Disclaimer: Bioware owns all.
Chapter 37
"Mayday! This is ground team to Citadel forces! Do you read?"
Shepard crouched lower to the ground as her cover was pummeled by a hail of gunfire. She turned awkwardly toward Miranda who huddled next to her and shook her head, the brunette's face darkening with the news. A burst of static crackled in the commander's earpiece, and then went dead again. Her tiny force was on their own, backed into a corner as the batarians and geth closed in from across the landing platform. She had rarely been in worse positions before. Steeling herself, she slammed in another clip.
Popping out of cover she took aim and fired at the nearest hostile, a batarian trooper with a rifle that appeared far too large to carry. He moved awkwardly, the heavy weapon slowing him down, and Shepard took the opportunity to disable him. The trooper fell as she obliterated his kneecaps, crumpling to the ground amidst the crossfire, weapon sliding out of reach.
Ducking down again she reloaded as Miranda opened fire, launching her biotics in an impressive display of power. Twisting to her right she was able to make out the other part of her team as the men held their position. Kaidan alternated between biotics and tech attacks, severely hampering the progress of the geth, and Grunt was actually laughing as he blew up a nearby squad with a concussive blast. She frowned at the situation, however, knowing they would soon run out of ammo and be overwhelmed.
Flicking on her omni-tool she switched her focus and studied the layout of the landing pad, ignoring the nearby blast that shot vibrations through her cover. According to the sensors, three main fuel tanks were positioned at intervals across the landing pad, ships bound off-world stationed at each. Given the size of the frigates, they would need more time to fully charge, giving Shepard an idea.
Miranda threw herself down on the ground, jostling Shepard as the other woman ducked back into cover, narrowly missing the mass-accelerator blast that whined overhead. She frowned up at Shepard, eyes like ice, and slammed in another clip as she left her unspoken question hanging in the air between them.
"No contact yet, Miranda."
"Shepard," She launched a warp field at an oncoming geth and Shepard finished it off. "If we don't get reinforcements soon –"
"I know, but I've got nothing on the comm." She popped off another few shots, switching to the ungainly grenade launcher. "Garrus is working on it too and he hasn't been able to reach them either."
Miranda slumped back down as Shepard launched a grenade into the fray, sending bits of debris in all directions. Red plumes of smoke drifted upward, melding with the hazy sky of the volcanic moon. The commander crouched back down, shifting her weight as she keyed her radio once more.
"Mayday! This is Commander Shepard to Citadel fleet! Normandy? Do you read?"
Nothing but the buzz of static filtered through her comm. and again she shook her head at Miranda.
"Shepard?"
"Hold tight, Miranda. I have an idea." The commander ignored the noise of the landing pad, the constant percussion of enemy fire against her slim bit of cover, and activated her comm. "Kaidan, I need two of your team over here. Double-time it!"
She saw the other commander glance toward her, dark eyes unreadable under his helmet, pads scuffed and scratched. He gestured to Jacob and Grunt, both of whom burst out of cover and sprinted to her position, the krogan's enormous form barreling through the abrasive landscape.
"Something you need, Commander?" Jacob asked, breathing heavily into his mic.
Shepard nodded, checking her ammo count. "Grunt, hold this position with Miranda. Jacob? You're with me."
Grunt snarled and launched another concussive blast, the impact so close as to rattle teeth. Shepard felt the container she leaned against vibrate with the impact, silently thanking and cursing Grunt for his enthusiasm.
She activated her omni-tool and punched in a series of commands. A holographic image of the landing pad winked into existence, hovering gently above her 'tool. "Jacob, you see these fuel tanks here and here?"
He nodded, his barrier shimmering against dark skin.
"We're going to take them out along with the ships still docked there."
"Roger that, Commander. Just point me in that direction and set me loose."
"You'll need my help." Shepard switched off her omni-tool. She had no intention of letting Jacob take on such a ridiculously dangerous task by himself. "I'm going with you."
"Commander –"
She held up her hand to forestall his protest, activating her comm. and leaving the channel open. "Concentrate fire on our right flank on my mark." She hefted the grenade launcher in her hands, determination written across her face. "Mark."
In an instant their path was lit up before them; a combination of biotics, tech, and a krogan blast colored the edges of her vision. Shepard activated her cloak as she ran, Jacob's form partially obscured by the smoke as he sprinted just ahead of her. He slid into cover behind a grouping of metal pipes, steam erupting in sudden gouts and dissipating into the hot air. She crouched down next to him, her cloak dissolving as she did so.
"Looks like they haven't noticed us yet, Commander," Jacob stated while peeking through the tubes.
"They will soon enough." She took in the scene before her eyes, the landing pad scorched and strewn with debris but still functional. Shepard pursed her lips in thought, locating the closest fuel tank as she worked out the variables in her head.
"I can take out this fuel tank by myself. Jacob, can you make it to the next objective on your own?"
"Can do, Commander." He pumped his shotgun, chambering another round, the barrier still flickering softly around his body.
Shepard nodded, discomfort settling in her gut. "Readings show that they're not guarding the frigate stationed on our right, but expect hostiles to be present inside. It's got to have a crew onboard if they're readying it for takeoff."
"Makes sense." He ducked as a bullet whizzed by, the ricochet ringing the pipes like a small gong.
"Set your charges at the tank, then disable the frigate. You should be able to access the power coils at the base of the fuselage, right where the fuel lines connect." She smiled wickedly. "A few well placed charges there, and we're in business."
Jacob nodded again, peering through the tubes toward his goal. "A lot of space between here and there."
"Not to worry," Shepard hefted her grenade launcher. "I got your distraction right here."
The commander readied her weapon as Jacob prepared to run. Eyeing the fuel tank across the field, she sighted and fired, slightly dismayed that her first shot didn't result in the expected explosion. Shepard reloaded and fired again, satisfaction fueling her adrenaline as the tank ignited. Plumes of smoke and firebursts filled the air and Jacob shot out of cover. He made it halfway to his goal when Shepard finally allowed herself to hope, and returned the launcher to its casing.
The sudden explosion drew enemy attention and focused on Shepard's position. She moved further behind the piping, switching to her cannon as she checked the readout on her omni-tool. Hostiles were closing in, moving to flank her on the left and cut her off from her squad. She grunted irritably and activated her cloak, riding the wave of adrenaline pumping in her veins and racing for Jacob's position.
He started at her presence, cloak dissipating as she slipped into cover. Jacob had worked fast, positioning the explosives at the base of the tank and connecting hoses. He was ready to move to the frigate, but Shepard held up her hand to halt his movements.
"You'll be too exposed out there, trying to access that panel. I need another minute or two for my cloak to recharge, and I'll do it."
"Commander, I can –"
"I'm better at tech than you, Jacob." She mirrored his frown. "Do I need to pull rank?"
"No, ma'am."
"Good. Then secure the explosives while we wait."
Shepard watched as he worked around the base of the tank, her eyes on either flank, watching the progress of the batarian-geth army as they continued to press her squad. Given the amount of biotic fireworks lighting up the landing pad, Shepard suspected they were low on clips. She suppressed a heavy sigh and ignored the blood pounding in her ears. All they needed to do was disable the landing pad, and if they could stay alive long enough to complete that objective, she could die reasonably satisfied.
"Explosives secured, ma'am."
"Okay then," Shepard stated. "Cover me."
Her vision wavered as she activated her cloak and moved quickly to the frigate. As she suspected, no guards were posted; the enemy's attentions focused on her small squad. She pried the panel open with slight difficulty, working fast and securing the explosives in place. Just as she had thrown the access panel back into place, a squad of batarian troopers tromped down the gangway onto the landing pad. Cursing inwardly, the commander raced back toward Jacob's position behind the fuel tank.
"Orders, Commander?" Jacob asked, as he crouched next to her, shotgun at the ready.
"The plan hasn't changed. We need to move to cover and clear the blast radius. With both the frigate and the fuel tank, it's going to be big."
Jacob jerked his head to the side. "What about there?"
Shepard followed his line of sight, noting empty space between the landing pad and retaining wall, more bland metallic paneling working to keep the hot, red sand of the moon at bay. She surveyed the area near their position, and finding nothing else suitable, nodded.
"It'll have to do." She clapped him on the back. "Move."
They scurried across the open area, jumping into cover behind a small grouping of crates. Shepard swore softly as her head slammed against the metal paneling of the restraining wall, and Jacob shot her a curious look. She waved him off, adjusting her weight and huddling next to the crate.
"Blow it."
She felt the thundering explosion before she heard it, the base of the landing pad shuddering beneath the force of the blast. A second explosion rocked her senses, sending a burst of static through her comm. Pinpricks of light colored her vision as the crate rattled behind her, still trembling as the frigate dissolved into flames. Debris rained down and she and Jacob tried futilely to shield themselves, bits of hot metal falling like ragged hail upon them. Jacob's barrier flickered as debris pelted him, and he did his best to sink deeper into cover.
The echo of silence reigned momentarily as Shepard gathered her wits, the static on the comm. disappearing. She poked her head up cautiously, taking in the damage they had wrought. The frigate lay in ruins, metal sheared apart and spread across the landing pad. The remains of the fuel tank smoldered in the haze, sooty clouds billowing upward and licking the sky. Shepard allowed herself a tiny smile and turned her attention back to Jacob.
"One more tank to go. Ready to move?"
His eyes met hers, glittering with pain, and Shepard finally noticed the blood trickling through his fingers that gripped his left side.
"Jacob!"
She moved closer to him, omni-tool scanning his injury. She pulled his hand away, frowning at the blood pooling on the ground. A piece of shrapnel, about the size of her hand, was lodged in his left side. She met his eyes briefly, her determination reflected on his face, and she pulled. The debris came out easily, but Jacob failed to suppress a wince.
Shepard tossed the shrapnel aside and quickly injected a shot of medigel. His body seemed to slump further as the medication took hold, but by the look on his face, the pain was still present. Shepard looked him over as the comm. crackled in her ear.
"Commander?" Kaidan's urgent voice sounded over the distant thrum of gunfire. "Shepard, we need to pull back. They're closing fast on our position and we're running low on clips. Do you read?"
"Affirmative Kaidan," Her voice was soft as she looked to Jacob's injured form. "Pull your team back to the shuttle. Jacob and I will cover you."
"Negative, Shepard. I'm not leaving without you."
The commander checked her ammo counter and readied her widow. She watched through the scope as enemy squads flanked their position, cutting them off from her team. They streamed past, still unaware of Shepard and her injured officer's presence. That would change as soon as she opened fire.
"We're cut off, Kaidan, and Jacob's been injured. Get everyone out while you still can."
"Shepard no." Her heart broke at the sound of his voice and she could imagine the mirth draining from his eyes. "I can't lose you again."
"I'm sorry, Kaidan." She aligned the crosshairs of her scope and fired.