A/N. I had a very good idea come to me out of a review left by Nedy Rahn the other night. While it might take me a bit of finagling to manage it, I think I could easily put it to good use. For some it might seem a little Metal Gear Solid ish but I don't really give a crap lol. Seriously though, again I want to thank everyone here for all of their continued support, both big and small. Let's keep this story going to the bitter end!
P.S. There will be the appearance of Reapers vs the very gods of Toril itself. Just thought I'd throw that out there. 'Cue epic fanfare music.' Seriously though, if I do have the gods and goddesses of Toril face off against the Reapers later, MUCH later I might add, it will be some of my longest chapters yet most likely and hopefully some of my best written as well. Until then, let the path these intrepid heroes walk be on their two feet for now with minimal divine interference or intervention. ;D
Chapter 8; Dissension in the Ranks.
2178 CE. March 6th
Arcturus Station, Arcturus Stream.
SSV Kilimanjaro, CIC
Heading to the Bahak System, approaching relay…
Captain Hannah Shepard had made the call and the higher ups had agreed with her given the reports they were receiving from the furthest reaches of the spiral arms, where of course their old rivals, the batarians, just happened to be setting up a colony several planets away from where Eclipse mercs just happened to be setting up shop as well. It was one too many coincidences for the brass back on Earth, and even the Citadel Council felt obliged to agree, so Hannah Shepard had been ordered to lead the SSV Kilimanjaro to battle if it was necessary.
She didn't look like the leader type, a fact most of her men and women had stated before they had gotten to truly know her as their Captain. She was five foot three inches which made her shorter than most, had soft and slightly sunken cheeks, a round face, and almost dull blue eyes. Even with today's advances in technology, she had always had bad eyesight and required contacts or reading glasses to read the many reports that crossed her desk. Despite this though, there was an unavoidable and charismatic draw to the older woman that demanded respect and encouraged everyone to perform to their best.
Even so, even the most tightly run ship had a few that didn't quite fit even after years aboard, following Shepard's lead in this case. They were the ones that started rumors and in worst case scenarios, destroyed the careers of others or themselves with their angry mutterings and if left unchecked, mutiny was sometimes not far behind.
The fact the Council agreed with anything the humans put forth had been the point of some contention among her crew, but Shepard had put the angry mutterings down quick. She was of the mind that they needed to work together despite their past with their galactic neighbors. It probably helped that some of the men on the 888 kilometer long dreadnought had been on Elysium when the Blitz began, and that their CO happened to be that same woman's mother.
Of course the alien councilors didn't want a war to break out with the batarians, or worse the Terminus Systems as a whole, but considering the major fleet mobilization they had planned against Torfan, it would be a moot point in a few months anyway. The slavers and raiders had it coming for what they did in the Blitz, a fact that was well rewarded in kind thanks to her single and unstoppable daughter, Alexandria Jones Shepard. "Captain? We're nearing the relay. Transit in progress."
Being brought out of her thoughts, Shepard nodded as she ran a hand through her graying black raven hair which was cut close to her shoulders, frowning as she found a few strays having come loose on her. Losing hair already? She shrugged it off though and brushed her hand against her pants, erasing the evidence as best she could. It was barely a concern, but it still annoyed her a bit as she focused on the nearing mass relay before them. She held no allusions about seeing her daughter for more than a few minutes, if that, but knowing she was at least close at hand would do her old heart some good as her blue eyes focused solely on the relay before them.
A dreadnought might have been considered overkill anywhere else, but something about all this seemed like it was appropriate. Mercs building up an army on a foreign world they knew nothing about? That's what it sounded like to the brass, and Shepard had been quick to agree since it just seemed like there was no other reason for whatever was happening down there. It stunk of something far bigger to the old veteran who had somehow been blessed with a daughter that surpassed all expectations at an incredibly young age.
A mother couldn't have been happier as Hannah Shepard felt about her own flesh and blood.
On the other hand, the price for such pride and joy for her young was countered by the enormous losses suffered by the people on Elysium. If not for Alexandria, Hannah and everyone else knew that the losses would have been far more, but her heart went out to those that yet lived since she knew what it was like to lose people, civilians and her men alike. It was never easy, regardless of the color of your blood you happened to have within. Even the batarians deserved better than what they got normally since it was a little known fact that their government constantly poured out propaganda designed to push for xenophobia on a grand scale.
Even so, it didn't change their mandate or their reasons for fighting. If it meant that peace was kept then they'd crush anything that was on that planet that so much as looked at the Alliance the wrong way. Forty years they had been there so far, doing who knew what and from the reports they were receiving, it looked like this branch of the Eclipse were gearing up for something big. If that was the case then they needed to hit them hard and fast before they managed to strike first.
There was more to it of course than simply stopping these Eclipse mercenaries and whatever allies they had down there. The other reports detailing some of the locals was…hard to believe for good reason. Creatures that could regenerate no matter how much damage you did to them, people with pointy ears, (among other unique features,) and carrying around medieval weaponry and able to use some kind of energy that took the form of…dare she even think it, magic?
There was the matter of Doctor Chakwas's report that disturbed some of the brass as well since it seemed that the subject's nervous system had a similar set up that matched a biotic potential's own, except as her notes had included, there wasn't a trace of element zero in the woman's body. So how was this Giselle Do'Urden able to manifest a blast of frost from her bare hand as her daughter explained in her report? It shouldn't have been possible, but Hannah didn't for one second believe that her daughter was lying or had been given something to cause her to hallucinate or anything of the sort.
To top it off, there was the flagrant disregard of the UP3. There was fault on both the Captain's part and those he had sent out to investigate, but Hannah had to make the comparison to turians who would obey a bad order even though most would complain about it since she was sure that Alexandria had done the same.
Hannah knew that she had gone on record behind her captain's back and had lodged a formal complaint against the order for that very reason, but given the distance from Earth where the Alliance's leaders were located, it would have taken several days for any official inquiry to be launched and more to send anyone to investigate further, yet adding more urgency to their own mission.
She, unlike most of the people in charge, was willing to go on a little faith and let her own eyes and ears be the judge for whatever was going on. Still, she'd have to bring back cold hard proof that couldn't be refuted, and that was why Staff Commander David Anderson, her second in command, was with her. He was one of their best soldiers, a man that was firm yet fair and who didn't have a closed off mind which would help in Hannah's opinion, at least she hoped anyway.
"I wouldn't have believed those reports if it was anyone else Shepard." The slightly younger, to her anyway, commander said, earning a brief nod from the captain since that was one thing they could agree on. "Something about this feels off, but I doubt it has anything to do with your girl unlike what the folks back home believe."
"You noticed it too. From what the reports we've received from both the Captain of the Hastings and his second in command, we seem to be getting two different takes of the same story. Thankfully it seems we have the reluctant agreement of the brass to send us in to make sure that if there is a threat, we're in a position to handle it as quickly as possible." They had no idea of enemy strength in any regard, and given the strange reports about the locals they had been receiving, the Alliance didn't want to take any chances with this one, the batarians be damned.
Anderson crossed his arms over his chest and wondered, and not for the first time, what it was about the Shepards that instilled such loyalty in everyone they came across? He had known Alexandria since she enlisted and had kept in close contact with the young spitfire, even letting her tag along for one of his recent missions after the Blitz. He hadn't seen a finer soldier, and just like Hannah, Alexandria had proven herself a capable if reluctant leader. Still, nobody was perfect, his marriage or recent lack there of was proof of that.
He didn't dwell on it though as he spoke once more. "I almost wonder if we have more to worry about than a few Eclipse mercs and whatever allies they have on hand. It wouldn't be the first time we've had corruption in our own ranks Shepard, but if that's the case then we need proof before we can make any formal arrests."
"I hate to admit but I was thinking along the same lines. It sounded like from both my daughter and the captain's reports that there's dissension in the ranks, and this isn't my motherly pride talking but I'm more inclined to believe that it's the captain that's a little too eager to leave before we get there to investigate fully." Shepard replied, earning a solemn nod from her counterpart who hated to admit it but it had happened before. If the Eclipse had gotten to one of their own, then they needed to see how far his influence went since it could very well mean half the ship would be willing to pick up arms against their own. If that happened there would be a blood bath on their hands even before they got to the real threat, whatever that happened to be.
2178 CE. March 6th
The Woods of Sharp Teeth. The Western Heartlands
SSV Hastings, mess hall.
New orders….
Giselle woke up with a start, feeling sore from having fallen asleep in the mess hall, or at least she had been in the mess hall when she had passed out. Now however she was in one of the strange pod things she had seen during the tour of the ship and quickly found the lid wouldn't open. "Great." She muttered darkly to herself. Maybe she just wasn't doing it right? She had no idea how to operate the thing so that was probably the reason why she couldn't get it to open up. Somehow she didn't think that was the reason since there was no lights, no holographic switches popping up, nothing.
Someone had locked her inside and thrown away the key, but they hadn't anticipated her being able to escape after they had locked her in here.
She had been bone tired after everything she had been through of late, otherwise Giselle was sure she wouldn't have been so easy to move and locked in this sleeper pod as her omni-tool identified it to be after she managed to find a way to scan the damn thing. It even gave her a possible structural weakness to exploit.
She calmed herself after taking several deep breaths, glad that they hadn't been able to lock down the air pumping into the pod, otherwise she'd have been in trouble already most likely. She needed a calm mind to spellcast. Unlike her brother Seth, she was no true mage so it took her a little more effort to use anything mystical in her limited repertoire of spells.
Luckily whoever had locked her in this thing hadn't taken away her belt pouch full of spell components. Remembering the ice spell she had used the other day meant that she didn't have the components for that particular spell anymore, so she'd have to come up with something else. Again luck was on her side since she could see her sword belt with her twin scimitar blades tucked away behind the row of sleeper pods that were in front of this one. Whoever had put her in here hadn't thought of a better place than that? Oh this was going to be fun.
She'd have to be extremely careful though since what she planned to do would put her in line of her own telekinesis spell since she planned to 'pull' her sharper of the two swords out of the belt and pull it towards the pod at high speed, hopefully slicing through the locking mechanism. If she missed she ran the risk of impaling herself at worst, or missing her intended target at best. Either outcome didn't bode well for Giselle.
A thought crossed her mind then. If she was in here against her will, then what was going on out there? Was it possible this was part of a greater insidious plan? No, she couldn't entertain those thoughts now. She had to get out of here first and foremost, and then she could worry about the rest later.
Again she had to take a minute to calm her racing thoughts before she lifted her left hand slightly and started to incant, aiming for her sword belt the whole time. She watched with pure focus stamped on her face as her sword belt started to move. It slid a little across the metal floor before the blade she wanted slipped free of its sheath. She didn't react to the success since it was still too early to celebrate.
Her belt pouches were getting lighter as the spell took effect, but Giselle paid it little to no mind as she 'turned' the blade to point at her pod. She only had one shot at this. Her ears twitched slightly as she heard approaching footsteps, but she couldn't stop now. She didn't react even as the man she had easily beaten down stopped in front of her pod, looking quite pissed with one of their weapons in his right hand. She winked and only then did he turn around and just happened to start running for his superior before the sword impaled him through the chest and sliced through the lock on the pod at the same time.
The pistol that was in his right hand as the pod opened up and let Giselle out was all the evidence she needed to know that something bad was in the works. No one she had seen on the ship yesterday had drawn their weapons for any reason, even when she had beaten down the now dead 'Goliath' although if she had pressed further she was sure that someone might have tried to take a shot at her.
Pulling the lid of the sleeper pod closed, Giselle casually pulled her blade free, letting the man drop to the deck, never to rise again. She needed to figure out what was going on before she got herself in too deep. If there was a mutiny in the works, she needed to try to help whoever was with Shepard before, and if, it wasn't too late already.
Going to the other row of sleeper pods, Giselle picked up her sword belt but not before cleaning her sword she had used to free herself and kill off one of the traitors in one fell swoop. Slipping it back home where it belonged, the half Drow looked around for several seconds until she found a ventilation shaft and slipped inside, hoping she'd be able to help whoever was left that hadn't turned rogue.
2 hours ago.
Alexandria Shepard had not been a part of any mutiny, but she had heard horror stories about them from passing freighter crews. They normally tended to happen when they were in deep space far from any aid or outside interference. Sometimes the mutineers expected help from pirate or merc allies if there were traitors among the crew as it seemed was the case this time around after waking up to a gun being pointed in her face this morning.
Anyone else would have panicked, but soldiers like Alexandria were hard to come by as she glared daggers at her former Captain. "Why am I not surprised this would be the wake up call I'd get today?" She asked with venom clear in her voice as she saw the Captain wasn't alone, seeing the giant and several others with guns pointed on their respective crewmembers.
Dr. Chakwas was also glaring coldly at the men she had treated and some she had even called friend over the course of her posting here, only to be returned in kind by their traitorous response. "Why? Why turn on the Alliance?" She asked, more angry than afraid as those that were obviously loyal to the captain got the rest of the crew herded to the med bay before the doors were locked, but not before everyone was stripped of any potential gear that could aid them in their escape.
"Guess he's not willing to talk." Alexandria said, earning a few nods from those that were locked in with her. Out of the three dozen, it seemed that only twenty were truly loyal to the System Alliance, so that meant that there were still sixteen, including the Captain, which were rogue. It wasn't bad odds in Shepard's opinion, especially since she didn't see Giselle among their number. She had no doubt that Giselle would help them when she got out of whatever situation she happened to be in.
In the meantime, Alexandria went to work with what she had which were the rest of the ship's crew. "As soon as those doors open, and they will open, we'll need to hit the armory fast and hard, but along the way if you see an opportunity to get any armor or weapons from the traitors, then do so. We don't know what the Captain has planned so arm up as quickly as possible and form up into squads. Doctor Chakwas, is there any other way out of here?"
"Yes, a ventilation shaft in the back, underneath one of the beds." Karin replied, leading the commander to the designated location. They had to unbolt the examination table from the floor first, a design flaw most likely when the Hastings was first constructed, but eventually they had access to the shaft, just as Chakwas said there would be. "I never thought we'd need it to escape."
"Well it seems whoever put it here had the right idea." Alexandria replied, glad she was just small enough to be able to fit through the shaft's entrance. She was about to disappear further into the shafts that ran about the ship but Chakwas stopped her.
"Wait Commander, are you sure it's a good idea to go?" Karin was worried for her safety more than her own, hoping that Alexandria would be ok out there, but she knew it was either one of them take the chance to get aid or they'd be stuck in the ship until help arrived, IF it arrived in time.
"I'll be fine doctor, just make sure you stay out of the danger zone as much as possible. Still, thanks." Alexandria replied, glad that someone was looking out for her in this mess. She had no idea where she was going since she didn't have any way to see where the vents lead off to, but if her memory of the ship's layout was anything to go by; she might be able to reach the bottom deck if she was careful.
If she managed that, then hopefully she'd be able to load up on armor and weaponry to help take back the SSV Hastings in the name of the System Alliance. If at all possible, she planned to capture as many of the traitors as she could, if for no better reason than to get some answers and to spare anyone that was willing to surrender.
It took her several long minutes crawling about the shafts to even find one that ran at a downward slope inside the Hastings, and it took her several more to find a way to the docking bay and the armory itself. There were only three men that she could see but she could hear several more milling about. Well shit, there went that plan. There were far too many for her to take on alone, but looking up when she heard a noise ahead of her, Alexandria's blue eyes met two brown glowing orbs right in front of her.
Giselle clamped her hand over Shepard's mouth to stifle the gasp of surprise but nodded to show she was with her as she let her hand fall away from the human's face. "I counted seven on the way here."
"There are sixteen against our twenty. There's seven here at the least. Just like the Guild Hall." Alexandria's blue eyes shone intently on the room below them and Giselle just shook her head in amusement. No guns between them or armor to defend against mass accelerator rounds, yet they were both in silent agreement that the odds were in their favor. Anyone else wouldn't have been so eager to attack with so few advantages on their side. Well, few known advantages anyway.
"Oh I think the odds are slightly more in our favor." Giselle replied, grinning wickedly as the lights went out in the docking bay. Or rather, there was now an orb of impenetrable darkness right below the two women that hadn't been there a second ago. Alexandria didn't know how Giselle did it but the half Drow had since opened the grate and had slipped in the room below. What followed was a series of quickly cut off cries of pain and the sound of blades going through flesh and bone with only a few shots from the two soldiers by the door before shots rang out of the orb of darkness. The two men crumpled silently, never to rise again.
The darkness orb disappeared, revealing what was left of the five men that had been only a few seconds ago been full of life, now were scattered about the docking bay with obvious sword slashes decorating their bodies. Giselle stood with two pistols drawn and pointed at the two she had fired upon, not a mark on her that Alexandria could see. Throwing the weapons to the side, Giselle shook her head and said. "So uncivilized."
"Try telling that to them." Alexandria said as she jumped down out of the vent and landed on her feet with some difficulty, mostly because her feet slipped on the blood that had been spilled on the floor but she had managed to keep herself upright. "How'd you drop the lights anyway?"
Cleaning her swords once more, using one of the traitors' clothes to do it, Giselle looked to the human and shrugged as she explained. "Because I'm half Drow, I got some of their innate abilities. One of them involves being able to drop a globe of darkness that nothing can see through, no matter how strong your eyesight happens to be or how strong a light source might be. There are ways to dispel it, a powerful enough flash of light or simple dispel magics, but most people just try to get out from under such an orb as quickly as possible."
It made sense, and Alexandria had seen for herself just how effective such a tactic could prove to be. It was another reason why she wasn't keen on going against Jarlaxle and his merry men if all Drow were able to do that. What else was Giselle capable of? Blind fighting seemed to be a learned skill rather than something innate, but she could be wrong. "Why didn't you do that before in the Hands of Glory base?"
Giselle was just putting her swords away but stopped cold as she turned to Shepard. It was clear she had an issue with her darker side from the words she spoke next. "Because Shepard, it's a coward's way to fight, skulking about in the dark, and I only did it here because there was no other choice in the matter, not unless we wanted to die for nothing."
Alexandria met Giselle's intense gaze, not about to back down as she watched the older woman put her swords back in their respective sheaths on her hips. "I'm guessing there's more to this tale like the last one with Marik, so until this situation's resolved, I won't press for details Giselle,"
"But you expect answers at some point." Giselle returned, sighing heavily as she looked away. It was one of the few times she ever broke a deadlock stare with anyone, but something about Alexandria made even her want to follow rather than lead in the human's presence. "Fine, but I'm hoping with how busy we'll be after this is cleared up, you'll forget about it." It was unlikely but Giselle could hope right?
Alexandria shook her head, knowing that she was probably right but Shepard didn't plan to forget. For the moment she went to her locker and found that her gear was where she had left it the night before. She sighed in relief and immediately started to gear up for battle, slipping back into her armor and prepping her weapons when that was done. Everything seemed to be in order as she prepared her Terminator Assault Rifle, still loaded with the polonium ammo mod. Giselle watched Alexandria's movements closely, not entirely sure she wanted to start dressing up like these humans just yet, but if the need arose she still kept mental notes on how everything worked.
The details she'd get later, if she survived that long anyway. Searching the dead, Shepard found her old omni-tool and put it back on her right hand. One of the slain men had had it on their person, which was lucky for the Commander. They'd need every advantage they could get in this mess.
At least now their odds stood far better with eight down and eight to go, but the rest had surely discovered the dead giant by now and that Giselle had slipped free. As if to prove her point, Giselle and Alexandria saw that the doors to the elevator were opening and were currently unloading three more, heavily armored and armed soldiers into the docking bay. The two women looked to each other and split, each going in a different direction as shots started to fill the area where they had once been.
Alexandria took position behind the Mako, using the armored vehicle as cover while Giselle had disappeared seemingly into thin air once more. One look up and she could see the half Drow had gotten up in the upper struts of the docking bay. Clever girl. How she got up there was another question altogether but Alexandria wasn't going to complain.
Activating her omni-tool's short range communications, Shepard popped out of cover and laid down suppressing fire, forcing the three traitor marines to duck for cover among the cargo crates and anything else they could hide behind. "See if you can get behind them Giselle. If we can get them in crossfire we might have a chance."
Giselle hadn't expected her omni-tool to start talking to her, but then again maybe she shouldn't have been surprised as Shepard came up with a plan on the fly. Another admirable quality to have in a leader, but those thoughts were for later as the half Drow looked to the struts she was on and mentally plotted a path as quickly as possible before setting her mental processes into motion.
The gunfight below didn't interrupt Giselle's attention in the least as she nimbly scaled the narrow beams and pipes that were above the battlefield. If she had kept those pistols she might have been able to use them to lay waste to these three traitors from above, but now was not the time to complain.
Alexandria didn't look up once after confirming that Giselle had gotten up there. She hadn't seen any dark skinned sword bearing warriors fall from the ceiling so she hadn't been spotted yet. Keeping up the pressure, Alexandria saw a nearby fire extinguisher. Laying down a stream of green sand particles, the extinguisher exploded, shrouding the area with the coolant that lay within the shredded metal husk and thus blinding the three soldiers for a few seconds. It was more than she needed as Alexandria prepped a grenade and threw it to the far right.
The man didn't know it was there until it was far too late. Giselle had luckily chosen the far left to drop down as the explosive went off, leaving a scorching crater where once had been a man. The man that Giselle landed behind was too stunned by the smoking crater to realize he had company until his neck was slit from ear to ear, but before he could fall; Giselle put the soldier in front of her and stripped him of his gun. Using the dead soldier as a shield, the half Drow fired the soldier's weapon on the last of the three, shredding through his kinetic barriers, armor, and the flesh underneath in rapid succession.
Tossing the man to the side, Giselle looked to Alexandria as she came out of hiding from behind the armored tank. "That's five left now, and I'm sure if I was the traitorous captain, he has likely taken hostages to negotiate his way to safety. If I was in his shoes it's what I'd do after losing so many men in such a short time."
As if to prove her point, the elevator came back down again, this time loaded with what was left of the captain's men and several hostages held at gunpoint. One of them was Doctor Chakwas. Giselle clenched her fists tightly at the obvious tactics used by this weasel of a man, but she wasn't going to risk harm to any innocent bystanders. Neither was Alexandria as she kept her gun up but didn't fire, not about to take a chance that if she missed she'd end up hitting one of the hostages. Besides, there were too many people that did have guns that even if she had gotten a clear shot, a lot of innocent people would end up dead.
"Drop it Shepard! Tell your knife eared bitch to drop her weapons as well or these people are going to die!" The captain shouted, beyond frothing at the mouth by appearances as Shepard reluctantly put her gun on the deck. Giselle's brown eyes flared with rage but she let her sword belt fall to the ground as well.
"You can't hope to get out of here captain. We're on a strange planet, far from home, and far from any known allies. Your traitors are dead, and if you don't play this right you're going to follow them. Enough life has been lost here today." Shepard replied, surprisingly calm and Giselle could swear she was trying to calm the captain down as if she was talking to a wild beast. The odd thing was it seemed to be working as some of the obvious insanity induced rage was starting to bleed off from the captain's body and stance.
"Shut up…open the door Shepard and let me pass. Try to follow and I'll order my remaining men to open fire. Don't make me do it." No one could say she hadn't tried as Alexandria slowly backed up and went for the docking bay door controls. Giselle was half tempted to forget what she had said earlier and drop a globe of darkness and see how many she could take apart, but the fact the hostages were so close stopped her from doing that.
Alexandria looked down and saw one of the cast off pistols from earlier, and she too was tempted to make a grab for it and see how many she could kill. But like Giselle, Shepard again stopped herself from risking the health and well being of the hostages. Instead she let the ramp unfold and hit the ground as the docking bay opened fully, allowing the captain to leave. "Don't think this is over."
The man stopped briefly and said something that made Alexandria wonder what was in store for them later. "Even if I fall, you haven't won Shepard. Change is coming and there's nothing that you can do to stop it. Move!"
Watching them leave, Giselle and Alexandria both stood side by side, glaring daggers at the man and his four remaining soldiers as they departed for the wilds. "You sure you want to take your chances with the trolls out there?" Giselle asked, smirking as she crossed her arms over her chest.
That got the traitorous dog to stop just as he was getting his feet firmly on the ground before him. The rest of the group stopped as well, knowing the stories that had been told after Shepard had come back, minus the two men she had taken with her. They weren't so eager to go into those woods, and both Alexandria and Giselle could see it. "Do you know how trolls reproduce?"
Alexandria knew from firsthand experience, having seen the bastards in action, but she knew that the rumors that had been circulating the ship had misinterpreted things quite a bit. "If you get lost out there and run out of food and supplies, people will eat just about anything. If you're unfortunate enough to get your hands on a piece of troll flesh and consume it, you'll find out soon enough why that's a very bad idea as a new troll grows inside your stomach before eating its way out. Of course, normally they just cut off each other's limbs and watch as a new troll appears out of the severed mass, unless some idiot soldier shreds them to pieces with their fancy weaponry. Each piece of a troll that's cut off or blown off becomes itself a new troll given enough time."
The fear Giselle had planted among their ranks was starting to turn to full blown terror until the captain spoke once more. "But Shepard came back and told us how to kill them. If she can do it, so can we." His men weren't so certain but at least he had started to turn the tide back against the knife eared bitch. He had started to regain control, but it was Shepard's turn.
"Actually I'm not sure if those polonium rounds worked as well as I thought. There was a lot going on at the time and we were running for our lives until we hit the edge of the forest." Shepard had caught on to what Giselle had been trying to accomplish and smirked as she too crossed her arms under her chest, finding some enjoyment in the psychological warfare they had started. Traitors were universally cowards in most cases, and it seemed their obvious wholesale slaughter and the threat of the unknown out in those woods was helping to turn the tide against them.
"Screw this captain, I ain't following you into that deathtrap just for your promise of wealth from those Eclipse mercs." One of his men said and the sentiment seemed to be universal as the rest of the captain's men started to say the same thing before dropping their guns and standing behind Shepard and Giselle a moment later, looking quite ashamed for what they had been doing.
"No…I am not going down alone! If I go down I'm taking you with me!" No one was fast enough to stop the captain as he pulled his own sidearm and immediately took aim at Shepard. Giselle knew what was happening but she couldn't cross the distance in time to disarm him, but she wasn't about to let him shoot Shepard either.
She didn't know if Shepard's kinetic barriers would protect her enough or not, she didn't know if her armor would block the shot or not, all she knew was that Shepard was in danger and she was the only one that was close enough to make sure she survived.
Time slowed down as the gun went off, just as several of the former captives tackled the captain to the ground and pulled his gun away. Shepard didn't have time to react as Giselle stopped in front of her before collapsing to the ground, a bullet hole in her stomach and it was clear a second later the bullet had gone out the back. "SHIT! Doctor Chakwas! Don't you dare die on me Giselle!"
The four men that were left were hustled along to be tied up in engineering for now while several more gathered Karin's necessary supplies while helping to move Giselle to the med bay, about the same time a small army of more black skinned warriors seemed to appear out of nowhere as they ascended the ramp, having heard the gunshot. Before anyone could react further, Shepard stopped her men from doing anything rash as she recognized Jarlaxle Baenre and Drizzt Do'Urden among them. "Hold fire! They're allies…I think."
Jarlaxle would have normally grinned since he knew that had been in reference to him and his men, but one look at the scene before them was enough to stop them cold. Drizzt tried to barrel past since that was his daughter being carried away to gods knew where but Jarlaxle, Shepard, and several of their respective soldiers stopped the man before he could interfere. "She's in good hands Drizzt, I promise she WILL survive this." Shepard said as their eyes met. He stopped trying to break free, being able to only nod solemnly, but said nothing in return.
"What happened here anyway Shepard? Seems to me that you guys had all the fun." Jarlaxle said, trying to lighten the mood a bit and to get some answers, both for his own sake as well as his friend whose only daughter was being taken care of by he assumed the ship's resident healer.
"Help me clean up this lot and I'll tell you all about it." Alexandria replied, hoping that keeping Drizzt occupied until word came down from the med bay would keep his mind off things. Jarlaxle meanwhile spoke to his men and got them to secure the perimeter, making sure that no one would be getting in or out without them knowing about it.
The captain was tied up with the rest of the prisoners while things were put back to order. Coming out with several capsule like devices which turned out to be their version of a coffin as it unfolded and became six foot long, three foot wide metal caskets, the bodies of the dead were quickly disposed of and the docking bay and sleeper pod were cleaned up quickly. Despite being traitors, they still honored their dead by at least burying them if nothing else, although it was likely that they'd be blasted out into space and aimed at the closest star.
Being associated with traitors even in a familial sense of the word was not good for the families of such people, and often times they didn't want to ever see their sons or daughters who had partaken in such practices dead or alive again.
Neria had since joined them and like Jarlaxle and Drizzt, was quickly filled in with what was going on, after she got past the fact she was standing inside a very peculiar metal ship with equally strange people milling about. The urgency of the situation as it was explained helped to alleviate some of her culture shock but it'd return in full force later.
"Show me this captain that started this Shepard." Was the only thing Drizzt said, and despite her better judgment, Alexandria stood from the box she had pulled up for herself after everyone had taken seats around the docking bay.
"We need him alive so he can answer for his crimes, can you at least promise you won't kill him if I agree to this?" Drizzt nodded since he didn't plan to do the bastard any permanent injury, he just had some questions was all…for the most part.
"Jarlaxle, bring Kimmeriul. I think we'll need his expertise to see what this man knows." Jarlaxle's earlier mood disappeared as the mercenary grinned before going to retrieve his psionist. Meanwhile Drizzt and Alexandria went to engineering, Shepard having a very good idea about what was going to happen here. If the captain didn't talk, Drizzt planned to use Kimmeriul's unique talents to get the information by force.
She couldn't blame him for wanting answers, but she wasn't so sure she agreed with the idea that he was willing to use force…of a sort to get the answers he wanted, that they all wanted really. Going down the ramp and through the door that opened the moment the four were near it, Shepard lead the way to the men that were left after the failed attempt to flee by force. "That one." She pointed towards the one they were after.
The captain had his hands tied behind his back, having been stripped to the bare basics since he had lead the mutiny, and so if he survived the trip back which was looking less likely by the minute now, he wouldn't be in his dress blues but stuck in civilian clothing, a clear mark of shame among the Alliance. "Great, three more knife ears, what are you playing at Shepard?"
Before Alexandria could say anything, Drizzt had since grabbed the coward by the front of his shirt and lifted him to eye level. "Look me in the eyes you poor excuse for a man and tell me why you shot my daughter?! Was it for money?!" A nasty headbutt broke the captain's nose which started to bleed profusely. "For power?!" A knee to the groin had the former leader screaming as pain lanced through his nervous system before he was tossed to the ground, coming to a stop at Alexandria's feet. "Why would you throw this away?!"
"He got greedy!" One of the survivors shouted just as Drizzt was getting ready to start in again on the downed man who was still in a great deal of pain from the quick and effective beating he had received. Drizzt snapped his gaze on the young man that had spoken. Jarlaxle had since stopped Kimmeriul's approach, interested to see where this went. It was rare that the ranger was taken by such passionate rage, but even in his current state it seemed there was some control to the disciplined warrior since anyone else wouldn't have stopped most likely.
"Explain quickly young man, I'm not sure he'll stop next time." Jarlaxle cheerfully replied, earning a glare from Drizzt but the mercenary ignored it.
"He approached us a month ago, telling us of a plan to take over the Alliance with new allies from this world. At first we didn't believe it, but before we got Shepard he took us out this way after a supply drop to a base out in the asteroid fields here in the Bahak system. We saw things here that made it seem possible that there might be a chance to make things different, so we threw in our lot with him." Shepard, Neria, and Drizzt were quick to catch on, but Jarlaxle had long since expected something of the sort.
"Guess that explains why there's a force already gathering at Dragonspear Castle. They plan to sweep up and down the Heartlands and the Sword Coast before making to move onward to the rest of Toril. Once they've secured this planet, they most likely plan to do the same to your System Alliance." Jarlaxle explained which made Shepard wonder if it was possible. With the Eclipse supplying ships, weapons, armor, and supplies, if they made allies with the batarians or even the Terminus Systems as a whole, they'd have an unstoppable force on their hands, especially if they dropped a legion of trolls and who knew what else on a world that had no idea how to handle them.
Leaving the captain lay where he had dropped, Shepard shook her head at the mad if possible scheme that had been put into motion as she raised the communications officer. "Get on the horn and get a hold of anyone that's close to the Bahak system."
"We don't have to; the SSV Kilimanjaro is in orbit and dropping shuttles as we speak Commander." Shepard's blue eyes opened wide in surprise at the news her mother had came around already, which meant that Anderson was likely with her. She had expected another frigate, maybe even a cruiser, but a full on dreadnought? That was surprising but given the situation, it was also quite perfect. Someone was looking out for them.
"Friends of yours Shepard?" Jarlaxle asked, earning a smile from Alexandria since that was the understatement of the century. "Very good friends then?"
"My mother is bringing in the cavalry. We might just have a chance before things get rough."
"Good. If you're as capable as you've proven here Alexandria Shepard, then we have more than a chance to drive these Eclipse back from whatever Abyss they crawled out of." Drizzt replied, earning a nod from Neria since she didn't plan to stand by the sidelines if she could help it. Jarlaxle just grinned a little wider under his wide brim hat he wore.
"Excuse me Commander? We've managed to stabilize Giselle. She's resting comfortably and should make a full recovery in the next few days." Chakwas's voice interrupted anymore planning as Jarlaxle, Neria, and Drizzt all went for the elevator at the same time. She followed since she knew they wouldn't immediately know how to make it work and got the slow piece of crap heading to the appropriate floor. She hated the elevator since she was sure someone had purposely set it to the slowest speed they could get away with.
At least Giselle was going to be ok. Despite all the trouble they had gotten into today things could have been a lot worse. Shepard was quite glad she had chosen to bring Giselle back despite what her captain had said about it later. Now it made sense though as to why he had wanted to leave. He hadn't wanted to end up tied up in this mess until it was too late to stop him. He could have found his way to the Parliament itself and assassinated the lot of them if things had gone his way or had one of his new allies do it for him. Either way, it could have been disastrous.
Once they reached the correct floor at last, everyone piled out and Shepard led the group towards the med bay where two guards stood by Karin's office, giving the doctor protection she insisted she didn't need. It made Shepard smile but she told the men to stay since it was better to be safe than sorry after what had happened earlier, much to the doctor's slight embarrassment but she didn't have it in her to argue the point further.
"Doctor Chakwas, I'd like you to meet a few friends of mine. Neria Zathrieal, Jarlaxle Baenre, and Drizzt Do'Urden." Drizzt stepped up and held out his hand to the older woman, and Karin smiled warmly as she shook the Drow's hand firmly in her own before anyone could do anything else.
"I owe you my thanks for helping my daughter as you have, Doctor Chakwas."
"If not for her and Commander Shepard, we wouldn't be here now having this conversation. It's me that should be thanking you for raising such a strong young woman." Chakwas replied, noticing that the man's cheeks seemed to become a shade darker if that was possible as their hands fell back to their respective sides. "I do ask that you keep your voices down and try not to excite her too much. It was a near thing. If she had been anymore to the left at the time the gun went off, the shot would have possibly severed her spine at worst, or punctured a major artery at best."
"Again you have my thanks. I know not how I can ever thank you enough for this." Karin waved him off and Shepard kept Jarlaxle and Neria back so that those two could have some time alone for now. Beckoning for Jarlaxle and Neria to follow her, Shepard led the two to the mess hall for now where things seemed to be in full swing. Breakfast had been missed so everyone was having a hearty and full sized lunch to compensate.
After getting situated with trays of food set before them, both Jarlaxle and Neria both eyed the military rations with some distaste. "It's not as bad as it looks, trust me." Shepard chuckled since she had taken some getting used to the food that was served on most Alliance ships. It had everything the body needed perhaps but the taste was something to be desired at best.
Beggars couldn't be choosers.
Drizzt meanwhile was sitting by Giselle's bed in a darkened corner of the med bay, glad that there was a sheet covering the worst of the damage even though there was a hefty sized bandage wrapped around his girl's lower waist. How many times had he seen old allies and friends in such a state? It never got easier to bear, especially when it was your own flesh and blood. To make matters worse, the bastard that had shot her had used what Chakwas explained was a poison round in simple terms.
The technical term had been polonium, a much higher yield than what Shepard had packed in her own weapon which meant that the effects would have been fast if not for the good doctor's intervention. The good news had been that it had passed clean through, but it had still lingered just long enough to leave enough of the polonium behind to poison Giselle's entire system which would have quickly spread and killed her if left untreated.
"I must admit that I'm truly impressed by your skill. Even some of the best healers I know wouldn't have been as successful with a wound such as this." Drizzt quietly commented, earning a small smile from the doctor to have her skills so highly praised.
"I took an oath when I first became a doctor to treat the wounded and the sick, no matter which side they happened to be on or what their race happened to be. I was never suited for the quiet life in some planetside hospital, so I enlisted to see the stars and to hear the tales that soldiers are fond of telling. I was a bit of a romantic in my youth." Karin replied in kind, earning a chuckle from Drizzt since he hadn't expected to see the spirit of adventure in a doctor of all people. But he was glad she had chosen her path as she had.
"The lure of the road it seems has no discrimination about who it chooses to lead away from the safety of home. A few days ago I wouldn't have thought any of this possible, but recent events have forced me to reassess what I thought I knew. Despite this, I am glad to see that we are not alone out here. The thought that we were the only life anywhere among the countless lights in the night sky was terrifying for me to consider."
"We shared a similar sentiment before we found our way out amongst those same stars Drizzt, although for some, the thought of life beyond our own world also terrified some of us since we weren't sure they'd be friendly." Drizzt could understand the reason behind such a fear since the fear of the unknown kept many people locked away in their homes, never willing to stray too far from their place of origins. For some however, the unknown attracted people such as him and his daughter to explore and to expand their horizons at every opportunity.
"Are you going to keep on talking amongst yourselves for the rest of the day by chance?" A new voice interrupted their talk, making both the doctor and the Drow turn their heads to see Hannah Shepard flanked by Alexandria and several of her personal guard. Drizzt could see the resemblance quite well between daughter and mother as he stood and bowed at the waist in the utmost respect as Chakwas gave a crisp salute even if she wasn't a soldier.
"At ease, both of you." The older Shepard smiled, entering the med bay and taking a seat across from the father to the woman that had helped save quite a few lives. "I wanted to see the one that had helped put this mutiny at rest. I can see where she gets her strength from."
"Indeed. Giselle has been a tremendous help, but Alexandria also acted with distinction and courage in the face of uncertain odds. I wonder where she gets it from." Karin replied, earning a light hearted chuckle from Hannah as Alexandria looked elsewhere, trying to hide the blush that started to cover her cheeks.
"You've made a fine warrior out of her Lady Shepard. Her actions here today proved that many times over." Drizzt replied as he held out his hand which was quickly grasped by Hannah herself, both seeming to silently recognize the other as equals in their respective ways.
"As have you Mr. Do'Urden if what my daughter says about your own is anything to go by. The evidence alone speaks for itself from what the crew and the scenes of the battle played out here have told me. I would never want to meet you as an enemy if you managed to board my ship."
"If you're quite done Captain Shepard, there's a lot to do before we're out of the clear yet." Alexandria was quick to intervene, hoping to spare herself anymore praise and slight embarrassment, good natured as it was. Her face was lit up with a smile which showed she didn't mind it overall, but they truly did have a lot to prepare for.
"And the sounds of battle horns are heard once again. Again I thank you Ms. Shepard for coming to see us, but from all that we've managed to gather of late, there is war yet to be fought. Until again we meet." Hannah nodded to Drizzt and departed from the med bay, needing to organize their offensive after she got every bit of intel she could from those that had been involved thus far, their unexpected allies and the traitors alike. Reports had to be filed, plans had to be drawn, and even then they were at a disadvantage given who they were up against.
2178 CE. March 6th.
Zhentil Keep. Moonsea Region.
Arya's Private Quarters.
Readjusting plans a bit…
Now she had another fact to add to the ones she already knew about Arya's unique bend on life. Melding with a vampire was not a good idea if you wanted to keep on living. It turned out that they were comparable to an ardat-yakshi, or demon of the night winds according to old asari legends. The traitor she had thrown to the vampire after Arya had seduced and made the bitch asari putty in her hands had been all too willing to meld with the raven haired goddess of the night, only to find out to her horror that she wouldn't survive the encounter.
Just like an AY, Arya's nervous system had dominated the connection and had sucked out every electrical impulse in the asari's mind, leaving behind an empty and some would say soulless husk that quickly expired. It was quite enjoyable for Arya as her already formidable strength increased, as did her knowledge and overall ability.
The moon elf sorceress had then turned her ability towards Auora. It was both the most sexually gratifying night of her life and also the most terrifying given what she had witnessed not too long ago. She woke up alive and well if a bit sore in some spots since Arya had fed off of her veins, adding a little pain to the intense pleasure that followed. Every bite mark was enjoyably sensitive to the asari as she groaned softly next to Arya who just smiled when their eyes met. "I'm glad I didn't decide to meld with you after all."
Arya just chuckled darkly and licked her lips as both women sat up in the oversized bed. Both had gone to sleep in the nude and both had wound up entangled in the other's limbs, but only one had fallen asleep since the vampire didn't need to sleep persay.
It hadn't always been the case. Auora had learned long ago that most vampires needed time in their coffins every day which had to be buried underground. If they wanted to move their coffin anywhere, they had to take the grave dirt with them as well as their coffin, which made it a problem since vampires were almost as hated and feared as Drow. After the Spellplague however, the rules had changed in the vampires' favor it seemed since some of the old restrictions had been removed, mainly the coffin and grave dirt combo.
Auora was glad of the change personally as she felt Arya's mouth on her neck and the woman's hands on her stomach and waist. "Mmmm….I am as well. I don't believe I've had as much fun as I did last night in a very long time Auora. How are you feeling?"
"A little light headed, but considering where you bit me I can't complain." The asari replied with a husky chuckle, earning a teasing lick to the back of her head fringe in reply which made Auora groan softly in the back of her throat. Damn, Arya was insatiable. She loved it.
"Do you mean here?" Arya asked, letting her right hand brush over her lover's right inner thigh, making Auora gasp as warmth pooled between her legs at the light touch. "Yes, I think that's the spot. It does feel familiar." She continued to tease the asari, letting her fingernails lightly graze over the spot several times just enough to get Auora worked up.
"Shit….Arya….just fuck me already!" She groaned, falling back with the vampire underneath her but that didn't last for long. An hour later they were both spent once more, although it seemed that Arya had wanted to wear Auora out completely since the vampire had concentrated on the asari's pleasure more than her own. At least that's what it had felt like to Auora anyway as she finally came back down to the ground once more. Every centimeter of her flesh was tingling and she was covered in sweat, but Auora could have given a damn.
Arya meanwhile stood and pulled a simple black robe over her sensuous figure after getting out of the bed, smiling down at the asari who was still tangled up in the sheets. She didn't bother to tie the robe up in the front as she went to a nearby table and poured herself a glass of blue blood, having harvested every drop from the dead asari that had been disposed of last night before she had turned her full attention on Auora.
Waste not want not after all.
Most of the morning was relatively peaceful and quiet and while Arya couldn't go outside until the sun went down, Zhentil Keep still had plenty of places that she could get to without ever needing to go anywhere where the light of the sun could reach her. While she let Auora rest, Arya tended to matters of her own, mostly feeding the vampires and their undead allies with a few new prisoners the Zhentarim had captured and had let Arya have for her personal minions. Normally she'd watch them tear the fools apart but she had more important things on her mind.
Such as dealing with the lich, Darius, for example. She knew Auora didn't like the man but Arya had no personal issues about the powerful lich that had joined the ranks of the undead of his own free will. She had not been so fortunate but that was a long time ago. At the time she hadn't wanted to be a vampire but her sire had changed her mind quite…pleasantly, although after Mordoc came around her night life had been drastically restricted.
Still, that was in the past, and Mordoc, the so called Grey Prince, had gotten his in the end.
After reaching his personal workshop, Arya could hear arcane mutterings behind the enchanted door. He was in the middle of preparing his magic for the day she assumed. Before she could leave the mutterings stopped and she could sense rather than see the lich's approach as he opened the door and seemed to smile at the half dressed vampire. "Ah Arya, I see your asari pet isn't wrapped around your waist."
"Nope, we took care of that this morning, but if you want to keep insulting her you might wake up one day and find your phylactery missing from your private quarters." Arya countered with a barely controlled hiss. In a fight to the death, or true death or whatever you wanted to call it, Darius would probably win unless the item that held his twisted soul was smashed apart, but in a fair fight it was unclear who would come out on top since both were powerful mages in their respective rights.
Darius growled in the back of his throat but seemed to calm quickly about the same time Arya did. "Perhaps I've been a little too cold but I just don't understand the fascination you have with the still living members of our group. Be it as it may, what is it that you want?"
It was as close to an apology as Arya was likely to get so she accepted it for what it was. "As you know it was my idea to try to turn one of the captains of the Alliance. I know you have a direct line to the man and I wanted an update to see if anything new had come up." Darius nodded as he was just getting ready to check before he had felt Arya's presence outside his quarters. Letting her inside, the lich and vampire walked over to the full length mirror that was in the back of his workshop.
Scrying could be done on any reflective surface as long as the surface remained still. Water was sometimes better depending on the ingredients one had on hand but for the lich, he preferred mirrors personally. Before long, the image reflected in the mirror changed to that of the captain's private quarters; or rather the former captain's quarters. Instead of the man the lich had expected to see, he saw three different people that shouldn't have been there.
One was obviously Jarlaxle Baenre if that ridiculous hat of his and the eye patch he favored was anything to go by. The other two were human but they were dressed in strange clothing the likes he had never seen before. "Who are you?"
Everyone turned at once and only Jarlaxle wasn't taken aback by the living corpse that was shown in the mirror's reflective surface. Hannah and David however were taken completely by surprise. It was Hannah however that recovered first despite the fact she was talking to someone that had long since expired. David couldn't get his mouth off the floor to save his life. "You're speaking to the Captain of the SSV Kilimanjaro of the System Alliance Navy. My name is Hannah Shepard. You must be part of the Zhentarim we've heard about."
"Indeed. My name is Darius, and it's good to know the face of my enemy. It'll make killing you all the more enjoyable. So I take it the captain we had turned has been captured or killed." Darius replied with obvious disdain, knowing now that their former plan would have to be adjusted. They had hoped that Arya's contact, with Auora's help he rightfully figured, would have provided another ship to the cause, but now it seemed they had more trouble if the man had failed.
"So you confirm that your people got to one of our own. I hope you know that this means war Darius, and we don't handle threats lightly. I don't care what you are or who you are, we will take you down and we will win." Hannah replied, her calm and cold glare matching the lich's burning red orbs that passed for eyes in his skull. Neither was willing to yield to the other.
"I wouldn't hold your breath Ms. Shepard. When we crush you I'll personally make your corpse dance before having it tear itself apart. This conversation is over." The mirror returned to normal, showing nothing beyond their own reflections once more.
Darius growled in the back of his throat and rounded on Arya. "It seems we've brought more of these Alliance pests on our doorstep. Your plan has failed. But we can still salvage this situation. Alert the troops, have Dragonspear Castle prepare for more arrivals. I want that ship demolished and every man and woman killed, captured, or turned right there by you and yours Arya."
"It shall be done."
Things were a lot trickier if Bregan D'aerthe was involved. If they were around, then it was likely that Drizzt and at least Giselle were about as well. David hadn't been seen since he had gone to Icewind Dale twenty years ago and Seth was in Silverymoon still according to the few Zhentarim contacts they had left in the city. They didn't dare try to kill him given the very potent protection wards that surrounded the city and the palace itself. David was too far out of reach to make attacking the barbarians worth the risk, at least not yet.
No, they'd have to settle for the ones they COULD get to. Still, Arya smiled wickedly as she made a quick stop by her private quarters once more, seeing that Auora was dressed in her Eclipse armor and was prepared for the day at last. The asari took one look at the vampire and smirked, having a feeling today just got a lot more interesting.
The new plans that had been set into motion would take the better part of two days, but once the gunships were loaded up and the troops moved, they'd flood out of Dragonspear Castle and kill anything that got in their way. War had once again come to the Realms.
2178 CE. March 6-8th
The Woods of Sharp Teeth. The Western Heartlands
SSV Hastings, mess hall.
After the rather nasty surprise of seeing a corpse talking and walking and speaking through a damn mirror of all things, Anderson had recovered quickly after Jarlaxle had said that smashing the thing was safe to do. Anderson had put his boot through the infernal thing and felt better the rest of the day, and had even taken to their new allies quite nicely, a fact that both Shepards had been happy to see.
In the two days that followed, the crew of the SSV Kilimanjaro was able to gather the last pieces of this interesting puzzle and report their findings to the Alliance back home. They were quite happy that they had sent a dreadnought after they had a fair idea of what they were dealing with, especially after receiving video footage of the talk the elder Shepard had had with the talking corpse. A few of the more close minded individuals still couldn't believe in everything they had been given to date, but they all agreed that it was the right call to send the forces they had if a full scale invasion was being planned.
Giselle had woken up the first day things were being put into motion and prepared for the invasion. After a heartfelt reunion with her father, and more rest as ordered by the good doctor who had saved her life for sure this time, she was up and about by day 2. With Neria's help the rest of her recovery was over far more quickly since she didn't want to miss out on the attack that was being planned. Doctor Chakwas got her first look at real magic being performed right in her medical bay, and she had to admit it was like seeing a miracle being performed right before her eyes.
Neria had been quick to shoot down such praise since it was common where she came from, and the wood elf didn't feel comfortable in trying to exploit such obvious praise unlike some healers she had come across in her travels before coming here. "It was a minor healing spell at best Lady Chakwas. I just finished what you started."
"It was still something I had not expected to see first hand Ms. Zathrieal." Karin replied, one of her sage old smiles planted firmly on her face.
"When you two are done ogling each other how about letting me go doc. I don't want to be late for the battle that's coming." Giselle replied, earning a light hearted chuckle from Karin and a embarrassed gasp as Neria turned away as Giselle started to sit up on the side of the bed. Drizzt just shook his head in amusement at the display, his old heart feeling lighter than it had in years.
After letting her dress in peace in the backroom, her father was waiting for his daughter in the back where the sleeper pods resided, leaning against the bare back wall. He called for her when he saw her start to pass by with Neria close on her heel. She had a feeling he wanted her alone so Giselle sent Neria on her way for the moment before heading to talk to the man.
Once she was beside him, Drizzt did the last thing she ever expected him to do willingly. "Father…are you sure about this?" Her voice was suddenly constricted in her throat as she watched him undo his sword belt and hold out the twin scimitar blades that he had cut his fame with across the centuries he had been on the surface of Toril.
"You've more than earned them Giselle. I've never said it before but the day you stole them from me thirty years ago, I realized that I was getting too old to carry on traveling the road anymore. I was happy for their return when you came back after the ordeal with Marik, but I was much happier to see you again despite how briefly you remained. You have your mother's wandering spirit, and my strong and stubborn will. I know you'll wear these with the knowledge to use them only when there's no other choice my darling girl."
Giselle didn't take the blades, she hugged her father tightly instead who was just fast enough to avoid injuring himself as he got his belt out of the way and wrapped his arms around her body, feeling the tears that spilled out of her eyes against his cheek. They were tears of joy and he didn't try to get her to stop as they parted, hazel eyes meeting purple as each accepted the other in equal measure.
"Your friend Shepard explained this UP3 to me as well so I figured that if Toril is to be uplifted and you taken to the stars that you'd need a good blade by your side. That and I can't think of a more worthy successor than you to Twinkle and Icingdeath anyway Giselle." Giselle nodded as they traded sword belts, finding her hands shaking with the gift since it meant a great deal to her. It meant a lot of things, the most important being that her father finally accepted the fact that she was no longer in need of protecting, that she was strong enough to stand on her own.
"I'll remember everything you taught me father, and I'll make you proud."
"You already have, many times over Giselle. Never doubt that in the days to come. I have one more thing for you before I forget." Again he had to take a few seconds but he found what he was looking for as he pulled out a stone figurine made out of onyx stone. The sculpture was in the shape of a panther on the move, and Giselle immediately recognized the powerful artifact for what it was.
"Now this is too much. You and Guenhwyvar have been together for ages." Drizzt held up his hand and silenced her as he handed the stone over to Giselle.
"As I took it from an evil Drow wizard long ago in Menzoberranzan, I willingly give Guenhwyvar to you Giselle. Call her, I know you remember how." Giselle knew the old panther well and loved and treated the magically summoned animal as a valued friend, but this was too much to handle in one day. First her father had given his old blades to his daughter, and now his most trusted ally in battle as well? She almost dropped it as she started to kneel to the ground and placed the panther's statue upright on the metal floor between them.
"Guenhwyavar, come to me my shadow." Giselle's voice carried across the dimensional planes of existence to the Astral Plane. It was rightfully called such since the plane was perpetually night with countless stars filling the night sky. It was a truly beautiful plane of existence, and one fitting for the black panther that came running to her new master's call as a black mist formed where the figurine once stood. Giselle was toppled by six hundred pounds of pure black panther as she soon felt Guen's rough tongue against her face.
"Get off me you oversized cat." Giselle laughed as she tried to push the cat away, earning a belly deep laugh from Drizzt since it reminded him of the old days when he used to summon Guenhwyvar to playfully torment Bruenor Battlehammer.
Guenhwyvar instead yawned and rolled over on her back on top of Giselle who just laughed and tried to draw breath before managing to slip out from under the beautiful creature. Scratching behind Guen's ears, Giselle smiled up at her father who knelt on Guen's other side, locking eyes with the panther. Those that knew Guenwhyvar couldn't mistake the spark of intelligence behind her beautiful green cat eyes which shone brightly in the dark, the only warning some enemies got before they were torn to ribbons.
She knew what was happening as she sensed rather than heard the words they exchanged; such was the skill rangers like them possessed when it came to animals, normal or magical in nature alike. Guenhwyvar didn't 'speak' back in any sense of the word, but she showed her understanding in other ways as she lifted a paw and placed it over Drizzt's shoulders as if hugging him as the Drow did the same before the panther turned her gaze to her new master, or mistress in this case.
"Are you ready to take the fight to the Zhentarim Giselle?" Alexandria asked, having silently observed the whole affair. She hadn't seen anything like it and it hadn't seem right to intrude on such a private affair. The giant panther didn't seem to bother her in the least as Guenhwyvar turned her gaze upon the human before standing to her feet. Giselle followed but wasn't worried as Alexandria locked gazes with the panther.
Guenhwyvar seemed to sense a similar warrior spirit in this woman and seemed to growl her approval before wandering back to Giselle's side lazily. Drizzt silently observed the exchange, finding it intriguing that Guen had taken a measure of their ally in arms and had found an equal. Giselle meanwhile nodded before turning to her father once more. "What about Guenhwyvar, do the old rules still apply to her summonings?"
"No actually, Seth was able to find a way to extend her ability to remain on our side unless she's dispelled or injured enough that she's forced back to the Astral Plane. I was pleasantly surprised and just to see if it worked I kept her here for a full month with no ill effects. I still had to wait a day and a half before I could call her again, but whatever he did it seems to last." That surprised Giselle but it would help a great deal in the days to come.
"What do you plan to do Drizzt? I could see if we could get you a shuttle ride back home if you'd like." Shepard asked but Drizzt waved his hand at the offer.
"It's quite alright Shepard. You don't have to do that. I can still take care of myself well enough. No, I think I'll stay in Baldur's Gate and raise the Duke's forces there if you happen to fail. I hold great faith in your ability to succeed, but I would rather have the soldiers in the city prepared for an attack that never comes, than have them get caught unawares."
"A wise move, but hopefully it won't come to that. Good luck Drizzt, I'll have the guards let you out." Drizzt shook hands with Alexandria once more before hugging Giselle one last time before starting on his way. Not before however saying one last thing to them both though.
"Keep each other safe. I don't want to have to clean up the mess." He teased, earning a chuckle from both women as the old warrior was shown the elevator and let down to the docking bay.
"He's a good man your father. I can see why you hold him in such high regard." Giselle nodded to Alexandria's words. She had no idea just how high, but maybe she did since it seemed to the half Drow that Shepard held her own mother Hannah in equal esteem, a fact that she was quick to point out. "You got me there Giselle. So, anything I should know about our panther friend here? I hate to say it but there are regulations against anything bigger than a goldfish."
Fish were one of the few pets that were ever allowed on an Alliance ship. "I'd like to see someone try to get rid of her by force." Giselle replied, earning an approving growl from Guenhwyvar herself which just made Shepard grin. "But I agree, a ship isn't a great place for Guenhwyvar to wander so I'll only let her wander about when we're on a mission most likely unless you get your own ship or something."
"Sounds good to me Giselle. And what do you say Guenhwyvar?" Shepard asked, kneeling before the great beast who just licked the tip of the human's nose in response. That got a chuckle out of both as Shepard stood and beckoned the two to follow.
She didn't have Giselle send Guenhwyvar back since she had a feeling they'd need the powerful panther before today was over with, so the new crew that had control of the SSV Hastings got a few surprises as they saw the six hundred pound beast wandering the ship to the elevator, right on the heels of the knife eared warrior that had helped liberate the ship from their former captain.
Today might had been the weirdest yet for some, but no one took a shot at the panther once they saw who she was with. Once they were in the docking bay again, someone still busy trying to clean the scorch marks off of the deck from the grenade Shepard had used, the two women and the panther saw that Jarlaxle was going over a detailed drawing of the castle they were to hit first.
"If the old design still holds, then there are at least three ways into the castle grounds. One is through the front gate. My men and I can easily penetrate the castle grounds and get the gate open for you. I can take a few of your techs just in case they've upgraded the standard locks such a gate would normally hold. Or we can take the underground route, through the known passageways that go under the castle walls and into the dungeons. It would take longer perhaps and there's no telling what's moved in those caves or if there's even a passageway that's clear anymore to the castle's bowels, but it might be better than trying to go through the front gate. Let's just say I don't hold much faith in your tech to blast our way in."
"You'd be surprised what we're capable of Baenre." David Anderson retorted, earning several chuckles from the men around them as well as from Jarlaxle himself. "Still I agree that it might be better if we hit both access points at once. Coordination between teams might be difficult but if we time it right, we'd catch the bastards in a pincer move below and above ground. It's the idea that something nasty has moved in those tunnels that makes me a bit nervous to follow through."
"I can lead the underside team sir." Alexandria said with Giselle showing obvious support beside her. All eyes fell on Shepard. Those that knew her well knew this was a big step for her given her recent ordeals in the leadership role. The fact she was volunteering for the job was further proof of that. "If we can catch them on two fronts, we'd have an untold advantage over their defenses."
"The only problem though is that I'm not sure about the Hell Portal that's located in the deepest part of the castle dungeons." Giselle added, a little unsure of the idea since the seal might have weakened enough that any significant disturbance might be enough to open it up again. Then they'd have a very hard time of things since demons were just as powerful as any dragon in some cases, if not more so.
"If it comes to it Giselle, you know I can seal it again." Neria offered, having done something similar once before. It had nearly killed her since it had taken every bit of magical energy she had to accomplish the job, but she had managed it all the same.
"No, I don't want to have to nurse you back to health again like last time Neria. And that's assuming you survive doing it a second time." Giselle countered, not wanting to put her friend at risk needlessly.
"I'll be fine Giselle. That was two years ago. I've grown since then, same as you." Neria reassured her, putting a comforting hand on the woman's right shoulder. "Do not worry, I can handle myself."
She was still reluctant but Giselle nodded as she squeezed the hand on her shoulder before she turned to the final planning session before them. "Alright. I'll go with Shepard and anyone else that's willing to go with us. If you do agree to go with us however you will be taking orders from me. There are no better underground warriors than the Drow and if you want to survive down there in the dark, you will want to pay attention."
"I'd listen to the lady. Believe me; the dark caves are home to some of the most fearsome enemies you're ever likely to meet." Jarlaxle added to Giselle's statement. She might not be Alliance trained, but this was their world, and Shepard was willing to take her orders from Giselle if it meant they survived the trek through the dark caverns they planned to hit.
"Shepard, if you agree to go this route then it'll be up to you and Ms. Do'Urden to lead your forces to the castle grounds in one piece. Follow their direction, this is their world and we've interfered enough as it is, but we can't let these Eclipse scum further tamper with them as they have." Anderson said to the marines that were knee deep in the docking bay. He got a hearty response in reply as every man and women shouted back in turn, 'sir yes sir!'. "They're all yours Shepard, Giselle. Lead the way, we'll hit the front and try to distract them as much as possible until you make the rendezvous point."
"Yes sir."
"Unless we get the gate open first, then we'll just meet you in the courtyard and mop up the rest." Jarlaxle offered with one of his cheery grins on his face. Once everything was agreed upon, Giselle, Guenhwyvar, and Alexandria plus a full squad of marines got into one of the shuttles that had been parked outside the Hastings before their pilot lifted off.
The war against the Zhentarim and the Eclipse had begun.
A/N. The student has finally been accepted as ready to stand on her own, Alexandria has stepped up and started towards the path of being the heroine she's all but destined to be, and the Alliance has started to get the cold hard facts about the magical nature of those they have stumbled upon, opening up all kinds of possibilities for the future. All this and more will come to a head and this is still before the beginning of ME 1. HEEHEE! I hope you all enjoy what's to come down the road ladies and gentlemen. The war has only just begun and already I'm quite giddy with excitement.
I had thought I wouldn't get this finished until after the weekend was over but I was on a roll all day today and got a lot more done than I had thought I would. So now, I get to share my mad genius with all of you before schedule. ;D