Day 9: A Little Piece of Omega

Day 9

     We made it to the Quarian home world: Rannoch, a pretty impressive sight. It’s a marvel of organic and synthetic engineering, in quite an inspiring way. And given that the Geth and Quarians have been working together for only the past 40 years is an even greater testament to the Shepard’s influence.

     Seeking asylum on Rannoch has had its perks. Most of the team decided to improve themselves by having various cybernetics added to them. I decided to increase the muscle weave in my legs and an internal computer installed to increase my capabilities, and proficiency as a soldier. You need to be ready for anything, and now that we are all fugitives we need all the advantage we can get. An interesting by-product of these improvements is the doctors accidentally installed a direct interface along with the internal computer, so I can interface with my omni-tool without manually accessing it. That should come in handy with my new incendiary ammo I picked up in the bazaar. We spent the next three days recuperating.

     Upon our release we decided to celebrate and regroup by honouring the time-old tradition of hitting the bar. Lúthien, being the most street savvy, picked what she considered to be the best one. We probably should have known something was going to happen, I mean the daughter of the “Queen of Omega” is bound to pick the seediest, most-likely-to-get-killed-in bar in The Capitol. As we walked into the bar I noticed that the patrons began leaving and certain individuals setting up, or revealing rather, some pretty tactically advantageous positions, when suddenly the deafening sound of a sniper rifle shatters the silence and Lúthien barely manages to throw up a barrier in time to stop the bullet from hitting anything vital. I quickly kick a table over and pull Nienna down, and whip out my rifle and activate my incendiary ammo, how convenient having that mistake at the hospital turned out to be. The other Turian (Artemis I think that’s her name?), the prisoner we freed from the Salarians, was with me behind the table and seemed surprised that there was another Turian in the squad, which I guess I can forgive her as she was pretty reclusive on the ship, having just been freed and all, and didn’t know who I was! ME! Major Terryck Corinthus, Nova Cluster recipient and Saviour of Aephus! The Salarians must have done something to her mental capacity during her tenure as prisoner to have forgotten something that important! Anyway, our attackers were a group of Salarian mercs, how they got on Rannoch is beyond me, but they were quickly dealt with. I detained the one that I fired at, shoved him behind the bar, right as I turned I saw Aliya getting ready to sprint out the door! The damned Quarian was trying to get away! As her guard I started to run after her, I can’t disobey my orders and let her get away, not after I know what she’s capable of now.

      

Day 8: O that Tangled Web we Weave

Day 8

    

     That damned suit rat! She’s a filthy traitor! I should have shot her the moment she exposed herself! I don’t know why I didn’t; am I going soft? The great Terryck Corinthus unable to do his duty and at least arrest someone guilty of treason? Bosh’tet! That’s the only word appropriate for her and it’s a damned Quarian word! And the rest of the crew! How could they so calmly accept what the suit rat did! Does the Alliance have any standards? Damn them all! What have I been reduced to? And to make matters worse I’ve been branded a traitor and a wanted criminal, along with everyone else aboard the Sachsen. Apparently we all have some traitorous doppelgangers out to ruin us and sabotage our mission. This day just couldn’t get any better, some days I wonder if it was the right decision leaving the Turian Military. Then I think of my family, the one’s I’m fighting for, are always in my mind, and am reminded that I have to be here, as much as I hate it. Spirits keep them safe.

     Once we got to the bridge the Commander ordered the Salarians to surrender control of the ship to us, and then proceeded to shoot the poor bastard’s hand off as he reached for the switch to alert who knows who or what, which quickly cowed them into listening to our demands and damaging the computer sufficiently to halt any rebellious notions the Salarians might have had. The LT quickly bandaged the injured Salarian. After questioning them we quickly realized that they knew nothing aside from their contract to keep the station in orbit and all systems running. Lieutenant Joe left for engineering when the barefaced Quarian indicated that as her next destination.

      A few minutes later he contacts me asking to see if he should follow the suit rat after finding that she and the Geth had killed the Salarian in the computer core. What is with this guy, can’t he think for himself? Anyway, from what the Asari say what happened after that was rather entertaining and the beginning of her betrayal exposed. Lúthien dominated the two engineers and told them to sleep, and they dutifully went to their quarters, the suit rat then went to follow, presumably to strip their omnitool for research data. Instead she killed them! Helpless bystanders if the Salarians on the bridge are to be believed. Joe then tackled her to the ground. Apparently he wasn’t concerned about the implications of what the Quarian had just done and then confessed his love for her! He really needs to go to Invictus…

     Once they all returned to the bridge the Quarian begins by saying that she has something to tell the Commander in an odd tone. My suspicions began when she explained that the ship’s computers were wiped and nothing was on them, with no trace of where they went. Salarians might not be great soldiers, but they know their tech and even if there was a virus that wiped the local hard drives they would have a failsafe system in place to transfer the important data off ship, and if she was as good as she claims to be then she should have been able to find its location! The gun came out when Lúthien casually stated that she had killed the engineers in cold blood. The Commander disposed the two Salarians on the bridge when the Quarian said she wouldn’t discuss such matters in front of strangers. She then proceeded to tell us that she had wiped the ship’s computer systems of any trace of the Salarian’s research data as per her orders, which “recently” came from President Tali’Zorah vas Normandy, to prevent the Alliance from gathering such intel and to destroy any trace of the research. I should have shot her right then, barefaced suit rat. I don’t understand how the Commander accepted such treasonous behaviour so calmly and seemingly without any worry at all! She was in direct contradiction to the orders of a superior officer to which she is legally bound! Does she have any honour; does anyone in the Alliance?

     After that bombshell we were contacted by the Sachsen to return immediately to the ship, as there was something of great import that we needed to see. As it turns out we are all traitors and fugitives. Some group, claiming to be us, with admittedly convincing persons, and a ship incredibly similar to the Sachsen attacking and destroying Admiral Johnstone’s base and assassinating every senior officer there. They even had a Geth in the vids! The Council, and nearly every other galactic government, have deemed us traitors and criminals worthy of death. What is even more intriguing is all four councillors signed this declaration; that means the Salarian councillor, after nearly forty years of warming a council seat has, actually acted in concordance with the rest of the council. Which elicits some suspicion as to why he would finally take part in this particular motion. This is something worth looking into.

     It is of great comfort to me that the Hierarchy, even though they have to conform to the will of the Council, has enough reasonable doubt to clear my name. It is good to know that, despite my abrupt departure, they haven’t forgotten my service and everything I have put into my service and for my people. I also received an email from a certain interested party with the location to a supply cache and safe house for my now fugitive crew. Good to know that there are still some people who aren’t crazy in the galaxy.

Day 7: Uninvited Guests

Day 7

    

     We arrived at the doctor’s research station and upon boarding, reconfirmed that the Salarians still hate the Krogans, enough so to have a biological scanning alarm. As soon as Braxis set foot on the ship all the alarms sounded and a troop of mechs was deployed to stop the threat. This mixed species crew the Alliance seems so fond of shoving together sure has it’s set backs. But who am I to criticise the race that pulled everyone together forty years ago to stop the Reapers?

     We were able to neutralize the guard mechs fairly quickly, even with an Atlas trying to help them. Aliya and K8 ran off to find the ships main computers to collect the data we’ve come for. Just as well, no one else would be able to hack those systems. K-QO ran a scan of the ship and revealed the presence of six Salarians aboard the ship and surprisingly, a Turian as well! It looks as if the Turian is a prisoner of the scientists, which is surprising. Anyone from the Turian Military you would think would be trained enough to avoid capture, especially by Salarians. That’s beside the point; we’ll save him if he needs rescuing if not… I don’t think any Turian would betray their people, but if this one has… I have a few rounds spared for traitors. K-QO then ran off past the mechs, I assume in search of the Turian.

     The Commander, the LT, Braxis and I, headed off the bridge, taking care of a few more mechs along the way, to stop any outgoing communications. 

Day 6: Know your limit, stay within it.

Day 6

    

     Well this is just great! All our carefully laid plans gone to waste all because of a stupid Krogan and the Commander’s inability to avoid a firefight! Doesn’t he know that there is a time and place for fighting and that sometimes you need to just play it cool and complete a mission without violence? If he had just waited for us to get there and just let us in all of this would have been avoided! But, I can’t actually say any of that to, or about my Commanding officer, I’ve worked too hard to be court-marshalled, especially by the Alliance.

So let me explain a bit further. While we were out, after relaying our message and getting the holos up they decided to open the cargo bay while we were still 5 minutes out! Who in their right mind would open a door, on Sur’Kesh with a paranoid Krogan and a bunch of Salarians who were ordered to pick up the cargo, so naturally as they go to board the ship and collect the cargo the Krogan goes ballistic a drops one of them right then and there! Which of course leads to an all out firefight on the cargo bay door as they rush to close it and trap the Salarians in. The LT, for all his skills and agility, decides it’s a good idea to get K8 to toss him into the fray! That man would build a house in an Invictus jungle if anyone would.  One minute you think he’s great, then the next you wonder how he survived zero-G training. Anyway, the battle raged on, with the obvious outcome of our victory. I guess the repercussions won’t be disastrous; only three Salarian mercs dead, and we got the doctor out hopefully unnoticed.

      The Asari and I pulled into the cargo bay full of carnage and unconscious Salarians. Nienna quickly, before adding the contents of her stomach to the carnage, ran to change into something more decent. Meanwhile, K8, obviously unused to skycars opened the trunk (which lies beneath the car) causing the good doctor to slam onto the blood-slick floor. With him yelling and generally fussing about his situation K8 gave him an ultimatum: shut up and answer our questions, or get shoved back into the trunk. He quickly shut up and was not very forthcoming with his answers. Braxis, our ever-so-polite Krogan brute, made some off-hand comment about the taste and quality of Salarian livers which very quickly rendered Dr. Re’lis unconscious. We really need to keep him away from our prisoners… We did learn, however, that most of his research was on his ship, and Aliya, in all her tech wisdom, stripped his omnitool and located this ship. And that is our next destination.

P.s- it isn’t wise to gamble against Aria T’Loak’s daughter, especially for a skycar. Let’s just say it wasn’t my best game of Skyllian Five…

Day 5: House Call

Day 5

     Well, this mission has gone surprisingly well… Maybe it has something to do with the LT not being here. I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on him. His range of skills is starting to prove useful, without him I wouldn’t have gone unnoticed through the streets of Sur’Kesh without every surveillance vid picking up that Major Terryck Corinthus was deep in enemy territory.

With that, the Asari and myself left the crew aboard the Batarian vessel in search of this Dr. Zevan Re'lis. Coming off the ship we were greeted by a motley crew of mercs who were easily… persuaded by the daughter of Aria T’Loak and a superior officer to stand down, disarm their turrets and allow us to “clear the funds” for the “sale” of the Quarians with the doctor.

As we approached Dr. Re'lis’ house we were stopped by a troop of the local police force, which weren’t too keen on being assigned guard duty of this “nobody.” So Nienna, dressed in her dancing outfit (and looked totally hot! But I’ve learned to keep things professional and in check when on a mission, as a soldier should), slipped a little cleavage and persuaded the officer to let us pass by to take care of the doctor’s… needs. We then persuaded him to keep this visit unrecorded, you know, for the doctor’s privacy.

Upon entering the house we were faced with four armed Salarians, not much of a threat considering my training and accomplishments and two very powerful biotics. The Doctor rushes up babbling like only a Salarian could about this intrusion into his home. We tried our story about Aria taking over the Batarian’s shipment of Quarians, but that was apparently the wrong thing to say. The Salarians really don’t like the Shepard or anything connected to him.  So we had to resort to more… physical methods to apprehend the good doctor. I tackled him to the ground and knocked him out with a solid punch the jaw while Lúthien dominated the minds of the guards and had them shoot each other.

Having the doctor safely in hand, we contacted the Commander with the news and made plans to get the doctor aboard the ship. I suggested that Aliya create a holo of the life pods that were on the ship to, as the door was lowered, trick the mercs that our story was true and we could just fly in in one of the doctor’s spots cars (apparently Salarian scientists are paid extremely well) and fly away without ever having to fire a single clip. It would be genius and a flawlessly executed mission.