WITH THE SHADOW BROKER
The Shadow Broker, the individual who has nearly all the data about anyone in the galaxy, felt a bit overwhelmed right now due to some recent events.
Numerous indoctrinated people were suddenly discovered thanks to the program Vigil provided to Samael, who then shared it with the rest of the galaxy. Almost all clusters and planets have issued alerts.
It happened all of a sudden, the huge influx, that is. Of course, some of them appeared here and there in the past few months, but the number right now was astronomically higher than the average.
Considering that the Shadow Broker had connections with LD, it was doing what it could to help remedy the situation. After all, if the galaxy fell into chaos, he too would face the consequences. Alongside LD's CEO, Miranda Lawson, he was sending groups of Ardat-Yakshi to carry out the unindoctrination process.
It was a hectic process, but it was something he had to endure in order to maintain his life. After all, LD had him under their thumb. Initially, he really didn't like it, but he had come to accept it as normal. After all, it wasn't like he had any other choice.
He tried to look for a way out, but his men were all under LD's control, so he couldn't even begin the process of escaping. Instead, he adapted to the situation. Now, he could live with it.
Today started like any other busy day, but something caught his eye. It was information that one of his many agents had brought regarding the Reapers.
The Shadow Broker reviewed the report with tension. It indicated that something was happening in the Perseus Veil, with the Geth showing strange movements. Additionally, there were sightings of the Collectors, who everyone now recognized as a true menace to the galaxy.
Samael had informed him about Legion's mission, so he was aware that the Geth might start moving, but the appearance of the Collectors was an unwelcome surprise. If they were appearing, the Reapers might not be far behind.
'... The timing is not good for us. The Rachni Queen has only just sent the necessary troops to help build the arcs and other projects, so we are behind schedule. Still, we can do nothing but prepare for the inevitable, whenever that may be.'
Like Samael, he knew that the rough timeline for the Reapers to appear was about a year, but honestly, he didn't have a good feeling about that. He could only hope that the arcs and the secret weapon Samael mentioned in their last conversation would be completed in time.
'Well, I will continue my work.'
He passed the report to Miranda and continued his job of managing the information he received from the galaxy.
---
WITH MIRANDA
Just like the Shadow Broker, she was feeling overwhelmed right now, which wasn't good for her pregnancy. Regardless, she had her role, and she would play it to the end.
Still, the indoctrination sent a chill down her spine, especially now that the numbers were rising at an astonishing pace. Even on Earth, some were starting to appear, and LD personnel were affected. Fortunately, thanks to the quick actions of those prepared, they were dealing with the situation safely. Thanks to Samael's processes, they had a way to restore those affected to who they were before all of this.
'Thank God Vigil had that device, otherwise, I fear we all would have been lost already.'
Just imagining the damage an indoctrinated LD could inflict on the galaxy was enough to make Miranda break into a cold sweat.
Regardless, she set that aside and called someone essential to all of this: The Headmaster, the one who had the Ardat-Yakshi under control.
For the past few days, they had been busier than ever, each working on their respective tasks to ensure everything was okay. The duo had been in daily discussions about the places they needed to go and the things they needed to do, and today was no different.
Soon after the call was made, the Headmaster picked up. "Miranda, why do I owe you the honor of this call?"
"I just called to check with you about the situation of your girls," Miranda replied. She understood that while they had their own planet and amazing facilities, what they were doing was something no one could replicate, so their well-being was essential.
By the way, the planet Samael and its facilities had been ready for some time. After all, with the current technology, construction is something considered easy. Thessia is a good example: its capital was obliterated less than two months ago, and now it is almost back to its former state.
Sure, there were monuments around the place to honor those who had fallen that day, but in terms of infrastructure, it was as if the attack had never happened.
Additionally, Jason helped build all the accommodations the Ardat-Yakshi needed on their new planet. The work was completed quickly, but it was well done. He lived up to his reputation as the best builder on Earth.
However, his mental health took a downturn after LD acquired his company. He faced Thresher Maws almost daily while building things for Javik in his planet, and now he confronted countless Ardat-Yakshi, some of whom were very straightforward about their expectations. It got to the point where he and his team almost lost control of their urges.
The only reason they managed to restrain themselves was the fear of dying if they had sex with the Ardat-Yakshi. Just recalling that time filled Jason and his crew with dread.
The worst part was that as soon as the job was finished, Miranda called him to inform him about another assignment, which was the most important one of his career.
What it was Jason didn't know, but he was determined to do his job regardless. Whether his sanity would hold up, no one could predict.
Shaking thoughts about Jason away, Miranda continued the conversation, "Do you guys need anything?"
"The girls are doing fine, they're free to explore the galaxy for the first time in a while," the Headmaster said. He understood how difficult it was for them to remain in control, so for them to have the chance to walk freely and let go of their constraints was something hard to come by. They were enjoying it to the fullest. "And no, we don't need anything at the moment."
Miranda wanted to do more to help them, but it seemed she had no way to. So she switched to work mode. "I received the data about the places you all visited. Is there anything you want to add now?"
The Ardat-Yakshi, as a whole, was traveling non-stop across the galaxy to help those who had been indoctrinated. Things had worsened in the last few days, but Miranda asked just in case the Headmaster wanted to say something that hadn't been included in the report.
Sure enough, the Headmaster's troubled expression appeared on the call. "I fear we have a big problem on our hands. It's not just the Reapers attacking, that is something we will have to face eventually. It's something more..."
Miranda's face grew heavy as the Headmaster continued her line of thought.
"The people we helped had jobs in various industries, and their positions in their respective companies were significant... My fear isn't just for those we found, but for those we missed who are still missing."
By now, everyone in the galaxy knew that a single piece of a Reaper was enough to indoctrinate someone. Just imagine the damage if multiple pieces of Reapers were left in the companies of those who had been indoctrinated. After all, while they were quick to help, they could not go to the location immediately, so there could be more indoctrinated individuals appearing soon.
And while the Ardat-Yakshi was helping, their numbers weren't that large. If things continued like this, they would soon be overwhelmed.
The only way to ensure that nothing like that would happen was to completely secure and then destroy the places where those indoctrinated individuals had passed by, but that was something they could not do at the moment.
Miranda sighed. She had taken that into consideration, but just like the Headmaster, she didn't have a solution for that problem. They could only pray they could keep up with the rate of indoctrination; if they didn't, the Reapers might win the war before they even arrived.
And that didn't take into account the fact that the Ardat-Yakshi individuals might get indoctrinated too.
Miranda held her head and said, "Let's do this: I'll send more ships to you guys, just in case you need them, along with some personnel. If you find anything weird among the girls, act on it immediately."
It seemed the Headmaster had the same train of thought, as she simply nodded and replied, "Thanks... I'll keep you updated."
'' See you later.''
After ending the call with the Headmaster of the Ardat-Yakshi, Miranda sighed. She was in contact with her almost daily now, and the Ardat-Yakshi were finally being recognized, thanks to their help. Sure, they essentially 'killed' others, but at the same time, saved them and the others around them.
Also, everything related to the indoctrinated individuals began as soon as Samael, RR, EDI, and Legion left. The correlation of them appearing right now, alongside the other's departure shouldn't exist in any shape or form, but the coincidence was too significant to dismiss entirely. This made things even more complicated, as it was something Samael had brought up in their last conversation.
She hoped it was just his fear, but now...
"Now, we can only hope everything goes according to what he said... If not, I fear our chances will...'
The thought of Samael crossed her mind, and she couldn't help but wonder about his whereabouts. After all, it had been a week since he left, and not a single message had come from him—not even to his mother or the other crew members.
"Samael, where are you...?"
---
WITH SAMAEL
Samael was deep in the underwater planet 2181 Despoina. He lay in what resembled a coffin, designed to withstand the immense water pressure. It looked like he was sleeping, but the reality was far grimmer than it appeared.
To explain all of this, we must go back one week to reveal what led to this situation.