"Can't you move any faster, Mordin?" she asked.
"No," Mordin said, "must be careful, could cause severe damage if I slip."
"Better than being eaten by varren," the krogan muttered.
"I have it under control," Shepard said, shooting another varren between the eyes as it rose up from the floor. Six left. They started running at her. Mordin aimed a gun and shot one. Shepard fired her shotgun, causing another to fall before reaching her, but the telltale beep of an overheated weapon dissuaded her from firing again. She forced another varren down mid-leap with her biotics, stepping on its neck. She smashed another on the head with the butt of her gun as it tried to bite her.
The fifth managed to get closer, biting into the arm she raised to defend herself, though failing to pierce through her armor. Its jaws loosed as she smashed her weapon into its torso, and it dropped to the ground. One left. It was 3 meters from her, poised to leap. Then, it fell limp and dropped to the ground, laid low by a bullet through the head. Shepard looked for the source. There was a silhouette to her left, the two horns marking it as salarian. It approached, and another, much larger silhouette became apparent behind it. They stepped closer, and Mordin's omni-tool illuminated them.
"Wiks?" Shepard asked, looking at the salarian in black. Then she identified the larger from.
"Wrex needed directions," Wiks said.
"I was expecting you'd be in on this," Shepard said.
"Hah! If he was, I'd have eaten him," Wrex said.
"Yes," Wiks said, glancing in the krogan chief's direction, "I don't doubt that."
Wrex looked at Mordin, who was still kneeling in the pod, slicing through the female krogan's restraints.
"How long is this going to take?" Wrex asked.
"A few minutes," Mordin said as a piece of metal fell to the floor. The female krogan stretched one leg.
"Please be still," Mordin said, "don't wish to cut you." She made a grumbling sound, and stood still.
"One of the soldiers said he had orders whose source he couldn't say," Shepard said, "do you know anything about this, Wiks?"
"No," Wiks said, "the only orders I've gotten were about freeing her."
"Orders likely only sent to ones perceived as loyal," Mordin said, never moving his eyes from the krogan's restraints. "Many who could disobey, hinder execution. But would need trusted underling to carry this out."
"Lieutenant Tolan sounds likely," Wiks said, "and if so, the command probably came from within Linron," he continued. Wrex harrumphed.
"So she betrayed us already," Wrex said.
"Don't know," Mordin said, "too little data. Must focus on getting female out of here." Another chunk of the restraints fell to the floor with a clang. Then two krogan feet hit the floor with a thud.
"Then where are they?" Shepard asked, "if they wish to kill her."
"Preparing ambush maybe," Mordin said, "surprised no bombs from shaft," he continued, looking up at the elevator shaft the pod was suspended in.
"The freed test subjects would only make that harder to accomplish," Wiks said.
"Then poorly, hastily planned," Mordin said, standing up to cut the restraints from the krogan's torso.
"Maybe they were hoping we wouldn't force the issue," Shepard said, scanning the darkness.
"And when you did, they had to adapt," Wiks said. "Makes sense."
Shepard's omni-tool lit up.
"Cortez," she called the Kodiak pilot, "any movement around the landing pad?"
"They're in sniper positions on the roofs, at least ten," Cortez said from other end off the comm link. "A bunch of vorcha found their way up. They got shot pretty quickly."
"Damn," Shepard said, turning to Wiks. "Is there another way out?" she asked.
"Only into the jungle, and that route is even easier for snipers," he said.
"Then we'll just have to do this the hard way," she said.
There had been no resistance, apart from the odd varren, since they had left the pod. It was clear that the salarians were banking on stopping them at the landing pad. Shepard and Wrex had taken point, while the two salarians stayed at the back. Despite her grumbling, the krogan had to be protected.
"Shepard, how many bullets to the head do you think you can take?" Wrex asked, "because they'll shoot you if you try this."
"No they won't," Shepard said.
"She's right," Wiks said before turning to Wrex and the krogan female, "but they will shoot you two."
"Suggest Wrex stay back with her while we try to resolve situation," Mordin said. Wrex harrumphed and nodded in response, strolling up the ramp to the walkway in the middle of the room.
"You should stay clear of that door," Wiks said, pointing to the door on the other side of the walkway crossing the room.
"We don't need to be coddled," the female krogan said, inspecting the pistol Wrex had given her as she walked.
"I don't want you to get sniped," Shepard said, "if it turns ugly, start shooting."
Wrex went to stand by the wall with the other krogan as Shepard and the two salarians approached the door. She held up her omni-tool to open the door.
She came face to face with three salarians and two red dots dancing across her visor. She stood still, staring down the centermost of the three salarians standing by the railing. He held a pistol in his right hand, as did the other two salarians. Wiks frowned.
"Lieutenant Tolan," he said.
"Padok Wiks, Solus Mordin and Commander Shepard," the salarian in the centre said, "I assume the krogan are close by."
Shepard sighed.
"Call off your snipers and let us pass," she said, "or have you also been ordered to betray your dalatrass' promises?"
Tolan suppressed a chuckle.
"There are still some who know what's best for the union," he said, "and I knew those wouldn't be you," he continued, turning his gaze to the two salarians flanking Shepard.
"Would those include dalatrass Linron?" Wiks asked. Tolan's features hardened. He sighed.
"Just give up the krogan, you know you have no chance," he said.
"No," Shepard shot back.
"I have several snipers in position. I would not wish to have to order them to fire," he said, "your death would cause diplomatic fallout, but we are prepared to deal with that."
"You aren't even prepared to deal with us," Shepard said, "we will leave, with the krogan, by force if necessary."
"Don't try it, Shepard," Tolan said. He tightened his grip on the pistol, staring the commander down. Shepard looked at the roofs and balconies visible from her position. Two red dots still wavered on her helmet. She could see more. Tolan had not been exaggerating. Still, the lieutenant had made some tactical mistakes, such as positioning himself within the range of a biotic charge. There was cover to her left. Mordin and Wiks could avoid the snipers if they were quick.
"Fire," Shepard said as a blue corona flared around her. She rushed forth as two bullets sailed through where her head had been a fraction of a second ago. Tolan raised his pistol and fired once, the bullet deflected by the mass effect fields caused by Shepard's biotic charge. The salarian to Tolan's right fell to his knees, brought low by Mordin and Wiks. Shepard slammed against Tolan, pressing him against the railing before the force ofher attack pushed her back. Tolan stumbled, seeking support among the plants on the railing. The other's salarian's omni-tool extended into a blade for an upwards stab at Shepard, only for her to smack it aside with a biotic fist. A swift punch sent the salarian over the railing, and Shepard turned towards Tolan.
"Backup! Now!" Tolan shouted into his suit radio, ducking under Shepard's left fist.
"Cortez! Get on my coordinates ASAP!" Shepard shouted into her own helmet radio, stepping back to avoid a slash of Tolan's omni-blade. Her own blade sprang into being, and was almost shattered as her first strike was blocked by the salarian lieutenant.
"Aye aye, Commander," Cortez said.
Wiks and Mordin ducked behind another railing, trying to fire at the snipers without exposing themselves. Shepard knew that her survival was contingent on the snipers not wanting to risk shooting Tolan. Wrex appeared in the doorway, but ducked back out just as a sniper fired at him.
"Smoke bomb!" Mordin shouted, tossing a grenade over the solid railing he was ducking behind. The whitish smoke billowed across the room, concealing the fighters within. Shepard could still see the salarian's omni-blade, but not much else. The orange glow lowered, and Shepard took a step back and to the side. Two shots rang out through the smoke, creating slight vortexes in it. She extended a hand toward the source of the shots with a flick of the wrist.
The salarian lieutenant became visible, struggling against the biotic pull. He raised his omni-blade, but Shepard was ready. She forced the blade aside and grabbed the salarian by the base of the neck, slamming him to the floor. She held up her omni-blade in her left hand, making the split-second decision to take him hostage instead. Then, suddenly, the salarian kicked her in the lower chest, loosening her grip. He scooted backwards and jumped to his feet, disappearing into the smoke. She was about to go after him when she heard a door open.
"Get the krogan!" Shepard could hear a male salarian voice shout, somewhere around the doors on the perpendicular walls. Then she heard Wrex let out what could only be described as a roar, followed by his heavy, stomping footsteps.
"Krogan charging! No! No!" The salarian's frantic yells were cut off by a thumping sound. The smoke thinned as Shepard ran forth, and she saw Wrex fire his shotgun, standing over a salarian soldier. Mordin and Wiks had turned, firing at the same group of salarians, who were frantically backing away from the krogan in the doorway. Another salarian fell to the shot of a heavy pistol, wielded by the female krogan in the other doorway. Wrex stepped back from the doorway as a red dot moved towards him.
"Bastards have snipers," he said, "we're stuck until your pilot gets here."
"Shouldn't take long," Shepard said, firing her shotgun at a salarian trying to shoot at her around the corner. Wrex turned slightly, and a blue corona surrounded him. A small disk changed direction midair, flying into the smoke. Then, it exploded, creating swirls in the smoke. Mordin and Wiks turned behind the fence, firing at the origin of the grenade. One of the salarians on the other side, behind the corner, tossed another grenade. Shepard responded with a biotic push, flinging the grenade off the building to detonate in the empty air. She fired her shotgun, forcing another salarian back into cover as his shield vanished. They had been successful in keeping them at bay so far, but they were hemmed in. Luckily, the Kodiak was already in sight. The smoke had not reached through the doors, and Shepard could see the military shuttle approach. Targeting lasers flickered on the Kodiak's surface as the snipers futilely tried to bring it down. The vehicle disappeared behind the dividing wall, and though it should have still been visible from Shepard's position, smoke obscured it. Nevertheless, she knew their rescue was here.
"Go, go, go!" She shouted, making a dash for the shuttle. Wrex ran in after her with the female on his tail. Mordin and Wiks jumped over the fence, running for the shuttle.
"Stop them!" Tolan shouted from somewhere in front of Shepard. A bullet whizzed past her head, and she could see the salarian through the smoke just as Wrex tossed him aside like a ragdoll. A few stray shots rang behind her, but hit nothing. She jumped into the Kodiak, followed by the two krogan. Then, Mordin and Wiks jumped in, almost in unison. The door began to close.
"Grenades! Don't let them get away!" Tolan shouted, still conscious despite Wrex's vicious attack. The door slid closed just as several grenades exploded against it, shaking the shuttle.
"Get us out of here!" Shepard shouted to Cortez, who was already accelerating, away from the red dots that still followed their flight.
The Kodiak flew, back to the friendlier reaches of space.
Shepard leaned into her chair in the empty mess hall. She would probably later be called on to explain why her passing had left the STG base in disarray, with dead salarians, escaped test subjects and general chaos. However, now she was too tired to deal with any of that. She had used her biotics more than was entirely healthy, and the exertion had come crashing down on her once the adrenaline had left her system. She had eaten as well as she could on an Alliance vessel, and now she needed rest.
She saw the female krogan from the corner of her eye. She turned to the krogan as she sat down in the chair on the other side of the table, twisting in the seat to make it accommodate her krogan proportions.
"Eve. Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Shepard asked.
"Bah," the krogan grunted in response, "I'm not that weak. Besides, I couldn't listen to those two for one minute longer."
"Wiks and Mordin?" Shepard asked.
"Yes," Eve said, "they keep arguing. About evolution, ethics, philosophy, the genophage, my treatment."
"Have they actually gotten any work done?" Shepard asked.
"Once they agree on what needs to be done, they're effective," Eve said, "but before that happens," she let the sentence trail off, grumbling.
"They actually let you out?" Shepard asked.
"No," Eve said, "they just didn't notice I left."
"But will soon," Shepard said. Eve shrugged, her hump rising and falling with her shoulders.
"Anyway, Shepard," Eve started, "back on Sur'kesh, you only brought Wrex with you. Why? I've seen many capable fighters here, like that turian." Shepard sighed in response.
"I misjudged," Shepard said, "I thought a larger armed entourage would just breed hostility. I didn't think they'd try to stop us."
"I see," Eve said, before turning to the med-bay door. Wiks had walked out, and turned to the two women around the table.
"Eve! Here you are," He said, "we need another tissue sample."
"Don't you have over twenty of them already?" Eve grumbled.
"Yes, but we need a fresh one," Wiks said. "Needed to test longevity of mutagens with different methods of preservation."
Eve stood up from her chair and plodded back towards the med-bay. The door closed when the salarian and krogan had went, leaving Shepard alone in the mess hall once again. She stood up, ponderously walking towards the elevator. Perhaps she should have a proper rest as well.
