While driving forward, Williams had been flagged down by a woman that was covering behind several crates stacked up at the top of a ramp. After that she would contact Shepard over her tool. Getting out with Helyt to follow the woman down the ramp. Iromak would stay at the Mako to make sure no Geth tore it up while no one was around.
Williams had trouble keeping track of what the lady had been saying, the subjects jumped from the colony, to her daughter then to Exogeni. Williams had to interrupt just to find out her name. "Juliana Baynham. Are you part of a scouting force for the Alliance?"
"My Commander will be here momentarily, he'll answer your questions Miss Baynham. Please try and relax, who is in charge?"
Before Juliana could answer, the voice of a man who sounded offended just at the sight of Williams and Helyt would echo across the stone room. "Excuse me?! Who are you? Why did they let you in!?" He would point at a guard who stood at the bottom of the ramp, watching for any Geth. "I told you not to let anyone or anything down that ramp!" The guard seemed rather indifferent at the man shouting at him, keeping his focus on the upper part of the ramp for any Geth.
Williams had attempted to get his attention multiple times as he shouted at the guard. Soon she would get tired of being ignored, quickly grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to turn around. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. What the hell are you doing hiding here instead of protecting that colony back there?"
"I-I, what? I don't-"
Juliana would cut Jeong off, stepping up next to Williams with a look of shock plastered on her face. "People are still alive at Zhu's hope? You told me everyone was gone Ethan!" The sudden tension that filled the air made the man sweat, the idea of Alliance filling the area putting him on edge.
"Now, I didn't say-"
"What the hell is going on here?" The Commander's voice cut him off, his tone made it evident that he wasn't happy to find an abundance of guards just up the road from a colony in need of protection.
"And more visitors? Who might you be?" Ethan had turned to Shepard in hopes of avoiding the two women giving him cold glares.
"Commander Shepard, of the Alliance. Why aren't you all at the colony?" Shepard was approaching with quick, long strides. His eyes focused on the man he had decided was responsible. The helmet he wore hid his expression, but it wasn't difficult to tell from his tone that he was displeased.
"We couldn't get past all those Geth! Someone stole our Mako! A-and we had been cut off for so long that I figured the area had already been taken over." Shepard found the answer unsatisfactory to say the least. Having to resist the urge to strike Ethan. Instead, after a slow, deep breath, Shepard reached out and placed his left hand on Ethan's shoulder.
Shepard decided to gloss over the fact he was likely using their Mako. "I assume you are in charge here, Mister…?"
"Ethan, Ethan Jeong." The representative tried to stand tall, despite feeling very small next to the two armored soldiers.
"Mr. Ethan Jeong, of Exogeni." Shepard would reach forward with his free hand to tap the company's symbol on his uniform. "I'll remember your name when everything is done here. You will be in my report to the Alliance." With that he walked away from Ethan. The very tense Ethan would immediately go to one of the guards who had been taking a break to eat. Conversing quietly with the man who did not enjoy the interruption of his brief break. Soon after he would sigh quietly and open his omni tool to start typing a message.
Shepard would beckon Williams and Helyt to follow as he went to the ramp; Jeong was about to follow, spouting about how it was Exogeni property. A single side look from the Gunnery and he would quickly start back peddling down the ramp.
Juliana would briefly stop to call the Exogeni representative an idiot before following the group, shouting out for the Commander. After a short bit of questioning and directions to the building where Exogeni had resorted most of its manpower to, he'd agree to search for Juliana's daughter.
Once again they'd be rolling along, heading along the path given to them by Juliana now. Climbing upwards towards yet another bridge. Shepard once again in the driver seat with Helyt on the turret. Tali's spot on sensors had been replaced by Williams. Tali and Iromak in the back, both of them puzzling over a rifle she had pulled off a Geth. Unable to find a trigger anywhere on the weapon.
John found himself dwelling on the daughter he'd agreed to find, wondering what the chances were of someone surviving in a building packed full of Geth. The subject would be pushed to the side as he reached the top of the many ramps that brought him before another bridge. His eyes scanned the long, barren area closely for any movement. Finding nothing that resembled a Geth. "Williams, anything at all on those sensors?"
"Nothing so far."
"Helyt, can you see any Geth from the turret's camera?"
"It looks clear, I can see an overturned Mako near the middle of the bridge, it looks like it got hit pretty hard. Nothing else." The answer didn't seem to please the Commander, who stared at the long stretch of highway in front of them. He found it hard to believe they'd be able to get through to the headquarters uncontested.
"What's going on?" Vaay would turn her head to look at Shepard. Then push herself up from her seat to look out of the forward window to see if there was something her camera wasn't picking up.
"It looks like a trap. No Geth at all?" Shepard would turn back to look at Tali. "What do you think, Tali? Do Geth use traps like this?"
Tali had climbed up to the middle row of seats to sit next to Vaay. Leaning forward to peek over John's shoulder and through the driver's window. "It could be a trap, or it could be that they withdrew from here to hold the building after we blew past their last blockade. Geth traps often use other Geth as bait to draw out their targets though."
"They didn't when I first met them." Williams could be heard muttering her piece quietly, still watching her screen for any movement around the Mako.
Tali would sit back down in her seat, not commenting on Williams' statement. Occasionally glancing at the screen Helyt watched. "In any case… we won't know till we go forward."
Shepard watched the raised highway before him. After a moment he stuck his thumb towards the back of the Mako. "Williams, in the back in case we need you." John waited till she was done moving to roll forward, doing so gradually at first, his eye's flicking to the screens on his right from time to time.
Once they were out in the open, he would pick up speed. Rolling along at a steady sixty miles per hour once the Mako had generated enough speed. John could feel his heart rate picking up as he waited for a sudden fury to rain upon the Mako. He wouldn't have been surprised if the ship itself detached from the building to ruin their day.
The silence that Shepard began to find unbearable, maintained itself throughout the long ride across the bridge. Turning to look at the Mako that hadn't completed its journey as they passed it. Soon they pulled towards the building, a screen in front of Shepard would light up. The single press of the button would get a large metal door in their way to pull upwards and open.
It was clear that it had been added by the company from the bland symbol plastered on it. A slow exhale escaped from John's nostrils while he pulled up in front of a large, glowing Exogeni sign within the building. Some relief came to the Commander who had gripped the steering wheel with enough force to turn his knuckles white. Another press on the screen and the heavy, metal door began closing again.
"Alright, Iromak, Williams. We'll be moving in, see just what we're dealing with here."
"And me?" Tali would pipe up, leaning on the back of Shepards seat as he climbed out. Watching as John grabbed his rifle.
"Watch the sensors for anything incoming. If you come under fire, contact us. We'll be moving in and thinning out the Geth." Shepard would close up the hatch, listening to the door seal shut before following after the other two that went to the entrance just below the glowing Exogeni sign.
Shepard would have Williams on point as they entered. A few dead Geth lay at their feet upon entry, across the room a single desk that had been flipped on its side, the several deep gashes in its metal surface telling that someone or something had once used it as cover.
Williams would push through a set of double doors that would have slid open smoothly if they had been powered, instead, someone had been pried open with a crowbar that now lay on the ground. The Gunnery led to a long hallway used as a decontamination room and security checkpoint. Three dead guards on the far side of the checkpoint appeared to have been taken by surprise as not one had a weapon out of it's holster. Shepard was about to bypass it before the rough voice of Iromak spoke up.
"There was fighting in the other room and they didn't have time to draw their guns?"
While John would begin to examine the bodies, Williams would move through the next door. Only moments later, the sound of gunfire erupted from the next room. Prompting both Iromak and John to chase after her.
Tali had climbed to the front of the Mako to keep an eye on the sensors. She had expected to hear a lot of shooting once they entered, or any shooting at all, but only silence filled the air. Tali watched the sensors now, her eyes tracking the three friendly dots that represented the group setting out into the building. Soon they would slip off the edge of the screen, leaving only speculation for her.
"So…" Helyt would finally speak up after several minutes of waiting, bringing her eyes up to look at Tali. "Do you know the Spectre pretty well?"
Tali was unaccustomed to hearing John referred to as a Spectre, the idea of his position nearly having slipped her mind entirely. "I would say we're pretty good friends, why?" Tali would poke around to look out various windows, trying to see any movement or dead Geth within the building. Quite surprised that the garage hadn't been packed full of Geth.
"Oh, well… I was just... wondering is all." Helyt would return her attention to the screen in front of her. Tapping away at the turret controls to keep the area around them checked.
"You were wondering if we were friends?" Tali would turn around to look over her seat at the Asari. Helyt keeping her eyes glued to the screen to avoid eye contact.
"No, well, sure…" Vaay's quiet and quick response gave away that it wasn't really the answer she had been prodding for.
"But...?"
"But… Well, when I first was told I'd be going on an Alliance ship, it was my assumption that Alliance ships were maintained by members of the Alliance."
"You're wondering why we're aboard, but not part of the Alliance?" Tali would finally turn back around to look at the screen, seeing no movement.
"It's not a problem, I'm just surprised at the rather... surprising line up of species on an Alliance ship."
Tali let a pause take over the Mako, having a feeling the Commando was trying to avoid naming anyone in particular. "Well… I'm fairly certain that we're more of an anomaly rather than the typical set up. Most everyone here is nice enough once you get to know them."
Helyt didn't have the chance to form a proper question on the subject to pose to Tali. Both of their omni tools buzzed to life as Shepards voice rang through the Mako, his voice being interrupted intermittently by heavy static. "Tali, Helyt! Get- -here! Third room...keep- -cover!"
Helyt responded over her tool to confirm they were moving, Shepard giving no response in return. Tali climbed out quickly as she pulled the shotgun from it's spot next to her seat. Helyt following in step behind Tali after slipping her helmet on. The pair pushed quickly along the same path the others had taken, Helyt taking the point as they entered.
As soon as Helyt entered the third room, her shields began lighting up from gunfire. Immediately cutting to cover behind a few metal Exogeni crates that laid a few feet away from the right side of the door. Tali rushed to the left to cover behind a desk Iromak was also using to cover. Dead Geth scattered around the lower section of the room.
The remaining four white Geth stood on the second floor, now pouring fire across the cover of Shepard's crew. Shepard and Williams were pressed against the wall below the Geth; the only thing keeping either of them from being attacked now was the need to keep the others pinned down. Williams had her left hand raised, pistol in hand in case she got sight of anything. With the others having arrived to distract the Geth, Shepard would immediately begin working on removing the armor of Williams right shoulder to get to a wound so he could apply medi gel.
"Anytime Helyt!" The Commander would shout at the Commando as he treated the wound. His words seemed to remind her of the personal abilities she obtained.
Ducking her head out of cover to see where the Geth were, with one hard sweep of her left hand moving towards the right, she would send one geth flying into the other two. The final standing one would turn its sights on Helyt's position, opening up the chance for Iromak and Tali to fire on it. The Geths shields wouldn't stand up against the rifle and pistol barrage for long, once it dropped, it only took a single shot to the Geths glowing eye to drop it.
While the other Geth were getting up, Iromak would send a grenade spinning towards their position. Pulling out a long, thin detonator to trigger it as it flew over the Geth. The reverberation of the blast off the stone walls soon faded, leaving the sound of Williams' while Shepard applied the cold, liquid-like material to her wound.
"Iromak, Vaay, check upstairs, make sure we're clear. Tali, the Geth are yours." Iromak would take point as he moved to the next floor, cautiously scanning for any movement.
Shepard would continue getting Williams' wound sealed, glad to be able to work without being shot at. Once he made sure she was set, he would help the Gunnery up with the intention of returning her to the Mako. Williams would argue on the subject, saying that she could still fight. Shepard wasn't having it though, turning it into an order as he walked with her back to the Mako. "You know I can walk myself back, right?"
Shepard would roll his eyes and nod as he walked, keeping his eyes open for movement. "I have no doubts that you'd make it back, but you need blood. Lost a bit much back there." Shepard would lead her through the checkpoint before into the reception area, occasionally checking on the Gunnery behind him.
"That explains the woozy feeling… Did you really give Iromak grenades issued by the Alliance?" Williams felt the gel start to numb the pain in her shoulder, a quiet sigh of relief coming from her as the pain faded.
"No, he made those himself." Shepard would open the hatch to the back of the Mako, helping Williams up and into a seat. Climbing in and opening a panel in the top of the vehicle. "I trust you know your own blood type?"
"I won't even ask why he makes them." Williams would pause for a moment as she tried to remember. "And it's… B…"
After feeling like Williams was stalling for too long, he'd answer his own question. "B Positive." Shepard would pull the paneling on the back of his suits gloves off to slip on sterilized gloves. "Also, what he makes is completely legal, we aren't idiots… most of the time."
"If you already know my blood type, why ask?" Williams would pull her helmet off only to be greeted by the stale, dusty air. Starting to wonder as to where the oxygen came from on the planet as she hadn't seen any green patches when approaching.
"Because everyone should know their own blood type." Shepard would hook a bag up on the ceiling of the Normandy, feeding a tube down to Williams as he readied a needle. "Also, if it's in your file, I know of it."
"Ah, so you have read through my file…" Williams' dizziness would subside as her body's stock of blood was replenished. The feeling was replaced by a slight uneasiness when her family's history came to mind.
Shepard would nod as he went back to the panel. "Yes, it is quite the record you have, and the first time you've been properly assigned to a ship as well." Shepard would hand a small, white container to Williams, along with a bottle of water. "Take both of those and do your best to relax, I'll send Iromak to keep an eye on the area." Williams would again try to argue against the need for anyone, Shepard wouldn't let her though. Leaving the Mako and closing it up behind him.
Vaay was kneeling next to Tali, who spent her time cutting open the synthetic muscle of a Geth that had, at one point, been clinging to the ceiling. "I still don't understand what you mean, how come they don't retain intelligence when cut off from the others? They still knew what the others knew, what changes?"
Tali would shake her head, pondering how to explain it properly. "It's more than knowing, it's a cumulative intelligence. The more platforms it has to communicate with, the more input it can receive on a decision."
"So, it's just getting a recommendation from other Geth?"
Tali turned the limp Geth over onto its back, again shaking her head. "In a way, yes. However, it's more complicated than just getting advice, the platforms are just ways for Geth to carry out tasks. The actual Geth are bunches of programs that are similar to basic V.I all working in tandem." Tali would gesture to the Geth that lay strewn about the room. "With more platforms close enough, the various V.I from each platform will work in unison, becoming an interconnected network which-"
Tali found her sentence falling short as Shepard returned through the door he had led Williams through. "Is Ashley okay?"
Shepard nodded as he stepped over to where the two had been kneeling, looking down at the machine. "She's a tough one. Besides, I'm sure a bit of downtime will do her some good. Sometimes I think she's too dug into the Alliance."
Tali watched Shepard for a few moments, wondering if Iromak would find his comment ironic. Shepard would head upstairs, where Iromak had been attempting to get a computer working. Having opened up a small panel to look at the delicate inner workings. After the two shared a few quiet words, Iromak would backtrack to keep an eye on Williams.
With Vaay at Tali's side, Shepard would let her spend time on the mechanical remains as he continued where Iromak had left off. In time, and many frustrating attempts to get it working, it occurred to him that it was the power supply to the room rather than the computer. The computer was plugged into a cable that led further into the building, his best assumption was that the power source had been shut off or the line had been cut.
Shepard stepped over to the dead Geth so he could look down to the next floor. Watching Tali do her best to explain how each machine worked to the curious Commando. "Helyt!"
John's sudden and stern shout made Vaay jump slightly, standing quickly and turning her attention to the Commander. "Yes, Spectre?"
"Keep your eyes open, got it? I'm going to poke around." Helyt would give him a short nod before turning away. Shepard watching the pair for a few seconds before going to follow the power line.
Each step he took was carefully placed, moving without noise through the hall. Checking the various rooms as he passed, most of what he found was simply empty, dusty rooms, or storage areas used by Exogeni. Shepard would come across several cross sections in the hall, not straying from the path provided by the power cable.
Shepard would find himself stuck at the end of a long hall, a glowing barrier that proved itself rather resistant to weapons fire, keeping him from following the power line that had been cut from the barrier itself. Shepard suspected that it was implemented by the Geth as it seemed rather forcibly installed into the hall with no clear way of deactivating it. Darker colored metals on the opposite side of the barrier had been fastened to the ground and walls with massive metal bolts, making Shepard wonder how structurally sound it was.
Quiet footsteps would tell the Commander someone was on approach, turning to see the shadows of Tali and Vaay before the pair turned the corner. "Find anything useful in that last batch?"
Tali would shake her head as she approached, looking around at the glowing barrier. "No, I need to try and get some that aren't so shot up…" Tali approached the barrier, tapping it lightly with a single finger. "That's… gonna be a problem."
While both Shepard and Tali toyed with different ideas of passing it, Vaay would go to stand near the cross section to keep her eyes open for Geth, occasionally pacing back and forth to check if they made any progress. After at least ten minutes and some frustration, Tali would have the idea to check more than the door. Finding a large grate in the ceiling just above Vaay.
Tali would gesture to the thin grate on the ceiling while looking to Shepard. "I could try and find a way to the other side through there. It couldn't be any harder than climbing through the air ducts in the Normandy."
It took Shepard a moment to properly process what Tali said. Turning around to look at her. "Tali, why are you climbing through the air ducts?" John couldn't hide the confusion, or concern, laced through his voice. "It's not the safest thing to do, they often get used to vent excess heat."
"I know, I know. I make sure to let Pressly and Adams know where I'm going so I don't get hurt. I've lived on ships all my life John, I know what I'm doing."
"Hmm…" John didn't sound overly enthusiastic about the idea. In reality he was questioning as to why neither of the two under his command had made him aware of it, deciding to push it out of mind till the situation at hand was resolved.
"Come on John, it won't be that hard. I'm certain I could find a way to shut it off from the other side."
He thought of their options for a minute, looking around the old, stone hall as he did. Wondering just how strong the walls were after so much time in disrepair. Soon his eyes would come to the grate on the ceiling, a gentle sigh escaping the audio filters in his helmet.
"Helyt." The commando would look over from the hall she had been watching, turning her attention to the ceiling. Tali glanced between the two, confused for a moment, believing Shepard was going to push her idea onto the Commando. Shepard nodded towards the ceiling as he stepped up to watch the hall now. "Get up there, go with Tali and keep her safe, understood?"
"I… Hmm." Vaay, who showed a brief flash of uncertainty, quickly cleared her throat before speaking. "Understood." It wasn't much more than a quick downwards swing of her fist and the cover flung open on its hinges, dust flying off the grate as it swung back and forth.
After a moment of shakiness while trying to lift herself up with biotics, Helyt would successfully bring herself within arms reach of the air duct. Grabbing the edge with her left hand, then the right. Quickly hoisting herself up and into the dust filled ducts.
"Uh… John?" Tali watched the Commander with slightly squinted eyes. "You're just gonna stay here? Alone?" Tali would fold her shotgun down and hook it onto her back for the crawl through the air ducts.
John shook his head, backing over to where Tali was, keeping his eyes on the entrance to the hall. "No, I'm going to go check on Williams, make sure she's coming along alright. Then I'm going to look for another way around till you two get that shield shut off. Now get going, keep in cover, and if anything happens, get into contact with me."
Shepard had started stepping away, stopping as an idea came to him. Slipping a couple grenades from a slot in the armor of his thigh, handing them to Tali along with a detonator. "Here, these might be able to help in bringing that shield down."
"Thanks." Tali would tuck them away in a pouch in her suit. "Can you give me a boost? I'm a good jumper, but still have my limits." Shepard would oblige, setting his rifle to the side before helping Tali up to the ducts. Chuckling lightly as he heard her muttering about spiders.
The crawl through the system got both Tali and Vaay covered in dust and cobwebs. Despite being completely sealed inside her suit, Tali couldn't avoid the crawling feeling along her skin at the idea of a single spider crawling along her. Hoping that each section of ventilation would be the final stretch. Eventually, the sound of Helyt pushing another grate open would be followed by a sigh of relief from Tali.
Helyt pulling her upper body over the gap to drop down feet first. Landing with a light thud, quickly drawing her pistol off her hip to look around the silent room; at a glance she wouldn't see much more than computers, chairs, beds, and medical equipment. Slowly stepping forward as she looked for movement. "It's-" Tali would land just behind her, Helyt turning quickly to see she just barely avoided Tali landing on her. "-clear…"
Just as the word left her mouth, a loud clattering from a door behind both of them would get each to turn to the sound. Helyt pointing her pistol towards the door as Tali pulled her shotgun off her back. A voice shouting through the door before anything was seen from the dark room. "W-Wait! Don't shoot!"
The sound of a voice made both of them hesitate, the pair exchanging a quick glance before Helyt spoke up. "Come on out, it's alright." Slowly, a woman would step out of cover with her hands held up, a pistol held by the barrel in her right hand.
"I-I was hoping for soldiers, but at this point, just seeing other people is a relief. Who are you two?" The woman's hands would drift down slowly as she stepped further into the room.
Tali and Vaay would introduce themselves, Tali picking cobwebs off her suit all the while. Once the woman introduced herself as Elizabeth Baynham, Vaay would remember Juliana talking with Shepard and immediately would go to contact the Commander.
"Spectre, we have found Elizabeth Baynham. How should we proceed?"
"..."
"Spectre?"
"..."
"Commander Shepard? Can you hear me?"
Elizabeth would shake her head as she went to stand with Vaay. "It's not going to work, not up here at least. Any messages I've tried to send while this close to the building haven't been able to reach anyone."
"How have you survived here?" Tali would look around at the area, noting a lack of bodies inside the area. Beginning to wonder how many people were able to evacuate.
"I was on my break in the basement when the ship arrived." Elizabeth would pause for a moment as she gestured to the door she had emerged from. "There was a guard, who kept the Varren out of the basement, he tried to run upstairs to see what was going on…"
Elizabeth would pause for a few seconds as she stared at the darkness through the doorway. "He… he didn't make it up the stairs before the machines made it in. I was barely able to hide…"
Both Tali and Vaay watched the woman who now stood in silence. Tali turned her attention to the grate above them before speaking. "Vaay, would you get Miss Baynham back to the Mako so she's safe?"
Helyt would turn to look at Tali, then to the spot in the ceiling as well. Not certain that she should leave the Quarian alone after her orders from Shepard. Tali had already picked up on her hesitation and nodded towards the ducts. "I'll be fine till you get back. She needs somewhere to rest." Vaay would nod to Tali before she gave Elizabeth a heads up that she'd be lifted up. Tali started to go around to see if any computers would flick on as the other two fell back.
Shepard was prying the top off of some of the crates from Exogeni to see just what they had been storing. So far all he had come across was lab equipment and computers. While walking upstairs with one of the smaller crates under his right arm, his omni tool would light up before emitting a faint amount of static repeatedly. Raising his left arm up to look at the tool for a few moments.
After it fell silent and darkened Shepard would decide to follow along the cable once again. Swapping the crate to his left arm, his right carrying his pistol now. Stepping slowly and silently through the halls as he looked for any trace of a live person or active Geth.
Shepard would make his way back to the barrier, hoping some progress had been made. Finding it still blocking his path, he did however hear the sound of someone crawling through the air ducts. Taking a couple steps back as he watched the hole in the ceiling, his pistol ready to raise in case it was a Geth.
Two human hands would grab the edge of the gap before a woman pulled herself into view, stopping as she saw the Commander. Blinking a couple times before recognizing the symbol on his armor. "Alliance! Oh thank God, you've got to help the colonists."
Shepard was somewhat surprised that the first thing the woman wanted help with was the colonists, especially considering they were in a much better position than her. "I know, ma'am." The Commander set the crate down before helping the woman out of the vent. "We're here to handle the Geth problem."
"No, I'm not talking about that. It's the Thorian, those machines have to be here for it." While the woman spoke, Shepard would notice Vaay emerging from the air duct alone. Pardoning himself from the conversation with Elizabeth to ask Vaay a question.
"Helyt, where is Tali?" His stern tone caught her by surprise. Gesturing to the woman standing next to Shepard.
"She told me to get Elizabeth back to the Mako. So I-"
"Helyt, my last order of keeping Tali safe is now a standing order." The Commander pointed to the ceiling as he started backing down the hallway. "Go back and don't leave her alone again. Understood?"
"Got it." Helyt was already climbing back into the gap by the time he finished speaking, forgetting to ask if he had even heard her over comms.
Once Vaay was out of sight, Shepard would turn to Elizabeth to lead her back to the Mako. "Now then, let's get you somewhere safe, Miss…?"
"Baynham, Elizabeth Baynham." While he guided the woman, she would divulge every secret about the Thorian and the tests they had been performing on the colony. Handing her identification to Shepard so that he could access Exogeni files.
Tali had succeeded in getting some of the computers on, but any further progress was impeded by the lock down that had been set across the three that she had managed to turn on. When Vaay returned, the pair would move on through the halls. Helyt took point, stepping down the middle of the halls slowly. Occasionally flicking a flashlight on to check the darkened rooms, finding nothing but dust filled rooms.
"Maybe we should wait for the Spectre… we could be walking right into a trap." The shakiness of her voice gave away her nervousness, giving a short glance back to Tali.
The Quarian would only shake her head as she continued forward. Speaking in a much quieter tone than Helyt. "Go back and help him if you want, but I'm getting the shield down." Tali would step past to take point as she slowly moved through the halls, staying as quiet as she could. Helyt checking behind them for movement before following after Tali.
Chakwas had been doing her best to treat the colonists. They had a strong stubbornness to remain at their posts, even ones doing idle activities avoided allowing her to check on them. With some minor persuasion from a persistent Doctor and an aggressive Krogan, she would make slow progress.
Examining each colonist one by one for mental exhaustion, shell shock or ptsd. Treating any physical injuries as best she could. With the majority of her equipment being too heavy to take off the ship, she'd have to resort to treating what physical injuries she could with medi gel.
While attempting to convince the leader to pull what survivors remained to the Normandy for actual treatment, three rapid beeps from her omni tool would alert her to a message. When she excused herself from the conversation to check it, she would find only an empty message from the Commander.
After a few unsuccessful attempts to contact Shepard, Chakwas would return to the Normandy with Wrex keeping her safe between the colony and ship. Speaking with Pressly once she returned to see if he'd be able to get into contact with the Commander.
Several attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, they were able to get into contact with the Gunnery though. Who would put Elizabeth on to give them as much info as she could about the situation. Iromak trying to reach Shepard with no success.
It wouldn't take long for the Gunnery to become restless, occasionally prodding Iromak for any willingness to set out with her. He wouldn't have any of it though, so Williams would turn to Elizabeth, asking about any other ways into the building. Who had a single idea for her.
"The Varren would get in from the lower levels in the building, one of the guards told me the path led to the bridge outside." This seemed to be enough for the Gunnery, who would start making her way to the back of the Mako.
Iromaks boot moving up to block the handle would get Williams to look at him, the Batarian speaking before she could. "John told me to keep an eye on you."
"Then come with me." Williams put it plainly to him as she grabbed her helmet, slipping it on.
Iromak shook his head, gesturing to Elizabeth who sat quietly in the middle of the Mako. Quite uncomfortable from being around a Batarian. "Can't leave her alone, John brought her here for us to keep safe."
"So you stay, while I go out and figure out a way to help instead of doing nothing." Williams reached towards a panel to unsealed the Mako. Finding Iromaks boots sliding over it to stop her.
"It's not doing nothing. We keep her safe, you don't get shot again. Everyone wins."
Williams seemed dissatisfied with his answer, turning to climb over one of the front seats towards another door. "I can handle myself." The door hissed as its seal was released, the Gunnery climbing out and closing it behind her. Iromak shook his head, looking between Elizabeth and the doorway.
John is gonna be pissed...
After a quiet sigh, he reached over to grab a shotgun that was sitting in a slot near the exit. Offering it to the woman who was still in the Mako. "You know how to use this?"
After a short, cautious nod, Iromak would hand the shotgun to Elizabeth. Gesturing her to follow him as he opened the back door. "Stay within a couple feet of me or the Gunnery."
"I… why?" Rather than oppose, she would climb out after him. Iromak closed the Mako up after she departed from it.
"You don't have a shield, so you need to stay close enough for one of ours to cover you. John wouldn't be too pleased if you were injured, or worse. So stay close or stay in cover."
"Wouldn't it be easier, and safer, to leave her here?" Williams was tapping away at a pad on the door, trying to get it to open up as the two approached.
"Not if she can't contact us. Enough Geth decide they want into that thing, there wouldn't be much to keep them from doing just that."
After some fiddling with the buttons, the large door would start pulling upwards along it's rails. The three set out with Williams in the lead, Elizabeth staying close enough behind the Gunnery to stay safe within the bounds of her shield. Iromak followed behind, keeping his eyes open and alert as they followed the instructions from Elizabeth.
While on the top of the bridge, Williams would notice several smaller Geth dropships returning to the larger ship. "What are they doing? Pulling back? Regrouping?"
"It doesn't matter." Iromak spoke in a hushed tone, watching their surroundings closely. "However, it does matter if they spot us, so keep moving."
From the underbelly of the bridge, the three would make their way into the lower sections of the building. Finding a few dead Varren along the path that they followed. No real threats would emerge to give the group any trouble, Iromak had a feeling it was largely due to them keeping quiet.
Williams would get instructions to the upper levels, hoping to find some way to the ship sitting on top of the building. Much to Williams' dissatisfaction, Iromak would take point when they entered the closer quarters area. She wouldn't argue as she knew that it was for the best, with one bad arm she was down to using her pistol. It would get the job done, but it was a drop in firepower. Iromak kept his rifle pointed up the stairs as he moved up each flight. Slowing to a stop as he found a body.
The heavily armored man was slumped against the wall, dead geth lay scattered around him, a few more found on the path he had been facing up the stairs. Iromak stoped the group for a moment to type something into his tool before continuing upwards. Elizabeth doing her best to avoid the sight of the guard as they passed.
"So why are we doing this Ashley? Why are we here?"
"What?"
"What's the goal? You wanted to get into the building and help. What are we going to do? I may be on point but you're the lead on this excursion."
"I…" The group halted as Williams thought, turning her sights on the cause of the infestation. "We need to get that ship off the building, so we head up till we find where, and how it's holding onto the building."
"Got it." With that, the three would continue upwards. Having a much easier time of navigating the building's corridors with the aid of Elizabeth. It wouldn't take long for them to get into the upper sections of the building. The piles of rubble that they would soon be climbing over made it evident that the ship landing itself atop the old building put a heavy strain on the stone and metal.
"So, Miss Baynham, just what was Exogeni doing with this… what was it… Thorian? You called it?" Williams wasn't entirely certain that the woman would be completely open with her, considering some of the implications she had already made. She was surprised when Elizabeth seemed to be all the more eager to spill what had been happening there.
"My superior was quite intent on figuring out how to replicate the Thorian."
"Replicate?"
"Yes, he wanted us to figure out the genetic structure of the plant. Then see if we can replicate it."
"And how has that been going?"
"Well, Exogeni is no closer to finding out how it works, which I suppose is good news really." Elizabeth paused for a moment before quietly adding on. "They'd only use it as a weapon anyways."
"Why isn't it working?" Iromak spoke up now, finding a slight interest in the topic Ashley had pried herself into.
"Well, each cell of the Thorian is covered in a sort of skin. Acting akin to a regular cell wall, but larger, and with a strange coating that protects that which lies within. If the skin is forcibly removed,the entire thing falls apart into a cluster of seemingly randomized components."
"Randomized?"
"Yes, the first cell seemed to contain nothing but water and inert gasses. The second was made up mostly of chlorine and zinc. Not even enough to be noticeable without keeping it in a heavily controlled environment."
"That… doesn't make any sense…" Iromak was thoroughly confused by her statement. Shaking his head at the thought of it.
"That was my initial reaction as well, but I do have a… hypothesis on just why that is though. It's a sort of defense mechanism, as the cell realizes it's under attack, it jumbles everything within to purposely confuse whatever is trying to destroy the outer layer. Killing itself in the process, but keeping it's secrets safe."
"Wouldn't the cell have to think on it's own for such a deliberate act?" Williams' confusion was only growing as the woman continued diving into her idea.
"Yes, the cell would have to show some level of sentience in itself to be able to achieve this level of defense. That is where my boss stops liking my hypothesis."
"Is your boss Ethan Jeong?"
"Unfortunately so."
Tali was kneeling down in front of the shield that had been blocking their path, now sitting on the opposite side they had been on before. Trying to figure a way to shut the shield off without blowing it up. Mostly because she didn't want to chance a group of Geth to inspect the sound.
"Have you known the spectre for a long time?"
The question made the Quarian pause the fiddling she had been doing, thinking about what had happened since she met Shepard. "Not a long time, it's been eventful so far. Although, I suppose that's what life is like for most Spectres." Tali returned her attention to the Geth contraption as she spoke. "What's being a Commando like?"
"Oh, it's been… interesting… Certainly thought I'd be working in groups with other Commando's." Vaay shrugged as she turned around to watch the halls. "But, Councilor Tevos assigned me to this, so here I am."
"Do you like it? Being aboard the Normandy?"
A long pause settled over the two, Tali turning around to watch the Commando. Wondering for a moment if the question was heard. Vaay finally responded after Tali turned away. "It's a nice ship…"
"But…?"
"But… I'm…" Helyt quickly cleared her throat as she revised her sentence. "I'm not certain that the crew… welcomes the extra man power."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the Gunny… Gunnery. I think she's just trying to avoid me."
"Ashley is… I think she's just a very critical person. She probably doesn't enjoy the idea that non alliance members aren't held to the same standard as their soldiers."
"What do you mean?" Vaay turned around to look at Tali, not completely understanding what the Quarian was getting at.
"Well, if you are a member of the alliance, and join their military. You have to go through a lot of training. But if someone like me, or you gets brought onto the ship by request, or assignment, there is no guarantee of our abilities reaching the same standards that their soldiers are held to."
Vaay thought over what Tali had said, after mulling it over for several minutes, she would turn around again to speak. "You… asked to join?" Helyt's voice expressed her plain surprise, her head tilted slightly to the side in confusion.
"Yeah." Tali said plainly as she pulled a few grenades from the pouch on her suit.
"Why?"
Tali stopped for a moment, running her thumb over the grenade in her hand as she thought. "Why not? It's an amazing ship, I'm treated well, and with John's mission, I'll have plenty of Geth to pull apart."
Vaay would slowly nod, turning back around to check the halls behind her. "Why do you need those things anyways? Trying to find something out about them?"
"In a sense, yes. I'm looking for any changes they have cultivated themselves. Signs of any advances they've created on their own."
"Have you found anything?"
Tali found herself somewhat surprised at the Commando's persistent curiosity, but welcomed the chance to teach someone more on the subject. "Some, so far, I can only find physical changes to some platforms. One is the use of synthetic skin or muscular systems, which I have yet to find a purpose for. The other is a kind of safeguard, around each data center, and it's interconnecting links, is a strange kind of mesh. It prevents me from accessing the systems that would allow me to access the V.I programs within."
"How does it manage that?"
"When something attempts to access it's systems either remotely or by direct connection, it recognizes that which isn't originated from Geth tech, and immediately cuts connection to anything wireless, or floods random data into anything with a direct connection."
Soon, Tali had the grenades in place, not totally certain that they'd do the trick. Patting Helyt on the shoulder as she started heading down the hall to cover from the blasts.
The two took cover at a cross section in the halls, both standing on the same side of the cross. Keeping a good bit of distance between them and the grenades. Tali would retrieve the detonator from her pocket, after bracing herself, she'd press the button on top. Waiting several seconds in silence, then a few more, and after a minute, slowly peeked around the corner.
"Huh..."
"What?" Vaay sounded concerned as she stepped over. Tali held the detonator up to show she was pressing it repeatedly. Once Helyt got the idea, she would also peek around the corner. "Huh…"
"Try twisting it." Shepards voice made Vaay jump slightly in surprise, turning around to see him standing behind them.
Tali turned to see John covered in cobwebs, watching him cautiously for any spiders while handing the detonator to him. Shepard would twist the detonator at the midpoint, the button on top flickering to glow a faint red. Shepard gestured to the two to step away from the hall. "And how did you find us?"
"A bit of luck, and a bit of listening… Really though, it wasn't too hard once I found the cable." Once both of them were safe in cover, he pressed the button. The blast was much larger, and louder than Shepard had been anticipating. A loud ringing in his ears taking over his hearing, barely able to hear that one of the women next to him were speaking
Once he could hear, somewhat, he'd turn to the two who stood beside him. Tali seemingly fine, Helyt however was certainly feeling the affects on her eardrums. "Did you use all those grenades?"
"I…" Tali now realized that she likely used an excessive amount of explosives for the situation. Turning her gaze towards the ground before responding. "...yeah…" Shepard gave her shoulder a light pat, gaze turn to him. Somewhat surprised to see he was stiffling a chuckle.
"It's fine, I should've been more specific." John would peek around the corner to see that the barrier had been dropped. Giving a short nod of satisfaction. "Either of you find a working computer?"
Tali would nod and lead John back to where they had entered from. The computers that she had managed to turn on were still sitting idle. "So, if you didn't come through here, where did you come from?"
"I found a few rooms that Exogeni seemed to have blocked off, looked like it was because of Varren, so I poked around." Shepard would begin typing on one of the computers. A V.I popping up in the middle of the room after a few moments.
"Welcome, Elizabeth Baynham. What are you looking for?" Shepard sighed quietly as he stepped up to the researchers aid. Wishing he could've dealt with the computer rather than it.
"Tali, take this and find out what's on the other computers." John handed off Elizabeths ID to Tali as he passed her, Helyt watching the area around them for movement.
Shepard spent his time questioning the hologram and accessing its files. Tali moving from computer to computer, looking for anything of use. While Shepard was struggling to get the V.I to understand his instructions, Tali would call him to her computer, Shepard assigning Vaay to try and get the files copied onto her omni tool. Shepard laying his rifle onto the table as he went to speak with Tali.
Tali would point out several shipping notices that were leaving for the Matano system, each one if the cargo manifests carrying basic supplies with one thing out of ordinary on each. "One S.O.T." Shepard would read out from the bottom of each manifest that was heading for Matano.
Sample Of Thorian.
"Thank you for-" John fell silent as he felt a faint shake in the ground, followed by another. Soon, a steady and heavy thudding would begin rapidly approaching. It was noticed by all in the room, the three of them turning to look at the doorway that Elizabeth had shown up from before.
A Krogan would slowly step into view, covered in hefty amounts of Varren blood and many cuts and bites. Holding a shotgun that pointed towards the Commander. "Saren said the Alliance would show, and here you are."
"Hey… fella." Shepard was already placed between Tali and the Krogan, turning to keep her behind him. "What is Saren paying you? I bet I could beat it."
The Krogan let a low chuckle slowly grow into a full on laugh, Shepard slowly reached towards his pistol with his right and while the Krogan shook his head. "No, I doubt you could offer anything better."
"Is that right?" Shepards left hand was slowly gripping the edge of the table in front of him, keeping his eyes on the Krogans shotgun.
"Yes, because of Saren, the Krogan will once again-" With a surprised shout, the Krogan was flung back through the doorway he had entered from. Vaay had decided to take the initiative and use her biotics to give them the chance to take cover.
Shepard grabbed his rifle before flipping the table, giving a swift kick to the left side of it, the metal tabletop sliding to face towards the door. A shot could be heard from the doorway, Shepards shields flickering as the shot struck the protective barrier, him and Tali ducking behind the table to avoid another incoming shot.
The building once again started shaking, gently at first, growing into a violent shaking that would force everyone to focus on trying to stay upright. Shepard held onto the table in front of him, his rifle leaning on the edge of it to stay pointed towards the door. Tali began to wonder if the building would crumble with them within it.
There was a fury of gunshots from the darkened room as the shaking slowed to a halt. Silence took over the room as all three watched the doorway for the Krogan. Instead, Iromak stepped into view, shotgun in hand. "Well, there you are."
"What the hell are you doing here?" John spoke as he stood upright, his tone showing that he wasn't exactly happy to see him. Turning to check that Tali and Helyt were fine. "And what was that…'' His sentence fell off as Elizabeth stepped into the room, glancing between the two for a moment. "She should be with Williams-"
Before he could finish, Williams would step into view. Glancing up to Shepard before quickly averting her gaze to the ground between them, almost able to feel his glare burning through his visor. A single thought in her head.
Dammit
Williams had been hoping for more time to get a story cobbled together that didn't consist of 'I disobeyed orders and blew up part of the building'.
Shepard gave a short nod back to where he, Tali and Vaay had come from. "Get them to the Mako, Iromak. I need to debrief the Gunnery."
Iromak would stop to say something to John, quiet enough that only John could hear. Williams wondered as to what he said, watching him walk away afterwards. The group of four would depart, Iromak leading on Tali's instructions, Helyt bringing up the rear with Baynham staying close to the Commando. Leaving the two alone in the room.
Williams would now stand at attention, waiting for Shepard to tear into her. The Commander would set his rifle so it tilted against a table. Correcting the position of the one he had flipped, starting to put the monitor and the computer it was connected to, back onto the table. Eventually, Williams would buckle and speak first.
"Sir?"
Shepard would turn his head to look at her for a moment, grabbing a chair and sliding it over to her. "Sit."
Williams wouldn't question him, following his instruction and taking the seat. Feeling a bit awkward while waiting for him to say something. Instead, he tapped quietly at the computer's keyboard for several minutes.
"Williams, what happened up there?"
"We… got the ship off the building."
Shepard would stop his tapping as he thought about what she said, turning his head to look at Williams. Ashley would quickly straighten her posture as she felt his gaze. "How so?"
"Well, we-" Williams would stop, quickly reconsidering her words. "I, destroyed the support beams with explosives. Crippled the areas that the ship had been holding onto."
"You don't carry that many grenades." John would turn his head to look back at the monitor, tapping a single button before pushing off the table he was leaning on.
"No, Iromak lent me some." Williams would pause for a moment, her gaze following Shepard. "His grenades may be legal, but the amount he carries sure isn't."
"He doesn't bring it all to the Citadel or anything like that, like I said, we aren't idiots."
"Most of the time." Williams would add the last bit on with a small smirk, which quickly flattened into a thin line when Shepard looked at her.
"That statement applies to me usually, not to him. Since I know he's got the good sense not to pull a civilian back into the line of fire. Or to run off while injured and disobey orders."
Williams decided to take a more defensive stance on the subject, since the whole operation went smoothly. "Nothing bad happened, we only found a few Geth, and we got out without anyone getting hurt. Then showed up to save you from that Krogan."
John scoffed lightly and shook his head. "The only thing you saved, was your own ass by not getting Baynham hurt, or worse."
"She only went with us because Iromak didn't want her alone, and didn't want me to be out on my own."
Shepards annoyance grew, leaning on the table next to him. "Because she is a civilian, and because you are injured. He kept everyone in a group, which was the best-"
John's omni tool lit up before Joker's panicked voice interrupted Shepard. "Commander! We've got a situation on the ship!" He was almost surprised to hear anything from it, quickly tapping on it to respond.
"What is it, Joker?"
"A bunch of the colonists are banging on the Normandy, sounds like they're trying to get in. I don't know what's going on, but Pressly sealed the airlock to make sure they couldn't."
Shepard thought about his options for a moment before giving the tool another tap. "Get into the air, start searching for any Geth leftover. The main ship should be out of the picture now."
"Understood, Commander."
With that, Shepard closed his omni tool. Williams fully expected Shepard to continue on the subject from before, instead he gestured to the door while grabbing his rifle. "Come on, I've got a few words for a fellow from Exogeni." Shepard and Williams would make their way back, joining the others at the Mako. Shepard was glad to see it hadn't been ripped to pieces by Geth while it was left unattended.
Shepard took the driver's seat as usual, Helyt next to him on sensors with Tali behind her at the controls for the turret. Williams, Elizabeth and Iromak all in the very back.
Shepard would get the vehicle turned around before tapping the controls and opening the large, metal door that was used to seal off the garage. Rolling out at a steady pace.
Then something occurred to Shepard, a revelation that had come to him several times before in life.
The whole thing was a trap.
And just like all the other times, the revelation came too late. Three dropships could be seen approaching low from the other side of the bridge.
First it was just one of the four legged platforms that landed, then another, and another. Soon there was an army of Geth armatures, too clustered together to be counted while tearing towards them, each armature supported by a slew of grey and white foot soldiers. The shield of the Mako lighting up from the constant peppering of gunshots, it would only hold up against so much pressure; the pings of metal bouncing of the hull telling Shepard the shield was gone.
Shepard swerved left and right in an attempt to avoid the larger attacker's electrical blasts, each glowing shot turning the concrete it landed against into a smoking black spot. Tali would shoot at anything in their way, but they soon grew too numerous for it to matter where she shot, as nearly anything would hit a Geth.
The armor was thick enough that the smaller arms fire wouldn't be too serious of a problem, as long as they kept moving. It was the larger platforms Shepard was worried about. Even over the gunfire, Shepard could hear Helyt speaking to herself.
A prayer to the goddesses.
Suddenly a shadow loomed over the Mako, the Commander realizing what was likely hovering above them.
We're gonna need it.
Shepard slammed the vehicle to the left, but it was all too late. The Mako jolting harshly downwards as an armature landed on top of the vehicle, several other heavy thuds letting Shepard know that more Geth were latching on by the minute. The Mako would veer sharply from side to side, trying to shake the machines holding on with steel grips. A Geth hopper climbed to the front, starting to strike at the window Shepard used to navigate, blocking most of his ability to see through it.
"Uh… Spectre?" Helyt's voice was a mix of concern and panic, Shepard glancing over to see her door was slowly being cut into. The metal towards the top of the door slowly turning a bright red as a Geth tried to burn it's in. Triggering a high pitched alarm to let him know the seal was being strained.
Turning his eyes back to the window in front of him, trying to see past the Geth. "It'll hold."
Another, slower and lower pitched alarm started right as Tali spoke up. "John! They broke the turret!"
"Nothing to do about it now, just hold on." John wasn't certain if he was talking to himself, Tali, or the Mako that was starting to give in to the constant attacks. Shepard struggled to get a view through his front window, which started slowly cracking at the repeated strikes.
They had barely reached the halfway point, approaching the other Mako that hadn't made its trip. Their own Mako struggled to roll along, weighed down by an armature and several other Geth riding along.
While they rolled towards the other Mako, several Geth primes would step out of their hiding place behind the destroyed vehicle. Sending a barrage of missiles towards vehicle. With his viewport blocked, Shepard only saw the missiles on the sensors, turning sharply to the left in an attempt to avoid them. It was far too late for that, three rockets barreling towards the Mako faster than he could hope to avoid them.
"Brace!"
A sharp, painful inhale pulled John into waking, the taste of iron thick in the air. A sharp ringing in his ears made his head start aching. His mind told him that something was wrong, but he didn't have the strength to check. Doing his best to try and remember what had happened beforehand.
Slowly, as the ringing dulled, a voice would become more apparent. "John! John!? Stay with me John!"
That voice...
Parting his eyelids slowly to see only a blur of movement around him, his eye's burning from the smoke that filled the air. Slowly dragging his head over in an attempt to identify anything. The feeling of two cold fingers grabbing his chin, turning his head to the left. Guiding his line of sight to a pair of shining blue eyes that belonged to an Asari.
Mino...
"John, keep your eyes on me, got it? You're going to be alright. Iromak! Medi-gel!" Mino's voice, that usually was calm and collected, sounded worried, almost panicked. John could only manage to give a short nod to the Asari Doctor. His head falling back to rest on the metal floor, his eyes struggling to remain on the out of focus Asari. "John, keep your eyes open!"
"John?!"
"John!"
"John! Wake up!"
In a single blink, and a sharp inhale, John was back on Feros, looking up at Tali. Tali had been shaking John by his shoulders to try and wake him. A soft sigh of relief lighting from her lips when his eyes pulled open to meet hers. Shepard quickly shot up into a sitting position, looking down first, patting at the armor along his chest to double check it was still together. then turning his eyes up to see the Mako had been flipped over onto its topside.
"John, are you alright?"
He didn't respond, checking on everyone in the vehicle. Helyt was doing her best to help Elizabeth stay calm, despite being obviously panicked in her own right. Williams was shooting out the rear hatch with her handgun, keeping the door just barely pushed open with her bad shoulder to minimize the area that she could be hit from.
Where's Iromak?
Shepard pushed himself up to a crouching position within the overturned vehicle, grabbing his rifle that was in it's slot between his seat and the door. Tali attempted to slow Shepard down as he moved towards where Williams was, Tali trying to check that John was alright. "John, I think you need to slow down, that was a harsh hit you took on the head." When her words didn't stop him, she would grab his wrist instead.
John finally stopped, turning around to look at Tali. "I would love to stop, but now is not the time." Shepard now noticed the lack of helmet he had been wearing, which sat in Talis' lap. "I need you to get the Normandy on the line, got it?"
Tali would nod slowly, watching him with an air of skepticism about letting him go. "Wait." Tali would pick up the N7 helmet in both her hands, holding it up to him. "You'll need this."
John took the helmet gently from her hands, sliding it on and thanking her. Turning back around to relieve Williams of her position, pointing her to the passenger door that was being burned into. Tali watched as Shepard slipped out the door, kicking it closed behind him, going to attempt to contact Joker after he was out of sight.
Shepard charged through a flurry of shots to the other totalled Mako, shooting down the highway in a vain attempt to keep himself covered. Quickly hoisting himself into the passenger door of the other wrecked Mako, finding Iromak had a similar idea. Crouched towards the back, at the open hatch, the Batarian was doing his best to provide a distraction from the main vehicle.
Iromak glanced at John, keeping in cover as he gave a short nod to the other. "Just like old times?"
"Not quite, but close." With a mix of grenades, working with each other's shields, and managing with strong cover from within the vehicle. The Geth would soon start prioritizing the pair, John and Iromak proving to be more than a nuisance; keeping any serious push on the main vehicle from occurring. The opposite side of the other was still exposed, but Williams and Tali were able to handle those who made it past Iromak and John.
With the foot soldiers proving to be ineffective to their entrenchment, the armatures began to barrage the vehicles as Geth drop ships arrived to start deploying troops with more heavy armaments. John and Iromak kept a steady line of fire on the incoming troops, but numerous Geth snipers would prove to be more of a challenge as they lacked anything long range.
Iromak and John were pinned, large numbers of Geth slowly pushing towards the vehicles. Shepard kept his rifle ready and waiting, his omni tool lighting up before the Geth made their push into the Mako. Joker's voice ringing in, a sense of relief washing over Shepard as the pilot spoke.
"Look who's here to save the day." The faint smugness in the pilot's voice made Shepard shake his head. Glad that the pilot was available to aid them.
The bridge shook lightly as the pilot cleared the machines out in vast swaths. After the first pass, the Normandy would focus its guns on the dropships that started retreating in an attempt to conserve some sort of manpower. They were outmatched and outgunned without their larger support vessel; soon hurtling towards the dusty surface of the planet below.
Once the ships were managed, the Normandy would return to the bridge. Giving another pass to clear out what remained of the larger or deadlier machines. Dropping the Mako down once the area was mostly cleared out.
With the fresh vehicle, and strong air support, the area was soon cleared of anything that would be looking to shoot at them. Wrex, Garrus and Kaidan climbed out of the Mako, Doctor Chakwas following to check on the crew that had been in the wreck.
Elizabeth had come out unscathed thanks to Williams having made her buckle in. Vaay and Tali ali had actually braced themselves for the impact when John had shouted it, minimizing their damage to just bumps and bruises. Williams had wished she buckled in, landing on her already bad arm in the roll. Iromak tried to avoid inspection, saying he was fine, Chakwas refused to let it stand without a check up; his words rang true though, managing to only garner a few scrapes from the event. Shepard, as Tali had suspected, had received a concussion in the roll.
Try as she did, Chakwas could not get Shepard to let go of the reins of the mission. Knowing him far too well than to try and force Shepard to stop, she'd pull Tali aside instead, asking the Quarian to keep an eye on the Commander for the remainder of the mission. Tali doing her best to assure the Doctor that she would make sure John came through alright.
The operational Mako would join back with the Normandy to drop off Williams, Chakwas, Garrus and Kaidan. Wrex joining the jump to the ship so he could bring it back to the bridge. Kaidan offered his aid to the Commander to supplement their firepower, but John would decline. Wanting Kaidan on the Normandy for the sake of ensuring that the ship still had enough people to protect it. The Commander instead brought Wrex, who was obviously itching to crush something under his heel.
Once everyone except Wrex was offloaded, Joker would drop the Mako back to the bridge. As nervous as it made Shepard, Wrex was at the controls of the Mako to manage its descent to the bridge.
Everyone would climb into the fresh vehicle. Shepard taking the driver's seat as usual, Tali taking the seat next to him at the sensors. Vaay took the turret controls, Iromak and Wrex in the back with a very timid looking Elizabeth. The Mako rolled down the highway, Shepard glad to be free of the fire they had previously been under.
"So… we're going to the colony?" Elizabeth spoke up during the downwards climb of the many ramps. Shepard shook his head, keeping his eyes out the window.
"You'll be dropped off with the rest of the Exogeni employees. Then we'll be going to the colony to try and smooth the situation over without incident."
"I think I have something that could help with that, Commander." Elizabeth would start elaborating on the attempts by the company to create a remedy to kill Thorian cells, while leaving the hosts uninjured. She admitted that it was still in it's beginning stages, with only a few tests done, but those tests had proved fruitful.
Shepard slowed the Mako to a halt as he reached the level that the Exogeni members had been hiding on, noticing that none of the guards were at their spots from before. Iromak climbed out first, Elizabeth following out the back.
While Shepard was trying to reason that Tali should stay in the vehicle, Elizabeth would run down the ramp leading to the group; Iromak followed after her once he realized she had gone. The only thing John could hear was a lot of shouting, quickly hopping out of the vehicle to follow down. Vaay and Tali both got out to follow after them.
When Shepard arrived at the bottom of the ramp, he'd find Iromak standing between Elizabeth and the guards. His shotgun in hand, ready to raise if needed. John was glad that Iromak had been wearing his helmet, or they may have just shot him on sight. Jeong was going on about something, but he had no idea what about. The man shouting at different people and spouting orders like he was at the helm of an outmatched cruiser that was desperately trying to stay alive.
Everyone was lined against a wall, the guards standing in a row in front of them; a few wearing faces of skepticism at their orders. When Jeong had turned around to find the approaching group, he made a low groan as he shook his head. "Of course, of course you'd make it back. How about you roll along? Leave me to my work!"
Ethan's frustration was boiling over, sounding like he'd probably burst a blood vessel soon. Shepard approaching the man, his attention on the suspicious line up. "What's going on here? Why-" Shepard turned his head to find Jeong pointing a pistol at him, stopping dead in his tracks. "You… don't want to do that."
"I don't have much choice! Things have gotten out of hand, far too gone to bring it back. I've gotten orders to tie up loose ends, I was just hoping the Geth would've handled you."
"Orders? From who?"
"My boss, you idiot. You brought down the ship, opened our comm station back up. Then I get a flood of demands to wipe everything here clean."
"Do that and you'll bring down the wrath of Alliance government down upon not only your life but the entirety of Exogeni and the fucked up things they have done."
"I don't know what you are-"
"Don't lie, it's too late. I've heard the files the V.I had to share. Read the reports."
"You're only giving me more reason to shoot."
"Whether or not I die, it's already over. You shoot me and you die right here."
"I'm close enough for your shield to protect me."
"Not when I'm dead, Alliance shields only stay active when the soldier is alive. Helps prevent dead soldiers being used as shields. You shoot me and you'll drop along with me thanks to the Commando behind me. Right, Helyt?."
Ethans faintly shaking hands had trouble keeping the weapon steady. Finding his eyes occasionally dragging to the barrel of the rifle aimed at him. His preference to live outweighed the want to protect Exogeni. "So, what? I put this down a-and you won't arrest me?"
"Put it down, help me with the colony. Then I can put in a good word for you, say that you had the colonists best intentions in mind."
"A good word? That's it!?"
"You left the colony for dead, that is after you experimented on them. Then you were going to kill off the scientists you had managed to keep safe. You're lucky I don't have you filled full of holes right now."
"I wasn't the only one doing this!" Jeong was clearly upset at Shepards lack of willingness to budge on the subject. Gesturing to Elizabeth with his left hand, his pistol slowly starting to lower from pointing at the Commander. "She was in on it nearly the whole time!"
"Yes, but when she saw me, she decided to come clean and told me everything I needed to know. I'll make sure the Alliance treats her well because of her willingness to put her own neck on the line when she saw a chance to help put an end to the Thorian. An admirable quality, that you could have shared when I arrived, Mr. Jeong. Yet here we are, I walk in to find you lining up innocent people to be gunned down."
Ethan's face showed little emotion, but his eyes showed the doubt that came inherent with his orders. "What am I supposed to do? I defy orders and they'll… clean out my department."
"You work for a business, appeal to their monetary ideals. They actually invest time, money and resources into this colony, and it will pay off down the line, it's an investment opportunity."
"How is this sinkhole an investment opportunity?"
"Only a fool would throw out the opportunity to take the reins and be on the forefront of colonizing less hospitable prothean worlds. It seems that every race can thank the Protheans for their ability to travel through the relays, imagine what we haven't uncovered from them. If something like the Thorian can survive, hidden on this planet, then imagine the tech that could have survived, hidden here as well."
Jeong seemed uncertain at only a possible return on the investment he'd have to try and convince his uppers of. "And, if nothing else, making a colony thrive in a place like this is an achievement. That would surely serve as a stepping stone for other more precarious, but worthwhile investments."
Jeong considered the Commander's words, the barrel of his weapon finally lowering to point at the ground. Leaving John with a quiet sense of relief. Jeong started to turn away, wiping the faint amount of sweat away that had beaded on his brow with his left hand.
Shepard let him have but a moment of calm before quickly closing the gap between himself and the Exogeni representative. Suddenly giving the man a hard right hook on the jaw; while Jeong yelped out in pain during his stumble, John's left foot would slip forward to trip up the man's attempt to rebalance himself. Jeong fell with a heavy thud onto the ground, once he regained his senses, he'd sit up, rubbing his sore jaw in silence.
Shepard took the pistol he had dropped. Looking down at Jeong, each glaring at the other. "I'm usually all for people having their own weapons Mr. Jeong, but you, are evidently a fool. Please, never point a weapon at another Alliance soldier or citizen or I will kill you."
"Y-Yeah, sure, whatever you say."
"I'll be back to check on all the people here after I handle the people at the colony, so none of them will be missing when I get back, right?" Shepard took a few steps forward, towering over Ethan. Tapping his index finger on the barrel of the weapon he had commandeered.
"Right, right. Just, get out of here." Jeong had clearly gotten the picture, knowing better than to push his luck any further. "I need to try and figure out how to pitch this to my boss."
The Commander would demand access to their comms network so that he could get a message to the Alliance before leaving. John was relieved that he got to walk away from the situation without a hole in his helmet. The group loaded back into the Mako before rolling down the highway once more. Shepard hoped that he would be able to free the colonists without bloodshed.
Yeah, this took longer than I thought, even after trimming. I hope that I'm making the wait for this worth it, it will certainly be a long ride across the whole story.