Chapter 7
Udina's words echoed in my head for the next second or so. "Captain Anderson is stepping down as commanding officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours now." Like Anderson would ever do that willingly.
I looked at the captain, just to make sure I wasn't hearing things. He nodded, confirming my fears.
"She's quick and quiet, and you know the crew," he said. "Perfect ship for a Spectre. Treat her well, Commander."
For once, I managed to suppress my obsessive curiosity. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Udina screwed Anderson over for the sake of political expediency. The last thing Anderson needed was to be humiliated again just because I was too stupid to connect the dots, so I reassured him that I'd take good care of the ship, and, by association, the crew. (1)
"What kinds of leads do we have?" I continued, hoping to get past this awkward moment.
If Anderson did feel any humiliation or awkwardness, he hid it very well. "Saren's gone. Don't even try to find him. But we know what he's after: the Conduit. He's got his geth scouring the Traverse looking for clues.
"We had reports of geth in the Feros system shortly before our colony there dropped out of contact. And there have been sightings around Noveria," Udina added.
"Find out what Saren was after on Feros and Noveria. Maybe you can figure out where the Conduit is before he does," Anderson resumed.
"What about the Reapers?" I asked. "They sound like the real threat here."
Udina was shaking his head before I even finished. "I'm with the Council on this one, Shepard. I'm not sure they even exist."
More like you're not sure the Reapers can help you score any political points, I thought to myself.
Anderson was a bit more conciliatory. "But if they do exist, the Conduit's the key to bringing them back. Stop Saren from getting the Conduit and we stop the Reapers from returning."
"Got it," I said. "Anything else?"
"We have one more lead," Udina admitted. "Matriarch Benezia, that other voice on the recording? She has a daughter, a scientist and archaeologist who specializes in the Protheans. We don't know if she's involved, but it might be a good idea to try and find her. See what she knows. Her name's Liara. Dr. Liara T'Soni. We have reports she was exploring an archaeological dig on one of the uncharted worlds in the Artemis Tau cluster."
So it looked like I had three leads to follow: Feros, Noveria, and this Dr. T'Soni in the Artemis Tau cluster. I could go off on a wild-goose chase to check out these geth reports on Feros. Or I could seek a wilder goose-chase to investigate the supposed Noveria sightings.
I guess, when I put it that way, the choice was pretty simple.
"Sounds like we should head for the Artemis Tau cluster," I decided out loud. Maybe this Dr. T'Soni could provide some insight into her mother that would help us out. Besides, playing hide-and-seek sounded safer than deliberately chasing after geth.
"It's your decision, Commander," Anderson reminded me. "You're a Spectre now. You don't answer to us." Well, not officially, anyways.
Naturally, Udina had to stick his nose in. "But your actions still reflect on humanity as a whole. You make a mess and I get stuck cleaning it up."
"I'll try not to make things any harder for you, Ambassador," I replied, somehow succeeding in keeping the rest of what I wanted to say quiet.
Udina looked like he believed me, which only proved he was a lousy judge of character. "Glad to hear it, Commander. Remember: you were a human long before you became a Spectre."
Good to know. They say memory's the first to go, after all.
"I have a meeting to get to. Captain Anderson can answer any questions you might have."
As usual, Udina didn't bother with the customary farewells, making a beeline for the elevator. I found myself wondering if I should hack the elevator controls while he was halfway down.
Anderson interrupted me before I could do anything rash (though undeniably fun). "Anything you need, Commander?"
"How are you holding up?" I asked.
"Honestly?" Anderson shook his head. "This isn't how I pictured my career coming to an end. Pushing papers really isn't my thing. (2) But you're the one who can stop Saren. I believe in you, Shepard. If that means I have to step aside, so be it."
I know he meant well, but my guilt spiked when he said those words. And that made my next question even more painful: "Captain... I have to know. What exactly is your history with Saren?"
Anderson sighed. "It's close to twenty years ago now. Ambassador Goyle was our representative here on the Citadel. Like Udina, she wanted to get a human into the Spectres. She chose me.
"The Council sent Saren to keep an eye on me and evaluate my performance. Just like they sent Nihlus to keep tabs on you." I motioned for him to continue.
"We had intel on a rogue scientist being funded by batarian interests. He was trying to set up a facility to develop illegal AI tech out in the Verge. Alliance intel had done all the work, but the Council wanted a Spectre involved. We compromised: I was assigned to help Saren in his investigation.
"We tracked the scientist to a refining facility on Camala. He was hidden away somewhere inside, protected by an army of batarian mercenaries. The plan was simple: sneak into the plant, capture the scientist, sneak back out. Quick, quiet and a minimum of bloodshed."
"I'm guessing things didn't go as planned," I said dryly.
Anderson smiled faintly. "Saren and I split up to cover more ground. Then, about halfway through the mission, there was a massive explosion in the refinery core.
"Officially, it was ruled an accident. But I think Saren detonated it on purpose to draw off the enemy guards."
"How many casualties?" I asked.
"The explosion tore the refinery to shreds. The whole place was on fire. Black chemical clouds poured out into the atmosphere. No one inside survived.
"There was a camp for the workers and their families nearby. Between the fire and the toxic fumes, the final death count was over 500. Mostly civilians.
"Saren didn't care. The target was eliminated. Mission accomplished. And I ended up taking the blame. That ended all talk of me joining the Spectres."
I frowned, replaying what Anderson just said. "If Saren caused the explosion, how'd he pin it on you?"
"In his report, Saren accused me of blowing his cover. He said it was my fault the guards were ready for us. He claimed that was why it turned into a massacre. Saren's report was all the proof the Council needed to kill my chances of becoming a Spectre."
He shook his head again. "I had a bad feeling about him right from the start. I should've been more careful. Maybe I could've stopped things before they got out of hand."
"Don't blame yourself, Captain," I told him.
Anderson lifted his head and looked me square in the eye. "I don't," he said, quietly but firmly. "I blame Saren. I think he wanted things to go bad. He was looking for an excuse to blow that refinery. Maybe he just likes the violence. Maybe he was just trying to make me look bad to keep humans out of the Spectres. If so, he pulled it off."
"Not this time," I vowed. Anderson smiled. Good. His spirits seemed to be picking up. (3)
We chatted for a few more minutes about the leads Udina mentioned. Eventually, there was a pause. "Is there anything else, Commander?" Anderson asked.
I shook my head. "I should go."
"I'll be in the embassy if you need anything. Good luck."
With that, my companions and I entered the airlock to get decontaminated before boarding the ship. Waiting while the sterilization beams swept over us again and again and again... it was almost as bad as the damn elevators. Eventually, the ship's VI concluded that we wouldn't be tracking any germs around, and we were allowed to go onboard.
I spent the next hour or so cooped up in Captain Anderson's former quarters. My quarters now. I'd miss my sleeper pod, but I'd been so busy lately, I hadn't even slept in it. Anyways, I had a lot of paperwork to fill out.
Amongst other things, I had to confirm Pressly as the new XO. Still hard to believe that someone else had to do that job now. I must've set a new record for fastest promotion ever. Anyways, Pressly had the most experience amongst any of the officers, and he'd been holding down the proverbial fort while Anderson and I were on the Citadel.
Recalling his animosity towards turians, I talked with him before making things official. Issues about his family's participation in the First Contact War aside, it sounded like any concerns he had about non-humans onboard stemmed more from his feelings that Saren attacked a human colony. As such, he regarded it as humanity's problem and responsibility to handle. However, he assured me that he would never let his personal feelings get in the way of the mission, and if I felt having non-humans tag along was okay, he'd abide by my decision.
Not the most ringing endorsement I'd ever heard, but I've met too many people who were completely incapable of separating their personal and professional lives. As long as he didn't devolve into a raving "speciesist," I could live with him as the new XO.
With that out of the way, I headed up to the cockpit. For whatever reason, the intercom on the command deck was located there. Joker glanced up when he heard me enter.
"I heard what happened to Captain Anderson," he said. "Man survives a hundred battles, and then gets taken down by backroom politics.
"Just watch your back, Commander. Things go bad on this mission; you're next on their chopping block."
Right. Fastest and shortest promotion in Alliance history. Not to mention most undeserved. "Captain Anderson should be the one in charge," I said. "It's like I'm stealing the ship from him."
Joker stopped what he was doing and turned his head to face me. "The captain got screwed. But it's not like you could've stopped them. Nobody's blaming you. Everyone on the ship's behind you, Commander. One hundred percent."
"I didn't think anyone held me responsible," I reassured him. "And I appreciate the support."
"Intercom's open," Joker said, gesturing towards the panel. "If you've got anything you want to say to the crew, now's the time."
I reached over and selected ship-wide communications. Thank god for all those speeches I'd had to give as Hero of the Blitz. Gave me plenty of material to BS something on the fly.
"This is Commander Shepard speaking," I began. "We have our orders: find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie to you, crew. This mission isn't going to be easy.
"For too long our species has stood apart from the others. Now it's time for us to step up and do our part for the rest of the galaxy! Time to show them what humans are made of!
"Our enemy knows we're coming. When we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. But we'll be ready for them, too.
"Humanity needs to do this. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you all... we will stop him."
I shut down the comm and let out a breath. Damn speeches. Never liked hearing them. Never liked giving them.
"Well said, Commander," Joker complimented me. "Captain would be proud."
"The captain gave up everything so I could have this chance. We can't fail," I replied.
"Yes, sir!"
Having given that hopefully rousing pep talk, I headed over to the Galaxy Map to select our destination. The Artemis Tau cluster consisted of four star systems. According to the Map, it seemed the mass relay to the Artemis Tau cluster was closest to the Athens system, so I figured that was as good a place as any to start my search.
We'd only arrived in the Athens system for a few minutes when Joker's voice popped through my radio speakers.
"Commander. Urgent message from Alliance Command coming in. I'll patch it through."
A new, gravelly voice came in. "Shepard, this is Admiral Hackett from Alliance Command," he introduced himself. "We've got a situation here, and you're the only one who can handle it."
How many times had I heard that before, I wondered. Aloud, I asked him what he needed.
"There's an Alliance training ground where we test weapons and technology in live-fire simulations. One of the VI's we use to simulate enemy tactics in the drills is no longer responding to our override commands. It's gone rogue."
"It's gone rogue," I repeated, Anderson's talk about AI research still ringing in my head. "Are you telling me this computer is thinking on its own?"
Hackett instantly understood what I was getting at. "We're not stupid, Shepard," he replied. "This is a virtual intelligence, not a true AI. It's not self-aware, and it can't access any external systems. We didn't do anything illegal here."
"Just trying to get a handle on the situation, sir," I said. "I know how important VI support is to the Alliance."
"Then you can imagine why we were using one in this training ground," he continued. "Anyway, we need you to fight your way through the training ground to the VI core, and manually disable it.
Great.
"Can't you disable it remotely?" I asked.
"Our failsafes aren't responding," Hackett answered. "It operates on a closed network, so it can't access any external systems, but that means we don't have any direct access to its processes, either. We could bomb it from orbit, but the damage to the facility would be catastrophic. We'd prefer to have someone shut down the core. Someone like you."
Before I could even think of sighing in frustration, Hackett continued. "I know Spectres answer to the Council, but you're still human. You're still part of the Alliance military, and right now we need you. The VI controls all of the facility's weapons, drones and automated defences. You're the only one who can pull this off, Shepard. Good luck."
He sent me the location of the training ground just before he signed off. Good timing, or I would have registered a fresh protest, superior officer or not: the training ground was on Earth's moon, Luna. I couldn't believe it. He had an entire fleet that was closer to Luna than I was, never mind all those regiments that were stationed on nearby stations or colony worlds, and he wanted me and my squad to handle it. Even though I was halfway across the galaxy!
I sighed. I had more respect for him than the other REMFs, as everything I'd heard about him suggested he actually gave a damn about the grunts under his command and was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. That didn't make things any easier.
Putting this extra mission to the back of my mind, we started scanning the planets. Thanks to the Normandy's sensors, I was able to find a large concentration of helium-3 on one planet and a large amount of oxygen on another. And since I was the first one to discover it, the bounties would go to us. (4)
No Prothean ruins, though, so we moved on to the Knossos system. It had several deposits of platinum in one asteroid belt, an abandoned salarian fighter with some trinket in another belt, a large concentration of nitrogen on one of the planets... and a world called Therum. According to the Alliance database, it was supposedly covered in Prothean ruins. Bingo!
Deciding to investigate that planet in person, I left the command deck to gather up my squad. While I could've just radioed everyone and told them to meet me in the garage, I figured that, for the first offworld mission, I should rustle up the posse in person.
Kaidan was the only one in the living quarters area, vainly trying to fix the control panel outside the sleeper pods. He seemed relieved to hear we had a mission, and quickly fell in line.
Ashley, Garrus and Wrex were in the storage area, which effectively doubled as our garage. (5) Tali, I was told, had stayed with them just long enough to claim a locker before making a beeline for engineering. Casting a baleful look at the Mako, which I'd have the misfortune to drive shortly, I told Kaidan to inform them of our mission and get them suited up, then headed over to pick up Tali.
Adams, the Chief Engineer, intercepted me as soon as I stepped inside. "Hey, Commander," he said. "You know that quarian? Tali? She's been spending all her time down here asking me about our engines."
"Is she causing any problems or interfering with your work?" I asked. "If so, I'll tell her to leave you alone."
"What?" Adams looked confused, before he realized that I had misunderstood him. "No! She's amazing," he enthused. "I wish my guys were half as smart as she is. Give her a month on board and she'll know more about our engines than I do! She's got a real knack for technology, that one. I can see why you wanted her to come along."
Ah. Far from getting in the way, she'd taken it upon herself to help out the engineering crew. And made quite the impact, judging by Adams's reaction.
I shrugged modestly. "I figured she'd be a real asset to the team."
"You've got an eye for talent, Commander. But I'm guessing that's not why you came down here."
"Got a mission," I replied. "If you can spare her, I figured I'd make use of her talents."
"I was planning to get her opinion on how to improve the drive core's efficiency, but that can wait until you get back," he answered.
"Thanks. Carry on, Adams."
"Aye, aye, sir."
I tried to catch Tali's attention, but she was thoroughly absorbed at one of the computer panels, so I had to walk over and tap her on the shoulder.
"Your ship is amazing, Shepard!" Tali greeted me enthusiastically. "I've never seen a drive core like this before. I can't believe you were able to fit it into a ship this small. I'm starting to understand why you humans have been so successful. I had no idea Alliance vessels were so advanced!"
"The Normandy's a prototype," I explained. "Cutting-edge technology."
Tali looked around, her body posture expressing her wonder. "A month ago, I was patching a makeshift fuel line into a converted tug ship in the Flotilla. Now, I'm sitting on board one of the most advanced vessels in Citadel space. I have to thank you again for bringing me along. Travelling on a vessel like this is a dream come true for me."
I had to smile: her enthusiasm was rather infectious. "I had no idea you found ship technology so fascinating."
Tali shrugged. "It comes with being a quarian. The Migrant Fleet is the key to the survival of my people. Ships are our most valuable resource. But we don't have anything like this," she gestured around her. "We have to make do with castoffs and second-hand equipment, and try to keep them running as long as we can. Some of the Fleet's larger vessels date all the way back to our original flight from the geth."
I whistled. "I can't believe your fleet's still using ships that are three centuries old."
"They're constantly being repaired, modified and refitted. They aren't pretty, but they work. Mostly." she amended. "We've tried to make ourselves as independent as possible on the Flotilla. Grow our own food, mine and process our own fuel. But some things we just can't make on our own. A patch to maintain the hull integrity requires raw materials we just don't have. That's why our Pilgrimages are so important."
"I can see that," I replied. "For now, though, we've found a possible world where Dr. T'Soni might be exploring. I thought you'd like to come along."
Despite her obvious desire to stay in Engineering, she was quick to agree. As we chatted on our way to the Mako, Tali gave high praise to Adams. Apparently, he'd taken it upon himself to act as her mentor while she was on board and make her feel welcome. I wasn't really surprised, as I recalled a conversation I had with Captain Anderson just before our shakedown run started.
Apparently, Anderson had visited the SSV Tokyo, Adams's previous posting, and had commented that the shuttle's thrusters were a bit sluggish. Not only did Adams stayed up all night to fix the problem, he also stayed long enough to explain exactly what the problem was, how it had occurred, and how frequently it occurred in relation to other common shuttle malfunctions. As a result, Anderson came away with a far greater understanding of shuttle and, by extension, starship technology, and a determination to invite him onto his crew at the earliest opportunity.
When we reached the Mako, Kaidan, Ashley and Wrex were standing outside, suited up and good to go. Garrus was suited up as well, but was underneath the Mako, tinkering with the Mako's wheels. When Kaidan helpfully informed him of our arrival, he made a final tweak, and then got up.
"Gears were out of alignment," he explained. "I've done what I can to fix it, but it looks like it'll shift back out of alignment every time you take it out. Not to mention the navigation software's full of bugs." As I would later find out, this recurring problem prompted Garrus to spend most of his spare time in the garage, calibrating and re-calibrating the Mako. Similar to Kaidan and "his" computer panel, though Garrus seemed to have more success.
"That explains a lot," Ashley commented. "My unit... my former unit," she corrected with a wince, "never used our Mako unless we absolutely had to. We couldn't trust it to go straight."
"Well, it's a piece of crap," I admitted, "but the only other alternative is walking. So we'll have to suck it up and bite the bullet." Noting the confused expressions that Wrex and Garrus (and presumably Tali, though her faceplate prevented me from seeing it) were sporting, I added "I'll explain later."
Kaidan, Ashley, Wrex and Tali got into the Mako. Garrus stayed behind. Gathering that he wanted to say something in private, I waited for him to make the first move.
"Thanks for bringing me on board, Commander," he began. "I knew working with a Spectre would be better than life at C-Sec."
"Have you worked with a Spectre before?" I asked.
"Well, no," he acknowledged, "but I know what they're like. Spectres make their own rules. You're free to handle things your way. At C-Sec, you're buried by rules. The damn bureaucrats are always on your back."
"For the most part, the rules are there for a reason," I pointed out. After all, if it weren't for those rules, I wouldn't know what I could get away with or what I could bend to my liking.
Garrus wasn't convinced. "Maybe. But sometimes it feels like the rules are only there to stop me from doing my work. If I'm trying to take down a suspect, it shouldn't matter how I do it, as long as I do it. But C-Sec wants it done their way. Protocol and procedure come first. That's why I left."
I had suspected that Garrus was experiencing some dissatisfaction with his job, but I hadn't realized it had gotten that far. "So you just quit because you didn't like the way they do things?"
He shook his head. "There's more to it than that. It didn't start out bad, but as I rose in rank, I got saddled with more and more red tape. C-Sec's handling of Saren was typical. I just couldn't take it anymore. I hate leaving..."
He stopped there, obviously torn. "I hope you made the right choice," I said. "I'd hate for you to regret it later."
"Well, that's sort of why I teamed up with you," he explained. "It's a chance for me to get off the Citadel, see how things are done out of C-Sec."
Fair enough. Spend too long in one place and you can get a little too static in your thinking.
"Either way, I plan to make the most of this. And without C-Sec headquarters looking over my shoulder, well, maybe I can get the job done my way for a change."
"If getting the job done means endangering innocent people, then no," I said sharply. "We get the job done right, not fast. Got it?"
"I wasn't trying to—," Garrus began frantically, before deflating. "Yes, Commander," he finished softly.
Oops. Maybe that was a bit much.
"Look, I didn't mean to be so strong," I apologized. "It's just, the last person who was a bit too eager to get things done, rather than taking the time to do them correctly, wound up getting killed. I'd hate for you to follow in his footsteps." Especially since that would mean one less body to stand between me and harm's way.
"Understood, Commander," Garrus said. "Shall we?" He tilted his head towards the Mako.
I motioned for him to go first. Somehow, we got in. As I squeezed myself into the driver's seat, I quickly found a silver lining: it meant I wouldn't be stuck in the back, where Wrex had somehow wedged himself in. His bulk filled up quite a bit of room, making things even more crowded than they already were.
Ignoring my companions' complaints and struggles for room, I quickly did the standard pre-drop check, while giving them a quick briefing of why we were going on this away mission. Thankfully, the board was green. I figured the squad would be slightly happier, given the cramped conditions, if we were actually moving.
"Joker," I signalled. "Ready to drop."
"Roger, Commander," he acknowledged. "Drop in five... four... three... two... one..."
I have never enjoyed orbital drops. Scare the crap out of me. Hell, I still have nightmares from that roller coaster ride on that amusement park my parents took me to. It was the first time I'd been on an actual planet. After that debacle, it took me almost ten years before I set foot on a planet again.
Therefore, let's just say we dropped, we landed with a couple bounces, and we survived. 'Nuff said.
Joker came in over the comm, just as our heads stopped rattling around. "Commander, I'm picking up some strange readings," he reported. "Really strange. Like, off the damn charts. It looks like it's coming from an underground complex a few klicks away from the drop zone."
"Understood, Joker," I replied. "Send the data to the Mako and establish geo-synchronous orbit."
"Already done, Commander," he answered. "Normandy, out."
The first five minutes or so were tranquil, given the circumstances. By that, I mean no one was taking pot-shots at us. The scenery was hardly tranquil. As Wrex put it: "Nothing but rocks, dirt and lava. Reminds me of home."
Okay, aside from the reference to home, he was pretty much bang-on as far as I was concerned. Anyways, we just reached the crest of a small hill when we heard a howl that seemed to grow louder and louder.
Suddenly, some kind of ship swooped overhead. Judging from its size, it was some kind of frigate. Looked like an oversized metal hornet. It hovered about two hundred metres in front of us, just long enough to drop two packages, and then flew away.
"Kaidan, Ashley, get on weapons," I ordered, while linking the viewscreen to the weapon system's cameras. I wanted to zoom in on whatever that ship had dropped. While that would dramatically decrease my field of vision, my inner voice told me I really ought to see what I was getting the squad into.
Unfortunately, my inner voice knew what it was talking about. To my horror, I saw those "packages" were actually giant quadruped platforms, whose legs were distributed equidistantly around the base. Its "head and neck" vaguely resembled a metal horse. What really worried me, though, was the giant flashlight on their heads.
"Geth armatures," Tali identified.
"Tali, what are they packing?" I asked her.
Thankfully, she knew what I meant. "Similar to the Mako's armament," she replied, indicating that the Normandy's drive core wasn't the only thing she had studied. "At this range, they'll use their siege pulse cannons, which are their equivalent of the mass accelerator cannons."
"Right," I decided. "Kaidan, Ashley, focus on the closest armature and take it out first." I paused to activate the Mako's thrusters, jumping it, and us, over two glowing rounds that came from the armatures. "I'll use the thrusters every now and then to keep them from hitting us."
"Roger," they replied in unison. The machine gun fired first, draining most of the first armature's shields before it overheated. While the operator—Ashley, as I later found out—paused to let it cool down, Kaidan fired a round from the MAC. "Gotta jump," I warned before hitting the thrusters. Cut it a bit close, as one of the rounds grazed the Mako's shields.
This went on for a few minutes, but the armatures eventually collapsed in a couple heaps of scrap. It helped that they kept shuffling their legs together just before firing. I wasn't sure why they needed to assume that particular "firing position," but it sure made it easier to determine when to jump. With that concluded, we breathed a sigh of relief and drove on.
We had just driven past the armatures and round a bend in the path when we came across a large gate that completely blocked the path. In front of the gate stood three turrets, all of which fired at us in unison.
Quickly, I hit the thrusters again. Thanks to the practise from the armatures, I managed to avoid all three shots.
"This route's a no-go," Ashley concluded. "Those turrets have height and range."
"Only a fool punches a nathak in the mouth," Wrex advised. "We should sneak around and pull its tail."
Translating his commentary as a suggestion that we should find an alternate route, I quickly looked about and spotted a path branching off to the right. Hitting the gas pedal, I revved the Mako forward, just in time to avoid another volley from the turrets.
As the Mako entered the side path, I breathed a sigh of relief. Naturally, it was too soon.
"Turret," Ashley yelled as we rounded a corner. Yep. The geth were rude enough to plant another turret smack in the middle of the path. Using the same shoot-and-jump technique that we'd used on the armatures, and that, incidentally, I'd been trained to use when facing enemy vehicles or rocket-armed infantry, we quickly dealt with it.
Hopping over the now-smoking turret, we drove on. As it turned out, that path was a secondary route into a clearing that the gate was guarding. Unfortunately, the geth knew all about it, and had stationed troops to guard it. Fortunately, there were no more turrets. The worst we had to face was what Tali identified as a Juggernaut, a stronger version of the Destroyer, and a Rocket Trooper. On foot, we might have been hard-pressed to handle them. In the Mako, it was much easier.
Once the guards were destroyed, I drove the Mako into the middle of the clearing. I saw there were two gates, the first one which we had seen before taking that little detour. Each gate was bordered by two structures or gatehouses.
"Everyone out," I ordered, unbuckling my seatbelt. Once everyone had complied, I gave my next orders. "Kaidan, take Wrex and Ashley and check out that gatehouse," I ordered, pointing to the closest gatehouse blocking the first gate. "See if there's anything we can use. The rest of you, with me."
Kaidan and his fire-team moved off to the gatehouse I'd indicated, while the rest followed me to the second gatehouse.
The gatehouse was pretty basic. A ramp led off to our right to the corner of the building. An incline led up the side to a catwalk, which ran back parallel to the ramp we were on. In the middle was some kind of tank on girders, which vaguely reminded me of a water tower.
Anyways, I could see a storage locker at the end of the ramp. Unfortunately, my HUD picked up a single target moving around, and I doubted it was friendly.
Gesturing for Garrus and Tali to follow my lead, I pulled out my pistol. Tali pulled out her own, while Garrus preferred his assault rifle. Quietly, we crept down the ramp. Craning my head to look past all the junk in the middle of the building, my eyes widened as they identified the target.
"Rocket trooper," I mouthed. Garrus and Tali nodded grimly. "On three," I mouthed again. "One, two..."
On three, we jumped out and opened fire. Apparently, that geth's audio receptors were busted, because it was completely caught off guard. It didn't even have a chance to raise its weapon before it dropped to the ground.
With that over with, I turned my attention to the storage locker. Of course it was locked. Thankfully, it was a cheap lock, easy to hack. My eyes lit up as soon as I opened it. Mark VIII Raptor assault rifle from Devlon Industries. Mark VIII Punisher sniper rifle from Armax Arsenal. Gemini VIII biotic amp, also from Armax. I handed Garrus the Raptor, happily took the Punisher, and dropped the amp in one of my suit's pouches to give to Kaidan or Wrex when we next linked up.
Moving up the ramp, I saw some kind of switch at the end of the catwalk. It was just asking for me to trot over and activate it. So I did. Big mistake, as it turned out.
"Commander," Kaidan's voice burst in over the comm, just as we exited the gatehouse. "The gate just went down."
My eyes jerked over. Sure enough, the gate had retracted. My fire-team had a clear line of sight to one of the turrets, which was now happily firing at us.
"Yeah, that was me," I answered, somewhat sheepishly, as we ducked. "Listen up. Use your tech mines to sabotage the weapons systems and overload the shields. That should give us a chance to take it out."
Kaidan must have been wondering what drugs I was on earlier, but complied. Garrus, Tali and I threw our tech mines more or less simultaneously. With a series of explosions and sparks, the turret's weapons and shields went down. It occurred to me, belatedly, that maybe I should have divided up the squad a bit more evenly. Oops.
In that moment of regret, inspiration hit me. "Garrus, get your sniper rifle." I holstered my pistol, pulled out the sniper rifle I'd just liberated, and aimed it at the turret.
"Gotcha," Garrus answered. He was behind me, so I couldn't see him, but I assumed I'd given him enough time to obey my orders. Through the rifle's scope, I zoomed in on some piece of the turret that looked very complicated and delicate. "Fire!"
Two shots hit that sensitive-looking part simultaneously. To my delight, the entire turret exploded. Glancing up, I saw Kaidan's team was still firing away. I glanced at the Mako and cursed myself for parking it so far away. We'd never be able to get to it before the last turret took us out.
"Okay, team," I said briskly. "We're taking out the last turret. Same drill as before. Ready?"
"Ready," they replied in unison. With a gesture, we ran away from the building, just far enough to see the middle turret. Ducking in time to avoid the inevitable fire, and thankful that it could only fire one of those rounds every ten seconds or so, we threw our tech mines, waited for them to disable the turret, and fired.
We destroyed the middle turret at the same time that Kaidan's team destroyed their first one. I waved them to meet up with us by the Mako. Once they arrived, I allowed a look of chagrin to spread over my face.
"Sorry about that," I said apologetically.
"What for?" Wrex asked happily. "We've been using your Mako to deal with all the geth so far. This is the first time I got to take something down myself."
Ashley gave him a look, then shrugged and allowed a satisfied grin to spread over her own face.
"That was a good plan to take out those turrets, though, Commander," Kaidan said.
I nodded my thanks. "That may be, but I think your squad needs a bit more tech support." I looked over Kaidan's team, and then looked at mine. "Garrus, Wrex, switch teams. That oughta even things out."
Wrex nodded in approval. "That'll give your squad some biotic support as well. Good call, Shepard."
I decided not to tell him I'd forgotten about that, too.
Garrus and Wrex moved to obey my orders, and I gave Wrex the amp I just picked up. He gave a feral grin, holstered his assault rifle, and then reached behind his head to switch out his own biotic amp.
"Doesn't that hurt, Wrex?" Tali asked.
"Nope," came the answer.
"Okay, my team's going over there," I said, pointing to some construction supplies near the gatehouse I'd just left. "Kaidan, get your team into the Mako and drive over there." I pointed to the second gate. "Search around the perimeter for anything we can use. If we aren't there yet, wait for us."
"Roger," Kaidan acknowledged. He waved at Ashley and Garrus to follow him, while I led Wrex and Tali towards the supplies.
To my delight, I found two small crates, which were chock full of pistols and sniper rifles from Rosenkov Materials and Haliat Armory, respectively. There was one last item in there. I picked it up and whistled. Behind me, I heard Tali gasp.
It was a Savant omni-tool, from the Serrice Council. An asari consortium, they were known for making the best of the best equipment out there. Their armour, while only available for turians, had the best tech and biotic countermeasures out there, and their damage protection and shields weren't too shabby, either. More importantly, nobody, and I mean nobody, made better biotic amps or omni-tools. On top of everything, that baby was a Mark IX. Only the Mark X Savant was better, and even then, its only advantage lay in faster tech mine fabrication.
I stood there for a minute, mentally drooling over it, and debating what to do. With a gut-wrenching decision, I held it out towards Tali.
"Shepard?" she whispered. "Are you..."
"You'd better take it before I change my mind," I joked half-heartedly. Damn this noble hero rep!
Nodding in hesitation, she took it and swapped it with her old omni-tool. A Mark V Cipher. Older version of the Mark VII we'd seen back in one of the shops on the Citadel. She paused, and tilted her head to one side. "Tali?" I prompted.
Lifting one finger in a "Hold on" gesture, she crouched on the ground. Putting the Cipher omni-tool in her lap, she grabbed some spare parts form one pouch, some tools from another, and started taking the omni-tool apart.
"Tali?" I asked again. She ignored me.
"Commander," a voice broke in over the comm. It was Kaidan. "We're done. Found another crate. Had a couple shotguns and an assault rifle. What about you?"
"Got some pistols and sniper rifles," I replied. "And an omni-tool. Gave it to Tali, who's now tinkering with her old one. Stand by."
I received Kaidan's acknowledgement and waited. And waited. Wrex started shuffling his feet, then started pulling out his weapons. I followed suit, and we spent the next few minutes examining the weapon mods and ammo blocks, debating whether to swap them out for something else or leave them as they were. We had just finished when Tali sighed in satisfaction, put her tools and whatnot away, and stood up.
"Here, Commander," she said, holding out the omni-tool.
Looking at her curiously, I took it, removed my old omni-tool and slotted her old one on. As my armour registered its presence, it fed the stats onto my HUD. My eyes widened. Based on the numbers I was reading, it was now the equivalent of a Mark VIII Logic Arrest Tool. To say it was an upgrade would be an understatement. I looked at her in awe.
"I had an idea to make it better," she shrugged. "And it's the least I could do after you gave me this." She lifted up her left arm and pointed at her new Savant. "I know it's still a far cry from a Savant, but…"
"Thanks," I managed to say.
"If we're done," Wrex prompted. I shook my head.
"Right," I said. "Kaidan and the others are waiting for us."
With that, we jogged over to meet them. "I gave her a Mark IX Savant, and she wanted to upgrade her old omni-tool to give in exchange," I explained to Kaidan and Garrus. Their jaws dropped. Ashley glanced at Wrex and rolled her eyes. Wrex snorted.
"Okay," I said briskly. "Kaidan, take your team and check out the right gatehouse. We'll take the left."
For once, luck was on my side. My gatehouse was completely empty. Judging from the gunfire we suddenly heard, though, Kaidan's team encountered some company.
Motioning at Wrex and Tali to follow me, I grabbed my pistol and jogged out of the gatehouse. We were halfway to the other gatehouse when we heard some machinery come to life. With a grinding of gears, the second gate retracted.
A minute later, Kaidan's team came out. "Came across a shock trooper," he explained casually. "Found a weapons locker with a pistol and some more assault rifles. (6) Oh, and we also located the gate controls."
"Clearly," I said, matching his tone. "Well, I suppose we should get back into the Mako and get moving."
With a groan, the squad piled in, and we drove off.
The next half-hour can be summed up as follows: geth armature. Shoot, hop, shoot, hop, repeat ad nauseam. Drive. Geth armature. Shoot, hop, shoot, hop, repeat ad nauseam. Geth armature, rocket troopers and other minor geth infantry. Shoot, hop, shoot, hop, repeat ad nauseam.
My brain felt like it was bouncing around my noggin by the time the last geth hit the dirt. I doubt the others fared much better. While I waited for my teeth to stop rattling, I pulled up the map. It looked like we had two large bridge/tunnel complexes to navigate through, then a very narrow slope to the Prothean ruins, which apparently were the source of the signal Joker had detected earlier. Maybe we'd be able to get out of the Mako again soon.
The first complex was peaceful. Drive up the ramp and through the tunnel. No hopping, no shooting. Then we reached the end of the tunnel, and the down-ramp. The Mako's sensors were registering three targets ahead of us, and they probably weren't friendly.
All the frustration of being cooped up in this glorified tin can must have finally pushed me over the edge, as a rather unorthodox idea came into my end. Allowing a demented grin to spread over my face, I stomped down on the gas pedal. Hard.
With a roar, the Mako lurched forward. Behind me, I heard my squad cry out in surprise. In hindsight, I probably should have filled them in first.
As we blasted out of the tunnel, we could visually identify the targets: three geth rocket troopers. Thankfully, they weren't expecting my so-called plan either. Before any of them had a chance to respond, I ran over two of them. The third one had just enough time to fire off a rocket, which was thankfully absorbed by the shields, before I slammed the Mako in reverse. Crushing that geth was just as satisfying as the first time.
"Maybe killing geth in the Mako can be fun after all," Wrex said thoughtfully.
We faced more geth rocket troopers (and one unlucky shock trooper) in the second complex, and dealt with them in the exact same manner. Unfortunately, we had only gone a couple hundred metres or so past the second complex before we came to a stop.
Before us lay a pool of lava. The Mako was spec'd to handle a wide range of hostile environmental conditions, but swimming in molten lava definitely exceeded its design parameters.
I pulled up the map. It still insisted there was a route to the ruins. I looked in the indicated direction. There was a thin gap in the wall. Barely wide enough to fit two soldiers abreast. Talk about narrow.
"Time to hit the ground," I ordered. The squad cheered, relieved to start moving and restore some circulation to their limbs. Not exactly what the instructors encouraged in OCS, but none of them were here, so I let it pass. Besides, I'd done worse in my time. (7)
Thankfully, the narrow passage widened into a larger ravine, littered with large boulders. Judging from the slope, it looked like it would lead up to the top of a large hill, where the Prothean ruins were situated. Remembering Eden Prime, I advised the squad to split up into fire-teams again, and make use of the available cover. My timing was perfect, as our HUDs started picking up multiple targets, moving in on our location. Fast.
The first one wasn't so bad. Just a plain, ordinary trooper. Against six opponents, it wasn't much of a contest. The next trooper was a bit more of a challenge, mainly because it was accompanied by a rocket trooper. Still, the odds were three-to-one in our favour. Not bad at all.
It was when we rounded the corner and saw the tower that I knew the reprieve was over. The tower itself was nothing more than a glorified platform with a roof and a ladder. However, any time someone sets up one of those things, you can guarantee there'll be at least one sniper or rocket-launcher-armed goon stationed up there. Plus, the tower was at the other end of a small depression in the terrain, which was cluttered with more boulders. Finally, I saw lights twinkling from a few spots in the depression and the path leading up the hill. As in flashlight-head lights.
In other words, we would have to fight through a bunch of geth who had the advantage of height and terrain, both natural and artificial. Typical, isn't it?
I quickly formulated a plan. Not much of one, but the best I could do under the circumstances. "Kaidan's team will stay here, provide covering fire and try to take out whatever's hiding in that tower. My team's going in to get up close and personal. The different threats provided by our teams should stall the geth's response long enough for us to take them out." While I would have preferred to change the team compositions to one where I wasn't going into that deathtrap, I couldn't see how to do so without compromising my heroic reputation in the eyes of my squad. "Questions?"
Everyone shook their head. "Okay. Take a minute to get your gear ready."
Wrex and Tali responded by pulling out their shotguns. In close-range combat, they were the weapon of choice. I'd use my shotgun myself, but I never got around to getting certified. Besides, you'd be surprised by the sheer amount of damage that can be caused by a single pistol.
Ashley and Garrus were having an intense discussion. From what I gathered, both of them were certified to use assault rifles and sniper rifles, and both of them agreed that one should use the former while the other handle the latter. The problem was, they couldn't decide who would use what. I wanted to step in, but I didn't want to diminish Kaidan's authority. It was his fire-team, after all.
Thankfully, before either of us had to step in, Ashley provided a simple solution: the age-old game of rock-paper-scissors. Garrus proved to be a quick study, as well as a lucky one: his three-taloned "paper" beat Ashley's "rock." With a grin, he pulled out his assault rifle, while Ashley grabbed her sniper rifle. I guess Therum had given him a chance to use that particular weapon, and he wanted to make the most of it.
Now that everyone was set, Kaidan pointed out a cluster of boulders about twenty metres in front of us. From there, his team would have an excellent line-of-sight to any geth that might want to poke their synthetic heads out. Trouble was, if they went there now, by the time they got set up, they'd be riddled with bullets. Time for the distraction.
"Wrex? Tali?" I asked.
"Ready," Wrex grunted.
"Right behind you, Shepard," Tali responded.
I took a deep breath. This was it. "On three, everyone: one, two, THREE!"
The next few minutes were almost surreal, mainly because we—and, more importantly, I—somehow made it all the way to the tower without getting shot. The shock trooper who tried to ambush us wound up getting riddled with holes from Garrus's assault rifle before a pistol shot (from either Kaidan or myself) took it down. The poor trooper who popped up next was killed in one shot by a single shotgun round from Wrex, judging by the triumphant howl that erupted from his mouth. Just before we got to the tower, the geth sniper who was hiding up there was killed. I knew that because the jamming signal that was cluttering up my HUD suddenly cleared up. And because the sniper fell to the ground, sporting a very large hole in its head. Nice timing on Ashley's part. Very thoughtful of her not to drop the sniper on our heads.
Then I looked up and saw two rocket troopers, two shock troopers and a trooper stationed farther up the path. All of whom had their weapons trained on us.
"Retreat!"
"What?" Wrex asked, though he had the sense to follow me instead of just standing there. I led my fire-team to a boulder situated next to the tower, hid behind it, and swapped my pistol for my sniper rifle. Grinning in understanding, Wrex traded his shotgun for his assault rifle. Tali took a little longer to figure out my plan, but quickly caught on, pulling out her pistol. Now all we had to do was wait, and hope that the geth took the bait.
Surprisingly enough, they did. Oh, they did move in waves, one group moving to a boulder and stopping, while the other leapfrogged to another position farther down, ensuring that some of them would always be covered. Trouble was, they moved right into the line-of-sight of our two fire-teams. They didn't know which threat to focus on, and by the time they made a choice, it was too late.
Once the excitement was over, I motioned for Kaidan's team to come join us. To my approval, they took their time, making ample use of all the cover that was scattered around. I should explain that my approval came from two reasons: one, they were exercising good tactics, even when the immediate threat had been neutralized, and two, every extra second they spent sneaking around was a second I could use to catch my breath.
"Everyone okay?" I asked when the squad was reunited. Receiving a "yeah" or the equivalent from everyone, I nodded. "Good. According to the map, we just have to jog up this part of the hill and we'll reach the ruins."
Well, not quite. There was one more geth lying in wait for us near the top of the hill. Just a trooper, though, and dumb enough to be hiding near the cliff face. One good biotic throw from Kaidan, and it was out of our way. And then we saw that we had to jog another three hundred metres to actually get to the ruins.
Still, I found myself thinking the worst was over. How quickly I was proven wrong…
The ruins were quite unimpressive. Just a bunch of girders and catwalks. There was a large ramp extending to the entrance of a mine of some sort. Presumably, the more impressive stuff was in there.
Just as we were passing underneath the closest catwalk, a geth dropped to the ground. Not because its processors finally went kaput. Because it wanted to get a good look at us before hopping to a nearby girder, where it clung like some kind of monkey. We did get a good look at it before it jumped away. Unlike all the other geth we'd faced so far, who were clad in armour plates, the body of this particular geth was composed of some kind of thick fibre. It looked very… muscular. Very… organic.
"Tali?" I asked again, expecting a response from our resident expert on the geth. To my surprise, she said "I… I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any geth like that."
Off in the distance, we could hear a howl, rapidly growing louder. It sounded familiar.
Just before my memory recognized when I'd last heard that sound, the geth dropship swooped into sight. It dropped a number of geth troopers to the ground… and one really large package. As the dropship flew away, the package extended its front portion, revealing a giant light that shone coldly upon us.
As we watched in horror, the geth armature unfolded itself, rose to its full height, and stomped towards us.
(1): Shepard's instincts were correct, and I did appreciate his discretion. As for Udina, well, I did manage to get some form of payback in the end.
(2): There were only two silver linings to this development. I gained a better appreciation for everything Udina had to go through each day, and how it could make anyone bitter. More importantly, my new assignment gave me a higher security clearance, which made it easier to see how Shepard and the Normandy were doing.
(3): Oddly enough, it did feel good to tell my tale to another living soul, as opposed to typing it out in my AAR.
(4): Human expansion, both in terms of territory and standards of living, corresponded with a growing demand for resources, such as gases and metals. Unfortunately, few planets, moons or asteroids had been properly charted or surveyed, leaving any potential resources undiscovered. The Alliance Geological Service tried to rectify this by offering bounties to individuals or teams willing to perform mineralogical surveys, which would then be made publicly available. Normally, the high cost of travel and the hazards associated with many of these worlds deterred most attempts. Shepard, however, sought out these resources with the same tenacity as he scavenged weapons and equipment, making it a secondary source of additional income.
(5): While the bottom deck was technically known as Engineering, only part of it was reserved for the drive core. The remainder was set aside for cargo storage. Since it also stored the Mako, the Normandy's infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), that area was colloquially known as the "garage."
(6): This suggests that Shepard had quite the influence over the soldiers and companions under his command.
(7): Shepard was rumoured to have masterminded or participated in many shenanigans during his time at Officer Candidate School, or OCS. This included changing the homepages of the instructors' personal computers to various illegal extranet sites and tying the Alliance flag like a diaper around the statue of one of the more pompous admirals/headmasters. However, investigators could never find any definitive proof.