Sorry for the long wait, just needed some extra time to develop this EXTREMELY important chapter. Reviews welcome.
Chapter 20
The party had ended thirty minutes ago, and everyone except for Miranda had left, leaving Shepard staring into the vid-screen. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, supporting his head with his hands, silently contemplating the message that was only moments away, along with the day's events, meaning he had no shortage of things to think about. He hardly even blinked until a light at the base of the screen accompanied by a ringing. It was time.
"Onscreen," he said to the house's V.I. as he stood up, putting his hands behind his back, and so appeared the Council, each in one part of a four block grid, minus the Salarian.
"Shepard," the Asari began, "thank you for taking this call. We won't keep you long. No doubt you need your sleep."
"It's not a problem, Ma'am," Shepard responded.
"Admiral," the Turian continued, "firstly, we would all like to commend you for your performance at the hearing today. The situation became heated, but all things considering, you kept a cool head. You represented us well."
"Thank you, sir," Shepard bowed his head quickly, all too aware that the Council was just biding time. "Have you received much backlash?"
"As of yet," Hackett spoke up, "the political and local response has been relatively limited, but we suspect that won't remain the case for long. But you don't need to worry about it, Admiral. We can handle it while you're away."
"I trust you, sir."
"We know, Admiral, and thank you. Your trust means more than you know."
"I agree," said the Quarian. "Shepard, no doubt you know that we did not make this call simply to congratulate you, but it was because we all have something to say."
"What is it, Ma'am?"
All four Council members looked more solemn as she continued. "Shepard, you have done more for this galaxy then anyone could've ever asked for, and we want you to know that you go out on this last mission with all your lives on our minds."
"We will make our best effort," Hackett said, "to keep yourself and your crew out of the political fallout of today's hearing while you're away and after. It's the least we can do."
"I appreciate it, sir."
"Get the job done, Shepard," said Turian. "And may the Spirits be with you all."
"Thank you, Councilors." The screen went black, leaving Shepard alone in his room. The bed was calling to him, for it would be a long day.
The morning went off largely without issue, with Ash and company being picked up by Liara and Kaidan in two skycars. Dawn and Gary would not stop their gushing to Liara over the prospect of embarking on a proper mission, and Brock made friendly conversation with Commander Alenko, but Ash remained largely quiet, though he did make an evident effort to be more social with Kaidan, much to Misty's relief. He did appear more relaxed to her, even as he silently watched the city go by out the window.
When they arrived at the Alliance platform, everyone was immediately greeted with the sight of a freshly cleaned and refurbished Normandy. The grey hull shined in the sunlight, reflecting the image of the service catwalks overhead and the platforms underneath.
"She's beautiful," Dawn gaped at the vessel.
"Ain't that a nice sight to wake up to," Gary said, putting his fist on his hips.
"Looks evens stronger than it did back home," Brock stated. "I've got a good feeling about this, guys."
Kaidan came up behind the little entourage, saying, "If anything can get us through this, she can. Trust me, she's been through worse."
"Let's not keep her waiting," Dawn exclaimed, and ran to the ramp that lead to the CIC.
"Well," Kaidan remarked, "she's a sparkplug."
"No kidding," Gary retorted, and made his way after her.
Ash too stared up at the ship, when he felt Kaidan's hand on his shoulder.
When Ash turned to him, Kaidan smirked, saying, "Nervous?"
"Not a bit."
"Really? Well, then you're a lot braver than I was on my first op."
"What happened?"
Kaidan just motioned for Ash to follow him. "Tell you what: you do well enough at your training, and I'll tell you all about it."
"That a challenge?" Ash asked confidently.
"It is."
"Alright, I'll hold you to that."
"Good, now come on. We're ready for launch."
Across the way, Traynor was busy making sure the ship was ready to launch. A list of supplies and personnel had been given to her, as usual, and she was finishing the checklist when she was interrupted by a man's voice.
"Excuse me, miss," said a dirty blond, rough voiced, sunglasses wearing soldier walking past her onto the docking platform.
Looking up from her list in a start, Traynor quickly said, "Wait, who are you? You can't just walk onto the Normandy. Do you even know what's going on here?"
"As a matter of fact," he replied, "I do. Am I not on your little list?"
"Just who are you?"
"Ryker Donovan, miss. I've been assigned to this mission."
"On who's authority? I am quite sure you're not a member of the crew."
"I'm a Council representative, miss...um..."
"Traynor," she finished.
"Of course. Traynor. Well, Miss Traynor, surely I've been put on the list."
"Well," she said indignantly, turning to her list, "since you're obviously not going anywhere until we figure this out one way or the other, I'll look." Traynor scrolled through the crew list to the 'D' registry and looked through the list quickly. When she got down to the "Do's" she found Donovan, Ryker: Council Representative. "Huh," Traynor huffed, "I guess you were right, Representative. Please accept my apologies."
"None needed," Donovan said with a wave of his hand, "you were just doing your job. Now, please excuse me, Miss Traynor."
"Specialist Traynor, actually."
"Of course, Specialist," he said dismissively as he walked to the loading ramp.
"Well, that was odd," Traynor remarked under her breath.
"Joker to engineering," Joker said to the intercom at the helm, "everything running smoothly?"
"Smooth as butter, helmsman," said the Irish voice of Engineer Ken Donnely. "Ready to go when you are."
"Great. Drive core up to par?"
"Affirmative, helmsman," came the female voice of Gabriela Daniels. "Drive core and all subsequent systems running at optimal conditions."
"Geez, Gabby," said Ken, "you sound like it's your first day on the job."
"At least I have an element of professionalism, Kenneth."
"I am entirely professional!" Joker could barely stifle a laugh.
"Always good talking to you two," he said as they continued arguing. "Shepard," he spoke into the comms, "we're about ready to launch. You're requested at the bridge."
"On my way," came the Admiral's response.
Everything started off smoothly. The normal pleasantries of takeoff were observed, with the Council seeing their poster-kids off, and the whole thing was broadcast to all of Council space and parts of the Terminus systems. Ash and company found suitable work before heading off, including some rudimentary training, and the atmosphere was noticeably friendlier than their first voyage, with everyone seeming more comfortable around each other - this includes the Pokemon. To his surprise, the plucky sodlier he met on the Citadel, Ryker Donovan, had been assigned to the voyage by the Council without him knowing. This surprised John, but Traynor had shown him to the list to prove his legitimacy. At least he was helpful, being well versed in crew work. Shepard slipped comfortably into his duties at the bridge, with a special sense of pride welling in him as he contemplated the nature of this mission, hoping that this would in fact be his last. Soon, the time came to give the order. Any onlookers had vacated the landing pad, and Shepard stood on the cusp of his final voyage in his beloved craft.
"Joker," he said, "ready to light this candle?"
"Just give the word, sir."
Shepard decided it was time for one last address. "Attention crew, this is Shepard speaking. As you are all aware, we are about to leave for our last mission, and I, for one, am thankful for that, but more than anything, I want to thank you all for your loyal service. Every one of you should be proud of the time and effort you put forth, and I expect you to put forth just as much this time. Thank you for serving with us. To your stations, everyone! Shepard out." The time had come. "Joker," Shepard proclaimed, "light this candle."
"With pleasure, sir. EDI?"
"Beginning launch procedures." The engines hummed to life, and the docking tech released the ship, letting it float in mid-air before taking off. The city zoomed by underneath them as they climbed higher into the artificial atmosphere.
"SSV Normandy, this is Citadel Tower Control," came a male voice on the comms, "your launch was a success. You are clear to depart the station."
"Acknowledged, Tower," said Joker. "Departing."
The Normandy rocketed into the space, heading for the Widow System Mass Relay. It would only take about twenty minutes to reach the Relay, allowing Kaidan to show Ash some fundamental elements of combat.
The elevator opened into the cargo hold, and Ash stepped out ahead of the Commander. Only a few squad and crew members were present, including James Vega, who was doing some pull-ups on a bar at his personal station in the back left of the hold.
"This way, Ketchum," Kaidan said, leading him to a set of lockers. "We're gonna start you out small, today," he said, opening the smallest locker. "Get used to this, and you'll work your way up." He puled out a small, silver pistol, and cocked the chamber. "I don't think you're gonna need any assault gear just yet." Kaidan flipped the pistol around in his hand so the handle was facing Ash, who took it carefully.
"What's this one?" he asked.
"An M-23 Shuriken sidearm; standard issue security pistol. Three shot burst fire, and high rounds-per-clip count. Doesn't pack much a punch, but it'll get you out of a scrape, if needed."
"Nice," Ash remarked, inspecting the gun before bringing it to a ready position. "What kind of bullets does it use?"
"Thermal rounds, just like every other standard Alliance rifle."
"Thermal rounds?"
"It's got a thermal clip in the chamber, and the rounds are concentrated blasts of 'hard heat'. When the thermal clip runs out, the gun won't fire because it'll just overheat and malfunction."
"Pretty sweet."
"Hey, Vega!" Kaidan shouted to the soldier across the room.
"What's up, compadre?"
"Set up a few targets for us. I'm showing the kid some of the ropes."
"Oh, really?" James walked over to a control panel, punching in a few commands. "Does Shepard plan on sending him out into the field already?"
"The Admiral just thought it would be a good idea to give the newbies some basic training."
"Well, where are the others?"
"We'll get to them, man. We'll get to them. They're all off doing their own jobs and being productive crew members."
"You gonna be like this all day?" Ash smirked.
"Welcome to the corps, Ketchum," Kaidan responded with a grin. "James, ready to go?"
"Ready when Ash is."
"I'm ready to rock, guys," Ash said confidently.
"Whoa, ho, back up everyone," James jeered as he brought the holo-targets online, "big man's on the range."
"Just bring up the dummies," Ash retorted.
"As you wish." A whirring sound emanated from the steel floor, and five holographic humanoid figures appeared, standing at varying distances.
"Now, remember," Kaidan added as Ash gazed down the barrel of the Shuriken, "keep your arm firm but not locked. That little pistol can pack a bit of recoil if you're not ready."
"Got it." Ash exhaled slowly, adopting an even more determined, steely look on his face. His brow hardened, and his eyes didn't blink. The cold metal of the trigger brushed against his finger as he took in the feel of the gun. Ash lined up the gun's sight with the closest dummy and pulled the trigger, immediately causing a burst of three orange bullet-like blasts to shoot out from it. The pistol recoiled upward with each shot, catching Ash off guard and causing him to nearly drop the gun, and prompting snickering from Kaidan and James.
"Like you were perfect on your first try," Ash snided without looking at them.
"You're right," Kaidan said, "you're right. James, did he hit anything?"
"Landed two shots on the closest dummy. One in the torso and one in the left forearm."
"Well, it would do some damage, at least," Kaidan added. "Don't worry, Ketchum, we'll get you there soon enough."
"Let's just try that again," Ash responded, and brought up the gun again.
"Attention, all crew," came EDI's voice from the comms, "approaching the Widow System Mass Relay. We will be arriving at our destination in one hour. All crew members are asked to be ready for duty when we arrive."
"One hour, huh?" James remarked.
Kaidan added, "Only one hour until our last mission. Feels pretty surreal, huh Vega?"
"You can say that again."
An hour passes...
The torrent of blue and black outside the ship flew by the windows Shepard peered out of, hands behind his back and his face devoid of expression. The infinity of space speeded by the Normandy at three times the speed of light. Shepard was ruminating on who he would take with him. Garrus, maybe; Shepard hardly went anywhere without him. though he was getting older, and had voiced that he was not as into heated combat as he once was. Kaidan and James would be good choices in case they needed some extra firepower. Perhaps Zaeed? Or Liara; he'd need at least one techie on the team. In that case, maybe Tali would be a better choice. If only Mordin was still with them.
At least the kids found something to do that wouldn't interfere with anyone. Once again, Gary and Dawn were at work in the science labs, about which he had been informed that they worked like hamsters on coffee due to how excited they were. Ash had taken a liking to training under Kaidan and James, and was already becoming well off with the pistol. Misty had resumed her position on the crew deck, even aiding Dr. Chakwas with inventory management and the like. Despite her fiery and sometimes aggressive personality, the girl worked well with about everyone. She enjoyed working odd jobs for about anyone, even the prickly Mess Sergeant Gardner.
"Shepard," said Joker's voice, pulling him out of his thoughts, "we'll be arriving at the research station in five minutes. Now might be a good time to get ready."
"I'll get on it." Shepard then walked back to the elevator to get to the armory.
It only took a couple minutes to put on his Hahne-kedar assault N7 armor. He ultimately decided to bring Garrus, James, Kaidan, and Tali, who all suited up themselves.
On the bridge, EDI was running thorough scans of the area as they pulled out of hyperspace and into the Arghos Rho system. Planets and planetoids could be seen in the distance against a back drop of stars in a sea of black. An orange and red sun was a few thousand miles to their left as they sailed silently past more planets. The scans didn't take long to pick up what they were looking for.
"Jeff, I've found the Salarian research vessel," EDI said.
"Great, EDI. Take us to it."
"Already on it." As the Normandy took to its new course, EDI contacted Shepard. "Shepard, we have found the research vessel. We are headed there now. Be ready for boarding in three minutes."
"Roger, EDI. Ready when you are."
Three minutes later, just as EDI had said, a derelict and ghastly looking ship came into view of the bridge. The decrepit, black vessel floated in the void, its hull blown open, seemingly by a blast.
"Holy crap," Joker said. "Looks like it was in a fight."
"I agree," EDI replied, "but that is impossible. There are no hostiles in this area. Even if they encountered some pirates, they would not be able to rupture the hull. This was a high class research vessel, highly armored."
"Maybe they had a reactor core malfunction?"
"Possibly. Shepard, we are ready to board. Please report to the shuttle."
"On it," Shepard replied. "Let's move team," he said to his friends.
The five member team got on the Kodiak shuttle, and exited the shuttle bay into space.
Immediately, they saw the Salarian ship. Tali caught her breath at the sight, having not expected it to have the appearance it did. The rest of the squad had the similar responses.
"How long has it been out here?" James, who was piloting the shuttle, asked. "It almost looks ancient."
"Not that long," Shepard replied.
"It must've been in a battle," Tali remarked. "The hull is destroyed, and the engines look like they've been severely damaged as well."
"Take us in, James," Shepard commanded.
"Right, Admiral."
The shuttle approached a large breach in the hull that led to the main engineering deck. The Kodiak extended it's loading ramp so the squad could disembark, fully armored for the vacuumous environment. Shepard's grav-boots touched down on the floor; his reflection could be seen in the grey steel.
"The ship's as quiet as a grave yard," said Kaidan as he stepped onto the floor. "I don't like this."
"Neither do I," Shepard added. "Tali, can you splice into any of these computers? Maybe figure out what happened?"
"These consoles are completely shot," she said, "we'll need to find another one that isn't seriously damaged."
"Alright, you heard her, boys," Shepard held up his M-8 Avenger rifle at the ready, "let's get moving and find a security console."
"Whatever you say, sir," James deadpanned.
The squad moved forward through the dark lab, investigating the room. They found nothing but scattered notes, all of which were burned as to make them illegible. It was only a moment before Shepard found a door, scarred with black blast burns.
"Well," Shepard said, staring at the door, "that looks inviting."
"Is this really the time for jokes, Shepard?" Tali asked.
"I'd say so. Can you get this door open?"
"I think so." Tali activated her Omni-tool and ran some remote hacking software. "The door console is damaged but operational enough for me to splice it. And voila," she said as the door came back on. The metal sheets ground sickeningly against the metal floor as it slowly opened, revealing a long, dark hallway with a light fixture hanging disteneded from the ceiling, flickering ominously.
"Okay," James said, his breathing becoming slightly heavier, "that is just creepy."
"Scared, 'LT'?" Kaidan asked.
"Just saying what we're all thinking."
"I can vouch for that," Tali confirmed.
"Move out, everyone," Shepard ordered as he strode into the dark hall, "and keep your eyes open."
Doors leading to other labs lined the right wall with windows peering into the room. If it weren't for the flashlights built into their suits, Shepard and company wouldn't have been able to see two feet in front of them.
"Let's head into the lab," Shepard said, pointing to the nearest door. "Tali?"
"On it." She used her Omni-tool, glowing orange in the near pitch darkness, to hack into the console, forcing the door to open in the same grinding manner as the first. The four soldiers slowly walked in, guns at the ready, and began to investigate. The room was, just like their entrance, covered in blast marks. But there was also blood caked on the walls and floor, and bodies of Salarians floated in the zero gravity.
"Holy shit," James cursed. "There was definitely a fight here."
"What was your first tip?" Kaidan asked, moving around a floating body. "But who could've done this? No pirates I know of could've taken out this kind of vessel."
"I have no idea," Shepard replied, examining some bodies. They were punctured and burned by blasters, with each corpses eyes gone form the characteristic large and black to sunken and pale. The sight of the grotesque carcasses would've made anyone not accustomed to battle vomit. "It's almost like the Collectors.
"It can't be," Tali said as she continued to examine the consoles. "They were completely wiped out when we blew up the station."
"I know, but you can't deny the similarities: come out of nowhere, attack a ship, kill everyone on board, scrounge up some tech, and leave without a trace. Just what the hell are we dealing with?"
"Shepard," Tali suddenly exclaimed, "look at this." She pointed to a computer console that was flickering on and off, and had the body of a Salarian draped over it. "We might be able to get something "I've got something."
"Great work, Tali," Shepard complimented. "What did you find?"
The computer screen Tali was standing over came to life, flashing numbers and code as it booted up. The Quarian then found herself looking at a selection of data files. "Some security footage, and still mostly in tact. Thank the Ancestors. You have no idea how lucky we are, Admiral."
"So what are we looking at?" Kaidan asked.
"Just give me a moment, Alenko," Tali snapped. "I'm currently reproducing gigabytes of damaged data. These things take a few moments."
"Geez, uptight are we?"
Tali sighed, never looking away from the screen. "Sorry, Kaidan, that was uncalled for. I guess I'm still a bit freaked out is all."
"No offense taken."
"Now, it shouldn't take more than another moment and... Got it!" Tali said. "Take a look, guys. This was recorded just before the ship went off the grid."
The footage showed a group of Salarians located on the same floor they were on, all running frenetically in a panic trying to salvage equipment and data. A Salarian scientist stood in front of the lens and spoke into it.
"This is Dr. Daesil, head of this research expedition. My vessel and crew are under attack by an unknown force." His speech was rushed and his breathing ragged. "I repeat, neither myself nor any of my crew have ever seen these beast before. They are organized, carry powerful weapons, and are extremely dangerous. To whoever gets this message, beware of these creatures! They are unlike anything we have ever faced. This is my last mission and report. I can safely say that I am pleased with how I have spent my life in pursuit of scientific discov-" An explosion was heard in the background, followed by more panicked screams and the camera shaking. "Oh, no!" the doctor screamed. "They are coming! Everyone, get your weapons! Save yourselves. To the escape pods!"
The Salarians nearly tripped over each other in a heated frenzy to escape the labs, but were suddenly stopped by a barrage of blaster fire, and more Salarian scientists falling to the floor in agony as they died. If the immediate blast didn't kill them, the internal smoldering from the plasma did, and such a death is excruciating. Dr. Daesil pulled out a Carnifex hand cannon, and aimed it at the door. Two large, black forms appeared, carrying monstrous rifles. "Don't come any closer!" Daesil shouted. He fired two shots at the closer figure, which did no damage except causing the foe to lurch slightly as it walked towards him. "No, please! Don't do this-!" He was cut off by the black figure punching a whole right through his chest. A gargling, choking sound was heard before the Doctor slumped over, still impaled on the figure's arm. The alien grabbed Daesil's corpse by the throat, and pulled it off his arm with a squelching sound before throwing the Doctor back onto the desk the console was on, giving Shepard and his squad a perfect view of the lifeless Salarian as green blood dripped form his mouth. The aliens moved on, and the recording went black.
"Oh god," Kaidan said under his breath.
"What the hell were those things?" James nearly shouted.
"I have no idea," responded Shepard, his eyes fixed on the now blank screen. "They sure as hell weren't pirates. 'Weren't Collectors either. I've never seen anything like them."
"Neither have I," Tali added, "and I can assure you that my life has not been enriched by the sight."
Shepard lifted a finger to his ear and pressed the button that activated the comms built into his helmet. "EDI, did you get any of that?"
"I did," she replied form the ship. "The aliens in the video log do not match any species known to Council or even Cerberus records. And before you ask, I am sure, Shepard."
"Touchy," Kaidan said.
"Can you gather anything else from the video?"
"Not likely," EDI deadpanned. "I would recommend your next coarse of action be to establish an uplink with the Normandy. I can then gather more information directly form the ship's database."
"Got it, EDI. You heard her, let's move!"
For the next twenty minutes, Shepard and his companions strode through the desolate, dark and corpse ridden halls of the engineering deck, trying to find a database for Tali to hack. When they came upon what they were looking for, the Quarian engineer wasted no time in feeding EDI everything the mainframe had.
"Data link successful," EDI said. "Downloading files... Done."
"That was fast," James remarked.
"No firewalls, Lieutenant," the A.I. replied. "That greatly speeds up the process. Shepard, I have processed enough data already to insist that you return to the ship immediately."
"Something wrong, EDI?"
"Yes. The research conducted on this vessel is highly confidential, essentially a black-ops division. You must return to the Normandy and see for yourself."
"Good job, EDI. We're on our way back now." Suddenly, the comms signal became disrupted by static loud enough to make Shepard cringe as his ears throbbed, with the same happening to his friends. "What the hell was that?"
"Interference, Adm-al. Some-ng is blocking our -nnection. Shepa-, you ha- to get ou- -f there now!" Shepard's blood started to pulse, his heart raced and his mind went wild.
"EDI, come in! Normandy, do you read? Joker? Liara? Anyone!?" Only static answered his call. "Dammit!" he shouted.
"What's going on?" Tali tentatively asked. "Nothing could possibly be jamming our communica-" she was cut off by a quake in the ship. The team fell to the ground as a bright, green light illuminated the deck through a hole in the ceiling. Shepard peered into the dark of space, and saw a large battle ship. Black and jagged was its hull, unlike any design he had ever seen; it was easily twice as large as the Normandy. A group of smaller fighters poured out of its hull, heading for the Salarian vessel.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" James shouted as he pulled himself off the ground.
"Shepard," Kaidan said frantically, "we've got to move!" He grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him towards the door.
"Dear Ancestors!" Tali proclaimed. "What in Oblivion is that!?"
Two fighters landed near the engineering deck, and two large warriors descended from the ships. They were still two decks away, making any specific features inscrutible at the time, but Shepard knew where they were headed.
"Joker," Shepard shouted, "fire up the main gun! Blow whatever the hell these things are back where they came from!"
"Garrus is already on it, Shepard. Bastards won't know what hit 'em!"
"Alright everyone," he said to his squad, "this whole sector's going to go up in flames, we've gotta move!"
"Right behind ya!" James said gallantly.
"Don't have to tell me twice," Kaidan said, running to the door.
The grav-boots clanged against the metal floor as the squad thundered down the long hallway. Fighter groups had begun attacking the Normandy, but to little avail. The enemy fighters could hardly scratch the Normandy's hull with their barrages.
On the ship, crew and passengers alike scrambled to their battle stations to man their own anti-infantry cannons. Gary and Dawn were held up in the labs with the scientists, while Brock and Ash had found their way into the security wing of the crew deck. Misty hunkered down in Miranda's office with the first mate and Liara, watching in awe as Miranda effortlessly coordinated the entire ship form the small room.
Looking up to watch the battle, Kaidan said, "Looks like the old girl's holding her own!"
"Let's not take our chances," said Tali.
They rounded another corner, running as fast as their armor would allow. Fighters silently soared through the vacuum of space, and low, dull hums were heard as the cannon blasts continued. If only they had been on some planet in an atmosphere, they would've heard another dropship coming straight towards the deck they occupied.
Stopped dead in their tracks as a bright, white light shone on them. The spotlight came from a large dropship that now hovered above their escape hatch that led to the MAKO. No shots were fired as they stared up into the ship, but a hatch opened on its side, allowing three hulking soldiers clad entirely in ornate black armor to quickly fall to the floor, each one landing on their feet without issue. Shepard and his squad raised their guns, but only James fired a short burst at the torso of the one in front. He didn't even flinch.
"What is this?" he asked, eyes widening and mouth gaping under his helmet.
The spotlight illuminated the warriors, allowing Shepard to get a thorough look at them. Their helmets resembled black skulls, with large, sunken eye sockets as dark as the night. Their armor framed bodies that were far beyond any normal human soldier in form, and their guns were jagged hunks of black metal. The leader pointed a finger at Shepard.
"Kees'ai roh tatha na'igh!"
"Oh shit," Shepard muttered.
He and his squad dove for cover behind doors frames as red blaster fire lit up the corridor. Shepard felt his blood grow hot as adrenaline filled his body, making his mid clearer and his reflexes faster.
"What are those things?" James shouted as he huddled in a doorway across the hall with Kaidan. "My blaster did nothing to them!"
"We can figure that out later!" Tali responded, breathing heavily. "Now, we just need to get out of here."
The blasts stopped, indicating that the warriors were advancing. Time was running short. Shepard racked his mind to figure out a solution, as fighting them head on was out of the question, when he got an idea.
"EDI," he sputtered quickly, "take remote control of the MAKO and blast these guys away now!"
"On it, Shepard."
Seconds later, as the warrior came within yards of the labs Shepard company were hiding in, the trusty Kodiak combat shuttle detached from the boarding dock and ascended to meet the dropship head on, causing the enemy warriors to turn around. The dropship began to turn around to face the new combatant, but a few quick shots of the MAKO's cannons insured that it would not be a problem. Green and purple fire erupted from the hull of the ship when the shots connected, and it began to drift off into space.
"Vee'cos sinca faar'ol!" shouted one of the dark warriors, and they began to open fire on the Kodiak, which proved almost completely unsuccessful. It then turned to face the deck.
"Get into the labs!" EDI shouted over the comms, and the whole squad obeyed. Blasts from the Kodiak rained down on the warriors, which could withstand the first few, but were then to bloody remains and scraps as their flesh and blood caked the walls and floor.
"Ya-hoo!" EDI shouted, which she then followed up with, "Sorry. Get on the Kodiak! I'll re-dock it for you."
"Come on, everyone," Shepard shouted as he waved his hand as a signal for his friends to follow him. "Let's get out of here before there's anymore surprises."
"Thanix cannon charged, Shepard," came Garrus' voice. "Get the hell out of there now!"
"Just what we were doing, buddy. Light 'em up," he growled.
"With pleasure."
A blue beam shot out of the underside of the Normandy's hull. It sailed through the battle, obliterating a few fighters unlucky enough to have been in its path, and made a direct hit on the body of the enemy vessel, visibly damaging it. Fire surged out of the point of contact just as it had with the dropship, and it was a beautiful sight to behold as the squad briskly walked to the Kodiak. They were fatigued, dazed, and the hall was long. The fighters retreated to their ship, causing crewmembers to cheer. All grew quiet. Too quiet. That was when a different color emanated from behind the enemy ship. It was orange, and not from the thrusters. A black circle, bordered in orange, slightly larger than the ship, appeared behind it. Reverse thrusters ignited on the front of the hull, pushing it back into the black hole.
"This is it!" EDI shouted. "This is what the Salarians were working on! Shepard, get on the Kodiak now!"
The squad began sprinting the remaining length, but found it to be more difficult, increasingly so. The rip in space was consuming everything, even pulling the Normandy towards it.
Shepard fought against the growing force, but felt his legs began to tire. They wouldn't last much longer, though the Kodiak was only a few feet away. Tali, who had the lightest armor, pulled ahead of Shepard and clamored onto the Kodiak.
"Come on, guys!" she shouted. "Take my hand!"
Her arm outstretched beckoned Shepard, with Kaidan right beside him, but James was lagging. Wearing by far the heaviest armor, he was struggling against his own weight to reach the shuttle. Shepard and Kaidan climbed on, with James a couple yards behind. They all shouted at him to spur him on, but James felt his strength waning. The Normandy was getting sucked into the black hole, making much of the crew panic, and Vega could see the Normandy trying its best to resist, but to little avail. His vision darkened and grew blurry. He was passing out. No, he thought, not like this. I won't die like this! But, despite his ironclad determination, his legs screamed in pain as he continued to walk, and he stumbled. His friends gasped in fear.
"Shepard," shouted EDI's voice, "I have to pull you out of there now!"
"No! We're not leaving him! Just hold on! C'mon, James, get over here! That's an order, soldier!"
The other two were shouting similar encouragement, which he could barely hear in the comms piece in his helmet, but he did hear EDI. Reality was seeping in, as was a cold darkness. If his friends waited on him any longer, they would die. So I'm gonna have to make this count! James dug his hands into the metal, piercing it with his gauntlets, and desperately tried to crawl to his friends. His arms began to tire as they resisted the pull of the black hole, and the Kodiak began to rock violently as the pull intensified. The Salarian vessel, the enemy ship, and the Normandy would be sucked in, and there was naught anyone could do about it.
James continued to struggle, but the darkness closed in more. He was hardly breathing, his lungs were contracting, almost ready to collapse. Not yet, he thought weakly. Not yet...
"James," Shepard shouted, furiously beckoning him, "come on!"
It was then the darkness set in. His mind was fading to fatigue, but some was left. Just enough for one last transmission. "Go on, Loco. Take a few of 'em out for me." James let go; the last thing he felt before senseless darkness was a feeling of flight. Peaceful flight.
"JAMES!" Shepard yelled in agony. Tali was too stunned to move, but Kaidan had some control of his faculties left. He pulled the two into the tight compartment of the Kodiak and jumped into the pilot's seat, taking the controls while trying to ward off a panic attack. "Kaidan, wait!" Shepard protested.
"No! I can't! The Normandy's going through that god forsaken portal, and we're going with her." He steered the ship as best he could to meet up with the Normandy, which was gaining speed as it approached the portal. "James would never let us miss out on this on his account, Shepard. We've gotta get going."
"How are you so damn calm, Kaidan!?" Tali shouted, resisting the urge to violently pry him from the controls. "We just loss one of our friends, and we're headed through another portal; don't you feel anything about-!"
"I am anything but calm, Tali!" Kaidan screamed. "In fact, I'm quaking in my fucking boots right now, and if you think I'm not horrified by losing James, you've got another thing coming!"
"Lock it down, both of you!" Shepard interjected. "You're right, Kaidan. We've gotta move." He paused, taking a breath before finishing. "Just get us the hell out of here."
"Yes, sir," Kaidan said, trying to control his temper and breathing.
Shepard sat down with Tali, and put an arm around her in reassurance, for whatever good it would do. The nose of the black ship's hull disappeared into the black hole, and the Normandy began its entrance as well. Crew members, soldiers, and trainers held each other close in preparation for what might come next. The turbulence increased as the little Kodiak and the powerful Normandy entered the tear.
"Hold onto something!" Kaidan shouted. Tali screamed into her hands. Shepard held her tighter and closed his eyes.
On the Normandy, people were being knocked to the ground my the turbulence. Traynor was thrown against her computer console, and immediately felt blood seep down her forehead. Joker and EDI tried to keep the ship steady, but had not effect. They were completely at the mercy of the gravitational pull. Joker was trying to remain calm without losing conscienceness, and EDI was feeling truly afraid, causing her to reach out and grab Joker's hand as the darkness enveloped the Normandy, and everything went pitch black.
How long it was before light returned to the Kodiak, Shepard could not say. A few seconds? A minute? He didn't know. The shuttle continued to rock in darkness, until everything went still, and something illuminated the interior. Warm. It was warm. It was sunlight. Shepard slowly peered out the window, and indeed saw blue skies and white clouds. It looked like Earth. Could they be back on Earth? Where had the portal taken them? Question upon question raced through Shepard's mind in torrents.
"Kaidan," he finally asked, "where are we?"
"I'm not sure, sir, but you're gonna want to see this."
"See what?"
Shepard walked over to his friend, now that Tali had calmed down, and got a good look of their surroundings. They were flying over a hilly region; green grass covered low knolls in the land off in the distance, and a sapphire blue sea was to their right, but it was what lay below them that intrigued Shepard the most.
They were flying over a village. A medieval village. Small, wooden houses lined the port town, but it took no time for Shepard to notice the smoke and flames. The buildings were on fire. People ran in a panic, screaming. Mothers clutched their babes to their breast as they sprinted through the stone streets, trying to find suitable horses, and for some, their families. If they were not running with their families, children huddled in alleys, hiding from something. Men and boys, brandishing swords, led their loved ones away from the outskirts of the city, headed towards a large, blue castle.
"What's going on down there?" Kaidan asked.
"And just where are we?" Tali finished.
"We'll figure that out after we've contacted the Normandy. Kaidan, can you set up a line with EDI? Did they even come out the same place we did?"
"I've got them on my scanners, Shepard, but I'm having trouble hailing them. But we do have another issue."
"Don't tell me."
"Those things came through with us."
Sure enough, the enemy flagship, although damaged, had passed through the portal, and was releasing another squadron of fighters as it slowly flew across the sky, casting a shadow on the world below.
"Well, where are they-?" An explosion and turbulence in the ship nearly threw the Admiral to the floor, cutting him off.
"Dammit," Kaidan swore, "we've been hit!"
"Get us to the Normandy, Kaidan!"
"You got it!"
Kaidan careened the Kodiak around in a tight turn to try and evade the pursuing fighters, narrowly dodging more blaster shots.
"There she is!" Tali pointed out the window. Sure enough, the Normandy was hovering a couple miles off over the sea, almost unscratched. "I'll try to hail EDI. Kaidan, just try and not do too much fancy flying while I work, please?"
"I'll do my best, but no promises."
Four fighters were ow pursuing the Kodiak, which Kaidan was pushing to its absolute limits. The ship's diagnostics protested such aggravating flying, but the Commander paid no attention to it, solely focusing on the job at hand. Another hit from the side rocked the shuttle, but wasn't as damaging as the first.
"They're flanking us!" Kaidan shouted.
"Open the door, I'll get the gun!" commanded Shepard.
"If you say so. Hop on and give 'em hell, Shepard!"
The side door opened, and a floor mounted anti-infantry chain gun appeared with it. Shepard grabbed the sticks that controlled the metal beast, and prepared to fire. The view of the village prompted more brief questions about where they were at the time, but they were quickly dismissed when a fighter came into view. Shepard opened fire, releasing a torrent of white hot lead in the path of the enemy, and successfully clipped its wing. It began to veer out of control toward the village.
"Shepard," Tali yelled over the commotion, "blow that fighter up before it hits the ground! We can't let it crash into the civilians!"
Shepard fired again, the force of the turret rocking him back and forth, but managed a direct hit on the hull of the ship, and it exploded in a ball of green fire.
"One down!" Shepard proclaimed.
"Two more on our other side!" Kaidan yelled. "I can't bank that fast enough." Just as he had finished, the fighters exploded in such a way that there was no visible remains of either, except that one of the pilots was now falling out of the green flames and to his demise.
"I got 'em! I got 'em!" Brock exclaimed jubilantly from his station at one of the turrets.
"Great kid," said Zaeed, who was manning the adjacent one, "Don't get cocky."
"It's the Normandy!" Tali shouted. "She's coming this way!"
"-mandy to Kodiak," interrupted a voice, "do y- copy? Repe-: Kodiak, do you copy?"
"We're here, we're here!" Tali said. "Is that you, Gabby?"
"Right as rain, Tali! We'll chat later, just get your butts back here now! We'll open the hatch for you."
"Copy that. On our way now. Get us to the Normandy, Kaidan!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Another tight bank, and they were on a coarse for the beloved SR-2, which had never looked so inviting to any of the three. Shepard then noticed one last fighter above them that was making a bee-line for the Kodiak.
"Got one on a collision course," Shepard said. "Get us out of the way!"
"It's locked on to us, I can't! You'll have to take it out."
"Say no more." Shepard aimed the turret, and roared with bravado as hew unleashed round after round into the sky. The fighter attempted to fire at the same time, but only got a few shots off before it was pelted with fourteen millimeter bullets. The shots broke through the hall, eviscerating the pilot, but the ship was still headed for them, now at top speed. Shepard continued firing as it drew closer, but it was still coming. He couldn't detonate it. "You've got to be kidding," he muttered. "GET DOWN!" Shepard dove back towards Tali, and what remained of the fighter collided with the Kodiak's rear right side, causing it to spin wildly as it lost altitude. The engines were completely destroyed, but the metal shielding was largely in tact, and the door automatically closed as a fail safe. The town grew closer as the G-forces took over. Shepard passed out before the Kodiak crashed into a small square.
His vision blurred and his muscles ached, but Shepard regained his senses quickly. He was still in the Kodiak, and remarkably almost unharmed, aside from a few severe bruises and painful cuts. Tali was slumped over next to him, but alive, and the same went for Kaidan, still in the pilot's seat. It was then that a scraping was heard at the door. Shepard quickly looked down to make sure that his Omni-tool worked. To his surprise, it did. The door then creaked open. Shepard squinted his eyes to make out the tall, shadowy figure in the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw another one of the black warriors. His growing fear was worsened when he realized that said warrior had seen him.
"Tee'cas roth von-es," it said.
Shepard's fists clenched, his eyes narrowed and he adopted a challenging smirk, beckoning the thing to come forth.
"Vorsai tob'ad aen'daer!"it roared as it climbed in.
John then noticed something truly strange about it. Its armor was obviously of the same faction, with a skull-like design for the helmet, but it carried no gun. Only an imposing black sword. The warrior, whose breathing was so loud Shepard could hear it, reached out his hand as if to grab him by the throat. It chuckled to itself with a hideous voice.
"Big mistake," Shepard wheezed, before roaring triumphantly as his arm suddenly glowed with an orange light. A hard-light Omni-blade appeared on his forearm, and he thrusted it forward, running the warrior through the gut. The thing did not shout in pain, but instead made a choking sound as it looked down at the two foot long orange blade that now pierced his abdomen. Hot, gooey, green blood ran down the Omni-blade and onto Shepard's arm as the warrior slumped over, all life leaving it. The blade deactivated, and the warrior fell to the floor in a heap. The volume of the thud it made as it made contact with the floor implied that it was much heavier than even Shepard had anticipated.
John got to his feet slowly, and used thew walls for support as he exited the Kodiak to look around. They were faced towards more of the village, so he could see the pillars of smoke emanating from the homes, and now from the courtyard of the palace. To his left, the enemy flagship now rested in the sea, with the Normandy hovering over it.
"Oi!" someone shouted from behind him. "And who might you be?"
Shepard turned around and saw what appeared two knights clad in blue armor, with sword in hand. Green and red blood was splattered across their sets.
"You with them?" he asked him in a foreign accent. "The beastly warriors? You one of them?"
"Actually, I just killed one of them."
"You killed one of 'em?" asked another, a young man who appeared to be no more than twenty. "Bollocks, I say. Five of us could hardly bring down one!"
"See for yourself," he motioned for them to look in the shuttle.
The knights looked in, and saw the body of the warrior, Tali coming back to her senses, and Kaidan doing the same.
"What in the world are you people?" asked the oldest, indicated by the long, blond-white beard and darkened eyes.
"We're here to help, that's what."
"Well, if that's so, then you'll need to see the queen."
"Who is this queen?" Shepard asked. "Do you think she's safe?"
"Of course she's safe. At least... For now. Gods know what things'll be like not long from now."
"Let's not waste anytime then. I'll grab my gear and make sure my friends are alright, and then we'll help you."
"Ay," said the first knight he met, "by chance, is that flying thing with you as well?" He pointed to the Normandy.
"It is."
"Gods be praised, Aerendell just might be saved after all!"
"Aerendell?" Shepard asked. "Is that what this place is?"
"Aye, good master, it is. And I can assure you, Queen Elsa will greatly value your help. Hopefully, that being immediate help."