Vigilance

Sequel to:

A Night to Remember

"I'm picking up multiple AA towers, I'll get you in under their radar," Joker said as the Normandy flew in the atmosphere.

After a few moments Shepard was forced back into his seat as the Mako lurched forward hurdling out of the Normandy, he immediately sprang into action, activating the thrusters to slow their decent. The thrusters barely had time to fire before the Mako hit the ground with an audible thud.

"Normandy to shore party, everyone all right down there?"

Shepard regained his composure, "Yeah a little bumpy but we're okay."

"Good to hear Commander, just signal me when those AA towers are down. Joker out"

"Shepard the AA towers are just ahead," Liara said.

"Acknowledged," Shepard said as he began their advance.

"We've been picked up by scanners!" Liara exclaimed as the Mako rounded the corner.

Shepard spotted a geth colossus and a squad of infantry in their path, the familiar sound of a geth rocket launcher filled the air. Shepard floured the Mako sending them on a collision course with the colossus and fired the thrusters launching them into the air. He could hear as the rockets whizzed under them. The thrusters cut sending them straight to the ground behind the geth.

"Give em hell Garrus!" Shepard said as he charged the Mako right back into the geth lines.

Shepard watched as Garrus tore the colossus to shreds with the Mako's turret.

"Kinetic barriers down to 40% we can't keep this up for very long Shepard!" Liara said as she was knocked back into her seat as the Mako swerved around the colossus.

"Got him!" Garrus exclaimed as a the Mako's canon fired one last round into the colossus causing it to plummet to the ground directly on top of the geth infantry using it for cover.

The Mako's turret turned its attention to the remaining exposed geth as Garrus quickly dispatched them.

"Shepard, I think I see the control tower!" Garrus said.

Shepard spotted the gatehouse in the distance wedged between two rock faces.

"I think they see us as well," Liara said as she turned her attention to the EWAR console, "We're being targeted!"

"Garrus take out those turrets!" Shepard yelled as he launched the Mako towards the gatehouse.

Garrus fired the canon at the gatehouse taking out the turrets as a small squad of geth drones bolted towards them.

"Damnit! They're too fast I can't hit anything like this!" Garrus shouted

"Cover me! Liara take the wheel!" Shepard yelled as he swerved straight into one of the geth rocket troopers.

Shepard shot out of his seat as he staggered toward the exit hatch. Shepard readied his pistol before diving out the hatch. Shepard grabbed onto of the handle bars on the side of the Mako,

"By the Goddess what are you doing Shepard?" Liara shouted through his ear piece.

"No time to explain just drive!" Shepard said as he shot and disabled one of the geth drones.

Shepard continued firing as more drones began honing in on him, suddenly the Mako lurched forward almost throwing him off. Shepard regained his grip on the handle as he continued firing on the swarm of drones.

"Liara get me closer to that swarm!" Shepard shouted over the com

The Mako took a sharp turn as Liara steered them towards the swarm of drones not far behind. Shepard hugged the hull of the Mako as rockets whizzed passed him. Shepard jumped toward one of the low flying drones catching it as it struggled to hold his weight, Shepard quickly formed a singularity next to the majority of the swarm catching them off guard. The drone he was on finally gave way as it sent him plummeting to the ground. Garrus quickly took advantage of the singularity and fired the canon at the helpless swarm sending fragments of metal and circuity across the ground.

Shepard slowly picked himself up off the ground before feeling a sharp pain in his stomach, a piece of shrapnel had broken his fall. Shepard pulled the piece of metal out of his stomach and applied some medi-gel to the wound. He picked his pistol up and headed toward the gatehouse.

"You guys good?" Shepard asked

"I feel like we should be asking you that question," Garrus chuckled.

"Just a bit of shrapnel," Shepard said as he approached the stairs to the gatehouse.

The Mako pulled up behind him and after a few moments Liara and Garrus emerged.

"Are all humans this reckless?" Liara asked.

"Only the fun ones," Garrus said as he readied his rifle.

"Let's move," Shepard said as he slowly advanced up the steps.

They walked along the top of the gatehouse surveying the debris they had left behind and approached a sealed door at the end of the walk way, "This should be the entrance to the control room, let me see if I can get it open," Liara said as she went to work on the panel.

After a few moments the door slid open revealing a room full of monitors and targeting displays, Liara headed for the center of the room as she accessed the main terminal and overloaded the nearby AA guns.

"Shepard to Normandy, AA towers are down you're all clear," Shepard said as they headed back towards the Mako.

"Roger that Commander, what took you so long?" Joker asked.

As Shepard descended the steps he looked up to see Normandy soar overhead.

"Shepard," Liara said as she ran up next to him, "are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah I applied some medi-gel," Shepard said as he patted the glob of gel stuck to the hole in his armor.

"Make sure you let Dr. Chakwas look at that," Liara said as she entered the Mako

"Is that an order?" Shepard asked as he climbed in after her.

"Possibly," Liara said as she took her station.

"Can we save the flirting until we're not on a planet where the majority of the population consists of giant rocket shooting geth with a rather strong distain for organics?" Garrus said as he readied the canon.

The com cut in before Shepard could respond, "Shepard this is Normandy, we've touched down but we're grounded. The salarian's can explain when you get here."

"Alright, we're on our way," Shepard said as he sped past the gatehouse.

"Scanners are picking up multiple targets straight ahead," Liara said.

"It's the salarians," Shepard said as they approached the camp ahead.