Mass Effect Andromeda Series II: Chapter 50

It felt like hours running through the decimated London streets as they neared the beam. To make matters worse, a Reaper destroyer was positioned to block any opposition for ground or air assault. The Reaper ground forces seemed to make short work of the advancing strike teams. Tuchanka was coming back in Garrus' mind when the Reaper tried to block their attempts to get to the shroud. The tanks were still in the street that housed the Thanix missiles but their armed escort was no more. The soldiers were ripped to shreds and even the rovers took a beating. "Commander, the entire company was wiped out," Garrus fought the urge to vomit as he saw the bodies. Their faces mutilated or half eaten by hungry cannibals. Some's intestines were sprawled over the ground with other organs. Blood soaked the street and it was hard not to step into it.

"Does anyone read me?" Major Coat's frustrated voice broke through the comm.

"Major, what's the situation?" Shepard paused in midstride and gave his squadmates a weary look. What could it be now?

"The beam is messing with missile guidance. They are range to hit the destroyer but we need the precision strike to take it down."

"Fuck," John groaned. For once couldn't something be on their side? It felt like a struggle the whole step of the way. Any weaker person would have probably given up by now. "EDI, any suggestions?"

The AI was on point. "I may be able to use the Normandy's system. It may take some time. Please open a link to the Normandy from the tank."

Garrus could have sworn he heard Javik swear under his breath. He knew it was hard for the Prothean to still trust an AI. It seemed that his past history was just as bad with AI's as the Quarians. Up ahead he heard the Reaper sound a horn as its so called face looked their way. "Um…that's not good."

"Hammer. This is Admiral Anderson. The Reaper ground forces are making a push. Hold your ground. Protect those tanks until we get a shot."

"You heard him!" John took a breath. The fight was on. "Hunker down! Whatever it takes!"

"Spirits protect us." Garrus moved to his Incisor sniper rifle and took a position behind a concrete barrier. "I'll see what I can get ahead."

"I'll cover you, Turian!" Javik jumped down beside him. The move was surprising. Garrus almost felt honored by it. He gave Javik a quick nod and then moved back to his scope.

The first unlucky victim was a cannibal that lumbered towards them. Its bulbous form made it an easy target. It was too far away to open fire on him, but not too far for Garrus. Closing in on his scope, he shot a warp ammo and nailed it straight in the head. The head exploded and it collapsed besides its counterpart. The other became alarmed and opened fire recklessly at Garrus' position. It wasn't accurate but it made Garrus duck for cover. "Damnit," He huffed as he fumbled to switch weapons. Being pinned would give extra forces to get closer and in more short range.

"Leave it to me," Javik rose up and used his biotics to lift one cannibal and slam it hard into the ground. Garrus joined him with cryo ammo on his assault rifle. He ripped through a nearby husk that froze its form and shattered it with another strike.

John waited until one husk got close enough to his position and grabbed it roughly. He threw the husk on the ground and stabbed it with his omni blade.

The Reaper horn kept blaring as its red eye appeared larger. "Is it coming for us?" Javik gasped in awe of the towering being.

"You could say that!" Garrus shoved Javik down as he saw a red beam come through the red Reaper's "eye" and struck a nearby structure. "Commander?!"

John also took note. "EDI! What's the status?!"

"I have reprogrammed targeting. Missiles are ready for launch."

Without a response, Shepard ran back towards the tank while Javik and Garrus covered his six. "This is going to work," Garrus commented to them as he looked on. They were so close.

"Firing!" Shepard engaged the missiles from the console. A pair fired from the first tank. Their course was true until they were right on top of the destroyer and then they seemed to quickly alternate course and crash into the ground. "What the hell happened?" Of all the shitty luck….

"The Reaper is still too close to the beam." EDI pointedly said.

"We only have two missiles left…." For once the Commander appeared to be almost hopeless. He gaped at the destroyer in disbelief. Even with a direct hit, there was always the possibility of not being enough arsenal to take it down and without it going down, the ground assault would be a complete failure.

"We didn't even make a dent in it…" Vakarian had the same sympathy.

"You will need to make the Reaper come closer out of the beam's influence." Easy for her to say.

"Did she just say-?" Garrus' eyes went wide as he looked at the other two. "That's suicide."

"Well, we do like suicide runs," Shepard gave him a faint grin, thinking back to when they did the suicide run against the Collector homeworld.

"This is madness," Javik groaned.

"Commander, Reaper forces are overrunning Hammer at every turn. They are converging to your location. Hold on….hold on. We're coming!" Anderson radioed in. He was panting for breath. He must have been in hot pursuit.

The destroyer blared its horn once more as it advanced. Several banshees' shrieks filled the night air. "That sounds promising…" Garrus feigned a smile over to Javik and John.

"We are holding the line here!" John drew an invisible line on the street with the barrel of his gun. "Don't let those reaper bastards take out this tank!"

"Vengeance will be mine!" Javik charged at an incoming banshee and struck it hard with his pulsing assault rifle.

"I am on you!" Garrus hit the banshee with a barrage of rounds. They were going to make it!

What felt like hours tackling wave after wave, it finally seemed like every opposition was taken out. Garrus wiped the sweat off his brow and looked to check on the others. John was already at the tank's console. Javik stood near the right front of the vehicle as he had a dead stare at the close destroyer. "A thousand souls cry for vengeance…I will be their voice…" He muttered.

"Launching!" John launched the last Thanix missiles. Just like the last pair, they were on a direct course, but this time, they hit their mark and the mid-section of the destroyer exploded.

"It's going down!" Coats cheered.

"Hit it with everything you got!" Like clockwork, other ground forces launched their barrage of weapons causing the Reaper to fall.

After they met up with Anderson's team at the rendezvous point near the beam, Garrus stared down at their next obstacle. The path was wide open for any ambushes and it wasn't like the Reapers would just stand by and let them enter the beam. Another scary thought was what was on the other side waiting for them? They said it was the Citadel, but what was going on in the space station? He prayed for the refugees stuck there. "Hackett just reported that several sovereign class Reapers including Harbinger have broken off from the main battle with Sword. They are heading here," Admiral Anderson filled them in.

"Finally get to take down that bastard." John narrowed his eyes as he looked past his friend to the beam.

"It's an opportunity for Hackett to get the crucible in place, but we have to get a team on board the Citadel to open those arms."

"Didn't we already do this in the fight against Saren?" Garrus scratched his head.

"We don't know what we will find when we get there," Coats interjected as he ran up to the group.

Without a beat, David nodded his head. "Alright. Saddle up, everybody." He tapped into his comm. "It's now or never, Admiral. We're going in."

"Acknowledged."

Rain poured as they exited the rover at the crest of the hill that overlooked the beam. This was it. There was no turning back. Everyone all over Earth and the galaxy was counting on them. The cool rain slid down Garrus' leathery skin as he stood still beside Shepard, Anderson and Javik. Coats and his troops were to the right of them along with other forces. Seconds after their arrival, Harbinger arrived and landed right behind the beam. He stood there motionless in a taunting gesture. They all knew that with his proximity that any assault by the Reaper would be instantly fatal. With his height and range, his beam could target multiple ground forces at once. His presence felt like a complete shot at Admiral Anderson. The dark skinned man stepped back and shook his head, dumbfounded. "What do we do now? We have to get to that beam!" He looked at John, his protégé, for guidance.

"All I know is that I'm getting there. Who is with me?" Shepard's jaw remained clenched as he bawled his fists. It seemed like he and Harbinger were in a dead lock.

"Hoo-rah!" The marines shouted over beside him.

"I'm with you all the way, Shepard." Garrus felt the adrenaline in his body pumping. This was it.

"It is an honor to be here with you, Commander." Javik stood straighter.

"Then let's get to that beam! Push ahead and don't waiver."