MASS EFFECT 2: DARK RENDITION
*Part IX*
Pale blue light flooded into the room through the large windows in the far end as Shepard advanced. Flurries of muzzle flashes sent flickering shadows across the walls and the chattering discharges could be heard throughout the building.
The police had cut the power immediately after the Eclipse mercs had stormed the area and Shepard squinted as he moved carefully, his pistol stretched out in front of him. His eyes flickered from side to side, assessing every small movement, watching for any sign of either his enemy or the Justicar.
He frowned gently and eased into the shadows by a nearby wall as the gunfire intensified. Again he found it hard to believe the Justicar would still be alive. All the asari he had questioned had spoken of her in awe and, in some cases, fear. No one knew more than him how powerful a reputation can be, but it was not bulletproof. No matter how strong this asari was, against so many mercs no one person could survive for long alone.
Shepard stood motionless for a moment, swaying slightly as his body recovered from the effects of the turian whiskey he foolishly downed no more than an hour ago. Although the worst of the effects had passed, his skin was pale and shone with sweat. He could only be thankful the incredible noise clattering throughout the building masked his heavy breathing and somewhat clumsy footfalls.
'We've got her cornered in the offices!' came a loud cry from the next room.
Shepard identified the voice as female, although whether she was human or asari was unclear. The brusque reply, however, he recognised as the asari that snapped orders in the alley outside.
'Get the rest of the squad in there right now! The only chance we have is if all of us work together!' the merc barked, although her nerves were evident in her faltering tone.
'It's no good, we're getting killed in there!' the first merc wailed. Her cries were cut short by a loud thump and Shepard almost winced at the sound of the leader's fist thumping into her companion.
'Fight her in there or fight me in here,' she threatened. The sound of scuffling feet followed and Shepard tentatively stepped forward, his eyes down the pistol sights.
The air began to smell of stale body odour and burning flesh, mingled with the sharp tang of weapon discharge. The scent was subtle, yet to Shepard it painted a reliable picture of the struggle. He did not need to see the bodies to know people had died there mere minutes before.
Advancing through the open doorway, he wandered into a small passageway lined with windows and found himself bathed in a soft red light. It seemed the emergency lighting was active in some areas, Shepard thought to himself as he scanned the dim space.
Suddenly his vision span. He did not even feel the pain of the impact as he slammed against the wall, so quick was the strike. He gripped his weapon but to his horror found his hands empty.
'I knew we were being followed!' the merc commander growled.
Shepard could not see her face and grunted as another blow sent him staggering backwards. Nothing was clear. All he could make out was a shifting shape in the gloom, too late to stop the rifle butt catching him in the jaw with a sickening crack.
'Who sent you? Anaya? The Justicar?' she shouted in a frenzy. 'Was it Wasea?'
Again the rifle came down and hit Shepard in the nose, sending him sprawling across the floor. His ears rang and he felt a cold trickle of blood creep across his lips.
Grimacing, Shepard rolled away from what he could only guess was the direction of his attacker. No light came from the windows and the emergency lighting was useless, however he could now see clearly the bright yellow projections of the commander's haptic interfaces. Thick ablative panels glinted slightly as she strode onward, a dark frown creasing her features.
'Whoever you are, you're not one of us,' she sneered and raised her rifle again.
Shepard saw his chance and drove upwards, lifting the merc from her feet and knocking her onto her back. Quickly he followed, gripping the collar of her tech armour and punching relentlessly, acting purely on instinct as he hammered his fist into what he could only assume was a face.
Frantically they scrambled on the ground, each trying to blindly connect with the other as the blows rained down. In the darkness all of their training and experience had turned into a savage, desperate battle to end each other's life.
Shepard's head snapped back and his body was propelled into the wall as commander let loose with a biotic kick. She rose shakily to her feet, her face bloody and contorted with rage. With a pained grunt she picked up her rifle and aimed it at Shepard.
His mind raced. His eyes darted to his pistol, which lay beyond the commander. Then they drifted to the bare walls, searching for something that could help him, anything that could provide a way out of this situation.
The merc's cracked lips twisted into a thin, malicious smile. 'Almost had me there, human.'
'This is your last chance. Drop the weapon,' Shepard said, unflinching and defiant as he stared into her eyes, seemingly unaware of the rifle barrel pointed squarely at him. The asari let out a short, incredulous laugh. The harsh sound was bereft of humour or mirth as it echoed throughout the passageway.
'You think you're in a position to threaten me?' she snarled. 'You're one tough son of a bitch, I'll give you that.'
Narrowing her eyes, the merc squeezed the trigger.
The shot came with a deafening bang and the windows around them exploded into countless pieces, which seemed to hang in the air before falling like glittering raindrops. Shepard covered his eyes and tried to roll onto his stomach to avoid the hail of tiny shards. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the Eclipse commander's body slump lifelessly to the ground, leaving a large, wet stain on the wall behind it.
As he rose to his feet and shook the loose glass from his armour, Shepard nodded in the direction of a distant rooftop, knowing Garrus would no doubt spot the grateful gesture.
***ME2-DR***
'Damn it, Shepard,' Garrus cursed as he finally gave up trying to contact the commander, who could only nod at him in thanks. He understood, of course, that Shepard could not risk betraying his position any further but the arrival of the third group had lent the situation a renewed sense of urgency. If they were Eclipse reinforcements then both Shepard and the Justicar would be overwhelmed.
Unable to do more than simply watch, Garrus again lowered his eyes to his scope. His mood brightened slightly as he observed the small number of mercs remaining through several windows just ahead of Shepard's position. They were firing in panic at an unseen target, completely oblivious to his presence.
Satisfied he could take his eyes from the battle for a moment, Garrus keyed his communicator.
'Tali, Garrus here. Have you found anything?' Only silence greeted him and he tried again, concern burning in his voice. 'Tali, where are you?'
He swore in frustration and slumped heavily back into his firing position, gently adjusting his legs and slowing his breathing. It occurred to him that this was the first time since his escape from Omega that he had been truly alone.
***ME2-DR***
Tali padded quickly through the thinning crowds, gracefully weaving through the shifting figures as they pressed through the main terminal. Every few moments she glanced anxiously back at her pursuers and could only drive herself harder as they gained ground.
Again she cursed her own inattention. So focused was she on looking for police uniforms she had failed to spot the six plainly dressed asari, remarkable only for the illegally modified weapons at their hips. Still, she had noticed them in time to make a break through the packed spaceport entrance, though she was not safe yet.
A krogan growled a racial slur at her as she barged through a knot of travellers but she didn't care. Even with the din of the crowd she could hear the frustrated shouts of those who chased her.
Ahead Tali could see the main security checkpoints that marked the arrivals and departures and she knew her options were running out. Changing direction, she cut across a bewildered group of salarians and crashed into a nearby door, pushing through as it slid open.
One of the asari cried out in alarm as she saw the door close behind Tali, the icon in the centre turning red as it locked before them.
'Damn quarian locked the door,' the asari snapped to her companions, her blue skin etched with dark tattoos. 'You stay here in case she doubles back,' she ordered curtly at the nearest of them, thumbing a gesture at the door. 'The rest of you, spilt up and find a way into the cargo area.'
'What do we do if we find her, Wasea?' another asked nervously. Her tone earned her a hard glare as Wasea struggled to keep her temper in check.
'She's by herself. She won't be any threat to us. Take her alive, that's what biotics are for, you moron.'
The young asari flushed with shame and stepped back as Wasea led the team back through the throng, her face dark with murderous intent.
***ME2-DR***
'What was the name of the ship?' The words rang out in the silence, the Justicar's smooth, calm voice carrying far throughout the large chamber.
Shepard could only stare, pistol drawn, at the ornately dressed asari standing confidently over the mercenary, who coughed and spluttered as her boot pressed down on her throat. Flecks of blood-marred spittle sprayed across the floor as the merc choked a response.
'Go to hell!'
The Justicar's expression was unreadable and her voice was even as she repeated her mantra, as she had done dozens of times before.
'May you find peace in the embrace of the Goddess…'
Shepard frowned slightly as a sickened crunch filled the air and the merc's head fell to one side listlessly. After the chaos of the frenetic gun battle the silence almost made him uncomfortable and he slowed his breathing to steady his aim.
The Justicar turned towards him, silhouetted against a sweeping view of the city. Blinking away the last of the turian whiskey's effects, Shepard narrowed his eyes and tried not to become distracted by the shifting lines of traffic behind her.
'What is this?' the Justicar asked, striding confidently towards Shepard. 'My quarrel is with the Eclipse and yet I see an armed human standing before me?'
Shepard's eyes passed over her as she came to a halt before him. Her slim, yet muscular body was clad in a dark red suit, though Shepard did not recognise the material. Judging by the complex patterns crawling up to the swell of her bosom, he could only assume it had been crafted by skilled asari artisans. He had no doubt this was his target.
'My name is Commander Shepard,' he stated flatly, lowering his weapon in a show of faith. 'I need your help.'
Shepard tensed as his pistol dropped to his side, unused to dropping his guard. The Justicar was evidently a powerful warrior, yet he couldn't be sure if she would view him as a friend. Despite his unease, he had to show he was no threat to her.
She looked at him impassively for a few moments, regarding him with an eye well versed in rendering judgement. The air around her seemed to shimmer and Shepard realised she kept her biotic power close to hand at all times. He hid his awe at the barely constrained energy behind a cold mask as she replied.
'I have heard much about you, Commander. Your actions have become common knowledge throughout asari space. Your deeds during the attack on the Citadel, especially your rescue of the Council, are held in high regard.'
Shepard dipped his head, acknowledging the compliment. Under ordinary circumstances he would have been flattered, but things were far from ordinary.
'I am Samara, servant of the Justicar code. I am here on my own mission, however, and I am afraid I cannot help you.'
Shepard swallowed dryly. He did not want to use force and, even if he did, he doubted he would be successful. His body was trembling, his mind splintered with pain and this was yet another challenge he had to overcome. Part of him wanted to simply coerce Samara with the barrel of his pistol but he knew that was simply his weakness talking. Taking a deep breath, he tried again.
'Let me explain the situation first. Thousands of human colonists have been abducted by a race known as the Collectors. We don't know why and there doesn't seem to be a way to stop them.'
'The Collectors? I know of them, though only by reputation,' Samara said, her voice suddenly laced with the subtlest hint of curiosity.
'My team and I faced them on the colony of Horizon. They escaped with about a third of the colonists but we learned a lot from the encounter. We're on their trail and we need people, soldiers, to take the fight to them.'
Samara's eyes narrowed. 'You have my attention Commander, though nothing more. I fear we must wait to finish this conversation.'
Shepard's look of confusion instantly turned to the cold face of battle as he turned to face the armed figures standing in the doorway behind him. The narrow space bristled with shotgun barrels, each trigger ready to fire.
***ME2-DR***
Tali's hood fluttered as she trotted through the darkened warehouse. It was clearly closed for the night and only a few lights remained on, creating glowing white pools that only made the shadows around them seem all the darker.
Carefully, Tali drew her shotgun as the raised voices grew closer. She ached to be able to sink into the shadows, though she knew that too much gave her away. Aside from her mouth lamp, her visor clearly reflected the harsh spotlights and her omni-tool remained on as she transferred the data to Shepard.
The thought that he would at least have the information he needed gave her comfort as she waited. She could have laughed at the irony. She had struggled to find her place among the flotilla and many of her tasks had met difficulty and disaster. When she was with Shepard, however, everything seemed easier. When she was with him, Tali felt invincible.
'I know she's here somewhere!' an asari yelled out, frighteningly near.
Her sights fixed on the direction of the voice, Tali edged back, her breathing short and sharp as the merc walked into her field of fire. Sensing the threat in the shadows, the merc could only open her mouth to cry out as her scream was cut violently short.
The shotgun blast ripped through the air, causing Wasea to wheel around on the spot. The damn quarian had slipped past them somehow! In a fury, she snapped an order to her remaining men.
'Make sure the exits are covered. Rythia, Lacona, you're with me.'
The small team moved quickly through the dim light, the stacked crates and containers towering over them. Wasea knew each shadow could contain an ambush and it took a force of will to check every corner as she passed.
Another shot slammed into the merc on Wasea's right, tearing through her shields and knocking her to the ground. Wasea grimaced as she glanced back at the crumpled, motionless pile and swore inwardly. The quarian would pay dearly for this.
With a brief gesture, she sent her remaining mercenary to the left while she peeled off to the right, taking a moment to steady her nerves. Slowly, like a rising tempest, biotic energy began to swirl around her.
Tali sank into the corner. She had nowhere else to run and her thermal clip was almost spent. If it weren't for the data transfer she could unleash her beloved combat drone and at least buy some time. Breathing deeply, Tali crept forward once more.
A flash of movement to her front caught her attention and she fired instinctively into the darkness, the crates around her flashing brilliantly for a moment. One more shot.
On impulse, she darted forward and instantly felt an enormous weight slam into her side, wrenching her from her feet and sending her crashing into the nearby containers. Scowling, Wasea approached Tali's limp form.
'Restrain her. We'll lock her up until she comes round, then we'll have some fun with her. Don't kill her though, she can't tell us what she knows if she's dead.' The final remaining merc nodded in reply and moved to drag the unconscious quarian out of the area.
Wasea ran a hand wearily across her face. This one was far more trouble than she was worth. She had thought all quarians were frail, weak creatures that got sick too easy and were next to useless in a fire fight. Clearly she had to reassess that opinion.