Scene 33: Conspiracy

The Shadow's Heart descends upon where it has found the greatest misfortune of late, the hanger bay of a space station.  From the treacherous fringes to the unhappily familiar captivated civilization, the local denizens remain none the wiser regarding the forces that confine them.  Neither can any of them recognize the recurring vessel in their midst as the means to freedom it is; should they be prepared to perceiver a similar misadventure to the one already endured.

Among the Hearts' neighbors and the traffic outside are various transports, which might bear the people of Janriel away, but have been robbed of the drive to carry them.  Any one of them might brave the depths of space, but the blockade is more likely to be dissolved long before reaching the boundary and make futility out of the journey.  So the transport captains ferry and crisscross their way through the system and think the phantom ship like them.

Aaron stands over his bunk packing a bag.
Tulia appears in the doorway of his quarters.

TULIA:  You and she talked?

AARON:  I'm getting off here.

No one else has to come.

TULIA:  What did you two talk about?

AARON:  She just wanted to see

how I was doing.

TULIA:  I heard she decided to go with you.

He finishes and starts to leave.
Tulia doesn't make way.

TULIA:  What did she say to you?

Or... you to her?

AARON:  What are you worried about?

You can keep the ship.  She's yours.

TULIA:  I'm wondering about a few things.

Let's start with if you like being stuck on Janriel.

AARON:  Can't be trapped without letting yourself.

TULIA:  See, that's what I'm talking about.

You're nobody.  You're good, but nothing special 

in a fight.  Yet when we're anywhere in sight of 

Janriel you're walking around like you own it.  

At first I thought that was just your character,

but you didn't act that way on the Atlas.  

You weren't in control then, just as scared

as the rest of us.  But here you're looking to

leave us behind like you've got everything 

figured now.  What do you know, Aaron?

AARON:  That I've been alone in looking for answers.

That we faced danger together.  And that it's

only going to get worse from here.  

And I promised the kid and her rug

shipping out with us was a one-way

ticket away from her life in this system.

TULIA:  Don't use Valory to make your excuses, Aaron.

AARON:  It's not an excuse.

TULIA:  That's just the lowest-

AARON:  It's the truth.  And I was too long 

in following through on that promise.

She rolls her eyes and he 

takes her by the chin.

AARON:  Look at me.

TULIA:  We both kill for being touched.

Tell me I'm wrong.

AARON:  She looked into the heart of it.

She saw whatever that monster was 

doing to possess Sweets the way

he did and she faced it... alone.

She can't be all of 14, Tulia.

TULIA:  And she hurt him for it.

Valory's one of us.

AARON:  She deserves to get out of Janriel.

The rest of you do too.  And it's the best thing

for her.  But not for me.  The answers are here.

I don't have them for you.  Not yet, at least.

TULIA:  I didn't ask you to go on this damn 

quest of yours.  I don't care.

She recoils at herself.

TULIA:  I don't.  You hear me?  I don't care.

And since you bother to remember what happened

to Sweets you should know I've got blood in this.

I'm not in it for the mysteries of the universe, which

you already sacrificed my friends to.  Don't deny it.

And you know the galaxy is going to Hell over whatever 

is happening.  And this is where the fire will spark.  So what 

are you selling, Aaron?  Where are we supposed to run to?

AARON:  Away from the flames.

Where else?  Save who you can.

TULIA:  We never really settled on staying together this long.  

It just happened.  But I'm starting to think you're as good as crew.  

Which means I don't get to just leave you.  There has to be another way.

AARON:  With a sentiment like that you mark

yourself just as foreign to Janriel as I am.

TULIA:  The place was filling up with a better

class of people before you came around

with that blockade of yours.

AARON:  Wrong answer.  The blockade isn't mine.

I've got nothing to do with it.

TULIA:  So you say.  But you wouldn't tell

me if you were a plant anyway.

AARON:  You'll note I still haven't.

TULIA:  You wouldn't have to be very high up.

Just a spy who got in over his head.

I can believe you didn't know who

Erimentha was.  That's why you're

obsessed with all this.

AARON:  You're getting warmer.

TULIA:  Retired?

Aaron hesitates.

AARON:  Deserter.

TULIA:  The Republic?

AARON:  Before.

TULIA:  Really?  But, you'd be hailed a hero 

for turning your back on the old regime.

AARON:  I had a duty, and still hold the unpopular opinion 

that the Empire wasn't all bad.  Just bad enough to warrant 

my departure. And Janriel is a place to disappear.  

But I stood out, made some choice friends.

TULIA:  Like Doc Spencen, and now 

the Police Captain, Noah.

AARON:  I'm not afraid of getting caught.

But I couldn't say where this winding

road leads.  It's best you take this one

chance and start a new life.

I already did mine.

TULIA:  You ever think that blockade's

here for you, Aaron?

AARON:  You're welcome to try for the

bounty if you want to find out.

I never looked up yours.

TULIA:  Mine?

AARON:  Why you came to Janriel.  It's only the 

new arrivals after bounties that don't have an in 

with the police.  You're original crew size was 

to compensate for being too unwilling to 

risk any police backup.

TULIA:  Since we know so much about each other

it's a shame to break this team up.

AARON:  That's why I have to do it.

We know too much to be near each other.

He pushes passed her.

The crew collectively disembark from the Shadow's Heart.  Tulia files her credentials with the automated registrar podium at the base of the loading ramp.  Aaron and Erimentha stand off together.  Nicodemus plugs a card into a complimentary computer station and stands motionless long after Tulia has finished.

Valory is the first to notice his frozen stare.
She reaches out to him, but inches from
the shoulder Tulia draws her back.

TULIA:  What's the matter, Nick?

He proceeds to destroy the computer
station with kicks and his bare hands.

NICODEMUS:  There's nothing.  Nothing!  He didn't wire

any of it.  He even got in and took the advance.

TULIA:  Who?

NICODEMUS:  My contact.  The one who told me to hire all you.

Valory is still shaken.

VALORY:  I'm sorry that happened to you, Mr. Clemence.

NICODEMUS:  I lost the Grim Grip.  I betrayed Mr. Vincent.

I can't speak to the Order.  And I didn't get paid.

All for what?  What was it all for?

ERIMENTHA:  You delivered your message, Mr. Clemence.

I will carry it in full.  The Prestmoors will get a fair dealing.

He turns and disappears up the loading ramp.  He emerges again with a duffle bag and his gun and marches down the loading ramp and pauses near Erimentha.

NICODEMUS:  Make sure they do.  Their good men.

They are what you made them.

Nicodemus walks off into the station.

Valory turns to Tulia.

VALORY:  Esben and I have been talking.

AARON:  Now wait a minute, Valory.

Tulia's going to take you away from here.

She's going to help you find a new home.

VALORY:  What's wrong with here?

You're staying.

AARON:  Janriel is no place for you.

VALORY:  It's home.

AARON:  Janriel isn't home.  

It's where people go when 

they can't go home.

VALORY:  It's my home.  You guys talked about

leaving Janriel.  You didn't say anything 

about we couldn't come back after.

We're staying.

She leads Esben by the hand into the station
as he shrugs at them while going.

ROSS:  Anyone else you want to alienate?

AARON:  I've got a meeting to keep.

By the time Aaron and Erimentha are on
the other side of the bay Desdine comes
around from the back of the ship.

DESDINE:  Where is the master going?

TULIA:  We're all being ditched.

Haven't you heard?

DESDINE:  Ditched?  Was it something

in my programming?

Aaron is sitting at the bar when Noah skulks in.  He saddles up to the stool next to Aaron and orders a drink.  Noah is clearly nervous as he barely comes short of hyperventilating and downs the glass when it comes and demands another.  But the second drink Noah turns in his hand without partaking.

NOAH:  You got me mixed up 

into a lot of trouble, friend.

AARON:  What happened?

NOAH:  You see this nameless rock of yours?

I'm lucky to get it back... with, your results.

AARON:  (whisper) So you got something!

NOAH:  I lost something, too.  The lab I sent it to,

would you believe it doesn't exist anymore?

AARON:  You're talking nonsense.

NOAH:  I mean one day I'm corresponding 

with the lab technicians, results are being beamed

to me, rock's in the mail.  And wouldn't you know?

I wake up and I can't reach them.  I'm looking to get

the results explained to me.  Come to find out,

all record of their existence has been scrubbed.

Probably dead.

AARON:  Alright, maybe they closed down.

What makes you think that?

Noah grabs Aaron's sleeve.

NOAH:  Because they already came for me.

My apartment's been tossed.  The precinct 

was bombed.  I understand you've been away.

AARON:  Yeah.

Noah stares back at him, nodding.
He lets go of Aaron.

NOAH:  Yeah.  Did you know what this was?

Aaron glances at Erimentha who stands
in the corner making conversation.

AARON:  Not at the time.

NOAH:  Not at the time, he says.

So maybe you can tell me about it.

AARON:  Do you have the report?

NOAH:  I've got it.  But I want protection

with your merry band of gatecrashers.

AARON:  We went our own ways.

NOAH:  You picked a hell of a time.

AARON:  I saw trouble coming, but

not like this.  Do you know who it is?

Did you get a look at them?

NOAH:  I'm being followed.  

They show up everywhere.

AARON:  I'll get you out of here.

They stand and Noah

grabs Aaron's shirt.

NOAH:  I know what you used to do.

AARON:  Now is not the time to draw 

attention to us, captain.

NOAH:  You've got to have some idea 

of the kind of people it takes to do this.

AARON:  I might at that.

Aaron looks passed Noah to the entrance
and two men in dress suits hesitate at the door.

AARON:  Sorry, gentleman.  

No cloaks and daggers, tonight.

Aaron draws a pistol and blasts away at them, forcing the men to take cover and draw their own weapons.  Erimentha arcs toward Aaron and Noah in a beam of light with stray yellow lightning spilling off, grabs them and vaults between the agents and around the corner beyond the door.

Noah and them emerge again while he tries to catch his breath.

NOAH:  What just happened?

AARON:  You're first step 

into the bigger picture.

Come on, let's go.

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Scene 32: Reluctant Return

Aaron opens his eyes.

Desdine stares down at him from the bedside.  The ceremonial optical sensors disquiet Aaron as he has the irrational sensation of feeling all the scans that are coming from everywhere on Desdine.

DESDINE:  Master... I'm grateful that you're not dead.

Valory starts from her chair in the corner
of the infirmary and rushes to Aaron's side.
She rests a hand on his arm.

VALORY:  I'll let them know.

AARON:  Wait...

She's already gone.

AARON:  What happened?

Valory leans out from the end of the hall
to the common area where she finds
Erimentha sitting alone at the table.

VALORY:  Hey.  He's awake.

Erimentha glances in the direction of the
cockpit and ventures after Valory.
Though hard to hear, the others
are clearly arguing.

Erimentha comes to Aaron.

ERIMENTHA:  How are you feeling?

AARON:  I think I missed out on something.

ERIMENTHA:  You gave us a fighting chance.

You got him.  Rune did, too.  I don't think

we're finished with him, though.

AARON:  Who was he?

Erimentha glances at Valory.

ERIMENTHA:  I don't know.

AARON:  A guess?  Anything?

ERIMENTHA:  I expected to find Samael on that ship.

And only him.  The Masters told me nothing

about a protégé, formidable or otherwise.

AARON:  Are you going to report back to them, then?

ERIMENTHA:  There is no provision for it.  

I would be forced to leave Janriel.  And I am

afraid of losing my assignment to someone else.

She has trouble keeping eye contact 

with Aaron over this last part.

AARON:  Erimentha… just how long have

you been a Chosen?

She looks over at Valory who clears her throat.

VALORY:  Come on, Desdine.  You sound like

your gears are still locking up a little.

DESDINE:  My diagnostics detect no such issue.

VALORY:  We'll check those, too.  Come on.

They are left alone.

ERIMENTHA:  I have received training as a Touched 

since I was a small child to become physically ready

for being a Chosen.  I was Chosen six months ago

and received further training since being imbued.

I was tracking Samael on my own for two months,

including, the two weeks of which I was incarcerated

with the mercenaries whom you recovered me from.

So, to the heart of your question, I must admit that my

abilities have been largely academic exercises up to this point.

AARON:  Well... you're doing a great job, then.

ERIMENTHA:  Thank you.

AARON:  Why did the Masters send you alone?

ERIMETHA:  I don't know.

AARON:  Did you ask?

ERIMENTHA:  A Chosen is dangerous, Mr... Aaron.

But expected to be far more of a danger to the wider 

untouched galaxy.  But... hardly deserving

of the attention of the Masters.  Only...

AARON:  Yeah?

ERIMENTHA:  If Zayd-Neil is any indication, I'm beginning

to have doubts Samael is a Chosen?

AARON:  Really?

He starts to sit up.

ERIMENTHA:  No, no.  Rest.

AARON:  Well... what does that mean?

ERIMENTHA:  At first, I thought the need for my mission

to be a clandestine operation was a natural extension

of the private functioning of the Order.  But I now

judge this a significant enough threat to have

come in force to Janriel.  But I was expressly

discouraged from seeking such support.

AARON:  Perhaps they made a mistake.

Erimentha winces and
squirms in place.

AARON:  You should report your findings.

We're all lucky to be alive.

ERIMENTHA:  I cannot describe to you how uncomfortable

this whole conversation makes me.  I have never doubted

the Master's wisdom.  There must be something that they

expect of me.  What, I am not certain.  Something I 

forgot that they told me.  It must be.

AARON:  The simpler explanation is that they didn't

have all the possible information to give you.

You're a scout, right?  Well, aren't you?

ERIMENTHA:  In a manner of speaking.  Samael's 

presence closes their eyes and ears to Janriel.

AARON:  If you are concerned with being a good

soldier you will have to adapt.

She smiles at him.

ERIMENTHA:  Where do you find your faith?

AARON:  What do you mean?

ERIMENTHA:  The Masters teach that the galaxy

is faithless outside the Order.  That all the old

religions died and faith went with them though 

some people thought they could keep it.

We suffered terribly today and yet

faith stays with you.

AARON:  Well I suppose it would be easier

when you see your masters doing miracles.

ERIMENTHA:  But they are careful to teach no certainty 

against evil.  That vigilance is required of each of us.

AARON:  What are you saying?  You think the 

turned blood is stronger?

She sits down at his bedside.

ERIMENTHA:  The Master's blood is called Neumaferous.

Turned blood is called Lethchor, to conceal.  The purpose 

of Lethchor is to make my senses dumb to it as if I were

one of the untouched unfamiliar with Neumaferous.

I cannot negotiate with the power of Lethchor.

It's momentum is unyielding.  I have little

answer to it other than simple barriers.

It is never a question of power.

AARON:  If you say so.

ERIMENTHA:  Neither can be commanded.  Or so the

Masters taught us.  But once, while we were on the ship, 

I touched the black blood with my mind.  I do not care to 

repeat the experience.  From that I am even more confused

how Zayd-Neil accomplishes what he does.  He would almost 

have to be stronger.  But that is not supposed to come into play 

with Neumaferous.  I do not understand anymore.

AARON:  Did you know Samael growing up?

ERIMENTHA:  No.

AARON:  Then perhaps he comes from outside the Order.

If the Masters are a bloodline, who says all the

Masters' extended family stayed together?

ERIMENTHA:  The Masters always go to great lengths to recover 

their own.  Prestmoors were called, occasionally.  And Samael would 

not need to make Lethchor.  He wouldn't need to harvest from the Chosen.

AARON:  What if it's his?

ERIMENTHA:  A Master making Lethchor from their own blood?

That is no different than stealing from the Order.

AARON:  But, tactically sound.  As you said, the Order

goes to great lengths to recover their own.

They must think very highly of you.

She appears to blush.

ERIMENTHA:  You managed to avoid my question, Mr. Miles.

I asked where your faith stemmed from.  And I am beginning

to comprehend that you are fixed in placing all your hopes

on me.  In this short time, why have you been so keen

on taking my side when you knew so little?

AARON:  When I nearly died, I saw you.  And there was

never a more beautiful, welcome sight.

ERIMENTHA:  Surely, you don't mean to say you

would be willing to die over appearances?

AARON:  I'm not so hopeless.  I think it's pretty simple.

You said how turned blood is created.  At least, 

it's supposed to be harvested from someone else.

Well if the Neumaferous blood is any indication

of the soul... I've never felt more strongly as if I

was standing on the right side of things.

She smiles while facing down.

ERIMENTHA:  You voiced my worst fears when you 

suggested the Masters could have made a mistake.

AARON:  Hey, I'm not sure how you're taking that-

ERIMENTHA:  But you have helped me see that in being

faithful I cannot judge myself too harshly.  I was chosen.

I am Chosen.  To doubt myself is to doubt them and 

there is no telling where that might lead.

Please... rest awhile.  I need to go 

speak with the others.

In the cockpit, Rune, Tulia, Ross and
Nicodemus argue over their course.

Valory looks to Erimentha with
concern as she lingers at the door.

RUNE:  I say we skip the blockade like we were 

originally going to do.  They can't really have 

everywhere covered.  It's just that no one
else has a ship that can anymore.

NICODEMUS:  And what are you going to do when

they get glued to you with a precision jump?

Short-range cruisers are excellent coverage.

RUNE:  So there would be no way for

this ship to get in to begin with.

NICODEMUS:  Simple.  They're not set up

for keeping people out.

ROSS:  We have someone to vouch for us.

NICODEMUS:  No way we're flying up to the 

blockade's doorstep.  They've taken to 

shooting on sight nowadays.

TULIA:  I have to agree with Nicodemus.  

No one's been answering her calls.  

Is there any chance she's rogue, too?

ERIMENTHA:  If I lied to you about going to them

I'd get myself killed too.  But I don't want to go back.

TULIA:  Why not?

ERIMENTHA:  We weren't pursued.  A couple of you

wounded Zayd-Neil, but we hardly did any harm

to his ship.  Why didn't he come after us?

NICODEMUS:  Put him on his backfoot, he needed to 

lick his wounds.  What difference does it make?

It was a fight we had no business having.

ERIMENTHA:  Agreed.

RUNE:  Agreed?  Just like that?

ERIMENTHA:  I have been rash in my duty.

I now understand the need for caution.

Tulia appears to be looking in the distance.

TULIA:  Samael.

RUNE:  What?

TULIA:  I think Zayd-Neil is afraid 

of a confrontation with him.

ERIMENTHA:  He called Samael his master.

TULIA:  He also said that creating Zayd-Neil was 

an act of rebellion to them.  Perhaps he has 

rebelled against his new master in turn.

NICODEMUS:  And where did you get this new great 

insight that has no basis in evidence?

Tulia stays fixed on Sweets' eyes.

TULIA:  There's circumstantial evidence.  Nobody knew anything 

about Zayd-Neil in coming here.  Samael's whereabouts are 

supposedly a mystery to him.  They're both hiding.  

Perhaps it's from each other.

NICODEMUS:  All this speculation isn't going to get us anywhere.

RUNE:  Can you think of anything else we got?

ERIMENTHA:  I think it's about time you explain why

you want to talk to the Order so badly.

NICODEMUS:  We don't need to get into that.

ERIMENTHA:  Tell them what you told me.

Nicodemus hesitates.

NICODEMUS:  The Prestmoors are moving, gathering again.

Sometimes it's just small meetings.

ERIMENTHA:  (matter of fact) But that's already forbidden.  

The Prestmoors are too dangerous to allow any chance to organize.

NICODEMUS:  Everyone's dissatisfied with their new lot

in life: hired guns, security consultants, whatever work they 

can find hasn't been too peaceful.  For most of them,

no families and no encompassing love for profit.

TULIA:  Present company excepted.

NICODEMUS:  Well the Empire's expansion was pretty well

over with by the time I was raised up.  Pretty much just

maintenance operations from then on.  

ROSS:  Suppressing public unrest.

NICODEMUS:  In any case, the Prestmoors want reinstatement.

And I don't think they care how they get it.  Right now they're

just shopping for a legitimizing body.  Some argue for

taking back up the name of the old Empire.

ERIMENTHA:  Your last orders were to make a peaceful life.

NICODEMUS:  Well I'd say you forgot to breed that into us.

And since the Order did create us, your superiors should have

known that you left the means for peace rather open-ended there.

We were made to follow orders, fundamentally.  And Prestmoors

don't improvise well without some basic plan to work within.

VALORY:  You did well on Orelius.

NICODEMUS:  I didn't have to do very much, little one.

And I didn't much like doing so little either.  It's galling to see

hard-won worlds withdraw from the Republic rather than fight

the encroachment from our neighbors.  This blockade might be

dangerous to us, but in the grand scheme it's nothing more than

an extended bluff to show some might.  The current poor state

of the Republic is a matter of honor to the Prestmoors.  

My people intend to rise up again.  

RUNE:  And you're trying to stop them?

TULIA:  Do you think the Order can do it?

NICODEMUS:  I know they can.  We need new orders.

And as our chosen representative said,

my last orders were to make peace.

I intend to follow those orders.

VALORY:  So where does that leave us?

ROSS:  Trapped right in the middle 

of an immense power struggle.

ERIMENTHA:  There is no greater power than the Order.  

The Masters will see us all through.  I will not abandon 

any of you to the forces at work in Janriel.

TULIA:  We still have no idea 

what our next move should be.

Static starts coming over the radio.

VALORY:  Is anyone going to get that?

RUNE:  What's to get?

NOAH:  Shadow's Heart... are you receiving?

Rune scrambles for the radio mic.

RUNE:  Blockade control, we have been trying

to reach you.  Where have you been?

Pleases acknowledge.

NOAH:  (static) I'm not Republic.  Unfortunately, you won't 

be hearing from them, but I know they heard you.

TULIA:  This is Shadow's Heart.  What are you talking about?

NOAH:  I have a message for Aaron Miles.

TULIA:  He's indisposed at the moment.

NOAH:  I'll only deliver to him... and only

in person.  I can't stay on this frequency.

I'm sending you a rendezvous.

RUNE:  We're not leaving Janriel, are we?

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(Untold Told) The Good Shepards Part 4

The familiar swirl of the Stargate disengaging echoes in Colonel Shepard's mind like eternal crashing waves breaking against a rock sea wall.  No way back.  Were he able to return to the surface and secure the gate there remains the problem of when it would matter to dial, if it would ever matter.
He has no guarantee that any such flare as the one that sent him here could mean the road home.

In the absence of his shimmering lifeline to speak more with friends, Shepard's head swims and he sits back right there on the deck.  He covers his eyes with his hands and in that moment another's eyes open and share in taking a deep breath.

The queen looks upon her subjects who have woken her.
Her advisor leans in to speak quietly.

WRAITH:  I have hidden what you have 

done from the rest of the hive.

We are all that know.

She returns his clandestine fidelity and reaches a hand into his chest.  She revels at the betrayal in his eyes.  Such expectation for a dignified eternity and so little that could be taken.  That alone was part of the treachery.  The advisor felt himself slip away far quicker than the oldest human he had ever encountered.  The queen discovered, long ago now, that to feed on Wraith filled nothing, but added to the emptiness that became a new hunger such as no other Wraith had ever known.

She finished with the advisor.

QUEEN:  I may feed on Wraith.

Obey me or perish.

The half dozen drones or so stand around in confusion and for their hesitation the queen rushes one who allows itself to be pushed to the ground and she begins to feed on him as well.  As if dumb children, the other drones look on, incapable of expression, and without understanding for the unthinkable.  She is the queen.  They can neither resist nor obey.

She leaves the chamber and closes it behind her.  There the queen seals away her victims as she finds other Wraith to march out of the hive.  There is a Stargate to find.

JOHN:  Well... at least everyone got off the hive alive.

COMMANDER:  You're not the only one who's stranded.

What will be their next move?

JOHN:  Without leadership it's a little hard to say.

But you are the nearest FTL capable ship.

If they can't make good on the Stargate

then they might come for the Normandy.

COMMANDER:  Break orbit.

The colonel rises to his feet.

JOHN:  Commander.  I respect you want to protect
your ship.  But I would like to impose on you
for one more trip down to the surface.
You can leave me there.

COMMANDER:  That's suicide, colonel.
You're welcome to come along with us.

JOHN:  What's suicide is letting things stand
as they are.  Earth was already building a
fleet in my time.  And it looks like that's
been forgotten.  I want to know why.

EDI:  I have no record of Stargates or human
exploration other than what proceeded
shortly before the war of first contact.

JOHN:  We beat the Goa'ulds, found our way
to Atlantis and discovered the Wraith.
I'm responsible for unleashing them.

COMMANDER:  Weren't these operations secret?

JOHN:  Yeah, they were.

GARRUS:  Then it appears you lost, colonel.
No one left to tell the tale.

EDI:  I'm sorry to say, but he may be right.

GRUNT:  If they fell it was honorably.

JOHN:  But humans were all over the Milk Way.
Someone has to remember.

COMMANDER:  We encountered the Reapers.
They aren't invulnerable, but dangerous.
We nearly lost to them because of their
ability to undermine our defenses.
We're out here looking for survivors.

JOHN:  What could they have to do with this?

COMMANDER:  Maybe nothing.  But they're in the
forefront of everybody's mind as the biggest
threat the galaxy has ever seen.  If anyone
could topple the Stargates it was them.

GARRUS:  Personally, I don't like the idea of there
being some other worse bad guy out there.

JOKER:  Commander, we got some new
activity on the surface.

Joker brings up an image on the monitors.

JOHN:  It's the DHD.  If they can power 

it up they'll try to dial out.

JOKER:  Well they're hooking up cables

to it from that hive thing.

COMMANDER:  Ready weapons.

JOKER:  Strike craft incoming.

JOHN:  If you destroy that Stargate we'll

all lose our only chance to save Pegasus.

The war can still be won or lost here.

COMMANDER:  What do you suggest?

JOHN:  I'm up to fighting them for it.

That gate is the key.  

JOKER:  Those darts are going to be

a real problem for us.

GARRUS:  And we can't wait around for

your window of opportunity.

EDI:  Then we make one.

COMMANDER:  How?

EDI:  We could attempt to simulate the requisite 

solar flare with our mass effect drive.

JOKER:  We already released our static charge

into the magnetic field of the planet.

EDI:  Then we will have to go to FTL, again,

and come back after we build up a charge.

GRUNT:  The Wraith won't wait.

COMMANDER:  Do you really think you can warn 

everyone about the Reapers?  Stop the invasion of Earth?

JOHN:  I'm staking my life on it.

COMMANDER:  I'm taking a team to the surface 

to secure the gate.  Take Normandy out.

Have EDI calculate a match for the 

previous readings on the Stargate.

GARRUS:  Try to get some of those darts to follow you.

JOKER:  Sure thing.  You want a side of you can 

walk home if we all get eaten?

COMMANDER:  Cover us on our way in.

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(Untold Told) The Good Shepards Part 3

Aboard the Normandy.

GARRUS:  His story looks like it checks out.

COMMANDER:  What did you find?

EDI:  His weapon is woefully outdated.

Circa the early 21st century Earth
technology.  And zero power armor.  

GARRUS:  This Kevlar wouldn't

even stand up to my sidearm.  

And the rations tasted terrible.

EDI:  If this is all a trick it is highly unorthodox.

GARRUS:  And then there are the sealed orders.

COMMANDER:  What about our friends on the surface?

GARRUS:  Dozens more of those strike craft

have come through.  But they don't 

appear to have detected us.

COMMANDER:  Either that or we sent a message

with those first two.

GARRUS:  You might decide you'd 

rather they were more interested in us.

They appear to have discovered

the same ship we did and are in 

the process of occupying it.  

COMMANDER:  Will it fly?

EDI:  I believe it to be too deeply

buried and suffering from erosion.

GARRUS:  But what can we count on with all

these new uncertainties going on?
I don't like it.  You gotta figure there
must be something important down there.

COMMANDER:  Could be another front

for an invasion.

GARRUS:  Maybe this is a ploy and all these

creatures are controlled by the Reapers.

COMMANDER:  We have yet to confirm a sighting.

GARRUS:  And yet the Alliance sent you

on an intergalactic voyage to find out.

And now these time-coded sealed orders.

Someone's going through an awful lot of

trouble just to get rid of you, Sheppard.

EDI:  I guess it doesn't pay to live to be the hero.

COMMANDER:  Let's just make sure we live.

I want to bring the Colonel in on our

latest intelligence of the surface.

We'll watch for his response, again.

GARRUS:  You live dangerously, Sheppard.

Aboard the Daedalus, the crew hold station keeping the Wraith hive in sight, but out of weapon's range.  The crew busy themselves with circumventing the jamming signal that prevents them from beaming the culled victims.  Lacking an Asgard, the effort is proving difficult.

CALDWELL:  They're not acting right.  The hive 

should have broken orbit as soon as

they had everyone from the planet.

OFFICER:  The wormhole remains engaged, sir.

CALDWELL:  Any luck finding out

where Shepard went?

RODNEY:  He said he made it through the gate.

As near as I can tell he should be there.

CALDWELL:  He did seem to think he wasn't

where he was supposed to be.

RODNEY:  I don't have enough to go on.  For all I 

know he was delirious after being

tortured on the hive.

CALDWELL:  Keep working, doctor.

RODNEY:  Wouldn't dream of anything else.

He plugs away at his computer pad.

RODNEY:  Oh, no.

CALDWELL:  You're going to make me ask?

RODNEY:  This... could be very bad.

JOHN:  I think they might be abandoning the hive.

COMMANDER:  And why would they do that?

JOHN:  Well for one thing, with the Stargate still open

they have a direct line to the past.  And since they

found the hive they know what happens to it.

Maybe they've already figured it's about 

time to abandon ship.

GARRUS:  What do you think they will accomplish?

JOHN:  Well, they'll escape the Daedalus in the past.
One on one we outgun them pretty lopsidedly.
At this point, the only thing keeping the hive safe
are the remaining humans we tried to evacuate.

COMMANDER:  So they'll be coming
through with hostages?

JOHN:  We can't count on that.  The Wraith might
just feed on the last of them before
heading through the gate.

GARRUS:  The planet is barren.  From what you say,
without the hive they would have no way
to leave it.  They wouldn't be better off
than where they are now.

JOHN:  They could redial the Stargate.

COMMANDER:  We haven't seen any more of
these devices.  But that doesn't mean that the
Wraith won't become a danger to someone else.
Assuming, your Pegasus colonies survived.

EDI:  Do you have any recommendations, Colonel?

JOHN:  We could contact Daedalus and tell them
to destroy the Stargate.

GARRUS:  Nothing on the receiving end years later.

COMMANDER:  You would be stranded.

JOHN:  Yeah.

EDI:  Not to mention a strange causal affect.
He may not even remain stranded with us.
There is also getting trapped on the hive
or perishing inside the wormhole
when it is interrupted.

JOHN:  Can I have my radio back?

JOHN:  Colonel Shepard to Daedalus, please respond.

CALDWELL:  We hear you, Colonel.  What's your status?

JOHN:  I ran into some new friends here who lead me

to believe the hive is evacuating through the

Stargate as we speak.

RODNEY:  Shepard!

JOHN:  How you doing, Rodney?

RODNEY:  Fine.  Listen... I checked sensors and confirmed

there was a local solar flare.

JOHN:  Well that explains all that's going on.

RODNEY:  There's more to it.  The wormholes were jumped 

after activation.  I no longer believe the Stargate 

on the planet leads back to the hive.  

JOHN:  I wanted to talk to you about that.

I think it's best for you to destroy it.

CALDWELL:  At this point, are you certain

that would stop them?

RODNEY:  No.  Look... we can't break the connection

because it's still on the hive.  The one on

the planet's surface on our end is coming

from somewhere else.

COMMANDER:  So we'll have to destroy it here.

We can stop any more from coming through.

RODNEY:  Who was that?

COMMANDER:  Commander Sheppard of the Normandy.

RODNEY:  No, there's two of them.

CALDWELL:  Could this have been the Wraith's doing?

RODNEY:  You can't intentionally time travel through 

a Stargate.  It's an unfortunate by-product of when

the wormhole is randomly intercepted.

CALDWELL:  Do you know what happens 

to the hive, Colonel?

JOHN:  There's a crash site on the surface the Wraith 

are salvaging.  I assume you destroyed it.

CALDWELL:  Doctor?

RODNEY:  If the hive is destroyed, naturally,

it would cause the wormhole to disengage.

COMMANDER:  Giving the colonel an 

opportunity to find his way back.

CALDWELL:  I still have the civilians 

I'm supposed to recover.

RODNEY:  We're not getting very far

with their jamming signal.

EDI:  Perhaps I could be of assistance.

GARRUS:  She could be a millennia or so ahead

of anything the Wraith could throw at her.

COMMANDER:  Do it.

Rodney checks his pad.

RODNEY:  Normandy is downloading 

instructions to the Daedalus.

(Surprised) We have a lock.

CALDWELL:  Get them out of there.

OFFICER:  Aye, sir.

The civilians appear in the cargo hold.

OFFICER:  We have them.

CALDWELL:  Prepare a nuke.

RODNEY:  Whoa, whoa, whoa.  That could be 

what started this all off to begin with.

CALDWELL:  Then wouldn't it be too 

late to stop it now?

JOHN:  What if you use the Asgard weapons?

Then at least we'd know something

else is involved in this.

CALDWELL:  Acknowledged.  Bring the 

Agard weapon systems online.

OFFICER:  Weapons ready.

CALDWELL:  Good luck, Shepard.  Fire.

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(Untold Told) The Good Shepards Part 2

The shuttle ascends under minor harassment from the Wraith continuing to fire in protest, but are already too far out of range to matter.  The Colonel becomes lightheaded, however, which at first he attributes to the residual effects of the stunner, but then realizes that the shuttle possesses weaker inertial dampeners than he had grown accustomed to from the likes of a Puddle Jumper.

The commander turns to the pilot.

COMMANDER:  No suit.  Slow down a little for him.

He turns to one of the
other soldiers in the cabin.

COMMANDER:  Garrus, give him something.

Colonel Shepard is injected and his head begins to clear.

There is a brief cloud layer and then Colonel Shepard
is treated to an unexpectedly welcome sight that
he first mistook for one of the clouds.

Consisting of a sleeker design than he has yet encountered, the SR-2 Normandy glistens pearly light from the sun as it awaits their arrival.  Upon their approach, the bay doors open and receives them.

Colonel Shepard is escorted to the bridge.

JOHN:  You sure know how to 

make a guy feel welcome.

COMMANDER:  Then perhaps now you would

be willing to explain my orders.

JOHN:  Your orders?

COMMANDER:  About why we were rerouted 

to these exact coordinates where we found

you and given time-sensitive instructions

of when we could make contact.

JOHN:  I'm sorry.  I just spent a couple 

of days held prisoner on a Wraith hive.

They were shuffling me off to hunt me

to death when my ship made contact and

said they'd be on the other side.  But they

aren't here.  And this isn't even where 

I was supposed to end up.

COMMANDER:  And who are these Wraith?

JOHN:  Nasty, mostly.  Just as soon suck the

life of any human they meet than

carry on a conversation.  Though,

I've had the pleasure of a few of those.

They favor feeding on humans than anything.

GARRUS:  Well I feel safer already.

Sorry to be you, Sheppard.

JOHN:  Sheppard?  Well that's a coincidence.

COMMANDER:  Welcome aboard, Colonel.

I would like you to debrief First Officer

Garrus on everything you know about the
Wraith.  Then you should get some rest.

We'll talk about what to do next 

on our way back to Earth.

JOHN:  Earth?

COMMANDER:  I don't have any more orders

up to this point.  Unless, the Wraith present

an ongoing threat to us.  Do you have any

recommendations?

JOHN:  I didn't see one when I was down there,

but if you help me look for a DHD there's

a chance I have a way back home 

through that stargate.  

GARRUS:  What do you suggest we

do about the Wraith?

JOHN:  At their best they're pretty tough to kill.

But they've been getting starved out.  That's a

double-edged problem we're having with them.

COMMANDER:  What do you mean?

JOHN:  They're wiping out the humans in the 

Pegasus galaxy to survive.  We've got a few

colonies that we're defending, but

things are bad right now for us.

COMMANDER:  How long have you been 

in the Pegasus galaxy, Colonel?

JOHN:  A little over six years.
Why do you ask?

COMMANDER:  Because humans are brand new to Pegasus.

No one else is supposed to be here.

One of the bridge officers takes
Commander Sheppard aside and
he returns from the conversation.

COMMANDER:  I want you to tell me what something is.

Colonel Shepard is taken to the main holographic display
and presented with an image of the planet's surface.
Buried in the barren earth is a faint outline of something.

OFFICER:  We extrapolated this structure.

A gridded 3D model appears.

JOHN:  It's a hive ship.

He reconsiders.

JOHN:  It's the hive ship.

I've been sent to the future.

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