25,
The fight inside the Main facility lasted longer than it should have done, and the others said as much, but Shepard just told them to do as they were asked, she was waiting for something, They had no idea what she had discussed with Adams or Tali as she had walked away from them. Ashley was a little miffed not to be in on whatever the Commander was planning, but she did as she was told.
Kaidan scowled a little, aside from XO Pressley, he was the next in the chain of command and he didn't like being kept out the loop, something he would take up with the Commander later Liara merely remained silent, unsure of the ways of human military, Garrus's cheeks flexed a little, a minor sign of him not liking being kept in the dark, and Wrex, well Wrex didn't seem to care either way, this was a fight and he loved to fight so, the longer the better as far as he was concerned.
Shepards icon blinked on the inside of her helm and as she blink clicked it, both Greg Adams and Tali'Zorah's faces appeared.
"Report" She ordered, firing at a Drone and smiling as it went down.
"Its done Commander." Adams proudly said "Took us a while, but my honorary engineer here, well she found the Batarian codes. Jokers here too, just give the word and we will fire off an EM pulse, that'll stop the bastard in his tracks."
"As much confidence as I have in your work Lady and Gentleman, I need one hundred percent confirmation this is going to work."
"Its an old trick from the Quarian days before we were exiled" Tali happily explained "Its only enough for a small pulse but the area you described should work Cassie. The pulse is instant but, I have tuned it into all the Batarian radio short wave and long wave signals I can. Once the pulse hits, the explosives go dead."
"And once this is over Commander" Joker added from the back "We'll need to rest at Terra Nova to allow the engines time to cool and the weapons system too. Or else she'll be sluggish."
"Understood" Shepard sighed wearily, something that did not escape Joker or Tali's notice "If this pulls off, I am buying you three dinner. Lets do this, now"
"Setting EM pulse" Tali said looking at a screen.
Adams looked up "On your word Commander"
"The word is given Chief"
"The pulse is sent"
"Shepard out."
Shepard waited a moment then, jumping from the Mako, she led her team into the building.
It was a dance of escalating death and destruction/ The Biotics, all three of them worked in harmony together, It was an impressive sight to see, Liara caught three Batarians in a singularity field that lifted them up whilst Wrex threw them into the nearest bulkhead and sent them reeling from screaming into the afterlife. Kaidan threw some more into the path of the firing drones, their purple blood splattering the walls and the floor where body parts landed.
Garrus, without Tali with them, was the tech expert, every time a Drone got too near his positions, he unleashed overload letting Ash and Cassie having a clear shot. The fire-fight lasted exactly five minuets, but with all the noise and the gunfire, it seemed like longer.
"Humans, as ever, butchering innocent Batarians"
The voice was dark and hostile, Cassie stood up and turned to face the Batarian that now stood at the top of the stairway. Varen by his side and two Batarians flanking him. She arched an eyebrow and rubbed her nose.
"I don't call killing humans for nothing more than sport innocent" She remarked "I saw the bodies. Balak I assume?"
"My people will make you humans pay for all the wrongs you have done us" He ignored her question, in fact he ignored what she said completely, it was insignificant to him so, he paid it no mind.
Cassie folded her arms across her chest. His uniform was different to the others, more like a generals uniform, more like a rich wealthy soldiers uniform. His uniform markings showed him as a member of the Batarian hierarchy, the Hegemony. He was one of their leaders and she was not impressed.
"So, tell me Balak, why are you here, this is not a slave grab, its mass murder."
"Hah" He scoffed "You would know more about that then me human, you humans have been encroaching on our territory for years. We went to the council and they would not help, so we did what we had to do to survive."
"Oh wah wah" Shepard rolled her eyes "Lemme see...a murderous slave grab on Mindoir, took the kids and killed the elderly for no reason other than profit. Then you tried to assail the Skyllian Verge and look where that got you. You Batarians are nothing more than a bunch of cowards and murders. You Balak are the worst of them."
She mentally crossed her fingers and hoped that the pulse was going to work. He had a cold practicality about him and he was prepared to do all he had to to ensure he made it out alive.
"You don't even want to understand"
"What's to understand!" Shepard raised her pistol "All I see is a filthy murderer and I am going to either take you in or put you down, either way I am going to get you"
"I don't think so. Your friends that you are so eager to aid oh and your little helper are in that office with a bomb rigged. I press this button and they end up in tiny little bloody pieces."
"Er Skipper, we might need to let him go" Ash whispered, glancing nervously at the room he indicated "he isn't bluffing"
"Neither am I" Shepard muttered.
If her plan did not work then she was going to have to live with this for the rest of her life, she would endure it, she had to endure it. Let anyone do what they had to do, she needed to do this. To prove to Ashley that their alien comrades were worth more than a foot note in history.
"Go ahead" She shrugged "I care only about bringing you in"
"Commander!" Kaidan snarled
"Zip it Alenko" Shepard snarled back
"I can't let you do this Commander"
"I said Zip it" She repeated. She knew Alenko would object, but not like this.
"I will do this" Balak warned.
Shepard aimed her pistol and fired at the guard beside him, a neat hole right between his four eyes sending him to wherever Batarians went when they died.
"Damn you, I gave you the chance to rescue them..." he pressed the button...nothing. He pressed it again...nothing and a third time...nothing.
"Take him out!" Shepard barked, glaring at Alenko as she did but saying nothing to him.
Wrex watched as the others fired at the remaining Batarians. He was up top watching the on going argument and smiled to himself. He knew Shepard wouldn't sacrifice innocents and he had an inkling that she knew what she was doing, even if her second didn't.
Climbing onto the ledge he let himself drop, in what would later become known as the Wrex Air drop. He landed on Balaks back and pinned him down, including the snapping of a spine. The other Batarians surrendered at that point and lay their guns down.
Shepard gave Wrex and amused half smile "You are going to have to teach me that one Wrex" She quietly said.
"Ah eat a few more Varren legs and you might have the weight then"
Cassie rolled her eyes and turned to Garrus and Ash "Go let the prisoners out"
"Aye aye Skipper"
She turned her attention to the groaning Balak and crouched down, nodding at Wrex who moved off him but kept his Krogan shotgun aimed firmly at his head. "You will live Balak,"
"Kill me now Shepard, I will not live like this"
"Oh but you will and every time you look at your broken body, you will see my team and I destroying what you tried to do here. One day Balak the Batarians are going to need the humans and with all you have done to our colonies over the years...you might not get it"
She glanced over as Doctor Chakwas and her medical team made their way into the facility. Shepard stood straighter and walked over to the doctor and explained the situation.
"I certainly would not want to be on the end of that" Karin remarked and walked over to the Batarian. Wrex inclined his head and remained where he was, ensuring the Batarian was not going to harm the Doctor, he liked Chakwas, and he was not about to make any mistake that would see her become a casualty.
Alenko stood before the Commander "Shepard I..."
"Not now" She moved past him and went to check on the others. Kaidan watched her leave and shook his head.
The Normandy was given a heroes welcome on Terra Nova and even took on a small rota of crew, a couple of the crew members had fallen pregnant so they were reassigned to Alliance ground control planet side with their partners.
Once the Normandy was ready she returned to her mission. Shepard was in engineering listening to Greg Adams gush over how technically brilliant the little Quarian was and she was certain that if she could see through the mask, then Tali would be blushing a fiery red right now.
"well done, both of you. I must admit I was not sure if it would work"
"Neither was I" Tali admitted "but I am glad it did Cassie"
"So are the Bowman family" Shepard replied "Aaron was killed by Balak, executed before his sisters eyes, Kate will take time to adjust but I suspect she will be back up there soon"
"What will happen to Balak?" Greg asked handing Shepard a drink and one to Tali as he sat at his desk.
"At the moment he is under armed guard at an alliance medical facility, the Terra Nova officials will deal with him, Our job is done and its time to resume the hunt for Saren."
"Aye ma'am"
"Next Shore leave...dinner is on me OK?"
"Aye aye Ma'am" both Tali and Greg Saluted
"Oh and Tali..if you decide not to return to the Flotilla...you are staying here with me on the Normandy...as permanent assistant chief engineer"
Adams shot Tali a grin who lowered her head, blushing furiously behind her mask, she mumbled a thankyou and contented herself with reading something on the screen. Cassie smirked and patting Adams shoulder she walked out of engineering and up to the rec deck. There was something she needed to do.
Alenko stood in her quarters that also doubled as her office. He stood at a taut attention and looked front and centre as the Commander clenched and unclenched her fists in an effort to relax herself.
"You ever and I mean EVER second guess me like that again Lieutenant and I will throw you off this ship and into the Brig" She told him.
"I was under the impression you were going to sacrifice innocents Commander" Kaidan kept his gaze fixed on the far wall.
"Then you don't know me as well as you should do Alenko" She snarled "However, even if I had not asked Tali and Adams to do that for me, if it meant sacrificing a few to save Millions then I would have done it no matter how bad it would have made me sleep at night."
"You should have informed us of your plan Commander"
"I should have...why?" Cassie put her hands behind her back "I needed Balak to believe that nothing was amiss. If you had all known about it your reactions would have been different and I was not prepared to tip my hand." she shook her head "I do not have to justify myself to you Alenko. The next time you disrespect me in front of the team...I will have your head"
"Permission to speak candidly ma'am"
"Go on"
"I will be making a full report to Alliance command on this matter and the matter of you and Williams"
Shepard looked at him and narrowed her eyes "What about me and Williams?"
"Your relationship is inappropriate and against regs ma'am"
"You arsehole...all cause I turned you down"
"Add to that Williams should not be serving on a fleet vessel, as her grandfathers actions at Shanxi proved the family to be cowards and traitors"
Shepard clenched and unclenched her fist, she wanted to hit him, to strike him across the room and beat him to within an inch of his life, but that was what he wanted. Instead she walked up to him and closed the gap between them to within inches "YOU recommended Williams to the Captain, YOU know as well as I do the Williams are no traitors to the Alliance or anything else and YOU will leave here now before I make this official but, YOU will be leaving this vessel when this is over and by the time I am finished...you are not going to have anything more than a garbage Schooner to work on, now get out of my office...NOW"
Alenko saluted and walked out the quarters. Cassie swallowed her anger. She had no idea what rejecting Alenko meant...now though she did and she knew that he was going to make life very very uncomfortable from now on.