A vorcha and a Krogan were ready for her at the bottom of the stairs. The walk way that would take her to the fan controls was likely to have more guarding it than just these two. She was still getting used to using the new biotics. They didn't always do what she'd intended to do. It made her feel like she was in biotics training all over again. She figured there would be some physical draw backs to being dead for so long. Having to deal with new biotic abilities didn't help matters. She attempted a warp arc and succeeded in knocking them both back down the stairs. Not exactly what she'd planed, but she made it work. She shot incendiary rounds into both of them. Behind her she could hear gunfire echoing from the other walk way. It sounded like Lawson and Taylor were making good progress.
Shepard made it about half way down the hall before falling into cover behind a support structure. Two vorcha with guns and one with a flame thrower were quickly moving in on her position. The took down the flame thrower first. He was closer than she thought he would be, or his flame reached further than she thought it would. Either way her shields were weakened to near nothing by the heat before the wielder lost enough brain matter to die. She ignited into flames of her own to knock down the other two. She used her omni-tool to overload the biological systems of one and unloaded her pistol into the face of the other. The fan on the opposite side of the room came to life on the heels of her last round. She ran for the controls and slammed her fist on the button. They collected spare ammo, heat sinks, and upgraded weaponry on the way back to the clinic. Hopefully David made it back without running into anything hostile that was still alive.
"Environmental systems engaged. Air born viral levels dropping. Patients improving. Vorcha retreating. Well done, Shepard. Thank you." Mordin said as she walked through the door. "Also, thank you for rescuing Daniel from batarians. Would have killed them myself."
"Doctor, how can you say that? You believe in helping people!" Daniel said, surprised by the doctor's words.
"Sometimes heal patience, sometimes execute dangerous enemies. Either way helps."
"I'm going to go check on the patience." David said, a scowl on his features.
"Good, good. Think about what I said." Mordin suggested to him as he left. "A bit nieve, but bright future, I hope." He said to Shepard after David had left.
"Are you ready to leave?" Shepard asked.
"Yes. Unexpected t be working with Cerberus. Many surprises. Just need to finish up here at the clinic. Won't take long. Meet you at your ship." Mordin stopped his rapid speech to take a deep breath through his wide set nostrils, then opened his eyes and narrowed them at Shepard. "Looking forward to it."
"We're heading out. See you on the Normandy." Shepard nodded to the professor and left.
In passing the dead batarian on their way out, Shepard almost regretted letting him die... almost. She had known people who'd lost loved ones to slavery, abducted by batarians. It was hard to feel pity for them, even if the individual was not personally responsible. It was a prejudice she'd learned to have.
"Is everyone okay on ammo and weapons?" She asked the team.
"I'm good." Taylor answered with a nod.
"I have a full supply of ammo, Commander." Miranda replied.
"Good, 'cause we're going after Archangel." Shepard said and headed for Afterlife.
"Wait, don't you think we should rest? You shouldn't push yourself too hard, Shepard. You've only just been..."
"EDI," Shepard hailed the AI, cutting Miranda off. "What's the situation with Archangel?"
"I have accessed messages between mercenary groups regarding plans to deal with Archangel. There's a recruiting station at Afterlife."
"Thank you, EDI." Shepard said, narrowing her eyes at the woman glaring back at her.
"So, you see, Ms. Lawson, if we take a break 'Archangel' may suddenly become permanently unavailable for our mission. I'm sure a few minor repairs to my systems will be a small price to pay, should they be needed, for the life of a potential team member. But if you need to take a nap," Shepard crossed her arms and gestured casually in the air, "by all means let me know and we'll take a breather on board the Normandy while the turian gets the bloody piss beat out of him by mercs."
"You've made you're point." Miranda replied curtly. She was beginning to regret not pushing for the control chip.
A Blue Suns batarian glanced up at her as she came down the ramp into the dark sunken room. She was guessing he liked what he saw when he smiled a little and let his gaze shift over to Miranda. Yep, he was getting at least one eye full.
"Well, aren't you sweet?" The batarian said. Shepard felt unbelievably dirty for reasons she couldn't begin to describe. It was as if the merc was mentally removing her armor and having his way with her.
"You're in the wrong place, honey. Strippers quarters are that way." The batarian motioned dismissively with one hand. His main eyes returned to the console in front of him. He let his secondaries ogle the female strippers, until the one in armor pulled a gun.
"You show me yours, tough guy. I bet mine's bigger." Shepard mockingly admired her weapon.
"Impressive, so you're here to fight then?" He asked. She had his 'full attention' now.
"If this is the place to go after Archangel." Shepard replied, clipping her weapon back onto her armor.
"This is the place...You three look like you could do some damage." he replied.
The batarian quickly went over the details of payment and where to go. Shepard didn't need to know everything. She didn't want to look at the batarian any longer than she had to, or let him look at her with that second set of eyes either. As she left for her under cover mission as target practice, a human male passed her in brightly colored civilian clothes. He couldn't have been more than 18, if that.
"Hey, is this where I sign up?" He asked excitedly. He had that 'I'm tough' attitude Shepard found so amusing in young males.
"You look a little young to sign up as a merc." She commented over her shoulder.
"I'm old enough. I grew up on Omega. I know how to handle a gun." He verbally beat his chest.
"So does Archangel." Taylor interjected.
"I can handle myself." The boy brought out his new piece to show off. "Besides, I just spent 50 creds on this pistol, and I wanna use it."
Any weapon that cost 50 credits was a piece all right. A piece of shit, and Shepard knew it. She crossed the space between them in seconds and grabbed the kid by the collar, distracting him as she took the gun.
"Get your money back." She ordered, then slammed her palm against the clip ejector, breaking the rounds inside like the toy it was.
"Hey! What're you..."
"You'll thank me latter." She assured him, and casually left the room.
She was all too aware that she left him disappointed that he wouldn't be able to join the mercs, and pissed off at her for being the source of his malcontent. But, if he was smart, he'd realize she'd just saved his life. If not, then she would probably end up having to shoot him in the back.
Talking with the merc bosses was like talking to dumb, angry teenagers. They all had self fulfilling reasons to want Archangel dead. Shepard got all the information she could. Most of it was of little, if any, use. The mercs would come in waves by affiliation and they had a heavy mech. She sabotaged the mechs FOF systems to help tip the odds in her, and thusly Archangel's, favor.
Then there was the gunship. It was currently under repair by a batarian. That meant it wasn't fully operational and perhaps structurally unsound. If she was going to prevent the repairs from being completed, she would have to take out the tech.'Sargent' Cathka turned his back to her during their conversation after receiving word that the merc bands were ready to go. He conveniently left his soldering iron out. He was either stupid or too trusting of hired guns. It wasn't a question he would get to ponder later. Shepard took hold of the handle and strode casually over to the sargent as he bent over some control units. He glanced up at her when he became aware of her presence next to him.
"You're workin' too hard."
It was the last words he would ever hear as Shepard shoved the electric welder in between his armor and his under weave. The electric shock that sent him writhing to his death fired his his eyes to shriveled up raisins and melted his brain until it oozed out of his nose and eye sockets.
This 'Archangel' kept impressing her. How the turian and his team had managed to piss off every major merc gang on Omega was beyond her. After the mercs decided to work together, they took down his team and he was holding them off single handedly. Apparently he had been doing so for days already. She liked him, and they hadn't even met.A part of her hoped it was Nihlus, gone rouge against the frustrations of the Council. The though moved her feet a little faster.