CHAPTER 26

Reapers were already at Ann's dig site. The sky was full of Harvesters so Steve was doing some fancy flying to avoid them and get them close enough to drop them off. Unfortunately a lot of the research buildings were built into the side of a canyon wall and the main landing pad was now a pile of scrap metal at the bottom.

"Find somewhere we can jump," said Alex, she nodded to Ash, EDI and Cassidy. With so many reapers they had to be fast and they had already intercepted a radio transmission from Ann saying most of the staff were already dead. She and two survivors had locked themselves in the control room.

The damage caused by the reapers had made may structures unsafe another reason Alex had decided on a small squad and why Liara had remained behind. Biotics explosions would send more buildings down to the bottom of the very deep canyon. They were restricted to weapons only and Cassidy's rainbow did add an extra body. Sort of.

Steve slowed down close to one of the roofs. "JUMP!"

The squad jumped as Steve sped off with a Harvester on his tail.

The reapers had made a hell of a mess and they were forced to climb down ladders and jump across open gaps. At one point they even jumped down into a sloping cabin, all the while fighting off husks and cannibals. A few marauders popped up every no and then and the odd ravager. Even a banshee and a brute crashed the party, luckily they were on a section of path that was cut into solid rock. It was here they found honest to goodness cave paintings depicting something that resembled a reaper except that where reapers looked more machine like this creature looked more organic and alive. Underneath it were little stick figures bowing down to it.

Alex had to switch her attention back to the advancing banshee and since they were on solid ground she threw a warp which Cassidy detonated with her incinerate.

"Nice." Alex high-fived her friend and then they repeated that combo on the brute. Their assault rifles finished them off. She looked at the painting again making sure her helmet cam got a good shot of it.

"Think the reapers used to be like this then went all cyborg and crazy, do you?" pondered Cassidy.

Ash shrugged covering their six, when they rescued Ann maybe she could tell them more. Finally they made it to an elevator that would get them high enough to get to the control room. The little cart came down it sparked as it stopped.

"I can't fix that from here," said Cassidy after a quick scan.

"The outer cage will give us some protection and there's a ladder. Ash point," said Alex, she stayed until all the rest were climbing up, she killed for more husks, she glowed blue then green as she pulled a broken section of wall from the nearest prefab across the gateway and fused it to the cage effectively stopping anything from following them.

Alex took a deep breath as her epi-pen injected her then quickly climbed up after the others.

Cassidy was hacking the lock as she arrived at the top to be hauled up by her wife, who replaced her injector knowing Alex wouldn't have stopped long enough to do it.

"Thanks."

"What would you do without me?" Alex smiled as the door opened to find Ann and her two techs scared but unharmed.

"I'm Commander Shepard, Council Spectre. We need all your info on the artifact you found." Alex came forward to shake the doctors hand.

"My father said he was expecting some help. He sent you here?"

"He did….."

Ann hurriedly grabbed a pile of datapads and stuffed them in a small backpack.

"Is there somewhere a shuttle can land?" asked Ash.

"There's a loading dock," replied Ann, "But it's crawling with reapers."

"It's suicide to go that way!" cried one of the techs, "You have to take us back the way you came."

"No can do," said Alex, "Only way off planet is the loading dock."

"That's where the artifact is," added Ann, "It was packed in a crate to send to my father, then I realised it was affecting people around it."

"I ain't goin that way," said the other tech.

"Then you stay here," stated Alex bluntly.

"You wouldn't!"

"Dude, do you not know who she is?" whispered the older man, "That's the Butcher of bloody Torfan. You bet your ass she WILL leave you here."

Ash winced knowing how much Alex hated that name.

Alex nodded every now and then her reputation came in handy, "Keep up."

"Yes ma'am."

"EDI take point. Ash keep Ann safe. Cass you have our six. Oh and you two do everything she says. No questions, she was at Torfan too."

Ash smirked at the look of horror on the tech's faces and the surprise on her sister in law's. So many people forgot that Cassidy had been part of the Armadillos with Alex, she had fought at Elysium and both of them and Abby had been at Torfan, not to mention being a part of the crew who had hunted down Saren.

"Move out."

EDI quickly and quietly led they way. Just a few cannibals were in their way which either meant they had killed most of them or they were massing at the loading dock. Even so she didn't expect to see so many marauders trying to deliberately activate the artifact.

"They must not breach the darkness!"

Ash tackled Ann to the floor before she could get away from her.

Alex warped the closest reaperfied turian to the artifact then detonated the still rippling blue energy with a throw, the explosion took out the artifact and a number of the surrounding marauders. It also released Ann from its control.

"Harvester!" yelled EDI as one of the large creatures landed right where Steve would put the shuttle.

"Cass we've got it," said Alex, "Rest of you mop up the rest." She threw another warp followed by an incinerate from Cassidy the explosion staggered the big reaper then they both opened fire on it aiming at its head. It wasn't long before the dying creature fell off the end of the platform.

The two techs stood in silent awe as Steve swooped in to pick them up.

Alex decided the shuttle was no place to tell Ann about her dad. Once back on the Normandy Alex led the doctor to her cabin where she quietly explained what had happened when she had met with Dr Bryson.

"Is...is Derek okay? Is he going to be charged?"

"Last I heard he was under observation and absolutely not." said Alex, "We have enough evidence to prove he was not in control of his actions. Karin, our doctor can explain his condition better than I can."

"Thank you for rescuing me and for helping Derek. I know he idolized my father."

"Do you need anything?" asked Alex as Ash entered.

"I am truly sorry for your loss," said Ash shaking Ann's hand in both of her own.

"I want to help you find it," said Ann determination creeping into her voice. "You want help to fight the reapers. I want to find the monster that killed my father."

Reluctantly Alex nodded Ann was now their Leviathan expert.

"I need to check on my colleagues."

"I'll take you to them," offered Ash, knowing Alex would want to get out of her armour and have a shower. Alex was cleaning her armour when her wife returned. They had learned a lot in a few short hours.

Now the real hunt began.

TBC…..

A/N. Yep another chapter. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy :) Have fun T-Rex :)