Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Gears of War/Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback once more. I greatly appreciate it.
Normally, I do not post on weekends, as they're usually my break days. Since all of you appreciated the previous chapter, however, I decided to make an exception in this case. As such, this will be one of a handful of chapters that I have posted on what is usually one of my break days. Enjoy this wonderful treat I've decided to share.
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, Epic Games, The Coalition, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their 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.
SSV Normandy
En Route to Noveria
February 27th, 2183
The trip back to the Citadel to resupply was a fairly short and quiet affair, enough that Shepard didn't really make much of it. For Marcus and the others, however, it was a chance to acquire new weapons and equipment. Pulling one out of the box, Marcus looked it over with a careful eye.
To most, the new weapon would've looked like an blocky and enclosed weapon with a small tank that was on the bottom. Marcus, however, knew exactly what the weapon was, thanks to some information that Vorenus had given him. Hehe, he thought. Can't wait to use this guy. We used him a lot at the New Hope Research Facility.
"What's that?" he heard a voice ask. Turning around, he looked to see Tali standing nearby, her body language indicating curiosity.
"A weapon from another time," Marcus replied. "Reminds me of a squadmate that we had on our team. I think his name was Benjamine Carmine."
"Who was he?"
"He was a lot like Clayton over there, but much less experienced. Often remarked that, in his childhood, he had a love for fire. Seeing some of this gear reminds me of some of his antics."
"Sounds like a nice kid."
"He was, before he got his ass killed in the Riftworm."
Tali nodded, remembering the horrible scene where Marcus drove off the creatures that had been feasting on the poor Gear. "I remember," she nodded. "What a horrible way to die, being eaten by parasites inside of another creature, with no means of escape."
"Yeah," Marcus nodded, his expression of remembrance softening as he heard Benjamin Carmine's screams echoing in his ears. "I agree. Poor kid didn't deserve that end. It's why I do my best to remember him, and the others that I lost. The dead have paid their debts, it's up to the living to remember them and to pick up the tab."
"That it is," Tali nodded.
Noticing that something was off, Marcus asked, "You alright?"
"Y-yeah," Tali nodded. "I've just been thinking a lot about what happened to your society, especially during the Locust War and Lambent Pandemic. I still can't imagine how your people managed to survive such cataclysmic wars. How'd you manage to do it?"
"To be honest," Marcus shrugged, "I don't know. I think it was a combination of blind luck, and just being in the right place at the right time. If it wasn't for us though…" He trailed off, the implications being too unpleasant to consider.
"I know what you mean," Tali nodded. After a moment, she said, "I should probably go now. I don't want to be bugging you."
"It's alright," Marcus nodded. "If you need something for your people, or some advice kid, don't be afraid to come ask. No one better, aside from Shepard and Wrex."
"Thank you, Marcus," Tali nodded, before walking back towards the Engineering Bay.
As he watched Tali go, Baird came over to Marcus. "I didn't know you were good with Quarians," he remarked.
"I just listen when I need to," Marcus shrugged. Looking at Baird, he asked, "Did you tell those two about the new armor that we might need?"
"Yeah," Baird nodded. "The combat hardsuits that Shepard and the others have are nice, but they're not built for the kind of abuse our armor can take. We can upgrade them with better tech, like the kinetic barrier generators from the armor that we've been salvaging and buying, but I'm worried about the cost of that armor."
"I'm not worried," Carmine, who had come with Baird, reassured his friend. "Shepard's been selling equipment like crazy, while also scanning for valuable resources. Something tells me that, once we're done with the lead at Noveria, we're going to go on a scanning and exploration spree."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Baird agreed. "Shepard's not the kind of guy that leaves a stone unturned. We won't be coming on every one of them, obviously, but I can say that we'll be definitely coming on the interesting ones."
"Yeah," Marcus nodded. Looking around, he said, "We should probably get ready in case Shepard needs us." As the others left, he said, "Baird, I've noticed you've been busy tinkering lately. Anything good come of it?"
"Definitely," Baird nodded. "While we were at the Citadel for those few days, I managed to find someone that does custom electronics. I managed to snag some of the materials I need for a few projects of mine, and I made one that should help out."
"What is it?"
"I won't spoil it, but you'll definitely like them."
"OK," Marcus shrugged. I'm not too surprised, he nodded internally. Baird often comes up with good ideas. "Take care of yourself."
"You too." With that, the Gears left to make sure their equipment and weapons were in good condition.
. . .
A few hours later, the Normandy was flying into the atmosphere of Noveria. Looking outside of a nearby window in the cockpit, Marcus could see the planet for himself. From orbit, it looked like a blue-white jewel that floated in the black ocean that was space. From what he could recall, Noveria was a very cold planet, with temperatures often dropping to minus 50° Celsius in bad weather.
There was one other aspect of Noveria, however, that he was fully aware of, courtesy of some research he'd done: it was the corporate center of the galaxy. We'll be dealing with a lot of assholes that'll act like politicians and scumbags, he thought. Some days, I wonder if Baird's right about those kinds of people. He's a jerkass, but he has very good points, even if he does express them quite bluntly.
His train of thought was interrupted when Joker began to speak. Clearing his throat as they flew in, Joker said, "Approach Control, this is the SSV Normandy. Requesting an approach vector and berth."
A reply came almost immediately after. "Approach Control to Normandy, your arrival was not scheduled. Our defense grid is armed and tracking you. State your business or you will be fired upon."
"We have a Council Spectre aboard that was ordered to conduct an active investigation here."
There was silence for a few seconds, then, "Landing Access granted, Normandy. Proceed on heading 2-7-9 and descend to flight level 030. Be advised: we will be confirming identity upon arrival. If confirmation cannot be established, your vessel will be impounded."
"Roger, Approach Control,"Joker replied. Turning to Shepard, he said, "What a fun bunch. I think I'll take my next shore leave here."
"Try not to antagonize them too much," Shepard frowned. "I don't want us being kicked out."
"OK," Joker shrugged.
Turning to Marcus, Shepard asked, "You and Baird ready?"
"Yeah," Marcus nodded. "What's the plan?"
"We'll be splitting up into two fire teams. You and I will be part of Fireteam Alpha, along with Tali and Liara. Garrus, Wrex, Cole and Baird will be part of Fireteam Beta, while Carmine, Kaidan and Ashley will be in reserve if anyone is seriously injured."
"Sounds like a good plan. Have two teams ready, and one in reserve if anything goes wrong."
"I was hoping as much."
Seeing Shepard frown slightly, Marcus came over and said, "Hey, you're doing good as a leader. Yeah, I've been through a lot more than you have, but that doesn't mean you're worse than I am. You've made good decisions, and I trust you to continue to do so."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Shepard nodded as he proceeded to the airlock. "Some days, I wonder if I'm nothing but a self-serving fraud. I even thought that you were more worthy to take on Saren than I was."
"I know the feeling, but you're a better pick than I am," Marcus countered. "I lost a lot of good people. Hell, I've deserted my post once to save my father. You, however, haven't lost anyone yet, nor have you deserted your post. You've done better than I have, Shepard."
"Thanks," Shepard nodded. "Ready for when we dock?"
"You'll bet."
"Alright. Let's put some bullets into those Geth, if we find any here that is."
After a few minutes of waiting, the Normandy came to a stop, with the sounds of the mass effect/magnetic locking clamps latching onto the hull of the ship. "Alright," Joker replied. "We're docked. Thank you for flying Joker Spaceways. We hope you had a pleasant journey, and we are happy to have been of service."
For the two fireteams now gathered inside of the airlock, the joke was funny to varying degrees. Wrex simply scowled, while Marcus heard Cole and Baird snickering. Carmine merely shook his helmeted head, though it was clear that he found the joke to be in good taste. Garrus actually chuckled, while Shepard merely smiled.
It all became serious again when the airlock equalized the pressure, before permitting them outside of the ship. Stepping outside, Marcus looked around to see where they were at. From what he could tell, Port Hanshen's docking bay was fairly utilitarian, with metal arches, paneling, and powerful lights that lit the interior of the place. On top of that, he noted that the security was tight, as he spotted drones that were flying around, scanning various items in the place. Likely checking for explosives. His right hand, which was holding his Boltok, twitched slightly at that.
As they moved along the walkway, he spotted three individuals. The first was a woman with black hair and brown eyes. Judging by her armor, Marcus guessed that she was the CO of the group. The other was a woman with green eyes and blonde colored hair, while the third individual was a Turian with black facial paint. Each one, aside from the first woman, had their weapons in hand.
"Looks like port security," Baird noted to Marcus. "Not much better than regular law enforcement."
"They look like mercenaries," Marcus added. "Might want to keep your weapon loaded in case they decide to fire on us."
"Me too." With that, Marcus exchanged his Boltok for his M-25 Lancer.
As soon as they came close enough, the woman in the front said, "That's close enough."
"We're not here to cause trouble," Shepard reassured her.
"This is an unscheduled arrival. I need your credentials," the woman continued.
"You first," Shepard replied.
"We're the law here," the second woman growled. "Show some respect."
"Respect is earned, not given," Wrex growled in response. Already, he and the others were getting irritated, though Shepard made a calming motion to them.
"I'm Captain Maeko Matsuo," the first woman replied. "Elanus Risk Control Services. Sterling is my Sergeant."
"My name is Shepard. I'm with the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Council."
Apparently, they hadn't known, as Sterling said, "Load of horsecrap, ma'am."
"We will need to confirm that," Matsuo continued. "Also, I must advise you that firearms are not permitted on Noveria. Sergeant Sterling, secure their weapons." Nodding, Sterling moved forwards to confiscate their weapons.
Before she could, Marcus and the others raised their weapons, with Shepard pulling out his handgun. "How about you back off, before we pump lead into your bodies," Baird growled. "You ain't taking our guns from us."
"Hell yeah!" Carmine grunted. "No one touches my Torque Bow without my permission and gets away with it for long."
"Let's take a chill pill," Shepard calmly suggested, doing his best to ease the tension. "As much as I understand protocol, Captain Matsuo, I cannot, in good conscience, leave myself undefended. You understand, yes?"
Just as things were about to get tense, a voice over the PA spoke. "Captain Matsuo! stand down! We just confirmed their credentials. Spectres are permitted to carry weapons here, Captain."
As soon as Matsuo heard this, she immediately motioned for the others to stand down. "You may proceed, Spectre," she informed them a little stiffly. "I hope the rest of your visit will be less confrontational. Parasini-san will meet you upstairs."
"Behave yourselves," Sterling growled.
"You first, bitch," Baird growled. That earned him a sneer from Sterling, though a sharp glance from Matsuo prompted her to stand down. As they walked off, he growled, "When she tried to take our guns, my bullshit meter went off. Something about her really irritates me."
"Try not to do anything rash while we're here," Shepard chided him. "Still, I understand what you mean, Baird. Something about her does rub me the wrong way. If she tries anything, we'll handle it." With that, they walked inside.
Moving up a couple flights of stairs, Shepard led the others past a pair of security rooms. As soon as he moved past what looked like a pair of cameras, alarms began to blare loudly. Just as they did, a woman in a red-pink dress came over and pressed a hidden button. "Weapon detectors," she explained. "Don't mind the alarms."
"Understood," Shepard nodded. "I take it you are Parasini?"
"That's correct," the woman replied. "I'm Gianna Parasini, assistant to Administrator Anoleis. We apologize for the incident in the docking bay."
"I appreciate your help," Shepard nodded.
"You're welcome. You must understand our security chief was just performing her duties. One of my duties is orientation of new arrivals. Do you have any questions?"
"Pretty heavy security for a small port. Why is that?"
"The Executive Board does everything in it's power to secure the privacy of our client corporations."
"More like hiding behind hired shitheads," Baird snarked, his voice silent enough that only Marcus could hear his comment.
"I can't have my investigation hindered," Shepard said to Gianna.
"Tread lightly," Gianna cautioned him. "The Board can bury you in litigation. You'd need an Asari lawyer to see the case through."
"I see. Anyone unusual pass through here recently?"
"Unusual," Gianna remarked. After a moment of looking at some logs, she said, "An Asari Matriarch passed through here a few days ago. Lady Benezia."
"Benezia?" Liara gasped, surprised. "She is here?"
"Can I speak with her?" Shepard asked.
"Benezia left for the Peak 15 research complex days ago. To the best of my knowledge, she is still there."
"Could you tell me how to get there?"
"You'll need to ask Administrator Anoleis for clearance to leave this port."
"Where can I find the Administrator?"
"His office is on the main level. Left at the top of the elevator."
"Thank you for the information," Shepard nodded. "Can we go in now?"
"Of course," Gianna nodded. "If you need any assistance, you can ask me at the administrator's office."
As Gianna left, Liara said, "Shepard, can we talk?"
"Go ahead," Shepard nodded.
"Does this change anything between us?"
"No, Liara," Shepard replied, having guessed at why Liara was worried. "I still trust you Liara. You may not be human, but you're a member of the crew."
"I see," Liara nodded. "Thank you, Shepard. When we find my mother, I'm going to ask her why she is working with Saren. Perhaps I can learn why she is helping him."
"She'll probably try to kill your ass, but I understand why you'd want to ask," Marcus shrugged. "So, Shepard, there anything you need us to do?"
"Once we're inside, I'll speak to Anoleis on the possibility of heading to Peak 15. While I'm doing that, case the joint and see if there's anything we can do to leverage him into helping us out."
"Got it." Moving along, they entered an elevator and, once the icon for the lobby was hit, quickly went up a few levels. The elevator came to a stop, with the doors opening into a massive lobby, with walls that extended partway to the ceiling that divided up each area. Noveria's wealth was almost immediately apparent, as the floors were polished to a shine, the walls well decorated, and the seating bright and plush.
Marcus, however, was reminded far too much of the interior of Azura, specifically the places where the dormitory for the scientists was at. Too many rich people spending money on shit they don't need, he thought. I guess needless spending isn't restricted to Sera. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Turning to the others, who were looking at him, he whispered, "Spread out and look for anything that might be remotely useful. In the meantime, look for anything that might leverage Anoleis if Shepard can't convince him otherwise."
"You got it," Cole nodded. As soon as he said that, they spread out into their separate fireteams, with each one milling about.
Baird, who was wandering towards the opposite end of the upper level, was not in a good mood. Too many stingy assholes like Chairman Prescott, he grumbled internally. Just another thing I'll do differently when I found DB Industries. On top of that, my bullshit meter is still going ring-a-ding-ding.
He was so deep in thought that he bumped into the door to another elevator. Taking a few steps back, he looked up to see the holographic image of a martini glass. Hhmmm… probably the local bar, or whatever they call it here. Turning to Wrex, he asked, "What about the local bar?"
"Not a bad idea," Wrex nodded. "I've picked up contracts and contacts at bars before."
"Same here," Garrus nodded. "I often had informants inside of bars when I worked at C-SEC. You'd be surprised by the reliability of some of the information that comes from places like this. Alcohol does tend to loosen one's lips, after all."
"Huh," Cole noted. "I usually ain't a fan of bars. If it helps with finding anythin' useful though… then I'll take it."
"Alright," Baird nodded. "Let's go." With that, they entered the elevator and, after a few seconds of upward motion, entered the bar.
When he stepped out, he looked around. It's not a bar, he thought. It's a nightclub. This latter statement proved to be correct, as when he entered, he found himself in a two level room. The bottom floor was a bar, while the upper floor was used as a dance floor. Already, he could see flashing lights, while the bar area was lit with floor lights that glowed a soft white.
He wasn't given any peace either, as he heard someone say, "Excuse me, I need a moment of your time." Turning to his left, he spotted an Asari in a yellow, white and light red dress.
"What do you want?" he asked, his irritation showing through
"The male Human at the hotel bar," the Asari explained, ignoring his poor mood. "He's a sales rep for Binary Helix. His name is Rafael Vargas. I need you to speak with him."
"Why?"
"He will assume you are going to be performing a job for him. That will distract him from your – my – real intentions."
"He's right there, lazy. Why haven't you done so yet?"
"I wish I could. I already bungled this myself. He realized I was not a buyer."
"Who are you?"
"I represent the Armali City Council on Thessia. Our city is known for it's biotic amp crafters, and before you ask, much of BH's work relates to biotics. There are rumors that the Noveria Branch has flown in asari biotics. Powerful ones; Commandos to be exact. We want to assess any potential risk to Asari copyrights.
"You will present yourself as a buyer for whomever you represent. Discuss their military enhancement programs. Your real objective is to distract him. I will give you a device that will crack into his personal wireless network. It will upload a variety of viruses. They will infiltrate Binary Helix when he logs into their intranet."
The moment he heard this, Baird knew that something fishy was going on. "How about you piss off, bitch?" he growled. "I ain't about to start trouble around here by snooping into other people's business. So hello, and goodbye." Before he could give the Asari any time to reply, he walked off, with the others following him.
"Not bad," Wrex nodded, an impressed grin on his face. "You showed her a thing or two."
"I just don't like wasting my time with assholes that like to eavesdrop on people."
"Kinda hypocritical, though," Garrus frowned. "You did hack into those consoles at ExoGeni's Local HQ on Noveria."
"Yeah, but I did so with good reason. She wants me to do it to satisfy herself and cause trouble for another person."
"Fair point."
"Good thing too," Cole nodded. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have known how shitty ExoGeni was. Let's go talk to the nice people in here."
They didn't have to look far. As Baird was reaching a nearby extranet terminal, he heard someone say something to him. "Good afternoon," a deep, flanging voice remarked. Turning to his left again, he spotted a male Turian that was dressed in a corporate uniform, with sky-blue facial pant on his facial plates. He was drinking out of a small glass, though it was clear that he was moderating his intake, as he didn't appear to be tipsy.
Walking over, Baird asked, "Who are you, if I may ask?"
"Lorik Qui'in," the Turian replied. "You?
"Baird. Bad day at work, I take it?"
"If only you knew. It's not easy having a job here, with the competition being cutthroat. Now, my office has been shut down, and I've been charged with embezzlement."
That piqued Baird's interest for some reason. "Tell me more," he inquired.
"I'm the manager for the local Synthetic Insights office," Qui'in explained. "For the moment, at least. Mr Anoleis closed my office. He claims to be investigating reports of my corruption. The administrator is an interesting man. He's become quite wealthy since he recently took direct control of rents."
"I smell a connection," Baird noted in a slight sing-song voice.
"An astute observation," Qui'in agreed. "I acquired evidence of Anoleis' actions. His hired goons are ransacking my office to find it. I have a suspicion that whatever you're looking for lies outside this port. Mr Anoleis would be disinclined to let you wander. If you recover the evidence from my office, I can get you whatever you need, up to, and including, a garage pass and a sum of credits."
"Why didn't he cancel your garage pass? That doesn't make sense to me."
"Why should he? There's nothing outside but snow and hungry nathacks."
"Pretty tough getting a pass. How'd you manage it?"
"I am a manager. Most executives on Noveria are free to come and go as they please."
Hhmmm… Baird thought to himself. I think we might have something here. If I can get the evidence that Qui'in needs from his office, then I can not only get something that'll allow us to leverage Anoleis, but also do some good while I'm at it. "Alright," he nodded. "I'm in. Got a plan?"
"I do," Qui'in nodded, pleased that he had gotten Baird interested. "However, there is one other… what's that charming human expression? 'Fly in the lotion?' Violence against Anoleis' thugs may be necessary. He has members of Port Hanshen's security team searching my offices. He's paying them under the table. Captain Matsuo is unaware of their outside employment."
"Then they're being fucking assholes," Baird grunted in his usual acerbic manner. "I can handle assholes like them easily enough. Why do you think I wear body armor?"
"Fair point," Qui'in admitted. Pulling something out of a pocket in his suit, he handed it to Baird and said, "Here is a pass to our offices. It will activate the elevator. The evidence is on my office computer." Handing Baird an OSD, he said, "This OSD contains an encryption key to access it. Slide it into the drive, and it will auto-execute. Oh, and do try to keep blood stains off the carpet, would you?"
"Can't promise the last item, but I can do everything else," Baird shrugged. As he walked off, he said, "What do ya know? A corporate boss that ain't a complete asshole. Is someone playing a joke on me?"
"Maybe," Wrex shrugged as they entered the elevator.
. . .
The office to Synthetic Insights wasn't that hard to find. According to a map that Baird found, it was through a hallway on the lower level of the lobby. Moving through the hallway and up some stairs, he found the elevator in question. Using the pass, he unlocked the elevator before getting inside. Hhmm, it isn't going up, he noted. Digital security lock. Nothing too hard.
Before long, thanks to the training Tali gave him, the elevator was quickly moving upwards. As it moved upwards, he took his rifle out and primed it, along with his handgun and shotgun. As it came to a stop, he proceeded out, encountering two people, an armored Human and Turian respectively.
Apparently, the presence of four heavily armed soldiers surprised them, as the Human guard jumped before her partner drew his weapon. "Freeze!" she ordered. "Hanshan security. This office is sealed."
"I've got a pass," Baird explained, making sure his M-25 was in his hands.
"Qui'in?" the guard asked. "Are you working for him. He's under investigation, if you haven't noticed already."
"I have," Baird replied, flicking the safety off on his rifle. "Besides, I know that Anoleis is paying you to shake this place down, and that Matsuo doesn't know your here. So, how about you leave, before my friends and I pump you full of lead just for the hell of it." With that, he raised his rifle, with Wrex and the others doing the same.
That got the right response, as the guard moved backwards, intimidated by the show of firepower. "Hey, I'm not the one who wants Qui'in! Anoleis has a Varren up his ass about this guy. How about this? We pretend you didn't see us, and we'll pretend we didn't see you." With that, she moved towards the elevator with her partner to leave.
"At least someone has some sense," Garrus observed. "Not so sure about the others."
"Don't worry," Cole beamed. "The Cole Train's gonna set them straight."
While he said this, Baird looked around the room. The room was arranged in a fashion similar to a ridge, with the floor to the left being accessible up a flight of stairs, while he could see another room inside of what looked like a very large column. A small bridge was also up above, with that bridge leading to another room on the second floor.
Having led a fireteam before, Baird had expertly assessed the room with a keen eye. The upper floors present a good firing position, and the lower area we're in is the killbox, he noted. Since that's the case… Looking at the others, he said, "Wrex, you and I will clear the upper level. Cole, Garrus, you two will clear out the lower level."
"Agreed," Garrus noted. "Sounds like you've done this before."
"I was a Lieutenant during the Battle of Halvo Bay," Baird explained. "I know how to lead a squad." With that, the group split up, with Baird and Wrex going right, while Cole and Garrus continued ahead.
Climbing up the stairs, Baird peered around some cover. He could see around eight security guards that were currently overturning the place, with some beginning to drift towards some offices that were behind glass doors to the right. Pulling out a Bolo Frag Grenade, he looked at Wrex and asked, "You ready?"
"Ready," Wrex nodded. With that, Baird pulled the pin, before tossing the grenade right into the middle of the group.
Thanks to a few modifications he made, the grenade exploded as soon as it impacted the ground. A loud BOOM echoed inside of the room, while the blast wave and shrapnel tore into the guards. Kinetic barriers shattered, and armor was shredded. Four guards fell to the ground, with two being splattered all over the ground.
"What the hell?!" one shouted.
"We're being attacked!" another shouted.
"Guess who, motherfuckers!" Cole shouted as he fired his M-15 Battle Lancer, the high powered rounds downing the barriers of the targets he was shooting at, before massacring them. "The Cole Train's here to do some house cleaning! WHOOOO!"
On the upper level, Baird fired his Lancer at a guard that was getting up from the blast. Her barriers snapped in short order, before the HESH rounds ripped into her. She screamed as pieces of her own armor tore her apart, with the guard coughing up blood before falling to the ground, dead.
Wrex, spotting a few more targets, using a biotic shockwave to send them flying over the railing and to the ground. After Baird downed the barriers on one, he pulled out his shotgun and fired. Armor crumpled, before the second shot blasted the guard's chest wide open, sealing his doom.
It wasn't long before all of the guards were neutralized, with the last one crumpling to the ground when his head exploded from a shot that Garrus had fired. "Not very disciplined, aren't they," Garrus shrugged.
"Tell me about it," Baird frowned. "Now, let's find that evidence before anymore bullshit happens." Shooting a survivor with his handgun, he moved towards the office that Qui'in worked at. Moving inside, he quickly spotted the computer in question, prompting him to take out the OSD and slid it into the port. Within a few seconds, the computer uploaded the files into the OSD.
Job done, he beamed. Time to go. Leaning out, he spotted some more guards coming inside, with those that saw the devastating gagging. He also spotted a familiar face down below.
"Looks like Sterling is here," Garrus frowned.
"Tell me about it," Baird frowned. Looking at Cole, he asked, "You got that Boomshot still?"
"Shit yeah!" Cole beamed, hauling the weapon out. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"
Baird merely smiled. Leaning out, he said, "Hey ho, bitch! Miss me?"
Sterling, who was still on the ground floor, whipped her head up so fast that Baird thought that she had given herself whiplash, not that he cared anyways. "You again," she growled as she spotted him. "I don't think you and your friends supposed to be in here."
"What can I say? I like making sure assholes like you don't succeed."
"Plus, we say the same for you, bitch," Cole added.
"Anoleis would have you thrown off world for what you've done. Do you know what we did to corrupt cops where I-" She never got the chance to finish her speech.
Before she could finish, Cole fired the Boomshot. The grenade impacted her directly on the chest, before detonating immediately after; in a few milliseconds, Sterling's limbs, and a good portion of her internal organs, went flying everywhere. Two other guards were also killed, while the others staggered away, blood and gore splattering their armor.
"Ah shut your trap, bitch!" Baird shouted, making a few sounds mockingly before he started shooting. Hearing his barriers snap, he quickly ducked down, grunting as bullets impacted his chest. Between himself, Cole, Garrus and Wrex, it wasn't long before all hostiles were down.
Using his medi-gel, Garrus winced as a gunshot wound to his leg faded, leaving soothing relief as he checked the armor. "Armor repair systems are doing alright," he noted. "That one guard got a lucky shot in."
"Well, at least you're OK," Baird shrugged. "I've had worse than that. I got shot in my crotch at one point."
Wrex winced. "It hurts getting shot there."
"It does. Fortunately, kids are still on the table. Now let's go deliver this evidence. I'm already sick of this place."
(Author's Q&A)
ZombifiedTeen: Whenever I put another plot device in, I make certain to use it. It's a good example of what is known as 'Chekov's Gun.'
MarauderPrime12: Thank you.
Chronus1326: Me too. I always wondered what a polymath like him would do to improve the Mako.
CommandantCo: Maybe. We'll find out in the Mass Effect 2 Story Arc.
edboy4926: Thank you. Feel free to share any ideas you have in the reviews too.
Just a Crazy-Man: Thank you again. Feel free to share any ideas for this crossover.
Guest: I'll be referencing that in a later chapter. Thank you for pointing that out.