Salvation: Episode I - The Taking of the Carmenta Illustria

Disclaimer: This fan-fiction is part of an episodic series taking place after Salvation: A Half-Life/Mass Effect Universe Fan Fiction, which will lead directly to its sequel, Salvation II: Project Prometheus. These episodes and sequel take place OUTSIDE of the Mass Effect 3 continuity. Characters property of their respective companies, Half-Life created by Valve and Mass Effect created by Bioware.

Chapter 28: Enemy is Everywhere (Part I)

Cornered

"We're not gonna go into that hole, are we…?" Matty asked, unenthused, with a bit of a worried grimace on his face.

"I don't know..." Tali replied, unsure. "SHOULD we go in after them?" She followed up, looking to John.

"I'm not going in there!" John asserted, conclusively. "Besides, those vents are a maze. By now, they could be anywh-"

"Alright, stay alert!" An abrupt, domineering shout echoed from within the adjacent dining room, causing Shepard to instinctively and immediately draw forth his weapon.

"Move!" He ordered, pushing Tali and Matty's heads down into a hunkered state - goading them, in unison, towards one of the three counters near the center of kitchen.

"You three, check over there!" The stray voice shouted out again - louder and closer this time, and accompanied by blended murmurs and heavy tramping. "Keep your eyes open! If you spot anything… shoot to kill!"

"W-wh-who is it…?!" The brown-haired little boy pleaded in a trembling voice, quivering under Tali's bosom, like a baby bird taking shelter 'neath it's mother's wing. "It's the bad policemen isn't it?! They're coming to get us!"

"No, shhhh… Stay quiet Matthew. It's gonna be okay." The Commander reassured, with a finger pressed vertically against his lips. "Tali, keep him low and move towards the back." He directed, motioning towards the rear kitchen exit. "I'll cover you."

"Right." The quarian combatant quickly acknowledged, as she drew her own weapon with one hand, while holding Matty's securely in the other. "Come on kresha. Keep your voice down, and stay right with me."

Shepard turned back the other way, towards the dining room entrance, as he tightened his grip around the SMG - poised to pop out of cover at less than a moment's notice.

"Fan out! They might still be here!" The resounding voice ordered once more.

John peeked over counter, towards the door. Through the gap in the entryway, he could make out several armed figures - all of which were donned in the same dark blue, gold lined uniformed - roving back and forth within the dining room, searching the area.

"Traius, check the kitchen!"

"I'm on it!"

When he heard the chatter emanating from the other room, Shepard's every muscle tightened. He took a deep breath, and held it, as his eyes narrowed - zeroing in on the entrance. Even his pupils seemed to dilate, before immediately contracting in a predatory fashion.

The silver tip of a handgun was the first thing to enter the room, as the salarian holding it cautiously pushed the one remaining door aside. His jaw fell, and eyes opened wide at the decimated sight he was met with. He quickly began swiveling his head back and forth, aiming his gun where he looked, as he tried to take it all in, and spot any sign of intruders.

"What on Sur'kesh happened in here?!" He exclaimed under his breath. Suddenly, something appeared in the corner of his eye. POW! The sound of gunfire. Before he knew what hit him, a powerful blow, like the kick from a wild bol-quay tossed him to the ground, and an agonizing jolt of pain tore into his left shoulder, leaving him writhing and bleeding out onto the floor.

"They're in the kitchen!" "Shots fired! Shots fired!" "Traius is down!" John could hear the multitude of voices shouting and screaming, with a mixture of panic and urgency, as he ducked back down into cover, with the barrel of his SMG still smoking. "Shoot! Shoot!"

Suddenly, the room erupted into a deafening deluge of gunfire, from the dining room. The one remaining door was littered with pock marks, before being completely blown off its hinges. Whatever pots and pans, or bottles and containers, were left standing on the counters were quickly blown off - exploding into colorful messes of food and glass. The salvo was frenzied, panicked, and unrestrained - an impulsive retaliation from a troop of under trained, inexperienced officers.

POW! POW! POW! POW! The shots just kept coming, drilling and ricocheting into the walls and countertops - leaving the front of the room bespeckled in bullet holes. While all this was happening, Shepard quickly made his way back towards Tali and Matty, who were still safe behind cover - though Matty trembled with fright, as he pressed his two hands against his ears in an effort to drown out the incessant, blaring sound.

"Stay down and follow me out the back!" The Commander yelled over the perpetual battery of gunfire, close to Tali's ear. "Let's move!"

Tali kept Matty's head tucked down, over his chest, as the three rushed in unison past the kitchen counter, towards the rear exit of the kitchen. Coming to it, Shepard reached his hand up towards the green holopanel, only to abruptly draw it back, as a stray round ricocheted off the wall, directly beside it. Trying again, he quickly reached up and swiped at the holopanel, before immediately pulling his hand back down.

"Go! Go!" He ordered, as he waved them through, like a stopping guard directing traffic. Tali and Matty flew through the opened doorway, and out into a back hallway, which seemed to be designated for employee use. As John fled out the door, joining the quarian and the small boy, he stood upright, closing the door behind him, before shooting out the door's holopanel, leaving it a sparking, smoking, hole in the wall.

"Let's go, come on!" He ushered on, as he placed his arm around Tali, heralding her and the boy into a fast dash down the hallway.

"Come on, Kresha!" Tali said, as she scooped Matty back up, running with him, in her arms.

The three of them sprinted down the corridor, towards the end.

"Go that way!" "Circle around back!" "We'll cut 'em off!" An amalgam of shouting voices flew in from around the corner, up ahead.

Shepard practically screeched to a halt, as he watched the growing shadows on the wall, projecting from the untold number of figures charging in their direction.

"Back! Back! The other way, go!" He urged, rapidly turning them around, and guiding them back in the opposite direction.

They darted on past the kitchen door and took a sharp right turn where the hallway split off into a four-way junction. Proceeding a few yards down, the trio found a small darkened recess within the corridor, which led to a locked, unlabeled room.

"Quick! In here!" John instructed, as he pulled Tali and Matty into the hidden alcove. Tali let the boy down, and restrained him, keeping his back, and her own, firmly against the locked door. The trampling sounds grew louder, as a squad of numerous officers closed in on their location. Suddenly, they stopped…

"Which way...?" The three evaders in the small recess heard a querying voice ask from literally just around the corner. "See anyone down there!?" "No, no one." "They must've gone this way, keep searching!" "They couldn't have gone far!" "Radio the other teams! Have them circle around, and meet us back on the other side!" "We'll head 'em off!" The sound of chattering voices and the pounding drum of hard soles against the floor soon grew soft and distant, as the officers moved on.

John ever so carefully moved forward, peering around the corner to make sure the area was, infact, clear. "Alright…" He began after noting that the immediate danger had passed. "Let's keep moving."

"Th-Th-They're gonna get us, aren't they?!" Matty timorously exclaimed, as he clung tightly to Tali's waist. "What are they gonna do to us? Where'd they take my mom and dad?!

"Kresha, it's okay..." She whispered back to him, lightly stroking his hair, and gently rubbing his back and shoulders. "We'd never let them hurt you. Don't be afraid."

"Matthew, listen to me." The Commander began in a low whisper, as he squatted down directly before the boy. "None of the bad policemen are gonna get you. I know this is scary for you, but right now I REALLY need to stay as absolutely quiet as possible, okay? Can you do that for us?"

Matty was silent for a moment. He tried hard to suppress the quiver of his chin, as he clenched his eyes shut, and bit down on his lips, with a grimace. After exhaling a long, shaky breath, he breathed in with a lone sniffle and looked back up at Shepard. "...Okay." He affirmed, with a hesitant nod but resolute nod. "I will…"

"I know it's hard buddy. But you're one tough little trooper." John commended, as he stood back up - his weapon still in hand, primed and ready for combat. "Now come on. Let's go get your parents back."

The mere notion lit Matty's glossy red eyes up with hope and anticipation. His lips split apart, through which he took in a poignant breath, and held it for just a moment.

"Come on, little one." He heard Tali say, as he felt a gentle tug on his hand.

Shepard was the first to step out of their tiny nook, into the narrow hallway. But rather than go back the way they came, he slowly moved forward down the corridor, which seemed to be some to serve as some sort of rear, employee access to the various establishments on this deck. Continuing on, they passed several more doorways like the one they had just sought cover in, lining both sides of the hallway. The only difference was, each of these were labeled.

EMPLOYEES ONLY - faded black lettering etched on a plain white plaque on a door read.

LIZARI LOUNGE - read another, in the same fashion. Except for the fact that the black lettering on this one seemed to be printed over some older text, which was faded and obscured to the point of being illegible.

And as the three continued on, they found that all of the doors were similarly labeled.

AS'GAN BREEZE
THE EMPORIA
ILL LUSTRUS
THE ASPARA LUX
LEDATIC TAVERN
AZ'ZARAI
THE ESTREYA CAFE

By the peculiar names, it was easy enough to infer that these were the back doors leading to the vast array of clubs, bars, lounges, and eateries located on just the Mezzanine Deck alone.

"Tali…" Shepard chimed in with a low voice just above a whisper, as they walked. "How many floors up do you think the bridge would be?"

"It'd be on the main deck." Tali answered, as they proceeded forth, continuing on past the various doors. "And if I remember correctly from the deck plan, the main deck was just above the Vista Deck, which is one floor up, so ju-"

At that moment - SWISH - the door immediately to her left unexpectedly slid open, revealing a tall asari and a dark skinned turian, both donned in security uniforms, standing within the doorway.

"Hey!" The asari shouted, in surprise, when she suddenly found herself face to face the quarian.

On instinct, Tali released Matty's hand and pushed him aside, out of harm's way, when she saw the two begin to raise their weapons. The fierce quarian then lunged forward, at whirlwind speed, and delivered a stiff, precise kick into the side of the turian's patella. His knee bent like a flimsy twig about to snap, with an excruciating twinge. As his entire leg buckled out from under him, Tali turned her attention towards the asari. She ensnared her armed hand, before she could fire, and forced the aim of the weapon up towards the ceiling.

"Argh!" "Ngh!" As the two grunted and grappled, vying for control of the weapon, Tali took note of the stirring turian, slowly trying to stagger back to his feet. Never once releasing her cemented grip on the blue aggressor, she lunged in and delivered a swift, hard knee straight into the turian's temple, crushing and sandwiching his head between her kneecap and the wall. The turian's eyes flashed wide for a moment, before rolling shut into the back of his head, as he plopped down onto the floor. With one threat nullified, Tali swung the asari around, and charged headlong out of the entryway, across the narrow corridor. "Umph!" The asari grunted, as Tali slammed and pinned her against the wall. There was no give in either woman, however, as they both clung to the same sidearm, holding on for dear life. Tali swung the pistol up, above the asari's head, and proceeded to repeatedly slam the officer's armed hand against the wall, in an effort to disarm her. Each thud that came from the pounding of the asari's hand was louder, harder, and faster than the one that came before it. The Thessian officer grit her teeth and clenched her eyes in agony, as her hand was being pummeled, like concrete under a jackhammer, before her grip finally began to ebb.

POW!

Just before Tali could dislodge the weapon from the asari's grasp, it went off with a resounding booming, leaving a small, smoking hole in the ceiling, before being knocked out of hand, and falling to the floor. With her enemy disarmed, Tali thrusted the asari forward with all her might, propelling her back across the hall, face first, into the opposing wall, with a bone-rattling thud.

"Urgh!" She exhaled an agonized whimper, as she collapsed, face down, onto the floor, battered and motionless.

The whole thing happened within the span of a few seconds, but it was so abrupt that it all seemed like just a blur. Tali took a moment to dust herself off and regain her composure. As she glanced up at John, she found him holding his gun in an outstretched hand, ready to fire, with an impressed and astonished smirk on his face.

"What…?" She asked, as she shrugged nonchalantly. "You think I haven't learned anything from all the times I've watched you beat miscreants to a pulp?"

"Wow!" She then heard Matty exclaim in amazement, coaxing her to turn around to face him. He stood there, looking up at her with a beaming open-mouthed smile which spanned from ear to ear. And his eyes - they sparkled with a youthful twinkle of wonder and admiration. "You're real strong!" He proclaimed, enthusiastically shaking his hands about. "How'd you do that?! You're just like 'Lady Paramount', on Justice Avengers!"

"Heheh…" Tali chuckled, as she smiled and blushed under her mask. "Well, I don't know who that is little one, but th-"

"The shot came from over here!" A high pitched, but grizzled voice suddenly shouted out, as a uniformed salarian suddenly skidded into view, behind the young boy, at the far end of the hallway. "Hey you! Hold it right there!" He demanded, as he raised his weapon and took aim.

Tali gasped, as she suddenly grabbed Matty by the shoulders, and swung him around; thus giving her back to the salarian and placing her own body between the child and the armed gunman.

POW! POW!

Twin gunshots suddenly rang out, as Tali's entire body suddenly became awash in the shimmering white glow generated by her suit's repellent shielding. One of the shots actually rippled right at the base of her skull.

"Bastard!" Shepard snarled in a rage, as he cut past Tali, with his own weapon aimed out in front. He squeezed hard on the trigger, unleashing a thunderous salvo of rapid-fire death, which riddled a green blood-soaked trail across the uniformed salarian's chest, leaving him dead on his feet before throwing him onto the floor, back first.

"You alright?!" He beseeched, as he turned back towards Tali, feverishly running his hands down her shoulders and back, checking for ruptures or wounds.

"Yes John, we're fine!" She assured, with a nod. "Built in k-barriers, remember?"

"Over here! They're in the employee access hall!" "Box 'em in, and cut 'em off!" "Get some back-up up here!"

Several voices echoed in, coming from both ends of the hallway, as John swiveled his head back and forth. The sounds of chatter and charging footsteps grew louder and closer with each passing moment.

"Shit…!" Shepard griped through gritted teeth. "Come on, in here!" He urged, as he pulled both Tali and the boy into the opened door of the nearby room that had expelled the two fallen guards, which now laid on the ground, unconscious.

"Come on, kresha! Keep with me!" Tali begged, as she yanked the frightened child in, alongside her.

With both her and Matty securely in the room, John pressed the green access panel on the door, sliding it shut. POW! POW! Two deafening shots echoed loudly within the closed space, as he once again shot out the door's locking mechanism. "Alright, let's go." He then urged, as he breezed past them, to the fore.

The room they had entered was another kitchen - a much smaller one than the one pertaining to the Illustria's Mazelai Dining Hall. This one almost seemed like the kind of kitchen you'd find in a cozy little fast-food establishment. And with a name like "The Hungry Elcor", that's likely what it was. John weaved his way past the unmanned stoves and frying stations, past the forward counter, and into the homely dining area, with Tali and Matty right on his pressed on, whisking by the various booths and tables, towards the restaurant's front entrance. As they approached it, the twin metallic doors split open automatically, revealing the Mezzanine Deck's lustrous central hallway.

Shepard pressed his back against the inside of the entryway, as he took a fleeting glance outside to assess any danger in the vicinity.

"Okay." He exhaled, as his pupils darted back and forth, under his tightly clenched brow. "It's clear. Come on."

The Hungry Elcor was a small, modest, restaurant tucked away into an obscure corner of the deck. As the trio carefully emerged, they were met with a very short flight of stairs, leading straight up to the main hallway. Before ascending, John stretched out his neck for a better view of the floor, and again swiveled his head from side to side, appraising any perils, and watching for the most subtle signs of movement.

The Mezzanine Deck was a place lit up with all the luminance and grandeur of the Citadel's Silversun strip. Bright, beaming, animated holo-signs hung over each separate restaurant and club. Lounging couches, and massaging recliners upholstered with rich, tanned, Thessian Leather, littered the deck sporadically, for the tuckered out party-goer. Glorious golden chandeliers, along with curtains of luxurious ruby silk adorned the archways, and pillars of pearl and ivory lined the hallway, like the columns of some ancient roman emperor's palace… It was a consummate picture of affluence. All of the vivid lights and dancing signs were gorgeous together - visually stunning and inventive. Truly the only thing missing were the patrons to indulge in their splendor.

But, however breath taking the sights may have been, they weren't worth even a second glance, as John and Tali emerged out, onto the hall.

"We gotta find another stairway." He pointedly declared, rushing down the deck, as his narrowed eyes panned back and forth, with his aimed weapon quick to follow.

"There was a staircase located beside the main elevators, at the North end of this deck." Tali chimed in, as she pointed straight ahead, into the distance, past the long strip of juxtaposed establishments. "They should be just around the corner up there."

"Right." He immediately agreed, with a single nod. "Here's what we're gonna do…" He then began to dictate, as they briskly made for the Northern end of the ghostly deck, with sharpened eyes. "Since stealth is no longer a viable option, we have no choice but to force our way up to the bridge... These security cops are reckless and under trained, as long as we stick to the narrower corridors, I SHOULD be able to nullify their numbers, and keep them from overwhelming us."

"I'll keep Matty safe, John-" Tali replied, as she followed along, with the young boy huddled closely beside her. "-but we're still in this together. I'll watch your back, as I always have."

"I know, Tali…" He expressed, with a somewhat dismal sigh. "I just wish you didn't have to…"

The trio pressed on, eyes sharp and ears keen - passing bars and restaurants as they neared the Northern end of the Mezzanine Deck. Little Matthew Farrell soldiered on as best and as bravely as a young boy could. His chest throbbed with each rapid, fatigued breath he took, and his heart raced like never before with an unbridled terror that an innocent child his age should never ever have to feel. But he did his best to put on a brave face; holding back every tear, every quiver of his chin, and every muffled whimper that tried to escape his lips - for the couple before him bore the full weight of his hopes and optimisms for survival. One day… he'd be as strong and as brave as they are.

But, just then, as they breezed towards the Northern end of the deck, John skidded to a halt. Like the unforeseen apparition of a malevolent spirit, five glinting, mechanized figures turned the corner up ahead and came into view.

"HALT." An emotionless voice, from one of the oncoming drones ordered, as they marched in a synchronous row. "INTRUDERS DETECTED. PLEASE RELINQUISH YOUR WEAPONS AND PREPARE TO BE EXECUTED."

John gasped for breath through his clenched teeth, as he watched the squad of LOKIs raise and aim their weapons menacingly.

"Get down!" He shouted out, hooking his arms around Tali and Matty, and flying with them to the ground, behind the narrow side of a nearby lounging couch, just as the rapidfire sound of thunder broke out. The plush, leather sofa was instantly torn to shreds. Large strips of leather, and puffs of cotton stuffing flew out in every direction, as it was ripped asunder by dozens upon dozens of searing thermal rounds.

John and Tali scurried on the ground, pressing their backs flush against the armrest side of the ravaged couch, whilst Matthew quickly pressed his hands against his ears, and clenched his eyes shut, as if wanting to pretend nothing was happening and that it would all just go away. Tali drew her arm around him, nestling him closely to her, and keeping his head tucked down low. Fortunately for the three of them, they the had the entire length of the long chesterfield, and all it's padding, to protect them from the perpetual deluge of hellfire, but they still wouldn't be able to sit here for long.

"Stay down!" John shouted over the incessant gunfire. He quickly shuffled himself around, onto his knees, as he raised his armed hand over the top edge of the couch, and began returning fire with a blind, sweeping spray.

Even without being able see his targets, his keen senses and combat dexterity allowed him to take aim with reasonable accuracy. The reverberant sound of bullets penetrating steel quickly rang out, as he struck two of the five mechs, riddling them with rounds. They flailed and sparked for a moment on their feet, before the red glow of their optic sensors abruptly vanished. A series of metallic clangs echoed out, like the sounds of a heavy toolchest being knocked over, as they toppled to the floor, leaving 3 of the five still standing.

Shepard retracted himself back down, with his back against the couch, as he ejected a depleted, smoking clip from his SMG, and pulled a fresh one out of his belt.

"Get ready to move." He began, while popping the new clip into place. "Soon as I finish off the other ones, we-"

"There they are! Over there!" A shouting human voice suddenly rang out, as a small troop of guards ran into view, from the left hand side of the opposite end of the hall.

"Damn it!" The Commander snarled, as he raised his weapon and fired on the guards, causing them to immediately regress into the cover of the room they had just emerged from. But they were too far, and the encounter was too brief for him to be able to discern whether or not he'd hit anyone.

Suddenly, a stray round ricocheted off the floor, near his feet, leaving a small, singed hole in the carpeted floor, while a second shot immediately drilled into the couch, just above his shoulder, inches away from his face. Instinctively ducking his head, he looked up to see another squadron of armed officials closing in from down the right side of the hall.

Again, Shepard raised his weapon and sprayed a suppressive flurry of rapidfire shots in their direction, causing the officers to immediately seek sanctuary behind a few of the indoor trees and benches, It was a momentary abeyance, however, as John could make out a third group of officers closing in fast from the far, southern end of the corridor. Not to mention that they were still under fire from the 3 mechs still standing behind them.

Finding themselves surrounded betwixt the proverbial rock and hard place, John took a quick look around the area, to assess a solution. What he spotted was the nearby entrance to a club called "THE LUMORIA ROOM."

All out of options, he made a hurried decision. "In there! Move!" He shouted, as he shot to his feet, pulling Tali and young Matty up with him. He shoved them forward, towards the doorway, while raising his weapon to his left, aimlessly returning fire at the discharging mechs. In the mad scramble, Tali scooped up the frightened boy, and cradled him close to her chest.

Rounds zoomed by their heads, as they blitzed forward - shattering glass, splintering wood, crumbling granite, and ricocheting off of the silvery walls all around them. It was a mere three yard dash to the door. But as the two-sided salvo through no-man's land continued, with them caught in the crossfire, it seemed more like an interminable three-mile jaunt.

One of the stray round barrelled straight towards the trio, on-course with little Matthew's cheek. But as it reached it's target, it was suddenly deflected by an unforeseen force, leaving a faint, shimmering ripple in its wake. Luckily for the boy, Tali clutched him tightly enough to her chest, that her kinetic barriers afforded him protection. Shepard, on the other hand, was not so fortunate, as he suddenly felt the searing hot kiss of molten steel graze the underside of his chin, closer than any shave he's ever had. Fortunately for him, no mortal damage had been done.

Tali ran into the recess of the doorway, pressing her omni-tooled hand against the red holographic panel. As Shepard joined her in the narrow niche, the holographic panel switched to green, and the doors immediately slid open. Into the darkened room they flew, out of the hellacious rain, as the thunderous volley continued on, outside.

John turned around, quickly pressing his hand to the holopanel again, forcing the doors to slide shut, with a swish.

The instant before the doors sealed shut, however, something caught John's eye through the gap of the closing doors. It was the dark blue visage of a pale man, donned in antiquated fashions. He stood on a high balcony, above the opposite end of the hall, simply watching with indifference, as the unrelenting battery of gunfire continued on.

No matter… When the doors sealed, both Tali and John stopped for a fleeting moment to try and catch their breaths. Tali reclined against the door, with her head drawn back, while Shepard leaned forward, panting and dripping with sweat, as he pressed his forehead against the door, with his eyes shut.

"John, you're hit!" Tali suddenly exclaimed, when she looked over at the fatigued Commander. She quickly reached one hand out towards Shepard's neck, where she saw a small rivulet of blood oozing out, starting to permeate into the collar of his already begrimed, white dress shirt.

"It's not bad, it's just a scratch." He affirmed, with urgency, as he blocked her hand with his, and turned back around to take a look around the room.

The room seemed to be some sort of bar or nightclub, bigger than the Citadel's Dark Star Lounge, but smaller than Omega's Afterlife Club. Most of the chamber was occupied by an expansive dance floor, and a large stage at the front. There were tables, chairs, and lounging seats situated around two levels of the room, near the walls. And a lonely, illuminated bar sat nestled against the right wall. There was a dim bluish glow lingering in the room - a sort of ambient lighting that seemed to originate from nowhere. And there were several large speaker, and lighting fixtures mounted onto the walls and ceiling - all of which were in an inert state at the moment.

"We have to hurry. Come on!" Shepard insisted, as he urged Tali along.

"Where are we going?!" The brown-haired little boy implored - bobbing up and down in Tali's arms as they darted through the club, down the abandoned dancefloor. "What's happening?!"

"Shhh…. Hush now, kresha." Tali beseeched, doing her best to comfort the boy, as she held him tightly. "It'll be okay."

"This way!" Shepard ordered, as he spotted a shadowy, non-descript back door, tucked away behind the stage, to the far rear of the club.

John sprinted towards the entrance - a plain, swinging door, with no noticeable holo-panels or locking mechanisms - just yellow painted lettering that read: CREW AND STAFF ONLY

He pushed the door ajar, holding it open for Tali and Matty, as he waved them in with a fluttering wave of his hand.

The room they entered was dimly lit and cramped. The walls were thronged with spare instruments, scattered sound equipment, and surplus speakers - all of which would've been very easy to trip over, for the careless treker. The three proceeded in, weaving their way around the useless accoutrements.

"John, over here!" Tali shouted, as she rushed to the far back of the congested room. "There's a back door."

Tali made her way towards the rear exit, lit up wth a green holo-panel, indicating an unlocked door, ensuring a quick escape.

"Hang on, wait!" Shepard implored, as he rushed to her side, before she could open the door. "I got an idea…"

"What?" She asked.

"First, I gotta seal this door." He informed, as he drew his weapon, and aimed it at the holopanel. "Don't want them getting the drop on us from behind."

As John prepared to squeeze back on the trigger, Tali placed her hand atop the barrel of his gun, and lowered it. "John, please…" She began, with a tinge of sarcasm in her voice. "Allow me…" Tali put young Matthew down, beside Shepard - who lightly patted his back, as a sign of reassurance. She then moved up to the door, removed a small, rectangular device, about the size of a soda can, from a pouch on her belt, and mounted it directly beside the lit up holopanel. She then went to work on the holopanel itself, punching in a myriad of rapid keystrokes with her magic fingers. It wasn't long before the holographic door switch changed from green to red.

"What is that thing…?" The Commander inquired, raising a perplexed eyebrow, as he watched her work.

"Oh, just one of my suit's auxiliary life-support battery packs." She explained, nonchalantly, as she pulled a short, thick cable out of the same pouch, and used it to connect the mounted device to an a tiny outlet on the door, thus finalizing her work. "Don't worry though…" She assuaged, as she turned back around. "I never end up using them, and I have two others to spare…"

"A battery…?" John began again, furrowing a befuddled brow. "How is that supposed to-? N-never mind." He abruptly cut himself off, with a shake of his head - knowing better than to question her technical trickery. "Listen, do you think you'd be able to work this thing?" He asked, as he walked over to a large, inert control console, pressed flush against the adjacent wall, under a large set of blackened screens.

"I'm… sure I can figure it out, but… why?" Tali beckoned, puzzled, as she glanced over the large, inactive table. "Thinking of throwing a party?"

"No. I didn't wanna do this, but I've got to thin this herd out a bit…" The Commander began to explain, as he pulled the current clip out of his SMG - examining it to make certain it wasn't completely depleted, before driving it back into the chamber. "We can use the music to draw 'em in. Keep 'em in the main room, and maybe use the lighting effects to disorient them... By the time they see me coming, they'll never know what hit 'em…"

Tali nodded, immediately understanding, as she waved her omni-tooled hand over the mixing and effects console, causing it to light up with a vibrant array of holographic knobs, dials, buttons, and slider switches.

"Well…" She said with a cocky grin, under her facemask, as she inter-locked her tri-fingered hands, and stretched them outwards, cracking her knuckles. "I don't think it'll be a problem."

John gave her a modest smile, and nodded, as he turned to look down at Matty. The poor boys face was saddened and afraid, as he stood by with his hands locked tightly over his chest, and his head tucked timorously between his shoulders.

"Hey buddy…" John said, with a soft tenderness in his voice, as he crouched down before the intimidated 7 year old - laying a comforting hand upon his shoulder. "You okay…?"

Shepard could feel the pulse of his heart racing, and the quiver of his tiny frame, as he trembled in fear. Despite this, the brave little boy looked up at the Commander, forcing a half-way smile. "I'm okay..." He assured, as he nodded politely. "I'm escared, but I'm trying to pretend I'm someone brave… Like you…"

At that moment, the sheer courage that he saw this frightened little boy exhibiting, stirred a feeling of anger towards those that would do this, within Shepard.

"Listen. We're gonna be getting your mom and dad back real soon, okay…?" He pledged, masking his brewing rage with optimism. "Right now, I want you to stay here with Tali… Keep her safe…"

"W-where are YOU going?"

"Me?" John asked rhetorically, with a cocky grin, and a sinister gleam in his eye, as he stood back up, and began cracking his knuckles, in the usual 'Shepard' fashion. "I'm gonna go teach some bad policemen a lesson."

Matty looked up at the tall paragon, with a gleam of admiration and adoration in his eyes, as a genuine smile slowly crept in on his face. John reciprocated the grin, and gave the boy's hair a quick tussle before turning back to Tali.

"Tali. I'm sorry about earlier…" He whispered tenderly.

"I know…" She replied, with the same tone, after having brought the console back online to full functionality. "Me too…"

They stood there, quietly staring at eachother for a brief, passing moment, before Tali spoke up again, breaking the silence.

"You'd better hurry…" She advised, as she turned back towards the screen, which now showed a few armed guards and mechs scouring the nightclub interior, with several more entering the doorway, as they spoke. "It looks like the party's starting without you…"

A look of stone resolve overtook the Commander's bruised and lacerated face, as he looked up at the screen. With a stern nod to his quarian love, he raised his weapon, and made for the door.