Disclaimer: The characters in this chapter are strictly Bioware's in the sense that Sam is my Commander Shepard with slight personality changes and everyone else is who they are from the ME series.
CE 2183…900 hours…January 29…Orbit above the planet Therum…Shuttle Bay, the Normandy SR-1
"Hey, Garrus..."
Garrus stops his current calibrations of the Mako, stands and turns to look at Shepard, who is fully armed. He finds Wrex standing next to her.
"Yes Commander?" he asks
"I'm about to do a pre-mission briefing, and I decided to take you and Wrex for this mission, is that good with you?"
"Yes Ma'am." He answers.
"Good. Now, do you two have any questions about the mission?" She asks.
"What is our objective?" He asks.
"We're here to find Dr. Liara T'Soni, Matriarch Benezia's daughter." She answers.
"What's a doctor doing in the ass end of nowhere?" Wrex asks gruffly.
"She's not a medical doctor; she has a doctorate in Xenoarcheology. She's here on a dig in some Prothean ruins." Shepard explains.
"If the dig was Prothean, wouldn't they have had some military escort that would have brought her to us?" Garrus asks.
"The Councils Intel says that they haven't had contact with this dig site for days. It said that they may have missed the transmission due to various possible interferences, but I like to be prepared so I'm assuming hostiles. Joker will have to drop us off a few klicks away from the dig site, so he is going to try and contact them once more before we get in close." She responded.
"When are we going down?" Wrex asks.
"As soon as we suit up, Ashley has your weapons stored in those lockers on the walls over there," She stops and points to the lockers next to Ashley's workbench, "If we ever find anything or I buy while we are on this mission, or I buy anything later, I will put it into your locker. I don't want to limit what you use out on the field, so if you have a specific ammo mod type or something in mind please say so. Otherwise I'll tell Ashley to fix up the guns how she sees fit unless I have a suggestion of my own."
"Yes ma'am." Garrus says.
"Shepard." Wrex says as he turns and heads straight to his locker.
"Shouldn't you go get your equipment too Garrus?" Shepard asks after a moment.
"Well, I was actually in the middle of fixing up the Mako; I was just going to finish up first."
"No, you go ahead; I'll finish this for you." She says.
"I-I don't…I mean I was in the middle of some…" he begins just as she turns him and shoves him towards the lockers.
"Go Vakarian, it'll be fine, I know how to fix up my own Mako."
"Yes, Commander." He says as he sulks to the locker.
CE 2183…915 hours…January 29, Surface of Therum
"Were you able to contact the dig site, Joker?" Shepard asks over the Mako's radio in the seat to the left of Garrus.
"No ma'am. I'm going to try and scan the site from here once I drop you guys off." Joker replies
"Ok, tell us if you find anything interesting."
"Will do, Commander."
Garrus turns away from Shepard and looks through the front window of the Mako as the bay door opens, revealing a brownish red canvas dotted with the occasional orange speeding below. He could hear the loud clang of the locks releasing and the Mako begins to roll forward. Just as they get within range of the LZ he feels the momentum of the Normandy shift and the Mako fly out of the bay. The Mako continues to move a little forward and falls rapidly until there is a sudden drop in falling speed. He turns to see Shepard pressing the thruster button down, and after a moment there is a jerk throughout the vehicle as they hit the ground and they roll forward a couple feet before coming to a complete stop.
"Commander, I'm picking up some strange readings. Really strange. Like, off the damn charts." Joker's voice says after a moment. "It looks like it's coming from an underground complex a few klicks away from the drop zone."
"Ok Joker, we'll radio back when we get the doctor." Shepard responds.
At that the Mako begins to drive forward to the site.
CE 2183…1230 hours…January 29…Prothean dig site entrance, Therum
Garrus lets out a sigh as Shepard wipes some sweat from her brow. He looks away from her to see Wrex holding down the last of the Geth down with his large foot just before blasting the synthetic with his shotgun. Looking past the krogan he sees the carnage the three of them just wrought. Geth of different types litter the stretch of stone between the boxes he is standing beside to the pit of lava in the distance, the last of which is a large anti-vehicular Geth Armature.
Garrus marvels at the site, mostly because he can hardly believe they survived. He read Shepard's file, and knew that she was a good leader, even if her actions in Chora's Den pointed to the contrary. This felt different, more focused, experiencing her true leadership skill personally gives him an almost star struck feeling.
"Come on boys."
Garrus looks slightly to the right seeing the scarlet haired human make her way up the ramp to the dig site. An odd feeling wells up in his chest as he moves to catch up to her. He assumes it's excitement to have joined the crew of the Normandy, certain he made the right choice in quitting C-sec and joining this Spectre against his father's advice, and quickly moves to get to Shepard.
He is half way up to her when he hears Wrex's feet pound on the metal behind him. As the ramp ends then descends slightly he sees Shepard waiting by the large door down into the unknown depths of the site. He moves next to her and turns to see Wrex coming over the flat of the ramp. He hears the noise of the door opening behind him and turns to prepare for the decent.
Rather than a conventional ramp it is just a large brown tube. The exit of the tube is just far enough to be blurred by their distance, and possibly the rounded neon lights that jut from the upper sides of the tunnel. Shepard moves ahead, her feet making little sound as she goes, not that it matters as Wrex begins to bound down the tunnel behind her, his heavy footfalls echoing in the space.
As they approach the catwalk at the end of the tunnel a lone Geth Shock Trooper jumps from around the corner and fires, its shots grazing past the group. Shepard immediately hits it with a Warp, but it makes it's chattering noise meaning it has likely alerted the entire cave to their presence before it ceases to function. They quickly eliminate the three Geth posted as guards and make their way around to the elevator.
"I wonder why she brought us along," Garrus thinks, "between her agility and obvious stealth skills she more than likely could have extracted Dr. T'Soni alone with minimal combat."
The elevator stops half way down, and they are ambushed by a trio of drones which are quickly eliminated as well.
"Sterile white." Wrex says as they approach the Prothean structure submerged in the volcanic stone, "Protheans sure build things homey."
Shepard lets loose a giggle followed by a sigh as they enter the second elevator down. His eyes find themselves trailing to her as they go down finding a look of solemn contemplation on her face. He begins to say something when the elevator shakes, sparks flying from the walls as it slows to a halt.
The door opens to a ruined catwalk. Shepard walks to the edge of the break in the metal followed by Wrex. The both of them hop down without a word as Garrus stops at the edge to allow them to move for his drop. Looking down however he can see that this is a one way drop.
"We'll have to find another way up, there's no getting back up this way." He thinks as he drops down.
Suddenly he hears a voice from up ahead.
"Uh…hello?" the feminine voice says, "Could somebody help me? Please?"
They maneuver around the wreckage to see an asari trapped in a containment bubble of some sort behind a kinetic barrier.
As Shepard approaches the asari raises her voice to address her, "Can you hear me out there? I am trapped. I need help!"
"Are you okay?" Shepard asks, "What happened to you?"
"Listen. This thing I am in is a Prothean security device." The asari explains, "I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it. All right?"
Garrus catches an air of condescension in that last sentence that annoys him slightly but Shepard seems unfazed by. Quickly gathering that this asari knows so much about Prothean technology, he assumes that this must be Liara T'Soni.
"How did you end up in there?" Shepard asks.
"I was exploring the ruins when the geth showed up, so I hid in here." Dr. T'Soni answers hurriedly, "Can you believe that? Geth! Beyond the Veil!"
"I activated the tower's defenses." She continues, "I knew the barrier curtains would keep them out. When I turned it on, I must have hit something I wasn't supposed to. I was trapped in here. You must get me out. Please."
"Your mother is working with Saren." Shepard says bluntly, "Whose side are you on?"
"What? I am not on anybody's side!" she answers angrily, "I may be Benezia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her! I have not spoken to her in years. Please. Just get me out of here."
"We'll find some way to help you." Shepard says reassuringly.
"There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing." T'Soni says, "You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain. That's the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in here. Be careful. There is a krogan with the geth. They have been trying different ways to get past the barrier."
With that Shepard turns and walks to the railing of the catwalk. Garrus moves to stand at her right and Wrex at her left.
"Garrus take a look in the distance; tell me if you see anything." Shepard says.
He lifts his sniper to his right eye.
"I see three geth gathered up ahead, I don't think they know we're here."
"I thought the noise they make allows them to communicate at light speed." Wrex says.
"Maybe the volcanic rock is blocking the signal." Garrus suggest.
"Or maybe they almost have a way to Dr. T'Soni, what else do you see?" Shepard asks.
He scans around before answering, "They are looking for something in the camp," he brings his aim down to a mining laser closer to them at the foot of the catwalk, "maybe the code to that laser."
"Time to stop them then." Shepard pushes off the rail and makes her way to the ramp down.
The proceeding fight is fast, Shepard sprints forward, Throwing the first geth over, then Overloading and Sabotaging two more before the others react. Wrex charges the overloaded geth to the right of Shepard while Garrus shoots the sabotaged one before he can close distance with his allies. Shepard turns back and gives him a thumb up mouthing good job as a red targeting laser appears to the left of her. Garrus quickly follows it and shoots the geth before it fires. Shepard shoots her head to her left just in time to see the geth collapse. She turns back, a surprised look on her face; she mouths a thank you just before turning to head to the camp.
"Try looking for that code, the laser is our best chance at getting to the doctor." Shepard says.
The three of them split up and search the different sections of the camp. After about ten minutes of searching, Garrus lets loose a frustrated grunt, "Damn it, the codes not here."
"Gotta agree there kid," Wrex says as he pulls some weapons from a locker he ripped open, "other than these crap weapons this place has been picked clean."
Shepard walks out of the tent she was in, turning some mod's she must have found inside to Omni-gel, "Then I guess we have to hack the laser."
The Commander impatiently runs to the controls leaving him and Wrex standing at the camp. The two of them walk back to the laser controls to find a frustrated Shepard still fiddling with her Omni-tool.
"Stupid lock, keep missing the code." She pouts
She attempts it again and succeeds. The laser immediately fires, easily burrowing into the rock. It fills most of the cavern with ask as it does causing Garrus to instinctively cover his mouth. Once it finishes the dust quickly settles and Garrus moves to the mouth of the hole made by it. Below is another Prothean cell, though its curtain is inactive allowing quick access to the center. Without a thought he begins to descend finding Shepard already next to him. Ahead he can see a small lift that could be used to get to the doctor.
Shepard turns back to make sure Wrex is on the lift before pressing the switch lifting them up one level to Dr. T'Soni.
Shepard is next to the console behind the doctor before the asari hears Wrex's footfalls at the entrance of the cell.
She turns her head, unable to move her body from within the bubble, "How…how did you get in here? I didn't think there was any way past the barrier!" Dr. T'Soni says surprised.
"We blasted through with the mining laser." Shepard says bluntly. For some reason Garrus can't help but imagine the smirk that undoubtedly is on Shepard's face as he and Wrex stand behind her.
Dr. T'Soni turns away, "Of course. That makes sense. Please…get me out of here before more geth arrive. That button over there should shut down this containment field."
Shepard moves over and after a moment of messing with the panel the bubble disappears, the doctor falls from the bubble, letting loose a grunt as she hits the floor. She gets back on her feet slowly then turns to their group.
"Any idea how we get out of this place?" Garrus asks Dr. T'Soni as Shepard turns from the panel.
"There is an elevator back in the center of the tower. At least, I think it's an elevator." she answers hesitantly, "It should take us out of here. Come on!" with that they make their way to the large center platform.
"I…I still cannot believe all this." Dr. T'Soni says as Shepard passes her and turns to face her, "Why would the geth come after me? Do you think Benezia's involved?"
"Saren's looking for the Conduit." Garrus says sure she will know what he means; "You're a Prothean expert. Obviously he wants you to help him find it."
"The Conduit?" She questions, "But I don't know…" she is interrupted as the tunnel is filled with a low rumble.
"What the hell was that?" Wrex states worriedly.
Another rumble followed by a slight shaking comes from below.
"These ruins aren't stable." Dr. T'Soni answers, "That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event."
She stops and moves to the nearest console, beginning to activate the elevator, "We have to hurry. The whole place is caving in!"
Shepard immediately reaches to her ear, a small Omni-tool hologram appearing on her wrist as she does.
"Joker! Get the Normandy in atmosphere and lock in on my signal. On the double!"
"Aye, Aye, Commander." Joker's voice says over their suit comms, "ETA eight minutes."
"If I die in here, I'll kill him." Wrex grumbles, and Garrus sees Shepard stifle a laugh.
The elevator quickly rises to the top floor of the structure. Once the circular bridge extends however a group of geth led by a krogan comes marching through the entrance of the top cell. The behemoth among the geth is obviously a krogan battle master, meaning her is enough of a force to be reckoned with alone, let alone with a geth contingent with him. One of the geth activates a console activating the barrier curtain sealing them all in as the Battle Master approaches the edge of the cell.
"Surrender, or don't. That would be more fun." He says a bloodthirsty look in his large red eyes.
"In case you didn't notice, this place is falling apart" Shepard says.
"Exhilarating, isn't it?" he says hungrily as he approaches, stopping after taking three steps forward, "Thanks for getting rid of those energy fields for us. Hand the doctor over."
"Whatever it is you want you are not getting it from me." Dr. T'Soni says, standing defiantly, though Garrus can't help but hear a slight twinge of fear in her voice.
"She'll stay with us, thanks." Shepard answer's sarcastically. Wrex lets out a low laugh as Garrus almost does the same. He can't help but admire her bravado in the face of this threat.
"Not an option." The Battle Master says seriously, "Saren wants her. And he always gets what he wants. Kill them. Spare the asari if you can. If not, doesn't matter."
With that the geth charge. The doctor immediately panics and hides behind a console.
"Wrex, cover the doctor!" Shepard yells as she charges towards the krogan. Before she can move in the Battle Master maneuvers around the pillars around the room and Shepard is blocked by a pair of geth. She shoots one and grabs the other, throwing its hand up to prevent it from shooting her. Suddenly a nearby geth loses a Carnage blast at Shepard. She grips the geth she is next to still and throws it into the Carnage, the residual blast blocked by her shields. Garrus snipes the geth just as he hears a roar to his left. Before he can turn he hears the bending of metal.
Once he turns he sees one of the elevator consoles crushed and Wrex wrestling with the Battle Master. He turns back to Shepard to see her charging towards the pair of krogan and another geth behind her preparing to fire on her. He sees her motion with her thumb to quickly kill the geth, which he does, as she speeds by him. Turning he sees the small human woman leap into the air, turning herself so that the goes over Wrex and grips the top of Battle Master's armored hump.
The surprised krogan topples as the woman uses her momentum to pull him down, she lands perfectly and blast's his face with a warp, twisting the plate on the top of his head. He begins to lose a pained roar just as Wrex draws his shotgun to blast at his weakened face. Before he can fire however the Battle Master blindly swings his legs and arms, knocking Wrex and Shepard to the ground. He forces himself up and turns his face rapidly from left to right, slinging blood from his cracked plate as he does. Once he eyes Shepard, a primal anger in his gaze, he runs for her.
Without thinking Garrus holsters his rifle and charges the Battle Master with all his might just before he can reach down and grab her hair as she stands. It's like hitting a stone pillar; the krogan stumbles then slings his arm to strike Garrus in the face.
Garrus is jerked as Shepard tackles him away from the blow just before Wrex ploughs into the Battle Master, sending him to the ground. Before he has time to recover Garrus watches as Wrex slams his foot hard onto the Battle Masters chest, his foot disappearing into the armor, and then he fires into the krogan's face. The Battle Master lays still and Wrex uses the end of his shotgun as leverage to pull his foot free from the now dead krogan.
There is no time to celebrate as the structure shakes erratically and a loud rumble replaces the old lower one. Shepard runs to the curtain waving for everyone to follow, pulling the doctor to her feet as she passes.
They stop at the still active curtain for a moment just before it shuts down. Shepard covers her face as dust flies through the opening. Garrus looks on as stone rains down all around the catwalk in the distance. Shepard moves and he hurries to keep pace next to her, with Wrex and the doctor close behind. Shepard gains a slight lead on him but slows herself just in time to dodge a bolder falling in front of her at the corner. She snakes her way through the falling debris with peerless flexibility as they turn the corners of the ascending catwalk to the final tunnel. At the top of the system she stops and turns. Garrus begins to slow to stop with her, Wrex passing as he does, but she waves him on.
"Move, move, move!" he hears her yell, undoubtedly yelling at the doctor as they run up the tunnel. Garrus chances a glance back to see the entire cave collapsing behind Shepard.
He is almost compelled to stop until he sees her gain speed. Looking forward he sees the exit as Wrex runs headlong out of the tunnel with more seed than he thought the old krogan could muster. A blast of dust from behind causes Garrus to lose sight of the exit momentarily. Once it clears Wrex is nowhere in sight as Garrus powers his way out. He sees Wrex already waiting in the space below the Normandy as he runs down, stopping at the foot of the ramp to turn back. He finds Shepard behind him, her legs turned slightly inward as she props on her thighs to catch her breath. At the top he sees a dust covered Dr. T'Soni in a similar state, the dark ash hiding all trace of blue skin beneath it. He hears the Normandy bay door open above and turns to see the Mako they had to abandon at the entrance of the sight roll out, gently lowering itself down with its propulsion system.
"Joker, tell the others to gather in the comm room."