So here's the next chapter for you all. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this all. Enjoy!
Chapter 25: Crimson Shadows
The smell of the air was different. Most mornings, it was a fresh aroma with a pinch of pine. There would be small but noticeable scent of dew or a cool, gentle waft of a garden that he could pick up even with his filters. But now, Elysium's heavenly fragrance was lost. The smell of fire and ash still lingered in the air. Klenon's nose twitched when it invaded his nostrils. It was another reminder of how quickly and drastically an idyllic city can turn into a warzone.
He looked down at the paper crane in his palm. Between the years that had passed and the carnage Klenon put it through, the small craft could barely keep itself together. He actually had to refold it a couple of times to try and keep it from falling apart.
Staring at it reminded him of her. It felt like years since he last saw Kasumi. He didn't know if word about the attack had reached the public, but it didn't stop him wondering if she knew what was going on. Could she be worried about him?
Klenon's throat tightened. He wanted to see her again. More than anything, he wanted to get out of this mess alive just so that he could.
Shoving the crane back into his pocket, Klenon leaned against an air conditioner and peered over the edge of the building. He couldn't see anyone within a few blocks. Considering their location, it was understandable.
The Alliance base was right across the street. Klenon and Shepard moved out together the minute the sun came up. By now, most of the gunfire had died down; but Klenon could still pick out the occasional burst of an assault rifle or the distant rumble of an explosion. What really grabbed Klenon's attention, though, was what was on the Alliance base roof. Or to be more accurate, what wasn't.
The roof stood devoid of any life. No mercenaries, no snipers, not even a discarded ammo block laid on the gravel that covered the roof or the landing pad that stood barren at the center. Klenon moved away from his spot and joined Shepard at the edge of roof they were on. They themselves had taken up a vantage point on a small office complex. Like the other buildings surrounding it, it was heavily damaged but vacant.
Shepard gave Klenon a small nod before refocusing through the scope of his sniper. Klenon got down on his stomach, trying to scan the area through the cracks on his visor.
"Nothing?" he asked. Shepard sighed and set his rifle down.
"Not even a whisper. I don't think they'd abandon the base. Something must have happened," Shepard speculated. Klenon's eyes fell to the ground beneath him. The whole situation was already uneasy to begin with. The fact that there wasn't anybody watching the building only made him more uncomfortable. His bright white eyes jumped back up and spotted a metal pipe jutting out of their roof. An electrical wire poked out of the top that ran all the way to the Alliance base. Delen suggested using something like it to avoid walking in the streets.
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Klenon muttered. Shepard put his sniper back in its rightful place, the subtle clicking noise signaling it folding being the only sound between them.
"We don't have much choice. Let's go," Shepard said. He got up to his feet and offered Klenon his hand, which he accepted. The gravel made a soft crunch as they made their way to the pole. Klenon pulled out his pistol and held it above the cable with both arms.
"I guess I'll go first. Cover me in case anyone shows up," Klenon said. He tested his weight against the cable before launching into a full sprint and jumped off the roof. His pistol grinded against the cable with a low ripping noise. His feet dangled precariously, his body gaining speed as he sped towards the base. Just as his stop neared, Klenon brought his knees up to his chest and let go, rolling on the ground and up to his feet.
Klenon switched his pistol for his Lancer, aiming in several directions. He half-expected a battalion of mercs to come rushing out, instead all he got was the chilling breeze that swept over the city. Klenon turned to Shepard's direction and pressed the tips of his thumb and index finger together, his other finger standing up.
Klenon wasn't sure what happened next. In the space of a second, his barriers flared and gravel kicked up in front of him. His brain throbbed painfully as his barriers flashed again. Klenon felt cold steel hit his back and realized he had dove behind one of the air conditioner units.
Another round pinged off the metal and Klenon could catch the bullet twirl in the air before hitting the ground. Klenon peeked out and ducked down before another shot could be fired. He was the only one on the roof.
A bullet hitting the space near him confirmed his suspicions. They weren't sniping from the base's roof. They were sniping from the buildings surrounding it. Keeping his back against his cover, Klenon looked up at the building in front of him; where Shepard was still waiting. From his lower position, he could barely make out the barrel of his sniper rifle moving from left to right. A brief flash of white erupted from the barrel before searching for another target.
Klenon, weary and alarmed, focused his remaining energy in rebuilding his barrier. He stole a few quick glances at Shepard and moved from cover to cover; timing his movements with Shepard's sniper fire. Klenon rounded around another AC unit, Shepard's overwatch keeping most of the fire away from him.
Peering through the scope of his assault rifle, Klenon managed to catch a glimpse of one of the snipers. Black armor with red accents. A helmet with a single red lens popped out in the otherwise obscure darkness.
Wait…it can't be…
Klenon stole another look just as the sniper tried to take his head off. There wasn't a doubt in his mind, he'd seen them before. Klenon peeked out again once Shepard downed the sniper. The lens was gone and Klenon took his chance to move. He sprinted from the AC to a raised wall adjacent to a door that led downstairs. Klenon could see the remaining snipers taking aim at Shepard. Acting without hesitation, Klenon's rifle aimed its crosshairs at the nearest one.
His finger tensed on the trigger. The mouth of his rifle spewed a maelstrom of lead, peppering the sniper's cover. His concealed opponent jumped back out and was engulfed by a blue aura. Klenon clenched his fists and brought it towards his chest, yanking the sniper out of the building. A streak of smoke tore through the air and lodged itself into the sniper's chest, blue blood spurting out into the air.
Klenon leaned out and spotted the remaining sniper at the end of a row of windows in an apartment in front of him. To his left, he could see Shepard scanning the area for him. Once his scope landed on the battered Quarian, Klenon made a circle with his fingers and pressed it against his visor; following up with him pointing at the window ahead. The barrel of Shepard's rifle snapped towards the window and followed up with a single press of the trigger.
Muscles relaxing, shoulders slumping, Klenon moved out of cover. He waved Shepard over and went to meet him at the edge of the roof as Shepard slid down from the cable.
"Nice work," Shepard praised him. Klenon responded with a meager shrug and faced the door across from him.
"I'm willing to bet it's locked," he said. Shepard bent down and undid the lock on one of the AC ducts.
"Which is why we're going in here," Shepard pried open the duct's cover and crawled inside, taking care not to make too much noise, "Looks clear. Follow me."
Klenon folded his assault rifle and slung it on his back, crawling in after him. The cramped space made it difficult for Klenon to move. Crawling on his stomach, Klenon followed Shepard through a straightforward passage, catching quick peeks through other ventilation covers at the rooms beyond. They were every bit as chaotic as he expected. Passing one room, Klenon saw the floor littered with documents and files. A lone corpse was hunched over in the corner of the room. From his uniform, Klenon could tell it was someone from logistics, someone who should never have to see open war.
Refocusing on the path ahead, Klenon mumbled a prayer in khelish. Many of the casualties could have been avoided. He didn't know how exactly. But he felt like they could have been.
Klenon and Shepard passed by another passage. Klenon checked to make sure nothing was there. Just as he looked away, his eye caught something behind a grate. Taking care not to make any noise, Klenon peeked inside.
Two armored figures walked into the room; a turian and an asari. The asari, wearing heavy black armor with ammo clip bandoliers on her shoulders, took a quick scan of the room before facing her turian companion.
"Make a final sweep of the network. Erase even an inkling of anything that has to do with us. Recon reports, battlefield sightings, everything. If the OSD is nowhere to be found…it's time we cut our losses. That situation falls to Minerva alone," she spoke softly. The turian removed his helmet and stuffed it under his arm.
"Question, ma'am," he said. The asari nodded, "Snipers called in an intruder alert, correct? How should we proceed?"
"Leave it to me, soldier. You just make sure the Alliance mainframe is flashed. If you spot them, don't hesitate to put them to rest," the asari said, "Evac will arrive shortly. I suggest you act with haste."
"At once, Ma'am," The turian placed his helmet on again and quickly exited the room. Now alone, the asari reached into one of the armored compartments and pulled out a flat, circular device. She thumbed its outer edge and a small blue hologram of a disturbingly familiar figure appeared.
"Minerva, preparations are underway. No sign of the OSD. I've ordered my men to siphon as much intel as they could. Resistance was substantial. We've had a few attempts of Alliance trying to retake the base. Athria and Delsa squad were killed in action, rest their souls," the asari said.
"Mourn the dead on your own time, Dayla. You still have work to do. We're passing through the Mass Relay, so make it quick," Minerva said. The asari frowned, but otherwise said nothing.
"Of course. We'll be waiting."
The small hologram disappeared and Dayla left the room, leaving only a perplexed Klenon. They were looking for the OSD he found, but why was a law firm so important to them? It seemed like a lot of trouble just to grab some documents from a couple of lawyers.
A plethora of theories floated around Klenon's head. Maybe they had one of their own on trial for something or maybe they were just trying to steal something for a competitor. Neither seemed like a very moral thing to do considering their methods but then again, these people seemed to be more than willing to cross that line.
"Klenon!" Shepard harshly whispered a few feet from him. Klenon lightly gasped in surprise but maintained his composure.
"Sorry, I just caught some of the mercs hanging around here. They look pretty well armed," Klenon whispered back. Shepard peered through the grate Klenon was staring at.
"You know this place better than I do. Any idea where we could find supplies? Or a suitable place to hold-out?" Shepard asked. Klenon uttered a low 'ummm', scratching the top of his helmet as he lost himself in thought.
"There's an armory in the west wing, but it's probably been picked clean. Best bet would be…would be…th-the Major's office. It overlooks the main lobby, top floor. Shouldn't be too far from here," he said. He glanced back at the room beyond and added, "I think it's just down the hall from this room."
"Alright, open it up. Stay sharp in case of hostiles," Shepard said. Klenon nodded and wrapped his fingers around the grate's shutters. Klenon grunted as the grate began to loosen. The metal covering snapped and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Klenon cursed under his breath and retreated back into the darkness. He and Shepard held their breath, waiting for any sign of someone hearing the racket.
The door slid open and a human in the same armor walked in backwards, seemingly talking with someone outside. Klenon tried to peek past the helmeted head, but couldn't see the other person. Tentatively, Klenon grabbed the edges of the open hatch and slowly climbed out. His feet dangled underneath him, looking for purchase on something so he wouldn't fall on his back.
Klenon let go and silently landed on the ground, whipping around and pulling out his pistol. The merc still hadn't noticed him. His finger was on his helmet as he stared at the ground.
"West wing is clear, no sign of intrusion."
The entire room fell silent. Klenon's gloved hand reached out further and further. The mercs hand fell to his side just as Klenon's shot out. In an instant, Klenon's arms wrapped around the merc's neck. He yanked him back into the room, tightening his hold. The guttural choking sounds only encouraged him to squeeze harder. The merc palmed at his helmet, tossing his body from side to side. Klenon dropped down to one knee and dug the other into the small of the merc's back.
The man's motions slowed to a crawl. His arms fell to his sides. A lone breath escaped his lips. Klenon's hold didn't falter until the merc ceased all movement. Placing a hand underneath the merc's helmet, Klenon gently lowered him to the ground.
Shepard jumped down the ventilation shaft and surveyed the room, a drawn out frown etched on his face. Klenon stuck his head out the door. The hallways were empty, but echoes of someone barking orders reverberated through the hollow corridors.
"Yeah…Major's office is just a corner away. There's a good view of the main lobby. As for the rest of the rooms…I can check those out," Klenon suggested. Shepard came to his side, rifle in arm.
"Alright. I'll scout out ahead. Keep an eye out for ambushes, they know we're here," Shepard said. Klenon gave an affirmative nod and retreated back into the room, taking care not to walk over the hunched body lying center stage.
Klenon climbed back into the cramped shaft and crawled off, leaving Shepard to his own devices.
…
A modest orange glow bathed the confined space. Klenon's omni-tool scrapped against the top of the vent, lighting only a few feet in front of him. The thumping of his heart seemed to echo off the metal walls. Arriving at a four-way intersection, Klenon incessantly tapped his finger against the dusty metal.
A muffled sound resonated straight ahead. The orange light that surrounded him dimmed into darkness. Klenon squinted through the oppressing black, catching sight of a white ball of light at the end of his trail. Taking care not to move too quickly, Klenon glided towards the lone source of lighting.
The bright white flare swelled in size the closer Klenon got. Klenon's knees scrapped against the ground in quick succession, his hand shielded his vision as the light grew to intense levels. At first, the idea of his eyes needing to adjust to it came to mind. But the assumption was dashed quickly after the bright white light turned into a menacing red. A shrill cry blared into his ears. The source of the red light launched itself at him, hovering a mere inch away from him; close enough for Klenon to catch a small black ball hovering in front of him.
The small machine darted back into the darkness, its deep red light disappearing behind a corner. Klenon stared confounded. Just as he pushed himself to his knees to chase after it, an explosion of sparks erupted in front of him. Then another exploded behind him. Klenon barely had enough time to gasp before the vent came crashing down onto the ground. A pair of hands grabbed him by the ankles and yanked him out.
"Here's our rat. Hiding in the ducts," a low voice said. Klenon was flipped onto his back and felt his neck twist painfully as an armored boot smacked him across his helmet.
"He's been through hell, huh?" another voice said.
"Not yet, he hasn't."
A pair of talons grasped Klenon's tattered cloth and hoisted him to his feet. A pair of black eyes locked onto his, full of malice. The brown plated turian kneed Klenon in the stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs. Klenon briefly dropped to his knees only to be pulled back up again.
"I don't know how you got in here in the first place, but you're not getting out," the turian sneered. Klenon grabbed the turians wrists and slammed his helmet against his exposed face. His arm reeled back, biotic energy weaving around his fingers. The turian clutched his face, growling menacingly. He refocused his attention on the Quarian before him just as Klenon threw his hand forward, fingers splayed out.
A burst of biotic power blasted the turian, throwing him against the wall with incredible force. Klenon snatched his crowbar from his belt and knocked the pistol out of the hand of the merc behind him. The crowbar came back around, landing on the merc's hand. Klenon could hear the bone crush under the blow.
Klenon dropped his crowbar and tossed the merc against the wall. The man retaliated with a swift jab to Klenon's chin. Recovering quickly, Klenon threw his elbow against the side of the merc's head and flipped him to the ground, wrapping his arm around the man's neck as they fell.
Klenon tightened his hold. The man's strained gasps growing weak with every breath he took. His opponent watched as his eyes slowly rolled back into his head and his breathing slowed to a crawl. His consciousness faded not long after.
Relinquishing his hold on the merc, Klenon retrieved his crowbar and dragged the unconscious bodies to the corner.
They here for the OSD, but why? What does it have that they would go through such incredible lengths to get it back? Something doesn't sit right with me. I don't know what they want with it, but I have to make sure they don't get it. Klenon peeked out the hallway, rifle at the ready. If he was right, he was in the west wing of the base. He focused his hearing, trying to discern any footsteps or voices that happened to be nearby. Down the hall, a low voice echoed off the scorched and ruined walls.
"We're evacuating the base. So that means you gotta pack up everything and be ready to move once the shuttle touches down. Otherwise you'll be left behind. Commander Miore doesn't want to waste any more time."
Klenon slowly inched his way through the foreboding halls, his heart thumping in tune with his footsteps. The end of his barrel pointed at the door the voice was coming from. The word 'Mess Hall' fizzled prominently on the damaged holo-sign above the door.
Going through the main door would have been suicide, so Klenon opted to use another door further down the hall. The bullet-riddled door groaned under the damage inflicted on it, but miraculously opened. Klenon charged the nearest cover, a serving area where the food was placed, and poked his head out.
An enormous congregation of mercs, all sporting the same armor and helmet, was lined up in a neat fashion in front of a stage where a brown scaled turian stood. Behind him, a familiar asari stood at attention, her hands clasped behind her back. The turian paced back and forth as he continued his lecture. All the while, the soldiers beneath him listened intently. Their stance was unmoving, almost lifeless. Klenon leaned back behind his cover. He silently hoped the bulk of their forces were here. It would have made it easier for him to move around.
"You have all performed admirably."
Klenon peered over the counter. The turian had stepped aside to allow the asari, Dayla, her turn to speak. She took her time to look at each merc, a twinge of fondness flickering across her azure features.
"While the operation yielded no satisfactory results, you all performed your duties to the letter. Retain that reliability. Before long, you will catch the eye of the mistress herself and be selected to join the few who carry out missions on her behalf," Dayla said. Klenon glared at the asari. He'd been hearing about that 'mistress' for a while now. This group started to sound like a cult with how much they talked about her.
"As you no doubt have been told, an evac shuttle is being sent. It will arrive in a few minutes. Jersa Squad?" A group of mercs off to her right stood a little straighter at the mention of their name, "Collect the Alliance Intelligence our men have compiled. You'll be delivering it to Kahan personally."
Klenon furrowed his brow. These mercs were connected to Kahan who was connected to the attack. They had just as much a hand in this, but didn't want that to be known. They were professionals, that much was for certain, but Klenon couldn't help but feel like he was missing something. He held a piece of the puzzle but he wasn't sure what he was putting together.
"Karthak Squad, sweep the perimeter and the inside of the base. We still haven't received confirmation that the intruders have been dealt with. Othren Squad, prep the prisoners for retrieval," Klenon felt his heart skip a beat. What did they need prisoners for? His thoughts immediately went to ransom, but he couldn't piece together why. They already stole Alliance Intel and they appeared to be pretty well funded. The more things the asari said, the more Klenon fell into a thick fog with no clear way out.
The sound of boots marching brought his attention forward. The mercs walked in a uniform line outside. The turian next to Dayla gave her a humble bow before departing, leaving Klenon alone with her. It wouldn't be smart to go back outside. No doubt there were still merc's in the area. Klenon unholstered his pistol and held it close. Maybe if luck sided with him, he could question the asari currently pacing around the room, her eyes transfixed on her omni-tool.
Klenon aimed his barrel at the back of the asari's head, his finger hovering over the trigger. With a reluctant groan, he pulled his pistol back. If he took the shot, he'd be in more trouble than it was worth. Coming up from behind looked to be his only option.
Dayla walked casually towards the stage, her back turned to Klenon as he drew closer. The orange glow on her wrist disappeared and a drained sigh escaped the asari's lips. Just as Klenon reached out to grab her, a fierce blue glow enveloped him and tossed him back. His body hurled through the air, hitting the cover he had left a moment ago with a loud crash.
Klenon growled and pushed himself up to his feet. Dayla stood a few meters away, her hand raised and her skin shimmering blue. Klenon pulled out his pistol, hoping to at least look more threatening, only to have it pulled out of his hand by Dayla's biotics.
"I presume you are responsible for the recent intrusion?" Dayla asked. Her voice held no drop of malice or even hostility. Klenon rose to his feet, his own biotics flaring to life. The asari raised a brow and assumed a relaxed combat stance, "I won't make this easy for you. Fight honorably and do the same for me."
Klenon raised his fists, two flares of biotic power pulsing underneath his fingers, "I heard you mention Kahan Gasak. Are you involved with the attack?"
Dayla dashed forward and immediately twisted his arm around his back. The sudden jolt dissipated Klenon's biotics, "An interesting question, which I'll reply with another. Are you the quarian Minerva spoke of?"
Klenon untangled himself and kicked her away as he gained distance. An orb of pure biotic energy formed in his hand. Klenon growled and flung it at the asari, sending it careening across the room. Dayla held out her palm as she walked towards him, Klenon's Warp deflecting off her hand and landing harmlessly on the ground behind her.
"Considering your special set of talents, I'm forced to conclude that you are him. Minerva spoke highly of you, even if she was a little…perturbed. I was ordered to find the data you'd stolen from us. Interesting how you came to me instead," Dayla's biotics grew brighter as a frown played on her lips, "The data, where is it?"
"You think I'm going to tell you? There's no way in hell I'm letting you have it," Klenon splayed his fingers, another bout of biotic energy growing. Dayla paced back and forth, her eyes narrowing.
"Is that so? If you refuse then unfortunately your survival is forfeit," Dayla's hand extended and pulled Klenon toward her. Her boot landed on his chest, knocking him down to the ground, "Stop your senseless struggling. It will only prolong the inevitable."
Klenon scrambled to get back up only to have his body casted aside like a rag doll. He rolled feebly across the room, his limbs burning from exertion. Klenon couldn't even move a muscle before he was tossed against a wall then back into the center of the room. All the while, Dayla waved her hand from side to side, her effortless attacks breaking Klenon's resolve to continue fighting. After another toss against the wall, Klenon rose to his drained feet. His previous blue glow had dimmed to almost nothing. He took one step before falling to one knee, feeling utterly spent in a handful of seconds.
"Are you through resisting now?" Dayla asked as she hovered over his battered body. Every breath felt like fire invading his lungs. A quiet clicking noise started and Klenon felt the barrel of a pistol lift his chin to face her, "Choosing to fight me was quite unwise. Bold yes, but unwise. One could even say this was no fight at all."
Klenon looked away and tried to summon the strength to keep fighting. His knees buckled under his weight as he got up. A swift kick to the kidney brought him back down.
"It puzzles me how you managed to gain the upper hand on Minerva. Perhaps she underestimated you? Nevertheless, I needn't drag this on any longer. Find peace in the embrace of the god-"
"Intruders detected. Intruders detected. Hostile forces assaulting the western perimeter. This is not a drill," a VI chimed on the intercom. Dayla turned to hear gunfire echoing off the halls outside and her men shouting orders at the top of their lungs.
Suddenly, her shields flared. Flashes of purple enveloped her body as she stumbled forward. She turned back with a snarl to see Klenon standing on his feet, assault rifle in hand. Not a second past before Klenon pulled the trigger again, further draining her barriers. Dayla returned fire with her pistol as she stepped backwards.
Klenon dove down to the ground and squeezed the trigger until his assault rifle overheated. Dayla struggled to get her bearings after the unending barrage. Somehow, her barriers had survived the maelstrom. But Klenon could tell by the fatigue written plainly on her face, she was reaching her limit.
Klenon prepared another barrage of bullets until the door behind Dayla exploded and a merc was blown into the room. That short window was enough for Dayla to regain her strength and thrust her hand towards Klenon. He readied himself to jump out of the way until what felt like a great weight fell on his body. His body didn't budge an inch despite his protest. Dayla brandished her pistol just as the intruders burst in, guns raised. Klenon felt his heart jump up to his throat when he recognized them as the refugees Shepard was going to lead here.
Dayla fired off two shots, catching their attention as she ran towards them. Their barrels aimed toward her but never fired a shot as she pushed the two refugees in her way with her biotics before bolting down the hall.
The third, Christie, noticed Klenon's frozen state and rushed to his side to make sure he was unharmed.
"You okay, guy?" she asked innocently. Klenon suddenly felt the weight disappear off his body as he fell to his knees. Christie grabbed him by the shoulders and helped him back up to his feet.
"What are you doing here? This is the last place you should be," Klenon asked as he steadied himself. Christie crossed her arms. Her face turned into a pout, her weight shifting to one leg. Klenon felt her hard stare going right through him.
"I can take care of myself. I was the one who led these two airheads through the scavenging missions," Christie said as she pointed at the two recovering men. Donnie, after helping up Cole, glared at her before facing Klenon.
"The gunny is further down. Looks like that blue bitch is heading his direction. If you hurry, you can catch up to her," Donnie said. Christie grabbed Klenon's discarded assault rifle and handed it to him, a determined expression on her freckled face.
"We'll be fine here. Don't let her get away," she told him. Klenon took the rifle off her hands, watching it fold into itself. Putting it on his back, Klenon gave Christie a small pat on the shoulder before excusing himself past the others and breaking into a full on sprint down the ravaged halls. The heavy clacking of his boots bounced off the walls, moving in perfect sync with his beating heart. Once he came to an intersection, Klenon hugged the wall. Roaring gunfire drowned out the alarm wailing on the intercom. Black armored figures moved up into his view, toting high-tech assault rifles and shotguns.
A heavily armored krogan lumbered into view, dragging a massive claw hammer in his massive hand. The krogan bellowed a piercing roar and charged straight at his attackers. As much as Klenon wanted to help them, he couldn't afford to let Dayla get away.
Klenon marched on ahead, the gunfire behind him growing fainter until it disappeared completely. The once pristine white halls soon gave way to a cool blue lighting. Judging from Klenon's previous experiences exploring the base, he knew he was getting closer to the garage. After traversing a few overturned tables and unrecognizable pieces of equipment, Klenon arrived to a set of bulkhead doors that led to the main garage. Thankfully, the door's sensors appeared to be intact as they slid open. Klenon took one step in only to have a pistol pointed at his head.
"Wait, it's me," Klenon nearly shouted. The owner of the gun pulled back its barrel. Shepard stared back at him curiously before directing his attention back inside the garage.
"There's an asari that passed through here. I'm guessing she's the one in charge," Shepard said. Klenon aimed his rifle downrange. What few vehicles were left were scattered haphazardly across the wide open space. The dim lighting cloaked all the corners and potential hiding spots in darkness. Klenon carefully took a few more steps, heading towards the semi-circle created by damaged Mako's in the center of the room. Klenon spared a quick glance to his right where the shutter that led outside stood. It appeared to be locked, meaning that Dayla was somewhere inside.
Shepard brought up the rear, his own rifle at the ready. Klenon activated the built in flashlight on his Lancer, aiming the intense beam into every nook and cranny. Once he reached the back of one of the Mako's, Klenon crouched down and searched its underside and found it to be empty.
Klenon opened his mouth to speak only to feel a sudden and violent force push him against the ground. Shepard aimed his rifle at the source only to be knocked backwards himself. Klenon heard a pair of boots hit the ground and rolled onto his back. His rifle fired three rounds before unexpectedly overheating. Shepard rolled to his feet and laid into his enemy. Purple barriers flashed in the obscurity then disappeared.
"Where'd she go?" Klenon rose to his feet, aiming in every direction. Shepard fine-tuned his hearing, listening for any disturbances. Klenon aimed his flashlight above the Makos. A loud crash brought their attention behind them. A shelf of tools was turned over, spilling spare parts all over the floor. Klenon nearly let his guard down until a rapid beeping noise entered his ears. A pair of hands pushed him back and an explosive force pushed him further.
Klenon rolled over himself and came to a stop beside a Mako. He looked towards Shepard to see him fighting off Dayla, his armor singed and torn up. Dayla unsheathed a knife from her thigh and thrusted forward. The pointed edge came to a stop as Shepard grabbed her arm, trying to wrestle control away from her. Klenon shakily got up and fired his rifle, hitting Dayla's barriers again.
Dayla's arm twisted itself from Shepard's grasp and slashed forward. Klenon could see a spattering of blood hit the concrete. That was enough for him to charge forward and tackle Dayla into the ground. The two locked in a furious struggle. One would find purchase against the other only to lose it a moment later. Amidst their fighting, neither of them failed to notice the sound of an engine revving up and crashing through the garage shutters, spilling daylight into the garage. Klenon got a clear look at the asari beneath him before a single bullet shot him off her and back into cover.
"No time to waste, Dayla. Shuttle is entering the atmosphere," a high pitched voice said. Klenon peeked over his cover to see a salarian in the same armor on the flatbed of a truck. Dayla rose to her feet and jumped in with him, giving Klenon one last regarding stare before the truck sped back outside. Heartbeat frantic, brain throbbing, Klenon rushed to Shepard to find him grabbing his assault rifle and gunning down an incoming merc. Four more entered the room, unleashing hellfire against the marines. Klenon pulled Shepard behind a Mako and took a brief look at the gash on his head.
"I'm fine, go after her. If she's behind this all, she can't get away," Shepard shouted at him.
"What about you? There's no way I can leave you like this," Klenon retorted. Shepard peppered another merc with bullets, a serious expression on his face.
"Nothing some medi-gel can't solve. Now go, I'll be fine here," Klenon looked over his shoulder at the street outside, more trucks sped past. It was now or never.
"I'll be back, I promise," Klenon said as he got up and ran into the light. Shepard watched him go before loading a fresh clip into his assault rifle.
As a steady trickle of blood flowed down his forehead, Shepard faintly murmured, "Good luck."