The Rescue
Walking down a narrow hallway between two aliens made me feel so unbelievably edgy. I couldn't help but watch Garrus and frequently shifting to look at Saparus from the corner of my eye. I had never seen a species like them before and I had been to the City of Lorah on Patherum, the center capitol of my galaxy. There species met for trade, communication, debates, and expanding alliances. It was the only city of true peace for the gathering of galactic people. Thousands of civilized species walked inside the walls of the city, millions of faces, trillions of people but none of them looked like these aliens. Just like none of them looked like me, not a single one had the features of a human. Where I came from, I was one of a kind; aliens stared at me the way I was staring at Garrus. But there was something about him, though, that sparked my interest.
The other alien, Saparus, was the nervous type. He had new armor that shined in the small over hanging lights, his overripe green tattoos only outlined his mandibles, he held his gun astray but sturdy, and he shook trebly but stood with pride while Garrus was a breed of a different kind. His posture was straight, his blue markings laced under his eyes, over his noses, and on the sides of his face, his armor was old and dull, full of scratches and dents of an older battle, and on his left cheek was a fading scar. Saparus, as I could tell, was a new soldier, fresh to the battlefields but Garrus was older, wiser, and had tasted war before. My fathers' had once told me of the civilization of the Elitheans, a war race that called their great warriors Sa'lasa, which meant those who dance in the field of blood. All Sa'lasa soldier had to have scars to reach that title, it defined that vanity had no binding chains to their thoughts. They wore their scars proudly, as a display of heroism and courage. Garrus had that charm, in his own strange way, and it reminded of the Elithean culture. I was curious as to how he received those scars, what battle he had to face, and who gave it to him.
The hall ran on and on, I could see no end to it. We hit a pocket of cold air between the walls as we walked. Even in my armor, I shivered, pulling the cloth closer to my skin. I was glad to have the armor, even if it was one of the enemies. I made me feel okay.
I was watching Garrus again when I noticed something coming up on sides, it was covering the entire wall. When we got closer, I realized that it was blood, blue blood, dripping into small puddles on the floor.
"I guess we know what happened to the Turian soldiers on this post," Garrus said as he walked. He pulled out a blue helmet and put it on. Saparus did the same. "I'm going to strip the skins off those Cerberus troops for what they've done here. It was practically a massacre." Cerberus? Turian? He was saying all these words I didn't understand but I could read his tone, he was angry but not consumed in distressed. He held his gun up to his shoulder and his body language became intense. He wasn't playing anymore; he was ready to fight.
We passed by several rooms where the doors were swayed opened ajar. They were barracks, I guessed; there were beds, desks, computers, even clothing. The rooms were empty at first but as we strolled down the corridor, we found beds with aliens like Garrus and Saparus in them, the same blue blood on the floor and spread across the sheets; the smell of death was in the air and stung in my nostrils. He was right, it was a massacre, and I realized Garrus was a Turian. It was he race. And Cerberus must be either another species or just some enemy.
But I saw humans, I thought. Were humans enemies to the Turians? That didn't seem right. They thought I was a human and they were kind to me.
"Killing people in their sleep is a coward's way of fighting," Garrus spoke back at us through his helmet. I felt the same way about it but I remained silent. Saparus didn't.
"Why would Cerberus do this?" he sounded worried through the dark glass of his covering. "Attacking a Turian base would give them what advantage?"
"The Illusive Man only thinks about expanding humanity and finding benefits for humans, he doesn't care how he gets it. He could be looking for resources. Maybe the marine life here has something he can use or.."
"Maybe he was looking for people," I spat out before I could stop myself. Garrus stopped and looked at me through his helmet. Even through the stained glass, I could feel his beady eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"There are a lot of beds here that are empty," I told him, trying to explain my thoughts. I didn't know much about anything they were saying but to me, I could see what was happening clearly. I had read about it before in the history of planet Zuloka. "So what happened to the rest? Did you see any bodies outside?" Garrus didn't answer so I continued, "Maybe what happened to the rest of them is what was going to happen to me."
"Then why kill some in their beds?" Saparus asked behind me.
"To create a scene," I replied. "So when they were done, it would just look like a slaughter instead of an experiment."
"Maybe," Garrus said thoughtfully. He obviously hadn't considered that but he didn't see what they were going to do to me and how they weren't prepared to leave when the alarm went off. They must have thought they had more time; they rushed around the rooms grabbing things, going on the computers, and running out the door completely forgetting about me. They had a lot of stuff in their hands when they left, a lot of data; they must have been on this planet for a while to collect that must information. "We need to keep moving," he said finally. I nodded.
We walked in an awkward silence for a while, and then the sound of shouting cracked it. It was distant and faded behind other new noises as we strolled. "We're getting close," Saparus said; his rifle trembling in his fingers.
"Saparus, get in front. We need to protect Safiya," Garrus commanded and Saparus obeyed. That was the first time he had said my name, the first time anyone called me by that besides my fathers. It was strange coming from his lips; I unintentionally shifted uncomfortable on my feet. It's not that I didn't like it; it just reminded me of my father and that dream.
Saparus got in front of me; his weapon drawn and ready. The battle was getting closer. I could hear yelling, hums of bullet, and crashing explosions that rumbled the ground beneath my feet. I would have been lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but not nearly as much as Saparus. I just wished I had a gun too.
"Safiya," Garrus said addressing me. "Stay back."
"I'll try," I replied.
Then we walked out into an opening.
Bullets were flying everywhere. It was a foyer for casual living quarters but now it was a battlefield. One side was Cerberus troops, hiding behind pushed over tables, generated shields, and walls; on the other the rest of Garrus' Turian squad, outnumbered, out gun, and almost out of cover. Tsaro, Safiya, and Garrus had just walked into the middle of it.
Instantly, Garrus and Tsaro went into position, leaving Safiya in the hallway to use the walls for protection; she didn't look frighten, just vulnerable. Garrus planted himself behind a short walkway barrier and pulled out his sniper rifle. He wasn't nervous; he held it up over the wall and peered through the scope. He spotted a Centurion among the Cerberus forces, his armor bulkier then the rest. Garrus made sure he locked onto the Centurion's head, held his breath to steady his rifle, and took the shot.
"Got one," he yelled. In the curve of his eye he watched Tsaro use his assault rifle to hit a one of the soldiers; it took four and five bullets but he got the guy from all the way across the room. Garrus put the sniper back up to his face and started picking off targets; they fell to the ground, bleeding out to death, while others were lucky enough to still be alive on the ground. They won't be for long, Garrus thought as another Centurion came running towards them. The small Cerberus army had set up a generator to replenish their shields and barriers; Garrus pulled the trigger on his gun and hit the monster but it had little effect-his barrier was just recharge in the matter of seconds.
Damn! Garrus reflected as he reloaded his weapon. It had over heated and he was going to need more bullets.
On the left side of the room, the Turian soldiers were trying to take the Centurion down. Every gun was pointed at the beast as he ran across the room right towards Garrus and Tsaro, and he was getting close. Tsaro dropped his assault rifle on the tiled floor and pulled out a Katana shot-gun. Before Garrus don't even say anything, let alone stop him, he was charging towards the enemy, blasting out shells of bullets at the Centurion. He broke through his barriers, destroyed the shields, and discharged blood out of the body in a display of splatters.
"Watch out!" Garrus yelled from his position as the Cerberus troops realized that Tsaro was no longer in cover. They started to fire at him, projectiles slipping past him only centimeters away from his body and face. He jump and rolled into protection, landing just behind a leather couch.
The Turians took their aim on the small mass of Cerberus troops on the opposite side again, firing all they got at them, while Tsaro was caught in the middle. Garrus couldn't leave his position; he didn't want to leave Safiya open, so he stood his ground and continue to single out each target.
"There's a Mech coming!" Omril yelled across the room and only seconds later the windows above the foyer came crashing down in a glitter glass rain. Then Garrus saw the Mech. It had the colors of the regular Cerberus troops and even wore the symbol, but it was shiny from the direct light of the sun beaming down at it. He could see the soldier inside, controlling the machine as he fired off rockets at the Turian squad. Omril ran to the right, barely missing the missile and the explosion. He fell to the ground as pieces of particles and waves energy flew past him, pushing him over. The other Turian wasn't so lucky; the missile was a straight hit. He exploded; his body smashed into the building and fell to the floor, leaving a blue stain on the wall.
Garrus pulled out his assault rifle and started to shoot towards the consol of the machine. It had a thick barrier, and an even stronger shield, but if he could break through the glass of the cockpit-he could destroy the Mech.
The pilot inside recognized that Garrus was shooting at him and turned in his direction. It took big steps, shaking the earth below it in an unsettling manner. Tsaro was still at the back of the couch and in a few small steps, the Mech would see him.
Garrus didn't want to leave his spot but he needed to draw off its fire. He knew that if he left, he would be completely leaving Safiya by herself, with no protect, but if things got worse; she could ways run back down the hall. He looked back at her. She was crouched over with her arms against the wall; her face was calm and she gazed back at him with a strange wonder, as if she knew. Then she smiled.
Garrus took off to the other side of the room. A pathway leads from where they were positioned to where Omril had been. The Mech followed him the way a bug is drawn to the light, firing off a machine gun just behind his trail. Garrus had to leap over a box and into cover at the last second. The pilot was getting better at aiming his gun, but he was no way near as good as Garrus. He kept firing though, trying to penetrate the small wall Garrus was using for defense, but then the machine overheated. Now it was Garrus' turn. He jumped up, throwing a grenade first and then shooting his gun at the cockpit. The explosion disorientated the soldier inside and for a few seconds Garrus had time to fully blast bullets at the machine. Tsaro moved from his spot, running over to a better position, and then turning to shoot the Mech as well. Its barrier was depleted but now they had to break through its shield.
The Machine made one turn, right towards Tsaro, and launched a missile. Garrus couldn't see from his position if it had hit him or not; it was just a huge cloud of dust and debris. The pilot turned to face him and sent off his machine guns. Garrus ducked into cover again and was trying to think. How was he suppose to does this on his own? The Cerberus troops on the other side of the room were slowly coming his way and this Mech was becoming more then he had hoped for. Omril was unconscious, covered in wreckage. He didn't even know if Tsaro was alive. Suddenly the firing had stopped and Garrus pulled up his rifle to shoot when he realized that he wasn't the only one shooting. On the other corner of the room, Safiya had picked up Tsaro's fallen rifle and was firing off bullets at the Mech. Her bullets destroyed the last of its shield as Garrus pulled out his sniper rifle; one bullet was all he needed. He raised it up, holding it against his shoulder, took aim through the scope and into the glass off the cockpit. He pulled the trigger. The bullet came spinning out, zipping through the air, and through the skull of the pilot. The Mech stumbled, its electronics overloading, its systems overheating; the whole thing blow up in a small burst, taking out several of the other Cerberus operatives, and fell to the ground. Garrus didn't wait to get the rest of the bastards with his sniper; they fell to the ground before they even knew what hit them. One after another he shot them down until he got the last trooper, blood spilled out of their wound as they tried to keep going, keep moving but then fell to their knees and then to the floor. It was a blood bath in the foyer, everything was destroyed, a shallow lake of blood covered the ground but the shooting had finally stopped. The firing had faded away. And it was quiet in the room. Garrus could hear Safiya soft footsteps echo as she walked towards him, the gun still in her hands; it looks unbelievably large compared to the rest of her body.
"Safiya," he said, not really knowing why he said her name when she got closed enough to him.
"Please, call me Saf," she said with a weak smile.
"Saf?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you but I'm sorry, you shouldn't have had to protect yourself."
"I wasn't protecting myself," she said, handing the gun over to him. He grabbed it subconsciously. "I was safe. You don't look like one of those types that would leave me if you didn't think I was safe. You just looked like you need help." That made him smile and she smiled back. Not a weak one this time, her whole face brightened and her eyes lit up like fireworks.
He was going to say something but he stopped and watched her as she hopped over the small wall and into the center where all the chaos was. Her Cerberus boots leaving prints in the blood as she walked over to the leather couch. She was going to check on Tsaro, Garrus realized. He did the same, jumping over the fence and walking over the bodies. Saf was pulling a big broken piece of furniture off when Garrus realized that Tsaro was still alive and unbelievably unhurt. Garrus lent out a hand and helped him to his feet.
"What a battle," Tsaro said; his armor that was once brand new now scratched and dented, covered with dust. He looked like a true Turian now, a real warrior. He's trembles were gone, his nervous wiped clean from his face, and his eyes were filled with a fire. It was like seeing a whole new person. Garrus felt proud.
"You did good, Saparus," he commented with a pat on Tsaro's shoulder.
"Thanks."
"Now, let's go make sure Omril is okay and I'll call in our shuttle."
The sun was about to set when we finally got out of the building. The sky was still blue but about to go into its transition as we walked through a dense jungle; Garrus in front of me with his gun still in hand and Saparus holding a Turian named Omril up on his shoulders. The alien didn't look badly hurt except for on his leg where a shard of glass had punctured through his skin and made it almost impossible for him to walk without help.
I couldn't stop myself from absorbing the world around me; the tree here were beautiful and tall, trying to climb up into the sunset as the plants below them with giant leaves kept to themselves in small huddles. It was dark in the forest and humid but I liked the way it smelled in when the breeze rolled in with the fragrance from the ocean. The smells mixed together and made me feel okay. I don't know why I was enjoying it so much; I just felt like that after all that I had just endured; being eaten by a black hole, attacked, almost experimented on, saved by strange aliens, and then pushed into battle had made me miss just being able to relax and I really needed to relax. One of my fathers use to take me for walks on foreign planets with him; we would just stroll through gardens of great marvel with vegetation that I had never seen before. I would always try to make an adventure out of it but he would hinder me and say, "Sometimes you need to just stop and smell the roses." I would ask him what was a rose and he would just laugh and laugh and laugh through his nonexistent mouth. I never could grasp what he meant but now, with these aliens, walking through this unfamiliar place, I felt closer to understanding.
We reached the beach; the sun was setting in front of us and giving us a display of colors. The sky was changing; pink, oranges, and shades of reds danced over the atmosphere and streaking the small clouds that were hovering just over head. The sand was glittering in the low light, sparkling like a universe of stars. I realized, suddenly, that this was the place I was attacked at. I could see lost footsteps in the sand and blemished grains where my blood at stained it.
A shuttle was landing on the shore; it was an alien ship but I could still make out parts; thrusters, cockpit, landing flaps, rudders, doors. It was no change then what I had seen before, only the design was different.
Saparus and the wounded Turian boarded, Garrus closely behind them but then he turned to me. His eyes locking with mine. Suddenly, I felt like running away, just taking off on the sand. I didn't know where I would go, what I would do, but I also didn't know what they would do to me. They thought I was human, maybe that was good enough, but one DNA test would prove me otherwise. What would they do to someone like me? In my galaxy, the first alien of a new race that was found was taken by the higher council and never seen again. After that, it didn't matter if you were that race; they already knew everything about your kind. Would the Turians treat me the same way? Even if they let me live, how would I manage? I didn't know anything about them; I barely knew anything about humans. I don't even know how I can speak the human language, how I knew it. Maybe my fathers inserted it into my memory; maybe they knew all this would happen.
Garrus was walking towards me. My heart was racing. I wanted to scream in frustration but I held it in, I wanted to just hide but I couldn't. He got close enough to where if I held my arm up, I could touch him, then he stopped.
"Come on," he said in a soft voice. "Let's go home." He had no idea how redundant that sounded. Home? How was I ever supposed to go home? Jump into another black hole again? What if it took me into another dimension? Even if I could, I never really had a home. I was a foreigner even in my own galaxy, let alone in this one. "Saf?" he asked. I had a hard time looking at him because my eyes were filling up with tears. I can't even explain all the mixed up feelings in my heart and all the thoughts running through my head. I wish I did die in that black hole. Things would have been easier.
I choked back my tears and looked at him. He was waiting. I couldn't read the expression on his face because I didn't know Turians enough to be able too. "Okay," I said, the words almost caught in my mouth.
We walked side by side to the shuttle. I couldn't stop shivering terribly. I was scared...
And I don't know why, but half way there, I grabbed his hand and I held it. It was so weird; I had never clasps hands with anyone except for my fathers' and theirs were cold, lifeless, and filled with a vibe of all knowing power but Garrus' were warm, kind, and his talons, oddly, didn't seem hard to clutch. He grabbed mine back. I never thought I would ever hold an alien's hand, I never thought I would be in a situation like this, but Garrus, he made me feel okay.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.
So I hope I didn't confuse you guys too much when I switched from Tsaro's first name to last name. It's just that when I write Garrus' perspective, I write everyone's first names but since Garrus introduced Tsaro as Saparus to Safiya, she calls him that. If it's too much just tell me and I'll make it all unison.
Please leave me reviews for the good and the bad. I tried really hard in the chapter but I want to be a better writer so tell me what you like or dislike. Thanks.
