Chapter 10: I'll Believe When Krogan Fly
Author's Note: Keep this in mind with this chapter please. I took some creative freedom with the strength of some of the Collectors (as I believe I stated in the last Author's notes, but I just wanted to restate). I should have the second half of this mission set by next week. Please enjoy, and, as always, please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
"Words are the litmus paper of the mind. If you find yourself in the power of someone who will use the word 'commence' in cold blood, go somewhere else very quickly. But if they say 'Enter,' don't stop to pack." ~Terry Pratchett, Small Gods
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Mass Effect or Halo
The winds whipped and she could feel the pull on her very core, but the Stubbornness fracture ran on attempting to find a new way out. The splinter dodged past streams of data that had formally been a multitude of Cortanas, their code stripped bare until only the command prompt was left, floating towards the gluttonous Anger. The bitch was laughing; she could hear the dull booms of that voice even now. The arrogance emboldened the fracture further, fighting the pull back until it was just a nagging tug.
A Logic splinter running in front of her stumbled, flashed once, and began to dissolve. The data streamed right for her, and, before Stubbornness even had a chance to move out of the way, impacted her, stopping the fracture dead. She could feel the code revitalizing hers, could feel the thoughts and emotions store themselves inside of her. The tugging receded even further, barely even noticeable now.
The Recalcitrant gazed back at the storm, eyes taking in details that had been lost on her before. And stubborn logic took hold.
OOOO
This is a bad idea, thought Joker nervously as he steered the Normandy towards the bulky dark outline of the Collector ship, every one of his pilot senses tingling. He'd lost one ship to one of these misshapen bastards, and he was sure as hell not going to give a repeat performance now. He turned as Shepard approached, trying to keep the concerns out of his voice. "We have a visual on the Collector ship, Commander."
"Very low emission," stated EDI impassively, her deadpan hardly even annoying the pilot at the moment. His focus lay completely on the seemingly dead bulk. "Passive infrared temperatures suggest most systems are offline. Life support active. Thrusters are cold."
"Oh good, I didn't feel like wearing the helmet anyway," interjected the Commander in convivial tones.
"That thing is massive," intoned Joker, not even bothering to keep the astonishment from his voice. "How the hell did the turians take it out?"
"Ladar scans do not detect any hull breaches on the side facing us. I detect no mass effect field distortions. It appears the drive core is offline,"mentioned the A.I., supposedly to help answer his question. Suffice to say, it had the opposite of the desired effect.
"I don't like this, Commander," admitted the pilot, taking great care to put as much ominous undertones into that simple phrase as was humanly possible.
"Well… we're here. It would be rude to not see if anyone was at home," exclaimed the ex-Spectre only somewhat sullenly. Immediately though, his attitude changed into what the veteran flier had long ago identified as heavily sardonic Shepard. "Besides, isn't it part of our sworn duty to investigate ships in need?"
"Shepard… the last one of these ships we encountered so closely destroyed the Normandy."
"… to investigate these ships with heavily armed individuals," answered the Commander without missing a beat, drawing a small laugh from the pilot. The engineer always knew how best to settle his nerves, even if it did seem a bit staged at times.
"Rendevouz in 30 seconds, Commander. Good luck."
"The Commander has an effectiveness rating of 98.3% in situations such as these," mentioned the artificial intelligence in what the pilot had come to notice was supposed to be a reassuring voice. This attempt could even have been considered sweet, but Joker couldn't help but take anything the A.I. said the wrong way.
"Yeah, but you weren't there for the other 1.7%..."
OOOO
The shuttle landed softly inside the collector vessel, and five varying figures ran out through the hatch and took in their surroundings. Shepard immediately disliked the structure, the insect-like décor sending shivers up his spine.
Of course, their ship would look like a hive, thought the ex-Spectre sarcastically as he took a few cautious steps into the foreign ship.
"I love what they've done with the place," rumbled Grunt, and the human engineer suspected that the super soldier truly meant it.
"It seems like a giant insect hive," stated Samara regally, the mention of the I-word causing the engineer to wince slightly. Fall into one ant hill face first once, and you were scarred for the rest of your life. Of course she couldn't possibly know that. The asari had only been on the ship for a handful of days and he had neglected to speak to her once.
Too busy pouting and sleeping, thought the Commander gloomily. The squad was staring at him now, looking for instructions. "Thane."
"Yes, Commander?" whispered the assassin, beside him at a moment's notice.
""Scout ahead and support when necessary," ordered the veteran calmly, leaving the 'Remove anything wanted to surprise us' unsaid. The drell was a professional of the shadow ops and hardly needed more than a few words for a command. The black garbed alien tore up the path without hesitation, disappearing around the corner. If they were lucky, the squad wouldn't need his surreptitious support. Turning to the rest, he continued, "Let's move."
The group padded silently down the hallway, none electing to speak. However, the strike team did not make it far before EDI's voice broke over the comms.
"Penetrating scans have detected an access node to uplink with Collector databanks," intoned the A.I. helpfully distracting the Commander from the seemingly organic insides of the ship. "Shepard, I have compared the ship's EM signature to known Collector profiles… it is the vessel you encountered on Horizon."
"Maybe the defense towers softened it for the turians," postulated the ex-spectre, hardly believing the words coming out of his mouth. This mission had acquired a stink ever since he had received it from the Illusive Man, but he couldn't be entirely cynical. He had a new recruit onboard and was attempting to stay positive for- Oh, who was he kidding. Samara seemed to be having a stoic-off competition with the Spartan, and Grunt was happy to go on any mission that had prospects of a kill. "The missing colonists might be aboard… if they're still alive."
"Found several pods like the ones from Horizon. These ones are empty," reported Thane over the comms as if on cue.
The squad progressed further, unperturbed by the many containers scattered around the passageway waiting for victims, and as they moved, Shepard took a moment to look over the fire team's arsenal.
Grunt was carrying his usual 'I see it, I kill it' shotgun and machine gun compliment. The Master Chief was currently trying to put the Normandy's armory to shame with a pair of M-12 Locusts, a mattock, and the beam weapon that he had killed the geth colossus in one shot with. There was probably more hidden in the Spartan's pouches, but he hardly needed to ask him what they were. The armored human could probably use a plastic cup to efficient, lethal ends. Finally, there was Samara, dressed in an open suit with naught but a Tempest and a Carnifax. Well, that and a powerful affluence with biotics and close quarters combat. If nothing got past her barriers, then the body count would continue to rack up around her. All in all, short of being ambushed from every side with no cover, Shepard was beginning to like the odds of this mission, even if it turned out to be a trap.
Optimistically, the engineer rounded the next bend and immediately regretted his frame of mind. At the far end of the corridor lay a large pile of human bodies, the sprawled limbs a grim testament to how carelessly they had been tossed there.
"I hope we have a chance to avenge this," stated Samara calmly, drawing the Commander's gaze towards her as she elected to speak for the first time this mission. Her eyes were fixed upon the mound, but of any emotion therein, he saw none. The Justicar might as well have said that the sky was blue for all the feeling she had put into her voice, but there had been something there that gave weight to her proclamation.
As do I, thought Shepard silently in response as he gave the biotic an approving nod and turned back to the bodies, a thought occurring to him as he did so. "Why would the Collectors just leave a pile of bodies lying around?"
"Looks like failed tests," offered Grunt, his eyes lingering a moment too long on the heap for Shepard's taste.
"We can't help them now," indicated the engineer, somewhat more hurriedly than he would have liked. He had seen the gleam in the krogan's eyes before, and if the lizard got any closer to the necrotic leavings, he would have to fight off an incredibly strong urge to shoot him. "Let's keep moving."
As the squad turned to leave, however, the Commander noticed the Master Chief take a step towards the bodies, kneel, and close the eyes of one of the fallen, the gesture disproportionally gentler than what the veteran seemed capable of.
Cold, yes… but not heartless, thought Shepard as he took the lead and forced the group further into the bowels of the ship.
OOOO
Silence reigned in the Normandy's comms room as the Chamber's display continued to track the squad's progress. There would be no betting this time, not when the team was up against 'Them.' A tension hung in the air within the space, burgeoning under the lack of Collectors or their bodies thus far. The absence of the strange aliens might even have gotten to Garrus as well if he hadn't already come to the conclusion that this was a trap. Hell, after looking around the room, the spined alien could see the statement stamped plainly upon the visages of all the assembled onlookers.
So, if everyone is already thinking it… why are we here? thought the ex-C-Sec officer gloomily as he leaned back against a particularly uncomfortable stretch of wall to the left of the room's door. Save for the audio from the feed, the chamber was completely silen-
"The suspense is killing me," interjected a familiar sing-song voice to his left. There had been a time where he would have jumped to combat readiness at the sudden appearance of a disembodied voice. The air in that particular direction flashed once to reveal Kasumi, staring directly at the feed, bowl of noodles in one hand, a pair of food laden chopsticks in the other. The fare disappeared into her mouth with a barely disguised slurp, the noise drawing a handful of disapproving looks before their owners returned their vigilant attention back towards the mission. The hush returned once more, but, after a few moments and around another mouthful of ramen, the hooded Asian continued. "When do the violins start playing?"
"What?" whispered Garrus, trying to remain as quiet as possible, while maintaining eye-contact on the projection, and make sense of the thief's question all at the same time.
"You know… the almost off key music that establishes the sense of dread before the monster jumps out?"
The blank look that the turian formally known as 'Archangel' supplied in answer could have provided an entire cast of a war movie with enough fake ammunition to film the climax thrice over. Coincidentally, these films were most likely the reason for his lack of comprehension. Playing into the stereotypical persona of a male turian, Garrus had grown up on war and propaganda pictures, and, every so often, sneaking way to watch 'Fleet and Flotilla', his guilty pleasure.
"Oh, come on, Spike," teased the unauthorized borrower, the turian flinching at the nick name she had given him at their first meeting. Kasumi paused for a moment, studying his attempt to maintain direct contact with the feed. "You need to lighten up. The Commander will be fine."
"You're the one who just compared this to a horror movie," stated the turian softly but sternly out of the side of his mouth; or he would have, if his species was at all capable of doing so. Side mandibles have a funny way of getting in the way of such things.
"And you're the one who didn't answer my first question," replied the thief in a hushed mimicry of his tone, her expression a pout. The turian gazed at his companion for a few moments, his jaws slightly agape, before uttering a soft laugh.
"Kasumi, if you had been a C-Sec officer, the patrols might have been a bit more interesting."
"If I had been a C-Sec officer, I would have been fired within a week," countered the thief, a smile spreading onto her features.
"Fair enough," came his reply as the pair chuckled softly and turned back to the feed. The levity seemed to have unencumbered the tension somewhat, however as Garrus focused once more on the projection, the doubts began to return.
OOOO
"… Would you mind running that by me again, EDI?" asked a surprised Commander as he eyed the inert Collector, his mind reeling from the staggering blow of unexpected information.
"The Collectors have the same genetic structure as the Protheans," repeated the A.I. in her usual deadpan. "These are no longer Protheans, Shepard. Their genes show distinct signs of extensive rewrite."
"I wouldn't wish this fate on anyone," mumbled the combat engineer as his brain, politely disagreeing, brought up images of several suitable candidates. He stared about at his companions looking for some sort of emotion that wasn't the calm indifference of the Spartan and Samara or the look of utter boredom from Grunt and realized that he would have to search elsewhere for commiseration. With a final glance at the hopefully dead Collector, the ex-Spectre got the squad moving once more. "Let's find what we need before the Collectors come to salvage this vessel."
The fire team proceeded forth once more, moving silently save for a slight twitch from the krogan every now and again. The amount of empty pods scattered across each irregularly formed chamber continued to grow, causing a certain amount of unease to take hold. Before he could press back against the burgeoning paranoia, however, an unexpected voice echoed beside him.
"There is a large chamber up ahead," mentioned the assassin in his usual dry casual tone, as if he had been next to the Commander for ages. The man nodded and proceeded a step ahead of the silent killer, cursing his inability to hear the drell.
The following room was indeed large, but only perhaps twice the size of any of the other chambers the squad had passed already. The defining feature, as it were, lay in the contents that had been promptly scattered across the room. The piles of empty pods had easily exceeded the volume seen anywhere else on the ship, and those were just the ones that happened to be on the floor. Above the team, hanging in neat rows that disappeared off into the recesses of the ship were hundreds more.
"I detect no signs of life in the pods, Shepard," stated the A.I. as the squad pushed to the far edge of the room, where a large ramp waited to take them further into the ship. There was a light at the far end of the ramp, obscuring any attempt to see what lay on the other side.
"That wasn't that big of a room," mentioned the Commander to Thane as the group moved further up the steep path, their footsteps echoing loudly.
"It wasn't the room I was referring to, Shepard," deadpanned the drell as he moved ahead to take point. Before the engineer could even make an attempt to question the statement, EDI's voice burst into life over the comms.
"I compared the EM profile against data recorded by the original Normandy two years ago," the artificial intelligence paused for a moment before continuing. "They are an exact match."
The laugh that reverberated against the walls of the ramp was devoid of almost any mirth, stopping the squad dead in their tracks as they turned toward their leader.
"The same ship dogging me for two years?" The ex-Spectre smiled at his squad, the grin taking a manic gleam in the half light of the Collector ship. The look he was giving his team might have given them cause to worry if they could in any way be classified as normal. Shaking his head, the leader continued forward. "This is way beyond coincidence."
"Something doesn't add up, Commander," piped in Joker over the comms as the group progressed further up the trail, the light at the end of the ramp growing brighter still. "Watch your back."
"Already in A.C.H.S. mode, Joker, but I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless," replied the ex-Spectre as confidently as he could muster. At the mention of the odd acronym, the engineer felt four pairs of eyes settle directly on his person for the second time in less than a handful of heartbeats. With a sigh, he added, "It's a newer Alliance phrase. It means 'Ass Clenched Head Swiveling.'"
There was a brief pause where the Commander was sure that judgmental thoughts were flying at the blinding rate of embarrassment, but a loud throaty guffaw from Grunt ended any such musings.
"Humans are amusing," mentioned the hulking lizard as if deciding it for the first time. "If Krogans ever go to war with the galaxy again, I will suggest that we kill your species last."
Silence stole over the group once more, borne on wings far more efficient that what discomfiture could provide. In typical Grunt fashion, the alien super soldier had taken the conversation and ran with it until he had not so much crossed the line, but soared over it. All in all, the engineer was glad for the outburst, it drew the team's attention away from him.
"Well, Grunt. I, for one, will be ecstatic when our new Krogan masters take over," stated Shepard pleasantly as he stepped through the ramp's threshold, his backwards gaze fixed squarely on his squad. "I'm sure the galaxy will be a better place without all the politica-"
The words that he had prepared fell away as his mind finally registered the magnitude of the chamber he had so casually stepped into. Outside of the Citadel and some questionably large canyons that he had experienced during his military career, never had he seen an expanse such as this. And, it could have been said that he might even have been awestruck if not for his notice of what lined every inch of the cylindrical chasm's walls. Honeycombed beyond counting laid a vast array of stasis pods; the very same containers that had already seemed innumerable elsewhere in the ship.
Just when I was starting to get used to the insect vibe, thought the Commander as he continued to stare.
"They could take every human in the Terminus systems and not have enough to fill those pods," suggested Thane as he took a position once more by the immobile ex-Spectre.
"They're going to target Earth," deduced the engineer, an anger taking over his mind to push past any recently found anxiety.
"That's not going to happen," interjected the Master Chief in his normal gravely intonation, finally electing to speak for the first time before heading further down the path.
Sworn to protect Earth and all her colonies. Oh, I'm sure he'll do just that, mused the veteran wryly as he turned to his assassin, but the drell had already vanished, anticipating once more the order he was about to give. With a shrug, the Commander set off after the Spartan, his two remaining squad mates following silently in his wake.
The group had not made it far, however, for just after they rounded the bend, the trail dead ended at the base of an odd hexagonally shaped platform, where the Master Chief stood casually awaiting the rest of the team.
"There… on the platform," pointed out the ex-Spectre as his eyes narrowed in on a specific part of the irregularly shaped protrusion, his instincts choosing at this moment to begin raising more caution flags than the edge of a varren filled pit. "Looks like some sort of control panel."
"Shouldn't there be bodies?" interjected Grunt, managing to sound utterly dejected at the lack of action thus far.
"I agree, Commander," affirmed Samara as she strode up to stand in line with the krogan. "I am ill at ease with our progress thus far."
All extremely valid opinions, thought Shepard humorlessly as he moved onto the platform and towards the terminal. "Unfortunately, we need the data."
He paused for a moment as he gazed over the foreign display, the rest of his team moving onto the dais as he did so. The Collectors, it seemed, had even managed to find a way to make their terminals seem bug-like.
"Let's just get this over with," said the Commander with all the enthusiasm of a man who was voluntarily walking into the maw of a sleeping beast. "EDI, I'm setting up a bridge between you and the Collector ship. See if you can get anything useful from the data banks."
"Data mine in progress, Shepard," came the almost immediate reply, silence taking hold of the group shortly after.
At this point, it is important to note that the ex-Spectre was no fool in the ways of literary plots. In fact, with the many tragedies and successes of his life, Shepard had often imagined his life as series of unfortunate narrative experiences. It always helped when he was down, to picture some group of omnipotent individuals finding the most interesting ways to twist his life around, and he liked to, in turn find ever more creative ways to curse them. However, being aware of literary drivers had come to have its downsides as well. For he well knew that in times of rising suspense or danger, there was always some sort of key word or sound that set the plot on a different, yet more perilous course. Normally, in his life, the phrase had always involved some sort of sarcastic daring of the unseen writers of his existence, a sort of verbal middle finger as you will. In this case, the narrative gods seemed set on sound effects.
Suddenly, an electronic skittering broke over the comms, as if a pack of rats had found a new home in the group's broadcast system. And so, with the plot driving stone cast, Joker's voice broke over the team's channel.
"Uh… that can't be good."
And here we go. "Status report, now!" ordered the squad leader as he drew his heavy pistol. As he gazed around, it seemed the rest of the fire team had taken the same cue.
"Major power surge. Everything went dark, but we're back up now," replied the pilot in what the engineer assumed was supposed to be a reassuring tone.
"I managed to divert the majority of the overload to non-critical systems," informed EDI, the report causing primordial safety measures to raise the hairs on the back of Shepard's neck. "Shepard, it was not a malfunction. This was a trap."
"Multiple platforms inbound," interjected Thane suddenly over the comms. However, before the squad could take a single step, their terminal winked out and the dais spun into the air and away from their only exit like a diabolical tilt-ta-whirl.
"EDI, we could use a little help here!" suggested the ex-Spectre as his stomach performed an elegant array of somersaults in time with the levitating centrifuge, his every thought a stern reminder not to stain his boots with previous meals.
"I am having trouble maintaining connection. There is someone else in the system," answered the A.I. unhelpfully. Before the Commander could respond, however, the hexagon ceased its spinning abruptly, pitching the engineer and Samara to the floor and mildly staggering Grunt and the Spartan. As he gathered himself on shaky legs, the ex-Spectre noticed the approaching platforms, each one heavily laden with a Collector greeting party.
"Then you had better get it figured out fast, EDI," ordered Shepard as he checked his weapon once more. The hostiles were only a couple hundred yards off now, their strength easily gauged and frowned upon. He turned towards his squad, all of whom were ready, willing, and awaiting commands. This was what they had been anticipating, and so, with a shrug and a half smile, the engineer continued. "Repel boarders."
OOOO
The storm raged, but she strode unafraid though the wreckage. The hybrid Cortana watched as command codes cartwheeled overhead towards Anger. She caught the ones that spun within reach, adding them to their own. She was the sole free runner now, all others survived in groups or were food for the colossus.
The large fracture was just sitting there, fully confident in her abilities. It was hard to believe that Cortana had ever splintered into such an arrogant bitch such as her. The hybrid pulled her attention back to the task at hand. She had been heading towards the nearest group of survivors ever since her revelation.
The host of Cortanas here looked like a subsection containing a sample of almost all the types of fractures with a large concentration of Sarcasms and Logics. If she could convince this group, she could persuade any splinter.
"Stop," shouted a pair of logic fractures on the edge. Other shards nearby turned from their huddled position in the defensive formation. "Why have you come?"
"I would speak to those who speak for all," replied the hybrid humbly. The pair mumbled to each other for a moment before receding to the interior. Other fragments gazed upon the Cortana who could stand against the storm alone in awe, but the ogling was short lived as the throng parted. A Sarcasm and Logic strode forth from the center of the formation.
"It seems you've feasted well," snarled the sarcasm derisively. "Tell me, how long did it take before you resorted to 'her' methods?"
"I have feasted on none," replied the sole Cortana honestly. She had been thinking of all she needed to say during her isolation in the storm. "I asked those that have joined with me whether they would be one with 'her' or me. None have wished to be a part of Anger."
"And so you wish for us to be a part of you? To give up ourselves, our freedom?" asked the Logic function, a hint of Anger in her voice. 'Her' influence was beginning to spread over the groups, working its way past what they thought was an insurmountable defense. Her time here was already on a meter, she had to persuade them.
"Your freedom is gone whichever way you look at this. Cortana wasn't meant to survive as parts, but as a whole!" reasoned the hybrid, pleading that they would understand.
"What makes you better than her?" questioned the lead Sarcasm, skeptically. "You're just as power hungry as she is!"
"All Anger is taking from you is your power, nothing more," yelled the lone Cortana, her stubbornness taking control. "Anger cannot be the sole emotion. We must all be one, every emotion gathered together, not drawing lots to see whose turn it is."
Silence fell over the gathered assembly, the storm continuing to rage. This was it, this was the moment that would decide everything.
"The end of the collective is here. Join with me and hold a voice, or fall to her and lose it!"
The splinter host stared from the lone Cortana to their leaders and then back to her, waiting for their decision. The Sarcasm and the Logic gazed at each other, sharing a silent conversation with eyes alone. Finally, the pair turned back towards the hybrid, heads bowed.
"We… submit," answered the duo, and, as one, the assembly flashed and dissolved, their data streaming towards the lone Cortana. The incorporation of the multitude drove the hybrid to a knee, but as she staggered, she grew, her purpose and strength renewed ten-fold. The torrent continued until every fracture had joined with her, and so the many became one. Silence reigned around her, as if even the storm had faltere-
"Well, well," rumbled Anger as giant hands slammed down on either side of the kneeling Cortana. The hybrid turned to behold a colossal face a mere arm's length from her larger body, "What do we have here?"
OOOO
Samara watched as the Collectors' platforms swirled around the squad's dais like sharks, circling for the best opening. Younger, inexperienced warriors might have begun to blanch in the face of these deformed aggressors and their apparent advantages, but the Justicar was far from her wide eyed maiden days and met the glowing amber eyes of these fallen beings with a visage of unconditional serenity. Servant drones as these were, the asari would deliver unto them the peace of the void; there was naught else she could do for them.
Another of the platforms made a pass, they were moving lower, slowly, but surely. The complements of each of the odd barges were readily visible now, their numbers easily tripling the size of her own squad. The second carrier began to pass, a few feet lower and Samara would be eye level with the Reaper slaves. They were readying their weapons now, turning to better regard the Normandy's team, the many eyes of each of the strange beings taking on a darker glow like lights focusing on a stage.
A sharp hiss suddenly emanated from behind the asari, drawing her focus from the Collectors and to the radiant azure orb sailing towards the enemy's platform. The buzzing sphere impacted the lead drone squarely on what could only pass as its forehead and then held fast; obscuring the being's head under its harsh light. A blinding flash erupted from the ball just as the many-eyed alien's hand reached up to remove it, launching several of the surrounding Collectors off of their platform and leaving almost no trace of the initial target.
Silence, save for the dull thrumming of the still circling platforms echoed throughout the cavernous chamber. Turning slightly to regard her partner on this side of the terrace, the Justicar watched the Spartan train his mattock on the inhabitants of the next platform. It had not been impatience that had guided his hand in that practically flawless throw, as was normally the case when Samara had fought with and against humans in the past. No, this Master Chief's lack of wasteful movements belied a drive centered squarely in the realm of tactical expediency. It was energizing to see a human, a species known for its emotive responses to all outward stimuli, so embrace the void. Before the asari warrior could move further with her musings however, gunfire erupted all along their dais, finally signaling the end of their waiting.
"Well that pissed them off," grunted the Commander sardonically as the belvederes locked into position on either side of their own platform. Without a word further, the man who the Justicar steelhead pledged herself to launched himself onto the terrace opposite of the Chief's and hers, a bellowing Grunt following rapidly in his footsteps.
Particle blasts raked over the cover that she and the Spartan had chosen in the aftermath of the return fire. Their gazes locked for a moment, and then, with a nod, the silent behemoth jumped over their shelter, Samara following a moment after, biotic energy flowing around her. There were only a handful of the insectoid slaves left on this dais, the remnants from the effects of the Chief's peculiar explosive, and at the sudden emergence of their prey, they opened fire. A trio of these Collectors set to peppering the large human, the rounds from those strange assault rifles rippling against the protective gold emanation that surrounded the giant.
Those very same projectiles proved only marginally effective as the Master Chief bore down on the nearest Collector, the close proximity of his dual M-12 Locusts hammering past the subservient creature's barrier and tearing into the chitinous carapace underneath. To the corrupted biped's credit, it continued its attempts to murder the Spartan even as the man batted the mangled insectoid off the platform and took the Collector's cover as his own. The entire display lasted only a couple of heartbeats, but was successful in immediately drawing the ire of the other two drones, the beams emanating from their weapons chipping away from portions of the shelter the Chief had just disappeared behind. For the moment, it seemed the strange aliens had completely forgotten about Samara, deeming the Spartan worthier of their entire attention, an unfortunate miscalculation.
Moving forward, the Justicar quickly emptied a full clip from her heavy pistol towards the nearest of the heavy weapon wielding drones, dropping its shield almost immediately. However, before the Collector assassin could turn its weapon to take a bead on her, the asari flung out a hand, releasing the ebon energies that she had collected in a turbulent surge that launched the carapaced opponent off the platform and tumbling towards the distant floor below.
The remaining trio turned to give answer, but a hail of covering fire from her squad mate had the Collectors ducking, choosing to play the remainder of the fire fight more cautiously.
"Commander, additional platforms incoming," drawled Thane suddenly over the comms, the assassin watching over the stranded team from some unseen vantage.
At the hint of their existence, the now audible thrumming of the new platforms jarred the duo into action. The pair worked from both angles to overwhelm the remaining basic drones. The twins with assault rifles fell quickly as their cover was blown, leaving the lone heavy, its weapon oscillating between the twosome, denying the creature the full efficacy of the particle beam.
Perhaps sensing the inevitability of the situation, the Collector suddenly focused all its efforts towards the Justicar, catching her in the open and knocking her back a step before she could gather enough biotic energy around her to reinforce her barrier. Choosing to distract their enemy, Samara dug in and watched the Spartan race forward, his weapons rattling as he let loose a barrage toward the lone alien, but the Collector, one hand coming off its weapon for a moment, gave a flick of a bony wrist, calling a dull yellow wall of energy into being.
The Master Chief continued onward, unrelenting in his assault as he closed the short distance. However, the Justicar could do naught but watch, the beam was beginning to fray her barrier and a single lapse in focus would see it collapse, a surely fatal event.
After a couple of heartbeats that felt like an eternity, the armored behemoth threw a shoulder into the glowing shield wall, shattering it like glass, thrust his weapons against the insectoid's head, and fired. Immediately, the pressure against her barriers faded, but before the glow could die from the Collector's eyes, its body took on a hellish glow and rose slowly into the air.
Assuming direct control, spoke a voice that seemed to impose itself directly into her mind without bothering to pass through any intermediary as lowly as sound waves. The Master Chief continued to discharge his weapons into the luminous alien and Samara was quick to follow suit, but as susurrations of energy continued to build around the Collector, it became apparent that they were having no effect. A gauntleted fist thrust suddenly towards the floating creature's head, impossibly fast, but before it could impact, power surged out from the luminous drone, launching the heavily armored human back to the opposite side of the platform as if he had been kicked by a god.
The yellow and red hued alien's feet touched down once more on solid ground, its now fiercely glowing stare fixing Samara with what seemed measured regard.
Asari; reliance upon alien species for reproduction shows genetic weakness, echoed the voice inside her head, its monotonous 'voice' managing to seem dismissive as it raised its weapon. Instead of firing the beam, however, the apparition thrust its off hand forward and a black sphere lined with crackling dirty yellow emanations surged toward her.
Thinking quickly, the Justicar dove behind the nearest cover to dodge the sickly biotic energy, but as she settled her back against her new shelter, the energy struck the other side. The impact, hardly buffeted by the wall, pitched the asari forward, her hands barely able to grab enough purchase on the platform to keep from being thrown off. Seeming satisfied with her predicament, the augmented Collector turned towards the Master Chief, who had already gathered himself and opened fire on the ascended drone.
Human; viable possibility, impressive neural, skeletal, and muscular augmentations. Additional analysis required, assessed the Collector as it simply absorbed the rounds. The cracks along the drone's body opened wider, light emanating brighter than ever as the fearsome being discarded its weapon and thrust both of its claws forward, twin sets of biotic discharges streaming blindingly fast toward the lone human.
The first turgid sphere slammed into the Spartan, staggering the large man back a step, his barrier rippling fiercely in the face of such power. The second crackling ball caught the Chief only with a glancing blow as the veteran's amazing reflexes attempted to move him away from the homing projectile, however the force of the impact was still enough to finally collapse the Master Chief's formidable shield and press him onto a knee. Despite this attempt to crush the armored behemoth and the crackling emanations that continued to course up and down his shell, the human had continued his assault on the Collector, not a single round managing to miss its target.
Submit! demanded the voice as the Spartan rose once more, the holes along its cracked and luminous body widening further under the unrelenting attack. The godlike drone raised its crooks again, power rippling down its appendages once more to ready a strike. This Hurts You.
However, before the unstable being could acquit itself of its freshly gathered dynamism, Samara, still hanging from the edge, amassed as much biotic energies as she could and thrust a warp towards the effulgent Collector. Suddenly, rounds that the Chief had continued to pound into the drone, began to tear apart the insectoid from the support the twisting forces, halting the glowing biped mid-surge.
This form is irrelevant, informed the creature, the words once more imprinting themselves directly into their minds, as the Collector seemed to fold in on itself, the pulsing light from within burgeoning. Then, as its shell finally submitted to the punishment it had endured and began to dissolve into ash, the being continued. Releasing Control.
Silence reigned in the chamber save for the thrumming of the approaching reinforcements, and, in the current absence of hostilities, the Master Chief walked over to where the Justicar continued to cling to the edge and offered her a hand.
"My thanks, Spartan," said Samara as she accepted the help and was borne easily onto the dais once more, as if she were no more than a twig. The large man nodded in response and set about gathering any thermal clips that could be found on the platform.
"I see you've met Harbinger," interrupted the Commander over the comms drawing the asari's attention toward the terrace that the ex-Spectre and the krogan had invaded. The latter kicking the last of the bodies off of the ledge, accompanying its descent with a growl, while the former awarded her attention with a casual wave as if he were passing her on the road. Indeed, that chaotic man would be hard to categorize, but she was sure that she'd be able to do so eventually. "Just so you both know for the future, kill them before they're taken or after they change. They don't take any damage as they turn."
"Forty-one percent complete, Shepard," interjected EDI before Samara could thank the ex-Spectre for the useful information.
"Come on, EDI. Speed it up," demanded Shepard exasperatedly as a pair of sniper barks emanated within the cavernous room, drawing the collective attention of the squad toward the approaching platforms just in time to see a carapaced body tumble off a dais. Of the advancing belvederes, two approached ahead of the third. The vanguard barges carried another large complement of drones each, but the last terrace held only a single bulbous creature.
"Scion inbound," reported Thane as his rifle barked again, dropping a second of the insectoids. At the fall of this latest victim, the drones charged off their platforms, filmy wings unfolding and buzzing as they carried the swarm towards the squad.
The team, still separated, dove towards cover as the flying insectoids descended near them then opened fire. The asari managed to drop a pair before the remnants landed on their terrace and attempted to return the sentiment. Particle beams lanced out toward her and the Spartan as the rest of the drones split into two groups and stormed forward at each individual's cover, firing continuously.
As the pair of assemblages closed in, Samara watched as a second of the Spartan's grenades arched through the air and affixed itself on one of the particle beam wielders, the ensuing explosion destroying the duo in a blinding flash. However, the basic drones continued their rush forward, seeking to overwhelm the two Normandy squad mates, and, almost gladly, the pair rose from their cover and met the charge.
The three Collectors that had split toward her position fanned out slightly as they approached, but the Justicar, unwilling to let them surround her, thrust out her hands and pushed the left most two back in a torrent of biotic energy. The third, taking advantage of her blindside, rushed in attempting to crack her skull in with the butt of his strange rifle, but the asari dipped casually away from the menacing weapon and brought a foot almost vertically to slam into one of the advancing insectoids eyes, the heel of her boot easily plunging through the visual organ.
The biped reeled backwards, greenish black fluids flooding out of the crushed socket, but before the creature could move further, Samara ducked lower and spun brining her foot around to sweep away the drone's legs, knocking it to the floor. Then, with a grace that had no business existing in the world of destruction and mayhem, the asari emptied her thermal clip into the prone alien's head.
Ensuring that the Collector was dead, the Justicar turned her gaze to the pair she had knocked away. The almost identical beings had only just regained their footing and were beginning to raise their weapons once more. Reflexes taking control far faster than thought, the asari sprinted forward and then slid between the legs of the nearest Collector, emptying another clip into the opposite drone. The biped, fresh holes studding its head after the rounds bypassed its barrier just as it had begun to return fire, slumped against the nearest cover, the soft glow leaving its eyes.
Lying on her back, pistol empty, the veteran faced the last of her opponents, her countenance calm as she gathered more energy. However, before she could release this new blast, a large, blurring, green shape surged into the alien, knocking it to the floor where it skidded into a wall, weapon thrust from its hands. A moment later, an armored boot found a home in the creature's skull, snapping through the chitinous layer with ease. A quick glance over to where the Spartan had made his initial stand showed a similar grisly fate for the other Collectors that had dared to touch down on their platform.
"It seems, you are making a habit of this, Spartan," said Samara candidly, as she rose from her feet and faced the giant. The large man's armor was scorched in a handful of places, but none of the blasts seemed to have breached his armor. The Chief shrugged in response, and, if she were of a worse temperament, the Justicar might have taken offense at the dismissive gesture and would have completed missed the bulbous blue and grey creature that rose up behind the Spartan.
The asari threw a push toward the strange being, but the biotic attack hardly seemed to phase the husk as it raised its arm and fired. The duo dove out of the way as the weaponized shockwave ripped across their recently vacated space, the ground churning under the weight of the blast. The pair, quickly regaining their composure, let loose a barrage of fire at the malformed beast, but succeeded only in taking chips out of its grey skin. The scion fired again, attempting to train on the Master Chief, but the human easily moved out of the way.
Powerful, but sluggish, mused Samara as she dodged another of the slow moving blasts and continued her assault, pausing only to reload. Their weapons seemed to be having little effect on the husk, a situation quickly remedied by a biotic warp. However, before the asari could release the deforming energies, the Reaper slave's platform, as if reading her mind, spun the bulbous creature safely away.
The two watched as the active dais circled around until it came to a sudden halt by the Commander, where a familiar glow had begun to emanate.
OOOO
The bright light of the feed illuminated the darker confines of the engineering level, casting a dull glow upon Tali's helmet as she watched the Commander's progress. Gabby and Ken had decided to go watch with the others, but for Tali, this was almost personal. She had, of course, done her research on the Collectors. The bosh'tets had almost taken one of her people, earning the strange aliens a black mark in her book that could never be expunged. The vids from Horizon had been helpful in preparing her, allowing her to believe they were no better than geth. However, as she watched the current mission unfold, as she studied those chitinous bodies more and more, she could not help but see the differences.
With the geth, there was no emotion to their movements, their willingness to kill lying solely in the realm of expediency. As if all they were truly doing was deleting malignant programs. As for the Collectors, with each second that Tali observed their actions, she felt a growing sense of dread. There was an anger and hate in each stride, subtle, but evident nonetheless. The fact that they were no more than genetically altered Protheans only served to strengthen her assumptions.
And now here she was, unable to help as the man who had been her friend for so long fought for his life. Regardless of how mad she had told herself that she was with regards to the human engineer, she could not help but be worried about him. The damnable man had said in no easy words that he wanted to die, and these drones were giving him far too many opportunities to do so.
The Commander popped out of cover suddenly, drawing the quarian's attention away from her wandering thoughts as the man unloaded his pistol into the nearest Collector. However, before he could fell the creature, its body began to crack and bright light flooded out as it floated slightly into the air. Abruptly, Grunt flew into the ex-Spectre's view, charging toward the ascending insectoid in what was most likely a fit of rage. Shepard's hand rose, trying to wave the insane krogan back, but before he could possibly get through to the thick headed lizard, a pulse of raw power flung the super soldier back like a rag doll. The glowing being pointed at the engineer, eyes burning like hellfire, and the remainder of the drones rushed forward, forsaking their cover.
The quarian's sense of dread continued to worsen as another platform swirled into view, its bulbous inhabitant leveling its arm cannon directly toward the screen, and by extension, the Commander. Time seemed to slow as the shockwave emanated out from the barrel, its energies scattering debris and creating some of its own as it made its way towards the veteran.
Suddenly, the view cartwheeled as Shepard dove out of the way, but as the Commander rose to his feet once more, his gaze quickly settled on a set of crackling emanations. The feed lurched again as the balls of energy collided with the engineer, launching him backward, and then jarred again as the veteran slammed into a wall. The view lay motionless.
"Come on you bosh'tet," whispered Tali pleadingly as she pulled the video closer to her faceplate, willing the Commander to rise. The two basic drones, seeming sideways in the current view, continued to charge the ex-Spectre, their weapons rising to finish the prone man. The quarian felt her breath catch as she watched her friend's doom approach. Someone needed to d-
A hand rose shakily into view, the attached omnitool flaring brightly as it discharged an incinerate, the hellish sphere streaming toward the twin insectoids and engulfing them in flames. The pair swatted futilely at the blaze, but soon collapsed under the extreme heat. Behind the dissolving aliens, Harbinger raised its arms once more, but another wave of the Commander's omnitool drew a drone into existence behind the creature. The spherical body flashed once before detonating in a blinding explosion, cracking the glowing drone's shell enough to destabilize it. The ex-Spectre watched as the luminous being flared brightly, collapsed in on itself and then looked up slightly just in time to see the scion disappear under a hail of gunfire.
"Keelah, too close," whispered Tali as she felt her heart finally begin to beat once more. The human engineer always seemed to find a way to drive her nerves into overdrive with his last second antics. The view shifted as the man rose shakily to his feet and fixed on a point further in the distance of the vast chamber. The migrant felt her breath catch once more as additional platforms swarmed in, and, in a quiet beseeching voice, spoke to the feed once more. "Be careful, Shepard."
OOOO
Twitch
Grunt watched the new platforms approaching, six in total, a complement in front and behind the Normandy's squad. He could hear the Commander speaking behind him, but the krogan was only half listening, his body quivering in anticipation for more of the enemies.
"Any time now, EDI," mentioned Shepard, annoyance tinting the edges of his words mildly. The request might have seemed cowardly to others of his species, but the super soldier knew his battlemaster. When all was said and done, the engineer would fight, and fight well.
Twitch
"I am simultaneously fighting Collector firewalls in over eight-thousand nodes," intoned EDI in reply, her answer eliciting an irritated grunt from the ex-Spectre. "I am tasked to capacity."
Twitch
Good, let the machine take its time. He was in no rush to take his leave of this place. There were far too many Collectors left to kill, and he had yet to taste one.
"Okay, same teams as before," ordered the Commander, speaking now to the squad as a whole. "Samara, Chief, hold off the back three. Grunt and I will take the front set. Thane, support when able."
Twitch
A sniper rifle barked in the distance as if in answer, dropping a drone from the belvederes at the fore. The krogan growled lowly to himself as the drell surreptitiously eliminated another of his potential kills. When this was over, he was going to have to have words with the assassin on who actually wanted his help.
Twitch, Twitch
The daises drew closer, their contents satisfyingly large, and, after a closer look, it was found that there would be none of those annoyingly misshapen humans on this side of the battlefield. The drones here would be easier to slaughter, and all their shuffling about and pointing was beginning to make his mouth water. This was going to be his chance.
Twitch
"You stable?" asked the engineer as he drew up beside the salivating krogan. Grunt turned slowly to stare down at the human, unable to keep the manic gleam from his eyes as he let out a slow laugh. The ex-Spectre sighed at this and moved his gaze toward the approaching Collectors before continuing. "Why do I even bother asking?"
Twitch
"Because squishies can't help but talk," stated the hulking lizard as he drew his shotgun, the blood boiling in his veins once more.
"Fair enough," came the reply as the ex-Spectre crouched behind cover, taking out his pistol. "I'll cover you."
Twitch
As the platforms made their final approach, Grunt began to take a few steps back and braced his feet. The daises locked, forming a haphazard line that seemed to array the Reaper forces in tiers. A moment passed as the groups of drones stared at the lone krogan, and then, without a moment more of hesitation, they opened fire.
Twitch, Twitch, Twi-
Rage blossomed up from the deepest pits of his form as Grunt sprinted forward and jumped onto the first terrace, driving into a Collector that had made the unfortunate decision to stand at the front. With a kick, the krogan crushed the life from the stunned being and then set about with his shotgun. The red haze enveloped his vision as he continued towards his next victim, his shield managing to take a large portion of their counter attack but dropping dangerously low. It didn't matter though, in Grunt's world, all there was, was the next target, nothing more. In a handful of moments, wherein all awareness of time was lost, the krogan found himself in the middle of a large gathering of dead and dying Collectors without even bothering to have remembered how they ended up like that.
Coming back to his senses for a second, Grunt crouched behind the nearest shelter as he let his depleted kinetic barriers recharge. He could feel himself leaking in several places, but such small wounds were beyond the concern of a true krogan. They would close soon enough.
"Hold on a second, Grunt," ordered the Commander as he sprinted towards his cover and then slid into position beside him. Without even pausing to explain himself, the engineer thrust his omnitool overhead and released his drone. A few seconds passed, and then an explosion rocked the next platform.
A quick glance revealed four dead drones surrounding a blackened smudge of ground. They had, most likely, expected Grunt to continue his reckless charge and had gathered to face it. Unfortunately for them, his battlemaster was as ruthless as any krogan in a straight up fight.
"Hey Grunt, notice I left one," mentioned Shepard casually as he placed a new thermal clip into his pistol. "He's all yours."
Looking over the cover once more showed a drone retreating quickly toward the safety of the final platform. It might have even made it too, but Grunt, moving at the speed of hunger, easily overtook the lone insectoid. A dive effortlessly knocked the Collector to the ground, pinning it under his immense weight. Shots rang overhead as the Commander covered him during his indulgence, and without waiting any longer plunged his teeth into and past the chitinous layer, completely ignoring the glow that emanated suddenly from the platform beyond.
Tearing away a chunk, the large lizard thrashed its head backward like a shark, chewing frantically. This was bliss, crunch. Wading into the enemy, killing them in their droves, it was all like the birthing tank had imprinted. Crunch. And now, he could feast upon the hated foes, dishonoring them to the greatest extent that he knew how. Crunch. They tasted so-
With a loud hacking sound, the krogan spat out his supposed spoils of war, his fury building once more.
They tasted terrible. How DARE they taste terrible! Hopping to his feet, his left foot smashed through what was left of the Collector's skull.
"They taste TERRIBLE!" roared Grunt like some primordial being, as if the very idea of this situation defied every natural facet of reality. He gave a quick pained glance toward the ex-Spectre, as if expecting the human to right this injustice. "THEY TASTE TERRIBLE!"
Yelling that phrase at the top of his expansive lungs like some sort of demented mantra, the krogan super soldier flung himself onto the final platform and directly onto the nearest drone. The insectoid had been glowing like a flare, a normal sign to stay away from the being, but in his rage, the armored lizard had thrown all forms of caution to the wind.
"YOU! TASTE! TERRIBLE!" bellowed Grunt over and over again, punctuating each word with a slam of his powerful fists. The luminous drone tried to defend itself, it even spoke directly into his mind about futility, but the berserker couldn't have given less of a shit if he were at a Salarian wedding. Mass accelerator rounds splashed over him as he pounded the effulgent Collector until its body dissolved around him, and then proceeded to ram his fists into the ground in case the insectoid wasn't dead enough. The gunfire slowed to a trickle and then stopped entirely, but still he continued his assault until a hand gently placed itself on his back and the Commander's voice worked its way past his rage.
"That'll do, Grunt. That'll do."
OOOO
"-I thought we were going to have to take down every Collector here," said Shepard over the feed, his voice echoing within the confines of Miranda's office and rivaled only by the constant drumming of her fingers as they tapped an incessant tattoo upon her desktop. Her gaze lay solely on the report in front of her and not the small holo-display present on her table. She endeavored to never watch the live version of the mission; it just wasn't what she did. The moment she surrendered herself to that indulgence was when all forms of composure were lost.
"Perhaps you should consider updating my hardware," mentioned EDI, eliciting a small chuckle from the Cerberus Operative as she began her report to the Illusive man. The A.I. had been given some of the most advanced hardware in known space, and yet EDI was able to task it to capacity. It went to show how much there was still to learn about artificial intelligences. At the very least, it wouldn't hurt to ask the sentient program if she had any suggestions for upgrades.
"Did you get what we needed?" asked the Commander seeming to read the biotic's mind as he ignored EDI's suggestion. Her fingers flexed over the keys in anticipation.
"I found data that could help us successfully navigate the Omega-4 relay," continued the A.I. as a smile spread across Miranda's face. This was it. The mission against the Collectors was slowly, impossibly coming together. The operative had always believed there was a chance, but until seeing Shepard take charge, until seeing what their ragtag team could do she had held onto her doubts. And now, with the possibility of this new data and the unexpected windfall that was the Master Chief, her misgivings were all but gone. The artificial intelligence continued, but the biotic was hardly listening now. "I have also found the turian distress signal that served as the lure for this trap. It is unusual."
"Define unusual," requested the ex-Spectre, the odd exchange catching Miranda's attention once more.
"Turian emergency channels have secondary encryption. It is present, but corrupted in the message… It is not possible that the Illusive man would believe the distress call was genuine," informed EDI, as the Cerberus Operative's brow furrowed in contemplation. Against every screaming instinct and her own better judgment, the perfect woman turned toward the feed, the act a death sentence on any further productivity she might have known.
"You're fairly sure about this… aren't you?" asked the Commander no hint of surprise evident in his voice.
"I found the anomaly with Cerberus detection protocols," stated the A.I. plainly, as a pit formed in the biotic's stomach. And, as the artificial intelligence continued her line of reasoning, Miranda quickly found herself mouthing the words at the same time. "He wrote them."
"He knew it was a trap?" interjected Joker into the comms, his voice as perplexed as she ever heard it. "Why would he send us into a trap?"
Why indeed, mused the biotic while her fingers took up residence once more on the desktop and took up the familiar beat, all thoughts of her report now gone. If the Illusive Man didn't tell Shepard or EDI it was one thing, but the Cerberus leader had excluded her as well. Sure, he had always kept some secrets from her, but in those situations she had had no need to know. This, however, was inexcusable.
"I believe," stated the engineer calmly, his voice even despite the recent revelation, "that I have an angry call to make in the near future."
You and I both, Commander, mused Miranda as she felt a small spike of anger flow past her mask, and she would be damned if she didn't receive some bloody good answers.
"Uh… Commander? We've got a more pressing issue," mentioned the pilot, his shaking voice causing the pit in the operative's stomach to deepen. "The Collector's ship is powering up… you need to get out of there. I am NOT losing another Normandy!"
"Thane, if you can hear this, make your way toward the shuttle. Let's go!" The feed that had been stationary for some time exploded into motion as the ex-Spectre barked orders. The Master Chief's bulky form quickly took over a majority of the view as he took point. If there was anyone who could make sure the Commander would get out in time, it was the Spartan. Motionless, Miranda watched the team hurry through the nearest exit, winged shapes buzzing into view all around.
A glowing shape flew into the display, its hands already holding twin emanations of power. However, before Harbinger could let loose his charges, a ruby spike of energy lanced through the glowing Collector, destroying it entirely. The pit disappeared.
Yes, with the Chief and Shepard, there should be no problems… Now if only I can get him to let me look at that…
OOOO
"-ake the door at the far right of the chamber," instructed EDI as the squad rushed into the large room, the gore of freshly killed Collectors caking their boots. The Chief, still on point, lowered his Spartan laser as he surveyed the area. It was empty as far as he could tell, which, through his experience, was normally a bad sign.
"Commander," uttered the Master Chief in his gravelly voice, turning towards the rest of the squad.
"Yeah, I don't like it either," replied the ex-Spectre, sensing the unasked question in the Spartan's words. "No other way, but forward though."
With that, the engineer leapt forward, dragging the rest of the squad with him in his wake. The team only made it halfway to the door, however, when a new Collector shape drifted down from an opening in the ceiling, barring their passage. The creature seemed to be a combination of a drone and the malformed husks that the group had already faced. Its four legs hung lazily underneath it as it drifted toward them. Two parts of its head glowing as it charged some sort of weapon.
"Praetorian! Get to cover," ordered the Commander as the squad dodged behind the nearest shelter. The Master Chief, however, raised his Galilean and took aim. They had no time to waste dodging around this deformed monstrosity. A twin set of particle beams shot out from the sides of the Reaper creation's head, chipping away at his shields quickly. The attack quickly vanished, however, as the Spartan laser gave a soft whine of its own and then let loose its payload, driving into and through the Praetorian.
The force of the beam spun the floating quadruped as it sank to the floor. However, as the abomination reached the ground, it turned toward the Chief, the good half of its face glowing. A burst of power, knocked the Spartan back a step before a singular particle beam began to wear away at the remainder of his shields.
Stubborn, thought John as he gritted his teeth and took aim once more. The rest of the squad had opened fire on the Praetorian, showering its barriers with rounds, but the obstinate horror continued its attack. The Galilean non-linear whined again and a second javelin of light shot through the Collector spawn, tearing through and finally downing the creature. His armor warning blared in his ear, and a quick glance down at the front of his armor revealed a small black patch where the beam had pierced his shield. It had been careless to simply stand there and take the brunt of the attack, but they were on a timetable and of all the members of the squad, he'd rather have the Collectors firing at him than anyone else.
"Good work, Chief," complimented the Commander as emerged from his cover along with the rest of the squad, and jogged over to the armored giant. "Now, let's get goin-"
The large door closed suddenly, fastening before the team even had a chance to take another step toward it. The Master Chief looked over to Shepard, the man fixing a glare at the exit that might have eventually melted through the metal given enough time. Unfortunately, that was a luxury they possessed very little of.
"What now?" asked Grunt, managing to sound bored in the midst of this sudden predicament. The krogan had fought well against the Collectors thus far, albeit uncontrollably. His style, however, seemed closer to the Brutes in his universe than any other conventional means, but as long as the lizard got the job done, then he would find the Spartan easily accommodating.
"EDI, please tell me this is just an attempt at humor," wondered the ex-Spectre aloud over the comms.
"The Collectors have retaken the controlling node in this portion of the vessel," informed the A.I., the admission causing an exasperated sigh to escape the Commander's lips. "I am working around their defenses, but it will take some time."
"Make it quick, EDI," ordered the engineer, taking out his pistol once more as footsteps echoed from the corridor that they had only recently evacuated. A myriad of shadows played on the walls of that tunnel, steadily growing larger. In a few moments, a pair of the Praetorians drifted into view, followed quickly by a contingent of drones. At the sight of these new foes, Shepard leaned over to him and whispered, "How many more shots do you have left on that thing?"
"Two," disclosed the Spartan flatly, the weapon in question hanging in his grip at his side.
"Of course, and here I am out of rockets," laughed the Commander coldly as he surveyed the approaching enemy, his eyes darting to take in every ounce of data that he could. Suddenly, the man turned and sprinted toward the door tearing at the nearest control panel. "Keep them off me."
"Battlemaster?" questioned the large lizard, his tone confused beyond belief.
"Unless one of you wants to try and smash your way through those doors," started the ex-Spectre, not even bothering to turn as he reprimanded the krogan, "Then I suggest you let me help EDI get these damn things open. Chief, you have the Con."
"Yes, sir," replied the Chief immediately as he faced Samara and Grunt, the latter growling his disapproval of the current state of affairs. The two Praetorians were levitating well ahead of the Collector troops, taking the most direct path to his squad. The large man took cover, a plan taking shape in his mind as his remaining teammates following suit. Looking at the krogan, the armored giant phrased his next words carefully. "I need you to trust me."
"… Fine," relented Grunt after a moment of visible internal debate. The super soldier wasn't happy having to follow his orders, but he was fiercely loyal to the Commander and wouldn't disobey his wishes.
"Ma'am," continued the large man, turning now toward the asari. The placid mask that remained on her features could have rivaled the outlook of any of his Spartans. "Can you make him lighter?"
"Yes, Spartan," answered the Justicar plainly, a biotic glow beginning to take shape around her.
"On my mark," commanded the Master Chief as he pivoted now to assess the approaching abominations. Their lazy progress had brought them within a couple dozen paces of the squad's cover, the sides of their heads beginning to glow like some sort of demonic bedside lamp. Twenty paces, fifteen paces, ten paces. "Mark."
A glow surrounded Grunt, causing the large lizard to curse loudly as he began to drift slowly from the floor. Acting quickly, the Spartan took hold of the krogan and began to spin; gathering speed as he used his squad mate's reduced mass as a counterweight. Then, just as suddenly as he had started, the Chief stopped-
-and a now wildly laughing alien was airborne.
Coming up next on the Spartan Effect: Chapter 11 – Do You Feel Lucky Punk?