"Are you saying ExoGeni knew its people were getting infected?", Shepard demanded.
"It was deemed necessary to assess the true potential of Species 37."
Son of a bitch. No wonder I got a weird vibe from those colonists. They're being controlled by this 'Thorian'! And ExoGeni just let it happen! Damn that Elizabeth Baynham. I'm gonna have a few choice words for that liar...
"Wait, Commander,", Kaidan interrupted. "If the colonists are being controlled by the Thorian, we should warn Williams and the others. They could be in danger."
Shepard's eyes widened as he realized that Kaidan was correct. If the Thorian was hostile, it would not be friendly to the squad Shepard had left behind at Zhu's Hope. And the worst part... Tali was back there, too. A knot twisted Shepard's stomach as his hand flung up to his ear as he attempted to raise Williams.
"Williams. Come in, Williams... Damn it! That damn geth field is blocking us."
Liara sidled up behind the Commander. "We need to drop the geth's disruption field before it is too late."
"No shit.", Shepard snapped harshly. He hadn't meant to shout, but the situation was urgent. Tali and everyone else at Zhu's Hope was in trouble. He'll be damned if he let something happen to his best friend. Nobody was going to touch Tali. He wouldn't forgive himself if she was hurt or killed. She was the only reason he had to even keep living his life.
Liara's eyes widened as she stood back, flabbergasted at Shepard's random aggression. Even Kaidan watched Shepard with a dumbfounded expression. Shepard thought he heard Wrex laugh. He probably did. Wrex could always get a laugh from Shepard's infamous angry outbursts.
Shepard, paying no mind to the collective reactions of his near-yelling, turned back towards the VI terminal.
"VI, tell me about the field surrounding the facility."
"I have limited data on the geth. They have effectively blocked all sensors within the facility. I have detected unusual power fluctuations, but am unable to determine the source."
Screw it. This damn VI is useless.
"Forget it.", Shepard hissed bitterly before he turned and faced his squad. "We need to find that geth ship and destroy it. We've got no time to waste, so let's move it!"
The squad scurried out of the room, making their way further through the tower. Shepard hoped it wasn't too late. Hopefully, he could raise Williams before anything bad happened. Shepard hoped Williams and Garrus could keep Tali safe. He hoped sincerely.
Further exploration into the aqueduct cavern by Tali and Garrus resulted in the discovery of a geth transmitter, guarded by three krogan warriors. It was a tough skirmish to take them down, but the two of them pulled through. Once they had destroyed the transmitter, they headed back to Zhu's Hope, and had just met up with Williams. She had a concerned expression on her face, and she twitched nervously.
"Chief? Something wrong?", Garrus investigated.
Williams languidly watched behind her to affirm that no one was in earshot. Twisting back around, Williams spoke in just above a whisper.
"Something's not right with the colonists. They're acting really strange. The way they're moving around, walking... it just doesn't look right. And when I tried to speak to one of them, they just looked at me. Didn't even answer."
Garrus squinted his eyes as he scanned over the colony. "You sure they're not just trying to be cautious? Maybe they don't trust the Alliance."
"No, it's not that. The Alliance funded this damn colony. Also, no one is talking. Not even among themselves. Something isn't right."
"Maybe we should wait for Shepard to get back?", Tali suggested.
That's what I want to do, anyway.
Williams sighed. "I guess... Dammit, I can't even find Fai Dan. And the colonists won't tell me, obviously."
"Hmm.", Garrus hummed. "Maybe we should keep our distance. Stay in the stairwell until Shepard comes back, or something."
"We can't just leave the marines here. Orders were to stay put in the colony. That's what I'm going to do. Besides, Fai Dan isn't here to keep the colonists calmed down if the geth attack again. So we need to keep watch. Reassure the colonists as much as we can."
Garrus growled frustratingly. "Yeah. You're right."
Tali searched for something, anything to fritter the time away as her, Garrus, and Williams waited for Shepard's squad. She decided she could install the power cells into the generator for the colony while she waited. As she approached the woman standing in front of the generator, Tali cleared her throat to signify her presence.
"Hey... I can install these power cells for you, if you don't mind."
The woman sat still, and said nothing.
"Um, miss?" Tali lightly tapped the woman's shoulder, still earning no response from her. Tali lightly pushed the woman aside. Abruptly, the woman moved with her own free will. She stepped away from the generator, and settled herself on the ground next to the water tubes. She had a blank expression on her face, as if she was oblivious to everything around her.
Tali shook the uncomfortable chill she got as she crouched down in front of the generator. She had pulled the power cells out of one of her pockets when she heard a scuffling in the opposite direction of her. A glance behind her showed Garrus positioning himself to sit next to Williams by one of the many trash piles around the colony. Tali returned her attention to the generator and began working. It surprised Tali how old and obsolete this generator was, but years of engineering aboard the flotilla had shown here that there is no machine too old to fix.
About ten minutes had passed when Williams spoke up. "Hey, guys. Can I... talk to you about something?"
Tali gave her hands a rest and twisted to sit on her behind, facing Garrus and Williams.
"Something on your mind, Chief?", Garrus asked sarcastically.
Williams didn't retort with a playful remark. Rather, she just stared stone-faced at the ground.
"About that business on Edolus..." Williams breathed dejectedly before continuing. "You know, guys... you saved my life back there. And I never thanked you for it."
Garrus humphed. "On the house."
Tali was unfamiliar with the expression Garrus had used. Probably another human saying. "It's okay, Williams. We had the easy job."
"Still.", Williams nearly interrupted Tali. "If you, Garrus, and Kaidan hadn't fixed up the Mako when you did, I would have died."
"Obviously.", Garrus stated dryly. "Why do you bring it up?"
Williams bit her lip. She seemed to be hesitant.
"Well...", Williams began. "It was easy for me to thank Kaidan for it. But I didn't thank either of you. I grew up thinking that I didn't need aliens to watch my back. I grew up not trusting anyone but humans..."
Williams paused. She took a deep breath, as if summoning her thoughts. "When you two first got on the Normandy, I instantly hated you. I didn't want to have anything to do with you. Ugh, I was so mad at Shepard. I thought, 'How could he let aliens on the ship when this is an Alliance vessel?!'. Both of you seemed untrustworthy. Including Wrex. I was expecting for you to turn on us at any moment, but Shepard just smiled and laughed it off every time I brought it up with him. He said he trusted you... And to be honest... I haven't been fair to either of you. I'm still in the dark with Wrex, but, if Shepard trusts you, so can I."
Williams smiled. The first smile Tali had ever seen on her face. "And now that you've saved my life, I know I can count on you. Anytime you guys need anything... Let me know. It's the least I can do."
Tali grinned behind her mask. She never would have thought that Williams would have the intrepidity to unveil her appreciation to Garrus and her. It actually meant a great amount to Tali that she had.
"...Thank you, Williams.", Tali breathed.
"You can call me Ash.", Williams stated with a beam. "Or Ashley. Doesn't matter."
"Thank you, Ashley."
Ashley grinned at Tali, and for once, Tali felt really connected with the crew. She was friends with almost everybody. They appreciate her for not only her engineering aptitude, but for being a friend. Being there for them. Being herself. Something she never could be before, due to her father.
A bizarre growling erupted from the colonists around them. Their movements became uncoordinated and erratic. It was like they were all losing their minds all at the same moment.
A crackling from the comm. interrupted any further pursuit of a conversation.
"Williams. Williams, can you hear me?"
Ashley brought her hand up to her ear in a quick motion. "I hear you, Commander."
"Get out of Zhu's Hope! Repeat, get out! The colonists are being controlled! I'll explain when I get there. Don't shoot the colonists!"
The colonists nearest Tali, Ashley, and Garrus fumbled around with an almost zombie-like quality. They definitely were not acting in their own will. The glares the colonists gave Tali sent chills down her spine. They were glares of bloodthirsty animals. Tali felt a hand grab her arm and lift her to her feet.
Run, you idiot!
Tali turned on her heel, and pushed her powerful legs as far as they would go. She trailed behind Garrus and Ashley, but was steadily catching up. As she maneuvered through the middle area of the colony, she noticed that the middle segment of the freighter had been lifted. A staircase led downwards where the segment used to be. Not only that, but there were strange, human-like creatures emerging from the staircase. Only, they weren't human. They had pale-grey skin, and their fingers and toes were replaced by sharp talons and claws. They had no eyes, no teeth, no nose, and their mouths emitted a daunting, low gurgle. Tali had just gazed forward again to see one of the creatures swing an arm into her head, and cause everything to go black.
Hands on her face, hands on her shoulders. The sensation was nice and warm. A low voice called her name, enticing her to follow it. She followed the voice. She wanted the sound to fill her ears and let it pound into her brain.
"Tali! Tali!"
Tali's eyes flung open to see Shepard, inches away from her mask. She was laying on the ground on her back, with Shepard on his knees and bending down over her. She recognized her surroundings as the stairwell of the tower on the far side of Zhu's Hope. Her cheeks began to blaze as she conceived the situation she was in. Shepard's face, inches away from hers. She grinned excitedly. Shepard must have seen her eyes open, for his face had gone from concerned to relieved and happy. He had that same grin on his face. That truly happy, warm grin that made Tali want to jump out of her enviro-suit. She wanted him to know how happy she was for him to be there with her. Anything to send a message to him that she was glad to see him. She gently brought the palm of her hand up to his cheek. His face was soft and warm to the touch. She caressed his cheek lightly with her thumb, causing his grin to spread even further. His hand found her shoulder, and she moaned a soft breath of excitement as he ran his fingers tenderly down her arm. He brought his face down to her mask gingerly, his nose bumping softly into it. He closed his eyes and sighed in relief.
...He was worried about her.
Realizations were still hitting Tali, one in particular sticking in her head. If Tali did not have to wear this mask, this would have been the moment where the two of them had kissed, she was sure of it.
Damn this helmet! Damn this suit!
"Are you okay?", Shepard whispered to her.
"I can fight."
"I didn't ask that.", Shepard muttered firmly.
Silence hung before Tali responded. "I'm okay, Damon. Thank you."
Shepard reluctantly lifted himself off and away from Tali, gently waving off the lustful pulls on his arm that she gave him. Shepard extended a hand down to Tali to help her up. Tali was launched effortlessly onto her feet. Shepard's strength never ceased to amaze her. As she planted her feet onto solid ground, Shepard caught her around the hips, and pulled her closer to him. Tali was squeezed up against Shepard's body. Their chests connected, their bodies hugged close together. Tali believed she was on the verge of going insane before Shepard's baritone articulation breached her audio transmitters.
"Before you scurry away...", Shepard breathed. The tone in his voice caused Tali's whole body to swelter and shake softly.
"I would like to talk to you about something.", he concluded. He gradually released his hold on Tali's hips, allowing her to slink away from him a short distance. Tali glanced around, seeing that the two of them were, indeed, alone.
Tali, whose body still boiled with emotion, began to nervously twitch her hands together. Shepard seemed to glare at her intensely as he crossed his arms.
Shepard exhaled through his nose, then he began. "You've been acting really strange around me lately. Is something wrong?"
Tali broke eye contact with him immediately, and the writhing of her hands intensified. He definitely suspected something by now. She didn't want to hide anymore. She wanted him to know. She wanted him to feel what she had felt since she had first met him. That same blazing passion that she feels every time he's in the room. More than a crush. More than an infatuation. It was love.
"U-uh... Mmm... Well, i-it's...I..." Tali felt like such an idiot, stumbling over every sound she made. She mentally pummeled herself, forcing her mind to produce coherent words. "Do you remember the meeting we had after Therum? A-and... what happened with me and Dr. T'Soni?"
Shepard's mouth curved into a smile, obviously recalling the memory. He chuckled softly once. "Yes... I actually meant to talk to you about that, as well. What was that all about?"
Tali sought an appropriate response. She still fiddled with her hands, and her body's scorching heat had returned when she realized what this conversation would lead to, and what she must do. What everyone had told her to do.
"Well... When she... touched you like that...", Tali muttered. "I-I guess I got a little..." The next word Tali had meant to say was stuck in her throat.
Come on... just say it. You know Shepard. He'll understand.
"A little... jealous."
To Tali's surprise, Shepard stood expressionless in front of her. He hadn't said a word, moved a muscle, or blinked an eyeball. Suddenly, a smile crept over his face as he strode up towards her. He ceased his pace once he had come within arm's reach of her. Tali was about to mutter something else when his hands glided over her shoulders. Tali gasped, feeling the warm sensation of his hand caressing her arms.
"Hmm.", Shepard hummed in an investigative manner.
Now, Shepard's hands had retreated from her arms, and were on the sides of Tali's chest, his hands significantly close to her breasts. His fingers sensually brushed down the length of her torso, resting on her hips. From there, he completely placed the palms of his hand on her hips. His hands rounded around the curves of her hips, finding her bottom. Shepard gripped her softly and pulled her into him. Again, their bodies contacted, only now, more wholly.
Shepard brought his mouth close to the side of her helmet, where her audio transmitters were located.
"Jealous now?", he inquired, a tiny grin forming on his face.
Tali's mouth was devoid of any words. Only air escaped her lips as she absorbed herself in his embrace. She mildly abraded her body against his. Feeling his strong body against hers was too sublime for any words to explain, even if they weren't truly touching. Their armor obstructed the complete connection of their skin, but Tali still felt an overwhelming euphoric emotion. She just wanted to stay like this forever.
Kaidan's voice pervaded the room where the two of them stood in an embrace. "Commander, whenever you're ready, we can-", Kaidan paused in the midst of his statement as Tali and Shepard came into his view.
"Oh...", Kaidan muttered. "I can come back.", Kaidan said as he turned to go.
"No.", Shepard stated. "We've just finished talking."
Shepard glanced at Tali with another small smile before turning back towards Kaidan and shuffling towards his direction. As soon as they were out of sight, Tali breathed deeply. He knew. Shepard knew what her feelings for him were. Shepard knew that Tali cared for him. He knew she wanted him. His physical response to her made it clear. He felt the same way.
"These grenades should just knock the colonists unconscious. Remember, don't kill any of the colonists... unless it's completely necessary. I understand that some situations may require for you to open fire. If it comes to that, you have permission. But otherwise, refrain from firing on them. Understood?"
Shepard's orders were met with a collective 'Aye, Aye.' from everyone in the squad. The entire Normandy ground team was here, so maybe they did not have to shoot any of the colonists. Tali hoped that they would not have to. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he knew she had killed a person. But, why did she not hesitate with the geth? From what other people believe, geth were people just like everyone else was.
No. They aren't people. They're mindless machines. They know nothing other than killing. They aren't people.
Tali jolted herself, pushing the judgement of the geth out of her head. The squad prepared themselves, readying and priming their weapons. Just in case they had to use them.
Shepard took a deep breath. "Go."
Upon Shepard's command, the squad rushed forward. All six of the squad members were undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. The team rounded the corner, gunfire instantly ringing out, with shields flaring up as shots impacted the assorted squad mates. Shepard's reaction was deadly quick and accurate. Before the brain-washed colonists could do any real damage to the team, he had chucked a grenade directly at the colonists before them, rendering them unconscious promptly. Shepard jerked his head sideways, invoking a signal to advance. The squad continued forward, but the sight that met them around the corner was something they were not expecting.
The creatures that Tali had seen when Williams, Garrus, and she had seen when escaping Zhu's Hope were steadily jogging towards them. They growled as they approached, claws extended. Shepard could infer that these creatures were not colonists. He signaled that it was alright to open fire when he pulled the trigger of his weapon, and one of the creatures fell to the ground. Still neutralizing colonists and destroying the grey-skinned creatures, the squad maneuvered forward deeper into the colony, until they had come to the center of it. By now, the creatures and the colonists had amassed together, making it difficult to differentiate who to shoot and who to knock out. The stronger members of the group began to resort to butting their weapons against the heads of the colonists to knock them out, instead of using grenades. Tali had been firing on every creature that had come into sight. It was a good thing, too, because she did not check to see whether she was firing on a colonist or a creature. It felt like an eternity had passed until finally the numbers of hostile targets diminished. Tali and the squad continued to drop either creatures or colonists. Tali heard a growling behind her, and twisted on her heel, opening fire directly behind her. Before the shotgun blast tackled her target to the ground, she noticed that it was not a creature that she had just killed, but a colonist.
As if on cue, the gunfire stopped. The creatures and colonists were now dead or knocked out. Tali nearly dropped her shotgun on the ground as she mentally grasped what she had just done. She had killed a colonist. A pool of blood seeped around the body of the woman she had killed, and it made Tali sick to her stomach.
Keelah, what have I done?! I... I killed her!
Tali felt a feeling of wretchedness creep upon her. She was a murderer. A killer. Just like she had slaughtered those geth. Maybe the galaxy was right. The geth really were people, too. And she had slaughtered them all in the aqueducts earlier today. She was a monster. A killer. How could she have done this?
Shepard and Garrus were attempting to lift the middle segment of the freighter with the crane controls across from Tali. Only Kaidan, Williams, Wrex, and Liara were paying any mind to what Tali was doing.
She felt a presence behind her, and turned to face Kaidan. He met her gaze with a comforting smile. But Tali couldn't smile... not after what she had just done. Tali's eyes met her feet as she exhaled shallowly.
Kaidan had stepped up beside her, breathing just as lightly as Tali was. "Something wrong?", he asked softly.
"I... I killed her.", Tali managed to utter in Kaidan's direction. A pause ensued for a moment before he reassured her.
"There was nothing you could have done. You had to do it."
"No, I didn't.", Tali argued. "I was just shooting anything that moved, and when I heard her behind me, I didn't hesitate to shoot her. But, had I known it was a colonist, I would have."
Tali's breath faltered when she sighed again. "I killed her, Kaidan."
Kaidan's expression became stone as he responded. "I don't blame you. Some of us had to open fire on the colonists, too. We saved most of them, but the others... we had no choice. Don't let this get to you, Tali. We still have the Thorian to deal with."
Tali tilted her head. Kaidan was right. "Okay.", Tali murmured. "I know."
Kaidan rested a hand on her shoulder before turning away. A mechanical creaking brought Tali's attention to the middle segment of the freighter. It was being lifted by the crane. Slowly, the staircase that Tali had seen before came into view. The team hovered over to the entrance, everyone taking a peek down inside of it. Abruptly, a scraping brought everyone's attention to the right. Fai Dan stumbled towards them, muttering something Tali could barely understand.
"I... tried to fight it,... but it gets in your head... You can't imagine the pain."
Shepard's face contorted into a befuddled frown. Fai Dan continued.
"I was supposed to be their leader... These people trusted me." Fai Dan's outstretched hand gradually traveled down to the holstered pistol on his hip. He clutched the hilt of the pistol, aiming it directly at Shepard. Shepard instinctively steadied his aim, training his pistol on Fai Dan.
"It wants me to s-stop you, but... I-I... won't..."
Fai Dan's other arm grasped the hand that was holding the pistol, and forced it upwards to aim it at his own head.
"I won't!"
Fai Dan pulled the trigger. His body slumped to the floor as the shot pierced his brain, and Shepard lowered his pistol slightly. Fai Dan had taken his own life, in order for Shepard and his squad to reach the Thorian, and release the grip the Thorian had on the colonists.
Shepard holstered his pistol and pulled his head backwards to eye his squad.
"He killed himself so that we could have a chance. Don't let his death go in vain."
No one responded. They only stood and glared at Fai Dan's body. He was very strong-willed to be able to resist the Thorian's control as he did.
Shepard had brought Wrex, Kaidan, Ashley, and Tali down the staircase with him. Garrus and Liara would take care of the colonists once the Thorian had been destroyed. The team descended the staircase at a brisk pace. After just a few moments, the squad had entered a large room.
"Alright,", Ashley said. "We just need to find this Thorian, kill it, and then we can... we... can..."
Ashley paused mid-sentence as a large, nasty creature came into view. It hung from the ceiling, and from tentacles that suspended it from the walls. It was huge, slimy, and made Tali feel sick to her stomach. She'd never seen anything as disgusting and repulsive as this. Was this the Thorian?
Shepard exhaled sharply through his nose. "Nothing's ever simple, is it?", he stated bitterly.
Shepard stepped forward cautiously, his eyes glued to the giant creature in front of him. As he drew near it, a sloshing sound was heard from its 'mouth', and saliva slithered down the tentacles on it. The tentacles opened up to reveal a small opening in its face, most likely its mouth. It seemed to initiate a heaving as it growled and drooled. Then, a pair of legs slithered through the opening. Then a torso, then arms, then a head. It was an asari, but it was green. An unnatural asari skin tone. The asari was on its knees at first, but then rose her body, and opened her eyes. It stared at Shepard's team wide-eyed and eerily.
"Invaders!", the asari rang out. "Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose. I speak for the Old Growth as I did for Saren. You are within and before the Thorian. It commands that you be in awe!"
Shepard's voice rose into an alarming, somewhat horrendous holler. "You enslaved the colonists! You destroyed their minds! I don't know what Saren wanted with you, but I just want you dead!"
The asari's eyes became narrowed and bleak. All feeling, all emotion had been drained from her eyes.
"The Thorian is a piece of this world, extending across the land and back through the ages. You can no more kill it that cut the sky. Your blood will feed the ground and the new growth!"
The asari drew an assault rifle, but it was forcefully pushed away by Shepard. Shepard pulled the pistol out of the holster on his side, and continuously pulled the trigger, tearing apart the asari's head. The matter inside of the asari wasn't usual, though. It was white, foamy. It almost seemed synthetic. Suddenly, a long, loud growl from multiple sources thundered through the massive room. The Thorian creepers had been awoken.
Tali heard Shepard growl under his breath as he holstered his pistol and drew his assault rifle. This was going to be a very tiring battle.
Two creepers rushed at Kaidan and Wrex, but were shot down by Ashley. Another creeper slashed at Ashley from behind her. It had latched onto her back, screeching and clawing at her face. She had managed to dodge all of the strikes it attempted to connect, and she used the weight of the creeper to bounce it off of her back and flip it over her body, bringing it onto its back in front of her. Wrex approached the incapacitated creeper, firing a shotgun round directly through its head. The squad shook off their shock and barreled forward through the circular room.
In the next section of the room, three more creepers growled to life. Shepard was able to bring one down with his assault rifle. Kaidan lifted one of them helplessly in the air, but not without earning a spout of vomit onto his armor. It dropped his shields, but Kaidan was quick enough to fall into a roll backwards before the creeper could do any worse damage. Tali put two powerful shotgun blasts into it, but it still stood, and made its way quickly towards her. Tali was preparing a shield boost in her omnitool when a shotgun barrel pierced right through the creeper's head, pinning it to the wall. A large, heavy foot crushed the creeper against the wall as the shotgun barrel was yanked out of its head. Wrex had again killed his enemy in a rather brutal way. Wrex definitely did not make Tali comfortable, but she was glad that he was on her side, nonetheless. The creeper that had been suspended in midair was dispatched by Ashley, and the squad finally infiltrated into the section of the room. A large, fleshy tentacle was attached to the wall, and was one of the many supports for holding the Thorian in its current position.
Shepard eyed it curiously. On a whim, he brought his assault rifle up to his eye to aim at it. As he fired, the tentacle twitched, and Thorian let out a low, irritated growl. It wasn't just a tentacle. It was a neural node. Shepard continued firing on it. The Thorian shrieked and moaned, but it could do nothing about what was happening. After a long while of just shooting it, green liquid burst out of the node, and the Thorian growled angrily as the node lost its fleshy hue.
"That hurt it.", Wrex chirped almost cheerily. "I can tell. A few more of those and it's in trouble."
Shepard was emotionless, but he nodded, and continued on his pace through the room. The next section led to a staircase. As Shepard and his squad ascended it, the dormant creepers above them growled and rose to their feet, preparing their assault. A biotic shock hit Shepard as he walked through the doorway into a room. He fell to the ground, unleashing a surprised grunt as he hit the floor. Creepers were directly in front on him, and were preparing to rip through him, but the combined fire of Wrex, Kaidan, and Ashley held them back. Tali rushed forward to pull Shepard away from danger. As they reached a safe distance, Tali helped Shepard to his feet.
"Thanks.", Shepard panted.
He shook himself as he ran back into the throng of gunfire, plucking his assault rifle off of the ground to open fire on the asari clone. The clone was no match for the flurry of gunfire that the squad had unleashed on it. Once the clone had fell, the team resumed storming through the rooms. They eventually arrived at another Thorian neural node. But, attempting to foil their attempts at destroying it, more creepers came sprinting around the corner, growling. Acidic vomit foamed at their mouths, but none of them got the chance to use it. They had all been terminated by Shepard and his squad. Tali was beginning to feel invincible again. She knew she was. As long as she was with Shepard, she would always be invincible. Nothing impaired or damaged him. He was an unstoppable force, and Tali could always know that he would be safe, and, of course, an immortal guardian who would always protect his team. They ripped into the last of the Thorian creepers, and all that remained to be destroyed was the Thorian neural node.
They all plowed forward again, more creepers and asari clones falling to their gunfire. The soldiers continued forward until they came to a room where multiple Thorian creepers lay in wait. This was not good. There were way more than they could handle. However, the squad instinctively opened fire on them, doing little to eliminate the numbers of the creatures that barreled at them. Two creepers rushed Wrex, but, being a krogan powerhouse, was able to fling them off of him, and effortlessly destroy them with blunt force. Ashley and Kaidan were becoming overwhelmed, but Shepard and Tali were efficient enough to allow them some elbow room. The creepers continued to rage forward, their numbers not seeming to be affected at all by their thunderous gunfire. Quick thinking by Shepard saved the day a third time. He hurled a grenade at the mass of Thorian creatures, ripping them to shreds. Sighs escaped the squad as they regained their bearings. Wrex destroyed the neural node this time, Kaidan and Shepard scouting ahead.
No one attempted to speak to each other. Everyone had been too caught up in the moment, that the only sounds they made were grunts or growls during battle. It made Tali a bit nervous, but also a bit proud of herself, as well as her team. The Normandy team can be funny and silly when they wanted to, but were deadly, proficient, and serious when in combat.
With the neural node finally destroyed by Wrex, the team continued on, searching for yet another support for the Thorian that they must destroy.
They entered another room, with which seemed to be where the last neural node was. Once this node was destroyed, the Thorian would be no more, and Zhu's Hope would be free of the mind control that plagued it. This particular node was actually guarded quite well. Many more creepers and asari clones stood in their way, and it was a rather hefty challenge. Everyone's weapons overheated more than once, so when that happened, Wrex and Kaidan would resort to using their biotics to defend themselves, with Tali, Ashley, and Shepard attempting to cool down their weapons. This process ensued for quite a long while before the pressure seemed to alleviate.
The squad was able to move up, so they advanced further into the room. However, countless Thorian creatures and asari clones had waited for them, and a surprise attack pummeled the squad. Shepard received the brunt of the gunfire from the asari clones. Ashley, Kaidan, Wrex, and Tali all were attempting to cover Shepard as he made his way back into the doorway.
But the collective gunfire from the clones was just too much. The force from the bullets pushed Shepard back, arresting his movement from continuing back into the room were everyone was located. The gunfire tore through his shields, and it wasn't long before it pierced through his armor, too. Blood splattered out of Shepard's chest as countless bullets bored into his armor. An agonized scream escaped Shepard as he fell to the ground, still taking gunshots. He was not going to survive.
Tears welled in Tali's eyes as she watched Shepard, the only man who she would ever love and be loved back by fall to the ground, and cry out in pain as he was riddled with mass accelerator rounds.
Tali screamed his name as she rushed out into the battlefield. She clutched onto his arms as hard as she could, and nearly fell over herself as she pulled him into safety. As she entered the safe area with Ashley, Kaidan, and Wrex, she realized that she had lost her own shields, and had taken rounds as well. Only, they weren't as severe as Shepard's wounds. Tali checked Shepard's pulse. Erratic. She checked his breath. Shallow and quick. He needed medical attention A.S.A.P.
Finally, Wrex, Kaidan, and Ashley were able to eliminate the rest of the creepers and the asari clones. The squad stared down at Shepard's bleeding body. No one spoke a word. It was quite possible Shepard would not survive. Seeing the urgency in the situation, Ashley took over command.
"Wrex! Take the Commander back to the Normandy! He needs immediate medical attention! Lieutenant, you're staying with me. We're going to finish off this Thorian. Tali..." Ashley looked at Tali for a long time before she said something. "You can go with Wrex."
Wrex immediately stood over Shepard's body. He carefully put his arms under Shepard's back, and the curve of his knees, and rose his body up into the air. Wrex turned on his heel, heading back down the hallway, with Tali on his heels. Tears welled in her eyes as she again prayed to the ancestors to keep Shepard alive.
Please... Please stay alive. Hang on, Damon. Hang on... Oh Keelah, just hang on.
She could not lose him. She just could not.
To my readers: I will probably be taking a break from this story. Not for long, though. Maybe just a week. Don't worry, I'm not going to forget about it. I've just been really stressed out about getting it finished, and its hard to find time for it with school, work, family, and whatnot. But fret not! This week, I plan to get everything squared away, so that I don't have to stress my time for this story. Thanks for reading, as always. Please review!