Inali and the Director went to the station's Mission Operations Center in anticipation of the assault. She tensed up as she walked into the room, and saw three men already there, waiting for the Director and her. Their faces looked familiar, but she didn't know their names. She guessed – correctly, it turned out - that they were the Cerberus scientists who'd worked on the team's newest biotic implants. What bothered her, was that she was positive that she remembered seeing one of them exit a secured door from the station's X-1 research area. The door had a sign with the friendly words: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. Below that was another sign, with words in large red text that were less friendly: USE OF DEADLY FORCE AUTHORIZED.

The Director greeted the three men warmly. "Gentlemen, I know we've all been looking forward this mission. The soldiers can't wait to use the implants in real combat, either. During training, they've been like kids with new toys." He gestured towards Inali. "Inali Renata here is the handler for the infiltrator team that'll be testing your new biotic implants. Sergeant Randall Ezno will be leading the team on the ground, and he's one of the best infiltrators on the station."

Inali felt a little uncomfortable, but stayed polite. "It's nice to see you all here, sorry that we brought you here in the middle of the night. And you are…?"

The Director smiled and interrupted her. "They officially don't exist, Inali."

The two men closest to Inali smiled at the Director's comment, and the other one said, "Sorry, Miss Renata. It's an occupational hazard for us." Inali didn't find any of this comforting or reassuring. She thought, So what should I call you? Tall, short, and middle?

She said, "That's okay. All part of the secret world of Cerberus, I guess." She nodded and sat down at her console, and got ready to contact the team. Then she thought, Well, I hope all of you nice people won't mind that I turned off some of your brand new biotic implants that you installed into Randall Ezno, the man leading this mission today, a man that I happen to care deeply about.

She looked at the tactical display, which showed that the shuttles had deployed their satellites on time. "Infiltrator team, this is Ares station, do you copy?"

Without skipping a beat, she heard the response from Randall a moment later. "Hello Ares, the Vikings are almost to Asgard and ready to pillage and plunder. Loki and the trolls won't know what hit them."

"It's good to hear you, Sergeant. So far the sky looks clear and the geth compound looks just like it did before. Jamming satellite's up and running."

"Thanks for the cover Ares. Starting nap-of-earth approach." Then she overhead Randall say a message intended for Jordan, who was flying the other shuttle: "Okay Jordan, let's do this. Right on the deck, just like we planned."

In her mind's eye, Inali imagined the shuttles entering the atmosphere, soon to face a shootout with the geth. Vikings hunting for Loki, she thought. She thought of the team, and wished that she'd had the time to deactivate those newest implants for the entire team, and not just Randall. I hope you Vikings catch Loki asleep, make short use of those geth trolls, and you get back here soon.

...

It was the middle of the night on ice planet Asgard, as Randall watched the geth compound through his sniper rifle. He was flanked by Slingshot and Bowler, who were doing the same. Their rifles were supported against rocks as they lay in the snow. So far, everything's gone as planned, thought Randall. God, I hate that. Now I feel like the other shoe is just waiting to drop.

Randall and his group silently thanked whatever Cerberus engineer had invented body armor that could keep a soldier from freezing to death in a place like this. Randall frowned as a breeze blew some powdery snow against the front of his helmet, but then realized that he didn't even feel the need to rub his hands for warmth. Good. They were now minutes away from starting the attack. Their cloaks had been effective after they landed, and they'd had no problem hacking the geth's perimeter sensors. The plain was more uneven than they had first guessed, but they could still make use of the cover provided by some boulders and gullies. He wondered for a moment if Inali had dozed off back at the station, having little to do but watch the team move at a snail's pace as they snuck up on the compound.

They could clearly see three juggernauts. They were almost double the height of regular geth soldiers and were impossible to miss. The juggernauts lumbered slowly across the compound, and they had no problem hearing their footfalls against the silence of the cold, lifeless snow plain. He knew that Jordan, Aussie and Mudbug were on the opposite side, doing basically the same thing that he was. With help from satellite recon by Inali, the team had confirmed eight geth troopers acting as sentries around the perimeter of the compound, with sixteen more at various places within it. So they would be up against two dozen geth, in addition to the juggernauts.

Randall toggled his com. "Inali, still no sign of the turian?"

He heard Inali's voice immediately respond, "No sign of the turian. We're guessing he's either asleep in his quarters, or he's in the sensor hut. Still counting twenty-four troopers plus three juggernauts."

"All right. Mark your targets. I'll take the middle one. Sling and Bowler, you take each one on either side."

"Got mine," said Slingshot.

"Got the one on my side," said Bowler.

"Jordan, your team ready?" asked Randall.

Randall then heard Jordan's voice in his headset. "We're ready here," she responded.

"Okay. I want to take these juggernauts out right now, so your team will give them the double tap at the same time we do. Then you hit their sentries on your side and anything else that moves. Fire on my mark."

"Ready," said Jordan again.

"On my mark…," said Randall. "Five… four… three… two… one… Fire!"

The near-simultaneous crack of six sniper rifles fired by Randall's Viking raiders broke the nighttime silence on Asgard. All three geth juggernauts were hit on both sides by the sniper rounds, and were dead before they even realized that they had been hit. The giant machines tipped over and then fell to the ground with a shockingly heavy crash, with one of them almost falling on top of a trooper below.

Randall said to his team, "Switch assault. Cloak and move up. Don't move unless you're cloaked, and don't fire until I tell you."

...

Most of the geth turned in the direction of fallen juggernauts. Confused sentries had only begun to turn and look around as Jordan, Aussie and Mudbug opened fire on the geth sentries on their side.

"Drop 'em!" said Jordan.

Another volley of sniper fire destroyed four of the geth sentries within seconds. Other geth began firing in the general direction of Jordan's team but most of the rounds were nowhere close to them. Some rounds landed harmlessly in the snow field or cracked pebbles off boulders.

"Okay, they're going for cover," said Jordan. "Switch assault, cloak and move up. We'll use biotics on them first."

Jordan activated her cloak, and heard Aussie and Mudbug do the same. "I already know which one I'm going to hit," said Aussie. He sounded like he couldn't contain himself.

...

Randall's team hadn't yet been spotted, and they were easily close enough to use assault rifles. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Slingshot and Bowler as they used their cloaks, waiting behind cover as the cloaks would shut down and recharge. Good, they're keeping their cool, thought Randall. He had just begun to wonder if Jordan's team had stopped its diversion when he saw three geth defenders lifted into the air and then thrown to the ground like someone were towel whipping them. He chuckled, "Beautiful. That'll leave a mark."

Slingshot thought he saw movement from the near side of the compound that didn't look like a geth trooper. It wasn't. "Eyes on Loki!" he cried. The turian was running from the sensor hut to his quarters.

Randall said, "He's yours, Sling. Switch your rifle to tranquilizer – "

"Already got it Sarge!"

Randall watched as the turian made it into his quarters just as Slingshot's rifle armed itself. "Keep on him, Sling," he said. "Bowler, you and me hit their flanks when I tell you."

"Right, Sarge" said Bowler.

Randall watched as three storm bubbles of biotic energy thrown by Jordan's team surrounded a pair of geth that collapsed within seconds. The geth had formed a defensive line behind boulders, crates and gullies, and had begun to group their fire. He imagined that Jordan's team would be keeping their heads down now.

Randall toggled his com. "Hang in there Jordan, just a few more seconds…"

He heard Jordan's reply of "No problem, Randall" as he looked at the last four geth sentries, and the tension was killing him. Turn your backs…turn your backs…, he thought.

The last four geth sentries left their posts to support the defensive line that was firing on Jordan's team.

"At their backs. Fire!" said Randall.

An explosion of assault rifle fire from Randall and Bowler suddenly filled the air and riddled the four geth sentries. Then they switched their aim to the geth defensive line. Two more geth troopers fell, then two others heard the new gunshots and begun to look in Randall and Bowler's direction. They ducked as rounds fired by Randall and Bowler began peppering their cover from behind.

"Biotic salvo on that line," said Randall. "Let 'er rip!" Randall and Bowler unleashed missiles of biotic energy which landed among six of the geth defenders, five of which fell to the ground.

Slingshot was still watching the turian's quarters, and was starting to get impatient.

"What the hell's he doing in there? Hiding? Destroying codes? Taking a shit? What the hell!" said Slingshot. "Should I switch to assault?"

"Just be ready, Sling," said Randall, as he fired again. Now they had the geth under fire between his team and Jordan's.

At that moment, it happened. Slingshot saw the door to the turian's quarters open, and the turian rushed out holding a rifle. Slingshot had just aimed his weapon and fired as the turian vanished into thin air, with the dart harmlessly hitting the door.

It took a moment to register what he'd seen. "Cloak!" yelled Slingshot. "Loki's got a cloak!"

He's got a WHAT? thought Randall. "That's no engineer!" he said. "Sling, switch assault! You and Bowler hit your cloaks and spread your fire. Look for him to kick up snow if he runs, and if you see him, you kill him!" He engaged his own cloak, and toggled his com again as Sling and Bowler began shooting where they'd last seen the turian. He noticed some of the geth defensive line pointing in the direction of the team. They're telling Loki where we are…here comes trouble…

Randall said, "Jordan, Loki's got a cloak. He's a damn infiltrator. We think he's heading our way."

He heard Jordan's shocked response, through the noise of gunfire. "An infiltrator? What are the geth hoping to infiltrate on this rock? Caves of polar bears?"

Randall toggled his com again, and said, "Inali, Loki's got a cloak. If you see him, tell us!"

The sound of a turian assault rifle cracked the air, with rifle rounds and ricochets flying in and around the cover near Randall's team. Loki, he thought angrily.

...

Back on the station, the group watched the battle's progress from the satellite image, and overheard the audio too. The Director and the scientists' faces had turned from cheerful satisfaction to stunned shock. She responded to Randall's last transmission: "Will do, Randall. The moment his cloak shuts off, I'll tell you."

The Director stood up and walked over as Inali responded. He stood over her, and said, "I want that turian alive. Inali, tell that fool to hold his ground and take that turian alive!"

Inali was dumbstruck for a moment, and then relayed the Director's order. "Randall, Director says take the turian alive. Repeat, alive."

Through the satellite feed, they could actually see Randall shake his head after he heard Inali relay the Director's message. Then they overheard him say to Bowler and Slingshot, "Keep shooting - you see that turian, you kill him!"

The Director was angrily tight-lipped as he heard Randall disregard his order. Then he brought up a touchscreen display and quickly began to enter a series of commands. Inali was puzzled at first, and then grew increasingly worried as she saw the names of the team members begin to appear on the screen. Inali's skin flushed cold as schematic images of each soldier's neural implants appeared. Please God, she thought. Please tell me that I'm wrong about what he's doing.

One of the scientists stepping forward and said, "Director, this handler's not cleared. These implants aren't ready for a combat scenario –"

The Director brushed him away and said, "We are testing it now, dammit! And this is the perfect time and place to do it."

Inali's jaw began to drop as she saw the Director select the names of all six members of the team, and then enter more commands. Green indicators on the team's neural implants began to flash, for every person except Randall.

"Director, what are you doing?" gasped Inali.

The Director's focus was entirely on his control panel. "Just giving them a suggestion, Inali. They're fine. Dammit, what's wrong with Ezno's implants? Why aren't they activating?"

Inali already knew. It's because I turned some of his implants off before he left on this mission, that's why. No wonder you don't want the handlers to have relationships with the soldiers. She looked back at the monitor, and realized what she had to do. She made her choice, knowing that it would cost her dearly.

Speaking quickly into her com, Inali yelled, "Ran! Those new implants are a thought control device! Your team won't shoot the turian! Watch the team, for God's sake!"

Hoping to hear a response from Randall, Inali heard none. She slowly looked over her shoulder, and saw the Director staring icily at her, with eyes that were like daggers. The Director's finger was still on his touchscreen, pressing a mute button for Inali's com.

The Director togged his com line. "Security to the Mission Operations Center. Now."

...

If Jordan and the other members her group hadn't been in the middle of a firefight, they would have noticed the dull headache that appeared within moments after the Director sent his commands. Such as it was, they didn't notice anything different. At first.

Jordan was in the middle of sending another biotic salvo at the nearest geth trooper. Streams of blue biotic energy flew from her arm with a sharp hiss, sending the geth trooper down. Suddenly, strangely, she felt a strong urge to ignore Randall's order, and make sure that the turian was captured alive. She thought it was the dumbest tangent that her mind had ever given during a firefight. She shook away the nagging thought, and then fired at another geth which crumpled to the ground in a heap. She began to open fire at another target when she noticed Mudbug and Aussie.

Neither of them were shooting.

Jordan threw a rock that hit Mudbug squarely on the helmet, and yelled, "Mudbug! Aussie! Bad guys, remember? Keep shooting!" Both of them did a double take as though someone had just dumped a bucket of ice on them.

"Right, Sarge!" said Mudbug, and he returned to shooting.

"No problem, Sarge!" said Aussie, who biotically threw a geth trooper against the nearest boulder.

...

Randall had heard Inali begin to say something about the team's new implants, when his com line suddenly went dead.

He yelled, "Inali! Inali, repeat that, what about the implants?" A spray of geth fire distracted him. "Shit!" he grunted, and biotically threw the offending geth soldier end over end until it crashed into the ground.

Bowler and Slingshot were a short distance from Randall, and continued to spray the area with rifle fire. They were under good cover, and the turian hadn't hit anyone yet. For sure, the turian didn't have any biotic implants of his own. If he had them, he would've used them by now.

Randall had his attention focused on the nearest geth trooper, and concentrated on him. Suddenly the perplexed geth was lifted from behind his cover and awkwardly rotated so that he couldn't fire at Randall. "Peek a boo!" said Randall, who riddled the trooper with bullets from his assault rifle. Sparks flew from the trooper as it fell to the ground. He heard Bowler yell, "I've got Loki! Behind the boulder to the right!" and then Bowler opened fire.

There was no way they could've known that the Director's suggestion message would arrive in that moment. Randall continued to shoot at his own target, when he noticed that he didn't hear anyone else in his group firing. He glanced at Slingshot and Bowler.

Slingshot didn't move, but remained in a crouch behind cover. Bowler aimed his rifle towards the turian, then hesitated and ducked. Then Randall watched in disbelief as both of them pressed the switch that changed their weapon setting from assault to tranquilizer.

Randall glanced back at the geth that he'd been shooting at, and then threw a biotic storm bubble that finished it. Then he yelled at Bowler and Slingshot, "Don't try to be neat, just kill him!"

Bowler said, "But we need him alive!"

Slingshot said, "Sarge…we can't –"

The loud sound of weapons fire came from the boulder where the turian was hiding. Slingshot was crouching low, but he was a big enough target for the turian to hit. The turian had his rifle on semiautomatic; the first round weakened Slingshot's armor, and the second and third rounds went right through and penetrated it. Even in the darkness and shadows, even with all the noise, Randall and Bowler clearly heard the loud pop of the impact and saw the spray of blood from the wound. Slingshot's body jerked hard to the ground as though he had been pulled by an invisible rope.

"God damn it! Sling's down!" yelled Randall. He switched his rifle to full automatic and sprayed the turian's area with rifle rounds, pinning him down. Bowler was frozen for another moment, then pulled Slingshot over to his cover, and began to check his wound.

Randall ran over just as Bowler was looking at Slingshot.

"Oh Christ," said Bowler. "He's hit bad…"

Randall said, "Just treat him. I'll cover you."

Between gasps, they heard Slingshot say, "Sarge…I…don't know why..." Then he was silent.

...

Jordan, Aussie and Mudbug had almost finished the last of the geth defensive line when they heard that Sling had fallen. "Come on! We've gotta move!" said Jordan, and prayed that she'd counted the number of dead geth correctly.

Aussie and Mudbug, without realizing it, switched their rifles back from assault mode to tranquilizer.

Jordan saw the turian and biotically lifted him from his cover. The turian struggled to aim his rifle, fired at Jordan and missed, just as tranquilizer darts from Aussie and Mudbug hit him. Jordan unceremoniously dropped the turian to the ground. She looked at Aussie and Mudbug, and spoke in a low voice. "Tranquilizers? Now? Really?"

The two said nothing, and looked at their rifle settings as though even they were surprised at what they'd done.