SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE & CHARACTER PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Far Rim Sector, Dholen System, Haestrom
CODEX: "Before the Geth revolt 300 years ago, the Quarians colonized Haestrom to study the mysterious instability of its sun, which threatened premature eruption into a red giant. As a scientific outpost of minimal military value, Haestrom was ill-equipped to repel Geth forces during the insurrection and fell quickly under their control.
Captured Geth planetary survey data indicates that despite sustaining damage, Haestrom's architecture remains as it was before the war, preserving a Quarian architectural style that no longer exists anywhere else in the galaxy.
Because Haestrom's sun has overwhelmed the planet's protective magnetosphere, humans foolhardy enough to venture into Geth-controlled Haestrom must exercise extreme caution. Minutes of radiation exposure will overload shields, and hours of exposure will kill. Furthermore, solar output renders surface-to-orbit communication nearly impossible."
The Kodiak shuttle flew in, its heavy-duty armor and shields protecting it from the blazing sun as it flew over the old Quarian ruins.
"Shepard," EDI said, "our data indicates that Tali is somewhere in these ruins. There is considerable Geth activity, and an environmental hazard. Solar output has overwhelmed Haestrom's protective magnetosphere. Exposure to direct sunlight will drain your shields and eventually cause harm to you."
The shuttle touched down in a shady spot atop a slope, and out from it stepped four people: Shepard, Kaidan, Erika (presently in full Keyblade Armor), and Kaede Kanade (wearing modified and custom-colored UNSC armor, with the helmet custom-built to cover/protect her horns). They sprinted through the sunlight and into another shade spot, their shields beeping a warning as they made their way down the hill, having been drained by 35% by the time they reached the gate at the bottom.
"EDI wasn't kidding" Kaidan said. "This sunlight eats through our shields way too quickly."
"Then we'll fight from the shade" Kaede K. replied. "Let's hope the Geth don't have any giant mirrors on hand."
They went through a door to the right of the gate, finding a console and a dead Quarian. An audio log was playing:
"Emergency log entry: The Geth are here. I've stayed to buy the others time. Anyone who gets this, find Tali'Zorah. She and that data are all that matters. Keelah se'lai."
They hit the switch to open the gate, and then headed out and through. In the open area, a Geth Dropship flew overhead, dropping off five Geth, who immediately opened fire on Team Shepard. Shepard and Kaidan took out two of them with a pair of Overload bursts, while Kaede used her Sangheili Carbine to destroy two more, and Erika took the last one out with her Needler. They moved onward, sprinting through the sun and toward the next gate. Another squad of Geth came out, two of them shielded; Kaidan and Shepard took care of those, while Erika used her M6E pistol to kill a few more, Kaede covering her and scoring her own kills. Two Geth Rocket Troopers emerged from up ahead, but Shepard used his Viper to snipe them. The team pushed forward, Kaidan hitting two Geth with a Biotic Throw that slammed them against a wall, taking them out, while Kaede pulled out her M90 shotgun and blew two more away.
They moved up to the locked gate and down the right-hand passage, Shepard using an Overload and his Predator pistol to kill the three Geth they found. On the floor near where the Geth were was a radio.
"Break-break-break. OP-1, this is Squad Leader Kal'Reegar, do you copy? The Geth sent a dropship towards OP-2. Tali'Zorah's secure, but we need backup. We're bunkered up here. Can you send support? …OP-1, this is Squad Leader Kal'Reegar, come in, over!"
Shepard picked the radio up. "This is Commander Jason Shepard of the Normandy-2" he said. "All Quarians at this site have been killed by the Geth. Can my team and I provide assistance?"
"Switch your radio to Channel 617-Theta. We were on a stealth mission, high risk. We found what we were after, but the Geth found us. They've got us pinned down. We can't get to our ship, and can't transmit data through the solar radiation."
"What's the status of your team? How many of you are left?"
"We were a small squad – a dozen marines, plus the science team. We're down to half-strength now. We made the synthetic bastards pay for it, though."
"What brought you folks this deep into Geth-controlled space?"
"You're asking the wrong person, Shepard. I just point and shoot. It's something about the sun; Dholen is going bad faster than it should. Some kind of energy problem."
"Any idea where the Geth came from?"
"One of their patrol ships spotted us. Dropships started raining Geth down on our heads before we could get off-world. The system's under Geth control. We knew they made planetary sweeps periodically. We'd hoped going low-emissions would hide us."
"Do we have to worry about the Geth sending in reinforcements?"
"I don't think so. Their patrol ship hasn't lifted off again, and the radiation blocks all offworld communication."
"How are you holding up? We can be there in a few minutes."
"Take it slow and careful. Direct sunlight fries your shields all to hell. We're bunkered down at base camp across the valley. I left Tali'Zorah at a secure shelter, then doubled back to hold the chokepoint. Getting Tali out safely is our top priority. If you can extract her, we'll keep them off you."
A little ways ahead, two Quarian marines were visible guarding a door, trading shots with the Geth.
"You've got confirmation that the Geth haven't reached Tali yet?"
"Affirmative. I left my best men with her. When you get here, you can talk to her on the comm. Every marine on this rock is sworn to protect her. As long as one of us is still breathing, she'll be safe."
"Hold position. We'll hit their back ranks."
"Wait! Watch your ass! We've got a dropship coming in!"
The insectoid-looking aircraft flew by, firing a broadside down at the Quarians, killing both of them while also blowing out the base of a nearby pillar. Team Shepard rushed forward, but it was too late; the huge hunk of stone collapsed in front of the door, blocking their way.
"Crap! Doorway's blocked! Grab the demo charges in the buildings nearby! Use them to clear a path!"
"Shepard," EDI radioed, "I have scanned the area and located the demolition charges that the Quarian commander mentioned."
"Put it on my radar."
"Done. You will need both sets of charges to clear the rubble."
The team headed forward and left into a large structure; there were a handful of Geth already inside. Shepard fired his Predator to kill two Geth Troopers, and one of the bullets hit a cloaked Geth Hunter, disrupting its invisibility. Kaidan immediately hit it with an Overload, frying its cloaking device, and Shepard then gunned it down with his Tempest SMG. Erika fired her Needler to take out a few more Geth, with Kaede using her carbine on the ones left. They moved into the now-cleared building, finding a demo charge and an audio log from Tali:
"We need a core sample to get a timeline on the rate of radiation increase, but our equipment keeps dying on us. Shepard once used a mining laser to clear some rubble back on Therum. Maybe I can do something similar with demolition charges."
"As I recall," Kaidan said, "that kinda blew up in our faces by waking the volcano up."
"Hey, we got what we went there to get, though, didn't we?" Shepard replied.
As they turned to leave the building, a few more Geth dropped in, including a massive Geth Prime. Shepard and Kaidan stripped the Prime of its shields with a double Overload, while Kaede and Erika killed the Troopers. The Prime's machinegun fire forced their heads down, but once it had to stop and wait for its weapon to cool everyone focused fire on it, bringing it down just before its weapon was ready to fire again. They went left, Shepard using his Viper to snipe a few Geth on the other side of the next patch of sunlight, near the chamber containing the next demo charge. Shepard and Kaede made their way up, taking cover in the shadow of some crates and firing down at the other Geth near the entrance, while Kaidan and Erika attacked from the ground level. Kaidan hit a Geth Rocket Trooper with a Biotic Slam, while Erika made a couple precise kills with her M6E. When the area was clear, Shepard finally noticed another journal entry near where he'd been taking cover:
"It's next to impossible to get accurate solar measurements. The radiation keeps burning out our equipment. This sun shouldn't be like this. It was stable a few hundred years ago. Stars don't die that quickly."
They made their way down and across the sun, into the room, and grabbed the demo charge. When they began heading back, though, several more Geth dropped in, including another Prime. Two Rocket Troopers were up on the catwalk/bridge, but an Overload from Shepard and a Biotic Pull from Kaidan took care of them. Erika focused fire on the Geth Prime; it took three Needler supercombine explosions to bring it down. Kaede K. rushed out, darting from shadow to shadow, using her shotgun and her vectors to clear out most of the Geth, with Shepard and Kaidan gunning down the rest. With the way clear, they made their way over to the fallen pillar, and set the charges.
"Fire in the hole!" Shepard shouted, as he and the other three took cover.
The explosion blasted a considerably large gap in the fallen pillar, clearing the way to the door. Team Shepard moved up and through, finding an outpost; a few dead Geth and a few dead Quarians littered the room. There was also another of Tali's audio-journals:
"Our ancestors walked these halls with uncovered heads. The sun must have been normal back then. So much space. Walls of stone… It's amazing. I wish my friends could see it. I wish Shepard were here."
Near the exit door was a comm. terminal, with a familiar voice coming from it:
"Tali'Zorah to Base Camp. Come in, Base Camp, over."
Shepard walked up to the console. "Tali, it's Shepard. I'm sorry. Everyone here is dead. Any survivors must've fallen back."
"We knew this mission was high-risk. Damn it. And what are you doing here, Shepard? We're in the middle of Geth space!"
"I was in the neighborhood, thought you might need a hand."
"Thanks for coming, Shepard. It means a lot to hear your voice. Kal'Reegar and what's left of the marines got me into the observatory. From where you are, it's through the door and across the field. I got the data I needed, and I'm safe for now, but I've got a lot of Geth outside."
"What's this research you're after?"
"It's about Dholen, this world's star. It's aging faster than it should. I can tell you more about it once we've got fewer Geth shooting at us."
"Would it help if I brought in the Normandy-2?"
"Doubtful. These builds are centuries old. If you bring down heavy fire, this whole place could collapse on us."
"Is anyone else still with you, or are you alone out there?"
"Reegar had a team of marines covering me when I ran for the observatory. At least some of them are still alive. I can hear them firing at the Geth outside."
"It looks like somebody sealed the door against the Geth, and the console is damaged. Can you get it open from your end?"
"Let me see… Yes, I can do it. Here, it should be unlocked now. Be careful, Shepard. And please do what you can to keep Reegar alive."
Team Shepard moved through the unlocked door and through a few turns, coming out into a large, heavily-shaded area. Geth Remote Drones buzzed about; a few of them noticed Shepard and fired at them, but an Overload brought them down. They went right, Shepard and Kaidan using Overloads to destroy more drones, when suddenly they came under fire from another Geth Prime. Shepard stripped its shields with an Overload, and then opened fire on its head with his Viper; a half-dozen headshots broke through its armor and brought it down. They made their way across the rest of the area, Overloading a few more Remote Drone packs, and passed through the far door.
The next room had three closed shutters and a locked door, along with a single console. Shepard walked up and hacked the security console. In response, the left-side door unlocked and the shutters opened… to reveal a huge quadrupedal Geth across the courtyard, which turned to face them and fired a shot at them.
"Colossus!" Shepard shouted. "Hit the dirt!"
Everyone got down, as the explosive charge impacted the wall just below the shutters.
"I'm not used to fighting these things without a Mako!" Kaidan said.
They moved through the door and down a ramp, soon finding a Quarian male in red armor, holding a rocket launcher, crouching behind cover. They ran in and joined him.
"Squad Leader Kal'Reegar, Migrant Fleet Marines" he introduced himself. "We talked on the radio before that dropship arrived. I still got no idea why you're here, but this ain't the time to be picky. Tali's inside over there" he gestured to a locked door on the other side of the heavy mech. "The Geth killed the rest of my squad, and they're trying to get to her. Best I've been able to do is draw their attention."
"Are you sure she's still alive?" Shepard asked.
"The observatory is reinforced. Even the Geth will need time to get through it. And it's hard to hack a door when someone's firin' rockets at ya. The Geth are near platoon-strength, but the Colossus is the worst part. It's got a repair protocol – huddles up and fixes itself. I can't get a clear shot when it's curled up like that. I tried to move in closer, and one of the bastards punched a shot clean through my suit."
"How bad is your suit damage?"
"Combat seals clamped down to isolate contamination, and I'm swimming in antibiotics. The Geth might get me, but I'm not gonna die from an infection in the middle of a battle! That's just insulting!"
"What can you tell me about the battlefield?"
"The right side's got a catwalk with a sniper perch. You could wreak some havoc from there, but none of my men made it past the Geth. The middle's got cover, but the damn Colossus has a clear shot at you the whole time, and you've got Geth comin' in from both sides. The left gives you some cover from the Colossus, but your ass is hangin' out for the Geth. That's how I got shot."
"Any ideas how to deal with the Colossus?"
"Standard protocol with Armature-class units is to sabotage the shields and whittle it down – kill it with bug bites. But the repair protocol this one has blows that plan to hell. You try to wear it down, it just huddles up and fixes itself. So whatever we do has to scrap that bastard fast. Probably means getting up close, past that cover."
"We need to get to Tali. Any ideas?"
"Just one. I'm not moving so well, but I can still pull a trigger, and I've got a rocket launcher that the sun hasn't fried yet. You move in close. I'll keep the Colossus busy, maybe even drop its shields. With luck, you'll be able to finish it off."
"You've done enough, Reegar. You don't need to throw your life away!"
"Wasn't asking for your permission" he said as he started to stand up. "My job is to keep Tali safe. This is our best shot."
Shepard yanked him back down into cover. "We don't have enough people left on our side for you to take one for the team! Stand down!"
"I'm not gonna stand here while you run into enemy fire! They killed my whole squad!"
"And if you want to honor them, watch my back! I need you here in case they bring in reinforcements!"
"…All right, Shepard. We'll do it your way. Hit 'em for me! Keelah se'lai!"
Shepard nodded, and then turned to his team. "Alenko, Kanade, go right! Swanson, you & me are goin' left!"
"Right, Shepard" "Got it, Commander" "Yes, sir"
They moved out, gunning down every Geth in their sights. Shepard moved up the left, Erika close behind him, and the two used their pistols to take out a quartet of Geth Troopers that rushed at them. Across the way, Kaede started using her Carbine to score hits on the Geth below while Kaidan kept the closer ones off her with his SMG and his shotgun. Both pairs soon came out on either side of the Colossus. Shepard and Kaidan used Overloads and SMGs to kill a pair of Geth Pyros, while Erika and Kaede took out the other Troopers. Then, Shepard pulled out his Arc Projector and blasted the Colossus, taking its shields down by a little more than half. He and Kaidan then hit it with Overloads, while Erika and Kaede fired their weapons, bringing its shields down the rest of the way. Shepard and Kaidan kept hitting it with Overloads and Warps to cause more damage, ducking to dodge its shots as the cumbersome machine tried to divide its attention between both attacking groups at once. It was soon letting out sparks and smoke, sporting noticeable damage, and was about to huddle up for repairs… when a rocket from Kal'Reegar streaked in, hitting something vital. Small explosions ran through the Colossus' body, and its headlight went out as it collapsed to the ground.
"Scans confirm the modified Colossus is offline, Shepard" EDI radioed. "It is now safe to proceed to Tali."
Team Shepard moved around the dead Colossus and up to the door, which unlocked as they approached. Taliwas at the far end of the room, hunched over a console. She turned to face Shepard as they drew near.
"Thank you, Shepard" she said. "If not for you, I would never have made it out of this room. This whole mission has been a disaster. I wish I'd joined you back on Freedom's Progress, but I couldn't let anyone take my place on something this risky."
"What can you tell me about your research here?" Shepard asked.
"Haestrom's sun is destabilizing. Back when this was a Quarian colony, it was a normal star. It shouldn't change that quickly."
"Any idea what's causing it?"
"If I had to guess, I'd say it was dark energy affecting the interior of the star. The effect is similar to when stars blow off mass to enter the red-giant phase, but Dholen is far too young for this to be natural."
"A lot of Quarians lost their lives here. Was it worth it?"
"I don't know, Shepard. It wasn't my call. The Admiralty Board believed the information here was worth sacrificing all our lives for. I have to believe that they know what's best."
"I didn't ask what some admiral thought, Tali. I asked what you think."
"A lot of people died here. Some of them were my friends. All of them were good at their jobs. That ancestors-damned data had better be worth it. The price was too high."
"Whatever the reason, I'm glad we could help. Once you deliver the data, I could use you on the Normandy II."
"I promised to see this mission through. I did. I can leave with you and sent the data to the Fleet. And if the admirals have a problem with it, they can go to hell. I just watched the rest of my team die."
"Maybe not the whole rest of your team, ma'am" Kal said as he limped in.
"Reegar! You made it!"
"Your old captain's as good as you said. The damn Colossus never stood a chance."
"If need be," Shepard said, "the Normandy can get you out of here, Reegar."
"The Geth didn't damage our ship. As long as we get out of here before reinforcements show up, we'll be fine."
"Actually," Tali said, "I won't be going with you. I'm joining Commander Shepard."
"I'll pass the data on to the Admiralty Board and let 'em know what happened. She's all yours now, Shepard. Keep her safe."
-SCENE BREAK-
Normandy 2 Meeting Room
"Cerberus saw footage of you in action, Tali'Zorah" Jacob said. "We're looking forward to having you on the team. Your engineering expertise will really benefit the mission."
"I don't know who you are," Tali replied, "but Cerberus threatened the safety of the Migrant Fleet. Don't make nice."
"Cerberus operates in cells, and most of the time the members of one cell have no idea what happens in the others. My cell was involved strictly with bringing Shepard back and fighting the Collectors. I didn't know anything about what the cell who attacked the Migrant Fleet did until I got curious and did some digging after Freedom's Progress." He scowled. "I am not happy with what I found. Rest assured, if I ever met someone from the cell who attacked you Quarians, I'd probably kill 'em myself, or at least beat the crap out of 'em until they couldn't stand up for a while."
"Jacob's a good man" Shepard said to Tali. "He's only with Cerberus to get around the bureaucratic crap that's strangling the Alliance lately. But, I'm in agreement that Cerberus as a whole isn't trustworthy. That's why you're here, Tali. I need people who aren't Cerberus – people I can trust."
"I assumed you were undercover, Shepard" Tali said. "Maybe even planning to blow Cerberus up from the inside. If that's the case, I'll loan you a grenade. Otherwise, I'm here for you and Garrus and Kaidan and the rest of the old gang here. Not for them."
"If it helps, check out the new Normandy while you're here. We've gotten a few upgrades."
"I'll give her the necessary security clearance to access our systems" Jacob said.
"Please do. I can't be part of your team if I don't know how the ship works. …Just remember, Shepard. Cerberus thought experimenting on Rachni, Husks, and Thorian Creepers was a good idea. I'll be in engineering."
As she left, Jacob couldn't resist throwing one more thing in:
"Don't forget to introduce yourself to EDI, the ship's artificial intelligence."
Even through Tali's near-opaque visor, her bioluminescent death-glare was plain to see. She turned and walked away.
"Commander," EDI chimed in, "Blood Pack activity has been detected in the Crescent Nebula. Shall Mr. Moreau and I set course?"
"Go ahead. Let's see what the Krogans and Vorcha are up to."
-SCENE BREAK-
Crescent Nebula, Lusarn System, Tarith
DATA: "Tarith is broadly Earth-like with a fatal flaw: it has a relatively high amount of chlorine in its atmosphere, which is the reason for the greenish haze that becomes apparent when looking at the horizon. Chlorine has become a vital component in Tarith'splant life; as a defense mechanism against native herbivores, many species evolved the ability to release clouds of toxic chlorine when disturbed. This gas is heavier than the atmospheric oxygen and tends to settle in low places. While avoidable, this has placed Tarith near the bottom of the lists for colonization.
There are intermittent signals originating in the heart of a large chlorine swamp. They appear to be coded, though it is not impossible that they are garbled distress signals from a downed civilian ship."
The Kodiak shuttle flew into the foggy canyon, dropping off three individuals in sealed hazardous-environment armor: Shepard, Zaeed, and – from the DDF – Mari Makinami, whose armor was the same shade of light-pink and white as her piloting suit. The area was thick with chlorine fog, and the rocks made a maze-like path.
"The fog on the planet's surface is interfering with your navigation" EDI radioed. "The nearby beacon towers may serve as a navigational contingency."
They moved forward toward the first beacon, finding a few dead Vorcha and a datapad: "Attention all workers: Stop chipping away at this node! There's nothing left here to mine! Move on to the other sites now! -Salamul". Shepard hit the button for the beacon, and a beam of light shot out into the distance, to the next beacon, which was soon triggered and pointed them off toward the next one. As they approached it, however, a huge insectoid with a red carapace emerged. It screeched threateningly at them and started rushing at them. Zaeed's Avenger and Mari's MA5D gunned it down, but it took more rounds than expected to break through the tough chitin; what's more, the bug exploded upon death. They hit the beacon and kept going; another of the odd bugs attacked, but an Incinerate from Shepard weakened it enough that a burst from his Tempest SMG finished it off. A second one came in, but Shepard hit it with a Biotic Throw that tossed it over a 40-foot fall that it didn't get up from.
The beacon beam led a little ways up the hill to another small outpost, with another dead Vorcha and another datapad: "Attention all workers: Fall back now! Evacuation shuttles are on the way. Anyone not at the gathering site when the shuttles arrive will be left here with those damned bugs! -Salamul".
"These Vorcha haven't been dead for long" Zaeed said.
"I don't see any bullet wounds" Mari said. "More like claw marks – probably from those big exploding bugs we've been killing."
They hit the beacon and followed the resulting beam. A massive, long-necked flying creature flew overhead, perching on the rocks for a few seconds before taking off again. As they neared the next beacon, two more of the bugs attacked. Zaeed and Mari focused AR fire on one, while Shepard hit the other with an Incinerate and then took it out with his SMG. Another beacon, and another datapad: "Salamul: I can't get any more Vorcha from Omega. Garm has his own problems. You're going to have to man up and deal with this on your own. Maybe build a beacon path. I bet those damned Vorcha are just wandering off into the fog and getting lost. -Kalusk".
They moved up the nearby hill and triggered the next beacon, which pointed them back down the other side. A long, winding path led to two more of the bugs; a Biotic Chain-Shockwave from Shepard knocked them both away, letting Mari and Zaeed finish them off. The next beacon yielded another datapad: "Salamul: Where are the resources? Are you mining out there or standing around waiting for those Vorcha to get smarter? Our guy on Illium can't keep the lights off forever. You keep stalling and we'll have a hell of a fight on the way in. And that would make me REALLY angry. -Kalusk".
They went up the hill, to the last beacon projector which shot a beam up at the comm. tower's peak. A bit further up the hill and around a corner, and they came across a gunship lifting off, painted in the Blood Pack's colors. Left behind were a pair of Vorcha and a Krogan wearing heavy armor and with a Biotic barrier – Salamul, most likely. Shepard hit Salamul with a Warp, taking out his barrier, while Zaeed took out the Vorcha and Mari started hitting the Krogan with assault-rifle fire. In response, Salamul hit the girl with a Throw that launched her backward into a rock wall, and she could hear her armor's shield alarms beeping in her ears. Shepard hit the Krogan with an Incinerate, burning through his armor, and fired his Tempest at the still-ablaze hostile. A Carnage shot from Zaeed hit Salamul in the back, finishing him off.
After checking on Mari, Shepard bypassed the communications terminal. The tower's lights began to flicker. Seconds later, the Kodiak flew in for extraction.
-SCENE BREAK-
Crescent Nebula, Zelene System, Helyme
DATA: "Helyme is a post-garden world that once enjoyed an Earth-like oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. It is still blessed with plentiful water but a generally cold climate (and extreme seasonal shifts courtesy of a 38-degree axial tilt).
Helyme is thought to be the homeworld of the Arthenn, a space-faring species that disappeared approximately 300,000 years ago. Precisely what happened to Helyme is still under debate. It appears a global extinction occurred, wiping out all native animal life forms more complex than zooplankton. Plant forms were not affected, but the lack of oxygen-breathing life caused oxygenation of the atmosphere. Plant life was reduced after lightning storms ignited global wildfires.
The leading theory for Helyme's devastation is an out-of-control biological weapon. For this reason, landing is strictly prohibited. The corporations of Illium have emplaced a network of quarantine satellites to dissuade would-be looters from landing in the crumbling cities."
EDI'S BRIEFING: "Mercenary activity detected inside a mining facility on the planet's surface. Facility confirmed registered to Eldfell-Ashland Energy Corporation. Eclipse presence confirmed. Distress beacon powered down at site. Sensors detect multiple space-faring vessel launches from facility."
The UT-47 shuttle descended upon the mining facility, setting down on a small landing pad outside. Shepard was accompanied by three teammates: Tali, Sarah / Gamma-7, and Commander Cody. They moved under a natural rock arch, finding an area with the facility entrance to the right and a computer with a shipping log in the middle: "Cargo ship Ter Alan docked and received a large shipment en-route to a facility in the Dranek System. Ter Alan requested escort for the shipment, claiming pirate activity along the route."
They stepped into the facility, and were immediately attacked by a fireteam of Eclipse soldiers led by a Vanguard. Shepard hit the Vanguard with a Warp that took down her barrier, and then pulled off a Biotic Charge that splattered her against a wall, while also disorienting the two foot-soldiers. Cody and Sarah rushed in, using their DC-15 and Lancer to kill the stunned hostiles. The quartet then bypassed and went through the nearby door, finding a datapad near a body: "Alert: We are under mercenary attack! Escort civilians to crew quarters… then return to the work area to protect the main computer at all costs."
The next open area contained a crisscross of catwalks, as well as a squad of Eclipse soldiers. Shepard and Tali sent out Combat Drones to help thin the herd, while Sarah looked through the 2.5x scope she'd attached to her Lancer and fired two precise shots to kill a launcher-wielding hostile towards the back. Cody gunned down a Vanguard, while Tali's shotgun blew away a few Eclipse Salarians. The team rushed forward, Shepard using his Predator pistol to kill the last few, and they then accessed the mainframe. Shepard hacked the computer, and triggered the decryption of the Ter Alan's location.
"It'll take a few minutes to decrypt" Tali said. "And I think Eclipse knows what we're doing."
"Get into position" Shepard ordered. "We hold the line until the data is ready."
Shepard took position behind the waist-high wall next to the computer, readying his M97 Viper. Soon enough, Eclipse soldiers came pouring in from the exit. Shepard focused on the Vanguards, while Sarah started picking off foot-soldiers, and Cody & Tali stationed themselves around the corners to catch by surprise the few hostiles who made it through Shep & Sarah's fire. When that group was dead, another came in from the right, led by a Salarian with shielded heavy armor, who sent out a Combat Drone. A few shots from Cody's blaster rifle destroyed the Drone, while an Overload from Shepard took out the Eclipse Captain's shields. Sarah then rushed the evil Salarian, drawing her gravity hammer and hitting him in the chest with it; his armor shattered, as did his ribcage, and he went flying to splat against a wall, dead. She used her hammer to take out a few more Eclipse troops, as Shepard and Tali dealt with most of the rest, and Cody picked off the stragglers.
Finally, the decryption was complete. Unfortunately, the data was incomplete. It was soon sent back to Cerberus for analysis, while Shepard called for the shuttle to take them out of here.
-SCENE BREAK-
Shrike Abyssal, Xe Cha System, Zada Ban
DATA: "Zada Ban is a large, dense planet named for a Volus god of punishment. Its crust is rich in uranium, eroded by winds to create large radioactive dust storms across its surface. The Volus of Talis Fia have explored the planet thoroughly with space probes and telepresent robo-mining machines and discovered they are not the first to exploit the planet. Plastics from a mining station approximately 50,000 years old can be found near the planet's equator. Curiously, the mines nearby were not tapped out of uranium ore; they were instead abandoned at the height of their operation."
EDI's Briefing: "Scans show a crude base established on the planet's surface. Communications match known Blood Pack mercenary protocols. Numerous life signs matching Vorcha genealogy detected. The base's material resources match our data on weapons manufacturing components. Furthermore, coordinates decrypted from the relay on Tarith indicate resources mined there were sent to this planet."
The Kodiak flew into the canyon, setting down on a rock ledge overlooking the Blood Pack base. Out from it stepped Shepard, Grunt, Teana, and the Maximal known as Rattrap, who "was bored" and wanted a chance to shoot something.
"I am detecting a large power source inside the base" EDI radioed. "It is probable that destroying it would disrupt the entire facility."
Near the shuttle's landing spot was a datapad: "Kalusk: You'll get your resources when they're good and ready. You wanna come mine these rocks yourself? Everything will be ready for the attack. If you'd gotten me the additional Vorcha I asked for, it would have been done by now. -Salamul". They moved across a nearby natural bridge, finding another datapad: "Kalusk: I'm sending back two of the Vorcha you sent me so that you can see what I'm dealing with out here! I suggest that you not arm these morons; these piss-poor shots are most likely to blast the broad side of one of your generators than hit their intended targets. Maybe once you understand what I'm dealing with, you won't be so quick to mock me when I ask for some goddamned assistance. -Salamul"
They went right, down a slope and into the top level of a two-level cave. A pack of Vorcha popped out and opened fire from both levels, forcing the team into cover. Rattrap fired a well-placed shot from his blaster pistol that hit the head of the topside Vorcha, killing it instantly, while Teana and Grunt fired her Mirage Rifle and his Avenger down at the ones below. Shepard hit an armored Vorcha with an Incinerate, killing it, and then used his Predator to kill two more that came in on the top level. Teana and Grunt leapt down to the bottom floor, she switching Mirage to Shotgun Mode and him readying his Katana shotgun, and cleared out the rest of the Vorcha. The last one fell when Grunt charged it, tackling it hard enough to slam it into a wall, and then picking it up over his head and throwing it over a cliff, giving a little laugh as he did so.
"Remind me to stay on his good side" Rattrap said to Shepard.
The two hopped down to the lower level, finding another datapad: "Kalusk: Some of my Vorcha have gone missing. I need more if you expect us to get this work done on schedule. I don't care how you get them. Ask Garm for his extras. He has to have some castoffs that are good enough for mining duty. -Salamul". They started across the next rock bridge, Shepard using his Viper to pick off the Vorcha on the other side. Teana switched Mirage to Sniper Mode and picked off a pair of launcher-wielding Vorcha high and to the right. As they crossed the bridge, a Vorcha with a flamethrower came charging out, screaming a war-cry, only for Shepard to hit it with an Incinerate, resulting in an explosion of burnt Vorcha bits in every direction.
They went right, through a door and into a semi-closed chamber filled with two large tanks, several Vorcha, and an armored & shielded Krogan – Kalusk, head of Zada Ban's Blood Pack facility. Shepard hit the Krogan with an Overload, stripping his shields, while Teana switched Mirage to dual pistols and helped Rattrap thin out the Vorcha. Grunt hit Kalusk with a Carnage shot, stunning him and damaging his armor, and Shepard then took his weakened armor out with a Warp. Grunt then charged in, blasting the Blood Pack Krogan with his shotgun and dodging the enraged and wounded Kalusk's retaliatory shots. He used a sweeping kick to knock the enemy Krogan onto his back, and then blasted him in the face point-blank, killing him. Meanwhile, the last Vorcha fell to a shot from Teana.
"These things are what we came to get rid of" Shepard said. "Rattrap, do your stuff."
"One wrecked base, comin' right up."
A minute later, everyone left the chamber, heading outside. Shepard nodded to Rattrap, who keyed in the detonation code of the det-charges he'd stuck to the tanks. The ground rumbled as the explosions tore through the room behind them, destroying the tanks and the Blood Pack ordnance inside. The Blood Pack's planned assault on Illium had been thwarted.
-CHAPTER END-
Next Time: Our heroes head to Illium, to meet with an old friend of Shepard's and seek out the mysterious Justicar…
