Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Escape from Tarkov/Mass Effect crossover.
This marks the last chapter of the Virmire story arc. I have to say, it's been a wild rollercoaster ride so far. Thank you all for sticking with me, and I hope you continue to do so to the end of this crossover.
I've decided to keep the poll up until Thursday this week. If you haven't made your vote yet, I highly recommend that you do so. Thursday is when I will also change the story's title, so be aware of that.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Escape from Tarkov or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Electronic Arts, BioWare and Battlestate Games. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their original developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Geneburn - War Goes Hot
Virmire
Research/Breeding Facility
2183
With the Beacon accessed, and the console destroyed, the team quickly began moving out of the facility again. Taking the elevator back down, they moved back tpwards Rhana's office, weapons ready in case the enemy came in from behind them. That turned out to be smart, as there were some Geth that were on the bridge. It didn't take them long to gun the Geth down.
As they moved forwards, Kirrahe came over the comms once again. "The Geth are moving from your position, Jaeto," he reported. "Looks like Shadow kicked a sensitive spot! Williams, head them off. Hold them out here!"
"Sensitive spot my ass," O'Connor remarked as he put a bullet into a Geth platform that was still online, despite being ripped apart. "We shot that sensitive spot, played soccer with it, then wore it like a hat. How much further to the breeding facility?"
"Not sure," Garrus frowned. "I think we're getting close. We just have to keep moving."
"Hopefully, they have a map of the facility here," Shepard added.
"Maybe…" O'Connor frowned.
Fortunately, they found such a map when they moved into Rhana's office. Looking at it, Shepard said, "Aha! Looks like there's a bridge that continues straight ahead once we exit this office. Safe money's on the breeding facility being up ahead there."
"That's what I was thinking," Garrus nodded. "Still, they're pretty fucking sick to be pulling this kind of crap."
"You're telling me," O'Connor agreed. Compared to some of the shit he'd seen at Tarkov, this was quite the thing. It's not everyday you get to blow up a cloning facility run by a fanatical nutcase that thinks he can do no wrong.
Proceeding ahead, they quickly found the way across, as the bridge folded down to allow access to the rest of the facility. It wasn't guarded, though, as Garrus shouted, "Krogan! They must have been sent to capture us!"
Instead of replying, O'Connor leaned out and fired his AK, with Shepard and Garrus adding their own fire to the mix. Kinetic barriers flared and shattered as the onslaught of bullets hammered into them. Some of the Krogan fired back, but it was clear that they hadn't expected a heavy assault like this. A few got into cover, but most fell to the ground, their lifeless bodies weeping blood and other fluids.
Pulling a grenade out, O'Connor primed it before hurtling it over the cover he was in. That forced the Krogan to move, as one began running forwards while the others got further away from the grenade. The one that ran was promptly gunned down by Garrus, just as the grenade exploded, tearing apart a few more Krogan. "No the brightest bunch, eh?" he remarked.
"Not now," O'Connor growled back, AK barking loudly as he fired. Soon, the area fell silent as the last Krogan fell to the ground, groaning as blood spilled from it's ruptured stomach. The team moved ahead, moving through the door on the other side.
Advancing through the hallway, they quickly moved down a stairway before advancing ahead. Leaning around the rounded corner they were at, Garrus looked for a long moment before he pulled back. "What is it?" Shepard asked.
"We've got some nasty people around the corner," Garrus replied. "Plus, we've got an AA array up ahead. If that remains online, it'll tear holes into the Normandy."
"Enemy composition?"
"Looks like four Krogan, some Geth, as well as a few of their hoppers. I also thought I spotted a few drones up ahead too."
"Then it's going to be pretty tough getting up there." Turning to the others, he asked, "Any ideas?"
"Garrus could handle the Krogan," O'Connor proposed. "The FAL's cartridge is more than capable of quickly gunning them down. I'll handle their Sappers or Ghosts, whatever, while you get the drones and the ground bound Geth."
"Sounds like a plan," Garrus agreed.
"Same here," Liara nodded.
"Then we'll do it," Shepard nodded. "O'Connor, you wouldn't happen to have one of those… uh… what did you call them?"
"Zaryas?"
"Yes, those."
"Garrus, mind if you look in my 'pack? Look for a grenade that's shaped like a ball connected to a shaft." Garrus, hearing the request, moved to O'Connor and began rummaging through the armored backpack.
It didn't take him long, as he gave out a pleased sound before pulling out two of the aforementioned grenades. "Are these them?" he asked.
"Yep," O'Connor nodded. Pulling the pin on one, he moved towards the corner before tossing it out towards the Krogan. "Won't slow the Geth down, but it'll disorient the Krogan long enough for Garrus to gun them down. When it detonates, move!"
Just as he finished talking, a loud BANG came from around the corner. Charging around the corner, the team quickly went into action. O'Connor's AK barked loudly as it flung it's deadly projectiles at the Geth that were quickly hopping through the air. One such Geth, a Ghost, was promptly cored by a 7.62mm bullet, it's chassis ballooning slightly from the force of the explosion. Another had it's head explode as a similar bullet pierced through the optical sensor.
Garrus was having similar luck as well. Smiling as Liara pulled one of the Krogan towards them, he fired the FAL. He found the powerful kicking sensation from the rifle strangely comforting as the Right Arm of the Free World roared, delivering death and destruction to the enemy he was facing. I really love this thing, he thought as a Krogan's head was blasted apart. Who would've thought that such old weapons could really kick some ass when given some love. I know I didn't.
Shepard was also having some luck too, as he was firing on the Geth at the ground. Tossing a grenade, he heard it explode as it passed between a pair of Geth, disabling their kinetic barriers. Firing his rifle once, twice, then thrice, he gunned them down.
Just then, bullets smacked into his kinetic barriers. Ducking behind cover, he peered out to see a pair of drones. He was about to fire when his weapon automatically began to vent heat. Damnit, he snarled. They gunked up the gun! "O'Connor? I need a gun!" he shouted.
In response, he watched as a pistol flew through the air, hitting the ground before skidding to his feet. I don't know how to load this fucking thing, just fire it. I hope that's enough. Grabbing the handgun, he hastily leaned out of cover and fired, lining up the unfamiliar sights as best as he could.
The handgun kicked in his hands more violently than he was used to, but it did the job perfectly. Both drones exploded as .45 caliber bullets tore into them before exploding. Ducking behind cover, he looked around to see that all hostiles had been neutralized. Walking up to O'Connor, he said, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," O'Connor replied as he took his handgun back. "Now, let's shut the damn AA gun down."
With all hostiles down, they proceeded up the nearby stairs and to an alcove that held an elevator, as well as what appeared to be a series of controls. "I got this," Garrus informed the others as he went to work on the Geth control panel. After a half-minute, he said, "Got it. AA guns are offline."
Shepard was about to contact Joker when O'Connor said, "More Geth in the elevator! We've also got ambushers coming from where we came from!"
"O'Connor, you've got the elevator," Shepard barked. "Garrus, Liara, you and I will handle the incoming ambushers!"
As the trio moved, O'Connor holstered his AK and pulled out the Saiga-12 he'd replaced the RPG with. Just as he got into position, the elevator doors opened to reveal three Geth inside. None of them had any time to fire as O'Connor reflexively pulled the trigger.
Three loud explosions filled the elevator interior as he fired, sending tungsten buckshot flying into the cab. All three Geth fell apart, their kinetic barriers being overwhelmed by the storm of tungsten that was flying into them. A few seconds later, he heard the others finish up. "All clear!" he reported.
"Not for long," Shepard frowned. "Everyone into the elevator!" Once everyone was inside, he hammered the controls, with the cab quickly descending down to ground level.
Again, Kirrahe came over the comms. "That's it," he decided. "We need to clear out the Geth and set those charges."
That reminded Shepard of something. Keying his comm, he said, "Joker, we've disabled the AA weapons. You're clear to come in."
"Roger that," Joker replied. "Let me know when you're at the location we need to set the bomb, then I'll bring her in. Over and out."
Moving through the door, they quickly arrived at the breeding facility. Looking around for a brief moment, O'Connor found that it was shaped like a long, open-roofed hallway. On either side, however, he could see what appeared to be large tanks of some kind. Probably what they breed those Krogan in, he thought. Chilling, that one can churn out Krogan like automobile parts at an assembly line.
The place wasn't unoccupied, though, as some Geth and a few Krogan were inside. Moving quickly into cover, O'Connor ignored the water swirling around his feet, while Shepard and the others opened fire. Leaning out of cover, he fired a few times, blasting apart a few Geth before tossing a grenade at the Krogan.
Thankfully, they had arrived when there was no cloning going on, as the resistance was light. With all hostile quickly killed, they proceeded to the other end of the wing they were in, which had a heavy blast door. Moving through it, they found themselves standing in a large, artificial river of some kind, likely for the station's power generation facility. At the front, the team found large fuel canisters that were in place, while towards the rear, they found the turbine that was powering the facility.
"Joker, looks like we're in position," Shepard reported. "Bring the Normandy in."
"Aye, aye, Commander," Joker replied. "Nice work! That's one less thing to worry about. I'll bring her in now."
"Joker's coming in any second now, team. Hold position here."
"Copy," O'Connor replied. Just then, Shepard thought he spotted a blur of movement, along with a familiar sound. A few seconds later, the familiar shape of the Normandy came into view, with the corvette landing gently on the other end of the artificial river, near the fuel tanks. As soon as it had landed, the loading ramp deployed.
Walking down the ramp, Kaidan and the others were carefully moving the weaponized ship drive towards the turbine structure. The drive itself was quite light, as only two people were needed to move the makeshift bomb into position. Nearing the turbine, they set the bomb down and made sure it was firmly secured in it's position. "Bomb's in position," he reported. "We're all set he-"
Moments later, Ashley interrupted over the comm. "Commander, can you read me?" she called, her voice stressed.
"The nuke's almost ready," Shepard replied. "Get your ass to the rendezvous point!"
"Negative, Commander. The Geth have us pinned down at the AA tower! We've taken heavy casualties! We'll never make it to the rendezvous point in time!"
"Damnit! Get them out of there, Joker! Now!"
"Negative, it's too hot! Can't risk it. We'll hold them off as long as we -" Moments later, the comm call cut out.
"Ashley, ASHLEY!" Shepard shouted. "Damnit!"
"It's OK, Commander," Kaidan added. "I need a couple of minutes to finish arming the bomb. Go get them and meet me back here."
"Good idea," Shepard nodded. Turning to a couple of the guards, he said, "Make sure nothing happens to Kaidan or the bomb! If either one of them is downed, then this mission is done!" The guards nodded emphatically, before taking up positions. "The rest of you, with me! We have to get to the AA tower ASAP!"
Nodding, the team quickly moved towards the other blast door, opening it up as fast as they could. On the other side was another hallway filled with cloning tanks, along with some Geth and a few Krogan. "Take them out fast!" he ordered.
The team quickly opened fire, gunning down the Geth as quickly as they possibly could. The Krogan were meatier, but even they fell to the onslaught of bullets quite quickly. Once all hostile contacts were down, they moved forwards, weapons ready as they entered the door on the other side. Said door also led to an elevator, which they quickly took to the upper level.
The upper levels were, strangely enough, quite vacant, with no one present to stop them or fire on them. Just as they began to move towards Ashley's location, though, Shepard spotted something. "Oh, come on!" he groaned as a Geth dropship flew overhead.
Instead of dropping off troops, however, it flew towards Kaidan's location. "Heads up, LT," Ashley reported. "We just spotted a troop ship headed to your location."
"It's already here!" Kaidan shouted. "There's Geth pouring all over the bomb site!"
"Can you hold them off?" Shepard asked.
"Negative, there's too many!" Kaidan reported back. "I don't think we can survive until you get here!" After a pause, he added, "I'm activating the bomb!"
"Kaidan, what are you doing?"
"I'm just making sure this bomb goes off, no matter what." There was another pause, then, "It's done, Commander. Go get Williams and get the hell out of here!"
"Screw that!" Ashley protested. "We can handle ourselves! Go back there and get Alenko!"
With that, Shepard now knew he faced a terrible choice: who to save, and who to sacrifice to complete the mission. For a few seconds, he faced the agonizing decision. I don't want to sacrifice either one of them, he thought, but I have to complete the mission. Damnit! What do I do?
As he thought this out, he realized it. Wait a minute, he thought. I've got a third option that I can choose.Turning to O'Connor, he said, "You think you can handle the Geth's forces long enough for us to get Ashley?"
"As long as I've got a good squad, then yes," O'Connor nodded. "I've still got six mags for my AK, and a few more for my shotgun and handgun. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yes," Shepard nodded. Keying his comm, he said, "Kaidan, O'Connor and Garrus are heading back to help you out. Liara and I are going to get Ashley out of the bind she's in."
"Copy that," Kaidan reported.
"Roger that," Ashley nodded. "O'Connor, if you can hear me, give those Geth bastards hell for me!"
"Certainly," O'Connor agreed. Dumping the empty mag out of the rifle, he racked a new magazine in, before heading to the elevator with Garrus. "Shepard?" he called out as he pulled some spare bullets out of a small bag in his pack, loading them into the empty mags as he talked. "See you on the other side."
"You too, Marine," Shepard nodded. O'Connor smiled at that, just as the doors closed and the elevator began to descend.
He'd finished recharging a mag when they reached the bottom. Putting the bag away into his pack, he loaded the freshly loaded mag into his rifle before racking the bolt, advancing forwards as he did so. Garrus, having moved ahead faster, quickly opened up the blast door.
As soon as the blast door opened, they say the severity of the situation. All but one of the guards was dead, while another, despite taking a few bullets to his chest, was fighting on, roaring loudly from the pain as he did so. Kaidan was also fighting back, his biotics flaring as he continued to hurl any attack he could summon.
A Geth was about to fire on him when a bullet tore through it's skull, blasting it apart and showering the area with shrapnel. Kaidan would've wondered what had happened, when he spotted O'Connor and Garrus moving forwards, their weapons barking loudly as they fired. As O'Connor got into cover, Kadian asked, "What kept you?"
"This long ass facility," O'Connor replied. "Less talk, more shooting." Seeing the sense in that, Kaidan nodded, before firing his pistol at the Geth.
It was one of the harder fights that O'Connor had fought, as the attackers were all heavy duty Geth chassis. "Shit! Geth Prime!" Garrus shouted. "Take him out!"
"Grenade out!" O'Connor shouted. Firing the underbarrel grenade launcher, he watched as the 40mm grenade bypassed the Prime's kinetic barriers before detonating. When it remained standing, he loaded another grenade before firing it off again. It was the third grenade that did the trick, with that one tearing through the weakened armor before shredding the Prime's internal components, sending it tumbling to the ground.
The loss of coordination on the Geth's part was immediate, as their attacks became less accurate. Eventually, all the Geth were downed, their bodies weeping lubricants as they floated towards the turbine. Taking the calm quiet to act, O'Connor used all the spare bullets he had to refill his mags. Only five mags, but I can make that work, he decided.
Moving up, he was about to talk to Garrus when, suddenly, a blur of blue shot past him. Shit, he thought as he rolled to the left. Quickly backpedaling, he took his handgun, letting his AK dangle on it's sling, before firing in the direction of the attack.
When he looked in that direction, he frowned. Saren, he thought as he saw the Turian using some kind of hover pad as a platform. The bastard himself has come back for a rematch. He fired a couple more times, the bullets exploding against Saren's kinetic barriers.
As soon as he got into cover, Saren calmly stepped off of the platform, using his biotic powers to freeze Kaidan and Garrus in a stasis field. "This is one of the few times that I've been legitimately surprised," he remarked as he looked at O'Connor, who's AK was firmly aimed at his face. "My Geth were utterly convinced that the Salarians were the real threat, an impressive diversion if I do say so myself. I figured there was more to it though, so imagine my surprise when Shepard was not the real threat either.
"Of course, it was all for nothing. I can't let you disrupt what I have accomplished here. You can't possibly understand what's at stake here."
"Really?" O'Connor asked dubiously. "Well, I can understand it just fine, you deluded gecko."
While Saren bristled at that, the Spectre turned traitor held his composure. "When I first ran into you at Eden Prime, I thought I was dealing with a minor insect. Now, it seems as though that was a miscalculation. Sovereign perceives you as a threat, and I intend to get rid of it."
O'Connor kept silent. I don't want to give him any more fuel to continue his argument if I can. Still, I wonder what he's up to. "Why are you doing this? Why betray the Council for something like this?"
"You know that Shepard saw the visions. He, and you, of all people, should understand what the Reapers are capable of. They cannot be stopped. Do not mire yourself in pointless revolt. Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms. The Protheans tried to fight, but they were utterly destroyed.
"Trillions dead, but what if they had bowed before the invaders? Would the Protheans still exist? Is not submission preferable to extinction?"
"Not if that submission means eternal enslavement, you sick bastard! The Protheans chose that they would rather die than live a life of eternal, unending servitude. It's a decision on their part that I agree with; any alternative, aside from enslavement and destruction, is preferable! Besides, do you really think the Reapers'll let us live?"
"Now you see why I never came forward to the Council with this. We organics are driven by emotion instead of logic. We will fight, even when we know we cannot win. But if we work with the Reapers – if we make ourselves useful – think of how many lives would be spared! Once I understood this, I joined Sovereign, though I was aware of the… dangers. I had hoped this facility would protect me."
"Look at that. You're afraid that Sovereign is controlling your thoughts! You're afraid that he's manipulating you!
"I've studied the effects of Indoctrination. The more control Sovereign exerts, the less capable the subject becomes. That is my saving grace. Sovereign needs me to find the Conduit. My mind is still my own… for now. But the transformation from ally to servant can be subtle. I will not let it happen to me."
It's already happening to him, O'Connor thought. The fucking bastard is nothing more than a tool at this point! Out loud, he asked, "Why are the Geth working with you? Why are you hunting for the Conduit?"
Apparently, the Indoctrination was weakening Saren's inhibitions, at least partially, as he said, "They believe Sovereign to be their god, the pinnacle of their own evolution. But the reaction of their deity is the most telling: it is insulted. Sovereign does not desire the pitiful devotions the Geth throw at it. They are just tools, and no amount of worship will change that.
"But as tools, they are useful. They will survive the coming invasion. If organic life is to survive, then we must prove also prove we are useful. We must work with the Reapers.
"As for the Conduit, it is the key to your destruction and my salvation. Sovereign needs my help to find it. That is why I have not been indoctrinated."
At that, O'Connor laughed, a bitter sound that even Saren knew was hollow. "You're already being manipulated by it, you sick bastard!" he bit back after his humorless chuckle. "You're already under it's power. You're nothing more than a tool to it, to be used, then thrown aside at the earliest convenience!"
"NO!" Saren roared. "Sovereign needs me! If I find the Conduit, I've been promised a reprieve from the inevitable! This is my only hope."
"It doesn't have to be like that, Saren!" O'Connor shouted. "We don't have to give in to those Reaper bastards! We can defeat them, just like any other enemy!"
"I no longer believe that, O'Connor," Saren countered. "The visions cannot be denied. The Reapers are too powerful. Our only hope is to side with them. Sovereign is a machine, it thinks like a machine. If I can prove my value to it, then I become a resource worth maintaining! There is no other logical conclusion."
"You were a Spectre, Saren. A man that swore to protect the galaxy at any cost, even if it meant you own life. Ironic, then, that you broke that promise to save your own worthless hide, you fucking coward!"
"I'm not doing this for myself! Don't you see?! Sovereign will succeed, it is inevitable! My way is the only way any of us will survive! I am forging an alliance between us and the Reapers, between organics and machines. In doing so, I will save more lives than have ever existed."
Saren was about to continue when O'Connor said, "I've looked at that kind of argument, Saren. Every fucking madman and dictator in our history has used that argument to kill millions of innocents in order to establish their regimes! I will never serve the Reapers, ever! All I have to say is this: give me liberty… or GIVE ME DEATH!" With that, he opened fire.
Saren, who'd been talking, didn't expect O'Connor to open fire like that. Juking behind cover, he snarled as a bullet clipped his barriers, bringing them down by a good 33%. "Then you leave me no choice," he growled. "You would undo my work. You would doom our civilization to annihilation, and for that, you must die."
With that, the fight was on. Both men exchanged bullets as they fired at each other, a hardened Spectre going up against a hardened survivor, and Marine turned mercenary. O'Connor leaned out and fired, catching Saren in his right flank, while a bullet bounced off his kinetic barriers. Pulling out a grenade, he primed it, tossing it out a few seconds after he did so.
That forced Saren to move, with the explosion shattering his barriers. Apparently, he'd taken precautions if this should happen, as his body armor withstood the burst of bullets fired at him. "Your weapons are as primitive as they are ineffective," he growled.
O'Connor fired something moments later, a loud BLOOP echoing in the air as something whizzed by Saren. "Your aim's deplorable," he frowned. "I -"
He was about to continue when an explosion tore through the area. Saren was knocked ass over teakettle by the force of the detonation, though he quickly rolled and came to his feet. Unknowingly, he'd allowed O'Connor to deny him his greatest advantage: his range.
Just as he rolled up, Saren felt an armored fist smash into his face. Facial plates cracked from the force of the blow, while his vision flashed gray for an instant. Saren staggered back, wincing as blue blood dripped from the fractured plates on his nose, as well as from said nose. "Try me, bitch," O'Connor replied before the two began raining down blows onto each other.
Saren, swiping with a claw, scored a hit on O'Connor's face. The hardened merc roared from the pain, but not once did he lose his wits or his momentum, as he put even more force into his blows. A moment later, Saren gasped as he felt one of his ribs fracture, before he dealt another blow to the merc's face. The two went at it for a while, dealing blows as they fought like mad.
That was when it happened. Just as he was about to move in for a killing blow, Saren felt a powerful blow to his torso. Suddenly, the wind seemed to escape his lungs, while his vision flashed gray, and pain like never before exploded in his lower right torso. He choked loudly as he tumbled to the ground, his knees and legs shaking as he forced himself to get up.
Apparently, that was enough to free Kaidan and Garrus, as both men fell over, gasping as they staggered to their feet. Realizing the game was up, Saren began to stagger back to his platform, just as three gunshots rang out. Pain exploded in his back as the armor plating, which had taken a beating from the bout of fisticuffs, failed to completely stop the rounds.
As the pad lifted off with him on it, he turned to see the cause. O'Connor was standing there, nursing his left arm and part of his chest. Blood streamed down a nasty gash on his inflamed face, though his right eye remained intact. In his right hand, which remained steady despite his pain, the muzzle of his handgun was trailing smoke. Moments later, the merc was out of sight as the pad flew off.
O'Connor wheezed as he limped towards the Normandy. Motherfucker, he groaned. I think I've broken my arm and a few ribs. I hope not, but it feels like it. Just as he was about to stagger, he felt two people help him to the ship. "Thank you," he said to Kaidan and Garrus.
"Anytime, for a friend," Garrus nodded. "Spirits, O'Connor! What did Saren do to you?!"
"Aside from giving me a pounding? Quite a bit," O'Connor remarked. "Killa's brother was worse, though." Looking up, he spotted Shepard, Ashley and the others waiting. "What kept you?"
"Saren and his Geth," Shepard replied. "Come on, let's get out of here." O'Connor didn't argue, even as they loaded up, with the Normandy quickly flying away.
Looking through the viewport on the bridge, Shepard watched as the tiny dot that was the facility disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. The bridge viewports polarized immediately, though they couldn't completely block out the light. When they became clear again, all that was left of the facility was a mushroom cloud that was towering into the sky. Mission accomplished.