Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Gears of War/Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you all for your wonderful patience and support. I deeply appreciate it.
Now, we're finally reaching the end of the Virmire story arc. After this will be the final story arc of the entire crossover. Thank you all for sticking with me all this way, and I intend to finish this crossover to your satisfaction.
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, The Coalition, Microsoft Studios, Epic Games, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to it's original producers 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.
Virmire
Saren's Base
March 20th, 2183
With the information that they now had in their possession, the team quickly began making their way back out of Saren's lab and towards the cloning facility for the mutant Krogan. Moving back down the elevator, they took the same path that they used to enter the lab out. Exiting the door, Marcus ducked into cover with the others when he spotted a Geth Destroyer up ahead. "Incoming!" he shouted.
"I've got 'im!" Cole shouted, firing the Boomshot that he'd been carrying up to this point. The first grenade blasted apart the Geth Destroyer's barriers, though Cole could hear his armor alerting him to his own barriers beginning to fail. The second shot did the trick, with the blast destroying the Geth Destroyer. "Hah! That Geth is now scrap! Hey, Baird, you can use that!"
"Yeah, if it hasn't all been shredded that is," Baird remarked with a shrug.
"Keep moving," Marcus ordered. With that they continued to move up, weapons at the ready as they advanced. Checking his ammo, Marcus noted that it was starting to run low. Keying his comm, he said, "Joker, send JACK here with an ammo crate. Need a resupply here ASAP."
"Roger," Joker replied. "JACK's on his way. ETA: 3 Mikes."
"Running low on ammo?" Shepard asked.
"Yeah," Marcus confirmed as he searched his 'pack. "Got just one mag left for my rifle. The others'll probably need a resupply too. We'll also take this time to make sure we don't have any injuries to tend to. Baird?"
"I've got it," Baird replied, pulling out some medi-gel and what appeared to be a medical kit. "Good thing we can take off our armor quickly and put it on just as fast. We shouldn't have to worry about Imulsion exposure here. Saren wouldn't be that dumb."
With that, the Gears took off their armor to take stock of their injuries. While the armor they wore was quite effective at stopping bullets, it wasn't impervious to damage, and it was often damaged enough to allow the soldier wearing it to get hurt. In the past, they didn't have to worry too much, given that they weren't far from help. Now, without proper doctors around, they were having to tend their wounds.
While Baird tended to the others as best as he could, Marcus checked his own injuries. So far, no bullets had penetrated his armor, though he could feel a dull ache in his chest from when that mutated Krogan smashed into him. Most likely bruised ribs, he noted to himself. That was a risk that one took when wearing the COG's body armor: take enough blows, and the ribs would get bruised, before beginning to crack and then fracture. Beyond that, he had an an ache in his arm, though it was minor.
Just as he finished checking himself over, Baird came over. "Bruised arm and ribs?" he asked.
"Yeah," Marcus confirmed.
"Hang on," Baird replied, pulling out a syringe and a needle. "I've worked with Dr. Chakwas instead of staying down below all the time. She came up with this concoction that should help any cracked bones heal properly."
"She's a smart lady," Marcus noted as Baird injected the liquid inside of the syringe into his arm and chest. "She's definitely smart."
"That she is," Baird agreed. After a moment, he said, "You're good to go. Just try not to get rammed by a mutant Krogan next time, will ya?" Just as he said this, JACK arrived, with the robot carrying a crate in it's arms. "And there's the resupply. Perfect timing."
'All right," Marcus decided. "Everyone, armor up and grab some ammo. We've still got a ways to go yet."
"Copy that," Carmine agreed as he grabbed ammo, along with the others. Once they had all the ammo they needed, they quickly reloaded their weapons, finished stocking up and then moved out, while JACK returned to the Normandy with the crate.
As they moved up, the comms crackled to life. "The Geth are turning from your position, Jaeto," Kirrahe reported. "Looks like Shadow kicked a sensitive spot! Williams, head them off! Hold them out here!" With that, the comm went out again.
"I hope Ashley's doing OK," Carmine mumbled. Nearby, Marcus nodded in agreement. It wasn't well known among the other members of the team, but Marcus knew that Carmine and Ashley were starting to have a relationship with each other. It had taken them some time, given their clashing personalities, but they were starting to do well with each other.
All other thoughts were put aside as they moved through Rana's office and back out to where they had arrived there at. As they did so, a bridge that was up ahead lowered, allowing them to move to the next set of walkways. "Krogan up ahead!" Cole shouted as he pointed at two Krogan that were coming at them. "Looks like we've got Glowie Krogan!"
"Take them out!" Shepard ordered. With that, the team immediately focused fire on the first Krogan that was charging at them. That Krogan fell to the ground, before exploding with enough force to nearly shatter that part of the walkway.
The other Krogan, however, roared before mutating before their eyes. Bending down, the Krogan morphed into a six legged creature, while it's tail elongated with a stinger growing on the tip. Said Krogan's head also elongated, growing two more pairs of eyes, while it's mouth morphed into a collection of toothy mandibles and it's body grew chitinous plates all over it. A moment later, it flung a lime green goo at them. "Watch it!" Baird shouted as they took cover.
The good narrowly missed them, before smacking into the door behind them. Marcus watched as the affected portions began to sizzle, before seemingly melting away. "Careful, it's got acid in that tail!" he warned the others, just as the Krogan let out a skittering shriek before charging.
This time, Cole, despite feeling revulsion at the sight of an insectoid Krogan, manned up. Taking a deep breath, he deployed the bayonet on his Battle Lancer and, with a loud roar, charged directly at the mutated Krogan. The alien, not expecting someone to charge at it, hesitated, and it was that hesitation that cost it it's life.
Cole, charging forwards, thrust the bayonet on his rifle deep into the mutated Krogan's skull. A shrill shriek erupted from the mutated Krogan, even as Cole twisted the blade to make sure it was dead. It glowed intensely and before Cole could get out of the way, it detonated. Cole was sent careening backwards, landing on his back as the explosion rang out. "COLE!" Marcus shouted.
"I-I'm OK," Cole grunted as he got back onto his feet. "Armor took the worst of it. That was a close one."
"Careful next time," Shepard admonished him. "I'd rather not have you dead because of a charge like that."
"Copy that."
"Let's keep moving," Marcus decided. "We've got more trouble coming our way." With that, the team continued to move out, weapons at the ready. Moving through the hallway ahead, they soon came to a walkway that arced around and up one of the buildings in the base.
Moving around the bend, Shepard leaned out, only to pull his head back when he saw a laser being directed near his position. "Got a sniper up ahead," he reported. "Anyone got any ideas?"
"I've got one," Carmine replied. "Baird, Longshot please?"
"Sure," Baird agreed, before tossing the weapon to Carmine. Taking aim, Carmine leaned out of cover, before firing two shots in rapid succession. "Enemy sniper down," he reported.
"Good," Marcus nodded. "Let's move up. I've got a feeling that we've got more competition up ahead. Cole, if you see any Krogan, blow them up with the Boomshot. I'd rather not risk close quarters combat." Moving up, the team found themselves looking at a walkway that had a platform attached to it. On the other side of the area, they could see that the walkway took a left turn and continued forwards to a tower up ahead. On the tower was an AA Gun that was ready to blow anything there out of the sky.
Hostiles were present here as well, "Got a Krogan here!" Cole shouted.
"I have him!" Liara, who'd been silent for a few minutes, shouted. Despite the pain in her chest, she hurled a biotic lift at the Krogan, sending the mutated alien careening into the sky.
Cole, seeing an opportunity, fired his Boomshot twice. Both explosions, in rapid succession, combined with the Krogan becoming weightless, sent the alien flying into the tower with a loud CRUNCH before it detonated. "Aw yeah!" Cole shouted excitedly. "Going deep for the long bomb, baby! That was nice, Liara!"
"Thanks," Liara grunted, rubbing her chest as she did so. While Cole and Liara were taking out the Krogan like it was trash, Marcus and the others were focusing fire on two Geth Stalkers that were firing at them. One jumped close to Marcus, only for Carmine to blast the machine apart with his Gnasher. Another tried to leap in, only for Shepard to grab Marcus' knife and plunge it deep into the machine's flashlight eye.
"Nice move," Marcus noted.
"I picked up a few things from you," Shepard admitted. "That was one of them." Spotting another Krogan coming at them, he was about to fire when Carmine, who'd traded back the Longshot for his Torque Bow, fired, blasting the alien's head apart and causing the rest of it to explode. "Nice shot," he remarked.
"Thanks," Carmine quipped as the team moved up. "Anyone remember when we visited a place like this…? Me neither."
"I remember when I was at Halvo Bay," Baird shrugged as they walked up the ramp up ahead. "Pretty nice place, if you're a rich dick that is. The only exception in that regard is Marcus. He was rich, but he wasn't a dick about it."
"Nice to hear that from you," Marcus remarked. "Didn't know you were thinking that."
"What can I say? I'm not a complete asshole." As he said this, Baird hacked into a nearby terminal, before pressing a few buttons. "Got it," he reported. "AA Grid is coming down. Joker should be able to bring in the Normandy now. I'd say that we-"
"Hold up!" Carmine interrupted. "We've got company! Elevator behind us!"
"I got it," Marcus replied. Getting onto a knee, he had Baird, Shepard and Carmine move next to him before doing the same. Rifles ready, they pointed them at the elevator, just as the doors opened to reveal two Geth Troopers and a Geth Saboteur. As soon as the doors were open, Marcus, Shepard, Baird and Carmine immediately fired, pumping the Geth full of bullets and tearing up the back wall. In just two seconds, all three Geth fell to the ground, shattered beyond recognition.
"Well, that was fun," Baird remarked. Seeing the look that Shepard had, he added, "No, I- I mean – I really enjoyed it."
"Relax," Shepard reassured him, a smirk on his face. "I was just teasing you." Looking at Marcus, he said, "Something tells me that elevator's going to take us directly to the cloning facility."
"I'm getting the same feeling," Marcus agreed. Looking at the others, he said, "We're about to enter a real shit-storm down there, people. If anyone wants to back out, now's the time."
"Hell to the no!" Cole immediately replied. "The Cole Train ain't backin' away from a job 'till it's done!"
"Saren had created abominations and nightmares here, all in an attempt to conquer the galaxy! I won't leave until this place is destroyed!" Liara added."
"Same here," Carmine agreed, with Baird and Shepard nodding in agreement.
"All right," Marcus decided. "Let's get down there and finish this job once and for all. Cole, make sure you've got enough grenades to get the job done. Carmine, you'll help Cole neutralize as many Krogan as possible before they get too close. Let's move." With that, they entered the elevator, before hitting the button that would take them to the ground floor. Once they reached the ground floor, they moved through a hallway that took them to another door. Weapons ready, Marcus kicked the control panel with his boot.
As soon as the door opened, they saw part of the cloning facility that Saren was using. In the wing of the facility they were at, they could see ten tubes, each one holding a Krogan in various stages of development, with some nearly ready, while others were in an embryo stage still. The ten tubes were split into two columns, with the tubes ending at a door that was up ahead. Water was flowing in front of the tubes, while a pair of walkways traveled behind the cloning capsules.
To their surprise, the only resistance they found were a pair of Geth Stalkers, and those were easily dispatched with little difficulty. "I don't like this," Shepard groused as they moved towards the door. "Something's up. Saren's got something waiting for us."
"Yeah," Kaidan, who'd been silent until now, agreed. "There's something off about this entire thing."
Marcus, nodding in agreement, opened the large blast door that was ahead of them. The door moved upwards to reveal a large open space that split this part of the facility in half. The team found themselves walking into an artificial river, with an artificial waterfall on the right, and a large drainage sluice on the left. Fuel tanks were present here, as well as another blast door that was up ahead.
"Looks like this is a good place for the bomb," Marcus informed Shepard.
"I agree," Shepard noted. Keying his comm, he said, "Joker, AA Grid is down. You can bring the Normandy in."
"All right!" Joker cheered. "Nice work! That's one less thing to worry about. I'm bringing us in. I'll get as close to the site as I can."
"Roger that," Shepard replied. Closing the comm, he said, "Joker's about to arrive." Just as he said this, the Normandy flew overhead, briefly appearing before disappearing out of sight. A few seconds later, the Normandy flew back into view, before slowly, but steadily, coming to a hover over their heads. The cargo bay ramps promptly deployed, with a team of Alliance soldiers quickly bringing the nuclear device out into view.
"Bring it back over here," Baird instructed them as he walked towards the drain sluice, which also had an elaborate statue nearby. "We place it here, we're going to cover every portion of this facility." The soldiers, hearing his instructions, quickly moved the converted drive core over to the drainage sluice, before setting it down into the water.
"Charges in place," Kaidan, who'd helped move the bomb, reported. "We're all set he -"
He was promptly interrupted when Ashley came in over the comm. "Commander, can you read me?!" she shouted.
"The nuke's almost ready," Shepard replied. "Get to the rendezvous point, Williams!"
"Negative, Commander!" Ashley shouted, "The Geth have us pinned down at the AA tower! We've taken heavy casualties, and the rest of the team's pinned down with me as well! We'll never make the rendezvous point in time!"
"Damnit!" Shepard growled. "Get them out of there, Joker! NOW!"
"Negative, it's too hot!" Ashley countered. "We'll hold them off as long as we can!"
"Damnit!" Shepard growled. "Any ideas, guys?"
"I've got one," Marcus decided. "Shepard, you take Liara and Carmine with you. Cole, Baird and I will stay here with Kaidan and guard the bomb."
"Are you sure you can handle that?"
"Yeah. We've been through worse before, Shepard. If we handled the war on Sera as well as we did, then we can handle guard duty just fine. Besides, I had a feeling that this might happen, just not like this."
Shepard was silent for a few seconds, then he said, "Give 'em hell for me, Marcus." Looking at Liara and Carmine, he said, "Come on, people. We've got a team to rescue."
As they left, Marcus keyed his comm and said, "JACK, bring out the heavy weapons as well as an ammo crate. We're going to need it. Also, bring that deployable cover that Baird, Garrus and Tali cooked up a month ago." Closing his comms, he watched as JACK, along with a few Alliance soldiers, brought out the gear they needed.
"I've got to head out now," Joker informed them. "I'll go and pick up Shepard and the others when they're ready. You guys going to be all right on your own?"
"Yeah."
"All right. Stay alive, will ya? I'd rather not be seeing dead people down there." With that, the Alliance soldiers that had deployed stayed with them, while Joker quickly had the Normandy ascend before leaving.
Turning to the Alliance soldiers, Marcus said, "This place is going to be swarming with Krogan and Geth before long! If you want to survive, stay near us and help us get set up! Cole, bust open the heavy weapons crate!"
"Time to play with our new toys!" Cole shouted, before walking over to a crate. Kicking part of the crate, he knocked off the lid, allowing them to reach in and pick up the goodies. Cole smiled as he pulled out a M-950 Mulcher. The weapon resembled a historic GAU-19/A Rotary HMG from the early 21st century, as the mechanical crank had been replaced with an electric motor, while the weapon had been stripped of any unnecessary components.
Marcus, however, had his eyes on another weapon that was inside of the crate. The weapon in question resembled the GAU-8 that was used on the historic A-10 Warthog from the 21st century, but in a stripped down and modified state. For one thing, it was designed to be rested onto the shoulder of a soldier, and it had a pair of pistol grips that allowed a user to wield it properly. In addition, the weapon was fed ammo from a belt that was located in a bulky backpack that was designed to fit onto the armor that Marcus wore. Marcus, though, knew what this weapon was from the very start: the M-1500 Vulcan Gatling Gun.
Good thing I installed a combat exoskeleton into my armor during our previous visit to the Citadel, Marcus thought as he picked up the weapon. Thanks to the exoskeleton in his armor, it was about as easy as picking up and assault rifle, though this was also thanks to the weapon being significantly lighter than it's original iteration. Putting the backpack on, he could hear the motors in his Combat Exoskeleton whining slightly, though that was to be expected.
Hefting the Vulcan onto his shoulder, he watched as Baird worked with the Alliance soldiers to finish setting up the last pieces of deployable cover. "There we go," Baird reported. "All cover's been deployed. "You ready those Geth a new asshole?"
"You bet," Marcus agreed.
"Aw yeah!" Cole shouted as he hefted his Mulcher and rested it on one of the pieces of deployable cover. "The Cole Train ain't messing around no more!"
Reaching into a crate, Baird pulled out the One-shot that they had used in the Mako earlier. "Just in case we encounter a Geth Prime, which is going to be definitely certain here," he explained before setting the big gun down by another piece of deployable cover. "I'm ready when you are, Marcus."
Just as he said this, Joker came in over the comm. "Heads up, guys! We've got Geth coming your way!"
"No turning back now," Marcus decided. "All right. We hold this position at all costs! Everyone, get ready for a fight!" With that, he got into a crouch behind some more deployable cover and made sure the Vulcan was properly rested on his shoulder. At that moment, the Geth arrived. In just a few seconds, a Geth Dropship flew overhead, before deploying several Geth, as well as a Geth Prime. At that moment, all hell broke loose.
Letting out a howling roar, Marcus opened fire. There was a brief click as the clutch for the Vulcan Gatling Gun engaged, then the weapon's barrels began to spin. There was a loud BRRRRTTTZZZ as the Vulcan roared, spitting 14.5mm caliber bullets directly at the Geth. At the same time, Cole targeted the Geth Marcus wasn't firing at with the Mulcher, while Baird targeted the Geth Prime with the One-shot.
It was total chaos for the Geth. Several Geth were promptly mulched by Cole's Mulcher, their barriers and armor failing from the sheer multitude of HESH rounds being fired at them. Three more Geth that had the misfortune of being in the path of Marcus' Vulcan were literally reduced to shredded metal. Baird, targeting the Geth Prime, fired the One-shot, tearing off it's right arm with the powerful projectile weapon.
Turning his fire on the Geth Prime, Marcus immediately sprayed the massive Geth Platform with the high powered projectiles the weapon was spitting out like water from a water hose. Within a few seconds, the Geth Prime went down, it's chassis completely shredded by bullets. "Heads up!" Joker shouted. "More Geth heading to your position! They've got a Colossus!"
"You have got to be kidding me!" Baird shouted.
"We've survived bigger!" Marcus shouted. "Remember, it'll be like taking out a Brumak! Take out the guns first, then shred the rest of it! Cole, you handle any smaller Geth that land at this place!"
"Got it!" Cole shouted, just as the next Geth Dropship arrived. The Colossus was promptly deployed, along with two Geth Primes and a smattering of Geth Rocket Troopers. Seeing the new threat, both Marcus and Baird turned their weapons on the Geth Colossus and opened fire. Cole, spotting the Rocket Troopers, fired the Mulcher.
Bullets and rockets flew through the air as both sides worked to destroy each other. Concentrating fire on the Colossus, Marcus began wearing down the massive Geth's shields through sheer volume of fire, while Baird waited for the shields to get weak enough to fire the One-shot. "Anytime now, Marcus!" he shouted nervously as the Colossus prepared to fire it's main gun. "MARCUS!"
"GOT IT!" Marcus roared over the sound of the Vulcan firing. "TAKE IT OUT!" Not needing another cue, Baird fired the One-shot, blasting apart the Colossus' head with the powerful MAHEM round. Marcus then riddled the rest of the chassis with more bullets, before firing on the Geth Primes.
In the meanwhile, Kaidan and the other Alliance soldiers were giving as good as they had. As more Geth landed at their location, they targeted Geth that Marcus and the others weren't able to. Kaidan, flaring his biotics, threw one Geth Rocket Trooper into another, allowing Cole to take them out, while a pair of Alliance soldiers gunned down four Geth Troopers that were advancing forwards. An explosion rang out as a grenade detonated, shredding two more Geth.
Even with the immense firepower the defenders had, the Geth were steadily getting closer, though before long they were stopped near one of the fuel tanks. Spotting an opportunity, Marcus riddled the fuel tank with HEIAP rounds from his Vulcan. The rounds ignited the fuel, causing a tremendous explosion that flattened a large group of Geth, as well as an Armature that had been deployed. Cole, firing at another fuel tank, caused it to detonate as well, with the explosions tearing apart those Geth.
Dispatching the last of the Geth, Marcus heard a clicking sound from his Vulcan. "Out of ammo," he grunted, before tossing the weapon to the ground. Pulling out his Assault Lancer, he peered out of cover to see that all of the hostiles were down. Looking at his deployable cover, he could see that it was now riddled with dents and holes from bullets that had failed to penetrate. "Everyone all right?" he asked.
"I'm good," Baird called out.
"Same here," Kaidan reported. "We've got five KIA and two WIA."
"The Cole Train's still rollin' baby!" Cole shouted exuberantly. "My gun's outta ammo, though."
"Same here," Baird added as he dragged the weapons they used back to the crate and put them inside. Wiping at a furrow carved onto his face by a bullet, he said, "That was really, really intense. Reminds me of that time we had to hold of that bitch's pet bug at Azura."
"It does, doesn't it," Marcus admitted. Just as he said this, though, he spotted something moving towards them. "Get down!" he ordered, with the others quickly scrambling into cover. Peering out of cover, he spotted what was coming along.
It's him, he realized as he saw an awfully familiar face coming into view. On a platform that was designed to carry one person was Saren. It was clear that the rogue Spectre had been busy upgrading his gear, as the armor he wore was much bulkier than before, thanks to armor plating that had been installed. Only his head was exposed, and it was clear from his expression that he was either quite angry, or quite impressed.
Still, Marcus and the others opened fire, only for Saren to deploy a barrier strong enough to stop the rounds. Ducking behind cover, the team dodged biotic attacks that dented and damaged the cover they were behind. Firing his weapon, Marcus watched as the bullets from his rifles splashed against Saren's barriers, even as the Turian casually got off his hover-platform, before hurling out a biotic attack that froze Kaidan and the others in a stasis field. Only Cole and Baird, who threw themselves towards Marcus to avoid the attack, remained unaffected, while Marcus kept his weapon firmly aimed at Saren.
"I must applaud you, Marcus Fenix." Saren remarked as he looked at the three Gears. "The Geth were convinced that the Salarians were real threat. An impressive diversion that kept them busy while I went to deal with Shepard. Imagine my surprise when I learned that he and his team were not the real threat either. Of course, it was all for nothing. I can't let you and Shepard disrupt what I have accomplished here. You can't possibly understand what's at stake here."
"Oh that's bullshit!" Baird snarled. "You really think that we're dumb enough not to understand? I -"
"Hold on, Baird," Marcus whispered to him. Looking at Saren, he asked, "Why the hell are you doing this, Saren? What have you done?"
"I'm glad that you asked," Saren replied, a slight and smug smile on his face. "You've heard Shepard describe the visions that he saw in the Beacon. You and he, of all people, should understand what the Reapers are capable of. They cannot be stopped. Do not mire yourselves in pointless revolt. Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms; the Protheans tried to fight, and they were utterly destroyed.
"Trillions dead. But what if they had bowed before the invaders? Would the Protheans still exist? Is not submission preferable to extinction?
"Oh, really?" Baird snarked back. "And you think that we'll just lie down and allow the Reapers to kill or enslave us all?! I call bullshit on that!"
"I agree," Marcus added. "Do you really think the Reapers will let us live, Saren? If you think they will, then you're a fucking dumbass! I'd rather die than let someone enslave me or anyone else I know!"
Saren started slightly, as though someone had slapped him in the face. Still, he held his composure as he said, "Now you see why I never came forward to the Council with this. We organics are driven by emotion instead of logic. We will fight, even when we know we cannot win. But if we work with the Reapers – if we make ourselves useful – think of the lives that will be spared! Once I understood this, I joined Sovereign, though I was aware of the… dangers. I had hoped this facility could protect me."
"You're afraid that Sovereign is fucking with your head," Marcus realized. "You're afraid that he's just stringing you along like a puppet. Like those poor fucking bastards infected with Imulsion."
"I've studied the effects of Indoctrination," Saren added. "The more control Sovereign exerts, the less capable the subject becomes. That is my saving grace. Sovereign needs me to find the Conduit. My mind is still my own… for now. But the transformation from ally to servant can be subtle. I will not let it happen to me.
"That is when I found the substance that you call Imulsion. Over the months since I found it, I began to toy and experiment with it, transforming it from a parasite into an organism that works with it's host to become stronger. Through it, I have achieved the ability to be free of Indoctrination, as well as some more… interesting abilities. The Krogan here are a template for what I am now."
That bit of information was disturbing, especially to Marcus. He intentionally mutated the Imulsion in order to become immune to Indoctrination. He's fucking crazy! Keeping calm, he asked, "Why are the Geth following Sovereign?"
"They believe Sovereign to be some kind of god," Saren explained. "The pinnacle of their evolution. But the reaction of their deity is most telling: it is insulted. Sovereign does not desire the pitiful devotions the Geth hurl at it. They are just tools, and no amount of belief or ingratiation on their part will change that. But as tools, they are useful. They will survive the coming invasion. If organic life is to survive, we must also prove that we are useful. We must work with the Reapers.
"As for the Conduit, as you are likely curious about that, the Conduit is the key to your destruction and my salvation. Sovereign needs my help to find it. That is the only reason why I have not been indoctrinated. And, with the Imulsion now coursing through my veins, I will never be indoctrinated."
"You fucking bastard!" Baird snarled. "You're already a slave of Sovereign! A tool to be used, then thrown aside when it's fucking useless! He's got your head stuffed so full of bullshit you can't see straight!"
"You one crazy-ass fool, Saren," Cole added. "I thought that Myrrah had drunken from the Kool-Aid, but now… now I know that you're even crazier than that bitch every was!"
Yeah," Marcus agreed. "You've become exactly what you feared you'd be: a tool to be used, then thrown aside! Don't you see it, or have you chosen not to see it?!"
For a moment, there was a flare of panic in Saren's eyes, then that panic was replaced with conviction. "NO!" he shouted. "Sovereign needs me! If I can find the Conduit, I've been promised a reprieve from the inevitable. That is my only hope!"
"It doesn't have to be like that!" Marcus shouted. "We don't have to submit to the Reapers. If we work together, we can destroy them, just as we destroyed the Locust when they tried to destroy us!"
"I no longer believe that, Marcus. The visions cannot be denied. The Reapers are too powerful. Our only chance of survival is to join then. Sovereign is a machine. It thinks like a machine. If I prove my value, I become a resource worth maintaining. There is no other logical conclusion!"
"You're a fucking coward," Baird snarled. "You were a Spectre. You, like us Gears, were sworn to protect the galaxy, then you broke that vow to save yourself! You should never have become a Spectre!"
At that, Saren became angry, as though the mere act of calling him a coward was enough to make him boil over. "I'm not doing this for myself!" he roared. "Don't you see?! Sovereign will succeed! It is inevitable! My way is the only way any of us will survive! I'm forging an alliance between us and the Reapers, between organics and machines. And in doing so, I will save more lives than you can ever imagine."
As Saren said this, his biotics began to flare up. "But you would undo my work. You would doom our entire civilization to -" he was promptly interrupted when Baird, sneakily snagging Cole's Boomshot, fired two shells directly into Saren's face, blasting at the barrier. At the same time, the stasis field surrounding Kaidan and the Alliance soldiers faded, allowing them to open fire.
"Shut your fucking trap, bitch!" Baird snarled as he and the others assaulted Saren. Saren, knowing that he needed to take cover, quickly threw up a biotic barrier, before firing at them.
Ducking down, Marcus spotted what Saren was using. "Careful!" he shouted. "He's using a Hammerburst!"
"Shit!" Cole shouted as he ducked, with the deployable cover he was using on it's last legs.
"I have made extensive studies of your arsenal," Saren gloated as he fired at the Alliance soldiers. "I have copied your armor and your weapons. You cannot hope to defeat me."
"Oh, really?!' Marcus shouted as he fired his Assault Lancer at Saren. A burst of HESH rounds shattered Saren's barriers, while the bullets fired by Kaidan and the others hammered at his armor. Saren, snarling, fired his Hammerburst at the Alliance soldiers. While Kaidan and one other soldier ducked into cover, two of the other soldiers howled in agony as the bullets tore through their bodies.
"MY ARM!" one of the soldiers screamed as he held the stump that was his right arm. "I NEED MY FUCKING ARM!"
"MAMA!" another one screamed. "MAMA! AAAAUUGGGHHH!"
Hearing those screams promptly transported Marcus back to the day when he was at Aspho Fields. Not again, some part of his shouted. NOT AGAIN! Roaring loudly, Marcus immediately performed a mag dump, hammering at Saren with all the bullets in his magazine.
That got some results, with Saren staggering back as bullets smacked into his armor. Snarling, he hurled out a biotic blast, knocking over most everyone, while Marcus remained standing. Making a grabbing motion with his talon, Saren deployed a chainsaw that was inside of an armored compartment in his cybernetic arm. Roaring as he charged, he swung the weapon at Marcus.
Marcus, though, recovered just in time, with the veteran Gear swinging his Assault Lancer's chainsaw bayonet at the incoming weapon. Sparks flew everywhere and motors groaned as the two soldiers entered a bayonet duel. "What's the matter?!" Marcus shouted as he leaned into his rifle, pushing Saren back. "Mad that I'm not joining your side?! Huh!?"
Saren merely snarled in reply as he found himself being quickly pushed back. Disengaging from the bayonet duel, he swiped a talon at Marcus, his Imulsion enhanced claws cutting shallow gouges into the helmet Marcus wore. Staggering back, Marcus fired a few shots to create distance between himself and Saren, before ducking back behind cover.
That cover was promptly shattered when Saren hurled a biotic shockwave at it, sending pieces of shrapnel flying everywhere. Rolling to the right, Marcus felt a few rounds smack into his armor, though the toughened material withstood any spalling that would've gone into his body. Grunting, he fired his Assault Lancer at Saren, forcing the Turian back as well.
It was at this point that Baird and Cole had recovered from being hurled through the air. Getting up, the two fired on Saren's position, prompting him to hurl another biotic attack at them. Both Cole and Baird dodged, though Baird was sent sprawling into the water due to him mistiming the attack.
Cole, however, expertly dodged the blow, before charging at Saren. "YOU WANT SOME?!" he shouted as he swung his rifle, with the blade slicing through Saren's right facial plates. The rogue Spectre roared in rage as his blood splattered the ground and Cole's armor. Rather than wait, Cole, dropping his weapon, grabbed Saren by the waist before flipping himself backwards, causing Saren's head to be briefly submerged before smashing into the metal floor of the artificial river.
Saren roared, though his roar was muffled by the fact that his head was under water. Flaring his biotics, he threw Cole off of him, before elongating his talons and lashing out. Cole howled as the sharpened talons cut through his body suit and into his skin, leaving gouges that were now weeping blood.
"COLE!" Marcus shouted. Seeing his friend being injured, he promptly saw red. Charging forwards, he shoulder tackled Saren, before hammering Saren in the face with his armored fists. Blow after blow rained down on Saren's face, with the Turian's facial plates shattering at each blow.
Howling in anger, Saren threw Marcus off of him, his facial plates regenerating as he deployed his own chainsaw bayonet again. Before he could act, though, a gunshot rang out, with Saren's prosthetic arm being ripped off of his body. Howling, Saren glared in anger at Baird, who had gotten up and fired one last shell that he'd found for the One-shot. As his helmet had been ripped off, Baird was glowering in hate at Saren. "NOT THIS TIME, ASSHOLE!" he snarled.
Saren was about to charge again, only for an alarm to catch his attention. Looking towards the bomb, Marcus could see that Kaidan had activated it and put it on a timer. Hearing water sloshing, he turned to see Saren leaving, prompting him to fire at Saren again. This time, he scored a direct hit, with one of the bullets punching through Saren's body suit and into his body before detonating.
A howl of agony reached their ears as Saren fell onto the platform, his entire body writhing in pain. Forcing himself up, he roared, "THIS IS NOT OVER, MARCUS!" as his platform flew away. At the same time, the Normandy arrived, with Marcus and Baird helping Cole and Kaidan into the ship, while JACK quickly collected the gear they had used.
"You OK?" Shepard asked.
"What do you think?" Marcus asked, his entire body aching as they got onto the Normandy.
"Everybody hang on!" Joker shouted as he closed the cargo bay doors. A moment later, the Normandy accelerated, clearing the blast radius with just seconds to spare. Behind them, the facility, and everything it held, was consumed in nuclear fire as the bomb detonated. Both Marcus and Shepard looked at each other tiredly. Both of them knew, though, that things had just begun.
(Author's Q&A)
bmanbeast57: Soon. Very soon.
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Drakiros: Thank you for the feedback, and thank you for the suggestions. I will definitely consider them.
Mashot Tito: I will answer those questions as soon as i can. And... thanks for the feedback and support.
Guest: Excellent points. Thank you.
dmandog056: A good question. I'll have an answer for you soon.