Noveria: The Phoenix and the Snake

The Chairman stared across his office at the revolving cloud of gas and stars. The nebula spun slowly in the dark room, far brighter than the faintly glowing data screens that surrounded it. [Redacted] leaned back in his chair and marveled at the hologram's fidelity. There were times when command had its perks.

The celestial hologram blinked out, and a woman's face took its place. "Sir, Commander Pharos's ship has arrived in orbit, and will be landing at the Port Hanshan spaceport within the hour. Would you like me to prepare your transport?"

"Yes, please. Have it ready in five minutes."

"Of course, sir." The face exploded into a million points of light, which swirled in seemingly haphazard patters to reform the nebula.

The former operative touched a haptic panel floating next to the arm of his chair, and a new voice rang out. "Anything you need, Sir?"

"Call the shuttle's maintenance crew and remind them that there will be a second trip today. Also, make sure nobody tries to add anything to my schedule for the next forty-eight hours. If there's a crisis, Kat is in charge. "

"As you wish."

[Redacted] stood and stretched his upper back. "Pharos, my old friend. It will be good to see you." As he turned to leave the room, the nebula coalesced into a single fiery star, bright enough to light the entire room.

Ten minutes later, his car was flying over the frozen wastes.

"I hate the cold."
"I know."
"I'm just saying."
The woman looked up at the tall, broad-shouldered man walking along side her and rolled her eyes theatrically.
"It intereferes with my implants." The man muttered, shrugging futher into the thick fur-lined jacket he wore.

Port Hanshan had changed in the year since he'd last been there; evidently the War and subsequent year of isolation had been as kind to Noveria's only city as it had been to everywhere else. Still, some landmarks still survived and the Port bustled with enough activity that the soldier suspected that within a few months the corporate world would almost be back to normal.
"Whatever passes for normal, nowadays." He muttered idly to himself, drawing a glance from his companion.
"What?" Julia asked, brushing a lock of hair over one ear and looking around in case Pharos had spotted something she hadn't.
"Just thinking outloud." he told her. "This way."

The former assassin lead his partner through the winding back streets of the Port town until they reached an abandoned shop; the door sealed over and security flashes blinking dimly in the windows, warning passers by against trying to enter the property.
"This is it." Pharos told Weiss. The woman opened her mouth to ask a question when a black Kodiak shuttle drifted almost soundlessly down from the traffic stream above and ghosted into the alley, drawing alongside them. The doctor closed her mouth and shook her head, a rueful smile on her lips.

The shuttle's door cracked open, revealing cabin space unlikely to be seen in any Alliance vehicle. The stark utilitarian interior of a standard-issue Kodiak had been replaced by neo-baroque stylings of a turn-of-the-century lounge. A bar had been built into the shuttle's back wall, an automixer behind it. A smooth melody flowed from an unseen speaker.

The Kodiak's built-in seating had been removed; the cabin's center was now dominated a single round table, surrounded by comfortable-looking seats. As the former dropship lowered itself to the ground, [Redacted] rose from his chair and smiled. "Pharos, Dr. Weiss! Please, come in and have a drink."

Pharos peered into the shuttle's ostentatious interior and chuckled, then helped Weiss in and climbed in after her.
"This is..." His gold-irised cybernetics studied the inside of the shuttle as the door slid closed and the dropship began to climb, "Subtle. Although I can't fault your selection of drinks." He selected a bottle of whisky and poured himself a generous glass, then sat down at the table while Weiss fixed herself something. The soldier took a sip from the glass, nodded to himself and looked across at his former commander with a small smile.
"It's good to see you again sir."

"So," he asked, "How's things on Noveria? Alliance intel on this place is pretty interesting, especially on what happened here during the year of isolation."

"Interesting is one way to put it, I suppose. I assume you're familiar with the Regent of Silence? He's quite a bit more aggressive than his predecessors, and [Redacted] Security Consultants has become something of an inconvenience to him. Three out of the last five times I've met a client or old friend at a bar, the evening ended with shots being fired. As such, I've taken certain... precautions." He gestured around at the shuttle. "A mobile meeting place is more secure from both assault and surveillance."

He took a drink from his glass of scotch, and continued. "There's also the budding tensions with the Alliance, but I doubt I could tell you anything new about that. Other than that, Noveria is still the same old frozen slice of Hell that it's always been. You know the drill. Corporate R&D doing the sorts of things that would get you tried on the Citadel, fined on Ilium, and lynched on Omega. Constant paranoia. Really shitty weather. The usual. I've been doing quite well with the consultancy; the Regent killed a lot of spooks when he took over, which left a bit of an empty niche for us to fill. "

A chime sounded, and a voice announced, "Ship is clean, sir."

"Thank you." He finished off the drink, before adding, "And then there's our real cover, the shipyard. But we'll get to that in a minute. Tell me, what have you been up to?"

"The last year's been..." Pharos chuckled. "Interesting. After the dust settled and we realised we'd actually won, I ended up staying in London and helping take stock of the damage and what we could salvage. Pretty weird, working so closely with aliens on home soil, but it could have been worse. It felt good, to be rebuilding." The former assassin shuffled in his seat, as if embarrassed by the admission.

"Alliance Command seemed pretty keen to take advantage of my Cerberus training. A few times I was asked to head up one of the local Military Security squads; dealing with looters and other people who had a problem with the martial law." Pharos shrugged. "I turned them down. I've done enough killing." He gave his former commander a quick look. "That's not to say I've gone soft. Far from it. I just didn't want to be their dog. They lost that right after Torfan."

Weiss coughed at Pharos' raised tone and spoke up. "I ended up working on the Citadel, after it was recovered. There was a lot of work for a xenobiologist. I ended up working quite closely with a number of other doctors; first helping the various non-humans who fought and were injured in the conflict, then helping to get the hydroponics systems back online to provide food for them. Not groundbreaking work, but important."

"I think the Alliance has finally lost interest in us." Pharos said, finishing his drink and studying the empty glass. "We've kept our heads down, been useful but not too useful, and they seem to think that we're not worth watching any more. Which is useful." He looked up at [R], his gold-irised eyes catching the light. "I've started pulling down small snippets of information. Putting together contacts within the Alliance. I'm not sure I'll be with them much longer, and I plan to have a few things in place for when the time finally comes for us to leave."

"Well, I'm glad to hear you made it through in one piece." The shuttle slowed and came to a stop. "Ah, we're at the climate lock. [R]SC has an office in the city, but our main facility is a former Cerberus base a few hundred klicks out. NDC's still charging us rent for it, but it's more secure than anything in inn town. Should take us about an hour to get there." There was a deep rumbling outside, as the lock's doors shifted, and the shuttle began to accelerate. "So if you had any desire to see scenic Port Hanshan, you'll have to do it on the return trip. We should arrive in about an hour."

"I think I've had enough of Hanshan to last a lifetime." Said Pharos, "Whenever I end up here, it seems to end in a gunfight." He poured himself another drink and raised in to his two companions. "Here's hoping this time's different."

"So," he continued after knocking back a fair portion of the amber whisky, "What have you been working on out here? You've mentioned your security company, and the port... I assume that's the old Cerberus yards you mentioned a while ago. And Alliance intel has noticed a few former Cerberus personel they'd been tracking have 'vanished' recently. I buried the report, but I can't help thinking they've maybe found their way to new employment." He gave his former commander a searching look.

"Funny you should ask about that. As it happens, [Redacted] Security Consultants does offer an unadvertised extraction and relocation package, provided free of charge to former associates. We've set up a few shell corporations allegedly registered out of Bekenstein - since the planet's out of Relay contact and Milgrom was completely destroyed, you can create a company out of thin air, and with the right encryption codes on the documents, it's impossible for anyone to disprove. Works well for fake IDs too, though you'll need to create a history of travel for the past year. Anyway, one of these invisible shell corps bought out the local branch of a failing biotech corp during the Year of Isolation, and most of the ex-Cerberus researchers we exfilled from C-Space are working in the lab there. Most of the other personnel moved to the Terminus systems, though there are a few who wanted to return to Alliance space. We're in the process of making them new identities, so they can get back to an ordinary life without the stigma of being on the wrong side of history. It's not cheap, and it would probably make more sense to use the money on building the organization, but I feel a bit of responsibility to the ex-Cerberus survivors. No-one else with the power to help them gives a damn, that's for certain." He sighed, and began working on another drink.

"Haven't been able to get many ex-operatives out, unfortunately. Those they don't have locked up usually have more surveillance than we can currently handle, and my operating strength in Alliance space is weaker than I would like."

"A few operatives took the same route as us," Said Pharos, gesturing to himself and Weiss, "Joined the Alliance in return for amnesty. I've had contact with a few of them, but most of us tend to stick to separate units and avoid contact with other former members. The Alliance gets a bit twitchy when it notices us hanging around together, plus trust is still hard to come by. Unless you worked together before everything went to hell," he gestured to both [R] and Weiss, "You can't help but wonder where the loyalties of the others really lie."

"I've heard of a few former operatives who went mercenary," Weiss interjected. "I can forward their details to you, if you like. I’m not sure if they’d be interested in signing up again, but it’s worth a shot.”

Pharos finished off his second drink and leaned back in his chair, rolling the empty glass around in his hand, his gold eyes gleaming in the low lights of the shuttle.
“I can possibly help you if you want to approach anyone the Alliance has tabs on,” he told [R], “Rank has its benefits, after all. We’ll need to be careful, however. The Alliance is changing; it’s a lot harder than it used to be. Tougher punishments for crimes, more security on computer systems. More paranoia.” He chuckled dryly. “Give them a little while longer, it’ll start feeling really homely.”

"The information would be helpful, Dr. Weiss. The more eyes we have throughout the galaxy, the more secure we will be." Turning to face his old friend, he added, "I'd rather you made your approaches through a middleman if possible, Pharos. Someone who could be cut out if necessary. I'd prefer that neither of us made direct contact with the ground level operatives until we are sure that we can trust them and they're not a high risk for capture. Particularly at this early stage, secrecy is our greatest ally."

The shuttle came to a smooth stop and began to descend vertically. "Good, we're here." The door opened into a large shuttle bay that, while chilled, was considerably warmer than the air outside. "Welcome to [Redacted] Security Consultants' center of operations." He offered his hand to the two as they stepped out, and began leading them to the nearest doorway. It slid open, revealing a warmly lit hallway with amber tinted walls. "We've done a bit of redecoration since we took over the place," he explained as they walked. "Cerberus facilities were always a bit sterile for my tastes." He reached an elevator halfway down the corridor and stopped. "So. Is there anything in particular you'd like to see?"

"Good idea," Said Pharos to [R]'s suggestion. "I'll start putting something together when I get back. Through a middleman, as you said."

As they stepped out into the chill atmosphere of the bay the pair looked about, clearly impressed. The hallmarks of the previous owners were still obvious to the trained eye, but otherwise the facility looked every inch the cutting-edge corporate hideaway.
"Impressive." Pharos remarked as they entered the hallway, "What was this place? Materials handling? Or one of the R&D facilities?"

"So. Is there anything in particular you'd like to see?"
Pharos looked across at his friend and former commander and grinned. "Surprise me."

"With all the attention Firebase White was getting from the Alliance, the Illusive Man decided he needed an additional military base on the planet. They never quite finished building it. There are still a few unfinished sections we're using as storage."

When the elevator arrived, he selected the top floor. The doors opened on a large atrium, its transparent walls offering a view into the snowy valley below. In the distance, white-armored figures could be seen faintly, moving around. "Say what you will about Cerberus, they certainly knew how to find a good view." Pointing at the men outside, he added "Most of my people haven't had much physical combat in the past year. Fortunately, Noveria provides us with opportunities to maintain our edge. Guarding against ambush in snow this deep requires excellent situational awareness." He hefted a large sniper rifle resting against the window, and offered it to Pharos. Its holographic display read "Simulated Firepower: M-98 Widow."

"Care to see if they're paying attention to their surroundings?"

With a smirk Pharos hefted the practice weapon and stepped up to the window, shouldering the rifle and peering down the sight at the figures in the valley. The rifle was a virtual tagger; it fired no physical round but rather linked into the soldier's armour and would trigger the suit's haptic feedback if the hit landed, without causing any actual damage.

As he scanned the rifle across the valley Pharos noticed a small glimmer of reflected light on the painfully-white snowfield; the sun bouncing off the scope of the weapon. With a smile he guided it towards one of the squads.
Distant yells informed Pharos that the soldiers had indeed spotted the telltale glimmer and as he watched they scattered into cover with surprising speed, despite the deep snow. Sweeping the scope after the slowest of the figures, Pharos scqueezed off a shot and was surprised when, at the last second, his target rolled and ducked behind a snowbank.
The rifle let out a dull tone to announce the missed shot while simulated return fire crackled up the valley.

"Hmm," Pharos muttered, handing the rifle back to [R]. "They're good. Either that or I'm getting rusty."

[Redacted] laughed. "If it wasn't lunch time, they probably wouldn't have been so quick. Most people like to eat up here, so those on the ground tend to be more cautious about snipers." He stared at the distant figures for a few moments more, before turning around and heading back towards the elevator. "But thank you, Pharos. Hopefully we'll be able to keep the high standards up when we eventually start recruiting non ex-Cerberus." He stepped inside the lift, and waited for the other two to join him. The car shot downwards, opening onto a large cavern. While the cave's walls had been coated with an invisible lacquer and the ceiling supported by the occasional pillar, the chamber was clearly natural. The air was chilly, though quite a bit warmer than the environment outside. A number of prefabs were stacked haphazardly along the far wall.

"I'm not entirely sure what Cerberus was using this cavern for, but we've been trying to set it up for colonial combat training. My XO's been working on a system that will allow us to easily change the prefab configuration to fit the parameters of a training situation. Ideally, we'll be able to replicate the layout of a target site to assist in operation preparations. Of course, we're going to need to make our own prefabs if we want it to work properly, and that would require an oversized industrial fabricator. Rebuilding efforts have made those horribly expensive."

"This is pretty good." Mused Pharos, running a hand over the lacquered wall. "But it makes me wonder... what are you planning to do with all this? The installation, the shipyards." He turned to [R] and raised an eyebrow. "Are you gearing up for something? Planning on rebuilding Cerberus? Or is this [R]SC stuff legitimate?"

"Not that I mind either way," he continued, "I'm just curious. I think my place with the Alliance will hold for a while, but when the time comes to leave, if you're looking for new staff..." He left the unspoken offer hanging in the air.

"If you find yourself in need of a place to go, I'll always have your back. Either of you. But hopefully, that won't be necessary."

He sighed and stared out across the cavern. "When Cerberus offered me and my people a place among them, they told me that their goal was to ensure that Humanity always had a place in this galaxy, and that that place would not lie in the shadow of any other. It was a noble goal. Now, I don't know if it was all one big lie or if the organization just changed as the Reapers crept ever closer, but it's clear that Cerberus did not follow those ideals." He turned to look at his old friend. "But I still do. Our homeworld is still little more than ashes, our colonies are chafing against the rule of martial law, and half the galaxy has a direct route to the Solar system. In the coming years, Humanity will need our protection more than they ever have before. So yes. In the long term, all of this is to support a new Cerberus. The Cerberus to which I pledged my loyalty, not the one I left in disgust eight years later."

He glanced away again, looking at the incomplete training center. "But this is all in the long-term. It took decades for the Illusive Man to bring Cerberus from a toothless manifesto to one of the most powerful organizations in the galaxy, and he was willing to cross lines that I am not. We may have inherited a large legacy of Cerberus tech, but it will take us time to get anywhere near where they once stood. For this past year, I have been concentrating on building up [R]SC, Molurus, and few small research companies. They will provide us with the financial stability to put together a new organization while serving as covers for any current operations. And now that the galaxy is starting to slowly pull itself together, I feel the time has come to start expanding our influence outside the horsehead nebula, for both the covers and the Organization itself."

Pharos nodded, a small relieved smile crossing his face as he did.
"Well I guess that's the answer I was hoping for. I have to hope that what Cerberus told me -told all of us- was true, at least in the begining. The idea that I'd spent so many years loosing what I was in the name of the Reapers..." the gold-eyed soldier shuddered. "No, I choose to believe that it was in the name of humanity. Not some ancient alien machines. And if you're planning to reclaim that initial goal, I'm with you."

"Well, I guess I'm in too." Said Weiss. The doctor's face was drawn in concern as she looked from Pharos to [R]. "I signed on with Cerberus because I thought my skills would be put to better use helping humanity than a corporation. The Alliance are at least making use of my specialities at the moment, but if you need me then I'll help however I can." She looked across at Pharos. "Where James goes, I go."

Pharos gave Weiss a rare warm smile before turning to look back at [R]. "I'll stay where I am in the Alliance for now. I have some leeway in my movements; my immediate senior officer is General Pulis, remember him? He remembered me from Torfan and requested my transfer into his department when we defected. He might not be as hardline as he was, but he's happy to let me do my own thing. I can use my position to feed you information if you need it, plus I've been headhunting likeminded soldiers for my unit; mostly recon and intelligence spooks who would have been earmarked by Cerberus if it was still around. They're all good men and women, and I'm sure they won't have any issue with a little overtime should you need extra hands for anything."

"Pulis? I met him once or twice, and heard he was a fair enough sort. Better than my old CO, Admiral Drastia. That bitch fucked up our intel and laid the blame at our feet to save her own bloody hide." A tight, wolfish grin appeared on his face. "At least that's one thing the Reapers did right." He sighed, and returned to his usual composure. "Anyway, thank you for the support."

"Now, I could show you around the base a bit more if you like, or, if you have some time, I could bring you to the shipyard. It's a six hour trip on board a Kodaik that's not nearly as comfortable as the last one, but the destination is pretty impressive."

Pharos shared a look with Weiss; the doctor grinned.
"I always wanted to see Phoenix Yards when I was with Cerberus, but I didn't have clearance." the doctor said with a smile. "Let's go!"

"To the shipyard, then." Pharos said to [R], with a faint chuckle. "I guess this is as close to a holiday as we're going to get, after all, so we may as well do some sight-seeing."