Chapter 3 Horizon I
Shepherd was eating breakfast in her quarters when EDI came on the com.
"Commander we may have a problem"
"What do you mean "may" have a problem?" shepherd asked looking at the holographic interpretation of the A.I
"Grunt is down in the hanger speaking with Altair again"
"Damn it to hell" shepherd stood up and walked to the elevator pressing the button for the hanger
As she entered the hanger she saw something that made her surprise she was expecting grunt to be fighting Altair instead he was talking to the synthetic being, shepherd walked towards grunt, who had a few bruises from his fight with Altair but didn't look too bad to be honest. Altair looked at shepherd and smiled on his synthetic face this was the first time anyone had seen the synthetic smile, he is more... "Human like" than legion he looked human sized a few inches taller than shepherd his features though certainly artificial looked human like.
"Shepherd" grunt said in his normal voice
"Commander" Altair leaned back against the table
"Altair i want to come with me on a mission to horizon"
"Horizon?" Altair leaned off of the wall
"Me and legion are heading there seeing as the illusive man says the collectors are already attacking it" shepherd said
"Very well let's go" Altair said with a sense of battle in his voice
At that moment joker cam over the com.
"Commander Mordin say's he's got something for you"
"Alright i'm on my way Altair go and meet with legion over by the shuttle i'll be down in a minute"
Shepherd turned round and walked towards the elevator as grunt nodded to Altair and returned to the cargo hold.
"Legion? That's the Geth i encountered onboard the ship... i wonder if he could help me?" Altair thought as he walked towards the shuttle
"Altair" legion said standing like a statue by the shuttle
"Legion i need a word" Altair said in a serious tone
"We are listening" legion replied
"I wanted to know if i have any Geth tech in me seeing as there was a lot of Geth tech onboard the ship" Altair crossed his arms as legion's plates above his eye flexed
"We will run scan"
Legion's eye blinked a few times as he looked up and down Altair scanning for Geth tech after a few minutes legion stopped and looked at Altair.
"You have a few Geth components but other than that we detect nothing" legion said looking for a expression in Altair's face
Altair just looked emotionless as he grew a grin and patted legion on the shoulder.
"Thanks legion" Altair opened the shuttle and walked inside
(Meanwhile)
"So these upgrades will protect us from the seeker swarms?" shepherd asked leaning over the upgrades
"Yes in relatively small numbers they should make us invisible" mordin replied pressing a few buttons on his Omni-tool
"What kinds of numbers?" shepherd turned towards mordin
"From what i have gathered the swarms at most are a few hundred however there are possibly larger numbers" mordin said looking at the captured seeker
"No way to tell unless we try" shepherd said turning to mordin
(Landing on Horizon)
"Commander be careful we don't know how effective this upgrade will be against the swarms" mordin said over the com
"Roger that" shepherd replied
Shepherd led with legion lagging behind holding his Javelin sniper rifle he personally made form some left over Geth tech. Altair walked in the middle holding his arc pistol and his energy blade sheathed on his back.
"Okay stay close" shepherd said holding her M-8 Avenger
"Acknowledged" legion replied
Altair didn't say anything he just kept his pistol tightly griped.
Passing the corner the group came under fire by a group of collectors, taking cover they were under suppressing fire.
"I can't get a shot off!" shepherd shouted over the gun fire
"Target obstructed" legion said switching to his pistol
"I got an idea" Altair holstered his pistol and griped the handle of his sword tightly
"Altair what are you doing!" shepherd shouted
But it was too late Altair hand dived out of cover and ran at the collector holding his sword in his right hand he slashed the sword cleaving the head off of a collector, followed by stabbing another collector through the chest Altair turned round just as a collector fired it's particle beam heavy weapon going straight through his left shoulder. Grunting in pain Altair dashed at the collector thrusting his blade through the collector's heart twisting the blade and dropping the body to the floor.
He stood there as his arm leaked oil from where the particle beam shot through it.
"ALTAIR!"
Altair turned and saw shepherd walking up to him gripping her rifle tightly.
"What the hell were you thinking!" shepherd was angry very angry in fact
"Doing what i was created for" that was Altair's answer his only answer
Shepherd knew he was created to be the perfect killing machine but she never expected such a lack for personal safety.
"Shepherd-commander may we proceed?" legion asked breaking the silence
With a nod veronica, legion and Altair continued through the colony towards the inner area legion trailed behind to speak with Altair who seemed deep in thought.
"You seem distracted altair"
"Just something on my mind legion"
Altair's voice sounded distant and indeed distracted as he walked gripping his pistol tightly.
"Just kill them! You don't need them you're the perfect war machine!"
Now walking beside shepherd Altair got an idea that he had to grab.
"Shepherd seeing as i work best in close range why don't i go ahead see what i can find"
"Too dangerous besides legion should do that" shepherd replied
"They'd spot legion a mile away no offence" Altair spoke turning to legion
"Shepherd-commander we believe this may be an effective course of action"
Shepherd contemplated the idea of Altair going solo of course he was best in close range and he is well reckless and unpredictable, but he is a member of her crew if not a dangerous member she knew if he was going to keep going crazy with his sword it was going to get difficult to not shoot him.
"Fine but you stay in radio contact" shepherd said turning to Altair
"Roger that"
Altair walked up to the building and jumped onto the roof.
"I'll go this it appears that you have to go round so i'll see you on the other side"
With that Altair disappears over the roof top as shepherd and legion go along the path, after a few minutes they come under fire from collectors. Switching to his heavy pistol legion looked over the cover and fired two bullets hitting the collectors in the head; shepherd then leaned round firing a few rounds from her avenger killing two more collectors as the final two suddenly fall dead on the floor. They looked on to the rooftops to see Altair holding his ark pistol in his right hand.
"It appears there's several more round the corner with some sort of cybernetic humans they look like zombies from those old horror flicks"
Shepherd gritted her teeth and tightened her grip.
"They're called husks killed humans reanimated by reaper tech"
Legion looked at shepherd as Altair crossed his arms.
"You still defy me YOU WILL LISTEN ALTAIR!"
"Shepherd if you go round and distract the husks i can deal with the collectors from behind" Altair sounded normal though legion tilted his head to the side
"Good idea but don't overdo it okay?"
"Sure"
Altair disappeared over the rooftops again as shepherd and legion followed the path through a short alleyway into another part of the settlement.
Peeking from the cover legion quickly identified the targets and saw what Altair meant the husks would get up close and the collectors would shoot you from afar.
Shepherd and legion opened fire killing five of the collectors in quick succession however, the others soon realised what was happening and darted for cover as the husks shambled towards shepherd and legion. Switching to her M-22 Eviscerator she shot the husks that got too close as she saw Altair sheath his pistol on the rooftop and grip his sword tightly.
"Safeties disabled combat mode engaged shadow strike"
When the last of the husks fell they turned to the collectors five of them as they got ready to fire they all fell to the ground decapitated as they saw Altair stand up straight with the sword at his side dripping with collector blood.
"Power level fifty percent recommend returning to safety mode"
"Safeties enabled combat mode disengaged"
Turning to shepherd and legion Altair walked across the rooftops till he was right above them.
"More of the bastards up a head one of them seem to be glowing with some sort of smoke coming off him"
"Anyway past without confrontation?" shepherd asked seeing as the wound on Altair's shoulder was still there leaking oil
"Doesn't look like it maybe you could sneak past by using the building for cover but i don't like the look of that glowing guy"
Shepherd noted Altair's concern and threw him her compact sniper rifle; catching it he placed it on his left leg and nodded to her as he walked back along the rooftops.
"That's twice you've had the opportunity to kill them WHY DO YOU DEFY ME!"