From Ashes
Chapter Six: Costly Escape
With Sovereign's ending the conversation abruptly, an explosion sent safety glass in every direction. Shepard, Wrex, and Liara raised their barriers quickly to shield themselves and the others. When the lab stopped shaking, they all looked back. Sovereign's image was fading; its red light dimming and bringing the lab back to its normal darkness. The comm chimed, and Joker's voice broke the silence that followed.
"Uh Commander, something's going on."
"Hit me, Joker." Shepard managed while looking back at the prothean beacon with a frustrated expression.
"That ship Sovereign, it's moving. I don't know what you did down there, but you've attracted its attention. It just made a turn that could have sheered any of our ships in half."
"Damnit. We've got to move."
"Oh yeah. Sovereign's coming, and it's coming hard."
"This console is no longer functioning, Shepard." Tali informed while Joker wasn't speaking. "Ideas?"
"Double time it back to the breeding facility. We've got to plant that nuke and get the hell out of here. Joker can pick us up after it's done."
"Understood."
Taking the same path they had to get to the lab, Shepard, Wrex, Tali, Liara, Imness, and the asari scientist moved back down in the lift and across the catwalks toward a curved hallway. On the last catwalk, they found a rocket trooper waiting. Wrex finished it off quickly with two shotgun blasts with highly explosive rounds. As they passed the smoldering scrap metal that was left, they heard Kirrahe's words.
"The geth are turning from your position, Jaëto. Chief Williams, Aegohr, intercept. Hold them off-" He was cut off prematurely however by what sounded like gunfire. Lieutenant Imness tensed slightly.
"Don't count the captain out just yet. He and the others led a siege on the base while we headed in the back." Tali managed.
"Keep your barriers up!" Shepard shouted as they eerged onto another curved path where they could see flyers ahead. "Doctor," She addressed the neuro specialist. "Wait here until it's clear. Hostiles ahead. Sounds like flyers and troopers."
"No need to tell me twice." Rana took cover on a lower level of the catwalk, and Liara made a decision.
"I will remain here and defend this position. We don't know how many troopers are still behind us in the facility."
"Copy that." Shepard looked on ahead. "You shouldn't have any issue from up ahead. We'll keep them off you both."
"Understood."
Pushing forward, Shepard, Imness, Wrex, and Tali kept barriers up and resupplied their shields before rounding the corner.
"Rockets could rip us in half if coordinated well enough." Imness muttered while they held back behind a guard rail. "We will need to deal with the flyers first before the prime and troopers ahead."
"Agreed." Shepard was chancing a look out toward the lift that would take them to the geothermal taps. "Prime is easy enough to take down after we deal with the flyers. Keep low and give a little so that they don't swarm in on us in one area."
With that said, all of tem moved on up to where they could aim properly on the flyers. They were clustered around the prime and troopers at the moment, but when the first singularity was laid down to keep the troopers and prime at bay, they were on them like flies on a varren. Shepard opened fire with the pulse rifle while Wrex sent them back quickly with biotic shockwaves. Tali managed to sabotage a few of them so that they fired on their own rather than on the others. This also allowed for a backfire effect. Each time they fired their projectiles, they were hit with kickback. She also hacked the prime to keep its pulse cannon targeting the newly arriving rocket troopers.
"Take a moment to restore shields. We're half way there!" Shepard called out over the gunfire. Activating her comm, she spoke again. "Still clear back there, Liara?"
"All clear, Commander."
"The prime and troopers are all that are left!" Wrex shouted.
"Focus on the troopers. They move faster and can do quicker damage." Shepard took some well timed shots and made two stagger back. "Take out their shields!"
"On it!" Imness deployed an area overload that weakened the shields of three troopers. Waiting for a build up of energy again, he fired on them with his rifle. One's rocket launcher began sparking and finally blew the unit's arm off when it exploded. This left it unbalanced and sent it crashing into the sea. The other two moved in to cover it but met another overload. That took the remains of their shields leaving Wrex to charge forward and knock them into the water as well. This left the prime. With everyone focusing both close and long range fire on it however, it didn't take long to destroy it.
"All clear here, Liara. We'll secure the lift and let you know when it's safe to move."
"Understood. Still clear here, Shepard."
"Copy." Getting to the lift, Shepard disarmed the AA guns on the ast tower by using the console. Only then did the lift doors open to reveal a rocket trooper and standard trooper. Wrex and Tali made short work of them while Shepard radioed Liara. "We're clear."
"Moving." Not long after, they were joined by the archaeologist and scientist. Getting into the lift, they all waited as it descended. Only when they were half way down, they heard the captain's voice again.
"Nice work on the guns, Shadow. Now it's our turn. We'll assist in clearing the geth and that will leave you to drop the ordinance."
"Understood, Captain." The door opened, and they were met with two wall clingers. "You heard him. Get through and secure the taps."
They cleared the area of the clingers and managed to get to the open space where the taps were exposed. While Shepard called in the Normandy, the others took up positions by the flood gates and made sure nothing got past them. The frigate's landing struts came down as the ship descended through the stormy sky. Water stirred around her as Shepard waited, and the sea spray almost made the base seem more natural than it was. It had been a long time since she had felt cool salt water against her face. Her parents had taen shore leave once when she was younger, and they had gone to the coast of one of the planets they had been assigned to. Unfortunately, the roar of the Normandy's drive core kept her from reminiscing further. When the ship landed and the water settled around it, the cargo bay door opened and Kaidan escorted a few cremen out with the salarians' drive core. Lieutenant Greg Adams was among them. When it was placed and secured, Kaidan approached.
"Everything's in place, Commander. Bomb's secured. We're good here."
"Commander, can you read me?" It was Ash. Shepard nodded in acknowledgement to the lieutenant and activated her comm.
"Loud and clear, Chief. Get to the rendezvous point. The nuke is being prepped now."
"Negative, Commander! The Geth are swarming us. We're trapped on the AA tower and are taking heavy casualties!"
"Get them out of thee, Joker." Shepard started, but Ash cut her off.
"Negative! It's too hot! Don't risk it! We'll hold them off as long as-" Her comm was cut off, and Shepard swore under her breath.
"It's alright, Commander. We need more time to arm the nuke anyway." Kaidan assured. "You've got time. Go get them."
"Got it." Shepard made to leave but turned back sharply. "Tali, Wrex, stay here and keep the LZ secure. Doctor, get aboard, and we'll get you out of here." Turning to the salarian lieutenant, she noticed he wasn't vacking down. "I assume you're in on this."
"If you'll allow it, yes." Imness nodded. Thinking quickly, Shepard nodded in response.
"We loaded the rest of the salarians' supplies onto the Normandy. You'll find armor and fresh thermal clips and shield packs just inside."
"Thank you, Commander."
When the lieutenant was suited up and ready to move, Shepard motioned for Liara to come as well. Changing out the clip in her pistol, the asari headed for the floodgate that to the AA tower. Getting through that area didn't take long due to two biotics keeping the geth suspended or floating in biotic fields with singularity and stasis. Only when they got to the lift and took it so that they were above the taps did Ash's voice come over the comm again.
"Watch out, LT. Geth dropship moving for your location!"
"It's already here, Chief." Kaidan responded
"With the geth sending in reinforcements, I am afraid we will have to make a choice." Liara said grimly. "They will overrun one or the other, depending on who we assist."
"Tali, Wrex, can you hold them off until we get back?"
"Not sure, Shepard." Tali responded. "They keep coming!"
"They won't be able to fend them off until you get here, Commander!" Kaidan responded. "I'm arming the nuke."
"Alenko, what the hell are you doing? Stand down!"
"Negative. I'm making sure this thing will go off for good!" Kaidan shouted back. Shepard could hear engines in the background as well as gunfire. "Wrex, Tali, get aboard and get the hell out of here. Commander, go get Ash and the salarians!"
"Screw that!" Ashley interjected. "We can handle ourselves! Go back and get the lieutenant!"
Shepard gritted her teeth as she looked from the taps on toward the AA tower. Liara was right; they would have to make a choice. This was one of the burdens of command that her mother had warned her about in one call a while back. On one hand, they could go back and get Kaidan, who had already ordered Tali and Wrex aboard the Normandy. He was the senior officer, but there was another option. They could turn toward the AA tower and rescue Ashley and the salarians. Both were worth the risk, but she could only choose one. Seeing the Normandy already lifting off, Shepard realized her choice was already made. It would be easier for Joker to get to the AA tower rather than turning back and landing at a crowded LZ.
"Chief, radio Joker and tell him to meet us on the AA tower."
"Yes… Commander, I…"
"It's the right choice, and you know it, Ash." Kaidan assured. "Commander, Wrex, Tali, and the crewmen are back aboard the ship. Go."
"I'm sorry, Kaidan…" Shepard managed with a burning anger in her throat as the words left her. "I had to make a choice…"
"I understand, Shepard." Kaidan said in a calming voice. "I don't regret a thing. Just…" He paused for a second. "Just stop him."
"Believe me, I will." Shepard managed before the comm broke again. She took a few steps toward the tower, and it felt as if her boots were made of lead. Each step felt like a knife cutting into her; knowing that she was being forced to leave someone, a good man like Kaidan, behind. Finally rounding the corner, they headed down a small staircase and across to a lift. While it went up, Shepard slammed her fist against the metal wall in frustration.
"Shepard…"
"God-damn this assignment." The human said through gritted teeth. "Losing Jenkins was bad enough. Now I have to lose my lieutenant as well."
"I know the feeling." Imness frowned deeply. "I watched good men die in this place. These were people I worked with; people I trusted."
"He'll pay for all of this." Liara said darkly as they reached the top and rounded the corner.
"We need to move fast, Commander!" Ashley shouted over the sudden gunfire from rocket troopers, primes, and flyers. "We can't hold them off here for long! Suppressive fire!"
"Mannovai, Jaëto, take the heat off Aegohr!" Kirrahe shouted as Shepard, Liara, and Imness focused on the various recharge stations around the tower that the geth had set up.
"Shoot the recharge stations, but keep an eye on the teams!" Imness roared. There were several explosons that took out many of the oncoming geth. Only when they were mostly clear did Shepard call out.
"Fall back!"
At that point, there was a humming noise that reminded Shepard of the geth flyers. Searching the skies, she saw no traces of them. Suddenly a biotic mass came hurtling down from above, and she managed to dodge that one. Raising her rifle, Shepard fired several choice shots at whatever had assaulted her. Seeing the platform first, she fired again, but the projectiles were bouncing off of a powerful kinetic barrier. Eyes traveling upward, she spotted Saren, but he had already thrown another mass of biotic energy toward her… or at least that was what it appeared to be. When it hit her, it felt like an arc grenade. Electricity broke through and disabled her shields. The energy sent hot bolts through her armor and left her on the ground. As she worked to catch her breath, she heard Saren speak.
"I have to congratulate you, Shepard; that was an impressive diversion. My geth thought for sure that the salarians were the real threat." Lowering himself slowly, Saren hovered just above the ground. "Even so, I cannot let you disrupt what is going on here. You cannot possibly understand what is truly at stake."
"I understand that you lied to Nihlus, betrayed the council, left Benezia to suffer on Noveria, and now you're costing me another of my men." Shepard said as she managed to stand up again. Back to the lift's shaft, she didn't look at Saren just yet; too busy checking the temperature on her pulse rifle. "Give me a reason why."
"You saw the visions from the beacons, Shepard. You of all people should understand what the reapers are capable of. Do not martyr yourself in pointless revolt; fighting against the inevitable. The Protheans tried to fight and look what happened to them. They were utterly destroyed. What if they had bowed before the reapers? Trillions of lives could have been spared Is submission not preferable to extinction?"
"You honestly believe that they wouldn't just toss you aside when they're done with you?" Shepard snapped. "You really think that you matter to them?"
"Now you see why I didn't come forward with this to the council." Saren said smoothly. "They would not believe it either. We organics are driven by emotion, but machines are by logic. They aren't held back by the ties we form with others. Once I understood this, I joined Sovereign. I was aware of the.. risks involved." Saren muttered in what almost sounded like humiliation. "I thought that this facility would protect me, but…"
"You think Sovereign is influencing you; controlling your thoughts."
"I've studied the effects of indoctrination. The more control Sovereign imposes, the less useful the person becomes. That is my… saving grace, as you humans put it… Sovereign needs me to find the conduit. My mind is still my own for now…"
"I know all about how you studied indoctrination." Imness snapped. "You studied my men by letting them go mad, turn into mindless husks, and to top that off, you cut into them and studied their brains."
"The change from ally to servant is subtle. I will not let it happen to me."
"That is what Benezia thought as well." Liara said as she glared at Saren. "The terrible truth was that she believed you could be swayed; convinced to stop trying to ensure the reapers' return."
"She was weak-willed." Saren dismissed the asari's statement.
"No she wasn't." Shepard cut in quickly. "She was able to withstand Sovereign's attempts longer than you have." Keeping what they knew about the Mu relay hidden, Shepard went on. She will be the means to your downfall; you just don't know how yet." Changing the subject with the nuke in mind, Shepard focused on the synthetics that littered the ground. "Time for answers, Saren. Why are the geth following Sovereign?"
"They believe Sovereign to be some form of a god; the pinnacle of evolution for synthetics. The reaction of their deity is most telling, however. Sovereign is insulted. It does not want the petty devotions the geth hurl at it. They are tools and nothing more; they are useful until their purpose has been fulfilled. As tools they are useful They will survive the coming battle. If organic life is to survive, they must also become useful; we must join with the reapers."
"I'm sorry, but I don't buy it." Shepard stepped out and eyed Saren fully for the first time aside from looking around the lift shaft. "We submit to them and become lolling slaves doing their bidding while they wipe out any who resist? Not happening. The only reason he's keeping you around is so that you can find the conduit, but do you even know its use?"
"The conduit is the key to your destruction and my salvation. It needs my help to find it. That is why I have not been indoctrinated." Saren sounded sure of himself now.
"Sovereign's manipulating you and you can't even see it." Shepard had to laugh now. "So wrapped up in your own selfish bid for survival, you believe anything it tells you." Her tone turned cold just as quickly. "You were a spectre and were sworn to uphold the balance that exists in this galaxy. You betrayed the council on false promises of salvation."
"No!" Saren shouted; his eyes glowing an odd blue. "I am doing this to save organics. I am doing it because they would not believe a word of this! Sovereign will find a place for all organics that assist it-"
"The hell." Shepard retorted. "Together we could find a way to stop them. We don't have to submit to them if they can't return. They need you to find the conduit, but what if you didn't? Work with me. We can stop this before it begins."
"I no longer believe that, Shepard." Saren admitted slowly. "The visions have shown you everything. Reapers are machines, they think like machines, and if I prove myself useful then I am a resource worth maintaining!" Saren's almost normal tone changed to frustration.
"So you reduce yourself to an asset rather than a person." Shepard shook her head in dismissal. "You really don't have a clue anymore, do you?"
"I know what I'm doing here, Shepard." Saren took on that same arrogant tone he sported when defending himself before the council. "Sovereign will succeed; it is inevitable. I am forging an alliance between myself and the reapers; between organics and machines. It is the only way that any of us will survive." Before she could retort, the turian continued in an almost desperate voice. "In doing so, I will save more lives than have ever existed… but you would put an end to my work. You would try to undo all that I have accomplished here."
"The only thing I am putting an end to is the unbelievable experimentation and torture here." Shepard stated angrily. "Sacrificing good soldiers' and desperate krogan lives to enslave all organics so that they obey Sovereign and its kind… You're kidding yourself if you think you're saving anyone!"
"You see?" Saren opened his arms wide as if he were trying to emphasize to a crowd of skeptics. "Judgment clouded by the influence of David Anderson, purpose instilled in you by a doubtful and naïve council… You would doom our collective civilizations to complete and utter annihilation. For that Shepard, you must die."
"The hell I will, Saren." Shepard ducked back behind the lift just in time to dodge another of Saren's attacks. Sending a heavy warp field in return, she withdrew her pistol and took several precise shots while Liara, Ashley, and the salarians provided suppressive fire to hold off the geth that were approaching to defend Saren. Moving from destroyed recharge station to other obstacles that served as reliable cover, Shepard fired again and again while sending occasional biotic attacks toward the turian. They seemed to have little effect, but they provided her a chance to reload and retake a position while he deflected them. Firing a few last shots with the acolyte pistol, Shepard seized an opportunity when it came. Ashley had used disruptive rounds to get through Saren's shields, and that had caused him to turn toward her for a second. Moving forward, Shepard switched to her shotgun and got within close enough range. Firing, she knocked him off of his platform. "It ends here."
"I'm afraid you're right, Shepard." Saren's eyes narrowed. "It will end here, for you at least…" He pulsed his shields, and Shepard staggered back as a disruptive effect hit her; causing her to drop her weapon. Charging forward, the turian's three talon-like fingers wrapped around her neck and lifted Shepard off the ground so that she was just over the edge of the AA tower. "It will end. Your efforts here will be just as meaningless as they were on Eden Prime. You may have saved the colony, but you will not stop me-"
He was stopped at the end of his statement by a loud alarm that shattered the skies around them. Chiming like a harsh and chilling grandfather clock, it drew Saren's attention upward for a split second. Shepard rared back and sent her fist into his mandible with such force it knocked him full on his back. This sent the human spectre crashing to her knees just inside the tower's perimeter. Scrambling to her feet, she gripped the barrel of her discarded shotgun and pulled it toward her to try for another shot at Saren, but it was too late. He had already returned to his floating platform and was soaring high above them in a hasty escape.
"The victory will be ours another day, Commander!" Kirrahe had broken free of Mannovai team and was moving toward her with dark determination in his eyes. "In the meantime, we need to leave now!"
"Alenko activated the nuke!" Ashley shouted over the still chiming alarm and the now present humming of the Normandy's drive core as the frigate approached the tower for evac. "He made sure it would go off!"
"Then he will be remembered!" Kirrahe assured as they watched the Normandy do aquick landing. "Go! Go! Go!"
"You heard the man!" Shepard addressed her own people, including a reluctant Ashley. "Move! We're out of time!"
"The lieutenant-"
"He knew what he was doing!" Shepard shouted so that she could be heard over the engines. "Go Williams, that's an order!"
"Yes ma'am!" It was forced, but Ash nodded stiffly and boarded the ship behind the last of Kirrahe's men. Liara and Imness had already boarded and were waiting by the cargo ramp release for their respective COs. Only when the starboard cargo hatch was secure did Shepard move quickly with Kirrahe, Rentola, Liara, and Ashley for the lift that took them back to the crew deck. From there, she ascended the stairs and entered the comm room. Working furiously with the console, she managed to retrieve a live shot of Virmire as Joker pulled away from the planet's surface.
"Everybody hang on!" His voice came over the comm as he forced the ship to rocket upward and away from Saren's facility. Seconds passed, turned into minutes, and finally they were in Virmire's orbital range. Onscreen, they saw a white-hot explosion from the region they had just escaped, and Ashley fell back into a chair; head in her hands. Lowering her own head, Shepard looked to the chair that the lieutenant usually took by Garrus and repeated what she had said planetside. "I'm sorry Kaidan…" Her voice cracking a bit. "I had to make a choice."
"It was the wrong choice." Ash said this mutely as she finally looked back at the view of Virmire.
"Williams-"
"With all due respect Ma'am, it should have been me." She finally stood up and looked her CO in the eye. "Kaidan was a superior officer-"
"It was a choice I had to make, Chief." Shepard turned back and looked at Virmire as they retreated toward the Hoc relay.
"You did not have to come for us, Commander." Captain Kirrahe offered. "We were willing to give our all and hold position there." He made sure of his next words before speaking them. "My men and I are grateful beyond words for your decision to leave your lieutenant for us. Do not misunderstand that. He will be honored by my people and remembered for his courage and sacrifice."
"Still, Kaidan didn't make it out, and I'm still here. I'm grateful by all means, but…" Ashley said ina hopeless tone.
"Ash, I made that choice not based on merit, on lives I would save, or any of that. I made it in the spur of the moment." Shepard admitted. "Getting more people out alive did pass through my mind, but I knew I would be losing a good man in the process."
"I would have gone down with Aegohr and the rest of the captain's men-"
"I know." Shepard finally turned and looked back at her surviving crewmember. "Ash, how hard are you going to push yourself?" At the chief's questioning look, the commander continued. "Do you really want to be a martyr to redeem your grandfather's honor?" Liara, Wrex, Garrus, and Tali looked at each other. They all had heard what had happened with General Williams during the relay 314 incident at Shanxi.
"That's not fair, Skipper-"
"What the military and the powers that be did to your grandfather was unfair." Shepard clarified. "I don't want to lose a good soldier because of it." You're an amazing woman Ash." Shepard dropped all formalities for this one. "You deserve to be here just as much as he did." Looking around at the others now, she addressed the room. "Circumstances being what they were, one of you had to be left behind. I chose him, and I alone will have t live with that. Is that understood?"
"Aye aye, Shepard." Ash nodded, and the others did as well.
"Commander," Liara leaned forward in the chair she occupied slowly. "Forgive me for the subject change, but back in Saren's lab, you mentioned that the vision from the beacon was still unclear. Did it change at all, or was it the same from Eden Prime?"
"It changed…" Straining to remember anything to try to interpret its meaning, Shepard only found a throbbing headache for her troubles. "It's still unclear. If anything, it seemed more complicated."
"Seems our only option is to go to Feros and hope to find answers there." Garrus suggested. "An old prothean world… Maybe there's a way to clarify what happens when you trigger the beacons."
"Ash, let Joker know that we'll head for Feros after a run back to the Citadel." Shepard straightened up from where she had leaned against the back of Kaidan's empty chair for a moment. "We'll need to get what's left of the third infiltration regiment back there for a debrief."
"Understood, Skipper."
"Everyone had a hard run down there. Get looked over if you need it and think about it even if you don't." Shepard addressed her crew. "Same goes for your men, Captain. Our medbay is yours if you need it. Dismissed."
A/N: Bit shorter than the last, but I figure I'll end this one here. For those who celebrate it, Happy Christmas. Otherwise, Good Holiday, everyone! On to chapter seven: False Prophet. :)
Cheers!
