"Alright," Anderson said, clapping Shepard on the shoulder. "Last step is a little pep talk. The sign to move out is 'toolbox.' Then we'll head out."
Shepard nodded, then approached the communications array. She took a deep breath, considered for a moment to work out how to give the sign to go without being insanely obvious about it, then nodded again. She opened the broadcast that would to go to every single ship and soldier…and would easily be picked up by the Reapers.
"This is Captain Shepard of the SSV Normandy," she announced with all the confidence of someone trained to deal with bad odds. "Today is our day of days. Today is the day we open our toolbox and send these mechanical nightmares packing."
Nice, Anderson nodded, very adroit.
"This war has brought us pain and suffering and loss. But it's also brought us together—as soldiers, allies, friends. It's raised us above old injuries, old grievances, old prejudices. It's allowed bonds to tie us together, something the Reapers will never understand. Can't understand." Shepard paused, then continued, and Anderson knew she was seeing Harbinger in her mind, addressing the Reaper personally. "It's more powerful than any weapon, stronger than any ship. It's not something that can be taken or destroyed." Another pause, this time to let the words sink in. "The next few hours will decide the fate of everyone in the galaxy, old and unborn and everyone in between. They are depending on you—depending on us—to win them their future. A future free from the threat of the Reapers.
"It's grim. But look around you and take heart: you're not in this fight alone. No species in this galaxy has heard the call for help and not sent aid. We are finally, and for the first time, a galaxy that is all in this together. There are no holdouts, no one stands uncommitted.
"Today, we face our enemy together, and together we will defeat them. Today, we take back our worlds, we take back our homes, we take back our lives and the right to live them. And today…I'll show you the way. Shepard, out."
Shepard severed the broadcast, then looked at Anderson. "Think I got the point across?" she asked wryly, rolling her shoulders.
"Oh, absolutely," Anderson chuckled, clapping gently. "Especially that last bit. If you didn't have Harbinger's attention before, I'm sure you've got its undivided attention now."
"Good. As long as it still thinks it can handle us on its own," Shepard said. "It'd suck if it called down a few friends to help."
That it would, but Anderson didn't think Reaper arrogance would permit such a cautious move. He wasn't about to say it, and risk jinxing the mission, though. "We should get underway."
Hammer One, in the interests of playing the part assigned to them, was not going to shuttle up to the beam. Not only was that inviting being shot down, but there was a concern that too cavalier an entrance might make the Reapers wonder at the why of such sudden disregard. Therefore, like the Stiletto teams, like the Wrenches and the Screwdrivers (the unofficial name for the unofficial or independent distracting elements), Hammer One had to slog through the city on foot to make it to the beam. And they were taking a particularly undesirable route to get there, because if anything looked too easy chances went up that the game would be up.
As long as Shepard's team was seen conforming to plan, the hope remained that the Reapers wouldn't be looking too hard for anything else.
Anderson refused to consider what might happen if they had a reason to suspect there was more to this assault than distractions for Hammer One.
Hammer One was comprised of thirty-five people—seven five-man groups. Shepard led one, with Alenko, Vega, Javik, EDI, Antilles Vakarian, and a formidable-looking krogan veteran on loan that went by Ghur. The krogan wasn't very talkative, but clearly was there as a bodyguard to make absolutely sure Shepard got where she needed to go. It was all in the way Ghur shadowed Shepard. Doubtless, Clan Chief Urdnot had hand-picked this fellow.
Anderson led another, and several of his lieutenants and other volunteers composed the rest. They expected heavy casualties making it to the run-up for the beam, but that couldn't be helped. It was why they were starting with such a large number, although there had been arguments that an even larger number ought to go.
But there was a limit to the available ground forces, and what seemed like a lot from headquarters wasn't nearly as many once one got into the field. He'd ventured to ask EDI what she thought the odds were for Hammer One, just getting to the beam. She hadn't wanted to tell him, and when she actually admitted the number, he wished he hadn't asked. It wasn't an encouraging number.
It was almost worse to hear how the AI had modified the variables to produce an accurate number, how the original baseline calculations had been even lower. That was when Shepard stepped in and called her crewman away.
"EDI, that thing you said Palmer suggested taken care of?" Shepard asked quietly.
"Yes, Shepard. Everything is ready," EDI answered.
It was a long march through the tunnels of the Underground to the exit they'd selected for their jumping-off point. Doubtless all the entrances closer to the beam would be heavily guarded, making a breakout costly. Outside, it was still raining, the sky overhead lit up by the beam and by various lights belonging to the Reapers, revealing the grey bellies of the clouds dumping the deluge.
It had been awhile since Anderson saw stars or the moon, and he missed both. "Alright. Let's get on this," he announced.
"Let's get on this," Shepard echoed, and started off at a trot, her Collector particle beam on her back, her shotgun cradled in her arms, Vega and Ghur following close behind.