Hello again, eeryone, and welcome back to my Gears of War/Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you for the reviews on the previous chapter. They've given me a few ideas to work with. If you asked a question in a previous review, I've answered it at the very bottom of the chapter.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Gears of War or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts, Microsoft Studios, The Coalition, Epic Games, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to it's respective 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.
SABATON - Hellfighters
SSV Normandy
Artemis Tau Cluster
February 1st, 2183
From what Marcus could tell, this was either going to be one of those boring days again, or they would finally find out where Liara was at. Sitting inside of the small firing range, he loaded his Boltok with seven more rounds of triangular half-wrap, 11.53x30mm caseless ammunition. Pushing the side break-action cylinder back into the sealed frame, he took aim and fired all eight rounds. Each round was a frangible bullet, a mass of metal powder that was sintered with a high temperature glue, meaning the round would disintegrate once it hit metal, making it idea for practice ammo.
He was doing it not for practice. Rather, he was here because he was bored and needed something to pass the time. So far, all of the systems we've searched have been a bust, he thought. Wasted around five days as a result. Today, however, we're heading to Knossos, and we're going to determine if it too is a bust, or if Liara is really here.
He wasn't the only one that was bored. Cole had taken to forming a friendship with Wrex, with the older Krogan being especially impressed when he saw footage of a Brumak. "Gotta admit," he had told Cole. "You certainly live up to your reputation as the Cole Train. It's a shame those Locust are all dead. They'd be one hell of a fight." He had said it carefully, though, since he'd also seen the level of depravity that the Locust were willing to stoop to.
Baird, for the most part, was getting an education in modern electronics and technology from Garrus and Tali. Despite his sarcastic attitude, he was a fast learner, and he surprised the two a day ago. While they were getting some food, Baird had finished up a training assignment they gave him with some electronics. As such, when they came back, they found him busy creating a device that would allow him to see people behind walls. He called it a 'Pulse' module, and had explained that it could be mounted on helmets, or a JACK unit.
Walking out of the firing range after noting his accuracy score, Marcus walked to the elevator and hit the icon for the cargo deck. After just a few seconds of descent, the door opened to reveal the cargo deck. Looking to his right, he spotted Baird talking with Garrus as they worked on the Mako, the vehicle that the Alliance used in it's ground operations.
Apparently, from the way Baird was talking, he wasn't particularly happy with the design of the Mako. "Seriously?" the genius-turned-soldier was saying to Garrus, "What bunch of hippies thought that designing a tank that has features of an IFV and an APC was a good idea? There's a reason why tanks are tanks, APC's are APC's and IFV's are IFV's. If they wanted a tank, they could've gone with a tracked design, which has much better grip, and more capability over certain types of terrain. Mark my words, when I get my own business going, I'm going to fix that problem real fast."
"It does have good mobility," Garrus remarked. "The problem is that the drivers for it generally aren't that good. I just hope that Shepard's driving isn't abysmal, though. The last thing I need is to throw up while slaloming the vehicle around."
"Marcus would be good in that respect," Baird suggested. "He drove a Centaur and he did quite good. I still get the shivers when I think about that time we had to drive over an icy lake with Seeders firing their Nemacyst's at us like mortar shells."
"What's a Centaur?" Garrus asked. In response, Baird showed him an image of a vehicle that looked like a monster truck had it's upper half swapped out for an armored chassis, while a large turret was stuck on the top. "That's a Centaur? It looks more like an engineer's nightmare."
"I can agree on the last part," Baird nodded. "They're cramped, unreliable, but they got the job done, and that's the only good thing about them, other than the turret, that is. I plan on making my own tank, and I've been looking at some examples from Earth's history. I really like the M1A2C Abrams; in fact, I might try to redesign that tank using modern tech, just for the hell of it."
"That might be interesting," Garrus noted.
As the two continued to chat with each other, Marcus decided to make sure his armor was ready to go once again. Pulling it out of one of the lockers on the port side of the cargo deck, he checked each plate and seal over with a careful eye. Thanks to some advice that Ashley, and Shepard, had given him over the past five days, he had quickly learned how to care for his new armor plating.
Said armor plating had a number of new features, aside from the body glove. For one thing, it had a built-in environment control system that made sure the temperature inside was a comfortable 21.1° Celsius, even if he was in freezing cold weather, or weather so hot that most organisms wouldn't survive without an environment suit.
In fact, according to the people that had made the armor, a Krogan named Urdnot Erag and a Quarian named Ovesa'Ivilni vas Ideena, whoever had made their old armor certainly left quite a bit of room for new technologies. Once the new armor was made, and modern electronics installed, there was so much room that they had decided to make some of it an medi-gel dispenser, and the rest was for the life-support system and ammunition storage. The two did agree, however, that the thicker armor plating, and the more advanced materials involved, would make most modern body armor seem fragile and weak. If anything, the new type and style of armor might end up replacing what was on the galactic market.
All the while, Marcus made sure that every armor plate, and every advanced polymer matrix inside, was in good condition. Once that was done, he checked the armored body glove that would maintain pressure in vacuum, and would hold in the air that would keep him alive and well. That too was in good condition.
He was about to continue when a voice came in over the intercom. "Marcus Fenix, Urdnot Wrex, Garrus Vakarian and Damon Baird, report to CIC immediately. Fenix, Wrex, Vakarian and Baird, report to CIC immediately." There was a click as the intercom went silent.
Well, time to grab my Lancer and to get ready to go, Marcus thought. He spent the next few minutes putting his armor on, which he did with Cole's help, as the other Gear was standing nearby. "Just a little more… there!" Cole beamed. "You're all set to go, Marcus. Give those Geth hell for me, will ya?"
"I will, Cole," Marcus nodded. Reaching into his locker, he grabbed the new M-25 Assault Lancer that Vorenus had designed, his mind in autopilot as he slammed a mag into the new rifle, before charging the weapon and stowing it on his back. Pulling out the new, M-5 Boltok Revolver, he opened the side break-action cylinder, dumped the practice ammo out, and loaded in seven rounds of 11.53mm Boltok before closing the action. As a tertiary weapon, he grabbed the M-85 Shredder Shotgun, formerly known as the Sawn-Off, before loading two superposed shells into the weapon and snapping it shut. With his armor on, and his arsenal ready, he advanced to the cargo elevator.
Wrex, who was heading for the elevator as well, noticed Marcus' arsenal. "You look like you're going to be hunting Varren, or Thresher Maws, with that kind of arsenal. Plus, that armor looks like you're wearing part of a ship's hull."
"Good," Marcus nodded. "It's supposed to look like that."
"Hehe. You ready?"
Marcus looked at Wrex. His mind flashed through some of the memories of the Locust and Pendulum Wars. He had never been involved in combat on another planet, though he knew that all the fighting in those two wars had prepared him for war. "I've fought in two wars," he said to Wrex. "Two wars that nearly resulted in Humanity's extinction where I came from. If that didn't kill me, nothing ever will."
Wrex smiled, and his eyes held respect for the hardened Gear. "Good attitude to have, and it's the same thing with me. I killed a Thresher Maw during my rite of passage, something that no one has ever done since. If that thing couldn't kill me, nothing will."
With that, the elevator they were in reached it's destination, with the two stepping out and moving up into the CIC. Moving behind were the command platform was at, they walked into the comm room. The comm room was small, but it had more than enough room to house the eight chairs that were inside, as well as the FTL communication devices that were used for military or political transmissions.
Inside, there were only a few people, mainly Garrus, Baird, as well as Shepard. Spotting Wrex and Marcus coming inside, he nodded and said, "We're all accounted for. Time to get this briefing on the road." Clearing his throat, he used his omni-tool to bring up a holographic image of the Normandy's scan of the surface. "We've got good news. Around fifteen minutes ago, Joker's scans detected a series of artificial structures on the surface. Given what we know about Liara, he and I have reason to believe that it is her archaeological expedition."
"About fucking time," Baird added. "I was wondering when we were going to find out where she was at. So what are we looking at?"
"I was getting to that," Shepard frowned, though he knew that Baird's declaration was more than justified, given that they had spent six whole days combing through the cluster's four mapped systems for Liara's expedition. "According to the Normandy's sensor suite, much of the expedition structures are located here and here, along what appears to be a collapsed magma duct." Using his omni-tool, he highlighted two areas along a long, winding pathway. "From what we can tell, they've modified parts of the collapsed magma duct into a roadway that leads to what looks like a shaft going underground.
"This is the plan I've worked out thanks to this info. We'll deploy inside of the Mako, and make our way towards the shaft leading underground. Since it's close to what looks like a Prothean ruin, it's safe to assume that Liara's inside. Once we're down there, we'll retrieve her, and bring her back up here for questioning. Any questions before we go?"
"What is the enemy force we'll be dealing with?" Garrus asked.
"We don't know at this point, though we detected multiple electronics emissions that indicate that Geth are at the site. As far as we can tell, there's a platoon's worth of hostiles, though the exact composition is unknown at this point. Any other questions?"
"Is this area seismically stable?" Baird asked. "I don't want to die from a volcanic eruption if I can help it."
"As far as we can tell, yes. Any more questions?" When none presented themselves, Shepard smiled and said, "Then let's roll out. Garrus, how's Baird's training coming along?"
"Far better than I hoped," Garrus beamed, a pleased expression on his face. "Baird wasn't kidding when he said he was a genius. It took him a couple tries, but he's eating through the knowledge that Tali and I are sharing with him like a nathack eats through a pack of vergorna. At this point, I can say, with certainty, that he's a polymath."
"Polymath?" Wrex asked.
"An individual who's knowledge spans a wide number of subjects, and is known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems," Shepard explained. "It's implied in the term 'Renaissance Man.' Still, if Garrus is right, then it would explain why Baird seems to solve problems pretty quickly."
"Well, I'm not sure about that," Baird added, "but I'm good at what I need to do. I make intelligence use of free resources. It's why Marcus and the others are still alive to bitch about it." His mind drifted back to when he took the navigation module from a wrecked Locust Barge, which had allowed them to rescue Dizzy, and to get to Anvil Gate just before the Locust could get there.
"He's right about that," Marcus added. "Still, we got a job to do. Let's get down to the fucking planet and rescue this lady."
. . .
A few minutes later, Shepard and the others coming with him were loading up inside of the Mako. The Mako, from what Marcus could tell, was a cramped affair, with only four seats in the back for personnel to use, and two chairs for the pilot and co-pilot. The copilot, from what he could recall, was tasked with firing the weapons, while the driver drove the vehicle. Everyone else was either a passenger, or was tasked with ensuring that the Mako would remain in fighting shape until the mission was over.
Once everyone was inside, and buckled up, it wasn't long before Joker announced that they were about to reach the drop point for the Mako. Nodding at that, Shepard waited for the cargo deck loading ramp/door to open before saying, "Everyone, brace!" As soon as he said that, he gunned the throttle for the vehicle.
The sensation for everyone on the Mako was as if someone was pushing them with both arms, and their weight, into the seat as hard as possible. That faded out as they began to fall towards the surface of the planet. Using the ezzo core onboard the Mako, Shepard eased the vehicle back, before activating the jump jets. Jets of blue-white flame came out of the hydrazine thrusters as they fell towards the ground, slowing their descent to safe levels.
Moments later, they impacted the ground. The Mako bounced once, twice, then remained firmly on the ground as Shepard eased onto the brakes, slowing them down to a complete stop. Turning around, he asked, "Is everyone alright?"
"We're good," Marcus nodded. "Baird."
"The Mako's good to go. Garrus?"
Garrus, who was present to make sure Baird didn't make any incorrigible mistakes, said, "I concur. The Mako's in good condition. We're set."
"Alright," Shepard nodded. "We're moving in on the structure now. Remember, we're dealing with advanced AI's, so expect heavy resistance, even though we really don't know what we'll be facing." With that, they began to drive forwards.
Normally, Marcus would've been in the blind as to what was going on. Baird, though, as part of his retraining, had been tasked with using an omni-tool to wire up a series of cameras on the Mako. As per his technical genius, he had succeeded, and even went so far as to use some spare holographic projectors to create a screen for the others to look at when inside the vehicle, though some of that had to be corrected by Tali, due to his inexperience.
As such, Marcus had a clear image of the landscape that surrounded the Mako. Calling it hellish would've been apt, as much of the planet was one, enormous volcanic wasteland. Wherever he looked, he could see solidified lava flows, pools of molten magma, and steam that rose from those areas. The sky would've been blue, save for the fact that much of the atmosphere was choked with volcanic ash. The fact that Knossos wasn't covered in snow was due to the presence of green house gases, which trapped all available heat inside the atmosphere.
What a shithole, Marcus thought to himself as the vehicle began moving along the collapsed magma duct. At least we won't be here long. After that, we can say fuck you and goodbye to this place. He resigned himself to seeing a large amount of volcanic activity throughout the mission.
As they moved forwards, Joker came in over the comms. "Shepard, I'm getting some strange readings from the dig site. Really strange, like off the damn charts. Looks like it's coming from up ahead."
"Thanks for the heads up," Shepard replied. Despite the strange news, they continued onward, the vehicle's electric motors moving the wheels in the correct direction. As they drove along, he thought he spotted something flying over head. "You have got to be kidding me," he groaned. "We've got Geth inbound!"
"I've got 'em!" Wrex, who was manning the guns, shouted. "I'll crush 'em!"
"Just make sure we don't get killed either," Baird added. "I good at fixing vehicles, but I can't do much with one that's been destroyed!"
As Baird said this, Shepard watched as a Geth dropship dropped off two platforms of some kinds. When they deployed, he found that they were quadruped walkers. Each one had a narrow central chassis that the legs connected to, while the head was connected to a long neck that gave it the appearance of a giraffe, or some other creature with a long neck. "I have no idea of what those are, but I'm assuming that they're the Geth equivalent of a Mako," he decided. "Wrex, target them from range and engage."
"Got it," Wrex nodded. "This gun system reminds me of the ones we use on the Tomkahs. I'll get it done." A moment later, he shouted, "FIRING!" before depressing the firing stud.
There was a muted THUNK as the 150mm railgun fired, sending a slug flying directly towards the Geth platforms up ahead. The first shell ricocheted off of the barrier, while depleting it at the same time. In retaliation, the Geth walker turned and fired what looked like a bolus of energy coming towards them. Not wanting to find out what it was meant to do, Shepard pulled the vehicle back rapidly, with the bolus narrowly missing. He frowned as a rock it hit melted into molten magma.
Wrex, who still had a target, fired the railgun again, while also firing the coaxial mass accelerator repeater. They could hear the rapid chirping-like sound that the repeater emitted, though the results were what they desired. The first Geth walker's barriers depleted, allowing Wrex to fire the railgun again. This time, he scored a direct hit on the machine's neck, blasting it's head off, and causing the rest of the body to flop to the ground like a nine-pin. It wasn't long before the other walker met the same fate.
"Shit," Baird frowned, having seen Marcus' video feed. "That's bullshit. Makes me wish we had a Silverback to handle that kind of shit."
"What's a Silverback?" Garrus asked, curious.
"One man walker that the COG developed," Baird explained. "We developed mechanical loaders that needed only a single person to operate, but we weaponized them during the Pendulum Wars. Think of a exo-suit that's about as tall as a person, but is armed with a minigun, a missile launcher, and is armored enough to survive for a long time against small arms fire."
Garrus whistled at that. "Impressive, especially given your tech base. I wonder if it's possible to make something like that with our tech."
"Yep," Baird nodded. Already, he was cooking up ways to redesign the Silverback, as well as the Armadillo APC and Centaur Light Tank using modern technology.
While they talked, Shepard continued to drive the Mako to their intended destination. Driving along, he rounded the corner, and spotted the gate to one of the temporary complexes that had been set up in the area. Unfortunately, though, it was guarded by multiple turrets, each one armed with Geth weaponry, as well as missiles.
Wrex, seeing that, said, "Only a fool punches a nathack in the mouth. Let's sneak around and pull it's tail." He motioned to a small side path that was just to their right.
"Smart," Shepard nodded. Turning the wheels, he maneuvered the Mako into the much smaller passage. It was tight, and more than once, there was a a loud screeching sound as the armor scraped against the tough basaltic rock that covered much of the planet. Instead of a turret, he found a couple barricades, as well as Geth soldiers behind them. Wrex, taking his cue, fired the coaxial repeater, tearing the Geth apart with the much more powerful weapon systems.
Driving ahead, Shepard got a good idea as to where they were. From what he could tell, it was a small supply depot situated near the dig site. Two buildings were on either side, likely for controlling what looked like gates, while there were building supplies and storage buildings all around. The center was mostly empty, save for some construction materials that were scattered everywhere. Geth were everywhere, however, and he knew that it was a safe bet that the Geth had locked down the gate controls, meaning they had to manually open them up.
"Everyone out!" Shepard ordered. "Get ready to come out swinging!" Hearing that, Marcus and the others primed their weapons.
Wrex, who watched Marcus pull the charging handle on his new Lancer, asked, "Can that thing perform the job?"
"We traded in our old guns for this new shit," Marcus added. "I'm not worried about if it'll work." Wrex smiled, before hitting the hatch release that would open the door and permit them outside. The door opened with a very quiet whine, while a set of stairs that had folded up into the bay deployed. Marcus, having already put his new helmet on, and sealed it at the same time, jumped out, along with Baird, Garrus and Shepard.
Immediately, he could hear the environmental systems of the suit going to work keeping him cool, while the outside temperature was at a blistering 40.56° Celsius, hot enough to cause a fully grown man to sweat profusely. Despite the helmet filters doing what they could, he could smell the stench of recently cooled sulfur, which tickled his nose and made him gag ever so slightly. In his opinion, it only added to the hellish conditions that covered the entire planet.
Of more concern were the Geth that were firing at them. Spotting a Geth Saboteur out in the open, Marcus took aim with his Assault Lancer and pulled the trigger. The rifle roared, a blue-white flame erupting out of the muzzle as the 7.62mm projectile was launched out of the muzzle at higher velocities than his older Lancer could've achieved. In addition, he noted that the recoil impulse was not as great as it was, though that was likely due to the addition of a stock.
The Geth, however, weren't nearly as lucky. Due to the combat engagement that had happened on Eden Prime, the Geth had adjusted their kinetic barriers to block projectiles traveling at supersonic speeds as well. Still, the barriers had trouble dealing with the larger rounds, while also dealing with the fact that each round could explode with tremendous force. As such, it wasn't long before the kinetic barriers on the Geth Saboteur failed, allowing the rest of the bullets in the six round burst to tear into the platform.
The bullets slammed into the Saboteur, the explosives held in the HESH round flattening to create small pats on each impact area. Milliseconds later, the pats detonated, while the kinetic energy from each strike added their own force to the equation as well. A powerful pressure wave swept through the interior of the Geth Saboteur, jarring loose delicate components, while metal fractured and tore apart where the pressure wave reflected, forming new ones that caused further damage where they joined up. The hard outer shell fractured where the explosives detonated, causing small pieces of said shell to ricochet around the interior of the platform. Circuits were perforated, and cables were severed, with the computer running the platform quickly being overwhelmed by the numerous damage and error reports.
Externally, the Geth Saboteur gave a loud, electronic squeal, before going offline. Looking at the Saboteur for a moment, Marcus could see a series of slight pits where each explosive pat had detonated. So that's what it looks like, he thought. Ingenious. Downed it's barriers fast, and then the pressure wave and spalling did the rest.
Satisfied with the results, Marcus turned to engage more Geth. Nearby, Baird was firing at a Geth Juggernaut that was charging towards him. Racking a shotgun shell into the chamber of his Gnasher, he pulled the trigger once, allowing an electrical current to fire the first of the two chambers in the superposed shell.
There was a loud KRA-BOOM as the shotgun discharged the first chamber in the superposed shell, sending a storm of buckshot towards the hostile Geth platform. Propelled out of the muzzle at rifle velocities, the cloud of buckshot flew out of the muzzle, before smacking into the barriers of the Juggernaut. Having to deal with multiple rounds of superdense tungsten shot, the barrier flickered on the first shell, then failed on the second one, allowing the next superposed shell to tear into the armor. That Geth Juggernaut fell to the ground with a scream as well, while Baird calmly turned to the next target and engaged as well.
Nearby, Shepard and the others were also engaged in heavy combat. Using an omni-tool function, Shepard temporarily supercharged his M-9 Avenger's firing system, allowing it to fire much faster, and for longer periods of time before overheating. This allowed him to fire a veritable wall of bullets at a pair of Geth Troopers, tearing them apart.
Garrus and Wrex were working in unison to neutralize enemies efficiently. Using his biotic abilities, Wrex tore a Geth Trooper out of cover, while firing his shotgun to drain it's barriers. Garrus, taking aim with his Phaeston, fired a single shot into the Trooper's head, blasting part of it apart, while off-lining the platform. He smirked as Wrex, using his abilities again, used a biotic warp attack to literally rip a Geth Rocket Trooper in half, with both halves falling to the ground.
Eventually, the fighting came to a close, with Marcus walking up towards the dead Geth Juggernaut Baird had neutralized. Examining the ruined armor plating and internal components, he looked at Baird and said, "Not bad, Baird. Looks like we were right to work with Vorenus all along."
"That we were," Baird nodded. "I'm still getting used to the fact that the Gnasher is a pump action shotgun firing superposed loads, instead of a lever action shotgun. Still, I'm lovin' it so far. What about your Lancer?"
"Worked like a charm," Marcus beamed, the only time he did so on the mission. "Vorenus really does make some good shit. I think he's earned himself four repeat customers. Still getting used to the reduced recoil impulse, but it's not too bad. My Boltok is the more unusual though."
"I know," Baird nodded. "Seven rounds of .454 Tround in the cylinder, and it fires from the bottom chamber instead of the top. Haven't tried out my new Heavy Snub Pistol yet, but I'm certain it's good shit as well."
"Agreed," Marcus nodded. Just as he said this, he heard a sound behind him. Turning around, he watched as the gate to the next area opened, courtesy of Garrus and Shepard overriding the Geth lockdown on the systems. "Time to load up. We've got more work to do."
"Don't need to tell me twice," Baird nodded. With that, the two Gears clambered into the Mako, with Shepard and the others entering a minute later. Once more they set out, driving as quickly as they could towards Liara's possible location.
As they drove along, they passed through a few tunnels that had been built to allow for access to more areas of the collapsed magma channel. While a few of those turret entrances were guarded by Geth troopers, it was a simple matter to deal with them. To pass the time as they drove along, Marcus decided to critique Shepard's driving.
It's not too bad, he thought to himself. In fact, his driving is a little better than mine, mostly because the vehicle's lower to the ground. The Centaur was much trickier to drive, especially since it was so high off the ground. Maybe that's something Baird's thinking of working on.
He was about to continue his critique when he felt the vehicle coming to a stop. He was about to ask what was going on when Shepard said, "End of the road. There's an impasse that's ahead of us. Garrus, I want you to drive the Mako to an area that Joker can pick you up at. The rest of us will continue ahead."
"Got it," Garrus nodded. "Baird did excellently back here." Turning to Baird, he said, "Make sure Shepard comes back home safe and sound."
"Don't worry," Baird shrugged. "With Marcus and I around, getting home alive and well is the least of our worries. I'm actually kinda feeling sorry for the poor bastards of Geth up ahead." With that, he got up, while exchanging the Gnasher he had for the Assault Lancer. With that, the team quickly got out of the vehicle.
Getting out, Marcus could tell that Shepard was right: a rock formation was blocking their access to the rest of the facility. Moving through the rock formation, they found that they were having to travel up a natural incline that used to be a flow of magma, judging by the solidified, wave-like bumps that were like the raised sections on roughened floors. Boulders that had been carried along by the magma flow were sticking out of the ground like broken teeth, providing ample cover for anyone assaulting the location.
The same advantage applied for the Geth, as they had positioned their units behind those same boulders. Gunfire bounced off of Marcus' barriers, with the veteran Gear quickly moving into cover behind a boulder. Sensing an opportunity, he pulled out his new double-barreled shotgun, which he'd learned was now called the M-95 Skewer. Spotting a nearby Geth, he pulled one of the two triggers for the weapon.
There was a loud KA-BOOM as the Shredder Shotgun fired off, sending a blast of superdense buckshot towards the Geth Trooper in question. When the first cloud of shot bounced off the barrier, Marcus fired the first chamber of the other shell. This time, he watched with satisfaction as the Geth trooper was blasted in half.
That was when a Geth Juggernaut charged directly at him. Reacting fast, Marcus had no time to aim, so he resorted to pulling both triggers of his shotgun when the Geth reached point-blank range. The combined power from both of the shells was so powerful that the Geth Juggernaut was literally blasted in half. It's legs fell down, while the upper half continued forwards, knocking Marcus onto his back.
"Marcus!" Shepard shouted.
"I'm OK!" Marcus shouted. "Focus fire on the Geth!"
As Wrex and Garrus repeated the same tactic they used earlier, Gaird was firing his Assault Lancer at the Geth. Good thing I decided to stick with the sealed system that Marcus used for his armor, he thought. Otherwise, I'd be sweating like a pig right now.
As he took down a Geth Saboteur, he spotted a Geth Trooper that was charging at him. Unable to react in time, he was tackled by the machine, which raised a fist, intending to punch it through his skull. Dodging the first fist, Baird pulled out his new sidearm, named the M-35 Fusilier, and pulled the trigger rapidly.
The handgun made a loud roar, unlike the quieter popping sound that the older Snub Pistol made. The round exploded when it hit the barrier, blinding the Geth Trooper long enough for Baird to raise his legs and kick the machine off of him. Firing his handgun rapidly, he downed the platform's barriers, before blasting it's head apart in the salvo he fired. Looking at his handgun, he smiled, thinking, I love this thing!
Continuing forwards, the team burned through more hostile forces, with Marcus, Shepard and Baird handling any ground units, while Garrus targeted enemy snipers, while Wrex used his biotics in a support capability. Eventually, after fighting like mad, they reached the area that Liara was presumably located at.
Unfortunately, the Geth had another surprise up their sleeve. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" Shepard groaned as a Geth dropship dropped off more Geth Troopers, as well as one of the walkers. "Focus fire on the walker!"
With that, Shepard and Garrus fired on the Geth Troopers, while Marcus, Baird and Wrex fired on the walker. Most of their rounds detonated against the walker, but a few tech attacks from Garrus began to weaken it's barriers. "FRAG OUT!" Marcus shouted as he threw a bolo grenade at the machine.
There was a loud BOOM as the grenade detonated, but Marcus was surprised when, just before the detonation, it split into several submunitions that detonated as well. The cascading detonation was enough to down the walker's shields. "The optics are exposed!" Baird shouted. "Fire at the optics!"
Concentrating fire, they destroyed the optics on the Geth walker. Blinded, it began to rely on telemetry from whatever other platforms were intact, which quickly fell to zero. Pulling out the second of the grenades he had, Marcus made a bid that Shepard would later call suicidal, but effective.
Roadie running towards the walker, Marcus slid underneath it, before grabbing a hold of the back and clambering on. Sensing the increased weight, the walker shook itself in an attempt to throw Marcus off. His grip, though, was like steel, courtesy of years of fighting and training; hanging on for dear life, he clambered towards the hatch for the power supply. Fueled by adrenaline, he punched the cover with his armored fist, causing it to dent, and allowing him to pull it open. Priming the grenade, he threw it inside, before taking a running leap off of the walker. Moments later, the Geth walker's central chassis exploded, with the machine falling down to the ground, destroyed.
Walking over, Shepard asked, "Are you alright, Marcus?"
"I'm good," Marcus nodded.
"That was suicidal, Marcus. You could've gotten yourself killed!"
"I know. I had to make a few calls like that before. Managed to make it out alive."
"Uh huh. Next time, let me know before you pull off a crazy stunt like that."
"Deal." Either way, the Geth walker had been dealt with, allowing the team to enter the mineshaft that would lead them down towards Liara's location They exited the shaft and entered the upper level of a cave. Looking down, Marcus could see the bottom, which was several stories down below. A combination of natural and man-made ramps led to elevators that had been assembled inside of the cave.
As they moved down a series of rocky ramps, he spotted what he realized was a structure of some kind. While he couldn't see all of it, the part he did see was impressive, with sculpted features, and what appeared to be oval openings of some kind. "Is that a Prothean structure?"
"Yes," Garrus replied. "I've seen then in images, but never in person. I must admit, I didn't know white was a color Protheans used." Reaching an elevator, he said, "Shepard, here's the way down. We need to be ready for anything."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. With that, they got into the elevator and traveled downward. Thankfully, the trip was uneventful, with the team reaching a catwalk that had another elevator. Unfortunately, this one was damaged, as it stopped above a debris pile.
As they got out, Marcus thought he heard a voice asking, "Uh, hello? Is somebody out there? Hello?" Moving down the pile of debris, he turned to see who it was.
Just past what appeared to be an energy barrier was an Asari. Her uniform indicated that she was a scientist, but whether or not she was the lead scientist was unknown. Said uniform was also unkempt, and she had bags underneath her eyes, indicating lack of sleep. Both of her blue eyes looked frantically around. That was when she spotted Shepard and the others. "Can you hear me?!" she shouted. "I'm trapped! I need help!"
"Are you Liara T'Soni?" Shepard asked.
"Yes, that's me," Liara replied.
"How'd you get your ass stuck in there?" Baird asked. "You look more like an archaeologist than a computer expert."
"This energy barrier's keeping you from getting to me," Liara explained, the cuss word lost on her. "When we were attacked, I activated it to keep the Geth out. Can't you believe that? Geth, from beyond the Veil! When I activated the field, I must've hit something I wasn't supposed to touch. Now I'm stuck in this mass effect field bubble, and I can't get out."
"One more question. Are you affiliated, in any way, with your mother?"
"No, not at all! My mother and I haven't spoken to each other in years!"
"Sounds like they had a falling out," Marcus told Shepard. "Baird had something similar with his parents."
"No shit," Baird frowned. "Well, at least she's not working for Saren. Fucker wouldn't know civility if it slapped him in the face."
"Who's Saren?" Liara replied. "Is that why you're coming for me?"
"Saren betrayed the Council by working with the Geth and attempting to kill a Spectre," Garrus explained. "The Council sent us to look for you since it was likely you might know what Saren's looking for. Given that you haven't spoken to your mother in years, it's obvious that you don't work for her. We'll have to check your personal effects to be certain, but I doubt we've got anything to worry about."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "We'll have to get her out somehow. Hang tight, Liara. We'll find a way through."
"It's not like I can go anywhere," Liara agreed. "Just get me away from the Geth! Please!"
Marcus was about to turn when a bullet whizzed past his head. "SHIT!" he shouted. "AMBUSH!"
"Geth at the shelters down here!" Baird shouted.
"Take them out!" Shepard ordered. Turning around, the team found a number of Geth that had been hiding in the tents and workshops where Liara's late coworkers had been working at days before. Fortunately, most of the Geth weren't that much of a threat, as they were quickly eliminated. Once the Geth were dead, they began looking for a way to get to Liara.
It was Baird who came to the rescue once again. Looking around, he spotted a large, cylindrical object that was pointed towards the ground, courtesy of it's adjustable chassis. Looking at the face of it, he spotted a lens. Hey, he realized. I remember reading about these: mining lasers. That's exactly what we need to get past the barriers. The question, though, is how to turn this one on.
Looking around, he found a control panel that was nearby, though it used a code he didn't know. Instead of bothering with a code, Baird pulled the panel cover over off, revealing the circuitry inside. Time to see if that training that Tali and Garrus gave me is a waste of time, he thought as he activated his omni-tool. Using some omni-gel, he began to rewire the system. Once he was done, which took around a minute, he closed the panel and, putting it on a timer, quickly got back.
Since he hadn't been informed, Shepard jumped when he heard the loud sounds of rock being vaporized at a rapid pace. Turning around, he watched as the mining laser fired off, creating a hole in the ground large enough for them to walk through. When it turned off, and the dust cleared, he found himself looking at an open access way into the Prothean structure. "Baird?" he asked.
"I rewired the mining laser to fire on a timer," Baird explained. Walking over, he used the same panel to deactivate the laser. "Now, we can get to Liara."
"Nice work," Shepard nodded. "Let's get inside." Nodding in agreement, the team entered the structure. They found that they were standing on a large lift, with the center holding the mechanisms required to lift the structure up and down. Spotting a control panel, Shepard hit it, with the elevator moving upwards.
It wasn't long before they reached Liara. "Uh, how did you get here?" she asked, confused. "I thought there was no other way in."
"I used a giant-ass laser to blast a hole through the rock," Baird explained matter-of-factually.
"Oh, well that would work, I suppose." Pointing at a console, she said, "That control panel should free me." Nodding, Shepard walked over to the panel and, after a moment, guessed which glyph would release her. His guess was right, as moments later, he heard a loud, "OOFFFF!" Getting up, she said, "Let's get out of here!" She was about to move when Marcus put a canteen in her hand.
"Drink," he ordered. "Bottoms up." Nodding wordlessly, Liara gulped down as much water as she could, her voicebox bobbing up and down like a yo-yo.
"Thank you," she gasped as she let the canteen go. "You have no idea what it was like for me in there. Why does Saren want me, though? I'm just a simple archaeologist."
"Saren's looking for the Conduit," Garrus replied. "It's likely that he thinks you know something about it."
"Conduit? I don't know what you mean by Con -" Liara was interrupted when a loud, grinding sound, like someone was rubbing two massive boulders together, cut through the air. "Oh, no," she gasped.
"What?" Shepard asked.
"That mining laser must've triggered a seismic event," Liara replied. "The entire cavern's unstable."
"Baird!" Marcus growled.
"Hey, don't blame me!" Baird shouted. "I didn't know that would happen!"
Marcus, conceding that point to Baird, groaned. "We need to get out of here right now!"
Keying his comms, Shepard shouted, "Joker! Head for my coordinates and get us out of here! On the double, mister!"
"Aye, aye," Joker replied. "ETA: 5-10 minutes."
"He needs to move faster," Tali remarked.
"If I die in here, I hope the Spirits kill him," Garrus growled.
"Get in line," Marcus growled.
At the same time, Shepard hit the console glyphs, with the lift quickly rising upwards to it's destination. It stopped at the upper most level, next to the first elevator that Shepard and the others used to get to Liara. The large chamber was mostly filled with empty space, with only a few cargo crates here and there for cover.
"We've got company," Marcus told Shepard. Looking where Marcus was pointing, Shepard watched as some Geth walked in, along with a massive Krogan that was wielding a shotgun. "Looks like the enemy Commander. Orders?"
"Wait," Shepard replied. "We'll shoot when we need to."
Moments later, the Krogan said, "Surrender, or don't. That would be more fun."
"Do you have shit for brains?!" Barid all but shouted in disbelief. "If you haven't noticed, asshole, this place is falling apart!"
"Exhilarating, isn't it?" the Krogan taunted. "Thanks for getting past the barriers. Now hand the doc over."
"You won't be getting me," Liara growled.
"Thanks," Shepard replied, "but she's staying with us."
"Doesn't matter," the Krogan growled. "Saren wants her, and he always gets what he wants." Turning to the Geth, he said, "Kill them, but spare the -"
Suddenly, Marcus raised his rifle and fired, catching the Krogan off guard. Four rounds smacked into the Krogan's armor, staggering the alien back as the HESH rounds tore into the barrier. At the same time, Shepard took the initiative as well, firing on two of the Geth in the area, while Garrus and Wrex picked their targets. At the same time, Liara dove for cover, with Baird covering her.
Firing his Assault Lancer, Marcus watched as the Krogan used biotics to supercharge his barriers, before charging direct at him. Throwing himself to the left, he dodged the charge, but took a biotically enhanced punch to the face. In a showcase of the engineering that the Krogan and Quarian pair they'd talked with had done, the helmet withstood the blow, with only a minor dent being inflicted. Marcus, though, staggered back from the blow.
The alien would've charged in for the kill, except for the fact that he'd left his back exposed. A loud roar filled the air, then sparks filled the air as a chainsaw bayonet tore through the Krogan's armor. Looking behind the Krogan, Marcus was relieved to see Baird, who'd snuck up on the Krogan as Marcus had staggered back, using the bayonet to it's full capability.
The Krogan, however, was about to die in a gruesome fashion. The tungsten carbide teeth, having cut through the armor, now began to slice into the Krogan's testicular region. Blood spurted out of the wound as the monomolecular edged teeth tore through the Krogan's flesh and into the lower body cavity. Revving the chainsaw bayonet, Baird let the full fury of the bayonet loose.
The Krogan, not having anticipated this kind of an attack, screamed in pure, unadulterated, agony, The chainsaw, making short work of the Krogan's flesh, cut through it's stomach region, with Baird angling the chainsaw to cut through the right shoulder of the Krogan. A second later, he pulled the bayonet free of the Krogan, causing the alien to fall to the ground in two pieces. The Krogan wailed in agony, with the wails becoming weaker until the alien fell unconscious. A few seconds later, it was dead. At the same time, the bayonet's teeth stopped moving, though the motor wound down on it's own.
Covered in orange blood, Marcus looked around to see the others looking at him and Baird with varying expressions. Shepard looked slightly disturbed at the sight, while Garrus was slack-jawed, and Liara, unable to hold her stomach, was puking onto the ground. Wrex, however, looked at them with shock, and with what Marcus realized was fear.
All of that, however, was put to the side when the structure violently vibrated. "MOVE!" Shepard shouted, with everyone scrambling out of the collapsing structure as quickly as they could. Running along the earthen and metal ramps leading upwards, they bolted out of the mineshaft as fast as they could. Marcus and Baird had run past everyone else and was stumbling onto the loading ramp of the Normandy, with the others just behind them. As soon as the others were aboard, the Normandy took off, and just in time too, as the ship narrowly avoided being hit by a gout of lava. Looking at Shepard, Marcus knew one thing: the mission was a success.
edboy4926: That would be cool. I wonder...
MarauderPrime12: I agree with that completely.
Guest: Agreed.
StrandedTrooper901: The chapter here should help clear up any confusion. To answer your question, which is a good one, the Gears' new weapons are not ChemRail weapons. They're an advanced form of a traditional Ballistic Weapon.
StarBorn Michael: Thank you for the review. As for Dom coming back, I've got a special plan in store. Just wait and see; you'll really love it once we get to the Mass Effect 2 story arc.