"Detonate the sticky bombs" Ayita bellowed telepathically.
Her companions did so, the chain of explosions music to the teenage Vortals ears; "Garrus!" She snapped verbally, and the Turian sent her a startled look. Attaching her bayonet and tossing him her ammo pouch; she handed Garrus her Winfeild, grabbing his armor as she did so.
"Don't… Lose It…" she hissed.
Garrus's manibles flared, and he gulped; "Yes ma'am."
She turned her attention to Wrex and Nihlus; the Krogan laughing and spraying his LMG at the CP's and Overwatch Grunts as they scrambled out of their quarters and tried to rush towards their vehicles.
The Turian looked away from the carnage for a moment and nodded. "Go, rescue him."
Ayita grinned and charged her power; not even bothering to restrain herself.
She held her hands outward and telekinetically seized dozens of explosive barrels, bars of rebar, ammunition packs, anything not nailed down and a healthy amount of things that were, were lifted into the air as a green glow lit up the compound even as klaxons echoed throughout it.
CP's and Grunts immediately began scrambling away from the area as fast as they could, desperate to avoid the enraged Vortal.
Ayita opened her mind, allowing her emotion and her thoughts to run free; yanking her hair out of its bun, allowing the rushing wind and the telekinetic hum to blow it around. She laughed as a squad of troopers tried to shoot her, only for Ayita to pull a slab of metal several inches thick out of a nearby wall and take the shots for her.
The pulse shots didn't even dent the sheet of metal, as Ayita immediately sent several metal bars into the enemy troopers; killing them instantly as she impaled them through the chest.
The Vortessence was swirling and matching her own hurricane of emotions; the pieces of debris she had lifted now swam around her through the air like a vortex. Her telekinetic pull was so strong that she was literally yanking bricks out of the walls, chunks of concrete out of the ground, glass out of window panes, metal bars off the now collapsed COMM's tower.
The distant sounds of battle barely registered in her ears, as any Grunts or CP's that poked their heads out of cover instantly got a shard of glass in the throat, a piece of rebar through the eye or temple, or a brick to the face.
She barely registered the LAV firing its main gun into one of the Striders; blowing it's legs off and killing the damned thing.
It was the hunters that blocked her path that drew her attention from her Inszel; if only briefly.
The first hunter, the leader, shrieked in its warbling tongue; directing its subordinates to surround her and try to kill her with their flachetts. Many did not understand that even though they were Synths, Hunters and Striders were just as intelligent and sentient as regular beings.
The lead hunter roared at her; bellowing in its language for her to surrender and accept her new masters.
Not happening. Ayita flicked her hands and the lead hunter got two giant pieces of rebar in its two pill shaped eyes. It wailed and screamed as it fell dead; just as its subordinates began firing their flechettes at her.
Ayita laughed again as the wind and the vortex of power that surrounded her caught the flechettes long before they reached her; adding themselves to the storm of broken steel and shattered glass and crumbled brick.
The Hunters shrieked in rage and fear, and began to back away from her.
Oh no you don't, She mentally flicked pieces of rebar into their eyes like their leader, pelted them with bricks, stabbed them with fragments of glass. Anything to kill the abominations that dared keep Ayita away from her Inszel…
Her Bondmate...
Wrex was in his element; war. The two Turians had scurried off to nearby roof tops to snipe at any wayward CPs or Overwatch, while he baited the Hunters. "Come on you worthless mechs; try to make it a challenge!" He lay down withering fire with his pulse cannon, while the two mountain rebel cells tried to flank the combine forces.
For the moment, it was working; half of the Hunters on the field were disabled, while the Combine infantry were pinned down near a wrecked house. One of the Striders finally came out into the open, booming and warbling as it lined up to shoot the irksome Krogan.
-BAM-
The Strider shrieked as an AP round from the hull-down LAV punched through the Warp Cannon. A Hunter and a squad of Overwatch rushed towards the armored vehicle, only for Wrex to Biotically lift the Synth in the air and hurl it back at the squad. The Strider let loose a shrill squeal and fired a stream of pulse bolts at the LAV. The turret armor smoked and one hatch popped open as a gout of flame shot out, but not before the dying machine got one last shot off. The AP round struck the Strider directly in the center of its body, causing sparks and maroon fluid to shoot out from in front and behind. The war machine toppled over onto the ruined residence the rest of the CPs had been hiding behind.
Wrex went over to the downed Strider and began scavenging ammunition for his own cannon. An armored Elite broke through the rubble behind him, but before Wrex could do anything the Overwatch cyborg's chest exploded. He gazed back at the Turians to see Garrus give him a wry salute. Wrex sneered back, then back handed a charging CP through the rest of the wall it had come around. His Biotics were singing with all the Dark Energy flying around, though what drew him the most was a growing oppressive sense of doom coming from where Shephard had gone.
"Is it my time then?" He cycled the breach on the cannon. "Don't you worry, I got plenty of fight left to go around." He turned his head towards the rest of the assault team. "Keep pressing towards the ship. I'm gonna follow Shephard." He started jogging towards a growing storm of red and green light. "You hear that Galaxy! A Krogan Battlemaster is coming for you!" He broke into a dead run, while the rebels and their remaining vehicles advanced towards the waiting starship.
Eva dug furiously through the brick, concrete, and rebar.
She was practically hissing in rage and pain as her left shoulder had only just now been realigned. As much as she didn't like the fat bastard, he was still technically her superior; and he was also her only chance of expanding her Assassin's guild farther than she had any hope to do alone.
She came to a sheet of corrugated metal with bricks overtop of it; the sheet trembling slightly.
Ignoring the cut on her forehead, and her bruised ribs; Eva immediately walked over and began digging through the rubble. "Doctor?" She growled, pulling the sheet out of the way; revealing Lawson prone on the ground.
The Doctor coughed, his glasses broken, his suit torn to pieces; and covered in scrapes in bruises.
"I'm alright, no-no; I'm alright… Don't waste time attending to me! They have our data and research, get after them!" He bellowed, coughing out concrete dust as he did so.
Eva stood up and dusted herself off, just as M-91792449 and O-1872397 burst into the room.
"You!" Eva bellowed, storming up to the two Assassins and punching them both in the face. "If you had not toyed with that Alien, then we could have caught his friends and prevented this from occurring! If you survive this, you will be given the 'Greater Punishment'! Now go find and kill them!" She roared.
The two Assassins cringed and bowed their heads, quickly spinning on their heels and running off into the darkness as the klaxon's blared; the screams of the CP's and the Grunts mixed with the sounds of gunfire adding to the chaotic feel.
Eva shuddered as a feeling of unease blossomed within her, and she could feel that the Vortal Human nearby was building its energy; the bright Emerald Green glow that was beginning to fill the compound spoke much about how angry and powerful it was.
Lawson grunted as he shifted more rubble out of the way, and Eva knelt down next to him; a furious scowl on her face, "I'll find them." She hissed in promise.
"I'll find them."
Cato ran. Not as if his life depended on it, even though it did.
Not as if it were to his Inszel's side, though a part of him wanted to do just that. No, he ran as if the tiny life huddled against him depended on it. He'd heard stories his entire life; a father laying down his life for his child without a second thought, or a mother pulling a sealed hatch open with only her hands. He thought it was interesting.
"Halt! All trespassers are subject to-"
-FZARK-SPLAT-
At this moment, nothing was more important than this tiny helpless person.
"WHAAAA!"
A tiny helpless person that somehow had more lung capacity than he did. Thankfully, stealth was no longer a concern; though he flinched every time she screamed since he didn't know if a stray shot had hit her or not. They had all hunkered down near the granite pedestal with a placard that read something about 'Bill the Goat'.
He felt a pressure building nearby, and then saw a green storm.
"You see that Neyha?" He gestured towards the emerald lightning, and the baby calmed and looked. "That's your mommy over there; she's making sure everyone can get to the ship safely."
"Yes, making it to the ship safely should be a priority." Mordin sighted in a CP in the open.
-brrrrrrrrrrt-
"Mwahh!" The child in Cato's arm didn't seem to appreciate the noise, but he did sense she was not nearly so agitated as before.
A buzzing sound came from their left, and they saw one of the flying worm gunships slithering its way towards the river bank where the resistance fighters and their vehicles were bunkered down. It began spraying fire, forcing the defenders to stop suppressing the Hunters. It reared up to dodge fire when a purple ripple engulfed it. The child immediately began fussing, and Cato could feel a discordant buzz in the Vortessence as Liara trapped the creature.
"We must do something! I can't hold it for very-"
A sharp CRACK came from a nearby rooftop, and yellowish ooze shot out of the Synth gunship as it thrashed and fell to the ground. Cato and Liara both looked over to see Garrus cycle a new round into the Winfield. Without the harassing fire of the gunship, the resistance renewed their defense against the Hunters.
"Matter well in hand." Mordin barked over his shoulder. "Path to the ship is clear; we need to leave now!"
The three turned and ran towards the ship. Everywhere they looked, they saw chaos. Several of the Assassins could be seen trying to break through a line of fighters led by Anderson. The genetically engineered supersoldiers fell to the last to the veteran commander's expert tactics.
"Why didn't you kill them?"
Liara was startled by Cato's question, though not Mordin.
The Salarian slowed slightly. "Was told not to." He glanced at Cato, even as the Quarian was about to demand a better answer. "The Ulysses described that exact scenario, and said I needed to spare the two servants of the Slave-maker. They are key to turning the battle here on the Earth."
Cato wanted to argue with him; that saving those genetically engineered creatures was a mistake.
"Mah?" He looked down at the child in his arms. Whether it was the child in his arms, or a sense that Mordin was correct, he couldn't deny the reality he was holding.
They had almost made it to Anderson's line when they all felt a wave of hatred wash over them. To most of the survivors and rebels, it was as if fear itself was a physical creature stalking them. For Cato, it felt as if something precious was about to be lost forever. For him and Liara, they were back in the tunnels outside Frostburg as a nightmare tried to push its way into their reality.
Ayita was in the middle of a hurricane of power.
The storm around her lashed out at any that dared get in her way; somewhere deep in her mind, Ayita was terrified. She was terrified because of all the death and destruction she was causing.
She didn't even watch as the warehouse next to her slowly disintegrated, the whirlpool of objects floating and flying around her shredding the thin metal and wood even as the centripetal pull of power yanked anything small or loose into the vortex surrounding her.
Her fear was shoved down deep into her mind, as her anger and hatred was brought back to the forefront when she caught something in the corner of her eye. It was a meathook, the rope for it was torn away.
Ayita hissed as she stepped forward, grabbing the hook out of the swirl of items; not even noticing that the building the COMM's tower had fallen on had completely collapsed. Nor did she notice that everyone inside, Combine and Rebel, had already evacuated the building out of sheer terror.
She stared at the hook, the dark red blood staining it, and the residual Vortal energy on it told Ayita all that she needed to know; this was what that… that… Traitor had used to torture him.
She growled, and the glow of her eyes had brightened to that of the noonday sun; her poncho billowing in the wind as the rain started to freeze, pelting the ground even as Ayita turned her attention to another squad of Hunters, their support Overwatch Troopers, and even the Elite Assassin commanding them.
As one, the three Hunters, the twelve Overwatch Troopers, and the Assassin all froze in abject terror; as a wave of hatred and satisfaction washed over them. Ayita gave a very wolf-like grin as she spotted them. "Perfect" She purred, all the troopers cringing and holding their heads while the Hunters staggered at the voice echoing in their minds.
She didn't notice, realize, or particularly care that everyone in the complex heard her; the Aliens, her fellow rebels, the CP's, the Grunts, the Troopers, the Assassins all stared in growing horror and fear as Ayita manipulated herself to rise into the air.
Her emerald green energy was beginning to turn crimson; her eye glow remained the same, though it was beginning to turn more yellowish.
She glared at the squad below her, and sneered as a wave of disgust for the… abominations and traitors below her overcame her mind; and she gathered two balls of crimson energy in her palms. "Now Die! Now Die! ABOMINATIONS!" She roared telepathically, sending the balls of plasma towards the Combine troops below.
The Hunter's scattered, their Synthetic minds were still sentient; and like all sentient creatures they too felt emotions of a sort, though it was far more skewed than others. But they could still feel fear, and the Hunters did something never thought possible; they tried to run for their lives.
Emphasis on tried, as Ayita spotted them immediately while she boiled four troopers alive with Crimson Plasma Balls of Energy; "No!" She pointed, and three pieces of rebar went sailing at the speed of sound towards the three Hunters.
The Alien Synths screamed in pain as Ayita drove the metal spikes into the ground through the Hunter's hind leg; pinning them in place as Ayita smiled, "There is no hiding from your fate; nor our punishment…"
The Hunters scrambled to run, and were slowly ripped apart limb by limb; screaming the whole while.
The Troopers' reactions were mixed, some fell back on their brainwashing and along with the Assassins, started to fire on the Vortal; while the rest tried to flee. No! Do not... escape... All must pay... A voice bellowed in Ayita's mind.
Somewhere in the back of her soul, she knew this was wrong; but it felt so good to do this, to kill her enemies with no mercy or hesitation. Enemies that had enslaved her people, killed her friends and family, and most importantly hurt her Inszel.
She could not let them escape; she could not, and would not show them mercy, for they would have none for her.
She waved a hand, and the Troopers attempting to flee stopped dead in their tracks; before dropping to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.
The ones that had fired on her however, would be shown no mercy in any form; Ayita rubbed her hands together as a thought came to her mind, and she clapped her hands. The four Troopers and the Assassin were all pinned to the wall, arms spread wide and legs crossed with one foot over the other.
She flicked her wrist and each of the five abominations had their wrists and feet impaled on the brick wall; a perfect crucifixion.
Good… Suffer… Must Suffer...
A roar drew her attention, and saw with amusement the two remaining striders that her… allies had failed to kill were now making a beeline towards her, both roaring with anger; and though no one but her could detect it, fear…
She absently lifted the wall that she had crucified her victims to, and held it in front of her as one Strider fired its Warp Cannon, vaporising the wall; before she tore the cannon from the striders underbody.
The Strider Roared in pain and backed away as its uninjured companion moved forward to draw her attention.
Ayita laughed as the power that coursed through her veins increased; and the voice in the back of her mind… her voice… telling her to stop, was growing smaller and smaller.
She crossed her arms in the shape of an 'X', and telekinetically snapped the lead striders two front legs.
The strider tumbled, and its friend began backing away; whirring and groaning in fear. Ayita floated forward, and the Strider with the broken legs turned its eyes upward; trying to aim its cannon at her, firing the whole way to try and get a lucky hit. Ayita pulled an I-Beam into her tornado of debris, and then sank it into the back of the Strider's head.
She had never felt so alive...
"WHAAAAAH!"
Cato absently rocked the infant as he watched in sheer terror and horror as his Inszel was slowly being consumed by… something. The Crimson Balls of Energy and the Vortex of debris surrounding her was terrifying.
A divide had formed, with most of the rebels and survivors on one side of Ayita, and the Combine forces on the other. No one dared cross the No-Mans-Land where she drifted, periodically snatching up a CP or Overwatch and telekinetically dismembering it with a child-like glee. Unfortunately, Cato could see that his sister and the prisoners were on the wrong side of the line. He wanted to cry out, to coax his sister over to the safety of the ship, or plead with Ayita to come back. Instead he ran, driven by the waves of terror and rage pouring off of the Vortal maelstrom.
He reached the boarding ramp and all at once, his mind was still. The sudden shift all but made him stumble, except he felt as if he was falling through gel.
"The Cato'Zorah must be still and listen."
Cato strained his senses, and found Ulysses striding purposefully through the Moment.
"What is happening to her?!" Cato all but screamed, while the infant whimpered in distress. Just then, a trickle of terror and rage seeped into the calm around the Vortigaunt.
Ulysses slammed his cane onto the concrete, sending out a shockwave of intent and a spiderweb cracks. "We said Be Still!" Cato struggled with his fear, and as he calmed so did the child. It then occurred to him that the baby was active in the Moment.
"Yes, the New Soul has a strong link to the Vortessence; not the least due to the strength of her parents. The Cato'Zorah and the Ayita Shephard must learn to temper their emotions, for her sake." The ancient being extended a gnarled hand out for the baby to grasp at. "When we are calm, we perceive more fully, and may act more freely."
Cato did as well as he could, and found he could move more naturally the calmer he became. "I will do so... for their sake. But you have not answered me, what is happening to Ayita?" He managed to turn fully and face his Inszel.
"The Ayita Shephard is falling into rage. Through that rage a fragment of the Slave-Master, the Nihilanth, attempts to seize control and through her... rule over our kind once more."
The infant reached out and grasped at Ayita's distant form. "Mah!"
"What can I do?" Cato kept his voice from wavering as he watched the scarlet storm rage around his friend and, possibly, bondmate.
Ulysses hummed and stood straighter than Cato had ever seen. "Does The Cato'Zorah feel what is around us?"
Cato was confused for a moment, then tried to actively feel through the Vortessence. There was a connection to each and every person on the field, like tendrils of intent and probability. He could feel that Ulysses was almost brushing those connections, extending his own calm outward.
"You are using the Vortessence to counteract the Nihilanth's influence."
"Very good. The Cato'Zorah is not yet ready to face even the shadow of the Slave-Master, but if you are able to sense what we are doing now, then you can take our place." Ulysses grasped Cato's hand, and it felt as if all those tendrils were now in his palm. "We know this is a heavy burden, but we must face the Nihilanth. You shall serve as a beacon for the Ayita Shephard, and a bastion for her allies."
The Moment ended as soon as Ulysses let go of his hand and began stalking across the field. Cato was nearly driven to his knees by the strain of fighting back the Nihilanth's terror.
"What in the world is...Cato!" He felt as much as saw Liara kneel next to him. "What is happening? One moment I was terrified and now-"
"Ayita," he gasped, "Nihilanth, fighting... the terror!" He gasped as the timeless, unquenchable rage of the Nihilanth buffeted his consciousness from dozens of minds.
"Cato," he felt a soothing hand on his forehead, "I feel what it is you are doing. It is something I believe my people are also capable of. Will you allow me to aid you?"
He reached up with his free hand and grasped her while nodding.
"Then embrace serenity." They pooled their energies, and the ephemeral zone of tranquility became a physical wall of purple light lit by green lightning. As people fled into it, Cato lashed out at the Nihilanth's influence while Liara relied on her hundred plus years of meditative training to prevent its influence from crossing the threshold. "My people are not monsters, and these people are not yours. For all your terrible power, you may still only do so much to each of us, and I have faced your likeness before!"
Soon, only the prisoners and Tali's team remained outside the safety of Cato and Liara's calming influence.
Ayita snarled in fury as she felt another presence enter her sphere.
It was one of her… allies...
She turned her attention to see the one called Ulysses glaring her down; his cane driven into the ground like an anchor, his cloak flapping in the wind. Ayita turned to face the Vortigaunt fully, setting up a wall of debris between her and the Combine troops.
No one would get in her way.
She lowered herself down to the ground, and walked up to her former master; she gave the Vortigaunt a cruel smile, the vortex picking up speed as she walked. But Ulysses stood his ground, until the human walked up to him; her hair flopping in front of her face.
She never lost her cruel smile as she asked, "Impressed Master?"
Ulysses very subtly clenched his hands on his cane, but said nothing.
Ayita laughed coldly; "You hold distaste for my methods; and that is why you are always destined to be weaker than I… Why I will win in the end."
Ulysses said nothing for a moment, then replied; "Is this our apprentice that we speak to; the Slave Master's former Puppet, or the Slave Master themselves?"
Ayita laughed again as she spread her arms, sending several bricks and pieces of glass into a team of Assassins as they tried to flee the area; killing them all while she talked, "Ah… Ulysses…" She talked slowly, as if the name itself were unfamiliar; "That is what you go by now? You always were a… traditionalist… for the days gone past Old Man. I am the Savior… I am… the last… I am… the last hope..."
Ulysses did not budge, his cane drilled into the ground like a sword in the dirt; acting like an anchor against the swirl of destruction surrounding the two ancient beings. "Perhaps it is because We have experienced the days before your actions; unlike the rest of our brethren. This one gave themself up to spare our kin the fate of enslavement by the greater evil; only to find that rule by the Slave turned Slave-Master was worse than we could have imagined or foreseen. We shall not repeat our Mistake."
Ulysses eyes glowed as he suddenly charged up his own Energy, releasing his cane and slamming his hands into the ground; staggering Ayita slightly before she immediately recovered, snarled and dashed forward.
The two began trading Vortal Energy enhanced blows; but from the beginning, Ulysses was on the defensive. The Elder Vortigaunt's power was only barely on par with that of the Nihilanth's Shadow.
The Vortigaunt mostly avoided blows, while Ayita punched into the ground; causing explosions of Crimson Energy.
Unnoticed by the two beings, Wrex had managed to get a hold on his emotions; and left the bubble of safety being maintained by Cato and Liara, moving towards the Vortex. He arrived just as Ayita landed a kick on Ulysses' chest, sending the Elder Vortigaunt flying into a nearby wall.
Wrex watched as what used to be his friend Telekinetically pulled Ulysses Cane out of the ground, and launched herself forward; pinning the Vortigaunt by the throat with his own cane. Wrex stared at the two beings feeling woefully outclassed even as the Nihilanths influence battered at the edge of his soul, until he remembered something in the back of his mind that Mordin had told him about the Pulse Plugs; they were concentrated Dark Energy.
Even as he frantically searched his bags and armor, he could hear the Nihilanth Controlled Ayita speaking.
"You truly believed that you could stop us?! You truly believed that you could stop our rule? The Combine's subjugation of Earth and our peoples was merely a setback; we shall rule again!" She snarled, her voice was no longer the shy, self-conscious, teenager that struggled to string together more than a few sentences; content to allow emotions and thoughts to impress upon others what she felt and wanted.
Now, she sounded like one of many Asari Supremist Matriarchs Wrex had met in his long life; cruel, confident in her beliefs, hypocritical, and above all else… dangerous.
Suddenly Ulysses charged his energy in his palms and placed them to Ayita's temples; just as Wrex tossed the Pulse Plug into his mouth and down his throat.
The cruel expression Ayita's face suddenly became confused, and while her energy remained Crimson, her eye glow had faded to that of her normal Emerald. "I… What…" She asked, slowly letting the Elder Vortigaunt down.
Wrex's eyes widened, and immediately tried to vomit up the pulse plug; but it was too late, the cylinder of concentrated Dark Energy hit his gut and released itself all into his body, supercharging his biotics.
"WRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG!" He bellowed, an explosion of purple-blue energy exploding outward.
The wave of energy hit Shephard, and knocked Ulysses loose, causing her to drop him.
Shephards face became twisted again, and her eye glow turned yellow again; although it was weaker, and was flickering back and forth between Crimson and Yellow.
"You Fool!" Ulysses bellowed, snatching up his cane and backpedalling as Shephard smashed an I-Beam into the spot the Vortigaunt had been just seconds ago. Wrex panted heavily, everything seemed slower, clearer; and paradoxically faster and fuzzier all at the same time. "We had almost gotten through to her! Now the Slave Master will make sure to lock away her mind!" The Vortigaunt seemed genuinely dismayed.
"Then we bring more help! In the meantime, let's fight!" Wrex laughed, punching his hands together.
Tali blinked as the panic that had been overriding her mind suddenly cleared.
What is… She wondered, then stiffened as she looked around at the carnage that surrounded her and the rest of the prisoners and infiltration tem.
Miranda had tears in her eyes, while Ms. Kelly had her in a tight hug; the woman was clearly terrified like the rest of them, but was doing her best to hide it. The Matriarch and Zaeed were not terrified so much as dismayed as they watched the Kelek'miin incarnate literally rip apart the Combine troops and the buildings of the old compound.
"What is happening to her?!" Tali exclaimed.
"It… The Slave Master has possessed her." the Vortal called Jacob murmured, an aggrieved expression in his face.
Tali gasped as she remembered what had happened with Jack; but Shephard… Shephard made Jack seem like a cakewalk in comparison.
"Is this what your kind are capable of?" The Turian Spectre, Saran she thought, demanded; already aiming a weapon at Shephard, while keeping his attention on Jacob.
Tali kept her own gaze on the Spectre as he slowly raised his gun, and growled in fury as she pointed her own weapon at him, drawing Zaeed and Benezia's attention. Saren for his part seemed almost offended at the idea of a Quarian, a Suitless Quarian at that, pointing a weapon at him; "Put that down, you'll hurt yourself Quarian; If we are to survive, then we must eliminate the threat."
Zaeed took a step forward, leveling his M16 at the Turian; who took Zaeed to be a bigger threat, "You so much as touch a hair on her guddamned head; I will unscrew your head and shit down your neck. Put it down!" Zaeed snarled.
Saren's mandibles flared in anger, "You freed us, and I thank you; but you are foolish to not eliminate a threat like her while you have an opportunity like this." He sneered.
"She's our friend!" Tali snapped.
Zaeed nodded, "Promised her parents I'd look after her I did; and I'll be damned if the person I just rescued killed her before she even turns seventeen." He added.
Benezia had not turned her gaze away from the Raalz'Jel rium that Shephard had summoned; but Tali noticed the Matriarch flinch slightly at the mention of Shephard's age. Tali kept her focus on the Turian Spectre, and the other two Spectres for that matter; knowing that they both would likely back up their comrade.
Tali's eyes flashed just as her fingers dashed across her Omnitool. Saren, Jondum Bau and Tela'Vasir all realized her intent a moment too late as she caused a thermal feedback that melted the delicate electronics in their weapons.
"You are an insufferable bunch of fre'eg, but we need you to survive this so listen up!" The three SPECTERs were slightly taken aback, both by Tali's resourcefulness and her ferocity. The armed Humans surrounding them certainly was reason for pause. "These people need our help! Help like you should have given the Krogans after the Rachni War," her statement was punctuated when Wrex grabbed a downed Strider with his considerable strength and Biotic power to use it as a cudgel, "or help like your own treaties demanded when my people needed it.
"You are not going to fail to help this time! We are going to make a break for the ship, and you," Saren blinked in confusion when Tali slammed her Combine SMG into his talons, "are going to help save these people. Got it!?"
For a long moment, there was silence; then Matriarch Benezia smiled, "What do you require from us Madam 'Zorah?" She asked.
Tali sagged in relief at the open support. "There's still a lot of fire from that wrecked building over there," she pointed to the building Cato had gone into, "and I know there are still Hunters and Striders over there," she pointed in the opposite direction. "Matriarch, Specter," she looked at Tella and Benezia, "if you could provide as much physical cover as possible; these Combine weapons ignore Biotic and Kinetic barriers. Everyone else with a gun, shoot anything that comes close." She unlimbered her improved shotgun and clipped a grenade onto it, while kicking one of the Combine MP7's to Jondum. "If you don't have a gun, Biotics or Vorpal powers," Jacobs and Zaeed snorted, "then grab a survivor and keep up."
"It's… too much!" Cato hissed, even as the child wailed in his arms; grabbing hold of his tunic and kicking her feet as she sensed that he was close to dropping the barrier.
"You… Can… not give up… now…" Liara panted, though Cato could tell the Asari was at her limit as well.
Anderson and the other rebels were close to breaking as well; the few Combine troops left in the area not cowed into submission or killed by the Nihilanth possessed Ayita were now assaulting their position with everything they had.
Half of the improvised APC's were nothing more than burning husks now; and the other half were all running low on ammunition, along with the vast majority of any non-Combine Weapons.
Garrus stood next to Cato, sniping enemies left and right with his borrowed Winfield; but Ayita had left him with limited ammo before she had gone nuts, and something told them she wasn't really willing to give them more. Plus the wailing infant in Cato's arms was really distracting for everyone, considering the fact that everyone wanted to rush over and check to make sure it was okay everytime it cried.
"Guys… it's over… fucking, massive heavy force…" One of the Rebels said in dejection.
Cato opened his eyes, and nearly dropped the bubble as he saw what he had most feared; a Strider, a squad of Hunters, and a platoon of Overwatch Elite troopers. No… He thought in dejection; looking towards the crimson storm that was Ayita.
Wrex and Ulysses were trying their hardest, the Vortigaunt using techniques that Cato had never even thought possible; such as using his cane to rapid fire stab Ayita in the back even as the Vortigaunt himself Punched her in the face with his Energy charged hand.
That only seemed to annoy her as she immediately sent out a shockwave of Crimson Energy towards the old Vortigaunt. Cato wished desperately that he could do something, anything to help his Inszel and her mentor; but he could at least find comfort that Wrex was helping.
The Krogan, hyped up on Dark Energy, had jumped in front of the shockwave; forming one of the strongest Biotic Barriers Cato had ever seen.
"Goddess, what did he do? How is he that strong in Biotics?" Liara wondered.
Apparently Liara agreed with Cato's thinking; and so did Wrex as his booming laughter could be heard from almost half a kilometer away, "I AM A BIOTIC GOD!" The Krogan Cheered, manipulating debris and wreckage just as easily as Ulysses and Ayita.
Cato blinked, and he could feel that he was close to breaking; and Liara was probably not far behind.
It didn't help that his injury had broken open again and was soaking into his shirt, and he was holding a baby that was growing more and more afraid and cold with each passing second; he had staved off hypothermia by wrapping her in his Sehni, but it was something that was meant to protect the user from the sun while allowing wind to flow through.
"Shit!"
"Contact Rear!"
"Outbreak!Outbreak!Outbreak!"
He heard the overwatch troopers bellowing orders and turning away from the rebels defensive line; the Hunters and the Strider doing the same. Anderson didn't waste a second to capitalize on this critical error, hopping onto one of the burned out vehicles while propping up his AR2; then he launched an Energy Pellet at the cluster of Hunters.
Two of the Synths were standing too close together, and paid dearly for that mistake; as the Energy pellet hit one, and ricocheted into the other, vaporizing the two hunters on contact. The last Hunter screamed in anger at the death of its Compatriots, and made the mistake of turning away from the other threat it now showed its back to.
"Go for the eyes Chiktikka!" A familiar voice shouted, which was like music to Cato's ears.
The Hunter didn't hesitate and fired its flechettes at the purple drone, but the thing had a lot of experience in avoiding projectiles; a holdover from when Tali used to constantly prank Cato by zapping him with it.
The Drone immediately tazed the Hunter in its pill-like eyes, and the Hunter roared and stumbled backwards; holding one of its legs over its upper eye in an attempt to protect itself.
Crack!
Garrus shot the Hunter through its lower eye; and the Hunter screamed and flailed as the .30-06 Springfield Inverse Mass Effected Bullet buried itself into the Hunters brain.
It swayed for a moment before falling to the ground dead.
The Strider roared and fired its Pulse Cannon at the new attackers, which Cato belatedly realized was Tali and the rest of the Rebels and the freed prisoners. Many were battered and bruised but still in okay enough shape to fight.
The Elites were good, and despite being outnumbered five to one instead of the other way around for once; they still put up a very good fight. A number of Rebels were gunned down before the Elites were felled one by one by the combined fire of the two groups, the few Technicals that still had ammunition opening fire to finish off the Combine Cyborgs.
Even as the Elites Fell, the Strider finally met its match in the form of a furious Asari Matriarch; and an even angrier Asari Battle Matron and Spectre.
The Two Asari combined their efforts, as the Spectre threw up a wall of Debris in front of the strider's Pulse Gun and its Warp Cannon to blind and pacify it; while the Matriarch used her Biotics to Pull one of the Striders legs off.
The Synth screamed as it fell, and stopped in mid-air; warbling in confusion for a moment, before the two Asari hit it with a combined singularity. The Strider imploded in on itself as the Singularity tore it apart from the inside out; until all that was left of the massive siege Synth was its three sindly, spider-like legs.
The Rebels and the freed prisoners cheered themselves horse.
Cato smiled, and the child stopped crying as the sounds of battle lulled for a moment; the freed prisoners and the few remaining rebel stragglers rushed into the safety of the Bubble. Cato cringed as another wave of fear assaulted the Bubble; and Liara groaned and swayed as they both felt that they were going to drop the barrier any second now.
Cato didn't even hear the footsteps near him, but he did feel the human hand on his shoulder.
"Allow me to take your burden fellow Vortal, you could use a break." Cato blearily looked at the human, a young adult, dark brown skin, shaved head and face, with glowing Emerald Green eyes; and debated giving it to him for a moment. Then he felt the child in his arms shiver again, and decided that she was more important at the moment.
Cato held his hand out, and the human took it.
The Vortal staggered for a second, sweat glistening on his forehead; then he steadied himself and nodded. "Recuperate, you will need your strength in a moment." He warned in a loud voice, even as Liara fell to her knees, releasing her own burden.
"What do you mean by that Human?" A Bone white and markless Turian demanded with some Authority.
"He means them." Tali shouted, pointing towards the hurricane of destruction that was growing closer and closer.
"Oh Kheelah…" Cato moaned, he was utterly spent; how was he supposed to fight his own Inszel with their child in his arms, and no power or weapons.
Anderson stepped forward; "I want some volunteers, and I need them now. We need to hold this line while everyone else preps for launch, if you're wounded then get aboard; and those that stay must know that there is a very real possibility that you get left behind." He shouted.
Cato nodded to himself, and took a breath; pushing himself to his feet and holding the baby close to his chest while she wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to find what little warmth she could get.
To his surprise, all of his fellow crash survivors raised their hands and nodded as well; along with the Matriarch, the Matron, another Salarian, the White Turian, Anderson himself, the Vortal that had taken Cato and Liara's place holding up the Barrier, and about half a dozen human rebels.
Anderson nodded, "Alright, everyone else get inside and prepare for launch; Kelly, treat the wounded, Joker make sure you don't take the damned thing off by accident." He turned to Cato and his gaze softened, "As much as I hate to say it Mr. Zorah, and as much as I want you on that ship with that baby; I know Ulys ordered you both to be here when Ayita arrived."
"NOW DIE! NOW DIE! NOW DIE!"
Everyone cringed, and those not already aboard the Battlecruiser and not staying immediately scrambled to board faster.
The Child began crying again, and Cato rocked her back and forth looking down at her.
She looked so much like her mother once he looked past the Quarian features, skin tone, and hair. "Don't cry Na'Vera; please don't cry…" he murmured, and she looked back up at him; her face screwed up as she sniffled.
He could sense she was scared, hungry, tired, and wanted her mother.
Cato jumped and held the child close as a loud crash drew his attention away from his daughter; the massive brick wall having been torn apart as Wrex and Ulysses continued to fend off the Nihilanth Controlled Ayita as she advanced closer and closer to the Bubble, and more importantly the base of the Battlecruiser.
"Prepare Yourselves! We shall have only one opportunity to break The Ayita Shephard free of the Slave Masters control!" Ulysses bellowed telepathically, everyone jumping at the voice in their minds.
Cato dug deep, and drew the Vortessence around him; Energy sparking around him, as his eyes changed from Mercury to Emerald again. Everyone tensed and waited as Wrex and Ulysses drew the Possessed Vortal even closer.
And Closer…
Closer…
Then, in the blink of an eye, Ulysses and Wrex made their move.
Wrex, drawing upon his last reserves granted by the Pulse Plug, Pulled two giant light posts and quickly tied them around Ayita. The first was ripped to shreds by her power and from the storm of debris; but it did its job and cleared a path just long enough for the second pole to wrap itself around the Vortal.
She screamed in frustration, and quickly broke the bonds; but it had been more than enough.
In a flash, Ulysses appeared behind her, and sent a supercharged sphere of Energy into the Possessed Vortal. Ayita raised her arms and took the blow, but it was powerful enough to break her concentration and hold over her powers to send her flying into the Bubble.
Her eye glow changed from Crimson to yellow, and she blinked in confusion "Where…" before her expression changed back to rage, though her eye glow remained the same "You… Dare?!"
"NOW!" Jacob roared, and all the biotics plus Cato and Jacob immediately restrained her while the two Vortals temporarily cut her off from the Vortessence.
"You… Cannot… Win…" The Nihilanth bellowed at them, though its voice was already growing faint; "You… will… fail… Old Man…"
Ulysses walked up behind the caged Vortal; "We have already won... Slave Master." Ulysses growled in reply, summoning his cane to his hands; before charging the Cane itself with his Energy, and smashed it into the back of Ayita's head with a loud crack!
Cato staggered and released his hold on Ayita, and felt the back of his head.
Rushing over, he knelt next to her and checked her pulse to check to make sure Ulysses had not accidentally killed her. "You're Bondmate will be fine, The Cato'Zorah…" Cato looked up at the Elder Vortigaunt, who actually looked tired; even as the Alien drew up the hood of his now tattered cloak. "The Last of the Slave Masters' mind was driven out of The Ayita Shephard's with our final blow. He has retreated back to the depths of the Vortessence; he will be back… but not in the now or in the near time."
Cato sagged in relief and the child in his arms, who had finally stopped crying, was now looking at Ayita's prone form with what looked like an excited smile; "Mah!" It exclaimed, holding out its five fingered hands while impatiently kicking it's Quarian legs towards her; prompting a large smile and a soft chuckle from Cato.
"Oh…" The loud groan drew everyone's attention over to Wrex, as the Battlemaster swayed on his feet. "I don't feel so great…" The Krogan admitted to everyone's surprise, and then he chuckled; "Still tasted better than that damned headcrab."
And with those words he toppled over and passed out.
The Rain had picked up again, but Cato could hear it; as did everyone else. It was a sound all the Turians present were very familiar with, and it was one that sent a pall of dread into everyone's minds.
It was the sound of marching.
No… after all that… we were so close. Cato wanted to cry, after everything they had done; there were still hundreds of enemy soldiers left; no longer cowed by the Nihilanth Controlled Ayita's rampage.
"All of you get aboard, and launch." Anderson's voice startled Cato out of his thoughts, and everyone looked at him except Ulysses; who simply walked over to the human, while leaning heavily on his cane. "Ulys and I can hold them off long enough for the rest of you to escape."
"But sir!" half the crash survivors; the squad of humans and aliens, all protested.
"Someone has to hold them off, and quite frankly all of you are spent forces; I'd rather you live to fight another day, than die here on this hellhole of a world." Anderson stated firmly.
"I'm not leaving my home sir, I know I'm going to die someday; and I'd rather go down swinging on my home than peacefully in some foreign place." One human rebel proclaimed, and the other half dozen nodded along with the one that had spoken up.
Saren, the Asari Matron, and the Salarian Spectre stepped forward to everyone's surprise; "Our mission is not yet done; not until every member of the expedition has been found, and I'd rather die before leaving an incomplete mission." Saren proclaimed.
"Still have intel to collect, will be interesting to see if I survive." The Salarian added.
"Still promises to be a good fight." The Asari finished.
Jacob spoke up next, "I still want some payback against these Collaborators; if you don't mind me staying Commander."
Anderson held up a hand; and he looked at the group around him, "I get it… I do, you guys would rather die than leave." He looked at everyone else, who looked as determined as the ones who had spoken up, but Cato could tell all except the Matriarch were ready to drop. "All the rest of you… get aboard, and make sure you don't come back without help. Understood?"
"Understood Sir!" Everyone chorused, while Zaeed scowled angrily and Tali looked down at her feet, a heavy frown marring her face.
Anderson nodded, and walked up to Tali, and unclasped something from the lapels of his Uniform, which matched Tali's; "Ms. Zorah… I want these back when you return, unless I die of course; at which point they're yours. Now keep my boys and girls safe, Commander." Tali opened and closed her mouth, even as Anderson pined the ranks on her lapels; while Cato grinned widely, and would have run over to hug his sister if it didn't mean leaving Ayita's side.
Anderson then looked at Zaeed, "You know how it works Master Sergeant, you-"
"Keep her head on straight, yeah I got it… Gonna miss ya old friend…" Zaeed replied, before saluting Anderson. "Good luck."
Anderson returned it, "Good luck." before turning with the rest of the Volunteers, and walked off into the rain towards certain death.
"Engines are 100% Commander! All Passengers and Crew report green; Inertial Dampeners and Artificial Gravity are Online, Shields and Weapons are charged and ready." The helmsman, Joker, shouted.
"Good! Now Launch!" Tali shouted, making sure her seat was buckled.
She hadn't had time to process her new rank, nor the harsh; minimalist, almost Turian interior of her new ship. But she was Commander, and was doing what was best for everyone; She commanded.
"Launching in three… two… one…" Joker punched the throttle, grunting in pain as he jostled his crippled legs. "We… have… Liftoff!"
Tali felt gravity slam her into her seat for a brief moment before the Inertial Dampeners and the Artificial Gravity corrected that feeling.
She watched with wide eyes as the black clouds rushed past the viewing window; the ice buildup and the rain droplets quickly being pulled away as the ship accelerated past Mach 2, breaking into the upper atmosphere. The Clouds gave way to stars, and within a heartbeat; the ship was in space.
"Breaking Orbit with Earth… Now… Setting course for the Orion Nebula." Joker reported.
Tali breathed a sigh of relief...
In spite of herself, she unbuckled her seatbelt and walked over to the side viewing window; Joker kept his eyes forward.
Already, Earth was just a tiny brown speck off in the distance; Tali had no idea if she would ever see it again, but she certainly hoped so. If only to learn the fates of those she had been forced to leave behind.
She kept her eyes fixed on that spot, long after the planet had vanished from view.
She didn't even move a muscle until Joker cleared his throat, at which point did Tali reluctantly turn back to the human pilot; The two looked at each other for a long moment, as Garrus came onto the bridge. "Everyones all settled, Commander." He reported, his mandibles twitching in the Turian equivalent of a smile.
Tali shifted uneasily before nodding; "Good." before she turned her attention back outside. Why me… She wondered. Anderson choosing her as his 'successor' and as the commander of this ship had Ulysses' influence written all over it.
She looked down at her lapel, fingering the bronze colored 'Oak Leaf'; lost in thought until she heard Garrus cough behind her, "Hey Tali, Cato was in the medbay last I saw him; you want to come check up on him with me?"
Tali stopped dead in her thoughts for a moment, and frowned; for some reason Garrus sounded awkward and stilted, unsure of himself. Shrugging it off, Tali smiled and turned away from the viewport. "I'd love to Garrus."
She followed him out into the halls, which were very compact and harsh; minimalist to the extreme, but they did have touches of luxury written into them. Since this had been the Consul's pet project, Tali had little doubt the power hungry human had intended for the ship to be his flagship.
"So… Quick question," Garrus started, "Do you… remember what your brother was holding when we entered the ship."
Tali blinked, "Er… no? I do remember he was holding something; but I didn't get a good look before Dr. Chambers and Professor Solus shoved him and Shephard away out of my sight. Why do you ask?" She replied, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
"Erm… well… you see…" Garrus seemed to struggle to find the right words before giving up, "Just ask Cato yourself; just um… promise me you won't castrate him. He had nothing to do with it and was stuck in circumstances outside his control."
Tali's eyes flared dangerously as her frown deepened, "Garrus… I know Cato put you up to this; and while you're his friend, I'm his sister, and as your new Dow'ódca I order you to explain."
Garrus gulped, but stood firm as they reached the entrance to the med bay; "It's not my place, but hear him out." He practically begged.
Tali loosed a soft growl, but didn't press the issue as she entered the medbay. Cato sat next to an unconscious Shephard, whose head was bandaged heavily. Cato's arm was all patched up from the Combine Automated Medical Suite, which had been given the data on Quarian Physiology.
She walked up next to him, and pulled up a chair. She noted with some admiration that the room was immaculately clean. Cato didn't even acknowledge her presence as he stared at Ayita's sleeping form; until she cleared her throat.
Cato jumped slightly, and he swallowed as he looked at Tali; and she knew immediately that he was hiding something important. "Cato… how are you two doing?" She asked, both out of genuine concern, and partially out of politeness.
He huffed and looked back at Ayita. "We're doing better, thanks to Doctor Chambers and Professor Solus." He absently rubbed his shoulder. "That crazy Combine Doctor Lawson and the other one; I think he said her name was Eva? Anyway, they did a number on my shoulder, but Ayita..."
"Got possessed by a Titan if I had to guess." Both Quarians looked back at Garrus, who was leaning against a wall. "Oh don't give me that look; my people had a full blown interstellar empire a thousand years before your people had spaceflight. We have a rich tradition of nightmare fueled ghost stories. Titans are at the top of the list."
His head came up as he looked at nothing in particular. "Our legends talk of old gods as tall as mountains; their mere presence would drive you mad, turn brother against brother and father against son." He looked at Ayita. "Bondmate against bondmate." He gave Cato a sideways look that Tali didn't like; especially the cheeky Turian grin on Garrus' face.
"Mother against Daughter."
Tali did not miss Cato blushing purple, and stood up and put her hands on her hips; "Alright, enough stalling you two; what are you hiding from me? By the Ancestors if you don't tell me I will take my shotgun and-!" Her voice was rising by the second, and only stopped when Cato and Garrus frantically shushed her.
"What?!" She demanded. "What are you two hiding from me?!"
Right then, as if the Ancestors, the Human's God, the Turian Spirits or whatever deity existed decided to take pity on her; Dr. Chambers and Professor Solus walked in holding what looked like a Quarian infant.
Tali froze in slack jawed amazement at the sight; and she felt her eyes bugging out of her head as Kelly said, "Mr. Zorah, Your's and Ms. Shephard's daughter is perfectly healthy."
"Yes, perfect blend of Human and Quarian physiology. If you'll excuse us, we must compare with data stolen from Lawson's Lab." Mordin added, and the two walked off to a nearby terminal; placing the infant in Cato's hands.
He immediately gave Tali a weak smile and said in a wavering voice, "Uh… Onyeh Tali, meet your niece who has yet to be named."
Tali blinked, and then fainted on the spot.
Pilot A/N: So… yeah that happened.
Just the epilogue for this act remains, and I will say that this has been a fun journey; but after the epilogue this story will be going on a hiatus, at least for a while. At the very least, it will be dormant until Ian and I build up a decent stockpile for act two.
Now then, onto story points; The Nihilanth coming back from the depths was something you guys didn't see coming did you? AHHAHA! So this is how it feels to take a sledgehammer to the status quo; it feels like I'm playing God if I'll be honest, no wonder other writers love doing it.
Wrex and the Pulse Plug was another thing Ian and I had in mind early on; but never found a good place for it until now.
And now we come to Ulysses…
I'll be honest and say that I always thought of him as something like "What if Gandalf was a Vortigaunt", and just ran with that; now obviously Ulys is different than the average Vort, since he very clearly show's individualistic behavior.
And the Nihilanth clearly knows him, if the fact that he called him "Old Man" rather than "Slave" is anything to go by.
Alright, what have you got Ian?
Ian A/N: For myself, Wrex stole the show on this one. When you have such a large cast of characters, it's sometimes hard to let them each shine enough to merit keeping them there. This battle was our chance to have the old Battlemaster show why he's earned that title.
A close second is Liara. She has spent so much of this short trip asking some rather pointed questions of herself, but when she shines, she's brilliant. She and her kin have a very significant role to play in future chapters, so stay tuned good readers!
Pilot: Right then, Check my profile for the link to the discord; and to the HOI4-ME Crossover challenge I'm posing.
Leave a review and tell us what you guys think, the feedback helps immensely.
A TV Tropes page would be loved and appreciated.
And we will see ya when we see ya.