Shepard

He grabbed his guns from the table and settled them on his body.

"Shepard. Would like to remain, monitor patients." Mordin stated from his place near Chakwas. Shepard looked at him for a moment then nodded.

"Alright, and you can hopefully get started research on a counter measure to the collector drones too. Chakwas?" She looked up from her screen. "Our guest, I think has a lot of catching up to do. If you're willing to spend time with her and answer questions, that would be a great help."

Chakwas nodded. "Of course, Commander."

Shepard sighed as he jogged to the elevator and headed to the CIC deck, once there he took a detour to grab another magazine for the grenade launcher. There he met Jacob, Miranda, and Zaeed stocking up.

"Alright according to Bray, one of Aria's people, the Blue Suns have set up a recruitment post in Afterlife. They're apparently recruiting anyone who can hold a gun for the low price of five hundred credits a head, once the jobs done." Shepard stated.

Zaeed gave a snort of contempt. "Cheap bastards. They must be desperate."

Shepard nodded. "But that's also our in. Mordin is staying behind. So, it's up to us. We're going against the three largest mercenary groups in the terminus systems so we need to be careful. Now let's move!"


Archangel

He was tired, it would be so easy to give up. He looked down that the stimulant injector in his hand before injecting it into his side, and hissed as the chemicals took effect, before throwing it away. It joined the mess of empty injectors, burnt out thermal clips, and various other debris. The mercenaries were keeping their heads down for the moment. That wasn't going to last long. Spineless crooks they may be, but there were a lot more of them, and despite everything, he knew he couldn't shoot them all…

He popped up, aimed, and fired. The mantis sniper rifle drilled a neat hole in a yellow helmet, sending a limp body sprawling backward, out of his sight. He dove back to cover as the area he was just standing in was peppered with rounds. His hand went to his belt, one last thermal clip… He still didn't understand what had caused such a technological down grade.

Yet he still had options, he scrambled to his locker and opened it with a palm scan, and grabbed his old kit. He hadn't wanted to advertise he had these.

Now at his last stand?

He couldn't find it in his heart to care.

He pulled the sniper rifle, a gift from a good friend, now dead, from its hiding place and quickly checked it. The rifle a familiar weight in his hands, was custom made, and heavily modified by another good friend.

He hoped she at least was safe.

The assault rifle, pistol, and shotgun all followed, each weapon, with memories clinging to them, good and bad times. None of which he would have missed for all the wealth and power in the galaxy. He got back to his perch as a krogan in red jumped onto the bridge followed by a cluster of vorcha and several varren.

He inhaled, aimed, and fired. The rifle bucked in his grip as it discharged with a boom which would have done credit to a cannon. The scope was good and so he got a good look as the krogan's face took on a shocked look as the round bypassed his shield, and bored into the large alien's skull.

Moments before it exploded.

Several vorcha were knocked off the narrow bridge and fell shrieking to their deaths, while the rest either milled about in a panic or tried to climb back the way they had come.

He smirked, as he picked off those too slow or too stupid to run. He was going to make them pay for this.


Priscilla

She looked up as Chakwas walked back into the room. There was the pause before she entered before the doctor walked to the table and sat in the chair next to it.

"Is thither something wrong?" She asked.

Chakwas shook her head. "No. Not wrong." She answered. "But it is something which concerns you. We've been keeping you and your sister quarantined." She gesturing to the outfit she was wearing. "Which means we have been trying very hard not to come in direct contact with you, trying not to get you sick. You didn't have what we call an immune system, which is the bodies way of fighting an illness. That is changing."

Priscilla frowned slightly. "I doeth not understand."

Chakwas smiled slightly. "Neither do I, however I believe that you should be able to leave the med-bay soon. If you want to."

Pricilla looked down at her hands. "I see…"

She thought for a few moments before saying. "Methinks I would liketh that. However, I know nought about this placeth."

She looked up in time to see Chakwas nod. "That is understandable. Shepard asked me to answer whatever questions you might have."

Pricilla nodded remembering Shepard saying something similar. "I doeth not know where to begin." She admitted.

Chakwas thought for a moment before saying. "Why don't I start with the various different races. If any questions come up during that you can ask them. Does that sound good?" She offered and Pricilla gave a small nod.

"Very well. We'll begin with the asari…" Chakwas began.


Shepard

He watched the buildings speed by as their driver, a batarian, piloted the sky-car toward the hideout Archangel had made for himself. He took a quick look at Miranda, her face professionally blank. He had almost missed her response to being called a stripper by the recruiter.

The batarian in question had almost gotten a bullet in the face.

Shepard settled into the seat a little more. Miranda would get her revenge if she wanted to, he had no doubt about that.

He was content with knowing that he had prevented some young idiot from getting themselves into a suicide mission.

Shepard couldn't help but grin a little at the irony. Here he was keeping someone from a suicide mission while at the same time recruiting for another one.


Archangel

Archangel dove for cover as that damned gunship fired another rocket through the open window. Pushing himself up his ears ringing from the explosion, he saw something on the ground, a series of symbols which glowed gold.

He shook his head. "Must be a concussion or exhaustion is taking over…" He growled, but the symbols didn't go away…

He turned his focus back to the gunship…

And was forced to dive away from his spot again.

As he got up one of his hands came to rest in the symbols which flared under his touch.


Shepard

They were dropped off some distance away the sounds of sporadic gunfire not being too strange on Omega. He turned to face a batarian in Blue Suns colors.

"So, you're the group which was mentioned." The batarian mused. "Names Salkie."

"Yeah, that's us. What's the situation?" Shepard replied.

"What do you know?" Salkie responded.

"Not much the recruiter was rather vague." Shepard commented causing the batarian to nod.

"Not surprising. Wouldn't get a lot of volunteers if people got the whole story. That damned turian is set up in the perfect kill box. Only way into the building is across a long narrow bridge." The batarian grinned wickedly. "Course we've got a few surprises for him. Go check in with Sergeant Cathka."

As they walked toward the barricaded street EDI chimed in. "Commander. I detect no other routes to reach Archangel at this point."

Shepard sighed. "I was afraid of that. Thanks EDI." With that he motioned everyone forward. They all kept their heads down crossing the street into the Eclipse outpost. The commander of the Eclipse was a professional looking Salarian who was in the middle of conversing with his sub-commanders. As they moved through, he saw Maranda take a look at an unattended data pad, before swiftly collapsing the device and pocketing it. Yet as they passed a shut if lightly encrypted door Shepard turn to Miranda.

"What did you find." He whispered.

"Something Aria will want to see." Miranda answered, before showing him the data pad.

He scanned the pad, frowned before he nodded. "Good call Miranda." As he said that the door opened with a hiss as Jacob managed to open the lock.

They all found themselves looking at a YIMR class heavy combat mech.

"That might be a problem." Jacob noted.

"Nah. Stupid amateurs left the targeting computer unlocked." Zaeed scoffed as he checked a terminal. "You want it to just explode or go haywire?" He asked looking at Shepard.

Shepard frowned as he thought. "Clear the targeting data, then lock this place up."

It took a little while but they managed to weave through the various mercenary groups without catching a bullet.

Several other mercs…

Did not have the same luck.

Shepard frowned slightly as he heard Archangel's rifle go off. He shook his head, muttering to himself.

"That can't be right…"

At last, they made it to another batarian in blue suns colors. This one cursing at a gunship

"The fuck did he hit you with?!" The batarian growled as the smell of burnt electronics poured out of one of the stabilizers.

"Sergeant Cathka?" Shepard asked.

"What?!" Can the exasperated reply. "I need to get this fixed or Tarak will have my head."

"What's wrong with it?" Shepard couldn't help but ask.

"Somehow Archangel hit it with that damn rifle of his and somehow this stabilizer looks like it got hit by a damned lighting strike…" Cathka snarled as he poked about. "This stabilizer is practically dead… Think I can get it to work for a little longer…" He muttered.

"We were told to check in with you?" Shepard stated and Cathka looked up.

"Ah. You must be the group Salkie mentioned. You're the last we were waiting for. Do you have any questions?"

Shepard shook his head just as Archangel fired again. "What is that rifle?" He asked half to himself.

"No clue. Some sort of custom shit, Tarak's already claimed it as his though." Cathka replied. "Nearly took him down in one shot." He continued before looking at his omni-tool. "Assaults about to start. I need to get this fixed." Cathka said as he turned his back to them.

Shepard looked at the Gunship then at the building. "You work to hard." Shepard commented before he grabbed Cathka's head and twisted.

One loud crack and Cathka was dead.

"We need to get moving." Shepard said as he dragged the batarian's corpse out of sight.

Zaeed smirked. "God damn right Shepard."

They were among the last of the freelancers over the barricade. They were trying Shepard gave them that, but if Archangel was phased by this assault, he didn't show it.

There was another massive bang and a freelancers chest exploded violently into a crimson mist.

He heard Zaeed whistle in approval, as they opened fire on the freelancers themselves.

"Impressive rifle." Jacob agreed as their enemies fell before them.

"I hope he doesn't hit us with that…" Shepard faintly heard Miranda mutter.

With that in mind they stormed across the bridge and into what was once a fairly nice house for Omega. Granted that bar was fairly low…

After they gunned down the last freelancer, Shepard opened a door which would lead into Archangel's perch and was almost flattened as someone tied to slam a large, round shield into his face.

"Hey! We're on your side!" Shepard exclaimed as there was a final bang before a modulated voice said. "Let them in."

The man who had almost hit him backed off and sheathed of all things, a sword before sitting on the couch and putting the shield down.

Shepard eyed the man who was wearing medieval style armor, but he had that crimson dragon armor so he wasn't really one to judge. He focused his attention of the turian who was sitting with his back to a wall looking at him, a large black rifle in his lap, before he removed his helmet.

"Shepard. I thought you were dead." Garrus said tiredly.

"Garrus!" Shepard exclaimed spreading his arms wide. "What are you doing here?"

The turian chuckled weakly. "You know how it is, wandering the galaxy, meeting the locals, squeezing in a little target practice."

"And in the process, you managed to piss off the three largest merc groups in the Terminus. How'd you pull that off?" Shepard asked

"Wasn't easy. I really had to work at it." Garrus agreed. "I am glad to see you Shepard." He admitted.

Shepard walked over to the window and hunkered down so he could get a clear view of the bridge. "I thought you were going to return to C-Sec." He commented as he stared out the way they had come.

"I tried." Garrus said as he pulled himself up. "It was all the same. Bureaucracy, red tape, politicians. Made even worse by how they swept everything under the rug. No one was listening to your warnings after you went missing."

Shepard grimaced. "I didn't go missing Garrus."

"What?" Garrus asked looking at him.

"I said I didn't go missing. I died Garrus. I don't know how there was enough left of me but Cerberus. You remember them, right?"

Garrus nodded signaling Shepard to continue. "Cerberus got their hands on my body and spent an apparent fortune to bring me back." Shepard sighed. "But this isn't the time for this. You have any ideas as to how we get out of here?"

Garrus gave him an assessing look before nodding letting Shepard know that this topic wasn't over, but that for now they had other matters. "The bridge is the best bet. It's been a major asset, funneling all those witless idiots into scope. Trying to get over it was impossible, but now that you're here…"

Shepard frowned looking at the couch with the strange man who had removed his helm. "Speaking of back up. Who's your friend? The Blue Suns were certain you were alone."

Garrus coughed. "You're not going to believe me."

"Garrus. I literally woke up from being dead, less than three days ago, on top of a whole bunch of other weird shit. Try me." Shepard said dryly.

Garrus's mandibles fluttered slightly. "Fair point I guess." He sighed. "I was trying not to not get blown up by Tarak's gunship when I saw a golden glowing word, sign, something on the floor. I thought I was seeing things, but I ended up touching it. Then he was just there." He shrugged. "I don't know much more than that. He doesn't have a translator but he seems so speak some earth language. It sounds like English at times but my translator can't make anything of it half the time, and what it does get makes no sense. Along with the fact he maybe the reason I survived that gunship."

Shepard frowned. "That's weird."

Garrus gave him a scathing look, but he shook his head. "Later. Something happened in the last day which-" He stopped talking when movement on the other side of the bridge attracted his attention, and he gestured everyone to hunker down.

"What is it Commander?" Jacob asked as he crept closer

"Looks like scouts." Garrus commented as he peaked over. "Eclipse, judging by the paintjob."

"Only god damn morons would use LOKI's as scouts." Zaeed muttered.

"Please do not blaspheme your god." The stranger said.

As they all turned to stare at him, he gave them all a warm friendly smile in return. "I only say that, as some of them take it poorly."

Shepard paused, checked on their enemies, mostly mechs at this point, before responding. "We haven't been introduced."

The stranger nodded. "Please call me Solaire, I hail from the Kingdom of Astora."

"John Shepard. The colony of Mindoir." Shepard replied extending a hand even as Garrus opened up on the advancing mechs.


Pricilla

She leaned back against the wall next to the bed she was sitting one and shook her head.

"Thy world is so strange..." She muttered causing Chakwas to smile slightly.

"That it is." Chakwas agreed. "But it's what we have to live with."

Pricilla looked down at her hands and asked before looking back at Chakwas. "All these species… How doeth they communicate?"

Chakwas reached up and touched her temple. "We use a translation implant to communicate."

"Implant?" Pricilla asked a note of worry in her voice.

Chakwas nodded before expounding further. "We have a small device placed under our skin, it's generally painless and-" She stopped as Pricilla's face lost what little color it had. "Pricilla?" Chakwas asked cautiously.

Pricilla opened her mouth but no sound came out. She was somewhere else, the smell of old blood…

"Pricilla. Breathe." A soothing voice cut through the momentary flash back, and she was back, sitting on the bed in the Normandy's medical bay. She looked up but Chakwas was no longer in the chair by her desk, instead the human was sitting next to her, one of the doctor's hands was on her shoulder.

"Breathe." Chakwas repeated in that same soothing tone.

Pricilla gulped before looking away. "Forgive me. I doeth not…"

"It's alright you don't have to tell me about it. Clearly an implant isn't going to work. Not everyone gets them, but you are going to need the device. There are a few alternatives, but I don't have the supplies for them right now. Shepard is planning to visit the Citadel soon; I can get what I need there." Chakwas explained.

Pricilla nodded jerkily. "Mine thanks, Chakwas." She whispered.

Chakwas pulled her hand back and settled it onto her lap. "If you need to talk about whatever is bothering you. Just ask. You can talk to me or I can go get Kelly."

"Kelly?" Pricilla inquired.

Chakwas nodded. "Kelly is a psychologist. What that means is, she listens to people for a living, and tries to help them with things which may have happened in the past. It's like being a doctor for the mind."

Pricilla wrapped her arms around herself, and shuddered. "I wilt consider it." She finally said.


Shepard

The YMIR melted down and exploded with enough force to clear the bridge and blast the Eclipse commander to his doom. Cursing Archangel with his final breath.

"Glad we finally bagged Jaroth. Slippery little bastard, even for a salarian." Garrus muttered staring at the place the salarian had vanished.

"What's his story?" Shepard asked.

"Mostly just shipping tainted ezoo all over citadel space." Garrus' tone became grim. "Among other things." He growled softly.

Shepard took one look at his friends face and let the matter drop for the moment. "Either way that looks like it's it for the Eclipse contingent. Everyone status?" He asked over comms.

He got a couple of conformations from Zaeed and Jacob who had gone to hold the Eclipse off on the ground floor. Signaling they were fine for the moment.

"Status?" Solare chimed in over Jacob's line.

"Shepard is asking if we're hurt or not." Jacob explained.

"Ah. I am unharmed." Solare stated after a moment.

Shepard frowned a bit looking out to where the mercenaries were camped. "Looks like the remains of the Eclipse troops are retreating."

"Amateurs." Zaeed scoffed.

Garrus gave an annoyed snort. "I won't say I'm sorry we have fewer to shoot. Through they likely deserve it."

"We've got Blood Pack and Blue Suns left, trying to fight through them will be dice-" Shepard was cut off as an explosion rocked the building.

"Damnit!" Garrus cursed as he checked his omni-tool. "Guess they had to use their brains sometime. They've breached the lower levels."

"I'll take care of it. Jacob, stay with Garrus." Shepard ordered as he checked his rifle, before he led Miranda, and Zaeed down several flights of stairs as gunfire sounded from above.

Shepard got a moment to savor the enraged faces of the Blood Pack krogan, as the shutter doors slammed down, locking them out of the underground garage.

"That was close." Miranda said as she checked her SMG.

"They're god damn unhappy alright." Zaeed grinned as the sounds of the krogan beating at the shutter echoed through the garage.

"They're head butting it aren't they?" Miranda sighed.

"Probably." Shepard agreed. "Come on we need to-"

He was cut off again as his comm link buzzed to life.

"Shepard, we need you back here. Garm's breaking through." Garrus relayed.

"Got it. We're on our way back, just hang on buddy." Shepard answered as he broke into a run, Miranda and Zaeed on his heels.


Garrus

Vorcha were annoying. He cursed under his breath, as despite every one they killed, one or two managed to slip by either due to sheer weight of numbers or because they had to focus on a krogan. He repositioned to the window overlooking the atrium of the house, and paused. Solare the strange human had called himself was engaging the vorcha in close combat. He had rolled off the ledge and onto the ground floor fairly early in the fight and was carving through the vorcha with ease.

Garrus watched as Solare deflected a swing from a club with his shield before beheading the offending vorcha with a counter swing. Then he raised his rifle a blew a large hole in the chest of a vorcha trying to sneak up on Solare, who spun around at the cry, saw the body, before looking up and giving him a nod of thanks.

Then one of the doors blew in, and Garm flanked by his guards burst in. Garm was big even for a krogan, Garrus swung his rifle around to zone in on the battlemaster, even as Solare lunged with is sword burying it to the hilt in the krogans chest.

Everyone froze as they processed what had happened, before Garm simply headbutted Solare across the room. Garrus fired but one of Garms guards got in the way at the last second, before he was forced to duck away from the gunfire.


Shepard

They burst back onto the ground floor and he took it all in. Solare was down crumpled in a heap, so were a mob if vorcha and at least one krogan. However nearly half a dozen krogan were rushing up the stairs toward Garrus, while another, larger than the rest, was working something out from his chest.

The krogan looked their way as they entered and Shepard recognized Garm, who snarled and ripped what Shepard realized was Solare's sword, from his chest and tossed it aside. There was a crack and Garm stumbled, just before Shepard lunged at him.

"Get the other krogan!" He ordered as he readied his grenade launcher. He had learned much about battle masters from traveling and fighting alongside Wrex. Enough to know that the old saying that "there is not problem which can't be solved with a careful application of high explosives" still rang true.

He pulled the trigger, and he kept pulling it until the battlemaster stopped twitching.

As the ringing in his ears died down and silence descended again, he walked over to Solare. However, before he reached the other man, Solare got up with a groan shaking his head. Shepard could see one arm was at least dislocated if not broken but before he could say anything Solare pulled an odd glowing flask from his belt took a generous swig of the contents. Before tucking it away, grabbing his arm, and with a grimace, popping it back into its socket with a meaty pop.

Shepard winced in sympathy before asking. "How badly are you hurt?"

"I shall be fine in a moment." Solare replied as he moved his arm about.

Shepard raised an eyebrow but didn't comment as Garrus called down. "Shepard, you should come up here."

"Garm's dead." Shepard said as he walked into Garrus's sniper nest.

"Are you sure?" Garrus asked. "He's a freak of nature, regened faster than any krogan I've seen or heard of."

Shepard paused and thought for a moment. "If he can regen from being in several pieces we might be in trouble." He commented dryly.

Garrus gave a snort before turning his attention over the bridge. "The Blood Pack seems to have been wiped out. Which leaves the Blue Suns. Tarak's a nasty piece of work but nothing we haven't…" Garrus trailed off as the sounds of engines began. "Damn! Gunship!" He called out as everyone dove for cover at his words. "I thought we took that thing out." He grumbled.

"They were fixing it but I made sure they couldn't finish." Shepard answered as Tarak swearing at archangel begin to open fire with the gunship's autocannon, pinning them down before breaking off.

"What's he doing with that monstrosity?" Solare asked.

"Dropping off troops." Zaeed growled as a window as blown in and mercs started to rappel down.

The first merc died before his feet touched to floor. Several more followed and died before Tarak changed tactics. The sounds of another window being shattered on the ground floor along with orders being barked from the other side of the bridge told Shepard his next move.

"Miranda! Stay with Garrus. Jacob, Zaeed! With me!" Shepard ordered as he vaulted down to the atrium to deal with the mercs.


Miranda

She used her barriers to help Garrus, she couldn't deny that he was an excellent shot if a bit reckless in her mind. The sounds of gunfire from the atrium weren't getting any less intense, as Tarak continued to buzz them at odd intervals.

Fortunately, he seemed to have run out of mercs to drop off.

She was taking a breather behind some cover when Tarak buzzed them again firing a barrage of rockets. Garrus rolled and avoided the first one, the second one detonated next to him sending him flying. Impulsively she dove on Garrus and pushed her barrier out even as Solare was riddled with bullets and collapsed out of her sight.

Panting she tried to drag Garrus out of sight knowing Shepard wouldn't forgive her if Garrus died under her watch.

Tarak's chuckle made her look up. "So long archangel!" He gloated savoring the kill.

She almost missed it. Solare dragged himself upright and pulled his arm back as if he was going to throw something. Then in his grip a blinding spear of light formed and he threw it into the cockpit of the gunship.

There was a massive explosion as the gunship was torn apart into wreckage and shrapnel.

Miranda stared at Solare in shock, as he gave her a wide grin and raised his arms up into what looked like a Y shape. Before he simply faded away as if he had never been. Garrus's pained wheeze pulled her focus back to the downed turian. As she began to administer medigel she opened her comm link.

"Shepard! Tarak is dead, but Garrus is down, and he needs medical attention now."

"Damnit! Normandy this is Shepard! We need medical evac now!"


?

He looked out over his home toward his old home as he had for cycles uncounted. Yet something was different all of a sudden…

A shift. One unlike any he had ever sensed.

Sensing his unease his companion came alert, he rubbed the beasts muzzle gently before clambering onto its back and taking flight. Winging their way back to a home which was no longer home.


Responses to Reviews.

As always constructive criticism is welcome.

Jctherebel: I really do try not to have these things die. Sometimes it's hard to write.

Rationalism: Yes, she may.

Guest: I know it's a creative decision cause her natural height would have made it almost impossible for her to get around.

Jebest4781: Thank you. I hope it was worth the wait.

Mr. Blue: I agree but I understand why people focus on their characters as we feel connected to them. No, her life hunt ability isn't gone but I need to look into it more and see what I can dig up about it.

Gamatime: A good question.

Carre: Thanks!

NabucodonosorV: Thank you. As I said I try not to abandon projects.

ThePathsOfPaths: Thank you I hope the update was worth the wait. As for the loss of Pricilla's scythe and her change in height. In a nutshell the magic she used took more power than she innately had so it pulled magic from her to make the spell work.

Authors note.

What are you really surprised I used one of our best friends to back up another of our best friends?

I'm not sure if I'm over doing it with some of how Pricilla is acting. Let me know what you think.