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Chapter 26
Can We Go Home Now?
It wasn't long before Titus returned from her exploratory solo journey.
"Well?" Shepard had asked the moment she arrived back.
The turian hunkered down near her with ever watchful eyes scanning the room and it's occupants.
"It doesn't go quite the whole way to where we need it but close enough. Pops out just a few feet from the door. This is doable."
Jane looked over the children all sitting quietly in their cells.
"They're so small, Titus. I don't think they can go down the ladder. It's a hell of a drop if one of them doesn't hold on."
Sappho nodded with a grimace. "I agree. Any ideas?"
"Just one. We'll have to ferry them."
"Oh?"
Shepard waved a hand over the various equipment all stacked and stored around them.
"I've had a good poke through this stuff. I think we can make up a rig that will hold the children while lowering them to the ground. Only problem I can see is the potential for being caught in the open but we're gonna have the issue either way."
"Agreed. What do we need?"
Jane glanced over at Titus who shrugged. "I'll see if I can get as much of it as possible built before we start freeing them."
A few minutes later, Titus - carrying ropes, chains and securing clamps - managed to sneak her way back to the service ducts and disappeared.
Jane kept up her watch of the children.
Her heart broke for them. They all seemed so sad - frightened even.
Barely any toys or books were kept in their cells so they just had to sit there and watch the world outside go by.
When Titius arrived back, Jane was fully prepared for a direct assault to free them.
"We can't move yet!" Sappho snarled. "The STG team needs to be out of here before then."
"Then we need to make that happen!" Jane snapped back.
The Spectre activated her cloak and disappeared.
Titus was not surprised when ten minutes later a siren went off.
"All security teams to section 51-B. All containment areas going into lock-down. I repeat, all security teams to section 51-B. Civilian personnel remain at your stations. Rooms will be put into lock-down."
Shepard shimmered back into view shortly afterwards, now carefully concealed behind the boxes once more as the STG team that had loitered around Yosin in the upper mezzanine all ran out.
"What did you do?"
"You don't want to know," Shepard replied before the building rocked violently.
"Spirits!"
Once the doors sealed, Jane barreled out from hiding and shouted up to Yosin, "Now!"
The salarian quickly did as she asked and soon all the cells opened.
Titus and Jane looked around at all the deeply scared children who hadn't moved from their spots.
"It's alright!" Yosin shouted as he hurried down to their floor.
As he arrived, he was swamped by the rush of kids as they all ran to him.
"It's all okay now," he soothed. "They're here to take you all home. No more tests. I promise. This is Spectre Shepard and General Titus. They're very strong. They'll keep you safe."
A sea of small expectant faces turned their way.
Shepard gave a bright smile. "I know this is scary. But... your moms and dads are out there waiting for you guys. Me and Sappho, we're gonna get you guys back to them. But first we need you to help us. We've got a distance to go yet before we reach our ship home. To get there we've gotta be very careful not to be seen."
"Why?" chirped up a small little girl to the front with large eyes of warm amber.
Titus kneeled down to the child's level and smiled. "You see the guards don't want you to go but you can't stay here. We've got to get you home. So we need you to follow us and what we say very carefully. Is that okay?"
The child nodded before she added thoughtfully. "Is Yosin coming too?"
Shepard and Titus both looked to the salarian.
"Not a bad idea, Yosin," Jane added. "There could be repercussions for you if you stay here for the aftermath."
The salarian nodded. "Is there room?"
"We'll make room," Titus added. "Right. Everybody line up in twos. Hold hands with each other and keep in line. Follow me and do what I say."
Titus led the way with the children following her in pairs.
At the back of the queue to their escaping duct was Shepard and Yosin who had double checked to make sure they had everyone.
"All accounted for," Yosin said as they counted the last pair in to the ducts.
"You're next. I've gotta contact the others. See how far they are."
Kaidan sat at the terminal, watching as the small device he brought siphoned the salarian's entire database into itself.
Jack was keeping watch until the explosion that rocked the entire building. Now all the doors were sealed shut including where they were. So now jack was busy trying to find an escape route or at least hack the locks.
"Alenko. Status."
Kaidan snapped out of his stupor at Shepard's hurried words in his ear.
"We've nearly finished downloading the database. Found a few choice reports in here for use against the Dalatrass. Only problem we've got is that the room we're in locked down following that explosion. Any idea what happened?"
"That may have been me. Needed to clear the experimental subjects room so rigged one of their water processing vats to explode. Any way out?"
"Jack's looking in to it. I'll join her once this is done."
"Good. The kids are on their way out as are we. Do you need us to assist?"
Kaidan glanced at Jack who shook her head. "Nah. We're good. Get the children out. We'll manage here."
"So this is what's gonna happen!" Shepard began as the small group of children packed in tight to each other, all staring down at the impressive drop from the duct to the ground below.
They could all make out the distant figures of Yosin and Titus as they organized the ropes and chains.
"Five of you get in this large box here," Jane continued. "Once in, Titus and Yosin down below will start to lower it to the ground. It's gonna be very fast. Before you know it, you're all going to be down there."
Shepard looked over the scared faces. "So... who are going first?"
It was hard physical work, especially in the heat and humidity, but eventually it was done. The kids were all down with Titus and Yosin while Shepard made one last call to Kaidan.
"Alenko. Update?"
"We may need a little bit of help here, Shepard."
Bullets clipped a section of wall next to Kaidan's head as the security team closed in on them.
They'd managed to escape the room only to run straight into a STG team on their way back to their posts. Jack had reacted on instinct and fired a shock-wave so powerful that it knocked them all backwards before she and Kaidan bolted with the database copy safe in their hands.
That didn't dissuade STG however and now they were on hot pursuit with backup arriving every minute it seemed.
Kaidan and Jack needed an out and could see one across the hall in the form of a window full of natural light from outside.
Only problem was the hail of fire pouring down the same hallway. They couldn't get to the other side without getting hit.
Shepard muttered a few expletives. "I'm on my way. Hold on!"
She relayed the news to Titus. "Take the children and get off world! Now!"
"What about-"
"We'll make our own way. Done this plenty of times. Yosin and you need to get those kids out of here."
"Alright. Good luck, Spectre."
"Thanks but I don't need it," Shepard replied grimly before she took off back along the tunnel and into the facility once more.