29.
Ashley went with Jaeto with Liara, ducking the Geth shots Liaras barriers went up, saving the lives of several Salarians. In the year they had served together, Ashley had seen a vast improvement in the young Asari's combat skills. Now that she had actually learnt how to socialise without fear of putting her foot in it, she had found learning the skills expected of a soldier easier.
Ashley obeyed everything Kirahee ordered her too as well as proving to the squad with her that she was a leader worth following. She yelled out a warning to Liara who responded with a Singularity field followed by a throw, Ashley leant on the railing for a moment, watching with no hidden admiration at the distance the Krogan soldiers fell.
"Their sat links are down, repeat sat links are down, I think Shadow is giving us some help here" Kirahee sounded more than a little relieved at that.
"We might get out of this alive after all" Liara whispered, more to herself than anyone else present.
"You keep doing that Doc and we will at that" Ashley gave her a beam.
Liara inclined her head a little. Somewhere within she believed that whilst her and Ashley would never be bosom buddies, there was a great deal of respect between them, and that sometimes was much better than friends.
Tali ducked as a Juggernaut fired, bringing down a section of rock just off to her left. With a grunt of annoyance, the youngest member of Shepards squad quickly programmed her Omni Tool and the Juggernaut stopped, looked around and began firing on its own soldiers. Shepard gave her young friend a half smiled, and she imagined if Tali's face was visible then, she would have a smug look on her face. She deserved it too, if Tali wasn't with them it would have been that much harder.
Garrus pointed "Those Geth flyers are round there, if we don't care of them than Kirahee, Ash, Liara and the other Salarians are in deep shit"
"Tali, hack those Juggernauts there" Shepard pointed "Garrus get up on that nest and snipe the fuck out of any Geth that come near, Tali stay with Garrus. Wrex lets go smash Krogan and Geth"
Wrex readied his shotgun and pumped it twice "I love you Cassandra Shepard" He grinned and once Garrus and Tali were in position, they charged the flyers post. Cassie once again thanked whatever guided their lives, for the Turian known as Garrus Vakarian, not one shot missed and even the little Quarians pistol shots were dead on target. As the Human woman and Krogan male slam dunked anything in their way, blowing metal bodies apart or blowing Krogan brains out the back of their heads, she realised that this team had become so well meshed that she doubted she would ever work with a more efficient and close team.
Every one of them utilised their strengths and weaknesses when working in tandem and harmony with the other member of their team. Wrex said he didn't like relying on anyone, nor having anyone rely on him. Yet when Tali cursed that one of the Juggernauts she had hacked had broken free, he readied his gun, slid under Shepards aiming arm and fired his shotgun. It barked twice and turned his face as burning fluid that might have been Geth blood splattered near to where he was.
He sniggered a little, it would hurt, only a little splash but it would hurt, still it was one more scar to the collection. If Shepard kept her word and Wrex harboured no doubts that she would, he would have many females queuing outside his dwelling for a piece of him.
That thought made him laugh out loud and he was still laughing when the combined fire-power of his team mates tore through the fuel tanks, blowing the flyers into shards of AI bits and pieces. Once the ringing of the explosion dimmed from Cassie and the others ears, they heard Ashley whoop.
"Shadow brought the bastards down repeat Shadow brought the bastards down"
"And they will have plenty to celebrate Williams, but lets move, not waste the advantage they have given us" Kirahee admonished, but it wasn't that stern, if anything he was thanking whatever gods the Salarians believed in, or the wheel of life or whatever they called it.
Shepard got to her feet as Garrus and Tali joined her, she pulled Wrex to his feet and motioned with her head, there was still work to be done. Yet as they made their way further into the facility, Shepard was proud and honoured to work with all her squad here, every last one of them.
Liara grabbed the wounded Salarian and pulled him back whilst Ashley set the explosives. Shadow had vanished from the comms for several long moments, any attempt at communication had been blocked. Eventually they heard Joker telling the commander that the huge ship had done a turn that would have sheered any of the combined races vessels in half.
Moments later another explosion rocked the base. Kirahee had whooped with joy, the Shadow team had done their job, now it was time for them to do theirs. The Normandy could not land until that last AA gun was down. Liara moved then stared as the Salarian she had saved not more than a few seconds ago fell dead at her feet. His head nothing more than a pulped mess.
Ashley cursed as the Geth pressed their attack but Liaras biotics, having took a battering on the way here, finally kicked into gear and Lira was able to get the barrier up. Ashley held her breath for a long few moments. The Salarian beside her, a young man by the name of Ishmal set the timers. He had saved her life several times and had seen his brother taken apart piecemeal by a group of rampaging Krogan, escaping from whatever hell Shadow was causing on their route to the breeding facility.
He nodded once and Ashley yelled for the remains of her squad to run and bunker down. Liara stopped as a Salarian stumbled, with an annoyed flick of her wrist she pulped the Krogans head biotically. Picking the wounded Salarian up she put him over her shoulders and followed Ash, who, in total shock, watched as the Krogans head exploded within his helmet.
Liara said nothing as she lay the Salarian on the ground and ducked as the last gun went up in a fantastic explosion of fire, metal and ammunition cook off. The ground shook like a giant earthquake had suddenly reared its power, Geth, Krogan and Salarian, all caught in its fierce grasp died within moments as concrete and metal rained on them.
"Normandy coming into land" Jokers voice came over the comms. "Be ready Commander"
"Roger that Normandy. Nice and slow now Joker"
"Don't worry Commander, nice and slow is all it will be."
Ashley heaved a sigh of relief as she heard Cassie's voice loud and clear. "Come on, better regroup with the Captain" Ashley quietly said "This is not over yet."
Shepard told her team to go take a few moments and supervised the departure of the Nuclear bomb from Normandy's hanger.
"Steady now lads" She muttered "I'm sure none of us want to end up with radiation factor trillion" That was probably way over the top but, she wanted them to ease up. The tension in their bodies spoke more than their faces did.
Slowly Kaidan and his four man team set the nuke down, carefully. Shepard joined him and loaded her shotgun and rifle with new clips. "No problems?" She asked.
"Adams cordoned off Engineering while we worked on it. I must say I was not all that comfortable with this on board" The Lieutenant admitted.
"You and me both."
They stopped as Liaras voice came across with a load of shouting in the background and gunfire. The Geth had them pinned down.
"Go Commander, I need some time to arm the nuke" Kaidan told her. Cassie ran back to the lift and with her team went to head up to help Ashley, Liara, the Captain and the remaining Salarians.
Just as Shadow team emerged from the elevator an argument started, Alenko ordered the team to get Williams and co, Williams said screw that and to get the Lt. Loosing her patience Shepard yelled at them both to shut the hell up. Until Alenko stated he had set the nuke.
"WHAT THE FUCK YOU DO THAT FOR!" Shepard barked.
"MAKING SURE THIS BOMB GOES OFF NO MATTER WHAT..MA'AM"
Shepard clenched her fists screw him, if he wanted to die a martyr it would be on someone else's watch. Not hers. "Garrus you three head up top and keep them safe until Joker arrives."
"What about you?" Tali asked "You'll die down there!"
"We all have to die sometime Tali" Shepard smiled "But it wont be today. Get Joker to pick you up then tell him...protocol 9 he'll know what you mean"
"Protocol 9 got it"
"Go!" She pointed and jumping onto the edge of the balcony she executed a swan dive off the edge, her pistol and shotgun firing at the Geth and destroying everything they hit. She landed heavily on the nearest fuel tank and stifled a curse as pain shot through her ankle. She was no biotic but she drove through the Geth like some tempest. Untamed, uncontrollable and totally enraged at her Lieutenant.
Alenko stared as Shepard pulled a Geth in front of her as a shield and then tossed the remains at the trooper that had fired on her.
"What are you doing Shepard?" Alenko yelled above the noise, protocol out the window.
"You wanna be a fucking martyr Alenko do it on your own time, not mine" Shepard coldly replied "You had no need to do this, I decide when the bomb goes off not you!"
She grabbed him and threw him into cover and she dived the other side as Saren made his appearance "Shepard" He purred "How clever you really are. For a human"
Cassie looked up as the Turian hovered above her, "I spoke to Sovereign" She spat on the floor "He's not that impressive and neither are you. Traitor"
