"Go to Heaven for the climate, to Hell for the company." - Mark Twain
Chapter 7.1 - Therum: Find Liara T'Soni - Part 1
The lock to Engineering closed behind her and she allowed herself a smile.
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya always had that effect on her. And on a lot of other people as well - even though she would probably never notice that. Like Engineer Adams, whom she had wrapped around her little finger within one hour of her working with him. If she had just a little bit of ruthlessness in her, Tali would have probably tried to use that to get her hands on some classified data... but so far, nothing.
She reminded Shepard a lot of herself, back in the days when she was still a naive recruit. In a sense, both women were not that different... spending their childhood aboard ships, not caring much about the bigger world outside the hulls that were their homes... until later, when both, driven by a desire to make their parents proud, made their first steps into the big universe.
The only difference: Ten years of military experience that had erased any naivity from her, Shepards, mind. But, despite everything that happened to her, Shepard was still able to see the beauty the universe held. Just like Tali did, in her own way.
The red-haired woman shook her head, the smile still in place. Maybe that was the reason why Shepard often felt like Tali's big sister.
Just as she was about to make her way towards her bunk, she heard noises from the general direction of the ship's resident Mako. The Commander furrowed her brows. It was 0445, ship's time. Everyone, except for the night shift, was supposed to be asleep. Given Therum's volcanic climate and the reported, large geth presence in the area, the upcoming mission would certainly stretch Shepard's squad to their limits.
That's music, isn't it?
Yes, it was, she noticed as she stepped closer. And a very popular song as well, although by the sounds of it a cover-version. Jane never was that much into music – it was a welcome 'white noise' when she did some of the more boring work that being an Alliance Commander brought with her. Like filing reports, for example. But even she recognized Heavy Metal when she heard it.
It doesn't matter if you're wrong, or if you're right
It makes no difference if you're black or if you're white
All men are equal 'til the victory is won
No colour or religion Ever Stopped The Bullet From A Gun!
She stopped and folded her arms in front of her. Interesting. On the other hand, it kind of fit that Raven was a fan of aggressive music.
It had to be him. No-one else aboard would be crazy enough to spend his resting shift laying under a tank and listening to adrenaline-rush type of music.
That, and his boots were sticking out, wiggling to the beat.
Out! In the fields
The Fighting has begun!
Out! On the streets
They're falling One by One
Out! From the skies
A thousand more will die each day
Death is just a Heartbeat away
She watched him, unsure if she should interrupt him. What was he doing there anyway? Vakarian had already reported the Mako ready for deployment…
And this is not the first time he's acting strange.
Jane Shepard considered herself pretty decent in reading people. She wasn't by any means a shrink; but a bit of psychology, both alien and human, was part of every Alliance' Special Operations Academy class. It was the reason why she knew that she could trust Garrus Vakarian; as well as getting Wrex to trust her enough to follow her orders.
But for all intents and purposes, Raven was... a mystery.
Just when Shepard was about to make progress in finding evidence against Saren, he appeared out of nowhere helping her in securing the evidence she needed. And while that was also the case with the other three newcomers, they all had a background that could be checked; had done things before that made it possible to explain their actions.
Not him.
Raven's story made sense; in itself, at least, but the actions that followed out of it didn't, not completely. A daring and illegal trip to the Citadel with only 21, counting his small experience on the live outside the Isolationists? Possible. Being 'just in the right place at the right time'? Happens!
But the entire picture, all things considered? Unlikely. It didn't quite fit to the way he behaved. He was too... hesitant? Level-headed? Knowledgeable?
On the other hand, maybe this hunt for Saren was the 'big adventure' he hoped for? That would fit be at least somewhat fitting. And yet...
Shepard shook her head. She had thought it over, multiple times. Raven was a 'wildcard', as Anderson had put it.
Her mentor had discussed this matter, just before the NORMANDY had departed from the Citadel. Both N7 had watched the young man go with Alenko, and both agreed that there was something odd about him. Anderson was sure that Raven had lied, at least in regard to his background.
"It is possible, that there is a Isolationist cell somewhere in Germany they haven't found yet.", Anderson had said, his gaze lingering on the airlock for seconds after it closed "It is also possible, that this cell has children that haven't yet been found. But his psych-profile doesn't fit."
She had relinquished to read the full report about the possible psych-profiles of children grown up in Isolationist cells some professors in Earth's universities had cooked up. Shepard had enough ways to ruin her day already. But what she did get was that the chance of Raven being an Isolationist's child were very slim. So, there could be only one logical conclusion. But, if he truly had lied, what would be his reasoning? Was he a possible double-agent Saren tried to put into her ranks?
"Keep an eye on him, Commander." her Captain had warned her. "Remember: 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.'"
She heard her mentor's advice, and she acted on it; but for herself, Shepard didn't quite believe that Raven was a possible traitor. It was a gut feeling, and the Commander knew that most of the times, it was dangerous to act on such feelings. Especially when it came to something as uncertain as a person's loyalty. But she couldn't and didn't want to refuse anyone who was willing to help. He would get a chance, just like the rest of her wayward bunch of squadmates.
And so far, Jess Raven had kept what he promised. While not that skilled, he managed to get the job done…
That was another thing. His inexperience.
She had kept a close eye on his performance, both in training and in live action. He tried. But she had seen enough action to sense that Raven was really a newbie when it came to firefights.
You can't fake inexperience. If you're a skilled operative, you have the reflexes ingrained into your very being. Shepard, possibly the Alliance' best N7 (even though she despised being called like that almost as much as she hated her 'Lioness of Elysium' title), knew it better than any other human.
And then, she saw him getting brought to the medbay by Lieutenant Alenko. She saw into his eyes.
His shell-shock wasn't faked in any kind or way.
That tipped the scales in Raven' favour, although he would probably never know it.
Doesn't matter if you're left, or to the right
Don't try to hide behind the cause, they want to fight
There'll be no prisoners taken when the day is done
No flag no uniform Ever Stopped The Bullet From A Gun!
Out! In the fields
The Fighting has begun -
"Good morning, Raven."
The young man jumped. An audible 'bump' was the result, followed by a muffled curse. The Commander bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself from giggling. The music stopped.
"Raven, reporting in." A groan. "Do you need me, Commander?"
"Just wanted to talk to you." she said, unable to hold the mirth out of her voice. ''But we can do this later, if you're... occupied."
"Nay, it's okay. Just fumblin" around anyway... come on, du Scheißding, lass mich raus hier!*"
"Everything fine?"
"Yeah. Sure. Never felt better."
Another groan, then the music started again, although more quiet. Raven crawled out from under the tank, his gloves and part of his face covered in oil and grease.
"If I may ask, why aren't you in your bunk? And, what were you doin' there?" Shepard asked, watching him as he tried to get his hair, grown over the past few weeks, out of his face – thus spreading the grime even further. "Garrus told me the Mako was good to go."
"To the first: Couldn't sleep. Too much going on in my brain, and I thought good music and something to work on would help." He smiled, although Shepard had a feeling that it was a rather sad one.
"To the second: Aye, but he forgot to grease the gear boxes" he answered, a bit distorted from trying to minimize the damage to his hairdo. "No offense, Commander, but considering the way you're driving I thought it would be better to double-check everything even remotely related to the tires."
"Whaaat?" She put on a playful pout. "My driving is excellent."
"Yeah, sure." He gave up trying to un-mess his hair and gave her 'the look', as she came to call it. Amused and tired, an ironic smile on his lips. "I mean, we only had to replace two wheels instead of all six as... people expected. I would call that good in my books as well."
"Those were the snipers" she defended herself. "They were aiming for the wheels to get us to a stand."
"Aha. Well, I'd like to point out that usually, people try to avoid mountains when driving to a pick-up zone... but that would be disrespectful towards my commanding officer, now wouldn't it?"
"Yes, very disrespectful." Shepard gave him a glare, but unfortunately, her small grin gave her away. She liked those talks – Raven showed her respect, but wasn't afraid or awed of her, unlike most of the people aboard, save for Wrex of course.
"Also, who are the 'people' that expected it?"
"Ehm..."
"No, let me guess. Corporal Miller heard stories and made it a bet, right?"
His lips twitched revealingly. "I thought Kaid- Lieutenant Alenko was exaggerating when he called Miller the 'most infamous gambler in the whole Marine Corps'."
"So it was him."
"I promised him not to tell you. But lying to you doesn't sound like a good alternative either."
Then start acting on it, she thought, and her smile became a bit strained. But you probably have good reasons to keep your past a secret. "No, most likely not. And, technically you didn't tell me, I figured it out."
"Whatever works for you, Commander." He grinned and tried to wipe his hands at his uniform – with limited success. "Anything else, Ma'am?"
Ah, why not. "Since you're here, I'd like to hear your opinion on the upcoming mission."
She carefully waited for his reaction. He was surprised. Something flashed through his eyes and was gone, in barely a split second..
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I don't see how I can be of help there. I've never been to Therum; I've no idea what is going to expect us."
"Well, you had pretty good ideas back on Sharilja" - ideas you had no rights to have - "and I'd like to hear any suggestions my squad makes, you know that."
Raven nodded. "Aye, and I appreciate it, Commander. But as I said..."
"If you've got anything, don't hesitate to say it."
He sighed and started to pace a bit. She watched. He kept his eyes on the ground, expression unreadable.
"... okay.", he finally said after a minute or two. "I've looked into the Codex earlier; it said that Therum is a planet with a breathable atmosphere, but with high temperatures and high volcanic activity."
He looked at her; she nodded in response.
"I think both may be a problem. We have a lone person that is being hunted by an unknown amount of geth; and we don't know how many supplies T'Soni has with her. I'm thinking of starvation and dehydration, so it may be possible that our VIP is wounded or ill. Also, the volcanic activity worries me a bit. If that asari managed to reach a shelter, safehouse or whatever, it is possible that it collapsed and we need to get her out of rubble. We should be prepared to manoeuvre in dangerous terrain... I don't know, ropes, ladders, whatever we have. "
Raven paused, seeking the Commander's eyes. Shepard nodded again, silently signalling him to continue.
"Also, we probably should keep the NORMANDY out of the heat, she may be our only ticket out. But maybe Joker can help us with airstrikes or something? I expect heavy resistance; if Saren is really allied with Matriarch Beneziah, he'll do everything to keep her sweet, so killing her daughter is no option – and generally, you need more forces to capture an enemy alive than to kill him. I don't think Saren would hesitate to bomb Liara from orbit in that case."
He stopped dead in his tracks, as if he had noticed something. "... That would be all, I think.", Raven finished, a bit hesitance obvious in his voice.
Shepard smiled at him, carefully masking her thoughts. And again. "Thanks, Raven. You thought about that quite a bit."
He shrugged, a bit sheepish. "Well, I'll admit, it was what kept me from sleeping 'till wake-up. But, ehm, this was just me thinking out loud. I think you can safely ignore most of what I said."
Don't think so. "Well, we'll see. There were quite some interesting things in it... Again, I appreciate that you're thinking about our tasks as well. However..." - and at that, she grinned, eying his grease-stained uniform, "I'd say you should stop whatever you're doing and rest. And shower. Whatever does expect us down there, you do want to be ready for it."
He nodded and saluted. "Understood, Commander. I'll wrap this up ASAP and will be in the officer's mess until briefing."
"Okay, I'll see you later." Shepard turned to leave, but stopped a few steps later and mockingly glared at Raven. "Also, would you please stop saluting me? That's the third time I'm asking you, you know. For someone who claims to not respect the chain of command, you adhere to that rule quite a lot."
Raven smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I don't necessarily respect someone because of a title, but it's quite difficult to be aboard this ship and not respect you, Commander."
He paused briefly; Shepard was unsure what she should think.
"But yeah." he added, and this time his smile was genuine, "I'll try to reduce that. See ya later, Shepard."
"See ya."
Shepard watched Raven as he crawled under the tank once again, until the elevator closed.
Please, don't be a traitor. I'd really hate having to kill you.
Four hours after this encounter, I took the elevator down to the cargo bay once again.
Only this time around, I had Ash, Kaidan and Garrus with me - and was showered and briefed for the mission, aka: Didn't look like the last dosser on Earth anymore.
There wasn't much talking going on. There wasn't much to say anyway. Shepard was thorough with her briefings; Everyone knew exactly where his place was and what was expected from him. While the missions before weren't something to toy around with anyway, this time we simply had no room for errors.
"Okay, let's get this going."
I looked over to Kaidan, while the lock opened to reveal the cargo bay. "Sounds like you really wanna get it over with."
He shrugged. "Cabin fever."
"Hm." Kaidan never struck me as the type who would have problems with not having action for some time. He's too calm for that. Or maybe just too professional to show it.
Wrex greeted us with a field-stripped shotgun in his grip. "Ready to bust some lamp heads?"
I walked to my drawer and grabbed weaponry and armor from it. "Aye." I turned my gaze to him and gave him a toothy grin. "They're already scrap. They just don't know it – yet."
What was most likely the dumbest line I said during my whole stay (and I'm very sure that Ashley suppressed a sigh) made Wrex flash me a toothy grin in response. Only that his teeth were far more impressive. "Hah! That's the spirit, whelp!"
Ash, myself and Kaidan stripped out of our uniform as usually. We replaced them with single-piece bodysuits, the first layer of our armor. They did look like rompers, but the military-grade suits the Alliance had in use cost around a thousand credits each. They were specifically designed to minimize the damage caused by a bullet that managed to punch through all layers of armor. But at the same time, they didn't 'rip apart' when damaged, so it was quite unlikely that they could get into any wounds and cause infections or something. Also, they were comfortable to wear and soaked up the sweat.
There were probably a billion other reasons why this piece of clothing was awesome, but to be honest, I wasn't really paying attention when Ash explained it to me in all details. My memory does have it's limits.
"Anyone any tips on how to put down a geth for good?" I asked when I put on the boots and connected some cables to the suit. The armored boots had sensors for a lot of things, for example the surface temperature. I didn't quite get it - I mean, I do realize when my feet get cold - but whatever.
On the other hand, the boots could also be set to either be magnetic or not, for situations in ships where the grav-generator wasn't working, or space stations.
"Uhm, hit the flashlight?" Ash offered, already attaching the arm segments to the body part.
I rolled my eyes and fastened the body harnish, slapping twice on my chest plate just to be safe. "Does that really work? I'd think machines would be smarter than making their heads their weakest parts."
Tali, who just left engineering with an activated omni-tool heard the last two sentences and jumped on it. "Geth are an exception. When my people created them, they wanted them to be as..." My translator stumbled a bit here, finally saying: "...'humanoid' as possible."
Tali most likely came to see us off. The Mako only had the place for ten people at most, and considering that Wrex almost counts as two people and Shepard had no idea if T'Soni was in good enough shape not to be transported on a stretcher, we had to leave someone behind. And Tali's equipment wasn't up from scratch.
Hm. Why Shepard didn't leave me behind instead, beat me. After all, Tali is a hell of an engineer – while my only profession aside from 'newbie gunman' was 'living decoy'.
Maybe this is some kind of test. Watch your step.
I nodded in her direction. "I read that 'Geth' literally means 'servant', is that right?" I asked while putting on the balaclava.
She faced me again, and not for the first time I mentally cursed the mask she was forced to wear. "Yes. The Geth were meant to mark a new era for my people, an era of prosperity..."
Ash snorted, attaching her helmet to her armor. "They did mark a new era, alright." Then she looked up and met my eyes.
I didn't say anything. But I wouldn't have wanted to look in the mirror that moment. A second or so we stared in each other's eyes - then we averted our gazes at the same time.
"Well, in the first time, it did work out for your people, didn't it?" I continued as calm as possible, while mentally berating myself. Stay calm, man. You knew Ash would act like that sooner or later. She will learn.
The brief conflict between me and Ash went almost unnoticed; only Tali, who was wringing her hands again, had seen it.
"Yes. But then the Geth became smarter than we could ever have foreseen... and the Morning War broke out." she finished, voice trailing off in sadness.
I didn't know what to say. Lucky for me, Kaiden picked up and started asking about the daily life on the Migrant Fleet, questions the young quarian seemed happy to answer. Since it was mostly stuff she does explain to Shepard in-game, I took the opportunity to withdraw myself from the talk and finished dressing up. Then I inspected my weaponry. Pistol, newly upgraded with mods for precision and stopping power. Assault rifle, cleaned and loaded with a fresh ammo block. Sniper rifle with a customized sight for distances above 100m. And last, and very least, the shotgun – because my rack still had the place for one.
I took a look on Kaidan's back and his weapons. He had explained to me why he always goes in the field with a full loadout, even though he only uses a pistol – simply put, he was the team's 'weapons carrier' in case something had to be replaced in the field.
On this mission, I had a similar job. I strapped on the chest carrier and filled it with spare ammo and medigel.
"Hey Raven." I turned and saw Ash walking to me, her expression controlled and a bag and a rope in her hands. "Here, take these."
The bag contained six molotov grenades, the newest innovation in the area of explosives and burnings. Not really. But it sounds better than 'makeshift mix of grenade and molotov, in the hope that it actually causes some damage'.
Basically, Ash and myself had slapped a few of Shepard's spare grenades on my fuel-filled bottles and glued them together with omnigel. We both agreed that the cocktails wouldn't be that effective against machines – they don't even flinch when they're on fire, so both direct damage and area denial would't work as well as against organic targets – if at all.
By adding a grenade to the mix, we hoped to at least increase the direct damage against a target. First because the grenade's damage could tear an enemy's armor apart, basically clearing the way for the fuel to fry a geth's electronics – the cables you can see inside Legion, which aren't resistant to fire in any kind or way.
And, second, because of the Kaboom! You don't argue with Kaboom!.
It was also quite useful, that I didn't have to manually light a rug anymore. That being said, I took a single 'normal' cocktail with me and my lighter. Just in case.
What irritated me a bit more was the rope. It looks like Shepard takes my words quite serious, I mused to myself. Unsettling. Decidedly unsettling.
"Thanks, Sarge." I took both items from her hands and flashed her a smile. "And, sorry for before. Didn't mean offense."
She smiled back, a bit tight-lipped though. "None taken."
Not feeling like pressing my luck, I settled for stowing the incendiaries in the carrier's pouches. Just as I attached the rope to my belt, I heard someone leaving the elevator. Our commander, in full gear and her omnitool activated.
"Okay, everyone, listen up!" We assembled in a half circle around her; I spent the time checking if my omni-blade worked. It did.
"Sensors show we got AA-teams close to our target position, and Geth forces have locked down the area." I looked up just in time to see the grim look on her face. "Whatever we're looking for must be in there, most likely in the center."
With that, she opened up and projected a map in front of, it was the mission map from the game. Geth signatures blinked red, forming a circle around the dig site we had to enter. "We drop in here," the LZ blinked once, "and have to break through the siege to this dig site. It is very likely that T'Soni has holed up in there; but she can't hold that position forever. Time is of the essence."
With that, another couple of markers blinked on the left side of the circle, this time in blue. "Our ground forces will assist in drawing their attention. Their goal is to disable the anti-air guns, but it's up to us to actually make the push. In one sentence: Get in, break through, get the VIP, exfiltration via Mako or NORMANDY. Questions?"
"What about 303 and 305?" Ash asked, lips pressed tight.
"Reinforcements will arrive in less than twelve hours." Shepard answered, giving Ash an poignant look. "Once they've completed their objective, they will fall back and retreat. But we can't wait, Ash. In twelve hours, the Geth may have found what Saren's looking for. We need to prevent that from happening – no matter the cost. Okay?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Ash closed her eyes once and let out a breath. This time, we're prepared, Ash, I thought.
No-one else had questions and we were five minutes from the drop zone; so we quickly wrapped it up and climbed in our tank. I watched as the omni-blade's silicon-carbide blade dissipated in thin air and got absorbed by the tool. Then I attached my knife to its holster.
Then I picked up my helmet and, absently, trailed my thumb over the scar the turian sniper had caused. I felt nothing. A strange feeling of calm and nothingness, considering where we would be going.
Then I did feel something – a talon on my right shoulder. I turned and saw Garrus. For a second, we just looked at each other. Then I nodded in silent understanding, put the helmet on and fastened it.
"Alright. Let's get going."
I turned around and smiled at Tali, wo was still around – and visibly nervous.
"Please, do wait with the dinner. We'll be back in no time."
I waved at her as the Mako's lock closed, but couldn't see her response.
This planetfall was just as bad as the one before. Even worse, actually – the Geth tried to take potshots at us.
My heart clenched whenever I heard the sound of bullets ricocheting at our shield and our hull. Luckily, it happened only twice.
Then the landing.
I groaned as I picked myself from the floor. At least, the seat belts did what they were made for.
And, also I didn't have to watch the sensors – Ash would do the first tour, I was scheduled for the way back.
Yeah. I may or may not have been cheating.
I couldn't even finish my thoughts before I had our commander's voice in my ears.
"Everyone okay?"
"Clear!"
"Alright, let's move!"
Shepard let the engine rev, and we were on our way.
"Joker here." Our pilot reported in. "Commander, I'm picking up some strange readings. Really strange. Like, off the damned charts. It seems to come from the underground complex where T'Soni is supposed to be. "
"Copy that, Joker."
Not even twenty seconds later we had our first hostile contact.
"Geth Infantry, they've been waiting for us!"
"Fire at will!"
As I heard our guns blazing and impacts drumming in our shields, I condemned that I was forced into inactivity.
I kept shifting around on my seat.. Wrex, who was sitting in front of me, noticed my uneasiness.
"Calm down, whelp." he growled lowly, but kind of encouraging. I looked up, surprised. "Trust your teammates to bring you where you're needed. And trust me," he grinned a dangerous krogan grin "There will be enough things you can kill later. I feel it in my quads."
I couldn't help but grin at that remark. And seeing how relaxed Wrex sat on his bench helped me as well.
That was before we actually broke through the damned the siege.
Orders and infos are getting shouted, incoming fire is dodged and returned – I can't count anymore. The breath is caught in my lungs, I keep my gaze on my watch.
It's just like five minutes or so we're here, but every goddamned second feels like an hour when you're under fire.
"Dropship ahead!"
Dammit!
My HUD shows new red dots – some small ones. And two big ones.
"Geth Armatures incoming! Priority target!"
A few horrible seconds later, Garrus gives a triumphant shout. "One down!"
Then our engines roar in protest, nearly giving me a heart attack.
"Shields are out! We need to-"
Bang!
A hard impact lifts me off my bench – without the belt, I would've flown straight into the wall. As I picked myself up, I notice something-
The tank stopped!
"Gearbox is hit, we're immobilized!"
I feel my blood pressure rising. Fuck! Fuck!
Shepard reacts fast. "Raven, Wrex, get out and watch our flank! Alenko, repair protocol!"
The belts that kept Wrex and me in place come loose. I feel paralyzed, but stand up as quickly as possible; Wrex is already out the lock.
"Come on, whelp! Let's bust us some heads!"
I can only nod. My voice is dead.
I take the emergency exit – and am deafened by gunfire.
I take the Mako as cover and look around the corner.
Six or seven Geth infantry, the scrap of another Geth trooper, Wrex all over him.
The destroyed Geth Armature. And another Armature, taking fire from our 155mm gun.
That is, until it unleashes a salvo of rockets. I know what's about to come and throw myself on the ground.
I don't get disappointed. The explosion rocks me even in cover.
A quick glance to our tank, and a sigh. The shields were back in time to negate the worst of the blow.
Then I notice a couple of Geth opening fire at me, missing my head barely by an inch.
This very moment, I lose all conscious thought.
Adrenaline floods me, triggering something as ancient as humanity itself...
The Fight-Or-Flight instinct.
And I choose to fight.
I drag my rifle to me, take aim and, with clenched teeth, pull the trigger and keep it pulled.
Five seconds later, the Avenger beeps in the red area – and there are two more non-functional Geth on the ground.
I shakily stand up and, breathing hard, press myself against the Mako's hull.. Now noticing the steam my rifle emits, I stow it on my back and draw the pistol.
Just as Wrex and mine combined effort wrecks another Geth trooper, I hear an explosion from my right side – the Armature finally got enough and crumbles, not before sending out one last rocket that hits the Mako's left side.
"Raven, Wrex, do you copy?"
"Wrex here, what's up, Shepard?" he asks, effortlessly Lift-ing a Rocket Trooper - to crash him a second later.
"We got enemy reinforcements incoming! You guys need to repair the hydraulic pipe to wheels three and five, otherwise I can't release the brake-"
I turn around and run to the other side of the Mako; activating my omnitool with shivering hands.. The repair itself isn't that difficult; just slap some omnigel onto the lecks and make sure it holds together. Thankfully. I am in no shape for complicated procedures.
Just as I kneel, my shields flicker, a brief look over my shoulder – more Geth, guns blazing. Wrex charges in their way, roaring loudly.
"Raven here! Repairing under fire!" I shout – it sounds more like a cry.
"I got your back, whelp!" Wrex shouts, then I the only things I hear from him are shotgun blasts and a roar unlike any I've heard from him before. That, and my unharmed shields are all I need to finish repairing – its not nice, but it will hold. Until we're at the dig site, hopefully.
I turn around and see Wrex looking in my direction. My HUD is clear – no more red dots. And a lot more piles of scrap than before.
"Alright, we're good to go!" I nod to Wrex, and together we enter the Mako. Shepard doesn't even wait for the lock to fully seal – if our wheels had any less grip, she surely would've made that a burnout.
I shake my head. Only now I register what happened in the last few minutes. I had kept the hysteria back until now...
"Good job there, Raven." Ash glances to me for a second, giving me a thumbs up.
… but now I laugh. "Good? That was fucking close! Goddammit." I take the glasses from my eyes and inhale deeply. Once, twice, three times. Inhale, exhale.
Then I'm back.
"You two got it done, Wrex, Raven." Shepard says over comms. "That's all that matters."
I chuckle darkly. "Ash? Next time I take the fucking first tour."
I've never addressed her that informally before, and right now, I don't really care – so I'm a bit surprised that her answer is a laugh. "Deal."
Her laughter is a pleasant thing to hear. But before I can marvel at it even more, Shepard pulls us back into reality.
"Battle-comms, everyone, this is far from over!"
Fuck that.
I lean back and sigh. "Wrex? You're a bloody killin' machine. Good you're on our side." I close my eyes. Not even the refreshed sound of gunfire and commands can stop me from relaxing now – as far as that is possible in a free fire zone. "Thanks, man."
I hear him chuckling. Maybe, this is response enough.
Thinking back, I don't remember the rest of the tour in all details anymore. You can literally summarize it under: 'Being trapped in a tin can of a tank and subject to enemy fire and Shepard's driving skills'.
I have to say, however, that the rumors of Shepard being a bad driver ain't true, at all. Yes, a few of the stunts she pulled could be considered suicidal. But we didn't all die a horrible death in lava. Only the occasional Geth did.
I'd even say our Commander is a rather good driver. Only someone who knows what he's doing would be able to constantly keep the vehicle at its very limits – without causing any damage. But, well... her style of driving kept us at our limits as well. For example, dodging bloody bullets by using the 'jump'' capabilities. At least we had decent dampeners so that we didn't get sick.
The only other thing worth mentioning – aside from enemy fire – was one real obstacle, the outpost the Geth had occupied. And even that could be sorted under 'enemy fire'. With an extra way to drive, that is.
Inside the outpost, Shepard took the lead and took myself and Wrex with her. Thinking about it, it was really the first time during my whole stay where I felt like I was more or less in the game, rather than the universe. Just the Commander and two Squadmates, and she did most of the work. That does sound familiar, alright. I only fired my rifle twice – without being either in much danger or taking anything out. So, yeah. Let's skip that.
After we had taken the outpost and cleared the way, for the rest of our time in the Mako, the enemy resistance was noticeably weaker than at the beginning. As Shepard had planned, the 303rd and the 305th Frontier units did an excellent job in forcing the Geth to split up.
So, in short, the rest of our trip wasn't that big of a deal.
And then we were stopped again – by a rock formation.
"Alright, we're not driving through here."
"Commander! Our signals are getting jammed!"
"Copy, Ash. Everyone, disembark! We finish this on foot."
Once I exited the Mako, I, for the first time, could take a look at this bloody planet. Thinking about it, 'bloody' fit in more ways... The red rocks, the glowing lava, the strange lightning - everything felt like hell was only a few steps away. I thought about the prothean ruins, and if the Reapers had caused this planet to be de-stabilized in such a way.
I made a grab for my cigs, but again I grabbed in vain – I left them in my lockers. After a few weeks without, the next cig would probably knock me off my feet. Not the best thing to do during a mission.
Still, a nice thought. I sighed. I will so enjoy shore leave.
In the meantime, everyone had assembled. I drew my rifle and went to Shepard's eight. Mine and Garrus' job was to deliver precise shots from the second row.
"Alright, everyone. The Geth are in front of, and behind us. Stay in formation, move fast, but stay covered. Keep you eyes peeled. Go!"
I looked back to the Mako and said my goodbye. Thanks for getting us here. Enjoy the lava bath.
We moved up – like, fifty meters. Then a small group of Geth greeted us. With rockets. How rude.
I hid behind the nearest rock, but the Geth weren't actively targeting me for a change – they seemed to focus on Shepard. Big mistake. This allowed Garrus and me to line up a few very nice shots.
I must admit, it was a great feeling to deliver fatal blows to these geth-heretics.
We fought our way up the hill. It wasn't that difficult – enemy resistance seemed scattered. It looked like they were retreating...
I suddenly remembered what we were up against, and felt the blood getting drained from my face.
Then, a targeting laser pulled me back to reality. I slided behind the nearest cover.
"Sniper ahead, tower!"
Looking around the rock, I saw the Geth sniper scanning the area, trying to hit one of us out of cover.
I knew I couldn't get him with my assault rifle. So, I exchanged it for the sniper.
Once Garrus heard of this mine specific weakness, he pulled me aside one evening and showed me how to handle a long weapon. It was tedious work, it was frustrating as I kept outplaying myself, but Garrus was a good teacher. And I was willing to listen – who would refuse advice from Archangel?
Controlling my breath was surprisingly easy, Ash's marksman training was paying off. Not being under fire was a bonus. I remembered the Geth's position and brought the sight to my eyes. I steadied my aim – then I leaned out and took the shot, to retreat back behind cover a split-second later.
It took me four tries, but finally I hit the Geth in the chest. It fell from the watch tower, lights dimmed.
Only then I noticed that Garrus didn't fire at all, instead watching me and my target through his visor.
He nodded to me in respect. I felt pride rise in my chest.
Another rocket impacting close to me brought me back to reality, however.
We continued to break their resistance, meter by meter, Geth by Geth. After all we've been through so far, it was surprisingly easy – then again, in the game you're only with two instead of five squadmembers. On the other hand, their rate of fire proved awkward – if they had used the same weaponry as us, we would've been faster. We need those bloody heatsinks, I thought and retreated to let my Avenger cool off.
Then we arrived at the facility – I looked up just in time to see the Geth hunter from the cutscene. I gulped, heart at a solid 120 per minute.
This area was one I was really afraid of.
"Contact." I reported, "Unknown Geth, on ten, high up!"
Before we could react, however, we heard the sound of a Geth dropship just ahead.
It dropped a whole squad of infantry – and an Armature.
We took cover and gave it everything we had.
I decided to test out my new toys. A molotov grenade flew and exploded on the Armature's head segment. For a few seconds, it was covered in fire.
No bloody effect. I cursed, and then ducked to avoid the retaliation.
Lucky for me, the Armature couldn't withstand our combined efforts for that long. It collapsed – and exploded.
I released a breath – and noticed movement from the corner of my eye. I reacted out reflex – three full bursts of my rifle hit a flanking Geth trooper before it could do more than just damaging my shields.
Silence, except from background lava and wind.
"Report!"
"All clear."
"All tangos down."
Not for the first time this day, I would have killed for a beer.
"Here's the entrance. Regroup here!"
I turned to follow my squad. A metallic clang! stopped me...
I looked down and saw that I had kicked something away. I stooped to pick it up. I stared at it, then the memory hit me like a brick.
It looks a bit different than the ones in the later games, but the general design can't be confused by someone who knows the series.
An idea struck me.
Quickly, I looked for the downed trooper. He still had his weapon in his steel grip; I carefully tried to release it from him, all the while nervously checking his eyes (spraying sparks every once in a while) to see if it could come back to life.
"Raven, what are you doing?"
I looked up and waved in Shepard's direction. "Commander, I think I found something!"
Finally, I was able to inspect the geth's rifle. It looked very similar to our weaponry... but with a few changes. I pulled a lever that wasn't part of the common Council weapons -
Bingo.
Something got ejected from the rifle's heatsink mechanism; I picked it up. Yup. Looks just the same.
"This better be important – Raven, what've ya got?" Shepard had finished the brief walk, Ash and Garrus in tow.
"Here, take a look." I handed Shepard one of the two cylinders. "I may have found the reason for the Geth's high rate-of-fire."
Our boss looked at the object in her hands, then at me. She looked like she was torn between impatience and interest. "Shoot. And the brief version, please."
I told her. In short words, I outlined what I thought. Her eyes lit up. Shepard bit her lip.
"If that's true... Take that gun and these... heatsinks with you. Let Tali have a look. If she can confirm what you just said... Raven, you are aware that you may have just found something that could tip the scales, you're aware of that?"
"Yes, Ma'am." I nodded. Some people will hate me now. Ah, well, heatsinks were a thing in ME2 and 3 without me. May as well claim some credits for discovering 'em.
"Good job. But now, let's get back to our task – T'Soni is in that site, I can feel it."
I had to bite back a comment if she had a sixth sense for damsels in distress.
Instead, I just nodded, avoiding Ash's and Garrus' inquisitive glances for now. From their point of view, I had just made a discovery that might be a major change to infantry warfare.
Oh, you guys have no idea. I grinned in secret. Seeing the future is so awesome sometimes.
Thirty seconds later, we were lined up at the dig site's entry tunnel.
"Alright. T'Soni's in there. Our plan is simple: Get in, grab her, get out. Understood?"
Shepard waited for our 'okay', then she continued: "Considering the volcanic activity in this area, the area we're about to enter may be extremely unstable. Guys, I never was that serious: Watch where you step!"
In-before mining laser. I closed my eyes and mentally unleashed a Cain on my sixth sense – the sense for sarcasm.
"Let's get that asari", Shepard finished. "Load 'em, cock 'em, let's go!"
She slapped the door controls, and without another word, we started our push into the darkness below us.
*translated: "you piece of crap, let me outta here!"
A/N: Welcome, dear readers, to the first chapter in 2016! Yeah, I again screwed up with not releasing a chapter in January – but instead, I will release the second half of this chapter before Easter. I think this is an agreeable deal. Also, I kind of have hopes that I will have more spare time this year to actually get some more writin done - however, I can't promise it, and, frankly, I will not force myself to keep any deadline at any cost. Rest assured, though, I'll end what I started.
If you liked this story so far and haven't done so already, please consider following to see when the next update is release, fav'ing to tell me how awseome I am (not really) and, lastly, write me a review to tell me how it can be done better. Or really, just to give me feedback. Everyone loves feedback.
Well, that's all for now - see ya around Easter, and take care!
PS: The song I'm listening to is Gary Moore's "Out in the Fields", cover version by Dark At Dawn. Feel free to check it out, it's awesome. /watch?v=U8jQqjua5AI
edit; 7.3.2016 - Corrected all mistakes that were pointed out to me and edited a few minor things.