The bridges that connected the twin Prothean towers were not in good repair. They looked solid from a distance, yes, but when on them one could see broken stone and sheared metal, rusted pipes that leaked water, and ancient long dead wiring sticking out in places that likely once made sense. In total there were three bridges, one above the other at slight adjacent angles, with the middle bridge having broken near the one tower and having partly fallen upon the lower bridge at an awkward angle.
Passing through of the entrance guarded by Geth platforms and turrets that paid them no heed, Nihlus could see movement ahead on the rubble filled bridge and scowled. "Movement on the bridge ahead of us."
"Yes, the Batarians have been slowly trying to bring their forward outposts on the bridge closer and closer over the last few days," Sanae said as she looked at the bridge and smirked before beginning to do some stretches.
Nihlus looked at her in confusion, then noticed that Desolas and Adaaya were stretching as well. Only the Geth prime unit that Sanae had called EVA was not, as it stood there stoically. "What is the plan of attack then? I doubt the five of us can break through a barricade over such a long area. Are we intending to sneak past them in the bridges service tunnels?" Nihlus asked as he saw one such tunnel nearby, large enough for a couple people, but little else.
"No, we'll bust right through," Sanae stated as she continued stretching while looking at Nihlus. "You've seen how Alliance forces fight. Can you keep up?"
"I was able to before," Nihlus said, earning a chuckle from Desolas.
"We were not going full speed to keep you, Wrex and Garrus from feeling to out of it. Kaiden and Tali would not have been able to keep up either if we went at full speed."
" . . I see. The other member of your ground team could?" Nihlus asked as he began doing some stretches, realizing that it was probably a good idea if he was going to have any chance of keeping up with the operatives.
"Yes, but she probably wouldn't," Adaaya said with a sigh. "She may be Yuuka's daughter, but she, she holds herself back and insists on using guns over her innate powers."
"She would be more powerful if she did not, I assume?" Nihlus asked.
"Yes, but she doesn't want to seem like she's strong just because of her blood, at least that's what most people think."
"She's not the first with thoughts like that," Sanae spoke up as she seemed to finish stretching and began checking over her, admittedly tight looking, suit. "Many half-Youkai have the same feeling, as they are not sure how much of their power they gain from one parent they can use. And as Youkai can live a very long time, most took decades to grow to the power they are at," she explained as she looked at Nihlus and changed the subject. "About how fast can you run and for how long?"
"Turians can sprint very fast, but only for short spaces of time normally. I have greater endurance than some, but I am still limited to short sprints at high speed," Nihlus explained calmly.
"Could you reach that first Barricade area in one go?" Sanae asked as she pointed to a line of dull metal where, upon second look, a Batarian AFV was sitting nearby, its accelerator cannon likely pointing in their direction. There was some bits of large stone for cover on the way, but not much.
"I could in two or three sprints, but with that AFV there, it would be rather difficult," Nihlus admitted.
"I see. Would you be fine once at the barricade?" Sanae asked with a smile. " You wouldn't get shot easily, right?"
"No, I've dealt with Batarian pirates on many occasions. I would just need to get closer is all."
"Good, then once we get over there we'll all be on our own and keep pushing forward until we need to regroup, sound good?"
"Sure, but which of us is taking out the tank?" Desolas asked as he glared at it. "Whether we go by foot or flight it will see us as targets, and the Batarians have probably noticed us by now."
"I'll deal with it, be ready!" Adaaya declared as she took a few steps forward and stretched her wings out to their full spread. With a thunderous beat of her wings she was in the air, and at the same time, Sanae stepped up beside Nihlus and held out a hand.
"Would you prefer to hold on, or be carried?" Sanae asked with a smile.
"What?" Was all Nihlus was able to ask, as Adaaya let out a scream. The next thing he knew Sanae had grabbed his hand and dragged him up into the air, flying without any wings, jets or boosters and then began spinning him around in mid-air. He caught glimpses of Adaaya flying toward the tank, as well as Desolas dashing across the bridge toward it as well.
Nihlus was a spectre, a skilled warrior, and one who had been through much in his life. When he felt Sanae let go of his hand midspin however, he felt his heart drop. He had just been lifted up, spun around, and then thrown. As he flew he could see Adaaya slam into the Batarian AFV, crushing its top into the rest of its body. He could also see Desolas garnering most of the other Batarians attention as they tried to shoot him, walls of steel blocking their shots
And judging from his trajectory . . . . Nihlus pulled his gun off his back as he approached the ground just behind the Batarian AFV, and activated his armours small, but potent built in jet pack. The sudden thrust softened his landing, allowing him to land with a roll and instantly move into cover, his accelerator rifle, a Phaeston, firing into the backs of unknowing Batarians.
The effect was deadly. In less than a minute their AFV was crushed, they were attacked from above, and behind, and then Adaaya and Sanae joined in, turning a two pronged attack into a one sided slaughter.
"Was throwing me really necessary?" Nihlus asked as he let a shot fly out of his rifle and struck the last Batarian who tried to run away from him, the body falling against a piece of Batarian barricade that had been mostly reduced to rubble.
"It got you into their lines, that was what you needed, right?" Sane asked with a smirk as she tossed a slip of paper at the AFV's wreckage. As soon as the paper touched it burned up, and the wreckage suddenly was pushed right off the edge of the bridge with more force than even a flurry of missiles could create.
"It did, but some form of notice would have been nice. It was a miracle I was able to land that with as little time as I had!"
"I know, wonderful isn't it?" Sanae asked with a grin, confusing Nihlus in an instant.
"How is it-.."
"Don't worry about it," Desolas said as he walked up beside Nihlus and patted his shoulder. "We have a whole bridge and the tower left!"
"Looks like they shifted their barricades. They have a defence line at the other tower entrance, and nothing between here and there," Adaaya called down from where she was hovering above them.
"What sort of defences?" Nihlus asked.
"Looks like two AFV's equipped with long range heavy accelerator cannons, as well as lines of barricades, and heavy turrets."
"What is the cover like on the way?" Mihlus asked as he ran up an incline of the road and came to the top, witnessing the answer himself.
"It's completely barren. Looks like they cleared the road, maybe in preparation for a big attack. There is no cover."
"Damn, that will be difficult. We should try the maintenance tunnels, they are likely to be less guarded as they are smaller," Nihlus said, gesturing to a broken open hatch of said tunnels.
"Screw that, I'm not waiting," Desolas stated as he walked backwards over to the ruined Batarian barricades they had already smashed.
"Desolas, what are you doing?" Sanae asked after a few seconds of silence as they watched him seeming scratching parts of the barricades with his claws.
"Marking," Desolas grunted as he finished and nodded, then walked back up to the rise with the rest of them.
"And that is supposed to help, how?" Nihlus asked.
"Oh no," Addaya muttered in realization. "Sanae, one of us will need to grab Nihlus if I'm right about this. The bridge won't last!"
"Alight? But what is he planning?"
"Yes, this bridge is millions of years old, it shouldn't break that easily!" Nihlus declared.
Then Desolas began to work. Electricity began arcing across his fringe, then down his back in ever increasing amounts until it was like a cape of power. It began arcing and leaping across the solid stone beneath their feet, traveling to the ruined barricades, Batarian equipment even some of the Batarian bodies as well. Everything his electricity touched began lifting up into the air. Metals cracked, bent and warped before twisting in ways no metal should. Then the metals all turned fluid and flowed off of anything that was not metal, dropping the unneeded material and corpses to the ground with thumps.
All of the now fluid metals flowed together above Desolas, forming a sphere larger than an AFV of fighter craft, and then they began shifting again. A trio of long metal bars, long metal plates to cover them, and a massive metal spike in the middle of it all at the back. The massively long triangular beam of metal floated there for a couple seconds, then swung and aimed its end at the far away Batarian barricade at the other towers entrance. Electricity coursed across the whole thing as the metal began to hum, and as it did, Sanae's eyes went wide as she realized what Desolas was doing.
"Wait, don't shoot that!" Nihlus yelled as he too realized what Desolas intended.
It was too late though, as a second later the contained electrical energy reached its peak, and the magically formed railgun with a slug the size of the average person, ripped out of the barrel at a speed nearly impossible to follow and soared toward its target.
The slug collided with the centre of the Batrian forces, its weight and speed not just blowing apart the defences and making AFV'a and soldiers be knocked aside from the concussion blast, but causing the shell to burrow deep into the bridge and the tower itself, blowing debris and ancient stone in every direction while all the contained magical and electrically energy was also released upon the area of impact. The blast wave, the roar of released energy, of decimated stone and infrastructure, was so loud that Nihlus was forced to cover his head from the noise and dig in his heels to stop from being thrown backwards.
"What in the spirits name is wrong with you!?" Nihlus yelled as the wave, and the dust and debris it carried with it, was mostly past them allowing him to yell most effectively. "Are you trying to destroy the entire bridge?!"
"No, just the Batarians," Desolas said with a shrug as the electricity across the formed rail gun, suddenly dissipated, causing the rails of metal to fall to the ground with a crunch.
Then the entire bridge shook slightly as a low groan emanated from it, and the tower ahead of them.
"Aw shit. I think the slug went too deep," Desolas commented in an annoyed tone as the bridge began vibrating.
"We need to run back into the tower or we'll fall with the bridge!" Nihlus yelled as he turned to begin sprinting back, only to see the other three not moving. "What are you doing?"
"Our objective is ahead, so I'm going that way," Desolas announced as he began running towards the broken Batarian line even as the entire bridge slowly began to shake more and more violently.
"Same!" Adaaya agreed as he began flying toward the tower.
"Don't worry. We'll all be fine, c'mon!" Sanae said as she came up beside Nihlus with a smile, then took off, flying low to the shaking stone surface.
Nihlus simply stared at them for a moment and then swore to himself. "Spirits, I must be taking their madness," he said as he followed suit, running as fast as he could.
The bridge was shifting, its railings bending and creaking, the stone making it up cracking in great crevasses and lines. The few remaining Batarians that still lived seemed utterly shocked and confused, not understanding what was going on. Then the stone that made up the bridge fractured at the edges, breaking part and falling away down to the planet surface. Some still had cabling connecting them to the bridge, causing the bridge to shift further. Stones buckled and lifted upwards, broke downwards and shifted sideways, and just as Nihlus felt he would make it, the bridges connection to the tower by the still confused Batarians exploded in a cacophony of busting stone, shearing steel and crumbling cables. They fell away from sight even as the bridge began falling, and Nihlus could see Desolas jump over the breaking holes and land on the other side, while Adaaya simply flew over.
"Just run and jump!" Desolas called, making Nihlus realize that he had fallen to one knee from the shock of the bridge starting to truly fall. Another shift of the bridge making the rest of it start to fall forced him into action, running as fast as his legs could carry him.
Only for the stone below his feet to crumble prematurely, making him fall toward the stones.
Then everything went black.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nihlus awoke with both a raging headache, and the enjoyment of the fact that pain meant he was alive. Getting up Nihlus glanced around and took an account off his surroundings. He was in a ruined stone building that looked like it hadn't been touched in decades. There were broken stairs on two walls, and a doorway between them, as well as a massive hole in the wall across from them that he could see the other Prothean tower from. His phaeston was sitting on a nearby hunk of stone, and a quick look over of his gear told him it that while a bit scuffed, it was perfectly fine.
Looking out of the hole in the wall and judging his current altitude he scowled. He was easily a good hundred meters lower than he should be. Had someone caught him when he fell? If so, why lower him to a lower place in the tower?
Picking up his rifle and attaching it to his armour Nihlus turned toward the stairs, only to stop as he could hear voices coming from them. Jumping behind a large hunk of rubble he waited, and after a few moments could hear the voices clearly.
"Dammit, you really think those Alliance monsters somehow got in? They probably fell to the surface and died!"
"I know. The boss is paranoid of these Alliance people. I mean, who the hell blows up an ancient bridge with a giant cannon?!"
"Yeah, and where in the universe could they hide such a thing anyway? It was like it was conjured out of the air!"
"Hey, you almost sound like you believe that stupid rhetoric about the Alliance having magic!"
"No way. It's just some kind of technology they are unwilling to explain. Damn humans and their minion races."
"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Those other races controlling the humans?"
"I have no idea, I can barely tell them apart. They're probably all just humans with some genetic augmentation done or something. . . dammit, I wish we were with the main force instead of scouting the tower on the off chance they somehow survived their own stupidity!"
"I know. I'd much prefer being with the group that's going to attack the other tower. I wonder what is in there that the bosses want so bad?"
"I think I heard them talking about some sort of archive or information hidden under that colony. Honestly I don't care though. Working for a pair of spectres is awkward, but if it gets us the money to rebuild our people properly, then I don't care what work we have to take!"
"I guess so, but I still want to join in on the attack so we can get it done with and get paid already. Which of them is leading the attack?" one asked as their forces started getting further away. Nihlus risked a glance over the rubble he was behind and could see the two Batarian going up one of the sets of stairs and made his choice to follow them.
"The Asari spectre I think. Something about her needing to get the info and the other spectre is staying behind to, keep us in check."
"Nah, damn spectres. At least they pay well!" the other agreed as they reached the top of the stairs, as Nihlus noticed a small spark of energy on the floor by their feet. A second later a blast of wind erupted from the ground, throwing both the Batarians backwards onto the stairs which they tumbled down with a number of cusses, yelps and cracks of their armour on the stone.
When they finally stopped tumbling at the stairs bottom one of them was not moving, and the other seemed to have a broken arm and was nursing it with his free hand.
"Who are the spectres leading your forces?" Nihlus asked as he leapt out from behind cover and pointed his pheaston at the awake Batarian, whose eyes widened at his sight.
"What? Who are you?!"The Batarian replied with a groan and a wince.
"Nihlus Kyrick, Spectre!"
"What? Wait, you were with those Alliance people!" The Batarian exclaimed in realization as he reached for a pistol on his leg. By the time his fingers touched it though, Nihlus pulled the trigger and filled the Batarian skull with a dozen accelerator rounds.
"Aha, you're awake, good!" Adaaya exclaimed from the top of the staircase with a smile on her face. "Just woke up?"
"Yes. What happened?" Nihlus asked instantly as he knelt down and began looking over the dead Batarian for anything of use. A second later he managed to activate the Batarians omnitool and began skimming over its contents.
"Well, I tried to trick them into my wind mine, but they went down the other flight of stairs there, so I had to wait and-.."
"No, I mean when I went unconscious. What happened?" Nihlus asked again as he sighed and dropped the Batarians arm, finding nothing of particular use on the omnitool.
"Oh, sorry," Adaaya said as she leapt off the stairs and floated down to across from Nihlus. "The bridge shifted under your feet and a chunk of stone decked you in the side of the head. Then the whole bridge fell away. Sanae was the one who caught you, and flew you in here for safety. We came down as quickly as possible, and have been harassing Batarian squads in the upper area for about a couple minutes now while waiting for you to wake up as Sanae insisted on not leaving you behind."
"I see. These Batarians mentioned that two spectres are leading them, and that one is preparing to attack the other tower. We need to tell them they are about to come under attack."
"We heard some other talk about the attack and have already warned them. Two spectres is a surprise though. Are you good to move?" Adaaya asked as the Batarian between them stirred, causing her to suddenly bend down and slam her fist into his throat, crushing it and making him gag a bit before going silent.
"Yes, I'm fine. And was that really necessary?" Nihlua asked darkly.
"Nope, but its force of habit now," Adaaya said with a shrug as she led Nihlus up the stairs into what appeared to be a massively large open room full of columns and rubble.
The ceiling was easily thirty meters up, and the entire room was larger than some space ship hangers. The stairs came out of the floor at one side, a partly sunken stone dome was in the middle of the room, and on the far side was what appeared to be stairs and ancient elevators.
"Do we know what is in that dome?" Nkihlus asked as he glanced around, noticing a couple dead Batarians here and there, and a larger number of Scientists, Asari and Salarians mostly, but a few Volus and Turians as well. The bodies all looked like they had been killed while trying to flee, and only a couple had weapons.
"Yes, some sort of research station that monitored the main colony. Sanae and Desolas are waiting there for us as Sanae wanted to find out what they were researching. Though, I think she already knows."
"What do you mean by- hold up, enemies ahead!" Nihlus hissed as he moved behind a nearby column, as did Adaaya. Ahead of them, maybe twenty meters, was a group of five Batarians who looked to be preparing to storm the entrance to the dome.
One of them ran towards the door, making for its side, but as soon as he made it a glowing circle formed underneath him and he was instantly overcome by acing electricity that quickly fried both his kinetic barrier, and his nervous system. As he fell to the ground the sound of metal footfalls came from in the doorway, and a second later the Geth Prime walked out, its weapon trained on the remaining four Batarians positions.
"Geth Prime! Get back in cover!" one Batarian yelled as he threw himself behind some rubble. The other tried to move as well, but one was not so lucky and was killed as the Primes weapon, some kind of accelerator of Geth design, tore through his shields and perforated him to ribbons.
Taking the opportunity as he was flanking them, Nihlus opened fire on the Batarians, killing one before the remaining two noticed him. As they saw him they tried to move, only to get gunned down by the Prime.
"Oh yeah, leave me out of the fun, why don't you," Adaaya said with mock annoyance and a smile as she walked over to the Prime and past it, into the dome.
The Prime took up a position by the door, and then tuned its head toward Nihlus.
Still tense around the thing, Nihlus slowly walked up to it, and then into the dome, feeling relief wash over him when it didn't follow him in.
Unfortunately relief turned to disgust as he entered the inside of the dome.
The dome was clearly used as some sort of research facility, as rows of desks lined it, covered in mechanical apparatus and computer screens. Larger screens were mounted on the walls, and collapsible walls that were mostly broken and in pieces were strewn around as what was left of specialized work areas. Worse was that there were dozens of scientists and security guards lying around, their bodies gone cold and their blood starting to congeal on the floors and tables around them.
Then Nihlus saw it. A large glass tube with a gaunt green skinned humanoid monster of some kind beside the compute that Sanae and Desolas were crowded around.
"That's the last file, right?" Desolas asked calmly, not noticing Adaaya now leaning on a table behind him and Sanae.
"Yes, this one should be the last one. Really, it's a miracle that this much data survived!"
"Uh, enough of that!" Adaaya spoke up, casing the two of them to turn and see her and Nihlus.
"Oh good, your both here!" Sanae said with a smile as she turned back around, tapped the computer a few more times and then turned back around. "It's a good thing your fine, I was worried you hit your head too bad. It's a..-"
"Don't even say it!" Adaaya exclaimed, interrupting Sanae. "You ego doesn't need any more fanning!"
"Probably not," Sanae said as she turned to Nihlus. "Are you alright though? Anything hurt or broken? I can heal you if you need it?"
"Um, no, I'm fine. Though Adaaya told me you are the one who saved me earlier from the bridge falling, so thank you."
"Don't worry about it; you're our ally, so of course I helped you!"
"Still, thank you," Nilhus said before turning his gaze to Desolas. "What on the spirits where you thinking though? Blowing up a bridge we were on? You could have killed us all!"
"We're fine, the only one in danger was you," Desolas said with a wave of his hand.
"And EVA! He cannot fly either!" Sanae piped up with a grin as she switched off the computer. "Let's not argue in hostile territory though, okay?"
"Fine by me. The rail gun worked, I just didn't expect Prothean buildings to be so flimsy," Desolas said under his breath.
"That was because you ignited the Eezo in the building walls. Though why it was there is behind me," Sanae muttered before clapping her hands together. "I've discovered some interesting data, and I know what these Batarians are here for now!"
"Spectres," Nihlus said in anger. "These Batarians are being led by a pair off Spectres, and one is leading an attack on the other tower. Have they been warned?"
"Yes, they have," Desolas spoke up before turning to Sanae. "Let me guess, they're after whatever you were trying to subtly warn us about?"
"Wait. Warn us?" Nihlus aksed.
"Yeah, Sanae's comment about blowing our noses," Adaaya said before sighing. "Right?"
"Yep. When I first arrived I noticed something in the air that was trying to take hold over time, and now I know what it is! And that I was right to not speak of it openly!" Sanae stated as she walked up to a large screen on the wall, turned it on and began fiddling with it and her wristcomp. A few seconds later the screen showed a large image of what looked like some kind of bulb, or fungal mass. "The Thorian. The scientists here have been researching it for a while now, and using the colony as a testing ground for it!"
"Okay, but what is it? Some kind of animal?" Nihlus asked as he looked at the image in confusion."
"A fungal lifeform, a very old one that the scientist here figured was as old as the Prothean ruins themselves, if not older. It releases spores into the air that, after some study, they found could influence the mental capacity of those infected. Starting with influence, and ending with mind control."
"A mind control fungus . . . Yuuka would have a fit with this thing . . . or a hay day," Adaaya muttered before her eyes went wide. "Wait, what would it do to someone plant based?"
"Um, I'm not sure. It would depend on the individual I think. Miss Yuuka would be fine for sure, so I think her daughter would be fine," Sanae said before looking to the side. "And if not, well I'm sure we could break her out of it. Any form of mind control has to do with ones will, so the stronger ones will, the less trouble they would have resisting id think."
"Okay, but why are the Spectres leading the force after this, Thorian thing?"
"That I don't know, but the science group here was most interested in its mind control abilities. So that could be their main objective." Sanae suggested before turning off the screen. " Either way, our main objective should be making sure they don't reach it, which means we need to beat these Batarians, and stop that attack on the other tower before they can try to-." Sanae was cut off as a series of explosions echoed from outside and the dome shook, dust falling own from its ceiling onto their heads. "Oh, that's not good. EVA, Report!" She screamed into her wristcomp.
"Location under fire. Platform has sustained forty three percent damage. Request aid!" came the electronic response from her wristcomp, alongside the sound of accelerator fire and explosions.
No one said anything as all four of them rushed out of the dome to find, not only the Geth Prime lying on the ground a number of meters away, but Batarian strike teams surrounding them on all sides from cover, their weapons trained on them. Among them, floating on a broken column above the Batarians, was a Hanar with dark skin, and a large amount of floating tech armour all across it.
"It seems this one has overestimated the force required to remove you from the equation. No matter. Surrender and this one will not kill you," It said in a casual and condescending tone.
Nihlus recognized him immediately.
"Lonar, what is the meaning of this!" Nihlus demanded to know.
"Ah, this one recognized you, Kyrik. As Spectres our job is to protect galactic peace. The Alliance is a danger to galactic peace, so we are merely working to remove them from the galaxy, for the sake of peace," Lonar explained.
"By attacking a Citadel research group and a colony of people?!"
"Their lives given will lead to the future of the Citadel space. With the Thorians mind control, we can make the Alliance capitulate, and with the knowledge it holds, another plan will move forward as well. It is all for galactic peace. Now, will you surrender to this one, as is the will of the enkindlers?"
"Go to hell!" Adaaya yelled as she suddenly punched the ground, shaking it and throwing up a large cloud of dust and debris.
Gunfire erupted from all sides instantly, and Nihlus could feel his kinetic barrier wavering as he rushed over to one side and vaulted over the rubble, kicking a Batarian in the face while doing it. The Batarian tried to pick himself back up, but a quick swing of his gun into the Batarians head knocked him unconscious.
The sound of lightning grabbed Nihlus's attention as the dust cleared, causing him to see Adaaya flying high above and flying down in diving arcs, while Nihlus had taken up a position behind a nearby column. He couldn't see Sanae, until suddenly she was sitting beside him, a small scratch on one arm bleeding a bit down it. "So, this is fun!" she exclaimed as she pulled out a wad of paper sheets with writing on them. "If you can help hold back the Batarians, I can go after the squid."
"Hanar have a neurotoxin in their body, and he has tech armour, and likely omniblades," Nihlus replied as accelerator fire chipped the stone around him, prompting him to throwing his pheaston over his head and fire blindly for a few seconds. "They also use a mass effect powered generator to hover, and if pressed he can likely fly fast as well."
"Not a problem, but I need its attention not on me if possible. Can you?" Sanae asked with an oddly cheerful look on her face.
"I'm a Spectre. Of course I can keep their attention on me," Nihlus said seriously after a second of silence between them. "But what weapons do you even have on you?"
Sanae smiled as she lifted the wad of papers. "I'm a Mechanic; this suit has more tricks than it rightfully should. It's a miracle it hadn't overloaded really, but more importantly, I'm a Miko, I'm never unarmed. See you on the other side," She said before she disappeared from some sort of camouflage.
Nihlus took a breath and began moving down the chunk of rubble he was behind, allowing himself a quick glance over it. Adaaya was flying up and down like a bird of prey, each time she reached and enemy she either clipped them with her wings, or even slammed them to the ground or into rubble with her fists or feet. Few got up after her hits, but many Batarians were firing at her constantly, forcing her to keep herself in the air at a distance more than she was actually attacking. No accelerator rounds seemed to be hitting her, seemingly turned away or around her, but she seemed to be being cautious nonetheless.
Desolas, in contrast appeared to be dragging the body of the Geth Prime back into the dome, a trio of large metal sheets floating in front and protecting him from the volleys of fire that were almost pinning him down. One group that was close to Nihlus though suddenly ducked behind cover, their hand fanning their weapons. In that moment Nihlus burst from his cover and leapt into the middle of them.
His pheaston fired in bursts, taking two out in an instant while his free claw slashed another Batarians face. As that one fell, Nihlus grabbed the pistol off the Batarians belt and turned it on another as he continued firing with his rifle. It was over in barely ten seconds, but as Nihlus looked over the bodies he suddenly threw himself into a sideway roll, narrowly dodging an Incinerate tech blast fired from an omnitool.
Looking up he saw Lonar floating above a pile of rubble, an omnitool at the end of one tentacle glowing ferociously. "Unfortunate. This one hoped you would let yourself be hit. If so this one could have lied about you fighting us and the council."
"I'm on a mission for the council, Lonar! You are the one killing scientists and colonists!" Nihlus spat back as he raised the pistol in his hand at him, only to find Lonar suddenly spinning toward him. Nihlus threw the pistol and leapt backwards, watching in horror as Lonar's omniblades sliced the pistol to pieces like a living blender.
And then he noticed the worst detail. Each of Lonar's six tentacles had an omnitool on them, each with a blade out, and glowing with readied tech powers.
"As a Spectre, this one is well versed in killing to protect the peace of galactic society. Your inexperienced arguments will not effect this one's decisions. You have one more chance to surrender, and perhaps this one will be generous," Lonar stated as each of his omnitools suddenly had a flash of fire at their ends, ready to launch.
Nihlus felt his blood curdle. He had gotten on the wrong side of a couple other Spectres before, but it felt nothing like this. They just wanted to show him his place but Lonar, he was perfectly fine with killing him!"
Then the air behind Lonar shimmered, and Nihlus smiled. "No," he said as he swung his phaeston up at Lonar, who moved to the side and swung his own tentacle toward Nihlus.
Only to very suddenly be throw with near impossible force into and through a nearby columns of stone.
"Well, I'm glad that worked!" Sanae exclaimed as she appeared standing just behind where Lonar had been, a couple papers in her hand glowing with a blue-green aura.
"This one, does not understand," Lonar said as he floated upwards, then sideways, and backwards, before dropping low to the ground so that his tentacles were dragging.
"It's simple really, I put an Ofuda Talisman on your Antigravity pack, one that wards against eezo contamination. As it is powered by eezo, every time its power goes above a certain threshold, it activates, and it looks like the result is that it is throwing your control out of whack!" Sanae said with an oddly devious smile as she sauntered over towards Lonar.
Suddenly Lonar burst toward her, arms flailing uncontrollably, before slamming Sanae in a tackle before careening off behind her and Nihlus. "Foolish Alliance, this one's neurotoxin is powerful enough to kill an Elcor in seconds, you will die now," He claimed as, floating very close to the ground, he tried to get away.
"Yeah, not likely!" Sane said as she jumped up and threw an Ofuda at Lonar, it touching, and slicing through two of his tentacles like they were jelly.
"What! Impossible, this one's neurotoxin, how!" Lonar said, his voice tinged with pain as he continued to try to move away while pointing one of the omnitools at Sanae and another at Nihlus.
"Well, I guess it was a miracle that I suddenly became immune to it!" Sanae declared with a grin. "Didn't you know? Almost every Operative in the alliance is either a magician or youkai? However there are a small number that are not. I used to be a human who was the descendant of a goddess, but a while back I became a demigod myself. And my natural talent for creating miracles became even stronger!"
"You, create, miracles? This one cannot understand. Miracles, are the vein of the enkindlers, who gave the galaxy the miracle of the mass relays. An Alliance human could not do such a thing!" Lonar declared as he bolted toward Sanae, clearly angry and insulted if the red glow of his omniblades was any indicator. Just before he would have met her though, he suddenly slammed against a wall that looked like it was made of the paper talismans and blueish green energy that formed a star symbol.
"It's fine if you don't believe, but the truth is the truth. Just like the ones who raised me, my power can gain strength the more people believe in it!" Sanae declared as she dropped the shield and sidestepped Lonar, making him fall to the ground where she had just been. "Now then, would you be so kind as to tell me what kind of tech you're using? I'm really curious as to how you're using all those omnitools at once without having fingers for them!"
Nihlus could see the dangerous look in Sanae's eyes, one of an unhinged scientist, and apparently so did Lonar as he immediately spun up into the air, trying to get away.
"Get back here!" Sanae called out as she began throwing charms while Nihlus opened up with his rifle. A couple of the resulting shots made contact, but he continued to move and flew right up out of the area by the stairs.
"I thought, his mass effect rig was stopped by your paper thing?"
"It was," Sanae said as she walked over and picked up a piece of paper off the ground. "He rolled to scrape it off it looks like. Smart. Maybe I shouldn't have explained what I did?"
"You think?!" Nihlus exclaimed right the entire tower shook violently. "What the hell was that?"
"It wasn't me!" Adaaya declared loudly from up above. "Sure I punched the ground a bit, and fractured a column or four, but I didn't do it!"
"All the Batarians are dead or have retreated, and it wasn't me either," Desolas called as he came over, arcs of electricity moving between his fringes as he looked quite content.
"Then what just-," Nihlus started before the tower shook again, alongside a loud thud that sound like it hadn't come from the building.
"EVA! Does the Geth network know what is going on?" Sanae asked into her wristcomp.
"Affirmative. Small Batarian frigate has left the second tower and is currently firing on its lower sections with its main gun," Came EVA's reply as the tower shook again.
"Shit, we need to get to the other tower! The bridge is a couple floors above us, right?" Nihlus asked.
"Yes, but flying is faster, we can carry you and EVA and-.."
"They'll shoot us out of the air if they are in a frigate, that damn squid is probably hoping we'll fly out!" Desolas interrupted Sanae. "Grab your bot and let's get up to the other bridge!"
"But if they are shooting the tower, the bridges will go too!" Nihlus declared as they all ran over to the dome, and Sanae into it.
"True, but it will take a while, my shell may have weakened it, but if what the Geth said is true, their shooting lower on it. It should take a bit more to break it!"
"We'll have to take the chance regardless," Adaaya interrupted as Sanae came out with the damaged Geth Prime. As they ran and flew toward the stairway up, she then tapped on her wristcomp. "Tali, come in, do you read! We have caused half of the Batarian force to retreat and they are attempting to shoot this tower down! . . . . What!?"
"What, what is wrong?" Nihlus asked at Adaayas's sudden outraged shriek.
"Apparently, the Batarians and an Asari got into the colony and below it, where chased in by our people, Williams then went crazy, and now they're fighting plant zombies!"
Nihlus looked at her for a second before the single thought in his mind managed to escape his mouth. "What?"