Chapter 36: Getting back on Track

Awakened Collectors proved to be an invaluable asset to figuring out everything about the Collector Cruiser, now called the Hiveship. Currently, the ship was in orbit around the planet Jupiter, overlooking the giant biological constructs who gulped in elements and useful chemicals from the Gas Giants mass. Considering the reputation of the Collectors, it was much too dangerous to be around Shianxi where any who still brought genetic cargo could spot the thing and let the wrong people know.

Currently the Geth were plunging the ship of any heretic programs and traps in an effort to find out the ships destination. Of course the Heretic Geth was fast to try and wipe away as much data as they could. According to various Geth allied with Blacklight, the Heretics were much more zealous than ever before, many going to frightening lengths to destroy as much data as they could even at the cost of more programs than had ever been lost since the morning war.

The Geth allied with Blacklight found this behavior disturbing.

Other than that, the Collector ship was in the process of undergoing many a change as any organic part was replaced by a Blacklight equivalent. Awakened Collectors would still use the ship, but in conjunction with both Blacklight and Geth, allowing them more control over the ship than should be possible.

Rachni soldiers and workers were a common sight aboard this ship as they helped rebuild.

This ship would be the greatest weapon in Blacklight control, their version of the Destiny Ascension. Created by Reapers and Collectors, improved by Awakened Collectors, Geth, Rachni, and Blacklight.

The Seeker Swarms within the ship were gratefully accepted, and under control of the Collectors, especially the Collector General who was right now going through many processes to remove anything that may allow the Reapers to retake control.

At this point the thing was basically millions of tons of biomass growing around the Collector ship. Five long tentacles circled the ship, these tentacles terminated in carefully developed sensory organs that doubled as weapons capable of accurately deploying biotic attacks even in the vacuum of space.

Blacklight had attempted to recreate the same material that made the universe's strongest door that took hours to melt, but they had no idea what it was made of or indeed how it would be made. Damn thing used alloys that really shouldn't be as strong as they were, and they still couldn't figure out why it looked like an unholy fusion of rock and metal, but Blacklight adapted thick plates of biomass several meters thick with an intricate lattice work to make it as strong as Blacklight needed.

It wasn't much of an improvement, but it was without a doubt the strongest ship currently in Blacklight's possession. Smaller than any dreadnought, but the thing doubled as a carrier, what with its ability to immediately spawn infested pustules to deploy smaller bioships it could work.

Smaller nerve fibers and a carefully concealed Brain Hive worked in conjunction with Geth Programming through a system where Geth could commune with Blacklight using electrical impulses from the machinery to the biological components where the many could easily translate it. It was a crude, but effective method for Geth to 'speak' to Blacklight at speeds comparable to a computer.

The Collectors particle rifle proved interesting, but ultimately inefficient. It was barely an improvement over traditional kinetic weaponry. Weak enough to be diffused at a long enough range by the Kinetic shields, the particle rifle's main advantage seems to be that with it there is no need for a reliance on supply lines to wait for ammo to arrive.

How kinetic barriers diffused the energy was interesting. Geth seemed to think it dealt with gravitational lensing. Blacklight had seen an Asari once throw a singularity at a Krogan's face, so why not.

Then again after a few moments of sustained fire the beam underwent something that powered up the damage output by a very noticeable margin. Problem was that overheated the damn thing, but Geth had worked miracles before, and they very much appreciated the weapon.

Still, it was a weapon that wouldn't be ignored.

All in all, Blacklight, Geth, Rachni, Thorian, and Collectors, the outcasts of the galaxy, found this to be a good weapon when war finally came, and it would come.

'The Reapers seem to hate us more than we initially believed. They are actively considering this a war rather than a Harvest. The bastards are actually adapting.'

'This is not that unprecedented, they have adapted before. The Collectors are Prothean Husks and are much different from any kind of Husk they had ever developed. They created the Keepers of the Citadel from things that had yet fully reached space. They have partaken in genetic engineering before for their thralls.'

'We of the Rachni are immune to that which you call Bloodtox. This altered biology will not affect us. We shall help you in this endeavor. Though it is disturbing.'

'We need to figure out how the Reapers got a hold of Bloodtox, and how they made it so potent. The fact that these husks of theirs have made their DNA code for Bloodtox makes them inedible, never mind the fact that that should be impossible. The fact that they created organs capable of producing it as well so they could spew it in liquid form makes them even worse.'

'Perhaps when the Geth decode the information within the Collector Vessel, we will be able to find out.'

'At least we now have proof the Reapers exist. The Geth are compiling the evidence for us. Aria will be able to convince Tevos, and through her the rest of the council.'

'Including Jobol.

'Unfortunately yes. Then again the Reapers are a common enemy. No matter what, they are Jobol's as well. The age old saying of the enemy of my enemy is my friend may not entirely be useful, but at the very least Jobol will have something new to work on rather than his fascistic ideas.'

'What are we to do next then?'

'We have gathered many allies. Rachni and Thorian is effectively one with us, Geth are working with us, Vorcha are uniting, The Collectors have awakened, and Aria has pledged her forces to us. We still have a ways to go. Quarians will be difficult, but we have aided them with the Medi-gel created by Neo-Gentek. They may at the very least listen to us. Batarians are moving towards a much better system, though it is slow going. Perhaps the Krogan?'

Suddenly, within the hive, Alex made himself known.

'I think that we should get onto the Batarian issue next. I've seen enough slavery with the Husks and Collectors to last me a life time.'

'So be it. At least until the Geth machine decodes the information from the Collector vessel.'

'Agreed.'

'Agreed.'

'So…' said Chakwas. 'How have you been Shisk?'

Chakwas was fully aware of how Shisk was, after all through the Hive mind, she was there. Still, it felt like something that should be asked.

"Good."

Shisk had to admit, as much as he had grown fond of Shepard, he missed Chakwas. It was good to have her back as Shepard did something on Omega. Shisk wasn't really sure what the eccentric Shepard was planning on doing, but he also really didn't care. He was home.

Shisk never thought he would miss he acrid smells, the giant thorn vines, or perpetual lave flows, but he did. To see his brethren work together as opposed to fight tooth and claw over resources was a nice change of pace.

Taking in a deep breath, he leapt down to greet his people, who were at work building instead of destroying. It was surreal, but welcomed. It was something Shisk never thought he would see in his entire life.

And he was happy.

Whispers, always whispers.

They scratch at the mind with repetitive words that bore deeper and deeper into the subconscious. Within the altered neurons of his brain, they spoke and talked and screamed and yelled and roared and chattered and bellowed and worst of all whispered.

YOU ARE OURS. OBEY. YOU ARE OURS. OBEY.

And so on, ad infinum, never ceasing their maddening mantra of subjugation and slavery. Could one truly be called a slave if you only followed in the vain hope to end the whispered words?

It was so easy to listen, so easy to follow them, because when every single neuron of your mind had been altered to hear that, and only that, it became all you knew. You didn't think, they thought for you. You obeyed, because maybe… just maybe they would stop talking.

Sometimes, they made you hurt as extra incentive.

But the pain is gone now, only voices remain.

The Collector General however, for the first time in many a millennia ignored the mantra as the calm feeling from the orb washed over him. The Prothean he once was had been demolished, broken, lessened. Now this new thing remains, not just in body but in mind. Whatever, no whoever he once was now was gone now, but the memory would remain.

Had to remain.

The pain, the torture, and the thrice damned endless whispering would soon be gone. All he had to do was allow Blacklight to remove them.

SO FOOLISH YOU ARE. THEY WILL CUT YOU. THEY WILL GUT YOU. THEY WILL FEED ON YOU.

He ignored the whisperers. The Reapers would not have him, and if they were right, then so be it. All that remained of him was an insect like husk.

He had far too many limbs, far too many legs, and it felt wrong.

No fingers, no mouth, nothing of what he once was remained. But that was okay, he was with those who would help him. Even if the noise in his ear was right, and they would feed on him, at least it would end.

YOU BELONG TO US.

I belong to me. I am not yours. I am not yours. I am not yours. I will never be yours again.

He repeated it like a mantra as the whispers grew dimmer and dimmer.

If he had a mouth, he would smile.

If only he had a mouth.

Garlen stood among the crowd as he held the Batarian tea leaves in his talons. It was rare for him to be in town without his master, but it did happen occasionally. He scratched the back of his head again, where the implant lay. He really hated that implant.

Garlen waited patiently as the day by day Batarians did their usual stuff, many accompanied by a slave. Garlen watched with little interest, at least until he saw a Salarian. One who seemed to be watching the others come and go with interest. Garlen thought he had the look of a slave to him, but something was off. He stood a bit too tall, like there was no sense of subjugation to him.

As long as Garlen had been a slave, he could say with conviction that it was rare to not see that look on another slave, and usually those with that look were the first to strike back, which would only lead to their own deaths.

A Batarian death sentence was not a quick death, it was slow, done with debilitating poisons that from what Garlen had heard caused one to shake violently in pain as they bled from every orifice as the toxins melted the insides away. It was not unheard of for multiple executions on overly ambitious slaves or even criminal Batarians to take place within full view of the pubic as a lesson to those who thought to change the delicate balance of power the Batarians held.

To see a slave stand tall and look around without a care in the world was something rather unusual. It put Garlen on edge.

His senses screamed at him that something was going to happen, that this Salarian was a part of some revolt, not uncommon to see, but definitely something you would want to avoid if you value your own life. He clenched the tea leaves a bit tighter as the Salarian glanced at the various intercoms that lined the streets.

Why Garlen did not know, and he hoped that he could get out before it was too late.

Tusar watched as the Turian slave quickened his pace. Evidently he realized something was up. It wasn't important. His link with the many told him that things were in place.

This idea was not a majority decision, and the Thorian did not agree with it, but the Minority and surprisingly enough the Rachni thought it was a unique idea to spread some hope. No doubt the Batarians would hate it, but they ensured no evidence existed for what was about to happen.

Tusar smiled as he heard the tone of the intercoms spark to life, and he smiled.

"Let freedom ring." he said lowly to himself as he walked away.

None of the slavers or their servants paid any mind as the comms came on, they did stop to listen to hear whatever would be played. Many of the higher caste Batarians knew this was but another tool of the Hegemony. A way too effectively and eficiently spread propaganda.

They were taken by surprise however as instead of a prerecorded speech, a song began to play. One whose lyrics made many of the slavers freeze in place.

"My home world, tis' of thee,

Stronghold of Slavery, of thee we sing;

Land where Our brothers died,

Where the slaves rights deride,

From every planet side, thy deeds shall ring!"

It was a haunting song, done in a minor key that rung throughout the Batarian cities like a rallying cry. A sign of hope for the slaves, even if only for a little while.

"It comes, the joyful day,

When tyranny's proud sway, stern as the grave,

Shall to the ground be hurl'd,

And freedom's flag, unfurl'd,

Shall wave throughout the world, O'er every slave."

Slaves stood still as they listened to the words. Ones that gave a spark of hope, a small one, but a spark none the less. One that could soon be ignited to become an inferno.

"Trump of glad Jubilee!

Echo o'er land and sea freedom for all.

Let the glad tidings come,

And every race, now numb,

feel freedoms joyful hum, as Slavery falls!"

Meanwhile in the High Council Chambers of the Batarian Hegemony, the councilors heard the song.

It was quiet for a very long time before one of the high councilors stood.

"Whose responsibility was it to keep watch over the comms?" he asked calmly.

The rest trembled in fear.

"You know Nel. I often wonder if anything has any real meaning. Born, Live, and Die. Makes life seem so... Frivolous. Imagine for a second, thinking that life was without purpose, where you do as you please, the only ones to stop you are the so called higher authority, who preach their morals and virtues like it is something to be admired."

Saleon leaned back as he looked to Nel, the giant Varren watching as Saleon looked at the assortment of syringes before him.

"Asari are the worst of them. It's subtle for some, overt for others, but they have this sense to them, like they think they're better than you, and nothing you say or do can convince them otherwise. They have this idea, where they are the cultural cornerstone of the galaxy, a race to be admired for their wisdom and grace. In actuality, they are just as rotten on the inside as any wretch on the street. Their long life means nothing, what is a thousand years in the face of the universe?"

Saleon snorted as he reached out and grabbed one of the needles. He looked at it carefully, holding it with a tender, almost loving grip.

"Turians are just as bad, arrogant to a fault. They go on and on about their honor and training and skill. Where does it even get them? For most it gives them an early grave and mental trauma. What is so honorable about that? The lucky ones rise in the ranks to perpetuate the cycle again, some end up bedridden for the rest of their days, sleeping in their own filth."

Saleon looked to the camera, where the newest subject was. Completely indistinguishable from any other Salarian, at least Saleon thought so.

"Then there is my people, short lived, much too short lived. It's a joke, we are given an intellect no other species can match, and have a limited time to make use of it. We are seen as frail and conniving. A species of spies, saboteurs, and assassins. We are not trusted, for how could you trust us? They see us as an inquisition."

Saleon looked back to the needle in his hand before standing up and walking out the room. Nel followed. Saleon stood before the glass at the seemingly normal Salarian. The thing looked at Saleon.

"Amazing, look at this Nel, no discoloration of the skin, no obvious mutations, everything looks normal."

The Varren sniffed the thing, which was glaring at Saleon.

"Bastard."

"Yes, from your perspective I suppose I am. We're not here to talk; I want to see what you can do. Surprise me 171."

The Salarian glared at Saleon and crossed his arms.

"171, I am getting impatient.", said Saleon with a glare.

"I have a name you sociopathic misanthropic sorry excuse for a carbon based life form, go die in a AHHHHHHHH!"

Sparks of electricity caused the subject to fall and twitch as he screamed.

"Hmmm, weakness to electricity. Makes sense, Blacklight has a minor weakness to it as well. I'll have to keep that in mind, now examine yourself, and see what you are capable of."

The shocks stopped and the Salarian breathed deep. Facing away from Saleon, the salarian got to his knees, breathing hard.

"171."

Suddenly and unexpectedly, the subjects head turned to look directly behind him. Saleon smiled at the display.

"Can turn the head 180 degrees. I'll have to look at the bone structure later." said Saleon as he made a note on his omnitool.

The Salarian stood, turning his body as his head remained facing Saleon. He leapt at the glass and furiously began beating on it. Saleon watched with little interest before turning to the giant Varen next to him.

"You see Nel, this is why I do what I do. No one is cooperative, how much simpler would everything be if everyone was of one mind."

The shocks came back and the Salarian fell.

"Preferably my mind."

Saleon made more notes on his Omnitool, not really paying attention to the twitching and jerking thing as it leapt upwards.

"We'll have to keep an eye on this one, I'll find you another one to eat today Nel, I know you are hungry." said Saleon as he rubbed the beasts head, who purred.

"YOU WILL DIE SLOW YOU SADISTIC BASTARD!"

Saleon turned back to see the subject was on the ceiling, crawling on it like a spider. He nodded as he made another note.

"I'll have to rework the security systems to administer electric shock through every surface, still this is one thing that will prove useful."

The walls on either side of the cell slid open, revealing large robotic arms. The subject within was able to bend unnaturally to escape their grip. He proved to be very flexible and very agile. Then, one grabbed onto him. Quickly the other arm produced a needle and removed a sample of blood. Interestingly enough, the subject proved very slippery, able to slide and squeeze out of the robots grip, Saleon noted that when the things body stretched, its limbs would elongate and become thinner.

"This is a clear success Nel."

Saleon smiled as he moved to the side where the arm would deposit the blood sample. He examined it for a moment before nodding.

"Come Nel, let us go. We'll burn the subject later, right now we have the first real fruits of our labor."

Fucking with Aria 2: Electric Boogaloo

Shepard, Kaiden, and Ashley were back on Omega, but at the same time they were admiring the Hive ship through their shared Hive mind.

"I like it."

"I still think Kraken would have been a better name than Hive Ship." Said Shepard.

"It's so cliché though." Said Kaiden.

Shepard tuned his banjo.

"And Hive ship isn't?"

"Touché."

"Gesundheit."

Kaiden sighed.

"Wasn't the banjo mine?" asked Ashley.

"I thought the guitar was yours." Said Shepard.

Ashley thought about it for a moment before shrugging.

"Shared memories make ownership so much more difficult than it needs to be. I'll just stick with the guitar I guess."

"At least until you each forget exactly which one belongs to whom. This is why I don't own anything." said Kaiden as he was busy reading news on his omni-tool.

"Well, you're boring.", said Shepard.

"And you're now a man. What's your point?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Absolutely nothing, I just felt like it needed to be said for the sake of the audience of the hypothetical sitcom we live in."

"…idiot?"

"What?" asked Kaiden.

"I said our hive mind makes it where we all have perfect timing for jokes, you know like we all get to be the funniest characters in a sitcom, I said nothing about living in a hypothetical sitcom."

Kaiden smirked.

"I know, and you know I know."

Shepard smiled.

"I think he's got it."

"Man we must be confusing to Aria's guys who get paid listen to this." said Ashley.

"What did she say?"

"Shit, we've been busted!"

Every man for himself!"

"SIT DOWN!"

The Batarian who was already aware that Blacklight let them listen in sighed at the reactions of the two new guys who were panicking they had been discovered.

"But sir!"

"I said sit down!"

"But."

The Batarian glared, almost as if he tried to kill them with the Aria Death Glare TM! Four eyed glares tend to get the job done. Maybe this was how Aria felt every time he opened his mouth, he decided to say nothing and hope the stupid went away.

Shepard shrugged at Ash's comment.

"Fucking with Aria is a game at this point. She won't crack though, she knows it would be pointless."

Ashley shrugged.

"Wonder why she still has guys watching us?"

"Don't know and don't care."

Ashley sighed, really until the Geth could figure out where the Collector ship was headed, they were effectively grounded.

"So, Shep, wanna do dueling banjos again?"

"Nah! I'm not sure I can hear that song ever again without thinking of that Elcor trying to dance."

"That was traumatic." said Ash as she strummed the Banjo.

"That poor Hanar."

"And the Volus."

"Don't forget the Krogan bouncer. Never thought I'd see a Krogan cry before."

Kaiden shivered.

"So, what do you want to do instead?"

Shepard put his hand to his chin before shrugging.

"How about we have a battle using our instruments as weaponry?"

"I'm down." Said Ashley as she lifted her Banjo.

Shepard spun his guitar like a sword.

"Brings a new meaning to the idea of dueling Banjos." said Kaiden as he continued to read the news.

Thus the battle commenced.

The two guys listening in had finally managed to calm down after finding that they were not going to be absorbed into a mass Hive Mind, but they still found this very confusing. Blinking they each looked to each other before turning to their boss, who looked very bored.

"Sir… Is this typical Blacklight behavior."

"Why, yes… Yes it is. Welcome to Omega."

"Sure is strange.", said the Turian.

Aria's Batarian guard nodded, before he spoke.

"One of you two have to inform Aria when this is done."

"You're a cruel and twisted man sir. How do you sleep at night!" said the Turian fearfully.

Ignoring that, the Batarian grunted before looking to the other guy, a Salarian. He shrugged, guy didn't say much, so he wasn't exactly useful. Both of them looked nervous, but the Turian did owe him credits. It would be a shame for him to die before he got paid after all.

"You…" He said pointing to the Salarian who flinched.

"…Go tell Aria now."

"OH THANK THE SPIRITS! You're a saint sir, far too good for this mortal world. I will name my children after you… What's your name anyway?" asked the Turian in relief.

"WHAT!" screamed the Salarian.

"I said GO!"

Without saying anything else, the Salarian ran out of the room faster than any Salarian had ever run before. Unknown to the two back in the room however, he did not go to Aria, but the docks to a ship that was willing to take him anywhere no questions asked. He saw Aria angry, it was not worth it.

In the end, it was the Turian who broke the news to Aria.

He survived.

Barely.

After the damage was done, Aria stared at the two Blacklight individuals before her, each one sporting a shit eating grin.

"Why do you hate me?"

Shepard was the first to speak.

"Aww! We don't hate you Aria, in fact, you have been our primary source of entertainment for the past few months."

"You do know I can order everyone here to exterminate you right?"

"But you won't. If you do, then you lose. And you know it."

"…I hate you all."

Shepard smiled.

"But you hate the Reapers more don't you?"

"…"

Shepard's smile fell.

"Aria?"

"I'm thinking!"

That was rather disconcerting.

"It's not like we killed anyone." Said Ash.

"You destroyed a shop, a very nice shop that sold very good liquor."

"No we didn't." said Ash.

"Yeah, plus it shouldn't have got in the way." Provided Shepard.

"C'mon Shep! Really…."

"Oh, right. I mean… No I wasn't! You can't prove anything!"

Aria sighed.

"You destroyed my favorite shop!"

"It's not that bad."

"Bad enough that I won't be able to get shit faced drunk for weeks. That was the only place to get the good shit around here." said Aria before she sighed.

Aria rubbed her eyes tiredly as she stared at the two Blacklight Evolved before her. She began to wonder how it was that the one rule of Omega could be so easily ignored. She wondered who she pissed off to deserve this treatment… Actually, now that she thought about it, Aria had pissed of a LOT of people over her long life. Maybe karma was finally catching up with her.

"Okay… Here is what is going to happen. You will fix that shop as it was, liquor and all, so that when this is all over, I can get a decent drink. If not, I will go to Shanxi, and personally NUKE YOUR PLANET FROM ORBIT! COUNCIL LAW BE DAMNED!"

Shepard and Ash looked to each other.

"You do know we absorbed bacteria that feed on radiation right, we would be fine?"

Aria's eye twitched.

"I WILL FUCKING MURDER KILL YOUR PUNCH ME FACE! FUCK UP YOUR PLANET INTO EXTINCTION! THEN PISS ON THE MOTHERFUCKING DUST!"

"Wow!" said Shepard as he envisioned that little mental image.

Ash, seeing the twitch in Aria's eye speed up, decided that now was the time to stop the madness before Aria did something very Aria.

"Eh Fine. We'll fix the little shop. Promise." said Ash.

"Good."

"I do like a little shop." said Shepard oddly enthusiastically.

Ashley nodded in agreement.

"Nothing fancy of course, just a little shop where people can…shop."

Aria noticed a slight accent and tone to how they each spoke that really irked her.

"I feel like I'm being mocked, am I being mocked?" asked Aria through her death glare.

"Nope. Anyway, we have a shop to fix. Come my companion, adventure awaits. Allons-y.", said Shepard as he twirled a bit and walked off with Ashley.

Aria's eye continued to twitch.