Apologies for the late update, I had computer trouble over the weekend. This is the last chapter dealing with Ilos. I want to a special thanks to all those who have taken the time to review this piece so far. So I hope you enjoy reading this.

Chapter 7

The three manoeuvred their way through the dense foliage. The Commander was becoming a bit disorientated.

Everything here looks the same, even the statues look the same, it's impossible to pick out landmarks, she thought to herself, ideal place for an ambush, she concluded.

Every so often she would ask Tali through their comm. suits if they were any closer to finding the security console. Tali's response would always be the same, almost there Commander. Shepard felt like a three year old asking. Exasperated the Commander was just about to ask Tali yet again, when the young Quarian tapped Shepard and pointed to the structure ahead of them.

"The security console is in there Commander" she explained, " Unfortunately there are several Geth between it and us"

Williams seeing where Tali had pointed to sighed.

Why can't anything be easy, she thought.

The Commander saw the Chiefs expression and let out a sigh of her own, echoing the Chiefs sentiments.

Ok Shepard, she chided herself, best foot forward, lead by example.

"Unfortunately for them, that is" the Commander replied grinning briefly at the other two, " let's do this," she said enthuastically.

If I hadn't seen her face thirty seconds ago, I'd almost believe that she enjoys this. Williams thought nodding to her CO as Shepard pointed to an overhanging ledge and then pointed at Ashley, then again maybe she does, she thought, as she watched Shepard engage her biotics and toss a large boulder at an oncoming prime while she unloaded her pistol into a shock trooper.

From her vantage point, Williams provided covering fire for her Commander, taking out two armatures and several ground troops. Tali was to the Commanders right doing lethal damage with her rifle and when she was close enough, hacking the Geth technology and shutting them down.

Don't know how she does it, getting that close to those Geth, Ashley thought as she instinctively reloaded and unloaded her sniper rifle, she watched as yet another Geth trooper shut itself down and feel uselessly to the ground.

Shepard was everywhere, her biotics flaring, Geth primes were hurled through the air and shot full of holes, falling to the ground useless, even for scrap. Shock troopers were all but vaporised, when Shepard realising that her pistol was spent, tossed it aside and reached for her shotgun. Enemy bullets bounced uselessly off her kinetic barrier causing it to flare briefly as it absorbed the impact. Shepard could feel the blood pounding through her body, the beating of her heart; every sense was heightened in the song of battle.

On the Normandy, Liara watched transfixed. She had never had the opportunity to watch her lover fight before; she had always been by her side caught up in the moment. It was almost beautiful to watch, as Shepard using her biotics, , turned and crushed, an armature, which was just beginning to rise. For long moments Liara watched Shepard in her deadly dance, marvelling at her skill.

This is what she was born to do and she excels at it, Liara mused, she is death to those who stand in her way and life to those who stand with her, as she watched Shepard destroy a Geth who was attempting to flank Tali, and she is mine, she thought proudly, smiling slightly to herself at the thought.

Back on Ilos, Williams was switching out her guns when she spotted two Geth Armatures coming over the ridge behind the Commander and Tali. They were powering up their weapons and neither woman had yet seen them. Shepard was too intent upon clearing a path to the entrance of the security building and Tali was helping her.

Williams knew that they had locked in upon the Commander and the quarian. She also knew that she had to make a decision. The Commander or Tali? What felt like an eternity passed, as Williams reached for her shotgun, the armatures were still out of range of their targets. The chief checked her sights and fired, the one closest to the Commander fell.

Head shot, Williams thought smugly.

"Get the hell out of there, Commander" she yelled through her suits comm.

Shepard heard the shot and looked momentarily behind her. She saw the second armature and where it was aiming. She knew that the Chief would not get another shot off in time and even if she did it would more than likely pull wide because the enemy was moving.

Crap, she thought as she threw herself at Tali, shoving the young woman into the dirt. The blast from the armature's canon hit them and Shepard was hurled through the air and hit wall of the security building, her kinetic barrier failed and Shepard took the full impact. A Geth trooper to her left, sensing an opportunity, fired at the fallen woman. Shepard's world went black.

Shit, shit, shit, Ashley thought frantically as she saw her Commander take a hit. She scrambled from her position on the ledge and made her way down the slope towards her CO, don't be dead, please God don't be dead, she silently pleaded with her maker.

Tali was back on her feet and had taken out the last armature and the few remaining Geth troops.

"Area secured," she reported, as she dusted down her trousers.

"Tali," Williams yelled, " the Commanders down"

Tali looked startled for a second as her brain processed the information, " acknowledged" she replied and went toward the semi - conscious Shepard.

Back on the Normandy, Liara stared in disbelief as she watched Shepard flying through the air. She felt dizzy and for one horrible moment thought that she was going to be physically sick. She knew that Shepard had made the decision to save Tali rather than herself.

She must of known that her kinetic barriers weren't fully recharged yet, she thought angrily, why did she do that?

Joker was watching her closely, seeing the way in which her knuckles whitened as she gripped the armrest of the co-pilots seat.

"Why?" Liara asked involuntarily, "Why did she do that?" she asked almost hysterically.

Joker took a moment to steady himself before her answered the asari, he hated when the Commander got injured groundside and he hated it even more now that he had to deal with Liara

This is what happens when you fall for a soldier, he thought watching Liara's distress, sometimes they get themselves banged up.

"Liara" he said softly, trying to get her attention.

Liara looked wildly at him, her eyes wide with terror.

"Why did she do that?" she asked again, her voice shaking.

"She's ok" he soothed, " Tali and Ash are there, Tali's a medic, they'll patch her up"

Liara looked at the pilot, sensing the truth in his words.

"It isn't as bad as it looks, " he explained, "the Geth didn't get a direct hit, look" he said, pointing to the Commanders vitals, "there strong, her barrier is coming back up and her suits first aid programme will kick in and get her back on her feet, what the suit can't look after Tali will"

Liara nodded, looking at the stats on her board.

"She's ok," she said " she's ok," she repeated softly and she clasped her hands together in an attempt to stop them from trembling.

Back on the planet, Shepard opened her eyes and focused in on the two worried faces in front of her.

"Well?" she said spearing the two with a look, " what's the damage?"

How can she be so calm? Williams thought, she almost got herself killed.

"Not as bad as it should be" Tali said, " you have been shot in the left shoulder, but the bullet passed straight through, it appears to have missed the bone, so your lucky in that respect," Tali looked at the Commander critically, " there was little bleeding and the bullet hole itself is clean, I've injected you with some medi-gel, so it should heal over in a bit, but it will leave a nasty scar."

"They usually do" was all the Commander said.

Tali continued as if she hadn't heard the Commander, " you have bruised ribs but aside from that your ok, you were lucky that you barrier had partially recharged."

" Good" she said, holding out her hand, the Chief grabbed it and pulled the Commander to her feet.

Oh God, She groaned to herself as she stood up, her body protested at the sudden movements and her chest tightened as she took a deep breath, hot pain slicing through her as she exhaled, wouldn't be surprised if a few of those ribs were broken, she mused.

She looked at her team, "ye guys ok?" she asked looking closely at each of them.

"I'm good" the Chief replied smiling at the Commander, so very glad that you're all right, she thought.

It had never entered her head that Shepard could get killed on this mission, sure maybe she'd get killed, but not Shepard and seeing the woman sprawled out on the grass, had really un nerved her. It had made her realise how fragile the Commander really was and how much was depending on her.

"As am I," Tali said simply.

"Ok people, much as I enjoy a good chat, we've got a job to do" Shepard said brightly as she walked up the steps to the security console.

God damn crazy woman, Ashley thought, as she watched her CO gingerly make her way up the steps she must hurt like hell. The Chief fell in behind Tali as they followed Shepard; she's got stones though, she mused, I'd hate to be Saren when she catches up to him. She shook her head in silent admiration for her CO.

In the security building, Shepard pushed up the cracked visor of her helmet and looked at the console.

She looked over at Tali and gestured.

"Well?" she said impatiently, " what's the story?"

Tali looked at the console and began to randomly push a few buttons on it.

"It still has a power source, but..." she looked with exasperation at the console, " I can't get it to work, I don't understand the layout"

Shepard looked at the quarian and sighed, Do I have to do everything myself, she thought irritably, her head was ringing from the fall she had taken, she really wished she could take off her helmet and sit down for a bit, Moving forward she gently pushed Tali aside. She looked down at the alien console.

Tali was about to say something, but a quick shake of the Chief's head stopped her.

"Hm, I think..." Shepard pressed a few controls and the console sprang into life.

Tali was looking strangely at her, " Commander," she began, "how did you..."

Shepard made a sharp motion for her to be quiet, she was watching the console intently, she pressed another control and a holographic recording began to play.

"...to late...unable to ...invading fleet... no escape" The damaged hologram played over.

Tali and Williams looked at each other.

"Commander, do you understand it?" the Chief ventured.

Shepard was staring intently at the hologram, trying to decipher the words.

"It's very badly damaged," she said quietly as the message replayed.

"You understand it?" Tali asked incredulously.

"It's Prothean..." Shepard said, " it's hard to decipher, it's very badly damaged," she repeated as she listened again for a few seconds, " but I think it's a warning" she concluded.

The other two looked at her in amazement. Sensing their amazement, Shepard frowned.

I am so tired of people looking at me like that, she thought.

"Tali, get the doors open to those ruins" she ordered sharply pulling her attention away from the hologram.

The engineer quickly complied.

"The security barrier is down Commander," Tali reported, " we now have access to the ruins"

Shepard nodded her thanks to Tali, " Back to the mako" she ordered.

The ground team returned to the mako and in short time reached the enterance to the ruins which Saren had disappeared down. Jumping out of the mako, Tali punched the door security console. The large doors opened up, directly in front of them was a long narrow passage. The lights of the mako cast a glow down the passage, setting out the walls in sharp contrast. Dust motes from Saren's passage danced in the air.

"Wow," Ashley said, " this place looks ancient," she looked at the Commander, " reckon we can fit the mako down that tunnel"

Shepard was looking around, Liara would love this, she thought, it's so old and quiet. She tried to imagine Liara here with her and how much she would enjoy being one of the first people in this ruin after so many long a time. If only the circumstances were different.

Hearing the Chief address her about the mako, she turned to face her.

"Damn right, it'll fit Chief," she replied, " God only knows what's down there"

Again she sighed, Sorry Liara she thought, but it looks like I'm going to wreck the place.

Before they got back into the mako, Shepard contacted the ship ordering Joker to head for Arcturus station and to brief Admiral Hackett.

She just heard Liara beginning to protest as the line was cut.