locker. I see Jane and Ashley near her locker getting closer I hear the end of their conversation.
"Yeah it's why I prefer the shotgun than the pistol, in this case... Chief Sir." Ashley turned and salutes me. while Jane rolls her eyes.
"At ease Ashley." I ordered. Jane seeing me in my gear asked.
"Where are you headed Ryan?" She asks.
"Edolus, joker received a signal from down there I'm going to investigate." I tell her.
"Do you need me to get the ground team ready?" She asks again.
"No I need you and who ever you choose to get ready to shorty as Anderson has sent the coordinates of a Prothean ruin site. Once I get back we will head there as soon as possible." I tell them and Ashley salutes before heading to her locker. Jane looks at me.
"Heading down there by your self huh. You just want to drive your new shuttle don't you?" She teases.
I roll my eyes at her. "Yes but there is a signal down there plus there if its a false alarm then there's no reason for a entire team to go." She nods knowing I'm right.
"Alright I'll get the team ready while you go joyriding. Hopefully these ruins will be in one piece and won't break I don't want to hear Udina yelling at us again. I swear I don't how Anderson deals with him." Jane said as she walked to the elevator.
I laugh and go to my locker. I grab my loadout along with my sword and move to wards the black and red beauty the Outlaw. I see different crew members wiping it down and the all stop as they hear my heavy footsteps looking at me in awe. Looks like they still haven't gotten used to Spartans yet, I hope they do soon as this is annoying. Nodding at them I walk closer and press a button on my omni tool opening the top hatch. It slides open and I hope inside. Oh cool the cockpit is much more spacious than I thought aside from the pilots seat there is the passenger, and two seats in the back. I turn the Outlaw on and red light glow as I hear the engine hum. I see that all the crew members left and a count down is on my screen. The cargo bay doors open and I see the fast approaching sandy ground as the timer hit zero I gunned it as the Outlaw flew out the ship. Seeing the sun I smile and head down to the ground.
The Outlaw levitated off of the ground different from the Mako where you would feel the rough terrain this is a smooth ride. I see the Normandy fly off and turn on my ship's sensors to see where that signal was coming from. I get a ping on my radar fairly quickly and start driving closer. I really want to test out this element zero core so I started to increase my speed. My head moves back a bit as the Outlaw really takes off.
After a quick five minutes I see smoke in the distance so I fly towards it. After reaching it I see a alliance military tank kind of looks like the Mako but of an older year. The tank is smoking and the on board computer has scanned it and found no life. The damage looks recent. I bring up the map showing me the location of the distress signal is not too far from here so I head over to it. With some expert piloting skills a traversed this dried land maneuvering through the sandstorm that came and the high rock formations. Honestly I love this ship.
I see another tank smoking and stuck in the sand. Bringing up the Outlaws cameras I zoom in the corner finding a human in a space suit waving so I get closer. As I fly closer the ground shakes and instincts take over. I fly high the sky banking right as I dodged the mouth of..... OH MY GOD is that a Thesher Maw. It roars at me and Human ran for cover. I spewed acid at my ship and I speed past it bringing out my mac canon. I wanted to end this quickly so I waited until It opened its mouth again and fired the cannon right down it gullet blowing it up from the inside.
I flew back to the tank and opened the top hatch running to where I saw that alliance marine. Unfortunately he got hit by the acid and died. Sighing I look around this crash site finding more dead marines and the distress beacon. Looks like it was tampered with. Someone wanted us out here but they have already left. Dam.
Back inside the Outlaw I call joker for a pick up and tell him to tell the alliance for a recovery team. The Normandy came to a stop above me and I flew into the open cargo bay turning off my ship. The doors close and Joker makes his way off planet and to the Prothean ruin site.
"Jane bring the team with you and get into the Mako once on planet we will make way to the ruin." I tell her.
"Understood I'm bring Garrus and Wrex with us." She told me.
I liked her choice of team since we already seen Ashley and Kaiden in action its good to see the others on the team skills in person. Jane and her team walked and got into the Mako and I smiled knowing Garrus will hate her driving. After 20 minutes Joker informed us were on planet and whished us luck. The cargo bay doors reopened and the Outlaw along with the Mako speed down to the surface of Therum.
After landing Jane proceeds to gun the Mako foreward. "Ryan I'll take the lead follow me" Jane said over the comms.
"Roger." I say back and follow the Mako.
If I remember correctly the ruins are filled with geth. So I should have the radar on just incase. Following Jane I see she's having fun driving fast over small rock formations and drifting into turns I hear Garrus praying to the maker and Wrex laughing. That was until we made it down this narrow path where I see red dots on the Radar.
"Jane! head behind that barrier ahead of you I'll fly above!" I yelled.
"On it." She relayed. And the Mako zoomed on ahead behind a barrier as rockets flew past it. In the game the Mako would have to take a different path and kill geth and destroy turrets to hack into a gate override but that's going to take too much time so instead lets just go straight through. Up in the sky I fly back down gaining the turrets attention and they fire two rockets at me. I barrel roll over the first one and shoot the second one down once I'm in range I fire my machine guns at it, blowing it up. An explosion happens next to me bombing the next turret.
"Target down." Garrus commented.
"Good shot Garrus just next time wait till I'm a little further bast the blast radius." I tell him.
"Oh is the powerful Master Chief scared of a little cannon debris." Garrus joked
"HAHA he got you there kid!" Wrex said.
"Haha everybody's a comedian at least I'm not going to lose my lunch over some terrible driving." I sarcastically say.
"What was that Ryan I don't think I heard you." Jane said and I shivered
"Nothing Jane, lets move." I sped on ahead.
Seeing the gate the turrets were protecting, I fire one missile at it ripping a whole in the middle big enough for the Mako to pass as I fly above it. We all get through and continuing moving forward. My ship sensors show the temperatures is getting extremely hot outside. Looking next to me I see why. Were moving next to hot molten magma flowing next to our path like a river. Shots land on my ship as the hull shakes but the Outlaws armor tanks it.
"Those are Geth Armature were not alone." Wrex says happy action is coming.
"Garrus when I get closer fire the cannon at the ground near its feat." Jane ordered and drove faster shooting the Mako machine guns. The Mako past me and fired its large cannon at the ground causing it break and the Armature to fall into the magma and burn.
"We have to get to those ruins fast if the geth are here Saren might have already picked it clean." I tell the team and we move one ready for the next attack. Several more Armature have come and been destroyed as we move towards the ruins when we see a geth mother ship flies by and goes past the mountains.
A squad of geth stand in front protecting the tunnel that we will lead us closer to the ruins. I take the left side shooting my machine guns at the legs of the Armature, It takes awhile but the shields went down and so did its legs than I fired a missile straight to the head killing it there. The Mako to the right running over any geth troopers and shooting down the rocket turrets. once the path was clear we drive in the tunnel. This tunnel is kind of dark even with its built in lights so I turn on mine as the Mako does the same. Driving through the tunnel we make it to the end, there a was a small hill leading down into more geth turrets so I just use the MAC cannon and take both of them out and letting the cannon cool before its next use.
We start moving agian across this dirt field next to another magma river and see another tunnel I let the Mako in front so Garrus can have his fun shooting again. More geth were here but we plowed thorough them all and leave the tunnel. We reach a path too small for the Mako and the Outlaw.
"We procced on foot from here." Jane says.
She along with the team leave the Mako and I land the Outlaw and disembark. Seeing everybody down and with there gear out. I take out my assault rifle and lead on. We quickly pace through this rocky path when we see geth troopers and rocket troopers ahead everybody knowing there role gets into action.
Garrus gets behind cover and whips out his sniper. As Jane, Wrex and I are in the front waiting for the fight to start.
"Start the part Garrus." I tell him aiming a rocket trooper down my sights.
"Understood Chief." Garrus killed the first trooper starting this fight.
Immediately the geth started shooting. Wrex just grinned and tackled a trooper down and killed it with a shotgun blast to the face. I ran forward shooting a rocket trooper before it could fire at us. Killing it I throw a [Warp] at a group of geth brining there armor down and Jane double tapped them all. With all targets down we regrouped and moved. I see a red line and jump behind a rock for cover the rest following my lead. A bullet flied past my pervious position and I peaked out of cover to find where it came from. I see a geth sniper on the wall up ahead along with trooper running closer and shock troopers behind floor shields. Jane [Lift] the sniper up and Garrus brought down.
Wrex threw some grenades in-between the shock trooper pushing them away from their shields. Jane and Garrus killed them. I ran to troopers coming closer cutting them down with my sword, feeling one get behind me I channel [Nova] In my foot and kick the the last shock trooper in half than stab it head to confirm its dead.
"There's more past this hill up ahead and two sniper towers. Wrex take down the towers how ever you choose Garrus bring cover fire to me and Jane." I tell them
"Finally some fun." Wrex said running up the hill.
"I got it Chief can't let you and the Commander steal all the kills." He mused and left to find higher ground.
"Come on Ryan I want to get rid of all these geth and try to protect the ruins." Jane said.
I nodded and we both ran. Getting up the hill we see Wrex bringing down the first tower via hurling grenades at it. I took out my shot gun and used [Charge] breaking through three shock trooper shields shooting each trooper I pasted and Jane has been using a combination of [Lift] and [Throw at her group of geth killing each one. Not wanting to lose I use a big [Singularity] sucking the rest of the geth into it than casing the [Singularity] to explodes killing everything in its radius. A geth stalker flew past me and died on impact to the wall I turn to see Wrex with his fist out seeing he punched it away.
We finally make it to the ruins and walk to an elevator taking it down to the lower levels. Leaving we see a lot of broken metal platforms and pillars before making it too far I hear a lovely voice behind us.
"Uh.... hello? could somebody help me? Please?" I hear the beautiful sounding voice say and I get excited to see one of mt most favorite people in the mass effect universe aside from Jane.
We turn around and walk closer to where the voice came from and there was the blue beauty Liara floating in this Prothean device. I looked at her and she said.
"Can you hear me out there? I am trapped. I need help!" She siad
"Liara t'soni I presume?" I asked.
"Thank the goddess! I did not think anyone would come looking for me. Listen. This thing I am in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move. So I need you to get me out of it. All right?" She says.
"How did you end up in there?" Jane asked her.
"I was exploring the ruins when the geth showed up,, so I hid in here. Can you believe that? Geth Beyond the Veil! I activated the towers defenses. I knew the barriers would keep them out. When I turned it on, I must have hit something I wasn't supposed to. You must get me out of here. Please." She begged.
"You're mother is working with Saren. Whose side are you on?" Garrus asked.
Liara looked shocked. "What! I am not on anybody's side. I may be Benzia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her! I have not spoken to her in years. Please. Just get me out of here."
"Of course well try our best to get you out of there." I reassure her.
She looks at me in relief and speaks again. "Be careful. There is a krogan with the geth. They must have been trying different ways to get past the barrier."
"The Korgan must have been sent here by Saren. He wants to get her for her information on the Protheans." Jane says.
I nod. "Yes your probably right so lets get her down. I have an idea If I can bring the Outlaw in here I can lift the trap Liara is in using its clamps. Once clamped on I will slowly lift it higher hopefully breaking the connection to the power source or showing us the connection so we can break it."
"That a little wild but better than my plane of using that mining laser." Jane says as Liara looks terrified.
"Um can we please go with the first plan it seems safer." Liara pleads.
I laugh and continue. "Ok, Jane I need you to [Lift] me to that wall over there once I'm over there I'll cut a large enough circle through the wall to bring in the Outlaw than I will get in and clamp the prison. Wrex you and Garrus will protect us just incase the korgan and the geth arrive."
"That sounds like a great plan sorry to interrupt but...." The korgan battle master couldn't finish as rex tackled him down and Garrus started shooting his geth troopers.
Jane used [Lift] on me and I got to work putting up a [Barrier] around me I started cutting a large circle. Wrex enjoying a fist fight with the other korgan and Garrus was making sure no geth got through. I finished cutting the whole with my sword Jane brought me down and got into the fight next to Garrus. I press a button on my omni-tool and the Outlaw comes floating in the bottom hatch opens and I used [Lift] to bring my self to the pilot seat. closing the hatch I bring the clamp down as it unfolds itself. I latch it on to Liara's prison and tell her. "Stay calm Liara I'm going to get you out of there."
I slowly bring the prison up and the power supply under gets exposed. Suddenly the entire ruin starts to shake and the onboard computer shows temperature is rising. Dam I forgot this ruin is basically on top of a volcano.
"Joker bring the Normandy planet side to my location fast." I tell him on the comms and continue pulling the prison. As I'm pulling the power source under it gets shot by Garrus and the prison deactivates. Liara falls through beacuse of all the shacking, I jump out the bottom hatch and free fall after her. I see her looking scared but sees me coming and I stretch out my hand to her she does the same. I get closer a grasp her hand into mine. Pulling her closer I princess carry her and create a biotic bubble around use to soften the fall. The moment we land the ruins shake again parts of the floor break down showing lava coming up fast under us.
I hear the Normandy's engine outside and make a call. "EVERBODY END YOUR FIGHTS NOW WE GOT TO MOVE!"
Wrex shot the krogan in the face and pushed him down to the lava. Jane and Garrus already killed the geth.
"Jane lets break the wall infrot of us to get outside." I tell her.
"Ok use [Shockwave] to bring it down. We have to move quick as the shockwave might cause the volcano to erupt." Jane said back.
"Excuse me Liara." I put her on my shoulder like a sack and my hand accidently rubbed her ass.
"Oh my." She said and she blushed.
Both me and Jane use [Shockwave] bringing the wall down, it becomes a makeshift ramp as the Normandy opened its cargo bay doors. We all move like the wind to get the ship as the lava starts flowing faster. Getting closer I see there's a gap between the ramp and the ship.
"Move! Move! Move! We have to jump!." I yelled and booked it jumping last second into the ship and the Outlaw flew into right before the doors closed. I let Liara down and we all started taking deep breaths.
"I would like to thank you all for saving me, and thank you for catching me. Would you mind If I see the face of my rescuers?" Liara asked.
I took off my helmet and Jane took of hers. Liara looked at us both before her cheeks turned purple and I chuckled.
"Hello Liara I am Commander Jane Shepard also a Spectre, married to the big guy over here." Jane points at me and I walk closer shaking Liara hand.
"And I am the Spectre Ryan Bradley also known as Master Chief." I said.
Liara was shocked but spoke. "I see well as you know by now I am Liara T'soni."
An hour later the entire ground team and Liara were sitting in the comms room with my and Jane standing in the middle.
"Too close Chief. Ten more seconds and we would've been swimming in molten Sulphur. The Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference." Joker well joked.
"We almost died out there and your pilots making jokes?" Liara asked a little miffed.
"It's a coping mechanism. you'll get used to it." I tell her.
"I see it must be a human thing. I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Chief. But I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there. And not just from the volcano. The geth would have killed me or drag me off to Saren." She thanked me.
"What did Saren want with you? Do you know something about the Conduit?" Kaiden asked.
"Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction. That is my real area of expertise. I have spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them." Liara said
"How old are you exactly?" Jane asked. Dam a woman asked that.
"I hate to admit it, but I am only 106." Liara admits.
"Dam I hope I look that good when I'm your age." Ashley says.
I hope Jane looks that good too when we get old.
"It may seem like a long time to your species but to the asari I am barley considered more than a child. That is why my research doesn't get the attetion it deserves because of my age other asari scholars tend to dismiss mt theories on what happened to the protheans."
"What did you find out?" I asked and Liara began to explain about how the prothean were not the first galactic civilization out there and the cycle began before them.
"And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why." She finished.
"They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines. The Reapers." I told her
"The-- The Reapers? But I have never heard of-- How do you know this? What evidence do you have?" She asks me.
"On Eden Prime there was a damaged Prothean beacon. It burned a vison into me and Ryan's brain. Were still trying to sort out what it all means." Jane told her.
"Visons? Yes that makes sense. The beacon were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding on that still works is extremely rare. No wonder the geth attacked Eden Prime the chance to acquire one even a damaged one is worth almost any risk. But they were programmed to work with Prothean's only whatever visions you received would have been confused, unclear. I am amazed you both were able to make any sense of it at all, a lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed. You both must be very strong willed Commander." Liara says.
"This isn't helping find Saren, or the Conduit." Kaiden says.
"Of course you're right. I am sorry. My scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately. I do not have ant information that could help with either." Liara confessed.
"I don't know the exact reason why Saren wanted you but I think we'll be a lot better off if we bring you along." I tell her, Jane agreeing with me.
Liara stands up. "Thank you Chief. Saren might come after me again. I cannot think of anywhere safer than here on your ship. And my knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on."
"And her biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts." Wrex finally speaks.
"Good to have you on the team, Liara." I tell her.
"Thank you Commander, Chief. I am very grate-- whoa. I am feeling light headed.
"When was the last time you ate or slept Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you." Jane says to her.
"it is probably just mental exhaustion, coupled with the shock of discovering the Prothean's true fate. I need time to process all this. Still it could not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me a chance to think things over. Are we finished here, Chief?" She questiones.
"We can talk again after you've seen the doctor. The rest of you-- dismissed!" I ordered.
"Mission reports are filed, Chief, Commander. Do you want me to patch you both to the council?" Joker asks.
"Patch them thorough Joker." Jane says.
The comms turn on and we see the Council holograms come about.
"We received your reports, Spartans. I understand Dr. T'Soni is on the Normandy." Tevos said.
"I assume your taking the necessary security precautions?" Sparatus asked.
"Liara's on our side. The geth were trying to kill her." I said.
Tevos spoke up. "Benezia would never allow Saren to kill her daughter."
"Maybe she doesn't know." Valern said.
"Or Maybe we don't know her? We never expected she could be a traitor." Sparatus said.
"At least the mission was a success." Valern happily said.
"Apart from the utter destruction of a major Prothean ruin. Was that really necessary Spartans?" Sparatus asked.
"The geth were crawling all over those ruins. We were lucky to make it out alive." Jane spitefully told him.
"Of course, Commander. The mission must always take priority." Valern said.
"Good luck Spartans. Remember we are all counting on you." Tevos ended the call.
I look at Jane. "That mission took a lot out of me are you ready for bed?"
Jane raises an eyebrow and coyly looks at me. "Are you sure your arms aren't from carrying Liara and holding that big ass of hers? Not that I can blame you she is beautiful." She laughs at me blushing.
"Oh shut up and lets go to sleep I am really tired." I tell her.
She smiles and kisses my cheek and we both head over to our room and change for bed. I cuddle her as I am the big spoon and we head off to sleep.