*CSV INDOMITABLE*
"Holy. SHIT."
I sat there, looking the beautiful monstrosity that had been placed before me by the big Raloi. It was a long rifle, but I recognized elements of the two halves of the broken Hak'kam that had been integrated with the weapon.
"Vakarian-sho was most helpful with the design, as was Jane-sha," Turro said, his head cocked to the right in an avian smile. "What do you think?"
I picked up the long rifle, the sheer weight and length of the weapon making it a bit ungainly. But then, suddenly there was a hum and the weapon came to life, two purple arcs suddenly crossing above the weapon.
Holy, shit, I'm holding a Wookie Bow-caster.
"It is a thing of rare beauty, my friend," I answered, the awe and admiration spilling over into my words.
"It employs the same principle as a traditional Hak'kam," Turro said proudly. "Simply press the trigger for rapid shots, or hold the trigger mechanism for a single, powerful bolt."
He looked around sheepishly.
"I would not recommend doing it here."
I smiled, remembering a certain incident with Commander Shepard and my Battle-Rifle.
"I hope to see it christened in battle soon, then, brother," I said, handing the weapon back to him. Turro bowed his head, but before he could say anything, my Omni-Tool buzzed. Turro took his right wing to his chest, then forehead in a gesture of respect before backing out of the Captain's cabin. I returned the gesture, then answered the call.
"DAD?"
"EDI? What's up?" I asked, delighted that she had taken time out of her day to call me.
"Freedom's Progress, a human colony in the Frontier System, just sent out a single distress call, claiming to be under attack from an unknown vessel. Then it went dark."
Amusement faded, along with my smile, replaced with sinking dread.
"Collectors?"
"We think so. The Conclave had embedded an agent there: Veetor 'Nara vas Rayya. Just after the colony went dark, we received a distress call on encrypted Con-Sec channels. Thanks to upgrades we've implemented to our systems after Haestrom and Singapore Nova, we think Agent Nara found a way to circumvent whatever jamming system the Collectors have been using on previous colonies. It's just a general distress call on repeat, but it's an open line of communication, which is more than we've had before."
"We'll set course with all due haste," I said. "This is a chance to stop the Collectors in the act of attacking an Alliance colony."
"Dad…there's more."
"What?"
"Freedom's Progress…was the last known location of Lieutenant Williams."
Mother above have mercy.
No.
No.
NO!
She was not supposed to be there! She is supposed to be on Horizon!
"Dad?"
"Transfer me to Commander Shepard, EDI. Now."
"Of course."
This is what happens when we interfere with the time-stream, Kevin. Events are bound to be different from the games you know.
You can bet your ass they will be. I'm not about to lose Freedom's Progress.
You mean you're not about to lose your woman?
FUCK OFF, KO'LE!
WE FIGHT THE FALLEN, Kevin. BEAST STANDS WITH YOU.
"Ko'le? EDI brought you up to speed?"
Shepard's face appeared on my Omni-Tool.
"We're gonna go get Ash, Shepard," I said between gritted teeth.
"Bet your ass, we will," Shepard said, a tense smile on her face. "Last one there buys the drinks?"
Her attempt at humor was appreciated, but I had no time for jokes.
"Tell me Mordin has something…"
"He says he does, or at least, he's supremely confident."
"That will have to do, then," I concluded, ending the call. I walked over to the Master Shipboard Intercom.
"NOW HEAR THIS," my voice boomed across the halls of the Indomitable. "ALL STATIONS, TO RED ALERT! ALL HANDS, BEAT TO GENERAL QUARTERS AND MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL. REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL."
The light in the hallways went from its normal color scheme to a deep red, and a blaring siren began sounding. I switched over on the intercom to connect directly to Engineering.
"Engineering, what is the possibilities of going to 110% on the FTL drive core?" I asked.
"Ummm…110 possible, Seneschal…but not recommended," came the answer.
"DO IT," I ordered, switching back to the ship-wide system.
"THE COLONY OF FREEDOM'S PROGRESS HAS COME UNDER ATTACK FROM COLLECTOR FORCES," I explained in as even a voice as my emotions allowed. "WE HAVE CONCLAVE AND ALLIANCE LIVES AT RISK; INNOCENT LIVES DEPENDING ON US. THE NEAREST ALLIANCE FORCE IS SEVERAL SYSTEMS OVER. WE ARE THE BEST AND ONLY CHANCE OF HELP THEY HAVE."
I took a deep breath.
"THE COLLECTORS…WILL TEST US. NO ONE HAS FACED THEM IN BATTLE, AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE, IN OVER FIFTY MILLENNIA.
THAT CHANGES TODAY!
YOU ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST: THE ELITE OF THE ELITE. DO YOUR DUTY, AND DO RIGHT BY YOUR COMRADES BESIDE YOU, AND WE'LL SEND THESE COLLECTOR BASTARDS BACK TO THE HELL THAT THEY CAME FROM."
I released the intercom button, and turned to my armor locker. My red and black samurai-themed Mercenary suit stood there in all its awesome glory, but that was not the suit I needed today. I reached for the small 8"x11" golden box on the bottom of the locker and strapped it in at the small of my back. I reached back and typed the familiar code, then felt the bright-gold Prothean armor segments engaging and wrapping themselves around me, like the embrace of a long-lost friend.
Like her embrace…
No! Shake those thoughts from your mind, Kevin!
WE HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS!
Beast is right, Kevin: We must focus, if we are to survive the coming fight.
I looked in the mirror, settling into the once-familiar feel of my Prothean armor again. My neck-piece was not as large as Javik and the rest of the Protheans, as I didn't have a giant crest to protect. But other than that, it was identical to Javik's armor from ME:3.
Focus, Kevin.
This will be the main Collector World-Ship: it will be vertical, designed so for the ease of loading the paralyzed colonists.
WE MUST BOARD THE SHIP TO SAVE FRIENDS.
Yes, but the primary objective must be to disable the ship from leaving. Then we can board the ship at will, on our own terms and on our own time.
We should relay the ship's weak points to the Normandy: The Thanix cannons will be able to punch through anything the Collectors can throw at us.
And we have the advantage of surprise. While in Planetary Mode, a World-Ship has limited weapons-systems, all focused on ground-to-ground fighting.
At least, a Prothean World-Ship does, Ko'le. Who knows what the Collectors have done to bastardize the vessel?
I brought up my Omni-Tool, bringing up a diagram of the Collector Ship and highlighting weak points and target areas, then forwarding them to Weapons Control, on both the Indomitable and the Normandy.
After a trip down the stairs, I opened the door to the Indomitable's armory. My squad was assembled, all in the various stages of arming themselves and strapping on their equipment. Everyone paused as I entered the room.
"Alright, listen up," I said, taking a deep breath to collect my thoughts. "We do not know what exactly is out there. As paranoid as we have been about the Collectors, the chance remains that this could be a pirate raid or slaver attack. We should be ready for anything."
I received nods all around the room, along with Javik's silent request to speak, which I granted.
"The Fallen…I mean, the Collector's favorite tactic in our cycle was to feign retreat," Javik said, taking his place beside me and bringing up a hologram of a battle simulation. Eight red dots and eight blue dots were arranged in a line facing one another.
"The Collectors will throw their weakest units first, tricking their enemy into advancing," Javik explained, moving the dots to mimic the blue's advance. "Then the outer units will use their flight capabilities to flank and surround the attackers, trapping them in a kill- zone thusly."
The red dots on the right and left sides moved in to the rear of the blue, trapping the eight blue dots in a circle.
"Cover your teammates," I warned, "And stay in your fire-teams. As tempting as it may be to advance, especially under circumstances such as these, STAY. TOGETHER. The lone hunter…"
"Dies," finished the team, completing the Prothean proverb Javik and I had been hammering into them.
"Morinth, Leng, Reyna, and Kolyat, you're with me," I said.
"Basher, Jane, Turro'le, Tallaxis, and Morrell, with me," Javik said.
"Any communication from the colony?" Jane asked. I shook my head.
"Communications are still down, but that will be one of our primary objectives," I answered. "We will move into the colony and try and reestablish their communications grid. Javik's squad will move to coordinate with Shepard to secure the Colony Command Center, or, if there is still an active resistance in place, they will move to link up with them."
"Roger that, sir," Jane said, squaring her shoulders. "Hey, Ko'le?" she asked in a quieter voice. "Ash is here, isn't she? Lieutenant Williams, I mean?" she corrected herself.
I nodded.
"We'll get her," Jane reassured me. "She'll be fine."
I took my hand and patted her shoulder in thanks, as I walked over and paired my Omni-Tool to the ship's intercom system.
"Helm, what's our status?"
"We have just entered FTL, Seneschal. ETA in-system: five hours."
"Very good. All Assault Squads, to the shuttles!"
*FREEDOM'S PROGRESS*
CANTON, FRONTIER SYSTEM
OLYMPIAN NEBULA
Ash gritted her teeth as another mortar round sent dirt and debris flying everywhere.
"VEGA?"
"ALL GOOD, HERE, LT!" came the reply from a nearby crater that was serving as an improvised foxhole. "Damn putas can't aim for shit…"
His Mattock rifle barked, laying down a field of fire across the street in front of them.
"Veetor, any word?" Ashley asked into her Omni-Tool.
"I am sending out the distress call on a modulating frequency, Lieutenant," the quarian engineer explained. "The Collectors should have more difficulty jamming the transmission. However, that also means I can't stay on any frequency long enough to receive a response…"
"Understood," Ashley said, "Keep at it. We'll try to buy you as much time as possible. Milque, Essex, where are you two?"
A Collector crossing the street suddenly twitched and went down as a round went through its head.
"I've got a position at the Comm Hub roof," Milque answered. "Essex is on his way to you. His Omni is still FUBAR after that EMP the suit-rat set off."
"That EMP is the only reason we're not all frozen like Kamille," Ashley reprimanded, "That 'suit-rat' saved your miserable ass, Milque."
Ash picked up her Avenger and joined Vega in laying down a cross-fire.
Since when did a Williams become a spokesperson for alien rights? She wondered. Another thing to thank Shepard for, I guess.
Veetor had always been a quiet kid, Ashley had thought, but he had thrown himself into the colony's defense with gusto. When everyone else had been panicking about the giant swarm of paralyzing locusts, he had the clarity of mind to set off that electromagnetic pulse. When he did, he had put the swarm out of commission, but not before they had frozen dozens of colonists, and the squad's secondary assault member, Kamille. Ashley and Vega had managed to get colonists organized and the victims into the bunker just in time for the enemy ground troops to show up.
Weren't expecting this much resistance, where you, motherfuckers?
A blue warp field struck another Collector, pulling it out from cover long enough for Ashley and Vega to put it down. Essex let out a wild war-whoop as he vaulted over an overturned skycar and landed next to Ashley.
"Hey, boss? What's up?"
"Nicky and Mason get that those automated cannons up yet?" Ashley asked. Essex shook his head.
"Mason is guarding the Mess Hall with the rest of the colonists and the frozen people. Apparently he won't leave Kamille..."
Ashley swore internally.
This is why there are regs against in-squad fraternization…
"So Nicky is trying to calibrate the system by himself?"
"Kid said he could do it… Hasn't let us down so far."
"Lieutenant!" Veetor's voice came back over the radio.
"What is it?" Ashley responded.
"I had our sensor network back up for a moment," Veetor answered. "right before the Collectors shut me back down."
Ashley allowed herself a sigh. She was gonna see that kid get a medal, if it was the last thing she did.
"Great work, Veetor. Keep trying your best. We just have to –"
"ENEMY RESISTANCE: FORMIDABLE" came a voice across the battlefield. "DEPLOY PRETORIAN."
"Holy HELL! What the fuck is that?" Essex exclaimed. Ashley looked just in time to see a massive floating… lobster coming down the street. At its feet were…
Oh, God.
Oh, God, no.
Husks.
The all-too familiar moaning could be heard, as the humanoid, zombie-like creatures came forward at a lurching run.
"VEGA! GRENADES!"
Vega chucked two of the explosive disks forward, their proximity triggers activating when the horde of husks reached them. Two explosions scattered their onslaught, but not all of the husks stayed down…
"Essex! Vega! Focus fire on the Praetorian! I'll take care of the- "
Ashley command was cut off by the massive Collector creature charging its weapons and firing a giant purple beam towards the trio. Essex threw up a biotic barrier around Ashley and himself as Vega dove for cover. The beam struck the blue field and tossed it aside like tissue paper. Ashley managed to wrap an arm around the biotic's waist and pull him aside just in time. A stream of blood trickled down Essex's face from his nose.
"Damn," he groaned. "Don't let me do that again…"
"Milque?" Ashley said into her Omni.
The Praetorian's beam was interrupted by a sniper round impacting its head. It wasn't enough to break through its barriers, but it was enough to throw it off balance. Vega took the opportunity to send a carnage round into its face, causing it to stumble backwards. Suddenly, the Praetorian glowed purple again, then leapt high into the air, coming down directly for Ashley and Essex.
Oh, Fuck me, was the last thing Ashley thought before everything went black.
CSV INDOMITABLE
Four and a half hours.
That's how long it had taken us to reach Freedom's Progress. And they had been the longest four hours of my life. But now here we were, flying low towards the colony.
The giant hulking figure of the Collector vessel was standing upright on the outskirts of the colony, rather than directly above the colony, like Horizon in the games. Even at this distance, bright flashes and explosions could be seen on the outskirts of the main colony.
Hubris, Harbinger, I thought exultantly. You should have withdrawn the second you realized you had lost the element of surprise. But no, you just couldn't bring yourself to retreat before a colony of primitives, could you?
And so, I think, this will cost you dearly…
"Shepard?"
"Thanix cannons at 98%," she replied. "Firing in 5, 4, 3, 2…1…"
"FIRE ALL!" I shouted, pointing at the massive vessel.
The front hanger bay of the Indomitable had been retrofitted to house a giant Thanix cannon similar to the one the Normandy sported. It reduced the number of shuttles the ship could carry, but boy, those babies backed a wallop when you needed one.
From the shuttle windows, we could see The Normandy's and the Indy's cannons arc in long blue streaks, connecting with the Collector ship in massive explosions.
"Oh, yeah! How do you like that, you sons of bitches?" Joker called out over the radio. "Payback is a bitch, and her stripper name is KARMA!"
The shuttles turned towards the landing zones as both ships continued their assault on the vulnerable Collector vessel. We moved down, the four shuttles adopting a weaving pattern to confuse any potential ground-to-air fire. Sure enough, very shortly, purple arcs began speeding past the sides of the shuttles.
Praetorians, I heard Javik say in the Mind-Share. I sent back a feeling of assent.
"Everyone," I said into the radio. "Those beams are generated by units we called 'Praetorians.' They're basically big, tough motherfuckers that pack a hell of a punch. Their weak points are at the base of their spine, directly behind them."
I forwarded a diagram of one to each of the Indomitable and Normandy squad members.
"Morinth, set us down!" I called out to the asari piloting our shuttle. "We hoof it from here."
The four Kodiak shuttles touched down, the side doors opening to allow for our exit. No sooner had my boots hit solid ground when I heard Kai Leng to my left shout, "DOWN!" A blackish green ball of biotic energy whirled towards us on a collision course. I threw up a biotic barrier of my own just as it detonated. As the dust and dark energy cleared, I could see several figures running… no, lurching towards us.
"HUSKS!" Shepard called out over the radio. "Switch to In-Cen!"
"Reyna, burn them up," I called. The Thorian smiled, then sent out an Incinerate Blast from her Omni-Tool. It struck the first cluster of husks and sent them tumbling back, crumbling beneath the flames.
There is something extremely unsettling about husks. In the games it's easy: They're all just generic blue zombie-creatures running towards you trying to shock you or punch you to death. While scary on Eden Prime, by the time you get to ME:3, it's just goddamn annoying.
Here, however: each husk was distinctly different. If you looked just right (or rather, just wrong), you could see the person that husk used to be, just for a moment, just for a second.
A second where your hand trembles, and your mind hesitates.
A second where you are taken out of the fight.
A second where a friend or a brother dies.
A second when all is lost.
And so we come to perhaps the most terrible aspect of war: the honing of the ability to not care. You have to not care about who it is you're gunning down in front of you. You may dredge up all these emotions later (and unless you're a true sociopath, you probably will), but in that moment, you have to purge all thoughts of "these used to be people" from your mind.
They are the enemy.
They are projections of the Reapers' will.
They are dead already: I am merely sending their bodies to follow their eternal souls to the afterlife.
Mother, have mercy.
Father, have mercy.
For I will not…
"MOVE FORWARD!" I called, gesturing toward the colony's outer defenses. Javik's squad set out in the Indomitable's M-44 Hammerhead, bound for the far side of the colony. Shepard, meanwhile, had stuck with the trusty M-35 Mako, rolling forward in style. Garrus' squad was on foot, as were we.
"Stick with me, kiddos," Morinth said to Reyna and Kolyat, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. She unfolded her SMG from the small of her back and began a focused advance. I had my Battle Rifle, as did Reyna, and Kolyat had his M-29 Incisor, the tri-shot combinations sounding distinct in the mayhem around us. The Collectors who did not fall immediately took wing and fell back. I drew a bead on one Collector who was flying back towards the colony, the blue beam of energy connecting with the insectoid wings. They burst into flame, and with a scream of anguish, the Collector fell out of the sky, black blood splatting against the rocks upon impact.
"Leng! On your six!"
Kolyat's warning caused the assassin to whirl, bringing his palm-cannon to bear. The Iron Man-like weapon fired, knocking another Collector out of the sky.
"Good eye, kid," Kai muttered, recharging his weapons. Kolyat merely nodded in reply, but I could feel the pride the compliment brought out in him.
We came over a hill to the outlying buildings of the colony. I could see three automated turrets, but they were offline and inactive.
"Reyna, can you get those turrets back online?" I asked. The young Thorian moved the base of one of the guns and removed a service panel. She fiddled for a few moments, then shook her head at me.
"Circuit systems are fried," she answered. "Must have been knocked out by the EMP."
I stepped forward, my interface spike plunging directly into the motherboard. Nanites swarmed over the circuitry, repairing and replacing the blackened and charred connections. Within a few moments, the turrets hummed back to life, scanning for targets. I uploaded a copy of known Reaper and Collector units into its "Hostile" database.
"Alright let's keep moving," I replied, giving Reyna an appreciative nod. "Follow the sounds of gunfire."
We went slowly down the street, passing dozens of husks, punctuated by the occasional Collector corpse. Here and there, we would come upon human casualties. Judging by their lack of uniforms, they were probably colonists, I guessed.
"Poor sods are putting up a hell of a fight," Morinth observed, looking around at the carnage and nodding towards the distant gunfire.
"Keep your eyes up for flanking parties," I ordered as we proceeded down the street.
As we came around one corner, suddenly a blue blur came charging at us in a full-on biotic charge. Instinctively, Morinth and I threw up a barrier just in time. The blue figure bounced off the barrier with a massive crackle of dark energy, then fell flat on his back about 15 feet away from us. My gun was out and trained on him just before I recognized the blue uniform.
"Woah! Alliance!" I called out to my squadmates, preempting their own reactionary shots. I ran up to the prostrate figure, kneeling beside him to check his vitals. Reyna knelt beside me, scanning him with her Omni-Tool.
"He's alive, but barely," Reyna said. "His amps are way overclocked. Poor guy's probably beyond exhausted."
He looks familiar…
I looked at his armor, reading the name on the right side of his chest: Essex.
Essex.
Wait, Essex of Delta Squad?
Paragon Lost, THAT Essex?
As in VEGA's old unit?
Well, current unit, now.
What are they doing here? They're supposed to be on Fehl Prime!
Well, this one's coming to, why don't we ask him?
"Huuuuunnnnnngggh," Essex gasped as his eyes shot open. He started flailing around for a moment, his biotics flickering feebly.
"STAND DOWN, SOLDIER!" I called out, trying to hold him down. "FRIENDLIES!"
That seemed to give him pause, and he looked around at each of our faces.
"Wh-wha-uh…what?" he stammered.
"Conclave Security, CSV Indomitable," I reiterated. "Name, rank, and unit, soldier!"
Understanding began to flicker in the back of the trooper's eyes.
"Umm… Essex, Private First Class, Delta Squad, sir."
"Is Vega in command here?" I asked.
"Uhh…since Williams got wounded, he has," Essex said groggily.
SHIT.
Morinth shot me a glance, but I ignored her.
Can't afford to let feelings get in the-FUCK IT!
"How bad is Ash-I mean, how badly is Williams hit?" I asked again, the stress and worry evident in my tone.
"Pretty bad," Essex answered, and I could see by the look on his face that he wasn't kidding.
"Where can I find Vega?"
"He's… uh… uh…" Essex could only point in a direction, his over-clocked amp scrambling coherent thought. "Command…post."
"You've done good, soldier," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now, sit down and take 5. Cavalry's here."
"Need…hold this corner," Essex said, trying to regain his feet. "Orders…"
"You lot," I said to my squad. "Hold this corner and wait for Javik to rendezvous with us. I'll push on to the Command post."
Reyna opened her mouth to protest, but then shut it after catching a look from Morinth. The Ardat-Yakshi charged her submachine gun and nodded.
"We'll hold them here, Ko'le," she said.
I looked over and nodded at Leng, who merely smiled and activated his cloaking device. I could see him moving to high ground to obtain a better vantage point. I turned and made my way towards the Command Center, in the direction Essex had pointed. I opened my Omni-Tool to check in on the others.
"All squads, this is Seneschal. Sit-Rep?"
"This is Archangel," Garrus' voice answered first. "Encountered some heavy resistance, but nothing we can't handle. North side secured, for now."
"This is Vengeance," Javik replied next, "The Fallen have retreated, for now, but we are currently encountering waves of human husks. West Side holding."
"Shepard here," the Spectre answered. "We've secured the Command Center and the Communications tower. Ko'le…"
"Ash is there, I know," I answered. "I'm on my way to you now."
"Ko'le…it's bad…"
"Save it, Shepard!" I snapped, then closed my Omni-Tool. I closed my eyes and focused my biotics, willing myself down the street. I blitzed forward in a series of biotic charges, until I found the building I was looking for.
There were three or four colonists, in cheap standard-issue riot gear.
Maybe Mark One shield generators, and Avenger assault rifles…
More than that, I noticed that they looked scared out of their wits. And that those rifles were pointed at me.
"HOLD FIRE! That's a friendly, you dumb shits!" I heard Jack call, the human biotic coming around the corner. She looked me up and down coldly.
"Ko'le."
"Where is Shepard?" I asked, and I was surprised by how hollow my voice sounded.
Wordlessly she pointed to a pre-fab on the other side of the compound, but for just a moment, there was a look in her eyes.
Pity, maybe?
A lump was in my throat and a weight was on my chest as I walked across to the large pre-fabricated warehouse.
Makes sense that they would use this as a hospital, I guess.
The door opened to reveal what appeared to be a room full of standing figures. On second glance, however, I could see the terror on their faces, and their eyes darting around the room, while their bodies remained motionless.
Zha'til Swarm: frozen in place.
Poor devils…
On the other side of the room, I could see several rows of cots. Standing next to one of them was Shepard, helmet in hand. At first I rushed over, but then slowed as I got closer.
Do you remember the way Ash looks after the mission to mars in ME:3?
It was like that, but way worse.
"Is she…?" I managed to gasp.
"Stable for now," Shepard said, never taking her eyes away from her former crewmate. "They said she took on a... one of those heavy units the Collectors deploy."
"Praetorians?"
"Yeah," Shepard said, nodding. "Took it down single-handed, to hear them talk. She hasn't woken up since that Lieutenant… (what's his name?) Vega, brought her back here."
"I know of him," I admitted. "He's a good man: good soldier."
"Mordin says it's a miracle she's still alive."
"Heh," I chuckled, "How many of us can that be said for, Commander? You? Me? Javik? Garrus? Jack? We're a goddamn miracle bunch, just the way Ashley liked it."
"You know," Shepard said, picking up her sniper rifle again, "If she were awake, she'd be telling us how this is all God's plan, to bring us all back together. She'd be telling us the guardian angels were watching over us all."
"Guardian angels are about four and a half hours late," I said mirthlessly. "The closest thing to gods involved in this scenario are still trying to overrun this colony."
I reached out and took a hand in hers.
"Joker to Normandy away-team: Commander, you there?" came the voice of the Normandy's pilot.
"Go ahead, Joker," Shepard answered.
"Ma'am, the Collector ship! We've hurt it, and badly: They're calling it quits!"
We rushed to the window to look to the east, where, sure enough, the hulking figure of the Collector ship could be seen rising up above the horizon. Black plumes of smoke were coming from the gaping holes just above the engines.
"Joker, return to the colony," Shepard instructed, "Inform Chakwas and the medical team that we have multiple wounded here in critical condition."
"Commander…" I started to protest, but stopped when she whirled around to face me.
"We have achieved our primary objective: to protect the colony. But I am not losing a friend because I couldn't make it in time."
I nodded slowly, accepting the logic of the argument. The Collectors' ship was damaged, and damaged badly. They wouldn't be attacking any more colonies anytime soon. Now was the time to focus on personnel and the ones we could save.
"Indomitable, break off pursuit and resume orbital patrols above the colony," I said into my own Omni-Tool.
"Your will, Seneschal."
Shepard turned toward me.
"I should coordinate the Normandy's and the colony's medical teams. Not a ton of wounded, just a lot of frozen people…"
I nodded.
"Unnerving, isn't it?" I asked. "I know it shook me, the first time I saw the effects of a Zha'til Swarm."
"Mordin said he's working on an antidote."
"Javik and I have given him all the information we could ever since he came on board. If he is half the scientist he boasts of, he should have no problem."
"I…give me a moment?"
Shepard nodded and walked out of the room. I knelt down and took one of the Ashley's pale, almost grey hands in my own. It took me back how clammy it was, and how cold… but for the almost imperceptible rise and fall of her chest, I would have thought the worst.
I placed my other hand on her forehead, and my eyes went white.
Ashley.
I'm sorry I was late.
You were not supposed to be here. You were supposed to be safe and far away.
But I'm here now. You're going to be fine. You have to be. Shepard will need you. She can't do this without you.
Hang in there, Ash. I beg of you….
Brother.
Javik's voice in the Mind-Share startled me back to the present, and I turned to see the Prothean enter the warehouse. He looked left, then right at the fifty or so frozen individuals, then strode towards me.
"Why have our ships broken off pursuit of the Fallen?" he asked, anger and frustration in his voice. "This is our chance to end this, here and now!"
"Brother," I replied, holding up a hand. "For all the damage she has sustained, the Collector's ship is still a dreadnaught. Once they got her into the air, their weapons systems would have come back online. We have but two frigates. Our primary mission was the saving of the colony. And there are many here in need of medical support."
Javik's anger still seethed, but I felt it abate.
"The Indomitable will also be able to track their jump to FTL," I continued. "Then we have a chance of following them to their base of operations. Otherwise, we have but one destroyed ship, with Father-knows how many more the Fallen have in their possession to deploy."
The red aura emanating from the Avatar of Vengeance faded. The tactical aspects of the plan could not be denied. He spun on his heel and walked out of the room without another word. Someone else might have mistook that for insubordination or the beginnings of tension between us. But Javik and I had fought together too long for that. He would stew, boil, and nurse his anger, but he'd come around. Just needed time.
"Ko'le to Shepard," I said, bringing my Omni-Tool back online. "Where is Vega?"
I found the Latino Lieutenant directing various colonists in clean-up duties on the outer defenses of the colony. Most of them entailed collecting their casualties and clearing the husk and Collector bodies that littered the streets.
"Hey Vega, what the hell is this?" one of the colonists was asking, examining a long cylinder in the middle of the road.
"No se, Jamar," Vega answered, shrugging his shoulders.
"A stasis pod," I answered as I walked up. All eyes turned to me, surprise and mistrust mixed together in their stares. "The Collectors use them to transport their victims once they've paralyzed them."
"Must be getting lazy, what with taking all those other colonies without a shot fired," Vega said, casting a sidelong glance at the stasis pod. "Damn putas weren't expecting us to put up such a good fight."
"Ko'le, Conclave frigate Indomitable," I introduced myself.
"2nd Lieutenant James Vega, Delta Squad, Alliance Marines, sir," Vega saluted first before taking my outstretched hand. "Sure as hell glad you guys arrived when you did. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes: Commander Shepard, in the flesh." He shook his head.
"You and your troops did a hell of a job, LT," I replied. "Any other colony would have folded like a paper bag ten minutes into the fighting. You held them off for the better part of five hours."
"Thanks to Veetor," James said modestly. "If that kid hadn't set that EMP off when he did, we would have all been frozen before we could raise a gun. We might've all – UUUGH!"
Suddenly Vega was hurling through the air, hitting a nearby wall with a thud. A panicked scream to my left was cut short with a gurgling cry, and I whirled to see a Collector withdraw its sword from a colonist's throat, black biotics still wreathing its left arm. Its eyes glowed a bright gold.
"SENESCHAL. AND HERE I WAS AFRAID WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO SPEAK."
I drew my own sword just in time to block the spinning attack Harbinger was unleashing, wings and legs outstretched. I ducked under one swing and slashed right, tearing through the fabric-like skin of his left wing.
"FUCK YOU, KAMUTAN!"
"THIS FIGHT IS POINTLESS, BEAST. AS IS THIS BATTLE, AS IS THIS WAR. STRIKE DOWN THIS VESSEL. IT WILL ACCOMPLISH NOTHING."
"The galaxy… will be short… one less asshole!" I said between pants, "And that is cause…enough!"
I blocked a downwards chop at my head, but couldn't avoid the savage kick that sent me on my back.
"YOU WILL NOT SAVE MISS WILLIAMS, SENSESCHAL. ANYMORE THAN YOU COULD SAVE YOUR PRECIOUS EMPEROR. TELL ME: HOW DID HE DIE? WAS HE BRAVE AND NOBLE TO THE END? OR WAS HE BEGGING FOR MERCY, WITH TEARS AND PITIFUL CRIES?"
I hauled myself to my feet, biotics flaring as I came forward.
"OH, BUT I'M FORGETTING: YOU WEREN'T THERE, WERE YOU? YOU WERE SAFE, AWAY, AND ASLEEP IN A TOMB BUILT FOR YOUR BETTERS!"
"SHUT UP!" I screamed, as I brought my blade up, severing the right arm from the body. With a roar of rage, I sent a warp that blasted Harbinger back across the courtyard. The husk rolled back to its feet again, its ruined wings flickering feebly. I walked forward, blade in hand.
"I have walked the World between Worlds, Monster. I have seen the Time between Times. I have traversed the Void itself to bring death to you and to your kind!"
The husk's flickered, just once, as it gazed at its stump of a right arm. Then it raised its left at me as I advanced.
"EMPTY WORDS AND AN HOLLOW VICTORY, SENESCHAL. RELEASING CONTROL…"
The bright golden glow covered the Prothean husk, then it faded way into black ashes that scattered to the wind, even as I swung my sword through the cloud. The sounds of chuckling faded away into the evening.
I stood there for a few seconds, my hate and anger ebbing.
Vega.
I turned and ran back over to where the marine had hit the wall, returning my blade to my back. Vega was grunting, attempting to brace himself against the rubble around him.
"Hold still, Marine," I said as I knelt beside him.
"Get me up!" he grunted. "I'll be fine, I just…"
"…have a bone sticking out of your leg," I finished for him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He let out a yelp of pain when I did so. "And a broken collarbone, by the feel of it."
I radioed for a stretcher, and after relaying a warning to the other crews to beware of any more Collectors playing dead, got Vega back into the medical wing. Mordin was applying a hypospray to the necks of several of the frozen individuals.
"Professor," I acknowledged as I approached.
"Ah, Ko'le," he nodded, pulling out a spare hypospray and handing it to me. "Good to have you here. Here, apply at base of the neck. Collector neurotoxin targets nerve endings. Best injection site for treatment."
"You were able to concoct an antidote, then?" I asked.
"Oh, yes," he answered, continuing to move from victim to victim. "Once in possession of live Collector toxin, simple chemistry to develop antidote. Creating vaccine: greater challenge. Requires tests. Yes, multiple tests. Full lab onboard Normandy. Easier to develop there."
"AHHHHHHHH!" one of the frozen people, a young girl about fifteen years old, by the look of her, suddenly came unfrozen, and dropped to the ground in a seizing fit. Mordin rushed over to assist. Raw panic was in her eyes, and her breath was coming in heaving gasps.
"Unexpected reaction," he observed matter-of-factly. "Potentially problematic."
He administered another hypospray and the girl slowly stopped shaking and drifted off to sleep.
"Couple antidote with mild sedative," Mordin nodded in confirmation. "Much reduced chance of traumatic shock."
"Noted," I replied, adding a secondary administration channel to the hypospray I already held for the sedative Mordin was passing me. "Chakwas took Ashley into surgery? I noticed her cot was gone."
"Surgery?" Mordin asked. "Oh, yes. Lt. Williams is being treated now, along with Lt. Vega. Wonderful lady, Karin. Tactical mindset, brilliant surgeon. Can see why Shepard values her inclusion in the crew."
A furrow appeared on his brow.
"Estimate every hope of success for Lt. Williams. Know of your past romantic history..."
"Thank you, Professor," I said appreciatively. "Wait, how did you…"
"STG keeps quite the file on you, Seneschal," Mordin answered with a ghost of a smile. "Recordings. Video surveillance. Quite impressive."
Recordings of… No….
I paused for an uncomfortable moment, then shook my head chuckling.
There's the Mordin from the game…
"Seneschal?"
I answered the call from my Omni-Tool. "Go ahead, Indomitable."
"We have six signatures incoming. All Alliance. Corvettes SSV Hawking, Excelsior, and Intrepid. Frigates SSV Botany Bay and Ye Sun-Sin. Dreadnaught-class SSV Kilimanjaro."
"Very good," I confirmed. "Relay IFF signature and establish communication. Bring them up to speed on the current situation and request medical support for the colony. When they ask about our presence, we acted under Article 12 of the Fraternal Treaty between the Galactic Conclave and the Citadel Council."
"Understood, sir."
I switched over to the Normandy's channel. "Shepard?"
"Go ahead, Ko'le."
"Brace yourself: Your mother has just arrived. And she's brought the cavalry."
Author's Note:
Well everyone, I give to you: the next chapter of Beacon's Effect: Awakening. Sorry for those of you who've been waiting, I just got finished moving into my new apartment, and finally unpacked the box that held my laptop and all my writing notes! (YAY for the moving process!) Thank you all for the kind and supportive reviews and PM's so far!
Hope you all enjoyed it, and please, as always, let me know what you think: good or bad! Even if it's just as simple as, "Good job, I liked it," your reviews always make my day! ROCK ON!
- Tusken1602
Reviewer Responses:
Blaze1992, stormdragon981, Pietersilie – Yeah, Jack is still kinda settling into the rhythm of the crew. It will take awhile, but it will be fun to watch, I hope!
Squadpunk 2.0, Tahkaullus01, griezz, general-joseph-dickson, ThemyThink, ASCN – Murphey's Law will always come back to bite you in the ass. But anyways, it's bad luck to be superstitious…right?
MrBogus, BrotherCaptainSheperd – Oh, don't worry, my friends. We will see Javik vs. Ko'le before the end of the story.
tamagat, Kebarton, Asahar4 – Yeah, the last half of Paragon Lost never happened in Ko'le's AU. As for what will occur between Vega and Williams… we'll have to wait and see.
Zeru'Xil – I imagine that Saints Row would be a popular game on Tuchanka… Along with GTA.
Appbeza – There is a bit of a disconnect between Javik and the rest of the crew. He may be "Less Grumpy Javik" but he is still grumpy.
Alucard Bellsing – I guess chapter answers your question. :-)
Toothless is best – I did… *evil chuckle*
KyuubiNodachi – I have given serious thought to a Drot-centered mini-series, actually. If more people like you would be interested, I may post some of my mini-stories. Maybe as a series of one-shots…
Anny-Rudolph – That's actually a good question! It all depends on how AU we'll be by the time we get to ME:3…
BJ Hanssen – Yeah, most of Kai Leng's challenge in the game is his ability to disappear. Every time he actually has to fight, he generally gets his ass kicked or runs away when things get tough (i.e. Thane, Miranda, Thessia, Shepard).
Lord Mortem, Guest, Elvisfonz23, jackli10345 – Thanks, everybody! Glad you liked it, and hope to give you more soon!
May the Father below accept you when your times comes, and until then, may the Mother keep you always.
EE-RAH!