Chapter 24: Deliverance, Pt. II

xxxx

I growled as the rifle was jammed against my back for the thousandth time. Granted, I had made a case to be as difficult as possible: tripping one Contractor Elite three different times, keeping an elevator door open with my foot, jaunting about whenever possible and so forth. I held no intentions of being a gracious prisoner.

Even now, as we stepped off onto the 6th floor, I caught my toe on the elevator door – nearly taking down the Elite behind me. But the heavily armed Turian just cursed, grabbed me by the collar and hefted me along again. Rana even shot me a quick glance of disapproval. So while she had more desire for getting through this alive…I had a point to prove.

"Commander, we have the last two commandos of the 517th in tow. We lost three Elites, but they're finally under wraps. Bringing them to point gamma now." One of the two surviving Elites announced, presumably this combatant Stier.

"They were replaceable. The prisoners, however, are not. Excellent job."

I scowled even more upon hearing the Contractor again. I had the urge to just start crushing anything in my way, but the damping braces upon my arms made that entirely pointless. On top of capping biotic ability, they also secured my entire forearm behind my back. I doubted even Houdini could get out of this shit.

Finally, we came to the next door. Slightly larger than the elevator, it offered a much better view upon snap-sliding open. As I looked around, the first thing I saw was the other two commandos. Kaira and Delina were both standing, equally surrounded by Contractor goons. About six normal Turian and Batarian Infantry. Chances were a lot more went down to get that duo captured. Kaira hardly looked up from the floor as we proceeded, but Delina suddenly caught notice of us as well, eyes widening. I shook my head subtly in response. There was nothing more I could say.

We had failed.

I turned my watch to the rest of the facility. Apart from the obstruction of countless assembly lineups, I began to realize how goddamn many mercs were actually in here. This room was probably about 300 meters long and a 100 across. And troops were lined on both walls, five deep, standing chest to chest. There had to be at least a thousand of em… while not Elites, each was fully armed. And then something even worse dawned on me. Some of the machinery, the tall presses… They weren't factory equipment.

They were mechs. The usual, manned supersuit standing about ten feet tall…only matching the usual infantry. At least 50 of them. Each armed to the hilt with machine guns and rocket launchers. Armored, shielded, killing machines.

This wasn't a hostage situation; this was a bloody invasion force. The question was only what and why. Because they certainly couldn't have needed this just to capture us, yet it wasn't enough to bring this city to its knees.

Despite the plethora of troops, my attention remained on the few high-ranked operatives. They were easily identified as the ones without helmets… Mostly Turians and Asari, too. There was one Batarian operative standing off by himself, but…

Ryala. I recognized her as soon as she turned around. Fresh new armor and a Contender battle rifle in hand, she slowly strode over as the Elites stopped. Her frame spoke of arrogance and vengeance, but even past the confident look, there was a flash behind the eyes… like…

"Jackson… So we meet again."

"Captain Ryala. What a pleasure. I guess killing you once didn't cut it." I replied sardonically, throwing up the best acting defense I could.

"Clearly not. Besides, what reason did you have to think I died?"

"Well, I blew you up then left you to bleed out. I figured that would do the job."

"Wrong. Just like you've been about this whole thing. Did you really ever think you would be the last one standing?"

I shook my head slowly. Shit… maybe I was actually wrong. If this just a façade, it was a damned impressive one. But… I was beginning to have doubts. And now an even larger mech was walking up behind the Asari Captain in question.

"Quit harassing them, Ryala. You'll have plenty of time to do that later." The voice rebroadcasted, sounding vaguely like the Asari I had heard earlier. With Ryala out of the way, a cannon-bearing arm lifted vindictively at me. "And you… The alien who has been wrecking havoc on every one of our teams."

"I can't take all the credit… but hell yeah." Sneer in the face of danger… that seemed like a good technique now. And it also dawned on me that this tool – and the other mechs – comprised the Heavy Unit. Bastards.

"And you think that matters?" She started, swinging about in two crushing steps. "No. It doesn't. Your run is over."

"Yeah yeah. Spare me the speech, k? We've heard it a million times."

"Shut up! I have every right to -"

"Listen up, you idiots! We've got a broadcast coming in straight from command!"

"What makes you the suddenly appointed leader, Koresh? You're just a jackass!" The supersuit-wearing Asari snarled in response.

"I don't care how old you are, T'Jeka! I've been working in this operation far longer than have you!" Was the rebuttal from the four-eyed, supposed superior as he turned back towards an open wall, omni-tool rising to project a transmission. "Now, knock it off."

Another brief scuffle ensued as one Elite shoved me into line with the side of his voltage rifle; hence I was shoulder-to-shoulder with Delina. Kaira was on her left, then Rana on my right. For what use that would prove when we were all restrained – oh, and outnumbered 250 to 1. That was a notable detail.

My attention went to the wall with that of everyone else. Finally, the projection took a form – although sort of censored; looking more like Vigil from Ilos. Only more of a humanoid form. It appeared like a bigger, horned head… maybe a Salarian/ I wasn't sure. I just listened as the Contractor himself began.

"Credit is due to both Combatants Stier and Koresh for successfully putting an end to this nuance. It was not done without cost, but the road is cleared for future expansion. Now… T'Suni, I do not understand what drove you to any of this. Our forces did nothing to threaten you; yet you have started a war upon my operation. You have done nothing but jeopardize the safety of your own squad and their families."

"You know why I've done this -" Kaira began leaning forward on one foot. "You've abducted thousands… for what? Genocide? Scientific experiments? Like the mutants we've run into several times over now?"

"You will know soon enough – when you face the same destiny. Your ignorance is still amusing, however – you make vindications that you cannot certify. You have no way to know that any virus is my own doing. You have no way of knowing our projects are carried out with ill intent. You have no idea who I am. And yet… I know who you are. Every last facet of your profile; your strengths, your weaknesses. Every battle fought in four hundred years." Another pause. "T'Kasan, I know every crime you have been accused of; every sentence you have served. I know that you ran away from it all when you joined the 517th -"

"Bullshit! It was Kaira's choice to have those dropped – and I ran away from nothing!" The arms specialist snapped, lunging forward into several troops – who proceeded to drag her back.

"Apart from a broken home?"

"Leave that out of this!"

"Then we both know where you came from, who your parents were, and everything other secret you have tried to bury underneath the shell of a hardened warrior." The Contractor seemed oblivious of Delina's attempts to free herself and rip the holo's throat out. He continued: "T'Lan… Make no mistake, I know of every school you attended; of every class you took at the university. I know your reluctance toward violence, and yet I have also seen you in action. The intermediate combat courses you took paid off well."

The engineer made no sound. The last thing she truly needed was something else to worry about… which was evident in the lines etched in her brow. And yet her gaze remained unfaltering from the projection, eyes still ablaze.

A moment of silence remained before the Contractor spoke again. "Finally, Jackson. I know all too well who and what you are, and I am aware of where you came. Trust me, it sounds nothing less than a scientific paradise for outsiders. Make no mistake, I comprehend everything you fight for and against. You know as well as I that the Reapers are real. Our methods may be different, but our goals are the same."

"What…the hell?" I managed. There was someone else who believed that they were real?

"That remains a subject for us alone, but yes. I also am aware of your unique biotics – and the boons and burdens that they carry. It shall be most interesting to study… for us. It will be of no use to a shell." Another pause. Extreme restraints were the only thing keeping me from extreme violence at that exact moment. Everything I took pride in was under attack… and there was nothing I could do. "Now, Captain Ryala. I will charge you with escorting the hostages to base Omega. Please make sure to keep them in separate cells this time as well. T'Jeka, Stier, and Koresh… assemble your teams. We shall make an example of these police for anyone else caring to intervene."

"Wait a minute, pal!" I began, seething over every word. "All this and you still haven't done anything with the hostages?"

"They are meaningless now. They served their purpose, and have been transferred to one of our facilities as to not cause a public disturbance. They should be the least of your concerns now."

I snarled, about to say more when I took a jab to the back of the ribs. But all my protests proved useless as we were herded along to the waiting frigate. When shit went downhill for us… it really went downhill. And this was bullshit.

xxxx

I was still being a complete pain in the ass when I was thrown in a familiar enclosed cell. On the bright side, they had the decency to remove the restraints. I was still in a damping field, still completely trapped. So I took to pacing as I mulled the situation over.

We had taken the bait of hostages and then become them ourselves. The first set was still at large, still under Contractor control. The police force of Thessia was likely taking a beating at the very moment. Ryala… well, I wasn't sure if she had sold me out. And I had little reason to believe that she hadn't. There was nothing going right. Nothing.

Finally I sat down. I hated to give up, but my head slowly sank into my hands. And as armored fingers ran through short brown hair, I became aware of the tight burning in my throat. I had no fight left now, nothing I could justify. All I could think to do now was give up, give in, lie down.

My head jerked up as the sound of the door registered. Ryala stood there, outlined by the light behind. Neither of us spoke a word as the Asari mercenary slowly stepped in. I waited for her to speak. Now that it was just the two of us… I could get some answers.

"Well…" She started, turning to face the wall of my cell. "This did not going according to plan. I have to apologize. I relayed the best information I could find, and you got fried over it. Now, there's no way out but to blow our cover."

That meant… Yes! I did a mental fist pump before responding. "We gave it one hell of a shot. You have any idea what all the troops were for, though?"

"I… no. I'm sorry. I've been cut out of more and more communications recently." She paused. "Where do we go from here? The assault on the police forces has not begun yet… if there is a chance we could warn them…"

"Yeah. There's a way."

"Then that's a priority. We're still docked, so let's get to the bridge and warn them." She spun on a heel, and promptly took off. I looked after for a moment, then leapt up. This must have been a different layer of cells, since nothing looked familiar… but oh well. Things had taken a single change for the better.

xxxx

"So you're sure this will work?"

I looked over to Captain Ryala and shook my head. "No. But it's worth a shot."

And with that, I stepped into the holo-transmitter. I had done my best to transfer the comm link for the law enforcement chief's channel… so we could only hope it worked.

Static.

For several seconds, at least, as I began cussing under my breath. Then an image popped up in front of me. An Asari, definitely police style… success.

"What the hell is – wait, you're the alien T'Suni had on her team. What's going on? I heard that you got taken down with the rest!"

"Yeah. I did, Chief. We were all captured. Thanks to a little bit of standing mutiny, I'm back and raising hell. Now… I'm not sure what communication you've had with these mercs, but you need to pull your forces back ASAP."

"What? Why? They've just been taunting us, telling us that the hostages are gone."

"For one, they are gone. Transferred. For two, there's over a thousand infantry and 50 supersuits waiting here. You stay around and they'll massacre your forces. We'll do what we can to -"

I paused as the line was cut. After just a moment, it sprang back to life – with a different holo.

"Ryala, you have not disappointed me. Your mutiny was inevitable – and expected. Despite all the incorrect information I have been feeding you of late, be aware that there are two tons of explosives set to detonate in three minutes. It may be a boon for you to know that they are in the cargo hold of your own ship, as well... This is your final order – leave the ship unarmed, or -"

Again the transmission cut. I glanced back over my shoulder at the mutinous mercenary; at the same time she let her omni-tool drop and started up. "Well. I guess that makes the decision easy. And now I know what they loaded up before…"

"Yeah. I guess so. We don't have much time, though. My crew should be good to go – what about all of your troops?"

The Asari frowned for a moment and then brought a hand to the side of her fringe. "All personnel, leave your stations. Meet on the second deck; we have some serious business to go over." With that she turned towards me; looking as much determined as terrified. "That's that. We need to go get your team back up and running – fast."

I simply nodded as we took off at a fast walk. Back down a floor, and things began to look familiar. Through several more doors and we were to the armory.

And right off, I recognized the pile of weapons as our own. The Contender, Kabre-13, and M-20 took their places on my armor as well as a few Contractor electric grenades. The rest of the loot… Ryala threw into a bag. And off we headed again.

Down another two levels, and the rebel captain was pounding away at the keypad to open all of the half dozen cells in this block. I strode over and met the closest. Kaira was still sitting down as the entrance was clear - and looking quite surprised as I came into view. "Jackson, how the hell… Watch your back!"

"Relax, commander. Ryala's on our side completely now." I waved the rebel merc over, and she hesitantly abided. After all, she had all the squad's weapons… "Captain Ryala, Spectre T'Suni."

"Well... This is unexpected. How in the name of the goddess did you ever pull this off?" Kaira asked, scratching her head for a moment.

"Well, when I said I blew her up and left her for dead? I kinda lied about the last part. It took a good fight to convince her of our cause, but I patched her up and sent her back."

"And hence all this intel. You son of a bitch." Delina approached vindictively, but she couldn't hide the smirk on her face.

"Well… we'll have to discuss your interpretation of independent action later. For now, this is a great help… If we can trust her."

The arms specialist snorted and muttered something to the effect of "No shit."

Ryala shook her head vigorously. "When I joined up as a Contractor merc, I had no idea what I was actually fighting for. I know words are hollow, but my life is at stake by that of your team now, Spectre. I will help however I can."

"Thank you, Captain. Our first priority is getting out of here… any ideas?" Kaira asked.

"Yes. We are still docked at Thessia… it is possible that we could make a break through Contractor forces. Speaking of which… " She trailed off as she lifted an omni-tool. "We have two minutes to get the hell out of here."

Picking up on the puzzled expressions, I explained. "In case you had any doubt, the contractor is Gonna blow this ship up if we don't surrender again… blah."

"By this time I would have thought the Contractor would be wise enough to not try such a stunt." Rana noted bitterly and added. "Although it offers us the chance to show our own teeth."

"Alright. Let's move." Kaira ordered, receiving the bag full of weapons from Ryala before glancing at me. "Well done, kid."

I shrugged a little. "Thanks, commander. I'm just glad you're here again… so I don't have to make any more bad calls."

"Seems to me now that you've made some pretty good ones. I mean, getting us out of this one? Not bad." She paused as the AR swung over and onto her back, followed by the particle beam on the other side. The other two commandos did similar before she spoke again. "Alright, let's move, Ryala."

"Right. I'm going to see if any of my ground troops are willing to follow me. Then, we get the hell out of here. We're still docked at Thessia, so managing through Contractor forces might not be so easy. Although… these two took down three elites. That's a feat in itself."

"Elites? Those hulking goons who drug your asses in?" Delina questioned as she looked to me with a more amused look.

"Yeah." I stated, shifting my shoulders as we began up to the second deck. "They're actually trained. Armor and shields like a mech. Not to mention weaponry…. They've got like shock carbines. I want one."

"They've got what?" Ryala shot me a surprised look.

"Electric rifles, basically. They're beast. I had one… for a few seconds…" I trailed off, remembering the fight from before. And with that in mind, I glanced over to Rana. She was already watching me; nearly expressionless on the surface. Thankfully, I'd spent enough time around her to read through that and see the frustration and despair building. Slowing my steps, I let Kaira and Ryala walk on ahead to discuss serious plans to get the hell out of here without ending up a bloody equivalent of Swiss cheese. That thought aside, there was a lot to go over already… Even though it might not have been the best time, I pulled Rana into a brief hug. Notably brief. And still the gesture received a cough from Delina.

The younger commando seemed a bit taken aback, but soon reciprocated. Surprisingly, she wasn't near as worked up as she had been before our capture… or at least it was diluted out for the time being. "I… I'm sorry. If I had not been there to weigh you down, it is likely you would have defeated those elites. This way…"

I snorted. "No, without you, all five would have been focused on me. Besides, we're a team. Regardless of what happens, we stay together. And we made it through that onslaught. Now…"

"We are simply back to our starting position?" She sighed irately. "We are no closer to rescuing the hostages than before!"

"I didn't want to put it so harshly, but… well, no. We're one step closer by debunking this. It's a small step, but…" I trailed off again. I was having a hell of a time making this sound good…

"Precisely. There is little good to come from this. I suppose we must take things one at a time, though… priority being a safe departure."

"That's a good goal. I sure as hell don't want to die here."

Both Rana and I shot the arms specialist a dirty glare. It was bad enough she had to comment, but it was worse knowing she had heard and seen all of that. When she wanted, there would be plenty of ammunition to be had… but for now, we could give her grief for doing the same.

"What? Forgot I was here? Thanks a lot."

"You were just being too quiet." I bit back, completely breaking the mood. Opportunity was a powerful draw.

"Yeah, like you would know anything about that… Seriously though, do you two ever quit?"

"Do you consider it a problem that we look to each other for support?" Rana chimed in.

"No! Not really, but… I mean, what about me?"

"Aww…" I started in mock sympathy. "Do you need a hug too?"

"Screw off. We have a mission, remember?"

I scowled at her intentional schizophrenia. It was certainly annoying and that was likely why she did it. As always. "Right… so, we continue on. Keeping fighting off goons. And then…?"

"We must return to the prowl and find information upon the captives. And then we strike. Whatever it takes to finish this – for certain." Rana explained.

"Simple. I like it." Once more Delina received disapproving looks. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not welcome in this conversation?"

"Maybe because you're not?" I offered as we set up another flight of stairs.

"Hey! That is not cool. You know what? Fine. I imagine Kaira has a better idea of what's going on anyway."

And with that, she took off ahead, leaving us junior commandos in peace. And so I was able to look over to Rana with a much softer voice. "We'll get this figured out yet."

"I hope you are right. For the time being… it certainly doesn't seem feasible. And yet… revenge is a powerful motivator."

"Did you think escape was feasible this time around?"

"I.. No. I did not." She shook her head, and then gave me a slightly amused look. "Are you suggesting that you will not cease in finding ways to save us all?"

That was… what? The hopeful smile faded from my face. "That's not really what I meant. Sadly, I don't have any more tricks up my sleeves." As her watch shifted towards my wrists, I quickly amended: "Figuratively speaking."

"I understand. Then we will do what we must. Even if -"

"Get ready. We're about to the debriefing." Kaira interrupted, causing both of us to jump a little and look up.

"Understood, commander."

"So, Forrest…" The Spectre continued. "While we're at it, are there any other connections that you haven't been telling us about?"

"Unfortunately, no ma'am. Just Ryala."

"I'm not going to complain too much right now… but… why didn't you tell us about this earlier?"

"I figured it would be best to keep in under wraps. I mean, what if our ship was bugged or something? Then everyone would have lost."

"You have a point, but I would rather our team stayed completely out and honest with each other. Something like this… just makes me wonder what else is going on behind my back."

"Sorry, commander. You're right…" I responded apologetically. All I got in acknowledgement was a fair nod as we stepped in behind Ryala. And then I realized this was it; the whole mess hall of her ship was filled with Contractor mercs. All just waiting for her word. And they were not disappointed.

"Listen up, crew. Today we've come to a serious impasse. This is been a while in the making, but never has it been more clear-cut. The Contractor stands for something entirely different then many of us – myself included – originally thought. I, for one, am willing to be a merc – but not a tool of genocide. Not a protector of the operation that has kidnapped thousands and unleashed mutating viruses on entire populations. No, today we are cutting ties. There will be a violent response; already they have set our ship to explode in a matter of minutes. So, now, I come before you with a choice. You can either stay with the Contractor, where your paycheck is guaranteed, or you can follow me. I can't guarantee anything other than fighting for the right cause. But I will say this – the implications go far, far beyond any one of us standing in this room today. Now is your call – are you in or are you out?"

A Batarian on the front line shouted out: "I didn't sign up with the Contractor – I signed up with you. And I sure as hell never wanted to be responsible for being a terrorist like we started with this raid!"

An even more surprising chorus rang out in favor of his support. I could see a few mercs backing out and disappearing, but only a few. There were at least seventy troops here and staying… Hell yes.

"We've got everything we need – guns, armor, training – to turn this back on the Contractor. Today we turn back the tide – today, we avenge the families broken by our own work. No longer will we ignorantly follow the lies forged for personal agendas!"

Again, the whole company let out a screaming chorus of agreement, the energy almost getting out of hand. Then an Asari merc piped up in the first lull. "Wait, so if we're not getting paid… we get to loot the Contractor forces for what they're worth, right?"

Ryala nodded confidently. "Anything of the Contractor's is fair game. Anything. Guns, armor, creds… even ships."

An even louder whoop went up. That last part sent several people off the walls in excitement. They were ready to fight. I had to give the entire crew credit. They were risking everything, even becoming a band of shipless pirates, and yet they were overjoyed.

"That's what I want to hear. It's our time to show them how strong we really are – and what we really stand for. Now, let's get out there and give them hell!"

xxxx

We surged through the airlock. The 517th and Ryala up front, then her troops in rough formation behind.

And I looked around. We were docked in the loading area of the Ariera factory; which must have taken up the better half of the first five stories. Ryala's ship was docked at the end of a fairly narrow bridge, which lead down into a main area about a hundred yards ahead – full of crates, trucks and…

Contractor mercs. Lots of them. Infantry, supersuits, even the three remaining Elites… But only a fraction of their entire force. We could take them on.

None of us had drawn our armaments yet, but we continued the power-walk towards the mainstay of the enemy forces. Tide versus tide; the two forces began preparing for the firefight.

I spotted Combatant Stier near the spearhead of their lines, another Elite on each side. All three armed with voltage rifles. Then behind them, a massive line of regular mercs, interspersed with several imps. Likely 250 in total… but considering we tipped in at 75 now, the odds weren't too bad.

None of us looked back as the explosion tore apart the end of the bridge behind us. If anything, I felt a smirk creeping across my face. We were certainly making one hell of an entrance.

And they were starting to get nervous. Several Contractor mercs were shifting uncomfortably, some were starting to raise their ARs. I could see the reinforced shields flicker to life on the supersuits…

"Stop! That's close enough!" Stier suddenly ordered in the exaggerated, Elite voice. "Weapons on the ground!"

Time seemed to slow down. I glanced over to the other commandos. Battle faces on, I couldn't tell anything apart from resolve. Ryala wasn't quite so impenetrable; the vengeance and paranoia were working their way to the surface. Back towards the Contractor forces, the urgency of battle drew forth the usual requirements – searching for cover, creating a plan of attack along with offensive lines and escape routes. There were several trucks and heavy crates along each side of the bridge which seemed to be a good option for our ranks.

"Light 'em up!"

Ryala's single command was all it took to send us into action. Rebel troops began diving and darting for cover while unleashing a barrage of fire and grenades. Commandos jumped into cover on both sides of the bridge, beginning to unleash the usual array of attacks.

But I didn't move out of the maelstrom. Instead, I raised a powerful barrier and extended two biotic blades. And with a final commitment, my shoulders flicked forward.

Let the onslaught begin.

I impacted the Elite to Stier's left, immediately skewering him. I drew my right hand back, taking a slash at the Elite commander himself. It landed, but wasn't critical. He lashed out with the rifle, forcing me to jump back and block with the left blade, and that only gave him time to drop a flashbang and leap back into pack of goons.

That left me no choice. As the concentrated biotics dissipated from my arms I ducked down and grabbed up the fallen Elite's voltage rifle. And with that accomplished, I burst into another charge back to cover.

The mass effect corridor broke by the tailgate of one truck. As I came back to mass, I swung around into the cover – right next to a rebel. Dammit, it was hard not to just give her a Spartan kick off the edge… the colors were deceiving. Glancing back towards the Contractor forces, Stier's flashbang went off. A moment later, the fallen elite exploded in the usual, hyper-charged manner.

I looked down to the black rifle in my hands. It looked like a Stealth Bomber turned rifle, emblazoned only with the blue markings "VR666." That… well, no. It was unlikely that anyone out here would consider the latter half a reference. The first two letters probably designated the 'voltage rifle' part…

Back to reality. I swung back out of cover at a crouch, VR already on my shoulder. The first target I found was a regular goon, just out of cover and about 50 meters ahead. The trigger pulled and the rifle flared to life; rapidly unleashing a torrent of electric bolts towards said merc. And while it made noise, there was no kick. Through the holographic sight, I watched the thug twitch back as I kept the trigger pulled for another split second. 1200 rpm electric fire had instantly torn through his shields, and the continuation downed him immediately after.

I ducked back as my own shields took a beating. Without exposing myself, I chucked a grenade over and towards the enemy… A moment later, the shocking report combined with screams confirmed success. And again, I popped out of cover long enough just to drop two more mercs. While I pulled myself back into cover, a rocket whizzed by – and struck the muzzle of the voltage rifle.

The explosion sent me flying backwards past two other rebel mercs sharing the cover of this truck. Even while disoriented, I could feel myself sliding along… Next thing I knew, I was dangling off the side of the bridge – and looking down several, open stories. On closer look, there were vats of different chemicals and molten metals. And a small splash as the voltage rifle disappeared. That… couldn't be good to land in.

"Need a hand there?"

I glanced up the Asari rebel… who I recognized as the one asking about looting earlier. "I sure as hell wouldn't complain."

With a heave and good effort on both of our parts, I got a leg back onto the bridge and pulled myself up. With a nod of thanks, I ducked down behind cover. Now, I took a moment to look around. Across the bridge, Rana and Kaira were hunkered down behind a cargo lift. And upon my attention, Kaira gave the signal to move over. No rest for the wicked… so I threw myself into another biotic charge.

As I slammed into cover behind Rana, Kaira glanced over and shook her head. "Keep it cool, Jackson. We don't need to scrape you off the floor just yet."

"Understood, commander." I nodded, enthusiastic to follow her order. But… I was also pissed. I had gotten a voltage rifle… for a little while. And holy shit, that thing was sweet. Time to find me another Elite. With that in mind, I hopped up onto a higher level of the lift, where I was still in cover – but could stand up and drop some enemies with the Contender. One went down before two heavies took notice of me and opened fire. I ducked down just as one rocket shot over my head and another impacted the side of the lift.

With the lull in their fire, I popped back up to see one drop from a headshot, and the other fall into the trap of a singularity. Two bursts from my own rifle and the suspended merc was crossed out. But… from the higher position, I could see two things going south. First, two supersuit soldiers were advancing. Second, several Contractors had taken to hover platforms… and were flanking us.

A bolt of blue biotics across the field alerted me to Ryala's location – now next a rebel heavy just behind our current position. I did similar, charging across and jumping off the cover next to her. "Ryala! We've got hostiles flanking on mobile platforms. Make sure your troops know!"

"Got it, thanks." She nodded, bringing a hand to the side of her fringe. "First through fifth heavies, make sure nobody gets around us!" Then she turned back to me. "I see we've also got stompers closing in. What do you say, take out the pilots and do a little bit of number compensating?"

"Plan." I nodded, and then ducked out of cover right behind her. As she charged towards the one on the left I did the same to the one on the right. During the split second it took to close the gap, I produced another biotic blade. When I came out of the charge in the usual impact, I grabbed on to the reinforced glass plating protecting the pilot. She seemed to realize what was happening as my right arm drew back - and tried to shake me off.

It was to no avail. I plunged the blade into the glass, feeling a noticeable strain on my abilities as it broke through and pierced the current pilot. As I jumped off backwards, the suit went into standby, even opening up for a new pilot. That would be me... Even in all this, I felt a little giddy – finally being able to drive one of the supersuits? That was cool.

And it powered up. A small HUD came online as I grabbed on to the controls; shield strength, machinegun heat and missile ammo. Just a second later and the glass closed back up. It was a little difficult to see through the bloody spider web of cracks, but hey…it would suffice.

Suddenly, an idea struck me. In fit of wildness, I cranked the volume of the suit's speakers all the way up. And then I uttered three words:

"Assuming direct control."

The four mercs nearest me barely had a chance to move out of alarm before a missile scattered them with brute force. The ranks behind them had a little more chance to dive for cover before the minigun spooled up. A general sweeping pattern went into effect, keeping them down as rebel troops moved up. I glanced over to see Ryala doing similar… Once a Vanguard, always a Vanguard… And then back. Another imp was making its way towards me, so I laid into it – minigun spooled up, missiles pounding away. Combined with several missiles and headshots from our own side, it went down surprisingly fast.

"You are vermin."

I added, grinning like a madman as I smashed a truck out of the way – baring the huddled Contractor mercs for a continued barrage from the rebels. I took a hostile missile to the shields, then quickly returned the favor. The heavy that fired first... didn't fare so well. And I kept moving up, forcing our opponents into the open – where they were torn apart by our forces.

Suddenly an alarm went off. The supersuit's shields were down to 5%... Just like that? Damn. Well, only one thing to do…

"Releasing control of this form."

I spoke the final phrase as I broke free of the confines; first throwing two grenades into their midst and then diving for cover as I drew the Kabre-13. And… I found myself nearly surrounded by Contractor mercs. They seemed about as surprised as I was, but I quickly threw myself into action. We were still near a ledge, so I gave the first one a boot to the chest and sent him reeling off. Another took a swing at me, so I grabbed out and carried his weight through – and again off the edge. Then I lunged at a Salarian engineer; stabbing him with a biotic blade before quickly railing two shots into the next. It was then that I realized I was still horribly outnumbered. So it was time to charge back to safety… and leave them a grenade in my place.

I dove in behind a familiar lift. Kaira and Rana both shook their heads, but it was the engineer who spoke. "I fear you are enjoying this too much, Forrest."

"Enjoying it? Nah." I responded directly while switching back up to my AR. "Making the most out of it? Hell yeah."

"Watch the hoverboard at your twelve…" Delina ordered over the radio. All three of us glanced over; the unsuspecting goon hadn't opened fire. As at least I had expected, his shields and head suddenly exploded. I couldn't help but wince as the lifeless form plummeted away. "Haha! Take that!"

I looked back to Rana with a bemused expression. "If you want a case of enjoying it too much… look no further than our resident psychopath." I paused, then keyed my commset. "Good job, Delina. You want a Shaffa or something?"

"Hey, here's an idea: quit running your mouth and go kill some mercs."

"Well, listen to who's got an attitude now."

"Say, how much are you sharing with Rana? Because it sure seems like your panties are actually up in a bunch this time."

"Funny, Delina. Why can't you keep those thoughts to yourself?"

"Because I don't get a reaction that way."

I bit my lip trying to think of a way to continue the argument. But the disapproving look from Kaira told me it was better to just let it drop for now. Plus Rana didn't seem amused by it – at all. So...

A quick dart of biotics reminded me of our fellow vanguard. Apparently, her supersuit had faced a similar fate. I braced myself and then crouched out of cover just long enough to get a bead on and drop a centurion with two bursts. As I avoided several ricocheting rounds by returning to cover, I glanced over at the rebel Contractor mercs. Ryala had done well; despite the horrible number differences, they were holding their own. A few had fallen, but no more than I could count on one hand.

"Perhaps it would not be a wise decision to challenge you, but…" Rana began, looking over at me hesitantly. "Do you think you could bring down another supersuit? There is only so much damage I am confident in dealing from cover."

I watched the young commando for a moment. That wasn't something I had expected to hear from her. Ever. Perhaps it was just evidence of her growing agitation… "Alright. There's another moving up now… let's flank it and switch things up."

Kaira looked slightly annoyed, but she didn't say anything as I ran out from the lift. After a moment of my shields getting hammered, I went sliding in behind a truck feet-first. This stomper was no fool; the pilot had seen what I could do if I got too close and was backing up to try and get out of range.

Unfortunately, I was able to do just that quite easily. And since the unit was out front of the rest of the troops, it was a good, easy target. After a spontaneous charge, I was again hanging off the front and drawing back the blade. With a final yell, I plunged it through again.

It worked… but I could see immediately that my biotics were slowing down. This time, the blade lasted no further than the merc's head before giving out. And while I jumped off and dove back to cover, drawing my rifle once more to cover Rana, I was beginning to get worried. There were still a shitload of enemies here… not to mention the rest of the Contractor forces somewhere. We were only up against a quarter of them, and still we were barely getting by. My head twitched as the armor powered back up with the commando inside. We were still making progress, so I needed to keep that up. Switch back to the shotgun.

I charged back across the bridge as Rana took off on a tangent of destruction. As several mercs got torn apart by a missile, another was sent into the void with the explosion of my collision - and now I was back under their skin, dishing it out before they could even figure out what was going on. Duck as one took a swing at me, and then stab out with a biotic blade. Kick one back while blasting another. It was a pattern. One that I was relatively comfortable with… but nobody else seemed to be proficient with. Then again, few mercenaries were expected to fight hand-to-hand with an enemy with several different attacks… and no premeditated plan of attack.

Cover was a commodity – and one that I didn't need right now. I just kept forging ahead, tearing through the disorganized line of goons. Stab and shoot. It was just a motion now; carried out with increased speed and fluidity. Occasionally, I grabbed a merc by the shoulders and threw him or her off the side of the bridge, but as long as I stayed at point-blank few had the opportunity to retaliate.

Finally, I was out of targets. I ducked down behind a heavy crate and did a quick survey. Our small, rebel force had driven the contractor line back, and the 517 was going strong. Delina had caught up with Kaira, and was continuing to drop our foes. Rana… was still creating her own bunch of chaos. I couldn't tell from the side of the stomper, but the way it was moving indicated an uncanny determination.

Actually, she had yet to let off the machinegun trigger. I was surprised it hadn't overheated, but then again, the three barrels were glowing red. Hacking would explain that. And the merc who was unfortunate enough to get too close got smacked back with a powerful mechanized arm. No, determination didn't quite describe this. It was like the lust for vengeance distilled into efficiency. I had no ground to question Rana's attitude; I could almost guarantee that I would become ten times more violent in her shoes. But it was still the engineer. Something so polarizing was concerning. Even as she brawled her way through the steady influx of hostiles.

But it couldn't go on forever. The suit turned about and the engineer dove out. And no sooner than she got to cover did the piece of machinery explode – and take out several more mercs. Unfortunately, she looked no less frustrated than before, which was fair – this was just beating our heads against the wall while the real problem went unsolved.

A slight clatter next to me was the notice I needed to evacuate that cover. As I slid in against the lift Rana was hunkering down behind, a blast of plasma and electricity erupted from my prior location. Electric grenades packed a surprising punch, even compared to overload attacks… I exchanged a nod before poking up from the cover and railing off several shots towards a nearby Salarian. Before I could get the final shot in, he went careening backwards from a sniper shot to the head.

I just growled as I ducked back down. That was cheap, Delina… But with a shake of the head, I turned back towards the engineer. As she recovered from overloading several different merc shields, she returned the look. "Do you have a suggestion dealing with this influx?"

I leaned out just enough to see one of the unshielded mercs – and hit him with an upward pull. I nodded to the engineer – who followed up with a throw. As the helpless merc went sailing away, bouncing off of a crate before falling off the edge on the opposite side of the dock, I shrugged. "That works."

Rana nodded before leaping up again, omni-tool on one hand, pistol in the other. And she was using both; overloading a small group of mercs and quickly downing one with two pistol shots. I took note of the two Turian infantrymen that got their shields dropped and quickly proceeded to hit one with a pull and shred the other with several shotgun blasts.

And before Rana could toss the idly drifting merc, he too took a round to the head.

That was it. I keyed the radio of my visor. "Delina, quit being cheap and go find your own targets!"

"I'm just trying to help out here. No need to get all snotty with me… sheesh."

"Is now really the time to be concerning yourself with immature arguments?"

I thought about that as I glanced over to Rana. "Eh… probably not. Sorry."

"I didn't -" she started, spinning out of cover just long enough to down another couple mercs. "I do not mean to spoil your fun, however…"

"You're under a lot of stress. I understand." I stated rather bluntly, holding the shotgun around the corner and blindly firing several shots.

"That would be an understatement. We are stalled here, and yet there is still a clock ticking."As she exited, fired, then returned to cover, she continued with a bit more passion in her voice. "And I know we are 'doing all we can;' but is even that enough?"

I remained silent for a moment. We were doing what we could… but like she said. "I don't know. Once we get out of here we can start getting some answers – and get the hostages back."

"I certainly hope you are right. If not… I do not even want to consider what may already be reality."

"Hang in there, Rana." I confirmed, strafing out from the obstruction to clear out yet more mercs. I heard an irritated snort even over the maelstrom of rockets, gunfire, and grenades; but for the moment I hit another goon with a pull, passed a second by tearing down another with shotgun blasts alone, then shredded the weightless foe as well. By a rough count, we had quartered their forces – only about eighty remained. Mostly infantry, and only about five stompers. That was encouraging.

I swung back behind the lift, taking a moment to grab an energy chew out of my belt. Popped my neck. Glanced over to Rana. This was definitely a fight to go down in the books, although the prospect of being remembered for waging all-out war on Thessia didn't seem very inviting.

A flash of red by Rana. A Centurion had somehow completely flanked her, and was now just at the corner of the cover. But he never got the chance to use his shotgun. The engineer let out a scream just as she lunged into him; skillfully throwing him back over her shoulder and slamming back-first into the ground. Before he could get back up, she dropped down and pulled a fist back. Her biotics charged; the sickening crack was undoubtedly lethal. Yet… the blue aurora surrounding her didn't die down - it flared even more as she stood up; almost to a dangerous level. With a violent snap, she sent another merc sprawling away with a brutal throw and finally the biotic field evaporated. The vicious look in her eyes, however, did not as she ducked back down and relentlessly fired at the Contractor forces.

In an effort to conserve my own energy, I switched back to the Contender. Immediately upon looking up from my protected position, I was able to find a target off to the side where she was protected from the rebel fire, and took her down freehand with three bursts. I drew back into cover, toggling an overcharge shot. Then stood back up. Another merc tried to swing out of cover and return the earlier stunt, but standard rifle fire only made my shields flicker. The overcharge shot, however, did far more than make his shields flicker. As the explosion was bit overkill for him, it did roust several others from behind the same truck, and before one could recover, an incineration slammed into him. The fire shot across to several others who also rose in a panic to extinguish themselves...

That was a fatal mistake on their part. Another went down with a burst from the Contender. Several other rebels joined in and mowed them down. We were, even before outnumbering them, annihilating the Contractor's goon squads. Of course, the Elites had bailed out earlier… Bastards. And I still had a score to settle with Stier.

"Jackson, T'Lan! Get out of there now – I'll cover you!"

Kaira sounded urgent as hell, so I only muttered as we sprang from the lift. Even while retreating, I held the contender to my shoulder and fired at anything that moved. With two more enemies down, I ducked behind a heavy crate for a moment to let my shields recover slightly. Rana was already ahead of me by about one bit of cover… and suddenly the piercing shriek of the particle beam rang out; blue ray striking past us and into Contractor forces. With a slight bit of hesitancy, I broke out of shelter again and made another sprint back. Just as I vaulted onto and slid across the bed of a truck… my shields went out completely.

Now I was almost back to where Delina and Kaira were hunkered down; I could see the arms specialist giving me a funny looks. Rana had made it directly across from me… so I peeked out towards our prior position.

And… Holy shit. That was about all I could think. A whole swarm - and at least fifty to that – of psycho Vorcha. They must have been in the larger shipping containers by the rest of the Contractor infantry. Unshielded and armed with nothing more than axes, they were just cannon fodder – but they were still dangerous, especially in those numbers. Suddenly their rapid approach was halted by a singularity, which sent several airborne and even more off balance. A yell from cover just further out the bridge caught my attention; Ryala swung out of cover with biotics already blazing. I followed the speedy arc of the blue orb clear until it hit a suspended Vorcha.

Then it was bang. Even from about thirty meters away, the explosion stunned me for a moment. The pack didn't fare nearly as well; by the time I looked back, most of them were sailing through the air off both sides of the elevated avenue. It was that moment I took to switch back to the Kabre-13. While the remaining dozen or so psychos got back to their feet, my shields had recharged. And as the first one began running towards us again, I swooped out from the crate, immediately diving into a biotic charge.

I hit. The first Vorcha on their left flank went flying into the abyss and then the survivors turned their attention towards me. As one leapt into an axe-swinging tackle, I ducked to the side. Sadly, there was nothing to stop him from going over the edge – and immediately after I heard a falling howl. The next closed in, but before he could swing two shotgun blasts had ripped through his chest. Another swung for my head. I ducked again, my momentum carrying around as a biotic blade materialized on left hand, and then sliced into his neck as I continued. While it didn't go all the way through, there were limits to regenerative abilities.

I barely managed to sidestep the next vertical attack, but the shotgun quickly compensated. While one Vorcha went down from four rapid shots, another lunged. Again I let him pass – but not before driving the blade through his chest. In a quick fluid motion I released the concentrated biotics, grabbed him by the neck, and throwing him over the edge, spun around to smack the next with the end of my shotgun.

Another flash of blue. At first I thought it may have been hostile… but on second take, it was tearing apart the Vorcha as well. Now they had two vanguards to cope with; one creating utter havoc from each end with shotguns, kicks, and the occasional stab or punch.

Next thing I knew, it was only the former Contractor mercenary and me standing. She gave me a nod. "Well done."

"Likewise." I rejoined – right before charging back down the dock into another group of mercs. One was slammed into the floor on impact; another was ripped apart by a quick delivery of rounds. With none in immediate range, I dove over a waist-high crate, rolling upon landing – and then stabbing the first thing in sight when I popped up.

But while I did that, another Turian grabbed my left arm. I went to strike with the butt of the Kabre-13, but he caught that as well. Best I could do was act quickly. I sent a knee into his groin, hopefully giving myself another moment to swing forward and headbutt him. Once. Twice. By the third time, his grip was loose and I nailed him with a throw. He slammed into another truck, struggling to rise back to his feet. I was about to charge in when his head seemed to sort of cave in…and splatter to the back.

"Really, Delina?" I murmured, shaking my head as I ran back to cover. Actually, I wasn't going to complain now. Swinging over another crate, I darted back to our own ranks – with several different missiles barely missing me.

Finally I came to a rest back next to Rana. She gave me a dark nod before we both popped back up to continue the assault. From this range, the shotgun was nearly useless, but I still railed off several shots before ducking down and switching to the Contender. Things were looking pretty good, actually. We had whittled the Contractor forces down to a fraction of what they had been… and Ryala's group and barely taken a hit. It was then that the dock PA roared to life.

"This is the Contractor. I want all forces converging on the docks. Do not take any prisoners – kill the commandos and the mutineers. We will show the opposition what we truly are capable of. "

I glanced to Rana once more – but with an alarmed expression as I snapped! "Fall back! I'll cover you!"

She nodded and dove out of cover, sprinting back towards the Commander's lift. I leaned out long enough to fire several more bursts, then followed suit. As I reached the corner, I dropped into a slide – then pulled myself in to safety.

"Show off!"

I heard Delina, but was in no mood to bicker. Kaira said nothing to the arms specialist, but addressed us all. "I'm not going to lie to you; this going to be brutal. There's only one way we'll be able to survive – and that's working together as a team. We don't have margin for error or fancy footwork. We all stay hunkered down here. Clear?"

"Hell yeah."

"Of course."

"Crystal!" And with that, I jumped up a level on the lift to where I was protected but had a bird's eye view of the bridge – and the forces flooding in. Roughly seven hundred Contractor goons swarming onto the docks from all directions pertaining to the rest of the factory. It was not a good sight. Actually, it was the material from which my nightmares were woven… If I ever had the chance to experience those again.

I felt Rana hunker down next to me. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught her gaze. And we both shook our heads.

"Now I understand how Kaira felt about the Battle of Ahrantok… only we have no reinforcements."

Reality was sinking in. I was going into survival mode; even to where I could barely formulate a response. "Mm. Let's hope all of our training pays off…"

We fell into silence as infantry drew into range. I rose to send a burst down at a Batarian, then ducked as a rocket tore by my head. Again I exposed myself – long enough to perforate the heavy. But I may as well not have bothered. Just the very sight of the mass of troops was disheartening; almost sickening.

Strange things happened. Time began to weave together, until I couldn't tell one moment from the next or last. All of my energy and attention went into firing, ducking, repeating. Merc after merc dropped at my hands.

And we were getting hammered. I could barely rise without getting my shields obliterated. Ryala's company was holding in by a hair. They too were getting pounded; not so much in quality but in the raw difference of numbers. For each of us; there were ten contractors. Not to mention the inclusion of a dozen or so stompers making their way towards us.

I rose once more, laying three bursts into a centurion before he fell. I ducked back. After toggling on another overcharge shot, I exposed myself again – just long enough to take aim at the nearest supersuit. The single, explosive round hit; shattering the glass and incapacitating the pilot… all too rewarding. Rana took the cue to overload it that very instant. And it went up with a boom, devastating all the infantry within several yards while stunning more. If anything, it was a well-needed morale booster.

I flinched as my shields went out. Even as I plunged back to cover, it felt like something tapped my right arm halfway below the shoulder. It was a peculiar sensation, like a strong bit of bass.

Then it seemed to explode into searing pain. The rifle dropped from my hands as my opposite hand leapt up to the wound. My first thought – and action – was to yell "fuck!" My second was to get Mediglue on there. However, the synthetic gel seemed to be of little use, so I tried to reach for the trusty bandana that I still kept for situations such as this. But my right hand refused to lift. With more, quieter cursing, I got the cloth out with my left and proceeded to tie it off.

I would have to deal with that later. For now, the little bit of added adrenaline blurred the sting and the bleeding was stopped. And so I twitched my head again, picking up the battle rifle with my left hand. Dammit… I thought, lifting up just enough to keep the four-round bursts peppering our adversaries. But I spent far less time out of cover now. For a bit of shit luck, I actually got off fairly well. I could keep fighting… kind of. My aim lefty was horrendous, and only about one of four rounds per burst hit their targets. Distanced biotics were equally as frustrating…

A single missile struck an approaching stomper. It took me a good second, but finally it registered that it been from overhead – where none of our troops could have been. And before I looked up again, a whole onslaught began. Explosions began flaring up everywhere in the Contractor ranks, sending their organized attack into disarray. Heavy machinegun fire pounded the survivors. Finally I glanced up to the source – three gunships hovering at our 8, 6, and 4 o'clocks.

I didn't recognize their build. A heavily armored hull, suspended by an encircled rotor on each side. In a way, they reminded me of the gunships from Avatar… Only smaller and sleeker. And armed with a single rocket launcher and two miniguns on the belly. Quite the lethal combination, as was proven by the falling offensive of Contractor troops.

Two more were landing on the charred end of the bridge, along with a rapid succession of corvettes. My focus left the battlefield as new combatants made their entrance; troops began pouring out, seamlessly integrating into the rebel strongholds. Grey and yellow armor… that's Crossfire. Which fit, considering everyone I could account for was Asari. Then the forms of five detectives – or more correctly, law enforcement special agents – ducked out of the gunships.

I glanced down as the commset sprang to life. "Spectre T'Suni, this is Chief T'Raela of the Thessian Security Bureau. I received word from one of your commandos that there was an invasion force here. I hope we're not too late to provide assistance. We contracted five hundred mercs and five A-45 gunships for the job…"

From right below, I could hear Kaira responding. "Perfect timing, Chief. I was hoping we wouldn't have to fight all these bastards ourselves." A pause, in which she looked up towards me with an equally amused and annoyed expression. "So, what was that about not having any more tricks up your armor?"

xxxx