MASS EFFECT 2: DARK RENDITION

*PART XIII*

The gunship was a dark, prowling menace. It took its time, leisurely spraying the side of the building with torrents of machine gun fire and sending pieces of glass shimmering into the night air. Rain had begun to fall, adding another depth to the terrible cold.

Shepard tried to hail the Normandy once more, though he could barely hear his own voice and didn't hold much hope of Joker being able to make out his hoarse shouts. Zaeed braved the maelstrom to fire a volley from his rifle, though he couldn't take aim and the burst of fire clattered harmlessly against the blackened side of the gunship.

'This is useless! That bastard's got this whole area covered!' the old merc yelled out in frustration.

'Incoming!' Garrus cried out and they impulsively ducked their heads as a salvo of rockets thundered into the wall mere yards above their heads.

Shepard could hear nothing but his own frenzied heartbeat as the world went silent around him. Pieces of stone and steel worked their way into the neck of his armour, scraping painfully against his bare skin and he could feel the warm trickle of fluid running from his ears. Again he tried his suit radio and his voice resonated noisily within his own head as he spoke, his ears blocked and useless.

'Joker, answer me damn it!'

A faint reply, masked heavily with white noise, gave him hope. 'Commander we're making a pass. Keep your heads down, this is gonna be close!'

Shepard almost laughed in relief and he saw from the reactions of the others that they had heard Joker's message. They hunched down and pressed their bodies into the hard surface of the balcony, desperate for the protection it offered. He felt an immense reverberation deep within his body and, although the Normandy would be at least several hundred metres away as it made its attack run, the powerful engines could be felt keenly.

All he could do was stare into the reflection of a shattered window as a streak of light engulfed the gunship and an almighty jolt replaced the tremors of engines as the aircraft exploded. The great fireball illuminated the sky and fell slowly to the ground below, leaving a long, golden trail in its wake.

Shepard blinked for a moment, unwilling to risk a glance at the tumbling wreck. His heart still raced and it would take a few seconds to restrain the overpowering instinct to survive. He could only sit, his back against the balcony, until his body freed itself of the shock that gripped it. He jumped slightly as Garrus laid a hand on his shoulder.

'It's safe. We can move on.'

Nodding, Shepard signalled with a wave of his hand and the team fell into formation once again. An obstacle had been removed and they had to press on. Moving indoors once more, they resisted the urge to stand and gape at the destruction the gunship had wrought. Blackened holes perforated every wall and office furniture stood broken and splintered. Arcs of electricity sparked from several points along the ceiling and papers whirled around them like blossom petals in the strong winds that swept through the floor.

'Good work, Joker,' said Shepard. Sweat and blood streamed from his forehead and dripped from his nose. Joker's reply was muted as Shepard's ears oozed a thick, dark fluid.

'Just don't count on me being able to do that all the time,' came the reply. 'You realise how hard it is dodging those towers out there? Just sayin' is all.'

Garrus shook his head, smiling. He had always liked the cocky human pilot and was glad to see Joker hadn't changed in his absence.

Rain now started to lash against the tattered building and clouds of icy vapour began to sweep in through the smashed windows and walls. Shepard looked out onto the city as lightning flashed through the clouds above, edging the arcologies and skyscrapers with flashes of silver.

'That gunship really did a number on this place,' Zaeed muttered. 'Even if they manage to survive this, Eclipse won't be able to operate here again.'

'Looks like the power's starting to fail,' Shepard responded as his eyes moved up to the flickering lights. 'That can only help us.'

Together they made their way into another winding passageway. Shouts could be heard, though they were muffled and far away. Dark smears lined the ground; blood both dark red and purple, still fresh.

'Commander, this is Jacob,' crackled Shepard's suit radio. 'We've mopped up the stragglers trying to escape to the roof. Estimate only a dozen or so mercs left now, including their leader.'

'Roger Jacob, see you at the rendezvous point.' Shepard paused and his next words tasted sour on his tongue as he spoke them. 'Any sign of Tali?'

'No, Commander,' replied Jacob, who sounded almost as anxious as Shepard, 'though I haven't seen any sign that the worst has happened. Tali's a resourceful woman. If anybody can survive here, it's her.'

Jacob's encouragements did little to assuage Shepard's uncertainties. His injuries meant nothing to him, he had sustained worse in his time, yet he found it was getting increasingly difficult to slip into the instinctive frame of mind he relied upon. His stomach ached softly as a new, strange sensation overcame him, though he could not explain what it was.

***ME2-DR***

Tali shuffled through the dusty air vent, each movement sending thin clouds of filth into the air. The power to the system had been cut and she was amazed how quickly the dirt had accumulated and settled into the small spaces. In the light of her omni-tool she could swear some of the dust was red in colour, though she couldn't trust any of her senses at that point.

The pain in her right arm was quickly becoming crippling. It slowed her movements, blurred her wits and even made thinking a drawn out, laborious process. What few thoughts remained drifted to Shepard and a tug of self-consciousness worried at the edges of her mind as she considered the times he had come to her rescue. She had always considered herself strong, someone who could be depended on, who Shepard could depend upon. More than anything else, Tali was beginning to doubt herself.

Suddenly a voice mumbled from beneath her and Tali froze. Keelah, had they heard her? The voice spoke again. It was nothing but a low hum under her hands and knees but still she detected the note of shock as it rose in pitch. It spoke rapidly and shouted, and with a sudden jerk of panic, Tali shuffled forward as quickly as she could muster.

The dust swirled around her, clogging her visor and her omni-tool light flared wildly as she moved awkwardly. The strange voice was joined by another and without warning, loud bangs thundered around her. Faint rays of light emerged in front of her and behind as the gunfire clattered into the vent, punching holes through the thin metal. The duct below her groaned and she lurched forward. Before she could react the steel beneath her gave way and Tali cried out as she tumbled into a bright light. Her eyes were closed and she waited for the end.

'Well, well, looks like we've found our fugitive. Nowhere near where the search teams were looking, though,' an odd, high-pitched voice exclaimed. Tali recognised it as the one she had heard inside the vent and she dared to open her eyes.

Even through the tint of her helmet she recognised the salarian's skin as an almost sickly, pale green. Dark patches dotted the back of his head and red markings swirled around his skull, framing his eyes in a sinister visage. An asari merc shifted nervously at his side, her features hidden by a brightly coloured helmet.

'This is the one who killed Arcea and Malyna? I heard she can shut your suit breathers down in a second with that omni-tool of hers before blowing your head clean off!'

'Not with a dislocated shoulder and a broken rib, she can't,' the salarian replied coldly as he quickly performed a medical scan of Tali with his own omni-tool.

'We have to take her to Wasea, Lieutenant,' the asari said in an almost pleading tone. Tali could not help but wonder why she sounded so desperate. 'I know what you said but it can't be worth the risk of getting caught. Wasea's one thing but if Nassana Dantius finds out-'

'Wasea is not my concern,' he snapped irritably, 'and Nassana won't be a problem. As for you, quarian, what do you say? You're in need of medigel and your Spectre friend is tearing up the place looking for you. Do you think it'd be a good idea to simply pretend we didn't see you?'

Tali narrowed her eyes in disgust and rose shakily to her feet. Her arm hung at her side and a thin film of dirt covered her suit but still she straightened and answered Kohia directly and without fear.

'I know my situation. I'm injured, unarmed and if you tried to capture me I couldn't put up much resistance. All I can promise you is that if you hurt me, or take me away, Shepard won't let you get away with it. He battled through an entire army of geth just to recruit me into his team. What do you think he'll do to you?'

The asari looked around, obviously terrified out of her mind. Tali could tell she was thinking only of the rout taking place among her comrades at that very moment and it lent Tali's words a weight only the fear of death could.

Kohia, however, merely raised his arms and folded them across his chest. Thoughtfully, he stroked his chin, his skin glistening as he delivered a measured response.

'I've heard all about this Commander Shepard. Lost his family to batarian raiders on Mindoir, slaughtered a whole lot of batarians on Torfan, presumably getting his revenge though I'd be a fool to assume he hates them on principle. Nevertheless, his illustrious career is common knowledge and now he's here on Illium. Why?'

'Get lost you bosh'tet! I'm not telling you anything!' Tali spat venomously. To her annoyance, Kohia simply smiled and slowly paced around her. Tali's visor shimmered as she turned, carefully keeping her gaze squarely on the salarian.

'That was the answer I expected, although your voice tells me you don't even know, not really. In the end we all know there's only one person of any real consequence in Nos Astra and that's Nassana Dantius. She knows Shepard is the one hired to kill her, it's no use denying it. Why else would he be here?'

'What?' Tali said in disbelief. 'That's ridiculous! Shepard would have nothing to gain from killing her!'

'She was once a diplomat working on the Citadel, you know. She knows things that anyone, even members of the Council, would kill to stop getting out. Or so I would assume, I can't say I'm an expert on the subject of galactic intrigue. Of course, this is what I'll be telling her when we arrive.'

Tali's heart sank as she realised where Kohia was leading her with his blustering, self-edifying rant. She knew that telling him of their real mission, of the Collectors and the Reapers, would be useless at best and an enormous setback at worse. 'I'm warning you. Don't do this.'

'Yeah, what about Wasea?' Kohia's asari companion implored. 'If she finds out about this-'

'Wasea is a dead woman,' Kohia answered with a hard, uncompromising glare. 'As we speak the sisters of the Eclipse are meeting their ends at the hand of that damn Spectre. You, my quarian friend, are our ticket out of here and into Nassana's good graces.'

Tali stood numb as the asari reluctantly prodded her forward with the barrel of her assault rifle. This was how her escape attempt would end. It seemed she could do nothing but fail. The shame obscured even the dull ache of her injured arm and Kohia grinned triumphantly at his prize.

'Come on, get moving,' the asari snarled and, listlessly, Tali shuffled onwards.

Satisfied the quarian would not present a problem, Kohia let them pass and for a moment he thought of his leader. Wasea had been careless and complacent. She'd had the planet, perhaps even the entire system in her grasp and it had taken only a quarian woman and a human male to bring the whole operation down. Of course the mercs had not surrendered yet but Kohia knew when a fight was hopeless, when the smell of blood and smoke signified the end. He would survive as he had always done and once more those who valued power so highly would have it torn from their fingers. He almost laughed at the thought.

The asari merc's weapon may have been pressing firmly into Tali's back but her head was constantly on the move. Her vision flitted from side to side as the slightest sound echoed through the empty passageways and the cracking of thunder crashed against the walls from outside. The hidden shuttle pad was another stroke of genius Kohia prided himself on. As he basked in his self satisfaction, he did not notice Tali's omni-tool pulse gently in the gloom.

***ME2-DR***

Wasea stared morbidly at the datapad in her hand. The shipping manifest was filled with Eclipse's usual fare, eezo, red sand, illegal weapons tech, however it was the single anomaly that held her fast.

Passengers: 1.

Ever since they had smuggled that monster off world everything had gone to hell. The volus merchant had sold them a biotic enhancement that killed the user as more than it enhanced them. The Justicar had arrived, slaughtering her men in the spaceport and although her contact in the Illium police force had taken care of that particular problem, the quarian had gone poking her nose into their systems and uncovered Goddess knows what. On top of all that the damned Spectre was tearing through her base, gunning for them all.

The only light came from the gentle glow of the status lights on the various crates and containers scattered around the warehouse, giving the vast area a deep blue haze. With a sigh, Wasea sat at her desk and picked up a small glass of asari wine.

Staring into the crystalline purple liquid, she noted with mild irritation that it had lost its chill in the time it had taken the enemy commando team to break her defences. With growing bitterness she wondered how anyone, even a Spectre, could do so much damage so quickly.

Contemptuously, Wasea tipped the rest of the wine down her throat and stood, swaying slightly, to face the last remnants of her forces. The group was little more than a collection of frightened, bewildered rookies. They numbered only a dozen and, with all of their officers and NCOs dead or missing, they all looked to Wasea for leadership.

She snorted angrily. Kohia would have been barking out orders and efficiently organising the pitiful scraps in front of him without hesitation. He would glance at her with that smug, knowing look in his eyes and make her feel stupid. As it happened her lieutenant was nowhere to be found and although she would never know if he survived Shepard's well planned onslaught, she hoped with all of her heart the old salarian was laying in a pool of his own blood at that very moment.

'Your orders, ma'am?' one of the initiates mumbled to her. Wasea looked at her absently and despite the rare lack of spite in the commander's glare, the recruit still quaked in her gaze.

'Dig in, say your last prayers to the Goddess and I'll see you all in hell,' said Wasea, her voice distant.

Her movements were somewhat sluggish as she picked up the datapad once again. Around her the initiates miserably slumped into several firing positions around the main doors.

The wine made these last moments a little more bearable, Wasea mused to herself, hell the whole thing even seemed funny to her now. The thin sliver of red sand laying enticingly on her desk would help even further.

***ME2-DR***

'I thought I told you to stay on the ship,' Shepard growled angrily at Kasumi and Mordin. The two of them had followed Jacob's team in and now stood with the rest of the group at the rendezvous point, a long, narrow corridor leading to the main warehouse.

'EDI had electronic warfare covered,' Mordin replied, the words spilling out of his mouth at the their usual rapid rate. 'Would not expect us to stay on board when facing Collectors, will do no such thing now.'

Shepard opened his mouth to respond but he knew Mordin was right. All he could doubt were the doctor's true motives. He had already expressed his concern at Shepard's drinking before and had severely reprimanded him for consuming the turian whiskey so readily back in Eternity. Shepard didn't want to tell Mordin to mind his own fucking business but his patience was wearing thin and he could not stomach the thought of being watched, or Mordin wanting to keep an eye on him like an errant child.

'Alright, point taken,' he finally answered and glanced around at his team. Jacob's squad had done well. They had arrived only seconds after Shepard and bore the marks of recent, heavy fighting.

Jack panted lightly with exertion and her bare skin shone with slick sweat. For their part, Grunt and Jacob seemed calm although the krogan was spattered with wet violet blotches. He was a fearsome sight and Shepard was, for once, glad he had released him from the tank.

'This is the only place left for Wasea to hide,' the commander continued. 'We boost shields, breach the door and take cover before picking targets. Follow my lead and check your aim, Tali's still here, somewhere. It's likely she's being held hostage inside. If so then leave it to me and no heroics. I'm not losing anyone now, not after we've come so far.'

They nodded their assent and tensed, ready to storm the breach. Jacob stepped forward and fitted the small charge to the door, which pulsed with a small red light. The blast would be enough to blow the locks and disorient anyone standing on the other side, if it didn't kill them outright.

For a single, terrible instant Shepard's mind played out images of Tali screaming as she was caught helpless in the crossfire, or Wasea holding a gun to her head as she struggled helplessly. In a sickening moment of revelation he realised it was the first time he had ever been responsible for the life of someone he cared about since Ashley. No, this was different. Soldiers under his command were one thing but Tali was something else entirely. Precisely what he did not know but the force of his fears hit him like a slug to the chest. With a frown he shook his head free of those foul, terrifying thoughts. If he allowed it they would tear him to pieces.

After what seemed an eternity, the charge detonated.

Everyone around Shepard blinked as the light and shock rippled through their bodies, needing a moment to gather their senses. Shepard, however, was already moving.