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Mass Effect: The Helldiver Saga, The Last Cycle	By : Veyron722skyhook Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 6104 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or it's characters. They belong to Bioware and EA. No money/profit is made by me from this.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Phew! I hit my target to get this chapter done by Friday. I'm certainly hoping I can keep that up and make all ME3 chapters weekly.
There's a few story changes in this one, but I should say that it will mostly be the same until the Citadel coup. It's after that though that the story will start to go into more original territory. However, there is a bit at the end of this that will add more to the mystery bit of my story.
Big thank you also to Mastermind for doing the Sarah/Traynor scenes in this.

Chapter 2
The Red Planet
It felt nice to be back on the Normandy SR3 again. Despite that a war had no started, Austin couldn't help but feel safe.
"What the hell's going on?! Where's Anderson?!Where are we going?!" Vega asked.
"We're leaving." Austin replied.
"Leaving?!"
"We're heading for the Citadel. We can't hope to win this war without help." Said Austin.
"Bullshit! Anderson wouldn't order us to leave!" Vega objected.
"He didn't. He asked." Said Austin. "Besides, you saw how the Reapers cut through the Alliance's defences. If the galaxy doesn't' unite together, the Reapers have already won."
"Then you can drop me off at the nearest depot, 'cause I'm not leaving." Said James.
Austin hated to forceful, but sometimes it was necessary.
"Stow it, Lieutenant!" he ordered. "You don't wanna go—we get it—but this isn't a democracy!"
This seemed to be put Vega in his place, and he remained silent.
"Major, we're clear of Earth." Said Joker through the loudspeakers.
"Good. Plot a course for the Citadel." Said Austin.
"Shepard, you have an incoming message from Admiral Hackett." Said EDI, the Normandy's Artificial Intelligence.
"Patch him through."
A holo image of Hackett appeared in front of them. It was very crackly and just barely understandable.
"Shepard… sustained heavy losses. …force was overwhelming… There's no way we can defeat them conventionally…" said Hackett.
"We're already heading to the Citadel to talk to the Council. I've sent a message to Arkadia as well." Said Austin.
"First, I need… iance outpost on Mars… ore we lose control of the system." Hackett requested.
"Mars? We send me there?" Austin asked
…been researching the Prothean Archives with Professor T'soni." Said Hackett. "…found a way to stop the Reapers… only way to stop them… …in contact soon. Hackett out."
Austin immediately reacted at the mention of the name T'soni. So his wife had been on Mars. She was okay! Secretly, he'd been worried sick as soon as the Reapers had hit. The question of whether Liara was okay or not had constantly been on his mind. At least now he knew she was on a planet the Reapers hadn't hit yet. That could only mean she was safe.
The Major didn't even hesitate in accepting.
"Joker, change of plans. Plot a course for the Mars archives." He said.
"Why Mars? What does Hackett think we'll find there?" Ashley asked.
"I'm not sure. But whatever it is, it concerns my wife."
"So you're the new girl?" Ashley asked.
It was a bit of a tight squeeze with everyone inside the dropship. Alpha alone fitted just fine, but the extra Alliance soldiers did now make the space a bit cramped.
"Yeah." Jet replied, slightly nervously.
Ashely could see she was making the girl uncomfortable and just simply nodded.
"Not much of a talker, is she?" Ashley whispered.
"She's still getting to know everyone." Said Austin. He then turned to Vega who was piloting the dropship down. "What's the weather like?"
"Not good. It's okay for now, but we've got a cosmic storm incoming." Said Vega.
"Then we'd better get in there quick." Said Austin.
They only got a few yards towards the building before they spotted hostiles down below. They had several Alliance knelt down in front of them. Alpha of course recognised the white and yellow armour instantly.
"Cerberus!" Austin hissed.
"Holy shit! They're executing people!" Vega whispered as the Cerberus troops shot all the Alliance troops dead.
Everyone went to cover so that they wouldn't' be spotted. All of ALpha Squad then lined up their guns, taking a target each.
"Looks like they finalyl managed to make sone passable knock offs of our armour." said Leena.
"ANALYSIS" The troopers have augmented themselves extensively. I doubt that it will save them though. Combat efficiency is still 25% less than ours." said X-5 quietly.
Once everyone was ready to fire, Austin lined up his own shot and prepared to issue the order to fire in synch.
"And... execute."
All of the troopers fell at the same time as Alpha Squad all fired in perfect synch with each other.
With the path ahead clear, everyone headed into the facility. As the airlock sealed and began equalising, Ashley and James removed their helmets. The Helldivers naturally didn't.
"Why would Cerberus be here?" Ashley asked.
"Hell if I know, Ash. Ever since they got blamed for the destruction of the Alpha Relay they've had to lay very low." Said Austin.
"Weren't you accused of working for them at one point?" Jet asked.
"Yes, but that wasn't true." Said Sandra.
"Wouldn't be here if I was with those terrorists." Said Austin.
A sudden thud suddenly interrupted them and they all took cover. There were more of them coming from the vents. A hatch was suddenly dislodged and two Helldivers jumped out, both female. Austin recognized them both immediately. One of them was none other than his wife, Liara T'soni Shepard, and the other was Alpha's old friend, and Liara's former mentor, Zhi Shang Ren, or Xun as she preferred to be called.
Several Cerberus troopers then suddenly appeared at the hatch. They'd been following the two Helldivers through the vents. Liara quickly threw up a biotic singularity which caught both the Cerberus troopers. As they flailed around madly, Liara took out her pistol and shot them both. One was killed instantly, but the other survived. As they both fell to the floor, Xun walked up to the one that was still alive. She unsheathed her Katana and stabbed it in the heart.
Seeing that the coast was clear, everyone came out of hiding. James had his gun trained on both Xun and Liara, but Austin quickly lowered it.
"Stand down, Lieutenant. They're with us." He said.
Both Xun and Liara turned to face them. From behind her helmet, Liara's face lit up with joy.
"Austin!"
The Asari instantly flung herself into her husband's arms and they both hugged each other tightly. Both their helmets then retracted and they kissed each other.
"I've missed you so much." Said Austin telepathically.
Due to how strong their bond had grown now, Austin and Liara had gained the ability to communicate with each without speaking over short distances. This came in quite handy in a lot of situations.
"I've missed you too." Said Liara. "Thank the goddess you're alive!"
"Funny how we keep running into each other, isn't it, old friend?" Xun smiled.
"Good to see you too, Xun." Austin smiled as both his and Liara's helmet resealed.
"We heard about Earth. I was so worried about you." Said Liara.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily, love." Austin chuckled.
"True, but I still feared the worst when I saw the reports. They hit Earth hard." Said Liara.
"Yeah. It was hard to leave like that." Said Ashley.
"I'm sorry, Ashley."
"But why did you come here? How did you know we were here?" Xun asked.
"Admiral Hackett told us to come here. He said you might know what's going on here." Austin replied.
"We do." Liara smiled.
"Hallelujah! Some answers, finally." said James.
"Maybe. We've discovered plans for a Prothean device, one that could wipe out the Reapers." said Liara.
"You're serious?!" said Austin with surprise. "Here, on Mars?!"
"This is no joke, Shepard. It's in the Prothean archives." said Xun.
"But we've known about the archives for decades. Why now?" Ashley asked.
"Process of illumination." Said Liara. "When the Alpha Relay was destroyed, it bought us some time."
"With you and Alpha out trying to get the word out and attempting to form alliances among the other races, I felt I had to try and do my part." Said Xun. "I began using all the resources I had as the Shadow Broker to try and find anything that could help us in the coming war. My search led me here. Naturally of course, I needed a Prothean expert so I contacted Liara. Sorry that I kept it secret from you."
"I'm sorry I also didn't tell you. I shouldn't keep secrets from you, Austin." said Liara.
"Don't worry, you two. Under the circumstances, I can easily forgive you both." Austin smiled.
"You're too kind." Said Xun.
"You have no idea, Xun." Liara smiled.
"In any case, our work here has paid off. The archives are full of data, an overwhelming amount. I think we have found what we need." said Xun.
"Sounds like this is our best chance to blow the Reapers to hell." said Austin.
"It's not a weapon. Well, not yet anyway." Said Liara. "It's plans for a device. A blueprint."
"Better than nothing. So how do we get it?" Leena asked.
"The archives are just across that tramway, providing Cerberus hasn't locked it down." said Xun.
"Why are they here? Doesn't make any sense since they're being hunted by the Batarians." Ashley asked.
"Not to mention they seem hell-bent on catching you two." said James.
"They want what we're here for." said Xun coldly.
"But why?" James asked.
"A weapon powerful enough to destroy the Reapers and possibly do more? How could those terrorists resist?" said Austin.
"Speaking of which, we've got company." said Ashely.
Sure enough, the door was being cut through from the other side.
"Bring it on!" said James.
"Not this time, Vega." said Austin.
"What?!"
"You and Alpha get back to the shuttle. Ashley, you're with us. If there's the slightest chance Cerberus could beat us to the archives, we need you covering the exit."
"But…"
"That's an order, Lieutenant."
James reluctantly nodded and joined Alpha as they headed back out the way they came.

Cerberus had obviously used their time in hiding from the Batarians to their advantage. They'd clearly been upgraded with better armour, better weapons, even their training and tactics seemed to have improved.
For Austin, Ashely, Liara and Xun however, it wasn't something they couldn't handle.

In order to get to the archives, that meant having to head outside again. The storm outside had really picked up now. The wind was so strong in fact that Ashely nearly got pushed over. For the three Helldivers with her however, this didn't bother them.
In the distance, they could see the tram moving with what looked like gunfire coming out fo it.
"What the hell?!"
"Looks like the Allaince are still fighting hard." said Austin.
"That tram heads to the archives." said Liara.
"Then that's where we need to go.
"Major… you read me?" Alaara's voice crackled over the comm.
"Barely. Storm's causing interference." Austin replied.
"Yeah, tell me about it. We've lost contact with the Normandy."
The group jumped over a gap and found the airlock to the next part of the facility was open.
"This airlock shouldn't be open." said Liara, nervously.
"No sign of forced entry." said Ashely.
"Exactly. The security protocols would need to overridden." Said Liara.
The group took it slowly as they made their way inside. All the lights were turned off and so it was very hard to see.
"Getting a little dark in here." said Ahsley.
"Lights on." said Austin.
The helmets and chests of all the Helldivers lit up with small flashlights, providing plenty of illumination for the path ahead. It was nwo that they could see quite a few dead bodies. With the airlock open, it wasn't hard to determine the cause of death.
"Someone vented the air from this room while they were still here." said Liara.
"Horrible way to die." said Austin sympathetically.
"This is brutal, even by Cerberus standards." said Liara angrily.
The blinds to the windows suddenly retracted as some Cerberus soldiers looked inside.
"Get down!" Austin whispered.
Everyone quickly did so and deactivated their lights.
Austin waited for a moment as the Cerberus troops scanned the room with their own flashlights.
Austin simpyl nodded to everyone as they readied for a surprise attack.
"On my mark… 3… 2… 1…"
Everyone immediately popped out of cover and fired. The Cerberus troops didn't even know what hit them. With the room clear, they made their way to the next airlock.
"We need to pressurize the room first." said Liara as she accessed the controls. "There we go. We have access to the labs. They'll take us right to the tram station."
"What's this?" Ashely asked, accessing a recorded message.
"Security station… come in? We're seeing some odd activity down here. Our security protocols just kicked in. Everything's locked down."
A woman then suddenly walked into frame. There was something strangely familiar about the skintight outfit she was wearing.
"Doctor, I need your report as soon as…"
The woman then suddenly drew a gun and shot both the guards in the recording. She then accessed the controls and opened the doors, causing everyone to suffocate.
"So that's how they got in." said Austin.
"We should've known there was something wrong about her." said Xun.
"Who is that anyway?" Austin asked.
"Doctor Eva Core. She got here about a week ago. I knew there was something funny about her, but I had no idea…" said Liara.
"We were just so focused on finding a way to stop the Reapers." said Xun.
"It's not your fault, Xun." said Austin reassuringly.
"I know."
"I wonder what this weapon actually is. The Protheans always have been a fascinating race. It's very hard for me not to be very curious." said Liara.
"Your old archaeologist self is showing again." Ashely couldn't' help but smile.
"It's been doing that a lot more often." said Liara. "Not that I mind of course."

They had to fight their way through many more Cerberus troops before they finally reached the tram station. It seemed empty.
"Looks like they got across first." said Liara.
"Can you override the tram?" Austin asked.
"No. The archives are on a separate network. We're completely locked out." said the Asari.
"What about a short range communicator?" Ashely asked.
"How would that help?" Xun asked.
"We convince them we're on their side. You Helldivers have voice changers, don't you?" Ashely explained.
Austin considered this for a moment. She was right actually, Helldivers did have voice changers in their helmets. They were all customisable and didn't have to be used. Austin did use his to make his voice sound even deeper and in a way a bit more intimidating. It helped people take him and his squad seriously.
"Good idea, Ash." he said.
Ashely walked off to try and find a nearby Cerberus soldier. As she did, Liara cast her husband a look.
"What?"
"The lieutenant-commander seems to have become very capable." said Liara.
"Indeed."
"Austin! I found something."
"What've you got?"
"He's got a transmitter in his helmet, if we can…"
The helmet hissed open, revealing the Cerberus soldiers face.
"God! Looks like a Husk." said Ashely.
The soldier clearly did have implants on the face and blue eyes. It was a rather disturbing sight.
"Yeah. Not quite though. They've definitely done something to themselves." said Austin.
"They did this to their own soldiers?" Ashley asked.
"Hardly unexpected. I've seen them do stuff just as bad as this." said Austin, managing to get the radio out of the helmet.
"Let's see if we can get them to send that tram over. Wish I had Sandra for this."
The Helldiver fiddled with his omni tool for a moment and then spoke, now sounding exactly like one of the Cerberus soldiers.
"Hello, this is Delta team. Anybody there?"
"That is a cool trick." Ashely smiled.
"Where the hell have you been?!" the radio replied back. "Never mind. What's your status?"
"We're at the tram station, waiting for extraction. All hostiles terminated." Austin replied.
"Roger that. Echo will ride over and secure the station."
"Think they bought it?" Ashley asked.
"Doesn't matter. They'll be dead as soon as they get over here." said Austin as his voice returned to the usual setting. "Get in position. We'll flank them when they get off the tram."
"Good thinking, Major."

After dealing with last of the Cerberus squads, the group found themselves looking at the massive Prothean archives. To think that this was were it had all started, where humanity made the discovery that changed everything for them.
Liara worked on accessing the data. Unknown to them however, a hologram had suddenly appeared behind them.
A sudden sound caused both Austin and Liar ato whirl round and face it. Liara even pulled out her gun.
"Ilussive Man!" she said coldly.
There in front of them stood a hologram of the leader of Cerberus himself.
"So, the great Sir Major Shepard. We meet at last." He said.
"The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure." Said Austin coldly. "What do you want?"
"What I've always wanted. The data in these artefacts holds the key to solving the Reaper threat." said the Illusive man.
"I've seen your so called "solutions". You've turned your own people into monsters." said Austin.
"Hardly. They're being improved."
"Improved? There's a war going on and all you still care about is trying get even with us?"
"That's what separates us, Shepard. Where the Helldivers see a means to destroy, I see a way to control. To dominate and harness the Reapers power. Imagine how strong humanity would be if we controlled them." said the Illusive Man.
"You speak of control, yet you cause chaos! You always claim you want to advance humanity, yet you end up abandoning the very things that make you human. Hence why we have stopped you every time. For example, Earth and the galaxy are under siege and you're hatching a scheme to control the Reapers. Just proves it even more." Austin retorted.
"You've always been short sighted, hasty. You're destruction of the Collector base proved that."
"Would've been no better than you if I'd spared it."
"This isn't your fight any longer, Shepard. You can't defeat the Reapers, even with the Prothean data."
"Watch me. I've beaten the odds before, I'll do it again. You always have underestimated us."
"Destroying the Reapers is wasted potential. We can dominate them, use their power, harness their very essence to bring humanity to the apex of evolution."
"With that data, I'll rid the galaxy of those machines, and then I'll find a way to crush Cerberus, your pathetic little dream, like an ant under a boot, once and for all."
"Your vision is pathetically delimited." said the Illusive man. "You are just a tool, an agent with a singular purpose. In that, you were successful. But in doing so, you've proved that you're not fit to were that armour, nor deserve to be called by the ranks you have."
"Speak for yourself. Besides, you can try and insult me all you like, it won't work. I already know how this is going to end anyway: Your pathetic little dreams a failure and in ruins, and a blade through your heart." said Austin. "Liara."
Liara went back to accessing the archives to get the data.
"Don't interfere with my plan, Helldiver. I won't warn you again." said the Illusive man.
"Go to hell! I'll send you there myself!" Austin retorted.
"Austin!" Liara suddenly shouted.
"What is it?"
"The data, it's not here! It's being erased!"
"Goodbye, Shepard." said the Illusive man as his hologram vanished.
"Dammit! How's' he doing it?!" Austin cursed.
"It's local, someone's uploading the information." said Liara.
Further away, Ashely had suddenly noticed a figure at another terminal.
"Hey! Step away from the console, now!" she ordered.
The woman suddenly whirled round kicked Ash hard, sending her to the floor. Dr Core then shot the terminal.
"She's got the data!" Liara yeleld as she ran.
"Get her!"
Dr Core seemed a lot faster than she looked. In fact, her speed rivalled Dash's a lot.
They continued chasing her until they were outside. Surprisingly, Dr Core didn't seem to have any breathing equipment. Austin was beging to think she wasn't human.
"She's getting away!"
A shuttle then hovered into view. Dr Core jumped into it and it started to lift off out of the Helldiver's reach.
"Dammit! Vega, Normandy, anybody!" he yelled.
Speak of the devil however, the dropship suddenly came into view and flew right at the Cerberus shuttle.
"I got this one!" said James.
The dropship rammed right into the shuttle, causing it to crash and catch fire. The dropship meanwhile was left undamaged and was easily able to land. Everyone slowly picked themselves up after having to dodge the crash.
"Xun?" Liara asked.
"I'm good." Xun groaned.
The Asari then walked up to Ashely and helped her up.
"Are you alright, Ashley?" she asked.
"I think so."
Austin meanwhile was on the other side of the dropship as Vega stepped out.
"Normandy's en route. They'll be here soon."
"We need the data." said Xun.
There was suddenly a loud bang from the Cerberus shuttle and the hatch came off. A figure stepped out of the fire.
Dr Core was still alive, but she'd been very badly burnt. So burnt in fact that it had melted off her human exterior and revealed her true form. She was indeed android as they suspected.
Xun went to reach for her weapons, but Core reacted faster. A swift punch sent the Chinese Helldiver flying and she hit the dropship hard.
Ashely reached for her own rifle, but Core ran at her, disarmed her and hoisted her up by the neck.
"Ashley!" Liara yelled, taking out her own rifle. "Put her down!"
Dr Core seemed to ignore Liara and touched her earpiece.
"Orders?" she asked.
"Dispose of her." the Illusive Man replied.
Core replied and smashed Ashely hard against the shuttle several times before throwing her tot he ground and running at Liara. The Asari fired several shots at the robot, bu they barely slowed it down.
Core then suddenly knocked Liara to the ground and activated omni blade. Just before the holographic blade could come down on the Asari however, something stopped. As part of a reflex, Liara's eyes had shut. When she opened them, she found Austin standing between her and Core, with Excalibur in his hand and blocking the robot's blade.
"Get away from my wife, trash can!" He said.
Core immediately disengaged and lunged at Austin. The Helldiver of course was just as fast and he parried her blow. Silver Kartalrium clashed against orange hologram as the two exchanged thrusts and blows.
A sudden turn from Austin's wrist forced Core's blade down and pinned it there. The Helldiver then brought his free hand back, activated his own omni blade and stabbed the robot in the chest.
Core's holo visor falshed and fizzed for a moment before she shut down. The robot fell tot he ground with a loud clang as Austin twirled his mighty sword and then sheathed it on his back.
"You alright?" he asked, helping his wife up.
"Yes." Liara panted. "Thank you, love."
Austin then turned and noticed Ashely's unconsciousness body.
"Ashely!" he yelled, running up to her and dropping to his knees."Don't do this to me, old friend! Don't you die on me!"
He scanned the unconscious Allaince soldier. T his relief, she was still breathing and her heart was steady.
"She's still alive, but she'd badly hurt! She needs medical attention, now!" he yelled.
Xun and Jams nodded as Liara helped Austin hoist Ashely up onto his shoulder. He quickly cast a look at the defunct robot.
"Bring that thing with us." he said coldly.
"Major, we've got Reaper signatures in orbit." Joker warned.
Everyone wasted no time and hurried up the Normandy's ramp. James also quickly piloted the dropship back in.

Austin, Liara and James all hurried into the meday, AUstin carrying Ashely and James carrying Dr Core.
Austin gently set his childhood friend down on one of the beds while James put Core down further away.
"Where's Doctor Chakwas?" Liara asked worriedly, nothing that the Normandy's usual medic wasn't at her post.
"She took some temporary leave a few days ago. Really bad time for it now." said Austin as he removed Ashely's helmet. Her face didnt' look good, THere were bruises all over her.
"What do we do? None of us are medics." Liara asked.
"We have to leave the sol system and head for the Citadel. It's Ash's only hope." said Austin.
The doors then suddenly opened and Griffin walked in. Not even caring, he pushed Austin out fo the way and sunk to his knees in fornt of Ashely.
"NO! No, Lord, no!"
"She's still alive. Don't worry, she's not in heaven yet." said Austin reassuringly putting a hand on Griffin's shoulder. "Joker, get as to the Citadel now. And I means as fast as you can, mister!"
"Don't need to tell me twice, Major." Joker replied.
"You can stay with her." Austin said to Griffin. He then turned to Dr Eva. If he didn't have better control over his anger, he would've easily just spaced her. Fortunately though, he knew that keeping her could help them learn maybe a useful thing or two. "See what EDI can learn from that thing."
"Major, I am receiving a signal over the secondary QEC. I believe it's Admiral Hackett." said EDI.
"Patch him through to me in the comm room." said Austin.

"Shepard… you read… me…."
"EDI, can you clear this up?" Austin asked.
"I'll do my best." EDI replied.
The transmission seemed to stop stuttering and Austin could at least understand Hackett now.
"Did you get to the archives?" Hackett asked.
"I was there. So was the Illusive Man." said Austin.
"I was worried Cerberus might try something. Did you get the data?"
"Yes. Just barely." Austin sighed with relief. "EDI and Xun will analyse what we recovered."
"What have we learned? Was it worth the effort?"
"Preliminary evidence suggests the data is a blueprint for a Prothean device." Liara explained.
"Device?"
"It seems to be called the Crucible. It's a weapon, massive in size and scope that's capable of destroying the Reapers." said Liara as she activated her omni tool.
A hologram of the massive Crucible device was projected next to Hackett.
"Send me the data. We'll do our own analysis." said the Admiral.
"Good luck, Hackett. I also need to start putting my own plan into action. If it works, we'll have an army as well." said Austin.
"I hope so." said Hackett. "I'll be in touch soon. Hackett out."
"It will get worse, won't it?" Liara asked.
"Not if we stop the Reapers it won't. Many of us have prepared for this. It's better than nothing. At least I know the Arkanes and the Helldivers will at least be ready to fight them." said Austin, confidently.
"I'm ready too. No matter what, I will be at your side the whole time." said Liara.
Austin simply sighed and hugged her.
"I missed you." he said, finally letting his emotion show a bit more. Despite that it wasn't the best of circumstances, it brought warm feelings to his heart and soul to finally have Liar aback in his coudl tell that Liara felt the same.
"I missed you too. Not a day went by when I didn't wish I was back in your arms." Liara sighed. "I trust of course this war isn't going to put strain on us?"
"I won't let it." said Austin.
"Good. I was getting worried." Liara smiled.
"There were a lot of reasons I was happy to see you on Mars." said Austin suggestively.
"I'd like that list, but later. Right now we do have more pressing matters." said Liara.
"As long as the plan works, things should be okay and we'll have the armies we need." said Austin.
"I hope of course it all isn't dependant on that plan alone of course. You have others, don't you?"
"Of course. It's just that this one is our best shot at ending the cycle." said Austin. "Be sure we're ready to present our findings to the Council."

Everyone was turning in for the night. After the traumatizing events of today, everyone was more than ready for some much needed rest. Everyone except one.
Sleep was the last thing on the mind of Comm Specialist Samantha Traynor as she worked tirelessly on her computer display. The only thing on her mind was how quiet and alone it was. The Reapers had destroyed every comm buoy in the Sol system... and every bloody system around it! Without the buoys, long-range communication might as well be nonexistent at worst, seventeenth century level at best. To the dedicated comm specialist, the forced radio silence was simply maddening. Until the Normandy reached the safety of inner Citadel space, the ship was cut off from the rest of the galaxy.
But even once they did, there was no way to be certain if they could reach out to the rest of the galaxy. The latest report clearly showed how Reaper forces had already spread out across the farthest corners of the stars. No doubt their first step of invading a system was to silence any form of communication... which meant there was no way to know if anyone out there was still alive or managed to escape.
But as horrifying as the thought of such mass genocide was, there was only person that the fragile specialist could think of: N7 Commander Sarah Jane Shepard, sister of the famous Sir Major Austin Shepard... and lover of Samantha Traynor. When Traynor had first transferred to the Normandy, to act as a replacement of someone named Kelly Chambers, her life had been completely rewritten on her very first day. No other woman before had made her feel like she did. Sarah was the perfect yet impossible blend of beauty and sex appeal. Traynor had done everything humanly possible to deny it, but she had almost immediately fallen in love with the goddess of a woman when her eyes pierced her down to the soul and stole her heart. Yet despite her feelings, she couldn't possibly bring herself to even approach her. Sarah was thousands of kilometers out of her league, gifted with beauty and a sexy body that would make even asari rage with envy. How dare she even compare herself to Sarah, that she had any romantic feelings for Traynor was a possibility that existed solely in her dreams.
As the weeks went by, it only got worse for Traynor as her hopeless feelings multiplied daily. It was getting to the stage now where she was barely able to function as a member of the Normandy's crew; even in the more sedate role to which she was suited. As her love for Sarah continued to grow, Traynor found each day more and more difficult to get through. Paying attention to what the N7 was saying, and not the subtle curvature of her delicate jawline, or the way her lips quirked in a tiny half-smile was an uphill struggle for the specialist. Traynor knew that sooner or later it would become completely unbearable and when that happened, she really had no idea what she'd do. That was of course assuming that her lack of mental focus hadn't led to her making a grievous mistake in her duties or infinitely worse; a mistake that would lead to someone's death. If Sarah was so much as scratched because she was too nervous and distracted to prevent it somehow... Traynor didn't even know a word for how that would make her feel. Appalled, aghast and horrified were the closest she could think of but seemed woefully inadequate for the task.
Until that faithful day came. The day that Sarah had challenged her to a chess match. A match that led to Sarah recommending that she should take a shower to calm her nerves. The next thing Traynor knew, Sarah had joined her in the shower, where the specialist learned that the impossibly beautiful N7 secretly shared her feelings. Their lips had met… and it was as if something clicked deep inside. The night they shared together had been the most magical that Traynor could remember. When she woke up the next morning next to Sarah, she had never felt happier. Everything that happened before she had first met Sarah felt like a whole different lifetime. After eight blissful months together, Traynor found it near impossible to remember how she had lived all her years without Sarah's breathtaking body pressed against her skin, or her gorgeous lips caressing her own. Now that she knew the N7 returned her affection with an equal intensity, the thought of them ever being apart was too painful to even consider. It didn't matter though... her life was perfect so long as Sarah was hers.
Of course, that was before the invasion. In their eight months together, they had rarely spent more than a few hours without the other's company. Sarah was forced to take a leave of absence several days ago to rally the remaining N7 forces of the Alliance. In order to do so, she had to leave the Normandy for a while. It had torn at both of them. Even though it would only be for a few days, the tears just wouldn't stop coming. The separation that came had been absolutely unbearable. Every heartbeat felt like ice in her blood, with a gaping chasm of longing for her lover's touch that engulfed her entire body. Traynor could have sworn that the only thing that kept her going were the constant messages they sent to each other over the extranet, with the sheer passion and emotion that flowed through their fingers into the letters.
And now the Reapers were here. Any form of communication between them was impossible... and the uncertainty of knowing if Sarah was even alive tore at Traynor's heart.
"Specialist Traynor?"
EDI's voice broke her out of her self-inflicted reverie.
"Your shift ended 4 hours, 33 minutes ago. I suggest you get some rest."
"Yes, yes I know, EDI. Thank you," Traynor sighed. "I... I just can't rest knowing that someone that I care about is out there, and I have no way of knowing if she's alright."
"Judging by your elevated heartbeat and pupil dilation, am I correct in assuming that you are referring to N7 Commander Sarah Jane Shepard?"
The sound of her lover's name sent a bolt of longing and anxiety through Traynor's already fragile heart. "Yes... EDI," she answered with a slightly bitter tone towards the one who reminded her of the reason of her distress. "However did you guess?"
Not recognizing the sarcasm in Traynor's response, the AI's answer was blunt. "According to my analysis, your stressed bio-metric readings are in perfect tandem for a woman concerned for the safety of another whom she has engaged in 256 separate sexual activities with over the past eight months."
"Whoa wait I-wha-what-but, but-I... ?!" Traynor all but sputtered. "You... I'm sorry but you're mistaken EDI!"
"You are not romantically involved with Commander Sarah Shepard?"
"No! I-no! No, no, no, no... no!"
"I see. Then perhaps you are a Cerberus infiltrator who is privately interrogating Commander Sarah Shepard for compromising information on the Alliance and Helldivers, concluding with a memory-debilitating drug to erase any memory of the interrogation?"
Traynor was thunderstruck.
"That is a joke," EDI dryly stated.
"I-I-I... see," Traynor stuttered as the color flushed back into her face. Thank GOD no one else was up at this hour in the CIC to overhear the mortifying exchange. Up at this hour... "Alright, alright. I get the point, nicely played, EDI. I'll get some rest."
"Of course, Specialist Traynor. Logging you out."
'That bloody AI is going to be the death of me one day.'
Letting out a long and resigned sigh, Traynor turned away from her terminal and headed toward the elevator... and paused. Tentatively, she glanced back at her terminal. It wouldn't hurt to check her email just one more time for any new messages from her lover, right? Traynor quickly darted back and proceeded to power up her terminal once more...
"You aren't going to work this late, are you?' Sarah's voice teased."
Traynor stopped dead in her tracks. With her hyperactive imagination, combined with her intimate knowledge of her lover's behavior, she could feel her fatigued mind conjuring the sensation of Sarah's strong arms wrapped around her as she whispered tender words into her ear. The two lover's had come to know each other so well, every detail was nearly impossible to forget. Phantom sensations or not, Traynor felt her body melt at the all too familiar feeling of Sarah's lips on her neck. She didn't care if it wasn't real, she could feel all the week's worth of stress and anxiety wash away as Sarah's hand's expertly massaged tender and stiff areas across her body. Her always did seem to know just how to make her feel better.
But just as Traynor's eyes began to grow heavy with both fatigue and bliss, they snapped open as the phantom sensation of Sarah's began to travel down from her back to her hips and then her toned thighs. Traynor inhaled sharply as she felt Sarah's imaginary lips tenderly kissing between her legs.
"Sarah, please... not in the CIC!"
Oh, don't say that... you know how much you miss me Samantha..."
One of the many things about Sarah that never ceased to amaze Traynor was her talented tongue. Even after so long, she could still hardly believe how long and muscular it seemed. Flexible... strong... wet... intrusive... she could almost feel it inside her as it had done so many times over the past months, always able to reach that one... particular spot in the very back that no other woman had ever been able to reach...
Traynor shuddered and whimpered as the mini-orgasm rippled through her. As the euphoria heightened her mind, she felt the phantom touch of her lover vanish from her presence. Traynor still couldn't help it as she let out a content sigh. She marveled at the feelings she shared for the N7. Even when Sarah was absent from the Normandy, she was still always able to make her feel better. Perhaps she should stop worrying herself so much after all. Sarah may not be as great as her brother, but she still shared his trait for always managing to survive despite the odds. She could certainly take care of herself.
A tremendous weight now greatly lessened from her shoulders, Traynor made her way back to the quarters she shared with her lover. As she did every night, she slowly undressed from her uniform until she was wearing nothing but her black underwear. As she slipped her lithe body beneath the covers of the bed, she glanced over at the other half of the bed that she left unoccupied, the side that belonged to the woman she loved. It felt strange... resting her head on an actual pillow instead of Sarah, but she would deal with it for now.
'Goodnight Sarah... I hope that we'll be together again in each other's arms soon...'

In another corner of the galaxy, Commander Sarah Shepard was not faring as well. In fact, she had never felt worse. She had not moved a single muscle since the news had first reached her. She kept reading the same line over and over and over again, as if there had to be something wrong with it, perhaps a hidden and vastly complex code hidden within such a simple yet devastating sentence.
Earth had been invaded by the Reapers.
"No, it can't be... no, it just isn't true. It isn't true, it isn't true, it isn't true, it just isn't true..."
Sarah kept repeating it as if it would change reality. She knew this day would come, but now that it was here, she could hardly believe it. They had spent so much time trying to prepare, it always seemed as though the Reapers were always still far away. There was no warning, and now the home of the human race had fallen. Her home. Her family's home.
But what frightened her more than anything was that only this morning she received another heartfelt message from Samantha Traynor, the one she had hopelessly fallen desperately in love with the young girl. Sarah cherished and adored every word, every syllable from each message, yet she always felt her soul empty at the end of each one. She hated being out here. Before she had met Traynor, she had seriously considered leaving the Normandy to work with her fellow N7s again. But now... everything seemed wrong, almost alien. The N7s she had spent nearly a decade with were still the same, but their company no longer made her comfortable. The color of the N7 headquarters was drained and insignificant, suddenly hardly even worth looking at. Everything seemed hollow and without meaning. Every fiber in her body was screaming that she didn't belong here anymore, and at the same time her heart was painfully aching with longing and loneliness.
Sarah knew that it was because Traynor wasn't here. She loved her with everything that she was and she knew it. But it wasn't until she was gone from her presence that she realized the depth of her feelings for the young specialist. When she had first arrived here, she had not even spent an hour before wanting more than anything in the galaxy than to return to Traynor on the Normandy. The week she had spent here was without any doubt the worst days of her life. She never had any idea that Traynor's mere absence could affect her so deeply. She missed her so much. Her eyes, her skin, her personality and... oh, that musical voice of hers. Traynor's voice was like a melody that sliced at her ears and filled them sounds so magnificent , she found them suffocating but hypnotic. How could anyone in the galaxy have such a lovely voice? It just wasn't natural. It was a voice that could only belong to angels, and yet Traynor possessed it. Every second she could hear it was a blessing. The simple sound of Traynor's voice made Sarah feel like she was wrapped in a bundle of eternal joy, soothing her with its loving resonance and sending waves of bliss and euphoria through her. Without it, even the most beautiful of sounds seemed gravelly and coarse, a stark contrast to the melody searing her heart.
Sarah vowed that once she returned to the Normandy, she would never leave again.
But that hope had been shattered. The very message that she had read this morning from Traynor told her that the Normandy was still dry-docked on Earth. If the Normandy was there, then so was her brother as well as Traynor. But now the Reapers had invaded the human homeworld. Did they manage to escape? Or did the Reapers finally get the best of the Normandy? Was Traynor even still alive? Could she possibly be dea- Sarah didn't even have a chance to finish that thought before it suddenly made her violently and physically ill. Her legs collapsed from beneath her. Traynor couldn't be dead! Could she?
It was hard to not think like that. After all, just this morning, she woken absolutely horrified after seeing Traynor pulled under in her dream. It still made rher shudder when she remembered how she had reacted when she'd woken up.

FLASHBACK
In a fit of emotional trauma, Sarah frantically grabbed her combat knife from the nearby table and plunged it into the delicate bed mattress, tearing open the seams as if she would find Traynor under its surface just as she had been pulled beneath the ocean in her dream. As the cotten stuffing went flying through the air, she threw the knife aside as she desperately dug further in, but to no avail. The woman she loved simply wasn't there. As Sarah realized this, her first instinct was to scream... scream at the top of her lungs and not stop until her dying breath passed her lips...sceam from the anguish that struck her soul like an ice-cold pickaxe. With a heart wrenching effort of will, Sarah forced it back down.
Reality finally set back in as she realized it had been nothing more than a nightmare.
Sarah looked at the fistfuls of cotten clenched in her hands, where her eyes slowly turned their gaze to her now ruined mattress. Never in her entire life had she acted like this.
"What's happening to me? Why?"
Crushed and heartbroken, Sarah collapsed back onto her destroyed bed and wept uncontrollably. She had never felt like this before, with her emotions so out of control.
"I just... I just want to... to..." she sobbed under her breath. "Oh god... I-I don't know how I can go another day without her."
But it was more than that. No matter how Traynor made her feel, nothing mattered more to Sarah than Traynor's safety. The implications of the dream kept coming back to her. She had to acknowledge the very real possibility that she might lose her. But no, she couldn't ever accept that, not ever. She promised to Traynor all those months ago that she would do anything for her, that she would always protect her no matter.
If she ever found her way back to Traynor, she doubted she would ever be happier. But if not...
"God... I don't care if I never see her again, just keep safe. Yes... just keep her safe..."
Focusing on that helped stem the flow of tears slightly and even brought a tiny, tremulous smile to her lips as she cried herself back to sleep.
END FLASHBACK

Damn war...
"Shhhhh... don't worry, Princess. If anyone can get me off of Earth and back to you, it's your brother."
It was like a switch had been flipped. For a brief moment, all the color returned and the pain vanished without a trace. Sarah suddenly felt as though she could have heard Traynor's voice... that beautiful voice. For the first time all week, Sarah smiled. No, she couldn't give up hope. Not yet.

This had indeed been a setback to the Illusive man's plans. He had a feeling that his clients were not happy with this. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised of one of them suddenly appeared demanding an explanation.
"If you'd sent me, you would've had the plans already." said the operative who was stood behind him in the shadows.
The Illusive Man remained silent for a while.
"Leave me." He said.
"Yes sir."
The operative left, leaving the Illusive Man by himself. The room then suddenly darkened and the Illusive Man felt a familiar presence in the room. He couldn't see her, just her bright glowing eyes. It was common for her to conceal herself as much as possible. Her race weren't yet ready to reveal themselves after all, they were still in hiding.
"What is it Mirage?" the Illusive Man asked.
"He's growing impatient." Mirage replied.
"Well, I'm afraid he'll have to wait a bit longer. Finding those plans was not easy, acquiring them again from the Helldivers will be just as hard." Said Illusive Man.
"You're recent failures at their hands have shaken both my ability and his in your relyfullness." Said Mirage, slowly pacing around the Illusive Man. "I personally think that he's made a mistake thinking this plan of yours will succeed."
"Believe what you want, Mirage, I will get those plans back. I will lead the Reapers in the glorious battle ahead." Said the Illusive man.
"Battle. Against the… meagre might of the Helldivers?" Mirage asked, unimpressed.
"It will be glorious, not lengthy. That is if your force is as… formidable as you claim."
"You question us?! You question him? He who made so much of this possible for you, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were… being hunted, defeated?"
"They do not see! My goal is to perfect humanity. We deserve more than what those fools on the Council give us." The Illusive Man objected.
Mirage however was unfazed by this. In fact, she almost found it pathetically humorous.
"Your ambition is little. And your selfishness for your own kind is born of pathetic childish need." She said coldly. "We look beyond the intermediate to the greater wonders the Crucible will unveil."
"You don't have the Crucible yet…"
The Illusive Man was suddenly interrupted when he found a blade at his throat. Mirage snarled, just about ready to slit the human's neck if he said anything more disrespectful.
"I don't threaten." He said calmly. "But until I have the plans back, until the Reapers are mine to command, you are but words."
Mirage snarled before eventually withdrawing her weapon.
"You will have what you desire, Illusive Man." She said. "But I warn you now, if you fail... if the device is kept from us... there will be no system, no barren moon, no crevice where he can't find you! You think you know pain? My husband will make you long for something sweet as pain."
Mirage vanished and the lights returned to normal. Despite that he had remained clam, the Illusive Man could not deny that both Mirage and her "husband" that she had referred to always did make him nervous. There were times when he did doubt if working for them was the best idea. Most of the time though, he saw the potential. After all, they were providing him with all the resources he needed for his plan. And he already had another plan to get the Crucible designs back. It would take time, but he was sure it would succeed.

Bet that's got you asking quite a few questions now... ;)
They'll be answered all in good time of course. Hopefully the next one will be easier since there won't be so much action in that one. I do wish I was much better at writing gunfight scenes. I'm okay with things liek boss battles and choreography, but plain gunfights... there not quite the same.
There will be a small story change in the next chapter as well thanks to a clever tactic by the Reapers which I thought up.
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Mass Effect: The Helldiver Saga, The Last Cycle